The World Tonight

Some of the key figures behind the collapse of the Chinese spy case have been telling their side of the story to a parliamentary committee. We find out what we've learned from one of the committee's members.How worried should we be about a new Russian missile described as a "tiny flying Chernobyl"?And as the King unveils a monument to LGBT+ veterans, we hear what it means to a Royal Navy veteran sacked for being gay.

A former asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl was released from prison by mistake. Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat, was jailed for 12 months over the attack in Epping, Essex, last month.Also on the programme: The director of public prosecutions has said the China spy case collapsed because a top national security official could not say the country had been classed as an "enemy" when the Conservatives were in power. We speak to former Tory Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps.And art expert and host of the television series ‘Fake or Fortune?' Philip Mould on the discovery of millions of euros' worth of forged art claiming to be by Picasso, Rembrandt and Frida Kahlo.

The search is expected to take months after two leading candidates pulled out. We speak to survivor Samantha Walker-Roberts who'll only support the inquiry if Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips continues in her role.Also on the programme: A new report concludes support for children with special educational needs in England is fundamentally flawed.And former judge on Strictly Come Dancing, Dame Arlene Phillips, on whether the show can survive the announced departure of hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

The migrant was removed to France under the "one in, one out" scheme less than a month ago, BBC News understands. We hear what life is like in France for some of those returned there.Also on the programme: Good news for the lowest paid as another record rise to the national living wage is announced. But could there be unforeseen consequences?And former Clinton staffer and writer for The West Wing TV programme, Eli Attie, gives his reaction to news that President Trump is building a new ballroom on the East Wing of the White House.

Prince Andrew's living arrangements are being scrutinised as controversy continues over his connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A Democrat tells us her committee in the US House of Representatives wants to hear more from Prince Andrew about his relationship to Epstein.We visit the London site of the new proposed Chinese mega-embassy.And as a White House delegation visits Israel, we examine how fragile the Gaza ceasefire is.

As the government publishes key witness statements at the centre of a collapsed case involving two men accused of spying for China, we hear reaction from the former head of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, Dominic Grieve. Also on the programme: former Downing Street Adviser Dominic Cummings claims that there was a serious breach of data with the highest security classification in 2020. The Cabinet Office has denied his claim. And we visit the five-day festival of Japanese sumo wrestling that's taken over the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The families of Israeli hostages killed in Gaza have expressed frustration and anger at the delays in the return of remains to Israel. Hamas agreed to return the bodies of 28 people under the terms of the ceasefire agreement. While all 20 living hostages have been returned, only four bodies have been sent back. Hamas officials have warned that some of the hostages' bodies remain trapped under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment.Also on the programme: we speak to a Palestinian man freed yesterday after two decades in an Israeli prison; and the winner of philosophy's most prestigious prize tells us about his optimism for the future of political discourse.

In a speech to the Knesset the US President hailed a ‘historic dawn' in the Middle East as Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees return home under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. We hear from voices on the ground and the BBC's Tim Franks in Jerusalem to assess what the chances are of a lasting peace.

As Israeli tanks move out, Palestinians in Gaza move back to their homes, many in ruins. We hear from civilians inside the Gaza Strip and speak to a former US general on whether the ceasefire will hold.Also on the programme: Venezuelans react as opposition leader María Corina Machado is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; and we visit a small West London restaurant that caters to India's biggest film stars as the Prime Minister announces more Bollywood movies will be produced in the UK.

Israeli ministers are meeting to discuss a deal brokered by US President Donald Trump which would see a ceasefire implemented in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas. They are widely expected to approve the plan.In this special episode of The World Tonight we speak to a former Israeli Prime Minister as well as a mother in Gaza who lost her husband at the beginning of the war, but speaks of her hope for the future.Also on the programme: the chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee says if the Gaza plan works in bringing peace to the Middle East then US President Trump should "of course" get a Nobel Peace Prize. And an historian and veteran Middle East journalist discuss how significant this ceasefire agreement might be in the history of Israel and Palestine.

US President Donald Trump says "we are very close to a deal" to end the war in Gaza, after officials reported progress after a third day of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt. The Times of Israel earlier reported a deal to release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners could be imminent.Also on the programme: as the number of people who died while homeless reached the highest on record last year, we hear from one mother on the loss of her son.And 40 years on from its debut, the cast of Les Miserables unite for an anniversary that makes it the longest-running West End musical.

Israel has marked the second anniversary of the 7 October attacks. We speak to two parents - one Israeli, one Palestinian - about the impact that day has had on their families Also on the programme:We visit a school that scores high marks for its inclusive approach to special educational needs. And the team of musicologists who have found previously unheard music by Henry Purcell in a local archive.

Sébastien Lecornu was appointed France's prime minister less than four weeks ago. We explore what the political turmoil means for the country's relationship with Europe and the world.Also in the programme: The Nobel Prize for Medicine is awarded to three researchers for groundbreaking discoveries on the human immune system. And novelist Dame Jilly Cooper has died at the age of 88 – we speak to her friend, writer Rachel Johnson.

The group agrees to release hostages but wants further talks on a number of points. We hear from President Trump's former Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt.Also in the programme: After yesterday's Manchester synagogue attack, joint deputy leader of the Green Party Mothin Ali discusses his response and the debate in the UK over the conflict in Gaza. Plus actor Dominic Monaghan talks about working with Dame Patricia Routledge, who's died at the age of 96.

Manchester police have named the man they say attacked a synagogue in the city as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent. The car ramming and stabbing attack left two Jewish men dead. We hear some of the shock and fear in Europe's biggest Jewish neighbourhood and ask if counter-terrorism legislation is up to date.Also on the programme:A former chief of staff for Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May says the pledge by new leader Kemi Badenoch to scrap the 2008 Climate Change Act if she gets into office is "bad policy and bad politics".And 75 years since the first edition of Peanuts, with its lovable main character Charlie Brown, we speak to artist and fan Andy Holden.

A BBC reporter working for the Panorama programme has spent seven months undercover at a major police station in London to find out how much the Metropolitan police force has changed, since a highly critical report into its culture more than two years ago.Rory Bibb got a job at Charing Cross police station and filmed some of what he witnessed during his time there. His footage reveals racism, officers bragging about the use of force and misogyny. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner called the footage "horrific". As a result of the investigation eleven people - most of them serving officers - are under investigation for potential gross misconduct.Also on the programme: Chris Packham remembers fellow naturalist and world-renowned expert on chimpanzees Jane Goodall, who has died aged 91.And as Sir Keir Starmer says he'll change the way international law is interpreted in order to make it easier to deport illegal immigrants, we speak to the former President of Belgium's Constitutional Court who has become the go-to legal expert for European countries who believe the European Convention on Human Rights is hindering deportation efforts.

In his closing speech at the Labour Party Conference, Keir Starmer attacked Reform and Nigel Farage for pushing what he called the ‘politics of grievance'. The Prime Minister also said that Reform's plans to end Indefinite Leave to Remain were racist. We ask Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper if this approach could alienate Reform supporters. Also on the programme: the Taliban cuts off the internet, isolating millions of Afghan women; and as The Rocky Horror Picture Show celebrates its 50th anniversary we speak to the son of its creator on its enduring appeal.

President Trump says Netanyahu will have his backing to "do what he has to do" if Hamas does not agree to the plan.Also on the programme: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says migrants will have to prove they are contributing to society to earn the right to remain in the UK. We hear from fellow cabinet minister Emma Reynolds. And we look back at the career of Sir Terry Farrell, the leading British architect behind London's MI6 building, who's died at the age of 87.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly that the IDF offensive into Gaza City would continue. But shortly after his speech US President Trump said he was "close to a deal" on the Palestinian enclave. The deal is reported to include the potential for former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair to head up a transition administration in the Gaza Strip. We speak to a US diplomat who worked with Sir Tony in the Middle East.Also on the programme: former director of the FBI James Comey says he's paying the price for standing up to Donald Trump as he is criminally indicted for perjury. We hear from a former federal prosecutor.And 200 years on from the first railway journey from Stockton to Darlington, we reflect on the music inspired by trains.

The prime minister is to announce a new national scheme of compulsory digital ID for all adults, to crack down on illegal working. We'll debate whether the proposals can stop small boat crossings.Also on the programme:Sensitive data about children, and their parents, has been stolen by hackers targetting a chain of nurseries. How alarmed should we be?France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy becomes its first head of state to be handed a prison sentence in 80 years. And it's 200 years since Louis Braille invented his tactile rreading system for people with sight loss. We hear about his remarkable work that helps blind musicians.

The government is holding off on announcing plans for high-speed rail across northern England due to concerns over long-term costs, the BBC has learned. The already-delayed announcement of the scheme was expected at next week's Labour Party conference, but that will not now happen. A Labour MP told us the news is "extremely disappointing" and that Britain risked being "left behind comparable nations".The President of Syria has become the first leader of the country to address the UN General Assembly since 1967. We hear from former CIA director General David Petraeus, who as a general in Iraq had Ahmed al-Sharaa detained for fighting with the insurgency, and now calls himself a "fan".And 30 years after the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was released, we look back at its cultural legacy with the man who wrote it and woman who starred in it.

President Trump has suggested Ukraine is in a position to win back all of the territory it has lost since Moscow's invasion. Earlier, he told the UN General Assembly in New York that European countries were "going to hell" because of mass immigration. In a long - and uncompromising - speech that took aim at the institution where it was being delivered, Mr Trump also falsely claimed Sharia law could be introduced in London - we get reaction from an MP from the capital.Also on the programme:The mother of a British dual national killed while fighting for Ukraine on her fight to get his body back - and how she found out her son was dead. And as the cricket world mourns the legendary umpire Dickie Bird, the former England cricketer Allan Lamb remembers him.

Standing alongside Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. the US president said the drug, commonly sold under the brand name Tylenol in the US, was to blame for a rise in autism diagnoses. Also on the programme: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says he will overhaul the rights of migrants to remain in the UK; and seven decades after the first British TV ad we explore the medium that formed some top Hollywood directors.

In a joint press conference with Keir Starmer President Trump said he had been let down by Vladimir Putin and advised the Prime Minister to use the military to curb irregular migration across the English Channel. Also on the programme: we hear how on-air remarks about Charlie Kirk are costing some American broadcasters their jobs; and as Meta's latest product launch is derailed by an embarrassing malfunction, we hear how tech events are becoming more risk averse.

At a lavish state banquet at Windsor Castle, day one of President Trump's second state visit ends with speeches celebrating the special relationship. The King also had pointed words on supporting Ukraine. We ask how good a friend the US is to the UK.Also on the programme:Still rock and rolling after all these years: the legendary DJ Pete Murray celebrates his 100th birthday.

US President Trump has landed in London for his second state visit to the UK. His arrival coincides with some good news for Keir Starmer as Microsoft announces a £22 billion investment in the UK. We speak to Jeremy Hunt, foreign secretary during Donald Trump's last state visit, about preparing for the president's public appearances. Also on the programme: as new data shows continued weakness in the labour market, we'll hear from young people trying to find work; and Robert Redford has died at 89, we hear from the biographer who became his friend.

The Conservative MP Danny Kruger has become the first sitting Conservative MP to defect to Reform UK. Lord Soames, Winston Churchill's grandson, tells us that his former colleague's claim that the Conservatives are "over" is "absolute nonsense".On the eve of President Trump's second state visit, we examine how free speech has become an area of tension between the UK and US governments.And we look at the other big winner at last night's Emmys - medical drama The Pitt, which has been lauded by both critics and doctors alike.

A suspect in the murder of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been arrested. Tyler Robinson is 22. He was confronted by his father, who recognised pictures of him released by the FBI and, with the help of a pastor, persuaded him to hand himself in.Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing criticism from within the Labour Party after he sacked Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US, with one backbencher saying he "doesn't seem up to the job".And are we too reliant on potentially vulnerable global satellite positioning systems? An industry leader says near misses are more common than you may think.

Lord Mandelson has been sacked as Ambassador to Washington over his ties to the sex offender Jeffery Epstein, just days before President Trump's state visit to the UK. We ask what questions this raises about the Prime Minister's own judgement.Also on the programme:The killer of Charlie Kirk - the American right-wing political activist and ally of President Trump - is still at large. We speak to a British student who debated him at Oxford earlier this year.And as the sequel to This is Spinal Tap is released - we ask whether it'll strike a chord, 40 years on from the iconic original.

Charlie Kirk, the US conservative activist and major ally of President Donald Trump, has been shot dead while speaking at a university campus event in Utah. Police are still looking for the attacker. On social media, Trump wrote, "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie".Pressure continues to mount on the government over the future of Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US, as more revelations emerge about his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. We speak to one Labour MP who says Mandelson should be sacked.And a defence of the much-maligned author of the Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown - as his first novel in eight years is released.

There's been a dramatic escalation today in Israel's war against Hamas, as a strike on the Hamas leadership in Qatar drew widespread condemnation. Has it killed off any hope of a diplomatic solution to the war in Gaza?Also:France's President Macron has announced his new pick for Prime Minister - 24 hours after losing his last one. We're live in Paris.And we hear about the impact of a recording studio for young people in Nottingham - where Prince Harry announced a £1 million donation to Children in Need.

A no-confidence vote in France has led to the ousting of the country's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou just nine months after he took office. It now means President Emmanuel Macron has lost his third prime minister in just over a year. We explore how opposition parties are reacting to the news and how the crisis might be resolved.Also: A BBC exclusive interview with the comedian Graham Linehan, after he was arrested at Heathrow airport for his social media posts. And the remarkable story of one man who survived six days with a broken leg on the edge of a Norwegian glacier.

As Sir Keir Starmer delivers a sweeping cabinet reshuffle at the end of perhaps the most bruising week of his premiership so far, we ask his authorised biographer whether he can still turn it around. Also:The Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, has told his party's conference to be ready for a general election in 2027. And the Duchess of Kent, the oldest member of the royal family, has died at 92.

The political future of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner hangs in the balance as Westminster awaits a report into her tax affairs by Keir Starmer's independent adviser on ministerial standards. Rayner has admitted under-paying stamp duty on a second home in Hove, but says she was acting on incorrect legal advice. Also on the programme: an icon of fashion, Italian designer Georgio Armani, has died at the age of 91; and we visit the modern-day almshouse shortlisted for the Stirling Prize for architecture.

Members of the opposition have called for Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to resign after she admitted she didn't pay enough stamp duty on a flat she purchased in Hove. She denied she had tried to dodge the extra tax, blaming the "mistake" on initial legal advice that failed to "properly take account" of the situation. Sir Keir Starmer stood by his deputy at Prime Minister's Questions, saying he was "very proud to sit alongside" her. We look at public perceptions of her and hear from Sir Keir Starmer's former political director.The Portuguese government has declared a day of national mourning tomorrow - after an accident on Lisbon's famous funicular railway this evening left at least fifteen people - including foreigners - dead.And Melvyn Bragg has stepped down as host of BBC Radio 4's In Our Time after 26 years. We hear from frequent guest Angie Hobbs and superfan Sir Simon Schama.

China is preparing to host a massive military parade in Beijing to mark 80 years since the end of WWII. World leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un will be looking on, but most Western leaders will not be there. We explore what the display of military might means for the world and speak to the man dubbed the "architect" of Trump's China policy in his first term.Comedy writer and co-creator of Father Ted, Graham Linehan, has been arrested in London over social media posts concerning trans issues. Tomorrow Nigel Farage will speak to the US Congress about the issue about free speech in the UK and promised to raise the issue. We speak to one of the Congressman Farage will be addressing.And as a review finds Scotland's police need better uniforms, we ask a fashion designer to lend his expertise.

The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced the government will suspend family reunion for refugees, as part of an overhaul of the asylum system and Downing Street's attempt to "reset" at the start of a new parliamentary term. Also in the programme: the spiralling cost of transport for school pupils in England with special educational needs; and the Premier League's eye-watering sums on the final day for player transfers.

The government has won an appeal against a bid by Epping Forest District Council to block the housing of asylum seekers in a local hotel. We hear from a local councillor and a Labour MP on the Home Affairs Committee. Also on the programme: we debate whether the handling of Covid is behind growing vaccine hesitancy and a mistrust of health experts in the United States; and why are seven American warships and thousands of marines heading to the Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela?

Twenty-one people were killed in the overnight strikes on the Ukrainian capital, which also damaged buildings used by the British Council, the European Union and the Embassy of Azerbaijan. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said US President Donald Trump “was not happy” about the bombardment. Also on the programme: Britain, France and Germany begin the process of reimposing sanctions against Iran, saying it's in breach of the 2015 deal to limit its nuclear activities; and we hear from an exhibition showcasing the work of artist Ralph Steadman.

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.