logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
36m 11s

Northern Ireland Deal, Musk’s Brain Chip...

BBC News
About this episode

Today, we look at the agreement to return to power sharing in Northern Ireland, Elon Musk’s claim that his company have implanted a brain chip into a human + why a woman claimed to be Madeleine McCann on social media.

After almost 2 years without a government, the DUP have backed a deal to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland. They had previously blocked a government being formed over post-Brexit trade agreements, fearing that customs checks in the Irish Sea could weaken their place in the union. Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill, who is set to be the first nationalist first minister, said it was a “day of optimism”.

And Elon Musk says his company Neuralink has successfully implanted a computer chip inside a human brain. Why? James is joined by Neuroscientist, Professor Anil Seth.

Plus we hear from the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, who has been speaking to a woman who claimed to be Madeline McCann. You can hear more on her new podcast series - Why Do You Hate Me? You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by James Cook. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Sam McLaren and Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The assistant editor was Chris Gray. The senior news editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Up next
Oct 8
Conservative Conference: Kemi Badenoch’s Career Saving Speech?
Today, Kemi Badenoch gave a speech at the Conservative party conference. Adam, Chris, and Henry Zeffman were listening and give their immediate reaction.She announced a flurry of new policies, including abolishing stamp duty and introducing a fiscal “golden rule”. Did she manage ... Show More
34m 30s
Oct 7
Conservative Conference: “It’s Tough Being A Tory”
Today, how much political danger are the Conservative party in?Adam and Chris are at Conservative party conference in Manchester where some comments from shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick have dominated the headlines. In a recording reportedly made during a dinner and publi ... Show More
38m 39s
Oct 6
Will Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Work?
Today, negotiators from Israel and Hamas head to Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt to start indirect talks over an end to the Israel-Gaza war. It appears this is the closest both sides have come to a deal since the war began two years ago. But Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan - which Is ... Show More
37m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2023
When Access All took over Newscast
Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey, who are standing in for Adam, speak to actor and SNP member Brian Cox about Nicola Sturgeon’s departure, and who he would like to see in charge of the party.And as Rishi Sunak travels to Belfast to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol, they get the lat ... Show More
33m 4s
Mar 2023
Elon Musk And The Twitter Trolls
Twitter insiders have told the BBC that the company is now much less able to protect users from trolling, state-co-ordinated disinformation and child sexual exploitation. Marianna takes the rest of the Americast team though her BBC Panorama investigation into how one of the world ... Show More
41m 43s
Oct 2022
Trying to make sense of the UK economic mess
What's happening in the UK right now has heads spinning around the globe. New Prime Minister Liz Truss is already scrambling to survive. Her new chancellor Jeremy Hunt today brought down the axe on nearly all of her tax-cutting plan after it sent the markets spiraling. To make se ... Show More
54m 56s
Dec 2023
News Review of the Year
Amol and Nick review the year in news, featuring the biggest moments and their favourite interviews from the Today programme in 2023. They’re joined by some familiar voices including Chris Mason, Martha Kearney and friend of the pod, statistician Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter. Wit ... Show More
51m 22s
Apr 2024
Where’s the money coming from?
In an interview with Nick on Radio 4’s Today this week, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined how Labour would try to plug the gap in NHS funding. The interview raised big political and economic questions about the state of the nation’s finances ahead of the next general elect ... Show More
1 h
Jan 2024
Is democracy dying?
Why are younger voters around the world turning their back on democracy in favour of strongman leaders who are prepared to defy parliaments?In a year when more than two billion people in 50 countries will go to the polls – the biggest global election year in history – Amol and Ni ... Show More
47m 54s
Feb 2024
Sweden set to join the Nato club
Sweden is set to become a Nato member, the UK Financial Conduct Authority is planning to name firms under investigation at a much earlier stage, and Microsoft has struck a deal with a French artificial intelligence start-up to broaden its involvement in the industry beyond OpenAI ... Show More
9m 19s
Feb 2024
Out Of Koch Money
Tuesday, February 27th, 2024Today, Ken Chesebro concealed secret Twitter account communications from Michigan prosecutors; Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has asked for a gag order in the upcoming election interference hush money trial of Donald Trump; Russia tied hackers issue a ransom ... Show More
38m 13s
Feb 2024
Will Young: popstar to politician? Plus Westminster ceasefire row
Nish and guest co-presenter Liz Bates set the scene on what went on to become a chaotic night  in the Commons, that put speaker Lindsay Hoyle’s job at risk. They call out the “pathetic and petty” political game playing that sought to use the suffering of people in Gaza to embarra ... Show More
56m 22s
Feb 2024
The Post Office scandal - more trouble on the Horizon?
The former chair of the Post Office, Henry Staunton, who was dismissed last month, claims he was told by a top civil servant to "hobble into the election" and delay payouts to sub-postmasters, in a newly released memo. But Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch told MPs there's "no evi ... Show More
22m 46s