Artemis II splashdown

Artemis II splashdown

Author: BBC World Service April 11, 2026 Duration: 29:24

Nasa's four Artemis astronauts: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen have safely returned to Earth, after a nine-day mission around the Moon. Officials say the crew are "feeling great" and will now undergo full medical checks. The Orion module carrying the team back to Earth splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on schedule after a six-minute communications blackout. Nasa officials say teams in the Houston control room monitoring the crew's re-entry were elated and that the mission exceeded expectations, describing it as a "gift to the world".

Also: Final preparations are being made in Pakistan for talks between the US and Iran, which could pave the way for a lasting peace deal. We get the latest from our team in Islamabad and look at what the Trump administration will want from the talks, as Donald Trump says the Strait of Hormuz will be opened up "with or without" the Iranians. Iran's delegates have arrived in Pakistan ahead of the meeting, saying there would be no negotiation unless there was a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Hungarians are getting ready to go to the polls in a crucial parliamentary election with veteran Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party facing a powerful challenge from the opposition Tisza party. New research suggest that packs of chimpanzees take part in 'civil war' like conflicts... and Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, takes a break from politics to hang out with British rock band Deep Purple.

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Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Global News Podcast
Podcast Episodes
BBC in Iran as mediation efforts continue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:33
The BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet gains rare access to report from Iran. Residents living under the fragile ceasefire tell her they feel scared and are unsure if a US deal can be struck. Pakistan's…
Iran warns it will block Gulf and Red Sea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:43
Iran warns that it will block trade through the Red Sea as well as the Gulf and the Sea of Oman, if the United States continues its own blockade of Iranian ports and shipping. The head of the Iranian military command cen…
Three years of war in Sudan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:08
Sudan marks the third anniversary of its civil war. The fighting has led to a de facto partition of the country and created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The conflict was triggered by a power struggle between…
China calls US blockade of Iranian ports 'dangerous' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:27
China has described the US blockade of Iranian ports as "irresponsible and dangerous". The measure came into force on Monday, after peace talks failed over the weekend. Beijing's foreign ministry said Washington's action…
US Vice President suggests talks with Iran could resume [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:12
JD Vance says progress was made in discussions with Iran at the weekend and the ball is in Tehran's court. But he also accuses the Iranians of "economic terrorism" over the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He was…
Pope: 'I will not debate war with Trump' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:44
Pope Leo has said he has "no intention to debate" Donald Trump, after the US leader criticised the pontiff's comments about the war in the Middle East. The American born Pope said he had no fear of the Trump administrati…
Péter Magyar wins the Hungarian election by a landslide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:57
Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, has promised closer ties with the European Union - and an anti-corruption drive - after winning the Hungarian election. The 45-year-old defeated Viktor Orbán, of the Fidesz party,…
'Historic' US Iran talks end without deal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:55
Marathon talks between senior US and Iranian officials on ending the Middle East conflict have ended in failure. Speaking after the negotiations in Pakistan, US Vice President, JD Vance, said they could not reach an agre…
The Happy Pod: From a small town, to the moon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:23
The mayor of Ingersoll beams with pride at the Canadian town being represented on Artemis II. Ingersoll is home to 15,000 people, including the astronaut Jeremy Hansen - who is the mission specialist. Also, we speak to t…