Newshour

President Trump has been given a lavish welcome to Beijing where he and American business leaders will hold talks with their Chinese counterparts on Thursday. Also on the programme, is the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, about to be forced out of office? And, we hear from Alex Batty, the British boy who sparked a high-profile international missing person investigation. He tells us what happened. (Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, China, May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci)

President Trump arrives in China, the first US president to go there in nearly a decade. We'll look at how the balance of power has shifted since then and how Chinese perceptions of America have also changed. Also in the programme: on the day of the King’s Speech to Parliament setting out the next legislative programme, speculation mounts that a senior minister will challenge Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership; and the stricken love letters of the English romantic poet John Keats, now up for auction. (IMAGE: U.S. President Donald Trump participates in an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport during his visit to the country, in Beijing, China, May 13, 2026 / CREDIT: Reuters/Evan Vucci)

Keir Starmer's position as Britain's Prime Minister is looking increasingly uncertain. He's said it's business as usual, but a succession of his junior ministers have now resigned. Also on the programme: A suggestion of a huge breakthrough in the treatment of H.I.V; and the crime writer Patricia Cornwell on why she felt compelled to write a memoir. (Photo: Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets construction apprentices in London. Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville/Pool)

The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is still fighting for his political life amid open revolt in his own party; do the rebels have the numbers to oust him - or can he hang on? Also in the programme: a special report from Khartoum three years into Sudan's civil war, where land mines are hampering aid efforts; how enjoying cultural activities can help slow down biological ageing; and - a propos - we have an appreciation of Shostakovich's first symphony, 100 years after its premiere in Leningrad.

The US president voices scepticism over the latest Iranian demands. Donald Trump says the month-long ceasefire between the US and Iran is on "massive life support" and insists he’s in no hurry to reach a peace deal. So how fragile is the Iran-US ceasefire? Also on the programme: As the final Hantavirus cruise passengers disembark, we hear from the medical facility in the US where sixteen of them are being quarantined; and the comedian who's donning the persona of Alex Jones, conspiracy theorist extraordinaire - to help compensate the victims he's defamed. (Photo: An Iranian person walks next to an anti-US and Israel mural in a street in Tehran, Iran following an exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz amid a ceasefire. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)

President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran's response to US proposals to end the war as "totally unacceptable". Iran's semi-official news agency, Tasnim, said Tehran's proposal included an immediate end to the war on all fronts and a halt to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and guarantees of no further attacks on Iran. We speak to a former Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, about the conflict and what role China could play in ending it. Also in the programme: we report on the origins of the Hantavirus; a relative of Syria's Bashar al-Asad is on trial in Damascus for torture and massacres; and why are so many World Cup football teams doing their preparations in Kansas City. (Photo shows US president Donald J. Trump giving remarks to the media in Washington, DC, USA on 8 May 2026. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/EPA]

France's Prime Minister says that one of the passengers repatriated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship in the Atlantic has shown symptoms. The individual was among five French nationals flown back on Sunday from the MV Hondius, currently moored off Tenerife in Spain. Also in the programme: Iran says it has sent a response via Pakistan to the latest US plan to end the war with counter-proposals reported to include a separation of talks on the immediate conflict and Tehran's nuclear programme; the story of a criminal underworld in Brazil; and the choir, here in the UK, singing music based on whale song! (Photo: They were pictured boarding buses to Tenerife's airport after reaching land. Credit: Reuters)

The passengers of a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak have started leaving the vessel off the Spanish island of Tenerife. Five people were seen boarding a small boat, socially distanced from each other and wearing protective clothing and face masks. They were met by officials in white hazmat suits, then boarded a coach to take them to the airport. They'll be flown out on charter flights. Three people died and several others become infected in the outbreak. Also in the programme: Police in Pakistan say militants have detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint and opened fire, killing 15 officers; and 35 years after the film was released, we look at the legacy of The Silence of the Lambs. (Photo: Passengers were evacuated from the ship dressed in hazmat suits. They were hosed down before boarding a plane in Tenerife. Credit: Reuters)

The new Hungarian prime minister, Péter Magyar, has given his first speech after being sworn into office. Addressing a square full of supporters waving Hungarian and EU flags, he vowed to 'change the government and the system', and end what he called 'decades of drifting'. Also in the programme: Russia celebrates Victory Day; and a novel set during a turbulent time in Taiwanese history is shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. (Photo: Newly sworn-in Prime Minister Peter Magyar (C) attends the Tisza Party's all-day 'regime change public celebration' event in Budapest, Hungary, 09 May 2026. CREDIT: TAMAS VASVARI/EPA/Shutterstock)

Russia's annual Victory Day parade in Moscow coincided with a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, announced by President Trump. President Zelensky ordered his forces not to target the event, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany. It was much scaled back this year because of the war, with no armoured vehicles or ballistic missiles on display. Also in the programme: Hungary's new parliament is meeting, heralding a shift in direction under the new prime minister; and the Venice Biennale art exhibition starts today, with calls for boycotts of artists from Russia and Israel - but not everyone agrees. (Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony as the country marks the 81st anniversary of the victory in World War II. Credit: Alexander Nemenov/ EPA/Shuttershock)

Britain’s Labour Party has suffered a historic defeat in local elections, with the right-wing Reform UK making big gains. Despite the loss, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he will not step down. We get reaction to the results from both a Labour MP and a Reform politician. Also in the programme: why did Saudi Arabia prevent the US from using Saudi airspace and bases to launch operations to try to reopen the Strait of Hormuz? And on the 100th birthday of the naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, we hear about the impact Sir David has had on the world. (Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks during a visit to south London, 7th May 2026. Credit: Ben Whitley/PA Wire)

Britain's governing Labour party and main opposition Conservatives have suffered heavy losses as the populist right wing Reform surges ahead in early results from English local elections. We look at what this means for the country's traditional party system and how long the current prime minister can last in light of these results. Also in the programme: President Trump says the ceasefire with Iran is still in place despite a series of clashes in the Strait of Hormuz; we mark the 100th birthday of the documentary maker David Attenborough; and we'll look at how the war in Iran is causing a shortage of saffron in Italy. (Photo shows the UK's prime minister Keir Starmer speaking at a meeting with Labour Party members in Ealing, West London on 8 May 2026. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

Eight cases connected to the cruise ship have been identified, but authorities fear that the dozens of passengers who disembarked on St Helena two weeks ago could be carriers of the virus. The World Health Organisation, however, has said that it does not believe this is the beginning of a pandemic. Also on the programme: in the UK two men are convicted of spying for China, one of them an immigration official; and the AI fitness instructors selling unreal gains. (Picture: The cruise ship MV Hondius leaves Praia, Cape Verde, May 6, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)

Three women with links to the jihadist Islamic State group have been arrested on returning home to Australia following years in detention in Syria. Also on the programme, Newshour goes to Baltimore to speak to families affected by the 2024 bridge collapse and now avoiding deportation, and protests against the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine rock the Venice Biennale. (Photo: Islamic State-linked families return to Australia, Melbourne, 7 May, 2026. Credit: Joel Carrett/EPA-EFE)

With important midterm elections happening later this year, we look at immigration in Baltimore. It's a defining domestic issue in President Trump's second term. One of his boldest pledges was for mass deportations - to send anyone who'd entered the US illegally back to their home country. We meet one Guatemalan woman facing that prospect. Also in the programme: how some of Baltimore's derelict housing is being spruced up; and the US broadcasting mogul Ted Turner has died at the age of 87. (Photo: Zoila Guerra Sandoval, living in Baltimore but facing deportation to Guatemala. Credit: BBC)

The World Health Organisation has confirmed that the strain of hantavirus that's killed three people on board a cruise ship from Argentina can be passed between humans. The ship, currently off Cape Verde, is sailing to the Canary Islands after Spain gave it permission to dock. We'll speak to someone who was on board when the outbreak began. Also in the programme: We'll have a special report into what happened when Israeli unleashed a barrage of airstrikes on Lebanon last month; and hard rock and existential angst from the lead singer of Iron Maiden. (Photo shows the cruise ship MV Hondius docked off Cape Verde port on 4 May 2026. Credit: Reuters)

The US is working to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz as a "favour to the world," The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said in the news conference. Also in the programme: Why staff at Google DeepMind in Britain are unionising over Google's policies on artificial intelligence; and the frontman of the band Iron Maiden opens up about the future of heavy metal and life on tour. (Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefs reporters on Iran war at White House, Washington, USA - 05 May 2026. Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/)

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth says the ceasefire in the Gulf is 'not over' despite attacks in Strait of Hormuz Also in the programme: Son of last and only Lebanese leader to meet an Israeli premier, says current Lebanese President Joseph Aoun should meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the risks; and Chinese Wu Yize becomes second youngest winner of snooker's world championship. (Photo: U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth holds briefing on the Iran war, at the Pentagon in Washington. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

There's been an escalation of the conflict in the Gulf after the US said it had sailed two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it had fired warning shots at one warship and denied US claims that two US-flagged merchant ships had transited the waterway. Iran has retaliated. The UAE says four cruise missiles were fired towards its territory and a drone hit the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone. Also, Cape Verde has refused docking permission to a cruise ship with a suspected outbreak of hantavirus; and Samsung pays a massive inheritance tax bill in South Korea - but do some super-rich companies dodge tax bills? (Photo: Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, 4th May, 2026. Credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via Reuters)

The US military's Central Command says two US-flagged merchant ships have passed through the Hormuz strait with its assistance. But a huge number of vessels and crew remain stranded. Can Donald Trump deliver on his promise to break the Iranian blockade? Also in the programme: The leaders of Europe and Canada stress a new unified approach to security, amid strained relations with the US; pet rescue scammers in Uganda; and the multi-billion dollar bid to buy eBay. (Photo shows vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran on 4 May 2026. Credit: Amirhosein KhorgooiWest Asia News Agency via Reuters)