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The World Tonight

BBC Radio 4
The World Tonight
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227 episodes

  • The World Tonight

    US blockade of Iranian ports takes effect

    13/04/2026 | 37 mins.
    An American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has come into force, after the failure of peace talks with Iran at the weekend. Tehran says it'll retaliate, but President Trump has repeated his threat to destroy any Iranian attack vessels which approach the blockade. We speak to a representative of independent tanker owners and operators across the globe .
    Also on the programme: The dispute between President Trump and Pope Leo deepens, with Mr Trump saying he would not apologise to the pontiff; and we hear about the life of a self-taught topiary artist who has been called the "Picasso of Plants".
  • The World Tonight

    Artemis astronauts prepare to return to Earth

    10/04/2026 | 38 mins.
    Having travelled further from Earth than any of their predecessors, the four astronauts aboard the Orion capsule are preparing to splash down in the Pacific Ocean. We speak to our correspondent at mission control in Houston and hear from two young astronomers on what the expedition has meant to them.
    Also on the programme: The UK government shelves its Chagos Islands deal. And in the first case of its kind, a man in Scotland has been jailed for killing his wife even though she took her own life – we hear from the case’s prosecutor.
  • The World Tonight

    Israel to hold talks with Lebanon but no ceasefire

    09/04/2026 | 37 mins.
    Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will enter into direct peace talks with Lebanon but that there will be no immediate truce. Donald Trump is reported to have called Netanyahu to encourage him to enter into negotiations. We get the latest from Jerusalem and Beirut.
    Also on the programme: US First Lady Melania Trump makes a rare public statement on Jeffrey Epstein.
    And we hear about the hardware Russians are using in covert operations near the UK’s vital undersea cables.
  • The World Tonight

    Can the US-Iran truce survive?

    08/04/2026 | 38 mins.
    Both Iran and the US declare victory as the ceasefire approaches its 24th hour, but can the truce survive? Iran says continued Israeli airstrikes violate its terms, while questions remain over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
    Also on the programme: will Keir Starmer be banking on an electoral boost from his handling of the conflict?
    And the World Cup furore after fans notice unsightly bulges in some national kits.
  • The World Tonight

    Trump’s Iran deadline approaches

    07/04/2026 | 38 mins.
    The US president has given Iran until 1am UK time to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying that otherwise ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight’. Pope Leo, an American, has condemned Trump’s threats, while Pakistan has called on the US to extend the deadline by two more weeks. 
    Also on the programme: US Vice President JD Vance travels to Hungary to endorse its right-wing Prime Minister Victor Orban ahead of this weekend’s general election. 
    And we hear from historian William Dalrymple about three millennia of Persian history.

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