Author: BBC World Service

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Newshour - Jury delivers verdicts in trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs

The US rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs is awaiting a bail decision after being found guilty on prostitution charges relating to his sex parties. He was cleared of three more serious charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. The closely-followed trial in New York lasted almost two months, featuring sometimes emotional testimony from more than 30 witnesses including his ex-partners. The courtroom heard lurid details about Mr Combs' so-called "freak-off" hotel sex parties that involved women including his girlfriends, male escorts and copious drug taking. Also in the programme: Ukraine wants answers from America over a scaling back of military aid, warning the move will embolden Russia; and the composer who has written a piece of music based on the movements of moths. (File photo: Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala, New York City, 1 May, 2017. Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson/File Photo)

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Focus on Africa - DRC children fathered by UN peacekeepers

Mothers in the DRC struggling to raise children fathered and abandoned by UN peacekeepers amid fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Also in the programme: we ask South Africa's minister of police whether he's lost control of the spiralling gang violence in Cape Town.

And the rising wave of South Korean culture sweeping across Africa.

Presenter: Richard Kagoe Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Nyasha Michelle, Bella Hassan Yvette Twagiramariya, Amie Liebowitz Technical Producer: Philip Bull Senior Journalist: Sunita Nahar Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

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Newshour - What’s next for Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’?

After being passed by the Senate, President Trump's bill returns to the House. We speak to rural healthcare provider Karen White on its possible impact on healthcare for poorer people.

Also in the programme, the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has confirmed that he will have a successor; renewed talk about a ceasefire in Gaza; and the composer who has written a piece of music based on the movements of moths.

(Photo: The U.S. Capitol building in Washington; Credit: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

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Newshour - US Senate Republicans narrowly pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ bill

The US Senate has narrowly approved President Trump's major tax and spending bill. The chamber was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, meaning the Vice President, JD Vance, cast the deciding vote. The legislation will now return to the House of Representatives.

Also, will the M23 militia "disarm and disengage" in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in line with the US brokered peace deal? We speak to Dr Massad Boulos, President Trump's Senior Advisor for Africa.

And the remarkable story of how a father and young daughter miraculously survived falling off a cruise ship.

(Photo: Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski supported the passage of the bill after intense negotiations. Credit: Getty Images)

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Focus on Africa - Why has polio re-emerged in Angola?

Angola was certified as polio-free in 2015, but is now combatting a new outbreak of the disease after several cases were reported in a Western province. What has caused the virus to come back?

A new report says Islamist militants are using Starlink technology to ramp up operational capabilities in Niger.

And why are South Sudanese women fashion's favourites and are being sought after on the catwalk?

Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Yvette Twagiramariya, Bella Hassan and Alfonso Daniels in London Senior Producers: Patricia Whitehorne and Richard Kagoe Technical Producer: Jonathan Greer Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

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Newshour - USAID cuts risk causing 14 million deaths -report

New research has predicted that more than 14 million of the world's most vulnerable people, a third of them small children, could die because of the Trump administration's dismantling of US foreign aid.

Also on the programme: Thailand's constitutional court has suspended the prime minister over comments she made in a leaked phone conversation; and US Senate Republican leaders are struggling to secure the 50 votes needed to pass President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”.

(Photo: People hold placards, as the USAID building sits closed to employees after a memo was issued advising agency personnel to work remotely, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2025. Credit: Reuters)