Newshour
BBC World Service
The world's newsroom — breaking news, expert analysis, and authoritative reporting from BBC.
Recent episodes
Venezuela: Thousands of people are still missing
Jun 28, 2026Hopes of finding more survivors are fading, three days after the earthquakes. We'll hear from the affected areas. Also on the programme: Uganda's military shuts down the country's largest independent news organisation. And the World Cup reaches its knockout stage. (Picture: Ruined buildings in La Guaira, Venezuela.CREDIT: Reuters)
47m 25s
US and Iran exchange strikes straining fragile ceasefire
Jun 28, 2026Iran warns against any challenge to its control of the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran and Washington accuse each other of violating their ceasefire again - just how fragile is it? Also on the programme: as hopes fade of finding survivors of Venezuela's earthquakes, we'll be reporting from the city worst-hit by the disaster; and press freedom in Uganda is under threat as the army chief vows to shut down one of its leading independent media groups. (Photo: An Iranian woman walks past an anti-Israeli m
49m 29s
Venezuela earthquakes: death toll passes 1,400
Jun 27, 2026More than 1,400 people have been killed and 3,360 others injured in the Venezuela earthquakes, according to the government, as rescuers keep searching for survivors and families wait desperately for news. Also on the programme, an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz has been struck by an unidentified projectile, following the first exchange of fire between the US and Iran since their deal to end hostilities; and we hear from the official chef for Norway's World Cup team. (Photo: Members of the El
42m 16s
Rescue efforts continue after deadly Venezuela earthquakes
Jun 27, 2026As Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez says she has faith and hope that survivors of Wednesday's earthquakes will be rescued - we hear about the reality from Carcas. Also on the programme: after the US Supreme Court removes the protected status from hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in America, we hear from one woman who could be affected; and an appreciation of Mel Brooks - as the comedy legend turns 100 years old. (Photo: Family members react as firefighters and volunteers work
47m 21s
Nearly 1,000 people are confirmed dead in Venezuela and many still missing
Jun 26, 2026Venezuela's government has promised that aid will reach affected areas- but already criticism of their response is growing. We speak with a professor of politics in Caracas to find out what she thinks of the response. A crucial World Cup match between Egypt and Iran in Seattle later today will unfold against the backdrop of the city’s annual Pride celebrations, Homosexuality and any symbols of pride are criminalized in both Iran and Egypt. We take you there to hear what it sounds like. And movie
39m 28s
Hundreds dead in Venezuela earthquakes
Jun 26, 2026With many believed to still be buried beneath rubble, Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, has said UN-certified rescuers would be joining the search for survivors. The United States is deploying two warships, along with transport planes and helicopters. Specialists from Turkey, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK will also be involved. Also on the programme: a World Cup match between Iran and Egypt in Seattle causes friction as it coincides with the city’s Pride celebr
39m 26s
Rescuers search for thousands trapped after Venezuela quake
Jun 25, 2026At least 180 people are now confirmed to have died in northern Venezuela after two powerful back-to-back earthquakes. Thousands are still unaccounted for. We hear from two people whose homes have been destroyed. Also in the programme; the owners of Hong Kong's last independent bookshop are arrested; and how scientists have managed to read ancient papyrus scrolls burned to a cinder when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Photo: People on motorbikes drive past damaged buildings following the twin earthqua
38m 26s
Two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela
Jun 25, 2026A huge rescue and recovery operation is underway across northern Venezuela after two back-to-back earthquakes struck overnight. At least 164 people have died, but experts say the number could well rise to thousands as the extent of the damage becomes clear. Also in the programme: The French government's response to the heatwave; and how Canadian football fans are trying to be cheerful about moving to the US. (Photo: A firefighter looks for his sister and nephew in the earthquake rubble of a buil
47m 43s
Europe heatwave: UK breaks June temperature record
Jun 24, 2026The UK today broke its June temperature record as a heatwave continues to engulf Europe. In Finistere in north-west France, 68, 000 people are without power, after the heat knocked out generating equipment We hear how the heat is affecting people across Europe - and how it compares with the most recent major heatwave in August 2003. Also on the programme: US officials say America has supplied doses of an experimental antibody to help fight the growing outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic
47m 29s
Ukraine hits energy facilities in Crimea
Jun 24, 2026Ukraine has been intensifying attacks across Crimea as it attempts to cut off the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. The authorities have been forced to suspend fuel sales to the public. Also on the programme: hundreds of schools in the UK are closed as temperatures in Western Europe hit new highs; and why sperm whales use different dialects depending on where they swim in the Mediterranean Sea. (Photo: A satellite image shows burning oil storage tanks and smoke rising from the Crimea Bridge a
47m 28s
Europe heatwave: Drowning deaths soar in France
Jun 23, 2026A searing heatwave in western Europe is continuing to break records, with France registering its hottest-ever average daily temperature. Forty people have drowned in heatwave-related deaths there since Thursday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has said. Also on the programme: Afghanistan’s Taliban government says a delegation has met European Union officials in Brussels, to discuss migration; and the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC is set to be drained as US President Donald Trump again blamed
48m 28s
Record high temperatures across Western Europe
Jun 23, 2026Schools have closed in France. A nuclear power plant near Toulouse has been forced to switch off a reactor. Nuclear power plants cannot operate correctly without enough water of the right temperature to cool down reactors. When these temperatures climb too high, the reactors need to be shut down to avoid environmental damage caused by hot water being discharged into local water courses. Also on the programme: the newly discovered manuscript containing composition lessons by Mozart; and the conti
47m 12s
Favourite to replace Starmer as British PM sworn in to Parliament
Jun 22, 2026As British Prime Ministerial hopeful Andy Burnham is sworn in as a Member of Parliament, we ask one of his supporters in the government when she decided Keir Starmer should go. Also in the programme: Former Chairman of the US Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan dies aged 100; and we hear about the "ballista spider" that sets an elasticated trap is discovered in the Australian rainforest. Photo: Andy Burnham is sworn in as a Member of Parliament in London, UK. Credit: HOUSE OF COMMONS HANDOUT/EPA/Shut
47m 29s
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigns
Jun 22, 2026He has said he will stay on as UK prime minister until his successor is in place. Also on the programme: Colombia's new president promises to take a tough stance on drug traffickers and armed gangs; and Cape Verde’s World Cup fairytale continues. (Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer on the steps of 10 Downing Street, London, after his speech where he said he will resign as leader of the Labour Party Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire )
47m 17s
Colombians vote in a stark choice between left and right
Jun 21, 2026Colombians are voting in a presidential run-off election. The vote pits a leftist reformer against a right-wing political newcomer who wants to use force to combat drug cartels and rebel groups. Abelardo de la Espriella, who's backed by President Trump, has vowed to wage a full-scale military campaign in contrast to Senator Ivan Cepeda who's promising to continue the less confrontational policies of the outgoing president, Gustavo Petro. Also in the programme: US Vice-President JD Vance describe
47m 28s
Negotiators in talks on US-Iran peace deal
Jun 21, 2026Negotiators from the United States and Iran are in Switzerland for talks aimed at turning their ceasefire into a lasting peace deal. The talks are going on despite the Iranian military saying it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again over Israel's attacks on southern Lebanon. Also in the programme: The stark choice facing voters in Colombia today; and why athletes are protesting against fossil fuel companies during the FIFA men's World Cup. [Photo shows Iranian parliament speaker and negotiating
47m 28s
Iran says it has closed Strait of Hormuz again
Jun 20, 2026Iran says it has again closed the Strait of Hormuz, in response to Israel's continued strikes on southern Lebanon which have killed at least 25 people according to Lebanese state media. The Iranian military described the attacks as a violation of Tehran's peace deal with Washington. But a US military statement said the Strait remained open and at least 55 vessels had passed through during the day. Also in the programme: An escalating row between Ukraine and Poland leads to President Zelensky ret
42m 46s
Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade strikes despite 'ceasefire'
Jun 20, 2026Could the latest violent attacks by both parties derail the tentative US-Iran peace deal? We hear from reporters on the ground in bomb-struck southern Lebanon and the Iranian capital Tehran, and ask Israeli journalist Anshel Pfeffer what Israel's strategy might be. Also in the programme: proposed economic reforms in Cuba - which the United States has dismissed as 'superficial smoke signals'. And the enduring appeal of the classic album 'The Queen is Dead' by the UK indie band The Smiths, 40 year
44m 43s
Israel and Hezbollah agree ceasefire, as more Lebanon strikes reported
Jun 19, 2026Israel and Hezbollah have agreed a ceasefire, a US official says, following intense Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon that the government said killed 47 people. Also on the programme, the US government says it will stop funding programmes in South Africa intended to tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS, there's been a furious reaction in Italy after President Trump claimed the prime minister Georgia Meloni begged him for a photo at the G7 summit; and the ballet dancer, Carlos Acosta, on takin
47m 27s
Israel and Hezbollah agree to ceasefire
Jun 19, 2026Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior US official has confirmed to the BBC. Earlier, planned talks to cement the ceasefire between Iran and the US were delayed with reports suggesting it was due to Iranian concern over Israel's actions in Lebanon. Also on the programme: the by-election result that could decide Britain's next prime minister; and how the resident organist for the Boston Red Sox baseball team has been entertaining visiting Scottish football fans. (Photo: Khadija A
47m 11s
US defends its deal with Iran
Jun 18, 2026Donald Trump says he expects a ceasefire to take effect "on all fronts", including between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon while Vice President JD Vance says the memorandum signed with Tehran is already bearing fruit and insisted that Washington holds the cards in coming negotiations. Meanwhile, a message attributed to Iran's Supreme Leader says that Tehran will not submit to any excessive demands. Also in the programme: why one critic calls Barack Obama's Presidential Centre a 'Klin
47m 30s
Agreement to end US-Iran war signed
Jun 18, 2026A basic agreement has been signed to end the war between the US and Iran. The negotiations now turn to the really difficult issues: we hear from Iran and Israel. Also in the programme: Ukraine targets Moscow in a massive drone attack; researchers say it's way too easy to get around ChatGPT's guardrails; and an ancient oak tree in Sherwood Forest linked to Robin Hood has died - or is it just entering its next phase? (IMAGE: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian showing a signed a memorandum of unde
46m 21s
US releases details of initial deal with Iran
Jun 17, 2026A Memorandum of Understanding outlined by the United States suggests it has found common ground with Iran, but there are still questions about whether this preliminary deal achieves any more than the agreement signed when Barack Obama was president. Meanwhile Israel, the US partner in the recent war, faces the possibility of a stronger Iran and a new balance of power in the Middle East. We hear from Alon Ben Dah-veed, senior military correspondent for Israel's Channel 13. Also in the programme:
41m 41s
AI titans meet leaders of the big economies
Jun 17, 2026Bosses of the top Artificial Intelligence firms have met the leaders of the world's biggest economies. At a G7 lunch in France, they've been discussing AI risks and dangers. Who has more power right now - the politicians or the billionaire CEOs? Also in the programme: How the Great Pyramid at Giza has survived several thousand years worth of earthquakes; and why the world's coral reefs may be more resilient to climate change than we thought. (Photo: US President Donald Trump, OpenAI CEO Sam Altm
42m 6s
President Trump lashes out at Israel
Jun 16, 2026Has Donald Trump just left the Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with the biggest political headache of his life? We hear from Israel's governing Likud party. Also on the programme: The Russian caricaturist shot dead in Poland; the argument within the Church of England over reparations for historically profiting from slaver; and as the Williams sisters prepare to return to Wimbledon at a combined age of eighty-nine - the phenomenon of the never-ageing sports stars. (Picture: People walk
47m 27s
G7: UK expands Russia sanctions
Jun 16, 2026Leaders meet in France with Iran and Ukraine high on agenda; and a BBC investigation finds that Russia was behind a series of arson attacks targeting the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, we hear from a Labour politician on how the UK should now respond. Also in the programme: The grisly trade of cat-meat in Vietnam; and acclaimed British artist Anish Kapoor unveils major new exhibition at London's Hayward Gallery. (Image: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks on the sidelines of the G7
46m 17s
Iran and US agree deal to end war
Jun 15, 2026Iran and the US have agreed a deal that would end their war, with the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel set to reopen in due course. The agreement is expected to be formalised on Friday. With Pakistan having helped mediate, we hear from the country’s planning and development minister. Also in the programme: The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak worsens with 782 cases now confirmed; and we speak to the Japanese writer Asako Yuzuki about her books Butter and Hooked which have proved a
47m 29s
US-Iran deal at risk after Israeli strike on Beirut
Jun 14, 2026A deal between the US and Iran, which was reported to be on the verge of being signed, now appears at risk after Israel struck the southern suburbs of Beirut. Also on the programme: Swiss voters reject a proposal to cap the country's population at 10 million; and the heart-wrenching story of a Syrian family disappeared by the Assad regime. (Photo: An Iranian woman walks past a billboard featuring Iran's national flag at Enqelab Square in Tehran on June 14, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
47m 41s
Israel carries out fresh strikes in Beirut
Jun 14, 2026Israel has attacked the southern suburbs of Beirut at what it says was a Hezbollah infrastructure, in response to Hezbollah firing into its territory. The strikes could put the agreement between Iran and the United States to halt their war at risk. We hear from Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director for the International Crisis Group. Also on the programme; Switzerland's proposal to limit the country's population to ten million has been rejected according to early projections, and the New York Knic
38m 24s
US-Iran deal to be signed on Sunday, says Trump
Jun 13, 2026President Trump has said that a deal with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, hours after Tehran cast doubt on whether this would happen so soon. We look into Iran's proposal on its frozen assets. Also on the programme: a new blood test that can detect thousands of serious genetic conditions in the developing foetus, limiting the need for invasive screening during pregnancy; and why Anthropic has suspended its powerful new AI model just days following its public release. (Photo: A woman ho
47m 27s