Intro

US-born Robert Prevost, who once lived as a bishop in Peru, has been chosen as the new pope. It marks the first time an American man will serve as the leader of the Catholic Church. We hear from the BBC’s Mark Lowen at the Vatican and get reaction from the US on this historic day.

Also in the programme: we speak to billionaire Bill Gates who says he will give most of his wealth away by 2045; and on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we hear the memories of a woman who lived through the Blitz in London.

(Photo: Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost of the US, delivers the "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and to the world) message from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, 8th May 2025. Credit: Yara Nardi, REUTERS.