Newshour

Romanians vote for a new president after suspected Russian interference in 2024 poll. The nationalist presidential candidate, George Simion, a self described MAGA candidate, has said his only objective is “to put the Romanian people first”. Also in the programme: We explore the ongoing impact of President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal repression tactics on ordinary Syrians; and we hear from International Booker prize nominee Solvaj Balle, alongside the translator who brought her work 'On The Calculation Of Volume' into the English literary canon. (Photo: Banners showing U.S. President Donald Trump and Marian Cucsa, candidate of Republican Party of Romania, on the day of Romanian presidential election, in Bucharest, Romania, May 4, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki)

Labor's Anthony Albanese has defied the so-called "incumbency curse" to be re-elected Australia's prime minister in a landslide. Also on the programme, the medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres, says one of its hospitals in South Sudan has been bombed and that there are reports of deaths and injuries; and, Warren Buffett - regarded as one of the world's most influential investors - has surprised shareholders by announcing he'll retire from his firm by the end of the year. (Photo: Australia holds Federal Elections, Sydney - 03 May 2025 LUKAS COCH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Less than a week after the Liberals came from behind to win in Canada, Australia's governing Labor Party has won the election there. Is the Trump effect in play once more? Also in the programme: Israel ramps up airstrikes on Syria, claiming to be defending the Druze minority; Poland boosts its defences in the face of the Russian threat; and we hear from an author shortlisted for the International Booker Prize – whose novel’s main character is based on her late sister. (IMAGE: Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese celebrates at a Labor party election night event, after local media projected the Labor Party's victory, on the day of the Australian federal election, in Sydney, Australia, May 3, 2025 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Hollie Adams TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

The German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has been classified as extreme-right by the country's intelligence agency. This will allow for closer surveillance of the party - and potentially even a total ban. We hear from the party’s deputy leader who calls the decision ‘totalitarian’. Also on the programme: The crew of a boat transporting aid to Gaza claims it was attacked by drones in international waters near Malta, and; Prince Harry tells the BBC that his father King Charles won't speak to him because of a dispute over who should pay for his security. (Supporters of the Eurosceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party wear morph suits and wave flags during an event to rally support for Sunday's European Parliament elections at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin May 23, 2014. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo)

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says an Israeli strike close to the Presidential Palace in Damascus is a message to Syria's government not to threaten the Druze community. The new Syrian government says any breach of the country's sovereignty is unacceptable -- but Mr Netanyahu insisted that Israel would "not allow" Syrian forces to deploy south of the capital. Sectarian clashes in Syria this week killed dozens of people. Also in the programme: First Canada, now Australia - how the Trump factor is shaping tomorrow's election; and a surprise at the polls for Britain's governing Labour Party. (Photo: Syrian security forces check vehicles at the entrance of Druze town of Sahnaya, Syria, May 1, 2025. Reuters/Yamam Al Shaar)

The US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has been demoted to UN Ambassador after a controversy involving sensitive military plans and a Signal group chat. Also on the programme: the US and Ukraine clinch a natural resources deal but an agreement to end the conflict remains elusive; and with Roman Catholic cardinals readying to elect a new Pope, British author Robert Harris talks about his book Conclave. And Newhour’s Julian Marshall presents his last programme after 51 years of reporting and presenting for the BBC World Service. We bid him farewell. (Photo: US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz joins US Vice President JD Vance for a visit to the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

Ukraine and the US have signed a much-anticipated natural resources deal, after months of tense negotiations. The deal - which says the US will share profits from future sales of Ukraine's mineral and energy reserves - aims to incentivise Washington to invest further in Ukraine's defence and reconstruction. Also in the programme: Syrian officials say they have regained control of a Damascus suburb which had seen a surge in fighting between a Druze militia and government troops; and we look at the children's book The Gruffalo. Are you excited about the first new book in more than 20 years? (Photo: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko sign the deal. Credit: Reuters, picture obtained from social media. Yulia Svyrydenko via Facebook)

The US economy shrank in the first three months of 2025, with GDP falling 0.3 per cent, partly because of a surge in imports in anticipation of President Trump's tariffs. Mr Trump says growth is on track; we hear from an economist. Also in the programme: the US and Ukraine appear poised to sign a revised minerals deal; 50 years after the fall of Saigon, we hear from the former US marine who flew one of the last helicopters out of Vietnam; plus the Rwandan vet who's just won a prize for saving the majestic grey-crowned crane. (IMAGE: US President Trump hosts Cabinet Meeting at the White House, Washington, USA - 30 Apr 2025 / CREDIT: Ken Cedeno/Pool/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, has held a series of high-level meetings with his cabinet colleagues and senior military officers, amid growing tension with neighbouring Pakistan. It comes after having repeatedly accused the Pakistani authorities of supporting Kashmiri separatists who launched a deadly attack on tourists near Pahalgam last week. Also on the programme, Turkey has been building military bases on Iraqi territory, the BBC finds, raising fears of an occupation; and, cutting-edge test has saved the eyesight of a woman from the UK who was left contemplating having her eye removed altogether by surgeons, after she developed a mysterious infection whilst swimming in a river in the Amazon rainforest. (Photo: Protest in Pakistan against India over Pahalgam's attack, Karachi - 29 Apr 2025. REHAN KHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his country deserves respect from the United States and will only enter trade and security talks on its own terms. He was speaking to the BBC just before his Liberal Party's election victory was announced. Newshour hears from newly-elected Conservative MP Andrew Lawton. Also in the programme: Trump's first 100 days in office; and Malta ordered to end "golden passports". (Picture: Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney dances during an event at the Liberal Party election night headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 29, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

In a remarkable turnaround, Canada’s Liberal Party has won a fourth consecutive term. It had been trailing by 15 to 20 points behind the Conservative opposition. But it’s not yet clear if they’ll command a majority in parliament. We ask a Liberal Party MP about the challenges ahead. Also in the programme: a vaccine that does not need to be refrigerated starts human trials in the UK; and the chaos that yesterday’s power outage in Spain left in its trail – we hear the tale of one high speed train passenger who ended up overnight in a rural village. Photo: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addresses supporters at the Liberal Party election night event in Ottawa, Ontario Credit: ERIC REID/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Spain aims to restore power nationwide "soon" after a blackout disrupted daily life for millions but has no "conclusive information" about its causes, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. In Portugal, electricity provider REN said it had restored power to some 750,000 consumers. Newshour hears from Kristian Ruby of Eurelectric, a trade body for power suppliers. Also in the programme: trial begins in Paris of Kardashian robbers; and on the front lines with rebels in Myanmar. (Picture: A view shows an electricity pylon during a power outage which hit large parts of Spain, in Barcelona, Spain, April 28, 2025. Credit: REUTERS)

Large parts of the Southern European countries hit by power outages as trains, restaurants, and even traffic lights are impacted. The Madrid metro has been evacuated and long queues have formed at cash points as card payments aren’t working. The source of the power cuts is currently unknown. Also in the programme: The International Court of Justice has begun five days of hearings to examine Israel's legal obligations to provide aid to Gaza. Aid has been blocked from reaching Gaza since March. International agencies are warning of severe food shortages. And; the Canadian election takes place today as the Liberals, led by current Prime Minister Mark Carney, are expected to win. We explain the politics behind it all. (Photo: View of a bar after a blackout hit Spain in the city of Toledo, central Spain, 28 April 2025. A massive blackout has hit large parts of Spain and spread to neighbouring Portugal and France, disrupting transport systems, internet connections and daily life, according to authorities. Photo by ISMAEL HERRERO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Canadian police say a suspect detained after a car was driven at high-speed into festivalgoers in Vancouver had suffered mental health problems. The interim police chief told a news conference that the number of people killed had risen to 11. Dozens more were hurt at the Filipino street festival on Saturday. He said many unanswered questions remained after what he called the darkest day in Vancouver's history. Canada's political leaders say the country is united in grief. Voters go to the polls on Monday in a general election. Also in the programme: we hear about life in Mandalay, one month after Myanmar's massive earthquake; and an unusual tribute to singer David Bowie- a memorial plaque in the northern English town of Stockport will honour the night he missed his train home after a gig in 1970 and fell asleep at the station. (Photo: A man places tributes on a fence, the morning after a vehicle was driven into a crowd at a Filipino community Lapu Lapu party, in Vancouver, Canada April 27, 2025. Credit: Reuters /Chris Helgren)

At least nine people have been killed after a car ploughed into crowds at a Filipino cultural event in Vancouver. Yousef Vardeh is a Filipino-Canadian who witnessed the incident from his bao-bun food truck and watched as his customers were hit. Also in the programme: Iranian officials say they have contained a deadly fire following an explosion at one of the country's largest ports; and we speak to the Serbian students running from their home country to Brussels to lobby the EU. (Photo: An ambulance is parked at the site of the Lapu Lapu day block party. Credit: REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier)

Pope Francis has been laid to rest at his favourite church in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore, after a funeral attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Many lined the streets to see his coffin being taken there from the Vatican on an adapted popemobile. He is the first pontiff in more than 120 years to be buried outside the Vatican. Also in the programme: With tensions high between India and Pakistan after a shooting in Kashmir, we have an interview with the politician son of assassinated Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto; and an attempt to crack down on so-called 'headphone dodgers' on trains and buses. (Photo: Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re blessed Pope Francis' coffin during the funeral mass. Credit: Reuters/Dylan Martinez)

From refugees he championed to world leaders he rebuked, a quarter of a million people gather in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. Former Vatican spokeswoman under Francis, Paloma Garcia Ovejero, tells us he was a kind and tireless leader who changed the church forever. Also in our programme: Pakistan’s prime minister calls for a ‘neutral investigation’ into the Kashmir terror attack; and an intrepid sausage dog is rescued after disappearing for a year and a half into the Australian wilderness. (Photo: An aerial view for the funeral Mass of Pope Francis in Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City. Credit: FABIO FRUSTACI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock).

The Kremlin says high level talks between the United States and Russia have been constructive. Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and President Putin attended the three-hour meeting in Moscow. Also today: the UN's World Food Programme says it's run out of food stocks for families in Gaza; and is a male protuberance in an ancient tapestry a phallus or a fallacy? (Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets US President Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow Credit: KRISTINA KORMILITSYNA/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.

Diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have rapidly deteriorated following the killings of 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir. India's government has blamed Pakistan for the attack and introduced a series of measures including the suspension of a water-sharing treaty. Pakistan has said any attempt to limit waters from the Indus would be regarded as an act of war. We hear from a Pakistani minister and a former Indian diplomat. Also on the programme: US President Donald Trump tells Vladimir Putin to stop bombing Ukraine, but Volodymyr Zelensky says "more pressure" needs to be applied on Russia; and why China is sharing its moon rocks with the world. (Photo: A member of the Pakistan Rangers stands at a checkpoint at the Pakistan-India border, as visitors arrive to witness the flag-lowering ceremony, in Wagah, Pakistan, 24 April 2025. Credit: Rahat Dar/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)