This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Valerie Sanderson, and at 1,300 hours GMT on Thursday the 11th of September,

these are our main stories.

A huge search is underway for the killer of the influential conservative activist

and ally of President Trump, Charlie Kirk.

Britain's Prime Minister has sacked the UK ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson,

over his ties to the late convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein.

Also in this podcast, a BBC investigation has revealed the scale of an international charity's

involvement in the systematic disappearance of children

during former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

An inquest has been opened into the death of the anti-apartheid campaigner

Steve Biko, nearly 50 years after he died in police custody in South Africa,

and... custody in South Africa and the mating call of one species of peacock spider.

Scientists explain their unusual diversity.

We start in the United States.

Godless America, I'm home sweet.

Where vigils have been held for 31-year-old Charlie Kirk, a U.S. conservative activist and influential ally of Donald Trump, who was fatally shot

in the neck on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. A manhunt is now underway

for a lone sniper. Here's FBI special agent Robert Bowles. As soon as we heard about the shooting,

special agents and personnel from the Salt Lake Field Office responded immediately.

We have full resources devoted to this investigation, including tactical, operational,

investigative and intelligence. To be clear, the FBI will fully support and co-lead this

...