 | The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends. RSS: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nq0gn/episodes/downloads.rss |
| Zelensky says Russia is committing genocide | |
| He said Moscow was attempting to eliminate an entire people, and described the war as the torture of an entire nation. Also: The whole Sri Lankan cabinet -- with the exception of the prime minister -- has stepped down as widespread protests continue, and the nightclub in London that?s open just for Muslim women to party. | Listen |
| Ukraine says it has retaken entire Kyiv region | |
| Russian forces retreat from key towns around the capital Kyiv, including a strategic airport fought over since the start of the war. Also: Macron holds first rally as France election race tightens, and is it really windy on the Red Planet? | Listen |
| Red Cross forced to postpone evacuation of Mariupol | |
| The Red Cross team - due to lead a convoy out of the besieged Ukrainian city - had to turn around when conditions became "impossible". Also: UN says Yemen's warring sides agree to two-month ceasefire, and a full human genome sequence is completed for the first time. | Listen |
| Doubts grow over Mariupol relief operation | |
| The southern Ukrainian city has been under Russian bombardment for several weeks. Also: an oil depot is on fire in a Russian city near the border with Ukraine, and protests in Sri Lanka's capital as an economic crisis causes thirteen hour power cuts. | Listen |
| Red Cross to lead operation to evacuate Ukrainians from Mariupol | |
| Provided all parties agree to the exact terms, the evacuation will happen on Friday. Also: representatives from Canada's indigenous community are meeting Pope Francis to discuss historic abuse suffered at Catholic run institutions, why Bruce Willis is stepping away from acting, and how the Academy is wrestling with what to do about Will Smith after his violent behaviour at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday. | Listen |
| UN: Russia may be guilty of war crimes in Ukraine | |
| The United Nations Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet says Ukrainians are enduring a living nightmare. Also, trial has begun for a man accused of being among the four so-called Islamic State militants nicknamed the "Beatles". And a new report finds Facebook's algorithm pushes climate change sceptics towards disinformation and conspiracy theories. | Listen |
| Russia launches new strikes on Ukraine after peace promise | |
| On Tuesday Russia said it would reduce forces in Kyiv and Chernihiv, and we hear from Ukrainians trying to live a normal life. Also: British supreme court judges are withdrawing from Hong Kong's highest court, saying China's national security law made their position untenable, and Australians come together to remember cricketer Shane Warne. | Listen |
| Western leaders urge caution on Russia?s pledge to reduce attacks on Ukraine | |
| The US and UK warn actions are more important than words after Russian and Ukrainian peace talks in Turkey. Also: we hear from a volunteer at a Nigerian hospital following Monday?s train attack, and the Danish football player, Christian Eriksen, returns to play at the stadium he suffered a cardiac arrest during the Euros. | Listen |
| First peace talks in two weeks | |
| Russia says it will reduce combat operations in Kyiv and Chernihiv. Also, the British police issue fines over parties in Downing Street and the Queen appears in public at the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial. | Listen |
| Abramovich suffered suspected poisoning at talks on Ukraine | |
| The Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who has now recovered, reportedly suffered sore eyes and peeling skin. Also: Israel says regional partnership will deter Iran, and the caves being set aside for romantic bats. | Listen |
| Ukraine outlines priorities for talks with Russia | |
| President Zelensky has said he's prepared to discuss adopting a neutral status. The next round of face-to-face negotiations between Ukraine and Russia take place this week in Turkey. Also: an investigation has found that the Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was shadowed by a government agent for almost a year before he was shot dead in Moscow in 2015, and drama at the Oscars after Will Smith takes exception to a comment about his wife's hairstyle. | Listen |
| Ukraine urges Red Cross not to open office in Russia | |
| Ukraine urges the Red Cross not to open an office in southern Russia, saying it legitimises forced deportations; Also Kyiv says Moscow is trying to split Ukraine in two. And China's commercial capital, Shanghai, is introducing a lockdown, as the country battles a resurgence of Coronavirus. | Listen |
| President Biden warns of a long fight against Russian aggression | |
| On a visit to Poland, Mr Biden said President Putin cannot remain in power. The White House said Mr Biden was not proposing regime change. Also: Afghan girls and women hold a rare protest in Kabul, urging the Taliban to reopen schools and the drummer from the Foo Fighters is found dead at the age of 50. | Listen |
| Russia says first phase of Ukraine war's over | |
| Russia's military says it will now focus on the Donbas region in the east. Also: a truce has been agreed by the warring sides in Ethiopia so that emergency aid can be delivered to the northern region of Tigray, and we take a look at the tour of the Caribbean by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge which has caused some controversy. . | Listen |
| Young voices special | |
| Is the nuclear threat real? What does Putin want? Who is winning the war in Ukraine? We took questions on the invasion from young people around the world and looked for answers from BBC correspondents. Jackie Leonard speaks to Martin Forster, a senior child psychologist with the healthcare company, Kry, in Sweden. Listeners' questions are tackled by Vitaliy Shevchenko, Paul Adams, Theo Leggett, Lyse Doucet and Mark Lowen. | Listen |
| The US and EU agree a major gas deal | |
| The US aims to ship enough liquified natural gas to replace its supplies from Russia and President Biden arrives in Poland. Also: Tigrayan rebel forces fighting in northern Ethiopia agree to a truce to allow aid in, and the study that suggests birdsong really can make us feel better. | Listen |
| Biden: NATO has never been more united | |
| Mr Biden also said the international community must keep applying the pressure to Moscow until it backs down. Also, the latest from Moscow and those fleeing the conflict, and Ethiopia has declared an indefinite and unilateral humanitarian truce which it says will allow aid to get to war-torn Tigray. | Listen |
| NATO strengthens forces along border with Ukraine | |
| 40,000 more troops will bolster security following the Russian invasion. Also, Ukrainian forces say they've destroyed a Russian landing ship, and the United Nations says four million Ukrainian children are now displaced. | Listen |
| Special: Global News Ukrainecast part 2 | |
| A month since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are collaborating with Ukrainecast again. We answer more of your questions. Jackie Leonard, presenter of the Global News Podcast, alongside Gabriel Gatehouse and Vitaliy Shevchenko from Ukrainecast, guide us through questions about civilian life in the country, military tactics, and the international response to the invasion. BBC chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, joins us from Kyiv to talk through what is happening on the ground there, and BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, tells us the latest on the physical and information war. This episode was made by Chris Flynn. The studio director was Ash Taylor. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. | Listen |
| Ukraine: NATO prepares troop boost in eastern Europe | |
| Leaders are expected to agree the increase at an emergency meeting in Brussels. Also: a top advisor to Vladimir Putin has resigned, citing the war in Ukraine, for the first time we hear from a survivor of the bombing of the theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol, and America's first female Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, has died. | Listen |
| Ukraine's President Zelensky warns of Russian attacks on nuclear plants | |
| He made the accusation in an address to the Japanese parliament. Russia says President Putin plans to attend the G20 summit in Indonesia later this year. Also: the Taliban deny Afghan teenage girls a return to the classroom, and Ash Barty, the world's best female tennis player, retires. | Listen |
| The UN calls Ukraine a ?living hell? | |
| The Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has said the situation is becoming more destructive by the hour. Also; The latest on bombardments of civilian areas in Mariupol and Kyiv, and a Palestinian man has killed a number of Israelis at a shopping mall. | Listen |
| Zelensky insists Ukraine will overcome the Russian offensive | |
| The president's defiance comes as intense fighting continues. Also, the leading Kremlin critic, Alexei Navalny, is sentenced to nine more years in prison and hearings begin for the US Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson. | Listen |
| Kyiv hit by heavy shelling | |
| Eight people are killed by Russian strikes on a shopping mall in Kyiv. President Zelensky says his country will not bow to Russian ultimatums. And the United States describes violence against the Rohingya by the Burmese military as genocide. | Listen |
| Ukranian government refuses to surrender Mariupol | |
| Ukraine says Russia has not allowed a humanitarian corridor to be established into Mariupol after Kyiv refused to disarm its forces and surrender the besieged city. Also, Russian warships have bombarded Ukraine's biggest port, Odessa, hitting some residential buildings on the city's outskirts, and a Chinese plane carrying 132 people has crashed into hills in southwestern China. | Listen |
| Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol given deadline to surrender | |
| Russia calls on Ukrainians defending Mariupol to surrender -- promising safe passage out of the besieged city; The reaction from Israel after Ukraine's President addressed the country's parliament and how the Omicron strain has taken hold in several Chinese cities, despite the country's zero tolerance policies | Listen |
| More heavy street fighting in Southern Ukraine | |
| A street by street battle has been taking place for control of Mariupol; What are the prospect for peace talks? Many Ukrainians are cautious and why the Russia's security services are being blamed for military failures. | Listen |
| Dozens killed in Mykolaiv as Russia attacks Ukrainian army barracks | |
| The Ukrainians are continuing to defend Mykolaiv as Russian forces group outside it. Also: President Biden warns Xi Jinping of "consequences" if China backs Russia's war in Ukraine, and wildfire smoke linked to Arctic melting. | Listen |
| Western Ukraine comes under assault | |
| Ukrainian authorities say there has been a Russian missile strike outside Lviv. Also: Poland continues to welcome Ukrainian refugees and Facebook's parent company Meta is facing legal pressure in Australia to act against scammers. | Listen |
| Putin lays out his demands for a peace deal with Ukraine | |
| The Russian president rang his Turkish counterpart and told him what Russia's precise demands were. Also: Russian forces release the mayor of Melitopol who was abducted earlier in the week, and Nasa's giant new moon rocket makes its debut. | Listen |
| "Tear down this wall!" says President Zelensky | |
| Ukrainian leader evokes Berlin Wall in address to German Parliament. Also: Ukrainians post videos of captured Russian troops and a baby is born on the frontline. | Listen |
| Russia bombs theatre in Ukraine sheltering 'hundreds of people' | |
| The Russian word for "children" was reportedly painted in huge white letters on the pavement outside the building in Mariupol. Also: President Biden promises a further eight hundred million dollars in military aid to Ukraine. | Listen |
| President Zelensky addresses the US Congress | |
| An emotional appeal for help to fight the Russians. Also, Iran releases Nazanin Zaghari-Radcliffe and Afghan children face starvation. | Listen |
| Kyiv imposes a thirty-five hour curfew as Russia continues its attacks | |
| President Volodomyr Zelensky of Ukraine has thanked the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia for travelling to Kyiv to meet him - despite the continuing bombardment by Russian forces. Also: Nato has convened an emergency meeting next week, and the dangers facing those who are trying to escape the besieged southern port of Mariupol. | Listen |
| Ukraine: Leaders from Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia travel to Kyiv | |
| The prime ministers are entering the besieged capital city, as President Volodymyr Zelensky calls for greater practical support. Also, the EU and Britain lay new sanctions against Russia. And a court in the Indian state of Karnataka upholds a ban on wearing hijabs in schools. | Listen |
| Convoy of civilians escapes besieged Mariupol | |
| A convoy of 150 vehicles left Mariupol but has not yet reached its intended destination. Also, Russia continues its bombardment of civilian and military targets across Ukraine, and Russian state TV employee storms news broadcast with 'no war' protest. | Listen |
| Fighting continues despite talks | |
| Ukraine calls for tougher sanctions. Also, China dismisses reports Russia asked for assistance and Khrushchev?s great grand-daughter on Putin?s use of history. | Listen |
| Russia strikes Ukraine army base near Polish border | |
| At least 35 people killed and dozens injured in missile attack in Yavoriv. Both sides say talks to try to end the war could make further progress within days. Also: Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they carried out a missile attack near US consulate in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, American actor William Hurt dies aged 71 and a western takes top honours at Britain's Bafta film awards. | Listen |
| Evacuation convoy attacked outside Kyiv | |
| Ukrainian officials say seven people, including women and children, were killed. Also: Saudi blogger freed after decade in prison, the new Deltacron Covid variant and why are Russian classical music composers so influential? | Listen |
| Biden says the US will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine | |
| Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US administration has pursued an increasingly aggressive sanctions campaign against Vladimir Putin and his country. Also: the UN says it's not aware of any biological weapons programme in Ukraine, and Gabriel Boric -- a former student protest leader -- has been sworn in as Chile's youngest ever president. | Listen |
| Russia widens attacks on Ukrainian cities | |
| Lutsk, Dnipro and Ivano-Frankivsk are among those targeted and President Putin calls for Syrian volunteer fighters to join the invasion. Also, we hear from Irpin, where thousands of people emerge from bombed houses and basements, and the Chinese city of Changchun imposes a strict Covid lockdown. | Listen |
| Ukraine: Mariupol 'running out of food and water' | |
| Charities warn of a humanitarian crisis in the besieged city. We report from the frontline of the battle for Kharkiv; EU leaders meet to discuss how to increase pressure on Russia to end the war; and new research shows coronavirus came from an animal market, not a laboratory. | Listen |
| No progress at Kyiv-Moscow talks | |
| Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers fail to agree an end to the war in first high-level negotiations since invasion began. Also: as the UK imposes sanctions on Roman Abramovich, what does it mean for Chelsea football club? Narendra Modi's party triumphs in India's bellweather state and Dolly Parton on her debut novel. | Listen |
| Zelensky says Russian bombing of children's hospital in Ukraine is a war crime | |
| The Ukrainian authorities say the strike destroyed maternity and children's wards in the hospital complex in Mariupol. Also: western officials are concerned that Russia could deploy non-conventional weapons in Ukraine, and a man who was given a genetically modified pig heart has died. | Listen |
| New ceasefire agreement allows some civilians to leave Ukraine | |
| Thousands of people leave Sumy in the northeast. But Ukraine's president accuses Russian forces of continuing to attack civilians. Also: the Chernobyl nuclear plant, which is under Russian control, has lost its power supply, and in other news, Shackleton's lost ship is found in the Antarctic. | Listen |
| Zelensky vows to fight Russia in 'forests, fields and shores' | |
| The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has given an unprecedented address to British MPs in the House of Commons. Also: US "surprised" by Poland fighter jets offer, and will it be possible to spot the early signs of pancreatic cancer by changes in gut microbes? | Listen |
| Special: Global News Ukrainecast | |
| BBC correspondents tackle questions from listeners around the world about Russia?s invasion of Ukraine. Jackie Leonard speaks to Gabriel Gatehouse, Vitaliy Shevchenko, Lyse Doucet and James Landale. | Listen |
| Russia allows some evacuations from besieged cities | |
| A humanitarian corridor in the north-eastern city of Sumy is largely holding. Also: Shell announces its complete withdrawal from Russian oil and gas; and the role of social media in documenting troop movements and human rights abuses in Ukraine. | Listen |
| UN aid chief calls for safe passage of civilians from Ukraine | |
| Martin Griffiths has called for fleeing Ukrainian civilians to be allowed to leave in the direction they want. Also: what is the significance of the Z symbol on the Russian tanks, and brain changes seen after mild Covid-19 infection. | Listen |
| Ukraine rejects Russia's proposals for civilians escaping the bombing | |
| Ukraine says the idea they travel to Russia or Belarus is "completely immoral". Also: energy prices surge and stock markets fall, and on the outskirts of Kyiv a wedding takes place among the barricades. | Listen |
| Ukraine reinforces defences in Kyiv | |
| The Ukrainian army reinforces the defences of the capital Kyiv as the Russian military continues its attacks. Also the International Atomic Energy Agency expresses concern over two nuclear power plants in Ukraine. And more than three thousand people in Russia are arrested for protesting against the war. | Listen |
| Ukraine: Mass evacuation near Kyiv | |
| The town of Irpin, just 25 km outside Kyiv, is being evacuated amid heavy shelling. Also, President Volodymyr Zelensky pleads for US military aid. And a Taliban leader, facing a $10 million FBI bounty, makes a rare public appearance in Kabul | Listen |
| 'Russia using brutal methods against Ukraine,' says US Secretary of State Blinken | |
| US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Ukrainians have shown great resilience in the face of "tremendous humanitarian suffering." Also, NATO says it has strengthened its defence capabilities, but once again rejects calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine. And we look back at the life and career of the legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne. | Listen |
| Ukraine nuclear power plant attacked and captured | |
| The International Atomic Energy Agency says there's been no radiation leak and the Russian army have been tightening their siege of several cities. Also: Russia's parliament decrees those deemed guilty of spreading fake news on Ukraine could go to jail for 15 years, and the Australian cricketer Shane Warne has died at the age of fifty two. | Listen |
| Putin claims invasion is going to plan | |
| The Russian president was speaking as his troops stepped up their attacks ? and civilians continued to bear the brunt of the fighting. Also: The head of Ukraine's biggest gas corporation says it's time the West weaned itself off Russian energy -- and the threat of a new type of war, in cyberspace. | Listen |
| Ukraine Conflict: Russian forces take control of Kherson | |
| The southern port is the first major city to be occupied. Russia's foreign minister says Ukraine's desire to join NATO threatened Russia's security. The UN says a million people have already fled the country. Also, the International Criminal Court begins an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine, and athletes from Russia and Belarus will not now be allowed to compete in the Paralympic Winter Games. | Listen |
| UN General Assembly condemns Russian invasion | |
| Just five countries opposed resolution demanding Russian forces withdraw from Ukraine. The port of Kherson becomes the first major Ukrainian city to be taken by invading forces. Also: world leaders agree historic plastic pollution pledge and a new mobile phone Covid swab test. | Listen |
| Ukraine conflict: Russia intensifies its assault | |
| Ukrainian emergency services estimate more than two thousand people have been killed since the invasion began. Also: The UN says nearly nine-hundred thousand people have left Ukraine, the governing body of the Paralympics confirms that Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete at the winter games in Beijing, and we hear from Ukrainians at home and abroad, caught up in the conflict. | Listen |
| Ukrainian president warns his country can't win the war with Russia on its own | |
| Volodymyr Zelensky is urging Nato to rethink its refusal to impose a no-fly zone. Also: the UN launches an appeal to provide humanitarian aid to fleeing Ukrainians, and several sporting federations ban athletes from Russia and Belarus. | Listen |
| Ukraine accuses Russia of war crimes in Kharkiv | |
| President Zelensky says missile and rocket attacks amount to state terrorism. Also, the Russian foreign minister suggests the invasion is about preventing Ukraine from developing nuclear weapons, Russia?s one-time richest man gives us his take on Vladimir Putin?s mindset, and the Munich Philharmonic sacks its star conductor over his ties to the Russian president. | Listen |
| Fighting continues despite Ukraine ceasefire talks | |
| The cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv suffer fierce shelling despite talks between Ukraine and Russia. Also: ICC prosecutor to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine, and FIFA and UEFA suspend all Russian football teams. | Listen |
| Half a million Ukrainians flee Russian invasion | |
| Poland says 250,000 being processed for entry. Also: Moscow's stock exchange fails to open and the value of the rouble plummets, and a major new climate report has found that global warming is already causing dangerous disruption affecting billions of people. | Listen |
| Putin places Russia's nuclear forces on high alert | |
| NATO condemns the move on the fourth day of the Ukrainian invasion. Also: the energy giant BP says it's divesting its twenty percent stake in the Russian Rosneft company, and the European Union bans Russian state media outlets from broadcasting to its member-states. | Listen |
| Ukrainians in Kyiv face another night in bomb shelters | |
| The capital of Ukraine is still resisting the Russian advance. Also: chaos at a railway station near the Polish border as Ukrainians continue to flee the country, and Germany has decided to supply anti-tank weapons to Ukrainian forces in a major policy change. | Listen |
| Ukraine's Zelensky asks citizens to resist and Europe to do more | |
| The second day of fighting saw Russian tanks advancing on the capital Kyiv. Also: the US, EU, UK and Canada freeze the assets of the Russian president and his foreign minister over Ukraine, and more false conflict images shared online. | Listen |
| Ukraine conflict: Kyiv braces for Russian assault | |
| The sound of gunfire has echoed through Ukraine's capital. Also: The European Union has announced new sanctions to freeze Vladimir Putin's personal assets in Europe and The Kremlin says that Russia is ready for talks | Listen |
| Ukraine conflict: Fighting rages near Kyiv | |
| Ukraine's army tries to repel a full-scale Russian invasion. We hear from our correspondents on the front line in the east, and in the capital, Kyiv; a Ukrainian MP tells us he's ready for battle, and the US and EU announce further sanctions against Moscow. | Listen |
| Ukraine under full-scale Russian attack | |
| Ukraine's president says a new iron curtain is falling and closing Russia off from the civilised world. We hear from ordinary Ukrainians, who are now living in fear, the view from Ukraine's neighbour, Estonia, and reaction from people in Russia. | Listen |
| War in Europe: Russia invades Ukraine | |
| Special edition of Global News Podcast: Nato secretary general condemns Russian attack on Ukraine as a cold-blooded invasion; how did events develop overnight and what is the outlook? This podcast has been reuploaded to include the correct clip of Volodymyr Zelensky, after an incorrect clip was used earlier in error. | Listen |
| US warns of imminent Russian attack on Ukraine | |
| Kyiv imposes nationwide state of emergency. Also: the World Food Programme warns that Yemen is at risk of losing all humanitarian aid and South Korea records its lowest birth rate since records began. | Listen |
| While Moscow celebrates its armed forces, Ukraine is about to declare a state of emergency | |
| Ukraine's state of emergency would last for at least 30 days. Also; America's maternal mortality rate rises to its highest level in fifty years, and do we re-live some of our best moments at the time of our death? | Listen |
| President Biden announces new Russia sanctions | |
| The US president criticised Moscow's order to deploy troops to eastern Ukraine. The upper house of parliament in Russia has authorised President Putin to use the military abroad. Also, a Japanese court makes a landmark ruling on compensation for victims of a forced sterilisation campaign; and Gary Brooker, the man best known for the song A Whiter Shade of Pale, has died aged 76. | Listen |
| Ukraine's President says security of Europe at stake | |
| Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, says it could cut all diplomatic links with Russia, after Moscow recognises the independence of two breakaway regions. Also Germany suspends the gas pipeline Nord Stream Two in retaliation against Moscow. And the authorities in Hong Kong have declared that they'll test everyone in the territory for Coronavirus. | Listen |
| Putin recognises Ukraine separatist regions as independent states | |
| Russian troops are ordered to perform "peacekeeping functions" in Donetsk and Luhansk, raising fears they may cross the border. Also: England is ending Covid-19 isolation laws, and Chile is to return a Moai carved statue to Easter Island. | Listen |
| The Kremlin plays down reports of 'meeting' with Joe Biden. | |
| Shuttle diplomacy continues, as war in Ukraine looms. Also: Australia finally reopens to the world after nearly two years and Apple hosts a platform for Trump supporters. | Listen |
| US sounds fresh alarm over Ukraine invasion fears | |
| The US secretary of state Antony Blinken says Russia is "on the brink" of invading amid reports of an imminent attack. Also: Credit Suisse denies wrongdoing after big data leak, and lime wars in Mexico. | Listen |
| British PM says Russia plans biggest war in Europe since 1945 | |
| The British PM Boris Johnson tells the BBC that intelligence suggests Russia intends to launch an invasion encircling Kyiv. Also: Canadian police push back demonstrators in Ottawa, and the prestigious library in the Iraqi city of Mosul rises from the ashes after being destroyed by Islamic State militants. | Listen |
| Biden 'convinced' Putin has decided to invade Ukraine | |
| The US president Joe Biden said an invasion into Ukraine by Russia could happen in days and the capital Kyiv will be a target. Also: Canadian police move in to end protests in Ottawa, and Covid-19 shutdown linked to record rainfall in China. | Listen |
| Tensions rise further in eastern Ukraine | |
| Vladimir Putin is to oversee nuclear missile drills on Saturday. Also: 38 Indians sentenced to death over 2008 bombings, and six African countries to produce their own mRNA Covid vaccines. | Listen |
| US warns Russian invasion would destabilise region | |
| The US secretary of state has urged Moscow to formally announce that it will not invade, while the Kremlin has warned of a "military-technical" response if its demands are not met. Also: Donald Trump has been ordered to give evidence under oath to a state investigation into alleged fraud at the former president's family business, and what can the sounds of marine life tell us about climate change? | Listen |
| Clerical sex abuse in Italy | |
| Why is an abuser still working as a priest? We have a special BBC investigation. Also: French military withdraw from Mali after nine years, reports of shelling in Ukraine's Donbas region and the original manuscript of The Little Prince on display for the first time. | Listen |
| "No sign of Russian military de-escalation" | |
| The Ukrainian President vows his country would fight back if Russia invades; Soul searching in the US as a man is finally released from prison.....and how a religious work of art has caused serious anger in a small town in southern Italy. | Listen |
| Ukraine: No sign yet of Russian withdrawal | |
| NATO says Russian military build-up appears to be continuing. Also: EU court dismisses Poland and Hungary's rule of law challenge and we pay tribute to the celebrated American commentator, PJ O'Rourke, who's died. | Listen |
| Prince Andrew settles civil sex assault case | |
| Out of court settlement reached with the woman who'd accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Also; US guns manufacturer held liable for a mass shooting, and gay dating app in India used for homophobic attacks. | Listen |
| Novak Djokovic breaks silence over vaccine refusal | |
| He says he's willing to miss major tournaments rather than receive a Covid jab. In an exclusive BBC interview, Djokovic distances himself from the anti-vaccination movement, but insists everyone has the right to choose what to put in their body. Also: Russia Ukraine diplomacy continues, and the secrets to living to 100. | Listen |
| Ukraine President says his country's ready to fight for freedom | |
| The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has called for calm. The United States has insisted there is still space for diplomacy and Russia continues to deny it's planning to invade. Also: the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is invoking the emergencies act to give his government extra powers to tackle anti-vaccine protests, and can teaching people about good sex help them have safe sex? | Listen |
| Final Western diplomatic push over Ukraine | |
| German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, flies to Kiev and Moscow amid fears of imminent Russian invasion. Also: the Russian ice skater who failed a drugs test is allowed to compete at the Winter Olympics, the leader of the Ladies in White Cuban dissident group is arrested in Havana and tributes are paid to Ghostbusters director, Ivan Reitman, who's died. | Listen |
| Ukraine seeks meeting with Russia within 48 hours | |
| Ukraine accuses Russia of ignoring requests to explain a build-up of Russian troops on its border. Also: Canadian police clear protestors from bridge at Windsor, and Swiss approve tobacco ad ban years after most European countries. | Listen |
| Biden and Putin speak as tensions rise over Ukraine | |
| President Biden told the Russian leader Vladimir Putin that the US and its allies would impose "swift and severe costs" if Russia invaded Ukraine. Also: Hugo Torres - a leading opponent of the Nicaraguan president - has died in prison, and Barry Manilow songs are used to try to disperse vaccine protestors in New Zealand | Listen |
| US warns Russian invasion of Ukraine could begin within days | |
| The White House says Moscow now has the troops in place to invade Ukraine "at any time". Also: Canada court orders end to trucker bridge blockade, and record high deforestation of Amazon in January. | Listen |
| Russian figure skater's failed drug test confirmed | |
| Russia defends the participation of Kamila Valieva at the winter Olympics. The teenager helped her team win Monday's team figure skating event, but the medal was not awarded. Also: The WHO says a measles outbreak has killed dozens of children in Afghanistan, and life could exist on a planet with a dying sun. | Listen |
| Russia continues its build-up along Ukraine's borders | |
| The British prime minister Boris Johnson said that Europe faced its biggest security crisis in decades. Also: the head of the London Metropolitan police Cressida Dick resigns after a series of damaging controversies, and Luc Montagnier -- co-discoverer of HIV, dies aged 89. | Listen |
| Russian military exercises in Belarus get underway | |
| Ukraine describes them as amounting to "psychological pressure". Also: voting begins in India's most populous state, and the Canadian truck convoy against Covid restrictions remains at a standstill. | Listen |
| Protests over a ban on Muslim headscarfs in Southern India | |
| Schoolgirls demonstrations spread to the rest of the country and beyond. Also: trouble for the Premier League footballer who kicked his cat, and Jamaica's bobsleigh team braves the cold at the Winter Olympics once again | Listen |
| Scientists make nuclear fusion breakthrough | |
| The possibility of almost unlimited carbon-free energy is brought a step closer. Also: British lawmakers find leaving the European Union has so far been harmful to trade, and pressure grows for a footballer to be censured after he's caught kicking his cat. | Listen |
| Diplomatic solution to Ukraine crisis floated by President Macron. | |
| Meanwhile Russia deploys assault ships to the Ukrainian coast; US justice department arrests a couple on suspicion of laundering over 3.6 billion dollars worth of bitcoin and scientists say having more sleep at night could help you lose weight. | Listen |
| UN: Millions face hunger in the Horn of Africa | |
| UN's World Food Programme says Covid and conflict make the impact of the drought worse in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. The WFP is asking for more than three hundred million dollars in aid after three rainy seasons failed to materialise. Also: Jewish worshippers go undercover at Jersualem's Al- Aqsa Mosque, and China's American-born snow princess takes gold - but no politics, please. | Listen |
| Russian and French presidents discuss Ukraine | |
| Both sides say the talks between Presidents Putin and Macron in Moscow were constructive. President Biden and Germany's Chancellor Scholz have also been meeting in Washington. Also: a state of emergency grips the Canadian capital; and the Razzies nominations are out for the worst films of 2021. | Listen |
| Ukraine Crisis: Macron visits Moscow | |
| The French President says a deal to avoid conflict is possible. Also: Firefighters in Kenya battle a huge blaze in the famous Aberdare National Park, and a paralysed man who beat the odds twice - first he walked, then he became a dad. | Listen |
| India bids farewell to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar | |
| The Bollywood star beloved by Indians around the world is cremated with full state honours. Also: North Korea funding missile projects with stolen cryptocurrency, and the future of Neighbours -- the Australian soap opera is under threat after being dropped by a UK television network. | Listen |
| Queen Elizabeth marks 70 years on the British throne | |
| Queen Elizabeth wants Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, to be known as Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes King. Also: tragic end for boy trapped in Moroccan well, and second storm in weeks hits Madagascar. | Listen |
| The Beijing Winter Olympics begin | |
| It was a toned-down opening ceremony at the Bird's Nest stadium; we look at the row in India over headscarves in schools. Also; the astronomers fighting back against satellite light pollution | Listen |
| China's President Xi Jinping opens 2022 Winter Olympics | |
| The head of the International Olympic Committee thanked China for making the Games happen. Also: scientists in South Africa who've produced a Covid vaccine similar to that made by Moderna say they hope to begin trials by the end of the year, and a team prepares to leave to search for Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship, Endurance. | Listen |
| President Biden says IS leader blew himself up | |
| The president said the raid had removed a major terrorist threat. Also; US says Russia may create pretext for an attack on Ukraine, and how giving Disney an idea made a dream come true for an English girl. | Listen |
| President Biden says the leader of the Islamic State group has been killed in Syria | |
| Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed in a raid by US special forces in the Syrian province of Idlib. Also: Turkey's leader visits Kyiv in an effort to ease the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and scientists begin the trial of a vaccine to protect elephants from a deadly disease. | Listen |
| US boosts troops in Europe amid Ukraine tensions | |
| President Biden authorises the deployment of 3,000 soldiers to Poland and Romania. Also: experts say they may have pinpointed the cause of so-called 'Havana Syndrome' which has afflicted a number of US officials and diplomats around the world, and we celebrate the life of the Italian film actress Monica Vitti. | Listen |
| Afghan universities reopen with trickle of women attending | |
| Enforced gender segregation as universities open for first since Taliban seized power. Also: European Commission declares nuclear and gas to be green with certain conditions; and details on a huge lightning bolt which breaks record for longest ever recorded. | Listen |
| Ukraine tensions: Russia's President lambasts the US | |
| President Putin says Russian security concerns are being ignored. Also: another attempted coup in the West African state of Guinea-Bissau; and NFL legend, Tom Brady, announces his retirement. | Listen |
| UN: Myanmar in a state of civil war | |
| The UN Human Rights Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, says the situation in Myanmar is catastrophic and threatens regional stability. Also, Ukraine expands its army by 100 thousand troops, and a major engineering prize for the man who invented the world's strongest permanent magnet. | Listen |
| British Prime Minister Johnson says sorry | |
| His apology came after the publication of a report into lockdown-breaching parties. Also: US and Russian diplomats have clashed over Ukraine in a heated session of the UN security council, and Mali has expelled the French ambassador in a row over security. | Listen |
| Myanmar prepares to mark the first anniversary of its military coup | |
| Burmese people reflect on a year of violence and hardship. We hear voices of resistance and exile. Also: a fresh start for the footballer Christian Eriksen -- who collapsed during last summer's Euros, the latest from flood-stricken Malawi, and saying goodbye to one man's best friend. | Listen |
| Tennis star Nadal makes history | |
| Spain's Rafa Nadal wins his 21st and record breaking Grand Slam in the Australian Open. Also: North Korea's state news agency says the country launched an intermediate ballistic missile which is thought to be its most powerful for five years. And, the acclaimed Spanish filmaker, Pedro Almodavar on why it's time for him to address his country's civil war. | Listen |
| Italy president re-elected amid successor row | |
| The Italian president Sergio Mattarella has agreed to serve a second term after coalition parties failed to put forward a compromise candidate. Also; death sentences for the murder of UN experts in DR Congo, and the Desert Island Discs radio programme turns eighty. | Listen |
| US says the Russian troop build-up near Ukraine is the largest since the Cold War | |
| The top US military official, General Mark Milley, said the forces Russia had assembled on Ukraine's borders, could cause significant casualties if they were unleashed, especially in urban areas. Also: Oxford University estimates that ten billion doses of coronavirus vaccines have now been administered around the world, and what is happening to the Disney icon Minnie Mouse? | Listen |
| Russia's Foreign Minister says Moscow doesn't want war with Ukraine | |
| Sergei Lavrov was responding to US proposals to resolve the crisis. He said Moscow would however defend its interests. Also: Health experts call for more to be done to help the billions of people who still haven't had a Covid jab, and Australia has promised to spend a further seven hundred million dollars to save the Great Barrier Reef. | Listen |
| Russia-Ukraine: On the brink of war? | |
| Our experts in Moscow, Kyiv and London answer your questions about the crisis. | Listen |
| US urges China to 'influence' Russia against Ukraine invasion | |
| A US State department official said Western countries were unified in wanting a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis but she said the costs must be swift and severe for Russia if it took military action. Also: Honduras' first female president sworn in, and scientists find "spooky" object in Milky Way. | Listen |
| Fukushima youth sue after developing cancer | |
| Six Japanese plaintiffs say they got cancer from radiation exposure after the 2011 nuclear disaster. Also, Honduras swears in its first female president; and why Spotify is removing the music of Neil Young. | Listen |
| US and NATO tell Russia they won't compromise | |
| Washington says it will not bow to Moscow's security demands on eastern Europe. Also: some of Italy's largest companies have held a controversial video conference with Vladimir Putin, amid the escalating tensions over Ukraine; and conservationists have discovered hundreds of new species in southeast Asia. | Listen |
| Kurdish forces say they've retaken Syrian prison | |
| Islamic State militants attacked the jail, where hundreds of children are among those detained. Also: Thailand and Saudi Arabia end a 30-year row over a scandal involving stolen jewels; and why Disney has been criticised over a remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. | Listen |
| Could President Putin face personal sanctions over Ukraine stand-off ? | |
| The West ratchets up warnings to Russia against invading Ukraine; The International Monetary Fund is downbeat about global economic growth citing inflation and the pandemic; and plans to criminalise medical treatments that try to restore the appearance of virginity. | Listen |
| British police to investigate lockdown parties at PM's official residence | |
| Boris Johnson welcomes the investigation. But a spokesperson says the prime minister does not believe he has broken any coronavirus laws. Also: Russia accuses the US of stoking tensions over Ukraine, and one of the most remote museums in the world reopens. | Listen |
| US troops on high alert over Ukraine | |
| The Pentagon says 8,500 combat-ready US troops are on high alert to deploy at short notice amid rising tension over Ukraine. Also; the army in Burkina Faso says it has removed President Roch Kabore from office, and the penguins highlighting climate change in Antarctica. | Listen |
| Ukraine crisis: Nato sends more planes and ships to Eastern Europe | |
| Nato says it's to reinforce its defences, and for the purposes of deterrence. The Kremlin has accused Nato of escalating tensions. Also: reports from Burkina Faso say the president has been detained by the military; and Julian Assange wins the right to ask the British Supreme Court to block his extradition to the US. | Listen |
| Burkina Faso soldiers mutiny at barracks | |
| Protesters set fire to the ruling party's headquarters. Also: Taliban leaders are in Norway seeking aid for Afghanistan, and why are images of God so controversial? | Listen |
| Fierce battle between IS militants and Kurdish forces in Syria | |
| IS fighters attacked a prison where thousands of jihadists are held. Also, Kiribati imposes its first lockdown, and the robot vacuum cleaner that got away. | Listen |
| Yemen: scores killed in air strike on prison | |
| Saudi-led coalition steps up air strikes on Houthi rebel targets. Also: there's cautious optimism as Russia and the US agree to futher talks over Ukraine, and Che Guevera's daughter publishes a book of his very personal letters. | Listen |
| Ukraine tension: US and Russia hold talks | |
| Both sides said they were open to further dialogue. Also, the UN says initial estimates of the effects of Typhoon Rai that hit the Philippines last month badly underestimated the damage it caused and, tributes are paid to the singer Meatloaf who's died aged 74. | Listen |
| Many feared dead after huge explosion in Ghana | |
| Videos show many destroyed buildings near the mining town of Bogoso. Also: Ukraine hits back at Biden amid Russia tensions, and teenage pilot Zara Rutherford completes solo round the world record. | Listen |
| Former Pope Benedict accused of failing to act over child abuse cases | |
| Report claims he failed to act to prevent abuse when he was Archbishop of Munich. Also, the ICRC is targeted by cyber hackers and, the first aid flights arrive in Tonga. | Listen |
| Biden believes Putin will 'move in' on Ukraine | |
| The US President has warned that Washington will do significant harm to Russia if it decides to invade Ukraine. Also: DR Congo inmates found guilty of rape during prison riot, and airlines cancel dozens of flights to the US because of safety concerns surrounding aircraft altimeters and 5G technology. | Listen |
| British PM under increasing pressure to go | |
| Boris Johnson is accused of misleading people about lockdown parties; US urges Russia to take "peaceful path" as fears mount of a new invasion of Ukraine. And we remember the ground breaking life of the African American journalist André Leon Talley. | Listen |
| Washington says Moscow could 'at any point launch an attack on Ukraine' | |
| The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will meet his Russian counterpart on Friday to warn Moscow to de-escalate the situation. Also, the rollout of 5G technology at US airports is postponed, and a Rome villa with Caravaggio mural fails to sell. | Listen |
| Tonga says it has been hit by an 'unprecedented disaster' | |
| The Pacific island nation of Tonga was hit by volcanic eruption and tsunami. Also, US airline bosses are worried about 5G. And some of the world's best known cricketers get a telling off. | Listen |
| UAE condemns Houthi attack in Abu Dhabi as 'heinous crime' | |
| The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi militia in Yemen. Also: a distress signal has been detected in low-lying Tongan islands after volcano eruption, and the Scottish poet Robert Burns ignored advice not to write in Scots. | Listen |
| Tonga tsunami: Anxious wait for news and aid | |
| There are reports of significant damage and no mass casualties. Communications with the country are extremely limited. Also, thousands are without power as the US is hit by a winter storm, and a suspect is identified over Anne Frank?s betrayal. | Listen |
| President Biden says hostage-taking at synagogue was act of terror | |
| President Biden says the hostage-taking at a Texas synagogue was an act of terror; Also New Zealand sends a plane to Tonga to assess the damage caused by the volcanic eruption and tsunami. And the Australian Open tennis gets underway without Novak Djokovic. | Listen |
| Tsunami waves reach Hawaii and Japan | |
| An underwater volcano erupts near Tonga. Also: worshippers at a synagogue in Texas are taken hostage and Nino Cerruti, one of Italy's great fashion designers, has died at the age of 91. | Listen |
| US warns Russia preparing for war in Ukraine | |
| Moscow denies the claim which followed a cyber attack on Ukrainian government websites. Also: Malians rally after army calls for protests over ECOWAS sanctions, Google's UK boss on hybrid working and French dressing freed from strict US rules. | Listen |
| Australia cancels Novak Djokovic's visa again | |
| His lawyers are trying to prevent his deportation. Also: the Ukrainian government is hit by a major cyber-attack, and Britain's Prime Minister apologises to the Queen for two lockdown parties the night before Prince Philip's funeral. | Listen |
| Chinese spy 'infiltrated' UK parliament | |
| MI5 says Christine Lee engaged in political interference activities on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. Also: Prince Andrew loses military titles and use of HRH, the murders of a family who fought to protect endangered turtles, and French bakers in pain over cut-price supermarket baguettes. | Listen |
| Germany convicts Syrian of crimes against humanity | |
| The trial of Anwar Raslan was the world's first criminal case over state-led torture in Syria. Also: terrified Afghan teachers still hiding from Taliban and Be My Baby singer Ronnie Spector dies aged seventy-eight. | Listen |
| Prince Andrew to face sex assault case | |
| Queen Elizabeth's son is to face a civil case in the US after decision by judge; Israel detains what it claims is an Iranian spy ring. And the couple on their first date who were trapped together for four days. | Listen |
| British PM apologises for attending lockdown drinks party | |
| The British prime minister Boris Johnson faces calls to resign after lockdown party apology. Also: Russia talks to Nato in Brussels, and planting the right trees for red squirrels. | Listen |
| Biden pushes for voting reforms | |
| President Joe Biden says changing the way elections are held is crucial to saving US democracy. Also, Liberia places an entire ministry under investigation following allegations of corruption, and Palestinian militants accuse Israel of using dolphins for military purposes. | Listen |
| Half of Europe to catch Omicron, says WHO | |
| The World Health Organization warns that more than half the population of Europe will be infected with the Omicron variant within the next two months. Also, Kazakhstan's president says a Russian-led force he invited to quell unrest will begin leaving on Thursday, and doctors in the United States have carried out a pioneering operation to give a man a genetically modified heart of a pig. | Listen |
| Is it game set and match to Novak Djokovic? | |
| The tennis world number one wins his fight to stay in Australia; Moscow and Washington discuss Russia's troop build-up near Ukraine....and.....are badgers better treasure hunters than their human counterparts ? | Listen |
| Djokovic wins Australia court battle | |
| Lawyers for the tennis star Novak Djokovic argued in court that his visa cancellation at Melbourne airport was unreasonable. Also: Russia-US talks on Ukraine may prove crucial, and a huge fossilised "sea dragon" is found in UK reservoir. | Listen |
| Twice postponed showcase of African football underway in Cameroon | |
| The 2021 African football Cup of Nations kicks off with host victory; A fire at an apartment building in New York has killed at least nineteen people....and in Saudi Arabia...women get a bespoke showcase for their ships of the desert. | Listen |
| Controversy for tennis star Djokovic | |
| Photographs show the tennis player at events when his lawyers say he tested positive for Covid. It is unclear whether he knew he had Covid when the photos were taken. His lawyers argue he had been given an exemption for the Australian Open because of the confirmed case. We hear from a former Australian minister who says that that exemption doesn't exist. Also: an airstrike on a refugee camp in northern Ethiopia kills dozens, and how Turkmenistan hopes to close the "Gates of Hell". | Listen |
| Hollywood trailblazer, Sidney Poitier, dies aged 94 | |
| The US-Bahamian star was the first black man to win a best actor Oscar. Also: the white killers of a black jogger in the US State of Georgia are sentenced to life in prison; and scientists pull animal DNA out of thin air. | Listen |
| Kazakh president orders troops to fire without warning | |
| The crackdown comes after he said '20,000 bandits' had attacked the country's biggest city. Opposition activists have dismissed the allegation. Also: a warning that the world could see a threefold increase in dementia by 2050, and the excitement reaches fever pitch in Cameroon as it prepares to host its first Africa Cup of Nations for half a century. | Listen |
| President Biden condemns rioters who stormed Capitol building | |
| On the anniversary of the attack Joe Biden said it was an armed insurrection. Also: violent clashes have been continuing in Kazakhstan's main city, Almaty, and Serbia's president says he will fight for "justice and truth" for Novak Djokovic. | Listen |
| Biden attacks Trump?s ?web of lies? | |
| A year on, Joe Biden blames his predecessor for last January?s attack on the Capitol. Also, Novak Djokovic sits it out in detention as the row rumbles on over the world?s number one male tennis player; and Leonardo DiCaprio has a tree named after him ? we hear why. | Listen |
| Kazakhstan calls for Russian help amid unrest | |
| A Russian-led military alliance will send a peacekeeping force to Kazakhstan, as nationwide protests escalate. Also: Australia cancels visa of tennis star Novak Djokovic, and British army officer Preet Chandi completes solo South Pole trek. | Listen |
| Kazakhstan protests over rising fuel prices | |
| Unprecedented anti-government demonstrations are spreading across Kazakhstan - sparked by rising fuel prices. Also, Hong Kong brings in strict new rules to combat Covid - in line with the rest of China. And there's anger in Australia over Novak Djokovic's medical exemption from a Covid jab, allowing him to compete in this month's Australian Open. | Listen |
| US reports 1m Covid cases in a single day | |
| US officials warn the peak of a fast-spreading Omicron surge is still to come. Also: Poland to build fence on its border with Belarus, and Thailand's Maya Bay beach reopens to tourists | Listen |
| China forces a city of more than a million people into lockdown | |
| The move comes after just 3 people test positive for the coronavirus. Also:The former Silicon Valley star, Elizabeth Holmes is convicted of fraud against those who invested in her start up Theranos, and a James Bond car has been found 25 years after it was stolen, | Listen |
| WHO warns that Omicron will not be the last coronavirus variant | |
| The World Health Organization says it is vital that vaccines are distributed more fairly around the world. Also: Haiti PM survived assassination attempt, and David Bowie's estate sells the publishing rights to his entire body of work. | Listen |
| India: Millions of teenagers in Covid vaccination push | |
| Teenagers in India begin receiving Covid vaccines as the country tries to contain its sharpest ever surge in infections; Turkey inflation surges 36 per cent amid financial turmoil, and 'Emily in Paris' Ukraine complains over Kyiv character stereotype. | Listen |
| Sudan Prime Minister resigns after mass protests | |
| Abdalla Hamdok quits just weeks after he was reinstated; fire rips through the South African parliament. And: the dark side of Avocados. | Listen |
| South Africa bids farewell to Desmond Tutu | |
| President Cyril Ramaphosa described the late Archbishop as the country?s spiritual father. The veteran anti-apartheid campaigner and Nobel Peace Prize winner died a week ago. He was 90. Also: a Nigerian state closes all camps for displaced people ? despite the ongoing threat of Jihadist violence. And a Chinese man who was abducted as a child more than thirty years ago has been reunited with his biological mother after drawing a map of his childhood village. | Listen |
| The funeral of Archbishop Desmond Tutu | |
| South Africa has held a state funeral for the anti-apartheid hero, Desmond Tutu. The president, Cyril Ramaphosa, delivered the eulogy, describing him as a crusader in the struggle for freedom, justice, equality and peace. | Listen |
| WHO sees light at end of covid tunnel | |
| The World Health Organisation has said coronavirus may be beaten in 2022; thousands flee Colorado fires. We go around the world to celebrate New Year. | Listen |
| The head of the WHO says the coronavirus pandemic can be brought to an end in 2022 | |
| Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the world has to work together to achieve that goal. Also: Tens of thousands of people in the US state of Colorado flee an unusual winter wildfire, and why hands are linked when we sing Auld Lang Syne to welcome the New Year. | Listen |
| South Africa lifts coronavirus movement restrictions | |
| It says all indicators suggest it has passed the peak of the latest wave of infection. Also: Bangladesh opens a beach just for women and children - and then scraps the idea after a social media outcry, and why you need to keep telescope mirrors really cold in space. | Listen |
| Ex- Afghan president explains fleeing the Taliban | |
| Ashraf Ghani says he had to abandon his position in Kabul and did it to prevent the destruction of the city. Also: Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Sudan to demand that the military relinquish power and how Elton John?s famous performance at Princess Diana?s funeral almost didn?t happen. | Listen |
| Ghislaine Maxwell Found Guilty | |
| The British socialite, Ghislaine Maxwell is found guilty of helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse young girls; World Health Organisation warns of coronavirus tsunami; and one of the wonders of the modern world - the Venice lagoon flood barrier. | Listen |
| Another independent Hong Kong media outlet closes | |
| Stand News shuts down and dismisses all its staff after police raid. Also: The United States records its highest ever level of daily coronavirus infections as it struggles to contain the Omicron variant, a 50 percent passenger limit imposed on public transport in Delhi in an effort to reduce Covid transmission and could Spiderman come to the film industry's rescue? | Listen |
| Afghan women protest against the Taliban | |
| Dozens of women have marched through Kabul, accusing the Taliban of extrajudicial killings. Also: the US has called for a ban on arms sales to the military in Myanmar, and what's inside a time capsule that was hidden inside a statue 130 years ago? | Listen |
| Russian court orders closure of civil rights group | |
| Prosecutors accused Memorial of being a threat to the public. Also: China says the US put astronauts in danger after its space station avoided colliding with SpaceX satellites, and the authorities in Hong Kong table another charge against the media tycoon Jimmy Lai. | Listen |
| Somali PM defiant after president suspends him | |
| The Somali PM, Mohamed Hussein Roble, says the president's move over land theft allegations is an attempted coup. Also: India blocks foreign funding to Mother Teresa charity, and Amber Heard names new dog after Australian minister. | Listen |
| New York City imposes extra coronavirus vaccine mandates | |
| Everyone over 12 years old will have to show proof of full vaccination to access indoor activities. Also: the Polish President vetoes a media bill which critics say is designed to silence government opponents; and we look back at the lives of the conservationist E.O. Wilson, and the Roe v Wade lawyer, Sarah Weddington, who have died. | Listen |
| Biden joins tributes to Desmond Tutu | |
| The churchman, who helped end apartheid in South Africa, has died aged 90. Also: Israel approves a controversial plan to boost the number of Jewish settlers in Golan Heights, and a surge in Covid cases causes misery for airline passengers worldwide. | Listen |
| Happy News Podcast 2021 | |
| As the year draws to a close, we bring you some of the most uplifting stories of the year, including the malaria jab, a bionic teacher, how algae helped one man see again, and the Turkish man who joined his own search party. | Listen |
| Gambian commission abuse revelations | |
| Former president Yahya Jammeh implicated in killings, torture and rape during his 22-year rule. Also: Three Iranians granted Saudi diplomatic visas, Russia fines Google over illegal content breach and the enduring appeal of Harry Potter. | Listen |
| Dozens killed in Bangladesh ferry fire | |
| The crowded ferry caught fire as it sailed from Dhaka to the town of Barguna. Also: millions face travel disruption as Omicron restrictions cancel thousands of flights worldwide, and Christmas Eve in Bethlehem without tourists. | Listen |
| Guilty verdict in Kim Potter manslaughter trial | |
| White former Minnesota police officer convicted over shooting of unarmed black motorist Daunte Wright. Also: British researchers say people infected with omicron are up to 70% less likely to need hospital care but protection wanes 10 weeks after a vaccine booster and tributes are paid to one of the most distinctive voices in American literature, Joan Didion, who's died in New York at the age of 87. | Listen |
| Omicron variant 'may be milder' | |
| New studies suggest highly-contagious Omicron is weaker than Delta. Also: President Putin holds his annual marathon news conference, and the US tech giant, Intel, apologises to China after banning products and labour from Xinjiang. | Listen |
| WHO issues global warning over Omicron | |
| WHO says no country can boost its way out of the coronavirus pandemic; The Communist authorities in Hong Kong remove a statue commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre....and the space telescope that hopes to unlock secrets of the early universe. | Listen |
| China locks down city of Xi'an over coronavirus outbreak | |
| Thirteen million residents are ordered to stay home. It comes just weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Also: Israel plans a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and how baby seals communicate to their mothers in a crowd. | Listen |
| US government buys millions of test kits ahead of Omicron surge | |
| The US to offer 500 million free tests to help tackle covid; Kosovo could soon house hundreds of prisoners from Denmark..and why a goat may not be the best Christmas gift. | Listen |
| The aftermath of Typhoon Rai reveals more devastation in the Philippines | |
| The BBC's Howard Johnson is on Siargao Island, which is almost cut off to aid. The Red Cross says the area is without power, and there is very little water. Also: As Omicron becomes the most dominant variant in the US, we learn more about how the virus mutates from research in South Africa, and the we find out about a mega millipede that lived more than three hundred million years ago. | Listen |
| Omicron versus the world: Your questions answered | |
| As the Omicron variant spreads around the world and cases surge, BBC correspondents tell us how Covid-19 is impacting our lives, our businesses and our economies. | Listen |
| TPLF rebels withdraw to Ethiopia's Tigray region | |
| The rebels have expressed hope that the move can lead to a ceasefire in Ethiopia. Also: Switzerland introduces new Covid restrictions as the Omicron variant spreads through Europe, and a Christmas carol service in virtual reality. | Listen |
| Ethiopia: Tigray rebels announce retreat | |
| TPLF rebels fighting the central Ethiopian government say their withdrawal from neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar to the Tigray region, after suffering a series of defeats, will be a decisive opening for peace. Also; the BBC uncovers evidence of mass killings by the military in Myanmar, and indignation at plans for the world's first octopus farm. | Listen |
| Record low turnout in Hong Kong vote | |
| Only 30.2% of voters took part - the lowest turnout in Hong Kong's election history. Also: massive anti-coup protests sweep Sudan, and Spotty becomes Scotty as the Beano comic reflects modern-day thinking. | Listen |
| Dutch to enter tight lockdown over Omicron wave | |
| Non-essential shops, schools, bars, restaurants and other public venues will be closed until at least mid-January. Also: UK Brexit minister resigns, and the pros and cons of musicians selling off their music catalogues. | Listen |
| Encouraging news from South Africa about the strength of the Omicron variant | |
| Omicron variant appears milder, but it's still unclear whether that will be mirrored elsewhere. Also: UN Human Rights Council orders independent investigation into atrocities in the conflict in Ethiopia, and a blazing row over a straw goat in Sweden. | Listen |
| Russia lists demands for defusing Ukraine tensions | |
| Moscow says Nato should abandon hopes of Ukraine joining and Nato states should get rid of weapons. Also: biggest by-election swings against a UK government since 1981, and a man plays a piano surrounded by destruction from Kentucky tornado. | Listen |
| Coronavirus cases at all-time high in UK | |
| WHO says Omicron is spreading faster than any other variant. Also: the defence case for Ghislaine Maxwell gets underway in New York, and how one woman gained a home by bartering on social media. | Listen |
| EU concern over Russian troops on Ukraine border | |
| EU leaders say they will do everything to ensure Europe's borders. Also: birdsong ruffles feathers in Australia, and Usain Bolt's desire to be world champion of a completely different kind | Listen |
| Germany expels Russian diplomats after hitman sentenced | |
| German court rules that Moscow ordered the murder of a former Chechen rebel in Berlin two years ago. Also: as Omicron spreads, a hospital doctor pleads for people to be vaccinated; and a spacecraft makes history by flying through the outer atmosphere of the Sun. | Listen |
| German Chancellor promises historic transformation to tackle climate change | |
| The German Chancellor says there must be an historic transformation to fight climate change; Also South Africa's former president, Jacob Zuma, is ordered back to jail. And why virtual sneakers could cost you $5,000. | Listen |
| WHO: Omicron is spreading at an unprecedented rate | |
| The WHO chief, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the new strain has been detected in 77 nations and urges countries to act swiftly to curb its spread or health services face being overwhelmed. Also: The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, suffers his largest rebellion over England?s Covid restrictions, and the smooth grove of Congolese Rumba gets cultural recognition. | Listen |
| The UN says Afghanistan faces a profound humanitarian crisis | |
| It blames foreign sanctions forcing Afghans into poverty and hunger. Also: Belarusian opposition leader is jailed for 18 years, and the warmest day ever in the Arctic. | Listen |
| US abuse survivors agree $380m settlement | |
| Hundreds of women were abused by former US national gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Also: the governor of the US state of Kentucky reflects on the 'unspeakable trauma' following deadly tornadoes at the weekend, and the Chinese criminal who overcame the hurdle of facial recognition. | Listen |
| Hong Kong authorities jail eight pro-democracy campaigners | |
| The activists, including the former media tycoon Jimmy Lai, had commemorated the Tiananmen Square killings. Also: South Africa's president contracts Covid-19, and the spooky residence of the Japanese prime minister. | Listen |
| Desperate search for survivors in tornado-hit US | |
| Dozens of people are dead, many more are missing and entire US towns have been destroyed. Also: short wave radio is one hundred years old, and the Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez dies ages 81. | Listen |
| Biden reaches out to tornado-hit US states | |
| The US president promises the government will do all it can to help those states affected. Also: UK warns Russia of consequences if Ukraine is invaded, and is there a link between dementia in men and amateur boxing in their youth? | Listen |
| US price rises hit highest level for 40 years | |
| Prices rose 6.8% in the year to November with the cost of fuel, used cars and food rising fastest. Also: UK scientists say three vaccine doses key for tackling Omicron, and the Monkees star Michael Nesmith dies aged 78. | Listen |
| Court rules Assange must be sent to US | |
| The Wikileaks founder's supporters say they'll appeal the ruling. There are criminal charges against Julian Assange for the leaking of official documents. Also, in Myanmar people protest military rule by staying at home, as the US condemns a reported massacre by Burmese troops. And the winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize have received their awards at a ceremony in Oslo. | Listen |
| Talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal resume in Vienna | |
| The US says Washington is now ready for direct negotiations with Teheran on its nuclear programme. Also: the French president Emmanuel Macron wants the EU to focus on defence and border protection during its six-month presidency of the bloc, and what is the hi-tech device that will stop squashed eyeball disorder in space? | Listen |
| UN halts aid in northern Ethiopia after lootings by Tigrayan rebels | |
| The World Food Programme has stopped food distribution. Also, an unofficial tribunal looking into China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang say it amounts to genocide. And the World Health Organisation says it?s worried that rich countries reacting to Omicron will hoard coronavirus vaccines. | Listen |
| Speed up Covid vaccinations, WHO says | |
| The head of the World Health Organization says governments must act now to contain the Omicron variant. Also, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces new Covid restrictions, while facing backlash over reports of a Christmas party in his office last year. And the United Nations releases a disturbing new report on women's rights in Afghanistan. | Listen |
| Indian armed forces chief dies in helicopter crash | |
| The Indian Air Force confirms that armed forces chief General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others have been killed in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu; Also Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologises for a video showing staff joking about a Christmas party during the Coronavirus lockdown. And a change at the top in Germany after 16 years. | Listen |
| Biden Putin talks over Ukraine | |
| The US and Russian leaders spoke by video link, but make little headway as Ukraine tensions rise. Also: French police have arrested a Saudi suspected of involvement in the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi; and an ancient clay tablet, looted thirty years ago, is returned to Iraq. | Listen |
| Whistleblower describes 'chaos' of UK Afghan exit | |
| The government official says Britain only helped 5% of those asking for assistance. Also: China says the US will pay for its diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics, and more than 900 people are told they're fired in a group video call in the United States. | Listen |
| Ethiopia condemned for detaining ethnic minorities | |
| The international community has condemned the Ethiopian government over reports it is rounding up people based on their ethnicity during the conflict with the Tigray region. Also: the United Nations says Myanmar's trial and conviction of the deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was a sham; and the US announces a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, though its athletes will still compete. | Listen |
| Myanmar's deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi is given a prison sentence | |
| The UN leads condemnation of the country's military rulers after she was convicted of inciting unrest and violating coronavirus restrictions during last year's election campaign. Also: a scientist who helped develop the AstraZeneca vaccine has warned the next pandemic could be worse than COVID-19 and we hear about drill, which was the big winner at Britain's MOBO awards celebrating black music. | Listen |
| Myanmar military lorry driven at protesters in deadly clash | |
| Several people are dead after the military drove through demonstrators, then opened fire on them. Also: the longtime US senator and Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole has died; and Pope Francis urges political leaders to show compassion for migrants. | Listen |
| The French president meets the Saudi crown prince, amid much criticism | |
| Emmanuel Macron is the first major Western leader to meet the Saudi crown prince since the murder of the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. Also: a big shake-up of the vital state mining company in the DRC amid allegations of corruption, and 'Moulin Rouge', the musical, makes its stage debut in London. | Listen |
| Police hunt parents charged in US school shooting | |
| The authorities say the Michigan couple's son killed four students with his father's handgun. Also: Ethiopia closes schools to boost war effort, and the actor Sir Antony Sher dies of cancer aged 72. | Listen |
| Taliban decree says Afghan women are 'not property, but free human beings' | |
| The decree on women's rights makes no mention of education or work. Also, the actor, Alec Baldwin, says he does not feel guilty over the fatal shooting on his latest film, and Steven Spielberg on directing West Side Story. | Listen |
| US to restart 'Remain in Mexico' policy | |
| More than 60,000 asylum seekers were originally sent back to Mexico under the controversial programme. Also: Germany bars the unvaccinated from much of public life, and older drivers in Britain could avoid fines for careless driving under new proposals. | Listen |
| Scientists find trigger for rare AstraZeneca clots | |
| Findings should help company make any necessary changes; Meghan Markle wins a major legal battle with a UK newspaper. How high school basketball players tried to message a friend, but ended up talking to Tom Brady. | Listen |
| WTA suspends China tournaments over Peng Shuai | |
| The WTA announces the immediate suspension amid concern for the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai. Also: the actor Alec Baldwin says he didn't fire gun on film set, and rare access to the USS Carl Vinson off the coast of Japan. | Listen |
| Countries around the world step up Covid prevention measures | |
| More travel bans and vaccine booster programmes as the Omicron variant is closely tracked. Also, the EU unveils a global infrastructure investment plan to rival China's Belt and Road initiative. And the sea goddess sculpture that is helping efforts to sustain coral reefs in the Caribbean. | Listen |
| Ex-Trump aide Mark Meadows to cooperate with January 6 investigations | |
| The US congressional committee investigating the deadly assault on the Capitol building says Mark Meadows has agreed to appear before it 'soon'. Also: IS man guilty of genocide in Yazidi murder trial, and Arctic could see more rain than snow in thirty years. | Listen |
| Barbados becomes world's newest republic | |
| The Caribbean island removes Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. Also: France's far right polemicist, Eric Zemmour announces his bid for the presidency, and Greece imposes fines for the over 60's if they don't get vaccinated against Covid-19. | Listen |
| Ghislaine Maxwell goes on trial for sex trafficking | |
| The former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell goes on trial in New York, accused of trafficking underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein; Also President Biden says the Omicron covid variant is a cause for concern, not panic. And Barbados becomes the world's youngest Republic. | Listen |
| WHO: Omicron poses very high global risk | |
| The World Health Organisation calls for solidarity and a global push to get jabs to poorer countries. Japan closes its borders to foreigners, and we find out what we know about the new variant. Also, Jeffrey Epstein's former lover Ghislaine Maxwell goes on trial accused of sex trafficking, and after 40 days on the run, Chinese police recapture an escaped prisoner. But it was not just jail he was trying to avoid. | Listen |
| Omicron reaches Australia and Canada | |
| In Europe, the Netherlands has the highest number of cases. Also: a special report from Colombia where mass killings are continuing five years after a peace deal with left-wing rebels, and the Indian stand-up comic who says he may have to give up his routine because of Hindu fundamentalists. | Listen |
| New Covid variant spreads across Europe | |
| Omicron strain detected in Belgium, Britain, Germany and Italy. Also: the story of one victim of last week's migrant boat tragedy in the English Channel and remembering American composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, who's died at the age of 91. | Listen |
| WHO labels new coronavirus strain | |
| Omicron designated fifth variant "of concern" and could be more resistant to vaccines. Also: Ukraine claims Russian-backed coup imminent, climate change misinformation and Queen's Gambit online chess boom. | Listen |
| New coronavirus variant emerges in South Africa | |
| Several countries impose travel restrictions on the region. Also: the French President accuses the British Prime Minister of not taking the migrant crisis seriously; and the music producer Nile Rogers is to auction many of his guitars for his charitable foundation. | Listen |
| UN says migrant deaths were avoidable | |
| The UN Refugee Agency warns that closing off legal routes to people seeking asylum will lead to more dangerous attempts to reach safe countries. Also: a general from the UAE - accused of torture - is the new head of the international police agency, Interpol. And the singer the music industry tried to turn into Africa's Grace Jones. | Listen |
| Poland-Belarus border migrant crisis | |
| Poland says 200 migrants tried to cross with the help of Belarus guards. Also: the French president says European countries need to work together to deal with the migration issue, and a documentary that might throw new light on the break-up of The Beatles. | Listen |
| Dozens drown in migrant boat sinking | |
| Tragedy happened in the waters between France and Britain; three US men guilty of murdering a black jogger. We take you into the surreal world of the non fungible token. | Listen |
| US declares three IS leaders in Afghanistan 'global terrorists' | |
| The action - which follows a series of major attacks by Islamic State - makes it illegal to have any business transactions with the men, who include the group's leader, Sultan Azam. Also: Nasa launches a mission to nudge an asteroid off course, and Magdalena Andersson has become Sweden's first female Prime Minister. | Listen |
| US and others coordinate mass release from strategic oil reserves | |
| The move is part of a major effort to moderate fuel prices. Also: Bulgaria launches an investigation into the deadly bus crash in which dozens were killed, and Mexican lottery win attracts violent gangsters. | Listen |
| Dozens killed in bus crash on Bulgarian motorway | |
| Many people died when a bus returning to North Macedonia caught fire. Also: Turkish lira collapses after President Erdogan defends sharp rate cuts, and please switch off your device before entering the Mobile Phone museum. | Listen |
| Concern spreads across Europe over Covid-19 | |
| Latest phase sees some countries report highest ever rates. Also: ICRC operations director makes impassioned plea for international support for Afghanistan, and why there will no longer be best male and best female artist categories for the Brit Awards. | Listen |
| At least 5 dead as car ploughs into US Christmas parade | |
| Police in Wisconsin question the man who drove through crowds of people. Also, Austria announces its fourth Covid lockdown. And Kenya gives its citizens one month to get vaccinated, or be barred from in-person government services. | Listen |
| Chinese tennis star tells IOC she's safe | |
| The Chinese tennis star, Peng Shuai, who disappeared after alleging a sexual assault, tells the International Olympic Committee she's safe; Also Sudan's opposition dismiss a deal reappointing the ousted prime minister. And Female journalists and presenters in Afghanistan are ordered to wear headscarves on television | Listen |
| Tens of thousands of Austrians protest against anti-Covid measures | |
| The Austrian Chancellor defends his plans to make vaccination mandatory. Also: Afghanistan's Taliban government says it can start paying government workers; and Sesame Street has its first Asian-American character. | Listen |
| Kyle Rittenhouse cleared over Kenosha killings | |
| The US teenager who shot dead two men during racial unrest has been found not guilty of homicide after claiming self-defence. We hear reaction from a council member from Kenosha city. Also; President Lukashenko of Belarus admits his security forces have beaten up protestors in prison, and Wikipedia?s language barrier to getting the truth about global warming. | Listen |
| Austria orders full lockdown as Covid surges | |
| Days after imposing a lockdown on the unvaccinated, Vienna announces a full nationwide Covid-19 lockdown starting on Monday. Also, farmers in India welcome a dramatic U-turn by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is scrapping hugely controversial agricultural reform laws. And the United Nations joins calls for China to prove that its missing tennis star, Peng Shuai, is safe. | Listen |
| Poland says Belarus has cleared a migrant camp on its border | |
| More than a thousand people trying to reach Poland from Belarus have been moved to a warehouse. Also: Muslim cleric shot dead after Uganda bombings, and the Chinese food vlogger barred from a restaurant for eating too much. | Listen |
| Germany approves new coronavirus measures | |
| MPs in Germany approve urgent measures to control Covid-19 following another big leap in the number of new infections; Also, 24 aid workers go on trial in Greece. And doubt is cast over an email said to be from the missing Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai. | Listen |
| Two men convicted of killing Malcolm X to be exonerated | |
| A Manhattan district attorney says Muhammed Aziz and Khalil Islam did not get the justice they deserved. Also: deaths at Sudan pro-democracy protests, and the DogPhone that lets pets ring their owners at work. | Listen |
| Delhi shuts schools and colleges as air pollution worsens | |
| It's the latest measure to try to clear the toxic smog in the Indian capital. Also: new protests begin in Sudan against last month?s coup, and the growing appeal of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo as one of her paintings fetches a record price. | Listen |
| Armenia and Azerbaijan agree ceasefire after border clashes | |
| The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, brokered the ceasefire during separate talks with his counterparts from the two countries. Also: wife of Mexico's most wanted cartel boss arrested, and there's been a steep decline in the number of birds in Europe. | Listen |
| Uganda: Two blasts kill several people in Kampala | |
| The authorities blame an Islamist group for the attacks. Also: Polish border guards fire water cannon and tear gas at stone-throwing migrants trying to cross from Belarus, and the French mayor who proclaimed a new principality in his village. | Listen |
| EU widens Belarus sanctions | |
| The crisis intensifies as hundreds more migrants, allegedly being pushed towards the EU by Belarus, arrive at the border with Poland. Also: former Trump aide Steve Bannon claims criminal charges are "all noise" after surrendering to FBI, and the use of facial recognition in goat farming in China. | Listen |
| Poland-Belarus border crisis | |
| Polish police have confronted a large crowd of migrants on the border with Belarus, as EU ministers in Brussels discuss further sanctions against Minsk. Also, an American journalist sentenced to 11 years in prison in Myanmar has been released and is on his way home. And officials in Delhi, say they are ready to impose a complete city-wide lockdown in the Indian capital to curb air pollution. | Listen |
| US condemns Belarus over migrant crisis | |
| The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says Belarus has put security under threat at the border with Poland. Also, Austria begins a lockdown for the unvaccinated. And, a decade after Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed, his son wants to run for president of Libya. | Listen |
| Climate deal struck in Glasgow | |
| New global climate deal is agreed at COP26 summit in Glasgow after last-minute wrangling over cutting coal production. Also, at least sixty-eight people die in clashes between rival gangs in a jail in Ecuador, and the deadly scorpions of Egypt that have been washed out into the streets by stormy weather. | Listen |
| Steve Bannon charged with contempt of Congress | |
| Former Trump strategist refused to testify about the US Capitol riot. Also: the UN Climate Summit runs into extra time; and a previously unseen mineral is found inside a diamond. | Listen |
| COP26 goes to the wire | |
| Negotiations continue in Glasgow to try to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. Also: the migrants in Belarus enduring life-threatening temperatures to try to reach the European Union, and is one of China's most powerful business leaders about to hand over to someone more than 40 years her junior? | Listen |
| Worsening conditions for migrants in Belarus | |
| Thousands are gathering in the country, hoping to cross the Polish border. Also: FW de Klerk?s message from beyond the grave, and Steven Gerrard returns to the English Premier League as manager. | Listen |
| South Africa's last Apartheid-era president has died | |
| FW de Klerk oversaw the country's transition from white minority rule. Also: environmental campaigners give a cautious welcome to a surprise joint pledge from China and the United States to increase efforts to tackle global warming, and how a lockdown hobby led to the discovery of a new species of dinosaur. | Listen |
| China and US Climate Agreement | |
| The US and China make surprise announcement on climate co-operation; German covid surge prompts deadly warning and the popular Spanish dish - paella - gets protected cultural status. | Listen |
| Afghan minister blames corruption for Taliban takeover | |
| Former Afghan Finance Minister Khalid Payenda says troop numbers were not accurate. Germany's anti-vaxx lobby. Also, how ketchup is getting involved in the space race. | Listen |
| State of emergency in Lithuania over Belarus migrants | |
| Lithuania's parliament declares a state of emergency at the country's border with Belarus. Also: scientists warn that oceans are becoming less able to absorb carbon emissions because of rising temperatures, and Marie Antoinette's diamond bracelets sell at auction for $8 million. | Listen |
| Belarus Poland border tensions | |
| The EU says it will impose more sanctions on Belarus because of its treatment of migrants. Thousands of people are at the border trying to get into Poland. Also: Malawi celebrates the election of its first albino MP, and diamonds worn by Marie Antoinette are up for sale. | Listen |
| Poland deploys thousands of troops on the border with Belarus | |
| Poland has accused Belarus of encouraging people to enter the country illegally. Also: Obama tells young people to stay angry on climate, and the South African authorities say the convicted murderer and former Paralympic star, Oscar Pistorius, is eligible to be considered for parole. | Listen |
| China?s president tightens grip on power | |
| Top communist leaders discuss China?s political future. The gathering is expected to approve a resolution to praise the communist party's achievements. Also: the UN warns of a dire humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, and we look back thirteen billion years with the help of a massive new telescope. | Listen |
| Climate Special: Your questions answered | |
| Our experts address your concerns about climate change. As the COP 26 summit continues in Glasgow, we look at the science behind global warming and the impact on our environment. Is there enough political will to make a difference? What can we as individuals do? Can technology help? | Listen |
| Protestors tear-gassed at rally against Sudan coup | |
| The protestors are demanding the Sudanese military steps back and allows the transition to civilian rule. Also: US to reopen borders to vaccinated foreign travellers after 20 months, and result of Twitter poll says Musk should sell 10% of Tesla stake. | Listen |
| Scores dead in Sierra Leone tanker explosion | |
| The accident happened after a fuel tanker collided with another vehicle in the capital, Freetown. Also: Texas police open criminal investigation into deaths at festival, and a dig in Pompeii yields rare window on daily life of Roman slaves. | Listen |
| Ethiopia urges ex-soldiers to fight against rebels. | |
| Rebel groups in Ethiopia plan to overthrow the Prime Minister by negotiation or force; The Russian diplomat found dead in Berlin and how flat screen televisions allow dogs to sit and watch the telly -- properly ! | Listen |
| Ethiopia: nine rebel factions unite to oust government | |
| The Ethiopian authorities say the alliance has no support. Also: thousands of youth activists march on the UN climate summit in Glasgow; and Abba releases a new album four decades after their last one. | Listen |
| US Special Envoy arrives in Ethiopia amid Crisis | |
| Ethiopian rebels warn they could advance on the capital to prevent massacre; High-risk covid gene more common in South Asians and how whale excrement is more important to global ecosystems than we thought. | Listen |
| WHO warns Europe back at epicentre of pandemic | |
| The region could see another half a million deaths over winter. Europe head, Hans Kluge, says coronavirus vaccination campaigns need to be accelerated. Also: The world?s first anti-viral pill to treat Covid has been approved in Britain, and deals are struck on coal, oil and gas at COP 26. | Listen |
| Ethiopian PM threatens to 'bury the enemy' | |
| Abiy Ahmed was speaking at an event marking the first anniversary of the war in Tigray. Also: the US blacklists an Israeli company that makes powerful spyware, and scientists think they know why people are getting taller. | Listen |
| Ethiopia: UN says possible war crimes by all sides | |
| A report into Ethiopia's year long Tigray conflict says it has been marked by extreme brutality. Also: a shock result for the Democrats as a Republican becomes Virginia?s Governor, and China's me too moment as a tennis star accuses a top ranking communist official. | Listen |
| Global pledge to slash methane emissions | |
| More than 100 nations sign up to a 30 percent cut by 2030. It is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and responsible for a third of current warming from human activities. Also: An exclusive report from deep inside rebel held territory in Ethiopia -- but it's not in Tigray. And the strange musical talent we share with Lemurs. | Listen |
| COP 26: leaders' deforestation pledge | |
| They agree to halt and reverse deforestation by the end of the decade. Also: at least twenty people are reported dead in an attack on a military hospital in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the story of an Englishman's lost house. | Listen |
| World leaders outline their plans and fears at the COP 26 summit in Glasgow | |
| India pledges to become carbon neutral by 2070, two decades later than proposed by the UN. Also: Nigerian building collapse leaves at least 4 dead and challenges against the strict abortion law in Texas are heard at the US Supreme Court. | Listen |
| COP-26 leaders urged to think about the young | |
| Sir David Attenborough said the future of new generations could turn "tragedy to triumph". Also: The Ethiopian Prime Minister has urged his fellow citizens to take up arms in the fight against Tigrayan rebel forces and, some international air travel resumes in Australia. | Listen |
| Scientists say average global temperatures have reached a new record high | |
| The stark warning comes as the COP-26 climate conference in Glasgow gets underway. Also: The tough choices of conscientious objectors in Israel, and Ado Campeol, the 'Father of Tiramisu', has died in Italy. | Listen |
| Sudanese troops fire live rounds at protesters | |
| At least three people were killed and scores wounded in the protests against the military coup. Also: the actor Alec Baldwin speaks for the first time about the fatal shooting on his film set, and the Californian condors - procreating without any male input. | Listen |
| The UN Secretary General warns COP26 | |
| Antonio Guterres says we are careering towards climate catastrophe. Also: we meet Sudanese protesters shot by the army, and a new film looks at the Beatles? time in India. | Listen |
| Pope Francis calls on world leaders to take radical decisions on climate change | |
| Pope Francis warns that the world could become unliveable, unless action is taken. Also: The Pakistani government says talks with a banned Islamist group are deadlocked, and Squid Game spawns a cryptocurrency. | Listen |
| Top US oil executives grilled on climate change | |
| They face allegations by a congressional panel that their companies spread disinformation. Also: In Ethiopia intense fighting rages on the frontline between the Ethiopian army and Tigrayan fighters in the Ahmara region, and Facebook gets a rebrand. | Listen |
| Russia: New lockdown in Moscow | |
| Russia introduces lockdown measures in Moscow amid worst daily Covid infections and deaths. Also, intense fighting is taking place between Tigrayan insurgents and the Ethiopian state, and the scientific experiment to find one of the building blocks of the universe. | Listen |
| World Bank freezes cash to Sudan after coup | |
| Pressure mounts on the military to restore civilian rule as international bodies respond. Also: police say Alec Baldwin fired a live round in the fatal shooting on his film set, and the doping scandal that has rocked the world of Venetian rowing. | Listen |
| India's Supreme Court orders an inquiry into government spying | |
| An independent investigation will be conducted into allegations that India's government hacked the phones of journalists and political rivals. Also, a Brazilian senate committee recommends that President Jair Bolsonaro face criminal charges for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. And the Australian footballer Josh Cavallo comes out as gay, making him the only top-level male player in the world to be open about his homosexuality. | Listen |
| US revokes licence of top Chinese telecoms company | |
| China Telecom must stop providing services in the US within 60 days. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission cited national security concerns. Also: Queen Elizabeth cancels her trip to Glasgow's UN climate conference, and we hear about the events in Afghanistan as President Ashraf Ghani fled the country before the Taliban took control. | Listen |
| Arrests over illicit trade on dark web | |
| Police around the world have accused 150 people of trading illegal goods on the dark web - part of the internet that can only be accessed using special software. Also, the coup leader in Sudan says the army seized power to prevent a civil war. And the niece of the Japanese emperor, Princess Mako, has married a commoner and left the royal family. | Listen |
| Sudan: US suspends aid after coup | |
| The $700m fund has been halted amid international condemnation of the military takeover. Also: Tesla surpasses $1 trillion valuation, and collector returns a Mayan artefact to Guatemala. | Listen |
| Sudan army stages coup | |
| Military arrests civilian political leaders and declares a state of emergency. Also: China tries to control a new Covid outbreak ahead of the Winter Olympic Games, another record year for greenhouse gas emissions, and the WFP warns that more than half of Afghanistan?s population is going hungry. | Listen |
| Ethiopia airstrikes hit new Tigray targets | |
| Previous bombardments in the Tigray region have focused on the regional capital, Mekelle. Also: Palestinians condemn Israeli settlement plans in West Bank, and the Friends actor, James Michel Tyler, dies aged 59. | Listen |
| Turkey moves to throw out US ambassador and nine others | |
| President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declares the ambassadors "persona non grata" for urging the release of the activist Osman Kavala. Also: hundreds of inmates escape in latest Nigeria jailbreak, and Australian scientists produce tadpoles better adapted to climate change. | Listen |
| UN suspends flights to Tigray amid Ethiopian air raids | |
| It follows a government airstrike which forced a UN plane to abort its landing. Also: the actor Alec Baldwin says he's heartbroken by the fatal film set shooting of a cinematographer, and a US whistleblower is given a two-hundred million dollar reward. | Listen |
| Alec Baldwin fatally shoots woman on movie set | |
| Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when film star fired prop gun. A man was also injured, and police say they're investigating but no charges have been filed. Also, our correspondent follows a group of migrants from Iraq to eastern Europe, and how ivory-poaching in Mozambique has led to more tuskless elephants being born. | Listen |
| The WHO complains about the seeming indifference of rich countries | |
| The World Health Organisation that estimates millions of health workers are still unvaccinated and says that rich countries don't care. Also: Queen Elisabeth spends a night in hospital, and Donald Trump announces plans to launch a new social media network. | Listen |
| Leak reveals lobbying to change key climate report | |
| Countries are asking the UN to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels. Also: WHO says jab inequity means COVID-19 pandemic will drag on, and when did the Vikings arrive in the New World? | Listen |
| Brazil parliament committee condemns Bolsonaro's handling of pandemic | |
| It recommends he face a series of charges including crimes against humanity. Also: Kenya's president lifts a nationwide coronavirus curfew introduced 18 months ago, and new research into why the woolly mammoth died out suggests humans may be less to blame than previously thought. | Listen |
| Deadly attack in central Damascus | |
| Fourteen killed in army bus bombings. Also: Pig kidney human transplant, Real Madrid striker on trial in sex tape case and Netflix sued after internet traffic surge from 'Squid Game'. | Listen |
| Ethiopia: Federal and Tigrayan troops prepare for an existential fight | |
| After months of relative peace, the Ethiopian government is reported to be sending busloads of poorly equipped soldiers to the front lines. Also, Chinese officials offer a $23,000 reward for a man who pulled off a daring prison escape. And in Spain, drones will be used to try to rescue three dogs from an erupting volcano. | Listen |
| Poland's PM accuses EU of 'blackmail' in row over rule of law | |
| Mateusz Morawiecki made accusation during debate with EC chief Ursula von der Leyen. The clash followed a ruling by a top Polish court which rejected key sections of EU law. Also, crisis in Romania as it records one of the world's highest Covid mortality-rates, and we meet Eric Zemmour - the politician who may challenge Marine Le Pen for leadership of France's far-Right. | Listen |
| Biden administration asks US Supreme Court to block Texas anti-abortion law | |
| The law was blocked and then reinstated by lower courts, Also: Westminster memorial service for the murdered British parliamentarian Sir David Amess, and Italy's Five Star Movement loses control of Rome and Turin in local elections. | Listen |
| Colin Powell: Former US Secretary of State dies of Covid complications | |
| Tributes paid to former top military commander and politician who's died aged 84. He was the first African-American to become Secretary of State, but was controversial due to his support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Also, China denies testing rare hypersonic missile, and why hundreds of people posed nude for a photo-shoot by the Dead Sea. | Listen |
| Dozens missing in Deadly Indian Floods | |
| Severe flooding in the Indian state of Kerala leaves more than twenty six people dead and dozens missing; An American Christian organisation has confirmed that seventeen missionaries and family members have been kidnapped in Haiti and to what extent were modern European ideas of democracy influenced by Native Americans? | Listen |
| Sudan protestors demand military coup as crisis deepens | |
| The protests in Khartoum come as tensions rise between civilian and military rulers. Also: the French president asks Algerian veterans for forgiveness, and dormice favoured by Italian mafia seized in drugs raid. | Listen |
| British anti-terror police investigate fatal stabbing of MP Sir David Amess | |
| Police say a 25 year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the attack in Leigh-on-Sea. Also: dozens killed in Afghan mosque suicide bombing, and US to lift travel ban on 8 November. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Dozens killed in suicide bombings at Kandahar mosque | |
| Several blasts at Shi'a mosque where worshippers were attending Friday prayers. Eyewitnesses said three attackers detonated bombs inside the crowded building. Also, funerals held in Lebanon for victims of Thursday's street violence in Beirut, and why the world's only state-appointed wizard has been told his services are no longer required. | Listen |
| There have been calls for calm following deadly clashes in Beirut | |
| The UN, the US and France have all urged a de-escalation of the tensions in Lebanon. Also: US Congress is pursuing criminal charges for ex-Trump aide Steve Bannon, and Banksy's Love is in the Bin artwork sells for a record price. | Listen |
| Beirut: Several deaths as gunfire erupts during protests in city centre | |
| Shooting occurred during a march against the judge investigating last year's huge blast in city's harbour. It is believed that Shia and Christian militias exchanged fire during demonstration. Also, at least 46 people dead after a fire in a Taiwanese tower-block, and Norwegian officials say lethal bow-and-arrow attack appears to have been an act of terror. | Listen |
| Putin denies weaponising energy amid Europe crisis | |
| The Russian president says his country is not to blame for high gas prices elsewhere in Europe, a number of people have been killed in Norway bow and arrow attack, and Star Trek's William Shatner becomes the oldest person in space after blasting off in a Blue Origin rocket. | Listen |
| EU outlines plans for surging energy prices | |
| Reduced taxes and subsidies could cushion the impact. The Energy Commissioner said the EU would also explore the possibility of joint purchasing of strategic gas reserves. Also: increased costs and fewer choices in Northern Ireland. EU talks are taking place to find a new deal with the UK, and the Chinese boy band hopeful facing one obstacle ? she?s a girl. | Listen |
| UN Court rules in long running Border Dispute | |
| International court rules in favour of Somalia in sea border dispute with Kenya; Rich nations discuss how to help Afghanistan - without recognising the Taliban; and a rare Himalayan fungus that could be used to treat cancer | Listen |
| Macron aims to make France a global leader in new technologies | |
| French President announces thirty-five-billion dollar programme to overhaul economy. He hopes investment will create thousands of jobs across 'green energy' sector. Also, G20 leaders discuss deepening economic crisis in Afghanistan, and Superman's son will come out as bisexual. | Listen |
| Iraq election: Moqtada al-Sadr hails apparent victory | |
| The Shia cleric promises to form a nationalist government free from foreign interference. Also: the Italian authorities come under pressure to ban neo-fascist parties, and life imitates art as the Star Trek actor William Shatner prepares to blast into space. | Listen |
| Iraq captures senior Islamic State group official | |
| Sami Jasim is alleged to have been running its finances. The prime minister announced his arrest, saying it involved a complex operation outside Iraq. Also: spy rings, drug factories and arms deals. Extraordinary allegations from a North Korean defector, and we hear from the first transgender person in Uganda to have their identity recognised by the government. | Listen |
| Czech president in hospital amid election upheaval | |
| Milos Zeman is in intensive care the day after a surprise opposition win in parliamentary elections. Also: the "father of Pakistan nuclear bomb" AQ Khan dies aged eighty-five, and UK to resettle teenage Afghan women footballers. | Listen |
| US and Taliban hold first talks since withdrawal | |
| The meeting came a day after Afghanistan suffered its deadliest attack since US forces withdrew. Also: Austrian chancellor resigns amid corruption inquiry, and what can you make with pinhead oatmeal, mushrooms and vegan cheese? | Listen |
| Nations agree to 15% minimum corporate tax rate | |
| The historic deal will make companies pay a fairer share of tax across the world. Also: Nigerian police rescue fifty people chained up at a rehabilitation centre, and fast fashion: the dumping ground for unwanted clothes. | Listen |
| Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov win Nobel Peace Prize | |
| The high profile Philippine and Russian journalists face threats and intimidation by doing their jobs. Also: suicide attack on Afghan mosque kills dozens of people, and moves in China to shut down the "dancing grannies". | Listen |
| US warns Russia over energy crisis | |
| The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said any attempts to exploit the crisis, which is causing gas shortages across Europe, would backfire. Also: the children of Islamic State fighters imprisoned in a camp in Syria, and the grand-daughter of the notorious gangster Al Capone sells his possessions. | Listen |
| Texas abortion law temporarily blocked by judge | |
| The White House praised the ruling as an important step to restoring women's constitutional rights. Also, Pakistan earthquake kills many in Balochistan province, and Juji, the Afghan mynah bird, is now living in a French ambassador's residence. | Listen |
| Historic go-ahead for malaria vaccine in Africa | |
| After years of trials, the vaccine has potential to save tens of thousands of children?s lives. Also: the persecution of the Hazara minority in Afghanistan, and why a drone is delivering mail to a remote Scottish island. | Listen |
| Australia ends Papua New Guinea asylum detention | |
| Australia has controversially held migrants in PNG since 2013, and will continue to do so in Nauru. Also: Taiwan says tensions with China worst in forty years, and the difficulties of playing sport when you are colour blind. | Listen |
| Facebook harms children and weakens democracy, says ex-employee | |
| Frances Haugen, a former product manager turned whistleblower, heavily criticised Facebook at a hearing on Capitol Hill, telling US lawmakers that the company repeatedly prioritised profits over its users safety. Facebook denied the claims and said Ms Haugen spoke about areas she has no knowledge of. Also: relations between France and Mali go from bad to worse, and a Russian film crew arrives at the International Space Station to shoot the first movie ever made in orbit. | Listen |
| France: Report reveals huge scale of sexual abuse within Catholic church | |
| Investigation says 216,000 children sexually abused over several decades. And more than 3000 paedophile priests operated within the Church. Also, a warning about future water-shortages across the globe, and we visit a wind-farm in the wild and stormy North Sea. | Listen |
| Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp hit by global outage | |
| The three social media services, all owned by Facebook, were knocked offline for hours on Monday. Also: the US Trade Representative says China has failed to uphold commitments agreed under a trade deal last year; and scientists say they have successfully treated a case of severe depression with an electronic device implanted in the patient's brain. | Listen |
| Pandora Papers: Leaders deny allegations of financial impropriety | |
| Czech PM Andrej Babis says it is a political attack on him. Also, religious leaders call on politicians to agree to step up their commitment to the fight against global warming, and the Nobel prize for medicine is won by scientists investigating our ability to sense heat, cold and touch. | Listen |
| Secret wealth and dealings of leaders exposed in huge data leak | |
| King of Jordan and Tony Blair among those featured in the Pandora Papers. Also: an explosion in Kabul kills eight; and we remember the French businessman and politician, Bernard Tapie, who's died. | Listen |
| Protesters march to defend US abortion rights | |
| Thousands gather in every US state to march in support of abortion rights; Climate and energy ministers confer in Milan ahead of next month's summit and Did the last queen of France, Marie Antoinette, have a platonic admirer or a secret lover ? | Listen |
| Covid antiviral pill can halve risk of hospitalisation | |
| Emergency authorisation of molnupiravir is now being sought, though US chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci urges caution. Also: ex-president Saakashvili held on return to Georgia, and how do you capture an alligator using a wheelie bin? | Listen |
| French ex-officer?s DNA ends 35-year murder hunt | |
| The former officer - who killed himself this week - left a note confessing that he'd carried out attacks in Paris. Investigators have now matched his DNA with crimes in the eighties and nineties. Also: Australia which has some of the toughest Covid travel restrictions in the world is to reopen its borders from next month, and why the marriage of a Japanese princess won?t be a fairytale wedding. | Listen |
| Congress narrowly averts US government shutdown | |
| The measure passed in both chambers of the US Congress only hours before federal funding lapsed. Also: Nazi camp secretary caught after fleeing her trial, and "Rent-a-friend" as a solution to social isolation in China. | Listen |
| Sarkozy: France's ex-PM given jail sentence over campaign funding | |
| Nicolas Sarkozy given one-year sentence for illegally funding a 2012 re-election campaign. He denies any wrongdoing, and is expected to appeal against the ruling. Also, Italy's PM Mario Draghi tells climate conference that world leaders must be 'whipped into action' on global warning, and how one community in the US is fighting to save sea-turtles from extinction. | Listen |
| Familes protest at Beirut blast investigation | |
| No-one has yet been held accountable for the August 2020 explosion, which killed more than two hundred people. Also: Britney Spears' father suspended as conservator, and You Tube to remove all anti-vaccine misinformation. | Listen |
| Fumio Kishida wins race to become Japan PM | |
| Mr Kishida will succeed Yoshihide Suga, who's stepping down after one year in office. Also: North Korea says it fired a new hypersonic missile; and molten lava from La Palma volcano reaches the Atlantic Sea. | Listen |
| US generals advised Biden against complete Afghan pull-out | |
| The US generals recommended keeping two thousand five hundred troops in Afghanistan. Also: Russia opens new criminal case against Navalny and allies, and Daniel Craig's last Bond film finally premieres. | Listen |
| Climate change: Greta Thunberg outlines challenges facing the world | |
| Outspoken climate activist criticises what she sees as empty promises by those in power. She was among hundreds of other young campaigners at Youth 4 Climate conference in Milan. Also, Ukraine remembers one of the worst single massacres by Nazis in World War Two, and why campaigners in US want to tear down 'racist highways' running through ethnic minority communities. | Listen |
| R. Kelly found guilty in sex trafficking trial | |
| After decades of allegations, the singer was found guilty of running a scheme to abuse women and children. Also: Landsat-9 satellite is launched into space to picture Earth, and what does President Putin do on holiday? | Listen |
| Germany election: narrow victory for centre-left | |
| Olaf Scholz says his Social Democrats plan to build a new coalition government, working with the Greens and liberal Free Democrats, but Angela Merkel?s CDU party is still hoping to hold on to power. Also: China tries to restore electricity supplies after widespread power cuts, and how flip flops gave some exam students in India an unfair advantage. | Listen |
| Germany: tight race for rivals to succeed Merkel | |
| Social Democrats are on course for a narrow victory in parliamentary elections in Germany. Also, UN watchdog says Iran has not allowed its inspectors full access to its nuclear sites, and Swiss voters back legalisation of same-sex marriage. | Listen |
| Chinese tech boss flies home to red carpet welcome | |
| Huawei's Meng Wanzhou flew into Shenzhen -- hours after two Canadians freed by China also returned home. Also today: Germans go to the polls to elect Angela Merkel?s successor; Kabul?s schoolgirls demand a return to class; and Britain performs a Brexit u-turn to attract more lorry drivers. | Listen |
| Deal struck to end legal standoff over Huawei telecom executive | |
| The senior Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, is expected to return home to China under a deal with US prosecutors; Mixed reaction to plans to hold the football world cup every two years? and a Kenyan policeman is re-instated after being fired for failing to turn up for work - whilst in a coma. | Listen |
| India: gunmen dressed as lawyers shoot gangster dead | |
| Jitender Gogi was in court in Delhi when two people opened fire. Also the European Commission urges Poland to give the necessary care and assistance to migrants caught in a stand-off on the border between Poland and Belarus, a campaign in the UK to help female judges get out of Afghanistan, and an Australian doctor comes up with a new technique to save the lives of shark-bite victims. | Listen |
| US Haiti envoy quits over 'inhumane' deportations | |
| Daniel Foote said he resigned in protest at the treatment of Haitian migrants. Also, the main candidates to be German Chancellor have clashed in a final TV debate before the election, and scientists say a fossilised rib bone discovered in Morocco is part of the oldest armoured dinosaur ever discovered. | Listen |
| Syria: Charity says wealthy nations have 'abandoned' children of IS fighters | |
| Save The Children calls for help for more than 27,000 children in detention-centres. Many are citizens of EU nations, and the charity accuses those countries of failing to have them repatriated. Also, the EU wants new laws pushing for a universal phone-charger, and the BBC investigates how extremism is tainting some of the most popular online games. | Listen |
| Biden promises global vaccine help | |
| The US President told a virtual Covid-19 summit another 500m doses would go to developing countries. Also: WHO warns air pollution is more dangerous than previously thought; Netflix offers Kenyans free streaming; and could an app cure your fear of spiders? | Listen |
| Campaigners welcome China?s coal promise | |
| One group described it as a potential game changer. But the pledge didn't include a ban on new coal-fired power stations in China. Also; parts of Australia are hit by the strongest earthquake in centuries, and Netflix has bought the rights to Roald Dahl?s classic children?s books. | Listen |
| China pledges to stop building coal-fired power stations overseas | |
| The leaders of China and the US - Xi Jinping and Joe Biden - have announced new commitments to tackle climate change at the UN General Assembly. Also: there are further signs that the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region is spreading to neighbouring areas, and why was an athlete disqualified after running a half-marathon in England? | Listen |
| Salisbury poisonings: Third man to face charges over Novichok attack | |
| Third Russian to be charged over 2018 poisonings in UK which left one person dead. British police believe all three suspects worked for GRU - Russia's military intelligence service. Also, Sudan blames 'forces of darkness' for failed coup attempt, and Pakistani PM Imran Khan says a ban on women's education in Afghanistan would be 'un-Islamic'. | Listen |
| Hotel Rwanda hero convicted on terror charges | |
| Paul Rusesabagina, who saved hundreds of people during the 1994 genocide, has been sentenced to twenty-five years in prison by a Rwandan court for terrorist offences. Also, we hear from a teenager in Afghanistan about her fears that she will never be able to resume her education. And, Chinese social media has been following the story of the first deaf lawyer in the country. | Listen |
| Russia: Gunman kills six people at university in Perm | |
| A man has been arrested after deadly shooting-spree in Perm, a city in the Urals. Police believe he acted alone and had no political or religious motives. Also, 'Hotel Rwanda' hero Paul Rusesabinga is convicted on terror-charges, and celebration-time for the UK at this year's Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. | Listen |
| Putin's party leads vote amid fraud claims | |
| The pro-Kremlin United Russia party is on course to win amid allegations of fraud. Also: Australia denies lying to France in submarine deal, and a volcano on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma erupts after a week on alert. | Listen |
| UN urges Taliban to re-open girls' schools | |
| The UN calls on the Taliban to re-open girls' secondary schools in Afghanistan. The US moves thousands of migrants away from a Texas border town. And a new twist in the case of the missing travel blogger - as her fiance also disappears. | Listen |
| US admits Kabul drone strike killed civilians | |
| An inquiry finds that the strike, days before the US pullout, killed ten members of a family, not militants. Also: France recalls envoys amid security pact row, and New Zealand abandons Pakistan cricket tour over 'security alert'. | Listen |
| Russia?s parliamentary election begins | |
| Google and Apple remove a tactical voting app from their online stores on the first day. Voting will last three days. Also: the Austrian government is taken to court over its handling of a covid outbreak at a ski resort, and the secrets behind the best ocean photograph of the year. | Listen |
| US tries to calm French anger over security pact with UK and Australia | |
| The US tries to calm French anger over the new security pact with Britain and Australia. Iran sends fuel supplies to Lebanon, as the economic crisis deepens. And an early work by Vincent Van Gogh is discovered by art experts in the Netherlands. | Listen |
| China denounces UK-US-Australia pact as 'damaging' | |
| Beijing says new security pact is 'extremely irresponsible' and 'narrow-minded'. The alliance is widely seen as an effort to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Also, France says its troops have killed the head of the Islamic State group in the Sahara, and how some Dutch people are changing their names - to reconnect with their African heritage. | Listen |
| Simone Biles testifies about abuse by US Gymnastics doctor | |
| She was joined before the US Senate by other athletes who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar. Also: Rodrigo Duterte faces crimes against humanity investigation and the preacher promising to help anti-vaxxers. | Listen |
| Afghan women's youth football team flees to Pakistan | |
| The departure of the football team from Afghanistan comes as part of a wider exodus of female cultural and sporting stars. Also: the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU needs the "political will" to intervene militarily without the US, and the Inspiration 4 space mission is ready for lift-off. | Listen |
| Haiti PM in murder row | |
| Ariel Henry fires his chief prosecutor after attempt to charge him over killing of president in July. Also: Europe tries to avoid winter Covid and cows trained where to pee. | Listen |
| Climate change: Young people worldwide 'very worried' about future | |
| New global survey shows high levels of anxiety among young people over climate change. Over half of those interviewed think that humanity is doomed. Also, BBC analysis reveals the world now sees twice as many days with temperatures over 50 Celsius compared with 1980s, and remembering George Wein - the jazz promoter who pioneered the modern music festival. | Listen |
| Emergency conference in Geneva pledges more than 1 billion dollars in aid for Afghanistan | |
| The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres says the Afghan people are facing perhaps their most perilous hour. Also:turmoil in cryptocurrency markets after a fake news release purporting to be from the US retail giant Walmart, and the Pope's mission to Slovakia. | Listen |
| UN warns that Afghans face most perilous hour | |
| The United Nations is seeking more than $600m in aid following the Taliban takeover last month. Also: tens of thousands of people in England are to take part in a "game-changing" blood test trial for cancer, and Britney Spears announces engagement. | Listen |
| FBI releases document on Saudis and 9/11 | |
| The memo records contact between Saudi nationals and hijackers but doesn't implicate the government. Also: a deal is reached on monitoring Iranian nuclear sites, and some gorillas have tested positive for Covid. | Listen |
| America stops to remember 9/11 | |
| Commemorations have taken place on the 20th anniversary of the 11 September attacks. Also: tennis history is made as British teenager Emma Raducanu wins the US Open, and Peru's Shining Path leader Abimael Guzman dies. | Listen |
| Remembering 9/11 twenty years on | |
| Nearly three thousand people died in New York, at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field on September 11, 2001. Also: Lebanon gets a new government amid deepening crisis, and the tennis brand that is Emma Raducanu. | Listen |
| Gazprom confirms that controversial Nordstream Two gas pipeline is complete | |
| Russian state-run gas giant Gazprom says long-delayed pipeline is now ready for use. We examine why it's caused huge tensions within Europe. Also, woman who was former MP in Afghan parliament tells us she fled to escape being killed by Taliban, and how New Yorkers are coping - as 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches. | Listen |
| Biden requires vaccines for millions of US workers | |
| President Biden has announced sweeping federal Covid measures that require workers at large companies to be vaccinated or face weekly testing. Also: dozens of international passengers have flown out of Kabul in the first such flight since American forces left Afghanistan, and Morocco's ruling party suffers a crushing defeat in the country's parliamentary elections. | Listen |
| Kabul airport prepares to reopen | |
| Women in Afghanistan protest against the Taliban, in defiance of a ban. Also: North Korea marks its anniversary with a military parade featuring hazmat suits, and is there a mystery illness attacking American diplomats? | Listen |
| Former Afghan president says he fled to avoid bloodshed | |
| Ashraf Ghani has issued a statement on Twitter three weeks after leaving Afghanistan. Also, the man believed to be the only gunman to survive the Paris attacks in 2015 appears in court at the start of his trial, and the world's biggest plant to extract carbon dioxide from the air opens in Iceland. | Listen |
| France: Trial begins of suspects over 2015 Paris attacks | |
| 20 suspects on trial over attacks which killed 130 people in November 2015. The wave of shootings and bombings by Islamic State extremists was France's worst attack since World War Two. Also, Afghan women protest against all-male Taliban government, and will snow soon disappear from Africa's highest mountain ? | Listen |
| Hardliners get key posts in new Taliban government | |
| The all-male cabinet in Kabul includes figures linked to attacks on US forces and a leader wanted by the FBI. Also: Mexico decriminalises abortion in landmark ruling, and youngest Catholic bishop in Spain resigns from church to marry erotic novelist. | Listen |
| Taliban fire shots in Kabul to disperse protesters | |
| Protests are the the biggest show of defiance since the militant group took power in Afghanistan. Also: supporters of Myanmar's deposed civilian government call for a mass uprising against the military government, and Bitcoin becomes joint legal tender in El Salvador. | Listen |
| US evacuates four Americans overland from Afghanistan | |
| The US State Department said the group had crossed into an unspecified neighbouring country, and that the Taliban had known about the departure and did not impede it. Also: Poland's parliament approves state of emergency on Belarus border, and the French film star Jean-Paul Belmondo dies aged eighty-eight. | Listen |
| Taliban claim disputed Panjshir Valley | |
| The Taliban say they've seized Afghanistan's Panjshir province, which would consolidate their control of the entire country, but resistance fighters dispute this. Also: The Belarusian woman who led mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko is sentenced to eleven years in prison, and soldiers who have seized power in Guinea call government ministers to a meeting. | Listen |
| Soldiers seize power in Guinea | |
| Troops announced a takeover on TV, capturing the president Alpha Conde. Also: Taliban accused of killing pregnant Afghan police officer in Ghor province, and could seaweed be a key raw material for a sustainable future? | Listen |
| Ethiopia claims thousands of Tigray rebels killed | |
| An Ethiopian general says the rebels were killed in fierce fighting, aided by airstrikes. Also: Taliban break up women's rights protest in Kabul, and Vladimir Putin gets corrected by schoolboy about Russian history. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Fighting rages in Panjshir | |
| Resistance fighters deny claims that the Taliban has overrun their stronghold in the Panjshir valley. Also, President Joe Biden urges US southern states to improve their infrastructure after Hurricane Ida. And, as Tokyo hosts the Paralympics, we look at the prejudice faced by people with disabilities in Japan. | Listen |
| EU and AstraZeneca reach deal over vaccine row | |
| AstraZeneca will give the EU 200 million doses by 31 March 2022, ending court action. Also: an Islamist under surveillance stabs 6 people in New Zealand and Para Taekwondo, the Paralympics' 1st full contact sport. | Listen |
| President Biden blames climate change for deadly New York flood | |
| More than 40 people are dead after Storm Ida hits the US. Also, one of the alleged Islamic State members dubbed "the Beatles" has pleaded guilty to conspiring to torture and behead American and European hostages in Syria. And Russian regulators say Apple and Google are breaking the law by offering an app created by the opposition activist Alexei Navalny. | Listen |
| NY floods kill at least 9 | |
| A 2-year-old died, with many victims trapped in flooded basements. Also: the US Supreme Court refuses to block the abortion ban in Texas, and Mikis Theodorakis - the composer of Zorba the Greek - dies. | Listen |
| The Afghan economy is close to collapse following the Taliban's victory. | |
| The economy of Afghanistan collapses, while prices soar. Also: President Biden promises to fight to protect the constitutional right to abortion, and the British man told to avoid prison by going to the library. | Listen |
| Climate change: Huge increase in weather-related disasters over last 50 years | |
| World Meteorological Organisation issues stark warning about impact of climate-change. It says there's been 400% increase in weather-related disasters worldwide in last five decades. Also, Taliban prepare to announce new Afghan government - but women unlikely to have ministerial roles, and historians research the forgotten female army which helped shape West Africa. | Listen |
| Biden defends Afghan exit amid Taliban joy | |
| The US president Joe Biden says staying in Afghanistan was not an option, as Taliban militants celebrate. Also: USAID says forces from Ethiopia's Tigray region have looted its warehouses in Amhara, and will Afghanistan's all-female orchestra Zohra ever play again? | Listen |
| The Taliban calls for good relations with the United States | |
| After declaring victory belonged to all Afghans, the Taliban reaches out to former foes. Also: the BBC?s Moscow correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, has left Russia, after being labelled a threat to national security, and is being kind selfish ? | Listen |
| US completes Afghanistan withdrawal | |
| Taliban supporters fired into the air to celebrate the end of the 20-year occupation. Also: Brazilian bank robbers use hostages as human shields, and China cuts online gaming for under-18s to three hours a week. | Listen |
| Afghanistan Special: Your Questions Answered | |
| BBC correspondents answer your questions about the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. We ask how did the Taliban overthrow the Afghan government so quickly? What now for human rights, the economy and international relations? | Listen |
| Louisiana hunkers down as Hurricane Ida strikes | |
| Forecasters say the storm, which has now made landfall, is extremely dangerous. Also: US says drone strike thwarts Kabul airport attack, and the Jamaican soul of reggae Lee 'Scratch' Perry dies aged eighty-five. | Listen |
| Biden warns another Kabul airport attack likely | |
| The US president Joe Biden says commanders have told him another attack could happen within the next thirty-six hours. The final UK troops, diplomats and officials have now left Kabul. Also: thousands flee as hurricane Ida closes in on the Gulf Coast and do you fancy being a teacher on the beautiful Scottish island of Fair Isle? | Listen |
| US to continue Kabul airlift 'until last moment' | |
| The US is still evacuating Afghans desperate to leave. The Taliban said on Friday night they had taken control of parts of Kabul airport - the Pentagon has disputed this. Also: US spy agencies split on Covid origin theories, and scientists find world's northernmost island. | Listen |
| Kabul: Evacuation enters final phase after deadly attacks | |
| 90 people were killed in bombings at Kabul airport on Thursday. The final evacuation and foreign troop withdrawals are scheduled to be completed by August 31st. Also, China fines a leading actress $46 million as part of campaign against 'chaotic' celebrity culture, and up for auction - the gun used to kill one of the most notorious outlaws of the Wild West. | Listen |
| Biden vows to finish mission despite Kabul attacks | |
| Twin bomb attacks at Kabul airport targeted people desperate to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Dozens of people died including US military personnel. Also: reports from Ethiopia say ethnic violence has left many people dead in the troubled Oromia region, and the hotter planets outside our solar system that astronomers say may support life. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: time runs out for evacuations from Kabul airport | |
| Hundreds of desperate people still there despite warnings of an IS attack. Also: crowds have also gathered at a border crossing with Pakistan in the hope of leaving Afghanistan by land, and a breakthrough in treatment for malaria could save the lives of many children, and the Swedish furniture giant, Ikea, is accused of destroying valuable forests in Romania. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Taliban committed to post-deadline safe passage | |
| The US says the Taliban have promised to allow foreigners and Afghans to leave beyond 31 August, when a US-controlled airlift will end. Also: The World Health Organisation says time is running out to study the origins of Covid-19, and why the boss of world football has appealed for help from the British Prime Minister. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Woman journalist gives tearful interview to BBC at Kabul airport | |
| Deeply emotional comments by Afghan reporter who fears she'll be killed by Taliban. Western nations are stepping up Kabul evacuation ahead of final deadline of August 31st. Also, China's schools are to teach ideology of President Xi Jinping, and one of the most famous album-covers in music history is generating a lawsuit - after thirty years. | Listen |
| Biden sticks to Kabul withdrawal deadline | |
| But US president says he's asked the Pentagon to have contingency plans ready. Also: Hackers share shocking images of Iranian prisoner abuse and remembering Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts who's died. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: UN says reports of rights violations by Taliban are credible | |
| These include executions, restrictions on women and recruiting child soldiers. Also: the 2020 Paralympic Games open in Tokyo; and uncovering the secret of the sound of the Stradivarius violin. | Listen |
| Pressure to extend US-Afghan deadline | |
| Allies want Biden to keep troops at Kabul airport beyond the end of this month but the Taliban warns against what it says would be a 'violation'. Also: the IMF gives member countries hundreds of billions of dollars for pandemic recovery; and how evolution has left humans one step behind chimpanzees. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Gunfire at Kabul airport | |
| One Afghan guard killed in clashes with unknown assailants as evacuation continues. Meanwhile the Taliban say they won't extend deadline for foreign troops to leave the country. Also, Kamala Harris joins US diplomatic 'charm offensive' in SE Asia, and Tanzania's female president is criticised over harsh comments about women footballers. | Listen |
| President Biden defends his actions in Afghanistan | |
| President Biden defends actions in Afghanistan; resistance fighters take on the Taliban and the jazz star Josephine Baker is awarded one of France's top honours. | Listen |
| US warning at Kabul airport amid crush fears | |
| Thousands try to flee Kabul as chaos continues outside the airport. Also: provoking the wrath of the Taliban - by flouting the militants' dress code, and the paper horse - now an exhibit in a national museum. | Listen |
| Biden on Afghanistan withdrawal: 'This is about America leading the world' | |
| US President makes televised address as airlift from Kabul continues. Meanwhile reports emerge of alleged killings of Hazara minority by Taliban. Also, how one African migrant survived boat journey to Canary Islands while 52 others died, and why rainfall on a mountain in Greenland could be bad news for all of us. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: UN warns of 'acute hunger' among population | |
| A United Nations representative says food shortages have become critical. And reports continue of Taleban fighters searching for people who worked for NATO or previous government. Also, anger in Haiti where people are in desperate need after last week's deadly earthquake, and why baby bats and baby humans have a lot in common when it comes to communication. | Listen |
| Taliban's 'door-to-door manhunt' | |
| The BBC is told that militants are searching for government employees and those who worked with US forces. Also: one of Italy's leading drug traffickers is arrested, and why rattlesnakes have a two-speed warning system. | Listen |
| Taliban blame foreigners for gunfire deaths at Kabul airport | |
| The Taliban says it is investigating reports that people had been killed. Also: first Covid case detected at paralympic village, and in search of 007's Aston Martin DB5 car. | Listen |
| Several dead as protesters defy Taliban | |
| Firing was heard as protesters took to the streets waving the Afghan national flag in Jalalabad. Also: R Kelly is called a 'sexual predator' as his trial opens, and survivors of the Haiti earthquake say they have received no help. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: How do women see their future under Taleban rule ? | |
| Uncertainty and fear among many Afghan women as Taleban leaders return from exile. And protestors defy Taleban in one major city in east. Also, relief efforts underway in Haiti as death-toll from earthquake nears 2000, and singer R Kelly to face trial in New York on charges of racketeering and sexual abuse and bribery. | Listen |
| Taliban pledges amnesty for all | |
| The Taliban held their first news conference since taking control of Afghanistan. Their spokesman insisted women would be able to work as long as they complied with Sharia law. We hear what it's like now in Kabul, and have analysis from our correspondents. Also: astronomers have captured the most detailed images ever seen of galaxies light years away from Earth, and fears for koalas in Australia. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Taliban ask government employees to return to work | |
| The group declares what it calls an 'amnesty' as Kabul enters an uneasy calm. Also: aid agencies say they're cautiously optimistic they'll be able to continue their work in Afghanistan for now, there's severe flooding in Haiti days after the latest catastrophic earthquake, and Bob Dylan denies allegations he sexually assaulted a 12 year old girl in the 1960's. | Listen |
| Biden defends US withdrawal from Afghanistan | |
| The US President blames Afghan leaders for Taliban takeover. Also: Zambia has a new President-elect; and the sticky tale of a piece of chewing gum, left behind by a music icon. | Listen |
| Scenes of panic at Kabul airport | |
| Several people are killed as hundreds scramble to escape the Taliban. Afghans have been seen clinging to - and apparently falling from - planes taking off from the runway. Also: Haiti braces itself for a tropical storm as rescue efforts continue after the devastating earthquake, and Zambia ushers in a new era of 'better democracy', which will respect human rights and restore order, according to the new president - Hakainde Hichilema - elected on his sixth attempt. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Taliban fighters enter Kabul as president flees | |
| President Ashraf Ghani said he left the country to avoid bloodshed. The Taliban say they are awaiting a peaceful transition of power. Also, rescuers in Haiti continue to search for survivors of an earthquake and tributes are paid to the German football legend Gerd Mueller, who's died aged 75. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Taliban reach Kabul | |
| The Afghan government says it's negotiating a peaceful transfer of power in the capital. The Taliban has assured civilians that they will not be harmed. We hear the latest, in this special edition of the Global News Podcast. | Listen |
| Massive earthquake kills hundreds in Haiti | |
| The powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake toppled many buildings including churches and hotels. Also: Taliban take Afghan government's last northern stronghold of Mazar-i-Sharif, and Polish move on Nazi-seized properties angers Israel. | Listen |
| Diplomats hasten exit as Taliban near Kabul | |
| US troops arrive to help with evacuation efforts as militants seize a city an hour's drive from the Afghan capital, Also: BBC condemns expulsion of journalist from Russia, and cooling down from Italy's heatwave on top of a volcano in Sicily. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Panic as civilians flee Taliban onslaught | |
| Thousands of refugees seek sanctuary in Kabul as the militants seize more cities. Kandahar, the second largest city, has fallen, and the World Food Programme has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe. Also, China refuses to cooperate with World Health Organisation to further investigate origins of coronavirus, and why a project in Scotland is asking people to record the sounds of their workplace. | Listen |
| Major cities in Afghanistan fall to Taliban amid heavy fighting | |
| Militants now control many of Afghanistan's key regional cities, including Herat and Ghazni. Also: Russia holds hypersonic flight expert in spy probe, and Scotland's first electric-powered aircraft begins Orkney test flights. | Listen |
| Taliban take tenth regional capital in under a week | |
| The fall of Ghazni brings the militants closer to the Afghan capital. Their advance is causing destruction and a humanitarian catastrophe. Also: Australia's capital, Canberra, is in a snap lockdown because of one new Covid case, and the now freed American prisoner who was in solitary confinement for 37 years. | Listen |
| Taliban back brutal rule as they strike for power | |
| A BBC correspondent finds Afghanistan's ex-rulers still back brutal punishments, as he goes behind Taliban lines. Also: US gets a legal boost in its bid to extradite Julian Assange from the UK, and Google may cut pay of staff who work from home permanently. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: President Ghani rallies troops in besieged city | |
| President Ashraf Ghani has flown to Mazar-i-Sharif as Taliban militants close in. If this key northern city falls, it will be catastrophic for the Afghan government. Also, German police arrest British man in Berlin on suspicion of spying for Russia, and BBC investigation exposes role of Russian mercenaries in Libyan civil war. | Listen |
| US Senate passes Biden's one-trillion-dollar infrastructure bill | |
| The bill will address clean energy, the internet, trains and more. Also: the governor of New York state, Andrew Cuomo, resigns, and tests to diagnose dementia in a day. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Fighting exacting terrible toll on civilians | |
| The UN says Taliban attacks on cities are striking fear into the population. Also: North Korea stops answering recently restored telephone hotline with South Korea, and China's wandering elephant herd finally nears home. | Listen |
| Thousands flee Taliban onslaught | |
| They are seeking refuge in the Afghan capital, telling of atrocities by the militants. Also: more than 120-million-dollars has been paid out to women who say they were abused by the disgraced financier, Jeffrey Epstein, and a South Korean golfer sets an unenviable record. | Listen |
| Stark warnings in a climate change report | |
| The UN says it's "code red for humanity", but that a catastrophe can be avoided if the world acts fast. Also: the latest from Greece where a record-breaking heatwave is fanning wildfires, and the world's smallest ever baby finally leaves hospital. | Listen |
| Afghan cities fall to rapid Taliban advance | |
| The Taliban say they?ve captured three more provincial capitals as they continue to make sweeping gains across the country. Also: Tokyo marks the end of an Olympic Games overshadowed by the pandemic. And Lionel Messi bids a tearful farewell to Barcelona. . | Listen |
| US bombers carry out air strikes on the Afghan city of Sheberghan | |
| The attacks came after Taliban insurgents claimed to have taken the city. Also, Cuba legalises privately-owned businesses of up to 100 employees, following mass protests against the government, and the tiny bat that flew from Britain to Russia. | Listen |
| Afghanistan war: Taliban capture regional capital Zaranj | |
| The UN warns that Afghanistan is facing a possible catastrophe after the Taliban make further gains. Also: nearly half the regions in Greece are on high alert as wildfires rage across the country, and firing employees who come to work unvaccinated ? could it be catching? | Listen |
| Hezbollah fires rockets into Israel from Lebanon | |
| Israel says most of the missiles were intercepted by its air defences. Also: a close associate of the Afghan president is assassinated in Kabul; and the Olympics expels Belarus coaches over the removal of an athlete. | Listen |
| Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi is sworn into office | |
| The hardline cleric said that he would improve Iran's economy. Also: Ethiopian rebels take the Unesco World heritage town of Lalibela, and the footballer Lionel Messi will not stay at Barcelona. | Listen |
| Iran's new hardline president sworn in | |
| Ebrahim Raisi faces growing challenges, with an economy crippled by sanctions. Also: the gel that could transform the treatment of Parkinson?s disease, and the orangutan with a penchant for sunglasses. | Listen |
| Mexico sues US gun manufacturers over arms trafficking | |
| US gun makers and suppliers are accused of reckless business practices. Also: WHO calls for a suspension in booster vaccines for Covid-19 so that poorer nations can get the jab, and South Koreans have been paying tribute to the disabled mountaineer Kim Hong-bin, who died last month. | Listen |
| Belarus activist on trial | |
| Maria Kolesnikova, one of the leaders of the challenge to President Lukashenko last year, resisted deportation and is accused of plotting to seize power. Also: the very young skateboarders leaping to success in Tokyo, and the skeletons reunited after spending a thousand years, a thousand kilometres apart. | Listen |
| Biden says Cuomo should resign over misconduct report | |
| The new report comes months after several women accused the New York governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct. Also: gunmen attack the home of the Afghan defence minister, and it seems giraffes need their grannies! | Listen |
| Missing Belarus activist found dead in park | |
| Vitaly Shishov lived in Ukraine, helping people flee the Belarus crackdown. Also: the Wuhan authorities test the whole city as the virus resurfaces, and so-called killer robots - how can we control these autonomous weapons? | Listen |
| Street fighting rages in Lashkar Gah as the Taliban attack the Afghan city | |
| A MSF doctor in the city says there is fighting all around and medical supplies are running low. Also: Belarus sprinter Krystina Tsimanovskaya given Polish humanitarian visa, and a Covid-19 app in England is tweaked to notify fewer contacts. | Listen |
| Palestinians await key court ruling | |
| The families are appealing against an order to leave their homes in East Jerusalem. Also: Olympic history is made as the transgender athlete Laurel Hubbard competes in women's weightlifting, and ancient baskets of fruit are discovered in a lost city that disappeared under the sea more than two thousand years ago. | Listen |
| Olympic drama at Tokyo airport | |
| Belarusian athlete claims officials from her country tried to forcibly repatriate her. Also: Myanmar's military ruler promises elections by 2023, Rio Tinto looks to Serbia to supply lithium for electric cars and the memoirs of an autograph hunter. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Fighting rages as Taliban besiege three key cities | |
| Hundreds of Afghans have fled their homes. Covid: Pulse oxygen monitors work less well on darker skin, experts say. Plus a new exhibition on Mary Shelley and her most famous creation. | Listen |
| IRS ordered to hand over Trump tax returns to Congress | |
| Although not required by law, every US president since 1976 - except Mr Trump - has released their tax returns. Israel accuses Iran over deadly oil tanker attack. New Covid virus outbreak worst since Wuhan, say Chinese state media. | Listen |
| North Korea suffering 'sharpest economic decline in over 20 years' | |
| New report warns of hardship caused by Covid-19 and economic sanctions. Poverty is already known to be widespread in North Korea but true picture is hard to establish. Also, first group of Afghan interpreters arrives in US, and British teenager wins place at renowned dance academy despite suffering from cystic fibrosis. | Listen |
| President Biden calls for $100 vaccine incentive | |
| The US president announced that all federal workers must be vaccinated or subjected to testing. Also: a public inquiry has found the Maltese state responsible for journalist's death, and a chimney sweep finds Santa letter lost for decades. | Listen |
| Britain and Kenya host summit to tackle global education crisis sparked by COVID | |
| The summit is aiming to raise five billion dollars to help transform education in dozens of countries after the greatest disruption in a generation. South Africa riots: The inside story of Durban's week of anarchy. Johnny Ventura, one of the pioneers of Latin American merengue music, has died. | Listen |
| Peru's new president is sworn in | |
| Pedro Castillo pledges to help the poor and tackle the pandemic. Also: Ethnic Serbs in Bosnia boycott parliament over a new law banning genocide denial, and a woman is jailed for swapping diamonds worth millions with pebbles. | Listen |
| Macron says France 'owes debt' to Polynesia over nuclear tests | |
| French President spoke while visiting French island territories in Pacific. France has carried out over 200 nuclear tests across the region. Also, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Afghanistan risks becoming 'pariah state' as Taliban continue to seize territory, and Portugal holds funeral for 'Otelo' - the man who oversaw a coup that paved the way for democracy. | Listen |
| US policeman feared death in Capitol riots | |
| Officers on duty when Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol give tearful testimony at an inquiry. Also: the American gymnast Simone Biles pulls out of the Olympic team competition over mental health issues; the former Spanish king's ex-lover claims he used the intelligence service to spy on her; and the world's largest star sapphire cluster is discovered in a Sri Lankan backyard. | Listen |
| Hong Kong man guilty in first national security law trial | |
| The 24-year-old had flown a flag with a protest slogan while riding a motorcycle into police officers in Hong Kong. Also: Vatican cardinal on trial in $142m fraud case, and do you like and appreciate insects? | Listen |
| Tunisian president accused of coup after firing PM | |
| Months of tension over Covid and the economy culminate in the sacking of the PM. Also: scientists don't know why Covid cases in the UK are plummeting, and how female athletes are giving short shrift to officials telling them what to wear. | Listen |
| Tunisia: PM is sacked after violent Covid protests | |
| President Kais Saied has sacked Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and says he's taken over. This follows angry nationwide protests on Sunday over the government's handling of the pandemic. Also, civilian casualties in Afghanistan are at a record level, and a disturbing report on the treatment of women in Britain's armed forces. | Listen |
| US ready to continue airstrikes against Taliban | |
| The head of US Central Command, Gen Kenneth McKenzie, said this could happen in weeks. Also: criticism of proposals for English football fans to show proof of Covid vaccinations before watching Premier League games, and tributes to US rabbi turned comedian Jackie Mason who has died. | Listen |
| Afghanistan imposes night curfew | |
| Move covers 31 of the country's 34 provinces to help protect urban areas from Taliban advance. Also: Landmark fuel deal between Iraq and Lebanon, Olympic host nation Japan picks up its first medals and the search for new Aussie rhyming slang. | Listen |
| Tennis star Osaka lights flame to get delayed Olympics underway in Tokyo | |
| The long delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics are finally underway - in a near deserted stadium; Haiti's assassinated president Jovenel Moïse is laid to rest... and why sales of foam clogs are soaring -- and dividing opinion among fashionistas. | Listen |
| Olympics: Tokyo hosts opening ceremony of delayed 2020 Games | |
| Due to Coronavirus, a subdued ceremony launches the much-postponed Olympics. Fewer than 1000 invited guests and no spectators are inside the huge main stadium. Also, President Xi Jinping makes first official visit to Tibet by a Chinese leader in 30 years, and one of India's most flamboyant businessmen is arrested for allegedly making porn films. | Listen |
| US imposes sanctions on Cuban officials after protest crackdown | |
| President Biden has been under pressure to respond to anti-regime protests. Also: the Senate in the Czech Republic has approved a plan to compensate Roma women who were forcibly sterilised, and beset by scandals and Covid-19 concerns, Tokyo prepares to hold the opening ceremony for the Olympics. | Listen |
| Olympics ceremony boss sacked over Holocaust joke | |
| The decision to remove Kentaro Kobayashi comes just a day before the opening show is due to be held. It?s the latest scandal to hit the Tokyo Games. Also: Famine stalks Angola as the worst drought in forty years ravages the south of the country; and Norway pauses to recall the mass murder committed by a far-right extremist ten years ago today. | Listen |
| US life expectancy suffers steepest drop in decades | |
| Life expectancy in the US has suffered its sharpest fall since the second world war; Chinese scientists say global warming has made China's annual flood season much more dangerous; and a gold toilet is discovered at the home of a Russian policeman, arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes. | Listen |
| China Floods: 16 dead and many thousands evacuated | |
| Record-breaking rainfall has brought deaths and chaos in China's Henan province. More than a dozen cities have been affected by the floods. Also, Nigeria secures release of 100 kidnapped women and children, and how a secret site in England is giving experts a glimpse into prehistory. | Listen |
| Severe Floods hit China's Henan Province. | |
| There have been severe floods in the central Chinese province of Henan with dramatic images of passengers in flooded subway trains; The US warns that the world can't wait for the pandemic to end before facing up to global warming; and are advances in running shoe technology giving today's sprinters an unfair advantage ? | Listen |
| India's Covid death rate much higher than official count, says report | |
| The US-based Centre for Global Development says the figure could be ten times as high. Also: migrants in Belgium on hunger strike, and why Israel is threatening consequences for Ben & Jerry's. | Listen |
| China accused of Cyber-Attack on Microsoft. | |
| The US and European countries say a huge cyber attack earlier this year came from China; In Germany - police say dozens of people are still missing following deadly floods last week; and a family of farmers in India whose cooking skills have made them an internet sensation | Listen |
| UK government lifts coronavirus restrictions in England despite surge | |
| It's confident rules on mask wearing and social distancing won't be reintroduced. Also: Australian government scientists have said the outlook for the Great Barrier Reef remains "very poor" despite some recovery over the past year, and an investigation by global media outlets has said journalists, activists and opposition leaders around the world had been targeted with phone malware sold to various governments. | Listen |
| In Tokyo, a growing number of Olympic athletes and officials test Covid-positive | |
| The Tokyo Olympics is hit by a spate of coronavirus cases. Also: Mrs Merkel visits areas of western Germany affected by flooding, and the Vespa scooter celebrates its 75th anniversary. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Peace talks resume with Taliban | |
| Officials sound optimistic after the first round of negotiations, but the Taliban says it?s confident it can still win on the battlefield. Also, rescue workers in Germany race to find survivors after deadly floods. And, with five days until the Tokyo Olympics, the first case of Covid-19 is detected at the athletes? village. | Listen |
| Floodwaters begin to recede in northwestern Europe | |
| Rescue workers struggle to reach survivors of the devastating floods with authorities in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands trying to take stock of the catastrophic damage. Also, rights groups have condemned raids on media organisations and journalists in Belarus, and the punk group that is asking the establishment to resolve a dispute over music rights. | Listen |
| Europe floods: At least 120 dead and hundreds more missing | |
| Northern Europe hit by some of the worst flooding in decades after record rainfall. Germany and Belgium are worst-affected, and European leaders have called for action on climate-change. Also, how a smartphone could reveal why three young British men joined the militants of Islamic State, and was South Africa's recent unrest planned in advance ? | Listen |
| Floods in western Europe kill more than 60 | |
| Thousands of others in Germany and Belgium are forced to evacuate. Also: in Canada leaders of an indigenous nation call on the government to release residential school attendance records to help identify unmarked graves, and how DNA websites are helping US detectives to solve cold case murders - but what ethical questions does this raise? . | Listen |
| Afghan Taliban offer a conditional ceasefire | |
| It's unclear how the Afghan government will respond - as some say a previous release of Taliban detainees last year has fuelled violence. Dutch crime reporter de Vries dies from shooting. Britney Spears wants to press charges against father over 'conservatorship abuse'. | Listen |
| EU Unveils Sweeping Climate Change Plans | |
| European Commission announces radical plans to cut carbon emissions over next decade; King of the Zulu nation says recent rioting and looting in South Africa shames the whole country; Rare eye-witness testimony over what's happening in Ethiopia's disputed Tigray region. | Listen |
| Syria: Islamic State children who face lifetime in prison | |
| Plight of thousands of foreign children of IS members in Syrian camps and jails. Kurdish authorities who run these facilities say IS cells are recruiting and radicalising children as young as eight. Also, nine Chinese nationals are killed in explosion aboard Pakistani bus, and we meet Australian teenagers who want schools to teach about sexual consent. | Listen |
| South Africa riots: Death toll rises in violent unrest | |
| More than seventy people are now known to have died in disturbances sparked by the jailing of Jacob Zuma. Also, President Biden says changes to voting rights in some states pose a threat to US democracy and, two series tie for the most nominations in this year's Emmys. | Listen |
| Google issued massive fine by French regulator | |
| The fine is the latest skirmish in a global copyright battle between tech firms and news organisations. Iraq hospital fire: Protests as Covid ward blaze kills more than 60. Texas Democrats flee state to block Republican voting law. | Listen |
| Dozens held after Cuban anti-government protests | |
| Thousands rallied on Sunday, angry at Cuba's economic crisis and curbs on civil liberties. Also: South Africa deploys military to tackle Zuma riots, and Iran has unveiled a dating app said to facilitate lasting marriages. | Listen |
| SA deploys military in Zuma riots | |
| The jailing of the ex-president, Jacob Zuma, has triggered looting and arson. Also: the British PM condemns racist abuse aimed at black footballers after England's defeat in the Euros, and a lightning strike kills 16 taking selfies in India. | Listen |
| Cubans stage rare protests over Covid measures | |
| Thousands rally in several Cuban cities, with others showing support for the government. Also: billionaire Branson rockets to edge of space, and Italy's Euro 2020 triumph after England's penalty heartbreak. | Listen |
| The widow of the former Haitian president says he was riddled with bullets | |
| Martine Moise, who was injured in the attack which killed her husband, speaks for the first time. Also: a statue that sparked deadly US rally is taken down, and Auschwitz orchestra member Esther Bejarano dies aged 96. | Listen |
| Taliban in Afghanistan seize key border crossings in new advance | |
| The Taliban have captured major border crossings with Iran and Turkmenistan in a sweeping offensive across northern Afghanistan. Also: US and Colombia to send investigators to Haiti following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, and how does Jupiter produce X-rays every few minutes? | Listen |
| Bangladesh factory fire kills at least 52 | |
| Blaze broke out overnight at a food-processing plant near Dhaka. It's feared that casualty-numbers will rise as many workers are unaccounted for. Also, Taliban capture a key crossing on Afghan-Iranian border, and why a Spanish government minister caused controversy - by urging people to eat less meat. | Listen |
| Biden defends Afghan withdrawal | |
| Mr Biden insisted the US military had achieved its goals by punishing the perpetrators of the terror attacks of 11 September 2001. Haiti seeks masterminds after 'assassins' detained. EU votes for action over Hungary's anti-LGBT law. | Listen |
| Jovenel Moïse: Deadly gun battle after Haiti's president assassinated | |
| Police say four suspects have been killed and two detained, but a manhunt is still under way. Also: The Olympic Games in Japan are to be held without spectators due to rising cases of coronavirus, and a major expedition to solve one of the world's greatest maritime mysteries. | Listen |
| Jacob Zuma:Former South Africa president hands himself over to police | |
| Last week the Constitutional Court handed down the prison term after he failed to appear before an inquiry into state corruption during his time in office. The Haitian security forces are searching for the gunmen who assassinated the former president, Jovenel Moïse.Trump sues Twitter, Google and Facebook alleging 'censorship'. | Listen |
| Haiti: President Moise is killed in attack at his home | |
| President Jovenel Moise has been shot dead and his wife injured by unidentified gunmen. They were attacked at their residence in the capital Port-au-Prince. Also, the Taliban battle their way into a key city in western Afghanistan, and tributes are paid to legendary Indian film star Dilip Kumar who's died at 98. | Listen |
| More than 90% of US troops have now left Afghanistan | |
| The Afghan government admitted that some of its forces are overstretched following the US withdrawal, but said it was determined to retake territory seized by the Taliban. Also: New York state has declared a disaster emergency following a sharp rise in the number of shootings, and we hear from the artist behind a new sculpture to be unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square that will confront Britain's colonial past. | Listen |
| Belarus opposition leader jailed | |
| Viktor Babaryko is sentenced to fourteen years in prison. Also: the new Afghan commander of the Bagram air base says the US left at night with no notice; and the Cannes Film Festival returns after a year off because of covid. | Listen |
| Covid: Most rules set to end in England | |
| The British Prime Minister has said vaccines had weakened the link between infections and hospitalisations. Georgia: Tbilisi Pride cancelled amid violent protests. Why Russia says real champagne can't come from France. | Listen |
| Afghan troops flee after clashes with the Taliban | |
| More than 1,000 soldiers retreat to Tajikistan as fighting with the militants intensifies. Also: Ethiopia's PM says Tigray withdrawal does not mean the country lost, and scientists say "rocking" bridges could be earthquake proof. | Listen |
| Jacob Zuma refuses to hand himself in | |
| The ex-South African president is defying a court order to start a 15-month jail sentence. Also: Lebanon's hospitals in crisis, and a fantastical tour of the new Hans Christian Andersen museum in Denmark. | Listen |
| Demolition of Miami site brought forward | |
| The standing portion of the collapsed complex will be destroyed as a tropical storm approaches. Also: the Vatican orders a cardinal to face an embezzlement trial, and the sexism row in Ukraine after female soldiers were made to parade in high heels. | Listen |
| Corruption inquiry into Bolsonaro | |
| Brazilian prosecutors aim to investigate whether the president failed to act over a Covid vaccine 'bribery scandal'. Also: why parents want Amazon to change the name of its virtual assistant, and can we all benefit from the space race? | Listen |
| Last foreign forces leave Afghanistan's Bagram base | |
| The sprawling airbase has been the centre of operations against the Taliban and Al Qaeda for almost 20 years. Also: Australia to halve arrivals to fight Covid-19 variant, and scientists are trying to fix a "crashed computer" on the Hubble space telescope. | Listen |
| Trump organisation lawyers plead not guilty to tax fraud | |
| The prosecutor said there had been a sweeping and audacious illegal payment scheme at the company. Also: the WHO warns Europe risks a new Covid wave, and the eighty-two-year-old - finally picked to go into space. | Listen |
| Trump Organisation CEO surrenders to face charges in tax investigation | |
| Allen Weisselberg turned himself in to authorities in New York on Thursday, ahead of the expected unsealing of as-yet-unknown charges. Also: high-profile women want action to stop online abuse and judge denies Britney Spears request to remove father from conservatorship. | Listen |
| Bill Cosby freed after conviction overturned | |
| US comedian leaves jail after court overturned his sexual assault conviction. Also: Former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one of the main architects of the Iraq war, has died, and why Wimbledon's grass courts seem more slippery this year. | Listen |
| The UN calls for urgent humanitarian access to northern Ethiopia | |
| It warns thousands are at risk of famine in Tigray following eight months of conflict. But the government says its intent on retaking the regional capital. Also: Canada's unprecedented heatwave is blamed for dozens of deaths, and if aliens are out there, what do they want from us? | Listen |
| Ethiopian rebels gain more ground in war-torn north | |
| Tigrayan fighters continue their advance after seizing the regional capital Mekelle. Also: England beat Germany 2-0 at Wembley to reach the Euro 2020 football quarter-finals, and 5,000-year-old man was "oldest plague victim". | Listen |
| South Africa's top court sentences ex-President Jacob Zuma | |
| He has been given five days to hand himself in to police. Souvenirs but no tourists - a rare glimpse of life in war-ravaged Gaza. The Pacific heat dome explained - why Canada and the northwestern United States are experiencing record temperatures. | Listen |
| Ethiopia's Tigray conflict: Rebels enter capital of northern region | |
| Unconfirmed reports say rebel forces have captured Mekelle. Also, Facebook's stock market value has surpassed a trillion dollars for the first time after a US judge dismissed cases accusing the firm of monopoly practices and a new study casts doubt on a theory that there was evidence of life on Venus. | Listen |
| Hundreds of reports of priests' alleged sexual abuse in Poland | |
| The Roman Catholic church in Poland says that in the last three years it has received more than 360 new reports of clergy sexually abusing children. China's ruling Communist Party prepares to mark its centenary. Life threatening heat in the US north-west. | Listen |
| South Africa imposes strict new measures to tackle alarming rise of Covid infections | |
| The South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said the country was facing a grave challenge. Also: France's far-right National Rally loses key battlegrounds in regional elections, and China releases videos of its Zhurong Mars rover. | Listen |
| British health minister Matt Hancock resigns after breaking Covid guidance | |
| Pictures of Matt Hancock embracing an aide unleashed a storm of public anger. Also: a report had warned of major error in collapsed Florida building, and why is the sea around Scotland's Isle of Arran a turquoise blue colour? | Listen |
| George Floyd's murderer sentenced to over twenty-two years | |
| Derek Chauvin was convicted last month of killing Mr Floyd, whose death sparked global protests. Also: Germany knife attacker kills three, and scientists hail stunning 'Dragon Man' discovery. | Listen |
| Rescue efforts continue after Miami building collapse | |
| More than 150 people are still unaccounted for, also: Belorussian blogger moved to house arrest, and the tornado devastating parts of southern Czechia. | Listen |
| Dozens missing after Miami building collapse | |
| It is unclear how many people were in the 12-storey building at the time. Also: proposals by France and Germany to restart EU summits with Russia criticised, and Indian PM calls for 'Made in India Toys'. | Listen |
| Desperate search for survivors after Miami building collapse | |
| One side of the 12-storey beach-side apartment block sheared off. Also, an indigenous group says it has found hundreds of unmarked graves on the site of a former residential school in Canada, the extraordinary life and death of John McAfee the US entrepreneur and creator of the anti virus software, and the British Royal family concedes it needs to do more to increase diversity within its staff. | Listen |
| Russian jets and ships shadow UK warship | |
| More than 20 jets and 2 ships followed HMS Defender as it sailed near Crimea's coast. Also: a Japanese court rejects a challenge to a law requiring husbands and wives to share the same name, and new light on how migrating birds navigate huge distances. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily to close down | |
| Highly popular 26 year-old paper accused of violating the national security law. Also: a BBC investigation finds widespread illness, overcrowding and even sexual assaults at an emergency US government camp housing migrant children in the Texan desert, and the singer Britney Spears is due to address a court in Los Angeles to try to wrest control of her financial affairs from her father. | Listen |
| Heavy fighting reported in Northern Ethiopia | |
| Ethiopian troops clash with Tigrayan rebels, as fighting resumes in eight month civil war; Thousands of young women in Tanzania return to the classroom - despite their pregnancies; Will British made TV programmes be restricted in European countries? | Listen |
| Fighting in Myanmar's second city Mandalay | |
| Security forces and civilian militia clash.This marks a new stage of resistance to February's military coup. Also: Spain pardons Catalan leaders over independence bid, and we look at who might be the next mayor of New York. | Listen |
| Nicaragua political arrests lead Argentina and Mexico to recall envoys | |
| Five opposition candidates for November's presidential election have been arrested in recent weeks. | Listen |
| Up to 10,000 fans at Tokyo Olympics | |
| Spectators will have to wear masks and follow social distancing measures. But events will be behind closed doors if coronavirus infections surge. Also: The Swedish government loses a vote of confidence for the first time in history, and a declassified report into UFO?s in America. | Listen |
| International talks on Iran's nuclear programme make progress | |
| It's not clear when the next round of talks will take place. Body of fugitive far-right Belgian soldier found. South Africa gems that sparked rush are quartz not diamonds. | Listen |
| Covid: Brazil hits 500,000 deaths amid 'critical' situation | |
| So far, only eleven per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. Iran's next president - the hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi - has promised to fight corruption, after winning an election in which most of his rivals were barred. Milkha Singh: India's 'Flying Sikh' dies from Covid. | Listen |
| Iranians vote in presidential election | |
| The winner will replace Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who has served the maximum two terms. Also: Palestinians cancel vaccine swap deal with Israel, and Ukrainian couple break up after being handcuffed together for 123 days. | Listen |
| Japanese disagree over Olympics spectators | |
| Officials and politicians are in dispute over allowing fans to attend events next month. Also: Iranians vote in a presidential poll, and the new species of ancient giant rhino. | Listen |
| US Supreme Court rejects big challenge to Obamacare | |
| The justices' 7-2 ruling preserves medical insurance for millions of low-income Americans. Also: Zambia's first president Kenneth Kaunda dies aged 97, and the coelacanth - a 'living fossil' fish - may live for up to a century. | Listen |
| HK police raid pro-democracy paper | |
| 500 officers raided Apple Daily, alleging its reports breached a national security law. Also: 1st crew blasts off to new China space station, and why millions of Chinese are mourning the death of a strong-willed pig. | Listen |
| Biden and Putin praise talks but discord remains | |
| The US and Russia agree to nuclear arms control talks but progress at the Geneva summit was limited. Also: Facebook shuts Ethiopian accounts for fake news, and drone cameras record social lives of killer whales. | Listen |
| Putin and Biden hold talks in Geneva | |
| Russian and US leaders attend summit at villa in Switzerland. It's their first meeting since Biden became President, and comes at a time of high tensions over several issues. Also, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un warns of food shortages following poor harvests, and what happened to a well-known company's shares when a global superstar publicly rejected its product. | Listen |
| Israeli nationalists march through Jerusalem | |
| The parade risked igniting tensions with Palestinians, only weeks after a conflict in Gaza ended. Also: Taiwan angered by China's latest breach of air space, and plastic bottles could be turned into vanilla ice-cream! | Listen |
| The US and EU resolve aircraft trade row | |
| They agree a deal in a 17 year dispute over subsidies to aircraft manufacturers. Also: Hungary passes a law banning what it calls the promotion of homosexuality to under-eighteens, and a deaf sheepdog learns how to work again. | Listen |
| Biden says China and Russia trying to ?drive a wedge? in Nato | |
| Speaking after his first summit of Nato leaders since taking office, President Biden said he will lay down red lines to his Russian counterpart in their meeting on Wednesday, and acknowledged that he faced a tough opponent in Vladimir Putin. Also: Belarus parades the detained opposition journalist Roman Protasevich at a news conference in Minsk; and the American actor Ned Beatty - who appeared in Deliverance and Superman - dies at the age of 83. | Listen |
| NATO: America's back at the table | |
| The head of Nato says it?s a pivotal moment in the seventy?two year history of the organisation, as he urged members to respond to China?s rise and Russia?s aggressive behaviour. Also: the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi has begun in Myanmar and is football still as important for Scotland now its back in the EUROS after a twenty-three year gap? | Listen |
| Naftali Bennett takes over as head of a fragile Israeli coalition. | |
| After twelve years dominated by one man, Israel gets a new leader; The G-7 pledges a billion covid vaccine doses for poorer countries; How to film a sex scene without exploiting the actors...should all movie sets have an "intimacy coordinator"? | Listen |
| G7 leaders agree on spending plan to rival China | |
| The US and its allies have agreed a huge infrastructure plan to counter China's Belt and Road initiative. Also: the Danish footballer, Christian Eriksen, is awake in hospital after collapsing during a European Championship match, and Saudi Arabia has announced strict limits for this year's Hajj pilgrimage because of the pandemic. | Listen |
| G7 leaders highlight issue of climate change by visiting the Eden Project | |
| Queen Elizabeth greeted the G7 leaders on their 1st day of their summit in Cornwall. Also: a teenager who filmed George Floyd's murder is given a Pulitzer Prize, and Italy opens Euro 2020 with 3-0 win over Turkey. | Listen |
| G7 summit: Leaders to discuss climate and vaccines | |
| The British Prime Minister has opened the G7 summit calling for lessons to be learned from the pandemic - and for the recovery to be green and more equally spread. Israel ex-top spy reveals Mossad operations against Iran. Hong Kong to censor films that ?endanger national security?. | Listen |
| Biden confirms US will donate half a billion Covid vaccine doses | |
| But critics say the donation to poor countries isn't enough to vaccinate the world. Also: the wife of Mexico's most notorious drugs lord pleads guilty to money laundering and drugs trafficking, and after 20 years - the end of the Kardashians' TV show. | Listen |
| US president and British PM meeting on eve of G7 summit | |
| The US president Joe Biden and the British prime minister Boris Johnson are having their first face-to-face talks in Cornwall. Also: Myanmar's Suu Kyi is accused of accepting bribes and faces up to 15 years in jail, and a nun in California admits stealing school funds for gambling. | Listen |
| Biden in UK - for first foreign trip as president | |
| Arriving for the G7 summit, Mr Biden pledged to act on climate change and challenge autocrats. Also: Mozambique's missing children, and Italy's declining birth-rate - due to Covid. | Listen |
| US defends its efforts to share Covid-19 vaccines globally | |
| The US National Security advisor Jake Sullivan accuses Russia and China of coercing countries into accepting their vaccines. Also: US super-rich 'pay almost no income tax'; France and Belgium loosen Covid-19 restrictions for summer. | Listen |
| Reaction to UN court's rejection of Ratko Mladic genocide appeal | |
| The court upheld the former Bosnian Serb leader's life sentence for 8,000 Bosnian Muslim deaths in 1995. Also: why astronauts get sick after being in space, and the woman who saved her twin sister from a crocodile attack by fighting back. | Listen |
| FBI app lures global criminals | |
| Hundreds are arrested worldwide after using the ANOM app, where their messages were monitored. Also: UN tribunal rejects appeal by Ratko Mladic against his genocide conviction, and the controversy over building a spaceport in rural Scotland. | Listen |
| US approves new Alzheimer?s drug | |
| Regulators in the United States approved a revolutionary drug for Alzheimer's, targeting - for the first time - the underlying causes of the devastating brain disease. Also: an independent inquiry in Cyprus has concluded that thousands of passports were issued illicitly from a controversial passports-for-cash scheme set up to attract investors, and how intimacy coordinators are changing the way we make films and TV. | Listen |
| France fines Google more than $250m | |
| Regulators ruled that Google gave preferential treatment to its own advertising online. Also: Jeff Bezos, the founder of the online retailer, Amazon, says he and his brother will journey into space, and how Greece plans to bring back tourists. | Listen |
| Israeli police question prominent Palestinian activists | |
| Muna and Mohammed el-Kurd have become the faces of a recent campaign to stop evictions of Palestinians in East Jerusalem. They were both later released by police. Also: El Salvador plans to make the cryptocurrency Bitcoin legal tender; and Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announce the birth of their baby girl, Lilibet. | Listen |
| G7: Rich nations back deal to tax multinationals | |
| Amazon and Facebook have said they welcome the agreement - even if they have to pay more tax. The US justice department is ending the practice of secretly obtaining reporters' records in order to identify sources leaking classified information. Nigeria will prosecute anyone found to have breached the country's ban on the social media firm Twitter. | Listen |
| Facebook suspends Trump for two years | |
| Facebook's move comes as the social media giant is also ending a policy shielding politicians from some content moderation rules. US military UFO report 'does not confirm or rule out alien activity'. Magawa the hero rat retires from job detecting landmines. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: China clamps down firmly on Tiananmen Square commemorations | |
| Authorities in Hong Kong have heavily curbed efforts to mark anniversary of 1989 massacre. This year's anniversary is first since introduction of controversial security law. Also, Nepal asks UK for vaccines to tackle Covid-19, and how supersonic air travel could be on the way back - but it won't be cheap. | Listen |
| Biden sets out plan to share millions of Covid-19 vaccines globally | |
| The plan covers around a third of eighty million doses the US has said it will share with the world. Also: UN warns of growing risk posed by stranded oil-tanker off Yemen, and echolocation could help blind people learn to navigate. | Listen |
| The Games will go on say Tokyo Olympic organisers | |
| The president of the Tokyo Olympic Games insists they will go ahead -- despite the pandemic and widespread opposition among ordinary Japanese. Also: could this be the end of Bibi Netanyahu?s career as Israel?s longest-serving prime minister, worms in space -- and the club helping shark attack survivors talk their way to mental health. | Listen |
| Israel opposition parties agree to form government | |
| Naftali Bennett would initially become PM, meaning an end to Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year tenure. Also: oil spill fears as ship sinks off Sri Lanka, and a teenage girl in California pushes a bear to protect her dogs. | Listen |
| Israel: Opposition leaders say they're close to forming new government | |
| Various opposition parties in talks to create new coalition government. If they succeed, this will end Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year stretch as Prime Minister. Also, China's president wants the country to create a more 'loveable' image abroad, and how an American woman discovered she's actually a Senegalese princess. | Listen |
| Biden first US president to mark Tulsa massacre | |
| The 1921 massacre in Oklahoma remains one of the worst incidents of racial violence in US history. Also: volcanic eruption in DR Congo leaves 500,000 without water, and Yemen fishermen find $1.5m of ambergris in a whale carcass. | Listen |
| Ugandan minister shot in assassination bid | |
| Gen Katumba Wamala is being treated for injuries, but his daughter and driver died. Also: Nestle reportedly admits most of its products are unhealthy, and the dead mother who can still wake up her son. | Listen |
| Tulsa massacre remembered 100 years on | |
| The 1921 Tusla massacre remains the worst single incident of racial violence in US history. Also: WHO renames Covid variants with Greek letters, and Naomi Osaka withdraws from the French Open tennis championships. | Listen |
| China allows couples to have three children | |
| Census results show a steep decline in births and an ageing population. Also: Vietnam is taking urgent measures to counter a surge in coronavirus, and the US city of Tulsa is marking one hundred years since a race massacre that's thought to have left up to 300 black people dead. | Listen |
| Key Israeli party backs deal to oust Netanyahu | |
| A right-wing leader, Naftali Bennett, says he's ready to help form a new governing coalition. Also: Nigerian gunmen abduct students, and an ode to a nightingale. | Listen |
| Brazil protesters blame President Bolsonaro for Covid crisis | |
| Thousands, angry at the slow vaccine rollout, have taken to the streets across Brazil. Also: N Korea says orphans are 'volunteering' as miners, and the Catholic church promotes virtual pilgrimages. | Listen |
| Belarus: President Lukashenko seeks Russian support | |
| The embattled Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, claims the West is trying to destabilise his regime, as he begins talks with Vladimir Putin. Also: more than 50 countries accuse World Health Organization officials of covering up sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by aid workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And in China, fans of the sitcom Friends are left disappointed after the special reunion episode is censored. | Listen |
| Germany officially recognises colonial-era genocide in Namibia | |
| Germany has acknowledged committing atrocities during early 20th century. Huge numbers of Herero and Nama people were killed by German troops. Also, hundreds of thousands flee Congolese city of Goma over fears of another volcanic eruption, and does the way we cough indicate whether or not we have Covid ? | Listen |
| New map reveals cosmic mystery | |
| Scientists have created the most detailed chart yet of how dark matter is spread out across the universe; their findings could challenge Einstein's theory of general relativity. Also: the UN Human Rights Council votes to investigate violence in the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the Brazilian samba composer, Nelson Sargento, dies at the age of 96. | Listen |
| Macron asks Rwanda to forgive France over 1994 genocide role | |
| Eight-hundred-thousand ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the Rwandan genocide. China ridicules the US investigation into whether Covid-19 came from a lab. And a top Cuban baseball star defects at a tournament in Florida. | Listen |
| Shell ordered to cut CO2 emissions | |
| A Dutch court rules that the oil giant must reduce its emissions by 45% compared to 2019 levels. Also: US President Joe Biden orders intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of Covid-19, and Amazon has agreed to buy the historic MGM studios for $8.45bn | Listen |
| Jacob Zuma pleads 'not guilty' in corruption trial | |
| Former South African president in court over $5 billion arms deal from 1990s. He's blamed political enemies in the ruling ANC party for his legal troubles. Also, president of Belarus hits back at critics after international outrage over forced re-routing of an airliner, and is a hot bath as good for you as an exercise-session ? | Listen |
| US marks George Floyd killing anniversary | |
| It is one year since the 46-year-old black man was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis. Also: families in anguish over pair in Belarus, and Emily Bronte poems set to fetch more than $1.4m at auction. | Listen |
| US pledges help to rebuild Gaza | |
| The US Secretary of State wants to consolidate the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Also: Hong Kong warns it may have to throw away Covid vaccines, and the Chinese shepherd who saved lives during a marathon. | Listen |
| Belarus activist's family fear torture after his arrest | |
| The father of Roman Protasevich, who was detained after his flight from Greece was diverted to Minsk, tells the BBC he is 'really afraid'. Also: Shining Path rebel group is blamed for more than a dozen deaths in Peru, and algae proteins partially restore man's sight. | Listen |
| Ryanair accuses Belarus of hijacking | |
| The airline spoke out after its plane was forced to land, and a journalist on board was arrested. Also: Myanmar's deposed leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has appeared in court in person for the first time since February's coup, and could man's best friend help sniff out Covid? | Listen |
| Belarus 'diverts Ryanair plane to arrest journalist' | |
| Many countries are demanding the release of the dissident Roman Protasevich, after a MiG-29 fighter jet escorted the Greece-Lithuania flight to Minsk. Also: fourteen killed after cable car accident in Italy, and is there a Quiet Park near you? | Listen |
| Eyes on peace options as Gaza ceasefire holds | |
| Mediators try to cement the truce, as Israel and Palestinian militants take stock of an 11-day conflict. Also: photo appears to show missing Emirati princess Latifa, and DR Congo volcano eruption sparks mass evacuation. | Listen |
| Israel temporarily opens two crossings into Gaza | |
| The UN agency for Palestinian refugees is helping tens of thousands of people displaced by the eleven-day conflict. The IOC says the Tokyo Games will go ahead even under a state of emergency. And why a pub in northern England is celebrating Christmas in May. | Listen |
| Israel and Hamas both claim victory after truce | |
| Ceasefire now in effect, but clashes have taken place in Jerusalem. Israeli police and Palestinians have confronted each other at Al-Aqsa mosque compound. Also, WHO warns that true global Covid-19 death-toll could be much higher than official figures, and why 68 big cats have been seized from park owned by stars of 'Tiger King' series. | Listen |
| Israel and Palestinian militants agree ceasefire | |
| The 11 day conflict has claimed at least 232 lives in Gaza and 12 in Israel. Also: An inquiry criticises the BBC over ?deceitful? way it secured Princess Diana interview, and why dogs are better than many lateral flow tests at detecting Covid-19 in humans. | Listen |
| Israel-Gaza fighting continues as hopes for a ceasefire increase | |
| Mediation efforts intensify on the eleventh day of the latest conflict. Also: a French court has ruled that hundreds of women who were given faulty breast implants are entitled to compensation, and a new book by the late grand master of spy novels, John Le Carre. | Listen |
| International pressure mounts for Middle East ceasefire | |
| US tells Israel it wants to see a "significant de-escalation" in the fighting with Palestinian militants. Also: Donald Trump denounces criminal investigation into his business in New York, Leonardo DiCaprio leads 43 million dollar pledge to restore the Galapagos Islands and Demi Lovato comes out as non-binary. | Listen |
| Gaza-Israel: The plight of children caught up in conflict | |
| How children are suffering as Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket-attacks continue. And we hear about diplomatic efforts to end the fighting. Also, we visit Russia's most northerly military base as tensions rise in Arctic between Moscow and Washington, and why Alice in Wonderland may be a heroine for our times. | Listen |
| Israel's prime minister vows to continue the military operations against Hamas | |
| Benjamin Netanyahu says the operations will continue as long as necessary. Also, Spain's prime minister visits the enclave of Ceuta after thousands of Moroccans enter the city illegally, and the Italian singer and songwriter Franco Battiato has died at the age of 76. | Listen |
| No let-up in Israel-Gaza strikes and rocket attacks | |
| There has been no let-up to the worst violence in years despite widespread calls for a ceasefire. Also: Russia's spy chief Sergei Naryshkin speaks to the BBC, and a study says just 20 companies make half of all one-use plastic. | Listen |
| Israel-Gaza: US blocks UN statement for third time in a week | |
| The Security Council statement would have called for an end to the violence. Also: most Britons are officially allowed to hug - as Covid rules are eased, and longevity tips from Australia's oldest man - who's 111. | Listen |
| The US calls for Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza to avoid civilian casualties, as the hostilities continue | |
| The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, urged Israel and the Palestinians to protect civilians, especially children. Also: no evidence of fraud in Myanmar vote, and India's Covid crisis hits the vaccine-sharing Covax scheme. | Listen |
| Netanyahu says Gaza strikes to continue 'at force' | |
| The Israeli PM's comments came as the UN Security Council met to try to broker a ceasefire. Also: the US climate envoy puts his faith in technologies that 'don't yet exist', and the take away musicians - delivered to your home to play live. | Listen |
| Israeli airstrike destroys Gaza media tower block | |
| Israel claims Hamas operated there; the block housed the AP news agency which says it can't verify the Israeli statement. Also: Covid - on Everest, and at the Eurovision Song Contest, and the plague of mice in Australia. | Listen |
| Bloodshed in West Bank as conflict broadens | |
| Palestinians and Israeli forces clash in the West Bank as Israel vows to continue military operations in Gaza. Also: the WHO warns the second year of the pandemic is likely to be deadlier than the first, and Prince Harry speaks of the pain and suffering of his upbringing. | Listen |
| Gaza: Israeli warplanes and gunboats support artillery assault | |
| Israel launches heaviest bombardment of Gaza so far as fighting continues. And US and Egyptian mediators arrive in Israel to broker talks to try and end conflict. Also, Turkish company that provides a quarter of Lebanon's electricity has halted supplies, and a work by Picasso is sold for more than one hundred million dollars. | Listen |
| Israeli military intensifies attacks in Gaza | |
| Jews and Arabs clash in several Israeli towns. Also: persuading the vaccine hesitant to get a covid jab; and Russia's space agency plans to make its first movie in space | Listen |
| Gaza: No let up in violence | |
| Hamas remains defiant and the Israeli military considers possible ground invasion. Also 3 Kenyan MPs meet the speaker of parliament to explain allegations of widespread bribe-taking by their colleagues, and Bitcoin takes a nosedive as Elon Musk announces Tesla will no longer accept the cryptocurrency to buy its cars. | Listen |
| Gaza: Dozens of deaths as Israel and Palestinians exchange fire | |
| Israeli air strikes kill senior Hamas military commanders in Gaza City, as fighting with Palestinians goes on. Also, international leaders urge both sides to back down amid warnings of a full-scale war. And US Republicans oust Liz Cheney from a leadership position in Congress, over her opposition to Donald Trump. | Listen |
| Israel-Gaza: More casualties as violence continues | |
| At least 53 Palestinians and 6 Israelis have been killed since latest fighting began. Other nations have appealed for both sides to end confrontation. Also, the WHO issues damning report on global response to Covid-19 pandemic, and is another migrant crisis looming in the Mediterranean ? | Listen |
| UN warns Israel and Hamas are heading for full scale war | |
| Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel and Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on Gaza. We hear from the Israeli Defence Force and a man being bombed in Gaza City. Also: bodies wash up along India's River Ganges as crematoria struggle to keep up with Covid 19, and the Brit Awards are back in London with a live audience. | Listen |
| Several killed in Russian school shooting | |
| At least seven pupils and one teacher died in the attack in Kazan..Also, further heavy exchanges of fire between Palestinians and Israelis, and the legacy of Bob Marley 40 years after his death. | Listen |
| Pleas for calm as Jerusalem violence escalates | |
| The EU, the US and the UK have called for the violence to stop after the Palestinians and Israel exchange fire. Also: billions of cicadas are going to emerge in the US after living underground for 17 years, and NBC cancels Golden Globes over lack of diversity. | Listen |
| Jewish nationalist march cancelled in Occupied East Jerusalem | |
| Police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse stone-throwing crowds in and around Al-Aqsa mosque. Emergency legislation has taken effect in the United States to protect fuel supplies, after a cyber attack forced the closure of a major pipeline. German priests defy Vatican to bless gay couples. | Listen |
| Russian doctor who treated Alexei Navalny goes missing | |
| Police said Alexander Murakhousky had not reported back from a hunting trip in a Siberian forest since Friday. Also: more than 1,000 migrants arrive on the Italian island of Lampedusa, and Dracula's castle offers tourists Covid vaccine. | Listen |
| Deadly attack at secondary school in Afghanistan | |
| The attack took place as the students were leaving the school in Kabul. Also: India's PM asks EU support for Covid19 vaccine patents waiver, and high speed rail services cancelled in UK after cracks found in trains. | Listen |
| US jobs fall short of expectations | |
| Employers hired 266,000 people in the US last month, despite a $1.9tn stimulus package. Also: WHO approves Chinese covid vaccine, and California condors swoop on home. | Listen |
| India: Communities take action to tackle Covid crisis | |
| Sikhs in Delhi convert temple into hospital for Covid patients. And Supreme Court orders government to supply 700 metric tonnes of oxygen to capital's hospitals every day. Also, UN urges Brazil to investigate police raid which resulted in at least 25 deaths, and the refugee athletes who dream of Olympic glory - despite having no country to represent. | Listen |
| WHO: India accounts for nearly half of Covid-19 cases | |
| More than 4,000 Indians have died in 24 hours, and some experts say the real Covid-19 figures could be much higher. Also, South Africa?s governing ANC party is plunged into a power struggle. And Malawi?s government orders refugees to move to a camp, after decades of integration in society. | Listen |
| Blinken: US will respond to 'reckless' Russian acts | |
| The US Secretary of State urged Moscow to end its 'reckless and aggressive' actions to Ukraine. Also: the Ugandan former child soldier sentenced to 25 years in jail by the International Criminal Court, and the plight of women in Afghanistan. | Listen |
| Facebook's Trump ban upheld for now | |
| Facebook?s Oversight Board however criticised the permanent nature of the ban and ordered the site to review the decision and ?justify a proportionate response? that is applied to everyone. Also: the World Health Organisation sets up a global intelligence centre in Berlin to identify future pandemics, and scientists have uncovered what may be Africa's oldest ceremonial human burial 78,000 years ago. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Opposition say they'll create armed protection force | |
| Opponents of military coup have announced setting up of armed wing. This follows months of clashes with security forces, in which more than 700 demonstrators have been killed. Also, entire Indian delegation at G7 talks in London must self-isolate after Covid cases detected, and how Napoleon's controversial legacy still divides France 200 years after his death. | Listen |
| Mexico City metro: Authorities promise full investigation into deadly crash | |
| The Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said ?nothing would be hidden? while the mayor of Mexico City said an external company would be involved in the inquiry. Also: the American drugmaker Pfizer has markedly increased its projected revenue and profits as a result of increasing demand for its coronavirus vaccine, and a diplomatic crisis is averted in Belgium, after a farmer there accidentally redraws his country?s border with France | Listen |
| Mexico City train crash kills over 20 people | |
| The Mexican authorities promise an independent investigation. Also: India suspends the IPL cricket tournament; and Bill and Melinda Gates are to divorce after 27 years of marriage. | Listen |
| WHO wants more funding for COVAX | |
| The World Health Organisation has appealed for more help from rich countries to protect poorer nations against the coronavirus as the global vaccination gap widens. The EU unveils plans for overseas tourists to return. Escape from China by boat - one man's perilous dinghy ride to what he hopes is a new life in Taiwan. | Listen |
| German police shut down online child abuse platform | |
| Officials say the site had more than four- hundred- thousand members across the globe. Four men have been arrested in an international operation. Also: the European Commission says restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU should be eased, and scientists discover a way to redress the shortage of male sea turtles due to climate change. | Listen |
| India: Modi loses battleground state amid Covid surge | |
| The BJP has been defeated in state elections in West Bengal where it had held huge rallies despite a surge in coronavirus cases. Colombia's president has cancelled planned tax reforms which had triggered days of violent protests. Manchester United v Liverpool game postponed after fan protest. | Listen |
| US commander warns against attacks in Afghanistan as deadline passes | |
| The Taliban have warned they are no longer bound by an agreement not to target international troops in Afghanistan. Also: Turkey arrests two hundred people in May Day protests, and the Oscar winning actress Olympia Dukakis dies aged 89. | Listen |
| Brazilian Amazon now a net emitter of greenhouse gases | |
| The Brazilian part of the Amazon rainforest has released 20% more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the past decade than it has absorbed. Also: Israel buries first victims after festival crush, and the surge in men using Botox to look better. | Listen |
| Israel: At least 44 killed in stampede at religious festival | |
| Prime Minister Netanyahu has pledged an investigation into disaster. Reports say it began when people leaving Orthodox Jewish event slipped in overcrowded passageway. Also, India's supreme court warns government not to silence criticism over its handling of pandemic, and why US podcaster Joe Rogan has described himself as a 'a moron.' | Listen |
| Brazil hits 400,000 deaths amid slow vaccination | |
| The 14-day average of deaths and coronavirus cases in Brazil has seen a slight fall but remains high. Also: Turkey enters first full Covid-19 lockdown, and wasps don't get enough credit for their work! | Listen |
| Alexei Navalny appears in court virtually - gaunt but defiant | |
| The Kremlin critic told the court President Putin was turning Russians into slaves. Also: China launches the first module of its new space station, and the contestant who begged to be voted off a reality TV show. | Listen |
| Biden: 'America is on the move again' | |
| President Biden delivers his first address to a joint session of the US Congress. He outlined massive spending packages to create green jobs and ensure all children had access to a good education. Also: hospitals in India are overwhelmed as Covid-19 pandemic continues, and the Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins dies aged 90. | Listen |
| US investigators raid Rudy Giuliani's home | |
| The former New York mayor and lawyer to Donald Trump is being investigated for dealings with Ukraine. Also: hospitals in India are overwhelmed as Covid19 pandemic continues, and the Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins dies aged ninety. | Listen |
| India: Official Covid death-toll is now above 200,000 | |
| Experts warn that the true number of deaths could be much higher. We speak to emergency workers, and hear how major cities and rural communities are affected by deepening crisis. Also, how neighbouring Pakistan is responding to India's plight, and Britain's PM Boris Johnson to face investigation over funding for his apartment. | Listen |
| Rising anger in India | |
| The government is under pressure to reveal the true number of Covid deaths as India's healthcare system buckles under a huge second wave of infections. Also: teenage girls could be at a higher risk of concussion than boys when playing football and the women who pioneered electronic music are celebrated in a new film. | Listen |
| India: Covid pandemic 'beyond crisis point' | |
| It's thought officials have under-reported the death rate. Also: Brazil launches inquiry into President Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic; and police officers in the Philippines are cleared of wrongdoing after they were found holding people in a secret jail cell. | Listen |
| AstraZeneca: US to share up to 60m vaccine doses | |
| The US has announced it will share its supplies of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine with other countries once a safety review by the Food and Drug Administration has been completed. Also: Opposition forces occupy key parts of Mogadishu in Somalia and we hear from Italy?s Robinson Crusoe, who has been forced to leave his secluded island home after 32 years. | Listen |
| India's relentless Covid crisis | |
| New Indian cases of coronavirus top 300,000 for a fifth day. Moscow's prosecutor has ordered that the political offices of Alexei Navalny suspend their activities across Russia. The British-Iranian charity worker, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, has been sentenced to another year in an Iranian jail. | Listen |
| Deadly inferno devastates Iraqi Covid ward | |
| The blaze, which killed at least 82, is thought to have been caused by an exploding oxygen canister. Some people were forced to jump from windows to escape the burning building. Also: Iran's foreign minister is caught on tape criticising the hardline Revolutionary Guards. And lockdown languishing ? how the pandemic is creating new states of mind. | Listen |
| President Biden describes mass killings of Armenians in WWI a genocide | |
| Turkey reacts angrily to the US president's remarks, also, debris from missing Indonesian submarine found, dashing hopes that crew has survived, and the award nobody wants - who got the Razzies this year? | Listen |
| Desperation as Indian hospitals buckle under Covid | |
| The health-care system is failing as a record surge in cases drains oxygen supplies. Also: the diplomatic row sparked by pomegranates, and saving the northern white rhino from extinction. | Listen |
| Russia: Opposition activist Alexei Navalny ends prison hunger-strike | |
| Announcement by outspoken critic of president Putin follows 24 days of refusing food. He began hunger-strike to demand better medical care while in jail. Also, Tokyo faces new Covid restrictions but Olympic Games' organisers say tournament will go ahead, and why 'new nomads' are hitting the road in the US. | Listen |
| European leaders welcome Biden's pledge to halve emissions by 2030 | |
| But can the US persuade other countries to step up efforts to fight climate change? Also: hundreds attend the funeral of the black man shot by US police, and the stranded sailor - allowed to leave his ship after four years. | Listen |
| Biden: 'Decisive decade' to tackle climate change | |
| The White House says the US has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 50-52%, as leaders take part in virtual summit. Also: India sees world's highest-ever daily Covid cases, and breathable oxygen made on Mars for first time. | Listen |
| US launches federal probe into Minneapolis police | |
| The justice department will probe police practices after the George Floyd murder verdict. Also: Russian police arrest hundreds of opposition protesters, and the Italian employee who was paid for fifteen years - without doing a day's work. | Listen |
| Putin accuses West of picking on Russia like 'jackals round a tiger' | |
| Russian President makes criticism in annual 'state of the nation' address. He also warns West against crossing a 'red line' with Russia. Also, US President Joe Biden welcomes conviction of Derek Chauvin for murder of George Floyd, and Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli says European Super League football project cannot proceed. | Listen |
| George Floyd officer convicted of murder | |
| Jurors found Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges over Mr Floyd's death. Also: all six English football clubs have left the European Super League, and the Burmese food entrepreneur turned activist - who's now fled Myanmar. | Listen |
| Chad's president dies 'in clashes with rebels' | |
| Chad's President Idriss Déby has died suddenly in clashes with rebels in the north. Also, the head of world football has attacked plans to form a breakaway European super-league, and Youtube says it won't let a beauty influencer earn money from his videos. | Listen |
| George Floyd: Jury deliberates Chauvin verdict | |
| Security has been ramped up around the court building in the US city of Minneapolis, as jurors retire in the trial into the death of George Floyd. Also: Delhi announces a new lockdown as Covid-19 cases in India surge; and Marvel releases the trailer for its first Asian superhero in a Hollywood film. | Listen |
| Mars: NASA carries out the first flight on the planet | |
| A small helicopter controlled from Earth has become the first craft to take off from the surface of Mars, as NASA works towards sending humans to the red planet. Also, Russian authorities say the opposition activist Alexei Navalny has been moved to a prison hospital after 20 days on hunger strike. And outrage grows in the world of football, as the biggest teams in England, Spain and Italy announce the new European Super League. | Listen |
| Europe's top football clubs form breakaway super-league | |
| At least twelve European football clubs have signed up despite warnings from UEFA. Also: Moscow announces tit for tat diplomatic expulsions in an escalating row with the Czech Republic, and how to get into good habits and help your health during a pandemic by doing just one thing. | Listen |
| Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is laid to rest | |
| The funeral in Windsor was attended by thirty members of the British royal family. Also: the Czech government expels eighteen Russian diplomats, accusing Moscow of blowing up an arms depot seven years ago; and NASA chooses Elon Musk's SpaceX company to help get humans back to the moon. | Listen |
| Russia retaliates for US diplomatic expulsions | |
| Moscow expels ten diplomats and blacklists eight US officials after the US imposed sanctions. Also: Raul Castro steps down as Cuban communist leader, and "whitest ever" paint reflects 98% of sunlight. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: Several leading pro-democracy activists are jailed | |
| Media tycoon Jimmy Lai among prominent campaigners who've been given prison sentences. The verdicts come as Beijing cracks down on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms. Also, eight people killed in mass-shooting in Indianapolis, and why research on monkey embryos has generated much interest - and deep controversy. | Listen |
| US imposes sanctions on Russia for cyber-attacks | |
| The US says the measures, which target dozens of Russian entities and officials, aim to deter "Russia's harmful foreign activities". Also: ex-officer Chauvin will not testify in his defence, and the French president visits Notre Dame cathedral two years after fire. | Listen |
| Covid-19 surge in India | |
| The virus is spreading faster in India than anywhere else in the world. Also: the US expels ten Russian diplomats and imposes sanctions, and researchers say magic mushrooms could treat depression. | Listen |
| US president says 'it's time to end America's longest war' | |
| President Joe Biden pledges to support Afghanistan after withdrawing all US troops by the 11th of September. Also: police officer charged over the killing of black motorist in Minnesota, and a grandfather gets lucky after forgetting his reading glasses. | Listen |
| Biden's envoy John Kerry goes to China for climate-change talks | |
| Kerry to talk with Chinese leaders about co-operation in tackling global warming. He says Beijing's involvement is 'absolutely critical' in battle against climate-change. Also, we assess Vladimir Putin's strategy as tensions rise between Russia and Ukraine, and UN issues report on how much 'bodily autonomy' women have across the world. | Listen |
| US troops to leave Afghanistan by 11th of September | |
| President Biden is to announce on Wednesday US troops will leave Afghanistan by mid-September. Also: police chief resigns over black motorist's death in Minnesota, and Mick Jagger tackles the Covid-19 lockdown by writing "Easy Sleazy" song. | Listen |
| Ukraine urges NATO to stand up to Russia | |
| Kyiv wants help with Russian 'aggression'; Moscow says its border troops are no threat. Also: Japan approves releasing Fukushima water into the sea, and a new form of tribal warfare in Papua New Guinea. | Listen |
| Minneapolis: State of emergency declared | |
| The Mayors of Minneapolis and St Paul also impose an overnight curfew in the twin US cities, after unrest that followed the police shooting of a young black man. Also, fears for the health of Russia's opposition leader, Alexei Navalny after 15 kilo weight loss since being sent to prison camp, and W-H-O warns complacency is prolonging the pandemic. | Listen |
| Unrest as police shoot a black man near Minneapolis | |
| Tear gas was fired and an overnight curfew imposed amid anger at the fatal shooting. Also: Iran vows 'to avenge Israeli attack' on its nuclear site, and remembering Yuri Gagarin - the first man in space. | Listen |
| Iran says incident at nuclear facility was 'terrorist act' | |
| Teheran said the plant had been hit by what it called a terrorist act. There?s been no official Israeli comment. Also, the US Secretary of State says he has real concerns about Russia's military build-up on its border with Ukraine, and an iconic Moscow food hall shuts up shop. | Listen |
| Prince Philip: Private funeral to be held next week | |
| In his first public statement since the Duke of Edinburgh?s death, Prince Charles says his father gave ?the most remarkable, devoted service? to his family, to Britain, and to the Commonwealth. Also, thousands of people flee their homes after a volcanic eruption on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. And a United Nations official warns that Myanmar could be headed toward civil war after February?s military coup. | Listen |
| Prince Philip: Tributes after Duke of Edinburgh dies aged 99 | |
| Prince Philip was the longest serving consort in British history, having been married to Queen Elizabeth for seventy- three years. The Palace said he died peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday morning. It's been confirmed that his funeral will not be a state occasion -- in line with his wishes. Also: A volcanic eruption has blanketed the Caribbean island of St Vincent in ash and, a landmark effort by Amazon workers to form a union chapter at their warehouse in the US state of Alabama appears to have been defeated. | Listen |
| The life of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh | |
| In this special edition, we mark the death of Prince Philip - the Duke of Edinburgh. Jackie Leonard looks back at the life of Queen Elizabeth's husband, his place in British history and his contribution to the monarchy. | Listen |
| President Biden signs executive order to impose modest controls on gun ownership | |
| The president says gun violence has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, also, French president Macron closes the elite school ENA, and the trouble with Peppa Pig in China. | Listen |
| AstraZeneca vaccine challenges | |
| Countries across the world have changed their advice on who should have it. Call My Agent star joins plea to reopen French theatres. Mind altering art, we find out why prehistoric cave painters chose such remote chambers. | Listen |
| Under-30s offered alternative to AstraZeneca vaccine | |
| A review finds a "plausible" link to rare blood clots but says the AstraZeneca vaccine remains beneficial for most people. Also: Myanmar ambassador to UK "locked out" of embassy, and "strong evidence" found for a new force of nature. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: How is Astra Zeneca vaccine safety row affecting public confidence ? | |
| Concerns voiced over whether Astra Zeneca vaccine causes blood-clots in the brain. Several countries have restricted use of the vaccine until more is known about possible links. Also, China tries to persuade its 'one-child' generation to have more babies, and how Kim Kardashian has joined the ranks of the world's billionaires. | Listen |
| US joins talks aimed at reviving Iran nuclear deal | |
| Diplomats in Vienna are discussing how the US can lift sanctions and Iran return to compliance. Also: Brazil variant drives South America covid surge, and a man is arrested over Van Gogh and Frans Hals art thefts. | Listen |
| N Korea to skip Tokyo Olympics over Covid | |
| It ends S Korea's hopes of using the Games to engage with Pyongyang. Also: Netanyahu is asked to form a new Israeli government, and alone on a ship for four years. | Listen |
| US police chief says Chauvin broke force policy | |
| The Minneapolis police chief has testified in the trial of the ex-officer accused of killing George Floyd. Also: Google handed win in 10 year Oracle court battle, and the demise of LG mobiles. | Listen |
| Jordanian prince vows to defy 'house arrest' | |
| Prince Hamzah says he won't stay quiet after being accused of plotting to destabilise the state. Also: the Israeli PM's corruption trial is told he sought improper benefits from media bosses, and the business owner who offered a job to the man who tried to burgle his restaurant. | Listen |
| Jordan accuses Prince Hamzah of plotting to destabilise kingdom | |
| The Jordanian deputy PM says King Abdullah's half-brother sought to mobilise tribal leaders against the government. Also: lorry boss apologises over Taiwan train crash, and tighter Covid restrictions for India's Maharashtra state. | Listen |
| Claims of a coup plot in Jordan | |
| The authorities detain the former crown prince and other high profile figures in Jordan for what's been described as "security reasons". Also: the German president tells the country's political leaders to "get it together" in the face of a third wave of coronavirus, and a ceremony unlike any other in Cairo as mummified Pharaohs are moved to a new home. | Listen |
| The US Capitol goes into lockdown | |
| A police officer has died after he was hit by car driven by a man who was shot and later pronounced dead. Also: we hear from a doctor in Myanmar who has been treating victims of the military crackdown, the Netherlands pauses the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and are we about to find out who will be the next James Bond? | Listen |
| Tigray conflict: World powers angry over 'human rights abuses' | |
| G7 group of economic powers has condemned killing of civilians in northern Ethiopia. The group also called for investigation into reported crimes, and for those responsible to be held to account. Also, at least 50 people killed as a crowded train crashes in Taiwan, and how animals - just like humans - try to follow the latest trends and fashions. | Listen |
| Fresh evidence emerges of atrocities in Tigray | |
| Videos appear to show the massacre of unarmed civilians by people in Ethiopian army uniforms. There?ve been persistent allegations of serious abuses by all sides in the conflict - but a government media blackout has so far limited attempts to examine them. Also today: The new head of the WTO condemns vaccine inequality. And has home advantage in football really disappeared during the pandemic? | Listen |
| Aung San Suu Kyi charged with violating Myanmar's official secrets act | |
| She faces up to fourteen years in prison. Also: seven Hong Kong activists are found guilty of organising unauthorised pro-democracy protests in 2019; and the Eurovision Song Contest allows fans in as part of a covid trial. | Listen |
| Biden unveils two trillion dollar package to boost economy | |
| The aim is to modernise roads, repair bridges and promote climate initiatives. The plan will be financed by a tax increase on corporations. Also: the Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny says he is going on hunger strike to demand better medical treatment in jail, and Russia has registered the world?s first coronavirus vaccine for animals. | Listen |
| Italy: Naval officer 'caught selling secrets to Russia' | |
| Police say officer was caught in act of handing secret documents to Russian official. Russia's ambassador has been summoned to Foreign Ministry in Rome. Also, heavy gunfire close to presidential palace in Niger two days before new leader due to be sworn in, and new report says white-majority countries should look to UK for model of how to reduce racial inequality. | Listen |
| More work needed to rule out Covid lab leak - WHO | |
| A report says all possible causes of the pandemic remain on the table. Also: Germany is limiting the use of the AstraZeneca Covid jab, and how far can sperm counts fall? | Listen |
| China limits Hong Kong parliament to 'patriots' | |
| The sweeping changes are the latest efforts by Beijing to step up its influence in Hong Kong. Also: world leaders call for treaty on future pandemics, and Nike sues over "Satan Shoes" with human blood. | Listen |
| George Floyd trial under way | |
| The white former policeman Derek Chauvin is accused of murdering the African American. Also: the Suez Canal has reopened after a stranded ship was freed, and the Italian gangster identified by his tattoos. | Listen |
| Final operation to free Suez Canal ship | |
| The 400m Ever Given has been wedged across the canal, one of the world's busiest trade routes. Also, the Thai Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, has said his country is preparing for a potential flood of refugees from Myanmar following the military coup there, and baby Galapagos tortoises wrapped in plastic found in suitcases. | Listen |
| Dozens dead after Islamist attack in Mozambique | |
| Civilians with boats have been evacuating survivors of the violent raid on Palma. Also: watching a volcano erupt, and how to perform a socially-distanced 'Romeo and Juliet'. | Listen |
| More than 90 killed in Myanmar 'day of terror' | |
| Dozens of deaths were reported as anti-coup activists defied warnings and protested. Also: Mozambique militants 'ambushed workers', and fresh efforts to refloat ship stuck in Suez Canal. | Listen |
| France was 'blind' to Rwanda genocide, report says | |
| French historians say France bears "heavy responsibilities" over the 1994 Rwanda massacres, but they found no evidence of French complicity. Also: at least 32 people are killed in a train crash in Egypt, and Fox News is sued for $1.6bn over an election fraud claim. | Listen |
| Abiy Ahmed: 'Eritrea to withdraw its troops from Tigray conflict' | |
| Ethiopian PM says Eritrean forces to leave Tigray, nearly 5 months after conflict began. Eritrean soldiers have fought alongside Ethiopia in war that's reportedly claimed thousands of lives. Also, Suez Canal remains completely blocked for fourth day by huge stranded container-ship, and new research shows an octopus may be able to dream. | Listen |
| Joe Biden gives his first news conference as US President | |
| Mr Biden pledged to deliver 200 million Covid jabs to Americans in his first one-hundred days in office, double his original goal. Also: AstraZeneca has published revised results for the US trial of its Covid vaccine after its earlier report was criticised for using outdated information, and the acclaimed French director Bertrand Tavernier has died at the age of 79. | Listen |
| EU Summit on Covid | |
| Many European countries are facing a surge in Covid infections. H&M and Nike face a backlash in China for acknowledging human rights concerns about cotton grown in Xinjiang. The African elephant is now critically endangered. | Listen |
| China hackers 'target Uighurs on Facebook' | |
| Social media giant says platform used to spy on activists, journalists and dissidents living abroad. Also: India halts AstraZeneca vaccine exports, the saliva test that detects concussion on the spot and are food apps killing the restaurant business. | Listen |
| Germany cancels plans for Easter lockdown - a day after it was announced | |
| Chancellor Merkel announces sudden U-turn on strict Coronavirus lockdown measures. She calls plan a 'mistake' and takes 'ultimate responsibility' for reversal. Also, disruption to world trade as huge container-ship blocks Suez Canal, and Prince Harry finds new job - in Silicon Valley. | Listen |
| Netanyahu claims 'huge win' in Israel election | |
| Analysts say the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, could win the most seats but without winning a parliamentary majority. Also: US president Joe Biden calls for swift action on gun control following mass killing in Colorado, and Banksy painting raises more than $23m for health charities. | Listen |
| Hundreds missing after fire at Bangladeshi refugee camp | |
| The UN has described the blaze in Cox's Bazaar as catastrophic. Also: Germany extends its coronavirus lockdown, and new data from the Large Hadron Collider could change our understanding of the universe. | Listen |
| US government to ask Mexico and Guatemala to help reduce flow of migrants | |
| The United States says it is concerned about the number of unaccompanied children arriving at border crossings. Also: western states sanction China for Uighur "abuses", and Aretha Franklin's family reject Genius biopic. | Listen |
| US trial of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine confirms safety | |
| It proved nearly eighty per cent effective at stopping Covid-19 symptomatic cases and there were no problems regarding blood clots. This paves the way for the US to start administering the jab. Also: the French subsidiary of the Swedish retail giant IKEA has gone on trial accused of spying on staff, and how ?adopt a kiosk? is saving a British icon that has lost its purpose. | Listen |
| US defence secretary's surprise Afghan visit | |
| Lloyd Austin's trip comes weeks before a planned withdrawal of all remaining US troops. Also: Buckingham Palace reviews diversity policies, and a large asteroid swings by Earth. | Listen |
| Protests against Covid-19 restrictions in many European cities | |
| In the German city of Kassel, police used pepper spray and batons to disperse demonstrators. Also: Turkey pulls out of gender violence convention, and Iceland's lava-spewing Fagradalsfjall volcano is "subsiding". | Listen |
| COVID-19: Europe expects a third wave amid vaccine shortage | |
| Sixteen regions of France, including Paris, go back into lockdown, while Chancellor Angela Merkel says Germany could see more restrictions. Also, the US and China conclude a two-day meeting marked by confrontation and blunt talk. And Samia Suluhu Hassan becomes the first female president of Tanzania. | Listen |
| BBC journalist detained in Myanmar | |
| Aung Thura was taken by unknown men as more people were reportedly killed by the military. Also: virtual reality Shakespeare, and the organisers of this year's Oscars ban Zoom. | Listen |
| EU agency says AstraZeneca vaccine is 'safe and effective' | |
| The European Medicines Agency (EMA) reviewed the jab after 13 EU states suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine over fears of a link to blood clots. Following the announcement, Germany, France, Italy and Spain announced they would restart their roll-out of the vaccine. Also: President Biden has announced that the US will on Friday meet his target of vaccinating a-hundred million people in his first one-hundred days in office, more than a month ahead of schedule, and up to ten Russian track and field athletes will be able to compete as neutrals at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. | Listen |
| WHO endorses AstraZeneca jab - as Europe awaits safety verdict | |
| The European regulator's decision is due - following EU countries' pause of the jab. Also: the Covid survivor who was left with a stutter, and why Donald Trump's time in the White House has left him poorer. | Listen |
| Russia recalls envoy after Biden remarks about Putin | |
| President Joe Biden said Vladimir Putin would "pay the price" for alleged election meddling. Also: The European Union threatens to block Covid vaccine exports to countries including the UK, and the President of Tanzania, John Magufuli, has died aged 61. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: EU announces plans for 'vaccine passport' | |
| Officials say digital certificate to boost foreign travel should be issued to EU citizens. But announcement overshadowed by threats to restrict exports of coronavirus vaccine from EU. Also, 8 people shot dead in attacks in and around US city of Atlanta, and why an Australian bird species forgot how to sing its own song. | Listen |
| Europe's medicines regulator says benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks | |
| The French president calls EMA assurance 'encouraging', also, new study reveals what may have happend to the water on Mars, and why pickleball has become more popular in the US. | Listen |
| Mozambique militants 'beheading children' | |
| Aid agency says Islamist fighters are targeting children as young as 11 in northern province of Cabo Delgado. Also: Britain shifts foreign policy focus to Asia, Facebook 'friends' Australia's News Corp, and what's in a name? Tesla boss Elon Musk changes his title to "Technoking". | Listen |
| More European countries suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine | |
| Their decision comes despite the WHO urging use of the vaccine, Also, Nigerian primary school children kidnapped, and the unusual visitor to the west coast of Ireland. | Listen |
| Myanmar military continues its suppression of protesters | |
| More than 50 people were killed in the worst single day of brutality since the protests began. Also: a new UN push to end the decade-long Syrian war; and we hear who's been nominated for this year's Oscars. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Protesters killed in clashes | |
| Security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Yangon where martial law has been declared. Also, the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US is brought in to care for migrant children, and there's controversy in Afghanistan where girls over the age of 12 have been banned from singing in public. | Listen |
| Leader of shadow civilian government in Myanmar vows resistance to military | |
| In his first public address, uploaded onto Facebook, Mahn Win Khaing Than said this was Myanmar's darkest moment. Also: Moscow police raid election forum, and former F1 motor racing commentator Murray Walker dies aged ninety-seven. | Listen |
| Minneapolis to pay George Floyd family $27m | |
| The settlement comes as a jury selection resumes for the murder trial of ex-officer Derek Chauvin. Also: Covid vaccines top the agenda at "Quad" meeting, and scientists unlock mysteries of ancient "computer". | Listen |
| Mozambique: Can the government defeat radical Islamist insurgency ? | |
| A report from an area of northern Mozambique that's under siege by Islamists. More than half a million people have fled their homes to escape the insurgents' brutal attacks. Also, gunmen abduct dozens of students near army base in Nigeria, and how the disappearance - and killing - of a young woman in London has generated debate in UK about women's safety. | Listen |
| Brazil hospitals struggle as Covid death toll soars | |
| The governor of Brazil's most populous state, Sao Paulo, has announced tough restrictions. Also: UN alleges the military regime in Myanmar is most probably guilty of crimes against humanity, and sniffing out Parkinson's disease. | Listen |
| Army accuses Suu Kyi of taking $600,000 and gold | |
| Myanmar's military claims the ousted leader took illegal payments, but offers no evidence. Also: Prince William says the royal family is 'very much not racist', and China approves a plan to control HK elections. | Listen |
| The US gets huge Covid financial relief | |
| The green light is given for President Biden's $1.9 trillion package which provides additional funding for vaccine distribution as well as one-off payments of $1,400 for most Americans. Also: the pro-democracy activist in Myanmar who helped elderly people escape a police raid and, for the first time, the sound of lasers are heard being fired on another planet. | Listen |
| Syria: How war has left young people with both trauma and hope | |
| Research by International Red Cross looks at the civil war's impact on younger Syrians.While most have suffered pain and loss, many are optimistic about the future. Also, efforts in India to save a 4000-year-old community from extinction, and Japan's award for the Most Sexist Remark has been won by a woman. | Listen |
| WHO: 1 in 3 women suffer violence | |
| It says situation will be even worse since the report due to the pandemic. Also: The British Royal family responds to allegations of racism from Harry and Meghan; and the highly diverse BAFTA nominations. | Listen |
| EU parliament lifts Catalan ex-leader?s immunity | |
| Carles Puigdemont is wanted in Spain over a failed independence referendum. Also: A leading international agency has upgraded its forecasts for global economic growth, and the family driveway hit by a meteorite. | Listen |
| Brazil?s Lula cleared of corruption | |
| A Supreme Court judge annuls ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva?s conviction -- clearing the way for a possible presidential run next year. Lula was freed in 2019 after 18 months in jail over a huge bribery scandal which ensnared politicians and business leaders. Also today: the shockwaves from Meghan and Harry?s Oprah interview continue, fear on the streets of Myanmar, and giving voice to Ghanaian women accused of witchcraft. | Listen |
| Harry and Meghan interview | |
| The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a series of dramatic revelations about their life inside the British Royal family. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, said concern had been expressed by a member of the royal family about how dark the skin of her first baby might be. Also: President Biden's climate envoy John Kerry heads to Europe on a quest to reduce global warming, and we hear about a standoff between the elephant and the avocado in Kenya. | Listen |
| Explosions rock the economic capital of Equatorial Guinea | |
| The blasts in Bata killed many and injured hundreds, Also, the people of Switzerland vote to ban the public wearing of face coverings such as niqab and burqa, and the sailors from Kiribati stranded in Hamburg. | Listen |
| US Senate passes Covid relief plan | |
| President Biden called it a 'giant step forward' and said it should become law next week. Also: the Yazidi women - raped by IS fighters - who are reunited with their children, and the 130 kilometre journey to pick up a sandwich. | Listen |
| WHO head warns of more pandemic waves | |
| Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there must be no relaxation in the fight against Covid-19. Also: the Pope's first visit to Iraq, and Ukraine's campaign to have Borscht recognised as its national dish. | Listen |
| Pope Francis begins tour of Iraq | |
| Pontiff intends to show support for Iraqi Christians and foster dialogue with Muslims. This is considered the Pope's riskiest international trip yet - due to instability and the pandemic. Also, China reveals plans to tighten its grip on Hong Kong, and the world's oldest known wild bird has a chick - at the age of 70. | Listen |
| Italy blocks AstraZeneca shipment to Australia | |
| The ban on shipping 250,000 doses, amid a row with the firm, is backed by the EU. Also: the store where shoppers walk out without paying, and saving the butterfly. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Opponents of the coup continue to demonstrate | |
| There are reports that the police used tear gas and gunfire to break up the protesters. The UN human rights chief has demanded the military government stop murdering and jailing protesters. Also: Hong Kong has been excluded from an annual league table of the world's most free economies, and we hear how poetry is helping one doctor cope with the coronavirus pandemic. | Listen |
| ICC 'war crimes' inquiry in West Bank and Gaza | |
| Israel rejects the court's investigation, while the Palestinians praise it. Also: S Korea's first transgender soldier is found dead, and the vultures threatened by poison in Kenya. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Further deadly clashes despite appeals for calm | |
| At least 9 people killed in confrontations between security forces and demonstrators. One teenager is reported to be among the dead. Also, BBC investigation finds evidence that members of China's Uighur minority are being uprooted from their homeland, and country superstar Dolly Parton reworks one of her best-known songs to encourage Americans to be vaccinated against Covid-19. | Listen |
| US sanctions Russians over Navalny poisoning | |
| The Biden administration imposes its first sanctions on Russia over what it says was Moscow?s attempt to kill Alexei Navalny. The move, which targets Russia's top spy and six other officials, was co-ordinated with the European Union. Also: scientists discover a group of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are able to suppress HIV without medication, and one of reggae's most important voices, Bunny Wailer, dies at the age of 73. | Listen |
| Hundreds of kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls freed | |
| The girls were abducted by gunmen from their boarding school in Zamfara state and taken to a forest. Also: the Prime Minister of Singapore condemns the violence in Myanmar, and the extraordinary journey of a wolf on the west coast of the United States. | Listen |
| Jamal Khashoggi: US defends decision not to punish Saudi Crown Prince | |
| The Biden administration had been strongly criticised for not sanctioning the Crown Prince directly, despite blaming him for the journalist's murder in an official report last week. The US State Department insists it is focused on Saudi Arabia?s future conduct. Also: a BBC reporter covering the deadly conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray province is detained by the military, and the Nobel prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro discusses the inspiration behind his new novel. | Listen |
| Fresh charges against deposed Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi | |
| Aung San Suu Kyi is charged with two more offences, as the security forces again use tear gas and stun grenades against peaceful protesters. Also: the former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, is found guilty of corruption and influence peddling; and Donald Trump hints at a new bid for the White House. | Listen |
| Donald Trump returns to political stage | |
| Mr Trump told the Conservative Political Action Conference he would not be starting a new political party. Also, police in Myanmar open fire on protesters, and a Russian warship enters a port in Sudan where Russia is planning to build a new naval base. | Listen |
| Political tensions escalate in Armenia | |
| The Armenian president has refused to follow through an order from the prime minister to sack the army chief. Also: hundreds of arrests across Myanmar as the military authorities harden their response, and researchers dig out a near intact Roman ceremonial chariot in Pompeii. | Listen |
| Jamal Khashoggi: US says Saudi prince approved Khashoggi killing | |
| A US intelligence report has found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the murder of exiled journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The report said this conclusion was based on the crown prince's absolute control over the security apparatus, and his willingness to use violence to silence critics. Also, Myanmar's ambassador to the UN has condemned the military coup in his country and has sided strongly with mass protests, and we hear why fish in Kenya are dying in large numbers. | Listen |
| Nigeria: More than 300 schoolgirls kidnapped | |
| Unidentified gunmen abducted the girls in early morning from a school in Zamfara state. This is latest in a series of attacks targeting schools in northern Nigeria in recent years. Also, court rules that British-born IS recruit Shamima Begum cannot return to UK from Syria, and BBC investigation finds portions of Brazil's Amazon rainforest being sold illegally on internet. | Listen |
| EU leaders vow to speed up vaccine production | |
| Greece and Austria are urging other EU states to adopt coronavirus vaccination "passports". Also: jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny "moved out of Moscow remand centre", and the black browed babbler bird is not extinct after all. | Listen |
| Armenian leader denounces 'attempted coup' | |
| PM Nikol Pashinyan leads crowds of supporters after the army says he must resign. Also: how elephants in zoos are helping their relatives in the wild, and the pandemic's impact on the German language. | Listen |
| US says report on Khashoggi murder in Saudi consulate expected 'soon' | |
| A US intelligence report on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in Istanbul will be published soon. Also: single-shot Covid-19 vaccine ?stable and effective?, and Van Gogh painting on show for the first time. | Listen |
| Covid: WHO's Covax scheme delivers first vaccines | |
| Ghana is first nation to receive Coronavirus vaccines through sharing initiative. Covax scheme aims to encourage richer countries to share vaccines with poorer nations. Also, German court jails Syrian former intelligence agent for complicity in crimes against humanity, and the Texan truck-driver who rescued hundreds of people stranded by ferocious winter storm. | Listen |
| Capitol security officials blame US intelligence failures in January 6 riot response | |
| Testifying to a Senate committee, officials said that the rioters 'came prepared for war'. Also: suspect in Malta journalist murder pleads guilty. Thousands protest in Tbilisi after arrest of Georgian opposition leader, and the American Beat poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, has died at the age of 101. | Listen |
| UN could suspend aid for N Korea's 'hungry millions' | |
| The UN's World Food Programme says Pyongyang's strict Covid rules could halt its aid. Also: Facebook reverses its ban on news in Australia, and how wasps helped date cave paintings of kangaroos. | Listen |
| US Covid-19 deaths pass half a million | |
| President Biden describes it as a truly grim heartbreaking milestone. Also: NASA releases videos of its Perseverance rover landing on Mars and the first audio recording from the surface of the planet, and the French electronic dance group Daft Punk announce a split after 28 years. | Listen |
| Italian ambassador killed in DR Congo | |
| Luca Attanasio and two others died after a UN convoy was attacked near Goma. Also: Boeing 777 airliners are grounded after an engine falls apart in mid-air, and a Chinese tea shop chain apologises for calling women a 'bargain' on its mugs. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Huge crowds mourn three demonstrators killed in protests | |
| Thousands of Burmese activists held ceremonies and vigils for those killed by the military authorities as they try to suppress a campaign of civil disobedience against their coup. Also: The head of the UN nuclear watchdog says Iran has agreed to extend UN inspectors' access to its nuclear sites for a further three months, and NASA is to reveal the first video footage containing the sounds of the Red Planet captured by the cameras onboard its rover in Mars. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Two protestors shot dead | |
| Myanmar security forces open fire on protestors in the city of Mandalay, in the bloodiest show of force since the military coup earlier this month. Also, police in Barcelona clash with supporters of the jailed Catalan rapper Pablo Hasel. And Australian entrepreneurs look to the ocean for sustainable business opportunities. | Listen |
| G7 leaders pledge billions of dollars for UN global vaccination fund | |
| The jabs will be distributed by the UN's COVAX scheme, also, a more lenient approach to drugs possession in Norway, and why a black footballer won't 'take the knee'. | Listen |
| Harry and Meghan not returning as working members of Royal Family | |
| Buckingham Palace has said Prince Harry and Meghan "remain much loved members of the family". UK Supreme Court rules Uber drivers are workers, not self-employed. The UN asks for proof that Dubai's Princess Latifa is alive. | Listen |
| NASA's Perseverance Rover lands on Mars | |
| The robot will spend the next two years looking for evidence of past life. Also: an inquiry in Colombia finds that the army under President Alvaro Uribe killed more than six thousand civilians, passing them off as combat deaths; and the scientists trying to create a robotic nose to detect cancer - inspired by dogs. | Listen |
| US life expectancy falls by a year amid pandemic | |
| The life expectancy for the entire population dropped to 77.8 years. The Australian Prime Minister says his government will not be intimidated by Facebook blocking news feeds to users. New Tokyo Olympics chief is seven times Olympian Seiko Hashimoto. | Listen |
| Biden administration to transfer more than 200 million dollars to WHO | |
| Transfer is part of new president's reversal of his predecessor's policies, also, Britain to launch Covid trial with healthy young volunteers, and what mice learn of men. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Roads blocked in Yangon as thousands protest | |
| Demonstrators used vehicles to obstruct major roads across city. UN's special rapporteur for Myanmar has warned of potential violence. Also, gunmen have abducted dozens of schoolchildren in raid in northern Nigeria, and former pop star Glenn Medeiros alleges that 1980s music business was rife with sexual exploitation and Mafia links. | Listen |
| Leading Democratic Congressman files federal lawsuit against Donald Trump | |
| Bennie Thompson who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee also accused Mr Trump?s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and far right groups, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers of inciting the crowd to disrupt the certification of the election results by the use of force, intimidation and threat. Also: the Hamas authorities in Gaza have agreed to revise a controversial ruling that banned women from travelling without the permission of a male relative, and the European Space Agency says it's planning to recruit someone with a physical disability as a potential astronaut. | Listen |
| Princess Latifa: 'I want to be free' | |
| In secretly recorded messages, the Dubai ruler's daughter says she's being 'held hostage'. Also: Cuba's coronavirus vaccine programme, and the big freeze on the Texas riviera. | Listen |
| Myanmar protestors threatened with 20 years in jail | |
| The military says fines will also apply to those found to incite "hatred" towards the coup leaders. Also: World Trade Organization names its first female African boss, and high-altitude birds have evolved thicker "jackets". | Listen |
| Myanmar soldiers use rubber bullets against protesters | |
| The military has also warned protesters they could face up to twenty years in jail. Also: searching for the vanishing great white shark, and the new way of photographing subjects - without the photographer being there. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Armoured vehicles roll through the streets | |
| The leaders of Myanmar's military coup try to consolidate power, as they face continued protests across the country. Also, the World Health Organization plans a mission to Guinea, where an Ebola epidemic has been declared. And the Catalan region of Spain holds elections for the first time since its failed bid for independence in 2017. | Listen |
| Trump acquitted of inciting mob to attack US Capitol | |
| Fifty-seven senators voted to convict Mr Trump - 10 short of the number needed to convict. Mario Draghi is sworn in as Italy's new prime minister. Fifty years on, why Carole King's Tapestry remains influential. | Listen |
| Trump's lawyers present impeachment defence | |
| Lawyers for the former president, Donald Trump, argue that his remarks in the hours leading up to the storming of the US Capitol should be protected by free speech laws. Also, Iran reacts defiantly to warnings that it once again breached the 2015 nuclear deal. And the United Nations Security Council calls on the leaders of Myanmar's military coup to give up power. | Listen |
| Nigeria: Polluted communities 'can sue Shell in English courts' | |
| UK Supreme Court ruling allows lawsuit by oil-polluted Niger Delta communities. People in this area say their lives and health have suffered because repeated oil-spills have heavily contaminated their land and water. Also, Russia warns it may cut ties with EU if the bloc imposes sanctions over treatment of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and was Stonehenge originally built in Wales ? | Listen |
| US Impeachment: 'Convict Trump or it could happen again' | |
| They said the rioters who stormed Congress believed they were acting on Trump's orders. The Duchess of Sussex has won a privacy case against a British newspaper. Ten years on from the Arab Spring, what life like in Egypt? | Listen |
| Myanmar is planning to increase internet censorship as protests continue | |
| There's been a fresh wave of arrests in Myanmar of officials linked to the former civilian government. Also: Tokyo Olympics chief to step down over sexism row, and are pigs clever enough to play computer games? | Listen |
| Trump: New footage of Capitol violence | |
| Democrats tell his impeachment trial his election fraud claims led directly to the riots. Also: we hear from young activists in Myanmar, and the reinvention of the Barbie doll. | Listen |
| Covid-19: EU's von der Leyen admits failures in vaccine rollout | |
| European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly accepts criticism. She says EU was slow to authorise vaccines, overconfident about meeting production-targets, and 'still not where we want to be.' Also, why Serbia's achieved huge success with its vaccination-effort, and how a Texas lawyer became an internet star - as a cat. | Listen |
| US Senate votes to continue with Trump impeachment | |
| The Senate found that the trial is constitutional, allowing full proceedings to begin. Also: the UAE puts a space probe into orbit around Mars, and the 82-year-old climber breaking records to pay tribute to the elderly victims of coronavirus. | Listen |
| WHO says Covid-19 laboratory leak 'extremely unlikely' | |
| A team of international and Chinese experts say more work is needed to identify the source of the virus. Also: rubber bullets used as Myanmar protestors defy ban, and the Supremes co-founder and singer Mary Wilson dies aged seventy-six. | Listen |
| Trump's second impeachment trial | |
| The trial starts today, with Mr Trump's lawyers denying he incited supporters to riot. Also: Myanmar's military defends its coup, and Tesla buys more than a billion dollars of Bitcoin. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Military issues warning as protests continue | |
| State TV tells protestors that action will be taken if they threaten 'rule of law'. Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated for third day following military coup. Also, rescuers search for 200 people who are missing after flood in northern India, and US Senate prepares for second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. | Listen |
| Haiti 'coup foiled' | |
| Officials say a bid to murder the president and overthrow the government has been halted. Also: protests sweep Myanmar, and rebuilding the old Iraqi city of Mosul. | Listen |
| Myanmar coup: Internet shutdown as crowds protest against military | |
| The national blackout comes amid the biggest protest so far against this week's military takeover. Thousands of people took to the streets of the main city, Yangon. Also: remembering the 'Wuhan whistleblower' doctor a year after his death, and rare meteorites from the Moon, Mars, and beyond, go under the hammer in New York. | Listen |
| ICC rules its jurisdiction extends to Palestinian Territories | |
| The International Criminal Court's decision could lead to an investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas. Also: Russia expels European diplomats over Navalny protests, and the Sound of Music star Christopher Plummer dies at the age of 91. | Listen |
| Russia: Opposition leader Alexei Navalny in court to face fresh charges | |
| Mr. Navalny is accused of slandering an elderly Second World War veteran, which he denies. His lawyer says this is 'criminal persecution' aimed at preventing his client from standing in parliamentary and presidential elections. Also, how the pandemic has made life even harder for Bulgaria's Roma minority, and scientists discover a reptile the size of a sunflower seed. | Listen |
| President Biden promises that US will re-engage with the world | |
| In his first major foreign policy speech, Joe Biden said global challenges could be solved by nations working together. Also, the Brazilian mining firm, Vale, has agreed to pay seven billion dollars in damages for the collapse of the Brumadinho dam, and Denmark plans to build the world's first energy island. | Listen |
| Former child soldier convicted of war crimes | |
| Dominic Ongwen was abducted by the LRA in Uganda and had argued he was a victim. Also: the Myanmar military has blocked Facebook in a clampdown on the opposition days after the coup, and doctors in New York hail the first operation to transplant a face and hands from the same person to have been a success. | Listen |
| Canada labels Proud Boys a terrorist organisation | |
| The Canadian minister Bill Blair said the decision was influenced by the group's "pivotal role" in January's riots at the Capitol in Washington. Also: the European Union warns there's a real danger of renewed civil war in Afghanistan, and expect a socially distanced Eurovision song contest 2021. | Listen |
| Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi is charged after army coup | |
| Police bring charges against elected civilian leader whose whereabouts are unclear. She and the President were detained during military coup on February 1st. Also, Uighur women detainees in China allege systematic rape and torture in 're-education' camps, and how a 110-year-old British great-grandmother became an internet singing sensation. | Listen |
| Russia jails Putin critic Navalny despite protests | |
| Alexei Navalny had returned to Russia after treatment in Germany for Novichok poisoning. Also: US Democrats lay out impeachment case against Trump, and a prize for those who invented LEDs - Light Emitting Diodes. | Listen |
| Mass arrests as Russian court considers Navalny jail term | |
| The court is deciding whether to convert a suspended sentence given to the Russian dissident Alexei Navalny into an actual prison term. Women struggle over their inheritance rights in Nigeria. Top tips on working from home. | Listen |
| Biden threatens sanctions following Myanmar coup | |
| The US president, Joe Biden, has strongly condemned the military coup in Myanmar, saying those responsible would be held to account. Also: the head of the UNHCR says the situation in Ethiopia's Tigray province is "extremely grim", and why are readers of the Times newspaper getting annoyed? | Listen |
| Unease and anger in Myanmar after a military coup | |
| Myanmar's democratically-elected leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, detained, also: international condemnation of the military takeover, and: Silver rises to an eight-year high. | Listen |
| Thousands join Navalny protests across Russia | |
| More than 5,000 people have been arrested amid demonstrations for the jailed activist. Also: AstraZeneca 'agrees to boost EU vaccine supplies', and the first commercial launch of a rocket powered partially by bio fuel. | Listen |
| WHO criticises EU over Covid vaccine export controls | |
| The WHO says the controls on vaccines produced in the bloc could prolong the pandemic. Also: Vladimir Putin's judo partner says he owns the mansion said to be for the president, and a four-year-old girl finds a dinosaur footprint on a beach. | Listen |
| EU confirms new export controls on vaccines | |
| The controls will apply to vaccines made in the bloc, following a shortfall in deliveries. Also: the French village - left a fortune by a fugitive from the Nazis, eighty years after the residents there saved his life, and buying books to impress on a video call. | Listen |
| Myanmar: UN and US and EU warn military not to stage a coup | |
| Warnings issued as Myanmar's military threaten to revoke constitution. This follows their poor performance in elections in November 2020. Also, EU publishes its contract with AstraZeneca as row continues over Covid-19 vaccine supplies, and pioneering African-American actress Cicely Tyson dies aged 96. | Listen |
| Biden starts rebuilding Obamacare | |
| President Joe Biden says he is ?undoing the damage? done by Donald Trump, as he reopens online enrolment for government-subsidised healthcare. Also, the European Union has sent inspectors to an AstraZeneca plant to find out why Covid-19 vaccine goals are not being met. And Facebook?s new oversight board hands down its first decision. | Listen |
| Germany warns Europe's vaccine shortage could last months | |
| The shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in the European Union is being felt across the continent. Also: China tells the US not to interfere with a WHO investigation into the origins of the virus, and Alexei Navalny denounces his detention as illegal after a judge turns down his appeal for release. | Listen |
| Biden signs executive orders on climate change | |
| He says the US will lead a global response to the climate crisis. Also: police in Russia search properties linked to Alexei Navalny, and a previously unknown work by Mozart has its world premiere. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: French firm agrees to manufacture vaccine developed by German rival | |
| Sanofi pledges to manufacture 125 million doses of Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. European Union is currently struggling with vaccine supply issues amid a row over shortages. Also, a stark warning from South Africa about future danger posed by new Coronavirus variants, and how one man cheered up his US neighbourhood - by giving away free pizza. | Listen |
| Britain records 100,000 deaths linked to the coronavirus | |
| The UK has one of the highest death rates in the world, Also: President Biden raises concerns in his first talk with Vladimir Putin and a former slave and abolitionist on the US 20 dollar bill. | Listen |
| Further calls for fairer distribution of coronavirus vaccines | |
| The European Commission President has added her voice to the growing number of world leaders. Also: Chaos in parts of the Indian capital as thousands of farmers converge on the Red Fort to demand that the government drop its agricultural reforms, and the Thai parliament has voted to allow abortions in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. | Listen |
| Trump article of impeachment delivered to US Senate | |
| US Democrats have delivered an impeachment charge to the Senate - accusing Donald Trump of inciting insurrection - and triggering the process of putting him on trial. Also: Covid-19 has cost global workers $3.7tn in lost earnings, and baby tyrannosaurs - the size of Border Collie dogs. | Listen |
| Boeing 737 Max: 'new safety concerns' | |
| A whistle-blower has raised fresh concerns about the safety of Boeing's 737 Max aircraft. Also: President Putin condemns protesters demanding the release of the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and the international appeal of Scotland's National Bard. | Listen |
| US passes 25m Covid-19 cases | |
| President Biden has implored Americans to wear masks, warning that the death toll could get worse. Also: clashes erupt during Dutch Covid curfew demo, and SpaceX sets a world record for the number of satellites launched. | Listen |
| 'Thousands detained' at Navalny protests in Russia | |
| Tens of thousands joined some of the largest rallies against President Vladimir Putin in recent years. Also: Italian PM brands Covid-19 vaccine delay "unacceptable", and the veteran talk show host Larry King dies aged eighty-seven. | Listen |
| Trump impeachment trial to begin in February | |
| The US House of Representatives will send an impeachment article, or charge, to the Senate on Monday. Also: UK Covid-19 variant "may be more deadly", and SpaceX is to repurpose oil platforms as launch pads. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Delivery delays halt Pfizer jabs in parts of Europe | |
| Cut in delivery of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine slows down inoculations in several countries. The European Commission has asked for clarification from Pfizer about delays. Also, Japan's government denies claims that it's considering cancelling Tokyo Olympic Games, and how Donald Trump was prank-called by someone impersonating Piers Morgan. | Listen |
| President Biden warns Covid-19 death toll will soon exceed 500,000 | |
| The US President has promised 100 million vaccinations within his first 100 days in office. Also: China calls for a renewal of cooperation with the United States, and the Mexican Government welcomes a new bill sent to the US Congress. | Listen |
| US top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci addresses the WHO | |
| The top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci addresses the WHO as the US administration under Biden prioritises its fight against Covid and joins the global vaccine plan. Also: we hear from Central American migrants as they attempt to reach the United States, and we look back at the 1980s HIV Aids pandemic in Britain. | Listen |
| Joe Biden sworn in as 46th US president | |
| He promises to work to heal the bitter political divisions of recent years. Also in this podcast which is entirely devoted to the inauguration, we look at the challenges facing the new administration, how Kamala Harris has made history by becoming the first female, first black, first Asian-American vice-president, how the news of the inauguration is being received around the world, and we ask what next for Donald Trump and his supporters? | Listen |
| Trump leaves White House and pledges 'We will be back in some form' | |
| Donald Trump has departed White House for last time as President. His successor Joe Biden will be inaugurated amid heavy security. Also, we look at Trump's legacy as President, and key challenges facing Biden's administration on the international stage. | Listen |
| Donald Trump bids US presidential farewell | |
| He said he was proud of what he'd achieved and asked Americans to pray for the incoming Biden administration. Also: The Italian Senate backs PM in confidence vote, the smart watches being used in the early detection of coronavirus and a new German exhibition about female concentration camp guards. | Listen |
| Trump's last day in office | |
| We look back at Donald Trump?s four very eventful years as US President. Also: We get an update on the Chinese miners trapped underground for nine days, and Oxford university researchers start tackling antibiotic resistance due to overuse thanks to a multimillion dollar donation. | Listen |
| WHO warns of 'catastrophic moral failure' | |
| Unequal Covid vaccine policies are blamed. Also: dozens of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny's supporters are arrested for demanding his release from prison, tens of thousands of people respond to a social media campaign in France designed to shed light on sexual abuse within families, and what is the perfect background for video-conferencing? | Listen |
| Alexei Navalny jailed in Russia | |
| Russia's most prominent opposition figure has been jailed for 30 days after returning to Moscow,. Also: WHO chief warns of "catastrophic moral failure" over vaccine rollouts. And the unusual bat discovered in West Africa. | Listen |
| Poisoned Kremlin critic Navalny detained in Russia | |
| The activist returned to Moscow from Germany months after a nerve agent nearly killed him. Also: the music producer and convicted murderer, Phil Spector, has died, and climbing a Hong Kong skyscraper in a wheelchair. | Listen |
| Uganda's Museveni declared election winner | |
| His main rival, Bobi Wine, claims vote-rigging and vows to produce evidence. Also: India launches 'the world's biggest vaccination drive', and Nepali climbers make history with K2 winter summit. | Listen |
| Biden unveils vaccination plan | |
| He gave details after it was announced two million people worldwide had died with Covid. Also: the sports doctor - sent to prison for masterminding an international doping ring, and English football players face a ban on hugs on the pitch. | Listen |
| Uganda elections: President Museveni takes early lead | |
| President's main challenger Bobi Wine alleges vote-rigging on huge scale. Mr. Museveni has been in power for 35 years and is hoping for 6th term. Also, North Korea unveils new ballistic missile which state media describes as 'the world?s most powerful weapon', and we mark 100th anniversary of one of the greatest ever feats of stage magic. | Listen |
| Brazil warns of a health system 'close to collapse' | |
| Officials in Manaus say hospitals are failing as a new Covid strain fuels infections. Also: France tightens its Covid curfew, and why the number 39 is so unpopular in Afghanistan. | Listen |
| Washington takes stock after vote to impeach Donald Trump | |
| President-elect Biden welcomes the vote but doesn't want trial to delay urgent business. Mr Trump was impeached for inciting insurrection, after his supporters attacked Congress to stop it confirming his election defeat. Also: Uganda elections - Bobi Wine takes on Yoweri Museveni, and in Indonesia archaeologists find world's oldest animal cave painting. | Listen |
| Historic second impeachment for President Trump | |
| Ten Republicans joined the Democrats in the House of Representatives in finding the president guilty of inciting insurrection through his words to his supporters shortly before they stormed the US Capitol building a week ago. He?ll face a Senate trial next, but what does it mean for his political influence? Also: How Indonesia's vaccination programme is giving priority to its working population, and the Duchess's new venture as a romantic novelist. | Listen |
| Trump faces second impeachment vote | |
| US politicians debate whether to charge President over his supporters' riot at Capitol. A growing number of Republicans have voiced support for impeachment. Also, trial begins of hundreds of alleged members of Italy's biggest mafia group, and do zebras' stripes help them evade their enemies ? | Listen |
| President Trump dismisses moves to impeach him as a witch hunt | |
| Mr Trump said his speech urging supporters to march on Congress was totally appropriate. Also: Britain and Canada announce sanctions on companies which profit from China's persecution of its Uighur minority, and farewell to Inji, the world's oldest orangutan, who's died at the age of 61. | Listen |
| Uganda Elections: Opposition leader says military raided his home | |
| The incident comes just two days before Ugandans vote in a general election following a campaign marked by violence which has killed dozens of people. Also: an Indonesian search team has recovered a black box flight recorder from the airliner which crashed on Saturday, and we hear from one of the advocates who assisted the defence team of Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row in America, after her execution is postponed just hours before it?s due to be held. | Listen |
| Trump faces 'incitement of insurrection' charge | |
| Democrats introduce a resolution to impeach President Trump for his role in the attack on the Capitol in Washington last week and give the vice president, Mike Pence, 24 hours to respond to their demand that he invokes the 25th amendment to remove Trump. Also: The World Health Organisation warns that herd immunity to the coronavirus will not be achieved this year, and plans to convert Paris's most famous boulevard into an 'extraordinary garden'. | Listen |
| US: What options available to Democrats as they try to oust Trump ? | |
| President Trump has 9 days left in office but Democrats want him out sooner. We look at the tactics they could use. Also, Beijing accuses Washington of trying to sabotage its interests over Taiwan, and how 'DNA origami' might change the way scientists create new medicines. | Listen |
| Democrats ready for Trump impeachment after riot | |
| The Democrats say the House of Representatives could vote on Tuesday on whether to impeach Donald Trump. Also: Indonesia crashed plane?s ?black boxes? located, and South Africa?s efforts to save the rare pangolin. | Listen |
| US lifts restrictions on contacts with Taiwan | |
| US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says contact with officials in Taiwan should no longer be shackled. Also: Boeing 737 plane feared crashed in Indonesia; Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip vaccinated against Covid-19. | Listen |
| Democrats plan 2nd Trump impeachment move | |
| Democrats plan to start impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump on Monday, for inciting the invasion of the US Capitol. Also: UK sees highest daily toll of 1,325 Covid deaths, and the signs bringing humour to the motorists in Cape Town. | Listen |
| Democrats plan 2nd Trump impeachment move | |
| Democrats plan to start impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump on Monday, for inciting the invasion of the US Capitol. Also: UK sees highest daily toll of 1,325 Covid deaths, and the signs bringing humour to the motorists in Cape Town. | Listen |
| US: Trump denounces supporters who 'defiled the seat of American democracy' | |
| Donald Trump criticises followers who occupied Capitol on Wednesday. But more and more senior officials are quitting his administration. Also, Indonesia releases radical Muslim cleric linked to deadly 2002 Bali bombings, and young children contribute to book aimed at helping families survive Covid-19 lockdown. | Listen |
| Calls grow for Trump to be removed from office | |
| US President-elect Joe Biden is blaming Donald Trump for the recent insurrection on Capitol Hill. Also: China places eleven million people under lockdown following Covid-19 outbreak, and Elon Musk becomes world?s richest person. | Listen |
| Capitol riots: US Congress certifies Joe Biden's victory after violent disruption | |
| Lawmakers resumed the session after police managed to remove the mob, which had been encouraged by President Trump in a bid to overturn his defeat. Four people were killed during the attack. In response, Mr Trump finally pledged an ?orderly transition? of power. And the World Health Organization warns that Europe is facing a dire situation in its fight against coronavirus and says measures need to be intensified. Plus a British man stuck in Taiwan due to the pandemic inspires locals to clean up a river. | Listen |
| Trump supporters storm US Capitol building | |
| Police say one person is dead after protesters broke into the US congress. Meanwhile, the Democrat party has gained control of the US senate, after victories in Georgia?s runoff elections. And we hear from staff at a UK hospital struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. | Listen |
| US: Democrats poised to win control of Senate | |
| Biden's party hoping for victory in two run-offs in southern state of Georgia. Full control of Senate would make it easier for Mr. Biden to put his agenda into practice. Also, new crackdown in Hong Kong as Communist authorities tighten their grip, and 10 years after start of Arab Spring - what happened to hopes of a better future for Middle East and North Africa ? | Listen |
| A World Health Organisation warning about the way vaccines are used. | |
| A WHO warning, as the coronavirus lockdown is extended in Germany. Also: A run-off for control of the Senate in the US State of Georgia. And the world's music festivals try to work out how they can take place this year. | Listen |
| Polls open in unprecedented Senate race | |
| Crucial Georgia Senate run-off will decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate. Also: France takes measures to speed up its Covid vaccination campaign and why car companies from Italy, France, and the USA are merging. | Listen |
| Britain heads back to Covid lockdown | |
| Prime minister Boris Johnson warns next weeks will be the hardest yet as he issues a tough new ?stay at home? order for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also tighten restrictions. Also: decision day dawns for the US state of Georgia in a knife-edge Senate race, fighting for justice for the poor in Africa?s jails ? and how the pandemic?s changed life for new mums. | Listen |
| Britain rolls out the first Oxford AstraZeneca injections | |
| It has been described as a game-changer in the fight against Covid-19. Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange's extradition to the US is blocked by a UK judge. Iran resumes enriching uranium to 20% purity. | Listen |
| Trump tells Georgia official to 'find more votes' | |
| A recording has been released of President Trump urging Georgia's Secretary of State to overturn Joe Biden's electoral victory there. Also: how safe is the vaccine developed in India, and Gerry Marsden, the singer of Liverpool Football Club's anthem, dies. | Listen |
| US senators dispute election certification | |
| The group of Republican senators want an investigation into alleged voter fraud. Also, India approves a second Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, and police in France shut down an illegal rave which breached the coronavirus curfew. | Listen |
| Setback for Trump as senate overrules his defence bill veto | |
| Republican-controlled chamber delivers rebuke to the president, also: India takes big step towards approving Covid-19 vaccine, and The KLF allow their music on streaming services | Listen |
| Brexit: What will it mean for UK's relations with the world ? | |
| We look at look at implications for future British trade across the globe. And which countries will be UK's key partners from now ? Also, why some believe the noble South African ideal of 'Ubuntu' has been exploited, and how new technology allows you to travel the world - without leaving your home. | Listen |
| New era for UK as it separates from the European Union | |
| The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, has called it a new beginning. Also: Covid dampens New Year celebrations around the world, and Australia changes anthem to reflect indigenous past. | Listen |
| China approves Covid vaccine | |
| Beijing says it hopes to inoculate tens of millions by Chinese New Year in February. Also: 'Glacier Bro' is presumed dead after a waterfall accident, and sitting your exams up a tree. | Listen |
| British MPs back post Brexit deal with EU | |
| The British PM's agreement is on its way to becoming law after parliament approves it by 521 votes to 73. Also: houses buried as landslide hits Norwegian village, and the project that ensures wildlife and humans co-exist in the Masai Mara. | Listen |
| Covid-19: UK approves Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine | |
| New vaccine is much cheaper and easier to store than existing ones. UK will begin rollout of this vaccine alongside Pfizer jab. Also, deadly attack on Aden airport as government ministers fly in, and what can we expect from the global economy in 2021 ? | Listen |
| Biden warns US vaccine roll-out falling behind | |
| The US president-elect calls for vaccinations to be ramped up as he warns of a "tough period" ahead. Also: there is "extreme concern" in UK as Covid cases surge, and could drinking tea help our brains function better as we get older? | Listen |
| UK faces Covid 'catastrophe' | |
| A leading scientist says immediate government action is needed to halt soaring cases. Also: a child is killed and rescuers search the rubble after an earthquake strikes Croatia, and the French designer Pierre Cardin dies. | Listen |
| WHO says transparency is crucial in the fight against COVID-19 | |
| The World Health Organization is working with the UK and South Africa on how to tackle new variants of the coronavirus. Also: Biden says "enormous damage" to US agencies by Trump, and illustrating a diary in the year of Covid-19. | Listen |
| A Chinese journalist who helped reveal the scale of the coronavirus outbreak has been jailed | |
| Her lawyer says she is weak as a result of a hunger strike. Also: hundreds of British tourists are reported to have fled the Swiss ski resort of Verbier to avoid having to quarantine, and goodbye to 2020 - New Yorkers send in the things they would rather forget about this year to be shredded in Times Square on Good Riddance Day. | Listen |
| Covid: Trump fails to sign economic relief bill | |
| Millions of Americans lost their unemployment benefit on Sunday as President Donald Trump failed to sign into law the coronavirus relief package. If he doesn?t sign it by Tuesday it could result in a US government shutdown. Also: Care homes and health staff are the first to get Covid jabs as mass vaccinations start across the EU, and why it?s been winning year for the gaming industry. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: EU countries begin mass-vaccination | |
| Several EU member-states have started inoculations using Pfizer/BionNTech vaccine. This comes as a new more infectious strain of coronavirus begins to spread from UK to mainland Europe. Also, China's economy forecast to overtake US by 2028 due to Covid-19, and infamous former Cold War double-agent George Blake dies in Russia aged 98. | Listen |
| Happy News Podcast 2020 | |
| As 2020 comes to a close, we present this collection of our favourite stories from the past year, ranging from the inspirational to the uplifting to the silly: A nine-year-old Kenyan inventor helps his village take coronavirus precautions. Scientists make major advancements in preventing serious illness. And the power of music. | Listen |
| UK and EU agree post-Brexit trade deal | |
| The deal ends months of arguments over business rules and fishing rights. Also: the journalist who knew one of the victims of an explosion she was reporting on, and why a digitally-created Queen Elizabeth is delivering a Christmas message to the nation. | Listen |
| Brexit: UK set to unveil trade deal with EU | |
| Britain and EU say they're near agreement on post-Brexit trade and security. This follows months of complicated and tense negotiations. Also, at least 20 people die as a boat carrying migrants sinks off Tunisian coast, and Bethlehem to hold its Christmas festivities despite pandemic. | Listen |
| Trump vetoes 'unconstitutional' defence bill | |
| He objects to troop withdrawal limits and removing Confederate names from military bases. Also: hopes of an EU-UK trade deal rise, and why more than half of Chinese adults are overweight. | Listen |
| Fire breaks out at migrant camp in Bosnia | |
| Thousands of migrants are having to live outside in freezing conditions after an emergency camp in Lipa was closed. Also: Afghan election activist killed in Kabul ambush, and is there a connection between Santa Claus and quantum physics? | Listen |
| France eases UK virus travel ban | |
| EU citizens and residents, and freight drivers can return - with a recent negative test. Also: Israel heads for an election as its unity government falls, and a giant iceberg breaks into large fragments. | Listen |
| French ban on lorries from UK remains for now | |
| France shut its UK border on Sunday amid fears of a new coronavirus variant. Also: Russia hits EU with sanctions in Navalny backlash, and Thai man revives baby elephant with CPR. | Listen |
| Flights cancelled as EU considers UK virus threat | |
| EU officials discuss a joint response to a new, more infectious Covid-19 strain in the UK. Also: Joe Biden is vaccinated on live TV, and tips to lighten your mood under coronavirus. | Listen |
| Covid-19: US passes massive aid package | |
| Republican and Democrat lawmakers in Washington agree to a stimulus plan worth nearly $900 billion. Also, the European Union?s health authorities have approved the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine for use against the coronavirus. And the Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton is voted the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. | Listen |
| Covid: Nations impose UK travel bans over ?out of control? variant | |
| European nations have begun to impose travel bans on the UK after it reported a more-infectious and "out of control" coronavirus variant. Also: A new $900 bn support package for US citizens is edging closer- after months of deadlock, and the French film fuelling conspiracy theories about the virus... | Listen |
| Christmas rules tightened for millions in UK | |
| Tough new lockdown measures are being imposed on London in response to a highly infectious new strain of coronavirus. And: President Trump dismisses allegations made by his own administration about a massive espionage attack, and hundreds of people line up for the famous Christmas lottery in Madrid. | Listen |
| WHO secures coronavirus vaccine for poorer countries | |
| The first of two billion doses are due to be delivered in early 2021.The World Health Organisation's COVAX initiative was set up to ensure that vaccines are distributed fairly around the world. Also: a suicide bomber kills at least 10 people at a stadium in Somalia where the prime minister was due to speak, and why Sony has pulled Cyberpunk 2077 - one of the year's most-anticipated games - from its PlayStation store. | Listen |
| Nigeria school attack: Hundreds of boys return home after release | |
| More than 300 schoolboys are reunited with their families, a week after mass-kidnapping. Local authorities say the boys were abducted by 'bandits' and not by Boko Haram militants. Also, hundreds of thousands flee Islamist insurgency in Mozambique, and how an American couple's dream home contained a hidden surprise. | Listen |
| Hundreds of kidnapped Nigerian boys 'freed' | |
| The authorities in northern Nigeria say more than 300 boys are on their way home, but it's unclear if all have been freed. Also: US warns of "grave" threat from major cyber-attack, and for football fans the correct spelling is Mauritius not Mauritus. | Listen |
| Putin faces questions about his handling of the pandemic | |
| The Russian president spoke at his annual news conference, also: The French president tests positive for Covid-19, and what is the ugliest orchid in the world? | Listen |
| China's Chang'e-5 mission returns Moon samples | |
| A capsule landed in Inner Mongolia with the first lunar rock to be brought to Earth in 44 years. Also: fourteen guilty in 2015 Paris terror attacks trial, and Qatar beats Saudi Arabia to host 2030 Asia Games. | Listen |
| EU countries begin vaccinations against Covid-19 next week | |
| The European Commission president says they have enough doses for everyone in the EU. Tougher Covid-19 restrictions have come into force in Germany. Also: schools have been closed across much of northern Nigeria after the kidnapping of hundreds of pupils last week, and can kangaroos communicate with humans? | Listen |
| Top Trump ally ends silence to congratulate Biden | |
| Weeks after the election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulates the US president-elect. Also: EU outlines digital services rules overhaul, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sign podcast deal with Spotify. | Listen |
| Putin congratulates Biden | |
| Six weeks after the election, the Russian leader sent Mr Biden a telegram on his victory. Also: Pakistan's new anti-rape law, and the monster iceberg of the South Atlantic. | Listen |
| Joe Biden wins electoral college vote to confirm US presidential win | |
| The electors in each US state are appointed to reflect the popular vote, which was won by Mr Biden in November. Also: report names "Russian agents" in Navalny poisoning, and South Korea to ban balloon leafleting of North. | Listen |
| Covid-19: US begins its biggest vaccination programme ever | |
| America's first Covid-19 inoculation has taken place. The programme aims to vaccinate 100 million people by April. Also, continuing confusion over fate of missing schoolchildren in NW Nigeria, and why one man spent 10 years collecting world's weirdest books. | Listen |
| Brexit: Negotiators say they will ?go the extra mile? | |
| Britain and the European Union have agreed to keep talks going until the end of the transition period on 31 December. Also, hundreds of Nigerian children are still unaccounted for after an attack on a school. And John Le Carré, the author of such classic novels as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, has died. | Listen |
| UN says the world needs to declare ?climate emergency? | |
| António Guterres was speaking at a virtual summit on the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement. Around 70 world leaders took part in the meeting organised by the UN, UK and France. Also: the Red Cross delivers aid to the capital of Tigray in northern Ethiopia for the first time since fighting broke out last month, and why scotch eggs have seen an unexpected boost in sales due to coronavirus restrictions in Britain. | Listen |
| Ethiopia?s Tigray crisis: UN ?alarmed? by treatment of Eritrean refugees | |
| The head of the UN refugee agency Filippo Grandi said if such acts were confirmed, it would be a major breach of international law. Also: the World Health Organisation says nearly a billion doses of coronavirus vaccines have been acquired for low and middle income countries, and Mariah Carey?s All I Want for Christmas Is You finally reaches number one in the UK singles chart after being released 26 years ago. | Listen |
| Brexit: Boris Johnson and EU say trade deal 'unlikely' by Sunday | |
| Sunday deadline was set after months of talks failed to achieve agreement. If trade deal isn't achieved by December 31, the EU and UK could impose taxes on each other's goods. Also, EU leaders set higher targets for cutting greenhouse gases by 2030, and new film celebrates singer Ma Rainey - 'Mother of the Blues'. | Listen |
| Morocco and Israel agree to diplomatic relations | |
| For the fourth time this year the US has brokered a deal between Israel and an Arab country, but peace with the Palestinian Authority remains elusive. Also, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says there's a "strong possibility" the UK will fail to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union. And the French football star Antoine Griezmann drops the tech firm Huawei as his sponsor, over an app that could help China track Uighur Muslims. | Listen |
| Europe sets out contingency plans in case of a no-deal Brexit | |
| It's proposing reciprocal measures covering air and road connections, and fishing. Also: Facebook hits back after legal action is launched over competition, and the musicals brought to your door in London. | Listen |
| Brexit: UK prime minister and EU Commission president hold crucial talks | |
| The two leaders meet in Brussels to discuss "critical issues". Also, the French cabinet endorses proposed new laws targeting extremism and, scientists say the weight of human-made objects could soon exceed that living things. | Listen |
| Climate change: UN says global 'elite' must cut carbon-emissions | |
| Report says wealthiest 1% generate more than twice the carbon emitted by poorest 50%. UN urges developed nations to rapidly cut CO2 'footprint' to avoid dangerous rise in global temperatures. Also, how race and inequality shape death-toll from Covid-19 in US capital, and why 'Miracle on 22nd Street' brought joy to thousands at Christmas. | Listen |
| Biden vows 100m vaccinations in first 100 days | |
| The US President-elect says he can't promise to end Covid-19 quickly but he can change its course. Also: British PM heads to Brussels on Wednesday for Brexit talks, and the England Rugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson says he is suffering from early onset dementia. | Listen |
| UK pensioner is world's 1st to get Pfizer vaccine | |
| 90 year-old Margaret Keenan got the jab as the UK's largest vaccination programme began. Also: John Lennon's legacy - 40 years after the murder of the former Beatle, and Everest is now officially 86 centimetres higher. | Listen |
| British PM to meet EU chief in bid to save Brexit deal | |
| The UK and EU say "significant differences" still remain as the leaders prepare to talk face-to-face. Also: Eritrea releases Jehovah's Witnesses after they served prison terms of over twenty years, and Bob Dylan sells song rights to Universal Music Group. | Listen |
| UK-EU talks resume in final push for trade deal | |
| The EU?s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has told diplomats that talks with Britain are not going well. Mr Barnier said he could not guarantee a deal would be struck. Also: Large parts of California have been placed under a strict new Covid lockdown, and could breakdancing be coming to the Olympics. | Listen |
| UK-EU trade talks continue as 'sticking points' remain | |
| The UK chief negotiator David Frost is taking part in discussions with his EU counterpart Michel Barnier in Brussels. Also: Iran says the assassination of its top nuclear scientist last month was carried out using a satellite-controlled machine gun, and the voice of golf, Peter Alliss has died at the age of 89. | Listen |
| UK-EU trade talks to resume over 'critical issues' | |
| Negotiators will talk on Sunday but 'significant differences' between the two sides in post-Brexit talks remain. Also: French security bill protests turn violent again, and Australia's rugby team sings anthem in indigenous language. | Listen |
| The UN says the fighting goes on in Tigray | |
| This is despite the Ethiopian government declaring victory there last week. The United Nations says it's unable to deliver aid supplies because of the crisis. Also: Brexit talks are on hold after negotiators admit they're deadlocked and the Earth Orchestra which features a musician from every country in the world. | Listen |
| Brexit: Critical talks in London between UK and EU | |
| Time is running out for post-Brexit trade deal between EU and UK. Britain has accused EU of making last-minute demands - which EU's negotiators deny. Also, organisers of Tokyo Olympics say they'll need billions of dollars more if games are to go ahead, and why US is introducing new laws on private ownership of big cats. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Hackers targeted vaccine supply | |
| The tech company IBM says it tracked a campaign aimed at the delivery "cold chain" used to keep vaccines at the right temperature during transportation. The attackers' identity is unclear - but IBM said the sophistication of their methods indicated a nation state. Also: Facebook says it will start removing false claims about Covid-19 vaccines and the winner of this year?s Global Teacher Prize gives half away | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Moscow will begin immunising people on Saturday with Sputnik-V vaccine | |
| Medical staff, teachers and social workers will be eligible for the first jabs. Also: Hundreds of Rohingya refugees are moved to a remote island and, a warning about the effect of digital technology on climate change. | Listen |
| Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine judged safe for use | |
| Britain's medicines regulator, the MHRA, says the jab is safe to be rolled out. The first doses are already on their way to the UK, with 800,000 due in the coming days. Also: The US Department of Justice is investigating claims that lobbyists offered bribes in exchange for a presidential pardon, and two otters find love during lockdown | Listen |
| Covid-19: UK is first country to approve Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine | |
| Decision paves the way for mass-vaccination in Britain. Vaccine offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19. Also, Nigeria is epicentre of new cyber-crime networks, and Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher's son hopes to follow in his footsteps. | Listen |
| No evidence of widespread fraud in the US presidential poll says one of President Trump's closest allies | |
| Attorney General has seen nothing that could have overturned Biden victory, Also: Chinese craft lands on the moon, and Belgian orgy that caused a Hungarian politician's downfall. | Listen |
| US cases soar but 'light at the end of the tunnel' | |
| America's top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, says vaccines offer hope as the county hits its worst period of the pandemic. Also: controversy in France over a proposed charter aimed at integrating all groups of Muslims into society, and an extraordinary rescue at sea. | Listen |
| Biden picks Janet Yellen for US treasury secretary | |
| She is on a diverse list of officials chosen for top economic roles in his administration. Also: France is to rewrite its police bill after protests, and the dramatic increase in Brazil's Amazon deforestation. | Listen |
| Iran buries assassinated nuclear scientist | |
| State funeral held in Tehran for Mohsen Fakhrizadeh who was killed on Friday. Iran blames Israel for his death. Also, Australia demands apology from China for 'repugnant' fake image on Twitter, and a new film profiles colourful and contradictory singer-songwriter Shane McGowan. | Listen |
| Trump attacks FBI | |
| The president said the FBI had thwarted his bid to overturn the election result. Also: Maradona's doctor is investigated over his death, and the flying elephant - on his way to a new life after years of suffering. | Listen |
| Ethiopian PM claims capture of Tigray capital | |
| Abiy Ahmed said the army had taken control of Mekelle from the dissident local leadership. Also: the Pope installs the first African American cardinal, and washing your dirty laundry in space. | Listen |
| Israel blamed for assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist | |
| Tehran believes Israel was involved when gunmen targeted Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Also: the Inuit hunter whose habitat is changing, and the refugee who is now an MP in New Zealand. | Listen |
| Ethiopia: The PM meets an African Union delegation seeking to end the conflict in Tigray | |
| Prime Minister Ahmed rejected offers of mediation and is still insisting there can be no foreign interference in an internal affair. Also: Sri Lanka bans commemorations for Tamil Tigers killed in the country's decades-long civil war. And, how a locust genome could be the key to ending devastating crop damage. | Listen |
| Body of late Argentine footballer Maradona taken for burial | |
| A motorcade has taken Maradona's remains from the presidential palace in Buenos Aires to the Bella Vista cemetery in the west of the capital where the bodies of his parents are also interred. Also: the head of AstraZeneca says fresh trials will be conducted on its coronavirus vaccine after some scientists questioned its results, and a man in Florida saves a puppy from an alligator attack. | Listen |
| More than 300 people are sentenced to life in prison in Turkey | |
| In 2016 a faction within the Turkish military spearheaded a failed coup against President Erdogan. Also: Argentinians have been paying their respects to the footballer, Diego Maradona, whose body is lying in state in the presidential palace, and a British genetic research project is seeking to eradicate scarring within a generation by studying the Zebra fish. | Listen |
| Football genius Maradona dies aged 60 | |
| Argentina declares three days of national mourning. Also: President Trump pardons ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and could a long-extinct volcano heat homes in southern New Zealand? | Listen |
| France to tax US high-tech giants on 2020 earnings | |
| French government wants to impose new digital tax on huge firms like Google and Amazon. The US says it will retaliate with tariffs on imports from France. Also, Ethiopia tells international community to avoid 'interference' in Tigray crisis, and why some US families will be deeply divided at this year's Thanksgiving. | Listen |
| Joe Biden says 'America is back' | |
| The US President-elect Joe Biden says America is back, ready to lead the world as he unveils his top team. Also: a patriotic board game is released in Russia, and Beyonce leads the pack in the Grammy?s with the most nominations. | Listen |
| Trump acknowledges transition of power to Biden | |
| The US president says the ?initial protocols? must be carried out, though he?s stopped short of admitting defeat. Also, a European Union report finds that Afghanistan has become a major producer of crystal meth. And Russian scientists announce the promising results of their coronavirus vaccine trials. | Listen |
| John Kerry named as Biden's climate envoy | |
| The former secretary of state is among the names announced for key roles in the new US administration. Also: Qantas says a Covid-19 vaccination will be a requirement to fly, and is Hanko about to disappear from being a Japanese tradition? | Listen |
| British coronavirus vaccine up to 90 percent effective | |
| The Oxford University jab, developed with the drug company AstraZeneca, is cheaper and simpler to store than its rivals. As a result, it should be easier to supply to developing countries. Also: the 23 year-old who?s created a home cancer test kit, the words that have been making headlines this year, and the American kid who survived life in Syria under the Islamic State group. | Listen |
| Merkel 'worried' over vaccine rollout despite G20 pledge | |
| G20 leaders said they will "spare no effort" to ensure fair distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. Also: Ethiopia PM issues 72-hour ultimatum to Tigray, and the environmental problems caused by disposable synthetic gloves. | Listen |
| California imposes Covid-19 curfew as US cases hit 12 million | |
| Millions face stay-at-home orders as the US faces a surge in coronavirus infections. Also: a virtual G20 summit opens in Saudi Arabia, and Sentinel-6 - a "dog-kennel" shaped satellite blasts off on ocean mission. | Listen |
| UN warns Yemen is in imminent danger of a catastrophic famine | |
| The UN secretary general Antonio Guterres blamed the situation on Yemen's continuing war. Also: Georgia officially certifies Joe Biden as winner, and the travel writer Jan Morris dies aged ninety-four. | Listen |
| Uganda: Politician Bobi Wine released on bail | |
| Outspoken presidential candidate released after being charged with spreading coronavirus. Human rights groups say the virus charge is pretext to suppress opposition ahead of election on Jan 14. Also, Japanese retail store introduces robots to make customers comply with Covid restrictions, and Melania Trump's home town in Slovenia uses pastries to celebrate its links with her. | Listen |
| Americans urged not to travel for Thanksgiving holiday | |
| US health officials say coronavirus infections were spreading rapidly and they were alarmed at the speed at which intensive care beds were filling up. Also, President-elect Joe Biden has warned that the US faces a "dark winter" due to the pandemic, and how a mass extinction millions of years ago is helping to understand our current environmental problems | Listen |
| Pompeo makes unprecedented visit to Israeli settlement | |
| The Secretary of State is the first top US official to tour a West Bank settlement. Also: Australian troops 'killed Afghan civilians', and turning the weather on Mars into music. | Listen |
| New York schools close amid virus surge | |
| Return to remote learning comes as US approaches 250,000 Covid deaths. Also: vaccines ready for distribution across US within weeks, Boeing's 737 Max cleared to fly and understanding our digital legacy. | Listen |
| DR Congo declares latest Ebola outbreak is over | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo say it's Ebola-free after more than 40 days without a case. The country has seen 11 outbreaks since virus was discovered there in 1976. Also, Trump fires top election official who contradicted his claims of voter fraud, and how Rocky the disabled dog found a new life in a new country. | Listen |
| Facebook and Twitter bosses defend social media | |
| Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey have been grilled by US Senators over their platforms' election role. Democrats questioned whether the social media giants had done enough to flag up disputed claims. Also: the Pentagon confirms that Donald Trump will almost halve America's troop presence in Afghanistan before he leaves office, and the human cost of Ethiopia's action in Tigray. | Listen |
| Ethiopia humanitarian crisis warning | |
| UNHCR fears for civilians fleeing fighting in Tigray. Also: A BBC investigation on the treatment of women working in India's garment industry, the European scientists creating an archive of historic smells and the business of royal fashion. | Listen |
| COVID-19 vaccine: Concerns over global distribution | |
| Experts say poorer countries could struggle to access new vaccinations, once they are approved. Also, Greek police have charged an Afghan asylum seeker whose son died at sea. And Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are set to buy a little Welsh football club. | Listen |
| Second promising coronavirus vaccine | |
| US firm, Moderna, claims clinical trials show its jab is nearly 95% effective. Also: BBC investigation uncovers evidence of illegal child theft and trafficking in Kenya, IOC says Tokyo 2020 Games likely to go ahead with spectators and a new device which helps drinkers sober up. | Listen |
| Asia-Pacific countries form world's largest trading bloc | |
| The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is made up of 10 Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The pact is seen as an extension of China's influence in the region. Also: the founder of the German firm behind the first successful coronavirus vaccine says he is confident that life can return to normal by next winter, and the British racing driver Lewis Hamilton becomes the most successful driver in the history of Formula One motor racing. | Listen |
| Rockets 'fired from Ethiopian region' hit Eritrea | |
| An internal conflict over Ethiopia's Tigray region is spreading, with thousands of civilians fleeing. Also, pro-Trump protestors hold rallies as tensions grow, and Egypt unveils ancient coffins and mummies found in huge necropolis. | Listen |
| Trump speaks in public for first time since defeat | |
| The US president, who has yet to concede, focused on the US response to Covid-19. Also: Biden takes Georgia to solidify victory, and Australia showcases its diverse indigenous languages. | Listen |
| US Election: Security officials reject Trump's fraud claims | |
| Officials say 2020 presidential election was the 'most secure in American history'. They spoke after Mr. Trump alleged that 2.7 million votes for him had been 'deleted.' Also, France remembers victims of deadly attacks in Paris in 2015 by Islamist militants, and how one young man in Siberia went to great lengths - and heights - to access the internet. | Listen |
| Amnesty says 'hundreds massacred' in Ethiopia | |
| Fighting between the federal army and Tigrayan forces broke out last week. Also: scores die in migrant shipwreck off Libya, and the popularity of playing music during Covid-19 lockdown. | Listen |
| China condemns mass resignation of pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong | |
| Beijing says the move is a blatant challenge to its authority. Also, the Armenian prime minister defends his peace deal with Azerbaijan and how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting some provinces in Russia. | Listen |
| Tigrayans ordered to defend against Ethiopia army | |
| Ethiopia's northern region orders the total mobilisation of its population as a crisis escalates. Also: UK coronavirus death toll passes 50,000 and why did the cuddle of a panda by a K-pop band raise hackles in China? | Listen |
| Hong Kong: Pro-democracy lawmakers resign after China ruling | |
| Opposition legislators quit after Beijing forced removal of four of their colleagues. The dismissal of the four is seen as China's latest attempt to restrict Hong Kong's freedoms - something Beijing denies. Also, several wounded in bomb-attack on Remembrance Day ceremony in Saudi city of Jeddah, and Britney Spears loses court bid to end her father's control over her estate. | Listen |
| Vatican report finds Catholic Church ignored sex abuse allegations about US cardinal | |
| The 450-page report includes testimonies and dozens of letters and transcripts from Vatican and US Church archives. Mr McCarrick is alleged to have assaulted a teenager in the early 1970s, while working as a priest in New York. Also: a new species of monkey is found in the remote jungles of Myanmar, and the co-creator of the TV cartoon character Scooby-Doo Ken Spears has died at the age of 82. | Listen |
| Russia brokers a deal over Nagorno-Karabakh | |
| Celebrations and protests greet the deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia to end the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia is deploying hundreds of peacekeeping troops. Also: the BBC is to investigate how a reporter gained an interview with Princess Diana 25 years ago, and the veteran Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat has died at the age of sixty-five, after contracting coronavirus. | Listen |
| World reacts to the news of first Covid vaccine | |
| The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it is still early days and the US President-elect Joe Biden said the virus was far from over, while the World Health Organisation also remained cautious. Also: the former Bolivian leader Evo Morales returns home from exile in Argentina, and a look at the future of transportation. | Listen |
| First 'milestone' Covid vaccine offers 90% protection | |
| The developers - Pfizer and BioNTech - described it as a "great day for science and humanity", and say they plan to apply for emergency approval to use the vaccine by the end of the month. There are still huge challenges ahead, but the announcement has been warmly welcomed and the international stock markets have soared. Also: Azerbaijan's president rejects eye-witness accounts by BBC journalists of civilians being targeted in Nagorno-Karabakh. | Listen |
| US Election: World leaders react to Biden?s win | |
| The president-elect of the US received congratulatory messages from leaders around the world including the UK?s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Also: Luis Arce is sworn in as President of Bolivia a year after the resignation of Evo Morales, and why Joe Biden?s win was extra special for one American boy. | Listen |
| Joe Biden makes victory speech | |
| The president-elect of the US called for the country to unite and heal, Kamala Harris will be the first woman of colour to become vice-president but says she hopes not to be the last, and President Trump says he'll go to court on Monday. | Listen |
| Joe Biden is America's president-elect | |
| Mr Biden won the key state of Pennsylvania, taking him beyond the necessary 270 electors, Kamala Harris will be the first female vice-president; Also: President Trump says he'll go to court on Monday. | Listen |
| Biden widens lead over Trump | |
| Biden overtakes Trump in Pennsylvania; if he wins the state, he wins the presidency. Also: Johnny Depp is sacked from a major film role after losing his libel case, and Swiss employers object to the world's highest minimum wage. | Listen |
| US Election: Biden leading in Pennsylvania and Georgia | |
| Democratic candidate has pulled ahead of Donald Trump in two key battleground states. If Mr. Biden wins Pennsylvania, he will secure overall victory in election. Also, Ethiopian PM insists that army operation in Tigray state has 'clear, limited and achievable objectives', and how an English couple earned a fortune from the contents of some rubbish-bags. | Listen |
| Trump sues as path to victory over Biden narrows | |
| The Trump campaign launches lawsuits in key states as Joe Biden moves nearer to the presidency. Also: France increases security following terror attacks, and the Formula One controversy over human rights in Saudi Arabia. | Listen |
| US Election: Counting goes on in key states | |
| The final result hinges on the states of Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The Trump campaign is taking legal action in several states. Also: a new hotline in Hong Kong to encourage people to snitch on their neighbours, and we look at America?s election through African eyes. | Listen |
| US Election: Biden takes Michigan and says ?clear we will win? | |
| Democratic challenger Joe Biden says it is clear he is winning enough states to take the US presidency, despite key results still outstanding. Also: Austria?s intelligence service is criticised over Monday's deadly shootings by a convicted Islamist, and more European nations introduce coronavirus restrictions. | Listen |
| US Election: Tense wait as winner remains unclear | |
| Donald Trump and his rival Joe Biden are neck-and-neck in key swing-states. The final result may not emerge for days. Also, Ethiopia's PM orders a military response to 'attack' in Tigray state, and why a South Atlantic island is under threat from a gigantic iceberg. | Listen |
| US presidential election on a knife edge | |
| Both Donald Trump are Joe Biden are optimisitic of victory after a nail biting night which saw the president projected to hold the key states of Florida and Ohio. Mr Biden told supporters that he was still on track to win but President Trump accused him of trying to "steal" the election. We take you through the night as it came down to a handful of states in the American midwest. | Listen |
| Arrests after ?freed jihadist? kills four in Vienna | |
| Austria has been mourning the four victims of an Islamist attack in Vienna. Fourteen people are held but authorities now believe the dead gunman may have acted alone. Also in the programme; the world's biggest stock market listing has been postponed just two days before shares were to make their debut, and a new study which examines the effects of light pollution on different species. | Listen |
| US election: Polls open in presidential vote | |
| Voting begins in one of the most divisive elections in recent US history. Also, in the wake of a deadly act of terrorism in Vienna, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz says the country?s real enemy is intolerance. And a company in Tunisia is creating 3-D printed body parts for amputees. | Listen |
| US Election: Biden and Trump make final pitches to voters | |
| Joe Biden and Donald Trump are using the last hours before election day on Tuesday to exhort supporters in battleground states to get out and vote. Also: Austrian police describe a shooting in Vienna as a terrorist attack, and more lockdowns are introduced across Europe as coronavirus cases climb. | Listen |
| US Election: Final day of campaigning | |
| Donald Trump and Joe Biden hold last rallies in swing states. Also, nineteen people are killed in an attack at Kabul university, and Hollywood actor Johnny Depp loses libel case against a newspaper that labelled him 'wife beater'. | Listen |
| Trump and Biden criss-cross the US as vote nears | |
| Both candidates are making last ditch appeals to voters in battleground states that could determine the outcome of Tuesday's presidential election. Also: Hong Kong police arrest seven pro-democracy MPs after a parliamentary meeting descended into violence, and security forces in Belarus fire stun grenades and warning shots at protesters in the capital Minsk. | Listen |
| England to lock down for four weeks | |
| Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a second national lockdown from Thursday. Also: a Greek Orthodox priest is seriously wounded in a shooting in the French city of Lyon, and the search for survivors continues in the Turkish city of Izmir, after Friday's powerful earthquake. | Listen |
| Deaths and floods as quake hits Turkey and Greece | |
| There were fatalities in Turkey's Izmir province and on Greece's Samos island, with a mini tsunami triggered. Also: France increases its security at places of worship and schools following stabbings in Nice, and Qatar to prosecute officials over forced examinations of women at airport. | Listen |
| Earthquake strikes Aegean coasts of Greece and Turkey | |
| Reports of deaths and injuries due to powerful quake centred off Turkey's Izmir province. Tremors were felt as far away as Athens and Istanbul. Also, troops deployed on French streets following deadly knife-attack in Nice, and what do Russian politicians and public expect from US election ? | Listen |
| French church attacker arrived in Europe from Tunisia last month | |
| Three people were stabbed to death in Nice in what France says was an "Islamist terrorist attack". Also: Argentine police evict hundreds of families from makeshift homes in Buenos Aires, and what does the DNA show us about dogs as man's "best friend"? | Listen |
| Three killed in France 'terror attack' | |
| Three people were stabbed to death at a church in the southern city of Nice. France has raised its terrorism alert to the highest level. Also: The German chancellor has warned of a long, hard winter ahead as Europe tries to contain coronavirus cases, and why scientists have printed the first 3-D replica of the human tongue. | Listen |
| Macron declares 2nd national lockdown in France | |
| Non-essential businesses in France will close, but schools and factories will remain open. Also: Tech chiefs face tough questions over internet law, and remembering John Blanke - the black trumpeter at the royal court of Henry VIII. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Germany and France to decide on new lockdowns | |
| Both nations are preparing to further tighten Covid restrictions as cases rise. An EU advisor says 1000 Europeans are now dying every day from the virus. Also, Philadelphia rocked by further protests over shooting of black man by police, and why Kim Kardashian West's birthday party has created controversy on social media. | Listen |
| Biden hits new election battleground, Trump blitzes Midwest | |
| In Georgia, Joe Biden attacked Donald Trump's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic; in Michigan, Donald Trump warned the state's "economic survival" was on the line if Mr Biden won the US presidential election. Also: Hong Kong activist Tony Chung detained near US consulate. | Listen |
| UN: '100,000 children could die in Yemen' | |
| The UN says malnutrition rates among the under-fives are the highest ever recorded. Also: immunity to Covid-19 may not last long, and an Islamic religious school is bombed in Pakistan. | Listen |
| NASA: conclusive evidence of more water on the Moon | |
| NASA says there is water on the Moon in far larger quantities than previously thought. Also, US Senate to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court justice, and a BBC investigation into a mass poisoning in Malaysia. | Listen |
| Trump nominee to be voted onto Supreme Court | |
| The Republican-controlled Senate moves to confirm Amy Coney Barrett's appointment. Also: the general strike in Belarus, and the clock - frozen in time by Beirut's huge explosion. | Listen |
| Spain imposes national curfew to curb Covid | |
| A coronavirus state of emergency with immediate effect - hits Spain; President Trump's coronavirus expert admits infections are still rising, and Lewis Hamilton has now won the most races in Formula One history. | Listen |
| Turkey condemns French pledge to defend secular society | |
| France recalls its Ambassador to Turkey after President Erdogan launches personal attack on Emmanuel Macron; Trump comment on 'blowing up' dam angers Ethiopia, and hopes artificial intelligence could help diagnose Alzheimers disease. | Listen |
| Libya: Government and opposition sign permanent ceasefire deal | |
| The deal between military leaders from Libya?s government and those from opposition forces lead by General Khalifa Haftar was brokered by the UN. Also: Sudan becomes the third Arab state in recent months to normalise relations with Israel, and a busker whose guitar was smashed by a passer-by receives a brand new one from a rock star. | Listen |
| Who came out on top? US debate fallout | |
| Donald Trump and Joe Biden clash over pandemic, immigration and corruption allegations. Also: protests in Poland against court ruling to outlaw abortion in almost all cases, and Santa reassures children that Christmas isn't cancelled. | Listen |
| Final TV clash for Trump and Biden | |
| We get analysis from our US correspondent and fact check the last presidential debate between President Trump and Joe Biden. Also: the controversial conservative nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, clears another hurdle on the way to a place on the US Supreme Court, Belgian doctors face a ?tsunami? of new Covid cases, and the wonder of Hermès ? how luxury goods are dodging the downturn. | Listen |
| Trump and Biden meet for final presidential debate | |
| The battle lines are drawn for next month's election -- as the president and his Democratic Party challenger go head-to-head in the last TV debate before Election Day on November 3. Also today: the controversial conservative nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, clears another hurdle on the way to a place on the US Supreme Court, Belgian doctors face a ?tsunami? of new Covid cases, and the wonder of Hermès ? how luxury goods are dodging the downturn. | Listen |
| Australia aged care: sexual assault allegations | |
| An estimated 50 sexual assaults occur each week across Australia, an inquiry has heard; also, heading to the afterlife - tales of human sacrifice in ancient China, and what we can learn from the diabolical ironclad beetle. | Listen |
| Unrest in Lagos after protest shooting | |
| Amnesty International says at least 12 people were killed on Tuesday during protests in Nigeria's largest city. Also: Pope Francis indicates support for same-sex civil unions, and "cooling paint" could cut emissions from buildings. | Listen |
| Nigeria: President appeals for calm after unrest in Lagos | |
| A number of people have reportedly been shot at a protest against police brutality. Also: at least fifteen people have died after stampede in eastern Afghanistan and an unknown attacker has vandalised art works on display at several galleries in Berlin. | Listen |
| Protestors 'shot dead' in Nigeria's biggest city | |
| An indefinite 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Lagos and other regions. Also: US files landmark lawsuit against Google, and elation as NASA's Osiris-Rex probe tags asteroid Bennu in an effort to pick up samples. | Listen |
| US Election 2020: what the world wants | |
| A special edition with a global perspective on the upcoming presidential election. We find out which countries are keeping a close eye on the vote, and hear from our correspondents around the world about the situation in their region. Also: we assess whether President Trump has kept his promises on trade, and how his strategies have shaped geopolitics. | Listen |
| Taliban conflict: Afghan fears rise | |
| Afghanistan's National Security Advisor has warned that his country faces a very real threat of a renewed civil war. Also: Donald Trump and Joe Biden will have their microphones muted during portions of the second and final presidential election debate on Thursday and the Canadian town of Asbestos is hoping to get rid of its negative image with a new name. | Listen |
| US charges Russian intelligence officers in global cyber attacks | |
| Prosecutors in Pittsburgh accuse the men, operating out of Moscow, of carrying out malware attacks between 2015 and 2019. Also: Trump says Sudan will be removed from terror list, and saving Australia's koalas by planting gum tree seeds using a drone. | Listen |
| France teacher attack: Police raid homes of suspected Islamic radicals | |
| The Interior Minister said there would be no respite for enemies of France. Also: exit polls suggest the socialist party has won the election in Bolivia and China releases economic figures showing its recovery from Covid-19 | Listen |
| Thousands rally to pay tribute to murdered French teacher | |
| Samuel Paty was killed on Friday close to his school after showing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed to his pupils. Also: Thai police fire water cannon as crowds defy ban; and do sleep apps with "white noise" really work? | Listen |
| Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan agree new truce | |
| Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to another humanitarian ceasefire in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Also: French prosecutors say the teenager who beheaded a teacher outside a school was a Chechen refugee from Russia, and thousands of anti-government protesters have again taken to the streets in Thailand. | Listen |
| Terror inquiry launched after teacher beheaded in Paris | |
| The victim reportedly showed controversial cartoons of Prophet Muhammad to his students. Also: the UN warns that peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban could be derailed by a new wave of violence, and a new study suggests flying during the pandemic may be safer than you think. | Listen |
| Brexit: Johnson says UK must prepare for a 'no deal' trade relationship with EU | |
| Britain's PM said unless EU changed course, there'd be no post-Brexit trade agreement. Also, China denies report that it is separating Muslim Uighur children from their parents in Xinjiang, and Disney updates warning about racist content in classic films. | Listen |
| US: Republican leaders accuse Twitter of electoral interference over Biden article | |
| Twitter prevented people from posting links to a New York Post article, which contained screenshots of emails to and from Mr Biden's son, Hunter, as well as photos of him. Also: The Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, have both flown on planes on which a fellow traveller has tested positive for coronavirus, and we look into the one sector of the entertainment industry that?s benefitting from the virus. | Listen |
| Thai protesters defy emergency rules with rally | |
| Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters gather in Bangkok despite a new emergency decree. More than 20 people were arrested, including a number of the movement's leaders. Also: the President of Kyrgyzstan resigns, how thousands of people are living with long-term coronavirus symptoms, and why biodegradable glitter is environmentally no better than the original product. | Listen |
| France orders curfew to combat second wave | |
| President Macron imposes strict night-time restrictions on Paris and eight other cities as coronavirus cases surge. They?ll come into effect from Saturday and last for six weeks. Also: the Netherlands extends its controversial 'right to die' laws to children as young as one. And humanitarian medics in Afghanistan tell us of their battle to save lives as the battle rages for Helmand. | Listen |
| Thai protests: Police stop pro-democracy demonstrators from reaching PM's office | |
| Big demonstrations staged in Bangkok by pro-democracy activists and their royalist rivals. Pro-democracy protestors want the King's powers curbed and the Prime Minister's resignation. Also, a report on Armenian community in Nagorno-Karabakh where ceasefire looks in danger of collapsing, and a veteran astronaut tells us we need to cherish our planet. | Listen |
| China and Russia join the UN Human Rights Council - but Saudi Arabia is rejected | |
| They were elected despite criticism of their human rights records. Also: US Supreme Court nominee Barrett evades questions on key issues, and the flight record without aeroplane. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: China reports strong growth in trade | |
| China was the first country hit by the virus - and its economy appears to have been the first to recover. Also: President Trump returns to the campaign trail, less than two weeks after being diagnosed with Covid-19, and the race to defuse a world war two bomb in Poland. | Listen |
| Trump Supreme Court nominee testifies | |
| Amy Coney Barrett said she was 'honoured' by the controversial nomination. Also: Facebook bans content that denies or distorts the Holocaust, and the row over the remake of the film Cleopatra. | Listen |
| Bangladesh is to introduce the death penalty for rape | |
| The announcement follows days of protests about levels of sexual violence against women. Also: Aboriginal groups in Australia tell an inquiry they are in mourning over the damage done to sacred sites by mining, and the Nobel Prize for Economics has been awarded to two American professors for their work on the theory of auctions. | Listen |
| Mutual accusations over broken ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh | |
| Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse one another of having violated ceasefire after shelling of Ganja, Also: brutal crackdown on protests in Belarus, and the asteroid hurtling towards earth turns out to be something more innocent. | Listen |
| Nagorno-Karabakh: Reports of fresh shelling dent ceasefire hopes | |
| The violence came just hours after a ceasefire came into force, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan swapping blame. Also: Donald Trump makes his first significant campaign appearance since being diagnosed with coronavirus, and what role are online conspiracy theories playing in this presidential election? | Listen |
| President Trump re-launches campaign as he recovers from coronavirus | |
| Less than a week after leaving hospital with coronavirus, President Donald Trump will speak to hundreds of supporters at the White House on Saturday. Also: The World Bank says Latin America and the Caribbean are suffering the worst economic and health impacts from the virus, and what role do national anthems play in international football games when there are no fans? | Listen |
| Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 awarded to UN's World Food Programme | |
| WFP was given prize for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace. The agency said it was 'deeply humbled' to have won. Also, Moscow tries to broker a ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh, and the Cook Islands' leader causes controversy - by giving himself nearly all the posts in his cabinet. | Listen |
| FBI busts militia 'plot' to abduct Michigan Governor | |
| The Democrat was targeted by coronavirus sceptics after enacting strict lockdown measures. Also: European nations impose new restrictions as the continent records almost 100,000 new coronavirus cases, and the US places more sanctions on Iran. | Listen |
| Trump says he will not participate in next US presidential debate | |
| Donald Trump says he will not ?waste his time? on the second debate of the US presidential campaign, after organisers announced it would take place virtually. Also, a Spanish court has struck down a partial Covid lockdown in Madrid. And Britain?s Prince William and nature broadcaster Sir David Attenborough launch a prize for environmentalism, worth more than $60 million. | Listen |
| Islamic State 'Beatles' charged in US over hostages' deaths | |
| Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh appeared in a US federal court in Virginia by video link, accused of killing four American hostages in Syria. The men, who were part of a group known as 'The Beatles' because of their British accents, face life imprisonment if convicted. Also: the former US police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd in May is released from prison on bail, and billionaires see their fortunes hit record highs during the pandemic. | Listen |
| Greece: extreme nationalist political party Golden Dawn is outlawed | |
| Leaders of Neo-Nazi party found guilty of running criminal organisation. And members found guilty of range of crimes - including murder. Also, two women scientists given 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing tools to edit DNA, and how traditional method of gathering wild honey is being revived in mountains of Georgia. | Listen |
| Trump ends Covid budget stimulus relief talks | |
| The US president says he will only resume talks after the election. Also: opposition 'seize power' in Kyrgyzstan, and the legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen dies aged sixty-five. | Listen |
| Kyrgyzstan election result annulled after night of violence | |
| Demonstrators storm parliament in the former Soviet republic. Also: President Trump is criticised for playing down the severity of Covid-19, and Singapore offers a 'baby bonus' to couples prepared to have a child during the pandemic. | Listen |
| Trump leaves hospital to continue Covid-19 treatment | |
| The US president vowed to hit the campaign trail very soon, though he is still receiving medical care. Also: riot police clash with protestors in Kyrgyzstan, and feuding in the world of Japanese mascots. | Listen |
| President Trump criticised over drive-past | |
| The decision to greet supporters while being treated for Covid-19 is under scrutiny. Also: The WHO?S top officials meet to discuss the global response to the pandemic, and the creature being reintroduced to mainland Australia after three thousand years. | Listen |
| Trump briefly leaves hospital to greet supporters | |
| The US president is seen waving inside a car, hours after doctors said he might be discharged on Monday. Also: Nagorno-Karabakh conflict grows as big cities hit, and the Kenzo fashion brand founder dies from Covid-19. | Listen |
| Confusion over timeline of Trump's diagnosis | |
| The US president was given oxygen before his admission to hospital. Also: Sudan's transitional government has signed a peace deal with an alliance of rebel groups aimed at ending decades of conflict, and Egypt announces the discovery of dozens of sarcophagi at an ancient site, south of the capital Cairo. | Listen |
| Trump flown to hospital with Covid-19 | |
| The White House said he was admitted for tests as a precaution. Also: Germany's bid to reform social media, and Scottish criminals turn to music. | Listen |
| Trump and Melania test positive for Coronavirus | |
| White House says President has 'mild symptoms' and he and First Lady are self-isolating. We assess likely impact of Mr. Trump's announcement on presidential elections - due on 3rd November. Also, Spain sees new surge in cases of Covid 19, and how European cities are changing as pandemic leads more people to take up cycling. | Listen |
| Anger grows after India 'gang rape' deaths | |
| The death of a second Dalit woman after an alleged gang rape has shocked India. Also: More fires in the Amazon, and when bread is not bread. | Listen |
| Brexit: EU starts legal action against UK | |
| Legal proceedings begin after UK refuses to ditch plans to override Brexit divorce deal. Also: Kremlin critic Navalny blames Putin for poisoning, and scientists say people who have a certain gene inherited from Neanderthals are more at risk from Covid-19. | Listen |
| Nagorno-Karabakh: Turkey denies sending Syrian mercenaries to fight | |
| The battle in Nagorno-Karabakh, between Azerbaijan and Armenian separatists, is just the latest in a decades-long struggle for control of the region. Also, China and Russia react to the chaotic US presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. And, from pop concerts to professional wrestling, fans are being asked to keep their mouths shut, to stop the spread of the coronavirus. | Listen |
| Presidential debate: Trump and Biden in chaotic encounter | |
| President Trump and Joe Biden have held a bitter and angry White House debate. They argued fiercely over Coronavirus, the economy, healthcare and far-Right extremism. Also, senior figures in India's governing BJP found not guilty of inciting Hindu extremists to demolish mosque, and why some experts think the world needs to drastically change its diet. | Listen |
| US presidential debate | |
| Donald Trump and Joe Biden clash in a chaotic and combative debate. We hear from Cleveland, Ohio, where this first election debate is taking place and have analysis from our reality check correspondent. Also: the young people born and raised in Italy who are fighting for their right to citizenship, and could keeping exotic pets lead to their extinction? | Listen |
| UN holds emergency meeting about Azerbaijan and Armenia | |
| Dozens have been killed as the violence between the countries escalates. Also: a horrific rape case in India has once again raised questions about women's rights and the caste system, and more people are keeping exotic reptiles as pets than previously thought...but could it lead to their extinction? | Listen |
| Global coronavirus deaths pass one million | |
| The US, Brazil and India account for nearly half the total. Experts say the true figure is probably much higher. Also: Amnesty International says it has been forced to stop work in India, could emergency teams soon be using jetpacks to get to patients, and how the fashion world is adapting designs for the Covid era. | Listen |
| WHO to give cheap, quick coronavirus tests to poorer countries | |
| They cost 5 dollars and give results in less than 30 minutes. Also: fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia escalates; and a pigeon that went missing 24 years ago in New Zealand has finally come home. | Listen |
| India passes six million coronavirus cases | |
| It comes on the day eighty-two thousand new cases were reported. We look at where the pandemic is heading there. Also: why the English football league system could be facing financial collapse, and we hear from the veteran naturalist and now Instagram king, David Attenborough. | Listen |
| New York Times says Donald Trump 'paid $750 in federal income taxes' in 2016 | |
| The newspaper says it has obtained tax records for the US president over two decades. Mr Trump denied the report as "totally fake news". Also: Armenia and Azerbaijan battle over disputed region. | Listen |
| Trump picks Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court | |
| The nomination of a conservative judge paves the way for a bitter Senate fight as an election looms. Also: Madrid at "serious risk" without virus lockdown, and NASA is working with a cosmetics company on space station commercialization. | Listen |
| Trump 'to pick Amy Coney Barrett' for Supreme Court | |
| The judge and former law professor from Indiana is a favourite of social conservatives. Also: Paris stabbing attack 'an act of terrorism', and polio vaccination campaigners in Pakistan battle misinformation and distrust. | Listen |
| Paris attack: Two hurt, two arrested near former Charlie Hebdo office | |
| One of the arrested suspects was found with blood on his clothing, according to a police source. Also: Farmers in India are blocking roads and railways using tractors and livestock during protests and the elite rat saving lives by sniffing out landmines | Listen |
| Vatican cardinal resigns unexpectedly | |
| Cardinal Becciu became involved in a controversial deal to buy a luxury building in London. He denies any wrongdoing. Also: the US Republican leader has said there will be an "orderly" post presidential election transition, and how lockdown birds sang to a different note. | Listen |
| UK chancellor announces new job support scheme | |
| It begins in November and means the government will pay part of workers? wages who have lost hours because of the coronavirus pandemic. Also: South Korea has condemned North Korea's killing of a civilian official who was apparently trying to defect as unforgivable, and we look at some of the contenders for the Mercury music prize. | Listen |
| Protests in Kentucky after Grand Jury decision | |
| Grand jury decides not to charge police officers over fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor; mass protests in Belarus after Alexander Lukashenko is secretly sworn in for another term as president; and why Africa is seeing a sustained fall in the number of new coronavirus infections. | Listen |
| EU proposes new migration rules | |
| All countries will have to take in refugees or sponsor the return of those refused asylum. Also: the Russian opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, has been discharged from hospital where he was being treated for Novichok nerve agent poisoning, and a Grammy-nominated singer is building a high-tech city in Senegal with its own cryptocurrency. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: US death toll passes 200,000 | |
| President Trump's administration has been repeatedly criticised over its handling of the virus. In March, President Trump said if deaths were between 100,000 and 200,000, the country would have done a "very good job". Also: police forces around the world seize more than 6.5 million dollars in cash and virtual currencies, as well as drugs and guns in a co-ordinated raid on dark web marketplaces, and NASA announces a plan for the first woman on the Moon by 2024 as a staging post for the first human mission to Mars. | Listen |
| China tycoon critical of Xi gets 18 years in jail | |
| Ren Zhiqiang went missing earlier this year after writing an essay said to be critical of President Xi. Also: Arctic sea-ice shrinks to a near record low extent, and the Italian university accused of fixing a language exam for the footballer Luis Suarez. | Listen |
| 10pm curfew for English pubs and restaurants | |
| Order comes as scientists increase the UK's coronavirus alert level. Also: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's last dictated message to her grand-daughter, Twitter's apparent racial bias and China's Hollywood propaganda videos. | Listen |
| 'Be brave', Svetlana Tikhanovskaya tells the EU | |
| The Belarusian opposition leader wants the EU to impose sanctions against President Lukashenko and senior officials. Also: a global poll shows the world is split on the urgency of tackling climate change, and the big winners at the virtual Emmys. | Listen |
| Leaks show scale of bank laundering | |
| BBC investigation reveals how criminals were helped to move dirty money around the world. Also: reprieve for We Chat after US judge blocks Trump ban order, hundreds protest against Madrid lockdowns and Gore-Tex creator dies. | Listen |
| When will the next US Supreme Court judge be nominated? | |
| Washington is split over who will take the position, following Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death. Also: a former British diplomat is being investigated for allegedly spying on the EU for China, and frozen ground in Siberia is thawing and contributing to climate change. | Listen |
| WHO warns pandemic is not going away anytime soon | |
| It comes as Israel returns to a nationwide lockdown and several countries tighten restrictions. Also: the US will ban downloads of the Chinese-owned apps, TikTok and WeChat, from Sunday, and seven footprints found in an Arabian desert may change the timeline of human history. | Listen |
| Israel marks Jewish New Year with 2nd Covid-19 lockdown | |
| Israel is trying to tackle the surge in coronavirus cases, with a new three-week lockdown. Also: China military drill as US envoy visits Taiwan, and an alligator on gas snaps up Ig Nobel prize. | Listen |
| Global coronavirus cases top 30 million | |
| The 30 million landmark comes as the World Health Organisation warns about the situation in Europe. Also: Fires devastate the world's largest wetland, and hear about the incredible life of the female secret agent who is said to have inspired the creator of James Bond. | Listen |
| China defends its mass 're-education' policies in Xinjiang | |
| China says millions of workers --mostly Muslim Uighurs -- have been retrained in centres, which the US has likened to concentration camps. Also: WHO warns of "very serious situation" regarding Covid-19 in Europe, and what are the bizarre new stunts included in the latest Guinness World Records? | Listen |
| Lamine Diack: Former head of World Athletics found guilty of corruption and jailed | |
| The ex-head of athletics? governing body was convicted of accepting bribes from athletes suspected of doping to cover up test results and letting them continue competing, including in the 2012 London Olympics. Also: Venezuela says the UN report which accuses its government of systematic violations to suppress political opponents is riddled with falsehoods, and an artificial intelligence-powered ship aiming to recreate a historic voyage from 400 years ago. | Listen |
| Venezuela: UN investigators accuse government of crimes against humanity | |
| UN Human Rights Council looked into cases of killings, torture, and disappearances. Investigators say President Maduro and other top officials were implicated. Also, top intergovernmental group says global economy is doing better than expected, and should we all learn to appreciate statistics more ? | Listen |
| Israel signs diplomatic accord with UAE and Bahrain | |
| It was signed at the White House with President Trump. He hailed the dawn of a new Middle East. Also: India passes five million coronavirus cases - we hear how families are suffering, and the TV ad which overshadowed a reality star appearance on ?Dancing With the Stars?. | Listen |
| Poisoned Navalny ?will return to Russia? | |
| The Russian opposition leader posts on social media that he's getting better. A photo showed him sitting up in his Berlin hospital bed, surrounded by his wife and children. Also: new figures suggest China's economy is recovering from the pandemic, and hip hop fans prepare to bid on memorabilia at Sotheby?s in New York. | Listen |
| Evidence that Venus may harbour life | |
| Scientists discover a gas in the atmosphere of Venus that may have been produced by living organisms. Also: Climate change takes centre stage in the US presidential race, and the enduring appeal of Pinocchio, the tale of the wooden puppet who wants to be a real boy. | Listen |
| Belarus: UN calls for investigation of torture allegations | |
| Belarusians protesting against President Alexander Lukashenko have allegedly been kidnapped and beaten by security forces. Also, Yoshihide Suga is expected to be sworn in as Japan?s next prime minister, after being selected as leader of the governing Liberal Democratic Party. And one of the most powerful men in football ? Nasser Al Khelaifi ? goes on trial over the sale of World Cup television rights. | Listen |
| Belarus: Thousands rally against President Lukashenko | |
| More than 100,000 anti-government protestors took to the streets of Minsk. Also: Israel announces a new national lockdown to contain a surge in coronavirus infections, and a permanent migrant reception centre is to be built on the Greek island of Lesbos. | Listen |
| Afghan government urges ceasefire with Taliban | |
| At peace talks in Qatar, the Afghan delegation said war had no winners. Also: Pompeo in Cyprus warns US "deeply concerned" over Turkey energy search, and British designer, Sir Terence Conran, dies aged 88. | Listen |
| Bahrain says it is normalising ties with Israel | |
| Bahrain is only the fourth Arab country in the Middle East to recognise Israel. Also: dozens of people missing in Oregon fires; migrants and Greek islanders protest over new camp. | Listen |
| Moria: European Commission says migrant camp will be rebuilt after huge fire | |
| EC's Vice-president says burnt-out camp to be replaced by modern facility on same site. Residents of Moria camp have staged protest calling for right to leave island of Lesbos. Also, Rio Tinto's boss to quit over company's destruction of Aboriginal sacred sites, and we meet a man who reads out confessions of dead people at their own funerals. | Listen |
| EU ultimatum to UK over Brexit talks | |
| The UK is told to drop plans to rewrite the withdrawal agreement by end of the month or risk scuppering the trade deal. Also: Microsoft says Russia, China and Iran hackers are targeting Trump and Biden, and the British actress Dame Diana Rigg dies aged 82. | Listen |
| Greek ships to help shelter 13,000 migrants after camp burned | |
| A blaze engulfed Moria camp on Tuesday night, then another wiped out any remaining tents on Wednesday. Also: The opposition politician in Belarus told she would be deported ?alive or in bits? and backlash in China after attempts to bring in couples counselling before marriage. | Listen |
| Trump accused of deliberately misleading US on Covid-19 | |
| The remark is contained in a book by the journalist, Bob Woodward, who broke the Watergate scandal. Also: Greek fire sparks race to shelter 13,000 migrants, and scientists develop a technique to spot fake Scotch whisky without opening the bottle. | Listen |
| Fire destroys Greece's largest migrant camp | |
| A huge fire has ravaged the Moria facility on the island of Lesbos. Thousands of migrants have been left homeless. Also, efforts to make the Oscars more diverse, and how one man developed a friendship with an octopus. | Listen |
| US protests: Rochester police leaders resign en masse | |
| Pressure is growing in Rochester over the death of a black man named Daniel Prude, who asphyxiated after being restrained by police. Also, Italy?s fashion industry grapples with racism. And, how will taking photos of broccoli today help scientists study space tomorrow? | Listen |
| Belarus: Lukashenko admits being in power too long | |
| The long term leader has told Russian media he won't be stepping down despite weeks of protests. Meanwhile Belarus opposition leader resists deportation. Also: the floods threatening Sudan's ancient ruins, and why Senegal has been praised for its handling of the coronavirus. | Listen |
| Russia's Alexei Navalny out of coma after poisoning | |
| Doctors treating Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny say he is out of an induced coma and his condition, since being poisoned, has improved. Also: A Saudi court commutes the death sentences of those convicted of murdering the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and Afghan officials and the Taliban prepare for formal talks in Qatar. | Listen |
| Belarus opposition leader reportedly abducted | |
| Witnesses say Maria Kolesnikova was bundled into a minibus by masked men and driven away. Also: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appears in a London court to fight a US extradition request, and Nigerian doctors go on strike. | Listen |
| Belarus: Protesters gather for the fourth week in a row | |
| More than 100,000 anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in Minsk. Also: India now has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, and Jacob Blake sends his first public message from a hospital bed. | Listen |
| Rohingya refugees: Bangladesh plans to move thousands to an island | |
| Many refugees are reluctant to move to Bhashan Char island, even if it means leaving the crowded camps where they now live. Also, soldiers in Niger are accused of executing dozens of civilians earlier this year. And India introduces coronavirus tests on demand, as its outbreak surges. | Listen |
| US unemployment falls again - good news for Trump? | |
| US unemployment rate below 10% for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, also:Iran breached limits of nuclear agreement says UN watchdog and Messi stays with Barça | Listen |
| Islamic State: Giant library of group's online propaganda discovered | |
| Researchers find one of largest collections of IS online material. Experts say it enables group to continually replenish extremist content on the net. Also, Dutch far-Right politician Geert Wilders cleared of inciting hatred, and US academic says she lied about being black. | Listen |
| Biden speaks to Jacob Blake on Wisconsin visit | |
| The US Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, says the shooting victim told him he "won't give up". Also: Beirut rescuers investigate signs of life in rubble, and English Premier League terminates huge China TV rights deal. | Listen |
| Tycoon cleared of murders that rocked Slovakia | |
| The killing of the investigative journalist, Jan Kuciak, and his fiancée in 2018 led to protests and the collapse of the government. Also: President Trump tells voters in North Carolina to vote twice to test the system, and Brazil's men and women international football players get equal pay. | Listen |
| Russia's Navalny 'poisoned with Novichok' | |
| The German chancellor Angela Merkel says Alexei Navalny was a victim of attempted murder. Also: US sanctions staff at top war crimes court, and Prince Harry and Meghan to make shows with Netflix. | Listen |
| Charlie Hebdo: 14 suspects on trial over deadly Paris attacks | |
| Suspects are accused of helping radical Islamists who killed 12 people in January 2015. Most of alleged accomplices are in court in Paris but 3 are being tried in absentia. Also, scepticism in Lebanon about official investigation into Beirut blast, and how Earth is rattled after 7 billion years by signals from black holes' collision. | Listen |
| Trump visits Kenosha to back police after shooting | |
| The US president blames what he calls "domestic terror" for the "destruction" in the Midwestern city. Also: Zimbabwe to return farmland seized from foreigners; and with a changing world, Dictionary.com changes its definitions of many words. | Listen |
| Charlie Hebdo magazine republishes Mohammed cartoons | |
| Alleged accomplices to the deadly attack on the magazine go on trial on Wednesday. Twelve people were killed in 2015 including famous cartoonists. Also: students in Belarus protest against President Lukashenko on the first day of the university term. And, K-Pop conquers the US charts. | Listen |
| US election: Biden accuses 'weak' Trump of stoking violence | |
| The Democratic Party's candidate for the US presidency Joe Biden has challenged President Trump on law and order, asking voters if they feel safe with a leader who can?t control his supporters. Also: Australia says China has detained a prominent journalist without charge, and new figures show the Indian economy has been devastated by the pandemic. | Listen |
| Historic Israeli flight arrives in UAE | |
| The direct flight marks a major step in normalising ties between Israel and the Gulf Arab country. Also: Sudan 'on road to peace' after a deal is signed, and artificial intelligence is being trialled in Australia to improve the safety of female travellers at night. | Listen |
| Belarus: Mass rally keeps pressure on Lukashenko | |
| Tens of thousands again take to the streets in Belarus to protest against President Alexander Lukashenko. Also: the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says there have been unpublicised talks with many more Arab countries about improving ties. And India and Russia declared joint winners at Chess Olympiad. | Listen |
| Belarus: Journalists covering protests stripped of accreditation | |
| Several thousand women in Belarus have rallied in central Minsk for a ?March of Solidarity?, urging President Lukashenko and the government to resign. Also: German police have arrested hundreds of people demonstrating in Berlin against coronavirus restrictions, and hundreds of migrants are rescued from a ship funded by the British graffiti artist Banksy. | Listen |
| Thousands of Americans gather in Washington to protest against racism | |
| The rally was held on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. Also: the outspoken head of Russia's anti-doping agency has been fired, and how a children's cartoon is helping a lonely penguin in Australia. | Listen |
| Shinzo Abe: Japan's PM resigns for health reasons | |
| Longest-serving Japanese PM has suffered for many years from ulcerative colitis. He will remain in his post until a successor is chosen. Also, Trump tells Republican convention that Biden will 'demolish' the American dream if he becomes president, and UK honours World War 2 heroine Noor Inayat Khan. | Listen |
| Trump brands NBA a "political" organisation | |
| US president was responding to players' walkout over police violence. Also: Four die as Hurricane Laura batters US Gulf coast; Russian police 'on standby' to enter Belarus; and the world's most expensive sheep. | Listen |
| 'Catastrophic' hurricane Laura lashes Louisiana | |
| The storm, one of the strongest to hit the US Gulf coast, has caused flash flooding and power cuts. Also: the wearing of facemasks in public is to be made compulsory in Paris because of Covid-19, and the London Symphony Orchestra comes out of lockdown and begins rehearsing again. | Listen |
| Teenager charged over Wisconsin protesters' deaths | |
| The two people were killed following the police shooting of a black man. Also: Mladic denounces UN court in genocide appeal, and the doctor who says a safe social distance is eight metres. | Listen |
| Jacob Blake: Two shot dead during third night of unrest in Kenosha | |
| Violence continues in city in Wisconsin following police shooting of a black man. Jacob Blake was shot by officers on Sunday in the presence of his children. Also, Melania Trump makes plea for racial harmony at Republican party convention, and deadly flash-floods hit northern Afghanistan. | Listen |
| Africa declared free of wild polio in 'milestone' | |
| Nigeria is now rid of wild polio despite having more than half of all cases a decade ago - a major success in efforts to eradicate the disease. Also: The family of an unarmed black man shot by police in Wisconsin say he is paralysed from the waist down, and the captain of the Manchester United football club is found guilty of attempting to bribe a Greek police officer. | Listen |
| Ratko Mladic appeals against genocide conviction | |
| The court hearing has already been delayed by the ex-Bosnian Serb commander's health issues and the coronavirus pandemic. Also: Gaza imposes lockdown following first Covid-19 cases, and researchers find method to regrow cartilage in arthritic mice. | Listen |
| US Election: Republican Party nominates Donald Trump as its presidential candidate | |
| At the event, President Trump told the crowd that this was the most important election in the history of the country. Also: Scientists in Hong Kong say they have confirmed the first reinfection of the coronavirus, and an Israeli teenager discovers a jar filled with gold coins at an archaeological site. | Listen |
| Belarus holds opposition figures after mass rally | |
| The latest detentions come amid a border row with neighbouring Lithuania. Also: Christchurch gunman 'planned third mosque attack', and are full stops intimidating? | Listen |
| Belarus: Opposition holds mass rally in Minsk despite ban | |
| President Lukashenko has vowed to crush unrest and blamed the dissent on unnamed "foreign-backed revolutionaries". Also: US President Donald Trump's eldest sister says her brother is a liar who "has no principles", secret recordings reveal, and in football Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint Germain to be crowned champions of Europe for a sixth time. | Listen |
| NATO rejects Belarus claim of border threat | |
| Claims by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that "foreign powers" are organising a build-up of troops on the country's border are baseless, says NATO. Also: The World Health Organisation says children over 12 years old should wear masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus, and violence in Ivory Coast as President Alassane Ouattara is nominated for a third term in office. | Listen |
| Russian doctors allow Navalny to go to Germany | |
| They had earlier said the Kremlin critic, in a coma in Omsk, was too ill to be moved for treatment in Germany. They relented after appeals by his family and aides, who said Mr Navalny?s life was in danger in Russia. Also: Libya's rival authorities announce a ceasefire, and the man known as the Golden State Killer is sentenced to life in prison. | Listen |
| Alexei Navalny's wife appeals to Putin to let her husband be flown abroad for treatment | |
| Russian doctors say prominent opposition figure is too ill to be taken to Germany. Navalny's supporters believe he's been poisoned. Also, Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya urges followers to continue defying government, and Lebanese singer Mika organises concert to raise money for his homeland. | Listen |
| Steve Bannon charged with fraud over Mexico wall funds | |
| Mr Bannon, once one of President Trump's most trusted advisers, was arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a Mexican border wall. He denied the charge in court in New York. Also: scientists say the loss of ice in Greenland has reached "unprecedented" levels, and why singing is no more likely to transmit Covid-19 than talking - unless you do it loudly. | Listen |
| Russian opposition leader 'fights for life' | |
| A prominent Putin opponent, Alexei Navalny, is unconscious after a suspected poisoning. Also: Barack Obama makes his most scathing attack on President Trump so far, and British scientists develop a new method of administering radiotherapy that they say could revolutionise the treatment of breast cancer. | Listen |
| UN joins global condemnation of Mali coup | |
| President Keita was forced to resign after being detained by soldiers. Also: Belarus leader orders clampdown on unrest, and 'walkies' could become the law for German dog owners. | Listen |
| Mali: Soldiers promise elections after ousting President | |
| Troops have pledged to set up a civilian transitional government and hold elections. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita resigned on Tuesday night after a coup that?s been widely condemned by the international community. Also, Joe Biden is named as US Democratic candidate for presidency, and India?s Supreme Court orders probe into death of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput. | Listen |
| Mali president seized by mutinying soldiers | |
| France and regional bloc Ecowas have condemned the mutiny that began with gunfire early on Tuesday. Also: US postal service halts controversial changes, and fans flock to save Elsa - Berlin's cheeky wild boar. | Listen |
| Guilty verdict over assassination of Lebanon ex-PM | |
| One of four men accused of killing Rafik Hariri in Beirut in 2005 has been convicted by a special UN-backed court. The judges said Salim Ayyash had a central role in the murder. Also: shots are fired inside a military base in Mali and, a lost species is rediscovered in the wilds of Djibouti, Africa. | Listen |
| Protests continue in Belarus | |
| Opposition protestors in Belarus have held a ninth night of protests against the leadership of Alexander Lukashenko. Also: US Democrats set for virtual political show piece, and the Indian classical vocalist, Pandit Jasraj, has died aged ninety. | Listen |
| Belarus: striking workers boo the president as his authoritarian rule hangs in the balance | |
| Lukashenko's main challenger says she's ready to become the transitional leader. Also: the Democrat convention gets underway in the US city of Milwaukee, and can Jesus Christ make theatres work during the pandemic? | Listen |
| Mass protest eclipses Belarus leader's rally | |
| Protestors keep up pressure over disputed elections, as President Lukashenko calls opponents "rats". Also: New Zealand delays election over coronavirus fears, and a gardener claims a new speed record in a motorised wheelbarrow. | Listen |
| Belarus: President Lukashenko claims he has Russian support against protests | |
| The man called ?Europe?s last dictator? asks for Vladimir Putin?s help, as anti-government demonstrations gain momentum. Meanwhile, international leaders mark Victory in Japan Day, and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. And a restaurant in China is forced to apologise, after telling its patrons to weigh themselves before ordering. | Listen |
| Pressure grows on Belarusian president to resign | |
| Alexander Lukashenko?s opponents say his regime?s ?hours are numbered? after five days of anti-government protest. Meanwhile, the leader of Hezbollah threatens to take action if Israel is responsible for last week?s devastating explosion in Beirut. And we look at the US government?s censorship of climate scientists. | Listen |
| Belarus: 'Widespread torture' inflicted on jailed protesters | |
| Freed detainees have given details of beatings during days in custody that Amnesty International said suggested "torture" on a significant scale. Also: The president of Mozambique, visits a province where the army is fighting Islamist insurgents, and the latest move against the murder hornets. | Listen |
| Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to fully normalise relations | |
| The deal involves Israel suspending its plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Also: Washington suspends all private charter flights to Cuba, and DNA analysis of the Siberian woolly rhino gives new clues to the reason for its extinction. | Listen |
| Women form ?solidarity chains? in Belarus protests | |
| Many dressed in white as they called for an end to police brutality. Several strikes have also been reported at state-owned factories in protest against President Lukashenko. Also: the Chinese president launches a clean plate campaign to reduce food waste, and why Donald Trump is demanding more powerful showers. | Listen |
| Harris joins Biden at first event as running mate | |
| Joe Biden has formally introduced Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential pick at a rally in Delaware. Senator Harris said four years of Donald Trump's presidency had left America 'in tatters'. Also in this edition: Beirut?s broken hospitals ? and the day Margaret Thatcher came face-to-face with the BBC?s African Service. | Listen |
| Belarus: police clash with demonstrators for third night | |
| Violence reported in Minsk and several other cities. A BBC crew has been attacked by police, who've been accused of brutality. Also, UK slides into recession due to impact of pandemic, and how prehistoric humans worked together to find food and share it. | Listen |
| Biden picks Kamala Harris as running mate | |
| The former California attorney-general had long been considered the front runner for the role. Also: opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya fled Belarus "for sake of her children", and Mauritius fears a stranded ship that is leaking oil may "break in two". | Listen |
| Global Covid-19 cases top 20 million | |
| Russia approves its own vaccine for use, but international experts are sceptical. Also: The main opposition candidate flees Belarus for 'sake of her children', and Benin restores statues to slave traders. | Listen |
| Lebanon cabinet resigns as anger over blast mounts | |
| The Lebanese prime minister announced the move in a TV address as clashes continued in Beirut for a third day. Also: Trump says someone shot near White House, and the website that creates the sounds of the office for those working from home. | Listen |
| Belarus opposition disputes leader's landslide win | |
| President Lukashenko accuses foreign-inspired agitators of sparking violence. Also: HK tycoon arrested under security law, and the poem published 100 years late. | Listen |
| Clashes erupt after disputed Belarus election | |
| A state TV exit poll showed a victory for President Alexander Lukashenko but the opposition cried foul. Also: more protests in Beirut as international donors pledge aid, and who owned the old pair of round rimmed spectacles that are now up for auction? | Listen |
| Lebanese army retakes government buildings stormed by protestors | |
| The demonstrators in Beirut had earlier entered government ministries venting their anger at politicians who they blame for Tuesday's devastating explosion. Also: President Trump signs executive orders extending Covid-19 economic relief, and an oil spill in Mauritius is threatening an ecological disaster. | Listen |
| Air India jet breaks in two in Kerala | |
| The Boeing 737 was repatriating Indians stranded overseas by the coronavirus crisis. Also: US imposes sanctions on Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, and the British Foreign office cat Palmerston retires to the countryside. | Listen |
| Beirut explosion: many Lebanese blame government negligence | |
| Rescue-workers search for dozens still reported missing after Tuesday's deadly blast. The UN has warned of a humanitarian crisis and is promising emergency supplies. Also, how Covid-19 has affected tourism in city that was at heart of Italian Renaissance, and why music festival is going ahead on Greek island - despite virus restrictions. | Listen |
| New York sues America's powerful National Rifle Association | |
| New York?s attorney general Letitia James alleges financial misconduct in the organisation. She accuses NRA leaders of using its funds for their personal benefit. Also: President Macron of France has promised to co-ordinate an international aid effort for Lebanon, and in the Channel Island of Guernsey police try a novel recruitment campaign. | Listen |
| President Macron says political change is needed in Lebanon | |
| The French President made the comments on a visit to an area devastated by the explosion. Also: tougher internal border restrictions are being introduced in Australia to curb the spread of Covid-19, and social media networks push back against President Trump after he says children are "almost immune" to the coronavirus. | Listen |
| Anger in Beirut at failure to prevent devastating explosion | |
| The governing elite of Lebanon is coming under unprecedented attack after an explosion in the capital on Tuesday, which killed at least 135 people. Also: emergency departments in the US state of Mississippi are overflowing with Covid-19 patients, and the French Government pledges millions of dollars to save the country's wine industry. | Listen |
| Rescue workers in Beirut search for missing bodies after explosion | |
| The blast killed more than 100 people and injured thousands. Also: Indian prime minister lays the foundation stone for a Hindu temple on a long-disputed religious site, and why there are more emperor penguins in the Antarctic than we previously thought. | Listen |
| Beirut blasts: Dozens dead and thousands injured in unexplained explosions | |
| At least 78 people are dead and around 4,000 injured. Also: the BBC gets a rare look inside a Chinese ?re-education? camp for Uighur muslims and hears accounts of torture, and the man who found out aged 24 that his father was the world famous drug lord, Pablo Escobar. | Listen |
| Hefty fines for lockdown rule-breakers in Australia | |
| On-the-spot fines of more than 3 thousand US dollars for breaking isolation rules in the Australian state of Victoria, as military and police get tough with dissenters. Also: fears that new ID rules for voting in Ghana could deter some voters, and in Italy a Grand Slam great interrupts girls playing rooftop tennis. | Listen |
| Spain's ex-King Juan Carlos leaves the country | |
| This comes weeks after the embattled former King was linked to an inquiry into alleged corruption. Also: red card for footballers caught deliberately coughing, and other mammals lose out in panda conservative drive. | Listen |
| Iran cover-up of Covid-19 deaths revealed | |
| A BBC investigation has found almost three times the number of reported deaths. Also: we hear from Zimbabwe where a doctor says, despite capacity, staff shortages mean she's turning Covid-infected patients away, and could the staunchly conservative US state of Kansas turn Democrat? | Listen |
| NASA astronauts make landmark splashdown | |
| The SpaceX capsule touched down off Florida, in the first crewed US water landing in 45 years. Also: top US Democrat rounds on virus chief Birx, and New Zealand's most popular albatross chick needs a name. | Listen |
| Facebook forced to block pro-Bolsonaro accounts | |
| The social media giant vows to appeal against the Brazilian Supreme Court ruling. Also: TikTok "here for the long run" in the US after president Trump said he would ban it, and Japan's Kabukiza theatre reopens. | Listen |
| WHO head says pandemic will be felt for decades | |
| Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says there will be no return to the 'old normal' soon. Also: Maxwell-Epstein emails shown in new court papers, and the 100th Salzburg Music Festival opens this weekend. | Listen |
| Hong Kong postpones elections by year due to 'virus concerns' | |
| Government says delay in parliamentary elections is due to rise in Covid-19 infections. But opposition accuses authorities of using pandemic as excuse to prevent people from voting. Also, Eurozone suffers its worst economic contraction on record due to Coronavirus, and a website that lets you see the view from other people's windows across the world. | Listen |
| Threat to delay US presidential election | |
| President Trump suggests delaying the US election. Also: Switzerland launches criminal proceedings against the president of FIFA, and a new app to help people treat sleeplessness. | Listen |
| Hong Kong bars 12 opposition candidates from election | |
| The government said the candidates were not fit to run for office. Also: The German economy suffers its biggest quarterly fall since records began, and the world?s largest frog- known as the ?wrinkly scrotum? frog is under threat because of human consumption. | Listen |
| US tech giants face Congress grilling | |
| Facebook, Apple, Google and Amazon have appeared before Washington lawmakers to defend their firms against claims they abuse their power to quash competitors. Also: the chief organiser of the Tokyo Olympics hopes they will take place next year - but can't rule out another delay, and an enduring mystery from one of Britain's most famous archaeological sites, Stonehenge, appears to have been solved. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: 'Large-scale' coronavirus outbreak looming, says city's leader | |
| Carrie Lam urges people to stay indoors and says hospital system could face 'collapse'. But pro-democracy protestors unconvinced by reports that outbreak means local elections should be postponed. Also, drastically scaled-down Hajj pilgrimage begins in Saudi Arabia, and how fugitive Mexican drug-lord built his own private hospital. | Listen |
| US Attorney General defends deploying federal agents to Portland | |
| In heated testimony to Congress, William Barr said protesters in Portland, Oregon, were committing "an assault on the government of the United States". Democrats accuse Mr Barr of trying to aid the president's re-election campaign. Also: leaders in Western Europe warn of a second wave of the coronavirus, and there is positive news for tiger populations in the wild. | Listen |
| Construction starts for the world?s largest nuclear fusion reactor in France | |
| French President Emmanuel Macron praised the international venture as a project for the future of humanity. He delivered a video address at a ceremony to mark the start of the assembly of the ITER reactor. Also: the former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is sentenced to 12 years in prison for corruption charges linked to the 1MDB scandal, and why people are abandoning their dogs post-lockdown. | Listen |
| Netanyahu accuses Hezbollah of trying to infiltrate Israel | |
| Israeli PM says army shot at Hezbollah fighters to stop them crossing the border. Also: WHO calls Covid-19 the most severe global health emergency it?s ever seen, and the music inspired by the 1984 universal declaration of human rights. | Listen |
| Alarm over Vietnam?s first coronavirus cases in months | |
| The city of Da Nang has been closed to tourists to contain a new Covid-19 outbreak. Hundreds of flights have been laid on to take thousands of domestic tourists home. Also: Egypt jails TikTok users over ?indecent? videos, and the Japanese designer of some of David Bowie?s most famous outfits has died. | Listen |
| Hollywood star Olivia de Havilland dies aged 104 | |
| Her career spanned more than fifty years and she was the last surviving star of Gone with the Wind. Also: US diplomats to leave Chengdu consulate, and the Martian meteorite that is returning home. | Listen |
| UK brings back 14-day quarantine for Spain | |
| The decision came following a spike in coronavirus cases in Spain. Also: Poland to leave treaty on violence against women, and Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green dies aged 73. | Listen |
| British PM says his government could have done things differently regarding Covid-19 | |
| Boris Johnson says there are "open questions" about whether the coronavirus lockdown came too late. Also: Trump signs order to lower the price of prescription drugs, and journalists resign over press freedom at Hungary's independent news site, Index. | Listen |
| Hagia Sophia: Muslim Friday prayers held as former museum becomes mosque again | |
| President Erdogan attends first Friday prayers held in historic building since 1934. The decision to turn Hagia Sophia - a former cathedral - back into a mosque has been criticised worldwide. Also, China orders closure of US consulate in Chengdu after Washington shuts down Chinese consulate in Texas, and Iraqi militiamen help bury the bodies as their country's Covid 19 death-toll rises steeply. | Listen |
| US Congresswoman denounces colleague's 'sexist slur' | |
| "I am someone's daughter," says Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Also: Russia accused of firing satellite weapon in space, and a letter by King George VI to his speech therapist has been sold at auction. | Listen |
| US accuses China of spying | |
| The US says a fugitive is hiding in China's San Francisco consulate. Also: The experiment to find out if singers are vulnerable to Covid-19, and China launches a mission to Mars. | Listen |
| Trump to send 'surge' of federal agents to cities | |
| Chicago and two other Democratic-run cities are being targeted in the Republican president's move, amid a spike in violence. Also, top editor of Hungary's leading independent news website sacked, and coronavirus - cracking the secrets of how bats survive viruses. | Listen |
| US orders China to close consulate in Houston | |
| Washington says Chinese consulate in Texas must be closed by Friday 24th July. Beijing says this is a 'political provocation'. Also, Twitter bans accounts linked to QAnon conspiracy-theory, and how a producer is turning songs of endangered bird species into music. | Listen |
| US accuses China of Covid-19 vaccine hack | |
| American authorities have charged two Chinese nationals in the alleged theft of information from medical, software and defence companies. Also, a standoff in Ukraine ends peacefully after the president gives in to a hostage-taker?s strange demand. And the smallest village in Italy celebrates its first birth in eight years. | Listen |
| UK 'actively avoided' investigating Russian threat | |
| MPs say the government didn't want to know if Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum. Also: How poaching is threatening half the world's mountain gorillas, and Zoom weddings in Nigeria. | Listen |
| Oxford coronavirus vaccine trial shows promise | |
| A vaccine developed by Oxford University appears safe and triggers an immune response. But the lead scientist advises caution. Also, as Cuba's currency crisis deepens, state-run shops begin selling some goods in US dollars; and scientists predict that polar bears could be extinct by the end of the century as a result of climate change. | Listen |
| Covid-19 treatment trial described as ?breakthrough? | |
| The results suggest a new treatment reduces the number of patients needing intensive care, according to the UK company that developed it. The treatment uses a protein called interferon beta which the body produces when it gets a viral infection. Also we hear about Gaza?s disturbing cases of suicide, and Kanye West launches his 2020 presidential campaign. | Listen |
| US Covid death toll passes 140.000 | |
| Donald Trump says US coronavirus mortality rate is among the lowest in the world; President Erdogan inspects preparations ahead of Hagia Sophia changing back to a mosque; the United Arab Emirates launches its first ever mission to Mars. | Listen |
| 'Moment of Truth' in EU covid talks | |
| EU leaders hope fresh proposals can end deadlock over covid recovery package; In Russia - thousands more join protests in support of local governor And why smiling while wearing a face mask matters | Listen |
| Fauci says all Americans should wear masks to stop a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases | |
| The US top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, made the comment as the country struggles to control a sustained surge in coronavirus infections. Also: "moment of truth" as EU leaders seek Covid deal, and Captain Tom Moore is knighted in "unique ceremony" after raising millions of pounds for Britain's health service. | Listen |
| India reports over one million cases of Covid 19 | |
| The country's Coronavirus case-load has doubled in last three weeks. Intermittent local lockdowns are likely to be the 'new normal.' Also, EU leaders discuss 800 billion dollar coronavirus recovery-plan but are deeply divided over how to spend it, and US campaign-group wages legal battle for the rights of 'the world?s loneliest elephant.' | Listen |
| Russian hackers 'targeting Covid-19 vaccine research' | |
| Security services have warned that Russian hackers are targeting organisations in the UK, US and Canada. Also: the number of coronavirus cases in Brazil passes two million, and the Solar Orbiter spacecraft takes the closest ever pictures of the Sun. | Listen |
| Court rules Shamima Begum can return to UK to fight for citizenship | |
| Judges in London have ruled that Shamima Begum, who left Britain to support the Islamic State group, can return to challenge a government decision to revoke her UK citizenship. Also: the Twitter accounts of famous celebrities are hacked in a huge social media scam and Donald Trump revamps his campaign team, four months before the November election. | Listen |
| US disease expert Anthony Fauci calls White House attacks "bizarre" | |
| Dr Anthony Fauci described recent efforts by the Trump administration to discredit him as "bizarre" and "nonsense". Also: Ethiopia says Nile reservoir is filling up, and the actor Viola Davis says she betrayed herself in The Help film. | Listen |
| China hits out at US and UK | |
| Beijing criticises recent commercial restrictions imposed by Washington and London. These include US sanctions over new Hong Kong security law, and UK decision not to use Huawei to help build 5G networks. Also, inside South Africa's 'hospitals of horrors' as staff overwhelmed by Covid-19, and researchers predict 'jaw-dropping' fall in global fertility-rates. | Listen |
| US judge denies Ghislaine Maxwell bail | |
| The ex-girlfriend of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been denied bail in a high profile case. Also: Trump signs order targeting China over Hong Kong, and why do your spectacles fog up when wearing a face-covering? | Listen |
| UK bans Chinese tech giant Huawei from 5G network | |
| The British government has confirmed it will exclude the Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G telecoms networks, after the US raised concerns about security. Also: Tensions between India and Nepal increase and California reimposes lockdown measures after a spike in coronavirus cases. | Listen |
| WHO gives a stark warning on coronavirus | |
| The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says too many countries are mishandling the coronavirus pandemic and that defeating public enemy number one is a long way off. Also: after years of campaigning by Native Americans the Washington Redskins cave into pressure to change their name, and the pub in England which has gone to extreme measures to enforce social distancing rules. | Listen |
| China slaps sanctions on top US officials | |
| China has announced sanctions against prominent US politicians who challenged its treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. Also: Some of the world's richest people urge governments to raise taxes on the wealthy, and Manchester City football club overturns a two-year ban from European club competitions. | Listen |
| Covid 19: South Africa reimposes total alcohol ban | |
| The move is to ease pressure on hospitals struggling to cope with a surge in cases. Also: Florida has record number of new infections in any US state, and the care home in Britain which has been lifting lockdown boredom among elderly residents by recreating famous pop music album covers. | Listen |
| Srebrenica: Bosnia marks 25 years since massacre | |
| Present and former world leaders address the ceremonies. Also: tens of thousands of people demonstrate in eastern Russia after the arrest of a regional leader and, how the performing arts in Germany are coping in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. | Listen |
| Turkey turns Hagia Sophia into mosque | |
| President Erdogan signed decree after court ruling, also dramatic rise in deforestation in the Amazon region and the row over facial treatments in the UK | Listen |
| Russia's Foreign Minister says there's growing risk of nuclear confrontation | |
| Sergei Lavrov's warning came in an address to an international conference. The nuclear treaty between US and Russia expires next year, but there are doubts that it will be extended. Also, notorious Indian gangster is killed one day after being arrested over deadly attack on police, and Barbados invites people to come there and work from home. | Listen |
| Supreme Court: Prosecutors can see Trump taxes | |
| But the court ruled this information did not have to be shared with Congress. Also: Missing Seoul mayor found dead, and Egyptian sex attacks prompt law change. | Listen |
| Oxfam: Hunger could be bigger killer than the coronavirus | |
| Disruptions caused by the pandemic may lead to malnutrition in the poorest countries. Also: China says relations with the US are facing their most serious challenge in four decades, and the mayor of the South Korean capital has gone missing. | Listen |
| US exceeds 3 million coronavirus cases | |
| Despite surges in new infections, the White House wants to reopen schools. Also: UN warns Yemen is threatened by famine, and Brazil's president repeats support for antimalarial drug to fight Covid-19. | Listen |
| China opens new security office in Hong Kong | |
| Beijing opens office to enforce stringent new national security laws in the territory. Shortly afterwards, Hong Kong's government bans all political activity in schools. Also, world-famous writers denounce 'cancel culture' as threat to free speech, and test cricket resumes - but with a difference. | Listen |
| Brazil's Bolsonaro tests positive for Covid-19 | |
| The president has repeatedly belittled the risks posed by the virus. Also: FBI director calls China 'greatest threat' to US, and Dutch torture chamber found. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Melbourne returns to lockdown as cases surge | |
| Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews announced the lockdown after the state saw 191 new infections, its highest daily number since the pandemic began. Also, the Chinese-owned app TikTok says it is ending operations in Hong Kong following the introduction of Beijing?s new security law on the city, and two children in the US find a way to travel safely during lockdown. | Listen |
| WHO: More than 70 countries could run out of HIV medicine | |
| A third of those taking anti-retroviral drugs could experience shortages due to Covid-19. Also: UN report on animal-to-human diseases, and is group singing bad for your health? | Listen |
| China warns UK over Hong Kong 'interference' | |
| China has accused the British government of political manipulation after London offered approximately three million Hong Kong residents a path to British citizenship. The man behind one of the world's largest child porn websites is freed from jail in South Korea. The Italian prime minister has led tributes to the composer, Ennio Morricone, who's died at the age of ninety-one. | Listen |
| India overtakes Russia for Covid-19 infections | |
| India becomes the third worst affected nation in the world, after the US and Brazil. Also: another local lockdown in Spain, and Lewis Hamilton takes a knee as F1 returns, but some drivers choose not to join him. | Listen |
| Trump 4 July message: We're beating 'China plague' | |
| The president claims the US is on course to overcome the coronavirus, despite a soaring infection rate that has dampened Independence Day celebrations across the nation. Also: pubs across England have begun serving customers again after more than three months in lockdown, and a key witness in a case against Argentina's former president has been found dead. | Listen |
| WHO warns Covid-19 vaccine 'unlikely' this year | |
| Dr Mike Ryan said it was unwise to make predictions. Also: Brazil's president sanctions new law making face coverings obligatory in public and a state in Florida introduces a curfew after rise in coronavirus cases. | Listen |
| Khashoggi: Turkey begins trial of 20 Saudis in absentia | |
| Two of the Saudi nationals on trial over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are former senior aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Also, centre-right mayor Jean Castex is named as the French PM after Edouard Philippe?s resignation, and how residents of US care home found pen-pals across the world. | Listen |
| Epstein ex girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell charged | |
| The British socialite is accused of grooming underage girls for the late sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein. She has previously denied wrongdoing. Also: Texas governor mandates the wearing of face masks, and no, a human year isn't equivalent to 7 "dog years". | Listen |
| Myanmar jade mine landslide kills more than 100 | |
| A wave of mud and rock was triggered by heavy rain in Kachin state. Also: hundreds arrested after police in Europe crack EncroChat, and a man from Argentina sails solo across the Atlantic to reach his family during lockdown. | Listen |
| Early results show Putin strongly backed in reform vote | |
| Victory would allow the Russian president to stay in power until 2036. Also: California closes bars and indoor dining after Covid-19 spike, and the core of a gas planet is seen for the first time. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: First arrests made under new 'anti-protest' law | |
| Police seize dozens of demonstrators under new law imposed by Beijing. Pro-democracy protests were held to mark 23 years since end of British rule. Also, Russians vote in referendum which could give President Putin another 16 years in office, and why residents of a US city are urged to 'walk with Shawn'. | Listen |
| Fauci warns of 100,000 US Covid-19 cases per day | |
| The US infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, has said that unless the country manages to control the spread of the coronavirus, the infection rate could more than double to 100,000 cases a day from its current level of 40,000. Also: an explosion and a fire at a hospital in the Iranian capital has killed a number of people, and koalas face extinction in New South Wales. | Listen |
| China approves controversial Security Law. | |
| Chinese president, Xi Jinping, signs security law providing new powers over Hong Kong; The King of Belgium has issued an unprecedented statement of regret for atrocities inflicted during colonial times in Congo; New research into child development says there is one crucial thing parents can do to improve the future temperament of their offspring... | Listen |
| WHO says worst could be 'yet to come' in Covid-19 pandemic | |
| The World Health Organization's chief says the pandemic is "not even close to being over". Also: lockdown tightened in English city of Leicester over Covid-19 surge, and critical Boeing 737 Max test flights begin. | Listen |
| France: Former PM Francois Fillon and wife given jail sentences over fake jobs | |
| Court finds Fillon guilty of paying wife $1.3 million dollars for work she never did. The couple are appealing against the sentences. Also, gunmen carry out deadly attack on Pakistan's stock exchange, and a 'Wild West' village goes on sale in New Zealand. | Listen |
| Trump tweets clip of supporter yelling 'white power' | |
| The video showed the president's supporters and opponents hurling abuse at one another. His spokesman said he hadn't heard the 'white power' comment. Also: A US hospital at 'breaking point', and art masterpieces on TikTok. | Listen |
| Malawi opposition leader wins historic poll rerun | |
| Lazarus Chakwera got nearly 60% of the vote to defeat the incumbent and become president. Also: Infections surge in reopened US sun belt states, and the psychology of queuing in lockdown. | Listen |
| Two US states go back into lockdown | |
| The states of Florida and Texas are in lockdown again, as cases of the coronavirus surge. Also: The Pakistani government says it's starting criminal proceedings against almost thirty pilots, and archaeologists excavate the first Viking ship found in Norway in more than a hundred years. | Listen |
| UK: PM speaks out over danger of 'serious spike' in coronavirus cases | |
| Boris Johnson issues warning after huge crowds flocked to beaches on Thursday. Ministers say UK beaches could be closed if infections rise. Also, Prince Charles urges world to live in harmony with nature in response to pandemic, and NASA starts competition to design a toilet for astronauts. | Listen |
| WHO warns of COVID-19 resurgence in Europe | |
| Global health officials say the infection rate is already increasing in multiple countries that have relaxed their lockdowns. Also, one month after the killing of George Floyd, an unprecedented number of Black women are running for political office in the state where he died. And Pakistan grounds 150 airline pilots, saying they had fake licenses. | Listen |
| Russians vote on Putin's reforms to constitution | |
| The ballot is being held despite a growing number of coronavirus cases. DR Congo's deadliest Ebola outbreak declared over. Preventing a plague - fighting Kenya's locusts. | Listen |
| IMF warns world economy faces grim pandemic hit | |
| Millions of jobs at risk as new forecast slashes 12 trillion dollars over next two years. Also: New York imposes quarantine restrictions on nine US states with high rates of coronavirus infection; Kosovo?s president faces indictment on war crimes; and remembering the Korean War, seventy years on. | Listen |
| Russia stages WW2 victory parade in shadow of pandemic | |
| Huge military parade in Moscow was postponed from 9th May due to coronavirus. President Putin rescheduled celebrations ahead of key constitutional vote which could give him two more terms in power. Also, how pandemic forces women to seek backstreet abortions, and the much-hyped Segway 2-wheeler ceases production after 19 years. | Listen |
| Rayshard Brooks' funeral takes place in Atlanta | |
| The 27-year-old black man was fatally shot by police in the city. Also: a judge in Brazil has ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a mask in public or face a daily fine, and Li Zhensheng - a Chinese photographer who documented the horror and violence of China's Cultural Revolution - has died in the United States | Listen |
| British PM announces significant easing of lockdown | |
| Boris Johnson told parliament that the two-metre social distancing rule would be reduced to one metre where necessary. Newborn Mexican triplets test positive in 'unprecedented' coronavirus case. A snub to the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK. | Listen |
| US designates another four Chinese media outlets as 'foreign missions' | |
| The Trump administration has placed new restrictions on more Chinese state-run media outlets that have operations in the US, in a sign of worsening tensions between the two countries. Also: Saudi Arabia bars international Hajj pilgrims, and the Hollywood director, Joel Schumacher, whose films included St Elmo's Fire and two Batman sequels, has died at the age of 80. | Listen |
| 'Record deadly week' for Afghan army | |
| The Taliban is accused of killing almost three hundred security forces. Brazil becomes the second country to pass 50,000 Coronavirus deaths. Wirecard missing millions may not exist. | Listen |
| Trump campaign rejects low turnout manipulation | |
| A teen social media campaign claimed to have caused a lower-than-expected turnout at a Trump rally. Also: Somali soldiers end protest over unpaid salaries, and discovering a 1968 concert recording of the jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. | Listen |
| Crowds attend Trump rally despite virus fears | |
| The US president held his first rally since March in Tulsa, when the US coronavirus lockdown began. Also, a number of people have been stabbed in a park in southern England, and Pakistan is bracing itself for an attack of locusts. | Listen |
| Trump's Oklahoma rally can go ahead | |
| Court says Donald Trump's campaign rally, his first in months, can go ahead in Tulsa. Also, waste water study finds, Coronavirus Virus already in Italy by December, and the BBC speaks to Russia's top spy. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: EU leaders discuss recovery fund | |
| Talks held on bailout package worth over $800 billion. Further discussions to take place in July. Also, how Lombardy became known as 'the Wuhan of the West', and new awards ceremony celebrates African-American theatre talent. | Listen |
| Trump's bid to end Obama-era immigration policy ruled unlawful | |
| The Supreme Court decision comes at the same time as Facebook saying it has removed adverts Mr Trump's re-election campaign that featured a symbol used in Nazi Germany. Also: China is reported to have released ten Indian soldiers, three days after a brutal border clash, and we speak to a Kenyan born musician in Minneapolis about living in the city where George Floyd was killed. | Listen |
| EU top court rules against Hungary's NGO law | |
| The EU's highest court strikes down a Hungarian law restricting foreign funding of NGOs. The European Court of Justice said the restrictions violated fundamental rights and the free movement of capital. Also, what is the true death toll of the coronavirus pandemic? and Dame Vera Lynn, who entertained British troops during the Second World War, has died aged 103. | Listen |
| Rayshard Brooks shooting: US policeman could face death penalty | |
| The case comes amid US protests over police killings of black Americans. Also: The former US national security adviser says President Trump asked for help from China to help him get re-elected, and how to avoid 'stranger danger' in a post COVID world. | Listen |
| India-China clash: Narendra Modi says his country will respond if provoked | |
| Indian PM addresses nation as 20 Indian soldiers reported killed in border-skirmish. China has not released casualty-figures for its own troops. Also, Facebook bans all foreign adverts ahead of US presidential election to prevent political interference, and English Premier League football is back - after 100 days of lockdown. | Listen |
| India - China border dispute claims lives | |
| It is the first deadly skirmish in decades between the two regional powers. Also: UK scientists say dexamethasone - a widely available drug - dramatically lowered the mortality rates in patients with severe Covid-19 symptoms, and Royal Ascot gets underway without horse-racing fans because of coronavirus restrictions. | Listen |
| North Korea blows up joint liaison office with the South | |
| Seoul has warned that if the situation with the North worsens it will react strongly. Indian soldiers are killed in a clash with Chinese forces. A German neo-Nazi has gone on trial in Frankfurt accused of murdering a politician for being sympathetic to migrants. | Listen |
| US Supreme Court backs protection for LGBT workers | |
| The court has ruled that workplace law protects gay and transgender employees. Also: Beijing tightens controls to tackle a spike in Covid-19, and the spacecraft Solar Orbiter has made its first close approach to the Sun. | Listen |
| US 'outraged' by Russian prison sentence for Paul Whelan | |
| State secrets or just holiday photos - what was on a computer flash drive found in the Moscow hotel room of a former US Marine? 'Deadly police brutality' in the battle against coronavirus in Kenya. France's ancient burial brotherhood defies Covid-19. | Listen |
| France lifts curbs for 'summer unlike any other' | |
| President Emmanuel Macron proclaimed that France had won its "first victory" against coronavirus. Also: UN "appalled" by twin jihadist attacks in Nigeria, and the Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput dies aged 34. | Listen |
| Protestors clash with police in central London | |
| The British PM said "racist thuggery has no place on our streets". Also: French police clash with anti-racism activists, and the Dalai Lama says "compassion and humanity important during coronavirus pandemic". | Listen |
| Brazil has 2nd highest death toll | |
| With nearly 42,000 deaths, President Bolsonaro continues to play down Covid-19. Also: New York State governor sets police reform deadline, and how organised crime benefits from coronavirus. | Listen |
| UK economy in record slump due to Coronavirus | |
| British GDP fell by 20.4% in April - the largest fall since monthly records began in 1997. Contraction is three times greater than decline during all of 2008-9 economic downturn. Also, Myanmar army battles new Buddhist insurgency in Rakhine state, and how will Indian film industry be affected by release of first major Bollywood movie to go straight to small screen ? | Listen |
| America's top military officer says sorry for Trump photo op | |
| General Milley says he made a "mistake" by accompanying Trump during anti-racism protests in Washington DC, and being photographed in combat uniform as part of Mr Trump's entourage raised perceptions of military involvement in domestic politics. Also: the happy and sometimes sad stories of babies born in Ukraine to surrogate mothers and destined to grow up abroad, and during the lockdown Queen Elizabeth uses video conferencing technology to congratulate young carers in Britain. | Listen |
| US: Confederate statues torn down | |
| Anti-racism protesters tear down statues of Confederate leaders in the US. China-Australia diplomatic row escalates as Beijing asks students not to visit Australia, and a grizzly bear thought to have died, is sighted in Yellowstone National Park in the US with four cubs. | Listen |
| George Floyd death: 'Stop the pain', brother tells US Congress | |
| Philonise Floyd told a House hearing that his brother George should not become "another name on a list". Also: A British scientist says the UK could have halved its coronavirus deaths if it had brought in lockdown a week earlier, and a lost Banksy paying homage to the Paris terror attack has resurfaced in another country. | Listen |
| Sweden: Investigators name man they believe killed PM Olof Palme in 1986 | |
| Prosecutors say graphic designer Stig Engstrom shot dead former PM in Stockholm street. Engstrom killed himself in 2000, and investigation is now closed. Also, OECD warns of 'dire' outlook for virus-hit global economy, and film classic 'Gone With the Wind' is removed from HBO Max due to portrayal of African-Americans. | Listen |
| Powerful calls for racial justice at the funeral in Texas of George Floyd | |
| His killing by a white policeman sparked protests around the world. Also, the president of Burundi dies shortly before leaving office, and the largesse of the Chechen leader. | Listen |
| Mourners gather in Houston for George Floyd funeral | |
| The US presidential hopeful, Joe Biden, has said he thinks the death of George Floyd - the unarmed black man killed by police - will mark a turning point for the world. India's Supreme Court orders the Government to transport millions of migrant workers home.The hotline goes cold between North and South Korea. | Listen |
| Pandemic pushes US into official recession | |
| Economists say America's economic expansion ended in February but markets remain on the upswing. Also: George Floyd murder suspect's bail set at $1.25m, and UAE's first Mars mission "to launch within weeks". | Listen |
| Indian economy reopens, despite surge in coronavirus infections | |
| India begins the most significant easing of coronavirus restrictions since the start of lockdown. The tourists swapping coronavirus lockdown for Sweden. US Rocky Mountain treasure worth $1m found after decade-long hunt. | Listen |
| Trump withdraws National Guard from Washington | |
| In a tweet, the US president said everything in the city was under perfect control. Also: protestors in UK tear down a statue amid anti-racism demos, and trying to find love in lockdown dating. | Listen |
| Thousands protest against racism in Washington | |
| Rallies took place in US capital as protests sparked by George Floyd's death continue. Also: thousands took part in demonstrations across the UK -- in defiance of appeals to stay at home because of coronavirus, and safaris go virtual as Covid-19 hits tourism. | Listen |
| California and Minnesota are to restrict police officers from using chokeholds following the death of George Floyd | |
| There's growing anger at the levels of violence meted out in the policing of the demonstrations sparked by George Floyd's death. Also: a French minister claims the leader of Al- Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has been killed in Mali, and the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra has given its first live performance since the coronavirus lockdown. | Listen |
| Australia: Court bans Black Lives Matter march due to coronavirus | |
| Court bans protest that was planned for Sydney, saying it poses Covid-19 health risk. But organisers say they're determined to go ahead with march. Also, scientists say 2020 had hottest May ever recorded, and the Samoan ruby team that left home 104 days ago and still hasn't returned, | Listen |
| Memorial service for George Floyd | |
| Mourners heard that a 'pandemic of racism' had caused the African-American's death. Also: Iran's second coronavirus spike, and why the French are turning wine into sanitiser. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: Thousands defy ban to attend Tiananmen vigil | |
| Officers erected barricades around the city's Victoria Park, but protesters knocked them down and held candlelit gatherings.In Libya, the government regains full control of Tripoli from General Haftar. The US city of Minneapolis prepares to hold a memorial service for George Floyd. | Listen |
| George Floyd death: New charges for all four sacked officers | |
| The charge against Derek Chauvin has been elevated to second-degree murder, while three of his colleagues now face abetting charges. The family of Mr Floyd called the move a significant step on the road to justice. Also, scientists say identifying and stopping so-called 'superspreaders' will be key to tackling the coronavirus pandemic. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: China accuses UK of ?gross interference? | |
| Beijing hits out after Britain criticises plans to impose new security law in Hong Kong. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman says the UK should give up what he called ?its colonial state of mind.? Also, further protests held across US but violence falls, and Cyclone Nisarga makes landfall near Mumbai. | Listen |
| Thousands march through George Floyd's hometown | |
| His family members were among the tens of thousands of people protesting in Houston, Texas. The continued violence in the US has prompted international concern. Also, scientists say the blood of someone with coronavirus could provide clues as to how ill they are likely to become. | Listen |
| George Floyd violence continues after Trump's army threat | |
| President Trump has been criticised for threatening to use military force to end the unrest. TV, radio and music industries mark 'Blackout Tuesday'. Germany divided as states lift coronavirus lockdown. | Listen |
| Trump calls on state governors to be tough over protests | |
| President's call comes as protests across the United States continue, also: new ebola cases in the DRC and what to do about smombies? | Listen |
| US George Floyd death: Violence continues on sixth day of protests | |
| Unrest over the death in police custody of an unarmed black man has now spread to 75 cities across the United States. Police in Hong Kong ban a vigil for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. A glimmer of hope for the world's rarest primate. | Listen |
| Protests erupt in the US for a sixth day over the death of a black man in police custody | |
| Almost a week after George Floyd died as a police officer knelt on his neck, there?ve been fresh demonstrations in dozens of American cities. One sacked officer is due in court today charged with third degree murder. Also: Brazil records the world's fourth highest coronavirus death toll; and a privately built rocket delivers two American astronauts to the International Space Station. | Listen |
| Minnesota governor says protests ?no longer? about Floyd death | |
| Minnesota fully mobilises the National Guard as it and other US cities prepare for more unrest. Also: private SpaceX rocket takes astronauts to space station, and 12-year-old Keedron Bryant?s song about Floyd death goes viral. | Listen |
| A police officer is charged with murder in Minneapolis | |
| Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on George Floyd's neck for several minutes before he died. Also: President Trump says he is ending Washington's relationship with the World Health Organisation, and the Self-Isolation choir prepares to perform Handel's Messiah despite the lockdown. | Listen |
| US: Protestors set fire to police station in Minneapolis | |
| Station attacked on third night of protests over death of black man in police custody. President Trump described demonstrators as 'thugs' and called on National Guard to restore order. Also, Philippines reports rise in online child abuse during lockdown, and how two men in Australia broke into wrong house during 'fantasy role play'. | Listen |
| Trump signs order targeting social media giants | |
| The US president's move follows a decision by Twitter to add a "fact-check" notice to his tweets. Also: Moscow more than doubles Covid-19 death tolls, and scientists in Peru discover a population of Chinchilla rats -- thought to have been extinct. | Listen |
| China passes controversial Hong Kong law | |
| The law allows China's intelligence agencies to be present in the territory. Also: Workers protest at plans to close Nissan factory in Spain, and the spike in coronavirus cases in South Korea. | Listen |
| US coronavirus deaths top 100,000 | |
| The United States has seen more deaths and infections than any other country. Also: top Huawei executive suffers US extradition ruling, and the big day for Nasa and SpaceX hindered by the weather. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: Police use force to disperse new wave of protests | |
| Police arrest hundreds of demonstrators angry over new laws planned by Beijing. These include a bill penalising any insult against the Chinese national anthem, and new security measures. Also, a warning that Coronavirus crisis may affect young people throughout their working lives, and a Pakistani pigeon is held by India on charges of spying. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Is Latin America the new epicentre? | |
| Brazil is now second only to the US in the number of confirmed cases and the rate of infection is increasing. Also: how billions of years of evolution is under threat from humans, and JK Rowling reveals her first non-Harry Potter children's book. | Listen |
| Hong Kong leader dismisses concerns over security law | |
| Carrie Lam says the new law proposed by China will protect the law-abiding majority. Critics say it will curtail civil rights. Also: Egypt doctors accuse government over medics' deaths and Stanley Ho, Hong Kong's 'King of Gambling' dies aged 98. | Listen |
| WHO suspends testing of malaria drug for Covid-19 patients | |
| Testing of hydroxychloroquine was put on hold due to safety concerns. Some public figures including President Trump had suggested it could work against Covid-19. Also: the British Prime Minister' chief advisor has said he has no regrets about travelling several hundred kilometres during the coronavirus lockdown, and security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir say they have a pigeon in custody on suspicion of spying for Pakistan. | Listen |
| Japan lifts Covid-19 State of Emergency | |
| Japan's Prime Minister ends Tokyo's seven-week long coronavirus state of emergency; A German pensioner wins a landmark court case against the carmaker Volkswagen, and a very special guitar goes on sale | Listen |
| Israel?s Prime Minister stands trial over corruption charges | |
| Israel's longest serving Prime Minister has become the first holder of that office to stand trial in a criminal case while still in power. Also: Protests return to Hong Kong as China plans to ban what it calls "treason, secession, sedition and subversion?, and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defends his senior aide after claims he broke lockdown rules. | Listen |
| Afghan Taliban announce Eid ceasefire | |
| Three-day truce with government forces timed to coincide with Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan. The move has been welcomed by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Also: Myanmar tries to convince the world it's turned its back on what's been dubbed a textbook case of ethnic cleansing; and the end of the road for the octogenarian reptile known as ?Hitler?s alligator?. | Listen |
| Trump declares houses of worship 'essential' amid the pandemic | |
| President Trump has told US state governors they must immediately reopen places of worship. Also: quarantine plans for UK arrivals revealed, and the African music star Mory Kanté dies aged 70 | Listen |
| Pakistan: Passenger plane crashes in Karachi | |
| Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying 99 people crashes in residential area. A major rescue-operation is underway to find survivors. Also, how middle-class New Yorkers are relying on food-banks as US unemployment soars, and why bumble-bees are much cleverer than we'd realised. | Listen |
| China proposes controversial Hong Kong security law | |
| The law could ban what Beijing defines as subversion and sedition, and may spark new social unrest. Also: US pulling out of 'Open Skies' arms control deal, and what did two school boys discover in an attic in rural France? | Listen |
| Cyclone wrecks Kolkata and leaves scores dead | |
| Amphan struck land on Wednesday, lashing coastal areas with ferocious wind and rain. Also: Facebook to 'take down' coronavirus misinformation, and Spandau Ballet and a $10K riddle. | Listen |
| Brazil approves anti-malarial drugs to treat Covid-19 despite warnings | |
| President Jair Bolsonaro has promoted the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. Also: Greece to start tourist season in mid-June, and the spiral twist leading to the birth of a planet. | Listen |
| Cyclone Amphan makes landfall in India and Bangladesh | |
| Millions of people have been evacuated before arrival of super-cyclone. Storm is forecast to cause huge waves, ferocious winds and torrential rains. Also, Taiwan's re-elected president demands that China learn to coexist with the island, and will the French have to give up their traditional greeting kiss ? | Listen |
| Climate change: Huge daily drop in CO2 during lockdowns | |
| Scientists warn that the reduction is likely to be temporary, as people around the world return to work. Also: the head of the WHO defends its role in the coronavirus pandemic, and in China, a son is reunited with his parents - 32 years after being abducted. | Listen |
| Trump lashes out again at the WHO | |
| President Trump accuses the WHO of being a 'puppet of China'. Also: TikTok appoints a new boss from Disney, and why the Getty Museum in LA now has a toilet paper genre. | Listen |
| President Trump taking unproven drug to ward off Covid-19 | |
| US president says he?s taking hydroxychloroquine despite medical warnings about its safety. Also: US firm reports promising early results in its vaccine trial, and a Ghanaian war veteran aims to follow in Colonel Tom Moore?s fundraising footsteps. | Listen |
| Italian business reopens after months of lockdown | |
| Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Greece and Poland are also further relaxing restrictions imposed because of Covid19. China backs a virus inquiry but not until after the pandemic. In Hong Kong, parliamentary mayhem as lawmakers are dragged out of the chamber. | Listen |
| Israel swears in unity government after long crisis | |
| Benjamin Netanyahu will serve for another 18 months as prime minister under the new deal. Also: Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah have signed a power-sharing agreement, and Brazil struggles to cope with a surge in coronavirus infections. | Listen |
| European football resumes after the coronavirus shutdown | |
| The German Bundesliga matches took place in crowd-free stadiums. Also, a man suspected of involvement in the Rwandan genocide has been arrested in France, and the former US president, Barack Obama, has delivered a scathing attack on the Trump administration. | Listen |
| Second Brazil health minister quits in a month | |
| Nelson Teich resigned after disagreements with President Jair Bolsonaro, who opposes lockdown measures. Also: Trump outlines plans for coronavirus vaccine, and the Beatles photographer Astrid Kirchherr dies aged 81. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: police watchdog clears officers over crackdown | |
| Official report largely exonerates police over handling of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The report's welcomed by the territory's leader Carrie Lam, but opposition groups dismiss it as a whitewash, Also, a warning that Covid-19 could kill nearly 200,000 across Africa, and does the pandemic mean that spontaneous socialising is a thing of the past ? | Listen |
| Yemen sees ?surge? in coronavirus deaths | |
| There are reports of a huge rise in people dying with coronavirus-like symptoms in the city of Aden. Also: a former top health official says the US risks its ?darkest winter in modern history?, and the Hollywood actor Matt Damon breaks Irish lockdown cover with a surprise radio call. | Listen |
| State of emergency lifted in most of Japan | |
| Covid-19 infections have fallen in much of the country, but the Japanese prime minister has urged the public to be vigilant. Also: shops, parks and cafes reopen in New Zealand, and scientists in Australia say they've found a way to make coral more heat-resistant. | Listen |
| US accuses China of hacking coronavirus research | |
| The FBI said it had seen hacking attempts on groups researching vaccines, treatments and testing. Also: the Chilean government is to impose a total lockdown across the capital, Santiago on Friday, following a spike in the number of coronavirus infections, and two giant pandas from a zoo in Canada are being sent home to China early because of a shortage of bamboo. | Listen |
| China responds to new Coronavirus clusters | |
| Small groups of new infections reported in Wuhan city and Jilin province. These come as China eased its restrictions in recent weeks. Also, EU's executive outlines plans to gradually lift borders and restart tourism, and how moths play 'secret role' - as vital pollinators of wide range of plants. | Listen |
| Fauci warns of 'needless suffering and death' | |
| The top infectious diseases doctor in the United States has warned senators the virus will spread if the country opens up too soon. Also: the British government is extending its coronavirus job retention scheme until October, but businesses will be asked to pick up some of the costs, and a New York law firm acting for many celebrities says hackers have stolen vast amounts of documents and are demanding ransom. | Listen |
| Gunmen storm Afghanistan maternity hospital | |
| Two babies among those killed in an attack on a hospital in the Afghan capital. Also: The Chinese city of Wuhan is drawing up plans to test its entire population of 11 million people for Covid-19, and celebrating the cancelled Eurovision Song Contest on the day the semi-finals should have been performed. | Listen |
| Russia to ease its coronavirus lockdown despite a record number of new infections | |
| President Vladimir Putin's decision comes after Russia registered a record number of daily cases on Monday. Also: The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defends his plan to relax restrictions in England, and White House staff told to wear masks at work after high-profile infections. | Listen |
| Coronavirus restrictions eased across Europe | |
| Many businesses and shops are starting up again. The British government publishes a detailed strategy after initial plans for a relaxation of lockdown in England is criticised for a lack of clarity. And the Chinese city of Wuhan reports a new virus cluster. | Listen |
| Special: Postcards from Isolation | |
| In this special edition of the Global News Podcast, we share your experiences of isolation and quarantine during the pandemic. Whether its music, nature, craft or doing good deeds, there?s lots of inspiring tales and tips from across the globe. And we?ll pick some of the most intriguing contributors to have a longer chat with, as Jackie Leonard learns more about life in lockdown. | Listen |
| British Prime Minister announces easing of coronavirus lockdown | |
| Boris Johnson signals 'a change of emphasis' on the rules. Also: Italy ends earlier release of senior mafia figures from jail, and has the pandemic brought an end to kissing? | Listen |
| Obama describes Trump's handling of pandemic as 'chaotic' | |
| In a leaked web call Obama said Trump had only been thinking about what was in it for him. Also: one of the kings of rock and roll - Little Richard - is dead, and British-based airlines are told that a 14-day quarantine period is likely to be imposed for almost everybody arriving in the UK. | Listen |
| Queen Elizabeth marks 75th VE Day anniversary with a televised address | |
| The queen said the message of VE day was never give up, never despair, also Gurkhas rescue British tourists stranded in Nepal, and a renaissance of bartering in Fiji. | Listen |
| VE Day: Europe marks 75th anniversary amid coronavirus lockdown | |
| Nations across Europe hold low-key ceremonies on anniversary of Nazi Germany's surrender. Celebrations are small-scale due to lockdown measures. Also, WHO warns it could take at least a year to determine exact origins of Covid-19, and Germany bans use of 'gay conversion therapy' on children. | Listen |
| Charges dropped against former Trump adviser | |
| Michael Flynn had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI shortly before Donald Trump took office. Now the Justice Department is dropping the charges against Mr Trump?s former national security adviser. Also: Paris faces continuing curbs as France plans to relax its coronavirus restrictions from Monday; and marking seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War in Europe. | Listen |
| 13 Dead and hundreds injured in Indian gas leak. | |
| There's been a leak of poisonous gas in India. At least thirteen people have died; After a record daily coronavirus death toll in Brazil, there's growing criticism of president Bolsonaro, and how joining video calls when working from home during the lockdown can be fraught with danger. | Listen |
| Germany is easing lockdown restrictions | |
| Shops and schools are reopening and the German football league will restart next week. Also: China refuses to allow international experts into the country to investigate the origins of the virus, and how one Danish musician held a drive-in concert amid the lockdown. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: A warning that EU faces 'worst economic crisis since 1930s' | |
| A new forecast says the European Union faces a 'deep and uneven recession'. European Commission says this could be worst downturn since the Great Depression. Also, Joe Biden demands justice over killing of unarmed black man in US state of Georgia, and how pandemic is harming Africa's lucrative tourist trade. | Listen |
| White House plans to disband coronavirus task force | |
| US Vice-President says the task force may wind down by the end of the month. Also: UK overtakes Italy to have the highest number of officially recorded coronavirus deaths in Europe, and Chinese Olympic champion Sun Yang tries to overturn an eight year doping ban. | Listen |
| India records biggest daily jump in infections and deaths | |
| It's the 4th day of rising figures and comes as India continues to ease its lockdown; also: evidence emerges that Covid-19 was present in France in December, and what next for the US film industry which has been crippled by the lockdown? | Listen |
| World leaders pledge billions for vaccine development | |
| More than $8 billion has been pledged to develop a vaccine and fund research into the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the money would help kickstart global co-operation. Also: scientists have discovered a microbe that completely protects mosquitoes from being infected with malaria, and the US has said it wants to borrow a record $3 trillion in the second quarter, to cope with the economic fallout from COVID-19. | Listen |
| Italy begins to relax its lockdown | |
| Italy has started easing some of the restrictions it introduced to curb the coronavirus. The number of deaths there is at its lowest since the lockdown began 2 months ago. Also, virtual conference attempts to raise $7.5 billion to combat the virus, and young people in the US use music to express their feelings about the lockdown. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Europe passes 100,000 deaths, but the outbreak is slowing | |
| Italy and Spain both reported the lowest number of daily fatalities since their lockdowns began - at under 200. Also: Russia records its biggest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases and the city of Madrid finds a novel way for some residents to go to the cinema together. | Listen |
| Spain eases lockdown and allows adults out to exercise | |
| The Spanish PM says people will have to wear facemasks on public transport. Also: India orders workers to use an app that traces the infection, and the blood plasma trials to treat patients with coronavirus. | Listen |
| India extends its lockdown for two more weeks | |
| The restrictions have slowed the infections, but brought hardship to millions. Also: Canada bans military-grade assault weapons, and the US presidential contender, Joe Biden, denies allegations of sexual assault. | Listen |
| UN's chief: Lack of global co-ordination enabled virus to spread | |
| UN Secretary-General says he's 'shocked but not surprised' by global response to pandemic. Antonio Guterres also hit out at criticism of the World Health Organisation. Also, Sudan criminalises female genital mutilation, and Tony Allen - the 'world's greatest drummer' - dies aged 79. | Listen |
| Trump says he?s seen evidence that coronavirus came from Chinese lab | |
| President Trump says he's seen evidence linking the coronavirus to a laboratory in Wuhan in China. Also: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has gone to hospital after he was diagnosed with coronavirus, and Britain celebrates the 100th birthday of the Second World War veteran and master fundraiser Captain Tom. | Listen |
| Steep rise in daily Covid-19 infections in Russia. | |
| The number of coronavirus cases in Russia has now passed the one-hundred-thousand mark and a-thousand people have died, France suffers its worst economic downturn in decades, due to the pandemic and the global lockdown is affecting how we sleep, with people reporting unusually vivid and strange dreams. | Listen |
| Hope grows for coronavirus drug breakthrough | |
| The United States' top infectious diseases expert says the trial of an antiviral drug to treat Covid-19 has produced promising results. Dr Anthony Fauci said tests suggested the drug remdesivir could cut patient recovery times. Also: the world of film mourns the Indian actor, Irrfan Khan; and hugs are back ? at least for Swiss grandparents. | Listen |
| China angry over Australian PM Scott Morrison's call for coronavirus inquiry | |
| Morrison says it's 'entirely reasonable and sensible' to find out how pandemic began. His comments have generated anger among Chinese leadership. Also, US economy sees worst slump in over a decade, and remembering Irrfan Khan - Indian film actor who became global star. | Listen |
| Number of coronavirus cases in US passes one million | |
| President Trump says milestone was passed because US was carrying out so many tests, also: France will start lifting restrictions in 2 weeks, and how to dial a hymn. | Listen |
| IRC says 'one billion' could become infected with Covid-19 | |
| The International Rescue Committee said financial and humanitarian aid were needed to help slow the global spread of the virus. Also: BP profits dive 66% as coronavirus hits oil demand, and the hills are alive in a small English village. | Listen |
| The WHO says its coronavirus warnings were ignored | |
| The World Health Organization insists that it gave the United States and the rest of the world the right advice on dealing with Covid-19 following stinging criticism from President Trump. Also: the rabbi in New York helping families who can't be at the graveside for Jewish burials, and the Dutch teenagers and their teachers who sailed across the Atlantic to get home during the pandemic. | Listen |
| British PM Boris Johnson is back at work after recovering from Covid-19 | |
| Mr Johnson says he will not endanger lives by relaxing coronavirus lockdown measures in UK too soon. Also: schools are reopening in some of China's biggest cities, after a lengthy closure during the pandemic, and we hear from the Gruffalo illustrator helping children understand the coronavirus. | Listen |
| Italy to ease some lockdown restrictions from early May | |
| Italian bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeaways from May 4, also: Spanish children enjoy first day outdoors in weeks, and the challenges of home schooling | Listen |
| Worldwide Covid-19 death toll climbs to 200,000 | |
| The worst hit countries so far have been the United States, Italy, Spain, France and Britain. Also: the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to return to work on Monday after recovering from the virus, and Colombian police capture a top drug-trafficking suspect after he held a lavish party in breach of the lockdown. | Listen |
| US coronavirus deaths surge past 50k | |
| The grim news comes as parts of the US reopen after weeks of lockdown. Also: the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro defends his actions, after the explosive resignation of his justice minister; and after raising millions of dollars for charity, 99 year old 'Captain Tom' becomes the oldest person to have a number one single in the UK music charts. | Listen |
| Outcry after Trump suggests injecting disinfectant | |
| Trump also appeared to propose irradiating patients' bodies with UV light. Also: the 30th anniversary of Hubble, and the toilet roll hoarder told to "bog off." | Listen |
| Syria civil war: Germany holds unprecedented state torture trial | |
| Two suspects are on trial in the first case worldwide examining the use of torture under Syria's regime. Also: the latest on the coronavirus pandemic as the US warns it might never resume its funding of the WHO, and children in Spain get an apology from the government after being confined to their homes for weeks during lockdown. | Listen |
| China denies a cover up over Coronavirus | |
| The Chinese ambassador to London said blaming and scapegoating were futile. Also: there are concerns Japan's healthcare system could become overwhelmed after a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases, and the Zoom video conferencing app enhances security after so called "Zoom bombing" incidents, where uninvited guests crash meetings. | Listen |
| Worrying upward trends in virus cases, warns WHO | |
| The head of the World Health Organization singles out Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Also: we hear from the French pastor who's received death threats over his decision to hold a church gathering, coronavirus sniffer dogs and Roger Federer's tennis merger plan | Listen |
| Spain debates lockdown extension | |
| It has been one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Also: the World Bank warns of a huge drop in the sums of money migrant workers are sending home, and Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it's launched a military satellite into space. | Listen |
| Trump says he will suspend immigration for sixty days | |
| President Trump has said he will temporarily halt immigration into the United States for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency, a move that he said would protect American jobs during the coronavirus crisis. Also: oil price falls to 18-year low as turmoil persists, and Oktoberfest in Germany cancelled due to coronavirus outbreak. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Immigration to US to be suspended amid pandemic | |
| President Trump has said he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend all immigration to the US because of the coronavirus. Also: Indonesia bans Ramadan exodus over Covid-19 fears, and Kim Jong-un illness rumours denied amid intense speculation. | Listen |
| US oil prices turn negative as demand dries up | |
| Coronavirus downturn has put major pressure on oil prices with demand slumping and storage running out. Also: Netanyahu and Gantz sign Israel coalition deal, and Thailand reports cleaner seas as a result of less tourism due to the pandemic. | Listen |
| India eases virus restrictions | |
| India is allowing millions of people to return to work such as farmers and construction workers, but most people will remain at home in the world?s biggest coronavirus lockdown. Also: an investigation into the alleged exploitation of migrant workers in Spain and how nature and wildlife are pushing back. | Listen |
| Cuomo says NY state to test thousands for Covid-19 antibodies | |
| The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, said the test had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Also: Turkey has overtaken China as the Asian country with the most coronavirus cases, and in search of global sounds while in isolation. | Listen |
| Trump says some US states 'to begin a safe, gradual and phased opening' | |
| The US president said Texas and Vermont would allow certain businesses to open on Monday with "appropriate social distancing precautions". Also: Spanish PM promises to ease confinement of children, and One World music event pays tribute to health workers. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: President Trump ?incites? protests against lockdowns | |
| The tweets followed mainly right-wing protests in several states calling on governors to relax stay-at-home orders so they can resume normal activities. Also: The World Health Organisation has cast doubt on the usefulness of antibody tests for COVID-19, and an expert gives tips on how to be happy during this pandemic. | Listen |
| China increases official coronavirus death toll in Wuhan by 50% | |
| China has been accused of downplaying the severity of its virus outbreak. Also, Germany?s health minister says the month-long lockdown has brought his country?s Covid-19 outbreak under control. And, three astronauts return to a very different Earth they left last year. | Listen |
| Trump?s guidelines for reopening the US economy | |
| President Donald Trump proposes a three-phase lifting of the lockdown. Also, Brazil?s Health Minister is sacked; and in India hundreds attend a bull?s funeral. | Listen |
| EU offers heartfelt apology to Italy over coronavirus | |
| Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio welcomed Ms von der Leyen's comments, calling them "an important act of truth". Also, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announces a boost to its Covid-19 relief fund. And, the Queen of Denmark celebrates her 80th birthday. | Listen |
| The WHO regrets President Trump's decision to halt US funding | |
| Head of WHO calls for unity in the fight against coronavirus. Also: The G-20 suspends debt repayments to help the world's poorest countries, and a Second World War veteran smashes his own record. | Listen |
| Trump faces international anger over ?dangerous? decision to freeze global health funding | |
| The US is by far the World Health Organisation's biggest contributor. Also: Nurseries and primary schools have reopened across Denmark, with young children being kept further apart than usual, and the Canadian who is the worldwide self-isolation champion sailing the world alone during the pandemic. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: 'World faces worst recession since Great Depression' | |
| The IMF?s latest forecasts for the global economy see massive hits from COVID-19 lockdowns. Also: President Trump is suspending US funding for the World Health Organization, and Amazon is ordered to deliver only essential items in France. | Listen |
| India: doctors say Covid-19 death toll much worse than reported | |
| Lockdown is extended as doctors say far more people have died than figures say; also President Trump hits out at media as he is accused of not having done enough to stop the spread of the disease, and the extraordinary story of the reluctant French aviator who ended up having the flight of his life. | Listen |
| Pressure grows to ease coronavirus lockdowns ? but the WHO urges caution | |
| Italy becomes the latest country to relax restrictions ? but Emanuel Macron extends France?s lockdown. Also: the schoolkids helping beat the shortage of personal protective equipment ? and star crossed lovers meet across a street in the city that gave us Romeo and Juliet. | Listen |
| Spain eases some lockdown restrictions | |
| Some factories have resumed work to end 'economic hibernation'; also China steps up controls around its north-eastern border with Russia which has emerged as its new frontline for coronavirus infections, and the bad luck that began even before the Apollo 13 spacecraft blasted off the launch pad in April 1970. | Listen |
| British PM thanks hospital staff after being treated for coronavirus | |
| After leaving hospital, the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, said there was no question the National Health Service had saved his life. Also: Pope Francis calls for global solidarity in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, and Andrea Bocelli live streams a concert from empty cathedral in Milan. | Listen |
| US coronavirus death toll the highest in the world | |
| The governor of the worst affected state, New York -- said the death rate there is stabilising, but at a horrific level. Also: there are concerns in Sweden about its strategy to fight the Covid-19 outbreak. | Listen |
| Number of confirmed deaths from coronavirus worldwide has surpassed 100,000 | |
| Italy has suffered the most deaths, followed by the United States. Lockdowns imposed to limit the spread of the virus have crippled economic activity, and many governments are facing a dilemma on when to start easing restrictions. | Listen |
| New Tokyo measures to tackle Covid-19 | |
| The city's governor has been arguing for tougher restrictions for some time. Also: some Botswana MPs under quarantine go shopping, and Google data charts people on the move during lockdown. | Listen |
| EU agrees ?500bn coronavirus rescue package | |
| EU finance ministers reached the deal after marathon talks in Brussels. Also: the US state of New York has seen its highest number of deaths in a single day since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is now out of intensive care but is still being treated for symptoms of coronavirus in hospital. | Listen |
| Italy PM warns EU future could be at risk | |
| Giuseppe Conte says leaders need to rise to the challenge of coronavirus. Also: after a period of strict quarantine a three man crew heads to the International Space Station, and celebrating online the Jewish festival of Passover. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: World facing ?the deepest economic recession of our lifetimes? say experts | |
| The global trade body is projecting steep falls in every region of the world. Also: Britain records its worst daily death toll as coronavirus infections increase around the world, and the Russian ballerinas taking their traditional moves into a novel setting during isolation. | Listen |
| Top EU scientist forced out in Covid-19 row | |
| Mauro Ferrari says he's lost faith in the system, but officials say he was asked to leave. Also: the pandemic pushes South African gangs into some unlikely alliances, and JK Rowling shares a coronavirus tip. | Listen |
| Lockdown restrictions lifted in Wuhan | |
| The Chinese city where the coronavirus outbreak began has been re-opened. Also: the acting secretary of the US Navy has resigned, and European finance ministers are meeting to discuss an economic recovery plan in response to the pandemic. | Listen |
| China reports no new deaths from coronavirus for the first time since January | |
| The report comes as the Chinese government is under scrutiny as to whether it is underreporting its figures. Also, the British Prime Minister remains in intensive care due to coronavirus but ministers insist the business of government will carry on. And, the Vatican says it welcomes an Australian court?s decision to quash Cardinal Pell?s sentence for child abuse. | Listen |
| The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is in intensive care | |
| The British Prime Minister's coronavirus symptoms worsen. He's moved to an intensive care unit. Also: A New York politician warns that bodies may have to be buried in parks, and practical tips to cope with self isolation - from a former NASA astronaut. | Listen |
| Austria plans to ease some of the restrictions imposed because of coronavirus | |
| Austrians will have to wear masks in all shops and on public transport, and there will be no public events until June at the earliest. Also, Ecuador?s Vice-President apologises after bodies of people killed by coronavirus are abandoned in the streets. And, scientists use cold war nuclear tests to work out the age of the world?s biggest fish. | Listen |
| British prime minister admitted to hospital | |
| Boris Johnson taken to hospital 10 days after testing positive, also Queen Elizabeth urges people to show self-discipline and resolve, and how the virus affects religious feasts | Listen |
| US Covid-19 deaths top 8,000 ? but hopes rise in Europe | |
| New York records its worst day yet -- but Spain and Italy sense the worst may soon be past. Also: India?s wildlife reclaims the streets, and dating in the days of social distancing. | Listen |
| IMF head says Coronavirus pandemic has created economic crisis like no other | |
| Kristalina Georgieva says the IMF has a one trillion dollar war chest, also how Andorra is coping with the outbreak and love across borders during the pandemic | Listen |
| Another huge daily toll of Covid-19 deaths in Spain | |
| Spain and Italy are the European countries with the most coronavirus cases. Also, Google has released data showing which governments are succeeding in restricting people's movements, and bones found in a cave in South Africa show that three different species of mankind's ancestors existed at the same time more than two million years ago. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Confirmed global cases pass one million | |
| The US accounts for the most cases; Italy the highest death toll. Also: NATO steps up efforts to help member states fight the virus, and the faith healer selling ?plague protection? oil he claims can cure the virus. | Listen |
| US Coronavirus Death Toll exceeds 5000 | |
| President Trump says US stockpiles for tackling coronavirus are almost exhausted; Also: More than ten thousand people in Spain have now died of coronavirus, And India's largest slum records its first coronavirus death, raising fears about the rapid spread of the disease there. | Listen |
| WHO says it's extremely concerned about the rapid rise in coronavirus cases worldwide | |
| The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the global number of confirmed coronavirus cases would reach a million in the coming days. Also: in the US more than two hundred thousand people have been infected with Covid-19, and Britain has recorded its worst one- day figure for coronavirus-related mortality. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Are loss of smell and taste key symptoms? | |
| Research has backed the finding that a loss of smell and taste may be one of the first signs that a person has been infected with Coronavirus. Also: the health authorities in the Netherlands have invited thousands of people to take part in a controversial investigation into herd immunity, and as millions of us are now having to use video calls to keep in touch, a video messaging app comes under scrutiny for privacy hacks. | Listen |
| US coronavirus death toll overtakes China's official count | |
| The number of people who've died in the United States from Covid-19 is now more than 3600. Also: Italy records a relatively low number of new infections for a second day in a row, and an invention by a Jamaican student that could help fight the virus. | Listen |
| Spain suffers highest daily death toll so far | |
| Hospitals are struggling to deal with the pandemic after 849 die in 24 hours. Also: Russia introduces strict measures aimed at containing the Covid-19 outbreak, and what to watch while you're in lockdown - the surprise TV hit about the eccentrics and cult personalities in the stranger than fiction world of big cat fanciers. | Listen |
| Italy reports lowest number of new coronavirus cases in two weeks | |
| Italy reckons the peak will come in just over a week?s time, as officials say it is evidence the country is heading in the right direction after three weeks of lockdown. Also, a new date for the Tokyo Olympics is announced. And, a Van Gogh painting is stolen from a museum in the Netherlands. | Listen |
| Special: Your coronavirus questions answered | |
| In our latest coronavirus special, we put your questions about Covid-19 to experts in the fields of health and science, business, and politics around the world. | Listen |
| Spain registers more cases of Coronavirus than China | |
| But the Spanish foreign minister says the upward rise in cases appears to be flattening. Also: the Japanese media says the government is preparing to deny entry to foreigners; and how sports organisers are turning to online gaming to fill the void left by cancelled fixtures. | Listen |
| President Trump vows to ?vanquish? coronavirus amid warning 200,000 Americans may die | |
| Mr Trump said death rates would peak in two weeks' time and movement restrictions would be extended until the end of April. Also: Italy sees its first drop in the number of deaths and new infections, Britain is told to brace itself for a possible six months of isolation and tips from a neuroscientist on how to combat loneliness during isolation. | Listen |
| New York quarantine proposal | |
| New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, said he hadn't discussed a mandatory quarantine with President Trump but didn't like the sound of it. Also: Italy has become the first country in which more than ten-thousand people have died of the coronavirus, and we look at the growth of online exercise classes, including yoga, for those people in self-isolation. | Listen |
| Trump signs largest bailout in US history | |
| The $2 trillion boost is the largest ever in the United States as virus cases continue to rise, hitting the economy. Also: the World Health Organisation has warned that the chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now one of the biggest obstacles to preventing deaths from Covid-19. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive | |
| Following Mr Johnson's announcement, Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said he had tested positive for the virus. Also: The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, tells Donald Trump that Washington and Beijing should work together to tackle the pandemic, and how to stay safe if living in shared accommodation. | Listen |
| US overtakes China with most coronavirus cases | |
| According to John Hopkins University, the United States has more than eighty-two thousand positive tests. Also: a nationwide three-week lockdown has begun in South Africa, and Russia has grounded all international flights apart from those bringing Russian nationals home from abroad. | Listen |
| G20 countries assemble to devise coronavirus action plan | |
| The UN has warned the world leaders that they must focus on the severe threat to millions of displaced people and refugees worldwide. Also: 3.3 million people sign on for unemployment benefits in the US, and how to get married in a world that?s shutting down. | Listen |
| UN says the coronavirus is a threat to all of humanity | |
| The United Nations says the coronavirus outbreak is threatening the entire human race, as it launches a multi-billion dollar appeal for the world's poorest people. Also: the US Secretary of State has repeated criticism of what he called Chinese disinformation in the early stages of the pandemic, and the Village People's YMCA is preserved for posterity. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: US Senate agrees 2 trillion dollar emergency deal | |
| Markets surged in the US on Tuesday in anticipation of a deal, and shares rose in Europe and Asia on Wednesday. Also: China's Hubei province tentatively emerges from lockdown, and have scientists found a way to reverse the ageing process? | Listen |
| India in lockdown | |
| Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told the population of 1.3 billion to stay at home for the next three weeks. Also, the US state of New York demands a massive increase in hospital beds, and Manu Dibango, a giant of African music, has died. | Listen |
| Tokyo Olympics postponed until 2021 | |
| The Games, due to begin in July, will now take place no later than summer next year because of the pandemic. They will still be called Tokyo 2020. Also: we hear from a Wuhan resident getting ready to leave the city as authorities say restrictions will soon be lifted, tips about self-isolation and the cultural importance to France of Asterix and Obelix after their creator dies. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: British PM says 'stay at home' as UK locks down | |
| Gatherings of more than two people outside the home are now forbidden. Also: more African countries have imposed strict regulations to tackle the Coronavirus, including Ethiopia which has closed its borders, and how in Catalonia -- in the north east of Spain -- researchers have turned to 3D printing to plug a desperate shortage of life-saving ventilators. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Italy tightens lockdown despite fall in daily deaths | |
| Italy has entered an even tougher phase of lockdown, as the government clamps down on travel and businesses to try to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Also, the OECD says a huge, co-ordinated effort is needed to stop the coronavirus pandemic causing a long global recession. And, keepers move in to a wildlife sanctuary to look after animals when it closes due to coronavirus. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Germany bans gatherings of more than two people | |
| Germany is banning groups of more than two people in public outside work, as part of new measures to try to curb the spread of coronavirus. Also, for the first time since the pandemic began, Italy has announced a slight decrease in the number of new infections. And, how religious leaders are staying connected with their followers amid worldwide suspension of religious services. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Italy reports the highest daily number of deaths worldwide | |
| The number of deaths in Italy from the coronavirus is up more than a quarter on the previous worst figure, which was announced on Friday. New infections have also risen considerably. Also, Australia closes its iconic Bondi Beach due to coronavirus. And, what should parents tell their children about the virus? | Listen |
| Coronavirus: WHO delivers stark warning to young people | |
| The World Health Organisation says young people are not invincible and must avoid social contact to save their lives and others. Also: governments ramp up quarantine measures to stop the virus spreading; and the song that?s uniting people anxious about the pandemic. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: World Health Organisation delivers stark warning to young people | |
| The global health body says young people are not invincible and must avoid social contact to save their lives and others. Also: Governments ramp up quarantine measures to stop the virus spreading, and the song that?s uniting people anxious about the pandemic. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: number of deaths worldwide exceeds 10,000 | |
| German state to lock down after authorities say people aren't taking it seriously enough. Also: four men are hanged in India after they were convicted of gang raping a young woman in 2012, and the Olympic flame arrives in Tokyo but will the games go ahead? | Listen |
| Italy coronavirus death toll overtakes China | |
| The number of deaths in Italy has risen to more than three thousand four hundred, which is more than in China where the virus originated. Also: President Trump has announced that the anti-malarial drug, chloroquine, has been approved for use as a treatment for Covid-19, and the Congress in Chile has agreed to postpone a referendum on a new constitution so the country can deal with the pandemic. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: nationwide shutdown in Italy extended after almost 3,000 deaths | |
| The number of deaths there may soon overtake China, where the outbreak began. Also: there are calls in the United States for shelters to be built to house thousands of homeless people sleeping rough in big cities and who are at risk from the Coronavirus, and a project in Britain to establish an online choir to boost people's mental health during the crisis. | Listen |
| Italy virus deaths rise by a record number in a day | |
| Nearly three thousand people have now died from the coronavirus in Italy - the most affected country after China. Also: the World Health Organisation says sub-Saharan Africa has recorded its first deaths from the coronavirus. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: More countries close their borders and lockdown | |
| Tough new measures restrict free movement as the number infected with Covid-19 passes 200k. Also, in the US, Joe Biden has swept to victory in Florida, Illinois and Arizona accelerating his momentum in the race to be the Democrats' candidate in November's presidential election, and abortion becomes legal in New Zealand. | Listen |
| US and UK announce massive economic packages to counter the coronavirus pandemic | |
| The US Treasury Secretary,Steven Mnuchin, says he supports sending money directly to Americans as part of a $1tn stimulus package aimed at averting an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus. Also: the European Union has agreed to ban most foreigners from entering the territory for thirty days, with exceptions for Britain, Switzerland and three other states. | Listen |
| Social restrictions ramped up around the world following coronavirus outbreak | |
| The outbreak of the coronavirus has led to the emptying of public spaces around the world, whether by government decree or by more personal responses. Also: Euro football 2020 is postponed until 2021. | Listen |
| Europe expands lockdown in battle against coronavirus | |
| President Trump has warned that the coronavirus outbreak could push the US economy into recession. Also: the United Arab Emirates has sent two plane-loads of gloves, surgical masks, and other medical supplies to Iran to help combat the virus. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Restrictions continue to tighten across Europe as outbreak worsens | |
| Meanwhile the Head of France?s health service says the situation is deteriorating fast in France. Also, airlines across the world cut more flights as demand slumps as the result of the virus. And, why we stockpile items in times of crisis. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: US slashes rates, adds $700bn emergency funds | |
| It is part of a co-ordinated action announced on Sunday by some of the world?s leading economies. Also: Germany closes significant parts of its borders with its neighbours and why some South Africans are laughing in the face of the pandemic. | Listen |
| Sweeping new Coronavirus restrictions are introduced across Europe: | |
| France closes its cafes, restaurants, and most shops, and Spain bans non essential travel. Also as Covid-19 continues to spread across Africa, six more countries have reported their first cases. After last month's inter-communal riots, can India still be considered a secular country? And the havoc the coronavirus pandemic is causing in the film industry. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Trump declares national emergency in the US | |
| The move loosens regulations on the provision of healthcare and could speed up testing ? the slow pace of which has been criticised widely. Also, the head of the World Health Organisation says Europe is now the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic. And, why Tik Tok might be the next big thing for businesses. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: English Premier League football season suspended due to outbreak | |
| EPL joins long list of major sporting fixtures halted by pandemic. French football federation and European Champions league announce similar measures. Also, New Zealand 'fundamentally changed' since Christchurch mosque attacks one year ago says PM Jacinda Ardern, and a South African king is arrested after 'axe rampage.' | Listen |
| How different countries deal with the spread of the Coronavirus | |
| While Italy is in lockdown, the UK aims to delay drastic measures, also: Are sanctions hampering Iran's efforts to fight the virus? And the dangers of the internet for women? | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Trump suspends travel from Europe to US | |
| Mr. Trump imposing travel restrictions on 26 European countries to curb coronavirus. The EU condemned the measures, which it said were taken "unilaterally and without consultation". Also, India suspends all travel visas until mid-April due to virus, and why young French people are switching from wine to beer. | Listen |
| Italy shuts most shops in virus crisis | |
| Only food stores and pharmacies will stay open, as the WHO declares a pandemic. Also: Harvey Weinstein is jailed for 23 years, and how rugby is helping women in Pakistan. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Merkel warns that up to 70% of Germany could become infected | |
| German chancellor Angela Merkel says large numbers of Germans might contract COVID-19. Countries across Europe step up efforts to deal with outbreak. Also, Joe Biden extends lead over rival Sanders in Democratic presidential race, and pranksters say they duped Prince Harry by impersonating activist Greta Thunberg and her father in phone-calls. | Listen |
| US fights virus outbreak near New York | |
| The National Guard cleans a New York suburb as the US unveils new measures against Covid-19. Also: the coronavirus in Italy and Iran, and rape as a weapon of war. | Listen |
| Italy struggles to cope with coronavirus lockdown | |
| Pope Francis has urged priests to visit those suffering from the virus, despite official advice to avoid contact. Ugandans arrested for distributing a fake coronavirus vaccine. A US appeals court rules Led Zeppelin did not steal part of 'Stairway to Heaven' from another band. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Italy extends quarantine measures nationwide | |
| Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte says people will only be allowed to travel for work or family emergencies. Also: Sudan's prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, survives an apparent assassination attempt, and Meghan and Harry make their final public appearance as working members of the British royal family. | Listen |
| Shares plunge around the world | |
| The coronovirus is threatening the health of millions of people and is causing chaos on global stock markets. The MH17 plane crash trial opens in the Netherlands. Was the Earth once fully covered in water? | Listen |
| Italian Death Toll Soars | |
| Lombardy Region records significant increase in the daily death toll from Covid-Nineteen; Afghanistan's defence minister issues ultimatum to Taliban over its commitment to reduce violence; A battle between old and new on the canals of Amsterdam. | Listen |
| Italy to quarantine 10 million people in Lombardy | |
| The Italian government is preparing to introduce radical new restrictions in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus. Also: Three senior members of the Saudi Royal Family are reported to have been arrested in the Kingdom, and the jazz world loses one of its most influential pianists, McCoy Tyner. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Global number of cases reaches 100,000 | |
| The number of people that have been infected with the coronavirus since it first emerged in China has now surpassed the hundred-thousand mark. Also, the French publisher Hachette has decided not to release the memoirs of the Oscar-winning film-maker, Woody Allen, after a protest by employees, and NASA says that lettuce grown in space is just as nutritious as when it's grown on earth. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Iran suspends Friday prayers in major cities | |
| Iranian authorities take measures to try and halt spread of virus. This comes as people complain of shortages of food and essential medical equipment. Also, chaos in Kabul as gunmen kill dozens at ceremony, and how plastic is affecting all marine species - including those we've never encountered before. | Listen |
| Russia and Turkey agree a ceasefire in Idlib | |
| Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan also agreed to establish a security corridor and joint patrols. Also, Elizabeth Warren announces the end of her presidential campaign and a truck crashes into a sacred statue on Easter Island. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Top international court backs war crimes probe | |
| International Criminal Court says investigation of alleged war crimes can go ahead. It's expected the actions of the Taliban, the Afghan government and US forces since May 2003 will be scrutinised. Also, Putin and Erdogan hold talks on Syrian conflict, and why is Nigeria failing to provide adequate housing for millions of its people ? | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Italy to close all schools as deaths rise | |
| A total of 107 people have now been killed by the coronavirus in Italy, which has the most serious outbreak in Europe. Also: The billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg pulls out of the US presidential race, and the 80s rock favourites returning to the scene. | Listen |
| Biden wins big on Super Tuesday | |
| The former vice president seals his comeback - just weeks after looking like a lost cause. He won nine of the 14 states that voted to pick a Democratic White House candidate. Also: The World Bank announces a multibillion dollar package to help the world's poorest countries combat the new coronavirus outbreak, and the Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf, rewrites its own history -- as it's released for the first time as an audiobook. | Listen |
| Interest Rates cut to protect world economies from Coronavirus | |
| An emergency interest rate cut in the US because of the economic risks posed by the new coronavirus ... Coronavirus leads to tens of thousands of prisoners being temporarily freed in Iran; How to stop criminals gaining remote access to baby monitors | Listen |
| US Election 2020: Joe Biden boosted on Super Tuesday | |
| US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has picked up three endorsements from former rivals on the eve of the most important day in the 2020 White House race so far. On Super Tuesday, voters in 14 states will pick their preferred Democratic candidate for November's election; Iran coronavirus cases continue to rise; Why today's children have nightmares about climate change. | Listen |
| Increased Coronavirus death toll in the United States | |
| The number of confirmed deaths in the western US state of Washington has trebled to six; Exit polls suggest yet another inconclusive Israeli general election - though indicted prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu may remain in office; And scientists sniff out the reason why dogs have wet noses | Listen |
| Official deaths in Iran from Covid19 rise to 66 - the highest outside China | |
| Other reports suggest the real figures on the virus in Iran are much higher. The Vatican opens archives of Holocaust-era Pope Pius XII. Pete Buttigieg drops out of the Democratic race for the White House. | Listen |
| Coronavirus Special | |
| We put your questions about Covid-19 to experts in the fields of health and science, business, politics and communications. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: US state of Washington declares state of emergency | |
| Up to fifteen hundred people could be infected with the virus. Over the weekend, a man in his fifties from the northwestern state became the first confirmed fatality from the virus in the US. Also, Turkey has shot down two Syrian fighter jets in Idlib. And, Germany?s harvest of ice wine fails for the first time due to the winter being too warm. | Listen |
| Trump hails deal with Taliban | |
| He says the deal will end the Afghan conflict and 'bring our people back home'. Also: the first coronavirus death in the US, and the country where public transport is free for all. | Listen |
| WHO says global risk of the coronavirus is ?very high? | |
| The BBC understands more than 200 people have died in Iran, as the outbreak worsens. Also: The UN describes the rising conflict in Idlib as one of the most alarming moments of the Syrian War, and the US and Taliban are set to sign a peace deal. | Listen |
| Syria: NATO appeals for halt to Idlib offensive after 33 Turkish soldiers killed | |
| Many Turkish soldiers died in Syrian government attack on opposition-held enclave. Russia, Syria's key ally, says Turkish troops were attacked by Syrian forces while operating alongside jihadist fighters. Also, Coronavirus has reached Nigeria - Africa's most populous country, and astronomers have discovered 'biggest explosion since the Big Bang.' | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Outbreak at 'decisive point' | |
| The WHO says new cases outside China are now 'the greatest concern', as more than forty countries struggle to contain the infection. Also: an airstrike in Idlib province in northern Syria kills Turkish soldiers, and why you'll never see a baddie in the movies with an iPhone. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Japan to close all schools to halt spread of disease | |
| Japan's Prime Minister says government will ask all schools to close from Monday. And governments worldwide take tougher measures to try and halt the outbreak. Also, the realities of life - and death - inside Syria's last rebel-held enclave, and why a new perfume's been launched in Russia to commemorate a dark episode in history. | Listen |
| Brazil confirms first coronavirus case in Latin America | |
| World Health Organization says Covid-19 is not yet a pandemic. Also: Genetic study shows the red panda is actually two separate species, and Maria Sharapova retires from tennis. | Listen |
| Covid19 now spreading faster outside China than inside | |
| In Europe the virus has spread to new areas, with Greece reporting its first case. Delhi remains tense after Hindu-Muslim clashes leave 23 dead. Democratic rivals intensify attacks on Bernie Sanders at the South Carolina debate. | Listen |
| Fears as Coronavirus outbreak worsens | |
| World Health Organization says sudden increase in cases outside China is "deeply concerning"; European Union sets negotiating goals for post-Brexit UK trade deal; Israeli government to build thousands of new homes in occupied West Bank. | Listen |
| Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian president ousted during Arab spring, dies at 91 | |
| The country was stable during his time in power, but many Egyptians saw him as a dictator who governed with an iron grip. Iran's deputy health minister tests positive as the coronavirus outbreak worsens. Plácido Domingo apologises to women who accused him of sexual harassment. | Listen |
| Harvey Weinstein convicted of rape and sexual assault | |
| The film producer was found guilty of two of the five charges he faced. Also, the WHO urges countries to prepare for a possible coronavirus pandemic, and a man is arrested in Germany after a car drove into people at a carnival. | Listen |
| Coronavirus spread raises fears of global pandemic | |
| There are concerns about cases in countries with a weak health infrastructure like Iraq and Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump visits India. The world's oldest prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, has submitted his shock resignation. | Listen |
| Venice carnival closes amid coronavirus outbreak | |
| Italy quarantines whole towns, closes schools and cancels sports fixtures as infections increase. Also: protests in Budapest against anti-Roma campaign, and celebrating the theremin -- the Soviet-invented hands-free electronic instrument. | Listen |
| Coronavirus cases double in one day in South Korea | |
| The South Korea PM Chung Sye-kyun described the situation as "grave". Also: South Sudan rivals strike power-sharing deal and remembering Ladysmith Black Mambazo's founder, Joseph Shabalala. | Listen |
| WHO says there's a 'narrowing window' to contain virus outbreak | |
| The World Health Organization says the number of Covid-19 cases with no clear link to China is a concern. Also: US and Afghan Taliban start partial truce, and the buzz around brainy bees. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: South Korea 'emergency' measures as infections increase | |
| The country's army is on lockdown after several soldiers tested positive. After Hanau attacks, Germany boosts security amid far-right threat. Lesotho's Prime Minister fails to appear in court to face charges of murdering his estranged wife. | Listen |
| Trump Ally Roger Stone sentenced to prison. | |
| President Trump's former adviser Roger Stone is sentenced to forty months in prison for lying to Congress; Angela Merkel leads condemnation of an attack by a far right extremist that left nine dead; A special bracelet designed to switch off any prying Alexa speaker | Listen |
| Germany: Suspected far-right extremist kills 9 people in gun-attack | |
| Police investigate background of gunman who carried out mass-killing in western Germany. Most of his victims had migrant backgrounds. Also, South Korea becomes latest focus of global concern over coronavirus, and Swiss prosecutors bring corruption charges against two leading figures in world of football. | Listen |
| Optimistic signs over global Coronavirus crisis | |
| Japan rejects criticism of its handling of the coronavirus cruise ship; More bad news for Boeing after debris is found in the fuel tanks of brand new 737 Max aircraft; Could ammonia prove the green alternative to diesel to transform the world's shipping industry? | Listen |
| Coronavirus: ?Quarantined? cruise ship criticised by experts | |
| Japan is facing mounting international criticism of its response to the outbreak on the ship, the largest outside of mainland China. Also: Controversy at the Brit awards in London as a rapper calls the Prime Minister a racist on live TV, and the new research which claims to explain why modern dating isn?t working. | Listen |
| Bloomberg to join Democrat debate | |
| Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg will take part in a nomination debate for the first time on Wednesday. Also: The judge in the Harvey Weinstein rape case has warned the lead defence lawyer not to talk to the press, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed one of his closest advisers. | Listen |
| Fresh Chinese data on Covid-19 fatality rates | |
| Health officials in China say Coronavirus shows a fatality rate of two point three per cent; Europe's biggest bank, HSBC, says it will axe 35.000 jobs, after pre- tax profits fell by a third last year; We hear what it's like to get caught up in a swarm of locusts as South Sudan braces for their arrival... | Listen |
| Uighurs ?detained for beards and veils? ? leak | |
| A document that appears to give the most powerful insight yet into how China determined the fate of hundreds of thousands of Muslims held in a network of internment camps has been seen by the BBC. Also: The United Nations says fighting in the Syrian province of Idlib has displaced 900,000 people since December, and a woman who dated more than 100 men and remained a virgin until she was 41 years old. | Listen |
| Coronavirus threatens to push Japan into recession | |
| Analysts are concerned travel restrictions, which have led to a sharp drop in tourism from China, will cause Japan's economy to contract further. General Motors scraps the historic Holden car brand in Australia. A Spanish actor is being tried for insulting God. | Listen |
| Americans from virus cruise ship leave Japan | |
| Hundreds will be quarantined in the US, while 40 confirmed cases will be treated in Japan. Also: Elton John halts concert due to pneumonia, and turning human corpses into compost for green burials. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: First death confirmed in Europe | |
| The victim was an 80-year-old man from China's Hubei province. Chinese officials say the coronavirus outbreak is generally under control but the World Health Organisation insists it's too early to predict whether it will become a global epidemic. Also, Europeans and Americans hold different views on the health of the Western alliance at the annual Munich Security Conference. And, how an overnight trans-European sleeper train could be part of the solution for climate change. | Listen |
| 1,700 Chinese health care workers infected with Coronavirus | |
| China's National Health Commission says there's high pressure on doctors and nurses, also a short truce could be in sight in Afghanistan and some different Valentine's Day events | Listen |
| Coronavirus: New China figures reveal toll on medical staff | |
| Chinese officials have given figures for health workers infected with the new virus. More than 1700 have fallen ill and at least 6 have died. Also, concern over plight of people fleeing across Mediterranean from Libya to Europe, and how an iconic photo was taken - showing Earth from deep space. | Listen |
| Thousands of Syrians camp in freezing conditions | |
| The UN says 800,000 have been displaced since December in the government offensive in northwestern Syria. Also: The row over whether music festivals book enough female performers, and what one Russian grandmother thinks of President Putin. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: China reports steep rise in cases in Hubei | |
| Beijing confirms huge increase in deaths and infections in worst-hit province. And top officials have been sacked over their handling of crisis. Also, city of Dresden marks 75th anniversary of WW2 bombing-raids which killed tens of thousands of civilians, and could children's drawings be used as evidence in trial of Sudan's former president ? | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Extreme caution urged by experts | |
| Measures include the provision of straightforward diagnostic kits in all countries, implementing robust infection prevention measures, and accelerated research into treatments and possible vaccines. Also: A major shake up in the Italian parliament as right-wing politician Matteo Salvini faces a trial for illegally detaining migrants, and how a Russian man shot himself dead in the middle of a packed courtroom | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Formula 1 calls off April's Chinese Grand Prix race | |
| Motor-racing officials cancel race due to fears over spread of virus. Meanwhile World Health Organisation holds summit on how to deal with outbreak. Also, Pope France rules against allowing married men to become Catholic priests in Amazon, and Syrian refugees in Jordan grow crops - using old mattresses instead of soil. | Listen |
| Sudan agrees ex-president must face ICC | |
| Omar al-Bashir will answer genocide and war crimes charges. Also: Spain's high court upholds a company's right to deduct break times from employees' working day, and music fans pay tribute to Joseph Shabalala, the founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo - who's died at the age of seventy-eight. | Listen |
| New coronavirus named Covid-19 by the World Health Organisation | |
| The name was chosen so that it 'did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people'. Thousands pack a stadium for the funeral of Kenya's Daniel arap Moi. More than three decades after the end of apartheid in South Africa, what is it like to be in a Blasian relationship? | Listen |
| President Trump presents election year budget | |
| The President asks for increases in military spending and cuts to social programmes. Also,Turkey says Syrian government shellfire has killed Turkish soldiers in Idlib and the US has charged four Chinese military officers over a cyber attack on a credit rating agency. | Listen |
| Germany's 'successor' to Merkel quits | |
| The decision comes as questions were raised about her ability to command authority in the party, after CDU delegates in eastern Germany defied the party headquarter?s ban on cooperating with the far right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). China's president Xi Jinping say his government will work to prevent large-scale job losses due to the coronavirus. Joe Biden's race for the White House gets into trouble - again. | Listen |
| Millions in China due to return to work despite coronavirus outbreak | |
| Many factories and offices in China have been ordered to stagger their working hours to limit the number of people in public places. Also: Sinn Fein to try to form governing coalition after Irish election success, and the renowned opera singer Mirella Freni has died at the age of eighty-four. | Listen |
| Thai soldier kills many people in shooting rampage | |
| Thai security forces rescued hundreds of people from a shopping centre while searching for the gunman. Also: WHO says the number of new coronavirus cases has stabilised in Hubei province, and "lightning strike" kills rare mountain gorillas in Uganda. | Listen |
| Hong Kong imposes new quarantine rules over virus | |
| Travellers from mainland China will be isolated for 14 days in new efforts to stem the coronavirus. Also: Impeachment witness escorted from the White House, and unseen Charles Dickens letters open a window into the life of a genius. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Death of Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang sparks public anger | |
| Widespread grief after death of doctor who tried to warn about the coronavirus outbreak. Dr. Li died after contracting the virus while treating patients in Wuhan. Also, Syrian army says it's seized a key target in Idlib province, and we meet a Kenyan singer who uses music to challenge attitudes about sexual consent. | Listen |
| Coronavirus kills Chinese whistleblower doctor | |
| The hospital in Wuhan treating Li Wenliang confirms his death after a day of conflicting reports. Also: Trump celebrates acquittal and blasts rivals, and climate change could push bumblebees to extinction. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Beijing introduces tough measures to try and stem the outbreak | |
| China's government insists it's doing all it can to contain the virus. More than 560 people have now died and nearly 30,000 been infected. Also, UN Security Council will meet to discuss situation in Syrian rebel-held enclave of Idlib, and we look back at the career of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas. | Listen |
| President Trump acquitted of all impeachment charges | |
| The Senate, run by the president's fellow Republicans, voted to acquit him 52-48 on charges of abuse of power and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress. Also, the World Health Organisation asks for nearly seven hundred million dollars to help developing countries prepare for the coronavirus which has killed nearly 500 people. And, Finland's new government has announced plans to give all parents the same parental leave. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: China takes further steps to address the epidemic | |
| China takes further steps to address the coronavirus epidemic, as death toll nears 500. Also, the new coronavirus will finally get a proper name. State of the Union: Trump hails 'American comeback'. And why penguins' speech patterns are similar to humans. | Listen |
| Iowa Caucus: Pete Buttigieg leads US Democratic hopefuls as partial results are released | |
| With 62 per cent of the votes counted, Pete Buttigieg leads this first leg of the race to be the Democrats? presidential candidate, while Bernie Sanders is a close second. Also, the WHO praises China for containing the new strain of coronavirus, but patients in the city of Wuhan struggle to get treatment. And, in southern Africa, the wife of Lesotho?s prime minister is charged with the murder of his previous wife. | Listen |
| Coronavirus outbreak not yet pandemic | |
| A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease, according to the WHO. The Democrats get off to a bad start in the US presidential contest, as the Iowa results are delayed. Kenya's former President Daniel arap Moi dies aged 95. | Listen |
| HIV vaccine hopes dashed by trial results | |
| An experimental trial of a new HIV vaccine has been abandoned after an independent study found it was ineffective, dashing high hopes. We hear from Democrats as they take their first step towards confirming who will challenge President Donald Trump in November. Also: Chinese artist Ai WeiWei explains why he's left Germany for the United Kingdom. | Listen |
| Coronavirus:China accuses US of causing panic and 'spreading fear' | |
| The virus has now killed more than 360 people, triggered a sharp fall in shares as China's financial markets reopened after the Lunar New Year holiday. Yemen's medical air bridge offers a rare glimpse of hope. Chaos as Nigeria's commercial capital bans motorbike taxis. | Listen |
| Police shoot man dead in London terror attack | |
| The attacker, who stabbed two people in South London, had been released from prison in January. He had been sentenced in 2018 for terrorism-related offences. Also: as fears rise about the coronavirus, China injects a hundred and seventy billion dollars into the economy; and the British war film '1917' dominates the BAFTA awards. | Listen |
| Hong Kong hospital workers call for border with China to be closed to halt spread of new coronavirus | |
| Health workers threaten to strike from Monday unless checkpoints are closed. Also, the Arab League condemns President Trump's new Middle East peace plan, and new evidence suggests the composer Beethoven was able to hear his final compositions. | Listen |
| Brexit: UK leaves the EU | |
| Britain has taken one of the most momentous steps in its recent history. We look at how this moment was marked, UK's Brexit journey, and what happens next. Also: Donald Trump's impeachment trial is basically over and a new voice for Peppa Pig. | Listen |
| Brexit: UK prepares to leave EU as PM promises 'new dawn' | |
| UK will officially leave European Union at 23:00 GMT after 47 years of membership. In pre-recorded video message, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will call Brexit a "new dawn." Also, debate over whether China could have acted sooner to tackle coronavirus epidemic, and Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop series on Netflix is criticised by chief of UK's National Health Service. | Listen |
| Coronavirus declared a global health emergency | |
| The World Health Organization says efforts must be made to stop the virus spreading to vulnerable countries. Also: the Palestinian PM defends stance on Trump Middle East plan, and governing body of world athletics set to rule on Nike running shoe range. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Russia closes its border with China | |
| Russia orders the closure of its 4,000km-long border and imposes visa restrictions to help prevent the spread of the virus, which has now known to have killed 170 people and infected thousands. Also, Mali launches an army recruitment drive to fight jihadists, and the longest drug-smuggling tunnel ever is found on the US border with Mexico. | Listen |
| WHO says world 'must be alert' over China virus | |
| The World Health Organization will hold a further emergency meeting on the coronavirus on Thursday. Also: White House warns former advisor, John Bolton, not to publish book, and scientists say lungs "magically" heal damage from smoking. | Listen |
| Evacuation of foreigners from virus-hit China | |
| Hundreds fly out of Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak. Also: the Syrian army 'recaptures' a key town, and the challenge of researching climate change in Antarctica. | Listen |
| President Trump releases his Middle East peace plan. | |
| It's been applauded by Israel, but condemned by the Palestinians. President Xi Jinping says China is sure to beat the new coronavirus; and, #Girldad - inspired by Kobe Bryant. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Hong Kong to slash border travel | |
| Japan and Germany have both reported their first cases of the new coronavirus in individuals who did not travel to China. Huawei is allowed a limited role in UK 5G networks. Jeffrey Epstein accusers outraged by Prince Andrew's 'lack of co-operation'. | Listen |
| Remembering Auschwitz | |
| Survivors return to the Nazi death camp 75 years after it was liberated. Also: a revolutionary approach to removing cancerous lungs, the danger posed by shipping to whale sharks off Australia and the perils of competitive eating. | Listen |
| Coronavirus: Death toll rises to 81 as China extends holiday | |
| China?s People?s Daily reports one wing of the new specialist hospital in Wuhan has already been constructed, in just 16 hours. Mystery surrounds a plane crash in Taliban territory in Afghanistan. Billie Eilish is the big winner at the Grammys. | Listen |
| Kobe Bryant: Basketball legend dies in helicopter crash | |
| The five-time NBA champion was widely considered one of the greatest players in the game's history. Also: China is extending its Lunar New Year holiday to help control the coronavirus outbreak, and the sheep that only eat seaweed foraged from beaches and are apparently more environmentally friendly because of it. | Listen |
| Democrats trying to undo election, say Trump lawyers | |
| President Trump's lawyers have begun defending him at his impeachment trial, accusing Democrats of seeking to overturn the result of the 2016 election. Also: Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned that the spread of a deadly new coronavirus is accelerating, and Brazil marks the first anniversary of the Brumadinho dam collapse. | Listen |
| Virus casts shadow over Chinese New Year | |
| Growing threat interrupts holiday plans as France confirms three people there are sick with coronavirus. Also in this edition: thousands of civilians flee a fresh front in Syria?s civil war, and one of England?s top football clubs tackles racism head on. | Listen |
| WHO says it's too early to declare a global epidemic | |
| Coronavirus in China has killed 26 people and infected more than 800; In Iraq, tens of thousands of people march to demand the removal of US troops; There are fears about huge swarms of locusts in East Africa which are destroying crops: | Listen |
| China fights to stop new virus spreading | |
| Beijing cancels Lunar New Year celebrations and cities like Wuhan curb public transport. Also: The world remembers Auschwitz, and a 3000 year-old Egyptian priest speaks again | Listen |
| China coronavirus: more cities under lockdown | |
| Beijing's palace complex, the Forbidden City,will be closed to the public. The International Court of Justice has ordered measures to prevent the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. World leaders attend a forum in Jerusalem to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. | Listen |
| Probe of Saudi crown prince urged over Bezos phone hacking | |
| UN experts say they've seen information suggesting prince may have been involved, also no international health crisis yet over Coronavirus and billionaire helps Zimbabwe's doctors | Listen |
| China warns against travel to virus-hit Wuhan | |
| China says it is now at the "most critical stage" of prevention and control of the new virus. Also: Saudi Arabia denies that its crown prince was responsible for hacking Amazon boss Jeff Bezos' phone, and why are iguanas falling out of trees in Florida? | Listen |
| Trump impeachment trial starts with rule wrangling | |
| Debate on witnesses and evidence marks the start of Senate proceedings. Also: First coronavirus case diagnosed in US, and swimming in freezing Antarctic waters - to save the planet. | Listen |
| Trump decries 'prophets of doom' on environment | |
| President Trump attacks activists at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, with Greta Thunberg in the audience. Also: there's a warning against a cover-up as China virus cases jump, and what did a man and two dogs find on a beach? | Listen |
| Sri Lankan president says war missing are dead | |
| Gotabaya Rajapaksa announces the deaths of thousands who disappeared in the civil war. Also: the stand-off between Central American migrants and Mexican border forces, and the two men on opposite sides of the world who tried to make an Earth Sandwich. | Listen |
| China virus: Cases triple as infection spreads to Beijing and Shanghai | |
| State media in China has been urging people not to panic as the new respiratory virus spreads across the country. The long-awaited extradition hearing in Canada of the senior Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou. Africa's richest woman, Isabel dos Santos, tells the BBC she's the victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt by the Angolan government. | Listen |
| Progress reported at Libya summit in Berlin | |
| World powers agree to uphold weapons embargo as part of efforts to end Libya conflict; General support for deal allowing Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step back from their royal duties - but Meghan's estranged father is critical; SpaceX has conducted a successful test of the emergency systems of its new spacecraft. | Listen |
| Prince Harry and Meghan drop royal duties and HRH titles | |
| The couple also intend to repay more than $3m of taxpayer money for the refurbishment of their UK home. The Queen and Buckingham Palace have issued statements following recent talks to discuss new roles for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Also: Violent clashes in Beirut between anti-government protesters and the Lebanese security forces have left 160 people injured, and why The Simpsons actor Hank Azaria says he will no longer voice the character Apu. | Listen |
| Clinton prosecutor Ken Starr to defend Trump | |
| President Donald Trump brings in high-powered legal firepower for his impeachment trial. The team include a prosecutor who helped to impeach President Bill Clinton more than twenty years ago - and a celebrity defence lawyer. Also: The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, demands Iran pay compensation for the shooting down of a plane with many Canadians on board, and why Apple's Lightning cable could soon be outlawed in the European Union. | Listen |
| Malta's police chief resigns after heavy criticism over journalist murder investigation | |
| No one has yet been convicted of the murder in 2017 of Daphne Caruana Galizia. She'd been investigating corruption among Malta's political and business elite. Also: Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has led Friday prayers for the first time in eight years, appealing for national unity while criticising the US, and a horse becomes a surprise passenger on a bus in Wales. | Listen |
| Senators sworn in for Trump impeachment trial | |
| The articles of impeachment were read aloud on the Senate floor. Also: "alarming" one in five deaths worldwide due to sepsis, and an English bookshop has been inundated with orders after tweeting it hadn't sold a single book last Tuesday. | Listen |
| Russian parliament elects new prime minister | |
| New PM is Mikhail Mishustin, a little- known former head of the federal tax service, also Hong Kong's freedoms could last beyond 2047 and a turn of fortune for a Paris dustman | Listen |
| Trump impeachment case heads to Senate | |
| Donald Trump will become only the third US president to face trial in the US upper chamber. Also: last decade confirmed as warmest on record, and Neanderthals 'dived in the ocean' for shellfish. | Listen |
| Russian PM and government resigns | |
| The resignations came after President Putin proposed constitutional changes that could prolong his own grip on power. Also: a treason trial has begun of the Cambodian opposition leader, Kem Sokha, and we hear about a man who broke a marathon world record after being told ten years ago that he would never walk again. | Listen |
| Army clashes with mutineers in Sudanese capital | |
| Sudan's army has overrun the HQ of mutinous forces from an intelligence agency once loyal to ex-leader Omar al-Bashir. Also: Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen says China needs to show Taipei respect, and scientists claim the first 'living robots' have been developed. | Listen |
| Iran nuclear deal: European powers trigger dispute mechanism | |
| France, Germany and Britain say Iran has violated the existing deal but they hope the agreement can be saved through the dispute resolution mechanism. More than a hundred people have died in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan as a result of unusually heavy snow. Spike Lee becomes first black Cannes jury head. | Listen |
| Sahel summit partners step up jihadist fight | |
| France and nations from Africa's Sahel region have agreed to step up military co-operation. Also: Queen Elizabeth agrees prince Harry and Meghan 'transition period' and the trees grown from seeds that spent months in space. | Listen |
| Royal "Sandringham summit" | |
| Meanwhile, ahead of the talks, the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge have dismissed a "false story" in a UK newspaper speculating about their relationship. Iranian police deny shooting anti-government protesters. Pope Francis is warned by his predecessor Benedict not to relax the rules on priestly celibacy. | Listen |
| Iran: Anti-government protests continue after plane crash | |
| Many Iranians remain angry that Tehran took days to admit the military shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane. Also: Australia?s prime minister concedes he could have responded better to the bush fires still raging across the country. And Buckingham Palace prepares for a meeting on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their plans to step back from royal duties. | Listen |
| Anti-regime protests in Iran over downing of civilian jet | |
| Tehran admits it shot down the Ukrainian airliner in error killing all 176 people on board. Also,Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen is re-elected with a record vote; and, the centenarian who's fathered 800 children. | Listen |
| Ukraine says Iran is cooperating in plane crash inquiry | |
| Kyiv is considering if the jet was shot down but warns against drawing hasty conclusions. Also: Mexican boy kills teacher, and the teenager whose life was saved by a friend thousands of kilometres away. | Listen |
| Iran plane crash: Tehran rebuffs claims it shot down jet | |
| Victims of the crash included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians as well as nationals from Sweden, the UK, Afghanistan and Germany. The Duchess of Sussex has returned to Canada to join her son amid discussions within the Royal Family. Also how fat is your tongue? How losing weight there could help with sleep. | Listen |
| Iran plane crash: ?Evidence? jet downed by missile | |
| The leaders of Canada and the UK are calling for a full and thorough investigation into the crash, which killed all 176 people on board. Also: Queen Elizabeth is said to be working with Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan as they step back from royal duties, and how satellites in the night sky are causing problems for astronomers. | Listen |
| Iran crash: Airliner 'was trying to return to airport' | |
| Iranian investigators said preliminary findings indicated the plane had tried to turn back to Tehran airport, but that the pilot hadn't made a distress call. Prince Harry and his wife Megan say they want to "step back" from their roles as senior royals and become financially independent, but how will that work? A campaign to end rape in war spearheaded by Angelina Jolie and a British politician is heavily criticised. | Listen |
| Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step back from royal duties | |
| The announcement is said to have been made without consultation with senior royals. Also: President Trump has said the military confrontation with Iran has de-escalated, and the Japanese Justice Minister rejects criticism of the country's legal system made by the fugitive Renault Nissan boss, Carlos Ghosn. | Listen |
| Iran attack: Missiles fired at US forces in Iraq | |
| President Donald Trump responded on twitter saying ?all is well?. Also: A Ukraine International Airlines plane crashes near a Tehran airport killing everyone on board, and a man on trial in Japan for killing nineteen mentally disabled residents of a care home admits the killings - but denies murder. | Listen |
| President Trump backs down from his repeated threat to target Iranian cultural sites | |
| After criticism that such attacks could constitute a war crime, Mr Trump said if that were the case, he would obey the law. Also: the foreign exchange company Travelex is being held to ransom by hackers, and a vast "star nursery" region has been found in our galaxy. | Listen |
| Stampede kills dozens at burial in Iran | |
| Calls for retaliation over the US killing of the top General continue. A British teenager, found guilty of lying about being gang-raped by Irsraeli men in Cyprus, has been given a four-month suspended sentence. Plus Facebook is to ban 'deepfakes'. | Listen |
| Libya rebel forces 'take over' strategic city of Sirte | |
| General Khalifa Haftar's forces say they have taken Sirte from fighters loyal to the Tripoli government. Also: Trump under fire for threat to Iran cultural sites, and a new plant-based burger launched in the UK is "not for vegans". | Listen |
| Milions pack Tehran for commander's funeral | |
| The vast event was part of three days of nationwide ceremonies. Britain's 'most prolific rapist' is jailed for life. Plus we look at what's behind violent disturbances at one of India's top universities. | Listen |
| Iran rolls back nuclear deal commitments | |
| Tensions have been high over the killing of the Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, by the US in Baghdad. Also: Guaido's rival declares himself parliament speaker in Venezuela, and Georges Duboef, the "Pope of Beaujolais" wine dies aged 86. | Listen |
| Thousands mourn assassinated Iranian general | |
| The funeral procession which began in Baghdad on Saturday marks the beginning of days of mourning for Qasem Soleimani. Also: strong winds whip up Australian bushfires, and the Chinese paddlefish has been declared extinct. | Listen |
| Fears of fallout from US assassination of top Iranian General | |
| President Trump says United States killed General Soleimani to stop not start a war; But Iran describes the assassination as an act of international terrorism and vows to respond at a time and place of its choosing; and the Chinese authorities say they're investigating the source of a mysterious pneumonia outbreak | Listen |
| Iran swears revenge for killing of top general | |
| The US killing of Qassem Soleimani marks a major rise in tensions between the countries. Also: Why some European countries are slow to reform their rape laws, and how protest groups across the world share tactics. | Listen |
| Turkish troops to be deployed in Libya | |
| Turkey's parliament approves troop deployment to support UN-backed government in Libya; Australian Prime Minister heckled for his handling of the devastating bushfires; Why tourists are unwittingly helping poachers in South Africa's biggest wildlife reserve: | Listen |
| Thousands of people flee bushfires in Australia | |
| The evacuation of communities is underway in Victoria and New South Wales. Interpol issues a request for the arrest of the fugitive ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, and Turkey's parliament debates a bill which would allow troops to be sent to Libya. | Listen |
| Netanyahu requests immunity from prosecution | |
| The Israeli prime minister?s move could delay the start of his trial on corruption charges. Also in this edition: a German zoo mourns the loss of its collection of endangered apes and monkeys, Hong Kong sees in the New Year as it saw out the old ? with another big pro-democracy demonstration, and the footballers taking the long view of life after the beautiful game. | Listen |
| Thousands join a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong | |
| Protesters formed human chains stretching along busy roads. At least eight more people have died in bushfires in Australia, and North Korea ends its suspension of nuclear testing. | Listen |
| Australia sees in 2020 as wildfires rage across countryside | |
| Thousands flee to a beach to avoid flames in Victoria. Also: How did Carlos Ghosn smuggle himself out of Japan? And will one of the brightest stars explode? | Listen |
| US Baghdad embassy attacked by protesters | |
| The protest by the Iranian-backed militia group was in response to American air strikes on Sunday which killed at least twenty-five of its members. Australia burns while parts of India suffer the worst cold for more than a century. Plus the Greeks swapping New Year clubs for dance classes. | Listen |
| Nissan's ex-head Ghosn in surprise Lebanon arrival | |
| Carlos Ghosn was arrested over allegations of financial misconduct in 2018. He denies any wrongdoing. Also: Bolivia is planning to expel foreign diplomats, and Neil Innes, the Monty Python songwriter dies aged seventy-five. | Listen |
| Death sentences for Sudanese intelligence officers over teacher's killing | |
| It's the first time Sudanese courts have handed down convictions over the violent response to the protests. China jails 'gene-edited babies' scientist for three years. A British teenager is found guilty of lying about being gang-raped by Israeli youths in Cyprus. | Listen |
| Trump urges unity against anti-Semitism 'scourge' following an attack in New York | |
| The US president described the stabbing attacks on a New York rabbi's house as "horrific". Also: Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists swap prisoners, and Big Ben will bong for New Year 2020. | Listen |
| Rush-hour bomb kills dozens in Somali capital | |
| The blast took place at a checkpoint at a busy intersection in Mogadishu. Also: Biden appears to rule out testifying at Trump's impeachment trial, and more than one thousand addresses published in UK honours list error. | Listen |
| Survivors describe Kazakhstan air-crash | |
| Remarkable stories from those who emerged unscathed from the aircraft wreckage at Almaty airport; A quarter of a million people flee Syrian government military offensive in Idlib province; French government to inspect social media for signs of tax avoidance and fraud. | Listen |
| Dozens survive Kazakhstan plane crash | |
| At least twelve die after the Fokker 100 crashes on take-off from Almaty airport. The aircraft was carrying one hundred passengers. Also, Nigerian Islamists release a video showing the execution of Christians; and, New England - in Crimea. | Listen |
| Mexico and Bolivia in diplomatic row | |
| Mexico says it's taking Bolivia to the International Court of Justice over the intimidation of its diplomats in La Paz. Also, Iranian security forces have been patrolling Tehran and other cities to try to prevent widespread protests and one of the leading lyric tenors of the last century, Peter Schreier, has died at the age of eighty-four. | Listen |
| Russia: Security forces raid offices of Alexei Navalny | |
| Raid carried out on premises of opposition leader's Anti-Corruption Foundation. Mr. Navalny says raid is linked to his refusal to comply with a court order to delete an online film accusing Russian Prime Minister of corruption. Also, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces challenge for leadership of Likud party, and how eco-activist Greta Thunberg inspired remix of a dance music classic. | Listen |
| The Happy Pod 2019 | |
| The most inspiring, uplifting and heartwarming stories from 2019 with lots of brilliance, bravery and courage. How rugby raised South Africa to heights not seen since Nelson Mandela; a 50th birthday for Big Bird and friends; plus singing seals, driving rats and a flying fat cat. Photo: Siya Kolisi lifts Webb Ellis Cup after South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 2019 Credit: Getty Images | Listen |
| Pope Francis celebrates Midnight Mass at the Vatican | |
| The leader of the Catholic church called on people not to abandon God?s love. Also, India agrees to hold a census and national population survey, thousands of people in northern Ghana remain displaced after floods in October, and thirty years after Romania deposed Nicolae Ceausescu we hear how the country has changed. | Listen |
| India National Population Register: Database agreed amid protests | |
| Critics say it will be a list from which "doubtful citizens" will be asked to prove they are Indian. We'll hear from Russia's reluctant teen activist, whose mum is under house arrest. Prince Philip leaves hospital for Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham. | Listen |
| Boeing fires boss amid 737 Max troubles | |
| The company says it hopes to "restore confidence" but still faces questions about its commitment to safety. Also: Romanian court acquits UK trafficking suspects, and Putin takes Crimea train over new rail link. | Listen |
| Saudis sentence five to death for Khashoggi murder | |
| Jamal Khashoggi was killed last year inside the kingdom's consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul by a team of Saudi agents. Warnings that the defeated Islamic State group is on the rise once again in Iraq. We hear from an Australian mayor about bushfire flames that are seventy metres high. | Listen |
| Turkey says it can't cope with any more Syrian refugees | |
| The Turkish president says more than eighty thousand people have fled Idlib province. Also: an email reveals that the White House blocked Ukraine aid just after Trump call, and a young girl's find in a Tesco card halts China production. | Listen |
| Pompeo condemns Russia and China for veto on cross border aid to Syria | |
| The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said the vetoes cast were shameful, and that the two countries now had blood on their hands. Also: Germany and Russia condemn US pipeline sanctions, and the 1966 football World Cup winner Martin Peters dies aged 76. | Listen |
| MPs back British PM's plan to leave EU on the 31st of January | |
| The British PM Boris Johnson says Brexit is "one step closer" after MPs back his EU withdrawal bill by a majority of 124. Also: ICC seeks inquiry into alleged West Bank and Gaza "'war crimes", and Boeing astronaut capsule stalls in orbit. | Listen |
| Brexit: MPs debate Boris Johnson's bill for UK to leave EU | |
| The bill was expected to pass after Conservatives won huge majority in general election. Also, former bosses jailed following suicides among France Telecom staff, and Australian PM apologises for taking US holiday while huge bushfires rage at home. | Listen |
| Trump impeachment: a country divided | |
| The bitter divisions again on show in US politics, as Republican and Democrats argue over the impeachment of President Trump. Also, one dead after attack outside Russian spy HQ in Moscow, and astronomers discover how 'monster' black holes are born. | Listen |
| India: Thousands held for defying ban on protests | |
| Demonstrators have defied a ban on protests against a controversial new citizenship law. The measure offers citizenship to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Also, reaction in Washington DC as the House of Representatives votes to impeach President Trump, and the Queen sets out the new British government's plans for the year ahead. | Listen |
| Will President Trump be impeached? | |
| Donald Trump is expected to become only the third US president to be impeached by the House of Representatives. Also: Bolivia's attorney-general issues a warrant for the arrest of the former president Evo Morales; and the small Welsh community putting on a Christmas nativity- with just a few students playing all of the roles | Listen |
| Report says UN peacekeepers in Haiti fathered hundreds of children | |
| Interviews by a team of researchers found young mothers were abandoned. The report says girls as young as 11 were forced to trade sex for food. Also: a new chemotherapy delivery method for cancer patients is tried out by doctors, and Europe sends a planet hunting telescope into space. | Listen |
| Trump impeachment: President pens ?open war? letter on eve of vote | |
| Mr Trump faces an impeachment vote on Wednesday over allegations he pressured Ukraine for personal political gain. Also: Scientists in Denmark sequence the genetic code of a stone-age woman using a piece of ancient chewing gum and why Lord of the Rings casting directors are searching for ?ugly? people. | Listen |
| First Global Refugee Forum underway in Geneva | |
| Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants a million Syrians to be resettled in a part of northern Syria where Turkey recently forced out Kurdish fighters. The Pope lifts the 'pontifical secret' rule in sex abuse cases. A Pakistani court has sentenced the former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to death in absentia for treason. | Listen |
| Mexico: 50 bodies found in mass graves | |
| Forensic experts say they have been able to establish the identities of more than a dozen people. Also: The French official in charge of pension reforms which have triggered nationwide strikes resigns; and the hospital in Syria operating entirely below ground. | Listen |
| India protests: PM appeals for calm | |
| The demonstrators see the new law as "anti-Muslim" and in conflict with India's secular traditions. China accuses the Arsenal footballer, Mesut Ozil, of being deceived by fake news after he criticised the treatment of Muslim Uighurs. Also, why a Californian church nativity scene is depicting Mary, Joseph and Jesus in cages. | Listen |
| UN climate talks called a "failure" | |
| The longest summit on record has ended with a compromise deal that left many big questions unanswered. Also: Indian police have been accused of forcefully entering a university campus and beating students. And an undercover investigation into the women being trafficked from Africa to India for prostitution. | Listen |
| UN climate talks hit rough waters | |
| Negotiators in Madrid are working towards a deal for countries to commit to new carbon emissions cuts by the end of 2020. Also: "Sardines" pack in for anti-Salvini Rome protest, and is it possible to complete Beethoven's unfinished Tenth Symphony using artificial intelligence? | Listen |
| British PM urges let the healing begin after poll win | |
| Boris Johnson says he hopes his party's "extraordinary" election victory will bring "closure" to years of acrimony. Also: Key committee passes Trump impeachment charges, and Algeria hit by more protests as new leader elected. | Listen |
| UK general election 2019: Boris Johnson says it's time to 'get Brexit done' | |
| UK's PM says he hopes his party's election win will bring 'closure' to Brexit debate. And Labour's leader Jeremy Corbyn gives his response to his party's huge defeat. Also, we look at the challenges ahead for Britain's Conservative government after election victory, and how they'll handle relations with the EU and the US. | Listen |
| Resounding win for the Conservatives in Britain's general election | |
| With most of the votes counted PM Boris Johnson secures overall majority. It means he can push through his plans for Britain to leave the EU at the end of next month. The Scottish National Party surges in Scotland. The SNP says it is has a mandate for a 2nd independence referendum. | Listen |
| Exit poll suggests Conservatives on course to win majority in UK general election | |
| Exit poll suggests the prime minister, Boris Johnson has secured a strong overall majority with his promise to get Brexit done. Also: New Zealand troops on volcanic island to recover bodies, and Paul McCartney unwraps his 'secret' Christmas album. | Listen |
| Protests mar Algeria's presidential election | |
| Demonstrators boycott the vote demanding the sweeping away of the entire political establishment. Also, the 44,000 year-old cave paintings that may be the oldest story ever told, and the lucky employees sharing an unexpected ten million dollar Christmas bonus. | Listen |
| India approves 'anti-Muslim' citizenship law | |
| The controversial law offers amnesty to non-Muslim immigrants from three countries. Also: it's reported that the disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinsten has reached a multi-million dollar settlement with accusers, and a painting has been found in Italy after a 22 year Klimt mystery. | Listen |
| Aung San Suu Kyi defends Myanmar against genocide allegations | |
| Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected the allegations of genocide against Rohingya Muslims at the International Court of Justice. Also; Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addresses the UN climate change conference in Madrid, and how much exercise do you need to burn off the calories contained in a chocolate bar? | Listen |
| Democrats unveil Trump impeachment charges | |
| US president accused of abusing his powers and obstructing Congress. Also: Ex Mexican security minister arrested on drugs charges; new warning over Greenland ice melt and music industry mourns Roxette singer. | Listen |
| Myanmar Rohingya: Suu Kyi to defend genocide charge at UN court | |
| It marks a remarkable fall from grace for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi. In the Czech Republic, a gunman has killed six people in a hospital waiting room. And a paramedic rescuer describes a 'Chernobyl'- like scene on New Zealand's White Island after Monday's volcanic eruption. | Listen |
| No sign of life after volcanic eruption in New Zealand. | |
| New Zealand's Prime Minister says further survivors unlikely following White Island eruption; High level talks taking place in Paris on the conflict in eastern Ukraine; Healthy body, healthy mind - how sport can help your brain. | Listen |
| 'No sign of life' after New Zealand volcano erruption | |
| Conditions are too dangerous for a rescue mission to take place at the popular tourist destination. Russia has been handed a four-year ban from all major sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Finnish minister Sanna Marin who's 34 is to become world's youngest PM. | Listen |
| FBI believes Florida navy attacker acted alone | |
| The FBI says it is treating Friday's deadly attack on a Florida navy base as a presumed terrorist attack. Also: Police in India have arrested the owner of a Delhi factory where a fire killed 43 people, and an artwork of a banana duct-taped to a wall that sold for $120,000 has been eaten by a separate performance artist. | Listen |
| US and Iranian men in prisoner swap | |
| Iran freed US student Xiyue Wang; America released Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani. Also: Oceans running out of oxygen, and the ID photo that sparked an antisemitism debate in Sweden. | Listen |
| Saudi student kills 3 in US | |
| Donald Trump says the Saudi king has expressed condolences. Also: how to translate foreign languages in one-and-a-half seconds, and the child who invited school mates to his adoption. | Listen |
| Auschwitz visit: Angela Merkel warns of resurgence of intolerance | |
| German Chancellor makes her first trip while in office to Auschwitz death-camp in Poland. She says Germany has an unending responsibility to remember the Nazis' war crimes. Also, Indian police have shot dead four men suspected of raping and killing a young woman, and how a British woman was revived after a six-hour cardiac arrest. | Listen |
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Trump impeachment will go ahead | |
| Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House of Representatives will file impeachment charges against US President Donald Trump for alleged abuse of power. Also: The World Health Organisation says the cases of measles are rising at dangerous levels, and six rowers are planning to make a trip from Cape Horn in South America to Antarctica. | Listen |
| Workers in France stage a nationwide strike against pension reforms | |
| Transport workers, teachers and other public sector workers join demonstrations. Also; an Indian woman who was raped has been attacked and set on fire on her way to court, and scientists have developed a pioneering new vaccine against typhoid. | Listen |
| Trump impeachment: Law experts give legal opinion for and against impeachment | |
| As the investigation entered a new phase, law experts testified to the House Judiciary Committee which began hearings aimed at drawing up articles of impeachment. Also: Greenpeace accuses the Japanese government of covering up hotspots near the starting point of the 2020 Olympic torch relay in Fukushima, and New York launches a test-run for cargo bikes to replace delivery trucks and vans. | Listen |
| NATO leaders signal unity at meeting amid rows | |
| Despite a joint condemnation of Russian aggression, the French president Emmanuel Macron repeated his belief that NATO should not be structured around treating Russia and China as enemies. Also: Germany expels Russia diplomats over Berlin murder, and researchers suggest that people should check their cholesterol from the age of twenty-five. | Listen |
| Trump impeachment evidence 'overwhelming' | |
| The impeachment inquiry report says evidence suggests Donald Trump abused his powers. Also: Scientists develop artificial neurons to fight disease, and Utopia, North Korean-style. | Listen |
| Nato: Trump blasts Macron 'brain dead' comments as 'nasty' | |
| He also said he could see France 'breaking off' from Nato, but did not explain why. The Syrian currency has slumped to a record low. Which European country is outperforming all others when it comes to education? | Listen |
| Prince Andrew's accuser calls for public support | |
| A US woman who says she was brought to Britain aged 17 to have sex with Prince Andrew has implored the British public to "stand beside her". Prince Andrew has denied any such relationship. Also: Scientists have identified parts of the brain that appear to be linked to an increased chance of suicide, potentially offering a way to identify those at risk, and why the fashion rental industry is now bigger than ever. | Listen |
| Climate change: COP25 Madrid gets underway | |
| World leaders have been urged to take rapid action to tackle the climate emergency. Vigils are held in England to pay tribute to the victims of last week's London Bridge terror attack. Continuing protests in India after the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 27-year-old woman. | Listen |
| Malta prime minister Joseph Muscat to resign in new year | |
| Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has announced on national television that he will step down in the new year, amid a crisis over a murdered journalist. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declares efforts to tackle climate change ?utterly inadequate?. And at least seventy people have been killed in Syria in two days of fighting between government forces and militias in the last major rebel-held region of Idlib. | Listen |
| Maltese businessman charged over journalist murder | |
| Yorgen Fenech is charged in connection with the 2017 murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The investigation has rocked the island's government and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is under pressure to resign. Also: Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro blames the Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio for the recent Amazon fires, and why the city of Bethlehem will have more reason to celebrate Christmas this year. | Listen |
| London Bridge attacker had terror conviction | |
| Two members of the public died and three were injured in what British police declared a terrorist incident. Also: Suriname president Bouterse sentenced to twenty years for 1982 killings, and can music return life to dead coral reefs? | Listen |
| Iraq: PM Abdul Mahdi to resign after bloodiest day of protests | |
| Announcement comes after more than 40 anti-government protestors were killed in one day. Earlier, Iraq's top Shi'a cleric condemned use of force against protesters and called for new government. Also, South Korean court sentences two K-Pop stars to prison for sex-crimes, and do mobile phones damage children's emotional and mental health ? | Listen |
| Trump makes first Afghan trip for Thanksgiving | |
| In an unannounced visit to American troops, the US president says the "Taliban wants to make a deal". Also: Turkey accuses Macron of sponsoring terrorism, and the row in Ireland over a giant printer bought for parliament. | Listen |
| Iraq: More deaths in latest wave of protests | |
| More than 20 anti-government protestors killed in clashes with security forces. For several weeks, demonstrators have been demanding more jobs, an end to corruption, and better public services. Also, China rebukes US for its support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, and why Scotland's Gaelic-speakers are using modern technology to preserve an ancient language. | Listen |
| More protests in Malta demanding the resignation of PM Muscat over murder scandal | |
| The demonstrators in Valletta have criticised the Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat over his handling of the murder of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Also: Zimbabwe doctors say hospitals are "death traps", and Russian cows get Virtual Reality headsets "to reduce anxiety". | Listen |
| Bangladesh: Islamists sentenced to death for 2016 attack at Dhaka cafe | |
| Seven Islamists sentenced for attack in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were killed. Eight people were on trial, accused of planning assault on the Holey Artisan cafe and supplying the weapons used. Also, senior doctors in Zimbabwe go on strike in support of their junior colleagues, and why robot police-dogs are being tested in the US. | Listen |
| Resignations spark Malta crisis in murder scandal | |
| Two years after the murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, a volley of resignations has rocked Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's government. Also: rescuers continue their search after Albania quake, and in England a couple speak of their shock at winning $135m. | Listen |
| UN says drastic action needed over carbon emissions | |
| Warnings that current targets fall far short of what's required to avert disastrous climate change. UN says if strategies don't change then global temperatures could rise to more than double the limit agreed under the Paris climate deal. Also: Albania is struck by a powerful earthquake, and why bad dreams could be good for you. | Listen |
| Argentina: Catholic priests sentenced in child sex abuse case | |
| The clerics were convicted of sexually assaulting children at a school for the deaf, over 12 years. Also: on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, France and South Africa both announce plans to prevent domestic abuse. And the residents of a Nigerian village called Area of Idiots decide their home needs a new name. | Listen |
| Hong Kong elections: Carrie Lam promises 'open mind' after election | |
| It's thought 17 of the 18 district councils are now controlled by pro-democracy councillors. Thieves have stolen three priceless sets of jewellery from one of Europe's largest treasure collections - the Dresden Green Vault in eastern Germany. Uber loses licence to operate in London. | Listen |
| Opposition win huge victory in Hong Kong election | |
| Pro-democracy candidates deliver a stunning reverse to the pro-Beijing chief executive, Carrie Lam. Also: the WWW founder wants a ?Contract for the Web?; and, the search for the sunken cocaine-carrying submarine. | Listen |
| Bolivian Senate approves election bill | |
| The bill allows a fresh presidential election. Marches in France against domestic violence, and dozens of pirates surrender to police in Bangladesh. | Listen |
| Donald Trump wants full trial in impeachment investigation. | |
| The president says he?ll welcome the chance to defend himself in the Senate against the allegations that he tried to coerce Ukraine into investigating his political rival Joe Biden. Also: India says more than 30,000 of its citizens have died while working in the Persian Gulf in recent years. And a woman makes a surreptitious call to the police, while pretending to order a pizza. | Listen |
| Chagos Islands dispute: UK misses deadline to return control | |
| UK has ignored a deadline to return control of an overseas territory to Mauritius. Britain says it does not recognise Mauritius' claim to sovereignty over the islands. Also, why a social media influencer is accused of contributing to the suicides of at least two of her followers, and how computer animation will be used to bring iconic 1950s film star James Dean back to life. | Listen |
| Israel PM Netanyahu charged with corruption | |
| The prime minister calls the charges an "attempted coup, insisting he will not resign. Also: tuk tuk drivers storm a morgue in Indonesia to take a dead baby for burial; And, how being a K-pop star doesn't get you out of military service in S Korea. | Listen |
| DR Congo: Measles outbreak kills nearly 5000 | |
| Health ministry says there have been nearly 250,000 cases since January. This is the world's worst current outbreak of the disease. Also, why Russian women struggle to address domestic abuse, and the band Coldplay they'll stop performing abroad - to help save the planet. | Listen |
| Prince Andrew stepping back from royal duties | |
| The Duke of York says he is stepping back from royal duties because the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has become a "major disruption" to the Royal Family. Also: US diplomat says Trump directed Ukraine pressure, and what is the best passport to own in the world? | Listen |
| UK consulate worker in Hong Kong alleges Chinese torture | |
| Simon Chen says he was abused for allegedly inciting unrest in Hong Kong. Also: Malta businessman arrested in an investigation into killing of journalist, and a nine-year old is set to become world?s youngest university graduate. | Listen |
| Impeachment witness 'concerned' by Trump call | |
| Lt Col Alexander Vindman told Congress that President Trump made "inappropriate" political demands of his Ukrainian counterpart. Also: Sweden drops Assange alleged rape investigation, and does Marie Kondo's online store spark joy? | Listen |
| Iran protests: UN fears dozens of people have been killed | |
| The protests in Iran started on Friday and were sparked by a sharp rise in petrol prices. US and Australian hostages are freed in a Taliban prisoner swap. Do you know what the gayageum is? | Listen |
| US says Jewish settlements no longer illegal | |
| The United States reverses four decades of foreign policy in a move seen as a boost to Israel. Also: Brazil's Amazon deforestation 'highest since 2008', and rare Charlotte Bronte miniature work returning to UK after sale in French auction. | Listen |
| Hong Kong Polytechnic University: Protesters arrested as they run from campus | |
| Protesters trapped inside the Polytechnic University are attempting to escape a police blockade of the campus. Demonstrations across Iran over fuel price rises have left at least twelve people dead. A rare Charlotte Bronte book is coming home. | Listen |
| Fires blaze as Hong Kong police move on university | |
| Police had warned protestors in Hong Kong that they could use live bullets if violence against officers continued. Also: Sri Lanka wartime defence chief wins presidency, and the British photographer Terry O'Neill dies aged 81. | Listen |
| Prince Andrew: exclusive BBC interview | |
| The Queen's second son discusses his relationship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, and denies ever meeting the teenage girl who says she was forced to have sex with him. Also: Chinese Communist Party documents leaked to the New York Times reveal new details about the mass detention of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, and we hear from the man some call the Indiana Jones of the art world. | Listen |
| Trump accused of witness intimidation | |
| The US president tweeted his contempt as Congress interviewed a key impeachment witness. Donald Trump attacked the former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, in the middle of her testimony to the Congressional impeachment inquiry. Also: echoes of the Cold War with a spy swap on the Russian border, and is broadband internet access really an essential human right? | Listen |
| US: Ex-ambassador speaks at Trump impeachment inquiry | |
| Second day of public hearings in impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump. The former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, is giving her testimony. Also, how African migrants are brutally mistreated by traffickers shipping them to Europe, and should the office meeting be seen as a form of therapy ? | Listen |
| MH17 disaster: Phone-taps show 'Russia directed Ukraine rebels' | |
| Investigators allege a top aide of President Vladimir Putin was in contact with rebel leaders on a regular basis. Also: Italy declares a state of emergency in Venice, following catastrophic flooding, and the young scientist that's made a new form of plastic out of fish waste materials. | Listen |
| Gaza: Rockets fired at Israel after ceasefire starts | |
| Palestinian militants in Gaza launch rockets towards Israel, hours after ceasefire begins. The truce was meant to end two days of intense fighting, in which 34 Palestinians were killed and dozens of Israelis injured. Also, India's Supreme Court to review landmark judgement allowing women of menstruating age to enter a Hindu shrine, and how a group of cows in the US showed some remarkable survival skills. | Listen |
| Trump calls impeachment hearings 'a joke' | |
| The first public hearings heard Mr Trump cared more about Ukraine investigating his rival, Joe Biden, than the country itself. Also: The importance of coffee to the Swiss, and cherry blossom to the Japanese. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: police warn of total law and order breakdown | |
| Parts of the territory are paralysed for a third weekday in a row due to street battles. Also, people in Venice battle the highest water levels for fifty years, the public hearings into the impeachment inquiry of President Trump get underway, and the curious case of the cat and the airline. | Listen |
| Bolivian leader arrives in Mexico for asylum | |
| Attempts to choose an interim leader to replace Evo Morales are thrown into confusion. Also: The Zimbabwean dollar makes a come back, and how cocaine washed up on French beaches has the police baffled. | Listen |
| Flare-up as Israel kills top Palestinian militant | |
| Dozens of rockets hit Israel after Palestinian Islamic Jihad vows to avenge Baha Abu al-Ata's death. Also: American IS suspect "stranded on Turkey border", and Lilou - the world's first airport therapy pig. | Listen |
| Bolivia?s ex-president offered asylum in Mexico | |
| Mexico says the decision was taken for "humanitarian reasons" after a request from Mr Morales. Also: A vast area of Australia's east coast is bracing itself for one of the nation's worst ever bushfire threats, and the co-founder of the White Helmets aid organisation has been found dead in Turkey. | Listen |
| Two people critical after Hong Kong day of chaos | |
| Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam has warned that protestors will not succeed in getting their demands. Also: Brexit Party rules out standing in Tory seats, and shopping frenzy in China's Single's day event. | Listen |
| Bolivian president resigns after protests | |
| Evo Morales quit following his disputed re-election last month. Also: the drunken man trying to dispose of his murdered lover, and Sesame Street at 50. | Listen |
| "No wall too high to be broken down" says German Chancellor | |
| Germany celebrates 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall; Powerful cyclone forces thousands of people from their homes in Bangladesh; India and Pakistan agree visa free corridor to allow Sikhs to visit a holy site: | Listen |
| Brazil's ex-President Lula released from jail | |
| Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was freed from jail after the Supreme Court ruled that convicted criminals should go to prison only if they have exhausted their appeal options. Also, firefighters in Australia are battling an 'unprecedented' number of bushfires across the state of New South Wales, and why the hashtag 'KFC proposal' has gone viral worldwide. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: Student's death leads to fresh protests | |
| Student Alex Chow has died after being injured during pro-democracy protests on Monday. News of his death sparked impromptu protests and vigils by fellow-activists. Also, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warns of dangers posed by Russia and China, and why Albania is providing a home for thousands of Iranian opposition activists. | Listen |
| Judge orders President Trump to pay $2m for charity fund misuse | |
| The Donald J Trump Foundation closed down in 2018, after prosecutors accused it of working as "little more than a chequebook" for Mr Trump's interests. Also, an Italian Holocaust survivor has been given police protection after receiving threats from the far-right, and archaeologists in Mexico have discovered at least fourteen Mammoth skeletons in what they say is the first man-made mammoth trap discovered anywhere in the world. | Listen |
| Iran cancels accreditation of IAEA nuclear inspector | |
| Teheran says inspector triggered an alarm at gate to a uranium-enrichment plant, and may have been carrying "suspicious material". Also, President Emmanuel Macron of France describes NATO as 'brain dead', and one of Africa's most notorious warlords is jailed at International criminal Court. | Listen |
| Trump impeachment: Public hearings start next week | |
| Democrats announce public hearings next week in an inquiry that may seek to remove President Donald Trump from office. Until now, lawmakers from three key Congress committees have heard witnesses behind closed doors. Also: Police in Mexico have arrested three men in connection with an attack on a US Mormon convoy which killed nine people, and why staff at a zoo in Japan are dressing up as penguins. | Listen |
| Tourists stabbed at popular Jordanian site | |
| Four tourists and four Jordanians have been wounded in the attack in Jerash, also: election campaign begins in Britain and a victory for women's football in Australia | Listen |
| Trump envoy revises testimony on Ukraine aid | |
| Gordon Sondland says he now remembers saying US aid "likely" hinged on an inquiry sought by President Trump. Also: thousands of scientists warn climate emergency "clear and unequivocal", and a New Zealand man accidentally buys 1000 hens for less than 1 US$. | Listen |
| Iran rolls back another nuclear deal commitment | |
| This is the fourth step taken by Iran since July in response to US sanctions reinstated by President Donald Trump. At least nine US citizens, including six children, have been killed in a violent attack by suspected drug cartel gunmen in northern Mexico. Chilean President Piñera tells the BBC he will not resign despite mass anti-government protests. | Listen |
| Recalled US ambassador felt 'threatened by Trump' | |
| Marie Yovanovitch said Mr Trump's remark in a call to Ukraine's leader left her "very concerned". Also: It's just emerged that a Dutch air strike killed about seventy in Iraq in 2015, and the veteran Irish broadcaster Gay Byrne dies aged 85. | Listen |
| Delhi air quality: Judges accuse authorities of 'passing the buck' | |
| Levels of dangerous particles in the air - known as PM2.5 - are at well over 10 times safe limits in the capital. Also: Vietnamese police have arrested eight people over the deaths of 39 people found inside a lorry trailer in the UK, and behind the Hollywood curtain with the actor Julie Andrews who played Mary Poppins. | Listen |
| Huge anti-government protests in Lebanon, despite appeals for unity. | |
| Lebanese President calls for national unity but anti-government protesters remain defiant; The Indian capital is engulfed in a choking smog - residents are told to stay indoors; And why is an oven and baking ingredients aboard a rocket going to the International Space Station ? | Listen |
| Deadly car bomb in Turkish controlled border town. | |
| At least thirteen people killed in a bomb explosion in a town on the Syria-Turkey border; Fresh clashes between police and protestors on the streets of Hong Kong; And what European bee-keepers have to do to prepare their charges for the winter | Listen |
| Progress reported in stalled Trade Talks | |
| The White House raises hopes of a deal to end the US - China trade war; Demonstrators on the streets in Algeria calling for revolution; And a new insight into how sleep helps clean your brain. | Listen |
| Five million face masks handed out in Delhi | |
| A public health emergency has been declared in Delhi, which is ranked as the world's most polluted city. Also: the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is told to scrap his deal with the EU and form an alliance with Nigel Farage in December's general election, and we hear from a women's rugby team in South Africa which is hoping for Springbok success in Saturday's World Cup final. | Listen |
| US House endorses impeachment inquiry into President Trump | |
| The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution to formally proceed with the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, setting the rules for the next stage of a bitter political battle; A study of measles has found the virus has a devastating impact on the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight other infections; And a warning that the global outbreak of African swine fever could kill a quarter of the world's pigs. | Listen |
| Pakistan train fire kills dozens | |
| More than 70 passengers have died in Pakistan's worst rail disaster in over a decade. The train was travelling between the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Rawalpindi. Also: Just over a week after the bodies of 39 people were discovered in the back of a trailer in England, we hear from others who have taken the dangerous human smuggling route, and how spiders might be able to help stick body tissue together after surgery. | Listen |
| Social media giant Twitter to ban all political adverts | |
| Social media giant Twitter will ban all political advertising worldwide, saying the reach of such messages "should be earned, not bought"; Chile?s embattled president cancels two major international summits because of domestic unrest; And survivors of London?s tragic Grenfell Tower blaze are calling for senior fire brigade staff to be sacked. | Listen |
| Talks start on new Syria Constitution. | |
| After years of civil war, fresh efforts to kick start Syrian peace talks; Turkey rejects US Congress vote recognising the mass killings of Armenians as genocide; And how the England team hacked-off World Rugby. | Listen |
| British MPs vote to hold a general election on 12th December | |
| Boris Johnson is hopeful he can secure a parliamentary majority and push through a Brexit deal, as the turmoil surrounding the UK?s departure from the EU drags on. Also: The prime minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, has said he?ll step down after facing two weeks of anti-government protests. And a Nepali mountaineer has set a new climbing record, scaling the world?s fourteen tallest peaks in just seven months. | Listen |
| Heavy casualties in overnight protests in Kerbala. | |
| Protests in the Iraqi capital Baghdad - and reports of deaths in the Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala; Britain looks to be heading towards a snap December election after the opposition Labour Party gave its backing; Researchers say they've identified the birthplace of modern humans in southern Africa | Listen |
| Boris Johnson fails to trigger general election | |
| UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has again failed to secure backing for a general election, as the tortuous agony of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union continues. Also: Senior US military figures are unable to confirm President Donald Trump's description of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death. And a scientific breakthrough promises to transform our understanding of time and space. | Listen |
| EU approves another Brexit extension | |
| EU leaders have agreed in principle to extend Brexit until 31 January 2020 - meaning the UK will not leave as planned on Thursday. Meanwhile British MPs are due to vote on proposals to hold an early general election. Also, Alberto Fernandez has been elected as Argentina's new President and Virgin Galactic becomes the first space company to list on the New York Stock Exchange. | Listen |
| President Trump confirms death of IS leader | |
| The US says t the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has blown himself upafter being cornered by US special forces in Syria. Also: thousands turn out for a Spanish unity march in Barcelona and a painting which hung in a French kitchen for years sells for 26 million dollars. | Listen |
| New evacuations and power cuts as wild fires hit California | |
| Fifty-thousand more people ordered to leave their homes which are threatened by the fires, | Listen |
| Mueller report: Criminal probe into Russia inquiry begins | |
| US Justice Department launches criminal investigation into origins of Mueller inquiry. The investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election did not establish any criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign. Also, Vietnamese families fear their relatives are among 39 dead in UK lorry-trailer, and how migrating eagles ran up huge roaming-charges. | Listen |
| Global News Brexitcast | |
| We team up with the award-winning Brexitcast team to bring you a special update on what Britain leaving the EU means for you. You?ve sent us questions from around the world and Jackie Leonard puts them to the experts from the podcast that?s all about Brexit. There?s also cake, phew. Spread the word! #GlobalNewsPod #Brexitcast Find the Brexitcast podcast here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/brexitcast | Listen |
| Boeing 737 Lion Air crash caused by series of failures | |
| Five months after the disaster in October last year, an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed, killing all 157 people on board, which led to the grounding of the entire 737 Max fleet. Also: Iraqi security forces have fired live rounds and tear gas at protesters marching in Baghdad, and the Australian rock closed to climbers in case they were ?hurting? it. | Listen |
| US Vice-President launches a scathing attack on China | |
| Ahead of fresh trade talks, Mike Pence accused Beijing of military posturing against its neighbours, criticising its trading behaviour and treatment of religious minorities. Also: Britain's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is giving the opposition more time to discuss his Brexit deal ... so long as they agree to a General Election in just seven weeks. And Asterix the Gaul gets its first female heroine. | Listen |
| UK Police: 39 found dead in truck are Chinese nationals | |
| Police are questioning a lorry driver on suspicion of murdering 8 women and 31 men. Also: The remains of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco have been moved from a vast mausoleum to a low-key grave, and how a global pop band took promoting new music to a local level. | Listen |
| Trump lifts sanctions on Turkey over Syria assault | |
| President Trump says he will lift sanctions on Turkey but makes no apology to the Kurds; Republicans have stormed into a hearing of US congressional committees to disrupt the impeachment investigation into the president; Google says it has achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing, with a machine that far exceeds the power of conventional computers. | Listen |
| 39 dead bodies found in UK lorry | |
| The driver has been arrested on suspicion of murder and there is speculation the lorry started its journey in Bulgaria. Also: NATO says the ceasefire in northeast Syria could form the basis for a lasting solution; and the rodents that are being sent to driving school. | Listen |
| Brexit deal "in limbo" as MPs reject timetable. | |
| Defeat for the British Prime Minister means he's unlikely to meet his pledge to get Brexit done by the end of October, Kurdish fighters in northern Syria face deadline to withdraw thirty kilometres from the Turkish border, And have scientists made a major breakthrough in the treatment of dementia? | Listen |
| Canada election: Trudeau's Liberals win but lose majority | |
| The Liberals will be forced to depend on other parties to govern. Japan's Emperor Naruhito formally ascends to the throne in a lavish ceremony in Tokyo. Anger mounts in Bolivia over election result confusion. | Listen |
| Israeli PM Netanyahu fails to form a government | |
| Mr Netanyahu gives up on building a coalition after the recent election deadlock - his rival now gets to try. Also: Protests continue in Lebanon, despite the government announcing emergency reforms. And the British government fails in its latest attempt to hold a vote on the Brexit deal in parliament. | Listen |
| Lebanon protests: cabinet agrees reforms | |
| The proposals involve scrapping new taxes and halving the salaries of top officials. Canadians are voting on whether to give Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal party a second term. A Royal rift ? Prince Harry says he and his brother, William, are on 'different paths'. | Listen |
| Kurdish-led forces in Syria say they have left a strategic border town | |
| The withdrawal is part of a truce brokered by the US. Also: Green parties' success in Swiss elections, and the price for gorillas of the perfect Instagram shot. | Listen |
| Brexit: British PM sends letter to Brussels seeking further delay | |
| British PM Boris Johnson has sent a request to the EU for a delay to Brexit - but without his signature. Also: A state of emergency has been declared in the Chilean capital, and a football match in London is abandoned when players are racially abused by fans. | Listen |
| British parliament votes to force further Brexit delay | |
| Amendment forces Boris Johnson to seek another delay - but he says he won't do it, meanwhile hundreds of thousands march in London against Brexit | Listen |
| Barcelona hit by fresh protests amid general strike | |
| Half a million Catalans on the streets in protest against their leaders' jail sentences, also: crunch time in Westminster over Brexit deal and Nelson's battle plan discovered. | Listen |
| Catalonia: Barcelona paralysed by protests and general strike | |
| Tens of thousands on streets amid ongoing fury over jailed Catalan separatist leaders. Also, Turkey's president says Kurdish fighters are withdrawing from Syrian border, and two NASA astronauts make the first ever all-female spacewalk. | Listen |
| Turkey suspends Syrian offensive- for now | |
| The five day pause in hostilities was announced after talks in Ankara between the Turkish president and the US Vice President, Mike Pence. Also: The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, says he's convinced the British parliament will back his new Brexit deal, and the ?smart? bracelet that the Vatican hopes will get young people praying more. | Listen |
| Brexit: EU and UK reach a deal | |
| A Brexit agreement has been drawn up - but it needs approval by UK's parliament. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged MPs to 'get this excellent deal over the line'. Also, US Vice President Mike Pence visits Ankara to urge halt to offensive against Syrian Kurds, and scientists discover the world's fastest ant. | Listen |
| US House of Representatives condemns Trump on Syria | |
| 129 Republicans voted with Democrats against Donald Trump's withdrawal of US forces. The president told reporters Syria wasn't America's problem. Also: artificial wombs, and the return of humpback whales. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: Opposition lawmakers shout down Chief Executive Carrie Lam | |
| Pro-democracy politicians in the Chinese territory demand Ms. Lam?s resignation in chaotic council meeting. Also: Turkish President Recep Erdogan says nothing will stop his military assault on Syrian Kurds. And we learn more about the school in Nigeria where dozens of men and boys were held captive and abused. | Listen |
| Turkey-Syria offensive: Russia vows to prevent clashes with Assad's forces | |
| Russia's defence ministry said its forces, which have been deployed in Syria since 2015, were patrolling along the "line of contact" between Syrian and Turkish forces. Also: Hunter Biden denies wrongdoing over business dealings, and Elton John reveals the one person he spent his life trying to impress. | Listen |
| Fighting intensifies on the Turkish-Syria border | |
| We'll hear from our correspondent on the ground and look at who is selling weapons to Turkey. 'Tortured' and shackled pupils are freed from a Nigerian Islamic school. Bulgaria's Football Union president Borislav Mihaylov resigns following the racist abuse of England players by fans in Sofia. | Listen |
| Trump?s new threats to ?destroy? Turkey?s economy | |
| The US President has tweeted that he will sign an executive order in response to Turkey?s military incursion in northern Syria. Also: Angry protests across Catalonia over the sentencing of twelve leaders for the failed attempt to break away from Spain, and the winner of the Booker prize is revealed? and this year there?s a twist. | Listen |
| Catalonia leaders jailed for sedition by Spanish court | |
| The verdicts have drawn thousands onto the streets in protest. Syrian government forces agree to help the Kurds battle the Turkish military incursion; they're now within the range of Turkish artillery. Tragedy in K-pop, the star Sulli has died aged 25. | Listen |
| Kurdish forces reach deal with Damascus over Turkish offensive | |
| Agreement allows the Syrian army to deploy along the border. Also: Japan deploys military in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis and the backlash against vaping and the use of e-cigarettes in the United States. | Listen |
| Syrian Kurds say guarding IS prisoners not a priority | |
| Kurdish forces fighting a Turkish offensive in northern Syria have said the United States has a moral obligation to help them. Also: Ecuador imposes curfew amid violent protests, and parachutist hits lamp-post on Spain's national day. | Listen |
| 100,000 flee as Turkey steps up Syria offensive | |
| The US says it wants to step up efforts to stop Turkey's offensive in northern Syria against Kurdish forces. Also: major payments companies abandon Facebook's Libra, and the cosmonaut Alexei Leonov who became the first person to walk in space, has died aged 85. | Listen |
| Nobel Peace Prize: Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed is winner for 2019 | |
| Ethiopian PM given prize for efforts to 'achieve peace and international cooperation.' His peace deal with Eritrea ended a 20-year military stalemate following a border war between the two nations. Also, casualties increase as Turkey continues its offensive into Kurdish-held areas of northern Syria, and we look back at the life of singer Karel Gott - the 'Sinatra of the East.' | Listen |
| Tens of thousands flee as Turkey steps up offensive in Syria | |
| International clamour increases for a halt to the attack, but Turkey encircles key Syrian towns. Also: Johnson and Varadkar "'can see pathway to a Brexit deal", and Japan ninja student gets top marks for writing essay in invisible ink. | Listen |
| Turkey's Syria offensive: Erdogan hits back at criticism of assault | |
| Turkish President strongly defends incursion into Kurdish-held territory in Syria. He threatens to send millions of Syrian refugees to Europe if the Turkish offensive is described as an 'occupation.' Also, Olga Tokarczuk and Peter Handke win Nobel Prizes for Literature for 2018 and 2019, and Iranian women are allowed to attend a men's football match for first time in decades. | Listen |
| Turkey launches ground offensive in Syria | |
| The move comes hours after warplanes and artillery began hitting areas held by Kurdish-led forces. Also: two dead as gunman targets German synagogue, and a study suggests that owning a dog can help you live longer. | Listen |
| Kurds in northern Syria told to mobilise against Turks | |
| People are being urged to head to the Syrian border to resist the Turkish assault. This follows President Trump's controversial decision to withdraw US troops from the area. Also: northern California braces for huge power cuts to prevent wildfires, and the brown bears of Alaska eating their way to success. | Listen |
| White House and Congress at odds over key witness in impeachment inquiry | |
| Trump says he doesn't want his ambassador appearing before what he calls a kangaroo court. Also: We hear from the commander of Kurdish forces in Syria, and scientists say that salts found in a crater on Mars tell us more about what happened to the planet's water. | Listen |
| Chinese TV scraps plans to show basketball games | |
| Houston Rockets boss Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters. Also: Brexit talks between Britain and the EU reach breaking point, and a new scheme to even up the gender pay gap by employees deciding their own salary. | Listen |
| Trump defends US troop pull out | |
| Turkey is expected to invade the border area after US troops began withdrawing from the war-torn country on Monday, with Mr Trump saying it was "time to get out of these ridiculous endless wars". Also: Striking doctors in Zimbabwe are defying government orders to go back to work, and the Korean musical genre that's churning out rock stars- and no, it?s not K Pop | Listen |
| Kurdish fighters accuse US of treachery | |
| The US withdraws troops from northern Syria, leaving its former Kurdish allies - who helped America defeat the Islamic State group - open to a Turkish attack. Also: Extinction Rebellion kicks off a wave of international climate change protests and anger over a tweet about Hong Kong prompts an apology from the Houston Rockets basketball team. | Listen |
| Second whistle-blower emerges with information on Donald Trump?s Ukraine call | |
| A US official says they have first-hand knowledge of a phone conversation in which Mr Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden. Also, the Iraqi government announces sweeping social reforms after security forces kill dozens of protestors. And Ginger Baker, the legendary drummer of the rock bank Cream is dead at the age of 80. | Listen |
| Paris knife attacker adhered to radical Islam says prosecutor | |
| Questions why attacker's recent behavioural changes went unnoticed, also: Pope creates 13 new cardinals, and why some consider the film 'Joker" dangerous | Listen |
| Trump Toughs It Out | |
| Critics circle the president over his attempt to dig the dirt on a political rival ? but he remains defiant, saying he?s fighting corruption. He?s been accused of abusing his position by urging Ukraine to investigate the leading Democratic Party presidential candidate, Joe Biden. Also: Clashes on the streets of Hong Kong as a new ban on face masks comes into force. And, in Britain, Prince Harry takes on the tabloids in his battle for privacy. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: Anger as authorities ban face-masks after months of protests | |
| Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam bans face masks to try to quell unrest. Protesters have pledged to defy the new law, and immediately took to the streets in response. Also, Iraq's most senior Shi'a cleric appeals for calm after days of clashes between police and protestors, and are we damaging the environment by buying too many trainers ? | Listen |
| Trump Wants China to Investigate the Bidens | |
| US Democrats accuse the President of betraying his oath of office. BBC investigation into Iraq 'pleasure' marriages; and, we hear from two women who forgave the men who killed their children | Listen |
| Brexit: Boris Johnson says his plan is 'genuine attempt to bridge chasm' | |
| UK Prime Minister tells Parliament he's made serious attempt to get Brexit deal with EU. But opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has described the proposals as 'unrealistic and damaging.' Also, curfew imposed in Baghdad as 18 die in clashes between police and protestors, and should tourists to America's South be told more about the brutal legacy of slavery ? | Listen |
| Trump lashes out at impeachment inquiry | |
| Using a vulgarity, President Trump accused Democrats of dishonesty and even treason. Also: British government publishes new Brexit proposals, and the rare cases of male breast cancer. | Listen |
| Brexit: Boris Johnson says No-deal is only alternative to his withdrawal plan | |
| Britain's Prime Minister makes key speech at his Conservative party's conference. The UK is set to leave the EU on 31 October. | Listen |
| Pompeo accuses Democrats of impeachment 'bullying' | |
| The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said five officials due to testify before committees this week would not appear. Also: Peru in turmoil after president dissolves parliament, and Russian alcohol consumption falls steeply. | Listen |
| China at 70: Tanks parade on Tiananmen Square | |
| The police in Hong Kong have shot and injured a protester, during some of the worst clashes in nearly four months. There's turmoil Peru after President Vizcarra dissolves Congress. And how baby scans show body parts dating back 250 million years. | Listen |
| President Trump faces further controversy | |
| Australia confirms Donald Trump asked their prime minister to help investigate the Russia inquiry as Congress orders his lawyer to hand over documents related to the impeachment investigation. Also: a controversial change in health advice as scientists say we can carry on eating red meat, and more than 500 years after their ancestors were forced into exile Jews with roots in Spain are being welcomed back. | Listen |
| Jihadists attack US training base in Somalia | |
| Al Shabab militants blasted though gates and sent in fighters before being reportedly pushed back. Also: France pays final respects at the funeral of Jacques Chirac, and inequalities in heart attack care in UK "costing women's lives". | Listen |
| Sebastian Kurz will be Austrian Chancellor once again | |
| Four months after a scandal brought him down, Sebastian Kurz has been returned to power but he will need to form another coalition to govern. Also, the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, defiantly insists that a no-deal Brexit can happen regardless of a law to stop it - even as newspapers publish claims about his private life. And one of Latin America's best known singers, José José, has died. | Listen |
| Afghans vote in shadow of violence | |
| Afghanistan's presidential election is held amid insurgent bomb attacks. Also: British PM under pressure to explain relationship with American businesswoman, new treatment halves the number of deaths from skin cancer and The Irishman enters Oscars race with world premiere. | Listen |
| Pakistan warns India of war over Kashmir | |
| India and Pakistan have already fought two wars over the disputed territory. Also: Half a million people have taken part in a demonstration in the Canadian city of Montreal led by the teenage climate activist, Greta Thunberg, and how Saudi Arabia is relaxing dress codes and visa rules as it tries to attract more tourists. | Listen |
| Former Ukraine FM Rejects Trump Claims against Biden | |
| Pavlo Klimkin contradicts Donald Trump's claims about the role played by his presidential rival Joe Biden in the sacking of Ukraine's chief prosecutor. Prince Harry in the footsteps of Princess Diana in Angola minefields; and, long lost Liszt composition to be performed | Listen |
| Trump accused of trying to conceal attempt to dig dirt on Biden | |
| Top Democrats on Capitol Hill accuse Donald Trump of trying to cover up details of a phone call to his Ukrainian counterpart. They say Mr Trump?s lawyers ordered a transcript of the call ? in which he urged Ukraine to investigate his possible presidential rival, Joe Biden -- to be moved to a computer server usually reserved for matters of national security. Also: the dangers lurking in a friendly cup of tea. And Britain?s poet laureate ponders the impact of climate change. | Listen |
| Former French president Jacques Chirac dies | |
| The committed Europhile whose later years were blighted by corruption scandals has died at the age of eighty-six. Also: White House "tried to cover up Trump call details", and UK's new polar research ship officially named the "Sir David Attenborough". | Listen |
| Memo confirms Trump urged Biden investigation | |
| The notes show Mr Trump asked the Ukrainian president to investigate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. Also: Netanyahu is asked to try to form Israeli government, and the transgender man who gave birth and wants to be recognised as a father - not a mother. | Listen |
| UN panel signals alert on Blue Planet | |
| Scientists say the oceans and frozen regions are feeling the heat from rising temperatures as never before. Also: angry exchanges in UK parliament over recent suspension and US toy maker launches a gender neutral doll. | Listen |
| Democrats launch formal Trump impeachment inquiry | |
| US Democrats have opened a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump over claims that he sought political help from Ukraine. Also: Boris Johnson says he ?profoundly disagrees? with UK Supreme Court ruling, and a French chef sues the Michelin guide over star rating. | Listen |
| UK court rules suspending parliament was unlawful | |
| The British PM Boris Johnson says he will "respect the verdict" but "strongly disagrees" with the judges' decision. Also: Spain court backs dictator Franco's exhumation, and the German illness of a hangover. | Listen |
| Thunberg: 'If you choose to fail us we will never forgive you' | |
| In an emotional address to the UN climate summit, the Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg warned of people dying, ecosystems collapsing and said we were on the brink of mass extinction. She accused world leaders of not doing enough. Also, President Trump says the scandal over a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart is a "Democrat witch hunt", and we'll hear the claims about how seat belts and the temperature of an office can contribute to gender inequality. | Listen |
| Thomas Cook customers begin repatriation after the travel firm collapses | |
| The collapse of Thomas Cook puts 22,000 jobs at risk worldwide. Also: French trial on fatal weight-loss drug begins and what is the Autumn equinox? | Listen |
| Climate change 'accelerating', say scientists | |
| Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are reportedly rising at their fastest rate. Also: Could a phone call by Donald Trump lead to his impeachment? And Iranian women will be allowed to attend an international football match. | Listen |
| Joe Biden accuses Trump of an abuse of power | |
| Joe Biden calls for President Trump to be investigated over an alleged phone call to Ukraine's leader about him and his son. Also: Saudi Arabia once again blames Iran for last week's drone strikes. And health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo plan to roll out a second Ebola vaccine. | Listen |
| Greta Thunberg:?We deserve a safe future? | |
| Millions of young people across the globe campaigned against climate change and Greta Thunberg the teenager who started the movement addressed crowds in New York. This comes before Monday?s UN climate summit. Also: President Trump dismisses whistleblower allegations, and we hear from the young people on the Kosovo Serbian divide. | Listen |
| Climate change protests take place across the world | |
| Millions of people worldwide join a strike led by schoolchildren. Demonstrators are calling for global action on climate change. Also, Philippines government's rewards for convicts to be returned to prison prove a bit too effective, and a German ship sets off on what's billed as the biggest Arctic research expedition ever. | Listen |
| Canada's PM apologises for 'blackface' images | |
| Justin Trudeau admits wearing blackface make-up is racist. The revelations have rattled his campaign to win a second term. Also: the former British Prime Minister, David Cameron, reveals he asked the Queen for help ahead of the Scottish independence referendum, and Tunisia's ousted ex-president, Zine al Abidine Ben Ali, dies in exile aged 83. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Taliban bomb-attack kills at least 20 at hospital | |
| Truck packed with explosives was detonated by Taliban outside hospital in city of Qalat. Local media say many victims were doctors and patients. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rival Benny Gantz jostle over terms of a unity government, and how teenage boys at a South African school are trying to curb violence against women. | Listen |
| Saudis say weapons prove Iran behind recent oil attacks | |
| Saudi Arabia says missile and drone debris shows Yemen was not the source of the assaults. Also: California barred from setting own emission rules, and India bans e-cigarettes. | Listen |
| Governments Unprepared for Global Pandemic | |
| WHO says flu-like pandemic can spread in just 36 hours and kill 80 million around the world. After the attacks on its oil facilities, Saudi Arabia says another war is the last thing the region needs; and what's happened to Delhi's only privately-owned elephant. | Listen |
| Israeli election result too close to call | |
| Exit polls suggest there will be no clear winner in Israel's second election in five months. Also: US officials say Saudi oil attack drones launched from Iran, and soot pollution particles "cross the placenta". | Listen |
| A Month of Killing in Afghanistan | |
| A BBC investigation finds nearly 500 civilians were killed during August - more than in Syria and Yemen combined. Also, the UK's highest court decides on the legality of the government's suspension of Parliament. | Listen |
| Turkey wants to return three million refugees to safe zone in Syria | |
| Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the zone needed to be extended for the goal to be met. Also: Boris Johnson attacked by Luxembourg PM over Brexit, and scientists think they have found a way to stop the common cold. | Listen |
| Oil prices soar after attacks on Saudi facilities | |
| Brent crude, the international benchmark used by oil traders, jumped to $71.95 a barrel at one point. Also: UN investigators warn that ethnic Rohingyas who are still in Myanmar face the continuing threat of genocide, and the world's first climate telethon in Denmark raises enough money to plant almost a million trees. | Listen |
| Petrol bombs and water cannon amid Hong Kong clashes | |
| Violence breaks out after thousands defy a police ban to march as unrest continues unabated. Also: Tunisia holds second free presidential election and why are thousands flocking to corgi cafes? | Listen |
| Drone Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities | |
| Houthi rebels claim responsibility for attacks which the UN fears may severely limit production. Also, African leaders attend the state funeral of Robert Mugabe, but few Zimbabweans turn out; and the solid gold toilet stolen from an English palace. | Listen |
| Climate change: Electrical industry's 'dirty secret' boosts warming | |
| Sulphur hexafluoride, the most powerful greenhouse gas known to humanity, is widely used in the electrical industry to prevent short circuits and accidents. Also: The missing people crisis in Nigeria after the decade-long insurgency of the Islamist group Boko Haram; and the rapper in Idlib creating art amid the chaos. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe government wins its fight to give Mugabe a hero's burial | |
| Former president Robert Mugabe to be buried in National Heroes Acre monument in Harare. His family had wanted him to be buried in his home village. Also, thousands protest in Johannesburg at high levels of violence against women, and the Liverpool gardens that inspired a well-loved Beatles song are now open to the public. | Listen |
| Battle to save forests is being lost, advocates say | |
| An environmentalist coalition says an area of forest the size of 30 football pitches disappears every minute. Also, US congressional lawmakers grant themselves more power to investigate President Trump. And a Nigerian singer has been arrested after taking sides in a political row. | Listen |
| UK: Boris Johnson denies lying to Queen over Parliament suspension | |
| Britain's PM spoke after Scotland's highest civil court ruled shutdown was unlawful. The power to suspend - or prorogue - Parliament lies with the Queen, who follows advice of the PM. Also, how Syrian doctors in Idlib have moved underground to escape airstrikes by government, and the very unconventional life and music of US singer Daniel Johnston - who's died aged 58. | Listen |
| No-deal Brexit papers warn of shortages and riots | |
| Riots on the streets, food price rises and reduced medical supplies are real risks of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, a government document has said. Also: Water has been found on a potentially habitable planet, and commemorations have been held across America to mark 18 years since the 9/11 attacks. | Listen |
| Brexit: Scottish judges rule that Parliament suspension is unlawful | |
| Scotland?s highest civil court rules on Boris Johnson?s suspension of UK Parliament. A UK government appeal against the ruling will be heard by the Supreme Court in London next week. Also, Dutch doctor cleared in landmark euthanasia case, and how Jeanne Socrates became the oldest person to sail around the world solo and non-stop. | Listen |
| John Bolton: Trump's national security adviser is out | |
| Mr Bolton had disagreed with the president on a number of foreign policy challenges from Afghanistan to Iran. Also: Israel?s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to annex occupied Jordan Valley; and why social media influencers that get paid millions of dollars per post are here to stay. | Listen |
| Fukushima: Radioactive water may be dumped in Pacific | |
| More than a million tonnes of water that has been used to cool melted reactors is kept in giant tanks. Did President Trump's actions put a top US spy in jeopardy ? Plus convicted of trying to attend a football match - an Iranian female football fan who set herself on fire a week ago has died. | Listen |
| Brexit showdown in UK parliament | |
| British MPs reject government's calls for a snap election hours before a five-week suspension of parliament. Also: Trump says Afghan peace talks are dead, and a major operation is underway to save thousands of fish in the Darling River in Australia. | Listen |
| The British Prime Minister has been in Ireland trying to break the Brexit logjam | |
| Mr Johnson has ruled out asking the EU to delay the Brexit deadline of 31 October, although the Irish government has said it would support another extension. Early results suggest big losses for Vladimir Putin's party in Moscow city elections. British Airways pilots begin a two-day strike in an on-going dispute over pay and conditions. | Listen |
| USAID says hurricane damage in Bahamas looks like aftermath of nuclear bomb | |
| The head of the US agency for international development says the agency is working with the government of the Bahamas to provide emergency shelter, medical care, food and water. Also: the Taliban says the US has most to lose from cancelled talks, and the Spanish singer Camilo Sesto dies, aged 72. | Listen |
| British government minister, Amber Rudd, resigns over PM's Brexit stance | |
| Amber Rudd said she no longer believed leaving the European Union with a deal was the British government's "main objective". Also: Russia and Ukraine in landmark prisoner exchange, and climate protestors hold red carpet sit-in at Venice Film Festival. | Listen |
| Hundreds remain missing in the Bahamas following hurricane Dorian | |
| Officials say hundreds, possibly thousands, are still missing in the Abacos and Grand Bahama. Also: India's Moon landing attempt appears to fail, and a pub landlord makes plans for world-record gathering of Nigels. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe, strongman ex-president, dies aged 95 | |
| We look at legacy of controversial and authoritarian figure who ruled for 37 years. He was renowned as a liberation fighter and statesman, but criticised for his repressive and intolerant policies. Also, Bahamas government says that death toll from Hurricane Dorian will be 'staggering', and concern in China over use of AI to monitor schoolchildren. | Listen |
| Architect of Trump?s Middle East peace plan resigns | |
| The architect of Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan announces his resignation to spend more time with his family. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record lashes America's south east coast, flooding parts of Charleston in South Carolina. And South Africa temporarily closes its embassy in Nigeria after deaths, violent protest and accusations of xenophobia. | Listen |
| UK: Prime Minister's brother Jo Johnson quits as Conservative MP and minister | |
| Boris Johnson's brother Jo says he is 'torn between family loyalty and national interest.' His decision has generated enormous controversy at a time of high tension in UK politics. Also, residents of South Carolina prepare for Hurricane Dorian, and how music superstar Sir Paul McCartney's grandchild gave him inspiration for his new book. | Listen |
| Boris Johnson's Brexit strategy is in tatters | |
| Parliament rejects the British Prime Minister's call for a snap election after it passed legislation forcing him to ask for a third delay to the UK's departure from the European Union. Also: the number of people killed by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas has risen to twenty and the photographer, Peter Lindbergh, who helped create the concept of the supermodel, has died. | Listen |
| Hong Kong leader to withdraw extradition bill | |
| The proposal, introduced in April, would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China.Britain's prime minister, Boris Johnson, faces a vote by MPs later on whether to force a delay to Brexit. An outcry in India over new traffic penalties, with one rickshaw driver fined nearly forty times his day's earnings. | Listen |
| Boris Johnson suffers historic defeat in Parliament | |
| Boris Johnson loses his majority in Parliament and suffers a stinging defeat over Brexit, raising the prospect of a snap general election. After battering The Bahamas for a whole day, Hurricane Dorian has finally begun to move on - heading towards the United States. But the scale of the damage is not yet known. And scientists believe an Indonesian volcano could pose a greater threat than first thought. | Listen |
| Hurricane Dorian stalls over Bahamas | |
| Dorian fell in strength on Tuesday to category three, but Grand Bahama island faced at least another day of heavy rain, high winds and storm surges. The British parliament has just reconvened after its summer break for what's expected to be one of the stormiest sessions in decades - on Brexit. Plus we report from Poland where a government scheme is trying to persuades citizens to come back home. | Listen |
| British prime minister insists Brexit will happen on October 31st | |
| PM says under no circumstances will departure from the EU be delayed, also: Hurricane Dorian "devastates" the Bahamas and why not losing got an Iranian sportsman into trouble. | Listen |
| Bahamas battered by Hurricane Dorian | |
| The category-five hurricane has torn off roofs and caused severe flooding. Also: election discussions in Downing Street amid Brexit battle, and investigating the palm oil industry in Papua New Guinea. | Listen |
| Hurricane Dorian slams into Bahamas | |
| Residents post footage showing flood waters engulfing homes and cars being swept away. Also: why Amsterdam wants a certain type of tourist, and the trainee pilot who landed his plane after his instructor collapsed. | Listen |
| Protesters defy ban and occupy Central Hong Kong | |
| Police and pro-democracy demonstrators have fought running battles in Hong Kong; Reports of another deadly shooting in the US with multiple victims in the State of Texas; Tens of thousands demonstrate against the suspension of parliament in the run-up to Brexit: | Listen |
| BBC finds evidence of alleged war crimes in Syria | |
| An aircraft hit the same location in the province of Idlib twice in half an hour, killing nearly forty people. The plane was from a Russian airbase. Russia has denied involvement. Also, people in Florida are preparing for Hurricane Dorian as it gathers strength in the Caribbean, and if you like fancy dress and can engage with dignitaries there might be a job for you on St Helena. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: leading pro-democracy activists defiant despite arrests | |
| Several prominent campaigners detained amid a police crackdown. They include Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow of political party Demosisto, and independence campaigner Andy Chan. Also, residents of Indian-administered Kashmir accuse security forces of carrying out beatings and torture, and how our ancient ancestors had a much bigger impact on our planet than we'd previously realised. | Listen |
| Trump's military command for space warfare | |
| President Trump announces a new command, saying enemies of the US are weaponising earth's orbit and threatening its vital interests. Also: why there's no single 'gay gene', and the car driven with another car on its roof | Listen |
| UK: Opponents of Boris Johnson try to stop him shutting down Parliament | |
| Prime Minister's critics say he's trying to prevent MPs from blocking a no-deal Brexit. But British government says the 5-week suspension of Parliament will still allow time to debate withdrawal from EU. Also, a new government for Italy, Brazil's jailed former President criticises his successor, and how technology will shape our lives in next 50 years. | Listen |
| Queen approves Boris Johnson?s decision to suspend Parliament | |
| There?s been outrage among opposition MPs after the Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will suspend parliament just before Britain is due to leave the EU. He insists the decision was not motivated by a desire to force through a no deal Brexit. Also: Italy looks set to form a new coalition government and a skull that?s more than 3 million years old shines a new light on human evolution. | Listen |
| Brexit: UK's Parliament to be suspended in September | |
| British government set to shut down Parliament - just weeks before UK due to leave EU. This could mean opposition politicians won't have time to stop a 'no deal' Brexit. Also, how communities in Amazon rainforest are responding to wildfires crisis, controversy over Palestinian children in Israeli jails, and what happened when Costco opened its first branch in China. | Listen |
| Spat escalates between French and Brazilian Presidents | |
| Jair Bolsonaro, escalates dispute with his French counterpart over fires raging in the Amazon; The women who've accused the late American financier, Jeffrey Epstein, of abusing them sexually have their day in court; How insects could be the future of pet food - as long as they're treated humanely... | Listen |
| Opposition MPs in Britain agree strategy to block no-deal Brexit | |
| The British MPs said using a vote of no confidence to bring down the government remained an option. Also: Brazil has rejected a G7 offer of $22m aid to tackle the fires in the Amazon, and sleep tales for people who struggle with insomnia. | Listen |
| World Leaders end G7 Summit in France | |
| President Trump says he has "good feelings" about a possible new deal with Iran; Drug maker Johnson and Johnson fined for its part in Oklahoma's opioid addiction crisis; Kenya becomes the first East African country to export oil | Listen |
| Trump says US and China to resume trade talks | |
| President Donald Trump said the two countries will 'very shortly' resume discussions. International leaders at the G7 summit have agree to provide logistical and financial support to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest. Plus how a vast 'pumice raft' drifting through the Pacific Ocean could help the Great Barrier Reef. | Listen |
| Iran Foreign Minister's 'surprise' visit to G7 summit | |
| US officials at the G7 summit in Biarritz have expressed surprise at the unscheduled visit by Iran?s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Also: violent clashes intensify amid Hong Kong protests, and marking forty years since a landmark flamenco record was released in Spain. | Listen |
| Macron calls for unity at G7 summit to tackle trade issues | |
| The French President Emmanuel Macron said he will try to convince the G7 leaders that tensions, especially trade tensions, were bad for everybody. Also: Brazilian officials say hundreds of new fires are now burning in the Amazon region, and NASA is reported to be investigating the first allegation of a crime in space. | Listen |
| Brazil sends army to tackle Amazon fires | |
| President Jair Bolsonaro orders soldiers to be sent to the region, after pressure from European Union leaders. Also: Trump says US firms "hereby ordered to quit China", and vets harvest eggs from the last two surviving female northern white rhinos in Kenya. | Listen |
| Amazon fires: Brazil's President chairs emergency meeting on crisis | |
| President Jair Bolsonaro considers options for tackling fires across Amazon rainforest. Several countries have expressed concern over destruction of precious habitat - and possible impact on global warming. Also, Russia launches world's first floating nuclear power-station, and how 'body positivity' is a top theme at biggest arts festival on earth. | Listen |
| UN Security Council meets to discuss US missile test | |
| Russia remains concerned about the possible deployment of US missiles not only in the Asia-Pacific region but also in Europe. Also: the French President Emmanuel Macron says the record number of fires in the Amazon rainforest is an "international crisis", and why is Taylor Swift re-recording her old albums? | Listen |
| South Korea and Japan: why they're having a feud | |
| Seoul pulls out of intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo, as trade-dispute worsens. We look at the implications of this announcement. Also, France's President Macron tells UK Prime Minister Johnson that Brexit backstop is indispensable, why low-skilled migrant workers in Japan are protesting, and how US is witnessing a cheese revolution. | Listen |
| Merkel challenges British PM to come up with plan to avoid no-deal Brexit | |
| At his first meeting with Mrs Merkel since taking office, Mr Johnson repeated his demand that the EU scrap the backstop - a previously negotiated guarantee of an open border on the island of Ireland. Also: Nigeria said to be on the brink of being declared polio-free and there's shock in Russia after a couple who took their baby to an opposition rally are threatened with having their children put into care. | Listen |
| Sudan's new supreme authority sworn into office | |
| The power sharing government in Sudan is finally taking charge after months of negotiations. Denmark defiant on Greenland after President Trump cancels state visit. Why are Spiderman fans railing against Sony? | Listen |
| Italian Prime Minister resigns | |
| Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has resigned following a blistering attack on his coalition partner. Also: Sudan's military leaders and opposition alliance have formed a sovereign council to lead the country during its transition to civilian rule, and how hackers are finding new ways to access personal information. | Listen |
| Syria rebels pull out of key town after five years | |
| Government forces, backed by Russia, closed in on the town in recent weeks. A new study shows children make you happier - once they've left home. Plus we'll hear from a teenage Somali poet who's just been published on iTunes in the US. | Listen |
| NY officer fired over ?I can?t breathe? death | |
| The New York City police officer involved in the high-profile 2014 chokehold death of an African-American man has been fired. Also: Twitter and Facebook have taken steps to block what they described as a state-backed Chinese misinformation campaign, and a French couple who were caught with Sardinian sand in their car could face up to six years in jail. | Listen |
| Sudan's ousted president appears in court in a cage | |
| He's admitted receiving ninety million dollars from the Saudi Crown Prince. Turkey has condemned an air attack on a convoy it says was reinforcing one of its observation posts in northern Syria. Plus Prince Andrew says any suggestion he exploited young girls with the disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein is abhorrent. | Listen |
| Canadian criticism for UK decision to strip former IS fighter of citizenship | |
| Jack Letts was both a British and Canadian citizen when he joined IS, also 1.7 million protest in Hong Kong and the Chilean school run by a folk band | Listen |
| Bomber strikes wedding in Kabul | |
| A suicide bomber targets guests at a Shia marriage in the Afghan capital. Initial reports say many of the victims were women and children. Also: a landmark deal between Sudan?s military and the civilian opposition, and why a woman may be the next person to walk on the Moon | Listen |
| US Congresswoman refuses delayed Israeli offer to visit her grandmother | |
| Conditional Israeli offer- to allow US politician to make personal visit to the occupied West Bank; Brother of the leader of the Afghan Taliban is killed in a mosque in Pakistan; And a judge in Germany rules against a girl who wanted to sing in an all-boys choir | Listen |
| Hong Kong's richest man calls for calm | |
| Li Ka-shing's appeal came as the Chinese military gathered at the Hong Kong border. The territory has seen political unrest for 10 weeks, and more protests are due this weekend. Also: Greenland says it's not for sale, after reports that Donald Trump wants the US to buy it, and a 9 year old girl sues an all male choir which won't let her join. | Listen |
| Israel bars two members of US Congress | |
| The US president had said Israel should stop Rashia Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from visiting. Also: Gibraltar releases Iranian oil tanker, and thousands sign a petition to rename 5th Avenue outside Trump Tower in New York after Barack Obama. | Listen |
| Indian PM says the scrapping of Kashmir's special status is a 'major achievement' | |
| The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has said his decision to strip Indian-administered Kashmir of its special status will restore the region to its "past glory". Also: the remarkable escape of passengers and crew on a Russian airliner that made an emergency landing, and the secret search for a huge dinosaur hoard. | Listen |
| Trudeau 'broke rules in SNC-Lavalin affair' | |
| The Canadian PM Justin Trudeau says he accepts the ethics commissioner report, but disagrees with some of its conclusions. Also: stock markets tumble in US as recession fears grow, and 'human-sized penguin' lived in New Zealand. | Listen |
| Hong Kong protestors warned they could be jailed for life | |
| After days of disruptions, the Airport Authority in Hong Kong said it had obtained a temporary injunction banning protesters from entering certain areas. Also: the latest on the ASAP Rocky case in Sweden, and the advert for cheese that's been banned for sexism. | Listen |
| Chaotic scenes at Hong Kong airport | |
| Squads of riot police arrived after thousands of demonstrators flooded the terminal buildings. Also: Trump delays some tariffs on Chinese imports, and a British university has banned beef to help climate change. | Listen |
| Hong Kong protests disrupt airport for second day | |
| Our correspondent there says what has been a peaceful awareness exercise on previous days has become an active attempt to shut down business. The sister of the jailed Saudi women's rights activist, Loujain al-Hathloul, says she's been offered her freedom if she says she hasn't been tortured.The sixteen year-old Swedish climate activist - Greta Thunberg - prepares to set sail to the US on a zero-carbon yacht. | Listen |
| Trump announces new measures targeting legal immigrants | |
| The new policy, known as the 'public charge rule', aims to deny permanent residency and citizenship, mainly to millions of undocumented, low-paid Hispanic people. Also: Authorities start to resume services in Hong Kong airport as hundreds of protesters leave for the night, and the little boy who broke his nose trying to meet his idol. | Listen |
| Hong Kong protests: Airport cancels flights as thousands occupy | |
| Some of the demonstrators have begun to leave after a dire warning from the Chinese authorities. We hear from disputed Kashmir - still under lockdown - as it celebrates Eid al Adha. Plus Priyanka Chopra defends herself against accusations she's a warmonger. | Listen |
| Yemen: Saudi-led coalition warns of more air strikes over Aden | |
| Yemeni separatists have taken control of the port city after days of fighting with troops loyal to the government. The UN says up to forty people have been killed and more than two-hundred-and-fifty wounded so far. Also: Pro-democracy protesters and police clash in Hong Kong, as both sides change tactics; and the herd of dairy cows living on a robot island. | Listen |
| Disgraced American financier, Jeffrey Epstein, found dead | |
| The 66-year-old, who once counted President Trump and the British royal, Prince Andrew, as his friends, died in an "apparent suicide" in prison. He was due to stand trial next year on charges of trafficking dozens of underage girls for sex. Also: southern separatists in Yemen seize the presidential palace in Aden and a British lawyer warns Muslims against making the Hajj after pilgrims were swindled out of thousands of dollars. | Listen |
| Trump says 'serious' talks on gun control under way | |
| The US president also said he had spoken to the NRA gun lobby so their views could be "represented and respected". Also: civilians have been killed in renewed fighting in the Yemeni port of Aden, and the unusual T-shirt that a six year old boy wore at school. | Listen |
| Kashmir dispute: Residents attend Friday prayers amid intense lockdown | |
| Heavy security presence across Indian-administered Kashmir remains largely in place. Thousands of troops are patrolling the streets, four days after the Indian government revoked the Muslim-majority state's autonomy. Also, Malaysia files corruption charges against current and former directors of Goldman Sachs, and is it a good idea to build a helter-skelter inside a cathedral ? | Listen |
| Indian PM defends lifting Kashmir's special status | |
| Narendra Modi says he revoked Kashmir's autonomy to free it from terrorism and separatism. Also: Russian radiation scare and German far-right extremism. | Listen |
| UN: 'A plant-based diet can fight climate change' | |
| United Nations experts say a switch to a plant-based diet can help reduce climate change. A major report warns that increasing global consumption of meat and dairy produce is fuelling global warming. Also, Kyrgyzstan's ex-president is arrested after raids on home, the two Saudi sisters who are in hiding in Turkey after fleeing their family, and why Germany no longer leads the world in nudism. | Listen |
| President Trump visits cities hit by mass shootings | |
| President's visits to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso in Texas not welcomed by all, also Afghan bomb kills 15 as peace talks continue and Atomik Vodka from the Chernobyl exclusion zone | Listen |
| Taliban bomb Kabul amid peace talk 'progress' | |
| A huge bomb went off outside a police station in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Also: Pakistan downgrades ties with India in Kashmir row, and scientists say staring at seagulls helps protect food. | Listen |
| Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison dies aged 88 | |
| Toni Morrison was not only the first African American woman to win a Nobel Prize for literature but she also won the Pulitzer Prize and became the first black female editor of Random House. Her work mostly focused on slavery, the experiences of the black community and racial prejudice. Also: twenty seven years after the civil war ended, Mozambique has officially signed a peace deal, and thousands of tardigrades may have been scattered on the moon- but what are they? | Listen |
| China warns Hong Kong protesters not to 'play with fire' | |
| It is one of the strongest warnings Beijing has issued over the protests so far. What's happening in Indian administered Kashmir- a day after it was stripped of its special status? Plus the artificial 'tongue' helping to tackle the counterfeit whisky trade. | Listen |
| US 'progress' on deal with Taliban | |
| US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad says talks in Doha with the Afghan Taliban are making progress. Also: Barack Obama urges Americans to reject the language of hate, and the world's 'most humane' prison. | Listen |
| Hong Kong faces travel chaos amid city-wide strike | |
| Hundreds of flights are cancelled and train services disrupted during the city?s morning rush-hour. Also: India to revoke special status of Kashmir, and President Donald Trump has said "hate has no place" in the US after two mass shootings over the weekend. | Listen |
| Texas Walmart shooting ?domestic terrorism? | |
| A shooting at a supermarket in the US state of Texas that left 20 dead is being investigated as domestic terrorism. Also: A key leader in Cambodia's Khmer Rouge who was convicted of genocide has died, and a Frenchman has become the first person to cross the English Channel on a jet-powered flyboard. | Listen |
| Deadly shooting at US shopping Mall in El Paso. | |
| At least nineteen people reported killed in another mass shooting in the United States, this time in a shopping mall in El Paso, Hundreds of protesters in Moscow are detained at the latest rally calling for free and fair elections; And how Detroit in Michigan once seen as the epitome of the rust belt is making an impressive economic comeback, | Listen |
| Trump withdraws pick for US intelligence director | |
| Texas congressman, John Ratcliffe, is withdrawn from consideration, amid criticism that he is under-qualified. He is also accused of padding his intelligence credentials. Also, officials in the DRC say only half of ebola cases are identified; and the head of Brazil's space research institute loses his job after a row with the President over deforestation. | Listen |
| Japan imposes new tariffs against South Korea | |
| Seoul says the taxes are retribution after its government demanded reparations for Japanese atrocities committed before and during World War II. Also, the US pulls out of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, sparking fears of an arms race. And cognac sees a revival in North America, as the favourite drink of rap stars. | Listen |
| Trump to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods | |
| The US president announced fresh tariffs of 10% on another $300bn of Chinese products from September. Also: Rwanda reopens DR Congo border amid Ebola crisis, and Saudi Arabia allows women to travel independently. | Listen |
| Rwanda closes part of the Congolese border over Ebola outbreak | |
| Measure comes as 2 deaths from the disease are confirmed in Goma, also: attack on military parade in Yemeni city of Aden kills 30, and how effective can the Dutch burka ban be? | Listen |
| US sanctions Iran's foreign minister Zarif | |
| The sanctions freeze any assets of Mohammed Javad Zarif in America, or controlled by US entities. Also: a second person has died of Ebola in eastern Congo, and will the threatened vaquita porpoise survive? | Listen |
| US Democratic presidential hopefuls clash over ways to topple Trump | |
| Healthcare was on the agenda as the first group of Democratic candidates debated in Detroit. Also: all schools in Sudan have been closed following demonstrations over the death of students at an earlier rally, and the pretty Austrian village that is being overrun by tourists. | Listen |
| Protests as Trump marks Jamestown democracy anniversary | |
| President Trump took part in events at the historical settlement of Jamestown in Virginia, marking the four hundredth anniversary of the birth of democracy in America. Also: 'World shrugging' as Syria death toll mounts, and ear 'tickling' therapy could 'help thwart ageing'. | Listen |
| China says 're-educated' Uighurs released home | |
| Up to a million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims are believed to have been detained in the camps for months, or years, without trial. The ruler of Dubai ruler and his estranged wife begin a London court battle. Plus in Sweden the American rapper ASAP Rocky has appeared in court, pleading not guilty to assault. | Listen |
| Brazil jail riot leaves scores dead | |
| Officials say a fight between rival gangs in the northern Brazilian prison lasted five hours. Also: outrage as high school students shot dead in Sudan, and India tiger census shows rapid population growth. | Listen |
| China condemns 'horrendous' Hong Kong protests | |
| The city has seen eight consecutive weekends of anti-government protests. In India, an investigation is underway after a teenager who's accused a politician of rape is seriously injured in a road accident. And we'll explain why some are calling today 'Earth Overshoot Day'. | Listen |
| Dan Coats US intelligence chief to 'step down' | |
| Dan Coats is leaving office after clashing with President Trump on national security. Also, dozens of mourners 'killed by Boko Haram' at a funeral in north Nigeria. And Brazil miners kill tribal leader in Amazon land invasion. | Listen |
| Outrage at Trump's remarks about black Congressman | |
| Mr Trump called Elijah Cummings a 'brutal bully', and his district a 'rat infested mess'. Mr Cummings had criticised conditions in migrant detention centres. Also: Russian police detain more than a thousand activists and the joke of the Roman pen. | Listen |
| Guatemala agrees to US migration deal | |
| The agreement will force thousands of Central American migrants to seek asylum in Guatemala instead of the US. Also, pro-democracy demonstrations last late into the night at Hong Kong?s airport. And Russians are urging their government to act, as hundreds of forest fires tear through the Arctic. | Listen |
| Syria war: UN criticises 'apparent international indifference' as civilians are killed | |
| UN human rights chief says over 100 people died in government attacks in past 10 days. Michelle Bachelet criticised the 'failure of leadership by the world's most powerful nations'. Also, pro-democracy protestors hold sit-in at Hong Kong's international airport, and a young Rwandan man walks across his country - to raise awareness of the 1994 genocide. | Listen |
| New refugee tragedy off the coast of Libya | |
| Migrant boat with 300 people aboard sinks attempting crossing to Europe. Initial reports say as many as one hundred and fifty people died -- though the final figure remains unclear. Also: Europe swelters, the US government announces the return of the death penalty for federal crimes, and the threat of annihilation facing Kenya?s donkeys. | Listen |
| Europe: second heatwave breaks high-temperature records | |
| Much of northern Europe swelters as second heatwave in one month reaches its peak. Highest-temperature records broken in UK, France, Germany and Netherlands. Also, Britain's new Prime Minister Boris Johnson promises "beginning of a golden age", and French inventor fails in attempt to cross English Channel on jet-powered flyboard. | Listen |
| New British PM Boris Johnson overhauls cabinet | |
| Mr Johnson has given senior positions to fellow Brexiteers. Also: Facebook's five billion dollar fine for violating consumer privacy, and Lapland's indigenous people under threat. | Listen |
| UK leadership handover | |
| She hands over the reins of power to her successor, Boris Johnson, along with the keys to Number 10 Downing Street. Later, Mr Johnson will announce his most senior cabinet appointments. In the US the former special counsel Robert Mueller is testifying before Congress on his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. | Listen |
| Brexit challenges for Britain's new PM | |
| We hear about Boris Johnson from the people who know him best as European leaders and members of his own party warn of difficulties ahead. Also: A Gambian soldier has admitted involvement in the killing of about fifty African migrants on the orders of the former president and scientists warn that the next 18 months will be a crucial period for dealing with global warming. | Listen |
| Boris Johnson wins race to be British Prime Minister | |
| The former London mayor takes over from Theresa May on Wednesday. Also: South Korea fires warning shots at a Russian aircraft after an alleged airspace violation, and the young married couples in India spending big to go viral on the internet with unique wedding photos. | Listen |
| Iran tanker seizure: UK seeks European help on Gulf shipping | |
| Iran?s detention of a tanker is being labelled an act of ?state piracy?. Also: Huge crowds have gathered in the US territory of Puerto Rico, demanding the immediate resignation of the governor, and India launches its much-anticipated second moon mission. | Listen |
| Hong Kong protests: armed mob violence leaves city in shock | |
| Dozens of masked men storm a train station and assault pro-democracy protesters, meanwhile the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong condemn an attack on China's liaison office in the territory, as a challenge to the nation's sovereignty. Also: Kenya's finance minister, Henry Rotich, has been arrested following corruption allegations, and mystery surrounds stressed cows in eastern France - but could it be down to the presence of nearby windfarms? | Listen |
| President Zelensky well ahead of his rivals in Ukrainian elections | |
| The comedian who swept to power three months ago has invited another political novice, Ukraine's best known rock star, for talks on forming a coalition. Also, clashes in Hong Kong as pro-democracy protesters march on Beijing's headquarters in the territory. And just days before Britain gets a new prime minister the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, goes on live TV to announce he's ready to resign over Brexit. | Listen |
| Moon Landing Special | |
| Fifty years since men first walked on the Moon, we celebrate the Apollo 11 mission. Also: we assess its impact on politics and culture and ponder the future of space exploration. | Listen |
| The UK condemns Iran after guards seize a British oil tanker | |
| Britain's Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has denounced as "completely unacceptable" the capture of the ship and he said there would be serious consequences if it wasn't released. Also: the Kosovan prime minister has resigned after being called for questioning as a war crimes suspect and a warning from Youtube over regulation. | Listen |
| Srebrenica massacre: Dutch state was '10% liable' for 350 deaths | |
| Dutch supreme court says Netherlands partially responsible for deaths of Bosnian Muslims. Dutch troops had been guarding a UN safe zone in 1995 when it was overrun by Bosnian Serbs. Also, Saudi Arabia urges respect for Islamic law after Western singers perform in Jeddah, and how a man in Assam found a tiger resting on his bed. | Listen |
| Brexit: MPs back bid to block Parliament suspension | |
| A majority of 41 MPs approved the amendment to block the suspension of Parliament. The move is to prevent the future Prime Minister forcing through a no-deal Brexit. Also: President Trump says the US has shot down an Iranian drone threatening an American warship in the Gulf, and we report on the Swiss wine festival that only happens a few times a century. | Listen |
| Japan: Arson attack at Kyoto anime studio kills 33 | |
| At least 33 dead and dozens injured after man sets fire to an animation studio. Police say a 41-year-old suspect broke into the building and sprayed petrol before igniting it. Also, new warnings to the UK about potential dangers posed by a 'no deal' Brexit, and how a South African taxi-driver revealed his talent as an opera-singer. | Listen |
| El Chapo trial: Mexican drug lord gets life | |
| He is a former head of the Sinaloa cartel, which officials say was the biggest supplier of drugs to the US. The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola crisis in eastern Congo a public health emergency, and the dragon with a lethal bite that tourists can?t stay away from. | Listen |
| Sudan: Military and civilians sign deal to end deadly turmoil | |
| Ruling military council and opposition leaders have signed a power-sharing accord. Sudan has been in chaos since the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir in April. Also, a surprise as Turkish court acquits two journalists and a human rights activist of terrorism charges, and Andrea Camilleri - author of the "Inspector Montalbano" stories - has died aged 93. | Listen |
| Five decades since first Moon landing mission | |
| Fifty years since launch of Apollo Eleven mission - those involved remember; European Parliament narrowly approves next European Commission President; Dozens killed in monsoon flooding in South Asia - millions are displaced. | Listen |
| The German defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, bids for the presidency of the EU Commission | |
| Mrs von der Leyen said dealing with climate change and tackling illegal immigration humanely would be her priorities. Also: on the second day of his appearance before a corruption inquiry, the former South African President Jacob Zuma said he'd received a death threat; and events take place to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo Eleven mission to the Moon. | Listen |
| Trump tweet row: Four congresswomen accuse president of distraction tactics | |
| The four US congresswomen attacked by US President Donald Trump in a series of racially charged tweets have dismissed his remarks. Also: A new study has found that anorexia isn't only a mental illness, but can be caused by a physical predisposition, and the tiny monkey fossil that?s a game changer for evolutionary scientists. | Listen |
| South Africa: Ex-president Zuma responds to corruption allegations | |
| Jacob Zuma, who stepped down last year amid claims of illegal financial gain, has begun testifying at a judicial inquiry. Also: Hong Kong?s chief of police condemns pro-democracy protesters as ?thugs?. And the family of Neil Armstrong look back at the life of the first man to set foot on the moon. | Listen |
| Trump accused of racism over tweets against congresswomen | |
| President Trump claimed the women "originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe". Also: Champs-Elysees clashes after Bastille Day parade, and Djokovic beats Federer in Wimbledon tennis epic. | Listen |
| Storm Barry begins to batter Louisiana | |
| Storm Barry has made landfall in Louisiana, where officials have warned of potentially life-threatening floods. Also: UK says Iran tanker could be released 'with guarantees', and a powerful X-ray telescope is launched to map the cosmos. | Listen |
| Facebook facing '$5 billion' fine | |
| The US Federal Trade Commission is said to have approved a penalty for Facebook over its handling of users personal data. President Trump's Labor Secretary resigns amid accusations he helped a billionaire sex offender secure a lenient sentence, and the trader in Togo who has an answer to the global fast fashion crisis | Listen |
| Turkey: Arrival of Russian missile-defence system causes anxiety for US | |
| Turkey receives first parts of S-400 missile defence system despite opposition from US. Washington says Ankara cannot have both the S-400 and US F-35 fighter-jets. Also, BBC investigation shows that Sudan's brutal crackdown on protestors was ordered from 'top level' of military, and should the world learn lessons from water-crisis in one of India's largest cities ? | Listen |
| Trump retreats on census citizenship question | |
| President Donald Trump will no longer pursue adding a question on citizenship to the 2020 US census questionnaire. Also: The UK has raised the threat to British shipping in Iranian waters to the highest level, and New Orleans braces for Tropical Storm Barry. | Listen |
| Strait of Hormuz: Iranian gunboats 'tried to intercept British ship' | |
| UK says one of its warships preventing Iranian vessels stopping a British oil-tanker. Also, a BBC investigation into sex-scandal at heart of Afghan government, and scientists warn that even small amounts of sugary drinks may cause cancer. | Listen |
| Resignation of UK Ambassador to US is ?black day for British diplomacy? | |
| Politicians and civil servants have been reacting to the news that Sir Kim Darroch has stepped down. They?ve said the row over leaked memos is unprecedented. Also: the US women?s football team celebrates their World Cup win with a victory parade, and a school in the Netherlands faces a large fine because the children are too noisy. | Listen |
| UK ambassador to Washington resigns after leak of memos critical of Trump | |
| Sir Kim Darroch had described the Trump administration as inept and dysfunctional. Mr Trump responded by saying he'd no longer deal with him. Also: seagulls in Australia are found to be carrying several antibiotic resistant superbugs, and Spanish language hits now dominate the most watched music video chart on YouTube. | Listen |
| UK foreign minister rebukes Trump | |
| Donald Trump has been ?disrespectful? towards the prime minister and the UK, says Jeremy Hunt. Also: Tory leadership rivals clash in TV debate, a Saudi Arabian princess goes on trial in France, and the end of the road for the VW Beetle. | Listen |
| Hong Kong leader says extradition bill 'is dead' | |
| But Carrie Lam stops short of saying it has been fully withdrawn, and protesters have vowed to continue mass rallies. Also: Afghanistan talks agree 'roadmap to peace', and Egypt to sue Christie's auction house in London to retrieve Tutankhamun bust. | Listen |
| Trump sharpens attack on UK ambassador over emails | |
| The US president says "we will no longer deal" with the UK's ambassador in Washington, Sir Kim Darroch. Also the US financier Jeffrey Epstein is charged with sex trafficking minors, and a Nigerian opera performed in Pidgin English. | Listen |
| DRC warlord Bosco Ntaganda found guilty | |
| The former Congolese rebel leader has been convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Also: Amnesty International accuse the Philippine government of running a large-scale murdering enterprise connected to its so-called war on drugs, and the advanced robots moving into the Japanese workforce. | Listen |
| Centre-right regains power in Greece | |
| The New Democracy party led by Kyriakos Mitsotakis wins the election with an absolute majority. Also: Donald Trump hits back after UK ambassador's leaked emails, and Jodrell Bank gains Unesco World Heritage status. | Listen |
| France and Iran to look at conditions for talks | |
| The French president Emmanuel Macron talks to his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani by telephone in a bid to rescue the nuclear deal. Also: California quake damage 'not as bad as feared', and baby Archie christened at Windsor. | Listen |
| UN welcomes the release of prisoners in Venezuela | |
| The prisoners released included a high profile judge, Maria Lourdes Afiuni. Also: Trump vows to pursue citizenship census question, and the ancient city of Babylon becomes an Unesco World Heritage site. | Listen |
| Iranian official threatens to seize British oil tanker | |
| Senior Teheran official issues threat after British troops' storming of Iranian vessel. British marines helped seize super-tanker on Thursday, after it was suspected of carrying oil to Syria, in breach of EU sanctions. Also, how China is using schools to separate Uighur Muslim children from their culture and faith, and could global tree-planting help stop global warming ? | Listen |
| BBC evidence shows Uighur children in China being separated from their families | |
| Government documents show that large numbers of state boarding schools have been built to house children as young as two. Also: Tehran has reacted with fury after British Royal Marines seized control of an Iranian supertanker carrying oil to Syria, and don't wake the neighbours! The cockerel that's been taken to court in France. | Listen |
| Libya: UN says 'migrants were fired upon after fleeing air strikes' | |
| UN has received reports that guards shot at migrants who tried to escape air-strikes. The attack on a detention-centre near Tripoli on Tuesday is believed to have killed at least 53 people. Also, an oil-tanker bound for Syria is detained in Gibraltar by British marines, and a renowned scientist warns that the human race could soon become redundant. | Listen |
| Boeing pledges $100 million to support crash victims? families | |
| In the wake of two Boeing 737 Max crashes, the aerospace giant hopes it can repair its reputation, but families say the effort falls short. Also, the European Parliament elects David Sassoli as its new president, and Amsterdam considers a drastic change to its world-famous red light district. | Listen |
| Libya: UN says attack on migrant camp could be 'war crime' | |
| UN speaks after air-strike kills more than 40 migrants at detention-centre near Tripoli. Libyan government blames attack on forces loyal to warlord General Khalifa Haftar, but they've denied this. Also, why Rahul Gandhi has stepped down as head of India's Congress Party, and is there a close link between obesity and some common cancers ? | Listen |
| EU announces nominees for top leadership positions | |
| The European Council has agreed to a gender-balanced group of candidates after days of deadlocked negotiations. Also: The Russian navy says 14 sailors are dead after a submersible vessel caught fire, and women who survived torture in Syrian prisons tell their stories in a new London play. | Listen |
| China condemns Hong Kong protests | |
| Beijing accuses demonstrators of trampling on the rule of law: Also: controversy over secret US border patrol Facebook group, stowaway body found in London garden and Coca-Cola enters energy drink market. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: Leader condemns protesters who stormed parliament | |
| The Chief Executive of Hong Kong has condemned the occupation and ransacking of the territory?s parliament. Also: European foreign ministers call on Iran to reverse its decision to breach an international nuclear deal, and fresh concerns have been raised about the rate of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. | Listen |
| Iran nuclear breach tests world powers | |
| The International Atomic Energy Agency said its inspectors had verified the 300kg cap had been broken. In Hong Kong demonstrators have smashed their way into the Legislative building as the territory marks 22 years since it was handed back from Britain to China. A blanket of ice about 1.5 m thick settles on a Mexican city after a freak summer hail storm. | Listen |
| Trump crosses into North Korea | |
| Donald Trump has become the first sitting US president to enter North Korea after meeting Kim Jong-un at the South Korean border. Also: Pro-democracy protesters challenge Sudan's military rulers for the first time since security forces shot dead dozens earlier this month, and the new rules that mean in future electric cars in Europe won?t be quite so quiet. | Listen |
| Trump makes concession over Huawei | |
| President says he'll allow US companies to continue to sell to the Chinese tech giant, also: migrant ship captain detained in Italy and North Macedonian pride | Listen |
| Coroner says MI5 can't be blamed for London attacks | |
| Families of some victims believe the deaths of eight people by jihadists in 2017 could have been stopped. Also: twenty years after talks started the South American economic block, Mercosur, has struck a trade deal with the European Union, and could John McEnroe - the former bad boy of tennis who ranted on court - help you get a good night's sleep? | Listen |
| Chinese President warns protectionism destroying global trade | |
| The G-20 nations face a huge challenge in resolving a US-China trade war that has rattled businesses around the world, and has cast a shadow over the global economy. Also: the iPhone designer Jony Ive is leaving Apple, the remains of a bridge in the Italian city of Genoa -- which collapsed last year killing more than forty people -- has been blown up by demolition experts, and Glastonbury music festival gets underway in Britain - minus the rain and the mud! | Listen |
| US Supreme Court blocks census citizenship question | |
| The court said the Trump administration's justification for the question appeared "contrived". Also: delegates at UN climate talks have accused oil producing countries of trying to "erase the science" on global warming, and Russia begins releasing captive whales from a "whale jail" after an international outcry. | Listen |
| Bombers explode devices in Tunisian capital | |
| It's not yet clear who was behind the attacks in Tunis. Also: Germany's Angela Merkel is seen shaking again in Berlin, and the Dalai Lama has said Donald Trump lacks moral principle. | Listen |
| Italy says it won't let migrants disembark | |
| Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has said he won't allow migrants currently aboard a charity-run rescue ship to disembark, after it defied the authorities by entering Italian territorial waters. Mr Salvini called the Sea-Watch 3 an outlaw vessel. Also: a warning about an emerging "climate apartheid" and why Cognac is more likely to be drunk by rappers and hip hop fans in the United States. | Listen |
| Guaido says military force in Venezuela still an option | |
| The opposition leader Juan Guaidó says the use of military force is still an option to end the political crisis in Venezuela. Also: the South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, says that the US and North Korea are engaging in behind the scenes talks to set up a possible third summit, and Kim Kardashian West's 'Kimono' brands riles Japan. | Listen |
| Top US border official to step down | |
| John Sanders resigns amid uproar over conditions for migrant children at detention centres; a politician in India has taken the unusual step of returning bribes he took from villagers, and breakdancing moves closer to 2024 Paris Olympic debut. | Listen |
| Iran says latest US sanctions will make peace more difficult | |
| Iran condemns latest US sanctions saying Washington has closed the door on dialogue; Chinese citizens charged over building collapse in Cambodia that killed twenty-eight people; Washing powder advert promoting female empowerment provokes furious reaction from Pakistani religious conservatives. | Listen |
| UN outlines policy on detained IS fighters | |
| Human rights chief says IS captives in Iraq and Syria must be tried or freed. Also: the medical glove that could speed up diagnosis, Mars methane spike and the women returning to their Boko Haram kidnappers. | Listen |
| The US and Russia on opposites sides over sanctions on Iran | |
| US Secretary of State in Saudi Arabia as Washington tightens sanctions on Iran; Second time unlucky for Turkey's governing party as they lose a rerun vote in Istanbul; and....the unexpected furry visitor to a family home in Montana that had to be tranquilised by police ... | Listen |
| Turkey?s governing party loses Istanbul election | |
| Turkey's governing party has lost control of Istanbul after a re-run of the city's mayoral election. Also: Huge protests in Prague demanding the resignation of Czech PM Andrej Babis, and the head of the Ethiopian military has been shot dead by his own bodyguard after an apparent coup attempt in a northern region. | Listen |
| US to hit Iran with 'major' sanctions | |
| President Trump says the additional measures are intended to stop Iran obtaining a nuclear bomb. Also: the German chancellor Angela Merkel says far-right extremism must be tackled, and listening to the combined sounds of Mongolian throat singing and heavy metal. | Listen |
| Democrats wary of Trump's 'erratic' approach to Iran | |
| The chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Adam Smith, has warned it was "not smart" of president Trump to make the details of a planned attack on Iran public. Also: Russia suspends flights to Georgia amid unrest, and Pink Floyd guitars sell for millions at charity auction. | Listen |
| US-Iran: President Trump says military was 'cocked and loaded' | |
| Tehran says the unmanned US aircraft entered Iranian airspace early on Thursday morning, but the US maintains it was shot down in international airspace. Also: The speaker of the Georgian parliament resigns after violent protests about a visit by Russian MPs, and the musical seals that have learned to sing the Star Wars opening music | Listen |
| Escalating tension after Iran shoots down an American drone. | |
| President Trump says it's hard to believe Iran intentionally shot down an American drone; Who will get the top EU jobs ? Berlin and Paris lock horns. and a leading Palestinian politician denounces the US for failing to be a neutral negotiator. | Listen |
| US confirms drone was shot down by Iranian missile | |
| The US military insist the drone was over international waters but Iran says the aircraft had violated Iranian airspace. Also: China's Xi visits North Korea to boost ties with Kim, and the sounds of the eastern North Pacific right whale. | Listen |
| Russia condemns Dutch decision in MH17 case | |
| Moscow calls case against 3 Russians and 1 Ukranian groundless, also: the rapidly melting Himalayan glaciers and the rusty revolver that made a big impression on the art world. | Listen |
| Flight MH17: Four charged with shooting down airliner over Ukraine in 2014 | |
| Charges announced over destruction of Malaysian airliner in which 298 people died. The Dutch-led joint investigation team has named three Russians and a Ukrainian as suspects. Also, a UN report says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 'should face investigation' over killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and why a Norwegian island community wants to stop time. | Listen |
| Contenders to become British PM clash on TV | |
| The five candidates to replace Theresa May disagreed on whether a Brexit deal could be negotiated before the 31 October deadline. Also: the artists backing the resistance in Sudan, and a starving polar bear strays hundreds of kilometres into a Siberian town. | Listen |
| Gulf crisis: US sends more troops as tension rises with Iran | |
| China urges US and China not to escalate tensions as Gulf crisis continues. Washington is deploying another 1000 troops to region following what it calls 'hostile behaviour' by Iran. Also, Michel Platini questioned by French police over awarding of World Cup to Qatar, and a BBC correspondent uncovers realities of life inside detention-camps set up by China for Xinjiang's Muslims. | Listen |
| Former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi dies in Cairo | |
| The former President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, dies after fainting in a Cairo courtroom, The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will make a rare state visit to North Korea on Thursday, One woman's campaign to save the Hammerhead shark - a delicacy for some: | Listen |
| Vatican to consider ordaining married men as priests in Amazon region | |
| Pope says church to discuss idea of married priests in area with shortage of clergy. If approved by bishops, this would be a break with a Roman Catholic tradition dating back many centuries. Also, Iran announces it will breach the internationally-agreed limit on its stockpile of enriched uranium, and how a group of teenagers built their own plane - and are flying it across Africa. | Listen |
| Ousted Sudanese president charged with corruption | |
| Sudan's former-President Omar al-Bashir has appeared in public for the first time since he was overthrown in a coup in April. He has been charged with corruption and illegally possessing foreign currency. Also: protesters in Hong Kong return to the streets to demonstrate against a controversial extradition bill, and India beats Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup. | Listen |
| Hong Kong suspends extradition bill | |
| Protest leaders say that's not enough and will press ahead with a rally on Sunday. Also, Notre Dame Cathedral holds its first mass since the fire, and Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli dies at 96. | Listen |
| Trump dismisses Iran tanker attack denials | |
| The president cites footage the US says shows Iranian forces taking a mine off one of the ships. Also: World Health Organization says the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is 'not a global threat', and Leonard Cohen's love letters fetch nearly nine hundred thousand dollars. | Listen |
| Trump accuses Iran of most recent attacks on oil tankers | |
| It shows Iranian forces in a small boat taking an unexploded, magnetic mine off the hull of one of the ships after the attacks. The Iranians deny any involvement in the attacks. Doctors across India have stopped work to demand better protection from violence. And women across Switzerland hold a day of demonstrations against what they say is the country's unacceptably slow pace to equality. | Listen |
| US blames Iran for attacks on oil tankers | |
| US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States had made its assessment based on intelligence about the type of weapons used in the attacks in the Gulf of Oman. Also: Uganda has sent the family of two people who died of Ebola back into eastern Congo, and zebra stripes work as an elaborate cooling system. | Listen |
| Crews rescued after Gulf of Oman tanker blasts | |
| The cause of the blasts in one of the world's busiest oil routes is unclear and both vessels are still afloat. It comes a month after four oil tankers were attacked off the UAE. In Uganda health authorities are on heightened alert after a second person dies from Ebola. And archaeologists in China have uncovered the earliest known evidence of cannabis use. | Listen |
| Hong Kong leader criticises 'organised riots' | |
| Carrie Lam is backing a controversial bill which has provoked a wave of protest in Hong Kong. Also: US to send 1,000 troops to Poland, and the cyclist Chris Froome is out of the Tour de France after fracturing his femur in a high-speed crash. | Listen |
| Hong Kong: police fire rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators | |
| The protesters are angry at a law that would allow extradition to mainland China. Also: President Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden trade insults at separate rallies in Iowa, and can fish feel emotion? | Listen |
| Accused Russian reporter is freed after outcry | |
| Drug charges against the investigative journalist Ivan Golunov are dropped after newspapers unite in defence. Also: Sudan talks 'to resume soon' as strikes halted, and Queen Elizabeth's former Malta home Villa Guardamangia is up for sale. | Listen |
| Botswana decriminalises homosexuality in landmark ruling | |
| Botswana's High Court rejects laws that impose jail-sentences for same-sex relationships. Activists welcome the decision as a significant step forward for gay rights on the African continent. Also, controversial Pakistani politician Altaf Hussain is arrested in UK, and the US national women's football team demand to be paid the same as men. | Listen |
| Mali Massacre: Officials say about one hundred people killed | |
| Local officials blame Fulani herdsmen for the attack on the Sobame Da village, inhabited by three hundred people from the Dogon ethnic group. Also: Ten British MPs have put their names forward to succeed Theresa May as party leader and Prime Minister, and the wine from 1066 that's still being enjoyed now. | Listen |
| India: Three men given life sentences for rape and murder of Muslim girl | |
| Three men jailed for life for a brutal killing that shocked India and the wider world. And three police officers jailed for five years for destroying evidence. Also, three leading Russian newspapers show support for reporter charged with drug offences, and why a mango surplus is causing a crisis for farmers in the Philippines. | Listen |
| Hong Kong protesters demonstrate against extradition bill | |
| Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Hong Kong against the proposals. Police in Kazakhstan make arrests during a much criticised vote to elect the country's first new president in 30 years. Also, Sudanese security forces fire tear gas to disperse crowds in Khartoum on the first day of a campaign of civil disobedience. | Listen |
| Russian journalist under house arrest after controversial drug charges | |
| Ivan Golunov's supporters say he was framed by the state as punishment for investigating political and financial corruption. Also: Sudan's opposition call for a campaign of civil disobedience after three of their leaders were arrested. And a Dutch restaurant is leading the charge against food waste by serving gourmet meals from discarded ingredients. | Listen |
| Women's Football Wolrd Cup starts with France victory | |
| Hosts beat South Korea 4:0 in opening match, also: NASA opens the ISS for space tourism and how water availability determines wedding preparations in India. | Listen |
| Liberian capital brought to a standstill by protest against the president | |
| The former football star is accused of concentrating on acquiring personal wealth instead of focusing on the needs of impoverished people. Also: North Korea postpones an international youth football tournament - prompting speculation about internal tensions, and the new 'Superwoman' movement aiming to revolutionise the entertainment industry. | Listen |
| Sudan: Further details of violence and abuse emerge days after civilians killed by security forces | |
| The African Union tries to move forward the transfer of power by suspending Sudan and threatening sanctions. Also: Hong Kong lawyers protest against a plan to extradite criminal suspects to mainland China, and researchers say your anxiety may be putting your dog in a bad mood. | Listen |
| Sudan suspended from The African Union over violent deaths of protesters | |
| The country has been suspended with immediate effect until a civilian-led transitional authority is in place. Also: World leaders gather in Normandy, France for D-Day tributes, and the locked safe in Canada that was opened by a one in a million chance. | Listen |
| 'Bodies pulled from Nile' after Sudan crackdown | |
| Doctors linked to the Sudanese opposition said the bodies were among scores believed killed by security forces on Monday. Also: three large meth labs dismantled in Mexico and commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. | Listen |
| Sudan: Head of military council offers to hold talks with opposition | |
| Sudan: Head of military council offers to hold talks with opposition. But Khartoum residents say the RSF militia - formerly known as Janjaweed - are attacking civilians. Also, commemorations are held for 75th anniversary of the historic D-Day landings in 1944, and we meet the photographer who's documented Europe's African communities. | Listen |
| Trump promises a 'phenomenal' trade deal for the UK after Brexit | |
| The US president said the US and UK have the "greatest alliance the world has ever known". Also: a 17 year old girl has ended her life with euthanasia in the Netherlands, and Ethiopia anger over US gay tour plan. | Listen |
| Tiananmen 30th anniversary: Thousands attend vigil in Hong Kong | |
| Hong Kong vigil commemorates 1989 crackdown on protestors in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Hundreds of demonstrators are believed to have been killed during attack by the army. Also, thousands of protestors gather in London on second day of President Trump's visit, and do India's schools fail to prepare pupils for realities of the job-market ? | Listen |
| Sudan military condemned for deadly operation | |
| Security forces attack pro-democracy protestors in Khartoum, killing many people. Also: Trump praises 'eternal friendship' of US and UK, and a family in Scotland has discovered a medieval chess piece in their drawer, missing for almost 200 years. | Listen |
| Sudan: Deadly clashes as soldiers disperse protestors | |
| Troops attack pro-democracy protest outside military headquarters in Khartoum. Medical sources say at least 12 people were killed and dozens of others injured. Also, President Trump begins state visit to Britain, rescuers see bodies during search for missing climbers in Indian Himalayas, and official report in Canada describes 'genocide' among indigenous women. | Listen |
| Pope Francis apologises to the Roma people for Catholic discrimination | |
| Pope Francis addressed the ?discrimination, segregation, and mistreatment? Roma people suffered at the hands of the church. Also: The US says it will make its own assessments to ensure that Iran is never able to build a nuclear weapon and, the man set to release an angry Baby Trump blimp into the skies above London, as the US president visits | Listen |
| Hopes for Afghan ceasefire dashed | |
| The leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan has vowed to continue fighting until foreign forces have left the country and an Islamic system is established. Also, President Trump breaks diplomatic convention by intervening in the contest to be the next British prime minister and jubilant Liverpool fans celebrate after winning the Champions League in Madrid. | Listen |
| Most displaced since start of Syrian conflict | |
| Syrian activists say President Assad's latest offensive has led to the biggest wave of displaced people since the conflict began. Also, the Kosovan prime minister orders the expulsion of a Russian UN official accused of obstructing the police. And the US says it may not pass on intelligence to allies who use Huawei in their 5G networks. | Listen |
| Trump to hit Mexico with tariffs | |
| President Trump announces tariffs on imports, to make Mexico curb illegal immigration into the US. Mexico's president says taxes won't solve social problems. Also, US-led coalition against IS says it killed 1,300 civilians in Syria and Iraq, and a UN expert says Julian Assange has been subjected to psychological torture. | Listen |
| Donald Trump lashes out at Robert Mueller | |
| President Trump attacks former special counsel's refusal to exonerate him, Saudi Arabia holds emergency talks about Iran - and even invites its rival Qatar. And the smallest premature baby is released from hospital | Listen |
| Hungary boat disaster: Seven South Koreans die on Danube | |
| Seven South Korean tourists have died and tens are missing after a boat sank on the Danube river in Hungary's capital, Budapest. Also: Narendra Modi has been sworn-in as India's prime minister for his second term, and the lock of hair that may fetch $20,000 at auction. | Listen |
| Fresh election in Israel as coalition talks fail | |
| Lawmakers in Israel vote to dissolve parliament after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu fails to form a coalition. Also: Mueller says charging Trump not an option, and Banksy mural in Wales moved from garage to art gallery. | Listen |
| Nigeria's President Buhari sworn in for second term | |
| President Buhari promised to continue his anti-corruption campaign during his 2nd term. His to-do list also includes reviving a weak economy and tackling insecurity. Also, Boris Johnson to appear in court over Brexit misconduct claims and eight years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, farmers are allowed back to sow crops. | Listen |
| Johnson & Johnson in billion-dollar opioid trial | |
| Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's largest drug manufacturers, has gone on trial in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit brought by the US state of Oklahoma. Also: 'unfolding humanitarian disaster' in north-west Syria and Canada fines man after smuggling thousands of leeches. | Listen |
| Sinai: Report accuses Egyptian forces and Islamists of 'war crimes' | |
| Human rights campaigners say both sides may have committed crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch accuses the Egyptian government and radical Islamists of wide range of abuses as they fight for control of Sinai. Also, how North Koreans have to bribe officials in order to survive amid desperate food-shortages, and a Vatican report has some surprising news about atheists. | Listen |
| Austrian leader ousted after secret video row | |
| Opposition parties in Austria backed the vote after the collapse of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's coalition. Also: Myanmar soldiers accused of a massacre 'released early' and a rare archive film of Queen Victoria has been rediscovered. | Listen |
| European Elections: What are implications after traditional power-blocs lose support ? | |
| Centrist blocs in European Parliament have now lost their combined majority. There've been big gains in several countries by liberals, the Greens and nationalists. Also, President Trump backs possible face-to-face meeting between leaders of Japan and North Korea, and Fiat Chrysler proposes a merger with French carmaker Renault. | Listen |
| Centrist parties lose seats in European elections | |
| Europe's major centre-left and centre-right parties set to lose dozens of seats and their combined majority, green parties and some far-right parties did well. This year saw the highest turnout in 20 years. Also: three French citizens sentenced to death in Iraq after being found guilty of joining the Islamic State group, and what?s cute, fluffy and white all over? An all-white panda photographed for the first time in the wild. | Listen |
| Russia ordered to release Ukrainian sailors | |
| An international tribunal has ordered Russia to "immediately" release 24 Ukrainian sailors and three naval ships it seized off Crimea in November. Also: Ireland looks set to liberalise divorce laws and we?ll hear about the winner of the Palme d?Or at the Cannes film festival. | Listen |
| Theresa May quits: Contest for PM begins | |
| Theresa May has said she will quit as Conservative leader on 7 June, paving the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister. Also: The High Court in Kenya has ruled against campaigners seeking to overturn a law banning gay sex, and children around the world skip school to protest against climate change. | Listen |
| Theresa May quits: UK set for new PM | |
| She'll stay on as prime minister until a successor is chosen, but has warned candidates that compromise will be necessary to secure a Brexit deal. Police in Indian-administered Kashmir say they've killed one of the most wanted separatist leaders. Plus the disgraced Hollywood Producer, Harvey Weinstein, is reported to have reached a multi-million dollar compensation agreement with his victims. | Listen |
| US lays new charges against Assange | |
| The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, is charged with 17 new spying offences. He is currently in prison in London. Also: John Walker Lindh - the man dubbed the American Taliban - is released from prison early, and the inspirational story of the Indian man who became an opera singer by chance. | Listen |
| Narendra Modi secures landslide win in India election | |
| Supporters of India's governing BJP have been celebrating. The leader of the main opposition Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi, has admitted defeat. Tornadoes in the US state of Missouri have killed at least three people. Also, Judith Kerr, author of the picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, has died at the age of 95. | Listen |
| White House and Congress trade insults over Infrastructure | |
| Political drama in Washington as President Trump cuts short a meeting with the Democrats, Who caused mysterious increase in chemical that destroys ozone in the atmosphere ? and why a propaganda song on social media is the latest weapon in China's trade war with the US. | Listen |
| Indonesia: Deadly post-election clashes in Jakarta | |
| Police say 6 people killed during protests against re-election of President Joko Widodo. Protests began after official election results showed Mr. Widodo had beaten his long-time rival Prabowo Subianto. Also, voters in Philippines give President Duterte more power to implement his controversial agenda, a warning from former UN Secretary-general about need to tackle climate-change, and we meet winner of BBC's Woman Footballer Of The Year award. | Listen |
| British PM says one last chance to get Brexit done | |
| Theresa May says MPs will get a vote on whether to hold another referendum on Brexit if they back her bill. Also: US says Iranian threats 'put on hold', and the mating antics of the Bonobo. | Listen |
| Spain: Jailed Catalan MPs attend parliament's opening | |
| Five Catalan separatist leaders - on trial for rebellion - have taken seats in parliament. All face prosecution for their role in organising unauthorised referendum and unilaterally declaring independence for Catalonia in 2017. Also, trial begins in Germany of suspected leaders of huge sex-trafficking gang, and tributes paid to three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda who's died aged 70. | Listen |
| All ministers from Austria's far right party resign | |
| The resignations come after the party leader was caught on tape offering contracts to an oligarch's niece. Also: White House tells ex-aide not to testify, and French court reverses life support ruling. | Listen |
| Ukraine: New president is sworn in - and calls snap election | |
| President Volodymyr Zelensky makes election announcement in first speech in parliament. And he pledges to resolve stand-off with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Also, at least 32 people killed in riot at prison in Tajikistan, and US billionaire philanthropist clears 400 student loans. | Listen |
| Trump warns Iran not to threaten America | |
| In a strongly worded tweet, President Trump said if Iran wants to fight, it will be the official end of the country. Also: India exit polls suggest Modi re-election, and could artificial intelligence become more creative than humans? | Listen |
| Austria chancellor calls for snap election | |
| Sebastian Kurz calls for an early election after his deputy resigns over a corruption scandal. Also: Australian PM celebrates 'miracle' win and Tel Aviv hosts the Eurovision Song Contest. | Listen |
| The United States and Canada agree to lift tariffs on steel and aluminium imports | |
| The duties had delayed the ratification of a new North American trade agreement, which also includes Mexico. Also, a German museum says it will return a stone cross to Namibia and the result of a TV talent show in Russia has been annulled after complaints of vote rigging. | Listen |
| Taiwan legalises gay marriage | |
| There were shouts of joy and some tearful embraces as the result was announced. However, conservative opponents were angered by the vote. Also, talks in Britain to try to end the Brexit deadlock collapse. Plus, an Australian rugby star and committed Christian is sacked over an instragram post - we'll ask our Religion Editor about sport and faith. | Listen |
| President Trump proposes radical changes to US immigration | |
| President Trump has unveiled proposals to reform immigration to the United States, Venezuela's embattled Government says it has been holding talks with the opposition in Norway, and evidence emerges that bed bugs were around far earlier than previously thought. | Listen |
| Saudi airstrikes target Sana'a in retaliation for oil pipeline sabotage | |
| Residents say the airstrikes targeted nine military sites in and around Sana'a as well as hitting several houses. Also, China has said it will hit back after the United States imposed restrictions on the telecoms giant Huawei. Plus, remembering the former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke who has died at the age of eighty-nine. | Listen |
| Trade war deepens between Washington and Beijing | |
| President Trump bars overseas telecommunications that threaten national security, US tech giants commit to combat extreme online violence, And the farmer who cut off his own leg with a pocket knife. | Listen |
| Sudan's Opposition and Military Agree Transition Deal | |
| The two sides finalise conditions for a three year period leading to a civilian administration. Also, Women's rights activists in the US vow to challenge a new law in Alabama banning almost all abortions, and how Africa's vultures are disappearing | Listen |
| Talks between US and Russia highlight continuing differences | |
| High-level talks between Russia and the United States intended to rebuild links have underlined deep divisions on a range of issues. Also: Sudan's military is accused of shooting dead at least six protesters, and the WHO has described the battle against dementia as one of this century's greatest global challenges. | Listen |
| WhatsApp says it was victim of 'targeted' surveillance attack | |
| WhatsApp says attack was by 'private company working with governments on surveillance'. The surveillance software involved was reportedly developed by Israeli firm NSO Group. Also, talks in Russia aim to reduce risk of confrontation between US and Iran, and was Harvard University right to get rid of legal expert who was on Harvey Weinstein's defence-team ? | Listen |
| Sri Lanka curfew amid anti-Muslim violence | |
| Sri Lanka has imposed a night-time curfew across the country amid an upsurge in anti-Muslim violence. Also: China hits back in trade war with US, and Sudan's ousted President Omar al-Bashir charged with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters. | Listen |
| Julian Assange: Sweden reopens rape investigation | |
| Prosecutors resume investigation into rape allegation made against Wikileaks co-founder. The inquiry has been revived at the request of the alleged victim's lawyer. Also, several commercial ships reportedly targeted by 'sabotage attack' off the United Arab Emirates, and renowned Hollywood legend Doris Day has died aged 97. | Listen |
| UN says Houthi rebels are withdrawing from three Yemeni ports | |
| But some government officials say it?s a fake withdrawal. Also: One of Donald Trump's top advisers has admitted that much of the cost of tariffs on imports from China is being paid by Americans, and we hear more about the "sex strike" by women in protest against a new abortion law in the US state of Georgia. | Listen |
| ANC wins South Africa's election with reduced majority | |
| A struggling economy and corruption have eroded the ANC's popularity in South Africa. Also: French hostages praise rescue 'from hell', and pets are big business in China. | Listen |
| More than sixty people drown off the Tunisian coast | |
| The United Nations has said that the African migrants died after their boat which set off from Libya capsized. Also: talks between the US and China to try to end their trade war break up without agreement, and the girl from China who got an octopus stuck to her face when she tried to eat it alive. | Listen |
| Trump says no need to rush on China talks | |
| The US president's comments come after Washington raised tariffs on $200bn of China's products. Also: scientists in Cambridge set up a research plan to repair the Earth's climate and welcome Mr Bond to the International Spy Museum. | Listen |
| Last ditch talks seek to avoid harsher China-US trade war | |
| The world?s biggest two economies meet for eleventh hour talks to stave off higher tariffs. Also, the case for cutting Facebook down to size - and tackling drug dealing in Berlin. | Listen |
| Second North Korea 'missile test' in five days | |
| Two short-range missiles are reportedly fired as a US envoy visits the region to revive nuclear talks. Also: Montenegro jails 'Russian coup plot' leaders and can you really buy an unbreakable guitar? | Listen |
| US House panel holds Attorney General in contempt | |
| President Donald Trump has asserted executive privilege over the report, shielding it from public view. Also: Polling draws to a close in elections in South Africa, and as Britain is introduced to Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, we ask what?s in a royal name? | Listen |
| Iran nuclear deal: Tehran may increase uranium-enrichment | |
| Iran suspends commitments under 2015 international nuclear deal. Teheran's announcement comes a year after the US abandoned the deal. Also, Asia Bibi leaves Pakistan after acquittal on blasphemy charges, and the first public glimpse of Britain's new royal baby. | Listen |
| Venezuela: Six opposition MPs face treason charges | |
| A week after the opposition leader, Juan Guaido, failed to spark a military uprising, Venezuela?s supreme court has said six pro-Guaido lawmakers should be brought to trial. Also: Botswana makes the case for overturning the ban on the ivory trade; and in London, homeless children take to the pitch at the first ever Street Child Cricket World Cup. | Listen |
| Reuters journalists freed from Myanmar jail | |
| Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo spent more than 500 days in prison for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis. They were released unexpectedly after a presidential amnesty. Also: Indian female activists have been detained for protesting outside the Supreme Court in Delhi, and is social media actually less harmful for teenagers than we thought? | Listen |
| Protests as Turkey rerunning vote in Istanbul following opposition win | |
| President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party questioned the slim win by the opposition CHP, claiming there were "irregularities and corruption". Also: Democrats in the US Congress are to begin contempt proceedings against the Attorney-General William Barr, over his handling of the Mueller report, and it?s practiced by millions worldwide, but how was Pilates invented? | Listen |
| UN report warns that one million species are at risk of extinction | |
| Scientists say human activity is destroying nature at a speed never previously seen. Also, secondary schools across Sri Lanka have reopened amid tight security following an extended break prompted by the Easter bombings and Prince Harry has announced that his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a baby boy. | Listen |
| Scores killed in Russian plane fire | |
| Also: death toll mounts amid Gaza violence, and is there a shortage of Egyptian television soap operas for Ramadan? | Listen |
| Gaza rocket barrage prompts Israel strikes | |
| Israel carries out air-strikes on the Gaza Strip, after militants fired more than two hundred rockets into Israel. Also: Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn crowned and investigating the warming of the Arctic in the archipelago of Svalbard. | Listen |
| Ebola deaths pass one thousand in DRC | |
| Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say hostility to medical staff is hindering efforts to tackle the deadly disease. Also: more than a million people in India shelter from the onslaught of Cyclone Fani, and a student now models a dress she was once told she looked 'awful' in. | Listen |
| Indians shelter from Cyclone Fani | |
| The area is being battered by the worst summer cyclone for forty years. Winds reached speeds of more than two hundred kilometres an hour. Plus a study of gay men in Europe finds that exposure to the right drugs could dramatically reduce the spread of the HIV virus that causes AIDS. And the lemurs of Madagascar under threat. | Listen |
| Pelosi accuses US attorney general of lying | |
| William Barr refused to testify to Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee. Also: Facebook bans 'dangerous individuals' and a comedian gives her family informational pamphlets before going on a date. | Listen |
| Holocaust remembrance in Israel with Instagram | |
| As Israel marks its Holocaust Memorial day, how Instagram is bringing the story of one young victim to life. Also Human Rights Watch says the Chinese authorities have developed an app to monitor behaviour in Xinjiang, where a million Uighurs have been detained. And an exclusive report on how traffickers are using social media to loot antiquities from the Middle East. | Listen |
| UK defence secretary sacked over Huawei leak | |
| The UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson was sacked following an inquiry into a leak from a top-level National Security Council meeting. The leak was over plans to allow Huawei access in the UK's new 5G network. Also: The US Attorney General William Barr is under scrutiny from a Senate panel regarding his conclusion of the Mueller report into Russian interference in the 2016 Trump election campaign, and we'll hear how a Chinese man failed a breathalyzer test after eating too much durian fruit. | Listen |
| Semenya loses landmark testosterone case | |
| South African Olympic gold medallist, Caster Semenya, is considering an appeal after losing her legal challenge against rules that would force her to reduce testosterone levels.Also: Maoist insurgents in central India have killed at least fifteen police commandos by blowing up their vehicle, and remembering Senna - 25 years on. | Listen |
| Venezuela challenger accused of coup bid | |
| Venezuelan authorities say they are putting down a small coup attempt after opposition leader Juan Guaidó announced he was in the ?final phase? of ending President Nicolás Maduro?s rule. Also: President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders agree to work together on a $2 trillion infrastructure package, and Facebook has revealed a series of changes to the firm's portfolio of social platforms. | Listen |
| Venezuela: Guaidó calls on people to take to the streets | |
| Opposition leader says he's in 'final phase' of ending President Maduro's rule. Mr. Guaidó has appeared in video with uniformed men, claiming to have military support in struggle to oust the President. Also, Japan's Emperor Akihito announces his abdication, a report on Iraq's worsening water-crisis, and the Indian Army is mocked over its claim to have found footprints of the Yeti. | Listen |
| IS 'leader' seen for first time since 2014 | |
| Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appears in a new video, which is yet to be verified. In the footage he acknowledges defeat at Baghuz, the group's last stronghold in the region. Also: Boeing?s CEO apologizes for the company's role in two deadly plane crashes and Japan gives its emperor a warm send off before he abdicates. | Listen |
| Spain election: Socialists win amid breakthrough for far-right | |
| Socialists polled 29% and will need help from other parties to form government. The far-right party Vox also won seats - the first time a significant far-right group has done so in decades. Also, why Indonesia's president wants to move the capital to a new location, and how dish based on rotting fish became part of Egypt's springtime celebrations. | Listen |
| Spain's Socialists claim victory in the general election | |
| Pedro Sanchez's party will need the help of either left-wing Podemos and regional parties or the centre right to form a government. Also, aid workers in northern Mozambique say they've not yet been able to reach many of the people affected by Cyclone Kenneth and the Kenyan athlete, Eliud Kipchoge, has won the London Marathon in the second fastest time. | Listen |
| US synagogue shooting leaves one dead | |
| A man has been arrested after an attack at the synagogue near San Diego, California. Also: Cyclone Kenneth 'wiped out villages' in Mozambique and 'Fake Lego gang' dismantled in $30m Chinese raid. | Listen |
| Trump tells Americans to get their measles vaccinations | |
| Nearly seven hundred cases of the highly infectious disease have been reported in the US. Also: new Northern Ireland political talks process announced, and are people around the world getting more stressed and angry? | Listen |
| Sri Lanka bombings ringleader 'died in hotel attack' | |
| Mr Sirisena said Zahran Hashim, a radical preacher, died at the Shangri-La hotel in the capital, Colombo. He also said that the intelligence services believed around 130 suspects linked to the IS group were in the country and that police were hunting 70 who were still at large. Also, a US judge is charged with helping an illegal immigrant dodge arrest. And Taiwan?s richest man puts himself at the centre of a sexism row. | Listen |
| Sri Lanka death toll revised down | |
| Sri Lanka now believes 253 people died in the Easter Sunday attacks, down from 359, blaming a calculation error. Also: new cyclone batters Mozambique and Rami Malek to play James Bond villain. | Listen |
| US election 2020: Joe Biden launches presidential bid | |
| The 76-year-old enters a crowded race for the 2020 Democratic nomination. Also Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meet near Vladivostok in Russia's far east. And details of the dispute that's blown up between two of the world's greatest athletes - Mo Farah and Haile Gebrselassie. | Listen |
| Sri Lanka admits 'major intelligence lapse' | |
| An official says the Sri Lankan government must answer for its failure to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings. Also: Russia eases passport rules for those living in eastern Ukraine, and an "exhilarating" implant turns thoughts to speech. | Listen |
| Sri Lanka Bombings: Police identify 8 out of 9 attackers | |
| Police say one bomber was a woman and most were 'well educated' and 'middle class'. Around 60 people have now been detained in connection with the deadly attacks. Also, victims of Japan sterilisation law to receive compensation and apology, and why a 'swim with dolphins' tourism scheme in Jamaica is provoking controversy. | Listen |
| IS ?may be linked? to Sri Lanka attacks | |
| PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government believed Sunday's attacks could not have been carried out without help from terror groups abroad. Also: The UN Security Council has adopted a reduced resolution on preventing sexual violence in conflict, and how a pacemaker tested on pigs could revolutionise how the devices are used. | Listen |
| Sri Lanka bombings "in retaliation for the attack against Muslims" | |
| The state defence minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, says the initial investigation has revealed the suicide bombings may have been carried out in revenge for the shootings at two mosques in New Zealand last month. Also: An advanced experimental vaccine against malaria is launched in Malawi, and they cause so much waste but would you drink from a bottle with a lid made from a recycled nappy? | Listen |
| US push to stop Iran selling oil | |
| The US is to end exemptions over Iran's oil sales. It will target countries, including China and India, that currently benefit from waivers to sanctions. Also: Billionaire brothers arrested in Algeria and marijuana's effect on the waistline. | Listen |
| Sri Lanka attacks: Officials say 'international network' linked to bombings | |
| Government sources say lethal attacks carried out by local Islamists with foreign support. 290 people have been confirmed killed and 500 injured in suicide-attacks on churches and hotels. Also, reunion of Thai schoolboys with the divers who rescued them, and how two gorillas 'posed' for selfie with anti-poaching unit in DR Congo. | Listen |
| Hundreds killed in Sri Lanka bombings | |
| More than two hundred die and hundreds more are injured in eight blasts which targeted busy luxury hotels and Easter services at churches. Also: a comic actor has won Ukraine's presidential election run-off, and there?s mistrust in Sudan over who will rule the country after months of unrest. | Listen |
| Sudanese officials say millions of dollars in cash found at home of deposed president | |
| Prosecutors in Sudan say former president Omar al-Bashir is being investigated for money laundering after a hoard of cash was allegedly found hidden in sacks at his home. Also: Teenage migrants make the dangerous crossing from Morocco to Spain, and a Japanese man has become the first blind sailor to cross the Pacific Ocean ? six years after being capsized by a whale. | Listen |
| US couple sentenced to life for torture of children | |
| David and Louise Turpin have been sentenced to life in prison by a California court for shackling, starving and abusing 12 of their 13 children for years. Also: Ukraine's presidential candidates trade insults at a stadium debate, and Paris marks Good Friday in the wake of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire. | Listen |
| Northern Ireland killing: A ?terrorist incident? | |
| Dissident Republicans are being blamed for killing 29-year-old Lyra McKee in Derry. Also: A church wall has collapsed in the South African province of KwaZulu Natal killing thirteen worshippers. Plus, a YouTube climbing star and two friends are feared dead after an avalanche in the Canadian Rockies. | Listen |
| Mueller report published | |
| The long awaited report into Russian interference in the 2016 US election has been released. Also: Libya's PM condemns 'silence' of allies, and 'giant lion' fossil found in museum drawer. | Listen |
| North Korea demands removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from nuclear talks | |
| Pyongyang has accused Mr Pompeo of "talking nonsense" and being "reckless". Also: The World Health Organisation says more than two hundred people have been killed in fighting in the Libyan capital in the last two weeks, and US scientists find a positive use for HIV. | Listen |
| Peru's former president kills himself | |
| Alan Garcia died after shooting himself as police arrived to arrest him. Also: many people killed in tourist bus accident in Madeira, and pig brains partially revived after death. | Listen |
| Sudan crisis: Ex-president moved to prison | |
| Reports say Omar al-Bashir had been detained at the presidential residence under heavy guard until now. Also: The heads of two of the world's key central banks say the financial system faces an existential threat from climate change, and the fossil hunter trying to make a 2 million dollar fortune with a ?baby T-Rex?. | Listen |
| Macron promises to rebuild Notre Dame in five years | |
| In a televised address, the French President Emmanuel Macron said he shared the pain and hope of the nation after the devastating fire. Also: Egypt's leader could rule until 2030 and early ocean plastic traced to 1960s. | Listen |
| Notre-Dame fire: Huge sums pledged to help rebuild cathedral | |
| Hundreds of millions of euros are offered to help rebuild Notre-Dame after immense blaze. Several French companies have pledged funds, and offers of help with reconstruction have poured in from around the globe. Also, why people in Iraqi Kurdistan still fear IS despite military defeat of the 'Caliphate', and we speak to the woman at the centre of a rape case that's divided Italy. | Listen |
| Notre Dame cathedral in Paris devastated by major fire | |
| The medieval cathedral of Notre-Dame is one France's most famous landmarks. Officials say the 850-year-old Gothic building's spire and roof have collapsed, but the main structure, including the two bell towers, has been saved. | Listen |
| Sudan: Protest leaders demand end of the 'deep state' | |
| Demonstrators call for dismantling of legacy of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. Protesters have camped outside army HQ in the capital, Khartoum, and demand a civilian administration. Also, former boss of Volkswagen is charged in Germany over his involvement in diesel-emissions scandal, and we ask - what makes 'Game of Thrones' so popular across the world ? | Listen |
| Tiger Woods makes golfing comeback | |
| Tiger Woods wins his first major golf tournament in 11 years, redeeming himself after a period of personal and professional turmoil. Also: Sudan?s newest rulers try to appease protestors, and Pete Buttigieg ? Midwestern mayor and openly gay Navy veteran ? launches a bid to become the Democratic candidate for US president. | Listen |
| Sudan's new leader calls for dialogue | |
| Protest leaders in Sudan have met the transitional military council in Khartoum after the country's new ruler pledges to end the curfew, release jailed protesters and "uproot the former regime". Also: President Trump says he wants to meet Kim Jong-un again but the North Korean leader appears more cautious, and doubts emerge about the authenticity of the world's most expensive painting, Salvator Mundi, which has been attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci. | Listen |
| Sudan coup leader steps down | |
| The head of Sudan?s military council has stood down a day after leading a coup that toppled long-time leader Omar al-Bashir amid a wave of protests. Also: The International Criminal Court has rejected its prosecutor's request to investigate alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, and a former head of Venezuela's military counter intelligence organisation has been arrested. | Listen |
| Sudan coup: Military says it does not seek power | |
| Sudan's transitional military council has said the former president, Omar al-Bashir, will face trial within the country. But the military says it will not extradite him on war crimes charges. And Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange could face a renewed investigation into an allegation of rape in Sweden. Plus the award winning Kenyan film director Wanuri Kahiu's new Hollywood venture. | Listen |
| Sudan protesters defy curfew | |
| New military rulers imposed curfew after coup against president al-Bashir also: Israeli moon landing ends in failure and how China saves the world - in a movie. | Listen |
| Sudan military coup topples Bashir | |
| The Sudanese military says it has ousted and arrested the long-time president Omar al Bashir, after months of protests. Also: Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been arrested, and Beresheet -- a private mission attempting to land on the Moon. | Listen |
| EU leaders agree to delay Brexit until October 31st | |
| Speaking at an emergency summit, European Council President Donald Tusk called the Brexit extension 'flexible'. Also: The first picture of a black hole and finding cancer's weak spot. | Listen |
| Netanyahu set for record fifth term | |
| The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is on course to form a new coalition government. Also: British PM to make Brexit delay plea at EU summit and the push is on to cure Hepatitis B. | Listen |
| No clear winner in Israeli election | |
| Exit polls in Israel suggest there will be no clear winner in the closely fought general election. Also: Sudan's police have ordered officers not to intervene against thousands of protesters, and British Prime Minister Theresa May has been trying to persuade the French and German presidents to agree to a short Brexit extension. | Listen |
| Violence flares up at Sudan protest | |
| Gunfire was heard outside the army headquarters in Khartoum where thousands of protesters have been holding a sit-in. Also: British PM meets the German chancellor for Brexit delay request and scientists are to drill for 'oldest ice' in Antarctica. | Listen |
| Israeli election to choose new government | |
| Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes for a fifth term in office, but he faces a strong challenge from former military chief of staff Benny Gantz. Also: the biggest college admissions scam in US history and the captive whales seeking freedom. | Listen |
| Sudan: Protesters say 'now completely surrounded by security forces' | |
| Attempt to break up the demonstration was thwarted by the military. Also: the latest from Libya where thousands of civilians have been forced to flee the latest exchanges between warring factions south of the capital, Tripoli, and how wildlife prosecutors in Kenya are attempting to stamp out poaching of some of the country's greatest assets. | Listen |
| At least 20 dead in Libyan clashes | |
| Military commander Khalifa Haftar?s forces continue their attack on Tripoli and reports say they?ve launched an airstrike. Also in this programme: the acting White House Chief of Staff says Democrats will never see President Trump?s tax returns, and we?ll hear how one man travelled 95,000 kilometres from Amsterdam to Sydney in an electric car. | Listen |
| Offensive on Libyan capital continues | |
| Forces loyal to the military commander Khalifa Haftar have continued their offensive, despite international calls to stop the fighting. Also in the podcast: mass demonstrations against Sudan?s president continue outside the army headquarters and the new symphony raising awareness of the environmental challenges facing the Arctic. | Listen |
| UN condemns fighting in Libya | |
| The UN Security Council along with the G7 have condemned the fighting in Tripoli after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres failed to convince military leader Khalifa Haftar to stop advancing towards the capital. Also in this programme: President Trump visits a completed section of his wall on the US Mexican border, and researchers find even moderate drinking can cause a stroke. | Listen |
| UK seeks new Brexit delay | |
| The UK is due to leave the EU on 12 April but no withdrawal deal has been approved by MPs. Mrs May has proposed that if UK MPs approve a deal in time, the UK should be able to leave before European Parliamentary elections in May. And activists in Saudi Arabia say at least seven people, including two dual US-Saudi citizens, have been detained over their links to women's rights campaigners. | Listen |
| Belgium apologises for colonial-era kidnappings | |
| The Prime Minister said the human rights of thousands of children had been breached. Also, the US House of Representatives votes to end American support for Saudi-led military action in Yemen and hundreds of women march in India to protest about inequality. | Listen |
| Ethiopian Airlines crash - pilots 'followed guidelines' | |
| The first official report into last month's plane crash has found that the pilots followed Boeing procedures, but were unable to control the aircraft. Also, Australia passes controversial new laws which could see social media executives jailed if they fail to swiftly eject violent videos from their platforms; and ousted car industry boss Carlos Ghosn is arrested for a fourth time in Tokyo. | Listen |
| US Congressional committee votes to subpoena release of entire Mueller report | |
| Democrats want to see the full, unredacted document of the Mueller report, which investigated Russian attempts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. Also: the British prime minister Theresa May meets the opposition Labour party in an attempt to find a way out of the Brexit deadlock, and Dutch salvage teams stumble on a 16th century shipwreck. | Listen |
| Former Malaysian leader in trial connected to billion dollar scandal | |
| Najib Razak faces charges linked to the theft of billions of dollars, also: backlash against Brunei's Sharia law and why Pakistanis look to Britain for etiquette lessons | Listen |
| Algeria's president Bouteflika resigns | |
| Abdelaziz Bouteflika's resignation follows weeks of protests against his earlier decision to stand for a fifth term. Also: the British PM is to ask EU for Brexit extension and a controversial biometric ID system has been launched in Kenya. | Listen |
| Turkey?s AK party formally challenge Istanbul vote | |
| The AK party has complained of irregularities, and posted victory posters depicting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and its mayoral candidate Binali Yildirim around the city. Also: The EU's chief negotiator has said a 'no deal' Brexit is becoming more likely by the day, and the broken bits of satellite that could threaten the International Space Station. | Listen |
| Brexit deadlock continues as MPs fail to find compromise | |
| British members of parliament have failed to back any of the alternative proposals to that of the government's Brexit plan. Also: the end of an era for Algeria. President Bouteflika is stepping down before the end of the month and could Dubstep music be an effective mosquito repellent? | Listen |
| Opposition takes Ankara in Turkey's local elections | |
| The president's ruling AK party disputes the results as there are indications of sweeping losses including the opposition taking Istanbul. Also: the name of the new imperial era in Japan is announced and we have a report from Belarus where the discovery of a mass grave has re-opened a little-known chapter of the Holocaust. | Listen |
| TV comedian frontrunner in Ukraine elections | |
| Volodymyr Zelenskiy has no political experience and won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine's presidential elections, according to exit polls. Also: President Erdogan's governing party in Turkey has lost control of several big cities in local elections, including the capital Ankara, and the rise of gun groups in LGBT communities in the US. | Listen |
| Venezuela: Juan Guaidó leads protests over power cuts | |
| The self-declared Venezuelan president is leading mass demonstrations against the government and its failure to prevent the repeated energy blackouts across the country - some lasting days. Also: Health officials in Gaza say four Palestinians have died during mass protests there, and the Facebook shake up that?s coming to Australia. | Listen |
| EU: No deal Brexit a ?likely scenario? | |
| The head of the European Council, Donald Tusk calls a meeting to discuss a new Brexit deadline. Also: Hundreds of thousands of protesters in Algeria are demanding the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and the famous family scandal following the death of the ?Elvis of France?. | Listen |
| May's Brexit deal suffers third defeat | |
| MPs have rejected Theresa May?s EU withdrawal agreement on the day the UK was due to leave the EU. The government lost by 344 votes to 286, a majority of 58. In Mozambique there's a sharp rise in cholera cases as a result of Cyclone Idai. And the influential film director Agnes Vardar dies at 90. | Listen |
| UK government to hold new Brexit vote | |
| British MPs will be asked to vote again on Brexit on Friday but only on part of the deal negotiated with the European Union. Also: A national remembrance service for the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks has been held in New Zealand, and the Venezuelan government has barred opposition leader Juan Guaidó from holding further public office for fifteen years. | Listen |
| Bangladesh skyscraper fire | |
| Several dead and dozens trapped in Dhaka blaze. Also: Ex-spy accused of assassination plot found dead, vermin cull to save island species, and Botticelli copy found to be rare original | Listen |
| Brexit: MPs reject all options | |
| After a vote in the British Parliament, none of MP?s Brexit options secures a majority. Also: The governing party in Algeria joins calls for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down, and the Indian woman threatened with death for entering a temple. | Listen |
| Brexit: British MPs consider alternative ideas on way forward | |
| MPs debate future of Brexit, after taking control of the House from the government. Measures being debated include leaving EU without a deal, forming a customs union, and a confirmatory referendum. Also, Narendra Modi says India an 'established space power' after using missile to shoot down satellite, and how Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh found inspiration in London. | Listen |
| Algerian army chief urges removal of President Bouteflika | |
| After weeks of unrest, Lt Gen Gaed Salah called for an 'immediate' way out of the crisis. He proposed the use of a constitutional article which allows the position of president to be declared vacant if the leader is unfit to rule. Also, the American actor Jussie Smollett is cleared of charges he staged a racist attack, and what is the practice of breast-ironing? | Listen |
| Gaza: Egypt tries to re-establish truce between Israel and Hamas | |
| Gaza: Egypt tries to re-establish truce between Israel and Hamas. Situation now reported to be calm after overnight missile-attacks by both sides. Also, Syria's Kurds call for international tribunal for captured IS fighters, and how Dutch detective known as the 'Indiana Jones of the art world' tracked down a missing Picasso painting. | Listen |
| Trump signs order recognising Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights | |
| The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, witnessed the signing at a ceremony in the White House. The area was captured from Syria during the 1967 war. Also: British MPs back votes on Brexit alternatives, and the BA flight that lands in Edinburgh by mistake. | Listen |
| Brexit: European Commission says a 'No Deal' arrangement is looking more likely. | |
| EU issues warning as Theresa May presents Cabinet with her latest plans to break deadlock. Mrs. May is due to make a statement to MPs, which will be followed by a debate on the next steps to try and resolve the crisis. Also, Israeli PM cuts short official visit to Washington after a missile attack from Gaza injures 7 people near Tel Aviv, and how a Kenyan poet turned an ordinary London house into a work of art. | Listen |
| Mueller report says Trump 'did not conspire with Russia' | |
| Robert Mueller's report finds no evidence of collusion but does not exonerate President Trump of obstruction. Also: Mali bans hunters after scores of villagers killed and there's been a huge fossil discovery in China's Hubei province. | Listen |
| Passengers airlifted from Norway cruise | |
| Hundreds of people are being airlifted from the cruise ship which had engine problems in choppy seas. Also: organisers say one million people have taken part in a Brexit protest in London, and we meet Tengai - the job interview robot who won't judge you. | Listen |
| Special council ends Trump-Russia investigation | |
| Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign has concluded. Also: Cholera cases have been reported in storm-hit Mozambique and Volvo's plan to stop drink driving. | Listen |
| Brexit delayed at least two weeks | |
| The EU has agreed to a delay until the 22nd May if MPs agree to Theresa May?s deal. If not then the EU will only grant an extension until the 12th April. Also in this podcast: North Korea has withdrawn its staff from a liaison office with South Korea and China is funding schools in Uganda to teach Mandarin. | Listen |
| Golan Heights Trump recognition | |
| President Trump overturns decades of US policy by saying it is time to recognise Israel's sovereignty over the occupied territory which it captured from Syria in 1967. Also: Nearly 100 dead in Iraq ferry disaster, Facebook details response to Christchurch mosque attacks, rogue waves warning | Listen |
| May is in Brussels to urge European leaders to give her more time to avoid a no-deal Brexit | |
| Mrs May has "personal regret" over her request to delay Brexit, but said it will allow time for MPs to make a "final choice". At the EU summit she will try to persuade the other 27 countries to delay the UK's exit beyond 29 March. And new regional additions to the Oxford English Dictionary...but what do these words mean? | Listen |
| Theresa May appeals to the British public | |
| The prime minister goes on live TV to blame MPs for the Brexit deadlock after she asked the European Union for a three month delay in order to get her deal through Parliament. Also: a race against time to help survivors of Cyclone Idai and the former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, is given a life sentence after his appeal fails. | Listen |
| Cyclone Idai wreaks havoc across south-eastern Africa. | |
| Mozambique begins three days of national mourning for the victims of Cyclone Idai; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calls for a global fight against racism: and why does the Ugandan Government want to control the music its people listen to? | Listen |
| Kazakh leader resigns after three decades | |
| Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the only man to lead the country since it emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, has resigned. Also: Cyclone Idai has triggered a "massive disaster" in southern Africa, and American-backed forces in Syria say they've captured the last bit of territory that was held by Islamic State. | Listen |
| Cyclone Idai: Rescue-workers struggle to bring aid to people across Southern Africa | |
| UN says storm may be worst weather-related disaster ever to hit southern hemisphere. Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi have all been affected. | Listen |
| Hundreds feared dead after Cyclone Idai | |
| Mozambique president Filipe Nyusi says he has seen bodies floating in waterlogged areas near Beira port. Also: Dutch police arrest tram shooting suspect and the periodic table turns 150. | Listen |
| Utrecht shooting: Three dead after attack on tram | |
| Three people reported killed and several others injured after gun-attack in Dutch city. Police say it appears to be a terrorist attack, and are looking for a 37-year-old Turkish man named as Gokmen Tanis. Also, Turkey's President Erdogan criticised for showing some of New Zealand mosque gunman's video during election-rallies, and why Berlin is allowing women to pay less than men to use public transport - for one day only. | Listen |
| New Zealand cabinet to discuss gun regulations | |
| Ministers are expected to consider a ban on the kind of semi-automatic weapons used by the gunman in the Christchurch mosque attacks. Also: Ethiopia sees 'similarities' between last week's Boeing crash and last year's disaster off Indonesia, and what kind of music makes cheese even tastier? | Listen |
| Death toll rises in New Zealand terror attack | |
| It's now known that fifty people were killed in Friday's attack on two mosques in Christchurch. Also: yellow vest violence returns to Paris, and Australian town holds funeral for crocodile. | Listen |
| New Zealand Massacre Suspect Appears in Court | |
| A twenty-eight year old man is charged with murder in connection with the Christchurch mosque shootings. The New Zealand Prime Minister, says gun laws will be overhauled. We look into the spread of white supremacist ideology. Also: An international agreement has been reached to cut single-use plastics over the coming decade. | Listen |
| Scores killed in New Zealand mosque shootings | |
| The New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern condemned the "terrorist attack" in Christchurch, which was live-streamed by a gunman. The authorities advised all mosques in the city to shut down until further notice. | Listen |
| British MPs vote to delay Brexit | |
| If European Union member states agree to the delay, the UK may now not leave the bloc on March 29th. Prime Minister Theresa May says Brexit could be delayed by three months, but only if MPs back her twice-defeated deal. Also, the US Senate has voted to overturn President Trump's emergency order aimed at funding his border wall, and the jet pack Iron Man suit that could enable us to fly. | Listen |
| British MPs are set to vote for a delay to the Brexit process | |
| Theresa May has made it clear she will make a third attempt to get her EU withdrawal deal through Parliament in the next week. It's already been defeated twice. A British soldier is to be prosecuted in connection with the Bloody Sunday killings in Northern Ireland forty-seven years ago. And new research that could be used to predict whether breast cancer is likely to come back after treatment. | Listen |
| MPs vote to reject no-deal Brexit | |
| Chaos and confusion at Westminster over Brexit. Also, the latest on the school shooting in Brazil and have scientists in Russia discovered the secret of time travel? | Listen |
| Brexit: May faces Parliament again after latest defeat | |
| British PM says UK could still leave EU with a 'good deal' despite MPs rejecting her plan. We look at the challenges she faces - and the view from the European Union. Also, rescue-operation in Lagos after collapse of building containing a school, and how some South Africans are demanding tougher action against pastors who abuse and exploit their followers. | Listen |
| MPs reject Theresa May's Brexit deal for a second time | |
| PM's EU deal defeated by 149 votes in what's being called a 'political disaster'. Also: An appeal court in Sudan has quashed flogging sentences imposed on women demonstrators, and dozens arrested in the United States for alleged involvement in a scam to help wealthy Americans cheat their way into elite universities. | Listen |
| Brexit: May tries to persuade MPs to back her deal | |
| Theresa May makes final bid to save her Brexit deal ahead of a crucial vote in Commons. She's urged MPs to back her 'improved' agreement or risk 'no Brexit at all'. Also, United Nations says mass-killings in the Congo may be a crime against humanity, a warning from the inventor of the worldwide web as it turns 30, and why an Italian city is furious at how the world has misrepresented its cuisine. | Listen |
| Algerian president drops bid for fifth term | |
| Abdelaziz Bouteflika has bowed to public and judicial pressure after his candidacy sparked mass protests. But he has also delayed the elections, without setting a new date. Also, President Trump's new budget proposes more than $8 billion for a Mexico border wall, and researchers believe eye tests could help detect early signs of Alzheimer's disease. | Listen |
| Ethiopian Airlines: Flight recorders recovered from crash site | |
| The Boeing 737 Max 8's cockpit voice recorder and digital flight recorder could be crucial in determining what caused the crash that killed all 157 people on board. Several airlines have grounded the Boeing model following the disaster. And Venezuela's government has ordered schools and businesses to remain closed on Monday as a power cut drags into a fifth day. | Listen |
| No survivors in Ethiopian plane crash | |
| Also: Western-backed fighters launch new attack on the last Islamic State enclave in Syria, and the picturesque street in Paris being ruined by Instagram | Listen |
| Venezuela: Thousands Join Rival Rallies as Power Cuts Continue | |
| The rival protests follow power cuts across much of Venezuela since Thursday. They took place in response to calls by opposition leader Juan Guaidó and President Maduro, also, anger, after a man at an American hospital is told he was certain to die - via a screen on a robot, Shamima Begum's father apologises to the UK for daughter 'doing wrong.' George Michael's private art collection on display in London ahead of auction. | Listen |
| Algerians Gather in Largest Protest against President Bouteflika | |
| Riot police fired tear gas in the capital Algiers, but the rallies were mostly peaceful. Also a 24 hour power cut in Venezuela is the longest in living memory, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel - One Hundred Years of Solitude -- is finally being adapted for the screen. | Listen |
| SpaceX: NASA successfully lands unmanned craft, paving the way for future missions | |
| The US's new commercial astronaut capsule splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean. Also: Trump's former campaign chairman gets four years in prison, Iran accuses the UK of breaking international law by extending its diplomatic protection to a British-Iranian woman in jail in Tehran, and are chimps who live in captivity losing their cultural traditions? | Listen |
| Winter Rain Threatens Greenland's Icesheet | |
| Global warming may be causing more winter rainfall which melts the ice leading to raised sea levels; Saudi Arabia's human rights record is criticised by a UN body, and the seven year old girl who wants to be a world boxing champion. | Listen |
| French cardinal guilty of abuse cover-up | |
| Barbarin was found guilty of failing to report allegations of assaults by a priest in the 1980s and 1990s. He denied the charges and he will appeal against the verdict. And are new drugs giving hope to those affected by an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo? | Listen |
| Major disruption at Calais port ahead of Brexit | |
| An ongoing protest by French customs officials has been causing major disruption at the port of Calais. Also: The Brazilian president has provoked national controversy, and Islamic State militants in Syria have been captured trying to escape their last enclave. | Listen |
| Carlos Ghosn leaves jail in Japan | |
| Carlos Ghosn, who ran the world largest alliance of car makers and faces three counts of financial misconduct, says he'll defend himself against "meritless and unsubstantiated accusations". Also: Human Rights Watch says children who fled the group calling itself Islamic State are being tortured in Iraq and the US investment bank, Goldman Sachs, tells staff it's ready to shed the suits. | Listen |
| Burundi forces UN to shut human rights office | |
| The United Nations human rights office in Burundi has been forced to close at the insistence of the government. Also: Britain's Government faces a dire warning over a surge in knife crime, and Canada's bitcoin mystery deepens. | Listen |
| HIV: New breakthrough as patient is cleared of the AIDS virus | |
| A British man has been declared HIV-free after a bone-marrow transplant. The case has raised hopes that scientists will eventually be able to defeat the AIDS virus. Also, Trump targets India and Turkey in trade crackdown, China's premier warns of tough times ahead for its economy, and how science has proved that heartbreak can be deadly. | Listen |
| Opposition leader returns to Venezuela | |
| Opposition leader Juan Guido tells crowds they must fight to achieve regime change; Fears the death toll from two twisters - or tornados - in Alabama will rise; and Saudi Arabia rejects accusations it has detained and tortured a number of women's rights activists. | Listen |
| Pope Francis to open Vatican archives on controversial wartime pope Pius the Twelfth | |
| Critics of Pius the Twelfth say he failed to do enough to help Jews during the Holocaust. The Vatican hopes that opening its archives will help establish the truth about Pius's role during World War Two. Also, China accuses two detained Canadians of spying, rescue-teams in Alabama search for survivors after devastating tornadoes, and why an actress is doing a solo comedy show about her disabled sister. | Listen |
| Algeria's leader to stand again despite mass protests | |
| Abdelaziz Bouteflika defies protesters but promises not to serve a full term also: Venezuelan opposition leader Guaidó to return and the mobile bistro in central France | Listen |
| President Trump takes aim at Robert Mueller | |
| US President Donald Trump attacks special counsel Robert Mueller. Also: The new President of the DRC calls for political prisoners to be pardoned, and a new capsule for sending astronauts to the International Space Station has successfully launched. | Listen |
| Pakistan returns captured Indian pilot | |
| Also: Police clash with demonstrators in Algeria over anti-government protests and how craft beer is taking over the world | Listen |
| Crowds gather for Indian pilot's release | |
| Crowds of Indians gathered near a border crossing with Pakistan ahead of the release of an Indian fighter pilot captured by Pakistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan said the pilot would be released as on Friday - but as darkness fell there was still no sign of him. Venezuela has announced it is moving the European headquarters of its state oil company from Portugal to Russia. And new advice for women who've suffered a stillbirth and want to try again for a baby. | Listen |
| Israel PM Netanyahu calls corruption charges a ?witch hunt? | |
| Also: North Korea refute President Trump?s claims over failed summit and the Michael Jackson sex abuse allegations about to land in full | Listen |
| Pakistan 'to free Indian pilot on Friday' | |
| The "peace gesture" to return the airman from a downed jet comes amid tensions over disputed Kashmir. Also: UN says Gaza protest deaths may be war crimes and semi-identical twins "identified for only the second time". | Listen |
| Trump is a Racist, a Conman, a Cheat says Cohen | |
| The President's former lawyer Michael Cohen paints a damning portrait of his boss in testimony to Congress; a second Ebola centre attacked in DR Congo; and the myth of the scary Momo doll. | Listen |
| India and Pakistan clash in Kashmir | |
| Both countries claim they have shot down each other's aircraft. Islamabad said it carried out retaliatory air strikes on its neighbour's territory, shot down Indian fighter aircraft, and captured an Indian pilot. India says it lost only one plane and has downed a Pakistani jet. Also: we will preview the testimony of President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen in Congress, and parlez-vous une autre langue? Foreign language learning is at an 18 year low in the UK. | Listen |
| Two Russians jailed after being accused of spying for the US | |
| Sergei Mikhailov was arrested while working for Russia's security agency, the FSB, and Ruslan Stoyanov, was an employee of the anti-virus firm Kaspersky Lab. Also: British prime minister offers MPs a Brexit delay vote and what is the future of subscription boxes? | Listen |
| Australia's most senior Catholic cleric found guilty of child sexual offences | |
| The Vatican described the conviction of Cardinal George Pell as "painful news". Also: Pakistan condemns an Indian airstrike on its territory and says it will respond, The British PM says MPs will get to vote on whether to delay Brexit if there's no agreement on how to leave the EU, and the campaign to save a British café in New York - dubbed a "shrine to Britishness". | Listen |
| Iran's foreign minister suddenly resigns | |
| Mohammed Javad Zarif announced his resignation in an Instagram post, apologising for "shortcomings". Also: Britain's opposition Labour party move to back new Brexit referendum and is there a relationship between champion boxers and left-handedness? | Listen |
| US Taliban peace talks continue in Qatar to discuss end to Afghan conflict | |
| The Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has called for a nationwide tribal council. Also: we look at the diversity of the winners of the Oscars, and why girls and women are abused for playing football in India. | Listen |
| Pressure grows on embattled Venezuelan President | |
| US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Maduro's "days are numbered" following deadly clashes over humanitarian aid. Also: Pope Francis has compared child sexual abuse to human sacrifice, and could Cuba be on the brink of a new era? | Listen |
| Deadly clashes in border towns across Venezuela | |
| Also: Millions of Nigerians have been voting in the biggest election in African history and elephants in Botswana may be turned into dog food | Listen |
| Sudan's president Bashir dismisses his government | |
| Omar al Bashir also declares a national emergency after weeks of protests, also: rival concerts at the Venezuelan-Colombian border and the lost parrot of Dublin airport | Listen |
| BMW and Daimler invest over $1bn in tech venture | |
| The joint business will enable customers to book shared cars, hail rides from taxis as well as find and pay for parking spots and electric charging points. Also: US to leave 200 troops after Syria pull-out, and Japan probe touches down on asteroid. | Listen |
| Tension grows in Venezuela over foreign aid. | |
| Venezuela closes border with Brazil, as tension mounts over opposition plans to deliver foreign aid; The actor Jussie Smollet appears in court, accused of filing a false report over a racist and homophobic attack; and a Japanese space probe is due to land on an asteroid, where it will collect rocks and return them to Earth. | Listen |
| Pope Francis holds summit on child sexual abuse | |
| Details of sexual abuse by priests have emerged across the world and the Catholic church has been accused of covering up crimes. Also: scores killed in a fire in a residential building in Dhaka and breakdancing proposed as new Olympic sport for Paris 2024. | Listen |
| Civilians evacuated from last Islamic State enclave in Syria | |
| Also: Bangladesh says there is "no question" of IS bride Shamima Begum being allowed into the country and British Prime Minister Theresa May is back in Brussels as three MPs leave her party over Brexit. | Listen |
| Three British conservative MPs join breakaway group | |
| Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston criticised the British government's "disastrous handling of Brexit". Also: Catholic cardinals urge end of "homosexual agenda" and saving Hollywood's "selfie paradise" in Thailand. | Listen |
| IS teenager to lose British citizenship | |
| Shamima Begum was 15 when she left the UK for Syria to marry an Islamic State fighter. She now has a newborn son and wants to come back to the UK, but her citizenship has been revoked. Also: Thousands in France protest against the rise in anti-Semitism, and a Kenyan man who tried to smuggle his baby out of hospital avoids prison because of the kindness of strangers. | Listen |
| Pakistani warning to India | |
| Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan makes first comments after Thursday's attack in Kashmir, also: Bernie Sanders will run again and Karl lagerfeld has died | Listen |
| Trump urges Venezuela to set its country free | |
| The US president has appealed directly to the Venezuelan military to abandon their support for president Nicolas Maduro. Also: Huawei boss Ren Zhengfei tells the BBC that the company will survive despite security concerns, and George Mendonsa - the sailor from the WWII 'kiss' photo dies aged 95. | Listen |
| Seven MPs quit Britain's opposition party in protest at Labour leadership | |
| It's been called an 'extraordinary moment' for British politics, as the MPs announce they will sit as a group of independents. Also deadly clashes in Kashmir as India and Pakistan withdraw their ambassadors. And Shamima Begum - the schoolgirl who fled London to join ISIS - has said she never wanted to be the group's "poster girl". | Listen |
| US senator to probe 'talk on ousting Trump' | |
| The pledge comes after a former acting FBI chief recalls discussions on removing the US president. Also: Pakistan rolls out the red carpet for Saudi prince, and tributes are paid to Ken Nordine - the 'word jazz' creator who has died at the age of 98. | Listen |
| US planes arrive with aid for Venezuela | |
| Planes carrying food and medicine landed in Colombia at the request of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. The country?s President Nicolas Maduro says he?ll block it, describing it as a ?booby trap? set up by Washington. Also: Nigeria?s elections have been postponed for a week, and machine learning software could be responsible for incorrect scientific results. | Listen |
| Mexico border wall: Trump defends emergency move | |
| President Trump said the US was facing an invasion of drugs and criminals and "walls worked". Also: sixty-six people have been killed by gunmen in northern Nigeria and schoolchildren across the UK join a global protest calling for action on climate change. | Listen |
| India says it will 'completely isolate' Pakistan | |
| An Indian minister vows to cut Pakistan off from the world as India mourns dozens of troops killed in Kashmir. Also: Spanish PM sets snap election for April and China closes Everest base camp to tourists. | Listen |
| Trump threatens rare emergency powers to fund border wall | |
| President Trump hopes to avert a shutdown, but faces a legal challenge over his plans to invoke rarely used emergency powers to bypass the political process. Also, the British government has suffered another damaging parliamentary defeat on its Brexit plans, and a huge car bomb in Indian administered Kashmir kills at least forty police officers. | Listen |
| Pence urges Europe to withdraw from Iran nuclear pact | |
| The US vice president has strongly criticised European states for what he calls attempts to break America's sanctions on Iran. Also: the EU has drafted new rules on using copyrighted material on the internet, and what is the formula for finding love on St Valentine's Day? | Listen |
| Two Syrian security agents arrested in Germany | |
| Germany arrests two suspected members of President Assad's security network; President Trump says he's considering all options to solve the crisis in Venezuela; and NASA has declared that the Opportunity rover it sent to Mars fifteen years ago is officially dead. | Listen |
| Sudan: Evidence of human rights abuses committed by security forces | |
| Footage shows masked security agents chasing and beating anti-government protesters. Witnesses say the agents then took the protestors to secret detention-centres. Also, Thailand's Princess Ubolratana 'saddened' as she's disqualified from standing for Prime Minister, and scientists gain new insight into the life of one of the world's most endangered mammals - the Giant Pangolin. | Listen |
| Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' found guilty in US | |
| Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was convicted on numerous counts including the distribution of cocaine and heroin. Also: missing Kenyan activist found dead and the 14th century nun who faked her own death. | Listen |
| Venezuela: Maduro denounces 'extremist' Trump | |
| Venezuela's embattled President Nicolás Maduro blames the US for his country's crisis. In an interview with the BBC, Mr. Maduro also says he would use force to defend his government. Also, a warning that environmental change is accelerating but governments are failing to act on it, and will looted African artworks be returned to the countries where they originated ? | Listen |
| Fatalities in hospital fire in Cameroon's troubled Anglophone region | |
| The fire ravaged sections of the Kumba district hospital including the surgical wards. Also: fighting slows "final push" against IS in eastern Syria and British judge says sorry after falling asleep in court. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Patrick Shanahan arrives for talks on peace efforts | |
| US acting Defence Secretary meets Afghan president to discuss efforts to end conflict. This follows talks between US and Taliban and other Afghan parties. Also, huge crowds in Iran mark 40th anniversary of Islamic Revolution, and Indonesian police are criticised for interrogating a suspect by threatening him with a snake. | Listen |
| China Says Uighur Musician 'Alive' | |
| China releases a video of Abdhurehim Heyit, said by campaigners to have been tortured to death in prison; a new party in Poland takes aim at the country's conservative politicians and, taking time: slow art arrives in London. | Listen |
| Final assault on IS held territory | |
| Kurdish-led alliance says final assault underway against Islamic State forces in Syria; the US Senator Elizabeth Warren has confirmed she will contest the Democratic nomination in next year's presidential election and the Duke of Edinburgh has handed in his driving licence three weeks after crashing his Range Rover. | Listen |
| Thailand's king condemns sister's bid to be PM | |
| The king of Thailand says his elder sister is not allowed to stand for election as Prime Minister. Also: Venezuela's embattled President has vowed not to let in ?fake aid? from the United States. Plus the world's richest man accuses one of Donald Trump's favoured magazines of blackmail. | Listen |
| Young players die in fire at top Rio football club | |
| The victims include young footballers who were staying at Flamengo's training centre. Also: Thai royal to stand as PM candidate and reliving the moment a kayak was hit by a whale. | Listen |
| Diplomatic spat between Paris and Rome | |
| A diplomatic row between France and Italy has depended. Also: The UN investigation into the death of Jamal Khashoggi says the journalist was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing?And South Africa will hold nationwide elections in May. | Listen |
| Facebook ordered by Germany to gather less user data | |
| Germany has carried out a probe into the social network following concerns that members were unaware of the extent of the firm's activities. It covered data gathered from third-party sources as well as via Facebook's other apps, including Instagram. Also, predictions that Britain will see its lowest growth for a decade as the EU agrees to new talks on Brexit. And new medical advice on children's use of screen-time and social media. | Listen |
| Trump says he'll announce IS group has lost Iraq and Syria | |
| The US president made the remarks at a meeting of the US-led coalition against IS. Also: Venezuela's opposition says soldiers have blocked a bridge on the border with Colombia to prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid, and scientists discover when the kangaroo developed the ability to hop. | Listen |
| Tusk says there is a 'special place in hell' for no-plan Brexiteers | |
| The European Council president sparks a backlash from Brexit-backing MPs after his comments. Also: US envoy in North Korea for nuclear talks and scientists visit Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai - one of the world's newest islands. | Listen |
| New Arms race between Washington and Moscow ? | |
| Russia says it is planning to develop new missile systems within two years; Ten people die in a fire at an eight-storey building in Paris; And..... how do you recoup your crypto currency when the only person with the key suddenly dies ? | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Taliban and opposition figures hold talks in Moscow | |
| Influential opposition members attend talks which many hope will enable peace agreement. The government has not been invited and has described negotiations as 'counter-productive.' Also, race-row is sparked by interview with film star Liam Neeson, and how tourists are travelling back in time to revisit the Yugoslavia of the 1970s. | Listen |
| Venezuela civil war threat 'an invention' | |
| Venezuela's political rivals trade accusations as international pressure mounts on President Maduro. Also: Pope Francis calls for a halt to wars in the Middle East, and warming threatens Himalayan glaciers. | Listen |
| Venezuela: several EU states recognise Guaidó as president | |
| UK, France, and other European countries recognise opposition leader as interim president. It comes after President Nicolás Maduro defiantly rejected EU's Sunday deadline to call snap elections. Also, searchers see body in wreckage after Emiliano Sala's plane-crash, and US immigration officials say Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage is really from UK. | Listen |
| US mobilises aid for Venezuela | |
| The United States is sending humanitarian aid following a request from the opposition leader, Juan Guaido. Also: Pope Francis arrives on historic visit to UAE and Sala plane wreckage found in the English Channel. | Listen |
| Power Struggle on the streets of Venezuela | |
| Rival mass rallies for and against Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro; Government of the Central African Republic reaches peace deal to end years of violence; Worst floods in a century in Australian state of Queensland. | Listen |
| First UK FGM conviction | |
| London court hears how mother of three-year-old girl tried to use witchcraft to deter investigation. Also: Qatar shock Japan to win first Asian Cup, Lindsey Vonn to retire from skiing and kazoos as on-screen anti-smoking deterrents. | Listen |
| US to leave nuclear weapons treaty with Russia | |
| The US has formally announced that it's suspending its obligations under the INF treaty, a key arms control agreement dating back to the Cold War. Also: Italy impounds a migrant rescue ship in Sicily and Hong Kong seizes a record haul of pangolin scales. | Listen |
| Guaido accuses Venezuelan security forces | |
| The self-declared acting president claims his wife and child have been threatened by agents working for President Maduro's government. Also: temperatures plunge to minus 48 Celsius in the American Midwest and the doctor who developed the painkiller, Ibuprofen, by testing it on his hangover has died. | Listen |
| EU sets up mechanism to bypass US sanctions on Iran | |
| The payment channel to Iran is being established by Britain, France and Germany. Also: Italy in recession amid sluggish Eurozone and Japan's elderly prisoners on life behind bars. | Listen |
| Trump backs Venezuela?s Guaido as demonstrations rage across the country | |
| Trump backs Venezuela?s Guaido as demonstrations rage across the country. The US President has phoned the opposition leader to offer further support. Also: Saudi Arabia announces the billion-dollar results of its crackdown on corruption and the new medical marvel based on a familiar fish. | Listen |
| Carlos Ghosn says 'plot and treason' were behind his arrest | |
| Nissan ex-chairman says his arrest in Japan was due to 'plot' by some Nissan executives. He was speaking in his first interview since being arrested in November on financial misconduct charges. Also, the plight of Venezuela's poor as economic crisis continues, and how one teenager's fan-letter to a film star was answered - nearly 50 years later. | Listen |
| Brexit: MPs back May's bid to change deal | |
| Brexit: MPs back May's bid to change current Irish backstop in Brexit plan. Also: Venezuela's government asks Supreme Court to ban the opposition leader, Juan Guaido, from leaving the country - and the Instagram trolls keeping the British royals up at night | Listen |
| Pakistan: Top court upholds acquittal of Asia Bibi | |
| Supreme Court rejects challenge to acquittal of Christian woman on blasphemy charges. She was originally convicted in 2010 and spent eight years on death row. Also, Brazilian police arrest five people over deadly dam collapse, and we celebrate 150 years of the Periodic Table. | Listen |
| US targets 'corrupt' Venezuela oil firm | |
| The US has imposed sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA and urged the country's military to accept a peaceful transfer of power. Also: US charges China's Huawei with fraud and RIP Trevor the 'world's loneliest duck'. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: US and Taliban 'agree' on draft peace deal | |
| US and Taliban negotiators have agreed draft framework for deal to end 17-year conflict. This comes after US delegates held 6 days of talks with Taliban in Qatar. | Listen |
| US 'will respond to Venezuela threats' | |
| Washington warns against the intimidation of opposition leader, Juan Guaido and US diplomats. Also: Brazil search resumes after new dam scare and Zimbabwe buries Afro-jazz legend Oliver Mtukudzi. | Listen |
| Hundreds still missing after Brazilian dam collapse | |
| 50 people have been rescued and at least 40 have been killed. Rescuers are working through the night to try and find survivors after a dam collapsed at an iron ore mine. . Also: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has sacked his ambassador to China and why some French people are complaining about ?globish?. | Listen |
| Trump accepts deal to halt shutdown | |
| President Trump has yielded to pressure to end a record US government shutdown, accepting a temporary deal that includes none of the money he demanded for a US-Mexico border wall. Also: hundreds of people are missing after a mining dam collapsed in Brazil, and why the days of limitless speed on Germany's autobahns may be numbered. | Listen |
| FBI arrest Trump associate Roger Stone | |
| The US political strategist Roger Stone was arrested in Florida charged with seven counts in the Mueller investigation. Also: Greece vote settles 27 year old Macedonia name row and does gum disease play a key role in Alzheimer's? | Listen |
| Russia condemns foreign powers for backing Venezuelan opposition leader | |
| President Maduro says he's closing Venezuela's embassy and consulates in the United States - a day after the Trump administration recognised the opposition leader as interim president. Also: the new president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, is sworn into office and why a board game is based on the Novichok chemical attack in Salisbury | Listen |
| Russia attacks 'US bid to usurp' Venezuela | |
| Moscow says the move to declare a new head of state in Venezuela, backed by the US, is a "path of bloodshed". Also: President Felix Tshisekedi's swearing-in marks DR Congo's first peaceful transfer of power and the British writer Diana Athill dies aged 101. | Listen |
| Presidential Clash in Venezuela | |
| Leader of the opposition led Congress swears himself in as president of Venezuela; Deepening divide between the White House and the Democrats in Congress. Also: one of Zimbabwe's best known musicians, Oliver Mtukudzi, has died after a lengthy illness. | Listen |
| Thailand to hold first election since 2014 coup | |
| The Thai authorities have announced that the first general election since a military coup five years ago will be held on 24th March. Also: Australian writer ''missing in China'', and UNESCO honours reggae music. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe: Soldiers accused of a campaign of violence | |
| There are reports of random assaults on opposition supporters. A search for the plane carrying the Argentine footballer, Emiliano Sala, is suspended; a court in Moscow denies a bail application by a former US Marine accused of spying; and "The Favourite" and "Roma" both receive ten Oscar nominations. | Listen |
| Premier League footballer on missing plane | |
| Emiliano Sala was on a light aircraft which is missing over the Channel Islands. The Argentine striker, 28, was one of two people on board the plane which lost contact on Monday night. Also, the American the Kremlin accuses of spying is to remain in custody in Russia. | Listen |
| British PM rejects calls to delay Brexit | |
| MPs in Britain are due to vote on a modified version of the Brexit deal next Tuesday. Also: Venezuela "foils national guard rebellion" and Decoder - the brain app to improve concentration. | Listen |
| China: 'baby gene-editing' scientist will be punished | |
| China says scientist He JianKui acted illegally and in pursuit of fame and fortune. In November, he claimed to have created the world's first gene-edited babies. Also, South Africa claims that Zimbabwe asked it for an emergency loan, Israeli jets target Iranian positions around Damascus, and how a designer-fashion project is bringing new dignity to one of India's most disadvantaged communities. | Listen |
| The African Union postpones a visit to DRCongo amidst alleged election fraud | |
| Leaked election data from DRCongo suggests the runner-up, Martin Fayulu, won about three times more votes than Felix Tshisekedi. Also: clashes in Greece over Macedonia name and Tony Mendez - the real CIA spy behind the film Argo - has died aged 78. | Listen |
| Trump Offers 'Compromise' to End Shutdown | |
| His plan includes concessions on immigrants who entered the US illegally when young. Also, UN officials fear one-hundred-and-seventy migrants may have drowned in the Mediterranean; deaths in Mexico pipeline blast rise to 66, and people around the world march for gender equality. | Listen |
| Second Korean Summit in Late February | |
| President Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to hold a second summit; White House categorically denies claims that the president instructed his former lawyer to lie to Congress; we report from Bangalore on why beer sales in India are growing. | Listen |
| Thousands attend funeral of man shot during protests in Sudan | |
| Sudanese police opened fire as the mourners threw rocks, calling for President Omar al-Bashir to step down. Also: Zimbabwe cuts internet amid crackdown and swimming with a great white shark. | Listen |
| Sudan: more die in anti-government protests | |
| Security forces use live ammunition on protestors in the capital Khartoum, killing a young doctor and a teenage boy. Also: President Trump announces plans to expand America's missile defence programme, and Queen Elizabeth's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh has been involved in a road traffic accident. | Listen |
| Football bribes investigative journalist shot dead in Ghana | |
| Unidentified men on motorbikes shot Ahmed Hussein-Suale three times in the Ghanaian capital, Accra. Also: Serbia gives Putin lavish welcome, and the flexitarian diet designed to feed ten billion people. | Listen |
| May's Brexit plea | |
| After surviving a vote of no confidence, Theresa May urges MPs to "work constructively together" on Brexit. Also: the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, asks President Donald Trump to delay his State of the Union address, and most species of wild coffee plant are on the brink of extinction. | Listen |
| UK: MPs debate Theresa May's future after Commons defeat on Brexit deal | |
| British MPs to vote on no-confidence motion in Prime Minister's leadership. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn says government should resign after Tuesday night's record-breaking defeat on Brexit agreement. Also, new report alleges growing persecution of Christians across the world, and did a former Mexican President accept a $100m bribe from druglord 'El Chapo' ? | Listen |
| Brexit parliament defeat special | |
| British MPs crush prime minister's Brexit deal by an historic margin of 230 votes. Labour opposition table a vote of no confidence in the government. So what next for Brexit? | Listen |
| Ivory Coast: ex-President Gbagbo acquitted at ICC court in The Hague | |
| International Criminal Court has acquitted Ivory Coast's ex-President Laurent Gbagbo. He had been charged with crimes against humanity in connection with violence following a disputed 2010 election that left 3,000 dead. Also, gunmen attack a hotel complex in Nairobi, and how Chinese scientists have managed to grow plants on the far side of the moon. | Listen |
| British MPs to hold crucial vote on Brexit deal | |
| The British prime minister urged critics to give her Brexit deal "a second look". Also: Trump denies he ever worked for Russia and the rights of Kenya's intersex people. | Listen |
| Brexit: Theresa May urges MPs to back her deal 'for country's sake' | |
| British Prime Minister warns MPs to support her Brexit deal or risk never leaving the EU. She also talks of 'paralysis in Parliament' if the deal is rejected during a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday. Also, protests across Zimbabwe after government sharply increases the price of fuel, and why many South Africans are losing faith in the ANC - 25 years after it came to power. | Listen |
| America says Syria withdrawal won't stop fight against IS | |
| US Secretary of State tells Saudi Arabia the troop withdrawal from Syria won't affect fight against IS; More deaths in Europe after heavy snowfall, with more bad weather expected; and the film about the Polish army's most unusual recruit during World War Two | Listen |
| South African leader launches ANC election manifesto | |
| Cyril Ramaphosa promises competence and honesty also: Saudi teenager arrives in Canada and: the Belgian who created a search engibe before the days of the internet | Listen |
| Saudi woman granted Canada asylum | |
| Trudeau says Saudi teenager who fled her family is welcome in Canada also: the head of Japan's Olympic Committee under corruption investigation and: the man who posted his cat. | Listen |
| Chinese Huawei businessman in Poland spy arrests | |
| Poland's security services say the Chinese national Wang Weijing and a Polish man were arrested for spying. Also: US military announces start of Syria troop withdrawal and Chinese twins want to visit the Queen in London like Peppa Pig. | Listen |
| Trump visits Texas to drum up support for wall | |
| President Trump has said on a visit to Texas there will be a "lot of death" in the US if the government shutdown continues and a border wall isn't built. Also: America's Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has said he wants to see "every last Iranian boot" leave Syria, and the seals which have found a new home in Canada. | Listen |
| Outcry after DR Congo election winner revealed | |
| The opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi's victory is denounced as a fraud by the runner-up. Also: the US secretary of state Mike Pompeo says America will use diplomacy to "expel every last Iranian boot" from Syria and will Fido eat dog food made with insects? | Listen |
| Tensions high in Democratic Republic of Congo over election result | |
| Tensions high in Democratic Republic of Congo over election result. Also: President Trump has walked out of a meeting with congressional leaders after being denied money for his border wall and a fresh Brexit setback for British Prime Minister Theresa May. | Listen |
| Israel ex-minister admits spying for Iran | |
| The former Israeli cabinet minister Gonen Segev is to be jailed for eleven years after he admitted spying for Iran. Also: ransom sought for Norwegian magnate's missing wife and work choirs can ease job stress. | Listen |
| Russian lawyer in Trump Tower meeting charged with obstruction | |
| A Russian lawyer who met President Trump's son and son-in-law in 2016 is wanted in America for obstruction of justice. Also: the home of the former Russian spy who was poisoned in England is being partly dismantled, and women in Croatia launch their own MeToo movement over what is called ?obstetric violence?. | Listen |
| Syria conflict: Erdogan says US plea on Kurds is 'unacceptable' | |
| Turkey's president rejects US calls for his country to protect Kurdish fighters in Syria. This follows statements made by US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who's in Ankara. Also, how the murder of a young man in Bosnia has led to fierce criticism of the country's leaders, and have scientists developed a way for astronauts to grow crops in space ? | Listen |
| Saudi woman 'under the care' of UN refugee agency | |
| Rahaf Mohammed al Qunun leaves a Thai hotel where she took refuge, in the care of the UN refugee agency. Also: Jim Yong Kim steps down as president of the World Bank and exploring the new tech at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. | Listen |
| Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi woman ends Thai hotel standoff | |
| Young Saudi woman who fled her family has left Bangkok hotel where she'd taken refuge. She's 'under the care' of the UN refugee agency, according to the head of Thailand's immigration police. Also, government of Gabon says it's foiled an attempted coup by rebel soldiers, and were this year's Golden Globes awards a triumph for diversity ? | Listen |
| Saudi woman 'trapped at Bangkok airport trying to flee family' | |
| Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun says she fears she will be killed if forced to return to Saudi Arabia from Bangkok airport. Also: voters awaiting the election results in the Democratic Republic of Congo are told to be patient, and what caused the 'sonic attack' on the US embassy in Havana? | Listen |
| No Success for Talks to end Partial US Government Shutdown | |
| Shutdown goes into third week as White House meetings fail to make breakthrough. Also: Why Holocaust survivors tend to live longer, and more on the 90-year-old world record cyclist who has tested positive for a banned substance | Listen |
| Trump threatens emergency powers over shutdown | |
| US President says shutdown could last a year over deadlock to fund a border wall. Also: the battle to drive Islamic State fighters out of eastern Syria, and can plants remember things? | Listen |
| Mass data attack on German politicians | |
| The German chancellor Angela Merkel is among hundreds of MPs and others reportedly hit by a "serious data attack". Also: Thailand hit by severe storm in peak tourist season and anger management in Amsterdam is a car smash up. | Listen |
| Most diverse Congress in US History sworn in | |
| Lawmakers elected Democrat politician, Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker also: China shows space prowess on the moon and temple of the Flayed Lord, an Aztec god, discovered in Mexico | Listen |
| China lands spacecraft on far side of the Moon | |
| Chinese state media said the robotic Chang'e-4 probe touched down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Also: Saudi Arabia opens Khashoggi murder trial and lederhosen love among Austria's millennials. | Listen |
| US Government Shutdown Unresolved | |
| President Trump and Congressional leaders fail to agree a deal on financing the Mexico border wall. Brazil ministers outline their right-wing policies. And clear images of Ultima Thule -- It looks a snowman. | Listen |
| India: Protests as women make history by entering Hindu temple | |
| Two women enter prominent shrine which was previously closed to females aged 10 to 50. Hindu nationalists have responded by staging protests which have been broken up by police. Also, train accident on Danish bridge kills 6, a warning that UK children are eating too much sugar, and how Guyana is trying to preserve its indigenous languages. | Listen |
| Brazil's new far-right leader urges unity | |
| Jair Bolsonaro told Congress he wanted a "national pact" to free Brazil of corruption, crime and economic mismanagement. Also: Indian women in Kerala form a "620km human chain" protest and Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft "phones home" from six and a half billion kilometres away. | Listen |
| New Horizons: Nasa waits for signal from Ultima Thule space-probe | |
| US space agency awaiting confirmation that probe made successful flyby of icy object. At 6.5 billion km from Earth, the encounter is the most distant ever exploration of a body within our solar system. North Korean leader says he's ready for talks with Trump but wants an end to US sanctions, and why some Indians feel their country has too many holidays. | Listen |
| Sudan's President, Omar al-Bashir, Insists he can Resolve his Country's Challenges | |
| At least one demonstrator was shot dead during another day of anti-government protests. Also: outrage in the Philippines as President Duterte talks about touching a maid sexually, and the spacecraft set to observe an object more than six billion kilometres from earth. | Listen |
| Bangladesh election: opposition alleges intimidation and vote-rigging by ruling party | |
| PM Sheikh Hasina's landslide victory in Bangladesh is condemned by her opponents. Her party and its allies won almost all the 300 parliamentary seats contested. Also, how people in Democratic Republic of Congo desperately want a better future, and a NASA space-probe is given final commands before its historic flyby of a distant icy object 6.5 billion km from Earth. | Listen |
| Bangladesh's governing party 'wins landslide' | |
| Election Commission says Awami League's won but the opposition says the vote was rigged. Also: the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been marred by delays and voting irregularities, and President Trump's outgoing chief of staff John Kelly gives a candid interview about his time in the White House. | Listen |
| Trump: US-China trade talks progress | |
| The President made the comments on Twitter after speaking to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Also: reports from Yemen say Houthi rebels have begun pulling back from the port in Hodeidah, China lifts nine-month ban on new video game releases and the lone explorer Louis Rudd describes crossing the Antarctic. | Listen |
| Syrian forces raise their flag over Mabij | |
| Kurdish forces withdraw ? and invite Syrian forces to replace them, amid fears of a Turkish attack. Also: Angelina Jolie on the temptations of a political career, and a long lost love letter finds its way home. | Listen |
| Hackers steal data of North Korean defectors | |
| North Korean defectors had their personal data leaked after a computer at a South Korean resettlement centre was hacked. Also: Syrian pro-government forces enter the northern city of Manbij amid Turkey threats and the world's rarest bird gets new home in Madagascar. | Listen |
| United Arab Emirates reopens embassy in Syria | |
| Arab states begin to normalise relations with Damascus as President Assad consolidates his control over the country. Also: no solution in sight to the US government shut down, and can robots help Japan?s ageing population? | Listen |
| Indonesia flights rerouted as volcano alert raised | |
| The alert level for Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has been raised to the second-highest level possible, after a series of eruptions. Also: China's ex-spy chief jailed for life and is 2018 the year Bitcoin died? | Listen |
| Russia tests new Hyper-sonic Weapon | |
| President Putin watches final test of a new weapon that can beat any missile defences; Ceasefire monitoring team in Yemen meets for the first time in the port city of Hodeidah; And the girl whose phone call with President Trump went viral -- says she still believes in Santa | Listen |
| DR Congo presidential election delay | |
| Voting in Sunday's presidential election has been delayed until March in three cities over insecurity and an Ebola outbreak concern. Also: Japan to restart commercial whale hunts and scientists in Britain have built a virtual reality 3D model of a cancer. | Listen |
| The Happy News Podcast 2018 | |
| There?s often a lot of doom and gloom in the news but in the middle of all that, there are glimmers of hope and happiness. We?ve put together a collection of some of our favourite stories from 2018. These include: the incredible rescue of the twelve Thai boys and their football coach trapped in an underground cave; some astounding medical marvels; and even a daredevil raccoon! Photo:m Former Manchester United player Gary Pallister poses with the members of the Wild Boars football team from Thailand who were trapped in a cave Credit: John Peters via Man United / Getty Images | Listen |
| Federal Reserve Blamed for Stock Market Losses | |
| President Trump blames US central bank for stock market turmoil; The number of victims of the Indonesian tsunami is now approaching four-hundred; The fake priest in Spain who baptised and married hundreds of people. | Listen |
| Indonesia: rise in death-toll following tsunami | |
| At least 373 people confirmed killed by tsunami caused by Anak Krakatau volcano. Coastal residents nearby have been warned to keep away from beaches amid fears it could trigger a new tsunami. Also, Pakistan's ex-PM Nawaz Sharif is sent back to jail for corruption, bomb-attack on government ministry in Kabul, and how one of the world's best-loved Christmas carols was written - exactly 200 years ago. | Listen |
| Hundreds die in Huge Tsunami in Indonesia | |
| At least two hundred and twenty two people have died in tsunami in Indonesia; Angry words from France's President Macron on the US troop pull-out from Syria; And the town that likes the festive season so much, it wishes it could last all year. | Listen |
| Further resignation over US troop withdrawals from Syria. | |
| A top US official in the fight against the Islamic State group has quit; Standoff over spending priorities between Congress and Donald Trump; British police questioning two suspects over closure of London's Gatwick airport | Listen |
| Criticism of Trump Afghanistan withdrawal plan | |
| Half the US troops are reportedly to be withdrawn, also: Gatwick re-opens after latest suspension, and the first bank robbery on a Norwegian archipelago. | Listen |
| Gatwick airport reopens after drone chaos | |
| The airport said 837 flights were scheduled for Friday but there were delays and cancellations. Also: Pope Francis tells clerics who abuse minors to hand themselves in and it's fifty years since the Apollo 8 mission and the famous Earthrise photograph. | Listen |
| US charges 'China government hackers' | |
| The US justice department has indicted two Chinese men accused of hacking into the computer networks of companies and government agencies in Western countries. Also: Gatwick airport remains closed for a second night as sightings of drones above the airfield continue and how hackers are making a fortune from a highly successful video game: Fortnite. | Listen |
| US Syria pullout 'will enable IS return' | |
| US political figures and America's allies have been expressing grave concern at the withdrawal decision. Also: tens of thousands disrupted as drones shut Gatwick airport near London and the dangers of using an over-the-counter DNA testing kit. | Listen |
| US ground troops 'withdrawing from Syria' | |
| US forces to leave Syria following President Trump's declaration of victory over Islamic State militants. Also: Facebook has been caught on the back foot again over its data privacy practices, and South Africa bans colonisation of Europe advert. | Listen |
| Brexit: EU reveals its 'no-deal' plans | |
| European Commission says it's started to implement preparations for a no-deal Brexit. It has announced temporary measures - but says it cannot counter all the problems it expects. Also, top US intelligence official says China is greater national security threat than Russia, Elon Musk unveils prototype high-speed transport tunnel beneath Los Angeles, and how humans talk in a deeper voice to make themselves more attractive. | Listen |
| US judge delays sentencing of former Trump adviser, Michael Flynn | |
| The judge suggested Michael Flynn sold out his country when he lied to the FBI about his Russia contacts. Also: British government 'ramps up' no-deal Brexit planning and a study shows that dolphins form 'long-lasting' friendships but shun other groups. | Listen |
| Manchester United sack their manager Mourinho | |
| Jose Mourinho dismissed from his post at Manchester United after bad start to season. He'd faced growing pressure over his team's poor performances and negative style of play. Also, more than twenty South African boys die after botched circumcisions, why there are now fewer women in global workforce, and how falling in love led to an Indian man spending six years in jail in Pakistan. | Listen |
| Report says millions of American voters were exposed to Russian social media propaganda | |
| YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter were targeted in the 2016 US election. Also: Poland reinstates Supreme Court judges and Putin's calendar outsells rivals in Japan. | Listen |
| India: Congress politician convicted over killings of Sikhs in 1984 | |
| Sajjan Kumar, a senior politician, jailed for life over the deadly 1984 anti-Sikh riots. This is the most significant conviction to date over the massacres, in which over 3000 people were murdered. Also, Malaysia files criminal charges against investment bank Goldman Sachs, a report from Gaza as UN appeals for aid for Palestinians, and why a woman created an Instagram page devoted to her amputated foot. | Listen |
| North Korea condemns latest US sanctions | |
| They say sanctions risk permanently blocking efforts to rid Korea of nuclear weapons. Washington had vowed to seize the US assets of three top North Korean officials, after a report threw up a raft of human rights abuses in the country. Also: Georgia's first female president has been sworn in, and why rap music could come under government control in Russia. | Listen |
| Climate deal agreed to implement Paris accord | |
| Delegates reach consensus on single set of rules. Also: US Interior Secretary to step down, Prada accessories recalled over blackface controversy and rare insight into reclusive musician, Kate Bush. | Listen |
| Report says Johnson & Johnson knew about asbestos | |
| Shares in the US pharmaceutical giant plunged by more than ten per cent following the claims made by Reuters. The company's lawyers say its baby powder is safe and asbestos-free and the allegations are "one-sided, false and inflammatory". Also: sporadic violations of the ceasefire in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah; and Egypt's Mohamed Salah wins BBC African Footballer of the Year. | Listen |
| Saudi Arabia and Iran welcome Hodeidah ceasefire | |
| The Hodeidah agreement, sponsored by the UN, was reached during talks in Sweden. Also: proposals for an army in Kosovo enrages Serbia, and the jazz singer, Nancy Wilson, dies aged 81. | Listen |
| Strasbourg Christmas market gunman shot dead by police | |
| After 2 days on the run the suspected gunman, Cherif Chekatt, who killed three people at a Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg, was shot dead after a brief gun battle with police. Also: A Russian woman accused of infiltrating conservative groups in the US pleads guilty to conspiracy, and what blinking can really mean. | Listen |
| Truce breakthrough in Yemen talks | |
| The United Nations says it hopes this is the starting point for ending Yemen's war and humanitarian crisis. Also: The British PM is seeking new assurances from the EU over the Brexit deal and Dracula Ant's snap-jaw makes it the fastest animal in nature. | Listen |
| British PM survives confidence vote | |
| Conservative MPs voted 200 to 117 to keep Theresa May as Prime Minister but there are still calls for her to resign from within her own party. Also: President Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been jailed for three years for lying to Congress and violating election laws and in California fears that dwindling winter snowfall will cause a fresh water shortage. | Listen |
| British PM Theresa May faces no confidence vote | |
| The prime minister vows to fight for her job and warns that a change would put Brexit at risk. Also: Strasbourg gunman shouted 'Allahu Akbar', and Japan picks 'disaster' character to define 2018. | Listen |
| Strasbourg Gunman Hunted After Two Killed | |
| The man opened fire near a Christmas market in the French city causing widespread panic. Also: Reports of a new challenge to British PM Theresa May and the exhibition that uses blocks of ice to highlight global warming. | Listen |
| Brexit: Theresa May meets EU leaders in attempt to rescue deal | |
| Britain's Prime Minister in Europe for talks aimed at salvaging her proposed Brexit plan. Mrs. May has met Dutch PM Mark Rutte and Germany's Angela Merkel after postponing a Commons vote on the deal. Also, India's ruling BJP facing setbacks in regional elections in three key states, and scientists discover a vast ecosystem - right beneath our feet. | Listen |
| British PM calls off MP's vote on Brexit deal | |
| The European Union insists it will "not renegotiate" after Theresa May says she needs time to ask for changes. Also: the French president promises a minimum wage rise and Asia's glaciers are moving more slowly as they thin. | Listen |
| UN members adopt global migration pact | |
| The UN has adopted a landmark agreement on migration but a number of countries are refusing to take part. Also: crisis in Britain over Brexit vote, and a second life sentence for Russia's most prolific serial killer. | Listen |
| China threatens Huawei arrest consequences | |
| China summoned the US ambassador to demand that Washington withdraw an arrest warrant for Meng Wanzhou. Also: the French finance minister says the recent protests have been 'an economic catastrophe' and we hear from Harmony -- a very special Artificial Intelligence doll being manufactured in the United States. | Listen |
| Key Trump aide to leave job | |
| President Donald Trump has announced that his chief of staff John Kelly will leave his job by the end of the year. Some reports said that the relationship between the two had deteriorated. But Mr Trump described Mr Kelly as a "great guy". Also: China threatens Huawei arrest consequences, and NASA probe captures Martian winds. | Listen |
| Germany's CDU choose Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as party leader | |
| Germany's governing Christian Democrats choose Merkels' protege Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to succeed her as party leader. Also: the chief financial officer of Huawei appears in a court in Canada and why a Solzhenitsyn novel has been turned into an opera | Listen |
| France prepares for weekend protests | |
| The French prime minister announced that 89,000 police officers will be on duty this weekend. Also: China expresses concern at reports Japan may restrict Huawei access and is Rudolph the reindeer colour blind? | Listen |
| Stock markets tumble after Huawei arrest | |
| Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada at the request of the US, fuelling fears of a deepening trade war between the world's largest two economies. Also: Germany's CDU party prepares to choose Angela Merkel's successor, and Cubans get 3G internet for the first time. | Listen |
| Yemen peace talks begin in Sweden | |
| The talks aimed at ending nearly four years of civil war in Yemen, have been described by the UN special envoy as an important milestone. Also: China demands the release of a Huawei executive being held in Canada and Australian scientists try to save an endangered frog by making it frisky. | Listen |
| George HW Bush Mourned at State Funeral | |
| Washington funeral of former US president George HW Bush; President Putin issues missile warning if United States pulls out of weapons treaty; Fresh warning that carbon dioxide emissions will hit a record high this year | Listen |
| Mafia members targetted in Europe-wide police raids | |
| At least 90 members of 'Ndrangheta network arrested in several different countries. The gang is believed to be one of the largest global crime syndicates. Also, how an Irishwoman unearthed a huge scandal over failure to diagnose cervical cancer in hundreds of victims, and a new report says acts of terror have decreased worldwide in recent years. | Listen |
| British PM suffers three Brexit defeats in parliament | |
| MPs have backed proposals that could give them a greater say on Britain's relationship with the EU. Also: Nato says Russia is breeching missile treaty and medieval skeleton in thigh-high boots discovery. | Listen |
| France: PM Edouard Philippe suspends controversial fuel tax rises | |
| Tax rises which led to angry protests across France have been postponed for six months. Demonstrations have been held in several cities and caused widespread damage and disruption. Also, a report on allegations that Burundi's government is torturing and killing its opponents, and we speak to the creator of a new opera all about Communist thinker Karl Marx. | Listen |
| Truth Commission in Mexico for Missing Students | |
| Mexico's new president creates a commission to investigate the 2014 Iguala disappearances. Also: a woman dies in French fuel protests and nine hundred year old gold coins found in Israeli well. | Listen |
| Sir David Attenborough: Climate Change is 'Our Greatest Threat' | |
| Naturalist tells conference that humanity faces greatest threat in thousands of years. And he says climate change could lead to collapse of civilisations and extinction of 'much of the natural world.' Also, a report from inside Iraq's secret shelters for women who've survived domestic violence, French MP's warning that hard Brexit could mean increase in illegal migrant influx to UK , and the everyday challenges faced by people with disabilities. | Listen |
| UN: Global Warming Greater Threat Than Ever Before | |
| United Nations climate chief warns that this year will be one of the four hottest on record and everyone needed to grasp the reality of the situation. Also, a top Taleban leader is killed in Afghanistan and a conversation between a kindertransport veteran and a young Afghan refugee. | Listen |
| Riot Police Clash with Paris Protesters | |
| Clashes with riot police continue in France for a third weekend of "yellow vest" rallies. Also: leaders of the G20 in Argentina agree a joint communique and the film 2001: A Space Odyssey helps launch the world's first super-high definition 8K television channel. | Listen |
| Rifts Laid Bare As G20 Leaders Meet | |
| Ukraine, trade, climate change and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi on the G20 agenda for world leaders. Also: The president of a gay dating app says he does not believe in gay marriage, a Chinese man is released after 23 years on death row and The Wizard of Oz is named the most influential film in history. | Listen |
| Political and Trade Rifts Threaten G20 | |
| World leaders are meeting in Argentina for their annual G20 summit amid new tension with Russia over Ukraine and a US trade row with China. Also: the Marriott hotel chain says 500 million of its customers have been hacked, and how a home became a school for children who fled the California wildfires. | Listen |
| Trump Ex-Lawyer Admits Lying to Congress | |
| Cohen says he lied 'out of loyalty' to the president; Trump says he is weak. Also: the menace of Measles and will the lights go out on the island of Sark? | Listen |
| Climate Change: Last 4 Years 'World's Hottest' | |
| 2018 on course to be 4th warmest on record, says World Meteorological Organization. If the trend continues, the WMO says temperatures may rise by 3-5C by 2100. Also: German police have raided the country's biggest lender, Deutsche Bank, in an investigation into money-laundering, and the stories of 14 children separated from their parents in the Indonesian earthquake who have now been re-united with their families. | Listen |
| US Questions Relationship With Saudi Arabia | |
| Pompeo warns senators against downgrading relations with Saudi Arabia. The US Secretary of State says weakening US-Saudi ties could damage the chances of a ceasefire in Yemen. Also: Britain's Government admits Brexit will make the UK poorer, and why warming seas are bad news for oyster lovers. | Listen |
| Scientist Defends Gene-Edited Babies | |
| Speaking at a genome summit in Hong Kong, He Jiankui said he was "proud" of altering the genes of twin girls so they cannot contract HIV. His work, which he announced earlier this week, has not been verified. Also, Sri Lanka's top military officer has been remanded in custody, accused of covering up civil war-era murders, and how fried grasshoppers, a popular snack in Uganda, could be under threat. | Listen |
| UN warns that efforts to tackle climate change are off track | |
| Report says CO2 emissions have risen for the first time in 4 years, also: protests against the Saudi crown prince in Tunisia and what your name says about your chances of success. | Listen |
| Macron Outlines Green Energy Plans Despite Protests | |
| The French president refuses protesters' demands to scrap new fuel taxes; the British Prime Minister dismisses comments by President Trump that her Brexit plans would hamper future trade deals with the US, and a Syrian man who sent seven months living in a Malaysian airport, is granted asylum in Canada. | Listen |
| Touchdown Triumph For Nasa's Mars Probe | |
| The US space agency has landed a new robot on Mars after a dramatic seven-minute plunge to the surface of the Red Planet. Also: Ukraine backs martial law after sea clash and the Bank of England releases a shortlist of scientists to be featured on the new £50 note. | Listen |
| Russia-Ukraine Tensions Rise after Ship Capture | |
| Ukraine's parliament is considering whether to introduce martial law after Russia seizes three of its naval vessels off the coast of Crimea. Also: the British academic Matthew Hedges, who was jailed for spying in the United Arab Emirates, has been released from prison after receiving a presidential pardon, and the Italian director, Bernardo Bertolucci, has died at the age of seventy-seven. | Listen |
| EU Leaders Back UK's Brexit Deal | |
| European Union leaders have endorsed the accord under which the UK is due to leave the bloc next year. The British prime minister, Theresa May, has warned those in Britain who oppose the deal that it's the only one on offer. Also: tension escalates after Russia seizes Ukraine naval ships, and an investigation discovers many medical implants haven't been properly tested before they're put in patients. | Listen |
| Violent Protests in Paris | |
| Police used water cannon to control some of the people protesting against fuel tax rises. More than forty people were arrested, some demonstrators have called for President Macron to resign. Also: one of the biggest Argentinian matches is postponed after a bus carrying one of the teams was attacked by rival fans, and the British film director Nicolas Roeg has died at the age of ninety. | Listen |
| Desperate Appeal to End Slaughter in Yemen | |
| The UN envoy to Yemen -- makes an impassioned plea for a ceasefire, A prominent radio journalist shot dead in the rebel-held province of Idlib, China launches campaign to encourage women to have MORE children | Listen |
| Karachi attack: China consulate attack leaves four dead | |
| China has strongly condemned an attack on its consulate in Karachi by militants opposed to its infrastructure investments in Pakistan.The United Arab Emirates says it is studying a request for clemency in the case of a British academic sentenced to life in prison for spying. And after being accused of trivialising Chinese culture, Italian fashion designers Dolce and Gabbana make a video apology addressed directly to their Chinese customers. | Listen |
| British Prime Minister tries to sell her Brexit deal to Parliament. | |
| Ahead of Sunday EU summit, British Prime Minister defends her Brexit deal, Zimbabwe parliament in uproar as budget includes compensation for white farmers, And a miraculous escape for baby who fell from a train in India. | Listen |
| Nissan sacks Ghosn over cash scandal | |
| Carlos Ghosn has been ousted after nearly two decades at the helm of Japanese carmaker Nissan, following allegations of financial misconduct. He has been accused by Nissan of under-reporting his salary and using company assets for personal use. And the wife of a British academic jailed for spying in the United Arab Emirates says the British government put UK interests above his right to freedom. Plus the family of a US man reportedly killed by arrows fired by members of an endangered tribe in India's Andaman and Nicobar islands have said they forgive those who killed him. | Listen |
| Saudis reject criticism of Crown Prince over murder of journalist. | |
| The Saudi foreign minister says calls for the removal of Crown Prince Mohammed over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is unacceptable, The British prime minster, Theresa May in Brussels to resolve last-minute difficulties over a draft Brexit deal, The American space agency says its latest Mars probe, called InSight, is on track for touchdown on Monday. | Listen |
| British PhD Student Jailed for Life in UAE on Spy Charges | |
| Matthew Hedges found guilty but his family say the verdict is based on a false confession. Also, American tourist killed in Andaman islands by local tribes using bow and arrow. And a fish that can repair its heart may hold clues for future treatments in people. | Listen |
| At Least 50 Dead in Kabul | |
| A suicide bomber attacks worshippers celebrating the birth of the Prophet Mu?ammad. The Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, has condemned what he described as an "unforgivable crime". Also: President Trump suggests that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have known about the plot to murder the Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, and Easter Islanders visit the British Museum to ask for a giant statue back. | Listen |
| Saudi Arabia & UAE promise half a billion dollars to tackle famine in Yemen | |
| The aid pledge comes as diplomatic pressure mounts for a political solution to the conflict. Also ... Italy has called for the seizure of the Aquarius migrant rescue ship, alleging it illegally dumped tonnes of potentially toxic waste in its ports. And Facebook sparks an outcry again...this time over the auctioning off of a child bride. | Listen |
| Renewed Fighting in Yemen has Undermined Hopes of Peace | |
| Saudi-led coalition warplanes have bombed Houthi rebel positions in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, while the UN Security Council is considering a resolution meant to open aid routes. Also: What lessons can Zimbabwe teach its neighbour, South Africa, on land reform? And how one DJ has waited more than forty years to get his dream job. | Listen |
| Nissan Boss Arrested Over "Misconduct" | |
| Carlos Ghosn accused of under-reporting his pay package and personal use of company assets. Allegations arose following a whistle-blower's tipoff. Peanut allergy treatment "in sight." | Listen |
| President Trump is Briefed on Khashoggi Tape | |
| Mr Trump says he has not listened to the recording because it was violent. French President Emmanuel Macron urges Europe to unite to prevent 'global chaos'; and scientists warn that human activity is damaging Africa's wildlife at a faster pace than previously thought | Listen |
| Trump visits California after deadliest fire in state's history | |
| President is meeting people affected by wildfires which cost more than 70 lives, also: 280,000 in French fuel protests and: the annual controversy over an old Dutch tradition | Listen |
| President Trump Says He Has Written Answers to Russia Probe | |
| Trump says he easily answered questions from Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 presidential elections, but has not submitted them yet. Also: We hear from a resident from Paradise, who fled the California fires and artists show what they feel about Zimbabwe a year after President Mugabe was forced to step down. | Listen |
| Funeral Prayers Held for Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia | |
| Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul six weeks ago. Also: Khmer Rouge leaders guilty of genocide and the kilogram gets a new definition. | Listen |
| British PM Vows to 'See Through' Draft Brexit Deal | |
| Theresa May continues to fight for her plan for Britain's exit from the EU, despite the risk of a challenge to her leadership. Also, the United States has imposed sanctions on seventeen Saudis it says were involved in the plot to murder the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, and was a heartwarming story about a couple and homeless man really what it seemed? | Listen |
| British PM Under Pressure as Ministers Resign | |
| Theresa May has spent three hours in parliament fighting for her Brexit deal, amid cabinet resignations and the growing prospect of a leadership challenge. Several MPs told her the House would reject the deal. Also Saudi Arabia is seeking the death penalty for five men accused of murdering the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. And is the number of polar bears rising or falling? | Listen |
| UK Cabinet Backs Draft Brexit Plan | |
| Ministers debated plan for 5 hours, but will Parliament pass it? Also: Californian fire town needs 'total rebuild' and new planet discovered near neighbouring star | Listen |
| Israel Defence Minister Resigns over Gaza | |
| Avigdor Lieberman denounces the Israeli cabinet's decision to accept a ceasefire as "surrendering to terror". Also: British PM seeks cabinet backing over Brexit and Marie Antoinette's jewels up for auction. | Listen |
| Brexit Text Agreed in Talks Breakthrough | |
| The proposals will now be put before all twenty-seven EU member states. Also: after the heaviest clashes in four years between Hamas and Israeli forces, the Gaza-based militants say they've agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire; and the trial of the Mexican drugs kingpin, Joaquin Guzman, is postponed. | Listen |
| Israel-Gaza: Deadly Clashes Across Border | |
| 7 people killed in renewed violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants. Palestinians in Gaza have fired rockets into Israel, which has used helicopters and airstrikes against targets in the Gaza Strip. Also, strong winds fuel California's wildfires as death-toll rises, intense security in New York for trial of alleged druglord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzman, and what were the mysterious objects seen in skies off Ireland by airline pilots ? | Listen |
| Israel-Gaza Violence Erupts after Killings | |
| Gaza rocket barrage targets Israel, which responds with air-strikes after militants and an Israeli soldier were killed in a covert operation. Also: Amnesty strips Suu Kyi of its top prize and the Marvel Comics legend, Stan Lee dies aged ninety-five. | Listen |
| Israel-Gaza Violence Erupts After Killings During Covert Operation | |
| Violence flares between Israel and Gaza, a day after an undercover Israeli operation. A Hamas commander and an Israeli officer were among seven people reported killed on Sunday. Also, California wildfires now among deadliest in state's history, what is fake news and how it works in practice, and have scientists discovered a test to detect early signs of dementia ? | Listen |
| Macron Rejects Nationalism on Armistice Day | |
| Events to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War have been taking place around the world. Also: huge crowds have been celebrating the centenary of Poland's independence and raising the awareness of the genetic disorder, Haemochromatosis. | Listen |
| Fighting Intensifies Over Yemeni Port of Hodeidah | |
| Pro-government forces are fighting Houthi rebels in a new offensive. Also: Californians continue to battle wildfires, the leaders of France and Germany mark the end of the First World War and a dissident Chinese author speaks at literary festival in Hong Kong. | Listen |
| California Wildfires | |
| At least five dead and 150,000 people evacuated in a series of blazes across the US state. Also: Commemorating the German war dead, the Christmas advert banned for being too political and Michelle Obama's memoirs. | Listen |
| Qatari Cash Reaches Gaza | |
| Thousands of Palestinian civil servants have been paid overdue wages from suitcases full of cash sent to Gaza in an effort to ease tensions. Also: researchers say there's been a remarkable global decline in the number of children women are having, and how a T-shirt on a member of a Korean K-pop group was deemed too political for Japanese TV. | Listen |
| UN Doubles Food Aid to Yemen | |
| The UN agency is already feeding between seven and eight million Yemenis but says it needs to reach almost half the population. Also: a group of women and children seized by IS militants in Syria have been released, and how AI could soon replace TV presenters in China. | Listen |
| Gun Attack in California Country Bar | |
| The bar was hosting a university student country music night when a gunman opened fire. Also: toxic smog returns to Delhi after Diwali and Prince Charles says he won't speak out when he's king. | Listen |
| The US Attorney General is Sacked, As Trump Loses the House of Representatives. | |
| President Trump fires his Attorney General. His relationship with Donald Trump was ruined when he recused himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. Also: The school children who were abducted in Cameroon are released, and the American stuntwoman, Kitty O'Neil dies. | Listen |
| Trump Hails 'Big Victory' in US Mid-term Elections Despite Some Losses | |
| President has claimed triumph in elections but Democrats hold House of Representatives. Can the two sides now work together, as they'll have to in order to pass new legislation ? Also, we look at some of the new faces who've emerged in US politics after the mid-terms, gunmen in Cameroon have released over 70 schoolboys whom they'd kidnapped, and who is responsible for the widespread fires on Cape Town's trains ? | Listen |
| US Democrats on Course to Win House in Blow to Trump | |
| Republicans have retained control of the Senate while the Democrats are on course to take the House of Representatives. | Listen |
| Americans Vote in Key Elections for Trump | |
| Americans are voting in nationwide elections that are being seen as a referendum on Donald Trump's presidency. Also: the BBC has learnt that the British government is preparing a campaign to sell a Brexit deal to the country, and the discovery of a ramp could explain how the pyramids in Egypt were made. | Listen |
| US Mid-term Elections: Americans Vote in 'Poll of a Lifetime' | |
| Americans vote in nationwide elections that are seen as referendum on Donald Trump's presidency. The elections come halfway through Mr. Trump's four years in office and follow a divisive campaign. Also, UN says more than 200 mass graves found in areas of Iraq formerly held by IS, Palestinian anxiety as Israel develops closer ties with Arab states, and Bill Gates launches new range of 'reinvented' toilets to try and reduce disease worldwide. | Listen |
| Run-up to US Mid-term Elections | |
| The vote is being seen as a referendum on President Trump's first two years in office. Also: dozens of pupils kidnapped in Cameroon and astronomers detect one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way. | Listen |
| Khashoggi Murder: Did Saudi Arabia Send Experts to Conceal Evidence ? | |
| A senior Turkish official has told the BBC that Saudi experts visited Istanbul consulate after journalist's death. Turkey believes Jamal Khashoggi was choked to death and then dismembered. | Listen |
| Airstrikes Continue in Yemeni Port of Hodeidah | |
| There has been an upsurge in fighting in Yemen despite international calls for a ceasefire. Also: an activist in Ukraine dies after an acid attack and a swim of nearly three thousand kilometers around Great Britain comes to an end. | Listen |
| New Caledonia votes on independence | |
| French Pacific territory is deciding its future in a referendum, also: UN aid reaches Syrians stranded in the desert and: India's controversy over killing of a man-eating tiger | Listen |
| US to Reinstate all Iran Sanctions | |
| The White House said it was "the toughest sanctions regime ever imposed on Iran" and targeted energy, shipping and banking sectors. Also: protests continue to grip Pakistan following a Supreme Court judgement and why Usain Bolt is too fast for football. | Listen |
| Turkey Claims Khashoggi Body 'Dissolved in Acid' | |
| No forensic evidence has been provided to prove Jamal Khashoggi's body was dissolved. Also: North and South Korea to bid jointly for the Olympic Games in 2032 and delving into NASA's historic audio archives. | Listen |
| Brazil Top Judge Becomes Justice Minister | |
| Brazil?s far-right president-elect has convinced prominent anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, to become his justice minister. Also: US indictment accuses Chinese companies of stealing trade secrets and Palau is set to ban sunscreen products to protect coral reefs. | Listen |
| Google Staff Walk Out over Discrimination and Harassment | |
| A reported huge payout for a Google executive accused of sexual misconduct provokes an unprecedented protest. Also: Arron Banks faces Brexit referendum spending probe and scientists count whales from space. | Listen |
| Paralysed men walk again | |
| Swiss doctors have developed a technique which allows three paralysed men to walk. An electrical device inserted around the men's spines boosted signals from their brains to their legs. Also, Turkey has given its first official statement over how it believes the Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, was murdered, and some of the biggest names in football announce a scheme to team up with prisoners. | Listen |
| Pakistan Court Clears Condemned Christian | |
| Asia Bibi was sentenced to death in 2010 after she was accused of blasphemy. Also: France investigates a spike in the numbers of babies born without limbs and NASA announces it is retiring the Kepler space telescope after it ran out of fuel. | Listen |
| President Trump Visits Pittsburgh | |
| Hundreds of people protest against his trip to the city where eleven Jewish worshippers were murdered on Saturday, but the synagogue's rabbi said the President of the United States was welcome. Also: the American gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger is found dead in his prison cell, and the satellite that's got closer than ever to the sun. | Listen |
| Japan's Government Angry over South Korean Court Ruling on Compensation | |
| South Korean court tells Japanese company to compensate Korean people used as slave-labour in WW2. The ruling has angered Tokyo at a time of deteriorating relations between the two countries. German ex-nurse admits killing 100 patients, angry protests by supporters of ousted Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, and Worldwide Fund for Nature says 'exploding human consumption' has caused massive drop in global wildlife populations. | Listen |
| US Sending Thousands of Troops to Mexican Border | |
| The Pentagon made the announcement as thousands of Central American migrants head north through Mexico. Also: prosecutors in Bulgaria break up an alleged passport scam and rising temperatures are driving mountain-top birds to extinction in Peru. | Listen |
| Angela Merkel to Step Down as German Chancellor in 2021 | |
| Merkel to quit as CDU party leader and says this will be her last term as Chancellor. Also, Indonesian airliner crashes into the sea with 189 people on board, right-wing politician Jair Bolsonaro celebrates victory in Brazil's presidential election, and how an artist created a unique work - from human blood. | Listen |
| Victims of Pittsburgh Shooting Named | |
| The suspect, Robert Bowers, is in custody and faces twenty-nine criminal counts. Also: far-right Bolsonaro is Brazil's new leader and Damascus national museum reopens its doors. | Listen |
| Mass Shooting at Pittsburgh Synagogue | |
| Eleven people have been killed after the gunman opened fire during a baby naming ceremony; a helicopter has crashed at Leicester City Football Club; and Saudi Arabia has accused the media of hysterical reporting about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. | Listen |
| Man Arrested over US Mail Bombings | |
| Cesar Savoc, a registered Republican, faces five charges including mailing explosives and threatening ex-presidents and could face 48 years in prison: Also, a report on religious schools in Nigeria, and how two male penguins in an Australian zoo have captured the public's hearts. | Listen |
| Erdogan Wants to Know who Ordered the Khashoggi Killing | |
| The Turkish president said Saudi Arabia should know where the body of the murdered journalist is. Also: Japan and China's new friendship and Stonehenge - a ruin to a treasure in 100 years of public ownership. | Listen |
| Hunt for US mail bomb suspect | |
| Hunt for US mail bomb suspect. Officials step up their search for those behind a series of parcel bombs that were sent to leading Democrats and critics of President Trump. Also: an exclusive BBC investigation into the life of the Novichock victim, Sergei Skripal and how fruit flies could help fight dementia. | Listen |
| Suspect package 'found at De Niro restaurant' | |
| The suspicious packages are similar to the ones sent to top US Democrats on Wednesday. One was addressed to the former Democratic vice president, Joe Biden, in Delaware state. Another was sent to a New York restaurant owned by actor Robert De Niro. And university students in South Africa make bricks out of human urine. | Listen |
| Explosive Devices sent to Obama and Clinton | |
| President Trump condemns sending explosive devices to politicians and to the CNN TV channel. Also: What's it like to be a spy? And the problem-solving skills of crows | Listen |
| Single-use Plastics Ban approved by European Parliament | |
| Complete ban on wide range of single-use plastics is a bid to reduce ocean pollution. The EU hopes it will go into effect across the bloc by 2021. Also, NATO to carry out huge multinational military exercise in Norway, a special report on vast secret internment camps set up by China for Muslims in Xinjiang, a new book on why peace is so elusive, and Jane Fonda tells us why she's making sequel to '9 to 5' - nearly 40s years on. | Listen |
| Trump says Khashoggi Murder 'Worst Cover-Up' | |
| The US said it would revoke the visas of Saudi operatives suspected of killing the journalist. Also: the BBC has found new evidence that China is building a network of detention camps for Uighur Muslims in Xianjiang, and magpies keep attacking Australia's politicians at Parliament House. | Listen |
| Erdogan: Murder of Khashoggi Was 'Savage' and 'Premeditated' | |
| Turkish President says that the suspects in Khashoggi murder should be tried in Istanbul. And he's demanded Saudi Arabia provide answers about where the victim's body is, and who ordered the operation. Also, Palestinian security forces accused of widespread human rights abuses, we assess your chances of winning mega-prize in US lottery, and world's oldest intact ship found on bed of Black Sea after 2400 years. | Listen |
| President Trump says US will Build up Nuclear Arsenal | |
| The US president says Russia has violated a key nuclear treaty, which he has threatened to abandon. Also: there has been heavy fighting in a disputed Somali region which has left scores of people dead, and Titanic treasure can be sold to hedge fund. | Listen |
| Nuclear Treaty: What are Implications of Rising Tension between US and Russia ? | |
| Kremlin pledges 'reciprocal action' if US withdraws from key nuclear missile treaty - so what are the dangers for the rest of the world ? Also, Saudi Arabia has blamed the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on a 'rogue operation', why the world's biggest tobacco company is urging smokers to switch from cigarettes to vaping, and how Palestinian musicians collaborated with one of the best-known global rock stars on a song calling for peace. | Listen |
| Saudi Arabia Calls Khashoggi Killing 'Murder' | |
| Saudi Foreign Minister says Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman didn't know of Khashoggi's murder. Also: racism on Ryanair flight and the tribute to a dead opioid addict | Listen |
| US To Withdraw From Nuclear Arms Treaty With Russia | |
| President Trump accuses Moscow of violating its terms. Also: despite deadly attacks Afghan voters cast ballots in large numbers in the nation's long-awaited parliamentary elections, and a chunk of the moon is sold at auction. | Listen |
| Saudi TV Confirms Death of Khashoggi | |
| Saudi State media says Jamal Khashoggi died after fight in Saudi consulate in Turkey; Also, scores dead in India as train hits crowd on track, 20 members of UK grooming gang convicted. | Listen |
| Kandahar Poll Delay After Assassination | |
| Voting in the Afghan province is delayed after the Taliban shoot dead a powerful police chief. Also: China grows at slowest pace since 2009 and final set tie-breaks to be introduced at Wimbledon in 2019. | Listen |
| Mexico Won't Bow To US Pressure Over Caravan | |
| The US wants Mexico to deal forcefully with thousands of central American migrants. Also: President Trump says he believes the missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead -- and the consequences for Saudi Arabia could be severe, and a new book written by a descendant of the author of the 19th Century Gothic novel Dracula is published. | Listen |
| European Government Ministers Pull Out of Saudi Summit | |
| The boycott comes amid fears that the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside a Saudi consulate. Also: European Union ready to extend Brexit transition period and could laboratory grown meat be the future of food? | Listen |
| EU Leaders: Insufficient Progress on Brexit | |
| After a meeting in Brussels, heads of state decide not to call another summit next month. Also: the growing caravan of Honduran migrants traveling towards the US, and we hear from the famous footballer's father who has become Belgium's first black mayor. | Listen |
| Pompeo Meets Erdogan over Missing Saudi Journalist | |
| The meeting in Ankara comes amid fresh allegations in the Turkish media that Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Also: gun attack at Crimea college and new insight into history of dogs and humans. | Listen |
| Saudi Crown Prince 'Denies Knowledge' of Missing Journalist | |
| President Donald Trump tweeted that he spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who assured him that a full investigation into the fate of Jamal Khashoggi is underway. Also, Ethiopia's Prime Minister appoints a new cabinet giving half of the roles to women, and scientists successfully transplant a laboratory-grown oesophagus into mice. | Listen |
| Jamal Khashoggi: Growing International Pressure on Saudi Arabia over his Disappearance | |
| US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has met Saudi leaders in Riyadh as investigation continues into missing journalist's fate. Also, China faces criticism over its internment of huge numbers of Uighur Muslims, rotten meat for sale in Venezuelans markets as economic crisis worsens, and how one of the world's most famous paintings is being restored - in full view of the public. | Listen |
| Trump Blames 'Rogue Killers' over Khashoggi | |
| Saudi and Turkish investigators have entered the consulate in Istanbul where the Saudi journalist was last seen. Also: Russian Church cuts all links with Istanbul and dance lessons are being recommended to tackle loneliness. | Listen |
| Syria: How Chemical Weapons Have Helped Bring Assad Close to Victory | |
| BBC investigation reveals the role chemical weapons have played in President Bashar al-Assad's war strategy. Also, Saudi and Turkish investigators to search Istanbul consulate where Jamal Khashoggi was last seen, UN warns Yemen could be on brink of 'worst famine world has seen in 100 years', and is historic city of Venice in danger from tourism ? | Listen |
| 'Credible' Probe Needed over Missing Saudi Journalist | |
| The UK, France and Germany say they expect a detailed Saudi response on Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance. Also: Germany's Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is facing questions over the future of her coalition after her conservative sister party lost its absolute majority in the state of Bavaria, and the Mayor of Paris is creating emergency shelters for the homeless before the onset of winter. | Listen |
| White House threatens consequences if Saudis did murder dissident journalist. | |
| Donald Trump speaks out on the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashojee at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul; Tens of thousand of people take to the streets in Berlin in a protest against racism and xenophobia; The pope defrocks two Chilean bishops for child abuse. | Listen |
| US Pastor at Centre of Dispute Leaves Turkey | |
| A Turkish court has ordered the release of an American pastor held on terrorism charges for more than two years. Also: the BBC has been told that audio and video evidence proves that missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered and more than a hundred thousand varieties of rice are being safeguarded for the future in the Philippines. | Listen |
| South Korean President Optimistic About End to Korean War | |
| Moon Jae-in has told the BBC that it is only a matter of time before the US and North Korea declare an end to their state of war on the Korean peninsula. Also: Turkey releases US pastor Andrew Brunson and a British princess has married a wine merchant at a ceremony in Windsor Castle. | Listen |
| Same-Sex Mice Have Babies | |
| Healthy mice with same-sex parents have been born for the first time. Also: the US military has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of F-35 fighter jets and an operation in India to catch a tigress is underway using Calvin Klein perfume. | Listen |
| Astronauts Escape Malfunctioning Rocket | |
| Space officials say US astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin landed safely in Kazakhstan. Also: major storm batters Florida and heads for the Carolinas and 'flexitarian' diets key to feeding people in a warming world. | Listen |
| Hurricane Michael lashes the coast of Florida | |
| Hundreds of thousands were told to evacuate, but many stayed, also: stricter controls at China's Weibo social media platform and the BBC investigation which saved smuggled chimps | Listen |
| China Admits Creating 'Re-education' Camps for Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang | |
| Beijing says these centres 'ideologically transform' people it regards as 'extremists.' This announcement comes amid growing international concern over large-scale disappearances in Xinjiang. Also, Turkish media shows video allegedly showing Saudi intelligence team linked to disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, why rising numbers across the world are suffering mental health problems, and how we can all remember many more faces than we think. | Listen |
| UN Envoy Nikki Haley in Shock Resignation | |
| Nikki Haley dismisses speculation that she will challenge Donald Trump for the White House in 2020. Also: UK challenges Saudi Arabia over missing writer and the XPRIZE foundation is to map the deep seabed off Greece using robots. | Listen |
| Jamal Khashoggi: Turkey to search Saudi Consulate | |
| Turkey to conduct search of Saudi consulate in Istanbul over missing journalist. Mr. Khashoggi was last seen visiting the consulate last week. Also, convicted British paedophile sued by alleged Filipino victims, a report from the frontline around Syrian rebel enclave of Idlib, and what is the 'HimToo' movement - and who supports it ? | Listen |
| Trump says Kavanaugh Assault Claims 'a Hoax' | |
| The President condemns Democratic calls to impeach the judge as an "insult to the American public". Also: Google+ shutting down after data exposed and exploring the phenomenon of ASMR or "brain tingles". | Listen |
| Climate Report: Final Call to Save the World from 'Catastrophe' | |
| Scientists urge global action to prevent potential disaster due to climate change. And they say there's 'window of opportunity' of only 12 years to do this. Also, far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins first round of Brazil election, two US economists win Nobel Prize for work on climate and growth, and how Africa's women are making progress - but still face huge obstacles. | Listen |
| Brazil Election Polls Suggest Victory for Bolsonaro | |
| Exit polls in the Brazilian presidential election suggest far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro will win the first round. Also, Interpol chief Meng Hongwei's wife speaks out, violence closes polling stations in Cameroon's own election, and the #MeToo movement hits India, via Bollywood. | Listen |
| Victory for Trump in Supreme Court Vote | |
| The US Senate votes to confirm President Trump's controversial nominee Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Also, Turkish police suspect missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been killed, the Pope orders a review of documents related to alleged sexual abuse, and opera star Montserrat Caballé dies at age 84. | Listen |
| Key Senators Back Embattled Nominee Kavanaugh | |
| Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court seat looks likely after he won the backing of key senators after an FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations. Also, the head of Interpol is reported to have been detained in China, India signs a deal to buy missiles from Russia, and South African doctors have performed the world's first liver transplant from an HIV infected mother to a baby without the disease. | Listen |
| Nobel Peace Prize for Anti-Rape Activists | |
| The Nobel Prize winners were Nadia Murad, who survived being an IS sex slave and Dr Denis Mukwege, who helps victims of rape. Also: Interpol chief vanishes on Chinese trip and the Grammy awards have taken steps to increase the number of women and minorities involved in its voting process. | Listen |
| Cyber Warfare Threat to Russia-Western Relations | |
| Seven Russians are expelled by the US, four by the Netherlands. Also: 'Don't Shoot, I'm Disabled', a special BBC investigation, US Senate spars over Kavanaugh FBI report, and a big global rise in deaths from selfies. | Listen |
| West Accuses Russia of Global Cyber-Plots | |
| The Netherlands says it has expelled four suspected Russian hackers. Also: the former Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak and his wife have appeared in court on corruption charges and the Thai bay made famous by The Beach film is closed indefinitely. | Listen |
| The White House defends President Trump after Mockery of Ford | |
| President Trump mocked the woman at a campaign rally who accused his US Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault. Also, UN judges side with Iran in a dispute over measures imposed after the US pulled out of a nuclear deal. | Listen |
| UN Court Orders US to Ease Iran Sanctions | |
| UN judges side with Iran in a dispute over measures imposed after the US pulled out of a nuclear deal. Also: 'No aid' reaching earthquake villages in Indonesia and humans delayed the onset of the Sahara desert by five hundred years. | Listen |
| Indonesian Earthquake: Rescuers Reach Worst Affected Areas | |
| After four days rescuers have finally reached the worst affected districts in Sulawesi, where people are in desperate need of food and water. Also, former British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson launches another scathing attack on Theresa May?s Brexit plan, and it?s a good day for Amazon employees who are getting a pay rise. | Listen |
| Indonesia: Growing Need for Food and Water to aid Survivors of Quake and Tsunami | |
| As death-toll rises, police on Sulawesi guard shops against looters searching for essential supplies. Also, Delhi police clash with thousands of protesting farmers, first woman Physics Nobel winner in 55 years, how one man discovered he may have hundreds of half-siblings, and why Kim Kardashian is 'the most dangerous celebrity to search for online'. | Listen |
| Trump Hails 'Most Important' Trade Deal | |
| US president says a new trading deal with Canada and Mexico to replace Nafta is "truly historic". Also: volunteers bury victims of Indonesia's earthquake in a mass grave and the singer Charles Aznavour dies aged 94. | Listen |
| Indonesia: Authorities Struggle to Bring Aid to Area Devastated by Quake and Tsunami | |
| Some remote areas of Sulawesi island have yet to be contacted, and there are fears the death toll could rise further. Also, Canada and US finally reach deal to replace NAFTA, warning from senior UN official about Yemen crisis, Nobel Prize for Medicine won by scientists who've worked out how to use human immune system to fight cancer, and French singer-songwriter and film star Charles Aznavour has died aged 94. | Listen |
| Dozens feared trapped under earthquake rubble in Indonesia | |
| Indonesian rescuers are awaiting heavy machinery to search the ruins of a hotel and a shopping centre in the city of Palu, as aftershocks made it unsafe for them to go in. Also: low turnout in Macedonia name change vote and meeting the Ravenmaster in the Tower of London. | Listen |
| Aftershocks Rock Indonesian Tsunami Zone | |
| Strong aftershocks have continued to hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where a major quake and tsunami killed at least 384 people and injured 500. Also: Elon Musk reaches a deal with US regulators over tweets he sent about taking Tesla private and a Dutch gangster turned in by one of his closest confidants - his sister. | Listen |
| Trump's Court Nominee Faces FBI Probe | |
| Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation vote must wait as FBI investigates alleged sexual abuse. Also: up to 50 million Facebook accounts attacked and tsunami hits Indonesia. | Listen |
| Germany and Turkey Agree to Improve Relationship | |
| The German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pushing Turkey to co-operate on migration and the war in Syria. Also: the US Senate Judiciary Committee is to vote on whether to approve President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, who's accused of sexual assault, and Indian court rules that women can enter prominent Hindu temple. | Listen |
| Kavanaugh And Blasey Ford Testify At US Senate Committee | |
| Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and the woman accusing him of sexual assault, Christine Blasey Ford, give evidence to senators. Also: thousands treated in Iraq after drinking contaminated water, and why a chemical pollutant is threatening the world's population of killer whales. | Listen |
| Adultery no Longer a Crime in India | |
| A petitioner had challenged the Indian law saying it was arbitrary and discriminated against both men and women. Also: Kavanaugh accuser testifying at US Senate committee and university bosses in Britain call for ban on essay-writing companies. | Listen |
| Trump seeks UN support for Iran sanctions | |
| US president also accused China of seeking to interfere in November's US election, also: UK poisoning suspect's "real identity" revealed and why Europe's young drink less alcohol | Listen |
| India: Supreme Court Upholds Controversial ID System | |
| India's top court rules that 'Aadhaar' biometric identity scheme is constitutional and does not violate right to privacy. But it has also curtailed the scheme's scope. Also, entire police force of Mexican city under investigation over alleged links to drugs-gangs, Libyan coastguard criticises NGOs' efforts to rescue migrants at sea, and could Swedish neighbourhood teach cities across the world how to live sustainably ? | Listen |
| Trump Accuses Iran of Sowing Chaos | |
| The US president defends abandoning the Iran nuclear deal in a wide-ranging speech to the UN. Also: Cosby sentenced to prison for sex assault and Michael Kors snaps up Versace for $2.1bn. | Listen |
| Sweden's Parliament Ousts Prime Minister Stefan Lofven | |
| Sweden's centre-left PM will have to stand down after losing support of parliament. Who will replace him ? Also, warning of 'perfect storm' due to Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo, India's parliamentary candidates will now have to be open about their criminal records, and how Trinidad activists use spoken word to draw teenagers away from violence. | Listen |
| The Son of the Former Angolan President is Accused of Corruption | |
| Jose Filomeno dos Santos is remanded in custody in connection with an embezzlement case; there's speculation over the future of the US Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, and a man paralysed from the waist down has made medical history by walking with the assistance of an electrical implant. | Listen |
| Russia to Upgrade Syria's Air Defences with Anti-aircraft Missile System | |
| Russia will send new S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Syrian government forces. This announcement comes one week after Syrian forces accidentally shot down Russian aircraft during Israeli air-strike. Also, China accuses US of bullying as new trade-tariffs imposed, public inquiry begins in UK into scandal over contaminated blood which may have cost thousands of lives, and injured Indian sailor rescued by French vessel after three days adrift in Indian Ocean. | Listen |
| US tells Teheran to "look into mirror" after Ahvaz attack | |
| US dismisses claim it had anything to do with Saturday's attack on a military parade, also: Maldives opposition candidate claims victory and Porsche to stop building diesel cars. | Listen |
| Kavanaugh Accuser Christine Blasey Ford, 'Willing to Testify'. | |
| Woman who says she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee may appear before Congress. Also, Iran has blamed allies of the United States for an attack on a military parade in which at least twenty-nine people were killed, and a man is rescued from the overturned Tanzanian ferry. | Listen |
| Tanzania Ferry Disaster: President Orders Arrests | |
| The President of Tanzania has ordered the arrest of all those involved in the management of a ferry that capsized killing more than 130 people. He said it was clear the ferry was overloaded. Also: President Trump challenges the woman accusing his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, of sexual assault; and the British Prime Minister says the EU must treat the UK with more respect in Brexit negotiations. | Listen |
| US Sanctions Provoke Chinese Anger | |
| China has told the US to withdraw sanctions on its military over purchases of Russian jets and missiles or "bear the consequences". Also: many more feared dead in Tanzania ferry disaster and earliest animal fossils are identified. | Listen |
| Hundreds Missing in Tanzania Ferry Disaster | |
| Hundreds feared dead after the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, Tanzania. WADA's lifting of Russia's doping suspension leads to intense criticism of the World Anti-doping Agency. And movie props go under in the hammer in London, a collector bags Indiana Jones' old hat for more than 400,000 dollars. | Listen |
| Bobi Wine Back in Uganda 'to Fight' | |
| The Ugandan singer-turned-MP is back at his home after a medical trip to the US. Also: Russia's anti-doping agency reinstated after doping ban and cane toad DNA breakthrough 'may help stop' toxic pest. | Listen |
| New Attack on Jeff Sessions by Donald Trump | |
| 'I have no Attorney General.' The President takes his criticism of the Administration's top law enforcement official to a new level. Also, the politics of street names in Beirut, and the wreck of The Endeavour, one of the world's most famous historic ships, might have been found. | Listen |
| Nawaz Sharif's Corruption Conviction Suspended | |
| The former Pakistani Prime Minister was forced out of office for the third time over corruption allegations connected to luxury flats in London. A Pakistani court ordered his release. Also: the head of Denmark's biggest bank has resigned over a money-laundering scandal, and Sesame Street insists Bert and Ernie are just friends. | Listen |
| German Top Spy Maassen Forced Out After Chemnitz | |
| Germany's domestic intelligence chief Hans-Georg Maassen has been told to quit after his controversial response to far-right unrest in Chemnitz. Also, Trump accuses China of election meddling, German doctors say Pussy Riot activist Pyotr Verzilov was poisoned, and we hear about a new woman-only taxi app in Nairobi. | Listen |
| Israel Blames Syria for Russian Aircrew Deaths but 'Expresses Sorrow' | |
| Israel says Syria is to blame for the shooting down of Russian plane over Mediterranean. Also, South Korean leader given warm welcome in North Korea, fury over video of Venezuelan President eating steak in luxury restaurant, New Zealand celebrates its Maori cultural heritage, and we meet the only African-American piano-maker in the US. | Listen |
| Russia and Turkey to Create Buffer Zone in Idlib | |
| Russia and Turkey have agreed to create a buffer zone in Syria's Idlib province to separate government forces and rebel fighters. Also: a British cave diver is suing tech billionaire Elon Musk for defamation, and Saudi Arabia invests in electric cars. | Listen |
| Brexit: Theresa May Says 'It's Chequers Deal or No Deal' | |
| Theresa May says that MPs will have a choice between her proposed deal or no deal at all. Also, Russia and Turkey begin new round of talks on the Syrian civil war, former KGB colonel Oleg Gordievsky explains how he escaped from Moscow to the West, Nigeria floods kill more than 100, and Michael Palin describes his visit to North Korea. | Listen |
| China Coast Lashed as Typhoon Toll Rises | |
| A powerful storm that has already killed more than fifty people in the Philippines hits China. Also: a study says daily aspirin is "risky in old age" and Kipchoge smashes the marathon world record. | Listen |
| Storm danger not over says North Carolina governor | |
| Roy Cooper urges people to remain vigilant a day after storm "Florence" made landfall, also: Rwanda pardons more than 2000 prisoners and: Pope Francis speaks out against the Mafia | Listen |
| Trump's Former Campaign Chief To Help Mueller Inquiry | |
| Paul Manafort has agreed to co-operate with an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the US election as part of a plea deal. Also: the billion dollar space mission using lasers to map the extent that ice has melted on Earth, and Africa hosts its first ever Comic Con. | Listen |
| Hurricane Florence makes Landfall in US | |
| Officials warn Hurricane Florence could kill 'a lot of people' as it hits the US East Coast. Also: millions in path of Philippines typhoon and Ig Nobel win for kidney stone removing rollercoaster. | Listen |
| Puerto Rico: Trump Provokes Angry Backlash | |
| He claimed official death toll from Hurricane Maria was inflated to make him look bad. Also: Pakistan's top diplomat in Britain is called back to Islamabad to explain his strange behaviour at a TV awards ceremony, and a Yemeni film about young love in wartime draws enthusiastic crowds to its showing in Aden. | Listen |
| Skripal Suspects say They were Just Tourists | |
| The men, named as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, told the RT television channel they had travelled to Salisbury on the recommendation of friends. Also: Suu Kyi defends jailing of journalists and mapping the earth's surface. | Listen |
| 'Thousands' Abused by German Priests | |
| Leaked report reveals more than 3,600 children in Germany assaulted by Catholic priests.The study was commissioned by the Church itself, and was due to be published on 25th September. Also: Donald Trump has signed an executive order, allowing imposition of sanctions on any party meddling in US elections, and a teenage pilot has successfully landed a plane on her first solo flight, despite the plane missing a wheel. | Listen |
| EU votes to punish Hungary over 'breaches' of core values | |
| Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has been accused of attacks on the media, minorities, and the rule of law -- charges which he denies. Also: President Putin says the two Russians accused of a nerve agent attack in England are civilians, not spies, and can Switzerland's medicinal cannabis industry expand abroad? | Listen |
| Jailed Lula Pulls Out of Brazil Election | |
| After Brazil's top electoral court barred his candidacy, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva steps aside. Also: thousands march in Barcelona streets and a rock and roll auction for Sir Rod Stewart. | Listen |
| Russia launches biggest war games since Cold War | |
| For the first time, some of China's land forces are also taking part in the drill in Siberia. Also: Ethiopia-Eritrea border reopens after 20 years. And Serena Williams: an Australian cartoonist's depiction is criticised as racist. | Listen |
| US to Close PLO Mission in Washington | |
| The US accuses the Palestinian leadership of failing to engage in peace efforts with Israel. Also: Hurricane Florence sparks evacuations along the US East Coast and Facebook animal trade exposed in Thailand. | Listen |
| China Accused of 'Political Indoctrination' of Muslim Minority | |
| Human Rights Watch says it has new evidence that large numbers of Uighur Muslims in China are facing forced indoctrination. Also: the head of the UN nuclear watchdog has issued a fresh warning that North Korea is continuing to develop its nuclear programme, and huge gold-encrusted rocks unearthed in Australia. | Listen |
| Sweden Nationalists Make Election Gains | |
| Anti-immigration Sweden Democrats claim their party's performance in the general election will give them "real influence" over Swedish politics. Also: Tennis authorities punish Serena Williams for her on-court outburst at the US Open and Netflix triumphs at the Venice Film Festival. | Listen |
| Amnesty strongly criticises mass trial of protesters in Egypt | |
| Seventy-five sentenced to death in Egypt following mass trial of Islamist protesters; Ahead of a general election that could see big gains for the far right, the Swedish prime minister speaks out against extremism; Afghan government introduces special measures to protect the country's Shia minority | Listen |
| Barack Obama Slams the Trump Presidency | |
| During a speech at the University of Illinois, the former President said Americans were living in "dangerous times" and urged people to vote in November's Congressional midterm elections. Also: tens of thousands of people in the Syrian province of Idlib are calling on the international community to protect them from a looming military assault, and how one dog managed to survive eating over 200 pebbles. | Listen |
| Fate of Idlib Looms over Syria Talks | |
| A humanitarian disaster and use of chemical weapons are feared, if an offensive on rebels in Idlib begins. Also: the front-runner in Brazil's presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro, is recovering after being stabbed at a campaign rally, and British Airways boss apologises for data breach. | Listen |
| The front runner in Brazil's presidential election is stabbed | |
| Brazil election campaign stabbing. Also: Fears over what might happen in Idlib and strong alcohol banned from college fraternity houses. | Listen |
| Historic India Ruling Legalises Gay Sex | |
| The Indian ruling is a victory for many who have fought to end discrimination against same-sex couples. Also: South Sudan troops jailed for rape and murder, and London police celebrate one hundred years of The Flying Squad. | Listen |
| Trump Slams Damning Article | |
| An anonymous senior member of President Trump's own administration has attacked him in a New York Times opinion piece and suggested White House workers are resisting him. Also: executives from Twitter and Facebook have acknowledged that they took too long to act against campaigns to meddle in US elections, and the city of Florence gets tough on tourists who eat on the street. | Listen |
| Novichok Attack Russian 'Agents' Named | |
| Two men accused of the Salisbury poisonings are believed to be from Russia's military intelligence service. Also: Pompeo in Pakistan for talks with PM Khan and WHO says lack of exercise puts one in four people at risk. | Listen |
| 'Mob Rule' Rocks Senate Hearing for Judge | |
| Democrats demand an adjournment and protestors are dragged out in chaotic scenes at the confirmation hearing for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Also: the UN calls on Russia and Turkey to avert a bloodbath in Syria, and Judy Garland's stolen ruby slippers are found. | Listen |
| Syria War: Have Russian Warplanes Resumed Airstrikes on Idlib ? | |
| Russian air force has reportedly bombed the rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib. Also, trial resumes of Spanish doctor accused of stealing babies from government opponents during Franco dictatorship, Taliban announce death of militant leader Jalaluddin Haqqani, we go on campaign-trail with US military veterans who are running for Congress, and thieves take lunchbox once owned by one of the richest men in history. | Listen |
| Argentina to Axe Half its Ministries | |
| President Macri says Argentina is facing an "emergency" as he abolishes ministries and raises taxes. Also: cuts blamed for Brazil museum inferno and is dark matter a fifth force of nature? | Listen |
| China's President Xi Jinping Announces Huge New Investment in Africa | |
| Beijing pledges $60 billion for Africa - but what will the long-term impact be ? Also, fire destroys millions of cultural treasures at Brazil's national museum, warning over online sexual abuse of children in UK, the dangers faced by migrants who enter Europe via the Balkans, and how a young Jordanian woman is changing attitudes towards disability. | Listen |
| White House Criticised for Withholding Kavanaugh Documents | |
| Lawyers for the former US president George W Bush have decided that twenty-seven thousand documents relating to Brett Kavanaugh's time working during Mr Bush's presidency should be protected under constitutional privilege. Also: EU 'strongly opposed' to May Brexit plan and Seoul to check public toilets for hidden cameras. | Listen |
| Family and Former Presidents Pay Tribute to John McCain | |
| Former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush deliver eulogies at John McCain's funeral; Rival demonstrations take place in the German city of Chemnitz; Top South Korean footballer is spared from military service | Listen |
| The US cuts all funding for Palestinian refugees. | |
| The US ends all funding for United Nations body that supports Palestinian refugees; Family, friends and fans pay tribute at the funeral of Aretha Franklin in Detroit; Scientists decode the golden eagle's DNA. | Listen |
| US-Canada Trade Talks Going Down to Wire | |
| Talks between the US and Canada about amending the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are heading into their final day with no deal in sight. Also: Coca-Cola to buy Costa Coffee for $5bn and astronauts tackle leak on space station. | Listen |
| Argentina Raises Rates as Peso Plummets | |
| The central bank raised interest rates in an effort to stabilise the country's financial crisis. The value of Argentina's peso continued to fall on Thursday, plunging by more than 13% after a 7% drop a day earlier. Also, the number of black women on the front covers of fashion magazines is up, but is it a fad or part of a long lasting change? And the man known as the Russian Frank Sinatra, Iosif Kobzon, has died at the age of 80. | Listen |
| UN Calls for Humanitarian Corridors in Idlib | |
| The United Nations special envoy for Syria said that a perfect storm could be coming in Idlib with the potential for escalation beyond the region and Syria. Also: Suu Kyi 'should have resigned' on Rohingya and China officials 'faked water tests with bottled water'. | Listen |
| Argentine Peso Plummets After Macri Plea to IMF | |
| Argentina's government asks for the early release of a $50 billion loan from the IMF. President Mauricio Macri said quicker access to the funds would restore market confidence. Also, former FIFA vice-president jailed for nine years. And racing pigeons catch a bullet train. | Listen |
| President Putin Softens Pension Reforms After Outcry | |
| He said the retirement age for women will go up by five years instead of eight. In a rare TV address, the Russian leader said the country's working-age population was shrinking, making change essential. Also, Germany hands back the remains of indigenous people killed during a genocide in Namibia more than a century ago, whose bodies were taken for experiments, and, kid you not: A new study has discovered that goats can recognise and are apparently attracted to happy human faces. | Listen |
| Puerto Rico Increases Hurricane Maria Death Toll | |
| Officials in Puerto Rico now say nearly three thousand people died following Hurricane Maria in 2017, instead of a previous estimate of sixty-four. Also: UN Security Council urged to act on Myanmar and public outcry in Japan after dolphin abandoned in aquarium. | Listen |
| Air Pollution Could Damage Intelligence | |
| Researchers from the US and China believe that the negative impact on cognitive performance increases with age, and affects men with less education the worst. Also: UN human rights experts believe war crimes may have been committed by all parties in the conflict in Yemen, and why the life of a massive bull elephant called Riff Raff is in danger. | Listen |
| Trump Hails 'Incredible' Deal with Mexico | |
| The two countries agreed terms but Canada, the third member of the Nafta accord, was not part of the discussions. Also: Yemen cholera epidemic 'controlled' by computer predictions and the whale menopause. | Listen |
| Myanmar Rohingya: UN says military leaders must face genocide charges | |
| A UN report has said top military figures in Myanmar must be investigated for genocide in Rakhine state and crimes against humanity in other areas. It's the strongest condemnation from the UN so far of violence against Rohingya Muslims. And Iran is suing the US over its latest sanctions and withdrawal from the deal on Teheran's nuclear programme, arguing they violate an old friendship treaty. Also...legal trouble in France over swimming with a frisky dolphin. | Listen |
| Several Shot Dead in Florida | |
| Reports say the shootings happened at a video game tournament in Jacksonville. As well as the deaths, a number of injured people were taken to hospital. The only suspect died at the scene. Also: tributes to US Senator John McCain and could birds be dinosaurs? | Listen |
| Pope Shamed by Church's Abuse Scandal | |
| On a historic visit to Ireland, Pope Francis reportedly called clerical sex abuse 'filth'. He met victims, who say he told them he was determined to rid the Church of corruption and cover-ups. Also: the daily challenges for Venezuelans and think twice about driving with a hangover. | Listen |
| Trump's financial chief 'given immunity' | |
| Donald Trump's financial chief reportedly given legal immunity in Michael Cohen probe. Allen Weisselberg was summoned to testify earlier this year in the investigation into Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's longtime former lawyer. Also: Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court has upheld the election victory of President Mnangagwa, and the Republic of Ireland awaits the arrival of Pope Francis. | Listen |
| Spain paves way to remove Franco remains | |
| Spain's government has passed a decree to exhume the remains of Francisco Franco from a huge mausoleum. The Valley of the Fallen monument near Madrid was created by the dictator and the site is seen as glorifying his victory in the 1936-39 Civil War. Also Australia gets a new PM after a brutal party coup. And Hawaii is hit by flooding and landslides as Hurricane Lane nears. | Listen |
| US Attorney General Hits Back at Trump | |
| Jeff Sessions insists justice department won't bow to pressure over Russia probe, following another outspoken attack on him by President Trump. Also: Italy's Deputy Prime Minister, Luigi Di Maio, has threatened to stop his country's payments to the European Union unless other EU countries take in migrants being held at a port in Sicily, and a British Iranian woman has been temporarily released from prison in Iran. | Listen |
| President Trump: Impeach Me and the Economy Crashes | |
| After a difficult week, Donald Trump addresses suggestions of his impeachment by saying that everybody would be left 'very poor'. The President said he'd done 'a great job'. Also: a second round of tariffs in the deepening trade war between the US and China, and a trans woman shares her experiences of gender affirmation surgery gone wrong. | Listen |
| President Trump Denies Misuse of Campaign Finance | |
| President Trump says he did not use election campaign funds to make payments to two women who say he had affairs with them. Also, musicians across the world campaign for the release of the jailed Ugandan opposition MP Bobi Wine, and what you think you know about turtles is flipped on its shell. | Listen |
| Nicky Verstappen Breakthrough: Suspect Named in Dutch Boy's 1998 Death | |
| The eleven year old was at a summer camp when he vanished from his tent.His body was discovered in the forest the next day. Police say they now have a suspect named Jos Brech, who lived nearby - and who disappeared earlier this year. Also: Donald Trump's lawyer defends the President after two of his former aides were convicted of crimes in separate court cases and why tourists in Nepal could find it hard to get insurance - after alleged medical fraud. | Listen |
| Former Associates of President Trump Appear in Court | |
| President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws at the direction of "the candidate", for the "principal purpose of influencing the election". The president's ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort has been found guilty on eight charges including tax fraud. Also, Venezuela is in chaos two days after the introduction of a new currency, and how listening to a cricket commentary helped a family cope with death. | Listen |
| Microsoft Claims Victory over 'Russian Political Hackers' | |
| The software company says Russian hackers tried to steal data from conservative US think-tanks. Also, militants fire mortars at Kabul's diplomatic quarter during speech by President Ashraf Ghani, Czech Republic marks 50 years since Soviet-led invasion, and could US scientists be in early stages of developing revolutionary treatment for cancer ? | Listen |
| Measles Cases Hit Record High in Europe | |
| More than 41,000 people have been infected with measles in the first six months of 2018. Also: Pope Francis condemns sex abuse 'atrocities' and Eagles overtake Michael Jackson with biggest-selling album. | Listen |
| Pope Condemns 'Atrocities' of Child Sex Abuse | |
| Pope Francis has written an unprecedented letter to the Roman Catholic community, forcefully denouncing abuse and cover ups by priests. Also: a group of elderly South Koreans travel to North Korea to meet family members they haven't seen in decades, and a woman who survived ten hours in the sea after falling off a cruise ship. | Listen |
| Afghan President Offers Taliban a Ceasefire | |
| The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the move and called on the Taliban to participate. Also: Kerala flood rescue steps up as rains ease and tonnes of misshaped fruit and vegetables discarded in Europe. | Listen |
| Tributes for Kofi Annan | |
| The first black African to lead the United Nations is praised by world leaders for his humanitarian work and efforts to end conflict after he died in Switzerland. Also: Ecuador brings in tough measures to try to deal with the Venezuelan migrant crisis, and Usain Bolt arrives in Australia to swap his sprinting spikes for football boots. | Listen |
| 'I Met my IS Captor on a German Street' | |
| A Yazidi teenager describes coming face-to-face with the jihadi who imprisoned her. Also: Manafort judge fears for jurors safety and German restaurant bans children. | Listen |
| Imran Khan Confirmed as Pakistan PM | |
| After more than twenty years on the political sidelines, the former cricketer is elected as PM. Also: hundreds dead in Indian monsoon floods and low-carb diets 'could shorten life'. | Listen |
| Aretha Franklin Dies Aged 76 | |
| The singer, known for hits like Respect and Think, has died aged 76, after a battle with cancer. Also: co-ordinated editorials appear in US media outlets to highlight the importance of a free press and Palestinians have finally received 8 years worth of letters that had been held up by Israel. | Listen |
| Italy Bridge Collapse Firm Under Attack | |
| Threats to cancel contracts and impose fines send shares plummeting in the Italian Autostrade per l'Italia company. Also: former India prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee dies aged 93 and Egyptian mummification 'recipe' revealed. | Listen |
| Survivor Search Goes on in Genoa | |
| A state of emergency is declared in Genoa, and politicians blame the bridge management company. Also: Why New Zealand has banned foreigners from buying homes, and how corruption in South African game parks may be ruining the life chances of rhinos. | Listen |
| Italy Bridge: Grief and Anger after Disaster in Genoa | |
| As death toll rises, questions are asked about whether safety clues were ignored. Also, Israel reopens Gaza cargo crossing, Omagh marks 20th anniversary of deadly car-bombing, India's Prime Minister pledges his country will put an astronaut in space within 4 years, and will new film change representation of Asians in Hollywood ? | Listen |
| Huge Rescue Effort after Genoa Bridge Collapse | |
| Reports say cries can be heard from people trapped in the debris of the bridge. Also: US priests 'abused thousands of children' and human big toe was 'late to evolve'. | Listen |
| Italy: Road Bridge Collapse in Genoa May Have Killed Dozens | |
| Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli speaks of 'immense tragedy' after collapse. Also, man arrested on suspicion of terror offences after Westminster car crash, Sierra Leone marks a year since mudslide that killed more than one thousand, a listener in Venezuela tells us how people are coping with economic turmoil, and why India has an ever-growing problem with plastic waste. | Listen |
| White House Monitoring Turkey's Financial Situation | |
| The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the United States of stabbing his country in the back. Also: Cuba has begun a three-month period of public debate on its new constitution and why Indonesia's capital Jakarta is sinking. | Listen |
| Turkey Accuses US of 'Stab in Back' as Currency Turmoil Continues | |
| Efforts to ease Turkish economic woes have failed to stop market turmoil amid row with US. Also, Iran's Supreme Leader blames government for economic troubles, how people in Peru are suffering metal-poisoning and blame it on mining, UK government pledges to eradicate rough sleeping by 2027, and what can the US do to reduce its enormous output of plastic waste ? | Listen |
| Neo-Nazis hold rally on anniversary of Charlottesville | |
| Neo-Nazis demonstrate in Washington DC but are dwarfed by counter-protestors. Turkey draws up a plan to stabilise the currency and Nasa launches its mission to "touch the sun". | Listen |
| Mass protests in Romania | |
| More than twenty thousand people demonstrated in the capital Bucharest on Saturday. They're accusing the left-wing government of abusing its powers. Also, a look back on the life of the Nobel prize-winning author V.S. Naipaul, and how crows are being used to gather litter at a French theme park. | Listen |
| Saudis to Investigate Deadly Yemeni Air Strike | |
| The Saudi-led attack has been widely condemned and Saudi Arabia said it will investigate what happened. The UN Security Council says it wants a credible inquiry. Also, allegations that more than a million ethnic Uighurs are in internment camps in China, and a NASA satellite will boldly go where no satellite has gone before. | Listen |
| Turkey's Lira Crisis | |
| The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has called on his people to support their struggling currency as its value hit new lows. Also: Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change mounts a legal challenge to last week's presidential election, and the anti-fat pill for mice. | Listen |
| US Launches Plans For Space Force | |
| The Force would protect satellites and require an annual budget of around eight billion dollars. Also, a deadly missile attack kills and wounds dozens of children in Yemen, and why an arrest in Slovakia is music to the ears of some unhappy neighbours. | Listen |
| Strike on Yemen Bus Kills Many Children | |
| The International Committee of the Red Cross says scores of children, mostly under ten, were killed in Saudi-led coalition attack. Also: US Skripal sanctions hit Russian rouble and regular exercise 'best for mental health'. | Listen |
| US to Impose Sanctions on Russia over Skripal Attack | |
| The State Department said Moscow had used lethal weapons on its own citizens. It's only the third time the US has imposed sanctions against another country for such a violation. Also: the Zimbabwean opposition politician, Tendai Biti, has been denied asylum in Zambia, and online dating - a new study suggests people who take part in it message those who are apparently out of their league. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe 'Arrests Fleeing Politician' | |
| Tendai Biti's lawyer says he was picked up at the Zambian border but the state broadcaster calls this fake news. Also: entire Australian state now in drought and could ammonia fuel the cars of the future? | Listen |
| Nigeria Spy Chief Sacked | |
| Nigeria's Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has fired the head of the domestic spy agency. No reasons were given for the sacking of Lawal Daura. Earlier, operatives of the secret police barricaded the gates of Nigerian parliament building and prevented lawmakers from going in for several hours. Also, we hear from one woman in the US who has spent the past year living in a tiny church to avoid deportation, and how a postage stamp could reveal the future of China's family-planning policy. | Listen |
| Couple jailed for selling son to paedophiles | |
| A German court has sentenced a mother and her boyfriend to twelve years each in jail for sexually abusing her young son and selling him for sex to other paedophiles via the internet. The German couple were arrested last year, following a tip-off. Mexico's president-elect begins trying to tackle the country's rampant violent crime.And.. why is Winnie the Pooh so controversial in China? | Listen |
| US to Fully Enforce Restored Iran Sanctions | |
| President Trump says those who breach the nuclear-related sanctions risk "severe consequences". Also: the Saudi state airline is to suspend air links with Toronto, as a row escalates between Saudi Arabia and Canada, and is it possible to be manipulated by robots? | Listen |
| Evacuations Underway After Indonesian Earthquake | |
| Rescuers are still searching for survivors in Lombok. More than ninety people have been killed and hundreds injured in the magnitude seven quake and the number is expected to rise. Also: Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador and a death metal music festival in Germany has attracted unlikely guests. | Listen |
| Scores Killed in Indonesia Island Quake | |
| Many people killed in Lombok, just a week after another earthquake on the same holiday island. Also: South Sudan rivals sign peace deal and Norway's rich millennials. | Listen |
| Anti-abortion Protest in Argentina | |
| Anti-abortion march ahead of vote to legalise terminations. Abortion is only allowed now in rape cases and if a woman's health is in danger. Also: Brazil's former president, Lula, is nominated to run for presidency, despite being in jail, and the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's Beijing studio is demolished. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe opposition rejects poll results | |
| The opposition in Zimbabwe rejects the election result as a fraud and says they will provide evidence of vote-rigging, At least twenty-five people are killed in an attack on a Shia mosque in Afghanistan, The Japanese government takes steps to stop people working themselves to death. | Listen |
| Bonus Podcast: My Indian Life Preview | |
| Introducing Kalki Presents: My Indian Life - our new podcast with Bollywood actor, Kalki Koechlin. This preview tells you all about it. It?s raw, it?s painful, it?s joyful. It?s real life in India in the 21st century. Episode 1 will be available from 4 August 2018. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe Opposition Rejects 'Fake' Election Results | |
| Riot police in Zimbabwe initially prevented the opposition's Nelson Chamisa from holding a press conference. Also: Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo traced to 65-year-old woman and low levels of air pollution linked to changes in the heart. | Listen |
| President Emmerson Mnangagwa Wins Zimbabwe's Presidential Election | |
| He won 50.8% of votes to 44.3% for opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. The chairman of Mr Chamisa's MDC Alliance said the count could not be verified. Also, Apple has briefly become the first trillion dollar company - after its shares rose by 2.8 per cent, and why Madagascar's iconic Lemurs are said to be on the 'brink of extinction'. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe Awaits Election Results | |
| The electoral commission in Zimbabwe says it will begin releasing the results very soon, urging patience from the public. Also: Pope moves to oppose the death penalty, and online Kiki craze becomes a worrying trend. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe: Three Killed as Troops Fire on Opposition Supporters | |
| The government says the army was deployed in central Harare to help police restore order.The opposition MDC Alliance condemned the crackdown, saying it was a reminder of the 'dark days' of Robert Mugabe's rule. Also, in a series of tweets, President Donald Trump has said Attorney General Jeff Sessions must halt the Mueller inquiry into alleged election meddling, and the blue wine being introduced in France. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe: ZANU-PF Wins Most Seats According to Early Results | |
| Opposition protests in capital after incomplete results show ZANU-PF in lead. Also, hero's welcome in Kinshasa for former Congolese militia leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, Syrian regime acknowledges that hundreds of detainees died in state custody, ban on wearing face-veils in public comes into force in Denmark, and Russian climber rescued by helicopter after six days on Pakistani mountain. | Listen |
| Facebook Bans Pages Aimed at US Election Interference | |
| The social media firm said it could not be certain of the source of the campaign, but some of the fake posts had links to accounts used by the Kremlin. Also: US court told Trump ex-campaign chief 'lied' and Slovakia alarmed by pro-Putin Night Wolves bikers' base. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe Election: Frontrunners Both Confident While Awaiting Results | |
| President Mnangagwa and opposition leader Chamisa are both upbeat about prospects. Also, US officials say 'North Korea working on new missiles' despite dialogue, the challenge of stopping ex-IS fighters returning from Syria to Europe, British MPs say aid sector 'almost complicit' in sex abuse, and we meet the scientist who named a new frog species after his grand-daughter. | Listen |
| Trump 'Ready to Meet Iran's Rouhani' | |
| The US president has offered to meet Iran's leaders with "no preconditions" and "anytime they want". Also: high turnout in first post-Mugabe poll and Japan scientists to use "reprogrammed" stem cells to fight Parkinson's disease. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe: High Turnout in First Post-Mugabe Election | |
| Observers report large queues at polling-booths and say process has been generally smooth. Also, IS militants reported to have taken more than thirty women and children hostage in Syria, why four million people in Assam may lose Indian citizenship, Tajikistan incident leaves four foreign cyclists dead, and how an administrative error in China turned a man into a woman. | Listen |
| Mugabe Refuses To Back Successor Mnangagwa | |
| Zimbabwe's ex-president Robert Mugabe says he will not vote for his successor and former ally in Monday's elections. Also: a Palestinian teenager who was filmed assaulting an Israeli soldier has been freed and the Afghan army is changing its military strategy. | Listen |
| Thousands Flee 'Tornado' California Fires | |
| Two children and their great-grandmother are among five people to have reportedly died in a raging wildfire in northern California. Also: Cardinal McCarrick, a prominent US Catholic, resigns over abuse claims and the Tour de France is coming to an end with a Welsh cyclist almost certain to win it for the first time. | Listen |
| CBS Investigates Claims of Misconduct | |
| Shares in the television network drop on allegations of sexual harassment by chairman Les Moonves. Also: Pakistan parties reject election result and skygazers watch century's longest 'blood moon'. | Listen |
| Spanish Court Jails Mother who Hid with Sons in Custody Battle | |
| The Spanish verdict has provoked renewed anger against perceived sexism in the justice system. Juana Rivas has also been stripped of custody rights for six years. Also, North Korea returns the remains of around fifty American soldiers who were killed in the Korean War, and the landmark project in Australia mapping historic massacres of indigenous people. | Listen |
| Calls for Unity in Pakistan Following a Bitter Election | |
| The country's former cricket captain, Imran Khan, insists the election was transparent after it was claimed that he colluded with the military to become prime minister. Also, a deadline passes in the US for migrant children to be reunited with their families, and the police dog in Colombia that's so good at sniffing out drugs there's a 70-thousand dollar bounty on its head. | Listen |
| Khan Claims Win in Pakistan Election | |
| The former cricketer, Imran Khan, is set for victory but rivals allege there has been vote rigging. Also: Greek defence minister says illegal construction contributed to one of the country's worst ever wildfire disasters and WW2 Spitfire pilot Mary Ellis dies aged 101. | Listen |
| Radar Reveals Liquid Lake on Mars | |
| Researchers find evidence of a large body of water on the Red Planet; challenges to Pakistan's election even before the results are announced. And, the six best plots for a Hollywood hit | Listen |
| Bomb Attacks Strike Voters in Pakistan | |
| A blast kills dozens on voting day in Pakistan after a campaign overshadowed by concerns over fraud and violence. Also: desperate search for missing in Greek fires and stars come out to support pop singer Demi Lovato. | Listen |
| US Farmers Get $12bn Trade War Bailout | |
| The US has unveiled a $12bn plan aimed at helping US farmers hurt by the growing trade war. Also: at least 70 people are confirmed dead in Greece's worst fires in more than a decade and the eye test that could screen for early dementia. | Listen |
| Laos: Hundreds Missing After Dam Collapses | |
| Unknown number dead as flash-flood is triggered by collapse of dam in south-east Laos. Also, dozens killed as deadly wildfires ravage coastal areas near Greek capital, North Korea dismantles key rocket-testing site, Japan's heatwave is declared 'natural disaster' , and how Syrian refugee family rebuilt their chocolate-making business in Canada. | Listen |
| Trump Targets Critics' Security Clearance | |
| The White House says President Trump is "very concerned" about "baseless accusations" against him. Also: Kenya demolishes 30,000 people's slum homes and Heathrow scanner trial could ease airport liquid ban. | Listen |
| UK 'Will Not Block Death Penalty for IS Duo' says Home Secretary | |
| Leaked letter covers possibility of two alleged Islamic state members' extradition to US. Also, Trump and Iran's Rouhani trade angry threats, gunman kills two in Greektown district of Toronto, the story behind the fake murder of Arkady Babchenko, and how a global crowdfunding campaign is trying to save a ruined French chateau. | Listen |
| Ex-Trump Aide Denies Being Russian Agent | |
| Documents show the FBI believed Carter Page was "collaborating and conspiring" with Russia in 2016. Also: Syrian White Helmets evacuated by Israel and Macron aide charged over beating protestor. | Listen |
| President Trump Attacks Former Lawyer Over Tape | |
| The President said recording clients was "probably illegal" and he insists he has done nothing wrong. The tape was a discussion between Mr Trump and Michael Cohen, they reportedly discussed payments to a former Playboy model. Also, Cuba is debating a new constitution, and why this generation might be getting a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer. | Listen |
| Secret Recordings of President Trump Revealed | |
| Mr Trump allegedly discussed payments to a former Playboy model. The tapes were made by the President's then lawyer and were reportedly made two months before the presidential election. Also, a second exchange of fire on the Israel-Gaza border has killed four Palestinians and one Israeli soldier and will British band Oasis make a comeback? | Listen |
| Incredulity as Trump Invites Putin to US | |
| Russia's ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, has said Moscow is open to an invitation to the White House for a second meeting between Vladimir Putin and President Trump. Also: the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said he's invited Britain to work on a solution to the Irish border issue, and Battle of Britain RAF Spitfire pilot Geoffrey Wellum dies. | Listen |
| Donald Trump Invites Vladimir Putin to Washington | |
| Invitation made despite continuing controversy over their summit in Helsinki; the painful experiences of women forcibly sterilised in Peru. And, the skeletons in Alexandria's mysterious black sarcophagus . | Listen |
| Israel Approves 'Jewish Nation State' Law | |
| The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu hails a "defining moment" as Israeli Arab MPs condemn the legislation, Also: new British Brexit secretary set for Brussels talks and thirteen basketball players have been suspended for a mass brawl during a World Cup qualifier earlier this month. | Listen |
| Fresh Trump confusion over Russian meddling | |
| The White House insists Russia is a threat to the US, contradicting previous statements. It comes amid a flurry of criticism after President Trump appeared to side with Moscow instead of his own intelligence agencies, over Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. Also: a Turkish court has dashed hopes that an American pastor will be freed, and scientists have discovered a baby snake preserved in amber that lived ninety-nine million years ago. | Listen |
| Thai Cave Rescue Boys Relive Their 'Moment of Miracle' | |
| 12 boys rescued from flooded cave in Thailand have spoken publicly about their ordeal. Also, EU imposes $5 Billion fine on Google, a report from Yemen's frontline as UN warns of civilians' suffering, mixed feelings in South Africa on Nelson Mandela's centenary, and are our earliest memories real or not ? | Listen |
| Trump Reverses Russia Meddling Remark | |
| The US president now says he accepts the view that Russia meddled in the 2016 election. Also: British government survives key Brexit trade vote and astronomers find twelve new moons around Jupiter. | Listen |
| EU and Japan Sign Huge Free Trade Agreement | |
| European Union and Japan sign free trade deal covering nearly a third of global GDP. Also, Spain considers changing law on sexual consent, Trump under attack at home after summit with Putin, debate over ethics of altering DNA of human embryos, and how a tourist narrowly escaped 'lava bomb' on Hawaii boat. | Listen |
| Trump sides with Russia against FBI | |
| President Trump defends Russia over claims of interference in 2016 presidential election. After discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Trump contradicted US intelligence agencies and said there had been no reason for Russia to meddle in the vote. The two men held closed-door talks in the Finnish capital Helsinki. Also: a Thailand-based British cave diver is considering legal action against the entrepreneur Elon Musk, and remnants of possibly the world's oldest bread has been discovered in Jordan. | Listen |
| Trump-Putin Summit: US Leader Hails 'Good Start' in Helsinki | |
| US President Donald Trump has face-to-face meeting in Finnish capital with Vladimir Putin. Also, Eritrea re-opens its embassy in Ethiopian capital for first time in 20 years, South African township where one-third of men claim to be rapists, anger in US over 'justice on the toss of a coin', and could newly-discovered Stanley Kubrick script be turned into a film ? | Listen |
| Celebrations across France after World Cup victory | |
| The French team beat Croatia 4:2 in Moscow, also: Donald Trump arrives in Helsinki for meeting with Vladimir Putin and the right-wing protesters trying to protect Franco's tomb. | Listen |
| Israeli Palestinian Clashes 'Continue in Gaza' | |
| Despite reports of an earlier truce, both sides are believed to be still exchanging fire. Also: In Nicaragua, dozens of students who took refuge from security forces and pro government militia in a church have been allowed to leave after Roman Catholic clergy intervene, and President Trump's visit to the UK is continuing to cause controversy. | Listen |
| Trump: US-UK Trade Deal 'absolutely possible' | |
| The president speaks warmly about Theresa May hours after his comments attacking her Brexit plans emerged. Also: A suicide bomber has killed at least 128 people at a campaign rally in south-western Pakistan and scientists are about to open the largest Egyptian sarcophagus ever discovered in Alexandria. | Listen |
| Trump Praises May as Protests Begin | |
| President Trump has denied that he criticised the British prime minister in a newspaper interview. He's also said a US trade deal with the UK was possible once it left the EU - contradicting his earlier comments. Also, Pakistan's former prime minister flies home facing immediate imprisonment, and there are fears of disease breaking out as a result of Japan's devastating floods. | Listen |
| Donald Trump Meets Theresa May at Blenheim Palace | |
| President Trump has said the UK will "probably not" get a trade deal with the US, if the prime minister's Brexit plan goes ahead. Also: Deraa, the birthplace of the Syria uprising, has been retaken by government forces, the landmark murder case of Emmett Till has been reopened in the US after 63 years and scientists find out where neutrinos are coming from. | Listen |
| Trump claims Victory on NATO Military Spending | |
| President Donald Trump has said he's now very happy with his NATO allies for committing an extra thirty-three billion dollars to military spending. Also: the British government publishes an official policy document setting out its Brexit plans and killing rats could save coral reefs. | Listen |
| President Trump Urges Nato to Double Military Funding | |
| The US leader says allies should each aim to spend 4% of annual output (GDP) on their armed forces. Also: a study has found that many survivors of the Ebola outbreak are suffering neurological and psychiatric problems and a squirrel art installation in Kazakhstan sparks a backlash over costs. | Listen |
| Trump and Merkel in New War of Words | |
| As NATO gathers, the US leader suggests German imports of Russian gas are a security concern. Also: Neo-Nazi given life for German race murders and Facebook faces maximum fine for data misuse. | Listen |
| National Joy at Thai Cave Boys' Rescue | |
| The daring rescue of 12 boys triggers celebrations across Thailand. Also: US cannot reunite dozens of child migrants with their parents, and in the World Cup - the growing appeal of the England manager's waistcoat. | Listen |
| Thai Boys and Coach Rescued from Caves | |
| Thai navy commandoes who were leading the mission said all thirteen were now safe. The plight of the group and the massive, dangerous operation to free them has gripped the world's attention. Also: the wife of the widow of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo has left China after eight years in unofficial detention, and the football World Cup reaches its semi-final stage, with the 1998 winners France facing what's been called Belgium's 'golden generation' in St Petersburg. | Listen |
| British Government in Crisis Following Resignations over Brexit Strategy | |
| British PM Theresa May moves to shore up her position after a number of high profile resignations over Brexit. Also: eight of the boys trapped in a flooded cave complex in northern Thailand have now been brought to safety and Polar running app exposes locations of spies and military personnel. | Listen |
| Four More Boys Rescued from Thai Caves | |
| The Thai youngsters were carried out on stretchers and taken to hospital. Rescue workers told the BBC the boys were cold but otherwise fine. Also: Britain's Brexit Secretary explains why he resigned, and a new hotel in Australia reserved for sea horses. | Listen |
| Murder Inquiry in Britain After Novichok Woman Dies | |
| Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "appalled and shocked" by the death of Dawn Sturgess. Also: Brexit secretary David Davis resigns and the tale of a spy, betrayal and an expensive Swiss watch. | Listen |
| North Korea attacks 'gangster-like' US | |
| Pyongyang criticizes US for demanding unilateral denuclearization, also: Mexican president-elect vows to deal with drug-related violence and: Islamist attack kills 12 in Mogadishu | Listen |
| UK PM wins Cabinet Backing for Brexit plan | |
| Deal proposes continuing free trade in goods, but ending current free movement of people. Mrs May must now win over hardline Brexiteers at home and remaining members of the EU. Also: 'possible chlorine' at Syria attack site and the herds of wild bison roaming Europe. | Listen |
| Pakistan ex-PM Given 10-year Jail Term | |
| A Pakistani court sentences Nawaz Sharif on corruption charges related to four London properties. Also: diver dies in Thailand cave rescue attempt and how do wingless spiders fly? | Listen |
| US Environmental Protection Agency Head Resigns | |
| Scott Pruitt leaves his post after months of controversy, Russia accuses Britain of playing political games after second nerve agent poisoning in UK. Also, London prepares a welcome for President Trump - a giant balloon showing him as an angry orange baby. | Listen |
| Britain demands Russian explanation on new Novichok exposure | |
| Britain is demanding an explanation from Russia after confirming that the nerve agent that caused two people to become critically ill in southern England on Saturday is the same as that used to poison a former Russian spy earlier this year. It's thought the couple may been exposed to Novichok that was left over from an the March attack. Also scientists have warned that a rare banana species -- which could hold the key to protecting the world's edible banana crop from disease -- is in danger of extinction. | Listen |
| British Police Confirm Two More Exposed to Novichok | |
| The couple in the West of England are critically ill in hospital. The BBC's security correspondent says one theory is that they were contaminated by some of the substance discarded following the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the city of Salisbury in March, which the British government blamed on Russia. Also: clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians protesting against the planned eviction of Bedouin herders from their village in the occupied West Bank, and the latest attempts to save the Northern White Rhino from extinction using in vitro fertilisation (IVF). | Listen |
| Poland's Top Judge Gersdorf Defies Government and Turns Up for Work | |
| Head of Poland's Supreme Court arrives for work in defiance of controversial law. Also, Malaysia's ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak charged with corruption, leading Chinese businessman dies in fall in France, thousands of migrants stranded in Bosnia while trying to enter EU, and is Western culture now too fearful ? | Listen |
| Top Polish judge vows to defy 'purge' | |
| Confusion reigns in the highest levels of Poland's judiciary, as the head of the Supreme Court says she'll turn up for work on Wednesday, defying a controversial new law forcing her and dozens of senior judges to retire early. Also: alarming figures from the UN on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the Tunisian capital gets its first female mayor and should French bistros be included on the UNESCO list of humanity's heritage? | Listen |
| Thailand Cave Rescue: Medics Reach Trapped Boys | |
| Rescue-workers assess best way to bring boys to safety after nine days underground. Also, Malaysia's former Prime Minister arrested on suspicion of corruption, Pakistan's ruling party faces growing challenges as election looms, Australian Archbishop sentenced for concealing child sex-abuse, and how Moroccan rubbish-collectors transformed their lives. | Listen |
| Missing Thai boys found alive in caves | |
| Twelve boys and their football coach who have been trapped in a complex network of caves in Thailand for nine days have been found alive by two British divers -- the challenge now lies in extracting them. Also: Why French MPs are complaining that they're overworked, and the sexism row that's erupted in the Australian parliament. | Listen |
| Mexico Election: López Obrador Pledges to Fight Corruption | |
| Newly-elected Mexican President says tackling corruption will be his highest priority. Also, UN Secretary-General describes 'horrific' ordeal of Rohingya refugees who've fled Mynamar, Interpol issues international arrest warrant for Indian billionaire Nirav Modi, why World Cup has been triumph for Russia's footballers and its government, and has a lost Lucien Freud painting been found in a very unexpected place ? | Listen |
| Russia reach the World Cup Quarter-Finals | |
| They started the tournament as the rank outsiders, but now the hosts have caused a major upset by knocking out Spain to reach the last eight. Also: America claims North Korea's nuclear programme could be shut down within a year if Pyongyang cooperates and outrage in Malaysia after a businessman marries a child. | Listen |
| Migrant Separation Protests Sweep US | |
| Tens of thousands of people in the United States join nationwide rallies against President Trump's immigration policy, calling for migrant families separated at the border to be reunited. Also: why the militant group, Al Shabab, is banning plastic bags in Somalia, and the so-called "Weed Apocalypse" dawns for California pot dealers. | Listen |
| Canada retaliates against US steel and aluminium tariffs | |
| Canadian government announces new duties on billions of dollars worth of US goods; The latest on the gunman who killed five people at a newspaper office in Maryland; The operation to find a football team trapped for a week in a cave in northern Thailand is continuing. | Listen |
| EU Plans for Migrant Centres | |
| They would be set up voluntarily inside EU countries to process asylum claims and migrants whose claims were rejected would be "returned". No details have been given on where they will be set up or which countries would receive refugees. Also, Iraq has executed 12 people convicted of terrorism in retaliation to the murder of hostages by the Islamic State group, and why will more people live past their 100th birthday? Scientists may have the answer. | Listen |
| Dozens of candidates killed ahead of Sunday's elections in Mexico | |
| More than a hundred and thirty candidates for Sunday's elections in Mexico have been killed during the campaign; European leaders struggling to agree joint policy at a summit dominated by the migration crisis; No African team in the final 16 of the World Cup for the first time in more than three decades | Listen |
| UK "Knew US Mistreated Rendition Detainees" | |
| A damning report by a British parliamentary committee finds that the UK tolerated torture and kidnap of US rendition detainees. Also, could a robot replace your doctor? A revamped drug could prevent fatal post-partum bleeding and how fingerprints could catch pangolin poachers. | Listen |
| Trump can now Reshape Supreme Court | |
| Justice Anthony Kennedy is to retire, allowing Trump to influence the Court's composition. Also: the actor, Terry Crews, on 'toxic masculinity', and Germans react to crashing out of the World Cup. | Listen |
| Rival South Sudan Leaders Agree Truce | |
| A possible end to the civil war that's devastated the country. Previous ceasefires have failed to hold. Poland has backed down over its controversial Nazi Holocaust legislation. Also optimism from Indonesia where the rate of deforestation is decreasing. | Listen |
| President Trump secures one of the biggest victories of his presidency. | |
| The US Supreme Court has upheld President Trump's ban on travellers from eight mainly Muslim majority countries; The Italian prime minister says Malta has agreed to accept a rescue vessel with more than two-hundred migrants on board; French butchers want protection against what they say is intimidation from militant vegans. | Listen |
| Syria War: Army makes Gains with Offensive in South-west | |
| Thousands of civilians flee as pro-government forces capture territory in Deraa province. Also, Thailand continues operation to rescue teenagers from cave-network, Prince William visits Jerusalem, doctor on trial in Spain's 'stolen babies' case, and Brazilian musician Bem Gil remakes one of most famous albums of his father Gilberto. | Listen |
| US Military Bases to Be Used as Temporary Camps for Illegal Migrants | |
| The US Defence Secretary, Jim Mattis, said Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso and Goodfellow Air Force Base in the city of San Angelo were being prepared. Also: Argentina brought to a halt by strike and what makes a French cognac a XXO? | Listen |
| Turkey's Election: Erdogan Takes on Extensive New Powers after Victory | |
| Defeated opposition candidate Muharrem Ince says Turkey entering dangerous 'one-man rule'. Also, Iran hit by biggest protests since 2012, 'baby boom' among Rohingya refugees allegedly caused by rapes by Burmese military, Hungary's Foreign Minister explains his concerns over migration into Europe, and what is 'smart tourism' - and could it help save the global environment ? | Listen |
| Erdogan Claims Victory in Turkish Election | |
| The Turkish leader says unofficial results from the presidential elections show he has won outright in the first round. Also: dozens killed in violence between farmers and nomadic cattle herders in Nigeria and illegal dynamite fishing in the Philippines. | Listen |
| Saudi Arabia Lifts Its Ban On Women Drivers | |
| Another step in the sweeping changes in Saudi Arabia. Also: Tens of thousands march in London over Brexit and final rallies before elections in Turkey. | Listen |
| Trump itensifies trade row with threat of car tariffs | |
| Shares in European carmakers dip after Trump announces new tariff, also: Italy says Malta refuses to accept ship with 234 migrants and: a diplomatic row surrounding Boris Becker | Listen |
| UN says Rule of Law 'Virtually Absent' in Venezuela | |
| Venezuelan security forces have carried out hundreds of arbitrary killings under the guise of fighting crime, the UN says in a new report. Also: Italy moves to seize migrant rescue ships and studying disco music of the 1970's. | Listen |
| US First Lady Melania Trump Visits Texas Child Detention Centre | |
| Mrs Trump said she wanted to help reunite families separated by US immigration laws. The Justice Department has asked a federal court to ease restrictions on how long children can be detained alongside their parents. Also: mystery ape found in ancient tomb and the debate over eating dogs in Asia. | Listen |
| Italy wants EU Partner on Migrant Deal | |
| Italy says curbing the boatloads of Mediterranean migrants is the priority. Also: Israeli PM's wife charged with fraud and Koko the famously social gorilla dies in California. | Listen |
| Trump Reverses Migrant Separation Policy | |
| US President signs an executive order promising to keep families together. Also, the British government avoids defeat over Brexit and scientists create pigs that are resistant to a highly infectious disease by editing their DNA. | Listen |
| Hungary Outlaws Helping Illegal Migrants | |
| The government says the new laws are needed to protect Hungary's security and identity. Critics say they demonise asylum seekers and will be used to target human rights activists and civil society groups working with migrants. Also: An inquiry into the deaths of elderly people at a hospital in southern England has concluded that more than 450 patients died as a direct result of being given powerful painkillers without medical justification, and China opens a research facility to continue the conservation of pandas and try to replicate the success with other threatened species. | Listen |
| Trump Defends Separating Immigrant Families Amid Outcry | |
| President Trump had earlier sparked outrage for tweeting that undocumented immigrants would "infest" the US. Also: General Electric drops out of Dow index and medicinal cannabis use to be reviewed in UK. | Listen |
| Italy's Criticised for Threat over Roma Community | |
| Italian Minister says he'll count Roma and potentially deport those without citizenship. A UN human rights official has condemned Matteo Salvini's comments as racist. Also: a controversial rapper is shot dead in Miami, and how Syrian schoolgirls continued their education in defiance of IS. | Listen |
| Trump Defends Immigration Policy | |
| President Trump says he won't let the US become a migrant camp. Also, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel wins breathing space in immigration row. And the 'Paris Spiderman' who saved a child dangling from a balcony given a hero's welcome in his native Mali. | Listen |
| Spanish King's Brother-in-Law Jailed in Spain | |
| Iñaki Urdangarin was permitted to choose where to serve his reduced sentence of five years and ten months. Also: Syria blames US for deadly air strike and gaming becomes the latest addiction. | Listen |
| Ivan Duque Wins Colombia's Presidential Election | |
| The conservative candidate secured fifty four per cent of the vote. Also, President Trump's wife, Melania, has entered the debate about illegal immigration and three ships carrying more than six hundred migrants who were rescued off the coast of Libya eight days ago have arrived in the Spanish port of Valencia. | Listen |
| Death toll mounts in anti government protests in Nicaragua | |
| Peace talks resume in Nicaragua despite protests over deadly arson attack which killed six members of the same family; The former head of France Telecom to stand trial over his alleged role in a series of staff suicides; Ethiopia and Somalia to work together to invest in four sea ports and build a road network linking the two countries. | Listen |
| US separates almost 2,000 migrant children since April | |
| President Trump considers immigration policy as new figures reveal the scale of family separations on the US-Mexico border. Also: Portugal's Parliament votes to legalise marijuana-based medicines and why a visit to India 50 years ago had such an impact on The Beatles. | Listen |
| Trump Puts 25% Tariff on Chinese Goods | |
| President Trump unveiled the tariffs on $34bn worth of Chinese goods, accusing Beijing of intellectual copyright theft. Also: US strike targets Pakistan Taliban chief and stars turn out for Stephen Hawking memorial at Westminster Abbey. | Listen |
| Trump Foundation Faces New York Lawsuit | |
| New York's attorney general alleges "extensive and persistent" law breaking and also includes the President himself and three of Mr Trump's children. The Foundation denies the charges and says they're politically motivated. Also: Argentina's lower house votes to legalise abortion up to 14 weeks and a gadget has been invented to detect malaria without drawing blood. | Listen |
| US Warns North Korea Sanctions Will Not be Lifted Before Denuclearisation | |
| The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has said all three countries he's been briefing on the Singapore summit have agreed to maintain sanctions on North Korea for the time being. Also: memorial service held for Grenfell anniversary and Mars rover 'should ride out storm'. | Listen |
| Aids agencies warn of humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen | |
| UN Security Council to meet in emergency session to debate the crisis, also: Volkswagen fined more than a billion dollars and the raccoon that climbed a skyscraper in Minnesota | Listen |
| Battle Starts for Lifeline Port in Yemen | |
| Rebel-held Hodeida is the main entry point for aid needed by millions of Yemenis at risk of starvation. Also: President Trump declares that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat and Banksy artwork originally rejected for Royal Academy summer exhibition. | Listen |
| Mixed reactions to Singapore Summit. | |
| Donald Trump surprises many with his promises to North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Singapore; Greek and Macedonian leaders agree a new name for the former Yugoslav state, to end a decades' old dispute; President Macron of France criticises Italy for turning away a ship full of migrants rescued from the Mediterranean. | Listen |
| Trump Claims Success after Historic Summit with Kim Jong-Un | |
| US President and North Korean leader sign agreement after 'tremendous' talks. The document includes pledge by Kim Jong-Un to remove nuclear weapons from Korean peninsula. We assess what the talks have achieved, and the implications for the region and the wider world. | Listen |
| Trump and Kim Set for Historic Summit | |
| The summit is being held at a hotel on the island of Sentosa, off the Singapore mainland. Also: Spain to accept disputed migrant ship and scientists shocked by the mysterious deaths of ancient baobab trees. | Listen |
| Singapore: Countdown to Summit between US and North Korea | |
| US Secretary of State says summit must lead to denuclearisation of Korean peninsula. Also, Spain offers to take boatload of migrants that neither Italy nor Malta want to accept, two survivors of Grenfell Tower fire write song commemorating the victims, India police arrest sixteen people for murders committed after 'child kidnap' rumours, and have scientists discovered a technique to deal with obesity ? | Listen |
| War of Words Erupts After Tense G7 Summit | |
| Germany's Angela Merkel said US president's decision to reject a joint communique was "sobering" and "depressing". Also: Trump and Kim fly into Singapore for historic summit, and marches in UK celebrate women's suffrage. | Listen |
| G7 Summit: 'Extremely Productive' | |
| The US president says relations with the G7 leaders are good, despite tensions over trade. Also, the Taliban announces a three-day ceasefire in Afghanistan next week, and the deaf cat predicting this year's World Cup results. | Listen |
| World Leaders Try to Bridge Differences in Canada | |
| Several nations taking part in the G7 summit said a closing joint statement was unlikely, although President Trump said he believed they would agree on one. Also: a landmark judgement made by the International Criminal Court against a former Congolese war lord is quashed, and tributes are paid to the American celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, who has died. | Listen |
| Trump Wants Russia at G7 summit | |
| The build-up to the meeting has seen major disagreements between the US president and other nations over his imposition of trade tariffs. Also: Austria to shut seven 'political' mosques, and plastic and other waste found in British mussels. | Listen |
| Donald Trump Says North Korea Summit 'ready to go' | |
| The President also promises to raise Japan's concerns over security issues and the cases of abducted Japanese citizens. Also, new discoveries about the possibility of life on Mars, and mobile phones banned from French lower schools. | Listen |
| African Football Officials Filmed Taking Cash | |
| More than a hundred African football officials have been filmed accepting cash, in apparent violation of the sport's rules, during an undercover investigation. Also: Supreme Court in Britain rejects Northern Ireland abortion law case and Texas man bitten by severed snake head. | Listen |
| Californian judge removed from office | |
| Voters sack Aaron Persky after he sparked outrage for handing down a six month prison sentence to a student who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman. Also, "smartphone lanes" open in China for addicts who can't stop texting and walking and the Mexican nuns saving one of the world's most endangered amphibians. | Listen |
| Ukraine to Investigate Alleged Russian Hit-list of Journalists and Writers | |
| Ukrainian security services launch probe after publication of leaked 'hit-list'. Also, jail term for Croatian football's 'Mr. Big', Argentina cancels World Cup friendly warm-up match with Israel, Myanmar minorities suffering as army assaults northern rebels, and what can humans learn from how animals communicate ? | Listen |
| Ethiopia Seeks to End Deadly Eritrea Feud | |
| The dispute sparked Africa's deadliest border war in which tens of thousands of people were killed. Also: new explosion at Guatemalan volcano and Miss America says bye bye bikinis. | Listen |
| Jordan: King Calls For Review of Tax System Following Angry Protests | |
| King Abdullah tells Prime Minister-designate that new law on tax needs rethink. Also, Austria defends decision to maintain close ties to Moscow, how Qatar has survived a year of blockade by neighbouring states, stark warning from UN about need to cut down global use of plastics, and we remember Robert Kennedy - 50 years after his assassination. | Listen |
| Guatemala Searches for Volcano Missing | |
| Scores of people are known to have died when the Fuego volcano erupted on Sunday. Also: 'remarkable' therapy beats terminal breast cancer and the politics of the office kitchen. | Listen |
| Jordan: Prime Minister Resigns After Anti-austerity Protests | |
| Prime Minister Hani Mulki resigns after days of demonstrations against austerity-measures. Also, dozens killed as Guatemala volcano erupts, suicide-bomber attacks gathering of clerics in Afghanistan, French President's chief of staff is investigated over corruption allegations, and ex-President Bill Clinton teams up with author James Patterson to write a novel. | Listen |
| Matteo Salvini Urges Crackdown on Migration | |
| Italy's new interior minister calls for an end to the Sicily refugee camp. Also, a landmark study offers hope for women suffering from breast cancer, and the heroic crustacean who's become a social media star. | Listen |
| G7 Finance Ministers Urge US Not To Go Ahead With Tariffs | |
| US allies try to avoid a trade war. Also: Independence for Catalonia comes to the fore again in Spanish politics and Spotify reverses its playlist policy. | Listen |
| President Trump says Summit with North Korea Back On | |
| He says summit will be successful though he describes it as just the start of a process, and relations with North Korea were building - to use his word - and that this was very positive. The Pyongyang envoy delivered a letter from Kim Jong-un, which Mr Trump first described as ' very interesting ' but then said he hadn't opened it. Also: the Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, has said that senior civil servants will have to take lie-detector tests as part of a crackdown on corruption, and an academic conference on the sport of skateboarding gets underway in London. | Listen |
| Spanish PM Rajoy Forced Out of Office | |
| Mariano Rajoy loses a no-confidence vote after his party was implicated in a big corruption scandal. Also: new government agreed in Italy and methane ice dunes found on Pluto. | Listen |
| US Imposes Metal Tariffs on Key Allies | |
| The EU, Canada, and Mexico vow to retaliate saying the US action is totally unacceptable. Also, Italy gets a new government after weeks of political uncertainty, and the appeal of the Yorkshire accent in the north of England | Listen |
| European States 'Complicit in CIA Torture' | |
| European judges have ruled that Lithuania and Romania violated the rights of two al-Qaeda terror suspects by allowing the CIA to torture them. Also: MSF says thousands of people are suffering as result of violence in South Sudan, and Zidane to leave Real Madrid. | Listen |
| Ukraine Staged Fake Murder of Journalist | |
| Kiev says Arkady Babchenko?s ?death? was an operation to foil a Russian assassination plot. Also: Donald Trump weighs in on the scandal surrounding the American actress Roseanne Barr following her racist tweets, and why a million bank staff in India have taken to the streets. | Listen |
| Italy's leaders struggle to avoid crisis | |
| There is still no government in Italy three months after elections and a new poll might be on the cards. Also: the president of Zimbabwe has announced that new elections will be held in July, and a new report says Japanese hunters killed hundreds of whales last year. | Listen |
| Hurricane Maria 'killed 4,600 in Puerto Rico' | |
| A Harvard University study contradicts the official toll of 64. Researchers say a third of deaths after September's hurricane were due to delays in medical care caused by power cuts and broken roads. The Puerto Rico government said it 'always expected the number to be higher than what was previously reported'. Also: a Russian investigative journalist is shot dead at his home in Kiev, and New Zealand uses comedy to help teenagers struggling with mental health problems. | Listen |
| Italy: Efforts to Form New Government as Political Crisis Continues | |
| Prime Minister-designate Carlo Cottarelli has continued to try to create a government. Libya's rival factions hold talks in Paris in effort to end civil war, South Africa facing growing demands to redistribute white-owned land to blacks, former chief of Pakistan's intelligence agency collaborates with Indian counterpart on a book, and Starbucks train their US staff to avoid racial bias. | Listen |
| Italy PM-designate Promises New Election | |
| Italian President Sergio Mattarella has asked an ex-IMF economist, Carlo Cottarelli, to form a government as the country faces fresh political turmoil. Also: EU proposes single-use plastics ban and Springboks name first black test captain. | Listen |
| Italy: President Names Carlo Cottarelli as Temporary PM | |
| President Sergio Mattarella asks ex-IMF economist to form government amid ongoing political turmoil. Also, anger as Syria becomes head of global disarmament body, heroic 'Spiderman' rescuer Mamoudou Gassama to be made French citizen, calls for fresh investigation into 1968 murder of Bobby Kennedy, and BTS become first K-pop band to top US album charts. | Listen |
| Bid to Form Government in Italy Fails | |
| The president refused to accept an arch Euro-sceptic as finance minister. Also, two contenders for the Colombian presidency go through to the second round, and the end of an era for the BBC's listening station. | Listen |
| Ireland Votes to Liberalise its Abortion Laws | |
| The Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar said it was a 'momentous day' for the country. Also, the leaders of North and South Korea have met at an unexpected summit, and a US citizen has been released after two years in prison in Venezuela. | Listen |
| Brazil: President Orders Troops to Break Strike | |
| The main truckers' association in Brazil tells members to end a five-day protest. The announcement came after President Terner authorised the armed forces to end the blockade. Also: exit polls published after Ireland's referendum on abortion suggest a clear majority have backed liberalising the law, and Amazon says an "unlikely" string of events prompted its Echo personal assistant device to record a family's private conversation, then send the recording to an acquaintance. | Listen |
| Harvey Weinstein Charged with Rape | |
| The Hollywood mogul faces a number of charges in New York relating to two separate women. Also: Russia 'liable' for downing MH17 airliner and the problems of crazy ants in Australia. | Listen |
| Summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un is off - amid mutual recriminations. | |
| President Trump calls off the planned summit with his North Korean counterpart; The UN nuclear watchdog says Iran is still complying with the main elements of the 2015 international deal; How security cameras could soon be able to tell if we're lying: | Listen |
| Trump cancels Kim summit amid North Korea 'hostility' | |
| US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Also: an international investigation team says Russian armed forces supplied the missile that shot down Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine four years ago and why environmentalists have concerns about balloons at one of the world's greatest motor races. | Listen |
| Ukraine 'Paid Trump Lawyer for Talks' | |
| Michael Cohen allegedly took at least $400,000 to arrange a meeting between President Trump and the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Mr Cohen denies the allegation. Also, health workers are battling an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and would you send a naked picture of yourself to Facebook? | Listen |
| Philip Roth: Acclaimed American Novelist Dies Aged 85 | |
| Death of Award-winning Author Who Entertained and Scandalised America. Also, prominent Egyptian blogger is 'arrested', India's battle to bring electricity to its remote villages, hundreds attend Karachi funeral of teenager killed in Texas mass-shooting, and is the Loch Ness Monster mystery closer to being solved ? | Listen |
| Trump Casts Doubt on Historic Kim Summit | |
| The US president says North Korea must meet certain conditions for the summit to go ahead next month. Also: MEPs frustrated by Zuckerberg questioning and satellites are launched to weigh Earth's water. | Listen |
| North Korea: Journalists Arrive to Witness Dismantling of Nuclear Test-site | |
| South Korean journalists excluded from visit to remote Punggye-ri nuclear test-site. Also, Palestinians ask International Criminal Court to investigate alleged war crimes by Israel, Australian archbishop convicted of covering up child sexual abuse, service held for first anniversary of deadly Manchester Arena attack, and $100 million prize-pot offered for players of competitive video-game. | Listen |
| Iran Condemns US Sanctions Move | |
| Tehran dismisses Washington's pledge to impose the 'strongest sanctions in history'. Also: modern germ-free life 'causes' childhood cancer, and tribute to dead baby as Grenfell fire inquiry opens. | Listen |
| Venezuela Election: Maduro Wins Second Term Amid Claims of Vote-rigging | |
| President Nicolás Maduro wins another six-year term in vote marred by opposition boycott. Also, UN warning over rise in illegal drug-production in South East Asia, deadly Nipah virus claims victims in India, growing illegal trade in EU passports and travel documents, and China launches satellite in preparation for Moon rover landing. | Listen |
| Venezuelan Polls Close as Opposition Cries Foul | |
| President Maduro's opponents claim Sunday's election was marred by irregularities. The government says it was 'free and fair'. Also: lava from Hawaii volcano reaches coast, and what Hitler's teeth tell us about his death. | Listen |
| Prince Harry Marries Meghan Markle | |
| Two billion across the globe watch the couple exchange vows at Windsor Castle. Also: ceremony combines British tradition and African-American culture, and US bishop wows guests with 'power of love' address. | Listen |
| More than 100 Die in Cuba Plane Crash | |
| Just three survivors are found after a passenger plane crashes near Havana. Also, ten people are killed in a Texas high school shooting - police have arrested the shooter, and scientists warn that fungal infections are becoming increasingly difficult to cure because of their resistance to the drugs that treat them. | Listen |
| All of Chile's Catholic Bishops Offer to Resign | |
| 34 Chilean Bishops offer Pope Francis their resignation following a child sex scandal and cover-up. They asked forgiveness from victims and the Church for their "grave errors and omissions". Also, the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal is discharged from hospital after being poisoned and three US states are trialling the use of nitrogen as a method of execution. | Listen |
| EU Moves to Block US Sanctions on Iran | |
| The measures will protect EU firms following the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Also, the controversial nominee, Gina Haspel, is confirmed as the CIA's first female director, and a school in China pilots a high-tech surveillance system to see if pupils are paying attention. | Listen |
| Ebola Outbreak Spreads to DR Congo City | |
| The World Health Organization says the spread of Ebola to Mbandaka means there is the potential for an "explosive increase" in the number of cases. Also: Meghan Markle is said to be sad over the absence of her father from the Royal wedding, and why are whale sharks heading to Madagascar? | Listen |
| Trump on North Korea Summit: 'We'll Have to See' | |
| The US President says it's unclear if his planned meeting with Kim Jong-un will go ahead. Also, Michigan State University agrees to pay $500m to gymnasts who were abused by ex-team doctor Larry Nassar, and astronomers make the most distant ever detection of oxygen. | Listen |
| N Korea Threatens to Cancel Trump Summit | |
| Pyongyang says it may pull out of a summit with US President Donald Trump if the US insists it gives up its nuclear weapons. Also, Anne Frank's 'dirty jokes' found in hidden diary pages. | Listen |
| North Korea Raises Doubts Over US Summit | |
| Pyongyang cancels talks with Seoul over US military exercises and tells Washington to think carefully about the Summit; angry exchanges at the UN over deaths and injuries on the border between Israel and Gaza; American author Tom Wolfe dies at the age of eighty-eight. | Listen |
| Gaza Tense as Palestinians Begin to Bury 58 Dead | |
| Funerals held in Gaza after deadliest day of violence there since a war in 2014. Also, fierce fighting between Taliban and government forces in Afghan city of Farah, why brutal gangs dominate Guyana's border with Venezuela, appeals for understanding after Meghan Markle's father says he won't attend royal wedding, and the 'man with magic blood' who's saved over two million lives. | Listen |
| Israel Defends Gaza Action as Dozens Killed | |
| The violence came as the US opened its embassy in Jerusalem. Also: Catalans elect new separatist leader and UK scientists believe they have found a way to combat the common cold. | Listen |
| Gaza Clashes: Dozens Killed in Protests as US opens Jerusalem Embassy | |
| More Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in deadliest day of clashes in several years. Also, Iraqi Prime Minister trails rivals as election results counted, family of five bomb Indonesian police headquarters, international concern over young Sudanese woman facing death-sentence, and 104 year old pianist releases new CD. | Listen |
| Trump Seeks to Save Chinese ZTE Jobs | |
| In April, American firms were banned from exporting parts to ZTE because it had broken a deal not to trade with Iran and North Korea. Also: Indonesian family of bombers 'had been to Syria' and outrage over death of young French mother after ambulance call mocked. | Listen |
| 'Terror' Attack in Paris | |
| A knifeman allegedly shouting "Allahu Akbar" - meaning "God is Great" - has been shot dead after he killed one person and wounded four others in central Paris. Also, Malaysia's former Prime Minister, Najib Razak, is banned from leaving the country and Israel wins the Eurovision Song Contest which was disrupted by a man who stormed the stage. | Listen |
| US Offers To Help Rebuild N Korea Economy | |
| Pompeo: Washington will aid Pyongyang if it gives up nuclear arms. The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and President Trump will meet in Singapore on 12 June. Also: Health experts prepare for 'worst case scenario', after new outbreak of Ebola, and why a sad song can be good news if you want to win Eurovision. | Listen |
| Malaysia's jailed Anwar 'To Get Pardon' | |
| Anwar Ibrahim, once considered a potential future leader, was jailed on charges of corruption and sodomy after falling out with the government. Also: France condemns US move to re-impose sanctions and US scientists have developed a way of making objects invisible under water. | Listen |
| Trump to meet Kim Jong-Un next month | |
| The US and North Korean leaders agree to hold crunch talks in Singapore on June 12th. They'll aim to defuse military tensions -- and begin the process of ridding the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Also: the campaign to save a Sudanese teenager sentenced to death for killing the man who raped her, the Russian orphans getting joy from their love of football, and we hear from the fans gearing up for the annual Eurovision extravaganza. | Listen |
| 'Israel-Iran' Fight Flares Up in Syria | |
| Israel launches a massive wave of strikes on Iranian forces in Syria, after coming under rocket fire. Also: UK apology over Libyan dissident treatment and exploring the differences between chimpanzee vocal communication and human speech. | Listen |
| Dramatic Win for Former Malaysian Prime Minister | |
| Mahathir Mohammad, has made an extraordinary comeback at the age of 92. Also, the woman chosen by President Trump to lead the CIA has faced questions in Congress over her role in the interrogations of Al Qaeda suspects, and how a Chinese mountain school succeeds at producing young footballers. | Listen |
| Iran: Can World Leaders Save Nuclear Deal ? | |
| Global reaction to President Trump?s decision to withdraw from nuclear deal. Also, huge parade in Red Square as Russia remembers victory over Nazi Germany, why the legacy of Israel's founding has shaped the modern Middle East, Nigeria's cattle war fuels religious tensions, and how elephants communicate in more ways than we'd realised. | Listen |
| Trump Pulls US out of Iran Deal | |
| In response, Iran said it was preparing to restart uranium enrichment, key for making both nuclear energy and weapons. Also: Ebola returns to DR Congo and potential new cure found for baldness. | Listen |
| Trump to Reveal His Iran Nuclear Decision | |
| President to say whether US will abandon nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions. Also, Armenian protest leader Pashinyan wins vote to become new PM, brother of murdered Nicaraguan journalist demands justice, Zimbabwe's female anti-poaching squad fights to protect wildlife, and how long before everyone on earth has access to a toilet ? | Listen |
| Trump to Announce Decision on Nuclear Deal with Iran | |
| Britain, France and Germany have urged Trump not to abandon nuclear deal. Also: Italy's coalition-building talks have failed and tithing at one of Africa's biggest mega-churches. | Listen |
| Putin Sworn in For Fourth Term as President | |
| Vladimir Putin promises to harness Russia's talents "to achieve breakthroughs". Also: Israeli minister threatens Assad over Iran and vanilla price rise proves chilling for ice-cream makers. | Listen |
| Pressure Mounting on US over Iran | |
| British Foreign Secretary urges President Trump not to walk away from Iran nuclear deal. Boris Johnson joins President Macron and Chancellor Merkel in encouraging the US to renew the waiving of sanctions. Also: the Pakistani Interior Minister escapes an assassination attempt, and The Big Mac celebrates its 50th birthday. | Listen |
| Russian Opposition Leader Arrested | |
| Alexei Navalny is held following protests against President Putin's upcoming inauguration. A human rights group said more than a thousand people had been detained across Russia. Also: the former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is recovering after emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage, and the countdown has begun until Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. | Listen |
| Trump Defends Use of Guns | |
| US President tells members of America's powerful gun lobby he's against stricter controls. Also, Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, apologises for Holocaust comments, and former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard signs a four-year deal to manage Scottish side Rangers. | Listen |
| Nobel Literature Prize Shelved Over Sex Scandal | |
| The Swedish Academy says there won't be a 2018 winner. Eighteen women claim they were sexually assaulted by a board member's husband. Six board members have resigned. Also: Hawaii volcano emergency, and at 104, Australia's oldest scientist goes to Switzerland to end his life - but the country's medical profession says it's wrong | Listen |
| Trump: No Campaign Cash To Silence Porn Star | |
| The US president said his lawyer had paid off Stormy Daniels during the campaign and was reimbursed. Also, the former chief executive of Volkswagen has been charged in the US for his role in the company's diesel emissions scandal and the organisation that runs the Oscars has voted to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski. | Listen |
| Spanish PM says No Impunity for Eta | |
| An audio tape provided to the BBC by the Basque separatist group says it has ceased all political activity. Also: dust storms kill nearly one hundred in India and the world's largest greenhouse at Kew reopens. | Listen |
| Cambridge Analytica to Close | |
| The company at the centre of the Facebook data-harvesting scandal is shutting down. Also, Armenia's opposition leader calls an end to protests, and how ecstasy may provide a cure for post traumatic stress syndrome. | Listen |
| Protests Bring Armenia Cities to Standstill | |
| Roads and buildings in Armenia are blockaded after the ruling party rejects the protest leader as prime minister. Also: deadly attack on Libya election HQ and mantis shrimps have the world's best eyes -- but why? | Listen |
| Armenia: Political Turmoil Worsens | |
| Opposition leader, Nikol Pashinyan, calls on supporters to join civil disobedience campaign in protest at MPs refusal to choose him as PM. Also, UN envoys in Myanmar want a proper investigation into the treatment of Rohingya Muslims, were British forces responsible for some civilian deaths in the battle for Mosul? And how technology seeks to preserve braille literacy. | Listen |
| Armenia: Peaceful Mass Protests Bring a Watershed Moment | |
| Opposition politician Nikol Pashinyan faces vote in parliament to become prime minister. Also, Taiwan more isolated on the international stage and blames China, Zimbabwe's struggle to revive its battered economy, Nigerian policeman given award for not taking bribes, and scientists map the full genome of the rose. | Listen |
| Israel says Iran Hid Nuclear Arms Work | |
| The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reveals what he says are "Iran's secret nuclear files". Also: deadline looms for US trade tariffs on EU and Nigeria's deadly codeine cough syrup epidemic. | Listen |
| UK: Sajid Javid to be New Home Secretary After Amber Rudd Resigns | |
| Javid says his most 'urgent task' is to help the Windrush generation. Also, BBC reporter is among dozens killed in Afghanistan, inmates languish in Manila's City Jail while awaiting trial, migrant caravan is stuck at US-Mexico border, and why melting of Antarctic glacier could threaten coastal communities worldwide. | Listen |
| Amber Rudd Resigns as British Home Secretary | |
| Ms Rudd said she "inadvertently misled" MPs over targets for removing illegal immigrants. Also: ruling party in Armenia gives up PM race and rotten durian causes Melbourne university evacuation. | Listen |
| More Protests Over Spain Rape Trial Verdict | |
| Anger grows after five men are cleared of rape on a lesser charge of sexual abuse. Also, India's Red Fort to be privatised in a controversial deal; and half of paintings found to be fake in French museum dedicated to Etienne Terrus. | Listen |
| Merkel Lobbies Trump on Iran Nuclear Deal | |
| During a visit to Washington, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, urges the US President not to back out of the nuclear deal with Iran. Also: the world reacts with optimism and caution to the breakthrough Korean summit, and could the football World Cup in Russia help reverse the country's declining birth rate? | Listen |
| Koreas Make Pledge After Summit | |
| The leaders of North and South Korea agree to work to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons. Also, winning 'stuffed anteater' photo disqualified from World Wildlife Photographer of the year competition and horses can read facial expressions. | Listen |
| US Actor Bill Cosby Guilty of Sexual Assault | |
| Dozens of women have accused Bill Cosby of decades of abuse. Also: Spaniards protest after five men accused of rape are convicted on a lesser charge, and a woman gives birth using a You Tube instruction video. | Listen |
| Kim to Cross Border for Korea Talks | |
| Kim Jong-un is set to become the first North Korean leader to cross into South Korea territory since the end of the Korean War in 1953. Also: Zimbabwe president urges an end to isolation and Caster Semenya expected to be affected by IAAF rule changes. | Listen |
| Macron Addresses US Congress | |
| The French president used his speech to denounce nationalism and isolationism. Also, thirteen Turkish journalists from an opposition newspaper are sentenced on terrorism charges, and how English flocks of sheep are helping asylum seekers who've fled war and violence. | Listen |
| Kim Wall Murder: Danish Inventor Peter Madsen Given Life Sentence | |
| Madsen to serve life in prison for murdering Swedish journalist Kim Wall on his submarine. Also, Indian guru Asaram Bapu sentenced to life for raping girl, international conference raises pledges of humanitarian aid for Syria, we profile the Incels - a sinister and misogynistic online community, and why Japan is angry about dessert due to be served at Korean summit. | Listen |
| Trump and Macron mull New Iran Nuclear Deal | |
| The US and French presidents discuss how to overcome divisions over a key accord reached in 2015. Also: Israel scraps plan to deport migrants and record concentration of microplastics found in Arctic. | Listen |
| Macron and Trump to Discuss Iran Deal | |
| Iran warns of severe consequences if the US withdraws from an international nuclear deal. Also, Mosul's landmark Great Mosque is to be rebuilt and US soldier gets world's first penis and scrotum transplant. | Listen |
| Many Dead in Toronto Van Incident | |
| The driver fled the scene of the incident, at a busy junction in the north of the Canadian city, but was arrested several streets away. Also: key Houthi official killed in Yemen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge show off their new son. | Listen |
| Armenian PM Resigns After Days of Protest | |
| Serzh Sargysan admits he was wrong to try to stay in power after 2 terms as president. In a statement, he said he was wrong to take up the post of prime minister after completing his term as president and was meeting the demands of the street movement. He said he didn't want to use other options, an apparent reference to police action that left at least ten protesters dead ten years ago at the start of his first presidential term. Also in the podcast: the only surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris Islamist attacks, Salah Abdeslam, has been found guilty of attempted murder during a shoot-out in Belgium two years ago, and a new baby boy has joined the British Royal family. | Listen |
| Dozens Dead in Afghanistan Attack | |
| A suicide bombing at a voter registration centre in the capital, Kabul, has killed at least 57 people. The Islamic State group said it was responsible. Also, President Macron urges President Trump to stick with the Iran deal, and tens of thousands of people run in London's hottest marathon on record. | Listen |
| Chemical Weapons Inspectors Enter Douma | |
| Investigators gather samples following the suspected poison gas attack in Syria, which killed dozens of civilians. Also, India's about to impose the death penalty for anyone who's found guilty of raping a girl under the age of 12, and the locals in Rome who have had enough of thousands of potholes ruining the city. | Listen |
| North Korea Halts Missile and Nuclear Tests | |
| Kim Jong-un says Pyongyang has completed the weaponising of nuclear arms. Also, there is shock in the music world over the death of Swedish DJ Avicii, and why a mayor walked the streets of his city with a false beard. | Listen |
| Korea Leaders Set Up Hotline Ahead of Summit | |
| The leaders of North and South Korea are to hold later this month their first summit in over a decade. Also: the South African president returns home early amid protests and robots build Ikea chair in under ten minutes. | Listen |
| Cuba's New President Promises Communist Continuity | |
| Miguel Diaz-Canel declares his loyalty to the Revolution and praised the outgoing president, Raul Castro. And, in Spain, canine protection for domestic violence victims. Also, reunited after forty years by a YouTube video. | Listen |
| Queen Elizabeth II wants Charles to lead Commonwealth | |
| The Queen has appealed to Commonwealth leaders to appoint her son, Prince Charles, to succeed her as their head. And, Hans Asperger 'collaborated with Nazis' in WWII. Record number of Nepalese women attempt Everest climb. | Listen |
| New President in Cuba Ends Castro Era | |
| Members of Cuba's National Assembly have named Miguel Díaz-Canel as the next leader. The fifty-seven year-old former engineer is expected to take office on Thursday. The handover of power will bring to an end nearly six decades of rule by Mr Castro and his late brother Fidel, who led the revolution in 1959. Also: Police in Iceland say a man suspected of masterminding the theft of six-hundred computers that were used to mine virtual currencies has escaped custody, and for the first time in more than thirty five years, a Hollywood film has been shown in a cinema in Saudi Arabia. | Listen |
| Trump Hails Secret Mission to North Korea | |
| The US president tweeted that the CIA chief Mike Pompeo formed a "good relationship" with North Korea's leader. Also: malaria experts fear disease's resurgence and space diamonds "came from lost planet". | Listen |
| Doubts Over Whether Chemical Experts Have Entered Douma | |
| Syrian state media claims international experts have arrived at the site of an alleged chemical attack, but US State Department sources disagree. Also, Japan and the US hold emergency talks about North Korea, and we hear from the nurse who took everyone by surprise at the Boston Marathon. | Listen |
| Windrush Controversy: Theresa May Apologises to Caribbean Leaders | |
| UK Prime Minister 'genuinely sorry' about treatment of long-term migrants. Also, France's President Macron urges EU to shun nationalism, Turkish government cracks down on domestic opposition, the remarkable life of South Korean actress Choi Eun-hee who survived abduction by the North, and Frenchman Jérôme Hamon gets 'third face' in new transplant. | Listen |
| Syria: Inspection of Suspected Chemical Attack Site | |
| The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been waiting for access. Also, President Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen has appeared in court after the FBI raided his home and office last week, and Kendrick Lamar has become the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. | Listen |
| Syria: International Chemical Weapons Watchdog Meets | |
| Talks held in the Hague over alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma. Also, Weibo backtracks over banning gay material on the internet, BBC begins major podcast investigation into "Death in Ice Valley" mystery, controversy over treatment of Britain's "Windrush generation", and a 92 year-old actress tells us how she landed role in blockbuster film. | Listen |
| Bonus Podcast: Death in Ice Valley | |
| A special preview of the new podcast Death in Ice Valley. An unidentified body. Who was she? Why hasn?t she been missed? A BBC World Service and NRK original podcast, investigating a mystery unsolved for almost half a century. Episode One was released on 16 April 2018 and new episodes will be released every Monday. | Listen |
| Macron Persuaded Trump Not to Pull US Troops Out of Syria | |
| Earlier this month, President Trump suggested that he wanted to withdraw about two-thousand US troops currently deployed in Syria. Also: Catalans protest en masse in Barcelona and the celebrated Italian film-maker Vittorio Taviani has died aged 88. | Listen |
| US Warns Syria Not to Use Chemical Weapons Again | |
| The American ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, told the Security Council the US was 'locked and loaded'. Also: the Syrian government says it has now taken complete control of the former rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta and thousands of South Africans have attended a funeral service in Soweto for Winnie Madikizela Mandela. | Listen |
| US and Allies Launch Air Strikes on Syria | |
| This is a special podcast about missile strikes by the United States, Britain and France on chemical weapons facilities in Syria. The action follows a suspected gas attack on civilians in Eastern Ghouta a week ago. Why was military action taken and what has been the reaction from Russia, Turkey and Iran? | Listen |
| Military Action Against Syria Looks Likely | |
| The US says it has proof the Syrian government was behind the suspected chemical attack. Also, Donald Trump describes his former FBI director as a "weak and untruthful slime ball", and why a top London banker made more of a splash on social media than he might have expected. | Listen |
| Russia says 'Chemical Attack' in Syria was Staged | |
| The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said a reported chemical attack in Syria was staged by foreign agents. The US and France say they have proof it took place. Also: outrage spreads over eight-year-old's rape in Kashmir and Bob Dylan's door at the Chelsea Hotel sells for $100,000. | Listen |
| Syria: Russia Warns of War with US | |
| Moscow's UN envoy says he "cannot exclude" the possibility of a war if the US launches military action in Syria. Also, the alleged kidnapping of a Dubai princess, and why some patients' cancers are more deadly than others, despite appearing identical. | Listen |
| Trump says Syria Attack 'Very Soon or Not So Soon at All' | |
| The US president, who said on Wednesday that missiles were "coming", has now tweeted that he "never said when". Also: inspectors back UK in spy poisoning row and baby born in China four years after parents' death. | Listen |
| Syria: US Still Investigating Alleged Chemical Attack | |
| The US military is ready to 'provide options' if appropriate but it is still looking into the suspected chemical attack in Syria. Also, US House Speaker Paul Ryan will not stand for re-election, Bangladesh abolishes job quotas for government posts after protests, and Dutch villagers are not happy about a new singing road. | Listen |
| Syria: Rising Tension between US and Russia | |
| Senior Russian figures threaten to respond to any attacks by the US in Syria. Also, hundreds killed as military plane crashes in Algeria, new book says Israeli military made ten failed attempts to kill Yasser Arafat, Soweto hosts memorial service for Winnie Mandela, and fossils reveal how giant sea-reptiles once roamed off English coast. | Listen |
| Zuckerberg Testifies Before US Senate Committee | |
| Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg was answering questions in the wake of a data collection scandal. Also: Russia vetoes UN bid to set up Syria chemical weapons probe and scientists say Lionel Messi's goals make Barcelona shake. | Listen |
| Syria 'Chemical Attack': Trump Pledges 'Forceful' US Response | |
| He said the US was getting 'clarity' on who was responsible for the incident in Douma. Also: Yulia Skripal, the poisoned daughter of Russian ex-spy Sergei, has been discharged from hospital, and the first Arab Fashion Week is getting underway in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. | Listen |
| Russia and US in Fierce Row over Syria | |
| Moscow accuses opponents of slander over alleged chemical attack, with the US pledging a response. Also: Facebook alerts users after data scandal and Saudi Arabia signs deal with France to set up opera and orchestra. | Listen |
| Syria Conflict: Israel Blamed for Attack on Airfield | |
| Syrian government and Russia blame Israel for deadly attack on Syrian military airport. Also, Pope Francis urges Christians to show kindness and compassion towards migrants, Bill Cosby sexual assault retrial to begin, Facebook to warn all its users in data scandal, and can IPL restore faith of cricket fans ? | Listen |
| International Condemnation of Syria 'Chemical Attack' | |
| Medical sources say dozens of people were killed in an attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday. Also, Viktor Orban claims victory in Hungary's general election, and the student from Wales making her debut in a Bollywood blockbuster. | Listen |
| Lula in Police Custody | |
| Brazil's former president has surrendered to police to begin serving a 12-year sentence for corruption. Also, two people have been killed in the western German city of Muenster after a van drove into people sitting outside restaurants, and Russell Crowe's Gladiator props sold at 'divorce auction'. | Listen |
| Lula Defies Police Deadline | |
| The former Brazilian president is refusing to hand himself in to police to begin a twelve-year jail sentence. Also, the US imposes new sanctions on key allies of President Putin, and the American pianist and free jazz pioneer, Cecil Taylor has died at the age of 89. | Listen |
| South Korea's ex-Leader Given Heavy Jail Term | |
| Park Geun-hye has been sentenced to 24 years in jail after she was found guilty of abuse of power and coercion. Also: unrest erupts on Israel's border with Gaza and the poems of the country music legend Johnny Cash are set to music. | Listen |
| Russia: UK 'Playing with Fire' over Skripals | |
| Moscow's UN ambassador accuses UK of inventing a 'fake story' over the poisonings. Also: Zimbabwe's arts scene, and talking to a plastic fish. | Listen |
| Brazil's Lula 'must start prison term' | |
| Lula da Silva is facing 12 years in jail on charges of accepting a bribe but had asked to remain free during his appeal. Also: new Sierra Leone leader sworn in at hotel and a singing visit to Somaliland's camel market. | Listen |
| Russian Bid for Joint Spy Probe Rejected | |
| Moscow's request for new inquiry into UK poisoning fails at chemical weapons watchdog. Also: Facebook says 87 million users' data may have been improperly used, and the DNA test that discovered a family's doctor was the father of their daughter. | Listen |
| China Retaliates Against US Tariff Plans | |
| Trade tensions between China and the United States have been ramped up after Beijing responded to US plans for putting new taxes on hundreds of Chinese imports. Also: UK says Russia offer on poison probe 'perverse' and the whales who love to sing in the dark. | Listen |
| Trump Wants to Deploy Troops on Mexico Border | |
| US president says move will stop illegal immigration until wall is built. He has been unable to secure full funding for his promised border wall. Also: several wounded in shooting at YouTube HQ in California, and the ancient Chinese manuscript which reveals a vanished world. | Listen |
| Yemen: United Nations Calls for Nearly $3 Billion in Emergency Aid | |
| UN appeals for international aid to tackle enormous humanitarian crisis. Also, rail chaos in France as 3-month strike begins, why Russian-Turkish relations are improving, Israel scraps plan to send African migrants to Western nations, and Chinese parents find daughter after 24-year search. | Listen |
| South Africa's Winnie Mandela Dies at 81 | |
| Winnie Mandela and her former husband, Nelson Mandela, were a symbol of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle for three decades. Also: Sisi secures second term as Egypt leader and space junk demo mission launched. | Listen |
| Russia Accuses West of Playing 'Children's Games' | |
| Moscow hits out at Western nations over response to poisoning of ex-spy and his daughter. Also, Syrian rebels have begun leaving final stronghold in Eastern Ghouta, UK teachers warn of rising poverty among children, 'Hill Street Blues' creator Steven Bochco dies aged 74, and new radio service aims to protect Indian villagers from wild elephants. | Listen |
| Trump Vents Anger on Immigrant Programme | |
| The US president has reasserted his opposition to legalising the status of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children. Also: the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un watches K-pop idols in peace concert and the Royal Air Force at 100. | Listen |
| Palestinians Bury Dead From Gaza Border Violence | |
| Thousands of Palestinians mourn for those killed during clashes with Israeli forces. Also: Russia has told Britain that it must further reduce its diplomatic presence by just over fifty people following the row over the nerve agent poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain and mourners gather to remember renowned physicist Professor Stephen Hawking at his funeral in Cambridge. | Listen |
| Day of violence on the border between Gaza and Israel | |
| At least 15 people killed in clashes say Palestinians. Also: UN blacklists companies helping North Korea evade sanctions and: Remains of famous pirate found after 300 years? | Listen |
| Deadly Clashes in Gaza Border Protest | |
| Thousands of Palestinians marched on the border and were met by Israeli army gunfire. Also: Russia orders more western diplomats out and Irish pubs lift Good Friday alcohol ban. | Listen |
| Russia Expels US Diplomats | |
| Moscow throws out 60 envoys in response to US action over the UK's spy poisoning case. Also, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to face trial for corruption, and scientists explain the sound made when you crack your knuckles. | Listen |
| Kenyan Opposition Figure Deported Again | |
| Miguna Miguna says he was beaten and drugged before being forcibly removed from Kenya for a second time. Also: Malala returns to Pakistan for first time and the former Australia cricket captain Steve Smith breaks down in tears as he apologises for his part in a ball-tampering scandal. | Listen |
| New Leads in the Russian Spy Case | |
| Police now say that Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were probably poisoned at his home, rather than at a restaurant and a bar in Salisbury. Also: the viola player's legal victory against the Royal Opera House in London after his hearing was ruined there, and rubber ducks with a dirty little secret. | Listen |
| France Honours Heroic Police Officer Arnaud Beltrame | |
| Tributes paid to policeman who offered himself in exchange for hostage in Islamist attack. Also, South African estate agent jailed for racist abuse of police officer, confirmation that North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un did visit Beijing, how issue of same-sex marriage is dominating Costa Rica election campaign, and playing-bans issued on three Australian cricketers involved in ball-tampering scandal. | Listen |
| Nato Expels Russian Diplomats | |
| Nato joins more than twenty countries that have made the same move after a nerve agent attack in UK. Also: Australia sends home cricket trio from South Africa for ball-tampering and developers build a floating dairy farm in Rotterdam. | Listen |
| Russia: Thousands Protest as Putin Visits Scene of Fire Disaster | |
| Angry crowds demand resignations of officials over Siberia shopping-mall fire. Also, 'North Korean train' in Beijing fuels rumours of visit by Kim Jong-un, new upsurge in ethnic conflict in DR Congo, calls for more women to vote in Egyptian elections, and how experts are baffled by video of 'smoking elephant.' | Listen |
| Russia Faces Wave of Diplomatic Expulsions | |
| The US and many EU nations are expelling Russian envoys over the poisoning of a former spy in the UK. Also: ex-leader's arrest sparks Catalan protests and the singer who used music to escape the realities of war in Kosovo. | Listen |
| Russia: At Least 60 Killed in Huge Fire at Shopping-mall | |
| Witnesses say 'exits were blocked' at Siberian mall where fire broke out. Also, adult film star Stormy Daniels says she was coerced to keep quiet about 'sexual encounter' with Trump, Egyptians vote in presidential elections, British Jewish groups attack Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism, and how the MeToo movement is helping women in South Korea. | Listen |
| Former Catalan Leader Carles Puigdemont is Under Arrest | |
| The ousted politician who's in self-imposed exile is spending the night in prison in Germany, after being detained on a European arrest warrant. Also: Zimbabwe's former first lady, Grace Mugabe, is being investigated for alleged ivory smuggling and the giants of jazz who helped the United States fight the Cold War propaganda battle. | Listen |
| Thousands Across the US Rally for Stricter Gun Control | |
| The "March for Our Lives" was led by survivors of the shootings at a school in Florida last month when seventeen people were killed. Australian cricketers caught cheating by tv cameras. Also, how Mount Etna is slipping into the sea. | Listen |
| France Shooting: Hostage Swap Officer 'Fighting for Life' | |
| 3 dead and 16 wounded in south western France - the first terror attack since its state of emergency was lifted in December. Also, warnings of grave consequences for humans as plant and animal species decline, and the seven year old Syrian boy making the best of his new life in Jordan. | Listen |
| French Police Shoot Supermarket Gunman | |
| Armed police shoot a gunman who killed three people and stormed a supermarket in Trebes, in southern France. Also: EU recalls Russia ambassador in spy row and Kiko Matthews breaks Atlantic rowing record. | Listen |
| Trump to Impose Sweeping Tariffs on Chinese Goods | |
| The President says the measures are to counter intellectual property theft. Later, he sacked his National Security Adviser and replaced him with a right-wing hawk, John Bolton. Also, a landmark ruling in Kenya awarding damages to a mother left to give birth on a hospital floor. | Listen |
| First Rebels Leave Defeated Syrian Town | |
| The Ahrar al-Sham rebel faction agreed an evacuation deal with troops besieging Eastern Ghouta. Also: Ukraine arrests war hero over 'coup plot' and Japanese self-parking slippers. | Listen |
| Facebook Founder Admits Mistakes | |
| Mark Zuckerberg has spoken for the the first time about allegations of data misuse. Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook had made mistakes that allowed the firm, Cambridge Analytica, to exploit the data of millions of users on behalf of political clients. Also: the President of Peru resigns amid corruption scandal, and New Zealand eradicates mice from a remote island of Antipodes. | Listen |
| Kidnapped Schoolgirls Freed in Nigeria | |
| The Nigerian government says the majority of the schoolgirls kidnapped by militants in the town of Dapchi last month have been returned. Also: alleged Texas bomber dies and ocean plastic could treble in decade. | Listen |
| Cambridge Analytica Suspends Chief Executive | |
| The firm accused of misusing Facebook information has suspended Alexander Nix. During an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News in Britain, Mr Nix was recorded explaining how the firm could discredit politicians online. Meanwhile Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has been called upon by the British and European parliaments to give evidence to them. Also: President Trump meets the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and President Macron unveils a new plan to spread the French language. | Listen |
| Texas: FBI Investigates New Explosion in Austin | |
| US authorities look at whether parcel-bomb is connected to suspected serial bomber. Also, French police hold ex-President Sarkozy over alleged 'Gaddafi funding', Xi Jinping says any attempt to split China is 'doomed to fail', why renowned feminist Germaine Greer is critical of MeToo campaign, and will Parisian 'sex doll brothel' be shut down ? | Listen |
| Trump Urges Death Penalty for Drug Dealers | |
| President Trump says he wants to bring in tougher punishments for drug traffickers, to tackle what he called the scourge of opioid addiction in America. Also: Uber halts self-driving tests after death and doctors in the UK have taken a major step towards curing a common form of blindness -- age-related macular degeneration. | Listen |
| Brexit: UK and EU Agree Terms for Transition Period | |
| 'Decisive step' achieved in talks on withdrawal of UK from EU. Also, French consulate worker in Israel 'smuggled arms from Gaza', international community responds to Putin's election victory, US judge who passes sentences on opioid addicts and was once addicted himself, and how a five year-old girl with Down's Syndrome is changing attitudes worldwide. | Listen |
| Russia's Putin Wins by Big Margin | |
| Vladimir Putin will lead Russia for another six years, after securing an expected victory in the presidential election. Also: the British foreign secretary accuses Russia of stockpiling banned chemical weapons and a teacher from London wins global prize. | Listen |
| Inquiry into Trump's Campaign Data Company | |
| The firm behind President Trump's election campaign accused of harvesting Facebook data.The attorney general for Massachusetts is launching an investigation into Cambridge Analytica, after claims that details from 50 million profiles were gathered without the users' knowledge. Both Facebook and Cambridge Analytica deny any wrongdoing. Also: the British government reacts to Russia expelling twenty-three of their diplomats, and a campaign is launched to tackle the rubbish on Mount Everest. | Listen |
| Jacob Zuma Faces Corruption Trial | |
| The charges, denied by South Africa's former President, includes counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering. Also: mass protests in Slovakia after PM resigns and Romanian court tells man he is not alive. | Listen |
| Zuma Charged with Corruption | |
| South Africa's former president, Jacob Zuma, has been charged with corruption, just weeks after being ousted from power. Parts of eastern Ghouta have again come under bombardment from Syrian government forces, and Seoul says Japan is now willing to engage in talks with North Korea. | Listen |
| 'Several Fatalities' in US Bridge Collapse | |
| The bridge, which connected a college to a student housing area, was erected on Saturday. Also: a vigil is held in Rio de Janeiro for murdered councillor and humans developed advanced social behaviours 100,000 years earlier than previously thought. | Listen |
| Allies Condemn Chemical Attack on Ex-Spy | |
| The United States, France, Germany and Britain have issued a joint statement blaming Moscow for the chemical attack on a Russian double agent in the UK. The war in Syria reaches its seventh anniversary and the harpoon that might help clear up space junk. | Listen |
| Britain accuses Russia at UN Security Council | |
| Britain has told the UN Security Council that Russia has violated the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons by attacking a former Russian double agent on its soil. Russia has dismissed the allegation. Also: American pupils stage a nationwide walkout in support of gun reform, and scientists say they've found microscopic bits of plastic in bottled water. | Listen |
| UK to Expel 23 Russian Diplomats | |
| The UK will expel 23 Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to explain how a Russian-made nerve agent was used on a former spy in Salisbury. Why would a Queen be valued less than a Duke? A step closer to autonomous flying taxis and celebrating eighty years of the BBC Latin America service. | Listen |
| Rex Tillerson - Trump's Former Top Diplomat | |
| Mr Tillerson's spokesman said he only learned he was out of a job when he saw the president's tweet thanking him for his service as top US diplomat. Also: deadline passes on UK sanctions threat against Russia and Archaeopteryx flew like a pheasant. | Listen |
| Trump Sacks Tillerson as Secretary of State | |
| US President Donald Trump has sacked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, replacing him with the director of the CIA, Mike Pompeo. The Turkish military says it has surrounded the Kurdish-held city of Afrin in Syria. Also: there has been an attack on the convoy of the Palestinian prime minister in Gaza, and why tiger sharks like it hot, but not too hot. | Listen |
| British PM says Highly Likely Russia Behind Spy Attack | |
| Theresa May says the poison used in the spy attack was a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. Also: the US has drafted a new UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Syria, and the French fashion designer, Hubert de Givenchy, has died aged ninety-one. | Listen |
| UK Security Briefing Over Russian Spy Poisoning | |
| British ministers meet to review evidence of last week's nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy. Around fifty people have been killed in a plane crash in Nepal. And football league matches in Greece are suspended after a club owner wearing a gun went onto a pitch to remonstrate with a referee. | Listen |
| Syria: Bodies Left to Rot in Rubble | |
| Further warnings of the plight of trapped civilians in the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta. Bodies of many of those killed in the relentless airstrikes are being left to rot in the streets -- it is too dangerous to attempt to recover them. Also: Colombians have been voting in legislative elections seen as a test of a peace deal between the government and FARC rebels, and British police say they have found significant traces of the nerve agent used to poison a former Russian spy in the restaurant where he had eaten with his daughter before being taken ill. | Listen |
| More Gains in Eastern Ghouta for Syrian Government Forces | |
| Reports say the main city of Douma is encircled. The Syrian government will see it as a big victory but there is still over a third of the country out of its control. Also, Tunisian women are rallying against unequal inheritance tax, and an Australian couple find 'fairy tale' photo of their engagement. | Listen |
| US and North Korea Discuss Topics and Venue of Talks | |
| The decision has received mixed reactions in the US. Some believe it is a positive step away from confrontation while others feel North Korea has not made enough concessions. Also, the President of Mauritius resigns amidst an expenses scandal, and a burger-flipping robot has been forced to take a break because he couldn't cook fast enough. | Listen |
| Donald Trump Agrees to Meet Kim Jong-un | |
| The US president is expected to have historic talks with the North Korean leader by May. Also, an aid convoy enters Eastern Ghouta, and the row over the new Frida Kahlo Barbie doll. | Listen |
| President Trump Signs Plans For New Trade Tariffs | |
| Mr Trump says these new tariffs on steel and aluminium will protect American jobs. Also, five million women in Spain take part in a 24 hour strike, and the Czech National Museum has found that some of its precious gems are in fact fake. | Listen |
| Eastern Ghouta Aid Delivery Postponed Again | |
| Heavy fighting prevents the desperately needed supplies from reaching trapped civilians for the second time this week. Also, a Danish inventor denies murdering a Swedish journalist on his home-made submarine, and a former Irish president describes the Vatican as an "empire of misogyny". | Listen |
| Nerve agent 'used to try to kill' Sergei Skripal | |
| Police say a nerve agent was used to try to murder a former Russian spy and his daughter. Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious in the British city of Salisbury on Sunday and remain critically ill. A police officer who was the first to attend the scene is now in a serious condition in hospital. Also: the British prime minister, Theresa May, raises concerns about Saudi Arabia's involvement with Yemen during a visit by the Crown Prince, and a South African athlete has been attacked by men who attempted to cut off his legs with a saw. | Listen |
| Trump's Tariffs: EU Threatens to Retaliate | |
| The European Union has outlined its response to the proposed US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Also, Archbishop Oscar Romero is to be made a saint nearly four decades after he was shot dead in El Salvador, and China's state media encourage men and women to settle for someone who is "more or less OK" as a marriage partner. | Listen |
| Major gains for Syrian government forces in Eastern Ghouta. | |
| A town in Eastern Ghouta is reported to have surrendered to Syrian government forces; British experts are testing the substance blamed for the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter; A tiny Canadian town takes on an oil giant in the courts and wins ! | Listen |
| Korea Leaders to Meet Next Month | |
| South Korea says Kim Jong-un is willing to discuss denuclearisation, but only if he does not feel threatened. Also, Unicef says there has been a significant drop in the number of child marriages worldwide, and the oldest message in a bottle is found on an Australian beach. | Listen |
| Former Russian Spy Hospitalised in UK | |
| Man convicted of spying for Britain critically ill after exposure to unknown substance. Sergei Skripal was granted refuge in the UK following a "spy swap" between the US and Russia in 2010. He and a woman were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping centre in England on Sunday. Also: several countries suspend imports of meat products from South Africa after a deadly listeria outbreak, and Mexican police arrest five alleged kidnappers who demanded payment in Bitcoins. | Listen |
| Aid Finally Reaches Eastern Ghouta | |
| It is the first humanitarian aid to enter the besieged Syrian enclave in weeks. Also, Kim Jong-un has landmark talks with South Korea, and the baby bird fossil that is the 'rarest of the rare'. | Listen |
| Thousands flee Syrian government offensive on Eastern Ghouta. | |
| Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says offensive in Eastern Ghouta will continue; Millions of Italians have been voting in a general election dominated by immigration and the country's economy; Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, has died. | Listen |
| Video Replays at Football's World Cup | |
| The sport's world governing body insists the technology will benefit the game but critics say it causes delays and confusion. Also: the UN's special rapporteur on human rights, Agnes Callamard, says she won't give in to threats from the Philippine government, and why music is the finishing touch for an Oscar nominated film. | Listen |
| Canada Denounces US Metal Tariffs | |
| The prime minister of Canada - which exports more steel to the US than any other country - slammed the tariffs as 'absolutely unacceptable'. Also: British PM says there are 'hard facts' for both sides in Brexit talks and why has Rosa Park's house travelled nearly thirteen thousand kilometres? | Listen |
| Trump: 'Trade Wars Are Good' | |
| The president's comments come amid controversy over his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Also, attackers strike the capital of Burkina Faso, and a penguin super-colony has been spotted from space. | Listen |
| Trump Imposes Big Tariffs on Metal Imports | |
| The US imports four times more steel than it exports, and is reliant on steel from more than one hundred nations. Also: Puigdemont abandons Catalan presidency and Iran detains dozens of female football fans. | Listen |
| Russia Developing 'Invincible' Nuclear Weapons | |
| President Vladimir Putin says Russia is developing weapons capable of penetrating enemy defences. Also, Marine Le Pen is placed under formal investigation in France for tweeting shocking images of Islamic State violence, and New Zealand documents confirm an assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth in 1981. | Listen |
| Major US retailer to stop selling military-style weapons | |
| One of America's biggest gun retailers announces an end to automatic weapon sales, Russia readmitted to the International Olympic Committee after its earlier doping scandal, And a portrait described as the African Mona Lisa - sets a new Nigerian record at auction. | Listen |
| Afghanistan Offers Taliban Peace Talks | |
| President Ashraf Ghani proposed measures including a ceasefire and prisoner swaps. Also, Russia says it's been reinstated into the International Olympic Committee, and how blind people use echolocation to navigate. | Listen |
| Kushner Loses Top-secret Level Clearance | |
| President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser will no longer receive top-secret briefings. Also: shelling and strikes in eastern Ghouta despite temporary ceasefire and morse code shoes send toe tapping texts. | Listen |
| Shelling and Strikes Despite Syria 'Pause' | |
| It is unclear whether any civilians left during the first five-hour ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta. Also, a diesel vehicle ban is approved for German cities, and the sacred site for old Korans. | Listen |
| Saudi King Sacks Military Chiefs | |
| The Saudi chief of staff is among those culled in a major shake-up while the war in Yemen continues. Also: Putin endorses Syria 'humanitarian pause' and dog meat debated as Olympian 'saves' pup. | Listen |
| Bombardment of Eastern Ghouta Continues | |
| Syrian airstrikes continue on the rebel-held enclave, despite UN demands for a ceasefire. Also, the latest delivery to the Arctic vault that stores the world's most precious seeds, and New Zealand reacts to a 'creepy' TV interview with PM Ardern. | Listen |
| Nigeria: Mass Girl Kidnaps ?a Disaster? | |
| President Buhari has apologised for the suspected abductions. Meanwhile, parents of the girls say 100 remain missing. Also: A mountaineer leaves his team mates and goes it alone to try for the first ascent of K2 in winter. And we bid farewell to a Bollywood legend, Sridevi. | Listen |
| The UN Security Council Unanimously Calls for a 30-day Ceasefire in Syria | |
| The decision would allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations. However, some of the biggest jihadist rebel groups, and their associates, are not covered by the truce, raising questions about its real impact. Also, the names of 105 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram last week are released, and a report from a festival celebrating the hairstyle that time forgot - Mulletfest. | Listen |
| Former Trump Campaign Aide Pleas Guilty | |
| Rick Gates has admitted lying to the FBI and has pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Also: crucial UN Syria truce vote delayed and toenail fungus 'found to be asexual in humans'. | Listen |
| UN Outlines Atrocities in South Sudan | |
| Human rights investigators accuse senior military commanders of war crimes and crimes against humanity. They say civilians have been tortured and mutilated, and villages destroyed. Also, the Myanmar government is accused of bulldozing dozens of Rohingya villages, and a possible breakthrough in finding the best treatment for cancer patients. | Listen |
| Russia says No Agreement on Syria Ceasefire Resolution | |
| Calls for a truce in Syria have grown louder as civilians in the besieged rebel enclave of the Eastern Ghouta come under more intensive bombardment. Also: gun control groups 'exploit' US tragedy and neanderthals were capable of making art. | Listen |
| Controversial North Korean General to Visit South | |
| Kim Yong-chol has never denied plotting several attacks on South Korea. He will attend the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Also, a major study says anti-depressants work, and do adults or children own the 'lucky money' in a red envelope? | Listen |
| President Trump Backs Guns for Teachers | |
| Mr Trump has expressed support for arming teachers and ending gun-free zones near schools, American evangelist Billy Graham dies, aged 99, and the comedian who was sued for telling jokes about her family. | Listen |
| Siege of Eastern Ghouta: "Beyond Imagination" | |
| Syrians trapped in the rebel enclave speak of their desperation after further government bombardment, A global police operation against the illicit trade in cultural goods has recovered more than forty thousand artefacts, Claims that Homo Erectus created human language. | Listen |
| Syrian Pro-Government Forces Enter Afrin | |
| Fighters loyal to Damascus have joined the Kurdish militia against Turkish forces, Palestinians request international peace conference in snub to US, Scientists discover the cause of a rare blood vessel disorder that can lead to serious disfigurement in children. | Listen |
| Syria: 'Dozens Killed' in Fresh Attacks on Eastern Ghouta | |
| More civilians reported killed in new government attacks on besieged district. Also, how Nigerian army came close to capturing Boko Haram commander, UNICEF says 'simple measures' could reduce infant mortality, Florida Congressman introduces new bill to tackle school bullying, and how plants may be 100 million years older than we thought. | Listen |
| Dark Web Paedophile Jailed After Global Investigation | |
| US Homeland Security said he was 'the worst child exploitation offender'. The British man was jailed for 32 years for offences including blackmail, fraud and arranging the sexual exploitation of a child. Also: the White House says President Trump would support measures to improve background checks for gun purchases, and if you lived in a high rise building, would you pay to use the elevator? | Listen |
| Syria 'Sending Fighters to Help Kurds Against Turkey' | |
| Syrian pro-government forces will help Syrian Kurds fighting against a Turkish offensive. Also, a tour of devastated Iraqi city of Fallujah, Iceland's mooted circumcision ban sparks outrage among Muslims and Jews, Chinese anger over stolen thumb of terracotta warrior, and is Silvio Berlusconi about to make a comeback ? | Listen |
| "You Sicken Me" - Florida Survivor's Message to President Trump | |
| Students from Florida shooting are preparing a national march. The event called March for Our Lives will take place next month in Washington. Also: Kurdish fighters in Syria say they've agreed to team up with Syrian government forces to repel the Turkish troops from Afrin and we find out who the winners are from the BAFTA ceremony in London. | Listen |
| 'Shame on You' - Florida Students Chant | |
| Survivors of the high school mass shooting demand tighter gun controls. Also, a man in Pakistan is sentenced to death for raping and murdering a six-year-old girl, and a rare cello stolen at knifepoint is returned anonymously. | Listen |
| Mueller Investigation: Thirteen Russians Charged | |
| They have been charged with interfering in the US 2016 election, in a major development in the FBI investigation. Also: in his first State of the Nation address, New South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has urged South Africans to continue the 'long walk' Nelson Mandela began, and we ask, has Facebook reached its peak? | Listen |
| US and Turkey 'to Defuse North Syria Crisis' | |
| The threat of military confrontation in north Syria between the Nato allies has been brewing. Also: Die Welt reporter to leave Turkey jail and cleaning products 'affect lung health'. | Listen |
| Trump Sympathy for Florida Shooting Victims | |
| Donald Trump says making American schools safer is his top priority, after seventeen pupils and staff were killed by a gunman in Florida. Also, the Oxfam aid worker blamed for the Haiti prostitute scandal gives his side of the story. | Listen |
| Ramaphosa Takes Over as South African President | |
| In his first presidential speech, the former mineworker and businessman vows to tackle corruption in South Africa. Also: Florida gunman has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and ultra-processed foods 'linked to cancer'. | Listen |
| South Africa's President Jacob Zuma Resigns | |
| President Jacob Zuma has resigned from his office with immediate effect. He made the announcement in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday evening. Earlier, Mr Zuma's governing ANC party told him to step down or face a vote of no confidence in parliament. Also: Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has died in South Africa, where he'd received treatment for cancer, and Thailand's Prime Minister tries to woo his country with a love song on Valentine's Day. | Listen |
| Zuma: 'I've Done Nothing Wrong' | |
| South Africa's leader responds to growing calls for his resignation. Jacob Zuma was speaking after his ruling African National Congress gave him an ultimatum to resign by the end of the day or face a parliamentary vote of no confidence on Thursday. Also: Israel's PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, insists his government is stable despite facing possible corruption charges, and a special Valentine's Day report on how technology is changing dating habits. | Listen |
| Police Recommend Corruption Charges for Israeli PM | |
| Police say Netanyahu should be charged with bribery and fraud. They say he gave special treatment to wealthy friends after receiving gifts. He denies the allegations. Also: the Dutch foreign minister quits over Putin lie, and the all-female fish. | Listen |
| ANC Says Zuma Must go for Sake of South Africa | |
| ANC says Zuma must go for sake of South Africa. Mr Zuma has so far resisted increasing pressure to quit since December, when his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, replaced him as ANC leader. Also: the first doping ban of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and we answer the age old question, 'what is the secret to happiness?' | Listen |
| Trump's Infrastructure Blueprint | |
| The plan was an election promise but it could entail Americans paying higher local taxes and tolls. Also: ANC deciding President Zuma's fate and schizophrenia patients calmed by video game. | Listen |
| US Now Open to Korea Talks | |
| The United States appears to have a change of heart on talks following North Korea's diplomatic offensive at the Olympics. Also: Iraq appeals for billions of dollars for reconstruction and the slave history behind the song Kumbaya. | Listen |
| Russian plane crash kills all 71 people on board | |
| Investigators are searching snow-covered fields south of Moscow for the wreckage of the airliner, also: ANC leader says party impatient over Zuma future, and: What is Oumuamua? | Listen |
| Israeli Air Strikes Against Syria 'Biggest Since 1982' | |
| Israel says it has inflicted huge damage on Syrian air defences after one of its fighter jets was brought down during a raid over Syria. Also: Britain's foreign secretary is in Myanmar to discuss Rohingya refugees who fled the country for Bangladesh, and the Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson, known for his film soundtracks, has died. | Listen |
| US Vice-President Skips Official Olympic Dinner With North Koreans | |
| The Games are taking place in PyeongChang amid tension over North Korea's nuclear programme. Also: the former Colombian rebel group, FARC, suspends its election campaign, and the race to find a mate for a lonely Bolivian water frog. | Listen |
| Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang Begin | |
| The Olympic flame has been lit at the stadium in Pyeongchang, where dozens of athletes from North and South Korea marched together side by side at the opening ceremony for the Winter games. Also: President Trump has signed into law a two-year budget passed by Congress and first human eggs grown in laboratory. | Listen |
| Two British Members of IS Captured by Syrian Kurdish Fighters | |
| The two men were involved in the torture and execution of western hostages including American journalist James Foley and Steven Sotloff. They were part of a notorious group of four British IS members known as "the Beatles" because of their English accents. Also: Bermuda becomes the first territory to repeal same-sex marriage laws, and Twitter announces its first profit since it started in 2006. | Listen |
| US Backed Rebel Attack on Syrian Allies | |
| US says scores of Syrian pro-government fighters were killed attacking US-backed forces. Also: North Korea holds pre-Olympic military show and sequencing the genomes of citrus fruits. | Listen |
| US government reaches two-year budget deal | |
| The agreement was reached by the leaders of both the Republican and Democrat parties. US budget hawks have labelled a plan to hike defence and domestic spending by up to $300bn as a debt-ballooning "monstrosity". Also: The autonomous republic of Somaliland has banned the most severe forms of female genital mutilation, and we meet the Syrian refugee-turned-chef serving traditional Syrian food in Colombia's capital city, Bogota. | Listen |
| Merkel Clinches Germany Coalition Deal | |
| If the German coalition deal is approved - including in a vote of the Social Democrat membership - it would end months of political deadlock. Also: the influential sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is to attend the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea and DNA shows early Briton had dark skin and blue eyes. | Listen |
| Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy rocket launches successfully | |
| The US entrepreneur launched his new rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The world's most powerful rocket lifted clear of its pad without incident to soar high over the Atlantic Ocean. Also: Rescuers in Taiwan are searching for people trapped in a partially-collapsed ten-storey hotel after a strong earthquake, and the UK celebrates 100 years since some women were granted the right to vote. | Listen |
| Global Stock Markets Suffer Steep Losses | |
| Sharp falls on Wall Street on Monday spark sell-off in Asia and Europe. Also, Hong Kong's top court throws out jail terms against three leading pro-democracy campaigners, former North Korean bomber says Pyongyang's current diplomacy is 'fake', Ukrainian pastor helps civilians made homeless by fighting, and one of Britain's most outspoken women activists has been honoured by her descendants - in music. | Listen |
| Security Forces Storm the Supreme Court in Maldives | |
| The Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has declared a state of emergency and has ordered the arrest of the former president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Also: tech giants Uber and Waymo begin a court battle over alleged stolen trade secrets and dinosaurs may have become extinct because of their own success. | Listen |
| Syria: 'Chlorine Attack' on Rebel-held Town in Idlib | |
| Allegations that government used chemical weapons on opposition forces and civilians. Also, Paris attacks suspect criticises 'anti-Muslim bias', ANC leaders hold emergency meeting on Jacob Zuma's future, one of top investigators of illegal trade in ivory and rhino horn has been killed in Kenya, and does English spelling need a complete reform ? | Listen |
| Greek Protests over Macedonia Name Dispute | |
| Many Greeks object to the country of the same name calling itself Macedonia, saying it implies a territorial claim on Greece's northern Macedonia region. Also: the Israeli authorities tell African migrants to leave or else face imprisonment and a British ferry deck officer saves a drowning man. | Listen |
| Uma Thurman Says she was Attacked by Harvey Weinstein | |
| The US actress says she was assaulted in London in 1994 - something Weinstein denies. Dozens of actresses accuse Weinstein of preying on them. He denies having non-consensual sex. Also: African migrants are targeted by a gunman in Italy in an apparently racist attack, and archaeologists in Egypt uncover a 4000 year-old tomb. | Listen |
| Secret Republican Memorandum Published in US | |
| US proposes extending its nuclear capabilities, Hidden Mayan ruins found, New Zealand's lonely gannet | Listen |
| Scores of Migrants Feared Drowned off Libya | |
| Three survivors said most of those who drowned were Pakistani nationals. Also: relief as hundreds of trapped miners in South Africa are freed and polar bears 'running out of food'. | Listen |
| No Aid in Besieged Areas of Syria since November | |
| UN official, Jan Egeland, says hundreds of thousands of Syrians are in desperate need. We ask why the aid isn't getting through. Also: President Trump plans to publish a controversial intelligence memo on Friday which is thought to accuse the FBI of bias against him and we report from the African city running out of water. | Listen |
| Banned Kenyan TV Stations Win Reprieve | |
| TV channels in Kenya were taken of-air over plans to broadcast opposition leader Raila Odinga's unofficial 'inauguration'. Also: court overturns Olympic life bans on Russians and Canada votes for gender-neutral anthem. | Listen |
| Cost of Attacks on Medical Facilities in CAR | |
| Civil war in the Central African Republic has all but destroyed the country's health system, More people say they were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar, The latest on the BBC pay row, And could locusts threaten this year's football World Cup tournament in Russia? | Listen |
| Trump hails 'new American moment' in his State of the Union speech | |
| How has US responded to Mr. Trump's talk of 'building a safe, strong and proud America' ? Also, BBC investigation shows the Taliban is active in 70% of Afghanistan, Istanbul court orders release of head of Turkish branch of Amnesty International, we meet the killer whale that can mimic human speech, and skywatchers see a 'super blue blood Moon'. | Listen |
| Special Edition: Trump's State of the Union Address | |
| US President Donald Trump has delivered his first State of the Union Address in Washington. Analysis from our correspondents on Capitol Hill and beyond. Plus our podcast listeners in Washington gave us their reactions. | Listen |
| Final Preparations for the State of the Union Address | |
| The US president is expected to highlight a growing economy in his State of the Union speech. Also: Yemen separatists 'take most of the port city of Aden' and viola player sues Royal Opera House in London for 'irreversible' hearing loss. | Listen |
| Kenya's Raila Odinga 'Inaugurates' Himself as President | |
| Odinga declares himself 'people's president' at controversial 'swearing-in' ceremony in Nairobi. Also, Yemen's PM 'holed up' as presidential palace in Aden surrounded by separatists, Putin says US sanctions list targets all Russians, and we look back at Mahatma Gandhi's assassination 70 years ago. | Listen |
| CIA says Russia 'Will Target US Mid-Term Election' | |
| The director of the CIA tells the BBC there has been no reduction in Russian meddling in Europe and the US. Also: German shock at exhaust tests on humans and Auschwitz surviving jazz star 'Coco' dies. | Listen |
| Germany: Anger over Car Exhaust Tests on Humans and Monkeys | |
| German government denounces 'abominable' experiments funded by leading carmakers. Also, how fitness-tracking app revealed exercise-routes of military personnel around the world, at least 11 soldiers killed in attack on Kabul army post, Democrats in Iowa try to stage a comeback, and why did so few women win awards at this year's Grammys ? | Listen |
| New front opens in civil war in Yemen | |
| Southern Yemeni separatists fight government forces in the port city of Aden. Also: IKEA founder dies at the age of 91, and: Why "We Shall Overcome" is now in the public domain. | Listen |
| Kabul attack: Taliban kill 95 with ambulance bomb in Afghan capital | |
| A suicide bombing has killed at least 95 people and injured 158 others in Kabul. Also: The Las Vegas casino owner, Steve Wynn, has resigned his post of finance chair of the Republican National Committee following allegations that he sexually harassed dozens of women, and the Czech president, Milos Zeman, wins a second term. | Listen |
| President Trump: 'Global Trade Must Be Fair' | |
| Donald Trump tells Davos that the US is "open for business". Also, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier, wins a trade case in the United States, and 'Pope of French cooking', Paul Bocuse, is buried in Lyon. | Listen |
| Trump Addresses World Economic Forum in Davos | |
| The US president lauded the economic achievements of his first year in office, and said the US was more attractive than ever to foreign investment. Also: dozens of African migrants have drowned off the coast of Yemen on an overcrowded boat operated by smugglers, and the 'Chronicler of the Himalayas' dies at 94. | Listen |
| Trump Attends Economic Summit in Davos | |
| President Trump has said that at Davos he will "tell the world how great America is doing" and will seek investment in the United States. Also: Hindu hardliners have clashed with police in parts of northern India during protests against a Bollywood film, and Boris Johnson 'is descendant' of Basel mummy. | Listen |
| Disgraced Olympics Doctor Jailed | |
| Former US gymnastics team doctor given 175 years for sexual abuse spanning decades. Also, scandal-hit club shuts amid groping claims, and first monkey clones created in a lab. | Listen |
| Trump Threatens to Stop Palestinian Aid | |
| He said if they didn't come to the table, the US would end its efforts towards peace. Mr Trump was speaking at a news conference in Davos alongside the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. He also accused the Palestinians of showing disrespect following his decision last month to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Also: Oscar-winning actor Casey Affleck withdraws from presenting an award at this year's Academy Award ceremony, and France plans to introduce on the spot fines for cannabis users - the country has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in Europe. | Listen |
| Save The Children Attacked in Afghanistan | |
| The IS group says it is behind a gun and bomb attack on the charity in Jalalabad. Also: Beijing to raze thousands of buildings and camels banned from Saudi beauty contest over Botox. | Listen |
| US Attorney General Sessions Questioned | |
| Court to decide fate of Brazil's former president, Steps to reduce suicide rate in South Korea, Oscar nominations revealed | Listen |
| Jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela is dead | |
| Anti-apartheid activist and 'the father of South African jazz' has died aged 78. We look back at his life and music. Also, Alaska tsunami fears lead to brief evacuation, plight of civilians in Damascus after years of bombardment, new report says UN peace-keeping needs a rethink, how two babies in India were accidentally swapped at birth, and singer Neil Diamond announces his retirement. | Listen |
| US Senate acts to end Government Shutdown | |
| Democrats and Republicans have agreed a temporary budget deal. The Democrats dropped their objections, in return for Republican assurances on the so-called Dreamers. Also, civilians in northern Syria try to flee as Turkish forces continue their offensive against US-backed Kurdish fighters, and three representatives of USA Gymnastics resign after criticism of their handling of sex abuse complaints. | Listen |
| Syria: Turkish Army Continues Offensive Against Kurdish Militia | |
| President Erdogan says incursion will continue until YPG militia is 'eliminated'. Also, football star George Weah is sworn-in as President of Liberia, Trump administration and Democrats blame each other as US government shutdown enters third day, and why the Russian authorities are angry about 'outrageous' viral video of half-naked trainee pilots. | Listen |
| Turkish Ground Troops Enter Syria Enclave | |
| US-backed Kurdish militants say they have beaten back Turkish troops in northern Syria. Also: German SPD backs Merkel coalition talks and when is a beefburger not a beefburger? | Listen |
| Kabul: Gunmen Attack Intercontinental Hotel | |
| Special forces killed two of the attackers, an interior ministry spokesman said, and were trying to get to the others. At the time of recording this podcast, at least five people have been injured, officials said. But local media reports suggested several people had been killed. Also, The International Olympic Committee approves plans for North and South Korea to field a joint women's ice hockey team and a tribute to one of France's most celebrated chefs, Paul Bocuse, who has died. | Listen |
| US Government Faces Shutdown | |
| Last-ditch efforts are underway in Washington to pass a budget bill. Immigration is the main issue splitting Republicans and Democrats and if the deadlock continues, funding runs out for the US federal government leading to a shutdown. Also, YouTube finally responds to the scandal involving Logan Paul who posted film of a dead body, and a video of Russian air cadets dancing in their underwear has gone viral. | Listen |
| Mobile Spyware 'Traced to Lebanon' | |
| Researchers say gigabytes of data was stolen from thousands of smartphones by the security bug. Also: Turkey steps up Syria border shelling and cancer blood test 'enormously exciting'. | Listen |
| A Mother and Father Appear in Court Charged With Abuse Towards Their Thirteen Children | |
| Also: latest figures confirm the upward trend for global temperatures, Tide Pod Challenge videos taken down from YouTube, and the Pope marries a couple mid-flight. | Listen |
| Turkey Masses Forces on Syria's Border | |
| Syria has warned Turkey against mounting any attack in the north of the country, in an area controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters. Also: the French President Emmanuel Macron begins his first official visit to Britain since taking office and swimmers rescued by drone in Australia. | Listen |
| North and South Korea to Carry Single Flag at Olympics | |
| They also agree to field a joint women's ice hockey team at the Pyeongchang Games. Also, a traditional healer in Guinea 'faked hundreds of pregnancies', and have divers in Mexico discovered the world's longest underwater cave? | Listen |
| Catalonia: Regional Parliament Elects Separatist as Speaker | |
| MPs elect Roger Torrent at first meeting since Madrid dissolved regional parliament. Also, Ethiopian government releases jailed opposition leader, North and South Korea agree to form joint women's ice hockey team for Winter Olympics, and is loneliness a new epidemic in the developed world ? | Listen |
| Trump's 'cognitive ability is normal' | |
| US president Donald Trump's doctor says he is in excellent health following a three hour medical examination. Also: shackled California siblings were 'victims of torture' and Moscow's 2017 December was its 'darkest' on record. | Listen |
| Kosovo: Leading Serb Politician Shot Dead | |
| Prominent Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic has been gunned down outside his party's offices. Also, Turkey's President repeats warning of military action against Kurdish forces in Syria, California couple arrested after police find their 13 children allegedly held captive at home, new report warns that democracy is facing its most serious crisis in decades, and hard-living singer-songwriter Shane MacGowan marks his 60th birthday. | Listen |
| Raid on Venezuela Pilot Ends in Bloodshed | |
| In Venezuela, the ex-policeman, Oscar Perez, is accused of leading an armed rebellion involving a helicopter and grenades. Also: Black Death 'spread by humans not rats' and Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan dies. | Listen |
| Syria: Turkey Denounces US Plan for Border Security Force | |
| Turkey's president vows to 'suffocate' efforts to create what he calls a 'terror army'. Also, huge oil-spill created after burning tanker sinks off China, outbreak of Diptheria among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, how new technology could eradicate potholes, and we meet the Kea - the ingenious New Zealand parrot. | Listen |
| Recriminations in Hawaii after False Missile Alarm | |
| Top official says the state doesn't have good enough safeguards in place. Hawaiians endured 38 minutes of fear before getting the all clear. Also: France's baby milk scandal goes global, anger on the streets of Tunis, and the terrors of hazing in American colleges. | Listen |
| False missile alert in Hawaii sparks panic | |
| An official alert falsely warned Hawaii residents of an imminent ballistic missile attack. Also: Reports from Syria say a chlorine gas attack was carried out on rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, and thousands in Austria protest against the inclusion of the far-right Freedom Party in government. | Listen |
| Trump Holds Back on Iran Sanctions | |
| President Trump says he won't pull out of deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme. But Mr Trump said this was the last time he would issue a sanctions waiver. He now wants the US and its European allies to work on a follow-on agreement, which would lead to new restrictions on the Iranians. Also: Japan tightens up on its immigration policy, and Saudi Arabia allows women at football matches for the first time. | Listen |
| Trump Denies Crude Slur Against Migrant Countries | |
| The US president Donald Trump has sparked outrage after he was reported to have used crude language to describe Haiti, El Salvador and African countries. Also: breakthrough in Germany coalition talks, and the Norwegian pop singer, Sigrid, is the BBC Music's Sound of 2018. | Listen |
| New US Sanctions Expected on Iran | |
| US treasury secretary says President Trump expected to impose new sanctions on Iran, Girls in Ghana told they can't cross a river when they are menstruating, Still scoring at 50 - the oldest professional footballer in the world. | Listen |
| EU Urges Trump to Back Iran Nuclear Deal | |
| The European Union has said it expects all parties to fully implement the 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, a day before President Trump may decide to scrap it. Also: Tunisia hit by new anti-austerity protests and the butterflies from 200 million years ago. | Listen |
| Hunt for Survivors After California Mudslides | |
| The mudslides and flash floods have already killed fifteen people. It's in an area that was already affected by wildfires last month. Also; a report on the contraceptive crisis facing women in Venezuela, and a suggestion that the gender of a scientist conducting an experiment may influence its results. | Listen |
| Iran Death Row Prisoners May Be Spared | |
| Thousands of Iranians who have been sentenced to death for drug crimes could be spared following a softening in the country's law. Also: deal signed to resume hunt for MH370 plane and the guitarist Eric Clapton on life, loss and love. | Listen |
| Steve Bannon Quits Breitbart | |
| The former White House chief strategist resigns as executive chairman of the conservative website following his quoted criticism of the Trump family in 'Fire and Fury'. Also: a world leader's cardboard cut out used to avoid questions and the perils of being in space for one Japanese astronaut who has grown nine centimetres. | Listen |
| Koreas Agree Talks to Defuse Tension | |
| The North will also send a delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games taking place in South Korea in February. Also, Mafia arrests across Italy and Germany, and the dead man who woke up in a mortuary. | Listen |
| Trump Gives Salvadoreans Deadline to Leave | |
| Nearly 200,000 people will be given 18 months to move out or find a legal way to remain in the US. Also: Apple urged to tackle device 'addiction' and could ice climbing be an Olympic sport? | Listen |
| Burning Tanker 'in danger of exploding' | |
| Many crew are still missing and fears of environmental disaster grow. Also: winners of the Golden Globes call for change, heart attack care 'unequal for women' and why today is Divorce Day. | Listen |
| Bannon Attempts to Reverse Treason Remark | |
| Former Trump aide Steve Bannon backtracks on remarks he made about the US president's son. Also: Shafiq confirms exit from Egypt election and the 75th Golden Globes ceremony. | Listen |
| President Trump describes himself as a mentally stable genius | |
| Mr Trump made his comments after a book questions his fitness for office, also: Syrian activists say 17 civilians died in air raids, and Israeli held for alleged organ trafficking | Listen |
| UN Security Council Discusses Iran | |
| The United States called for the meeting despite protests from Russia and Iran. Russia accused the Americans of abusing their power by calling for the meeting but the US ambassador, Nikki Haley, said America supported the Iranian people's right to protest. Also: the US braces for a record-breaking freeze known as a 'bomb cyclone', China announces plans to plant thousands more trees, Tokyo's world-famous Tsukiji fish market holds its last pre-dawn New Year's auction before closing down for relocation, and we find out why India's obsessed with quiz competitions. | Listen |
| Defiant Author says Trump Like a Child | |
| The author Michael Wolff stands by his book on the White House, as President Trump says it is "full of lies". Also: the Spanish Supreme Court has rejected a bail request by the jailed former deputy leader of Catalonia, Oriol Junqueras, and the town known as the saxophone capital of China. | Listen |
| Trump Tries to Block Book | |
| Lawyers want to stop the release of a book, which makes claims against President Trump. 'Fire and Fury' by the journalist Michael Wollf is supposedly based on 200 interviews, many with White House staff. One of the people cited is President Trump's former top aide, Steve Bannon, who alleges that members of the President's family had 'treasonous' meetings with Russian lawyers. Also: Nigeria might be sending its first team to compete in the Winter Olympics in February, and there's angry reaction in Scotland to news that the company behind the Irn-Bru drink will be changing its recipe. | Listen |
| Trump Lawyers Seek to Halt Controversial Book Release | |
| A new book contains explosive insights into Donald Trump's presidency and questions his fitness for office. Also: 'Russian strikes' kill many civilians in Eastern Ghouta and an Italian woman receives a bionic hand with a sense of touch. | Listen |
| Trump: 'Bannon has lost his mind' | |
| President Trump has criticised former aide, Steve Bannon, for his comments over Russia. Mr Bannon was quoted in a new book describing a meeting between Mr Trump's son, his son-in-law and a group of Russians as 'treasonous'. Also: President Macron announces plans to combat so-called 'fake news', and what scientific developments can we expect in 2018? | Listen |
| Ethiopia to Pardon and Release All Political Prisoners | |
| Ethiopia's prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, also announced the closure of a detention centre. He said the move was designed to improve political dialogue after two years of violent anti-government protests. Also: North and South Korea have conducted their first direct communication in nearly two years, and the problem of plastics in the River Ganges. | Listen |
| US Calls for Emergency UN Meeting on Iran | |
| The American ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has dismissed as ridiculous claims by the Iranian government that the current protests were orchestrated by outside forces. Also: dozens killed in Peru coach cliff plunge and is 'pawternity' leave for pet-owners a new trend? | Listen |
| Iran's Ruler Blames Unrest on 'Enemies' | |
| Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was speaking for the first time since people protesting at Iran's economic troubles clashed with security forces last Thursday. Also: South Korea proposes high-level talks with North Korea next week and the YouTube controversy regarding a Japanese suicide victim. | Listen |
| New Protests as Iran Plays Down Unrest | |
| Iranian police say a policeman was killed in a central city. Also: Palestinian girl charged after slap video and Hollywood women launch abuse campaign. | Listen |
| Many Dead in Latest Iran Protests | |
| Protests have continued despite warnings from Iranian authorities. Also, China bans the import of many types of foreign rubbish, including plastic, paper and textiles, and the unusual and quirky ways to usher in the New Year. | Listen |
| Iran Protests: President Rouhani Speaks Out | |
| He said that people have the right to protest, but not to commit acts of violence. Also: President Xi Jinping announces plans for a bigger Chinese role on the world stage, and the new scanning technique that reveals secret writing in mummy cases. | Listen |
| Violent protests in Iran | |
| Reports of growing violence across Iran in anti-government protests, former Egyptian president Morsi gets another jail term, and why Lebanese politicians pose with their pets | Listen |
| More Street Protests in Iran against Clerical Rule | |
| Anti-government protests in Iran have spread to several major cities, NATO member Turkey to buy anti aircraft missiles from Russia in a controversial deal, And pioneering research on dogs could allow damaged human bones to be rebuilt | Listen |
| China Accused of Oil Transfers to North Korea | |
| China has denied there had been any breaking of UN oil sanctions between Beijing and Pyongyang. Also: court delivers Zuma impeachment blow and a look at the role of women in film in 2017. | Listen |
| George Weah Elected Liberian President | |
| With almost all ballots counted, he has won more than sixty percent of the vote. Also: India's lower house of parliament passes a bill that could see Muslim men prosecuted if they try to use the practice of instant divorce and Italy will hold a general election on the fourth of March. | Listen |
| Kabul Suicide Bomb Attack Kills Dozens | |
| IS says it attacked a Shia centre in the Afghan capital. Also: new Israel law restricts police powers and India's laughter clubs. | Listen |
| Historic Prisoner Exchange in Eastern Ukraine | |
| Ukrainian government and Russian-backed rebels complete historic prisoner swap, Bosnian court sentences Croat woman to fourteen years in prison for war crimes, Japan lashes out after South Korea seeks to repudiate compensation deal for wartime Korean sex slaves | Listen |
| Sick Evacuated from Besieged Damascus Area | |
| Four critically-ill patients are evacuated from rebel-held eastern Ghouta, outside Syria's capital. Also: Obama warns on harmful social media use and investigating the dinosaur extinction crater. | Listen |
| Liberian Presidential Election: Counting is Underway | |
| Can Liberia achieve its first democratic transition of power in more than seventy years? Also, the former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, asks for forgiveness after a divisive pardon; and BBC foreign correspondents look back at 2017. | Listen |
| Liberians Head to the Polls to Elect a New President | |
| The west African state is holding a delayed runoff election between the Vice President, Joseph Boakai, and the former international footballer, George Weah. Also, police in Bangladesh have arrested an atheist blogger on charges of insulting Islam and the first town in the United States which will become fully solar-powered. | Listen |
| Good News 2017: A Year In Review | |
| A look back on the year's uplifting and more light-hearted moments -- including one man's equation for happiness, cycling the world in 79 days, naked skydiving (with a violin), the US solar eclipse and that Royal engagement. | Listen |
| Russian Presidential Vote: Navalny to Run Against Putin | |
| Alexei Navalny will challenge Vladimir Putin in March's presidential election. Mr Navalny is widely regarded as the only candidate with a chance of challenging the president, who is seeking a fourth term that would see him become the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin. Also, Christians in Mosul celebrate Christmas for the first time in four years after the Islamic State were defeated and driven out of the city, and a report on a unique New Year's celebration in Japan. | Listen |
| Philippines Storm Kills More Than 180 | |
| Tropical Storm Tembin brings flash flooding and mudslides to Mindanao island. Also: a new report says at least 10,000 people were killed in the Tiananmen Square massacre in China in 1989, and a mission to rescue sick children in rebel held territory in Syria. | Listen |
| UN Slaps Fresh Sanctions on North Korea | |
| The tough measures imposed over Pyongyang's missile programme target petrol supplies. Also: Two former football officials are convicted of corruption and the Japanese tradition of Beethoven at Christmas. | Listen |
| Catalan Politics as Divided as Ever | |
| The former Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, has called on the Spanish prime minister to negotiate a political solution to the crisis in Catalonia. Also: Boris Johnson urges better Russia relations and warming up at a Gloggfest in Sweden. | Listen |
| Catalonia Votes for new Parliament | |
| Parties favouring independence look set to maintain a majority in the region's parliament. The previous administration was dissolved by Madrid after it declared independence from Spain. Also: The UN General Assembly passes a resolution condemning President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the smash-hit musical 'Hamilton' hits London's West-End. | Listen |
| Catalans Vote in Regional Election | |
| The people of Catalonia are voting in a closely watched regional election, called by Spain following a controversial independence referendum. Also: Melbourne attack 'not terror related' and Apple admits slowing down older iPhones. | Listen |
| Damian Green Sacked from UK Cabinet | |
| PM Theresa May's deputy is asked to resign after an inquiry finds he breached Britain's ministerial code. Also: Ugandan MPs scrap presidential age limit, the music behind the US civil rights movement and Lady Gaga's Vegas residency | Listen |
| EU Takes Disciplinary Measures after Poland's Judicial Reforms | |
| European Union takes tough action against Poland over controversial legal changes. The Poles say this is politically-motivated. Also, the European Court of Justice rules that Uber is officially a transport company, the BBC is to boost its religious output, Nigeria's battle against dealers in fake drugs, and Iran honours a woman artist with a museum solely devoted to her work. | Listen |
| Republican Tax Bill Faces Final Vote | |
| The US House of Representatives backs the biggest tax overhaul for years and now the Senate will decide. Also: China has unveiled plans to cap the amount of greenhouse gases some seventeen hundred energy companies can produce and how science is helping to slow down old age. | Listen |
| Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missile | |
| Houthi rebels in Yemen say they launched a rocket aimed at one of Riyadh's palaces. The Houthis are fighting the Saudi-led coalition, which supports Yemen's government in the country's civil war. Also: Russia criticises Donald Trump's new National Security Strategy, it's the final day of campaigning in Catalonia before regional elections, and what's the best Christmas song ever written? | Listen |
| Trump says Russia and China are Rivals to US | |
| US president Donald Trump has outlined his new national security strategy, labelling China and Russia the primary threats to US economic dominance. Also: passenger train plunges on US highway and fans mourn the death of K-Pop boy band superstar Jonghyun. | Listen |
| South Africans Wait to Discover New ANC Leader | |
| Votes are counted in a contest that's split the governing party of South Africa. The two candidates to take over the party are a former foreign minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and South Africa's deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa. Some six-thousand people have protested in Vienna outside the swearing-in ceremony for a new Austrian cabinet, which includes the far right Freedom Party. And a new plant that could reduce our dependence on electric lighting. | Listen |
| CIA helped stop Russia Terror Attack | |
| President Vladimir Putin phoned Donald Trump to thank him for the information. The attack was allegedly planned to take place on Saturday, Russia says. Also, The Islamic State Group says it carried out an attack on a church in the Pakistani city of Quetta which left eight people dead and dozens of others wounded, and the Moroccan baker who's treated the residents of Milan to what's said to be the world's largest panettone. | Listen |
| ANC Gathers To Choose New Leader | |
| South Africa's governing ANC party to elect successor to Jacob Zuma. Also: Austrian president approves formation of a new government which will include the far-right Freedom Party, and a state funeral for the last king of Romania. | Listen |
| Austria's Freedom Party poised for power | |
| Austria is set to have a coalition made up of the People's Party, which came first in a recent election, and the smaller anti-immigration Freedom Party. Also: the UN says there's huge disparities between rich and poor people in the United States which President Trump's policies could make worse, and get ready for the flying car. | Listen |
| DR Congo Child Soldiers awarded $10m in Damages | |
| The children were recruited by the Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga. The money will be awarded collectively to the community rather than individuals. Also: EU says Brexit talks to move to next stage and the choir that can never sing together. | Listen |
| US communications regulator votes to end net neutrality | |
| Also: US ambassador to UN accuses Iran of fanning conflicts across the Middle East, EU leaders debate migration crisis and: earth-like planet found using artificial intelligence | Listen |
| Walt Disney Buys 21st Century Fox's Assets | |
| Walt Disney has agreed to buy 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets for $52.4bn. Also: Grenfell victims remembered at St Paul's and an exhibition celebrating the rise of pop group ABBA in the 1970s opens in London. | Listen |
| Trump to Rush Through Tax Reform after Alabama Defeat | |
| We assess what the Democrat win means for US politics and President Trump's tax reform and hear how black voters made a difference. Also, the British Prime Minister suffers a major defeat regarding Brexit. | Listen |
| Muslim Nations Denounce Trump's Stance on Jerusalem | |
| OIC communique declares President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital as 'null and void'. Also: democrat wins in Alabama Senate upset and cyclist Chris Froome faces questions over abnormal drug test. | Listen |
| Macron Gives Dire Warning on Climate Change | |
| More than 50 heads of state gather at the One Planet summit in Paris. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, said that two years after the Paris climate agreement, the rise in global temperatures had become a permanent emergency. Also: a deadly explosion at an Austrian gas terminal prompts Italy to declare a state of emergency over energy supplies, and one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year, 'Star Wars, The Last Jedi', is being released around the world this week - we look at the critical reaction to the movie. | Listen |
| Global Climate Change Summit Begins in Paris - without President Trump | |
| World leaders discuss how to finance efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Also, residents of Alabama vote in controversial Senate election, six people given death penalty for Indian 'honour killing', US soldier who defected to North Korea dies aged 77, and new evidence shows that 'man flu' may not be a myth. | Listen |
| Trump Harassment Accusers Demand Inquiry | |
| Three women, who accused President Trump of sexual misconduct, have demanded a congressional inquiry. The White House said the women were making 'false claims'. Also: attacker targets Manhattan bus terminal and Pacific 'baby island' is natural laboratory to study Mars. | Listen |
| EU's Federica Mogherini rebuffs Netanyahu on Jerusalem | |
| EU's foreign policy chief and Israeli PM Netanyahu disagree publicly following Trump announcement on status of Jerusalem . Also, man arrested after explosion in Manhattan, Saudi Arabia to lift its ban on public cinemas, public inquiry begins into the Grenfell Tower fire, and the private letters of enigmatic film star Greta Garbo are to be auctioned - so what do they reveal ? | Listen |
| Netanyahu says Palestinians Must face Reality | |
| Israel's prime minister says Jerusalem has "never been the capital of any other people". Also: Germany warns of Chinese LinkedIn spies and the fishy sounds of Blue Planet II. | Listen |
| Islamic State defeated in Iraq | |
| The war against the Islamic State group is officially over, Britain's Foreign Secretary is in Tehran to plead for the freedom of a British-Iranian woman, France says an emotional farewell to rock and roll legend, Johnny Hallyday. | Listen |
| UN Secretary General calls Murder of DRC Peacekeepers a 'War Crime' | |
| 14 UN peacekeepers were killed in a militant attack in DR Congo. Antonio Guterres said the attack in North Kivu was the worst on UN peacekeepers in recent history. Also: Palestinian protests continue over President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and Pope Francis calls for wording of Lord's Prayer to be changed. | Listen |
| 'Breakthrough' Deal in Brexit Talks | |
| Brexit divorce bill estimated at up to $52bn as British prime minister gets agreement on Irish border issue. Also: clashes erupt over US Jerusalem move and researchers find 'oldest ever eye' in fossil. | Listen |
| US Senator Al Franken to Resign Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims | |
| Al Franken will quit in the coming weeks after calls from fellow Democrats to step down. Also: Trump's Jerusalem move sparks clashes. Argentina ex-president's arrest sought and the strange paradox of how Narwhals respond to threats. | Listen |
| Trump Jerusalem Move Sparks Israeli-Palestinian Clashes | |
| Violence erupts in clashes in West Bank during protests against US President's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Also: tense start to Erdogan's Greece visit and pizza-twirling gets world heritage status. | Listen |
| Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital | |
| Also: Vladimir Putin to stand again for the Russian presidency in next year's election, Andrej Babi? is the new Czech prime minister, and the fight against plastic pollution | Listen |
| Trump to Declare that Jerusalem is Israel's Capital | |
| Palestinians angry ahead of President Trump's expected announcement about Jerusalem, which will break long-standing international consensus on the city's status. Also, why post-traumatic stress disorder is rising among children in US inner cities, new report says schools must teach pupils to identify 'fake news', scientists unveil skeleton of one of humankind's oldest ancestors, and we remember rock star Johnny Hallyday - the 'French Elvis.' | Listen |
| Russia Banned from 2018 Winter Olympics | |
| The ban follows an investigation into allegations of state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Games in Sochi. Also: President Trump calls worried regional leaders to say he plans to move US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and a commissioner for happiness is appointed in Nigeria's Imo state. | Listen |
| Rohingya Crisis: UN Human Rights Chief 'Cannot Rule Out Genocide' | |
| A senior UN official has severely denounced Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims. Also, Catalan arrest warrants withdrawn by Spain's Supreme Court, Romania's former King Michael dies aged 96, new report warns of persecution of atheists in many countries, and why Australia is asking people to count frogs. | Listen |
| UK and EU Fail to Strike Brexit Talks Deal | |
| The Brexit talks are understood to have broken down after the Democratic Unionist Party refused to accept concessions on the Irish border issue. Also: Supreme Court backs Trump travel ban and Bollywood legend Shashi Kapoor dies. | Listen |
| Yemen's ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh Has Been Reported Killed | |
| Saleh reported dead amidst fierce fighting between his supporters and Houthi rebels. Footage posted online shows the former leader's body with a deep wound to his head. Also, Spanish Supreme Court rules that six jailed members of sacked Catalan separatist government can go free, Sri Lankan cricket team temporarily halts test match in Delhi due to air-pollution, Australian MP proposes marriage to his partner - during debate in Parliament on same-sex marriage. | Listen |
| Trump's Lawyer Claims Responsibility For Problematic Tweet | |
| Tweet from president's account raised fresh questions about alleged collusion with Russia. Also: 50th anniversary of the world's first person-to-person heart transplant, and 'supermoon' brightens up the sky. | Listen |
| Trump: Michael Flynn Acted 'Lawfully' | |
| US President said former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, had to be sacked because he lied. Also, the Saudi-led coalition has welcomed an offer of talks made by Yemen's former President, Ali Abdullah Saleh; and in Cambodia, a collection of ancient gold jewellery has been carried through the streets of Phnom Penh to celebrate its return to the country. | Listen |
| Michael Flynn pleads guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia | |
| Trump's sacked national security adviser admits to making false statements. Also: Protests against perceived fraud in Honduras' presidential election turn violent, and bears in the Pyrenees | Listen |
| Pope Francis Refers to Rohingya in Dhaka Meeting | |
| Pope Francis had refrained from referring to the refugees as Rohingya on his earlier visit to Myanmar. Also: UN appeals for $22.5bn aid for 2018 and Meghan delights crowd on first royal visit. | Listen |
| Argentina Ends Missing Sub Rescue Mission | |
| The Argentine navy says it has abandoned attempts to rescue 44 submarine crew members. Hopes of finding survivors faded after a suspected explosion was reported near its last-known location in the South Atlantic. Also, the White House dismisses reports that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be replaced; and a court hears that the North Korean leader's half brother, Kim Jong-nam, was carrying an antidote to the nerve agent that killed him. | Listen |
| Trump Hits Out at British PM over Tweet Criticism | |
| Donald Trump told British prime minister Theresa May to focus on 'terrorism' in the UK after she criticised his sharing of far-right videos. Also: Pope Francis thanks Bangladesh on Myanmar refugees and Kellogg's to cut sugar in kids' cereals. | Listen |
| War Criminal Dies after Drinking Poison | |
| Bosnian Croat general, Slobodan Praljak, acted after appeal court upheld his 20 year jail term; Britain criticises President Trump for sharing anti-Muslim videos posted by far-right group, Britain First; why were ancient women stronger than modern athletes, and the happy ending of a Chinese couple who lost and found their honeymoon photos. | Listen |
| War Criminal 'Takes Poison' in Court | |
| A war crimes appeal in The Hague is halted after a defendant Slobodan Praljak announces he has drunk poison. Also: North Korea says new missile can re-enter atmosphere and US TV host Matt Lauer sacked over sex claim. | Listen |
| North Korea Launches Missile | |
| The intercontinental ballistic missile flew 1,000 km towards Japan and landed in the sea. It's the first such launch in more than two months and comes despite continuing international pressure on Pyongyang. Also, hybrid electric engine planes are set to become a reality, why South Koreans are more likely to undergo plastic surgery than any other nation, and how the growing problem of space junk is being tackled. | Listen |
| Pope's Myanmar Speech Avoids Reference to Rohingya | |
| Pope Francis urges 'respect for each ethnic group' but without referring to Rohingya. Human rights groups had urged him to use the term 'Rohingya' to back the community. Also, Uhuru Kenyatta vows to overcome national divisions, mysterious suicide of Chinese general, and how one Mexican community fought back against brutal drugs-gangs. | Listen |
| Prince Harry 'Thrilled' over Meghan Markle Engagement | |
| The fifth in line to the British throne was speaking after the couple announced their engagement and plans to marry in spring 2018. Also: EU settles dispute over major weed killer and Bitcoin hits new record high. | Listen |
| Prince Harry to Marry Girlfriend Meghan Markle Next Year | |
| Prince Charles 'thrilled' that his younger son will marry US actress in spring 2018. Also, Bali volcano alert raised to highest level, Pope begins highly sensitive visit to Myanmar, Pakistani Islamists call off protests after Law minister resigns, and how 'Nueva Cancion' blended music and politics in Chile. | Listen |
| Food Aid Enters Yemen Port After Blockade | |
| The UN ship, loaded with thousands of tonnes of desperately needed wheat, arrived at the port of Saleef. Also: US lawmaker John Conyers gives up post amid inquiry and a very old tourist attraction comes out of its shell on St Helena. | Listen |
| Egypt Sinai Attack: Death Toll Rises | |
| Officials say the attackers, who killed over 300 worshippers at a mosque, were carrying the flag of the Islamic State group. We hear from the survivors at a hospital. Also: Pakistan calls on the army to quell anti-blasphemy protests, and the Lion of Zimbabwe, Thomas Mapfumo, reflects on the toppling of President Robert Mugabe. | Listen |
| Global News Podcast: More than 230 killed in attack in Egypt's North Sinai province | |
| Militants launch bomb and gun attack on mosque during prayers, state media say. It's the deadliest attack of its kind since an Islamist insurgency in the peninsula was stepped up in 2013. Also, after Emmerson Mnangagwa's inauguration as Zimbabwe's President, Anne Soy reports from Matabeleland, where thousands were killed while he was head of security, and why women are being encouraged to "own their space" with the new social media craze, 'womanspreading'. | Listen |
| New President Vows to Serve All Zimbabweans | |
| Emmerson Mnangagwa, the former vice president, returned from exile to take up office. Also, many killed in Egyptian mosque and avatar therapy 'weakens hallucinations.' | Listen |
| Inside Saudi Arabia's gilded prison | |
| The BBC has been given exclusive access to the luxury hotel in Riyadh, where members of the Saudi elite are being detained after an anti-corruption drive by the Crown Prince. Lyse Doucet reports from the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Also, there's anger among the families of missing Argentine submariners, after reports of an explosion around the time the vessel went missing; and the real life scientists welcoming Little Miss Inventor. | Listen |
| Conflicting reports about end of Saudi blockade in Yemen | |
| Saudi led coalition says it's easing its blockade of Yemen's sea and airports, Will Rohingya refugees return to Myanmar following repatriation agreement, And the train in India that took its passengers a-hundred-and-sixty kilometres in the wrong direction | Listen |
| A 'New Democracy' Starts in Zimbabwe | |
| The incoming leader Emmerson Mnangagwa hails a new era on his return to Harare and vows to create jobs in a country where some estimates say 90% of people are unemployed. Also, the Front National party in France says there is a banking fatwa against the far right, and the USA's dire maternal mortality rates. | Listen |
| Ratko Mladic Jailed for Life over Bosnia War Genocide | |
| Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic jailed for atrocities in the 1990s. Known as the "Butcher of Bosnia", he led Serb troops during the massacre of Muslims in Srebrenica and the siege of Sarajevo. Also, Zimbabwe's former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa returns to his country, we meet the mother of the Uzbek man who carried out the deadly New York City truck-attack, and former teen pop idol David Cassidy dies aged 67. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe's President Mugabe Resigns | |
| The news of Robert Mugabe's resignation abruptly halted an impeachment hearing. The end of his 37-year leadership sparks wild celebrations in the streets. | Listen |
| Impeachment Proceedings against President Robert Mugabe Begin | |
| Thousands of people have joined mass protests against Mugabe outside the Zimbabwean parliament, and we hear from the daughter of his likely successor. Also: Is there still hope for the missing Argentine submarine? And how some religious marriages in Britain are not legally recognised. | Listen |
| Impeachment Proceedings Expected against Robert Mugabe | |
| A deadline set by Zanu-PF for Mr Mugabe's resignation passed on Monday. Also: Merkel 'prefers new vote' after talks fail and Bollywood film shelved following protests. | Listen |
| Zimbabwe's President Mugabe Ignores Party's Deadline to Quit | |
| Ruling Zanu-PF party discusses Mugabe's future after he ignores resignation deadline. Zanu-PF says it backs impeachment, and proceedings could begin on Tuesday. Also, how Afghans feel about President Trump's new policy for their country, notorious US cult leader Charles Manson dies in prison aged 83, we visit an exhibition of the most powerful news photos from across the world, and Senegalese singer Baaba Maal hosts a festival of African music. | Listen |
| Defiant Mugabe stays on | |
| Robert Mugabe defies pressure to resign as Zimbabwean President, also no result in German coalition talks and new museum in Egypt to display artefacts related to Tutankhamun | Listen |
| Huge Crowds Demonstrate in the Zimbabwean Capital, Harare | |
| Thousands of protesters called for President Mugabe's resignation. Also, the Argentine navy continues the search for a missing submarine, and the Lebanese politician, Saad Hariri, says he will return to Beirut next week. | Listen |
| Pressure Mounts on Mugabe | |
| Branches of the governing party pass no-confidence votes amid calls for President Mugabe to resign. The head of Zimbabwe's National Liberation War Veterans' Association say Mr Mugabe has no political future. Also, violence erupts in Kenya between police and supporters of the opposition leader Raila Odinga, one of the leaders of the Venezuelan opposition evades house arrest and flees into neighbouring Colombia, and hear the highest note ever sung at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. | Listen |
| Defiant Mugabe makes Public Appearance | |
| The Zimbabwean president leaves house arrest to attend a university graduation ceremony. Also, North Korea defector has 'enormous parasites' and highest honour for Mali - the military dog. | Listen |
| Mugabe Meets Army Chief | |
| New images show Robert Mugabe looking relaxed and smiling. He's been under house arrest since the military takeover on Wednesday morning. Also, President Trump's planned tax reforms pass the first hurdle in Congress, new audio is released from the trial of Nelson Mandela in 1964, and Saudi Arabia says it won't lift its blockade of the main airport and seaport in Yemen until Houthi rebels give up their weapons. | Listen |
| Mugabe in Crunch Talks over His Future | |
| South Africa says regional mediators are meeting the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe -- who remains under house arrest following the military's seizure of power. Also, Cambodia's Supreme Court has dissolved the main opposition party -- accusing it of plotting to overthrow the government, and do the Amish have the secret to longevity? | Listen |
| Calls for Restraint after Apparent Coup in Zimbabwe | |
| A number of ministers are believed to be detained and Mugabe is under house arrest. Correspondents say many people in the capital, Harare, are hoping for an end to the president's era, while a number of leading members of the ruling ZANU-PF party have said the former rebel leader had come unstuck by seemingly attempting to establish a dynasty. Also: the French President, Emmanuel Macron, invites the Lebanese prime minister, Saad Hariri, and his family to go to France, but stresses that he's not offering political exile, and scientists attempt to cure incurable diseases using gene therapy inside the body. | Listen |
| Robert Mugabe 'Under House Arrest' | |
| As Zimbabwe's army takes control, South Africa's leader says the president is at home and 'fine'. Also: the president of Lebanon has accused Saudi Arabia of detaining the prime minister Saad Hariri who announced his resignation in Riyadh earlier this month, and a new UN report indicates Afghanistan has nearly doubled its opium production in one year. | Listen |
| Army Takes Control in Zimbabwe | |
| A special edition on the fast moving events in Zimbabwe. The army in Zimbabwe has seized control of the country but denies it has staged a coup. President Zuma of South Africa says Robert Mugabe told him he was confined to his home. Image: Tanks in Harare, Credit: AFP/Getty Images | Listen |
| Senate Committee Questions Trump's Nuclear Authority | |
| For the first time in decades, senators examine the US President's right to launch a nuclear attack. Also, Australians back same-sex marriage, a very public power struggle in Zimbabwe -- and the UN Secretary-General finds himself caught up in a Nigerian banking scam. | Listen |
| Iran's President Pledges Huge Relief-effort for Areas Hit by Quake | |
| President Rouhani visits districts where huge numbers of people urgently need aid. Survivors have appealed for food and shelter. Also, surgeons battle to save life of North Korean soldier who was shot by his own side while defecting, why Greenpeace is taking Norwegian government to court, evidence shows humans may have invented wine-making nearly 8000 years ago, and how a British surfer claims he fought off an aggressive shark. | Listen |
| Raqqa's Dirty Secret | |
| The BBC uncovers a secret deal that allowed hundreds of IS fighters to escape from Raqqa. The evacuation was watched by coalition and Kurdish-led forces who control the city. A convoy included some of Islamic State's most notorious members and - despite reassurances - dozens of foreign fighters. Also: a relief effort is underway after an earthquake that struck Iran's border with Iraq on Sunday killed more than 400 people, and why China is cracking down on public dancing. | Listen |
| Iran-Iraq Border Hit by Major Earthquake | |
| Hundreds killed by 'deadliest quake in the world in 2017', and thousands reported injured. Rescue effort gets underway in both countries. Also, Trump says he has 'great relationship' with Duterte, concern over first global CO2 rise in 4 years, and how scientists turned space-probe data into a cosmic symphony. | Listen |
| Saad Hariri: Lebanon Return from Saudi Arabia 'within days'. | |
| Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri says he will return home "in days" to formally submit his resignation. Mr Hariri spoke to Future TV from Riyadh, his first public remarks since he announced he was stepping down last week. Also: Spanish PM vows to end Catalonia 'havoc', an aid convoy has got through to a rebel-held enclave in Syria and how Jews and Arabs bond over shampoo at an Israeli hair salon. | Listen |
| Lebanese PM's Party Backs Saudi Arabia | |
| The party of Saad al-Hariri has denounced attacks against Saudi Arabia. In a statement, the Future Movement political party also condemned Iranian intervention in Arab countries. There are reports that the Saudis forced Saad al-Hariri to resign and may be holding him against his will. Also: President Trump says he believes that President Putin didn't meddle in the US presidential elections, protesters in Barcelona demonstrate against Spain's detention of Catalan independence leaders and legendary jazz musician Thelonious Monk remembered at the London Jazz Festival. | Listen |
| The Crisis in Lebanon Worsens | |
| Growing tension between Saudi Arabia and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement. The United States warns other countries against using Lebanon for proxy conflicts. Also: The Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, pyramids in Sudan and a revival of the aulos. | Listen |
| Trump Talks Tough on Trade | |
| US president defends 'America First' trade policy at APEC summit. But Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, insists globalisation is now unstoppable. Also: Lebanese President demands return of PM Saad Hariri from Saudi Arabia, Moscow threatens retaliation after US orders Russia Today to register as a foreign agent, and Facebook founder sounds alarm. | Listen |
| Billions identified in Saudi anti-corruption drive. | |
| Saudi authorities say one-hundred-billion dollars has been embezzled from the country, Twitter suspends authentication system after it verified the account of a white supremacist, Scientists say otter that roamed China six million years ago was the size of a wolf | Listen |
| Trump Woos China | |
| North Korea and trade take centre stage on President Trump's second day in Beijing. Donald Trump urges the Chinese President Xi Jinping to work harder to solve problems with North Korea, saying that time is running out. Both leaders also witnessed the signing of business deals which could be worth more than two hundred and fifty billion dollars, although some have been under negotiation for a long period and many are non-binding. Also: new research suggests wounds sustained in daylight heal faster than those that occur at night, and Harare's main airport is renamed after President Robert Mugabe. | Listen |
| Britain's International Development Secretary Resigns | |
| Priti Patel resigns after row over undisclosed meetings with Israeli politicians. Also: Pioneering surgery to save a boy with skin as delicate as a butterfly's wing, and opening of new Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi. | Listen |
| Catalonia: Spain Could Allow Independence Referendums, says Foreign Minister | |
| Spanish FM offers a possible olive branch to supporters of Catalan independence. Also, how Trump's supporters in Wisconsin feel one year after his election triumph, Germany to recognise a third gender, the 'children's republic' that thrived in Budapest after World War Two, and when did our ancestors grow taller ? | Listen |
| Prince Charles in Paradise Papers disclosure | |
| The Duchy of Cornwall says Prince Charles was not directly involved in investment decisions. Also: the UN has urged Saudi Arabia to allow vital aid supplies into Yemen after Riyadh said it was imposing a total blockade, and why George Orwell is returning to the BBC. | Listen |
| Trump Urges N. Korea to 'Come to the Table' over Nuclear Programme | |
| US President calls on North Korea to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons. Also, Boris Johnson under pressure to retract comments about a British-Iranian woman, how Russians feel on 100th anniversary of their revolution, and why the Boeing 747 is retiring after nearly 50 years of service. | Listen |
| Apple's Secret Tax Bolthole Revealed | |
| The Paradise Papers show the US multi-national has used a Channel Island to protect its low tax regime. Also: Texas gunman 'had row with mother-in-law' and the 80 year-old woman on a driving adventure around Africa. | Listen |
| Saudi Arabia Imposes Blockade on Yemen | |
| Saudi Arabia has sealed its border with Yemen after missile-attack by Houthi rebels which targeted the Saudi capital Riyadh. Also, the UN warns that almost half South Sudan's population face critical food-shortages, why some South Koreans are critical of Donald Trump's policy towards the North, Terry Waite talks about coping with solitude, and remembering George Orwell - a renowned author and former BBC employee. | Listen |
| Huge Financial Document Leak | |
| Documents leaked from an offshore law firm have revealed that President Trump's Commerce Secretary has been doing business with a Russian company linked to the Kremlin. The BBC has also found that ten million pounds of Queen Elizabeth's private money has been invested in offshore funds. Also: there's been another mass shooting in the United States, more than twenty people have been killed in a church in Texas. And two microscopic organisms have been chosen as the very first earth-dwelling creatures to travel outside the solar system. | Listen |
| Lebanese PM Resigns | |
| Saad al-Hariri steps down saying he fears an assassination plot, President Trump urges Saudi Arabia to float its state oil company in the New York Stock Exchange; the art exhibition inside a nuclear bunker, and why are Poles leaving Britain even before the end of Brexit negotiations? | Listen |
| Arrest Warrant For Former Catalan Leader | |
| A judge in Spain issues European arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont, who's in Belgium. Other warrants cover four ex-ministers who did not appear in court to testify in an investigation into alleged rebellion and sedition. Also: US army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is spared jail after being found guilty of abandoning his post in Afghanistan, and cockatoos sharpening their beaks are causing problems for Australians. | Listen |
| Big Losses for IS in Syria and Iraq | |
| The Syrian army retakes the city of Deir al Zour as Iraqi forces enter al-Qaim across the border. Also: Red Cross admits Ebola cash lost to fraud and Twitter employee takes down Trump account. | Listen |
| Protests as Catalan Politicians Await Trial | |
| Thousands demonstrate against the detention of eight ousted Catalan government ministers. There is still the possibility of an international arrest warrant being issued for Catalonia's former leader, Carles Puigdemont, who's in self-imposed exile in Belgium. President Trump has picked Jerome Powell to become chair of the US central bank. Also: 'Big void' identified in pyramid in Giza and new great ape species identified in Indonesia. | Listen |
| Former Members of Catalan Government Appear In Court | |
| The Belgian lawyer for Carles Puigdemont said he would cooperate with the Spanish court. Also: Myanmar's Suu Kyi visits troubled Rakhine state and Save The Children charity says nearly a million children a year are dying from pneumonia. | Listen |
| UK Defence Minister Resigns Over Conduct Claims | |
| Sir Michael Fallon says his behaviour may have "fallen short" of standards expected by the British military. Also: NY attack suspect charged with terrorism, Colombia rebel boss to run for president, Facebook profits up 80 percent | Listen |
| President Trump Calls for Increased Checks on Visitors following New York Attack | |
| Five friends from Argentina were among those killed in the truck attack in New York on Tuesday. Also: Saudi-led air strike 'hits Yemen market' and Australia to ban Uluru climb from 2019. | Listen |
| Deadly Terror Vehicle Attack in Manhattan | |
| At least eight killed in New York as a van is driven into a bike lane, Ousted Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, turns up in Brussels, but denies he's seeking asylum, Bat numbers threatened by growing passion for drinking tequila | Listen |
| Catalonia's Sacked President Puigdemont Denounces Spanish Government | |
| Carles Puigdemont tells news conference he has gone to Brussels 'to speak freely'. Also, Russia-linked posts 'reached 126m Facebook users in US', Germany marks 500 years since start of the Reformation, and we discover the scary sounds of the Solar System. | Listen |
| Trump Adviser Lied About Russian Links | |
| George Papadopoulous has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about the timings of meetings with alleged go-betweens for Russia. Also: a Belgium lawyer says he's representing the sacked Catalan regional leader, Carles Puigdemont and Google 'drops everything' to fix burger emoji. | Listen |
| Trump's ex-Aide Paul Manafort Charged with Tax Fraud | |
| Trump's former presidential campaign manager charged with conspiring to defraud the US. The charges stem from an inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US election. Also, Spain's chief prosecutor calls for Catalan leaders to face charges including rebellion, actor Kevin Spacey apologises over 'sexual advance' claim, and how a UK charity's challenging the online myths about cancer. | Listen |
| Anti-Separatists Rally In Catalonia | |
| As hundreds of thousands of protestors demand Spanish unity, prosecutors say they are preparing to file criminal charges against the sacked leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont. Also: the veteran president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Masoud Barzani, makes a defiant speech after his resignation is accepted, and the Indian surgeon who has separated twin boys that were conjoined at the head. | Listen |
| Millions At Risk of Starvation in the DRC | |
| The head of the World Food Programme makes urgent appeal for international aid to stave off a humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Also: Madrid holds a pro-Spanish unity rally after Catalonia's declaration of independence, and is football about to replace cricket as India's most popular sport? | Listen |
| Spanish PM Dissolves Catalan Parliament | |
| Mariano Rajoy begins imposing direct rule over Catalonia after its push for independence. Also, details of a phone call to a British newspaper are revealed in the JFK files, and the Japanese teenager forced to dye her hair black to avoid being banned from class. | Listen |
| Catalan parliament declares independence from Spain | |
| In response, Spain's Senate has approved Madrid's proposal to take control of the region's autonomy. Also: The UN warns of dire food shortages in a rebel-controlled area in Syria, and two women and their dogs are rescued after nearly five months at sea. | Listen |
| Violence and Voter Boycotts in Kenya | |
| There have been fatalities in opposition strongholds and voting has been postponed until Saturday in some areas because of security concerns. Also: President Trump declares opioid addiction a US public health emergency, and IKEA withdraws an advert in China which has been accused of insulting single women. | Listen |
| Kenya Goes to Polls Amid Unrest | |
| A teenager dies in isolated clashes in Kenya where many polling stations did not open for the re-run. Also: scientists in London trial a pill that could lead to HIV vaccine and supersonic Bloodhound rocket car in first public test runs. | Listen |
| Disputed Kenyan Presidential Re-run Election to Proceed | |
| Kenyans to vote again for a new President - but main opposition leader has called for a boycott, Male killer whales and their complex social bonds. Fats Domino - a pioneer and rock and roll legend - has died at the age of 89. | Listen |
| Kenya: Protests Held Ahead of Presidential Election Rerun | |
| Opposition supporters voice anger as Kenya prepares for repeat presidential election. Also, China's President Xi Jinping cements his grip on leadership for next five years - and possibly longer, a leading UK economist looks at whether global capitalism works, and Japanese police arrested suspected 'ninja burglar' - aged 74. | Listen |
| Second Republican Senator Blasts Trump | |
| The US president comes under fierce public attack from Republicans Bob Corker and Jeff Flake. Also: Russia blocks Syria gas attacks inquiry and Einstein's theory of happiness sold for $1.5m. | Listen |
| China: Xi Jinping is now 'Most Powerful Leader Since Mao Zedong' | |
| President Xi Jinping's standing as China's most powerful leader in decades is assured. Also, Kenya's Supreme Court to decide whether re-run of presidential election can go ahead, a deathbed confession in Belgium may help solve a series of murders from 1980s, and why a Canadian man was fined for singing in public. | Listen |
| US Soldier's Widow says Trump Made Her Cry | |
| President Trump said he had used Sgt Johnson's name 'without hesitation'. Also: Russian radio presenter stabbed in the neck and AC/DC producer George Young dies at 70. | Listen |
| Catalonia: Madrid Threatens to Strip Catalan Leader of All his Powers | |
| Catalan and Spanish governments continue their dispute over the region's future. Also, Kenyan opposition leader's sister to be charged with 'inciting violence', FBI agent talks about his work infiltrating radical Islamist groups in US, and a new report warns that acidification of the oceans 'will affect all sea life'. | Listen |
| "Go Home!" - US tells Iranian Backed Militias in Iraq | |
| US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says militias who've been fighting IS in Iraq must disband. He said - now the battle was ending - it was time for the militias to integrate into the Iraqi army or go home. Also, WHO drops Mugabe as goodwill ambassador, and buying drugs with Spam in Hawaii. | Listen |
| Catalonia says 'No' to Direct Rule | |
| The Catalan leader says they won't accept plans by Madrid to curb the region's autonomy. Carles Puigdemont made a passionate appeal for the defence of Catalonia's rights in the face of what he called a coup by the Spanish state. It follows threats by the Spanish Prime Minister to impose direct rule on Catalonia. Also: the 'Czech Trump', Andrej Babis, has become the new Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, and a zombie apocalypse comes to Washington to celebrate the final season of the TV series 'The Walking Dead'. | Listen |
| Afghan Suicide Mosque Attacks Kill Scores of Worshippers | |
| Officials say nearly sixty people have been killed in separate attacks in Kabul and Ghor province. Also: police in Brazil say they've arrested more than one hundred people in the biggest ever operation against paedophiles in Latin America, and a transgender first for Playboy magazine. | Listen |
| Iraqi and Kurdish Forces in Heavy Clashes | |
| Fierce fighting erupts in the last part of Kirkuk province held by the Kurdish Peshmerga. Also: EU paves way for UK trade talks to begin and longer beaks in UK birds 'due to feeders'. | Listen |
| UN concerned over Kurdistan | |
| The UN has responded to reports of houses destroyed, with people forced to flee. It's after the Iraqi government re-took control of most of the territory in the north of the country. Also: the Spanish government says it will impose direct rule on Catalonia after the region's President refused to abandon a push for independence, and the actor Tom Hanks speaks out over the Harvey Weinstein scandal. | Listen |
| Catalonia Crisis: Spain Moves to Suspend Autonomy | |
| The Spanish government says it will start stripping Catalonia of its autonomy from Saturday. Also: China's state news agency Xinhua says the president, Xi Jinping, may be given his own political theory, and how Venezuela's political crisis is impacting sport. | Listen |
| Saudi Arabia to Tackle Islamic Extremism | |
| A new religious body in Medina will vet interpretations of Islamic teachings that are used to justify terrorism. Also, the mother of a US soldier killed in action says President Trump showed "disrespect", and the computer that's taught itself to master the world's most complex game. | Listen |
| Xi Jinping Declares 'New Era' for China | |
| The Chinese president tells the Communist Party congress in Beijing it is time for the country to 'take centre stage'. Also: Kenyan official flees to US before poll and Japan's lunar orbiter discovers the dimensions of a moon cave. | Listen |
| Raqqa: US-backed Alliance Celebrates Victory over IS | |
| The self -declared capital of Islamic State has fallen to a coalition of Syrian fighters. Also, Trump's latest travel ban order is blocked and the US author George Saunders wins the Man Booker Prize. | Listen |
| Raqqa: IS 'Capital' Falls to US-backed Syrian Forces | |
| Syrian Democratic Forces say they've taken Raqqa from IS after five-month assault. Also, Kurdish fighters withdraw from Iraqi city of Sinjar, son of murdered Maltese journalist hits out at 'mafia state', Philippines city is declared 'liberated' from radical Islamists, and how Turkish women feel about 'female-only' buses. | Listen |
| Iraqi government forces seize control of Kirkuk from Kurdish fighters | |
| Researchers watch collision of two dead stars, France acts against men who harass women, A threat to crisps in New Zealand | Listen |
| Kirkuk: Iraqi Government Troops Enter Disputed City | |
| Iraqi Army takes key positions in Kirkuk from Kurdish fighters. Also, Spain says Catalonia leader Puigdemont 'unclear' on independence, at least 30 die in wildfires in Portugal and Spain, and a new comedy film is released about Stalin - one of history's most infamous tyrants. | Listen |
| Austria Set to Elect World's Youngest Leader | |
| Austria's conservative People's Party, led by 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, is set to win the country's general election -- making him the world's youngest national leader. Also: hundreds killed in deadliest-ever Mogadishu bomb blast, Baghdad warns it will use all means necessary to reassert its authority over the disputed region of Kirkuk, and the end of 900 years of monastic life at a historic abbey in Germany. | Listen |
| Oscars Board Expels Harvey Weinstein | |
| The film producer was expelled after recent allegations of sexual assault. Also, at least 30 dead in Mogadishu blasts and the first commercial flight lands on the remote island of St Helena. | Listen |
| President Trump aims to scupper Iran nuclear deal | |
| US President refuses to sign off 2015 deal with Iran; Opposition takes to streets in Kenya demanding electoral reform, and the Chinese billionaire who claims to know one of the biggest secrets of the Chinese Communist Party | Listen |
| Trump to Reveal Tough New Iran Strategy | |
| The new US strategy is expected to call for stricter enforcement of the 2015 nuclear deal. Also: Turkish troops enter north-western Syria and penguins die in 'catastrophic' Antarctic breeding season. | Listen |
| US Dumps UN Cultural Agency | |
| The US State Department says it's leaving the UN's cultural agency, UNESCO, because of what it called continuing anti-Israel bias, as well as concern over mounting arrears and the need for fundamental reform. Also: rival Palestinian factions call an end to hostilities, an American woman and her family are freed after being held for five years by the Taliban, and the international language of babies. | Listen |
| Palestinian Factions Reach Unity Deal | |
| Also: British jihadist Sally-Anne Jones 'killed by drone' and the Australian state of New South Wales brings in laws to help revive lost indigenous languages. | Listen |
| Catalonia: Will Spain Take Back Control? | |
| Which way forward after Spanish Prime Minister's warning of direct rule over Catalonia? The Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has given the Catalan authorities five days to clarify whether the region has declared independence. Also, UN human rights office accuses Myanmar's military of seeking to expel Rohingyas permanently, and how Grime is now part of the music mainstream. | Listen |
| Catalonia: Spain Takes Step towards Direct Rule | |
| Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has warned Catalonia that Madrid could impose direct rule on the region. Also, India's Supreme Court rules that sex with a child bride is rape, a new report into the growing global problem of child obesity, and we visit a fashion-show where the models are victims of acid-attacks. | Listen |
| Catalonia Independence Bid on Hold | |
| Catalan leaders sign a declaration of independence from Spain but suspend it to allow talks. Also: Raila Odinga quits Kenya election re-run and Trump challenges Rex Tillerson to IQ test. | Listen |
| North Korea 'hackers stole US-South Korea war plans' | |
| South Korea alleges that North Korean hackers stole many sensitive military documents. These reportedly included a plan to assassinate North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un. Also, Puigdemont to make statement on Catalonia's future, UK's government warns about racial inequality, and would an ocean wind-farm the size of India meet global energy-needs ? | Listen |
| Google 'uncovers Russia-linked adverts' | |
| US intelligence agencies concluded earlier this year that Russia had tried to sway the election in favour of Donald Trump. Also: deadly fires hit California wine country and Scotland football manager Gordon Strachan blames 'genetics' for World Cup failure. | Listen |
| Red Cross to Cut Back Operations in Afghanistan after Militants' Attacks | |
| ICRC to drastically reduce activity in Afghanistan due to attacks on staff by militants. Also, at least 12 people die as Rohingyas ' boat capsizes off Bangladesh, Nigeria begins mass-trials of Boko Haram suspects, and how true is stereotype of US country music fans as gun-enthusiasts ? | Listen |
| White House described as "Adult day care Centre" | |
| Fresh Twitter row in the White House and not with North Korea, Hundreds of thousands demonstrate against Catalonia declaring independence from Spain, Cuba remembers Che Guevara, hero of its Communist revolution, 50 years after his assassination: | Listen |
| Anti-Putin Clashes in St Petersburg | |
| Dozens of people arrested after marching in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The protests were the culmination of rallies across Russia demanding that Mr Navalny -- one of President Putin's main critics -- be allowed to stand in next year's election. Also, police in Denmark investigating the death of the Swedish journalist, Kim Wall, recover more of her body parts from the sea off Copenhagen, and a meteor shower means dozens of shooting stars could be visible to those in the northern hemisphere over the weekend. | Listen |
| US Rolls Back Free Contraception | |
| Trump ruling gives companies religious or moral right to deny birth control provision. Also: US lifts Sudan sanctions, IS urges women onto the battlefield and the Swedish model abused for hairy legs ad campaign. | Listen |
| Anti-Nuclear Arms Group wins Nobel Peace prize | |
| The ICAN group said the prize sent a message to President Trump and to North Korea that threatening to use such weapons was illegal. Also: Catalonia's parliament will meet on Monday despite a Spanish constitutional court order suspending the session, and a podcast love story. | Listen |
| Spanish Court Bars Independence Move | |
| A ruling suspends a Catalan Parliament's session when separatists hope to declare independence. Also: the National Rifle Association in the US and a senior Republican favour "additional regulations" to firearms following the Las Vegas massacre. And: Germany's 'James Bond' who's been convicted of tax evasion to fund an alleged jet set lifestyle. | Listen |
| Iraq Forces Retake Hawija from IS | |
| Hawija fell to IS in 2014, when the group seized control of much of northern and western Iraq. Also: Kazuo Ishiguro wins Nobel literature prize and Google reveals Pixel Buds. | Listen |
| Trump: America is a Nation in Mourning | |
| President Trump visits first responders and the victims in Las Vegas and the secretary of State gives an unusual press conference and reiterates his support for the President. Also, allegations of attacks on men sporting a moustache in India. | Listen |
| Pro-independence Catalans Defy King Felipe VI's Warning | |
| Preparations for an independence declaration continue in Catalonia as positions harden on both sides. Also: British PM struggles through interrupted speech, and Sputnik at 60. | Listen |
| King of Spain accuses Catalan authorities of disloyalty | |
| King Felipe of Spain spoke after a day of protests against police violence during Sunday's referendum. We hear what could happen next. Also, an update on Sunday's mass shooting in Las Vegas. And a film about the South African paralympian Oscar Pistorius displeases his family. | Listen |
| Catalonia Gripped by Anti-police Demonstrations | |
| Wave of strikes across Catalonia in protest over police violence during Sunday's independence referendum. Also, Nevada police investigate why Stephen Paddock opened fire on open-air concert in Las Vegas, a Myanmar beauty queen is expelled from pageant for comments about Rohingyas, and music star Tom Petty dies aged 66. | Listen |
| Investigations Begin into Las Vegas Shooting | |
| President Trump described the attack as "pure evil" and later observed a minute's silence on the White House lawn. Also: Catalans "not seeking a traumatic split", and the Palestinian prime minister visits Gaza for the first time in two years. | Listen |
| Las Vegas Shootings: At Least 50 People Killed | |
| Stephen Paddock named as suspect in mass-shooting at Las Vegas open-air concert. This is the worst such incident in modern US history. Also, is Catalonia moving towards independence after violence marred a disputed referendum? And how this year's Nobel Prize for Medicine could have implications for everyone who des shift-work. | Listen |
| Catalonia Has 'Won Right to Statehood' | |
| The regional Catalan leader says Sunday's vote, which Madrid tried to stop, paves the way to independence. Also: two women die in Marseille knife attack and Germans celebrate first gay marriage. | Listen |
| Catalans Push for Independence Vote | |
| Activists occupy polling stations to allow controversial independence referendum. Meanwhile, the central government in Madrid has deployed thousands of police to prevent what it considers to be an illegal poll. Also, the battle against Islamic State using both weapons and words, and the UK's Foreign Secretary recites an undiplomatic poem. | Listen |
| President Trump's Embattled Health Secretary Resigns | |
| Tom Price resigns amid an outcry over his use of private jets for government business. Also, the US withdraws staff from Cuba over 'attacks', and crunch time in Catalonia as independence referendum approaches. | Listen |
| Crunch Time in Catalonia as Referendum Approaches | |
| The Spanish government has again pledged to stop the referendum in Catalonia, which it says is unconstitutional. Also: many killed in Mumbai railway station stampede, and Elon Musk says in future rockets will fly people from city to city in minutes. | Listen |
| UN Failures on Rohingya Unveiled | |
| BBC investigation finds that UN avoided pressing Myanmar on Rohingya rights. One former official says the head of UN in Myanmar tried to prevent human rights advocates from visiting sensitive Rohingya areas. Also, Islamic State militants release 'new tape' of leader Baghdadi, China shuts down North Korean companies, and an expensive mistake by a donkey | Listen |
| Myanmar Cancels Diplomats' Rakhine Visit | |
| The Burmese authorities say the trip will now happen next week. Also: DNA surgery on embryos promises possible prevention of inherited diseases and Playboy magazine founder, Hugh Hefner, dies aged 91. | Listen |
| Trump Outlines Major Tax Cut Plans | |
| President Trump says he wants to make tax codes simpler and fairer, in what he describes as the largest tax cuts in American history. Also: Kurds in Iraq vote overwhelmingly in favour of independence, huge crowds in Tehran mourn a soldier who has become the symbol of Iran's battle with the Islamic State group and new research says patients can feel better even when doctors tell them they are taking fake pills. | Listen |
| Bombardier Ruling Provokes Anger in UK and Canada | |
| Britain and Canada say they'll challenge US tax on airliners made by Bombardier. Also, former Thai PM sentenced to 5 years in jail, a report from the ruined streets of IS 'capital city' Raqqa, and how one man built his own dam - using instructions on the internet. | Listen |
| Saudi Arabia to Lift Driving Ban on Women | |
| King Salman issues an order allowing women to be given driving licenses for the first time. Also: Macron calls for EU joint defence force and therapy "wakes" vegetative-state patient. | Listen |
| Turkey's President condemns Kurdish independence referendum | |
| President Erdogan threatens harsh measures if the push for independence continues. Turkey fears the emergence of an independent Kurdish state on its border will stoke separatist feeling in its own Kurdish minority. Also, police in Israel say three people have been killed in an attack by a Palestinian gunman who opened fire on security personnel, and a Canadian bridegroom saves a drowning boy on his wedding day. | Listen |
| White House Dismisses North Korea Statement | |
| The Pentagon has warned Pyongyang to stop provocations. Also: Merkel vows to win back right-wing voters and habitat of pandas is "shrinking and becoming more fragmented". | Listen |
| Merkel Faces Challenge of Building a New Coalition | |
| Angela Merkel is set for a fourth term in office, despite heavy losses for her party. She now faces months of coalition talks in order to form a stable government for Germany. Also, UN accuses Russia of 'grave human rights violations' in Crimea, Japan's PM calls snap election, Iraqi Kurds vote in independence referendum, and Welsh town hosts world's largest annual Elvis Presley festival. | Listen |
| Germany Election: Merkel Re-elected, but Nationalists Rise | |
| Projected results in Germany show dramatic losses for the two main parties, and the emergence of the right-wing nationalist party. Also, the government in Myanmar says it's discovered a mass grave in Rakhine state which contains the bodies Hindus who were killed by Rohingya militants; millions of Kurds in northern Iraq are expected to vote on forming an independent state, and a a lost masterpiece by the Flemish painter, Rubens, is found hanging on the wall of a stately home in Scotland. | Listen |
| US Bombers Fly Close to North Korea's East Coast | |
| US Bombers fly close to North Korea's east coast. North Korea's foreign minister tells UN that sanctions won't force his country to change its nuclear policy. Also, hundreds of civilians flee from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Zambia because of increased violence. | Listen |
| British PM Sets Out Vision for Brexit | |
| Theresa May calls for a 2 year transition period after Britain leaves the EU. Also, we look ahead to the German elections, we report from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and visit an exhibition celebrating the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat. | Listen |
| Uber Stripped of London Licence | |
| Transport for London says Uber is not "fit and proper" to hold a London private hire operator licence. Also: British PM urges two-year Brexit transition deal and octopuses are surprisingly social. | Listen |
| North Korea: Trump ramps up sanctions | |
| The US targets individuals and firms, including banks, that trade with North Korea. Also, the search continues for survivors of the Mexico earthquake, and the French chef who no longer wants his Michelin three stars. | Listen |
| South Korea to Send Humanitarian Aid to North | |
| Seoul plans to provide $8m through UN programmes aimed at children, pregnant women and improving medical supplies. Also: Mexico has appealed for international help following Tuesday's devastating earthquake and a "stop-smoking" campaign in UK backs e-cigarettes. | Listen |
| Search for Survivors Continues in Mexico | |
| Emergency workers search for survivors after earthquake in Mexico/ The US Federal Reserve begins reversing quantitative easing. | Listen |
| Mexican Earthquake Devastates Primary School | |
| The shallow 7.1 magnitude earthquake has caused major damage across states in the centre of the country. Also: hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rico and owls hold secret to ageless ears. | Listen |
| A big earthquake has struck central Mexico | |
| Prolonged shaking sent thousands running into the streets of the capital for safety. Also: President Trump condemns Iran and North Korea at the UN, and we hear about a new softer robot with far ranging possibilities | Listen |
| Hurricane Maria Regains Strength After Battering Dominica | |
| Devastating hurricane has powered back to category Five strength after pounding Caribbean island of Dominica. Also, Aung San Suu Kyi speaks out on the Rohingya crisis, millions of Yemenis face famine and cholera, remembering 'the man who saved the world', and what's the secret of happiness ? | Listen |
| Trump says UN Not Reaching Its Potential | |
| The US president Donald Trump has said the United Nations could become stronger if all worked together. Also: Maria an 'extremely dangerous' hurricane and cyclist breaks around the world record. | Listen |
| Donald Trump's First Official Visit to the UN | |
| How will UN respond to US President's address ? Also, controversy in Turkey over new school curriculum that emphasises religion, Eastern Caribbean braces itself for new hurricane, Nigerian teacher honoured by UN for educating children of Islamist fighters and government soldiers, and 'The Handmaid's Tale' wins top drama awards at the Emmys. | Listen |
| Trump 'Open to Staying' in Paris Climate Accord | |
| The US secretary of state backs up reports Mr Trump may soften his stance on the climate pact. Also: Sharif's wife 'wins key Pakistan poll' and the Emmys 2017. | Listen |
| Bangladesh to restrict Rohingya movement | |
| Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are told to stay in camps; British police question an 18 year old man suspected of planting a bombing device on a train on Friday, and the koala that survived a 16 kilometres car journey. | Listen |
| UK Terror Threat Increased to 'Critical' | |
| Terror threat at highest level as police hunt for those behind London Tube bombing.The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack which left more than twenty people injured. Also, the United Nations Security Council condemns North Korea for 'highly provocative' missile test, and a new skin-patch could be the answer to weight loss. | Listen |
| North Korean Missile Test Splits World Powers | |
| The US and China trade accusations after North Korea test-fires another missile. Also: police say London train blast is a terror incident and Saturn probe Cassini is incinerated. | Listen |
| Trump Eyes Dreamers Deal with Democrats | |
| President Donald Trump says he's 'fairly close' to concluding a deal with Democrats to protect young undocumented migrants known as Dreamers. Mr Trump told journalists that any agreement must include 'massive border security'. Also in this podcast, a Nobel prize winner condemns Aung San Suu Kyi, and the reporter who packs his paintbox and brushes when he heads off to war zones. | Listen |
| Trump Denies 'Dreamers' Deal | |
| On Wednesday top Democrats announced an agreement on young undocumented migrants after talks with Mr Trump. They said the plan excluded the president's proposed wall with Mexico. Mr Trump said the wall would be built. Also, students die trapped in a Malaysian school, Russia launches huge war games and why your tattoo could be poisoning you. | Listen |
| UN Urges Myanmar to End Rohingya Violence | |
| Secretary-General condemns military campaign against Rohingya Muslims as ethnic cleansing. Also: We have a special report from inside the Syrian city of Raqqa and freezing out ice-cream in Venezuela | Listen |
| EU: Juncker Sees Window of Opportunity for Reform | |
| European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sets out ambitious vision for the EU. He sees "window of opportunity" to build a stronger, more united union, but it "wouldn't stay open forever". Also: Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi to miss key UN debate. What's a fatberg? Dame Kiri Te Kanawa retires from public singing. | Listen |
| Philippines Rights Body gets $20 Budget | |
| Critics says the funding is punishment for criticising president Duterte's war on drugs. Also: Brazil's president slams judiciary and Apple reveals iPhone X. | Listen |
| UN Imposes New Sanctions on North Korea | |
| Pyongyang responds with further threats against the US. Also: Turkey in Russian missile defence deal, Australians urged to eat kangaroo meat and driving the electric car revolution | Listen |
| Hurricane Irma Leaves Most of Florida Without Power | |
| The islands of Florida Keys and western parts of the US state bore the brunt of the category-four hurricane. Also: large rally for independence in Barcelona and brain surgery filmed in virtual reality. | Listen |
| UN: Myanmar Violence 'Textbook Ethnic Cleansing' | |
| Myanmar military has been conducting an operation in Rakhine state. Witnesses report systematic rape and murder and religious tensions appear to be rising between Muslims and the majority Buddhists. Also: the US authorities are beginning to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Irma, and the world's highest-paid YouTube star, PewDiePie, once again uses a racial slur during an online broadcast. | Listen |
| Hurricane Irma heads up the western coast of Florida | |
| Warnings of deadly storm surges in Florida and more than two million homes and businesses are without power. We hear from Miami, Florida Keys, and Fort Myers. Also, the exiled and stateless former Georgian President finally manages to cross the border into Ukraine, and, how the story of the Oslo peace Accords was turned into an award winning play. | Listen |
| Hurricane Irma batters Cuba | |
| As Hurricane Irma batters Cuba, time runs out for Florida evacuation / Burmese Rohingyas may not be allowed back / Search continues for survivors of Mexican earthquake | Listen |
| 'Time is running out' to escape Hurricane Irma | |
| The Governor of Florida warns of devastation, and there's looting in St Martin. Also we hear more about the plight of Muslim Rohingyas after our correspondent returns from Rakhine state and software that can identify your sexuality. | Listen |
| Strongest Earthquake this Century Hits Mexico | |
| Severe damage has been reported in Oaxaca and Chiapas states. Also, US federal emergency agency says Hurricane Irma will 'devastate' either Florida or neighbouring states and bats 'tricked' into flying into buildings. | Listen |
| Hurricane Irma Heads to Turks and Caicos | |
| The second most powerful Atlantic storm ever continues to batter the Caribbean. So far at least ten people have been killed by the category five hurricane, which has sustained winds of 290km/h. Also, the Pope's message of peace in Colombia, and the Louvre is coming to the Arab world. | Listen |
| Deadly Hurricane Irma Flattens Islands | |
| The small island of Barbuda is said to be 'barely habitable'. Also, 'Israeli jets hit Syrian chemical site' and George Michael's Fantasy single released. | Listen |
| Hurricane Irma Leaves Behind Destruction and Chaos. | |
| Most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade has caused major destruction in the Caribbean, The United Nations says every rule of modern conflict is being broken in Yemen's civil war, And two Russian flight attendants win their weight discrimination case. | Listen |
| Suu Kyi Denounces Rohingya 'Misinformation' | |
| Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi says tensions in Rakhine state were being fanned by fake news. Also, Hurricane Irma wreaks major damage in Caribbean and African wild dogs 'sneeze to vote'. | Listen |
| US Scraps 'Dreamers' Scheme for Young Migrants | |
| The scheme protected some 800,000 undocumented immigrants from deportation. Barack Obama described the Trump administration's decision as "cruel" and "wrong". Also, the end of a two-year siege in one of the last strongholds of Islamic State militants in Syria, and a French magazine ordered to pay damages to Prince William's wife. | Listen |
| Myanmar Conflict: Surge in Number of Rohingya Refugees Fleeing to Bangladesh | |
| Bangladeshi Prime Minister says influx of Rohingyas represents big burden for her nation, and urges world leaders to pressure Myanmar to take back thousand of recently-arrived refugees. Also, Russia's President Putin says military pressure on North Korea could lead to 'global catastrophe', four British soldiers arrested over suspected neo-Nazi links, how one Dagestani man rescued his children from IS territory in Syria, and can the sea have therapeutic effect on humans ? | Listen |
| Kim Jong-un Accused of Begging for War | |
| The US is to table tougher sanctions in a UN Security Council resolution after Sunday's nuclear test. Also, Colombian ELN rebels agree ceasefire and Duchess of Cambridge expecting third child. | Listen |
| North Korea: How Can the World Tackle a Worsening Crisis ? | |
| South Korea says it will strengthen its missile defence-system after the North's test of a nuclear bomb at the weekend. Also, UN representative criticises Aung San Suu Kyi for not protecting Rohingyas, calls for International Criminal Court to investigate alleged crimes against humanity in Burundi, is the Catholic church in denial about priests who father children ? | Listen |
| US warns North Korea of 'Massive Response' | |
| The US defence secretary James Mattis says any threat to the US or its allies by North Korea will be met with a "massive military response". Also, the German chancellor Angela Merkel says it's time to 'rethink' Turkey policy and Steely Dan's Walter Becker dies aged 67. | Listen |
| President Trump meets survivors of last week's huge storm in Texas and Louisiana | |
| Mexico sends a strong message to the US, Rosa Parks' house, What's happening to 'The Simpsons'? | Listen |
| Strong criticism of Kenya's electoral commission | |
| Trump to decide on a program that protects immigrants who entered the US illegally as children, The science of yawning, Relatively close encounters with an asteroid | Listen |
| Court Annuls Kenya Presidential Election | |
| The Kenyan Supreme Court orders a new vote citing irregularities, sparking joy among opposition supporters. Also: UN says tens of thousands of Rohingya flee Myanmar and the launch of XFEL - world's largest X-ray laser. | Listen |
| US Orders Russia to Close Consulate in Tit-For-Tat Move | |
| The San Francisco Consulate and annexes in New York and Washington must close by Saturday. Also, the new Venezuelan attorney general accuses his predecessor of involvement in an alleged corruption scandal. The growth of urban vertical gardens. | Listen |
| Macron Launches Overhaul of French Labour Laws | |
| France's government unveils its signature plan, promising to 'free up the energy of the work force'. Also: 'dangerous' leak from flooded Texas plant and public marks 20 years since Princess Diana's death. | Listen |
| Houston flooding: 'Worst not yet over,' says Texas governor | |
| The Texas governor Greg Abbott says more members of the National Guard have been deployed to tackle the disaster. More than 20 people are reported dead and large parts of the city of Houston are under water. Also: over one-hundred dead in South Asia flooding, and author Terry Pratchett has his dying wish fulfilled. | Listen |
| Thousands of Rohingya flee Myanmar | |
| Aid workers say 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh, after violent attacks. The crisis erupted after Rohingya militants attacked police stations, triggering a military response. Also: Tropical Storm Harvey hits Louisiana, and why the Austrian city of Salzburg won't honour a singing icon. | Listen |
| Trump visits Texas amid 'Epic' Floods | |
| The tropical storm Harvey has led to a record amount of rainfall and large swathes of land in Houston, America's fourth largest city, are under water. Also: US says 'all options' open on North Korea and smelly clue to bird navigation skills. | Listen |
| Global Condemnation of North Korean Missile Test | |
| The missile flew over Japan's Hokkaido Island before crashing into the sea. Tokyo called the launch an "unprecedented" threat. Also: Yazidis seek cleansing after IS abuse, and the growing trend for having pets, not babies. | Listen |
| 'Catastrophic' floods rising in Houston | |
| A record 75cm of rain has already fallen on the city of Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, turning roads into rivers. Also, Japan has said that North Korea has fired a missile that flew over its territory before crashing into the sea, and the computer that can smell explosives. | Listen |
| Indian Guru Gets 20 years in Prison | |
| Extra police and soldiers are deployed after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is jailed for rape. Riots that followed his conviction last week resulted in the deaths of thirty-eight people in Haryana and Punjab states. Also: disaster management officials in the US say they expect many thousands of people to need shelter as Texas grapples with unprecedented floods, and a ban on plastic carrier bags comes into force in Kenya. | Listen |
| Houston Hit by 'Catastrophic' Flooding | |
| Tropical storm Harvey continues to cause chaos in Texas. Also FARC rebels in Colombia meet to discuss forming a political party, and horror film director, Tobe Hooper, dies | Listen |
| US Storm To Bring 'Catastrophic' Flooding | |
| Torrential rain will continue for days as Hurricane Harvey, now a tropical storm, moves across Texas. Also, King Felipe joins Barcelona's march of defiance against extremism, and how do you stage a play for a deaf and blind audience? | Listen |
| Texas Braced for Hurricane Harvey | |
| It's feared it could be the worst storm to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago. Also, security forces in Brussels shoot a man dead after he attacks two soldiers, and Macron's hefty make-up bill | Listen |
| Deaths Follow Clashes over Indian Guru Rape Verdict | |
| Tens of thousands of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's supporters have flocked to Panchkula in north India. Also, ex-PM Yingluck 'flees Thailand' and US braces for worst hurricane in years. | Listen |
| UN Urges Humanitarian Pause in Raqqa | |
| Up to 25,000 civilians are believed to be trapped in the Syrian city as US-led coalition forces continue to fight so-called Islamic State. Also, rabbis pull out of an annual call with the US president over Trump's Charlottesville remarks, and Charles Aznavour joins the Hollywood Walk of Fame. | Listen |
| Indian Top Court Stands Up for Privacy | |
| The Indian Supreme Court ruling has implications for the government's vast biometric ID scheme. Also, Annan warns on Rakhine 'radicalisation' and lithium in tap water may cut dementia. | Listen |
| Ex-Prosecutor 'Has Proof of Maduro Graft' | |
| The sacked prosecutor who fled Venezuela, Luisa Ortega Diaz, says she has evidence of the president's alleged corruption. Also, Hillary Clinton calls Donald Trump a "creep", and Saudi police release teenager detained for doing Macarena. | Listen |
| US Navy sacks Fleet Commander after Crash | |
| The move to replace Vice Admiral Aucoin follows a series of collisions involving US warships in Asia. Also, US decision to withhold aid angers Egypt and South Africa holds its first rhino horn online auction. | Listen |
| Suspects In Barcelona Attack 'Planned To Hit Key Monuments' | |
| A suspect in the Barcelona attacks told a court about plans for a larger assault. A Spanish newspaper says this included blowing up the famous Sagrada Familia church. Also, one of Russia's most prominent film and theatre directors, Kirill Srebrennikov, has been arrested and charged with financial fraud, and scientists discover bacteria which can generate a metallic body shield. | Listen |
| Afghanistan: Trump Says U.S. Will 'Fight to Win' | |
| U.S. President pledges to commit troops to Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban. Also, India's top court bans Muslim 'instant divorce', third brother found alive after Italy quake, and can Rwanda's women teach the world about reconciliation? | Listen |
| Barcelona Van Attack Driver Shot Dead | |
| Younes Abouyaaqoub, wearing a fake explosive belt, was cornered west of Barcelona after a tip-off. Also, torso found amid Danish submarine hunt and Americans gaze at eclipse wonder. | Listen |
| Barcelona Attack Suspect Identified by Police | |
| Spanish police confirm that Younes Abouyaaqoub is chief suspect in last Thursday's Barcelona attack. Also, new round in diplomatic dispute between US and Russia, a Danish inventor says Swedish journalist Kim Wall died in 'an accident' on his submarine, why London's iconic Big Ben will fall silent for four years. | Listen |
| Spanish police say terror cell planned to fill vans with gas cylinders | |
| The authorities say that a 12-strong terror cell that carried out two attacks in Spain last week had collected 120 gas canisters and was planning to use them in vehicle attacks. Also, the UN says thousands of civilians are fleeing from the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, after an offensive begins against I.S. militants and US comedian Jerry Lewis dies aged 91. | Listen |
| US Far Right Demo Thwarted in Boston | |
| Thousands of demonstrators take to the streets to protest against a free-speech rally. Their numbers and chants forced the event to be brought to a premature close, without the planned addresses. Also: A British paramedic has recounted how he and a doctor tried in vain to save the life of a woman stabbed in the neck in Friday's terror attack in the Finnish city of Turku, and Manchester United supporters in Iraq. | Listen |
| Top White House aide Bannon sacked | |
| Steve Bannon was one of President Trump's key advisors / Spanish police say Barcelona attacker was killed / Erdogan urges Turks in Germany not to vote for main parties | Listen |
| Police say 'Bigger' Barcelona Attacks were Prepared | |
| Thousands of people gathered in Barcelona on Friday to commemorate the victims. Also, deadly South Asia floods hit 16m people, and does water enhance the taste of whisky? | Listen |
| Terror Attack In Barcelona | |
| 13 killed and dozens injured after van ploughs into crowds in Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas area. Also, police in South Africa issue a 'red alert' at the country's borders for Zimbabwe's First Lady Grace Mugabe, and President Trump criticises removal of historic statues. | Listen |
| ICC orders Mali Islamist to pay millions in damages | |
| The ICC says Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi caused three million dollars of damages when he led attacks on Timbuktu shrines. Also, raped 10-year-old Indian girl gives birth and inside Voyager's mission control. | Listen |
| The fallout from Charlottesville for Trump intensifies | |
| President Trump scraps two business councils and two former Republican Presidents enter the debate, calling on people to reject racism. Also, the threat from child soldiers trained by so called Islamic State and now living in Europe. And Murder He Wrote and allegedly committed. | Listen |
| Hundreds missing in Sierra Leone mudslide | |
| Rescue workers struggle to find survivors in Freetown. Nearly 400 people are confirmed dead. Also, Philippine drug war's 'bloodiest night', and Daniel Craig to reprise Bond role. | Listen |
| Trump says both sides to blame in Virginia | |
| The US president says there are 'two sides to the story' over the Charlottesville violence. Also, Sierra Leone plea as mudslide toll rises and the explorer Pen Hadow sails for North Pole as Arctic ice melts. | Listen |
| N Korea leader holds off on Guam threat | |
| Kim Jong-un puts on hold plans to fire ballistic missiles towards Pacific island, Freetown mudslide aftermath, Saudi Arabia's missing princes, why it's bad to feed bread to ducks | Listen |
| Hundreds killed in Sierra Leone mudslides | |
| The country's president, Ernest Bai Koroma, said an emergency response centre had been set up to deal with what he called a national tragedy. Also, a girl has been killed after a car was rammed into a restaurant near Paris. And crocodile matchmaking in Bangladesh. | Listen |
| Sierra Leone Mudslides: Hundreds Feared Dead | |
| Local media say at least 200 bodies have been found on the outskirts of Freetown. Dozens of houses were submerged early in the morning after heavy rains triggered the collapse of a waterlogged hillside. Also, seventy years of independence for Pakistan and India, and four years of quiet for Big Ben. | Listen |
| Charlottesville: White House Defends Trump Response | |
| A spokesman said Mr Trump's condemnation of violence included white supremacists. The president was criticised for not explicitly condemning far-right groups. Also, should a convicted felon practise law? And, can children's shoes be sexist? | Listen |
| One Death in US Far-Right Violence | |
| One person died, 19 were injured, when a car drove into a crowd in Virginia. Earlier, street brawls erupted between white nationalists and protestors in Charlottesville. Also, Kenyan opposition decries 'stolen' vote, and Usain Bolt is injured in his final race. | Listen |
| Kenyatta Wins Kenya Presidential Vote | |
| The incumbent took 54.3% of the vote, the electoral commission says. The opposition has rejected the result, complaining of fraud. Also, Trump warns N Korea: US is 'locked and loaded', and the man who was once the voice of Bambi. | Listen |
| Trump says US 'locked and loaded' on North Korea | |
| Mr Trump spoke as Pyongyang said the US leader was 'driving' the peninsula to the 'brink of a nuclear war'. Also, egg scandal affecting many EU countries and the sad decline of the Indian typewriter. | Listen |
| Trump: Maybe 'fire and fury' comment 'wasn't tough enough' | |
| President Trump to North Korea: be "very, very nervous". Also, Kenyan electoral commission says hacking claims are baseless and an Icelandic murder mystery. | Listen |
| Foreign observers say Kenya poll credible | |
| The opposition in Kenya are claiming that their leader had gained more votes than the current president, Uhuru Kenyatta. Also, modern slavery and trafficking 'in every UK town and city' and vitamin B3 'may prevent miscarriages'. | Listen |
| UN says migrants deliberately drowned off Yemen | |
| Therapy for Type One diabetes, Guam, Springsteen on Broadway | Listen |
| Opposition says Kenya election results hacked | |
| Opposition leader in Kenya says election poll results showing a strong lead for the president were manipulated. Also, North Korea 'considers strike on US base' and is the Isle of Skye reaching the limit for tourists? | Listen |
| Trump Threatens 'Fury' Against North Korea | |
| The US President promises North Korea will be met with "fire and fury" if it threatens the US. His comments follow a Washington Post report that US intelligence officials believe Pyongyang has produced a nuclear warhead small enough to fit inside its missiles. Also, Jacob Zuma survives his eighth no confidence vote, Kenya goes to the polls, and the American Country singer Glen Campbell dies after a long battle with Alzheimer's. | Listen |
| South Africa's President Zuma facing no-confidence vote | |
| South African MPs debate motion of no confidence in controversial President Jacob Zuma. Also, UN alleges 'excessive force' used by authorities in Venezuela, Kenya's President Kenyatta calls on all sides to respect election result, musical memories of long-lost 'swinging Mogadishu' | Listen |
| Secret ballot for Zuma no-confidence vote | |
| The parliament's speaker, Baleka Mbete, made the ruling after opposition parties took the case to the Constitutional Court. Also, Malaysia detains hundreds in anti-terror raids and Bitcoin soars to record high value. | Listen |
| North Korea Warns US over Sanctions | |
| North Korea vows to retaliate against US for drafting fresh UN sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons programme. Also, why outspoken prosecutor Carla del Ponte resigned from UN Commission on Syria, South Sudanese rebels report major defeat by government troops, the athletes who aren't allowed to reveal their nationality, and can Europeans be persuaded to eat insects ? | Listen |
| Venezuela arrests over 'uprising attempt' | |
| An attack was launched against a military barracks in the Venezuelan city of Valencia. Also, dozens killed in Afghan attack, and world's largest heart on display in Canada. | Listen |
| UN backs North Korea sanctions | |
| UN Security Council agrees 'toughest' sanctions over North Korea's missile programme; new Venezuelan assembly sacks prosecutor; Putin's latest strong man antics | Listen |
| Venezuela Opens Controversial New Assembly | |
| President Maduro says the assembly is needed to bring peace after months of crisis. But the opposition says the new body is a way for the president to cling on to power. Also, the US attorney general says there has been a staggering increase in leaks since President Trump took office and the French vending machine that sells fresh oysters. | Listen |
| UN says Hundreds Killed in DR Congo | |
| UN investigators were told that local security forces and a pro-government militia, set up to defeat a rebellion in Kasai region were responsible for many of the killings. Also, China holds drill for 'harmful websites' and fire rips through Dubai's Torch Tower. | Listen |
| Grand Jury Assembled in Trump-Russia Investigation | |
| Subpoenas are issued over a meeting between President Trump's son and a Russian lawyer. The president has poured scorn on any suggestion that his team colluded with the Kremlin to beat Hillary Clinton. Also, Venezuela's chief prosecutor has asked a court to suspend the inauguration of a new assembly to rewrite the constitution and the British actor, Robert Hardy, has died aged ninety-one. | Listen |
| Venezuela prosecutor to probe fraud claim | |
| Luisa Ortega - a prominent critic of President Nicolas Maduro - said she has appointed two prosecutors to investigate the directors of the National Electoral Council. Also, Russia agrees to third 'de-escalation zone' in Syria, and NASA planet protector vacancy. | Listen |
| Trump approves new sanctions on Russia | |
| The bill is punishment for Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 election. It also imposes sanctions on Iran and North Korea. Also, Venezuela rejects vote tempering claim, and scientists edit human embryos to stop disease. | Listen |
| Neymar: Paris St-Germain Must Pay $260m | |
| Barcelona tell Paris St-Germain they must pay world record fee for Neymar to join them. Also, continuing hardship for civilians in Mosul, ANC MP says she's faced death-threats for criticising Jacob Zuma, and how is Australia coping with its growing diversity ? | Listen |
| Afghan mosque blast kills dozens | |
| The explosion at the Jawadia mosque in north west Afghanistan, coincided with evening prayers. Also, Venezuela seizes key opposition leaders and what did the first flower look like? | Listen |
| Venezuela: Key Opposition Leaders Arrested | |
| Relatives of two prominent Venezuelan opposition leaders say they're under house arrest, after being accused of inciting violence during anti-government protests. Also, in Turkey almost 500 people go on trial accused of involvement in failed coup, how modern-day slavery is more profitable than ever, and what do jihadists do in their downtime ? | Listen |
| Scaramucci sacked as Trump media chief | |
| White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has been fired after fewer than ten days in the post. Also, US imposes sanctions on Venezuela leader, and the playwright and actor Sam Shepard dies aged 73. | Listen |
| Kabul: Gun Battle at Iraqi Embassy | |
| Afghan security forces battle gunmen following suicide-attack outside Iraqi embassy. IS claims it carried out the assault. Also, Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro claims victory after controversial election, renowned French film star Jeanne Moreau dies at 89, and a Tanzanian albino band uses music to tackle prejudice | Listen |
| Venezuelans Killed Ahead of Election | |
| Several people have been killed in Venezuela as voting takes place in a divisive election for a new assembly to rewrite the constitution. Also, President Putin confirms US diplomats are to be expelled from Russia, a woman campaigning against male guardianship in Saudi Arabia is freed, and commemorations take place in Belgium to mark one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. | Listen |
| Hamburg Attacker 'Was Known Islamist' | |
| The man who killed one and injured six with a knife was known to police and had "psychological" issues. Also, Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif names brother as his successor, Honolulu bans texting while crossing roads, and scientists set sail to discover Zealandia. | Listen |
| White House Chief of Staff Out | |
| President Trump replaces Reince Priebus with General John F Kelly, North Korea in fresh long-range missile test, German diesel car ban, 'paw-ternity' leave for parents with pets | Listen |
| Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif resigns after verdict | |
| The ruling follows accusations from the Panama Papers two years ago, which linked three of Nawaz Sharif's children to expensive residential properties in London through offshore companies. Also, Russia retaliates over US sanctions and slimy slugs inspire 'potentially lifesaving' medical glue. | Listen |
| Inside Yemen: a country in humanitarian crisis | |
| A BBC team witnesses the depth of suffering at first hand, tracing human atoms back to stars, corruption on India's roads, Ed Sheeran music prize controversy | Listen |
| Palestinians return to pray at holy site in Jerusalem | |
| Muslims re-enter east Jerusalem site after Israel removes its security set-up. Also, Sweden PM drops ministers over IT crisis, and how blue is that flower? | Listen |
| President Trump bans transgender people from the US military | |
| President Trump bans transgender people from the US military, reversing his predecessor's policy and citing "tremendous medical costs and disruption". Also today: Princess Diana's brother tells of the nightmares he still suffers -- almost twenty years after her death. One of the Democratic Republic of Congo's most notorious warlords surrenders to UN peacekeepers. And new hope for HIV sufferers. | Listen |
| EU approves push back of asylum seekers | |
| European court rules that migrants must apply for asylum in first EU country they reach. Also, Britain is to ban the production of petrol and diesel cars by the year 2040 and trying to understand office jargon. | Listen |
| Obamacare repeal wins key vote in US Senate | |
| President Trump's attempt to replace Obamacare narrowly clears first hurdle / Libya's 2 most powerful leaders agree conditional ceasefire / India's vanishing monuments | Listen |
| Israel Removes Metal-detectors from Holy Site | |
| Muslim leaders tell worshippers to continue boycott of East Jerusalem site, despite change of Israeli security policy. Also, Vietnamese police arrest prominent dissident, why melting of Greenland ice-sheets could affect entire world, and how money can buy happiness | Listen |
| Trump son-in-law Denies 'Improper Contacts' with Russia | |
| Jared Kushner, speaking after his Senate hearing, says he did not collude with Russia and that he has been fully transparent in all his actions. Also, parents of baby Charlie Gard abandon their legal fight to seek treatment in the United States, and time is up for Microsoft's Paint programme. | Listen |
| Trump son-in-law denies Russia collusion | |
| Jared Kushner says he had 'no improper contacts', as he prepared for a grilling in the US Senate. Also, Kabul hit by deadly suicide car bomb and South African child 'virtually cured' of HIV. | Listen |
| Shooting at Israeli Embassy Compound in Jordan | |
| There are fears the violence is linked to security measures imposed by Israel in Jerusalem. Also, Canada awaits verdict in polygamy trial where one defendant has 148 children and 28 wives, Taiwan's Taoists protest against curbs on incense and firecrackers, and Princess Diana's sons reveal what she was really like. | Listen |
| President Trump says he has "complete power" to issue pardons | |
| Media reports suggest Trump is looking at ways of pardoning himself and family members / Syrian military calls ceasefire in rebel stronghold / Muppet creator honoured with museum | Listen |
| White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Quits | |
| Spicer was reportedly unhappy that a new communications director - Anthony Scaramucci - had been hired. Since taking the post in January, Spicer has been parodied by comics and criticised for contentious statements. Also: Palestinians cut contact with Israel, Man plays guitar while having surgery. | Listen |
| Palestinian Protestors Clash with Israeli Police at Holy Site | |
| At least 3 protestors are reported killed in violence, after Israel prevented men under fifty from attending Muslim Friday prayers at Haram al-Sharif. More than 150 are injured. Israel has installed metal detectors at the compound following the killing of 2 Israeli policemen in the area last week. Also: Food hygiene scare on Indian trains, Justin Bieber banned from China. | Listen |
| OJ Simpson to be freed from prison | |
| Dark web drug sites shut down; women fighting IS in Raqqa; Estonia gets slightly taller | Listen |
| Germans Warned not to go to Turkey - or Invest | |
| Berlin imposes measures against Ankara in a row over arrests of human rights activists. The foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, is revising Germany's travel advice to warn citizens of the risks of going to Turkey. He also said it was inadvisable for German firms to invest in a country where there was no rule of law. Also: new evidence that Aboriginal people went to Australia much earlier than was believed, and the nine lifestyle factors that could affect your risk of developing dementia. | Listen |
| Earth heading for 'Planet Plastic' | |
| US scientists put amount of plastic made since 1950s at 8.3 billion tonnes; BBC report reveals gender pay divide; radical plan to save rhinos | Listen |
| Guilty verdicts in Thailand human trafficking trial | |
| More than forty people found guilty for trafficking Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims; head of French armed forces resigns after a budget row with President Macron; Arab states, in a dispute with Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism, have eased their demands | Listen |
| Trump plans to let Obamacare fail | |
| US President Donald Trump has said the new Republican healthcare policy should be to let Obamacare collapse. Systemic abuse at one of the world's most famous choir schools in Germany. Also, why is Netflix having such an impact on the world of broadcasting? | Listen |
| Trump setback to repeal Obamacare | |
| Spanish football chief arrested / N Korean TV star 'abducted' / most powerful telescope | Listen |
| US-Russia row continues | |
| Russia is demanding that the US hand back two of its diplomatic compounds as the two countries hold high-level talks in Washington. The Venezuelan opposition steps up its campaign against President Maduro's government. Plus a study into what makes cheetahs so fast, and how a baboon caused a power outage in Zambia. Plus the world coconut tree climbing champion. | Listen |
| UAE Denies Hacking Qatar News Agency | |
| The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs refutes incident that sparked diplomatic rift. Also, a terminally ill British man with motor neurone disease challenges the law on the right to die, and China censors Winnie the Pooh, but why? | Listen |
| Venezuelans vote in unofficial referendum | |
| At least one person shot dead waiting to vote in opposition-organised referendum; Federer wins 8th Wimbledon; the next Dr Who will be a woman | Listen |
| Turkey's Erdogan hails 'defenders of nation' at coup anniversary | |
| Tens of thousands attend rallies in Turkey to mark the first anniversary of the country's failed coup, Polish MPs back controversial judiciary bill & Wimbledon women's final | Listen |
| Macron remembers victims of Nice attack | |
| As Trump flies home after Bastille Day visit, President Macron remembers Nice victims, Tourists killed in Egypt, Turkey failed coup anniversary. | Listen |
| Trump joins Macron for Paris Bastille Day parade | |
| President Donald Trump attends Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, Israeli police killed in attack near Jerusalem holy site, 'Truly unique' lioness nurses leopard cub in Tanzania, American singer Beyoncé reveals her twins to the world | Listen |
| Trump hints at Climate Change review. | |
| President Trump suggests US shift on climate agreement, China's Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, dies in prison, A look at high stakes world of professional gambling | Listen |
| Five Chechens jailed for Nemtsov murder | |
| A Chechen gunman, Zaur Dadayev was jailed for 20 years by a Moscow military court while the others were given 11 to 19 years. Also, India's top environmental tribunal has imposed new measures to reduce pollution in the River Ganges and an Australian man's thumb has been surgically replaced by his toe. | Listen |
| Brazil's ex-President Lula convicted of corruption | |
| Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for corruption, President Trump's nominee for FBI director faces confirmation hearing | Listen |
| Trump says son innocent over Russia meeting | |
| Donald Trump Junior faces pressure over talks with Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya. Also, tech firms unite for 'net neutrality' protest and a giant iceberg splits from Antarctic. | Listen |
| Trump son emails show Russia link | |
| Emails confirm Donald Trump Junior was offered "sensitive" information on Hillary Clinton. He replied "if it's what you say I love it" -- and then met a Russian lawyer in New York. It appears to be the first confirmation that a close associate of President Trump had realistic expectations of receiving sensitive information from Russian officials. Also today: the blood scandal that cost more than two-thousand Britons their lives; the world's new eye on the universe -- and we continue our journey along China's new Silk Road. | Listen |
| Mosul: Thousands of Civilians Trapped | |
| Warning over plight of civilians caught in city despite government declaring victory. Also, full-face veil ban approved by European judges, and could 'super bananas' tackle child blindness across Africa? | Listen |
| Iraq PM formally declares Mosul victory | |
| Yemen cholera cases pass 300,000, Trump son defends Russian lawyer meeting, Netflix accused of 'glamorising' anorexia | Listen |
| Syria peace talks resume | |
| A partial ceasefire in Syria continues during a new round of the UN peace talks. Also the UK government say arms sales to Saudi Arabia are lawful, and Mosul is liberated from so-called IS. Plus dogs can sniff out early stage Parkinson's disease and the world's oldest hippo has died. | Listen |
| Iraqi PM in Mosul to celebrate IS defeat | |
| Anti-Erdogan rally ends 'justice' march, Trump asks Putin to set up a joint security unit, Britain's Lake District awarded Unesco World Heritage status | Listen |
| G20 leaders fail to bridge climate chasm | |
| Leaders of 19 nations have renewed pledge to implement the Paris climate change deal, Iraqi commander says Mosul?s Old City recaptured from IS, London celebrates Pride 2017 | Listen |
| Putin and Trump meet for the first time | |
| Exchanges between Trump & Putin at G20 / Exam cheating in India / Music piracy in the UK | Listen |
| Trump and Putin meet at G20 summit | |
| Saudi-led bloc vows new Qatar measures, China's vast aircraft carrier arrives in Hong Kong, Oral sex spreading unstoppable gonorrhoea bacteria | Listen |
| Protests as G20 leaders gather in Hamburg | |
| ICC says South Africa should have arrested Sudan's President Al Bashir; Does 80 year-old photo show Amelia Earhart did not die in a plane crash? | Listen |
| Trump tells Russia to stop 'destabilising' Ukraine | |
| Japan floods prompt mass evacuations, Elephant tourism is 'fuelling cruelty', BepiColombo - the joint Mercury mission | Listen |
| US 'ready' to use force against North Korea | |
| China and Russia urge restraint at UN Security Council after Pyongyang's latest missile test, Venezuela lawmakers beaten by mob, better understanding Alzheimer's disease, remembering Roswell 70 years on | Listen |
| Trump criticises China over trade with North Korea | |
| US President berates Beijing following North Korea's test of a long-range missile, prosecutions over attack on Malaysian airliner will take place in the Netherlands, Zadie Smith on lessons of the Grenfell Tower disaster, will 'Panda diplomacy' improve China-Germany relations ? | Listen |
| European Commission releases new plan on migrants | |
| The European Commission has released a new action plan on migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea; Around 50 migrants are feared to have drowned off the Moroccan coast; US-backed Syrian forces have breached the wall at Raqqa's Old City during the fight against so-called Islamic State; Ugandan civil servants face strict dress code; Pop star Ed Sheeran says he has quit Twitter after receiving a stream of abuse. | Listen |
| North Korea hails test of its first "intercontinental ballistic missile" | |
| Pyongyang claims to have successfully tested 'long range' missile, fears in Iraq that defeat of IS won't mean an end to turmoil, we speak to family of youngest victim of Manchester Arena bomb, what made ancient Roman concrete so long-lasting ? | Listen |
| Macron outlines "radical new path" for France | |
| The French President Emmanuel Macron proposes a radical overhaul of the government, Iran signs a contract worth nearly 5 billion dollars with the French energy giant Total, 18 die in German bus crash, Dr Seuss' The Cat in the Hat turns sixty. | Listen |
| Iran signs huge new gas deal with French energy giant | |
| Tehran says French energy company Total is to sign gas contract worth nearly $5bn, Qatar given extended deadline on Gulf demands, investigation into alleged extra-judicial killings in Indian state of Manipur, are smartphones changing the way we walk ? | Listen |
| Donald Trump posts video 'beating' CNN | |
| Damascus bomber strikes after car chase, Macron goes to Mali, Stephen Hawking at 75 | Listen |
| World leaders pay tribute to Helmut Kohl | |
| World leaders pay tribute to Helmut Kohl / Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary / Adele's global tour ends prematurely | Listen |
| US TV Presenters Accuse White House of Blackmail | |
| US TV presenters attacked on Twitter by President Trump accuse him of lying / French far-right leader Le Pen placed under formal investigation / From Mumbai slum to ballet school | Listen |
| German MPs approve gay marriage | |
| Bosses go on trial over Fukushima disaster, 80 years of 999 telephone emergency service, French politician and Holocaust survivor Simone Veil dies | Listen |
| Iraqi forces 'on the verge of retaking' Mosul | |
| As Iraqi forces are 'on the verge of retaking' Mosul, over the border in Syria IS held city of Raqqa is completely encircled; Trump trolling; fatal YouTube shooting | Listen |
| Iraqi forces enter ruins of Mosul mosque | |
| Merkel to challenge Trump on climate, China's Xi in Hong Kong for anniversary, Eavesdropping on urban bats with smart sensors | Listen |
| Italy threatens to close ports to migrants | |
| Italy says the scale of immigration from North Africa has become unsustainable - we speak to a frontline charity; talks on reunifying the island of Cyprus have got off to a good start; the US state of Kentucky shows why Trump's new health care bill is proving problematic. | Listen |
| Six face Hillsborough disaster charges | |
| Helicopter attacks Venezuelan court, Sticky patch flu jab for needle phobics, Paddington Bear creator Michael Bond dies | Listen |
| Computers around the world have been hit by a cyber attack in which they're frozen until a ransom is paid. | |
| Computers around the world have been hit by a cyber attack in which they're frozen until a ransom is paid, FARC rebels in Colombia formally end half a century of violence | Listen |
| European Commission imposes record fine on Google | |
| US tech giant hit with $2.7bn fine over its Shopping service, Washington warns Syria over 'new chemical attack plan', court rules that Dutch state partly responsible for 350 deaths at Srebrenica, how ATMs changed our lives | Listen |
| Trump travel ban injunction partly lifted | |
| British PM outlines post-Brexit offer on EU citizens, Jailed Chinese dissident has terminal cancer, What happens when you're sleep deprived. | Listen |
| Deal agreed to keep Britain's Conservative government in power | |
| The Democratic Unionist Party backs Theresa May's minority government, Iraqi army 'making progress' against IS in Mosul, Bob Dylan's songs made into stage musical, how Harry Potter became an enormous global brand | Listen |
| Scores dead in Pakistan fuel tanker fire | |
| More than 140 die when petrol tanker exploded as villagers tried to collect leaking fuel; BBC investigation reveals lives of young men fighting for IS group in Iraq; How the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Baku turned from racing to road age. | Listen |
| 34 UK tower blocks fail fire tests | |
| Residents' anger at tower block evacuations; Egypt gives islands to Saudi Arabia; the 'cult' following of the British Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn | Listen |
| Mass evacuation of London tower blocks | |
| 800 flats evacuated for safety reasons, In Colombia the President says the FARC's disarmament is almost done, Saturday Night Fever - auction of the dancefloor in the film | Listen |
| Arab states send Qatar steep demands | |
| Inside the fight for the 'IS capital', UK's Brexit offer 'below expectations', How the presence of humans can affect chimp hunting habits | Listen |
| Trump denies recording his private conversations with former FBI chief | |
| May promises EU citizens will be allowed to stay after Brexit, Funeral of Otto Warmbier, How the eyes of moths could improve what you see on your smartphone | Listen |
| Urgent fire tests to be carried out on tall buildings in England | |
| UK in summit pledge on EU citizens' rights, Deadly car bomb targets Afghan bank, NASA launches rocket with student experiments | Listen |
| Mosul's most distinctive landmark destroyed | |
| The Grand al-Nuri Mosque with its leaning minaret has been blown up, Deadly clashes in Central African Republic, despite ceasefire deal, British teenager saves dad with CPR learnt from TV series, House | Listen |
| Saudi King's son Mohammed bin Salman is new Crown Prince | |
| King Salman replaces previous heir to the throne - his nephew - with his son, UN says South Sudan no longer in famine, Queen's Speech gives strong emphasis to Brexit, controversy over Israel's 'stolen' Yemenite children | Listen |
| Suicide bomb suspect shot in Brussels | |
| Hong Kong's Carrie Lam says she is 'no puppet of Beijing', US 'downs Iranian-made drone' over Syria, Qatari camels caught up in Gulf crisis | Listen |
| Barclays Bank and four former executives charged with fraud | |
| Charges against Barclays over actions taken during the 2008 financial crisis, Catholic church says "thousands of civilians killed" in DR Congo conflict, scientists study tropical fish in effort to tackle heart disease in humans, Hugh Masekela on the future of African music | Listen |
| US student sent home from North Korea dies | |
| Otto Warmbier's family blames his death on treatment he received in North Korea; the UK and the EU formally begin Brexit negotiations; the must-watch films for children | Listen |
| British PM condemns 'sickening' Finsbury Park terror attack | |
| UK 'positive' as Brexit discussions begin, Russian warning after US downs Syrian jet, Call for scheme to safeguard cows in India | Listen |
| France's President Macron wins clear parliamentary majority | |
| Emmanuel Macron heads for a big majority in parliament -- and a strong mandate to pursue his reforms; Portugal in mourning as fire kills more than sixty; lessons from history as Brexit talks begin in Brussels; Pakistan beat regional rivals India to win cricket's Champions' Trophy; and an elegy for the community shattered by London's high rise inferno. | Listen |
| 58 presumed dead in London tower block fire | |
| Police fear figure may increase; US judge declares mistrial in Bill Cosby case; director of 'Rocky' dies | Listen |
| President Trump rolls back his predecessor's thaw on links with Cuba | |
| Donald Trump says he's scrapping much of Barack Obama's policy of warmer relations with Communist Cuba; demonstrators march on Downing Street to protest at the failings they say led to Wednesday's tower block disaster; the death of Helmut Kohl -- the architect of German reunification; will the Spanish taxman drive Cristiano Ronaldo away from Real Madrid? | Listen |
| UN: 'Mosul civilians being used as human shields' | |
| The United Nations warns that more than one-hundred-thousand civilians may be held by Islamic State militants in the Iraqi city of Mosul as human shields; Police in Britain say at least thirty people are now confirmed to have died in the fire that engulfed a London tower block; Family row in Singapore over the will of Lee Kuan Yew; Archaeologists in Ethiopia say they've uncovered a lost city a thousand years old. | Listen |
| Search for London Fire Victims Continues | |
| Seventeen confirmed dead in Grenfell Tower disaster; American student released from North Korean prison suffered severe brain damage | Listen |
| London fire: search to 'take weeks' | |
| The British Prime Minister has ordered a full public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire; President Donald Trump denies reports that he is under investigation for obstruction of justice; Could coffee waste replace diesel? | Listen |
| Twelve dead in tower block fire | |
| Twelve people have died in the west London fire and the figure is expected to rise, Egypt's lawmakers approve a controversial deal giving islands to Saudi Arabia, Hydroelectric dams could 'permanently damage Amazon' | Listen |
| London tower block inferno | |
| Fire engulfs 24 storey residential block killing and injuring many, US Republican Steve Scalise wounded by gunman, UN says staggering loss of civilian life in US led coalition air strikes in Syria | Listen |
| Jeff Sessions Quizzed By Senate Committee | |
| North Korea Frees US Student 'In Coma', Hundreds Die In Bangladesh Landslide, Zimbabwe Ban Grain Imports | Listen |
| Cristiano Ronaldo accused of tax evasion | |
| Spanish to prosecute footballer for 16 million dollar fraud, how birds recognise songs, seductive names make veg more appealing | Listen |
| British Prime Minister Apologises for Election Setback | |
| The British prime minister has apologised for her failed election gamble; More legal setbacks for Donald Trump - including on his proposed travel ban; How using your smartphone could win you an arts prize. | Listen |
| Putin critic held before Moscow protest | |
| Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny held as thousands attend anti-corruption rallies, Saudi Arabia's new 'sin' tax, plane lands in Sydney with hole in engine, the Latin dance hit that's taking over the world | Listen |
| Macron party on course for big win | |
| British PM praises Tory talent in reshuffle, DR Congo jailbreak frees more than 900 inmates, Dominant Nadal wins record 10th French Open | Listen |
| Northern Ireland political party to help Britain's PM | |
| Democratic Unionists agree outline deal to support Conservatives; aid workers tell of the horrors facing families fleeing Raqaa; Batman actor Adam West is dead | Listen |
| Trump dismisses sacked FBI director's allegations | |
| "Why would I do that -- he asks? -- I hardly know the man;" UK election fallout; IOC to award 2024 and 2028 Games simultaneously; talking tombstones | Listen |
| British PM to form government with DUP backing | |
| European Commission wants Brexit discussions to proceed without delay, Catalonia plans October independence vote, Ivory Coast jail sentences for chimpanzee traffickers | Listen |
| UK election result special | |
| UK election ends in hung Parliament, Theresa May loses her overall majority, Labour party performs better than predicted, SNP loses 21 seats, Brexit questions raised. | Listen |
| Comey: Trump White House 'lied' about the FBI | |
| Former FBI Director James Comey has testified in front of US Senators about alleged Russian interference in last year's Presidential election; Ongoing dispute between Qatar and several Arab states; The rubbish crisis in Lebanon; And a biodegradable alternative to microbeads. | Listen |
| Yemen cholera cases exceed 100,000 | |
| Comey testifies on Trump and Russia, UK voters go to the polls, Chinese censors crack down on online gossip sites | Listen |
| Former FBI boss gives taster testimony on Trump | |
| James Comey has given details of conversations with the president a day before his Senate hearing; American teenagers' date rape drug detector; Homo Sapiens have been around longer than we thought. | Listen |
| 12 killed in attacks on Iranian capital | |
| IS says it carried out attacks on Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini's mausoleum, German Foreign Minister urges end to rift between Qatar and neighbours, Burmese military plane vanishes, is marriage good for your heart ? | Listen |
| Attacker shot outside Notre-Dame in Paris | |
| British PM says human rights law could change in the fight against terrorism, Trump claims credit for Qatar isolation, Museum of Failure | Listen |
| Kurdish-led rebel forces launch assault on Raqqa | |
| US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab groups begins offensive to capture IS stronghold, US criticism of UN human rights body, British police name third London Bridge attacker, can too much charisma damage your career ? | Listen |
| Two London attackers named by police | |
| Qatar row threatens air disruption in Gulf, Montenegro formally joins Nato, Africa's tallest tree | Listen |
| Qatar is ostracised by its neighbours | |
| Several nations cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and accuse it of destabilising the region, rift develops between US and China, India launches its heaviest ever satellite using its most powerful rocket | Listen |
| British police arrest 12 after terror attack | |
| Police believe they know the identity of the 3 men who carried out the attack in London / Ariana Grande back on stage in Manchester / Tiananmen Square massacre remembered | Listen |
| London Terror Attacks | |
| Seven killed and 48 injured in Saturday night's terror attacks in London Bridge area; eyewitness reports, police and political reaction, and analysis (Photo: Counter terrorism officers are seen near the scene of the London Bridge terrorist attack. Credit: Getty images) | Listen |
| Dozens of Iraqi civilians reported killed while fleeing IS | |
| Bodies of men, women and children found in Mosul; new prostate cancer treatment; alphabet for Hebrew and Arabic speakers | Listen |
| Former NY mayor, Michael Bloomberg, says Americans will meet climate commitments | |
| Bloomberg says US cities, states and companies want to keep Paris deal; the science of mind reading; America's best speller | Listen |
| Global dismay at US climate deal pullout | |
| Bodies found after Manila casino attack, Dutch IVF doctor accused of using own sperm, Snapchat glasses | Listen |
| US quits climate change pact | |
| Trump says Paris deal penalises US economy, gunman sparks panic at Manila resort, new Tolkien book published after 100 years | Listen |
| Last-minute plea to Trump on climate deal | |
| Over 40 'die of thirst' in Sahara desert, Prosecutor probes Macron ally over deal, Solitary bees | Listen |
| Worldwide condemnation of Kabul bombing | |
| Who was behind Afghan bomb which killed 90? Will US pull out of Paris climate deal? Donald Trump's mysterious tweet | Listen |
| Dozens killed in Kabul explosion | |
| Russian cruise missiles target IS in Syria, Parents barred from dead teen's Facebook, New detectives in London don't need beat experience | Listen |
| Trump's lawyer turns down testimony request | |
| How was Ötzi shot? Blessed by a robot, The pufferfish threat | Listen |
| Former military leader of Panama dies | |
| General Manuel Antonio Noriega has died aged 83. How will he be remembered? White House communications chief, Mike Dubke, has resigned, More than 25 people killed in two car bombs in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, China suspends one of its biggest table tennis stars over gambling allegations | Listen |
| Macron holds 'frank exchange' with Putin | |
| Severe storm causes fatalities in Moscow, Philippine army 'makes gains in Marawi', Tiger Woods arrested on drink-driving charge | Listen |
| Macron welcomes Putin at Versailles | |
| French and Russian presidents hold first talks near Paris, British Airways chief executive 'profusely sorry' for major disruption, Australian man 'stunned' after shark lands on his boat | Listen |
| Merkel says Europe can't rely on US and UK | |
| The president of Brazil replaces his justice minister, BA flights chaos continues at Heathrow, The Square wins top Cannes film prize | Listen |
| Trump isolated at G7 talks over climate | |
| Thousands disrupted as glitch halts BA flights, Iraqis close in on IS militants in Mosul, Google AI defeats human Go champion | Listen |
| Egypt Orders Airstrikes on Libyan 'Jihadist' Camps | |
| Egypt's president said the strikes were in retaliation for an attack on Coptic Christians; G7 leaders agree new action to counter terrorism; Indigenous group win landmark case against Kenyan Government | Listen |
| Egypt Christians killed in bus attack | |
| Trump's first G7 summit gets down to work, Foreign fighters 'among Marawai militants', Australian indigenous leaders call for formal 'voice' | Listen |
| Trump Tells NATO Countries to Pay Up | |
| Mr Trump tells NATO they must increase payments / UK resumes intelligence sharing / Juno findings published | Listen |
| British police halt intelligence sharing with US following leak | |
| NATO gathers for 'tough talks' with Trump, Slavery in Kenya, UK drug experts say cocaine is getting stronger, New Zealand rocket launch | Listen |
| New York Times Release Leaked Manchester Bomb Photos | |
| UK police say the leak could undermine the investigation; Protestors clash with police in Brazil; Nokia officially relaunches the 3310 | Listen |
| UK police hunt for Manchester terror 'network' | |
| British security services believe Manchester suicide-bomber possibly did not act alone, Taiwan's highest court rules that same-sex marriage should be legal, what happened when President Trump met the Pope, how do flamingos stand on one leg ? | Listen |
| UK terror threat level raised to critical | |
| First victims of Manchester attack named, Trump budget takes hatchet to safety net, African candidate wins top WHO job | Listen |
| British PM says Manchester suicide-bombing was act of 'sickening cowardice' | |
| Theresa May and other leaders condemn attack that killed at least 22 people, British police hunt for possible accomplices of suicide-bomber, Trump says Israelis and Palestinians are ready to reach a peace-deal, renowned 'James Bond' star Sir Roger Moore is dead | Listen |
| Many dead in UK terror attack | |
| At least 22 have died and 59 injured in the suicide bomb attack in the UK city of Manchester, that went off at the end of concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Children are confirmed among the victims. | Listen |
| Trump says Iran will never get nuclear arms | |
| Mike Flynn ducks Senate's Russia inquiry, South Sudan leader 'declares unilateral ceasefire', UK firm designs 'world's most affordable solar lamp' | Listen |
| Donald Trump arrives in Israel | |
| US President speaks of 'rare opportunity' to bring peace to the region, Turkey coup suspects taunted in courtroom, calls for South Africa to tackle high rate of violence against women and children, how a diamond is one British woman's best friend | Listen |
| President Trump urges Muslim leaders to confront terrorism. | |
| Donald Trump tells Muslim leaders to take responsibility for eradicating terrorism, The TV channel aiming to bring equality to Afghanistan, We take a train journey to meet Russians using the internet to challenge the authorities. | Listen |
| US and Saudi Arabia conclude huge trade and weapons deals | |
| Saudis roll out red carpet and in return US signs deals totalling 350 billion dollars, Newly re-elected Iranian President Rouhani, hails victory as rejection of hardliners, Could embracing the negative be the secret to happiness ? | Listen |
| Trump: Firing FBI chief 'eased pressure' | |
| US president reportedly called former FBI director James Comey a 'real nut job', President Duterte orders strict public smoking ban in Philippines, Flammable ice: a vast source of energy, The world of Moscow metro lost property | Listen |
| Sweden drops Assange rape investigation | |
| Iranians vote in key election, Japan's emperor a step closer to abdication, Netflix film Okja stopped after technical glitch | Listen |
| Trump again denies links with Russia | |
| Trump denies trying to influence FBI Russia probe; one dead as car hits New York crowd; embattled Brazil president 'won't quit' | Listen |
| Trump labels Russia inquiry 'witch hunt' | |
| Turkey wants US envoy to leave, EU fines Facebook over WhatsApp deal, Treasure trove of new plants revealed | Listen |
| Trump-Russia crisis deepens | |
| But the most senior Republican in Congress warns against rushing to judgement, US and EU officials discuss extending cabin ban on laptops, how 3-D printing could help restore fertility, South Africa sugar tax | Listen |
| Putin wades into Trump-Russia row | |
| Chelsea Manning freed from military jail, Greeks walk out in big strike over cuts, Cities need 'hedges as well as trees' for environment | Listen |
| Trump intelligence controversy continues | |
| US President Donald Trump defends his right to share 'facts' with Russia, French Open denies Maria Sharapova entry to compete, is the 'squeezy' smart phone the next big thing?, and a new study puts a figure on how many writers it takes to create a hit single. | Listen |
| Trump defends his sharing of 'facts' with Russia | |
| US President hits back after allegations that he shared classified material with Russia, new agreement is reached to try and end Ivory Coast mutiny, Indian child-rape victim given permission to abort, why a remote island has the world's worst plastic waste problem | Listen |
| US says Syria jail crematorium hid killings | |
| Ivory Coast 'deal' with rebel soldiers, Macron calls for Europe 'reconstruction', The vegan football club | Listen |
| French President names conservative mayor as new Prime Minister | |
| Emmanuel Macron chooses centre-right mayor Edouard Philippe to be new Prime Minister, Ivory Coast troops continue mutiny in several cities, UN agency says South Sudanese people are 'close to the abyss', how the murder of the 'Isdal Woman' has intrigued Norway for 47 years | Listen |
| Europol says cyber-attack threat escalating | |
| Ivory Coast army moves to end mutiny, Missile test due to North Korea 'paranoia', D-Day veteran aged 101 breaks tandem skydive world record | Listen |
| Blogger halts global cyber attack | |
| Blogger halts global cyber attack / Pope canonises Portuguese children / Woman scales Everest for the eighth time | Listen |
| AM: Cyber attack crosses world | |
| Massive cyber attack hits dozens of countries / Costa Concordia captain sentence upheld / Trump - FBI latest | Listen |
| Gunfire breaks out in Ivory Coast | |
| US and China sign trade agreement, Whistle-blower sparks Hyundai recall, Harry Potter prequel stolen in burglary | Listen |
| Trump defends sacking of FBI chief | |
| Trump would have fired Comey even if Justice Department had suggested otherwise / Macron unveils list of political outsiders / Zimbabwean officials deny Mugabe sleeps in meetings | Listen |
| US Senate orders Flynn to hand over papers | |
| China presses South Korea on missile system, India court reviews instant divorce, Russian Pokemon Go blogger sentenced | Listen |
| Trump defends sacking of FBI Director | |
| Trump says Comey had lost confidence of almost everyone; the defectors leaving IS; the office light which says you're too busy to chat | Listen |
| President Trump sacks the chief of the FBI | |
| Strong reaction in Washington to dismissal of FBI director James Comey, Turkey angered by US move to arm Syrian Kurds, Buddha's birthplace facing worsening pollution problem, have Sydney Opera House's acoustics been fixed at last ? | Listen |
| FBI chief Comey fired by Trump | |
| Liberal claims win in South Korean poll, US to arm Kurds fighting IS in Syria, Chicken nugget tweet breaks Twitter record | Listen |
| Has liberal candidate won South Korean presidency ? | |
| Exit-polls in the South Korean presidential election suggest winner is Moon Jae-in, Jakarta governor found guilty of blasphemy, remarkable discoveries about remains of ancient humans, tensions between Ukraine and Russia as Eurovision Song Contest approaches | Listen |
| Obama warned Trump about hiring Flynn | |
| Tough task ahead as Macron basks in win, Polling takes place in South Korea election, How vanished Irish beach reappeared | Listen |
| Merkel Welcomes Macron's Victory in French Election | |
| Angela Merkel congratulates Emmanuel Macron's victory in French presidential election, Syrian rebels moved out of Damascus suburb, The sculpture to honour Krystyna Starbek - reputedly Churchill's favourite wartime spy. | Listen |
| Macron wins French presidential election | |
| Macron pledges to unify France; concern grows over Nigerian president's health; 6000 migrants plucked from Mediterranean over 2 days | Listen |
| Nigerian Schoolgirls Kidnapped by Islamist Militants Freed | |
| At least 80 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok by Islamist militants released, French electoral commission appeals for Emmanuel Macron's hacked files not to be spread, Villagers on Pacific island who worship Prince Philip as a God are worried about his retirement bringing misfortune. | Listen |
| British Conservative Party make gains in local elections | |
| It comes a month ahead of a general election; Iranian presidential candidates take part in second live debate; researchers say swearing is good for you | Listen |
| North Korea claims CIA plot to kill Kim Jong-un | |
| North Korea has accused the United States and South Korea of plotting to assassinate its leader, Kim Jong-un. Also China's first domestically made airliner, and a warm welcome for the Argentine mountaineer rescued from Canada's highest peak. | Listen |
| US Representatives pass a bill meant to replace Obamacare | |
| Neymar ordered to stand trial in Spain, The Duke's gaffes, Basketball players permitted to wear headgear | Listen |
| Duke of Edinburgh to retire | |
| Queen Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, steps down from duties as he approaches 96. Also, how an Afghan warlord has returned to mainstream politics, an attempt to repeal Obamacare in Washington with a vote in the House of Representatives and should women boycott chores? | Listen |
| Le Pen and Macron Face Off in Presidential Debate | |
| French presidential hopefuls meet ahead of election on Sunday; FBI director answers questions on Clinton email investigation; Facebook hires thousands to review live content | Listen |
| EU Sets Out Brexit Priorities | |
| Britain must "settle its accounts" with the European Union as part of the Brexit process says the EU's Brexit chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. He says the UK's departure will be neither quick nor easy. Also in the programme: eyewitness report of a deadly attack on a Nato convoy in Kabul and the social media shaping Iran's presidential election. | Listen |
| Athletics world records could be wiped off | |
| Athletes react angrily to a European anti-doping proposal / FBI translator married IS recruiter in Syria / Kenyan wins 2 million dollars by betting on football results | Listen |
| Marine Le Pen accused of plagiarising rival's speech | |
| Allegations that French presidential candidate copied parts of speech by François Fillon, Merkel and Putin meet for talks in Sochi, how things didn't add up when UK politician spoke on police recruitment, why British singers are trying to duet with nightingales | Listen |
| Hamas eases its stance on Israel | |
| US president has said he would meet North Korean leader if it was 'appropriate', Venezuela hikes minimum wage by 60%, Fines for feeding seagulls | Listen |
| Macron: EU must reform or face possible 'Frexit' | |
| Presidential frontrunner says he will not let down French people who want changes to EU, Iraqi Christians return to homes once occupied by IS, Japan sends its largest warship to escort US vessel, when Mark Zuckerberg dropped in for dinner | Listen |
| Trump says Kim Jong-un is a 'sweet cookie' | |
| Fifa powerbroker Ahmad quits after claims, Swiss 'spy' arrested in Germany, Legendary climber dies near Everest | Listen |
| President Trump's first 100 days in office | |
| Donald Trump marks the day with a rally in Pennsylvania, EU leaders endorse Brexit plan, Pope Francis ends landmark Egypt visit, Female dragonflies fake their own deaths to avoid male attention | Listen |
| North Korea test-fires ballistic missile | |
| Brazil on strike amid pension anger, How China and Russia see President Trump's first 100 days in office, Gorilla Man still crawling the London Marathon | Listen |
| US: 'no regime change' in North Korea | |
| Tillerson signals willingness to talk to Pyongyang over nuclear weapons, Pope Francis visits Egypt, France's new Front National leader quits in Holocaust row, 'News from Elsewhere' | Listen |
| New South Sudan fighting displaces thousands of people | |
| Aid agencies say up to twenty-five thousand people have fled amid fierce fighting, Masked men storm Macedonia's parliament, Cassini probe survives daring Saturn dive | Listen |
| Syria accuses Israel over huge Damascus airport blast | |
| Israel allegedly struck an arms supply hub operated by the Lebanese group Hezbollah; Thai authorities seek the arrest of an heir to the Red Bull fortune in connection with the death of a policeman five years ago; what is a mugwump and why is it trending on twitter? | Listen |
| The White House briefs US senators on its strategy for North Korea | |
| Silence for the director of one of the most chilling films ever made, Cassini's death dive, Flying taxis | Listen |
| Trump to brief US Senate on North Korea | |
| US and South Korea conduct joint military exercises as tensions continue, Turkish government arrests more than one thousand people, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma still enjoying much support, why young whales whisper to their mothers | Listen |
| Ivanka Trump booed at women's summit | |
| Donald Trump's daughter defends her father's attitude to women at Berlin summit, Israeli leader snubs German foreign minister, Scientists create 'artificial womb' to keep extremely premature babies alive | Listen |
| France pays tribute to murdered police officer | |
| Francois Hollande calls for French national unity in fight against terrorism, aid summit tries to raise support for Yemen, how a gang stole up to 40 million dollars from Paraguay bank, remembering the Congolese superstar Papa Wemba | Listen |
| Le Pen steps aside as party leader | |
| White House calls Senate in over North Korea, Plastic-eating caterpillar 'may cut waste' | Listen |
| Afghan defence chiefs resign after deadly attack | |
| High-level resignations after devastating Taleban attack on army base, France prepares for final round of presidential election, inside the Syrian city recaptured from IS, how a 12 year-old boy drove 1300 kilometres across Australia | Listen |
| Macron and Le Pen 'in French election run-off' | |
| Centrist Emmanuel Macron projected to face far-right Marine Le Pen on May 7th, top conservationist shot in Kenya, rare copy of US Independence Declaration found in Britain | Listen |
| Global March for Science | |
| Protestors condemn worldwide political 'assault on facts', human baby blood 'reverses' cognitive decline in mice, Nastase faces lengthy ban after verbal tirade, blanket cover for Alps glacier | Listen |
| US forces kill 'close associate' of IS leader | |
| US troops in Syria kill senior IS man linked to Istanbul nightclub attack, Hunting party of Qataris taken hostage in 2015 released, New app could mean we vote via selfie, British royals try their hand at broadcasting | Listen |
| France reacts to Paris gun attack | |
| Most candidates cancel events on last day of campaigning in Presidential election; Chechen government accused of viciously persecuting gay men; Internet switched back on in English-speaking areas of Cameroon after three-month absence | Listen |
| Gun attack in central Paris | |
| A police man was shot dead and two others wounded in the Champs Elysees. The French President says that the attack was terrorist in nature; illegal sperm trade in East Asia; experiments with naked mole-rats yield interesting results. | Listen |
| New evidence of harm from epilepsy drug | |
| Pakistan PM survives Panama papers ruling, Australia overhauls citizenship process, Piano gold coin hoard declared treasure | Listen |
| Nigeria suspends spy boss over $43m haul | |
| Mass anti-government protests in Venezuela; British parliament votes for early elections; Fox News presenter Bill O'Reilly loses his job | Listen |
| MPs in Britain debate call for snap election | |
| BJP leaders to be tried in mosque row, US 'armada' was not sailing to North Korea, Near-earth asteroid 2014 J025 | Listen |
| Reaction to British decision to call early election | |
| Voters react to British government's decision to press for early general election, Report from Mosul where Iraqi government troops are battling Islamic State militants, Archaeologists in Egypt say they've uncovered a hoard of priceless artefacts | Listen |
| British PM seeks general election | |
| Theresa May says election will help bring strong leadership, giant shipworm found, flying car prepares for launch, Australia to tighten rules on work visas | Listen |
| North Korea threatens new missile tests | |
| Erdogan rejects he was given unfair advantage in Turkey's referendum, Palestinians hold mass hunger strike, Marathon cheats | Listen |
| International monitors criticise Turkey's referendum | |
| Monitors say the campaign was one-sided and the count flawed; Prince Harry speaks about mental issues; a judge halts multiple executions in Arkansas following a row over drugs used in the procedure. | Listen |
| Erdogan wins vote for expanded powers | |
| US 'working with China' over North Korea, Remains of five 'lost' archbishops found in London | Listen |
| Bomb kills dozens of Syrians near Aleppo | |
| Attack kills Syrians as they are evacuated; Will today's referendum give Turkish president more power? World's oldest person dies at 117 | Listen |
| IS Mufti 'Killed' in Mosul | |
| Iraqi forces say Abdullah al-Badrani died in US-led air strike, journalists reporting gay persecution in Chechnya fear reprisals, Brazil corruption claims over football World Cup, Golden Gate Bridge suicide barriers | Listen |
| China fears conflict over North Korea | |
| US bombing of IS in Afghanistan 'killed dozens', Evacuations begin in besieged Syria towns, Is artificial intelligence racist? | Listen |
| US drops 'mother of all bombs' on IS | |
| The GBU-43/B bomb has been used for the first time ever in combat to target hideouts of IS group in Afghan province of Nangarhar, Syrian President Assad has denied chemical attack in Idlib province, Passenger dragged off United Airlines flight will sue, Is there life on Saturn's moon Enceladus? | Listen |
| Russia 'failed' in Besland school massacre | |
| Huge storm lashes northern New Zealand, Hundreds die in Somalia from cholera, Burger King advert sabotaged on Wikipedia | Listen |
| Trump condemns Assad | |
| Tillerson meets Putin, Suspect detained over bus attack, Dinosaurs' missing link | Listen |
| Vladimir Putin says trust has deteriorated since Trump became President | |
| Talks continuing in Moscow between US and Russian Foreign Ministers, Chinese President urges peaceful resolution to rising tensions with North Korea, Virtual reality film that allows you to experience the events leading up to assisted suicide. | Listen |
| Blasts hit German football team bus | |
| Tillerson in Moscow for Syria talks, United Airlines boss sorry for 'horrific' incident, Taiwan bans slaughter of cats and dogs for human consumption | Listen |
| Foreign Ministers fail to agree Syria policy. | |
| G7 Ministers fail to support new sanctions against Russia over its support of Assad, Public relations disaster for United Airlines as passenger dragged off aircraft, Death penalty sentences fall by a third - except in China | Listen |
| Syria: G7 pressures Russia to abandon Assad | |
| Warning that Russia and Syria could face further sanctions, Neil Gorsuch Is sworn in as Supreme Court Justice., Cuba launches new TV channel,British Vogue appoints first male editor | Listen |
| G7 Foreign Ministers debate crisis in Syria | |
| The poison gas attack in Syria high on the agenda at the G7 meeting in Italy today, Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia is almost two-million dollars richer - after winning the Masters in Florida, It's estimated that six-hundred-thousand foetuses are being aborted in India every year because they are female. | Listen |
| Attacks on Egyptian Christians kills dozens | |
| More than 40 people killed in 2 bomb attacks on Coptic Christians celebrating Palm Sunday; Stockholm remembers the victims of Friday's lorry attack; North Korea's capital Pyongyang hosts an international marathon | Listen |
| Suspect device found in lorry used in Stockholm attack | |
| Swedish police confident Uzbek man they arrested is Stockholm attacker / Basque separatists hand in weapons / How indestructible is the new English five pound note? | Listen |
| Deadly truck attack in central Stockholm | |
| Four dead and fifteen injured after truck is hijacked and driven into pedestrians, International reaction to American attack on Syrian air base - Moscow warns of serious consequences, Radical new study on the workings of the human memory. | Listen |
| Russia condemns US strike against Syria | |
| South Africans march against Zuma, Eta poised to disarm | Listen |
| US and Chinese leaders in Florida for first face to face summit | |
| Donald Trump and Chinese leader, Xi Jinping holding first summit meeting in Florida, US Congressman forced to step down from the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the presidential election, and the latest on a new crime in Italy -- 'olfactory molestation'. | Listen |
| Turkey says autopsies show chemical weapons were used in Syria attack | |
| 'Bomb' found in St Petersburg raid, Trump to host China's president in summit, Rapid rise of clothes moths threatens England's historic fabrics | Listen |
| UN condemns Syria attack | |
| Russia criticised by world powers over chemical weapons deaths, Aung San Suu Kyi denies Rohingya ethnic cleansing, Neonic pesticides found in US drinking water, Australia hosts restaurateurs' equivalent of the Oscars | Listen |
| Russia and West clash over Syria gassing | |
| North Korea missile tests US summit, MEPs agree Brexit negotiation plan, In search of Sagittarius A-star | Listen |
| International condemnation of 'chemical attack' on Syrian civilians | |
| Global anger as death-toll rises following suspected chemical attack in NW Syria, UN chief voices concern over US funding cut, Raids in Spain seize assets of Syrian president's uncle, Search for ceremonial barge of Roman Emperor Caligula, Evidence of ancient 'geological Brexit' | Listen |
| Syria 'chemical attack' kills 58 | |
| At least 58 people killed in suspected chemical attack on rebel-held town in NW Syria, S. African trade unions call on President Zuma to step down, name released of suspect in St. Petersburg metro bombing, could new discovery enable us to turn seawater to drinking-water ? | Listen |
| Investigation begins into deadly blast on St Petersburg metro | |
| Trump 'very much behind' Egypt's al-Sisi, South Africa's credit rating cut to junk, The world's worst crying babies | Listen |
| Deadly blast hits St. Petersburg Metro | |
| Ten people reported killed and dozens injured by explosion between Metro stations, Trump says US will 'solve' North Korea on its own, new cricket league tries to bring peace to Pakistan's tribal areas, how the 'Sign Vigilante' wages war on incorrect pronunciation | Listen |
| Hundreds still missing in Colombia landslide | |
| Serbian voters elect new president, Arrests in Moscow opposition rally, Oxford triumph in men's Boat race | Listen |
| Colombian landslide destroys town | |
| At least 154 people have been killed; Venezuelan Supreme Court reverses decision to strip congress of legislative powers; Scandinavian papers refuse to participate in April Fool's day over concerns of 'fake news' | Listen |
| Power struggle plays out in Venezuela | |
| US tells NATO members to pay up, Austria to take legal action over German motorway toll, Project to save some of UK's rarest fauna and flora | Listen |
| EU sets out 'phased' Brexit strategy | |
| Israel approves new West Bank settlement, On board the USS George H W Bush, China begins ivory trade ban | Listen |
| Congress to investigate reported Russian involvement in Presidential election | |
| US Senate to probe allegations of Russian involvement in presidential election, South Korea says ousted president, Park Geun-hye, arrested on corruption charges, The opera being performed in Britain for the first time -- more than thirty years after it was composed. | Listen |
| UK sets out plan to replace EU laws | |
| US hails Turkey as a 'trusted ally', Sugar targets set for cakes and chocolate, Digital archaeology | Listen |
| History is made as UK starts leaving the European Union | |
| The British Prime Minister triggers Article 50 - with letter to the European Union, Bob Dylan is finally getting his Nobel literature prize this weekend, What will the new Samsung smart phone do for the company's fortunes? | Listen |
| UK begins process of withrawal from European Union | |
| Europe reacts as Brexit formally starts, UK Prime Minister hails it as 'historic moment', controversy as Sudan's President attends Arab League summit, how a former guerrilla became a peace-activist in Colombia | Listen |
| Trump scraps Obama climate policies | |
| Fillon's wife under formal investigation, Turkey 'spied' on opponents in Germany, Virtual lemonade | Listen |
| UN calls for investigation into Iraqi civilian deaths in Mosul | |
| UN urges investigation into the number of civilians who've died in the battle for Mosul, powerful cyclone batters north-east Australia, what inkblots tells us about human psychology, Britain has new coin that's 'almost impossible to counterfeit' | Listen |
| US envoy says nuclear ban 'not realistic' | |
| Trump son-in-law faces Russia questions, Zuma orders finance minister back home, Gold coin worth $4m stolen in Germany | Listen |
| Russian opposition leader Navalny is jailed | |
| Alexei Navalny is jailed for 15 days for resisting police orders during mass-protests, students killed in Japan avalanche, Singaporean couple jailed for starving their maid, will robots replace bricklayers on building-sites ? | Listen |
| Battle for Mosul: US investigating deadly air strike | |
| The Pentagon has acknowledged that a US-led coalition hit an area in Mosul where many civilians were killed, Standoff in Bangladesh between security forces and Islamist militants, A Filipino fisherman survives 56 days adrift at sea | Listen |
| Violent anti Government protests in Russia | |
| Hundreds arrested at anti-government protests in Moscow, Hong Kong has its first woman leader, Former international player becomes the first Italian woman to manage male footballers at the national level. | Listen |
| Trump pulls US healthcare bill in dramatic u-turn | |
| President Trump says he's surprised and disappointed after failing to secure Republican support in Congress for plans to replace Obamacare, on the second anniversary of the Germanwings air crash, the father of the pilot accused of deliberately flying into the Alps has cast doubt on the official finding, and why authorities in Beijing wants to stop couple's getting divorced. | Listen |
| London vigil for terror attack victims | |
| 'Evil and twisted acts of terrorism will be defeated' - London Mayor, Sadiq Khan; blow for Trump as health vote delayed; rethinking the science behind earthquakes | Listen |
| Egypt's Hosni Mubarak released from detention | |
| Le Pen meets Putin, Police appeal over Westminster attacker, Could a robot do your job? | Listen |
| Trump ultimatum on healthcare bill | |
| US president demands a make-or-break vote in Congress, special report from inside Palmyra, world first breakthrough to combat TB, art gallery app | Listen |
| 5 dead and 40 injured in London attack | |
| The British prime minister has called the London terror attack - which killed 5 and injured 40 - "sick and depraved"; the US Secretary of State has said his country's top priority in the Middle East is the defeat of the Islamic State group. | Listen |
| Westminster attacker was born in Britain | |
| Russian ex-MP shot dead at Kiev hotel, Shakespeare and funk music | Listen |
| Arrests made over London terror attack | |
| Seven people are being questioned about Wednesday's attack at the Houses of Parliament which killed four people, Trump team 'incidentally tapped', sunken South Korean ferry salvaged, new cloud formations | Listen |
| Electronics ban on some UK flights | |
| Stroke treatment from spiders, French Interior Minister resigns, Morse writer dies | Listen |
| Anti-IS summit in Washington | |
| ICRC warns of mass starvation in Yemen and Somalia, Restoration work on Jesus's tomb in Jerusalem completed | Listen |
| Brussels Terror Attack Remembered | |
| Belgium marks first anniversary of bombings in airport and metro which killed 32 people, Syria World Cup hopes, China school stampede, India court gives sacred rivers human status | Listen |
| FBI confirms Trump Russia investigation | |
| FBI chief confirms criminal probe into alleged Russian interference in 2016 US election and denies President Trump's wiretap claim, French election candidates battle for public support in TV debate, Brazil's rotten meat scandal prompts major import bans, Sesame Street welcomes autistic muppet | Listen |
| US bans electronics on some flights | |
| Tributes and reaction to the death of Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, Hot baths and blood sugar control | Listen |
| Former IRA leader turned peacemaker, Martin McGuinness, dies | |
| Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, has died aged 66, South Korean ousted president reports to prosecutors for questioning, US to ban laptops and tablets on flights from eight countries | Listen |
| Trump-Russia claims: no evidence of collusion - Nunes | |
| US House Intelligence Committee Chair sees no Trump team campaign link to Russia, Syrian government forces 'repel' a surprise rebel advance in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, New technology allows deaf students to enjoy the music of whales, A woman from a small remote community in the Canadian Arctic has won the Global Teacher prize. | Listen |
| US spy chiefs to assess Russia claims | |
| FBI director to testify in Congress, the secret to successful sperm, Vodafone deal creates India mobile giant, doping in sport "fast becoming a crisis", why do birds sing at dawn? Face recognition used to prevent loo roll theft in China | Listen |
| Rio 2016 Olympics legacy | |
| Several athletes and officials say the country has failed to fulfil its promises, freak Ghana waterfall accident, New Zealand expels US diplomat, Uber president resigns | Listen |
| G20 ministers drop free trade pledge | |
| G20 finance ministers drop free trade pledge after US opposition, American rock and roll legend Chuck Berry has died aged 90, Man in US arrested over seizure-inducing tweet, A controversial Hindu priest has been chosen as the chief minister of India's most populous state | Listen |
| Trump hosts Merkel in Washington | |
| US President Donald Trump stands by his wiretapping claims at a news conference with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Caribbean poet Derek Walcott dies aged 87, Voice recognition to be tested on migrants in Germany. | Listen |
| Trump stands by wiretapping claims | |
| Trump spokesman Sean Spicer rejects Senate report finding no evidence of wiretapping, Turkish president accuses EU of a crusade against Islam, BBC crew caught up in Mt Etna volcanic eruption, Ai Weiwei talks about his new exhibition in Prague | Listen |
| Israeli military admits attacking targets in Syria | |
| Attack on Yemen migrant boat kills many people, Hungary to put migrants in converted shipping containers, Is it possible to grow potatoes on Mars? | Listen |
| US 'out of patience' with North Korea | |
| American Secretary of State says all options now on the table, Japan's first mock missile attack evacuation drill, medical marijuana study, World Sleep Day | Listen |
| Dutch PM sees off Wilders challenge | |
| Governing liberal party leader Mark Rutte on course for victory in Dutch elections, Somali pirate on board hijacked ship speaks to BBC, Four people charged in US over 2014 Yahoo cyber attack, Unfinished Orson Welles film to be released by Netflix | Listen |
| Teenager held in French school shooting | |
| Trump envoy defends foreign aid cuts, Interpol hunts North Koreans over Kim murder, A Kenyan astronomer and her inflatable planetarium | Listen |
| US judge blocks new Trump travel ban | |
| President vows to take the case to the Supreme Court, Brazil pension reform protests, diamond hunting in Sierra Leone, physiotherapy without the physiotherapist | Listen |
| Dutch voters head to the polls | |
| Dutch voters head to the polls after televised debate, French candidate Francois Fillon placed under investigation, and doctors in Kenya end 100-day strike. | Listen |
| Dutch election: voters go to the polls | |
| Dutch voters take part in the first of three crucial Eurozone elections this year, helping Syrian refugee children will be "a 5 to 10 year challenge" says head of global aid-agency, the boss of world cricket's governing-body resigns for 'personal reasons', Malaysian censors object to 'gay moment' in new Disney film | Listen |
| US media leaks Trump tax return | |
| White House condemns publication of the 2005 documents as illegal, Ikea drivers living in trucks 'for months', key Dutch election vote, how much do spiders eat? | Listen |
| British parliament approves Brexit law | |
| Millions in US could lose health insurance, China: rage over S Korean anti-missile system, Intel takes huge bet on driverless cars | Listen |
| Huge snowstorm strikes Northeastern US | |
| Schools closed and flights cancelled due to heavy snow across several states, Europe's top court rules that ban on hijabs in workplace 'can be legal', dementia researchers more optimistic about possible cure, why the world's oldest golfing club has voted to allow women members | Listen |
| Somali 'pirates' in first hijacking since 2012 | |
| An oil tanker is hijacked by suspected pirates off Somalia coast, British PM says 'no' to second Scottish referendum, the vlogging school, study shows parents live longer, stolen Stradivarius returns to stage | Listen |
| Growing tensions between Turkey and the EU | |
| Turkish president demands sanctions after Netherlands bans two ministers from campaigning in Rotterdam, Landslide at a rubbish dump in Ethiopia kills dozens of people, Christian woman in Chicago wearing headscarf in solidarity with American Muslims | Listen |
| Sturgeon to seek referendum on Scottish independence | |
| Scotland's First Minister will ask permission for second independence referendum, Dutch voters prepare for election amid worsening row with Turkey, Carlos the Jackal on trial over 1974 attack in Paris, concerns over security at 2018 World Cup in Russia | Listen |
| Syria war: 2016 'deadliest' for children | |
| UN says more children killed than in any other year of six-year civil war, the British PM faces one last parliamentary hurdle before she can trigger Article 50, documenting the art and culture of Africa in a massive cultural encyclopaedia | Listen |
| Row Between Netherlands and Turkey Escalates | |
| Party of Indian Prime Minister wins elections in the country's biggest state, Two bomb explosions in Syria's capital, Damascus, kill around forty people, Drag: men dressing up as women becomes more popular in Britain | Listen |
| Final phase of battle for Mosul | |
| A possible explanation for space bursts, Ed Sheeran makes music history, Unearthed: statue of Ramses II? | Listen |
| Donald Tusk gets re-elected as EU President | |
| Donald Tusk gets a second term despite objections from his native Poland, arrests of chimpanzee traffickers in West Africa, how flies with tiny brains are quite clever. | Listen |
| Nigeria leader back after medical treatment | |
| President Buhari: 'I've never been so sick', UN condemns 'torture' of Myanmar Rohingya Muslims, edible humanitarian drone, 'news from elsewhere' | Listen |
| South Korean president ousted | |
| Judges uphold parliament's decision to impeach Park Geun-hye over corruption scandal, Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching worsens, AirBnB expansion, boy who says angels helped him save his father | Listen |
| Deadly fire at care home in Guatemala. | |
| At least nineteen children have died after fire ripped through a Guatemalan care home, President Trump working to win support for his replacement healthcare bill, And exercises to super-size your memory. | Listen |
| Latest on North Korea-Malaysia tensions | |
| Why Malaysia and North Korea are still talking - despite their current difficulties, EU leaders take steps to counter Russian influence in the Balkans, Air pollution in car-crazy Los Angeles: one remedy - focus on public transport. | Listen |
| UN envoy criticises South Sudan leaders | |
| David Shearer accuses both sides of 'failing' their people, first challenge to new Trump travel ban, Samsung corruption trial, Barcelona make Champions League history | Listen |
| Wikileaks: 'CIA can snoop via TVs' | |
| 'CIA can hack phones and turn TVs into listening devices'; Bangladeshi acid attack survivors on the catwalk; rhino killed for horn in French zoo | Listen |
| Video of Kim Jong-nam's Son Surfaces Online | |
| It's the first public comment from the Kim family since his murder in February; UN High Commissioner for Human Rights attacks Donald Trump's immigration policy; Can watching nature documentaries make you happier? | Listen |
| China urges NKorea to halt nuclear tests | |
| Beijing says SKorea and the US could end military drills in exchange, gunmen storm Afghan hospital, Republicans divided on Trump health bill, robots of the future | Listen |
| Facebook failed to remove sexualised images of children | |
| BBC investigation finds Facebook moderation failings, George Michael died of natural causes, backpacker 'suffers two-month rape ordeal' in Australia | Listen |
| North Korea bans Malaysians from leaving the country | |
| Malaysia accuses North Korea of holding its citizens hostage, Syrian children in state of 'toxic stress', test-driving eco-friendly taxis in the Arctic | Listen |
| Trump's Fresh Attempt At Travel Ban | |
| President Trump signs new order on travellers from six mainly Muslim countries, French Republican party closes ranks around its embattled presidential candidate, Francois Fillon, UN ambassadors see for themselves the pain caused by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria | Listen |
| FBI chief 'rejects' Trump's Obama claim | |
| US media says FBI director dismisses President Trump's claims over tapped phones, Francois Fillon says no one can force him to withdraw his candidacy for the French presidency, Living inside the Syrian city of Raqqa, which is under the control of the self-styled Islamic State | Listen |
| Juppé 'will not replace Fillon' in France election race | |
| Alain Juppé says he won't run as Republicans leader in France, Philippines Duterte death squad testimony, soy 'can help prevent' breast cancer, Jamaica's vinyl revival | Listen |
| North Korea fires missiles into sea | |
| North Korea launches four ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan, WHO says air pollution one of the most pernicious threats facing global health, pioneering transplant surgeon Dr Thomas Starzl remembered | Listen |
| First 'chemical attack' in Mosul battle | |
| 12 people injured in a chemical weapons attack in the Iraqi city / Human remains found at Irish Catholic maternity home / British secret service looks for a new kind of spy | Listen |
| Barack Obama denies phone tapping allegations | |
| Barack Obama's spokesperson rejects President Trump's phone tapping claims, Malaysia expels North Korean ambassador over criticism of murder investigation into Kim Jong-nam, Body art and tattoo culture go on display in Argentina | Listen |
| US Attorney General 'quits' Russia inquiry | |
| Jeff Sessions says his confirmation testimony was 'honest and correct'; Snapchat shares finish first day of trading up 44%; Sweden reintroduces military conscription | Listen |
| Legal troubles for two French presidential candidates | |
| Francois Fillon's presidential campaign in meltdown as chief spokesperson stands down, Why ordinary people seem not to be welcome at the Chinese People's Congress, Zimbabwe government asks for aid following devastating drought and flood. | Listen |
| Trump defends under-fire Attorney General | |
| President condemns 'witch-hunt' against Jeff Sessions over Russian contacts, artificial embryo breakthrough, respecting football referees, campaign to save Nina Simone's childhood home | Listen |
| British government suffers first defeat on Brexit Bill in parliament. | |
| House of Lords votes to demand European residents can remain when Britain leaves EU, Key member of a Roman Catholic commission to tackle child sexual abuse has resigned, saying the Vatican bureaucracy was failing to cooperate, Distributing aid in Kenya - cash in hand rather than bags of food. | Listen |
| Pressure grows on top Trump lawyer | |
| Le Pen loses immunity from prosecution, China to create large nature reserve for pandas | Listen |
| Top Trump lawyer hit by Russia talks claims | |
| Attorney-General Jeff Sessions accused of 'lying under oath' over meetings with Russia's US ambassador, humans cook up mineral bounty, Snapchat flotation, safe cannabis? | Listen |
| Russia and China veto Syria sanctions | |
| UN resolution condemning Syria over chemical weapons is vetoed, Donald Trump addresses joint session of US Congress, Yemen inching ever closer to famine after fighting closes crucial port. | Listen |
| Francois Fillon defiant despite charges | |
| UN says all sides 'committed Aleppo war crimes', Mass murderer Breivik loses rights case, The changing rules of golf | Listen |
| US President's first speech to Congress | |
| Donald Trump touts 'new chapter of American greatness', Ebola nurse dies in childbirth, Uber row, Obamas memoirs | Listen |
| Samsung heir to be indicted for bribery | |
| South Korean prosecutors to charge Lee Jae-yong for bribery and embezzlement, Kim Jong-nam death: two women face murder charges, SpaceX to fly two tourists around Moon | Listen |
| Calls for Investigation into President Trump's Dealings with Russia | |
| Former President George W Bush supports investigation into Trump's links with Russia, How a peace deal in Colombia has resulted in a spike in pregnancies, Extreme weather in Chile causes the authorities to cut off drinking water to millions of people. | Listen |
| British coroner's fierce criticism of Tunisian police over 2015 massacre | |
| Coroner says police 'At best shambolic, at worst cowardly' during Sousse killings, Taiwan's president vows to unearth truth about terrible event in nation's past, Israeli army's mixed-gender infantry units, why the 'Blue Danube' waltz has a very surprising history | Listen |
| Iraqi Army seizes key bridge in Mosul | |
| The Iraqi military says it has captured a bridge across the River Tigris in Mosul, Philippines Islamists behead German yachtsman, inquiry investigates sexual abuse of thousands of British children in Australia | Listen |
| Oscar best film mix-up | |
| Moonlight wins best picture after La La Land initially announced as the winner, Hungary beefs up border patrols, Nokia 3310 mobile phone makes comeback | Listen |
| Famine in South Sudan | |
| Ten attacks a day on Germany migrants, Rainstorms and landslides in Chile, 100 years of jazz | Listen |
| Worsening relations between President Trump and some media outlets | |
| President Trump says he won't attend this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner, Malaysian police search for traces of deadly nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur airport, Annual awards announced for the worst Hollywood films of the year | Listen |
| Journalists excluded from White House briefing | |
| French magistrate probes allegations concerning François Fillon, Bees playing football, Hundreds of thousands of revellers in Rio for carnival | Listen |
| The dangers of the VX nerve agent | |
| Clashes at South Africa anti-immigrant protest, Iraqi forces enter west Mosul neighbourhood, Fasting diet 'regenerates diabetes pancreas' | Listen |
| Nerve agent blamed for Kim killing | |
| VX chemical found on face of North Korean leader's half brother, Trump calls for US nuclear supremacy, electrode therapy for anorexia, Ranieri sacking reaction | Listen |
| US Mexico talks | |
| What soldiers are finding in Mosul, Nigeria's president resurfaces, The skier at the centre of a diplomatic row | Listen |
| Iraqi forces seize Mosul airport from IS | |
| Syria peace talks get underway, Trump envoys face Mexico deportation fury, For a longer life 'eat 10-a-day' | Listen |
| Iraqi forces storm Mosul airport | |
| Attack key to the government's offensive to drive out IS fighters, political setback for US transgender rights, adopted Romanian orphans still suffering, top 10 African cities | Listen |
| Newly Discovered Solar System "could Support Life" | |
| Prospect of alien life a little closer - with discovery of seven earth-like planets, Clothes belonging to Princess Diana going on show in London - twenty years after her death, High price tag for James Bond style spy training? | Listen |
| New president for Somalia | |
| South Africa court blocks ICC pull-out, Turkey lifts military headscarf ban, Giant worms | Listen |
| North Korea diplomat sought over Kim death | |
| Malaysian police name top embassy official they want to question over murder of Kim Jong-un's half brother, life expectancy to break 90 barrier, global traffic congestion survey | Listen |
| US widens net for deporting immigrants | |
| British suicide bomber behind Mosul attacks, Dutch MPs vote for cannabis cultivation, Endangered Oliver Ridley turtles lay record number of eggs in Odisha | Listen |
| Israeli solder gets 18-month sentence for killing Palestinian attacker | |
| Israeli society divided after court finds Elor Azaria guilty of manslaughter, bodies of 87 migrants washed ashore in Libya, UK heterosexual couple lose civil partnership case, how the music from a children's TV series has inspired a generation | Listen |
| UNICEF warns of famine in Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen | |
| UN says almost one-and-a-half million children are at risk of dying of starvation, HSBC profits slump, Gabon elephant population in decline, slippery bottle solves ketchup problem | Listen |
| President Trump names new National Security Adviser | |
| General McMaster confirmed as America's national security adviser, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, has died suddenly in New York, Getting trapped in ice, in the middle of an Arctic winter...on purpose. | Listen |
| Mike Pence tries to allay European Union's fears | |
| US Vice-President says the US remains committed to the EU, Iraqi Army enters hard phase of Mosul offensive, how the Czech government tries to eradicate "fake news", non-League Sutton United prepares for match against the mighty Arsenal | Listen |
| Famine declared in South Sudan | |
| Malaysia and North Korea row over King Jong-nam killing, Iraq resumes advance on Mosul, US scientists protest against Trump climate change denial, Angelina Jolie on Cambodia and Brad Pitt | Listen |
| Iraqi army launch huge offensive on Mosul | |
| Our reporter is embedded with the army as it attempts to recapture western Mosul, The White House clarifies remarks by President Trump about Sweden, Hitler's personal phone is bought by an anonymous bidder | Listen |
| President Trump back on the campaign trail in Florida | |
| President Trump holds rally in Orlando - keeping his promise to speak directly to voters, China says it's suspending all coal imports from North Korea, in a move that could severely damage the North Korean economy, Why do critics only focus on the savagery and pillage when assessing Genghis Khan ? | Listen |
| Controversial choice to lead US Environmental Protection Agency | |
| The US Senate has approved Scott Pruitt to head the Environment Protection Agency, Is the world vulnerable to a deadly new pandemic? Bill Gates certainly thinks so, Marriage for a couple who met over a rubbish bin more than forty years ago. | Listen |
| Pakistan crackdown after shrine attack | |
| Hundreds of migrants storm Ceuta fence, German parents told to destroy 'spy' dolls, Is Zealandia the eighth continent? | Listen |
| Trump rejects claims his administration is in chaos | |
| The newly-reformed Red Army choir, Scientists set to take first picture of a black hole, Mick Jagger's forgotten autobiography | Listen |
| Tillerson in guarded approach to Russia | |
| More arrests over death of Kim's Jong-un's half-brother, Thai police raid temple in hunt for monk, Vitamin D pills 'could stop colds or flu' | Listen |
| Trump signals major shift in Israel/ Palestine policy. | |
| President Trump says US no longer committed to a two-state solution, Pyongyang seeks return of body thought to be of North Korean dictator's half-brother, Historic mobile phone set for return | Listen |
| Woman held over Kim Jong-nam death | |
| Trump hits back at Russia contact claims, Superbugs in space, Workday boozing ban at Lloyd's of London | Listen |
| Mysterious death of North Korean President's half-brother. | |
| Half-brother of North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, believed to have been poisoned, President Trump asked his national security adviser to resign because of a breakdown in trust, And what's been causing a spate of car crashes on Iceland's roads? | Listen |
| North Korean leader's half-brother 'killed' | |
| Trump adviser quits over Russia contacts, Toshiba chairman steps down over nuclear loss, Disney drops YouTube star PewDiePie over anti-Semitism | Listen |
| President Trump to 'tweak' trade with Canada | |
| President Trump meets the Canadian Prime Minister for the first time in the White House; UN condemns North Korea's latest missile launch; banned chemicals found in the Pacific; Valentine's Day banned in Islamabad | Listen |
| New Report Details Devastation of Aleppo | |
| Hamas hardliner elected as Gaza leader, US dam risk prompts evacuation in California, Egypt's '500kg' woman undergoes treatment in India | Listen |
| Anti-Trump protests in Mexico | |
| Demonstrations take place in dozens of Mexican cities against President Trump's immigration policies and his plans for the country to pay for a border wall; huge anti-government protests in Romania; Are attitudes to women changing in Saudi Arabia? And the British film awards in London | Listen |
| At least five killed in violent clashes in Baghdad. | |
| Fatal clashes in Iraq between police and supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, Huge prayer meeting in Indonesia encourages Muslims not to vote for Jakarta's Christian mayor, Tearful homecoming for Chinese man trapped in India for five decades. | Listen |
| US and Japan plan future ties | |
| Japan's PM Shinzo Abe holds talks with Donald Trump; 700+ Brazilian police officers charged with revolt for going on strike; opera star Nicolai Gedda dies | Listen |
| Trump backs 'one China' in call with Xi | |
| The UN believes Houthi rebels in Yemen may have used civilians as human shields, Police thwart 'imminent' France attack, Race to save stranded whales on New Zealand beach | Listen |
| Trump signs executive orders aimed at crime | |
| Chaos at Zuma's State of the Nation address, Twitter's shares fall ten percent, Ghana's missing cars | Listen |
| Reprieve for Dadaab refugee camp. | |
| Kenyan high court rules that the government cannot close the huge Dadaab refugee camp, New US intelligence chief in Turkey on first foreign trip, How far should the authorities go to protect endangered species? | Listen |
| Somalia has a new president | |
| Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as 'Farmajo', is Somalia's new president; French presidential candidate François Fillon, battling fresh allegations over payments to his wife, President Trump accuses America's courts of being "too political" over temporary block on travel ban | Listen |
| Russian opposition leader found guilty | |
| Somali leader being elected in airport, UN launches $2.1bn appeal for Yemen aid, Sweden tests the six hour working day | Listen |
| Education nominee survives US Senate vote | |
| Peace talks with Colombia's ELN rebel group begin, UN denounces Israel's law on West Bank settlements, Gene therapy restores hearing in deaf mice | Listen |
| French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy is ordered to stand trial | |
| French judge orders ex-President Sarkozy to stand trial in illegal campaign finance case, Amnesty International claims thousands were hanged at Syrian prison, why a Hungarian village aims to create a white utopia, will flying cars soon be a reality ? | Listen |
| Speaker of UK Parliament Opposes Trump Speech | |
| John Bercow says he's opposed to President Trump addressing UK parliament on his state visit; French presidential candidate, Francois Fillon, says it was an error of judgement to employ his family; Buddhist monk arrested in Myanmar following the discovery of more than four million 'speed' pills. | Listen |
| '7% of Australian Catholic priests' allegedly involved in child abuse | |
| Inquiry hears that over 4000 people claim to have been abused between 1980 and 2015, Afghan civilian casualties hit new high, why David Beckham is back in the headlines, how the Dutch state helps mothers of newborn babies | Listen |
| Marine Le Pen launches Presidential campaign | |
| She attacked the EU, globalisation and Islamic fundamentalism in a speech in Lyon; Protests in Romania in day six; Unheard recordings of Reggae artist Bob Marley unearthed in London | Listen |
| Trump Condemns Judge Who Blocked Migrant Ban | |
| President Trump calls James Robert a 'so-called judge' and vows to overturn ruling, Romanian government repeals draft corruption decree, African art exhibition showcased in Paris | Listen |
| US impose sanctions on Iran | |
| The sanctions come after Iran conducted missile tests last week; Protests against corruption continue in Romania; Fans gather in Birmingham, England, for Black Sabbath's final show | Listen |
| French soldier shoots attacker at Louvre | |
| UN condemns 'devastating' Rohingya abuse, EU leaders meet in Malta, Annoying sounds | Listen |
| Huge anti-government protests in Romania | |
| Romanian president says he will challenge plans to decriminalise corruption, French prosecutors investigate fresh fraud allegations involving Francois Fillon Why is Beyonce so popular on social media ? | Listen |
| Mass Romania protests pressure government | |
| France's Fillon under pressure to quit, Trump in 'worst call' with Australia PM, Vera Lynn album at 100 | Listen |
| Tillerson confirmed as top US diplomat | |
| US Senate approves former Exxon Mobil CEO as President Trump's Secretary of State, main DRC opposition leader dies, lychees blamed for mystery Indian illness, quantum computing breakthrough | Listen |
| German police carry out wave of anti-terror raids | |
| Police in Hesse arrest 16 people including Tunisian man suspected of recruiting for IS, Israeli police expel settlers from unauthorised outpost on West Bank, why Australian activists want an end to shark-nets on public beaches | Listen |
| Democrats boycott votes on Trump team | |
| Ukraine to evacuate flashpoint town, Scientists communicate with Locked-in patients, Orangutan chooses mate from photographs | Listen |
| US Attorney-general nominee Jeff Sessions faces Senate vote | |
| Senate Judiciary Committee to vote on President Trump's choice for Attorney-general, Austria to ban full-face veil in public places, new film about plight of US children trafficked online for sex, BBC investigation exposes international trade in baby chimpanzees | Listen |
| Obama's office issues statement on Trump's travel ban | |
| Suspect charged over Canada mosque shooting / AU decides to admit Morocco / Our ancestor, the one-orifice sea creature | Listen |
| Trump's temporary travel-ban inspires mixed reaction | |
| How new travel policy has generated both protests and praise, six dead in shooting outside Canadian mosque, tackling the spread of 'fake news', how to create an emotional map of urban Britain | Listen |
| Trump stands firm over travel ban | |
| US strikes al Qaeda base in Yemen, Benoit Hamon wins French socialist vote, The FoxFire diamond | Listen |
| US implements tough new Immigration Policy | |
| President Trump facing legal challenge over executive order barring migrants and refugees from several Muslim countries, Kremlin says phone conversation between Presidents' Putin and Trump gave top priority to fighting international terrorism, Why a song about the horror of the parental interrogation has become a Chinese online sensation. | Listen |
| US renews 'deep bond' with Britain | |
| President Trump also signs order authorising "extreme vetting" of immigrants; Russia de-criminalises domestic abuse; have scientists succeeded in creating a wonder material? | Listen |
| British PM to hold talks with President Trump | |
| Al-Shabab attacks Kenya military base, Former VW boss under investigation, Holocaust Memorial Day | Listen |
| US and Britain must provide leadership in the modern world. | |
| British Prime Minister stresses Special Relationship in US speech, Scientists have given details of their first attempts to engineer cells containing both animal and human material, The German football fairy tale that's divided the country. | Listen |
| British PM urged to tackle Trump on torture | |
| Last bodies found after Italy avalanche, Police clash with protestors in Bangladesh over coal-fired power station, Beer in space | Listen |
| Trump orders the wall between America and Mexico | |
| The president's executive orders flow and Trump vows to build the wall immediately; the tiff between the Pope and the Knights of Malta - over condoms; Mary Tyler Moore dies | Listen |
| Trump pledges voter fraud investigation | |
| Prince among seven executed by Kuwait, North Korean defector says people will rise against regime, Blind cricket | Listen |
| Trump backs controversial oil pipelines | |
| Israel approves 2,500 new settler homes, Extra letters added to life's genetic code, La La Land leads Oscar nominations | Listen |
| Court rules against British government on Brexit | |
| Supreme Court rules that Parliament must vote on whether government can start Brexit, Syria peace-talks end with pledge to enforce three-week ceasefire, plight of child migrants living homeless in Belgrade, why a supermodel declared herself to be "intersex" | Listen |
| Trump withdraws from TTP trade deal | |
| New US president also signs anti-abortion executive order, Nigerian babies used in suicide bombings, Bangladeshi man serving another's life term freed, Icelandic murder mystery | Listen |
| 'Millions of dollars missing' from The Gambia after Jammeh's departure | |
| Former President is accused of stealing huge amounts of money from his country, Syria peace talks open in Kazakhstan, Dutch PM says 'If you don't like it here - then leave', can burnt toast give you cancer ? | Listen |
| Gambian coffers 'plundered' | |
| Exiled Gambian ruler, Yahya Jammeh, is accused of leaving the country with eleven million dollars; Trump media row escalates; will Japan's Emperor be allowed to retire? | Listen |
| Rallies Around the World Against Trump | |
| Women's rights highlighted in marches against Donald Trump's policies; Yahya Jammeh makes way for Adama Barrow in The Gambia; Breakthrough in the investigation into one of the world's biggest ever jewellery heists | Listen |
| Trump vows to end 'American carnage' | |
| Trump's celebration marred by violence; The Gambia's Jammeh 'to quit and leave'; 10 found alive after Italian avalanche | Listen |
| US Presidential Inauguration Day | |
| Trump to swear in as 45th US President, Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh misses deadline to step down, survivors found in Italy avalanche | Listen |
| Senegal sends troops into The Gambia | |
| Senegal's troops enter The Gambia in support of Adama Barrow; President Putin's future with President Trump; ants' navigational skills | Listen |
| Dozens missing in Italian avalanche | |
| Tehran high-rise fire collapse, Gambia crisis: Barrow inauguration in Senegal as Jammeh stays put and Sir Paul McCartney's court battle to regain control of his songs. | Listen |
| Gambia's Political Impasse Continues | |
| Gambian President Yayha Jammeh faces ultimatum to step down or face foreign intervention, Obama's last news conference, scientists warn that human activity threatens sixty per cent of primates, and vaccines for three deadly viruses are fast-tracked | Listen |
| Iraqi Army says it's seized nearly all of eastern Mosul | |
| Iraq's government claims Army has retaken most of eastern Mosul from IS, earthquakes hit much of central Italy, future of Obamacare in doubt, could techno music help couples to conceive ? | Listen |
| Nigerian air strike accidentally hits refugee camp | |
| Nigerian military mistakenly bombs camp for displaced people, killing civilians, The president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, has declared a state of emergency, President Obama has commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning who was jailed for leaking classified army documents | Listen |
| May: UK must leave EU single market | |
| British PM sets out plan to totally reshape UK's relationship with Europe and the world, Chinese President says world must be committed to free trade, Istanbul nightclub massacre suspect 'trained in Afghanistan' | Listen |
| Istanbul club attack suspect captured | |
| Trump attack on Merkel rebuffed by French president, Rolls Royce to pay millions of dollars, Last man to walk on the Moon dies aged 82 | Listen |
| Trump says UK 'doing great' after Brexit vote | |
| US president-elect pledges quick trade deal between US and UK, dozens killed as plane crashes near Kyrgyz capital, report says world's 8 richest people own as much the 3.6 billion poorest | Listen |
| Trump says trade deal will be done 'quickly and properly' | |
| Horrific details emerge after Brazil's latest prison riot, Serbian president threatens to send troops to Kosovo, Prince Charles pens Ladybird book on climate change | Listen |
| Trump slammed for attacking civil rights icon | |
| US President-elect Donald Trump is criticised for denigrating civil rights campaigner, John Lewis; Iraq says it has taken full control of Mosul University from IS militants; Fresh tensions between Serbia and Kosovo over a train. | Listen |
| West African leaders fail to persuade the Gambian president to step down | |
| US Senate takes step towards repealing Obamacare, stolen baby found alive in South Carolina 18 years on, Gabon gears up for Africa Cup of Nations | Listen |
| Turkey snubs full Cyprus troop pullout | |
| Fiat and Renault face emissions probes, Syria accuses Israel of bombardment, Killer mice | Listen |
| US: Russia and China Threaten World Order | |
| US Defence Secretary nominee says Russian president trying to split NATO, Fiat Chrysler shares plunge after accusations it used software to "trick" diesel emission controls, Doormats depicting the Indian flag withdrawn after Minister calls them "insulting". | Listen |
| Russia says US troops in Poland a threat | |
| China dismisses US comments regarding islands in South China Sea, UN chief says Cyprus peace deal very close, Baboons can make sounds similar to humans | Listen |
| Trump Faces World's Media | |
| Trump discusses relations with Russia, plans for Mexico wall and avoiding conflicts of interests, Hecklers at Tillerson confirmation hearing, Volkswagen will pay over four billion dollars in fines for deliberately cheating in emissions tests. | Listen |
| Furious Trump denies Russian 'leverage' | |
| China aircraft carrier enters Taiwan Strait, 'Star Wars' gibbon is new species, Jet packing to work | Listen |
| Death penalty for US church attacker | |
| White supremacist, who killed nine, sentenced; Trump prosecutor denies racist sympathies; how we talk to dogs | Listen |
| Iran: huge crowds attend ex-President Rafsanjani's funeral | |
| Mourners pay respects to one of Iran's most influential leaders since 1979 Revolution, why FIFA is being expanded, court rules that Swiss Muslim girls must swim with boys, what is "missing element" found at the earth's core ? | Listen |
| Pentagon says commando raid against IS carried out | |
| US special forces said to have carried out a successful commando raid against IS in eastern Syria / Russia dismisses US hacking claims / Is expanding FIFA World Cup a good idea? | Listen |
| Talks begin on reunification of Cyprus | |
| UN-brokered talks in Geneva on reunifying an island divided since 1945, arrests in France over Kardashian burglary, Trump hits back after being criticised by Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes awards | Listen |
| 2017: The Predictions Podcast | |
| What is going to happen in 2017? President Marine Le Pen of France? The end of the Iran nuclear deal? Some of the BBC?s most senior correspondents forecast what might or might not happen during the next 12 months. Make your own predictions and join the discussion on the World Service Facebook page. | Listen |
(c) 2017 Lookup United Kingdom