Newscast

Did you see the Handforth Parish Council virtual meeting? Everyone else did! Adam is joined by Mathamatician, Hannah Fry, and Medical Historian, Mark Honigsbaum, to talk about how pandemics actually end. And Radio 4’s Melvyn Bragg pops in to explain How to... Melvyn Bragg. It’s a bumper podcast for your locked down weekend. Producers: Alix Pickles, Ben Weisz, Danny Wittenberg, Georgia Coan, Kamero...

Teachers have been sent messages inviting them to book appointments for vaccinations, against official priority rules. Our very own Newscast Reporter, Daniel Wittenberg, explains what’s going on. And North America Tech Reporter, James Clayton, walks Adam through the History of Amazon, after Jeff Bezos announces he'll step down as CEO of the e-commerce giant. Producers: Kameron Virk, Georgia Coan,...

The Health Secretary talks about Contagion the movie, as hospital admissions and deaths caused by Covid-19 are now on a “downward slope”. Our Health Editor Hugh, goes through the numbers. And elsewhere, Brexit tensions over the Irish border keep bubbling up, Laura and Katya join Adam to explain what’s next. Studio Manager: Michael Regaard Producers: Frankie Tobi, Georgia Coen and Jack Suddaby Outp...

How is England clamping down on the new variant? Professor Robin Shattock from Imperial College joins us to tell us about the new variant and how to vaccinate against it. And Sarah Smith gives us the latest lockdown news from Scotland. Also, the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is jailed. We discuss golden toilet brushes with Sarah Rainsford in Moscow. Studio Director: Russell Newlove Prod...

As MPs debate the cladding crisis, Adam and Laura are joined by Sarah Corker and Newscaster Jenni Garratt to discuss how leasholders' woes could destabilise the housing market. And as the military seizes control in Myanmar, Fergal Keane explains how its detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi can be seen as both hero and villain. Studio Director: Russell Newlove Producers: Jack Suddaby, Georgia...

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been signed off by the EU today, but there's still a row about when they'll get their doses. Fergus and Vicki join Adam to make sense of the latest, as the bloc threatens to restrict vaccines crossing the border to Northern Ireland - overriding part of the Brexit deal. Also, are you sleeping well? If not - Dr Guy Meadows has some great advice for you. Studio Director: E...

A row erupts between the EU and drugs company AstraZeneca over vaccine shortages. Adam, Laura and Katya talk to German MEP, Dr Peter Liese, who is not happy at all. And we're joined by Tom O'Hara from Janus Henderson Investors to find out why GameStop shares have caused such a frenzy. Studio Director: Michael Regaard Producers: Daniel Wittenberg and Georgia Coan Editor: Dino Sofos

There’s no back to school until at least 8th March in England, on the day we finally hear about hotel quarantine. We hear from Rebecca who's stuck in a one of them in New Zealand. Adam, Laura and Hugh talk about the UK's latest travel restrictions and how we might come out of them. Track listing in the student special: Aya Anne - Better (featuring King Marino) Cole LC - Grip N Slide H33RA - I DON'...

The tech entrepreneur talks to us about moving people away from university and his dad's tech skills. It's also the sad day the UK went over 100,000 Covid deaths; Adam, Laura and Fergus process the moment with psychotherapist Julia Samuel. Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producers: Alix Pickles, Daniel Wittenberg, Ben Weisz Senior Producer: Rick Kelsey Editor: Dino Sofos

What should you do if you find yourself checking the bulletins at bedtime? Fiona Bruce is the subject of the latest “Dear Deidre”. And BBC Scotland’s new Political Editor, Glenn Campbell, joins Adam and Laura to celebrate Burns Night… by talking about the future of the United Kingdom. Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producers: Alix Pickles, Daniel Wittenberg Assistant Editor: Sam Bonham Editor: Dino S...

Ruby Wax gives us her thoughts for looking after your mental health in a pandemic. And, we hear from Vicki and Hugh after the government warned that the new coronavirus variant could be more deadly than the last. Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producers: Cristina Criddle, Georgia Coan, Rick Kelsey, Alix Pickles Assistant Editor: Sam Bonham Editor: Dino Sofos

The Brexitcast band has come together again and this time they've got Midge Ure from Ultravox with them! Three weeks since the end of the Brexit transition, Adam, Laura, Chris and Katya come together to talk about what the impact of Brexit has been for business owners, lorry drivers and touring musicians. Studio Director: Mike Regaard Producer: Georgia Coan Assistant Editor: Sam Bonham Editor: Din...

Biden, what you gonna do? Adam and Laura go transatlantic with the BBC’s Nick Bryant in Washington and a former US Deputy Ambassador to the UK, Lewis Luken. What could the impact of a Biden presidency be on life in the UK?   Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producers: Georgia Coen, Rick Kelsey, Ben Weisz Assistant Editor: Sam Bonham Editor: Dino Sofos

Large backlogs in criminal courts means some crimes from last year, will not go before a jury until 2022. Barrister Alexandra Wilson drops in, to tell us she’s frustrated to see some courts being used to film dramas, rather than hear real cases, that are piling up because of the pandemic. And we ask: how do you make smart motorways smarter? Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producers: Alix Pickles, Geor...

Sea shanties are flooding social media, so we wrote our own for Newscast. More than four million people have now had Covid vaccines - but why is the rollout 'lumpy'? Laura Kuenssberg and Hugh Pym give us the latest. We also hear from Moscow, where President Putin's fiercest critic has been arrested. And as influencers come under fire for trips to Dubai, we speak to the man who links them up with a...

Two men's journey through the snow. Newscaster Paul describes how he felt walking his 82-year-old neighbour, Henry, through the snow to get vaccinated. And the BBC's Sima Kotecha (with her her mum, Hansa Kotecha) join Adam to talk through why fake news could be causing people from British South Asian communities to reject the vaccine. Producer: Alix Pickles Assistant Editor: Sam Bonham Editor: Din...

How worried should we be about the Brazilian Covid variant? Well, the government is concerned enough to ban travel to the UK from South America and Portugal. But there's some good news on immunity if you’ve had Covid, and evidence that the vaccine may also stop you passing it on to others. And the new boss of Unison, Christina McAnea, drops in for a chat. Studio Director: Michael Regaard Producers...

On the day that hundreds of alleged members of Italy's most powerful mafia group go on trial, Adam is joined by documentary filmmaker, Tobias Jones, to explain how the mobsters may be taking advantage of the pandemic. And we talk to Marcel Levi, Chief Executive of University College London Hospitals, about the mental health of NHS workers at the moment. Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producers: Alix...

Hugh, Vicki and Adam are joined by the charismatic Bishop of Liverpool, Paul Bayes, after many churches close to prevent the transmission of the virus during group worship. And head teacher at St. George’s Community Primary School in Gainsborough, Katie Barry, explains how free school meals are being provided with more children now at home. Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producers: Alix Pickles, Geor...

Adam is joined by Happy Mondays star, Bez, who’s planning on launching his own “buzzin’” online fitness classes. Laura and Fergus discuss vaccines, restrictions, and a controversial Boris bike ride. And the BBC’s Zoe Kleinman explains what’s going on with the social media platform, Parler. Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producer: Alix Pickles Episode Editor: Ben Weisz Assistant Editor: Sam Bonham Edi...

Adam is joined by Nathaniel Popper, author of the book Digital Gold, to explain Bitcoin's latest boom. And on the day the UK reported the biggest daily death toll since the pandemic began, Fergus tells us about the latest vaccine to be approved and we hear how the new "Test and Fly" scheme will work for travellers, with John Holland-Kaye, the Heathrow Airport boss. Studio Director: Emma Crowe Prod...

James and Adam hear dramatic tales from GP Silvana McCaffrey about her part in delivering the Covid-19 vaccine. And after a troubling week for America we speak with Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace about the future of her party following the Washington riots. Studio Direction: Emma Crowe Producers: Ben Weisz, Rick Kelsey and Georgia Coan Assistant Editor: Emma Close Editor: Dino Sofos

Fergus takes us inside the intensive care unit at University College Hospital in London for the third time since the pandemic started. With three times as many critically ill patients in the hospital as normal, how much longer can staff keep going like this? And the BBC's Branwen Jeffreys explains why teacher grades are going to be used to replace cancelled GCSEs and A-levels in England this summe...

As the UK’s Covid cases top 60,000 for the first time, and Professor Whitty says one in 50 people now have the virus, our Health Editor Hugh Pym joins us to go through the latest numbers. Our Business Editor Simon Jack fills us in on the latest business grants announced by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and our Asia Correspondent Karishma Vaswani tells us the story of Jack Ma, a Chinese tycoon who h...

As Boris Johnson announces another national lockdown for England, Laura, Adam and Fergus discuss the latest measures, the impact on schools, and the new vaccine. And we hear from Dr Coralie Carle about the current pressure on NHS hospitals. Studio Director: Emma Crowe Producers: Georgia Coan, Alix Pickles Episode Editor: Ben Weisz Assistant Editor: Sam Bonham Editor: Dino Sofos