SATURDAY 27 MARCH 2021

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7jxw6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 The Real Story (w3cszcpg)
Covid mutants: What are the risks?

A year into the Covid crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week announced her country was facing what amounts to ‘a new pandemic’. “The mutation from Great Britain has taken over,” she warned. “It is clearly more lethal, more contagious, and contagious longer.” Even in countries where attempts to vaccinate the population are continuing at pace, the threat from mutant variants that have shown a greater ability than the original pathogen to evade vaccines is threatening any recovery. The US Centers for Disease Control this week warned that variants now dominate cases in California, and that increased air travel for spring break - combined with a rise in the number of states easing mask and social distancing mandates - may result in another surge. The UK hopes to curb the spread of variants as part of its roadmap to reopening, but in the last week an adviser to Boris Johnson’s government warned that any return to international travel was “unlikely” given the threat new mutations pose. So how long will Covid variants rule our lives and what can be done to curb their influence? Paul Henley is joined by a panel of experts.


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7k1mb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 Business Matters (w172x199nxlb8q7)
Suez Canal blockage causes backlog in the Red Sea

The Ever Given container ship has been stuck since Tuesday despite efforts to move it, and a backlog of ships waiting to pass through it continues to grow. Rose George travelled along the Suez Canal when researching her 2013 book 'Ninety Percent of Everything' and tells us more about the world of container shipping.
We hear from Dorothy Brown, a law professor at Emory University, whose book 'The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans — And How We Can Fix It' explains how America's tax system is weighted towards white people.
Also in the programme, as Bangladesh marks 50 years of independence, we take a closer look at its garments industry. Vidya Ambrin Khan tells us about the factory she runs that was set up by her father in the 1970s, and reflects on the impact of the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013, in which more than 1,000 garment workers died. And we hear from Rubana Haq, president of the Bangladesh Garment Makers Association, what impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the sector.

Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by Sharon Brettkelly of Radio New Zealand.

(Picture: The Ever Given container ship from above. Picture credit: Maxar Technologies)


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7k5cg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3csz9r1)
Poland’s rainbow families under threat

Pascale Harter introduces analysis, reportage and personal reflections from correspondents around the world.

In Poland, the government is trying to make it impossible for same-sex couples to adopt children, by closing a loophole which allowed people to apply as single parents. The move is part of a growing, government-backed crusade against the rights of sexual minorities which puts the country at odds with the European Union. President Andrzej Duda has condemned gay rights campaigners for promoting an ideology he described as “more dangerous than communism” and many Poles are afraid says Adam Easton.

Next Joel Greenberg goes to the polls in Israel, where people voted in a general election this week - their fourth such vote in two years. Neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor his challengers secured a governing majority in parliament. Some analysts say the stalemate is further alienating many Israelis from what they see as a dysfunctional political system.

Racism and physical attacks against Asians in the United States have been fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic. How is California – where the largest population of Asian Americans live – coping with the recent spike in hate crimes?

Finally as Venezuelans struggle through the country’s economic collapse, Vladimir Hernandez in Nairobi reflects on the troubled Latin American country’s diaspora. He tells us how those who left in search of a better future are staying connected to home – and what it feels like to get a text message in the middle of the night when you feel powerless to help.


(Poster depicting the Virgin Mary with a rainbow halo – Polish LGBT activists were found not guilty of offending religious feelings over the painting. Credit: Reuters/Kacper Pempel)


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172x5q65nv7jmv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3cszhkq)
Can Kapil Dev’s stardust lift Indian golf?

On this week’s episode, Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Jim Maxwell speak to one of the greatest Indian cricketers of all time, Kapil Dev, about his new role on the board of the Professional Golf Tour of India, and his hopes for creating golf's version of T20 cricket. The team relive the fairytale story of Sri Lanka's win at the Cricket World Cup, 25 years on. And in honour of David "Bumble" Lloyd having a street named after him in his hometown, we talk about the streets and buildings in India and Australia, which have been named after legendary cricketers.

Photo: Former cricketer Kapil Dev in action during an interview about the upcoming film based on 1983 Cricket World Cup. (Credit: Hindustan Times via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7k93l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 The Fifth Floor (w3cszjjl)
Remembering a Zulu king

King Goodwill Zwelithini, who died two weeks ago, led the Zulu people for fifty years, gaining both praise and criticism for the way he ruled. Pumza Fihlani of BBC Africa went to his funeral and discusses the significance of the Zulu king.

Ukraine's Eurovision entry
This year's Eurovision entry from Ukraine sounds like a super modern dance track. But the lyrics are a traditional folk song, sung to usher in spring. Roman Lebed of BBC Ukrainian tells us more.

Nepal’s women masons
BBC Marathi’s Mayuresh Konnur has visited Nepal’s Gurkha district, near the epicentre of the 2015 earthquake, to meet some of the country’s new female masons enlisted to help rebuild the country.   

Egypt's mother of feminism remembered
Nawal El Saadawi was one of the most outspoken feminists in the Arab world, fearlessly commenting on religion, sex and FGM. The BBC's Sally Nabil joins us in the week after her death to discuss her life and legacy.

Sri Lankan babies sold abroad for adoption
The Netherlands has suspended adoptions from abroad after uncovering violations in how they were arranged. The BBC's Saroj Pathirana has spoken to birth mothers in Sri Lanka and adoptees in the Netherlands, now grown up and trying to discover their origins.

Image: Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, dressed in traditional Zulu warrior outfit in August 2000
Credit: RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP via Getty Images


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3cszmwg)
The fight against slavery in Mauritania

Mauritania has a long history of slavery – and a long history of struggle against it. Since the 1960s, slaves and their descendants have campaigned to end this practice, which is deeply embedded in Mauritanian society. In this Witness History, Josephine Casserly hears the story of Brahim Bilal Ramdhane, who was born into slavery in the 1960s and is now a prominent abolitionist.


People hold a banner reading "No to slavery" during a demonstration against discrimination in Nouakchott on April 29, 2015. Credit: AFP via Getty Images


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7kdvq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 The Real Story (w3cszcpg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7kjlv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct19zg)
Coronavirus: Homelessness

The coronavirus has changed almost everyone’s lives and for some losing their jobs has led to homelessness. Edward in the United States had to sleep in the New York subway and train stations before finding help from a mission, while Walter spent five months homeless in South Africa - even for a stint, on the famous Table Mountain.

Italy is facing the prospect of another total shutdown, little more than a year after it became the first country in Europe to introduce a national lockdown. Host Nuala McGovern hears how families in Rome are approaching the renewed restrictions.

Nuala also considers the future workplace and how the pandemic has been good for robots. Two robotics experts in Denmark and Switzerland discuss why they believe the increasing use of robots doing jobs in the future is to be welcomed rather than feared - especially when it comes to reducing infection from Covid-19.

(Photo: Walter Nyanmugama. Credit: Walter Nyanmugama )


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172x5q65nv7ww7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Trending (w3ct2dmc)
The Anti-Vax Files

France’s misinformation fight

France is one of the most vaccine sceptical countries in the world. A recent poll suggests just 40% of French people intend to take a Covid-19 vaccine, but what's fuelling the doubt?

We meet the superstar doctor whose anti-authoritarian zeal has inspired an army of devotees, and the conspiracy obsessed shaman with a huge following on social media.

Plus, the activists staging a fightback. “Marie” runs a pro-vaccine Facebook group aimed at countering disinformation but wants to remain anonymous following a string of death threats. And Tristan Mendes France works with the team behind “Conspiracy Watch”, a site that keeps a close eye on the spread of toxic information online.

Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Sam Judah


SAT 05:50 Ros Atkins on ... (w3ct24jm)
Joe Biden's border challenge

As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden promised a more humane approach to migration on the US-Mexico border. But right now, more than 17,000 unaccompanied children are being held in migration facilities. Ros Atkins considers the challenge facing the Biden administration

(Photo: Dareli Matamoros, a girl from Honduras, holds a sign asking President Biden to let her in during a migrant demonstration demanding clearer United States migration policies. Credit: Guillermo Arias/Getty Images)


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7knbz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172x7dcm9lj0mp)
Myanmar's military leader justifies coup

The leader of Myanmar's military regime has used an annual armed forces parade to defend its seizure of power.

Also, after months of denial, Ethiopia's Prime Minister admits to the presence of Eritrean troops in its northern Tigray region.

Plus, President Biden condemns an electoral law in the state of Georgia as a clear attempt to stop Black people from voting.

And France salutes the humble baguette, giving it status as a key part of its cultural heritage.

Joining Celia Hatton to discuss these and other issues are Verashni Pillay, a South African journalist and founder of the Explain news portal; and David Robert Grimes, an Irish physicist, cancer researcher and science author.

(Picture: Myanmar's junta chief, General Min Aung Hlaing, presides over a parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7ks33)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172x7dcm9lj4ct)
South Africa's fight against coronavirus

The South African government's former chief medical advisor, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, on his country's bid to fight the coronavirus.

Also, Myanmar's military regime has used an annual military parade marking Armed Forces Day to defend its seizure of power and to give a stark warning to protesters.

Joining Celia Hatton to discuss these and other issues are Verashni Pillay, a South African journalist and founder of the Explain news portal; and David Robert Grimes, an Irish physicist, cancer researcher and science author.

(Picture: South African scientist, epidemiologist, Professor Salim Abdool Karim. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7kwv7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172x7dcm9lj83y)
Several killed in protests in Myanmar

Latest reports suggest that several protesters have been killed in Myanmar as the regime uses an annual military parade marking Armed Forces Day to defend its seizure of power, and to give a stark warning to protesters.

Also, what impact might a withdrawal of Eritrean troops from the Ethiopian region of Tigray have on the conflict there?

Joining Celia Hatton to discuss these and other issues are Verashni Pillay, a South African journalist and founder of the Explain news portal; and David Robert Grimes, an Irish physicist, cancer researcher and science author.

(Picture: Smoke rises over Thaketa township in Yangon, as security forces continue to crackdown on protests against the military coup. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172x5q65nv883m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:32 When Katty Met Carlos (w3ct21m4)
#MeToo today with Rose McGowan

It was in 2017, with numerous allegations against Harvey Weinstein, that #MeToo went viral around the world.

One of the most outspoken people was the actress Rose McGowan, who accused Weinstein of raping her. A number of other women also accused the disgraced movie producer. He was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison in February 2020.

Katty Kay and Carlos Watson speak to Rose McGowan about her personal story, and what drove her to speak out and “fight the system.” They also discuss what more needs to be done to prevent sexual abuse – of girls and women, and of boys and men.

A co-production from the BBC World Service and OZY Media.


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7l0lc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct19zg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:06 today]


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172x5q65nv8cvr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 I'm Not A Monster (w3ct1z6h)
I'm Not a Monster

27/03/2021 GMT

An American mother living in the heart of the ISIS caliphate. Her husband an ISIS sniper. Her 10-year-old son forced to threaten the U.S. president in a propaganda video shown around the world. She claims she was tricked into taking her young children to war-torn Syria, but where does her account end and the truth begin? Over four years journalist Josh Baker unravels a dangerous story where nothing is as it seems. From the depths of Raqqa’s infamous torture prison to an elk hunt in Idaho, he uncovers secrets, lies and the lasting consequences.

I’m Not A Monster is the story of one family’s journey from Indiana to the Islamic State group and back.


SAT 09:50 Over to You (w3cszf5v)
Listeners react to the 'virtual' arts festival

Listeners tell us what they think of The Arts Festival programmes on the BBC World Service and the commissioning editor reveals what lessons were learned.
Plus, good news for fans of The Newsroom - two of the show’s missing daily editions return!

Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Howard Shannon


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7l4bh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Sportshour (w172x3cbl1x2y46)
From tackling strikers to tackling cancer – Rebekah Stott’s off pitch challenge

We hear from New Zealand and Brighton defender Rebekah Stott in the week she started chemotherapy for Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Stott tells us she’s undergone IVF treatment to give her the option of having children in the future, given the severity of the treatment she’s facing. She tells us about having learned of her diagnosis while in hotel quarantine in Australia and discusses her plans to take control of the situation by shaving off her hair for charity. Stott is hopeful of playing again for Brighton in January and reveals her aim to play in the 2023 World Cup on home soil.

We look at the rise in violence against Asians and Asian Americans in the United States during the Coronavirus pandemic. Cynthia Choi from the group, Stop Asian American and Pacific Island Hate, and Tim Kawakami from the Athletic join us to discuss the situation. Tim has written a column entitled “The Attacks on Asian Americans are attacks on us all,“ and he explains the significance of basketball star Jeremy Lin speaking out on the issue. Cynthia’s group was formed in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, and they documented almost 4,000 hate crimes against their community in the past 12 months.

American football cornerback Josh Norman joins us to discuss his charitable works and whether he has a future in the NFL. Norman – who played for the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 – is currently a free agent, having spent last season with the Buffalo Bills. He’s raised over a million dollars to open a youth centre in his hometown in South Carolina. In addition to his work at home, he raised money to support business hit by the covid pandemic in Buffalo and visited camps housing migrant children at a detention centre in Dallas.

The BBC’s Jennie Gow joins us on the opening weekend of the new Formula One season, and former England defender Lindsay Johnson joins us as Manchester United’s women’s team prepare to make club history playing on the hallowed Old Trafford turf for the first time.

Photo: Canberra United and Sydney FC players pose with a banner supporting New Zealand defender Rebekah Stott ahead of her treatment for cancer. (Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7l82m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172x7bqqvd50hr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172x5q65nv8mc0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Comedians Vs. The News (w3ct21mm)
Ray Badran and Sikisa

Brilliant comedians from around the world join Jess Salomon and Eman El-Husseini to take on the global headlines.

This week, Jess and Eman are joined by Australian comedian Ray Badran and British stand-up Sikisa.

They’ll be finding out why Barbados wants to split up with the British Queen and asking why kangaroos have been swimming through Sydney.



(Photo: Ray Badran, credit: Tom Wilkinson; Sikisa, credit: Adrian Tauss/Swiss Chocolate Pictures)


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7lctr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 Music Life (w3csz6vd)
The disappearing album with Eyedress, Dâm-Funk, Jessica Pratt and Low Leaf

Eyedress, Dâm-Funk, Low Leaf and Jessica Pratt discuss how the toughest times they’ve been through inspired their music, how horror films influence their sounds, and the most special moments in their careers.

Eyedress is a musician and producer, born and raised in Manilla in the Philippines, and now based in LA. His sound encompasses everything from synth-pop to R&B and shoegaze.

The ‘modern funk’ king Damon Riddick, aka Dâm-Funk, is a musician, vocalist and producer who blends everything from P-Funk to computer-game inspired soundtracks. He’s released a number of critically acclaimed albums, and collaborated with the likes of Tyler the Creator, Snoop Dogg, and Christine & the Queens.

Low Leaf is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer and producer. Classically trained in piano as a child, her Filipino roots and DIY recordings fuse traditional and digital sounds. She’s a self-taught producer and can play the guitar and harp.

And Jessica Pratt is a Folk artist, whose acoustic guitar melodies and voice are a truly special thing. She’s toured the world with artists like Real Estate and Julia Holter, and has released three studio albums thus far.


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7lhkw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172x2z86gr8p6g)
Myanmar: bloodiest day of coup yet

Security forces in Myanmar are reported to have killed at least sixty people amid tense confrontations on Armed Forces Day. We hear from a protester detained for three weeks and recently released from prison.

Also in the programme: vaccine sceptics in France and have we seen the coldest storm cloud ever?

(Picture: Detail of a demonstrator's tattoo showing Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, 27 March. Credit: EPA)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7lmb0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172x3lqkmb94zb)
Latest from AFCON Qualifiers and previewing Tokyo 2020 again

John Bennett and the Sportsworld team look back on the Premier League season so far, who will come out on top in the Women's Champions League and the favourites for the European Championships.

Plus, Sportsworld brings you two special documentary's about how Sri Lanka won the 1996 World Cup. Members from the victorious squad recall their favourite memories from that unexpected victory. And what next for Tokyo 2020, we bring an expert panel together to preview the Olympic and Paralympics for second time.


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7m39j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172x7bqqvd5vqn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172x5q65nv9gkx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 When Katty Met Carlos (w3ct21m4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7m71n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Evidence (w3ct2czw)
Coronavirus: The Evidence

Mental health and the pandemic

Year two of the pandemic, and in tandem with rising rates of illness, death, acute economic shock and restrictions on everyday life, mental health problems have risen too.

Claudia Hammond and her panel of global experts answer listeners’ questions about the pandemic of mental illness and distress, and find out which groups have been hardest hit.

Children and young people were at low risk from the virus itself, but their lives have been upended as societies have locked down. Older people too have suffered loneliness and isolation as they have tried to keep themselves safe.

What does the evidence show about the true scale of suffering, and what can we learn from other countries about the best way to support those in real distress and bolster resilience within communities?

Claudia hears from Giulia in Brazil about her struggles with anxiety and from Mohsen in Tehran, Iran, about the techniques he is using to cope with anxiety and depression following the serious illness of himself and his family from the virus.

Her global panel of experts includes Dr Lola Kola, a mental health specialist and Assistant Director at the WHO Collaborating Centre at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, one of the authors of a major review of the mental health impacts of the pandemic in low and medium income countries published last month in Lancet Psychiatry; Andrew Steptoe, Professor of Psychology and Epidemiology at University College London in the UK, leading the UK Social Study, the world’s largest study into the mental health impact of the pandemic during the longest enforced isolation in living history; Cathy Creswell, Professor of Developmental Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford in the UK, is head of the Co-Space Study, tracking how parents and children are coping during this pandemic; and Steven Taylor is a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Steven specialises in anxiety disorders, and just before the pandemic, he published a book, called The Psychology of Pandemics.

Production team: Fiona Hill, Samara Linton and Maria Simons
Editor: Deborah Cohen
Technical support: Giles Aspen and Bob Nettles

Picture: Young men wearing protective mask to Protect Against Covid-19, Credit: Visoot Uthairam/Getty Images


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7mbss)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3cszk4c)
Film-maker Chloe Zhao

Film-maker Chloe Zhao explains how she developed her Oscar-nominated movie Nomadland and the character of Fern played by Frances McDormand.

Coming 2 America’s Eddie Murphy on why he can’t seem to stay out of the movie make-up chair.

Da 5 Bloods scene-stealing actor Delroy Lindo talks about the moment he knew he wanted to be an actor.

Indian actor Pooja Bhatt and director Alankrita Shrivastava discuss their hit TV series Bombay Begums.

Jamaican writer Kei Miller reveals how his poetry reflects his multiple identities.

British Bengali singer Joy Crookes marks the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh with a classic Bengali song.

And Nikki Bedi talks to Nigerian film-maker Desmond Ovbiagele about his award-winning film The Milkmaid, which explores the human cost of religious extremism; and to film critic Rhianna Dhillon.

(Photo: Chloe Zhao. Credit: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7mgjx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172x2z86gr9n5h)
Myanmar sees deadliest violence since coup began

The lethal crackdown came as protesters defied warnings and took to the streets on the annual Armed Forces Day. We'll hear from the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews. Also in the programme: Islamist militants have seized the town of Palma in northern Mozambique, the country's army has reportedly withdrawn from the town; and we'll go back to one woman we spoke to at the start of the UK's lockdown about how the past year affected her addiction.

(Photo: A demonstrator flashes the three-finger salute during a protest against the military coup in Mandalay, Myanmar, 27 March 2021. Credit: EPA/STRINGER)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7ml91)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172x79x93sj18w)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:20 Sports News (w172x3fsx7q6b7q)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172x5q65nv9ykf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct29c1)
Creating life after death

Everyone tells five-year-old Shira Malka she looks just like her dad. She has his green eyes. But she’s never met him, because he died seven years before she was born. Shira was conceived through posthumous reproduction, where a child is created from the frozen sperm or eggs of a person who has died. The practice is banned in some places, tightly restricted in others. But Israel - a country that leads the world in assisted reproduction - is testing the boundaries on allowing this new method of family creation.

Shira is a one of a small but growing number of children to be born through posthumous reproduction in Israel over the last two decades. Her grandmother, Julia Pozniansky describes how she struggled for seven years to fulfil her son’s dying wish to father a child and leave her a grandchild. She was helped by Irit Rosenblum, a family lawyer who specialises in these cases and has even created a legal tool document she called the ‘Biological Will’ that enables people to express their wishes about becoming a parent after death. Shira’s mother, Liat Malka discusses why posthumous reproduction was a good alternative for her to anonymous sperm donation. Irit is adamant that the state should be removing barriers to the practice and instead allowing those who die, and their bereaved loved ones, to continue their legacy. But the practice does have its critics and has generated headlines and national debate. Israeli bioethicist Vardit Ravitsky - professor at the University of Montreal and the President of the International Association of Bioethics - explores the ethical arguments on both sides of the issue, and describes how Israeli culture and Jewish tradition have allowed the country to become ‘a unique pressure cooker for allowing reproduction’. She debates the subject with the fiercest critic she knows - her son.

Producer/presenter: Viv Jones
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Photo: Shira and Liat Malka, courtesy of the family)


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172x5pcqy7mq15)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 Business Weekly (w3ct0sq3)
Traffic jam in the Suez

As a giant container ship gets stuck in the Suez canal, we examine at the vital role the waterway plays in global shipping. We also hear from Chicago, where reparations are being made to black residents after years of segregation. African Americans have lost thousands in personal wealth due to the policy of redlining. Our chief environment correspondent investigates a leaked letter from China - suggesting it's preparing to embark on greener policies. And we’ll be talking space junk with astrophysicist Becky Smethurst.

Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Szu Ping Chan.

Picture: The Ever Given container ship pictured in the Suez Canal, Egypt (Credit: PA)