Ukraine's recent lack of air defence systems has been blamed for Russian forces capturing hundreds more square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. So what difference will the aid make? We speak a defence analyst and get reaction from the capital, Kyiv. Also on the programme: Newshour’s James Coomarasamy asks if India can stick to its ambitious plans to tackle climate change and develop renewable energy sources; and we ask if the government of Sierra Leone is serious about tackling the drug, called kush, which is devastating the country’s youth? Photo: Supporters of Ukraine wave US and Ukrainian flags outside the US Capitol after the House approved aid packages to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. 
Credit: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Can the US aid package to Ukraine slow Russia’s advance?

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

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Egypt is hosting the latest round of talks on a possible ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages. Hamas negotiators are in Cairo, where mediators from Egypt, the US and Qatar are awaiting a response to the latest proposal. We'll hear from a former Israeli general. Also on the programme we hear about three arrests that have been made in Canada connected to a murder that's brought relations with India to a new low; and hear from a Madonna music fan among the big crowds at Brazil's Copacabana beach there for a free concert. Photo: Palestinians in the aftermath of Israeli bombing in Rafah 3rd May; Credit: AFP.

Gaza Talks intensify in Egypt

Efforts have intensified to secure a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, with talks resuming in Cairo on Saturday.
We hear from a former Israeli negotiator on his experience of dealing with Hamas. Also on the programme: how warmer temperatures mean Brazil is recording its highest ever rate of the potentially fatal dengue fever;   
and we ask what it’s like being a foreigner living in Japan after President Biden suggests the country’s xenophobic. Photo: Shelters used by displaced Palestinians who fled from the northern Gaza strip at Deir Al Balah beach in the southern Gaza Strip. Credit: MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Gaza ceasefire talks to resume in Cairo

The Sudanese city of El-Fasher is on the brink of a major clash between rival forces, trapping hundreds of thousands of civilians. Also on the programme: Turkey severs trade links with Israel over the war in Gaza; and Russian troops have been deployed to an airbase in Niger where American soldiers are located.  (Photo: Newly arrived refugees from Darfur in Sudan sit on horse as they head to their shelters in Adre, Chad. Credit: Getty Images)

Darfur’s largest city on the brink of a major clash

The UN has warned that Sudan’s civil war is preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid. Toby Harward, the UN’s Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, said fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces around El-Fasher in Darfur has had led to an increase in arbitrary killings and the burning of villages. 
 
Also on the programme: Turkey suspends all trade with Israel over its offensive in Gaza; and China launches a rocket to collect samples from the dark side of the Moon. 
 
(Picture: Refugees from Darfur in Adre, Chad, 4 August 2023 Credit: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)

Situation in Darfur ‘catastrophic’

The US has accused Russia of deploying chemical weapons as a "method of warfare" in Ukraine, in violation of international laws banning their use. We speak to a Ukrainian MP who is near the frontline in Donetsk region. Also on the programme: a UN expert says the death of an 8-year-old boy in the West Bank appears to be a “war crime” after reviewing evidence gathered by the BBC; and a paediatrician tells us how a small change in interior design can make a big difference to neurodiverse people.   (Photo: Russian servicemen march to Red Square for a rehearsal for the annual military parade. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Can the US aid package to Ukraine slow Russia’s advance?

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