Newshour

Explosions were heard in the US-run airbase at Al-Udeid in Qatar as short-and-medium-range ballistic missiles, originating from Iran, targetted the site. There are no reports of US casualties. Also in the programme: after Israel targeted Iran's Evin prison, which holds many political prisoners, an Iranian-American journalist who was a prisoner there tells us about the jail; and scientists learn that killer whales like massaging each other with seaweed. (Photo: Interceptor missiles are fired after Iran's armed forces say they targeted the Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha, Qatar Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)

After the US's unprecedented strikes over the weekend, the future of Iran's nuclear programme remains uncertain. Israel has sent a new wave of strikes hitting, among other targets, Evin prison which is home to many political prisoners. The US President Donald Trump has indicated he would not rule out regime change in the country.Also on the programme, our first glimpse through a powerful new telescope, set atop a mountain in Chile; and, how online conspiracy theories are poising a danger to cancer treatments.(Photo: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in southern Tehran, Iran, 4 June, 2025. Credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency/Reuters)

The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting to discuss the US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites. The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, said that diplomacy and dialogue must prevail to prevent the Middle East from falling into a cycle of retaliation. We'll hear from a former security official in President Trump's first administration and assess the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear operation caused by the US attacks.Also in the programme: We speak to the wife of the Belarusian dissident Siarhei Tsikhanouski who has been released after five years in prison; and Syrian rescue workers say at least fifteen people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a church in the capital Damascus.(Picture: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses delegates during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Credit: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

The United States has carried out massive precision strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran. The bombings early on Sunday at Isfahan, Natanz and Fordo took place after more than a week of Israeli air strikes on Iran. Republicans are divided on Trump's actions and Iranian foreign minister has accused Donald Trump of betraying the American people as well as Iran.(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. U.S. June 21, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool)

The Belarusian activist Sergey Tikhanovsky, husband of the exiled opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was freed in a surprise release along with several other prisoners. Also in the programme: a resident of Tehran tells us why he hasn't left the city during the Israeli bombardment; and why the UK plans to map the DNA of new-born babies. (Photo: Belarusian opposition politician Svetlana hugs her freed husband Sergey. Credit: Shutterstock)

At a gathering of Muslim-majority states in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has condemned Israel's military strikes on Iran, accusing it of violating international law and risking “total disaster” in the region. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, also at the summit, warned that any US involvement in the conflict would be “very dangerous.” Also in the programme: In the UK, the launch of a new scheme to map the DNA of newborn babies; and 50 years after the hit film Jaws was released, we ask if it's finally time for a PR makeover for sharks.Photo: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks in Istanbul Credit: REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Iran agrees to a second day of talks in Geneva over the fate of its nuclear programme. Their meeting marked the first face-to-face dialogue between Tehran and western governments since Israel first attacked Iran a week ago. Also on the programme, witnesses say Israeli military kills 23 Palestinians near aid site in Gaza; and, 50 years since 'Jaws' became the first summer blockbuster.(Photo: European foreign ministers to meet Iranian officials in Geneva, Switzerland - 20 Jun 2025. MARTIAL TREZZINI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock )

UK, French and German foreign ministers will hold talks with their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Geneva today as part of efforts to ease the Israel-Iran conflict. Also on the programme: lawmakers in the UK hold a crucial vote on legalising assisted dying; and as Italian classical singer Andrea Bocelli releases a duet with the men's tennis world number one, Jannik Sinner, we'll ponder what draws some sports stars to dabble in music.(Photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses a special session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on June 20, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)

In Washington DC earlier, President Trump said he would decide within the next two weeks whether or not to take military action against Iran. The US leader is reported to have agreed a potential plan of attack targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. The BBC's Nomia Iqbal joins us from Washington to discuss what Trump might be thinking. We also get the latest on the Israeli Soroka Hospital that was struck by an Iranian missile overnight. Also in the programme: Iran's deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh tells the BBC it would be "a big mistake” for the US to join in Israeli attacks; One of Elon Musk's SpaceX rockets explodes on a Texas launchpad; and the project patching fragmented Roman frescoes back together in London. (Photo: US President Donald Trump answers reporters' questions in the White House in Washington DC, USA, 18th June 2025. Credit: Ken Cedeno/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

In a rare interview with the Iranian government from inside Tehran, Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh tells the BBC's Lyse Doucet it would be "a big mistake" for President Trump to join Israel's bombing campaign. It's a view shared by many of Mr Trump's most loyal supporters; we assess what's at stake, militarily and politically.Also in the programme: a draft peace deal to end the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; and the American businessman buying the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team for an eye-watering $10bn.(IMAGE: Smoke rises near the Milad Tower following an Israeli airstrike on Tehran, Iran, 18 June 2025 / CREDIT: Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock)

Will the US get directly involved in Israel's military campaign against Iran? We hear from former CIA director and US commander in Afghanistan and Iraq, General David Petraeus. Also: low attendance and low morale at FIFA's Club World Cup; and mounds of clothing turn up in protected conservation sites in Ghana,(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump salutes as a U.S. flag is raised on a new flagpole installed on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has warned that any US military intervention in his country will "cause irreparable damage for them". Speaking on state television, the Ayatollah decried what he called "threatening and ridiculous" comments from President Trump, who on Tuesday said Iran should surrender. As Israel's air bombardment of Iran continues for a sixth day, we ask an Israeli minister and a defence official from Mr Trump's first administration whether Israel can achieve its war aims without America's help.Also in the programme: former tennis superstar Martina Navratilova discusses women's sport; and French streaming service Deezer tackles fraud involving AI music.(Photo: A TV screen displays the televised message of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran, June 18, 2025. CREDIT: Reuters)

President Trump demands Iran's unconditional surrender as Israel and Iran continue their attacks on each other. Also in the programme: Iranian Nobel laureate, Narges Mohammadi on fleeing Tehran; and we pay tribute to the piano virtuoso, Alfred Brendel.(Photo: Smoke plumes over the Tehran skyline. Credit: Reuters.)

President Trump says he wants "a real end" to the fighting between Israel and Iran, not just a ceasefire. He said Iran should have done a deal with the US over its nuclear programme and he is now little inclined to negotiate. Mr Trump has returned early from the G7 summit in Canada because of the Middle East crisis. Meanwhile, Israel says it has killed Iran's military chief of staff, Ali Shadmani, in a strike on central Tehran. Also, the lost papers of a maths genius saved from the shredder and some spectacular finds at a Viking- age burial site in Denmark.(Photo: Iranian Red Crescent Society members search through the rubble for victims after Israeli strikes, at an unspecified location in Iran, in this undated image released 17 June, 2025 and obtained from social media. Credit: Iranian Red Crescent Society/Reuters)

Israel warns Tehran residents to evacuate as it continues its strikes on the Iranian capital, hitting Iran TV studios while many residents attempt to flee the capital. Also in the programme: Canada's foreign minister on the G7 summit, and the athletics trial gripping Norway.(Photo: Iranian flag in an empty square with images of slain senior commanders. Credit: Reuters)

Israel says eight people have been killed in a third night of Iranian bombardment of Israeli cities, bringing the total to 24. Nearly 300 people are being treated in hospital. Iran meanwhile, has accused Israel of targeting a hospital in western Iran, condemning it as a war crime. Iran's health ministry says at least 224 people have been killed since the Israeli attacks started on Friday. We ask: what is Israel trying to achieve? Also in the programme: Britain's foreign intelligence service is getting a new boss - the first woman to run the agency in its 116 year history; and we have a report from India, where families are still waiting for news after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad last week. (Photo: Smoke rises, after what Iran says was an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot in Tehran, Iran, June 16, 2025. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

Strikes by Israel and Iran continue as the conflict between the two countries intensifies and stretches into a third day. We'll hear from the Israeli army, a former senior US envoy and a resident of Tehran. Also on the programme: we speak to a senior US senator who was friends with the lawmakers killed in the Minnesota shootings; and the writer on writing about being unable, physically, to write. The podcast version of this programme was edited on 15th June.(Photo: Israelis take shelter at the side of a highway as siren sounds following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in central Israel June 15, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

Iran and Israel continue trading strikes, seventy-two hours after Israel launched an attack against Iran's nuclear infrastructure and key military figures. We speak to key figures in the region to understand Israel's aims, the role of US diplomacy and how Iran might respond in the future. Also in the programme: demonstrations take place across Spain, Portugal and Italy against over-tourism; and we talk to writer Hanif Kureishi about his creative process after becoming paralysed. (Photo: People drive as fire and smoke rise from Tehran's oil warehouse in Tehran, Iran, after it was hit by an Israeli strike. Credit: Shutterstock).

Israel and Iran threaten to step up their military confrontation, nearly 48 hours after the Israeli strikes began. Newshour analyses Israel's strategy and assesses how close Iran was to making a nuclear weapon.Also in the programme: two US politicians are shot in Minnesota; and Bangladesh's interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus on the ending of aid to his country.(Picture: Missiles launched from Iran are intercepted, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel, June 13, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

The Israeli military is continuing its strikes on Iran - following overnight explosions at Mehrabad airport in Tehran. On Friday Israeli planes struck Iranian nuclear and military sites assassinating several military leaders and nine top nuclear scientists. Iranian state media says sixty civilians including twenty children were also killed in an Israeli air strike on a residential complex in the capital. In response Iran has carried out missile strikes on Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Tehran has warned the US, France and Britain that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help stop its strikes on Israel. Also, we speak to Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh. And a new film about the West Virginia town, where people go to avoid the electro-magnetic radiation of modern life.(photo: Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building, in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 14, 2025. Credit: REU)

The BBC World Service Debate considers the rapidly changing international landscape since Donald Trump returned to the White House. The US President says his legacy will be as a peacemaker and unifier. So far he's brought Putin to the negotiating table and made Europe take its security seriously in a way it hasn't for decades. But his methods have horrified critics, who say his shock and awe approach to diplomacy is reckless and chaotic. The President's unpredictability has rocked global alliances. Is Donald Trump making the world safer or more dangerous?In front of a live audience in the BBC's Radio Theatre in London, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, is joined by:KT McFarland, former US Deputy National Security Advisor to President Trump in his first term Brian Wong, Assistant Professor and Fellow at Centre on Contemporary China, University of Hong Kong Mark Lyall Grant, former National Security Adviser to the UK Azadeh Moaveni, journalist, writer and Associate Professor at New York University (Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on June 12, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

Iran has launched an aerial attack on Israel in an operation it's called True Promise 3. Black smoke has been seen rising over Tel Aviv's skyline. Earlier today, the Israeli military said it had struck the Isfahan nuclear facility in Iran - as its strikes on the country continued. Also on the programme: Colombian superstar Shakira tells us about life as an immigrant in the US; and a report on the Air India crash. (Image: Missiles launched from Iran are intercepted as seen from Tel Aviv, Israel on 13 June 2025.Credit: Reuters/Jamal Awad)

Israel's military say they struck dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.Iran says the attacks by Israel are a declaration of war and there are warnings of a strong retaliatory response by Iran to the attacks which killed numerous military officials and scientists.Also in the programme: Investigators in India have found the on-board video recorder from the Air India plane which crashed on Thursday, killing more than 240 people. We'll report from the crash site in Ahmedabad.(Photo shows smoke rising from a damaged building in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran on 13 June 13, 2025. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

Air India has confirmed that only one of the 242 people on board its flight that crashed into a doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad has survived.Also in the programme: Donald Trump has urged Israel not to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities - we hear from a former US ambassador to Israel; and scientists have discovered a previously unknown species of dinosaur hidden in plain sight in a Mongolian museum's fossil collection.(Photo: Air India plane with over 240 on board crashes after take-off in Ahmedabad - 12 June 2025. Credit: Siddharaj Solanki/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The local police chief tells the BBC that 204 bodies have been recovered - it's not known how many of those victims were on the plane, or were on the ground when the plane crashed. One passenger has survived, a local police chief says, with Indian media reporting he is British. The plane crashed into accommodation used by doctors. We speak to a British MP in touch with the family members of some on board.Also on the programme: Rioting – described by the police as “racist thuggery” – in Northern Ireland. And the new images from space that are helping explain the science of the sun.(Photo: A tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India. CREDIT: REUTERS/Amit Dave)

As protests against raids targeting illegal immigrants continue in Los Angeles, we hear the latest from the city and speak to a former director of the US border agency ICE, Ronald Vitiello. Also in the programme: the role of rare earth minerals in an apparent warming of trade relations between the US and China; and reflections of former Palestinian foreign minister Nasser al-Kidwa on finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And memories of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys band, who has died at the age of eighty-two.(Photo: Members of California National Guard speak to a man outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, after days of protests against federal immigration sweeps in Los Angeles, 11 June 2025. Credit: REUTERS/David Ryder)

Governor Newsom says President Trump is breaking the law by deploying soldiers on city streets in California - is he right? Our correspondent in Los Angeles reports on the clashes, both on the street and between different political players.Also in the programme: the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggests Muslim countries should give up some of their own land if they want to see a Palestinian State; and why we owe Shakespeare's revival to a group of well-to-do women in Georgian England.

Britain, Norway, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have announced they're sanctioning two far-right Israeli ministers for inciting extremist violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. London said an asset freeze and travel ban would take effect immediately against Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. We have an interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who called the sanctions "a shocking decision on the part of countries I consider to be allies".Also in the programme: Greenlanders' dream of international football hits reality; remarkable testimony from the men in Syria whose job it was to enforce the Assad regime of terror; and why a shortage of rice is causing such a stir in Japan.(Photo: Itamar Ben-Gvir (left) and Bezalel Smotrich are key members of PM Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition. Credit: Getty Images)

Nine people have been killed and many injured in a school shooting in the southern Austrian city of Graz. The shooter also killed himself, and has been identified as a former pupil.Also, Donald Trump sends in the Marines as the president's crackdown on undocumented migrants clashes with California's policy as a Sanctuary State, Syria's jailers under President Assad speak to the BBC anonymously about what they did and those who suffered, plus good news for biodiversity and precious coral reefs in the Zanzibar archipelago, as two new Marine Protected Areas are announced.

The attorney-general in California has sued President Trump for deploying the National Guard without the governor's permission. The lawsuit argues that Mr Trump overstepped his authority and "trampled" on the state's sovereignty. Rob Bonta accuses him of trying to manufacture chaos and crisis for his own political ends.Also in the programme: Reports of more killings close to one of Gaza's new aid distribution sites; claims from an opposition leader in Georgia that her husband was abducted; Italy's referendum on making the path to citizenship easier falls short; and Marc The Force Chapman on being the king of crazy golf. (Photo credit: Reuters)

California's Governor Gavin Newsom says President Trump's deployment of National Guards to help immigration officers in LA is illegal and unconstitutional, and that he will challenge the move in court. One journalist covering the riots tells us he needed surgery after being hit by a baton round.Also in the programme: the latest swap of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war begins; and could countries meeting in France be on the brink of a breakthrough in protecting the planet's oceans?(IMAGE: California National Guard members participate in crowd control during immigration raid protests near the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 June 2025 / CREDIT: Caroline Brehman/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

National Guard units who earlier arrived in Los Angeles have engaged with protestors opposed to Donald Trump's immigration policies. They fired tear gas to try to force back the demonstrators. President Trump ordered their deployment after two days of confrontations between residents of a predominantly Hispanic area and local police.Also in the programme:Inside the reckless race for total domination - tech journalist Karen Hao on her new book 'Empire of AI': and Carlos Alcaraz has pulled off a triumphant comeback from two sets down to win the longest ever French Open tennis final in Paris against the world number one Jannik Sinner of Italy.(Photo: National Guard deployed by President Trump as anti-ICE protests continue in Los Angeles, USA - 08 Jun 2025. Credit:Caroline Brehman/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

US President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles following clashes over raids on undocumented migrants.Also on the programme: we will hear from the President of the International Red Cross on Gaza; and the potential power of using "poo pills" containing freeze-dried faeces.(Photo: Protesters stand next to a burning shopping cart during a standoff between police and protesters following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Los Angeles County city of Paramount, California, U.S., June 7, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

There's been another shooting near a US and Israeli-backed aid distribution centre in southern Gaza. The Hamas-run civil defence agency said 6 Palestinians were killed and several wounded by Israeli gunfire. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation suspended aid distribution again, blaming threats from Hamas.Also in the programme: the runaway rodents who had China transfixed; and it's Goodbye Lenin to Central Asia's tallest statue.(Photo: A woman crouches tries to gather what remains of relief supplies from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centre. Credit: Reuters)

Concern mounts over Gaza's deepening humanitarian crisis including the hospitals. We speak to a British doctor who's been working there.Also on the programme: a resident of Ukraine's second largest city tells us about the unprecedented Russian attack; and from the bromance to break up between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. We ask a former Tesla director what it's like to work with Mr Musk. (Photo: An internally displaced Palestinian girl attends Eid al-Adha prayer in Gaza City, 06 June 2025. Credit: EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Donald Trump invested a lot of political capital in Elon Musk. And Elon Musk invested a lot of money in Donald Trump. Will their bust up cost them both?Also on the programme, who are the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and what is known about them? And we meet Pedro Urruchurtu, one of the Venezuelan opposition figures who spent over a year in Argentina's embassy in Caracas, and who was subsequently rescued by the USA in "Operation Guacamaya."(Photo: Elon Musk (L) and Donald Trump (R) face each other in March 2025. Credit: Reuters)

Donald Trump has sought to downplay his public spat with Elon Musk, which erupted days after he left the president's administration. In an interview after hours of sparring, Mr Trump said things were 'going very well'. White House aides are reported to have arranged a call between the two men to broker a peace.Also, we'll talk to the Danish politician who wants the European Union to ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media.And Jane Birkin's original Hermès bag to go on sale in Paris. (Photo credit: Reuters)

Donald Trump and Elon Musk are having a furious and personal public row -- just a week after Mr Musk left the White House -- while Chancellor Merz of Germany is visiting the US. Also in the programme: Israel confirms arming Palestinian clans in Gaza; and Hollywood actor turned crypto critic Ben McKenzie.(Picture: President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

Those banned include people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Haiti and Sudan. Citizens from another seven countries face travel restrictions. President Trump said the new rules were designed to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors and to stop people overstaying their visas. We hear from Republican Congressman Clay Higgins, who supports the move, and ask American law professor Barbara McQuade about its rationale and legality. Also in the programme: as the bodies of two more hostages are recovered by the Israeli military in Gaza, we speak to the father of one hostage whose whereabouts are still unknown. And some new research that offers a glimmer of hope for an eventual cure for HIV.(Photo: President Trump speaks during a Summer soiree at the White House in Washington, DC, on 4 June 2025. Credit: Eric Lee/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The US has vetoed the UN Security Council's draft resolution calling for an "unconditional and permanent" ceasefire in Gaza. The meeting of ambassadors at the UN comes on the day the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross called the situation in Gaza "worse than hell on earth".President Trump says he's had another phone conversation with Russia's President Putin about the war in Ukraine. During the call Mr Trump said the Russian President told him that Moscow would retaliate after Ukraine attacked Russian war planes over the weekend.Also on the programme; Astronomers say they've discovered a big new planet, which is unusually orbiting around a very small star. The physicist who discovered the planet joins us.And the American novelist, Edmund White, famous for chronicling gay life in the US - has died at the age of 85. We hear from Damian Barr, Scottish Writer and broadcaster, who shares his memories of meeting White.(Photo: Smoke rises from Gaza after an explosion, as seen from Israel, 4 June, 2025. Reuters/Amir Cohen)

The head of the International Red Cross has told the BBC that what's happening in Gaza has crossed any acceptable legal or moral standard.Mirjana Spoljarić said that the situation "should shock our collective conscience". Her comments come after dozens of Palestinians were killed near new aid distribution centres. A prominent US-Israeli businessman with long experience of humanitarian missions tells us what's gone wrong with the roll-out of aid by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.Also in the programme: Six months after a botched military coup, South Korea has a new president; and we'll hear howpoverty is driving men from Lesotho to the illegal mines of neioghbouring South Africa.(Photo shows people carrying aid supplies which they received from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on 3 June 2025. Credit: Reuters TV)

The Israeli military says it's to investigate the reported killing on Tuesday of 27 Palestinians near a US-backed aid distribution centre in Gaza. A government spokesman David Mencer earlier denied that Israeli forces had targeted civilians. Israel has also denied shooting Palestinians at the same site on Sunday. We speak to an advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu.Also in the programme: The opposition candidate in South Korea's presidential election celebrates a landslide win; and an award-winning writer on artificial intelligence urges scientists to contemplate a time when humans will no longer be the smartest ones on the planet.(Photo: Mourners react at the funeral of Palestinians killed, in what the Gaza Health Ministry says was Israeli fire near a distribution site in Rafah, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 3, 2025. Reuters/Hatem Khaled)