Newshour: Recent Episodes
BBC World Service
Rescuers worked through the night looking for survivors trapped under dozens of collapsed buildings. The cities of Cali and Pereira were among the places worst hit.
Also on the programme: A Palestinian family in the West Bank says their house has been surrounded by Israeli settlers who they say have cut off their water and electricity; and Chinese authorities are warning of a rise in fake matchmaking agencies preying on the country's growing number of single men.
(Photo: Dozens of buildings have collapsed in the city of Cali. Credit: Reuters)
The world's oceans hit their hottest ever recorded temperatures for July, partly fuelled by developing El Niño conditions in the Pacific, according to the EU's climate monitoring service Copernicus. The average sea surface temperature outside the world's polar regions was 20.96C last month, beating the previous high of 20.89C, set in 2023.
Also in the programme: Ukraine strikes a Russian oil refinery - with at least 13 killed. And Harry Potter fans force the rerouting of a multi-million dollar cable project to preserve the mock grave of the much-loved character.
(Picture credit: Getty Images)
Prime Minister Netanyahu rules out any Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza before Hamas is totally disarmed. We ask Israeli official Fleur Hassan-Nahoum what her government's objections are to the peace plan and get an American perspective from former US special envoy for the Middle East Frank Lowenstein.
Also in the programme: we hear from a Canadian mayor, Doug Homes, about the wildfires that are devastating British Columbia, driving tens of thousands of people from their homes and leading to a state of emergency across the province; and a champion Italian spear-fisherman and free diver, Giacomo de Mola, tells us how he stumbled upon a Roman shipwreck while searching for fish.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends funeral service for late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington, D.C., July 28, 2026; Credit REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
The Houthis in Yemen say they've carried out a drone attack on a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea coast. The Iranian-backed group's military spokesman said the strike on the Aramco refinery in Jazan was in response to Saudi incursions into north-west Yemen.
Also in the programme: Israel accused of weaponising archaeology at ancient West Bank sites; Iran lays out a list of demands for the US to fulfill, even as it says talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz are making progress; and a Ukrainian singer on preserving folk songs of her homeland and promoting Ukrainian culture.
(Photo: Houthi soldiers. Credit: EPA)
An Irish government jet has travelled to the United Arab Emirates as part of an operation to extradite suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan. Kinahan has fought attempts to extradite him from the UAE.
Also in the programme: more controversy around Gianni Infantino; and Todd Blanche is confirmed as US attorney general.
(Photo: Daniel Kinahan pictured in 2016. CREDIT: Collins Photo Agency)
Thousands of migrant children are thought to still be in the Spanish territory of Ceuta, following the arrival of some 70,000 people there last week. Many of the migrants left of their own accord shortly after arriving in Ceuta, but at least 1,400 minors, some of them very young, are believed to still remain there.
Also in the programme: President Volodymyr Zelensky’s first official visit to Russia-friendly Serbia; Thailand’s prime minister vows to introduce stricter gun laws in the wake of a shooting on Bangkok’s outskirts; and electronic dance duo Groove Armada on why you’re never too old for the dancefloor…
(Photo: Red Cross volunteers distribute food to migrants on Trampolín beach in Ceuta, Spain, 4 August 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement - which commits all three countries to defending each other if attacked. The deal brings together three of the world's most powerful Muslim-majority countries. But although it pledges mutual support, it provides no specifics on the obligations of each party. The move to boost security cooperation follows the turmoil in the region triggered by the US war against Iran, which has drawn in Saudi Arabia and restricted its oil exports.
Also in the programme: A mega fine for Meta - what does it mean for children's safety on social media platforms? And 50 years on, the punks still pogo-ing like it's 1976.
(Photo: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looks on after they signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. Credit: Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
At least seven people have died in Thailand after a teenage boy shot his grandparents and some schoolteachers on the outskirts of the capital city, Bangkok.
Authorities say the suspected shooter, 14, is also dead. The Thai prime minister has said the attack was "well prepared" with "clear steps and clear goals".
Also in the programme: A US court fines the social media giant Meta more than a half a billion dollars and labels it a public nuisance; an Iranian political prisoner tells us what it is like to fall foul of the Revolutionary Guards; and the promise and peril of a virus designed by AI.
(Photo shows police officers responding to a school shooting in Bang Kruai district, Thailand, on 7 August 2026. Credit: Rungroj Yongrit/EPA)
Ukraine hits Russian oil refineries as Russa retaliates with ballistic missiles. Also in the programme: Is the US running dangerously low on hi-tech munitions? And the 97-year-old American woman daredevil flying on wings.
(Photo: A man looking at a mobile charging point in Crimea on the Black Sea as power outages continue as a result of strikes. Credit: Reuters)
Gianni Infantino remains Fifa president after receiving the backing of senior executives in a meeting in Morocco, where he apologised for "errors" he made.
Has the boss of world football done enough to save himself? HIs critics - especially in Europe - say they're not done yet.
Also in the programme: Ukraine carries out more strikes on Russian oil refineries; has Myanmar's military ruler broken out of diplomatic isolation; and we'll hear from a supporter of the black Cambridge professor who's resigned over allegations of fabrication and plagiarism who says the issue here turns on racism.
(Photo shows a file photo of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Credit: Zac Goodwin/PA)
The embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino tries to shore up support at a crisis meeting in Morocco. We hear from his critics and his fans, including the head of Malawi's football association.
Also on the programme: We speak to the Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk who went on hunger strike in solidarity with thousands of students in India as they demanded change; and what does the victory of a progressive candidate in a Democratic primary for senate say about the party, its platform and its chances in November's US midterm elections?
(Photo: FIFA's Africa regional office in Sale, Morocco Credit: Jalal Morchidi/EPA/Shutterstock)
Newshour speaks to Sonam Wangchuk, who went on a hunger strike in solidarity with thousands of students in India as they demanded change.
Also on the programme: Kyiv suffers another wave of overnight strikes; and what a crash into the moon might teach us about its surface.
(Photo: Sonam Wangchuk, an education reformer who was on a hunger strike for 26 days to support the demand for resignation of India’s education minister, walks after paying homage at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat in New Delhi, India, July 27, 2026. REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh)
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman says that talks with Oman on a new mechanism for vessels going through the strait have been positive. President Trump has so far rejected any deal that would allow Iran to maintain control over the waterway.
Also in the programme: Oil prices have again fallen, after the latest suggestions from US officials that a deal with Iran about reopening the Strait of Hormuz might soon be agreed; why SpaceX expects a space crash on the Moon; and 'Digital lifeline' - Gaza tech workers give glimpse of possible future.
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
Ukraine steps up its attacks on Russia - with strikes on logistics warehouses and other infrastructure overnight. Officials say at least five people have been killed and 10 more injured.
Also on the programme: European Union interior ministers hold an emergency meeting to discuss last week's influx from Morocco of up to 70,000 migrants into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta; and the musical that uses humour to raise awareness about the chronic women's health condition endometriosis.
(Photo: A drone view shows the site where houses were heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine in this handout picture released August 4, 2026. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Mykolaiv region/Handout via REUTERS)
President Trump has said talks with Iran are going on right now. Speaking to reporters, he said Iran faced decapitation unless it agreed a deal. Mr Trump also said oil companies were making too much money, as a result of the shortages caused by the war.
Also in the programme: Russian officials say seven people have been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a Black Sea beach resort; drought in eastern Europe and why it's having serious implications for Hungary and Romania's electricity generation; and we hear from Kim Aris after the Red Cross visits his mother Aung San Suu Kyi, who is a political prisoner in Myanmar.
(Photo credit: Reuters)
The English Football Association is set to become the latest governing body to withdraw support for Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election as head of Fifa. Wales and Finland have already dropped their support for him. Infantino is under sustained pressure because of his abandoned plan to sell a stake in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors.
Also in the programme: extreme heat, wildfires and droughts continue to cause havoc across Europe; and the pioneering "horse whisperer" Monty Roberts has died.
(Photo: Fifa head Gianni Infantino sits with both hands over his mouth, with a blurry football in the foreground. Credit: T Nick Potts/PA)
The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, says an attack on one of Europe's largest Pride events in Berlin late on Saturday was an attack on German society. Police are still searching for the driver of a vehicle that rammed into a crowd, killing a woman and injuring sixteen people. They say the twenty- one year old man suspect has links to Islamists.
Also in the programme: a third of a million people in France and Spain have now been ordered to leave their homes to escape wildfires; and Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has said he would publicly oppose President Trump if it meant defending the country's national interest.
(Picture: Police search the area after a deadly incident in which a vehicle crashed into a crowd near Berlin's annual Christopher Street Day Pride parade on Saturday evening. Credit: REUTERS/Christian Mang)
Military transport planes have been sent into the worst affected regions as ash clouds loom over Bordeaux. We hear from two families who have been caught in the fires on holiday, and get a response from the French foreign minister for International Partnerships, Éléonore Caroit.
India's education minister has resigned after weeks of protests. Surbhi Kesar, a Senior Lecturer in Economics at SOAS University of London and an expert on India's labour markets and economy, told us why there is so much youth dissatisfaction in India.
Also in the programme: the BBC's Jake Kwon goes out with a delivery driver in South Korea on an overnight shift to see what working conditions are like.
Image: A firefighter works as flames burn during a wildfire at Ares, Grionde, amongst worsening drought conditions following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France, July 25, 2026. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Over 270,000 people have been evacuated in France and Spain following a spate of wildfires, with areas surrounding Bordeaux and Madrid particularly affected. Spain has declared the incident a national emergency. We hear from a woman in the impacted French commune of Biscarrosse who has not yet left the region.
Also in the programme: India’s education minister resigns following protests from the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party movement. And we take a look at ‘Romantasy’ – a genre of fiction that has taken readers on the internet by storm.
(Photo: Wildfires rage in southern France, Cap Ferret - 24th July 2026. Credit: Damien Rembert/EPA/Shutterstock)
Member states of the International Criminal Court have overwhelmingly voted to remove its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, over allegations of sexual misconduct. The British lawyer denies accusations of engaging in an improper sexual relationship with a junior staff member.
Also, firefighters struggle to contain Madrid wildfires as more than 130,000 evacuated in France and Spain.
And a month after the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela, a leading member of the opposition tells us why he thinks the destruction was so bad and the response so slow.
Plus that remarkable tale about two best friends who later discovered they were brother and sister!
(Photo: Karim Khan. Credit: Reuters)
President Trump has threatened to inflict major military punishment against Yemen's Houthi rebels following their strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea. Oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May as fears grow over global energy supplies. We speak to the UN's Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg who is concerned about the prospect of escalation in Yemen.
Also in the programme; The BBC visits Iran school where a strike killed 120 children as questions remain whether the US military is responsible; and the European Union has fined the US tech titan Google one-billion-dollars for flouting anti- trust regulations.
(Picture: A person walks past a display of Houthi-made mock missiles and drones at a square in Sana'a, Yemen, 23 July 2026. Credit:
Yahya Arhab)
Nawal Al-Maghafi visits Iranian school in Minab hit on first day of war.
Also in the programme: Donald Trump has said the Saudi nuclear deal signed just a day ago is now contingent on the country normalising ties with Israel; and why are Tour de France cyclists being awoken in the middle of the night?
(Photo: Iranian families visit the graves of loved ones killed in the US strike on a school in Minab. Credit: Jack Garland/BBC)
American lawmakers and Israeli officials have expressed unease over a landmark nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia, but the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says that the agreement won't lead to proliferation.
Also in the programme: the trial of Venezuela's ousted leader, Nicolas Maduro, on drugs trafficking charges is due to be held next June in New York; and the American jazz musician, Plas Johnson, famous for his Pink Panther saxophone theme, has died at the age of 94.
(Photo: President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud attend the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on 13 May 2025. Credit: Ali Haider/ EPA-EFE Shutterstock)
The US and Saudi Arabia are expected to announce a deal that will allow the Gulf kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear programme, according to US media reports.
Also on the programme, Zelensky sacks Ukraine's top army commander after days of protests. We speak to Dmytro Koziatynskyi, one of the Ukrainians who took to the streets. And The American jazz musician, Plas Johnson, whose tenor saxophone helped bring alive the famous theme tune for the Pink Panther films, has died at the age of 94.
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman pose for a picture at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak)
During a landmark visit by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the US, President Donald Trump vowed to help Lebanon "a lot" as the country sought Washington's backing for a fragile effort to disarm Hezbollah and forge a path to peace with Israel.
Also on the programme: Ebola in the DRC spreading faster than any other outbreak according to health officials; and what is really to blame for Italy's obese children?
(Photo: President Trump welcomes Lebanese President Joseph Aoun upon his arrival at the West Wing Portico of the White House in Washington, DC on July 21, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
Nineteen people in Indonesia have been convicted and jailed for trafficking dozens of babies, selling some of them for adoption in Singapore.
Also in the programme: Kuwait says several desalination and power plants were damaged in Iranian attacks as Tehran continues to strike its neighbours as part of its war with the US; the sixteen year-old Indian who's proud to call herself one of the cockroaches; and the spread of childhood obesity in Italy, the home of the Mediterranean diet.
(Photo: Indonesia sentences members of a baby trafficking syndicate up to 7 years in prison, Bandung - 21 Jul 2026. Credit: EPA)
Andy Burnham, the UK's seventh prime minister in 10 years, has begun to assemble his ministerial team. He has appointed Ed Miliband as foreign secretary and John Healey as his finance minister. What does the reshuffle - and Burnham's time as mayor of Manchester - tell us about what to expect from the new government?
Also in the programme: Ukraine's army recruitment problems; the Houthis threaten Saudi Arabia's Red Sea oil-export route; and what is the secret to Spain's footballing success?
(IMAGE: Britain's newly appointed Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband steps outside 10 Downing Street after Britain's newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office, in London, Britain, July 20, 202 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja)
As Andy Burnham accepts the top job in UK politics, we hear about the process that has taken him from Mayor of Manchester to Britain's new prime minister at no.10 Downing Street.
Also on the programme: Spain wins the football World Cup - we ask, was it worth it?; and the student 'cockroach' movement marching for their education in Delhi.
(Photo: Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his wife Marie-France van Heel walk into 10 Downing Street in London Credit: Kin Cheung/via Reuters)
After 104 matches and 307 goals, the nail-biting World Cup final has arrived, with Spain and Argentina going head to head. President Donald Trump is attending the match, with the US leader throwing his support behind Argentina. We’ll be getting live updates on the game.
Also in the programme: A Cuban dissident released from prison goes into exile in the US; we get the latest from Guyana where a ferry carrying 133 people has capsized; and we speak to one of this year’s North Pole Marathon champions about running on ice and evading polar bears.
(Photo: General view of the stadium before the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match. Credit: Ronald Wittek/EPA/Shutterstock)
Tonight, Spain meet the defending champions, Argentina, in the World Cup final. Kick-off at the New York New Jersey Stadium is at 2000 BST. We hear from fans and a former FIFA official.
Also in the programme: Russian airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, have killed one person and wounded at least fourteen others; Tate brothers arrested in US as further UK charges take total to 59; and bare nails as a fashion choice and what they might say about those who choose them!
(Photo: An Argentina fan hugs a fan (L) of Spain as Argentina soccer fans take over Times Square ahead of the World Cup final game, in New York, New York, USA, 18 July 2026. Credit: EPA)
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.)
President Trump's Middle East envoy has told a packed rally of relatives of Israeli hostages and their supporters in Tel Aviv that they were coming home. Steve Witkoff's remarks come ahead of Monday's expected release of 48 living and dead hostages by Hamas, as part of the Gaza peace deal. Mr Witkoff praised President Trump -- to cheers -- as well as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu -- whose name was booed. We speak to a doctor at one of the Israeli hospitals where they're expected to arrive.
Also, protests in Madagascar, where at least twenty two people have been killed in recent weeks.
And the Hollywood actress Diane Keaton has died. She was 97. Known for her versatility, Diane Keaton first became famous in the early 1970s when she appeared in the Godfather films. She later won an Oscar for her role as Woody Allen's love interest in the 1977 romantic comedy, Annie Hall.
(Photo: U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff speaks at "Hostages square", flanked by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 11, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
Donald Trump says Hamas is gathering the Israeli hostages "now", adding that he's confident the Gaza deal he helped broker will "hold".
As thousands of Palestinians have begun returning to Gaza's north and Hamas has until midday on Monday to release the hostages, we hear from the Gaza Strip and assess what Hamas and Israel are likely to do now.
Also in the programme: Donald Trump has said he could impose an additional 100% tariff on imports from China from next month after Beijing's move to tighten its rare earths export rules; and MTV, the world's first 24-hour music broadcaster, is to stop showing rolling pop videos in just about every country except the United States.
(Photo shows Crowds of Palestinians making their way up a narrow coastal road to Gaza's north. Credit: Haitham Imad/EPA)
Palestinians in Gaza returning to their homes following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas say they've been shocked by the scale of destruction. Also on the programme, The Venezuelan opposition leader and democracy activist, María Corina Machado, has been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize; and, the green turtle has been rescued from the brink of extinction in what scientists are calling a major conservation victory.
(Photo: Palestinians react near rubble following Israeli forces' withdrawal from the area, after Israel and Hamas agreed on the Gaza ceasefire, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 10, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Venezuela's opposition leader and pro-democracy activist María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
For years, she has campaigned against Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, whose 12-year rule is viewed by many nations as illegitimate. We'll speak to one of her close allies about what difference the award might make.
Also in the programme: Thousands of displaced Palestinians are heading back to what's left of their homes as a ceasefire comes into effect in Gaza; how AI-controlled weapons could become a reality on the battlefields of Ukraine; and a new species of pre-historic marine reptile that's just been identified by scientists.
(Photo shows Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at a protest on 9 January 2025. Credit: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage release deal, paving the way for a possible end to the conflict in Gaza. Also on the programme, a Hungarian author of apocalyptic novels wins the Nobel Prize for Literature.
(Photo: Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, reacts, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire, at the "Hostages square", in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
US President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his Gaza ceasefire deal.
We'll speak to the father of one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza and get reaction from Gaza City. We also assess the chances and the many obstacles that remain in the way of a lasting peace deal.
Also on the programme: this year's Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to the Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai; and the celebrated Chinese pianist Lang Lang on his new album.
(Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio updates President Trump on the Gaza proposal on September 22 at the White House. Credit: Reuters)
Former FBI director James Comey has pleaded not guilty in a US federal court to charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction of justice.
Also on the programme: President Trump has called for the jailing of Illinois governor and Chicago mayor, accusing them of not doing enough to ensure the safety of federal immigration officers who are conducting raids in Chicago; France's outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says President Emmanuel Macron could nominate a new prime minister in the next 48 hours; and the award-winning musical 'Les Misérables’ turns 40.
(Photo:James Comey, former director of the FBI, is seen in a frame grab from a video feed as he is sworn in remotely from his home during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing exploring the FBI's investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian election interference in Washington, on the 30th of September 2020. Credit: U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary/Handout via REUTERS)
The price of gold has hit a record high of more than $4,000 an ounce as investors look for safe places to put their money over concerns about economic and political uncertainty around the world.
Also in the programme: Is time running out for France's President Emmanuel Macron? And we meet the woman trying to become the first person on record to walk the length of Saudi Arabia, from north to south.
(Photo: Gold bars at bullion house in Mumbai. Credit: Reuters/Arko Datta/File Photo)
The attacks saw over 1,200 people killed and 251 others taken back to Gaza as hostages. It was the single deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Israel responded by launching a military offensive in Gaza which has killed more than 67,000 people, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Its figures are seen as reliable by the UN and other international bodies. We'll hear from Eli Sharabi, an Israeli hostage held for almost five hundred days in the tunnels of Gaza, and ask how the last two years have re-shaped the region.
Also on the programme: how the victims of the Mynanmar military junta are suing a Norwegian telecoms firm; and the newly-crowned Nobel Prize winner, Fred Ramsdell, recalls how his digital detox was interrupted by the news of his win.
(Photo: People attend a ceremony in Tel Aviv to mark the two-year anniversary of the Hams-led October 7th attacks on Israel. Credit: REUTERS/Shir Torem)
Israelis are marking two years since Hamas's attacks on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Meanwhile mediators at talks on the US Gaza peace plan are reported to have reached an understanding with Israel and Hamas on a five-point framework for negotiations.
Also in the programme: the Nobel Prize for Physics; and some good news about humpback whales in Australia.
(Photo: Israelis visit memorials at the site of the Nova music festival, near Re'im, on the second anniversary of the 07 October 2023 Hamas attacks, near the Gaza border, southern Israel, 07 October 2025. Credit: Atef Safadi EPA/Shutterstock)
France is facing further political chaos after the country's latest prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, resigned after just 26 days in the role. We'll hear from a French parliamentarian with the right-of centre party, Les Républicains - and we'll get the long view on French politics from veteran French journalist Christine Ockrent.
Also - as indirect talks begin between Hamas and Israeli delegations over the US-led peace plan for Gaza, we'll hear from an American go-between who knows the Hamas negotiators; and we look at what the appointment of Bari Weiss at CBS News says about the political weather surrounding journalism in the US.
(Photo: French outgoing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who presented his government's resignation to the French president this morning, leaves after he delivered a statement at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, October 6, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Stephane Mahe)
The chief negotiator for Hamas is reported to be meeting Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo ahead of indirect talks, later in the day, with Israeli negotiators in Sharm El-Sheikh. They're looking to determine a date for the start of a Gaza truce and create conditions for the first phase of the peace plan, in which the remaining Israeli hostages would be swapped for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Also in the programme: The French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has quit. There is political turmoil caused by inconclusive snap elections; and this year's Nobel Prize for Medicine has been awarded to three researchers for discoveries on the human immune system.
(Photo: Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes at Tal Al Hawa neighborhood during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 06 October 2025. Credit: Mohammed Saber /EPA/Shutterstock)
The prime minister of Georgia has announced plans to outlaw the main opposition parties. Irakli Kobakhidze was speaking a day after anti-government protesters tried to storm the presidential palace. We hear from opposition activist Giga Lemonjava.
Also in the programme: Israel and Hamas prepare for indirect talks; and inside legendary guitar shop Regent sounds.
(Picture: Georgian opposition parties supporters clash with riot police during a rally after local elections in Tbilisi, Georgia, 04 October 2025. Credit: EPA)
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)
Estonia has requested a consultation with other Nato members after Russian warplanes violated its airspace on Friday morning. Russia issued a denial. But tensions have been escalating after Poland and Romania said Russian drones had breached their airspace. We'll hear from Estonia's ambassador to Britain.
Also, several European airports have reported delays and cancellations after a cyberattack, and Newshour's Lyse Doucet on her book that details the rise and fall of Afghanistan through the lens of a luxury hotel in Kabul.
(Photo: A photo published by the Swedish armed forces that it says shows a Russian fighter jet that violated Estonian airspace. Credit: Swedish Armed forces/Reuters)
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.
UK, French and German foreign ministers will hold talks with their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Geneva today as part of efforts to ease the Israel-Iran conflict.
Also on the programme: lawmakers in the UK hold a crucial vote on legalising assisted dying; and as Italian classical singer Andrea Bocelli releases a duet with the men's tennis world number one, Jannik Sinner, we'll ponder what draws some sports stars to dabble in music.
(Photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses a special session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on June 20, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)
In Washington DC earlier, President Trump said he would decide within the next two weeks whether or not to take military action against Iran. The US leader is reported to have agreed a potential plan of attack targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. The BBC’s Nomia Iqbal joins us from Washington to discuss what Trump might be thinking. We also get the latest on the Israeli Soroka Hospital that was struck by an Iranian missile overnight.
Also in the programme: Iran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh tells the BBC it would be "a big mistake” for the US to join in Israeli attacks; One of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets explodes on a Texas launchpad; and the project patching fragmented Roman frescoes back together in London.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump answers reporters' questions in the White House in Washington DC, USA, 18th June 2025.
Credit: Ken Cedeno/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
In a rare interview with the Iranian government from inside Tehran, Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh tells the BBC's Lyse Doucet it would be "a big mistake" for President Trump to join Israel's bombing campaign. It's a view shared by many of Mr Trump's most loyal supporters; we assess what's at stake, militarily and politically.
Also in the programme: a draft peace deal to end the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; and the American businessman buying the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team for an eye-watering $10bn.
(IMAGE: Smoke rises near the Milad Tower following an Israeli airstrike on Tehran, Iran, 18 June 2025 / CREDIT: Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock)
Will the US get directly involved in Israel's military campaign against Iran? We hear from former CIA director and US commander in Afghanistan and Iraq, General David Petraeus. Also: low attendance and low morale at FIFA's Club World Cup; and mounds of clothing turn up in protected conservation sites in Ghana,
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump salutes as a U.S. flag is raised on a new flagpole installed on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has warned that any US military intervention in his country will "cause irreparable damage for them". Speaking on state television, the Ayatollah decried what he called "threatening and ridiculous" comments from President Trump, who on Tuesday said Iran should surrender. As Israel's air bombardment of Iran continues for a sixth day, we ask an Israeli minister and a defence official from Mr Trump's first administration whether Israel can achieve its war aims without America's help.
Also in the programme: former tennis superstar Martina Navratilova discusses women’s sport; and French streaming service Deezer tackles fraud involving AI music.
(Photo: A TV screen displays the televised message of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran, June 18, 2025. CREDIT: Reuters)
President Trump demands Iran’s unconditional surrender as Israel and Iran continue their attacks on each other. Also in the programme: Iranian Nobel laureate, Narges Mohammadi on fleeing Tehran; and we pay tribute to the piano virtuoso, Alfred Brendel.
(Photo: Smoke plumes over the Tehran skyline. Credit: Reuters.)
President Trump says he wants "a real end" to the fighting between Israel and Iran, not just a ceasefire. He said Iran should have done a deal with the US over its nuclear programme and he is now little inclined to negotiate. Mr Trump has returned early from the G7 summit in Canada because of the Middle East crisis. Meanwhile, Israel says it has killed Iran’s military chief of staff, Ali Shadmani, in a strike on central Tehran.
Also in the programme: The lost papers of a maths genius, saved from the shredder; and some spectacular finds at a Viking- age burial site in Denmark.
(Photo: Iranian Red Crescent Society members search through the rubble for victims after Israeli strikes, at an unspecified location in Iran, in this undated image released June 17, 2025 and obtained from social media. Iranian Red Crescent Society via Reuters)
Israel warns Tehran residents to evacuate as it continues its strikes on the Iranian capital, hitting Iran TV studios while many residents attempt to flee the capital. Also in the programme: Canada’s foreign minister on the G7 summit, and the athletics trial gripping Norway.
(Photo: Iranian flag in an empty square with images of slain senior commanders. Credit: Reuters)
Israel says eight people have been killed in a third night of Iranian bombardment of Israeli cities, bringing the total to 24. Nearly 300 people are being treated in hospital. Iran meanwhile, has accused Israel of targeting a hospital in western Iran, condemning it as a war crime. Iran's health ministry says at least 224 people have been killed since the Israeli attacks started on Friday. We ask: what is Israel trying to achieve?
Also in the programme: Britain's foreign intelligence service is getting a new boss - the first woman to run the agency in its 116 year history; and we have a report from India, where families are still waiting for news after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad last week.
(Photo: Smoke rises, after what Iran says was an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot in Tehran, Iran, June 16, 2025. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
Strikes by Israel and Iran continue as the conflict between the two countries intensifies and stretches into a third day. We’ll hear from the Israeli army, a former senior US envoy and a resident of Tehran.
Also on the programme: we speak to a senior US senator who was friends with the lawmakers killed in the Minnesota shootings; and the writer on writing about being unable, physically, to write.
(Photo: Israelis take shelter at the side of a highway as siren sounds following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in central Israel June 15, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
Iran and Israel continue trading strikes, seventy-two hours after Israel launched an attack against Iran's nuclear infrastructure and key military figures. We speak to key figures in the region to understand Israel's aims, the role of US diplomacy and how Iran might respond in the future.
Also in the programme: demonstrations take place across Spain, Portugal and Italy against over-tourism; and we talk to writer Hanif Kureishi about his creative process after becoming paralysed.
(Photo: People drive as fire and smoke rise from Tehran's oil warehouse in Tehran, Iran, after it was hit by an Israeli strike. Credit: Shutterstock).
Israel and Iran threaten to step up their military confrontation, nearly 48 hours after the Israeli strikes began. Newshour analyses Israel's strategy and assesses how close Iran was to making a nuclear weapon.
Also in the programme: two US politicians are shot in Minnesota; and Bangladesh's interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus on the ending of aid to his country.
(Picture: Missiles launched from Iran are intercepted, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel, June 13, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
The Israeli military is continuing its strikes on Iran - following overnight explosions at Mehrabad airport in Tehran. On Friday Israeli planes struck Iranian nuclear and military sites assassinating several military leaders and nine top nuclear scientists. Iranian state media says sixty civilians including twenty children were also killed in an Israeli air strike on a residential complex in the capital. In response Iran has carried out missile strikes on Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Tehran has warned the US, France and Britain that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help stop its strikes on Israel.
Also, we speak to Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh.
And a new film about the West Virginia town, where people go to avoid the electro-magnetic radiation of modern life.
(photo: Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building, in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 14, 2025. Credit: REU)
The BBC World Service Debate considers the rapidly changing international landscape since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
The US President says his legacy will be as a peacemaker and unifier. So far he’s brought Putin to the negotiating table and made Europe take its security seriously in a way it hasn’t for decades. But his methods have horrified critics, who say his shock and awe approach to diplomacy is reckless and chaotic. The President’s unpredictability has rocked global alliances. Is Donald Trump making the world safer or more dangerous?
In front of a live audience in the BBC’s Radio Theatre in London, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, is joined by:
KT McFarland, former US Deputy National Security Advisor to President Trump in his first term
Brian Wong, Assistant Professor and Fellow at Centre on Contemporary China, University of Hong Kong
Miguel Berger, German Ambassador to the UK
Azadeh Moaveni, journalist, writer and Associate Professor at New York University
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on June 12, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Iran has launched an aerial attack on Israel in an operation it's called True Promise 3. Black smoke has been seen rising over Tel Aviv's skyline. Earlier today, the Israeli military said it had struck the Isfahan nuclear facility in Iran - as its strikes on the country continued.
Also on the programme: Colombian superstar Shakira tells us about life as an immigrant in the US; and a report on the Air India crash.
(Image: Missiles launched from Iran are intercepted as seen from Tel Aviv, Israel on 13 June 2025.Credit: Reuters/Jamal Awad)
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said that Europe can no longer depend on the United States for military support. We hear from Europe's top foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. Also on the programme: Hamas has released another three Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails; and why President Trump wants to get rid of the penny. (Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 61st Munich Security Conference on 15 February. Credit: RONALD WITTEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said that Europe can no longer depend on the United States for military support. We hear from Europe's top foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.
Also on the programme: Hamas has released another three Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails; and why President Trump wants to get rid of the penny.
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 61st Munich Security Conference on 15 February. Credit: RONALD WITTEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has met JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, after the US vice president launched a withering attack on European countries. In a hard-hitting speech, Mr Vance said said there was "a new sheriff in town" as he criticised what he called a "retreat of fundamental values" across Europe. Also on the programme: we speak to the Egyptian sportswoman whose pregnancy during the Paris Olympics stunned the world; and the study explaining why so many people feel they have a separate stomach for pudding. (Picture: US vice president JD Vance pictured ahead of the bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis)
US Vice President J.D. Vance speaks at the Munich Security Conference. As Ukraine’s President Zelensky warns about Vladimir Putin’s European ambitions, is Europe now on its own when it comes to defence? Also in the programme: why did six federal prosecutors resign in protest in New York and D.C. yesterday? And the study explaining why humans feel there IS a separate stomach for pudding.(IMAGE: US Vice President JD Vance speaks during the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany, 14 February 2025 / CREDIT: Ronald Wittek/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has accused President Trump of appeasing Russia over Ukraine. Newshour hears from NATO's former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, Gen. Sir. Richard Shirreff.Also in the programme: Israel's hostage families speak of captivity ordeal; and the rise of Germany's AFD.(Picture: U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth holds a press conference during a NATO Defence Ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels. credit: Reuters)
European countries are left reeling after Donald Trump cuts them out of negotiations with Russia over Ukraine: we speak to Estonia's foreign minister, and hear from Kyiv on how Ukraine sees its future.Also in the programme: unearthing a major piece of Roman history in an office basement in London; and we get the latest after a man drives a car into a crowd in Munich.(IMAGE: Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna speaks to the media as he attends Foreign Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 27 January 2025 / CREDIT: Olivier Hoslet/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Donald Trump has announced that talks to end the war in Ukraine will start immediately. The US President had 'a lengthy and highly productive' phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by a call to Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky. We hear from a former NATO Deputy Secretary General and a Ukrainian MP about the path going forward.Also in our programme: is the United States in the midst of a constitutional crisis? And we hear about a historic raid targetting the Sicilian mafia.(Photo: US President Trump Welcomes Released Russian Prisoner Mark Fogel. Credit: Shutterstock)
The new US defence secretary has delivered an uncompromising message to Ukraine three years after Russia's full-scale invasion began, saying Nato membership is unrealistic. We get a response from Ukraine's former prime minister.Also on the programme: A BBC investigation has uncovered allegations that the energy giant Shell ignored repeated warnings that a one-billion-dollar clean-up operation of polluted land in southern Nigeria has been beset by problems and corruption and why a Dublin city councillor is campaigning for the removal of key lockboxes.(Photo: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on the eve of a Nato defence ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 12 February, 2025. Credit: Johanna Geron/Reuters)
American schoolteacher and former diplomat Marc Fogel has been released from prison in Russia and is on the way home to the US. The sixty-three year old teacher was detained in 2021 after he was found to be carrying a small amout of medical marijuana. He was then given a fourteen year prison sentence. Newshour speaks to his sister, Anne Fogel.Also in the programme: Donald Trump faces Jordan's King Abdullah in The White House in their first meeting since the US president proposed moving Gaza's population to Jordan; the European Union says it will respond "fimly" to Trump's new proposed steel tariffs while also adding the EU is committed to finding a mutually beneficial solution; and mounting concerns over the Covid-19 whistleblower's health in a Chinese prison as reports suggests she's on hungar strike.(Photo: Marc Fogel (right) pictured with his sisters. Credit: Anne Fogel)
As the Gaza ceasefire comes under increasing strain, the King of Jordan prepares for a tough meeting in the White House with President Donald Trump insisting Jordan, like Egypt, should make room for two million evicted Gazans. Also on the programme: at an international summit on Artificial Intelligence in Paris, the UK and the US refuse to sign the final communique; and we will hear from the governor of Kentucky on how his state could be caught in a new international trade war. (Photo: Palestinians make their way after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, near Gaza City, February 9, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
The Palestinian militant group accused Israel of "delaying the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza", "targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip", and of breaching the agreement on aid supplies. In response, Israel accused Hamas of a "complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and the deal to release the hostages."Also on the programme: A global AI summit has kicked off in Paris- we'll hear from one of French President Emmanuel Macron's tech advisers; and we'll speak to Oscar-nominated actor Renée Zellweger on her reprise of the character of Bridget Jones for the film Mad About The Boy.(Photo: Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, attends a protest in Tel Aviv in support of the hostages kidnapped during the October 7th attacks in Israel on February 10, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Shir Torem)
President Trump has said he'll announce further tariffs on America’s trading partners in the coming days, including a 25% charge on all steel and aluminium imports. We'll hear from the country most exposed - Canada.Also on the programme: Can an Artificial Intelligence summit in Paris deliver new global rules; and the East Jerusalem bookshop raided by Israeli police, and its owners in court, over disrupting public order. One of their brothers says it's an assault on free speech.(File Picture: Workers weld steel at Steelcon, a structural steel design and fabrication company, January 31, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio)
Israeli forces have withdrawn from a military zone cutting off northern Gaza from the rest of the territory, allowing hundreds of Palestinians to return home. The Netzarim Corridor had effectively cut the Gaza strip in two, trapping hundreds of thousands of people in the south. Meanwhile, Israeli negotiators have returned to Qatar to continue talks on the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. We speak to our correspondent in the region as well as an analyst on Middle Eastern conflict resolution.
Also on the programme: An expert on human trafficking in Libya takes us through the motivations of smugglers, after the bodies of more than 50 migrants were found in a mass grave in the south-east of the country; and Donald Trump expected to make history as the first sitting US president to attend the Super Bowl.
(Picture: Palestinians travel from the southern Gaza Strip towards the north following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim Corridor, central Gaza Strip Credit: Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israeli forces withdraw from a corridor bisecting the Gaza Strip - will they now commit to pulling out of Gaza entirely? We hear from an Israeli government minister. Also in the programme: President Trump accuses South Africa of seeking to seize white-owned land with a new law - we ask the minister responsible if that's true; and the joys of going to a concert in the dark.(IMAGE: Palestinians wait to cross through a checkpoint run by U.S. and Egyptian security contractors after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, allowing people to travel in both directions between southern and northern Gaza, February 9, 2025 / CREDIT: Reuters / Dawoud Abu Alkas)
The Red Cross says it's uncomfortable with the way the exchange of hostages for prisoners under the Gaza deal is handled. It's urged both sides to conduct future exchanges in a private and dignified way.Also in the programme: Why Baltic nations are only now joining the European energy grid – we hear from Latvia’s energy minister; and a Spanish member of the European Parliament tells us why the new Patriots Group of radical parties of the right believe they can change Europe.(Photo: Hamas fighters escort Ohad Ben-Ami, one of the three Israeli hostages released today, onto the stage before handing them over to the Red Cross. Credit: Haitham Imad / Shutterstock)
The former French president Nicholas Sarkozy has gone on trial today in Paris. He is accused of illegally taking funding from the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Prosecutors allege the men struck a deal to fund Mr Sarkozy's ultimately successful campaign for the presidency in 2007. In return, they say he promised to help Colonel Gaddafi shed his pariah status on the world stage. The former French president denies the accusations.
Also in the programme: Hamas has released a list of 34 hostages that it says it is willing to release in the first stage of a potential ceasefire agreement with Israel. We speak to the daughter of one of those on the list; and the efforts to save the endangered Iberian Lynx in Portugal and Spain.
(Picture: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives on the first day of his trial. Credit: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
Thousands of rival demonstrators have been protesting in South Korea's capital Seoul where the impeached president President Yoon Suk Yeol is refusing to hand himself in to investigators.
Also on the programme: Venezuela's opposition leader, Edmundo Gonzalez, is touring South America ahead of the inauguration of Nicolas Maduro who he insists lost last year's presidential election; and we ask - after 15 months of war - is there anywhere in Gaza where Palestinians can still get medical treatment?And we'll hear the sound of a prison choir from Mississippi.
Photo: People take part in a protest against the impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol near his official residence in Seoul, South Korea, January 5, 2025. (Credit: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)
A bell tolls 39 times outside the childhood home of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, as commemorations for his life and service to his country begin. We hear from his grandson and Democrat activist, Angelo Fuster who was working in the state capitol of Georgia when Jimmy Carter entered politics in the 1960s.
Also on the programme: A supporter of the new government in Syria defends its decision to remove the teaching of evolution from the school classroom; and how the new teenage darts champion of the world is helping the game attract talent even younger.
(Photo: A military body bearer team carries the casket of former President Jimmy Carter Credit: Brynn Anderson/Pool via REUTERS)
German officials have told the BBC that a decision by the new Islamist authorities in Syria to erase evolution from the school curriculum is troubling - a concern that is echoed by many Syrians. We hear from Germany's Special Coordinator for Syria and from Syrian writer Rima Flihan.Also on the programme: The US Surgeon General has called for risk warnings on alcoholic beverages, similar to the labels on cigarettes, following new research that links the drinks to seven types of cancer; and why a New York judge is insisting on sentencing US president-elect Donald Trump days before his inauguration.
(Photo: Head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, meets with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Syria's newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, in Damascus, Syria January 3, 2025. Credit: Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham/Handout via REUTERS)
Foreign ministers from France and Germany have met in Damascus with Syria's de facto leader to discuss the future of the country. Also on the programme, the Republican Congressman Mike Johnson has narrowly won re-election to the most powerful seat in the US House of Representatives; and do whales mourn the dead?
(Photo: Head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani meets with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Damascus, Syria January 3, 2025. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham/Handout via REUTERS)
Anti-corruption investigators wanted to arrest the former president for his failed attempt to impose martial law. Mr Yoon, who has been impeached, is still in the presidential compound. Supporters of the impeached president were out in force too. Some were seen waving the American flag, and carrying placards saying "stop the steal."
Also on the programme, we hear about the plight of health workers from Gaza who are being detained by Israeli authorities, often without charge. And we go to Australia where debate is raging over crocodiles; just how many are too many and how should a cull work?
(Picture: Supporters of President Yoon clash with police in Seoul. Credit: Reuters)
The FBI now says the man who carried out Wednesday's deadly attack in New Orleans was acting alone, and members of the public are not in any danger. It confirmed that Shamsud-Din Jabbar - a US-born military veteran - had declared his support for Islamic State militants, and the attack was a premeditated act of terrorism. We hear from a New Orleans City Councilman on how the city is coping with the aftermath of the attack. Also in the programme: how El Salvador has cut its homicide rate to make it one of the safest countries in the Western Hemisphere; and with just weeks before Donald Trump is inaugurated as the new president of the United States, how might the relationship between him and the world’s media be characterised?
(Photo: Military personnel stand near the site where people were killed by a man driving a truck in an attack during New Year's celebrations, in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., January 1, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
The US authorities are investigating whether Wednesday's deadly truck attack in New Orleans is linked to an explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas on the same day. The FBI believes the man who rammed his car into a crowd in New Orleans killing fifteen people was not acting alone.
Also in the programme: Netherlands to open archive on people accused of wartime Nazi collaboration; and 250 years since the birth of the novelist Jane Austen.
(Photo: The attack took place in an extremely busy area full of bars and restaurants. Credit: EPA)
The suspect in the New Orleans vehicle attack has been identified as a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas. An Islamic State flag was found in the vehicle and two improvised bombs have been made safe.
Also on the programme: Russian gas supplies to much of Europe through Ukraine have stopped, after Kyiv refused to renew a transit agreement with Moscow; and scientists have developed a new way of studying DNA in human remains that they say will change our understanding of history.
(Photo: New Orleans Police Chief Ann Kirkpatrick speaks next to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry at a news conference. Credit: Reuters)
At least 10 people have died after a man intentionally drove into a large crowd in New Orleans and then began firing a weapon, according to police; they said the attacker was "hell-bent on carnage".
Also in the programme: Russian gas has stopped flowing into the European Union through Ukraine after President Zelensky refused to renew transit agreements; and.the children from Gaza finally reunited with their families.
(Photo shows police cars attending the scene on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. on 1 January 2025. Credit: ABC Affiliate WGNO via Reuters)
The UN human rights office is warning that repeated Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza raise serious concerns about war crimes and crimes against humanity. We'll hear from the UN as well as a spokesman for the Israeli government.
Also in the programme: After South Korea's deadliest plane crash, an aviation safety expert calls on regulators to be more pro-active; Pitt and Jolie agree a divorce settlement, seemingly bringing to an end one of the longest and most contentious splits in Hollywood history.
And we'll be dedicating the second half of this programme to a selection of the newsiest moments of 2024.
(Photo: Sila's father, Mahmoud Fasih, carries her tiny body to be buried. Credit: BBC)
Winter's bitter cold is taking a terrible toll in Gaza. In the past week alone, six babies have perished from hypothermia and with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in tents, and temperatures expected to drop even further, the UN Children’s agency is warning more children’s lives are at risk. Unicef, like all aid agencies, says they continue to face obstacles on bringing life-saving aid into Gaza. Israel blames Hamas, accusing it of stealing the aid.
Also in the programme: Scientists claim to have detected which volcano erupted in 1831, causing catastrophic weather which led to widespread crop failures and devastating famines; and our look back at the reporting highlights of 2024.
(Photo: People pray next to the bodies of two Palestinian babies who died of hypothermia at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on 29 December 2024. Credit: Reuters/Ramadan Abed)
Tributes are being paid to the former US president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jimmy Carter, who has died at the age of 100.
He helped broker a peace accord between Egypt and Israel, but his time in office also saw a struggling US economy and a disastrous attempt to free American hostages seized in Iran.
Also on the programme: the president of Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency across the Caribbean nation; and a study finds that a single cigarette can take 20 minutes off a smoker’s life expectancy.
(Photo: Former US President Jimmy Carter gives the media an update on his recent cancer diagnosis at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 20 August 2015. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The former US President Jimmy Carter - who came to politics after a successful career as a peanut farmer – is credited with bringing peace between Egypt and Israel for which he received a Nobel prize. We hear from those who worked with him and those who prepared catfish suppers for the late president. Also in the programme: Agony and anger in South Korea over the country’s worst plane crash.
(Photo: Former President Carter holding peanuts in a field. Credit: Jimmy Carter Library/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
US Congress races to avoid government shutdown after bipartisan spending agreement was derailed following interventions by President-elect Donald Trump and his efficiency czar, Elon Musk.
Also in the programme: A high level US delegation holds talks with Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Shara’a; At least two dead and 68 injured after a car drove into a crowd at German Christmas market; and 27 new species discovered in Peru, including an amphibious mouse.
(Photo: Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the House, talking to journalists. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The US's top diplomat is in Jordan for talks with representatives from several Arab countries, Turkey, and Europe to discuss the future of Syria following the ousting of the former president, Bashar al-Assad. Also on the programme, the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to fight for his political future, after parliament voted to impeach him over his failed attempt to impose martial law; and, the director of "Goodbye Lenin", Wolfgang Becker has died.
(Photo: Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting with the foreign ministers of the Arab Contact Group on Syria in Jordan's southern Red Sea coastal city of Aqaba on December 14, 2024. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Pool via REUTERS)
Russia has again targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure; we hear from the governor of one of the regions that has been hit.
Also in the programme: Israeli airstrikes on Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza kill at least forty-six people in a multi-storey building; why Maoris and their supporters are marching to protest against a proposed change to New Zealand’s founding treaty; and the drama that portrays former German Chancellor Angela Merkel as an amateur sleuth.
(IMAGE: Firefighters work at the site of a critical infrastructure facility hit by a Russian missile strike, in Vinnytsia region, Ukraine November 17, 2024 / CREDIT: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Vinnytsia region/Handout via REUTERS)
US and Chinese leaders to discuss “delicate transition” in Lima as President Biden holds his last talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on sides of APEC summit. Also in the programme: families of Israeli hostages in Gaza on Donald Trump’s hopes to secure the hostages release; and we ask what happened on the dark side of the moon nearly three billion years ago?
(IMAGE: President Biden the APEC summit in Peru. CREDIT: Reuters/Leah Millis)
President Zelensky says that with Donald Trump in power in the US, Ukraine's war with Russia will end sooner than expected: does this signal a big change in his thinking? We hear from a Ukrainian MP.
Also in the programme: we hear live from South Africa where a stand-off continues between police and illegal miners at an abandoned gold mine; and we follow the Afghans leaving their homeland in the hope of making it to the UK.
(IMAGE: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference after the 5th summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, 07 November 2024 / CREDIT: Zoltan Balogh /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
European vaccine shares fall on the nomination by Donald Trump of vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Junior as US Health Secretary. We look at his views on food, nutrition and agriculture.
Also on the programme: why the South African authorities are determined to starve thousands of illegal miners to force them out of a mine; and the man caught smuggling hundreds of tarantulas and bullet ants by plane at great risk to himself.
(Photo: Robert F Kennedy Jr speaks at Bitcoin 2024 in Nashville in July. Credit: Reuters)
Donald Trump is continuing to build a controversial administration, having picked vaccine sceptic and former independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr as his health secretary. Kennedy, commonly known by his initials RFK Jr, has a history of spreading health information that scientists say is false. We hear from a senior adviser to the Trump 2024 election campaign, as well as a former CDC director with serious concerns about the choice.
Also on the programme: the latest from the UN climate talks in Azerbaijan, as well as the remarkable discovery of a pre-historic ecosystem in the Italian Alps.
(Picture: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-A-Lago in Florida Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has exceeded 800 million, more than quadrupling since 1990. This is according to new data published in the journal The Lancet on World Diabetes Day.
Also on the programme: Police in Brazil say an attack on the Supreme Court was a terrorist incident; and there is growing anger over Donald Trump's choices for some of the most powerful positions in the next US government, particularly his choice of Attorney General.
(Photo: A person using a set of weighing scales. Credit: PA)
Donald Trump has nominated former Republican US Congressman Matt Gaetz for the role of US attorney-general.He is a man with many critics, including within his own party. So will the Senate approve the nomination? Also on the programme: Super Typhoon Usagi makes landfall in an already storm-battered Philippines; and the academic from London who is under house arrest in Azerbaijan while the UN climate change conference continues.
Photo: Former US Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz speaks at a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Henderson, Nevada U.S. 31st October 2024. Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake
President Biden and Donald Trump have held initial transition talks in the White House as the Republicans makes further significant nominations including Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. We hear from Estonia's foreign minister Margus Tsahkna.
Also in the programme: a cheap way to reduce damage from contrails; and more heavy flooding in the Valencia region of Spain.
(Picture: US President Biden hosts President-elect Trump at the White House, Washington Dc, USA. Credit: EPA-EFE)
How will the NATO military alliance and support for Ukraine hold together with Donald Trump in the White House? Also on the programme: the United States will continue to send military support to Israel despite the passing of a deadline for improved conditions in Gaza; and, a conversation with Samantha Harvey, whose novel "Orbital" has won the Booker Prize.
(Photo: ETTORE FERRARI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (14868645ab)NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte speaks during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (not pictured) following their meeting at the Chigi Palace in Rome, Italy, 05 November 2024. Rutte took office as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 14th Secretary General on 01 October 2024.)
The Israeli army has announced the opening of a new aid crossing into Gaza, just as a US deadline demanding the improvement of humanitarian conditions expires. As humanitarian agencies say the situation is still desperate, we'll hear from the Israeli military.
Also on the programme: The spiritual leader of the Anglican Church resigns over a child abuse scandal, the Russian doctor jailed for five years after a patient denounced her comments on the war in Ukraine; and one of the greatest paintings in the world may be about to become even greater!
(Photo: A UN-backed report recently warned there was an imminent likelihood of famine in northern Gaza. Credit: AFP)
The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, has told the COP climate summit in Azerbaijan that to double down on the use of fossil fuels is "absurd" and that the "clean energy revolution" has arrived. However, the host, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, described his country's reserves of oil and gas as "a gift from God". We speak to a woman in Canada's Nova Scotia province whose six-year-old son was killed by flash floods linked to climate change.
Also in the programme: the leader of the Anglican Church - the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby - has resigned, after a report found he failed to do enough to stop a prolific child abuser; and the female magician who tricked her way into Britain's all-male Magic Circle club, but who has since disappeared.
(Picture: People embrace as they stand near damage to a road, after the heaviest rain to hit the Canadian province of Nova Scotia in more than 50 years triggered floods on July 23, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/John Morris)
The COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan has opened with a warning from the United Nations that this year is almost certain to be the hottest on record.
Also in the programme: is it time to rethink the war in Ukraine? And new information on the planet Uranus.
(Picture: A night view shows the venue of the United Nations climate change conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan November 11, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Murad Sezer)
The UN has warned 2024 will be the hottest year on record, as its annual climate conference begins in Baku.
Also on the programme: BBC on set with Squid Game's director; how an international effort caught one of the world's most prolific online child abusers - we'll hear from some of his victims; and China's mass bike-ride for breakfast buns!
(Photo: Dr al-Jaber (left) handed Babayev the COP gavel at the opening of the summit this morning. Credit: Reuters)
More than a hundred heads of state and government are gathering in Azerbaijan for the UN's annual climate summit - known as COP 29. 2024 is predicted to be the warmest year on record. But will previous commitments to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 celsius be achievable with the new US administration promises to withdrawal from the Paris climate treaty, as Donald Trump promises to 'drill, baby, drill.' We hear about climate financing and from the conservative coalition for climate solutions.
Also in the programme: the new Israeli Defence Minister - Israel Katz - has said Hezbollah has been defeated, and has described the killing of the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as the “crowning achievement"; and the Nubian pyramids of of Meroë threatened by Sudan's civil war.
(Photo: Kiki Ritmeijer and Sarah Nasrawi, both UN Youth Representatives on Sustainable Development from the Netherlands, pose for a selfie outside the venue ahead of the United Nations climate change conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan November 10, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Murad Sezer)
The UN climate summit is opening in Azerbaijan with 2024 set to be the first year to breach the 1.5C global warming limit.
But could President-elect Donald Trump's energy policies undermine the goal of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions?
Also on the programme: Russia and Ukraine attack each other with drones in their heaviest assault of the war; and Dutch police use a hologram of a sex worker murdered 15 years ago in a fresh bid to find her killer.
(Photo: Climate activists project a message onto Tower Bridge ahead of COP29 climate talks in London. Credit: Reuters)
Qatar says that it will not mediate in peace talks between Israel and Hamas until the attitudes of both sides improve.
Also in the programme: One hundred and thirty thousand people have been demonstrating in the Spanish city of Valencia over the regional government's handling of last week's deadly flash floods; and why young Americans voted for Donald J. Trump.
(Image: General view shows northern Gaza. Credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
A separatist group in western Pakistan says it carried out a suicide bombing at a railway station which killed at least 25 people and injured dozens more. The separatist militant group, Balochistan Liberation Army, said the blast at Quetta station targeted an army unit.
Also in the programme: a senior advisor to Donald Trump's campaign says Ukraine needs to acknowledge that it has lost Crimea to Russia; and we delve into the mystery of UK's oldest satellite which is thousands of kilometres away from where it should be. (Picture: Pakistani security officials inspect the scene of a blast at a railway station in Quetta, Balochistan. Credit: SAMI KHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Dutch government says sorry to Israel after visiting Israeli football fans are attacked in Amsterdam in what the city's mayor describes as an explosion of antisemitism.
Also in the programme: Did Kamala Harris's gender cost her the top job? And, US singer Beyoncé becomes the most nominated artist in the Grammy’s history.
(Image: A woman wrapped in an Israel flag following the violence targeting fans of an Israeli soccer team in Amsterdam. Credit: REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw)
The United Nations' Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has warned that the violence in Israel and Gaza could amount to war crimes or even genocide. A new UN report says nearly 70 per cent of the thousands of fatalities were women and children. The report covers Hamas’ attack in Israel on October 7th and the first six months of Israel’s war in Gaza. Mr Türk said there had to be justice for what he described as horrific violence. In response, Israel says the report "fails to accurately reflect the realities on the ground".
Also in the programme: the mayor of Amsterdam has condemned the violent attacks on Israeli citizens following a football match saying they brought to mind anti-Jewish pogroms; we speak to the Prime Minister of Belgium about Europe’s relationship with US President-elect Donald Trump; and we hear about efforts to train the next generation of arm wrestlers in South Africa.
(Picture: A Palestinian views the site of a missile strike on a house in the central Gaza Strip on November 7, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Abd Elhkeem Khaled)
In his first public address since the US Presidential election, Joe Biden has commended Kamala Harris, saying she led an inspiring campaign, and has promised a peaceful transition for Donald Trump. We'll ask a newly elected congressman, Brendan Boyle, what the Democratic Party will do next. And speak to Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy, why things went so wrong for the democrats. And one Mr Trump's most most loyal lieutenants, his former secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, on what he thinks of Donald Trump's economic plans this time around.
Also on the programme: UNESCO to hold a meeting to consider enhancing protection for cultural sites in Lebanon where Israel is continuing to launch strikes; and President Zelensky says calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine without guarantees of security for the country are dangerous and irresponsible.
(Photo: President Biden. Credit: Reuters)
President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to select his top team ahead of his return to the White House, after Vice President Kamala Harris vowed a "peaceful transfer of power". We examine how economic concerns among voters affected the result. We also speak to Nobel Prize winning economist Daron Acemoglu.
Also in the programme: opposition parties in Germany call for snap elections after the collapse of the country's governing coalition; and Australia says it wants to ban under 16s from accessing social media.
(Photo: President elect Donald Trump speaking from the 2024 US presidential election in Palm Beach County Convention Center, 6 November, 2024. Credit: Callaghan O'Hare/Reuters)
Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has called the president-elect to concede. Trump surged among Latino and young male voters relative to his 2020 performance. We hear from voters in the midwestern battleground state of Wisconsin.
Also on the programme: we hear reaction to Trump’s victory from Gaza and Ukraine, and the potential impact of a second Trump administration on international treaties to limit global warming.
(Photo: Donald Trump at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, Florida, US, 6 November, 2024. Credit: Brian Snyder/Reuters)
The focus in this final weekend is on the swing states where a few tens of thousands of votes could settle the outcome in the US election. Our reporter is in Pennsylvania where polls expect the rural parts will vote heavily for Trump while the biggest city, Philadelphia, has traditionally provided blowout Democratic support.
Also in the programme, emergency workers in Spain say more than two hundred people are now known to have died in the floods; and we take a look at a transformative new therapy for people with psychosis who hear voices.
Picture: Democrats voters on the campaign trail in Pittsburg in October. Credit: JUSTIN MERRIMAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Join James Menendez and guests for this special Newshour podcast examining how immigration is impacting the race for the US Presidency.
With James in San Antonio, Texas is Rogelio Sáenz, Professor of Sociology and Demography at the University of Texas in San Antonio and Alejandra Arredondo, a reporter based in San Antonio.
Photo: Luis Torres/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Leading Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran’s Supreme Leader told a crowd of thousands that Iran’s allies must ‘fasten the seatbelt of resistance from Iran to Afghanistan’. Israel has continued to intensify its strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Also on the programme: we speak to the widow of the man who was killed during July’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump; and Brazil is hit by its worst wildfires in two decades.
(Picture: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaking during the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran, 04 October 2024 Credit: IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
More explosions tore through the Lebanese capital today as Israeli military says it hit Hezbollah targets in Beirut. Israel has also continued to warn people in southern Lebanon to leave their homes - including in the region of Nabatieh. It comes as the Israeli army says Hezbollah has fired 200 rockets into Israel today.
One of the most senior leaders of Hamas - which is designated a terrorist organisation by the UK and other governments - has told the BBC that the current crisis they provoked in the Middle East, which has led to the deaths of thousands of people in the past year, is justified. The Deputy leader of Hamas, Khalil al Haya, said the October 7th attacks, which killed 1200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, were necessary to place the issue of Palestinian statehood back on the global agenda. He insisted without it, the cycle of violence in the Middle East would not end.
Also in programme: we discuss the UK government's decision to give up sovereignty of the remote but strategic Chagos islands after 200 years of rule; and whether the hit US sitcom 'Cheers' is set for British remake 30 years on. (Photo: Beirut Bachoura neighbourhood Credit: Louisa Gouliamaki for Reuters)
The Israeli Defence Forces have struck targets in southern Lebanon and the capital, Beirut. Israel’s armed forces also ordered the evacuation of more than 20 villages in the south.
Also on the programme: The UK agrees to surrender its control over the Chagos Islands, handing the archipelago to Mauritius; and the researchers sequencing the genomes of 100,000 new born to better understand genetic conditions.
(Photo: An Israeli Air Force air strike on a southern Lebanese village, as seen from northern Israel, 3 October 2024. Credit: Reuters/Jim Urquhart)
President Biden has said the US does not support an attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear sites, while the UN secretary general has warned of the danger of a regional war across the Middle East. We speak to expert on why diplomacy is crucial at this stage.
Also in the programme: Biden visits Hurricane Helene-ravaged areas; and the discovery of an unknown species of moth.
(Image: Smoke rises following an Israeli military strike in southern Lebanon. Credit: STR/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
With reports of close combat between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, we hear from both sides of the border. And how will Israel respond to Iran's barrage of missiles last night?
We also get reaction from Tehran to Iran's decision to attack Israel directly; and we ask where this all leaves American influence in the region - is it now just a bystander?
(IMAGE: Smoke billows amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon October 2, 2024 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Aziz Taher)
Explosions have been heard across Israel after Iran said it had launched dozens of ballistic missiles towards the country. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it launched the missiles in retaliation for recent attacks that killed the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as a senior Iranian commander.
Also on the programme: reaction from Israel and an academic close to the Iranian government.
(Image: A man holds children as people take cover during an air raid siren after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, amid cross-border hostilities in central Israel on 1 October 2024.Credit: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)
Israel has told the residents of more than twenty locations in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately. Its forces have been carrying out what it describes as limited, localised raids across the Lebanese border against Hezbollah. We hear from Peter Lerner of the IDF, Lebanese businessman and independent MP Neemat Frem, and Dina Esfandiary of the Crisis Group on how Iran may respond to Nasrallah's killing.
Also in the programme: the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher reports from Sudan, where famine is spreading as the civil war goes on; and a look at water worries in Panama, one of the world's wettest countries.
(IMAGE: Palestinian refugee camp has hit in Lebanon / CREDIT: EPA)
The US State Department says Israel has informed Washington of its plans to go into Lebanon. We track the latest events, and here from retired Israeli military man Amir Avivi and Lebanese politician Michel Helou.
Also in the programme: the trail of destruction left across North Carolina by Hurricane Helene, and love blossoms when a cruise ship is delayed in Northern Ireland.
(Photo: Israeli forces firing towards Lebanon near the Israel-Lebanon border on 30 September, 2024. Credit: The Associated Press)
Israel continues to strike Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthi targets, as speculation about an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon grows. We hear live from the Middle East, where Hezbollah's deputy leader has made a defiant speech after the killing of Hassan Nasrallah.
Also in the programme: as Austria's far-right Freedom Party wins the election, we hear how its leader, Herbert Kickl, came to power. And Roger McGuinn of the Byrds looks back at the life and music of Kris Kristofferson.
(IMAGE: Smoke billows over Khiam, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the Lebanese border with Israel, September 30, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters/Karamallah Daher)
Israel has attacked Houthi sites in Yemen it said were used to transport Iranian weapons and oil. The strikes came as Israel carried out more attacks across Lebanon, and Hezbollah fired more rockets into northern Israel
Also on the programme: Austria's far right Freedom Party is heading for victory in national elections; and the Pope has been berated on a visit to Belgium about the clerical abuse of children and gender inequality in the Church.
(Photo: Smoke rises from the site of Israeli air strikes in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Yemen on September 29, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)
Lebanon's prime minister has said continuing Israeli attacks could displace as many as a million people. Najib Mikati appealed for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. He was speaking as Israel carried out more airstrikes in Lebanon after killing Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday. We hear from the IDF spokesman, Peter Lerner, and Nasser Yassin, Lebanon's Minister of Environment and has been given responsibility for providing for all those internally displaced people. We will also be asking to Iranian academic and write, Azadeh Moaveni, about how Nasrallah's death could affect Hezbollah's standing in Lebanon and the rest of the region.
Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia has carried out nearly two hundred executions this year - the highest in more than three decades; and ahead of the VICE presidential debate in the US - we'll be in Nebraska - what are the big election issues in rural America?
Presenter: Julian Marshall.
(Photo: Residents in Beirut seek refuge on the streets after Israeli air strikes in the city. Credit: EPA)
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the killing of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut as a historic turning point that will help Israel achieve its war goals.
On the programme: We will talk to a spokesman for Israel's military, which dropped the bomb that killed Nasrallah on Friday; also ask how the group's backer, Iran, may respond, and assess the risks for the wider Middle East; and hear how Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon have reacted to the killing.
(Photo: A group in Beirut carry a photo of Nasrallah and chant slogans. Credit: Getty Images)
Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its leader in an Israeli airstrike. The Iran- backed group vowed to continue its fight against Israel. Also on the programme, US presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris has given details of tough new measures she says will strengthen immigration control as she visited the Mexico border.
Several buildings are destroyed by a series of huge explosions in a densely-populated area in Lebanon's capital; Iran describes the attack as ‘a game changing escalation’. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah, telling world leaders at the UN General Assembly 'We are winning'.
Also in the programme: we hear from Haiti where armed gangs are targeting journalists; and Sir Michael Palin pays tribute to actress Dame Maggie Smith, who has died at the age of 89.
(IMAGE: A screen grab shows smoke rising behind buildings in Beirut, Lebanon on 27 September 2024. CREDIT: Reuters TV)
In a rare report from Sudan's war-torn capital Khartoum, women have told the BBC about the gendered violence they face in areas controlled by the rebel Rapid Support Forces group.
They detail the harassment they face going about everyday lives and the threats to their families.
Also in the programme: Japan's ruling party picks a new Prime Minister, as it tries to recover from a series of scandals; and the Israeli prime minister says negotiations on a ceasefire in Lebanon are continuing, but Israeli warplanes have been carrying out more airstrikes against Hezbollah.
(Photo shows a close-up of a woman's hands, with chipped blue nail polish. Credit: Hassan Lali/BBC)
President Zelensky persuaded the US President to give Ukraine more aid – but also alienated Republicans – during his visit to the US. Does the fate of Ukraine now turn on the result of November's US election?
Also in the programme: we hear from Syria, as tens of thousands of refugees cross the border fleeing Israeli attacks on Lebanon; and crowds in Mexico City call for justice, ten years on from the killing of 43 students which shocked the world.
(IMAGE: US President Joe Biden (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L), during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 26 September 2024. / CREDIT: Alexander Drago/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has told the military to continue striking Hezbollah with full force in Lebanon, despite international calls for a ceasefire. There's been a large explosion in Beirut. Unconfirmed reports suggest the commander of Hezbollah's drone operations was the target. We speak to Boaz Bismuth, a member of parliament for Mr Netanyahu's Likud party.
Also, a new documentary about the survivors of the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel, nearly a year ago -- we'll hear from one of them and the director.
And recreating the exhibition of Monet's paintings of a smog-filled London that cemented his reputation.
(Photo: Buildings destroyed after air strikes in Saksakiyeh, south Lebanon. Credit: REU)
A bonus Newshour episode in which James Menendez explores the US election. In this special podcast extra, we'll be speaking to Midwesterners who suddenly find themselves centre stage in the election. We'll head to Georgia to focus on the people who haven't yet decided how they'll vote. And, while some people are wondering what's going to happen in the next 40 days, we'll hear from the survivalists in Oregon, preparing for a once-in-three-hundred-years natural disaster.
Is Israel preparing for a full-scale ground incursion of Lebanon? Israel has been actively striking against southern Lebanon – but also aiming north of the capital city Beirut. We get an on-the-ground update from those living amongst the airstrikes.
Also in the programme: We take a closer look on how the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon is affecting the race in one of the swing states in the upcoming US election; and we hear from an Israeli soldier who did fight on Lebanese ground – in 2006.
(Photo: Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike as seen from Tyre. Credit: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
Israel has carried out another extensive wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon -- hours after the group fired a ballistic missile towards Tel Aviv for the first time. We hear from Israel and talk to the head of one Lebanese charity trying to help those fleeing the bombardment in southern Lebanon.
Also on the programme: is crime now on the rise in tightly-controlled Cuba and if so, why? And we ask why so many children are now short-sighted.
(Photo: People walk on a beach as smoke billows in the background over southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike. Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
President Biden has led calls at the annual gathering of the UN General Assembly to prevent a slide into full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. After another day of cross-border strikes, Israel says it's killed a senior commander of the Lebanese group in Beirut. Also in the programme, Ukraine's president speaks to the United Nations; and how an octopus and a fish join forces and go hunting.
(Photo: Smoke billows over southern Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon September 24, 2024. REUTERS/Aziz Taher)
The Israeli military says it has conducted a "targeted" strike in Lebanon's capital, Beirut. Just how much support is there inside Israel for the intensification of the conflict? We hear from an Israeli politician with the centrist opposition party, Yesh Atid.
Also on the programme, will a new defence supremo in Brussels help or hinder Europe's attempt to bolster its security? And we look at the way octopuses and fish co-operate in the sea.
(Photo: People gather at the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs. Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)
Lebanese health officials say Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah have killed more than three-hundred-and-fifty people. It's the deadliest day of conflict across the border in nearly two decades. Also on the programme, for the first time in 10 years, Indian administered Kashmir is voting in local assembly elections; and new music from Pakistan’s Qawalli maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan released years after his death.
(Photo: Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system operates for interceptions as rockets are launched from Lebanon towards Israel, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from Haifa, Israel, September 23, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Lebanon's health ministry says hundreds of people have been killed and more than a thousand wounded in Israeli strikes today - the deadliest day of Israel-Hezbollah conflict in the past year. Over the border in northern Israel, we hear from a resident who has returned home, despite the danger. Also on the programme: Election disinformation among Latinos in the US, and a Sufi musical legend's new gift. (Picture: Smoke billows from the site of Israeli airstrikes near Lebanese villages, as seen from Marjaayoun, southern Lebanon Credit: Stringer/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock )
Hezbollah fired more rockets into Israel and Israel again attacked Lebanon from the air, as the UN warns the region is on 'the brink of imminent catastrophe'. We hear from a journalist who writes for a Hezbollah news site.
Also in the programme: evidence that the United Arab Emirates is smuggling weapons to rebel forces in Sudan under the flag of the Red Crescent; and as the hit show 'Friends' turns 30, we hear from one guest star.
(IMAGE: Smoke billows over southern Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, Lebanon, near the border with Israel, September 22, 2024 / CREDIT: Karamallah Daher / REUTERS)
The US national security adviser has said there’s a real risk that an escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon could ignite a regional war. Since Jake Sullivan voiced his concerns, the Israeli military says it's launched fresh attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Also, we speak to Robert Baer, a former CIA agent, on the attacks in Beirut and the killing of senior Hezbollah commander, Ibrahim Aqil. And supporting a parent with dementia, we hear from one science writer about her mother's experience.
(Photo: Medical personnel work at the site of Friday's Israeli strike, as search and rescue operations continued on Saturday. Credit: Reuters)
Lebanon's health minister says at least thirty-one people are now known to have been killed by Friday's Israeli airstrike in Beirut - a third of them women and children.
Also in the programme: do France's rape laws and the way it prosecutes cases need to change? And on World Alzheimer's Day, what's it like when your mother forgets who you are?
(IMAGE: Residents near the site targeted by an Israeli strike the previous day, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, 21 September 2024 / CREDIT: Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Israeli military says it killed the head of an elite Hezbollah unit along with other commanders in an airstrike in Beirut.
We get reaction from a Lebanese member of parliament and from a former US ambassador to Beirut at the time of the 2006 Lebanon war.
Also on the programme: the millions of Ukrainians suffering from mental health issues because of the war; and a new blood test that could be an early warning of diabetes and obesity in children.
(Photo: Smoke rises from Beirut southern suburbs on 20 September, 2024. Credit: Reuters)
The Israeli military says it's carried out a "targeted strike" on the Lebanese capital Beirut, after Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets into Israel. Lebanon's health ministry says 3 people have been confirmed killed and 17 more injured. Also on the programme: BBC reporting reveals the number of Russian fighters killed in Ukraine has reached 70,000; and a new study reveals that fussy eating may well be genetic. (Photo: People inspect the site of an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 20, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)
President Zelensky says 2 Russian missiles struck a military training institute and a hospital in the central Ukrainian city, the worst single attack on a city this year.
Also on the programme: An attempt by inmates to break out of a high-security prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo has led to the deaths of 129 people; and the Prague street named after Sir Nicholas Winton, the British man who saved hundreds of Jewish children from the Holocaust.
(Photo: An image of a damaged building in Poltava.)
A BBC investigation has found that the number of illegal Israeli settler outposts in the occupied West Bank has risen rapidly in recent years.
Documents seen by the BBC also show that sanctioned settlers have been supported by an organisation funded by the Israeli government.
Also on the programme: why did Mongolian authorities fail to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin? And Catholics in Indonesia welcome Pope Francis as he embarks on his longest tour yet.
(Photo: Moshe Sharvit was one of the extremist settlers sanctioned by the UK. Credit: BBC)
President Biden has said that a final deal for a ceasefire - and the release of hostages held in Gaza - is very close to being presented to Israel and Hamas, by mediators. He also said did not think the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was doing enough to secure an agreement.
Benjamin Netanyahu has been appealing to the public for their continued support. He also asked for forgiveness from Israelis for not being able to bring back alive the six hostages who were found dead in Gaza on Saturday. We hear from a member of the Israeli Government and our Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale .
Also on the programme: What is dynamic pricing, and why has it caused upset amongst fans trying to secure tickets to see Oasis in the UK?; and US political statistician, Nate Silver, talks about his latest book and why we should all take more risks.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu holds press conference in Jerusalem. Credit:Ohad Zwigenberg EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israel's main union federation says hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in a strike to demand the government reach a deal with Hamas to free hostages from Gaza. A court has now ordered them to return to work.
Also in the programme: Germany's far right AfD party wins Thuringia state election; and Sir Ian McKellen on continuing his acting career after a fall on stage.
(Picture: Israeli protesters during an Israeli hostages families' protest in Tel Aviv. Credit: ATEF SAFADI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Exit polls suggest the far right Alternative for Germany is on course to win a state election for the first time. The party is predicted to win around 33% percent of the votes in Thuringia and in the neighbouring state of Saxony, exit polls put the AfD in second place.
Also in the programme: Protests have erupted in Israel after six hostages were killed in Gaza, increasing the pressure on Binyamin Netanyahu’s government; and an opera version of the famous UK fictional detective Sherlock Holmes goes on stage.
(Picture: Right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) top candidate Bjoern Hoecke gives thumbs up on the day of the Thuringia state election in Erfurt, Germany, September 1. Credit: Reuters).
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the killing of six hostages in Gaza shows Hamas doesn't want a ceasefire deal. The deaths came as aid agencies begin a mass vaccination campaign against polio in the Palestinian territory. We look in detail at both.
Also in the programme: What is driving voters from eastern Germany? And an opera based on one of the best known Sherlock Holmes novels.
(Photo: A combination picture shows undated handout images of hostages Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, and Almog Sarusi, who were kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 attacks, and whose bodies have been found underground in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip and returned to Israel, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Credit: Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via Reuters)
UN agencies and local health officials in the Gaza Strip are launching an ambitious campaign to vaccinate 640,000 children against polio. To be effective, the World Health Organization (WHO) says at least 90% of children under 10 must be immunised in a short time frame. We hear from parents on the ground in Gaza.
Also on the programme: another challenge for tech billionaire Elon Musk over his social website 'X', now it's been blocked in Brazil; and the dulcet tones of marmoset monkeys speaking to each other.
(Picture: The mother of Palestinian boy Abdul Rahman Abu Al-Jidyan, who is the first person to contract polio in Gaza in 25 years, gestures as she looks after him in their tent, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip Credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
X, formerly Twitter, has been banned in Brazil after its owner Elon Musk refused to comply with court orders to suspend certain accounts.
Also on the programme: The Ukrainian city of Kharkiv comes under Russian attack again, we hear from a resident living there. And we hear about monkeys who call each other by name.
(Photo: Elon Musk, owner of X. Credit: Reuters/David Swanson)
An attack on Ukraine’s second biggest city leaves five dead. It comes at the end of a week in which Ukraine says Russia has launched more than four hundred missile and drone strikes. We’ll hear from Kharkiv and from the embattled town of Pokrovsk.
Also in the programme, Burkina Faso’s losing battle against a jihadist insurgency – and multi-award winning British actor Gary Oldman on the one honour missing from his trophy cabinet
(Photo: Ukrainian rescuers at the suite of a damaged residential building in Kharkiv after the attack. Credit: SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Aid agencies are preparing to start a mass polio vaccination programme in Gaza, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a series of pauses in the fighting.
The campaign will aim to vaccinate around 640,000 children across the Gaza strip and will begin on Sunday, the World Health Organisation says.
Also in the programme: Kamala Harris responds to accusations she's flip-flopped on policy in her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee; the actor Gary Oldman on reprising his role as a shambolic spy with terrible personal hygiene; and a tribute to the truck driver who became king of the Māori people.
(File photo showing a nurse handling a syringe. Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA)
Israel’s operation continued in the West Bank for a second day. One of the top commanders of the militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was killed. We speak to a journalist who met him earlier this year.
Also in the programme: the fish stinking up a storm in Greece; and we meet the passenger aboard the cruise ship, cruising nowhere.
(Photo: An Israeli military vehicle takes part in a raid in the West Bank. Credit: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta:)
The UN's secretary-general has called on Israel to halt its military operation in the occupied West Bank, saying it’s "fuelling an already explosive situation".
We hear from the territory and look at the Israeli accusation that Iran is supplying arms to Palestinian militants.
Also in the programme: Why the founder of the Telegram messaging app has been placed under formal investigation in France for complicity in organised crime; and why some say it's time to reintroduce once-extinct beavers into the wild in parts of the UK.
(Photo shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking during a press conference. Credit: Lirio da Fonseca/Reuters)
The raids were the biggest in the occupied West Bank for twenty years, with four Palestinian cities targeted simultaneously. We speak to Palestinian and Israeli politicians, as well as the BBC’s own journalist in Jenin.
Also on the programme: as the Paralympics opening ceremony gets underway, we hear from a British wheelchair rugby player hoping to retain his gold medal title; and nuclear plants under threat in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
(Picture: Smoke rises over Jenin refugee camp, 28 August 2024 Credit: ALAA BADARNEH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israeli security forces said they are conducting "a counterterrorism operation” targeting at least four Palestinian cities. Local journalists said they had not seen anything of this scope and scale in the West Bank since the days of the second Palestinian uprising two decades ago. We hear from a hospital in Jenin as well as the view from Israel.
Also on the programme: the head of the UN's international atomic energy agency tells us why fighting around Russia's Kursk nuclear plant is dangerous; and, as the Paris Paralympics opens, we hear from a competitor who is seven months pregnant.
(Picture: An Israeli military vehicle takes part in a raid in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Credit: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenksy says the incursion into Russia's Kursk region is part of a victory plan he intends to present to US President Joe Biden next month. Mr Zelensky said the main point of the plan was to force Russia to end the war on fair terms. He said it would be up to Mr Biden whether to give Kyiv what was needed to achieve this.
Also in the programme: we speak to a Bedouin Arab community leader and friend of hostage Farhan al-Qadi who was rescued from Gaza by Israel's military today; and the plan by Namibia to kill hundreds of wild animals and use the meat to feed its drought-stricken people.
(Picture: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky holds a press conference on the ongoing war with Russia. Credit: Valentyn/Ogirenko/REUTERS)
The Israeli military says it has rescued a Bedouin Arab hostage who was kidnapped by Hamas gunmen during the 7 October attack on Israel and taken back to Gaza. Kaid Farhan Elkadi, 52, was rescued in a “complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet domestic security service, according to a statement.
Also in the programme: Russia launched another wave of strikes on Ukraine, with four people killed, a day after one of its biggest air attacks of the war; and the UN Secretary general tells us why the threat to small islands is so huge.
(Photo: Kaid Farhan Elkadi was abducted from Kibbutz Magen, where he worked as a security guard.)
We hear from civilians living through the bombardment, one of the largest air attacks Russia has launched on Ukraine in the war so far.
Also on the programme: a stark warning on the spread of mpox from Africa’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention; and after the Solingen stabbing attack Germany’s centre-left government toughens its stance on migration.
(Picture: Local resident Ihor sorts items next to his house damaged during a Russian missile and drone strike outside Dnipro August 26, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Mykola Synelnykov)
Children in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo are worst-affected by the current outbreak of mpox, which has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. The country accounts for nearly all of this year’s recorded cases and more than 450 deaths.
Also in the programme: Ukraine comes under a massive new air assault from Russia; where Israel and Hezbollah stand after Sunday's major exchange of fire; and the right to switch off is enshrined in law in Australia!
(Photo: All of Nzigire Kanigo's children have contracted mpox, including two-year-old Ansima. Credit: Glody Murhabazi)
Israel's overnight strikes on Hezbollah targets were rapidly answered with Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on targets in Israel. So, what now? The BBC’s Jon Donnison and Hugo Bachega give us updates following a press conference given earlier by the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah. Elsewhere in the programme: the UN reacts to new laws imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, which include prohibiting women from singing and reading aloud in public; and an iconic shirt in American sports history has been auctioned off for over $24 million dollars.
(Photo: People watch Hezbollah Secretary-General delivering a televised speech in Beirut, Lebanon, 25th August 2024. Credit: Abbas Salman/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Officers made the arrest in a building housing refugees located close to the site of the attack and near where a knife was found.Also in the programme:The French president describes an explosion outside a synagogue in the south of the country as an act of terror - and we hear about how Jews see their future in France; and the astronauts who need to stay in space not for the eight days they were expecting, but for eight months.
(Photo: A placard reading 'Why?' among flowers and tributes placed on a sidewalk near the scene after a knife attack, in Solingen, Germany, 24 August 2024. Credit: Volker Hartmann/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A number of prominent Democrats are due to speak on day three of the gathering. Tim Walz is expected to deliver the keynote address as he officially accepts the vice presidential nomination. We speak to Congresswoman Dina Titus.
Also in the programme: The Palestinian movement Fatah has accused Israel of trying to start a regional war, after it killed a senior official from the group; and we remember the life of pioneering Irish feminist and journalist Nell McCafferty and her decades of activism.
(Photo: Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz gestures during a campaign rally at Fiserv Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 20 August 2024. Credit: EPA)
Former president Barack Obama has declared that the US is ready for a new chapter with Kamala Harris as president, but warned delegates at the Democratic Party convention that they face a "tight race" to defeat Republican candidate Donald Trump. We'll hear parts of the speeches given by him and the former first lady Michelle Obama on the second day of the convention. We'll also assess the party's performance on immigration, which is one of the key issues at the election.
Also in the programme: we'll speak to a group that’s opposed to the annual bear hunt which starts in Sweden today; and the couple sponsoring 19 Afghan women to study medicine in Scotland.
(Picture: Former US first lady Michelle Obama embraces her husband, former President Barack Obama, on stage before his speech during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois on August 20, 2024. Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters)
Efrat Machikawa, niece of 80-year-old hostage Gadi Moses, calls on negotiators to 'seal the deal' while the opposition in Israel accuses the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of sabotaging Gaza peace talks.
Also in the programme: Rohingya persecution in Myanmar; and the oldest person in the world dies at 117.
(Picture: A combination picture shows undated handout images of Israeli hostages Alex Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Yagev Buchshtab, Chaim Peri and Abraham Munder and hostage Nadav Popplewell, who were kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas. Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/The Hostages)
Efrat Machikawa, niece of 80-year-old hostage Gadi Moses, calls on negotiators to 'seal the deal' while the opposition in Israel accuses the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of sabotaging Gaza peace talks. Also in the programme: Rohingya persecution in Myanmar; and the oldest person in the world dies at 117.(Picture: A combination picture shows undated handout images of Israeli hostages Alex Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Yagev Buchshtab, Chaim Peri and Abraham Munder and hostage Nadav Popplewell, who were kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas. Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/The Hostages)
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who's held talks with Israeli leaders, also said that Israel has approved a proposal aimed at bridging the divide between both sides.
Also on the programme: President Biden is due to address the opening day of the Democratic Convention in Chicago; and the luxury super-yacht which sank in a storm in the Mediterranean.
(Photo: U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to members of the press in Israel on August 19, 2024. Credit: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said now is "probably the best, maybe the last opportunity" to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.
We'll hear from a senior Hamas official, and a member of Israel's main governing party about their thoughts on the situation.
Also in the programme: As the Democrats' convention begins in Chicago, can Kamala Harris keep up her campaign's momentum? And as Ukraine and Russia both make incursions into each other's territory, what does this mean for the conflict?
(Photo shows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Israel's President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, Israel on 19 August 2024. Credit: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters)
Almost two weeks into its attack on Russia's Kursk region, Ukraine has rendered unusable another bridge over the river Seym, further complicating logistics for Russian forces, and making it more difficult for them to bring in reinforcements. Earlier in the week, the Ukrainians destroyed another bridge. Correspondents say cutting Russian access may indicate Kyiv is planning to hold and expand the ground they've taken, to form a buffer zone to protect Ukraine's Sumy region.
Also in the programme: With 78 days to go until the US Presidential election, what are the polls saying? and gamers make it to the rich list.
(Photo: A satellite image shows a bridge collapsed over the Seym river in the Glushkovo district, after a Ukrainian strike in the Kursk region. Credit: Handout via Reuters.)
Ukraine says it has destroyed a second bridge in Russia, as it continues its offensive in the Kursk region. The commander of the Ukrainian air force posted a video appearing to show the moment the bridge was brought down, saying the aim was to cut Russian supply lines.
Also on the programme: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken due in Israel, in a renewed push for a Gaza ceasefire deal. We look back at the life and times of handsome French film star Alain Delon, who died aged 88 today. And we speak to Parwana Fayyaz and Batool Haidari, two writers involved in “My Dear Kabul”, a book featuring the WhatsApp messages that gave 23 Afghan women solace when the Taliban took over their country three years ago.
(Photo: A destroyed Russian tank outside Ukrainian-controlled Russian town of Sudzha, Kursk region. Credit: YAN DOBRONOSOV/AFP/Getty Images)
Large opposition rallies in Venezuela, as opposition leader Maria Machado calls for the details of the presidential elections - which the opposition claim President Nicholas Maduro lost – to be published. Also in the programme; Indian doctors strike to protest the murder of a woman colleague; and a new play sheds light on the life of the rock icon, Janis Joplin.
(Photo: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado greeting her supporters in a rally in Caracas. Credit: Shutterstock)
Lebanon says at least ten people have been killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in the southern city of Nabatieh. Israel said it was targeting a Hezbollah weapons depot. Lebanese media say Hezbollah has fired more than forty rockets into northern Israel in retaliation. We have an interview with Lebanon's health minister, Firass Abiad.
Also in the programme: Doctors in India go on strike in protest at the rape and murder of a junior doctor in a hospital last week; and the London play that reflects on the legacy of rock legend, Janis Joplin.
(Photo: A man inspects the scene at an industrial area hit by an airstrike in Wadi Al Kfour, Nabatieh province, southern Lebanon, 17 August 2024. Credit: EPA)
Aid agencies are warning of a critical shortage of treatments and vaccines for Mpox across Africa, and are urging wealthy countries with supplies to share them. The warning comes following the World Health Organisation’s decision to declare the latest Mpox outbreak a global health emergency.
Also in the programme: The three countries trying to mediate a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza have presented a new proposal to Israel and Hamas; and US Congressman Joaquin Castro congressman on a mission to make his country's musical heritage more Latino!
(Photo: Hundreds of deaths from mpox have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Credit: Reuters)
"It's devastating. This was the moment I realised it's finally here, like a boomerang." A resident of the Kursk region describes the moment she realised the war had come to Russia.
Also in the programme: one Palestinian killed in West Bank settler violence; and Thailand's new prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
(Picture: A sign reading 'Kursk - 108 km' on a road not far from the Ukraine - Russian border, Ukraine, 15 August 2024. Mandatory Credit: EPA-EFE)
A new round of Middle East peace talks have begun, despite Hamas’s refusal to send a delegation. The US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says there’s been a “promising start” to the meetings. Delegations are coming together as the Hamas-run health ministry says the Gaza death toll has now reached 40,000. Also on the programme: Five people have been charged in connection with the ketamine-related death of ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry; and three years on since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, a UN representative for the country tells us how women’s rights have been affected.
(Photo: Families of Hamas hostages protest for their release, Tel Aviv, Israel, 15th August 2024. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, has condemned violence against women after a night of protests across the country following the rape and murder last week of a young doctor in Kolkata. How bad is the situation for women in India?
Also in the programme: the woman jailed in Russia for donating $51 to Ukraine; Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg's statue of his wife.
(Picture: A woman holds a candle during a vigil condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, on a street in Mumbai, India. Credit: Reuters)
We hear from Yan Furtsev, a Russian opposition politician in Kursk helping evacuees from areas under Ukrainian control. President Zelensky said around one hundred Russian troops had been taken prisoner, but Russian state TV claimed that the Ukrainian advance had been almost ‘completely blocked’.
Also on the programme: a special report from Afghanistan, where hundreds of thousands of refugees have been forced to return after being expelled by Pakistan; and with the rise of ‘age-blind’ casting, can older actors play roles traditionally given to much younger performers?
(Picture: Ukrainian servicemen ride military vehicles from a crossing point at the border with Russia in Sumy region, Ukraine August 13, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
Since the war between Hamas and Israel erupted in October 2023, the fear has been that the conflict in Gaza could lead to a wider regional war across the Middle East. Questions are growing as to whether Iran will retaliate against Israel, which is widely believed to be responsible for a strike that killed former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. US President Joe Biden thinks a ceasefire deal could make all the difference. We hear from a former Israeli diplomat and an expert on Iranian politics.Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky claims Ukrainian forces have continued to advance further into Russia's Kursk region; and an Australian weather presenter tells us what it was like to experience a panic attack live on air.
(Photo: Smoke rises after an explosion following an Israeli airstrike in the Central Gaza Strip, July 20th, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Omar Naaman)
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said his country now controls seventy-four communities in the Kursk region of western Russia. It's a week since Kyiv sent large numbers of troops over the border into Kursk in a surprise military incursion that caught Russia off guard. We will have a view from Moscow while our correspondent reports from the border with the Kursk region.
Also in the programme: The highly infectious disease, Mpox, has been declared a public health emergency in Africa by the continent’s leading health body; and Banksy's eighth London artwork in eight days defaced.
(Photo: The offensive into Russia has boosted morale on the Ukrainian side. Credit: Reuters)
The Ukrainian army has pushed its way into Russian land and claim to have taken control of 1,000 sq kms of territory. In the programme today we discuss Ukraine's surprise incursion and get reaction from Moscow. Also on the programme: Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s relationship, and the battle of the air cons in Portofino, Italy.
(Photo: A damaged car on the side of the road following the Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk border region. Credit: Reuters)
The governor of Russia's Kursk region has told President Putin that one- hundred- and- eighty- thousand residents are being evacuated as Ukraine continues its surprise offensive. Mr Putin vowed that the enemy would be "kicked out."
In the programme today we will be looking at some Russian reaction to the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk and in particular what Russian military bloggers are saying.
Also in the programme: The fires in Greece getting nearer to Athens; and two male flamingos in a zoo in Southern England who have successfully nurtured an egg!
(Photo: Residents in parts of the Kursk region have been warned to shelter in basements, and a growing number have been evacuated. Credit: Reuters)
Russia is evacuating a growing number of people from another border region as Ukraine's surprise attack continues. Some 11,000 people in the Belgorod region have been moved, Russian state media reported, because of "enemy action" near the border
Also in the programme, the US has ordered the rapid deployment of a submarine and aircraft carrier to the Middle East as fears grow of a wider regional conflict; and Bhutan's one and only Olympic competitor talks about the joys of coming last.
(Photo: Russian service members drive a tank in the area bordering Ukraine in Kursk region. Credit: Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS).
The closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics is taking place in the Stade de France, bringing an end to a festival of sport that has thrilled audiences around the world.
In his first interview since dropping his re-election bid, President Biden says he wanted to avoid becoming a distraction in the campaign to defeat Donald Trump.
And allegations of torture as the Zimbabwe authorities round up political dissidents ahead of a regional summit in the capital.
(Photo: French swimmer Leon Marchand carries the Olympic flame taken from at the Olympic cauldron at the Jardin des Tuileries and to be taken to the Closing Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France Stadium in Paris, France, 11 August 2024. Credit: Reuters)
On the final day of the Summer Olympics, France's Sports Minister reflects on what the Games have meant for her country. And we look at the cultural and social impact of the Games in Paris. Also in the programme: Donald Trump's presidential campaign team says its internal communications have been hacked by Iran; and 160 opposition members and activists have been arrested in Zimbabwe ahead of a regional summit. We hear from a lawyer representing some of them. (Picture: Sifan Hassan of Netherlands celebrates after winning gold in women's marathon. Credit: REUTERS/Lisa Leutner)
The White House has said far too many civilians continue to be killed in Gaza, after a deadly Israeli airstrike on a school where displaced Palestinian were sheltering. The director of a local hospital said more than seventy people died. Israel said nineteen Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters were killed. Egypt and Qatar - mediators in Gaza ceasefire talks - have condemned the strike. We hear from local residents in Gaza city. Also on the programme: the former head of YouTube and one of the highest profile chief executives in Silicon Valley - Susan Wojcicki - has died at the age of 56; and, sweeping change in Bangladesh, how is interim leader Mohammad Yunus doing?
(Picture: Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City. Credit: Mahmoud Issa, for Reauters)
An Israeli air strike on a school building sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City has killed more than 70 people. The situation is reported to be "catastrophic".
A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces said al-Taba’een school "served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility" with approximately 20 "militants" operating there. Hamas denies this.
Also in the programme: In Bangladesh, after the ousting of long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina, now the chief justice resigns after student leaders called for him to go; and 12 years after she lost out to a dope cheat, we speak to the Olympic 400m hurdler who's finally got the gold medal she deserved.
(Photo shows the damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a school in Gaza City on 10 August 2024. Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
President Putin has declared a "federal level" state of emergency on day four of a large Ukrainian military incursion into the Russian border region of Kursk, with more troops and munitions being rushed to the area. As fighting draws closer to a nuclear power plant we hear from analyst Professor Michael Clarke who explains what Ukraine is hoping to achieve. Also on the programme: Venezuela's 10-day block on X, formerly Twitter; and Botswana declares a half-day national holiday to celebrate Olympian Letsile Tebogo, the first African to win Gold in the 200-metre sprint.
(Picture: Ukrainian service members ride an Armoured Personnel Carrier near the Russian border in Sumy region. Credit: Viacheslav Ratynskyi for Reuters)
Over the past few days Ukrainian forces have launched a ground offensive inside Russia in the Kursk region. Russia's defence ministry says it's sending reinforcements and so far, four villages have been evacuated near the area. Military analyst Alexander Lord talks us through Ukraine’s change in strategy. Also in the programme: A victory for press freedom in the Philippines today. Rappler, the news organisation run by Nobel prize winner Maria Ressa, will have its corporate license restored. We hear from her. And in Brazil, deforestation in the Amazon has decreased by 46% compared to the past year. (Credit: Photo by Russian Emergencies Ministry HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as Bangladesh's interim leader. He flew into Dhaka after Sheikh Hasina - who ruled the country for 15 years - fled to India following weeks of student-led protests. We hear from someone who worked with Mr Yunus in microfinance - the field that led him to win a Nobel peace prize in 2006.
Also in our programme: as Kamala Harris draws closer in the polls, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held his first conference since her nomination as his Democratic opponent; and the Norwegian Foreign Minister responds to Israel's decision to strip eight Norwegian diplomats of their diplomatic accreditation.
(Photo: Muhammad Yunus signs the oath book as the country’s head of the interim government in Bangladesh. Credit: Reuters / Mohammad Ponir Hossain)
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus - a longtime political foe of Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina - has been named the country's interim leader. The 84-year-old was appointed a day after Ms Hasina fled the country following weeks of deadly protests that brought her resignation. Also on the programme: The former president of Catalonia, in Spain, pops up briefly in Barcelona but is at risk of arrest; and the two astronauts struggling to find a way back to earth. (Picture: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus attends a press briefing along with student leaders in Dhaka. Credit: Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)
Russia has declared a state of emergency in the Kursk region in response to what Moscow says is a continuing cross-border incursion by the Ukrainian military. Also on the programme, police forces across England are deploying thousands of officers as eight days of unrest continues; and, a Bolivian tribe's secret to reducing the effects of ageing.
(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets cabinet members after Ukrainian attack in Kursk, Novo Ogaryovo, Russian Federation - 07 Aug 2024. VALERIY SHARIFULIN/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The US Vice-President, Kamala Harris, has chosen the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, as her running-mate for the presidential election in November. Also on the programme: the president of Bangladesh has dissolved parliament, paving the way for the formation of an interim government; and a high-wire artist remembers the day he walked between the Twin Towers in New York.
(Photo: Photo by SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Minnesota Governor Tim Walz walks out of the West Wing to deliver remarks to the news media following his meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 03 July 2024.)
The US Vice-President Kamala Harris has chosen the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as her running mate for November's presidential election. We hear from one of his old friends.
Also on the programme: the president of Bangladesh has dissolved parliament to enable a new government to be formed, a day after the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted by protesters. And the British government condemns Elon Musk's comments that civil war is inevitable in Britain as unrest continues across the country.
(Picture: VP Candidate Tim Walz, the current governor of Minnesota. Credit: Reuters)
The prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has resigned and fled to India after weeks of unrest - the army chief says an interim government will be formed. Also on the programme, Nearly 400 people have been arrested after a series of violent protests erupted across the UK last Tuesday; and, a presidential candidate solves a ten-year bear mystery.
(Photo: People climb the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bijoy Sarani area, as they celebrate the resignation of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain TPX)
The long-serving prime minster of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has resigned and fled the country in a military helicopter. In the morning, tens of thousands of people defied curfew orders and marched towards the capital, Dhaka. Crowds cheered in the street upon hearing the news about the PM stepping down. Also on the programme: the International Boxing Association weighs in on the controversy surrounding Olympic boxers Imane Khelif of Algeria and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting; and the British government holds an emergency meeting after anti-immigration riots.
(Photo: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addresses a meeting with foreign observers and journalists in Dhaka, 8th January 2024. Credit: Monirul Alam/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
More than ninety people have been killed in Bangladesh in clashes between police and anti-government protesters demanding the resignation of the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia is one of the latest countries urging their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately amid fears of an all-out war between Israel and the Iranian backed militant group Hezbollah; and exports of the South Korean staple kimchi are on a record rise worldwide. (Picture: Mass Students' Procession in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Credit: MONIRUL ALAM/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
At least 25 people have been killed in Bangladesh in worsening clashes between police and anti-government protesters who are demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down. We hear from a student and a government minister.
Also in the programme: Riots and looting in several British towns and cities; and life becomes easier for breastfeeding athletes at the Paris Olympics.
(Photo: Demonstrators shout slogans after occupying a street during a protest. Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 4, 2024. Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)
Venezuela's opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has turned up at a mass rally in Caracas, defying government calls for her arrest. Also in the programme: there has been international condemnation after an attack in Somalia's capital Mogadishu. At least 37 people were killed on Friday in a suicide attack carried out by al-Shabab militants; and the US rock band Aerosmith have announced their immediate retirement from touring due to Steven Tyler's vocal injury. (Photo: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attends a protest in Caracas. Credit: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
The September 11 pardon given to the perpetrators has been revoked as torture was used against them in Guantanamo Bay. Also in the programme: a Druze eyewitness recounts last week’s attack in the Golan Heights which killed 12 children; and we hear from the prisoners released from Russia.
(Photo: Woman in the 9/11 memorial in New York. Credit: Reuters)
Two of the most high-profile Russian dissidents freed as part of a major prisoner swap say they refused officials' demands to plead for mercy from President Putin to secure their release. Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin said they considered him a tyrant, a murderer and a war criminal.
Also in the programme, the Venezuelan government cracks down on protests against last weekend's disputed election.
And North Korea is hoping that Donald Trump becomes the next US President - that's according to a senior North Korean defector.
(Photo: Released prisoners make press statement in Bonn following prisoner swap between Russia and the West, Germany - 02 Aug 2024. Credit: EPA)
The Kremlin has admitted that Vadim Krasikov, a convicted killer released as part of the prisoner exchange with the US, was a Russian spy working for the FSB.
We'll hear from the investigator who first uncovered his identity and helped negotiate the deal: We will also get reaction from Washington and from a Russian politician loyal to Vladimir Putin.
Also in the programme: An exclusive interview with a high-ranking North Korean defector who tells us why Kim Jong-Un is hoping Donald Trump will be re-elected as president; and why there is controversy surrounding the women's boxing at the Olympics in Paris.
(Photo shows Russian citizens released after the Russian-US prisoner swap disembarking from a plane at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia on 1 August 2024. Credit: Sergei Ilyin/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool via EPA)
A major prisoner exchange between Russia, the US and four European countries has taken place, with the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich among those freed. Also on the programme: Israel says it's received intelligence confirming that the head of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an air strike in Gaza last month; and Muslim girls in London learn to fence.
(Photo: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is on trial on spying charges, smiles inside an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo)
Three US citizens - reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva - imprisoned in Russia are expected to be released today under a major prisoner exchange deal between Russia and the West.
The exchange will involve 24 prisoners held in Russia, the US, Germany and three other Western countries.
Also in the programme: Israel says its received information confirming that the head of Hamas' military wing in Gaza was killed in an airstrike; and the US says it's reached a plea deal with three men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks - but some families of the victims say they're furious at the way the cases have been handled.
(Photo shows the journalist Evan Gershkovich standing inside a glass defendant's cage in Yekaterinburg's Sverdlovsk Regional Court, Russia on 19 July 2024, Credit; Stringer/EPA)
Israeli PM says his country dealt crushing blows to its enemies, it was his first statement since killing of Hezbollah’s Shukr and Hamas’ leader Haniyeh. Also in the programme: Columbia’s former president on the Venezuelan elections; Sudan’s army chief survive an attempt on his life; and the Kosovan music festival organised by Dua Lipa.
(Photo: protesters in Tehran hold the picture of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader killed in Tehran. Credit: Reuters)
The Palestinian militant group, Hamas, says its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, has been killed in Iran. Will this lead to a regional escalation?
Also on the programme: Costa Rica has said it is prepared to offer the Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, asylum after reports the government in Caracas had issued an arrest warrant for her; and Australia starts the world-first peanut allergy treatment for babies.
(Photo: Palestinian group Hamas' top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, pictured in March. Credit: Reuters)
Mass protests in Venezuela as Maduro’s win is disputed as he faces more challenges even among his former supporters. Also in the programme: Israel says it targeted a Hezbollah commander in a Beirut strike, it says he was responsible for Saturday’s deadly attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; and the Turkish parliament passes a law to rid the streets of stray dogs.
(Picture: Supporters of the Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia in Caracas. Credit: Shutterstock)
There have been protests across Venezuela against the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro, which the opposition says was fraudulent. Caracas has ordered diplomats from seven Latin American countries to leave because of their refusal to recognise Maduro's official victory.
Also on the programme, the Israeli government has vowed a harsh response to a rocket attack three days ago that killed 12 young people from the Druze community in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; and, at the Paris Olympics, athletes have expressed frustration after the men's triathlon was postponed by a day because of pollution in the River Seine.
(Photo: A demonstrator reacts when Molotov cocktails hit the ground in front of security forces during protests against election results after Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his opposition rival Edmundo Gonzalez claimed victory in Sunday's presidential election, in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela July 29, 2024. REUTERS/Samir Aponte)
Tension in Lebanon as Israel vows to strike Hezbollah following Saturday’s deadly attack on the Golan Heights. Also in the programme: President Biden proposes an overhaul of the Supreme Court; Venezuela’s president, Nicholas Maduro claims victory; and could Zambia honour its commitments for free primary and secondary education?
(Photo: Empty hall in Rafik Hariri International Airport as airlines cancel their flights to Lebanon. Credit: Shutterstock)
The opposition says vote tallies as well as quick counts, show Mr Gonzalez had a lead of 40 percentage points over the incumbent. Opposition parties unite behind Mr Gonzalez in an attempt to unseat President Maduro after 11 years in power. Opinion polls conducted ahead of the election suggest Mr Gonzalez would roundly defeat the president.
Also on the programme: Remembering the trailblazing Irish writer, Edna O’Brien; and what does it take to make an Olympic comeback?
(Photo: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrates after partial results are announced by the electoral council in Caracas, Venezuela. Credit: Ronald Penar/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Venezuela's Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, has dismissed concerns about fraud and government intimidation in the presidential election. He tells BBC Newshour that millions of people had been voting in peace across the country, adding that Venezuela had one of the world's most reliable voting systems.
Also on the programme: Fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah - we'll have the latest and hear from the Druze community; and Public Enemy's Flavor Flav tells us why he's the hype man for the USA's Olympic water polo team.
(Photo: a Venezuelan citizen paints his face with the national flag during presidential election day in Venezuela. Credit: Luis Eduardo Noriega, Shutterstock)
Israel's air force says it has hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon which comes after the deadly rocket strike on a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that left twelve children and young adults dead and dozens injured, according to Israeli authorities. The Israel Defence Forces said a rocket was fired by the powerful Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a claim strongly denied by the group. We hear from Lebanon’s Foreign Minister and a government spokesperson.
Also on the programme: polls have opened in Venezuela in the most tensely awaited presidential election in more than a decade; and we get the latest on a busy day at the Olympics with Simone Biles making her return to gymnastics.
(Photo: Emergency personnel inspect the area after rockets were launched across Lebanon's border with Israel which, according to Israel's ambulance services, people were killed, at a soccer pitch in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, July 27, 2024. REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
The IDF said that a Hamas command and control centre was embedded inside the school. We hear from an MSF nurse working in the emergency room in a nearby hospital about the casualties she's witnessed.
Also on the programme: The first images of the devastation caused by Wildfires in Canada emerge; and as they're set to play Serbia in the Olympic Games tomorrow, we ask if the United States has lost its dominance over basketball.
(Photo: A Palestinian man carries a body following an Israeli strike in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting won the first 2024 Olympic gold medals in the mixed 10m air rifle. Fourteen gold medals are up for grabs today, including in diving, fencing, and rugby sevens. Also on the programme, we look ahead to tomorrow's presidential election in Venezuela. And how does it feel when life imitates art? We meet Mike Bartlett, whose 2022 play "The 47th" depicted a presidential contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. (Picture: Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting Credit: Reuters / Alfiky)
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is underway, with a flotilla of boats taking the athletes down the River Seine as an accordionist plays Piaf on a bridge. The rain has for now abated, sparing the hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered on the quays and bridges. Meanwhile, the French intelligence services are hunting those who disrupted the Olympic festivities by sabotaging the high-speed rail lines into Paris -- also affecting locals setting off for the summer holidays.
Hospital staff in Bangladesh say plain-clothes police have taken away three leaders of the recent student protests. They were being treated in Dhaka for injuries allegedly sustained in custody.
And we will hear about the nationwide women only student organization in America, that Kamala Harris hopes will help her win the presidency.
(Photo: A torchbearer runs atop the Musee d'Orsay during the opening ceremony. Credit: REUTERS/Peter Cziborra)
The French rail network has been disrupted by a series of acts of sabotage, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers - just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony gets under way in Paris. Also on the programme, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Ethiopia's troubled Tigray region; and, a crisis for Japanese deer as tourists behave inappropriately.
(Photo: A SNCF railway worker carries cable wires at the site where vandals targeted France's high-speed train network with a series of coordinated actions that brought major disruption, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, in Croisilles, northern France July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
President Biden is meeting the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House to discuss efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Mr Biden has previously criticised Israel for the number of Palestinian civilians killed during its war against Hamas. He has made clear that he wants to ensure that a deal to end the war and free the hostages will be delivered during his last six months in office. We speak to Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son, Sagui Dekel-Chen, who was captured by Hamas on October 7th and has been held in Gaza for the past 10 months. Jonathan is part of a delegation of hostage families who have travelled to Washington to meet with Mr Biden and prime minister Netanyahu.
We have a special report on how drones are being used - close to the Ukraine-Russia frontline - our correspondent has been on that frontline.
And we will look at took ahead to Sunday's Presidential Election in Venezuela.
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
In his first address to the nation since he pulled out of the presidential race, President Biden said saving democracy is more important than personal ambition. Also in the programme: Rescue teams in Taiwan race to save the crew of a sunken ship in the wake of Typhoon Gaemi; and will Deadpool and Wolverine revive Marvel’s fortunes? (Photo: Biden in the Oval Office. Credit: Reuters)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has addressed both chambers of the US Congress in a bid to bolster support for his country's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Also on the programme: Germany bans an Iranian-linked group accusing it of promoting extremism; and we hear from the scene of two landslides in a remote region of Ethiopia, which have killed more than 200 people.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the US Capitol. Credit: Getty Images)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has addressed both chambers of the US Congress in a bid to bolster support for his country's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Also on the programme: Germany bans an Iranian-linked group accusing it of promoting extremism; and we hear from the scene of two landslides in a remote region of Ethiopia, which have killed more than 200 people.(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the US Capitol. Credit: Getty Images)
Some 200,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults suffered abuse while in social care in New Zealand over the last 70 years, a landmark investigation has found.New Zealand's prime minister says it's a "dark day" for the country. We'll hear from a survivor of abuse in the system about the impact it's had.Also in the programme: Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the US Congress in Washington DC today amid protests, and ahead of the Olympics in Paris, there is a spy-drone scandal.(Photo shows survivors of the care system looking emotional in New Zealand. Credit: Getty Images)
Kamala Harris, buoyed up by high profile Democratic endorsements and a massive influx of donations from ordinary supporters, takes to the US campaign trail in Wisconsin.Also in the programme: why is the UK facing what some are calling a national emergency of violence against women and girls? And scientists push for a game-changing drug that prevents HIV infection to be made cheaply and globally available.(IMAGE: US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at West Allis, Wisconsin, USA, USA, 23 July 2024 / CREDIT:Jeffrey Phelps/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington DC for the first time since the Hamas attacks of October the 7th plunged the Middle East into war and chaos.The visit comes as he is under pressure to end the war in Gaza from both Israelis and the US administration.Also in the programme: Kamala Harris starts the Presidentical race behind in the polls and with just over 100 days to go - can she turn things around? And Hollywood star Keanu Reeves talks to us about life, death, and his new book.(File photo shows Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president Joe Biden in Tel Aviv, Israel on 18 October 2023. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
What do we know about US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is thought most likely to win the Democratic Party nomination after the withdrawal of Joe Biden? What are her strengths - what are her weaknesses - and does she have a path to victory?
Also in the programme: the battles between the Mexican state and the drug cartels claim yet another victim - Mexico City's police intelligence chief; and a BBC investigation tracks down one of South Africa's most notorious serial killers – Louis van Schoor – who shot dead dozens of black men and boys in the late eighties, but was controversially released from prison, and now says police colluded in his crimes.(IMAGE: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris looks on during an event with the women and men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion teams in her first public appearance since President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, U.S., July 22, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters/Nathan Howard)
Many leading Democrats in the United States have followed Joe Biden's lead by backing his vice president, Kamala Harris as the party's new presidential nominee for the November elections. It follows Mr Biden's decision to withdraw from the election process.Also in the programme: Hundreds killed and arrested following unrest in Bangladesh and anti-tourism demonstrations in Spain.(Picture: US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Credit: Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden withdraws from the presidential race after weeks of mounting pressure from Democrats. On this special edition of Newhour, we look at President Biden’s legacy, reactions from Democrats and Republicans, and our correspondents in Washington and in Biden’s beach house in Delaware. Picture: US Vice President Kamala Harris and US President Joe Biden on a stage in Raleigh, North Carolina. Credit: ALLISON JOYCE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock.
The Supreme Court in Bangladesh has scrapped most of the quotas on government jobs, that have triggered widespread anti-government protests. Thousands of students have been agitating since the beginning of the month against the quota system saying it favoured those close to the governing Awami League. Around 150 people have died.Also in the programme: Israel says it has intercepted a missile launched from Yemen shortly after the Israeli air force carried out a series of strikes on Yemeni territory; and botanists decide to change hundreds of plant names which contain a word with racist connotations.(Photo: A member of the Bangladesh Army interrogates a man who came outside during a curfew imposed in response to student-led protests against government job quotas. Credit: Reuters).
Clashes continue in Dhaka despite a nationwide curfew imposed to curb the student protests. Also in the programme: Israel launches its first direct strikes against the Houthis in Yemen; and we remember the pioneering black American Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.(Photo: Smoke rising as clashes between security forces and protesters continue despite a nationwide curfew. Credit: Reuters)
There've been sporadic clashes in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, as the military enforces a national curfew to quell anti- government protests. In one neighbourhood, witnesses said riot police used live ammunition against protesters. In all, over a hundred people have died during days of unrest over a quota system for government jobs. In California, Disneyland workers vote for strike action. Union officials say low wages forced some employees into homelessness. And we hear how new revelations about sexual abuse which have emerged since the death of the Canadian author Alice Munro could affect her legacy.
The head of cybersecurity firm, CrowdStrike, has apologised after a faulty software update caused disruption to transport, healthcare and businesses around the world. We ask how global tech infrastructure can make us vulnerable to massive failures.Also in our programme: the International Court of Justice has said Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and should come to an end as rapidly as possible; and we hear from a pastor who spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.(Photo: mass IT outage hits companies and infrastructure around the world. Credit: Leung Man Hei / Shutterstock)
Trump is set to take centre stage at the Republican National Convention on Thursday evening to deliver a speech and formally accept the party's presidential nomination - we hear from his former national security advisor.Also on the programme: In Bangladesh the internet is cut off as protesters set fire to the headquarters of the national broadcaster;the stegosaurus bones that have sold for $44.6M. And can Britain learn lessons from an unusually high death toll during the Covid pandemic?
(Photo: Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump stands with members of his extended family on Day 3 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Credit: Reuters / O'hare)
Delegates at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee have responded positively to the first speech by their vice presidential nominee, JD Vance.
Also in the programme: the Iranian badminton player competing at the Paris Olympics as part of the team of refugees; and after astronomers find tantalising evidence of so-called 'biosignature gases', could there really be life in the clouds of Venus?
(IMAGE: Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio Senator JD Vance speaks on the third day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 17 July 2024 / CREDIT: Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
China says it is suspending nuclear non-proliferation and arms control talks with the United States in response to recent US military sales to Taiwan.
Also on the programme: We speak to a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, who says she was fired because she was determined to chair a press union there; and the mayor of Paris has taken a plunge into the river Seine to prove it is clean enough for competitive swimming ahead of the Olympic Games.
(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds at the closing session of the National People's Congress. Credit: Reuters)
Long: Bangladesh shuts down schools as student protests turn deadly amid calls for a reform of the quota system for public sector jobs. We hear from the Bangladesh law minister Anisul Huq. Also in the programme: Paris Olympics organising committee chair says the Seine River is safe for sport; and the Gazan man with Down’s syndrome attacked by Israeli army dog.
(Photo: Funeral prayers of six Bengali students killed in Dhaka. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine is facing up to a crisis of military recruitment, as a deadline passes for all men there, between the ages of 18 and 60 to register their details. A reluctance, among some, to fight the ongoing Russian invasion, is fuelled by a controversial mobilisation law, which means there is no cap on people's length of service.
Also on the programme: A Republican party spokeswoman tells us about Mr Trump's triumphant return to the US election campaign; and how a senior North Korean diplomat managed to defect to the South.
(Picture: U.S President Donald Trump listens during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
JD Vance is Donald Trump's running mate, we speak to his university roommate and explore how Vance went from a never-Trumper to his running mate. Also on the programme: Kenyan police arrest a man who says he killed 42 women; and the remote mountain-top rainforest in Mozambique, now a conservation area.
(Photo: JD Vance walking with his wife in the Republican national Convention. Credit: Shutterstock)
Two days after surviving an assassination attempt, Donald Trump is in Milwaukee, joining thousands of supporters and political heavyweights at the start of the Republican National Convention. The four day event will culminate with his acceptance speech as the Republican candidate to contest November’s presidential election. Mr Trump has signalled that he has rewritten his speech to switch from denouncing President Biden to call for national unity, after the attempt on his life. Both men have said America must now come together.
We'll be in Milwaukee where the Republican National Convention is being held. We'll also hear from a friend of Donald Trump.
(Photo: Supporters of former US President Donald Trump wait for his arrival in Milwaukee, after he survived an assassination attempt. Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria)
Former US President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt after being shot at a Republican rally in Pennsylvania. We get political reactions from congressmen from both the Republican and Democratic party and speak to the New York Times photographer who captured the image of a bullet streaking past Mr Trump.
Also in the programme: the role has political violence in US political history; and we get the latest sports update from Wimbledon and the Euro football finals.
(Photo: Donald Trump gets escorted off stage after being shot at the Republican rally in Pennsylvania. Credit: REUTERS)
A bullet hit his ear while he was speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. President Biden has urged everyone to condemn the attack.
We will hear from eye witnesses to the attack and we'll examine the security failures which led to it. And we'll also be asking what effect this is likely to have on the presidential campaign?
(Picture: Donald Trump being taken to safety by his security detail. Credit: Maxell / EPA)
An Israeli strike has killed dozens in al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area in Gaza, where large numbers of displaced Palestinians have been sheltering in tents. The Israeli Defence Force said the strike's objective were two top Hamas leaders.We hear from UNRWA about the scenes at Nasser hospital, which is close to the strike's location.
Also in our programme: France struggles to appoint a new Prime Minister, and criminal charges of involuntary homicide are dropped against actor Alec Baldwin.
(Photo: a Palestinian woman and her children mourning the death of her husband killed following an Israeli air strike in the Al-Mawasi area. Credit: Saber / Shutterstock).
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says at least 71 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike near the southern city of Khan Younis. Israeli defence sources are reported to have described the incident as a "very significant" strike with reports a senior Hamas commander, Mohammed Deif, was the target.
Also in the programme: Russia spies arrested in Australia; and Captain Flinders is buried again.
(Picture: People mourn at Nasser hospital, following the killing of Palestinians in an Israeli strike at a tent camp, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 13, 2024. Credit: Reuters)
Nearly twenty US Congressional Democrats have publicly urged President Joe Biden to step down from the presidential race, amid concerns that his faculties are declining with age. He has vowed to stay on despite making several blunders. Could Vice-President Kamala Harris replace Mr Biden as candidate if he steps down?
Also in the programme: UN peace talks to end Sudan's civil war fall through; and a new expedition seeks to explore the Titanic shipwreck.
(Photo: US Vice-President Kamala Harris campaigning in Greensboro, North Carolina. Credit: Lesser)
Joe Biden has promised to stay on as Democratic presidential candidate despite making several faux pas at the recent NATO summit, including introducing President Zelensky as Putin.
Also on the programme: the president of Colombia has called on the UN to make cocaine legal. He believes it will help bring peace to his country, which has battled an armed conflict for 60 years. And, do narcissists become more agreeable as they get older?
(Photo: Joe Biden has faced accusations of being too old to run for US President. Credit: Shutterstock)
Nato members have pledged their support for an "irreversible path" to future membership for Ukraine, as well as more aid. In response, former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev said he hoped this would end "either with the disappearance of Ukraine, or NATO -- or better still, both”. A US State Department director tells Newshour that Russia is trying to “undermine the alliance and threaten” the war-torn nation. Also in the programme: US President Joe Biden prepares to take to the stage at a NATO summit news conference. Will he reassure critics that he is a competent candidate for the 2024 election? Moreover, researchers film male lions swimming over a mile to find mates - in a species first. We speak to a big cat expert.
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky hugs NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the 2024 NATO Conference in Washington DC, 11th July 2024.Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
China has fiercely rejected accusations from Nato - whose leaders are meeting in Washington - that it's helping maintain Russia's war in Ukraine. The military alliance said Beijing had become Russia's "decisive enabler", with its "large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base". Beijing urged nations to reflect on the "root causes" of the war.
Also on the programme: A survey of Jewish people in thirteen EU countries has found they continue to face high levels of antisemitism; the renewed pressures on US president Joe Biden to stand down; and early birds versus night owls, a new study has deemed one smarter than the other, we hear from both sides.
(Picture:75th NATO Summit in Washington DC, USA - 11 Jul 2024 Credit: Alessandro di Meo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israeli leaflets dropped across Gaza City warn inhabitants to leave in advance of a new round of urban combat. An estimated quarter-of-a-million people are still living there. We hear from Israeli spokesman David Mencer and Sam Rose from UNWRA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
Also in the programme: US actor Alec Baldwin appears in court accused of involuntary manslaughter after fatal filmset shooting; and the UK's 'sugar tax' shown to sharply reduce consumers' sugar intake.
(Photo: Palestinians inspect damage after Israeli forces withdrew from Shejaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza city. Credit: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
NATO leaders gather in Washington DC, with the defence of Ukraine top of their agenda. We hear from a mother whose 12-year-old son survived Russia's missile attack on Kyiv's children's hospital on Monday.
Also in the programme: a Democratic congressman defends the beleaguered US president; and the 16-year-old footballing sensation who just propelled Spain into the finals of the Euros.
As NATO leaders meet, in Washington, for the organisation's seventy-fifth anniversary summit, war rages on in Europe. Should Ukraine be allowed to join the club - to protect it from Vladimir Putin? We speak to a former Deputy Secretary General of NATO about the likelihood of Ukraine joining the alliance. Also on the programme: campaigners in Australia are putting pressure on ministers to help more disabled people and those with medical conditions get visas; and the Danish capital Copenhagen announces plans to reward eco-friendly tourists with free food and activities.
Photo: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO secretary-general attend a press conference, in Kyiv, April 29, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Thomas Peter.
NATO leaders meet in Washington, with Russia's attack on Kyiv's children's hospital expected to be on the agenda. Plus, what would a second Trump presidency mean for the alliance?
Also in the programme: we hear from Congressman Adam Smith, the latest Democrat to say Joe Biden should stand down as the party's presidential candidate. And the people campaigning to overturn Australia's immigration ban on people with disabilities.
(IMAGE: A view of the convention centre on the day of the NATO 75th Anniversary celebratory event in Washington, U.S., July 9, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters / Yves Herman)
Snap elections have produced a win for a left-wing coalition and a somewhat unexpected defeat for the far-right. But no party, or group of parties, has overall control and it isn't clear whether President Macron's gamble of calling those elections has paid off. We hear from one of their MPs.
Russia's latest barrage of missile attacks has killed dozens of people, including at a children's hospital in Kyiv. And it comes the day before NATO holds its summit of leaders of the western world, in Washington.
Pic: Deputy of LFI Matilde Panod (L) and leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) Jean-Luc Melenchon arrive to the Headquarter of the Party for a meeting in Paris Credit: Andre Pain/EPA)
Russia unleashes a barrage of missiles on Ukraine killing dozens of people, some at the main children's hospital in Kyiv. We hear from one of the doctors.
Also in the programme: extended coverage of the French election results and their implications, live from Newshour's team in Paris. With none of the three main blocs getting anywhere near a majority - but the Left nudging ahead after Sunday's second round - is one of the world's major economies heading for political deadlock and uncertainty?
(IMAGE: Rescuers work at Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital that was damaged during Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 8, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters / Oleksandr Ratushniak)
Large numbers of French people are voting in the second round of parliamentary elections. Turnout at midday was the highest in over forty years. Attention is focused on whether the far- right National Rally can win an absolute majority.
Also in the programme: Reports quoting Hamas sources say the militant group has accepted Washington’s proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages; and for how much longer can Joe Biden resist pressure to stand aside as the Democratic party's presidential candidate?
(Photo: A woman exits a voting booth with her ballot in hand in the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, at a polling station in Paris, France, July 7, 2024. REUTERS/Yara Nardi)
Voters go to the polls tomorrow in a runoff legislative election between the far-right and a coalition of moderate and centrist parties.
Also in the programme: What might the new Iranian president do - we look at his policy agenda at home and abroad; and the new-look British cabinet.
(Photo: Election posters of the French far-right National Rally. Credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
Voters go to the polls tomorrow in a runoff legislative election between the far-right and a coalition of moderate and centrist parties.Also in the programme: What might the new Iranian president do - we look at his policy agenda at home and abroad; and the new-look British cabinet. (Photo: Election posters of the French far-right National Rally. Credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
He beat the hardline conservative candidate Saeed Jalili after securing 53.3% of the more than 30 million votes counted.Also in the programme: The UK's new Prime Minister holds his first cabinet meeting; and Turkey's ruling party are working on a new bill aimed at getting stray dogs off the streets.(Photo: Iranian presidential reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during an election campaign in Tehran. Credit: STR/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Hours after his Labour Party was swept to office with a massive electoral majority, Britain's new prime minister Keir Starmer has assembled his senior government team. Britain's first female chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said the government's central mission was to restore economic growth nationwide.
Also in the programme: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban visits Moscow; and Joe Biden claims he isn’t dropping out.
(Photo: Newly elected Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria outside No 10 Downing Street after the Labour party won a landslide victory at the 2024 General Election. CREDIT: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Britain's outgoing prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has left Downing Street after his Conservative Party suffered a crushing defeat in Thursday's general election. After 14 years in opposition the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, won with a landslide majority.
We have a special edition of Newshour broadcasting from outside the UK parliament.(Picture: Sir Keir Starmer announces the victory of the Labour Party in the UK Election. Credit: Reu / Plunkett)
France's centrist Prime Minister Gabriel Attal warns of a "climate of fear" ahead of parliamentary elections on Sunday - while national football star Kylian Mbappe urges people to vote against the far right National Rally.Also in the programme: negotiations resume between Israel and Hamas on a Gaza ceasefire deal; and as pressure mounts on 81-year old US President Joe Biden to stand aside as Democratic Party candidate, we hear some sobering thoughts from Malaysia's former prime minister, who was 94 when he resigned.(IMAGE: French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is seen after Ensemble Pour La Republique candidate and French Government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot and her team were targeted by an unidentified group of youth while they were out putting up campaign posters prior to the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Meudon-la-Foret, near Paris, France, July 4, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters/Benoit Tessier)
New efforts to end the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages are under way. Meanwhile the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah says it's launched more than 200 rockets and attack drones towards Israel, in response to the killing of one of its senior commanders. We hear from our correspondent in the region.Also on the programme: The election in France and how the issue of immigration is driving a wedge between communities in the port of Marseille; and we hear all about how IVF could help save rhinos from extinction.(Photo: Hezbollah hits Israel with over 200 rockets after commander's killing; Credit: Mostafa Alkhrouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hurricane Beryl is battering southern Jamaica with sustained winds of up to two- hundred- and- thirty kilometres an hour. It may make landfall there in the coming hours. There are reports of power cuts in many places, including the capital, Kingston. The Category Four storm is already causing dangerous winds and a sea surge. The Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness, has declared a twelve-hour daytime curfew across the island. The hurricane caused extensive damage on other Caribbean islands. Seven people are known to have died so far.
Also in the programme: the UK prepares to go to the polls; and what effect is AI having on the climate?
(Photo: Sea waves break as Hurricane Beryl approaches, as seen from the Caribbean Terrace neighbourhood in Kingston, Jamaica. CREDIT: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
Britain's political parties are making their last push for support on the eve of voting in the general election, with the governing Conservatives still far behind in opinion polls. We have a special broadcast from the English West Midlands.
Also in the programme: Child marriage ban welcomed in Sierra Leone; and what women's BMX at the Olympics has done for the sport.
(Photo: Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak. Credit: PA and Reuters)
The second and final round of France's election is fast approaching, as centrist and left-wing politicians ramp up tactics to prevent Marine Le Pen's far-right party, National Rally, from gaining power. The deadline for candidates to pull out of seats where they are not the main challenger to the National Rally has now passed.
We hear from a candidate from the radical left party France Unbowed who decided to pull out of the race and we speak to a pollster about the National Rally's electoral prospects.Also in the programme: Haiti's new interim government; and what lies ahead for the NATO alliance?(Photo: Marine Le Pen reacts on stage after partial results in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections in Henin-Beaumont, France, June 30, 2024. Credit: Reuters / Yves Herman)
The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians to leave a wide sweep of land to the east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. Witnesses say many people are already fleeing. Rockets have also been fired from Gaza into Israel.Also on the programme: Donald Trump's former strategist Steve Bannon speaks to us just before heading to jail; and will women turn out to vote in Iran's second round of elections?(Photo: Palestinians flee Khan Younis Credit: Reuters/Mohammed Salem)
Efforts by centrist and left-wing blocs in France to stop the far right National Rally from winning an overall parliamentary majority in next Sunday's second round have seen more than 150 of their candidates drop out. Such tactics -- traditionally known as a 'Republican Front' -- have been successful in previous elections. We speak to one of President Macron's Ministers.Also in the programme: Donald Trump has hailed as a 'big win' for democracy the Supreme Court's ruling giving him substantial immunity from prosecution for actions taken in his former role as president. We hear from a Democratic Congresswoman; and is Sweden the dream location to start a family? New parents can now gift maternity or paternity pay to friends and family who help out.(Photo: Jordan Bardella has vowed only to be French prime minister if his National Rally (RN) party wins an absolute majority. Credit: Reuters/Benoir Tessier)
France's far right National Rally has made big gains in the first round of the parliamentary elections, exit polls suggest.
Celebrating her party's early success, Marine Le Pen says "democracy has spoken" as she declares President Emmanuel Macron's camp "practically wiped out". Meanwhile, Mr Macron is calling for a broad alliance against Ms Le Pen's party ahead of next week's second round. Also in the programme: The UN holds talks with members of the Afghan Taliban in Qatar: does bringing them to the table imply recognition of their government? And the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines on preparations for Hurricane Beryl.
(Photo shows Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, speaking to journalists after partial results in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections in Henin-Beaumont, France on 30 June 2024. Credit: Yves Herman/Reuters)
Round one of the French parliamentary elections: with the far right party of Marine Le Pen ahead in the polls, what's expected and what could happen in the next two weeks as the three main voting blocs compete for votes?
Also in the programme: the United Nations says conditions for Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip are 'unbearable' following a flare-up in the fighting there - we hear from UNRWA inside Gaza; and we look at the economic impact of banning TikTok in India.
(IMAGE: A voter casts their ballot in the first round of France's early parliamentary elections, at a polling station in Paris, France, 30 June 2024 / CREDIT: MOHAMMED BADRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Round one of the French parliamentary elections: with the far right party of Marine Le Pen ahead in the polls, what's expected and what could happen in the next two weeks as the three main voting blocs compete for votes?Also in the programme: the United Nations says conditions for Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip are 'unbearable' following a flare-up in the fighting there - we hear from UNRWA inside Gaza; and we look at the economic impact of banning TikTok in India.(IMAGE: A voter casts their ballot in the first round of France's early parliamentary elections, at a polling station in Paris, France, 30 June 2024 / CREDIT: MOHAMMED BADRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In Iran - the only reformist candidate in presidential elections will face a run-off, at the end of next week, with an ultra-conservative rival. Also on the programme, 10 years after Islamic State declared their “Caliphate”, Yazidis are still struggling to recover from genocide; and, Amnesty International says armed criminals may have been introduced into protests in Kenya to inflame the situation.(Photo: An Iranian woman casts her vote in a polling station during the presidential election, in Tehran, Iran, 28 June 2024. Iran holds presidential elections on 28 June, following the death of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on 19 May 2024.STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Speaking at a rally in the state of North Carolina, US president Joe Biden tells the audience: "I'm not a young man... I don't debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know, I know how to tell the truth". Mr Biden's comments come after his stumbling performance at 2024's first presidential TV debate against Donald Trump. The BBC's Nomia Iqbal discusses his most recent speech.Also in the programme: Voting has been extended in Iran's presidential election; how beeswax is helping Ukrainians preserve food amid war; and actor Russell Crowe tells us about his upcoming Glastonbury music festival performance.Photo: US President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. Credit: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz.
US Democrats are discussing whether Joe Biden can continue as the party's presidential candidate in the wake of his halting display in a televised election debate with Donald Trump. We speak to Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Also in the programme: Millions of Iranians vote in a presidential election; and a new electric car battery which charges in under five minutes.
(Photo: Composite photo of Democratic Party presidential candidate, US President Joe Biden (R) and Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump (L) speak during a presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia, 27 June 2024. Credit: Brian SnyderReuters)
US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump prepare to go head to head in televised debates. We ask a former adviser to Biden and a Republican pollster about what’s to expect and what’s at stake. Also on the programme: more protests in Kenya even after the President U-Turns on his controversial tax policy; a BBC investigation tracks down a prolific people smuggler involved in trafficking people across the English Channel; and new research warns that AI-generated essays score higher grades than student-written scripts and are virtually impossible for universities to detect. (Picture: The press room in the McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus ahead of the first 2024 presidential debate Credit: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
The former head of Bolivia's army is in custody after leading what the government described as an attempted coup. Seconds before his arrest on Wednesday, General Juan José Zúñiga told reporters he'd been ordered to stage the uprising by the president. He said Luis Acre wanted to boost his own popularity by putting armoured vehicles on the streets. Also in the programme: The BBC tracks down a man thought to be behind deadly trips for migrants across the English Channel; and are British voters fed-up with politicians? (Photo: Bolivian General Juan José Zúñiga is presented after his arrest by the authorities for an apparent coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia June 26, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Claudia Morales)
The former head of Bolivia's army is in custody after leading what the government described as an attempted coup. Seconds before his arrest on Wednesday, General Juan José Zúñiga told reporters he'd been ordered to stage the uprising by the president. He said Luis Acre wanted to boost his own popularity by putting armoured vehicles on the streets.
Also in the programme: The BBC tracks down a man thought to be behind deadly trips for migrants across the English Channel; and are British voters fed-up with politicians?
(Photo: Bolivian General Juan José Zúñiga is presented after his arrest by the authorities for an apparent coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia June 26, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Claudia Morales)
President Ruto of Kenya has abandoned planned tax rises in response to deadly protests on Tuesday. Newshour gets reaction from a young protestor.Also in the programme: the US Supreme Court's accidental abortion leak; and an astronaut on when things go wrong in space; (Picture: Kenyan President Ruto withdraws controversial tax bill in the wake of violent protests, Nairobi, Kenya - 26 Jun 2024 leak. Credit: handout)
At least 13 protesters were killed during protests in Kenya, doctors say, and a section of the parliament buildings went up in flames as demonstrations against new tax proposals escalated on Tuesday.We hear from Kenya's governing party about the situation.Also in the programme: the UN warns about lethal new synthetic drugs; Julian Assange arrives back in Australia; and what to wear to sing along with Shania Twain at Glastonbury.(Photo shows flames and smoke coming out of a building during a protest near the Kenyan parliament against tax hikes in Nairobi, Kenya on 25 June 2024. Credit: EPA)
Nine million children don't get enough to eat and almost none are in school.
Also on the programme: following the coordinated attacks against churches and synagogues in Dagestan, Moscow's former Chief Rabbi tell us that the Kremlin is focussing on the wrong enemy. And the rebel nuns in Spain who picked a fight with the Vatican over land and are now excommunicated.
(Picture: Children in Sudan. Credit: Reuters)
Attacks on police posts, churches and a synagogue in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan have left 19 people dead, 15 of whom were police officers, along with four civilians. Five gunmen also died/The apparently coordinated attacks targeted the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala on the Orthodox festival of Pentecost, with an Orthodox priest among those killed. Are there growing concerns about the threat posed by Islamist terror groups in the region?
Also in the programme: We'll hear from a former head of the Shin Bet - Israel's domestic intelligence service. How concerned is he about an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon? And we'll hear from a composer who’s beginning a tour of works inspired by the changing sound of summer.
(Photo shows damage to the Kele-Numaz synagogue following a terror attack in Derbent, Republic of Dagestan, Russia on 24 June 2024. Credit: Video on the Telegram channel of the head of Dagestan Republic Sergey Melikov via EPA)
Gunmen in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan have killed six police officers in a series of attacks, security officials say. Twelve other officers were also wounded in the attacks. A synagogue, two churches and a police checkpoint were targeted in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala.
Also in the programme: Countdown to Iran's Presidential elections next week with five hard-line candidates and a reformist; and the absent landlord who found that his family home had been turned into a cannabis farm.
(Photo: A view shows plumes of smoke rising from building in Derbent, Dagestan, June 23, 2024, in this still image obtained from a video. Credit: Reuters/via a third party)
The Israeli military says it is to investigate an incident in which an injured Palestinian was strapped to an Israeli military vehicle in the West bank. But Israeli human rights group B'Tselem is sceptical.
Also on the programme: French feminists protesting against what they see as the threat to women's rights of the far right National Rally party; and chaos over the exams for higher education that has sparked further protests across India.
(Photo: Footage shows wounded Palestinian strapped to Israeli army jeep. Credit: BBC)
At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in shelling near the Gaza office of Red Cross, the agency says. We hear from William Schomburg, the head of the ICRC delegation in Gaza.
Also in the programme: The lawyer for a Florida family suing Nasa for space junk that fell on their property; and why the King of the Competitive Eating circuit has been banned from taking part in the annual Fourth of July Nathan's Hot Dog Eating competition.
(Photo: A delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) inspects a makeshift displacement camp in Rafah's Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip on 29 May 2024. Credit: Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images)
At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in shelling near the Gaza office of Red Cross, the agency says. We hear from William Schomburg, the head of the ICRC delegation in Gaza.Also in the programme: The lawyer for a Florida family suing Nasa for space junk that fell on their property; and why the King of the Competitive Eating circuit has been banned from taking part in the annual Fourth of July Nathan's Hot Dog Eating competition.(Photo: A delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) inspects a makeshift displacement camp in Rafah's Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip on 29 May 2024. Credit: Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images)
The Red Cross says 22 people were killed in shelling near its offices in Gaza. It's called on both Hamas and the Israeli military to do more to protect civilians. We speak to William Schomburg who is the head of the ICRC delegation in Gaza.Also in the programme: Ukraine says there has been another massive Russian attack on its energy infrastructure; a new documentary about the designer of the wrap around dress - Diane Von Furstenberg; and should NASA pay for damage caused by falling space junk?(Photo credit: AFP)
Also on the programme, The US state of Hawaii has agreed to take action to decarbonize its transport by 2045 after a lawsuit was brought by thirteen young people – we hear from one of their representatives, and four members of the Hindujas, known as Britain’s wealthiest family, have been handed jail sentences for exploiting servants in their villa in Geneva.(Picture: A fire blazes on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border following attacks from Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in northern Israel June 18, 2024. REUTERS/Ayal Margolin )
It is now more than a year since civil war erupted in Sudan following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. 14 months on, the figures show that over 6 million people have been displaced within the country, with at least one and half million people fleeing across Sudan's borders. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has just got back from the country and explains what he has seen.
Also on the programme, we reflect on the life of actor Donald Sutherland who has died at the age of 88; and we hear from Kenya where young people have taken to the streets to try to force the government to back down on its plan for tax rises.
(Picture: A handout photograph, shows a woman and baby at the Zamzam displacement camp, close to El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan, January 2024, MSF/Mohamed Zakaria/Handout via REUTERS)
A group of scientists from an organisation called the World Weather Attribution group have said that recent heatwaves in North America and Europe were made 35 times more likely because of global warming. There have been heatwaves in parts of southeast Asia, in Greece and Turkey. Also hundreds of people have died in Saudi Arabia, where 1.8 million are taking part in the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, because of temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Also in the programme: Vladimir Putin visits Vietnam ; and how shockwaves can help regenerate heart tissue after a bypass operation.
(Photo: India issues heatwave red alert, New Delhi Credit: HARISH TYAGI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The lead author of a UN-backed investigation tells us both Hamas and Israel are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. But Navi Pillay says neither side cooperated with the report. So how valuable can it be?
Also on the programme: Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un have signed a strategic partnership treaty - we ask what Russia and North Korea can gain from each other; and Naomi Campbell looks back at her career on and off the catwalk.
(Photo: A girl sits as Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen. Credit: Reuters)
President Joe Biden announces a new policy that would protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation, according to administration officials.
Also in the programme: Kenyan’s government scraps a financial bill amid violent protests; and a citizens group has decided how the fortune of an Austro-German heiress will be given away.
(Photo: President Joe Biden during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. Credit: Reuters).
Mr Putin is expected to arrive in the capital to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un – but what do both countries want? Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised North Korea for "firmly supporting" Moscow's war in Ukraine. This is his first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years.
In eight days, the US journalist Evan Gershkovich will stand trial on espionage charges in Russia. The Wall Street Journal reporter has been accused of collecting information for the CIA. We’ll hear from his editor, Emma Tucker.
Also in the programme, a new report says next month's Paris Olympics could be the hottest games ever. We'll hear from India's top triathlete, Pragnya Mohan, who's already had to relocate her training away from her home country's heat.
(Photo: Russian and North Korean leaders at a meeting in September in the Russian city of Vladivostok Credits: REUTERS)
Today marks the official start of campaigning for the snap general election in France. It was called by President Emmanuel Macron after his Renaissance party lost heavily to the anti-immigration National Rally in the recent EU parliamentary polls. Also in the programme: the BBC hears testimony that the Greek coastguard caused the deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean; and the music stars with a difference -- K-pop's first hearing-impaired group. (Photo: People take part in a demonstration against the French far right party National Rally after the results of the European elections, in Paris, France, 15 June 2024. Credit: Mandatory Credit: Photo by Andre Pain/ EPA-EFE/REX Shutterstock)
The Ukraine peace summit ends in Switzerland with strong support for Kyiv and a call for dialogue - but is Russia listening?
Also in the programme: the heat dome spreading across the US, with dangerous consequences; and some advice on living happily from the world's happiest country.
(IMAGE: (L-R) President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada attend the closing press conference of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in Stansstad near Lucerne, Switzerland, 16 June 2024 / CREDIT: Allessandro della Valle / POOL / EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Ukraine peace summit ends in Switzerland with strong support for Kyiv and a call for dialogue - but is Russia listening?Also in the programme: the heat dome spreading across the US, with dangerous consequences; and some advice on living happily from the world's happiest country.(IMAGE: (L-R) President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada attend the closing press conference of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in Stansstad near Lucerne, Switzerland, 16 June 2024 / CREDIT: Allessandro della Valle / POOL / EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Israeli military says it will hold a daily "tactical pause of military activity" along a road in southern Gaza to enable more humanitarian aid to enter but emphasised that there is no ceasefire and combat would continue in Rafah. They will only affect a route that leads northwards from the key Kerem Shalom crossing, which Gaza shares with Israel. World leaders at the Ukraine summit for peace in Switzerland are exploring ways of ensuring the security of nuclear sites and of Ukraine's food exports. Also on the programme: the mystery and history surrounding the desk of literary giant Dr Samuel Johnson; and we hear from the father of Swedish DJ Avicii, on his son's life and death.(Photo: Displaced Palestinians collect donated food in Khan Yunis camp Credit: Photo by HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Delegates at a peace summit for Ukraine in Switzerland have been voicing their support for Kyiv, but some have questioned the meeting's purpose without Russia in attendance. Leaders from 90 countries are attending.Also on the programme: we'll look back over a turbulent few days in France after President Macron's surprise snap election call last Sunday; and with the Olympics due to start in just over a month, what is the current status of Russian athletes? (Picture: President Zelensky of Ukraine in Switzerland. Credit: EPA)
More than 90 countries and global institutions are in Switzerland to discuss how to end the conflict in Ukraine. So what is need to happen to start a peace process? Also on the programme: a Russian journalist tells us the dangers of being a journalist - including poisoning; and how will the new coalition government in South Africa team up with its rivals? (Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive to attend a media briefing during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine. Credit: ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) and the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) have agreed to form a government of national unity, along with two smaller opposition parties. We look at the state of politics in South Africa as the once mighty African National Congress is forced to share power.
Also in the programme: The first match of the European football championships has begun - so how strong are politically nationalist feelings among the fans? And we'll hear from the German comedian who's just had an audience with the Pope.
(Photo: The DA and ANC parties have been bitter rivals for many years. Credit: Getty Images)
Residents of Rafah say western areas of the overcrowded city have come under heavy fire, over the past 24 hours, with Israeli helicopter missions and street battles. We hear from a spokesman from the UN's agency for children. Also in the programme: South Africa is on course for a historic coalition government after the centre right Democratic Alliance announced it would join the African National Congress; and researchers say Pacific grey whales are rapidly getting smaller.(Photo: Girls walk while carrying a container as Palestinians flee Rafah following heavy fighting, 13 June 2024. Credit: Hatem Khaled/Reuters)
Presidents Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky sign a ten year security deal as the G7 agreed to send Ukraine $50bn in aid from frozen Russian assets.Also on the programme: Argentina's president Javier Milei gets Senate approval for his economic reform plans; and the airlift to return endangered wild horses to the plains of Kazakhstan for the first time in more than two hundred years.(Photo: Presidents Biden and Zelensky arrive at a press conference in Fasano, Italy. Credit: Reuters)
In this edition of Newshour, presented by Tim Franks: Can the G7 leaders squeeze Russia more over Ukraine? Argentina's radical economic reforms move ahead. Another huge increase in the world's displaced. And a big advance in the fight against antibiotic resistance.(Photo: Discussions have begun at the G7 meeting in Puglia, southern Italy. Credit: PA MEDIA)
The report, compiled by investigators from the UN's Commission of Inquiry, accused both sides of war crimes for mounting attacks against civilian populations and "murder or wilful killings". We hear an Israeli response, and from a Hamas spokesman.Also in the programme: Haiti's Prime Minister and new government are sworn in; and France's conservative party, Les Républicains, says it's dumped its leader.(Photo: A woman and child walk among debris in the central Gaza Strip on June 9, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Abed Khaled)
A commission of UN investigators finds both Hamas and Israel responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity: we hear how Israel has responded and get the latest on diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.Also in the programme: President Macron of France explains his decision to call a snap vote following his party's defeat in the EU elections; and we pay tribute to the French 1960s icon Francoise Hardy, who has died.
A US court has found President Biden's son, Hunter,guilty of lying about his drug use when buying a gun. He has been found guilty on all three charges in a federal gun crime trial. The jury in Delaware found that he'd lied about his drug use on a form while buying a weapon in 2018. He is the first child of a sitting president to be convicted in a federal court. How will this affect his father's re-election campaign?Also in the programme: Donors have gathered in Germany for a conference on Ukraine's reconstruction, but there are concerns as to whether it's free of corruption; how President Macron's surprise announcement of a snap election has triggered a potentially dramatic re-alignment in French politics; and we'll hear about a production of King Lear - staged by Ukrainians in Ukrainian - in the town of Shakespeare's birth.(Photo shows Hunter Biden holding hands with First Lady Jill Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden as he departs his federal gun trial in Wilmington, Delaware, USA on 11 June 2024. Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA)
France's political leaders are scrambling to prepare for snap elections after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament in response to a stinging European vote defeat by the far-right National Rally. These snap legislative elections could be a turning point for Macron's presidency. If the RN wins an absolute majority of seats in the National Assembly, it could provide France's next prime minister. Also in the programme: a military aircraft in Malawi carrying the country's vice president has been reported missing; and wildfires are raging across the world's largest tropical wetland: the Pantanal, in Brazil.
(Photo: Emmanuel Macron after voting in European Elections Credit: Hannah McKay/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK)
France’s President Macron plays political poker after a thumping in the European elections, gambling on snap elections for the national parliament. And as the far right makes gains across much – if not all – of Europe, we ask, where next for the European Union?
Also in the programme: as the US secretary of state begins his latest Middle East tour, what's changed in Israel? And the widow of the Islamic State leader says she couldn't stop her husband's crimes.
(IMAGE: Supporters watch French President Emmanuel Macron's speech on a large screen at the electoral party after the announcement of the results of the European Parliamentary elections in Paris, France, 09 June 2024 / CREDIT: Christophe Petit-Tesson / EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has quit the emergency government in a sign of deepening divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's post-conflict plans for Gaza.
Also on the programme: French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the Parliament and called snap elections in the wake of tonight's European election results; and Narendra Modi has been sworn in as India's prime minister for a third term.
(Photo: Benny Gantz holds a press conference in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. Credit: ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 274 Palestinians were killed during Saturday's Israeli offensive on the Nuseirat refugee camp. The operation led to the rescue of four Israeli hostages. Israel has previously estimated there were fewer than one hundred casualties. Footage from the area's Al-Aqsa hospital shows badly wounded people lying on the ground. We speak to a doctor who was there. Also in the programme: millions vote to elect representatives to the European Parliament; and will Americans learn to love cricket? (Photo: The Hamas-run health ministry has started naming people it says were killed as Israeli forces fought Hamas in and around the Nuseirat refugee camp. Credit: Reuters)
Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were freed during a "high-risk, complex mission" from two separate buildings in the Nuseirat area, the Israel Defense Forces said. Hamas claims more than two hundred Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in the same area as the raid took place. The IDF said the released hostages were all in good health, and they were later pictured embracing family members at a medical centre near Tel Aviv.
Also on the programme: A celebration of the first colour photo of earth taken from space on the occasion of the photographer, Bill Anders’ death; and UNESCO celebrates the unique cultural importance of Italian opera.
(Photo: Almog Meir Jan, a rescued hostage embraces a loved one Credit: Israeli Army handout via REUTERS)
Israeli security forces say they've rescued four hostages from two separate locations during a special operation in Nuseirat, in central Gaza. They've been named as Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv. All had been abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on October the seventh. They're said to be in good medical condition and have been transferred to hospital. Gaza's Al-Aqsa hospital says at least fifty Palestinians - including children - were killed during the Israeli operation. Also in the programme: The astronaut who took the ground-breaking first colour photo of Earth from space, William Anders, has died; and as UNESCO celebrates Italian opera, we listen in.
(Photo: People react outside a medical centre, after the military say four hostages rescued alive from the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, in Ramat Gan, Israel 8 June, 2024. Credit: Marko Djurica/Reuters)
The US special envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, warns other countries not to seek to benefit from the conflict there. Khartoum, he said, needed aid not arms.
Also in the programme: are sanctions against Russia working? And sea urchins under threat.
(Picture: Adam Hassan, who has an album with pictures of his son and father, who he said were killed by the RSF and Arab militias in the West Darfur town of Murnei in June, sits outside his makeshift shelter in Adre, Chad. Credit: Reuters)
With elections to the European Parliament underway, what's driving the expected rightward shift in the politics of many EU countries?
Also in the programme: what humpback whales can tell us about the impact of climate change on the Antarctic; and the woman who allegedly inspired the stalker character in the hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer sues the streamer for defamation.
In Normandy, world leaders reflect on the sacrifice of war and the need for peace and the few surviving veterans tell their stories.
Also on the programme: the UN in Gaza refutes Israeli claims the UN is too close to Hamas; and are Elon Musk's space dreams getting closer to reality?
(Picture: D-Day veterans in Normandy. Credit: Reuters / Tessier)
Western leaders and veterans of the Second World War are in northern France to mark 80 years since the D-Day landings -- the start of the operation to liberate northern Europe from the Nazis. We hear from the ceremonies, and from some of the survivors.
Also in the programme: more than forty people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a UN-run school that was sheltering displaced families – we hear from UNRWA and the Israeli Defence Forces; and we talk to one of the scientists who have discovered a new way to predict dementia, many years before symptoms appear.
The UN Secretary General has called for immediate action to tackle climate change, including phasing out fossil fuels, banning ads about them, and imposing windfall taxes on energy companies. Antonio Guterres described fossil fuel firms as the godfathers of climate chaos, raking in profits while the planet burned. Also in the programme: Narendra Modi is on course for a third term as India's prime minister, with his BJP securing the backing of allied parties to form a new coalition government; and how much impact do the blue lights from our phones and tablet screens actually have on our sleep.
(Picture: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speak at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on June 5, 2024. Credit: David Dee Delgado/REUTERS)
The Indian Prime Minister says his third term is a historic feat, but his majority has been greatly reduced.
Also on the programme, President Biden issues new measures against asylum seekers; the first TV debate ahead of the British elections; and the three boys in North Dakota who found a dinosaur.
(Photo: Jubilant Modi supporters outside BJP HQ in Delhi. Credit: Shutterstock)
The BJP-led alliance is leading in just under 300 seats, while opposition parties are ahead in about 200. Meanwhile, more than two dozen opposition parties that joined to take on Mr Modi and the BJP, are hoping to prove exit polls wrong.
Also on the programme: we hear from an Israeli hostage negotiator, and we look at why the Swiss Air Force is taking to the road.
(Photo: Indian voters show their inked fingers after casting their vote during the last phase of the Indian parliament elections Credit: Manu Arora/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
An ally of outgoing left wing leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador, she has won a landslide victory with about sixty per cent of the vote. Even her most ardent supporters say they want to see more done to tackle violent crime in the drug-violence ravaged nation.
Also on the programme: Hunter Biden, the son of the US President, goes on trial for gun charges; and the stray-dog rescuer of Ukraine on why she cannot stay away from the frontlines of war.
(Picture: Claudia Sheinbaum addressing her supporters in Mexico City Credit: REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini)
Voting is taking place in Mexico in an election which is almost certain to result in the country's first female president. More than twenty candidates have been killed in what is now the most violent election in modern Mexican history.
Also in the programme: scientists in Britain have developed a blood test that could forecast the return of breast cancer years before tumours show up in scans; and will the T20 Cricket World Cup help the sport compete with more established sports in the United States.
(A woman shows her inked thumb after voting at a polling station during general elections, in Comachuen, Mexico on June 2, 2024. Credit: Ivan Arias/Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu risks losing power if he agrees to the latest deal on the table for a ceasefire in Gaza. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have threatened to bring down the government if Mr Netanyahu agrees to the deal. We speak to Hanoch Milwidsky, a member of the Knesset for Mr Netanyahu's Likud Party.
Also in the programme: China lands a probe on the unexplored, far side of the moon; and coalition talks begin in South Africa, with the African National Congress losing its outright majority in the elections.
(Photo: Israeli right-wing Knesset members Itamar ben Gvir (L) and Bezalel Smotrich (R) in the Israeli parliament in November 2022. Credit: Abir Sultan/Pool via REUTERS)
The ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas made by US President Joe Biden has received mixed reactions in Israel. The opposition has backed it but the two leading right-wing ministers have threatened to pull out of the coalition government if there is a deal.
Mexicans will go to the polls this Sunday after a violent campaign. We hear from Professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera in Mexico City; And cybersecurity expert Lisa McKee explains the consequences of the recent Ticketmaster data breach.
(Picture: Protesters demand release of hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
South Africa is set to be governed by coalition after the ruling ANC loses its majority. With most results declared, the party has around 40%, its worst result for thirty years. It's now preparing to launch coalition talks with its rivals.
Also in the programme: a new saliva test for prostate cancer; and Boeing prepares for its Starliner launch to the International Space Station
(Picture: First-time voter in Kwazulu Natal dons a green and black MK party t-shirt. Credit: BBC)
President Biden has called on Israel and Hamas to accept a new proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. He said the three-phase approach - approved by Israeli officials - would initially involve a six-week ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. In his first response, Prime Minister Netanyahu said the war would only end with the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities.
Also in the programme: Donald Trump has confirmed he'll appeal against his historic criminal conviction, in a tirade that included attacks on the judge and his political opponents; and South Africa's governing ANC loses its parliamentary majority - so what's gone wrong in the thirty years since it swept to power amid a wave of optimism.
(Image: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House on 31 May 2024. Credit: Reuters/Hockstein)
President Biden has called on Israel and Hamas to accept a new proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. He said the three-phase approach - approved by Israeli officials - would initially involve a six-week ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. In his first response, Prime Minister Netanyahu said the war would only end with the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities. Also in the programme: Donald Trump has confirmed he'll appeal against his historic criminal conviction, in a tirade that included attacks on the judge and his political opponents; and South Africa's governing ANC loses its parliamentary majority - so what's gone wrong in the thirty years since it swept to power amid a wave of optimism.(Image: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House on 31 May 2024. Credit: Reuters/Hockstein)
President Biden has reportedly given the go-ahead to Ukraine to use its weaponry on targets within Russia as NATO foreign ministers meet in the Czech Republic to discuss the issue. We ask a NATO foreign minister what's changed.
Also in the programme, we hear from Mexico ahead of this weekend's elections; and world-record breaker Sophie Holmes shares her remarkable story of running 36 marathons in as many days.
Photo: A Ukrainian soldier fires a D-30 howitzer towards Russian troops in Kharkiv region, Ukraine Credit: REUTERS/Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy
Hong Kong has found 14 pro-democracy activists guilty of subversion in the largest use yet of a China-imposed National Security Law. They were among the 47 activists charged with trying to "overthrow" the government by organising an unofficial primary in 2020 to pick candidates who can run for office.
Also in the programme: Will a US pharmaceutical company allow a low-cost version of its powerful new HIV drug for use in the developing world? And the lost Beatles guitar that has sold for millions.
(Photo: Lawrence Lau, a barrister and former pro-democracy district councillor, leaves court during a break. A court in Hong Kong on 30 May convicted 14 defendants over 'conspiracy to subvert the state power' under the national security law. Credit: Leung Man Hei/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
South Africans have been voting in the most pivotal election since the end of apartheid, which could see the African National Congress lose its majority for the first time. Newshour gets the latest and speaks to voters.
Also in the programme: the impact on civilians as Israel pushes ahead with its military operation in Gaza; and the table tennis player who's qualified for the Paralympics tell us how he competes with no hands.
Photo: People queue to cast their votes in the South African elections in Durban, South Africa Credit: REUTERS/Alaister Russell
South Africans go to the polls today in what is predicted to be the most competitive election since the end of apartheid. Also in the programme, Delhi hits record-level temperatures and South Korea's clean-up effort after North Korea sends hundreds of balloons of rubbish that land across the country
(Picture: People wait in line to cast their votes in Johannesburg, South Africa. Credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Officials from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry say Israeli strikes on a tent camp for displaced Palestinians to the west of Rafah have reportedly killed at least twenty-one people. The tents that were reportedly hit were in Al-Mawasi. Israel has denied targeting the area. Newshour hears from James Smith, a British doctor working with the NGO Cadus, currently based in Al Mawasi.
Also in the programme: closing arguments in the Trump trial; and why peanut butter can help counter peanut allergies.
(Picture: A girl looks on, while Palestinians travel on foot along with their belongings, as they flee Rafah due to an Israeli military operation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Credit: Reuters)
Increased Russian shelling in the north-east city of Kharkiv has left residents feeling exposed calling into question how far Western allies of Ukraine can support the country by lifting restrictions on armaments.
Also in the programme: a BBC World Service investigation has revealed that children as young as five are working in the fields in Egypt - picking jasmine for a global perfume industry that’s worth billions; and we speak to an Irish Minister about why it's important for Spain, Ireland and Norway to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Image: Sergii Polituchyi, Ukrainian publisher and businessman, stands between shelves with burned books in his printing house, which was badly damaged by a recent Russian missile strike. Credit: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of the killing of dozens of Palestinians in a fire in Rafah after an Israeli air strike as a tragedy. We hear from a journalist in Rafah and get reaction from Amir Avivi, a retired IDF brigadier general.
Also in the programme: Norwegian author Asne Seierstad; and China cracks down on influencers.
(Picture: Palestinians search smouldering debris in the aftermath of a fatal Israeli air strike at a camp in Gaza. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
There's been condemnation by European and Arab countries of Israel's continuing bombardment of Gaza. Last night, Israel launched an air strike in Rafah that killed at least 45 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli military says it's reviewing the incident. But it said the air strike targeted a Hamas compound, killing two senior members of the group.
Also in the programme: Emergency teams in Papua New Guinea say recovery efforts in the wake of a devastating landslide are being complicated by further ground movement; and the story of the rare painting by the Italian artist Caravaggio that nearly sold for a fraction of its value.
(Picture: Palestinians try to put out a fire at the site of an Israeli strike near an area designated for displaced people, in Rafah on May 27, 2024. Credit: Mohammed Salem/REUTERS)
About 670 people are buried under a landslide and are feared dead in Papua New Guinea. The United Nations based its estimate on the number of houses believed to have been swamped by up to eight metres of rock, earth and trees. We speak to a reporter in the country.
Also in the programme: Another mass kidnapping in Nigeria. Amnesty International's country director tells us the authorities should be doing more to protect people; and the King of Clay returns to the French open - but could it be game over for Rafael Nadal by year's end?
(Photo: People carry bags in the aftermath of a landslide in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 24, 2024, in this still image obtained from a video. Credit: Andrew Ruing/Handout via Reuters)
Hundreds feared dead after landslide swept villages in Papua New Guinea. Also in the programme; Aid delivery resumes into Gaza; extreme heat in Pakistan; and we ask whether this could be Rafael Nadal’s last clay tournament.
(Photo: Local men digging in Enga province in aftermath of the landslide in Papua New Guinea. Credit: Reuters/Emmanuel Eralia)
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to focus on job creation if the governing African National Congress is voted back into power next week. He was speaking during the ANC's final campaign rally at a football stadium in Johannesburg.
Also in the programme: An American journalist recalls her meeting with Cambodian dictator Pol Pot in the 1970s; and are dumbphones the answer to parents woes about smartphones?
(Photo: ANC supporters attend the African National Congress Party final election rally held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Credit: Kim Ludbrook/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Kenya's President says peacekeeping forces will help quell growing gang violence in Haiti and are expected to arrive in three weeks. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, William Ruto confirmed a planning team was already in Haiti and had met local police to secure arrangements before the Kenyan troops are deployed. We'll hear from a journalist on the ground in Haiti on what the peacekeepers can expect from local gangs.
Also in the programme: Warnings rise over the possibility of genocide in Sudan's Darfur region. And a flowering plant last seen in the 1960s is re-introduced in Wales.
(Picture: William Ruto speaking in Washington, D.C., May 24th 2024. Picture credit: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno)
The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel must immediately halt its military operation in Rafah.The United Nations' highest court has also ordered Israel to re-open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Rafah to let in aid.We speak to a legal expert about the importance of these rulings and we get the reaction from Israel and Gaza.
Also in our programme: one of Britain's greatest miscarriages of justice is finally put right with the quashing of hundreds of convictions; and what does Artificial Intelligence hold for Hollywood's animal stars?
(Photo: International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam stands during an ICJ ruling on the situation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Credit: Shutterstock)
Medical workers with the resistance in Myanmar have spoken of the terrible injuries suffered by those fighting the ruling junta's troops. A BBC team met doctors in Karenni state. Thousands of people have been killed since Myanmar's army seized power in a coup three years ago.
Also in the programme: A fifth senior army figure in Russia has been arrested; and inside Sudan's war-struck El Fasher.
(Picture: A soldier from Karenni state who was injured during a fight against the Burmese army. Credit: Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Russia pounds Kharkiv with missiles killing seven people as President Volodymyr Zelensky chides Ukraine's western allies for not providing enough militarysupport. Newshour hears from Kharkiv and from John Herbst a former US ambassador to Ukraine.
Also in the programme: the dispute over the billion-dollar galleon; and campaigning starts in the UK's election.
(Picture: A firefighter washes up his face as he works at a compound of a print works hit by Russian missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine May 23, 2024. Credit: Reuters)
In a surprise move, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a summer UK general election to take place on 4th July.
Also on the programme: lawyers for the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo say they have new evidence from whistleblowers that the US technology giant, Apple, is illegally obtaining minerals from gangs; and South Africa’s former president, Jacob Zuma, has told the BBC he wants to change the country’s constitution after he was barred from running for parliament in next week’s elections.
(Photo: Rishi Sunak issues a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, after calling a general election. Credit: Lucy North/PA Wire)
In the wake of three countries moving to formally recognise Palestine as a state and Israel recalling ambassadors to those countries, we hear from the Office of the Israeli Prime Minister. Also in the programme: Winner of this year’s international Booker Prize German writer Jenny Erpenbeck joins us in the studio along with her translator Michael Hofmann; and we hear about a new feature that will allow computers to continuously take snapshots of our screens.
(Photo: Protests to mark the 76th anniversary of the Nakba in Ramallah. Credit: Reuters)
Israeli war cabinet member Ron Dermer rejects the ICC prosecutor’s arrest warrants against Israel's prime minister and defence minister as ‘outrageous’. He also denied that there were food shortages or famine conditions in Gaza and said the Israeli government does have a plan for post-war Gaza.
Also in the programme: One passenger dies and seven people are seriously injured due to extreme turbulence on a London to Singapore flight forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok; and the EU decides to give the windfall profits of frozen Russian central bank assets to Ukraine.
(Photo: Ron Dermer, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 6 November 2021. Credit: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A Greek court has dropped charges against nine Egyptian men accused of responsibility for a shipwreck in the Mediterranean last year in which hundreds of migrants drowned.
Also in the programme: Israeli medics say Palestinian detainees are routinely shackled to hospital beds, treatment they say is dehumanising; and how the war in Ukraine is changing the habits of a rare eagle. (Photo: Suspects greeting each other after case was dropped by Greek court in Kalamata. Credit: Shutterstock)
Israel’s Prime Minister said the attempt by International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan to seek an arrest warrant was part of ‘the new antisemitism’. Khan is also seeking warrants against Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas.
Also on the programme: Iran says it will hold elections on the 28th of June after its president, Ebrahim Raisi, was killed in a helicopter crash; and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologises to victims of the infected blood scandal, calling it a ‘day of shame’ for the British state.
(Picture: Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, February 18, 2024 Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says his office is seeking arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. He alleges there is evidence to suggest starvation has been used as a method of warfare against civilians. The prosecutor has also applied for arrest warrants for three leaders of Hamas for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the October the 7th attacks in Israel. He said the decisions were the outcome of an independent and impartial investigation. ICC judges will now decide whether to grant the warrants. Also in the programme: As Iran confirms the death of president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, what's the mood in the capital Tehran? And will there be justice for victims of Britain's infected blood scandal? (File photo: International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan. October 12, 2023. Reuters/Piroschka van de Wouw)
Rescue teams in Iran are searching a remote mountain region for a helicopter carrying the country's president and foreign minister, which is reported to have crashed. We have the latest on the search mission - and ask what the outcome might mean for Iran.
Also in the programme: as a second member of Israel's three-man war cabinet berates Benjamin Netanyahu over his lack of a plan for the day after the Gaza war, we ask where next for the prime minister; and an extraordinary row between Spain and Argentina over a presidential speech in Madrid.
(IMAGE: A helicopter carrying Iran"s President Ebrahim Raisi takes off, near the Iran-Azerbaijan border, May 19, 2024. The helicopter with Raisi on board later crashed. / CREDIT: Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
Israel's opposition leader Benny Gantz has given the government three weeks to come up with a post-war plan for Gaza, or his party will quit the war coalition. He said the six-point action plan should include an internationally administered Gaza Strip.Also in the programme: the man charged with attempting to murder Slovakia's prime minister appears in court; and we preview the boxing match whose winner will become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.(IMAGE: Israeli Emergency cabinet minister and opposition politician Benny Gantz addresses the press in Kiryat Shmona, Israel November 14, 2023 / CREDIT: Reuters / Evelyn Hockstein / File Photo)
Doctors treating Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico now say they will not be able to move him to the country's capital in the coming days. But they say he is in a serious but stable condition. Mr Fico is being treated in a small town hospital close to where he was shot on Wednesday. The man charged with attempting to murder Mr Fico has been in court on Saturday, with prosecutors arguing he must remain in custody pending his trial.Also in the programme: there's been a fifth night of unrest in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia sparked by changes to voting rights; and how Cuba's sugar industry is emblematic of the country's economic woes.(Picture: A convoy of police cars carrying a man accused of the attempted murder of the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, arrives at court on 18 May, 2024. Credit: JAKUB GAVLAK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Russian forces continue to press ahead with their offensive in the Kharkiv region of north-east Ukraine as President Zelensky signs two new laws to boost army recruitment as Ukraine struggles to mobilise fighters. How much is Kyiv now on the back foot in the war?Also in the programme: Ecologists in Costa Rica have just completed one of the largest ever "eco-acoustic" surveys recording sounds of forests regenerating across the entire country; and the Vatican has said Catholics need to be more cautious about accepting phenomena as supernatural.(Photo: Local residents react after a rocket attack on a residential area in Kharkiv, north-eastern Ukraine, 7 April 2024, amid the Russian invasion. Credit: EPA/Sergey Kozlov)
A temporary pier built by American troops has been used for the first time to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The first consignments were brought ashore a few hours ago. The development follows a call by the US State Department on Thursday for Israel to do more to get aid into Gaza where conditions are deteriorating. The UN has said there will soon be no food left in the territory and warned that although the newly completed pier will help, re-opening land crossings is still the most effective way to get supplies into Gaza. Also, the UN humanitarian aid chief has defended the organisation's use of casualty figures during the war in Gaza after criticism by Israel. We have an interview with Martin Griffiths.We will hear from the frontline of the war in Ukraine. And did the Egyptians use waterways to construct the Pyramids?Also, we will speak to the Nigerian Minister for Women's Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, who's trying to ban mass weddings to protect young girls.(Photo: The aid will be collected from a floating base before being transported to Gaza. Credit: Reuters)
A man has been charged with the attempted murder of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico after the politician was seriously hurt in a shooting attack. Mr Fico is in a serious but stable condition.Also on the programme: the president of Georgia tells the BBC why a controversial law just passed by the government is a move in the wrong direction; and the musician Elton John on his love of photography.
(Credit: Reuters)
The Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico was shot several times after leaving a government meeting in what the interior minister described as a politically motivated attack. He has been in surgery in hospital for at least three and a half hours. His alleged attacker has been arrested. We have the latest from inside Slovakia and reaction across Europe.
Also in the programme: the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has insisted that Ukraine will prevail against the Russian invasion; and Beijing is set to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin who arrives in China on a state visit.
(Picture: Medical personnel carry Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico to hospital after being transported in a helicopter. Credit: JOJ TV/Handout via Reuters)
The Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, is in hospital after being shot multiple times. He is now in a life-threatening condition, according to an update on his official social media account. Slovakia's President-elect Peter Pellegrini has said he is horrified by the attack. We'll get the latest.
Also in the programme: Police scour northern France for a gang that killed two prison officers in an ambush; and we hear from the Ukrainian guitarist who played on stage with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
(Photo: Security officers move Slovak PM Robert Fico into a car after the shooting which happened after a government meeting in Handlova, Slovakia, May 15, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Radovan Stoklasa)
Riot police have been confronting protesters in Georgia's capital after the parliament passed a law forcing civil society and media organisations to register if they receive foreign funding.
A former deputy US trade representative explains what's behind US President Joe Biden imposing fresh tariffs on Chinese imports, including electric vehicles.
And the Canadian author, Nobel prize winner and exponent of the short story, Alice Munro has died at the age of 92. Her lifetime editor Douglas Gibson talks about what made her style distinctive.
(Photo: Demonstrators hold a rally to protest against a bill on "foreign agents" in Tbilisi, Georgia, May 14, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, with the promise that US weapons are "on the way". But with towns in the north east around Kharkiv under constant Russian bombardment - will they arrive in time?
Also in the programme: scuffles in Georgia's parliament over a proposed new law that's also triggered mass protests - we hear from President Salome Zourabichvili, who has the power to veto it; and the sister who fought off a crocodile to save her twin.
(IMAGE: Ukraine"s President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, 14 May 2024 / CREDIT: EPA/UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT)
Donald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen testifies in the case against his former boss, but is he a credible witness? We hear from a former US federal prosecutor.
Also in the programme: Kharkiv fighting intensifies as Russia troops advancing in north-east Ukraine; and how an Italian opera house is trying to convert children?
(Photo: Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor as former U.S. President Donald Trump sits with his eyes closed. Credit: Reuters)
Russia's President Putin removes his long-standing ally Sergei Shoigu as his defence minister. What does it mean for the war in Ukraine?
Also on the programme: Israel marks memorial day for its fallen soldiers as the war in Gaza grinds on; and a prominent Tunisian lawyer has been arrested in the latest move of a presidential administration that has shown little tolerance for criticism.
(Photo: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Credit: MAKSIM BLINOV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israel has told tens of thousands more Palestinians to leave Rafah, as it intensifies military operations in southern Gaza. Flyers dropped from the air and posts on social media told residents in the city’s eastern districts go to al-Mawasi, a narrow coastal area which Israel calls an ‘’expanded humanitarian zone’’. We hear from Jerusalem and Rafah.
Also on the programme: Flash floods in Afghanistan claim the lives of hundreds; and reflections on the illustrious career of The Beach Boys.
(Picture: Internally displaced Palestinians leave Rafah after Israeli evacuation order Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Israeli military has ordered another evacuation of tens of thousands more Palestinians from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Residents of eastern districts of the city were told to go to al-Mawasi, a narrow coastal area designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, told the BBC that the area had no running water or proper sanitation. Also in the programme: More than 150 people killed in flash floods in the north of Afghanistan; and a solar storm produces spectacular lightshows in many parts of the world. (Photo: A Palestinian boy sits atop a vehicle loaded with belongings as he flees Rafah, after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of the southern Gaza City, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, May 11, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Hatem Khaled)
President Zelensky says Russian forces have launched a surprise cross-border attack into Ukrainian territory near the city of Kharkiv. We hear from Kharkiv MP Mariia Mezentseva.
Also in the programme: BBC tracks downs a notorious people smuggler; and free wine hidden in the small print.
(Picture: At least two injured, including child, in Russian missile strike in Ukraine's Kharkiv. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A BBC investigation has located one of Europe's most wanted people smugglers in Iraq. Barzan Majeed, nicknamed the Scorpion, admitted trafficking thousands of people, knowing it was illegal and dangerous. He is still operating, after being deported from the United Kingdom eight years ago.
Also in the programme: UNWRA closes it headquarters in Jerusalem following attacks; and why the future of the African penguin is threatened with extinction.
(Picture: Barzan Majeed. Credit: BBC)
A British girl born deaf can now hear unaided after a ground-breaking gene-therapy treatment. Opal Sandy was treated shortly before her first birthday and six months on can hear sounds as soft as a whisper and is starting to talk. Opal is part of a trial recruiting patients in the UK, US and Spain. Also in the programme: the advocacy group Human Rights Watch has accused Sudan's Rapid Support Force of possible genocide in the city of El Geneina in Darfur; and US president Joe Biden has issued his strongest warning yet to Israel against launching a full-scale military assault on Rafah in southern Gaza. Picture: Opal Sandy, who has received a ground-breaking so that she can hear unaided, reads with her mother Jo at their home. Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
The US has confirmed that it suspended an arms shipment to Israel as its operation in Rafah intensifies.
Also in the programme: our Berlin correspondent investigates Germany's strengthening far-right; and the ancient rock found by a lockdown gardener in Britain. (Picture: Destroyed houses and mosque between Khan Younis and Rafah. Credit: Shutterstock)
The US last week paused a bomb shipment for Israel over concerns it was going ahead with a major ground operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a senior US administration official said. Israel has not "fully addressed" US concerns over humanitarian needs of civilians in Rafah, the official said. An Israeli military official appeared to play down the US move. We hear analysis from the US and reaction from Israel.
Also on the programme: How emissions from ships may be contributing to higher ocean temperatures; and the man who shaped the personality cult of North Korea’s ruling family.
(Picture: Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Salem)
Israel’s army says it has seized the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, after continuously bombarding eastern Rafah overnight. Tanks moved in on the vital entry point for aid, a day after Israel ordered civilians to evacuate the area. Meanwhile, truce talks are to resume in Cairo after Israel said terms which Hamas had agreed to were unacceptable.
Also on the programme: A new insight into Alzheimer’s; the marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge slowed by online abuse; and an ode to the Ode to Joy.
(Photo: People flee the eastern parts of Rafah after the Israeli military begins evacuating Palestinian civilians Credit: Reuters/Doaa al Baz)
Hamas says it has accepted a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza from international mediators. Israel says it's studying the terms, which are aimed at achieving an end to the war. Also in the programme: we'll hear from Argentina's controversial president, Javier Milei; and busting the myth of one of the most famous deaths in rock and roll.
(Picture: Palestinians in Rafah, Gaza celebrate after Hamas accepted a proposed cease-fire. Credit: Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Air-dropped leaflets told Palestinians to leave ahead of a planned military operation. The Israeli Defence Forces directed civilians to an ‘expanded humanitarian area’ in the coastal strip of Al-Mawasi. Aid agencies say there is not enough infrastructure to support the wave of displaced people, and many fear the order marks the beginning of a major Israeli offensive in Rafah.
Also on the programme: Argentina’s libertarian president Javier Milei speaks to the BBC’s Ione Wells about his economic ‘shock therapy’; and Ukraine’s war-weary troops fighting on the front lines for two years without a break.
(Picture: Palestinians leave eastern Rafah as Israel orders evacuations, 6 May, 2024 Credit: HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israel's cabinet votes to shut down the operations of the Al Jazeera news channel in the country As Gaza ceasefire talks continue in Cairo we also hear from an Israeli man whose brother is being held hostage by Hamas, and from our own Gaza correspondent.
Also in the programme: Israeli cabinet votes unanimously to close down the operations of the Al Jazeera TV network in the country.; and Brazil's President Lula visits flood-hit areas in the south of the country.
Efforts have intensified to secure a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, with talks resuming in Cairo on Saturday.We hear from a former Israeli negotiator on his experience of dealing with Hamas.
Also on the programme: how warmer temperatures mean Brazil is recording its highest ever rate of the potentially fatal dengue fever; and we ask what it’s like being a foreigner living in Japan after President Biden suggests the country’s xenophobic.
Photo: Shelters used by displaced Palestinians who fled from the northern Gaza strip at Deir Al Balah beach in the southern Gaza Strip. Credit: MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
The UN has warned that Sudan’s civil war is preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid. Toby Harward, the UN’s Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, said fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces around El-Fasher in Darfur has had led to an increase in arbitrary killings and the burning of villages. Also on the programme: Turkey suspends all trade with Israel over its offensive in Gaza; and China launches a rocket to collect samples from the dark side of the Moon. (Picture: Refugees from Darfur in Adre, Chad, 4 August 2023 Credit: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)
The BBC has carried out an investigation into the death of a Palestinian boy in the West Bank - an investigation which a UN expert says may amount to evidence of a war crime. Also in the programme: as police in Los Angeles dismantle another pro-Palestinian university encampment, we hear from the veteran US senator Bernie Sanders. Plus, how scientists reconstructed a Neanderthal woman's face.
(Photo: Adam, eight, was shot in the head as he ran away from Israeli armoured vehicles. Credit: BBC)
An Israeli deadline looms for Hamas to respond to its offer of a ceasefire in return for the release of some hostages. We hear from Israeli politician Ohad Tal who is with the National Religious Party–Religious Zionism party.
Also in the programme; US senator Bernie Sanders; and Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling on the Fall Guy
(Picture: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with the families of the hostages outside of a hotel, in Tel Aviv. Credit: Reuters)
Binyamin Natanyahu reaffirms his intention to send troops to Rafah; UN Secretary-General says such an assault would be devastating. We unpick the latest developments, including speculation about a possible ceasefire deal, with analyst Ya'akov Katz.
Also in the programme: Donald Trump is fined for contempt of court; and a Finnish cyber-criminal is jailed for trying to blackmail thousands of people with their confidential psychotherapy notes.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 18, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun//File Photo)
Binyamin Natanyahu reaffirms his intention to send troops to Rafah; UN Secretary-General says such an assault would be devastating. We unpick the latest developments, including speculation about a possible ceasefire deal, with analyst Ya'akov Katz. Also in the programme: Donald Trump is fined for contempt of court; and a Finnish cyber-criminal is jailed for trying to blackmail thousands of people with their confidential psychotherapy notes.(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 18, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun//File Photo)
Western diplomats have expressed 'cautious optimism' over a potential ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Our Gaza reporter and an Israeli journalist tell us more about the negotiations in Cairo.
We also speak to the family of one of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza and we hear about the realities of reporting from the territory.
Also in the programme: women in Amsterdam win the right to 'urination equality'; and the twelve-sided Roman mystery object that has been baffling experts for centuries.
(Photo: U.S.Secretary of State Antony Blinken walks to the U.S.-Arab meeting with representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Palestinian Authority in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Credit: REUTERS / Evelyn Hockstein / Pool)
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is talking up an Israeli offer to Hamas – does this mean Israel and Hamas are on the verge of a new deal to pause hostilities? We also hear about the perils of being a journalist in Gaza.
Also in the programme: Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says he'll stay on, despite allegations about his family; and Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz on competing freedoms and the dangers of neoliberalism.
(IMAGE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the World Economic Forum's special meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - 29 Apr 2024CREDIT: Deepu Das/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is talking up an Israeli offer to Hamas – does this mean Israel and Hamas are on the verge of a new deal to pause hostilities? We also hear about the perils of being a journalist in Gaza.
Also in the programme: Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says he'll stay on, despite allegations about his family; and Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz on competing freedoms and the dangers of neoliberalism.
(IMAGE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the World Economic Forum's special meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - 29 Apr 2024CREDIT: Deepu Das/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Ministers in Israel’s government are divided over a possible ceasefire deal with Hamas, which could see the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, said the government would have no right to exist if it prevented a deal, but far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said a ceasefire would amount to a humiliating surrender.
Also on the programme: As South Africa marks 30 years since the end of apartheid, voters ask whether the ANC can still deliver on the promise of freedom and democracy; and Iranian authorities clamp down on the Egyptian hit TV series Assassins.
(Picture: Benny Gantz at a march by supporters of hostages in Gaza near Beit Shemesh, Israel, March 1, 2024 Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Ministers in Israel’s government are divided over a possible ceasefire deal with Hamas, which could see the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, said the government would have no right to exist if it prevented a deal, but far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said a ceasefire would amount to a humiliating surrender. Also on the programme: As South Africa marks 30 years since the end of apartheid, voters ask whether the ANC can still deliver on the promise of freedom and democracy; and Iranian authorities clamp down on the Egyptian hit TV series Assassins. (Picture: Benny Gantz at a march by supporters of hostages in Gaza near Beit Shemesh, Israel, March 1, 2024 Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
The Palestinian President says only the US can prevent an Israeli attack on Rafah. Efforts are underway to negotiate a truce between Israel and Hamas to safeguard the southern Gaza city where more than a million have fled. The US Secretary of State is meeting Arab leaders to discuss the situation. Also in the programme: South Africa's democratic credentials, 30 years after the country's first true elections; Sophie Trudeau, wife of the Canadian prime minister, on separation and survival.(Photo: A Palestinian girl at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah last week. Credit: Reuters)
South Africa is marking 30 years since its first democratic elections, but the ANC could lose its grip on power due to endemic corruption, record levels of crime and unemployment, and infrastructure problems.
Also in the programme: thousands of people in Australia take to the street to demand action following a surge in violence against women; and a hole in the ozone layer is causing problems for wildlife in the Antarctic.
(Photo: Supporters of the African National Congress (ANC) in Soweto, South Africa. Credit: Reuters).
In an interview with the BBC, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says China is “helping Russia perpetuate its aggression against Ukraine”. But is there anything the US can do to stop it?
Also in the programme: large scale trials begin of the first personalised anti-cancer mRNA vaccines, given in combination with antibodies as a treatment for the skin cancer melanoma; and Denmark abolishes a public holiday - to spend more money on defence.
(IMAGE: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, April 26, 2024. / CREDIT: Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
At a hearing in Washington DC, Donald Trump's lawyers have been arguing that he cannot be tried for his alleged crimes, which include conspiring to overturn the 2020 US presidential election. We ask lawyer Amy Howe what this all means for him and his political future.
Also in the programme: a new transitional council is sworn in to lead Haiti amid continuing violence and chaos; and the so-called 'Pushkin plot' to steal rare books from libraries across Europe and replace them with fakes.
(Photo: US Supreme Court hears Trump immunity case, Washington. Credit: SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a visit to China - offering a mixture of friendliness and warnings. We assess US-China relations and ask what, if anything, this visit could change.
Also in the programme: the father of a US-Canadian aid worker killed in Gaza tells us the message he'd like today’s memorial service to send to the world; and the possible dangers of yet another artificial sweetener - one that's hard to avoid if you like soft drinks, cakes or chewing gum.
(MAGE: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at the Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, China, April 25, 2024 / CREDIT: Mark Schiefelbein / Pool via REUTERS)
US President Joe Biden says Ukraine will receive more arms and equipment within the week after the US Senate approved a $60bn aid package. But what difference will this make to the people there?
Also on the programme: we hear the conflicting claims about the mass graves found in Gaza; and the ‘lost’ painting of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt that has been sold at auction in Vienna.
(Photo: US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the National Security Supplemental. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
US to deliver more arms to Ukraine after Congress approved multi-billion dollars aid package to Kyiv; also in the programme we look into claims of mass graves in Gaza; why have Tesla’s profit’s dropped?; and a lost Klimt painting goes on auction in Vienna.
(Photo: Ukraine supporter holding American and Ukrainian flags outside Congress. Credit: Shutterstock)
The US government says allegations that Israeli forces buried more than three hundred Palestinians in a mass grave at a medical complex in Gaza are incredibly troubling. A spokesman for the US state department said it was seeking a response of the Israeli government. Israel's military had earlier rejected the Palestinian allegation as baseless and unfounded.
Also the US Senate is set to vote later today on a major aid package for Ukraine, with its passage all but certain after the House of Representatives approved the assistance with broad bipartisan support.And more than a hundred and thirty people have been arrested during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at New York University in the United States.
A new law in Britain aims to send people arriving on small boats to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed. The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the plan made clear that people who arrived in Britain illegally would not be able to stay. The United Nations says the bill is the wrong solution and sets a dangerous precedent.
Also in the programme: What Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline think about the supply of new American weapons; and Aboriginal people reclaim spears taken from Australia by Captain Cook in 1770. We speak to one of them.
(Photo: Legal challenges meant the first Rwanda flight was cancelled shortly before take-off in June 2022. Credit: Reuters)
An independent review of the UN's operations in Gaza says it needs to improve its neutrality. We ask the head of the review whether countries that suspended donations because of Israeli allegations should resume them.
Also on the programme: US prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of a conspiracy over hush money paid to a porn actress at the start of his criminal trial in New York; and we speak to the first woman to run the London Marathon topless to deliberately show the scars from her double mastectomy.
(Photo: Catherine Colonna, Chair of the Independent Review of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The head of Israel's military intelligence has resigned over his role in failing to stop the Hamas attacks on October the seventh. Aharon Haliva is the highest-ranking official to step down over the assault, in which about twelve hundred people were killed and more than two hundred others abducted. He said his department had not lived up to the task it was entrusted with.
Also in the programme: we look at the impact of Hindu nationalism with our Newshour's correspondent Jamie Coomarasamy reporting from the city of Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh; and we hear why senior officials in Milan want to ban afterhours ice-cream.
(Photo: Maj Gen Aharon Haliva (L), Gaza in December 2024 Credit: IDF)
In a bonus episode from Delhi, James Coomarasamy explores identity and politics in India as the country conducts the world’s biggest election. He’s joined by journalists Divya Arya and Rajesh Joshi.
Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa is seeking support for tough measures to tackle gang violence, including plans for armed forces to work alongside police. We hear from Quito on the day of the vote, and ask how one of the safest countries in South America ended up with the region's highest recorded murder rate.
Also in the programme: the ultra-orthodox battalion of the Israeli Defence Forces that may face US sanctions; and new plans in France to revitalise the national cuisine.
(Photo: People wait in line to vote in a referendum proposed by Ecuador's government in Quito, Ecuador, Credit: Jose Jacome/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Ukraine's recent lack of air defence systems has been blamed for Russian forces capturing hundreds more square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. So what difference will the aid make? We speak a defence analyst and get reaction from the capital, Kyiv.
Also on the programme: Newshour’s James Coomarasamy asks if India can stick to its ambitious plans to tackle climate change and develop renewable energy sources; and we ask if the government of Sierra Leone is serious about tackling the drug, called kush, which is devastating the country’s youth?
Photo: Supporters of Ukraine wave US and Ukrainian flags outside the US Capitol after the House approved aid packages to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Credit: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
After months of wrangling, US politicians have agreed on a 60-billion-dollar aid package for war-torn Ukraine. We hear reaction from an MP for Ukraine's governing party and a former advisor to the US Republican Party.
Also in the programme: the Zambian foreign minister explains why his country is seeking international aid to help deal with an unprecedented drought; and the courageous man who rescued hundreds of people during ethnic killings in the West Darfur region of Sudan.
(PHOTO: Supporters of Ukraine wave US and Ukrainian flags outside the US Capitol after the House approved foreign aid packages to Ukraine. CREDIT: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Unseasonably warm temperatures in southern Russia and Kazakhstan have triggered fast-melting snow, causing unprecedented high rivers and flooding close to major cities. We speak to residents in Kazakhstan's badly affected areas.
Also in the programme: Arizona Supreme Court reinstates near-total abortion ban from 1864; and we hear about the contentious reform adopted by the EU parliament to adopt stricter migration rules and shared responsibility.
(Photo: KAZAKHSTAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Israeli military has recovered the body of a hostage in Gaza. It accused the Islamic Jihad group of murdering Elad Katzir, who was snatched from a kibbutz in southern Israel during the Hamas attacks in October. His sister blamed the Israeli government for his death, saying it had failed to strike a second ceasefire deal to allow his release. There have also been protests in Israel demanding the release of all the remaining hostages in Gaza.
It’s six months since the beginning of the war in Gaza – we speak to our chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet in Jerusalem. Also on the programme: Ecuador sparks international outrage by storming the Mexican Embassy in Quito; and why boxing icon Muhammed Ali's shorts might sell at auction for six million dollars.
Picture: People attend protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, calling for the release of the hostages in Gaza. Credit: Hannah McKay/Reteurs)
Aid organisations have stressed the need for an independent investigation into the deadly Israeli drone strike on an aid convoy after the IDF published its first account of the event.
Also in the programme: The BBC's analysis of Israel's evacuation warnings in Gaza; we remember the Nirvana singer, Kurt Cobain, thirty years after his death; and will a new currency stabilise Zimbabwe's economy?
(Photo: Clothes of members of the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) inside their destroyed car in southern Gaza Strip. Credit: EPA).
Nearly three days after catastrophic floods swept away a large part of the Libyan port city of Derna, the security forces are still recovering bodies from the sea. On land, rescue teams are digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the hope of finding survivors. We speak to a journalist in Derna and a doctor who is preparing to visit the affected areas.
Also in the programme: the UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, has announced he is stepping down and warns the conflict risks becoming a full-blown civil war; and the largest newspaper chain in the United States has announced it will hire a full time Taylor Swift reporter.
(Picture: Cars were damaged after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall in Derna. Credit: Esam Omran Al-Fetor/Reuters)
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has praised the strengthening of future co-operation with North Korea, after a rare visit by the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, to a space centre in the Russian far east. Mr Putin promised to help North Korea with its space programme. US officials suspect Moscow wants to buy North Korean munitions for its war in Ukraine.
Also in the programme: we hear from a resident in Timbuktu following a spate of attacks in Mali; and a former Secret Service agent says he has a new nugget of information about the assassination of President John F Kennedy.
(North Korea's Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un and Russia's President, Vladimir Putin. Credit: Reuters)
A minister in the eastern government of Libya tells us what he saw in the worst hit city, Derna, where two dams collapsed.
Also in the programme: for the first time in the history of the Israeli state, all 15 Supreme Court justices have convened to hear appeals against the government's attempt to restrict their power; and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has entered Russia for a meeting with President Putin, so will an arms deal be on the table?
(Photo: People stand in a damaged road after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Shahhat city, Libya, September 11, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Omar Jarhman)
Alongside the trauma - now the frustration: survivors of Morocco's earthquake say rescue and aid have come too slowly.
Rescuers in Morocco have been using their bare hands as desperate search efforts continue for survivors of Friday's powerful earthquake. The tremor was the country's deadliest in 60 years.
Also in the programme: Flooding in eastern Libya kills at least 150 people, though reports say there could be many more dead; Chile marks the anniversary of the coup that ended democracy for almost two decades - but 50 years on, the memory is increasingly contested; and why the US wants to cosy up to communist Vietnam.
(Photo shows rescue workers carrying the body of a victim killed in the village of Talat Talat N'Yaaqoub. Credit: EPA)
Rescue teams are still battling to find survivors trapped in the rubble following Friday's earthquake in Morocco. Heavy lifting equipment can't get through roads blocked by boulders, so villagers have been forced to dig with their hands through the debris from collapsed buildings.
Also in the programme: it is 50 years since the Chilean president Salvador Allende was overthrown by General Pinochet - we hear from someone who saw the coup unfold, and a man has been arrested in the UK for allegedly spying on behalf of China.
(Photo: Some are trying to salvage what they can, including here in a hamlet on the outskirts of Talaat N'Yaaqoub. Credit: Reuters)
Morocco is facing a race against time to save those trapped under the rubble by Friday's earthquake, as emergency services battle to supply remote mountainous areas.
The earthquake, the country's deadliest in 60 years, struck below a cluster of villages south of Marrakesh. We'll hear about trauma and heartbreak in Morocco as reports begin to emerge from the remote mountainous areas totally devastated by the earthquake.
Also in the programme: After an airstrike on a market in Khartoum kills dozens of Sudanese civilians - we speak to a medic treating the wounded; and Luis Rubiales has resigned as president of the Spanish Football Federation following criticism for kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso at the Women's World Cup final.
(Photo shows three mourners crying during a funeral in Moulay Brahim, Morocco. Credit: Reuters)
The Moroccan army has cleared one of the main roads to the areas worst affected by Friday's earthquake, allowing vital assistance to reach people. A landslide had blocked the road to the small town of Asni in the Atlas mountains. Video footage shows ancient hilltop villages reduced to rubble and dust by the quake. More than 2,000 people have died in the earthquake.Also in the programme: US President Joe Biden has arrived in Vietnam's capital Hanoi to sign a partnership agreement; and we hear from the actor Louis Garrel who has been a star of French cinema for 20 years. (Picture: People inspect a destroyed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in the town of Amizmiz. Credit: Nacho Doce/Reuters)
Morocco has declared three days of national mourning for the victims of last night's earthquake. So far more than 1000 people are known to have died, with reports of entire villages being razed to the ground. We hear from eye witnesses, a relief worker and a doctor.Also in the programme: the star conductor who opened and closed London's Prom concerts says sexism is still rife in the classical music world; and a human rights campaigner from Bahrain tells us why she's risking her freedom to try to save her father.Photo: A room damaged by a powerful earthquake in the village of Tansghart in the Asni area, Morocco Credit: Reuters/Abdelhak Balhaki
The 6.8 magnitude quake has killed more than 800 people in Morocco.Also on the programme, India is hosting the latest G20 summit which has just admitted the African Union as a permanent member. And we also hear from one of the organisers of Belgrade Pride, which takes place today. (Picture: A man and a boy walk beside a ruined building in Marrakesh. Credit: Morchidi / EPA)
Gabon's ruling junta, which seized power in a coup last week, has appointed a former opposition leader as prime minister of its transitional government. Raymond Ndong Sima tells us that the decades-long influence of the Bongo family, which ruled for decades, is not over. Also in the programme: Elon Musk says he didn't act on a request from Kyiv to activate his Starlink satellite network to help Ukraine carry out an attack; and the challenges that faced the first American women in space. (Picture: Gabonese Prime Minister, Raymond Ndong Sima. Credit: Getty Images)
Hong Kong and southern Chinese cities are battling widespread flooding as the region endures some of its heaviest rainfall on record. On Friday, streets and subway stations were under water in Hong Kong as officials shut schools and workplaces.The region's weather bureau said the downpour, which began on Thursday, is the biggest to hit the city in nearly 140 years.Also in the programme: As Delhi welcomes world leaders to the G20 summit hosted in India - what does Prime Minister Narendra Modi hope to achieve? And, the new boss of a Japanese pop talent agency faces sexual abuse allegations just a day after the previous boss stepped down.(Photo shows drainage workers assisting a driver stranded due to flooding in Hong Kong. Credit: Reuters)
Thousands of Haitians had been displaced from their homes in the capital Port-au-Prince in recent weeks. With gang violence out of control in the city, one woman tells Newshour how gangs raided her neighbourhood. Seven members of her family including her mother, siblings, and eldest son have not been heard from since. Also in the programme: Mexico's Supreme Court legalises abortion across the country; and a sexual abuse scandal rocks Japan.(Picture: Residents gather outside a military base demanding help after fleeing Carrefour-Feuilles, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Credit: Reuters)
The head of Japan's most powerful talent agency resigns over allegations that her late uncle - who founded the firm - sexually abused young men.Julie Fujishima's departure comes a week after investigators found Johnny and Associates' founder Kitagawa abused hundreds of boys and young men over six decades.Also in the programme: America agrees to send Ukraine tank shells made of depleted uranium; and how Italian experts are helping to repair Odesa's cathedral, which was badly damaged by a Russian missile in July.(Photo shows the former president of Johnny and Associates, Julie Fujishima, during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan on 7 September 2023. Credit: Franck Robichon/EPA)
President Zelensky has condemned a "deliberate" attack on Ukraine's "peaceful city" of Kostyantynivka. According to the Ukrainian authorities, 17 people were killed and more than 30 others were injured in the missile strike on a market area in the town. Also in the programme: scientists grow cells that closely resemble a two-week-old fertilised human embryo; and a new Rolling Stones album. (Photo: Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba (L) speaking with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) during his visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, 06 September 2023. CREDIT: EPA/FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY HANDOUT)
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has attended a wreath- laying ceremony at a military cemetery in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. His unannounced visit aims to underline US support, three months into Ukraine's counter- offensive. Also on the programme: African leaders call for new global taxes to fund action on global warming; and the Rolling Stones launch their first album of new material for 18 years. (Image: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal shake hands prior to their meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 6 September 2023. Credit: REUTERS/SMIALOWSKI)
Spain's football federation has sacked Jorge Vilda, the head coach of its World-Cup-winning women's team. He was a close ally of Luis Rubiales -- the suspended president, who has been under fire for kissing the player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, she says without her consent, as the team celebrated winning the tournament.Also on the programme: why the North Korean leader seems likely to visit Russia's far east to meet President Putin; and why the hosts of the African climate change summit are being sued for inaction. (Picture: President Putin and Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok in 2019. Credit: REUTERS)
Kim Jong Un has not left North Korea for four years. US officials believe this is part of efforts by Moscow to boost supplies of weapons for its troops in Ukraine. It's expected to happen at the end of September.Also on the programme: the children of Lebanon who cannot afford an education and who are forced into work. And how is it even possible for two people to tunnel through the Great Wall Of China? (Picture: President Putin and Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok in 2019. Credit: Getty Images)
Scientists say invasive species are responsible for the majority of plant and animal extinctions and cost the world hundreds of billions dollars a year. The UN Convention on Biodiversity said they destroy forests and crops, and cause pollution. The UN study says human activity is making the effects worse, and recommends tougher border controls.Also on the programme: teachers strike in South Korea; and classical music performed by dogs.(Photo: A grey squirrel sitting on a branch. CREDIT: BBC)
Ukraine is to get a new defence minister - but why now in the middle of the counteroffensive against Russia? And what difference will it make?Also in the programme: the first ever Africa Climate Conference opens in Nairobi, with a focus on finance; we hear from the new head of the UN's Green Climate Fund, set up to help developing countries. And school teachers in South Korea go on strike over bullying by parents.(IMAGE: Rustem Umerov, chairman of Ukraine's State Property Fund and President Zelensky's choice for defence minister to replace Oleksii Reznikov / CREDIT: Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said he will ask parliament to dismiss the defence minister Oleksii Reznikov this week.In his nightly television address, Mr Zelensky said Mr Reznikov had served for 550 days during a full-scale war and now was the time for what he called "new approaches". It will be the biggest shake up at the Ukrainian defence ministry since the Russian invasion.Also in the programme: Israel says it's considering deporting asylum seekers who were involved in clashes on the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday; and thousands have been stranded at America's Burning Man festival as heavy rain turns the site into a mudbath.(Photo shows Ukraine's former defence minister Oleksii Reznikov at a NATO leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on 11 July 2023. Credit: Ints Kalnins/Reuters)
Thousands of protesters are expected to take to the streets to demand the withdrawal of French troops from the country. On Saturday's there was mass demonstration. The demand to expel Niger’s former colonial ruler is backed by Niger’s military regime, which seized power in a coup in July. Also on the programme: Pope Francis’s visit to Mongolia’s tiny flock of 1,500 ends with a Mass in an ice hockey arena. Flanked by two bishops from Hong Kong, the Pope urged Chinese Catholics to not only be good Christians, but ‘good citizens’. And the ousted president of Gabon’s surprising relationship with the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. (IMAGE: Supporters of the military junta protest against the French military presence in Niger, Niamey, 2 September 2023 CREDIT: ISSIFOU DJIBO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Police in Israel have opened an investigation into the use of live fire by officers, during clashes in Tel Aviv between rival groups of Eritrean asylum seekers. Nearly a hundred and fifty people were injured. We hear what life is like for the community living in Tel Aviv.The Nobel Foundation has reversed a much-criticised decision to invite Russia, Belarus and Iran to this year's awards ceremony in Stockholm. Will Oslo, which hosts the Nobel Peace Prize do the same? And a new film about Bobi Wine, Uganda's pop star turned opposition politician - speak to his wife and one of the directors of the film.(Photo: Police said demonstrators for and against the Eritrean regime planned to rally in different areas, but did not stick to the arrangement. Credit: Reuters)
India has launched its first observation mission to study the Sun in the latest success for the burgeoning space power. Large crowds gathered to watch the Aditya-L1 satellite blast off from Andhra Pradesh state, with India's Space Agency later confirming the craft had successfully separated from the rocket.
Also in the programme: Nobel Foundation cancels its invitation to the Russian and Belarus ambassadors to this year's ceremony after widespread criticism; and two members of the Proud Boys militia are sentenced.
(Photo: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Aditya-L1 mission payloads blasting off from a launch pad aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL rocket, in Kolkata, India, 02 September 2023. Credit: Piyal Adhikary/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Families have been searching mortuaries in Johannesburg a day after the fire that killed over 70 people. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Forensic investigators have been at the site, picking through the charred remains of the burnt-out structure.Also on the programme: Anger in Sweden over the decision to invite the Russian ambassador to the Nobel award ceremony; and a relative remembers one of the Moroccan jet skiers killed by the Algerian coastguard.(Image: A view of damaged buildings in the aftermath of a deadly fire in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 1 September 2023. Credit: Reuters/Tassiem)
Super-typhoon Saola prompts flight cancellations, railway closures and severe weather warnings across Hong Kong and southern mainland China; we get an update from Hong Kong and hear about the global economic importance of Guangdong, in the typhoon's path.Also in the programme: Algerian coastguards shoot dead two tourists who strayed into Algerian waters on their jet skis from a Moroccan resort; and we report from Kashmir, where journalists say the administration is carrying out a systematic campaign of arrests and intimidation.(IMAGE: People brave strong winds in Hong Kong, China, as Super Typhoon Saola approaches, September 1, 2023. CREDIT: Reuters / Tyrone Siu)
The South African president says he expects actions to be taken to prevent any recurrence of the fire in a derelict building that killed more than 70 people in the South African city of Johannesburg. It's thought 200 families were living in an abandoned five storey building when it caught light. We hear from government minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.Also in the programme: Filipino fishermen face off against China; and ABBA's Agnetha Fältskog's new single.(Picture: Firefighters work at the scene of a deadly blaze, in Johannesburg, South Africa August 31, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)
More than 70 people have been killed and 50 injured in a fire in Johannesburg, South Africa. We get the latest on the search and recovery operation, and hear about so called "hi-jacked" buildings.Also in the programme: former French president Francois Hollande on the coup in Gabon and how the situation compares to that in Niger; and why the wild boar in Bavaria's forests are still radioactive, long after Chernobyl.[MAGE: An emergency services member climbs a ladder at the site of a fire that broke out at a five-storey building in the city centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 August 2023 / CREDIT: EPA / KIM LUDBROOK]
Gabon's President Ali Bongo appeals for help after the army deposed him in a coup and put him under house arrest. Army officers appeared on TV to say they had taken power. They say they have annulled the results of Saturday's election in which Mr Bongo was declared the winner, but the opposition claims it was fraudulent. Also on the programme: a report from the front line in north-east Ukraine where modest Russian advances are costing Ukrainian lives; and hurricane Idalia batters the Gulf Coast of Florida.
(Picture: People celebrate in support of the military coup in a street in the capital of Gabon, Libreville Credit: REUTERS/Scott Ngokila)
Military officers in Gabon have appeared on on television to say they have seized power. They said they had placed President Ali Bongo under house arrest and were annulling the results of an election on Saturday, in which Mr Bongo was declared the winner.
His overthrow would end his family's 56-year hold on power in the resource-rich West African country and would be the eighth coup in a former French colony in Africa in the past three years. France has condemned the latest events.
Also in the programme: our correspondent sees at first hand how Russian kamikaze drones are slowing Ukraine's counteroffensive; Australia announces a date for a referendum on indigenous rights; and the international operation to bring down a hugely lucrative malware network.
(Photo shows a military vehicle passing by people celebrating in the city Port Gentil in Gabon. Credit: Gaetan M-Antchouwet via Reuters)
He was buried this Tuesday in a small private funeral in St Petersburg. He led a failed mutiny against the Russian authorities two months ago and the role of the mercenary group he commanded has played a decisive role in Ukraine's war. We hear from a former Wagner fighter about Prigozhin's legacy and the future of the mercenary group.
Also on the programme: Prosecutors in Uganda have for the first time charged someone with "aggravated homosexuality", punishable by death ; and the rapper Eminem has told Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to stop using one of his songs during his political campaign.
(Picture: PMC Wagner group founder and chief Yevgeny Prigozhin funeral in St. Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation. Credit: Anatoly Maltsev via EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A major new report warns that air pollution is one of the world’s greatest threats to public health, with India, Pakistan, China and Nigeria some of the worst hit countries. Researchers say that poor air quality can take more than two years off average life expectancy.
Also on the programme: The Spanish World Cup sexism scandal continues as Spain’s regional football federations call on Luis Rubiales to stand down; and the smart socks with AI being used to help people with dementia.
(IMAGE: An Indian man with his face covered with a cloth walks amid heavy smog in New Delhi, India CREDIT: EPA-EFE/RAJAT GUPTA)
We report on the latest developments in the Spanish World Cup football sexism scandal: a criminal investigation, an urgent meeting and a reported hunger strike. But how far does the sport Europe-wide need to change?
Also in the programme: Donald Trump is told he'll face a major criminal trial in March -- the day before the major presidential primaries; and a totem pole taken by a British museum heads back to Canada.
(Photo: The church in Motril, Spain, where the mother of Spanish Football Federation President, Luis Rubiales is reported to be on hunger strike. Credit: Reuters)
The Libyan foreign minister is reported to have been sacked for meeting her Israeli counterpart when the two countries don't have formal relations.
Libya - a strong backer of the Palestinian cause - does not recognise Israel, and the meeting has sparked protests in the majority Arab state. Israeli FM Eli Cohen said the "historic" meeting was "the first step" in establishing relations with Libya. So who sanctioned the encounter?
Also in the programme: Shares in the troubled Chinese property firm Evergrande have plummeted on their first day of trading for 18 months - is it simply too big to fail?; and the French government is banning the wearing of abayas -- the loose-fitting robes worn by some Muslim women -- in state-run schools.
(Photo shows demonstrators in Libya burning tyres to protest against the meeting of the foreign minister with her Israeli counterpart in Italy. Credit: STR/EPA)
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been elected to a second term with 52.6% of the vote, the electoral commission says. But the opposition also claims to have won, saying there was widespread vote-rigging, and observers said the vote fell short of democratic standards.
Also in the programme: Russia says Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has been confirmed dead after Wednesday's plane crash; and the tiny town of Hallstatt in Austria protests against receiving over a million tourists per year.
(Picture: Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks to the media at State House in Harare< Zimbabwe. Picture credit: REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo)
The incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa has been declared the winner of Zimbabwe's presidential election - despite criticism of an unfair process from international observers and the opposition. The Justice Minister tells Newshour the criticisms are rubbish.
Also in the programme: Russian officials confirm the Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin died in Wednesday's plane crash; and in Budapest fans have been cheering the athletes at the world athletics championships - but at what cost to Hungary?
Spain's entire coaching staff from their World Cup win, except for manager Jorge Vilda, has resigned over the Luis Rubiales scandal. Spanish FA president Rubiales was suspended on Saturday by Fifa after kissing forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the Women's World Cup final victory over England in Sydney – a kiss she says was non-consensual.
Also in the programme: spate of looting of stores and supermarkets around Argentina has led to dozens of arrests; and we hear from San Francisco, where driverless taxis are now in operation.
(Picture: People protest outside the Spanish Soccer Federation. Picture credit: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes)
The Spanish football federation says it will take legal action over player Jenni Hermoso's comments about its president Luis Rubiales. Rubiales has refused to resign after kissing the player on the lips following Spain's Women's World Cup final win. Hermoso said on Friday she did not consent, but the federation has questioned her version of events.
Also in the programme: a new report finds that rape continues to be used as a weapon of war in Ethiopia's Tigray region; and we meet Kurdish Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor - one of the world's great masters of the Persian violin.
(Picture: A group of protesters demonstrated outside the Spanish football federation headquarters. Caption: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes)
Spain's football chief is refusing to bow to growing pressure to resign after his controversial kiss at the Women's Football World Cup final.
Luis Rubiales had been expected to quit at a press conference, but instead gave a defiant speech, claiming the kiss was consensual and he was the victim of fake feminism. His attitude has angered players and government ministers, with many seeing it as symptom of sexism in Spanish sport and wider society.
Also in the programme: Denmark is planning to ban the burning of holy books after a number of recent incidents involving the Koran caused anger in the Muslim world - we speak to an MP who's opposed; and why non-plastic drinking straws may not be so eco-friendly after all.
(Photo shows Luis Rubiales announcing he will be staying as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Credit: Royal Spanish Football Federation via Reuters)
The Kremlin says western allegations that it gave an order to kill the Wagner paramilitary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin are a complete lie. We hear from a Russian journalist who has spoken to some of Wagner’s mercenary fighters.
Also in the programme: we pick apart the historic significance of the Donald Trump mugshot; and the head of Spain's football federation has insisted he won't resign over his controversial kiss at the Women's World Cup final.
(Photo: A woman lays flowers in Moscow. Credit: Reuters)
Former US president Donald Trump is surrender in the US state of Georgia to face charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state.
The current frontrunner for the Republican nomination for next year's presidential election will likely be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken at Fulton County jail in Atlanta. Mr Trump will return at a later date to enter a plea in court and his bail has been set at $200,000.
Also in the programme: Russia's President Putin says he sends his "most sincere condolences" to the families of the Wagner leaders apparently killed in a plane crash yesterday; and we'll head to Zimbabwe where police have arrested 41 election monitors and confiscated all their computers and phones.
(File photo of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on 12 August 2023. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The Ukrainian president Zelensky says Kyiv had nothing to do with a plane crash in which the Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed to have died. So what are the implications for Mr Putin's grip on power and the war in Ukraine?
Also in the programme: the clash between Republican presidential candidates in a debate without Donald Trump; and Japan finally releases the water from the Fukushima's nuclear plant causing concern for some.
(Photo: Wreckage of the private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is seen near the crash site in the Tver region, Russia, August 24, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Marina Lystseva)
Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the list of passengers on an aircraft that crashed in the Tver Region, Russian authorities say. We have the latest from our reporter in Moscow, the view of a former Russian politician, plus an analysis of Wagner’s role in the war in Ukraine.
Also on the programme: India becomes the first country to land on the southern polar region of the moon.
(Picture: Yevgeny Prigozhin, gives an address at an unknown location. Credit: PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS)
India's Chandrayaan-3 has become the first spacecraft to land near the south pole of the Moon. Also on the programme: Pakistani police have arrested the owner and operator of the cable car which was stranded high above a riverbed on Tuesday; and we hear from the Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma in his first international interview after ten years in jail.
(Image: Scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) celebrate after the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Moon. Credit: Getty)
Seven children and a teacher who were stuck in a cable car for many hours dangling over a ravine in Pakistan's north-west have been rescued. They were helped to safety along a zip wire, as a huge crowd on top of the hillside celebrated their rescue.
Also in the programme: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, otherwise known as the BRICS group of countries began a three-day summit in Johannesburg; and raging fires in Greece have killed 20 people, 19 of whom are assumed to be migrants attempting to cross the country.
(IMAGE: Pakistani army soldiers carry out rescue operation for stranded in a chairlift students in Battagram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 August 2023 / Credit: EPA/SULTAN DOGAR)
The Zimbabwean government spokesman, Nick Mangwana, tells us he hopes President Emmerson Mnangagwa will win Wednesday's elections so that he can fulfil his electoral programme. The elections pit the incumbent and Zanu-PF party leader against the opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa.
Also on the programme: the former prime minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, has returned from self-imposed exile, been arrested and sent to prison; and we hear the latest on the attempts to rescue people stuck in a cable car in Pakistan.
(Picture: Zanu-PF party rally. Credit: Getty Images)
A nurse who is Britain’s worst child serial killer has been given a rare Whole Life Order which means she’ll spend the rest of her life in jail. Lucy Letby was convicted on Friday of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six other infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Letby deliberately injected babies with air, force fed others milk and poisoned two of the infants with insulin.
Also in the programme: scientists have trained Artificial Intelligence on MRI scans and ECGs to calculate the effective age of a human heart - often different to the age of the patient. We hear from the lead researcher. And after Tropical Storm Hilary ravages Southern California, how are residents coping?
(Photo: Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of Judge Mr Justice Goss addressing the dock containing two dock offices beside empty seats during the sentencing of nurse Lucy Letby at Manchester Crown Court. Credit: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire)
Saudi border guards are accused of the mass killing of migrants along the Yemeni border in a new report by Human Rights Watch. The report says hundreds of people, many of them Ethiopians who cross war-torn Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia, have been shot dead. Some migrants have told the BBC they had limbs severed by gunfire and saw bodies left on the trails. Saudi Arabia has rejected the report as unfounded.
Also in the programme: Zimbabwe's opposition leader tells us why he's convinced he'll win Wednesday's election; and why a burnt-out car chassis has just been bought for $2m.
(Photo: an Ethiopian migrant who said he was shot at the border by men wearing Saudi military uniforms. Credit: BBC)
The Spanish football team beat England 1-0 in a closely-fought final in Sydney to win the trophy for the first time. Queen Letizia and her daughter, Princess Sofia, joined the players on the pitch to mark their triumph.
Also in the programme: voters in Ecuador are choosing a president today after a campaign marred by violence; and Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years crashes into the moon, so what could have gone wrong?
(Photo: Spain's Alexia Putellas (left), Jennifer Hermoso and Irene Paredes celebrate with the trophy after winning the FIFA Women's World Cup final match in Australia. Credit: PA).
Spain took the football title after a fiercely contested final at Stadium Australia in Sydney, despite late English pressure. Also on the programme, Russia's first mission to the surface of the moon in nearly 50 years has ended in failure after crashing; and the Vienna cemetery that’s home to famous composers and fresh vegetables.
(Photo: Spain players celebrate with the trophy after winning the World Cup REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli)
A Russian missile attack on a theatre in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. We speak to the mayor who arrived at the scene minutes after it happened.
Also in the programme: A fast-moving wildfire in Canada, which multiplied a hundredfold in just one day, is threatening tens of thousands of people in British Columbia. Local fire chief Jason Brolund tells us "the stories coming from my firefighters are mind boggling"; and the man swimming America's Hudson River in a solo protest to protect waterways.
(The scene of a missile hit at the Drama Theatre in central Chernihiv, Ukraine, 19 August 2023. Credit: Photo by Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Canada is having its worst wildfire season on record, with at least 1,000 fires burning across the country. British Columbia has declared a state of emergency; 15,000 households have been ordered to evacuate, as firefighters battle raging wildfires that have set homes ablaze.
Also on the programme: Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has hosted talks with Iran's foreign minister. Is the meeting a sign relations are improving? And we hear why Italy's government settled the bill of four Italian tourists in Albania, who left a restaurant without paying for their meal. Plus, how will history look back on the indictment of former President Donald Trump?
(Photo: The McDougall Creek wildfire burns next to houses in the Okanagan community of West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, August 19, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Chris Helgren)
A British nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of murdering seven newborn babies and trying to kill another six in the neonatal unit of a hospital in northwest England where she worked. The murders happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. Letby is the UK's most prolific killer of babies in modern times. The thirty three year-old, denied all the charges against her, blaming the deaths on hospital hygiene and staffing levels.
Also in the programme: WHO says it's monitoring a new Covid variant; and Joe Biden hailed a "new era" of unity with the leaders of South Korea and Japan at summit near Washington.
(Picture: Letby was charged in November 2020 with murder and attempted murder. Credit: CHESHIRE POLICE)
It's deadline day for the evacuation of an entire Canadian city as crews battle to control wildfires. Steven Guilbeault, Canada's minister for environment and climate change tell us "It is by far the worst forest fire season in our history" and that an area larger than Greece has been burnt.
Also on the programme: at least 1,400 people have starved to death in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray in recent months; and a nurse in Britain has been found guilty of murdering seven babies.
(Picture: Yellowknife residents leave the city on Highway 3, the only highway in or out of the community. Credit: Kane / Reuters)
Traffic is clogging up along a single highway that leads out of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, as authorities rush to get everyone out of the city. More than twenty thousand people have been told they have less than 24 hours before the fires reach them.
Also on the programme: The International Chess Federation bans transgender women from competing at women’s events. We hear reaction from transgender player, Yosha Iglesias. And we speak to Africa’s fastest man on his chase to make history.
(Picture: Yellowknife residents leave the city on Highway 3, the only highway in or out of the community, after an evacuation order was given due to the proximity of a wildfire in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Credit: Reuters)
As wildfire roars towards the small city of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's North-West territories, all the residents have been ordered to evacuate.
Also in the programme: Pakistani authorities ban public gatherings in the city of Jaranwala after at least four churches are torched by a Muslim mob. A senior bishop tells Newshour the inciters need to be punished; and we hear from one of the researchers behind a major Hong Kong study showing that an anti-inflammatory drug can boost the effectiveness of emergency contraception.
(IMAGE: Flames and smoke rise from a wildfire in Northwest Territories, Canada, August 13, 2023, in this picture obtained from a social media video. Mary Jane Martin/via REUTERS)
Until now, Ecuador has avoided the worst effects of the narco gangs, political violence and instability that have plagued its larger neighbours. But in the past week, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio is one of two politicians to have been shot dead, just days ahead of a snap election. We hear from his running mate, Andrea Gonzalez, and analyst, Glaeldys Gonzalez.
Also in the programme: How the world of espionage is changing; and the scientists who have reconstructed a Pink Floyd song by analysing human brainwaves.
(Picture: Soldiers have been deployed in the run-up to Ecuador's snap presidential elections on Sunday. Credit: Reuters)
The Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead as he left a campaign rally last week, 11 days before the election. His running-mate, Andrea González, tells us that she is wearing a bulletproof vest 24 hours a day.
Also on the programme: England advance to the Women’s World Cup Final; and how AI created music from human brain waves.
(Photo: Andrea Gonzalez, vice presidential candidate. CREDIT: REUTERS/Henry Romero)
Two years after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, we hear from Adela Raz, former Afghan Ambassador, about how the international community can impact the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Later, we speak to Richard Fausset, National Correspondent for the New York Times about the significance of the charges brought against former US President Donald Trump in the state of Georgia.
Also in the programme: the surge of disinformation and fake news on social media surrounding the coup in Niger and Gabon’s new and controversial new deal with Bank of America to ease its debt burden.
(Picture: The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has seen the deterioration of women's rights. Credit: NAVA JAMSHIDI/BBC)
Donald Trump and his allies have condemned criminal charges brought against them by the US state of Georgia and accused the District Attorney of political interference. The indictment lists thirteen counts against the former president, who's accused of engaging in a criminal enterprise to overturn the result of the 2020 US presidential election in the state. Mr Trump described the indictment as a 'witch-hunt' by what he called an 'out-of-control' and 'very corrupt' district attorney.
Also in the programme: two years on from the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan; and the Rubik’s cube World Championship.
(Photo: Former US President Donald J. Trump (R) and Alina Habba (L), one of Mr. Trump's attorneys. CREDIT: EPA/JUSTIN LANE)
A right-wing populist candidate has shaken Argentina's political establishment by coming first in the presidential primary election. Javier Mllei won more than 30% of the vote after calling for austerity and the dollarisation of the economy.
The former television personality has promised to put an end to what he calls a parasitic political class that has sunk Argentina. We'll explore what this means for the country’s forthcoming elections.
Also in the programme: Russia's central bank prepares to hold an emergency meeting as the rouble falls considerably against the American dollar; and two years after the retreat from Kabul, should the world accept Taliban rule? We'll be asking the US's last acting ambassador.
(Photo shows Javier Milei during Argentina's primary elections, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: Juan Ignacio Roncoroni/EPA)
Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, has described the blaze as a fire hurricane, with high winds and temperatures reaching 1000 degrees Celsius. The authorities have warned that efforts to find and identify the dead on the island of Maui are still in in their early stages. Emergency plans will initially see hundreds of hotels rooms provided for those who have lost their homes.
Also in the programme: after two years of Taleban rule in Afghanistan, we ask whether the West should be doing more to engage with them diplomatically; and we hear why George Harrison's mother was disgusted by The Beatles' screaming fans.
(Image: Volunteers load water onto a boat to be transported to West Maui Credit: Getty)
The wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui are now being described as the worst in the United States for more than a century, with 93 people confirmed dead. Representative Jill Tokuda gives us an update.
Also on the programme, can ECOWAS drum up enough support in the region for a military intervention in Niger? And as Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act sees schools censoring the work of Shakespeare, we ask a leading scholar if this is a serious situation or just a tempest in a tea cup?
(Picture: Residents push a shopping cart through the ruins of Lahaina Credit: Laurent / EPA)
The number of dead from the wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui continues to rise, as the state governor, Josh Green, warned it would.
Also in the programme: The Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been held in China for the past three years, we hear from her partner; and the Iranian parliament has voted to review a major new bill on the enforcement of the hijab without public debate.
(Photo: A firefighter puts out hot spots at the Ho'Onanea condominium complex in the aftermath of a wildfire, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii on 10 August 2023. Credit: Reuters/Jorge Garcia)
A senior official from FEMA tells Newshour that additional expert help has been deployed to Hawaii and that forensic work continues in the wake of devastating wildfires.
Also on the programme, Armenia has written to the United Nations Security Council asking for an emergency session on the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. We hear from Armenia's Ambassador to the UN. And we meet the scientist who kept the final remaining piece of his favourite glacier, which had melted due to climate change, in his own freezer.
(Picture: Workers clean the streets of Lahaina in Hawaii Credit: Laurent / EPA)
Hawaii's attorney general has ordered an investigation into the handling of devastating wildfires which are now known to have killed at least eighty people. The authorities are facing growing questions about whether they could have done more to warn residents on the island of Maui.
Also in the programme: England captain Harry Kane is on the move; and reggae music from Japan.
(Picture: A tree trunk is still smouldering by the ocean after a wildfire burned through the city up to the port in Lahaina, Hawaii. CREDIT: EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT)
State governor Josh Green has called the fires "catastrophic", and probably the largest natural disaster in Hawaii's history.
Also in the programme: Former US National Security Adviser, John Bolton, criticises the deal that will lead to the release of 5 American citizens detained in Iran, calling it "effectively human trafficking by the US government"; and Norwegian climber Kristin Harila defends herself against criticism that she walked over a dying sherpa while negotiating a narrow ledge on K2.
(Photo: Flames are seen near Lahaina as wildfires driven by high winds destroy a large part of the historic town of Lahaina, Hawaii on 9 August 2023. Dustin Johnson/Handout via Reuters)
The authorities on Hawaii's island of Maui say it will take many years and billions of dollars to repair the damage caused by devastating wildfires. Fifty- five people are now known to have died and thousands have been displaced. We hear from survivors in Maui. Also on the programme, West African nations have decided to activate a standby force for possible military intervention in Niger and call for the release of president Mohamed Bazoum; and, we travel back to the origins of hip-hop.
(Photo: Views from the air of the community of Lahaina after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town several days ago, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Garcia)
Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz and two un-named US Iranian dual nationals were released to house arrest in Iran, which could lead to their eventual repatriation to the US.
Also on the programme: President Biden has declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Hawaii; and we hear how research on lizards could offer insights into the treatment of osteoarthritis.
(Image: US-Iranian Siamak Namazi is among those freed from Evin prison under the deal, Credit: Free the Namazis)
A countrywide state of emergency has been declared in Ecuador after the assassination of a candidate in this month's presidential election. Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead while leaving a campaign event in the capital, Quito. Also on the programme, the leaders of the recent coup in Niger have announced a new government, as the regional West African bloc considers whether to agree a military intervention; and, scientists say they've found evidence that Mars had wet and dry seasons similar to Earth.
(Photo: STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Only four people survived the incident in the Mediterranean Sea. They were taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday. We speak to Paul Wagner, from Sea Watch, about how the rescue mission unfolded.
Also on the programme: A summit aimed at protecting the Amazon wraps in in Brazil; and musician Sixto Rodriguez dies age 81. We speak to Stephen Segerman, the owner of a record shop in Cape Town whose search for the musician became a hit documentary which helped revive Rodriguez’s fortunes.
(Image: A file photo shows the Italian Coast Guard ship transporting migrants in Lampedusa. Credit: EPA)
Delegates from the countries have been meeting in the Brazilian city of Belém for a two-day summit on the issue. A joint declaration created an alliance to combat deforestation, but left each country to pursue its own conservation goals.
Also on the programme: research suggests no direct link between time on Facebook and online harm; and the NME, described as a bible for British music and pop culture, is back in print from this summer.
(Image: Indigenous people take part in a march at the Amazon Summit in Belem, Para state, Brazil on 8 August 2023. Credit: Reuters/Marcelino)
The new report comes as a key summit opens in Brazil, aimed at ending deforestation and preserving the rainforest, which acts as a huge carbon sink for the planet. We speak to Carlos Nobre, an earth scientist, on whether the summit will produce concrete measures to save the Amazon ecosystem.
Also on the programme: Diplomatic efforts to reverse the coup in Niger intensify; and we speak to Anatoly Levchenko, former artistic director of the Mariupol Theatre in Ukraine, who was held as a prisoner for ten months.
(Image: A view of cracked ground in Tunisia. Credit: Reuters)
The leaders of eight Amazon rainforest nations are meeting this week in Brazil to tackle pressing challenges facing the critical ecosystem. Newshour hears from farmers in Pará state and from agricultural expert Christian Lohbauer.
Also in the programme: a senior US official visits Niger coup leaders; and an extinction warning is issued for the Vaquita porpoise.
(Image: Indigenous people participate in a march for land demarcation, and against violence on indigenous lands and agribusiness, one day before the summit of the Amazon countries. Credit: Photo by Andre Borges/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A deadline for civilian rule to be restored in Niger has passed. The ultimatum was imposed by the West African grouping of countries, ECOWAS, threatening military intervention if the leaders of the coup in Niger did not comply. ECOWAS says it will hold a summit in the Nigerian Capital, Abuja, on Thursday to discuss the situation.
Also in the programme: An Israeli military spokesperson describes West Bank settler violence as 'terrorism'; and Italy is to trial free taxis to curb drunk driving.
(Picture: Niger's junta leaders were cheered by thousands of supporters at a defiant rally in Niamey on Sunday. Credit: Reuters)
The West African bloc ECOWAS deadline for Niger's coup leaders to reinstate the democratically elected President has passed with no change. So what's ECOWAS going to do about it? And what do people in Niger want?
Also in the programme: Brazil's Environment Minister tells us it's now or never to save the Amazon rainforest ahead of President Lula's summit. And as scientists in California repeat their nuclear fusion success, is it really "the holy grail" of green power?
Amid silence from ECOWAS, their deadline for the military junta in Niger to step down seems to have expired. ECOWAS had given the coup leaders a week to reinstate the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, threatening military intervention if its demands were not met. Also on the programme, today marks six months since two huge earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria, killing more than fifty thousand people and leaving many more homeless; and, defending champions the United States have been knocked out of the women's football world cup by Sweden.
(Photo: Thousands of anti-sanctions protestors gather in support of the putschist soldiers in the capital Niamey, Niger August 3, 2023. The sign reads "Down with France long live CNSP". REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou)
When Afraa was found in the rubble of a collapsed building in Syria, her umbilical cord was still attached to her mother, who had died just after giving birth. The video of the baby's rescue from the earthquake six months ago captivated the world. Since then she has made a remarkable recovery.
Also today: The Russians hunting for cheap flats in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol; and gymnastics champion Simone Biles has made a return - we'll hear about the mental block she experienced known as "the twisties".
(Photo: Afraa with her uncle, Khalil)
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been jailed after being convicted on corruption charges.
Mr Khan has called for nationwide protests after he was handed a three-year jail sentence. His supporters say the prosecution is politically motivated.
Also in the programme: Bangladesh is facing its worst outbreak of dengue fever for at least two decades; and a pill aiming to treat depression in women following childbirth has just been approved in the United States promising to be a game changer for millions of women.
(Photo shows supporters of former Pakistani prime minister shout slogans at a protest on 5 August 2023. Credit: Amiruddin Mughal/EPA)
Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has been arrested following the decision by a court to sentence him to three years in prison. Mr Khan was found guilty of not declaring money he'd earned from selling state gifts such as luxury watches he'd received while he was prime minister. Imran Khan denies all the charges against him. He released a video message on social media after he'd been taken into custody.
Also on the programme: Saudi Arabia is hosting talks on a future settlement for the conflict in Ukraine; and some of the contents of Queen singer Freddy Mercury's home go under the hammer.
(Picture: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. Credit: Akhtar Soomro/ REUTERS)
Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has told supporters not to lose the will to resist, after his jail term was extended to 19 years.
Also on the programme: Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region where fighting between the army and local militias has worsened; and we hear from oceanographers worried about the surging temperature of the world's seas.
(Image: Mr Navalny appears on a screen via a video link from his penal colony during court hearings in Moscow, 22 June 2023, Credit: EPA)
Scientists say the average surface temperature of the world's oceans is at a record high - it's now 20.96 degrees Celsius compared to the previous record of 20.95 in 2016 - the numbers come from the EU's climate change service, Copernicus. So why is it happening and why does it matter? We speak to Dr Samantha Burgess, the Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service
Also on the programme: a husband and wife cyber crime team plead guilty to attempting to launder $4.5bn of Bitcoin; and the Edinburgh play about the prolific serial killer Harold Shipman. (Picture: Dead fish lie on the beach in Chumphon, Thailand June 22, 2023. Credit: Kantaphong Thakoonjiranon /via REUTERS)
Security has been ramped up in Washington DC as Donald Trump arrives to face charges of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The former president pleaded not guilty on four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and to deny voters the right to have their ballots counted. We hear more about the judge ruling the case, Tanya Chutkan.
Also on the programme: Scientists discover a natural strain of bacteria which they say could help stop malaria passing from mosquitoes to humans, and what persuaded NFL star Tom Brady to invest in Birmingham City Football Club?
(Picture: A demonstrator carries a placard, as people gather on the day former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is facing federal charges related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, appears at the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. Credit: Reuters)
A ceasefire comes into effect today between Colombia's government and the left-wing ELN guerrilla group. The truce will be in force for 180 days, and will be monitored by the United Nations. If the ceasefire holds it will be the longest time the ELN has agreed to halt the conflict since 1964.
Also in the programme: former US president Donald Trump appears in court today over alleged attempts to overturn the last presidential election; and we speak to the singer Emel Mathlouthi who was cancelled by a music festival in Tunisia following concerts in Bethlehem, Ramallah and East Jerusalem.
(Picture: The president of Colombia Gustavo Petro, accompanied by commander of the ELN guerrilla, Antonio Garcia, and the president of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel, shake hands during peace talks in Cuba in June. Credit: Mastrascusa/EPA)
Donald Trump's campaign team has said the latest criminal charges against him amount to election interference. Mr Trump is due to appear in court on Thursday to face accusations of plotting to overturn the last presidential poll. His campaign described the allegations as an "un-American witch hunt", and likened them to the persecution inflicted in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The indictment says Mr Trump knew he was lying when he complained of voter fraud.
Also in the programme: as Colombia prepares for an historic ceasefire with rebels, we speak to a government negotiator; and why are killer whales ramming boats in Spain?
(Photo: A woman holds a banner in front of the federal courthouse where former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is expected later this week. US August 1, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Donald Trump faces four new criminal charges, including conspiracy to 'defraud the United States'. The former US President says it's a persecution - an 'un-American witch hunt'. Newshour looks at the legal implications.
Also on the programme: In the UK there is a warning that cuts to the overseas aid budget could directly lead to the deaths of thousands of women in the poorest countries of the world; and the plight of an Iranian woman - injured in anti-government protests who was heading over the border to get medical treatment.
(Photo: President Donald Trump visits American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, on July 30th 2020 Credit: Reuters)
France is evacuating its nationals from Niger amid growing hostility to the former colonial power after a military take-over.
Also today: we speak to an Israeli doctor who wants to quit the country because of the right wing nationalist government; and it's a double blue super moon. Why do super moons seem bigger and brighter?
(Photo: A protester carries a sign that reads 'France must go' during a protest in Niamey, Niger, 30 July 2023. Thousands of supporters of General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the Presidential Guard, who declared himself the new leader of Niger after a coup against democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum on 26 July, took to the streets of Niamey to demonstrate support for the coup .Credit: Issifou Djibo EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
France says it will evacuate its citizens from Niger following last week's coup. The foreign ministry said it was responding to an attack on the French embassy on Sunday, as well as the lack of commercial flights. So could France still play a military role in Niger?
Also: thousands of young Pakistanis have tried to reach Europe via Libya - it's a dangerous route and many die - we will hear from one of the people smugglers; and why you need to keep your eyes on the sky this month for blue moons and supermoons.
(Photo: Protesters outside the French embassy on Sunday chanted "Long live Russia" and "Down with France". Credit: AFP)
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has condemned Sweden and Denmark for failing to prevent the repeated burning of the Quran by activists. At an extraordinary meeting, the Saudi-based organisation urged member states to take any action they deemed appropriate in response. Both Scandinavian countries have said they reject Islamophobic acts and are working on how to solve the problem.
Also in the programme: fighting at Lebanese refugee camp; and should Venice be added to UNESCO’s list of endangered World Heritage Sites?
(Picture: Police stand guard as a man (not in picture) prepares to burn a copy of the Koran in protest. CREDIT: EPA/OSCAR OLSSON SWEDEN OUT)
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned those responsible as being terrorists who have 'targeted those who speak for Islam, the Quran and Pakistan'; also our reporter in Ukraine has been on the front line with a team of elite snipers known as 'the Ghosts of Bakhmut'; and has Emperor Nero's lost theatre finally been found next door to the Vatican?
(Photo: Security officials inspect the scene of a bomb explosion in Khar, Bajaur district, Pakistan. Credit: Hanifullah Khan/EPA)
The leaders of the block of West African nations, ECOWAS, threatens to take military action if Niger’s military junta does not end their coup in seven days’ time. In the meantime, economic sanctions have been immediately put in place.
Also on the programme: Kenya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alfred Mutua, discusses Kenya’s offer to help Haitian police combat criminal gangs. And we hear from the all-female Ukrainian group, Dakh Daughters, who produce what they call a freak cabaret.
(Image: Nigerien security forces prepare to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered in the capital city of Niger, Niamey. Credit: Reuters)
Thousands of protesters have gathered outside the French embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger, in support of the recent military coup. The leaders of the coup have warned the West African regional bloc ECOWAS against any possible military intervention. We have an interview with Niger's ambassador to the United States, Kiari Liman-Tinguiri.
Also on the programme: Russia has accused Ukraine of responsibility for the latest night time drone attack on Moscow. And the story behind the late Sinead O'Connor's song and what inspired Prince to write Nothing Compares to You.
(Photo: The junta says it took power because of the worsening security and economic situation. Credit: Getty Images).
Niger to lose all French development aid and budgetary support, following earlier moves by the EU to suspend financial and security cooperation. We hear about the likely impact on the local population from a security analyst in the Niger capital.
Also in the programme: the deepening political crisis in Peru; and promising news about tiger conservation across southern Asia.
(Photo: Shoppers in a street market in Niamey, Niger. Credit: ISSIFOU DJIBO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
European Union diplomats said financial and security co-operation with Niger was suspended with immediate effect after its army took power in a coup. The decision comes as the African Union called for constitutional order to be restored in the country within 15 days.
Also in the programme: At least four people are feared dead after an Australian army helicopter crashed into the sea during multi-national military exercises; and we speak to Canada's environment minister after a meeting of G20 countries on climate change.
(Picture: Torched cars sit in front of the headquarters of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, which was damaged during anti-government protests in Niamey. Credit: Issifou Djibo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The army in Niger, which seized power in a coup on Wednesday, has warned other countries against intervening. We hear about American and French concerns for the country.
Also on the programme: the Norwegian climber Kristin Harila who along with her Nepali guide reached the fourteen major mountain peaks in three months and one day; and a tv writer gives his view on the Emmy's being postponed.
(Picture: Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani (Omar Tchiani) makes a televised address to the nation of Niger explaining the reasons for the coup, 28 July 2023. Credit: ORTN (Office of Radio and Television of Niger)
A senior adviser to Ukraine's defence minister Yuri Sak says his country's forces are making steady progress in a counterattack against Russian forces on the southeastern frontline. But is that progress quick enough ? We ask a military expert for some answers on Ukraine's counteroffensive.
Also on the programme: new charges against Donald Trump; and does our imagination improve as we get older?
(Picture: Ukrainian servicemen sign a national flag as they visit an exhibition of destroyed Russian military machinery. CREDIT: EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO)
The era of global warming has ended and global boiling has arrived, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. We hear from Belize, a country that suffers the consequences of climate change despite having a virtually insignificant contribution to it.
Also on the programme: the recent coup in Niger threatens to make the country even more unstable; and in Mexico an independent panel of international experts has concluded that the Mexican security forces were complicit in the abduction of 43 students back in 2014.
(Photo: Fans keeping residents and tourists cool during a very hot day in Rome. Credit: EPA/MASSIMO PERCOSSI/epa09410918)
The army in Niger, in west Africa, has given its backing to the troops who announced in a television address that they had toppled the country's elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. Mr Bazoum, who is a close ally of western countries fighting Islamist militancy, has been detained since early Wednesday by troops from the presidential guard. What could it mean for the country and the region?
Also today: the man who spent 17 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit; and scientists resolve the mystery of a 2,000-year-old grave.
(Photo: Niger Army spokesman Colonel Major Amadou Adramane speaks during an appearance on national television, after President Mohamed Bazoum was held in the presidential palace, in Niamey, Niger, July 26, 2023. Credit: ORTN/via Reuters TV/Handout via Reuters)
A jury in London has found Kevin Spacey not guilty of all nine sexual offences he was charged with. We look at the verdict’s implications for the Hollywood actor’s career and the future of the MeToo movement. Also on the programme: The Indian parliament is to hold a vote of no confidence in the government of Narendra Modi over ethnic violence in Manipur; and tributes to Sinéad O’Connor, who has died at the age of 56.
(IMAGE: Spacey speaks with the media outside Southwark Crown Court on 26 July CREDIT: REUTERS/Susannah Ireland
Wildfires continue to blaze across several Mediterranean countries. In Sicily power cables have melted, knocking out the electricity supply and affecting water pumps and cooling systems - we hear from the Mayor of Catania. Green issues are at the forefront of plans for next year's Olympics in Paris. And the Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty of multiple charges of sexual assault by a jury in London
(IMAGE: A man tries to extinguish a wildfire in the Sicilian village of Altofonte, near Palermo, Italy July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Alberto Lo Bianco)
At least 34 people have been killed and thousands evacuated after wildfires broke out across Algeria, the country's interior ministry says. The most extensive fires, in the mountainous Kabylie region to the east of Algiers, spread to residential areas in the coastal towns of Bejaia and Jijel, fanned by high winds.
Also on the programme: Belgium’s biggest ever terror trial finds six men guilty of terrorist murder; and the IMF says it is optimistic about economic recovery, but only for the richer countries.
(Image: Men stand near burnt vehicles in the aftermath of a wildfire in Bejaia, Algeria on 25 July 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Boudina)
For nine years, a Sunni-led coalition and Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have been at war. The BBC's Orla Guerin reports from Taiz in southwest Yemen on how the war has impacted children and the UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Yemen, David Cressly, gives us the latest details on the conflict.
Also in the programme: China removes Foreign Minister Qin Gang from office; and we get the latest on the wildfires in Italy, Greece and Algeria.
(Image: A child who lost his leg after being hit by a shell. Credit: Goktay Koraltan/BBC)
The new reforms limit the powers of the Supreme Court to challenge government decisions. Water cannon and mounted police were used against thousands of protestors. We hear from a Reservist from an elite squadron who is now on strike.
Also on the programme; as Twitter rebrands itself as X we hear from one of the designers of the original logo. And is the footballing superstar Kylian Mbappe really headed for Saudi Arabia?
(Picture: Protesters in Jerusalem are sprayed with "skunk water," a foul smelling substance. Credit: Reuters / Zvulun)
The government proposals have triggered some of the largest protests in Israeli history. A major strike has been declared today. Newshour speaks to Dan Catarivas, head of international relations at the Manufacturer's Association of Israel, which is taking part in the strike.
Also on the programme: two main parties claim victory in Spain's snap general election; and new releases Barbie and Oppenheimer break records at the box office. Could this mark a comeback for cinemas?
(Picture: Israeli lawmakers take a selfie after passing the reform plan. Credit: Reuters)
Counting is under way across Spain after its snap general election and the first results suggest a very tight race. We will bring you the latest in what's being considered the country's most momentous election in almost 50 years.
Also in the programme: Israel's parliament will tomorrow vote on a central plank of the government's plans to limit the ability of Supreme Court judges to overrule Government decisions it deems "unreasonable"; and we speak to Greece's tourism minister as a state of emergency has been declared on the island of Rhodes.
(Picture: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez talks to media in Madrid after he cast his ballot for the general elections. Credit: Ballesteros/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Greek police say 19,000 people have had to be evacuated to escape wildfires on the island of Rhodes. It's said to be the biggest such operation Greece has ever carried out.
Also on the programme: a closely fought snap summer poll in Spain, while Cambodia's election is a foregone conclusion; and Israel's parliament begins debating a key element of the government's contentious judicial overhaul.
(Photo: Smoke rises from a wildfire on the island of Rhodes, Greece on 22 July 2023. Credit: Argiris Mantikos/Eurokinissi via Reuters)
Tens of thousands of Israelis opposed to a judicial overhaul sought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marched to Jerusalem on Saturday, as pressure mounts to scrap a bill that would curtail the Supreme Court's powers.
Also in the programme; ethnic violence has plunged the small Indian state of Manipur into what many have dubbed a state of civil war as the two largest groups battle over land and influence, and thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and hotels on the Greek island of Rhodes due to wildfires.
(Picture: People take part in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government's judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 22, 2023. Picture credit: Reuters/Corinna Kern)
Scientists say they're alarmed at the unprecedented rate at which climate records are being broken; we'll look at the economic impact of sustained high temperatures. Also, we'll hear from inside Cambodia, where the self-styled 'strongman' prime minister Hun Sen is guaranteed to win Sunday's election. And Malaysia has cancelled a music festival after the singer of the British group, The 1975, kissed a male bandmate on stage.
(Photo: Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire burning in Saronida, near Athens, Greece, July 17, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Stelios Misinas )
Former President Donald Trump will go on trial for alleged mishandling of classified documents in spring next year, a court has ruled. The high-profile case will begin with the election campaign in full swing. The former president has maintained his innocence, criticising the case as an attempt to destroy his election campaign.
Also on the programme: the rise of the narcas - the female drug bosses in Latin America; and we pay tribute to Tony Bennett - torchbearer of the Great American songbook who's died at the age of ninety six.
(Image: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures as he takes the stage during the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, on 15 July 2023. Credit: Reuters/Bello)
Indian police say a crowd has attacked the home of the main suspect in an assault on two women who were paraded naked in Manipur during recent unrest. We hear from a Kuki social activist about her personal experience of violence.
Also on the programme the number of migrants arriving in Italy has more than doubled since far right leader Giorgia Meloni took over the presidency. We hear from one of the affected areas. And how post menopausal female killer whales protect their male offspring.
(Picture: Women hold protest against spiralling violence in Manipur Credit: EPA)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the alleged incident shameful. We speak to governing BJP spokesperson Anila Singh about the footage.
Also on the programme: a deal between Russia and Ukraine, allowing cargo ships to take grain onto world markets, comes to an end; and Newshour speaks to the current Miss America and student of nuclear engineering, Grace Stanke, about watching both Barbie and Oppenheimer on release day.
(Picture: People in Bangalore hold a vigil for the victims in Manipur. Credit: EPA)
For the past three nights Russia has bombarded Ukraine's grain facilities in Odesa and other cities. Moscow pulled out of a UN deal this week that ensured safe passage for grain shipments crossing the Black Sea. Global food prices could be impacted.
Also on the programme: we discuss sexual violence in India as footage emerges of an attack on two women; and as Barbie makes a come-back as a modern woman - why some feminists are still unconvinced she's a good thing.
(Photo: Rescue workers at the scene of an administrative building which was damaged after a rocket strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, on 20 July 2023. Credit: Tkachenko/EPA)
What prompted the 23-year-old US serviceman, Private Travis King, to give his escort the slip at Seoul airport in South Korea and to cross into the north? More than 24 four hours since the story broke, many questions remain unanswered about him, his motives, and the consequences of the fact that he's now in detention in a country which is a sworn enemy of the United States. We hear from a former senior Swedish military officer who worked at the so called Demilitarized Zone at the border between the two Koreas.
Also on the programme: our political reporter goes walkabout in the former constituency of Boris Johnson a day ahead of a by-election there; and we speak to the only woman candidate in Zimbabwe’s coming presidential elections.
Photo: US soldier Travis King appears in this unknown location, undated photo Credit: REUTERS
More details have emerged about how a serving US soldier, Travis King, managed to cross into North Korea when he was meant to be leaving South Korea for the US after serving time in a detention facility in Seoul. What will Pyongyang try and leverage to allow him to return home?
Also in the programme: the winner of Thailand's general election appears to have been prevented from becoming prime minister by the military; and the head of Britain's spying agency says MI6 have recruited Russians, and encourages more to defect.
(Photo: US Private Travis King (wearing a black shirt and black cap) is seen in this picture taken during a tour of the tightly controlled Joint Security Area (JSA) on the border between the two Koreas, at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea, 18 July 2023. Credit: Sarah Leslie/Handout via Reuters)
North Korea is reported to have detained a serving US army soldier who crossed the heavily-fortified border from South Korea without permission.
The US State Department says the captured solider crossed "willfully and without authorisation" into North Korea. It's unclear if the man has defected to North Korea or hopes to return. There has been no word yet from the north.
We'll hear from experts about the historical precedents that have faced US defectors to North Korea and what treatment the soldier could face.
Also in the programme: The fast food giant McDonald's reacts to claims, by more than a hundred of its UK staff, that they'd been abused; and as Melbourne in Australia pulls out of hosting the next Commonwealth Games, is the future of the event at risk?
(Photo shows South Korean soldiers standing guard in the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.)
One of Ukraine’s most senior military commanders, General Oleksandr Syrski, has told the BBC that its counter-offensive is not going as fast as he'd like. Also on the programme: Australia pulls out of hosting the Commonwealth Games; and the extreme and dangerous allure of free-diving.
(Pic: General Oleksandr Syrski and President Zelensky. Credit : Reuters)
Russia has said it will not renew a crucial deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain over the Black Sea.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a "rise in human suffering" would "inevitably" follow Russia's decision. So will the world go hungry?
Also in the programme: Iranian state media say morality police are relaunching street patrols; and the amazing story of the sailor and his dog, lost and then found, after two months at sea.
The Ukrainian military says it carried out the overnight attack on the strategically important Kerch bridge linking Russia with occupied Crimea. Moscow has also blamed Ukraine saying the attack killed a civilian couple in a car and injured their daughter.
Also in the programme: US Climate envoy John Kerry is in China for climate talks, amid sweeping heatwaves in the US and Europe and damaging floods in Asia; and reports of a new breakthrough drug in the treatments of Alzheimer's disease.
(Picture: A view shows the Crimean Bridge, a section of which was damaged by an alleged overnight attack, as seen from the city of Kerch. Credit: Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters).
Forecasters in the United States say temperature records could be broken today, as a heatwave starts to take hold. We speak to climate author Jeff Goodell on the dangers of heat.
Also on Newshour: Carlos Alcaraz wins Wimbledon; and Jane Birkin the English born actress and iconic singer of the 1960's - has died.
(Photo: A view of a digital sign displaying the high temperature in Death Valley, California, U.S. July 15, 2023. REUTERS/Jorge Garcia)
China and the United States will try and restart their co-operation on combating climate change. Washington's envoy John Kerry is in Beijing ahead of UN- sponsored talks later in the year.
Also on Newshour: A top-level European delegation tries to persuade the Tunisian president to do more to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean; Finland's plan to bury nuclear waste; and Jane Birkin - the Anglo-French actress, singer and icon of the 1960's - has died.
(Photo: Mr Kerry is the latest top official to be dispatched to China from Washington. Credit: Getty Images)
Nearly a third of Americans are under extreme advisories, with warnings that scorching temperatures in the west could be deadly to anyone without effective cooling or hydration. There are warnings that next week will see temperatures in their forties across southern Europe.
Also in the programme: Tennis player Marketa Vondrousova beats Ons Jabeur in Wimbledon women's final; and South Korea says it will expand its country's military and humanitarian aid support to Ukraine.
(Photo: A woman cools off in a fountain during a heat wave in Turin, Italy, 15 July 2023. Credit: EPA).
Heatwaves are also troubling North Africa and the US. More than 113 million Americans are suffering intense heat. We speak to German MEP Michael Bloss about how Europe has been affected and links with climate change.
Also on the programme: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol visits Ukraine for the first time; and Newshour speaks to one student who has found a way of using AI to predict earthquakes and assess how much damage might be done by one.
(Image: Cracked and dry earth is seen in the wide riverbed in the Loire River in France. Credit: Reuters)
The International Criminal Court has opened a new investigation into alleged war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. Ethnic violence has surged there as part of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF. The court's chief prosecutor -- Karim Khan -- said the reports included attacks on civilians, mass rapes, and the burning of homes and markets.
Also in the programme: Nigeria’s President announces a state of emergency as the country battles severe food crisis; and Hollywood actors start the first industry-wide walk-out in more than six decades.
(Photo: FILE PHOTO: A Sudanese man who fled the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. CREDIT: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo).
The International Criminal Court has opened a new investigation into alleged war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. Ethnic violence has surged there as part of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF. Our correspondent has been speaking to refugees who have fled to neighbouring Chad.
Also in the programme: the Indian space agency which has successfully launched a rocket that will attempt to land a rover on the moon; and France has posthumously awarded the Legion d'Honneur to a journalist killed working in Ukraine.
(Picture: Sudanese refugees gather as Doctors Without Borders teams assist the war-wounded from West Darfur in a hospital in Chad in June. Credit: Mohammad Ghannam/MSF/Handout via REUTERS)
Hollywood actors have been ordered by their union to strike after weeks of talks with major studios and streaming giants collapsed. The Screen Actors Guild board voted unanimously for a walkout. The dispute has centred on pay, working conditions and what they've called the 'existential threat' posed by artificial intelligence to the industry. The union represents a hundred and sixty thousand actors. Hollywood writers have been on strike for weeks. It would be the first combined industrial action since 1960. We hear from an actor supporting the strike and a film industry observer.
Also in the programme: The bodies of at least 87 people allegedly killed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan have been found in a mass grave; and we hear from Emma Tsurkov, the sister of kidnapped academic and human rights activist Elizabeth Tsurkov, who is being held by a Shiite militia group in Iraq.
(Photo: SAG-AFTRA President US actress Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA secretary-treasurer US actress Joely Fisher, and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, joined by SAG-AFTRA members, hold a press conference at the labour union's headquarters in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2023. Credit: CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The reformer who won Thailand's election has failed to win enough votes in parliament to become prime minister.
Pita Limjaroenrat swept to victory in May as voters rejected nearly a decade of conservative military rule. He and his allies have a lower house majority but could not win over the senate, which was all appointed by a previous military government. Can democracy survive in Thailand?
Also in the programme: For the first time in decades, Hollywood faces a shutdown on two fronts: first it was a writers' strike. now it could be actors; and a BBC investigation casts doubt on the official greek response to the migrant drowning disaster.
(Photo shows Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat posing for a picture on 13 July 2023. Credit: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)
President Zelensky wants assurances Ukraine will join Nato after the war, but members chose strategic caution. Also on the programme, one of the BBC's main news presenters - who faced a series of misconduct allegations - has been named as Huw Edwards; and democracy activists in Thailand call for protests after the Constitutional Court accepted two complaints against the leader of the reformist party which won the general election in May.
(NATO Holds 2023 Summit In Vilnius CREDIT: Getty Images)
Sir Salman Rushdie says he is physically "more or less OK" nearly a year after he was stabbed as he prepared to give a lecture in New York. However the 76-year-old told Newshour's Razia Iqbal in an exclusive interview that he was still processing the incident, which left him blind in one eye. "I have a very good therapist who has a lot of work to do," said the novelist. "I have crazy dreams." Last August, the Indian-born British-American author was put on a ventilator and spent six weeks in hospital after being stabbed up to 10 times on stage at an event in New York state.
Image: British-American novelist Salman Rushdie poses on the PEN America 2023 Spring Literary Gala red carpet at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, New York, USA, 18 May 2023. Photo by SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Ukraine accession process is being shortened, during a news conference with Ukrainian President Zelensky. The summit, taking place in Lithuania, ends today. We hear from the former Defence Minister of the country.
Also on the programme: we speak to internationally renowned author Sir Salman Rushdie about freedom of expression; and we look back at a major story in presenter Razia Iqbal's career on Newshour - the Arab Spring.
(Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine receives applause from NATO members at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 12 July 2023. Credit: Reuters/Mills)
Nato states have said Ukraine can join the military alliance "when allies agree and conditions are met" after President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the "absurd" delay to accession. In a communique, Nato said it recognised the need to move faster but would not be drawn on a timeframe. We speak to a former deputy defence minister of Ukraine. Also on the programme: the European Court of Human Rights rules in favour of double 800m Olympic champion Caster Semenya in a case related to testosterone levels in female athletes. And we hear why Crawford Lake, a small body of water in Ontario, Canada, is being put forward as the location that best records humanity's recent impacts on Earth. (Image: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with his wife Olena Zelenska arrive for the dinner hosted by the Lithuanian president at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, 11 July 2023. TIM IRELAND/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Sweden is closer to becoming a NATO member after Turkey dropped its long-standing objection. We ask Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson how his country managed to win Turkey's support for its membership. 31 members gather for a summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, while there are discussions about another potencial member, Ukraine. President Zelensky has criticised the lack of a clear timeframe for the country to join.
Also on the programme: we hear from an eminent Indian journalist who thinks democracy is under threat; and the death of a Russian commander in Krasnodar has left lots of questions in Russia.
(Photo: NATO Secretary General meets Sweden's Kristersson and Turkey's Erdogan in Vilnius, Lithuania; Credit: FILIP SINGER/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, says Turkey's president has agreed to back Sweden's membership of the alliance, after resisting it for many months. The announcement follows talks between the Swedish and Turkish leaders - along with Mr Stoltenberg - on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. We get reaction from Vilnius and from Sweden.
Also in the programme: can rare earth metals be mined from the bottom of the ocean without destroying the seabed? And Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the great survivor of Dutch politics, finally calls it a day.
(Picture: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves as he leaves after his meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, on the eve of the NATO summit. Credit: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
The Kremlin admits that President Putin met the Wagner mercenary boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, just five days after he led a failed mutiny.
Also in the programme: NATO lifts key hurdle to Ukraine membership; and Lesia Tsurenko on playing tennis in a time of war.
(Picture: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attends a press conference on the eve of a summit of NATO leaders, in Vilnius, Lithuania July 10, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Ints Kalnins)
The US Climate Envoy John Kerry has urged China to boost its international co-operation on tackling global warming. Beijing is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with the US second. Mr Kerry said it was vital to find common ground with Beijing on the climate crisis and to "change the dynamic".
Also in the programme: A BBC male presenter is suspended while the corporation investigates allegations that he paid a teenager for sexually explicit photos; and is El Salvador's President defying the constitution to run for a second term?
(Photo: John Kerry speaking on BBC news and current affairs analysis programme Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Credit: BBC).
The US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, says four days of talks in China have helped create a healthier relationship between Washington and Beijing. Also on the programme, the three-month conflict in Sudan continues as an air-strike kills 22 in the residential are of Omdurman; and, the National Trust of Georgia has organised an unusual event making threatened buildings sing.
(Photo: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing 09/07/2023 Reuters)
President Zelensky says he's returned home from a visit to Turkey with five Ukrainian commanders captured by Russia. The commanders had been transferred to Turkey under a prisoner swap brokered by Ankara in September. Moscow said Turkey had violated the prisoner exchange terms and had failed to inform Moscow.
Also in the programme: A Sudanese army airstrike has killed more than twenty people in Omdurman; and a group of Angolan giraffes have returned to live in their historical homeland.
(Photo: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a joint press conference. Credit: Reuters).
On the 500th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted a video of himself visiting Snake Island. The sliver of land in the Black Sea has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.
Also in the programme: Protests in South Korea over Japan's decision to release water from a nuclear plant in the sea; and how the US wants to work with China to combat America's opioid crisis.
(Picture: President Zelensky called Snake Island a "place of victory" that would never be reconquered. Credit: Telegram)
White House advisor, Jake Sullivan, said the US wouldn't leave Ukraine defenceless as he pledged to send cluster bombs to assist them against Russia.
Also on the programme; climate campaigners say a new pledge by the global shipping industry to reduce planet warming gases to net zero by or around 2050 is too weak. And the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo, only has a week's supply of water left says the government.
(Picture: Cluster Bomb in Ukraine. Credit: Getty)
The US is planning to send Ukraine a cluster munitions package to help in its counteroffensive against Russia, US media reports. Ukraine has been asking for the weapons for months amid an ammunition shortage. Cluster munitions - which are banned by more than 100 countries - are a class of weapon which contains multiple explosive bomblets called submunitions.
Also on the programme: a major shipping deal on reaching net-zero emissions; and the rate of de-forestation in the Amazon region falls by a third.
(Photo: U.S. President Joe Biden arrives aboard Air Force One. CREDIT: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
A special report on the plight of the Yazidis, the ancient Iraqi community persecuted by Islamic State which is still facing problems in Iraq.
Also in the programme: UN issues stark wanring over Myanmar; and Prigozhin is in Russia, according to Belarus' president.
(Picture: Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar town, August 11th 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Rodi Said)
Deputy mayor of Lviv, the largest town in western Ukraine, says a Russian attack is the heaviest of the war so far, with four people killed.
Also in the programme: where is Yevgeny Prigozhin? The President of Belarus says the head of Wagner is not in his country; and why is the Nutbush City Limits line dance an Australian phenomenon?
(Photo: Rescuers work at a site of a residential building hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine on 6 July 2023. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)
Thousands gather in the streets of Jenin to mourn the twelve people killed by an Israeli attack. Widespread destruction of the city left burnt out cars, smashed windows and houses turned upside down. One doctor in Jenin tells us about the patients he's been treating. And we hear why the operation took place from the spokesperson of the Israeli Defence Forces, Richard Hecht.
Also in the programme: Colombia reaches a ceasefire deal after decades of conflict with a the country's biggest guerrilla; and is it safe to dump the wastewater of Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean?
(Picture: A view of a mass grave at the funeral of Palestinians killed during an Israeli military operation, in Jenin. Credit: Yosri Aljamal, Reuters).
The Israeli Defense Forces pull out of Jenin after their largest operation in the West Bank in almost a decade left 12 Palestinians dead. Also on the programme: Rolando Alvarez, one of the most prominent political prisoners in Nicaragua has been released from prison; and the world's average temperature reached a new high this week, but what does this mean? (Picture: A Palestinian woman near a damaged building after the Israeli army's withdrawal from the Jenin camp, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman)
An Israel defence source confirms to the BBC the army has begun to withdraw from Jenin after the two-day military operation in the city's refugee camp. Palestinian officials say eleven people have been killed. A Palestinian was shot dead in Tel Aviv by a passer-by, after he rammed his car into a crowd injuring eight people.
Also in the programme: Fighting has intensified in parts of Sudan; and the latest on a cricket row involving England and Australia.
(Picture: Israeli forces clash with Palestinians in Jenin. Credit: Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Among the several thousand who have managed to leave the camp and seek safety is a 34 year old man, who has two small children. We spoke to him and asked him why did he decide to leave. Also on the programme: President Macksy Sall of Senegal won't run for the election in 2024; and Meta will launch an app called Threads later this week and it is set to be a Twitter rival. (Image: People rest as residents of Jenin camp flee their homes amid an Israeli military operation in Jenin. Credit: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta)
The Israeli military has begun what appears to be one of its most extensive operations in the occupied West Bank in years with drone strikes early on Monday. At least seven Palestinians have died. We speak to aid agencies on the ground and representatives of the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
Also in the programme: Hong Kong announces rewards for the capture of eight pro-democracy activists who’ve fled abroad; and the new Barbie film is banned in Vietnam after stumbling into geopolitical controversy.
(Photo: Israeli military vehicles cross the security fence from the West Bank city of Jenin area. Credit: EPA).
At least seven Palestinians have been killed in the biggest Israeli army operation in the occupied West Bank for years. Also on the programme, minefields have slowed the Ukrainian counter offensive against Russia; and, an ongoing drought in Mexico is causing a severe shortage of the chilli peppers made to use the hot sauce, Sriracha.
(Photo: Israeli military launches large-scale operation in Jenin, West Bank 03/07/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
After five nights of unrest across France, there's been an appeal for calm from the grandmother of the boy whose killing by police ignited a series of riots across the country. Identified only as Nadia, she said she was angry at the policeman who killed her grandson but said his death should not be used as an excuse for violence.
Also in the programme: the Orkney islands, north of the British mainland, is set to explore alternative forms of governance, including closer links with Norway, Denmark or Iceland; and we meet the man dubbed the "Sultan of Sequins" who has spent a lifetime dressing some of the most iconic superstars of recent decades.
(Picture: A firefighter extinguishes a burning car during protests sparked by the death of a teenager in France. Credit: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters)
Rioters tried to burn down the house of the mayor of Hay-les-Roses in Paris. The unrest has taken place over five nights. We hear from Paris, Toulouse and Marseille.
Also on the programme: we hear about the loophole which allows energy companies to buy natural gas from Russia, but not oil. And we also meet the journalist who exposed allegations of war crimes committed by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.
(Picture: A vandalised window in the French town of Marseille. Credit: EPA / Ciantar)
Tensions remain high across France after the funeral of a young man whose killing by a police officer sparked four nights of rioting. We hear the latest from Paris and Marseille.
Also in the programme: the UN Secretary-General calls for international support during a visit to Haiti; and remembering Lord Creator, the Caribbean artist who helped forge Jamaica's musical identity.
(Photo: Person standing outside damaged shop after a night of rioting in Marseille. Credit: SEBASTIEN NOGIER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In France, a funeral service is being held for the teenage boy whose shooting by police led to four consecutive nights of rioting. We hear from the mayor of Grenoble, Eric Piolle.
Also in the broadcast: Australia permits prescription of psychedelic drugs; and the European Space Agency launches "Euclid" telescope.
(Picture: Nahel's mother, wearing a 'Justice for Nahel' T-shirt, raises her fist as she attends a march in the memory of her 17-year-old son who was killed by French Police in Nanterre. Credit: Photo by YOAN VALAT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
France is deploying forty-five thousand police officers to tackle the riots after the death of a teenager in a police shooting. A young man died after falling from a roof during the protests and bus and tram services are being suspended countrywide. Also on the programme: Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been banned from running for public office until 2030; and there's another Indiana Jones film out and we have been speaking to one of the stars of the saga. (Photo credit: MOHAMMED BADRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
President Macron of France has blamed what he called "professionals of violence" for disrupting what should have been a period of respect after the police killing of a teenage boy on Tuesday. He said additional resources would be made available to deal with unrest. A third night of rioting on Thursday, left buildings including libraries and schools burnt and scores of police personnel injured.
Also, why isn't Tiktok taking down videos denying the existence of man-made climate change?
And the UN votes to set up a body to investigate the tens of thousands of Syrians who've disappeared -- we hear from an activist whose father is still missing.
(Photo credit: BBC)
The French authorities are bracing themselves for the possibility of more violence linked to protests against the shooting dead on Tuesday of a teenage boy by a policeman. Forty thousand officers were deployed across the country in response.
Also in the programme: The US Supreme Court has ruled that it is not permissible to consider a person's race in deciding on university admissions, reversing decades-old policies of affirmative action on campuses; and questions are being raised about the whereabouts of a senior general, Sergei Surovikin, amid unconfirmed reports that he's being investigated for possible links to the Wagner mutiny.
(Picture: French riot police clash with protesters following a march in the memory of teenager who was killed by French Police in Nanterre. Credit: Yoan Valat/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
France's interior minister has promised to restore order to the streets following a second night of rioting over the police killing of a 17-year-old boy. Gerald Darmanin said 40,000 officers would be deployed. We’ll hear from the family’s lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou.
Also on the programme: new evidence that gravitational waves reverberating in the universe might have the potential to change our understanding of the cosmos; and we’ll hear from a survivor of a boat that capsized off the coast of Greece two weeks ago with hundreds of migrants on board.
(Image: Riot police pass by a burning car during clashes with protesters in Nanterre, near Paris, France, 29 June 2023. Credit: EPA/Yoan Valat)
The government is on high alert with 2,000 extra officers deployed across the Paris region tonight. We speak to Sebastian Roche, an expert on policing from Sciences Po University in Grenoble about the incident.
Also on the programme: The death toll of the missile strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk rises; and Peru declares a state of emergency amid an outbreak of dengue fever, which is thought to have been exacerbated by climate change.
(Image: A burnt out car following a night of civil unrest in Paris, CREDIT: EPA)
Ten people are now known to have been killed by a Russian missile attack on a restaurant in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine. Putin admits that Russia "fully funded" Wagner.
Also in the programme: protests in France over another fatal police shooting; and rewriting the classic French film La Haine . . . as a musical.
(Photo: An injured man reacts at the site of a hotel building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in central Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. credit: REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
A Russian missile strike has hit a crowded restaurant area in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, Ukrainian officials say. Emergency services are at the scene helping the injured. We hear from a journalist who was in the restaurant just before the strike took place.
Also on the programme: the president of Estonia discusses the attempted Wagner coup in Russia; and we meet Ashley Elzinga, the DJ who has just presented a programme alongside an AI version of herself.
(Picture: The aftermath of the attack on Kramatorsk. Credit: Government of Ukraine.)
President Putin thanks his security forces for response to Wagner mercenary mutiny, and claims they helped prevent a civil war in Russia. The criminal case against those involved in the rebellion has been dropped.
Also in the programme: the future of Wagner in Africa; and the palm that fruits underground.
(Picture: President Putin addressing members of Russia's security services, Moscow, Russian Federation. Credit: SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
It is his first speech since Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s attempted mutiny last weekend. We get reaction from Moscow-based historian Nina Khrushcheva.
Also on the programme: A BBC investigation uncovers evidence of another suspected Chinese surveillance balloon travelling over Japan in 2021; and we learn about a bid for stunt teams in films to get recognition at the academy awards.
(Vladimir Putin delivers his address to the nation CREDIT: Kremlin.ru)
The Kremlin has published footage of President Vladimir Putin congratulating participants of an industrial forum. Meanwhile, Russian state television has shown the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, visiting what they said was a forward military command post. It's the first time they've been seen since Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin called-off his mutiny. We'll get the latest from Russia and hear from human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina. We will also speak to Belarus' opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Also in the programme: The main opposition candidate in Sierra Leone's presidential election has accused soldiers of firing live ammunition at his headquarters; and NASA has been in the West Australian outback as part its search for life on Mars.
(Picture: Russia President Vladimir Putin addresses participants of an industrial forum. Credit: Kremlin)
America's top diplomat Antony Blinken has said an attempted armed mutiny in Russia shows "real cracks" in President Vladimir Putin's authority. He said Saturday's rebellion by Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner fighters was a "direct challenge" to Mr Putin, forcing him into an amnesty agreement.
Also in the programme: Guatemalans go to the polls today to choose a new president, amid concerns about corruption and mass migration; and Elton John performs his last UK concert of his career.
(Picture: A man holds a placard in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, is to leave Russia for Belarus after calling off his troops' rebellion. The mutiny was a huge challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose image of authority is now weakened, experts say.
Mr Putin had decried Mr Prigozhin's actions as "treason" in a national TV address on Saturday, but the mercenary chief and his troops will not be prosecuted, the Kremlin says.
We'll be looking at where this situation leave Russia's president and what could potentially happen to the man who led - and then abandoned the rebellion.
Also in the programme: .Greeks look for stability as they vote in a general election, the second in little more than a month; and with record numbers and stifling heat as this year's Hajj pilgrimage gets underway.
(Photo shows Russian president Putin delivering an address to the nation in Moscow on 24 June 2023. Credit: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/EPA)
The head of the Wagner group Yevgeny Prigozhin will go to Belarus and charges against him will be dropped following their advance on Moscow.
He told his forces to return to their bases to "avoid bloodshed" after negotiations with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
In this special edition of Newshour; we explore the consequences of this unprecedented challenge to the rule of Russia President Vladimir Putin. We also discuss reports of new Ukrainian military moves in the midst of this disarray.
(Picture Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin Credit: Yulia Morozova/Reuters)
Special edition of Newshour - presented by Lyse Doucet:
President Putin says Russia is facing a battle for its future, in the face of an armed mutiny. He was speaking in an emergency address, after the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said he'd taken over the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. In his latest comments, Mr Prigozhin has hit back directly at the Russian leader. He said he did not want the country to continue living mired in "corruption, deceit and bureaucracy."
(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an emergency televised address in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2023. Credit: Reuters)
BBC Urdu Service's Halid Karamat has been to Athens and managed to speak to Muhammed Hamza, one of only 12 Pakistani survivors of the migrant boat that sank in Greek waters last week. He said he had to drink seawater for several days and was forced to sit onboard.
Also in the programme: the authorities in Russia have accused the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, of calling for an armed mutiny. He says Moscow's forces have attacked his troops and he intends to punish those responsible; and a right wing Israeli cabinet minister has urged his government to launch a large-scale military operation in the West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir said the aim was - in his words - to eliminate thousands of terrorists.
(Photo: Migrants rest in a shelter, following a rescue operation, after their boat capsized at open sea, in Kalamata, Greece, on 14 June 2023. Credit: Reuters/Stelios Misinas)
The co-founder of the firm that developed the Titan submersible has rejected claims that it cut corners, after five people died descending to the wreck of the Titanic. We hear from US sub safety expert William Kohnen.
Also in the programme: James Cameron pays tribute to Titan dead; and the British Nigerian chefs backed by Beyoncé.
(Photo: Undated handout photo issued by OceanGate Expeditions of their submersible vessel named Titan. Credit: OceanGate Expeditions/PA Wire)
The US Coast Guard has confirmed that debris discovered in the North Atlantic, near the wreck of The Titanic belongs to the tourist submersible that went missing on Sunday with five people on board. A spokesman said the debris was consistent with the catastrophic loss of the submersible's pressure chamber.
Also in the programme: former Brazil President, Jair Bolsonaro is on trial accused of abusing his powers and undermining the country's democracy; and find out why Turkey and the UK have decided to raise interest rates.
(Picture: The US Coast Guard previously said noises were heard on Tuesday and Wednesday but it did not yet know what the noises were. Credit: Reuters)
The calls for change are being led by the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley. Her country wants the IMF and the World Bank to be able to help developing nations invest in clean energy and improve their resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Also on the programme; with the clock ticking, rescuers are desperately trying to find the missing Titanic submersible, itself, a hugely difficult task. And events are taking place today in the UK to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the "Windrush," the ship that started organised Caribbean migration to Britain.
(Picture: French President Emmanuel Macron (L), US philanthropist Melinda French Gates (R) and World Bank President Ajay Banga take part in a round table to discuss global economy during the New Global Financial Pact Summit in Paris. Credit: Marin / EPA)
The window of opportunity to rescue those trapped inside the Titan submersible is closing rapidly.
A hunt for the missing vessel, assumed to be nearly two miles beneath the surface, near the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic, continues.
But the response coordinator with the local coastguard has told a news conference in Boston there was still hope the vessel would be found and the five men on board saved:
Also in the programme: Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky talks to the BBC about the latest developments in the war in Ukraine; and 50 years of the Women's Tennis Association, remembered by founding member, Billie Jean King.
(Photo shows an undated handout photo issued by OceanGate Expeditions of their submersible vessel named Titan. Credit: OceanGate Expeditions/PA Wire)
President Zelensky has urged those attending an international conference on rebuilding Ukraine to aim for the country's transformation, not just its reconstruction.
Also in the programme: more than 40 people are killed at a women’s prison in Honduras; and the US Coast Guard says underwater noises were detected in the area of the North Atlantic where a tourist submersible went missing.
(Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the opening session on the first day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Credit: Reuters).
The rescue mission to find a missing tourist submersible, which lost contact on its descent to the Titanic, has expanded deep underwater. There are five people aboard and the US Coast Guard estimates they have about forty hours of oxygen left.
Also on the programme: we hear from the 13-year-old Ukrainian author who kept a diary of her journey escaping Russia’s invasion, and the full-time accountant who recorded this season's fastest 100m time in Europe.
(Picture: The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken SS Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland. Credit: Reuters)
US and Canadian coastguards continue the search for the Titan vessel that went missing on Sunday. We hear from Colonel Terry Virts, a friend of British billionaire Hamish Harding, one of the five people on board the missing vessel. We also hear from Professor Alistair Greig about the challenges of the rescue operation. Also on the programme: police in British Columbia say the killing of the President of the Sikh temple was a targeted killing; and glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges.
(Pic credit : Oceangate)
We hear from the United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, who has raised concerns with the Taliban government. Also in the programme, the US Coastguard is searching for a missing submersible that's designed to take tourists to view the Titanic. Plus, Russia's leading opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, goes on trial again, to face his most serious charges yet. And Germany bets big on semiconductor chips, promising Intel billions in subsidies to build a major microchip plant.
(Picture: Afghan women learn tailoring skills at a centre in Kandahar, Afghanistan, 21 February 2023. This centre serves 60 women, including those who were forced to leave school under the Taliban. Photo by STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Nine Egyptian nationals suspected of involvement in the sinking of a trawler carrying hundreds of migrants off the Greek coast have pleaded not guilty after appearing in court in Southern Greece on Monday.
Also in the programme: US and China pledge to stabilise relations; and Australia approves a referendum on aboriginal rights.
(Picture: A picture of the trawler in the hours before it sank. Credit: GREEK COAST GUARD)
A BBC investigation has cast serious doubt on the Greek coastguard’s account of the sinking of a ship carrying hundreds of migrants on Wednesday. Greek authorities have not yet responded to the BBC's findings.
Also on the programme; the United States has given a positive assessment of talks between its top diplomat and China's foreign minister, but Beijing says relations are at a historic low. And, we hear how Swiss voters backed ambitious plans to save melting glaciers.
(Picture: A bus transporting survivors of the tragic shipwreck that occurred off the coast of Pylos on June 14th (Credit: Getty)
America's secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is making his first visit to China since taking office, as the two countries seek to prevent their rivalry from spiralling into conflict. We speak to our correspondent who is following Mr Blinken on the visit and to Huiyao Wang, of the Center for China and Globalization, a think tank with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Also in the programme: we discuss whether Artificial Intelligence poses a threat to humanity; and why Zimbabweans have an appetite for George Orwell's classic novel Animal Farm.
(Photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Credit: Reuters/Leah Millis/Pool)
Survivors said pupils were killed with machetes and buildings were set ablaze during an overnight attack on a boarding school in western Uganda. At least six more are reported abducted. The military has vowed to track down the attackers, who they believe to be the radical Muslim organisation Allied Democratic Forces. We hear the government’s reaction Information Minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi.
Also on the programme: African leaders arrive in St Petersburg to meet Vladimir Putin for talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine, and the stand-up comic from Kyiv who is making New Yorkers laugh about the war.
Ugandan security forces stand guard as locals gather at the cordoned scene outside the Mpondwe Lhubirira Secondary School, after militants linked to rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed and abducted multiple people, in Mpondwe, western Uganda (Credit: Reuters)
A rebel group has attacked a school in western Uganda, killing at least forty people - most of them pupils. Dozens more have been abducted. Police say the attack was carried out by the ADF which is based in neighbouring Congo.
Also in the programme: We hear from the fishermen in North Africa offered fortunes for their boats; and Russia's only solo woman cosmonaut gets an award from the Kremlin, 60 years after going into space.
(Photo: A boy is comforted on Saturday at the scene of an attack at the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School in Uganda. Credit: AFP)
Could Greece have done more to prevent a migrant boat from sinking? We ask a Greece's government official who says they offered help, but they didn't have the authority. He also says the European Union should do more.
Also in the programme: The US Deportment of Justice report into George Floyd's death says officers routinely used racial discrimination and excessive force; African leaders head from Ukraine to Russia; 15,000 flee Sudan to Chad; and the ocean racers testing microplastics.
Photo: Survivors of the migrant boat in the Greek city of Kalamata. Credit: Shutterstock.
An investigation by the BBC and international partners into Russian casualties in Ukraine has found that the numbers of dead soldiers are far in excess of official tallies.
It estimates that many more Russian soldiers have been killed during their country's war in Ukraine than the number acknowledged by Moscow. How much more can the country endure?
Also - as hundreds are feared lost at sea in Mediterranean migrant boat sinking, we'll hear from the Red Cross official leading efforts to re-unite families, and ask whether the Greek authorities failed in their duties; and a new type of dinosaur bares its bones.
(Photo shows a composite image showing pictures of Russian troops who have died in Ukraine. Credit: BBC)
In the second part of our exclusive reporting into life in North Korea, we look at repression in the secretive authoritarian state which seems to be getting more repressive and totalitarian than ever.
Also in the programme: former UK Prime Minister - Boris Johnson - deliberately misled MPs over Covid-19 lockdown parties; and we speak to a Khartoum resident who fled the war as the conflict in Sudan enters its third month.
Photo: Barbed wire fence between North Korea and China. Credit: Reuters
People living in North Korea have told the BBC that the government has become increasingly repressive. In secret interviews, they spoke of new laws and punishments being introduced, as well as increased surveillance.
Also, a report by British MPs has found that the former prime minister, Boris Johnson, repeatedly lied to parliament about illegal parties held during coronavirus lockdowns.
And how a bus bearing the number of the beast will no longer take you to Hel.
(Photo: Kim Jong-un is the current leader of North Korea. Credit: Getty Images)
Exclusive interviews gathered inside the world’s most isolated state suggest the situation is the worst it’s been since the 1990s, according to experts. The BBC has secretly interviewed three ordinary people in North Korea. They told us that since the country’s border closure in 2020 in response to the pandemic, they are afraid they will either starve to death or be executed for flouting the rules.
Also on the programme: at least 79 people have died and more than 100 have been rescued after their fishing vessel capsized off the coast of southern Greece; and the frenzy stoked by the start of Beyoncé’s world tour is seen driving up prices in Sweden.
(Image: A rare photo taken inside North Korea during the pandemic, showing people at a crossing in Phyongysong. Credit: NK News)
The United Nations refugee agency says the figures were made up of people fleeing due to war, persecution, poverty and climate change. We speak to Filippo Grandi, head of the UNHCR.
Also on the programme: EU approves a draft legislation designed to limit harm from AI systems; and a Chinese-Australian artist claims Chinese diplomats have tried to shut down his latest art exhibition.
(File photo shows migrants on a fishing boat in Greece CREDIT: Reuters)
Former US president Donald Trump is formally under arrest at a US federal court in Miami where he will shortly face charges that he illegally stored top-secret documents at his Florida estate. The 37 criminal indictments include conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Also on the programme: the BBC gains access to some of the first villages liberated in Ukraine’s counteroffensive; and Japan’s prime minister announced a range of new incentives to arrest his country’s dramatically declining birth rate.
(Image: A person holds a banner outside The Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse, on the morning former U.S. President Trump is to appear there on classified document charges, in Miami, Florida, U.S., June 13, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
Former US president Donald Trump is set to make his initial federal court appearance in Miami today, to face multiple charges of hoarding classified documents. It is the first criminal prosecution of a former US president.
Also in the programme: the United Nations and Ukraine have warned of a huge impact on global food security following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam; and Pakistan's first female architect has been recognised with a major award.
(Picture: Supporters of former President Donald Trump gather near the entrance to the Trump National Doral Miami golf course ahead of his first appearance in a Federal Court. Credit: Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/REX/Shuttershock)
The former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has died at the age eighty-six. The billionaire media magnate led the government three times-- but was dogged by allegations of corruption, as well as scandal in his personal life. We speak to MP Deborah Bergamini, of Forza Italia party, which was founded by Mr Berlusconi, and professor Alexander Stille, who has published numerous works on Italian politics and Mr Berlusconi.
Also, the latest on the counter-offensive in Ukraine - from our reporter near the front line.
And how solid is the classified documents case facing Donald Trump.
(Photo: The four-time Italian PM leaves behind a controversial legacy. Credit: EPA)
Italy’s billionaire former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has died at the age of 86. We will hear from one of his supporters and the man who replaced him. Also on the programme: life in the Sudanese capital Khartoum; and Japan rethinks how to address sexual violence against women.
(Picture: Silvio Berlusconi giving a speech in Rome in 2009. Credit: Reuters / Remo Casilli.)
Ukraine says its troops have recaptured at least two neighbouring villages from the Russians in the southeast, the first settlements Kyiv claims to have liberated since launching a counter-offensive.
Also in the programme: a delegation of European leaders has promised over a billion dollars of financial assistance to Tunisia, as part of a proposed wider agreement encompassing action to tackle migration; and Novak Djokovic has become the most successful men's singles tennis player of all-time after winning this year's French Open.
(Picture: A Ukrainian serviceman stands next to a military vehicle in Donetsk region of Ukraine. Credit:Reuters/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
A doctor in Haiti tells Newshour the country could descend into civil war if there isn't outside intervention to control "horrible" gang violence. Also on the programme: Floodwaters are receding in southern Ukraine after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam; and Pat Metheny, one of the world's great jazz guitarists, is back with a new album.
(Photo: More that 50 confirmed deaths in Haiti as a result of flooding 06/06/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
Four Colombian children who were on a plane that crashed in the Amazon jungle more than a month ago have been found alive. The children - aged 13, nine, four and one - were the only survivors when the Cessna plane they were travelling in with their mother went down in Caquetá.
Also in the programme: former US president Donald Trump has made his first speech since federal charges over his handling of classified documents was announced; and Sri Lanka has lifted import restrictions on nearly three-hundred items as the country is showing signs of emerging from its worst economic crisis in decades.
(Picture: Colombian military sources with child survivors of a plane crash in the Amazon jungle. Credit: Handout via Reuters)
Britain's former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned as an MP, saying he's been 'driven out' by a report into whether he deliberately misled parliament over breaches of Covid rules. What could his next move be? Also on the programme; four children who've been missing in the Colombian jungle for more than a month after a plane crash have been found alive; and the Kenyan athlete Faith Kipyegon has been hailed as "superhuman" after beating the world record in the women's 5,000 metres.
(Photo: Boris Johnson resigns as an MP 09/06/2023 Press Association File photo dated 02/03/23
Federal prosecutors unseal a wide-ranging indictment of Donald Trump, accusing the former US president of endangering national security by holding on to top defence documents.
Also in the programme: Boris Johnson to resign as an MP; and what space does to an astronaut's brain.
(Picture: An itemized list of property seized in the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Credit: REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo)
Experts say the indictment does not prevent Mr Trump from running for president again. We speak to legal expert Corey Brettschneider for his take on the case.
Also on the programme: the EU agrees on an overhaul of the bloc’s migration and asylum policies; and we learn the latest on the evidence indicating who might be behind the explosion at a Ukrainian dam.
(Photo: former President Donald Trump at a campaign event. CREDIT: Reuters)
More international firefighters are being sent to Canada to help tackle the source of huge wildfires which have created a toxic blanket of smoke. The haze that's drifted across the border to the east coast of the United States has temporarily made some American cities the most polluted on earth. Poor visibility has led to the delay and cancellation of flights into New York and Philadelphia.
Also in the programme: A man armed with a knife has stabbed children in a playground in France; and Pat Robertson, a pioneer of the use of Christianity in US right wing politics has died.
(Picture: Millions of people in North America have been advised to wear N95 masks outdoors due to poor air quality levels. Credit: Getty Images)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has gone to the Kherson region to see the scale of the chaos unleashed by the destruction of a dam. Ukraine says more than two-thirds of the flooded land is in Russian-occupied territory on the left bank of the Dnipro river. We get the latest from Kherson and an assessment of the cost of the damage.
Also in the programme: a man with a knife has attacked nursery-school children in the French town of Annecy; and Singapore apologises to Malaysia over a joke about flight MH37 that went missing in 2014 and has never been found.
(Picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to Ihor Klymenko, head of the National Police of Ukraine, during a visit to Kherson. Credit: Mykola Tymchenko/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Rising floodwaters prompt an emergency evacuation in southern Ukraine as homes are destroyed and landmines are swept away from the front line. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was shocked by the lack of outside help from aid agencies, including those from the United Nations, as well as the Red Cross.
Also on the programme: Is Canada about to experience its worst wildfire ever? We hear from the country’s Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair. And the first known crocodile to make itself pregnant without a partner.
(A flooded area after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, in Kherson, Ukraine June 7, 2023. Credit: REUTERS: Vladyslav Smilianets)
The Ukrainian government says the destruction of a Khakova dam is an "environmental catastrophe" with tens of thousands of people without clean drinking water and vast swathes of farmland at risk; also in the programme: what is Saudi money doing to the world of sport? And we hear from the man who had COVID for ten months, and now he's singing his heart out.
(Photo: Volunteers evacuating local residents from flooded areas near Kherson, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
Thousands of people are being evacuated from southern Ukraine, where the destruction of the Russian-controlled Nova Kakhovka dam has caused extensive flooding. Water has reached 80 towns and villages on both sides of the Dnipro river. A pro-Putin member of the Russian parliament, Evgeny Popov, tells Newshour that Ukraine was behind it.
Also today: the Taliban goes into battle against opium production; and the Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, who brought Bossa Nova to the world with her version of The Girl From Ipanema, has died at the age of 83.
(Photo: Ukraine's President Zelensky holds an emergency meeting with top state and regional officials concerning the Kakhovka dam destruction. June 6, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
President Volodymr Zelensky has said Russia must be held accountable for the destruction of Nova Kakhovka dam, which has caused extensive flooding in southern Ukraine. Mr Zelensky said the Russian-controlled dam on the Dnipro river was destroyed by an internal explosion, in what he called a war crime and an act of terrorism. Russia has denied responsibility, blaming Ukrainian shelling instead.Also in the programme: Prince Harry has been giving evidence in court in London against a newspaper group he accuses of hacking his phone; and a Ghanian doctor describes the potentially disastrous consequences for local health services of richer nations recruiting large numbers of nurses from countries such as hers.(Photo: A general view of the Nova Kakhovka dam that was breached in Kherson region, Ukraine on 6 June 2023 in this screen grab taken from a video obtained by Reuters)
A statement a few hours ago from the Ukrainian defence ministry said its forces are "shifting to offensive actions" in some areas. But for such an under-stated statement, there's been a frenzy of speculation today. Is this the start of the long-expected, big counter-offensive by Ukraine against Russia?
Also - an astonishing miscarriage of justice in Australia- we'll hear from the law professor who first took up the case more than ten years ago; and the promise of solar energy captured in space.
(Photo: A Ukrainian serviceman stands near an anti-aircraft missile launcher Ukraine, 07 April 2023. Credit: Oleg Petrasyuk /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Russia says it has repelled a major attack by Ukrainian forces in the south-east, in the latest sign that the long-awaited counter-offensive may be underway. Also on the programme, in the run-up to the COP28 climate summit, climate negotiators are in Bonn today assessing where the world has got to in terms of cutting greenhouse gas emission targets; and, a woman once branded Australia's worst female serial killer has been pardoned and freed from prison after 20 years behind bars.(Photo: Ukrainian serviceman prepares a shell for a D-30 howitzer at a position in a front line near the town of Soledar 06/05/2023 Reuters)
Fighters opposed to the government in Moscow say they have captured some Russian soldiers in Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine.
Belgorod's top official replied to say he had agreed to meet the men's captors if the soldiers were still alive.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for recent attacks in its border territories. Kyiv denies being directly involved.
Also in the programme: As hundreds of thousands of Poles protest against a law looking into alleged Russian influence in Polish politics, we speak to the opposition mayor of the capital, Warsaw; and we hear from Uganda’s ‘Ghetto Kids’ competing to win a big cash prize in a British talent show.
(Photo shows members of Russian Volunteer Corps pose for a picture atop an armoured vehicle at Graivoron border crossing in Kozinka, Belgorod region, Russia. Credit: Russian Volunteer Corps via Reuters)
India's top rail official says the cause and those responsible for the country's worst train crash in decades have been identified. Meanwhile, officials in Odisha state have now revised downwards the number of dead to 275. Also on the programme: China shuts down commemorations in Hong Kong of the anniversary of the 1989 brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square; and we hear why mountaineers are calling for higher standards for those attempting to climb Mount Everest.(Photo: People check a list at a hospital in Cuttack to see if their relatives have been taken there. Credit: Reuters)
At least 288 people have been killed and 1,000 injured in a crash involving three trains in India's eastern Odisha state. One passenger train derailed on to the adjacent track and was struck by an incoming train on Friday, also hitting a nearby stationary freight train. We'll hear from a survivor of the crash.Also in the programme: President Joe Biden has signed a bill raising the US borrowing limit, averting "economic collapse" after weeks of negotiations with Republicans; and Manchester City defeat Manchester United to clinch the FA Cup final.(Picture: Rescue workers sit at the site of a train collision in Odisha State, India; Credit: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)
More than 260 people are now known to have been killed in a collision involving three trains in Odisha state. Around 1,000 people have been injured in the crash, described as one of the deadliest in decades. It happened when an express train derailed. Another passenger train collided with it, hitting a parked freight train.Also today: Turkey's President Erdogan is being inaugurated for five more years in power.And a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander on the worsening security situation in Kosovo. (Photo: A photo made available by India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and taken with a drone shows the site of the train accident at Odisha Balasore, India, 03 June 2023. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Latest figures released by the Japanese health ministry reveal the country's birth rate has declined in 2022 for the seventh consecutive year, underscoring the sense of crisis. This is part of a trend seen across the world. Also on the programme, two Austrian- Iranian dual nationals serving long prison sentences in Iran for spying have been released and are on their way home; and, an auction begins this weekend to sell off items from the set of the American sitcom, "Cheers". We take a look back at a much-loved classic of television.
The United Nations says organised crime networks are expanding smuggling routes in Southeast and East Asia to ship synthetic drugs through the region. Also in the programme: a BBC investigation uncovers how one member of one of Iran's most persecuted families spent 1,000 days in solitary confinement; and the teenaged Ukrainian refugee turned playwright.(Photo: A handful of the synthetic drug crystal meth Credit: REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski)
Social media personality Andrew Tate has denied fuelling a culture of misogyny and defended his reputation in a combative interview with the BBC.Mr Tate, in his first television interview with a major broadcaster since being released into house arrest from police custody in Romania in April, dismissed the testimonies of individual women involved in the current investigation who have accused the former kickboxer of rape and exploitation when they were put to him.Also in the programme: reports that peace talks between the warring factions in Sudan have collapsed -- but one resident of Khartoum tells us people barely noticed the last truce; and an operation begins to avert an environmental catastrophe off the coast of Yemen.(Picture shows Andrew Tate during his interview with the BBC. Credit: BBC)
One of Australia's most decorated soldiers has lost his civil court case against three newspapers which had accused him of carrying out war crimes in Afghanistan. A judge in Sydney decided that some of the allegations against Ben Roberts-Smith were substantially true. These include his involvement in the deaths of unarmed Afghans. He has denied all the allegations.
Also in the programme: European leaders are meeting in Moldova today for a summit focusing on the continent's security; and an endangered orchid which was flown from the United States has flowered in the UK for the first time today.
(FILE PHOTO: Ben Roberts-Smith. CREDIT: Getty Images)
President Biden has warned of recession and millions of jobs lost if the deal doesn’t pass. We speak to one Republican congressman who says his own leaders have given away too much in negotiations. Also on the programme: Russia begins evacuating children from the border region of Belgorod. We remember the life and work of the Ghanian writer Ama Ata Aidoo. And astronomers discover a 6,000 mile-long plume of water spurting out of Saturn’s moon. (Republican speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy speaks to media ahead of the vote CREDIT: EPA)
The BBC’s Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford has found new evidence of what is happening to Ukraine’s missing children, and meets some of the families who are fighting to get them back.Also on the programme: NATO says it’s going to send hundreds more troops to Kosovo after a number of its peacekeepers were injured in clashes with Serb protesters on Monday; and the “mad and offensive” medieval manuscript offering a rare glimpse into 15th-century live comedy performances.(Image: Children who went to a Russian-organised summer camp from non-government controlled territories and were then taken to Russia, wait for departure to Kyiv after returning via the Ukraine-Belarus border, in Volyn region, Ukraine. April 7, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
A group of leading artificial intelligence experts have issued a warning that the technology could be capable of making humanity extinct. In a short statement posted online top tech experts warned that the threat from AI is as great as pandemics and nuclear war. Also in the programme: The search is continuing for four children believed to have survived a small-plane crash in the Colombian Jungle; and a new national security law has come into effect in the Chinese territory of Macau which punishes any opposition to Beijing.(FILE PHOTO: A robot equipped with artificial intelligence is seen at the AI Xperience Centre in Brussels, Credit: Reuters/Yves Herman)
Moscow has been targeted by multiple drones, in the biggest such attack on the Russian capital since the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian defence ministry said eight drones had been brought down. Ukraine has denied carrying out the attack.Also in the programme: Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has visited Brazil for the first time in eight years; and after a rock band complained about the reception from the crowd at a music concert in Scotland, we ask what's the etiquette for both artists and their audience?(Photo: A man is seen through a window of a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow. Credit: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
Activists in the country have called it a “dark day”. We speak to one LGBT activist about how the community will be affected.
Also on the programme: Russia launches a daytime attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv; and Turkey wakes up to five more years of Erdogan.
(File photo shows protest in South Africa in support of Uganda’s LGBT community. CREDIT: Reuters)
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters are celebrating after Turkey's long-time president won Sunday's vote, securing another five years in power. But the country is divided. Almost half the electorate in the polarised country did not back his authoritarian vision of Turkey. We speak to Ibrahim Kalin, one of Erdogan's senior advisers. Also on the programme: the devastation wrought in western Sudan; and we hear from the grandson of the last surviving member of the first ascent of Mount Everest.(Image: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledges supporters after winning re-election in Turkey's run-off vote, at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on 28 May 2023. Credit: EPA-EFE/Savas)
Turkey's long-time president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has won today's presidential election run-off. He told his supporters that Turkey itself was the only winner. We'll bring you the latest from our correspondent in the capital.Also in the programme: One-person-one-vote could be returning to Somalia under plans agreed at a four-day conference in the capital Mogadishu; and authorities are urging the World Health Organisation to declare a public health emergency over a fungal outbreak linked to cosmetic surgery in Mexico.(Picture: Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan react following early exit poll results for the second round of the presidential election outside the provincial headquarters of AK Party in Istanbul. Credit: Reuters/Hannah McKay)
The opposition challenger in the presidential run-off in Turkey has urged voters to get rid of the authoritiarian regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The incumbent, however, is expected to extend his hold on power.How a combination of booming tourism, government measures to attract foreign investment and the possibilities of remote working have sent house prices soaring leading to a housing crisis in Portugal. Also, a deadly border clash between Iran and Afghanistan over access to water.(Photo shows a woman voting during the second round of the presidential election, in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Reuters)
The BBC has been investigating reports of possible war crimes on medical facilities and staff in Sudan, perpetrated by both sides in the conflict. Reports show bombing of hospitals, military occupation of healthcare facilities and the deliberate targeting of doctors. We have a special report.Also in the programme: NATO has urged the government in Kosovo not to further escalate tensions with the Serb minority; and a race to save unique relics and remains in Cairo's City of the Dead as the government clears the way for roads and bridges.(File photo: A Sudanese national flag is attached to a machine gun of Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) soldiers as they wait for the arrival of Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of RSF. June 22, 2019. Credit: Reuters/Umit Bektas)
Ukraine is ready to launch its long-expected counter-offensive against Russian forces, one of the country's most senior security officials has told the BBC. Oleksiy Danilov would not name a date but said an assault to retake territory from President Vladimir Putin's occupying forces could begin "tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week".Also in the programme: A BBC investigation has seen evidence that both sides in Sudan's conflict could be carrying out war crimes on medical facilities and staff; and Henry Kissinger - one of the dominant figures in twentieth century US diplomacy - turns one- hundred today.(Photo: Ukrainian troops have spent months training on Western equipment ahead of the expected attack. Credit: Getty Images)
The governor of Russia’s southwestern Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said areas had come under heavy bombardment, suffering intense artillery and mortar shelling. He spoke of Ukraine hitting a whole string of villages following the arc of Russia’s border. Also on the programme: We hear from Ayse Bugra, the wife of Turkish political prisoner Osman Kavala, ahead of the country’s election on Sunday. And the love of sleeper trains and why they are making a comeback. (Image: Belgorod regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. Credit: Sputnik/Reuters)
A Russian missile's struck a clinic in Ukraine; we'll hear how Ukrainian surgeons are learning to deal with warzone injuries. Also in the programme: the Venezuelan government's army of twitter trolls; and the Afghan film-maker hoping to bring the suffering of Afghan women under the Taliban to a wider audience thanks to some Hollywood stardust.(Photo: Rescuers work at the site of a clinic heavily destroyed by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine May 26, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Mykola Synelnykov)
Long: The head of Russia’s Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said they'd begun handing over control of the captured Ukrainian city to Moscow's army. Ukraine has dismissed claims that Bakhmut has fallen to Russia. We hear from military analyst Justin Crump on what we know so far. Also on the programme: Net migration into Britain reaches a record high, and we hear from a scientist who used AI to discover a new antibiotic. (Photo: An aerial view shows destructions in the frontline town of Bakhmut, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
A conversation with Twitter's owner Elon Musk was delayed when the platform malfunctioned. Ron DeSantis is seeking the Republican nomination for 2024's US presidential election.Also on the programme, Russia's Wagner mercenary group says its forces have begun withdrawing from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. And we hear the story of a paralysed man who can walk again, thanks to AI. (Picture: Ron DeSantis launches his campaign to be the Republican presidential candidate. Credit: Reuters)
The American Grammy award-winning singer, whose soul classics and pop hits like The Best and What's Love Got to Do With It made her a superstar, has died at the age of 83. The White House described her death as a massive loss. We hear from her friend and co-writer Martyn Ware. Also on the programme: we hear from Sudan where a week-long ceasefire between rival military forces appears to be breaking down. And is owning three Labradors worse for the environment than travelling by private jet?(Image: Tina Turner performs in New York's Central Park in 1969 wearing a red leather outfit. Credit: Getty Images)
Scientists at University College London have discovered why a genetic mutation means that Jo Cameron, a 75-year-old woman, feels no pain. She also experiences low amounts of anxiety and fear, and has the ability to heal wounds more effectively. Also on the programme: this year's hosts of the UN climate change talks defend their appointment of an oil boss as the chairman; and we hear from this year's International Booker Prize winner. (Image: Scottish woman Jo Cameron, 75, who feels no pain. Credit: Jo Cameron)
The Russian government has said that armed insurgents who crossed the border from Ukraine to launch attacks in Russia's Belgorod region have been defeated.Russia says 70 attackers were killed and insists the fighters are Ukrainian. But Kyiv has denied involvement and two Russian paramilitary groups have said they were behind the incursion.Also in the programme: we look at how rolling blackouts in South Africa are disrupting the economy, and Brazil's Minister of Racial Equality joins us with her take on the racism row in Spanish football.(Photo: The logo of a Russian freedom fighters group. Credit: legionliberty.army)
The United Nations says five weeks of fighting have created a catastrophe for people in Sudan. A new ceasefire has just started, so will aid now reach those in need? Also on the programme: who are the fighters who crossed into Russia from Ukraine, attacking border villages? We'll also hear about the relatives of a nineteenth-century Ethiopian prince buried at Windsor Castle. Is it time for his remains to go home? (Photo: Sudanese people disembark in Egypt after crossing the Nile River on a ferry from Sudan. Credit: Khaled Elfiqi/EPA)
A group of saboteurs has crossed from Ukraine into Russia's Belgorod region and clashes there have injured a number of people, Russian authorities say.Ukraine denies responsibility and said Russian citizens from two paramilitary groups were behind the attack. We'll attempt to find out what exactly is going on around the border city of Belgorod.Also in the programme: Real Madrid logs a hate crime with Spanish prosecutors after their star player Vinicius Junior suffered racist abuse at the weekend; and there's another big fine for Facebook's parent companty Meta from the EU for breaches of data protection, but what difference will it make?[Photo shows a helicopter flying over Belgorod on 22 May. Credit: Telegram]
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, says he fears that general elections due by October won't be held. He told the BBC he believed there was a danger to his life, but said much more worrying was the danger to Pakistani democracy. We hear the response of a government minister.Also in the programme: Ukraine and Russia disagree about who holds the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut - we hear from a former resident about the destruction of her home; and one of the best footballers in Spain says the country's top league "belongs to racists", after he's abused during a match.(File photo: Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan gestures as he speaks to the members of the media at his residence in Lahore, Pakistan May 18, 2023. Reuters/Mohsin Raza/File Photo)
Over three days leaders of the G7 group of nations met in Hiroshima where they accused China of "economic coercision" and "malign practicies" and singled out Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.Also in the programme: Votes are in for Greece's parlimentary elections; and the first Saudi woman to voyage into space prepares for lift-off.(Picture: leaders of the G7 nations in Hiroshima. Credit: EPA)
On the final day of the G7 summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Russia still does not occupy the embattled city of Bakhmut. He also added that Russia will feel Ukraine’s long-awaited counter offensive when it comes. Russia’s Wagner mercenaries claimed to have captured the city on Saturday.Also on the programme: Sudan’s warring factions agree to a seven-day ceasefire; and the first Saudi woman to voyage into space prepares for lift-off.(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a news conference at the G7 nations meetings in Hiroshima, western Japan, 21 May 2023. Credit: EPA/Louise Delmotte)
After a night of heavy shelling, Kyiv faces a day of diplomacy as a senior Chinese official is set to arrive in Kyiv. Also in the programme: Today five people were found guilty for carrying out a jewellery heist in Dresden in 2019 and Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of the Saudi-based Arab News, on Saudi Arabia and the future of the Middle East.(Picture: The explosion of a missile seen in the sky over Kyiv during a Russian missile strike. Credit: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
Campaigning is still underway in Turkey ahead of Sunday's election, with President Erdogan facing what's been called the toughest challenge in his career.Also, Thais go to the polls and many are looking for a complete change.Plus the cyclone threatening coastal Bangladesh.And we hear from the Swiss village evacuated because of the climate crisis.(Image: Turkish President and Leader of the Justice and Development (AK) Party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) attends the election rally organized by AK Party in Umraniye district of Istanbul, Turkiye on May 13, 2023. Credit: TUR Presidency/Murat Cetinmuhurdar / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
As violence continues in Sudan, looting is causing shortages of basic supplies. We'll hear from an activist just outside the capital Khartoum, about what she's seen and why she has stayed where she is.Also in the programme: Serbia's amnesty on illegal arms has seen around 1,500 weapons returned anonymously, as protests against the government's handling of two mass shootings take place in the capital Belgrade; and the American opera singer Grace Bumbry has died, aged 86.(Picture: Smoke billows in Sudan's capital Khartoum. Picture credit: AFP)
Russia has launched its biggest wave of drone attacks on Ukraine in months, with ten regions targeted overnight, and at least three civilians killed. We hear from the capital Kyiv and an analysis of the weapons and Russia’s latest strategy.Also on the programme; Saudi Arabia hosts talks for a ceasefire in Sudan but will there be peace anytime soon?, and we hear what the coronation of a new king means for one Caribbean nation. Plus Scientists are developing a test to determine whether you are too tired to drive.(Photo: Night shelling on the outskirts of Odessa during the fourth air attack by Russians in a month, Credit: EPA/OPERATIONAL COMMAND SOUTH HANDOUT)
The Arab League has readmitted Syria after more than a decade of suspension, as countries in the region push to normalise ties with President Bashar al-Assad. We hear from a former member of the Syrian opposition who is disappointed that Syria has been let back in. Also in the programme: at least seven people have been killed and several others injured when an SUV mowed people down near a shelter for migrants in Brownsville, Texas; and Ukrainian officials have said Russia has sparked a "mad panic" by evacuating a town near the contested Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.(Picture: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in August 12, 2020. Picture credit: The Syrian Arab News Agency)
The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, warns of 'catastrophe' at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. He urges warring parties to get 'back to their senses' and agree over a 'set of principles' to protect reactors.Also in the programme: YouTubers in Turkey's election; and the EU's plan to regulate AI.(Picture: A motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission, escorted by the Russian military, arrives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, March 29, 2023. credit: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have waved at crowds and watched a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London after their Coronation at Westminster Abbey. They were joined by other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children. We hear reflections from people in Commonwealth countries and from a friend of the new King.Also in the programme: representatives from Sudan's warring armies have arrived in Saudi Arabia for their first face-to-face negotiation.(Photo: King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their Coronation ceremony. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC)
Britain and the Commonwealth Realm, are welcoming a new monarch, King Charles III. King Charles and Queen Camilla left Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach after their formal coronation ceremony on Saturday.Also in the programme: Peace talks are due to begin in Saudi Arabia between Sudan's warring factions; and Sweden has condemned Iran following the execution of a Swedish-Iranian dissident.(Picture: King Charles III was formally crowned as monarch. Credit: PA Media)
Serbia is embarking on a push to disarm the country after two mass shootings within forty-eight hours. President Aleksandar Vucic said no new gun permits would be issued and existing owners would face increased background checks. We'll hear from our correspondent in Belgrade.Also in the programme: The WHO declares that Covid 19 is no longer a global health emergency; and the Irish language as well as Welsh and Scots Gaelic, are to be used for the first time in a British royal coronation.(A police officer guards as a Crime Scene Investigator looks for evidence at a crime scene site in the village of Dubona, near Mladenovac, Serbia. Credit: Andrej Cukic/EPA)
As Sudan's generals carry on their vicious fight, terrified civilians flee in all directions. Our reporter has made it to the southern border. We also hear from the World Food Programme about looting.Also in the programme: The tech journalist secretly tracked by TikTok; and how to get a knitting machine to make your satellite antenna. (Photo: People who fled Sudan wait outside the railway station in Aswan, Egypt, Credit: Photo by Khaled Elfiq//EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
US President Joe Biden called the fighting in Sudan a betrayal of its people and issued an executive order authorising sanctions against the warring factions. We hear from a resident of Khartoum on the rise of robberies and violence in the capital. Also on the programme: A court in the United States has found that Ed Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye's hit, Let's Get It On, when composing Thinking Out Loud. And the southern Italian city of Naples hopes its football team will clinch its first league title since the days of Diego Maradona.
A seven-day ceasefire, due to come into force in Sudan, appears to be in tatters as clashes continue between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The BBC’s Lyse Doucet speaks to Martin Griffiths, the UN’s aid chief, who has spoken with the two rival generals. Also on the programme: Indigenous leaders from 12 Commonwealth countries have called on King Charles III to make a formal apology for centuries of colonialism; and the 83-year-old flautist from Northern Ireland who shared the stage with Lizzo at the Met Gala. (IMAGE: Damaged cars and buildings in Khartoum North, 27 April CREDIT: REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied his country carried out an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, which Russia says was an attempt on President Vladimir Putin's life. We speak to the BBC's Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg and an advisor to Ukraine's Defence Minister. Also on the programme: thousands of refugees flee from Sudan to South Sudan, a country ill-equipped to deal with such an influx. And the growing threat of fungal diseases to food security worldwide. (Image: a still image taken from a video appearing to show a flying object exploding near the Kremlin during the alleged drone attack in Moscow. Ostorozhno Novosti/Handout via REUTERS)
Russia claims it has foiled an attempt by Ukraine to assassinate President Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin.Also in the programme: South Sudan's foreign minister on bringing peace to Sudan; and US Surgeon General warns of the dangers of loneliness.(Picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the development of unmanned aircraft, at the Rudnyovo industrial park in Moscow, Russia April 27, 2023. Credit: Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin)
Violence has forced roughly 100,000 people to flee Sudan's borders. We speak to one Khartoum resident about what life is like there at the moment. Also on the programme: The United Nations announces it will stay in Afghanistan to deliver aid despite the Taliban's decision to restrict women working with NGOs and UN agencies; and Newshour speaks to a professor at the University of Texas who has invented a way of translating someone's thoughts into written text. (Image: Smoke rises after aerial bombardment in Khartoum. Credit: Reuters)
A man widely regarded as the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI) has quit his job at Google, warning about the risks posed by the technology he helped to develop. Dr Geoffrey Hinton joins a growing number of experts sharing their concerns about the speed at which AI is developing.Also in the programme: a Kenyan preacher accused of encouraging his followers to starve themselves to death appears in court; and 83-year-old Motown legend Smokey Robinson returns with his first album of new material in over a decade.(Photo: Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton. Credit: REUTERS/Mark Blinch)
Hundreds have been killed and thousands wounded, since fighting erupted in Sudan. We speak to the BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet who has been on board a Saudi ship that is picking up people fleeing the country. Also on the programme: Police in Paris fire tear gas at demonstrators after violence broke out at a May Day rally; and the Hollywood writers threatening to go on strike. (Photo shows black smoke rising above buildings in Khartoum. CREDIT: Reuters)
Air strikes have pounded Khartoum, despite a truce aimed at allowing civilians to flee. More than 500 deaths have been reported with the true number of casualties believed to be much higher. Millions remain trapped in the Sudanese capital.Also on the programme: we hear from the wife of a Wagner mercenary recruited to fight in Ukraine; and the monthly public transport pass that's getting people moving in Germany.(Image: A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan, on 1 May 2023. Credit: Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)
Air strikes have pounded Sudan's capital, Khartoum, despite a truce aimed at allowing civilians to flee.The army said it was attacking the city to flush out its paramilitary rivals, the Rapid Response Forces (RSF). The fighting intensified even as the warring sides said they would extend the truce by another three days.We'll hear about the challenges of moving around a city at war and also hear from Darfur in the west.Also in the programme: China has its first world chess champion; and how legalisation in Thailand led to a marijuana boom.(Photo shows a burnt out car in Khartoum, Sudan. Credit: Getty Images)
Tens of thousands of Sudanese have abandoned their homes and are fleeing the country. Satellite images show long bus convoys at the Egyptian border and in Port Sudan there has been a rush for the limited spaces on ships heading to Saudi Arabia. Our correspondent in the east of Chad says thousands of women, children and the elderly are fleeing the violence in the Darfur region. Also in the programme: a key referendum in Uzbekistan; and history beckons in Naples. (Photo: British nationals board an RAF plane during the evacuation from Wadi Seidna Air Base, Sudan. CREDIT: Arron Hoare/UK Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.)
Sudan's army says it's launching a major assault on Khartoum with heavy weapons, to try to dislodge a rival militia force which is in control of large parts of the capital. As residents of Khartoum are told to brace for an escalation in the fighting, we hear how the rush to leave Sudan could tear some families apart. One woman says she is being told to leave her husband behind. Also in the programme: there's frustration in Kyiv at the EU's deal that limits agricultural imports from Ukraine; and we speak to a woman whose visit to see Michelangelo's famous statue David has made international headlines.(Photo: British nationals have been evacuated to Cyprus, before flying to the UK. Credit: Reuters)
Fighting is continuing in parts of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Both the army and the RSF agreed to a ceasefire but it has not held. Tens of thousands of people are fleeing the country. Our correspondent Lyse Doucet is in Jeddah where many people fleeing the fighting have arrived.Also on the programme: A court in the Netherlands has ordered a man suspected of fathering more than five hundred children to stop donating his sperm. And are laws designed to protect cows in India being used to target Muslims?(Photo: Sudanese refugees who have fled the violence in their country gather to receive food supplements from World Food Programme (WFP). CREDIT: REUTERS/Mahamat Ramadane)
The leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, tells the BBC he’s ready for peace talks if there is a cessation of hostilities. The current ceasefire has not held, and nearly two weeks of fighting between rival factions of Sudan’s military have left hundreds dead.Also in the programme: a wave of Russian air strikes on cities across Ukraine has left at least 25 people dead; and rehearsals start for what is being billed as the world’s first heavy metal dance experience – Black Sabbath The Ballet.(Photo: General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaking in Khartoum. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
The government-appointed chairman of the BBC, Richard Sharp, has resigned after admitting that he breached the British government's code for public appointments. We hear from a former Conservative culture minister.Also in the programme: WHO on the crisis in Sudan; and Eva Green's victory in a London court.(Picture: Richard Sharp resignation statement 28/04/2023. Credit: BBC)
The Sudanese Armed Forces and rival Rapid Support Forces have agreed to extend the ongoing truce for a further 72 hours taking effect from the date of the end of the current ceasefire. Despite the preliminary extension, heavy fighting in parts of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has continued.Also on the programme: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suspended election campaigning after he fell ill during a live television interview; and we remember the life of the revolutionary talk show host Jerry Springer, who’s died aged 79.(Photo: Damaged car and buildings are seen at the central market during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, April 27, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
A fragile three-day ceasefire in Sudan has been threatened by an outbreak of renewed fighting between rival factions of the military. The violence broke out on the western outskirts of Omdurman, a city across the Nile from the capital, Khartoum. But much of central Khartoum remains calm, and thousands of Sudanese and foreign nationals are trying to get out. Also on the programme: China plays peacemaker in Ukraine; and a major decision by the Vatican will see lay people getting a greater say in running the Catholic Church.(Photo: British nationals get evacuated by military personnel in Khartoum. CREDIT: Phot Arron Hoare/UK MOD/Pool via REUTERS)
Ahmed Haroun, the former Sudanese minister of the interior who is wanted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, has been released from prison in Sudan. Haroun has been accused of committing genocide in Darfur. He claimed that prison guards and the armed forces aided his escape. Also on the programme: The drone pilots on the front line in Ukraine; and scientists solve a mystery about the brightest objects in the universe. (IMAGE: Ahmed Haroun displays his finger covered with ink after casting his vote in Kadugli, central Sudan, 02 May 2011 CREDIT: EPA/PHILIP DHIL)
A ceasefire in Sudan appears to be holding, although there have been reports of fresh gunfire and shelling. People on the ground confirm to us the situation is calmer, but they fear more violence will return to the streets. Also in the programme: As Joe Biden launches his bid for re-election as US President, we get reaction from the Democrats and Republicans. And, we remember the musician, actor and political activist, Harry Belafonte, who has died at the age of 96. (Photo: People fleeing clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army rest in Khartoum. Credit: Reuters).
Residents of the war-torn Sudanese capital, Khartoum, are on the streets for the first time in days despite violations of a shaky ceasefire between two military factions. Both the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have accused each other of today's attacks, hours after a US- brokered three-day pause came into effect.Also in the programme: President Biden confirms he will run for a second term in November next year; and scientists sound the alarm about a recent and rapid rise in the temperature of the oceans, further adding to the rise in atmospheric warming.(Photo: A woman carries a gallon of water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan on 22 April 2023. Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
A lull in the fighting in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has allowed some people to leave their homes for the first time in days to search for food. A BBC reporter in the city says the clashes between rival branches of the military are notably less intense, particularly outside army headquarters. Thousands of foreigners and Sudanese have now fled Khartoum, either by air or on a lengthy journey by road. Also in the programme: Fox News parts ways with host Tucker Carlson; and the potential impact of a record number of climbing permits being issued for Mount Everest this year. (Photo: People gather as they flee clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum. CREDIT: REUTERS/El-Tayeb Siddig)
Millions remain trapped without food, water or healthcare amid intense fighting between rival generals in Sudan. Hospitals across the country have ceased to function, with reports of bodies left to decompose in the absence of staff. Meanwhile, the exodus of diplomats continues. We speak to the Norwegian Ambassador to Sudan, who managed to escape the fighting.Also on the programme: The body of the Spanish fascist leader Primo de Rivera is exhumed from its colossal, Franco-era mausoleum complex; and India’s faltering attempts to reintroduce cheetahs.(IMAGE:A person pushes a wheelbarrow with water containers during clashes between the RSFand the army in Khartoum North, April 22, 2023 CREDIT: REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo)
A growing number of countries have evacuated diplomats from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. There's been intense fighting in the city for more than a week, as a vicious power struggle between the army and a paramilitary group continues. Britain and the United States say they've already flown embassy staff out of Sudan. France, Germany and Italy have also been carrying out their own evacuation missions. But many foreign nationals remain trapped in Khartoum.Also in the programme: the Russian culture wars; and the arrested Sikh separatist leader. (Photo: A drone view shows smoke rising over the Khartoum North Light Industrial Area, in Bahri, Sudan. CREDIT: Video obtained by Reuters/ via REUTERS)
France is organising an evacuation of its citizens and embassy staff from the Sudanese capital after President Biden confirmed a US operation to extract its diplomats was over. Conflict has seen heavy bombardment in Khartoum, with hundreds killed and thousands more injured.Also in the programme: Russia's arts community split over the war in Ukraine; and a radical preacher calling for Sikh independence from India has been arrested in Punjab state.Picture: Smoke billows over residential buildings in eastern Khartoum on April 22, 2023. Picture credit: AFP via Getty Images
The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has suffered some of the most intense fighting since clashes began a week ago between rival military factions. Sustained gunfire around the international airport dashed any immediate hope of evacuating more foreign nationals. The first to leave have been welcomed in the Saudi port of Jeddah.Also on the programme: Australian writer and entertainer Barry Humphries passes away; and Wrexham’s Hollywood story continues.(Photo: Smoke rises over the city during the ongoing fighting between Sudanese army and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum. CREDIT: EPA/STRINGER)
One week on from the sudden eruption of violence in Sudan, the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has agreed to facilitate the evacuation of British, US, French and Chinese foreign nationals “in the coming hours”. Previous plans to evacuate foreign nationals have not been implemented because of safety fears.Also in the programme: more than 40 years after the deadly bombing of a synagogue in Paris, a French court has convicted a Lebanese-Canadian university professor of carrying out the attack; and can there be a Hollywood ending this football season for Welsh side Wrexham AFC?(Photo: Smoke is seen to rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. April 22, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
Khartoum residents mark Eid amid heavy clashes between the army and the paramilitary RSF on Friday; also in the programme The UN's annual climate report warns glaciers are doomed to disappear; the company continuing its legal fight against Fox News over their coverage of the last US presidential election; and 50 years after the Munich hostage crisis, Germany re-opens its investigation.(Photo: Plumes of smoke across Khartoum. Credit: Reuters)
A three-day truce during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr called by the UN, US and others has not materialised. Witnesses say bombing, shelling and gunfire continue in Khartoum.After a week of fighting between two factions of the country's military leadership at least 400 people have been killed. So where can pressure to end the conflict come from?Also in the programme: the UK's deputy prime minister has resigned over allegations of workplace bullying; and anti-LGBTQ legislation is deepening fears in Uganda.(Photo shows smoke rising over the city of in Khartoum, Sudan during ongoing fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces. Credit: EPA)
The head of the Sudanese army says he can see only a military solution to nearly a week of fighting which has left more than three hundred people dead. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan says he sees no room for talks with his paramilitary opponents of the Rapid Support Forces.Also in the programme: One of the main critics of Tunisia's president - the opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi - has been jailed after being accused of plotting against state security. We hear from his daughter, and the country's Foreign Minister; and the SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, has insisted the test launch of the most powerful rocket ever built was a success - despite it exploding minutes after take off from Texas.(Photo: Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stands at the podium during a ceremony to sign the framework agreement between military rulers and civilian powers in Khartoum, Sudan on 5 December 2022. Credit: Reuters/El Tayeb Siddig/File Photo)
Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the Ennahda political party and one of the main opponents of the Tunisian president, Kais Saied, has been sent to jail, accused of threatening national security.Ghannouchi, 81, whose Islamist--inspired party was the largest in parliament before Saied dissolved the chamber in July 2021 was arrested on Monday, his party said. We'll speak to his daughter.Also in the programme: Growing anguish in Sudan's capital Khartoum as another planned ceasefire fails to take effect and how millions of children are missing out on routine vaccinations because of disruption caused by the pandemic.(Photo shows supporters of Rached Ghannouchi holding his picture at a protest. Credit: Jihed Abidellaoui/Reuters)
Violence goes on in Khartoum despite hopes of a ceasefire. We hear about the difficulties faced by humanitarian workers in Sudan. We also look at the background to the conflict in an interview with Jerome Tubiana, who once met one of the warring generals and now works for Doctors without Borders. Also in the programme: the latest on the two American teenagers who have been charged with murder after a shooting at a birthday party; and the US Supreme Court temporarily extends access to an abortion pill.(Photo: Smoke rises over Khartoum as fighting continues. Credit: STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock )
Fox News has settled a landmark defamation case brought against it over its reporting of the last US presidential election. It'll pay $787.5 million dollars to Dominion voting systems, which said the broadcaster had admitted to telling lies. Newshour hears from a former close colleague of Rupert Murdoch, Andrew Neil.Also in the programme: Another promised humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan fails to materialise; and Ukraine's Eurovision contenders.(Picture: John Poulos, CEO of Dominion Voting Systems, and lawyers Davida Brook, Justin Nelson and Stephen Shackleford leave the courthouse after Dominion Voting Systems and Fox settled a defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million, avoiding trial, over Fox's coverage of debunked election-rigging claims. Credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
Despite Sudan’s two rival generals agreeing to a humanitarian pause to allow civilians to get medical help and supplies, fighting has continued in the Sudanese capital. We speak to a humanitarian worker in Khartoum.Also on the programme: Newshour speaks to the wife of Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza a day after he was sentenced to 25 years in jail for treason by a Russian court; and more than half a century after the contraceptive pill was first approved in the US, scientists are finally making headway with a male equivalent.(Picture: Sudanese people carry buckets as they look for drinking water after supplies were affected due to the ongoing fighting between Sudanese army and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan, 18 April 2023. Credit: STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Sudan's rival generals have agreed a twenty-four-hour ceasefire following four days of intense fighting in Khartoum and other towns. We will hear from a resident of the capital Khartoum.Also on the programme: Russian court rejects appeal to release American reporter Evan Gershkovich; and controversy over an award-winning photograph created by artificial intelligence. (Picture: Smoke rises from burning aircraft inside Khartoum Airport during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum. Credit: Reuters)
The UN special envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, has condemned the violence of the past three days and said he'd asked both the army and paramilitary forces to hold a brief ceasefire to allow humanitarian access to civilians.Also in the programme: There's been widespread condemnation of the record jail term for one of President Putin's most fearless critics, Vladimir Kara-Murza; and our South-East Asia Correspondent Jonathan Head reports from inside Myanmar for the first time since the coup.(Photo: Smoke rises from the tarmac of Khartoum International Airport as a fire burns, in Khartoum, Sudan on 17 April 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Abdullah Abdel Moneim/via Reuters)
Fighting is continuing across Sudan for a third day, with battles raging in densely-populated areas, as rival generals compete for power. We hear from the capital Khartoum and the Darfur region in Sudan's west.Also in the programme: Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza sentenced to twenty-five years in jail; and jazz great Ahmed Jamal dies.(Picture: Burnt-out passenger aircraft at Khartoum International Airport. Credit: Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)
Fierce clashes have been reported across Sudan as fighting between rival armed factions continues to spread.The escalation came on the second day of clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries, which have now left at least 59 dead.We'll hear from residents of the capital Khartoum trapped by the conflict. And ask if the mediators now on their way to the country can stop the fighting?Also in the programme: the Syrians risking their lives for a desert delicacy; and we report on the Team Ninja Trollhunters trying to combat climate change deniers online.(Photo shows smoke rising over Khartoum as army and paramilitaries clash in power struggle. Credit: @lostshmi on Instagram/Reuters)
Fierce fighting is raging for a second day in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, as rival wings of the armed forces fight for power. Health workers say over 50 civilians and dozens of fighters have been killed as fighting spreads beyond the country's main city. We'll bring you the latest news and analysis from inside Sudan. Also in the programme: two very different films are making the headlines right now. One is a Hollywood comedy-horror based on Bram Stoker's fictional vampire character, Dracula; the other is a thriller based in Egypt and centred on one of the country's most prestigious institutions. We'll hear from a film critic about one of the movies and the director of the other. And a deeply personal book reflecting on what it's like caring for a family member with dementia. We speak to the US doctor who wrote it. (Picture: Smoke rises over the city of Khartoum as army and paramilitaries clash in power struggle, Sudan, April 15, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Credit: Instagram @lostshmi/via REUTERS)
The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has been rocked by gunfire and explosions as heavy fighting takes place between two rival factions of the military.Casualty numbers are unclear, but doctors have called on humanitarian organisations to provide medical assistance to the injured.We will have eye witness accounts and analysis on what is happening and why -- and those trapped in the middle of the fighting.Also in the programme: The former Chief of Staff to the director of the CIA gives us his response to the Pentagon leaks and how damaging they could be to the war effort in Ukraine; and as families in Yemen are reunited with a large-scale prisoner swap underway, we hear from ICRC who have been involved in the operation transferring the detainees.(Photo shows smoke rising near the Halfaya bridge in Khartoum during clashes between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army. Credit: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)
There has been fighting in Sudan between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). There are conflicting reports coming out of the country and the RSF says it has taken control of the airport and presidential palace but this has not been confirmed. We will hear from eyewitnesses in Khartoum.Also on the programme: Germany is switching off its last three nuclear reactors after years of debate on the topic; and scientists think ancient viruses lingering in our DNA might help the body fight off cancer.(Photo: smoke rises from the buildings in Khartoum. Credit: AFP)
The US airman accused of leaking confidential intelligence and defence documents has been officially charged in a court appearance in Boston. Mr Teixeira was arrested by armed FBI agents at his family home in Massachusetts on Thursday.Also on the programme: we speak to former Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett; and the agreement to try to stop Mexican drugs cartels smuggling fentanyl into the United States.(Image: The federal courthouse where Jack Teixeira, a member of the U.S. Air Force National Guard suspected of leaking highly classified U.S. documents, made his initial appearance in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S, on 14 April 2023. Credit: Reuters/Owen Lambert)
He's charged with the unauthorised removal and transmission of classified information. The files included confidential information about the war in Ukraine.Also on the programme: Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has met the Chinese leader Xi Jinping as he continues his official visit to China. President Xi called for deeper cooperation with Brazil. And the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer has been launched by the European Space Agency.(Picture: The arrest of Jack Teixeira. Credit: Reuters)
At least 50 classified documents containing sensitive intelligence about countries around the world and the war in Ukraine, were leaked online. We speak to James Clapper former Director of National Intelligence until 2017 about how this was able to happen. Also on the programme: British fashion designer Mary Quant dies aged 93; and Newshour speaks to a China-based sports journalist about the Women’s Tennis Association returning to the country years after a row over the safety of a tennis player.(Picture: Alleged Pentagon leak suspect identified as Jack Teixeira. Credit: BBC)
The US President, Joe Biden, has said it is a "pleasure to be back" as he met Irish President Michael D Higgins in Dublin. He is spending most of Thursday in the company of leading Irish politicians and will also address a joint session of the Irish parliament. Also on the programme: we hear from the Washington Post's Shane Harris on his investigation into the leaking of top-secret US documents. And the British fashion designer Mary Quant, credited with designing the mini-skirt that helped to define the Swinging '60s, has died aged 93. (Image: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Farmleigh House, in Dublin, Ireland, April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
A rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles - both cars and trucks - is planned to help the US meet its pledge to reduce carbon emissions. But how practical is the proposal? We hear from Larry Burns, who used to head research programmes for General Motors. Also in the programme: Will President Biden's visits to Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic help or hinder the peace process? And soccer's billion-dollar scam.(File photo: an electric car plugged into a charging point. Credit: John Walton/PA Wire)
President Biden is in Northern Ireland, marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. He has called for the return of power sharing government in a speech in the region's capital, Belfast.Though short, it is a significant visit. We hear from the leader of one of the main political parties about its impact.Also in the programme: The CEO of Twitter, Elon Musk, has given the BBC an exclusive interview, in which he says his tenure there so far has not been easy; and we'll hear about more details that have emerged on the bombing of a village in Myanmar causing the deaths of many civilians.(Photo shows US president Joe Biden delivering his keynote speech at Ulster University in Belfast. Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
At the start of President Biden's symbolic visit to Ireland on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement, we look at the Irish connections of several US presidents with journalist Lynne Kelleher.Also in the programme: an interview with the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about global growth and interest rates. And the travails of Tupperware, the once-cult brand of airtight plastic containers. (Photo: US President Joe Biden boards Air Force One for travel to Ireland. Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
Leaked Pentagon files have been shared across social media in recent days. The files include military assessments of the war in Ukraine and the extent to which the US spies on its allies. We ask a former US defence official what steps the Pentagon should take now. Also in the programme, we hear from a junior doctor in England on the first of four days of industrial action for better pay; and the day President Biden arrives in Northern Ireland, we speak to a former US envoy to the province.(Photo: The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, US, 3 March, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. Credit: Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
US President Joe Biden has dropped another hint that he will seek re-election in 2024. Mr Biden said on Monday that he "plans" on running again but added that he is "not prepared to announce it yet". Also in the programme: Two prominent Chinese activists have been handed lengthy prison sentences after campaigning for greater government transparency. The wife of one tells us that she doesn't think he'll give up hope. And why is the new Super Mario Bros Movie breaking box office records? (Photo: US President Joe Biden greets guests at the Easter Egg Roll, a tradition dating back to 1878, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, 10 April 2023. Credit: Yuri Gripas/ABACA/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
China concludes three days military drills amid high tension in the South China Sea; also in the programme we speak to the wife of a Chinese activist sentenced to ten years in jail; and as Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement turns twenty-five we hear from one of the peace campaigners who were involved in the negotiations.(Photo: Taiwanese naval vessels in the South China Sea. Credit: Shutterstock)
Saudi Arabia has backed Yemeni government forces against the rebels during the eight-year civil war. We speak to Farea al-Muslimi, a Yemen-born research fellow at the Chatham House foreign-affairs think-tank, about the significance of the meeting. Also on the programme: a funeral is held for two murdered British-Israeli sisters; and Newshour speaks to a conservation organisation in India about the success of a project to increase the country’s tiger population. (IMAGE: The head of Houthi Supreme Council meets shakes hands with the Saudi ambassador to Yemen. CREDIT: Reuters)
Tensions rise in Jerusalem as three religious holidays converge, overnight Israel targeted Syrian military positions; Jordan warns of catastrophic consequences if Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa Mosque; and we speak to the son of Benjamin Ferencz the last surviving prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials, who died aged 103. (Photo: Israeli soldiers take up positions in Malkia on the Israel-Lebanon border. Credit: shutterstock)
A Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas has ordered a hold on the longstanding approval of a widely used abortion drug, mifepristone. But an hour later an Obama-picked judge in Washington state issued a competing ruling, ordering that access to the drug be preserved in 17 states. We hear from an abortion rights group and the Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative Christian legal group which represented the plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit. Also on the programme: China conducts military exercises around Taiwan; and what are the possibilities and pitfalls of AI-generated music? (FILE PHOTO: Boxes of mifepristone. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)
Texas judge suspends government approval of mifepristone abortion pill, but a judge in Washington ruled access to the drug must be preserved; also in the programme Chinese military drills around Taiwan and an exiled Russian journalist speaks about her imprisoned fiancé and her thoughts on her friend Evan Gershkovich arrest.(Photo: Used boxes of Mifepristone in a waste basket in an abortion clinic. Copyright: Reuters)
The strikes follow clashes at al-Aqsa mosque and rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza and southern Lebanon. We get the latest news from Lebanon. Also in the programme: as the 25th anniversary of the historic Good Friday peace agreement for Northern Ireland approaches, the threat of violence hasn't completely disappeared. We speak to Sara Canning, partner of the young journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead by local militants in Derry four years ago. We'll also hear the story of a mother and daughter who fled North Korea; and learn about the hazards of Artificial Intelligence from an Australian who claims he has been defamed by a robot. (Photo: Israeli Army strikes southern Lebanon, Alqulaylah. Credit: WAEL HAMZEH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Israeli military has accused Palestinian militant groups of firing dozens of rockets from southern Lebanon into northern Israel.It said most of the 34 rockets were intercepted but that six hit Israeli territory, causing damage to buildings.Hamas said it had no information about who fired the missiles. The attack was the biggest single barrage from Lebanon in 17 years.Also in the programme: We'll hear what French President Emmanuel Macron's message for China was on his visit to Beijing; and the international golfers who have been told they cannot play for a lucrative Saudi tour without consequences.(Photo shows Israeli security personnel checking the remains of a rocket in Shlomi, northern Israel on 6 April 2023. Credit: Fadi Amun/Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to use his influence to help stop Russia's war in Ukraine. The French leader is on a state visit to China, which has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Also on the programme: Japan runs out of space to bury chickens culled amid a record outbreak of bird flu. And months on from a devastating earthquake in Turkey, we hear about what life is like now in one of the country's worst-hit cities. (Image: French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping after meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, 06 April 2023. Ng Han Guan/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A global policing operation has shut down one of the world’s largest criminal marketplaces. Operation Cookie Monster saw the FBI, the Dutch Police and more than a dozen other law enforcement agencies raid Genesis Market, used to buy and sell more than 80 million passwords. We speak to the leader of the Dutch Police’s cyber crime unit.Also on the programme: The President of Poland promises to deliver more fighter jets to Ukraine as Zelensky visits Warsaw and; the South African pilot forced to make an emergency landing after finding a stowaway cobra in his cockpit.(IMAGE:File photo dated 06/08/13 of a woman using a laptop. CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers clash at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Also in the programme: the Ukrainian grain glut that is affecting Poland’s farmers; and the exhibition featuring work by a jailed Russian anti-war artist. (Photo: Israeli policemen detain a Palestinian man in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Credit: Reuters)
Manhattan prosecutors unveil details of the 34 criminal felonies the former US President is charged with. We report from the scene and speak to Marc Lotter, one of Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign chiefs and former Federal Prosecutor Duncan Levin. Also on the programme: Finland joins NATO, doubling the length of the bloc’s border with Russia. We ask if the accession of the traditionally neutral country worsen tensions with Russia; and one half of Daft Punk’s surprising foray into ballet and classical music. (IMAGE: Trump sits in the courtroom for his arraignment in New York Criminal Court CREDIT: SETH WENIG/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Trump is under investigation over hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. We speak to the BBC's James Reynolds live outside the court and Jim Trusty, a member of Trump’s legal team. Also on the programme: Finland joins Nato; and Newshour speaks to a member of Daft Punk who has turned to writing music for ballet. (Image: A Trump supporter carries a sign outside a New York court CREDIT: EPA)
The former US President returns to his hometown to face charges over hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. On Tuesday he will become the first former president to be criminally indicted. We speak to the BBC’s James Reynolds live from Trump Tower and New York Times investigative journalist Susanne Craig.Also on the programme: NASA announces the four astronauts set to head to the moon for the first time since 1972 and; Newshour speaks to the inventor of the first mobile phone. (IMAGE: Donald Trump’s plane at Palm Beach International Airport CREDIT: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
Russian investigators have detained a woman in the hunt for the killers of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a blast at a St Petersburg cafe. Also on the programme, a Newshour special broadcast from Ohio; and, Yunupingu, one of the most prominent and influential indigenous leaders of the past half century in Australia, has died. (Photo: Darya Trepova, suspected of bringing explosives to the cafe where war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion, speaks on camera during her arrest in Saint-Petersburg. 03/04/2023 Reuters)
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has called off mass anti-government protests following a televised appeal from President William Ruto. Demonstrations earlier this week had turned violent, and many feared a repeat of the inter-ethnic fighting of 2007 and 2008. We speak to Mr Odinga. Also on the programme: an explosion in a St Petersburg café kills one of Russia’s most prominent military bloggers; and the grandfather of electronic pop, Ryuichi Sakamoto, has died at the age of 71.(IMAGE: A supporter of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga runs in front of a water cannon. CREDIT: REUTERS/John Muchucha)
President Volodymyr Zelensky has marked the anniversary of the retreat of Russian forces from Kyiv with a statement claiming Ukrainian troops had defeated the greatest force of evil of our time.We will be speaking to the leader of a delegation from South Africa's governing ANC visiting Moscow. Why do they find it so hard to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine?Also, should Paris ban electric scooters?(Photo: Ukraine war: Russian strike on eastern city Kostyantynivka 'kills six' -- ruined apartment blocks in Kostyantynivka. Credit: @ANDRIYYERMAK/TWITTER)
The abbot of a major monastery in Kyiv, Metropolitan Pavel Lebed, is suspected of backing Russian invasion and inciting religious hatred. We hear the latest from the Ukrainian capital. Also in the programme: a look at the US ambitions of Bytedance, the company behind the controversial, Chinese-owned video-sharing app Tiktok; and the decline of a seasonal tradition, the April Fool.(Photo: Metropolitan Pavlo of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, accused of being linked to Moscow, receives an accusation letter from members of the State Security Service in Kyiv. Credit: Press Service of the State Security Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS)
Severe weather in the United States has killed at least seven people and caused devastation across several states. Tornadoes killed three people in the state of Arkansas and injured more than twenty others. Further north, another three people died when a storm destroyed many homes in Indiana. In neighbouring Illinois, one person was killed when a theatre roof collapsed in the town of Belvidere.Also on the programme: The authorities in Iran have promised to enforce rigorously the wearing of headscarves following months of protests. With a growing number of women going unveiled in public, MPs have given them days to act.And we look at the fantasy role-play game Dungeons and Dragons - as a form of therapy.(Photo: Tornado damage in Arkansas. Credit: Reuters)
His legal team say he's 'angry but not worried' about the case. An agreement has reportedly been reached for Mr Trump not to be handcuffed when he gives himself up next week. Also on the programme: President Zelensky and several European leaders have attended ceremonies marking the first anniversary of the liberation of Bucha, one of the towns most closely associated with Russian atrocities during the war in Ukraine. And the editor in chief of the Wall Street Journal updates us on the situation of the journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia on espionage charges. (Picture: US Newspapers Credit: Reuters)
A legal panel known as a grand jury has charged Donald Trump, making him the first US president to be indicted. The charge is believed to be connected to a payment to a porn actress for keeping quiet about an alleged affair. Also on the programme, President Zelensky has promised to punish every perpetrator of war crimes committed by Russian troops in Bucha, on the first anniversary of the town being retaken; and, a Bollywood movie angers Norwegians.(Photo: Former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Waco, Texas 25/03/2023 Reuters)
Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, reflects on a year of war, including the “difficult and complicated situation” in Bakhmut, nuclear threat from Russia, and “very regrettable” situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant.Also on the programme, Brazil’s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, has returned from his self-imposed exile in the United States. We speak to his former Health Secretary. And a novel approach to getting pandas to mate in captivity.(Photo: Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, speaking during an interview in Kyiv, February 7, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Anna Voitenko)
The US newspaper, Wall Street Journal, has expressed deep concern for the safety of one of its reporters who's been arrested for spying in Russia. Also on the programme, a new report by the South Korean government says North Korea is using public executions to instil fear into its people; and, a simple blood test could prevent unnecessary chemotherapy treatment for thousands of bowel cancer patients every year.(Photo: Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich leaves a court building in Moscow 30/03/2023 Reuters)
Key figures in the technology world want the training of powerful artificial intelligence systems to be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity.They have signed an open letter warning of potential risks, and say the race to develop AI systems, such as the presently popular ChatGPT, is out of control. Also in the programme: How an over-the-counter treatment could save tens of thousands of lives among those overdosing on opoid drugs; and the suffering of cobalt miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo that you never knew your electric car was causing.(Photo shows the introduction page of ChatGPT, an interactive AI chatbot model trained and developed by OpenAI, on its website. Credit: Wu Hao/EPA)
More than 2,000 women are taking the Swiss government to court claiming its policy on climate change is violating their right to life and health - the first time the European Court of Human Rights will hear such a case; also, scientists reveal brightest gamma explosion ever; and the British man who helped bring early jazz to Europe.(Photo: Meltwater flows on the ice of the Pers Glacier in front of Mount Piz Palue near the Alpine resort of Pontresina, Switzerland Credit: REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)
Dozens of people die in a fire in a migrant processing centre in northern Mexico close to the border with the United States.Ciudad Juárez, where the fire occurred, is located across the Rio Grande river from El Paso, Texas and has seen an influx of people in recent weeks.Many of the victims are thought to be people from Central and South America trying to reach the US.Also in the programme: After another day of strikes and rallies in France against the government's pension reforms, we ask a union leader if they're ready to compromise; and the Syrian refugees in Lebanon forced to pick litter to earn a living.(Photo shows Mexican firefighters removing injured migrants, mostly Venezuelans, from the National Migration Institute building in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Credit: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters)
Opposition parties in Israel are preparing to enter talks with the far-right coalition over the government's judicial overhaul plan, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced its passage through parliament would be paused. We speak to a politician from the prime minister’s Likud party.Also in the programme: We're live in Nashville Tennessee, after a primary school shooting kills six; and the remarkable Ethiopian pianist and nun Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, who has died aged 99. We hear her play.(Photo: Israeli protesters chant in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government's plan for judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 27, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Itai Ron)
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would delay a key part of controversial plans to overhaul the justice system to prevent a "rupture among our people". However it is unclear what a delay will achieve beyond buying time.It followed intense protests after he fired his defence minister, who had spoken against the plans.Also in the programme: Another school shooting in the US prompts renewed calls from the White House for gun control; and we ask if the steam has gone out of the Scottish independence movement with the appointment of a new governing party leader.(Photo shows Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, Israel on 27 March 2023. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under immense pressure over controversial judicial reforms that he wants to push through. The changes to the country's justice system have provoked an outpouring of anger from nearly all parts of Israeli society, including its powerful military. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in anger on Sunday evening after Mr Netanyahu fired his defence minister, who had called for a pause on the changes. We'll be live in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Also in the programme: Our South East Asia correspondent reports from inside Myanmar for the first time since the coup in 2021; and we have a report from the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, almost wiped off the map by Friday's tornado. (Photo: Protesters gather outside the Israeli Parliament ahead of mass protests in Jerusalem, 27 March 2023. Mass protests have been held in Israel for 12 weeks against the government's plans to reform the justice system and limit the power of the Supreme Court. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has transferred Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant from his post. On Saturday, Mr Gallant called on the prime minister to halt legislation on his proposed changes to the judiciary. The controversial bill has divided the country with many seeing it as a threat to Israeli democracy. Also in the programme: Kamala Harris arrives in Ghana as part of an Africa tour; and we hear from a Sierra Leonean living in Tunisia, on the difficulties facing sub-Saharan African migrants in the country.(Picture: Israel's Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant has been dismissed. Credit: EPA/ATEF SAFADI)
Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, President Vladimir Putin has declared. But he said the move would not violate nuclear non-proliferation agreements and compared it to the US stationing its weapons in Europe.We'll hear what an advisor to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence thinks about the situation and what it tells us about the closeness between Russia and its neighbouring ally Belarus.Also in the programme: As more lives are lost at sea off Tunisia, why are so many sub-Saharan migrants now using the country as a departure point to cross the Mediterranean to Europe? And why the people of Lebanon have woken up today in two time zones.(Photo shows Vladimir Putin at a recent meeting with members of the Security Council. Credit: Alexei Babushkin/Kremlin via Reuters)
The Rwandan dissident, Paul Rusesabagina, has been handed over to the Qatari government after being freed from jail. Mr Rusesabagina, whose heroism during the 1994 genocide was the subject of the film, Hotel Rwanda. He is later expected to fly to the United States to join his family. Also in the programme: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemns defamation ruling; and the US state of Mississippi is hit by tornadoes.(Photo: Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina walks handcuffed with guards to attend a court hearing at the Kicukiro Primary court in Kigali, Rwanda. CREDIT: EPA/EUGENE UWIMANA)
We start in Rwanda, where Paul Rusesabagina has been released from prison. He was the manager of a hotel in Kigali in 1994 and is credited with saving the lives of more than a thousand people during the genocide. The movie "Hotel Rwanda" was inspired by his story. We bring you the latest on that story.Also on the programme: An MI5 spy who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland by defying orders, has broken his silence to the BBC, and we go to Israel and hear the views of ordinary people on the government’s plan to reform the country's judiciary.(Photo: Paul Rusesabagina, credited with saving over a thousand people during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, walks in handcuffs to a courtroom in Kigali, Rwanda February 26, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Clement Uwiringiyimana)
Opposition parties in India have accused the government of stifling democracy after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from parliament over a defamation conviction. But a supporter of Prime Minister Modi tells us that it's a legal, not a political, matter.Also on the programme, Rwanda has said it will release the jailed dissident Paul Rusesabagina, whose life inspired a Hollywood film about the 1994 genocide. And Utah has now become the first American state to require parental permission for anyone under eighteen to use social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook. We will be joined by the governor of the state.(Picture: Rahul Gandhi Credit: Getty)
Several French cities saw violence on the sidelines of Thursday's largely peaceful protests that attracted more than a million people.King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed, after a request by President Emmanuel Macron. The Elysée Palace said the decision was taken jointly.The entrance to the town hall in Bordeaux was set alight, but the deputy mayor of the city tells us she supports the sentiments of the protesters.Also in the programme: Why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial reforms are "illegal" according to the nation's attorney general; and we'll hear from our correspondent on the frontline in Ukraine's Donbas region.(Photo shows a broken billboard with graffiti reading "useless Macron" after clashes during protests over French government's pension reform in Paris, France. Credit: Yves Herman)
The chief executive of TikTok has been defending the Chinese-owned video-sharing app in the face of hostile questioning at a US Congressional committee hearing. Shou Zi Chew denied TikTok is a national security risk and played down the company's connection to China. He insisted data would never be given to the Chinese Communist Party, but did accept that data is currently accessible to staff in China. The committee chair Cathy Rodgers described TikTok as a weapon of the Chinese Communist Party that ought to be banned. Members of Congress also accused TikTok of delivering harmful content to young people.Also in the programme: A former Israeli Prime Minister tells Newshour that the government's plans for judicial reform have created the biggest crisis since the creation of Israel; and we report from the southern front of the war in Ukraine.(Photo: TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew testifies before a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing as lawmakers scrutinise the Chinese-owned video-sharing app. Credit: Reuters Evelyn Hockstein)
Israelis are holding demonstrations across the country in the latest mass protest against moves by the government to overhaul the judicial system.The law would make it more difficult for courts to remove a prime minister deemed unfit for office.We'll hear from a former prime minister who tells us he believes the government is looking increasingly isolated.Also in the programme: The boss of Tiktok prepares to testify before Congress in the US about the company's links to the Chinese Communist Party; and is Germany trying to derail an EU ban on petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035?(Photo shows demonstrators attending a "Day of Shutdown" protest in Tel Aviv, Israel on 23 March 2023. Credit: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)
The UN opened its first conference on water security in almost half a century on Wednesday with a plea to governments to better manage one of humanity's shared resources. Co-chairwoman of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, Mariana Mazzucato tells Newshour about the scale of the problem.Also in the programme: Judicial reforms in Israel; and the life-giving molecule found on an asteroid.(Photo: Haider Jalil, 10, fills a water tank from a truck outside his family home in the village of Al-Bouzayyat which sits on the bank of a former canal which has dried up, in Diwaniya, Iraq. Credit: REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani/File Photo)
Rights groups in Uganda have expressed concern about a new draft law which would make it a crime for people to identify as LGBT. Also on the programme, the UN has warned of a looming global water crisis because of pollution and excessive consumption, ahead of its first big conference on the subject in decades; and we hear from one of the first women who joined the London Stock Exchange, fifty years ago.(Photo: Uganda considers bill to criminalize identifying as LGBTQ in Kampala 21/03/2023 Reuters)
A New York court investigating ex-president Donald Trump over allegations he paid hush money to a pornographic actress is poised to release its decision.Also in the programme: Tim Franks reports from the West Bank; and Yusuf / Cat Stevens.(Picture: Demonstrators shout and hold up signs outside New York Criminal Court in advance of a potential Indictment of former President Donald Trump in New York. Credit: Peter Foley/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
As Israel's parliament votes to allow Israelis back into four settlements evacuated years ago, we'll hear from Tim Franks in the occupied West Bank. Also on the programme, Russia's president Vladimir Putin has been discussing the war in Ukraine with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Moscow; and, an Indonesian court has agreed to allow a lawsuit brought by parents of children who died after being given tainted cough syrup.(Photo: Protests against Israel"s judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv 18/03/2023 Reuters)
The UN's International Panel on Climate Change says the world is on the brink of irrevocable damage, with global warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius now certain without drastic action. Also in the programme; a senior US figure involved in the invasion of Iraq expresses regret for his government's poor planning. And an iconic Indian cola brand attempts a comeback.(Picture: File image of a power station. Credit: Getty Creative)
It's Xi Jinping's first visit since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year - we'll discuss the symbolism of the trip; also, European banking shares have fallen after an emergency takeover of the failing bank Credit Suisse, by its larger Swiss rival, UBS; and on the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, our Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen speaks to those whose lives were turned upside-down.(Photo: Russian matryoshka dolls with portraits of the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sold on a street souvenir shop in downtown Moscow. Credit: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Ukraine has condemned President Vladimir Putin's visit to the occupied city of Mariupol. It was the first time the Russian leader had been to a newly-occupied Russian territory in Ukraine, since ordering the invasion last year. Newshour spoke to Ukraine's prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, about the visit.Also in the programme: UBS agrees to rescue deal for Credit Suisse; and an accountant investigating high-level corruption, has been shot dead in South Africa.(Picture: Russia's President, Vladimir Putin. Credit: Reuters)
President Putin has been to Mariupol - thought to be his first visit to Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia since the invasion a year ago. Also on the programme: emergency talks are continuing in Switzerland in an attempt to rescue the troubled bank, Credit Suisse, before the opening of financial markets on Monday; and a Tyrannosaurus Rex goes up for auction.(Photo: Russian President Putin visits Crimea on ninth anniversary of Russia"s annexation 18/03/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
Is former US President Donald Trump about to be arrested? He claims he is - posting on social media that he's heard leaked reports that he will be indicted. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has been investigating alleged "hush-money" payments made to adult movie actress Stormy Daniels. We hear from the Associated Press’s National Political Reporter Michelle Price. Also in the programme: the Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia – a key focus of the ICC indictment of Russian president Vladimir Putin. And actor Sam Neil on his Non-Hodgkins's lymphoma diagnosis.(Photo: A message on 18 March 2023 on the Truth Social account of former US President Donald Trump reads that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday 21 March as prosecutors consider charges over hush money payments to a porn star, and calls on his supporters to protest. Credit: Social Media via Reuters)
We go to Pakistan where former PM Imran Khan faces corruption charges in court in Islamabad. There have been clashes between his supporters and the police. Also on the programme: one of Russia's most decorated writers, Mikhail Shishkin, gives us his reaction to the ICC's arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin; and the actor Sam Neill has revealed he has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and is receiving chemotherapy.(Photo: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. CREDIT: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for President Putin for the alleged trafficking of children from Russian occupied parts of Ukraine. We hear from the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan. Also on the programme: shares fall once again at the troubled bank Credit Suisse; and we speak to Brazilian music legend Gilberto Gil.(Picture: President Putin of Russia. Credit: Metzel / Reuters)
The French President has used a special constitutional power to force his pension reforms through the national assembly. Crowds converged on Place de la Concorde in response to raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. The plans had sparked two months of heated political debate and strikes.Also on the programme: the prospective meeting between the leaders of China and Russia; and greenwashing - we hear that there are now a number of associated terms - but what are green hushing, green crowding and green lighting? (Image: Firefighters extinguish a fire after a demonstration near the National Assembly after the French National Assembly vote on the government's proposed pension reform law in Paris, France, on 16 March 2023. Credit: Badra/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The battle for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has been the longest and bloodiest since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began last February. On a day when a UN-backed inquiry has accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, we hear from Ukrainian soldiers just 500 metres from Russian forces as they battle for the city in the Donbas region.Also on the programme: the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan tells us why he didn’t show up in court this week to face the charges against him; and a bid to ban the import of hunting trophies to the UK comes under fire from African conservationists.(Picture: A Ukrainian soldier watches his surroundings at a frontline position near Bakhmut, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine on March 16, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura)
Imran Khan accuses the Pakistani government of trying to 'get him out of the way'. Speaking to Newshour from his compound the former Pakistani PM says only fresh elections can unlock the 'quagmire'.Also in the programme Evgenia Kara-Murza on her husband's trial; and decoding the Herculaneum scrolls.(Picture: Supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, pose with a placard in a shape of a cricket bat, with "My-Red Line Imran Khan" written on it, as they gather with others outside Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)
Credit Suisse's shares have tumbled after it disclosed "material weakness" in its accounting controls. The worries have spread across share markets with all major European indexes falling sharply.Also on the programme: a Pakistani court has ordered police to suspend their operation to detain the opposition leader, Imran Khan; and we hear about the giant seaweed island headed towards Florida's coastline.(A screen displays information about Credit Suisse bank on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York on 15 March 2023. Credit: Lane/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Malawi says over 220 people are now known to have died in floods and mudslides resulting from Tropical Storm Freddy.The number may rise as rescue teams reach cut-off areas as the weather improves. We hear about the challenges from a UNICEF official.Also in the programme: How cricket intervened in attempts by police in Pakistan to arrest the opposition politician, Imran Khan; and we hear from Afghan musicians who were forced to flee because after the Taliban took over.(Photo shows people crossing a makeshift bridge where flood water affected the previous crossing in Blantyre, Malawi on 14 March 2023)
An unmanned American surveillance drone has crashed in the Black Sea, in an incident involving two Russian fighter jets. The US and Russia have given very different accounts of what happened. Also in the programme: almost 200 people have been killed in Malawi as Tropical Storm Freddy continues to bare down on south-east Africa; and President Joe Biden has chosen the community of Monterey Park to announce new measures on stricter background checks for gun ownership - he's using a presidential decree to bring them in.(Photo: A US MQ-9 drone is on display during an air show at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a US MQ-9 drone surveillance drone over the Black Sea, causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle in international waters, the US military said, an incident that highlighted soaring US-Russian tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine. Credit: AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)
Beijing has strongly criticised the significant naval deal. The pact is aimed at countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Also on the programme: a special report on outstanding cases of alleged human rights violations in South Africa under Apartheid; and we hear about a swimming pool heated by a computer. (Photo: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese at Point Loma naval base, San Diego, US, to discuss the Aukus trilateral security pact, 13 March 2023. Credit: Rousseau/PA Wire)
Stocks in some US banks have continued to fall, despite President Biden's attempt to reassure Americans their money is safe after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. At one point shares in Western Alliance fell by 80%. Another bank First Republic was down by 75%. Earlier, Mr Biden used a televised address from the White House to say he would do whatever was needed to maintain stability. Stock markets across Europe closed down by more than 2%, with some banks suffering much steeper falls. Credit Suisse closed at a record low after declining by nearly 10%.Also in the programme: Malawi declares a state of emergency as it struggles to deal with tropical storm Freddy - still battering south East Africa; and a nuclear powered submarine plan for Australia - so how will it affect tensions between the West and China?(Photo: United States President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the United States banking system after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) 13 March 2023. Credit: Chris Kleponis/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Shares in many American and European banks have plunged after the collapse of the California-based Silicon Valley Bank, with the US and UK governments intervening to keep markets stable.We'll look at what can be done to prevent contagion.Also in the prograamme: Flooding in a small town in Queensland, Australia has brought unexpected danger; and what the big wins at the Oscars mean for Asian representation on the big screen.(Photo shows a destroyed Silicon Valley Bank. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)
The US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, says she's been working all weekend to prevent the consequences of a major bank collapse from spreading. The collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank was the biggest such failure in the US for fifteen years.Also on the programme; is another Iranian American prisoner swap imminent? Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, told state TV that a deal could be done soon, although the US denies it. And it's Oscar night and the film The Banshees of Inisherin has been nominated for nine awards. But even if it goes home empty handed, the film has changed the life of one woman, 83-year-old Delia Barry, who knitted the jumpers worn by the cast and who is now a social media sensation. We hear from her. (Picture: The Silicon Valley Bank Credit: Getty)
Britain's Rishi Sunak and Australia's Anthony Albanese have gone to the Pacific coast to meet President Joe Biden at a summit in San Diego. AUKUS is on the agenda - the new defence pact established 18 months ago to counter what they see as a growing security threat from China in the Indo-Pacific region. Also in the programme: the migrants crossing by sea. Will the Italian government’s latest policies help to save lives? And a look ahead to the Oscars.(Photo: The Virginia-class USS North Dakota submarine is seen during bravo sea trials in this U.S. Photo credit: Navy handout picture 10/03/2023 Reuters)
A major political row is raging in the UK following tweets by BBC presenter Gary Lineker. The director general of the BBC apologises after major disruption to its sports coverage.Also on the programme; Cyclone Freddy has made landfall for the fourth time, battering the central coast of Mozambique. And the Italian coastguard says it's rescued a total of twelve hundred people who were in vessels that got into difficulty in the Mediterranean sea.(Picture: BBC Sport presenter Gary Lineker. Credit: PA)
A career bureaucrat, Li Qiang, has been sworn in as China's new premier and will be tasked with tackling a series of economic challenges. Also on the programme, Silicon Valley Bank has been shut down by regulators in the biggest banking failure in the United States since the financial crisis; and, clinical trials have shown that a gadget developed by British researchers can help a majority of those living with Tourette's Syndrome to control their symptoms.(Photo: Fourth plenary session of the National People"s Congress (NPC) in Beijing 11/03/2023 Reuters)
Iran and Saudi Arabia are normalising their ties after a seven- year rupture. China - which mediated in the reconciliation process - and the UN have welcomed the move; Washington was more cautious. We hear from Saudi and Iran analysts. Also, what does Israel make of the agreement to restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and it's arch enemy.The United States has seen its first major bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis after a run on the tech-focussed Silicon Valley Bank led regulators to close it down.And a TV interview from inside a prison in Iran. A dual national US citizen pleads with President Biden to secure his release.(Photo: China's director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban meet in Beijing. Credit: China Daily)
Xi Jinping has been anointed for a third term as president of China, cementing his position as the country's unchallenged leader. The appointment for what is a largely ceremonial role was expected -- but underlines the hold Mr Xi has over Chinese politics. We ask what he will do with his power.Also in the programme: an extraordinary phone call from inside a Tehran prison. The US-Iranian national Siamak Namazi speaks to an American TV network. We hear from his brother, appealing for Washington's help; and can a summit between the leaders of France and Britain make the entente more cordiale?(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping takes his oath during the Third Plenary Session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing China, 10 March 2023. Credit: Mark R Cristino/pool/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
After another blackout at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the head of the UN's nuclear observatory has appealed for a protection zone.Rafael Grossi has said that renewed Russian shelling, near Ukraine's biggest nuclear plant, has almost caused disaster. We'll find out from the president of the European Nuclear Society how likely he thinks an incident is at Zaporizhzhia.Also in the programme: The fear of Russian influence that's bringing Georgian protesters out onto the streets in their thousands; and in Israel, protests reach new heights of fury against Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government.(Photo shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on 24 November 2022. Credit: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
The authorities in Ukraine are working to restore power to parts of the country after Russia damaged energy infrastructure in a massive overnight bombardment - the heaviest in a month. Ukraine's military says Russia fired nearly ninety missiles and drones.Also in the programme: Georgian government plans to revoke controversial legislation on foreign agents, but protesters says demonstrations will continue; and the Israeli actor Chaim Topol has died aged 87 - he was best known for playing the lead role in the Hollywood and Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof.(Photo: Rescuers work at a site of residential buildings destroyed by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia"s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv region, Ukraine on 9 March 2023. Credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Lviv region/Handout via Reuters)
Police in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, have used teargas, water cannon and stun grenades against crowds who've again been demonstrating into the night outside parliament. Also on the programme: the White House marks International Woman's Day by holding its annual International Woman Of Courage Awards. We meet two of them. And following the "Oscars So White" campaign, has diversity improved in movies? (Picture: Protester outside Tblisi's parliament. Credit: Reuters)
Georgian opposition and civil society groups call for new protests against government plans to introduce controversial "foreign agent" legislation. We hear from opposition MP Grigol Gegelia. Also on the programme, four bankers go on trial in Switzerland for hiding millions of dollars suspected to belong to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin; and we hear from the scientists who developed a new drug that could treat bone cancer.(Picture: Participants protest against a draft law on "foreign agents", which critics say represents an authoritarian shift and could hurt the country's bid to join the European Union, during a rally outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 8. Credit: REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze)
The British PM, Rishi Sunak has said he is ‘up for the fight’ to bring in new legislation to prevent migrants crossing the Channel on small boats to reach the UK. We will hear from a supporter and a critic of the plan.Also on the programme, TikTok spokesman defends its data policy in the United States; and did a pro-Ukraine group sabotage the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia?(Picture: Rescue workers stand on board a Royal Navy lifeboat, at the Port of Dover in Dover, Britain. Credit: REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo)
Former air force chiefs and current fighter pilot reservists in Israel have joined public condemnation of the government's planned legal changes. Also on the programme, Belarus opposition figure, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail; and, naturalist David Attenborough's new TV series explores the species of the British Isles. (Photo: Protest against government's judicial overhaul outside US Consulate in Tel Aviv. Credit: Reuters)
It is a month since the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, with officials putting the number of deaths in Turkey alone at 45,968. We hear from both sides of the border. Also on the programme, fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron have vowed not to attend training, in an unprecedented protest against the government. Plus, latest analysis of a vase found in a Roman grave in Colchester in the mid-1800s reveals gladiator fights were staged in Roman Britain. (Picture: An earthquake survivor in southern Turkey. Credit: BBC / Foster)
On the frontline towns of Bakhmut and Kupiansk, Ukranian soldiers brace for Russia's springtime offensive. Also on the programme, one month on from the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, it's estimated that a million and a half people are still sheltering in tents; and, Estonia's prime minister has won in a landslide election, an important moment for the small Baltic country standing up to Russia. (Photo: A Ukrainian serviceman fires an automatic grenade launcher in Bakhmut 03/03/2023 Reuters)
The Greek prime minister has asked for forgiveness after the country's worst ever train crash, which has prompted further protests in the capital Athens. In a statement, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said it should not have been possible for two trains heading in different directions to run on the same line without anyone noticing. 57 people died in Tuesday's collision between a passenger train and a freight train near Larissa.Also in the programme: China has announced a sharp rise in military spending; and she was known as the mother of the disability rights movement in the US - Judy Heumann has died aged 75.(Photo: A riot police officer prepares to throw a stun grenade next to flames in Athens as clashes take place during a demonstration, after the collision of two trains near the city of Larissa. March 5, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis)
Nations have reached an historic agreement to protect the world's oceans following ten years of negotiations. The High Seas Treaty places 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, aiming to safeguard and recuperate nature. We hear from Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, and Dr. Robert Blasiak, a researcher at Stockholm University. Also: Has President Emmanuel Macron boosted France's reputation with countries in Africa? We ask political scientist Niagale Bagayoko. After concluding his latest trip in the Democratic Republic of Congo, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya tells us what kind of relationship Kinshasa would like with Paris in the future. Plus, as China’s National People’s Congress gets underway, Dr. Jie Yu shares her thoughts on Beijing’s plans to increase military spending, and why the government has set a fairly modest economic growth target.(Image: A humpback whale)
The Russian army and Wagner mercenaries are putting increasing pressure on Ukraine's soldiers to withdraw from the shattered city of Bakhmut.Also in the programme: The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has called for an end to what he called the brazen looting in the conflict-hit east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, during a visit to the capital Kinshasa; and we hear from the son of the world-renowned architect, Rafael Viñoly, who has died aged 78. Born in Uruguay, Viñoly was behind many acclaimed -- and controversial -- designs.(Photo: A general view shows an empty street and buildings damaged by a Russian military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the front line city of Bakhmut, Ukraine on 3 March 2023. Credit: Reuters/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
After months of artillery bombardment, the battle for Bakhmut could be entering its closing stages, with reports of street-fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces. We hear from the deputy mayor of the city, as well as the families of soldiers taken prisoner by Russian forces.Also on the programme: a mystery over the assassination of one of the Philippine president’s political allies and; talks between Iran and the UN’s nuclear watchdog after inspectors found traces of uranium that had been enriched to near weapons-grade. (IMAGE:A Ukrainian soldier rides a military vehicle in Bakhmut. CREDIT: Reuters/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
A court in Belarus has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison. He was convicted of smuggling and financing "actions grossly violating public order", the Viasna human rights group said. Supporters of Mr Bialiatski, 60, say the authoritarian regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is trying to silence him. We hear from the UN's Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus. Also on the programme: scientists identify a new disease in wild birds caused solely by plastic pollution; and we speak to the director of the Oscar-nominated documentary 'Fire of Love'. (File image of Ales Bialiatski. Credit: TATYANA ZENKOVICH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ales Bialiatski, is jailed for ten years. We hear from one of his supporters.Also on the programme, dozens of girls from 26 schools in Iran are being treated for poisoning after another wave of apparent toxic gas attacks. And we hear about "vocal fry" a vocal tic used by Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johannson and, it has been discovered, by whales. (Picture: Ales Bialiatski in 2021 Credit: EPA)
A G20 meeting in New Delhi ends in acrimony, with disagreements over the Ukraine war making a joint statement impossible. Newshour hears from Jitendra Nath Misra, a former Indian ambassador.Also in the programme: Greece's antiquated rail network; and the secret corridor inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.(Picture: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi. Credit: Olivier Douliery/Pool via REUTERS)
There have been angry exchanges between Russia and the US at the G20 meeting of foreign ministers. The American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the meeting was hampered by Russia’s ‘unprovoked and unjustified’ invasion of Ukraine, while Russia’s Sergei Lavrov accused the West of drenching everything in ‘the sauce of so-called Russian aggression.’ Also on the programme: Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about the Nigerian elections and; Romania makes an AI chatbot its newest government adviser. Picture: Sergei Lavrov holds a news conference on the sidelines of G20 foreign ministers' meeting. Credit: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
FBI Director Christopher Wray has said that the bureau believes Covid-19 most likely originated in a Chinese government-controlled lab. It is the first public confirmation of the FBI's classified judgement of how the pandemic virus emerged.Many scientists point out there is no evidence that it leaked from a lab and other US government agencies have drawn differing conclusions to the FBI's. We'll hear from a former White House bio-defence official about what this report means.Also in the programme: Nigeria's new president is a political veteran, but some in Nigeria say Bola Tinubu hasn't come clean about his medical problems; and the fishing scandal which has enmeshed Namibia and Iceland.(Photo shows a masked woman stands at the window of a container turned into a Covid-19 fever clinic in Shanghai, China on 1 March 2023. Credit: Alex Plavevski/EPA)
The governing All Progressives Congress candidate, Bona Tinubu, is today celebrating victory in the Nigerian presidential election, winning 37 percent of the vote. Opposition parties are calling foul amid allegations of ballot stuffing. We speak to the APC Governor of Kaduna State and a spokesperson for the opposition Labour Party, who are demanding a re-run of the election. Also in the programme: at least 36 people have been killed in Greece’s worst ever train crash; and a new exhibition explores the life, career, and numerous scandals of French musician Serge Gainsbourg (Picture: Bola Tinubu celebrating election win. Credit: REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye)
The candidate for Nigeria’s governing party, Bola Tinubu, has strengthened his lead in the elections, but three opposition parties have strongly criticised the poll and said it must be abandoned. We speak to a candidate from the opposition Labour Party, Ireti Heeba Kingibe, who joins the call in spite of just winning her own seat. Also in the programme: what is behind the poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls in Iran? And how the landmark trial that convicted Argentina's last military dictator has been turned into a film that’s been nominated for an Oscar.Photo: People browse through a newspaper at a vendor's stand in the Ikeja district of Lagos, Nigeria, as election results trickle in. Credit: Akintunde Akinleye/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
We speak to an Israeli settler from the same settlement as two brothers who were killed in a shooting on Sunday. They were shot in a town called Hawara near Nablus in the West Bank; houses, cars and buildings were then burnt down by Israeli settlers afterwards. But Yonaton Behar from the Har Bracha settlement says it wasn’t a rampage at all.Also in the programme: An update on elections in Nigeria and; A temple in India introduces a mechanical elephant to conduct rituals.(Picture: A man walks among cars burnt in Hawara. Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
The UK and the EU have finally managed to break the deadlock over trading arrangements for Northern Ireland after Britain's exit from the European Single Market and Customs Union. The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, have hailed their deal as a 'decisive breakthrough'. We hear from George Parker of the Financial Times on what it means for Northern Ireland and Britain's relations with the EU. Also in the programme, the violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Hawara; and an interview with the deputy mayor of Bakhmut, continuing scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo: Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shake hands at the end of a news conference on a post-Brexit deal in Windsor, Britain. Credit: CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israel has deployed extra troops to the occupied West Bank, after a Palestinian man was shot dead as Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages overnight, setting fire to houses and cars. The rioting was in response to the killing on Sunday of two Jewish brothers in one of the villages - Hawara. Also in the programme: The British prime minister and the president of the European Commission discuss a new deal on post-Brexit trade involving Northern Ireland. And Belarusian opposition figures say a Russian military plane has been damaged in a sabotage attack inside the country. We'll hear from the leader of the group that says it was behind the explosions.(Photo: A building and cars burnt in an attack by Israeli settlers, following an incident where a Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli settlers, are seen near Hawara in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank, February 27, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Ammar Awad)
Officials said at least 12 were children, including a baby and young twins. It's feared the casualty figure could rise as it's not clear how many people were on the vessel which sank off the coast of southern Italy.Also on the programme, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority have announced their joint commitment to take immediate steps to end a surge in violence. And controversy on the Indian edition of Masterchef, is it really OK to allow one guest to cook with paneer when everyone else has to cook with fish? (Picture: Rescued migrants in Italy. Credit: Shutterstock)
More than 40 migrants, including a baby, have died and dozens more have survived after their overloaded boat sank in rough seas off southern Italy. The vessel reportedly broke apart while trying to land with more than 100 people on board near the coastal town of Crotone in the Calabria region. Also on the programme: Jordan hosts a high-level security meeting between Israeli and Palestinian officials, to try to calm a recent wave of deadly violence. And we go to Nigeria to get the latest on the country's tightest election since the end of military rule in 1999, with first results expected later on Sunday. (Image: Cutro, on the eastern coast of Italy's Calabria region, Italy, February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Giuseppe Pipita)
Nearly ninety million people were eligible to vote. The candidates of Nigeria's two dominant parties, Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, are facing a challenge from Peter Obi, a former state governor who has used social media to capture the support of young people.Also on the programme, our reporter Laura Bicker is on one of the helicopters bringing aid to Turkey's earth quake zone. And the marrying of Western and Eastern classical music, we hear from the legendary jazz musician John McLaughlan whose band, Shakti, returns with a new album.(Picture: Voters queue in Nigeria Credit: Reuters)
Long queues have formed at polling stations in Nigeria as voters pick a new leader in the most unpredictable election since the end of military rule. Also in the programme: Our reporter is on one of the helicopters bringing aid to Turkey's earth quake zone; and we debate who is to blame for the war in Ukraine.(Photo credit: Getty Images)
On the day Ukraine marks a year since the start of the war, we hear about the fierce fighting that is continuing in the east of Ukraine. Also in the programme: we speak to Olha, who lost her mother in Bucha last year; and we speak to Kenya’s UN ambassador to understand the different stances African countries have taken towards the war. (Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responds to a question during a press conference in Kyiv. Credit: EPA).
One year after Moscow launched its invasion, ceremonies have been held in Kyiv and towns and cities across Ukraine - while in Russia the occasion is not being conspicuously marked. There's been no comment from President Putin, although the former president, Dmitry Medvedev, suggested his country should push Ukrainian forces all the way back to the Polish border. In Ukraine's capital, President Zelensky pledged to do everything to achieve victory in the year ahead.Newshour's Lyse Doucet is live in the capital Kyiv and we'll be live in Moscow as well.(Photo: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky hands a flag to a serviceman during a ceremony dedicated to the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. February 24, 2023. Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Ahead of an expected vote in the UN General Assembly about the war in Ukraine - which has its first anniversary on Friday - we go to Russia where it is Defender of the Fatherland Day. It's a celebration of the country's armed forces. How popular is Vladimir Putin inside Russia? We also hear from two Russian men escaping military service.Also on the programme: the BBC Middle East correspondent in Nablus; and David Bowie’s archive at the Victoria and Albert Museum. (Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a concert dedicated to Russian service members involved in the country's military campaign in Ukraine, on the eve of the Defender of the Fatherland Day at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia February 22, 2023. Credit: Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via Reuters)
Shamima Begum loses British citizenship appeal. While the ruling said it was possible she was a victim of trafficking, the judge found the government still had a legal right to take her citizenship away. Also on the programme: the BBC Middle East correspondent Anna Foster at a relief centre in the city of Adana; and mixing olive oil and coffee.(Picture: Shamima Begum during her interview with BBC's Middle East correspondent Quentin Sommerville, at al-Hawl refugee camp in north-eastern Syria. Picture credit: BBC News.)
China's top diplomat meets President Putin in Moscow, days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China has stopped short of providing Moscow with unconditional backing for its war in Ukraine, but there are fears Beijing could change that position.Also on the programme: we visit Nigeria where a currency crisis is dominating the run up to Saturday's general election. And we examine the environmental cost of the expansion of FIFA, the governing body for world football.(Picture: Wang Yi of China meets President Putin of Russia. Credit: Reuters)
Ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Friday, Biden tells crowds in Warsaw that Ukraine will ‘never be a victory for Russia’. We hear from a former US ambassador to Ukraine. Also on the programme: Analysing president Putin’s state of the union speech; and the drying canals of Venice. (Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks ahead of the one year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, outside the Royal Castle, in Warsaw, Poland, February 21, 2023. Picture credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Defiant Putin insists Russia is not the aggressor, blames the West for the war in Ukraine and suspends Russia’s participation in the START treaty; also in the programme reactions to Putin’s speech and a senior polish official on Warsaw’s determination to send fighter jets to Ukraine. (Photo: President Putin. Credit: Shutterstock)
President Biden says America will back Ukraine in its fight against Russia for "as long as it takes". He was speaking during an unannounced and highly symbolic visit to Kyiv. Admiral John Kirby, the US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, joins us from Washington DC to discuss US support for the war in Ukraine. Also in the programme: Official figures suggest Russia's economy hasn't been hit as badly as predicted by the war in Ukraine. And we hear from the BBC's Anna Foster in Adana on today’s earthquake in Turkey.(Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral during an unannounced visit, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. Picture credit: Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERS)
US President Joe Biden- on a surprise visit to Kyiv- says Vladimir Putin's 'war of conquest' in Ukraine is failing. Speaking alongside President Zelensky, ahead of this week's anniversary of Russia's invasion, Mr Biden said Mr Putin had been 'plain wrong' to think Russia could outlast Ukraine and its allies.Also today: A BBC investigation uncovers widespread sexual abuse in the East African tea plantations of Kenya - suppliers to the world's biggest brands; and we're in Aleppo, Syria, to hear from earthquake survivors worried about the future.(Photo: US President Joe Biden meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Olena Zelenska during an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday Feb 20, 2023. Credit: Evan Vucci/Pool via Reuters)
Turkey has ended rescue efforts in all but two provinces, almost two weeks after a massive earthquake killed tens of thousands of people, the country's disaster agency said.Also in the programme, tensions remain high after Moldova's president accused Russia of plotting to use foreign "saboteurs" to overthrow her pro-EU government.And the head of the European Trade Union Confederation speaks exclusively to Newshour about her dramatic expulsion from Tunisia, after she took part in a union demonstration in the city of Sfax.(Picture: Members of a search and rescue team work to recover bodies from rubble on February 19, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey. Picture credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has alleged that China is considering supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war against Ukraine. What’s the view in Beijing?Also in the programme: A new phase in the stifling of dissent in Nicaragua. We speak to an exiled writer stripped of her citizenship.And the Ukrainians helping their neighbours through hard times.(File photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media prior to meetings at the State Department in Washington, US on February 7, 2023. Olivier Douliery/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)
World leaders are meeting at the Munich Security Conference, as issues including the Ukraine war and US-China relations dominate headlines.Also on the programme: a Chinese balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina is being investigated by US authorities to see what information it may have collected.And a row has erupted over changes to the works of renowned, and controversial, British author Roald Dahl.(Photo: US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the 2023 Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany. Photo credit: Johannes Simon / Getty)
Nearly two weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we hear about the struggle to survive in the city of Antakya, Turkey.Also on the programme: world leaders are meeting at the Munich Security Conference to discuss the Ukraine war, there's a call for increased military support for Kyiv. And in New Zealand, Cyclone Gabrielle has devastated the North Island and cut off hundreds of communities.(Photo: Rescuers carry the body of a victim at the site of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Antakya, Turkey. Credit: Reuters)
The President of Ukraine warned his western allies at the Munich Security Conference that while they hesitated over decisions to send heavy weapons to Ukraine, the Kremlin was planning to 'strangle Moldova.'Also on the programme: Taliban militants storm the police headquarters in the Pakistani city of Karachi; and violent protests continue as Nigerians face a cash shortage. (Picture: A Danish Leopard tank in a military exercise in Estonia. Credit: VALDA KALNINA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Addressing the Munich Security Conference, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said there was no alternative to a Ukrainian victory and freedom could not be compromised. Also on the programme, Russian and Chinese forces are starting military exercises today off the coast of South Africa; And, there is now less sea-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent than at any time since we began using satellites to measure it in the late 1970s.(Photo: Munich Security Conference 2023 16/02/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
In a BBC interview to mark a year since Russia's full-scale invasion, President Zelensky says conceding land would mean Russia could "keep coming back", while Western weapons would bring peace closer. Also on the programme: Nigeria’s cash crisis; and toxic contamination in East Palestine, Ohio.(Photo: President Zelensky of Ukraine. Credit: EPA / Shutterstock)
The War in Ukraine has seen little or no diplomacy between Kyiv and Moscow. However, there has been cooperation around prisoner of war exchanges. More than 1,700 Ukrainian men and women have reportedly made it home this way so far. The BBC has been given rare access to one facility where captured Russian soldiers are held in the west of the country. Also in the programme: Customers have smashed and set fire to banks in Lebanon; and an update on a toxic chemical spill in Ohio.(Picture: Hundreds of captured Russian soldiers, conscripts, and mercenaries are held at facilities in Ukraine. Credit: BBC)
Thousands of Syrian war refugees who fled to Turkey are trying to go back to Syria after last week's earthquakes. Also in the programme: the former Governor of South Carolina and US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, is the first Republican to contest Donald Trump’s bid for the presidential nomination; and American actress Rachel Welch has died at the age of 82.(Photo: Children play at Refaat Daho school that houses many refugees, after a deadly earthquake in Latakia, Syria. Credit: Reuters).
Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced her resignation. She has led the Scottish National Party, which wants independence from Britain, for more than eight years. Ms Sturgeon has been a key figure in Scotland, as a member of the Scottish Parliament since it opened in 1999 and its longest serving First Minister. Also in the programme: The UK's most expensive drug costs more than three million dollars per dose, and is the most expensive drug ever approved by the NHS; and the French high fashion brand Louis Vuitton has named the Grammy-winning producer, rapper, singer and songwriter Pharrell Williams as its new menswear creative director.(Photo: First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon speaks at a news conference at Bute House where she announced she will stand down as first minister, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain February 15, 2023. Jane Barlow/Pool via REUTERS)
Doctors warn of increasing cases of post-traumatic stress experienced by earthquake victims. We hear the story of one Syrian refugee in Turkey who became homeless for the second time. Also in the programme, we hear from one of Iran's top chess player, living in exile after refusing to wear a headscarf; And, the Oscar nominated documentary about orphaned elephants in India. (Photo: Search operations continue in Hatay following powerful earthquake 14/02/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
Newshour's Razia Iqbal spoke to Iranian Chess player, Sara Khadem, who is now living in exile in Spain after refusing to wear a headscarf. She isn't able to return for fear of arrest and imprisonment.Also in the programme: Tax officers have searched BBC offices in India; and speculation the North Korean leader's 10-year-old daughter is being groomed to be a future leader.(Picture: Sara Khadem of Iran sits in front of a chess board during a game in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Credit: Reuters/Mikheyev)
Around 90,000 Israelis have protested outside parliament against controversial plans for judicial reforms. Also on the programme, our correspondent in north-western Syria reports from a hospital treating victims - some of them just months old - of last week's earthquakes; and a German opera house suspends its chief choreographer after he attacked a newspaper critic with dog faeces - we speak to that journalist.(Photo: Israelis demonstrate on the day Israel's constitution committee is set to vote on judicial plan, in Jerusalem 13/02/2023 Reuters)
In Syria, more than 3,500 people are so far known to have been killed by last week's earthquake. But in the worst-affected area, opposition-controlled Idlib, little aid has arrived. The UN has sent in aid trucks, but Syria has received a tiny fraction of the help neighbouring Turkey has secured. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville and cameraman Robbie Wright gained access to the region. Also in the programme: Why the French defence minister has criticised the latest 'Black Panther' film; and rapper David Jolicoeur from the pioneering hip hop group 'De La Soul' has died.(Picture: A volunteer among the rubble, in the aftermath of an earthquake in Idlib province, Syria. Credit: White Helmets/Handout via REUTERS)
The number of people confirmed to have died in Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 33,000. Officials in Turkey say 113 arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the construction of buildings that collapsed after Monday's earthquake. We speak to an American search and rescue team on the ground in the Turkish city of Adiyaman, and hear from Idlib province in north-west Syria. Also on the programme: Israel's President Isaac Herzog warns in an unscheduled televised address to the nation that the country is on the verge of constitutional and social collapse, as a political crisis intensifies over the government's plans to overhaul the judiciary. And the BBC's Steve Rosenberg looks at how Russia has changed since its invasion of Ukraine last year. (Image: a man stands next to a car in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Hatay, Turkey February 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan)
Turkish police have issued more than 100 arrest warrants as part of an investigation into poor building standards after this week's devastating earthquakes; also, a high-altitude object that's being described only as 'small' and 'cylindrical' has been shot down by the US military over Canada; and how did Harry Styles go from boy band singer to global music star?(Photo: Rescue team works in earthquake-affected area of Hatay, Turkey. Credit: Photo by ERDEM SAHIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The UN’s humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has described the earthquake in Turkey as the worst natural disaster he’d ever seen in his decades of humanitarian work. While visiting the Turkish city of Kahramanmasa he told the BBC that the UN would work actively and firmly to open more crossings into north west Syria where so little aid has arrived.Also in the programme: we hear from the WHO Syria representative in Aleppo; and a reporter who's crossed into parts of northern Syria controlled by Turkish-backed militias.(Photo: Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, gestures during a presser in Maras, Turkey, 11 February 11 2023. Credit: Reuters/Emilie Madi)
UN humanitarian chief martin Griffiths visits epicentre of Turkey’s earthquake; also in the programme Iran marks the anniversary of the Islamic revolution after months of anti-government demonstrations; and British MPs enraged by a planned visit of the governor of China’s Xinjiang province.(Photo: Rescuers going through rubble in Kahramanmaras. Credit: Reuters)
The Syrian government says it will allow aid agencies to deliver humanitarian aid across government lines to earthquake victims in rebel-controlled territory. We speak to the International Red Cross and hear of the continuing search for survivors under the rubble in Turkey as well as an opposition Turkish MP.Also in the programme: The collapse of the government in Moldova and has a campaign to boycott a new Harry Potter video game failed?(Photo shows an armed man standing near a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to be taken to Syria's quake-hit northwest in the Aleppo Governorate, Syria. Credit: Orhan Qereman/Reuters)
A volunteer in earthquake-hit Aleppo, Syria, tells us about children living on the streets. Elsewhere in the region, where opposition forces are in control, rescue workers have condemned the United Nations' response to Monday's earthquake. We put that to the UN's top official in Syria. Also today: Archaeologists in Kenya dig up evidence that our primate cousins were smarter than we thought. (Photo: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visits a site of a damaged building in the aftermath of the earthquake in Aleppo, in this handout released by Syrian Presidency on February 10, 2023. Credit: Syrian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)
More than 20,000 people are now known to have died in Monday's earthquakes in Turkey and Syria; the UN secretary general has warned that the full extent of the tragedy is not yet clear. We also hear from people who have lost their loved ones, and ask how the earthquake will affect the Turkish president’s standing.Also in the programme: the Italian government's controversial clampdown on the charities trying to save migrants in the Mediterranean; and Neil Sedaka remembers one of the greatest American songwriters, Burt Bacharach, who’s died at 94.(Photo: Workers check trucks carrying aid material after crossing the Bab al-Hawa border point at the Syrian-Turkish border. Credit: EFE).
The World Health Organisation has warned of a second disaster as thousands of people made homeless by Monday's earthquakes are living in the open in freezing temperatures. Also on the programme: Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has received a standing ovation at the European Parliament where he said Kyiv was in a battle to protect Europe's way of life; and Google is trying to reassure users that its artificial intelligence technology is among the best after a mistake wiped one-hundred billion dollars off the company’s value.(Photo: Woman pulled from the rubble after being trapped for 80 hours 09/02/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
Syria has received earthquake aid from Iraq, Iran, the UAE and Egypt. The Syrian government has also officially asked the European Union for help. Also on the programme: a Peruvian congressman explains why he does not want elections this year; and, code breakers have deciphered a trove of letters written by Mary Queen of Scots while she was imprisonment in the sixteenth century.Photo: Rescue operations continue in Kahramanmaras after major earthquake 08/02/2023 European Pressphoto Agency
Ukraine's President Zelensky is on his first visit to Britain since the Russian invasion of his country last year. Addressing parliament he said 'London had stood with Kyiv since day one'.Also in the programme: Surviving in Bakhmut; and just why did so many buildings collapse in Turkey? (Picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside 10 Downing Street, London, ahead of a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
Rescuers continue the search for survivors amid fears that tens of thousands could still be trapped beneath rubble. The WHO warns that the chances of finding people are diminishing by the minute due to sub-zero temperatures. Also on the programme, the farmers hit by South Africa’s ongoing power crisis; and the exhibition of Vermeer’s paintings that's being described as “once-in-a-lifetime.”
We're in Turkey and Syria, after a huge earthquake kills more than 5,000 people. In southern Turkey, people are struggling to rescue their loved ones. In northern Syria, we hear about a region already suffering from years of war.
(Photo: A collapsed building in Kirikhan, Hatay, Turkey, February 7, 2023. Credit: Reuters)
Rescue efforts are continuing into the night in southern Turkey and northern Syria after the region was devastated by two major earthquakes. Also on the programme, Human Rights Watch has warned that fighting in eastern Congo is causing a dangerous escalation of tension between ethnic Tutsis and Hutus; and, the English football champions, Manchester City have been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League over alleged breaches of financial rules.(Photo: Earthquake in Diyarbakir 06/02/2023 Reuters)
A rescue operation is under way across much of southern Turkey and northern Syria following two major earthquakes that have killed more than 2,300 people. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations are still ongoing. We’ll hear from eyewitnesses and a seismologist.Also in the programme: the trial for the largest national security case in Hong Kong begins; and we’ll look at the rise in the use of private jets as a global private aviation conference is held in London today. (Emergency personnel search for victims at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Diyarbakir, southeast of Turkey, 06 February 2023. Photo by REFIK TEKIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is pardoning a large number of prisoners, including some of those arrested during the past months of protests. We'll hear a view from Tehran.Also in the programme: The former Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf has died - we'll assess his relationship with the US after 9/11; and the British writer Hanif Kureishi on finding his voice after a terrible accident on holiday. (Photo: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Credit: Handout via Reuters)
A Pentagon official said the recovery would enable US analysts to examine sensitive Chinese equipment. We asked a former US State Department official how much this will worsen the relations between Washington and Beijing. Also in the programme: Reports from Iranian state TV say Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pardoned a large number of prisoners linked to the women-led protests that swept the country since September; and as Pakistan’s former president General Pervez Musharraf dies, we explore how he’s regarded inside the country.(Photo: Chinese high-altitude balloon spotted over North Carolina, Charlotte, US, on the 1st of February 2023. Credit: EPA).
On the orders of President Biden the suspected Chinese spy balloon has been shot down by the US military off the coast of South Carolina. The US President gave the order on Wednesday but the Pentagon decided to wait until the balloon was over water so as not to put people on the ground at undue risk. Pope Francis and other Christian leaders on a peace mission to South Sudan have addressed large crowds at the mausoleum of the independence hero, John Garang. And the Afghan-born teenage rapper with a message for the Taliban.(Photo: Footage appears to show China balloon shot down.)
Can Pope Francis help to bring peace to the divided African country? We hear the latest from the capital, Juba, and talk to human rights researcher Nyagoah Tut Pur. Also in the programme: a Chinese reaction to allegations that China has been using a balloon to spy on the United States, and attempts by the Pakistan government to rein in the information website Wikipedia. (Photo: Pope Francis visits South Sudan, Juba. Credit: VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says China had "no intention" of violating other countries' airspace after the Pentagon reported a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted flying over sensitive military sites.Also on the programme : the latest from Kyiv where EU ministers are meeting with the Ukrainian government to discuss membership to the bloc and Pope Francis is in South Sudan with the other leaders of the Christian denominations on a peace mission.( Picture : A balloon flies in the sky over Billings, Montana, U.S. Credit : Chase Doak)
Nir Barkat, Israel's minister for economics, joins us to defend his governments proposed judicial reforms as well as the current relationship between Israel and Palestine.Also on the programme; a former Russian army officer says he's witnessed his fellow soldiers torturing Ukrainian prisoners. And why Amazon's drone deliveries just can't get off the ground.(Picture: People in Tel Aviv protest the proposed judicial reforms in Israel. Credit: Reuters / Kern)
US troops will be given access to four new bases not far from Taiwan, where there are growing fears of a Chinese invasion; also, a former Russian officer has told the BBC he witnessed fellow soldiers committing abuses in Ukraine including torture and looting; and did the Vikings come to Britain with their pets?(Photo: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin walks past military guards during arrival honours at the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo military camp in Quezon City, Philippines Credit: Rolex dela Pena/Pool via REUTERS)
The military authorities in Myanmar have extended the state of emergency by six months, on the second anniversary of the coup that deposed the democratically elected government. Many shops are closed and streets emptied to mark the event.Also in the programme: It's been dubbed 'Walkout Wednesday' in Britain as half a million public sector workers take industrial action in the biggest strike for a decade; and do Monet and Turner's paintings reflect air pollution?(Photo: A trishaw rides on an empty road in downtown Yangon, Myanmar on 1 February 2023. Anti-coup groups called for the public to participate in the Silent Strike to protest against the military coup, by staying at home from 10 am to 3 pm on 1 February 2023. Credit: EPA/Stringer)
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has underlined Washington's support for a two-state solution in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians on a visit to the region today.But first, there's the matter of calming the current surge in violence. We'll get a Palestinian view on what needs to happen.Also in the programme: Pope Francis is in the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to Africa's largest Roman Catholic community: and how an unexpected best actress nomination has reignited the row about racism and the Oscars.(Photo shows Antony Blinken speaking during a press conference in Jerusalem on January 2023. Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/Reuters.)
More than 100 people are now known to have been killed in Monday's suicide bomb attack at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. The mosque was in a police compound, one of the best guarded parts of the city. So why the security breach? Also in the programme: The leader of the Palestinian Authority has met the US Secretary of State - but how much power does he actually have in the West Bank? And - why some North Korean students are trying to get out of trips to a sacred mountain. (Photo: The funeral of a police officer who died in a suicide bomb blast at a Mosque, Peshawar, Pakistan - 31 Jan 2023. Credit: Bilawal Arbab/EPA EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Pakistan's prime minister has travelled to Peshawar where nearly 60 people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque. Officials say the attack was aimed at police officers praying there.The US Secretary of State has warned Israel that its long-term security will be at risk if it abandons efforts to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians.And how the king's bed spent decades in a family home, before its identity was uncovered.(Photo: The mosque is within the tightly-guarded police headquarters area. Credit: Getty Images)
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israel and the Palestinians to take steps to calm tension. He has arrived in Israel for meetings with both sides as violence there continues. In the latest incident a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank. On Thursday, ten Palestinians were killed in Jenin by Israeli forces, while seven Israelis died on Friday when a Palestinian gunman opened fire outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem. Mr Blinken, who is on the second leg of his Middle East visit, will meet Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu later today and the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.Also in the programme: an attack on a mosque in the Pakistani city of Peshawar has killed at least 32 people and injured 150 others; and the music of Motown legend Barrett Strong.(Photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from his plane upon arrival at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, 30 January, 2023. Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/Reuters)
The British prime minister has sacked the chairman of his Conservative Party accusing him of a serious breach of standards regarding his tax affairs. Also on the programme, as the US Secretary of State arrives in Israel tomorrow, feeling among Palestinians and Israelis is hardening; and the people of the tiny principality of Liechtenstein have rejected a proposed ban on casinos, thirteen years after gambling was legalised.(Photo: Nadhim Zahawi tax settlement 25/01/2023 Press Association)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in the Middle East for a three-day visit, as tensions flare between Israelis and Palestinians. After a stop in Egypt, Blinken will head to Jerusalem and Ramallah where he will hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. We speak to a former US ambassador to Israel. Also on the programme: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sacks the Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi following weeks of revelations about his tax affairs; and Novak Djokovic wins a record-extending 10th Australian Open. (Image: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the American University in Cairo, Egypt, January 29, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Pool)
Five Memphis police officers fired and charged with second degree murder after bodycam video released in the death of Tyre Nichols. Also on the programme, Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israel's security cabinet that the response to last night's deadly attack on an east Jerusalem synagogue will be strong, swift and precise. And, the former NATO general, Petr Pavel, has been elected president in the Czech Republic. (Photo: Reaction to Video Footage of Tyre Nichols in Memphis 28/01/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
Police in Israel say that a thirteen-year-old Palestinian has carried out a shooting attack outside the Old City in Jerusalem in which two people - a father and son - were seriously wounded. The attack comes a day after a Palestinian gunman killed seven people at a synagogue.Also in the programme: investigation continues into Memphis police killing; and the hidden memories of China's Cultural revolution.(Picture: A man stands next to a cloth stained with blood at a scene where a suspected incident of shooting attack took place, police spokesman said, just outside Jerusalem's Old City January 28, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
Israeli police say seven people have been killed in a shooting at a synagogue in east Jerusalem. Israeli police have called it a terror attack. It comes amid an escalation in tensions after nine Palestinians - both militants and civilians - were killed during an Israeli military raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. It was followed by rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, to which Israel responded with airstrikes.Also in the programme: Authorities in Memphis, USA, are preparing to release footage of an unarmed man beaten to death by five police officers earlier this week. And as protests continue in Peru, we'll be speaking to a former president. Why is there such political chaos in the country?(Photo: Israeli emergency service personnel and security forces attended the scene. Credit: Getty Images)
Israeli warplanes have carried out attacks targeting Palestinian militants in Gaza after rockets were fired towards southern Israel. It follows the deadliest Israeli incursion in the occupied West Bank in years.On Holocaust Memorial Day- is ignorance about Nazi war crimes on the rise? Also, South Korea's disability rights activists take to the subway.CREDIT: Getty Images. People, holding banners, gather to protest after performing Friday prayer in Gaza City, Gaza after Israeli Forces killed 9 Palestinians in the raid on Jenin Refugee Camp
The Palestinian Authority says it's ending security cooperation with Israel following one of the worst days of violence in the West Bank for years. All this comes just a few days before the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in the region for talks.Also, Russia launches a barrage of missiles against Ukraine, a day after NATO countries agreed to send tanks; and on the eve of the Czech presidential election, how one of the candidates was forced to deny rumours that he'd died.(Photo: Palestinians throw stones amid clashes with Israeli troops during a raid in Jenin, West Bank, 26 January 2023. Credit: Alaa Badarneh/ EPA)
Russia has launched a wave of missiles at Ukraine, a day after Germany and the US pledged tanks to aid Kyiv's fight against the invasion. The barrage came as Russia said it perceived the tank offer as "direct" Western involvement in the conflict. Also on the programme: we hear from Jenin in the West Bank where several people have been killed by an Israeli military raid; and are Australians falling out of love with their national day?(Image: US M1A2 'Abrams' tank moves to firing positions during U.S. led joint military exercise near Vaziani, Georgia, in May 18, 2016. Credit: Reuters/ Mdzinarishvili)
The United States has joined Germany in announcing it will send tanks to Ukraine. President Biden said 31 M1 Abrams tanks would be delivered, in a significant policy reversal. Also in the programme: battling Covid in rural China; and the film documenting the campaign against America's opioid epidemic(Picture: The US army unveils its new Abrams M1A2 Systems Enhanced Package version three tank in Fort Stewart, Georgia, USA. Mandatory Credit: Photo by STEPHEN B MORTON/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has confirmed that his government will provide Ukraine with some of its Leopard- Two battle tanks, and allow other countries to do likewise. Also on the programme, the Indian government attempts to crackdown on screenings of a documentary which examines Prime Minister Modi's time as Chief Minister of Gujarat. And, five months after North Korea declared "victory" over covid, there are reports that a five-day lockdown has been ordered in Pyongyang because of an unnamed "respiratory illness".(Photo: Session of questions addressed to the Federal Government at the German parliament 25/01/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, and allow other countries to do the same, reports in Germany say. We look at what impact this could have on the war in Ukraine. Also on the programme: at least 124 have people died in freezing temperatures in Afghanistan in the past fortnight, according to Taliban officials; and seismologists in China say that the spinning core at the centre of the Earth may have started to rotate in the opposite direction. (Image: Ukrainians hold placards and wave Ukrainian flags during a rally supporting the deployment of Leopard tanks and other military equipment to Ukraine, outside the European Council building during a EU Foreign Ministers Council in Brussels, Belgium, 23 January 2023. OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Afghan authorities say more than a-hundred-and-twenty people have died because of freezing temperatures during the coldest winter in a decade. Also on the programme, several Ukrainian officials have been removed as President Zelensky carries out a government reshuffle linked to an anti- corruption campaign. And, the nominations for the Academy Awards or Oscars have been announced in Hollywood. (Photo: 23/01/2023 European Pressphoto Agency.)
A former minister in Mexico's government has gone on trial in the United States. Genaro Garcia Luna is accused of accepting huge bribes from a drug cartel. He has pleaded not guilty. We hear from the former head of Mexico's intelligence servces Gustavo Mohar.Also in the programme: opposition South African MP on the Ukraine war; and cleaning up 'mermaid's tears'.(Picture: Mexico's former Public Security Minister Genaro Garcia Luna listens during opening arguments in his trial on charges that he accepted millions of dollars to protect the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. Credit: REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
Russia’s Lavrov in South Africa for talks with his counterpart. Also in the programme, a tale of two chairmen in trouble in the UK, and a woman surfer on competing in the Eddie, the prestigious Hawaiian big wave surfing contest.(Photo: Russian and South African foreign ministers held bi-lateral talks in Pretoria today. Credit; Reuters)
Police in the United States say a gunman is on the run after a mass shooting near Los Angeles. At least ten people were killed at a dance club in Monterey Park. Ten others were wounded - some critically.Also in the programme: Chinese officials say there were another 13,000 Covid- related hospital deaths last week; and a study suggests that milk drinking caused a European growth spurt thousands of years ago.(Photo: 10 killed in shooting near LA after Lunar New Year event. Picture: Getty)
Thousands of Israeli protesters have rallied against plans by the new right-wing coalition government to overhaul the judiciary.The reforms would make it easier for parliament to overturn Supreme Court rulings, among other things, but protesters described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed changes as an attack on democratic rule.Also in the programme: Brazil's president sacks the army chief just weeks after a violent uprising by rioters calling for a coup; and we look at Niger's success in halving the number of women who die from bleeding at childbirth.(Photo shows an aerial view of protesters rallying against plans by the new right-wing coalition government to overhaul the judiciary. Credit: Corinna Kern/Reuters)
Ukraine's defence minister has had a "frank discussion" with his German counterpart about German Leopard 2 tanks, which Kyiv is urgently requesting to confront the Russian military. Germany has not yet decided whether to send the tanks to Ukraine, or allow other countries to donate theirs, despite pressure on Berlin to act. Also on the programme: on the 50th anniversary of the Roe v Wade US Supreme court ruling, overturned 7 months ago, we hear from both sides of the bitter divide; and we go to New Zealand where Chris Hipkins is set to become the country's next prime minister.(Photo: A Leopard 2 tank fires during army training at a military base of the German army Bundeswehr in Bergen, Germany, October 17, 2022. Credit: Reuters/Fabian Bimmer)
Allies of Ukraine fail to agree on the deployment of new battle tanks in it war against Russia. Also in the programme a senior UN official believes the Afghan Taleban could ease their restrictions on women; and a resident of Axum in Tigray gives us an eyewitness account of the Eritrean troops pulling out from the city.(Photo: US, German and Ukrainian defence ministers attending the Ramstein meeting. Credit: EPA)
President Zelensky has called on countries to provide Ukraine with tanks as a matter of urgency, at a meeting of more than fifty allies at a US airbase in Germany. We'll hear from a senior advisor to the Polish president about sending German-made Leopard tanks to Kyiv. Also on the programme, we hear from the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, about women's rights in Afghanistan; and how a rare new colony of emperor penguins has been spotted in Antarctica.(Photo: Leopard tanks manufactured by Germany; Credit: REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa/File Photo)
Ukraine’s Western allies are divided ahead of talks on Friday over tank supplies to Kyiv; also in the programme Public Enemy’s frontman, the rapper Chuck D on Hip-Hop’s roots and a young Haitian man on the challenges of living Port au Prince. (Photo: Western defence ministers attend a press conference after the Ukraine military aid meeting in Tapa military camp, Estonia. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
France is experiencing large-scale disruption, as unions mount a day of strikes and protest marches across the country against President Macron's plans to overhaul the pension system. We hear the arguments for and against the plans.Also on the programme, New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announces her resignation, saying she has run out of gas; and piecing together a complex 3D puzzle, we hear about the rebuilding of a six hundred year-old ship. (Photo: French union leaders at a demonstration against French government's pension reform plan in Paris; Credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
Haiti: a first-hand account of a young man killed in his prime by gang violence told by Dave Fils-Aimé, who left Haiti for the US when he was young but returned.Also in the programme: Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that a key coalition partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot serve as a minister because of a recent criminal conviction; and why sauna diplomacy allows the Finns to punch above their weight.(Photo: Political activist James Legrand addresses the crowd during a protest against the high cost of living and for an end to gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti 18 November 2022. Credit: Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol)
The three main figures in Ukraine's interior ministry have been killed when their helicopter crashed into a nursery in an eastern suburb of the capital Kyiv.Ukraine's interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, died in the incident, along with his first deputy minister and state secretary. We'll speak to a member of Ukraine's parliament who knew and worked with the minister.Also in the programme: How the senior UN delegation in Afghanistan is trying to get the Taliban to reverse its ban on women working for humanitarian organisations; why Pacific Islanders are worried about Japan's plan to dump wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the ocean; and the unique way that Finland punches above it's weight on the world stage.(Photo shows Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky during an interview in Kyiv in June 2022. Credit: Sergei Supinsky/AFP)
A former commander in the Russian paramilitary group, Wagner, has claimed asylum in Norway. Andrey Medvedev was detained for illegally entering the country on Friday. A lawyer said Mr Medvedev fled after witnessing war crimes in Ukraine. His escape is believed to be the first known instance of one of the group's soldiers defecting to the West. Thousands of the organisations troops are being used in Ukraine; many have been recruited from Russian prisons. Also on the programme: how police arrested a mafia boss; and how laser beams can deflect lightning.(Photo: Andrei Medvedev, a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, is seen in Oslo, Norway, in an image taken from video released January 15, 2023. CREDIT: Gulagu.Net/Handout via REUTERS)
One of Belarus's main opposition leaders, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, has denounced as a "farce" a trial against her and four other exiled allies that's taking place in her homeland.The five are being tried in absentia, accused of conspiracy to seize power and forming an extremist organisation.We have an interview with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Also in the programme: Two decades from one of India's worst incidents of communal violence; we hear how one family still don't have justice; and China's population has fallen for the first time since 1961.(Photo shows Sventlana Tikhanovskaya speaking at the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, 17 January 2023. Credit: Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA)
Italy's most wanted Mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro, has been arrested in Sicily after thirty years on the run. Over a hundred members of the security forces took part in his arrest at a private clinic in the city of Palermo. Messina Denaro has been sentenced in absentia to life in prison for his role in the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992. Also in the programme: German Defence Minister resigns; and Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida passes away. (Photo: A screengrab taken from a video shows Matteo Messina Denaro the country's most wanted mafia boss being escorted out of a Carabinieri police station after he was arrested in Palermo, Italy. CREDIT: Carabinieri/Handout via REUTERS.)
In the Ukrainian city of Dnipro hopes are dwindling of finding survivors following a Russian missile strike on a block of flats. Thirty people have been killed, and another thirty are still unaccounted for. We speak to a nearby resident about the events.Also on the programme: Israel's President says the country is hurtling towards a constitutional crisis; and why are atmospheric rivers dumping rain on California? (Photo: Emergency personnel work at the site where an apartment block was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
Dozens of people have been killed after a plane with 72 passengers crashed near an airport in the Nepali tourist town of Pokhara. At least 68 people are confirmed to have died, officials said.Also in the programme: The number of civilians killed in Saturday's Russian air strike on an apartment block in the central Ukrainiain city of Dnipro continues to rise; and Shakira has released a new break-up song 'Out of Your League' targeting the singer's ex, the Spanish footballer Gerard Pique and his relationship with a much younger woman.(Photo: The wreckage at the crash site of a Yeti Airlines ATR72 aircraft in Pokhara, central Nepal, 15 January 2023. Credit: BIJAYA NEUPANE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The UK is offering what is thought to be about a dozen Challenger Two tanks to Ukraine. This will be the first time western tanks have been sent, potentially paving the way for other countries to follow suit. Also on the programme: the former head of security in Brasilia, Anderson Torres, has been arrested on his return from the United States and charged with collusion in the storming of Congress; and we look at the results of the first round of the Czech elections.(Photo: A Challenger 2 tank being used during a military parade in the UK Credit: Getty images)
A British Iranian national, Alireza Akbari, who once served as deputy defence minister has been executed in Iran on charges of spying for Britain. Britain's prime minister Rishi Sunak has described his execution as a callous and cowardly act by a barbaric regime.Also in the programme: The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, says she has no intention of resigning despite weeks of anti-government protests which have brought large parts of the country to a standstill; and the man acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the world's most durable DJ", ‘Uncle Ray’ Cordeiro has died aged ninety eight.Photo: Alireza Akbari, Iran's former deputy defence minister, speaks during an interview with Khabaronline in Tehran, Iran, in this undated picture obtained on January 12, 2023. Khabaronline/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
For the first time, the Russian military admits to the Wagner Group's contribution to operations in Ukraine.Also in the programme: The United States and Japan celebrate a strengthening of their alliance; and Kurdish protestors in Stockholm threaten to derail relations between Sweden and Turkey.(Photo: Smoke rises from strikes on the frontline city of Soledar, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, as seen from Bakhmut, Ukraine, January 5, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
Ukrainian officials accused Russia of "information noise" in the fight for the salt mine town of Soledar. The defence minister, Oleksii Resnikov, said the country was now a de facto member of Nato and dismissed the idea that Ukrainians should fear Russian escalation.Also on the programme: covid spreads across China; and a special report on the people leading the biggest anti-mafia trial in Italy for decades. (Image: A satellite view shows a destroyed school and buildings in south Soledar, Ukraine, in January 2023. Credit: Maxar Technologies/Reuters)
The head of one of the world's biggest oil companies has been named to lead the COP28 global climate talks in Dubai, later this year.Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is currently the chief executive officer of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and he is also the minister for industry and advanced technology for the COP28 hosts, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).We'll talk to those who support the UAE's decision, as well as climate change activists who are angered by it.Also in the programme: We'll hear about the harassment by the Iranian state faced by BBC Persian journalists; and how one Italian judge has saved dozens of children from being raised for a life in organized crime.(Photo shows United Arab Emirates' Industry Minister Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaking at a conference. Credit: Amr Alfiky/Reuters)
Environmental campaigners have criticised the UAE's decision to appoint the CEO of one of the world's biggest oil companies as president of this year's UN climate summit in Dubai. They say that Sultan Al Jaber must resign from the firm to avoid a conflict of interest. Also in the programme: The IMF is warning of a looming debt crisis that could see many low-income countries at risk of default, and tens of millions facing extreme hunger; and the Italian judge helping children escape organised crime families.(Photo: Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Credit: Getty Images)
Russian forces close in on Soledar, an American volunteer shares his story; Also in the programme we hear from the son of the imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai; and we speak to the Republican congressman, Bob Good, who refused to endorse Kevin McCarthy as the speaker for the House of Representative.(Photo: Family carries belongings from house destroyed by shelling in eastern Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
As fighting rages in the Ukrainian mining town of Soledar, we hear an incredible tale of survival under bombardment in Kyiv.Also in the programme: the role of Brazil's military; and Iran jails daughter of former president.(Picture:Olha, 60, resident of Soledar waits in a temporary sleeping accommodation before being transported to an evacuation train where she will get out in Dnipro, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kramatorsk. Credit: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
Officials say at least fifteen hundred Bolsonaro supporters have been arrested. We hear about the role of social media in the attack. Also on the programme, Pakistan says it's received pledges of more than nine billion dollars at an international conference seeking support for its recovery from last year's devastating floods. And the story of how American hip hop artist, Meek Mill, caused controversy in Ghana.(Picture: Brazil's Congress building in the aftermath of Sunday's attack. Credit: BBC)
In Brazil, President Lula pledges to take action against supporters of the previous President, Jair Bolsanaro, who smashed their way into the Senate chamber, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court. Also in the programme: Pakistan asks the UN for more than $16bn to help rebuild the country after devastating floods last year and Nick Marsh reports from South Korea where stringent Covid restrictions are being placed on travellers from China. (Picture Credit: EPA Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brasilia, Brazil)
Thousands of supporters of Brazil's recently defeated president, Jair Bolsonaro, have invaded the National Congress, Supreme Court and Presidential palace. Also in the programme: Rev Frank Chikane remembers the former South African apartheid minister, Adriaan Vlok, who tried to kill him but later repented; and tens of thousands of Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia celebrate Christmas in the historic town of Lalibela, the first time they've been able to do so in three years, because of the country's civil war.(Photo: A man waves Brazil's flag as supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, outside Brazil's National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, 8 January 2023. Credit: Reuters/Adriano Machado)
International travellers have been arriving in China by land and by air after the country lifted its self-imposed isolation after more than 1000 days, when the Covid-19 pandemic was first detected. We ask are the restrictions being lifted too quickly?Also in the programme: Russia's self-declared ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Orthodox Christmas comes to end but we'll hear from a place where the attacks never stopped; and life as a drag queen in conservative South KoreaPhoto: A man greets a woman who landed with international flight on the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China Credit: Alex Plavevski/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
We report from the frontline city of Bakhrut; and a glimpse of Christmas for Ukrainian refugees in the UK. Also in the programme: the shooting of a primary school teacher by a six-year-old boy who took a loaded handgun to school; and the spy known as the 'Queen of Cuba' is released from prison in the US. (Photo: Believers attend an Orthodox Christmas service at the compound of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery in Ukraine. Credit: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
A unilateral ceasefire called by Russia has broken down within hours of coming into effect. Both the Ukrainian Defence Ministry and separatist forces say there's been shelling close to the frontline Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. President Putin ordered the thirty-six hour pause in fighting, to coincide with the Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated in both countries. Ukraine had already rejected the truce - arguing that it could be used by Russia to reinforce its troops. NewsHour speaks to a Russian officer that defected from the army. Also in the programme: Mexico arrests drug kingpin’s son; and Kevin McCarthy gains ground as US House Speaker stalemate continues. (Photo: Vlad from the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade drives an APC on the front line at Orthodox Christmas, during a ceasefire announced by Russia over the Orthodox Christmas period. CREDIT: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Prince Harry killed 25 Taliban fighters according to his memoir. Also in the programme Ukraine accuses Russia of breaking its own truce. Spain is introducing laws to force tobacco companies to clean up cigarette filters and we hear how rainforest in the Philippines has been destroyed.(Photo: Prince Harry walking in a mine field in Angola in 2019. Credit: PA)
Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Orthodox Christmas, a move rejected by Kyiv which said there could be no truce until Russia withdraws its troops from occupied land. Newshour gets reaction from Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko.Also in the programme: China's suspect Covid data; and Prince Harry's book.(Picture: Situation on a front line near Bakhmut in Donetsk area, Ukraine - 04 Jan 2023. Credit: GEORGE IVANCHENKO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Pope Francis has led the funeral service for his predecessor, the former Pope Benedict, in front of thousands of mourners in The Vatican. Also on the programme, after six failed attempts to elect a speaker the paralysis in the new US House of Representatives enters its third day. And, how scientists have deciphered the meaning behind Stone Age cave paintings. (Photo: Funeral of former Pope Benedict at the Vatican. Credit: Reuters)
The United Nations secretary general has expressed concern over the controversial visit by Israel's far-right security minister to a holy site for both Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem. We hear from the minister's spokesman and reaction from a Palestinian lawyer. Also on the programme: at least eight European countries have registered record high temperatures for January in the first few days of the year; and in Cuba, the government has given the green light to competitive boxing for women. (Photo: Security and visitors at the Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount; Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
Palestinians and several Muslim countries have condemned the visit by Israel's new far-right security minister to the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem. A Palestinian official said they'd hold the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for the early morning visit by Itamar Ben-Gvir to a site sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Also in the programme: the struggle to elect a new Speaker for the US House of Representatives; and Cristiano Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabian team. (Photo: A visitor looks up at the Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. CREDIT: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
There's been condemnation of a visit to a compound in Jerusalem, by a far-right Israeli government minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir; the site is holy to both Jews and Muslims. We look into the historical roots of the current tensions.Also on the programme, as China condemns the imposition of travel restrictions on its nationals, because of the rapid spread of covid, we speak to a senior official at the WHO; and the future of elephant tourism in Thailand - can it be made more ethical?(Photo: Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City ; Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
In a rare declaration of battlefield casualties, Russia's ministry of defence has said sixty- three of its soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian attack using Himars rockets. It's the biggest death toll acknowledged by Moscow for a single incident in Ukraine.Also in the programme: Brazil prepares to say goodbye to Pele; and elections, recessions, conflicts and trends - what's coming up in 2023?(Photo: Footage, apparently from the scene of the attack, was posted by the Ukrainian military. Source: RELEGRAM: HOREVICA / ZSU STRATCOM)
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has warned that 2023 will be a tough year for much of the global economy, with a third of countries going into recession. Also in the programme: Russia says 63 of its soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on a temporary barracks in Donbas; and a British epidemiologist on why we should try to eat 30 different plants each week.(Photo: International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva attends a news conference in Berlin, Germany on 29 November 2022. Credit: Reuters/Michele Tantussi/File Photo)
The Socialist leader promises to transform Brazil, rebuild democracy, and he made an impassioned attack on his right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, saying he had left Brazil in ruins.Also on the programme we hear from the Ethiopian journalist forced out of the country because of her reporting of the war in Tigray. And we take a look at the origins of one of the world's most famous hymns, Amazing Grace.(Image: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with his wife Rosangela "Janja" da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and his wife Maria Lucia Ribeiro Alckmin, after his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil. Credit: Reuters / Moraes)
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be sworn in again as Brazil's President after a gap of more than ten years. We speak to his former foreign minister.Also on the programme, we hear about the Ukrainian dancers who are using a classic ballet to comment on the war with Russia; and and it's 250 years since the first performance of Amazing Grace - written by a former slave trader.(Photo: Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; Credit: REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo)
Francis said Benedict was a kind and noble man who was a gift to the Church and the world. The faithful have been visiting St Peter's Square in Vatican City to pay their respects. The former pope led the Roman Catholic Church for nearly eight years until 2013 when he stood down due to ill health, the first pope to do so for 600 years.Also on the programme, Christiane Amanpour of CNN pays tribute to Barbara Walters, the trailblazing US news anchor who paved the way for generations of women journalists, who has died at the age of 93. And another chance to hear some of Newshour's best interviews of the past year. (Image: A picture of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at Saint Peter's Square, Rome. Credit: EPA)
A US Congressional committee has released six years of tax returns belonging to Donald Trump. The former president battled for years to keep the documents secret. They show that in one year, Mr Trump paid just 750 dollars in federal income taxes, in another he paid nothing. The documents also contradict his claim that he was prohibited from releasing the returns because he was under audit by the government revenue service. Also in the programme: As Covid surges in China, how protected are other countries? And how royalties from Abba are helping the Chiquititas of Guatemala.(Photo: Fox News reports on former President Trump's tax returns being made public as seen on screen of the News Corp building in New York, 30 December 2022. Credit: Sarah Yenesel/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Spain and Israel have become the latest countries to announce mandatory covid testing for travellers from China, as fears in China grow that the rapid rise in cases may overwhelm healthcare facilities.Yet Chinese government figures on Friday recorded only five thousand new infections across the whole of the country.Also in the programme: A new verdict in Myanmar means that the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is likely to spend the rest of her life in jail; and we hear abiut the story behind ABBA's hit song "Chiquitita" and how it's helped children for more than 40 years.(Photo shows people walking with their luggage at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport amid a wave of the COVID-19 infections. Credit: Tingshu Wang/Reuters)
Pelé, one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died in Brazil at the age of 82, prompting tributes from around the world.Also in the programme: the most hardline government in Israel's history has been sworn in. The coalition, led by Benjamin Netanyahu for a record sixth time as prime minister, includes ultra Orthodox Jewish and nationalist parties; and the British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood - a key figure in the rebellious punk movement of the 1970s - has died in London.(Photo: Pelé, the Brazilian football legend, seen here during a visit to London in his new job as the Brazil Minister for Sport in 1995. Credit: BBC)
Cities across Ukraine have been targeted by a wave of Russian missile strikes, in one of the largest bombardments since the war began.At least three people - including a 14-year-old girl - were taken to hospital after explosions hit the capital Kyiv and blasts were also heard in the cities of Kharkiv, Odesa, and Lviv.We hear from the head of Ukrainian military intelligence about.his thoughts on the current situation.Also in the programme: As Israel's most right-wing government is sworn in - we discuss what impact it will have at home and abroad; and with American states tightening their abortion rules - we hear from a school in Texas for teenage mothers.(Photo shows a house destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine on 29 December 2022. Credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Reuters)
A special report from Kherson in Southern Ukraine as Russian forces step up mortar and artillery attacks on the recently liberated city. Newshour speaks to a Ukrainian government advisor.Also in the programme: Italy imposes restrictions on Chinese travellers; and unrest in Kosovo.(Picture: A Ukrainian service member attends a military exercise session near the border with Belarus, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zhytomyr region, Ukraine December 27, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
Recently-liberated Kherson shelled by Russian forces; also in the programme the Iranian families seeking justice for jailed protesters; we ask is the Philippines heading towards a food crisis? A new blood test could detect Alzheimer’s early; and the final chapter of a London bookshop.(Cars burn on a street in Kherson after a Russian military strike, December 24, 2022. Credit: Reuters)
People in China are rushing to book overseas travel after Beijing said it would reopen its borders next month. It follows an announcement on Monday that ended almost three years of strict quarantine rules for arrivals. The easing of travel rules in China comes as the country battles a new wave of infections, with reports of hospitals being overwhelmed. Also on the programme: over 60 people are now known to have died in the United States after a monster winter storm battered North America. And we look at the rise in popularity of non-alcoholic drinks in the United Kingdom. (Image: taken in Shanghai, 27 Dec 2022. ALEX PLAVEVSKI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock )
China distributes Pfizer medicine as it tackles rising COVID-19 cases; also in the programme Taiwan extends military service for men, and removing anti-personnel mines from the Lebanese-Israeli borders. (Photo: A medic gives an elderly patient an IV drip in a Beijing hospital. Credit: Reuters)
A hundred days after they began, the longest running anti-government protests in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution have shaken the regime, but at a heavy cost to the people. More than 500 protesters, including 69 children, have been killed, according to the Human Rights Activists' News Agency (HRANA). We have a report from BBC Persian’s Parham Ghobadi. Also on the programme: China announces it is dropping its requirement for travellers arriving in the country to go into quarantine. And we get the latest from Buffalo, the city worst hit by the winter storm that swept across the northeast United States. (Image credit: Getty)
Dozens killed by the Arctic freeze in the North America; also in the programme the International Rescue Committee suspends its Afghan operations because of the Taleban ban on women working for NGOs; and Israeli philosopher Omri Boehm on the one state solution.(Photo: Vehicles left stranded by storm in Buffalo, New York State. Credit: Reuters)
Humanitarian agencies have been holding crisis talks on the Taliban rule that NGOs in Afghanistan can no longer employ female staff. Also in the programme, China announces they'll no longer publish daily case numbers; and the Newshour Christmas Quiz: Tim Franks along with several razor-minded, quick-tongued colleagues will be submitting themselves to the annual brain exercise. (Photo: Afghan women chant slogans in protest against the closure of universities to women by the Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan. CREDIT: REUTERS/Stringer)
UN agencies and other non-governmental organisations have been told they can no longer employ female staff. Already, some NGOs like the Norwegian Council Refugee have decided to shut down all their operations. Its secretary-general, Jan Egeland, tells us why. Also in the programme, China announces they'll no longer publish daily case numbers; and the Newshour Christmas Quiz: Tim Franks along with several razor-minded, quick-tongued colleagues will be submitting themselves to the annual brain exercise.(PHOTO: A student stands at her home in Kabul. Credit: Getty)
Tim Franks, Razia Iqbal, James Menendez and Rebecca Kesby join James Coomarasamy for this extended edition of the Newshour end-of-year quiz.
The Taliban's war on women continues as they ban women from working for local and international aid agencies in Afghanistan.The Islamist rulers said female NGO employees had not followed their interpretation of Sharia law by failing to wear the hijab. We'll speak to someone who runs an affected organisation about the impact of the decision.Also in the programme: As the US and Canada remain in the grip of a once-in-a-generation deep freeze, we'll hear about conditions on an Indian reservation in South Dakota; and we'll be going Downtown with Petula Clarke, aged 90 and still on stage.Photo shows Afghan women walking along a road in Ghazni Province. Credit: Wakil Kohsar/AFP)
Five million American homes and businesses are without power. We speak to a meteorologist. Also in the program, in France, there have been angry scenes on the streets of Paris where Kurdish demonstrators haves again been protesting at the lack of security which they say led to the deaths of three of their community on Friday. (Photo: A man carrying a child moves in the blizzard. Credit: Getty)
Three killed in gun attack at Kurdish centre in Paris; also in the programme the arctic cold sweeping North America; and oil giant Shell agrees to pay 15 million dollars in compensation to Nigerian farmers.(Photo: Policeman on motorbike facing Kurdish protesters in Paris. Credit: Shutterstock)
The report by the US Congressional committee investigating the deadly assault on the Capitol last year has been published in full. It accuses the former president, Donald Trump, of a conspiracy to overturn the result of the 2020 elections and recommends barring him from public office.French police have arrested a man in his sixties after a shooting in central Paris left three people dead.And we hear from the frontline in eastern Ukraine from a young soldier. (Photo credit: EPA)
Israel to have its most right-wing government; also in the programme why did the Taleban ban girls from universities; and nepotism in Hollywood.(Photo: Israeli Prime-minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is en route back to Ukraine after visiting the United States for his first overseas trip since his country was invaded by Russia in February. In Washington he held talks with President Joe Biden and told US lawmakers that Ukraine was "alive and kicking" and would never surrender. Biden announced more support for Ukraine, including a Patriot missile defence system. We look at what difference this could make to the war. Also on the programme: a new government seen as the most right-wing in Israel's history has been agreed, sealing Benjamin Netanyahu's return to power. And we look at the uncertain future of flamenco in Spain. (Image: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers an address to a joint meeting of the United States Congress in the House of Representatives chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA, 21 December 2022. Photo by ERIC LEE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting US President Joe Biden at the White House. Mr Zelensky says he's in the US to "thank the American people, the president and the congress for their much-needed support".Also in the programme: Hundreds of young women in Afghanistan have been stopped from entering university campuses, a day after the Taliban suspended higher education for female students. We'll hear from two of them. We also go to northern Sweden where reindeer herders are opposing plans to invest in green technology.(Photo: In their first moments together, Mr Biden tells Mr Zelensky that the United States backs "just peace" for Ukraine, telling the Ukrainian leader that his country continues to "impress the world". Credit: Getty Images)
President Zelensky will meet President Biden in Washington later on his first trip abroad since Russia invaded. The US has confirmed it will supply Ukraine with a Patriot missile system, significantly increasing the country's air defence capability.Hundreds of young women in Afghanistan have been stopped from entering university campuses, a day after the Taliban suspended higher education for female students. We hear from a student and UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. And why the army can't pretend to fill the gaps in Britain's healthcare system caused by striking ambulance workers today.
A 97 year old German woman has been given a two-year suspended sentence for complicity in the murder of more than ten thousand people during the Second World War.Irmgard Furchner, 97, was taken on as a teenaged typist for the commander of a Nazi concentration camp between 1943 and 1945. With the generation who lived through the war increasingly passing on, could this be one of the last trials we see from this period of history?Also in the programme: President Putin says Russia's borders need to be strengthened, as do social controls inside the country; and huge crowds mass in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires, for a victory parade by the country's World Cup winning footballers.(Photo shows Irmgard Furchner, a former secretary for an SS commander of a Stutthof concentration camp, in a courtroom in Itzehoe, northern Germany, on October 19, 2021. Credit: AFP)
A US House of Representatives committee has voted unanimously to recommend that criminal charges should be brought against the former president Donald Trump over the assault on Capitol Hill almost two years ago. The Democratic-led panel wants the Justice Department to prosecute Mr Trump on charges including inciting an insurrection, obstruction of official proceedings, and conspiring to defraud the US government. The recommendation is non-binding and the Justice Department itself will decide whether to pursue any prosecutions.Also in the programme: The Dutch Premier issues a landmark apology for his country's role in slavery; and a new deal to protect the world's ecosystems. How historic is it?(Photo: The US House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Attack on the Capitol announces criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump being sent to the Justice Department. Credit: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
Countries have agreed a landmark deal that aims to protect a third of the planet's lands and seas by 2030. The deal - clinched after marathon talks at a UN biodiversity summit in Canada - comes as ecosystems face increasing pressure from human activity. It aims to try to halt the extinction of species, ensure resources are used sustainably, and better protect indigenous people's rights. Campaign groups have hailed the deal as historic but some African countries objected to the text and how it was adopted.Also in the programme, in the wake of an electrifying football World Cup final, will there be a lasting legacy for Qatar and countries in the region?And we report on the difficulty of putting names to many of the victims of the war in Ukraine.(Photo credit: Getty Images)
Argentina win the football World Cup in Qatar. Also in the programme: delegates at the UN biodiversity conference COP 15 discuss a draft framework agreement; and the German girls’ choir that is changing a thousand-year-old tradition.(Photo: Lionel Messi holding the trophy surrounded by teammates and Argentine football supporters after winning the 2022 World Cup. Credit: Shutterstock)
The defending champions, France, are poised to play against Argentina, with all eyes on their respective star players Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. We'll hear from both countries and ask what to expect. Also in the programme: will an EU agreement on carbon trading help to curb climate change?; and why film-maker Steven Spielberg's memories of one of his works, Jaws, are tinged with regret.(Photo: Argentina fan displays a Lionel Messi shirt inside the stadium in Qatar. Credit: REUTERS/Hannah Mckay)
Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, has ruled out resigning, saying it would solve nothing in the political crisis sparked by the impeachment of her predecessor, Pedro Castillo. She renews her call for Congress to approve early elections, to curb the street protests that have claimed more than twenty lives. We hear the latest. Also in the programme: We go to Tunisia, where people have been voting in parliamentary elections and we hear why voting turnout was low, and an Iranian actress who starred in an Oscar winning movie has become the latest famous person to be arrested as anti-government protests continue.(Photo: Peru's President Dina Boluarte speaks during a ceremony in Lima, Peru, December 9, 2022. Credit: Reuters)
Tunisians are voting in a parliamentary election that has been boycotted by opposition parties. President Kais Saied dissolved the previous parliament last year when he assumed sweeping powers. We speak to the BBC's Bassam Bounenni in Tunis and Dr Lina Khatib of the Chatham House think-tank. Also on the programme: China's biggest city Shanghai orders most schools to hold classes online as Covid cases soar. And we catch the mood in Buenos Aires as Argentina prepares for its World Cup final clash against France on Sunday. (Image: A Tunisian woman prepares to cast her vote during the first round of the Tunisian parliamentary elections, in a polling station in Tunis, Tunisia, 17 December 2022. EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv has been left without power after the latest wave of Russian strikes targeted energy stations across the country. We speak to Anastasia, a resident of Kharkiv who says she heard several explosions as the strikes began on Friday morning. Also in the programme: President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has been heckled as he addressed his own ANC party conference; and we have a sneak preview of a documentary on one of the most powerful politicians in the United States, Nancy Pelosi, made by her own daughter. (Photo: A view of a street where lights have been switched off as blackouts continue in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Credit: SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA).
Russia has launched a new wave of missile strikes against civilian targets across Ukraine. From the city of Kharkiv, a young mother tells Newshour about the "endless torture" of war and about life with no power or water. Also in the programme: As cocaine production grows worldwide, we have a report from Europe's smuggling gateway; and why Elon Musk has banned some US journalists from Twitter. (Photo: People shelter in a subway station during an air raid alert in Kyiv Ukraine, 16 December 2022. A wave of Russian missile attacks on 16 December targeted the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other parts of the country. Russian troops on 24 February entered Ukrainian territory, starting a conflict that has provoked destruction and a humanitarian crisis. Credit: Oleg Petrasyuk /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Nurses in the UK have gone on strike demanding higher pay amid a cost of living crisis. The UK is currently in the midst of a wave of industrial action involving tens of thousands of people from a whole range of sectors.Also in the programme: There's been a steep rise in deforestation in Brazil's tropical savannah region; and find out why South Korea has a poor record on gender equality.(Picture: Nurses on the picket line outside a London hospital. Credit: Lucy North/PA Wire)
On the third month of demonstrations in Iran, 400 people are estimated to have died. Many more have been wounded. Newshour gets through to a doctor from inside Iran who describes the severity of the injuries of his patients. Also in the programme: thousands of people gather in Istanbul protesting at the conviction of one of President Recep Tayipp Erdogan’s most prominent political rival months before the presidential elections, and we explore why South Korea has the worse gender pay gap than any other wealthy nation country. (Photo: A protester with red paint on her face, resembling blood splatters and bloody handprints during a rally in solidarity with Iranian protests, in Berlin, Germany. Credit: CLEMENS BILAN/EPA).
Peru declares a state of emergency to contain demonstrations demanding dissolution of Congress. Also in the programme, the EU corruption scandal: we speak to one of the European parliament’s vice presidents … and we hear about the newly discovered snake clitorises.(Photo: Peruvian police officers walk beside protesters demanding the dissolution of the Congress. Credit: Reuters)
Facebook's algorithm helped fuel the viral spread of hate and violence during Ethiopia's civil war, a legal case alleges. Abrham Meareg, the son of an Ethiopian academic shot dead after being attacked in Facebook posts, is among those bringing the case against Meta. We speak to his lawyer. Also on the programme: more than 120 people have been killed following the worst floods in years in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa. And we look ahead to Morocco's historic World Cup semi-final against France. (File image: a destroyed tank in Kasagita town, Afar region, Ethiopia, February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri)
US-based lab successfully extracts energy from nuclear fusion; also in the programme a French court found eight people guilty of the Nice terror attack of 2016; and we hear from a Ukrainian man who was imprisoned and tortured by Russian forces in Kherson.(Photo: Technicians access the target chamber interior for inspection and maintenance at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in California. Credit: Reuters)
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has charged the founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, with defrauding customers of billions of dollars. This follows the arrest of Sam Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas. Also in the programme: South Africa's Ramaphosa awaits vote on future; gene editing hens.(Picture: FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried poses for a picture, in an unspecified location, in this undated handout picture, obtained by Reuters on July 5, 2022.)
Long: Iran executes second prodemocracy demonstrator as Germany slams the execution; also in the programme top EU officials accused of receiving briberies to push the agendas of a Gulf state; Russians growing disillusion with the Ukraine war and are we close to harnessing the power of stars?(Photo: Executed Iranian protester, Majidreza Rahnavard. Credit: IHRIGHTS)
Family members of Russian soldiers detained for saying they would no longer take part in the invasion of Ukraine have told the BBC of the abuse their loved ones have been subjected to. We speak to an organisation helping deserters escape the Kremlin’s reach. Also in the program: the Iranian regime carries out a second public execution linked to the ongoing anti-government protests; and has a US lab made a key breakthrough in nuclear fusion?(Photo: Mobilised Russian troops have been locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. Credit: The Insider)
The US has confirmed it has taken custody of the Libyan man suspected of making the bomb that destroyed an American plane over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988. It gave no information on how Abu Agila Masud entered US custody. 270 people died when the Pan Am flight from London to New York was blown up. Also in the programme: NASA's uncrewed Orion capsule has successfully splashed down in the Pacific, opening the way for the return of astronauts to the moon; and the British teenager with leukaemia who seems to have been cured, using a revolutionary new type of cell therapy.(Photo: Rescue personnel carry a body away from the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103, in a farmer's field east of Lockerbie, Scotland in this December 1988 file photo. Credit: Reuters/Greg Bos/Files)
Southern Ukraine has been hit by strikes from both sides in the war, with Russia launching drones at targets in Odesa and Kyiv fighting back in Melitopol. Since October, Moscow has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Also in the programme: a revolutionary therapy clears girl's incurable cancer; and South Korean citizens are about to become officially slightly younger, as the country standardises its method of calculating age. (Photo: A vendor waits for customers in a small store, lit with candles during a power outage, after attacks in Odesa).
Morocco have become the first African or Arab nation ever to reach the semi-finals of a football World Cup. In a tournament full of surprises, they've written their own bit of history by beating Portugal one-nil. We go to Casablanca. Also in the programme: as the Nobel peace prizes are awarded in Norway, we hear from a colleague of the Belarusian winner; and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's invisible ink protest. (Photo: Supporters of Morocco celebrate their team winning the World Cup 2022 quarter final match between Morocco and Portugal, in Milan, Italy, 10 December 2022. Credit: Matteo Corner /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters in Bangladesh have gathered in the capital Dhaka for a rally demanding that the government step down. Security in the city had been tight, and many people are staying off the streets, fearing violence.Also in the programme: we hear a vivid description of the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine which many say is reminiscent of battlefields in the First World War; and Morocco could make history by being the first African and Arab team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.(Credit: A supporter of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) holds a national flag as he shouts slogans during a mass rally at the Glopbagh field in Dhaka. Credit: MONIRUL ALAM/EPA-EFE).
The Russian President Vladimir Putin says further prisoner swaps between the United States and Russia are possible. Newshour hears from David Whelan, brother of Paul Whelan who is serving time in a Russian jail for espionage.Also in the programme: Brazil dumped out of the World Cup by Croatia; and the new red list for endangered marine mammals.(Photo: Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan stands inside a defendants' cage during his verdict hearing in Moscow, Russia June 15, 2020. Credit: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)
A leading Russian opposition politician has been convicted by a Moscow court of spreading 'false information' about the Russian army. Ilya Yashin, who had spoken publicly about alleged Russian war crimes in Bucha, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. Also on the programme: concerns rise about whether China's health system will be able to cope with a huge wave of Covid-19 infections, as restrictions are eased. And ahead of France's quarter-final match against England in the football World Cup on Saturday, what made French striker Kylian Mbappé into the sporting superstar he is today? (Image: Ilya Yashin gestures in a defendants' glass cage prior to a verdict hearing at the Meshchansky district court in Moscow, Russia, December 9, 2022. Yuri Kochetkov/Pool via REUTERS)
Russia has freed the American basketball star, Brittney Griner -- in a prisoner swap for a notorious arms dealer nicknamed the Merchant of Death. Newshour heard from Lee Wolosky who used to lead the US National Security Council's unit responsible for tracking down Bout.Also in the programme: Iran executes a protestor; and French football star Kylian Mbappé.(Picture: A composite image shows US basketball player Brittney Griner (L) escorted to a courtroom for a hearing, in Khimki City Court, Russia, 07 July 2022; and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout (R) in handcuffs escorted by Thai special forces to board the airplane for extradition to the USA at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, 16 November 2010. Photo by YURI KOCHETKOV/STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Russia swaps basketball star for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Also in the programme Iranian authorities carry out their first execution of a protester since mass anti-government demonstrations began three months ago; and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - Harry and Meghan - give their account of relations with the Royal Family and the media in a new series starting today.(Photo: Brittney Griner poses for a photograph with her gold medal in Women's Basketball at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Credit: Reuters)
Twenty-five people have been arrested in raids across Germany on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. The plotters include members of the so-called "Reichsburger" movement, which rejects the legitimacy of the modern German state, and conspiracy theorists who subscribe to the QAnon ideology. Also on the programme: Members of Congress in Peru have impeached President Pedro Castillo just hours after he said he was dissolving the legislative body. In a fast-moving fight over who controls the country, Congress ignored an announcement by Mr Castillo, who had said he was replacing Congress with an "exceptional emergency government". (Picture: Police in Berlin secure the area after a raid. Credit: Reuters)
Indonesia’s parliament passes a sweeping overhaul of the criminal code, which includes outlawing sex outside marriage. We speak with a human rights advocate, and also with a spokesperson for the Indonesian government. Also in the programme: News organization Al-Jazeera brings a case at the ICC against the Israeli government over the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh; and we speak with a former United States special envoy to Haiti, where armed gangs now control large parts of the capital.(Photo: Protest in Jakarta over new criminal code. Credit: REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan)
Human rights groups in Haiti have told the BBC that gangs now control more than half the capital, Port au Prince, and nearby areas. The turmoil has worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last year. Newshour has an on-the-ground report.Also on the programme: Belgium's biggest ever trial begins, and what you need to know about Strep A bacterial infections.Photo: A woman carries a baby as people are displaced by gang war violence, Haiti November 19, 2022 Credit: Ralph Tedy Erol/ Reuters
In Haiti’s capital, brutal gangs have taken control of much of the city, our correspondent is there.Also in the programme: Sudan's military and civilian leaders sign a deal aimed at ending a political crisis; and the remains of the last Tasmanian Tiger have been found in a cupboard. (Photo: People displaced by gang violence in Cite Soleil walk on the streets, 19 November, 2022. Credit: Erol/Reuters)
Iran's Attorney General says the religious police tasked with enforcing the Islamic dress code have been disbanded. Mohammad Jafar Montazeri's comments follow months of protests triggered by the death of a young woman in their custody. Newshour gets reaction from women in Iran.Also on the programme: China looks set to ease its zero Covid policy, and the tortoise celebrating its190th birthday.Photo: A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting in a street in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Taherkenareh /EPA
Iran's morality police, which is tasked with enforcing the country's Islamic dress code, is being disbanded, the country's attorney general says. Mohammad Jafar Montazeri's comments, yet to be confirmed by other agencies, were made at an event on Sunday. Iran has seen months of protests over the death of a young woman in custody. Mahsa Amini had been detained by the morality police for allegedly breaking strict rules on head coverings. We hear the latest from BBC Persian's Siavash Ardalan and Dr Sanam Vakil of Chatham House, a foreign-policy think tank. Also on the programme: thousands of troops surround the city of Soyapango in El Salvador as part of a massive crackdown on gangs; and Jonathan the tortoise, the world's oldest recorded land animal, celebrates his 190th birthday. (File image: A portrait of Mahsa Amini stands between Iranian national flags during a 'Solidarity with the civil uprising in Iran' rally at Bebel Platz square in Berlin, Germany, 01 October 2022. CLEMENS BILAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Greek daily newspaper, Ta Nea, says talks have been taking place between the British Museum and the Greek prime minister since November last year.Also on the programme: an alternative to plastic; and the story of how a fossil, which lay unnoticed in a drawer for over half a century, has advanced our understanding of the origins of reptiles. (Picture: One of the Parthenon Statues, also known as the Elgin Marbles. Credit: Reuters)
Delegates from a 160 countries meeting in Uruguay have ended their first round of talks aimed at creating a new UN treaty on plastic pollution. EU members and Switzerland argue efforts to tackle pollution should include mandatory cuts to global plastic production. But the United States and Saudi Arabia, home to the top petrochemical and plastics companies, say the targets should be voluntary and country-led. We will hear from Greenpeace and from one of the recipients of the Earthshot prize who won a million pounds for making a natural bio-degradable plastic made out of seaweed.Also in the programme: There's been a limited easing of Covid restrictions in two of China's biggest cities; and the knockout stages of the World Cup in Qatar begin.(PICTURE: A plastic bottle lies on the sand at Maccarese beach, west of Rome. CREDIT: Reuters/Max Rossi/File Photo)
European Union countries are nearing a deal to cap the price of Russian crude oil at $60 per barrel,But how much will the move, which builds upon a G7 initiative to further weaken the Kremlin's ability to wage war on Ukraine, hurt Moscow?Also in the programme: Two weeks into a Turkish offensive in north-eastern Syria, we hear from a relief worker who's witnessed the damage; South Africa's governing party meets to discuss whether the president should resign; and we consider whether Brazil's football team is uniting or dividing the nation?(Photo shows the Gazpromneft MNPZ Moscow Petroleum Refinery JSC in Moscow, Russia. Credit: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA)
President Biden has said his recent law providing huge investment in American chipmaking and green firms doesn't come at the expense of Europe. Mr Biden was speaking at the White House after meeting his French counterpart, who's voiced concerns about the effect of the subsidies on European jobs and companies. The dispute has threatened to overshadow Emmanuel Macron's state visit.
Also in the programme: history is made at the FIFA men’s World Cup with the first female referee; and letter bomb attacks in Spain with speculation they are linked to the war in Ukraine.
(PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron greets U.S. President Joe Biden. CREDIT: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
China has signalled a shift in its Covid stance as it moves to ease some virus restrictions despite high daily case numbers. It comes as one of China's most senior pandemic officials, vice-premier Sun Chunlan, said the virus' ability to cause disease was weakening. We hear from a reporter in Beijing and speak to a virologist.
Also in the programme: The trial of the Hong Kong tycoon and pro-democracy activist - Jimmy Lai - is postponed; and the Russian reservist who never made it to the battlefield in Ukraine
Photo: People wearing face masks ride an escalator at Raffles city shopping mall in Beijing, as many shopping malls re-open. Credit: WU HAO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
The head of the European Commission has proposed setting up a special tribunal to try crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen said 'Russia must pay for its horrific crimes'.
Also in the programme: US rail strike; and the baguette gets UNESCO heritage status.
(Picture: First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska during the opening of a Russian war crimes exhibition at Portcullis House, London. Picture date: Tuesday November 29, 2022. Credit: James Manning/PA Wire)
A trial of a dementia drug has shown - for the first time - that the progression of early stage Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed down. Also on the programme, women's rights in Afghanistan continue to erode. And, China's former leader Jiang Zemin has died. He was in power during an extraordinary period of growth from the late 1980s.
(Photo: BBC)
A leading opposition figure in Belarus has been taken from prison and placed in intensive care. Maria Kolesnikova's sister tells Newshour she is in a serious but stable condition after having an emergency operation but they've been given no details.
Also in the programme: Estonia's foreign minister on NATO help for Ukraine; and Iran v USA in the World Cup.
Picture: Belarusian opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova makes a heart shape with her hands as she arrives for questioning at the Investigative Committee in Minsk, Belarus August 27, 2020. Credit: REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko)
Nato has promised to give more weapons to Ukraine and help fix energy infrastructure damage.
Also on the programme: China uses surveillance tactics to find protesters; and the United States and Iran are slated to face off in the Qatar World Cup.
(Image: Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend arrivals and doorsteps of the Nato foreign ministers meeting in Bucharest, Romania, 29 November 2022. Credit: Nenov/Reuters)
A heavy police presence in major Chinese cities -- including Beijing and Shanghai -- appears to have stopped new demonstrations against Covid restrictions.
Also in the programme: European 'super cartel' broken up; and water shortages in the Zambezi river.
(Picture: A man is taken away by police after pushing over a protester during a demonstration over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in mainland China, during a commemoration of the victims of a fire in Urumqi, in Hong Kong, China November 28, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)
Long: Rare protests in 10 Chinese cities, dissenters demand an end to zero-Covid policy; Also in the programme a Somali junior minister escapes an al-Shabab attack in Mogadishu; and the brothers behind the Turkish Bayraktar drones.
(Photo: Chinese protesters in Hong Kong holding blank white papers. Credit: Shutterstock)
People have been protesting against strict Covid policies in Beijing and Shanghai. The population has faced nearly three years of mass testing, quarantines and snap lockdowns. We’ll hear from a journalist in Shanghai.
Also on the programme: A state of emergency called in Italy after a deadly landslide; and the British exhibition permanently closed because of its racism, sexism and ableism
Photo: A man shouts during a protest in Beijing, China. Credit: MARK CRISTINO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Protests against China's strict anti-Covid policies have continued for a second day in a number of cities across the country. Demonstrators gathered in Shanghai, Beijing and Wuhan. Many held up blank pieces of paper to express their dissatisfaction and to highlight the censorship they face in China.
We speak live to Ukraine's Prosecutor General about what's been found in the city of Kherson after the Russian retreat.
Plus: is gene-sequencing centuries-old varieties of wheat the key to future-proofing our food supplies?
(Photo: Students take part in a protest against Covid-19 curbs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, seen in this still image taken from a video released November 27, 2022 and obtained by Reuters)
Pakistan’s ousted prime minister, Imran Khan, has addressed a huge rally of his supporters in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi. It was his first public appearance since being shot and injured at a rally three weeks ago. Our correspondent Samira Hussein was there.
Also in the programme: as Ukraine marks 90 years since the great famine, known as the Holodomor, we ask whether it was deliberate policy by the Soviet leadership; and we pay tribute to the singer Irene Cara, most famous for the film, "Fame", who has died at the age of 63.
Photo: Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, waves to his supporters from behind a bullet-proof glass window in his first public appearance since him being wounded in a gun attack earlier this month. Credit: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
There have been angry protests against Covid restrictions in the Chinese city of Urumqi, after a deadly fire in a residential block during lockdown. How long can China keep up its so-called "zero Covid policy"?
Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, is expected to address a rally for the first time since he was shot at a similar event earlier this month.
Also - the Egyptians who've never received credit for rediscovering the tomb of Tutankhamun.
(Photo: Protests against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak measures in Urumqi city, Xinjiang. Credit: Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets soldiers’ mothers and urges them to ignore what they see online; Also in the programme Kurdish militants in northern Syria threaten to release thousands of IS fighters if Turkey continues its attacks; And a rare signed manuscript by Charles Darwin goes up for auction.
(Photo: President Putin with mothers of Russian soldiers. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine's energy infrastructure has come under attack from Russia once again this week, leaving millions without power. As temperatures drop below freezing around the country, there are fears Moscow - struggling to win the war it started - is "weaponising winter". And nowhere is it clearer what that might look like than at the towns along the front line in the east. We have a report from the BBC's Abdujalil Abdurasulov in Avdiivka and speak to Doctors Without Borders about the challenges facing Ukraine's medics this coming winter. Also on the programme: scientists say they have made a breakthrough designing a vaccine against all 20 known types of flu; and the latest from the men's football World Cup in Qatar. (File picture: a police officer distributes water to local residents, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Krasnohorivka, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva)
Myanmar has seen thousands arrested and sent to jail for opposing the military authorities. Last week, the generals announced they were granting pardons to about six thousand prisoners to mark Myanmar's national day. One man released after two years is Australian professor Sean Turnell, a former adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi – who was arrested in mid interview with the BBC . He tells us about his ordeal.
Also in the programme: the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine speaks to us Russian attacks on the country’s infrastructure; and we hear about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
(Photo: Sean Turnell. CREDIT: Sean Turnell)
The BBC finds some desperate Afghans are giving their hungry children medicines to sedate them; others have sold their daughters and organs to survive. In the second winter since the Taliban took over, millions are a step away from famine. We hear a special report from the BBC's Yogita Limaye in Herat, and speak to the World Food Programme about the challenges facing aid organisations in the country.
Also on the programme: China records its highest number of daily Covid cases since the pandemic began, despite stringent measures designed to eliminate the virus. And the story of an ancient gold coin which, according to new research, proves that a third century Roman emperor written out of history as a fictional character really did exist.
(Photo: An area outside of Herat, Afghanistan. Credit: BBC)
A series of strikes has knocked out electricity supplies to large parts of Ukraine, including Lviv, Odessa and Kyiv. Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy network for weeks, damaging almost half of it.
Also on the programme: the Foreign Minister of the neighbouring country of Moldova says large parts of the country have also been left without electricity due to the strikes; and the British man who has been chosen to become the first disabled person to train as an astronaut.
(Image: Rescuers work at the site of a maternity ward of a hospital destroyed by a Russian missile attack in Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine on 23 November 2022. Credit: Reuters)
Almost exactly nine months since Russia invaded Ukraine, a newborn baby has been killed in a strike on a maternity hospital in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and large parts of Ukraine are facing energy shortages as Russian missiles rain down on the country.
As explosions are heard in the capital Kyiv after an air raid alert was issued for the whole country, we hear what the UN is doing about the impact of the conflict and we also speak to Ukraine's deputy health minister.
Also in the programme: There have been two bomb explosions at bus stops in Jerusalem as tensions continue to flare up between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants; and a special report from Somalia where an elite force is trying to take on al-Shabab militants.
(Photo shows rescuers working at the site of a maternity ward of a hospital destroyed by a Russian missile attack in Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
Rescuers in Indonesia are working through a second night to try to find survivors trapped after an earthquake in West Java. Officials put the death toll at 268, many of them children, with 151 still missing and more than 1,000 injured.
Also today: one of the great World Cup shocks- Saudi fans ecstatic as they beat one of the tournament giants, Argentina; and how Albania is trying to curb mass migration from its borders.
(Photo: A damaged house is pictured after an earthquake in Cianjur, West Java province, Indonesia, November 22, 2022. Credit: Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
Many of those killed and injured in a major earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java were children, rescuers say, as the death toll reaches 268.
The 5.6 magnitude quake struck a mountainous region on Monday, causing landslides that buried entire villages near the West Java town of Cianjur. More than 1,000 people were wounded, officials say.
Also in the programme: why six employees of Hong Kong's now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily, have pleaded guilty to colluding with foreign forces; and there's shock in Buenos Aires as former world champions Argentina were beaten by Saudi Arabia at the football World Cup in Qatar.
(Photo shows a man looking on at a collapsed building in Cianjur. Credit: BBC)
The Iranian football team refuses to sing the national anthem at the World Cup in Qatar to show solidarity with protesters back home - but for some fans it's still not enough of a display of defiance.
Meanwhile in the Kurdish region of Iran - we're told Revolutionary Guards are using weapons of war against protesters.
Also today, what - if anything - can be done to regulate crypto currencies and protect mainstream financial systems?
(Photo: Iran's Ali Karimi, Milad Mohammadi and Majid Hosseini line up during the national anthems before the match. Credit: Reuters/Marko Djurica)
Several European teams at the World Cup in Qatar have scrapped plans to wear armbands in support of gay rights, over fears their players will be penalised.
In a striking act of solidarity with protesters in Iran, the men’s national football team decided not to sing the national anthem in its opening World Cup game against England.
Also in the programme: An earthquake has struck the main Indonesian island of Java, leaving at least 56 people dead and hundreds injured, local officials say; and after China announced its first Covid-related death in six months, how will its government respond?
(Photo shows a One Love arm band. Credit: Laurent Gillieron/EPA)
The COP27 climate conference concludes with several world leaders expressing concern that the final deal reached lacks ambition.
Also in the programme: Ecuador victorious in World Cup opening match; and making wine the ancient way in Portugal.
(Picture: UN Executive Secretary of Framework Convention on Climate Change Simon Stiell speaks at the closing plenary at the COP27 climate summit in Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 20, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)
The UN climate summit has ended with a landmark deal for poorer countries, but disappointment over a lack of overall ambition in the final text. Negotiators in Egypt agreed to set up a fund to help the most vulnerable parts of the world deal with disasters caused by climate change.
Also in the programme: World leaders and celebrities have been arriving in Qatar for the football World Cup, which begins later today; and NASA tells us that humans could be living on the moon within a decade.
(Photo: Delegates applaud as COP27 President Sameh Shoukry delivers a statement during the closing plenary at the COP27 climate summit in Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 20, 2022. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine's energy system is crippled after Russian attacks on the infrastructure. People are being urged to leave the country if possible, and if not, to strictly limit their energy consumption. Also on the programme, no deal is better than a bad deal says the EU negotiator at COP who is threatening to walk away from the table. And on the eve of football's World Cup, a rather unusual speech from the head of FIFA. (FILE PHOTO: Lviv city centre without electricity after critical civil infrastructure was hit by Russian missile attacks, Ukraine November 15, 2022. REUTERS/Vladyslav Musiienko/File Photo)
The United States says it's working on proposals at the UN climate summit to help poorer nations meet the cost of global warming, but nothing has been officially signed yet.
Also in the programme: FIFA president's hour-long monologue; and the great toaster inventor hoax.
(Picture: An activist holds a sign at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 19 November 2022. Credit: SEDAT SUNA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A promise from the developed world to foot more of the climate bill has raised fresh hopes of a breakthrough at the UN climate summit, COP27. The question of a fund established by rich nations to help developing countries at severe risk of global disaster has dominated the summit.
Also in the programme: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is to be sentenced after she was found guilty of defrauding investors; and two days before the Qatar World Cup kicks off, FIFA announces a ban on alcohol in the country’s stadiums.
(Credit: Nakeeyat Sam Dramani, a young poet from Ghana, holds a placard after giving a speech about global warming during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). Credit: Reuters).
The UN climate summit in Egypt has been extended by an extra day as talks remain gridlocked over compensation for poorer countries being ravaged by the changing climate. The Egyptian president of the summit Sameh Shoukry said he was concerned at the number of outstanding issues to be resolved.
We will get the latest from Sharm el-Sheikh and speak to the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Also in the programme: Staff at Twitter been locked out of their offices until Monday after the new owner Elon Musk gave them an ultimatum; and we speak to a relative of Alaa Abdel Fattah, the British Egyptian writer and pro-democracy campaigner, who's one of Egypt's highest profile prisoners.
(PICTURE: COP27 President and Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks at the climate talks in Sharm El-Sheikh. CREDIT: SEDAT SUNA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In another mass missile attack on Ukraine, Russia has again targeted civilian energy and water infrastructure.
Experts say the impacts of hitting such critical supplies could get very serious in the cold of winter.
Also in the programme: There's a momentous shift in US politics as Nancy Pelosi, who has led Democrats in the US House of Representatives for almost two decades, has announced she is standing down from the role; and after two boys were shot dead by security forces during anti-government protests in south-western Iran on Wednesday, what does this mean for the protests in Iran?
(Photo shows firefighters working to put out a fire at energy infrastructure facility, damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv region. Credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Reuters)
Russia has launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's gas and electricity networks. We hear from the governing party.
Also today, a Dutch court is delivering its verdict in the murder trial of four men accused of shooting down a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine in 2014.
And how a small piece of space rock that fell onto an English garden is helping scientists unlock some of the secrets of life on earth.
(Photo: Local resident Tatiana walks past an apartment building damaged in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Mariupol, Russian-controlled Ukraine, November 16, 2022. Credit: Reuters /Alexander Ermochenko)
Ukraine allies pledge air defence support as NATO slammed Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities; Also in the programme how Costa Rica reversed its deforestation; and Maria Carey fails to become the “Queen of Christmas”.
(Photo: Aftermath of Russian shelling near Lviv, in western Ukraine. Credit: Shutterstock)
The head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has said preliminary analysis of Tuesday's missile strike in eastern Poland indicates it was probably caused by Ukraine's air defences. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, he said it was not Ukraine's fault, as it was trying to protect itself from Russian bombardment. He added that Moscow bore ultimate responsibility for the strike, due to what he called its illegal war in Ukraine.
Also in the programme: hearing loss in young people; and NASA launches Artemis One.
(Photo: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg leaves after holding a news conference at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels. CREDIT: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
The world today welcomed the eight billionth inhabitant. The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, said this was an occasion to celebrate.
Also in the programme: Plight of workers in Qatar; and Meloni libel trial in Italy.
(Picture: A newborn named Elias is held after his birth by caesarean to parents Alia and Karim at Charite hospital. credit: Reuters/Lisi Niesner)
Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden meet for the first time since Mr Biden became president. Has it thawed previously frosty relations? Also in the programme Ukrainian President Zelensky gets a hero's welcome in Kherson, we have a report from the recently reclaimed city and Amazon's Jeff Bezos - promises to give away his billions - but - what took him so long?
(Photo: Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping shake hands as they held talks ahead of the G20 meeting in Bali. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine is 'moving forward' and ready for peace, Zelensky has told his soldiers. Kherson was originally captured in March, weeks after the invasion began. The region was then one of four to be illegally annexed after self-styled referendums in September. We have a special report from the city.
Also on the programme: the upsum of the Xi Jinping and Joe Biden face-to-face talks; and how a war-time broadcast shaped the history of BBC news.
(Image: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Kherson, Ukraine on 14 November 2022. Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters)
At least six people have been killed and 81 wounded in an explosion in a busy area of central Istanbul, Turkish authorities have said.
Vice-President Fuat Oktay said the blast was thought to be a terrorist attack carried out by a woman, while Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the perpetrators would be punished. We'll hear from the aftermath in Istanbul.
Also in the programme: Celebrations for Russia's retreat in Kherson have been continuing today but the withdrawal of Russian troops has exposed some of the horrors of occupation; and Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to return as Israel's premier as the veteran politician has been given the task of forming the next Israeli government.
(Photos shows ambulances at the scene in central Istanbul. Credit: Reuters)
The Democrats have retained control of the US Senate in the mid-term elections, sparking recriminations in the Republican party. The Republican senator, Josh Hawley, said it was time to bury the old party and build something new. The former president, Donald Trump, has continued to complain of election irregularities without providing evidence. The Democrats' victory was sealed when their candidate narrowly won the Senate race in Nevada.
Also in the programme: Officials in the Ukrainian city of Kherson, which has been abandoned by Russian forces, say supplies of bread and medicine have run out -- our reporter is there; and we hear from the director of the award winning film, Triangle of Sadness, which takes a critical look at life amongst the super rich clientele of a superyacht.
(Photo: Catherine Cortez Masto received a congratulatory call from President Biden after the result. Credit: Getty Images)
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that all of Kherson's critical infrastructure has been destroyed. Other footage online shows people flying the national flag or hugging journalists as they arrived to cover the story. We speak to someone living in the newly liberated city.
Also in the programme: the US climate envoy John Kerry has confirmed a small number of countries have proposed dropping the limit to rising global temperatures to 1.5 degrees; and as the first troops from Kenya have arrived in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, we discuss the main rebel group known as M23.
(PICTURE: A local resident hugs Ukrainian serviceman as people celebrate after Russia's retreat from Kherson CREDIT: Reuters/Lesko Kromplitz)
Ukrainians in the recaptured key city of Kherson have continued their celebrations after some 30,000 Russian troops retreated from the region. The city had been under Russian occupation since March 2022. We hear from a woman from the city and a government adviser on what the city needs now.
Also in the programme: millions of cases of bird flu have been detected across Europe, pushing French farmers to keep their poultry indoors; and the hit Netflix series The Crown once again provokes controversy over fact versus fiction.
Image: People celebrate after Russia's retreat from Kherson, in central Kyiv, Ukraine November 11, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Ukraine's President Zelensky hails Russia's retreat from the city of Kherson as a historic moment. Ukraine's military appears to have taken over from the Russian occupation without firing a shot.
Also in the programme: President Joe Biden tells the UN climate summit that tackling global warming makes economic sense; and millions of health details are hacked in Australia
Picture: People celebrate after Russia's retreat from Kherson, in central Kyiv, Ukraine, November 11 2022 Credit: REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Ukrainian flags have appeared in the key southern city of Kherson after Russia said it had completed its withdrawal of troops. Also on the programme, Twitter in chaos after top executives resign and online impersonation runs rampant. And, as leaders meet at the climate conference, COP27, a new study suggests there is a 50% chance that the planet will exceed 1.5C warming in just nine years – but what would that mean?
(Photo: Ukrainian servicemen ride a 2S7 Pion self-propelled gun near a frontline in Kherson region. Credit: Reuters)
Rory Kennedy, one of the co-founders of the Climate Emergency Fund, defends giving money to disruptive groups protesting against climate change.
Also in the programme: A Ukrainian defence advisor on Russia's Kherson pull out; and women banned from Kabul's parks.
(Picture: Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of the the headquarters of News Corp in London which has been sprayed with paint by Just Stop Oil protesters. Credit: Just Stop Oil/PA Wire)
The Russian army is pulling out of Kherson, a strategic city that would mean a major win if recaptured by Ukraine. Also in the programme, the ICC chief prosecutor visits Libya to investigate possible war crimes. And, the climate conference, COP 27, has seen a record number of fossil fuel lobbyist in a blow to climate hopes.
(Photo: Ukrainian servicemen fire a 2S7 Pion self-propelled gun at a position on a frontline in Kherson region. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Kremlin of resorting to "energy terrorism" as Russian troops make few gains on the battlefield. He said 4.5 million people were without power following Russian attacks on its energy network.
The statement comes as Russia has carried out large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian power facilities in recent weeks.
Also in the programme: As the German Chancellor visits Beijing, how should you talk to China? Ahead of the UN summit in Egypt, we'll take a look at a frigid atmosphere for climate activism in Egypt.
(Photo: Apartment blocks without electricity due to scheduled power cuts that were introduced in Kyiv, following the destruction of Ukrainian power stations by Russian strikes. Credit: Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA)
Climate change is severely impacting people's health around the world, a report by a leading medical publication has found.
The Lancet Countdown report says the world's continued reliance on fossil fuels increases the risk of food insecurity, infectious disease, and heat-related illness.
We'll hear why some diseases are on the rise - and how millions of us may be affected.
Also in the programme: Ukrainian refugees are told to stay out of the country this winter because of likely power cuts; and how scientists have made a breakthrough in the speed and efficiency of the internet.
(Photo shows people affected by floods moving to higher grounds in Naushahro Feroze District, Sindh province, Pakistan. Credit: Rehan Khan/EPA)
More than 100 Conservative MPs have backed the former chancellor Rishi Sunak to become the UK's next prime minister. Mr Sunak hasn't officially said he is running, it's believed he will do so soon. Meanwhile, supporters of the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson say he also has more than 100 backers but without evidence. We hear from supporters of the two men.
Also in the programme: Blackouts are being reported in cities across Ukraine after attacks from Russian forces; and Chinese state media says former president Hu Jintao was led out of the Communist Party Congress because of ill health.
(Picture: Conservative MP Rishi Sunak leaves his home address in London. Credit: REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska)
Italy's far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has formally accepted the job of forming the next government at the head of the country's most right-wing administration since World War Two. We ask whether the coalition will hold and speak to an MP from her Brothers of Italy party.
Also in the programme: is there a new chance to heal old wounds from Spain's traumatic civil war history? And the US actor Paul Newman’s daughter remembers her father.
Photo: Italy's newly appointed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks to the media after meeting Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome Credit: REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
President Putin has announced heightened security measures across Russia and has declared martial law in four Russian-annexed regions of Ukraine. Also on the programme, Nigerian authorities say more than 600 people have died and over a million have been displaced as a result of flooding since the rainy season began in June. And, more turmoil in UK politics as the Home Secretary resigns.
(Photo: Russian President Putin chairs a security meeting outside Moscow 19/10/2022. Credit: Reuters)
As Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure, we hear from Ukraine’s deputy energy minister. Also in the programme a major French industrial company pleads guilty to paying the Islamic State group in Syria, so that it could keep its factory open there; and how safe is the new British Prime Minister Liz Truss? We'll hear from her biographer.
(Photo: Damaged Ukrainian fuel tanks in Kupiansk, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
Aid agencies have warned that hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia face starvation unless aid deliveries are urgently stepped up. The worst drought in decades has driven many people from their homes. Petroc Wilton of the UN's World Food Programme in Somalia tells Newshour there's no time to waste.
Also in the programme: anti-government protests in Iran; and the chess cheat investigation.
(Picture: Internally displaced Somali woman Habiba Bile and her children stand near the carcasses of their dead livestock following severe droughts near Dollow, Gedo Region, Somalia May 2022. Credit: Reuters/Feisal Omar//File Photo)
The BBC has seen evidence of the speed at which Russian forces fled the Ukrainian city of Lyman, with soldiers bodies lying in the street and an entire convoy of burned out vehicles.
Also in the programme: Elon Musk once again offers to buy Twitter; and Antarctica's new postmistress.
(Photo: A paper box with the symbol Z, used as a symbol of Russian forces, lays on the ground in the recently recaptured city of Lyman, Ukraine, 04 October 2022. Credit: Yevgen Honcharenko/EPA-EFE/Rex/Shutterstock)
Ukrainian armed forces have made territorial gains in regions illegally annexed by Russia, in the south and the east of the country.
Also in the programme: North Korea has fired a suspected missile over Japan and we hear from one of the winners of this year's Nobel Prize for Physics.
(Picture: Ukrainian armoured units are advancing against the Russians in several areas. Credit: AFP)
Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro and his leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday buckled up for four more weeks of intense campaigning, as the president's unexpectedly strong showing sets up a tight runoff vote on October 30th.
Also in the programme: protests in Iran continue; and is France doing all it can to support Ukraine?
(Picture: A man walks past presidential campaign materials depicting Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and and President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia. Credit: REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo)
Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro will face former leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a run-off vote. With almost all the votes counted, Lula had won 48% against Bolsonaro's 43% , a much closer result than opinion polls had suggested. Former finance minister under Lula, Guido Mantego reacts to the result.
Also on the programme, we hear from Iran where protests are into their second week following the death of Mahsa Amini and we speak to Swedish geneticist Svanta Paabo shortly after he was announced as the new Nobel laureate in Medicine.
Picture: Brazilian newspapers are seen on a newsstand showing headlines about the election results of the first round of Brazil presidential election in Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Mauro Pimentel via Getty Images
The leader of Friday's coup in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore, joined a parade after the former military leader, Lt. Colonel Paul Henri Damiba, agreed to step down. We hear the latest from the capital Ougadougou and look at the background to the recent political upheaval with expert Andrew Lebovich of the Clingendeal Institute in the Netherlands.
Also in the programme: a former Iranian political prisoner runs the London marathon; and the UK prime minister, Liz Truss, attends the Conservative Party conference after a turbulent first few weeks in office.
(Photo: A man and a solider shake hands during a rally in support of the coup in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
An investigation is underway in Indonesia after one of the world's deadliest football stadium disasters in which at least 125 people were killed. We hear from witnesses who were in the stadium, we get a response from Indonesia's football association, and we have a update on the latest news from our BBC correspondent.
Also on the programme; voting is underway for the Brazilian presidential election, and the stolen remains of more than 60 indigenous people are returned to New Zealand from Austria.
(Photo: A family of the riot victims reacts as she waits for the identification, following a riot after the football match between Arema vs Persebaya in Malang, East Java province, Indonesia, October 2, 2022. Credit: Reuters/Rizki Dwi Putra)
Russia has withdrawn its troops from the strategic Ukrainian town of Lyman, in a move seen as a significant setback for its campaign in the east. The retreat came amid fears thousands of soldiers would be encircled in the town, Russia's defence ministry said.
Also in the programme: Burkina Faso's self-declared leader says the man he ousted a day ago in a coup is plotting a counter-attack; and Denmark and Greenland launch an investigation into pregnancy prevention practices carried out in the 1960s and 70s.
(File Photo: An Ukrainian soldier looks out from a tank, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in the frontline city of Lyman, Donetsk region. Credit: Reuters).
The Ukrainian military says it has encircled Russian forces in the strategic eastern town of Lyman, in the Donetsk region. Video posted by President Zelensky's chief of staff showed soldiers waving a Ukrainian flag near a welcome sign on the town's outskirts.
Also in the programme: We have a report from Tunisia where the cost of living is soaring; and after 2 years of political chaos - what's next for Bulgaria ahead of fresh elections?
(Photo: Video posted by President Zelensky's chief of staff showed soldiers waving a Ukrainian flag near a welcome sign on the town's outskirts.)
President Putin lays formal claim to parts of eastern Ukraine. We hear from a Putin supporter and the Ukrainian MP for Odessa who vows to liberate the newly annexed territories. Also in the programme: Why Jair Bolsonaro is the underdog in Brazil's presidential election; and why might Denmark wear black at the World Cup in Qatar.
(Photo: President Putin and appointed officials of the four annexed Ukrainian territories. Credit: Reuters)
President Putin has announced at the Kremlin that occupied parts of four regions of Ukraine - Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - are now parts of Russia. Ukraine, its allies, and the United Nations Secretary General have all denounced the claim as an escalation and illegal under international law. We hear from a Russian MP and a Ukrainian MP, and from an unhappy resident of occupied Kherson. And we report from Zaporizhzhia, where at least 25 people were killed after a humanitarian convoy was shelled by Russian forces.
Also in the programme: we hear from the Afghan capital Kabul, where a suicide bomber has killed at least nineteen people, most of them female students, at an educational centre in the Hazara area of the city.
(Image: Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a ceremony to declare the annexation of the Russian-controlled territories of four of Ukraine"s regions, Moscow, Russia, September 30, 2022 . Credit: Sputnik/Grigory Sysoyev/Kremlin via Reuters)
President Biden says Hurricane Ian could be Florida’s deadliest storm as a massive rescue effort is underway. Plus a special BBC investigation into the deadly impact of gas flares on the communities living close to Iraq's oil fields; and a veteran Russian opposition figure tells us why Russia's plans to annex more of Ukraine make a nuclear strike even more likely.
(Photo: A man helps a woman next to a damaged boat in Fort Myers. Credit: Reuters)
Moscow says President Putin will complete the annexation of four Ukrainian territories on Friday, following referendums deemed a sham by most of the rest of the world. Also on the program, there are reports of fatalities in Florida following Hurricane Ian’s landfall Wednesday night, and the rapper Coolio has died. (Photo: Members of an electoral commission count ballots at a polling station in Donetsk. Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko)
The US National Hurricane Center says a powerful storm is causing what could become the worst storm surge on record, with widespread flooding and catastrophic wind damage along the Gulf coast of Florida. We hear from one evacuee.
Also today: As Russia announces overwhelming support for annexation in four areas of Ukraine, we'll speak to a resident of one of them; and the Bank of England intervenes to try to tackle what it calls 'significant volatility' after last week's mini-budget.
(Picture: Footage from 26 September showed Hurricane Ian moving towards western Cuba. Credit: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The European Union and NATO have stressed the need to protect critical infrastructure from sabotage, after gas leaks were found in two major Russian pipelines under the Baltic sea. Denmark has said the ruptures in Nord Stream 1 and 2 were caused by carefully planned and powerful explosions.
Also in the programme: Guinea's former leader Moussa Dadis Camara is going on trial over a stadium massacre thirteen years ago; and Britain's central bank is to start buying government bonds to try to calm financial markets increasingly spooked by Downing Street's fiscal policy.
(Photo: Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm, Denmark September 27, 2022. Danish Defence Command/Forsvaret Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS)
Tens of thousands of Russians have left the country following President Putin's announcement of a military mobilisation. One student from Siberia who has fled to Uzbekistan tells us "it's a bit immoral to stay in Russia if you have the opportunity to go".
Also in the programme: 200 years ago today a French linguist became the first person to translate the Egyptian hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone; and we meet the Congolese engineering team hoping to make history by launching a DIY rocket into space.
(Photo: Russian conscripted men attend a farewell ceremony outside a recruiting office in Bataysk, Rostov region, Russia, 26 September 2022. Credit: EPA/Arkady Budnitsky)
Nearly four million people from the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, and the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, were asked to attend polling stations and vote in so-called referendums on joining Russia. A former Ukrainian prime minister tells Newshour the referendums are null and void.
Also in the programme: Mystery leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines spark warnings in Europe; and we take a look at how Iran’s crackdown on protests at the death of a young woman is also further weakening the country’s economy.
(Photo: A woman holds her ballot during voting in a so-called 'referendum' on the joining of Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine to Russia. Credit: EPA).
Questions have been raised over Italy's international policy, after Giorgia Meloni's far-right party won national elections. Ms Meloni has signalled continued support for the NATO policy on Ukraine, but there are some in her likely governing coalition who are more sympathetic to Moscow.
Also on the programme: pound sterling is down and the dollar is up, with implications for the global economy; and we hear from astronomers in Kenya about an experiment to blow an asteroid off course.
(Photo: The leader of Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia) Giorgia Meloni gestures the V sign at the party's headquarters in Rome, Italy, 26 September 2022. Credit: EPA).
There has been a profound political shift in Italy: the Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Sunday's election.
She is on course to become the country's first female prime minister, and head of its most right-wing government since World War Two. We will also get a reaction to the result from Europe's perspective.
Also in the programme: a report from a region Ukraine has taken back from Russia, where school teachers say Russia forcibly eliminated Ukraine's curriculum in favour of a Russian agenda; and we'll hear from a former deputy governor of the UK's central bank as the pound touches a record low against the US dollar.
(Photo shows the leader of Brothers of Italy Giorgia Meloni holding a sign saying "Thank you, Italy". Credit: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)
There's been an exodus of young men from Russia after President Putin announced a new "partial mobilisation". We hear from one Russian serviceman who decided to leave the army, and discuss the state of Russia's war effort with military analyst Justin Crump.
Also in the programme: Cubans vote on same sex marriage and adoption rights; the super typhoon bearing down on the Philippines; and a new record for men's marathon running is set by the Kenyan athlete Eluid Kipchoge.
(Photo: Travellers from Russia queue to cross the border to Finland. Credit: Reuters)
Widespread demonstrations have broken out since President Vladimir Putin announced plans to draft 300,000 men to fight in Ukraine. Meanwhile we hear from a soldier who has deserted from the Russian army.
Also on the programme; we examine the protests currently taking place in Iran. And voters in Italy are casting their ballots in national elections which could produce the country's first ever female Prime Minister.
(Picture: A protester is arrested by Russian authorities. Credit: Getty Images)
President Ebrahim Raisi has pledged to "deal decisively" with anti-government protests which have now spread to most of Iran's 31 provinces. Officials say at least 35 people have been killed since protests broke out over the death of a woman in police custody. Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly breaking headscarf rules.
Also in the programme: Thousands more people have been trying to flee Russia to avoid being called up to fight in Ukraine. We speak to one Russian queuing at the border; and the voice of Darth Vader in the sci-fi saga Star Wars is going to voiced by AI technology.
(Picture: There were protests in Stockholm in support of Mahsa Amini who died after being detained for allegedly breaking headscarf rules in Iran. Credit: Fredrik Persson/Reuters)
Increased numbers of Russians are continuing to leave the country since President Putin announced the partial mobilisation. The queue on the border between Georgia and Russia has grown ten kilometres long as men attempt to avoid the draft.
Also in the programme: another tragedy in the Mediterranean as more than 80 migrants drown off the coast of Syria; and the remarkable story of two women who survived a similar perilous journey.
(Picture: Finnish border guard next to cars queuing to enter Finland from Russia. Credit: Reuters)
As Russia faces mounting pressures facing its war in Ukraine, we'll hear from two people severely impacted by the conflict. A Kherson resident who won't vote in the self-styled "referendum" to join Russia and a Russian man who is trying to avoid being drafted but is still inside Russia.
Also in the programme: Why the death of a woman in police custody in Tehran has made such a big impact thoughout Iran; and tennis great Roger Federer plays his last professional game.
(Photo shows an armed soldier walking past a ballot box in Luhansk as people line up to vote. Credit: Reuters)
Liz Truss will be the new UK prime minister after defeating Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership contest. It was a closer contest than some analysts predicted, with Truss taking 57% of valid votes cast among Conservative Party members. We hear reaction from a Conservative Party MP and the UK's former ambassador to the United States. Also on the programme: we speak to a friend of Ivan Safronov, the Russian reporter who has been handed a 22-year jail term after being convicted of treason charges by a Moscow court; and China becomes the first country to approve an inhaled Covid vaccine. (Image: Liz Truss outside the Conservative Party headquarters, London, September 5, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble)
European governments are starting to introduce relief packages in an effort to soften the blow of rising energy prices and the cost of living crisis. Germany, Sweden and Finland have sought to bolster their financial defences because of the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Also in the programme: We hear from a former Pakistani minister over promises to compensate countries hit by the consequences of global heating; and long queues have formed outside polling centres in Chile, where more than 15 million people are casting their votes in a referendum on a new constitution.
(PICTURE: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced a new package of relief measures to counter rising energy prices. CREDIT: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
European leaders are being increasingly explicit: Russia - they say - is waging a two-pronged war in Europe. On the ground in Ukraine - and along underwater pipelines, where Moscow is switching off the flow of gas and raising the price of energy in European homes. We hear how governments are adopting a range of packages to help their citizens.
Also in the programme: We go to Chile where voting is getting underway in a referendum on a new constitution, and we hear from the US state of Mississippi, where some residents can't get access to clean water because its contaminated.
(Photo: The Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Lubmin, Germany. Credit: Reuters)
Russians have gathered in Moscow to bid farewell to Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, who died on Tuesday at the age of 91. We’ll hear from our Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg, who was there.
Also in the programme: what was behind the second failed attempt to launch the Artemis One rocket; and we hear from the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court and his latest bid to push for justice in Sudan.
Photo: The funeral of the late former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow Credit: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE/REX
Mourners in Moscow queue to pay their respects to the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, whose funeral is taking place today.
We'll hear from Moscow and the former Soviet republic of Lithuania about the impact of the protagonist of perestroika.
Also in the programme: the women trying to protect their children from the floods that have swept across Pakistan; and could some planets in our solar system have rivers of diamonds flowing beneath their surface?
(Photo shows honour guards standing by the coffin of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. Credit: Alexander Nemenov/Reuters)
Members of the G7 have agreed to impose a price cap on Russian oil in a bid to hit Moscow's ability to finance the war in Ukraine. Also in the programme, Argentina's vice-president has narrowly avoided assassination after a gunman's weapon jammed as he aimed at her. And Nasa will have another go at launching its new moon rocket after the aborted attempt at the start of this week.
(Photo: A Russian oil refinery; Credit: Reuters)
Argentina's vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt after a gunman’s weapon failed to fire. In light of the incident, Friday has been declared a national holiday.
Also on the programme: floods in Pakistan have devastated crops, so how will the country make up for lost harvests? And the power of crustaceans: how shells might be able to save batteries.
(Photo: Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner greets supporters gathered outside the National Congress. Credit: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters)
The UN has accused China of serious human rights violations against Uighur Muslims, in a long- delayed report into allegations of abuse in the Xinjiang region. Also on the programme: the head of the UN nuclear agency says inspectors will remain at the Ukrainian nuclear plant threatened by shelling; and how Jackson, Mississippi, ended up without running water.
(Photo: Activists in Jakarta protest against China's policy towards Uighurs; Credit: Reuters)
UN report accuses China of human rights abuses in Xinjiang which may constitute crimes against humanity -- including arbitrary detention, forced labour and rape.
Also in the programme: IAEA team reaches Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant; and British Vogue's editor.
(Picture: A motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission arrives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine. Credit: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
Russia has announced a three-day suspension of gas to Germany for pipeline maintenance to the Nordstream 1 pipeline, exacerbating concerns of gas shortages this coming winter. Many accuse Russia of weaponising its position as a major supplier of gas to Europe -- and in the case of Germany, before the war in Ukriane, more than half of its gas came from Russia. How concerned is Germany by this latest interruption to gas supplies?
Also on the programme; European Union foreign ministers have agreed to make it harder and more expensive for Russian citizens to secure visas to enter the EU. And Germany has reached a compensation deal with the relatives of Israelis killed in an attack on the 1972 Munich Olympics.
(Photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the 'Nord Stream 1' gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke)
The last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbechev, has died, aged 91. The former president opened up the Soviet Union but failed to prevent its collapse in 1991.
Praised in the West for being on the right side of history, he is viewed differently now in Russia, as the man who presided over the dissolution of the Soviet Empire.
Russia's President, Vladimir Putin said today that Mikhail Gorbachev has a huge impact on world history.
Also in the programme: we speak to a writer of Mr Gorbachev's famous Pizza Hut advert; and as a team from the nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, heads for Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Zaphorizhia, we hear from Ukraine's ambassador to the organisation.
(Photo shows former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev on 10 June 2006. Credit: Chris Radburn/PA)
The first grain from Ukraine in months reaches the Horn of Africa. It is the first vessel carrying Ukrainian grain to arrive in Africa since Russia invaded the country in February. Tens of millions of people in the region are in need of food aid - a combination of drought, conflict and price rises caused by the war in Europe.
Also on the programme: After Monday's bloodshed, is Iraq heading for fresh elections? And a human rights group says a Saudi woman has been sentenced to forty-five years in prison for social media posts.
(Photo: A World Food Programme staff looks on as the MV Brave Commander carrying wheat grain from Yuzhny Port in Ukraine to the drought-stricken Horn of Africa docks at port of Djibouti in Djibouti, August 30, 2022. Credit: Hugh Rutherford/World Food Programme)
More than thirty people are dead following fighting between rival Shia militia after the powerful Shia cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, said he was stepping away from politics. His appeal for them to stop has now restored calm.
Also in the programme: the general who oversaw the withdrawal of the US military in Afghanistan speaks about no longer having a presence there; and how male dolphins make male friends for life, behaviour not previously confirmed among animals.
(Photo shows members of militias loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad, Iraq. Credit: Miurtaja Lateef/EPA)
One of Iraq's most powerful figures, Moqtada al-Sadr, who has been at the centre of a long crisis over forming a government, says he is retiring from political life. Several people were reported killed in clashes when his supporters stormed the presidential palace after the announcement.
Also in the programme: Ukraine says its army has begun an offensive in the south, where it's trying to drive Russian forces from the city of Kherson – we’ll hear from a resident; and Nasa has postponed the launch of its new moon rocket.
(Picture: Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in 2015. Picture credit: Getty Images)
As people across Pakistan endure devastating floods, local and international agencies face challenges as they try to provide assistance.
We hear the latest from the southern province of Sindh, one of the worst-affected regions, and speak to the Pakistan director of CARE International, Adil Shiraz.
Also in the programme: How farmers in southern Spain are coping with the country's continuing drought; and the almost-impossible mission to repair ancient glass vessels shattered in the Beirut port explosion of 2020.
(Photo shows people wading through a flooded area following heavy rains in Nowshera District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Credit: Bilawal Arbab/EPA)
One of Pakistan's southern provinces, Sindh, is bracing itself for worse to come as the country deals with catastrophic floods. The floods have killed nearly 1,000 people across Pakistan since June, while thousands have been displaced - and millions more affected. We hear the latest on the ground and speak to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Also on the programme: we speak to Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, as reports suggests EU countries are considering tighter visa rules for Russians. And we look ahead to the American space agency launching its giant new Moon rocket on Monday. (Image: men walk along a flooded road in Suhbatpur, Pakistan, August 28, 2022. Reuters/Amer Hussain).
Pakistan grapples with unprecedented floods. We look ahead to a rocket launch designed to get astronauts on the moon again - but once there what will they do? Also in the programme satirists take to the stage in the Scottish capital Edinburgh and cast their sharp eyes over Boris Johnson's years in power; and the return of drum and bass to UK dancefloors.
(Photo: Pakistani family in the flood; Credit: Reuters)
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in northern Pakistan following weeks of deadly flooding. We speak to Pakistan's climate minister Sherry Rahman.
Also in the programme: the head of Ukraine's atomic energy agency on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant; and Serbia and Kosovo settle border dispute.
(Picture: Pakistan Navy Soldiers rescue people from a flooded area in Dadu District, Sindh province, Pakistan. Photo by WAQAR HUSSAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
There's been little let up in the rains in Pakistan and the government has told people to take refuge on higher ground; also, we discuss how the war in Ukraine has affected Russia's international status; and why a British musician has started a project to share income with fans who contribute ideas for his material.
(Photo: Displaced people wait to get food and other assistance after fleeing their flood-hit homes Credit: Sabir Mazhar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Medical staff in northern Ethiopia say air strikes on the capital of the Tigray region have killed four people. The chief clinical director at Mekelle's main hospital (Kibrom Gebreslassie) said two of the victims were children who'd been in a playground. Tigrayan rebels have accused government forces of carrying out the attacks. Addis Ababa hasn't responded to the accusation but has warned people in the area to stay from facilities used by rebels. We will hear from a doctor who treated the wounded
Also in the programme: Why the Iran nuclear deal has more supporters in Israel than you might imagine; and the US Department of Justice has released court papers - known as an affidavit - that convinced a judge to authorise a search of Donald Trump's estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
(Photo: Air strike hits Mekelle, Tigray region. Credit: Reuters)
Texas, Tennessee, and Idaho have put in place new restrictions on access to abortion for millions of women, in some cases imposing punishments on doctors who need to carry out an abortion. But last night in Idaho, a judge issued a ruling which offers some protection to emergency doctors in certain circumstances. We spoke asked one such doctor for her reaction.
Also in the programme: Five years since millions of Rohingyas fled genocide in Myanmar, they continue to live in perilous conditions; and Tijuana’s Mayor Montserrat Caballero tells us how threats from organised crime forced her to lockdown her city.
(File photo: Women's March rally against court overturning Roe v. Wade abortion decision in Washington. Credit: Reuters).
As satellite images suggest Russia's burning off large amounts of gas normally destined for the EU, we'll hear from a European energy minister.
So what can governments do as they are caught between squeezed national budgets and millions who can't pay their bills?
Also in the programme: Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and Tigrayan rebels appears to have intensified, with reports of air strikes hitting the city of Mekelle; and the world's most powerful telescope gives new insights into planets beyond our solar system.
(Photo shows a colourised version of a satellite image capturing infrared radiation from the burning of gas at the Portovaya plant. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2/Reuters)
Five years after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar we'll find out what's become of them.
Also in the programme: a court in Pakistan has given interim bail to the former prime minister, Imran Khan, who's facing terrorism charges; and why the French president, Emmanuel Macron, is starting a two-day visit to Algeria to try to repair relations with its former colony.
(Photo shows Rohingya refugees holding placards at the Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh to mark the fifth anniversary of their fleeing from neighbouring Myanmar. Credit: Rafiqur Rahman/Reuters)
Ukraine marks 31 years of independence and six months of war with Russia; we ask why a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south east of the country appears to have stalled. Also on the programme: Who are the Hollywood celebrities outed for using too much water in a severe drought; and we speak to the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world.
(Picture: A woman holding a Ukrainian flag in Kyiv. Credit: EPA)
People in Ukraine are marking the country's Independence Day amid tight security because of fears of renewed Russian strikes. It comes on the same day Russia’s invasion of the country reaches the 6 month mark. We hear the latest from Kyiv, and talk to Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister.
Also in the programme: scientists declare the dugong - large marine mammals also known as "sea cows" - Regionally Extinct in China; and Thailand's top court suspends Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha while it considers a legal challenge to his term limit.
(Image: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife Olena visit the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine, August 24, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters).
Scientists from Oxford University in UK have begun the first ever trial of a monkeypox treatment. Also - Twitter's former head of security says the company misled regulators over its security flaws and data breach. Top flight football returns to Ukraine. And a human return to the moon draws closer.
Photo: Monkeypox test vials; Credit:Reuters)
Washington has warned of an increased threat to civilian infrastructure and government facilities in Ukraine, and advised its own citizens to leave the country. A day ahead of Independence Day on Wednesday, which also marks six months into Russia's war of aggression, what is Kyiv expecting?
Also in the programme: the former prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, begins a twelve year prison term for his role in one of the world's biggest financial corruption scandals, known as 1MDB; we hear from one of the journalists that broke the story seven years ago. And we report from Texas, where people at Houston's first gun buyback in two decades are handing over their weapons.
(Image: Ukraine"s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint news briefing with Poland"s President Andrzej Duda, Kyiv, Ukraine August 23, 2022 / Credit: Reuters / Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
The daughter of prominent Russian ultra-nationalist, Alexander Dugin, was killed by a car bomb. Ukrainian officials have denied any involvement in the explosion.
Also on the programme, Shanghai's iconic skyline, known as the Bund, goes dark as drought hits power supplies. And Anthony Fauci, who led the US response to the Covid pandemic, has announced that he is to step down in December after five decades in government.
(Picture: Daria Dugina Credit: Reuters)
Pakistan's police have charged the country's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, under anti-terror laws. Their investigation comes after he accused the police and judiciary of detaining and torturing a close aide. We speak to a former Special Assistant to Mr Khan. Also on the programme: we talk to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz about tensions in the Balkans, following the collapse of high-level crisis talks between the two countries in Brussels on Friday. And we hear how scientists at Cambridge University have developed ultra-thin, flexible "artificial leaves" which convert sunlight and water into fuel - and are light enough to float on water. (Image: file photo, Imran Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters in Islamabad, Pakistan June 4, 2021. REUTERS/Saiyna Bashir/File Photo)
Russia's investigative committee says Darya Dugina died after an explosion on a road outside Moscow. It is thought her father, the Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, may have been the intended target of the attack. We hear from a Russian MP who blames Ukraine for her death.
Also in the programme: Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic has assured ethnic Serbs in Kosovo that his country will protect them from persecution; and Singapore's prime minister has said the country will end its ban on sex between men.
(PICTURE: Investigators work at the site of a suspected car bomb attack that killed Darya Dugina in Moscow region. CREDIT: Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation)
A car bomb apparently intended to kill one of Russia's ideologues - Alexander Dugin - has claimed the life of his daughter, Darya, instead.
We'll hear more about one of the men behind the ideas propelling Russia's strategy in Eastern Europe.
Also in the programme: A group of islanders from Panama are forced out of their homes because of rising sea levels; and the legal fight to play the board game dominos in a West London neighborhood:
(Photo shows Russian politologist Alexander Duginas he addresses a rally in Moscow, Russia October 18, 2014. Credit: Moscow News Agency via Reuters)
Somali security forces are battling to regain control of a hotel in Mogadishu stormed on Friday by the Islamist militants, al-Shabab.
Attackers detonated at least two explosives outside the hotel before entering it on Friday evening.
At least 12 people have been killed in the attack by al-Shabab, though some local media reported that the death toll could be higher.
Also in the programme: Mexico's former Attorney General has been detained over the disappearance of 43 students in 2014 and dozens of arrest warrants issued for the military and police; and Chad's President brings together hundreds of representatives for a national dialogue ahead of elections, though an opposition leader tells us why he's staying away.
(Somali security officers drive past a section of Hotel Hayat, the scene of an al-Shabaab militant attack in Mogadishu, Somalia August 20, Credit: Feisal Omar/Reuters)
At least 12 people have been killed after al-Shabab militants stormed a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Friday night. Police said attackers detonated two explosives outside the hotel before entering the building and opening fire.
Also in the programme: Russian leader Vladimir Putin has said UN officials will be granted permission to visit and inspect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex; South Africa's Zulus have a new king - but not all of them accept the monarch; and we mark the 40 years of the Compact Disc.
(Photo: Unidentified attackers seize control of hotel in Mogadishu. Credit: Reuters.)
A member of the so-called Islamic State terror cell known as The Beatles has been jailed for life after being convicted for his role in the murder of American hostages in Syria.
Also in the programme: Ukraine former chief nuclear inspector on the situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant; and Tina Brown on Salman Rushdie.
(Picture: Shafee Elsheikh, undated handout picture in Amouda, Syria, released February 9, 2018. Credit: Reuters)
The Chinese-Canadian billionaire Xiao Jianhua, once close to senior Communist Party leaders, has been jailed for 13 years by a Shanghai court, for financial offences.
Also in the programme: we hear from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who is in Odessa in Ukraine, trying to keep grain exports flowing and to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant; and as scientists in the US dramatically increase crop yields in soybeans by genetically boosting photosynthesis - could this GM technology be part of the solution to world food shortages?
(Image: Xiao Jianhua, a Chinese-born Canadian billionaire / Credit: CUHK (The Chinese University of Hong Kong))
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is accusing Russia of “nuclear blackmail” over tensions at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex, Europe’s largest. His comments follow talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is currently visiting the city of Lviv in western Ukraine.
Also in the programme, Tanzania has installed high-speed internet connectivity on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. And Japan is urging its young people to drink more.
(Picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Lviv, Ukraine on August 18. Picture credit: Getty images)
As the UN Secretary General António Guterres meets President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine, Russia accuses the West of provocation. Meanwhile, the government in Kyiv says international intervention is needed now - to stop disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Also in the programme: how a man accused of inciting the genocide in Rwanda ended up in court in The Hague; and why the Japanese government wants more young people to drink alcohol.
(Image: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the media during a visit to the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine August 18, 2022 / Credit: Reuters / Gleb Garanich)
A bitter row within Kenya's electoral commission is deepening after its chairman, Wafula Chebukati, accused senior colleagues of trying to alter last week's presidential election result to force a re-run. Mr Chebukati declared William Ruto as the winner on Monday, but four of his electoral commissioners immediately disowned the result.
Also in the programme: A huge explosion rips through a mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul; and Liz Cheney, critic of Donald Trump, loses her Republican seat in Congress after being defeated by Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman.
(Photo: Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto two days after the electoral commission declared him as the President-elect. Credit: EPA).
Republicans in the State of Wyoming have voted overwhelmingly to remove Liz Cheney from Congress. She was defeated by Harriet Hageman, who supports Donald Trump's unfounded claims that there was voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. We speak to Mark Lotter, a former assistant of Donald Trump's at the White House, and get the latest from Washington DC with journalist John Gizzi.
Also in the programme: continuing controversy over the presidential election in Kenya; and a new exodus of Jews from Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.
(Credit: Republican candidate U.S. Representative Liz Cheney during her primary election night party in Jackson, Wyoming, Credit: REUTERS/David Stubbs)
According to the official results, Mr Odinga narrowly lost to Deputy President William Ruto. Mr Odinga has accused the head of the electoral body of a "blatant disregard of the constitution".
Also on the programme: we head to Brazil where campaigning has begun in the presidential contest; and how the melting of glaciers in Greenland could actually offer solutions for green economy.
(Image: Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga. Credit: Reuters)
Kenya's Opposition leader Raila Odinga says the results of the country's presidential election are "null and void". He says the outcome, announcing William Ruto the winner is a travesty. We get reaction.
Also in the programme: Russia's Defence Ministry has admitted that one of its ammunition depots in Crimea has been hit by saboteurs; and how Australian scientists have released a group of critically endangered smoky mice into the wild.
(Photo: William Ruto (R) called Wafula Chebukati (L), the head of the electoral commission, a "hero". Credit: Getty Images)
Deputy President William Ruto has been declared the winner of Kenya's presidential election amid dramatic scenes. He narrowly beat his rival, Raila Odinga, taking 50.5% of the vote, according to the official results. But a majority of the Electoral Comission say correct procedure was not followed in the tallying of results.
Also in the programme: our Chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet co-present from this special edition of Newshour from Kabul a year on the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. We talk about the drought and food crisis the country is facing; Afghan women’s education and role in society ; and we interview a Taliban leader.
(Photo: A supporter reacts to William Ruto’s victory in the presidential poll. Credit: Reuters).
It has been one year since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan. The anniversary comes during a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis, with many men unable to find work to feed their families; and concerns about women and girls being excluded from work or formal education. Also on the show, we look at Kenya’s presidential election, where William Ruto has been named as the country's next president, amid some controversy. (Photo: Jack Garland)
Author Salman Rushdie is still in a critical condition but “his usual feisty and defiant sense of humour remains intact”, his son says. Zafar Rushdie said his father had sustained life-changing injuries, but was able to speak to his family. We hear from Raphael Geiger – U.S. Correspondent at German magazine Stern – who had the most recent interview with Rushdie.
Also in the programme, dozens have died – at least forty-one according to the Egyptian authorities – in a fire at a church on the outskirts of Cairo; and a new study reveals climate change is increasing the risk of a California ‘megaflood’.
(Image: A general view shows UPMC Hamot Surgery Center, where novelist Salman Rushdie is receiving treatment after the attack, in Erie, Pennsylvania. Credit: REUTERS/Quinn Glabicki)
The novelist Sir Salman Rushdie has been taken off a ventilator and is now able to speak, two days after being repeatedly stabbed. We hear from a friend who defended him in court, and hid him in his home.
Also in the programme: Egypt's health ministry says forty-one people have been killed in a fire in a Coptic church in Giza; and we report from southwest France, where firefighting services are being pushed as never before by the summer wildfires.
(Image: Salman Rushdie at the Cheltenham Literature Festival in England / Credit: David Levenson/Getty Images)
The man suspected of stabbing novelist Salman Rushdie at an event in New York on Friday has been charged with attempted murder. Hadi Matar, 24, has appeared in court and has been remanded without bail. The award-winning writer remains in a critical condition. We hear from A. L. Kennedy about Rushdie’s influence on her work as a writer, and expert on U.S.-Iranian relations Trita Parsi.
Also in the programme, a U.S.-based rights group says that a terrorism court in Saudi Arabia has jailed a women’s rights activist for thirty-four years over comments she posted on Twitter calling for reform; and – almost a year after the militant group seized power – Taliban fighters disperse dozens of female protesters in Kabul demanding rights to work and political participation.
There has been international condemnation of the stabbing attack on the writer Salman Rushdie in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is now on a ventilator with serious wounds. Mr Rushdie has lived under the threat of assassination since the fatwa imposed on him by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989. We speak to two of Salman Rushdie's friends and supporters, and get reaction from Tehran.
Also in the programme: our Chief Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet remembers Afghanistan a year ago, as the Taliban took power; and why former US president Donald Trump's claim to have declassified the secret documents found at Mar A Lago is no defence to the charges he could face.
(Image: UPMC Hamot Surgery Center, where novelist Salman Rushdie is receiving treatment after the attack, in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S., August 12, 2022 / Credit: REUTERS/Quinn Glabicki)
Author Salman Rushdie, 75, has been stabbed on stage at an event in New York state. Eyewitnesses say he was struck many times by an attacker wearing a mask. Police said he appeared to have been stabbed in the neck. His literary agent says he is now in surgery - but doesn't have an update on the author's condition.
Also in the programme: As Ukraine and Russia continue to accuse each of shelling at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, our correspondent has managed to speak to workers at the plant; and how did humans develop the ability to speak? Scientists believe they've found the answer in the voice boxes of primates.
(Photo: Author Salman Rushdie. Credit: Reuters)
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has warned the international community that, unless it helps get the Russians out of the plant immediately, there could be a disaster.
Also on the programme: a firefighter in France tells about an almost unwinnable battle as wildfires rage; and we hear from someone in the US who's overseen investigations to leaks of classified official information, and insists Donald Trump is not above the law.
(Image: A view shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict outside the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar in Ukraine on 4 August 2022. Credit: Reuters/ Ermochenko)
Europe's biggest nuclear power plant has again been hit by shelling, with Ukraine and Russia once more trading accusations on who's to blame. We'll hear from a Ukrainian government minister.
Also today: a stand-off at a bank in Lebanon has come to a peaceful end after an armed man took hostages and demanded the withdrawal of his own frozen savings; and should video games have a place at the Commonwealth Games?
(Photo: Russia seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in March, but kept the station's Ukrainian personnel. Credit: Reuters)
Heat waves across Europe have resulted in droughts and drying rivers. Also on the programme, South Africa gang rape charges; and the world's biggest parrots, the Kakapo, have been saved from the brink of extinction.
(Picture: The Loire Valley in France. Credit:Thierij)
Satellite images appear to show damage and destroyed Russian warplanes in Crimea. At the same time, Denmark has hosted defence ministers from around the world to discuss long-term support for Ukraine. And the parliament of Latvia has voted to designated Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism."
Also in the programme, over 70 economists and experts have called for the US and other nations to release Afghanistan's central bank assets amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
(Picture: Smoke rises after explosions at an airbase in Crimea on Tuesday afternoon. Image credit: Reuters.)
After a week of extensive Chinese military exercises, the US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, says that China will not be allowed to isolate Taiwan. Democratic Congressman and Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks travelled with her to Taiwan last week, and tells us they have absolutely no regrets.
Also in the programme: a BBC investigation has uncovered a system of organised torture in Russia's prison system; we speak to the UN's Special Rapporteur on Torture. And why are children in London being offered the polio vaccine?
(Image: U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, answers questions during a news conference about the recent Congressional delegation trip to the Indo-Pacific region, with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. August 10, 2022 / Credit: Reuters / Evelyn Hockstein)
Senior US Republicans have condemned the FBI's search of Donald Trump's Florida home on Monday, calling it "an abuse of power". We ask what it takes for the FBI to carry out a search - and what they might have been looking for.
Also in the programme: Russia has played down a series of explosions at a military airfield in Crimea, but could this be the beginning of a major Ukrainian offensive? And how heat and drought this year are affecting countries like never before - we hear from Iraq, from Panama, and from France.
(Image: A Trump supporter protests near the Trump National Golf Club after former U.S. President Donald Trump said that FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach home / Eduardo Munoz)
Mr Trump, who was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time, said a large number of agents had entered the estate unannounced on Monday night and broken into his safe.
Also on the programme, we go to Basra in Iraq where recent temperatures have exceeded 50 degrees Celsius, which is around 122 degrees in Fahrenheit. And we are also joined by Duke Fakir, one of the Four Tops, to remember the life of Lamont Dozier, who wrote countless hits for the Motown record label in the 1960s.
(Picture: A police car outside Mar-a-Lago, home of former president Donald Trump. Credit: EPA)
The United States pledges a billion dollars in security assistance and more in economic aid. What difference will all this American money make to Ukraine's defensive war against Russia? We hear from General Sir Richard Barrons, a former commander of the UK Joint Forces Command.
Also in the programme: an American conservative view on the United States' landmark bill committing to investment in climate change; and a new media outlet run by a global collective of Afghan women. And we'll hear about the life and career of actor Olivia Newton-John, who has died at the age of 73.
(Photo: Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kharkiv. Credit: VASILIY ZHLOBSKY/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The US Senate has approved a bill that includes $369bn (£305bn) for climate action - the largest investment in America's history. The authors of the Inflation Reduction Act say it will cut the country's carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. We hear analysis on the bill's significance from a former UN Special Representative on Sustainability. Also on the programme: the newborns fighting for survival in Afghanistan; and the tourists left stranded in China's Hainan island after authorities announce a strict lockdown in the resort of Sanya. (Image: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer holds a news conference after the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, 7 Aug 2022, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
There are hopes a ceasefire will hold between Israel and Palestinian militants, after three days of violence left at least 43 people dead. The latest violence is the most serious flare-up between Israel and Gaza since an 11-day conflict in May 2021.
Also in the programme:
A London museum has agreed to return to Nigeria artefacts that were looted in the nineteenth century from the Kingdom of Benin; and the race is on to rescue a malnourished beluga whale which has swum into France's River Seine.
(PICTURE: A Palestinian policeman inspects a destroyed house after an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip. CREDIT: Mohammed Saber.)
Talks are reported to be underway to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants on the latest conflict which has killed at least thirty-one Palestinians since Friday. Israeli media say Egypt is mediating the talks.
Also in the programme: Donald Trump speaks at conservative conference; and Colombia’s first ever left-wing President.
(Photo: An Iron Dome anti-missile system fires an interceptor missile as a rocket is launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. CREDIT: REUTERS/Amir Cohen TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
The Palestinian health ministry says 15 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip where the Israeli military is targeting members of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad.
We hear from representatives from Hamas and the Israeli Government.
Also on the programme: the UN's nuclear watchdog warns of catastrophic consequences after attacks on a nuclear power plant in Ukraine; and we learn more about the Brothers of Italy, the political party currently leading the polls in the country.
(PICTURE: Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli air strike CREDIT: Reuters/Mohammed Salem)
Israel says it has arrested 19 members of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad in raids across the occupied West Bank, after carrying out airstrikes against targets in the Gaza Strip.
Also in the programme, the last day of campaigning is underway in Kenya ahead of Tuesday's elections. And a Ukrainian chess grandmaster is challenging Russia’s control over the International Chess Federation.
(Picture: Palestinians inspect the ruins of a collapsed building destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, on August 6, 2022. Picture credit: Getty Images).
The US has condemned China as irresponsible for stopping cooperation on a range of key issues including climate change, amid tensions over Taiwan. Also on the programme, Ukraine's President Volodymr Zelensky has angrily rejected accusations from Amnesty International that Ukrainian forces put civilians at risk by operating on occasions from populated areas. And, a rare hummingbird thought to be extinct has been photographed for only the second time in history.
(Photo: A container ship off the coast of Taiwan. Credit: European Pressphoto Agency)
As China continues to flex its military muscles and halts cooperation with the US on climate change, Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu, speaks to the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes.
Also in the programme: we hear from author Jon Ronson about a legal setback for American shock jock Alex Jones. And memories of the Edinburgh Fringe festival from British comedy star Omid Djalili, who first performed there nearly 30 years ago. (Image: a Chinese People's Liberation Army aircraft flies over Pingtan island, August 5, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song)
The National Security spokesman, John Kirby, has reiterated that Beijing had no reason to react aggressively to the visit of Speaker Pelosi to Taiwan. We speak to a journalist in Taiwan about what people there make of Mrs Pelosi's visit and if they are concerned about Chinese military exercises; and, Steve Chabot, a Republican Congressman and Co-Chair of the bipartisan House Taiwan Caucus, if Mrs Pelosi made the right decision to visit Taiwan.
A court in Russia has sentenced the American basketball player Brittney Griner to nine years in jail on drugs charges.
Also, our correspondent gets a rare access inside Ukraine's fight to take back territory from Russian forces in the Kherson region.
(Photo: The Ground Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China"s People"s Liberation Army (PLA) conducts a long-range live-fire drill into the Taiwan Strait, from an undisclosed location in this handout released on August 4, 2022. Credit: Reuters)
China has fired ballistic missiles into the waters around Taiwan, at the start of unprecedented military exercises launched in response to a visit by the US politician Nancy Pelosi. Also on the programme: it’s been two years since thousands of tonnes of ammonium-nitrate fertiliser exploded in Beirut; and evidence of plastics affecting and killing birds has been found on every continent except Antarctica. (Photo: 04/08/2022 European Pressphoto Agency)
China is preparing five days of military exercises in the sea surrounding parts of Taiwan in a show of force after Nancy Pelosi’s departure. The Speaker of the US House of Representatives left earlier today after a brief but controversial visit. Not long after Mrs Pelosi flew out, the Taiwanese air force said it had to scramble jets to warn off 27 Chinese jets that had entered its self-declared air defence zone.
Also in the programme: The surgeon in London who successfully operated on Brazilian twins who were born with their brains fused together tells Newshour about the incredible surgery; and a vote in the American state of Kansas where people voted to retain the constitutional right to abortion.
(Photo: A man watches a CCTV news broadcast about joint military operations near Taiwan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command, at a shopping center in Beijing, China, August 3, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has left Taiwan after a high-profile visit that infuriated China. Beijing has responded to the visit by announcing three days of live-fire exercises around Taiwan's coastline, starting on Thursday. Taiwan said this would amount to a blockade of its air and sea space.
The conservative US state of Kansas has decided in a referendum to protect abortion rights - in a major victory for pro-choice groups.
And we we will hear about Batgirl - a film so bad that it will not be released!
(Photo: Speaker Pelosi held a landmark meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai. Credit: Getty Images)
Top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi is visiting Taiwan as part of a tour of Asia, despite sharp warnings from China. A member of Taiwan's Parliament tells Newshour she's excited about the visit.
Also in the programme: The US killing of the leader of al-Qaeda Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul- a Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Steve Chabot tells us the killing proves Afghanistan is still a safe haven. And we look at a potentially important development in stem cell research - could it lead to synthetic organs?
(Photo: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taiwan. Credit: European Pressphoto Agency)
US president Joe Biden has announced the killing of the al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Mr al-Zawahiri, who plotted the 9/11 attacks together with Osama Bin Laden, was killed in a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the CIA on Sunday.
What does it mean for US relations with the Taliban, who now govern Afghanistan?
Also in the programme: China has flown warplanes close to the island of Taiwan ahead of an expected visit by the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi; and why the energy giant BP has reported its biggest profits in 14 years, as the global price of oil and gas soars.
(Photo shows Ayman al-Zawahiri in a photo from June 2011. Credit: AFP)
The ship leaving the port of Odesa was the first proper test of the deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain critical for global food supplies. The CEO of an aid organisation tells the programme that the global food crisis goes beyond this grain ship.
Also in the programme: Will Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the US, will be arriving in Taiwan tomorrow evening, despite increased threat of retaliation from Beijing?; a new instrument installed high on top of a mountain will survey a thousand stars every hour until it has catalogued five million.
(Photo The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni leaves the sea port in Odesa after restarting grain export, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, Ukraine August 1, 2022. REUTERS/Serhii Smolientsev)
The first ship carrying grain has left the Ukrainian port of Odesa under an agreement brokered by Turkey.
Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure tells this programme that this is the first proper test of that deal, which is seen as critical for global food supplies.
Also in the programme: the mayor of the German city of Hanover explains why he's encouraging lights off and cold showers; and a star of the Netflix series Bridgerton pays tribute to Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek and has died aged 89.
(Photo shows the Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship, Razoni carrying Ukrainian grain leaving the port of Odesa, Ukraine. Credit: Oleksandr Kubrakov/Ukraine Ministry of Infrastructure)
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has described the killing of one of the country's richest businessmen as a great loss. Oleksiy Vadatursky and his wife, Raisa, died when a Russian missile hit their home in the southern city of Mykolaiv.
Also in the programme, England have won their first major women's tournament in the Euro 2022 final against old rivals and eight-time champions Germany.
(Photo: NIBULON)
One of Ukraine's richest businessmen has been killed with his wife in 'massive' Russian shelling of the southern city of Mykolaiv.
Also on the programme, a Nigerian street trader in Italy was killed in broad daylight and in front of filming bystanders. And England take on Germany in the women's European Championship final, a chance for a first international win for any English soccer team since the 1966 World Cup.
(Photo: NIBULON)
Thousands of supporters of the Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have stormed Baghdad's fortified government zone and broke into parliament, for the second time in a week, leaving at least 125 people injured and escalating a political stand-off.
Also in the programme, a Sri Lankan cardinal says the new president has no legitimacy. And Pope Francis has said the time may come when he needs to consider stepping down.
(Picture: Supporters of cleric Moqtada Sadr gather inside Iraq's parliament, July 30, 2022. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Sri Lankan cardinal says new president has no legitimacy, we speak to an MP and former minister; the Syrian ship that docked in Lebanon which Ukraine claims is full of stolen grain and why is Spain's PM telling men to ditch their ties at work?
(Photo: Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as the new President of Sri Lanka; Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for a rocket strike that's reported to have killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in the occupied east.
Ukraine says the prison was targeted by Russia in an effort to destroy evidence of torture and killing. For its part, Russia said the prison camp in Olenivka was hit by Ukrainian precision rockets.
Also in the programme: We'll hear from the US state of Kentucky where flash floods have killed at least 15 people and the governor says the toll is likely to be much higher; and why Haiti's government is seemingly powerless to curb the gang violence in the capital that has claimed hundreds of lives.
(Photo shows blurred bodies of detainees among debris following shelling at a pre-trial detention centre in Olenivka, Donetsk Region, Ukraine on 29 July 2022. Credit: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
President Volodymyr Zelensky has made an unannounced appearance at a Black Sea port ahead of the departure of the first ship loaded with grain since the war began five months ago.
Also in the programme: as the US and China trade warnings over Taiwan we'll hear from the island about how tensions can be lowered; and palaeontologists are celebrating the discovery of a remarkable new Jurassic fossil site in the west of England.
(Photo: A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and G7 countries' ambassadors visit to the port of Odesa, Ukraine, 29 July 2022. Ukraine was ready to export Ukrainian grain and waiting for signals from partners about the start of transportation, Zelensky said on his official Telegram account. A centre to oversee the Ukrainian grain export was opened in Istanbul on 27 July following a deal between Russian and Ukraine to export Ukrainian grain from besieged ports through the Black Sea. Credit: EPA/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)
The US economy has shrunk for the second quarter in a row, fuelling fears of a recession ahead of key midterm elections. Former chief economist at the IMF Ken Rogoff tells Newshour it is a question of when, not if, the US enters a recession.
Also in the programme, growing tensions between the US and China over a planned visit to Taiwan by the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Plus, is the first major city that fell to Russia about to return to Ukrainian hands? Western security officials say Ukraine's counter-offensive is gathering pace - we speak to one of the residents in the city of Kherson.
(Photo: a person pays for fruit with dollars. Credit: Getty Images.)
The Ukrainian campaign to retake the occupied Kherson region is "gathering pace", Western military sources say. A key bridge into the city of Kherson is now out of action after Ukrainian forces struck it with long-range rockets supplied by the US. UK defence officials say the city is now "virtually cut off from other occupied territories".
Also in the programme, US Democratic senator Joe Manchin has stunned Washington by announcing sudden support for President Joe Biden's bill to raise corporate taxes, fight climate change and lower medicine costs.
And as Birmingham welcomes around 6,500 athletes for the Commonwealth Games, we look at how much sustainability can be woven into the Games.
(Picture: Ukrainian soldiers inspect artillery at the frontline in Kherson in July. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Hundreds of Haitian children flee gang violence in Port Au Prince, we speak to a French nun; The UN warns that the Covid pandemic has made the battle against HIV/AIDS more difficult; and a special report from a region of Afghanistan where forces loyal to the former government are mounting an insurgency against the Taleban.
(Photo: A girl who fled the violence in Cite Soleil; Credit: EPA/EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Turkey has opened a headquarters that will oversee exports of Ukrainian grain under a UN-backed deal designed to ease the international food crisis caused by Russia's invasion. We hear from president Erdogan's senior advisor.
Also in the programme: Somerton man mystery solved; and we hear from the opposition fighting the Taliban.
(Picture: Opening ceremony of the Joint Coordination Centre of grain export, Istanbul, Turkey. Credit ERDEM SAHIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo say at least a dozen people and three UN peacekeepers have been killed in demonstrations against United Nations peacekeepers in the east of the country. We hear from the acting head of the UN force in the DRC. Also in the programme, the European Union agrees to cut gas consumption and reduce dependence on Russia gas this winter, we'll speak to the Czech government. And we'll hear from the widow of one of the democracy activists executed in Myanmar.
(Photo: Protesters confronting Congolese police in Goma, in eastern DR Congo. Source: Reuters)
European Union countries have agreed to reduce their natural gas consumption by fifteen percent - over fears that Russia could completely cut off supplies to the continent. So what difference will the the deal make?
Also in the programme: we speak to the widow of one of the four pro-democracy activists executed by Myanmar's military government; and the Pope goes to Canada to beg for forgiveness for the Catholic Church's involvement in the forced assimilation of indigenous children.
(Image: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the "Nord Stream 1" gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022 / Credit: Reuters/Hannibal Hanschke)
Myanmar military executes four prodemocracy activists; The BBC investigates ethnic violence in Northwest Nigeria; and we speak to a Ukrainian MP about her effort to convince countries to liquidate Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine.
(Photo: Pro-democracy activists demonstrate in Yangon Myanmar. Credit: Reuters)
Four democracy activists have been executed by Myanmar's military in what is believed to be the first use of capital punishment in decades. The four - including activist Ko Jimmy and lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw - were accused of committing "terror acts". We hear reaction from the UN and the National Unity Government of Myanmar in exile.
Also in the programme: people head to the polls in Tunisia to vote on a new constitution; and Bob Rafelson, an influential producer and director who co-created The Monkees, has died at the age of 89.
(Image: Prominent pro-democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu, or Ko Jimmy, pictured in 2012.Credit Soe Zeya Tun//Reuters)
Russia goes on a diplomatic offensive in Africa and rejects accusations its invasion of Ukraine has caused global food shortages.
Meanwhile, the United States also has officials in Africa, underlining their support for the continent.
Also in the programme: A new women's Tour de France has begun - one of the riders tells us about her first day in the saddle; and why the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is looming large over the race to succeed Boris Johnson in the post.
(Photo shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attending a news conference in Cairo, Egypt, July 24, 2022. Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)
Russia has admitted carrying out a strike on what it says were military targets in the Ukrainian port of Odesa.
Will the recent deal to resume Ukrainian grain exports be able to stick after the attack on the port through which much of the grain would pass? We hear from the Russian political scientist, Sergei Markov, who is close to the Kremlin.
Also in the programme: A pilgrimage of penance for the Pope as he heads to Canada to apologize for the abuse of tens of thousands of children in schools run by the Roman Catholic Church; and China comes a step closer to completing its first space station.
(Photo shows firefighters working to put out a fire at the seaport of Odesa, southern Ukraine. Credit: Odesa City Hall Press Office)
WHO declares monkeypox virus an international health emergency; Russian missiles strike the Ukrainian port of Odesa; and do you prefer your crime fiction cosy?
(Photo: Firefighters put off fires at the Ukrainian port of Odesa after a missile strike. Credit: Reuters)
Shortly after an agreement that ended the blockade of Ukrainian ports by Russia, the port city of Odesa comes under Russian missile attack. We hear from the Ukrainian MP for Odesa.
Also in the programme: China braces itself for more heatwaves while the government increases coal production to keep up with electricity demands; and travel is disrupted for those going to France through the UK port of Dover, where holidaymakers face up to six hours of traffic.
(Photo: The Potemkin Steps is a giant stairway in Odesa, Ukraine. The stairs are considered a formal entrance into the city from the direction of the sea and are the best known symbol of Odesa. Credit: copyright BBC / Richard Sowersbykin)
Russia and Ukraine have signed a deal to resume vital exports of Ukrainian grain - which has been hailed by the UN as a beacon of hope. We hear from Ukraine and the UN secretary general.
Also in the programme: Steve Bannon found guilty of contempt of Congress; and the James Webb telescope reveals 'disky' galaxies
(Photo: People carry bags of relief grains at a camp for the Internally Displaced People in Adadle district in the Somali region, Ethiopia, January 22, 2022. Credit: Claire Nevill/World Food Programme/Handout)
Russia and Ukraine to sign agreement to resume vital exports of Ukrainian grain, the deal brokered by Turkey is due to be signed in Istanbul, US congressional committee's been told that Donald Trump ignored please to stop last year's assault on the Capitol and the shocking testimony from soldiers in Myanmar of crimes they were ordered to carry out.
(Photo: Grain harvest in Zaporizhzhia; Credit: Getty Images)
Mario Draghi's resignation triggers fresh elections in September. So who is Georgia Meloni, leader of the far right populist "Brothers of Italy" party, tipped to win next time?
Also in the programme: a vital gas pipeline from Russia starts up again, if only still at 60% capacity. But will Moscow keep the gas flowing? We hear about the fears in Germany; and will Ukraine get the weapons it needs from western powers to defend itself?
(Image: Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi leaves the Giustiniani Palace after communicating his resignation to the President of the Senate Casellati, in Rome, Italy, 21 July 2022 / Credit: EPA / Fabio Frustaci)
Russia has resumed pumping gas to Europe through its biggest pipeline after warnings it could curb or halt supplies altogether. Also on the programme, A year-and-a-half after he was appointed as Italy's unelected head of a unity government, Mario Draghi has resigned as prime minister. And, one of the world's most remarkable insects, the migratory monarch butterfly, is now officially an endangered species.
(Picture: Nord stream pipeline. Credit: Alamy)
Sri Lanka's new president is Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was the former prime minister and part of the former government.
In his acceptance speech, he appealed for unity to tackle the challenges facing Sri Lanka: But will Sri Lanka's demonstrators accept this figure from the previous administration?
Also in the programme: Why Brazil's President Bolsonaro is saying there are problems in the electoral system ahead of elections in October; and Boris Johnson's farewell to the UK parliament as the race to replace him heats up.
(Photo shows a protestor wearing a band as he attends a protest against Sri Lanka"s newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe, amid the country"s economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lank. Credit: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)
The veteran Sri Lankan politician Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for unity in the face of challenges, after being elected as the new president in a parliamentary vote. Mr Wickremesinghe predicted his election would mean an end to divisions in Sri Lanka, but many protesters aren't happy seeing him as a continuation of the government led by his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Also in the programme: the Italian prime minister Mario Draghi has promised to stay in office if the partners in his troubled coalition give him their full backing; and an architect tells us how its possible to design buildings that mitigate rising global temperatures.
(Photo: Ranil Wickremesinghe who has been elected as the Eighth Executive President under the Constitution speaks to media as he leaves a Buddhist temple, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 20 July 2022. Credit: Reuters/ Dinuka Liyanawatte)
Britain has recorded its highest ever temperature as a heatwave passes through western Europe.
We'll hear from southwest France where wildfires continue to burn.
Also in the programme: Could a meeting between the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey result in the unblocking of Ukrainian ports and the resumption of grain exports; and the impact of the political and economic crisis on workers in the tea industry in Sri Lanka.
(Photo shows firefighters tackling a grass fire during the heatwave in Mow Cop, Staffordshire, England. Credit: Carl Recin/Reuters)
A European climate minister lays out her plans to limit the damage in the years ahead as extreme heat warnings are issued in France while northern Spain saw temperatures of 43C (109F) on Monday.
Also on the programme: we head to Somalia where the worst drought in four decades is causing children to suffer physically and mentally; and the award-winning Iranian film director, Jafar Panahi, is sent to prison following his arrest last week, for dissent.
(Photo: Swimmers in the Sky Pool, a transparent swimming pool suspended 35 meters above ground between two apartment buildings, during hot weather in Nine Elms, central London Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
Dramatic images coming out of Southern Europe look like the end of days, with forest fires are raging in Spain, Portugal and France and much of the continent is in the grip of a ferocious heatwave.
Parts of the continent are facing temperatures above 40*C. Even in the UK, the mercury is predicted to head in that direction, breaking temperature records in the next 24 hours.
Also in the programme: Is the International Monetary Fund about to do a deal to bail out a bankrupt Sri Lanka?; and how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is affecting food security in Zimbabwe.
(Photo shows A fire burning a wheat field by a road in the province of Zamora, Spain. Credit: Isabel Infantes/Reuters)
Western France is facing a "heat apocalypse", experts have warned, as extreme temperatures continue to hit much of Europe. The heat has already caused much misery, with wildfires in Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Greece and France over the weekend. More than 1,000 people have died in Spain and Portugal... and many thousands have been evacuated from their homes. Will it become the norm?
Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Zelensky suspends two senior officials over accusations of treason within their organisations; and Ghanaian officials have confirmed the country’s first two cases of the highly infectious Marburg virus.
(Photo: Wildfire rages as Spain experiences its second heatwave of the year. Credit: Reuters/Isabel Infantes)
A court in France has sentenced the only attacker to have survived the Islamist terror attacks in Paris in 2015 to a full life term in prison. Also on the programme, could an escalation of tension between Sudan and Ethiopia be a distraction tactic? And, a hundred years after an LA beach was taken from its African American owners, it's being returned to the descendants of that family.
Photo: BENOIT PEYRUCQ/AFP
NATO leaders meet for the second day to discuss the biggest overhaul of the alliance since the end of the Cold War. President Biden promises more soldiers and arms for Europe. We hear from Madrid about the talks.
Also on the programme, after a nine-month trial a verdict is expected in the case of the people accused of carrying out the 2015 Islamist attacks in Paris; and we hear from Australia where honey bees have been put in to lockdown after the emergence of a deadly bee-killing parasite.
(Photo: NATO leaders at summit in Madrid; Credit: Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS)
Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to twenty years in prison for helping the financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein abuse teenage girls. Also on the programme, An aide to President Trump's chief of staff has said that Mr Trump knew some of his supporters were armed when he urged them to go to the Capitol building to try to overturn the election result. And, Turkey has dropped its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining the NATO military bloc.
(Photo: Reuters)
Forty-six people found dead, along with sixteen survivors, in a huge tractor-trailor that had been abandoned by its driver in the city of San Antonio, near the southern border of the United States. The survivors were rescued after cries were heard coming from inside the vehicle. We hear the latest from San Antonio.
Also in the programme: a group of former Australian military personnel warn of the knock-on effects of global conflict and climate change on the country's food security. And as NATO meets to address growing concerns about the threat to its members from Russia, how will Russia react to a stronger NATO military presence near its borders?
(Photo: Police and officials man a roadblock near the location where more at least 46 migrants were found dead in San Antonio, Texas. Credit: ADAM DAVIS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
President Zelensky said more than 1000 people were in the building. More than a dozen people are known to have been killed.
Also on the programme; we go to the bar in Eastern Cape in South Africa where 21 teenagers died at the weekend. And we hear the story of the unknown artist in London who has gained a worldwide following after his death, thanks to his neighbour.
(Picture: Fire fighters in Kremenchuk. Credit: Reuters)
There is mounting evidence that Russian forces in occupied areas of Ukraine have been stealing grain from local farmers. Also, a conference addressing the state of the world’s oceans has opened in Lisbon today; and in Afghanistan, thousands of people are still waiting for help, five days after a powerful earthquake.
(Planet)
Dozens of Russian missiles have struck targets across Ukraine, with the capital Kyiv enduring the heaviest barrage in months. But how long will Moscow's missile stockpiles last?
Also in the programme: the hunt for justice in Italy more than 40 years after Marxist militants launched a campaign of violence; plus, the baby mammoth, unearthed in pristine condition in Canada after 30,000 years.
Photo: Rescuers next to an apartment building destroyed in Russian airstrikes in Kyiv. Credit: Getty Images.)
The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has been hit by a series of Russian missiles, in the most sustained such barrage in months. The National Guard says at least fourteen missiles struck the city.
Also in the programme: a meeting of the G7; and a preserved baby woolly mammoth.
(Photo: Communal workers clean debris in front of a damaged residential building following Russian airstrikes in the Shevchenkivskiy district of Kyiv. CREDIT: EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO)
President Biden has described the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion as devastating for many Americans. The chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Illinois tells us she has been preparing for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade for some time.
Also in the programme, Norwegian police say they're treating an attack on a gay nightclub as an act of Islamist terrorism. We get reaction from the Norwegian Prime Minister. Plus, 75 years since Ann Frank's diary was published, why do a teenager's words still resonate?
(Photo: US President Joe Biden addresses the Supreme Court Decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Credit: Getty Images.)
Activists say they will stage more protests against the US Supreme Court ruling that's removed the constitutional right to abortion.
Also in the programme: Russia has launched a barrage of missiles at targets in the north and west of Ukraine; and police in Norway say they are treating shootings in and outside a gay bar in Oslo as a terrorist attack.
(Photo: Some protesters gathered outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Credit: Reuters)
The US Supreme Court has ended the constitutional right to abortion, overturning the landmark Roe v Wade ruling from 1973. President Biden said the judgement took America back 150 years but conservatives have welcomed it.
Also in the programme: White House security official Admiral John Kirby on the war in Ukraine.
(Picture: Abortion rights demonstrators protests outside the United States Supreme Court as the court rules in the Dobbs v Women's Health Organization abortion case, overturning the landmark Roe v Wade abortion decision in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Ukraine is on the verge of losing one of its last remaining strongholds in the Luhansk region after ordering its troops to withdraw from the city of Severodonetsk. Also on the programme, what next for the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, after two crushing defeats for the governing Conservative party in parliamentary by-elections? And, Amazon's Alexa may be using AI to bring the voice of dead loved ones back from the grave.
(Photo: Fights in Severodonetsk 19/06/2022 European Pressphoto Agency)
Taliban authorities have called off the search for survivors in the Afghan province worst-hit by a devastating earthquake. Also, European Union leaders have approved both Ukraine and Moldova as official candidates for eventual membership of the bloc and how researchers in Florida found the largest invasive python yet around Everglades National Park.
(Villagers examine earthquake damage. Getty Images)
It's feared many families remain buried in the rubble of their ruined homes. More than 1000 people are believed to have been killed.
Also on the programme; a member of the January 6th committee discusses what has been achieved by the televised hearings. And why has the head of intelligence for Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards been dismissed? Hossein Taeb had led the intelligence agency since it was first set up in 2009.
(Picture: A woman in the wreckage of her home. Credits: Reuters/ Khara)
Will Western reluctance to support the Taliban government shift to help Afghans suffering after a devastating earthquake?
We'll hear from a Taliban spokesman about what they need in the aftermath of the quake.
Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia's crown prince is in Turkey for the first time since the brutal killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi four years ago; and a sister's plea for help as her brother faces the death penalty over his involvement in the war in Ukraine.
(Photo shows people walking in a street with damaged houses after an earthquake, in Gayan village, Paktia province, Afghanistan. Credit: EPA)
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers say many hundreds of people have been killed by an earthquake near the southern city of Khost.
Also in the programme: the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is visiting Turkey for the first time since the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul; plus, Victoria becomes the first Australian state to ban the display of the swastika, following an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.
(Photo: a child on the debris of a damaged house after the earthquake. Credit: Getty Images.)
The US congressional investigation into last year's storming of the legislature looks at the efforts by former president, Donald Trump, to have the presidential election results overturned. We get the latest on today’s hearing.
Also in the programme: the BBC hears claims of sexual abuse and corruption at the United Nations – we get a response from a senior UN spokesman; and Russia threatens Lithuania over access to its enclave of Kaliningrad - where could this dispute lead?
(Photo shows Committee Chairman Thompson and Vice-Chair Cheney on the U.S. House January 6th Select Committee. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Russia has threatened Lithuania with serious consequences over a ban on the transport of some goods through the Baltic state to the Russian territory of Kaliningrad.
Also in the programme: the UN has been accused of covering up abuse and corruption within its ranks; plus, the sinking fortunes of Hong Kong's eye-catching floating restaurant.
(Photo: Kaliningrad port. Credit: Reuters)
Colombia has elected a left-wing president - Gustavo Petro - for the first time. His plans are radical, but are they deliverable?
We'll hear from one of his advisors about their programme for government.. : Also in the programme: Israel appears destined for new elections and a new prime minister; and Moscow accuses Ukrainian forces of targeting oil rigs off Crimea.
(Photo shows Colombian president Gustavo Petro celebrating with his wife and his running mate Francia Marquezat the Movistar Arena in Bogota. Credit: Juan Barreto/AFP)
Gustavo Petro, the former mayor of Bogota and ex-rebel fighter, has become Colombia's first left-wing president. He has promised a new era of tolerance, but can he met his supporters' high hopes?
Also, President Macron will have to expand his alliances in the French National Assembly after losing his parliamentary majority. Plus, a BBC investigation into the role social media played in the murder of a 13-year-old boy in England.
(Photo: Gustavo Petro, president-elect of Colombia. Credit: Reuters)
People in France are voting in parliamentary elections, as the party founded by President Macron seeks to maintain control of the National Assembly.
Also in the programme: the rocket engineer wanted by Russia; and the dangers of Ukraine 'fatigue'.
(Picture: A box containing ballots is seen in the second round of the French parliamentary elections, at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont, France, June 19, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Johanna Geron)
Tags are worn on the ankle and are usually given instead of custodial sentences.
Also on the programme we look ahead to tomorrows election in Columbia, which has become known as the TikTok election because of the candidates use of the social media platform. And the winner of the "Beatle Brain Of Ireland" competition joins us to mark the 80th birthday of Paul McCartney.
(Picture: An electronic tag. Credit: Getty Images)
The last Sikh temple in the Afghan capital Kabul has been attacked by militants using guns, grenades and a car bomb.
Also in the programme: Ukraine's minister of culture wants Eurovision in Ukraine; and fifty years of Ziggy Stardust.
(Picture: Armed Taliban stand guard near the scene of explosions and gunfight at a Sikh temple, in Kabul, Afghanistan, 18 June 2022. Credit: EPA/STRINGER)
After Russia's failure to capture Ukraine's capital Kyiv, its focus in recent weeks has been on the country's east. The invading forces continue to advance there, as Moscow attempts to take full control of the heavily industrialised area called Donbas, where a large proportion of people speak Russian. Donbas is made up of two regions. Russia and the separatist statelets it backs control almost all of Luhansk; and about half of Donetsk. Pavlo Kyrylenko is the governor of that region and has been speaking to Newshour.
Also in the programme: Jobs for life in the Indian military under threat, sparking violent protests; and 50 years on from Watergate, we look at how "gate" has become a codeword for scandal.
(Photo: A man carries his belongings in front of a residential building damaged by shelling during Ukraine-Russia conflict in Donetsk, Ukraine June 17, 2022. Credit: Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko)
The European Commission has officially recommended that Ukraine be designated a candidate for membership of the European Union. Newshour gets reaction from Ukrainian opposition MP Lesia Vasylenko.
Also on the programme: the Russian Foreign Minister tells the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg that Russia did not invade Ukraine; and violent protests erupt across India over the government's plans to reform recruitment to the military.
In its third public hearing, the committee hears detail of the campaign to persuade the then Vice- President, Mike Pence, to reject the results of the 2020 election.
Also on the programme: the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania pay a joint visit to Ukraine and offer their support for Kyiv's bid to join the European Union; and why developing countries accuse rich nations of betrayal over the effects of climate change.
(Photo: January 6 House select committee hearings Credit: EPA/Drew Angerer/POOL)
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania are in Ukraine to reaffirm their support to President Zelensky in the war against Russia.
The Indian supreme court has ordered the state of Uttar Pradesh to stop demolishing the houses of Muslims who have protested against the ruling BJP party. We hear from a woman whose family house was bulldozed.
(Photo: L-R, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Kyiv, Ukraine, 16 June, 2022. Credit: Getty Images)
The EU launches legal action against the UK government over its plan to scrap parts of the post-Brexit trade deal for Northern Ireland.
Also in the programme: rebuilding shattered lives in Ukraine; and scientists establish the origins of the Black Death.
(Picture: An EU flag flies outside the UK parliament in London, Britain, 15 June 2022. Credit: EPA/ANDY RAIN)
Will the proposed humanitarian corridor from the city of Severodonetsk be successful? And we are joined by The Dutch Minister of Defence, to discuss todays NATO meeting on Ukraine.
Also on the programme the European Commission is launching further legal proceedings against Britain, in response to the UK government’s plans to unilaterally scrap elements of the Brexit agreement that dealt with Northern Ireland. And we hear about the newly discovered, supermassive black hole; which is eating up mass at the rate of one planet Earth every second.
(Picture: Refugees in Mariupol. Credit: EPA: Ilnitsky)
Ukraine still holds Lysychansk, Severodonetsk's twin city on higher ground on the western bank of the river.
Also in the programme: Biden confirms Middle East visit; and Hong Kong's Jumbo Floating Restaurant closes.
(Picture: An unexploded shell from a multiple rocket launch system is seen stuck in the ground, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the town of Lysychansk, Luhansk region. Credit: REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
As Russia tightens its grip on parts of Eastern Ukraine - we have a special report on the civilians forced to escape. Also on the programme, the UK Supreme Court has ruled that a plane carrying asylum-seekers, who crossed the English channel illegally, can fly to Rwanda, as planned, today. And, a new report has found that someone living in the world's most polluted city - Delhi - can have their life expectancy shortened by up to ten years
(Photo: Smoke rises after a military strike on a compound of Sievierodonets's Azot Chemical Plant. 10/06/2022 Reuters)
Thousands of protesters are marching in cities across America demanding a reform of gun laws. President Biden told the marchers they should make it an election issue.
Also in the programme: Syria has confirmed that an air strike it blames on Israel has caused major damage at Damascus Airport; and we hear why not everyone in the eastern Ukrainian battle zone resents the presence of the Russians.
(Photo credit: Reuters)
Ukrainian troops are under relentless bombardment as Russian forces attempt to take control of the whole of the Donbas. We hear from the head of Severodonetsk's Civil Military Administration who says intense street-to-street fighting is ongoing and water supply problems are making life very difficult for the remaining civilians.
Also on the programme: the economic crisis in Sri Lanka deepens hitting homes, hospitals, and schools; and can Germany's recent surge in rail travel be sustained?
(Photo: A Ukrainian service member shoots from a machine gun at a position on the front line, in the Donetsk region. Credit: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
The German government described the sentences as "shocking." We hear from a friend of Brahim Sa-Adoune, one of the three. And we also hear about the increased risk of cholera and other deadly diseases in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
Also on the programme; the film maker whose footage of the January 6th riots in Washington formed part of the evidence at the congressional hearing. And we hear about the royal warship that sank off the east coast of Britain more than 300 years ago, the discovery of which was kept secret for 15 years.
(Picture: From left to right, Aiden Aslin, Brahim Saadoun and Shaun Pinner, who were sentenced to death. Credit: Itar- Tass)
As the US Congress hears new testimony on the January 6th storming of the Capitol, we ask how Republicans feel about the hearings and the charge that Donald Trump incited the mob.
Also in the programme: the hard left promises to fight back in Sunday's parliamentary elections in France; and does farming as we know it have to end if we are to save the planet and feed the world? We hear a radical agenda from an environmental activist.
(Image: former U.S President Donald Trump is seen on video during the hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 9, 2022 / Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
They will aim to show evidence that Donald Trump led a campaign to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Over 1000 interviews have already taken place.
Also on the programme; two Britons and a Moroccan captured by Russia fighting for Ukraine have been sentenced to death. And journalist Jonathan Freedland tells the extraordinary story of the man who escaped from Auschwitz to tell the world about the Nazi death camps.
(Picture: Trump supporters outside the Capitol during the 6 January riot. Credit: Getty)
President Zelensky's top advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak talks to Newshour about the cost of battle, the shape of victory, and how to get urgently needed food exports out of Ukraine's Black Sea Ports. We also hear from Russia's ambassador to the UN.
Also in the programme: the US House of Representatives is about to go public with its investigation into the storming of the Capitol on January 6th, 2021; and Europe's largest predator dinosaur turns up in England.
(Image: a Ukrainian service member on the front line in the Donbas region of Ukraine June 5, 2022; Credit: Reuters / Gleb Garanich)
The United Nations Secretary General has warned that the war in Ukraine threatens to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and destitution around the world. The Russian foreign minister was in Turkey today to discuss ways of resuming Ukrainian grain exports.
Also on the programme: a doctor tells Congress about the horror of dealing with the shooting at a Texas elementary school last month; and we pay tribute to the Anglo-Portuguese artist Paula Rego who's died aged 87. She painted women in a whole new way - considered groundbreaking at the time.
(Photo: A man shows grains of the wheat in his palms Credit: EPA/KHALED ELFIQI)
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has denied that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has created a global food prices. He has been holding talks in Turkey on how to get Ukrainian wheat moving out of its ports. We get a response from the UN Food and Agriculture economist and grain expert Erin Collier.
Also in the programme; we go to Berlin, where one person has been killed and at least a dozen more injured after a car drove into a crowd on a busy street. And former football governors Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini on trial for fraud and corruption.
(Photo: grain stuck in a Ukrainian port; Credit: Reuters)
This rare royal visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo marks a new direction for the Belgian monarchy as it examines its role in past atrocities carried out against the Congolese people. We hear from the king's aunt, Princess Esmeralda.
Also on the programme: the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, hits out at allegations of collusion with Russia; and an interview with Steve Reich, one of the most influential names in music in the United States.
(Photo: Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi welcomes Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde upon their arrival at the international airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Credit: REUTERS/ Justin Makangara)
President Zelensky has warned that Ukrainian troops in city of Severodonetsk are outnumbered by stronger Russian forces. He said street fighting and constant Russian artillery bombardments in Severodonetsk and neighbouring Lysychansk had turned them into "dead cities"
We speak to a former resident of Lysychansk.
Also on the programme - How does a country make amends for its brutal colonial past? The Belgian King visits the DRC
(Picture: A local resident in Lysychansk; credit Reuters)
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won a vote of confidence brought by his own party. Mr Johnson received the support of 211 Conservative MPs, with 148 voting against him - not enough to force him to stand down. Under the current rules of his party, he cannot be challenged in a leadership vote again for 12 months.
But what counts as victory? What does he have to do to end the sniping and the speculation?
Also on the programme- one of the rarest ancient violins comes up for auction. We'll hear from the last person to play it.
(Photo: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Credit: Getty)
A vote of confidence in Boris Johnson will be held by Conservative MPs this evening, London time. The vote was triggered after at least 54 Conservative MPs asked for it. Mr Johnson will have to secure at least 180 votes from his MPs to stay on as Prime Minister. We speak to one Conservative who will vote against Mr Johnson: John Baron.
Also in the programme: Growing anger in the Islamic world about comments made by senior spokeswoman for India’s governing BJP; and how does the geopolitical climate affect the fight against climate change?
(Photo: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee’s celebration in London).
Russia has carried out missile strikes in at least two Ukrainian cities, as heavy fighting continues in the east of the country.
Also on the programme, a huge fire has engulfed a container depot in Bangladesh, killing at least thirty-four people and injuring hundreds of others. And, people in Britain are holding street parties on the last day of national celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth's seventy years as monarch.
(Photo: Russia"s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv 05/06/2022 Reuters)
We go to Buckingham Palace for a star-studded concert marking Queen Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne.
Also on the programme, a new security law in Hong Kong stops people gathering to remember the Tiananmen Square massacre. And Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has accused "enemies" of Iran of stirring up unrest to try to overthrow the Islamic Republic.
(Photo: Concertgoers making their way towards Buckingham Palace Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
The future of Hong Kong's annual vigil to remember the Tiananmen Square massacre is in doubt after this year's gathering was banned.
Also on the programme, after 100 days of war, Ukrainian officials say Russia has been blowing up bridges west of the city of Severodonetsk to stop Ukraine sending reinforcements there. And, Christmas in June? A country music writer in the US is suing Mariah Carey over her hit song 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'.
(Photo: 33rd anniversary of the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations at Beijing"s Tiananmen Square, in Hong Kong 04/06/2022 Reuters)
UN agencies meeting in Geneva, 100 days into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have issued dire warnings about the war's consequences both for Ukraine and the world. Russia's blockade of Ukraine's ports has also been blamed for causing - at least in part - the worldwide rise in food prices. We have an interview with the UN's Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, Amin Awad, who says he hopes negotiations on the resumption of food exports from Ukraine would help ease the pressure on the rest of the world. And the new US ambassador to Kyiv tells us it's not just Ukraine that's affected by the war.
Also in the programme: A religious service of thanksgiving for Queen Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne but the Queen was absent; and the re-writing of a tall story - why do giraffes have such long necks?
(Photo: Iryna Abramov, from Bucha, Ukraine, whose husband was killed by Russians. Credit: BBC)
The war in Ukraine marks its 100th day today. President Volodymyr Zelensky has praised the Ukrainian resistance, which he says will win the war. Fighting continues in the key eastern city of Severodonetsk, which is now largely under the control of Russian troops. We have an extended interview with the new US ambassador to the country, Bridget Brink, about the course of the war and what more Washington needs to do to help.
Also in the programme: why so many police officers in Kenya are taking their own lives; and how one Australian grasshopper species has dispensed with the need for males.
(Photo: Homes have been badly damaged in strikes on cities such as Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine. Credit: Getty).
The UK has started celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne. Today was the first day of four days of festivities to commemorate the occasion.
We look back at previous jubilees and ask how much interest there is in this one from a Commonwealth country that wants to break its links with the crown.
Also in the programme: A two-month extension to the ceasefire is now in effect in Yemen, but a human rights activist tells us the process is only just beginning; the UN accepts the Turkish government's request to change the international name of the country to Türkiye; we look at the impact of Russian disinformation on the course of the war in Ukraine.
(Photo shows Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, her son and heir, watching the Trooping of the Colour ceremony from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Credit: BBC)
Thousands of people have turned out in central London as celebrations begin for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee; also, the UN has announced an extension of a two-month long ceasefire in Yemen; and fears of yet another wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
(Photo: Queen Elizabeth on the balcony of Buckingham Palace Credit: Getty Images)
Jurors in the multi-million dollar trial of the actors Jonny Depp and Amber Heard have found Ms Heard guilty of defamation. Also in the programme, Russia has accused the US of pouring oil on the fire with its decision to provide Ukraine with advanced rocket systems, superior to ones Moscow has. And, delighted Ukrainians are welcomed to Glasgow to watch their national team play Scotland.
(Photo: Jury deliberations in Depp v. Heard defamation case continue in Fairfax, Virginia. 01/06/2022 Reuters)
The Kremlin has accused the US of pouring oil on the fire with its decision to provide Ukraine with advanced rockets.
Also in the programme: the world's largest plant discovered in Australia; and drought on the US west coast.
(Picture: US Soldiers with an American / US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System / HIMARS during exercises. credit: US Military)
EU leaders say they will block most Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine.
Also on the programme, German police raids the Deutsche Bank headquarters in Frankfurt, and an Asian American composer speaks about the rise of hate crime in the United States.
(Picture: A petrol filling station in St. Petersburg, Russia; Credit: EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV)
Weeks of negotiations among EU member states have yielded a partial ban on oil imports from Russia with Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia remaining exempt from the embargo. We discuss its implications.
Also on the programme; Canada reviews its gun laws following the recent shooting at a school in neighbouring US and is coffee good for you - we take a look at the latest research that says yes!
(Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at European Union leaders summit; Credit: Johanna Geron/Reuters)
European Union leaders gathered in Brussels are struggling to resolve their differences over a proposed ban on imports of Russian oil.
Also on the programme, Moscow is carrying out huge artillery bombardments to try to capture Severodonetsk and gain control of the entire Luhansk region. We speak to a journalist, newly returned from the front line. And, a strange protest of the art world as the Mona Lisa is smeared with cake.
(Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron attends the European Union leaders summit on Russian oil - Brussels, Belgium 30/05/2022 30/05/2022 Reuters)
Ukraine says Russian troops are closing in on the centre of Severodonetsk -- a key objective in Moscow's offensive to control the whole of the Donbas region. We hear from Ukraine's former deputy defence minister.
Also in the programme: Colombia's presidential contenders; and are French crowd control tactics fit for purpose?
(Picture: A shelling hole near a destroyed building in the Zaytseve village of the Donetsk region, Ukraine, 29 May 2022. Credit: EPA/STR)
In a BBC interview, Russia's ambassador to the UK denies war crimes and insists Russia will not use tactical nuclear weapons. We hear from Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik, who urges the West to supply her country with more powerful weapons.
Also in the programme: a day of skirmishes between Jews and Palestinians in the Old City of Jerusalem; and President Biden visits Uvalde, Texas, in an attempt to offer comfort after last week's devastating school massacre.
(Photo: Ukrainian servicemen in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. Credit: EPA/STR)
The Russian ambassador to UK, Andrei Kelin, denies allegations that his country has committed war crimes in its conflict in Ukraine.
Intense fighting is continuing in eastern Ukraine between Russian and Ukrainian troops. The governor of one region has described the Russian attacks as relentless.
Also in the programme: there are clashes in Jerusalem ahead of a march by Israeli nationalists; and why did one of the major sporting events of the calendar descend into chaos?
(Photo shows Andrei Kelin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the UK. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC)
Several chart-topping musicians have pulled out of this weekend's National Rifle Association annual meeting in Texas, following Tuesday's tragic shooting at a school in the state. Country music veteran Larry Gatlin tells the BBC why he pulled out of the meeting, and how he thinks the NRA is getting it wrong on background checks.
Also in the programme, a group of German judges are in Peru to assess whether German companies' carbon emissions could be partially responsible for environmental damage in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range.
(Picture: a banner for the NRA annual meeting in Houston, Texas. Credit: Getty Images)
Ukrainian officials say their forces may need to retreat from the last territory they hold in the Luhansk region, to avoid becoming encircled by Russian forces. The governor, Serhiy Haidai, said Russian troops had now entered the city of Severodonetsk. We hear from an official in the defence ministry who insists the Ukrainian side is being pounded but they will resist as long as they can.
Also in the programme: the influence of the National Rifle Association in the United States; and the rising cost of living in New Zealand.
(Photo: A view shows a Russian Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopter flying over the town in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in Popasna in the Luhansk region. CREDIT: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
Police made the "wrong decision" by failing to storm a classroom in Robb Elementary School as a gunman killed 19 children inside, the chief Texas safety official has said.
He said officers delayed entering the room because they didn't believe it was still an "active shooter" situation, despite pupils inside making multiple calls begging for police to come to their aid.
We'll hear from a retired pastor who lost his great-granddaughter in the incident and from a member of the gun lobby group, the NRA, which is holding its convention today in Texas.
Also in the programme: Russian forces continue to make advances in eastern Ukraine; we speak to a member of the National Guard in the central city of Dnipro which has come under missile attack:
(Photo shows police and investigators at the scene at the Robb Elementary School on 25 May 2022. Credit: Aaron M. Sprecher/EPA)
Police in Texas have revised key details about Tuesday's deadly school shooting as criticism mounts from parents over the initial response. The gunman roamed outside the Uvalde school for 12 minutes before entering unchallenged, police said on Thursday. That contradicted earlier statements which said the attacker had been confronted and shot at by an officer. We hear from a former Texas police chief.
Also on the programme, Russia appears to be making slow but significant progress in its war against Ukraine. And for the first time, the International Booker Prize has been awarded to a novel in Hindi. Geetanjali Shree and Daisy Rockwell talk about their novel Tomb Of Sand.
(Picture: Texas Ranger Victor Escalon. Credit: Getty Images)
We report from Uvalde in Texas where a teenager shot dead 19 small children and two teachers on Wednesday, and ask, what are the legal obstacles to tighter gun controls?
Also in the programme: mango harvests are predicted to drop by as much as 70% in South Asia after severe heatwaves; and as a former head of the Louvre museum in Paris is arrested on suspicion of trafficking Middle Eastern antiquities during the Arab Spring, we look at the lucrative trade in stolen treasures.
(Image: A woman places a stuffed animal by a cross bearing a victim"s name following the mass shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, USA, 26 May 2022 / Credit: EPA / Tannen Maury)
We hear from the town in Texas where a teenager shot dead 19 small children and their teachers and ask whether this mass shooting will lead to any changes to the way America manages gun ownership.
Also on the programme: amid a global food crisis Ukraine accuses Russia of stealing its wheat and corn; and from sex and drugs, to art and culture, how the Dutch capital Amsterdam is trying to change its image.
(Photo: People paying respects at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School; Credit: REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona)
North Korea's rapidly spreading Covid-19 outbreak is a "great disaster" for the country, its leader Kim Jong-un has said, according to state media. Will he accept vaccines from South Korea?
Also in the programme: we speak to a Ukrainian media boss on the challenges of reporting on a war in your own country; and India bans wheat exports one month after promising to feed the world.
(Photo: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convenes a Covid-19 response meeting on 12 May. Credit: EPA)
Israeli police charge mourners at the funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Al Jazeera journalist killed in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. We get the latest from Jerusalem and speak to her brother.
Also on the programme, we have a report from the frontline in Southern Ukraine where Russian troops are trying to advance north; and Sri Lanka's newly appointed prime minister tells us it's going to get worse before it gets better as he tries to forestall an imminent economic collapse.
(Photo: Family and friends carry the coffin of Shireen Abu Akleh, as violence erupts during her funeral in Jerusalem; Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
In his first interview since taking office, Sri Lanka's new prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the BBC an economic crisis that has brought misery and unrest is "going to get worse before it gets better". The country is facing fuel shortages and soaring food prices, with some Sri Lankans forced to skip meals. Anger over the government's handling of the crisis has led to violent protests. Mr Wickremesinghe was appointed in an attempt to defuse the protests.
Also in the programme: A Russian battalion lost almost all of its armoured vehicles in a failed attempt to cross a river near Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, according to the UK's Ministry of Defence. And we hear what critics are making of the return of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick - the sequel to the original 1986 fighter pilots movie.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a new prime minister as he tries to defuse protests over his handling of a severe economic crisis. Senior opposition MP Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in to his sixth stint as PM, as Sri Lanka's economy is in freefall and people are desperate for basic items such as food and fuel.
Also in the programme: Supply chain issues, recalls and rising prices mean many mothers in the US are unable to get the baby formula their young children need; and crypto-currency markets are being rocked after a popular token lost 99% of its value.
(Picture: Ranil Wickremesinghe prior to being sworn in as Sri Lanka's Prime Minister. Credit: Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC)
Amid international anxiety at Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland confirms its wish to join the NATO alliance. We hear from our correspondent in the Finnish capital, Katya Adler, talk to the former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb and seek a sense of Russia's likely reaction from Moscow-based analyst Dmitry Suslov.
Also in the programme: the government of Cambodia calls on the UK to return treasures looted from their country's temples; North Korea's first admission of a coronavirus outbreak; and why a lack of suitable drug research is killing women and children in Britain.
(Photo: NATO, Swedish and Finnish flags; Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
A good friend of Shireen Abu Akleh reflects on the bravery and wide-reaching impact of the Al Jazeera journalist. And Newshour’s Tim Franks in Jerusalem tells us what the authorities are saying about the incident.
Also in the programme: Britain signs a deal with Sweden and Finland agreeing to come to their aid if they come under attack; and a new King Tutankhamun exhibition challenges the narrative of the extraordinary discovery of the young Egyptian king’s tomb.
(Photo shows Lebanese journalists protest the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh Credit: European Pressphoto Agency)
A Palestinian-American journalist, Sherine Abu Aqla, has been shot dead while reporting for Al Jazeera on a raid by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. The Qatar-based network which she worked for has accused Israel of deliberately killing her.
We'll hear from an eyewitness who themselves was shot in the back in the same incident.
Also in the programme: Sri Lankans observe a curfew in fear of a shoot-on-sight policy, but it won't stop them from protesting; and a soldier's account of life under fire in Azovstal in Ukraine.
(Photo shows an undated handout photo from Al Jazeera showing journalist Sherine Abu Aqla. Credit: EPA)
A curfew has been extended and soldiers have been told to shoot law-breakers on sight as the Sri Lankan government struggles to stifle growing unrest amid a political and economic crisis. President Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda, the former Prime Minister, once emblematic of Sri Lankan democracy, are now fallen stars.
Also on the programme: Newshour speaks to the head of the UN refugee body after an international donors' conference pledged more than six-and-a-half billion dollars to help war-torn Syria and its neighbours; and we remember a legend of Indian classical music - Shivkumar Sharma - who has died at the age of 84.
(Photo: The wreck of a bus that was torched during clashes between government supporters and anti-government protesters is left behind on a street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 10 May 2022. According to police, at least seven people died, more than 220 people were injured and dozens of vehicles and houses were torched during political unrest that broke out in Sri Lanka on 9 May during which the government enforced an island-wide curfew. Protests have been rocking the country for weeks, calling for the resignation of the president and the government over the alleged failure to address the current economic crisis. Credit: EPA/Chamila Karunarathne)
Demonstrators have moved to the heavily fortified Trincomalee naval base on the country’s northeast coast, shouting slogans calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign.
Also in the programme: We find out how Ferdinand BongBong Marcos Junior has likely secured the presidency of the Philippines 30 years after his father, Ferdinand Marcos, was deposed in a popular uprising; and we take a look at a great political tradition in the UK – the opening of parliament, and the Queen’s speech.
(Photo: Armed Sri Lankan military personnel on a downtown street in Colombo, 10 May 2022. Credit: EPA/Chamila Karunararhne)
As Russia marks its Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, President Putin tries to draw parallels between the conflict with Nazi Germany and his “special military operation” against Ukraine.
Also on the programme: Sri Lanka's Prime Minister resigns following mass protests; and we go to the Philippines where the son of the former Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is set to become president.
(Photo: Fireworks explode over the towers of the Kremlin on Victory Day in Moscow. Credit: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
At Moscow's annual Victory Day parade, Vladimir Putin has sought to justify his invasion of Ukraine, but Ukraine's president says Moscow is re-enacting the crimes of the Nazis.
The Sri Lankan prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has resigned as violence gripped parts of the capital.
G7 leaders have agreed to a new set of sanctions on Russia -- we speak to Canada's foreign minister, who has just been to Kyiv.
(Photo credit: EPA)
The offensive in eastern Ukraine continues as cities are bombed. Further south, Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from the town of Popasna. We speak to a senior member of the Ukrainian governing party.
We also hear from the Ukrainian singer who performed with U2 frontman Bono and bandmate The Edge at a special gig in Kyiv.
Also in the programme: a pro-democracy activist reacts to the election of John Lee as chief executive of Hong Kong; and we reflect on the life of Kim Ji-Ha, the South Korean poet and democracy campaigner who has died aged 81.
(PICTURE: Smoke rises above a plant of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in the southern port city of Mariupol. Credit: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
More than sixty people are feared dead after a Russian bomb hit a school in the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine on Saturday. We have the latest from our correspondent in Kyiv.
Also; the new chief executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, says he will make the territory's security his priority, and the Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein wins in regional elections in northern Ireland.
(Photo: Partially collapsed building due to shelling in the village of Bilohorivka. Credit: Reuters)
The EU has unveiled proposals for new sanctions on Russia including a total ban on Russian oil imports by the end of the year. The plans - which need member states' approval - also include sanctions on individuals, including those suspected of war crimes. We get analysis on the impact such an oil ban could have on Russia's economy, and hear reaction from Hungary's ruling Fidesz party who oppose the proposal. Also in the programme: a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump has won the Republican Senate nomination for Ohio, in a sign of the former US president's continued influence on his party. And the T-shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the infamous 'Hand of God' goal goes up for auction in London.
For nearly fifty years the US Supreme Court ruling in the case of Roe versus Wade has guaranteed the legal nationwide right to abortion. But a leaked document suggests that the same court looks set to strike down that ruling which would immediately make abortion illegal in more than twenty states.
Also on the programme, the British prime minister said they had failed during the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea. Now, Russia may annex parts of the Donbas. And, over a hundred people have been successfully evacuated from the Mariupol's besieged Asovstal steelworks.
(Photo: Protests as US Supreme Court prepare to overturn Roe v. Wade 03/05/2022 European Pressphoto Agency)
A leaked 98-page document, purporting to be a draft majority opinion of the US Supreme Court, suggests the national right to abortion might be overturned this summer. A decision is due in June or July. We hear analysis on the unprecedented leak, and get reaction from people who support and oppose the overturning of Roe v Wade - the 1973 ruling that legalised abortion across the US.
Also in the programme: a resident of Kherson tells us about life under Russian occupation in southern Ukraine; and we find out what caused a so-called stock market "flash crash" in Europe.
(Photo: Protestors react outside the US Supreme Court to the leak of a draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito preparing for a majority of the court to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision later this year, in Washington, U.S., 2 May 2022. Credit: Reuters/Moira Warburton)
Hundreds of people remain trapped in a steel plant in Ukraine's Mariupol city, despite some managing to leave on Sunday. The Azovstal plant, the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the southern port city, has been under intense Russian bombardment for weeks. We hear from the director of the steel plant. As the fighting in the east of Ukraine intensifies, we will have a report from a correspondent on the front line
China trials a vaccine aimed specifically at the omicron variant.
And the Spanish government says the Spanish Prime Minister's phone was infected with spyware.
(Photo: Civilians arrive in Zaporizhzhia on Monday after travelling in a private vehicle from Mariupol. Credit: Getty Images)
An evacuation attempt from Mariupol leads to hope that those rescued will eventually arrive in the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia.
Also in the programme: Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid, the festival which marks the end of the month of Ramadan. We find out what it’s like to celebrate Eid in Ukraine; and only twenty copies of the ‘Wicked Bible’ are thought to exist, but one has just turned up in New Zealand.
(Photo: Refugees from Russian-occupied areas in south Ukraine arrive to Zaporizhzhia. Thousands of people who still remain trapped in Mariupol and other areas occupied by the Russian army in south Ukraine wait to be evacuated to safer areas, 02 May 2022. Credit: EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY)
A complex operation is evacuating civilians from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, involving both the United Nations and Red Cross. 80 people have been taken away from the plant, which is besieged by Russian forces.
Also in the programme: Régine Zylberberg, the French singer and impresario credited with inventing the modern discothèque, has died at the age of 92; and the Sri Lankan media minister, Nalaka Godahewa, has admitted that the government had failed to foresee the foreign exchange reserve crisis that helped trigger the country's political and economic woes.
(Photo: A woman sits with children as evacuees, including civilians who left the area near Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, arrive at a temporary accommodation centre during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the village of Bezimenne in the Donetsk Region, Ukraine 1 May 2022. Credit: Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko)
Russia's ministry of defence says 46 civilians were evacuated in total on Saturday, from residential buildings next to the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol in southern Ukraine. Also, Russia says it's introducing its own currency in the occupied region of Kherson from today -- in a sign that it intends to hang on to its conquests. We hear from a resident in Kherson.
An interview with an Afghan father trying to keep his daughter's education going, with schools still shut.
The New York boxing bout that's punched through for women.
And the full-blooded return of the world's greatest classical music festival.
(Photo: The steelworks is a vast industrial area full of underground tunnels and other fortifiable locations. Credit: Reuters)
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has warned that Moscow is preparing to intensify its assault in the east of the country.
Also in the programme: an optical illusion in the sky; and wildfires spreading through one of the coldest places on Earth.
(Photo: A Ukrainian service member inspects a destroyed Russian Armoured Personnel Carrier, Ukraine April 30, 2022. CREDIT: REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has told Chinese state media that more than a million people have been evacuated from Ukraine to Russia since the start of the fighting. Nikita Horban, who was taken with his father from the Kyiv region, describes how he was tortured and sent to the Russian city of Kursk before being returned to Ukraine as part of a prisoner swap.
Also in the programme: We'll hear from the British Virgin Islands' acting prime minister after his boss was arrested for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering; and why wildfires are springing up in one of the coldest places on earth.
Photo: Nikita Horban, who says he was seized and tortured in Russia, sits in a medical facility in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine Credit: BBC
Also in the programme: the former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has been jailed for two and a half years for hiding £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts. The elected leader of the British Virgin Islands has appeared in a US court on drugs and money laundering charges, hours after an inquiry into corruption and bad governance recommended the UK impose direct rule on the territory. And we hear about plans to ration water in Chile's capital Santiago.
Estonia's prime minister tells Newshour Russia should be expelled from Ukraine and "pushed back to Russia".
Also in the programme: The Afghan former general who says he's leading an insurgency against the Taliban; the premier of a British overseas territory arrested in the US on drugs charges; the displaced orphans of Ukraine; and bringing Japanese Animation to the British stage.
(Photo: Estonian PM, Kaja Kallas. Credit: EPA)
Rockets strike the Ukrainian capital during an official visit to the city by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
Also in the programme: a study suggests climate change will increase the risk of pandemics, by accelerating the exchange of viruses between species; and we hear from a Ukrainian Red Cross volunteer captured by Russian soldiers and taken to Belarus, and then Russia.
(Photo: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shake hands at a joint news conference, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 April 2022. Credit: Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)
The secretary general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has called on Russia to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in its investigations into alleged war crimes carried out by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Also on the programme, protesters calling for the government of Sri Lanka to step down as the country faces the worst crisis since independence. And, scientists say that a tooth from a 205 million-year old sea creature may change our understanding of the earth's earliest predators.
(Photo: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visits Ukraine 28/04/2022 Reuters)
A Ukrainian marines commander -- holed up inside a steel works in the besieged port city of Mariupol -- has made another impassioned appeal for rescue, warning "people here will simply die". Serhiy Volynsky says about six hundred soldiers are badly injured and hundreds of civilians are trapped at the works.
The European Union has said it won't give in to Russian blackmail after Moscow cut supplies of gas to Poland and Bulgaria.
A groundbreaking case involving the legal rights of US waterways.
How metals and minerals illegally mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo are bypassing a scheme designed to stop them entering the formal economy.
(Photo: Commander Serhiy Volynsky in Mariupol)
At least eight people have been killed in a Russian missile strike on a residential block of flats in the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukraine's third biggest city. We speak to a local member of parliament.
Also on the programme, would a change in leadership following tomorrow's French elections affect the country's presence in Africa's Sahel region? And we take a look at the ‘age of the strongman’ with author Gideon Rachman.
(Photo: Members of the emergency team work near a residential building damaged by a missile strike in Odesa today; Credit: REUTERS/Igor Tkachenko)
Senior Russian commander Major General Rustam Minnekayev was quoted in state media as saying that Moscow seeks "control over the south of Ukraine", which he claimed would give Moscow access to the Russian-backed separatist region of Transnistria in Moldova. We hear reaction from a former Moldovan MP and ambassador to the US.
Russia has yet again promised to allow civilians trapped in Mariupol to leave - we hear live from Ukraine with the latest.
And why far right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen attracts more young voters than ever before.
(Image: Russian tanks / Credit: Reuters)
In the final hours of campaigning, President Emmanuel Macron has warned that nothing has been decided, despite a lead in the opinion polls over his rival Marine Le Pen. Newshour's James Coomarasamy reports from Dijon.
Also in the programme: The UN says civilians were summarily executed in the Ukrainian town of Bucha; and why the British Royal family are having to tread more carefully on their official tours of the Caribbean.
(Photo: Official campaign posters of 2022 French presidential election candidates are displayed in Dammartin-en-Serve. Credit: Reuters/Benoit Tessier)
It's the last day of campaigning before the second-round run-off in the French presidential election between the incumbent centrist Emmanuel Macron and his hard-right challenger Marine Le Pen.
We'll hear from Newshour's James Coomarasamy in Dijon in the east of France about how voters across the political spectrum are united around cost-of-living concerns and how this could affect the vote.
Also in the programme: a Russian general says the aim of the offensive is to take control of the whole of southern and eastern Ukraine; how the war is pushing up food prices around the world and what that means for already impoverished South Sudan; and after a three-year upgrade, the world's largest particle accelerator resumes work.
(Photo shows Official campaign posters of 2022 French presidential election candidates are displayed on a billboard in Herbeville. Credit: Benoit Tessier/Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to seal off Ukrainian defenders inside the besieged port city of Mariupol. Some Ukrainian forces are still holding out. We'll hear from a commander inside the Azovstal steel plant.
Also today: A series of bomb attacks across Afghanistan have left dozens of people dead; and the women of Myanmar who have taken up arms against the military junta.
(Photo: Smoke rises above a plant of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, 21/04/2022. Credit: Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko
Russia says it controls Mariupol but Vladimir Putin orders his troops not to storm the Azovstal steel plant, where the last group of Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol is holding out
Moscow has promised a tight blockade on the industrial zone, but Ukraine says the battle for the port city is not over.
Also in the programme: We hear from some of the women of Myanmar who have taken up arms against the military junta, and how indigenous Sami art - instead of Nordic artworks - is being showcased at the Venice Biennale for the first time.
(Photo shows damaged buildings, with the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works plant in the background, in the southern port city of Mariupol, Credit: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
Ukraine's deputy prime minister has said an attempt to evacuate several thousand of the remaining civilians trapped in the devastated southern city of Mariupol has not gone to plan. The US ambassador to Kiyv, Kristina Kvien, blames Russia.
Also in the programme: Wimbledon to ban Russian and Belarussian players; and Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen go head-to-head in TV debate.
(Picture: A woman with a sign reading "Save Mariupol" and her hands tied on her back attends a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Prague, Czech Republic. Credit: REUTERS/David W Cerny)
A deadline issued by Russia for Ukrainian forces in Mariupol to surrender has passed with no sign that the defenders have surrendered. We hear from a former resident of Mariupol whose grandmother remains within the besieged city.
Also on the programme, the Solomon Islands in the Pacific has signed a wide-ranging security pact with China. And it's the final French presidential debate tonight ahead of the vote on Sunday. Will Marine Le Pen be able to persuade voters to choose her over incumbent President Macron?
(Picture: A local resident walks past a building destroyed in the southern port city of Mariupol. Credit: Reuters / Ermochenko)
On the first full day of the Russian offensive to capture the Donbas, Ukrainian forces say they're holding the line in the east of the country against a broad attack, despite intense bombardment in the Luhansk region.
Also in the programme: the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, has given what he called a wholehearted apology to parliament after he was fined for breaking Covid lockdown laws; and a Hazara student in Kabul tells us what life is like now for the predominantly Shia ethnic group on the day that six Hazara pupils were killed in a suspected targeted bomb attack.
(Photo: A Ukrainian serviceman with a dog stands on a position in a zone between Luhansk and Donetsk areas, Ukraine, 18 April 2022, amid increasing Russian troops activity. Credit: EPA/STR)
Russian forces are attacking along the entire 300-mile front line in the eastern Donbas region in Ukraine. Russian-backed fighters are also attempting to storm an industrial complex in the city of Mariupol where a thousand people are taking refuge. Also on the programme: India has been accused of undercounting its number of coronavirus deaths by an estimated 3.5 million and a new study suggests that excess weight significantly increases women’s risk of developing womb cancer.
(Photo: Russia's military focus is now on the Donbas region. AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine says Russian bombardment of cities across the country has killed at least nine people. Seven died when multiple missiles hit the western city of Lviv, which had largely escaped attack until now.
Russian state television has shown two British fighters captured in Ukraine asking for Britain's prime minister to help secure their release.
Also, doctors across Sri Lanka say hospitals are running out of medicines and essential supplies as the country's economic crisis worsens.
(Photo: Seven people died when multiple missiles hit the western city of Lviv, which had largely escaped attack until now. Credit: Reuters)
Russian forces have bombarded several Ukrainian cities including Lviv in the west. Seven people were killed after four missiles hit three military warehouses and one civilian target on the edge of the city. We'll hear the latest from BBC correspondents across Ukraine.
Also coming up on the programme: the authorities in Shanghai have reported their first official coronavirus deaths since 2020; and how NASA is beaming a message into outer space that will tell alien civilisations how to find us.
(Photo shows one of the sites targeted by Russian missile strike in Lviv, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters / Pavlo Palamarchuk)
After weeks of street fighting, air strikes and massive destruction, the fierce battle for the Ukrainian port of Mariupol has now become a battle for its steelworks.
We'll hear the latest as Ukraine's remaining troops gather for what Russia wants to be their last stand. Ukraine's prime minister Denys Shmyhal says the port city hasn't fallen because Ukraine's soldiers will fight to the end.
Also in the programme: we'll hear about the similarities between Russia's aggression in Chechnya and in Ukraine, and the violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in several Indian cities after incitement during religious festivals.
(Photo shows the Illich Steel and Iron Works in city of Mariupol, Ukraine on 15 April 2022. Credit: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
There's no sign that the Ukrainian soldiers defending the port city have heeded a Russian demand to surrender as a deadline passed. We hear from Simon Shuster, a reporter who’s currently in Kyiv and has been talking to one of the soldiers still holding out in Mariupol.
Also in the programme: how a Ukrainian celebrity chef is feeding refugees with big bowls of beetroot-based food during the war; and we'll hear about happiness, Finland-style.
(Photo: An Ukrainian flag near a destroyed building in Mariupol. Credit: Reuters)
A missile strike on a railway station packed with civilians escaping the fighting in eastern Ukraine has killed dozens of people. The mayor of Kramatorsk said 4,000 people were at the station at the time, mostly women, children and the elderly. Hundreds are reported injured.
Also in the programme: we hear about the humanitarian crisis after six weeks of war in Ukraine from UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths; and we hear from Sri Lanka where the opposition has demanded a no-confidence vote after the economic crisis.
(Photo: A shows the remains of a rocket after a missile strike hit the railway station in Kramatorsk, Donbass region, eastern Ukraine. Credit: BBC).
Ukraine would neither confirm nor deny it was behind the attack in Belgorod, which is not far from the border. A Ukrainian member of parliament tells us why he thinks Russia is to blame.
Also on the programme, efforts by the Red Cross to send aid into the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol and evacuate civilians have been called off for the second consecutive day. And, Pope Francis has apologised for the treatment of indigenous children in residential schools in Canada which were run by the Roman Catholic church.
(Photo: A view shows a fuel depot on fire in Belgorod 01/04/2022 Reuters)
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says he cannot confirm or deny reports of Ukraine's involvement in the strike on the fuel depot.
Also on the programme: we hear about India's relationship with Russia as their foreign ministers meet; and how an artificial pancreas could help with type 1 diabetes.
(Image: Damage following the oil refinery attack in Belgorod, Russia, on 1 April 2022. Credit: Anadolu Agency/Getty)
The Red Cross is planning the biggest relief and evacuation convoy yet into the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol.
It is the latest attempt to bring relief in -- and passage out -- for beleaguered residents of Mariupol, a city that has been laid waste since the start of the war five weeks ago.
Also in the programme: Vladimir Putin says exports of Russian gas will be stopped from Friday unless countries pay up in roubles, as US President Biden announces a record release of oil from the US's strategic reserve and a Turkish prosecutor asks to halt trial in the case of the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
(Photo shows a member of the red cross helping to organise refugees from Mariupol. Credit:Ty O'Neil/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The ICRC say their buses are on their way to Mariupol to evacuate civilians and provide aid, but can a ceasefire be agreed? We speak to a former Ukraine foreign minister.
Also on the programme, the Falkland Islands marks the 40th anniversary of the British-Argentine war. And, we visit the the Polish city of Lublin which has been widely praised for the way it's managed to integrate the refugees into local life.
(Photo: Destroyed buildings in Mariupol, Ukraine, 30/03/2022 Reuters)
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has again spoken to President Biden seeking further military support, as Russia continues its attacks against his country. Ukraine has warned that Russia is regrouping its forces to concentrate on attacking government-controlled parts of Donbas, the eastern area comprising the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Also in the programme: Pakistan’s Prime Minister faces a vote of no confidence; and Germany activates emergency plan designed to protect its energy supplies.
(Photo: A mural showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reading "Glory to Ukraine!" painted onto the sidewall of an apartment building in Krakow, Poland. CREDIT: EPA/Lukasz Gagulski)
Moscow had pledged to reduce military activity around Kyiv and Chernihiv - it says peace talks have yielded nothing very promising.
Also on the programme: a resident of Mariupol recounts how she was taken to Russia against her will; and two senior British judges resign from Hong Kong's highest court, saying China's national security law has made their position untenable.
(Photo: A Ukrainian serviceman hugs his mother after she was evacuated from Irpin town, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, on the outskirts of Kyiv. Credit: Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)
Ukraine said it would accept neutral status - meaning it would not join military alliances, including Nato, or host military bases - in return for security guarantees from other countries. We'll hear from a Ukrainian member of parliament. And from a military commander on the front-line close to Kyiv.
Also in the programme: a shooting in Israel is reported to have killed at least four people; and we hear from a little village in France where an immigrant community is not entirely welcome.
(Photo: Turkish President Erdogan addressing the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: EPA).
Russian negotiators have said Moscow has decided to -- in their words -- 'drastically reduce' military activity around the northern Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv, following peace talks in Turkey.
Also in the programme: British police are issuing 20 fines over parties held in government buildings during coronavirus lockdowns; and the BBC has investigated a graphic, grainy video purporting to show Ukrainian soldiers shooting Russian prisoners of war in the legs.
(Photo: A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows member of the Ukrainian delegation David Arakhamia (R), Head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, with Russian Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky (L) during a meeting as part of the Russian-Ukrainian talks at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, 29 March 2022. Credit: EPA/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service handout)
President Zelensky discusses potential areas of compromise with Russian journalists as the war in Ukraine enters an uncertain period. Alexander Rodnyansky advises President Zelensky on economic affairs and talks about what neutrality means in the current circumstances.
Also on the programme, China's financial capital, Shanghai, is currently facing stringent restrictions, because of a rise in coronavirus cases and it’s the start of the first ever so called ‘climate week’ in the Middle East and North Africa region.
(PIC: People walk through a destroyed residential in Kyiv, Ukraine. PHOTO: Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images)
The head of Ukrainian military intelligence says Russia wants to split the country in two in a so-called "Korean scenario" and the Russian-backed eastern Ukrainian rebel region of Luhansk says may hold a referendum on joining Russia. We hear from a resident of the city of Luhansk.
Also in the programme: El Salvador imposes a state of emergency; and foreign ministers from four Arab states visit the Negev desert for a summit hosted by Israel.
(Picture: A Ukrainian service member stands next to a damaged civilian bus in the town of Trostianets. Credit: REUTERS)
Israel hosts an historic summit with four foreign ministers of Arab countries, plus the US, at which the nuclear deal with Iran will be discussed; what now stands in the way of agreement?
Also in the programme: the US Secretary of State denies the United States has plans to bring about regime change in Moscow. And does Russia have plans to split Ukraine in half "like North and South Korea"?
(Photo: a general view of the Kedma hotel ahead of "The Negev Summit" to be hosted by Israel"s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt, in Sde Boker, Israel, March 27, 2022 / Credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
President Biden has said Ukraine's resistance to the Russian invasion is part of a great battle for freedom, warning of a long fight ahead. In a speech in the Polish capital, Warsaw, he accused Russia of trying to strangle democracy in Ukraine and of wanting to do so elsewhere. Earlier he described Mr Putin as a butcher. The Kremlin responded, saying Mr Biden's words diminished the chances of mending relations between Moscow and Washington.
About two dozen, mainly female, protesters gathered close to the Taliban's Ministry of Education on Saturday morning, calling on the group to reopen girls' secondary schools.
And the mystery of the Russian super-yacht that hasn't been impounded.
(Photo: US President Joe Biden speaking in the Polish capital Warsaw. Credit: Reuters)
Has Russia's military focus in Ukraine shifted, and if so, why? Ukraine's President Zelensky calls on President Putin to engage in serious talks to end the conflict; we hear a Russian response. And we report from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, on how residents are adapting to life under the pressure of war.
Also in the programme: Zimbabweans vote in parliamentary by-elections that are being contested for the first time by a new opposition party.
(Photo: People listen to classical music performed by local musicians in a metro station that serves as a bomb shelter in Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 26, 2022 / Credit: REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
President Zelensky of Ukraine addresses the German parliament warning his country faces an existential threat from Russia. We hear from a German MP in the governing coalition.
Also in the programme: we report on the people in Ukraine reaching out to the families of captured Russian soldiers; and a new theoretical approach to black holes appears to solve one of the biggest problems in our understanding of the universe.
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (on screens) delivers a video address to the German parliament in Berlin, Germany, 17 March 2022./ Credit: EPA / Clemens Bilan)
The Ukrainian authorities say Russian forces have bombed a theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol that was being used by large numbers of civilians as a shelter. Meanwhile, a convoy leaving the city has been bombed. We hear from a woman who was in the convoy.
Also in this programme, we're in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and we have a special report from western Afghanistan where children are dying of famine.
(Photo: A view shows Donetsk Regional Theatre of Drama destroyed by an airstrike in Mariupol, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters/ Press service of the Donetsk Regional Civil-Military Administration)
President Volodymyr Zelensky has used a rare live address to the US Congress to make an emotional appeal for more help to fight off the Russian invasion. Speaking by video link from Kyiv, Mr Zelensky again pleaded with America to impose a no fly zone over his country's skies or at least to supply fighter jets.
A British-Iranian woman, who's been detained in Iran for nearly six years, is heading home. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was accused of plotting to overthrow Iran's government, which she denied. She was freed along with another British-Iranian, Anousheh Ashouri.
And how children are bearing the brunt of Afghanistan's economic collapse.
(Photo: The Ukrainian president was greeted with a standing ovation from the assembled US politicians. Credit: EPA)
The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia have arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, for a meeting with President Zelensky. Their arrival coincided with the start of a curfew in the city. The Czech foreign minister tells us why the visit is so important.
Also on the programme, we hear from a woman who managed to escape the besieged city of Mariupol which has been pummelled by Russia artillery over the last two weeks And, Newshour’s Tim Franks attends the funeral in Lviv of four soldiers killed in Saturday's missile strikes.
(Photo: A handout photo made available via the Polish Prime Minister"s twitter account shows (L-R) Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansa, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, leader of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala talk over a map in a train to Kyiv, Ukraine, 15 March 2022. EPA/TWITTER/@MorawieckiM)
Russian troops are moving closer to the centre of Ukraine's capital Kyiv as missile strikes against the capital continue. A series of powerful explosions rocked some residential districts of Kyiv last night, killing at least two people. Roughly one third of Kyiv residents have not left. Other cities are under fierce siege by Russian troops. We get the latest from Kyiv and our Tim Franks is in Lviv talking to people there. We also interview a former Russian prime minister, now in exile, about the growing danger of protests against the Kremlin.
Also on the programme: The British-Iranian aid worker, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – who has been detained in Iran for more than five years – has been given her passport back; and a court in India has upheld a ban on wearing the Hijab at school, following weeks of protests.
(Photo: Several residential buildings in Kyiv have been struck by Russian shelling. Credit: Orla Guerin).
The authorities in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol say a convoy of around 160 civilian vehicles has managed to leave the city. The deputy mayor said it was made up of private citizens desperate to escape the Russian bombardment and the now catastrophic conditions. We hear from an advisor to the Mayor of Mariupol.
We're also in the capital Kyiv, the western city of Lviv and we go to Moscow where the voices of anti-war protestors are being driven underground.
(Photo: A satellite image shows a view of fires in an industrial area in the western section of Mariupol. 12/03/2022 Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)
The fourth round of talks between Russia and Ukraine have begun. Kyiv’s lead negotiator, Mikhailo Podolyak, described negotiations as “hard”. He went on to say he believed Russia "still has a delusion that 19 days of violence against (Ukrainian) peaceful cities is the right strategy."
NewsHour’s Tim Franks joins the programme live from Lviv.
Also in the programme: We hear from former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko; and drastic changes to global energy supply plans.
(Photo: Ukrainian military personnel prepare for a change of guard, in their room at an army barracks, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, in Odessa, Ukraine, March 14, 2022. CREDIT: REUTERS/Nacho Doce)
Ukraine says up to 30 Russian missiles were fired at a military training base in the west of the country. We hear from our correspondent in the nearby city of Lviv, and from the mayor of the city, Andriy Sadovyi.
Also in the programme, an Iranian attack on the city of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. We speak to a journalist in Erbil.
(PHOTO: Military Chaplain Nikolay Medynsky reads a prayer before blessing Ukrainian servicemen and their weapons before they go into battle, as Russia"s attack on the Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 13, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
Russian forces have made further gains in the south of the country, capturing parts of the city of Mariupol. Intense fighting has also been heard just outside the capital Kyiv, where about half the population has now fled. We hear from an MP who's decided to stay behind with his young family.
Also in the programme: as a new Iran nuclear deal stalls over new Russian demands related to the sanctions over Ukraine, Britain, France and Germany have warned against any attempts to "exploit" the nuclear negotiations.
(Photo: Ukrainian combat medics sort medications at the medical supply base, in Brovary, Kyiv region, Ukraine, 11 March 2022 / Credit: EPA / Roman Pilipey)
Ukrainian forces fear Russia may be about to launch a large-scale assault on the capital, one of their key targets. We hear the latest from our correspondents on the ground and speak to Ukrainian President Zelensky's advisor Alexander Rodnyansk.
Also on the programme, Ukraine's small neighbouring country Moldova faces being overwhelmed by refugees escaping a possible assault on Odesa. And a look at the how the Russian economy is standing up to crippling international sanctions.
(Photo: A warehouse storing frozen products is seen on fire after shelling, as Russia"s attack on Ukraine continues, in the village of Kvitneve in Kyiv region, Ukraine. March 12, 2022. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS)
Over the past two weeks, the invading Russian forces have laid siege to the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Ukraine's Interior Ministry has today described the conditions there as "critical" and has expressed doubt that a convoy of humanitarian aid trying to get there will reach its destination. We hear from Mery Akopyan, the Deputy Interior Minister.
Also in the programme: Russia is ridiculed at the UN Security Council for claiming that Ukraine is trying to develop biological weapons with the help of the US, and we have a report from the frontline, talking to Ukrainian soldiers in the country's second city Kharkiv.
(Photo: Debris is seen on site of the destroyed Mariupol children"s hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine Credit: Ukraine Military/Reuters)
Russian forces have been expanding their attacks in Ukraine. The central city of Dnipro was hit by three Russian air strikes, damaging an apartment block and a kindergarten and the mayor of Kharkiv says the city is under non-stop bombardment.
Also in the programme: the economic effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine are being felt across the world. We hear from Africa, where Russia and Ukraine are the world’s largest exporters of wheat and corn; and, two years after Covid-19 was declared a pandemic, research suggests the true death toll may considerably higher than thought.
(Photo: Firefighters work at the site of an airstrike, amid the ongoing Russian invasion, in Novokodatsky district, Dnipro, Ukraine March 11, 2022 in this handout video still image. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS)
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says a maternity hospital bombed by Russian forces in the port city of Mariupol was taken over the far-right Azov Battalion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Lavrov's claim is a lie.
Also in the programme: We hear from the United Nations on Ukraine's worsening refugee crisis and Chelsea FC's Russian owner is sanctioned by the UK.
(Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Credit: Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS)
European scientists say they have made a major breakthrough in their quest to develop practical nuclear fusion - the energy process that powers the stars. If it’s successfully recreated on Earth it holds out the potential of unlimited supplies of low-carbon energy.
Also on the programme: A prominent Ugandan author, charged with insulting the President ,has fled the country in fear of his life; and world leaders are under pressure to come up with an agreement to protect the world's oceans.
(Picture: The JET reactor. Credit: UKAEA)
Following his talks with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, the French leader said their willingness to resolve the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine by implementing the stalled Minsk accords was the only way to ease the current crisis.
Also on the programme: Over 900,000 deaths and counting, why is the US Covid death rate so much higher than in other rich countries? And the retired Pope Benedict admits to "errors in the handling of child abuse cases" before he became Pontiff, when he was the Archbishop of Munich.
(Picture: President Zelensky of Ukraine and Macron of France. Credit: Reuters)
President Macron of France -- on a visit to Ukraine -- says there can be a concrete solution to the crisis in relations with Russia. We hear from Ukrainian MP Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
Also in the programme: Zemmour's quest for 500 votes; and collusion in Northern Ireland.
(Picture: French President Macron in Kiev. Credit: EPA/Thibault Camus)
Diplomatic efforts to reduce the risk of conflict in Ukraine intensify. Meanwhile the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has flown to Washington speak to Joe Biden.
Also on the programme, Israel's government says it will set up a commission of inquiry to examine allegations that the police used the Pegasus spyware to hack the phones of Israeli public figures without authorisation. And we hear about new spinal implant, developed in Switzerland, which has allowed a man who was completely paralysed to walk again.
(Picture: President Putin and President Macron in Moscow. Credit: Reuters)
Intensive diplomatic efforts are continuing to calm tensions between Western powers and Russia over Ukraine. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will hold talks in Moscow with President Putin.
Also in the programme: EU leaders criticised for loose vaccine talk; and are global companies overstating their green credentials?
(Picture: French President Emmanuel Macron gestures at the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Home Affairs in Tourcoing, France. Credit: REUTERS)
The United Nations children’s agency has condemned the continuing detention of children in a Syrian prison attacked by fighters from the Islamic State group last month. Unicef has just visited the jail and says the conditions facing children there are 'precarious'.
Also in the programme: Senegal beat Egypt on penalties to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time; and we hear from the AU Special Envoy on Youth.
(Photo: US soldiers along with Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) take part in a mop-up operation in Hasaka, northeastern Syria on 29 January 2022. The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that they had retaken full control of Ghwayran prison in the city of Hasaka and re-arrested dozens of jihadists holed up in the prison and in nearby houses, after a major jailbreak attempt from the so-called Islamic State group (IS or ISIS) militants. Credit: EPA/Stringer)
Madagascar's environment minister says Cyclone Batsirai -- which is making its way across the island -- has displaced tens of thousands of people and destroyed many buildings
Batsirai is the second major storm to hit the island in less than two weeks. Gusts have hit speeds of 235km/h and high waves battered coastal areas.
Also in the programme: Large crowds have gathered in Mumbai for the funeral of one of India's greatest ever singing stars, Lata Mangeshkar, who has died at the age of 92; and we'll speak to the first woman to referee an Africa Cup of Nations football match.
(Photo shows locals removing mud from a damaged road following a landslide, as Cyclone Batsirai hits Madagascar, in Haute Matsiatra region, Madagascar Credit: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters)
Four journalists were killed in Mexico in January, the most violent month for the profession in a decade. The surge in attacks against media workers has left vast swaths of the country in an information blackout.
Also in the programme: Rescue workers have emerged from a tunnel carrying a five-year-old boy who fell on a 32 metre well on Tuesday; and as western governments and NATO line up against Russia, President Putin has been strengthening ties with China.
(Photo: Members of the press protest to reject violence against their colleagues.Credit: EPA).
The chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has opened a summit in Ethiopia with a call for greater cooperation to tackle political instability, following several recent military coups.
Also in the programme: In Morocco the attempt to rescue a five year old boy who's been trapped down a deep well for several days has captivated the country and the wider Arab world; and Philosophy Professor, Olufemi Taiwo, argues that reparations for what he calls "global racial empire" are closely linked to climate justice and should focus less on the past and present and more on remaking the world.
(Photo: Heads of states and delegates pose for the group photo during the 35th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union at the African Union Commission headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 5 February 2022. Credit: Reuters/Tiksa Negeri)
The Winter Olympics is officially underway after the Olympic cauldron was lit in a restrained opening ceremony in Beijing. We hear from a Uighur now living in exile in the US who, back in 2008, carried the Olympic torch for China.
Also in the programme: Ukraine's fallen soldiers; and taking ice cores from Everest.
(Picture: The view outside the Bird's Nest Stadium during the opening ceremony. Credit: REUTERS)
The event has been overshadowed by a diplomatic boycott by several nations because of China's alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
President Putin of Russia is one of the few world leaders to attend the ceremony, he has just had a face to face meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. How strong are the bonds between Russia and China really?
Also on the programme: scientists in South Africa have developed their own version of the Moderna covid vaccine. And how credible are US claims that Russia may make a "propaganda video" showing fake Ukrainian attacks to justify an invasion?
(Picture: Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Credit: Reuters / Peter)
US President Joe Biden says the leader of the Islamic State group has been killed in a US special forces raid in north-west Syria. Mr Biden said Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi detonated a bomb that killed himself and members of his own family "in a final act of desperate cowardice".
Also in the programme: what role can Turkey play in the Ukraine-Russia crisis? And why Rotterdam is dismantling a historic bridge to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to pass through.
(Photo: A surveillance image shows a compound housing the leader of the Islamic State jihadist group Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi. Credit: Department of Defense/Handout via Reuters)
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is visiting Kyiv as diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis sparked by the massing of Russian troops on Ukraine's border continue.
Also: shares in Spotify and a number of social media companies have suffered big falls; and the illegal Brazilian gold you may be wearing.
(Picture: Russian TV has shown pictures of tank exercises close to the border with Ukraine Credit: Russian Defence Ministry)
The US announces 3,000 additional troops will support Nato in eastern Europe. We hear from Evelyn Farkas, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence, with responsibility for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia.
Also in the programme: EU policy on nuclear and gas energy; and Iranian metal music.
(Picture: Onboard a U.S. aircraft carrier in times of Ukraine/Russia tensions Credit: Reuters)
Students have returned to some public universities in Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban seized power in August last year.
But the Islamist authorities have said male and female students should be segregated and the curriculum based on religious principles.
Also in the programme: how insecurity in west Africa is forcing people from their homes; climate change is causing British plants to flower almost a month earlier; and on the 100th anniversary of Ulysses, why is James Joyce's ground-breaking Modernist novel still relevant today?
(Photo shows Taliban fighters standing guard at the main gate of Laghman University in Mihtarlam, Laghman province on 2 February 2022. Credit: Mohd Rasfan/AFP)
Beijing's new national security office in Hong Kong has been officially opened, placing mainland Chinese intelligence agents into the heart of the territory.
Also in the programme: We have a special report from Nigeria where there's a reluctance to believe that Covid-19 exists; and anger over US decision on foreign students' visas.
(Photo: The Chinese flag was raised outside the office in Causeway Bay. Credit: AFP)
President Trump has used his Independence Day address to renew his attack on those he says are seeking to erase American history. Also in the programme: The global reach of China's new Hong Kong security law; and we hear from an enthusiastic supporter of President Putin after he secured the possibility of another 16 years at Russia's helm.
(Photo: President Donald Trump and first Lady Melania Trump at an event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
England has taken another significant step out of its coronavirus lockdown as pubs, restaurants and hairdressers reopen.
Also in the programme: How Covid-19 could have been avoided and how the Jewish community in Moscow is dealing with the pandemic (Photo: a group of friends give a toast in a pub with their drinks. Credit: PA Media)
Twenty Saudi nationals are being tried in absentia by a Turkish court, over the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Also in the programme: An explosion at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility is claimed by an unknown group calling themselves 'Cheetahs of the Homeland'; and how coronavirus outbreaks could be detected early in sewage.
Photo: A candlelit vigil is held for journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Credit: Reuters
As the US registers 50,000 new virus cases in a single day, we hear from the country's leading disease control expert, Anthony Fauci, and look at the psychology of facemasks.
Also in the programme: Turkey struggles with the future of one of the world's great religious buildings, Hagia Sofia; the perils of jade mining in Myanmar; and we ask how many residents might leave Hong Kong as China tightens its control.
(Picture: New York Public Library lion statues wear masks in COVID-19 awareness campaign. Credit: EPA/PETER FOLEY)