SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2024

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8ws9l3z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct5q2t)
Doing a deal

It’s Black Friday! Everyone is camping in the street, staying up all night for the very best deals around. And Unexpected Elements are joining in.

We take a look at the huge underground trade of vital resources...not run by criminals but fungi.

Then it is onto illegal animal trade and the 300 pets who got a terrible deal, strapped to a man’s chest as he tried to make it through airport security.

Have you ever asked a pigeon for advice when gambling? We hear from a professor of psychology about why you should not.

And finally, the story of Lee Sedol, the world’s best player of the board game Go, who was challenged by Google to a game worth one million dollars.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Phillys Mwatee and Christine Yohannes
Producers: Emily Knight, Harrison Lewis, Imaan Moin and William Hornbrook
Sound engineer: Searle Whittney


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8ws9pw3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbfthh3mz0z)
Ukraine’s Energy Crisis: Russia's attacks intensify

Ukraine's desperate battle to restore its energy grid as Russian missile attacks leave over a million people without power. With temperatures already below zero, the winter ahead looks dire. Olga Khakova, deputy director for European energy security at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, joins us to discuss the immense challenges Ukraine faces in keeping the lights on.

We also explore other global developments, including Brazil’s currency volatility, India’s economic slowdown, and how US consumer confidence held up on Black Friday. Plus, Tom Brook reports on whether Thanksgiving weekend signals a revival for Hollywood cinemas.

Joining Roger Hearing this week is Yoko Ishikura in Tokyo and Andy Uhler in Texas to provide their global perspectives throughout the show.

We want to hear your views. Contact us on WhatsApp or send a voice note to +44 330 678 3033.


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8ws9tm7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr310k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd05wm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct5whn)
IPL auction: Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Rishabh Pant make history

On this week’s Stumped with Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma, the team speak to Rajasthan Royals CEO Jake Lush McCrum about the Royals signing Jofra Archer and 13-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the recent IPL auction. Lush McCrum also talks about if Rajasthan will add a Hundred franchise to their portfolio of sides.

The team are joined by former Kolkata Knight Riders Team Director Joy Bhattacharjya for a wider look at the winners and losers from the IPL auction.

We also reflect on the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after India beat Australia by 295 runs in Perth.

Photo: Rishabh Pant looks on with his winners medal after India won the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 Final match between South Africa and India at Kensington Oval on June 29, 2024 in Bridgetown, Barbados. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8ws9ycc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct699r)
Outlook Mixtape: Self-discovery via theatre and visual art

Ryan Calais Cameron found success as an actor, but grew tired of being typecast as a drug dealer or gangster. He began creating his own stories that challenged racist stereotypes.

British artist Alison Lapper never painted her son Parys in life, believing him ‘too beautiful’ to capture. But after his death, he began to appear in her canvasses.

Stany Nyandwi's rescued chimps helped him through conflict and loneliness during Burundi's civil war.

Presenter: India Rakusen

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

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yfj)
The end of the US HIV travel ban

For 22 years, a travel and immigration ban was in place which stopped people with HIV legally entering the US.

In 2009, President Barack Obama announced it would be lifted, from the start of 2010.

HIV-positive passenger Clemens Ruland flew from Amsterdam to John F. Kennedy airport in New York and became the first passenger to fly legally into the US once the ban was lifted.

He speaks to Megan Jones.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Picture: Clemens Ruland responds to questions during a news interview. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsb23h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct5q2t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsb5vm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr3d7y)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd0k40)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7hmd)
The business of losing

Since the 1950s, basketball's Harlem Globetrotters have entertained audiences with their showboating, dunks and pranks in exhibition games all over the world. Their perennial opponents, the Washington Generals, have endured more than 17,000 defeats at their hands, with crowds booing and mocking them as the Globetrotters bamboozle them with flashy skills, tricks and dribbles.

So what is it like to play for a team whose only job is to lose? Some former Generals say it is one of the best jobs they have ever had, even if it did involve being humiliated on the court every night. That is, except for the one night that it didn't.

Audio scenes have been recreated.


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct5tr4)
Can Elon Musk save the US Government $2 trillion?

President Elect Donald Trump has created a new government advisory group – the Department of Government Efficiency or ‘DOGE’ - to help cut the US budget.

The world richest man, Elon Musk, will co-head the department and has pledged to cut ‘at least $2 trillion’ to ‘balance the budget’. But is this possible? We talk to Professor Linda Bilmes about what DOGE could or couldn’t do and how she balanced the budget in the 1990’s.

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound Mix: Andrew Mills
Editor: Richard Vadon

Image: Elon Musk on stage before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Sunday, October 27, 2024. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsb9lr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zcxb3wd9khl)
Half of Syria’s second largest city said to be in the hands of rebel forces

We start the programme in Syria where Islamist rebel forces are reported to have taken control of more than half of the country's second city, Aleppo, as part of their lightning offensive against forces loyal to the government of President Bashar al-Assad:
It's the first time in eight years that the rebels have reached Aleppo, which was the scene of one of bloodiest sieges of Syria's civil war.
Then to the Caucasus where protestors in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, have for a second night taken to the streets to protest against the government's decision to suspend moves towards joining the European Union.
Here in the UK, news have been dominated by a legislation to allow terminally ill patients the right to end their own lives.

To discuss this as well as the ceasefire in Lebanon and the elections in Ghana, our two guests, Gloria Dickie, global climate and environment correspondent for the Reuters News Agency and Nick Westcott, professor of practice in the department of politics and international studies at SOAS, University of London .
PHOTO CREDIT: Rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024 / REUTERS


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsbfbw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zcxb3wd9p7q)
Syrian rebels said to control “most” of Aleppo

We discuss with our guests the largest offensive by rebel forces against the Syrian government in years and the first time rebels fighting the forces of President Bashar al-Assad have reached Aleppo since being forced out by the army in 2016.

Also in the programme: Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, had dinner with Donald Trump in Florida on Friday evening. Earlier this week, the US president elect, Donald Trump, threatened a giant 25 per cent tariff on every single product exported from both Canada and Mexico; and this week an international conference took place in Cambodia to examine why - more than 25 years after a major agreement to end the use of anti-personnel landmines as a weapon of war - such weapons are still a key part of many armies across the world.

To discuss this and more, our two guests, Gloria Dickie, global climate and environment correspondent for the Reuters News Agency, and Nick Westcott, professor of practice in the department of politics and international studies at SOAS, University of London . PHOTO CREDIT: Rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024 / REUTERS


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsbk30)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zcxb3wd9szv)
Russia reportedly strikes Aleppo for first time since 2016

Jihadist rebels reportedly control most of Aleppo in Syria, while Russia carries out air strikes there for the first time in eight years.
Also in the programme: we discuss recent parliamentary elections in Botswana where voters decided that after 58 years the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) should be ousted from power. The BDP had governed Botswana since the country’s independence in 1966. The Umbrella for Democratic Change is now in office; and the writer Travis Elborough reflects on how the life and career of the famous British crime author Agatha Christie were changed by her train journeys between Paris and Istanbul on the iconic Orient Express. PHOTO CREDIT: Rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024 / REUTERS


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsbnv4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5rcl)
Life in Ukraine after 1000 days of war

It’s a grim milestone: More than 1000 days have passed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the past week, attacks on the country have once again intensified. As winter approaches and temperatures drop, Russia is targeting Ukraine’s energy system to leave millions of people without power.

In our conversations Ukrainians discuss their daily lives and resilience after almost three years of war; and we hear from people in Dnipro and Odesa recovering from the latest attacks.

“We’re being attacked not only with the rockets but also psychologically,” Lidia in Dnipro tells us. “We as a society have shown incredible strength and we have united in the face of the enemy.”

We also bring together three Ukrainian politicians to discuss how they keep democracy alive while maintaining a united front to the World; and ask whether Donald Trump could really end the war in a day.

Presenters: Krupa Padhy and Mark Lowen.

BBC producers: Kira Fomenko, Sophie Smith, Angela Sheeran, Lindsay Brown and Laura Cress.

Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham.

An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS team.

(Photo: Hanna Shelest in Odesa, Ukraine. Credit: Hanna Shelest)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd113j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Pick of the World (w3ct5v1h)
The strange tale of Siegfried and Roy

The weird and controversial tale of 1980s animal magicians Siegfried and Roy. Also, how do you measure the true height of Mount Everest? And Zambia’s Barbra Banda is the winner of the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year.

*This programme was edited on 30 November.


SAT 09:50 Over to You (w3ct5ttq)
The challenges of reporting on social media

BBC Trending is the show that brings you in-depth reporting on the world of social media. But it is an ever-changing online landscape so how does the show’s production team keep up? We hear listeners’ views and questions.

Plus Over to You's annual ask the controller edition - do you have any questions or gripes - for the boss of World Service English?

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


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsbsl8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Sportshour (w3ct5qbn)
The ultimate relationship test

Hallucinations, crashes, and just 10 minutes sleep – Badlands ultra cycle race is not only a test of endurance but also the ultimate relationship test for the 2024 pairs winners. Danni Shrosbree and Bradley Shenton completed the gruelling 800km (497 miles) route, through the Andalusian mountains in Spain, in 53 hours and 30 minutes. The couple faced temperatures of up to 40C, bike damage, and they tell Sportshour’s Caroline Barker how they only stopped for two five-minute power naps.

Earlier this week the Player of the Year awards for Rugby Union were announced South Africa's Pieter du Toit won the men's award, for the second time in his career, and the Women's award went to Ellie Kildunne. Ellie was top scorer as England won the Six Nations Grand slam earlier this year and at just 25 has been telling us about how her career on the pitch has developed, and also what she gets up to off the pitch!

Here's a quiz question for you. Who is the youngest player to score in the top flight of English football? The record was achieved about 10 years before the formation of the Premier League by an Ipswich Town Player aged just 16 years and 57 days.

If you said Jason Dozzell, you are correct! To say success came early and easy to Jason is an understatement, but as he reveals in his new book "Follow the Thunder" it came at a cost. Now in his fifties he's got a much better understanding of the effect of being a child star in a man's world had on him.


Image: Danni Shrosbree and Bradley Shenton cycling on off-road mountainous terrain. (Credit: @benjam / @fred.j.photos / @precisionfandh)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsbxbd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr43qq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd18ls)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Health Check (w3ct5t9l)
Health crisis in Sudan

As the war in Sudan leads to multiple health crises in the country, we look at what can be done to improve the situation. Also on the show, is climate change helping disease-carrying ticks to spread beyond their usual range by an unusual method – migrating birds? And hot chocolate: it’s delicious, but in certain circumstances, could it also help to improve your vascular health? Claudia Hammond is joined by health reporter Laura Foster to explore these topics and more.

Image: WFP trucks carry aid to Darfur and other famine-stricken parts through the Adre Border crossing
Image Credit: Abubakar Garelnabei/Reuters

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Katie Tomsett and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsc12j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct7hnh)
Me and my digital twin

Ghislaine Boddington aspires to be interconnected with an AI-powered digital companion - a virtual version of herself - that advises and supports her, keeps her healthy and represents her around the world. A twin that could live on after her death.

As technologies converge, the idea of digital human twins is becoming a real possibility. In practical terms, a digital bio-twin is made up of continuously measured multiple biological signals from your body all fed into an avatar body. Add AI and our virtual twin will become more and more like us.

In a journey that involves dancing in a Belgian basement, virtual table tennis and a discussion on digital death, Ghislaine meets cardiologists, engineers, performance artists and tech entrepreneurs to learn how to build her own virtual self, discovering how existing technology is making a digital human twin a reality.

Written and presented by Ghislaine Boddington, senior researcher at the University of Greenwich.

Take You Higher written and performed by Samantha Tauber, VNCCII Pty Limited.

Producer: Richard Hollingham
An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production for BBC World Service

(Photo: Composite image of Ghislaine Boddington. Credit: Ghislaine Boddington)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsc4tn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zb97r4b909m)
Syria: Russian strikes hit Aleppo

Syria's military has acknowledged that parts of Aleppo have fallen to Islamist rebels and that it's sustained dozens of casualties. It said it was withdrawing from parts of Syria's second city in order to regroup ahead of the arrival of reinforcements. Thousands of civilians cars have been leaving.

Also in the programme: We speak to a Ukrainian woman who's just lost three generations of her family in a Russian missile attack; and archaeology and commuting meet in Thessaloniki's new metro system.


(Photo: Rebels drive on the international M5 highway, a route into Aleppo, Syria. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsc8ks)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172zbn5vry2kp7)
Live Sporting Action

Sportsworld Saturday will have commentary of Newcastle United’s trip to play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Joining Lee James this weekend will be current Premier League goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and former Premier League defender Stephen Kelly.

As well as Crystal Palace versus Newcastle, we’ll also be keeping an eye on other Premier League matches including Arsenal’s trip across London to face West Ham United in the late kick off.

Away from the Premier League, it’s a big weekend of football around the world and we'll be across all of them; In South America, Brazilian clubs Atletico Mineiro face Botafogo in the Copa Libertadores final. In Germany, Bayern Munich play Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker, and Olympic gold medallists, the United States women play European champions England at Wembley.

Plus, we’ll have the latest from the Test cricket between New Zealand and England, we’ll be in Qatar for the penultimate race of the F1 calendar and get the latest from a wild week in the NFL.

Photo: Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta and Newcastle United's Fabian Schar during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on April 24, 2024 in London, England. (Credit: CameraSport via Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wscrk9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr4yym)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd23tp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7hmd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct5wfd)
Magnus Carlsen: 'Mozart of chess'

The Norwegian chess grandmaster, Magnus Carlsen, has been known as the "Mozart of chess" since childhood. In 2014, he became the first player ever to win all three world chess titles in one year, achieving the highest official rating of any player in history. He speaks to Ben Henderson.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.

Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

(Photo: Magnus Carlsen wins the World Chess Championship in 2014. Credit: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images)

(Commentary credit: Fide World Championship 2014)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wscw9f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Reith Lectures (w3ct7hpy)
Is violence normal?

In her 2024 BBC Reith Lectures, Dr Gwen Adshead, addresses four questions that she has most commonly faced in her work as a therapist with violent perpetrators in secure psychiatric units and prisons: Is violence normal? What is the relationship between trauma and violence? Is there such a thing as evil? Can we change violent minds?

In this first lecture, using data and real-life stories from nearly 40 years experience as a forensic psychiatrist, she asks if violence is normal. Do we think about it as being normal because, deep down, we are all capable of cruelty and can experience, even briefly, the urge to hurt others? What then are the tipping points, what are the factors that drive some to kill?

(Photo: Dr Gwen Adshead. Credit: Andy Vox)


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsd01k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct5qkf)
Film director Ray Yeung

Nikki is joined in the studio by cultural critic and podcaster Leila Latif. They discuss US musician, producer and multiple Grammy-winner Pharrell Williams’ life story... told using Lego bricks.

Oscar-winning British director Steve McQueen talks about his wartime movie, Blitz.

And the Nigerian ‘Queen of African Horror’ Nuzo Onoh explains how she weaves local superstitions into her latest novel, Where the Dead Brides Gather.

Indian-born British composer Cephas Azariah reveals how the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi inspired a track on his debut album.

We have music from Mercury prize-winning Michael Kiwanuka.

And Nikki talks to Hong Kong director Ray Yeung about his tender film All Shall Be Well.

(Image: All Shall Be Well. Credit: Films Boutique)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsd3sp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zb97r4b9z8n)
Syrian rebels advance across the country

Syria's president Bashar al Assad has promised to defeat those he described as terrorists and their backers, in his first public comments since a blistering rebel offensive began four days ago. Mr Assad said he would do so with help from his allies. The Jihadist-led forces have retaken swathes of land from his regime's troops, including much of Aleppo and are now reported to be approaching the city of Hama.

Also on the programme: we hear from Georgia's president Salome Zourabichvili amid the third night of anti-government protests; and will the buzz surrounding Gladiator II and Wicked help to turn around the film industry's fortunes?

(Picture: Syrian opposition fighters tear up a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in central Aleppo. Credit: Karam Al-Masri/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsd7jt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr5fy4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd2lt6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct5y5x)
Andre Vibez

Grammy-nominated Andre Vibez is one of Africa’s hottest producers. The Nigerian is behind two of the biggest Afrobeats hits to date – Rema’s Calm Down and Ayra Starr’s Rush. He’s also the son of one of Nigeria’s highlife superstars, the late Sir Victor Uwaifo, whose pioneering work influenced the development of Nigerian music back in the 60s and 70s.


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsdc8y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 The Documentary (w3ct7hng)
Amapiano: The sound of South Africa

South African DJ Legendary Crisp charts the rise of the homegrown dance music genre Amapiano. She finds out where the hypnotising, jazzy, soulful sound emerged from, what it means culturally, and how it became South Africa's signature music genre of the 2020s.

Radio producer Tim Moorhouse travels to Johannesburg to meet Legendary Crisp and find out about Amapiano's cultural importance. Featuring contributions from Boohle, Josiah De Disciple, Lula Obiba, Madzadza Miya, Nimrod Pitso, Tman Xpress, Felo Le Tee, Chr B, Nkosazana Daughter, Rosey Gold and O.L. Shabba.

(Photo: DJ Legendary Crisp (L)


SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd2qkb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:32 Assignment (w3ct5mtq)
Afghanistan: Our whole life is a secret

The Taliban edict that women's voices should not be heard aloud renders women up and down Afghanistan inaudible as well as invisible in public. Women are already denied most forms of education and employment. They are not allowed to go outside without a male guardian, and have to be completely covered up, including their faces. Now the new rules say they should be quiet too. Women singing together, or even raising their voices in prayer, is forbidden.

But there is more than one way to be heard.

Our Whole Life is a Secret records the day to day life of 'Leila', a lively, energetic Afghan woman aged 23, doing everything she can to navigate the rules. From behind the walls of her home, Leila reveals her vivid interior world, and that of her female friends and relatives. She and her sisters are the first women in their family to read and write, and before the Taliban returned to power in 2021, she was a university student. Now she teaches in a secret school and is part of a dynamic online learning community. From reading Emily Bronte to working out to Zumba, Leila is determined to keep stay sane and busy.

'Leila' is not her real name and all locations are omitted for safety reasons. Her words are read by Asal Latifi.

Producer/presenter: Monica Whitlock
Sound engineer: James Beard
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: Abstract illustration of female face. Credit: Teenage artist Anonymous)

SUNDAY 01 DECEMBER 2024

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsdh12)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5rcl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd2v9g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7hmd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 00:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct5wfd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsdls6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Inquiry (w3ct5xj8)
What’s the future for Syria’s divided north?

When protests against decades of rule by the Assad family were crushed by Syrian government forces in the spring of 2011, opposition groups took up arms and the country descended into civil war. The conflict drew in Syria’s Kurds, jihadi groups including Islamic State and al-Qaeda, and the international community.

13 years on President Assad controls around two thirds of the country, but northern Syria remains out of the regime's grip and is highly volatile. Internal divisions, international influences and a worsening humanitarian situation may be about to further destabilise the region, with potentially serious consequences for Syria and the world. So, in this episode of The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘What’s the future for Syria’s divided north?’


Contributors
Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute.
Charles Lister, Director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs, Middle East Institute.
Qutaiba Idlbi, Director of the Syria Initiative at the Atlantic Council.
Emma Beals, Senior Advisor at the European Institute of Peace and a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

Presenter: Emily Wither
Production: Diane Richardson and Matt Toulson
Broadcast Co-ordinator: Ellie Dover & Liam Morrey
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd2z1l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct69jj)
Russia's runaway soldiers

There has been a record number of cases this year of Russian soldiers deserting their units. Amaliya Zatari from BBC Russian has spoken to one young man who managed to get to France along with five others. Nina Nazarova, also from BBC Russian, offers a unique insight into the price many ordinary Russian families are paying when they try to hide or protect their relatives. Plus, Valeria Perasso gives us a sneak peak of this year's BBC 100 Women list.

Produced by Hannah Dean and Alice Gioia.

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsdqjb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr5xxn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd32sq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct5t9l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsdv8g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct7hnh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsdz0l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct5sjq)
South Africa cracks down on illegal mining

Pascale Harter introduces stories from South Africa, Hong Kong, the USA and Sweden.

The South African town of Stilfontein is the scene of a stand-off between authorities and hundreds - maybe thousands - of illegal miners living and working in an abandoned mine. Nomsa Maseko recalls her first trip hundreds of metres underground, into an unseen world where an illicit economy thrives, and reflects on the thousands of people who have made illegal mining their livelihood.

In Hong Kong, Danny Vincent reports from inside the courtroom where the pro-democracy media mogul, Jimmy Lai, is on trial. Mr Lai is already serving a prison sentence for his involvement in the pro-democracy protests in 2019. Since then, China has imposed a sweeping national security law which many critics fear is being used to dismantle and chill all political opposition.

Donald Trump has been masterminding nominations for his new cabinet from his Mar a Lago resort in Florida's Palm Beach. It was the nerve-centre of operations during his campaign, and has become the place to be seen for West Wing hopefuls. Jessica Parker found out what locals make of the political circus.

Every home in Sweden recently received updated advice on what to do in the event of war. This stark advice isn’t new to Swedes – but has been updated, because of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and ongoing concern that war could escalate across Europe. Miranda Colchester has been gauging public reaction in the Swedish capital.

Producer: Bob Howard
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

(Image: South African Minister Senzo Mchunu visits site of illegal miners trapped underground in Stilfontein, South Africa. (Photo by Elizabeth Sejake/Rapport/Gallo Images via Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd3b8z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct6r7l)
Yemen: A frozen conflict

Ten years on, where do the warring parties stand? And is there a way out of the stalemate? This is not just a civil war - it’s a battle between rival camps in the Middle East, led by Iran on the one hand, and Saudi Arabia on the other. The Houthis are said to be Iran’s proxy, but they sometimes act against Tehran’s interest. We go granular on the complexities in the alliances and the rivalries that shape the conflict.

Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov
Presenter: Krassi Twigg


SUN 04:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct5wfd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsf2rq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr6951)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd3g13)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct7hng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsf6hv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zcxb3wddgdp)
Syrian troops withdraw from Aleppo

The Syrian army says dozens of its soldiers have been killed in the rebel offensive against President Assad's forces, which has captured the second city of Aleppo. Also in the programme: anti-government protests have continued for a third night in Georgia, despite efforts by riot police to clear the streets of the capital; and in Romania polling has opened where a parliamentary election has been overshadowed by the disputed result of the presidential election a week ago.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by The Guardian's senior international correspondent Julian Borger and Ulrike Franke, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

(Photo: Syrian opposition fighters tear up a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in central Aleppo. 30 No 2024. Credit: Karam El Masri/EPA)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsfb7z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zcxb3wddl4t)
Syrian rebels seize the second largest city, Aleppo

The Syrian army says dozens of its soldiers have been killed in the rebel offensive against President Assad's forces, which has captured the second city of Aleppo. Also in the programme: humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens with at least 90 percent of its population displaced; and anti-government protests continue in Georgia. We hear from President Salome Zourabichvili.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by The Guardian's senior international correspondent Julian Borger and Ulrike Franke, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

(Photo: Syrian rebels launch large offensive against the Syrian government. Credit: Mohammed Al Rifai )


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsfg03)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zcxb3wddpwy)
Syria: Dozens of soldiers killed as rebels advance

The Syrian army says dozens of its soldiers were killed in a major attack after rebels swept through Aleppo city - a government stronghold since 2016. Also in the programme: we hear from a soldier on Ukraine's eastern front who volunteered to fight Russians at the age of 18; and, we hear from the director of the new, star-studded, Oscar-tipped film 'Conclave'.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by The Guardian's senior international correspondent Julian Borger and Ulrike Franke, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

(Photo: A Syrian opposition fighter walks at a street in central Aleppo, Syria. Credit: Karam Al-Masri/EPA)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsfkr7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct5sjq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd3y0m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xns)
How did fast food become so successful?

From America to Mongolia, you can go into a restaurant run by a global fast-food chain, and buy the same meal. So how did fast food become so successful?

Across the world, last year we spent more than 900 billion dollars on fast food. The USA, where it all began, consumes the most, but even in France, despite its history of haute cuisine, more than half of households regularly enjoy burgers and fries.

Julia Paul learns about its origins in the USA, and hears how it spread globally, thanks to the franchise model. She speaks to a superfan who’s eaten at one chain in 25 countries.

Critics say global brands shipping food around the world is bad for the environment and for local economies. There are some places where some brands have failed, and some where they haven’t even opened yet. Julia hears how local burgers, and the worldwide recession, saw off McDonalds in Iceland, and speaks to a Nigerian female chef who’s competing to offer fast local food in Lagos.

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

Presented and produced by Julia Paul.

(Image: A large burger. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsfphc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct4y04)
Coconuts fixing the world

We eat millions of tonnes of coconuts every year - with the dense white flesh of the fruit making a tasty snack and the juice a refreshing drink.

But the inedible husk and shell go to waste – and it’s this part that innovators and entrepreneurs around the world are now putting to work to solve a whole host of problems.

In Sierra Leone, a personal tragedy was the catalyst for young entrepreneur Alhaji Siraj Bah to start a business which takes the coconut husk and turns it into an alternative to charcoal - which is good for the forests and could potentially save lives too.

And we hear about the start-up using coconut to keep fish, fruit and vegetables cool for longer without using any plastic.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporters: Eric Mugaju
Producer: Craig Langran
Series producer: Tom Colls

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

(Photo: Farmers in Teluk Payo village, south Sumatra are peeling the skin of coconuts to be turned into copra or charcoal, 13 July, 2022. Credit: Sigit Prasetya/Getty Images)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd41rr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct69jj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:32 today]


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsft7h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr70mt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd45hw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct6r7l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct5tr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsfxzm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 The Reith Lectures (w3ct7hpy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:06 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsg1qr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zb97r4bcx6q)
Assad fights back

Russian and Syrian warplanes carry out airstrikes on rebel territories in northern Syria. Our BBC Monitoring jihadist analyst talks us through some of the history of Syria's conflict, and profiles Haayat Tahrir al Sham, the group that now controls Aleppo. We also hear from a resident about the fear gripping people living there.

Also on the programme: We hear from Georgia where there's been a third night of clashes between police and protesters, and get the government response to the claim it suspended talks on membership of the European Union. Also, why talks at the plastic waste summit in South Korea, appear to have failed.

(Photo: People inspect the damage after an airstrike in Idlib, northern Syria, 01 December 2024. Credit: Bilal Al Hammoud/EPA/Shutterstock)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsg5gw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct5wsp)
How does climate change affect me?

In this edition of The Climate Question, Jordan Dunbar introduces his latest guides to the most common questions on climate change.

Jordan starts by looking into how climate change affects our everyday lives. He discusses the impact on our weather with BBC forecaster Louise Lear; while BBC Africa business journalist Clare Muthinji looks at what a warmer world means for the economy - from prices at the supermarket to where we go on holiday!

In the second guide, Jordan turns to the world's climate success stories. These include the rise of renewable energy, greener urban planning and deep - if insufficient - cuts in carbon emissions. His guest is Dr Caterina Brandmayr, Director of Policy and Translation, Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London.

Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721

Presenter and Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Researchers: Octavia Woodward, Osman Iqbal and Tsogzolmaa Shofyor
Sound Design: Tom Brignell and Neil Churchill
Editor: Simon Watts


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd4jr8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct5sqj)
The Happy Pod: Swimming against depression

We hear from a Ukrainian refugee who says cold water swimming has helped her tackle depression and keep moving forward. Also, making fuel from washed up seaweed, how a community rescued a pod of whales and driving rats.


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsg970)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172zbn5vry5lbg)
Live Sporting Action

Sunday Sportsworld will bring you live commentary from Anfield for one of the defining games in the Premier League season as Liverpool host Manchester City at Anfield in a top of the table clash.

There will also be updates and reaction of the three other games in the Premier League with Manchester United against Everton, Chelsea versus Aston Villa and Tottenham against Fulham.

Former Cameroon international Sébastien Bassong joins Delyth Lloyd to look back over the weekend’s Premier League action, while Spain’s La Liga is the focus on this week’s EuroStars.

Sportsworld will also review the Copa Libertadores final between Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo, update from the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix and get the latest from the cricket matches around the world.

There will also be an opportunity to hear from the newly crowned Women’s Rugby Player of the Year, Ellie Kildunne.

Photo: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool exchanges words with Bernardo Silva of Manchester City in the last minutes of the match during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfield on March 10, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Credit: AMA/Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsgs6j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr7zlv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd54gx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 The Cultural Frontline (w3ct6rb2)
James Baldwin centenary: His life and legacy

James Baldwin was one of America’s most influential thinkers and writers. Born in 1924 in Harlem, New York, his novels, essays and speeches articulated the racial oppression facing African Americans.

In works like Notes on a Native Son and The Fire Next Time, Baldwin expressed how colour is not a human or personal reality, but a political one. In Giovanni’s Room, a frank portrayal of a gay relationship, he draws on his own life as a gay man.

In the wake of Black Lives Matter, the US continues to grapple with tension and division, with race and identity still huge cultural and social issues. In this edition of The Cultural Frontline Cianna Greaves looks at how Baldwin’s life and works still matter and inspire artists today.

We journey to France where Baldwin moved in 1948 to escape the violence and enforced racial segregation of the Jim Crow laws in his native country. To mark the centenary of his birth, La Maison Baldwin in Paris held a week long celebration of his life, bringing together black artists who have been impacted by Baldwin and whose work continues his legacy.

We hear from Detroit based artist Sabrina Nelson, whose exhibition Frontline Prophet: James Baldwin has travelled across the US; curator Ashara Ekundayo; poet and founder The Baldwin Institute Achille Tekiang; writer and Executive Director of La Maison Baldwin, Tara Phillips; as well as French journalist, filmmaker and graphic novelist Rokhaya Diallo.

Producer: Andrea Kidd

This episode contains some outdated racial language that could cause offence.

(Photo: James Baldwin. Credit: Peter Turnley)


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsgwyn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct5q2t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsh0ps)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zb97r4bdw5r)
White Helmets: 'All the Syrian population is afraid'

Russia has been aiding the Syrian air force to carry out intensive airstrikes in Idlib and Hama provinces. The strikes come after rebel forces in the north of the country launched their rapid offensive, taking the city of Aleppo, earlier this week. We speak to a member of the volunteer civil defence group, known as the White Helmets, who are scrambling to respond to the bombings.

Also in the programme: Huge protests continue in Georgia despite the prime minister appearing to row back on his unpopular pledge to suspend EU accession efforts; and Belgium becomes the first country to give legally enforceable labour rights to sex workers.

(Picture: White Helmets members work at the scene of what the organisation says is a strike in Idlib. Credit: White Helmets handout/Reuters)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsh4fx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqn5yr8bv7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd5hq9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct69jj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfg8wsh861)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct5wsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg8qmd5mgf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 Pick of the World (w3ct5v1h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


SUN 23:50 Over to You (w3ct5ttq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:50 on Saturday]

MONDAY 02 DECEMBER 2024

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52m76b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct5sjq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wp9lgq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct6r7l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 on Sunday]


MON 00:50 More or Less (w3ct5tr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52mbyg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71dkbs)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wp9q6v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct5rnm)
The Life Scientific - Vicky Tolfrey

It's summer - no really - and although the weather might have been mixed, the sporting line-up has been undeniably scorching - from the back-and-forth of Wimbledon, to the nail-biting Euros, to the current pageantry of the Summer Olympics.

Next month the 2024 Paralympic Games get underway in Paris, involving the world’s very best para athletes; and Professor Vicky Tolfrey is at the forefront of the science that makes their sporting dreams a reality.

Vicky is the Director of the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at Loughborough University, a hub for elite para-sport research. She’s worked with stars from the worlds of wheelchair athletics, basketball, rugby and tennis, amongst others – and in 2017, became the first European recipient of the International Paralympic Committee’s prestigious Scientific Award.

She tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili about her work with elite para athletes, her experiences at major international sporting events, and her childhood dreams of becoming an Olympian herself.


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52mgpl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71dp2x)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wp9tyz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct5rj3)
Can I improve my sense of direction?

Do you find your bearings quickly or are you easily disorientated? Do your friends trust you with the directions in a new city?

Finding our way in the physical world, whether that is around a building or a city, is an important everyday capability, one that has been integral to human survival. This week CrowdScience listener David wants to know whether some people are ‘naturally’ better at navigating, so presenter Marnie Chesterton sets her compass and journeys into the human brain.

Accompanied by psychologists and neuroscientists Marnie learns how humans perceive their environment, recall routes and orientate themselves in unfamiliar spaces. We ask are some navigational strategies better than others?

Professor Hugo Spiers from UCL shares his latest lab for researching navigation and tells us that the country you live in might be a good predictor of your navigation skills.

But is our navigational ability down to biology or experience, and can we improve it?

With much of our modern map use being delegated to smartphones, Marnie explores, with Prof Veronique Bohbot what an over-reliance on GPS technology might do to our brain health.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Melanie Brown

(Photo: Man standing on rural road holding up a road map, head obscured by map. Credit: Noel Hendrickson/Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52mlfq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct4y04)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wp9yq3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 Pick of the World (w3ct5v1h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


MON 03:50 Over to You (w3ct5ttq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:50 on Saturday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52mq5v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71dxl5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpb2g7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct5x0h)
Female farming entrepreneurs

Women in 'agri-tech'. With a new wave of entrepreneurial farmers growing crops indoors, stacked vertically, on rooftops, and even underground, Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two farming entrepreneurs producing soil and pesticide-free food - farming that's indoors, local, and which aims to be sustainable too.

Grace Lim runs GroGrace - an indoor vertical farm housed in an old warehouse in urban Singapore, using soil-free dry hydroponics. Her approach is good for cities short on space and is encouraged by Singapore's 30 by 30 food security goal - to increase locally grown food production to 30 per cent of its needs by the year 2030.

Rebecca Nelson has been a champion of aquaponic farming for nearly 40 years – using fish in tanks in place of soil. Farming both fish and a wide variety of crops - from lettuce to bananas, in Wisconsin USA - she says it’s healthy, high yield, and very educational. She shares her expertise with people all around the world - including schools and foodbanks.

Presenter: Ella Al-Shamahi
Producer: Emma Wallace

(Image: (L) Rebecca Nelson courtesy Rebecca Nelson. (R) Grace Lim credit Grace Lim.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52mtxz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9fylk)
President Joe Biden pardons his son

President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter, despite previously saying he would not. Hunter Biden was convicted buying a gun and tax evasion. We'll speak to a former US prosecutor.

We'll get the latest from Syria, after rebel groups seized the country's second largest city as well as several key towns.

We'll go to Georgia where mass protests are continuing after the government suspended the country's bid to join the European Union.

The chief executive of the car making giant Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, has resigned. The company has suffered a steep decline in profits.

President Biden is heading to Angola on his first and only visit to Africa during his four years in office. We'll speak to the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, who is travelling with the presidential delegation.

The runner-up in Mozambique’s recent elections, Venâncio Mondlane tells the BBC the ruling faction will be forced out of power by the end of the year.

(Pic: A rebel fighter in Saraqeb town in Northwestern Idlib province, Syria December 1, 2024; Reuters)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52myp3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9g2bp)
Biden pardons son Hunter

In his last months as president, Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter - the younger Biden was due to face sentencing later this month on federal felony gun and tax evasion charges - we will be speaking to a former federal prosecutor.

Meanwhile, Biden is on his way to Angola with big business deals in mind. But activists are calling on him to raise human rights in the country when he meets his Angolan counterpart.

Syria's president, Bashar al- Assad, has welcomed support from Iran and Russia in the fight against the surprise rebel offensive in northern Syria. This latest round of fighting has displaced thousands and caused heavy civilian casualties.

Thousands of Lebanese continue to try and return to their homes in the south of the country following the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Our chief international correspondent visits Darfur, Sudan's region the UN says is on the brink of famine.

We'll also be speaking to British Development Minister after her visit to Sudan.

(Pic: President Joe Biden and son Hunter at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, February 4, 2023; Credit: Reuters)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52n2f7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9g62t)
Biden hopes Americans will understand son's pardon

In his final weeks in the White House, President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter, despite previously saying he would not. Hunter Biden was awaiting sentencing for two charges, tax evasion and an unlawful firearm purchase.

We'll head to Syria, where rebels have seized Aleppo, the country's second largest city as well as several key towns. The latest round of fighting has displaced thousands and caused heavy civilian casualties.

A BBC investigation has found that tomatoes made with forced labour in China are likely being sold in European supermarkets.

We'll speak to our Chief International Correspondent who has just been to West Darfur, in war torn Sudan.

Joe Biden is heading to Angola on his first and only visit to Africa as president.

And we'll hear why Somali migrants are taking risky boat journeys to reach the Indian Ocean Island of Mayotte; which is an overseas French territory.

(Pic: President Joe Biden his son Hunter attend the 2024 Easter Egg Roll, 01 April 2024: Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52n65c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t0l)
Barbara Taylor Bradford: A woman of substance

Following the death of Barbara Taylor Bradford at the age of 91, another chance to listen to Stephen Sackur’s 2009 interview with the best-selling novelist. A talent for storytelling made her one of the richest women in Britain; her first novel, A Woman of Substance, has sold more than thirty million copies around the world. Adored by her fans and ignored by the critics, Bradford's books featured strong women overcoming life's slings and arrows.

Image: Barbara Taylor Bradford (Credit: Caroll Taveras/Bradford Enterprises via PA)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpbkfr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5z7f)
Can Ghana’s economy recover?

In the first of a two part series ahead of Ghana’s presidential election, we are in Accra asking how much the economy is influencing how people vote.

The country has faced one of Africa’s worst financial crises in recent years, and the recovery seems to be underway, but is this translating to how workers and business owners feel?

There are 13 presidential candidates, and we hear from representatives of the two front runners. We find out about their plans for the economy.

Produced and presented by Ed Butler


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yht)
Gloria Steinem: The start of Ms. Magazine

In 1972, feminist campaigner Gloria Steinem co-founded the first magazine in the US which was owned, run and written by women.

Called Ms. Magazine, it covered issues including equal rights, abortion and domestic violence. The glossy covers helped bring feminism into the mainstream.

In 2022, Gloria Steinem told Louise Hidalgo that it's one of the projects of which she's most proud.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Gloria Steinem at the office of Ms. Magazine. Credit: PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Images)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52n9xh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71fj9t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpbp5w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct5rj3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52nfnm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct5n2q)
'Mozart of chess’ and the deepest man-made hole in the world

We hear from Magnus Carlsen, who in 2014, became the first player ever to win all three world chess titles in one year, achieving the highest official rating of any player in history.

Woman grandmaster, three times British champion and chess historian, Yao Lan is our guest. She talks about the origin of chess.

In the 1970s and 80s, scientists in Russia, managed to dig a hole more than 12,000 metres deep. It was called the Kola Superdeep Borehole. One of the geophysicists involved tells us about the deepest man-made hole in the world.


Plus, one of the most controversial political scandals in modern US history, the Iran-Contra affair. And from 2010, the first HIV positive passenger to travel legally to the US after a 22-year ban.


Finally, the story behind the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing tv show.


Contributors:

Magnus Carlsen - chess grandmaster and five-time World Chess Champion

Yao Lan - chess woman grandmaster, three times British champion and chess historian.

Professor David Smythe – geophysicist.

Clemens Ruland – first HIV positive passenger to travel legally to the US after a 22-year ban.

Karen Smith - co-creator and executive producer Strictly Come Dancing.


(Photo: Magnus Carlsen in 2014. Credit: Francois Nel/Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52nkdr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71frt2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpbxp4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6dm7)
Belgium grants labour rights to sex workers

Belgium has become the first country in the world to pass a law to give labour rights to sex workers. They will be entitled to health insurance, pensions, sick days and maternity leave. Prostitution involves millions of people worldwide but will this new law protect these people from abuse and exploitation? Katya Adler speaks to the BBC's gender and identity correspondent Sofia Bettiza.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory.

Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts and Mariana Hernández Carrillo

Sound engineers: Gareth Jones and Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52np4w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct5nr2)
The reluctant face of Japan’s #MeToo movement

Shiori Itō was a journalism intern when she alleges she was raped by a well-known journalist. He has always denied the claims. Shiori made the unusual decision to go public with her allegations, highlighting Japan's rape law which, at the time, had not been updated for 110 years. After a criminal case was dropped due to a lack of evidence, Shiori won a civil case, becoming a reluctant figurehead for the #MeToo movement in Japan, a country where people rarely report sexual assualt. Shiori has recently made a documentary called Black Box Diaries.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: May Cameron

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

(Photo: Shiori Itō . Credit: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Entertainment)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yht)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52nsx0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71g09b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpc55d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct5x0h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52nxn4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmls43)
Syrian war intensifies

The Syrian civil war, which has left around half a million people dead, began in 2011 after the Assad government responded to pro-democracy protests with a brutal crackdown. The conflict has been largely dormant since a ceasefire agreed in 2020, but opposition forces have maintained control of the north-western city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province. According to reports from the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, opposition fighters seized nearly all of the city of Aleppo from the government on Sunday except for the neighbourhoods controlled by Kurdish forces. Syria’s military withdrew from the city to prepare a counteroffensive. We hear from those caught up in the fighting.

Also on the programme: a rare report from West Darfur in Sudan; and how an old term - ‘’brain-rot’’ - became the new word of the year.

(Picture: Syrian rebels take control of military and civilian airports in Aleppo, Syria. Credit: Bilal al Hammoud/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52p1d8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t0l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpcdnn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct5zz0)
France's budget unleashes political crisis

The French opposition vows to vote for a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Michel Barnier after he forces through a controversial budget. We get the latest.
Stellantis chief executive Carlos Tavares resigns as the maker of the maker of Jeep, Fiat, Vauxhall and Peugeot struggles financially. We hear about the consequences this can have for the firm.
A new gold deposit has been discovered in China, and it could be the largest in the world. We look at the impact it can have on the gold industry.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52p54d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm59t6r)
Syria's rebel offensive reignites war

Syria's President, Bashar al-Assad, has blamed the United States and other Western countries for a rebel offensive in the city of Aleppo that has reignited the civil war. We explain who the rebels are and who are the main players in the conflict.

We bring together three people who have left Syria to discuss what is happening in their country.

The Georgian government says more than 240 people have been arrested during four nights of anti- government protests. One of the protesters has been recording an audio diary for us about the weekend's developments.

Leading US Republicans and some Democrats have criticised President Biden for pardoning his son, having insisted previously that he would not do so. We explain what a presidential pardon is.

The city council in Rome has approved a motion calling for price limits for the city's staple pasta dishes like Carbonara. We speak to a restaurant owner and hear from tourists.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: Syrian rebels take control of military and civilian airports in Aleppo, Syria - 02 Dec 2024. Credit: BILAL AL HAMMOUD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52p8wj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm59xyw)
Who are the key players fighting in Syria?

Syria's President, Bashar al-Assad, has blamed the United States and other Western countries for a rebel offensive in the city of Aleppo that has reignited the civil war. We explain who the key players are with the help of our colleagues from BBC Monitoring, BBC Russian, BBC Turkish and BBC Persian.

We bring together three people who have left Syria to discuss what is happening in their country.

We have the latest from France where the prime minister has forced his controversial social security budget through without a vote in parliament - threatening the collapse of his government.

Germany's leader Olaf Scholz has made a surprise visit to Ukraine - his first since the early months of Russia's invasion. Our correspondent in the capital Kyiv has the latest.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: Syrian rebels take control of military and civilian airports in Aleppo, Syria - 02 Dec 2024. Credit: BILAL AL HAMMOUD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52pdmn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct5nr2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yht)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52pjcs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71gqs3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpcwn5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5w4d)
2024/12/02 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 (w172zgfgn52pn3x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct5sjq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpd0d9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct5rnn)
The Life Scientific - Kip Thorne

Kip Thorne is an Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, the California Institute of Technology, and someone who’s had a huge impact on our understanding of Einsteinian gravity. Over the course of his career Kip has broken new ground in the study of black holes, and been an integral parts of the team that recorded gravitational waves for the very first time – earning him a share in the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics.

He went on to promote physics in films: developing the original idea behind Christopher Nolan’s time-travel epic Interstellar and, since then, advising on scientific elements of various big-screen projects; including, most recently, the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer.

In a special edition of The Life Scientific recorded in front of an audience of London’s Royal Institution, Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to Kip about his life and career, from his Mormon upbringing in Utah to Hollywood collaborations – all through the lens of his unwavering passion for science.


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52prw1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmmmc0)
French PM faces a no-confidence vote

The French Prime Minister faces a no-confidence vote as opposition MPs threaten to bring government down over the budget.

Also on the programme: What does the Syrian rebel advance mean for Turkey? And the actress Cate Blanchett on playing Angela Merkel and zombie apocalypses.

(Photo: French Prime Minister Michel Barnier deliver a speech to push the budget bill through the National Assembly without a vote by lawmakers. Credit: Reuters)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52pwm5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71h30h)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpd7wk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct6018)
French Government on verge of collapse over Budget

Opposition parties in France say they'll bring down the minority government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier within days. This after he forced his social security budget through without a vote in parliament.

As Ghana approaches an election, Ed Butler reports on the economic turmoil facing the country

And the Consumer Federation of America tells us about consumer sentiment following Black Friday and Cyber Monday


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52q0c9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t0l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpdcmp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct5x0h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

TUESDAY 03 DECEMBER 2024

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52q43f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct5n2q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52q7vk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbftvrf1j0f)
Elon Musk’s pay package rejected by judge

Elon Musk’s record setting pay package has been rejected for a second time by a Delaware judge
Opposition parties in France say they'll bring down the minority government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier within days. This after he forced his social security budget through without a vote in parliament.
As Ghana approaches an election, Ed Butler reports on the economic turmoil facing the country


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52qclp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71hl00)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpdqw2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct5mtr)
France: Trouble on the vine

Low harvests, economic and climate batterings, changing tastes - is French wine in crisis? The French wine harvest has dropped 18% in one year. For some famous French wine-making regions the reduction has been much more. A combination of factors, including climate, finances and changing drinking habits has brought some wine-makers to the brink. Thousands of hectares of vineyards are being pulled up. Others are struggling to survive. For Assignment John Murphy travels to Bordeaux and Languedoc - the world’s biggest wine-making region - to find out what is going on with wine, France’s most symbolic of products.

Producer: Alex Last
Studio Mix: Rod Farquhar
Programme Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Series Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: Sebastien Danjou in the vineyards of Domaine Danjou-Banessy in Roussillon, in southern France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Credit: John Murphy/BBC)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52qhbt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct5nr2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yht)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52qm2y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71hth8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpdzcb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct5tln)
The rebuilding of Notre Dame de Paris, part one

The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, Our Lady of Paris, is one of France’s most famous landmarks. It has stood on the Île de la Cité in the very heart of France’s capital since the 12th century.

On 15th April 2019, it was engulfed by flames, but thanks to the bravery of hundreds of firefighters, Notre Dame remained standing. The devastation was, however, immense. The spire collapsed into the nave and the lead roof melted and evaporated. The lattice framework underneath it, made of a thousand oak beams known affectionately as The Forest, turned to charcoal and dust. Agnès Poirier has been given unique access behind the scenes, and she’s been travelling around France, talking to some of the army of craftspeople from across the world, who have been painstakingly reconstructing and restoring Notre Dame to its former glory.

In part one, she travels to the Loire to see the work of two American carpenters Jackson du Bois and Michael Burrey, representatives of the U.S. Handshouse Studio: Notre Dame Project, who are helping to rebuild the spire. Agnès then visits Normandy where the famous bells are being restored to speak to Paul Bergamo and also where the iconic ornate cross, the only element on the roof to survive the fire, is being repaired by Vincent Combes and his team . Finally she comes face to face with a gargoyle, one of the stone creatures protecting the cathedral and finds out how to redesign the perfect beast.

Producer: Andrea Kidd

(Image: Notre Dame. Credit: Chesnot)


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52qqv2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9jvhn)
Israel strikes southern Lebanon

The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is looking shaky, after both launched attacks on the other. We speak to a Middle East expert to get more on the situation.

As rebel groups advance in Syria, we speak to a Turkish politician to understand Ankara's role in the reignited civil war to its south.

We also head to Georgia where anti-government demonstrations have entered their fifth day in a row, with the protests showing no sign of letting up.

In our business news, the Vietnamese tycoon racing to raise nine billion dollars to avoid execution.

President Joe Biden has become the first American head of state to visit Angola.

South Africa says there are no plans to develop a common BRICS currency, after US president-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on members of the club.

And, Zimbabwe’s government says it wants to help black farmers to make the most of their land. We find out how.

(Photo: A damaged car near the Israel-Lebanon border, in Manara, 02 December. Credit: Reuters)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52qvl6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9jz7s)
Israel and Hezbollah trade fire

Israel has carried out deadly airstrikes in Lebanon after vowing to retaliate for an attack by Hezbollah on a military post, with both sides accusing each other of breaching a ceasefire

Protesters remain on the streets of the Georgian capital demanding the country's leaders not to drop the plans to join the European Union.

The French government is teetering on the brink of collapse after Prime Minister Barnier forces through budget.

A Vietnamese property tycoon behind what's thought to be the world's largest ever bank fraud has lost her appeal against the death sentence.

A humanitarian crisis is worsening for the thousands of displaced people in the ZamZam camp in Sudan's region of Darfur.

Belgium is ordered to pay compensation for colonial state kidnappings - we speak to one of those affected

(Pic: Members of Imam al-Mahdi scouts clean rubble and debris from damaged buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon December 2, 2024; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52qzbb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9k2zx)
Vietnamese tycoon loses death row appeal

A Vietnamese property tycoon behind what's thought to be the world's largest ever bank fraud has lost her appeal against the death sentence. We will be speaking to our correspondent there.

As rebel groups advance in Syria, we will speak to our Islamic militant specialist, to understand what has reignited the civil war.

The French government is teetering on the brink of collapse after Prime Minister Michel Barnier forces through budget. We will speak to the spokesperson of the far-right National Rally.

We will hear why Elon Musk's multibillion dollar pay package has been rejected again by a judge, despite being approved by Tesla shareholders.

UNICEF raises alarm over the rise in children being recruited to join armed gangs in Haiti.

President Joe Biden has become the first American head of state to visit Angola. Why are the Americans engaging now?

And, we will hear from one of the women who've made the BBC list of inspiring and influential women.

(Pic: Verdict in fraud trial of property tycoon Truong My Lan to be announced, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - 11 Apr 2024; Credit: REX/Shutterstock)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52r32g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tx0)
Cleaning up India's streets

The world produces about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. A lot of this waste, such as multi-layered plastic packaging and cigarette butts, is hard to recycle. Instead, it fills up landfills and contaminates the environment.

We travel to the Indian city of Pune where eco-social company Recharkha upcycles plastic packaging waste into contemporary products like tote bags, lampshades and table mats. It relies on village women’s handicraft using traditional spinning wheels or charkhas, simultaneously helping tackle rural unemployment.

We also head to another Indian city, Noida, where an organisation works with local women to safely turn millions of cigarette butts into clean fluffy material to be used in stuffed toys - among other products.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: Chhavi Sachdev
Sound mix: Andrew Mills/Ardila Syakriah
Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Women who work at the Recharka project, Recharka)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpfgbv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5zjg)
Ghana’s illegal gold mines

Ghana is a global gold mining powerhouse and Africa's biggest producer.

The informal mining sector of gold – known locally as “galamsey” - is a big election issue here. There have been recent marches demanding tougher action against illegal miners in Accra. But illegal mining is also a major source of employment. More than a million Ghanaians make their living from galamsey.

We hear from local galamsey miners and look at the negative impact this industry is having on both the workers in terms of health, the environment, and the wider community.

(Picture: Man holding a bucket in an open-pit gold mine in Ghana.)

Presented and produced by Ed Butler


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5ynb)
The discovery that led to Covid vaccines

Dr Katalin Karikó grew up in a small town in Hungary with no electricity or running water at home. She overcame great adversity to become a scientist and publish a groundbreaking paper in 2005 showing how the mRNA molecule could be used to protect the human immune system from viruses. But, her findings were initially overlooked and she even lost her job after failing to attract funding. However, she persisted with her research, which laid the scientific groundwork for mRNA vaccines that saved countless lives during the Covid pandemic. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023. She speaks to Ben Henderson.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Dr Katalin Karikó. Credit: Janos Kummer/Getty Images)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52r6tl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71jf6x)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpfl2z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct5mtr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52rbkq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct5qkf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52rg9v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71jnq5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpftl7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6fbt)
Who are the rebels threatening Assad's grip on Syria?

The long-running civil war in Syria has unexpectedly sprung back into the spotlight after rebel groups launched a surprise offensive on Aleppo, one of the country’s largest cities. Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has vowed to crush the rebel uprising, prompting air strikes from Russian forces allied with his regime. This is an unexpected resurgence of a conflict that has been largely dormant for years.

Azadeh Moshiri speaks with BBC Monitoring's jihadist media specialist Mina Al-Lami and BBC correspondent Barbara Plett Usher about who these rebels are and whether this will this redraw the lines of the Syrian conflict.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts, Tom Kavanagh and Mhairi MacKenzie

Sound engineers: Ben Andrews and Jonny Hall

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52rl1z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct5p5m)
How Hollywood’s most powerful woman won and lost it all

In the 1930s, Mary McCall Jr. was a trailblazing screenwriter who partied with Bette Davis while secretly working as a union organiser, demanding contracts and pay deals for all writers. She clashed with studio bosses, and Jack Warner famously called her the ‘meanest bitch’ in town. Mary was undeterred, and by the 1940s she had become the most powerful woman in Hollywood, transforming the American film industry. But a scandalous romance and Cold War politics would leave Mary’s career and family in tatters when she was blacklisted. Her colourful, controversial life is remembered by her daughter, Mary-David Sheiner and the film historian, J.E. Smyth.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Mix: Giles Aspen

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

Film archive: Dr. Socrates / Warner Bros. / William Dieterle; Maisie / MGM / Edwin L. Marin; Ringside Maisie / MGM / Edwin L. Marin; All About Eve / Joseph L. Mankiewicz / 20th Century-Fox

(Photo: Mary McCall Jr looking over a script. Credit: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5ynb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52rpt3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71jx6f)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpg22h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct5tln)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52rtk7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmpp16)
South Korea’s president declares emergency martial law

The move comes as South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol disagrees with the main opposition Democratic Party over approval for next year’s budget bill. Both the ruling party and opposition have vowed to block the declaration of martial law.

Also on the programme: It’s the first visit by a US President to an African country in almost 8 years, we hear about Joe Biden’s visit to Angola; and the story of the Indian princess who went undercover as a spy in France during the second world war. Posthumously, she’s become only the third woman to receive the UK's highest civilian honour for bravery.

(Photo: Police officers block the entry to the National Assembly after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declare martial law in Seoul Credit: Yonhap news agency via REUTERS)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52ry9c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tx0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpg9kr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct6081)
South Korea's president declares emergency martial law

South Korea's president Yoon Suk Yeol declares emergency martial law amid an escalating row with lawmakers over the budget. We get business reaction.
Also, China bans exports to the US of metals needed for semiconductor manufacturing and military applications.
And could US President Joe Biden’s visit to Angola deliver business opportunities for the continent?


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52s21h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm5dq3v)
South Korea: Shock as president declares martial law

The president of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol has shocked his nation by declaring martial law, leading to protests outside parliament. The president initially blamed North Korea for forcing him to make the decision - but then went on to criticise the opposition. We'll bring you the latest and hear views of people in South Korea.

The Taliban have reportedly banned female students in Afghanistan from enrolling for medical training, the only form of higher education that had remained available for women in the country. We speak to the BBC's Afghan service to explain more.

And in Syria, rebel forces have launched their largest offensive against the government in years. We'll talk you through the latest on the conflict as we walk around the BBC to speak to our language service teams from around the world.

(Photo: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2024. Credit: The Presidential Office/Handout via Reuters)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52s5sm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm5dtvz)
South Korea: Protests after president's shock martial law declaration

There have been protests outside South Korea's parliament after President Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the nation by declaring martial law. South Korea's parliament has blocked the declaration. We'll bring you the latest and hear views of people in South Korea.

Also in the programme: In Syria, rebel forces have launched their largest offensive against the government in years. We'll talk you through the latest on the conflict as we walk around the BBC to speak to our language service teams from around the world.

(Photo: The main gate of the National Assembly in Seoul is crowded with people as police block entry following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in Seoul, South Korea, 03 December 2024.Credit: YONHAP/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52s9jr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct5p5m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5ynb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52sf8w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71kmp6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpgsk8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5w8x)
2024/12/03 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 (w172zgfgn52sk10)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct5mtr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpgx9d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct5wn6)
How green is AI?

Computer scientist Sasha Luccioni is a pioneering voice in AI, especially when it comes to its environmental impact. We speak to her as she is announced on the BBC 100 Women list.
We also meet one of the only AI startups in Bhutan, and the two friends who met online and have finally met in real life – after 13 years of knowing each other.

Presenter: Zoe Kleinman
Producer: Imran Rahman-Jones
Editor: Monica Soriano

(Image: A black and white portrait photo of Sasha Luccioni smiling at the camera. In the background are orange computer-generated geometric shapes. Credit: Steve Gerrard.)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52sns4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmqj83)
South Korea reverses martial law

After South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law in the country, MPs blocked the controversial move and the president then reversed the move. It’s expected to be officially lifted once ministers meet later today. We speak to an MP who took part in the vote to block the plan.

Also in the programme: the Taliban stops women in Afghanistan from accessing medical training; and Hollywood actress Sharon Stone recounts her experience of having a stroke.

(Photo: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, 3rd December 2024. Credit: Reuters)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52ssj8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71kzxl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wph4sn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct60b9)
South Korea’s president backs down from martial law

MPs in the country voted to block the move after mass protests and outcry. ed Butler gets the latest from our Korea Service.

President Joe Biden has visited Angola today. The trip has been described as an attempt to counter Chinese investment on the African continent.

And it's been 30 years since Playstation first hit the shelves in Japan for the first time. We hear more from tech writer Bree Fowler.


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52sx8d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tx0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wph8js)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct5tln)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

WEDNESDAY 04 DECEMBER 2024

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52t10j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct5qkf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52t4rn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbftvrf4dxj)
South Korea’s president backs down from martial law

MPs in the country voted to block the move after mass protests and outcry. We get the latest from our Korea Service.

The boss of Japanese bank Nomura has taken a short-term pay cut after a former employee was charged with robbery of bank clients, attempted murder and arson.

And it's been 30 years since Playstation first hit the shelves in Japan for the first time. We hear more from tech writer Bree Fowler


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52t8hs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71lgx3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wphms5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct5wsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52td7x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct5p5m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5ynb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52tj01)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71lqdc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wphw8f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 World Of Secrets (w3ct7h04)
Finding Mr Fox

Finding Mr Fox: 6. What does the Fox say?

Our investigation moves to a hotel car park in Norwich, England. What more new leads will this bring? We find the man himself, but what does Fox have to say about the tonne of cocaine found on his yacht? How does he respond to the claims from Brazilian police?


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52tmr5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9mrdr)
South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol faces impeachment

President Yoon Suk Yeol has lifted the imposition of martial law order just after his surprise move horrified the country. Protesters, unions and politicians now want the president to resign.

We go to Syria where anti-government forces continue their advance towards the strategic city of Hama in the north-west of the country. We speak to someone in the region.

And we've got a report from Nigeria on an upsurge in the use of drones that has led to a number of accidental military airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties.

(Photo: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announces his intention to lift the emergency martial law, Seoul, South Korea, 04 December 2024; Credit: Yonhap/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52trh9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9mw4w)
South Korean MPs begin impeachment proceedings

This is not the first time a South Korean president has faced an impeachment motion in a country that views itself as a thriving, modern democracy.

We also go to France, another country on the brink of political chaos as French lawmakers vote today for no-confidence that could lead to Prime minister's resignation after only two and a half months in office.

A former chief of staff of the Israeli military has accused the army of carrying out ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza.

(Photo: Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party and other minor opposition parties submit a bill to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. Credit: Yonhap/EPA)


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52tw7f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9mzx0)
South Korean president's top staff resign

South Korea's presidential office has announced that all senior secretaries to the president, as well as his chief of staff, national security adviser, and director of national policy, have all tendered their resignation this morning.

Also, the French Prime Minister Michel Barnier says it is "possible" he could survive a no-confidence vote in his minority government. We go live to Paris

(Photo: South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun attends a press conference with US secretary of state, 31 October 2024. He resigned on Wednesday. Credit: Will Oliver/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52tzzk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t53)
Peter Boehringer: Is Germany's far right in a powerful position?

Germany, Europe’s most powerful economy, will hold elections in February after the collapse of Chancellor Scholz's ruling coalition. Stephen Sackur speaks to Peter Boehringer, who is a senior MP for the far-right Alternative for Deutschland party. Is his party too extreme to be a serious contender for national power?


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpjc7y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5znz)
Sweden’s #softgirls trend

We find out why, in a country famous for championing gender equality, some women are choosing to become stay-at-home wives and girlfriends.

The social media #softgirl trend is a small but growing minority, who say they do not want the stress of juggling family and work. They want a 'softer' life - with more balance and not having to focus on a career. It has triggered cultural and political debates across Sweden where feminism has been a part of mainstream politics since the 1950s.

Producer/presenter: Maddy Savage

(Image: Vilma Larsson)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yql)
The ‘Three Marias’

In May 1974, people gathered in Lisbon, Portugal, to see whether three women would be sent to jail for writing a book.

Maria Teresa Horta, Maria Velho da Costa and Maria Isabel Barreno’s ‘Novas Cartas Portuguesas’ was banned after it was published and they were put on trial.

The case of the ‘Three Marias’ became famous around the world. Laura Jones listens to an archive interview of Maria Teresa Horta, who is now 87.

Archive audio is courtesy of Tommaso Barsali and Riccardo Bargellini, at Valigie Rosse from 2018.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Women in Los Angeles, USA protesting about the 'Three Marias' being on trial in Portugal. Credit: Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52v3qp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71mb40)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpjh02)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct5wsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52v7gt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct7hnh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52vc6y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71mkm8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpjqhb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6drr)
Pardons, missiles and a ceasefire: Biden’s last few weeks

With just weeks left in office, President Biden is making moves that could define his legacy. He has issued an official pardon for his son Hunter, who was facing possible prison sentences in two criminal cases. Biden's decision has already prompted furious claims of hypocrisy from Republicans, and the White House has announced that the President is considering more pardons before the end of his term. In recent weeks, the president has also allowed Ukraine to use US long-range missiles to strike inside Russia and has announced a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

On this episode Azadeh Moshiri is joined by our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher and the BBC’s Diplomatic correspondent James Landale. They examine how these decisions might shape Biden’s legacy, impact Donald Trump’s second term, and shape the future of the Democratic party.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Richard Moran and Alix Pickles

Sound engineer: Jonny Hall

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52vgz2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct5pdd)
Rebellious Rhythm: Showcasing my Pantsula dance and culture

With discipline from the maternal side of his family and chaos and creativity from the paternal side, Vusi Mdoyi's childhood was filled with both structure and imagination.

As Vusi grew up he was drawn to Pantsula, a rebellious street dance and culture he associated with style and swagger but others saw as criminal. The dance addressed violence when conflict broke out between warring political factions, providing social commentary and a creative outlet for South Africa’s townships. Adopting their energetic staccato dances Vusi took Pantsula culture to the mainstream, winning competitions and global attention performing on the world’s biggest stages.

What is the secret of a long life? The answers seem to lie not just in how you live but where you live. Research going back a quarter of a century suggests the healthiest very old people are concentrated in a few small parts of our planet. These regions have become known as Blue Zones. Gianni Pes, an Italian Scientist based in Sardinia, came up with the concept when he noticed people living in the rural, mountainous centre of that Island seemed to live longer than average, and were healthy and active. Today, the idea of Blue Zones has become highly commercialised, but Gianni remains focused on the science behind it. He spoke to Debbie Russ.

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

(Photo: Vusi Mdoyi; Credit: Chris Saunders)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yql)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52vlq6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71mt3j)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpjyzl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 World Of Secrets (w3ct7h04)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52vqgb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmsky9)
South Korea: President faces impeachment vote

South Korean MPs have begun impeachment proceeding against President Yoon Suk Yeol after thwarting his shock move to impose martial law. Protesters in Seoul have marched on the presidential offices and parliament demanding his resignation or impeachment. We hear from one of the protesters, and lawmakers from the opposition and the president’s own party.

Also in the programme: Iran temporarily releases the Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi from prison on medical grounds, and the reigning queen of the catwalk show, Anna Wintour, on changing shape of fashion.

(Image: Protesters hold placards as they march toward the presidential office during a demonstration calling for the dismissal and impeachment of South Korean president in Seoul. Credit: JEON HEON-KYUN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52vv6g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t53)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpk6gv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct60dk)
French PM faces no-confidence vote after forcing through budget

Michel Barnier faces a no-confidence vote after using special powers to force through a social security budget bill. A leading French building industry boss tells us political instability has led to tens of thousands of job losses. Also, we speak to one of the South Korean trade unions calling for a national strike after its president's botched attempt to impose military rule. And the messaging app Telegram has agreed to take action to prevent the spread of child sexual abuse imagery online, after years of ignoring calls to do so. But how will it do it?


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52vyyl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm5hm0y)
Protests continue in South Korea

Angry protesters in South Korea have braved freezing temperatures to march on the presidential office and National Assembly, a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol made a bungled attempt to impose martial law. We get reaction from Seoul and get the latest from our reporter.

French MPs are debating a motion of no confidence in the prime minister, which is expected to bring down his government when they vote in the next few hours. We explain what's expected and get reaction from local people in Paris.

We hear from some of the women in the BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2024.

Presenters: Krupa Padhy in London and Mark Lowen in Paris.

(Photo: South Korean President Yoon faces impeachment motion following martial law attempt, Seoul, Korea - 04 Dec 2024. Credit: JEON HEON-KYUN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52w2pq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm5hqs2)
French government on verge of collapse

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier could be ousted in a no-confidence vote on Wednesday, just three months after being appointed to run the government by President Emmanuel Macron. We are live in Paris for analysis and reaction.

South Korean opposition legislators have formally introduced a motion to impeach the President, Yoon Suk Yeol, for ordering martial law. We speak to our colleague from BBC Korean and get reaction from Seoul.

We hear from some of the women in the BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2024.

Presenters: Mark Lowen in Paris and Krupa Padhy in London.

(Photo: French Prime Minister Michel Barnier attends the questions to the government session before a vote on no-confidence motion against the French government at the National Assembly in Paris, France, December 4, 2024. Credit: Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52w6fv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct5pdd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yql)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52wb5z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71njl9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpkpgc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5wc5)
2024/12/04 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 (w172zgfgn52wfy3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct5wsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpkt6h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct5t9m)
Genetic risk of diabetes in South Asian populations

A new study in Nature has looked at genetic underpinnings that could lead to earlier presentations of Type 2 diabetes in South Asian populations.

Also on the program, we look at an exciting new development in asthma treatment, and how we can detect Alzheimer's soon.

Plus, slap fighting – the sport is growing in popularity, but could it have negative health consequences for participants.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Jack Lee


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52wkp7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmtf56)
French MPs vote PM Barnier out

French MPs have ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier after passing a vote of no confidence in his minority government.

Also in the programme: Georgian police beat opposition MP, we hear from an eye-witness; and the young Swedish women who want to stay at home and be traditional housewives.


(Picture: Michel Barnier in the National Assembly floor. Credit: Reuters/ Sarah Meyssonnier)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52wpfc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71nwtp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpl1pr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct60gt)
French economy faces turmoil after Prime Minister loses vote of no confidence

France is facing difficult economic challenges after the government collapses. Prime Minister Michel Barnier leadership was called into question after he used special powers to push through the budget without a vote.

South Korea has started impeachment proceedings against its President after thwarting a shock move to impose martial law. Presenter Rahul Tandon examines what this might mean for the economy.

We are also in Sweden to look at a social media trend that encourages women to quit their jobs and become stay-at-home wives and girlfriends


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52wt5h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t53)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpl5fw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 World Of Secrets (w3ct7h04)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

THURSDAY 05 DECEMBER 2024

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52wxxm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct7hnh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52x1nr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbftvrf79tm)
South Korea’s President faces uncertain future after his attempt to impose martial law

South Korea has started impeachment proceedings against its President after thwarting a shock move to impose martial law. Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses the economic fallout with Senior Asia correspondent for Bloomberg Rebecca Choong Wilkins who is based in Hong Kong and the President of US based Greenwood Capital Walter Todd who is based in North Carolina in the US.

France is facing difficult economic challenges after the government collapses. Prime Minister Michel Barnier leadership was called into question after he used special powers to push through the budget without a vote.

We also discuss a social media trend that encourages women to quit their jobs and become stay-at-home wives and girlfriends in Sweden. We look at what this might mean for families in the future.


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52x5dw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71pct6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpljp8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 100 Women (w3ct7hy5)
Byline Afghanistan

Since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, eight out of 10 women journalists have stopped working. The few female journalists still working are subject to all kinds of restrictions, including no access to official sources, no travelling without a chaperone, as well as abuses such as harassment and low pay.

Previously, approximately 17 percent of accredited journalists working in Afghanistan were women - so where have they all gone, and what are they doing now? The BBC’s Sana Safi investigates.

PHOTO: Afghan journalists Shabnam Dawran (l) and Zahra Nader (r)


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52x950)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct5pdd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yql)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52xdx4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71pm9g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpls5j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xnt)
Croffle, anyone?

Crookie, anyone? Cronut, croffle?

Ruth Alexander looks at the rise of the dessert café and the extraordinary creations it’s spawned.

She visits one such café in Manchester with roses adorning the walls, and chocolate adorning almost everything else.

And speaks to a food blogger in Dubai and a café owner in USA about the latest trends and the businesses who have been serving puddings for decades.

Find out what the latest fashions are in dessert, and how quickly a new invention can sweep the world.

Going out for pudding has become the thing to do in many places and the more extravagant your order, the better.

In fact, going out for pudding has never been so fashionable – or has it?

Presenter: Ruth Alexander

Producers: Rumella Dasgupta and Hannah Bewley

(Image: A selection of sweet desserts. Credit: BBC)


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52xjn8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9qn9v)
The ruling party refuses to impeach the President

South Korean military officials have been questioned about the president's short-lived martial law declaration. It is becoming clear how few knew about the plan, with the vice-defence minister saying he learnt about it on the news.

The French government has collapsed after losing a confidence motion in parliament, the first time this has happened there for 60 years. We speak to a left-wing MP about who could govern a country described as currently ungovernable.

The head of a massive healthcare insurer has been shot dead in broad daylight in New York. A manhunt is underway.

(Photo: People attend a rally to urge lawmakers of South Korea's ruling People Power Party to vote for the impeachment bill. Credit: /Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52xndd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9qs1z)
South Korean police are investigating President Yoon

The police have been instructed to put an emergency travel ban on Kim Yong-hyun, the former Minister of National Defence, whose resignation was accepted this morning by President Yoon.

Another country in political limbo is France... following a vote of no confidence in the government - with a divided parliament, the direction of the country is uncertain

Sierra Leone is rolling out today a preventative vaccination against Ebola for healthcare workers and others who might be exposed to the disease.

(Pic: A man holds a placard as people attend a candlelight vigil condemning South Korean President Yoon Suk; Credit: Reuters)


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52xs4j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9qwt3)
South Korea opposition MPs introduce motion of impeachment

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol has not publicly spoken since an emergency vote in parliament early on Wednesday forced him to reverse his decision to impose martial law and is under pressure to resign.

The French government has collapsed after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote, just three months after his appointment. We go live to see what will this mean for France and Europe.

(Photo: South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, lawmakers and people attend a rally calling for the presidents resignation Credit: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52xwwn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct5xj9)
Is Europe’s car industry at a crossroads?

The car industry across the European Union employs over thirteen million people, both directly and indirectly, that’s around six percent of the bloc’s workforce. But in recent years, Europe’s manufacturers have been struggling to cope with issues like economic downturns, clean energy requirements and the digital revolution. Some of the oldest, biggest carmakers are considering plant closures and job cuts in order to try and stay afloat.

They are also facing fierce competition in the electric vehicle market from China, who have taken a lead in producing cars that are much more competitively priced and equipped with much more sophisticated technology. China’s own economy has been flagging, so the EU provides it with its largest overseas market in terms of the electric car industry.

But now, in a bid to protect their own car industry, the EU has introduced tariffs on electric cars made in China. These tariffs are set to rise from ten percent up to forty five percent for the next five years. Beijing has condemned them as protectionist and there are concerns that it could spark a trade war between Brussels and Beijing.

So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is Europe’s car industry at a crossroads?’

Contributors:
Carsten Brzeski, Global Head of Macro Research, ING, Germany
Tu Le, Founder and Managing Director, Sino Auto Insights, United States of America
Beatrix Keim, Director, CAR Centre for Automotive Research, Germany
Stefan Deix, Director, EUCAR, European Council for Automotive R&D, Belgium

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Matt Toulson
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Matthew Dempsey
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image Credit: Westend61 via Getty Images


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpm851)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5zcy)
Could footballers go on strike?

Earlier this year, Manchester City midfielder Rodri issued a warning that players were "close" to taking strike action over their increased workload.

Rodri played 63 competitive games for club and country last season. But a recent report found that a player welfare 'red line' was a maximum of between 50 and 60 matches per season, depending on a player's age.

Some of the game's biggest names have joined Rodri in threatening to walk out, and the union that represents them is launching legal action against the sport's governing body, FIFA.

But there's a lot of money invested in football, so what's the likelihood the sport might change to stop players feeling over-stretched? And is strike action likely or even possible?

(Picture: Empty stadium with floodlights shining down on a football on the pitch. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Matt Lines


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yl2)
Julia Gillard speaks out on sexism

In October 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard made an impromptu speech in the Australian parliament setting out the misogyny she endured for years as a prominent female politician. In 2022, she spoke to Alex Collins about her career defining-speech which has been viewed online by millions of people.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Julia Gillard speaking in February 2012. Credit: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52y0ms)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71q713)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpmcx5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 100 Women (w3ct7hy5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52y4cx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct6pml)
The Media Show: Reddit's rise

Reddit bills itself as the “home to endless conversation and authentic human connection”, and it is now one of the fastest growing social networks in the world. For the first time in its 20 years history, it has turned a profit. Journalist James Ball discusses its financial milestones, while Robert H. Peck, associate professor at the University of Iowa, explains its moderation approach and the challenges of maintaining community standards on a rapidly growing platform.

Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has launched a major offensive supported by a sophisticated media campaign. Dr Charlie Winter, associate fellow, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, examines the use of digital content such as videos, meme, and music, alongside comparisons to other militant groups and counter-efforts by Assad’s regime.

Anna Wintour is the legendary editor in chief of Vogue magazine. To coincide with the opening of an immersive exhibition in London entitled Vogue: Inventing the Runway, she granted the BBC a rare interview. Katie Razzall reflects on the experience of sitting down with the journalist who famously provided the inspiration for The Devil Wears Prada.

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Simon Richardson
Assistant producer: Lucy Wai


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpmhn9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 The Documentary (w3ct7hyp)
Blood on the shelves

The BBC follows the trail taking tomato paste made with forced labour in China on to Europe and asks: do some European supermarkets have forced-labour products on their shelves?

Image: A worker in the tomato industry in Xinjiang (Credit: imagechina/Alamy)


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52y841)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71qgjc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpmmdf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6dv0)
Democracy in crisis in South Korea

President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing impeachment after declaring – and then lifting – martial law. South Korea is often seen in the West as a beacon of democracy, but its history is marked by coups, martial law and brutal crackdowns on public protest.

On this episode, Azadeh Moshiri speaks to Jake Kwon from the BBC’s Seoul bureau, and the former head of the BBC's Korean service, Su-Min Hwang. They unpack South Korea's dramatic recent political history and look at what these events reveal about the country's democracy today.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Peter Goffin, Tom Kavanagh, Annie Brown, Eleanor Sly, and Mariana Hernández Carrillo.

Sound engineers: Dan Ehrlich and Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52ycw5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct5nyv)
My life as an arbonaut, explorer of the treetops

Dr. Meg Lowman was a born naturalist. As a child in upstate New York in the 1960s, she would collect wildflowers, leaves and birds’ eggs and meticulously store them under her bed, to the bemusement of her parents and schoolfriends. As an adult she went on to study trees, combatting sexism to become the first person to study the forest canopy while dangling in its branches using equipment she built herself. She calls herself an ‘arbonaut’ – an explorer of the world that thrives in the treetops – and her pioneering research in forest canopies all ove the world has led to some astonishing discoveries.

In 2004, young biologist Diego Calderón was captured by Farc guerillas while on a field trip in the Colombian Andes. They kept him for three months, but Diego kept himself busy by studying the wildlife in the unique cloud forest habitat where he was held. Years later, after his release and a peace deal had been signed in Colombia, he came face to face with his captors once again, this time joining them as they led birdwatching tours in former guerilla territory. This interview was first broadcast in 2021.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Zoe Gelber

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

(Photo: Meg Lowman on a treetop walkway. Credit: Meg Lowman)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yl2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52yhm9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71qq0m)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpmvwp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xnt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52ymcf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmwgvd)
France's Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigns

France's Prime Minister Michel Barnier has formally resigned after his government was voted down by parliament. With the ball in President Macron's court, what do MPs who support him - and his opponents - think he should do?

Also in the programme: Amnesty International issues a detailed report accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza – we hear from an independent international lawyer and from an Israeli spokesman; and how Donald Trump's election victory is powering bitcoin to a record high.

(IMAGE: French Prime Minister Michel Barnier removes his glasses after he delivered a speech during a debate on two motions of no-confidence against the French government, at the National Assembly in Paris, France, December 4, 2024. / CREDIT: REUTERS / Sarah Meyssonnier)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52yr3k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct5xj9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpn3cy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct603j)
Bitcoin hits $100,000 for the first time

Bitcoin hits $100,000 for the first time as Donald Trump's victory in the US elections and job appointments he has made fuel the cryptocurrencies market. We hear from the Blockchain Association.
Losses from natural catastrophes are on track to exceed $310 billion in 2024, according to a research update.
And will adding the Japanese sake drink to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage boost sales?


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52yvvp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm5lhy1)
Syria rebels seize second major city

Islamist-led rebels in Syria are taking control of a second major city, with the army saying it's withdrawn from the city of Hama. We have the latest on the fighting. We also explain who the main groups fighting in Syria are and hear from two people inside the country.

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has accepted the resignation of the prime minister. The president is due to address the nation later today. We bring reaction and analysis live from Paris.

The price of Bitcoin has hit a record high of more than $100,000. It's been surging in value since Donald Trump's election victory. He is expected to ease cryptocurrency regulations. We explain what Bitcoin is and hear from investors.

Presenter: Luke Jones in London and Mark Lowen in Paris

(Photo: Rebels posed for photos on the highway north of Hama, home to about one million people. Credit: Mohammed al-Rifai/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52yzlt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm5lmp5)
Killing of US insurance boss

New York police are continuing to search for a suspect after the head of US insurance company UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed in what they've called a "targeted attack". We get the latest from our correspondent in New York.

The French prime minister, Michel Barnier, has resigned after only three months in office. We bring reaction and analysis live from Paris.

An Afghan media rights group says Taliban authorities have raided the Kabul office of a private television channel and confiscated their equipment. Also in Afghanistan, a number of women have held a protest against the Taliban's decision to bar them from taking part in medical training. We speak to our Afghan colleague about the developments.

The authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are investigating an unknown disease with flu-like symptoms that has killed 79 people in the southwest of the country. We speak our Africa health reporter.

Presenters: Mark Lowen in Paris and Luke Jones in London.

(Photo: 5/12/2024 CCTV image of the suspect sought in connection to the shooting of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson. Credit: NYPD Police handout as part of Crimestoppers appeal)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52z3by)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct5nyv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yl2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52z732)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71rfhd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpnlcg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5w6n)
2024/12/05 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 (w172zgfgn52zbv6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 100 Women (w3ct7hy5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpnq3l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 Science In Action (w3ct5vdt)
Bovine H5N1 gets a sniff of humans

Scientists have found that just one mutation in the current H5N1 virus in cattle can switch its preference from avian to human receptors. Jim Paulson and colleagues at the Scripps Institute did not use the whole virus to investigate this, but proteins from one of the Texas farm workers found to be infected. It suggests the bovine H5N1 virus has already evolved subtly. Meanwhile, Richard Webby of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis helps us catch up on the latest known about the case of the Canadian teenager taken seriously ill a month ago with a different variant of avian H5N1.

A debate has been rumbling this last year about the extent of ocean warming by, perhaps paradoxically, the reduction of particulate pollution from the fuel used by ships. The idea is that the small particles of sulphates and nitrates in the soot from funnels actually formed clouds over shipping lanes out at sea. This in turn sheltered the oceans to some extent from solar radiation, thus making latter decades of the 20th century seem cooler than they would have measured today. Hence, removing the particulate pollution from bunker fuel, mandated by the International Maritime Organisation a few years ago, may have contributed to the surge in ocean temperatures witnessed in the last two years. Daniele Visione, of Cornell, and colleagues have done the modelling and found that there has indeed been a noticeable effect.

But earth’s oceans are certainly not as hot as Venus’ ones, if indeed such oceans ever existed. It has long been held that once upon a time our sunward neighbour might have possessed liquid water oceans, long since boiled off by runaway greenhouse effects of the atmosphere. But, breaking with science fiction visions of aliens paddling in temperate seas, Tereza Constantinou of Cambridge University has been looking at the gases coming out of the volcanos on Venus, and has concluded that the planet never had such surface water, basically because the rocks from which magma is made don’t billow steam when they boil today.

Presented by Roland Pease
Produced by Alex Mansfield with Debbie Kilbride
Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

(Image: Bird Flu in Dairy Cows; Credit: The Washington Post via Getty Images)


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52zglb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmxb29)
Rebels take control of the strategic Syrian city of Hama

The loss of Hama is a major blow to President Assad's forces as rebels continue to advance across the country. Video footage showed insurgents parading through the streets and firing guns in celebration. We hear the latest from our correspondent in the region and ask Middle East expert Julien Barnes-Darcy how worried President Assad should be in the capital, Damascus.

Also in the programme: President Macron addresses the people of France amid political turmoil. And we hear from Mick Mulvaney, former acting chief of staff in President Trump's White House.

(Photo: A rebel fighter stands atop a military vehicle in northwestern Idlib province, Syria, 1 December, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52zlbg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71rsqs)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpnylv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct605s)
US ports see shipment surge from China ahead of tariff hikes

Exporters from China, Canada, and Mexico are rushing to ship goods to the US following President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to impose new tariffs on the three countries on his first day in office.

Syria’s economy, devastated by over 13 years of war, is nearing collapse, with recent fighting, sanctions, and an earthquake worsening the crisis. The Syrian pound has plunged, driving up the cost of essential goods.

And in South Korea, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has launched an indefinite strike, demanding President Yoon Suk Yeol step down over his martial law declaration.


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52zq2l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct5xj9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpp2bz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xnt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

FRIDAY 06 DECEMBER 2024

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52zttq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct6pml)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpp633)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct7l49)
Over the fence: From Turkey into the EU

One way to reach the European Union is via the 'Eastern Mediterranean route' from Turkey into either Bulgaria or Greece. Back in 2015 millions of people reached Europe this way to flee conflicts in the Middle East. Since then, international deals have been struck and border security toughened across Europe to stem the flow of migrants. And yet, whilst other routes to Europe have seen a fall, the numbers travelling via this 'Eastern Mediterranean route' into the European Union have been growing since 2021.

Presenter Nick Robinson hears from refugees in Turkey looking to leave and from those who have successfully made it over the fence, across the land border into Bulgaria. As Bulgaria hopes to fully join the free-movement Schengen area in 2025, Nick Robinson explores the success and limits of the Bulgarian border force’s efforts to police Europe’s border with the wider world.

Presenter: Nick Robinson
Producer: Jade Bogart-Prêleur

(Photo: Nick Robinson (front row centre) with Harmanli refugees. Credit: Jade Bogart-Prêleur)


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn52zykv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbftvrfb6qq)
US ports face surge in China imports ahead of Trump's tariffs

As US companies race to stock up goods ahead of president-elect Trump's promised tariffs, Gene Seroka, the Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles shares how the port is handling the influx of shipments from China.

In South Korea, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has launched an indefinite strike, demanding President Yoon Suk Yeol step down over his martial law declaration.

And in a cultural milestone, traditional Japanese rice wine Sake, has been officially recognised by the United Nations as an "intangible cultural heritage".

We are joined throughout the programme by Tony Nash, CEO and Founder Complete Intelligence in the US and Jessica Khine, Head of Asia for Astris Advisory Japan in Malaysia.


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn53029z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71s8q9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wppflc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct5wn6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn530623)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct5nyv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yl2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn5309t7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71sj6k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wppp2m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct7m3q)
The rebels who retook Aleppo

A shock offensive on Aleppo turned Syria’s forgotten conflict into hot war. The group spearheading it, Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), has been at pains to present itself as a credible governing body, having renounced its jihadist past. With a bounty on his head, its leader, Abu Mohammed al Jawlani, has been spinning his propaganda machine in the northern province of Idlib, wearing western suits and taking selfies with the locals. We track his journey of transformation in this episode, first published in 2023.

Producer: Kriszta Satori, Anne Dixey
Presenter: Krassi Twigg


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn530fkc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9tk6y)
Anger continues to simmer in Seoul

In the first clear sign his own party may now vote with the opposition, the leader of Yoon's ruling People Power party called for his swift suspension - the party had earlier refused to back impeachment moves.

As Ghana prepares for an election on Saturday we hear from the voters who are desperate for democracy to deliver for the people.

Georgia has now seen more than a week of protests as pro western supporters have taken to the street to oppose the ruling Georgian Dream Party. But the security forces have become increasingly aggressive uin their response to the protests.

(Pic: People protest during a candlelight vigil to condemn South Korean President Yoon Suk; Credit: Reuters)


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn530k9h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9tnz2)
MPs could bring forward a vote to impeach Yoon

The opposition coalition, which holds a majority in parliament, needs just eight members of Yoon's People Power Party to impeach him.

Ghana is off to the polls tomorrow in a tight election where cost of living and the economy will be a huge factor when people cast their ballots.

In Syria rebels continue their rapid advance, they have now taken the strategic city of Hama, with sights now set on the city of Homs.

(Pic: A protester attends a rally to condemn South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol; Credit: Reuters)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn530p1m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkcmk9tsq6)
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing Homs

The leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, declared "victory" in Hama and vowed there would be "no revenge".

Ghana will go to the polls on Saturday and high on the agenda is improving the country's economy. We hear from an informal enterprise home to some 200,000 skilled automotive workers

South Koreans face danger if Yoon stays -that's what the ruling party chief says in a sign that he and others might join opposition to vote for impeachment

(Pic: Rebel fighters with weapons gather after Syrian rebels captured the city of Hama; Credit: Reuters)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn530ssr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5sw2)
Mark Alford: Is America ready for Trump 2.0?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Republican congressman and Trump loyalist Mark Alford. The president-elect has already made clear his intent to blow up the Washington status quo, from swingeing tariffs to the mass deportation of migrants. Is America ready for Trump 2.0?


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpq524)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5z2x)
Business Daily meets: Uniqlo's Tadashi Yanai

The Japanese billionaire is the founder and president of Fast Retailing, parent company of Uniqlo.

He's the richest man in Japan, and despite being in his 70's, has big plans to grow the company even further.

We speak to Tadashi Yanai about fast fashion, Chinese manufacturing, and global expansion.

And we find out how Japan's richest man spends his leisure time.

Produced and presented by Mariko Oi

(Image: Tadashi Yanai in 2017. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yfk)
India’s 1998 nuclear tests

In May 1998, India conducted five nuclear tests, drawing international condemnation. It was the first time the country had tested nuclear weapons for 24 years. Governments including the USA and Japan imposed economic sanctions on India, while Pakistan promised the tests “would not go unanswered”. Weeks later, Pakistan tested their own nuclear weapons.

In response, the Indian artist, Nalini Malani, created a video installation showing the horrors of nuclear war. It was displayed in Mumbai for 10 days generating heated debate. She recounts her memories to Ben Henderson.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Nalini Malani. Credit: Nora Tam/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn530xjw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71t3y6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpq8t8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 Science In Action (w3ct5vdt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn531190)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct5q2v)
Going home

This week we’re looking at a political agreement that will hand back sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In the 1970s, the UK removed the entire Chagossian population to make way for a US military base. The islanders have been fighting for their right to return ever since. If deal can be agreed, the islanders are hoping they will have the chance to go home.

And this got us thinking about all things home-related.

First up, we discover the intriguing reasons why you can’t smell your own home, then we take a closer look at our homes and all the creatures that live there, before finding out about the ‘home scars’ created by limpets.

Next we hear from Dr Nadescha Zwerschke, a scientist who spent time on Rothera research station in Antarctica. She reveals how she made this isolated outpost feel like home.

Also, we reveal that global talks to agree a reduction in plastics have collapsed, which could have an impact on all our homes from a pollution perspective.

And finally – a type of pasta that would be no good for your homecooked recipes.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone and Godfred Boafo
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Harrison Lewis and William Hornbrook
Sound engineer: Gavin Wong


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn531514)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71tcfg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpqj9j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6dx8)
Why are Australian teens being kicked off social media?

Australia will ban children under 16 from using social media, after its parliament approved the world's strictest laws. Tech companies could be fined up to A$50m ($32.5m; £25.7m) if they don't comply. But as many parents know, keeping teenagers off social media is a challenge. So, can a ban like this really work? And how might it be implemented?

In this episode, Lucy Hockings speaks to the BBC's cyber correspondent Joe Tidy and our correspondent in Australia, Katy Watson.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Richard Moran and Beth Timmins

Sound engineer: Dafydd Evans

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn5318s8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct699s)
Outlook Mixtape: Old Hollywood and new worlds in treetops

Mary McCall Jr’s film career was devastated by the Red Scare and a scandalous romance. Before she was blacklisted, she was a hit screenwriter who partied with Bette Davis while working as a union organiser and transforming the US film industry.

Dr Meg Lowman is known as an arbonaut, an astronaut of the treetops. Her intense passion for nature at an early age has resulted in a long career studying trees. Being a woman in science has never been easy, something that 'Canopy Meg' wants to see changed.

Vusi Mdoyi dances 'pantsula' which was born in the townships of South Africa. For him it brings joy, but it had never been seen as an art form. Inspired to become a choreographer, he wanted to give this dance global recognition.

Presented by India Rakusen

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

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yfk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn531djd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71tlxq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpqrss)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct5tdx)
Should I change my name?

Personal names have spiritual and religious meanings in the Christian tradition. But what if you carry an inherited surname that you feel is profoundly unchristian? Should you keep it or change it?

Robert Beckford is going through this dilemma. His surname is a slave name, a brand of ownership passed down from his enslaved African ancestors in Jamaica. Over time, Robert has grown deeply uncomfortable with the meaning of this name and now wants to find a more spiritual alternative.

Robert Beckford embarks on a journey of self-discovery, considering whether he should change or keep his inherited name. He investigates the historical context, exploring the significance of slave names and their emotional impact on individuals and communities. He reflects on his own experiences and feelings towards his character. Beckford speaks to other individuals who have taken on new names due to adopting a new faith or spirituality.

Presenter: Robert Beckford
Producer: Rachel Briggs
Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn531j8j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zb983dmzcrh)
Syrian rebels bear down on Homs

Rebel forces in Syria are bearing down on the city of Homs, a vital link between the capital, Damascus, and the Assad regime's coastal stronghold. We hear from a Christian priest in the coastal city of Latakia.

Also in the programme: Romania's top court annuls the results of the first round of the presidential election, after the surprise victory of an unknown far-right nationalist; and Notre Dame cathedral in Paris is reborn after a devastating fire five years ago.

(IMAGE: Opposition fighters pose for a selfie in front of a Syrian government building after they entered the city of Hama, Syria, 06 December 2024 / CREDIT: Bilal al Hammoud/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn531n0n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5sw2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wpr091)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct5zth)
European Union and Mercosur sign trade deal after 25 years of negotiations

The agreement between the EU and the South American bloc will create a free trade area covering 780 million people, but not everyone is celebrating. We find out why.
In Ghana, nearly 19 million voters will take part in a presidential election on Saturday. This comes against the backdrop of a tough economic crisis that has hit millions of households hard. We hear more from our correspondent.
And a London court has made a key ruling in a case involving Nigerian communities and the oil giant Shell. We hear about its consequences.


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn531rrs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm5pdv4)
Syrian rebels close in on Homs

Rebel forces have continued their advance across Syria this morning, with fighters rapidly approaching the city of Homs. Homs links the capital Damascus to the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast, President Bashar al-Assad's political stronghold and key to his grip on power. We hear from our Middle East analyst as well as people on the ground.

Staying in the region -  it’s been just over 10 days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon began, and despite some Israeli airstrikes and a mortar attack by Hezbollah, it is largely still in place. We speak to people on both sides of the border.

And we’ll meet three generations of voters in Ghana, where the rising cost of living is one of the biggest issues in Saturday’s general election.

Presenter: Luke Jones in London

(Photo: 6/12/24 Opposition fighters fire their guns in the air in celebration in front of a Syrian government building after they entered the city of Hama. Credit: Bilal Al Hammoud/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn531whx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjdtm5pjl8)
Momentum against Assad grows in Syria

The momentum in Syria against President Assad appears to be growing across the country. Islamist-led rebels are closing in on Syria's third largest city Homs.
Meanwhile, Kurdish-led forces have also reportedly seized control of Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria. Our Middle East experts explain the developments and we hear from people on the ground.

Staying in the region -  it’s been just over 10 days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon began, and despite some Israeli airstrikes and a mortar attack by Hezbollah, it is largely still in place.

Presenter: Luke Jones.

(Photo: A rebel led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham stands in the back of a vehicle in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024. Credit: Mahmoud Hasano//File Photo/Reuters)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn532081)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct699s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yfk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn532405)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71vbdh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wprh8k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5w24)
2024/12/06 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 (w172zgfgn5327r9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5rcm)
Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire

It is coming up to two weeks since a ceasefire was brokered between Israel and Lebanon. Since then there have been reports of minor violations on both sides. As the fragile truce continues, we hear from residents about their experiences, their fears and their hopes for peace. For one Israeli, after 13 months of conflict, some wartime habits are hard to break.

“I still sleep fully dressed,” says Hillel, who lives in Nahariyya just 10km from Lebanon.

“I haven’t switched to pajamas at night for over a year. Just because of the situation - if I have to get up in the middle of the night and get everybody out of the house as quickly as possible, I want to be able to do that fully equipped.”

We also hear from two women who decided to remain in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, throughout the war.

“The ceasefire feels definitely bittersweet,” says Lea. “On one hand, there’s this sense of relief, knowing that for now the bombing has finally stopped. They can finally breathe. On the other hand, it doesn’t erase the trauma that we’ve been living under for the past two months.”

Hosted by Luke Jones, with conversations by Mark Lowen and Krupa Padhy.

A Boffin Media production with producer Sue Nelson in partnership with the BBC OS team, including producers Angela, Sheeran, Laura Cress and Iqra Farooq.

(Photo: Bassel Sabagh, 30, sits as his wife Rim Hamra, 27, looks on at the rubble of a building in which their family had a shop, in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatieh, after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, Lebanon, November 28, 2024. Credit: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wprm0p)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct5rj4)
Why am I good at jigsaw puzzles?

For their fans, jigsaw puzzles are a satisfying challenge, a focus, a chance to put everything else aside for a moment and be creative. But for other people they’re a frustrating jumble of random shapes and colours, a pointless task which is best left in the box.

CrowdScience listener Heather is definitely a fan. She loves doing jigsaw puzzles and she wants to know why some people are so good at them. What skills do you need to find a pattern amongst all those shapes and colours? How do our brains, eyes and hands assemble the fragments into the finished article? And why do we enjoy doing them anyway?

Presenter Alex Lathbridge puts together the pieces to answer Heather’s question. He sits down to work on a jigsaw with Sarah Mills, the ten-times UK jigsaw puzzling champion (yes... competitive jigsaw puzzling really is a thing!) As he watches Sarah complete the puzzle at lightning speed he gets a few of her top tips.

So what’s going on in our brains when we’re doing a jigsaw puzzle? How do we recognise and process colour and shape? Prof Mark Mattson from Johns Hopkins University in the USA has the answer. And it’s all to do with a little seahorse-shaped part of the brain called the hippocampus.

Alex also explores the effect of jigsaws on our brains with neuropsychologist Dr Patrick Fissler. He’s carried out research to investigate the benefits of jigsaw puzzles on our brains as we grow older.

Both listener Heather and ten-times-champion Sarah seem to be better at jigsaws than Alex is. So, based on that sample size of three, women are superior puzzlers compared to men! But has anybody actually cast the net wider to see if that’s really the case? Alex talks to Daniela Aguilar from the University of Lethbridge in Canada about her study to investigate exactly that – and she reveals the results.

Heather’s also wondering if any other species enjoy puzzles. And it seems they do! Alex meets Dr Cody McCoy from the University of Chicago to find out about the optimistic, tool-using crows of New Caledonia. From crows to competitive puzzlers, it seems we all relish a challenge!

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge
Producer: Jeremy Grange
Editor: Cathy Edwards
Studio Manager: Bob Nettles
Production Co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn532chf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zb983dn06zd)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn532h7k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqnk71vpmw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wprvhy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct5zwr)
First broadcast 06/12/2024 22:32 GMT

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfgn532lzp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5sw2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zgg92wprz82)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct5tdx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:32 today]