The World Tonight

President Trump is hosting a meeting in the White House to discuss post-war plans for Gaza - and Sir Tony Blair is among those attending. We ask what influence the former prime minister might have over the current US President - and whether an end to the war is any closer.Also on the programme:New figures show the birth rate in England and Wales has reached a record low. We speak to politicians from left and right who fear we're heading for a demographic catastrophe.And 20 years after Hurricane Katrina, James Coomarasamy catches up with two people he met in New Orleans following the devastation.

As Nigel Farage unveils plans to deport more than half a million illegal immigrants, we ask if it will hit home politically. Are voters more interested in policies, rhetoric, or data?Also on the programme:The French government is teetering on the edge - as the finance minister warns that France could need an IMF bail-out.And we discuss the role of sensitivity readers.

There's been international condemnation as five Palestinian journalists were among those killed in a double Israeli air strike on a Gaza hospital. Israel has called it a "tragic mishap". A friend of one of the victims tells us about the choices facing colleagues left behind.Also on the programme:As Reform UK leader Nigel Farage prepares to unveil his plan for mass deportations of asylum seekers - we ask what political and legal challenges it might face.And we speak to the conductor of today's CBeebies Prom - where an "informal environment" was encouraged.

A major UN-backed report has confirmed that there is a famine in Gaza City and the surrounding area, calling the crisis ‘entirely man-made'. The report was labelled an "outright lie" by Israel.We speak to a doctor in one of the city's last remaining hospitals, and former Foreign Secretary and President of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband.Also in the programme: How Sweden drastically reduced the number of asylum applications; and the Nobel Peace Prize winning Russian historian on opposition to Putin.

More than 80 Palestinian students have received offers from UK universities. For some there is uncertainty over whether they can come, but we'll speak to one, Mohamed, who has been told that he will soon be evacuated.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are holding talks in Alaska on ending the war in Ukraine. We get the latest from Anchorage and ask: does being in the room with the Russian president make the difference?A Conservative MP accuses the prime minister of putting the British bioethanol industry at the mercy of the US. And why the Australian film Picnic at Hanging Rock is still unsettling audiences half a century on.

As Alaska awaits the arrival tomorrow of the US and Russian Presidents, we're in Anchorage for a preview of their summit - and hear what one Ukrainian woman in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv expects from it.Also on the programme:Why has the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly decided to hike the price of the weight loss drug Mounjaro in the UK?Israel says it will push ahead with plans to build more settlements in the West Bank. We have Palestinian reaction.And the A-level student spending results day evening at her local pub - because she runs it. We speak to the UK's youngest pub landlady.

US President Donald Trump said he'd like to organise a second meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin if the first one on Friday goes well, adding that a second meeting would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump also threatened "severe consequences" if Russia didn't end the war after the meeting. We hear from former director of the CIA General David Petraeus.As more police forces get access to live facial recognition technology, we consider the impact on crime-fighting and society.And as Ellie Goldstein waltzes into the Strictly ballroom, we hear about the difference that dancing has made to another woman with Down's Syndrome.

As President Zelensky says he won't agree to hand over Ukrainian territory, we hear about Russia's latest push to capture more of it before Friday's summit between presidents Trump and Putin. Also on the programme:As the fourth heatwave of the summer kicks in, we hear from the farmers crying out for water. Why cats brains could help to find new treatments for Alzheimer's in humans.And a new sound at The Proms: we speak to the Nigerian brothers bringing "highlife" music to the Royal Albert Hall.

There's been widespread intenrational condemnation after five Al Jazeera journalists were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in Gaza. A fellow Gazan journalist - a friend of one of those killed - tells us why she's carrying on reporting. Also on the programme:Ahead of what he's called Friday's "feel-out" meeting with Vladimir Putin over Ukraine - Donald Trump has set out what he hopes to achieve. We have a report on a lesser known aspect of the war in Ukraine: the Indian men fighting for Russia. Two leading education thinkers tell us how England's special educational needs policy should change.And we're live in one of the UK's darkest regions with a spotters' guide to shooting-stars.

US President Donald Trump says he'll meet Vladimir Putin in the coming days. Speaking in Washington DC, Trump said any ceasefire deal might involve territorial swaps between Ukraine and Russia. We hear from former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who saw Trump and Putin interact in person during the former's first term in office.Following the death of the astronaut, Jim Lovell, aged 97, we hear from two people who knew him about what he contributed to space travel.Also: is it annoying to overuse the word "like"? We hear from author of new book on the subject.

As Israel's security cabinet meets, Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to occupy Gaza temporarily. The father of an IDF soldier held hostage by Hamas insists the plan puts his son in more danger.Rushanara Ali resigns as Homelessness Minister amid accusations of hypocrisy over a rental property she owns.And a tribute to the pioneering pianist of Latin jazz, Eddie Palmieri.

US President Trump said his envoy made "great progress" in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. He says he's willing to meet President Putin as well as President Zelensky of Ukraine. However the Trump administration is also threatening to slap secondary tariffs of 50% on India due to its continued purchase of Russian oil.As international pressure grows, how are the Israeli media portraying the war in Gaza? One Israeli journalist tells us many people aren't getting the whole story.And a conversation with an MP's AI chatbot. A Labour MP has created a digital version of himself to answer queries from constituents.

As Japan prepares to mark the anniversary of a turning point in history, we ask whether the doctrine of nuclear non-proliferation is at risk. We look at aid agency reports of a worsening famine in Sudan. And we speak to one of the Democratic representatives on the run from the Texas state legislature.

Reports out of Israel suggest Benjamin Netanyahu is considering expanding military operations in Gaza, despite growing opposition to the war. Hundreds of Israeli security officials have signed a letter to US President Trump urging him to intervene and stop the war. We speak to one of them, former head of the Israeli Secret Service Shin Bet.Nigel Farage has called on the police to release the immigration status of suspects charged with crimes following the arrest of two men in connection with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Warwickshire.And after a spell-binding last test match, we'll ask where this summer's series between England and India sit in the cricketing pantheon.

The US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff says he had a "productive" meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, as international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza grows. Witkoff will visit Gaza tomorrow alongside US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, to inspect food distribution sites. We speak to a conservative pundit in the US about growing unease over US support for Israel in Trump's MAGA base.The first Gazan child to be treated in the UK for war injuries has arrived in London from Egypt. Majid Al-Shagnoobi's mother says his lower face was blown off by an Israeli tank shell in February last year whilst he was out searching for food. His treatment will be funded by private donors.And the children's author Allan Ahlberg has died aged 87. Michael Rosen tells us what made his writing so special.

A difficult day for airline passengers, after a technical fault at the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) led to dozens of flights being cancelled and many others being diverted. We hear from passengers and the managing director of Skybus.Also on the programme: A man whose sister and two nieces were killed in the October the seventh attacks - and who has a relative still being held by Hamas - on Keir Starmer's recognition of a Palestinian State.And a tale of love below stairs, charted - in unusual detail - through dozens of objects donated by the grandson of two servants who met in a stately home. We speak to him.

After the UK says it is prepared to recognise Palestinian statehood, we hear from the co-chair of the Labour Friends of Palestine as well as a former Conservative foreign secretary. Should there be a “right to the riverbank” in England? And the Las Vegas of Europe: why are thousands of foreigners choosing Copenhagen city hall for their weddings?

As Keir Starmer presents Donald Trump with a European-led peace plan for Gaza, what is Britain's role and influence in shaping a peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians?England's star player Chloe Kelly attributes her skill to playing 'cage football' - we go to one of those cages in West London.Also on the programme: how the global charity Cycling Without Age gives the feeling of wind in your hair to elderly people no longer able to ride a bike.

More than one third of MPs, drawn from across the political parties, have signed a letter urging the Prime Minister to give official recognition to a Palestinian state.The letter piles pressure on Sir Keir Starmer after France committed to recognising a Palestinian state within months.Thailand warns two days of border clashes with Cambodia could 'move towards war'And as it gets ready to celebrate its 200th birthday, we take a look at preparations for a street party outside the National Gallery.

President Macron of France says he will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Macron says the move will fulfil France's "historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East". Israel denounced the move but, speaking to us, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations called it "an investment in peace".Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, will begin their five-day strike action in a few hours. The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used an article in The Times to say doctors should break with the British Medical Association and not go out on strike.And the famous health target of 10,000 steps a day has been revised by one study to 7,000.

The World Health Organisation has warned that Gaza is in the midst of a “deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths.” More than a hundred aid agencies also warned that starvation is spreading and called on Israel to allow aid into the enclave. An Israeli government spokesman said hunger was “engineered by Hamas”. We hear from doctors, aid workers and civilians inside Gaza. Also on the programme: a second night of protests in Ukraine over a controversial law that limits the independence of anti-corruption agencies; and the revolutionary AI tool that can fill in the missing words in ancient texts.

Ozzy Osbourne, the frontman of heavy metal band Black Sabbath, has died in the UK at the age of 76. The band's co-founder and guitarist Tony Iommi said Black Sabbath "have lost our brother". Osbourne's death comes just weeks after the band played their farewell gig in his home city of Birmingham. We hear from two other musical legends who knew and performed with Ozzy.The Syrian government has promised to investigate killings carried out in Sweida. As a ceasefire in the region holds, the BBC's Jon Donnison has visited and spoken to worried Druze.And as the Edinburgh Fringe scraps its "Funniest Joke" award, we speak to a former winner about how it helped her career.

A joint statement says Israel's aid delivery model is dangerous and “deprives Gazans of human dignity". Israel's foreign ministry rejected the statement, saying it was "disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas". Chair of the International Development Committee Sarah Champion tells us the UK could be doing more to pressure Israel.Chinese authorities have begun constructing what will be the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory, in a project that has sparked concerns from India and Bangladesh.And how the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 tournament is encouraging the spread of women's sports bars.

Sectarian fighting has resumed in southern Syria, prompting the government to redeploy forces to the region, which had pulled out after a ceasefire was brokered. Bedouin tribesmen and other militias have clashed with the Druze minority and hundreds are reported dead. The UN says it has credible evidence of summary executions and killings. We heard from a Druze woman who described how her family was killed.US President Donald Trump has sued Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal after the newspaper reported allegations that Trump's name appeared on a "bawdy" 2003 birthday card to Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019.And as a Russian conductor who is close to Vladimir Putin is invited to a music festival in Italy, we discuss whether culture can be separated from those who promote it.

Child dies in Somerset bush crashDiane Abbott has been suspended by the Labour party for a second time President Trump says he wants Coca-cola to replace high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar and we speak to two teenagers about the government's plans to lower the voting age to 16

The former Conservative leader, Sir Iain Duncan-Smith has described a leak by the Ministry of Defence - which made public the personal data of thousands of Afghans who worked with British Forces - as "a complete screw up". We also speak to an Afghan man, now in the UK, whose name was on the leaked list. Also: Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers Mansion House speech; and the two men who cut down the Sycamore Gap tree are sentenced.

Major shift by Trump on Ukraine war. Russia and trading partners threatened with "very severe" tariffsEd Miliband's plays the patriotism card in his fight for net zero and is Prince Harry offering an olive branch to the King?

Labour's biggest union backer Unite has suspended Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner as a member, and threatened to pull the plug on party funding over the Birmingham bin strike. We get reaction from a local Labour MP.Also on the programme:The preliminary report into the Air India plane crash last month has just been released. We find out what's in it.A new book recreates the day Joe Biden lost his temper and Donald Trump nearly lost his life. One year on from that failed assassination attempt, we hear from one of the authors of a new insider account of the campaign.And it's 40 years since two billion people tuned in for Live Aid. We discuss the complex legacy of the "concert of the century".

Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have announced a ‘one in, one out' agreement aimed at deterring migrants from crossing the Channel. The UK and France also agreed to coordinate their nuclear weapons for the first time. Also on the programme: scientists think they've found a new way to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy; and part of the Sycamore Gap tree gets a new life as a work of art. We hear from the artist who created it.

French President Emmanuel Macron is tonight being feted with a white tie dinner in the City of London. But is the "entente" not so "amicale" when it comes to migration? A Labour MP who wants tougher curbs to stop small boats crossing the Channel tells us talks between Britain and France to get a deal announced tomorrow are proving tough. Also tonight:It's a departure that's stunned Silicon Valley - why is the chief executive leaving Elon Musk's platform, X?A BBC investigation verifies a leaked recording in which Bangladesh's then-prime minister says she's authorised shoot-to-kill during violent protests against her. We have a special report.And the Iranian musician - banned from singing in her homeland - who fell in love with Flamenco, and now performs it in her native Farsi.

Donald Trump has said that the US will restart shipments of defensive weapons, including Patriot missile systems, to Kyiv. Trump appeared frustrated with Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian president's words were ‘meaningless'. Also on the programme: during a visit to the UK French President Emmanuel Macron calls for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and we hear about the devastating environmental cost of China's rare earth mineral mining.

Flash floods which hit the US State of Texas are now known to have killed ninety-one people. At Camp Mystic, a girls' summer camp, at least 27 girls and staff were among the dead. Also on the programme: ministers are facing calls not to cut education plans for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities; and the FBI concludes that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein did not have a so-called ‘client list' implicating high-profile associates.

Hamas has said it has submitted a positive response to mediators about a ceasefire proposed by the US. The BBC has been told that it has requested some key changes but is prepared to enter negotiations ‘immediately'. Also on the programme: frustration in Ukraine over the Trump administration's decision to halt missile deliveries; and sixteen years after Oasis's split, Noel and Liam Gallagher renew their musical vows in Cardiff.

The US Congress has passed Donald Trump's huge budget bill after days of votes in the Senate and House of Representatives. The final vote was delayed when Democratic Minority House Leader Hakeem Jeffries broke a record by speaking for more than eight hours on the floor. We hear from a Republican Congressman who backed the bill.A former security contractor at the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has told the BBC that he witnessed colleagues opening fire on civilians who were waiting for aid.And as the footballing world mourns Diogo Jota, who died alongside his brother Andre in a car crash in Spain, we reflect on his legacy.

Sir Keir Starmer says Rachel Reeves will remain Chancellor of the Exchequer "for a very long time to come" after she could be seen crying during Prime Minister's Questions earlier. Speaking to Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking podcast, the Prime Minister backed the Chancellor and said Reeves' tears were to do with a personal issue and not a result of politics. The government is struggling to maintain its authority after a bruising week in which it climbed down on major welfare reforms.The Pentagon has halted weapons shipments to Ukraine including artillery shells and Patriot air defence missiles. We ask what it'll mean for Ukaine's defences.And as a French astronaut hires a Michelin-starred chef to prepare her meals before she blasts off to the International Space Station, we look at the challenges of eating well in outer space.

In the face of growing international outrage, the man who runs the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation tells us he denies Palestinians are being killed as they go to collect aid. Also on the programme:As Sir Keir Starmer approaches his first anniversary in office, we discuss his future.And we visit the exhibition-on-wheels marking two centuries of Britain's railways.

The government is expected to announce a significant compromise on planned benefits changes to placate Labour rebels. Multiple sources tell the BBC existing claimants of the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) will continue to receive what they currently get, as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit. Instead, planned cuts will only hit future claimants. Ministers are also expected to fast-track a £1bn support plan originally scheduled for 2029.As the Trump administration rounds on US media for its reporting of strikes in Iran, we ask why two different agencies came up with differing assessments of the damage caused by the strikes.And Anna Wintour is stepping back from her role as editor-in-chief of American Vogue, we reflect on her unique place in fashion.

As Donald Trump calls Nato's new defence spending pledge of 5% of GDP a big win for Western civilisation, we ask a UK defence minister where the cash will come from.Also tonight:Is helping parents to spot the signs of autism and ADHD - rather than getting a formal diagnosis - the way to help fix the crisis in Special Educational Needs?And a Ukrainian writer killed in a Russian air strike has been awarded the prestigious Orwell Prize for Political Writing. We speak live to her publisher and her friend.

At the end of the first day of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran brokered by US President Donald Trump, early violations have given way to relative calm. Trump issued an expletive-laden rebuke to the two countries earlier in the day. He's claiming success in what he's called the "12 Day War", we ask where it's left Benjamin Netanyahu and the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Also tonight, as the government faces its largest rebellion so far over reforms to welfare, we speak to an MP supportive of the changes.And French President Macron wants UNESCO to recognise French techno music, we speak to producer and DJ Stuart Price about the genre.

Iran has responded to a US strike on its nuclear programme by firing missiles at an American base in Qatar as well as other bases in Iraq. Residents in Doha saw missiles flying through the night sky before being intercepted by Qatar's air defence system, nobody was injured. President Trump called it a "weak response" and thanked Iran for "early notice" of it. He's urged them to return to the negotiating table.About 80 Labour MPs are supporting a fresh effort to block the government's planned changes to the benefits system, the BBC has been told. The MPs have signed an amendment that would give them an opportunity to vote on a proposal to reject the welfare reform bill in its entirety.And we speak to the wife of a Belarussian opposition leader who has unexpectedly been released from jail.

MPs have backed the legalisation of assisted dying by a majority of 23. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will now progress to the House of Lords where it'll face further scrutiny and amendments. We spoke to campaigners outside Parliament as the votes were cast and two members of the House of Lords who will now shape the Bill.The BBC has charted the final days of Al Awda hospital in northern Gaza via voice notes from its director. The hospital was rendered out of service last month amid Israel's escalating offensive in the Gaza Strip.And could the hot weather inspire a literary classic? We speak to an author on the prevalence of heatwaves in English literature.