The Happy Pod: The hug that stopped a bombing
Global News Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 8.2K Ratings
🗓️ 28 March 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A patient who stopped a bomb attack at a hospital has revealed he hugged the would-be-attacker to calm him down. Nathan Newby spent two hours talking to the armed man and persuaded him to abandon his plan. He received the George Medal for bravery from King Charles this week.
Also: how a viral video of pack of dogs has captured the attention of animal lovers across China and beyond.
England's Football Association has apologised to a women's team who defied its fifty year ban on female players. The sport's governing body praised the Manchester Corinthians as trailblazers.
And: Millions of people are flocking to see Washington DC's beloved cherry trees in full bloom. The National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates international friendship, as the trees were a gift from Tokyo over a hundred years ago.
Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.
Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:06.0 | This is the Happy Pod from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:14.4 | I'm Holly Gibbs and in this edition. |
| 0:16.7 | I didn't have time to think about how I felt. |
| 0:19.8 | You know what I mean? |
| 0:20.7 | We're just thinking about others and trying to get them away and try to protect them. |
| 0:24.2 | The man rewarded for his incredible bravery after he hugged an armed man and stopped him setting off a bomb. |
| 0:31.8 | The canine adventure caught on camera. |
| 0:34.7 | The dogs made up of golden retrievers, Labradors, corgis and mixed breeds |
| 0:39.1 | quickly went viral after a local driver, surnamed Lu, posted footage of them on Doyin, |
| 0:45.2 | which is China's local version of TikTok. We look at the viral video of seven dogs walking |
| 0:50.6 | together on a main road in China. Also in this edition, do hummingbirds get drunk on nectar? |
| 0:58.1 | And? |
| 0:58.9 | I feel absolutely at top of the world. |
| 1:02.5 | Absolutely. |
| 1:03.7 | Because to me, it's Corinthians want F8 no. |
| 1:08.0 | And it's the best win we've ever had. |
| 1:09.8 | The trailblazing footballers who received an apology from the sports governing body. |
| 1:18.1 | We start with an extraordinary story of bravery, a patient who hugged an armed man to stop him setting off a bomb at a hospital in northern England. |
| 1:28.6 | Nathan Newby spent two hours talking to the would-be attacker outside the St James's |
| 1:33.7 | hospital in Leeds and persuaded him to abandon his planned attack. |
| 1:38.6 | This week, Nathan has been given a medal by King Charles in recognition of his bravery. |
... |
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