Is This The Beginning of the End for the Iranian Government?

Since Peter Mandelson's sacking as US ambassador over his links to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, he's remained silent, until now.If you haven’t already, go back and listen to the extended version of his first and exclusive interview with Laura. It’s the previously podcast in your feed. She questions him over Trump, Epstein, and what Number 10 really knew.In this episode we go through what the interview was like, what he said, and why he’s saying it now. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O’Connell. It was made by Chris Flynn with Rufus Gray. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Since Peter Mandelson's sacking as US ambassador over his links to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, he's remained silent, until now.In this extended version of this first and exclusive interview, Laura's questions him over Trump, Epstein, and what Number 10 really knew.Laura, Paddy, and Henry will be in your feed with analysis later as normal.

Today, Laura and Paddy speak to Sir Lawrence Freedman, historian, and Professor of War Studies at King's College London, to help us understand what’s happening in Iran, as well as the huge foreign news stories of recent times.There’s possible regime change in Iran, where protests continue and authorities issued coordinated warnings to protesters. A doctor and medic at two hospitals told the BBC their facilities were overwhelmed with injuries. Donald Trump has warned the regime not to kill protesters, and after capturing the Venezuelan president, he’s turned his sights to Greenland which he’d like to be in control of. Plus Russian strikes and blackouts in Ukraine continue. Can you draw a line between all of these things, and is there a helpful way of understanding them?You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXdNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O’Connell. It was made by Rufus Gray. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Today marks the thirteenth consecutive day of widespread anti-government protests in Iran.Iran's top security body has warned that the Iranian judiciary and security forces will show "no leniency towards saboteurs", amid internet blackouts.Adam is joined in the Newscast studio by BBC chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, to discuss the context and history of the unrest in Iran, plus President Trump’s warnings to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his response. Also in the studio is New Statesman political editor Ailbhe Rea and The House Mag deputy editor Sienna Rodgers, to wrap up the first calendar week of UK Politics.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Chloe Scannapieco and Jem Westgate. The social producer was Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Protests are taking place in Minneapolis after a woman was fatally shot by a US ICE agent.Accounts of what exactly happened are conflicting, with the Trump Administration citing self-defence whilst law makers in the city and state of Minnesota are calling it a brazen act of force.Adam is joined by BBC North America correspondent, Anthony Zurcher, and BBC North America reporter, Madeline Halpert, who is on the ground and at the scene in Minneapolis.In studio is BBC business editor Simon Jack, who got the scoop on the government’s latest change of heart about business rates for English pubs.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Shiler Mahmoudi and Chloe Scannapieco. The social producer was Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, the US has seized two oil tankers — one Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic and another ship in the Caribbean. Both vessels have links to Venezuela.The UK supported US efforts to seize the Russian-flagged ship, which is accused of breaking US sanctions by shipping Iranian oil.What do we know so far and is this the closest Russia and the US have been to confrontation since the Cold War? Adam is joined by BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen and Michelle Wiese Bockmann, senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward.Also in the studio is BBC economics editor Faisal Islam, who’s back from a visit to Google HQ in California, where they are developing a quantum computer which could have capabilities beyond anything the world has yet seen. Faisal fills us in on what he learned from his trip.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Rufus Gray with Shiler Mahmoudi and Laura Cain. The social producers were Beth Pritchard and Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Stephen Bailey. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, Adam and Chris discuss the latest agreement between the Coalition of the Willing and the US to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire with Russia.The talks in Paris saw the UK and France agree to put troops on the ground "in the event of a peace deal".Plus we look at why President Trump has his sights set on Greenland and whether he really might annex the island.Adam is joined by the Economist’s defence editor Shashank Joshi and Dr Gabriella Gricius, senior fellow at the Arctic Institute to discuss the strategic importance of Greenland to security in the Arctic. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producers were Joe Wilkinson and Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, the seized President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro has appeared in a New York court charged with narco-terrorism. As Maduro pled not guilty he told the court he was a “decent man” and “still the president of his country”. The highly televised spectacle of the Venezuelan leader being transferred to the court came as the UN security council held an emergency meeting across the city and President Trump reiterated his interest in annexing Greenland in the name of American national security. Adam is joined by chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, BBC News chief presenter Caitríona Perry, and Vanessa Buschsclüter, BBC Online’s Latin America and Caribbean editor.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Shiler Mahmoudi and Chloe Scannapieco. The social producer was Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, we look at who’s in power now in Venezuela, after President Donald Trump said the US will ‘run’ the country.Maduro's Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez has been named interim president, who Trump says is talking to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman is also in the studio to talk through Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s interview with Laura in which he reacted to the news from South America, as well as his future and the UK’s relationship with the EU.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXdNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O’Connell. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The social producer was Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The technical producer was James Piper. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

As the new year begins, Laura's had a long chat with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer. There's speculation about his future, but he says he'll see out the year in the job.The interview was recorded on Saturday, as the news about President Nicolás Maduro's capture was breaking. Laura also asks Starmer if he's is supportive of Donald Trump's actions.And, how does he see the UK's future relationship with the EU?This is the interview in full. There's a regular episode of Newscast on the way later today!