The World Tonight

A US judge has temporarily blocked the detention of British social media campaigner Imran Ahmed, who took legal action against the US government over having his visa removed. The Center for Countering Digital Hate founder was among five people denied US visas after the Trump administration accused them of seeking to "coerce" tech platforms into censoring free speech. He told us he is being targeted for his work monitoring social media giants.Also on the programme: as the US carries out missile strikes against alleged Islamist targets in northern Nigeria we hear from a BBC reporter on the ground; and research finds women were more likely to be portrayed performing traditional roles in TV adverts this year, we ask why.

Two British campaigners are among those US has denied visas for being 'radical activists'. We have reaction from a Labour MP. Also: Bethlehem and Ukraine on Christmas Eve, diplomatic gifts, Winnie The Pooh.at 100, and the Colorado military base that tracks Santa.

Pro-Palestinian remand prisoners staging the largest organised hunger strike in over 40 years are to continue, after the government refused a meeting. We hear from the sister of one of them - and ask whether the government should now intervene.Also on the programme:The latest Epstein files include an email from Balmoral in which Ghislaine Maxwell is asked if she's found some new "inappropriate friends". We have the latest.And what do Christmas cracker jokes do to our brains?

The government says it will prohibit trail hunting too as part of its Animal Welfare Strategy, 21 years after banning fox hunting. We hear from a former Conservative minister and a Labour MP on a tradition that divides the country - and ask whether Labour's relationship with farmers is terminally broken.Also:Remembering Chris Rea, the self-effacing singer-songwriter from Middlesbrough whose deep gravelly voice beguiled millions, though not always himself.And amid calls for every school to have a choir, we hear what impact regular singing has had in one primary school in London.

The US justice department has released some of the so-called Epstein files - the long-awaited documents related to its investigations into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The justice department faced a legal deadline to release the files by Friday, following months of pressure on Trump from both inside and outside his party. A number of famous faces are pictured - including former US President Bill Clinton, and musicians Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.Also on the programme: Two Palestinian men have told the BBC they were beaten and sexually abused by prison guards while in Israeli detention.And we hear live from Miami ahead of the controversial boxing bout between influencer Jake Paul and former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

European leaders are locked in to negotiations tonight about seizing frozen Russian assets to help fund a major loan for Ukraine. But opposition remains, including from Hungary's Prime Minister Victor Orban.Also on the programme: The bookmakers favourite, Rory McIlroy, is the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year. We'll have reaction from a former Irish golfing champion.Why are younger people the most lonely in the UK? We put that question to three people in their 20s and 30s. And English Heritage draws flak from historians - for promoting an erroneous theory about Christmas.

Police have arrested two people "for racially aggravated public order offences" after they allegedly "shouted slogans involving calls for intifada" at a pro-Palestinian protest in central London. The arrests came hours after the Met and Greater Manchester Police said they would arrest people holding placards and chanting the phrase "globalise the intifada" - a reference to an uprising in the Palestinian territories in which thousands of Israelis and Palestinians died.Also on the programme: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich must "pay up now" to victims of the war in Ukraine or face court action. Mr Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, pledged in 2022 that the £2.5bn he made from the sale of the club would be used to benefit victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.And three white-tailed eagles, recently reintroduced to the United Kingdom, have gone missing, prompting concern from conservationists.

British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan are to be buried on Wednesday, the Chabad of Bondi has confirmed. Australian officials are investigating claims that the two gunmen took part in military-style training in the Philippines.Also on the programme: The BBC understands that the UK is set to rejoin the EU's Erasmus student exchange scheme, five years after leaving it as part of the post-Brexit deal with the European Union. Water voles have been spotted for the first time in almost two decades by conservationists in Oxfordshire. And, we speak to the Welsh couple who have defied odds of more than 24 trillion to one, and won the National Lottery for a second time.

Germany's Chancellor says "huge progress" has been made in Berlin during negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. His optimism was echoed by US President Donald Trump who said, "we're closer now than we have been, ever." But questions remain over security guarantees for Kyiv and whether they'll be asked to surrender territory. We hear from a Foreign Office minister and a senior Ukrainian MP.Also on the programme: a day after the deadly attack on a Jewish celebration in Sydney, we discuss the security implications and hear from a survivor.And a BBC investigation finds nearly 90 flights linked to Jeffrey Epstein flew to and from UK airports, some with British women on board, who may have been trafficked.

The King said in a personal message that his cancer treatment will be reduced next year, thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and an adherence to doctors' orders.   Also on the programme: the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has said he is not 'comfortable' with a puberty blockers clinical trial that's set to go ahead in January, even though the clinical advice was to proceed with it. We hear from Gazans who having survived war and mass displacement, now face a winter storm and flooding. And, we reflect on the life and legacy of Scottish comedian Stanley Baxter, who has died at the age of 99.

A UK-based Hong Kong pro-democracy activist tells us fake, sexually-explicit images were sent to her neighbours.Also on the programme: As the Trump administration ramps up its campaign against Venezuela's president, it has also been helping the opposition leader leave the country. Encouraging news about efforts to slow climate change. And, a new documentary that looks at the legacy of the reality TV show To Catch A Predator.

Next week's strike by resident doctors in England may be averted after ministers offered the British Medical Association a fresh deal. Wes Streeting's offer includes a rapid expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees. The doctors' union has agreed to put the offer to members over the coming days, we hear from one resident doctor.Also on the programme: The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, in an escalation of the Trump administration's pressure campaign on Nicolas Maduro.And Israeli pop star and actress Noa Kirel condemns a decision by European broadcasters to pull out of next year's Eurovision Song Contest due to Israel's participation.

President Zelensky says he will seek to change the law to allow Ukraine elections to be held. Donald Trump has doubled down on his criticism of how European countries are being changed by immigration. And an artistic glass ceiling has been broken - as the Turner Prize goes to a sculptor with a learning disability.

Syrians are out on the streets across the country, celebrating a year on from the end of a fifty-year dictatorship. But with economic issues and sectarian violence persisting, how can Syria move onto a brighter future?Also in the programme: A new gene therapy proves promising for blood cancer patients; President Trump announces a $12bn support package for US farmers; and Paramount battles Netflix with a new bid to buy Warner Bros.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Donald Trump with a newly created FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in Washington DC. The 2026 tournament will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.Also on the programme: Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros' streaming and studio business, potentially paving the way for a radical reshaping of the entertainment industry; and the BBC finds that more than 250 LGBT people were subjected to electric shock aversion therapy by the NHS in the 1960s and 70s. We hear from a survivor.

Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands have all said they won't send acts to the Eurovision Song Contest next May in protest at Israel's participation. There have been calls for Israel to be excluded because of the war in Gaza, but members of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the contest, rejected a push for a vote on the issue. Also on the programme: an Inquiry finds the Russian President Vladimir Putin "morally responsible" for the death by poisoning of Dawn Sturgess in Salisbury; and we remember Steve Cropper, the legendary guitarist who's died at the age of 84.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, has set out revised plans to use frozen Russian assets to loan money to Ukraine. Meanwhile, a German arms manufacturer invests in a drone manufacturing plant in Swindon to boost Europe's defence. Also on the programme, Somali Americans in Minnesota react to president Trump's attack on their community; and the chance discovery of one of the world's largest species of octopus in Aberdeenshire.

Two of US President Donald Trump's closest envoys, Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, today met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin used the meeting to warn that Russia was not planning for war with Ukraine's European backers but was 'ready' for that eventuality. Also on the programme: we debate Justice Secretary David Lammy proposes scrapping jury trials for some cases; and we hear about the snake-handling church that's inspired a new piece of music.

UK-US agree zero tariffs deal on pharmaceutical products. The agreement means that the NHS will have to pay more for new medicines. We speak to a leading member of pharmaceutical industry. Also: The chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility resigns after the body mistakenly released its assessment of the budget early. We hear from one MP supportive of the chairman's decision to quit. And Zootropolis, the new Disney animation that is breaking records.

As a BBC investigation reveals how many adoptions break down, we ask whether the system gives adoptive parents enough support. Also:We ask a Labour MP whether the Chancellor misled the country over the state of the public finances - and ask our live political panel where her budget has left her authority.And the composer looking beyond the solar system for inspiration.

The government has U-turned on its manifesto commitment to offer all workers the right to claim unfair dismissal from their first day in a job. Ministers now plan to introduce the right after six months instead, after business groups voiced concerns it would discourage firms from hiring. The government argued it was making the climbdown to stop its employment legislation being delayed in the House of Lords, where it has run into opposition. But Labour MP Andy McDonald, who helped to write the New Deal for Workers on which the legislation is based, told us of his "immense disappointment".Also on the programme: the US Department of Homeland Security says it's reviewing all asylum cases approved under former president Joe Biden after the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington DC yesterday was revealed to be an Afghan man who worked alongside the CIA in Afghanistan.And an Oxford University botanical scientist told us of the moment his colleague broke down at the sight of a rare flower blossoming in Indonesia, in a moment that has now gone viral online.

The Chancellor announced major tax increases amounting to £26 billion in her second Budget, as well as ending the two-child benefit cap from April next year. We broadcast from the political bellwether town of Northampton, to get local reaction from business and townspeople, as well as the local MP Lucy Rigby, who is also Economic Secretary to the Treasury.Also on the programme: two national guardsmen have been critically injured after being shot in Washington DC.

Millions of people are set to get a pay rise from April due to an increase in the minimum wage, the government has announced ahead of Wednesday's Budget. The hourly rate for over-21s will rise by 50p to £12.71, with workers aged 18-20 seeing an 85p rise to £10.85, and under-18s and apprentices getting 45p more to £8 an hour. However, businesses have warned that further increases to the minimum wages could result in hiring freezes. We hear from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.Also on the programme: US President Donald Trump is sending his envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid continuing talks to end the war in Ukraine.And a new BBC documentary recounts a little-known water contamination scandal that rocked communities in Cornwall in the 1980s.

Vladimir Putin says the White House plan can “form the basis of a final peace settlement”. President Trump believes Thursday is an appropriate deadline for Kyiv to accept the proposals. But Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley tells us “if this is what the President is really proposing, I'm honestly embarrassed for my country".Also on the programme: the family of a missing Colombian man seek answers after the US strikes a boat alleged to have been involved in drug-trafficking.And proposed regulations governing wood from an endangered tree could spell trouble for musicians who use bows made from brazilwood, also known as pernambuco.

The UK response to Covid was "too little, too late" and led to thousands more deaths in the first wave, an inquiry into government decision-making has found. The report said lockdown may have been avoided if voluntary steps such as social distancing and isolating those with symptoms along with household members had been brought in earlier than 16 March 2020. A minister during the pandemic years tells us some of the criticism is "unfair".Also on the programme: as Spain marks 50 years since the death of dictator Francisco Franco, a leading historian of the country on why some young people are growing more favourable towards him.Broadcaster Terry Christian reflects on the passing of his friend, The Stone Roses bassist Gary "Mani" Mounfield, who has died aged 63.And turning a tennis match into opera. Shaun Ley visits the set of 'Balls', an musical rendition of the famous 1973 Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King.

The White House and Moscow have reportedly drawn up a 28-point peace plan that crosses many of Ukraine's stated red lines. Could Kyiv ever accept it? Also on the programme: the Oxfordshire fly-tipping scandal is raised at Prime Minister's Questions - we ask how big the problem is nationwide; and eighty years on, a verdict on the Nuremberg trials from the son of a Nazi war criminal and the grandson of a British prosecutor.

During a visit to the White House, Donald Trump said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ‘knew nothing' about the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. We hear reaction from Khashoggi's former editor, Marty Baron. Also on the programme: Poland's foreign minister on suspected Russian sabotage of his country's railways. And crouching woman, draped goose - we hear about the earliest known depiction of interaction between a human and an animal.

The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood laid out a string of reforms to the asylum system that would see refugee status become temporary, guaranteed housing support for asylum seekers end and new capped "safe and legal routes" into the UK created. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mahmood told MPs the current system is "out of control and unfair", and said: "If we fail to deal with this crisis, we will draw more people down a path that starts with anger and ends in hatred."Also on the programme: as Syrians search for those who disappeared during the 13-year civil war, questions remain over missing American Austin Tice.And an off-duty pilot who tried to cut off the engines of an Alaska Airlines passenger flight with more than 80 people on board, after having taken psychedelic mushrooms, has been sentenced.

In an effort to curb illegal migration, the government is planning the biggest shakeup to asylum rules since World War Two - inspired by Denmark. We examine what lessons the UK can learn from the Danish system - and ask a Labour MP if these sweeping changes will work.Also on the programme:A British journalist detained by US immigration officers for more than two weeks has returned to the UK. We speak to him. And a pub quiz has banned a team for cheating. Are smartphones are spoiling all the fun?

Anonymous briefings that Keir Starmer would fight a leadership challenge have fuelled speculation about discontent with the prime minister among the parliamentary party. We hear that Labour MPs are increasingly openly contemptuous of the PM in their briefings to journalists. Also on the programme: the Democrats release emails suggesting Donald Trump was aware of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein; and the knitters of the Shetland Islands tell us they've been stitched up by a TV portrayal of their craft.

A London NHS trust has been fined more than £500,000 and a ward manager convicted of health and safety offences over the death of 22-year-old Alice Figueiredo in Goodmayes Hospital. We ask whether the NHS could be doing more to stop preventable deaths in care. Also on the programme: Amid reports of a post-Budget coup against Sir Keir Starmer, Number 10 says the prime minister won't go without a fight.And are the BBC's history programmes failing to present a full view of the nation's past? We hear from two historians: Professor Lawrence Goldman, Emeritus Fellow in History at St Peter's College, Oxford and Dr Tessa Dunlop, author of Lest We Forget: War and Peace in 100 British Monuments.

US President Donald Trump has threatened the BBC with a $1bn lawsuit over edits the Panorama programme made to a speech he gave before the January 6 Capitol riots. We assess the significance of the lawsuit and the resignations of the Director General and the CEO of BBC News. Also on the programme: why Democrats aren't happy about a deal aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in US history; and on a rare trip back home, a UK-based Russian writer finds out how people are dealing with the war in Ukraine.

The longest shutdown in US history became even more severe today as hundreds of flights were cancelled by the federal government to reduce strain on air traffic controllers, who haven't been paid for five weeks. We hear from travellers, airport staff and a Republican congressman on the growing political pressure to find a deal in Congress that would end the government shutdown.Also on the programme: one of the pioneers of artificial intelligence tells us why he's profoundly concerned about the potential harm from the technology. And the geneticist who co-discovered DNA, James Watson, has died aged 97. We hear from a lifelong friend.

As world leaders gather in Brazil, Prince William tells them they must urgently work together to prevent further climate change. But how much can be achieved with the leaders of some of the world's largest CO2 emitters - the US, China, Russia and India - absent from the meeting? Also on the programme: top Democrat Nancy Pelosi announces her retirement after nearly four decades in the US Congress; and the actress Pauline Collins, best known for her roles in 'Upstairs Downstairs' and 'Shirley Valentine', has died at the age of 85. We speak to her friend and co-star Tom Conti.

Two prisoners have been wrongly released from the same London prison. We ask a former head of security at HMP Wandsworth how two of its inmates could have been mistakenly freed - and the Labour chair of the Justice Committee about whether the government should take responsibility.One year after his re-election Donald Trump has wished himself a happy anniversary, but Americans have sent a different message in local and state elections. After big wins for his opponents - how big a setback is it for the US President?And as the government announces a new national forest - how do you create a good one?

New Yorkers could redraw the US's political faultlines today if the left-wing frontrunner for city mayor, Zohran Mamdani, defeats former state governor Andrew Cuomo. Donald Trump has already set his sights on Mamdani, threatening to withdraw federal funding form New York City if the 34-year-old democratic socialist wins the mayoralty. We hear from one of Mamdani's informal advisers, Patrick Gaspard. Also on the programme: the BBC exposes an organised crime network behind high street shops involved in fraud, tax evasion and illegal working; and Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful US Vice Presidents of all time, has died. We hear from a close aide who was with him on 9/11.

The Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in despite protests over a disputed election, and reports that hundreds of people have been killed in a crackdown by the security forces. We hear from a former MP and diplomat who has been in the country for weeks on holiday.Also on the programme: the author Salman Rushdie speaks to us ahead of the publication of his first work of fiction since being stabbed three years ago. And, could a change in credit-rating to include rental payments help young people get on the housing ladder?

The government says it has no plans to change the law in order to remove Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, from the line of succession. Meanwhile, US lawmakers have seized on Andrew's loss of his royal title to renew their calls for him to give evidence in their investigations into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We hear from one of them.Also on the programme: survivors of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica scramble for food and supplies. And, as a new study shows the importance of churches in bat conservation, a parish vicar explains how she accommodates her long-term guests.

Buckingham Palace says Prince Andrew will lose his 'prince' title and from now on be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He will also move out of Royal Lodge. In a statement, the Palace said, "these censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him." We hear from a royal biographer and a lawyer who represents many of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein.Also on the programme: RSF forces in Sudan are accused of committing mass killings in a hospital in the city of El-Fashir. And what's it like to live in the neighbourhood deemed "most deprived" for a fourth consecutive year?

US President Trump will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the first time since returning to the White House in the coming hours. President Trump has said he expects to agree a deal to ease trade tensions between the two economic rivals. We hear from a Chinese economist and US congressman.Also on the programme: a report from Rio where police raids on drugs gangs have killed more than 130 people. And we have the latest as the Chancellor Rachel Reeves admits breaking housing rules by unlawfully renting out her family home without a licence.

There's been a major development in a brutal civil war - that's already created the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe. As the Sudanese government loses control of the key city of el-Fasher, survivors have spoken of executions and massacres. We speak to Annelise Dodds who was - until February - the minister responsible for aid, and is now calling for the government to take action.Also on the programme:Hurricane Melissa has slammed into Jamaica with winds of more than 185 miles an hour - the most powerful storm anywhere in the world this year.And the actor Simon Callow on Prunella Scales, who's died at the age of 93.

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.