The BBC's daily news podcast, Newscast dives into the day's biggest news stories so you're never out of your depth.
Newscast picks the brains of BBC News experts so you're ready if someone picks yours, covering the latest news, developments in politics in Westminster and beyond.
Newscast is hosted by trusted politics and news journalists including Adam Fleming, BBC Political Editor Chris Mason, Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell.
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Catch Newscast seven-days a week and watch on BBC One at 23:40 on Thursday night or later on BBC iPlayer.
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In the 2000th episode of Newscast, Adam and Chris return for second helpings as Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform is confirmed. Following his dramatic sacking via social media this morning, Jenrick appeared on stage with Reform leader Nigel Farage this afternoon to announce that he was joining the party. Farage told reporters that although they had been negotiating the possibility of Jenrick joining Reform - the deal wasn’t done until Kemi Badenoch made her move this morning. You can now list...
Kemi Badenoch has sensationally sacked shadow minister Robert Jenrick claiming he was secretly plotting to defect from the party in a way that was “as damaging as possible”. Reform has refused to confirm if Jenrick was planning to defect, although party leader Nigel Farage has said he ‘might’ buy him a sympathy pint. While Labour and the Lib Dems have been quick off the mark to take advantage of the political unrest by creating memes. Adam and Laura are joined from Westminster by Henry Zeffman a...
Today, Adam is joined by Henry Zeffman and home affairs commentator Danny Shaw to discuss the findings of a report that stopped Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a Europa league match last November. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says the report shows there was a "failure of leadership" at the top of West Midlands Police. We also discuss why has Keir Starmer decided to change his plans to implement a mandatory digital ID and how Labour MPs are reacting to mounting government u-turns. You can ...
Today President Trump has urged Iranians to keep protesting, saying that “help is on its way.” News agencies and BBC journalists are reporting that the death toll after anti-government protests is now in its thousands, as the state-imposed internet blackout continues. But what does President Trump mean and what’s next for Iran? Adam is joined by BBC World and BBC Persian senior reporter, Siavash Ardalan and BBC News Chief Presenter, Caitríona Perry. Plus, Caitríona and Adam also look ahead to to...
Today Chris and Adam are down in City Hall to speak to the mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan. He defended London against claims by critics like President Trump and Nigel Farage that the city in unsafe, and pointed to the falling murder rate as proof of a positive counter narrative. Plus he welcomed Ofcom’s new investigation into X and said “we need proper guardrails” to protect people online. He also spoke Europe and supported closer alignment with the customs union, and said “we've got to look at...
The podcast analyzes Peter Mandelson's first interview since his sacking, detailing his defense regarding Jeffrey Epstein, his refusal to apologize for their continued friendship, and the fierce political and public backlash, including from Ruth Davidson. The discussion shifts to Mandelson's insights on Trump's foreign policy and Europe's need for a stronger defense posture. Later, the episode examines Kemi Badenoch's political resurgence and her bold proposal to ban social media for under-16s, exploring the policy's implications, the building pressure for tech regulation, and the potential for future Conservative-Reform pacts, introducing the concept of 'Block Britain' in the evolving UK political landscape.
Since Peter Mandelson's sacking as US ambassador over his links to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, he's remained silent, until now. In this extended version of this first and exclusive interview, Laura's questions him over Trump, Epstein, and what Number 10 really knew. Laura, Paddy, and Henry will be in your feed with analysis later as normal.
Today, Laura and Paddy speak to Sir Lawrence Freedman, historian, and Professor of War Studies at King's College London, to help us understand what’s happening in Iran, as well as the huge foreign news stories of recent times. There’s possible regime change in Iran, where protests continue and authorities issued coordinated warnings to protesters. A doctor and medic at two hospitals told the BBC their facilities were overwhelmed with injuries. Donald Trump has warned the regime not to kill prote...
Today marks the thirteenth consecutive day of widespread anti-government protests in Iran. Iran's top security body has warned that the Iranian judiciary and security forces will show "no leniency towards saboteurs", amid internet blackouts. Adam is joined in the Newscast studio by BBC chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, to discuss the context and history of the unrest in Iran, plus President Trump’s warnings to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his response. Also in the studio is New State...
Protests are taking place in Minneapolis after a woman was fatally shot by a US ICE agent. Accounts of what exactly happened are conflicting, with the Trump Administration citing self-defence whilst law makers in the city and state of Minnesota are calling it a brazen act of force. Adam is joined by BBC North America correspondent, Anthony Zurcher, and BBC North America reporter, Madeline Halpert, who is on the ground and at the scene in Minneapolis. In studio is BBC business editor Simon Jack, ...
Today, the US has seized two oil tankers — one Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic and another ship in the Caribbean. Both vessels have links to Venezuela. The UK supported US efforts to seize the Russian-flagged ship, which is accused of breaking US sanctions by shipping Iranian oil. What do we know so far and is this the closest Russia and the US have been to confrontation since the Cold War? Adam is joined by BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen and Michelle Wiese Bockmann, senior m...
Today, Adam and Chris discuss the latest agreement between the Coalition of the Willing and the US to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire with Russia. The talks in Paris saw the UK and France agree to put troops on the ground "in the event of a peace deal". Plus we look at why President Trump has his sights set on Greenland and whether he really might annex the island. Adam is joined by the Economist’s defence editor Shashank Joshi and Dr Gabr...
Today, the seized President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro has appeared in a New York court charged with narco-terrorism. As Maduro pled not guilty he told the court he was a “decent man” and “still the president of his country”. The highly televised spectacle of the Venezuelan leader being transferred to the court came as the UN security council held an emergency meeting across the city and President Trump reiterated his interest in annexing Greenland in the name of American national security. Ad...
Today, we look at who’s in power now in Venezuela, after President Donald Trump said the US will ‘run’ the country. Maduro's Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez has been named interim president, who Trump says is talking to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman is also in the studio to talk through Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s interview with Laura in which he reacted to the news from South America, as well as his future and the UK’s relationship with the EU. ...
As the new year begins, Laura's had a long chat with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer. There's speculation about his future, but he says he'll see out the year in the job. The interview was recorded on Saturday, as the news about President Nicolás Maduro's capture was breaking. Laura also asks Starmer if he's is supportive of Donald Trump's actions. And, how does he see the UK's future relationship with the EU? This is the interview in full. There's a regular episode of Newscast on the way later ...
Today, the United States dropped bombs on Venezuela and captured its president, before Donald Trump announced that the US will “run” the country until “safe transition can take place”. He also said US oil companies will fix Venezuela's "broken infrastructure" and "start making money for the country". Chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet joins Laura and Paddy to talk through how and why Trump took the action. They also discuss what could happen next, and what it means for the rest of the...
Today, we look at how Donald Trump won the Republican nomination to be President in 2016 (Part 2). Adam is joined by chief presenter in Washington Caitriona Perry, and Anthony Zurcher from Americast. In part 2 they discuss the unique approach Donald Trump took to the debates? Why the likes of Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio failed to shine? And, why the late attempt by a Republican grandee to stop Trump failed? You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say...
Today, we look at how Donald Trump won the Republican nomination to be President in 2016 (Part 1). Adam is joined by chief presenter in Washington Caitriona Perry, and Anthony Zurcher from Americast. In part 1 they discuss whether a speech by Barack Obama convinced Trump to run? Who his main competition would be? And, what made his campaign so different? You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart sp...
In Part Two of this Old Newscast, we pick up with Jeremy Corbyn on the campaign trail. Veteran left-winger Jeremy Corbyn entered the leadership contest with many doubting he would win the necessary 35 nominations from Labour MPs to make it on to the ballot. Three months later, on the 12th September 2015, he was elected as leader with almost 60% of the vote. Adam is joined by two journalists who followed each twist and turn of the 2015 Labour leadership contest, Jane Merrick and Nick Watt, to rev...
Today’s Old Newscast is travelling all the way back to 2015: it’s the morning after the general election, and Ed Miliband resigns as leader of the Labour party. Veteran left-winger Jeremy Corbyn entered the leadership contest with many doubting he would win the necessary 35 nominations from Labour MPs to make it on to the ballot. Three months later, on the 12th September 2015, he was elected as leader with almost 60% of the vote. Adam is joined by two journalists who followed each twist and turn...
Adam, Chris, Laura and Paddy go through the biggest stories of 2025 with the help of economics editor Faisal Islam and international editor Jeremy Bowen. They also reveal what it was like to be on the inside as they happened, and discuss how Keir Starmer will reflect on his first full year as prime minister, how Donald Trump's tariffs reshaped the world's economy, and how a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was reached. And we look at where the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and Zack Polanski...
Today, the US department of justice has released the largest amount of so-called “Epstein files” so far - but what exactly is in the latest batch? Among the latest files is an email from someone called ‘A’ from ‘Balmoral’ asking Ghislaine Maxwell for ‘inappropriate friends’. Adam is joined by Sumi Somaskanda, the BBC's Chief News Presenter in Washington D.C. Plus, the Government has watered down their inheritance tax plan for farms. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds says the government has “li...
Today, Adam is joined by Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell to reflect on her first few weeks in the role and what lies ahead for the Labour government in 2026. The pair also discuss Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s new comments on the UK’s relationship with the EU, his leadership ambitions, and the importance of the party sticking together and showing a united front. Plus, how will Labour take on the political challenge represented by the Reform party and Nigel Farage next year? And, crucially,...
Today, we’re bringing you some of the best bits from Newscast’s 25-hour Podcast-A-Thon! Back in November, Adam was challenged by Pudsey Bear to record a 25-hour long episode of Newscast in aid of Children In Need. Members of the Newscast family dropped by throughout the day and night to cheer Adam on. Including when Laura and Paddy met Pudsey, voice coaching with Chris and a midnight snack session with Lyse Doucet chatting about how she spends her down time with her family in Canada. You can joi...
Today, we’re bringing you some of the best bits from Newscast’s 25-hour Podcast-A-Thon! Back in November, Adam was challenged by Pudsey Bear to record a 25-hour long episode of Newscast in aid of Children In Need. Keeping Adam company were many friends of the podcast including paranormal podcasters Danny Robins and Tristan Redman, satirist Armando Iannucci, The Traitors star Alexander Dragonetti and Lisa Costello delivering a masterclass in the Shipping Forecast! You can join our Newscast online...
Today, Chris is joined by Ailbhe Rea from the New Statesman and Tim Shipman from the Spectator to review the year in politics and hazard a guess at what to expect in 2026. They discuss a shaky year for Keir Starmer’s leadership, the (almost) welfare rebellion and the rise of the “funky fringe”. Plus what can this year tell us about next years local elections? You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most sma...
Today, the Bank of England has cut interest rates to the lowest level since early 2023. Chancellor Rachel Reeves calls it "good news for families with mortgages and businesses with loans" - but says there's "more to do". Meanwhile, the Bank now expects no economic growth at the end of this year. Faisal is with Tristan in the studio to talk it through. And, tension is still building between the US and Venezuela. President Donald Trump has ordered "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned ...
Today, the UK government announced it is set to rejoin the Erasmus study scheme. Victoria is joined Joe Pike to discuss - and they speak to Nick Thomas-Symonds, minister for EU relations about whether it’s worth the £570m cost. Plus, Andrea Egan becomes the new secretary general of the UK’s biggest union - Unison. We explain what that could mean for the Labour party and Keir Starmer’s leadership. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds t...
Today, the government has ordered an independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics. The government say this is in response to what it called the “shocking” case of Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales. Gill was jailed in November, after admitting to taking bribes for pro-Russian interviews and speeches when he was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Announcing the review, Communities Secretary Steve Reed said the government must "learn the lessons" ...
Today, doctors in England have decided to strike for 5 days this week despite a new offer from the government. The British Medical Association said 83% of its members had voted to continue with the walkout in an online poll over the weekend, with a turnout of 65%. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "gutted" by the result, describing it as "irresponsible" given the rising pressure from flu. The BMA argues that, despite previous pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than...
