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.

  • 9 minutes 24 seconds
    Will Iran war make the UK cost of living crisis worse? – The Latest
    Rising oil prices and market turmoil as a result of the war in the Middle East are fuelling fears the cost of living crisis could get even tougher. Energy bills, mortgage rates and petrol prices could all surge in the fallout from the conflict. So how much could the war tighten the screws on our personal finances? Lucy Hough speaks to the deputy editor of the Guardian’s money section, Rupert Jones – watch on YouTube How will war in the Middle East affect your finances?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    11 March 2026, 5:52 pm
  • 25 minutes 44 seconds
    Should we be boycotting ChatGPT?
    Rutger Bregman on why he thinks consumers should cancel their ChatGPT accounts. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    11 March 2026, 3:00 am
  • 11 minutes 36 seconds
    Could Trump really end the war in Iran ‘very soon’? – The Latest
    Donald Trump has held an astonishing press conference in which he said the war in Iran was ‘very complete’ and could end ‘very soon’, but also claimed that the US had not ‘won enough’. The US president is under growing pressure over the economic toll from the conflict, but his words were met with defiance from Tehran. So is the war any closer to ending and has Trump underestimated the resilience of the Iranian regime? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    10 March 2026, 4:50 pm
  • 31 minutes 35 seconds
    Inside Iran as the bombs fall
    Annie Kelly speaks to ordinary Iranians about the attacks on their country, and peace strategist Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini explains her fears for the future. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    10 March 2026, 3:00 am
  • 11 minutes 30 seconds
    Will Trump make a deal with Iran’s new supreme leader? - The Latest
    Mojtaba Khamenei has been chosen to replace his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iran’s supreme leader, while the country continues to be heavily bombarded by US and Israeli forces. There are concerns the move could lead to a further escalation of war in the Middle East, after Donald Trump warned that Khamenei was an ‘unacceptable’ choice. But as oil prices soar, could the US president be looking for a way out of this war? Lucy Hough speaks to diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour– watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    9 March 2026, 4:50 pm
  • 31 minutes 49 seconds
    Who really took one of history’s most famous pictures?
    The photo of a Vietnamese girl running away from a napalm strike is one of the most famous in history. But who actually took it? With conflict photographers Gary Knight and David Burnett, and film-maker Bao Nguyen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    9 March 2026, 3:00 am
  • 10 minutes 20 seconds
    Trump sacks Kristi Noem: what does it mean for ICE? – The Latest
    Donald Trump has fired his controversial US homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, after weeks of bipartisan complaints about her leadership. As the public face of an aggressive immigration crackdown that prompted lawsuits and nationwide anti-ICE protests, Noem’s year-long tenure was plagued by multiple controversies, including accusing two US citizens killed by immigration agents of ‘domestic terrorism’. What exactly led to Noem’s firing and what do we know about her replacement? Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian US live news editor Chris Michael – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    6 March 2026, 5:11 pm
  • 33 minutes 47 seconds
    The Jesse Jackson I knew
    As Chicago prepares to bid farewell to Jackson, Today in Focus hears about the groundbreaking civil rights activist from those who knew him. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    6 March 2026, 7:09 am
  • 9 minutes 7 seconds
    Why does Trump want Kurdish fighters to join the war in Iran? – The Latest
    Intense waves of airstrikes have hit dozens of military positions, frontier posts and police stations along northern parts of Iran’s border with Iraq in what appears to be preparation by the US and Israel for a new front in their war. Iran has warned ‘separatist groups’ in this region against joining the widening conflict and launched strikes against Iraq-based Kurdish groups it described as ‘opposed to the revolution’. Could the involvement of these militant groups increase the risk of a civil war in Iran if the regime collapses? Nosheen Iqbal speaks to deputy head of international news Devika Bhat – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    5 March 2026, 4:50 pm
  • 26 minutes 6 seconds
    Starmer, Trump and the shaky ‘special relationship’
    Rafael Behr on why Donald Trump’s war on Iran presents a strategic dilemma for Keir Starmer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    5 March 2026, 3:00 am
  • 11 minutes 10 seconds
    Could the Iran war trigger a global economic crisis? – The Latest
    Global oil and gas prices have skyrocketed as war halts energy exports from the Middle East. The strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage of water that facilitates the shipping of about a fifth of the world’s oil, has been in effect closed since the regional war began, prompting fears of a global economic crisis. According to reports, traffic has dropped by about 80%, but how long until we feel the effects? Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s head of business, John Collingridge – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
    4 March 2026, 4:50 pm
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