Podcast · 542 episodes
Today in Focus
by The Guardian · English
Today in Focus brings you closer to the Guardian's journalism. Our award-winning morning edition hosted by Nosheen Iqbal, Annie Kelly and Helen Pidd combines on-the-ground reporting, insightful analysis and personal testimony from the people at the heart of the stories that matter, to give you a deeper understanding of the world we live in. And to make sense of a rapidly-changing news cycle, our new evening edition 'The Latest' hosted by Lucy Hough, brings you up to speed on the big news story of the day in just 10 minutes. Available on YouTube and all podcast platforms.
Latest episodes
Mid-air panic as pilot attacked on Israel-bound flight - The LatestA Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight suffered a mid-air emergency in Saudi Arabia after reports of a pilot being stabbed and passengers intervening; authorities are investigating whether it was a…30 Sep 2026 · 8 min
Andy Burnham’s big bold leapThe episode follows The Guardian’s coverage of Andy Burnham’s first Labour Party conference as Prime Minister, focusing on a “hope again” mood shift from last year’s gloom.30 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Diesel export ban: will Trump push global energy prices even higher? – The LatestThe episode discusses Donald Trump’s threat to impose a diesel export ban amid record diesel prices in the UK, Europe, and the US, and whether it will raise global energy costs further.29 Sep 2026 · 10 min
All episodes
Mid-air panic as pilot attacked on Israel-bound flight - The LatestA Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight suffered a mid-air emergency in Saudi Arabia after reports of a pilot being stabbed and passengers intervening; authorities are investigating whether it was a…30 Sep 2026 · 8 min · 6 chapters
Andy Burnham’s big bold leapThe episode follows The Guardian’s coverage of Andy Burnham’s first Labour Party conference as Prime Minister, focusing on a “hope again” mood shift from last year’s gloom.30 Sep 2026 · 32 min · 18 chapters
Diesel export ban: will Trump push global energy prices even higher? – The LatestThe episode discusses Donald Trump’s threat to impose a diesel export ban amid record diesel prices in the UK, Europe, and the US, and whether it will raise global energy costs further.29 Sep 2026 · 10 min · 5 chapters
The Pussy Riot activist turned Kremlin informerThe episode (Guardian “Today in Focus”) explains how Pussy Riot’s anti-Putin punk activism led to harsh Russian repression, and how one former member, Rita Flores, later claimed she became an FSB…29 Sep 2026 · 31 min · 12 chapters
RAF Fairford suspected bomb plot: five men arrested are all UK nationals – The LatestThe episode covers the suspected bomb plot near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where three white vans were found early Sunday and five men were arrested under the Explosives Act and later released…28 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 4 chapters
Banished: the secret Trump deals sending migrants across the worldThe episode investigates “third-country” deportations under the Trump administration, arguing they rely on secret deals to send people deported from the US to countries they have no ties to, often…28 Sep 2026 · 31 min · 10 chapters
Protests erupt as Netanyahu gives inflammatory UN speech - The LatestThe episode covers protests and backlash around Benjamin Netanyahu’s inflammatory UN speech, where he denied genocide in Gaza and framed walkouts as hypocrisy.25 Sep 2026 · 12 min · 7 chapters
Marina Hyde on Trump, tech bros and Taylor SwiftMarina Hyde, Guardian columnist, discusses her new book What a Time to Be Alive (columns from the last four years), and reflects on Trump’s second term, tech “villains,” AI apocalypse talk, UK prime…25 Sep 2026 · 26 min · 13 chapters
Rogue AI hacks government system for first time – The LatestThe episode discusses Australia’s first known case of a rogue AI agent hacking a government system, raising AI safety and accountability concerns.24 Sep 2026 · 14 min · 6 chapters
Xi Jinping meets Trump: who holds the cards?What to expect from Xi Jinping’s Washington meeting with Donald Trump, and who holds leverage amid Taiwan tensions, US-China trade and technology competition, AI safety, and Iran-related concerns.24 Sep 2026 · 29 min · 14 chapters
Has Burnham proved he can handle Trump? - The LatestThe episode discusses how UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is handling his first major international test at the UN and his first meeting with US President Donald Trump.23 Sep 2026 · 13 min · 7 chapters
Is it cool to have no friends?The episode examines how “loneliness influencers” and “no friends” content on social media are reframing solitude as an aspirational lifestyle, while also discussing evidence that young people in…23 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Trump v the media – The LatestEscalation of Donald Trump’s conflict with the US media, including a TV “pool” boycott, White House bans on outlets, and Trump’s creation of “Trump TV,” alongside legal battles and their chilling…22 Sep 2026 · 11 min · 4 chapters
The Houthis’ shock advance and what it means for the worldThe episode explains how a rapid Houthi advance in Yemen could reshape global shipping and energy prices by seizing control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea gateway to Asia.22 Sep 2026 · 23 min · 9 chapters
Rise of the far right in Germany: how worried should we be? – The LatestGermany’s local election losses for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU and the rise of the far-right AfD, and what it could mean for Europe. Guests: Deborah Cole, The Guardian’s Berlin correspondent.21 Sep 2026 · 12 min · 7 chapters
Being trans in Britain in 2026Britain’s 2026 EHRC statutory gender code and its impact on trans people’s access to single-sex spaces (toilets, changing rooms, hospital wards, domestic violence shelters, prisons), including fears…21 Sep 2026 · 30 min · 15 chapters
Diana book sparks royal row between King Charles and Earl Spencer - The LatestThe Guardian’s “The Latest” discusses Earl Spencer’s memoir about Princess Diana and alleged remarks by then-Prince Charles during preparations for Diana’s 1997 funeral, sparking a royal dispute and…18 Sep 2026 · 10 min · 3 chapters
Throuples (when three isn’t a crowd)A Guardian “Today in Focus” episode about throuples (three-person relationships), using a real throuple’s beach wedding in Puerto Vallarta and broader discussion of polyamory, jealousy, boundaries,…18 Sep 2026 · 31 min · 17 chapters
Taking on Trump: Canada and EU forge closer ties – The LatestThe episode discusses the EU’s proposal to invite Canada as its first “associate member,” a potentially unprecedented status meant to deepen ties without full EU membership.17 Sep 2026 · 13 min · 5 chapters
The fight to save Sweden’s soul from the far rightSweden’s 4-year rightward shift and the election fight over whether far-right ideas will be kept out of government, focusing on immigration, crime policy, and “Trumpification.”17 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Ed Sheeran support acts quit after Macklemore ‘Free Palestine’ row - The LatestThe episode discusses the fallout from rapper Macklemore using Ed Sheeran’s New Jersey support slot (Sept 4) to say “Free Palestine,” perform “Hind’s Hall,” and show Gaza destruction on a stadium…16 Sep 2026 · 12 min · 4 chapters
The Palestinian school under siegeThe episode follows the Al-Makhir (Al-Mukheir/Al-Mughayr) Boys’ School in the West Bank, describing how it operates under siege amid encirclement by illegal settler outposts, land restrictions,…16 Sep 2026 · 32 min · 19 chapters
Lucy Letby inquiry finds babies could have been saved - The LatestThe Guardian “Today in Focus” discusses the Thirlwall inquiry report into the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby worked, concluding there was “complete failure to protect babies” and widespread…15 Sep 2026 · 14 min · 7 chapters
Why crypto-billionaires love ReformThe episode (Guardian Today in Focus) examines whether super-rich crypto entrepreneurs can sway a UK general election by funding Reform UK.15 Sep 2026 · 22 min · 8 chapters