The World Tonight

A court in Damascus has handed down a death sentence to Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Wassim, an enforcer for the former regime, was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The verdict is of symbolic importance in Syria as it is the first conviction of a member of the Assad family still in the country. 

Also on the programme: 29 US states seek damages from the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, in a case that could change social media as we know it; and we speak to music video director Tim Pope, about his work and what it was like to dress Freddie Mercury as a prawn.

Meta denies claims it "chose to exploit" young people to hook them on its platforms. The trial, which begins this week, stems from a lawsuit filed in 2023 by 30 US states. California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta explains why they brought to case against the tech giant.

Also in the programme: Virgin's plan to run a rival rail service to Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel moves a step closer. And Reform UK says it has plans to save more than £50bn a year from the welfare bill - but will the plans be popular with those currently supporting the party?

Friends of Jason Arday have spoken of their shock, following the death of the academic.

Also on the programme: a South Wales fire chief tells us why he needed to call in support from the army; five years after the Taliban swept back into Afghanistan's capital, one journalist tells us why she fled to Britain; and we discuss 'Tony', the new film about chef turned broadcaster, Anthony Bourdain.

Counting is underway – but will Nigel Farage win, or Count Binface? We speak to the satirical alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey.

Also in the programme: Nurses complain of "inhumane" conditions in hospitals as the heatwave results in NHS staff dripping in sweat from "head to toe". And luxury department store Harvey Nichols has been bought by the owner of Sports Direct, Mike Ashley – but can he resurrect the ailing business?

On a day when amateur eclipse chasers gaze toward the sky across Iceland and Spain, we join enthusiasts enjoying the spectacle in a packed London park. 

Also in the programme: two Palestinian families are besieged by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. And with much of the UK on high alert for fire, one MP urges Andy Burnham to consider a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues.

The Prime Minister says he wants the killers of PC Andrew Harper to stay behind bars. How will he do it? We ask a senior law professor who advised the government on how to manage early prisoner releases.

As Simon Levy is set to be sentenced tomorrow, the BBC has spoken to a victim who asks why her own case wasn't enough to stop the rapist and murderer from committing further crimes.

Just how unprecedented was President Trump's Air Force One sleight of hand as he left the NATO summit in Turkey?

And the Hallmark Channel has been tugging heartstrings for 25 years. We'll explore the secret of its longevity.

At least 111 people have been killed and dozens more are injured after a powerful earthquake hit western Colombia, according to local officials. Dozens of buildings have collapsed. It comes less than two months after a double earthquake killed thousands in neighbouring Venezuela.

French lifeboat crews have described how a boat carrying a record 230 migrants across the Channel was "buckling" and could have led to a tragedy. The previous record for a single vessel of 165 was set last month. We hear why migrant boats are getting bigger.

And 40 years on from the release of Paul Simon's celebrated album 'Graceland'; did it raise up, or rip off, the South African artists he collaborated with?

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a major defence pact in Mecca, saying an attack on one is an attack on all three. A former advisor to Turkey's president tells us what he thinks his country gets out of such an agreement.

Also in the programme: after the London-based head of Google DeepMind decides to step back, what does his move mean for the UK AI sector? We hear the views of the regulars in Soho about Westminster Council's plan to reduce 'vertical drinking', and we remember the life of William Orbit, groundbreaking producer behind the music of Madonna, Blur and U2.

Prevent referrals in England and Wales were up 39% in the year to September 2025. It’s the highest number in a single year since records began in 2015. Where the age is known, 393 referrals were for children under 10, the largest proportion concerned 11 to 15-year-olds at 36%, followed by 16 to 17 year-olds at 13% of referrals. So, are more young people being radicalised, or are more people reporting concerning behaviour?

A former neo-Nazi, selected by the Conservatives to contest a council election, withdraws his candidacy

A prominent professor who denied claims of plagiarism has quit his role at Cambridge

Germany's Interior Minister has warned about a "new level of danger" after a drone with an explosive was found at Leipzig airport.

and we speak to the head of a Football Association backing the embattled FIFA President