Newshour
Newshour

<p>Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.</p>

The US says it has carried out a series of strikes on Iranian military and surveillance sites in response to the downing of an American helicopter in the Gulf. Iran responded with attacks on American bases across the region. We hear from Bahrain, one of the Gulf countries where Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed attacks. Also on the programme: rebels in Myanmar tell the BBC they are losing ground to the military after the government began conscripting thousands to be soldiers; and a concert to celebrate the completion of Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Familia on the centenary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudi. (Photo: Iranians walk past a large billboard featuring late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on a street in Tehran on June 10, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
The two crew members of a US army helicopter that crashed near the Strait of Hormuz were rescued by an American sea drone, say US officials. It was the first such operation carried out by US forces, the officials added.Also on the programme: Iran's ticket allocation for its team's World Cup games in the US is cancelled; and the trial opens in Paris over a Europe-wide scheme to steal Russian literary classics.(Photo: AH-64 Apache helicopters are American-made twin-turboshaft attack aircraft Credit: Getty Images)
A BBC investigation has found that more than 300 migrants heading to the UK last summer were kidnapped, tortured and threatened with forced organ removal. The young men, all from Iraqi Kurdistan, were captured in Libya by a militia which demanded a ransom of $5,000 from each of their families. Newshour hears from Libya expert Tim Eaton.Also in the programme: the chief executive of US Soccer on the coming World Cup, and illegal fishing off the coast of Sierra Leone.(Photo: Iraqi people smuggler Noah Aaron who is now serving a 10-year jail sentence in France)
Iran's military has said it's halting military operations against Israel and media reports in Israel say that it is stopping attacks on Iran “at Trump’s request”Also on the programme: is overheating going to be an issue in the World Cup which starts this week? And the octopus "super bloom" around the shores of England.(Picture: Iranians examine an unexploded missile. Credit: Reuters)
Iran's military has said it's halting military operations against Israel, after the first direct hostilities between the two sides in two months. We examine the links between Iran and Hezbollah.Also in the programme: Armenia's pro-EU incumbent wins election; a new online archive of the complete writings and drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.(Picture: A screenshot taken from a handout video released by the Israeli Military says to show a strike on an aerial defence system in Iran at an unknown location. Credit: Reuters)
The Israeli military has carried out deadly airstrikes on the southern districts of Lebanon’s capital, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah sites. In response Iran has fired ballistic missiles towards Israel, the first attack of its kind by Tehran since the ceasefire in April.Also on the programme: Armenians vote in a general election that could determine whether the country looks to Brussels or to Moscow. And researchers test a new weight loss drug that not only suppresses appetite, but could help people burn calories faster. (Picture: The site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut,, 07 June 2026 Credit: NNA)
The people of Armenia are voting in a parliamentary election- a test of whether the country in the Caucasus moves closer to Europe, or remains within Russia's sphere of influence. We hear from both sides.Also in the programme: How China is clamping down on exam candidates who try to get the answers from the inside of their glass lenses: and the boy who has learnt to sing like a bird.Photo: Armenian people examine voting information during parliamentary elections at a polling station in Yerevan, Armenia, 07 June 2026. Credit: Photo by Vahram Baghdasaryan Photo Lure/ EPA
The strikes on the city were timed to coincide with the final day of a prestigious international economic forum. Russian authorities called the attack ‘unprecedented’, and St Petersburg residents were advised to remain indoors for the first time since the start of the war. We hear from a Ukrainian drone commander and the UK’s former Ambassador to Moscow, Sir Tony Brenton. Also on the programme: migrants in South Africa under pressure to leave the country after a surge in xenophobic attacks; and why mass banquets are causing controversy in France. (Photo: Smoke after a Ukrainian drone strike on St Petersburg, Russia, 3 June, 2026 Credit: Reuters)
Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after renewed US strikes. We speak to a former Kuwaiti minister as the American-Iranian stalemate continues. Also in the programme, India's Cockroach Janta Party takes to the streets to demand the resignation of the education minister; and the African-American musician Brian Jackson on his work and collaboration with Gil Scott-Heron.(Photo: CCTV image of Iranian drone above Kuwait airport on 3rd of June. Credit: Reuters)
Astronauts onboard the International Space Station were ordered to prepare for evacuation after an air leak suddenly got worse. The situation returned to normal after two Russian cosmonauts completed repairs. We talk to retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who served as commander of the ISS in 2013.We'll also hear from the Sherpa who went missing on the upper slopes of Mount Everest for six days and survived; and we remember Kanya King, the founder of the MOBO awards recognising Black music and its impact.(A view of Earth from the Cupola on the earth-facing side of the International Space Station is seen in this NASA handout photo taken June 12, 2013 and provided June 17, 2013. Credit: Reuters)
One of the biggest artificial intelligence developers, Anthropic has warned that the latest models might escape human control. It has proposed a co-ordinated global slowdown on building AI systems. One of the firm's co-founders, Jack Clark has been speaking to BBC.Also in the programme: the latest from Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg; and how an outsider reached the French Open tennis final.(Photo: Anthropic logo. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)
Lebanon's government says it will use the army to keep Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon, following a truce with Israel. But can that work without Hezbollah’s consent?Also in the programme: we hear from a member of Curacao’s first ever World Cup soccer team; and a Sherpa feared dead on Everest reaches base camp after six days on the mountain.(IMAGE: Smoke billows from southern Lebanon, following Israeli strikes, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 4, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Stringer)
The US State Department has announced Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire and create a number of "pilot" security zones inside Lebanon in which Hezbollah operatives would be banned. Hezbollah has rejected the agreement.Also in the programme: Tech executives are calling for stricter regulations to prevent AI from being used to develop biological weapons and find out why a 62-million-year-old Egyptian fossil is exciting scientists.(Picture: The US, Israel and Lebanon agree to a ceasefire at the State Department in the US. Credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
It's now five months since the United States removed the then Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas by force to face trial on drug charges. What has changed in the interim in Venezuela?Also in the programme: The leader of the Cuban Five - Gerardo Hernández - speaks to us about Raúl Castro's 95th birthday, and US pressure for change in Havana; and the German film director Wim Wenders says he's withdrawing his 1975 film Wrong Move because of complaints by the actress Nastassja Kinski who appeared topless in it when she was 13 years old.(Photo: Members of Venezuelan opposition political parties, public sector workers and students protest demanding higher wages, better working conditions, and an electoral calendar for the presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela, 3 June 2026. Credit: Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
Ukraine says it hit a warship and an oil terminal in a large-scale drone attack on Russia's second city St Petersburg - just ahead of a major international economic forum being held there.Also on the programme: A leading Venezuelan opposition activist tells us his country needs elections as soon as possible - but he doubts that interim president Delcy Rodriguez shares his view. And scientists uncover living yeasts in the frozen body of a man who lived five thousand years ago -- and then manage to bake some bread with it.(Photo: Heavy smoke billows after Ukrainian drones hit infrastructure, according to local authorities, in St Petersburg, Russia, 3rd June 2026. Credit: Reuters/Stringer)
Diplomats from Israel and Lebanon have been meeting in Washington for a fourth round of talks as Israeli forces continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon. We speak to a member of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah on why it has no plans to give up its weapons. Also in the programme: As the head of the UN gives a stark warning about the most catastrophic El Niño yet, farmers around the world remind us what's at stake; and the meaning of new research into the magnetic fields of planets beyond our solar system.(Photo: Destroyed buildings after an Israeli airstrike that targeted the city of Tyre, Lebanon. Credit: WAEL HAMZEH/EPA/Shutterstock)
Just hours after the US announced a fresh ceasefire in Lebanon, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have started - again. We hear from Lebanon's deputy prime minister, Tarek Mitri. Nearly 250 people in Africa have died of Ebola over the last few weeks. We speak with the regional director of the World Health Organization, who has just visited the epicentre of the outbreak. And a Paralympic athlete who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident may become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit. What would that look like?(Photo: Smoke billows from southern Lebanon, following Israeli strikes, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 2, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/ Stringer)
Lebanon says Hezbollah has agreed to stop firing into Israel in exchange for the Israelis halting attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut. We hear from a resident who has fled Beirut, and an Israeli MK who says his country has the right to occupy Lebanese territory.Also in the programme: the first women with stage four cancer to reach the summit of Everest; and we hear from a biographer of Marilyn Monroe's on the eve of the hundredth anniversary of her birth.(Photo: People flee Beirut's southern suburbs after Netanyahu orders strikes, Lebanon on 1 June 2026. Credit: Wael Hamzeh/EPA/Shutterstock)
Israel has ordered attacks against Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut - prompting many residents to evacuate the Lebanese capital. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the military would strike what he called 'terrorist targets' in the area, in response to attacks on Israeli civilians. Also in the programme: Grammy-winning director, Meji Alabi, explores his Nigerian grandfather's role in the Biafran war; woman with incurable cancer reaches Everest summit; and South Africa’s parliament is starting an impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa over a scandal involving the theft of more than half a million dollars from his farm.(Photo: People make their way as they flee the southern suburbs of Beirut, after Israeli PM Netanyahu ordered the military to attack targets in the suburbs. Credit: EPA)
Colombians are voting in a presidential election after a campaign marred by violence. Also on the programme, the death in prison of Nicaraguan indigenous leader, Brooklyn Rivera; and we hear from John Travolta on his directorial debut.(Photo: Colombia holds first round of presidential election, Bogota - 31 May 2026. Mauricio Duenas Castaneda/EPA/Shutterstock)
There's tight security in parts of Colombia as polls open for today's presidential election with a human rights activist and a far-right populist nicknamed “the Tiger” among the frontrunners. We'll have the latest from Bogota.Also on the programme: Israel says it's moving further into southern Lebanon as its war against Hezbollah intensifies; and a Georgian wine cellar once owned by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin has officially been unsealed. (Photo: Workers stick campaign posters of the Historic Pact (Pacto Historico) on the day of the presidential election in Corinto, Colombia on May 31. Credit: Reuters)
The rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has created a "deeply alarming" situation, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières has warned. Also on the programme, Scientists have carried out a large scale international trial on a test that could help millions of breast cancer patients be treated safely without the need for chemotherapy; and there are wild celebrations in the streets of the French capital, after Paris St-Germain successfully defended their European Champions League men's football title, defeating Arsenal on penalties.(Photo: Ebola prevention campaign held in Goma, Congo The Democratic Republic Of The - 29 May 2026. MARIE JEANNE MUNYERENKANA/EPA/Shutterstock)
Millions of people with breast cancer could safely avoid chemotherapy as scientists have developed a groundbreaking DNA test. We speak to an oncologist who has been involved in the research and a woman who has gone through chemotherapy after a breast cancer diagnosis. Also on the programme: we hear from the Romanian president on the Russian drone that hit an apartment block in the east of the country; and a preview of tonight's Champions League football final between Paris St Germain and the London club Arsenal. (Photo: A nurse provides assistance to a patient undergoing a mammogram in a modern medical facility. Credit: Getty Images)
US president Donald Trump announced that he was meeting with close advisers in the White House situation room to make a ‘final determination’ on whether to extend a ceasefire agreement with Iran. Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran had not yet reached a decision on a deal. Also on the programme: a Canadian man has pleaded guilty to helping fourteen people take their own lives by selling them legal but highly toxic chemicals; and after a Russian drone hits an apartment block in Romania, we ask how NATO should now respond. (Picture: Trump during a cabinet meeting in the White House, in Washington, D.C., May 27, 2026 Credit: REUTERS/Evan Vucci/File Photo)
Nato and the EU condemn Russia after a drone crashed into a Romanian apartment block, injuring two people. Speaking on Newshour, Romania’s foreign minister, Oana Toia, said the incident was a provocation by Russia. Also on the programme: the government in Bangladesh steps in to save a buffalo named Donald Trump; and artwork by the musician Jack White goes on display in London. (Photo: Romanian law enforcement officers work on the site of an explosion at a residential block of flats following a drone hit close to the border with Ukraine, in Galati, Romania. Credit: Inquam Photos/George Calin/Reuters)
Israel is continuing its attacks on what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, even as reports emerge from Washington that an extension of the wider ceasefire with Iran is close. We hear from our correspondent in Beirut. Also on the programme: the World Health Organisation has told Newshour it is“fairly confident” it will soon be “on top” of the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we hear from someone living at the centre of the outbreak; and shock in Paris, what does the exit of No.1 seed Jannik Sinner mean for this year’s Roland-Garros?(Photo: People inspect at the site of an Israeli strike in Tyre, Lebanon, May 28, 2026. REUTERS/Stringe)
The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo as fears grow about the Ebola outbreak. Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Ghebreysus warned that the country is facing a catastrophic collision of disease and conflict Also in the programme: Israel has carried out a strike in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, after warning people in the south of the country to leave their homes; and why a tennis player's outfits are causing such a fuss at the French Open (Photo: Health workers in protective gowns and masks operate at a checkpoint set up for preventative measures against Ebola near Goma: Credit: EPA 2026 Shutterstock Editorial )
Israel's issued an evacuation order for all of southern Lebanon and carried out air strikes, saying the whole region's now a combat zone. We'll have the details from our correspondent who’s been there recently.Also on the programme: the authorities in New York and New Jersey have launched an investigation into the way Fifa's been selling tickets for the men's World Cup; and a former member of the German militant group the Red Army Faction has been jailed after 30 years on the run. (Photo: Smoke billows following an Israeli strike in Kfar Joz, Lebanon May 26, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
The commander of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed Odeh, has been killed in a strike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday - days after his predecessor died in a similar attack.Dozens more were injured in the attack, which hit a residential building in one of Gaza City's busiest market areas, local medics and witnesses said.Also in the programme: We'll hear from Africa's former top health official on the challenge of getting ahead of the newest strain of Ebola; why the moon's south pole is best for a lunar base; and keeping Ozzy Osbourne alive -- through an AI-generated avatar that can interract with his fans.(Photo shows people carring bodies identified by mourners as Hamas' military wing commander Mohammad Odeh and his wife and children during a funeral in Gaza City on 27 May 2026. Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
Iran accused the United States of breaching their ceasefire on Tuesday. It warned it was ready to retaliate after overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats. Newshour hears from a UAE political scientist and from former US state department negotiator Aaron David Miller.Also in the programme: NASA announces moon base plans; and the man who discovered Sierra Leone's 700 carat diamond.(Picture: An Iranian woman holds a flag bearing portraits of late Iranian supreme leaders Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, during a memorial ceremony for those killed in the Iran-US-Israel war. Credit: EPA)
Iran has issued a new warning, after the US carried out air strikes on Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats. Also on the programme, how countries around world are adapting to heatwaves and higher summer temperatures; and, on his 100th birthday we ask what made Miles Davis one of the jazz greats from a musician who played with him.(Photo: An Iranian woman walks next to an anti-Israeli mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, May 26, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
Why is the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo spreading so fast? We speak to a reporter who is there who says the aid response is only just beginning. Also on the programme: Pope Leo has warned of potential risks to humanity posed by artificial intelligence; and is there any chance of the Iran-US conflict leading to the expansion of the Abraham accords? (Photo: A Congolese woman reacts outside the house of a man who died of Ebola as she waits for medical workers to retrieve his body. Credit: Reuters)
Two new cases of Ebola have been detected in Uganda, as the virus continues to spread. At the centre of the outbreak remains the Democratic Republic of Congo -- where the healthcare system was already weak. There have been more than 900 suspected Ebola cases in the current outbreak and 220 suspected deaths, officials say.Also in the programme: Pope Leo delivers the first major message of his papacy on the dangers of AI; we'll look at the prospects of a deal between Iran and the US; and the games that call themselves "enhanced" break their first record- but critics call them degraded.(Photo shows Red Cross workers wearing personal protective equipment disinfecting the house of an unidentified man who died of Ebola in Mongbwalu, Djugu Territory of Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 24, 2026. Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters)
President Trump says he's told American negotiators not to rush into a deal with Iran. In a post on social media, he said the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue until an agreement had been certified and signed. Key sticking points remain, including control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme.Also in the programme: Turkish riot police have stormed the headquarters of the main opposition party in Ankara in a row over a court's decision to oust the party's leader; the Gaza Flotilla activist who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Israeli forces when they intercepted her boat; and what value to put on a world record if athletics doping is allowed.(Photo credit: Reuters)
A large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine has left four people dead and dozens injured. Russia's defence ministry said the Oreshnik hypersonic missile was used in the strikes, which it described as coming in response to Ukraine's "attacks on civilian infrastructure". Ukrainian MP Lisa Yasko describes a 'terrible night' in the capital Kyiv and says her country urgently needs missiles for its defence systems.Also in the programme:  we speak to an activist who was part of a flotilla taking aid to the Palestinians on her treatment at the hands of the Israeli authorities; and former Spurs player Gary Mabbutt on whether his former team is about to be relegated.Photo: Russian drone and missile attack hits several sites across Kyiv, Ukraine Credit: SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/Shutterstock
US President Donald Trump has indicated that his country and Iran is getting ‘closer’ to achieving a peace deal. He told CBS News that despite seeing a ceasefire draft with Iran, however, he would only sign off on a deal where the US gets ‘everything’ it wants. The BBC’s State Department correspondent breaks these developments down with us. Also in the programme: As the Ebola crisis in the DRC worsens, we hear the experience of one Sierra Leonean woman who contracted the virus back in 2014; and who's won the Palme d'Or award at this year's Cannes Film Festival?(Photo: US President Donald Trump. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
The attack comes just days after protesters set fire to a hospital in the same region, after health workers refused to release the body of a patient over fears of contamination. We hear how the regional security situation is affecting the response to the outbreak - and about the impact of the disease on women.Also on the programme - the death toll rises after a mining disaster in China; the Pentagon releases more UFO files - is the truth in there? - and Goodnight and good luck to CBS Radio(Photo: A healthcare worker walks at the Bunia General Referral Hospital following a resurgence of Ebola involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 21, 2026. Credit: REUTERS )
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to reassure allies after US rowed back on plans last week to cancel long held plans to deploy 4,000 US troops to Poland and instead send an extra 5,000 troops there. The move has caused confusion amongst NATO allies.Also in the programme: Thousands of Cubans have taken part in a state-organized protest in the capital, Havana, in support of the country's former leader, Raul Castro, who was charged with murder and other crimes in the United States this week; and Carlo Petrini who began the Slow Food movement as a protest against a McDonalds opening in Rome has died at the age of seventy six.Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets press after NATO foreign ministers meet in Helsingborg, Sweden. Credit: JOHAN NILSSON/TT/EPA/Shutterstock
The WHO has upgraded the risk from the current Ebola outbreak to "very high" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and says regionally the risk is high -- though it remains low in the rest of the world. Newshour hears from Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group which helped develop the Astra Zeneca Covid vaccine. Also in the programme: Will Grant reports from Havana on Cuba under pressure; and how barnacles affect stationary ships in the Strait of Hormuz.(Picture: Red Cross workers walk in a formation as they disinfect Rwampara general hospital before handling the body of a person who died of Ebola, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak. Credit: Reuters)
A day after the US's indictment of former Cuban president Raul Castro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Havana has accepted an offer of $100m in aid but that the chances of a negotiated settlement was "not high". Could the US be considering an imminent invasion of Cuba? Also on the programme: Amid a growing number of cases, a hospital treating Ebola patients in Congo is set on fire; and the new research suggesting that Beluga whales recognise their own reflections. (Photo: Rubio speaks to the press before boarding his plane at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, May 21, 2026 Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS)
There has been international condemnation of Israel's treatment of pro-Palestinian activists who were on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted by Israeli naval forces. Also on the programme: the first case of Ebola has been announced in the rebel-held territory in eastern Congo; and an online political group in India called The Cockroach Janta Party ‌has amassed nearly 15 million followers on Instagram in less than a week.(Photo: Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade, gather at a port before their departure in the southern Turkish resort of Marmaris, Turkey on May 14, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
The US Justice Department has indicted Cuba's former leader, Raul Castro, on criminal charges. The allegations centre on a Cuban military offensive against US civilian aircraft in 1996. The planes were operated by an organisation called Brothers to the Rescue and were searching for people who wanted to leave the island, when they were shot down by the Cuban military, which was led by Castro at the time. We get the latest from the BBC’s Cuba correspondent.Also on the programme: Israel's far-right security minister has been condemned for taunting handcuffed Gaza flotilla activists; and we hear from the winner of this year’s International Booker Prize. (Photo: Cuba's former President Raul Castro watches a May Day rally in Havana, Cuba 1st May, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Norlys Perez)
Why was the Ebola outbreak able to spread so quickly? We speak to the co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response about Ebola testing shortfalls in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Also on the programme: we examine the relationship between Russia and China as Vladimir Putin fails to reach a gas pipeline deal during a visit to Beijing. Plus, we hear why the Tyrannosaurus Rex had such short arms.(Picture: A health worker takes the temperature of an M23 rebel in Goma, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Credit: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters)
We hear from a journalist in eastern DR Congo on how situation is becoming more and more difficult for people in the city of Goma, a major transport hub - and we speak to Tom Frieden, a leading US scientist involved in fighting the last major Ebola outbreak. Also on the programme: An interview with former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, pardoned by Donald Trump, now in hiding in the US. We have a rare report from inside Afghanistan. And an age-old mystery at sea has been solved - we hear how biologists rumbled the whale.(Photo: UNICEF staff receive medical supplies from an aircraft in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 19, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere)
The World Health Organisation has sent six tonnes of medical supplies to the Democratic Republic of Congo as it continues to sound the alarm over the scale of the Ebola outbreak in central Africa. We hear why the authorities are battling against the widespread local belief that symptoms are caused not by the Ebola virus, but witchcraft.Also, a look ahead to today's primary contests in the United States with Kentucky becoming the most expensive race ever, and the former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, tells our correspondent why he believes he was the victim of “lawfare” and “a witch-hunt” by a vindictive Biden Administration.(Photo: Fatima Tafida, the Regional Supply Chain Lead for Emergencies at the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Office for Africa pastes stickers on shipment pallets as the WHO mobilises 4.7 tonnes of essential medical supplies and emergency kits to support the affected regions in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 18 May, 2026. Credit: World Health Organization/Handout /Reuters)
A deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus is spreading in central Africa. We'll talk to a doctor with experience of both treating and contracting the disease. A report from Ukraine's "kill-zone". Elon Musk loses AI lawsuit against Sam Altman. and a survivor of the Blitz on her recollections of the horrors of that bombing campaign on the UK.
An ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. The World Health Organisation has said that the virus has spread beyond the DRC, with confirmed cases reported in neighbouring Uganda. Two other neighbours - Rwanda and South Sudan - are also now on "high alert". The current strain of Ebola is caused by the Bundibugyo virus for which there are no approved drugs or vaccines. Also on the programme: A decade after Britain voted to leave the European Union... could it be heading back in? And the daughter of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara gives us her reaction to the US blockade of her country (Image: REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)
Ukraine sent nearly 600 drones into Russia overnight, the biggest single attack on the country since the start of the war. Targets in Moscow and a patrol ship in the Caspian Sea were hit, with at least four killed in the offensive. We hear from The Economist's Shashank Joshi about the significance of the strikes, and from Russia analyst Professor Nina Khrushcheva about how President Putin might respond.Also in the programme: The Democratic Republic of the Congo fights to contain a deadly Ebola outbreak; and what does Che Guevara's daughter make of recent US hostility towards Cuba?(Photo: A man inspects a damaged apartment building following a drone attack outside Moscow on May 17, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. The WHO said the outbreak in DR Congo's eastern Ituri province, which has seen around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths reported, does not yet meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency. We hear from the man who first identified the virus. Also in the programme: will the US and China come to an agreement on artificial intelligence?; and the Iranian family saga in the running for the International Booker Prize.(Photo: Ugandan doctors wear their personal protective equipment at the Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital Isolation Centre in Entebbe, Uganda, 20 October 2022. Credit: ISAAC KASAMANI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A rescue diver from the Maldives has died after searching for the bodies of five Italians who were exploring an underwater cave. The team from Italy were diving at depths that are not permitted for recreational divers. We hear from a government spokesperson about the rescue operation and from a former military diver about the conditions in the cave.Also on the programme: more than 50 children have been abducted in Nigeria; and the Eurovision 2026 finals take place in Vienna.(Photo: A police boat joins a search and recovery operation in the Vaavu Atoll, Maldives. Credit: SOPHIA NASIF/EPA/Shutterstock)
Nigeria and the United States say they have killed a senior Islamic State leader in a joint operation. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki oversaw IS-linked activities across Africa and was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by Washington in 2023. We speak to a spokesperson for the Nigerian president and a regional security expert. Also on the programme: where has this week's US-China summit left Taiwan?; and the Swiss bus service on the road to nowhere. (Photo: Nigerian soldiers walk past military tanks prepared for deployment during a tour of the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole by Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, November 7, 2025 Credit: REUTERS/Ahmed Kingimi/File Photo)
CIA chief makes rare trip to Cuba as oil terminals run dry, meanwhile US media reports say Washington is preparing criminal charges against its former leader Raul Castro. Also in the programme: why nationalist vigilante groups are spreading across Russia; and a French museum holds a display of famous art works from the Second World War in order to reunite them with their rightful owners.(Image: A vintage car passes by images of late Cuban President Fidel Castro, Cuba's former President Raul Castro and Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel displayed on a billboard in Havana. Credit: REUTERS/Norlys Perez)
US President Donald Trump left Beijing after a two-day summit saying he had struck "fantastic trade deals, great for both countries", but few details have emerged on what the two superpowers agreed. President Trump, who's flying back from a summit in Beijing, says he doesn't think there's a risk of conflict between the US and China over Taiwan. Also on the programme: US media reports say Washington is preparing criminal charges against the ninety-four-year-old former Cuban leader, Raul Castro; and archaeologists and preservation groups have appealed to a court in the US to prevent the company - RMS Titanic Inc - from selling 100 of the ship's artefacts to private collectors. We hear from Professor Mike Williams, a member of the group asking the court to stop the auction.(Photo: Trump said the meeting was "very successful, world-renowned, and unforgettable", while Xi called it a "historic and landmark" visit, according to Chinese state media. Credit: Reuters)
Is the United Kingdom on the verge of replacing another Prime Minister? The incumbent Sir Keir Starmer faces fresh challenges to his leadership today, beginning with the resignation of his Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has already called on the Prime Minister to step down after disastrous local election results last week. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, says he's going to stand for election to return to Parliament, and he could challenge Mr Starmer if he wins that by-election.Also in the programme: reflections on the meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi in Beijing; and we look at the dinosaur with the tiny brain, said to be as heavy as nine elephants.(Photo: Prime Minister Keir Starmer and MP Wes Streeting who has just resigned as Health Minister. Credit: Associated Press)
President Xi Jinping described US-Chinese relations as "the most important" in the world and stressed to President Trump that the US and China should be partners and not rivals. Also, in the programme; the dental tools used by Neanderthals and we hear from an exiled Venezuelan politician on how his country is five months after Maduro's capture.(Photo: President Trump and Xi walking in the Great Hall of the People. Credit: Reuters)
President Trump has been given a lavish welcome to Beijing where he and American business leaders will hold talks with their Chinese counterparts on Thursday. Also on the programme, is the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, about to be forced out of office? And, we hear from Alex Batty, the British boy who sparked a high-profile international missing person investigation. He tells us what happened.(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, China, May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci)
President Trump arrives in China, the first US president to go there in nearly a decade. We'll look at how the balance of power has shifted since then and how Chinese perceptions of America have also changed.Also in the programme: on the day of the King’s Speech to Parliament setting out the next legislative programme, speculation mounts that a senior minister will challenge Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership; and the stricken love letters of the English romantic poet John Keats, now up for auction.(IMAGE: U.S. President Donald Trump participates in an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport during his visit to the country, in Beijing, China, May 13, 2026 / CREDIT: Reuters/Evan Vucci)
Keir Starmer's position as Britain's Prime Minister is looking increasingly uncertain. He's said it's business as usual, but a succession of his junior ministers have now resigned.Also on the programme: A suggestion of a huge breakthrough in the treatment of H.I.V; and the crime writer Patricia Cornwell on why she felt compelled to write a memoir.(Photo: Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets construction apprentices in London. Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville/Pool)
The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is still fighting for his political life amid open revolt in his own party; do the rebels have the numbers to oust him - or can he hang on?Also in the programme: a special report from Khartoum three years into Sudan's civil war, where land mines are hampering aid efforts; how enjoying cultural activities can help slow down biological ageing; and - a propos - we have an appreciation of Shostakovich's first symphony, 100 years after its premiere in Leningrad.(IMAGE: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer walks through the Member's Lobby of the Houses of Parliament in London to the House of Lords to hear the King's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament, Wednesday May 13, 2026 / CREDIT: Toby Melville/PA Wire)
The US president voices scepticism over the latest Iranian demands. Donald Trump says the month-long ceasefire between the US and Iran is on "massive life support" and insists he’s in no hurry to reach a peace deal. So how fragile is the Iran-US ceasefire?Also on the programme: As the final Hantavirus cruise passengers disembark, we hear from the medical facility in the US where sixteen of them are being quarantined; and the comedian who's donning the persona of Alex Jones, conspiracy theorist extraordinaire - to help compensate the victims he's defamed. (Photo: An Iranian person walks next to an anti-US and Israel mural in a street in Tehran, Iran following an exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz amid a ceasefire. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran's response to US proposals to end the war as "totally unacceptable". Iran's semi-official news agency, Tasnim, said Tehran's proposal included an immediate end to the war on all fronts and a halt to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and guarantees of no further attacks on Iran. We speak to a former Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, about the conflict and what role China could play in ending it.Also in the programme: we report on the origins of the Hantavirus; a relative of Syria's Bashar al-Asad is on trial in Damascus for torture and massacres; and why are so many World Cup football teams doing their preparations in Kansas City.(Photo shows US president Donald J. Trump giving remarks to the media in Washington, DC, USA on 8 May 2026. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/EPA]
France's Prime Minister says that one of the passengers repatriated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship in the Atlantic has shown symptoms. The individual was among five French nationals flown back on Sunday from the MV Hondius, currently moored off Tenerife in Spain.Also in the programme: Iran says it has sent a response via Pakistan to the latest US plan to end the war with counter-proposals reported to include a separation of talks on the immediate conflict and Tehran's nuclear programme; the story of a criminal underworld in Brazil; and the choir, here in the UK, singing music based on whale song!(Photo: They were pictured boarding buses to Tenerife's airport after reaching land. Credit: Reuters)
The passengers of a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak have started leaving the vessel off the Spanish island of Tenerife. Five people were seen boarding a small boat, socially distanced from each other and wearing protective clothing and face masks. They were met by officials in white hazmat suits, then boarded a coach to take them to the airport. They'll be flown out on charter flights. Three people died and several others become infected in the outbreak. Also in the programme: Police in Pakistan say militants have detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint and opened fire, killing 15 officers; and 35 years after the film was released, we look at the legacy of The Silence of the Lambs. (Photo: Passengers were evacuated from the ship dressed in hazmat suits. They were hosed down before boarding a plane in Tenerife. Credit: Reuters)
The new Hungarian prime minister, Péter Magyar, has given his first speech after being sworn into office. Addressing a square full of supporters waving Hungarian and EU flags, he vowed to 'change the government and the system', and end what he called 'decades of drifting'.Also in the programme: Russia celebrates Victory Day; and a novel set during a turbulent time in Taiwanese history is shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. (Photo: Newly sworn-in Prime Minister Peter Magyar (C) attends the Tisza Party's all-day 'regime change public celebration' event in Budapest, Hungary, 09 May 2026. CREDIT: TAMAS VASVARI/EPA/Shutterstock)
Russia's annual Victory Day parade in Moscow coincided with a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, announced by President Trump. President Zelensky ordered his forces not to target the event, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany. It was much scaled back this year because of the war, with no armoured vehicles or ballistic missiles on display. Also in the programme: Hungary's new parliament is meeting, heralding a shift in direction under the new prime minister; and the Venice Biennale art exhibition starts today, with calls for boycotts of artists from Russia and Israel - but not everyone agrees. (Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony as the country marks the 81st anniversary of the victory in World War II. Credit: Alexander Nemenov/ EPA/Shuttershock)
Britain’s Labour Party has suffered a historic defeat in local elections, with the right-wing Reform UK making big gains. Despite the loss, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he will not step down. We get reaction to the results from both a Labour MP and a Reform politician.Also in the programme: why did Saudi Arabia prevent the US from using Saudi airspace and bases to launch operations to try to reopen the Strait of Hormuz? And on the 100th birthday of the naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, we hear about the impact Sir David has had on the world.(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks during a visit to south London, 7th May 2026. Credit: Ben Whitley/PA Wire)
Britain's governing Labour party and main opposition Conservatives have suffered heavy losses as the populist right wing Reform surges ahead in early results from English local elections. We look at what this means for the country's traditional party system and how long the current prime minister can last in light of these results.Also in the programme: President Trump says the ceasefire with Iran is still in place despite a series of clashes in the Strait of Hormuz; we mark the 100th birthday of the documentary maker David Attenborough; and we'll look at how the war in Iran is causing a shortage of saffron in Italy.(Photo shows the UK's prime minister Keir Starmer speaking at a meeting with Labour Party members in Ealing, West London on 8 May 2026. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
Eight cases connected to the cruise ship have been identified, but authorities fear that the dozens of passengers who disembarked on St Helena two weeks ago could be carriers of the virus. The World Health Organisation, however, has said that it does not believe this is the beginning of a pandemic. Also on the programme: in the UK two men are convicted of spying for China, one of them an immigration official; and the AI fitness instructors selling unreal gains.(Picture: The cruise ship MV Hondius leaves Praia, Cape Verde, May 6, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)
Three women with links to the jihadist Islamic State group have been arrested on returning home to Australia following years in detention in Syria. Also on the programme, Newshour goes to Baltimore to speak to families affected by the 2024 bridge collapse and now avoiding deportation, and protests against the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine rock the Venice Biennale.(Photo: Islamic State-linked families return to Australia, Melbourne, 7 May, 2026. Credit: Joel Carrett/EPA-EFE)
With important midterm elections happening later this year, we look at immigration in Baltimore. It's a defining domestic issue in President Trump's second term. One of his boldest pledges was for mass deportations - to send anyone who'd entered the US illegally back to their home country. We meet one Guatemalan woman facing that prospect.Also in the programme: how some of Baltimore's derelict housing is being spruced up; and the US broadcasting mogul Ted Turner has died at the age of 87.(Photo: Zoila Guerra Sandoval, living in Baltimore but facing deportation to Guatemala. Credit: BBC)
The World Health Organisation has confirmed that the strain of hantavirus that's killed three people on board a cruise ship from Argentina can be passed between humans.The ship, currently off Cape Verde, is sailing to the Canary Islands after Spain gave it permission to dock. We'll speak to someone who was on board when the outbreak began.Also in the programme: We'll have a special report into what happened when Israeli unleashed a barrage of airstrikes on Lebanon last month; and hard rock and existential angst from the lead singer of Iron Maiden.(Photo shows the cruise ship MV Hondius docked off Cape Verde port on 4 May 2026. Credit: Reuters)
The US is working to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz as a "favour to the world," The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said in the news conference.Also in the programme: Why staff at Google DeepMind in Britain are unionising over Google's policies on artificial intelligence; and the frontman of the band Iron Maiden opens up about the future of heavy metal and life on tour.(Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefs reporters on Iran war at White House, Washington, USA - 05 May 2026. Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/)
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth says the ceasefire in the Gulf is 'not over' despite attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.Also in the programme: The son of the last and only Lebanese leader to meet an Israeli premier, says the current Lebanese President Joseph Aoun should meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the risks; and Chinese Wu Yize becomes the second youngest winner of snooker's world championship.(Photo: US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth holds briefing on the Iran war, at the Pentagon in Washington. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
There's been an escalation of the conflict in the Gulf after the US said it had sailed two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it had fired warning shots at one warship and denied US claims that two US-flagged merchant ships had transited the waterway. Iran has retaliated. The UAE says four cruise missiles were fired towards its territory and a drone hit the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.Also, Cape Verde has refused docking permission to a cruise ship with a suspected outbreak of hantavirus; and Samsung pays a massive inheritance tax bill in South Korea - but do some super-rich companies dodge tax bills?(Photo: Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, 4th May, 2026. Credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via Reuters)
The US military's Central Command says two US-flagged merchant ships have passed through the Hormuz strait with its assistance.But a huge number of vessels and crew remain stranded. Can Donald Trump deliver on his promise to break the Iranian blockade?Also in the programme: The leaders of Europe and Canada stress a new unified approach to security, amid strained relations with the US; pet rescue scammers in Uganda; and the multi-billion dollar bid to buy eBay.(Photo shows vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran on 4 May 2026. Credit: Amirhosein KhorgooiWest Asia News Agency via Reuters)
Iran says US has responded to its latest peace proposal. Iran says President Trump must now choose between an impossible military operation and a bad deal if he wants to end the war. We hear from the brother of the jailed Iranian Nobel peace laureate Narges Mohammadi. He says she and other prisoners are dying as a result of deliberate medical neglect.Also on the programme: Ukraine's been stepping up its offensive against Russia's oil infrastructure in recent days; and ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and Elizabeth Way, curator at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, discuss if fashion is art. (Photo: Iranians walk past a huge anti-US billboard referring to US president Donald Trump and Strait of Hormuz at Valiasr square in Tehran, Iran, 02 May 2026. Credit: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock)
The Nobel Peace Prize Committee has urged the Iranian authorities to release the jailed human rights campaigner, Narges Mohammadi, to her dedicated medical team. Her health has deteriorated sharply and she has been moved to a prison hospital. We speak to her brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi. Also in the programme: Ukraine says it has struck two oil tankers off Russia's Black Sea coast, as it continues its campaign against the energy exports that fund Moscow's war effort; a manufacturer of the United States' most widely used abortion pill has asked the Supreme Court to allow postal deliveries of the medication, a day after a lower court halted them; and Chinese-Icelandic singer, Laufey, on making jazz cool again!(Photo: Narges Mohammad. Credit: Getty Images)
The Republican chairmen of the US congressional armed services committees have said they're very concerned about the Pentagon's decision to withdraw five thousand troops from Germany. Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers warned that prematurely reducing America's forward presence in Europe risked undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin. NATO says it's seeking clarification from Washington about the plan.Also in the programme: FIFA will allow a team of Afghan women refugees to represent their country in international tournaments; and we look back on the life of a former racing driver and Paralympian.(Photo: A soldier pilots a drone during the 'Combined Resolve' exercise at 7th Army Training Command's Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels. More than 3,800 personnel participate in the exercise series, which is a reoccurring U.S. Army Europe and Africa exercise held several times throughout the year for its rotationally deployed troops. US-led army exercise 'Combined Resolve' - media day, Hohenfels, Germany - 30 Apr 2026. CREDIT: ANNA SZILAGYI/EPA/Shutterstock)
The US says it will withdraw five thousand of its troops from Germany, as a rift widens between the two countries over the war in Iran. The German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, says Washington’s decision was foreseeable, but that the continuing presence of American forces was in German and US interests. We speak to a German member of the European parliament. Also on the programme: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tells the BBC that he wants tougher policing of protests in the UK after the stabbing of two Jewish men in London; and we hear from two Afghan female footballers about their hopes of competing internationally. (Photo: Badge of a soldier is seen during the 'Combined Resolve' exercise at 7th Army Training Command's Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, 30 April 2026. Credit: Photo by ANNA SZILAGYI/EPA/Shutterstock)
The interruption to supplies of fertiliser and its key ingredients due to the war in Iran could cost up to 10 billion meals a week globally and will hit poorest countries hardest, according to the boss of one of the world's biggest fertiliser producers. Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Yara, told the BBC that hostilities in the Gulf, which have blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, are jeopardising global food production.Also in the programme: Ukraine has been stepping up its campaign against Russia's oil industry; and is fish fraud affecting one of Britain's national dishes?(Picture: Workers carry fertiliser bags to be mixed with water at a farm's irrigation centre. Credit: REUTERS/Rula Rouhana/File Photo)
The head of one of the world's biggest fertiliser manufacturers has warned that the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz - as a result of the war on Iran - could cost the world up to ten billion meals a week. Svein Holsether, who runs Yara, said farmers in the poorest countries would be hit first by the interruption to production and supply caused by the ongoing hostilities. We hear from two countries particularly affected by the shortage in industrial fertiliser.Also in the programme: despair then relief for the Oscar winner who thought an airline had lost his award; and for the first time the nose of a mouse has been mapped showing us more about the way mammals smell.(Photo: Farmers in Aceh labour amid possible fertilizer shortage due to war in Middle East. Indonesia, 28 March 2026. Credit 2026 Shutterstock Editorial. EPA/Shutterstock )
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is strangling the global economy. He said that even if the restrictions were lifted immediately, supply chains would take months to recover. We ask what options the US has now and what it's likely to cost. Also in the programme; two coins dating from the reign of English King Ethelred, known as the Unready for his failure to defend his country against the Vikings, come to light in Denmark; and why Saudi Arabia needs to cut its costs, by pulling out of LIV Golf. (Photo: A ship in the Strait of Hormuz, Oman Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)
Following reports that President Trump is to be briefed on new plans for further strikes on Iran, Brent crude reached more than $126 a barrel.Also in the programme, an Australian inquiry has said a Jewish group warned of a 'terrorist attack' before last year's antisemitic mass shooting at Bondi Beach, and how barbaric were the Barbarians?(Photo: A display shows fuel prices in euro at a petrol station in Berlin, Germany, 30 April 2026. Credit: Filip Singer/EPA-EFE)
A man's been arrested after two Jewish men were stabbed in London, in what the police are calling a terrorist attack. It's the latest in a series of violent antisemitic attacks in the UK. We hear some reaction from a local resident.Also in the programme: the US defense secretary faces questions on the cost of the war against Iran, when it'll end, and about the investigation into the bombing of a school; plus how filling the sticker album for this expanded World Cup might be expensive - but could pay dividends down the line.(IMAGE: Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Mark Peter Rowley (C) gives a statement at the scene where two Jewish men are seriously injured after being stabbed in Golders Green, north London, Britain, 29 April 2026. / CREDIT: Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/EPA/Shutterstock (16851496bd))
The British government has for the first time formally acknowledged that a woman abused by the late owner of the luxury London department store, Harrods, was a victim of modern slavery. Rachael Louw was trafficked by the Egyptian businessman, Mohamed al-Fayed, and his brother Salah.Also on the programme, former US officials criticise the Pentagon for not releasing more information about the US attack in Iran that hit a school, and why temperatures are rising faster in Europe than any other part of the world. (Photo: Mohamed Al Fayed, Owner and Chairman of Harrods department store from 1985-2010)
On his US state visit, King Charles III will address both houses of congress later. He will be the first British monarch to do so since Queen Elizabeth did the same in 1991. We hear from a congressman about whether the visit could help warm UK-US relations amid tension due to the Iran war.Also on the programme: The latest on Mali as violence there continues to spread between jihadist militants and separatists; the United Arab Emirates is set to quit the oil cartel Opec on 1st May; and we hear from the parents of Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe - who broke the world record at this weekend’s London Marathon.(Photo: Britain's King Charles III walks during a state visit to the United States at a Garden Party in the British Embassy in DC, 27th April 2026. Credit: Ian Vogler, Pool via Reuters)
Britain's King Charles III has delivered a historic address to the US Congress, saying the partnership between the UK and the United States is more important than ever. He also condemned political violence in a rare address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress in honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence.Also in the programme: the United Arab Emirates says it is leaving the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; and the plan to ship Pablo Escobar's hippos from Colombia to India.(Picture: King Charles III addresses US Congress. Credit: BBC)
A court in Washington DC has charged a Los Angeles man with attempting to assassinate the US president. The White House hit out after what it says was the third attempt on Donald Trump's life in as many years. We hear from one of America's foremost experts on political violence.Also in the programme: insurgents make dramatic advances in Mali; can a new political party in Israel really unseat Binyamin Netanyahu? And as the naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough approaches his century, we look back at one of his defining moments.(IMAGE: U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro speaks, flanked by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel during a press conference about the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner where U.S. President Donald Trump was present, at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 27, 2026 / CREDIT: ReutersKylie Cooper)
The suspect detained in connection with the attack at the hotel where President Trump was attending the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington over the weekend is expected in court. Also on the programme: Ukraine's drone forces commander tells us they are killing 30,000 Russian soldiers a month and will continue to attack Russia's oil exports; and we hear from the man who came second in the London Marathon - but who also broke the iconic sub-two-hour barrier.(Photo: Law enforcement personnel patrol the venue, following a shooting incident during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington DC, US, 26 April, 2026. Credit: Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
The acting US attorney general says the gunman at the White House Correspondents' Dinner was believed to be targeting Trump administration officials, having travelled to Washington from Los Angeles by train.Also in the programme: A man described as having chronicled the soul of India, the photographer Raghu Rai, has died aged eighty-three; Sabastian Sawe made history at the London Marathon by becoming the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race; BBC visits Chernobyl ghost city 40 years after world's worst nuclear accident; and an update on the violence in Mali.(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump is escorted out of the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner in Washington. Credit: Reuters)
US President Donald Trump is unharmed after shots were fired at the White House correspondents’ dinner he attended. A 31-year-old suspect has been arrested and a security agent who was shot is now reportedly out of hospital. We speak to US mentalist Oz Pearlman who was with the president when the event unfolded.Also in the programme: The Iranian foreign minister meets with Oman’s sultan to discuss peace with the US; and why some board game are becoming more popular.(Photo: US President Donald Trump salutes during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington DC, 25th April 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Militant groups in Mali have launched a wave of coordinated attacks across the country. The ruling junta says they've been repulsed and has urged people to stay calm. We hear from a former US ambassador to Mali. Also on the programme: how five schoolchildren stepped in to stop a runaway school bus in Mississippi after the driver had an asthma attack; and English football honours its first overseas football star. (Picture: A Malian soldier stands in position with his weapon during an attack on Mali's main military outside the capital Bamako. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)This programme has been edited since transmission due to rights.
Iranian foreign minister Arras Araghchi is in Islamabad today to discuss peace between his country and the US. Donald Trump’s foreign policy advisors Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are travelling to Pakistan’s capital later to do the same. The Iranian foreign ministry, however, has said no direct talks with the US are planned. The BBC’s Pakistan correspondent gives us the latest.Also in the programme: Explosions and gunfire in Mali as armed groups launch coordinated attacks.(Photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, 17th February 2026. Credit: Reuters/Pierre Albouy TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)This programme has been edited since transmission due to rights.
The White House says President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son in law, Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran. Also on the programme, from inside Russia, a look at the Kremlin's tightening grip on the internet; and, Ringo Starr on his new country album.(Photo: Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions listen as Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS)
A leaked Pentagon email reportedly outlines options to punish allies over a perceived lack of support for the Iran war. The email also suggested reviewing the US position on the UK's claim to the Falklands islands in the south Atlantic, which are also claimed by Argentina. We get reaction from Spain. Also on the programme: representatives from dozens of countries are gathering in Colombia to discuss moving away from fossil fuels; and as the ceasefire in Lebanon is extended for another three weeks, we talk to one family who've just returned to their flat in Beirut.(Credit: Reuters)
President Trump gives an interview to the BBC's North America correspondent, Sarah Smith, on a range of issues including NATO, the Royal visit to the US and relations with the UK. Speaking earlier, he also issued a 'shoot to kill' to any boat laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. We examine how much mine sweeping is happening in the shipping channel.Also in the programme: Britain strikes a new deal with France to stop illegal migrants from crossing the English Channel; and we find out about the lipstick effect during tough financial times.(Photo: US President Trump speaks to reporters ahead Davos, Washington, USA - 20 Jan 2026: Credit EPA/Shutterstock )
Lebanon's Prime Minister Joseph Aoun has accused Israel of war crimes after Israeli air strikes killed one journalist and wounded another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. The strike killed Amal Khalil, who worked for a Lebanese newspaper, and injured freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj - we speak to a colleague who knew Amal well. Also on the programme: a South African court blocks the repatriation of the remains of Zambia's former president, Edgar Lungu, halting fresh plans for a state funeral; and we speak to the mother of a little girl who's had her vision almost entirely restored after pioneering gene therapy treatment.(Photo: Journalists gathered in silence at Martyrs' Square to remember Khalil. Credit: Reuters)
Will the re-opening of a pipeline pumping Russian oil and the unfreezing of an EU loan to Ukraine, change the dynamic of the Russian-Ukrainian war? We hear from a Ukrainian MP and from Keith Kellog, the former US general who was Donald Trump's envoy to Ukraine.Also on the programme: The funeral of a child killed in the occupied West Bank turns into a confrontation; and the Foo Fighters on the new album, My Favourite Toy - for one band member, its Lego.(FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference in Middelburg, Netherlands on April 16, 2026. CREDIT: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)
Conflict Insights Group tracked Colombian mercenaries fighting in Sudan for the RSF via their cell phones. They were recruited and trained at the behest of the United Arab Emirates, the report claims, allegations refuted by Abu Dhabi.Also in the programme: European Union ambassadors have approved a $100 billion loan to Ukraine; and a playwright who dramatised Leicester City's improbable Premier League title of a decade ago, on how the club have been related to the third tier of English football.(Photo: Supporters of Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), arrive for a meeting in Aprag village, Sudan, on 22 June 2019. Credit: Reuters/Umit Bektas)
There's still no sign that either the US or Iran are sending negotiating teams to Pakistan for a new round of negotiations. President Trump has announced an extension to the ceasefire with Iran until talks come to a conclusion. In a social media post, he said the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue until Tehran presented what he called a "unified proposal".Also in the programme: Hungary's LGBTQ community welcomes a likely end to years of repression. And why has the boss of a big US tech company been branded a global supervillain by his critics?(Photo: Pakistani security officials stand guard on a road leading to the Red Zone, where most diplomatic missions and government offices are located, including the venue for the expected second round of US-Iran peace talks, in Islamabad, Pakistan, 21 April 2026.Credit: SOHAIL SHAHZAD/EPA/Shutterstock)
A senior Iranian military officer says the country's armed forces are ready to deliver an immediate response to any renewed hostilities by the US and Israel. The commander, Ali Abdollahi, was speaking with a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran due to expire on Wednesday. It is still unclear whether peace talks in Pakistan will go ahead. We hear from Nate Swanson who served on the Trump Administration’s Iran negotiating team. Also in the programme: We look at Apple's new boss; and how archery can help women having breast cancer treatment. (Photo: A banner with a picture of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is displayed during a ceasefire between the US and Iran. Tehran, April 20, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
Confusion surrounds the second round of talks scheduled in Pakistan between US and Iranian officials. Also in the programme: We speak to Arab Barghouti, son of the prominent Palestinian prisoner, Marwan Barghouti. In 2004 an Israeli court found Marwan Barghouti guilty of five counts of murder as well as membership of a terrorist organisation. The court found there was insufficient evidence connecting him to  21 other deaths on the original indictment. He is currently serving five consecutive life sentences in an Israeli prison. Opinion polls indicate that despite his imprisonment, Barghouti is the most popular Palestinian leader. He remains a member of the Fatah Central Committee.We also hear about the immunotherapy that could save cancer patients; and comparisons between the King of Horror, Stephen King and Shakespeare.Photograph: Pakistani security officers outside Islamabad's Red Zone, where most diplomatic missions are based. Credit: Shutterstock
The BBC's Lyse Doucet has been speaking to the senior Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi, the Chairman of Iran's Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. He calls America "the world's biggest pirate".Also in the programme: A BBC investigation finds that British soldiers stationed in Kenya fathered children with local women and in some cases, abandoned them. And a robot wins the Beijing half marathon - is this technological progress or a dystopian nightmare? (Photo: Iranians walk past an anti-USA and anti-Israel mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, 20 April 2026. Conflict between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz continues as Iran again closed the Strait. Credit: Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Trump says a US delegation will arrive in Pakistan on Monday for negotiations with Iran. The White House says it will again be led by Vice-President JD Vance. But reports from Iran say hardliners in the leadership are against attending as long as America's blockade of Iranian ports continues. Also in the programme: The party of the pro-Russian former president, Rumen Radev, is on course to win Bulgaria's general election and more than 150 authors leave a prominent French publisher, but why? (Photo: A police officer gestures to a vehicle at a check post along a road near Faisal Masjid, as Pakistan prepares to host the U.S. and Iran for the second phase of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan April 19, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, which it calls a "breach of the ceasefire". We'll hear from inside Iran from Lyse Doucet.Also on the programme, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing the biggest threat to his leadership; and, amid our modern technology, people rush to independent record stores to celebrate vinyl records. (Photo:The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arrives in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra,Iraq April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty)
Iran's navy says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US blockade on Iranian ports is lifted. It says the continuing US blockade is a "breach of the ceasefire" and warns that ships approaching the vital shipping channel "will be targeted". We hear from our Chief International Correspondent in Tehran. Also on the programme: the ongoing row over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as UK ambassador to Washington; and tributes are being paid to one of France's most celebrated film stars, Nathalie Baye, who's died at the age of 77. (Photo: A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman’s Musandam province on April 12, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
Iran's central military command has said it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again, accusing the United States of continuing its naval blockade of ships sailing to and from Iran's port.We hear the latest from our correspondent in the Middle East and we speak from a captain on one of the ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.Also in the programme: the perils of using AI chatbots to diagnose illnesses; and China's love affair with snooker.(Photo: A drone view of a tanker arriving in Iraq's territorial waters after sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. Credit: Mohammed Aty / Reuters)
President Trump and Iranian officials have said the Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial vessels, although shipping firms say they're remaining cautious. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the vital waterway would be navigable while the Lebanon ceasefire was in place, warning ships to use designated safe lanes. But Tehran warned it may retract this if Mr Trump continued with his threat to maintain a US blockade on Iranian ports until a comprehensive peace deal is reached. The price of oil has dropped on the announcement. Also in the programme: finance chiefs warn that a new AI tool could jeopardise global banking; and Japan creates a new word for days over 40 degrees celsius.(Photo: A drone view shows the Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra, Iraq, April 17, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Mohammed Aty)
Iran's foreign minister says the Strait of Hormuz is "completely open" to commercial ships as long as the ceasefire remains in place.But the US president Donald Trump said the US blockade of the strait will continue until a deal is made.The announcement comes as European leaders came together to promote a unified message that the strait must be opened without tolls and without restrictions.Also in the programme: We'll look at the ceasefire brokered between Lebanon and Israel and how people on both sides have reacted; the UK prime minister comes under renewed pressure over his former US ambassador; and why the Strait of Gibraltar is a treasure-trove of shipwrecks.(Photo shows a protest rally in Tehran, Iran on 17 April 2026. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)
President Trump has announced that there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon where Israel has been engaged in a war with Hezbollah. The US leader said both countries had agreed that a ten day pause in fighting would begin at midnight local time. Mr Trump also said he'd be inviting the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun to the White House for talks. Also in the programme: As a dispute with the Vatican over the Middle East war continues, President Trump has dismissed comments by Pope Leo who'd said the world was being ravaged by tyrants; and another missing page in the life story of William Shakespeare has been found - the London home he bought three years before he died.(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before departing on Marine One, in Washington, DC on 16 April 2026. Credit: Graeme Sloan/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock)
Iranians tell the BBC's chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, they're unsure the ceasefire will hold. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Iran to choose wisely in negotiations with the United States. He said the US military was reloading and ready to go at the push of a button. We have a report from inside Tehran and ask about the prospects for talks between Lebanon and Israel. Also in the programme: the South African politician, Julius Malema, has been sentenced to five years in prison for violating gun laws; and we find out how sperm whales mirror the language of humans.(Photo: Lyse Doucet reporting from Tehran: Credit BBC)
The White House says indirect talks about the extension of a ceasefire between the US and Iran were productive and ongoing - hours after Pakistani mediators arrived in Tehran. Meanwhile, hundreds of ships remain stranded due to blockades in the Strait of Hormuz. We hear from a major shipping company. Also on the programme: a Sudanese author reflects on 3 years of conflict; and we take a tour of a new exhibition celebrating 125 years of Black British music. (Photo: A handout photo made available by the Iranian Foreign Ministry Office shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) and Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir during a meeting in Tehran, Iran. Credit:HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)
Three years since the start of Sudan's brutal civil war, international donors are meeting in Berlin to discuss ways to end the country's dire humanitarian crisis. We hear from a top UN aid official and an acclaimed Sudanese author.Also in the programme: a new online search engine helps people to discover if their ancestors were members of the Nazi party; and we speak to the director of a new film The Wizard of the Kremlin.(Photo: Internally Displaced Persons in Sudan. Credit: UNHCR/Ala Kheir)
China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, has described the American blockade as 'irresponsible' while the IMF is warning that the global economy could slip into recession because of the Iran war. Also on the programme: Israel and Lebanon have held direct talks for the first time in decades, to discuss the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah; and we hear about the return of a centuries‑old stone carving of the Zimbabwe bird - the country's sacred national emblem.(A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, Credit: Reuters)
Israeli and Lebanese officials to meet to discuss Israel's campaign against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. We report from southern Lebanon.Also in the programme: a BBC investigation into Greek police recruiting mercenaries to push migrants back into Turkey; the rise and fall of the Chinese property developer who was once Asia's richest person but has now pleaded guilty to fraud; conservation success in Uganda where numbers of mountain gorillas are rising; and could small talk be good for you?(IMAGE: Israeli soldiers stand among destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon, near the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from the Israeli side of the border in northern Israel, April 14, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Florion Goga)
A US blockade of the Iranian coastline has come into force, after the failure of peace talks between the US and Iran at the weekend. The US says all vessels will be subject to interception, diversion and capture, except those transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports. Also in the programme: President Trump criticises the Pope; and the controversial ‘taxi test’ being used in job interviews. (Photo: US President Trump at the White House in Washington, DC,13 Apr 2026. CREDIT: SALWAN GEORGES/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
Péter Magyar is expected to be the new Prime Minister as Orbán's 16-year reign comes to an end. Record numbers of Hungarians showed up at the polls for an election which was seen as pivotal to the future of Hungary and Europe. Magyar has promised closer ties to the EU and an anti-corruption agenda. Our presenter in Budapest Rajini Vaidyanathan speaks to people on the ground to discuss what this new chapter means for the country.Also on the programme: Donald Trump says he wants to intercept all ships who pay Iran to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. We discuss the legal implications of his suggestion with marine lawyer Caroline Tuckett. And, the British rockband Deep Purple are touring the world where they met an unexpected huge fan - the Japanese prime minister.(Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reacts as people applaud after the announcement of the partial results of parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
Péter Magyar's centre-right pro-European Tisza party wins crucial two thirds majority in Hungary. The landslide win ends Viktor Orbán's 16 years in power and opens the door to major changes. Newshour is live in Budapest where the news is sinking in; and we get reaction from Europe and Russia. Also in the programme: the US is set to begin a blockade of Iran's ports in an hour's time – we ask what it could achieve; President Trump denounces the Pope, who's arrived in Algeria at the start of a tour of Africa; and could microscopic fungi hold the key to future supplies of chocolate?(Photo: Leader of the Hungarian opposition Tisza Party, Peter Magy, holds a press conference after winning two-thirds of the votes in parliamentary elections, Budapest, Hungary, 13 April, 2026. Credit: Tibor Illyes/EPA/Shutterstock)
The United States and Iran are blaming each other for their peace talks in Pakistan ending without agreement. The leader of Iran's negotiating team has said that the United States 'ultimately failed' to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation. The US vice-president JD Vance said Washington's terms had represented its "best and final offer".Also in the programme: Hungarians are voting in an election that could see an end to Viktor Orban's 16 years as prime minister; and legendary Indian singer, Asha Bhosle, has died at the age of 92.(Photo: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (L). Credit: Reuters)
US and Iranian officials are continuing with their direct talks with Pakistan in Islamabad on bringing an end to conflict in the Middle East. The US Central Command says two American navy ships have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, in the first such move since the war with Iran began. President Trump had earlier said Washington had started clearing mines from the waterway, a claim denied by Tehran. Also in the programme: Hungary prepares to go to the polls; and how British exceptionalism led the Cambridge five who spied to despise the people they betrayed. (Photo: Vice President JD Vance walks up a flight of stairs to meet with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for talks about Iran, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Islamabad. CREDIT: Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS)
US and Iranian officials are meeting the Pakistani prime minister separately to discuss extending the two-week ceasefire between their two countries. Iranian TV, however, says talks could be cancelled if Tehran’s conditions are not met. We hear the latest from the BBC’s Chief International correspondent.Also on the programme: A look ahead at tomorrow’s elections in Hungary where Prime Minister Viktor Orban could fall from power after 16 years; and a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean for the returning Artemis II astronauts.(Photo: US Vice President JD Vance waves after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday 11th April 2026. Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS)
Iran has set pre-conditions for the start of negotiations with the United States including a ceasefire in Lebanon. President Trump insisted that Iran had only one card to play in the negotiations - its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Also on the programme: the four astronauts on board the Artemis mission are preparing to return to Earth. We speak to someone who went before them and we hear from a 13-year-old girl in Beirut who witnessed an Israeli strike on the city.(Wreckage after Israel launched a blitz of air strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday CREDIT: AFP via Getty Images)
Pakistan has said it is confident that talks between Iran and the United States will begin on Saturday in Islamabad as planned, despite both sides complaining of ceasefire violations. Also on the programme: Melania Trump makes a rare statement to reporters, denying she had a relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; and Hip-hop pioneer, Afrika Bambaataa, dies aged 68. (Photo: Pakistani security officials stand guard at a checkpoint as security has been intensified ahead of the visit of US and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan on April 9, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
The Israeli prime minister says he's ready for direct negotiations with Lebanon, as Iran says the continuing Israeli attacks on Lebanon violate Iran's ceasefire with the US. We hear the latest from Israel, Lebanon and the US.Also in the programme: the UK says three Russian submarines have conducted a "covert" operation over Britain's vital underwater cables and pipelines; and as the crew of the Integrity spacecraft on the Artemis II mission around the Moon hurtle back towards Earth, we hear from the wife of the Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.(IMAGE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File Photo)
A top Iranian official has told the BBC the US must choose war or peace, as the ceasefire appears compromised. Iran's deputy foreign minister said Tehran had warned Washington, after Israel's massive strikes on Lebanon, that it could not have it both ways. Saeed Khatibzadeh accuses Israel of a "massacre" in Lebanon - 203 people were killed on Wednesday, according to the health ministry. Also, Argentina's Congress has passed a controversial amendment making it easier to mine in glacier regions, a move environmentalists say weakens protections for crucial water sources.And a Los Angeles woman dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling drugs that led to the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry.(Photo: Aftermath of an Israeli strike carried out on Wednesday, in Ain Al Mraiseh in Beirut. Credit: Reuters)
Israel and the US say Lebanon is not included in a two-week ceasefire deal with Iran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps says it will deliver a “regret-inducing response” if Israeli strikes on Lebanon don’t stop immediately, according to Iran’s state media. American Vice-President JD Vance is expected to lead a US negotiating team at peace talks in Pakistan this weekend.Also in the programme: we hear more about one of the fastest growing disability sports around the world, powerchair football.(Photo shows civilians and emergency responders standing amid rubble at the site of an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, April 8, 2026. Adnan Abidi/Reuters)
The US and Iran have agreed a two-week ceasefire and as part of the agreement Iran says it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Both sides have claimed victory, with the US defense secretary saying it "offers chance at real peace".Also in the programme: Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued pummelling what it says are dozens of command centres belonging to Hezbollah, Iran's proxy force in Lebanon; and we'll hear more about the impact of powerchair football for participants with life-limiting disabilities.(Photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump at a press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C. on 6 April 2026. Evan Vucci/Reuters)
The White House says Donald Trump is the only person who knows his plans for Iran, after his threat that a ‘whole civilisation will die’ if Tehran doesn't do a deal to end the war. The President's latest deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of key infrastructure, expires within hours. Also in the programme: As the Artemis II astronauts make their way home from the far side of the Moon, we speak to former Nasa boss Charles Bolden; and Kanye West, now known as Ye, won't be allowed to perform in London this summer because of antisemitic remarks. (Photo: An Iranian national flag is placed on the debris of a damaged building at the Sharif University after an airstrike in Tehran, Iran, 07 April 2026. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)
The Artemis II astronauts are bound for a return to Earth after conducting a historic lunar fly-by and witnessing a total solar eclipse from their spacecraft.The spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth - 252,756 miles (406,771km), the furthest distance humans have travelled into space. We'll hear from NASA's Head of Science.Also in the programme: Multiple reports indicate new US strikes on Kharg Island in the Gulf as President Trump posts that "a whole civilisation will die tonight" unless a deal is reached; US vice-president JD Vance visits Hungary ahead of elections; Cambodia says it's cracking down on scammers; and Kanye West has been blocked from travelling to the UK over anti-Semitic comments.(Photo shows the Moon rises over the Halde Hoheward near Herten, Germany on 7 April 2026. Credit: Christopher Neundorf/EPA)
Four astronauts have taken humanity deeper into space than ever before, breaking a record set in 1970. We hear from space expert Dr Kevin Fong as well as the singer from Young & Sick. His song was played to wake up the Artemis crew in space. Also on the programme: President Trump repeats his deadline for Iran to agree to a deal with the United States; and the discovery of Yiddish songs performed during the Holocaust. (Picture: A view of the Moon taken by an Artemis II crew member through the window of the Orion spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Handout via REUTERS)
Iran says the intelligence chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Majid Khademi, was killed in a strike on Monday morning; Israel later claimed responsibility for the attack.As US-Israeli strikes on Iran continue, Iranian people tell the BBC that they're afraid of the latest ultimatum from President Trump. Also in the programme: NASA's Artemis II mission has now entered the lunar "sphere of influence"; how Northern Ireland has become a world leader in support for mothers who've miscarried; and the icy world of curling hits a hot streak as it starts a professional league.(Photo shows Majid Khademi the intelligence chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in an undated photo. Credit: Iranian state media)
Trump uses expletives to warn of attacks on Iranian infrastructure unless the Strait of Hormuz is opened to shipping. We hear from our Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet, and ask where this threatened escalation in the war leaves America's allies in the Gulf.Also in the programme: Hungary and Serbia say they've foiled a plot to blow up a pipeline, but is it a 'false flag' operation ahead of the upcoming Hungarian election? And the American museum curator in her seventies who has become a social media star.(Photo: President Donald Trump delivers address to the nation about the Iran war on 1 April 2026. Credit: Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS)
In an operation involving hundreds of troops and dozens of aircraft, the US military have rescued the American airman who went missing in southern Iran after an F-15 fighter jet was shot down on Friday. President Trump said the colonel was injured but will be fine. Also in the programme: a former Israeli soldier recalls the challenges of a prolonged occupation of Lebanon; and we explore the mystery of the far side of the moon. (Photo: Cars drive near an anti-US bilboard, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 5, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
President Trump has threatened to unleash hell on Iran in forty- eight hours if its leaders don't make a deal or open up the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has virtually closed off the strait, through which twenty percent of the world's oil is exported. The Iranian military has credited new air defence systems with the reported downing of two American military planes on Friday. A crew member from one of the aircraft is still missing.Also in the programme: Teachers' union in the UK warns of 'masculinity crisis brewing' in schools; we look at how the war in Iran is making petrol and diesel increasingly expensive in Australia; and we hear from Ed Dwight, the first Black man on the US Space program.(Photo credit: EPA)
US and Iranian forces are searching for a missing American crew member after a US warplane was shot down - verified video shows the US operation. Also on the programme, the Artemis Two mission has passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon; and, how London's police left unattended a bag full of firearms. (Photo: Israeli F-15 fighter jets fly over central Israel, Undisclosed - 31 Mar 2026. ABIR SULTAN/EPA/Shutterstock)
The US pilot reportedly ejected and has been rescued, despite an Iranian bounty offered for his capture. Another crew member may still be missing in Iran. We hear the latest, and discuss the perils of rescue missions in hostile territory with former US Marine Corps Special Operations specialist Jonathan Hackett. Also in the programme: Myanmar general installed as president of the country in a bid for legitimacy by the military regime; and the friction between Pope Leo XIV and a US administration at war.(Photo: A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft takes off for a mission supporting Operation Epic Fury during the Iran war at an undisclosed location, March 9, 2026. Credit: US Air Force/Handout via REUTERS)
President Donald Trump says the US "hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran", adding that Iranian bridges are "next, then electric power plants." Mr. Trump has also signalled his openness to diplomacy in an effort to end the war. Iran has launched fresh strikes on Israel and Gulf nations, after the US and Israel stepped up their attacks on Iran's infrastructure.Also in the programme: an update on the progress of the Artemis II moon mission; and the unusual way octopuses have sex.(Picture: US President Donald J. Trump. Credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Trump has sacked Pam Bondi as the US Attorney General. She was a close ally of Mr Trump but had been criticised for her handling of the release of files relating to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Writing on social media, Mr Trump described her as a loyal friend saying she had done a tremendous job overseeing a crackdown on crime but was moving to a new role in the private sector. Mr Trump's former personal lawyer, the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, will take over on a temporary basis. Also in the programme: nations meet to find a solution to the Strait of Hormuz; and Artemis 2 heads out of orbit. (Photo: Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi attends a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 24 March 2026. CREDIT: GRAEME SLOAN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
The four Nasa astronauts on the Artemis II Moon mission are preparing for its next stage, after their first sleep in space. We speak to former astronaut Tim Peake about Nasa's plan for them to travel around the Moon. Also in the programme: Britain hosts a meeting on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a historic warship discovered on the seabed of Copenhagen harbour. (Photo: Nasa's Artemis II mission to fly by the moon lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, 1 April, 2026. Credit: Joe Skipper/Reuters)
NASA is to launch the Artemis II mission to the Moon, more than half a century after the last Apollo missions – we’ll hear from one of the four surviving astronauts who have set foot on the Moon. Also in the programme: US President Donald Trump attends a Supreme Court hearing about his attempt to end birthright citizenship by executive order; and how a hundred driverless taxis all suddenly stopped mid-journey in a city in China – so how robust is the tech? (Photo: The Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B ahead of the mission launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US. Credit: Reuters/ Brendan McDermid)
Global stock markets have risen and the oil price has fallen, after President Trump again said the war against Iran could be over in a couple of weeks. Britain says it will host a multi-national meeting this week to discuss how to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump says he is "strongly considering" pulling the United States out of NATO. We will hear from a former US ambassador to NATO.Also, South Africa's government sends in the army to fight criminal gangs. And the countdown to NASA's Artemis moon mission! Plus fifty years since the birth of Apple computing.(Photo: A person reacts to the damage near a business building including the Qatari Al Araby TV office, after an airstrike in northern Tehran, Iran, 29 March 2026. Credit: EPA)
President Trump hits out at US allies over Iran -- telling them to grow a backbone and go and get the oil stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. His Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth then joins the fray. Do they have a point? Also in the programme: has the European Union reached breaking point with Israel? A NASA scientist on a huge week for space travel; and wolf bites woman on a German city street - we hear the case for the defence.(IMAGE: Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Stringer//File Photo)
We look at America's goals in the war with Iran, and we ask what Israel's strategy is, as regards the conflict in Iran and Lebanon.Also on the programme: the latest report on sexual violence directed at women and girls in Sudan; and the world's longest running international music competition, Eurovision heads to Asia. (Image: Illustration shows 3D-printed miniature model depicting US President Donald Trump pointing at a map showing the Strait of Hormuz. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)
President Trump says he's negotiating with Iran's leadership to end the war, while again threatening to strike its energy infrastructure. Iran has dismissed American demands as excessive and 'illogical'. We hear from a former US army officer on President Trump's military options. Also in the programme: Israel's parliament passes a new law introducing the death penalty for terrorists. A critic of the law tells us it's framed just to target Palestinians; and a Sex Pistol celebrates the 50th anniversary of punk rock. (Photo: A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard next to a banner honouring former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on 30 March 2026. Credit: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Trump has posted on social media another warning that he would, in his words, 'obliterate' Kharg island and Iran's power plants, if the Strait of Hormuz is not immediately reopened to allow oil and gas tankers to travel freely.Also on the programme: how are countries around the world responding to the price of oil reaching $116 a barrel? And paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse have been stolen from a museum in Italy. Is there's even a market for this type of stolen art? (Picture: President Trump on Air Force One. Credit: Reuters)
Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, has said that both Iran and the United States have expressed confidence in his country to facilitate talks on reducing tensions in the Middle East conflict.Also in the programme: the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is prevented from celebrating a private mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; and a UN summit moves to protect 40 migratory species. (A handout photo made available by the Pakistani Foreign Offices shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Pakistan's deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar during a meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, 29 March 2026. CREDIT: PAKISTAN FOREIGN OFFICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)
With talks under way in Islamabad to end the war in the Middle East, we’ll hear from Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US.Also on the programme: we hear from Myanmar where the global energy crisis has left kilometres-long queues at petrol stations; and veteran Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard reflects on his latest Oscar-winning film Sentimental Value.(Photo: The USS Tripoli (LHA-7) amphibious assault ship enters the Singapore Strait, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Singapore, March 17, 2026. REUTERS/Edgar Su)
The Iranian- backed Houthis in Yemen have launched another missile attack against Israel, less than twenty four hours after their first foray into the US-Israeli war on Iran. There are fears that the Iranian proxy's entry could further disrupt global shipping. Also in the programme: No Kings protests are taking place across the US against the Trump administration; and how a truck transporting twelve tonnes of chocolate bars belonging to Swiss food company Nestle disappeared en route between Italy and Poland.(Photo: Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea announces a new attack on Israel via a televised statement, in Sana'a, Yemen. Credit: YAHYA ARHAB/EPA/Shutterstock)
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement have launched a missile strike on Israel for first time since the war began.The group says it fired a barrage of ballistic missiles "targeting sensitive Israeli military sites", after Israel says it intercepted a missile from Yemen. The intervention comes as Israel continues bombing Lebanon, aiming for the pro-Iranian Hezbollah, but catching many other Lebanese in its wake.Also in the programme: We'll hear from a mother and son forced apart for years by the state because she was unmarried; Nepal's former prime minister under arrest just a day after the new government took power; and a former Haitian culture minister turned documentary maker on the prescience of George Orwell.(Photo shows a Houthi soldier operating a machine gun on a pickup truck in Sanaa, Yemen on 27 March 2026. Credit: Yahya Arhab/EPA)
The UN says there's no longer any safe space for civilians to find refuge in Lebanon, even in Beirut. Israel has been carrying out a widespread offensive against Hezbollah. With nearly a million people displaced by the war in Lebanon, we speak to the Deputy Prime Minister - how are they coping?Also, the British government is being urged to apologise to tens of thousands of women in who were forced to give up their babies after the Second World War because they weren't married. And a new study says AI is giving bad advice to flatter its users!(Photo: A displaced woman from Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon smokes a sigarette, at the Jaafareya High School, now used as a temporary shelter for displaced people, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran continues, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 27, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
Germany says American and Iranian negotiators plan to meet in Pakistan, at the same time as reports suggest the US is to send 10,000 more troops to the Middle East. We get the latest and hear from victims of the strikes on Tehran.Also in the programme: will Cuba's economic near-collapse lead to political upheaval? We have a first-hand report from the island; and a unique eyewitness account of female sperm whales acting like midwives.(IMAGE: View of the Prime Minister's House building, as Pakistan offers to help mediate talks between the United States and Iran, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan March 25, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)
State media in Iran say officials have sent their response to a fifteen-point US plan to end the war and are now awaiting an American reply. Speaking at the White House, President Trump again insisted that Iran was "begging" for a deal despite repeated denials in Tehran. Also on the programme, lawyers have tussled over how to fund the defence of the ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro at his second court hearing since his capture by US troops; and, the IOC has banned transgender women from all Olympic women's sports.(President Trump hosts cabinet meeting at the White House, Washington, USA - 26 Mar 2026. WILL OLIVER/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
Israel says it's killed a top Iranian naval commander, responsible for overseeing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while President Trump tells Iran to get serious about negotiations. We hear from a supporter of the government in Tehran. Also in the programme: former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is due to appear in court in New York today for only the second time since his capture at the beginning of January - we hear how his country’s been doing since his departure; and a new exhibition in London explores experiences and perceptions of ageing, from adolescence to older age - through art, science and popular culture.(IMAGE: Alireza Tangsiri, Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, who Israel claims to have killed (undated file photo) / CREDIT: sourced from EVN/IR IRGC navy chief stills/1041/26/3)
A 20 year-old Californian woman has been awarded a total of $6 million in damages after taking Meta and Google to court, accusing the tech giants of making her addicted to social media. The jury found the firms liable for negligence, contributing to her mental health problems.Also in the programme: Iran's foreign minister has said officials are reviewing US proposals on ending the war, but that Tehran has no intention of holding talks with the United States; and Sarah Mullally has been officially installed as the first woman to lead the Anglican Communion.(Photo: Attorney for Kayle GM, Mark Lanier (C) speaks to the media after a jury found Meta and YouTube liable in the social media addiction trial outside the Los Angeles Superior Court, in Los Angeles, California, USA, 25 March 2026. Credit: Ted Soqui/EPA/Shutterstock)
An Iranian military spokesman has accused the United States of 'negotiating with itself' over the conflict in the Middle East, amid uncertainty over the prospects of meaningful peace talks. President Donald Trump has insisted his administration is talking to the 'right people' in Iran, and that they badly wanted a deal to end the war.Also in the programme: five survivors of Jeffrey Epstein come together for the first time to speak about their ordeal; and the man who persuaded a would-be-bomber not to blow up a hospital has received one of Britain's highest honours.(Picture: US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on 24 March 2026. Credit: GRAEME SLOAN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
US President Donald Trump says negotiations to end the Iran war are happening "right now" and Tehran is "talking sense". His comments come a day after Iranian officials denied any contact with the US had taken place, calling claims of talks "fake news".Also on the programme: We hear from expectant mothers in Havana about the impact of the US blockade on their care; and the Virunga National Park in the DRC is celebrating the rare birth of its second set of mountain gorilla twins.(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on the 24th of March, 2026. Credit: GRAEME SLOAN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
As confusion surrounds the prospect of talks between Washington and Tehran over a possible end to the war, could Iran's parliamentary speaker play a role? We learn more about that speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.Also in the programme: The AI company Anthropic vs the Pentagon; and rescuing moon bears from captivity in Vietnam.(Photo: A view of a residential building damaged by a strike, in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Tehran, March 23, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
US President Donald Trump says the US and Iran have held talks on the "complete and total resolution of hostilities" in the Middle East. However, Iran's parliament speaker denies discussions have taken place, saying "fake news" is being used to "manipulate" the oil markets.Also on the programme: With world attention focused on the Iran war, there’s been a new increase in Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank; and we head to a new exhibition which explores the changing relationship between humans and their pets.(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before departing West Palm Beach aboard Air Force One on th 23rd of March, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
Donald Trump says the US and Iran have held talks on the ‘complete and total resolution of hostilities’ in the Middle East. We discuss what behind-the-scenes discussions may have been taking place between the two sides.Also on the programme: Italian voters consider significant changes in its justice system; and AI-powered glasses that can help people living with dementia. (Picture: President Donald Trump speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
The president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, says Israel's military action in the south of his country is a prelude to a full-scale ground invasion. Israel has started blowing up bridges over a crucial river in southern Lebanon, saying it is targeting infrastructure used by Hezbollah. Could Israel be about to take the next step in the Middle Eastern conflict?Also in the programme: French voters have gone to the polls - will they tack to the centre ground or lurch to the far-left and far-right? And a British version of the celebrated US TV show Saturday Night Live has made its debut - did it translate well across the Atlantic?(Photo shows smoke rising after an Israeli strike on a bridge near Qasmiyeh, Lebanon on 22 March 2026. Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)
More than 160 people have been injured - some seriously - in Iranian missile strikes on two southern Israeli towns close to a nuclear facility, according to Israeli emergency officials. We hear about the medical situation on the ground and take a look at Israel's nuclear capabilities.Also on the programme: Italian voters give their verdict on a government plan to have more power over the judiciary; and a US comedy institution makes its UK debut as Saturday Night Live hits British screens.(Picture: Ultra Orthodox Jewish residents look on at the scene of a direct hit of an Iranian missile in Arad, Israel. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA/Shutterstock)
Britain has insisted it will not be drawn into a wider conflict after a key military base in the Indian Ocean was targeted by an Iranian missile attack. Also on the programme: Robert Mueller, who led the investigation into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election won by Donald Trump, has died; and the K-Pop phenomenon, BTS, has played a massive comeback concert in Seoul. (Photo: A United States Air Force Rockwell B-1 Lancer Bomber arrives at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.Saturday March 7, 2026. Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has said the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in Iran has suffered “some recent damage” as US-Israeli attacks on the country continue. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the damage was confined to entrance buildings to the underground fuel enrichment plant. Also on the programme: a weight loss drug is now off patent in India meaning prices are expected to drop sharply; and the Australian teens grappling with the country's social media ban.(Photo: Satellite imagery taken in January 2026 showing a new roof over a previously destroyed building at Natanz nuclear site, Iran. Credit: Planet Labs PBC/via Reuters)
US President says Nato allies are "cowards" for refusing to help open the Strait of Hormuz, as the head of the International Energy Agency claims the closure of the waterway poses the "greatest global energy security challenge in history”.Also in the programme: Iranian-American artist Shirin Neshat on celebrating the ancient Persian festival of Nowruz; and the action movie star, and martial arts expert Chuck Norris has died aged 86.(Photo: US President Trump departs the White House to spend the weekend at Mar-a-Lago on 20 March 2026. Credit: Shawn Thew/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock)
Nowruz is a traditional festival that marks the spring equinox, the rebirth of nature and the start of the new year in Iran and other countries. But this year's Nowruz will be the first many in the country have experienced at war. And across the Gulf, millions of Muslims are marking Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, under the shadow of war. We hear from journalists in Iran and the UAE.Also on the programme: Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez has announced sheis replacing the country's senior military commanders, a day after replacing the longtime Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino López; and we examine how artificial intelligence is being used in the publishing industry.(Photo: Iranian people shop at Tajrish Bazaar in Tehran, ahead of Nowruz, on the 19th of March, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency/Reuters)
President Trump says only Iran's unconditional surrender will end American and Israeli bombardment. The US and Israel say much of Iran's capability has been destroyed but Iran is fighting back. We speak to one of the few international journalists in Iran about the latest attacks.Also in the programme: Ukraine and six European nations boycott the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics because of Russian and Belarusian athletes taking part; and a firefighter in Texas recounts how his team rescued two people whose hot air balloon got entangled in a 300-metre tower. Photo: US-Israeli attacks continue in Iran amid escalating conflict. Credit: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock
Israel and the United States have continued their heavy attacks on Tehran and other cities across Iran, while Israel has stepped up its bombing of Lebanon.Also in the programme:  a report from Caracas as the US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum became the latest senior American official to visit Venezuela; and we hear from a youth mentor in Haiti's gang-ravaged capital Port-au-Prince, whose film has just won a best documentary award.(Photo: US-Israeli attacks continue in Iran amid escalating conflict, Tehran on 6 March 2026. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)
Explosions have again been heard in locations across Tehran, as darkness fell in Iran's capital. Earlier the United States and Israel stepped up their attacks on Iranian cities, including Karaj and Isfahan, where eyewitnesses described bodies lying in the street. Also, President Trump has said he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader. Also in the programme: US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is replaced; and how to recognise a real Stradivarius. (Photo: A view of the Azadi sports complex after the airstrikes in Tehran, Iran, 05 March 2026. CREDIT: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock)
The United States and Israel have carried out a sixth day of attacks. Columns of smoke are towering in the sky in the capital, Tehran, where the Azadi football stadium appears to have been severely damaged. We'll also investigate unconfirmed reports that the US is trying to foment a Kurdish rebellion in the north of Iran.Also in the programme: people in Nepal have been voting for the first time since last year's "Gen Z" demonstrations, in which dozens of young protesters died; and the drug trials that have had some terrific results for children with the severest epilepsy.(Photo: People gather on the sides of a road as smoke rises in the background following an explosion, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 5, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via REUTERS)
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.Washington says it's the first time since the Second World War it's used a torpedo to sink an enemy vessel.Also on the programme: we gauge the scale of the attacks inside Iran by speaking to a resident in Tehran and verifying video footage; and a look at a new AI model, trained on the DNA of over 100,000 species, that is capable of designing new genomes.(Photo: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon on 2 March. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
The Sri Lankan navy says it has rescued 32 people after a distress call from the Iranian IRIS Dena, with around 140 people on board currently missing. We also hear from Iraq's Kurdistan region where reports suggest the US could back the Kurdish armed groups to cross over into Iran in a ground operation.Also on the programme: the latest from the onflict in the Middle East, with a lineup of who is in the running to take over from Iran's Supreme Leader; the controversial 'Moonies' church that has contravened the law in Japan, and proof that a woman's brain does change during pregnancy. (Photo: Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam in India on 18 February, 2026. Credit: Associated Press)
President Trump says both Iran's leadership and military have been knocked out by US and Israeli attacks on day four of the war. We'll bring you the latest and hear from Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister as Israel pursues the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia; and how might Gulf states react if Iran continues to attack them?(An explosion in Tehran, Iran as US/Israeli attacks continue. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
As loud explosions continue to be heard across Tehran there are reports that many residents are trying to flee the capital by car while others are stocking up on essential supplies. Israel says it's bombed Iran's presidential office and the US claims to have destroyed command facilities and missile launch sites across the country. Iran has threatened to open the gates of hell as it retaliates.Also, Leaked photo, hot tub, and Pizzagate - video of Clintons' testimony on Epstein ties released. And discovering your old painting was actually a masterpiece by Rembrandt!(Photo: A street in Tehran this morning following a blast at a police station. Credit: Reuters)
President Donald Trump says the US continues to carry out "large-scale combat operations" in Iran to eliminate threats posed by the Iranian regime. As explosions thunder across the Iranian capital, we hear from a journalist in Tehran. Also on the programme: the conflict spreading into Lebanon and across the Gulf, and why one Trump-supporting American commentator believes this war of choice was a mistake. (Photo: President Donald Trump attends a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC. Credit: Reuters)
We hear from Lebanon and head to the Persian Gulf to take a look at the impact on oil prices. Israel's Head of State, President Isaac Herzog speaks to the BBC about his perspective on the conflict. Also on the programme: we hear about the British allied response to the war as Cyprus remains on high alert and Greece sends military vessels and aircraft to help. (Photo: Aftermath of an Israeli & US strike in Gandhi Hotel Hospital in Tehran Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
Israel has said it has dealt a "severe blow" to Iran's command and control centres as it continues to strike the country. Iran's retaliations have led to casualties across the region. In the meantime, President Trump has said he is open to talking to Iran's new interim leaders.We hear the latest from the ground in Tehran, talk to an Israeli MP and an economist about the impact on oil prices as shipping comes to a standstil in the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo: a supporter of deceased Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini holds its picture at a rally in Lebanon. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
Iran's interim leadership council has been named following the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel attack. In Israel nine people have been killed by retaliatory strikes from Tehran.(Photo: Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2026. CREDIT: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump says that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead following after a day of U.S. and Israeli military strikes. Iranian state media denies Mr Khamenei is dead. We bring you the latest political and diplomatic developments from across the world and from inside the country.(Photo: People walk near a mural featuring images of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters). Reuters )
The US and Israel have carried out a joint attack on Iran. President Donald Trump confirms the start of a 'major combat operation,' and calls for regime change. We bring you reaction from neighbouring countries in the Middle East and the Gulf. We also hear from an Iranian resident in the capital Tehran, and views from Washington and Israel.(Photo: Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran, after Israel launched an attack, February 28, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
*Ukraine says Russia has carried out another massive overnight attack, involving 50 missiles and nearly 300 drones.Speaking two days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest attacks targeted his country's energy sector as well as residential buildings.We'll hear from a Ukrainian professional sportsman-turned-soldier on what the nearly four years of war have done to his country.Also in the programme: The students protesting in Iran for the first time since last month's deadly crackdown; Canada and the US face off in the men's ice hockey final. And the Norwegian crowned the Winter Olympics' greatest ever athlete.(Photo shows houses heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine on 22 February 2026. Credit: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)
US President Donald Trump has said he will increase his worldwide tariff from 10% to 15%, as he continued to rail against a Supreme Court ruling that struck down his previous import taxes.Also on the programme: far right French activists have marched through the city of Lyon after a nationalist student was beaten to death; and OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has said it considered alerting the Canadian authorities to the activities of a person who later carried out one of the worst mass shootings in the country's history. (Photo: President Trump addresses a press conference about the Supreme Court's striking down of most of his tariffs in the briefing room at the White House in Washington, DC on 20 February 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
US President Donald Trump has imposed a new 10% global tariff to replace ones struck down by the Supreme Court, calling the ruling "terrible" and lambasting the justices who rejected his trade policy as "fools".Also on the programme, French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed for calm ahead of a march in Lyon remembering a right-wing student activist who was killed by suspected left-wing extremists earlier this month; and, conservationists are celebrating the reintroduction of giant tortoises to one of the Galapagos Islands -- nearly two centuries after the sub-species was wiped out. (Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Solicitor General D. John Sauer attend a press briefing at the White House, following the Supreme Court's ruling that Trump had exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
President Trump has damned a Supreme Court ruling striking down much of his tariffs policy. A clearly furious president vowed to reimpose his import taxes through alternative methods. The court said that the president could not impose tariffs without consulting Congress. Also in our programme: how rural communities and poorer areas in Russia are being disproportionately affected by the war; and we speak to one of the stars of the first Iranian documentary to earn an Oscar nomination.(Photo: US President Donald J. Trump, alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, speaking at a press conference about the Supreme Court's striking down of most of his tariffs. Credit: Yuri Gripas, EPA/Shutterstock)
Police are expected to continue searching Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former home until Monday, the BBC understands.The former prince was released from custody after 11 hours on Thursday night, following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office; he has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. As the UK police continue their investigation, prominent figures in the US ask whether they'll also see criminal investigations out of the Epstein files.Also in the programme: As the US says it won't accept global governance of AI, we'll hear why Google is being sued over an AI-generated voice, the climber guilty of manslaughter for leaving his girlfriend on a mountain; and the astonishing promise of a multi-purpose vaccine delivered by nasal spray.(Photo shows a police van patrolling the area on 20 February 2026 where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on 19 February in Sandringham, Norfolk)
Police in Britain say the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been released under investigation following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. After being held for a day, he was photographed slouched in the back of a car leaving a police station in eastern England. Earlier his brother, King Charles, said the investigation would have the Royal Family's full support and co-operation. Police are looking into allegations that when he was a British trade envoy, he shared confidential documents with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Officers have searched his current and former homes at Sandringham and Windsor. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. Also in the programme: President Trump's Board of Peace meets for the first time, pledging to end conflicts and rebuild Gaza; and the fantasy epic Game of Thrones gets a Shakespearean twist. (Photo: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, younger brother of Britain’s King Charles, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaves Aylsham Police Station in a vehicle on the day he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Britain February 19, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Phil Noble)
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.King Charles said the "law must take its course" in response to Andrew's arrest, and that the police has his ‘full and wholehearted support and co-operation’. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has denied all wrongdoing arising from his relationship with the US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Also in the programme: There are signs in Gaza that Hamas is tightening its grip on the territory; South Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison for insurrection, and why the fantasy epic Game of Thrones is inspiring a Shakespearean theatre company.(Photo shows Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at Westminster Cathedral, central London, 16 September 2025. Credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
The owner of Instagram and Facebook has been testifying in a landmark legal case over social media addiction, which could pave the way for future hearings.Also on the programme: Les Wexner, who gave Jeffrey Epstein his own fortune to manage and who was pivotal in his rise as a financier, has told a Congressional inquiry he was naive and was duped, but not himself involved in sexual abuse. And the widow of the Hollywood actor Chadwick Boseman tells us about the revival of "Deep Azure," a play he wrote twenty years ago, in London.(Picture: Mark Zuckerberg arrives in court. Credit: Reuters)
As talks between Kyiv and Moscow end in Geneva, the two sides remain at loggerheads over the status of territory in Eastern Ukraine. We hear from Brigadier General Oleksandr Pivnenko, Commander of Ukraine's National Guard.Also in the programme: a trial in Austria raises questions about the circumstances in which mountain climbers may be held responsible for their companions; and the widow of the American actor and playwright Chadwick Boseman, most famous as the star of Black Panther, tells us how she feels about her late husband's play being staged in London.(IMAGE: Ukrainian chief of the general staff Andrii Hnatov walks outside the InterContinental hotel on the day of U.S.-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, in Geneva, Switzerland, February 18, 2026 / CREDIT: Reuters/Pierre Albouy)
Politicians from across the spectrum have been paying tribute to the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson, the US civil rights leader who has died aged 84. We talk to the US Congressman Danny Davis who's known personally since he was a young manAlso on the programme: Iran has said it has reached an understanding with the US on the main "guiding principles" to resolve their dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme; and we ask whether Russian athletes will be allowed again to take part in the Olympics?(Photo: US civil rights campaigner Reverend Jesse Jackson stands on the Thames riverside in Lambeth, south London, after launching Operation Black Vote in upcoming UK general elections. Credit: PA John Stillwell)
Jesse Jackson, the US civil rights leader who was one of the most prominent African American political figures, has died at the age of 84. We speak to one of his former advisers. Also on the programme: a second round of indirect talks between the US and Iran has ended in Geneva; and the Ukrainian government funding a programme that allows soldiers to freeze their sperm. (Photo: Jesse Jackson during a visit to England in November 2008 to talk about political representation of ethnic minorities. Credit: BBC)
Arab countries including Egypt, Jordan and Qatar have condemned Israeli plans to push forward with the registration of parts of the occupied West Bank as Israeli state land. The move will pave the way for further settlement expansion in the Palestinian territory. Decades-old regulations barring non- Muslims from buying land in the West Bank will no longer apply.Also in the programme: The pioneering black figure skater whose backflip at the Olympics thirty years ago was a brilliant move marked down by the judges; how AI is already transforming farming; and we look back at the life of the acclaimed american actor Robert Duvall - who's died at the age of ninety-five.(Photo: A woman walks past a dirt barrier that was recently placed by the Israeli military, at the main entrance to Luban e-Sharkiya, between Nablus and Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 16, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
European leaders and military chiefs make the case for increasing defence spending. A former head of the British military tells us investment is needed across the board, and that Europe is – and must be - able to defend itself without the US. Also in the programme: Israel's cabinet votes in favour of beginning a process of land registration in the West Bank, a move condemned by Palestinians as ‘de-facto annexation'; and a row breaks out over potential cheating in the curling - at the Winter Olympics.(IMAGE: Dutch Navy ship Johan de Witt heads to Arctic for NATO exercise, Den Helder, Netherlands - 16 Feb 2026/ CREDIT: Dingena Mol/EPA/Shutterstock)
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Aragchi is on his way from Tehran to Geneva, for the second round of nuclear talks with the US which take place on Tuesday. The country’s deputy foreign minister speaks to the BBC about these discussions and says the next steps lie with the US. We get reaction to this interview from a US congressman. Also in the programme: Nigeria says Russia is recruiting its citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine; and how AI has given a folk singer with motor neurone disease a new voice.(Photo: Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy Foreign Minister, during an interview with BBC News in Tehran; Credit: BBC)
Iran's deputy foreign minister has told the BBC that Tehran is ready to consider compromises to reach a nuclear deal with the US, if Washington is willing to discuss lifting sanctions. The US has sent two aircraft carrier groups to the Middle East, ratcheting up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement. Also in the programme: The French navy seizes a large shipment of cocaine in the Pacific; and how Artificial Intelligence has helped create a new voice for a folk singer with motor neurone disease. (Photo: Iranian protesters and supporters rally against Iran's ruling establishment during a demonstration in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 14, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Wa Lone)
Several European countries, including the UK, have blamed the Kremlin for the killing of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. They say his murder was likely carried out, using a poison developed from a toxin in a rare frog. We get reaction to these updates from a friend of Navalny’s, alongside on Oscar-winning director who produced a documentary on him.Also in the programme: Mass rape survivor Gisele Pelicot speaks to the BBC about trauma and healing ahead of her memoir being published; and an an exciting paleontological discovery has been made in Costa Rica.(Photo: Flowers lay near a portrait of Russian late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in front of the Russian embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, February 2024. Credit: David Mdzinarishvili, EPA-EFE, REX, Shutterstock).
The US Secretary of State has told the Munich Security Conference that Washington is seeking to "revitalise" its alliance with European countries. Marco Rubio said the US would always be a "child of Europe", insisting that his country wants to preserve that relationship rather than end it. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said she was "very much reassured" by his remarks, adding that Europe "needs to step up" and take more responsibility for its own security. A day earlier, the leaders of Germany and France had warned of frictions in the transatlantic alliance. Also in the programme: Newshour's Lyse Doucet speaks to traders at a market in Iran about protests, the dire economy and the possibility of a nuclear deal; and on Valentine's Day - we talk about the science behind a good kiss. (Credit: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks to a meeting of G7 foreign ministers at the Munich Security Conference, Germany, February 14, 2026. Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has told other world leaders that 'our freedom is not guaranteed' in an era of big power politics. Opening the annual Munich Security Conference, Merz said that Europeans must be ready to make a 'sacrifice'. He also admitted that 'a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States'. We'll speak to a senior German politician and a former member of the first Trump administration.Also in the programme: a BBC Investigation uncovers devastating side effects of a set of widely used prescription drugs that can trigger impulsive behaviours; and we speak to the Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins about his memoir.(Picture: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during the Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen)
Tarique Rahman is set to become the country's next prime minister. He comes from a family dynasty and has been living in self-imposed exile in London for the past 17 years. After a period of violent upheaval, what comes next for Bangladesh?Also on the programme: reaction from Ukraine after skeleton bob racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is disqualified from the Winter Olympics; and award-winning British cinematographer Roger Deakins has written a memoir. We hear from the man behind Fargo, the Big Lebowski, Skyfall and others. (Photo: Tarique Rahman greets supporters during an election campaign rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 09 February 2026 / Credit: MONIRUL ALAM/EPA/Shutterstock)
More countries advise against all but essential travel to Cuba, as US squeeze on oil supplies bites. It follows moves by the Trump administration to impose what is in effect an oil blockade on the island by threatening tariffs on any country supplying Havana.Also in the programme: President Trump has repealed a government scientific finding that carbon emissions endanger human health, removing the legal basis for federal climate change regulations; and we ask, is the artificial intelligence revolution going to transform humanity?(Photo: A man fishes near the Cuban-flagged tanker Alicia, docked at the Matanzas terminal, in Matanzas, Cuba, February 10, 2026. Credit Reuters/Norlys Perez)
Vote counting is underway in Bangladesh after its first election since the protests that overthrew the authoritarian Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. We hear about the circumstances surrounding these elections.Also on the programme: in China, annual emissions of carbon dioxide fell for the first time last year. Lauri Myllyvirta of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, which compiled the data, explains the significance behind this, and the Berlin film festival opens tonight with an Afghanistan romcom. We hear from its writer, director and star, Shahrbanoo Sadat.(Photo: Electoral workers count the votes, during the 13th general election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 12 February, 2026. Credit: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters)
President Trump has told the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that talks with Iran over its nuclear programme will continue. For the first time since demonstrations in January, the BBC is able to report from inside Iran and our Chief International correspondent Lyse Doucet has been speaking to people in the capital, Tehran. Also on the programme: the Winter Olympian balancing winning medals with her homework; and we hear from Brontë country in northern England - where a rather saucy new interpretation of Wuthering Heights has been filmed.(Trump meets Netanyahu in Washington, 11 February 2026. Credit:Getty Images)
This year's anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran hides a deep pain after thousands of protestors were killed by regime forces.The BBC has been speaking to people on the streets of Tehran about the current situation and we'll hear what's going on with the talks between Iran and the United States.Also in this programme: A small town in southern Canada reels from one of the deadliest shootings in the country's history; what reports that Ukraine is to hold elections this spring could mean for the country, four years after Russia full-scale invasion; and how biohacking is becoming big business.(Photo shows Iranians taking part in celebrations to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran on 11 February 2026. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)
The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet is reporting from Tehran for the first time since the crackdown by security forces on nationwide anti-government protests last month. Iran's leaders are marking 47 years since the Islamic Revolution, with bunting and flags decorating the streets of Tehran. But the pain is still raw after unprecedented force was used to put down the protests.Also in the programme: we speak to US Congressman on viewing the underacted Epstein files; and we look at new research which suggests brain exercises could help delay the onset of dementia. (Photo: People walk next to a mural with a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters)
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, campaigners, and politicians are heading to Washington today to press for a change in law around time limits on seeking compensation.This comes after US lawmakers say files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were improperly redacted ahead of their release by the Department of Justice (DOJ).Also in the programme: The UN warns that Tigray in northern Ethiopia may be about to tip back into all-out conflict; we'll hear why the French president is concerned about whether Europe can stand up to American and Chinese muscle; and we'll look at what nature can do for a person's state of mind.(Photo shows a file photo of the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington DC, USA on 4 March 2025. Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA)
Keir Starmer's judgment is being questioned over his past appointment as ambassador to the United States of Peter Mandelson, a British peer with deep personal connections to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Can he survive as prime minister? We hear the latest from our reporter in parliament. And as Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell invokes the Fifth Amendment, declining to answer questions before the US House Oversight Committee, we catch up with the political reaction. Also in the programme: American tech giants Meta and Google go on trial in California - they're accused of harming children by knowingly creating addictive social media platforms. And the French government sends letters to every 29-year-old in the country, exhorting them to have babies while their biological clocks are still ticking.(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer leaving 10 Downing Street, London. Credit: James Manning/PA Wire)
Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy media tycoon in Hong Kong, has been jailed for 20 years for colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law.Rights groups called it a death sentence for the 78-year-old, whose family has raised concerns about his health, but Hong Kong's leader said it was "deeply gratifying". We'll hear from Mr Lai's son about his father's situation.Also in the programme: We'll be reflecting on a historic election victory for the Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi with a member of the governing Liberal Democratic Party; how the DNA of identical twinas is complicating a murder trial in France; and we'll get the reaction to last night's half-time Superbowl show by the Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, which has been criticised by President Trump.(Photo shows Jimmy Lai walking to a prison van to head to court in Hong Kong, China on 12 December 2020. Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters/File Photo]
Japan's governing coalition led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is projected to have won two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives. Ms Takaichi sought and got a clear public mandate in a general election she called just four months after becoming leader of the Liberal Democratic Party.Also, the Iranian Nobel peace laureate, Narges Mohammadi, has received another prison sentence - for what the court said was "collusion to commit crimes"; And we speak to one of the Epstein survivors who had a relationship with him for two years.(Photo of Japan's prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who appeared at the LDP headquarters on Sunday night for the vote count. Credit: Franck Robichon/Reuters)
Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is projected to win in the snap election, while in Thailand a party calling for liberal change is challenging for power again. We report live from Tokyo and Bangkok. Also in the programme: a Russian soldier who fought in Ukraine, fled to Kazakhstan and now faces possible deportation back to Russia, tells us why he deserted; the chief executive of The Washington Post steps down after sacking 300 journalists; and sixty years after the Monkees were formed to rival the Beatles, we hear from the last surviving member, Micky Dolenz.(IMAGE: TV staff gesture in the direction of the cameras as Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), gives an interview at the LDP headquarters on general election day in Tokyo, Japan, February 8, 2026 / CREDIT: Kim Kyung-Hoon/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock (16528062x))
US President Donald Trump has set a deadline for the end of the war in Ukraine - June. President Volodomyr Zelensky has said he will be sending a delegation to Miami for US-brokered talks in Miami. We get a Ukrainian MP's reaction to the latest deadline and hear about life in Kyiv as Russia targets the country's energy infrastructure.Also in the programme: the rush to get key AI components into outer space; and the small change in French rural life that could be fuelling the rise of the far-right.(Photo: A person with a flashlight in a dark street during a power cut in Lviv, Ukraine. Credit: Mykola Tys, EPA/Shutterstock)
The UK’s former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who appointed Peter Mandelson as a cabinet minister, has called for an ethical shakeup in public life in the wake of the Epstein scandal. Mr Brown also defended Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a man of principle who could tackle the problem.Also in the programme: Russia attacks more energy infrastructure in Ukraine; political analysis of President Trump’s racist Truth Social post; and will the Japanese prime minister's decision to call a snap election pay off?(IMAGE: Former prime minister Gordon Brown speaks at a child poverty event, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Child Poverty Action Group (Cpag), at Somerset House, in central London, Thursday November 6, 2025 / CREDIT: James Manning/PA Wire)
Indirect talks between the US and Iran took place in Oman as the US seeks to curb Iran's nuclear and missile programmes. The talks were mainly procedural: was anything achieved? We hear from Iran nuclear expert Professor Sina Azodi, Director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University. Also in the programme: a deadly suicide attack on a Shia mosque in the Pakistani capital Islamabad; the EU orders TikTok to redesign its 'addictive' features; and the opening of the 25th Winter Olympics in northern Italy.(Photo: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Oman ahead of Iran-US talks. Credit: OMANI MINISTRY OF INFORMATION/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Trump is seeking to curb Tehran's nuclear and missile programme; he has threatened to use military force if Tehran doesn't make big concessions.Also in the programme: Venezuela's parliament takes the next step towards an amnesty for political prisoners; and how babies can anticipate rhythmic surprises in music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.(Photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is welcomed by an Omani official upon his arrival in Muscat, Oman, on February 6, 2026. Credit: Iranian Foreign Ministry/WANA via REUTERS)
The agreement would re-establish high level dialogue for the first time since President Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Also in the programme: cuts at the Washington Post; a rare Michelangelo is auctioned in New York; BBC Persian creates a 'face wall' of those who have died in the Iran protests; and the director of the multi-Oscar nominated Sentimental Value - Joachim Trier - talks to us about his new family drama.(Photo: Members of the U.S. delegation attend the second round of trilateral talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 4, 2026.UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs Handout via Reuters)
Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has apologised to the victims of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying he is 'sorry for having believed' his former US ambassador Peter Mandelson. Emails released in the US suggest Mandelson forwarded market-sensitive information to Epstein. The prime minister accused Mandelson of lying during the vetting process, saying he gave the impression he 'barely knew' the disgraced financier.Also in the programme: The second day of peace talks over the Russia-Ukraine war conclude with no sign of agreement; and a sketch of a lion by the Dutch grand master Rembrandt has sold at auction for $18 million. (Picture: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking during a visit to East Sussex. Credit: Peter Nicholls/PA Wire)
Ukrainian representatives at the talks with Russia on a possible end of the war have described the first day of negotiations as "substantive and productive". Newshour hears from injured Ukrainian soldiers and gauges public opinion inside the country.Also in the programme: the New START nuclear treaty expires; and iguanas on the menu in Miami.(Picture: An elderly woman pulls a sled with her belongings during the distribution of humanitarian aid brought by volunteers to a church amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, near the town of Popasna (Popasnaya) in the Luhansk region, a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine, February 4, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine and Russia are due to hold two more days of peace talks in Abu Dhabi, which have been co-ordinated by the United States. Also on the programme, the war surgeon recently returned from Myanmar's civil war; and, the 66-year old man who fought off a shark. (Photo: World Central Kitchen staff hand out free soup in a neighbourhood that experiences electricity and heating outages following recent Russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure during subzero temperatures in Kyiv, Ukraine February 3, 2026. REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
After trading insults on social media, President Trump and Colombia's President Petro meet for the first time today, at the White House in Washington. We also report from Colombia, where our correspondent has been out with the anti-narcotics police, known as the Jungle Commandos.Also in the programme: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of Libya's former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, is reported to have been killed at his home in Zintan - we hear from a journalist who met him; as Sudan's army claims to have re-taken another besieged city, Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council describes a “forgotten horrific conflict” and a “starvation crisis beyond belief”; plus the Australian scientist who helped invent the cochlear implant which now allows hundreds of thousands to hear – and who has just won a prize for his lifetime’s work.(IMAGE: U.S. President Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro meet at the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2026 / CREDIT: Colombia Presidency/Handout via REUTERS)
We hear from a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton, Sidney Blumenthal and also from one of the survivors of sexual assault by Jeffrey Epstein, Lisa Phillips who was a young model at the time.   Also on the programme: China bans hidden car door handles, and the heroic Australian teenager who swam miles to save his family.   (Photo: Former US President Bill Clinton and former US. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive for Donald Trump's inauguration Credit: Shawn Thew/Reuters)
The Rafah crossing reopens between Gaza and Egypt. Are enough Palestinians in urgent need of medical treatment able to use it? We hear from the family of one injured boy.Also on the programme: the detention of a five-year-old in an immigration raid in Minnesota enrages a judge; and why seeing the iconic Trevi Fountain in Rome is now going to cost you.(Photo: A Palestinian patient, accompanied by relatives, waits to leave Gaza for treatment abroad through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Credit: Reuters)
It will come as a relief to many Palestinians who see it as a lifeline to the world, although there is frustration that only small numbers of people and no goods will be allowed through. Israeli reports say only 50 patients - accompanied by one or two relatives - will be allowed to exit each day. We hear from two women, one who wants to leave Gaza and one who wants to return. Also on the programme: damaging new revelations about the links between a former British government minister and the American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; and the dress rehearsal for the forthcoming mission to the moon.(Photo: Palestinian patients prepare to travel for medical treatment to Egypt Credit: Haitham Imad/EPA/Shutterstock)
Donald Trump says Iran negotiating 'seriously' as Supreme Leader in Tehran warns of regional war if US attacks. Iran's foreign minister says "fruitful" talks are taking place on his country's nuclear programme, even as American military forces continue to build in the Middle East.Also in the programme: French tech giant Capgemini to sell US subsidiary working for ICE; and a new exhibition reveals the peaceful side of the Samurai.(Picture: US President, Donald Trump. Credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
President Trump says the Iranians are talking "seriously" with the United States about curbs on their nuclear programme. Iran's supreme leader warns if America attacks, there'll be regional war.We'll be asking where concessions might be made to prevent a military confrontation.Also in the programme: A second woman says she was trafficked to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for sex with the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor; a new exhibition explores the legacy of Japan's Samurai warriors; and Carlos Alcaraz triumphs over Novak Djokovic to become the youngest man to win a career Grand Slam in tennis.(Photo shows Donald Trump speaking after disembarking from Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 31, 2026. Nathan Howard/Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that US-mediated talks planned to take place in Abu Dhabi on Sunday may be delayed. In his Sunday. Zelensky said Kyiv was prepared to work on peace plans and that Kyiv was preparing for them to take place next week. His remarks came as Ukraine faced rolling power cuts amid freezing temperatures. Also on the programme: the renowned Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei tells us about his first return to China in ten years; and new evidence about the world’s earliest pandemic, the Plague of Justinian.PICTURE: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, Ukraine January 16, 2026 CREDIT:REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo
More than 200 people have been killed in a mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, rebel authorities have said.Women and children were among those mining coltan - a mineral used to manufacture electronics such as smartphones and computers - at the time in the town of Rubaya.Also in the programme: The search for truth and justice continues after more than three million new documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are released; we'll hear about the legacy of the Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti, who has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy; and we'll discuss the implications of AI being used to create new forms of life.(File photo of labourers working at the Rubaya coltan mine in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo March 24, 2025. Credit: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)
The United States Department of Justice has released 3 million pages of documents as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The latest release is the largest to date and includes emails, 2,000 videos, and over 180,000 images. What do we know so far?Also in the programme: who is Kevin Warsh, the man appointed by Donald Trump as next chair of the Federal Reserve? And Nigerian musician Fela Kuti becomes the first African artist to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys.(Photo: Jeffrey Epstein in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry in 2017, Credit: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services sex offender registry)
The Iranian foreign minister has again said Tehran is ready for talks with Washington on the basis of mutual respect -- as the US continues to threaten military action over Iran's nuclear programme. Newshour speaks to former US national security advisor Nate Swanson.Also in the programme: Inside the Roj prison camp in Syria; and forty years of Poems on the Underground.(Picture: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Turkey, Istanbul. Credit: EPA)
Donald Trump's "border tsar" Tom Homan says he is working on making ICE operations in Minneapolis "safer, more efficient, by the book". Also on the programme, the bodies of 15 Palestinians have been returned as the Gaza ceasefire moves into its next stage; and, the hidden, subconscious forces behind our everyday choices. (Photo: US Border Czar Tom Homan speaks at his first news conference after replacing Greg Bovino as the lead of ICE operations at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 29 January 2026. CRAIG LASSIG/EPA/Shutterstock)
The British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says "good progress" was made in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping of China. Our China correspondent will give us her assessment. Also on the programme: as President Trump steps up the rhetoric on Iran, what could happen if the US strikes it? And the musical director who stood in for Puccini’s challenging Turandot when the star tenor suddenly fell ill. (Photo: UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer shakes hands with President Xi Jinping of China ahead of a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during his visit to China. Credit: PA)
Is the United States about to launch a larger attack on Iran, than last June, when 'Operation Midnight Hammer' targeted its nuclear programme? Earlier this month President Trump told protesters that "help was on the way," and now thousands are dead. We hear from a former US envoy to Iran.Also on the programme: Tensions over ICE agents persist in Minnesota - we get a view from the Democrats; and we hear the extraordinary story of mathematician Dr Gladys West, who has died at the age of 95.(Photo: The USS Abraham Lincoln shown in 2019; Credit : US Navy via Reuters)
The UK's prime minister Keir Starmer has arrived in China for a three-day visit - the first by a British prime minister in eight years.Sir Keir is seeking to strengthen trading and cultural ties between the two nations after years of acrimony.Also in the programme: We'll hear from people inside Iran as families and friends try to count the number of dead during the recent crackdown; and new research into the late novelist Terry Pratchett suggests a person's use of words could help diagnose dementia much earlier.(Photo shows UK prime minister Keir Starmer arriving in Beijing, China on 28 January 2026. Credit: Carl Court/PA)
The new head of the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, Tom Homan, has met the state governor as the White House attempts to address the criticism following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis.Also in the programme: Spain has approved a plan to grant legal status to an estimated 500,000 migrants; and tennis star Coco Gauff calls for privacy after being filmed smashing her racket.(Photo: Tom Homan, the new head of the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. Credit: Getty Images)
The European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen has celebrated the signing of a trade agreement with India, saying it sent a message that international cooperation could still work. The remarks have been taken as a dig at President Trump - with the agreement itself partially the result of Europe seeking trade partners beyond the United States. Tariffs will gradually be eliminated, raising expectations of an increase in volumes traded. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the deal would strengthen stability in the international system.Also in the programme: News from Iran in the wake of the state's violent crackdown on demonstrations there- doctors and nurses who cared for injured protesters are now being arrested. We also look at The Planets by the English composer Gustav Holst. It was first heard a century ago and is being reworked to address what is happening with the planet now. (Photo: President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen +President of the European Council Antonio Luis Santos da Costa pose for photographs with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi New Delhi - 27 Jan 2026. Credit: Rajat Gupta /EPA/Shutterstock)
The Israeli military says it has retrieved the body of the last hostage in Gaza, paving the way for the next phase of US President Donald Trump's peace plan to get under way. Ran Gvili, a policeman, was one of 251 hostages taken in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 in which about 1,200 people were killed.Also on the programme: The White House has sharply criticised what it called "hostile" Democrats for the unrest in Minneapolis ; and scientists have gained a new insight into a mind-bending part of the universe- dark matter.(Photo: Israeli women hold a cutout picture of Israeli police officer, Ran Gvili, in Tel Aviv on the 26th of January, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Moti Milrod)
US President Donald Trump says his administration is now “reviewing” Saturday’s shooting in Minneapolis, where 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by ICE agents during a protest. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Mr Trump also indicated he would eventually remove the agents from the Minnesotan city, but no timeline was given. BBC Verify takes us through the shooting of Mr Pretti step-by-step.Also on the programme: China’s top general has been accused of bribery and leaking nuclear secrets to the US, and a lost portrait of the Scottish poet Robert Burns has been found after 200 years. (Photo: President Donald Trump climbs a staircase during the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. Credit: Laurent Gillieron/EPA/Shutterstock)
Crowds gather in Minneapolis at the site where US federal immigration agents shot dead 37-year-old Alex Pretti. We'll hear from a friend and colleague. Also on the programme: the weirdness of election day in Myanmar from our correspondent there; and has Saudi Arabia's hugely ambitious mega city project run into the sand?(Photo: A woman chants 'peace' at a makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 25 January 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
There's been renewed protests and anger in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of a man by federal immigration agents; the second such incident in the US city in three weeks. Also on the programme, a third and final stage of voting is taking place in Myanmar in what are widely viewed as sham elections; and, a new record for sailing round the world.(Photo: A federal agent fires a munition toward demonstrators near the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 24, 2026.REUTERS/Tim Evans)
For the second time this month, there's been a fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in the US city of Minneapolis. Local police said a thirty-seven year old man, who's believed to be an American citizen, had been killed.Also in the programme: surviving the cold and war in Kharkiv; and why a beautiful Venetian palazzo is failing to sell.(Picture: A person holds a placard as federal agents use tear gas to disperse people gathered near the scene where federal agents fatally shot a man while trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 24, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko has urged people to leave the city if they have somewhere else to go while the freezing conditions last. We hear from a resident of Kharkhiv in eastern Ukraine after overnight strikes on the city.Also on the programme: Under a severe crackdown, Iran's protesters question if enough international pressure has come to bear on Tehran's government; and the dangers of keeping wild animals as pets.(Photo: Firefighters work at the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters/Sofiia Gatilova)
World leaders and army veterans have rejected President Trump's claim that Nato service personnel did not fight on the front lines or play a key part during the US-led war in Afghanistan. We speak to a former secretary general of Nato, whose alliance sent thousands of international troops to fight during the invasion.Also in the programme: grim reports continue to emerge from Iran; why Nelson Mandela's family is fighting to keep his belongings from an auction; and does celebrated political scientist Francis Fukuyama believe this is the end of the "rules-based" international order?(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC, US, October 22, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
The first three-way talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine are due to be held later today. It's a new development - but will it bring peace closer? Senior officials from all three nations are involved, but it is unclear whether they will be in the same room together at any point. Also in the programme: A deal has been done to keep Tiktok in the US; we go inside the secret prisons of southern Yemen; and we find out how to eavesdrop on villains in 17th century London.(Photo shows Russia's top economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff attend a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on 22 January 2026. Alexander Kazakov/Sputnikl/EPA)
President Trump says his Board of Peace will help forge 'everlasting' peace in the Middle East and the wider world, but a number of European countries have refused to join the body. We hear from the president’s former Deputy National Security Adviser. Also on the programme: US envoys head to Moscow to meet with President Putin in latest round of Ukraine peace talks; and the nominations for this year's Oscars are out, with vampire horror Sinners receiving a record-breaking sixteen nods.(Photo: US President Donald Trump holding charter for his Board of Peace initiative in Davos, Switzerland, on 22 January 2026; Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
US president Donald Trump has launched his Board of Peace - promising a new era of peace for the Middle East and beyond.The board is part of Trump's 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war. The UK says will not yet be signing up the board over concerns about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's possible participation. We'll ask how it will work -- and get the view of a former top UN official.Also in the programme: Can President Trump pressure President Zelensky over concessions to Russia?; and we'll have the latest on a landslide in New Zealand.(Photo shows US president Donald Trump taking part in an announcement for his Board of Peace initiative in Davos, Switzerland on 22 January2026. Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
President Trump says he will not initiate tariffs on those countries opposed to his acquiring Greenland. He was speaking after talks with Nato leaders meeting at Davos. Also in the programme: The Nigerian government plans to restart drilling for oil in the Niger Delta, 30 years after nine people were executed for criticising the damage caused by Shell’s oil operations there; and researchers reveal news of the oldest cave art ever discovered. (IMAGE: US President Donald Trump attends a reception with business leaders during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2026 / CREDIT: photo by REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
President Trump tells the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he is seeking immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland, but won't use force to take it. We hear live reaction to his speech. Also in the programme: a BBC investigation into the killing of protesters in Iran; and the challenges for athletes of travelling with large sports equipment.(IMAGE: US President Donald Trump speaks during his special address at the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2026 / CREDIT: photo by GIAN EHRENZELLER/EPA/Shutterstock (16380717ba))
The World Economic Forum in Switzerland has been dominated by President Trump's ambition to take control of Greenland and his threat to impose tariffs on European countries that resist. President Macron of France accused the US of trying to weaken and subordinate Europe. Also in the programme: A new ceasefire announced in Syria; and we hear from the Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine.(Picture: France's President Emmanuel Macron at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Europe's most senior politicians grapple with a transatlantic crisis and a US president speaking to them in a way they have never known before. Can the UK's 'gentle' approach still work?Also on the programme: The Ugandan singer-turned-opposition leader Bobi Wine gives his first post-election interview to the BBC in hiding; and an Austrian cow that uses a tool, held in its mouth, to scratch its back.(Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Layen speaks during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos. Credit: Reuters)
European allies rebuff Trump over Greenland -- we'll hear the case FOR a US takeover. Dozens dead in Spain as in a high-speed train crash. We speak to a survivor Was it thrilling or was it shameful? The sensational conclusion to Africa's top football tournament. and the Italian fashion legend - Valentino - has died.(Picture: U.S. President, Donald Trump and Norway's Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Stoere. Credit: REUTERS)
European countries harden their response to President Trump's repeated threats to take over Greenland. We hear from a Swedish Member of the European Parliament pressing for the EU to take the strongest possible action against potential US tariffs.Also in the programme: the head of the United Nations talks to the BBC about what he sees as a new world order, with the US putting itself above the law. and there are no obvious explanations for what caused a horrific high-speed train crash in the south of Spain.(Photo: The European Central Bank (ECB) building is seen in the background as a cargo ship is docked in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 19 January 2026. Credit: Ronald Wittek/Shutterstock)
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says "Europe won't be blackmailed", as she and other European leaders continue to weigh their response to US President Donald Trump's tariff threats over Greenland. Trump says he will impose new taxes on eight European nations, including Denmark, in February if they oppose his proposed takeover of Greenland. Also on the programme: The Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have agreed an immediate ceasefire after nearly two weeks of fighting; and we hear about revolutionary treatment for people with an aggressive form of leukaemia, or blood cancer, which is being offered to patients in the UK.(Photo: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks at a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 13th of January 13, 2026. Credit: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS)
European Union ambassadors will hold an emergency meeting later today in Brussels to discuss their response to Mr Trump's threat of tariffs on European countries opposing his plan to acquire Greenland. The US president has said that he will introduce a 10% levy on goods produced by eight countries. We speak to the former foreign minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock.Also in the programme: government forces make advances after two weeks of fighting in Syria; and the world's only nocturnal parrot comes back from the brink of extinction.(Photo: woman waves a Greenlandic flag during protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's annexation demands on January 17, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Marko Djurica).
Donald Trump says he'll impose 10% tariffs on eight European allies including Germany, France, Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands who are opposed to his plan to purchase Greenland. These would come into force from February 1st and remain in place until a deal is done on the autonomous Danish territory. Trump said the levies would go up to 25% from June 1st. The US president says the vast Arctic Island is critical to America's national security. Also in the programme: We hear from Uganda's sports minister on President Museveni's re-election; and more reaction to the appointment of a Gaza "Board of Peace."(Picture: US President, Donald Trump. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)
Uganda’s opposition leader, Bobi Wine, has urged his supporters to hold non- violent protests following presidential elections on Thursday. In a video posted on X, Wine questioned the credibility of the vote, saying results could not be verified after members of his party were arrested amid an ongoing internet shutdown. Also in the programme: the new ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza; and US politicians visit Denmark amid tensions over Greenland. (Photo: A man cycles past a campaign billboard of Uganda's President, following the general elections in Kampala, Uganda January 16, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya)
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah (king), has pledged to return and lead his country into democracy. We speak to one of his supporters.Also on the programme: Ugandan opposition leader and presidential candidate Bobi Wine has been forcibly removed from his house and taken to an unknown location in an army helicopter, according to his party; and there is growing excitement in Morocco, as the hosts approach the final of the football Africa Cup of Nations. (Photo: Reza Pahlavi calls for regime change in Iran at the National Press Club in Washington. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
President Xi Jinping stressed that both sides should respect each other's sovereignty and integrity. Canadian PM Mark Carney described China as a realistic and respectful trading partner. He added that it was also more predictable than Washington. We explore what this signifies for the world. Also on the programme: Iran's most prominent historian, Ervand Abrahamian, assesses the current wave of protests which have engulfed the country. And Helen Macdonald, the author of the much-loved memoir, and forthcoming movie, "H Is For Hawk," discusses nature, mourning and the difficulties of seeing yourself portrayed onscreen.(Photo: Canada's PM Mark Carney and China's President Xi Jinping. Credit: Reuters)
Nato soldiers are arriving in Greenland as the Trump administration continues to insist that the US must own the island. We hear from a former senior French Nato official.Also in the programme: Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado meets President Trump; and Rome's new speed limit comes into force.(Picture: A Royal Danish Air Force plane carrying personnel in military fatigues lands at Nuuk airport Greenland, January 14, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said his government has no plans to hang people arrested for taking part in protests. President Trump has threatened to take "very strong action" should Iran begin carrying out executions, but later said he had been told on good authority that the killing of protesters had stopped.Also in the programme: Nato troops start arriving in Greenland as the Trump administration underlines its ambition to own the island, the BBC uncovers evidence of a split in the upper echelons of the Taliban in Afghanistan; and the writer Julian Barnes will be discussing AI and his last ever novel! (Photo: President Triump. Credit: Getty Images)
The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland say there's still a fundamental disagreement with the United States over Greenland, after high- level talks in Washington they described as frank but constructive. Denmark's Lars Løkke Rasmussen said it was absolutely not necessary for the US to seize Greenland. He also insisted that there was no immediate threat from China or Russia. President Trump earlier said the US needed the autonomous Danish territory for national security and anything less than complete US control was 'unacceptable'. The Trump administration has not ruled out taking Greenland by force.Also in the programme: how Ukrainians are coping with repeated Russian assaults on energy infrastructure; and music from the Indian composer known as the Mozart of Madras. (Photo: A ship sails outside Nuuk's harbour, Greenland, January 13, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Marko Djurica)
Relatives of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was detained last week, told BBC Persian he was due to be executed today. It is unclear whether this has taken place. A representative from the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights also told the BBC that they had never witnessed a case move so quickly.Also, China has announced a record trade surplus despite the US's tariffs; and we hear from the organiser of Australia's largest free festival, Adelaide Writers' Week, which was called off because of a row over censorship.(Photo: Undated image of Erfan Soltani. Credit: Hengaw Organization for Human Rights/X)
President Trump told Iranian protesters that help was “on its way” and encouraged them to keep demonstrating. Around 2,000 people, including some of the country’s security forces, have now reportedly been killed since protests began. We hear from the uncle of a 23-year-old fashion student who is one of the casualties.Also in the programme: how scientists in Japan might have identified how to limit procrastination; and the enduring appeal of the queen of crime-writing, Agatha Christie.(Photo: US President Donald Trump in Dearborn, Michigan, US, 13th January 2026. Credit: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
More details emerge of Iranian security suppression of protests, witnesses say thousands were killed, as telephone services are partially restored. Also in the programme: The Russian woman luring foreigners to fight for Russia; and the enduring appeal of Agatha Christie the world's-best selling author.(Photo: Iranian men in a square in Tehran. Credit: Shutterstock)
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has hailed a day of rallies in support of the government, as estimates of the number of anti- regime protesters killed by his security forces continue to rise. The Ayatollah said it was a historic day which had thwarted Iran's enemies. He described the rallies as a warning to the United States and what he called its domestic mercenaries. A Norway- based Iranian rights group (Iran Human Rights) says it's now confirmed almost 650 victims of his government's violent crackdown on dissent. But it warned that some estimates exceed 6,000 dead. Witnesses have told the BBC the scale of the use of force was unprecedented. Also in the programme: Three former chairs of the US Federal Reserve have come to the defence of the current incumbent, Jerome Powell, who says he has been threatened by the Justice Department; and could a robot soon be doing your dishes?(Photo: Mourners carry a coffin during a funeral procession for members of security forces and civilians said to be killed in protests on Sunday, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab from a video released on January 11, 2026. Credit: IRIB/Handout via Reuters)
President Donald Trump says the US military is considering "very strong options" in Iran, as anti-government protests enter a third week. We'll hear from the organisation Iran Human Rights about how they are trying to find out how many people have been killed and injured amidst a government crackdown and communications blackout across the country.Also on the programme: Jerome Powell, the chair of the US Federal Reserve, hits out at "unprecedented" probe by the US justice department; and we meet some domestic robots designed to take the drudgery out of housework.(Photo: President Donald Trump looks on as he meets with members of the media aboard Air Force One en route from Florida to Washington on 11th of January, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
The Iranian president has said he's willing to negotiate with genuine protesters over their economic grievances after another night of mass demonstrations. Also on the programme, the president of Cuba has said they are ready to defend their homeland to the last drop of blood following a new threat from Donald Trump to "make a deal" with the US "before it's too late"; and a look at tonight's Golden Globe awards.(Photo: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during an interview with the state TV, amid protests, in Tehran, Iran in this screengrab obtained from a video released on January 11, 2026. IRIB/via Reuters TV/Handout via REUTERS)
As mass protests continue in Iran over economic grievances, President Masoud Pezeshkian says he's willing to negotiate, but accuses foreign powers of stirring up the demonstrations. Tehran says it will retaliate if the US takes military action in defence of the protesters.Also in the programme: as the US urges its citizens to leave Venezuela immediately, we speak to a former Venezuelan government minister; plus the “mind-reader” who spooked Barack Obama and infuriated a famous podcaster.(IMAGE: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during an interview with the state TV, amid protests, in Tehran, Iran in this screengrab obtained from a video released on January 11, 2026 / CREDIT: IRIB/via Reuters TV)
Anti- government protesters have flooded the streets of the Iranian capital for a third night as Donald Trump repeats his support for the movement. Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's ousted shah, has called for nationwide strikes as authorities signal intensified crackdown amid internet blackout. Hospital staffs told BBC that facilities are overwhelmed with dead or injured patients. Also on the programme: Demonstrations take place after new video on deadly Minnesota ICE shooting released; and the earliest Superman comic sells for $15 million, we talk to a comic book artist who's held it. (Photo: Screen grab obtained from a social media video of protesters gathering in Tehran. Credit: Social Media/via REUTERS)
After another night of nationwide protests, the exiled son of Iran's ousted shah has urged Iranians to go further and seize and hold city centres. We hear from Iran expert Sanam Vakil of Chatham House.Also in the programme: we hear from Aleppo after clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish militia; and a trip through David Bowie's London.(Picture: Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026. Credit: Reuters)
Mass protests across Iran: but how will the authorities respond? We hear from the BBC Persian Service, where journalists are trying to monitor events amid an information blackout, and discuss Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's options with Iranian-American journalist Hooman Majd. Also in the programme: Colombian President Gustavo Petro's views on United States policy in Latin America; and Elon Musk's former partner Ashley St Clair explains her concerns about sexualised images made by the Grok AI chatbot on X, formerly known as Twitter.(Photo: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, taken on 3 Jan 2026; Credit: IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has described demonstrators as vandals aiming to please a foreign power - as he faces the biggest wave of anti government protests in over a decade.Also in the programme: we'll hear from the Greenlanders tired of President Trump's talk of take over; and the British government accuses the social media platform X of insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual abuse.(Photo: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/West Asia News Agency)
Vice-President J.D.Vance insists Renee Good was shot by an ICE officer in self defence. We hear the latest from the city amid conflicting accounts of what happened. Also in the programme: reports of clashes between Iranian security forces and protestors across the country; political prisoners released in Venezuela; and what it's like to be sick in space.(Photo: US Vice-President Vance addresses the media in the White House; Credit: WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock)
Hundreds of people have attended a vigil in the US city of Minneapolis to protest against the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration agent. The woman, identified in the media as 37-year-old US citizen Renee Good, was shot at close range as she drove her car. The mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey has bluntly rejected the Trump administration's assertion that the agent had shot her in self-defence. Also in the programme: the Lebanese military says it has completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, and the most exciting new species of plants and fungi identified last year, including a spider-eating fungus. (Photo: People protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. US, 8 January, 2026. Credit: Tim Evans/Reuters)
The United States says it has seized two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil - one in the Caribbean and a Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic. We'll hear from a former head of NATO reflecting on President Trump's recent foreign policy moves. Also on the programme: we speak to the son of a prominent Venezuelan political prisoner; and the story of Aldrich Ames, the CIA officer who became one of America's most damaging double agents, who has died aged 84. (Photo: A US Coast Guard official looks through binoculars at the ship Marinera (Ex-Bella 1) in this handout image released January 7, 2026. Credit: X/Reuters)
US President Donald Trump has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including use of the military, the White House said. The White House has told the BBC that acquiring Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow NAT member Denmark – was a "national security priority". We hear from a former senior commander of NATO and a politician from Greenland's parliament. Also in the programme: US officials say that a mission to board a Russian flagged oil tanker sailing in the North Atlantic is underway; and the discovery of the trumpet from the Iron Age on the east coast of England. (File photo: People gather for a protest outside the Embassy of the United States of America in Copenhagen, Denmark on March 29, 2025. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
After a meeting in Paris of the European allies who call themselves the "coalition of the willing", with the Ukrainian president and two senior US envoys also in attendance, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelensky signed a joint declaration on security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. We hear military analysis of the Ukraine agreement and also the latest US threats to annex Greenland.Also in the programme: as the authorities in Venezuela turn up the repression, we hear from a one-time protestor in Caracas; and why anger is growing over an AI-powered tool for sexual content on Elon Musk's social media platform X.(IMAGE: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer deliver a press conference upon the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine during the so-called 'Coalition of the Willing' summit, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2026 / CREDIT: Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS)
The Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has said the removal from power of President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces is a huge step for freedom despite being sidelined by Trump. We hear from inside the country amid a crackdown in Caracas. Also on the programme, European leaders meet in Paris to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine, and a battle to save a historic monument to one of the great Antarctic explorers, Ernest Shackleton.(Photo: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado looks on, outside the Grand Hotel after she was in the audience at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway, 12 December, 2025. Credit: NTB/Ole Berg-Rusten/Reuters)
The Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in New York to drug trafficking and other charges while Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president. Can she command the support of regime insiders as well as Washington? Also on the programme: we'll hear how ordinary Venezuelans are responding to the upheaval; and ask a Republican member of congress about President Trump's astonishing use of raw American power and the diplomatic conundrum for the US allies. (Photo: A screen grab taken from a handout video screenshot made available by Venezuela's state television VTV shows Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez being sworn in as acting president of the country in Caracas, Venezuela. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are being transferred to a court in New York to face drugs charges -- two days after they were seized by US troops. Meanwhile in Caracas, Delcy Rodriguez is due to be sworn in as Venezuela's interim leader. She's offered to cooperate with Washington, after President Trump threatened further action. Also in the programme: A French court has found ten people guilty of spreading lies online about President Macron's wife Brigitte; as protests in Iran continue for a ninth day, the Speaker of Parliament has said that the protesters' demands must be heard; and Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves, what happens to that now?(Photo credit: Reuters/Adam Gray)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS news that the US will defend its interests in its own western hemisphere and insists Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is an indicted criminal. In this edition dedicated to the Venezuelan crisis; we hear from a Caracas resident; and the intriguing details of the operation to extract Nicolás Maduro.(Photograph: a supporter of President Maduro in Caracas holding dolls of Maduro and his wife. Credit: Shutterstock)
The US will "run" Venezuela until a "safe, proper and judicious transition" can be ensured, Donald Trump has said, after US strikes led to the capture of the Latin American country's president and his rendition to New York.What happens next in Venezuela? There's been celebration and condemnation of America's intervention. We'll hear from in Caracas and also the Colombia-Venezuela border.Also in the programme: We also hear from a former Trump insider who worked with him on Venezuela, ask a leading international criminal lawyer about the legality of the situation; and we'll hear about weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy.(Photo shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in New York. Credit: White House's Rapid Response 47 account on X.com)
President Trump has announced the United States will run Venezuela until an orderly transition can be achieved, saying he wasn't afraid of putting boots on the ground. His comments came hours after US forces captured the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro (and his wife) during an overnight raid in Caracas. Mr Trump said Mr Maduro would soon face narco-terrorism charges in New York, posting a picture of the Venezuelan leader blindfolded and handcuffed. Mr Trump warned the US military would remain engaged to prevent resistance, but US Democrats have condemned a prolonged American involvement. The president also pledged that US oil companies would take over and rehabilitate Venezuelan oil facilities.(Photo: Trump earlier shared a photo he said was of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. The image shows him blindfolded and wearing ear defenders)
The United States has captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and launched a “large-scale” strike against the country, according to US President Donald Trump. It follows weeks of heightened tension as the US president ramped up pressure on the Venezuelan leader. We get reaction from the US and wider region.Also in the programme: the Swedish workers trialling a “friendship hour” to combat loneliness.(Photo: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro holds Simon Bolivar’s sword as he addresses members of the armed forces, Bolivarian Militia, police, and civilians during a rally against a possible escalation of US actions toward the country, at Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas, Venezuela, November 25, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo)
Investigators have questioned two French managers from the bar and are looking into the insulation foam used on the ceiling.Iran has warned President Trump against interference, after he said the US would come to the rescue if protesters were killed. We hear from a protester. And President Zelensky of Ukraine has appointed the country's military intelligence chief as the new head of his presidential office. But what do we know about Kyrylo Budanov?(Picture: Tributes left in the town of Crans Montana in Switzerland. Credit: Bott / EPA)
As new images emerge of the fire at "Le Constellation" bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, the families of those still missing face an agonising wait for news: we have the latest from the investigation.Also in the programme: President Trump says he's ready to step in to defend the anti-government protesters in Iran; we hear from a protester. Plus life at a hundred – we speak to one woman, still laughing - and still performing – at 100 years old.(IMAGE: People pay their respects to the victims with flowers near the area where fire broke out at the 'Le Constellation' bar leaving people dead and injured, during New Year's celebration, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, 02 January 2026 / CREDIT: Jean-Christophe Botte/EPA/Shutterstock)
The President of Switzerland says the fire at a ski resort early on New Year's Day which killed around 40 people is one of his country's worst tragedies. Witnesses at the bar in the ski resort of Crans Montana say the entire ceiling was ablaze within seconds. Also in the programme: There have clashes in a number of small towns across Iran, on the fifth day of anti-government protests; China has introduced a series of tax incentives - including levies on contraceptives and exemptions for childcare - to try to boost its falling birth rate; and new tax regulations are taking effect today in forty-eight countries over the personal ownership of cryptocurrency. Plus punk rock is 50 years old this year. Why does this rather simple music keep influencing musicians even now? (Photo: Officials say around 40 people were killed and 115 injured in the fire. Credit: Getty Images)
Swiss police say dozens of people have died in a fire at the ski resort of Crans-Montana. More than a hundred others were injured, many seriously. The fire broke out early in the morning in a bar packed with people celebrating the New Year. We hear from the scene. Also in the programme: as the latest US visa bans and restrictions take effect in a large number of countries, mainly in Africa, we hear from the Nigerian government; plus what's behind the latest purges of China's top military officers?(IMAGE: Furniture pieces lie on the ground as an ambulance stands at the site of an explosion and fire at the "Le Constellation" bar, where several people died and others were injured after an explosion tore through a crowded New Year’s Eve party, according to Swiss police, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, January 1, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from video / CREDIT: Valais Canton Police/Handout via REUTERS)
Some international humanitarian organisations operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank say they cannot comply with Israel’s demands to supply details of Palestinian staff due to data infringement and safety concerns.Also in the programme: we ask why there is a shortage of female toilets in Japan’s parliament; conservation efforts saving albatrosses in South Africa; and we look at the best moments from Newshour in 2025.(Photo: A Palestinian man carries food items collected from aid packages dropped from an airplane, amid a hunger crisis, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
The EU says a new Israeli ban on nearly 40 aid groups working in Gaza and the West Bank would prevent lifesaving assistance from reaching Palestinians. Also in the programme: How did thieves use a drill to steal €30m in a German bank heist? And the best moments from Newshour in 2025.(Photo: MSF treat displaced Palestinians in Rafah. Credit: Haitham Imad/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Supporters of southern Yemen's separatist movement have taken to the streets in Aden to protest at an ultimatum delivered by Saudi Arabia to the group's main backer, the United Arab Emirates. The UAE said on Tuesday it would abide by a Saudi demand to end its military involvement in Yemen. Riyadh has been angered by separatist advances towards the Saudi border. Overnight on Monday, a Saudi-led strike force attacked a port in southern Yemen, where Riyadh said two UAE ships had docked with weapons for the separatists. The UAE has denied this.Also in the programme: Another day of street protests in Iran as inflation soars and the currency tanks - how will the government respond? And after 400 years, Denmark’s national postal service has delivered letters for the last time.(Photo: The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seeks independence for southern Yemen. Credit: Photo by Najeeb Mohamed/EPA/Shutterstock)
The United Arab Emirates has agreed to withdraw its forces from Yemen after a Saudi bombing of the port of Mukalla. Saudi authorities say it targeted weapons intended for UAE-backed separatists who threatened its security. Also in the programme: the latest search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 begins today; why a Japanese folk tale of a ghost that haunts school toilets still persists; and we look ahead to some of the big stories of next year with our correspondents who cover health, the environment and sport. (Picture: People hold a South Yemen flag during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden on 25 December 2025. Credit: NAJEEB MOHAMED/EPA/Shutterstock)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss Gaza's future, including the issue of Hamas' disarmament. The two leaders also spoke about Iran's nuclear programme and the fragile Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire in Lebanon.Also on the programme: British boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash in Nigeria; shopkeepers in Tehran have been demonstrating over the depreciating rial; and a special report on songbird poaching in China.(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival for meetings at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Taiwan has put its forces on high alert after China began a live-fire rehearsal of a blockade of the island. Is Beijing responding to a recent US-Taiwan arms deal? Also in the programme: a special report from Myanmar, where some people have been voting in elections for the first time since a military coup five years ago; and how the discovery of a silver coin has excited historians in Scotland. (Photo: Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets prepare for takeoff at an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, 29 December 2025. Reaction in Taiwan after China announces live fire drill around Taiwan - 29 Dec 2025. Credit: Photo by Ritchie B Tongo/EPA/Shutterstock)
Zelensky and Trump hold peace plan talks in Florida. We hear reaction from Kyiv and from our correspondent in Washington. Also on the programme: dark energy may change the fate of the Universe, ending in what astronomers call a "Big Crunch". And Brigitte Bardot, French screen legend, dies aged 91, we look at her legacy as a feminine icon.(Photo: President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy upon his arrival for meetings at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 28, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Voting has ended in the initial phase of Myanmar's first election since the military seized power almost five years ago. Most opposition parties were banned, including that of the deposed democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.Also in the programme: The titan of French cinema, Brigitte Bardott has died aged 91; President Trump will meet Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Florida later on Sunday as efforts continue to reach a peace deal with Russia; and Sabalenka vs Kyrgios: in tennis - a true battle of the sexes or an opportunity for critics to belittle women's sport?(Photo: Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing cast his ballot in the capital Nay Pyi Taw. Credit: Win Kyaw Thu/BBC)
In the coming hours, the people of Myanmar will get their first opportunity to vote in an election since the military seized power in a coup in 2021. The poll has been delayed several times by the ruling junta and many consider that a change is unlikely. We hear about the circumstances surrounding these elections in Myanmar and from a member of the Burmese resitance in exile. Also in the programme: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is in Canada ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump on Sunday; China's first documented case of a tiger having quintuplets in the wild; and a tribute to Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist of The Cure who has died aged 65.(PHOTO: People walk past an election banner ahead of a general election in Thingangyun Township, Yangon, Myanmar, December 27, 2025. CREDIT: REUTERS/Stringer)
A ceasefire has come into force along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, where weeks of clashes have forced a million people from their homes. The seventy- two- hour truce was agreed by the two countries' defence ministers following extensive diplomacy by Chinese officials.Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia's defence minister has warned the main separatist movement in southern Yemen to withdraw from territory it's recently captured in two provinces, amid rising tensions in the area; Ukraine says overnight Russian air strikes in the capital Kyiv have injured at least eight people and caused power cuts; and ahead of the winter games in Italy - we meet Slovenia's world champion ski-jumpers targeting Olympic gold.(Photo:Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit after the ceasefire was agreed during a special meeting at a border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, Thailand. Credit: Reuters)
With Christmas Day missile strikes on sites linked to the Islamic State group, we hear from a Catholic priest in Nigeria.Also in the programme: a BBC Persian TV documentary, in which one of Iran’s leading female actors renounces the compulsory hijab, has broken viewing records; and we look ahead to some of the more unusual sports in next year's Winter Olympics.(Photo: A man standing amid a destroyed building following US strikes in Nigeria's Kwara State. Credit: REUTERS/Abdullahi Dare Akogun)
Nigeria's foreign minister has said US strikes against the Islamic State group were nothing to do with a particular religion, despite Donald Trump's assertions. He said that the attacks targeted militants killing Nigerians- irrespective of their faith. Also in the programme: We head to the Netherlands to explore the Silicon Valley of farming; Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak has received a 15-year jail sentence over his involvement in one of the world's biggest corruption scandals; and could there be hope of a cure for dementia? (Photo: The US defence department posted a short video that appears to show a missile being launched from a military vessel. Credit: US Department of Defense)
A senior leader of Bangladesh's biggest political group, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman, has returned to the country after seventeen years in exile. He promised to unite people of all faiths and ensure their safety. Also in the programme: Pope Leo has used two Christmas Day addresses to call for peace and denounce war, plus the annual NewsHour Christmas quiz. (Photo: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman waves from a vehicle after his arrival from London, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 25, 2025. CREDIT: REUTERS/Anik Rahman)
A senior leader of Bangladesh's biggest political group, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman, has returned to the country after 17 years in exile. Mr Rahman is seen as the leading contender to become prime minister in this February's elections. Greeted by hundreds of thousands of people, Mr Rahman addressed a huge crowd and called on citizens from all ethnic and religious groups to join in creating a secular and inclusive nation. Also in the programme: Pope Leo highlights the plight of the people of Gaza in a Christmas address; and a Christmas meeting between a bone marrow donor and a cancer survivor.(Picture: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman addresses his supporters. Credit: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)
President Zelensky says he's prepared to withdraw Ukrainian troops from the eastern part of the country, if a demilitarised zone is created in its place. He gave details of an updated plan as "the main framework for ending the war", he said it proposed security guarantees from the US, Nato and Europeans for a co-ordinated military response if Russia invaded Ukraine again.Also on the programme: European leaders have condemned a US visa ban on the official who drew up the bloc's tech regulations; and people in Bethlehem are celebrating Christmas Eve for the first time since the war began in Gaza.(Photo: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni take part in a family picture at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. Credit: Clemens Bilan/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Zelensky has revealed a draft deal to end the war in Ukraine that has been negotiated with the US and is currently being reviewed by Moscow. The 20-point plan includes security guarantees for Kyiv from the US, NATO and Europe, but Mr Zelensky says the question of territory remains unresolved. Also in the programme: the US denies visas to five Europeans accused of leading efforts to stifle Americans online; and Egypt begins restoring a 4,500-year-old boat that once belonged to King Khufu. (Picture: Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit: SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/Shutterstock)
The US Department of Justice has published thousands more files relating to the late sex- offender, Jeffrey Epstein -- its largest such release to date. Among the documents is an email from an investigator that says Donald Trump travelled many more times on Epstein's private jet than was previously reported. Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the Epstein scandal.Also on the programme: Amid ongoing violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, we report on the trauma of modern-day birth in Bethlehem; and we hear from Mulatu Astatke, known as the father of Ethio-jazz. (Photo: A newly-released unsealed indictment of disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is seen in this handout image released by the U.S. Justice Department and printed and arranged for a photograph by Reuters in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Ukraine suffers widespread power cuts after a night of Russian air attacks described by President Zelensky as “massive”. We hear from a resident of the city of Odesa on the Black Sea coast. Also in the programme: a Venezuelan former diplomat tells us what he makes of the current US pressure campaign, and a retired US admiral tells us what he makes of the president's plan for big new "Trump-class" warships; and we hear the story of Mary Ann Macham, an enslaved woman who escaped across the Atlantic from America in the 1830s and was welcomed in by a local community of Quakers in North East England.(IMAGE: Firefighters extinguish a burning cargo vessel damaged during Russian overnight drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a port in Odesa region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released December 23, 2025 / CREDIT: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region/Handout via REUTERS).
The total number of people killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire took place in October has reached 400, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Flooding, low temperatures and makeshift shelters have also presented issues for those in the region. We speak with a Gazan resident about what life is like now for her and her peers. Also in the programme: More children abducted from a Nigerian Catholic school last month look set to be released; CBS News faces criticism for delaying a ’60 Minutes’ special on the US deportation of migrants to an El Salvadoran megaprison; and Ukraine takes part in a morale-boosting Secret Santa scheme, offering gifts to soldiers on the frontline.(Photo: Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike on Friday, according to medics, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Credit: Dabou Abu Alkas, Reuters)
Myanmar’s military rulers promise to hold an election this week. We have a rare report from inside the country, where government campaigning appears to involve bombing schools and churches in rebel-held areas. Also in the programme: the US navy is in pursuit of another oil tanker near Venezuela; but what is this "shadow" fleet? And after the mass killing at Bondi Beach, more details emerge about the alleged Islamist gunmen, while the state government prepares to crack down on guns and hate speech.(IMAGE: Primary school in Vanha village, Chin state, Myanmar / CREDIT: Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO))
There are reports that the US coastguard may be trying to intercept another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, but why is US oil firm Chevron still operating in the country?Also in the programme: Israel's security cabinet approves 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank; and an elegy for the US penny that is no longer being produced after 230 years.(Photo: Government supporters participate in a protest against US President Donald Trump's order to blockade sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in Caracas, Venezuela on 17 December 2025. Credit: Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has been booed at a ceremony in Sydney to remember the fifteen people who died in the Bondi Beach shooting. A minute's silence was held across the nation to mark the time that the attack began, and candles were lit.  Tens of thousands of people gathered at Bondi Beach to pay their respects to those who were killed when two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish celebration a week ago.Also in the programme: The US seizes another oil tanker in the Caribbean; and Morocco prepares for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations. (Photo: Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends the 'Light Over Darkness' vigil honouring victims and survivors of a deadly mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14, in Sydney, Australia, December 21, 2025. CREDIT: REUTERS/Hollie Adams)
We get reaction to the Epstein files, which were released on Friday but were heavily redacted and represent only a fraction of the number held by the FBI. There is more information, but are Epstein survivors satisfied that enough is being done? We are joined by Lisa Bryant, director and executive producer of a Netflix documentary series titled Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich.Also on today’s programme: President Zelensky says he is open to US proposals for direct talks with Russia, though there are conditions; will the prizefighter vs YouTuber bout change boxing? And a new lemon-shaped planet has been discovered -- and it’s really weird.A sheet of redacted pages in connection with late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is shown on a computer screen (19 December, 2025. U.S. Justice Department/Reuters)
The US justice department has released a tranche of some of the so-called Epstein files, including photos of the interiors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's homes, his overseas travels and celebrities. Survivors and some US politicians have criticised the release as incomplete, overly-redacted and providing no context of when and where photos were taken. We hear from survivor Marina Lacerda. Also in the programme: US fighter jets attack targets linked to Islamic State in Syria; and a rare sighting of a "pink" platypus in Australia. (Photo: Undated handout photo issued by the US Department of Justice of a photograph appearing to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reclining across the laps of five people. It has been released in the latest tranche of Epstein files. He appears to be smiling with his eyes closed and his head nearly resting on a woman's lap while Ghislaine Maxwell (now a convicted associate of Epstein) stands above peering and smiling in the undated picture. Issue date: Friday December 19, 2025. PA Photo)
The US justice department has released hundreds of thousands of highly anticipated documents related to Jeffrey Epstein ahead of a Congressional deadline. The issue divided the Republican Party after the department initially refused to publish the files, despite President Trump's campaign promises.   Also in the programme: President Putin says Russia is ready to end the conflict in Ukraine, but only on his terms; and a comet, that's only the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system, is making its closest approach to Earth.Photo: One of the Epstein files released today in Washington, DC USA Credit: US Department of Justice
European Union leaders have agreed to loan Ukraine $100bn to cover the cost of its military and public services, but they failed to reach on a deal on using frozen Russian assets.They instead opted to secure the oan against EU borrowing rather than Russian assets. What signal does that send to Moscow?Also in the programme: We'll hear from the Ukrainian widows cut off from compensation because their soldier husbands took their own lives; excitement builds in Morocco as it prepares to host Africa's biggest football tournament; why the boxing influencer Jake Paul may be risking more than his reputation in tonight's big fight.(Photo shows Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, European Council president Antonio Costa, and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at the EU Council Summit in Brussels, Belgium on 19 December 2025. Credit: Olivier Hoslet/EPA)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says key parts of the Ukrainian war machine will have to be scaled back unless Europe approves the use of frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv.Also on the programme: the EU's top court rules that Denmark's 2018 "ghetto law," which relocates residents from minority-heavy areas, could amount to ethnic discrimination; and what could the new documentary about Melania Trump tell us about the American first lady?(Photo: A woman holds a banner as people demonstrate outside the European Commission in support of using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
Volodymyr Zelensky is urging European Union leaders gathered at a crunch summit in Brussels to loan billions of euros in frozen Russian money to fund Ukraine's military and economic needs.But there's opposition from some countries fearful of Russian retribution. We'll have the latest.Also in the programme: the Australian government announces new legislation to combat anti-semitism, following Sunday's mass shooting in Sydney; YouTube buys the TV rights to the Oscars; and ghosting in the jobs market - why are some companies advertising roles that probably don't exist?(Photo shows Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference at the EU Council Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on 18 December 2025. Credit: Olivier Hoslet/EPA).
The head of the World Health Organisation has called for the immediate and unconditional release of health workers who are believed to be detained in south- western Sudan. The Sudanese Doctors Network fears about 19,000 people could be held by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Nyala, South Darfur. We hear from a journalist there about the situation. Also in the programme: The Secret trial of a Chinese General who defied orders to crush the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square; and Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet on his latest film.(Photograph: Darfuri children in Tine refugee camp. Credit: Reuters)
President Trump says he's ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going to and from Venezuela. In a social media post, he said the US military build-up near Venezuela would only get bigger and described the government of Nicolas Maduro as a terrorist organisation. The Venezuelan government has accused President Trump of launching warlike threats. We hear from a US Democrat congressman. Also in the programme: The EU waters down its plan to end new petrol and diesel car sales by by 2035 and we hear how the Hollywood star, Timothee Chalamet, spent seven years mastering table tennis for his latest film role in Marty SupremePhoto: US President Donald J Trump speaks at a round-table with high-tech business executives in Washington DC, USA Credit: AARON SCHWARTZ/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
Researchers from Yale University say there's evidence that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been trying to cover up mass killings in the Sudanese city of El Fasher by burning and burying bodies. We hear from one of the researchers who analysed satellite images of the area.Also in the programme: the gunmen who carried out the deadly Bondi Beach attack in Australia spent most of last month in the Philippines; and why next year King's College, Cambridge, will have a new choir - of girls.(Photo: Handout photograph of a woman and baby at the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur. Credit: MSF/Mohamed Zakaria/Handout via Reuters/File Photo)
Australian Jews are now fearing for their safety after the Bondi beach shooting in Sydney, a survivor has told the BBC. One of the two men suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at Bondi Beach was originally from southern India but had "limited contact" with his family there, police sources have said. We'll look at what's emerging from the investigation and what the attack means for Australia's Jewish community.Also in the programme: The scourge of forced marriages in Kazakhstan; Donald Trump files his multi-billion dollar law-suit against the BBC; and 250 years after her birth, we'll look at why Jane Austen still means so much around the world.(Photo shows an Israeli flag among candles at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on 16 December 2025. Credit: Hollie Adams/Reuters)
Nick Reiner, the son of Rob Reiner, has been arrested and is in custody after the legendary Hollywood director and actor and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were found dead in their Los Angeles home. We speak to Rob and Michele's friend Kris Perry, who served as the plaintiff in a landmark case to overturn California's gay marriage, about the lasting impact of the couples activism.Also in the programme: Investigations continue into the fatal attack on people marking the Jewish festival of Hannukah at Bondi Beach. We bring the latest updates from Australia; and following the election of right winger Jose Antonio Kast to the Chilean presidency, we explore that lasting legacy of cold war dictator Augusto Pinochet.(Picture: Director Rob Reiner and his son Nick Reiner attend AOL Build Presents: "Being Charlie" at AOL Studios In New York on May 4, 2016 in New York. Credit: Rommel Demano/Getty Images)
As Australia mourn the victims of a shooting, during a Jewish holiday gathering at Bondi Beach, its prime minister pledges solidarity.Anthony Albanese says the attackers were not part of a terror cell, but "clearly, they were motivated by this extremist ideology". The father of a Syrian bystander who was filmed wrestling a gun off an attacker has told the BBC he was driven by "conscience and humanity"Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Zelensky comes under more pressure to compromise at peace talks in Berlin, Chile elects a far-right leader who is an admirer of the dictator, Augusto Pinochet, and police in Los Angeles investigate the suspected murder of the celebrated Hollywood director, Rob Reiner.(Photo shows Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney, Australia on 15 December 2025. Credit: Steven Markham/EPA)
Several gunmen attacked Jews celebrating the start of Hanukkah on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. One gunman is dead and a second suspect is in critical condition. We hear from an eyewitness, the local member of parliament, and from a senior figure in Australia's Jewish community.Also on the programme: a communist candidate takes on the far right in a presidential run-off in Chile; the woman caught up in the 2018 Parkland shooting in Florida as a child is on campus when the latest gun attack takes place at Brown University; and the palm tree that's taken sixty years to flower.(Photo: Candles burn following the attack on a Jewish holiday celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, December 15, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Flavio Brancaleone)
Eleven people have been shot dead in an antisemitic shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach which targeted a Hanukkah celebration. Twenty nine people were taken to hospital including two police officers who are in a serious condition. We hear from an eyewitness, the local member of parliament, and from a senior figure in Australia's Jewish community.Also in the programme: we hear from Chile, where a Communist Party candidate is taking on the far right in the presidential run-off election today; plus the palm trees that take sixty years to flower – in spectacular fashion.(IMAGE: (L-R) NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley, NSW Premier Chris Minns and NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon hold a press conference following a shooting incident at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, 14 December 2025 / CREDIT: Dean Lewins / EPA / Shutterstock)
Belarus has freed 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, after the US agreed to lift sanctions on the country. Also on the programme, Cambodia has shut its border crossings with Thailand, as fighting continues despite US President Donald Trump earlier saying they had agreed to a ceasefire; and, how the British novelist Charles Dickens is being celebrated this Christmas in a small Dutch town.(Belarus released over 100 political prisoners form prison, Vilnius, Lithuania - 13 Dec 2025. VALDA KALNINA/EPA/Shutterstock)
After more clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border, we ask a Cambodian official whether the dispute will escalate.Also in the programme: four months ahead of the elections in Hungary, why has child protection become such a key issue? And as Israel plans to build a new road and barrier in the occupied West Bank, we hear from the head of the UN’s Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.(IMAGE: A handout photo made available by Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) shows a bridge destroyed by Thai F-16 fighter jets in Pursat Province, Cambodia, 13 December 2025 / CREDIT: Handout /EPA/Shutterstock)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
According to the UN's humanitarian affairs agency, more than 800,000 displaced Gazans could be affected by flooding, as a winter storm surges along the coast. Most of them are living in tents. Also in the programme: we meet the man who smuggled opposition leader Maria Corina Machado out of Venezuela; and Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is the clear winner in the world's top gaming awards, so why has a French arthouse creation proved such a hit? (Photo: Displaced Palestinians ride a donkey-drawn cart on a flooded street in Gaza City, 12 December, 2025. Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
The Trump administration is ramping up its efforts to derail the government of President Nicolas Maduro, which he has accused of turning Venezuela into a "drug-running regime". The leader of the country's opposition, Maria Corina Machado, travelled to Norway in secret to collect her Nobel Peace Prize. We ask if her influence could wane now that she is out of the country. Also in the programme: intense rain is wreaking havoc on thousands of Gazans living in displacement camps; and UNESCO declares Swiss yodelling a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage.(Photo: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado attends the opening of the official Peace Prize exhibition at the Nobel Peace Center, in Oslo. Credit: Lise Åserud / NTB)
The Nobel Peace Prize winner arrives in Oslo after a clandestine journey from her hiding place in Venezuela. We hear the inside story of how she slipped out of the country. Also in the programme: French police's crackdown on drug gangs in Marseilles, and a rare public display for Mary Queen of Scots' final letter before execution. (Photo: Maria Corina Machado waving at her supporters from a balcony in Oslo. Credits: Lise Aserud/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Trump has said the US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela - an operation reported to have been led by the US Coastguard. The seizure is certain to increase tensions between the United States and Venezuela, which is already being threatened by the deployment of a US fleet. Oil futures rose following news of the seizure.Also in the programme: tourists from more than forty countries may have to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the US under a new proposal; and new evidence suggests humans made fire much earlier than previously thought.(Photo: US President Donald J Trump makes remarks in a roundtable with high-tech business executives in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 December 2025. Credit: AARON SCHWARTZ/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
A sperm donor who unknowingly harboured a genetic mutation that dramatically raises the risk of cancer has fathered at least 197 children across Europe, a major investigation has revealed. Also on the programme, 5alf a million people have been forced from their homes in Thailand and Cambodia as their deadly border conflict escalates; and, the politics of typeface fonts.(Photo: Getty)
In a wide-ranging interview with the Politico news website, President Trump said "decaying" European countries had failed to control migration or take decisive action to end Ukraine's war with Russia, accusing them of letting Kyiv fight "until they drop". We hear from a German parliamentarian and envoy.Also in the programme: A revolutionary gene therapy has successfully treated patients with previously incurable blood cancers; and we look at the life of pioneering zoologist and elephant conservationist Iain Douglas-Hamilton.(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump attends a roundtable discussion on the day he announced an aid package for farmers, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 8, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
The Thai military said there were clashes in five border provinces, and three of its soldiers had been killed since hostilities resumed. Cambodia says Thai attacks have killed seven civilians. We explain why this has happened.Also on the programme: in Australia, the law banning children under 16 years from social media has come into effect - one of the most dramatic moves so far by a government against the tech companies that own the platforms. And the revolutionary new cancer treatment, which uses DNA editing, to save the lives of patients with previously incurable blood cancers. (Picture: Thai soldiers on patrol at the border with Cambodia. Credit: Reuters)
An Israeli-Russian woman held for two and half years by militants in Iraq has told the BBC how she was trussed and hung from the ceiling, whipped, sexually abused and electrocuted. Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was freed in September, suffered extreme abuse for over 100 days, leaving her physically and mentally scarred. Elizabeth believes she was held by members of Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful Iran-back militias in Iraq, designated a terrorist organisation by the US and others. In this special edition of the Newshour podcast she speaks to Tim Franks about her ordeal and how she is determined to continue her work on the region. This interview contains some graphic testimony that listeners could find distressing
Syria celebrates a year since the fall of Assad, and an end to a brutal fifty-year dictatorship. But what sort of rule and what sort of future does Syria face? Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Zelensky pleads for Europe and the US to remain to united over ending the war with Russia – we hear from former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt; how China's trade surplus hit a trillion dollars; and the blind football fan who says that, thanks to a virtual reality headset, he can for the first time literally watch a game. (IMAGE: People gather during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Idlib, Syria, 08 December 2025 / CREDIT: BILAL AL-HAMMOUD/EPA/Shutterstock (16051801r))
Syrians are holding celebrations to mark the first anniversary since Bashar al-Assad was toppled from power after a lightning rebel offensive. Also on the programme, President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet key European leaders in London amid peace negotiation, and the making of the very first dictionary of ancient Celtic.
UN human rights investigators have said that the cycles of vengeance and reprisal must be brought to an end in Syria, as the country commemorates the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. A UN independent commission of inquiry commended the steps taken by Syria's new leadership to address the crimes and abuses of the Assad era. But it said violent incidents in the past year had raised worries about the future direction of the country. Newshour's Lyse Doucet is in Damascus.Also in the programme: we profile Formula 1's new champion Lando Norris; and a new documentary looks at what senior US military officials know about UFOs. (Photo: A drone view shows the parliament in Damascus, Syria, September 21, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Mahmoud Hassano)
Will the recent deadly fire at a housing complex in Hong Kong - and the angry response to it - have an impact on today's elections to the Legislative Council? Also on the programme: a failed coup attempt in the west African country of Benin; we'll be in Syria - a year on from the ousting of the Assad regime - and the prison diaries of Nicolas Sarkozy - written after a mere three weeks behind bars.(Image: A voter checks on the candidates at a polling station in Tai Po during the Legislative Council general election in Hong Kong on December 7, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Lam Yik)
It's the most widely viewed sporting event in the world. The 2026 World Cup will be played across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Today fans and teams discovered where matches will be played and at what sorts of temperatures.Also today: A survivor of Sri Lanka's devastating floods tells us how he ran up a hill, carrying his grandmother, as water rose around him; and Bethlehem celebrates Christmas lighting for the first time since the start of the war in Gaza.(Photo: The World Cup trophy displayed at the Fifa World Cup 2026 draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC, December 5, 2025. Credit: Pool via Reuters/Mandel Ngan)
Fifa's president gave Mr Trump the award at the draw for the 2026 World Cup. It was widely expected that the US president would receive the award, but for critics the move is a threat to Fifa's commitment to political neutrality.Also in the programme: We reflect on the life and legacy of one of the world's most acclaimed architects, Frank Gehry, who has died, and we head to Bethlehem where, for the first time since 2022, the traditional giant Christmas tree outside the Nativity Church will be lit.(Photo: US President Donald Trump and Fifa President Gianni Infantino as the Village People perform during the 2026 World Cup draw. Credit: Mandel Ngan/Reuters)
Groups for the next men's world cup are revealed at a glitzy gala - and President Trump gets the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. We hear about the teams and matches, and speak to Politico reporter Sophia Cai about the warm relationship between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Also in the programme: Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros in major media deal; and the acclaimed architect Frank Gehry has died at the age of 96.(Photo: FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw. Credit: WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock)
A new US security strategy warns that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” and calls on Europeans to shoulder more of the burden for defence. It comes as the German parliament votes to introduce voluntary military service; we hear from a student protesting the change.Also, a big deal in Hollywood, as Netflix agrees to buy the film and streaming services of Warner Bros; and travel chaos in India as the country's largest airline IndiGo cancels hundreds of flights over new rules for pilots.(IMAGE: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives on the red carpet ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw / CREDIT: REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Broadcasters in Ireland, The Netherlands, Slovenia and in Spain announced that they would neither show nor take part in next year’s competition, due to be held in Vienna. Members of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the contest, had earlier decided not to hold a vote on barring Israel from competing. Also on the programme: Vladimir Putin is feted by Narendra Modi on his visit to India; and we hear what the late Steve Cropper, legendary session guitarist, taught Otis Reading.(Picture: Israeli entrant Yuval Raphael ahead of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, May 14, 2025 Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)
As President Putin arrives for talks with Prime Minister Modi, will India's imports of cheap Russian crude oil scupper its relationship with the US, which says they are fuelling the war in Ukraine?Also in the programme: what will the publication of tens of thousands of new photos and files mean for the Syrian families still looking for answers about their missing relatives? And we remember the American guitarist Steve Cropper, the man behind countless '60s soul classics.(IMAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) sit in a car after Putin's arrival at the Palam Air Base in New Delhi, India, 04 December 2025. CREDIT: GRIGORY SYSOEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock (16009955i))
US President Donald Trump has said he does not want Somali immigrants in the US. There are threats of further immigration raids in Minnesota, home to one third of America's Somali community.Also on the programme: the EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing on Europe’s plan to stop importing Russian gas but not until the end of 2027; and how does it feel when the remains of a giant octopus wash up on your shore?(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington DC on December 3, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
The European Union has reached an agreement to phase out its remaining imports of Russian gas by 2027. The decision came after a lengthy meeting in Moscow between US and Russian representatives resulted in no breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine. The sovereignty of the eastern region of Donbas, largely controlled by Russia, is at the heart of the negotiations, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refusing to cede the territory.Also in the programme: we go to the Swiss town where you can pay with Bitcoin; and the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 will resume at the end of the month, 11 years after its disappearance.(Photo: A gas torch is seen next to the Lukoil company sign at the Filanovskogo oil platform in the Caspian Sea, Russia. Credit: Reuters / M. Shemetov).
President Vladimir Putin has accused European countries of being on the side of war and putting forward proposals to end the conflict in Ukraine that they knew would be unacceptable. He added that Russia was ready for a wider war with Europe if that's what they wanted. Mr Putin was speaking shortly before he started talks with President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow. Also in the programme: a rising death toll after floods in Indonesia; and a Faberge egg sells for millions at auction.(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin, presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev and foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov attend a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 2, 2025. CREDIT: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS)
The number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to more than 700. In addition, 500 people are still reported missing, with many feared buried under mud. Around one million people have been evacuated from their homes, with meaningful assistance still yet to reach hard-hit isolated areas. Newshour got through to one resident, a man called Lodewick Marpaung in north Sumatra. He pleaded for help. Also in the programme: US envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to the Kremlin - can he strike a deal on Ukraine? Also, Japan's new leader says she's giving up her own work-life balance - and everyone must 'work like a horse'. (Photo: A picture taken with a drone shows piles of wood that were swept away by the floodwaters in a flood-affected village in Sumatra, Indonesia, 1 December 2025. Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces. Credit: Hotli Simanjuntak/ EPA/Shutterstock)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines are grappling with severe flooding, landslides and storm damage after torrential rain and vast cyclones hit the region over the past few days.Also, the presidential election in Honduras is too-close-to-call, and the Oxford English Dictionary releases its 'word of the year'.(Photo: A military rescue team vehicle makes its way through a flooded road after heavy rainfall in a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 30 November 2025. Credit: Chamila Karunarathne/EPA/Shutterstock)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the country's president, Isaac Herzog, for a pardon over corruption cases he has been battling. We speak to an opposition member of the Israeli Knesset who opposes a potential pardon for Mr Netanyahu. Also on the programme: local media in Hong Kong report that police have arrested a university student who was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into the huge, deadly fire at a housing complex; and the musical featuring Britain’s most beloved bear, Paddington. (Photo: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, October 22, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been facing a long-running corruption trial, has submitted an official request to the country's president to pardon him. Mr Netanyahu, who denies wrongdoing, released a two and a half minute video saying that a presidential pardon would advance much needed national reconciliation, but he added that he'd be happy to continue with the trial.Also in the programme: The extraordinary story of a woman who survived torture in Iraq; Nigerian troops have rescued twelve young women who were abducted from their homes in Borno State by suspected Islamic State fighters last week; and 'Paddington the musical' hits the stage in London's West End.(Photo: Netanyahu said a pardon would lead to national reconciliation in Israel. Credit: EPA)
Venezuela has condemned President Trump's warning that its airspace should be considered closed. It called it a colonialist threat and an unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people. Mr Trump's post could lead to travel uncertainty and deter airlines from operating in the area. We hear from the capital Caracas.Also in the programme: Celebrated British playwright Tom Stoppard has died; and Ukraine's battle against Russia's "shadow fleet"(Picture: People shop at a market, after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and around Venezuela would be closed entirely, in Caracas, Venezuela. Credit:Reuters)
After the kidnapping of hundreds of children, we hear from a Nigerian minister about the difficulties that the government has in providing security to the Nigerian people. The government has declared a nationwide security emergency and ordered the recruitment of 20,000 more police.Also on the programme: President Trump has said he'll pardon the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who's serving a prison sentence in the United States on drugs and weapons charges; and an award winning children's programme about communist politics in Soviet era East Germany(Photo: Nana Aisha Shemsudeen teaches her younger siblings and neighbors at her parents' house in Minna following the closure of all government schools due to insecurity in Niger State, Nigeria Credit: Marvellous Durowaiye)
The top adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has resigned after anti-corruption investigators raided his home in the capital Kyiv. Andriy Yermak was the president's chief of staff and headed the Ukrainian delegation at talks about ending the war with Russia.Also in the programme: Airbus says it's ordering immediate modifications to six thousand of its aircraft after finding a fault that could affect flight controls; and eight more people have been arrested over Wednesday's fire in a group of Hong Kong tower blocks that killed at least 128 people.(File photo: Andriy Yermak, former adviser to President Zelensky, pictured on January 22, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo)
President Trump has said he'll "permanently pause" immigration from what he called Third World countries, following the shooting of two young National Guard soldiers in Washington on Wednesday, allegedly by an Afghan gunman. In a strongly worded post on social media, he said immigration had eroded living conditions in the United States and that he would remove or denaturalise migrants who "undermine domestic tranquillity," as he put it. Also in the programme: a top Ukrainian official resigns; and Pope Leo XIV travels to Turkey. (Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media on Thanksgiving, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 27, 2025. CREDIT: REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden)
The authorities in Hong Kong say more than 80 deaths have now been confirmed after the city's worst fire in decades. Officials think that number will grow, with more than 200 people still missing. It's unclear what caused the fire but the eight residential blocks were undergoing renovations. The contractor is reported to have breached safety requirements on multiple occasions during construction projects. We speak to a former firefighter who is an expert in tower fires.Also on the programme: How Israel's offensive on Lebanon has continued, despite a ceasefire; and a scientific study casts new light on how cats came to be domesticated and part of the daily life of so many human beings.(Photo: Smoke billows from an apartment fire in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, China, 27 November 2025. Credit: Leung Man Hei/ EPA Shutterstock)
Emergency teams in Hong Kong are still working to extinguish fires at a giant housing complex a day after the blaze broke out. Sixty- five people have now been confirmed dead. Over two hundred are still missing. Also in the programme: Hamas has urged mediators to pressure Israel to grant safe passage for dozens of its fighters holed up in tunnels in southern Gaza; the Australian fifteen year-olds taking their government to court over its social media ban for kids; and John Lennon's son on why his father's political activism still hits home today.(Photo: One 51-year-old resident - with the surname Wan - tells Reuters she bought her apartment in Wang Fuk Court over 20 years ago. Credit: Reuters)
At least 36 people have been killed in a huge fire that has engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. Also on the programme, three people, including two soldiers from the US National Guard, have been shot in Washington, a few blocks from the White House; and, how noise in the ocean is affecting marine life.(Photo:Fire burns bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has announced a plan to spend an extra $40 billion dollars on the military over the next eight years to resist Chinese aggression.Also on the programme: at least 13 people have died in a fire in a tower block complex in Hong Kong; and the new "Russian cultural code” from fashion to music, aiming to define what it means to be Russian. (Photo: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te gestures as he delivers a speech during National Day celebrations in Taipei on October 10, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine's President Zelensky says he's ready to meet President Trump to discuss the most sensitive points of US- drafted peace agreement with Russia. But he said his country's European allies should also join the meeting. Mr Zelensky was addressing a gathering of the Coalition of the Willing - a group of nations which supports Kyiv. We will hear from an Ukrainian MP who is in London to meet with British lawmakers.Also in the programme: Scientists in the UK have established that the brain ages through five distinct stages over its lifetime; and Los Angeles' most famous modernist-styled house goes on sale for the first time.(Picture: Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a nine-storey residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine on 25 November, 2025. Credit: MAXYM MARUSENKO/EPA/Shutterstock)
As American officials brief that they're making progress in peace negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war, we get a view from Moscow on what kind of deal might be acceptable to Russia.Also in the programme: why is femicide – the killing of women – especially by intimate partners or close relatives, still so common around the world? We hear from the UN about what needs to happen to bring the numbers down; and ash from a volcano in Ethiopia which has erupted after many dormant years forces flights out of India to re-route.(IMAGE: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a joint press conference with Belarusian Foreign Minister in Moscow, Russia, 25 November 2025 / CREDIT: Alexander Nemenov/AFP/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Zelensky has hailed what he called "important steps" in peace talks for Ukraine, but said making territorial concessions to Russia's leader would be rewarding him for theft. Also in the programme: A judge has dismissed charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James; we meet the 3 year old with a deadly genetic disorder who's been treated with a pioneering new therapy; and Gaza food kitchens still missing essential products despite ceasefire. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
Negotiations on a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine are continuing after the United States said progress had been made on Sunday. Moscow says it's not been informed of changes to a draft widely seen as favouring Russia.Also on the programme: a three year old boy from California suffering from a rare, genetic disorder called Hunter syndrome, has become the first person in the world to be treated with a gene therapy developed in England; and Jimmy Cliff, the musician credited with introducing Jamaican reggae to the world, has died aged 81.(Photo: Russian missile and drone assaults on Ukraine continue as its leaders hold talks with the US on a potential peace deal. Credit: Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a “tremendous amount of progress” has been made in talks to finalise a Ukraine peace deal. Talks in Geneva between Ukrainian, US and European officials are focusing on a 28-point draft plan and will continue on Monday. Kyiv and its European allies have raised concerns about the proposals, saying they mirror Russia’s demands, and that more work is needed to reflect Ukraine and Europe’s needs.Also in the programme: we speak to the UN’s climate chief on the deal passed at the COP30 summit; and the animated musical phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters hits Europe.(Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press following talks to finalise a Ukraine peace deal in Geneva, Switzerland. Credit: MARTIAL TREZZINI/EPA/Shutterstock)
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that President Trump's 28 point plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war was drawn up by the US -- contradicting senators who said he told them it was a Russian "wish list". We look into that suggestion.Also in the programme: What do the bandits kidnapping schoolchildren in Nigeria really want? How a celebrated Argentinian writer discovered that her nanny was a KGB agent; and the BBC's climate correspondent shares some reflections as the COP climate talks come to an end.(Photo: Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a high-rise residential building in Ternopil, western Ukraine, 21 November 2025. Credit: Maxym Marusenko EPA/Shutterstock)
Nearly 200 nations agree on a compromise deal on tackling climate change at the COP30 summit in Brazil - but without any commitment to phase out fossil fuels. We speak to Sierra Leone Minister of The Environment and Climate Change Jiwoh Abdulai, who represented the Least Developed Countries group on finance and transition talks. Also in the programme: All educational institutions in Niger state have been ordered to close following a mass abduction on Friday of more than three hundred children and staff from a Catholic boarding school; and we reflect on the lasting cultural relevance of beloved Pixar film series Toy Story. (Pictured: André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 president, sits as Simon Stiell, United Nations climate chief, left, speaks with other U.N. officials during a plenary session at the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit. Credit: AP Photo/Andre Penner)
US and Ukrainian talks set to take place in Switzerland, but will Ukrainian public opinion accept the proposals?Also in the programme: Key MAGA figure Marjorie Taylor Green to quit Congress after falling out with President Trump; and Rosalia, the multilingual Spanish singer on her new album. (Photo: Zelensky and his wife place wheat sheaves at statue. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
The US has presented Kyiv with a draft peace plan that appears to favour many of Russia's demands over those of the Ukrainians.The widely-leaked US plan includes proposals that the Ukrainian government had previously ruled out, such as ceding areas of the eastern Donetsk region that it still controls. Will Ukraine and Europe accept it?Also in the programme: Why some South African women are training to use guns; the latest controversy around this year's Miss Universe; and  we'll talk about Frida Kahlo's art and the pop-culture phenomenon the Mexican artist has become.(Photo shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a joint press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on 19 November 2025. Credit: Umit Bektas/Reuters)
US President Donald Trump has accused Democratic legislators who urged members of the armed forces to disobey unlawful orders of sedition and suggested they should face the death penalty.Also on the programme: a journalist who has followed the Epstein story for years tells us what might be in the files to be released; and American filmmaker Wes Anderson on the pros and cons of AI in the movies. (Photo: President Trump gestures after speaking during a meeting of senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Virginia on September 30, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
Senior EU politicians say Kyiv and Europe must be involved in any peace plan for Ukraine, as the US pushes for proposals that reportedly echo Russian demands.Some of the reported plans being discussed involve Ukraine giving up territory and dramatically shrinking its military.Also in the programme: We'll hear about the Filipino mayor busted as a human trafficker and online scammer; one of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking network on the promised major release of new information; and social media networks are turned off for Australia's under-16s.(Photo shows A Russian flag waving in front of a US flag at the US Embassy in Moscow. Credit: Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told US President Donald Trump that he wants Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords, the framework for the normalisation of ties between Israel and several Muslim states, but also wants to secure a “clear path” to Palestinian statehood. Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader was speaking during a visit the White House, his first since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which occurred inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.Also in the programme: Europe’s uneasy standoff with Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”; and we hear from one of the scientists behind a new study which traces the origins of kissing back more than 21 million years...Photo: Donald Trump speaking at black-tie dinner. Credit: REUTERS/Tom Brenner
The Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, has been welcomed to the White House by President Trump; it's his first visit to the US since the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents seven years ago. Also in the programme: the US House of Representatives has voted in favour of compelling the Justice Department to release its files on the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein; and an Asian-American star of the hit TV series K-pop Demon Hunters talks about her experience of racism growing up.(Photo credit: Getty Images)
If the artificial intelligence bubble were to burst, every company would be affected, the head of Google's parent firm Alphabet has told the BBC.Sundar Pichai said, while the growth of AI investment had been an "extraordinary moment", there was some "irrationality" in the current AI boom. Is a bubble burst inevitable and would it be painful?Also in the programme: the US hails UN security council backing for its Gaza peace plan; and does the world -- or the world's restaurants -- need a universal spice index?(Photo shows Sundar Pichai during an interview at Google's California headquarters on 17 November 2025. Credit: BBC News)
Sheikh Hasina, in exile in India, was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity. The former Prime Minister was found guilty of ordering the use of lethal force against protesters, resulting in the deaths of around 1,400 people. Hasina denies the charges and her supporters say they are politically motivated. Also on the programme: we ask what led to Donald Trump’s sudden U-turn on the Epstein files; and the discovery of two organ pieces by a teenaged Johann Sebastian Bach.(PICTURE: Bangladeshi Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman addresses the media in Dhaka, 17 November 2025 CREDIT: MONIRUL ALAM/EPA/Shutterstock)
Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity in abstentia over her crackdown on student-led protests, which led to her ousting.Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, 1,400 of whom died during the unrest last year. Where does the verdict leave Bangladesh?Also in the programme: Donald Trump u-turns on releasing the Epstein files; Chileans face a presidential choice - the hard-left or the far-right; and the rom-com hero now cast in bronze in London.(Photo shows the then-Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina visiting New Delhi, India on 22 June 2024. Credit: Harish Tyagi/EPA)
The British government has set out plans for sweeping changes to its asylum system to address public concerns about uncontrolled immigration. Under the proposals, refugees granted asylum will have to wait twenty years before they can apply for permanent settlement instead of five years. Also in the programme: a planned auction in Germany of artefacts from prisoners of Nazi concentration camps has been cancelled; people in Ecuador have been voting in a referendum on on whether to allow the return of foreign military bases to help combat organised crime; and we speak to writer Jana Bakunina on her new book The Good Russian: In Search of a Nation's Soul.(File photo: A group of migrants on an inflatable dinghy leave the coast of northern France in an attempt to cross the English Channel on July 17, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)
Ecuador holds a referendum on whether or not to allow foreign military bases in the country again to help tackle drug trafficking. There was a US military base on the country’s Pacific coast until 2009, when President Rafael Correa ordered it closed. Also in the programme: the UK government announces that most refugees granted asylum will have to wait twenty years before they can apply for permanent settlement, instead of five years; and we hear from a critic of the German auction house planning a sale of personal items from victims of the Nazi Holocaust.(IMAGE: Ballots are placed on a table during a referendum to decide whether to allow the return of foreign military bases, which Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa says are central to fighting organized crime, and whether they back convening an assembly to rewrite the constitution, at a polling station in Quito, Ecuador November 16, 2025 / CREDIT: Reuters / Karen Toro)
Thousands of people have been marching through the streets of Belem to demand stronger action on tackling global warming, as the UN climate summit continues in the Brazilian city. Indigenous communities, youth groups, and climate activists from across the world were among those joining the rally to mark COP 30's half-way point. We speak to Panama's special representative on climate change Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez. Also in the programme: President Trump has hit out at Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene who had been one of his closest allies; why Iceland's former Prime Minister is worried her native language is under threat; and as Pope Leo holds an audience with some of Hollywood's biggest stars, we speak to a nun who is also a film critic. (Picture: People join the Global Climate March in Belem on 15 November, 2025. Credit: ANDRE BORGES/EPA/Shutterstock)
President Trump has said he'll sue the BBC for up to five billion dollars, despite the broadcaster's apology for misrepresenting the speech he gave before his supporters attacked the Capitol building. Also in the programme: settler violence in the West bank; and 25 years of Daft Punk.(Picture: The BBC logo outside the BBC Broadcasting House. Credit: REUTERS)
A court in Britain has ruled that the mining company BHP is legally responsible for the collapse of a dam in 2015 which caused one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters. The failure of the Mariana dam (in southeastern Brazil) unleashed a wave of toxic waste that killed nineteen people and polluted a major river. It was owned by a joint venture between the Brazilian firm, Vale, and BHP - which was headquartered in Britain at the time. Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian victims are seeking what could amount to billions of dollars in compensation. BHP says it intends to appeal. Also in the programme: controversy in Turkish football; and we hear from a mystery person photographed during the Louvre heist. (Photo: A view shows the BHP Group logo at their headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. CREDIT: REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo)
Ukraine says at least eight civilians have been killed in a major Russian drone and missile attack, which hit both energy facilities and apartment blocks. We speak to one Kyiv resident who says that living under constant threat makes every day like roulette.Also in the programme: we ask the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, whether the international community is capable of taking action to stop the flow of arms to the Sudanese RSF group; and crime novelist turned national football coach Eydun Klakstein tells us why his Faroe Islands team have what it takes to make World Cup history.(Pictured: Locals watch as emergency services work the site of a Russian strike on a nine-storey residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, 14 November 2025. Credit: MAXYM MARUSENKO/EPA/Shutterstock)
The attacks were described by France's then President, Francois Hollande, as an "act of war" organised by the Islamic State (IS) militant group, and they left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded. We'll speak to a survivor and ask how they've changed France. Also on the programme: a new documentary analyses Hitler's DNA for the very first time - we speak to the expert who studied his genetic make up; and Sri Lanka's cricket team continue their tour of Pakistan despite security concerns. (Photo: France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a ceremony marking a decade since the November 2015 Paris attacks. Credit: LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
France is holding a series of ceremonies marking ten years since coordinated Islamist attacks in the capital, Paris, left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded. A survivor describes what happened that night and how he has rebuilt his life.Also in the programme: The White House says that emails from the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were selectively leaked by Democrats to create a false narrative about President Trump; and why Type 1 diabetes is more severe in young children.(Photo: The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, during a ceremony in tribute to the victims of the November 2015 Paris attacks. Credit: Ludovic Marin/EPA/Shutterstock)
Emails released by US lawmakers say Donald Trump "spent hours" with a victim of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The White House has accused Democrats of selectively leaking the emails to push a fake narrative against the President.Also in the programme: after dozens of Israeli settlers launched arson attacks on Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, we'll hear about growing frustration within Israel's military; and the solar storms bringing spectacular light shows to skies around the globe. (Photo: Donald Trump poses alongside Jeffrey Epstein in 1997. Credit: Getty)
The Democrat governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has criticised deadly US strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. The US has now struck at least nineteen vessels, killing around eighty people. On Tuesday, an American warship (the USS Gerald R Ford) also arrived in the region. There's growing speculation that the US might attack Venezuela, where President Maduro has announced a nationwide military deployment.Also in the programme: The Israeli military says its troops were attacked when they detained four Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank for taking part in a large scale arson attack on Palestinian villages; out of the latest atrocities in Sudan, we will bring you the survivors' stories; and bagpipe world record broken in Australia.(Photo: Dozens of aircraft on the USS Gerald R Ford add significant combat power to US forces near Latin America. Credit: Getty Images)
Survivors who fled El Fasher in Sudan have described witnessing atrocities as the city fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces last month. The RSF has denied killing nearly five hundred patients and staff at the Saudi Maternity Hospital after capturing the city from the army. We hear a special report from Barbara Plett Usher in Nairobi.Also in the programme: German songwriters score a victory over AI; and Iraq goes to the polls.(Picture: Remnants of a shell that targeted the refugee centre, in El Fasher, Sudan, October 7, 2025. Credit: REUTERS)
Indian officials say at least twelve people have now died in Monday's car explosion in Delhi. Reports in the Indian media say that investigators suspect a Delhi-based Kashmiri doctor was in the driver's seat. There's also been an explosion near a crowded courthouse in neighbouring Pakistan today.Also in the programme: voting is underway in Iraq to choose a new parliament as both Iran and the US vie for influence; the new research that suggests that speaking more than one language could delay the ageing process; and we speak to this year's Booker Prize winner. (Picture: Security personnel and members of the forensic team work at the site of an explosion near the historic Red Fort in India. Credit: REUTERS/Adnan Abid)
Ahmed al-Sharaa - once designated a high-value terrorist target by the US - has, as the new president of Syria, met Donald Trump at the White House. But concerns run deep inside Syria over the level of sectarian violence.Also in the programme: President Trump threatens to sue the BBC for $1bn, but does he have a case? And at least nine people are killed in an explosion in the Indian capital, Delhi, outside the seventeenth century Red Fort.(IMAGE: President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 / CREDIT: Syrian Presidency press office via AP)
BBC Chair Samir Shah has apologised for an "error of judgement" in how a documentary edited a speech by Donald Trump. Also on the programme, the presidents of the US and Syria will speak at a historic meeting at the White House; and, red kite chicks from England have been sent to Spain in order to bring the species back from the brink of extinction.(People walk outside BBC Broadcasting House after Director General of BBC Tim Davie and Chief Executive of BBC News Deborah Turness resigned following accusations of bias at the British broadcaster, including in the way it edited a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump, in London, Britain, November 10, 2025. REUTERS/Jack Taylor)
The director general of the BBC Tim Davie and the head of news Deborah Turness have resigned following criticism that a Panorama documentary misled viewers by editing two parts of President Trump's speech together so he appeared to explicitly encourage the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021. Also in the programme: Activists in Afghanistan say the Taliban authorities order women to wear burkas to be allowed into hospitals and government offices in the western city of Herat; and Sudan's rich artistic history. (Image: BBC Broadcasting House in central London. Credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
For the second time in less than a week, the Philippines is bracing for another super typhoon.Ferocious winds and torrential rain are hitting the country, with the storm said to be the size of western Europe Also in the programme: As the US government shutdown hits 40 days, it becomes the longest in history - with senators meeting in a rare Sunday session; and - is Artificial Intelligence going to turn against us?(Photo shows a man walking in the rain with an umbrella as Typhoon Fung-wong approaches, in Cauayan, Isabela, Philippines, November 9, 2025. Credit: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)
The Iranian government says water supplies in the capital Tehran will suffer periodic cuts, as the country struggles to cope with its worst drought in decades. The announcement came two days after President Masoud Pezeshkian suggested Tehran might have to be evacuated, if shortages continue. His comments have prompted widespread criticism in Iranian newspapers and on social media, with the president accused of scaremongering and conducting "a narrative of despair." We speak to a resident in the capital and a former Environment Department official. Also in the programme: Curtis Sliwa who came 3rd in this week's election for New York mayor tells us he was offered bribes to pull out of the race; and the woman who took up golf in her 50's and hit three holes in one in a month.(Photo: Iranians picnic inside an almost dry river, which was once full, in the Fasham area, north of Tehran, Iran, 25 August 2025. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)
US president Donald Trump has announced that Hungary will not have to face sanctions for importing Russian oil, following a White House meeting with Hungary's right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban.It comes after the US effectively blacklisted two of Russia's largest oil companies last month, threatening sanctions on those who buy from them.Also in the programme: 10 years after the Paris climate change conference agreed to limit global warming, we'll analyse what has been achieved by the agreement; we'll look at how Tunisian opposition leaders are supporting each other by going on hunger strike; and we'll hear from the woman who took up golf in her 50s and just hit three holes in one in a month.[Photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a bilateral lunch with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Vice President JD Vance, at the White House in Washington DC on 7 November 2025. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]
The president of the Pacific island nation, Palau, considers whether COP is still worth it. Also on the programme, thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed in the US on the first day of reduced air traffic caused by the government shutdown; and, the so-called "Google Maps" of Roman Roads -- the most extensive digital map that reveals hundreds of thousand of kilometres of old roads.(Photo: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez embrace next to European Council President Antonio Costa and Para state Governor Helder Barbalho as delegates attending the Belem Climate Summit ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) gather for a family photo, in Belem, Brazil, November 7, 2025. REUTERS/Adriano Machado)
Tesla shareholders have approved a pay package that could make Elon Musk the world's first dollar trillionaire. We discuss whether that’s an obscene sum or a fair reward for success.Also in the programme: as world leaders meet ahead of the UN climate conference in Brazil, we ask a supporter of Donald Trump why the US president isn't there and why Mr Trump now says climate change is all a hoax; and the challenge of writing a piece of music to mark 80 years of Britain's Jodrell Bank Observatory.(IMAGE: Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends a memorial service for slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona, U.S., September 21, 2025 / CREDIT: Reuters/Daniel Cole)
The US has not sent a delegation to the COP30 in Brazil but President Trump's influence is being felt at the conference. Also on the programme, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan have said they've agreed to a proposal for a humanitarian ceasefire in the country's civil war; and, the world's largest spiderweb has been discovered in a cave.(Photo: The Prince of Wales leaves the stage after speaking during the COP30 UN climate conference in Belem, Para State, Brazil. Picture date: Thursday November 6, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
As only a handful of world leaders attend a meeting ahead of COP 30 in Brazil next week - is international commitment on climate change at risk? We hear from our team on the ground in Belem and from Germany's former special envoy on climate.Also in the programme: the Philippines declares a state of emergency after Typhoon Kalmaegi destroys entire communities and leaves at least 114 people dead; our correspondent - under heavy Israeli restrictions - goes inside the Gaza Strip; and we get an update on Sudan, where UN Secretary General António Guterres has said the “horrifying crisis .. is spiralling out of control".(IMAGE: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends the opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) plenary session, in Belem, Brazil, November 6, 2025 / CREDIT: Reuters/Adriano Machado)
New York City's Democratic mayor- elect, Zohran Mamdani, says he'll start the hard work of improving New Yorkers lives now. He's pledged to run a government that can deliver his campaign promise to make New York more affordable.Also in the programme: The African women tricked into making Russian drones; France moves to suspend Shein website as it opens first store in Paris; and just how vulnerable are Nigeria's Christians.(Photo credit: AFP)
The newly-elected Democratic mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani has told his supporters that his victory can be a template for how to defeat President Trump. In his victory speech, the 34-year-old said that in a moment of political darkness, New York would be the light. We get reaction from Democrats and Republicans. Also in the programme: Fashion wars in Paris; and are we on the cusp of an AI bubble that could tank the global economy? (Photo: Mayor-elect of New York City Zohran Mamdani speaks during an election night party in the Brooklyn borough of New York, 4 November 2025. Credit: Sarah Yenesel/EPA/Shutterstock)
Dick Cheney has been called the most powerful vice-president in US history, as well as the chief architect of America's so-called ‘war on terror', and a war criminal. We hear from a former colleague, and from an Iraqi poet. Also in the programme: evidence that the earliest humans passed technology tips down the generations for more than 300,000 years; and as Paris offers the chance to buy prime spots in its most historic cemeteries, we ask what makes them so beguiling?(IMAGE: U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (L) listens as President George W. Bush makes remarks about the U.S. defense budget after meeting with military leaders at the Pentagon in Washington, November 29, 2007 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Larry Downing)
The former US Vice-President Dick Cheney has died. One of the most powerful men to hold that office, he was key to the allied invasion of Iraq, in 2003. We hear American and Iraqi views of his legacy.Also in the programme: videos start to emerge from Tanzania of bodies in the street after disputed elections; and Salman Rushdie tells us about his latest collection of fiction. (File photo: US President George W. Bush (L) and Vice President Dick Cheney celebrate at the conclusion of the 2004 Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York, September 2, 2004. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in for a second term after an election marred by violent protests and rejected by the opposition as a sham. The inauguration ceremony was closed to the public. The president was declared the winner on Saturday with 98% of the vote. She faced little opposition with key rival candidates either imprisoned or barred from running. International observers have raised concerns about the transparency of the election and its violent aftermath, with hundreds of people reportedly killed.Also in the programme: The former top lawyer for the Israeli military is arrested in a scandal over a leaked video; and the actor Sir Anthony Hopkins opens up about his tough upbringing in a biography.(Photo: A Tanzanian riot police officer throws a used teargas canister near a vandalised campaign poster of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, after a protest following a general election marred by violent demonstrations, October 30, 2025. Credit: Reuters Thomas Mukoya)
British police say a 32-year-old man is now being treated as the only suspect in a mass stabbings on a train in England on Saturday. A second man detained at the scene has been released. Also in the programme: New York is about to grab the headlines all over again - we look forward to a mayoral election for the ages on Tuesday; the Maldives brings in the world's only generational smoking ban; we speak to acclaimed South Korean author Bora Chung about her latest book, 'The Midnight Timetable'; and the wartime message in a bottle found ashore after more than 100 years.(Photo: Police met the Doncaster to London King's Cross train as it made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon. Credit: PA MEDIA)
British police say there is nothing to suggest a mass stabbing incident on a train on Saturday was a terrorist incident. Doctors continue to treat seven passengers, two of whom have life-threatening injuries. Armed police arrested two suspects at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire, where the train made an emergency stop after terrified passengers alerted the crew. Also in the programme: we'll speak to Nigeria's presidential adviser after US president Donald Trump threatened to take military action to protect the country's Christian population; and the wartime message in a bottle found ashore after one hundred years.(Picture: Forensic teams work at the scene at Huntington railway station in Britain after a number of passengers were stabbed on a train. Credit: Tayfun Salci/EPA/Shutterstock)
Egypt has officially opened the Grand Egyptian Museum with a lavish inauguration, which it intends as a cultural highlight of the modern age.Also on the programme: Jamaicans confront the stark reality of how Hurricane Melissa has changed their lives; and as baseball's World Series goes to the wire, we preview the deciding game with a Blue Jay and a Dodgers fan. (Photo: A girl wears a costume as people gather to watch the official opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian. Credit: Reuters)
The museum displays, for the first time, the entire contents of Tutankhamun's tomb, along with some 100,000 artefacts covering seven millennia of the country's history. We hear from the renowned Egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass, a former Egyptian minister and one of the prime movers behind the museum.Also in the programme, the incumbent president of Tanzania has been declared the official winner of controversial national elections, after days of violence; the sixty-something British man who is running the equivalent of 200 marathons in 200 days; and an interview with the writer Kiran Desai, whose latest novel, her first in almost twenty years, is on the shortlist of the Booker Prize.(Photo: Final preparations ahead of the opening of Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza, Egypt - 01 Nov 2025; Credit: MOHAMED HOSSAM/EPA/Shutterstock)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
Andrew is no longer a British prince. We hear from the brother of the woman whose harrowing experience of sex trafficking, detailed in her memoir, ultimately led to his downfall. We also speak to a close friend of King Charles about what this scandal means for the future of the monarchy.Also in today’s programme: how the world keeps failing Sudan, researchers in Denmark have created a broad-spectrum anti-venom that could revolutionise life-saving treatment for snake bites, and the Indian women’s cricket team pulls off a record-breaking run chase.(Photo: Sky Roberts (C), a brother of late financier Jeffrey Epstein's late victim Virginia Giuffre, speaks on the day of a rally in support of Epstein's victims in Washington DC, 3 September, 2025. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Buckingham Palace says Britain's King Charles is stripping his younger brother, Andrew of his ‘prince’ title, amid continuing controversy over his links to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. It means he will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The British Royal family has faced growing scrutiny over Andrew's titles and living arrangements. Buckingham Palace described the action as necessary. But it noted that Andrew continues to deny allegations against him. Also in the programme: As President Trump says he's ordered new nuclear weapons tests - the body responsible for monitoring them says that would be 'harmful' and 'destabilising'- so what's behind his announcement? And 'killer sponges', and zombie worms discovered in the Southern Ocean. (Photo: Handout photo issued by the US Department of Justice (left-right) Prince Andrew, now to be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, Virginia Giuffre the prominent accuser of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein)
Xi Jinping and Donald Trump have held their first face-to-face talks in six years in a moment of high trade tension between China and the US.Mr Trump hailed an "amazing" meeting with his Chinese counterpart, but Beijing was less effusive. Thursday's talks did not lead to a formal agreement but the announcements suggest they are closer to a deal. We'll try to work out what has been sorted out at the talks in South Korea.Also in the programme: The latest mass killings in Sudan spark international outrage, with the RSF rebel leader promising an immediate investigation into the actions of his troops; the Dutch election is a neck-and-neck race between centrist liberals and anti-Islam populists; and five more suspects have been arrested over the Louvre museum jewellery heist.(Photo shows US president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping shake hands in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025. Credit: Yonhap/EPA)
The right-wing governor of Rio state in Brazil has praised Tuesday's controversial anti-gang operation, in which more than a-hundred and thirty people were killed. Claudio Castro said the only victims were the four police officers who died. Two- and- a half thousand police and soldiers took part in the raids against the Red Command. Major gun battles erupted in two Rio favelas in the biggest security operation in the history of Rio state. Brazil's centre-left President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said he was surprised an operation of this scale was set up without the knowledge of the federal government.Also in the programme: the Netherlands head to the polls; and a deep dive into presents for US Presidents.(Photo: Mourners react as people gather around bodies. CREDIT: REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared a "disaster area" and warned of "devastating impacts". The hurricane has now hit Cuba, bringing heavy winds and heavy rain, with warnings of storm surges.Also on the programme: we hear about a new breath test which could revolutionise the treatment of pancreatic cancer; and the Spanish city of Valencia remembers the deadly floods of a year ago.(Image: Broken tree branches lie on the street, after Hurricane Melissa made landfall, in Spur Tree, Manchester, Jamaica, October 29, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Octavio Jones)
Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in Jamaica - its most powerful storm since records began. The US National Hurricane Centre said the eye hit the southwest of the island with estimated maximum wind speeds close to three hundred kilometres an hour. Also in the programme: Fear of mass killings as thousands trapped in besieged Sudan city taken by militia group; Israel has carried out air strikes on Gaza -- after its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire deal; and Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales on the precious commodity, trust.(Photo: A fallen tree on a road caused by Hurricane Melissa in Kingston. Credit: Reuters)
As the strongest storm the island of Jamaica has ever known approaches landfall, we hear from people on the ground, from the Minister for the Environment, Water and Climate Change, and from a meteorologist.Also in the programme: with more evidence of atrocities emerging from the Sudanese city of El Fasher, we hear from the United Nations' Coordinator on Sudan; and Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, talks to Newshour about the meaning of trust.(IMAGE: a man wearing a protective suit cycles on a street, as Hurricane Melissa approaches, in Kingston, Jamaica, October 27, 2025 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Octavio Jones)
Hurricane Melissa has intensified into the strongest possible storm category, five, as it heads towards Jamaica -- where it is expected to make landfall in the early hours of Tuesday. The authorities fear it could be the fiercest hurricane ever to hit the island. Meteorologists have described what they're seeing as 'satellite history'. We hear from Jamaica's information minister, Dana Morris Dixon. Also in the programme: The Rapid Support Forces in Sudan claim to have taken the city of El-Fasher, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped; and ten people have gone on trial in France accused of cyber-bullying against the country's first lady, Brigitte Macron.(Picture: Jamaica aid worker Craig Brown wraps a gas pump as Hurricane Melissa approaches in Kingston, Jamaica on October 27, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Octavio Jones)
Argentina's President Javier Milei has led his party to a landslide victory in Sunday's midterm elections, after defining the first two years of his presidency with radical spending cuts and free-market reforms. Also on the programme: Cameroon's 92-year-old President Paul Biya has been declared the winner of the heavily disputed presidential election; and scientists in India have discovered that playing music to unconscious patients significantly reduced the amount of anaesthetic needed to keep them under. (Photo: Argentina's President Javier Milei reacts after the La Libertad Avanza party won the midterm election. Credit: Reuters)
Another US warship has sailed into waters near Venezuela, adding to the growing presence of American warships and warplanes. The US has said it is fighting against drug traffickers, but there is a growing sense it might not be the full picture, as a US Senator has said they could soon launch a military attack on Venezuelan soil.We speak to Venezuela's attorney general and close ally of President Nicolas Maduro about what he thinks the United States is up to.Also in our programme: Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces claim they have captured the army headquarters in the besieged city of El Fasher; and we hear about Argentina's most controversial mid-elections.(Photo: The US Navy destroyer USS Gravely arrives in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, a few miles off the coast of Venezuela. Credit: Andrea de Silva / EPA / Shutterstock)
US President Donald Trump has overseen the signing of an agreement between Thailand and Cambodia to normalise relations after their short border conflict earlier this year. We'll hear from our Southeast Asia correspondent Jonathan Head who is in Kuala Lumpur.Also in the programme: Police in France have detained at least one man in connection with the theft of millions of dollars of jewels from the Louvre museum; and voting has begun in Argentina in midterm elections that are being seen as a de facto referendum on the president Javier Milei. (Picture: U.S. President Donald Trump applauds as Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet hold up a ceasefire deal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 26, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
The Sudan Doctors’ Network is calling for the reopening of aid corridors in the besieged city of El-Fasher in North Darfur, where it says at least three children are dying daily in 'catastrophic' situation. The Rapid Support Forces have been fighting the Sudanese army for control of El-Fasher, one of the last government-held areas in the Darfur region. We hear from a man who has been in the city since the start of the conflict. Also in the programme: Research suggests advanced AI systems are resisting attempts to shut them down; and growing tensions in Venezuela as President Maduro accuses the United States of 'fabricating' a new war.(Photo: A ceiling damaged by shelling shrapnel at in El Fasher, Sudan, October 7, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warns US against war, after the Pentagon orders top aircraft carrier to join its campaign against drugs gangs in the Caribbean. We ask what is Trump's endgame in Venezuela. Also in the programme: The difficulties of getting thousands of sick and injured Gazans for urgent medical treatments abroad despite ceasefire; and how a German company made a risky, but pretty funny, advert for itself out of the Louvre jewel heist. (Image: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro attends a press conference in Caracas; Credit: Photo by MIGUEL GUTIERREZ/EPA/Shutterstock)
The United States has imposed sanctions on the Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of refusing to stop the flow of cocaine to the U.S. President Trump has accused Bogota of being complicit in the illicit drug trade. Also in the programme, President Zelensky visits the UK with leaders of other countries supporting Ukraine; and a Children’s Booker Prize will be awarded next year alongside the main prestigious book award. Photo: Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks during a press conference with international media in Bogota, Colombia Credit: Photo by Carlos Ortega/EPA/Shutterstock
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says lots of countries are interested in contributing troops to the planned international stabilisation force for Gaza. He did not specify who but insisted that Israel had to be comfortable with those chosen. Speaking at the coordination centre set up to oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Mr Rubio said talks were continuing on the future governance of Gaza. Also, how warming seas are endangering the lives and livelihoods of South Korean fishermen, and we speak to author Frank Cottrell-Boyce on a new prize for children's literature.(Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel, 24 October, 2025. Credit: adel Senna/Reuters)
Today, the only military veteran ever prosecuted in relation to the 1972 shootings during a march in Northern Ireland has been acquitted of murder charges. Thirteen people were shot dead in Londonderry when members of the army’s Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators. The BBC’s Ireland correspondent Chris Page takes us through today’s verdict. Also on the programme: Ukraine urges the EU to back a plan to release billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to help fund the country’s defence; NBA basketball stars and mafia members are among more than 30 people arrested in an illegal gambling crackdown; and activist Malala Yousafzai explains what led her to seeking therapy following her experiences with the Taliban.(Photo: Family members hold pictures of victims of the 1972 'Bloody Sunday', in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Credit: Cathal McNaughtan/Reuters)
Newshour gets rare access at Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva where some of the twenty living hostages are due to be transferred when they are freed by Hamas. Also, we hear from a doctor setting out the priorities of the medical sector when the occupied territory begins to receive large amount of aid as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel. Also on the programme: An elite army unit in Madagascar that had joined protestors calling for the President's resignation says the armed forces are now under its command; and we'll head to an Amsterdam concert hall which has been transformed for students to hit their text books while immersed in live classical music.(Photo: Dr Michal Steinman at Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva, Israel.)
The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Britain must defeat what he called the "rising hatred of Jewish people", after a deadly attack at a synagogue. Two Jewish people were killed and four others injured after a car was driven towards worshippers at the site in Manchester. Police declared it a terrorist incident. They shot the suspect dead. Also in the programme: Venezuela's opposition leader tells us she welcomes America's attacks on alleged drug smugglers, saying they'll force the President out. We look at protests in Morocco; and is Formula One getting too hot for the safety of its drivers?(Photo: A member of the Jewish community holds a Torah at a police cordon in Manchester, Britain, 2 October 2025. Credit: Photo by Adam Vaughan /EPA/ Shutterstock)
Amid the devastation in Gaza, remarkable stories of hope and resilience do emerge. Sixteen-year-old Sama Nijm, a gifted violinist from Gaza, is using music to bring comfort and healing to the youngest victims of the conflict. Some of the children have lost their parents, and in some cases, their limbs or arms. BBC Newsday's Charlene Rodrigues spoke to Sama, and began by asking her what inspired her to become a violin teacher in the midst of war.
Nine people have been killed and many injured in a school shooting in the southern Austrian city of Graz. The shooter also killed himself, and has been identified as a former pupil.Also, Donald Trump sends in the Marines as the president's crackdown on undocumented migrants clashes with California's policy as a Sanctuary State, Syria's jailers under President Assad speak to the BBC anonymously about what they did and those who suffered, plus good news for biodiversity and precious coral reefs in the Zanzibar archipelago, as two new Marine Protected Areas are announced.(IMAGE: General view of the Dreierschutzengasse high school following a shooting in Graz, Austria, 10 June 2025 / CREDIT: Antonio Bat /EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)