Global News Podcast - Polls open in first Bangladesh election since uprising

Episode Date: February 12, 2026

Voters cast their ballots in Bangladesh for the first time since authoritarian leader Sheikh Hasina was forced from office in 2024. They'll be choosing a new government and deciding on constitutional reforms. Also: our correspondent reports from inside Iran. We have the latest on the deadly shooting in Canada. The US attorney general gets a grilling at a congressional committee meeting. New figures suggest China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell in 2025. We'll hear about the European robin that made it all the way to Canada. And the student who had a good excuse for not handing in her homework on time - she was taking part in the Olympics.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]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. I want to put all the issues on the table that keep me up at night. The interview brings you conversations with the people shaping our world. From global leaders. I've much more than fulfilled the promises that have made. To cultural icons. I'm just interested in how it feels to be playing songs that are 50-odd years old. Songs are like children.

They're with you forever. The interview from the BBC World Service. Listen now wherever you get your BBC podcasts. America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C.

I'm Tristan Redman in London, and this is the global story. Every weekday will bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen 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 Thursday, the 12th of February, these are our main stories. Voting is underway in Bangladesh in the first election since the uprising in 2024 that toppled long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Asina.

President Trump tells Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu that he'd prefer to do a deal on Iran's nuclear program than take further military action. Meanwhile, in Iran, the president apologises for government failings on the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Also in this podcast, Birdwatchers are flocking to the Canadian city of Montreal after what's believed to be the first recorded sighting of a European Robin in Canada. We start in Bangladesh, where voting is underway in what's perhaps the most important election to take place there for many years. This is the first national poll since the country's former Premier, Sheikasina, was deposed in 2024 after several months of violent unrest. Since then, Bangladesh has been run by a caretaker

government headed by the Nobel Prize winner Mohammed Yunus. He says he'll step down after the vote. More than 50 political parties are hoping to win a share of the 350 parliamentary seats being contested. The party of Sheikasina, the Awami League, has been banned from contesting the election. So, who are the main contenders? Our correspondent in Dhaka is Azaday Mishiri. There are several main parties that are contesting here. One of them is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party or the BNP. I'm actually at a polling booth in Dhaka where Terry Krahman, the leader of the BNP, is expected to turn up and vote here, perhaps even say a few words. So they're on are a lot of BNP supporters around me with red and green caps,

and there's also a lot of media as well as security forces, evidence that the interim government is trying to make sure that the day goes by smoothly. The BNP, having been in government before, they are an older established party, as is Jarmati Islami, an Islamist party that is also contesting the elections today. Both of these parties, while being older established parties, have faced politically motivated arrests in the past, have had a very difficult time during Sheikh Hasina's rule,

with the BNP, in fact, boycotting the last elections because of that. Right now there's a lot of excitement and a lot of optimism from the people at this particular polling booth. Yeah, it is the first election since the ousting of Sheikh Hasina. Give us a sense of how important that is. For many people we've spoken to in the past few weeks, they feel this is a day they never thought they'd see. These are people who say they either have never voted or haven't voted in nearly a decade. Even the ones who have been to polling booths in the last few years say it's the first time that they feel their vote will count.

But that feeling that they have is very different to what other parts of the country feel. We've been to areas that are Awami League strongholds where supporters of the party of the former government are based. They do not feel that these are free and fair elections, certainly not inclusive. ones, given that their party has been banned from even contesting. And so the Awami League banned, what other constitutional reformers are being voted on? That's a good point, because not only are people voting for a new government, there is also a referendum on the July National Charter, constitutional amendment, that would, if voted yes, put through various reforms.

And those are ones that are designed to essentially put in place different checks and balances in Bangladesh. Remember, this is a country that has just emerged from years of authoritarian rule. And so some of the powers that they're trying to reform, some of the different constitutional aspects of Bangladesh, include checks on term limits for the Prime Minister. They want to empower the presidency and other institutions, for example,

to make sure that there's a check on power. They also want to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, essentially put a lot of different reforms in place that can ensure the past, isn't repeated. Asaday, Mushiri in Dhaka. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held talks with Donald Trump at the White House as the US continues to seek a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme. Israel wants any agreement to include curbs on Iran's missiles and other security threats. Iran has suggested it is ready to limit its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief,

but has rejected other demands. Our correspondent in Washington, Tom Beirms, Aitman spoke to Oliver Conway. This was a very long meeting and a very short statement at the end of it. And unusually there hasn't been the kind of photo opportunity moments and the cameras allowed into the Oval Office. This was all kept pretty low profile, which is rare for meetings between these two leaders. And Mr. Trump's saying at the end of the meeting that he says, quote, there was nothing definitive reached other than that I insisted that negotiations with Iran

continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated, he says. and then basically goes on to say he'd rather have a deal, but if not, we'll have to see what happens. And there is the sort of not explicitly stated threat, but of military action. So it seems to me that what we had here was Mr. Trump pursuing his desire to try and do a deal with the Iranians. And Mr. Netanyahu pressing hard for that to be a much more expansive deal that is not just about ending nuclear enrichment, but is around restricting Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, stopping its support. for proxy militias in the region. And Mr Trump appearing to want to press ahead

with the diplomatic track at the moment, albeit one that holds a gun to the heads of the Iranians because he has this aircraft carrier strike group currently in the Arabian Sea close to Iran. The word I insisted sounds like there might have been a bit of an argument over that. I mean, will Israel be able to get what it wants ultimately? You know, they have a bumpy relationship these two, but ultimately this is a deep military relationship between the US and Israel.

It's not unhelpful to President Trump. You know, this is coercive diplomacy to try and get what he wants from the Iranians, that America's key ally in the region is being very belligerent and that the threat of military action remains there. I think the question is whether or not, after the conflict between Israel and Iran last year, which President Trump ultimately joined, the Israelis would be prepared to go ahead once again on their own

without American blessing if the Americans were still pursuing some kind of diplomatic action. I think that's extremely unlikely. But I think, you know, differences between these two, ultimately over where the diplomacy can work, has the potential to escalate tensions more in the region in what is a very unstable and unpredictable moment. Tom Bateman. Rallies have taken place across Iran to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. In a speech to crowds, President Massoud Peseshkian denounced Iran's enemy. but also apologised for the government failings. Our chief international correspondent, Leic Sousset, is in Tehran

and reporting on condition that none of her material is used on the BBC's Persian service. This is a restriction that applies to all international media organisations operating inside the country. Death to America. It's long been the signature slogan of Iran's Islamic Revolution. Its most loyal backers surged through the main army. in the heart of Tehran, along a route nearly three miles long. The same scene played out across the country. It's a political reply to the protesters who filled streets and squares nationwide last month calling for change. This young woman told me what the Islamic Revolution

means to her. To me and all Iranians, the revolution means a revival of life. I mean, the Islamic Revolution revived us. A new life was blown. to our society and country and the rest of the world. At Azadi or Freedom Square, Iran's president, Massoud Pezishyan, accused the U.S. and Europe of inciting the recent protests he called riots. But he had conciliatory words

for Iranians who had gone on strike or taken to the streets, calling for an end to an economic crisis, causing huge suffering. I apologize to our noble people, for our shortcomings. We in the government are making every effort with all our strength to resolve all these problems.

A public holiday was also a moment for families to forget their daily woes for a while, but a revolution nearly a half-century old now faces its biggest test, multiple crises at home, and the risk of military confrontation with America if a surge in diplomacy fails. Lee Doucette.

Bird watchers are flocking to the Canadian city of Montreal after what's believed to be the first recorded sighting of a European Robin in Canada. This is the sound of the European Robin. This is not to be confused with the sound of an American Robin, a totally different bird with an orange breast, not a red one. Here's the American one. But how did this European Robin end up in Canada?

Maggie McPherson is an evolutionary ecologist at Trench University in Ontario. She spoke to Evan Davis. This European robin was discovered by a birder who heard a slightly different call in her neighborhood in Montreal, Quebec, and then was able to eventually see the bird and identify it as the European robin. It's doing great. It's eating. It's chirping. And lots of people are getting to see it. Are these meant to be social birds? Is that bird okay on its own? Oh, that's a good question. I think it is okay.

on its own. European robins can be a little aggressive against other European robins. And so it does seem to be doing all right. Yeah. Now you've got your own robins. Tell us about the difference between yours than the European robins. Our American robins are much larger and they are a thrush and they are closely related to your blackbirds. And the European robin is actually a type of fly catcher. They're from two different families of birds. So now we need to work out. How did this Robin get from Europe to the North American continent? How did it? Indeed. So there's no way of knowing for sure. But because this is an adult bird based on its plumage, we think that when it was migrating, it got close to the coast in the UK

and got swept up in a storm and then was lost at sea and fan refuge, this resourceful Robin, on a ship that was heading across the Atlantic and then made port in Montreal. That's a common way that lost birds out at sea get to make it. They find some kind of man-made structure they can take a rest on. And that's how we think it must have gotten to our side of the Atlantic. I've heard that it possibly could have been a cargo ship, not a people ship. Not a cruise ship, yeah. That's right.

Yeah, not a cruise ship. What's going to happen to that, Robin? It'll just live its days out in Montreal now. It's not going to get back to Europe, presumably. That's right. It's really unlikely for the bird to make it back to Europe. And so what happens with vagrant birds like the European Robin that we have in Montreal is they just tend to disappear at some point. So these birds can live up to eight years and we hope we get to keep seeing it for a lot longer.

Evolutionary ecologist Maggie MacPherson. Still to come in this podcast, the ultimate, I haven't done my homework excuse. Sorry, I'm competing in the Olympics. I'm always kind of mostly focused on my skating when I'm aware. but there's that little like 10% that's making sure I don't I don't miss something and this time this time I dropped the ball a bit. I want to put all the issues on the table

that keep me up at night. The interview brings you conversations with the people shaping our world. From global leaders, I've much more than fulfilled the promises that it made to cultural icons. I'm just interested in how it feels to be playing songs that are 50-odd years old.

Songs are like children. They're with you forever. The interview. from the BBC World Service. Listen now wherever you get your BBC podcasts. America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. I'm Tristan Redmond in London. And this is the global story. Every weekday will bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet.

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News Podcast. Less than a year after 11 people died in a car ramming attack in the city of Vancouver, Canadians are dealing with another mass killing, which also happened in the western province of British Columbia. Most of those who died on Tuesday were at a school in the remote mountain community of Tumblr Ridge. Police have named the person suspected of killing eight people as 18-year-old Jesse von Rootseller.

The shootings not only happened at a school, but also at the suspect's family home. Vanessa Munn from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the RCMP, have spoken about the victims. So for the deceased victims, the school included a 39-year-old female educator, three 12-year-old female students, two male students ages 12 and 13, and then the two additional victims were a 39-year-old. nine-year-old female and an 11-year-old male that were located deceased at the local

residents. The police said that Jesse von Rootseller was a student at the school but left four years ago and the suspect on more than one occasion had been apprehended under mental health laws for an assessment. Dwayne MacDonald, also from the RCMP, gave further details. I will say this. We identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and in social media. I can say that Jesse was born as a biological male

who approximately the information that I have approximately six years ago began to transition to female and identified as female both socially and publicly. Shrush D Gangdev, a reporter with 1130 news radio in Vancouver, has been covering the story. The first crime scene happened at the house where the suspect's mother and stepbrother apparently killed there

and then the scene moved over to the school, which is where police were called over. And apparently, RCMP officers responded within two minutes of receiving that call, and the suspect actually opened fire at the officers as they approached. They then found the suspect dead at the scene from apparently self-inflicted wounds. We do know now the type of firearms that police believe was involved in this. There were two guns involved, a long gun and a modified. handgun. And I think the other really important piece of information that we learned here was that the suspect had a history of mental health concerns, a history of interactions with police

related to mental health concerns. Police have been called to the family home a number of times in the past. The suspect had been apprehended under BC's Mental Health Act and taken to hospital for assessment under that act. And another time, police actually seized firearms under the criminal code from the house and I believe they were later returned to the home. And this suspect went to school in this area? Well, yes, elementary school and I think one or two years of high school and then apparently dropped out of school four years ago. So I guess at the age of 13 or 14. So they hadn't actually had any connection to the high school in several years. School shootings, of course, sadly all

too common in the United States. But this is one of the worst events of its kind. in Canada. It is. I think by my count, it's one of the deadliest ever in Canadian history, both for school shootings and mass shootings in general. This just doesn't, it doesn't happen here. We don't have the same kind of really, I would say, inflammatory environment that I think you see south of the border sometimes. And also you have to consider how small this community is. It's 2,400 people that was the only high school in the entire town. And it's just not the kind of place where you could ever expect something like this to happen. Here in BC, we're utterly shocked.

We just, we're not used to this. And same across Canada. We've been hearing kind of an outpouring of condolences and support from across the country and indeed from across the world as well. And in terms of firearms rules, events like this always cause an hour. outcry in the United States. In Canada, is this a talking point? It's not in the same way that it is south of the border. We have gun laws that are quite a bit stricter than in the United States. Guns are allowed with licenses, but they are usually

just hunting rifles. We do know that the victim actually had a firearm license a few years ago. Not clear whether that firearm license was active at this point, again, whether those were lawfully owned. And in that part of BC, where we're talking about very, very north and very rural, I want to be clear that hunting is quite a commonplace hobby. It's a part of life. And hunting rifles are something that are quite common in that part of Canada. Shrushdi Gangdover reporter in Vancouver. There have been some fiery exchanges in the United States Congress where members of the House Judiciary Committee put a series of questions to the Attorney General Pam Bondi about the release of documents relating to the sex offender Jeffrey

Epstein. There's a suspicion that the details of rich and powerful men who were associated with the dead financier were redacted in the latest batch of Epstein material and concern because names, addresses and photographs of some of his victims were published. In one exchange, Pramila Jayapal, a democratic congresswoman, wanted Ms. Bondi to apologize to Epstein who were in the room listening to the debate. Attorney General Bondi, you apologize to the survivors in your opening statement for what they went through at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein. Will you turn to them now and apologize for what your Department of Justice

has put them through with the absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information? Congresswoman Jayapal didn't like the sound of the Attorney General's answer, so she again asked for an apology, leading to an intervention from the committee chairman, an argument, and finally a searing comment for Ms. Bondi. Turn to them and apologize for what your Department of Justice system. Members get to ask the questions, the witness get to answer, and the way they want to answer.

That's not accurate, Mr. Chairman. Because she doesn't like the answer. So, Mr. Chairman, I have asked a question. Why? I have asked a question. I'm reclaiming my time. And when I will continue to answer. I don't determine the gentleman that he's reclaimed the time. I'm not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics.

The BBC's Helena Humphrey was listening to the heated back and forth. Did we learn anything new? I think overall what we saw from the Attorney General was that she was either evasive in answering questions or those exchanges became explosive. So, for example, frequently you would see the Attorney General try to pivot to speak about what she sees as success from the Trump administration and the Department of Justice with a record on cracking down on immigration, driving down crime rates, or those conversations would simply become explosive.

You heard some of those exchanges there. We did start the hearing by seeing what was a potentially powerful moment from the Democratic Congresswoman Jayapal. She asked the survivors who were in the chamber to stand up, to stand up behind the Attorney General. And then she called on Ms. Bondi to apologize to them for not having met with them in person. And essentially what we saw is it descended into a fiery exchange

and Ms. Bondi didn't apologize and she dismissed this all as theatrics. That said, she did say sorry and apologize for what they had endured at the hands of Jeffrey Epps. A similar tone, I think it's fair to say, with Geoffrey Nadler, the Democratic congressman, he had asked that very pointed question with the release of these Epstein files. Had there been alleged co-conspirators indicted, she refused to answer the question. They ended up shouting at each other. And then we saw one Democratic Congresswoman, Becker Ballen, actually storm out of the chamber. Now, she had been repeatedly asking the Attorney General about the Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik, if they had followed up with further questioning of his. since he had admitted that he had met with Jeffrey Epstein on several occasions, including after the conviction of Epstein for soliciting a minor for sex. And ultimately, that became so heated that she stormed out of the chamber.

One thing that we did hear from the Attorney General was that the names of survivors who were included in the latest tranche of those documents would be retroactively redacted. But I think for many of the survivors who came to the Hill today, for many of the survivors around the world, that will be cold comfort because they know that their names addresses identities, the trauma that they went through. In some cases, nude photographs have been put out there whilst there are redactions for alleged co-conspirators and essentially very powerful men whose names remain concealed. Helena Humphrey. New figures suggest China's carbon dioxide emissions fell in 2025, the first

full year to show such a decline. The analysis for the website Carbon Brief say the reduction is modest, just 0.3%, but campaigners say it raises hopes that emissions from the world's biggest polluter might be peaking ahead of schedule. Here's our climate editor Justin Rowlett. This is not a dramatic breakthrough, but it means emissions from the world's manufacturing hub and second largest economy have now been flat or falling for almost two years. Carbon briefs figures show a finely balanced picture. Emissions dropped across major sectors, including transport, power, cement and metals, but rose in the chemical industry.

China also added more coal and gas-fired power capacity last year than in any year for a decade. The plants are intended to act as back up when wind and solar generation falls short, but are evidence that fossil fuels remain a key part of the country's energy system. Just in Roanette. It has to be one of the great homework excuses. Madeline Skiesas emailed her university professor saying, I am a student in your sociology course and I'm wondering if I could get a short extension on this week's reflection. I was competing in the Olympic Games yesterday and thought the reflection was due on Sunday, not Friday.

She's a Canadian figure skater and she's 22. Her professor gave her the extension. She posted the exchange on social media and it went viral. Tim Frank spoke to Madeline Ski's ass. He asked her about the moment she realized the assignment was due. My plan had been to do this assignment in between my two competition days. I competed on Friday and then I competed again on Sunday. So my initial plan was to do it on Saturday morning.

And then when I went to do it, I realized that the deadline had passed and it was locked. My goodness. And this was what? This was in your sociology. class, what was it that you had to do? It was a 300 word reflection about Canadian cities and the integration of immigrants. So it was really basic. It was not a big deal assignment, but I decided I might as well just ask if they'd reopen it. You then posted it after your prof sent you an email back to say, I had absolutely no idea that you were competing in the winter games. You know, I figured I could

complete most of the stuff from Milan, so it didn't occur to me that I should. mention it. For what it's worth, I didn't mention it to any of my professors at my last Olympics either. I just kind of did the work and called it a day. And you've been sort of very polite about about this, but it must be quite difficult to hold the two things together. I mean, you are competing at the highest level. And to do that whilst at the same time, just having half an eye on what your demands are back home, that must be tough. It's definitely been a challenge. This has actually been the easiest in a while in the sense that I'm only taking electives. I'm going to graduate in May. So this term has been easier than some of them, but some of them have

been really, really challenging. But yeah, I'm always mostly focused on my skating when I'm away, but there's that little like 10% that's making sure I don't, I don't miss something. And this time, this time I dropped the ball a bit. And when you're back home, I mean, how many hours a day or how many hours a week are you having to train? Because that must be extremely demanding as well. I train about 25 hours a week. Good grief. So fitting in the school around it is always tough. I always am grateful when my professors have recorded lectures because otherwise it just becomes really hard.

Are you glad that you have told yourself, look, I am going to do both, even though it's going to be incredibly demanding on me? I'm really happy. I've done both. I truly believe if you don't start university, you'll never finish. So I knew coming out of high school that I needed to start and that was important to me. and it's definitely been a challenge. It's taken an extra year for me to graduate, but I'm going to graduate with a lot of my friends in the spring. Yeah. Well, I've been asking you all about your work at McMaster University,

but, I mean, I have to ask you how you're enjoying the games. I mean, you're doing extremely well. I'm having so much fun. My first games was during COVID in Beijing. So this has been such a fun experience. My family is here. I'm really excited for my individual event next week. I'm hoping to skate personal best programs.

So it's just been such a great time so far. I had a great time in the team event. And I'm just trying to really live the experience as much as I can. And can I just ask, you said that the assignment was locked because you'd missed the deadline. Have you been given a new deadline for the assignment? I completed it this morning. Oh, really? So it's done now.

Yeah. You must be pleased. You must be pleased. I'm very pleased. I have the midterm on Thursday. So busy, busy once again. But after that, I'm done. Canadian Winter Olympian Madeline Skizaz, speaking to Tim Franks.

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.uk. You can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag Global NewsPod. Don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which goes in-depth and beyond the headlines on one. Big Story, available wherever you get your podcasts. This edition of the Global News podcast was mixed by Chris Cazaris,

and the producer was Pete Ross. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time, goodbye. I want to put all the issues on the table that keep me up at night. The interview brings you conversations with the people shaping our world. From global leaders... I've much more than fulfilled the promises that it made.

to cultural icons. I'm just interested in how it feels to be playing songs that are 50-odd years old. Songs are like children. They're with you forever. The interview from the BBC World Service. Listen now wherever you get your BBC podcasts.