Newscast

BBC News

<p>The BBC's daily news podcast, Newscast dives into the day's big stories so you're never out of your depth.</p><p>Newscast picks the brains of BBC News experts so you're ready if someone picks yours, covering the latest developments in politics in Westminster and beyond.</p><p>Follow the new Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer. How will Kemi Badenoch do as leader of the Conservative party? Newscast will give you all the best insights from BBC News so you're across all the day's top stories. </p><p>Newscast is hosted by trusted journalists including Adam Fleming, BBC Political Editor Chris Mason, Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell. </p><p>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.</p><p>Catch Newscast seven-days a week and watch on BBC One at 23:40 on Thursday night or later on BBC iPlayer. </p><p>GET IN TOUCH: You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Send us a message or voicenote via WhatsApp to 03301239480 Email [email protected] Or use the hashtag #BBCNewscast</p><p>Newscast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Newscast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Americast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Newscast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.</p><p>The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r Americast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p07h19zz Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm</p>

  • 33 minutes 51 seconds
    Will The US Attack Iran?

    Today, we discuss the indirect US-Iran talks happening in Geneva.

    The talks are happening against a backdrop of increased tensions between the two countries, with the US sending what Trump calls an ‘armada’ to the region. President Trump has threatened to strike Iran if a nuclear deal isn’t agreed during the talks.

    We also discuss President Trump’s State of the Union speech, happening a time where many Americans are feeling frustrated about the cost of living, and off the back of the supreme court striking down his tariff policy.

    Adam discusses all with economics editor Faisal Islam, chief North America correspondent Gary O’Donoghue and Panorama filmmaker Jane Corbin.

    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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson and Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    26 February 2026, 7:14 pm
  • 29 minutes 49 seconds
    How Did A Tip-Off From Sir Lindsay Hoyle Lead To Peter Mandelson’s Arrest?

    Today, the Metropolitan Police apologised to the Commons Speaker for "inadvertently revealing information" relating to Lord Mandelson's arrest on Monday.

    Sir Lindsay Hoyle addressed the House of Commons before Prime Minister’s Questions to confirm he had passed information to the Metropolitan Police suggesting the peer could be a flight risk. Lord Mandelson’s lawyers say he had agreed to an interview next month, and the decision to take him into custody was prompted by a "baseless" suggestion he was planning to "take up permanent residence abroad".

    Adam and Chris unpack how this story unfolded over a busy day in the House of Commons. And Faisal has been speaking to the chancellor about the student loans system - but why are student loans rising up the political agenda?

    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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade with Jem Westgate. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    25 February 2026, 8:49 pm
  • 29 minutes 54 seconds
    The David Lammy Interview

    Today, Adam and Chris speak to the deputy prime minister David Lammy about his justice reforms.

    He acknowledged the court backlog will continue to rise and may be at the same level as it is today at the next general election despite the government’s planned reforms.

    He also said that Labour would be “out on their bums” if they haven’t delivered the change the public want by the time of the next election.

    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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris. The social producers were Joe Wilkinson and Jem Westgate. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    24 February 2026, 4:31 pm
  • 39 minutes 52 seconds
    Peter Mandelson Arrested

    Today, Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

    The former British ambassador to the US has been under investigation over allegations he shared market-sensitive government information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a minister.

    He has not commented publicly since the Metropolitan Police launched their investigation earlier this month, but the BBC understands his position has consistently been that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.

    Adam and Chris are joined by UK and home affairs correspondent, Daniel Sandford.

    Meanwhile, the government has announced long-awaited changes to the system for children with special educational needs and disabilities in England.

    Fresh from watching the education secretary Bridget Phillipson announcing the reforms, BBC education editor Branwen Jeffreys joined Adam and Alex to break down exactly what it means.

    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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Shiler Mahmoudi, Adam Chowdhury and Harry Craig. The social producer was Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    23 February 2026, 7:47 pm
  • 33 minutes 51 seconds
    Gordon Brown turns detective over Andrew

    Today, we discuss a report in the Sunday Telegraph that Gordon Brown has demanded a police investigation into whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases to meet the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

    The former PM says he’s sent a five-page memorandum to the Metropolitan, Surrey, Sussex Thames Valley and other UK police constabularies.

    Laura and Paddy are joined by Henry Zeffman to discuss why he’s turned investigator, what it means for the Royal Family, and whether rules around the line of succession should be changed.

    Ahead of the Government’s Schools White Paper on Monday, we also discuss some of Labour’s proposed changes to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, as well as Kemi Badenoch’s vow to lower interest on some student loans which she says feel "increasingly feel like a scam".

    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 Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    22 February 2026, 3:03 pm
  • 27 minutes 34 seconds
    The Boris Johnson and Sir Tony Radakin Interview

    This is Laura’s full exclusive interview with former prime minister Boris Johnson and his chief of the defence staff Tony Radakin.

    They reflect on four years of war in Ukraine; their attempts to prevent it, their efforts to support Ukraine and their hopes for the future.

    We’ll also have a normal Sunday edition of Newscast in you feeds very shortly.

    22 February 2026, 12:37 pm
  • 35 minutes 9 seconds
    Trump’s Tariffs: The Beginning of the End?

    Today, Laura and Paddy are joined by Gary O'Donoghue, Chief North America correspondent to discuss the US Supreme Court’s ruling to block President Donald Trump’s global tariffs.

    Is this the beginning of the end of his tariffs, what’s Trump doing now, and what does it mean for where power lies in the US?

    Laura has interviewed former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Tony Radakin ahead of the four-year anniversary of the beginning of the full scale invasion of Ukraine. Boris Johnson said the UK and its allies “did not take strong enough action,” and the UK and its allies should deploy non-combat troops to Ukraine right now.

    Laura and Paddy dicuss Boris Johnson and Tony Radakin’s comments.

    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 Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    21 February 2026, 4:10 pm
  • 40 minutes 30 seconds
    The Week: Andrew Arrested, New Cabinet Secretary &amp; Jenrick Economics

    Today Adam, Alex Forsyth, Joe Pike and pollster Luke Tryl look back at the week in Westminster; starting with Thursday morning's news that the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, had been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.

    Plus, they discuss the appointment of Antonia Romeo to the role of cabinet secretary and our first look at Reform UK’s new economic policy.

    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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Joe Wilkinson. 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.

    20 February 2026, 9:51 am
  • 36 minutes 30 seconds
    Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrested

    Today, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested and is in custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

    King Charles says he "learned with the deepest concern" of Andrew's arrest, adding "the law must take its course" - Prince William and Catherine are understood to support the statement.

    Andrew, who turns 66 today, has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein; he has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment on the specific allegations in relation to the release of millions of Epstein files in January

    Adam and Laura are joined by royal correspondent Jonny Dymond and home and legal correspondent Dominic Casciani.

    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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Gray with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    19 February 2026, 2:56 pm
  • 38 minutes 40 seconds
    The Robert Jenrick Interview: What's Reform's Economic Plan?

    Today, Robert Jenrick used his first speech as Reform’s pick for chancellor to try to convince businesses and economists that he would be sensible with their money.

    He said it would reintroduce the two-child benefit cap in full, in a shift away from scrapping the limit.

    He also said the party plans to keep UK's budget watchdog The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

    So we thought it would be a good time to explore exactly what Reform’s plan for the economy was, and ask is it really that radical?

    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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Flynn with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    18 February 2026, 4:59 pm
  • 34 minutes 11 seconds
    Is There A Gen Z Jobs Crisis?

    Today, we look at why young people are bearing the brunt as unemployment hits its highest rate for nearly five years.

    Adam and Alex are joined by BBC business editor Simon Jack to unpack some of the factors driving the trend.

    Plus Alex updates us on Nigel Farage appointing Reform UK’s new top team, which he is calling his ‘shadow cabinet’. Alex explains what the appointments might tell us about how Reform is operating.

    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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

    17 February 2026, 8:43 pm
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