Newshour
BBC World Service
The world's newsroom — breaking news, expert analysis, and authoritative reporting from BBC.
Recent episodes
Country music legend Dolly Parton dies
Aug 25, 2026The country music legend Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 in Nashville, Tennessee. In a seven-decade career, she won 10 Grammy awards, sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and wrote in excess of 3,000 songs. We'll be looking back at her life and legacy. Also in the programme: the United Nations and the Red Cross have called for urgent negotiations to restrict the use of autonomous weapons; and why the Indian government is sending onions across the country. (Photo: The American cou
42m 19s
China to protect its interests in wake of US Iran sanctions
Aug 25, 2026China has vowed to protect its interests after the US announced plans to widen economic sanctions against Iran and its trading partners, which include Beijing. Will China scupper the squeeze on Iran? Also in the programme: the UN and Red Cross call for urgent new laws to police fully autonomous weapons, an at-home test kit for cervical cancer. and can Australia keep AI out of music? (Photo: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a press conference to outline further sanctions against Iran,in
47m 15s
US announces 'economic onslaught' against Iran
Aug 24, 2026The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has unveiled a wave of sanctions aimed at isolating Iran's economy and says that other countries will be pressured to comply. But will the US deliver on its threats? Also in the programme: a group of cricket legends urges Pakistan to give the former prime minister, Imran Khan, proper medical care; and the edible cookie made from plastic waste. (Photo: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference to outline further sanctions agains
47m 27s
US warns of 'economic D-Day' against Iran
Aug 24, 2026The US treasury secretary has threatened Iran with "the single greatest financial offensive ever", claiming the US-Israel war with Iran was "entering its endgame". Scott Bessent said the US would sever all economic ties with the country in "an economic D-Day" and that any nation partnering with Iran financially would also be isolated. Will it work? Also in the programme: A blueprint for new weapons for Ukraine; the Taliban answers questions about its treatment of women; and the rare British bird
47m 27s
Iran’s currency hits an all-time low against the US dollar
Aug 23, 2026Iran’s currency, the rial, has hit a record low, trading at over 2 million rials to the dollar on unofficial markets. The devaluation comes a day before the United States is due to impose what US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant described as “the toughest sanctions in history” on Tehran. Iran was struggling financially even before the start of its ongoing conflict with the US and Israel, nearly six months ago. Also in the programme: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns against holding wa
37m 28s
Ukraine's former defence minister repeats call for elections
Aug 23, 2026Ukraine's popular former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov tells the BBC he still wants nationwide elections, despite his country being at war. We hear a response from a supporter of President Zelensky. Also in the programme: how the Trump White House has turned one of the US's big sporting occasions into a political event; and diplomatic conflict between the UK and Russia, as Moscow apparently withdraws its ambassador from London. (IMAGE: Mykhailo Fedorov, who was at the time Ukraine's minister
38m 7s
Canada to impose retaliatory tariffs on US
Aug 22, 2026Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, has confirmed he'll impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States next month, saying trade talks collapsed because Washington made unacceptable demands. Also on the programme, the editor-in-chief and a reporter from the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes have been fired for 'insubordination', South Korea's first container ship to trial the much shorter and safer route to Europe via the Arctic has begun its journey, and a look at the event dubbed the "
45m 27s
EU condemns Russian attack on Ukrainian shopping centre
Aug 22, 2026Rescuers in the central city of Kryvyi Rih are continuing to search for survivors of Friday's daytime drone attack on a shopping centre. We hear from the EU ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, about what the EU can do following a week of Russian attacks. Also on the programme: we hear about how sharks are inhaling caffeine; and the music video maker Tim Pope on his life putting rock stars on film.
46m 11s
How could El Niño affect us?
Aug 21, 2026Weather experts are warning that a developing El Niño weather system could become the strongest since modern records began. The effects of El Niño on weather patterns are already being felt. Also in the programme: Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been returned to prison after being in hospital; and a new book on the violent career of Carlos the Jackal. (Picture: Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in Indonesia. A severe dry season, intensified by El Nino has fueled wildfires. C
47m 29s
Largest El Niño in living memory?
Aug 21, 2026Weather experts describe the developing climate system as an unprecedented event. Temperatures in the Pacific Ocean could climb more than three degrees above normal. Also in the programme: the Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen speaks to Newshour about the legal case against Facebook's parent company for improperly collecting and using children's personal data; and dramatising the colourful life of the British economist John Maynard Keynes. (Photo: Mexico says mass bird deaths likely caused b
42m 59s
Fears Ukraine will run out of missile defences
Aug 20, 202615 people were killed in a Russian strike on Kyiv today, and the Ukrainian government has made an urgent request for more interceptor missiles. We hear from the BBC’s correspondent on the ground in the capital. Also on the programme: a new batch of 70,000 vaccines is being sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to try to contain the fastest-spreading outbreak of Ebola on record. And the 26-year-old car salesman who has been recognised as Belgian royalty after a DNA test proved he was the son o
45m 28s
Mayor of Kyiv says Ukraine needs more help
Aug 20, 2026The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, has told the BBC that Ukraine needs more help from its partners to protect civilians, after another intense Russian bombardment overnight. Also in the programme: a court in China has sentenced the founder of the collapsed property firm Evergrande to life in jail; and we ask why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are coming back to live in the UK. (Photo: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko visits the site of a building damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's a
47m 29s
Israel opens criminal investigation into Hind Rajab killing
Aug 19, 2026In a rare move the Israeli military has opened a criminal investigation into how its soldiers opened fire on a car carrying a five-year-old Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab, and a separate incident in which fifteen aid and emergency workers were killed in Rafah in 2025. Also on the programme: a second man is arrested on suspicion of bombing the Nord Stream pipeline, and why thousands of jellyfish are washing up on Europe's coastlines. (Photo: Hind Rajab, who was killed along with six relatives in Ga
47m 30s
Ukraine's former defence minister calls for election
Aug 19, 2026Ukraine's former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov has called for elections - which are barred in wartime under Ukrainian law. A representative of the Presidential Office has told the BBC that it would be bizarre to plan elections amidst missiles and drones. Earlier, around two hundred protestors gathered outside Ukraine's parliament, in protest against the swearing in of the new defence minister, who replaces Mr Fedorov. Also in the programme: Prime Minister Andy Burnham sets out homelessness
42m 16s
Opening of Meta trial on social media addiction claims
Aug 18, 2026A landmark trial has begun in California with the tech giant Meta accused of deliberately making Facebook and Instagram addictive to children. We'll hear the case for the prosecution and the defence. Also on the programme: a court in Damascus sentences to death a cousin of the deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad; and how short-sighted tree-shrews could be a big help to humans. (Photo: A woman holds a smartphone with a Facebook logo in front of a displayed logo for Meta in this illustration picture
47m 29s
Intense overnight attacks in both Russia and Ukraine
Aug 18, 2026Nine people have been killed and 23 injured, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on Russia, local officials have said. Russian attacks on Ukraine also killed at least seven people and injured more than 39 on Saturday night. We hear from Kyiv and Moscow. Also on the programme: Pakistan's Supreme Court orders authorities to move former prime minister Imran Khan to hospital from jail for health check-ups, we hear from his adviser; and, how thieves made off with valuable works by Renaissance pai
47m 30s
No breakthrough on stalled Gaza deal
Aug 17, 2026Lengthy talks between President Trump's envoy, Jared Kushner, and the Israeli Prime Minister have failed to achieve a breakthrough on the Gaza peace proposals. We'll hear from Israel and from a former Hamas official in Gaza. Also on the programme: a prominent Russian anti-war politician, Lev Shlosberg, has been sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony; and the best-selling author Annie Jacobsen tells us what governments are missing when it comes to the threat of biological weapons. (Photo: US Pre
47m 14s
Kushner meets Netanyahu after Hamas talks on peace plan
Aug 17, 2026President Trump's Middle East envoy, Jared Kushner, has met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he seeks Israeli backing for the US-backed Gaza peace plan. Mr Netanyahu has rejected the proposals. Israeli officials said today's meeting focused on elements that could be agreed. Also on the programme: Mr Trump says he's scaling back joint military exercises with South Korea, describing them as "inappropriate and hostile" towards the North; after nearly three decades, opening statements are due to
47m 11s
Brazil's campaign for president begins
Aug 16, 2026President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has promised Brazilians he will not stop fighting to secure them a better future as he launched his campaign for re-election. In a speech in a Sao Paulo stadium, the 80 year-old said he understood his fellow countrymen much better than more privileged people - a dig at his main rival, Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the former president. The right-wing candidate kicked off his campaign on Copacabana Beach in Rio by promising to get tough on crime. Also in the pro
47m 31s
Rescue efforts continue in Indonesia
Aug 16, 2026About 5000 people have been displaced on Indonesia's Flores island, after an earthquake hit the region, followed by hundreds of aftershocks. Many families spent the night in makeshift shelters outside their collapsed homes. They say they are not receiving enough help from Jakarta. Also in the programme: New South Wales is launching a gun buyback scheme; and President Lula da Silva launches his re-election campaign in Brazil. (Photo: Evacuees affected by an earthquake stay in temporary shelters i
47m 29s
Was the US right to leave Afghanistan?
Aug 15, 2026The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have been celebrating the fifth anniversary of their return to power in Kabul. But they continue to face allegations of severe repression of women and girls, who are now virtually excluded from all public life. The BBC's Lyse Doucet has an assessment of life under the Taliban and she talks to two former BBC Afghan journalists who managed to escape rule under the Taliban. Also in the programme: Israel has defended its deadly strikes across southern Lebanon,
38m 56s
Taliban celebrates five years since they took control of Afghanistan
Aug 15, 2026The Taliban is celebrating 5 years since they seized-back control of Afghanistan - with parades and events that women are banned from joining. The BBC's Lyse Doucet joins us live from Kabul with an assessment of life under the Taliban, and why so many women fear for their safety with the extremists back in charge. Also in the programme: We'll have the latest on the Indonesian earthquake; we'll discuss what impact Ukrainian attacks are having on Russian civilians; and we'll hear from the musician
41m 1s
Afghanistan: Five years after the Taliban takeover
Aug 14, 2026The BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, returns to Afghanistan to report on the state of the country after five years of Taliban rule. She also brings us an interview with Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Later, we hear from the American four-star general David Petraeus, who led US forces in Afghanistan for a year. Also in the programme: Colombian Vice-President Jose Manuel Restrepo on how his country has handled the aftermath of last week's earthquake; and the BBC Proms f
42m 48s
Life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule
Aug 14, 2026This week marks five years since the Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, seizing back power. In those five years, girls’ and women’s rights have drastically worsened, as has the country’s humanitarian situation. We hear from the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, who has been travelling to Afghanistan for many years and has returned again now to report on life under Taliban rule, five years on from the 2021 Taliban takeover. Also in the programme: extreme rainfall
49m 4s
13/08/2026 20:06 GMT
Aug 13, 2026Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
47m 30s
US ambassador to Israel denounces settler siege on Palestinians
Aug 13, 2026The US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has said that Washington has been very involved in efforts to end the siege in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers and remove what he called “Israeli terrorists”. Also on the programme: Taiwan's Foreign Minister tells us Pacific nations need to act together to counter Chinese aggression while hoping the US will remain involved; and why did Joshua Kushner buy the LA Lakers for more than $12.5bn in a record-breaking deal? (Photo: Israeli settlers
48m 26s
Solar eclipse visible across large parts of Europe
Aug 12, 2026Millions of people on the western fringes of Europe have witnessed their first total solar eclipse of this century. Also in the programme: Israeli settlers are continuing to trap two Palestinian families in their homes in the occupied West Bank, after clashing earlier with the Israeli security forces; what was behind the mass poisoning of 14 elephants in Kenya -- a terrible accident or deliberate harm?; and Spotify says it's cracking down on AI generated music to protect HUMAN artists. (Photo: P
47m 30s
IDF clashes with settlers surrounding Palestinian homes
Aug 12, 2026The security forces moved in to try to force the settlers away from the homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus. But reports from the scene say more settlers then arrived, and the security forces withdrew. Also on the programme: Germany is planning to loosen restrictions on its spy agencies to counter domestic and foreign threats; and we hear from an Italian scientist preparing a new solar instrument to measure the Sun's corona during the eclipse. (Photo: A view shows Nablus city in the I
47m 28s
Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia
Aug 11, 2026A court in Syria has sentenced the ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, to death for crimes against humanity committed during the country's civil war. His cousin who was in charge of political security in Daraa province where the uprising began was also sentenced to death. We find out how the ruling has been received in Syria and whether justice has been served. Also in the programme: Does the earthquake in Colombia pose a challenge for the newly inaugurated president, Abelardo de la Espriella? An
47m 31s
Search for survivors after Colombia earthquake
Aug 11, 2026Rescuers 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
39m 37s