SATURDAY 30 DECEMBER 2023

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvtn6k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 BBC Correspondents' Look Ahead to 2024 (w3ct68vg)
BBC Correspondents' Look Ahead to 2024

Nuala McGovern asks some of the BBC's top correspondents from around the world to gaze into their crystal balls and predict what 2024 might have in store.

2023 has been dominated by the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel and Gaza and a global cost of living crisis. Next year will see nearly half of the world’s population going to the polls - 40 elections are scheduled to take place next year, in countries including the USA, UK, South Africa, India, Russia and Pakistan.

How will the results of some of those elections shift the geopolitical tectonic plates - and will we see any resolution to those conflicts?

Big questions, but luckily we have some of the BBC's best minds on hand to provide plenty of answers.

Contributors:

Yogita Limaye, BBC South Asia and Afghanistan Correspondent
Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent
Sarah Smith, BBC North America Editor
Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC Asia Correspondent
Mayeni Jones, BBC West Africa Correspondent
Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia Editor

Producer: Ben Carter
Production Co-ordinator: Ibtisan Zein
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


Image: 2024 in neon on wall. Credit: Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvtryp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 Business Matters (w172yzryr6j49c0)
How the war is impacting Russia's economy

As the war continues, we take a look at the state of the Russian economy and what this might mean for Ukraine.

Argentina's new president has announced the South American country will not join the BRICS alliance. We hear about the implications this can have for the inflation-hit nation.

And we listen to the challenges Nigerian businesses face to become more productive.

Ed Butler discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Andy Uhler, Journalism Fellow at the University of Texas Energy Institute and Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, and Sharon Brettkelly, presenter at Radio New Zealand.

(Picture: damaged residential building after shelling in Odesa, Ukraine. Picture credit: IGOR TKACHENKO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvtwpt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172z2tr14vd6c0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgj7z6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct4tlg)
The Best of Stumped in 2023

Please note: This programme contains discussions about alcoholism and references to mental health. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org

We look back at the best of Stumped in 2023. This is another chance to hear some of the standout moments from 2023 including a powerful interview from South Africa wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta. She entered rehab after battling with her alcohol addiction and won a runners up World Cup medal only a few months later.

You can listen back to our trip to Mumbai for the inaugural Women’s Premier League and Charu’s interview with Delhi Capitals and India player Shikha Pandey. She tells us of the new talent emerging in the country.

Australia won the Men's 50 Over World Cup in India thanks largely to their captain Pat Cummins. Cummins has been Australia skipper for 18 months now and we hear from his former teammate Trent Copeland.

Stumped also returns to Lord’s when Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta spoke to former Australian coach Justin Langer who told us about his memories of playing at the home of cricket. Plus we hear from the creator of the viral cricket episode of Bluey and enjoy a classic Stumped debate on the use of red cards.

Photo: India's Shikha Pandey (L) celebrates with teammate India's Richa Ghosh (R) after the dismissal of Australia's Beth Mooney (not seen) during the semi-final T20 women's World Cup cricket match between Australia and India at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on February 23, 2023. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvv0fy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 The Fifth Floor (w3ct4v12)
Stories of hope and joy

BBC language service journalists share stories and experiences that lifted their spirits in a year with more than its fair share of tragic news.

BBC Russian's Nataliya Zotova explains how an imperious seagull named Agamemnon helped her settle in her new home in Riga, after leaving Russia.

BBC Delhi’s Divya Arya tells us about helping an interviewee who had shared her story of surviving domestic violence and living with significant facial burns, to become a guest presenter for BBC Hindi.

BBC Afghan's Aalia Farzan tells us about presenting a schools programme for Afghan children, and being able to return home and see her mother again for the first time since she was forced to leave in 2021.

BBC Brasil’s Joao Fellet shares the story of the Japanese Brazilian farmers in the Amazonian state of Pará, who have switched from mono-cropping to agroforestry, regrowing a forest of sorts and providing a profitable model for land cleared by logging.

And Ethiopian-based journalist Kalkidan Yibeltal shares the experience of travelling to the Simien Mountains in northern Ethiopia and experiencing the therapeutic quiet and stillness of the national park, in a year otherwise devoted to covering conflict.

(Photo: Seagull on windowsill in Riga. Credit: Nataliya Zotova, BBC)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct4x8g)
Ken Hom's 'Chinese Cookery'

In 1982, after a two-year global search, the BBC auditioned Ken Hom to be the star of a new Chinese cookery TV series.

In the show, called Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery, he introduced viewers to dishes like dim sum and spicy braised aubergine. He also gave advice on choosing and using a wok.

He tells Josephine McDermott about his sudden rise to celebrity and how he brought Chinese dishes to new audiences.

(Photo: Ken Hom. Credit: Chris Ridley/Radio Times/Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvv462)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 BBC Correspondents' Look Ahead to 2024 (w3ct68vg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvv7y6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172z2tr14vdkld)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgjm6l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Kalki Presents: My Indian Life (w3ct4kfz)
Kalki Presents: My Indian Life

Totally online

Another chance to hear this edition from 2022.

He’s the famous gamer with 33 million subscribers but none of them know who he is. “Total Gaming” says he thinks he knows how Spiderman feels – his identity is hidden from the world. #MyIndianLife


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct5b7h)
Numbers of the year 2023

Each year we ask some of our favourite statistically-minded people for their numbers of the year.

Here they are - from the population of India to the results of a first division football match.

Contributors:
Hannah Ritchie, Our World in Data
Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, Cambridge University
Rob Eastaway, maths author

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon

(Picture: Colourful numbers on blue background
Credit: Tanja Ivanova / Getty Images)


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvvcpb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172z37mvglxlxy)
UN condemns Russia's attack on Ukraine

An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council has overwhelmingly condemned Russia's aerial assault on Ukraine on Friday -- the largest since the start of the war. We get political reaction from Ukraine.

Also in the programme: the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the iconic London restaurant Le Gavroche is closing for good.

Joining Julian Worricker on the programme are; Shiva Rahbaran, an Iranian-born writer and Paul Melly, a fellow in the Africa Programme at the Chatham House thinktank.

(Picture: Smoke rises over a residential building after a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 29, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Danylo Pavlov)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvvhfg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172z37mvglxqp2)
Gaza: Israel and Hamas mull new peace proposal from Egypt

Egypt has confirmed that it has put forward a three-stage proposal which would see the gradual release of hostages IN exchange FOR Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails followed by several humanitarian pauses which would lead to a ceasefire. A Hamas delegation is now in Cairo for further discussions.

Also in the programme: Ukrainian reaction to Russia's largest ever attack; and the controversy over wolf packs in Switzerland.

Joining Julian Worricker on the programme are; Shiva Rahbaran, an Iranian-born writer and Paul Melly, a fellow in the Africa Programme at the Chatham House thinktank.

(Picture: Dozens of people take part in a demonstration organized by Mothers of Hope organization to ask the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, on the Place du Trocadero in Paris, France, 29 December 2023. Credit: Photo by TERESA SUAREZ/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvvm5l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172z37mvglxvf6)
Gaza: Israeli forces continue bombardment of parts of southern and central Gaza

Israeli forces have continued their bombardment of parts of southern and central Gaza, while the UN has warned that the volume of aid reaching the territory remains inadequate. Weekend's examine how Qatar became the Middle East's major mediator of choice.

Also in the programme: the Detroit Pistons losing streak; and poetry and spirituality

Joining Julian Worricker on the programme are; Shiva Rahbaran, an Iranian-born writer and Paul Melly, a fellow in the Africa Programme at the Chatham House thinktank.

(Picture: Smoke rises over Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, December 29, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvvqxq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5b2x)
Adventurers

We have spent the last year here on BBC OS Conversations covering some of the world’s major news stories. As the year draws to a close, however, we thought it would be interesting to hear from three people who have been doing something completely different in 2023 for their perspective on the world.

53-year-old professional explorer from Australia, Geoff Wilson, joined us from Canada. He has just completed the first part of his latest expedition, Project Zero, a two-year journey to promote the concept of “carbon neutral exploring”. So far, the adventure has included crossing perilous crevasses in Patagonia and battling towering waves at sea.

“I was woken up by my son and his mate Geordie who were on watch saying that the boat was surfing down 15, 16 metre waves at about 16 knots,” Geoff tells host, James Reynolds. “It just felt that everything had gone to custard very quickly.”

We bring Geoff together with Kiyonah Mya Buckhalter, a 25-year-old New Yorker. Kiyonah is Muslim, black and blogs as the “Veiled Traveller” on Instagram.

“Travelling the way I do,” she says, “I’ve had to grow my confidence to get people to understand that I do have a warm heart and I am smiling very hard under this veil, even though they may not see it.”

We also hear from 29-year-old Noel Salmon from London. Noel has just completed a seven-month solo cycle of the old Silk Road from Turkey to China, which involved extreme temperatures and exploding inner tubes.

A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS team.

(Photo: Noel Salmon on his cycle from Turkey to China. Credit: Noel Salmon)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgk363)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Over to You (w3ct4rqd)
Ask the BBC World Service English controller 2023

In a specially extended edition, we have Jon Zilkha, the controller of BBC World Service English, in the studio to answer listeners’ questions about what they’ve heard on the World Service in the past year. Some are happy - others feel there’s work to be done!

Topics include news coverage of the Middle East conflict, proposed schedule changes and the BBC’s long-term finances.

Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Howard Shannon.
A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvvvnv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Sportshour (w3ct4sb5)
Sportshour's year of inspiration

We look back on some of the most inspiring and moving stories we've brought you this past year.

Hear baseball commentator Jerry Schemmel’s story of survival, loss and heroism after he was on board a deadly plane crash. Plus, Carter Crosland the American football coach born without arms or legs.

Image: Members of the New England Patriots celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvvzdz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172z2tr14vf925)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgkbpc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Health Check (w3ct4pf2)
A year in health in review

As 2024 draws ever closer, Claudia Hammond looks back at the medical news, trends and advances which the last twelve months have brought us. She is joined in the studio by BBC health reporter Philippa Roxby and Graham Easton, Professor of Clinical Communication Skills at Queen Mary University in London who debate their favourite health advances of the year.

And Claudia returns to some of the biggest health news stories of the year to ask what happened next? Reuters’ Krishna N. Das gives an update on the contaminated cough syrup scandal in which more than 300 children are known to have died worldwide. And she revisits a story Health Check has been following for more than a decade; the case of disgraced transplant surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, as a new TV series hits Netflix.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Clare Salisbury


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvw353)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct68wc)
The Vietnam War soundtrack

Beatriz De La Pava plays the music that chronicled the Vietnam War, and speaks to the people who experienced it, suffered it, fought it, and campaigned against it.

She researches the ways in which pivotal real-life events are reflected in the lyrics of popular songs, and shows how music paints a vivid picture of the social, political, economic and cultural landscape. She also reflects on the racial issues that traversed the conflict, sparking the draft resistance movement, and the appalling consequences of using chemicals during the war.

Image: Armoured personnel carriers of the U.S. 25th Infantry Division seal off an area of Cholon, Saigon, where heavy fighting erupted, 8 May 1968 (Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvw6x7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172z09ts71rw4n)
Gaza: fighting and humanitarian crisis intensifies

The Israeli army says it has killed dozens of what it calls "terror operatives" in the north in Gaza City. Meanwhile, officials from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry are reporting more than 100 people killed in the past 24 hours. More civilians are relying on the UN's aid agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, for food and shelter - as disease spreads in overcrowded conditions.

Also in the programme: we hear from one family in Odesa living through Russia's wave of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine; and the story of a mother who took on one of Mexico's most violent cartels and the case against culling Switzerland's wolves.

(Photo: Displaced Palestinians make their way to Rafah after Israeli warnings of increased operations, Gaza, 27 December 2023 Credits: HAITHAM IMAD/EPA)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvwbnc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172z1l4hbxwnml)
Live Sporting Action

Sportsworld will have six Premier League games to discuss, including live commentary of Aston Villa vs Burnley at Villa Park from 1500 GMT and the former Fulham, Everton, Liverpool and England striker Natasha Dowie joins Lee James to discuss the day’s Premier League action.

There will be the latest from the cricket Test matches between Australia and Pakistan and South Africa against India, along with the day’s other sporting stories.

Plus, with the Africa Cup of Nations only two weeks away, hear the first of Sportsworld’s previews to the tournament focusing on the teams in Groups A, B and C including hosts Ivory Coast and defending champions Senegal.

Photo: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa is fouled during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Aston Villa at Turf Moor on August 27, 2023 in Burnley, England. (Credit: MB Media/Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvwtmw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172z2tr14vg492)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgl5x8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Kalki Presents: My Indian Life (w3ct4kfz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct4sjy)
The man who skied down Everest

In 1970, Yuichiro Miura became the first man to ski on Mount Everest, starting from the height of the ‘death zone’, an elevation where there isn't enough oxygen to survive for long. His daring ski run saw him reach a speed of 160 kilometres per hour, before he crashed into a boulder and narrowly avoided falling into a crevasse.

Not satisfied with this achievement, he also became the oldest person to climb the mountain when he was 80 years old.

He spoke to Emily Uchida Finch about his experiences on Mount Everest. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service.

(Photo: Yuichiro Miura at the summit of Mount Everest in 2013. Credit: Miura Dolphins)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvwyd0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Inquiry (w3ct4wf0)
What’s going on with sargassum seaweed?

Sargassum seaweed was recorded as far back as the 15th century when Christopher Columbus wrote in his expedition diaries about miles and miles and miles of dense seaweed as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

In 2011, a great mass of this seaweed emerged, stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, a phenomenon known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. Since then it’s been washing up on coastlines in massive amounts, causing a big impact on communities whose economy relies heavily on the tourism industry. As the seaweed decays it releases hydrogen sulphide which has a strong odour of rotten eggs.

Various research projects are looking into ways of containing this seaweed, as no one has found a viable solution on an industrial scale. But whilst it is causing problems onshore, offshore in the deep ocean of the Sargasso Sea, the sargassum provides a unique ecosystem for a variety of marine life including turtles and swordfish.

So, this week on The Inquiry we’re asking, ‘What’s going on with sargassum seaweed?’

Contributors:

Dr. Chuanmin Hu, Professor of Oceanography, University of South Florida College of Marine Science, USA

Dr. David Freestone, Executive Secretary, The Sargasso Sea Commission, Washington DC, USA

Dr. Marie-Louise Felix, Marine Biologist and Lecturer, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Consultant to the Department of Fisheries, St Lucia

Ajit Subramaniam, Biological Oceanographer, Lamont Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, New York, USA

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: George Crafer
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Production Co-ordinator: Jordan King

Image: Miami Beach, Florida, North Beach Atlantic Ocean shoreline, large quantity of arriving seaweed sargassum macroalgae, tourist trying to swim. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)


SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgl9nd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:32 Outlook (w3ct4rc3)
A Family Affair: Dad was a best-selling sex writer

Sara Faith Alterman was eight when she accidently discovered that her prudish dad was secretly a globally-successful writer of adult books. It was never discussed, but when he was dying of Alzheimer's in his late 60s, he asked Sara to help him write again before it was too late. (First broadcast in October 2020).

Sara Faith Alterman’s memoir is called Let's Never Talk about this Again.

Presented and Produced by Mariana Des Forges

(Photo: Sara Alterman as a child with her father, Ira; Credit: Courtesy of Sara Faith Alterman)

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvx244)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct4vm4)
The Arts Hour Comedy Show 2023

The Arts Hour celebrates the New Year with some of the world’s finest comedians.

Nikki Bedi and South African comedian Tumi Morake host an international line-up of some of the best comics from around the world.

Taking part in the New Year celebrations are:

New Zealand comedian Jarred Christmas, deftly mixing gags and story telling.

Indian stand-up Neeti Palta shares her secrets for a happy marriage.

Romanian comedian Radu Isac is not happy with the world but will bring a smile to your face.

Njambi McGrath hails from Kenya and has now carved a special niche on the UK comedy scene.

Ignacio Lopez’s mixed Welsh/Spanish heritage brings a unique spin on the world.

American-born, now living in Denmark, Abby Wambaugh whose comedy will warm the cockles of your heart.

Produced by Oliver Jones and Lucy Collingwood for the BBC World Service.

Photo: Tumi Morake. Credit: Courtesy of Tumi Osei-Tutu)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvx5w8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172z09ts71sv3p)
Ukraine strikes Russian city

On Friday Russia launched an aerial attack which Ukraine says was the biggest missile bombardment of the war so far. Today, Ukraine has struck the Russian city of Belgorod killing eighteen people.

Also in the programme: in Gaza the UN's aid agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, says conditions in the strip are worsening; and a cull of Switzerland's wolves has been put on hold by Swiss courts, after environmental groups argued it could decimate the wolf population.

(Photo: People walk past a damaged building following what Russian authorities say was a Ukrainian military strike in Belgorod, Russia December 30, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvx9md)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172z2sxlf7s9v9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:20 Sports News (w172z1kb1mb7c1f)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmglnws)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 Assignment (w3ct4m84)
Bolivia’s giant fish intruder

Some people said it was created by Peruvian scientists, that it gorged on the blood of farm animals, that it was a monster. Many myths have grown up in Bolivia around the Paiche, one of the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish which is native to Amazonian rivers of Brazil and Peru and can grow up to four metres long. But after young fish were accidentally released from a Peruvian fish farm, the Paiche has arrived big time in Bolivian rivers.

Every year, it reaches another 40 km of river and is eating all before it, especially smaller native fish stocks including even the deadly piranha. At the same time, the Paiche is proving a boon to many local fisherman who sell it to families and restaurants who are acquiring a taste for it in a land-locked country where meat has always been the favourite form of protein. This gives scientists and the authorities a dilemma. Do they try and control or even eradicate the Paiche from rivers famed for their biodiversity where new species are being identified all the time? Or let its spread continue unabated and provide a useful livelihood for fishermen and a healthy addition to the Bolivian diet? For Assignment, Jane Chambers takes to the rivers of Bolivia


Produced by Bob Howard
Mixed by Rod Farquhar
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Series editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: A fisherman carries a Paiche over his shoulder. Credit: Michael Dantas/AFP via Getty Images)


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvxfcj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 Music Life (w3ct4mgx)
Everyone wants to be pop with Faizal Mostrixx, Afrorack, Grove and Kaya Byinshii

Faizal Mostrixx, Afrorack, Grove and Kaya Byinshii discuss pop music, musical cultures and the aftermath of live performance.

Ugandan producer, dancer and choreographer Faizal Mostrixx was surrounded by music and dancing as a child and began his working life as a professional dancer, before deciding to focus on his other love, sound. After putting out EPs in 2019 and 2022, this year he released his debut full length album Mutations on the Glitterbeat label – an Afrofuturist manifesto from Uganda.

Bristol-based producer and vocalist Grove draws on everything from dancehall and dub to hip hop and dance. Their latest album P*W*R PL*Y came out this year.

Afrorack is a Ugandan musician who built Africa’s first DIY modular synthesizer. Learning electronics and constructing an instrument that would have been impossible to buy in Uganda, he released his debut album in 2022, bringing together the first recordings with his new machine – a wonderful sound melding acid, techno, and African musicality.

Born and raised in Rwanda, Kaya Byinshii strongly believes in the spiritual power of music. She released her debut EP Nyabyinshi in 2020 and her first full length album, Ukwiyuburura, in 2022.

SUNDAY 31 DECEMBER 2023

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvxk3n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5b2x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmglxd1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 Kalki Presents: My Indian Life (w3ct4kfz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 00:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct4sjy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvxnvs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct4wkl)
The Best of Unexpected Elements

Usually Unexpected Elements looks at the science behind the news, but this week Marnie Chesterton and Caroline Steel are looking back at some of the best bits from our first few months.

We’ve got the best from our team of panellists across the globe, including what’s going on in your brain when you speak more than one language, the horrific mating ritual of the bedbug and the science behind our panellist Camilla’s terrible haircut decision.

We look back at some of the brilliant scientists we’ve spoken to, with subjects as diverse as whale song, how the entire universe was once the size of a marble, why an archaeologist hasn’t run off with all the gold he’s found and how the jewel wasp turn a cockroach into a zombie.

We have ‘Under the Radar’ stories about power outages in South Africa, human ancestors from China, bringing Rhinos back to life in Kenya and how to keep everyone safe from Polar Bears in a place where there’s no phone signal.

We reflect on our attempts to find the Coolest Science in the World, and whether it’s possible to pit a hurricane machine against an alternative to antibiotics.

And it wouldn’t be a ‘best of’ show without a digest of all the fruit chat from throughout the year.

All that plus eating glue for science, our best (or worst?) puns and some singing cows.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton & Caroline Steel
Produced by Ben Motley, with Tom Bonnett


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvxslx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172z2tr14vh383)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgm4w9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct4pf2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvxxc1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct68wc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvy135)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct4nv0)
Twenty years of change in China

Pascale Harter introduces insights, analysis and experience from correspondents and reporters around the world.

It's been twenty years since the BBC Beijing correspondent Stephen McDonnell first set foot in China to begin studying Mandarin. Back then, the city was still full of smokestack factories, old-fashioned neighbourhoods and noisy dive bars. Today, everything is far more developed - but have all the changes been positive? He reflects on the many ways in which Chinese life has been transformed - everywhere from academic institutions to long-distance trains.

The bayous or wetlands of Louisiana are no strangers to climate disaster or environmental damage - but now they're eroding away at a frightening rate. Beth Timmins travels the waterways with a member of the Pointe-au-Cheine Native American group, to see the impact that storms, pollution and land loss are having on homesteads and ancestral sites.

And in Bolivia, the streams and lakes are alive with a different kind of concern - over a invasive species from the Peruvian Amazon which is gobbling up everything in its path. The paiche is a huge, voracious and wily fish, whose flesh and skin can be made into everything from croquettes to curtains - and for some communities, that makes it a valuable new resource. Jane Chambers goes on her own hunt for a river giant.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Co-Ordinator: Gemma Ashman

(Image: A man takes a photograph of buildings at night in the Sanlitun area of Beijing, China. Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgmdck)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 The Explanation (w3ct4z77)
What is sportswashing?

In recent years, many sports have received huge investment from oil-rich petrostates, and while the term ‘sportswashing’ is relatively new, the idea of using sport as a way to deflect negative publicity has been around for years. The impact of recent huge investment has changed the landscape for football, golf, F1, cricket and boxing and many believe this to be a new form of soft power for those involved. Dan Roan, sports editor at BBC News, talks to Claire Graham about the accusation that countries are investing in sport and high-profile events to improve their international reputation.


SUN 04:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct4sjy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvy4v9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172z2tr14vhghh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgmj3p)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct68w8)
Rewilding the orphaned elephants

In a remote corner of Northern Kenya, former Samburu warriors continue to rescue orphaned and abandoned baby elephants, even as drought has put on hold plans to release them back into the wild.

Traditionally Samburu warriors are not only charged with protecting their community, but with caring for their livestock. Now they have turned their attention to raising elephants. At Reteti Elephant Sanctuary they rescue baby elephants that have been injured, orphaned or abandoned. They look after them, rehabilitate them and release them back to the wild. It’s transforming the way local communities relate to elephants, in a way that benefits both humans and animals. But drought has meant their rewilding programme has been put on hold until the rains come.

Presenter: Michael Kaloki
Producer: Jo Dwyer
A Loftus Media production for BBC World Service

(Photo: Feeding the baby elephants at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. Credit: Michael Kaloki)


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvy8lf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172z37mvgm0hv1)
Israel's PM gives defiant TV address

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has given a defiant TV address, saying Israel was fighting on "all fronts" in a war that would last many more months until victory was achieved.

Also in the programme: Moscow launches fresh strikes against Ukraine; and deadly lightning strikes on the rise in Bangladesh.

Joining Julian Worricker on the programme are: Noga Tarnopolski, journalist, freelance reporter on Israel and the Palestinian territories and Kaya Genç, Turkish Essayist and novelist.

(Picture: Israelis protest for the release of hostages held by Hamas, Tel Aviv, Israel - 30 Dec 2023. Credit: Photo by ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvydbk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172z37mvgm0ml5)
Moscow retaliates after Ukraine attack inside Russia

Ukraine has experienced another wave of Russian drone attacks overnight, after Kyiv launched one of its biggest aerial assaults on Russian territory. We hear live from Kyiv.

Also in the programme: the ideal New Year playlist; and saving the Scimitar horned oryx

Joining Julian Worricker on the programme are: Noga Tarnopolski, journalist, freelance reporter on Israel and the Palestinian territories and Kaya Genç, Turkish Essayist and novelist.

(Picture: Firefighters work at the site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine December 30, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Yevhen Titov)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvyj2p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172z37mvgm0rb9)
Russia pounds Kharkiv with missiles and drones

Russia pounds the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with missiles and drones in the hours leading into New Year's Eve, Ukrainian officials said.

Also in the programme: books of the year; and looking ahead to 2024.

Joining Julian Worricker on the programme are: Noga Tarnopolski, journalist, freelance reporter on Israel and the Palestinian territories and Kaya Genç, Turkish Essayist and novelist.

(Picture: A view shows the Kharkiv Palace Hotel heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine December 30, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Yevhen Titov)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvymtt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct4nv0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgn036)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 Outlook (w3ct4rc3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:32 on Saturday]


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvyrky)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 Music Life (w3ct4mgx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Saturday]


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvywb2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172z2tr14vj5z8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgn7lg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 The Explanation (w3ct4z77)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct5b7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvz026)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5b2x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgncbl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:32 Assignment (w3ct4m84)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:32 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvz3tb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172z09ts71vs1r)
Russia hits back after Kyiv attack on border city

Ukraine has come under attack by Russian air strikes again after two days of major aerial assaults by both sides.

We speak to a British citizen who's lived in Ukraine for the past five years and served in the army.

Also in the programme: A journalist from Gaza City tells us how she has been staying in a shelter run by the UN agency in the southern city of Khan Younis; and our review of another busy year of stories on Newshour.

(Picture: A view of a burning car following a Russian missile strike on a residential building in downtown Kharkiv. Credit: YAKIV LIASHENKO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvz7kg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 Music Life (w3ct4mgx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Saturday]


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvzc9l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172z1l4hbxzp8t)
Live Sporting Action

Delyth Lloyd presents the final Sportsworld of 2023, starting with live second-half commentary from Fulham against Arsenal in the Premier League and reaction from the day’s other fixtures.

The Queens Park Rangers and Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper Asmir Begovic joins Delyth and football reporter Maz Farookhi to discuss the weekend’s Premier League action as we reach the halfway mark in the season.

We'll take a look at the impact Saudi Arabia is having on the world of sport including in golf and tennis, and there'll also be another chance to hear the Sportsworld quiz. Will it be Team World Cup’s Maz Farookhi and Katie Smith, Team Sportsworld’s Lee James and John Bennett or Team Warm Up Track’s Ed Harry and Ade Adedoyin who will be crowned the ultimate sporting quiz champions of 2023?

Photo: Kai Havertz of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Fulham FC at Emirates Stadium on August 26, 2023 in London, England. (Credit: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvzv93)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172z2tr14vk4y9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgp6kh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 In the Studio (w3ct4yg6)
Andrea Hernández: Photographing Venezuela

Photographer Andrea Hernández has been travelling around her native Venezuela documenting people and nature for her ongoing project called Mango Season.

Mango season in Venezuela is a time of abundance, when mango fruit is plentiful on the trees. During this time of economic crisis and food scarcity in the country, many people can now be seen roaming the streets looking for these fruits to feed themselves and their families.

Andrea doesn’t want to just take photographs of the hungry, but to dignify the struggle, showing how people are helping to solve this situation and help create a bridge between the people in the photographs and the viewer.

Presenter: Francis Peña
Producer: Andrea Kidd

(Photo: Andrea Hernández. Credit: Courtesy of Juan Velásquez)


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172z2r77wvzz17)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct4wkl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:06 today]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172z2r77ww02sc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172z09ts71wr0s)
US Navy sinks three Houthi boats in the Red Sea

Reports say at least ten rebels were killed; a fourth Houthi boat escaped. The Houthis say their attacks on shipping are in response to the war in Gaza.

Also on the programme; Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Europe's longest reigning monarch, and only queen, surprised her nation by announcing her abdication. And on this New Years Eve we'll take a look back at some of the most important stories and some of the best interviews covered here on Newshour over the course of 2023.

(Picture: The USS Eisenhower. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172z2r77ww06jh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172z2sxlf7w6rd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 22:20 Sports News (w172z1kb1mbb7yj)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgpksw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 Outlook (w3ct4rc3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:32 on Saturday]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172z2r77ww0b8m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct5bl4)
Who's doing best on fighting climate change?

Emma Tracey starts 2024 by hearing from Kenya and Costa Rica, two of the countries ranked highest in the fightback against climate change. She talks to on-the-ground reporters in Nairobi and San Jose, while Climate Question regular Mia Moisio explains which nations score well on the Climate Action Tracker and what the rest of the world can learn from them.

Reporters: Michael Kaloki in Kenya and Cindy Regidor in Costa Rica
Producer: Ben Cooper
Researcher: Shorouk Elkobrosi
Series producer: Simon Watts
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s1pmgppk0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 Over to You (w3ct4rqd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


SUN 23:59 BBC News (w172z2r7m55498x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.

MONDAY 01 JANUARY 2024

MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct4nv0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrtnk9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 The Explanation (w3ct4z77)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 on Sunday]


MON 00:50 More or Less (w3ct5b7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m554f11)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4pqp7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrts9f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Happy News (w3ct5hvn)
The Happy Pod: Mobile coverage reaches remote Norwegian town

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how a settlement in Norway is taking a unique approach to mobile phone etiquette, after getting signal for the first time. Also: the man who composes music on TikTok to tell short stories. And we look ahead at what's to come in the worlds of sport and music in 2024.


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m554js5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4pvfc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrtx1k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct4y55)
2023 Year End Extravaganza, Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of our year-end extravaganza and the final episode of 2023!

We’ve had a brilliant year hunting down the answers to your science questions - on everything from food and phobias to friction and flying - and in this episode presenter Anand Jagatia is revisiting some of the best stories we covered. We’re bringing you some extra juicy bonus content that we couldn’t fit in to those shows first time round.

Hannah Fisher joins Anand to revisit an episode she produced about the microbiome, the community of tiny organisms living both on and inside us. During that show Hannah took presenter Caroline Steel to a microbiome museum in the Netherlands called Micropia. And one thing from Micropia that never got aired was the kiss-o-meter, a device that measures how many microbes you exchange when you kiss! Micropia curator Jasper Buikx explains the science behind the kiss-o-meter, and then Caroline Steel tries it for herself!

Microbes aren’t just living on and in humans and animals - they’re pretty much everywhere in our environment. And to illustrate this CrowdScience producer Marijke Peters brings Anand a bonus interview with a professional surfer who’s also a bioscientist.

Cliff Kapono undertook a scientific project travelling around the world to take microbiome samples from surfers in different countries. He discovered a fascinating global connection. Surfers are linked together by microbes on their skin that they get from the water around them. Intriguingly, he describes how this might affect our perception of who we are as humans.

Caroline Steel updates us on an interview she did with indigenous Australian astronomer Peter Swanton. Peter appeared on CrowdScience telling an ancient Australian folktale about a man who sacrificed himself to save his brother. The story, which has been handed down through several generations, provides possible evidence for an early observation of a supernova. You can hear that story in the episode “Why is the sun at the centre?”

Today we hear two extra stories that originally got cut from the broadcast due to time constraints. They are beautiful and poignant tales that reveal the depth of indigenous scientific achievement and the extraordinary significance of the night sky.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Phil Sansom
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Studio Managers: Tim Heffer and Cath McGee

Featuring:

Jasper Buikx, scientific curator & spokesperson, ARTIS-Micropia
Prof. Cliff Kapono, surfer & molecular bioscientist, School of Ocean Futures at Arizona State University
Peter Swanton, indigenous research associate, Australian National University


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m554nj9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct4y0n)
Fake birds and other stories

This week we have a host of great ideas inspired by solutions we've told you about in 2023.

We find out how scientists are using fake birds to help populations of seabirds to recover. By putting out model birds in restored habitats they trick the real ones into nesting there.

Then we have the heartwarming tale of Theo – a man in his seventies - and Bickel the dog. We look at how dog sharing can deal with loneliness and bring improved health and happiness.

And we uncover an innovative way of dealing with the scourge of Japanese knotweed - by turning it into paper.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producers: Richard Kenny, Zoe Gelber, Claire Bates
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Bridget Harney
Sound mix: Hal Haines

email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

(Image: Jessica Vagg with a tern decoy, BBC/Richard Kenny)


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrv0sp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 Over to You (w3ct4rqd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m554s8f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4q2xm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrv4jt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct4twj)
Women fighting for justice on death row

Nelufar Hedayat meets two criminal defence lawyers who fight for people's lives on death row.

Sarah Belal is a barrister and the founder of Justice Project Pakistan. She represents the most vulnerable people on death row in Pakistan and abroad.

Andrea Lyon is a lawyer, professor and former law school dean. She was the first woman to serve as lead attorney in a death penalty case, and she holds 19 wins in 19 capital cases. Her book is called Angel of Death Row.

Produced by Alice Gioia.

(Image: (L) Andrea Lyon. (R) Sarah Belal, credit Getty Images.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m554x0k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9jzmz3)
Israeli military continues its attacks in Gaza

The Israeli military continues its attacks in Gaza. It also says it's preparing for the conflict with Hamas to continue throughout the coming year. We will get the latest on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits a holy town. Is it just an election campaign starting early?

And opposition parties in Democratic Republic of Congo call President Felix Tshisekedi’s landslide victory a sham.


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5550rp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9jzrq7)
Hamas militants launch barrage of rockets towards Israel

Israel expands it operations in Gaza. We get the latest on the humanitarian situation there.

Ukrainian president Zelensky vows to wreak 'wrath' against Russian forces as heavy shelling hits some areas in Ukraine.

We return to Nagorno-Karabakh as the enclave ceases to have any legal existence from today.

And the Africa Cup of Nations is just 13 days away.


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5554ht)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9jzwgc)
Hamas launches rocket attacks on Israel

The Israeli military says it is preparing for the conflict with Hamas to continue throughout 2024.

Israel has also been under rocket fire. We will get the latest from Jerusalem.

Ukrainian president Zelensky vows to wreak 'wrath' against Russian forces as heavy shelling hits some areas in Ukraine.

And opposition parties in Democratic Republic of Congo call President Felix Tshisekedi’s landslide victory a sham.


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55587y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4p7l)
Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover: Can the Anglican church hold together?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the Church of England’s first black woman bishop, Rose Hudson-Wilkin. Her home patch, Dover, is at the centre of the political and moral debate about migration; her church is beset by arguments over gender, sex and safeguarding. Can the Anglican church hold together?


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrvmjb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct4mvp)
Living off-grid in Portugal

In the first of a two part series, we're in the Alentejo region where people are buying land and empty properties in an area without power or water supply.

Former BBC correspondent Alastair Leithead is one of them - he has moved there with his wife, and is trying to build and run a hotel. He travels around the region and speaks to his neighbours about their experiences.

Plus - what do local people think of this influx of foreigners coming to live off-grid?

Presented and produced by Alastair Leithead.

(Image: The sun setting over solar panels in Portugal. Alastair Leithead)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct4xbr)
Earth: A pale blue dot in the universe

In February 1990, Nasa space probe Voyager took a famous photo of Earth as it left the Solar System.

Seen from six billion kilometres away, our planet appears as a mere dot lit up by the sun, giving a sense of humanity's small place in the universe.

In 2020, Darryl Morris spoke to Nasa planetary scientist Candice Hansen, who worked on the Voyager programme. A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service.

(Photo: Earth - a pale blue dot. Credit: Nasa/JPL-Caltech)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m555d02)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4qpn8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrvr8g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct4y55)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m555hr6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 New Year's Concert (w3ct68vd)
2024

From the Royal Opera House in London, Georgia Mann presents the annual New Year’s Day concert showcasing members of the BBC’s New Generation Artists scheme. Founded in 1999, the scheme supports some of the world’s finest young instrumentalists, singers and ensembles at the start of their international careers through performance and broadcast opportunities.

The starry line-up features Macedonian-Canadian mezzo soprano Ema Nikolovska, one of the most exciting and versatile young singers on stage today; she’s accompanied by Indian-American pianist Kunal Lahiry, the NGA scheme’s first ever collaborative pianist. British jazz pianist and composer Fergus McCreadie is acclaimed for his unique fusions of contemporary jazz and Scottish folk music. And we hear from cellist Santiago Canon Valencia, the first ever Colombian New Generation Artist, praised for his flawless technique and unique brand of music-making.


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m555mhb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4qy4j)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrvzrq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Conversation (w3ct4twj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m555r7g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct4qh1)
A Family Affair: My uncanny resemblance to Jackie Wilson

Bobby Brooks was raised in South Carolina, USA, by a loving foster mother. He always sang and was persuaded one day to join a doo-wop group called The Love Notes. People would often remark on his striking resemblance to the soul singer Jackie Wilson, which only worked in his favour when Bobby began impersonating Jackie professionally. The crowds went wild for it – he made an excellent Jackie Wilson. Then Bobby was told some astonishing news that explained the talent he took for granted. (First broadcast in March 2023).
 
The archive clip you heard came from the Ed Sullivan Show in 1962, produced by CBS, Ed Sullivan, Marlo Lewis, Bob Precht, Chester Feldman and Jack McGeehan.
 
Presenters: Jo Fidgen and Mobeen Azhar
Producer: May Cameron
 
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
 
(Photo: Bobby Wilson. Credit: Sonny Maxon)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct4xbr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m555vzl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4r5ms)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrw77z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 CrowdScience (w3ct4y55)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m555zqq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hc2mz4)
Japan quake triggers tsunami warnings

Japan's Noto Peninsula is struck by a powerful earthquake. We'll hear about the repercussions of the 7.6 magnitude quake and how Japan prepares for moments like this. Also in the programme: As the new year begins, a barrage of rockets is fired by Hamas into Israel. What does it tell us about the upcoming months in the Israel-Hamas conflict? And in Venice, big tourist groups and loudspeakers are on their way out.

(Photo: Road cracks caused by an earthquake, as seen in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan January 1, 2024. Credit: This photo was released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via Reuters)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5563gv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4p7l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrwgr7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zfc)
Czech president urges 'concrete steps' towards joining the Euro

The Czech president has used his New Year's speech to call for 'concrete steps' towards joining the Euro. Petr Pavel said it was a logical choice for a small, open economy like the Czech Republic.

President Pavel's comments come as the Euro turns 25. We reflect on the single currency's history with former ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet.

The US and UK are increasing pressure on Houthi rebels, who are targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea. The area is one of the word's primary shipping routes, with around 12% of global trade passing through it. We get analysis from maritime security expert Jakob Larsen from the Danish shipping organisation BIMCO, which has 2,000 members in 130 countries around the world.

(Picture: President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel looks on while attending the Italian-Czech Business Forum at Palazzo Regione Lombardia on November 29, 2023 in Milan, Italy. Credit: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55676z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758v48wl)
Powerful earthquake in Japan

Thousands of people in Japan are spending the night in evacuation centres, following a powerful earthquake. Tens of thousands were told to flee to higher ground. The 7.6 magnitude quake caused buildings to collapse in several towns, trapping an unknown number of people. We hear from people affected and speak to our reporter covering the story.

We hear from residents in Gaza where concerns grow about the spread of diseases.

This year Disney's US copyright expires on the images from the short animated film Steamboat Willie - meaning the first appearance of Mickey Mouse is now available for the American public to be re-used without permission or fee. We hear more from a copyright expert.

We hear from three people who embarked on a unique adventure in 2023, one of them was a seven-month solo cycle from Turkey to China.

Listeners share what it is that they are looking forward to or expect to happen in 2024.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: people stand near a collapsed torii gate caused by an earthquake at Onohiyoshi Shrine in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan January 1, 2024, in this photo released by Kyodo. Credit: Kyodo via REUTERS)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m556bz3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758v4dmq)
Houthi Red Sea attacks

The US Navy has destroyed Houthi "small boats" whose crew attempted to board a container ship in the Red Sea. Our correspondent explains what is known about the confrontation and why these attacks are taking place now.

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II has announced her surprise abdication. We speak to a royal reporter.

We hear from three people who each embarked on a unique adventure in 2023, one of them was a seven-month solo cycle from Turkey to China.

Listeners share what it is that they are looking forward to or expect to happen in 2024.

This year Disney's US copyright expires on the images from the short animated film Steamboat Willie - meaning the first appearance of Mickey Mouse is now available for the American public to be re-used without permission or fee. We hear more from a copyright expert.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Houthi troopers riding a truck patrol at a street in Sana'a, Yemen, 30 December 2023. Credit: YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m556gq7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct4qh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct4xbr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m556lgc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4rx3k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrwyqr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct4sv0)
2024/01/01 GMT

BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.


MON 20:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m556q6h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct4nv0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrx2gw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct65r0)
Edward Witten

The Life Scientific returns with a special episode from the USA; Princeton, New Jersey, to be precise. Here, the Institute for Advanced Study has hosted some of the greatest scientific minds of our time - Einstein was one of its first Professors, J. Robert Oppenheimer its longest-serving director - and today's guest counts among them. Edward Witten is Professor Emeritus at the Institute and the physicist behind M-Theory, a leading contender for what is commonly referred to as ‘the theory of everything’, uniting quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of gravity. He talks to Jim Al-Khalili about a career that’s spanned some of the most exciting periods in modern theoretical physics - and about one particular problem that's both obsessed and eluded him since his days as a student…

Produced by Lucy Taylor


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m556tym)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hc3h61)
Infectious disease crisis in Gaza

Deteriorating health conditions in Gaza prompt the UN to make emergency deliveries of thousands of vaccine doses. At the same time, the Israeli military announces a limited withdrawal of some forces from the enclave amid fears of a conflict with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border.

Also on the programme: A Bangladeshi court sentences Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to six months in prison for labour law violations, but his supporters claim he is the victim of political repression.

And as copyright on Mickey Mouse expires, we explore what it could mean for the world’s most famous rodent.

(Picture: Displaced Palestinians shelter in a tent camp in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, December 31, 2023 Credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m556ypr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172z2sxypk2yxn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 22:20 Sports News (w172z1kbdwmk03s)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrx9z4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zhm)
Japan earthquake: What impact will it have on the economy?

Japan is hit by another earthquake. We hear about the impact it could have on the economy.

We examine microfinance and how it works in practice after a Bangladeshi pioneer of this type of finance is sentenced for violating labour laws.

And the state railway company of Ukraine introduces women only compartments to stop assaults on trains.


Picture: A view of a collapsed road and houses because of an earthquake in Wajima in Japan Credit Reuters.


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5572fw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4p7l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrxfq8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct4twj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

TUESDAY 02 JANUARY 2024

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m557660)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 New Year's Concert (w3ct68vd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5579y4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 Business Matters (w172yzrz3gtjvbg)
How will Japan’s economy recover from another earthquake?

We look at the possible economic hit for Japan after another earthquake

We hear about the impact of microfinance on helping people get out of poverty after a Bangladeshi pioneer of this type of finance is sentenced for violating labour laws.

And we assess the strength of the Indian economy as voters go to the polls in May 2024.


(Picture: A collapsed building caused by an earthquake is seen in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan January 2, 2024,Credit.Reuters)


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m557fp8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4srbg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrxsyn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct63cx)
Will the unicorns of the sea fall silent?

The term “narwhal” derives from the old Nordic for “nár + hvalr”, meaning corpse + whale, which, for these animals, is quickly becoming prophetic. Climate change, with its accompanying increase in human marine activity, has led to the Arctic Ocean becoming noisier. As narwhal rely on sound to communicate and navigate their surroundings, this could result in the extinction of populations like East Greenland's narwhal by as soon as 2025. This is the canary in the coalmine moment for the deep-sea mammals, along with the people who rely on them.

Mary-Ann Ochota investigates how this issue is at once political, cultural, and environmental by talking to the scientists, traditional hunters, and activists, who are all seeking a solution.

Music by Siobhan McDonald, Chris Bean and Jonathan Nangle
Nunavut hunters voiced by Francis Quinn
Producer: Jacob Dabb

(Image: A male and female narwhal, Monodon monoceros, have been digitally created and added to this underwater image of the oceans surface. Credit: David Fleetham/Getty Images)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m557kfd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct4qh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct4xbr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m557p5j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4sztq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wry1fx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct4yg7)
Manal AlDowayan

Internationally renowned Saudi artist Manal al-Dowayan is midway through an ambitious public installation that will be shown in the Valley of Arts, in the desert of north-west Saudi Arabia. She has just returned from collecting stories and drawings from the inhabitants of AlUla, and is starting to transform them into her own artwork. Titled Oasis of Stories, the project pays tribute to the local people of AlUla. She will carve their drawings into her installation, just like their ancestors carved petroglyphs to tell their own stories thousands of years ago.

Manal gives Melissa Gronlund a sense of the importance of storytelling and being a memory keeper in a changing society. She also talks about her early work challenging the restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia, such as I Am, which questioned the way women were only allowed to perform certain roles in Saudi society. Melissa hears how one of the country's most established artists is navigating Saudi Arabia's new cultural scene.

Producers: Ashley Byrne, Melissa Gronlund and Danielle Manning
A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service

Image: Manal AlDowayan's participatory workshops in AlUla (2023), part of Oasis of Stories for Wadi AlFann (Courtesy of Royal Commission for AlUla)


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m557sxn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k2jw6)
Central Japan quake: Thirty people confirmed dead

More than thirty people have died after Monday's powerful earthquake in Japan; thousands of people living in coastal areas have spent the night in evacuation centres after being ordered to head to higher ground following a tsunami alert - our correspondent joins us.

We also head to Israel where the Supreme Court has struck down a controversial judicial reform that triggered nationwide protests against the Netanyahu government.

And in South Korea there is shock after the leader of the political opposition is stabbed at a news conference in the southern port city of Busan - we get the latest from there.


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m557xns)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k2nmb)
Fires and aftershocks beset search for trapped survivors of Japan quake

At least 30 people have died following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Japan's Ishikawa prefecture on Monday - we get the latest as the Japanese authorities warn of fresh quakes.

The leader of South Korea's political opposition has been stabbed in the neck at a news conference in the southern port city of Busan, we hear the latest from there.

And we report on the situation in Gaza as thousands of doses of vaccines against childhood diseases have been delivered to help tackle a growing health emergency.


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5581dx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k2scg)
Japan quake: Ten thousand soldiers to join rescue effort

More than 30 people are now known to have died in a powerful earthquake in Japan on New Year's Day - thousands of people living in coastal areas have spent the night in evacuation centres after being ordered to head to higher ground though tsunami alerts have since been downgraded.

The Supreme Court in Israel has struck down a controversial judicial reform that triggered nationwide protests against the Netanyahu government - we hear from a prominent activist.

And we hear about a sea monster known as the Sea Rex - the skull of the giant goes on display today.


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m558551)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 The Documentary (w3ct5mbd)
An octopus's garden

The octopus is prized as the most intelligent of all marine species – immortalised in stories, poems and songs worldwide. In Madagascar it’s also a vital source of income. Hazel Healy takes a journey into a pioneering Madagascan closure system which is enabling one particular species of octopus to flourish and protecting incomes for the most vulnerable. She learns how the system was first developed, and how it’s inspiring other coastal communities in Kenya and Indonesia.

The people of Madagascar are some of the hungriest in the world, and the country is in the grip of the most intense drought for decades. Hazel talks to conservationists, fishers and community leaders, and learns how the exceptional rapid growth and short life span of one shallow-dwelling reef octopus species means that it can be fished heavily if the fishing is carefully managed and monitored. She learns how the system works by periodically closing a portion of a village’s octopus gleaning grounds so that the octopus is free to reproduce. At any communally agreed time, up to a quarter of a community’s fishing area may be closed for three months. During this time, the area is carefully patrolled against poachers. The result is a dramatic increase in octopus landings and improved fisher incomes when those areas are reopened. ‘Fish less, earn more,’ is the mantra of people locally who support the system.

But this is also challenging for those who rely on fishing to survive from day to day. How are communities managing these different needs and finding alternative incomes during the closure periods? What are the key factors which might mean the system will succeed or fail? And how has the system had similar impacts in other parts of the world?

Finally, Hazel learns how the success of the system has sparked greater support for ambitious marine management efforts more widely, including the creation of permanent marine reserves in Madagascar.

Producer: Sarah Cuddon
Music by The Enchanted Cinema
A Falling Tree production for BBC World Service

Image credit: Madagascar Film and Photography


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wryjff)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct4n4q)
Living off-grid: Scaling up

Alastair Leithead and his wife Ana moved to Portugal during the Covid pandemic. They live off-grid, meaning they have no access to mains electricity or water supplies. They also have to manage their own waste water and sewage.

Now the former BBC correspondent is embarking on an ambitious project to build and run a hotel, meaning their solar powered utilities will not only have to work for them, but also paying guests.

Produced and presented by Alastair Leithead.

(Image: Alastair and Ana at their property. Credit: Alastair Leithead)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct4xh9)
Discovery of the hole in the earth’s ozone

In 1985, British scientists made what would turn out to be one of the most important environmental discoveries of the 20th century - finding a hole in the earth’s ozone layer.

The British Antarctic Survey, based in Cambridge, had been monitoring ozone levels for more than 30 years using the Dobson Ozone Spectrophotometer.

But it was only when they compared previously uncharted figures from the 1980s with the previous decade that they made the shocking finding, as Jonathan Shanklin, the man who compiled the data, told Jane Wilkinson.

(Photo: Ozone hole in September 2006. Credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5588x5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4tlkc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wryn5k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct63cx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m558dn9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct4vm4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m558jdf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4tv1m)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrywnt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 In the Studio (w3ct4yg7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m558n4k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct4qxl)
A Family Affair: Spiders, Gandalf – a brother's bucket list

Royd Tolkien is the great-grandson of JRR Tolkien – author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Royd and his younger brother Mike were very close, but also very different; Mike was the adrenaline junkie who loved bungee jumping whereas Royd likes nothing better than a cup of tea in the garden. When Mike died of Motor Neurone Disease in 2015 he left Royd a bucket list of 50 daring tasks, and completing them gave Royd a reason to carry on. Royd has written a book about his experience called There's a Hole in my Bucket: A Journey of Two Brothers. (First broadcast in August 2021).

In her thirties, Elide Castillo Tzab found herself raising her children alone, toiling to earn enough money to provide for them. Her mother saw her struggles, and taught her the recipe for recados, the flavourful spice mixes that are the speciality of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This was to be the start of Elide’s successful food co-operative, Semilla De Dioses, or Seeds of the Gods. And after a hurricane, Elide’s sister Delfina joined the business that the sisters now call “a life project.” Outlook's Claudia Alarcón went to meet them.

Presenters: India Rakusen and Jo Fidgen

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Royd Tolkien taking on his bucket list. Credit: Royd Tolkien Productions)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct4xh9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m558rwp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4v2jw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrz452)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 Discovery (w3ct65r0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Monday]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m558wmt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hc5jw7)
Fatal crash between planes at Tokyo airport

Five people aboard a Japanese coastguard plane have died after their aircraft collided with a passenger plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The coastguard plane was due to deliver aid to areas hit by Monday's deadly earthquake. The earthquake is now known to have killed nearly 50 people.

Dramatic footage showed passengers fleeing the burning Japan Airlines plane on inflatable slides and running across the tarmac, but all 379 people on board were evacuated, the airline said.

Also in the programme: Somalia has said it will defend its territory by all legal means, after the breakaway region of Somaliland signed a deal to lease land to Ethiopia to build a port; and how one psychotherapist turned couples counselling into a podcast hit.

(Photo shows a plane on fire at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on 2 January 2024. Credit: Reuters)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5590cy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 The Documentary (w3ct5mbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrzcnb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zqd)
Five people die in Japan Airlines plane fire

Hundreds of passengers have been evacuated after the aircraft crashed with a coastguard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. We explore plane safety with our correspondent. Plus, Iran has sent a war ship to the Red Sea after the US Navy destroyed three small boats and killed ten Houthi militants who attacked a container ship belonging to the Danish shipping company, Maersk. We hear about the impact this is having on the cargo sector. And, why truck drivers in India have gone on strike over a new law that raises penalties for hit-and-run road accidents.

(Picture: Japan Airlines' A350 airplane on fire at Haneda international airport in Tokyo. Picture credit: REUTERS)


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m559442)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758v75sp)
48 dead after Japan earthquake

A powerful earthquake in Japan has killed dozens, caused homes to collapse and triggered tsunami warnings. Around 1,000 rescuers are searching for people who may still be trapped beneath the rubble. Our correspondent updates us on those rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, a Japan Airlines plane burst into flames after an apparent collision with a smaller coastguard aircraft on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda airport. All 379 passengers and crew were evacuated but five of the six crew on the coastguard plane died, police said. We hear from people now stranded at the airport.

Ethiopia has signed an agreement with the self-declared republic of Somaliland to use one of its ports. We hear what this means for Somaliland’s legitimacy as government of the region.

Hamas officials say more than 200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours. We hear a regular audio diary from an aid worker in Gaza describing the situation on the ground.

And a teenager has stormed through to the semi-finals of the UK-run darts World Cup. Fans of this unique game explain what it means to them.

Presenter: Lukwesa Burak.

(Photo: Destruction in the town of Togi, January 2nd. Credit: FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m5597w6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758v79jt)
Five dead after plane collision in Tokyo

Five people aboard a Japanese coastguard plane have died after colliding with a passenger plane. The coastguard plane was due to deliver aid after a deadly earthquake hit central Japan on New Year's Day. We hear the latest from our business correspondent.

Hamas has confirmed the death of its deputy head, Saleh al-Arouri in a blast south of Beirut. Al-Arouri was the deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, who was known to be deeply involved in its military affairs.

A long list of people associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is expected to be made public in the coming days. Our correspondent in New York explains the possible implications.

The BBC’s culture reporter joins live to describe the trailer for a new horror film based on an early version of Mickey Mouse, after Disney’s copyright expires.

And we hear from three ordinary people suffering from the effects of long Covid, now years since first falling ill.

(Picture: Firefighters work at Haneda International Airport after Japan Airlines' A350 airplane caught on fire, in Tokyo, Japan January 2, 2024. Picture credit: REUTERS/Issei Kato)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m559cmb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct4qxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct4xh9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m559hcg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4vt0n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrzvmv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct4szj)
2024/01/02 GMT

BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.


TUE 20:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m559m3l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct63cx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21wrzzcz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct4tr0)
Tech predictions for 2024

Shiona McCallum and Alasdair Keane present a special edition of Tech Life. They invite BBC reporters to predict what might happen in the world of tech in 2024. From Africa to North America, from Asia to Europe, our experts give you their tips for what might be making technology news in the coming months. Hear about electric cars, cryptocurrency, video games, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and more. How will developments affect your life ?

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Ketut Agus Suardika


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m559qvq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hc6d34)
Hamas’ deputy head of political bureau killed

Hamas says the deputy head of its political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri and two leaders of the group’s armed wing have been killed in an Israeli attack in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Lebanese media reports say the blast killed three other people. Video footage shows a car in flames and extensive damage to buildings in Dahiyeh, known as a Hezbollah stronghold. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.

Also in the programme: Ethiopia makes a deal with Somaliland; and living with long covid.

(Photo: Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern district of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. CREDIT: EPA/ABBAS SALMAN)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m559vlv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172z2sxypk5vtr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 22:20 Sports News (w172z1kbdwmmx0w)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws06w7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zsn)
Claudine Gay steps down as Harvard President

We look at the possible influence of rich donors on Universities in the United States.

Tesla is relegated to second position in the sales of electric vehicles after Chinese rival BYD clinches the top spot.

AND We assess the cost to shipping after the latest attack by Houthi rebels on cargo ships travelling through the Red Sea.

(Photo Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts 2023
Picture Credit Reuters/BryanSnyder)


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m559zbz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 The Documentary (w3ct5mbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws0bmc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct4yg7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

WEDNESDAY 03 JANUARY 2024

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55b333)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct4vm4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55b6v7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 Business Matters (w172yzrz3gtmr7k)
Harvard University President resigns after a series of rows

We look at the possible influence of rich donors on Universities in the United States.

Tesla is pushed into second position in global electric car sales after Chinese rival BYD clinches the top spot.

AND How much do shipping companies stand to do lose after the latest attack by Houthi rebels on cargo travelling through the Red Sea ?

(Photo:Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts 2023 Picture Credit Reuters/BryanSnyder)



Short We look at the role of rich donors at Universities in the US.

Medium We examine whether rich donors played a part in the departure of Claudine Gay

Long

We look at the possible influence of rich donors on Universities in the United States.

Tesla is pushed into second position in global electric car sales after Chinese rival BYD clinches the top spot.

AND How much do shipping companies stand to do lose after the latest attack by Houthi rebels on cargo travelling through the Red Sea ?

Photo Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts 2023
Picture Credit Reuters/BryanSnyder


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55bblc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4wn7k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws0pvr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct5bl4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55bgbh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct4qxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct4xh9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55bl2m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4wwqt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws0yc0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 The Documentary (w3ct6ccq)
Soul Music

Defying Gravity from Wicked

The musical Wicked is now over 20 years old. The story of the Wizard of Oz told from the witches' perspective, it examines themes of difference, power and alienation. The so-called Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, experiences the pain of growing up different and longing for acceptance. Defying Gravity is her war-cry at the end of act one, as she bravely decides to forge her own path in life - to "close her eyes and leap".

The song has become a powerful anthem for people from all different walks of life and this episode tells some of their stories.

Edward Pierce, the Broadway set designer of Wicked, knows the song through and through as he worked on the sequence where Elphaba takes flight and begins Defying Gravity. It wasn't until he became severely ill with Covid that the song took on a different meaning. While he was in an induced coma on a ventilator, a nurse sang and hummed Defying Gravity to him. He believes that song played more than a minor role in his recovery.

That nurse was singer Felicia Temple, who performed Defying Gravity when she appeared on TV talent show The Voice. When her musical career was cut short by lockdown in March 2020, she returned to nursing; when she found herself at the bedside of a Broadway set designer, there was only one song that came to mind. But it has a personal resonance for her too, as she went onto that TV show to sing the song one year on from her own illness with cancer and was resolute that, as the song goes, "nothing was ever going to bring me down".

The first British singer to play the role of Elphaba in the West End and Broadway is Kerry Ellis. She recounts how the song has given her so much in life, and how grateful she is to its strong message of courage.

Kath Pierce, formerly of the Manchester Proud Choir, explains why Defying Gravity is such an important song to the LGTBQ community and why the choir and members of the public took to the trams and streets of Manchester one November evening in defiance of a violent attack against two young gay men. They'd been on their way home on the tram singing songs from Wicked after a night out. Hundreds of people assembled in the city centre and sang Defying Gravity as a protest against the hate crime.

Musicologist Mel Spencer talks us through the genius of composer Stephen Schwartz's song and how it harks back to Somewhere Over the Rainbow, as well as to Wagner.


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55bptr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k5fs9)
Saleh al-Arouri death: Hamas deputy leader killed in Beirut

After the deputy leader of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri, is killed in a drone strike in the Lebanese capital, Beirut - Lebanon accuses Israel of trying "to drag Lebanon into confrontation".

Somalia calls the Ethiopia-Somaliland agreement to give the Ethiopians access to the coast an act of aggression - we speak to a Somali minister to examine their thoughts and options.

Rescue efforts continue in Japan after at least 62 people were killed in a powerful earthquake that hit the country on New Year's Day - we hear from our correspondent.


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55btkw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k5kjf)
Lebanon has accused Israel of seeking to ignite a regional war

One of most senior Hamas leaders has been killed in Beirut; an Israeli spokesman said Saleh al-Arouri had died in a "surgical strike against the Hamas leadership" - we go live there.

We hear concerns that half a million people could die in Ethiopia from hunger - a country with a long history of famine.

And the sensational run of the 16-year-old in the World Darts Championship - Luke Littler is now in the final.


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55byb0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k5p8k)
Saleh al-Arouri killing: Israel neither confirms nor denies it was involved

The deputy leader of Hamas is killed - not in Gaza but in Beirut - Lebanon accuses Israel of trying "to drag Lebanon into... confrontation".

Hundreds survive after a collision between two airplanes in Tokyo - as rescue efforts continue to reach those stuck in areas hit by the earthquake.

Russian missiles hit Ukraine's biggest cities, leaving at least five dead and dozens hurt, we speak to a politician whose house was hit.


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55c224)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4p3m)
Aiden Aslin: Captured, tortured and swapped by Russia

Stephen Sackur speaks to Aiden Aslin, the British man who joined the Ukrainian army and was captured, tortured and sentenced to death by Putin’s forces. He got out in a prisoner swap, traumatised but alive. Why did he risk his life for someone else’s cause?

(Photo: Aiden Aslin)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws1fbj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct4n97)
Tricking the brain – are holograms the future?

The use of these endlessly flexible 3D images is increasing rapidly.

Not just in entertainment, but in medicine, education, design, defence and more.

Holograms trick the brain into seeing something in 3D when it’s really just a projection, allowing us to feel immersed in something – whether it’s an atom, or a cityscape.

We talk to companies developing this fast advancing technology and ask – will we be living in a holographic future?

Produced and presented by Matthew Kenyon

(Image: A citizen watches a hologram of the artwork 'A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains' during a digital art exhibition at an art museum on March 11, 2023 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province of China. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct4xkk)
The invention of the wingsuit

The wingsuit is the ultimate in extreme sports clothing. The aerodynamic outfit allows base jumpers and skydivers to free-fall for longer before opening a parachute.

The road to creating it was littered with casualties, but in 1999 skydivers Jari Kuosma and Robert Pecnik developed the first commercial wingsuits.

In 2019, Jari told Jonathan Coates how exciting, but also how dangerous they can be.

(Photo: Jari in his wingsuit. Credit: BBC)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55c5t8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4xhgg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws1k2n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct5bl4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55c9kd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct68wc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55cf9j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4xqyq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws1skx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Documentary (w3ct6ccq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55ck1n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct4r4c)
A Family Affair: Scars and silences

Carol Benjamin's family was perfectly ordinary – until the military took over in Brazil in the 1960s. Her father Cesar, who was just a schoolboy at the time, became an underground revolutionary in the armed uprising against the dictatorship. And when he was captured, Carol’s quiet law-abiding grandmother joined the resistance movement to free him. Years later, Cesar refused to speak about his experiences and Carol grew up trying to fill in the gaps in her family's history, and attempting to understand her father and his silences. (First broadcast in May 2021)

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Maryam Maruf

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Carol and Cesar Benjamin. Credit: Courtesy of Carol Benjamin and Daza Films)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct4xkk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55cnss)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4xzfz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws2125)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 Tech Life (w3ct4tr0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55csjx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hc8fsb)
At least 100 killed in twin explosions in Iran

At least 100 people have been killed by two bomb explosions near the tomb of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of his assassination by the US, Iran's state media report.

State broadcaster Irib said another 171 people were wounded when the blasts hit a procession in the southern city of Kerman. A video circulated online appeared to show several bodies on a road. We'll get the latest.

Also in the programme: Hamas tells us that there will be consequences after the killing of one of its leaders in Lebanon - Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvementl and as a teenage sensation blazes his way through to the final of the World Darts Championship, what does the success of the sport tell us about modern Britain?

(File photo of an Iranian holding a picture of late General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, as people gather to mourn him in Tehran, Iran on 4 January 2020. Credit: Nazanin Tabatabaee/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55cx91)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4p3m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws28kf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zvx)
Red Sea attacks: how are they hitting seafarers?

The head of the International Chamber of Shipping has told the BBC that one in five commercial ships are now avoiding the Red Sea because of the threat of attack.

The longer journey around Africa can add anything from one to two weeks to a vessel’s journey.

We speak to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which represents over half of the two million seafarers worldwide.

Also in the programme, presenter Sam Fenwick discusses upcoming elections in South Africa and gets the latest in the investigation into Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.

(Picture: Portrait of tug worker wearing protective goggles and hard hat. Picture credit: Getty Images)


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55d115)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758vb2ps)
Explosions in Iran

Iran's state media are reporting that more than 100 people have been killed by two bomb explosions near the tomb of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of his assassination by the US.

We report on a speech given by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's powerful armed group, Hezbollah to mark four years since the killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani.

We hear reaction to both stories and analysis from our colleague at BBC Persian.

We get the latest updates on the rescue efforts following the earthquake in Japan.

Four years since the first reports of Covid-19 emerged, we hear a conversation with people who worked on the frontline treating Covid patients.

Presenter: Lukwesa Burak

(Photo: People gather at the scene of explosions. Credit: Wana News Agency/Reuters)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55d4s9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758vb6fx)
Hezbollah leader speaks

The leader of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is giving a speech after Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in blast in Beirut on Tuesday.

Iran's state media are reporting that more than 100 people have been killed in two bomb explosions near the tomb of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of his assassination by the US.

We hear reaction to both stories and analysis from our colleagues.

Many vessels are now taking the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope due to attacks in the Red Sea. We explain what is happening there and hear from Jonathan Josephs, the BBC's international trade reporter about the impact on the global economy.

Presenter: Lukwesa Burak

(Photo: Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters through a screen during a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of senior Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. attack. Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55d8jf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct4r4c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct4xkk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55dd8k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4ypxr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws2rjy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct4t1s)
2024/01/03 GMT

BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.


WED 20:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55dj0p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct5bl4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws2w92)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct4pf3)
2024 in global health

A treaty to help the world cope with the next pandemic, new ways to treat undernutrition and a last goodbye to polio. Could these be some of the health advances that 2024 will bring? Claudia asks global health journalist Andrew Green for his predictions.

Monica Lakhanpaul, professor of integrated community child health at University College London joins Claudia in the studio to discuss new evidence showing that a vaccination for winter virus RSV could cut hospital admissions in children by more than 80%.

And a mobile phone app which has been used to screen people’s coughs in Kenya for signs of TB.

Plus Claudia speaks to British journalist Mike Powell who was diagnosed a year ago with kidney failure as he prepares for transplant.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Clare Salisbury
Assistant Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
Editor: Holly Squire


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55dmrt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hc9907)
Nearly a hundred killed in blasts near Iran general's tomb

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei said there would be a harsh response to the bombing. There were no immediate claims from any groups for what is believed to have been the deadliest such attack in Iran in 42 years.

Also on the programme we speak to Glynn Simmons, a man who spent over 48 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. It is the longest known wrongful sentence in the US; and we hear from the town of Wajima, the epicentre of Monday's earthquake in Japan.

(Picture: Medics tend to the wounded in the city of Kerman in Southern Iran. Credit: Anadulu)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55drhy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172z2sxypk8rqv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 22:20 Sports News (w172z1kbdwmqsxz)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws33sb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zy5)
US jobs data latest

Latest data from the US shows the number of new job openings fell substantially in November, its lowest in two years, suggesting that the economy is less ‘hot’ than it was.

Roger Hearing examines the extraordinary story of how a Chinese student’s family paid $80,000 in response to cyber threats alleging the young student was being held hostage and how the incident in the US has shed light on a growing trend in crime - cyber kidnapping.

In Australia Phil Mercer looks at the business of holograms as improvements in 3D flexible image technology mean they’re now being used by a range of industries including entertainment, education, design and defence.
(Picture credit: Catherine McQueen/Getty Images


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55dw82)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4p3m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws37jg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 The Documentary (w3ct6ccq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

THURSDAY 04 JANUARY 2024

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55f006)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct68wc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55f3rb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 Business Matters (w172yzrz3gtqn4n)
US jobs data latest

To discuss the big business stories of the day from around the world presenter, Roger Hearing, is joined by Zyma Islam, journalist at the Daily Star newspaper who's in Dhaka, and Kimberley Adams, Senior Washington Correspondent for Marketplace in Washington DC.

Latest data from the US shows the number of new job openings fell substantially in November, its lowest in two years, suggesting that the economy is less ‘hot’ than it was

Roger Hearing examines the extraordinary story of how a Chinese student’s family paid $80,000 in response to cyber threats alleging the young student was being held hostage and how the incident in the US has shed light on a growing trend in crime - cyber kidnapping.

In Australia Phil Mercer looks at the business of holograms as improvements in 3D flexible image technology mean they’re now being used by a range of industries including entertainment, education, design and defence.
(Picture credit: wildpixel/Getty Images.)


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55f7hg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4zk4n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws3lrv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 Assignment (w3ct4m85)
Bones that speak

In 2016, the Philippines’ newly elected president, Rodrigo Duterte declared there was one, common enemy: the drugs trade. What followed was a bloodbath. Addicts, alleged traffickers – and so many who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time – were gunned down in the streets by the security services. Often, the police claimed there had been a shoot-out and they had shot back in self-defence. The government put the number of people killed in the ‘war on drugs’ at 6,252 – that figure doesn’t include the thousands killed by unknown assailants.

Now some of those victims are speaking from beyond the grave. Many were poor, and their families couldn’t afford a permanent resting place in a cemetery. Instead, they rented a burial spot. And, as those short leases have come up for eviction, a Catholic priest, Father Flavie Villanueva, offers families help to exhume and cremate the bodies. But before cremation, the remains are examined by one of only two forensic pathologists in the Philippines, Dr Raquel Fortun.

Dr Fortun has assessed the skeletal remains of dozens of victims of the ‘war on drugs’. Her findings often contradict police narratives. For Assignment, Linda Pressly reports on these efforts to uncover the truth of what happened under President Duterte. But she also hears how, under a new president since 2022 - Ferdinand Marcos Jr - the killings on the streets have continued.

Producer: Tim Mansel
Presenter: Linda Pressly
Studio mix by James Beard
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: Dr Fortun. Credit: Tim Mansel/BBC)


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55fc7l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct4r4c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct4xkk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55fgzq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf4zsmx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws3v83)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct4v79)
Bonnie Garmus: My life in five dishes

Bonnie Garmus, author of the bestselling novel Lessons in Chemistry, shares the story of her life through five dishes.

Ruth Alexander meets Bonnie in her London home, to talk about the food influences in her debut novel about a female chemist turned TV cookery show host in the 1950s and 60s.

She’ll hear about Bonnie’s childhood growing up in California, her own personal experiences of sexism in the workplace, the adoption of her Chinese daughters and her relationship with her husband David.

Bonnie will bake a dish that features in her novel, ‘desperation brownies’.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Presented by Ruth Alexander.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: Bonnie Garmus in her London home with a brownie that she has baked. Credit: BBC)


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55flqv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k8bpd)
Tensions high in Iran as bombing victims remembered

Two explosions at a memorial event for an Iranian military commander have killed 95 people - Iran's supreme leader has promised a harsh response to the explosions at a cemetery in the city of Kerman.

In Lebanon the leader of Hezbollah has also vowed action following Tuesday's attack which killed a senior figure in the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

And we hear from Japan where the death toll from the earthquake has now passed 70.


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55fqgz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k8gfj)
Iran vows harsh response after twin bombings near general's tomb

Iran is entering a day of mourning after almost 100 people were killed by explosions at a cemetery where a memorial was being held for a military commander killed by the US four years ago - Iran has accused Israel and the US of being behind the blasts; Washington has rejected these claims.

A list of names of people associated with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been released by a court in New York - but is it possible to draw any conclusions from it?

And our correspondent in Japan reports from the ongoing earthquake relief operation.


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55fv73)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9k8l5n)
Twin blasts at memorial in Iran kill nearly 100 people

Nearly 100 people have been killed in blasts in central Iran, during a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of the powerful general Qasem Soleimani - Iran's supreme leader has vowed the perpetrators will be met with a harsh response.

We go to Japan, where the authorities say they are up against the clock to find remaining survivors following a major earthquake which hit the central north of the country - we hear from one man whose home area was near the epicentre of the 7.6 magnitude quake.

And the 16-year old who almost clinched victory in the finals of the World Darts Championship - we speak to someone who's worked closely with Luke Littler as he's set about his sky-rocketing career.


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55fyz7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct4wf1)
Are orcas OK?

Something strange started happening in early 2023 in the waters off south-western Europe, where the Mediterranean sea meets the Atlantic ocean. Orcas began slamming into the sides of fishing and sailing vessels. The killer whales then dived underneath to locate and destroy the rudders used to steer the boats. Once finished, the orcas departed, leaving shocked crews and thousands of dollars of damage behind. Some of the attacks were over in a matter of minutes, but others lasted hours.

It’s very unusual behaviour for this particular mammal, but orcas are under a lot of threat from man-made hazards. Factors like underwater noise pollution, overfishing, toxic waste and climate change to name a few are making orca life extremely difficult. Could all of this have caused this change in behaviour?

Contributors:

Billy Heaney, zoologist, wildlife tour guide and presenter
Dr Jeremy Kiszka, professor of biology at Florida International University in Miami
Hannah Strager, marine biologist and director of exhibitions at the Whale Museum in Norway
Nicola Hodgins, researcher with the global charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producers: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, Jill Collins, Matt Toulson
Editors: Tara McDermott and Tom Bigwood
Researcher: Matt Toulson
Sound designer: Nicky Edwards
Production co-ordinator: Jordan King

Image: An orca showing its teeth (Credit: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws4b7m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct4n06)
Being unbanked

How easy is it to open a bank account in your country?

Around the world, 1.4 billion people can’t get a bank account, and two-thirds of them are in low and middle income countries.

People from migrant communities also struggle to access formal banking services.

We hear from 19 year-old Josue Calderon. Originally from El Salvador, he arrived in the United States when he was 16. He tells Sam Fenwick about the challenges of only being able to use cash when he first arrived in the US.

Sam also speaks to BBC World Service listeners about their experiences of opening a bank account.

(Picture: The hand of a woman about to take money out of her purse. Credit: Getty Images)

Produced and presented by Sam Fenwick
Additional production by Barbara George


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct4xf1)
The Hindenburg airship disaster

The Hindenburg was the largest airship ever built and the pride of Nazi Germany.

In May 1937, it flew over the Atlantic from Frankfurt, in Germany, to New Jersey, in the United States.

During its mooring at Lakehurst Naval Air Station it burst into flames, killing 35 of the 97 passengers and crew.

Radio reporter Herb Morrison watched the horror unfold and his eyewitness account became one of the most famous moments in journalism history.

Vicky Farncombe presents this episode.

(Photo: The Hindenburg airship disaster. Credit: Sam Shere/Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55g2qc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf50dck)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws4fzr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 Assignment (w3ct4m85)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55g6gh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct4wkm)
Timing is everything

As the new year arrives for much of the world, Marnie and pals look at a few time-related oddities. From the abolition of the leap second, to how some people feel they can actually see time stretching before them, to a festival of lunar-loving worms.

On the anniversary of the invention of the word “robot”, we discuss EU AI legislation and its parallels with science fiction of a century ago, regal handedness, Arctic golf courses and the time-capsule of all humanity, stuck to the side of the Voyager Probes.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton with Meral Jamal, Andrada Fiscutean, plus Prof Anje Schutze of Texas A&M University
Produced by Tom Bonnett, with Alex Mansfield and Dan Welsh


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55gb6m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf50mvt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws4ph0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Food Chain (w3ct4v79)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55gfyr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct4qpt)
A Family Affair: A hand-me-down recipe made me a cookery star

In Australia, Elizabeth Chong is a household name. She's a celebrity chef and has done more than anyone – except possibly her father – to popularise Chinese cuisine. In her cookery classes and then on TV she would share her family's recipes and stories and won millions of fans, both among native-born Australians and newly-arrived South East Asian immigrants. And yet Elizabeth nearly wasn't allowed into Australia at all. (First broadcast in May 2022).

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Katy Takatsuki

(Photo: Elizabeth Chong receives her 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honour medal. Credit: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct4xf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55gkpw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf50wc2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws4xz8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 Health Check (w3ct4pf3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Wednesday]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55gpg0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hccbpf)
Hamas deputy’s funeral held in Beirut

The funeral of the Hamas deputy leader, Saleh al-Arouri, is taking place in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. His assassination in a drone strike on Tuesday raises fears that Israel's war with Hamas could spiral into a wider regional conflict.

Also on the programme: Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton named in court files of convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. And a drug that can defeat some antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Picture: Mourners at the funeral of deputy head of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, Lebanon. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55gt64)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct4wf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws55gj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zkw)
Japan counts economic cost of earthquake

It’s been a difficult few days for Japan. Hundreds of homes have been flattened, people remain trapped and some are struggling to access clean drinking water.

Meanwhile, the government is facing an expensive recovery in an area that had hoped for more tourists after years of pandemic gloom.

Sam Fenwick will find out how the earthquake is affecting the Japanese economy and will also discuss upcoming elections in Mexico.

(Picture: Aftermath of an earthquake in Wajima. Picture credit: Reuters)


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55gxy8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758vdzlw)
Lebanon: Funeral of Hamas deputy leader

Thousands of people carrying Palestinian flags have been attending the funeral of the Hamas deputy leader, Saleh al-Arouri, in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. We speak to our correspondent there.

Our colleagues with BBC Persian explain how they have been covering the story about the two explosions in Iran and what has been the reaction in the country, amid fears of regional war.

We get reaction from Britney Spears fans to the pop star’s announcement that she will never return to the music industry.

We continue to look at the impact of the four years of Covid; today three people share how the pandemic changed their lives for the better.

Presenter: Luke Jones.

(Photo: Mourners gather during the funeral of Ahmad Hammoud, who was killed along with Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in what security sources said was an Israeli drone strike in Beirut on Tuesday, in Burj al-Shemali in Tyre, Lebanon, January 3, 2024. Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55h1pd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758vf3c0)
Thousands attend Beirut funeral of top Hamas official

Thousands of people carrying Palestinian flags have been attending the funeral of the Hamas deputy leader, Saleh al-Arouri, in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Meanwhile, the Islamic State group has said it carried out Wednesday's twin explosions in the Iranian city of Kerman, and the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza told Reuters 14 people were killed in a blast at al-Mawasi near Khan Younis. Our Chief International correspondent Lyse Doucet explains this week's developments.

Sweden's armed forces had to deliver food and water to up to one thousand cars stuck in heavy snow on the main road through the southern region of Skane. We speak to one woman who was stuck for 17 hours before she was evacuated.

We continue to look at the impact of the four years of Covid; today three people share how the pandemic changed their lives for the better.

A court in the United States has released hundreds of documents, revealing the identities of people connected to a businessman Jeffrey Epstein and his abuse of underage girls. We hear more from our correspondent in Washington.

An Oklahoma teenager is believed to have become the first human player to beat Nintendo's classic video game Tetris, 34 years after its release. Our gaming reporter joins to tell us more.

Presenter: Luke Jones.

(Photo: Mourners gather during the funeral of deputy head of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed by what Lebanese and Palestinian security sources say was a drone strike by Israel in Beirut, Lebanon January 4, 2024.Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55h5fj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct4qpt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct4xf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55h95n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf51ltv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws5ng1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct4sx8)
2024/01/04 GMT

BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.


THU 20:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55hdxs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 Assignment (w3ct4m85)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws5s65)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 Science In Action (w3ct4sdg)
Tackling tuberculosis in South Africa

In this episode of Science in Action, we find out that tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death in South Africa.

After visiting a clinic dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of TB, Roland Pease meets researcher Professor Grant Theron at Stellenbosch University, who explains why the disease is still so prevalent.

Next we hear from Professor Novel Chegou and his student Candice Snyders, also based at Stellenbosch University. They are researching biomarkers to diagnose tuberculosis and have already successfully developed a rapid finger-prick test to identify TB.

Roland then chats to vaccine researcher Professor Thomas Scriba at the University of Cape Town, who reveals more about the current landscape of TB vaccination.

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Ella Hubber
Editor: Martin Smith
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55hjnx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hcd5xb)
Fears of escalation in Middle East war

As Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri is mourned following his assassination in Beirut, what are the risks of a wider regional conflict? We hear from analyst Paul Salem.

Also in the programme: a high tide of youth unemployment in China; new research sheds light on the physical changes that occur in Long Covid patients; and controversy over a new method of execution in the US state of Alabama.

(Photo: A man holds a Palestinian flag as mourners gather during the funeral of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55hnf1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172z2sxypkcnmy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 22:20 Sports News (w172z1kbdwmtpv2)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws60pf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zn4)
Red Sea crisis: Houthis defy US-led coalition warning with new attack

Houthi rebels detonate an unmanned vessel in the Red Sea a day after US and allies warned they would protect the crucial global shipping lane with military action if necessary. We get the views from the maritime industry.

The Chrome browser is trying a new feature that disables third-party cookies - small files stored on your device that have become vital for advertisers. We hear about the impact this change could have on their businesses if extended to all users.

And Microsoft has announced it will add a new key to keyboards, the first in 30 years: an AI key. We explain what you can do with it.

(Picture: Armed Houthi supporters stand near paintings depicting Houthi's political council head Mahdi al-Mashat, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian slain General Qasem Soleimani, at a street in Sana'a, Yemen, 03 January 2024. Picture credit: YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55hs55)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct4wf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws64fk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct4v79)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

FRIDAY 05 JANUARY 2024

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55hwx9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct4wkm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55j0nf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 Business Matters (w172yzrz3gttk1r)
Houthis defy US warning with new attack in the Red Sea

Houthi rebels detonate an unmanned vessel in the Red Sea a day after US and allies warned they would protect the crucial global shipping lane with military action if necessary. We get the views from the maritime industry.

The Chrome browser is trying a new feature that disables third-party cookies - small files stored on your device that have become vital for advertisers. We hear about the impact this change could have on their businesses if extended to all users.

And Microsoft has announced it will add a new key to keyboards, the first in 30 years: an AI key. We explain what you can do with it.

Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Jessica Khine, Corporate Advisor for Astris Advisory in Tokyo, and, Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo.

(Picture: Yemen's Houthis claim new attack on cargo ship in Red Sea, Sanaa. Picture credit: YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55j4dk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf52g1r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws6hny)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct4tr0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55j84p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct4qpt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct4xf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55jcwt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf52pk0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws6r56)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct4pjx)
My sex work and my faith

Aaliyah grew up a devout Muslim but now makes adult content for the online service Only Fans. She’s often pictured wearing a hijab. Aaliyah is her stage name. She’s had death threats but believes that expressing her sexuality and making her own choices about her body are empowering. She has also had support from young Muslim women and couples. She was brought up in the UK as a Muslim and began to question her faith at the age of 12, when her parents got divorced. She says, “My work now is definitely a rebellion against my upbringing. I’m tired of being told how women should be”. Aaliyah still describes herself as Muslim and feels that her sex work is more important than the version of Islam she grew up with.

Can you be a sex worker and still follow your faith? Sex work has always challenged religion. Although it’s broadly considered immoral within Christianity, Islam and Judaism, sacred texts carry some mixed messages. Women sex workers often see male religious leaders condemning them in public, whilst buying their services in private.

In Bangalore in India, women at a sex workers cooperative think religion is compatible with their work. One Christian, who’s a mother and wife, says her family don’t know how she makes her living. “I can talk to God about it when I can’t talk to my husband”. In Nigeria, a Muslim sex worker we’re calling Zara operates in an area where sex work is illegal and dangerous. But she draws strength from her faith. “I know what God says about selling sex, that it’s against the religion but he understands that I have to do it.”

In this edition of Heart and Soul, for the BBC World Service, Julia Paul speaks to consensual female sex workers in the UK, Nigeria and India and explores how faith and sex work co-exist in their lives.

Producer: Julia Paul
Series Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
Editor: Helen Grady


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55jhmy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9kc7lh)
Israel outlines post-war Gaza plan

The Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, has presented his plan for the future of Gaza on the eve of the latest visit to the region by the US Secretary of State.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for two explosions in Iran that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores at a memorial for Qasem Soleimani.

And South African former paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is set to be released on parole, nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55jmd2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9kccbm)
Antony Blinken heads to Middle East

The Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, has presented his plan for the future of Gaza ahead of the latest visit to the region by the US Secretary of State.

The former athlete Oscar Pistorius is due to be released from prison in South Africa today more than ten years after shooting dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

And snow chaos traps hundreds of motorists in Sweden.


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55jr46)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172z07ct9kch2r)
Israel’s post-war plan for Gaza

Israel has outlined its proposals for the future of Gaza ahead of the latest visit to the region by the US Secretary of State.

Local authorities in Japan say the number of people who lost their lives in Monday's earthquake has risen to 92.

And the United States has confirmed that it carried out a strike that killed the leader of a pro-Iranian militia in Iraq.


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55jvwb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4nzk)
Aida Touma-Sliman: What does war mean for Israel's Arab population?

What does the Gaza war mean for Israel’s Arab population? Stephen Sackur speaks to Israeli politician Aida Touma-Sliman, a Palestinian Arab member of Israel's parliament.


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws774q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct4mq5)
Business Daily meets: Kathryn Jacob

For 70 years, Pearl & Dean has been at the forefront of cinema advertising in the UK. Its CEO, Kathryn Jacob has been leading the company for 18 of them.

But it's been a rocky few years for the movie industry, as it battles the economic effects of the Covid pandemic.

In this edition of Business Daily meets, Kathryn discusses how cinemas are recovering, and how the advertising industry is slowly embracing diversity.

(Picture: Kathryn Jacob)

Presented and produced by Dougal Shaw


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct4x8h)
What the 1989 solar storm did to Quebec

On 13 March 1989, the Canadian province of Quebec suffered a nine-hour electricity blackout.

Much of the state's infrastructure was damaged, but the power companies couldn't find any obvious cause.

Physicist Aja Hruska was one of the only people in the country that knew the answer to Quebec's problem. A solar flare ejected by the sun had hit the earth's magnetic field, creating electrical havoc.

And the damage could have been avoided if her warnings had been properly acknowledged.

Aja shares her memories of that day with Eva Runciman.

(Photo: A solar flare erupts from the sun. Credit: Photo 12/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55jzmg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf5398n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws7bwv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 Science In Action (w3ct4sdg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55k3cl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 The Real Story (w3ct4q7v)
Is the world losing faith in democracy?

2024 will be the world’s biggest election year ever. From the United States to the UK, Taiwan to India, South Africa to Mexico, it’s estimated countries representing nearly half the world’s population will head to the polls in some form of election this year. But how much faith do people around the world still have in democracy?

In South Africa this year’s election will be a defining one. 40 years since a post-Apartheid electorate voted in Nelson Mandela, the nation is dogged by corruption and voter apathy with less than half expected to turn out. So are South Africans seeking an alternative to democracy and what might that be?

Meanwhile in India there are some concerns the world’s largest democracy is slipping into authoritarianism. Prime Minister Modi is a key player on the global stage with grand ambitions for India, but his premiership has been dogged by allegations of an anti-Muslim stance. So what does his continued popularity reveal about the state of democracy in a nation where over a billion people are eligible to vote in the general election?

In some Western nations too, there is a palpable dissatisfaction with democracy. In the US, former President Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election result led to the deadly attack on Congress – a sign for current leader Joe Biden that democracy is under threat, not just abroad but at home too.

So as we enter a record-breaking year for elections, is democracy itself on the line?

Shaun Ley is joined by:

Ziyanda Stuurman, senior analyst for Africa at the Eurasia Group think-tank.

Debasish Roy Chowdhury is a journalist and co-author of the book 'To Kill A Democracy: India's Passage To Despotism'.

Lilliana Mason is associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University and author of " Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity".

Also featuring:

Professor Steven Levitzsky from Harvard University in the US and author of 'How Democracies Die'
Ben Ansell, Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions at Nuffield College, Oxford University

Photo: Pro-Trump protesters wave banners outside the Capitol, Washington, January 6, 2021
Credit: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Max Horberry


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55k73q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf53jrx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws7ld3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct4pjx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55kbvv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 The Fifth Floor (w3ct4v13)
Rushdi Abualouf: family, work and war

The BBC’s Gaza correspondent Rushdi Abualouf reported from Gaza for more than 20 years, but last November he and his family left for the safety of Istanbul. He tells us about the challenges of his new life, and the chaos, death and destruction of his final weeks in Gaza, as Israel retaliated for the Hamas cross-border assault of 7 October.

The Brazilian bat rediscovered after 100 years
A bat discovered in part of Brazil's Atlantic Forest in 2018 has been officially confirmed as a species which hadn't been seen for more than a century. It was originally documented by an English zoologist in 1916. André Biernath of BBC Brasil tells us why its rediscovery is so important in understanding Brazilian biodiversity.

Building a future in Mozambique, five years after Cyclone Idai
In March 2019, Cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique, killing over one and a half thousand people and affecting 3 million people across three countries. The BBC's Nomsa Maseko travelled to Beira, one of the worst affected areas, soon after it hit, and now she's returned for a documentary called Building a future for cyclone-hit Mozambique. She tells us what she discovered.

Taboo-busting women in Indian-administered Kashmir
A group of women in Indian-administered Kashmir have joined forces in order to break taboos. BBC Urdu joined them in a visit to a hareesa restaurant, a place usually only frequented by men. Riyaz Masroor tells us why these women formed the group, and what they thought of the hareesa.

Presented by Irena Taranyuk.

(Photo: The BBC's Rushdi Abualouf reporting from Gaza in November 2023. Credit: BBC)


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct4x8h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55kglz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf53s85)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws7twc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Science In Action (w3ct4sdg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55klc3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hcg7lj)
South African paralympian Oscar Pistorius released from prison

South African paralympian Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on parole after serving eight and a half years for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. We hear from her family's lawyer about their reaction.

Also on the programme: Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has set out a proposal about what should happen in Gaza once the fighting stops - but it hasn't been signed off by the Israeli government. And is North Korea's dictator grooming his young daughter to be his successor?

(Photo: Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius arriving to court in Pretoria for his sentencing for murder charges, June 2016. Credit: Cornell Tukiri / Shutterstock)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55kq37)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4nzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws82cm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct4z8v)
Iberia workers begin four day strike

Ground staff at Iberia have begun a four-day strike, causing the airline to cancel hundreds of flights. Workers are protesting against contracts signed with new providers at Spanish airports after talks between unions and the company broke down at a last-ditch meeting.

Also, in the programme, Devina Gupta will look at this weekend’s elections in Bangladesh and will find out why the food retailer Carrefour has stepped away from Pepsi.

(Picture: Iberia jets parked at Barajas T4 airport terminal in Madrid after flights were cancelled due to a walkout of air traffic controllers. Picture credit: Reuters)


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55ktvc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758vhwhz)
Fleeing Gaza

Since the October 7th attacks by Hamas, we have been bringing you voices of civilians both in Gaza and Israel. One of them is 35-year old Layan, who first fled Gaza City to Khan Younis in the south and has now arrived in Egypt. She shares how she fled with her two daughters.

We speak to a young man who was among the passengers evacuated when a Japan airlines plane burst into flames on the tarmac earlier this week. We also speak to pilots about the incident and about their experiences of “near-misses”.

And after the former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius was freed on parole, we explain who he is and what parole means.

Presenter: Lukwesa Burak.

(Photo: Displaced Palestinians make their way to Rafah after Isralei warnings of increased military operations, Gaza - 27 Dec 2023. Credit: HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55kylh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w172z0w758vj083)
Escaping the burning Japan Airlines plane

We speak to a young man who was among the passengers evacuated when a Japan Airlines plane burst into flames on the tarmac earlier this week. We also speak to pilots about the incident and about their experiences of “near-misses”.

The UN has rejected Israeli accusations of slow aid deliveries to Gaza. We hear another message from an MSF worker who recorded it just before he left Gaza.

Hezbollah has repeated its warning of a fierce response to the killing of a Hamas leader, Saleh Al-Arouri, in Beirut on Tuesday. Tensions are still high in his hometown in the occupied West Bank, following the killing. We speak to our correspondent there.

Our Cyber Correspondent Joe Tidy explains why and how young people are turning to AI therapist bots.

Presenter: Lukwesa Burak.

(Photo: Japan Airlines' A350 airplane is on fire at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan January 2, 2024. Credit: Issei Kato/Reuters)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55l2bm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 The Fifth Floor (w3ct4v13)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct4x8h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55l62r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172z2trdf54hqy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws8kc4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct4srr)
2024/01/05 GMT

BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.


FRI 20:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55l9tw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5b2y)
Covid-19 four years later

It’s four years since we reported the first cases of an outbreak of a mysterious viral pneumonia in the city of Wuhan in China. Within months, what become known as Covid-19, had spread around the world affecting most people in some way.

The disease led to the creation of this programme. Since March 2020 – shortly after the World Health Organisation declared a pandemic – we began our first conversations. Four years on, we thought we would take the opportunity to return to Covid-19 and reunite some of the people we have spoken with over the past four years.

Our conversations feature three doctors – in India, Italy and the US – who treated Covid-19 patients in the early days of the pandemic. Two of them, including Dr Tsion Firew in New York, are now stepping back from frontline medicine. “People are leaving critical care after they witnessed those brutal months of Covid,” she tells us. “I’m burnt out, so many of my other colleagues are burnt out, so I’m taking a break for the next few years.”

Host James Reynolds also catches up with three former guests who have long Covid to find out how they are getting on. And we bring together people whose lives have changed for the better as a result of the pandemic. It’s not something they usually talk about openly!

A Boffin Media production in partnership with the OS team.

(Photo: Brooke Young Russell in Maryland in the US with her son and husband Credit: Brooke Young Russell)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws8p38)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct4y56)
Will electric cars help solve noise pollution?

Moise pollution from vehicles in the public space has a huge impact on human health. But as the world switches to quieter electric-powered means of transport there’s a debate about whether we will actually see any noticeable improvement to our quality of life.

Discovering more than just engineering solutions to the problem, CrowdScience visits one of the world’s loudest cities, Mumbai in India. It’s a place where noise has become a way of life. But is that all about to change?

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge
Producer: Richard Walker
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Editor: Richard Collings


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55lfl0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172z09v4hch2tf)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55lkb4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172z2sxypkgkk1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 22:20 Sports News (w172z1kbdwmxlr5)
BBC Sport brings you all the latest stories and results from around the world.


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws8xlj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct4zc3)
First broadcast 05/01/2024 22:32 GMT

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172z2r7m55lp28)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct4nzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172z2s21ws91bn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct4pjx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]