Today in Focus
The Guardian
Hosted by Michael Safi and Helen Pidd, Today in Focus brings you closer to Guardian journalism. Combining storytelling with insightful analysis and personal testimonies, the podcast takes you behind the headlines for a deeper understanding of the news, every weekday. Today in Focus is unmatched in both scope and depth, delivering analysis and storytelling from right across the planet. With a global network of over 900 journalists and five dedicated editions covering news in the US, UK, Australia, Europe, and beyond, the Guardian offers comprehensive reporting across every continent. Most recently we have introduced new correspondents in the Caribbean, South America and Africa.
- 24 minutes 54 secondsThe ‘guinea pigs’ who had face transplant surgeryFace transplant patient Robert Chelsea and writer Fay Bound Alberti talk through the promise – and darker side – of this pioneering surgery. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus19 February 2026, 4:40 am
- 11 minutes 14 secondsDoes the US really care about peace in Ukraine? – The LatestVolodymyr Zelenskyy says ‘no agreement’ has been made between Ukraine and Russia during US-mediated peace talks in Geneva. Expectations remain low, while Ukrainians continue to face Russian strikes in subzero temperatures. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s foreign correspondent in Kyiv, Luke Harding – watch on YouTube
. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus18 February 2026, 4:50 pm - 28 minutes 2 secondsWhy did Labour Together orchestrate a smear campaign against journalists?A thinktank called Labour Together, linked to Keir Starmer and Morgan McSweeney, has been exposed for investigating journalists who were looking into the group’s funding. One of those journalists was the Guardian’s Henry Dyer. He tells Helen Pidd how he found out and why it matters. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus18 February 2026, 3:00 am
- 10 minutes 51 secondsJesse Jackson: titan of US civil rights movement leaves legacy of hope – The LatestThe civil rights campaigner Jesse Jackson has died aged 84. Jackson was a protege of Martin Luther King Jr and ran twice for the Democratic presidential nomination. He remained a prominent figure in US politics for more than 50 years, championing the rights of Black, poor and working-class people with his ‘rainbow coalition’. Lucy Hough speaks to Carys Afoko – watch on YouTube –- Over The Top and Under The Radar podcast -– 2020 interview with Jesse Jackson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus17 February 2026, 4:59 pm
- 19 minutes 49 secondsThe rise of the cocaine submarineThe Guardian journalists Sam Jones and Tom Phillips chart the rise of the narco-sub after a record seizure in the Atlantic. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus17 February 2026, 3:00 am
- 10 minutes 45 secondsWhy did Obama say aliens are real? – The LatestBarack Obama has caused a frenzy after saying he thinks aliens are real during a podcast interview. The former US president was forced to release a statement clarifying he had not seen any evidence of extraterrestrials. There is a long-running conspiracy theory claiming the US government is hiding extraterrestrials at Area 51, a highly classified air force site in Nevada.
Lucy Hough speaks to the host of the Guardian’s Science Weekly podcast, Madeleine Finlay – watch on YouTube -- Listen to the Science Weekly podcast here. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus16 February 2026, 5:01 pm - 31 minutes 31 secondsHow an undercover cop foiled an IS plot to massacre Britain’s JewsThe Guardian’s community affairs correspondent, Chris Osuh, reports on the plot by two IS terrorists to massacre Jews in Manchester, and how it was thwarted by an undercover sting. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus16 February 2026, 3:00 am
- 11 minutes 53 secondsPalestine Action wins court challenge over ban – The LatestThe co-founder of Palestine Action has won a legal challenge to the home secretary’s decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. Palestine Action was the first direct action protest group to be proscribed. The decision was widely condemned and was defied by a civil disobedience campaign, during which more than 2,000 people have been arrested. From July last year, being a member of – or showing support for – the group became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Lucy Hough speaks to Guardian columnist Owen Jones - watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus13 February 2026, 4:57 pm
- 31 minutes 50 secondsWes Streeting: the UK’s next prime minister?Keir Starmer was on the brink of a leadership contest this week, but he pulled it back. That does not mean his rivals have gone away. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to Kiran Stacey about one of the most hotly tipped contenders: Wes Streeting. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus13 February 2026, 3:00 am
- 11 minutes 11 seconds‘Colonised by immigrants’: outrage over Ratcliffe claim – The LatestThe Monaco-based billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has said he is sorry that his ‘choice of language has offended some people’, after growing outrage over his comments that the UK was being ‘colonised by immigrants’. The Manchester United co-owner has faced a mounting backlash since making the remarks, which have been labelled hypocritical and reminiscent of ‘far-right narratives’. Lucy Hough speaks to the sports writer and columnist Jonathan Liew – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus12 February 2026, 4:53 pm
- 32 minutesThe untold story of Brazil’s deadliest police raidGuardian journalists Tom Phillips and Tiago Rogero investigate the bloodiest day in Rio de Janeiro’s modern history, when police last October attempted to capture a drug kingpin in the favelas. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus12 February 2026, 3:00 am
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