Israel accused of trying to annexe West Bank
Global News Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 8.3K Ratings
🗓️ 19 February 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, has told a meeting of the Security Council that Israel's plans for greater controls in the occupied West Bank amount to de facto annexation. Since last week, Israel has approved a series of reforms to property laws, making it easier for Jewish settlements to expand in the West Bank. Also, the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates has pulled out of a keynote address to a major AI summit in India after growing scrutiny over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The tech billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg, has defended his Instagram site in a landmark legal case over social media addiction in LA. The Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp owner said he regretted Meta's slow progress in identifying under-age users, in the face of a barrage of criticism. Fiji's former military leader, Frank Bainimarama and a former police commissioner have both been arrested and charged with inciting mutiny. A climber in Austria is going on trial after leaving his girlfriend to die on Austria's highest mountain. How content crazy influencers are taking over restaurants in major cities, one ring light at a time. And, the Australian TV reporter Danika Mason has apologised after appearing drunk in a live broadcast from the Winter Olympics, but not everyone thinks it's a bad thing...
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: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.3 | If American politics is leaving you with a lot of questions, you're not alone. |
| 0:12.3 | On America's, we chat through what's really going on. |
| 0:15.3 | Make sense of what's happening in the US, with new podcast episodes arriving throughout the week. |
| 0:20.6 | America's, listen on BBC Sounds. This is the global... US, with new podcast episodes arriving throughout the week. America. |
| 0:21.4 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:23.8 | This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:30.1 | I'm Charlotte Gallagher, and in the early hours of Thursday, the 19th of February, these are our main stories. |
| 0:36.5 | The UN meets to discuss the future of Gaza, |
| 0:39.2 | but concerns are raised about Israel's actions in the West Bank. |
| 0:42.7 | Who is the American billionaire thought to have played a key role |
| 0:45.6 | in making Jeffrey Epstein wealthy? |
| 0:47.9 | As Mark Zuckerberg takes to the stand in a landmark trial, |
| 0:51.4 | the parents who say social media was responsible for the deaths of their |
| 0:55.0 | children speak out. |
| 0:58.2 | Also in this podcast. |
| 1:00.2 | We're trying to be as careful as possible to not shine the light in their face. |
| 1:04.1 | And when the server comes to their table and asks them how their meal was, they go, actually |
| 1:08.2 | it went really bad because this is ridiculous. |
| 1:12.0 | Hospitality bosses weighed in as food influencers clash with couples on date night. |
| 1:21.8 | It's more than two years since the recent conflict in Gaza began. |
| 1:25.9 | And despite the implementation of a ceasefire late last year, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.