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The World Tonight

BBC

In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Genres:

News

Networks:

BBC

Description:

In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective

Language:

English


Episodes
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Artemis astronauts prepare to return to Earth

4/10/2026
Having travelled further from Earth than any of their predecessors, the four astronauts aboard the Orion capsule are preparing to splash down in the Pacific Ocean. We speak to our correspondent at mission control in Houston and hear from two young astronomers on what the expedition has meant to them. Also on the programme: The UK government shelves its Chagos Islands deal. And in the first case of its kind, a man in Scotland has been jailed for killing his wife even though she took her own life – we hear from the case’s prosecutor.

Duration:00:38:38

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Israel to hold talks with Lebanon but no ceasefire

4/9/2026
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will enter into direct peace talks with Lebanon but that there will be no immediate truce. Donald Trump is reported to have called Netanyahu to encourage him to enter into negotiations. We get the latest from Jerusalem and Beirut. Also on the programme: US First Lady Melania Trump makes a rare public statement on Jeffrey Epstein. And we hear about the hardware Russians are using in covert operations near the UK’s vital undersea cables.

Duration:00:37:53

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Can the US-Iran truce survive?

4/8/2026
Both Iran and the US declare victory as the ceasefire approaches its 24th hour, but can the truce survive? Iran says continued Israeli airstrikes violate its terms, while questions remain over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Also on the programme: will Keir Starmer be banking on an electoral boost from his handling of the conflict? And the World Cup furore after fans notice unsightly bulges in some national kits.

Duration:00:38:50

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Trump’s Iran deadline approaches

4/7/2026
The US president has given Iran until 1am UK time to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying that otherwise ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight’. Pope Leo, an American, has condemned Trump’s threats, while Pakistan has called on the US to extend the deadline by two more weeks. Also on the programme: US Vice President JD Vance travels to Hungary to endorse its right-wing Prime Minister Victor Orban ahead of this weekend’s general election. And we hear from historian William Dalrymple about three millennia of Persian history.

Duration:00:38:10

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Artemis astronauts see far side of the moon

4/6/2026
The astronauts on the Artemis Two mission have taken humanity deeper into space than ever before. The four crew members have travelled further from Earth than any other human, beating the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Their craft will now make its journey round the far side of the Moon. Also on the programme: President Trump issues his latest warning to Iran; we hear about the impacts of new laws governing the ownership of primates and can curling become the new darts? We hear from one of the captains competing tonight.

Duration:00:37:47

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US fighter jet shot down over Iran

4/3/2026
One crew member has been rescued and one is still missing after a US fighter jet was shot down over Iran. A search aircraft sent to retrieve the pilot also came under fire. A personnel recovery specialist tells the World Tonight how the US will attempt to carry out a rescue. Also on the programme, as hereditary peers prepare to depart the House of Lords for good, Shaun Ley visits one for whom centuries of family history will be brought to an end; we hear about two lost Dr Who episodes left undiscovered since 1965; and Oxford's real life Riot Women get back together to play their indie music again nearly 30 years after splitting up.

Duration:00:38:35

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Trump sacks US Attorney General Pam Bondi

4/2/2026
President Trump has sacked Pam Bondi as the US Attorney General. Bondi has been criticised for her handling of the files related to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. We speak to Gloria Allred, a well know human rights lawyer who represents many of Epstein's accusers. Also in the programme: is it time to rethink the pensions triple lock? We speak to Lord Willetts who was in former Prime Minister David Cameron's cabinet when the policy was introduced in 2010; and the 91-year-old lollipop man retiring after nearly 3 decades on the job.

Duration:00:37:36

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NASA to launch its first crewed mission to the Moon in over half a century

4/1/2026
NASA is to launch the Artemis II mission to the Moon. It is the first time for over half a century a crewed rocket will head to the celestial body, we’ll hear from one of the four surviving astronauts who have set foot on the Moon. Also in the programme: Tomorrow the UK government will host a gathering of international leaders to discuss plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, we speak to our Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet; and what is happening on the streets of Clapham? We hear from a former deputy assistant commissioner to the Metropolitan Police after a number of young people were arrested for taking part in a social media trend called "swarming the streets."

Duration:00:37:34

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Trump threatens to destroy Iran's energy facilities if a deal not reached soon

3/30/2026
Donald Trump threatens to "obliterate" Iran's power plants, oil wells and "possibly" water desalination plants if a deal is not reached "shortly". Meanwhile, some councils in the UK are trying to cushion the economic impacts of the war. We hear from North Norfolk District Council, which is setting aside £50,000 to help residents with spiralling heating oil costs. Also on the programme: Keir Starmer threatens to axe proposed training posts if the BMA goes ahead with a six-day resident doctors’ strike. And 50 years on from the gig at The 100 Club in London which put them on the map, The Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook reflects on the lasting legacy of punk music.

Duration:00:37:40

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UN says Lebanon at risk of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’

3/27/2026
The UN says there's no longer any safe space for civilians to find refuge in Lebanon, even in Beirut. With nearly a million people displaced by the war in the country, we speak to one resident from the south who has fled his home. Also on the programme: we return to Northampton to learn how live facial recognition cameras could eventually be one part of a system to prevent crime. And we talk money, as Donald Trump is set to be the first US President to have his signature on American money.

Duration:00:38:01

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Olympic women's sport will be limited to biological females

3/26/2026
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says eligibility will be determined by a 'once-in-a-lifetime' sex test, which would prevent transgender women and those with differences in sexual development (DSD) who have gone through male puberty from competing in women's events. We hear from former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies who supports the move, and UN Special Rapporteur Alexandra Xanthaki who opposes it. Also on the programme: Should foreign tourists visiting our museums be charged for entry? And the hunt is on in Hampshire for Samba, a nine-month-old capybara, who escaped Marwell Zoo over a week ago.

Duration:00:37:58

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Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark trial

3/25/2026
A California jury has found the social media giants Meta and Google liable for harming a young user's mental health by deliberately making their products addictive. We hear from a former Facebook employee. Also on the programme: amid talk of peace, many Iranians continue to flee their country. We hear from one who took part in January's bloody anti-regime protests. And: the BBC has a new director general. Will the appointment from the world of tech help the corporation navigate a changing media landscape?

Duration:00:37:48

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Trump says Iran wants deal to end the war "so badly"

3/24/2026
Donald Trump says negotiations to end the Iran war are happening "now" and the "people" the US are speaking to "want to make a deal so badly". His comments come a day after Iranian officials denied any contact with the US had taken place, calling claims of talks "fake news". We speak to a Republican Congressman about whether the military operation has increased President Trump's leverage. Also on the programme: calls grow for the government to permit drilling of North Sea oil and gas. And Daphne Selfe, the world's oldest fashion model still working, has died aged 97. We explore how the fashion industry has come to embrace older women.

Duration:00:37:38

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Donald Trump says the US and Iran have held talks on the "complete and total resolution of hostilities" in the Middle East

3/23/2026
But Iran's parliamentary speaker denies discussions have taken place, saying "fake news" is being used to "manipulate" the oil markets. We speak to President Trump's former deputy national security advisor KT McFarland and former Obama and Biden era US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley. Also on the programme: Hong Kong police can now demand phone or computer passwords from those who are suspected of breaching the wide-ranging National Security Law. And why are so many people obsessed with their pets? Shaun Ley visits the 'Pets & their People' exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford to find out.

Duration:00:38:01

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Britain allows US to use bases to strike Strait of Hormuz targets

3/20/2026
The UK has agreed to allow the United States to use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously allowed US forces to use the bases only for defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles that put British interests or lives at risk. Also on the programme: Dame Jenni Murray, who hosted BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour for more than three decades, has died at the age of 75. Broadcaster Ritula Shah reflects on her former colleague. And after 70 years of service, the British Army announces plans to retire its fleet of Land Rovers. We get the reaction of motoring journalist, Top Gear veteran and Land Rover owner, James May.

Duration:00:38:11

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Israeli PM denies dragging US into war with Iran

3/19/2026
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that US-Israeli attacks are massively degrading Iran's capacity to attack its neighbours as he insisted Israel had not dragged the US into war. He claimed Iran could no longer make ballistic missiles and the war could end sooner than people think. We hear from a former Trump administration official on whether the US and Israel are on the same page when it comes to conducting the war. Also on the programme: We speak to a survivor of county lines grooming in London. And we hear from the 89 year old scientist who has made it her life's work to study the links between chemicals and fertility.

Duration:00:37:57

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European leaders urge Israel to call off Lebanon ground offensive

3/18/2026
Israel has ordered Lebanese civilians as far as 25 miles from the border to leave their homes. The UK, German, French and Italian governments have warned of "devastating humanitarian consequences" if Israel does not halt its ground operation. We report from southern Lebanon and hear from an Israeli government spokesperson. Also on the programme: the government says the adoption system needs to change after a BBC investigation finds parents were left without support and even faced false accusations by adoptive children. And a decision that's rocked African football, people in Senegal react to their team being stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Duration:00:38:08

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Scottish MSPs reject assisted dying

3/17/2026
Members of the Scottish Parliament have voted 67 to 59 against legalising assisted dying. The debate featured tears, applause and impassioned pleas, and we hear from MSPs on both sides of the debate. Also on the programme: in the US a top counter-terrorism official resigns over the Iran war, saying the country posed “no imminent threat" to America. And remembering the writer Len Deighton, who rode the wave of social change in post-war Britain, and created the working-class spy.

Duration:00:37:46

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Two dead in Kent meningitis outbreak

3/16/2026
The University of Canterbury has moved away from face-to-face teaching and students have been queueing for antibiotics amidst a meningitis outbreak that has killed two people. We get the latest from the BBC’s health editor and speak to a survivor of meningitis. Also on the programme: Donald Trump hits out at the US’s allies over their perceived inaction in the Strait of Hormuz. And the earliest recording of whale song has been rediscovered. What does it tell us about the changing song of the sea?

Duration:00:38:09

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US military to send Marines and more warships to Middle East, reports say

3/13/2026
The US is expected to send a marine unit and more warships to the Middle East, two officials tell the BBC's US partner CBS News. It comes as the Trump administration loosens sanctions on Russian oil as prices spike because of the US-Israeli war against Iran. US Democratic Senator Jack Reed tells us the decision is "a great gift to Russia". Also in the programme: Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel says his government is in talks with the Trump administration to find solutions to the two countries' differences. We hear from a resident of Havana where residents struggle to afford food. And ahead of Oscars on Sunday, we explore how small controversies about Academy Awards nominees can make big headlines.

Duration:00:37:44