17/06/2025

On the eve of the vote on its welfare reform bill, the government has tried to defuse a backbench rebellion. But has it done enough? We speak to one rebel MP.Also on the programme:A new dimension to the violence in the Middle East, as Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank attack Israeli troops.And we pay tribute to ITN newsreader Sandy Gall who has died. His former colleague, Sir Trevor McDonald, pays his respect.

In the face of growing international outrage, the man who runs the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation tells us he denies Palestinians are being killed as they go to collect aid. Also on the programme:As Sir Keir Starmer approaches his first anniversary in office, we discuss his future.And we visit the exhibition-on-wheels marking two centuries of Britain's railways.

The government is expected to announce a significant compromise on planned benefits changes to placate Labour rebels. Multiple sources tell the BBC existing claimants of the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) will continue to receive what they currently get, as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit. Instead, planned cuts will only hit future claimants. Ministers are also expected to fast-track a £1bn support plan originally scheduled for 2029.As the Trump administration rounds on US media for its reporting of strikes in Iran, we ask why two different agencies came up with differing assessments of the damage caused by the strikes.And Anna Wintour is stepping back from her role as editor-in-chief of American Vogue, we reflect on her unique place in fashion.

As Donald Trump calls Nato's new defence spending pledge of 5% of GDP a big win for Western civilisation, we ask a UK defence minister where the cash will come from.Also tonight:Is helping parents to spot the signs of autism and ADHD - rather than getting a formal diagnosis - the way to help fix the crisis in Special Educational Needs?And a Ukrainian writer killed in a Russian air strike has been awarded the prestigious Orwell Prize for Political Writing. We speak live to her publisher and her friend.

At the end of the first day of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran brokered by US President Donald Trump, early violations have given way to relative calm. Trump issued an expletive-laden rebuke to the two countries earlier in the day. He's claiming success in what he's called the "12 Day War", we ask where it's left Benjamin Netanyahu and the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Also tonight, as the government faces its largest rebellion so far over reforms to welfare, we speak to an MP supportive of the changes.And French President Macron wants UNESCO to recognise French techno music, we speak to producer and DJ Stuart Price about the genre.

Iran has responded to a US strike on its nuclear programme by firing missiles at an American base in Qatar as well as other bases in Iraq. Residents in Doha saw missiles flying through the night sky before being intercepted by Qatar's air defence system, nobody was injured. President Trump called it a "weak response" and thanked Iran for "early notice" of it. He's urged them to return to the negotiating table.About 80 Labour MPs are supporting a fresh effort to block the government's planned changes to the benefits system, the BBC has been told. The MPs have signed an amendment that would give them an opportunity to vote on a proposal to reject the welfare reform bill in its entirety.And we speak to the wife of a Belarussian opposition leader who has unexpectedly been released from jail.

MPs have backed the legalisation of assisted dying by a majority of 23. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will now progress to the House of Lords where it'll face further scrutiny and amendments. We spoke to campaigners outside Parliament as the votes were cast and two members of the House of Lords who will now shape the Bill.The BBC has charted the final days of Al Awda hospital in northern Gaza via voice notes from its director. The hospital was rendered out of service last month amid Israel's escalating offensive in the Gaza Strip.And could the hot weather inspire a literary classic? We speak to an author on the prevalence of heatwaves in English literature.

US President Trump will make a decision on whether to join Israeli strikes against Iran in the next two weeks, according to the White House Press Secretary. Karoline Leavitt cites a “substantial chance of negotiations” over Iran’s nuclear programme. We speak to former US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and examine the legality of British involvement.MPs are preparing to vote in the third reading of a Bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, we speak to two on either side of the debate.And as Britain’s milliners show off their creations at the Royal Ascot event, we ask whether the hat industry is in danger of losing its traditional skills.

President Donald Trump has struck an ambiguous tone when asked whether the US would join in Israel in launching strikes against Iran, telling reporters, "I may do it, I may not do it.” We hear from retired general David Petraeus about the President’s military options and ask whether the war could split Republican voters. Also on the programme: The government is preparing for a rebellion over its welfare reforms. We hear from a Labour MP who's planning to oppose them. And the Irish food craze that's displacing the donor kebab as a night-time treat.

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