SATURDAY 04 DECEMBER 2021

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhy6p8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 The Real Story (w3ct1htf)
Omicron: Did Africa get a raw deal?

The emergence of the Omicron variant has once again highlighted the difficulty in preventing the pandemic from spreading across the globe. Health experts have long argued that regions like southern Africa, where the variant was first detected, are prone to dangerous mutations of the virus when large groups of people are left unvaccinated. Only a tenth of Africa's billion plus population have received their first dose and the continent is yet to create its own Covid vaccines. African nations are reliant on vaccines from the international alliance Covax but the supply is far less than what's required. Meanwhile many on the continent have opted to pursue traditional remedies, with some denying the existence of the virus altogether. So what's the road ahead for Africa as it tries to overcome the pandemic? What sort of public engagement is required to reduce vaccine hesitancy? And how is the fight against Covid made more difficult by other health emergencies?

Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of experts.
Producers: Paul Schuster and Junaid Ahmed.


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhybfd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 World Business Report (w172xzlk3vq9yln)
US jobs report misses expectations

The BBC's Samira Hussain tells us about the latest US employment figures, which missed expectations - and Chris Low from FHN Financial tells us how the damp figures effected the stock markets. Mike Johnson reports on what's been described as the Great Resignation, where people are quitting their jobs in record numbers, and asks whether it is a permanent change in how we think about work. We hear from the CEO of Visa about how the pandemic has accelerated our move away from cash. And finally, an election is under way in The Gambia - Esau Williams is there to update us on the biggest economic issues on the minds of the population: youth unemployment and foreign fishing boats, seen as preventing locals' chances at a better life.

Hosted by Vivienne Nunis and produced by Faarea Masud.

(Image: General Motors employees help guide applicants through the process during a job fair. Credit: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172xzkqp43mpps)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 WorklifeIndia (w3ct2f45)
How is talent migration affecting India’s workforce?

Resignations in many countries have gathered pace and made headlines around the world. More than 4.3 million workers quit their jobs in the US in August alone.

The pandemic has been a key reason why many in India have also decided to reconsider their choice of career. According to studies, nearly 68% of people in India want to switch their industries, and more than 50% of workers want to try something in which they have little to no experience.

But how easy or difficult is it to make the switch to an entirely new skillset? What is driving this migration of talent across sectors? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how talent migration is affecting India’s job market and the workforce.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Tushar Verma, travel influencer and co-founder, Untouched Lands; Akshita Wadhwana, founder and director, The Empty Crate Company; Rajneesh Singh, managing partner, SimplyHR Solutions


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhyg5j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172xyxtw2n124s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172xzkqp43mtfx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct1lcg)
Ramiz Raja on the future of Pakistan cricket

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma are joined by the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Ramiz Raja to discuss their run in the men’s T20 World Cup. He tells us that he spoke to captain Babar Azam about how to get India player Rohit Sharma out and what more needs to be done to ensure they win a final soon. Plus he shares his hopes for a women’s Pakistan Super League and how the decision by England and New Zealand to call off their tours made them feel 'used and binned'.

Plus we look ahead to the men’s Ashes series, debate team selection and give our series predictions.

Photo: Newly-elected Pakistan's Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and former team captain Ramiz Raja smiles after addressing a press conference at the cricket academy in Lahore on September 13, 2021. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP) (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhykxn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 The Fifth Floor (w3ct20fy)
China surveillance system unpicked

The use of surveillance systems in China is not new, but a recent document published by local authorities in the province of Henan gave explicit details of a traffic light system, targeting international students and journalists, among others. Howard Zhang, from BBC Chinese tells us more.

Siberian husky or Andean fox?
A Peruvian family in Lima bought a puppy they believed was a Siberian Husky. But when Run Run began eating the neighbours' chickens and guinea pigs they realised something was wrong, as BBC Mundo contributor Martin Riepl explains.

Why it's hard to recruit women to Liberia's army
Liberia is trying to recruit 200 women to join the army. There are no shortage of takers - 7,000 turned out for a training event - but historically it's proved hard to find women who make the grade, as BBC Africa stringer Jonathan Paye-Leyleh in Monrovia reports.

Luxor's Avenue of the Sphinxes
Pharaonic chariots and massed ranks of performers featured in the lavish ceremony to mark the reopening of the 3,000 year old Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor, Egypt. Reda Al Mawy of BBC Arabic explains the history, and modern day relevance, of the site.

Deportivo Palestino's going home
In 1920 Palestinian immigrants in Chile founded the 'Deportivo Palestino' football club in Santiago. A century later the club has opened its first training academy in Ramallah, in the Palestinian Territories. BBC Arabic reporter Alaa Deraghme and BBC Mundo contributor Paula Molina tells us more about the club’s history and new venture.

(Photo: Man setting up a camera. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct1wzk)
Derek Jarman

One of the first high-profile artists to speak openly about having Aids was the British experimental film-maker, Derek Jarman. Jarman had made his name in the 1970s by directing Sebastiane, the first openly gay film in British cinema history. Vincent Dowd speaks to Keith Collins who lived with Jarman during his final years, and cared for him up to his death in 1994.

(Photo: Derek Jarman. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhypns)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 The Reith Lectures (w3ct2zp9)
What is AI and should we fear it?

In the first lecture, Stuart Russell, professor of Computer Science and founder of the Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence at the University of California, Berkeley, reflects on the birth of AI, tracing our thinking about it back to Aristotle. He will outline the definition of AI, its successes and failures, and potential risks for the future. Why do we often fear the potential of AI?

Referencing the representation of AI systems in film and popular culture, Russell will examine whether our fears are well founded. As professor Stephen Hawking said in 2014, “Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.” Russell will ask how those risks arise and whether they can be avoided, allowing humanity and AI to coexist successfully.

The lectures examine what Russell argues is the most profound change in human history as the world becomes increasingly reliant on super-powerful AI. Examining the impact of AI on jobs, military conflict and human behaviour, Russell argues that our current approach to AI is wrong and that if we continue down this path, we will have less and less control over AI at the same time as it has an increasing impact on our lives. How can we ensure machines do the right thing? The lectures suggest a way forward based on a new model for AI, one based on machines that learn about and defer to human preferences.

The lectures are chaired by presenter, journalist and author, Anita Anand.


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhytdx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172xyxtw2n1fd5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172xzkqp43n5p9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Trending (w3ct2yqq)
The Denial Files

7. The truth behind Saudi’s eco-city

Saudi Arabia, one of the world's biggest oil producers, says it’s pivoting to green energy. It has a host of big projects and initiatives. But will reality live up to the country’s rhetoric? And why do some activists say they’ve become victims of the government’s grand plans?

We’ve been looking at online chatter and PR campaigns pushing the country’s green credentials. At the same time, experts say Saudi officials are trying to secure the future of the country’s huge fossil fuel energy industry.

And we hear from an activist who’s fighting on behalf of people displaced by NEOM, a brand new futuristic eco-city in the middle of the desert.

Trending and BBC Arabic have been investigating the truth behind Saudi Arabia’s green plans, and we ask whether the government is really serious about reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.

Presenter: Merlyn Thomas
Producer: Reha Kansara
Series producer: Vibeke Venema


SAT 05:50 Ros Atkins on ... (w3ct2dp8)
America’s abortion divide

The US Supreme Court has heard arguments in the most important abortion case in a generation. It is the biggest challenge to a 1973 ruling that legalised abortion nationally, and could change reproductive rights in the country. Ros Atkins looks at the abortion debate in the US and asks why this case is happening now.

(Photo: Abortion rights advocates and anti-abortion protesters demonstrate in front of the US Supreme Court on 1, December, 2021 in Washington, DC. Credit: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images).


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhyy51)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172xytk3579bf4)
Covid-19: Omicron variant continues to spread

Scientists have said that the latest variant of Covid-19, Omicron, appears to spread more than twice as fast as the Delta variant. The research has not yet been peer reviewed.

In this edition of Weekend, we speak to the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation, Dr Soumya Swaminathan.

Also in the programme: the parents of a fifteen-year-old student who killed four classmates in a school shooting, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter; and Iraq has begun repatriating hundreds of its citizens.

Joining Julian Worricker to discuss these and other issues are Amber Murrey, a political geographer and professor at the University of Oxford, and Dominic Jermey, Director-General of the Zoological Society of London and a former UK Ambassador to Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.

(Photo: COVID-19 vaccinations are pictured at a government-run clinic, in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa.The South African government is considering making Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory as the new Omicron variant cases increase across the country. EPA/Kim Ludbrook)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhz1x5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172xytk3579g58)
WHO: Don’t panic over Omicron variant

The World Health Organisation has urged people to not panic over the new Omicron variant. Reports suggest the new variant has been found in close to 40 countries worldwide.


On this edition of Weekend, we speak to the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation, Dr Soumya Swaminathan.


Also in the programme: outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel bids farewell, and we hear the story of a transgender Malaysian entrepreneur.


Joining Julian Worricker to discuss these and other issues are Amber Murrey, a political geographer and professor at the University of Oxford, and Dominic Jermey, Director-General of the Zoological Society of London and a former UK Ambassador to Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.


(Photo: A Thai health official carries out an antigen test for COVID-19 during a mass COVID-19 testing. CREDIT: EPA/NARONG SANGNAK)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhz5n9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172xytk3579kxd)
WHO: Omicron could become dominant strain of Covid-19

The latest variant of Covid-19, Omicron, has continued its spread. The World Health organisation has urged people not to panic over the new strain. The WHO said that Omicron could become the dominant strain of Covid-19 worldwide.


On this edition of Weekend, we speak to the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation, Dr Soumya Swaminathan.


Also in the programme: the refugee crisis caused by the war in Yemen, and the first literary work to come out of Myanmar since February’s military coup.


Joining Julian Worricker to discuss these and other issues are Amber Murrey, a political geographer and professor at the University of Oxford, and Dominic Jermey, Director-General of the Zoological Society of London and a former UK Ambassador to Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.


(Photo: A Thai health official collects swab samples for COVID-19 testing during a mass COVID-19 test to prevent the Omicron variant at a school in Thailand. CREDIT: EPA/NARONG SANGNAK)


SAT 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172xzkqp43njxp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:32 The Conversation (w3ct1p9h)
Women swimming in the wild

Nora Fakim talks to two women about the health benefits of swimming in the wild.

Rachel Ashe is the founder of Mental Health Swims, a peer support community organising wild swimming or dipping events in the UK. Rachel first tried cold water swimming in 2019, shortly after being diagnosed with mental health conditions, and during the pandemic she went from organising a monthly gathering at her local beach in Wales to running a social enterprise with over 80 groups across the country.

Ilse Theys Woodward is an open water swimmer, a nurse, a swimming instructor and a lifeguard. She’s based in Cape Town, South Africa and she has recently taken part in the Freedom Swim, one of the world’s toughest cold water sea swim races. She’s also a member of the Phoenix Open Water Swimming (POWS), a swimming club working with underprivileged youths in Cape Town.

Produced by Alice Gioia

(Image: (L) Ilse Theys Woodward, credit Ilse Theys Woodward. (R) Rachel Ashe, credit Laura Minns)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhz9df)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct2d6q)
Coronavirus: Omicron

At this time of the year, many people traditionally begin to think about coming together for gatherings of family and friends to celebrate events such as Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah.

But for millions of people, their festive plans are in upheaval after the World Health Organisation identified Omicron a ‘variant of concern’ resulting in travel bans and restrictions across a number of countries. The WHO has since told nations they must prepare for coronavirus surges linked to Omicron.

We hear from restaurant and hotel owners in South Africa, the UK and Canada about the impact on the hospitality industry in the run up to one of their busiest holiday periods after a difficult 19 months. Plus we introduce two women in the Netherlands and the UK about how their plans are changing, Our guest in the UK was due to fly home to South Africa for a five-week family holiday but is now having to arrange an alternative celebration.

Picture: Christmas decorations in Tokyo after Japan effectively closed its borders in response to the Omicron variant (REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172xzkqp43nnnt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 The Explanation (w3ct2z3k)
Understanding Iran: Reconciling religion and democracy

Anu Anand talks to Rana Rahimpour about how decades of turbulence have shaped Iran, and why religion, democracy and ideals all combine to explain Iran today.


SAT 09:50 Over to You (w3ct1l2f)
Ros Atkins on analysing news

Every week Ros Atkins analyses one of the big issues in the news. But what is his programme? A bite size documentary or an extended news feature? Listeners quiz Ros on how his series is made. Plus we hear about the welcome return of the drama set in a market in Nigeria!

Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Howard Shannon


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhzf4k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Sportshour (w172y0qb5fpfv56)
‘We want to show how far the women’s game has come’ – Simmons on FA Cup Final

The Football Association director of the Women’s Professional Game – Kelly Simmons - tells us 5 December was chosen as the date for this year’s women’s FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea as it marks the 100 anniversary of the governing body banning women’s football. Simmons describes that decision as probably the lowest point in the history of the game and says the FA are keen to be positive about the day and celebrate how far the women’s game has come in the years since. Simmons also discusses what needs to change in international football following a series of one sided Fifa World Cup Qualifiers – including England’s 20-0 win over Latvia this week.

Jamaica netball captain Jhaniele Fowler tells us how she didn’t let a serious heart condition she developed as a child, stop her pursuing a career in sport. Fowler has only just stopped taking medication for rheumatic heart disease. She also tells us how her playing schedule and the Covid-19 pandemic have combined to keep her and her daughter apart for the last two netball seasons. Fowler describes surprising her daughter by arriving home from overseas unannounced and how her dream is to have her on the podium with her at a Commonwealth Games or World Cup.

Fiona Brady, a Special Olympian who has represented Ireland in Basketball, Tenpin Bowling and Floorball, joins us to discuss the impact of not being able to play sport during the Covid-19 pandemic has had on her. This week saw International day of persons with disabilities take place and a new campaign called "Faces of Basketball" is aiming to give people with intellectual disabilities the confidence to return to sport.

In Sporting Witness, we return to 1961, when England’s top players threatened strike action in order to force the Football League to scrap its limit on wages of 20 pounds a week. Their victory was a turning point for the sport as it ushered in the modern era of football mega-salaries. The late England captain Jimmy Armfield, gives us his recollections of the period.

And – we’re live in Saudi Arabia with Jennie Gow ahead of the first ever Formula 1 race in the country, John Southall is at the London Stadium ahead of West Ham United v Chelsea in the Premier League and Jamie Broughton joins us with the latest from the UK Snooker Championship.

(Photo: FA Women’s Super League match between Arsenal and Chelsea, London, 2021. Credit: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhzjwp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172xyxtw2n24vy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172xzkqp43nx52)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 WorklifeIndia (w3ct2f45)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:32 today]


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhznmt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 World Book Club (w3ct1x9v)
Monique Roffey: The Mermaid of Black Conch

Harriett Gilbert talks to the multi-award-winning Trinidadian-British author Monique Roffey about her enchanting novel The Mermaid of Black Conch, which won the 2020 Costa Book of the Year. Roffey spins the mesmerising tale of a cursed mermaid and the lonely fisherman who falls in love with her.

When American bounty-hunters capture Aycayia from the deep seas off the island of Black Conch, David rescues her and vows to win her trust. With Aycayia in hiding, their love grows as they navigate both the joys and dangers of life on shore. But on an island whose history reaches back to darker times nothing is straightforward as old jealousies and ancient grudges surface amongst the inhabitants.

(Photo: Monique Roffey.. Credit: Marcus Bastel.)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhzscy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172xv5gstrgrpk)
Scientists say Omicron variant spreading twice as fast as Delta

Researchers looking into the Omicron variant say it appears to be spreading twice as fast as the Delta variant.

Also in the programme: Voters are heading to the polls in The Gambia to choose a new president and in UK the first person to die of AIDS is chronicled in a television documentary.

(Photo: A health worker tests passengers for coronavirus at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on December 2, 2021 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Credit: Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dhzx42)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172y0tlyc36jvw)
Live Sporting Action

Following the midweek action in the Premier League, Sportsworld returns with an exciting match between Wolves v Liverpool. We’ll also have the latest from the Premier League leaders Chelsea as they take on West Ham.

Lee James is once again joined by the ex-England and Chelsea defender Katie Chapman, former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani and former West Ham and current Atlanta United executive Jonathan Spector.

We’ll preview the Ashes with England bowler Steven Finn and Alex Hartley alongside journalist Melinda Farrell, and have the latest from the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, England v Jamaica netball and the Women's FA Cup.

Photo: Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers is challenged by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. (Credit: Pool/Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dj0d3l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172xyxtw2n302v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172xzkqp43prcz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Trending (w3ct2yqq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct1l96)
The football wages revolution

In 1961, England’s top players threatened strike action in order to force the Football League to scrap its limit on wages of 20 pounds a week. Their victory was a turning point for the sport as it ushered in the modern era of football mega-salaries. In 2011, Lucy Williamson spoke to the late Jimmy Armfield, a former star defender for Blackpool and England captain.

PHOTO: The late Jimmy Armfield in the early 1960s (Getty Images)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dj0hvq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Documentary (w3ct2zvd)
Poison: Jacob Zuma's toxic obsession

Jacob Zuma, South Africa's former president, believes the world is out to poison him. He has claimed that the CIA, MI6, local traitors, and perhaps even one of his wives, have tried to kill him. No wonder he has ordered toxicologists to test everything he eats. But is Zuma the victim of an elaborate international conspiracy that has its roots in the Cold War and South Africa’s liberation struggle? Or is he simply trying to distract attention from a mountain of corruption allegations? BBC Africa correspondent, Andrew Harding, digs into a mystery that links a case of poisoned underpants, to a plot to kill Nelson Mandela, to this year’s riots that left 300 South Africans dead.

(Photo: Former South African President Jacob Zuma speaks to supporters after appearing at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Credit: Rogan Ward/Reuters)


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dj0mlv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct1rty)
Film-makers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

Lady Gaga and Adam Driver on Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci; high fashion and high drama.

Hollywood star Will Smith talks about his latest role in the story of the tennis-playing Williams sisters; geniuses of the game. In King Richard he plays their father. And he also talks about his autobiography.

Cuban Ballet superstar Carlos Acosta, reveals that he was expelled from school for poor attendance (because he was trying to avoid ballet!)

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch tells us how he prepared to play a cowboy in The Power of The Dog….he had to learn to roll a cigarette whilst riding a horse.

And we hear from director and legendary screenwriter Paul Schrader, whose latest film stars Oscar Isaac, as a former soldier turned gambler.

We also hear about the huge influence Nigerian drummer Tony Allen has had on other musicians.

And Nikki is joined by the Oscar-winning film-makers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi who talk about their latest documentary The Rescue.

(Photo: Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
Credit: Kirk Edwards/National Geographic)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dj0rbz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172xv5gstrhqnl)
Michigan school shooting: Suspect's parents deny involuntary manslaughter

James and Jennifer Crumbley are accused of ignoring warning signs before their son's alleged rampage.

Also on the programme, the French President Emmanuel Macron has become the first major western leader to hold in person talks with Mohammed Bin Salman since the Saudi crown prince was implicated in the murder of the Saudi journalist, Jamal Kashoggi, three years ago. And we hear the story of John Eddie, the first person to die of Aids in the UK, 40 years ago.

(Picture: James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of Ethan Crumbley Credit: EPA)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dj0w33)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172xyx0fc1f5n2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:20 Sports News (w172y0sshmhk78q)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172xzkqp43q7ch)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 The Cultural Frontline (w3ct1ptm)
What’s the future for culture in Afghanistan?

The Cultural Frontline asks what’s the future for arts, media and culture in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

Using their instruments for change. Sana Safi speaks to the musicians from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music about their fight to keep traditional Afghan music alive and their fears and hopes for musicians under a Taliban government.

Over 250 newspapers, radio and TV stations closed in the first 100 days of Taliban rule following the withdrawal of US troops in August, and the Afghan press watchdog NAI says around 70% of journalists have lost their jobs. Our reporter Sahar Zand speaks to Massood Sanjer, one of Afghanistan’s leading producers, about the future of Afghanistan’s media landscape.

#DoNotTouchMyClothes: We find out how Afghan women around the world used this hashtag to share photos of themselves in colourful traditional clothes in protest in response to pro-Taliban rally of women in Kabul - dressed all in black, full-veils, and long robes. Sana Safi speaks to Dr Bahar Jalil who posted the very first picture, and to Sabrina Spanta – once a refugee, and now a fashion designer in the USA, inspired by Afghan women, and who recently starred on TV fashion show Project Runway.

(Photo: A traditional Afghan rubab. Credit: Marcus Yam)


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172xzjx7dj0zv7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 Music Life (w3ct1hcw)
The 'look at me' gene with Poté, Pierre Kwenders, TSHA and Heléna Star

Poté, Pierre Kwenders, TSHA and Heléna Star discuss what the 'look at me' gene actually is, why music is nothing without dancing, what they’ve learned about themselves through music, and the legacy of what they’d like to leave behind.

St-Lucia-born artist Poté combines Caribbean percussion, electronic sounds, and emotive songwriting that caught the attention of Damon Albarn, who appeared on his latest album A Tenuous Tale of Her.

Pierre Kwenders is a Congolese-Canadian musician known for dismantling the concept of genre with his indie-Afro-electro sound. He sings in Lingala, French, English, Tshiluba, and Kikongo, and explores themes in his lyrics such as homesickness, tormented farewells, and his love for his homeland and his brothers and sisters.

One of the most exciting producers and DJs in London, TSHA (pronounced Tee-sha) blends house, synth lines, and psychedelic noise, and has remixed the likes of Foals, Prospa, Declan McKenna, and Lianne La Havas.

Heléna Star is a regular radio presenter and DJ at some of London’s finest clubs, playing an eclectic mix of house and techno from around the world.