Newshour

US officials say Israel hit Iran with a missile overnight on Friday, in what appears to be a retaliatory strike after weeks of escalating tensions between the two countries. There are competing claims about the scale of the attack on the Isfahan region and the extent of any damage, with Iranian state media downplaying its significance. It comes after weeks of soaring tensions between the regional rivals, which have already seen an Israeli attack on an Iranian compound in Syria, and Iran launch an unprecedented assault against Israel.

Also in the programme: we speak to Newshour's James Coomarasamy in Uttar Pradesh as voting has ended in the first phase of India's general election and we hear why so many of China's cities are sinking.

(Photo: Anti-Israel billboards in Tehran following explosions around central city of Isfahan, Iran- 19 Apr 2024. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Germany summons Russian ambassador over arrest of two men suspected of spying for Moscow. We’ll ask if Russian espionage activities are spreading across Europe.

Also in the programme, Washington reimposes partial sanctions on Venezuela; the animals in David Bowie’s music, but should nature get the royalties?

(Photo: Exterior of Russian embassy in Berlin; Credit: Shutterstock)

Qatar is reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, the country's prime minister has said. Qatar has had a key role - along with Egypt and the US - in trying to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of Israeli hostages. We also hear testimony from the ground in Gaza from Medical Aid for Palestinians and the experiences of an Israeli woman, Aviva Siegel who was taken hostage in October.

Also on the programme: Votes are counted in the Solomon Islands amid fears that some candidates are being influenced by Beijing; and the father and daughter who found the fossilised jawbone of what's thought to be the largest marine reptile ever to swim the seas.

(Picture: Palestinian women react as they sit on the rubble of a residential building housing their apartments, following an Israeli raid in the Gaza strip Credit: REUTERS/Doaa Rouqa)

As fighting continues between the Burmese military and rebels in Myanmar, young men are fleeing into Thailand to avoid the draft. We have a special report from the Thai border. And we ask why Myanmar's military government has moved the detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to house arrest.

Also in the programme: the speaker of the US House of Representatives says legislators will hold a long-awaited vote on billions of dollars of aid to Ukraine on Saturday; and Ecuador is suffering from power-cuts because drought is affecting its hydroelectric power generation

Photo: Myanmar people arrive at the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge checkpoint at the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Sot district. Credit: RUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

The BBC has discovered that the body count was nearly 25% higher than in the first year of the war. This overall death toll is eight times higher than the only official public acknowledgement of fatality numbers ever given by Moscow in September 2022.

Also on the programme: the military regime in Myanmar has moved the jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to house arrest; we ask why has Dubai suffered a years worth of rain in just a few hours? And we'll hear from actor Tom Hollander on what it's like to play the American writer Truman Capote.

(Picture: Mass grave for Russian soldiers near Mariupol. Credit: Reuters)

The Israeli military’s chief of staff said Tehran’s missile and drone attack would not go unanswered. But what could that look like? We speak to the former director of Israel’s spy agency, Mossad.

Also on the programme: UK politicians vote to ban anyone born after 2009 from ever being able to buy cigarettes, and as the Indian elections approach, how has life for women changed under Prime Minister Modi’s decade in power?

(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

President Modi has said that India is no longer seen as a nation of "snake charmers and black magic", thanks to the IT skills of its youth. But will this affect the election?

Also on the programme: one of Denmark's most historic buildings, the old stock exchange, is engulfed by fire; and is it even possible to select un unbiased jury when the accused is as famous as Donald Trump?

(Picture: An election poster of President Narendra Modi of India. Credit: Reuters)

Former US president Donald Trump begins what could be a six-week criminal trial in the US state of New York. The 77-year-old allegedly falsified business records to conceal hush-money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels. A pollster tells us what the trial’s political consequences might be for Mr Trump, who is seeking re-election to the White House later this year.

Also in the programme: Israel’s war cabinet meets for the second day following Iran’s attempted strikes on the nation at the weekend. We hear from a journalist in Tel Aviv for updates; and as Sudan marks one year of war, donors gathered in Paris pledge €2billion in aid.

(Photo: Former US President Donald Trump attends trial in New York City. Credit: Michael Nagle/Pool via Reuters)

An Iranian spokesman said the strikes, involving more than 300 missiles and drones, were a limited act of self-defence. Israel's allies have been urging restraint. We hear from the Israeli government. We also hear from a view from Qatar, a country in the region which has retained diplomatic ties with both Iran and Israel.

Also on the programme: India's general election is underway,. We head to Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, in the southern state of Karnataka where President Modi's BJP party is hoping to make gains. And today sees former President Donald Trump's trial for allegedly concealing payments to the former porn star Stormy Daniels get underway in New York.

(Photo: Anti Western protesters in Tehran. Credit: Reuters)

A hastily arranged meeting of G7 leaders called by President Biden has urged restraint from all sides after Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu has been chairing a meeting of Israel's war cabinet. Iran says there will be a bigger response in the event of Israeli retaliation.

In tonight's programme, we bring you the latest from Tehran, Jerusalem and Washington.

(Photo: The Americans helped Israel greatly in defending against Iran's missile attacks, and in return want restraint. Credit: Reuters)

Israel says it and its allies have intercepted the vast majority of more than 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran. Israel's Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant, has said the confrontation with Iran is “not over yet". Iran said the attack "achieved all its objectives" and added it would use greater force if Israel responded in kind. In a programme dominated by this story, we hear from Israel, Iran and the United States.

(Photo: Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle is pictured at an air base, said to be following an interception mission of an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel, in this handout image released April 14, 2024. Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Reuters. This image has been supplied by a third party. Image blurred at source)

The long-awaited political council has been put in charge in Haiti where armed gangs remain in control of the capital. We speak to a member of the new group nominally in charge.

Also on the programme: The Israeli military says Iran has launched a wave of drones towards Israel; and the interpreter for the Japanese baseball star, Shohei Ohtani, has surrendered to authorities after he was accused of stealing $16 million from the player.

(Photo: Police officers take part in an operation on the surroundings of the National Penitentiary following a fire. Credit: Reuters)

A man has fatally stabbed six people at a Sydney shopping centre on Saturday. The police said the attacker "acted alone" that there is "no continuing threat" to the public.

Also in the programme: as India’s general election starts next week with PM Narendra Modi expected to win a third term, we ask what his victory could mean to the world; and the efforts to keep a language known as Vlaski alive.

(Photo: Tactical Response officers are seen outside Westfield Bondi Junction after a stabbing attack inside a shopping centre. Credit: EFE).

Unseasonably warm temperatures in southern Russia and Kazakhstan have triggered fast-melting snow, causing unprecedented high rivers and flooding close to major cities. We speak to residents in Kazakhstan's badly affected areas.

Also in the programme: Arizona Supreme Court reinstates near-total abortion ban from 1864; and we hear about the contentious reform adopted by the EU parliament to adopt stricter migration rules and shared responsibility.

(Photo: KAZAKHSTAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The Israeli military has recovered the body of a hostage in Gaza. It accused the Islamic Jihad group of murdering Elad Katzir, who was snatched from a kibbutz in southern Israel during the Hamas attacks in October. His sister blamed the Israeli government for his death, saying it had failed to strike a second ceasefire deal to allow his release. There have also been protests in Israel demanding the release of all the remaining hostages in Gaza.

It’s six months since the beginning of the war in Gaza – we speak to our chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet in Jerusalem. Also on the programme: Ecuador sparks international outrage by storming the Mexican Embassy in Quito; and why boxing icon Muhammed Ali's shorts might sell at auction for six million dollars.

Picture: People attend protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, calling for the release of the hostages in Gaza. Credit: Hannah McKay/Reteurs)

Aid organisations have stressed the need for an independent investigation into the deadly Israeli drone strike on an aid convoy after the IDF published its first account of the event.

Also in the programme: The BBC's analysis of Israel's evacuation warnings in Gaza; we remember the Nirvana singer, Kurt Cobain, thirty years after his death; and will a new currency stabilise Zimbabwe's economy?

(Photo: Clothes of members of the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) inside their destroyed car in southern Gaza Strip. Credit: EPA).