Hillary Clinton accuses Trump of Epstein 'cover up'

Hillary Clinton, the former US secretary of state, and her husband, the former president Bill Clinton, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. She said the government's behaviour indicated it had something to hide. President Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and says he broke off contact with the convicted sex offender many years ago. Also: Australia's Prime Minister has refused to repatriate a group of Australians in Syria associated with the Islamic State group, saying they could face prosecution if they went back. Ahead of the resumption of indirect talks, President Trump says he believes the Iranians want to make a deal over its nuclear programme, while the foreign ministry in Tehran says the US is moving towards a "more realistic position". Italy laments the loss of one of the Adriatic's most famous landmarks, the rock structure "Lovers' Arch", which collapsed on Valentine's day following days of bad weather. And, the American actor, Robert Duvall, has died aged 95.

UK weighs up faster rise in defence budget

The UK is considering significant increases to its military spending, to three per cent of the public national income within the next three years. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, made the announcement at the Munich Security Conference at the weekend. This would mean additional spending of up to $19bn a year. Also: Supporters of the late Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, have laid flowers at his grave in Moscow while five European countries say they have evidence that Russia poisoned Mr Navalny with a rare toxin linked to the poison dart frog. And why the former US president Barack Obama thinks that aliens exist.

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Israel lays out conditions for any Iran nuclear deal

Israel's prime minister has demanded the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran as part of any deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking as Iran's foreign minister travelled to Switzerland for the latest round of indirect talks with the US. Also: In a new Instagram video the American celebrity news host, Savannah Guthrie, has addressed the kidnappers of her eighty- four year old mother, Nancy. She said she and her family still had hope their mother would be returned safely. The alleged gunman of the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia, has appeared via video link at a Sydney court for the first time. Nigerians welcome the return of the celebrated Argungu fishing festival. And how artificial intelligence is changing agriculture.

The Global Story: Epstein’s global network: What the files reveal

Two weeks after the latest release of the Epstein files, the headlines keep pouring in.

In just the past few days, revelations in the documents have nearly brought down a British prime minister, and implicated politicians and royals from around the world. The files are even fuelling speculation about whether the late sex offender could have been a spy.

We speak to Nomia Iqbal, BBC World Affairs Correspondent, about what we’ve learned this week about the international fallout of the Epstein scandal.

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, Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Epstein files. Credit: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA/Shutterstock

Russia 'used frog toxin' to kill Alexei Navalny

European countries say tests show Russia's Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a substance developed from a toxin found in Ecuadorian dart frogs. But the Kremlin denies killing the opposition leader. Also: Marco Rubio delivers a softer line to America's European allies at the Munich Security Conference; there are more global protests against the Iranian government; families of Venezuelan political prisoners go on hunger strike; the "Trump slump" affects US tourism; Cuba's cigar festival is snuffed out; palaeontologists discover giant sloth and elephant-like mastodon fossils; and we visit the British inmates learning how to garden.

The Happy Pod: The model redefining beauty norms

We meet a Ghanaian woman who is challenging stereotypes of beauty and disability by modelling with her prosthetic leg wrapped in colourful kente fabric. Abena Christine Jon'el had her leg amputated when she was just two years old because of an aggressive form of cancer. She says she's fought through so much to survive that she's determined to fight for anyone who's ever felt defeated by life.

Also: A mobile gaming app that's helping teenagers in Brazil learn how to support their friends with mental health issues.

A scheme teaching gardening skills to prisoners in the UK to help cut the numbers who reoffend after their release.

The Washington museum curator who's adopted Gen Z slang to get younger people interested in its works of art. Alison Luchs has attracted over nine million views with two social media posts, and is challenging others to submit similar videos about other exhibits.

Plus big baby elephant news, some unusual guard animals, and how one new family helped bring an entire community together, just by showing they cared.

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

(Photo: Abena Christine Jon'el on the catwalk in Ghana. Credit: Vino Studio / Nineteen57 Events)

Transatlantic relations under spotlight at Munich conference

A crucial security conference in Munich has heard the German chancellor stating that the rules- based world order no longer exists and Europeans must be ready to make sacrifices for their freedom in an era of big power politics. Friedrich Merz acknowledged that a rift had opened between Europe and Donald Trump's America. It's the first major global event since President Trump threatened Denmark's sovereignty with a pledge to annex Greenland. Also: a landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist party in the first election since a mass student uprising in 2024. Britain's High Court rules that a Government decision to ban the protest group, Palestine Action, under anti-terrorism legislation was unlawful. Mozambique is bracing itself as cyclone Gezani heads its way; heavy rain has been reported in some coastal areas. And the designer behind the global brand, Hello Kitty - one of Japan's most famous cultural exports - is stepping down.

Climate boost as China's CO2 emissions fall

China may still be the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, but CO2 levels have been falling due to a push for clean energy. New data suggests 2025 was the first full year to show a decline. The reported drop in emissions is estimated to be around 0.3%, but campaigners say it could represent a milestone. Also: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned Vladyslav Heraskevych for continuing to wear a helmet featuring images of athletes killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Heraskevych, a skeleton pilot, posted "This is the price of our dignity" on social media after being banned. Russia says it is blocking the messaging service Whatsapp. The BBC speaks to Juliette Bryant - a former model from South Africa who was groomed and abused by Jeffrey Epstein. Why spy agencies think North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is handing power over to his teenage daughter. Dozens of people have died in Madagascar, after a tropical cyclone hit the island nation... and we look at the life of Dawson's Creek actor James Van Der Beek, who's died aged 48.

Polls open in first Bangladesh election since uprising

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.

BBC in Iran for first time since protest crackdown

The BBC gains access to Iran for the first time since anti-government protests were brutally crushed. The country is marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in the shadow of last month's deadly crackdown and looming threats of US military action. Also: nine people are killed in a school shooting in Canada; Russia limits access to Telegram; England returns some of the bronzes looted from Benin; how to train your brain to reduce the risk of getting dementia; and what to watch at the Berlin Film Festival.

Australian police defend handling of Gaza protests

The head of New South Wales police says officers "did what they needed to do" at a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney. Video shows police punching protestors at the event, held to oppose a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in the wake of the antisemitic Bondi Beach attack. Also, the watchdog Transparency International says public sector corruption is worsening around the world, with the US and UK getting their worst-ever ratings in the group's annual Corruption Perceptions Index. Nairobi condemns Russia for recruiting Kenyan citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine. And the British Museum pays $4.8m for a piece of jewellery from the reign of Henry VIII, found by a metal detectorist.

Members of US Congress see the unredacted Epstein files

Members of Congress in Washington DC can now view the millions of documents from the investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files, without the extensive redactions made by the Justice Department. According to a letter sent to lawmakers they can take notes of the documents, but not make electronic copies. Also: lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, say she will speak fully and honestly about her relationship with the late sex offender, but only if President Trump grants her clemency. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has told his MPs that he will not quit after the leader of his party in Scotland called on him to resign. A lawyer at a landmark trial in California has accused the technology giants, Meta and Google, of deliberately making their platforms addictive to children. Australia's prime minister has defended a visit by the Israeli president, after clashes in Sydney between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Officials at the Winter Olympics in Italy are to investigate why medals keep breaking.