
The World Tonight
BBC
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective
Episodes
Charlie Kirk murder suspect detained
9/12/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:09
The questions for Starmer after Mandelson's exit
9/11/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:22
US conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot dead in Utah
9/10/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:38
Does Israel's Qatar strike end hopes for diplomatic end to war?
9/9/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:40
French PM Francois Bayrou ousted in confidence vote
9/8/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:51
What next for Starmer after Rayner exit?
9/5/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:36
Deputy PM under pressure over stamp duty affair
9/4/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:59
Calls for Angela Rayner to resign after stamp duty admission
9/3/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:41
China prepares for massive military parade
9/2/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:25
UK suspends refugee family reunions
9/1/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:33
Government wins Epping asylum hotel appeal
8/29/2025
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?
Duration:00:38:04
Russians hit residential and diplomatic buildings in Kyiv
8/28/2025
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.
Duration:00:38:14
Blair joins White House talks on Gaza
8/27/2025
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.
Duration:00:38:15
Will Reform's deportation plan reshape UK politics?
8/26/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:50
Five journalists among 20 killed in Israeli strike
8/25/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:34
Major UN-backed report confirms famine in Gaza City
8/22/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:54
The Gaza students hoping to be evacuated to the UK
8/21/2025
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.
Duration:00:37:40
Israel says Gaza City offensive has begun
8/20/2025
Israel's military says it's in the first stage of a new offensive to capture and occupy Gaza City, and has authorised the call-up of tens of thousands of reservists. One reservist who's refused to serve tells us many more will do the same.
Also tonight:
The Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has released a letter telling Tory council leaders to fight asylum hotels in their areas. As the government comes under growing pressure over asylum, we discuss whether international laws on refugees need to be rethought.
And the feud brewing in the remotest reaches of the UK: with two Scottish islands claiming the title of the “UK’s most remote inhabited island”, a resident from each of them will make their case.
Duration:00:37:56
Court orders removal of asylum seekers from Epping hotel
8/19/2025
A High Court judge has upheld a bid by Epping Forest District Council to block the use of a local hostel to house asylum seekers. An 11th-hour bid by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to get the case dismissed was refused by the judge.
Also on the programme: we hear from two brothers caught up in America’s crackdown on irregular migration; and the first victim of the Horizon IT scandal to return to work at their former Post Office.
Duration:00:38:03
Trump, Zelensky and Europeans meet at White House
8/18/2025
Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders have been holding Ukraine war talks with Donald Trump at the White House. We're live in Washington DC and get reaction from both sides of the Atlantic.
Also on the programme:
We hear from the man behind Britain's first bottled water menu.
Duration:00:38:11