BBC NewsHour

Tensions spike in the Strait of Hormuz

Loading player...
There's been an escalation of the conflict in the Gulf after the US said it had sailed two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it had fired warning shots at one warship and denied US claims that two US-flagged merchant ships had transited the waterway. Iran has retaliated. The UAE says four cruise missiles were fired towards its territory and a drone hit the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.

Also, Cape Verde has refused docking permission to a cruise ship with a suspected outbreak of hantavirus; and Samsung pays a massive inheritance tax bill in South Korea - but do some super-rich companies dodge tax bills?

(Photo: Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, 4th May, 2026. Credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via Reuters)
4 May 5PM English United Kingdom News

Other recent episodes

Countries airlift nationals evacuated from virus-hit cruise ship

France's Prime Minister says that one of the passengers repatriated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship in the Atlantic has shown symptoms. The individual was among five French nationals flown back on Sunday from the MV Hondius, currently moored off Tenerife in Spain. Also in the programme: Iran says it has…
10 May 5PM 47 min

Spain evacuates virus-hit ship in Tenerife

The passengers of a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak have started leaving the vessel off the Spanish island of Tenerife. Five people were seen boarding a small boat, socially distanced from each other and wearing protective clothing and face masks. They were met by officials…
10 May 9AM 47 min

Hungary’s new prime minister sworn in

The new Hungarian prime minister, Péter Magyar, has given his first speech after being sworn into office. Addressing a square full of supporters waving Hungarian and EU flags, he vowed to 'change the government and the system', and end what he called 'decades of drifting'. Also in the programme: Russia…
9 May 5PM 47 min

Moscow's Victory Day parade held under ceasefire

Russia's annual Victory Day parade in Moscow coincided with a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, announced by President Trump. President Zelensky ordered his forces not to target the event, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany. It was much scaled back this year because of the war, with no…
9 May 9AM 47 min

UK PM says he won’t resign after local elections defeat

Britain’s Labour Party has suffered a historic defeat in local elections, with the right-wing Reform UK making big gains. Despite the loss, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he will not step down. We get reaction to the results from both a Labour MP and a Reform politician. Also in…
8 May 5PM 49 min
All episodes