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Newshour

BBC World Servicewww.bbc.co.uk

Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.

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Episodes

Hundreds of Ukrainian drones hit St Petersburg

The strikes on the city were timed to coincide with the final day of a prestigious international economic forum. Russian authorities called the attack ‘unprecedented’, and St Petersburg residents were advised to remain indoors for the first time since the start of the war. We hear from a Ukrainian drone commander and the UK’s former Ambassador to Moscow, Sir Tony Brenton. Also on the programme: migrants in South Africa under pressure to leave the country after a surge in xenophobic attacks; and ...

Jun 06, 202636 min

Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after renewed US strikes

The episode begins with escalating tensions in the Gulf as Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait, prompting discussions with a former Kuwaiti minister on the impact of US presence and stalled negotiations. It also delves into the complex US-Israel relationship regarding the Lebanon conflict. Shifting focus, the programme explores France's "culture wars" surrounding popular banquets accused of promoting nationalism, and a new book highlighting stories of love and humanity amidst global crises. Finally, it examines Africa's growing slow food movement and a significant youth protest in India, sparked by exam leaks and high unemployment, challenging the government.

Jun 06, 202635 min

The International Space Station springs a leak

Astronauts onboard the International Space Station were ordered to prepare for evacuation after an air leak suddenly got worse. The situation returned to normal after two Russian cosmonauts completed repairs. We talk to retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who served as commander of the ISS in 2013. We'll also hear from the Sherpa who went missing on the upper slopes of Mount Everest for six days and survived; and we remember Kanya King, the founder of the MOBO awards recognising Black mus...

Jun 05, 202644 min

Anthropic founder warns of AI risks

This episode explores the dual nature of artificial intelligence, from Anthropic's warnings about AI models potentially escaping human control and the urgent need for regulation, to its incredible potential in developing groundbreaking vaccines. Other key stories include the controversy surrounding compensation offers to Air India crash victims, the surprising recovery of global mangrove forests aided by new mapping technology, and a miraculous Everest survival story. The program also covers a contested luxury development in Albania, Russia's economic forum amidst the Ukraine war, and a qualifier's extraordinary run at the French Open tennis final.

Jun 05, 202643 min

Lebanon says it's prepared to use the army to constrain Hezbollah

This episode delves into complex geopolitical issues, starting with Lebanon's plan to use its army to constrain Hezbollah following a truce with Israel, a move rejected by Hezbollah. It also explores the challenges faced by UN peacekeepers in the region amidst escalating conflict. The program features a miraculous survival story from Everest, insights into the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the ongoing conflict with Ukrainian strikes on Crimea. Finally, it covers Curacao's World Cup debut and Mexico's security preparations for the tournament, concluding with a tribute to the late author Marjane Satrapi and the enduring impact of her work.

Jun 04, 202646 min

Israel and Lebanon agree ceasefire

The US State Department has announced Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire and create a number of "pilot" security zones inside Lebanon in which Hezbollah operatives would be banned. Hezbollah has rejected the agreement. Also in the programme: Tech executives are calling for stricter regulations to prevent AI from being used to develop biological weapons and find out why a 62-million-year-old Egyptian fossil is exciting scientists. (Picture: The US, Israel and Lebanon ...

Jun 04, 202643 min

Venezuela: 5 months since Maduro’s overthrow

It's now five months since the United States removed the then Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas by force to face trial on drug charges. What has changed in the interim in Venezuela? Also in the programme: The leader of the Cuban Five - Gerardo Hernández - speaks to us about Raúl Castro's 95th birthday, and US pressure for change in Havana; and the German film director Wim Wenders says he's withdrawing his 1975 film Wrong Move because of complaints by the actress Nastassja Kinski w...

Jun 03, 202648 min

Russian warship among targets hit in a large-scale attack on St Petersburg

Ukraine says it hit a warship and an oil terminal in a large-scale drone attack on Russia's second city St Petersburg - just ahead of a major international economic forum being held there. Also on the programme: A leading Venezuelan opposition activist tells us his country needs elections as soon as possible - but he doubts that interim president Delcy Rodriguez shares his view. And scientists uncover living yeasts in the frozen body of a man who lived five thousand years ago -- and then manage ...

Jun 03, 202647 min

Hezbollah: 'we reject these talks'

Diplomats from Israel and Lebanon have been meeting in Washington for a fourth round of talks as Israeli forces continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon. We speak to a member of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah on why it has no plans to give up its weapons. Also in the programme: As the head of the UN gives a stark warning about the most catastrophic El Niño yet, farmers around the world remind us what's at stake; and the meaning of new research into the magnetic fields of planets...

Jun 02, 202644 min

Deal or no deal: Clashes continue in south Lebanon

News Hour reports on the renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, discussing diplomatic failures and humanitarian impacts. It also covers Russia's recent extensive strikes on Ukraine, examining the strategy and challenges for peace. Additionally, the episode delves into the World Health Organization's battle against the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, highlighting issues of misinformation and funding, and features an interview with John McFall, the first physically disabled person preparing for space.

Jun 02, 202644 min

Lebanon says Hezbollah agrees to a truce

Lebanon says Hezbollah has agreed to stop firing into Israel in exchange for the Israelis halting attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut. We hear from a resident who has fled Beirut, and an Israeli MK who says his country has the right to occupy Lebanese territory. Also in the programme: the first women with stage four cancer to reach the summit of Everest; and we hear from a biographer of Marilyn Monroe's on the eve of the hundredth anniversary of her birth. (Photo: People flee Beirut's sout...

Jun 01, 202646 min

Israel PM orders strikes on Beirut suburbs

Israel has ordered attacks against Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut - prompting many residents to evacuate the Lebanese capital. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the military would strike what he called 'terrorist targets' in the area, in response to attacks on Israeli civilians. Also in the programme: Grammy-winning director, Meji Alabi, explores his Nigerian grandfather's role in the Biafran war; woman with incurable cancer reaches Everest summit; and South Africa’s...

Jun 01, 202647 min

Colombians vote for new leader

Colombians are voting in a presidential election after a campaign marred by violence. Also on the programme, the death in prison of Nicaraguan indigenous leader, Brooklyn Rivera; and we hear from John Travolta on his directorial debut. (Photo: Colombia holds first round of presidential election, Bogota - 31 May 2026. Mauricio Duenas Castaneda/EPA/Shutterstock)

May 31, 202647 min

Colombia goes to the polls to elect new president

There's tight security in parts of Colombia as polls open for today's presidential election with a human rights activist and a far-right populist nicknamed “the Tiger” among the frontrunners. We'll have the latest from Bogota. Also on the programme: Israel says it's moving further into southern Lebanon as its war against Hezbollah intensifies; and a Georgian wine cellar once owned by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin has officially been unsealed. (Photo: Workers stick campaign posters of the Historic ...

May 31, 202643 min

Ebola spread in DR Congo 'alarming', says MSF

The rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has created a "deeply alarming" situation, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières has warned. Also on the programme, Scientists have carried out a large scale international trial on a test that could help millions of breast cancer patients be treated safely without the need for chemotherapy; and there are wild celebrations in the streets of the French capital, after Paris St-Germain successfully defended their European Champions...

May 31, 202642 min

New test could eliminate chemo for many breast cancer patients

Millions of people with breast cancer could safely avoid chemotherapy as scientists have developed a groundbreaking DNA test. We speak to an oncologist who has been involved in the research and a woman who has gone through chemotherapy after a breast cancer diagnosis. Also on the programme: we hear from the Romanian president on the Russian drone that hit an apartment block in the east of the country; and a preview of tonight's Champions League football final between Paris St Germain and the Lon...

May 30, 202638 min

Trump says he will make final decision on Iran peace deal

US president Donald Trump announced that he was meeting with close advisers in the White House situation room to make a ‘final determination’ on whether to extend a ceasefire agreement with Iran. Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran had not yet reached a decision on a deal. Also on the programme: a Canadian man has pleaded guilty to helping fourteen people take their own lives by selling them legal but highly toxic chemicals; and after a Russian drone hits an apartment block in Romania, we ask ho...

May 29, 202640 min

Romanian residents injured by Russian drone

Nato and the EU condemn Russia after a drone crashed into a Romanian apartment block, injuring two people. Speaking on Newshour, Romania’s foreign minister, Oana Toia, said the incident was a provocation by Russia. Also on the programme: the government in Bangladesh steps in to save a buffalo named Donald Trump; and artwork by the musician Jack White goes on display in London. (Photo: Romanian law enforcement officers work on the site of an explosion at a residential block of flats following a d...

May 29, 202643 min

Israel continues to strike Lebanon

Israel is continuing its attacks on what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, even as reports emerge from Washington that an extension of the wider ceasefire with Iran is close. We hear from our correspondent in Beirut. Also on the programme: the World Health Organisation has told Newshour it is“fairly confident” it will soon be “on top” of the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we hear from someone living at the centre of the outbreak; and shock in Paris, what does the ex...

May 28, 202643 min

Ebola: WHO chief travels to DR Congo

The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo as fears grow about the Ebola outbreak. Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Ghebreysus warned that the country is facing a catastrophic collision of disease and conflict Also in the programme: Israel has carried out a strike in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, after warning people in the south of the country to leave their homes; and why a tennis player's outfits are causing such a f...

May 28, 202643 min

Israel strikes after ordering evacuation in south Lebanon

Israel's issued an evacuation order for all of southern Lebanon and carried out air strikes, saying the whole region's now a combat zone. We'll have the details from our correspondent who’s been there recently. Also on the programme: the authorities in New York and New Jersey have launched an investigation into the way Fifa's been selling tickets for the men's World Cup; and a former member of the German militant group the Red Army Faction has been jailed after 30 years on the run. (Photo: Smoke...

May 27, 202647 min

Israel says it's killed Hamas's latest military leader in Gaza strike

This NewsHour episode details Israel's killing of Hamas's latest military leader in Gaza and the subsequent political fallout, including Israel's "voluntary emigration" proposal and the stalled ceasefire process. It also explores the geopolitical competition for a lunar base, the cultural implications of an AI avatar for Ozzy Osbourne, the repatriation of Ghanaians from South Africa due to xenophobia concerns, the challenges of a new Ebola strain in the DRC, and the latest corruption allegations shaking the Spanish government.

May 27, 202646 min

Iran accuses US of breaching ceasefire

Iran accused the United States of breaching their ceasefire on Tuesday. It warned it was ready to retaliate after overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats. Newshour hears from a UAE political scientist and from former US state department negotiator Aaron David Miller. Also in the programme: NASA announces moon base plans; and the man who discovered Sierra Leone's 700 carat diamond. (Picture: An Iranian woman holds a flag bearing portraits of late Iranian supreme...

May 26, 202647 min

US launches strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites and boats

News Hour reports on escalating US-Iran tensions following US airstrikes and Iran's retaliatory warnings, alongside a deep dive into internet shutdowns in Iran and their impact on daily life and human rights. The episode also explores the global challenge of record heatwaves and adaptation strategies, a sensitive child abuse trial in Paris, the unique fusion of Gnawa music with jazz, the mysterious Belgian train crash, UAE's alleged role in the Sudan conflict, and the enduring legacy of a Sierra Leone "peace diamond," concluding with a tribute to jazz greats Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins.

May 26, 202646 min

Why is the Ebola outbreak in DRC spreading so fast?

Why is the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo spreading so fast? We speak to a reporter who is there who says the aid response is only just beginning. Also on the programme: Pope Leo has warned of potential risks to humanity posed by artificial intelligence; and is there any chance of the Iran-US conflict leading to the expansion of the Abraham accords? (Photo: A Congolese woman reacts outside the house of a man who died of Ebola as she waits for medical workers to retrieve his b...

May 25, 202647 min

New cases of Ebola detected in Uganda

Two new cases of Ebola have been detected in Uganda, as the virus continues to spread. At the centre of the outbreak remains the Democratic Republic of Congo -- where the healthcare system was already weak. There have been more than 900 suspected Ebola cases in the current outbreak and 220 suspected deaths, officials say. Also in the programme: Pope Leo delivers the first major message of his papacy on the dangers of AI; we'll look at the prospects of a deal between Iran and the US; and the game...

May 25, 202647 min

Trump: Iran talks 'constructive'

President Trump says he's told American negotiators not to rush into a deal with Iran. In a post on social media, he said the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue until an agreement had been certified and signed. Key sticking points remain, including control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme. Also in the programme: Turkish riot police have stormed the headquarters of the main opposition party in Ankara in a row over a court's decision to oust the party's leader; the Gaz...

May 24, 202647 min

Russia launches huge missile strike on Ukraine

A large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine has left four people dead and dozens injured. Russia's defence ministry said the Oreshnik hypersonic missile was used in the strikes, which it described as coming in response to Ukraine's "attacks on civilian infrastructure". Ukrainian MP Lisa Yasko describes a 'terrible night' in the capital Kyiv and says her country urgently needs missiles for its defence systems. Also in the programme: we speak to an activist who was part of a flotilla taking aid to the...

May 24, 202648 min

Trump: Iran ‘a lot closer’ to agreement

US President Donald Trump has indicated that his country and Iran is getting ‘closer’ to achieving a peace deal. He told CBS News that despite seeing a ceasefire draft with Iran, however, he would only sign off on a deal where the US gets ‘everything’ it wants. The BBC’s State Department correspondent breaks these developments down with us. Also in the programme: As the Ebola crisis in the DRC worsens, we hear the experience of one Sierra Leonean woman who contracted the virus back in 2014; and ...

May 23, 202648 min

Reports of another attack on an Ebola treatment centre in the DRC

The attack comes just days after protesters set fire to a hospital in the same region, after health workers refused to release the body of a patient over fears of contamination. We hear how the regional security situation is affecting the response to the outbreak - and about the impact of the disease on women. Also on the programme - the death toll rises after a mining disaster in China; the Pentagon releases more UFO files - is the truth in there? - and Goodnight and good luck to CBS Radio (Pho...

May 23, 202647 min
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