Newshour

Ukraine reacts with resignation to Russia attacking its infrastructure, hours after Vladimir Putin told President Trump he was halting such strikes.

Also in the programme: we hear from a doctor in Gaza as attacks by Israel resume; and after a federal court rules that actions taken to shut down USAID by Elon Musk and DOGE 'likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways', we hear from the former White House counsel leading the charge.

(IMAGE: View of a strike on a hospital, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Krasnopillia, Sumy Region, Ukraine, March 19, 2025 / CREDIT: State Emergency Service of Ukraine via Reuters)

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have had a phone call where Russia has agreed to pause its attacks on energy and infrastructure in Ukraine for thirty days. Russia has not committed to a full ceasefire and demands complete cessation of foreign military aid. Also on the programme: Israeli strikes on the Gaza strip last night that have reportedly killed 400 people. UNRWA'S Sam Rose speaks to us from Nuseirat; and veteran NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott shares more details on the expected return to Earth of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams after nine months stranded on the International Space Station. (Picture: Daily newspapers with covers, dedicated to the recent phone call of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, are laid out at a newsstand in a street in Moscow, Russia, February 13, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)

Hamas officials say more than four hundred people have been killed. Does this mean that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is over?

Also on the programme: President Trump and President Putin are to have a phone call to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. We discuss the historical parallels of this occasion; and the legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock is one of the winners of the Polar Prize, the nearest thing that music has to a Nobel prize. He talks about his life and his extraordinary career.

(Picture: Palestinians inspect the aftermath of an Israeli strike Credit: Reuters / Abed)

President Trump and Vladimir Putin have confirmed they will hold talks tomorrow about ending Russia's invasion. The Kremlin has set out a number of strict conditions for agreeing a peace deal. The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says she doesn't think President Putin is serious about ending the conflict.

Also in the programme: our reporter in Syria visits the sites of recent crimes against the Alawite community; and we speak to Belgium's Foreign Minister after Rwanda severed all diplomatic ties with its former colonial power.

(Picture: US President Donald Trump tours the Kennedy Center in Washington on March 17, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Western countries, Arab countries and Syria's new authority are all attending. We'll also have a special report from the areas of Syria affected by last week's massacres.

Also on the programme: the first official call between the US and Russia on the Ukraine conflict is confirmed to be taking place; and we hear the story of an art critic turned thief, whose theft of a painting by the Flemish artist Van Dyke has only just came to light thirty five years after his death.

(Picture: Syrian troops on top of a tank. Credit: Reuters / Al Masri)

Officials say more than 155 have been injured in the blaze, which broke out at the Pulse club in Kočani, a town around 100km east of the capital, Skopje. We speak to a surgeon treating some of those injured, and a spokesperson for the State Public Prosecutors Office about the status of the investigation into the fire.

Also on the programme: A significant conflict in the Middle East seems to be on the verge of dramatic escalation, following US airstrikes on Yemen, which are thought to have killed around 30 people; and we hear about a new soap opera "Beyond the Gate", the first daytime soap with a predominantly black cast to feature on network TV.

(Photo: A woman cries as people light candles in memory of the victims of a fire in a night club in the town of Kočani, North Macedonia on March 16, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis)

Iran says it will retaliate if President Trump carries out his threat to hold the country accountable for the actions of the Houthi group in Yemen. The Houthis - who are backed by Iran - have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza. Mr Trump issued his threat as US forces launched massive air strikes against Houthi targets, killing more than thirty people. We speak to a Houthi official.

Also in the programme: We hear live from North Macedonia, where a fire in a nightclub has killed nearly sixty people; and after a much longer stay on the International Space Station than they bargained for, help finally arrives to get US astronauts home.

(Photo: Air strikes in Yemen. Credit: Getty Images)

An online meeting of world leaders has just ended here in London, hosted by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to discuss concrete commitments to strengthen Ukraine's security.

Also on the programme: huge crowds are demonstrating in the centre of Serbia's capital denouncing government corruption; and can a rocket rescue two astronauts who have been unable to leave the International Space Station?

(Photo: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Holds a Press Conference On Support For Ukraine UK prime minister hosts virtual call with international leaders to discuss Ukraine. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says an online summit with twenty-five fellow leaders has built momentum towards setting up a peacekeeping force in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal. We speak to an Italian MP on why his country is not ready to send troops.

Also in the programme: Tens of thousands march against alleged government corruption in Serbia’s capital Belgrade; and Sri Lanka conducts first-ever census of wildlife harmful to agriculture.

(Image: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking to the media in Downing Street, London. Credit: Leon Neal/PA Wire)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he is "cautiously optimistic" about a Ukraine ceasefire, but admitted a deal wouldn’t be easy or straightforward. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused President Putin of deliberately setting conditions that drag out talks. We get the assessment of a former senior US intelligence officer.

Also on the programme: Canada's new prime minister dismisses Donald Trump's idea of annexing his country as "crazy"; and a joey-grabbing social media influencer sparks controversy in Australia.

(Photo: Ukrainian service members of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade prepare a fighting unmanned ground vehicle for a testing at a training ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine March 13, 2025. Credit: Andriy Andriyenko/Press Service of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout)