dc

He's expected to talk with President Trump about ending the war with Russia and a joint deal on exploiting Ukraine's mineral resources. But will there be the formal security guarantee he's after?Also on the programme: Hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets of Greece to demand justice for the victims of a deadly train crash two years ago today; and the Oscar-nominated documentary about Japan's MeToo movement that still hasn't been shown in Japan.(Picture: President Zelensky of Ukraine arrives in Washington DC Credit: Reuters / Jefremova)

Donald Trump and Britain's prime minister, Keir Starmer, have been holding talks at the White House, with the main focus on Ukraine. President Trump told reporters a peace deal with Russia was well advanced, without giving details. Sir Keir said any agreement must be long-lasting.Also in the programme: Tate brothers arrive in US after Romania prosecutors lift travel ban; and thousands of forced labourers who've been released from scam centres along the Thai-Myanmar border are stranded in makeshift camps in Myanmar.(Photo credit: Reuters)

The two men face charges of rape and human trafficking in Romania and the UK, which they deny.Also on the programme: we look ahead to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's first face to face meeting with President Trump; and we pay tribute to the Hollywood star Gene Hackman, who has been found dead, alongside his wife, in their home in New Mexico. (Picture: Controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate in Bucharest, January 2025. Credit: Ganea / Reuters)

US President Donald Trump says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington on Friday to sign an agreement on sharing Ukraine's mineral resources. Mr Zelensky says he's still looking for American security guarantees.Also on the programme: A far-right presidential candidate in Romania arrested and charged on his way to register for elections in May; and the foodies gatecrashing a Chinese funeral home to sample their tasty noodles.(Photo: US President Donald Trump holds first cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says a major minerals deal has been agreed with the US. But the details are not yet clear. We ask an adviser to the Ukrainian government.Also, an interview with the president of the think tank which drew up what is essentially a manifesto for the second Trump term, called Project 2025, and we look at how the energy giant BP says it will pump $10 billion a year into boosting oil and gas production while slashing spending on cleaner renewable energy sources.(Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has announced an increase in defence spending to two point five percent of GDP by 2027. International development aid will be cut to pay for the rise. Sir Keir said he'd been forced to act by exceptional circumstances. He meets President Trump in Washington on Thursday.Also, Ukrainian officials say a deal has been reached with the United States on the joint exploitation of Kyiv's mineral riches. Such an agreement has been a key demand of President Trump. We have a special report from eastern Congo on the terrible cost of the rebel advance.And as the impeachment trial of south Korea's president has its final hearing, we'll hear from the man who thinks he could replace him-- Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the National Assembly from the president's own party, the PPP.(Photo credit: Getty Images)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK will increase defence spending to 2.5% just days before meeting Donald Trump in the US. We will explore the direction of the transatlantic alliance under President Trump. Also on the programme: Syria holds a national dialogue meeting; and the man who broke a marathon record on crutches. (Picture: Challenger Megatron Main battle Tank, seen here being demonstrated as part of Project Virtuo at Lulworth Range in the UK. Credit: UK MOD)

President Trump has said the cost and burden of securing peace in Ukraine must be borne by the nations of Europe, following talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, at the White House. President Macron said Europeans were committed to taking part in such security guarantees in Ukraine, and more fairly sharing the burden for wider European security. But he stressed that any peace needed to be lasting, and could not constitute a surrender by Ukraine. We'll hear a US response to Europe's concerns. Also on the programme: On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a psychologist and mother tells us what war has done to her; and farewell to a music legend: we'll look back at the life and career of Roberta Flack.(Photo: US President Trump meets French President Macron at the White House, Washington, 24 Feb 2025. Credit: SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock )

The man due to become Germany's next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has issued a stark warning to Europe that the United States has become indifferent to the continent's fate and it must become independent. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) had a record second-place result of 20.8%. We're in Berlin to cover the election result. Also in the programme: On the third anniversary of Russia's full- scale invasion of Ukraine, we speak to a member of parliament who is also a soldier; and the winners of the Screen Actors Guild Awards. (Photo: A poster of Friedrich Merz, the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader, hangs at the party headquarters near a poster of rival Olaf Scholz of SPD, after the general election in Berlin, Germany, February 24, 2025. Reuters/Angelika Warmuth)

The centre-right Christian Democrats look likely to lead in the German election, with the far-right AfD party coming second with around a fifth of the vote. We ask what it all means, and hear from politicians of both parties.Also in the programme: Christians across the world pray for the health of Pope Francis, who remains in hospital in Rome; and after major cuts to jobs in the US federal government, Elon Musk shocks civil servants with an email asking them to justify their positions.(Photo: Christian Democratic Union (CDU) supporters dance after the first exit poll results are announced in the 2025 general election in Berlin, Germany. Credit: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch)

Israeli tanks have been sent into the northern part of the occupied West Bank for the first time in decades. Israel has expelled the residents of three refugee camps in the territory as it steps up its military presence there. Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said Palestinian camps in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams were now empty and would be occupied by the military for a year.Also on the programme: Germans are voting in one of the country's most consequential parliamentary elections of recent times; and we hear from a former BBC entertainment correspondent about the changing art of interviewing stars from Bette Davis to Ethan Hawke. (Photo: Israeli soldiers stand near a tank as it is positioned just outside the occupied West Bank on the Israeli side of the north barrier between Israel and the occupied West Bank on February 23, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Rami Amichay)

Economic woes, worries about immigration and the rise of the far right have loomed over the campaign ahead of Sunday's election in Germany. We hear the latest from our team on the ground in Berlin. Also in the programme: President Trump fires the United States' highest-ranking military officer; and the Vatican says Pope Francis is in a critical condition after a week in hospital.(Photo: German Chancellor Scholz holds final rally ahead of general election, in Potsdam. Credit: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen)

Hamas has released more Israeli hostages at highly stage- managed events in Gaza. In all, six men have been freed so far on Saturday. Television pictures of them being handed to the Red Cross were met with cheers by crowds in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square. In exchange, more than six hundred Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel.As Germany's far right AFD party is in second place before tomorrow's election, we hear from one recent Syrian immigrant about her life in Berlin. And And we take a look at the Trump policies on American science – a Harvard professor tells us what's being cut. (Photo: The moment hostage Omer Shem Tov is released at the handover. Credit: Reuters)

The Israeli prime minister has accused Hamas of a cruel and evil violation of the ceasefire in Gaza, after forensic testing revealed the body returned from Gaza on Thursday was not that of the Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas. We hear from Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son was one of the hostages released by Hamas last Saturday.Also in the programme: Apple is removing its highest level of data security for customers in the UK; and Newshour's James Coomarasamy is in Germany ahead of Sunday's election.(Photo: Israelis sit together as they light candles and hold posters with the images Oded Lifschitz, Shiri Bibas and her two children, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, seized during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. Credit: REUTERS/Itay Cohen)

Israel has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire deal after forensic testing revealed the body returned from Gaza on Thursday was not that of Shiri Bibas.The three other bodies handed over have been identified as her sons, Ariel and Kfir, who would have been aged five and two, and peace activist Oded Lifschitz, 84, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Hamas have said Shiri's remains seem to have been mixed up with other bodies under the rubble of a structure after an Israeli air strike.Also in the programme: Can Arab countries come up with a plan to change Donald Trump's mind on Gaza?; and a BBC investigation looks into the companies fuelling West Africa's opioid epidemic.(Photo shows Israeli soldiers carrying the coffins of deceased hostages on 20 February 2025. Credit: Handout via REUTERS)

The news conference with General Keith Kellogg and President Volodymyr Zelensky was due to take place in Kyiv, where they met on Thursday; the cancellation followed a heated exchange between the Ukrainian leader and President Trump. Also on the programme: Spain's former football federation boss Luis Rubiales has said he'll appeal after a court found him guilty of sexual assault for kissing football player Jenni Hermoso without her consent; and we hear from Martin Campbell, the director of two James Bond films, about Amazon taking full creative control of the franchise. (Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the US chief envoy for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, attend their meeting in Kyiv Ukraine on 20 February 2025. Credit: SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Forensic medical experts in Tel Aviv are trying to confirm the identities and cause of death of four Israeli hostages handed over by Hamas. It is the first time Hamas has returned captives dead since the ceasefire began last month,The bodies, taken by convoy from Gaza earlier, are believed to be those of a mother and her two young children and an elderly peace activist. Also in the programme: As the rift deepens between the US and Europe over whether the Ukrainian president is a dictator or a democrat, how should the British prime minister handle his visit to the White House next week? and the former boss of Spanish football is found guilty of kissing a player without her consent.(Photo shows a young woman holding an Israeli flag reacting as a convoy transports the bodies of deceased hostages Oded Lifschitz, Shiri Bibas and her two children Kfir and Ariel Bibas nearby in Tel Aviv, Israel on 20 February 2025. Credit: Nir Elias/Reuters)

Donald Trump has stepped up his verbal attacks on Volodymyr Zelensky, branding him a dictator who could lose his country, after the Ukrainian leader said the US president had been taken in by Russian disinformation. Also in the programme: The Netherlands is to return more than a hundred Benin bronze sculptures to Nigeria, where they were looted by British forces in the nineteenth century; Microsoft has unveiled a chip powered by a new state of matter, which it says shows a quantum computing revolution is only years away; and two months after a failed coup, we hear from supporters of South Korea's impeached and imprisoned president. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

President Volodymyr Zelensky has hit back at US President Donald Trump's suggestion that Ukraine started the war and that his popularity ratings are low. In forthright comments from a former close US ally, Mr Zelensky said Mr Trump was trapped in a disinformation bubble created by Russia. It comes as he is due to have talks with US envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. We get the reaction of a Ukrainian MP and hear from the city of Odesa. Also in the programme: Hamas says it’s willing to release all remaining hostages in one go in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza; and the discovery of the first ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb in more than a century.(Picture: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 19, 2025. Credit: Tetiana Dzhafarova/Pool via REUTERS)

Diplomats from Moscow and Washington agree to press ahead with negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. The talks, which are taking place in Saudi Arabia, are underscored by the absence of any Ukrainian representative. We talk about the latest diplomatic developments and the role of sanctions in the conflict.Also on the programme: we hear from the patients in Nigeria who are affected by cuts in USAID’s HIV care; and Britain’s new National Poetry Centre.(Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attending a press conference after negotiations with US officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Credit: Shutterstock)

The US and Russia have met in Saudi Arabia to begin negotiations on ending the Ukraine war. The high level meeting, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, was the first since Moscow's full-scale invasion three years ago. Also in the programme: Israel pulls out of villages in southern Lebanon as part of its ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, but leaves some hilltop outposts in a move the UN says violates the deal; and as the first legal challenge to an action by the Trump administration reaches the US Supreme Court - will it shift the limits of the president's powers?(IMAGE: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov (2-R) attending a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2-L), US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (3-L) and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 18 February 2025. / CREDIT: Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Today, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Riyadh ahead of Russia talks . Simultaneously, European leaders have met in Paris, to discuss Ukraine and defence spending. We hear from Dimiti Trenin a Russian foreign policy expert and former military intelligence officer, on what Russia hopes to achieve from a potential deal. We also hear what role Saudi Arabia is playing in negotiating with the USA on the future of Gaza.Also on the programme: why some scientists have suggested the reintroduction of wolves to the Scottish Highlands to combat climate change and; a new BBC documentary has spent the last nine months following the lives of four young people in Gaza.Image: French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen react following a meeting with European leaders on Ukraine and European security at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 17, 2025. (Credit: Abdul Saboor via Reuters)

European leaders hold an emergency summit on Ukraine, as direct talks get under way between the US and Russia. The Russian foreign minister says Europe should mind its own business. Also in the programme: as the US Secretary of State tries to persuade the Saudis of Donald Trump's vision for a Gaza without Palestinians, we have a Gazan child's-eye view of the war; and we hear from the writer whose novel has been turned into the award-scooping movie about a papal election.(IMAGE:The presidential Elysée Palace in Paris, where European leaders are meeting to discuss the crisis over Ukraine / CREDIT: Daniel.Wittenberg / BBC)

US and Russian negotiators are planning to meet for discussions in Saudi Arabia next week about the war in Ukraine. The US envoy to Russia-Ukraine suggested yesterday that Europe would not be involved in peace talks. We speak to a European foreign minister who met with the envoy earlier today. Also in the programme: the city of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo is confirmed to have fallen to M23 rebels; and we reflect on the winners at Britain’s annual film awards, the BAFTAs.(Photo: Steve Wikoff, US Special Envoy to the Middle East and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House in Washington DC, USA, 11th February 2025. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia in the coming days for talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. European states concerned about being sidelined are to hold an emergency summit on Monday. Also on the programme: the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is continuing its offensive in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and we look at what to expect at Britain’s biggest night of the year in film, the BAFTAs. (Photo: Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar welcomes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he arrives in Israel, on the first leg of his Middle East trip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, February 15, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

During the second day of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, there’s been debate about President Zelensky’s proposal that Europe should create its own army. We get a response from a European defence minister. Also in the programme: More Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are released as part of the phased Israel-Hamas ceasefire; and as US TV show Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th anniversary, Kate Pierson from the pop band the B-52s offers her thoughts on why the programme has lasted. (Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives to meet with the German Chancellor at the Munich Security Conference, 15th February 2025. Credit: Sean Gallup/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said that Europe can no longer depend on the United States for military support. We hear from Europe's top foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. Also on the programme: Hamas has released another three Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails; and why President Trump wants to get rid of the penny. (Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 61st Munich Security Conference on 15 February. Credit: RONALD WITTEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has met JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, after the US vice president launched a withering attack on European countries. In a hard-hitting speech, Mr Vance said said there was "a new sheriff in town" as he criticised what he called a "retreat of fundamental values" across Europe. Also on the programme: we speak to the Egyptian sportswoman whose pregnancy during the Paris Olympics stunned the world; and the study explaining why so many people feel they have a separate stomach for pudding. (Picture: US vice president JD Vance pictured ahead of the bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis)

US Vice President J.D. Vance speaks at the Munich Security Conference. As Ukraine’s President Zelensky warns about Vladimir Putin’s European ambitions, is Europe now on its own when it comes to defence? Also in the programme: why did six federal prosecutors resign in protest in New York and D.C. yesterday? And the study explaining why humans feel there IS a separate stomach for pudding.(IMAGE: US Vice President JD Vance speaks during the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany, 14 February 2025 / CREDIT: Ronald Wittek/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has accused President Trump of appeasing Russia over Ukraine. Newshour hears from NATO's former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, Gen. Sir. Richard Shirreff.Also in the programme: Israel's hostage families speak of captivity ordeal; and the rise of Germany's AFD.(Picture: U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth holds a press conference during a NATO Defence Ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels. credit: Reuters)

European countries are left reeling after Donald Trump cuts them out of negotiations with Russia over Ukraine: we speak to Estonia's foreign minister, and hear from Kyiv on how Ukraine sees its future.Also in the programme: unearthing a major piece of Roman history in an office basement in London; and we get the latest after a man drives a car into a crowd in Munich.(IMAGE: Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna speaks to the media as he attends Foreign Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 27 January 2025 / CREDIT: Olivier Hoslet/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Donald Trump has announced that talks to end the war in Ukraine will start immediately. The US President had 'a lengthy and highly productive' phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by a call to Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky. We hear from a former NATO Deputy Secretary General and a Ukrainian MP about the path going forward.Also in our programme: is the United States in the midst of a constitutional crisis? And we hear about a historic raid targetting the Sicilian mafia.(Photo: US President Trump Welcomes Released Russian Prisoner Mark Fogel. Credit: Shutterstock)

The new US defence secretary has delivered an uncompromising message to Ukraine three years after Russia's full-scale invasion began, saying Nato membership is unrealistic. We get a response from Ukraine's former prime minister.Also on the programme: A BBC investigation has uncovered allegations that the energy giant Shell ignored repeated warnings that a one-billion-dollar clean-up operation of polluted land in southern Nigeria has been beset by problems and corruption and why a Dublin city councillor is campaigning for the removal of key lockboxes.(Photo: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on the eve of a Nato defence ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 12 February, 2025. Credit: Johanna Geron/Reuters)

American schoolteacher and former diplomat Marc Fogel has been released from prison in Russia and is on the way home to the US. The sixty-three year old teacher was detained in 2021 after he was found to be carrying a small amout of medical marijuana. He was then given a fourteen year prison sentence. Newshour speaks to his sister, Anne Fogel.Also in the programme: Donald Trump faces Jordan's King Abdullah in The White House in their first meeting since the US president proposed moving Gaza's population to Jordan; the European Union says it will respond "fimly" to Trump's new proposed steel tariffs while also adding the EU is committed to finding a mutually beneficial solution; and mounting concerns over the Covid-19 whistleblower's health in a Chinese prison as reports suggests she's on hungar strike.(Photo: Marc Fogel (right) pictured with his sisters. Credit: Anne Fogel)

As the Gaza ceasefire comes under increasing strain, the King of Jordan prepares for a tough meeting in the White House with President Donald Trump insisting Jordan, like Egypt, should make room for two million evicted Gazans. Also on the programme: at an international summit on Artificial Intelligence in Paris, the UK and the US refuse to sign the final communique; and we will hear from the governor of Kentucky on how his state could be caught in a new international trade war. (Photo: Palestinians make their way after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, near Gaza City, February 9, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

The Palestinian militant group accused Israel of "delaying the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza", "targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip", and of breaching the agreement on aid supplies. In response, Israel accused Hamas of a "complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and the deal to release the hostages."Also on the programme: A global AI summit has kicked off in Paris- we'll hear from one of French President Emmanuel Macron's tech advisers; and we'll speak to Oscar-nominated actor Renée Zellweger on her reprise of the character of Bridget Jones for the film Mad About The Boy.(Photo: Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, attends a protest in Tel Aviv in support of the hostages kidnapped during the October 7th attacks in Israel on February 10, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Shir Torem)

President Trump has said he'll announce further tariffs on America’s trading partners in the coming days, including a 25% charge on all steel and aluminium imports. We'll hear from the country most exposed - Canada.Also on the programme: Can an Artificial Intelligence summit in Paris deliver new global rules; and the East Jerusalem bookshop raided by Israeli police, and its owners in court, over disrupting public order. One of their brothers says it's an assault on free speech.(File Picture: Workers weld steel at Steelcon, a structural steel design and fabrication company, January 31, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio)

Israeli forces have withdrawn from a military zone cutting off northern Gaza from the rest of the territory, allowing hundreds of Palestinians to return home. The Netzarim Corridor had effectively cut the Gaza strip in two, trapping hundreds of thousands of people in the south. Meanwhile, Israeli negotiators have returned to Qatar to continue talks on the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. We speak to our correspondent in the region as well as an analyst on Middle Eastern conflict resolution. Also on the programme: An expert on human trafficking in Libya takes us through the motivations of smugglers, after the bodies of more than 50 migrants were found in a mass grave in the south-east of the country; and Donald Trump expected to make history as the first sitting US president to attend the Super Bowl. (Picture: Palestinians travel from the southern Gaza Strip towards the north following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim Corridor, central Gaza Strip Credit: Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Israeli forces withdraw from a corridor bisecting the Gaza Strip - will they now commit to pulling out of Gaza entirely? We hear from an Israeli government minister. Also in the programme: President Trump accuses South Africa of seeking to seize white-owned land with a new law - we ask the minister responsible if that's true; and the joys of going to a concert in the dark.(IMAGE: Palestinians wait to cross through a checkpoint run by U.S. and Egyptian security contractors after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, allowing people to travel in both directions between southern and northern Gaza, February 9, 2025 / CREDIT: Reuters / Dawoud Abu Alkas)

The Red Cross says it's uncomfortable with the way the exchange of hostages for prisoners under the Gaza deal is handled. It's urged both sides to conduct future exchanges in a private and dignified way.Also in the programme: Why Baltic nations are only now joining the European energy grid – we hear from Latvia’s energy minister; and a Spanish member of the European Parliament tells us why the new Patriots Group of radical parties of the right believe they can change Europe.(Photo: Hamas fighters escort Ohad Ben-Ami, one of the three Israeli hostages released today, onto the stage before handing them over to the Red Cross. Credit: Haitham Imad / Shutterstock)

Three more Israeli hostages are released in Gaza: we hear from the brother-in-law of one of the hostages and about the medical challenges that lie ahead.Also in the programme: African leaders call for an immediate ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and as the Trump administration slashes the 'indirect' element of all National Institute of Health grants, how will this affect medical science in the US?(IMAGE: Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami, hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, are released by Hamas militants as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, February 8, 2025 / CREDIT: Reuters/Hatem Khaled)

Dozens of countries have expressed "unwavering support" for the International Criminal Court (ICC) after US President Trump imposed sanctions on its staff. We'll hear from a leading French politician. Also on the programme: Meeting violence with violence - critics say that the crackdown on crime by Ecuador's President has eroded human rights, but the security forces defend the approach; and the similarity between whales song and human speech astonishes scientists.(Photo: The International Criminal Court building is seen in The Hague, Netherlands. Credit: Reuters / Piroschka van de Wouw)

The International Criminal Court has said it will continue to provide justice and hope to the victims of atrocities, after Donald Trump signed an order to impose US sanctions on its staff. The court said it stood firmly by its personnel. Mr Trump signed the order during a visit by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. We hear reaction from the former ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo. Also in the programme: we visit the border between Thailand and Myanmar and a strange city built on scams; and what whale song and language learning have in common. (Photo: Trump previously sanctioned ICC officials during his first term in office in 2020. Credit: Getty Images)

In a social media post earlier today, US President Donald Trump seemed to double down on claims his country would fight to control the territory of Gaza. He had also suggested recently at a press conference that Palestinians should leave the region and be taken in by neighbouring nations. We explore to what extent a US takeover of Gaza would be in violation of international law.Also on the programme: A US immigration lawyer weighs in on whether President Trump can end birth-right citizenship, after the US leader tried to have the constitutional right rescinded; new findings on where Indo-European languages originated; and the launch of lab-grown meat for dogs in a world first.(Photo: Demonstrators attend a protest against US President Donald Trump's plan to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, in front of the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, 6th February 2025. Credit: Umit Bektas/REUTERS)

US President Donald Trump has restated his plan for a US takeover of the Gaza Strip, after his idea was rejected by Palestinians and leaders around the world on Wednesday. Writing on social media, Trump said Gaza, "would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting." We speak to a former foreign minister of Jordan about the idea and an Israeli politician. Also in the programme: European Union scientists say the world has just experienced the hottest January on record; and reggae legend Bob Marley's birthday. He would have been 80 today.(Photo: The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, 04 February 2025. Credit: Photo by Shawn Thew /POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

We hear from a resident of Gaza who gives her reaction to Donald Trump's announcement that he wants to take over Gaza and move out the 2m people living there while it's redeveloped; also on the programme, are President Trump's orders to shut down a federal agency and fire federal employees legal; and the legendary heavy metal band Black Sabbath say they'll play their final concert in July. How influential were they?(Picture: Palestinian children repair a portion of a building destroyed during the Israeli offensive in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza. Credit: Reuters/Hatem Khaled)

There's been international condemnation of plans by US President Donald Trump to seize control of Gaza. He said he wants the US to take a "long-term ownership position" and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East", while Palestinians could be resettled in other countries. We have reactions from a Palestinian representative in London and a former Israeli official.Also in the programme: The spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims worldwide, the Aga Khan, has died in Portugal at the age of eighty- eight; and the new study which shows people usually feel their best in the mornings.(Picture: US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington on 4th February, 2025. Credit: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The Israeli PM has said that this shows how close the bond is between the two countries and the two men. But is that really so?Also on the programme: Sweden experiences the worst mass shooting in its history as ten people are killed in the central city of Örebro; and we hear from Pokrovsk in Ukraine; a place only two kilometres from the Russian forces.(Image: Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu carry flags, in Washington. Credit: Reuters / Nishimura)

China is retaliating against US tariffs by restricting exports on a group of rare metals crucial to defence and other industries.Also, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is to meet with president Trump for talks in Washington later today. And Spain's scientists search for solutions to a fungus that ravages valuable olive crops.(Photo credit: REU)

Mexico will increase its efforts in combating drug trafficking. Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, says the US has agreed to take steps to limit the flow of guns south.Also on the programme: the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is taking over the running of the US aid agency, saying he's determined to end its refusal to follow Mr Trump's agenda; and we meet the pub landlady who promised her customers a free drink every time her favourite football team scored a goal, only to see them win seven nil. (Picture: Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum. Credit: Reuters / Cunha)