The World Tonight

Police are reviewing reports of alleged misconduct in a public office after Lord Mandelson was accused of passing on sensitive government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Scottish National Party and Reform UK have reported the peer to police. We hear from a journalist who spoke to Lord Mandelson on Sunday evening. Also on the programme: it's not just Britain's monarchy that's been left reeling from the release of the Epstein files, Norway's royal family is also facing difficult questions. BBC Africa Eye investigates human rights abuses after a disputed election in Tanzania, and Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky faces criticism for series of AI films about the American Revolutionary War.

The US Justice Department has released more than three million pages of documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. BBC North America Editor Sarah Smith explains what some of the documents say. Also on the programme: Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy KC reacts to the news that China has lifted sanctions on her after PM Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing this week. And the late Fela Kuti will become the first African to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys – we hear from his son, fellow musician Seun Kuti.

The agreements include allowing Britons to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Downing Street has said. The government is seeking closer trade ties with Beijing to help boost economic growth. But Conservative MP Harriet Cross tells us she’s concerned about the potential security implications of Chinese involvement in infrastructure projects. Also on the programme: We hear what life is like in Tehran after the government crackdown on protesters in Iran. And the organist and broadcaster Nigel Ogden has died at the age of 71 – we hear from his friend and fellow organist Phil Kelsall.

President Trump has warned Iran that time is running out to negotiate a nuclear deal, threatening Tehran with a ‘massive armada’ headed to the Middle East. We assess the US military build up in the region and hear what protestors inside Iran think. Also on the programme: As Keir Starmer prepares to meet the Chinese President, we hear from the son of jailed British pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai. And the two-year-old snooker prodigy who has broken two world records with his trick shots.

As Keir Starmer prepares to fly to Beijing, can he sell his trip as an economic win - without selling out on human rights? We hear from a Labour MP - and we visit London's Elephant and Castle neighbourhood, where the links between UK and China are visible - and appear to be growing. Also on the programme: on Holocaust Memorial Day, we speak to Maurice Blik, the man who became a famous sculptor on the origins of his craft - in a concentration camp. And.. as MENSA turns eighty - can it stay relevant?

After another US citizen is killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis - will a change of tone from the White House alter the public mood? We'll speak to the former head of US Customs and Border Protection. Also on the programme: a turbulent 36-hours in British politics as Suella Braverman defects and Andy Burnham is blocked. So is it a double win for Reform UK?

Keir Starmer has hit back at Donald Trump’s claim that NATO forces stayed away from the front line in Afghanistan, calling it “insulting and frankly appalling”. We hear from an American who served alongside British troops and later became a senior Pentagon official under Trump. Also on the programme: decision time for Andy Burnham, who has less than 24 hours to decide whether to plot a return to Parliament. And Minneapolis grinds to a halt as opponents of immigration enforcement raids hold a general strike in the city.

As Moscow says peace talks to end the war in Ukraine have begun, President Zelensky launched a strident attack against his European allies at Davos for being in ‘Greenland mode’ and failing to take action independently of the US. We hear from a correspondent who’s spent time on the front line in the Donbas. Also on the programme: Westminster is flung into speculation as a Manchester seat is to become vacant, potentially giving Andy Burnham a route back into parliament. And mysterious organisms that dominated the ancient landscape: once thought to be fungi, now scientists at the University of Edinburgh believe they are part of a distinct evolutionary branch of life.

The US President said a "very productive" meeting with the head of NATO has led to the framework of a potential deal covering Greenland and the Arctic regions. We speak to a member of the Greenland parliament and a Republican close to Trump. Also on the programme: the latest on the 'Board of Peace' for Gaza; the UK government announces a cash injection for the arts; driving test cheats; and Mel Brooks's son Max on a new documentary about his father.

While European leaders criticised President Trump's plan to acquire Greenland, he insisted there was "no going back". We speak to a former UK ambassador to the Trump administration. We hear about clashes between the Syrian government and the country's Kurdish minority, and the implications for Islamic State captives. And could a cancer screening scheme on the Shetland Islands become a model for preventative medicine?

Donald Trump has vowed to follow through on his threat to impose tariffs on European countries who oppose his demand to take control of Greenland. We hear from former US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on whether his Republican Party colleagues in Congress are likely to support legislation curbing the President’s ability to spend money on any potential US military action to secure Greenland. Also in the programme: The government will consult on whether social media should be banned for under-16s in the UK. But would such a measure actually make children safer online? And as American country music legend Dolly Parton turns 80, we explore why her songs have lasted the test of time.

The chief constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, one of the country's most senior police officers, has retired after damning criticism of a decision to ban Israeli fans from a match against Aston Villa. A crossbench peer, Lord Austin, who is the government's trade envoy to Israel, welcomes the departure, but local MP Ayoub Khan defends Mr Guildford, saying he acted in good faith. Also on the programme: we speak to the lawyer for the family of Renee Good, who was shot and killed in Minnesota by a US immigration agent; and we hear how a new Game of Thrones spin off could bring a boost to tourism in Northern Ireland.

In a hastily arranged press conference, Robert Jenrick said the Conservatives had failed so badly he couldn't remain one of them. We hear from Conservative former chief whip Lord Hart - and our political editor Chris Mason analyses what today means for British politics. Also on the programme: President Trump still has his sights set on Greenland, despite the arrival of a contingent of European troops on the territory. But members of Congress are trying to block President Trump's ambitions - we're joined by one of them, Democrat Bill Keating. And why there's a campaign for English Evensong to be recognised with world heritage status.

The countries are reducing the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take action against Iran over its crackdown on anti-government protests. Also on the programme: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she has lost confidence in West Midlands Police's chief constable after Israeli football fans were banned from a match against Aston Villa. The government's independent adviser on antisemitism, Lord Mann, responds to a "damning" review from the policing watchdog over the intelligence that led to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans being banned. And as members of the band The Police battle it out in court over royalties, we explore what happens when musical groups fall out.

More than 2,000 people have been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said, as President Trump promised Iranians that help was "on its way". Also on the programme, the government performs yet another U-turn - as its drops its requirement for mandatory digital ID cards to work in the UK. We remember the controversial Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams who has died aged 68. And the Oscar-nominated documentary about the impact of pro-war propaganda on Russia's schoolchildren - and a teacher who tried to resist it.

President Trump has said that any country doing business with Iran will pay a tariff of 25 per cent on all business with the US. We also hear from an Iranian living in the UK who has just returned from Tehran, where she joined protestors on the streets. And as the UK government says it's concerned about the amount of time under fives are spending on screens, we look at how the content they're seeing and its impact on them is changing.

Some people have used Grok to create sexualised images of children and women, and Downing Street has today accused social media site X, which runs the AI tool, of "insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence" with its response to criticism. The company said it has now limited the use of this image function to those who pay a monthly fee. We hear from the mother of one of Elon Musk’s children who claims the AI tool was used to create sexual images of her as a child. Also on the programme: President Trump warns Iran’s regime against violently suppressing protests; NASA astronauts forced to return home due to medical issue on board the International Space Station.

Protests are taking place in the city of Minneapolis, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot dead 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday. Vice President JD Vance today called the dead woman a ‘deranged leftist’. Minnesota governor Tim Walz has said state officials are being frozen out of the investigation by the FBI. Also on the programme: as Storm Goretti hits the UK and prompts a red warning for "danger to life", we hear live from an emergency responder in the Midlands. And Baby Elsa, found abandoned in east London two years ago, has been adopted and will see her siblings. A man who was a foundling passes on his lessons for her adoptive parents.

The governor of the US state of Minnesota, Tim Walz, has accused the Trump administration of having immigration policies designed to generate fear and headlines. It comes after a US federal agent shot dead a woman in the city of Minneapolis. The homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, claimed the woman had tried to use her car to run over officers and called it an act of domestic terrorism. Also in the programme: the United States says it has seized two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil - one in the Caribbean and a Russian flagged vessel in the North Atlantic. We speak to Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, former commander of the US Fifth Fleet between 2015 and 2017, and to Stephanie Baker, an expert on the "shadow" oil fleet; and the wildcard entrant at an International Tennis Federation event who struggled to even hit a serve.

Ukraine has welcomed a commitment by Britain and France to station troops in the country in the event of a ceasefire agreement with Russia. But does the promise bring us any closer to a peace deal? We speak to an MP on the Commons Defence Committee about potential British deployments. Also on the programme: the White House has doubled down on its intention to take control of the Danish territory of Greenland, we hear reaction from a member of Denmark’s governing coalition; and Lego goes high tech as it unveils its latest smart innovation, bricks with chips.