Global News Podcast - Donald Trump begins the 250th anniversary of US independence

Episode Date: July 4, 2026

Speaking at Mount Rushmore in the state of South Dakota, President Trump said that the United States would celebrate the American Declaration of Independence of July 4th, 1776 as "one of the most extraordinary days in the world". In a politicised speech he told the gathered audience that "communism was the greatest threat facing America". Also, the United Nations has said the world must act now to prevent a human rights catastrophe in the Sudanese city of El Obeid. The underdogs Cape Verde take the title holders, Argentina, into extra time in the knockout stage of men's football World Cup. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are now husband and wife following their star studded wedding in New York where the pop superstar and the American football player were married. Keir Starmer, the outgoing British Prime Minister, has said that his successor will have little choice but to focus, as he has, on foreign affairs. And Nasa launches a rescue mission to try to save a space telescope that started sinking after recent solar storms.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: [e-mail] Photo: Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills, Keystone, South Dakota, USA Credit: BBC

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How has America shaped the world? I'm Asma Khalid, host of the Global Story podcast from the BBC. As the United States marks its 250 year anniversary, we've been exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the U.S. has shaped the modern world. And today on the show, we answer your questions about this moment and what to expect in the years to come. From the BBC, it's the United States at 250. Listen to the global story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson, and in the early hours of Saturday, July 4th, these are our main stories.

Donald Trump lands in Mount Rushmore, where he's marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. The UN warns of impending catastrophe as paramilitaries close in on the Sudanese city of El Obeyed. And the fairy tale is over for the team that stunned the World Cup. But Cape Verde did push World Championship. Argentina into extra time before losing 3-2. Also in this podcast, fans are ecstatic that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey have tied the knot in New York. President Trump has started a weekend of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of American independence

with a speech at Mount Rushmore where the faces of four former presidents are carved into rock. The National Monument in the State of South Dakota has George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt chiseled into granite. Over the years, Mr. Trump has hinted that he, too, would like his likeness to be added. But for now, he had this to say. As we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack, a generation after we fought and won the Cold War against the menace of, communism, there is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success. These are not mere political disagreements like differences over taxes or regulations.

Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty. For more details, I spoke to our North America correspondent, Howell Griffith. I think it was interesting that he was willing to speak so much about history. Often the focus of the presidential speech is on the current president. He did reflect on his predecessors. What he thought made them great, the four figures behind him carved into Mount Rushmore and those who succeeded. And he seemed to draw a line between their spirit of adventure,

creating America and then ingenuity. And building up, of course, to what is, he says now the beginning of a golden age of America, of course, his current term in office where he says things are going to be bigger and better than ever before. But different perhaps to a speech I heard and make on the wall in Washington here last week, also part of the 250 celebrations where there was a lot more focus on him. This was more about the sweep of history. Now that history included anti-communism because communism, according to Donald Trump, is the greatest threat facing current day America. Why, you may ask, because we're not in a cold war anymore.

Well, that is because the Democrats, particularly left-leaning Democrats, have started doing well in recent votes. And therefore he's seeing them as the enemy domestically now, telling the American people not to waste their time, not to waste their energy with common. because they only failed to stick with him and his version of republicanism because that is what has done America so well over the centuries

and will do them very well over the next few years. And there had been some speculation that he had want his face also carved into Mount Rushmore, but no mention of that? No mention, no. Now, this is something that emerged during his first presidency and it reported that he'd suggested himself. He laughed it off but said actually, not such a bad idea. Now, during Trump 2, the second presidency, the 47th presidency, I should say,

with Donald Trump in the White House, the idea has been backed by his supporters again, particularly by some Republicans. We understand from those who understand granite and rock formations that it may not be practical to carve a fifth face into that famous rock in South Dakota. So President Trump may be having to accept that gravity or geology is against him on this one and didn't mention it in the speech. Howell, it's the 4th of July American Independence Day. What events, what other events are planned for the 250th anniversary? Well, the speech at Mount Rushmore was, in effect, a warm-up act to the big event here in Washington in the evening. We're going to have, according to Donald Trump, the biggest fireworks show ever on the planet.

Not a man known to undersell or describe things in a diminutive way. Now, that will be preceded by another presidential speech. Donald Trump is going to address the nation this time from the Washington Mall. And we're going to have an afternoon of flyovers. Now, they've been rehearsing this afternoon and several times. I found myself spontaneously ducking down because they were so loud, two bombers and jet fighters going through the air over downtown Washington. That's going to be done in a synchronized way tomorrow over a crowd of potentially thousands.

But what the people in Washington will also feel pushing down in them is immense heat. It is so hot and humid here at the moment. Record temperatures across large parts of the United States. And that means that some parts of celebration here have been cancelled. So the annual Independence Day parade that goes through, Washington has been cancelled, so no marching bands and flags going through the city. And people are being told to go later to this big event on the Washington Mall because it is so hot and humid.

They're concerned, obviously, that too much exposure to that heat and humidity would be dangerous. Howell Griffith. Next to the greatest match of the Football World Cup so far, the smallest country in the tournament, the island nation of Cape Verde, pushing Leonel Messe's Argentina deep into extra time. It was a Herculean effort involving many heart-stopping moments that finally ended in a three-two loss for Cape Verde after they came back from behind twice to almost cling on to a penalty shootout.

Our reporter Paul NGA was watching in the capital prior. The Cape Verdeans came into the tournament as the underdogs, but they turned to prove several doubters wrong, and their performance was quite impressive. people here have spoken to have said that they are not disappointed because the team went even farther than they had expected. This is their first ever World Cup participation, yet they went to the knockout rounds,

the very first, the smallest country so far by population, to achieve that feat. The Cavalarians really came in here with a slogan, 1% chance, 99% faith, and their faith brought them this fight. It's only unfortunate that they couldn't go beyond. And they came so close. your positivity but I mean you nearly did it they nearly did it in fact they came so close

but unfortunately this is football and it said that in the world cup any lost opportunity could cost you so I would say that people who are watching this game were quite disappointed at some instances where they believed that the kevedians could have cashed in on some opportunities but also they were quite happy because goalkeeper vizina also stopped several other opportunities that could have made the score quite worse. But regardless, people here believe that the team has done well and they also look forward to welcoming them with warm arms. Yeah, they've done well as sort of the understatement of the day, really.

How did Cape Verde get so far? It's a tiny country. The goalkeeper's 40 years old. How did they do it? Well, I spoke to the president of the country. He told me that Cape Verde has always been undermined and for every time that they've been undermined, they've sought to cash in on that situation

and prove the doubters wrong. And they've always played the bigger teams and sought to fare well against those big teams. That's why you saw them put up that performance against Spain, against Uruguay, and against Argentina. It was a tough game. But of course, the South Americans took the lead.

Paul NGA at a very noisy watch party in Pryor. Well, there were two other scintillating clashes to wrap up the round of 32 and set the stage for the last 16. For more on both, I spoke to our reporter Alfie Habeschen. Columbia versus Ghana, two teams with very different football styles of play. Columbia have been mesmerising on the attack this tournament. Topping Group B, that's the group with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in it, of course. It's partly due to the tenacious, wriggly winger that is Louis Diaz,

who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany. He was really at the heart of this one-nil win against Garner today. It was John Arias who scored the opening goal with a sort of lovely side-footed cushion volley into the back of the net. As for Garner, the critics will say they were a little bit over-cautious, a little bit over-defensive. Their coach, Carlos Chierrez, is known for these kind of very regimented, sort of over-protective style of play that makes it extremely difficult for teams to score against, but it didn't quite work for them this time. And a very interesting game between Australia and Egypt.

Yes, that one went to penalties. We all love it when it goes to penalties. It was Egypt who won that one. They made history, actually. It was the first time they've won a World Cup knockout match. Their star, Mohamed Sala, he scored a lovely sort of lofted, casual Penenka penalty in that shootout, which proved to be decisive. He'll be especially delighted to have made this record with his country after losing that sort of devastating loss rather in that Afghan Cup of Nations final against Senegal a couple of years ago. As for Australia, they did try to sort of tinge. were around for the penalty shootout. They changed their goalkeeper actually just before to see if that could give them the edge. But Egypt scored all five penalties, so it didn't quite work for them either. Them going out means that there are no longer any teams from the Asian Football Confederation left in the tournament. So it's been quite a disappointing competition this year for that part of the world. You watched the Cape Verde game. What for you was the highlight? I thought the Cape Verde goal, the one when it was on the left side and it was that swinger into the top corner on the right, I thought that was absolutely incredible.

I think that will go down as the best goal in the tournament. But I know you were saying to me that the goalkeeper was what's that for you? The goalkeeper was the hero of the World Cup. And Alfie, before you go, who's going to win the entire competition? Well, as you know, I've got France in the office sweepstakes. So my eyes are on them. I think they're a pretty safe bet too. They're going to be playing Paraguay in the last 16.

Other last 16 games to look out for. England are taking on Mexico. I think that one's going to be splendid, full of chaos, full of drama, at the iconic stadium Azteca in Mexico City. And Portugal, Spain, that's the other one I've got my eye on. Alfie Habeschen. Well, it's been confirmed. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey are now Mr. and Mrs.

in celebrations are well underway in New York with around 1,000 of their closest friends. Fans came from far and wide to try to catch a glimpse of the happy couple and their celebrity guests, which included Ed Shearin, Ethan Hawke, Diorleper, and Jason Siddiquis, to name just a few. Taylor's brother was her man of honour, and Travis's brother was best man, with Adam Sandler officiating at the ceremony.

Our correspondent Ned Atorfeck has spent the day outside the venue. Midtown Manhattan was buzzing with excitement for global pop princess Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelsey's wedding. By late afternoon, the elaborate undertaking to get 1,000 guests into Madison Square Garden Arena had consumed several blocks and was well underway. Oh, God bless Taylor Swift.

Crowds gathered behind a security barricade, a few climbing a scaffolding and straining their necks to see the spectacle along with the world's media. Hugh, Hugh, Ethan. An impressive list of celebrities were spotted, including Ed Sheeran, Hugh Grant, Benson Boone, Gigi Hadid, and several Kansas City chief NFL players. The guest arrivals have taken well over an hour

at this point, black SUVs, black tinted windows, going through checkpoints with people very smartly dressed in simple black gowns or tuxes checking their names against a guest list. And then they go into a covered white canopy tent. And in this pen that I'm in that has been barricaded specifically for fans coming down, well, we have met some of the most ultimate swifties. I do. Can I hear you say you have a test? I do. Right here. Yep. 47-year-old Janelle Snugis is visiting New York from Louisville, Kentucky. Describe this tattoo to me. So it has little elements of different albums of Taylor's.

So we've got like reputation, torture poets department. We have TV for Taylor's version, of course. 13th is her lucky number. This is a very intricate tattoo. Definitely a tribute to Taylor Swift. You say people have been following her because it's been about heartbreak, breakups. I mean, this is her happy ending, her love story, isn't it?

Yes, it's her happy ending. And we've all been there through all of it. The historic heatwave didn't stop Laura Heap and her young daughter Catherine from Indianapolis being here. I've been a fan since I was like nine or eight maybe and I went to her Eros tour and I just been like a really big fan since then. I actually took her to reputation when she was four, but it was a fun thing for us to connect with because it's like me, you know, we're obviously a wide span of age. But it's been fun for us to like connect over something that we both enjoy a lot. It's a huge moment in her life. So I thought, you know, why not swing by? Plastic surgeon, Krishnavias, lives nearby and couldn't help his curiosity.

She's the most played artist in my operating room, so I guess I could be a Swifty. I mean, why is she the most played artist? Does it help relax people or what? I think she has the most versatility. She's a very talented artist, of course. You know, basically when patients go to sleep, some of them ask for Taylor Swift, and then, of course, you know, there's the light, soft music, and then there's also something that really gets people energized as well. It's no surprise, perhaps, that the occasion. also drew out Joanne Gregoly, an event designer with the company elegant occasions to take a peek. So they're going to have to drain every single aspect of that arena, including bathrooms,

hallways, you know, all of the places where you get food. They have to cover that all. To make it not look like an arena. Exactly. So I can't wait to see what, if they ever show it. I hope they do what they do to it and how it was transformed. I think she is, you know, Rambium and Juliet, right? Love story.

Love story. Exactly. And this is why everyone's here. Well, it's a love story. She said yes, and here we are. That's exactly right. Happy ending for her. Ned Atofic with that report from New York.

Still to come in this podcast. If everything does go according to plan, then this 20-year-old mission will get another 10 years of life. NASA launches a daring space rescue mission to save its swift satellite telescope from falling out of orbit. This is the Global News podcast. The United Nations says the world must act now to prevent a human rights catastrophe

that is on the edge of unfolding in the Sudanese city of El Obeyed. The Civil War, which began in 2023, between the army and the paramilitary rapid support forces, has already killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 12 million people. Included in that was the brutal takeover and siege of the city of El Fasher last year by the RSF,

which Amnesty International says included murder, forcible transfer, imprisonment, torture, rape and sexual slavery. And now the RSF has surrounded the city of El-Obeyed. The UN Human Rights Chief Volker-Turk says history cannot repeat itself. I fear exactly the same that happened last year with Alfashire. We issued a very stark warning. A month later, the massac. happened. Over 6,000 people killed within a couple of days. I mean, women being raped

almost. We had abductions. We had disappearances. We had extraditional killings. I mean, it was a horror. Now we may see the same thing happen again in El Obed in Kordofan, in another part of Sudan, if the world doesn't react immediately and strongly. It's clearly a terrifying moment for the civilians in El Obed. The city was originally home to half a million people and is now thought to have many more who'd fled from the spread of violence around the country. The BBC has managed to get through to one Sudanese aid worker inside the city who we're not naming to protect his identity. There's more than 800,000 people they are living in Moscow at the moment and live in the

miserable situation and there's no official life supplies. There's no. There's a lot of people. no electricity, there's no clean state water. The drones attack the fuel station, drones attack the water supply station, and people that are poor. They want to move to the other safe place. How can they move? The people that are really tired. They are really tired.

They are really exhausted. Across the country, the war is in its fourth year, and the UN calls it the world's largest humanitarian crisis. And as our global affairs reporter Richard Kegoy explains, There's currently no end in sight. Several diplomatic efforts to end Sudan's war have failed. Both the army and the paramilitary rapid support forces have announced ceasefires, but none has lasted. Instead, the fighting has effectively split the country in two.

The army controls much of the northern east, including Hattom and the Red Sea coast. The RSF now holds almost all of Darfur to the west after seizing Elfasha, the last major army health city in the region. UN investigators and rights group accused RSF fighters of committing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during that campaign last October. Since then, fighting has shifted to North Kodofan state, where the RSF is massing around El-Obeyed, a strategic city linking army-held areas in central and eastern Sudan.

Aid agencies say continued fighting has cut off humanitarian access, living displaced families without food or medical help. The WHO warns the crisis risks disease outbreaks, and malnutrition, especially among women and children. Residency of water prices have doubled and food costs have reason. Analysts believe the RSF is targeting El Obede to tighten its creep on Western Sudan and push closer to Khartoum. Richard Kegoy. For generations, fishing has been a way of life for Palestinians in the tiny coastal strip that is Gaza. But since the war broke out between Hamas and Israel in 23, around

70 Palestinian fishermen have been shot and killed by the military with many more detained, according to the Gaza Fisherman's Union. Israel tightened its fishing restrictions on the occupied territory after the October the 7th Hamas attack, part of which was launched from the sea. The attacks on fishermen have continued despite a supposed ceasefire being in place. Israel does not allow international journalists to operate freely in Gaza, but our correspondent John Donelson reports from Jerusalem with the help of a local team in Gaza. Standing atop a small skiff, Yusuf al-Najar paddles to the shore, a web of nets at his feet. The best fishermen in Gaza, his friend cries out. At least he was.

Yusuf is now in hospital, deep scars over his body and heavily wrapped in bandage. after he and his boat were shot up by the Israeli Navy. I tried to escape, but in vain, the 25-year-old tells us, but they kept firing. Shells were landing from above and from the side. Yusuf knows he's lucky to be alive. The Fisherman's Union in Gaza says around 70 of its members have been killed at sea by Israel in the last three years. in the last three years.

Gunfire off the coast earlier this year. Mobile phone video shows two fishermen on a tiny boat. An Israeli Navy ship opens fire with shelling and then with machine guns. In a tent for displaced people in southern Gaza, the Al-Kin family, a mourning a father, husband and son. fishing was our only source of income. It was a livelihood for us and for our children. And that's been the case for generations of garlands in the tiny coastal strip. But these days, when food is short, the catch is small.

Israel controls the seas and there are strict limits on where garlands can fish. As he pulls his boat, Back up onto the beach, our team in Gaza meet Awad al-Sultan, who's been fishing through the night. He tells us he wants to be able to fish freely without fear of being shot or detained. Before pulling from his pocket, today's meagre catch, a couple of sprats and a few sardines. The Israeli military says it had to tighten fishing. restrictions after the October 7th Hamas attacks, some of which were launched from the sea. The fishermen's union says around 130 of its members have been detained in the last three years.

But despite the danger, still they head out to sea. With the sound of Israeli drones overhead, four fishermen are paddling back to port. Thank God we are safe they call. We are safe, they cry as they glide towards the beach. John Donison. The outgoing British Prime Minister, Kier Stama, has said that his successor will have little choice but to focus, as he has, on foreign affairs. It will, in all likelihood, be Andy Burnham, who is also from the governing Labour Party. Critics of the Prime Minister have called him Never Hear Kier due to his trips abroad,

and some of his MPs have said that if Mr Burnham succeeds him, he should spend less time on diplomacy. But in his first interview since he announced his resignation last month, Kirstama said this was just not possible during such a period of global turmoil. If you're Prime Minister and you care what bills are going to be like in any household around the country, you have to care about finding a lasting solution to the situation in Ukraine. You have to care about what happens in the Strait of Hummuse. So this suggestion you can really in the modern era simply split up international and domestic. It just doesn't make sense. It isn't true. It isn't right.

Kirstama was speaking exclusively to the BBC's political correspondent Henry Zephman, while Andy Burnham took questions on the social media platform Reddit. So what mood was the Prime Minister in? Here is Henry Zephman. Relaxed, I think. Not demob happy, but I do think demob relaxed. I think there was palpably a weight that had been lifted a bit off his shoulders. But look, he was, I think, at peace with the fact that Labour MPs had decided, as he put it to me, that he wasn't the man to win the next general election. Boy, he does not agree, though.

And I think that is very clear. But he was adamant that he would be a good ex-prime minister. He said, I'm going to keep my mouth shut. And he did basically acknowledge more clearly than ever before that Andy Burnham is going to be his successor. We did learn some important stuff via Reddit. Andy Burnham saying you won't call a general election as a new prime minister, saying he wants to negotiate returns agreements for failed refugees, including with Taliban-run Afghanistan.

So I think we probably can expect that on Instagram and other platforms, I'm sure, before long, that might be the place we have to look for more clarity on this very rapid succession to a new prime minister who hasn't said an awful lot, at least recently, about what he would do in office. Henry Zephman. NASA has launched a rescue mission to try to start. save the Swift Observatory Space Telescope that started sinking after recent solar storms. The telescope could crash into Earth if the salvage operation fails.

The NASA Rescue rocket would grab the Swift with three robotic arms and drop it back into a safe orbit. The Swift Observatory was launched in 2004 to detect powerful explosions in the universe. Palab Ghosh has the details. It's been in space for more than 20 years, but now it's a lot of. slowly falling to Earth. The Swift Space Telescope has been capturing some of the most powerful explosions from the dawn

of the universe. It provides such valuable insights that NASA has decided to save it. It launched a rocket from a plane into space. Inside it, a fridge-sized robot called Link, which makes its way to intercept the falling telescope. Swift had

been in orbit 600 kilometers above of the Earth, where normally there's no atmosphere. But increased solar activity pushed it out, slowing the spacecraft, bringing it gradually down to 360 kilometres and falling. When Link gets there, the first thing it'll do is to take photographs to find out the best place to grab it. It'll then use its three robotic arms to hold onto it, and then, using its thrusters, very gently and slowly push it back up to its original orbit.

it's a process that's likely to take several months. The mission won't be easy, according to Dr. Simeon Barber, a space scientist at the Open University. It is a high-risk mission because it's the first time that NASA has attempted to do this kind of mission, and a lot of things have to go right first time in order to be successful. However, if everything does go according to plan, then this 20-year-old mission will get another the 10 years of life. And that extension will enable lots of new discoveries and lots of new science. If this audacious mission succeeds, NASA may try to save the Hubble Space Telescope

so that it too can continue revealing the beauty and mystery of our universe. Pallab Ghosh. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at global podcast at bbc.co.com. You can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag Global NewsPod. And don't forget our sibling podcast, the Global Story, which goes in-depth and beyond the headlines,

on one big story. This edition of the Global News podcast was mixed by Paul Mason and produced by Arienne Cotchy and Alfie Habeschen. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time, goodbye. America has shaped the world. I'm Asma Khalid, host of the Global Story podcast from the BBC. As the United States marks its 250 year anniversary, we've been exploring the surprising and

often hidden ways the U.S. has shaped the modern world. And today on the show, we answer your questions about this moment and what to expect in the years to come. From the BBC, it's the United States at 250. Listen to the global story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. started with 48 teams and we've now reached the knockout stage. Records have been broken the way that Messi has been able to score all these goals late in his career. He's happy to play football and broken records is the consequence for him. And new heroes have emerged. This country's caught the fever.

Casual fans are now die-hard fans. And the more than The Score podcast is bringing you the stories beyond the score. More than the score from the BBC World Service. Listen now wherever you get your BBC podcasts. How did the United States build the largest soft power empire in the world with the help of some tiny metal objects? I'm Tristan Redmond, one of the hosts of the Global Story Podcasts from the BBC. To mark 250 years of the United States, we speak to Roman Mars of 99% invisible.

This soft power, this influence, was not. incredible invention. For more, listen to the global story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Who has America shaped the world? I'm Asma Khalid, host of the Global Story podcast from the BBC. As the United States marks its 250 year anniversary, we've been exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the U.S. has shaped the modern world. And today on the show, we answer your questions about this moment and what to expect in the years to come. From the BBC, it's the United States at 250. Listen to the global story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.