Newscast

Today, we look at the upcoming Holborn and St Pancras by-election, which Green leader Zack Polanski is standing in. We look at how big a gamble a resurgent Labour makes the vote for him, and what happens if he underperforms. Laura and Paddy also discuss the Green conference - happening now - and a row over the party’s position on Israel. And, after diesel prices rose above £2 a litre for first tim...

After a strong week at Labour Party conference has the Prime Minister made his first foul? Downing Street has said Manchester City are not "above the rules" after Andy Burnham was criticised for his comments about the club's breaches of Premier League financial rules. Adam, Chris and Joe are joined by the FT’s Whitehall editor and host of “Political Fix” Lucy Fisher to unpack the backlash, plus An...

Today, after Wednesday’s dramatic event in which a pilot stabbed another pilot and tried to take over a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, we look at what happened in the moments and hours after. Adam is joined by BBC Verify’s Thomas Copeland to help piece together the details of the story, and Jane Corbin who assesses the political reaction and how it’s going down in Israel. Faisal has been speaking...

Today, Andy Burnham has said rejoining the EU is one of the options the government could examine when looking at the UK’s long-term relationship with Europe. The Prime Minister also told Chris there are ‘strong indications’ that ‘Iran played a part in what happened’ at RAF Fairford, and weighed in on Manchester City. Adam, Chris and Faisal discuss the interview, which happened one day after confer...

Today, Andy Burnham delivers first his speech to the Labour Party conference as Prime Minister. During an emotional address, the prime minister outlined plans for a ‘National Care Service’ which would be free at point of use, funded in part by proposed changes to the triple lock" from 2030. He also talked about reforms to the electoral system and housing, and the water system. The Prime Minister r...

Today, Adam and Chris interview the Chancellor John Healey at Labour party conference following his first speech in the role. In his speech, the chancellor announced £6bn of new contracts for British shipyards, which he said would help defend the UK in the long term, and emphasised the need to reindustrialise Britain and get more young people into work. But amidst a tough global economic picture,...

Today, we look at Andy Burnham’s plans for a national care service for England. In the prime minister’s first Sunday morning interview of his tenure, he told Laura that he would connect the care system to the NHS, and make it free at the point of use, but not before the next General Election. Laura, Paddy, and Joe Pike look at how it would work and how much it would cost. They also talk through ot...

Laura's been speaking to Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool, ahead of the Labour Party conference. This is the interview in full, in which he proposes national care service in England, refuses to commit to backing a third runway at Heathrow, and condemns masked protesters. Laura, Paddy, and Joe Pike will be analysing what the PM said in an episode to follow in your Newscast feed.

Today, ahead of Labour conference, we look out senior Labour figures trying to pull the party their way. Former business secretary Peter Kyle has said Andy Burnham's government is not focused enough on boosting economic growth and needs to act with "more urgency". Angela Rayner has criticised Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s plans on immigration, specifically on indefinite leave to remain. And for...

In this bonus episode of Newscast, Laura speaks to the (relatively) new BBC Director General Matt Brittin as he looks for £500m in savings. He explains where he thinks he might find them, how he thinks the organisation should respond to changes in viewing and listening, and whether AI could or should help. A regular episode of Newscast will follow this one in your feed.

Today, what does Andy Burnham’s meeting with Donald Trump tell us about his premiership? Adam, Alex, Gary and the editor of the New Statesman Tom Mctague round up the political week. They discuss whether the UK government is getting better at dealing with Trump’s White House, the relationship between President Trump and President Xi, and, a big new poll which has big implications for both sides of...

Today, we look at how a rogue OpenAI agent hacked an Australian government website in June and accessed private data in what experts say is the first known case of its kind in the world. Tech and AI editor Zoe Kleinman and cyber correspondent Joe Tidy tell us what it means for trust in online privacy, AI companies, and government regulation. And, Zoe brings her sunglasses for a look at why Meta ar...

Andy Burnham (and Chris!) have returned from a busy 24 hours in New York where the prime minister met US President Donald Trump for the first time, and gave his first major international speech at the United Nations General Assembly. The Prime Minister talked about fighting against Russian disinformation and pushing global AI standards. Chris has come straight from the airport to the Newscast stud...

Today, President Trump has repeated his threats to “annihilate” Iran in a speech at the UN General Assembly. In a very broad speech covered Iran, Cuba, AI and the midterm US elections. And, he again clashed with reporters following a major dispute with US TV networks. Adam unpacks it all with the BBC’s chief Washington presenter, Caitríona Perry. And, Ed Davey has told the Lib Dem conference they...

Today, we take a look at what’s happening in Europe as Germany’s Friedrich Merz faces pressure after a local election defeat. Also in the region, there has been a wave of warnings about the new threats posed by Russia. France’s Emmanuel Macron, Poland’s Donald Tusk and senior intelligence staff from across Europe have both spoken out about the hybrid Russian warfare facing the west, including sabo...

Royal correspondent Daniela Relph joins Laura and Paddy in to chat through the interview with Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer. They discuss his comparisons between the press’s treatment of Harry and Meghan with Diana, the lasting impact of her death, and what he thinks of the Royal Family. And Laura takes us behind the scenes of the interview. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speake...

The parts of this interview so far released have generated lots of interest, but here we are bringing you Laura's interview with Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer in full. He talks about finding out about her death, what he remembers of the now King Charles’ reaction to it, and the press treatment of Harry and Meghan compared to that time. Buckingham Palace this week responded to Earl Spencer’...

Laura has interviewed Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, who has defended his claims about a phone call with King Charles. He says the then-Prince of Wales said "we'll forget her soon enough" during an argument over whether Princes William and Harry should walk in Diana's funeral procession. The Palace released a statement questioning his version of events, saying “grief can cloud reason, aff...

Today, are we in for a winter of financial hope or pain? The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75% in a move which might come as some relief for mortgage holders. However the Bank’s governor has warned about high energy costs coming down the line. The move comes in contrast to the US Federal Reserve increased interest rates for the first time in more than three years. So what does this...

Today, Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, has claimed in a new memoir that King Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” in the wake of her death nearly 30 years ago. The Palace has pushed back unusually strongly, saying “ grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory”. The book ‘Swan Song: Diana, My Sister’ is due to be published next week and is expected to be highly critical...

An oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia has been temporarily shut down after it was badly damaged in a strike last week. The pipeline is key to minimising the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on the world’s global oil supply. Combined with Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, experts are concerned the closure could force oil prices even higher. Adam breaks down what happened with diplomatic corresp...

Today, new figures suggest the state pension will rise by 3.9% to up to £13,000 a year. The increase is based on earning figures as dictated by the triple lock, the policy the government uses to guarantee pension growth. The rise has reignited debates about the long-term affordability and generational fairness of state pensions which have seen costs balloon in recent years. Alex and James are join...

Today, can governments work together to regulate AI, after growing safety fears in the industry? Donald Trump, has seemingly dismissed calls for government intervention made over the weekend. The President cited the AI race with China, saying “whoever wins AI, wins.” So is there anything the UK government can do? Meanwhile the calls for a slow down in AI development has led to tech stocks falling...

After Reform’s £72 million record donations, we’re looking at whether they’ll be allowed to keep the money. Legislation is going through Parliament that could limit the amount of money foreign donors can give, and be applied restrospectively, but Robert Jenrick has said the recent donations were "entirely in line with the law". And there’s been a shift in tone from tech bosses since the concerns a...

Today, we look at two record breaking donations to Reform UK of £72 million. The money has been given to the party by two crypto billionaires, Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. Laura and Paddy discuss who they are, and why they’ve decided to hand over such a massive amount of cash. Delo said he wants a "fair fight and a level playing field", before Harborne said his "competitive spirit" inspired...