Newshour

At least 180 people are now confirmed to have died in northern Venezuela after two powerful back-to-back earthquakes. Thousands are still unaccounted for. We hear from two people whose homes have been destroyed. Also in the programme; the owners of Hong Kong's last independent bookshop are arrested; and how scientists have managed to read ancient papyrus scrolls burned to a cinder when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.Photo: People on motorbikes drive past damaged buildings following the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela Credit: RONALD PENA R/EPA/Shutterstock

A huge rescue and recovery operation is underway across northern Venezuela after two back-to-back earthquakes struck overnight. At least 164 people have died, but experts say the number could well rise to thousands as the extent of the damage becomes clear. Also in the programme: The French government's response to the heatwave; and how Canadian football fans are trying to be cheerful about moving to the US. (Photo: A firefighter in the Venezuelan capital Caracas looks for his sister and nephew in the earthquake rubble of a building in La Guaira, Venezuela. Credit: Reuters/Gaby Oraa)

The UK today broke its June temperature record as a heatwave continues to engulf Europe. In Finistere in north-west France, 68, 000 people are without power, after the heat knocked out generating equipment We hear how the heat is affecting people across Europe - and how it compares with the most recent major heatwave in August 2003. Also on the programme: US officials say America has supplied doses of an experimental antibody to help fight the growing outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and why astronomers are excited about new images of the Milky Way.(Photo: A young man jumps from a bridge to cool off in the Canal Saint-Martin, in Paris, France, 20 June 2026. Credit: Yoan Valat/EPA/Shutterstock)

Ukraine has been intensifying attacks across Crimea as it attempts to cut off the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. The authorities have been forced to suspend fuel sales to the public.Also on the programme: hundreds of schools in the UK are closed as temperatures in Western Europe hit new highs; and why sperm whales use different dialects depending on where they swim in the Mediterranean Sea.(Photo: A satellite image shows burning oil storage tanks and smoke rising from the Crimea Bridge amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict Credit: Vantor/Reuters)

A searing heatwave in western Europe is continuing to break records, with France registering its hottest-ever average daily temperature. Forty people have drowned in heatwave-related deaths there since Thursday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has said.Also on the programme: Afghanistan's Taliban government says a delegation has met European Union officials in Brussels, to discuss migration; and the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC is set to be drained as US President Donald Trump again blamed vandals for bright green algae and peeling paint that has appeared just weeks after a multi-million-dollar renovation.(Photo: France's sports minister Marina Ferrari warned that too many people were heading for reservoirs and rivers without taking the risks into account. Credit: Getty)

Schools have closed in France. A nuclear power plant near Toulouse has been forced to switch off a reactor. Nuclear power plants cannot operate correctly without enough water of the right temperature to cool down reactors. When these temperatures climb too high, the reactors need to be shut down to avoid environmental damage caused by hot water being discharged into local water courses. Also on the programme: the newly discovered manuscript containing composition lessons by Mozart; and the continuing woes of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC.(Photo: Young people cool off in the Fontaine de l'Observatoire fountain as temperatures rise in Paris Credit: Reuters/Abdul Saboor)

As British Prime Ministerial hopeful Andy Burnham is sworn in as a Member of Parliament, we ask one of his supporters in the government when she decided Keir Starmer should go. Also in the programme: Former Chairman of the US Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan dies aged 100; and we hear about the "ballista spider" that sets an elasticated trap is discovered in the Australian rainforest.Photo: Andy Burnham is sworn in as a Member of Parliament in London, UK. Credit: HOUSE OF COMMONS HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock

He has said he will stay on as UK prime minister until his successor is in place.Also on the programme: Colombia's new president promises to take a tough stance on drug traffickers and armed gangs; and Cape Verde's World Cup fairytale continues.(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer on the steps of 10 Downing Street, London, after his speech where he said he will resign as leader of the Labour Party Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire )

Colombians are voting in a presidential run-off election. The vote pits a leftist reformer against a right-wing political newcomer who wants to use force to combat drug cartels and rebel groups. Abelardo de la Espriella, who's backed by President Trump, has vowed to wage a full-scale military campaign in contrast to Senator Ivan Cepeda who's promising to continue the less confrontational policies of the outgoing president, Gustavo Petro.Also in the programme: US Vice-President JD Vance describes 'great progress' in talks with Iran in Switzerland; and research that suggests men with children have better performing brains.(Photo: A man fills out a ballot as people vote in a presidential runoff election in Colombia, June 21, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Jair Coll)

Negotiators from the United States and Iran are in Switzerland for talks aimed at turning their ceasefire into a lasting peace deal.The talks are going on despite the Iranian military saying it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again over Israel's attacks on southern Lebanon.Also in the programme: The stark choice facing voters in Colombia today. a true crime conference takes place in Las Vegas; and why athletes are protesting against fossil fuel companies during the FIFA men's World Cup.[Photo shows Iranian parliament speaker and negotiating team head Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi greeting Swiss officials at an airport in Zurich, Switzerland on 21 June 2026. Credit: Iranian parliament speaker's office via EPA)

Iran says it has again closed the Strait of Hormuz, in response to Israel's continued strikes on southern Lebanon which have killed at least 25 people according to Lebanese state media. The Iranian military described the attacks as a violation of Tehran's peace deal with Washington. But a US military statement said the Strait remained open and at least 55 vessels had passed through during the day. Also in the programme: An escalating row between Ukraine and Poland leads to President Zelensky returning an award from Warsaw; and the secret behind the success of a legendary TV comedy director.(Photo: Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Oman, June 19, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Stringer)

Could the latest violent attacks by both parties derail the tentative US-Iran peace deal? We hear from reporters on the ground in bomb-struck southern Lebanon and the Iranian capital Tehran, and ask Israeli journalist Anshel Pfeffer what Israel's strategy might be. Also in the programme: proposed economic reforms in Cuba - which the United States has dismissed as 'superficial smoke signals'. And the enduring appeal of the classic album 'The Queen is dead' by the UK indie band The Smiths, 40 years after its release.(Photo: Aftermath of Israeli strike in Lebanon. Credit: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed a ceasefire, a US official says, following intense Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon that the government said killed 47 people.Also on the programme, the US government says it will stop funding programmes in South Africa intended to tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS, there's been a furious reaction in Italy after President Trump claimed the prime minister Georgia Meloni begged him for a photo at the G7 summit; and the ballet dancer, Carlos Acosta, on taking his Cuban dance group on tour.(Photo: Smoke rises over southern Lebanon after Israeli strikes, Metula, Israel - 19 Jun 2026. ATEF SAFADI/EPA/Shutterstock)

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior US official has confirmed to the BBC. Earlier, planned talks to cement the ceasefire between Iran and the US were delayed with reports suggesting it was due to Iranian concern over Israel's actions in Lebanon.Also on the programme: the by-election result that could decide Britain's next prime minister; and how the resident organist for the Boston Red Sox baseball team has been entertaining visiting Scottish football fans. (Photo: Khadija Amara, whom local residents said had not left her home, fills a jerrycan with water as she sits among the rubble of a house, which was damaged by an Israeli strike in the Tyre district, southern Lebanon on June 19, 2026.)

Donald Trump says he expects a ceasefire to take effect "on all fronts", including between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon while Vice President JD Vance says the memorandum signed with Tehran is already bearing fruit and insisted that Washington holds the cards in coming negotiations. Meanwhile, a message attributed to Iran's Supreme Leader says that Tehran will not submit to any excessive demands.Also in the programme: why one critic calls Barack Obama's Presidential Centre a 'Klingon Prison'; and how Nigerian sisters born conjoined at the head are enjoying life after pioneering surgery assisted by artificial intelligence.(Photo: US Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media about the Iran-US memorandum of understanding in the White House Briefing Room in Washington, DC, USA Credit: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA/Shutterstock)

A basic agreement has been signed to end the war between the US and Iran. The negotiations now turn to the really difficult issues: we hear from Iran and Israel.Also in the programme: Ukraine targets Moscow in a massive drone attack; researchers say it's way too easy to get around ChatGPT's guardrails; and an ancient oak tree in Sherwood Forest linked to Robin Hood has died - or is it just entering its next phase?

A Memorandum of Understanding outlined by the United States suggests it has found common ground with Iran, but there are still questions about whether this preliminary deal achieves any more than the agreement signed when Barack Obama was president. Meanwhile Israel, the US partner in the recent war, faces the possibility of a stronger Iran and a new balance of power in the Middle East. We hear from Alon Ben Dah-veed, senior military correspondent for Israel's Channel 13. Also in the programme: the fuel shortages affecting Russian drivers as a result of the Ukraine war; an introduction to so-called 'micro-history'; and the death at the age of 99 of the last member of a leading British 'girl band' of the 1950s, the Beverley Sisters.(Photo: US President Donald Trump holds a press conference during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France; Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

Bosses of the top Artificial Intelligence firms have met the leaders of the world's biggest economies. At a G7 lunch in France, they've been discussing AI risks and dangers. Who has more power right now - the politicians or the billionaire CEOs? Also in the programme: How the Great Pyramid at Giza has survived several thousand years worth of earthquakes; and why the world's coral reefs may be more resilient to climate change than we thought. (Photo: US President Donald Trump, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attend a working lunch with G7 leaders on innovation and AI during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)

Has Donald Trump just left the Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with the biggest political headache of his life? We hear from Israel's governing Likud party.Also on the programme: The Russian caricaturist shot dead in Poland; the argument within the Church of England over reparations for historically profiting from slaver; and as the Williams sisters prepare to return to Wimbledon at a combined age of eighty-nine - the phenomenon of the never-ageing sports stars.(Picture: People walk past rubble at the site of an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon. Credit: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)

Leaders meet in France with Iran and Ukraine high on agenda; and a BBC investigation finds that Russia was behind a series of arson attacks targeting the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, we hear from a Labour politician on how the UK should now respond.Also in the programme: The grisly trade of cat-meat in Vietnam; and acclaimed British artist Anish Kapoor unveils major new exhibition at London's Hayward Gallery. (Image: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian. Credit: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire)

US President Donald Trump said on Monday a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has already been signed by the United States and Iran. White House officials have been giving some details about the Iran deal. They say the Strait of Hormuz will re-open on Friday - the same day the deal is formally signed in Geneva - with shipping traffic increasing gradually.Also on the programme: A wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine has killed ten people and badly damaged one of Kyiv's most sacred and historic cathedrals, we hear from historian and archaeologist Maksym Ostapenko; and scientists have found a new way to detect microplastics in the living tissue of our bodies with a laser, we speak to medical imaging lecturer Stephen Patrick, who led the research. (Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15. Credit: Reuters)

Iran and the US have agreed a deal that would end their war, with the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel set to reopen in due course. The agreement is expected to be formalised on Friday. With Pakistan having helped mediate, we hear from the country's planning and development minister.Also in the programme: The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak worsens with 782 cases now confirmed; and we speak to the Japanese writer Asako Yuzuki about her books Butter and Hooked which have proved a hit in the literary world.(Photo: US President Donald Trump looks on during a Cabinet meeting in the White House, May 2026. Credit: Samuel Corum/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock)

A deal between the US and Iran, which was reported to be on the verge of being signed, now appears at risk after Israel struck the southern suburbs of Beirut. Also on the programme: Swiss voters reject a proposal to cap the country's population at 10 million; and the heart-wrenching story of a Syrian family disappeared by the Assad regime. (Photo: An Iranian woman walks past a billboard featuring Iran's national flag at Enqelab Square in Tehran on June 14, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

Israel has attacked the southern suburbs of Beirut at what it says was a Hezbollah infrastructure, in response to Hezbollah firing into its territory. The strikes could put the agreement between Iran and the United States to halt their war at risk. We hear from Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director for the International Crisis Group.  Also on the programme;  Switzerland's proposal to limit the country's population to ten million has been rejected according to early projections, and the New York Knicks win their first NBA title in 53 years.(Photo: Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Marjayoun, Lebanon, June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer)

President Trump has said that a deal with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, hours after Tehran cast doubt on whether this would happen so soon. We look into Iran's proposal on its frozen assets.  Also on the programme: a new blood test that can detect thousands of serious genetic conditions in the developing foetus, limiting the need for invasive screening during pregnancy; and why Anthropic has suspended its powerful new AI model just days following its public release. (Photo: A woman holds an Iranian flag on a street in Tehran on June 10, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

Lebanese state media say Israel carried out airstrikes in the south shortly after ordering residents to leave about twenty locations. They say three injured people have been pulled from rubble following a strike near Tyre. Iran says that peace in Lebanon must be part of any agreement with the US. Tehran and Washington have both indicated that they're close to an accord, but there have been further hostilities. The US military said it shot down several Iranian drones in the Strait of Hormuz. Also in the programme: President Trump says the US has killed the leader of a Venezuelan criminal cartel, Tren de Aragua; the UN condemns increasing levels of aggression and intimidation in the occupied West bank; and a new documentary speaks to the people who have worked as private chefs for some of the world's most notorious dictators!(Photo: Daily life in Tehran as tension between Iran and US continues, Iran Islamic Republic Of - 21 Feb 2026. Credit: EPA)

Elon Musk has become the world's first trillionaire after his company SpaceX debuted on the Nasdaq stock market in New York. Shares jumped more than 25% over their initial offer price, valuing the rocket, satellite, and AI firm at more than two trillion dollars.Also on the programme: One of the world's best-known artists David Hockney has died aged 88; and the English miners who took football to Mexico.(Photo: SpaceX company leadership ring the opening bell to celebrate during SpaceX's initial public offering (IPO) at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City, US, June 12, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

SpaceX shares have begun trading on the US stock exchange, marking what could be the largest initial public offering in history. If share sales reach the company's suggested price of $135 (£100), it will set founder Elon Musk on track to be the world's first trillionaire.Also in the programme: We pay tribute to David Hockney, one of the UK's most important and influential artists, who has died at the age of 88; Iran and the US both suggest they're close to a deal to end the conflict between them; and the biggest sporting show in the world comes to Canada - but are Canadians buying the World Cup hype?(Photo shows SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on a live feed projected onto the Nasdaq MarketSit in New York City, on 12 June 2026. Credit: Jeenah Moon/Reuters)

Football fans have filled the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City for the start of the World Cup. After the opening ceremony, Mexico takes on South Africa in the first of 104 matches in the expanded tournament. 48 nations are competing for football's ultimate prize. The co-hosts Canada and the United States will hold their own opening ceremonies before their first group matches on Friday and Saturday. Also in the programme: Pope Leo urges world leaders to treat migrants more humanely; and drama in the world of chess as Russia is suspended - we'll hear from the governing body's president, who is himself Russian. (Photo: FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group A - Mexico v South Africa - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico - June 11, 2026. A performer during the opening ceremony before the match. Credit: Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach)

The US military has struck another commercial tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing it of violating its blockade of Iranian ports. It's the third ship to be targeted by American missiles this week. All had Indian crews. On Wednesday three Indian seafarers were killed when their vessel was hit off the coast of Oman.Also in the programme: Britain's defence minister has resigned, accusing the prime minister Keir Starmer of failing to deliver on commitments to boost military spending; the Pope's visit to the Spanish islands where many African immigrants have sought sanctuary; and Mexico take on South Africa today in the first game of the tournament at World Cup 2026.(Photo credit: EPA)

Experts say that recent advances in drone technology, including the AI-enabled Hornet system, have allowed Ukraine to attack Russian targets travelling to the front lines at greater distances and with increased accuracy.Also on the programme: an Israeli airstrike hits the centre of Sidon in Lebanon, we hear from the local MP; violent unrest continues in Northern Ireland over immigration; and the conductor Marin Allsop leads a musical tribute to Barcelona's Sagrada Familia church and its famous architect Antoni Gaudi.(Photo: Firefighters extinguish a fire at a historic museum following a drone attack by Ukraine in Sevastopol, Crimea. Credit: Government of Sevastopol via Reuters)

The US says it has carried out a series of strikes on Iranian military and surveillance sites in response to the downing of an American helicopter in the Gulf. Iran responded with attacks on American bases across the region. We hear from Bahrain, one of the Gulf countries where Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed attacks. Also on the programme: rebels in Myanmar tell the BBC they are losing ground to the military after the government began conscripting thousands to be soldiers; and a concert to celebrate the completion of Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Familia on the centenary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudi. (Photo: Iranians walk past a large billboard featuring late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on a street in Tehran on June 10, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

The two crew members of a US army helicopter that crashed near the Strait of Hormuz were rescued by an American sea drone, say US officials. It was the first such operation carried out by US forces, the officials added.Also on the programme: Iran's ticket allocation for its team's World Cup games in the US is cancelled; and the trial opens in Paris over a Europe-wide scheme to steal Russian literary classics.(Photo: AH-64 Apache helicopters are American-made twin-turboshaft attack aircraft Credit: Getty Images)

A BBC investigation has found that more than 300 migrants heading to the UK last summer were kidnapped, tortured and threatened with forced organ removal. The young men, all from Iraqi Kurdistan, were captured in Libya by a militia which demanded a ransom of $5,000 from each of their families. Newshour hears from Libya expert Tim Eaton.Also in the programme: the chief executive of US Soccer on the coming World Cup, and illegal fishing off the coast of Sierra Leone.(Photo: Iraqi people smuggler Noah Aaron who is now serving a 10-year jail sentence in France)

Iran's military has said it's halting military operations against Israel and media reports in Israel say that it is stopping attacks on Iran “at Trump's request”Also on the programme: is overheating going to be an issue in the World Cup which starts this week? And the octopus "super bloom" around the shores of England.(Picture: Iranians examine an unexploded missile. Credit: Reuters)

Iran's military has said it's halting military operations against Israel, after the first direct hostilities between the two sides in two months. We examine the links between Iran and Hezbollah.Also in the programme: Armenia's pro-EU incumbent wins election; a new online archive of the complete writings and drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.(Picture: A screenshot taken from a handout video released by the Israeli Military says to show a strike on an aerial defence system in Iran at an unknown location. Credit: Reuters)

The Israeli military has carried out deadly airstrikes on the southern districts of Lebanon's capital, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah sites. In response Iran has fired ballistic missiles towards Israel, the first attack of its kind by Tehran since the ceasefire in April.Also on the programme: Armenians vote in a general election that could determine whether the country looks to Brussels or to Moscow. And researchers test a new weight loss drug that not only suppresses appetite, but could help people burn calories faster. (Picture: The site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut,, 07 June 2026 Credit: NNA)

The people of Armenia are voting in a parliamentary election- a test of whether the country in the Caucasus moves closer to Europe, or remains within Russia's sphere of influence. We hear from both sides.Also in the programme: How China is clamping down on exam candidates who try to get the answers from the inside of their glass lenses: and the boy who has learnt to sing like a bird.Photo: Armenian people examine voting information during parliamentary elections at a polling station in Yerevan, Armenia, 07 June 2026. Credit: Photo by Vahram Baghdasaryan Photo Lure/ EPA

The strikes on the city were timed to coincide with the final day of a prestigious international economic forum. Russian authorities called the attack ‘unprecedented', and St Petersburg residents were advised to remain indoors for the first time since the start of the war. We hear from a Ukrainian drone commander and the UK's former Ambassador to Moscow, Sir Tony Brenton. Also on the programme: migrants in South Africa under pressure to leave the country after a surge in xenophobic attacks; and why mass banquets are causing controversy in France. (Photo: Smoke after a Ukrainian drone strike on St Petersburg, Russia, 3 June, 2026 Credit: Reuters)

Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after renewed US strikes. We speak to a former Kuwaiti minister as the American-Iranian stalemate continues. Also in the programme, India's Cockroach Janta Party takes to the streets to demand the resignation of the education minister; and the African-American musician Brian Jackson on his work and collaboration with Gil Scott-Heron.(Photo: CCTV image of Iranian drone above Kuwait airport on 3rd of June. Credit: Reuters)

Astronauts onboard the International Space Station were ordered to prepare for evacuation after an air leak suddenly got worse. The situation returned to normal after two Russian cosmonauts completed repairs. We talk to retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who served as commander of the ISS in 2013.We'll also hear from the Sherpa who went missing on the upper slopes of Mount Everest for six days and survived; and we remember Kanya King, the founder of the MOBO awards recognising Black music and its impact.(A view of Earth from the Cupola on the earth-facing side of the International Space Station is seen in this NASA handout photo taken June 12, 2013 and provided June 17, 2013. Credit: Reuters)

One of the biggest artificial intelligence developers, Anthropic has warned that the latest models might escape human control. It has proposed a co-ordinated global slowdown on building AI systems. One of the firm's co-founders, Jack Clark has been speaking to BBC.Also in the programme: the latest from Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg; and how an outsider reached the French Open tennis final.(Photo: Anthropic logo. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)