The Happy Pod: The simple plastic sheet saving lives

The Happy Pod: The simple plastic sheet saving lives

Author: BBC World Service May 30, 2026 Duration: 26:30

Researchers say a simple sheet of plastic is helping to prevent women dying after childbirth. The drape measures blood loss, which allows doctors to provide faster treatment. It's been successful in Nigeria, and now the health professionals want it used across the globe.

Plus, meet Joy and Diane who have been friends for 60 years. It all started with one letter when they were 12 years old and they have been pen pals ever since. Also, the fishing group helping people with breast cancer. The woman trying to save endangered Indian Skimmer water birds. The rare rainforest that is being restored in Northern Ireland over the next 100 years, and the homes in Australia which are being adapted to help people with ADHD.

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

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Picture credit: Gates Foundation/Nelson Owoicho


Staying informed means navigating a constant stream of events, and the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service provides a grounded, thorough digest of that flow. This isn't just a headline service; it's a twice-daily briefing that situates you within the day's most pressing stories, particularly focusing on complex, unfolding situations. Right now, that means dedicated coverage from across the Middle East, including Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and the Gulf states, offering clarity on regional dynamics and their global implications. Alongside that essential regional focus, the podcast consistently pulls back for a wider lens, bringing reports and context from every corner of the world. What you'll hear is the BBC's signature blend of on-the-ground reporting and measured expert analysis, all designed to build understanding rather than just summarize events. For a reliable, in-depth audio briefing that updates each weekday morning and evening, this podcast delivers a comprehensive picture of our world as it happens.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Global News Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Iran says it's stopping strikes against Israel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:08
Iran's military has said it's halting military operations against Israel, after the first direct hostilities between the two sides in two months. It said it had delivered what it called a 'painful response' to Israel, wa…
Israel and Iran carry out fresh airstrikes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:05
Israel has struck targets in western and central Iran, hours after Iran fired a wave of missiles towards northern Israel -- the first since a ceasefire was declared in April. The Israeli strikes came despite President Tr…
The Global Story: The battle to save James Bond from becoming slop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:15
Casting is finally underway for a new James Bond. But why has it taken five years to even begin the search? Since Daniel Craig retired as Bond in 2021, there have been reports of a behind-the-scenes David and Goliath bat…
Hegseth attacks Europe over migration in D-Day speech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
Pete Hegseth has used a D-Day anniversary speech in northern France to criticise European nations for allowing what he described as an "invasion" on their shores. The US defence secretary said Europe's beaches were being…
The Happy Pod: Kinder medicine for millions of cancer patients [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:30
A new DNA test can distinguish between patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy and those who are not, meaning many with the most common form of breast cancer can avoid the brutal treatment. Also, scientists…
US grants visas to Iran World Cup footballers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:25
Washington has confirmed that Iran's World Cup players have been issued visas to enter the United States, ten days before their first match in Los Angeles. The team will be based in Mexico during the tournament, but all…
Anthropic: AI could escape human control [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:00
One of the biggest artificial intelligence developers, the US firm Anthropic, has proposed a coordinated global slowdown on building advanced AI systems, saying that the latest large language models could escape human co…
Zelensky proposes face-to-face meeting with Putin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:20
Volodymyr Zelensky has written to Vladimir Putin inviting him to a face-to-face meeting with the aim of negotiating an end to their war. In an open letter to the Russian leader, the Ukrainian President said it would be "…
Hezbollah rejects Lebanon's ceasefire with Israel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:37
Israel and Lebanon agree to a truce - but Hezbollah, backed by Iran, refuses to stop fighting while villages are under attack. The Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, says this is the last chance for meaningful peace. Also,…
US House votes to curb Trump's war powers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:44
The US House has passed a resolution directing Donald Trump to withdraw American forces from the Iran war, in a largely symbolic move that nonetheless deals a political blow to the president. Four Republicans backed the…