Ukraine peace talks end with prisoner swap

Two days of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending Moscow's war on its neighbour have ended with the exchange of more prisoners - but there's been no word on a peace agreement. The US envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the negotiations had been productive, but that "significant work" remained. Also: the UN human rights chief has appealed for hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, with the agency warning that it's currently operating in survival mode. China's leader, Xi Jinping, holds calls with his American and Russian counterparts in the space of a few hours, as he exerts his influence on the world stage. Savannah Guthrie, one of the best-known television news anchors in the US, makes a tearful appeal on behalf of her mother, whose disappearance is being treated by police as a kidnap. And the town in Japan that's cancelled a cherry blossom festival to try to stop thousands of tourists disturbing the peace.

The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [email protected]

700 ICE agents to leave Minnesota

President Trump orders the withdrawal of hundreds of federal agents involved in the contentious immigration crackdown in Minnesota. In an interview with NBC, he says that "maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch" but insists the enforcement effort will remain "tough".

Also: the last nuclear weapons treaty between Russia and the United States expires, leaving the world without a framework designed to prevent nuclear war for the first time in decades. We meet the Ukrainian war widow who moved her husband's grave, fearing Russian forces would seize their hometown in the eastern Donbas. Saudi Arabia introduces passports for camels to better manage the country's prized herds. The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces scrutiny over his former ambassador Peter Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC launches emergency radio programming to help Iranians access information more easily. Colombia's largest drug cartel suspends peace talks with the government after President Gustavo Petro agreed with Donald Trump to attack its leader. And why all Olympic curling stones originate from an uninhabited Scottish island.

Russia continues bombing as peace talks with Ukraine begin

With little optimism about the outcome of the latest peace talks, Ukraine says it will focus on military matters. Its team said it's trying to get a sense of what Moscow and Washington were "really ready for." Also: dozens are feared to have been killed by gunmen in central Nigeria. Walmart becomes the first "traditional firm" to become worth more than one trillion dollars. Water shortages worsen in parts of South Africa, with people fearing the prospect of "day zero." Iran allows female motorcyclists to obtain licences. Two former South Sudanese refugees walk the length of Britain to draw attention to the conflict in their home country. And the Muppet show celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new special episode.

BBC on frontline of Colombia's drugs crackdown

Our correspondent Orla Guerin travels alongside Colombia's Jungle Commandos - an elite police force - as they seek to eradicate cocaine production in the Colombian Amazon and Andes. The defence minister told the BBC that they destroy cocaine factories "every forty minutes". Meanwhile in Washington, following months of tension, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro met President Trump for the first time to discuss efforts to combat drug trafficking and increase trade.

Also: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi, is shot dead. Could Russia be readmitted to international football tournaments by Fifa? As Spain plans to legalise half a million undocumented migrants, we hear from a charity helping them. Why the people of Florida have been collecting frozen iguanas and British comedian John Bishop's real life story which inspired a Hollywood film - Is This Thing On?

Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure

President Zelensky accuses Moscow of using the coldest days of winter to terrorise Ukrainians, as temperatures drop to -20 degrees celsius. Also: French police raid the Paris offices of the social media platform, X. Spain becomes latest country to consider banning social media for children. Iran's president says he will pursue talks with US. Only five patients cross the border out of Gaza, as the Rafah crossing reopens for first time in nearly two years. And the Italian authorities investigate claims that an art restorer painted the face of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on an angel in an historic church.

India and US strike major trade deal

President Trump says India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil as part of a trade deal with the United States. In return, Washington will lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18%. Mr Trump said Delhi has pledged to buy more oil from the US and, potentially, from Venezuela. Also: Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in Congress about Jeffrey Epstein. Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway's crown princess is due to go on trial in Oslo on 38 charges, including the rape of four women. BBC Russia Editor, Steve Rosenberg takes part in a new documentary on the challenges of reporting from inside the country. NASA is hit by fuel leaks during a practice countdown for the Artemis II crewed mission round the moon. And a boy swims four hours through rough seas to save his mother and younger siblings off Western Australia.

Israel opens Rafah border crossing

The reopening of the Rafah crossing is a key part of President Trump’s ceasefire plan for Gaza, but only about 50 Palestinians are being allowed to cross in each direction, each day. Also: Pakistan begins a nation-wide anti-polio campaign to vaccinate more than 45 million children; Syria's only woman in the transitional government tells the BBC about the challenges facing her country; technology companies in Japan try to help those living with dementia; the UK's former ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, resigns from the governing Labour Party after more revelations in the Epstein scandal; and the price of gold and silver continues to fall, after records highs.

Boy, 5, and father detained by ICE in Minnesota are released

Liam Ramos and his father were freed from detention in Texas and are now back in Minneapolis. The detention of the boy, photographed wearing a blue bunny-shaped hat, and a Spider-Man backpack sparked a national outcry. Also: The former British Ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, has resigned from the governing Labour Party because he said he does not want to cause further embarrassment by his links to Jeffrey Epstein. He appeared in the latest release of files by the US Department of Justice. Israel has said the Rafah border crossing -- between Gaza and Egypt -- will re-open for Palestinians on Monday. Oil prices fall by three percent in early trading amid signs of a de-escalation in tensions between Iran and the US. Artificial intelligence now has its own social network. And we'll bring you a round up of who won, who lost and who performed on stage at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. This episode has been changed from its original version, for editorial reasons.

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The Global Story: The mystery of Putin and the apartment bombs

In September 1999, just weeks into Vladimir Putin’s first premiership, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings, over a period of twelve days, killing hundreds and plunging the entire nation into fear. The government blamed Chechen militants, a conclusion corroborated by many journalists at the time. But whispers of a darker conspiracy persist to this day. A new BBC podcast, The History Bureau: Putin and the Apartment Bombs, tells the story of those bombings and re-examines how these tragic events helped propel Vladimir Putin to power. Asma talks to the host of the series, Helena Merriman.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Producers: Viv Jones Executive producer: Bridget Harney Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Moscow apartment buildings in the 1990s. (Credit: BBC)

Britain's former prince Andrew faces fresh allegations

A second woman has alleged she was sent to Britain by the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, to have sex with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor who has always denied wrongdoing. Also: there are explosions in Iran amid heightened tensions; a US federal judge allows ICE to continue the immigration crackdown in Minnesota; Pakistan's army kills rebels in Balochistan province; European and non-English movies gain momentum ahead of the Oscars; the ethics of AI creating life; and do dogs need clothing?

Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.

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The Happy Pod: What makes people instinctively kind?

We meet a woman whose near death experience as a teenager inspired her to study why some people are willing to risk their lives for others. Dr Abigail Marsh was rescued by a stranger after a car accident and wanted to understand what drove him to help her. She says altruists, those who instinctively help without expecting anything in return, are more sensitive to the needs of other people -- but we can all learn to be kinder.

Also: we hear from a man whose willingness to help others led him to donate a kidney. It went to a woman he'd become friends with after he supported her through a personal tragedy.

We find out about an Australian scheme to help dads and their kids be healthier, which also showed the benefits of rough and tumble play. And it's inspired a project at a prison in Scotland that aims to make dads better role models by playing with their kids. It's hoped that helping them become better parents will make them less likely to reoffend.

Plus, why a crying horse soft toy has been a surprise hit with young workers in China, and what its like to be a patient helping to develop new medical treatments by volunteering for a clinical trial.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

(Presenter: Jannat Jalil. Music composed by Iona Hampson)

(Photo: Dr Abigail Marsh. Credit Georgetown University)

Iran says it's ready for talks with US

US President Donald Trump is again threatening military strikes on Iran, saying he has sent a ‘huge armada’ to the Middle East while signalling he is open to negotiations. Meanwhile, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has been holding talks in Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate. Also: during a visit to China, the UK prime minister Keir Starmer announces that Beijing has lifted sanctions on a group of British MPs who criticised its treatment of Uyghur Muslims; President Trump declares a national emergency on Cuba and imposes punitive tariffs on countries supplying oil to the island; a major study finds that our genes may be just as important as lifestyle and environment in determining lifespan; Kurdish-led forces in Syria say they’ve agreed a deal to integrate their fighters into the Syrian army; in New York, a man is arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent in a bid to free a high-profile murder suspect, Luigi Mangione.