SATURDAY 28 DECEMBER 2024

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1f5kb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct5q2y)
Festive trash talk

December is a time of celebration, family feuds, and now scientific rivalries. It's also one of the most wasteful months of the year, with festivities in full swing across the globe. No wonder the world is overflowing with rubbish—both literal and metaphorical!

Unexpected Elements dives headfirst into the scientific bin to wallow in waste. Could worms be the unexpected heroes of our plastic pollution crisis? How much garbage have we jettisoned into space? And why is part of our very own genome called "junk DNA"?

But it’s not all rubbish, we’re also talking trash. While celebrations can bring people together, spending too much time with loved ones can lead to tense moments. Rafi Kohan shares expert tips on how to outsmart your opponent during a heated board game debate.

And don’t think trash talk is limited to sports fields. The world of science has its share of drama, too. We’ll explore some of history’s most scandalous squabbles with scientists behaving badly.

Come waste an hour with us on Unexpected Elements!

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Chhavi Sachdev and Candice Bailey
Producers: Harrison Lewis, Imaan Moin, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, William Hornbrook and Eliane Glaser
Sound engineer: Gavin Wong


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1f99g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbfvykcrkgb)
Mexico prepares for the realities of Trump's inauguration

Mexico's government has announced an emergency strategy to protect migrants in the United States, ahead of the inauguration of the president- elect, Donald Trump, next month.

There are “early indications” that Russian air defence systems - that's a ground to air missile in plain English - may have caused the downing of an Azerbaijani plane this week. As a number of airlines suspend flights in the region, what does this say about the long-term future of commercial air travel over Russia?

Also in the show, we recall the impact of this year's Baltimore bridge collapse on local businesses, nine months on.

And how volunteering - a multi-billion dollar industry in the US especially in this holiday season, could be back on the rise in the US.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1ff1l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn106mfx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn3s9z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct5whs)
The best of Stumped in 2024

We look back at the best of Stumped in 2024, which gives you a chance to listen to some of the standout moments from the last twelve months including our trip to New York. The USA co-hosted the Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time and we spoke to fans from around the world about how cricket can grow in America. Plus, we spoke to Bryan R Caine who is an umpire in the United States about his love of the game and how it can develop in the future.

We also hear from one of the greatest batters of all time, the West Indies legend Brian Lara who joined Alison in the commentary box at Lord’s. He shared what it meant to him when he scored 400 not out for his country and if he believes Test Cricket is sustainable long-term.

New Zealand won their first ever T20 World Cup, when they beat South Africa in the final. All-rounder Maddy Green took us back to that special day and shared the emotion she felt about finally getting that winners medal around her neck. Plus, the Stumped team debate whether reaching 100 Test caps carries the same significance it used to?

And arguably England’s greatest ever bowler Jimmy Anderson finally hung up his boots this year, when he retired from international cricket. He joined the team to talk about retirement, personal loss and what is next for both himself and England.

Photo: Cricket fans cheer and wave the Indian flag during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium at Eisenhower Memorial Park in East Meadow, New York on June 9, 2024(Photo by J. Conrad Williams, Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1fjsq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct699w)
Memory Box: Your stories

Listeners from around the world share the stories of their most treasured objects and place them in Outlook's Memory Box.

By the age of 6, Hilda Bih Muluh from Cameroon was losing the ability to walk. A kind nun made her some 'special shoes' which enabled her to play with other children again. Hilda, who has muscular dystrophy, says the shoes gave her the permission she needed to accept her differences and move into the world with confidence. She's also written a book called The Girl with Special Shoes.

Saab Naseer from the UK would like to place his mum's hand-embroidered top into the Memory Box – he has fond memories of her working away on it while sitting in their front room, and it reminds him of their shared love of embroidery.

Njoki Kariuki lives in Kenya, and her special object is a fossil stone she collected from a bucket-list trip to the Amazon. She has kept the stone on her mantelpiece because it serves as a reminder that she achieved her dream of visiting the Amazon.

And Elaine Arsenault, from Canada, has a wooden box to place in our box – a box that provided the inspiration for a series of children's books she wrote which changed the trajectory of her life.

Samuel Kabaso in Zambia has a treasured object that reminds him of his late father. It's a gaming console that Samuel says brings back happy memories of playing games with his siblings.

And Heather Stewart, in Canada, has a very special set of bagpipes that belonged to her Grandfather. He played them in the D-day landings in WWII, and they are still played today by her brother-in-law.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Producer: Hannah Fisher

If you have a story for our Memory Box about an object with great personal significance, please get in touch! Email outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Embroidery detail on a treasured top. Credit: Saab Naseer)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yfn)
Dinner for One: How an English comedy became a German tradition

Every New Year’s Eve, millions of Germans turn on their TVs to rewatch an old favourite – the comedy Dinner for One.

The black and white sketch is in English and features a British cast but is virtually unknown in the United Kingdom.

The two-hander starts with butler James laying a table for five people for dinner.

Then Miss Sophie arrives. It's her 90th birthday and she wants to celebrate with four friends: Sir Toby, Admiral von Schneider, Mr Pomeroy, and Mr Winterbottom.

The only problem is they’re all dead so James must impersonate the guests – and drink on their behalf – with hilarious results.

The late German entertainer Peter Frankenfeld first saw the show in the theatre during a trip to Blackpool.

He wanted to record it in Germany but Freddie Frinton, who played the butler and owned the copyright to the show, initially refused to take part because of his experiences during World War Two.

Peter’s son Thomas Frankenfeld tells Vicky Farncombe how his father’s own war story, involving snipers and a Nazi surgeon, persuaded Freddie to change his mind.

The programme is now shown on TV every New Year’s Eve in places including Germany, Scandinavia and Switzerland.

“We watch it every year,” says Thomas. “It's really funny. Still after all this time.”

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: Dinner for One. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1fnjv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct5q2y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1fs8z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn106zp9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn44kc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7hmj)
Just win the day

On 22 March 2016, a bomb attack killed 16 people at Brussels Airport. Basketball player Sebastien Bellin was one of the survivors. He says sport, and a meal he ate the night before, helped save his life that day. This is the story of how he found a way to survive amid chaos, and what happened next: a long road to recovery, and a new sporting journey that helped rebuild his future.


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct5tr8)
Numbers of the year 2024

It’s that time of year again, the time when we ask some of our favourite statistically-inclined people for their numbers of the year.
We present them to you - from falling birth rates in India to children saved by vaccines.

Contributors:
RukminiS, Data for India
Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, Cambridge University,
Hannah Ritchie, Our World in Data.

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald
Producers: Lizzy McNeill and Vicky Baker
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound Engineer: Donald McDonald and Rod Farquhar


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1fx13)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zcxckynf4xy)
Yemen's Houthis vow to continue strikes against Israel

The Houthis have intensified missile and drone attacks on Israel since the outbreak of war in Gaza last year. The escalating conflict between Israel and Yemeni’s Houthi movement took a deadly turn this week, with Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa killing six people and damaging critical infrastructure, including the international airport. A missile launched from Yemen was intercepted near Israeli territory on Saturday, as the Houthis pledged continued attacks in solidarity with Palestinians.

Also in the Programme: There's political turmoil in South Korea as parliament has voted to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo, weeks after ousting President Yoon Suk Yeol; and in Southern Australia soaring temperatures and dry winds have forced evacuations due to bushfires. Authorities warn conditions could approach the devastation of the 2019-2020 "Black Summer" fires.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker are Celia Szusterman, a Latin America specialist with Earendel Associates, and Henry Chu, an American journalist and deputy curator at Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism.

(Picture: Protesters raise their weapons as they rally to show support to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sanaa, Yemen. December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1g0s7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zcxckynf8p2)
Israeli air strikes on Yemen kill six and disrupt UN operations

Israeli air strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Thursday targeted the city’s airport and other key infrastructure. The attack killed at least six people and left dozens injured. The head of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was at the airport during the strikes and said the damage had disrupted operations, delaying his departure. It remains unclear whether the fatalities were civilians or Houthi fighters, but the disruption to the airport threatens Yemen’s already fragile humanitarian operations.

Also in the Programme: Six more pro-democracy activists abroad have been added to Hong Kong’s wanted list, now totalling 19, in what critics are calling an act of intimidation; and a look back at Paris 2024 with BBC sports reporter Chris Dennis reflecting on standout moments from the Summer Olympic Games and what lies ahead for global athletics.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker are Celia Szusterman, a Latin America specialist with Earendel Associates, and Henry Chu, an American journalist and deputy curator at Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism.

(Picture: A view of the damaged control tower of Sanaa Airport, one day after Israeli airstrikes hit the airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1g4jc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zcxckynfdf6)
Gaza’s last major northern hospital evacuated by Israeli military

The World Health Organization has reported that the Kamal Adwan hospital, the last major health facility in northern Gaza, is no longer operational following a raid on Friday. Initial reports reveal key departments were destroyed, severely impacting healthcare access in the area. Israel claims the strikes were targeting terror activities near the hospital, accusing Hamas of using medical facilities for military purposes. Hamas has consistently denied these claims.

Also in the Programme: We discuss August’s largest East-West prisoner swap and speak to US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva about her return after being detained for over a year; and we hear more about the Israeli air strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Thursday from our correspondent Emir Nader in Jerusalem.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker are Celia Szusterman, a Latin America specialist with Earendel Associates, and Henry Chu, an American journalist and deputy curator at Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism.

(Picture: Palestinians evacuate Kamal Adwan hospital following an Israeli strike, in the northern Gaza Strip, May 21, 2024. REUTERS/Osama Abu Rabee)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1g88h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5rcq)
Winning your country’s first Olympic or Paralympic medal

Earlier this year, five countries won Olympics medals for the first time in history.

To end our conversations for 2024, we celebrate three of those athletes from Nepal, Cape Verde and Dominica. We hear about some of the challenges on their journey to sporting greatness.

“I was teaching while I was training for quite a bit,” said Thea LaFond, who won gold in the triple jump for Dominica and had little financial support early on in her athletics career and was often the only person in her event who also had a full-time job.

“I remember one weekend when I was working,” she said. “I took Friday off, left Thursday night from my classroom, and then flew to Finland to compete and was back in classroom on Monday morning.”

We also hear how the athletes’ experiences not only affected their country, but also inspired others.

“Most importantly I believe my success has done more than just put me in the spotlight,” says Nepalese Paralympian Palesha Goverdhan, who was born without a palm on her left hand and won a bronze medal in Taekwondo.

“It has shifted people’s mindsets. It has shown people, especially athletes and persons with disabilities, that anything is possible.”

They are joined by Cape Verde boxer David de Pina, who had to leave his country and family in order to get the right training.

Hosted by Luke Jones.

A Boffin Media production with producer Sue Nelson in partnership with the BBC OS team, including producer Iqra Farooq.

(Photo: David De Pina after winning bronze in Paris. Credit: Cristiano Barbosa)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn4mjw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Pick of the World (w3ct5v1m)
Best of 2024: World of Secrets & a surprise Banksy

Our World of Secrets podcast gets five million listeners, a real-life K-Pop drama and how a BBC World Service journalist woke up to find a Banksy mural in his garden. A special episode of Pick of the World looking back at the biggest stories of 2024, with Anna Doble, William Lee Adams and Caroline Steel. With special thanks to BBC Mundo’s Laura Garcia who produced the Banksy video.


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1gd0m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Sportshour (w3ct5qbs)
From Paris with love

***This episode contains discussions and references to extreme violence, sexual violence and domestic abuse. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide: befrienders.org***

Tracy Otto's life was changed forever one night in 2019. Back then she was a student at the University of Tampa and an aspiring fitness model. An unprovoked attack by her ex-boyfriend left her with horrific injuries - she was paralyzed from the chest down with limited use of her arms and hands, and the loss of her left eye. It was the sport of archery that helped Tracy get her life back on track. She tells us her story and about a magical Paris experience.

Team GB's cyclist Neah Evans spilled the beans on the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Games. The things only athletes would know about! From life in the Olympic village to what goes on at the Opening Ceremony or rather doesn't!

When Jack Eyers had his right leg amputated at just 16 years old, he never expected it would open up a world of opportunity that has taken him from film sets to catwalks and now to the Paralympic podium in Paris. The British Para-canoer told me about how his amputation has given him the chance to challenge stereotypes. In Paris, 12 years after he was a performer at the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, he claimed Paralympic silver in the men’s Para-canoe.

US women’s scrum half Alena Olsen on channelling the heart break of missing out on the Tokyo Games, by putting in everything she can into making the Paris Olympics, as part of the US Women’s Sevens squad. She's been telling Sportshour's Caroline Barker that despite being a part of the bronze medal winning World Cup team in 2022, she knows her Olympic dreams still hang in the balance. A passionate environmentalist, Alena is a member of EcoAthlets (www.ecoathletes.org) a collaboration of likeminded sports stars determined to do what they can for the environment.

Photo: Otto Tracy of USA during Para Archery Women's Individual W1 Round of Sixteen on day 3 of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games with fiancé Rick (CREDIT: Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1ghrr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn107q52)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn4w14)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Health Check (w3ct5t9q)
One Health in Malawi

Claudia Hammond is in Malawi exploring a movement known as “One Health”: an approach that calls for collaboration between the fields of human, animal, and environmental health, for the benefit of all. And how can this help to prevent disease when people and animals live in close proximity?

We hear how vets and researchers across Malawi are tackling diseases such as rabies, anthrax, and sleeping sickness – and how the sharing of expertise that One Health brings is crucial in their efforts.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Sophie Ormiston


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1gmhw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Forum (w3ct5n0h)
The rise of fans and fandom

When the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off his most famous literary creation, Sherlock Holmes, readers were so angry that thousands cancelled their subscriptions to the magazine in which the stories appeared. The editor and Conan Doyle himself were overwhelmed with letters from a furious public - fans who instead of accepting the death of their favourite fictional character then started to write and share their own stories featuring Holmes. They eventually formed clubs and appreciation societies, brought together by a common interest.

This practice is something we recognise today across the globe. In areas as diverse as sport, music, film and TV (to mention just a few), fans are not just passive consumers as the recent activities of Swifties (Taylor Swift fans) demonstrate. They’re actively engaged, creating content of their own and connecting with others to nurture a shared identity. The internet has made that easier than ever before, with fans now using their platform to influence political discourse too.

Iszi Lawrence discusses the history and inexorable rise of fandom, with guests Paul Booth, Professor of  Media and Pop Culture at DePaul University in Chicago in the United States; Areum Jeong, Assistant Professor of Korean Studies at Arizona State University in the US and Corin Throsby from the University of Cambridge in the UK, whose research focuses on Romantic literature and early celebrity culture.
The programme also includes contributions from Julian Wamble, Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University and the creator of Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter Podcast, and listeners around the world share their fan stories.

Produced by Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service.

(Photo: Fans wait to pay for items of merchandise as they visit a pop-up store of South Korean K-pop sensation BTS. Credit: ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1gr80)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zb9966ldlqz)
Head of WHO on being nearly hit by an Israeli missile in Yemen

The head of the World Health Organisation has told the BBC that it was public knowledge he was in Yemen on Thursday when Israel launched airstrikes on Houthi targets. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the main target, the International Airport in Sanaa was a civilian facility and should not have been hit.

Also in the programme: Taliban forces from Afghanistan are reported to have clashed with Pakistan's army on their border as tensions between the two countries grow; the phenomenon of mass violent attacks in China; and a new BBC documentary about Maria Callas, one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century and why her amazing talent didn't last longer.


(Photo: Dr Tedros. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1gw04)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172zbn79v6653l)
Live Sporting Action

Mike Williams brings you up-to-date with the latest sporting news from around the world, including a look back over the festive football fixtures with former Liverpool and England striker Natasha Dowie and former Premier League defender Stephen Kelly.

At the end of an incredible year of sport, hear from one of the stars of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Julien Alfred made history when she stormed to women’s 100m gold in Paris, winning St Lucia’s first ever Olympic medal. The sprinter tells Sportsworld’s Lee James about what it took to become Olympic champion and what it was like receiving a hero’s welcome back home.

There will also be a chance to hear from more track and field stars from 2024 as Ed Harry and Ade Adedoyin are joined by some of the biggest names in the world of athletics in a special edition of The Warm Up Track.

And how much can you remember from the past 12 months of sport? Play along at home as presenters and reporters from BBC World Service’s sports coverage put their knowledge and memory to the test as they go head-to-head with each other in the Sportsworld Quiz of the year.

Photo: Julien Alfred of Team Saint Lucia celebrates winning the gold medal during the Women's 100m Final on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 03, 2024 in Paris, France. (Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1hbzn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn108kcz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn5q81)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7hmj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct5wfj)
Maria Costello: the record-breaking female motorcyclist

In 2005, British motorcycle rider, Maria Costello, became the first ever woman to reach the podium at the infamous Isle of Man TT course.

In doing so, she also became the fastest woman ever around the course.

The Isle of Man TT is one of the most challenging and unforgiving motorsport events in the world, the ultimate test for both riders and machines.

Maria was awarded an MBE in 2009 in recognition of her career as one of Britain's leading female racers.

She shares her memories with Artemis Irvine.

A Whistledown production for BBC World Service.

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: Maria Costello. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1hgqs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 New Year's Concert (w3ct7lbd)
New Year Concert

From the Crush Room at the Royal Ballet and Opera House in London’s Covent Garden, Georgia Mann presents the annual New Year concert showcasing members of the BBC’s New Generation Artists scheme. Now in its 25th year, the NGA scheme supports and nurtures some of the world’s finest young instrumentalists, singers and ensembles at the start of their international careers, through performance and broadcast opportunities.

Today’s line-up includes the scheme’s first ever accordionist, Ryan Corbett. A wonderful collaborator as well as soloist, he’s joined by New Zealand born multi-award-winning violinist Geneva Lewis in music by Fritz Kreisler as you’ve never heard it before. Uruguayan-born tenor Santiago Sanchez is equally at home in opera and song, and has been praised for the beauty and warmth of his tone. And completing the line-up, British jazz sensation Emma Rawicz – saxophonist, bandleader and all-round force to be reckoned with… expect fireworks!


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1hlgx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct5qkk)
Arts Hour Comedy Special 2024

It’s the annual Arts Hour Comedy Special.

Host Daliso Chaponda is joined by 6 hilarious comedians from around the world performing stand-up sets in front of an invited audience.

From China, He Huang, Portuguese comedian Andre de Freitas, from Northern Ireland John Meagher, Indian comic Shalaka Kurup, Scottish comedian Marjolein Robertson and South African Schalk Bezuidenhout. It’s a riot.

Producers: Oliver Jones and Lucy Collingwood

(Photo: Daliso Chaponda)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1hq71)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zb9966lfkq0)
WHO chief tells of narrow escape from Israeli strike

A former advisor to the party of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to Newshour. It follows the strike on a Yemeni airport on Thursday which was carried out by Israel. The head of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom, earlier told the BBC that Israel should have known he was in Sanaa International Airport when the missile struck and says the site should not have been hit.

Also on the programme: Russian President Vladimir Putin apologises over a passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan but does not officially acknowledge Russia’s responsibility; and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen quits a tournament after being told he can’t wear jeans to play.

(Photo: An airport staff member stands beside shattered windows at Sanaa airport, a day after Israeli airstrikes targeted the airport, 27 December 2024. Credit: YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1htz5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn1091ch)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn667k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct5y61)
DJ Edu's New Year party mix

DJ Edu serves up a New Year party mix with 12 of the hottest tunes released in Africa in 2024. Artists featured include Onesimus from Malawi, Mr Eazi from Nigeria, Lioness from Namibia and A Pass from Uganda.


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1hyq9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 The Documentary (w3ct7hz4)
The street that tech built

The Italian city of Florence is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. But are new technologies and hyper-tourism changing it forever?

Writer Kamin Mohammadi tells the story of how one road – the Via Di San Niccolo – has changed. Kamin lived there when she first moved to the city 16 years ago, and she has seen the changes first-hand. She speaks to friends who still live on the street, and business owners who have experienced the changes, about whether the character of the city has been forever altered.

But Kamin’s story, like many she knows in Florence, is complicated. The book she wrote about the city’s lifestyle encouraged many of her readers to travel there and experience it for themselves. Many others, from bar owners to cookery writers, similarly depend on tourism. She asks all of them what the city can do to retain the character that residents – and tourists – love.

Image: The skyline of Florence (Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC)


SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn69zp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:32 Assignment (w3ct5mtv)
Poland's ghosts, Ukraine's heroes

Ukraine and Poland are neighbours and close allies in today’s conflict with Russia. But the ghosts of victims of an earlier war have returned to divide them. Tens of thousands of Poles were murdered by Ukrainians in Volhynia, in what's now western Ukraine, in 1943. Most of the victims still lie in unmarked graves, and Ukraine has only just lifted a ban on exhuming the bodies.

That followed heavy diplomatic pressure by Poland, about to take over the presidency of the European Union. It threatened to block moves towards Ukrainian integration with the EU unless the ban were lifted.

But Poland’s demand has stirred a controversy inside Ukraine about one of the darkest periods of its history. Ukrainian nationalists who were involved in the massacre - and their leader Stepan Bandera - are regarded by many Ukrainians as heroes.

Reporter Tim Whewell travels through Poland and western Ukraine to try to find out what really happened in 1943, and ask whether Poland and Ukraine can ever lay a fiercely-contested history to rest. And can the record of Ukraine's Second World War nationalists be openly discussed without giving a propaganda victory to Russia, which has tried to use the subject to vilify Ukraine?

Produced and presented by Tim Whewell
Sound mix: Rod Farquhar
Research by Grzegorz Sokół, Taras Shumeiko and Serhiy Solodko
Translation by Eugenia Maresch, Grzegorz Sokół and Serhiy Solodko
Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy

Wild bird recordings by Izabela Dłużyk
"Lecieli Żurawie" (Cranes Were Flying) sung by Franciszka Bydychaj
"Ave Maria" from "Kres Kresów" oratorium, composer Krzesimir Dębski
"Siadła Hanula Na Posażeńku" (Hanula Sat on her Dowry) sung by Olga Kozieł and Anna Jurkiewicz, of the "Wołyń w Pieśniach" ("Volhynia in Song") project

(Image: Lyudmila Hirska, aged 86, at the ruins of the Catholic church in Kysylyn (formerly known as Kisielin), Ukraine, where Poles were massacred in 1943. Credit: Tim Whewell/BBC)

SUNDAY 29 DECEMBER 2024

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1j2gf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5rcq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn6fqt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7hmj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 00:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct5wfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1j66k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Inquiry (w3ct5xjd)
Can Bhutan retain its happiness?

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, sandwiched between China and India, is perhaps best known around the globe for its unconventional measure of national development: Gross National Happiness. The concept was introduced back in 1972 by the fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. It assesses the country’s overall wellbeing on the basis of sustainable and equitable socio-economic development; environmental conservation; preservation and promotion of culture; and good governance.

But the Bhutanese are now finding that their cautious approach to balancing economic growth with the well-being of their citizens, is proving difficult to sustain in light of mounting economic problems. The country which has a population of less than 800,000, is experiencing high levels of youth unemployment and many young people and skilled workers are leaving for countries like Australia and Canada.

To try and counter this brain drain and to attract new investment into the country to help the economy grow, Bhutan has plans to create a ‘Mindfulness City’. This multi-million dollar project is being spearheaded by the current monarch. At its core will be a scaled up, less cautious version of Bhutan’s key concept, which the Bhutanese Prime Minister has called Gross National Happiness 2.0.

So on this week’s Inquiry we’re asking ‘Can Bhutan retain its happiness?’

Contributors:
Dr Ha Vinh Tho, Founder and President, Eurasia Learning Institute for Happiness and Well-Being, Switzerland.

Dr Rishi Gupta, Assistant Director, Asia Society Policy Institute, New Delhi, India

Dr Lhawang Ugyel, Senior Lecturer, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Jan Eeckhout, Professor of Economics, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain


Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Matt Toulson
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: James Bradshaw
Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley and Liam Morrey


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn6kgy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct69jn)
Bollywood binge

Why are old Bollywood hits being re-released in cinemas? And why are horror movies doing so well this year? Journalists Meryl Sebastian, Yasser Usman and Shoaib Sharifi discuss all things Bollywood. Plus, why do people in Tajikistan celebrate New Year twice? With Dariush Rajabian from BBC Persian.

Produced by Alice Gioia, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.

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


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1j9yp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn109jc0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn6p72)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct5t9q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1jfpt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Forum (w3ct5n0h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1jkfy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct5sjv)
Glimpses of hope in Russia

Pascale Harter introduces dispatches from Russia, Liberia and north-west India.

When Steve Rosenberg penned an ode to one of his favourite Russian babushkas - an eternally optimistic newspaper vendor named Valentina - it set off a ripple effect he never anticipated. Set to music, the poem went viral, even on Russian media platforms where he was more used to being pilloried. He reflects on the gleams of hope to be gleaned in Moscow as it enters the third year of war with Ukraine.

The 1990s were a decade of vicious civil war in Liberia - and Hilary Andersson met many of the conflict's most notorious war lords. Following the recent death of Prince Yormie Johnson, a brutal commander who was still revered by some Liberians and was even elected as a senator, she remembers their alarming encounters in Monrovia and Nigeria - and wonders what his life reveals about impunity under international law.

Unlike some other big cat species, leopards don't only live in wild, remote areas. In Rajasthan, in northwestern India, they still inhabit a swathe of land increasingly full of villages, farms and human homes. A new project in the area hopes to reduce the conflict between people and leopards, and assure the animals a safe corridor to migrate and breed their next generation. Michelle Jana Chan went out to spot them.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Co-Ordinator: Katie Morrison
Image Credit: Steve Rosenberg, BBC


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn6xqb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct7lch)
The language of war: Ukraine

Kyiv’s answer to the Kremlin’s warspeak. In part one of this miniseries, we focused on Russia’s case, trying to see through Moscow’s war propaganda: its purpose and building blocks. In this episode, we turn to the Ukrainian side of this linguistic tug or war. Here we find that language itself is at the heart of this conflict, fuelling Ukraine’s “linguistic decolonisation”.

Producer: Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Twigg


SUN 04:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct5wfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1jp62)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn109wld)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn71gg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct7hz4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1jsy6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zcxckynj1v1)
South Korea plane crash kills over 120

In South Korea, a plane carrying 181 passengers and crew has crashed on landing at Muan Airport, killing at least 120 people. The aircraft, operated by Jeju Airlines, skidded down the runway before hitting a wall and exploding into flames. Officials fear most on board have died, although two survivors—a man and a woman from the flight crew—were pulled from the wreckage. Authorities are investigating reports that a bird strike caused the landing gear to malfunction. Jeju Airlines has issued a formal apology.

Also in the programme: In Georgia, the inauguration of the new President, Mikheil Kavelashvili, is set to take place despite ongoing protests. The current President, Salome Zourabichvili, has refused to step down. We hear from both sides of the political divide.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker to discuss these topics and other news of the day are George Parker, Political Editor for the Financial Times newspaper based in London and Suzanne Lynch, Editor of Politico's Global Playbook.

(Picture: Rescue workers take part in a salvage operation at the site where an aircraft crashed at Muan International Airport, in Muan, South Korea, December 29, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1jxpb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zcxckynj5l5)
Georgia inaugurates new president

The new President of Georgia Mikheil Kavelashvili is being sworn into office amid protests from the opposition which claims electoral irregularities. The current president, Salome Zourabichvili, who had refused to step down, calling the election illegitimate is now expected to vacate the state residence.

In South Korea, a plane carrying 181 passengers and crew has crashed on landing at Muan Airport, killing at least 120 people.

Also in the programme: A look at why presidential pardons for those facing death penalty has become such a divisive issue in the United States, plus a look back at 2024, a year dubbed the year of elections.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker to discuss these topics and other news of the day are George Parker, Political Editor for the Financial Times newspaper based in London and Suzanne Lynch, Editor of Politico's Global Playbook.

(Picture: Protest ahead of presidential inauguration in Tbilisi, Georgia - 28 Dec 2024, Photo by DAVID MDZINARISHVILI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1k1fg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zcxckynj9b9)
Latvian prime minister calls for tougher Russian sanctions

Latvian Prime Minister, Evika Siliņa, has told BBC that a much tougher set of sanctions must be imposed against Russia for sabotaging an undersea power cable and running influence campaigns in Georgia.

Mikheil Kavelashvili has been sworn in as Georgia's new President despite long drawn opposition by the outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili and widespread protests by her supporters citing electoral irregularities linked to Russia.

Also in the programme: A South Korean plane crash at Muan airport has claimed the lives of over 151 people. We will also take a look at how Syria's divided communities are making an attempt at launching a difficult reconciliation process following the removal of Bashar Al-Assad as president.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker to discuss these topics and other news of the day are George Parker, Political Editor for the Financial Times newspaper based in London and Suzanne Lynch, Editor of Politico's Global Playbook.

(Picture: Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina attends summit in Tallinn, Estonia December 17, 2024. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1k55l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct5sjv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn7jfz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct4v82)
Table talk

What do you and your family chat about at dinner? We eavesdrop on conversations over food all over the world, hearing about poetry, politics, what is on TV and how Morag’s leg is recovering.

Whether you gossip or have more philosophical debates find out how integral good communication is while we are eating, often marking the only point in the day or week when a family gathers together.

We learn why a matchmaker thinks a dinner date might not be such a good idea after all if you want the conversation to flow. And, psychotherapist Philippa Perry tells us how to keep the peace with the family over Sunday lunch.

Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Hannah Bewley and Rumella Dasgupta

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

(Image: Family and friends sit around the dinner table. Credit: BBC)


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1k8xq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tx3)
Our favourite solutions

Presenter Myra Anubi and the team chat about some of their favourite projects that have been covered on People Fixing The World over the last twelve months.

We’ll be returning to Thailand and the school run by kids; checking in with a family of beavers which are part of an urban rewilding project in the UK and hear more about saving kelp forests in California and healthcare solutions that are really making a difference in Kenya.

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
Reporters: Claire Bates, Claire Bowes, Craig Langran, William Kremer
Producer: Katie Solleveld
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: A festive Myra in the studio, BBC)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn7n63)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct69jn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:32 today]


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1kdnv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn10bm25)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn7ry7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct7lch)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct5tr8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1kjdz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 New Year's Concert (w3ct7lbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:06 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1kn53)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zb9966lhhn2)
South Korea plane disaster

A plane carrying 181 people has crashed on landing at an airport in Muan County, South Korea. Officials say they believe nearly everyone on board has died. Two survivors have been found, both flight staff who were rescued from the wreckage and taken to hospital.

Also in the programme: Protests as Georgia's swears in a new president; and a look back at Vladimir Putin's 25-year-stint as Russian leader.

(Picture: Scene of a plane crash at Muan International Airport, South Korea. Credit: EPA)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1krx7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 Sportsworld (w172zbn79v6920p)
Live Sporting Action

Delyth Lloyd presents the final Sportsworld of 2024 including live Premier League commentary from Goodison Park as Everton take on Nottingham Forest.

Former Tottenham and Liverpool defender Steven Caulker and former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani join Delyth to look ahead to that game and the day’s other Premier League fixtures.

There will also be the latest from the cricket Tests between Australia and India, and South Africa against Pakistan, plus an update from tennis’ United Cup.

Photo: Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest is under pressure from Jack Harrison of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton and Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park in Liverpool, on April 21, 2024. (Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images)


SUN 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1l7wr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 18:06 The Climate Question (w3ct5wst)
Review of the year 2024

From elections around the world to records in both temperatures and renewable energy, 2024 has been jam-packed with extreme weather and climate news. Graihagh Jackson, Jordan Dunbar and an expert panel reflect on the key climate stories of the year.

Dr Rose Mutiso from the Energy for Growth Hub reveals a ‘silent solar revolution’ that has surged across rooftops in South Africa and beyond, helping the grid finally meet people’s electricity needs. We discuss the rise of electric vehicles – but also, deforestation. And the BBC’s Climate Reporter Esme Stallard explains why rising ocean temperatures are the red flag to which we should all be paying more attention.

So, has 2024 been a good or bad year for the climate?

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

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson
Reporter: Jordan Dunbar
Guests: Dr Rose Mutiso, Research Director at the Energy for Growth Hub
Esme Stallard, BBC Climate Reporter

Producer: Sophie Eastaugh
Production Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison
Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and James Beard
Editor: Simon Watts


SUN 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn8m54)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 18:32 Happy News (w3ct5sqn)
Happy News

Positive news stories


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1lcmw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn10cl16)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn8qx8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 In the Studio (w3ct5tlr)
International Film School

Mark Reid visits a school in Bulgaria where they are teaching their pupils how to make movies. The school is in a small village called Dermantsi, which is 200 kilometres from the capital Sofia. Mark meets their inspirational teacher, Daniel Simeonov and film-maker Maria Dacheva. She is there to help the children make a short film for a project called Le Cinema Cent Ans De Jeunesse, which has been going for almost 30 years. Children from all around the world take part in this programme, from countries as disparate as Japan, Argentina, the United Kingdom and France. Thousands of films have been made by tens of thousands of students.

At the end of the school year, pupils from around the world gather to watch each other’s films. And to comment upon them. This year they are meeting in Lisbon. The pupils from Dermantsi have to decide which of their films to show there: their film about the local tattoo parlour, the weekly market, the sewing factory, the school bus ride, or a short documentary about their local horse market, which features a dancing horse.

Presenter: Mark Reid
Producer: Stephen Hughes


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1lhd0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct5q2y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1lm44)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zb9966ljgm3)
Palestinians say Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills seven

Palestinian officials say seven people have been killed in an Israeli strike on a hospital in the centre of Gaza City. The Hamas authorities say other people were seriously injured in the attack on al-Wafaa hospital -- one of the last remaining medical facilities in the Gaza Strip. Israel said the strike was aimed at Hamas fighters and the building hit was no longer a hospital. We speak to the head of a group of Israeli doctors campaigning to stop Israel’s attacks in Gaza.

Also in the programme: Georgia’s outgoing president vows to defend democracy; and the latest controversy over the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral.

(Picture: Damage is seen after an Israeli strike on al-Wafaa hospital, according to the Palestinian civil defence. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1lqw8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqpn10cy8l)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn934n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct69jn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfhqz1lvmd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct5wst)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 today]


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggb5pn96ws)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 Pick of the World (w3ct5v1m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]

MONDAY 30 DECEMBER 2024

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bqtmp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct5sjv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyf5x2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct7lch)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 on Sunday]


MON 00:50 More or Less (w3ct5tr8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bqyct)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099j4s4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyf9n6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct5rnr)
Hay Festival Special

Dr Chris van Tulleken shares stories from the making of his chart-topping podcast, Fed. In conversation with Leyla Kazim, at Hay Festival 2024.

In Fed, Dr Chris van Tulleken, investigated the entangled web of forces that shape what ends up on our plates. And he focused his investigation around one foodstuff in particular. The most widely eaten meat on our planet, a staple of nearly every diet and a global food production phenomenon: the humble chicken, Chris dug into the history of our relationship with this extraordinary animal, to try to get to the truth of why we eat so much of it, and what that means for the birds, for us, and for the planet.

In this lively conversation, recorded live at Hay festival 2024, Chris talks to Leyla Kazim about the hidden stories behind the globalised food networks of today. From industrial-scale farming, to food labelling, to ethical dilemmas, environmental quandaries, and the complexities of the world of fast food. Plus tales from the adventure that ran through the whole series: raising his own tiny flock of broiler chickens, in his back garden.


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37br23y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099j8j8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyffdb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct5rj7)
I didn’t know that!

Did you know that flies fly in rectangles, fish hide by lighting themselves up and the moon is lifting the ground underneath your feet? Anand Jagatia quizzes members of the CrowdScience team on the moments from the past year that had them scratching their heads in amazement.

We hear Dr Erica McAlister’s attempts to calculate how many flies have ever existed, and about flies’ mating choreography, courtesy of Prof Jochen Zeil. We learn how to tell a mosquito’s sex thanks to Eggrey Aisha Kambewa and Dr Steve Gowelo.

Astronomer Dr Darren Baskill describes tides not of water but of land; Dr Edie Widder paints a vivid picture of a camouflaged creature of the deep; and we explore starfishes’ five-fold symmetry with Dr Imran Rahman.

Khimlal Gautam, Mountaineer and Chief Survey Officer for the Government of Nepal, tells us of the near-death experience he had when checking the height of Mount Everest.

And finally, axolotl expert Dr Elly Tanaka is astonished at the dedication of CrowdScience presenter Alex Lathbridge to the subject of her research.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Ben Motley
Editor: Cathy Edwards
Production Co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Studio Managers: Donald MacDonald and Giles Aspen

(Photo: Lost in formulas Credit: Cimmerian via Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37br5w2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tx3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyfk4g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 Pick of the World (w3ct5v1m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37br9m6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099jj0j)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyfnwl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct5x0m)
Why I kept a teen diary

What do Audre Lorde, Pamela Anderson and Florence Nightingale all have in common? They all began writing diaries as young girls and remained seasoned diarists later in life. But what purpose does keeping a diary as a teenager serve? And what can reflecting on the intimate accounts our younger selves wrote, tell us about who we are today and the changing world around us?

Ifedayo Agoro is a Nigerian entrepreneur who began writing a diary at the age of eleven. The habit began after she got into trouble at school, and wrote her mother a letter to explain what had happened. As punishment, her mother asked Ifedayo to pen a letter every week in a diary, and Ifedayo documented life as a young girl in the Shogunle neighbourhood of Lagos. This punishment soon became a joy and in 2015 Ifedayo wrote an anonymous online diary called Diary Of A Naija Girl. Five years later, she put her name to the diary and it now has 740,000 followers on Instagram.

Sophie Duker is a British comedian and writer. She is currently touring Europe with her stand-up show, But Daddy I Love Her, inspired by the concept of delusion. Sophie began writing an online diary at the age of 14, capturing matters of emotional significance such as her parent’s divorce, her father moving from the UK and her first encounter with grief. These profound milestones are interwoven with the everyday highs and lows of being a British teenager: crushes on the Harry Potter cast and encounters with school bullies.

Produced by Elena Angelides and Jane Thurlow

Image: (L) Ifedayo Agoro credit Buklaw Photography. (R) Sophie Duker credit Sarah Harry-Isaacs.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37brfcb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkkk0x)
Former US President Jimmy Carter dies aged 100

Former US President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. A one-term president who went from turmoil in office, to the Nobel Peace Prize beyond it. We'll speak to those who knew him.

We'll get the latest from South Korea as the the investigation into the plane crash which killed one hundred and seventy-nine people gets underway.

The de-facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, says a new constitution could take three years and elections four. What role will justice play though as reports suggest some escaped former members of the regime have been returned from over the border in Lebanon.

And, we'll report on the presidential standoff at the top of Georgian politics.

(Picture: Former US President Jimmy Carter at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 20 August 2015; Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37brk3g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkkns1)
Jimmy Carter dies

The world reacts to the death of former US president Jimmy Carter. We'll hear from his former advisor.

Seven days of mourning as families of the one hundred and seventy-nine killed in South Korea's worst aviation disaster in decades look for answers. We'll get the latest from Seoul.

There have been widespread condemnations after an Israeli raid on Gaza's last major hospital. We'll speak to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel and the Occupied Territories. We'll also hear from the United Nations in Gaza about how the dire humanitarian situation there is impacting babies.

And we have an update on the situation on the Indian Ocean Island of Mayotte, two weeks after the worst cyclone in a century to hit the French territory.

(Picture: A woman holds flowers in front of The Carter Presidential Center's sign in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., December 29, 2024; Credit: Reuters)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37brnvl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkksj5)
Tributes pour in for Jimmy Carter

Former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter has died at tee age of 100. We'll hear hear the warm tributes being paid by political friends and adversaries.

South Korea is in mourning after 179 people were killed in the worst civil aviation disaster on its soil in decades, as investigators probe why the Jeju Air plane crash-landed and burst into flames.

As Russia continues to make advances on the battlefield in Ukraine, our reporter will gauge the mood among residents and fighters in the east of the country.


And, we'll head to Chad for the latest on yesterdays parliamentary and local government elections.

(Picture: U.S. President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter dance at a White House Congressional Ball in Washington, U.S. December 13, 1978; Credit: Reuters)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37brslq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t0q)
Past notes

A special programme remembering some past HARDtalk guests who died in 2024. All of them made a significant impact, whether it be in politics, activism or culture.


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyg4w3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5z6r)
Pets: The growth of pet tech

With animal adoptions skyrocketing during the pandemic, pet care has evolved dramatically.

From self-cleaning cat litter trays to smart feeding bowls, interactive toys, and pet cameras, we'll hear from some of the brands reshaping the way we care for our furry friends.

But are we missing out on the meaningful connections our pets need as automation becomes more prevalent?

(Picture: Rupert the British Shorthair cat, inside his litter robot. Credit: Deborah Weitzmann/BBC)

Presented and produced by Deborah Weitzmann


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yhy)
Indian Ocean tsunami - Tamil Nadu

On 26 December 2004, an earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia sparking a tsunami which swept away entire communities around the Indian Ocean. In India, Choodamani and Karibeeran Paramesvaran’s children Rakshanya, 12, Karuyna, nine, and Kirubasan, five, were killed.

A bereft Karibeeran asked his wife to buy them some poison but Choodamani heard a voice from God telling her to help those in need. The next day the couple returned home with four children who’d lost their parents. They named their home Nambikkai which means Hands of Hope in Tamil and have looked after 42 orphans to date. They speak to Reena Stanton-Sharma about their remarkable story.

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: Karibeeran and his wife Choodamani Paramesvaran with some of the orphaned children. Credit: AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37brxbv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099k3r5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyg8m7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct5rj7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bs12z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct5n2v)
German traditions and cooking for presidents

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews which all relate to food.
First, Dinner for One, the British TV sketch that's become a German New Year’s Eve tradition.
Our expert guest is Ingrid Sharp, professor of German cultural and gender history at the University of Leeds. She tells us about some other festive traditions in Northern Europe including Krampus – the horned figure said to punish children who misbehave at Christmas.
We also hear about when South Korea and Japan had a diplomatic row over kimchi.
Plus, the arrival of instant noodles in India and how they changed people’s cooking habits.
Next we find out how the BBC's Masterchef conquered the world of TV cookery.
Finally, the first woman to become White House head chef describes what it’s like to cook for five presidents.

Contributors:

Thomas Frankenfeld – son of Peter Frankenfeld who produced Dinner for One.

Ingrid Sharp - professor of German cultural and gender history at the University of Leeds.

Dr Chaelin Park - World Institute of Kimchi.

Sangeeta Talwar – former executive vice president of Nestle India.

Franc Roddam – creator of Masterchef.

Cristeta Comerford – former White House chef.

(Photo: Dinner for One. Credit: Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bs4v3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099kc7f)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyygj3h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6dmc)
Afghanistan: "Life was so beautiful when I would go to school"

The Taliban's decision to ban women from attending midwifery and nursing courses ends their last hope of gaining an education. When the Taliban returned to take control of Afghanistan in 2021 it imposed a hardline vision of Islamic rule – but there was some hope, that perhaps, women and girls’ education would be spared. However, girls were soon barred from attending school and university - leaving only the option to attend nursing and midwifery courses. Now, that choice has been taken away, making Afghanistan the only country in the world that explicitly stops women from being educated.

On today's episode, Azadeh Moshiri speaks to a 20-year-old woman we are keeping unnamed to protect her safety. She was training to be a midwife and has now lost her last route to education.

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: Beth Timmins, Annie Brown and Alice Aylett Roberts

Sound engineer: Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bs8l7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct5nr6)
Memory Box: The Ngonnso statue

The sacred statue of Cameroon’s Queen Ngonnso was looted by colonialists more than 100 years ago and taken to a German museum. Sylvie Njobati had promised her beloved grandfather she would bring it back. There had been other attempts at restitution but all had failed. Sylvie wasn’t particularly well-connected, so how would she go about her seemingly impossible mission?

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Maryam Maruf

If you have a story for our memory box about an object with great personal significance, please get in touch! Email outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: The statue of Ngonnso. Credit: Marc Sebastian Elis)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bsdbc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099klqp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyygrlr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct5x0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bsj2h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgwqckg)
President Carter dies at 100

The former US President Jimmy Carter - who came to politics after a successful career as a peanut farmer – is credited with bringing peace between Egypt and Israel for which he received a Nobel prize. We hear from those who worked with him and those who prepared catfish suppers for the late president.
Also in the programme: Agony and anger in South Korea over the country’s worst plane crash.


(Photo: Former President Carter holding peanuts in a field. Credit: Jimmy Carter Library/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bsmtm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t0q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyh030)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct5zz4)
President Carter's economic legacy

Former President Jimmy Carter has died, aged 100. Leanna Byrne looks back on his life and his economic legacy with former executive director of the American Foreign Service Association, Ian Houston.
Salah Elbakkoush, a former advisor to Libya's High Council of State, tells us about the country's eastern-based government approving a proposal to end fuel subsidies.
Plus we hear about a Tequila 'lake' - with Mexico having 500 million litres of the spirit because of falling demand.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bsrkr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pffdn3)
Remembering Jimmy Carter

World leaders have been paying tribute to the former US president, Jimmy Carter, following his death, with many praising his efforts to promote peace. We hear from people who knew him and from people across the world who were impacted by Jimmy Carter's humanitarian work.

We hear from local people in South Korea where bereaved families are calling for more support after 179 people were killed in a plane crash on Sunday.

As the year is coming to an end, we are looking back at the big events in 2024 and today hear from three athletes who all won their country’s first Olympic or Paralympic medals in Paris.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Flowers rest next to a chalkboard stand by the sign of The Carter Presidential Center, paying tribute to the life and legacy of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. December 30, 2024. Credit: Octavio Jones/Reuters)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bsw9w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pffjd7)
UN warns of climate breakdown

The United Nations says the world is undergoing "climate breakdown in real time", having endured a decade of unprecedented heat. It says the last ten years were the hottest on record. We speak to our climate and science reporter.

The president of Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency across the Caribbean nation. The police have warned that the country is experiencing "heightened criminal activity" that is endangering public safety. We hear from residents and speak to a local journalist.

Ukraine and Russia have carried out another prisoner swap. Our reporter gives details.

As the year is coming to an end, we are looking back at the big events in 2024 and today hear from three athletes who all won their country’s first Olympic or Paralympic medals in Paris.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Hot weather in Karachi, Pakistan - 26 Jun 2024. Credit: SHAHZAIB AKBER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bt020)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct5nr6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bt3t4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099lb6g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyhh2j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5w4j)
2024/12/30 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 (w172zgfj37bt7k8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct5sjv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyhltn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 The Documentary (w3ct7mbt)
Americast - Jimmy Carter

Former US President Jimmy Carter has died aged 100.

The 39th U.S. President and Nobel prize winner lived longer than any president in history. He celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2024.

How did a peanut farmer from the Deep South and Georgia Governor become president? Justin speaks to Jonathan Alter, author of His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.

From brokering peace in the Middle East, to famously promising the American people he would never lie, Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981. It was period beset by economic and diplomatic crises.

The Carter Center, which advocates for democracy and human rights around the world, said he died on Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia.

HOST:
Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter

GUEST
Jonathan Alter, author of His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37btc9d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgwr6sc)
The life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter

Tributes are being paid to the former US president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jimmy Carter, who has died at the age of 100.

He helped broker a peace accord between Egypt and Israel, but his time in office also saw a struggling US economy and a disastrous attempt to free American hostages seized in Iran.

Also on the programme: the president of Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency across the Caribbean nation; and a study finds that a single cigarette can take 20 minutes off a smoker’s life expectancy.



(Photo: Former US President Jimmy Carter gives the media an update on his recent cancer diagnosis at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 20 August 2015. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bth1j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099lpfv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyhv9x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct601d)
Biden gives nearly $6 billion in military aid for Ukraine

President Joe Biden makes what is most likely his last multi-billion dollar grant of aid to Ukraine's economy whilst still in office.

We take a look at how US companies are responding to the prospect of a Trump presidency which might be about to impose much higher import duties on goods from around the world.

And we're in Scotland where - to some local dismay - the end of year festival, Hogmanay, has partly at least been cancelled.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37btlsn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t0q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyhz21)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct5x0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2024

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37btqjs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct5n2v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37btv8x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbfw9tp53fs)
US Treasury says it was hacked by China

A Chinese state-sponsored hacker has broken into the US Treasury Department's systems, accessing employee workstations and some unclassified documents, according to American officials.

President Joe Biden makes what is most likely his last multi-billion dollar grant of aid to Ukraine's economy whilst still in office.

We take a look at how US companies are responding to the prospect of a Trump presidency which might be about to impose much higher import duties on goods from around the world.

And we're in Scotland where - to some local dismay - the end of year festival, Hogmanay, has partly at least been cancelled.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37btz11)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099m5fc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyjb9f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct5mtw)
The human cost of developing Cambodia's Angkor wonder

Tourists are flooding to Cambodia's "8th wonder of the world," the ancient temple complex at Angkor. But the rapid expansion of the site comes at a terrible cost, as tens of thousands of people are ousted. The authorities call some "illegal squatters" and claim others volunteered to leave. But human rights groups say the evictions are forced, illegal and target families who've worked the land for generations. Many say they're now debt-ridden and struggling to survive. Jill McGivering travelled to Angkor to meet those at the heart of the crisis.

Produced by Caroline Finnigan
Mixed by David Smith
Production Coordinator Gemma Ashman
Editor Penny Murphy

(Image: Children in Angkor. Credit: Getty/Aurelie1)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bv2s5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct5nr6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bv6j9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099mdxm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyjksp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct5tls)
Contemporary Artist Tomás Saraceno

If you think of an artist's studio you might picture a room, bright with light and splattered with paint. You must forget that image when you visit the Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno. His studio is two big and old industrial units, covered in graffiti, in what was East Berlin. This was where the company AGFA developed and made the chemicals that made colour photography possible. The ground is so polluted Saraceno's lease forbids him from growing any vegetables, and this matters to this environmentally concerned artist. But the industrial past of Studio Saracen is fitting as Tomás' work is highly technical. Here he has an architecture department, an arachnid research laboratory and an engineering works. He has about 40 people working on different projects.

Tomás talks to Julian May about some of his projects, including Aerocene - sculptural hot air balloons that ascend and fly without the use of any fossil fuels, by capturing the reflected heat of the sun. Tomás's ambition is to create a kind of slow aviation, in which his balloons will travel around the globe on predictable air currents.

Producer: Julian May.

(Image: Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno, with kind permission)


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bvb8f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mknfy0)
Gaza babies dying from the cold

Several babies froze to death in Gaza over the past week, as people struggle to survive the war and the cold winter in makeshift shelters. We'll have a report from Gaza.

We'll be live in South Korea as anger over Sunday's plane crash grows.

Trinidad and Tobago declares a state of emergency to tackle a crime wave. We'll speak to a critic of the decision.

As Ukrainians enter their third winter of war, we speak to a paramedic deployed on the front line.

We'll find out about the growing anger over the abduction of government critics in Kenya.

We'll discuss some good news for Senegal's economy.

Plus, we'll hear about a game that's transforming lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

And, our panel of correspondents looks back at 2024 for our Africa Daily segment.

(Picture: Yahya Al-Batran, the father of Palestinian infant Jumaa Al-Batran, who died of hypothermia after living in a tent with his displaced family, reacts as he embraces his body at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, December 29, 2024; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bvg0k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mknkp4)
Children dying from hypothermia in Gaza

In Gaza, six babies are reported to have died from the cold weather as winter sets in. We'll hear from some of the people who have lost their youngest loved ones.

Seven days of national mourning begin in South Korea following Sunday's deadly Jeju Air crash. We have a report on the ground at Muan Airport where many family members are angry that they haven't received the bodies of their relatives.

One of South Sudan's vice-presidents, Rebecca Nyandeng, talks to us about the legacy of Jimmy Carter in her country's fight for independence.

We'll be live in Kenya where a spate of abductions of government critics has triggered fresh protests.

We have an update on the war in Sudan and the impact on healthcare.

Plus, how estrogen could be causing women to binge drink at particular times of their menstrual cycle.

(Picture: Noura, the mother of Palestinian infant Jumaa Al-Batran, who died of hypothermia after living in a tent with his displaced family, shows his belongings at their tent, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, December 29, 2024; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bvkrp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mknpf8)
South Korea plane crash investigations intensify

In South Korea, bereaved families are calling for more support from the government after one hundred and seventy-nine people were killed in a plane crash on Sunday. We'll speak to a relative of two of the victims.

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency to combat gang violence. Some believe it's a step too far. We'll speak to a barrister in the capital, Port-of-Spain.

One of South Sudan's vice-presidents, Rebecca Nyandeng, talks to us about the legacy of Jimmy Carter in her country's fight for independence.

(Picture: Rescues work near the wreckage of the Jeju Air aircraft that went off the runway and crashed at Muan International Airport, in Muan, South Korea, December 30, 2024; Reuters)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bvpht)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tx4)
Restoring nature for all

Myra Anubi visits a major project in the north of England that’s restoring a damaged landscape. Haweswater in the Lake District is an area of stunning natural beauty but over the years it’s been degraded by humans and livestock. This has created flood risks and reduced biodiversity. But now work is underway to restore the site to benefit both people and the environment. Rivers have been ‘rewiggled’, peat bogs repaired, and new trees planted. Myra also visits an innovative scheme in the area that’s using old Christmas trees to repair damaged river banks.

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: Richard Kenny
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: Annabel Rushton and Glen Swainson of the RSPB with Myra Anubi, BBC)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyk1s6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5zhs)
Pets: What’s a ‘pet-fluencer’?

From Instagram-famous dogs to viral kittens, pet influencers are revolutionising brand marketing with viral content and endorsements.

It's a lucrative market in which companies are leveraging these furry celebrities to drive engagement and sales.

We'll uncover why this trend is proving to be so profitable.

(Image: Tika, an Italian greyhound, modelling canine fashion. Credit: Thomas Shapiro)

Presented and produced by Deborah Weitzmann


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yng)
Indian Ocean tsunami - Aceh

An earthquake off the coast of Indonesia on 26 December 2004, triggered a tsunami which cost the lives of an estimated 230,000 people around the Indian Ocean. It was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded. Dendy Montgomery was living in the city of Banda Aceh in Indonesia which was laid to waste by the disaster. He spoke to Rebecca Kesby in 2013.

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: A man walks amongst through rubble in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Credit: BAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bvt7y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099n0n8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyk5jb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct5mtw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bvy02)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct5qkk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bw1r6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099n84j)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyykf0l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6dw9)
Menopause: Are attitudes changing?

Millions of women around the world will start the menopause this year, but research shows that many are unprepared for it. For a long time, the menopause has been a taboo subject, a fact which both of our guests are seeking to change.

Kirsty Wark is perhaps best known for presenting the BBC’s Newsnight programme, but she also hosted the groundbreaking documentary ‘The Menopause and Me’ in 2017. Professor Joyce Harper of the Institute for Women's Health at University College London is an expert on the menopause, and author of the book ‘Your Fertile Years’.

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

TGS is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Alice Aylett Roberts, Tom Kavanagh and Rachel Hagan. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bw5hb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct5p5r)
Memory Box: The baby hare

For years Chloe Dalton's life was crammed with international flights, back-to-back meetings and and last-minute deadlines. There was little time to stop and think. But when the lockdown of 2020 forced a move to the English countryside, she unexpectedly found herself taking an interest in nature and wandering the lanes and fields near her home. It was on one of these walks that she stumbled across an abandoned baby hare. She did everything in her power to keep it alive – and keep it wild. But as the days went by and the hare kept returning to Chloe's house, it showed her the beauty of a quieter pace of life and the magic that can be found in your own backyard.

Twenty-five years ago, for her birthday, Izabela Dluzyk was given a CD-ROM that opened up her world in ways she never imagined. It contained short samples of birdsong, all of which she diligently learned by heart. On her next birthday she asked for a tape recorder, and began recording in the streets and gardens around where she lived, in Poland. Now Izabela (who is blind since birth) is a sound recordist, celebrated for capturing the birdsong and animal life of the last remaining primeval forest in lowland Europe.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar

If you have a story for our Memory Box about an object with great personal significance, please get in touch! Email outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bw97g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099nhms)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyknhv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct5tls)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bwdzl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgwt8gk)
Children freeze to death in Gaza

Winter's bitter cold is taking a terrible toll in Gaza. In the past week alone, six babies have perished from hypothermia and with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in tents, and temperatures expected to drop even further, the UN Children’s agency is warning more children’s lives are at risk. Unicef, like all aid agencies, says they continue to face obstacles on bringing life-saving aid into Gaza. Israel blames Hamas, accusing it of stealing the aid.

Also in the programme: Scientists claim to have detected which volcano erupted in 1831, causing catastrophic weather which led to widespread crop failures and devastating famines; and our look back at the reporting highlights of 2024.

(Photo: People pray next to the bodies of two Palestinian babies who died of hypothermia at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on 29 December 2024. Credit: Reuters/Ramadan Abed)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bwjqq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tx4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyykx03)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct6085)
Moldova’s Gas Crisis: Life After Russian Supplies

As Russian gas supplies through Ukraine come to a halt, Moldova is left grappling with an energy crisis. Former Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu and energy expert Jaime Concha join Roger Hearing to discuss the country’s options and the impact on the wider energy market.

Plus after a challenging 2024, Australia’s hospitality industry looks toward recovery in 2025. Wes Lambert of the Australian Restaurant & Café Association reflects on the struggles and opportunities for bars, restaurants, and cafes in the new year.


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bwngv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pfj9k6)
Gaza babies dying from the cold

We hear about the situation in Gaza as the UN warns that repeated Israeli attacks on hospitals raise concerns about war crimes and crimes against humanity. Health officials in Gaza say that six babies have died because of the cold winter in under two weeks.

South Korean officials say the design of the runway at Muan Airport may have contributed to the Jeju Air crash which saw the plane hit a concrete structure. We get more details from our regional editor.

And, as we come to the end of the year, we reflect on the big internet moments across the world with two digital culture reporters in the US and Africa.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were married for two years - but it has taken eight years since announcing their divorce to finally reach a deal. Why did it take four times as long as the marriage itself to settle? We speak to an entertainment reporter.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Sila's father carries her tiny body to be buried)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bws6z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pfjf9b)
2024: A year of extreme weather

It's been a year of rising temperatures and extreme weather events. The BBC's climate editor joins to reflect on the main developments in 2024.

An Indian-made rocket has blasted off from a site north of Chennai, carrying two satellites which will test space-docking. We speak to two experts about the historic space missions this year.

South Korean officials say the design of the runway at Muan Airport may have contributed to the Jeju Air crash which saw the plane hit a concrete structure. We get more details from our regional editor.

And, as we come to the end of the year, we reflect on the big internet moments across the world with two digital culture reporters in the US and Africa.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Security force members use an inflatable raft to bring residents to safety from a flooded area near the bank of the overflowing Bagmati River following heavy rains, in Kathmandu, Nepal September 28, 2024. Credit: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bwwz3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct5p5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bx0q7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099p73k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyylczm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5w91)
2024/12/31 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 (w172zgfj37bx4gc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct5mtw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyylhqr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct5wnb)
Tech Life looks forward to 2025

Want to know what’s in store for the tech world in 2025? Tech Life has got you covered. From AI to cybersecurity, gaming and crypto and beyond, we bring you our predictions for the next 12 months. And we’re not alone. We’re calling on the help of friends of the show and experts around the world – with some familiar voices for regular Tech Life listeners.


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bx86h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgwv3pg)
UN says Israel's actions in Gaza could amount to war crimes

The UN human rights office is warning that repeated Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza raise serious concerns about war crimes and crimes against humanity.
We'll hear from the UN as well as a spokesman for the Israeli government.

Also in the programme: After South Korea's deadliest plane crash, an aviation safety expert calls on regulators to be more pro-active; Pitt and Jolie agree a divorce settlement, seemingly bringing to an end one of the longest and most contentious splits in Hollywood history.

And we'll be dedicating the second half of this programme to a selection of the newsiest moments of 2024.

(Photo: Sila's father, Mahmoud Fasih, carries her tiny body to be buried. Credit: BBC)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bxcym)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099plby)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyylr70)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct60bf)
Russia is about to cut the gas flow through Ukraine

The flow of Russian gas through Ukraine is about to come to an end. What will happen next?

We'll look at the rollercoaster year for blockbuster films, the incredible 'Taylor Swift effect' that set the music world on fire and the unfortunate wave of layoffs that have hit the gaming industry. We’ll discuss what 2025 might look like for entertainment around the world.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bxhpr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tx4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyylvz4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct5tls)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 23:59 BBC News (w172zgfj37bxmfw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.

WEDNESDAY 01 JANUARY 2025

WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct5qkk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bxr60)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbfw9tp80bw)
Looking back at 2024: how has the entertainment industry performed?

Happy New Year! Thank you for listening us.

As millions around the globe celebrate New Year's Eve, our programme delves into how the entertainment industry has fared over the past 12 months.

We'll explore the blockbuster films that have spearheaded cinemas' fight back as they recover from the Hollywood strikes.

We'll examine why the gaming industry has seen a surge in layoffs in 2024, the highest in recent times, while live music is booming thanks to artists like Taylor Swift.

And we'll discuss why one of Germany's most iconic nightclubs is closing its doors.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bxvy4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099q2bg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyym76j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct5wst)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bxzp8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct5p5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37by3fd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099q9tq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyymgps)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 Dramas (w3ct7l69)
Purple Heart Warriors

Purple Heart Warriors: 4. Screaming Mimis

Ken and his Japanese American comrades experience the horror of World War Two combat in Italy. Hardening in battle, they are readied for a push into France. Sheltering in foxholes as rockets rain down, Ken understands more about the stories his grandfather used to tell him as a child.

This series is inspired by real events and contains dramatised battle scenes and out-dated racial language.

Cast:

Narrator: Will Sharpe
Ken: Akie Kotabe
Lieutenant/Bus guard/Texan soldier/Reporter: Freddy Elletson
Grandpa Allan/ Mr Yamada: Clyde Kusatsu
Emily: Samantha Dakin
Little Ken: Hudson Roberts.
Mrs Tanaka/Baachan/Shirley/Li: Tamlyn Tomita
Nui Louie/Mr Okimura: Aaron Ikeda
Barry/Captain Kim/Private Sasaki/Radio man: Derek Mio
Shorty: Raiko Gohara
Ohta/Captain Minori: Matt McCooey
Drill Sergeant/General Dahlquist: Martin McDougal
Colonel Pence/Earl Finch/Col Miller: Colin Stinton
Sonny: Kurt Kanazawa
Boxer/Crooner/Pokey: Conrad Lihilihi

Written by Iris Yamashita
Sound design: Richard Gould at Skywalker Sound
Recording and mixing: Leon Chambers
Original music: Josh Sneesby
Consultant: L Stuart Hirai
Dramaturg: James Yeatman
Broadcast assistant: Teresa Milewski
Production co-ordinator: Kate Brook
Associate producers: Tim Bell & Rosa Crompton
Director: Jessica Dromgoole
Producer: Catherine Bailey.
Based on an idea by Simon Pitts

A Catherine Bailey production for the BBC World Service


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37by75j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkrbv3)
Russian gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine cease

Ukraine said the gas was fuelling the Russian war machine and gave the EU a year to prepare for the closure of the pipeline.

Ivory Coast is ending the deployment of French troops in the country, the latest former West African colony to break off military cooperation with Paris.

The New Year has now been welcomed by most countries, with many leaders laying out their hopes and plans.

(Pic: Valves and pipes are seen at a gas compressor station in the village of Boyarka, outside Kiev; Credit: Reuters)


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bybxn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkrgl7)
Russia's Gazprom says its exports via Ukraine are halted

The stopping of the flow of gas through Ukraine marks the end of an era of cheap Russian gas in the EU.

We're also getting the latest from South Korea as investigators there hopefully start to piece together the clues to discover what led to the country's worst air disaster.

Amid the chaos and trauma of war in Gaza its the children who pay the heaviest price - we've got a report of 4 stranded cousins all below the age of 10 - hoping to be reunited with family.

(Pic: An employee walks at Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom's Sudzha pumping station, Kursk Oblast; Credit: Reuters)


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bygns)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkrlbc)
Ukraine ends transit of Russian gas to EU

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that his country would not allow Russia to "earn additional billions on our blood" and had given the EU a year to prepare.

We bring you a report from Gaza as UN estimates that 17,000 children have been left alone or separated from their families.

Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen zone expanding the borderless area to 29 members

(Pic: Gas flames of a cooker are pictured in a private home, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues; Credit: Reuters)


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37byldx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5szw)
The whistleblowers

In a special edition of HARDtalk, Stephen Sackur looks back at Interviews with guests who have risked their personal freedom to disclose secret information. What motivates these whistleblowers?


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyymyp9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5zn9)
Pets: The business of dog-walking

We explore professional dog-walking around the world. We hear from walkers from the United States, Argentina and Europe about how they operate, the growing market, and the challenges of making a career from taking other people's pets on daily walks - sometimes several at a time.

And we join a dog walker in Paris, Caroline, to find out why the relationship between walker and dog is the most important when securing clients.

Expect plenty of barks.

(Image: Caroline, a professional dog-walker in Paris, with three dogs)

Presented and produced by Sean Allsop


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yqq)
Robert Ripley and the ‘Believe It or Not’ empire

In December 1918, sports writer and cartoonist Robert Ripley was struggling to find some content for his column in the New York Globe.

So he compiled and illustrated some of the quirkiest sports facts from the year and created what would go onto become the ‘Believe It or Not’ cartoon.

Its popularity grew and, by the time of America’s Great Depression, Ripley was a multi-millionaire who would travel the world on his hunt for more weird and wonderful facts.

His empire expanded into radio and, in 1940, he persuaded the Duke of Windsor – who had abdicated from the throne in 1936 - to give his first commercial radio appearance.

John Corcoran, exhibits director at Ripley’s, tells Vicky Farncombe about that historic moment.

This programme also includes archive courtesy of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Archives.

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: Robert Ripley. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37byq51)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099qxkc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyn2ff)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct5wst)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bytx5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Forum (w3ct5n0h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37byyn9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099r51m)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyn9xp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6dr4)
Are ultra-processed foods impossible to avoid?

Research into ultra-processed foods suggests they could be linked to health problems including cancers, heart disease, obesity and depression - but scientists are yet to agree on how they actually affect us. Often mass-produced, and containing multiple additives, UPFs have become the target of nutritionists and clean-living advocates alike. But, given how common they are, can we realistically avoid them?

On this episode, Lucy Hockings speaks with BBC health reporter Philippa Roxby, and Ruth Alexander, presenter of The Food Chain podcast from the BBC World Service. Together, they unpack what we really know about UPFs.

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: Beth Timmins, Laurie Kalus, and Alice Aylett Roberts.


Sound Engineers: Ben Andrews and Mike Regaard.


Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.


Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bz2df)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct5pdj)
Memory Box: The puppet

Basil Twist's obsession began early as he watched productions his mum put on as an amateur puppeteer. He built his own Star Wars character puppets and loved playing with them, but in his teens became what he calls a 'closeted puppeteer.' It wasn't cool anymore, and playing with dolls was seen as feminine. Aged 20, after moving to New York, Basil felt able to finally embrace his childhood passion and scoured phone directories to track down people involved in puppetry. Later, his Stickman creation taught him a long lesson in how to breathe life into characters in ways Basil compares to surfing or playing jazz. His diligence took him around the world, eventually winning awards and captivating crowds along the way. During the pandemic Basil faced his biggest challenge to date – bringing the much-loved animated Japanese character Totoro to life for a live action stage show.

This interview was first broadcast on 28th February 2024

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Tommy Dixon

(Photo: Basil Twist and Stickman in front of the city skyline. Copyright: Christophe l'Oiseau)

If you have a story for our Memory Box about an object with great personal significance, please get in touch! Email outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yqq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bz64k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099rdjw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyynkdy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 Dramas (w3ct7l69)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bz9wp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgwx5cn)
Vehicle ploughs into crowd in New Orleans

At least 10 people have died after a man intentionally drove into a large crowd in New Orleans and then began firing a weapon, according to police; they said the attacker was "hell-bent on carnage".

Also in the programme: Russian gas has stopped flowing into the European Union through Ukraine after President Zelensky refused to renew transit agreements; and.the children from Gaza finally reunited with their families.

(Photo shows police cars attending the scene on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. on 1 January 2025. Credit: ABC Affiliate WGNO via Reuters)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bzfmt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5szw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyynsx6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct60dp)
Ukraine stops Russian gas transit to Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country would not allow Russia to "earn additional billions on our blood" after stopping Russian gas transit to the EU following the expiration of a five-year deal.

Ivory Coast has announced that French troops will withdraw from the West African nation, further reducing the military stake of the former colonial power in the region. Leanna Byrne asks if this also means it will lose economic influence.

And with US President-elect Donald Trump set to take office later this month, could his policies favour Indian businesses?


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bzkcy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pfm6g9)
Ten killed in New Orleans attack

A man has driven a truck into a crowd in the US city of New Orleans, killing ten people as they celebrated the New Year. Police say the attacker is dead. We have the latest from a local journalist and hear from eyewitnesses.

We go to Syria where the new de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa held talks this week with Christian and Kurdish representatives. He says he's trying to build a national unity government. Our correspondent in Damascus explains.

The city of Milan has implemented a near-total outdoor smoking ban. We hear from Milan's deputy mayor and explain how many other countries and cities are getting ever tougher on tobacco.

At the start of the year, we are are looking at what is expected in 2025; our North America correspondent will guide us through what Donald Trump’s second term could bring.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Emergency services attend the scene after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Gerald Herbert/APPhoto)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bzp42)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pfmb6f)
Suspect in New Orleans attack is dead

We have the latest from New Orleans where ten people were killed and at least 35 injured after a man drove a pick-up truck into a large crowd.

We hear from people in Bangladesh and find out what's been happening in the country since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted last August.

At the start of the year, we are are looking at what is expected in 2025; our North America correspondent will guide us through what Donald Trump’s second term could bring.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Still of a heavily damaged white pickup truck surrounded by police in Bourbon Street , New Orleans, 01/01/2025. Credit: Sourced from social media including X and Reddit via BBC Verify)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bzsw6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct5pdj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yqq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37bzxmb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099s40n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyp8wq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5wc9)
2025/01/01 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 (w172zgfj37c01cg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct5wst)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyypdmv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct5t9r)
A Malawi ‘Spay Day’

Claudia Hammond is in Malawi exploring the concept of One Health, where the health of humans, animals and the environment are all linked.

Today we’re visiting a makeshift roadside operating theatre for dogs in the village of Kauma, just outside of Lilongwe. During the ‘Spay Day’, vets from the Lilongwe Society for the Protection and Care of Animals neuter local dogs for free, in an attempt to protect both dogs, and people, from rabies.

We find out how this work feeds into the bigger picture of One Health in Malawi, and Claudia has a go at being a veterinary assistant…

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Sophie Ormiston


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c053l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgwy0lk)
New Orleans attacker had IS flag in truck

The suspect in the New Orleans vehicle attack has been identified as a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas. An Islamic State flag was found in the vehicle and two improvised bombs have been made safe.

Also on the programme: Russian gas supplies to much of Europe through Ukraine have stopped, after Kyiv refused to renew a transit agreement with Moscow; and scientists have developed a new way of studying DNA in human remains that they say will change our understanding of history.

(Photo: New Orleans Police Chief Ann Kirkpatrick speaks next to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry at a news conference. Credit: Reuters)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c08vq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099sh81)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyypn43)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct60gy)
South Korea: How are events affecting the economy?

We look at how South Korea's political instability is continuing to effect its economy.

How might President-elect Donald Trump’s policies affect different parts of the world?

And as thousands of artistic works come into the public domain in the United States, we look at how people might plan to monetise them.


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c0dlv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5szw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyprw7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 Dramas (w3ct7l69)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

THURSDAY 02 JANUARY 2025

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c0jbz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Forum (w3ct5n0h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c0n33)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbfw9tpbx7z)
South Korea: How are events affecting the economy?

We look at how South Korea's political instability is continuing to effect its economy.

How might President-elect Donald Trump’s policies affect different parts of the world?

And as thousands of artistic works come into the public domain in the United States, we look at how people might plan to monetise them.


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c0rv7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099sz7k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyq43m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct7l64)
The dogs of Palermo

In Palermo, and across Southern Italy, there are two main types of stray dog. There are the semi-wild packs that live on the edge of human settlements, and then there are the cani di quartiere: dogs of the neighbourhood. These dogs are known by everyone and owned by no-one. They sprawl out for naps in the middle of the pavement, frequent the same butchers for their scraps, play with the neighbourhood kids, and have friends - canine and human - all over the territory. Unlike strays in other parts of Europe, they aren't rounded up and treated as a nuisance. They are protected by law, which guarantees their freedom as long as they are not a danger to people, animals, or property. There is a mutual relationship of reciprocity and respect between the residents and these dogs. Their lives are celebrated and their losses mourned, sometimes even with funerals, public art, and eulogies in the local paper.

Since moving to Palermo from Amsterdam two years ago, British writer and producer Georgia Walker has been fascinated by the lives of these animals, and what they mean to the city. But during that time, she's also seen how their numbers are dwindling due to changing attitudes, sterilisation, and the impact of tourism. In the Anthropocene, and amid ecosystem collapse, the programme asks whether this relationship of reciprocity and care can allow us to imagine different ways of living with other species and our natural world.

Image: Bianchina, one of Palermo's cani di quartiere (Credit: Georgia Walker)


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c0wlc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct5pdj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yqq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c10bh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099t6qt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyqclw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xn3)
First impressions of a new food culture

Strawberries at the airport when meeting your future husband for the first time, finally tasting world famous fish and chips and wondering why on earth the pasta is green.

These are some of this week’s stories of first impressions of food in a new country.

Devina Gupta visits a multilingual cooking class in Manchester, UK, to find out how language, culture and food help people find a home in a new part of the world..

She speaks to a chef who fled Ukraine when the war started and now runs a restaurant in the Netherlands. Nathalia adapted to life there very quickly, but still can’t comprehend why the Dutch eat toast for every meal.

Mariyam and Marius share their love story from across continents, and talk about the dishes – and those strawberries - which brought them together when they finally met.

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

Presenter: Devina Gupta
Producer: Hannah Bewley
Translation: Irena Taranyuk

(Image: Devina Gupta has afternoon tea. Credit: BBC)


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c142m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkv7r6)
Biden says New Orleans attacker had ‘desire to kill’

The man drove a pick-up truck at high speed into large crowds in New Orleans early on New Year's Day, killing 15 people and injuring others before being shot dead by police

Law enforcement officers are investigating whether that attack is linked to the explosion of a Tesla cyber truck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.

We have a story of buried treasure, the highest-value ever find here in England goes on display in the British Museum. Coins from the Norman conquest of 1066 discovered by metal detectorists.

(Pic: Police respond in the French Quarter after a car plowed into a crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana; Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c17tr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkvchb)
'The man behind the New Orleans' deadly attack inspired by IS'

A man drove a pick-up truck at high speed into large crowds in New Orleans early on New Year's Day, killing 15 people and injuring others before being shot dead by police. He has been identified as a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas, Shamsud-Din Jabbar.

Law enforcement officers are investigating whether that attack is linked to the explosion of a Tesla cyber truck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.

Moldova faces an energy crisis as the flow of Russian gas ends - we'll speak to the foreign policy advisor the country's president.

(Pic: Louisiana State Police vehicles operate near the site where people were killed by a man driving a truck; Credit: Reuters)


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c1ckw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkvh7g)
New Orleans: Death toll rises to fifteen

US President Joe Biden says the man who drove a pick-up truck at high speed into large crowds in New Orleans on New Year's Day had a "desire to kill"

Meanwhile, Law enforcement officers are investigating whether that attack is linked to the explosion of a Tesla cyber truck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.

Tonnes of toxic material are being moved from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal in India where thousands died in the world's worst industrial accident.

(Pic: Samantha McGovern ties a bouquet of flowers to a security barrier, following the attack in New Orleans; Credit: Reuters)


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c1hb0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct5xjf)
Can RFK Jnr ‘make America healthy again?’

Robert F Kennedy Jr, nephew of America's 35th President, John F. Kennedy, has been nominated to be the next US health secretary by President-elect Donald Trump. The post oversees everything from medical research to food safety and public welfare programmes.

Kennedy has been the face of “Make America Healthy Again”, a movement dedicated to “public health, sustainable practices and a government that truly serves the people”.

This week of The Inquiry, we look at how MAHA wants to tackle chronic disease, in particular obesity. Will RFK carry these ideas into public office? How will food corporations and colleagues in the US Congress react? How feasible is it for the US Health Secretary to shift the dial on healthy eating?


Contributors:
Bill Dietz, Director of the Stop Obesity Alliance at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., US
Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist and former Trump State Department official, US
Professor Jerold Mande, CEO of Nourish Science, US
Professor Colleen Heflin, Professor of public administration and international affairs at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, US

Production Team:
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producers: Vicky Carter and Matt Toulson
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Technical producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Tara McDermott

Photo Credit: Bloomberg via GettyImages


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyqvld)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5zj1)
Ferry frustration

Islands around the world rely on ships as their lifeline service - for everything from their domestic supplies, to making hospital visits, as well as supporting vital industries like tourism. When the services go down, for weather or technical reasons, these remote communities are cut off from the mainland, with no back-up option.

We hear from opposite sides of the world - Scotland and New Zealand - where unreliable car ferries disrupt the daily lives of residents and visitors.

And we hear from a company running one island ferry service that's working to improve its reliability.

(Picture: Caledonian MacBrayne ferry coming into Brodick harbour, Scotland.)

Presented and produced by Neil Morrow


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yl6)
Klaus Fuchs: Oppenheimer’s atomic spy

German-born physicist Klaus Fuchs played a key role in the development of the first atomic bomb during World War Two.

The project, known as the Manhattan Project, was led by scientist J Robert Oppenheimer at Los Alamos in the US.

But, in January 1950, Fuchs admitted passing top secret nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union and was sentenced to 14 years in jail.

His nephew Klaus Fuchs-Kittowski tells Louise Hidalgo about his uncle.

This programme was first broadcast in 2015.

To hear more about the story of Klaus Fuchs, the spy who changed history, search for The Bomb, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

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: Klaus Fuchs. Credit Jung/ullstein bild via Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c1m24)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099ttgg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyqzbj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct7l64)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c1qt8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct6pmq)
The Media Show: media trends in 2025

We explore the key media trends shaping 2025. From the rise of AI in journalism to how social platforms are transforming news, challenges in media funding and the future of regulation. With insights from Madhumita Murgia of the Financial Times, Charlotte Tobitt from Press Gazette and Rebecca Jennings from Vox.

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Simon Richardson


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyr32n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 Happy News (w3ct5sqn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:32 on Sunday]


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c1vkd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099v1yq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyr6ts)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6dv4)
Has Canada soured on immigration?

A majority of Canadians say too many people are being allowed in the country, for the first time this century. Multiculturalism and the acceptance of newcomers are central to Canada’s national identity. But amidst record-breaking population growth, a cost of living crisis and a shortage of affordable housing, many Canadians have begun to question whether the country has the capacity to keep accepting hundreds of thousands of migrants each year.

On this episode Azadeh Moshiri is joined by the BBC’s Celia Hatton, who has travelled across Canada speaking to politicians, activists and asylum centre workers about the Canadian immigration debate.

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 and Alix Pickles

Sound engineers: Mike Regaard and Frank McWeeny

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c1z9j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct5nyz)
Memory Box: The padlock

Archaeologists Dariusz Polinksi and Magdalena Zagrodska are drawn to a remote hill in Poland. Dariusz is searching for a medieval castle and Magda is searching for the bones of a bird associated with mythical powers. But instead, a series of strange events leads them to discover an unmarked grave, containing the body of a young woman held down by a padlock and a sickle. This unusual find leads them to investigate the life of a supposed 350-year-old ‘vampire’, and the padlock becomes an important emblem of their experience.
When Lola Anderson was 13 years old she watched Great Britain win gold in rowing at the London Olympics. Inspired, she wrote a note in her diary that she wished, one day, to do the same. But she immediately threw the note away, embarrassed at her dream. Seven years later when her father was unwell with a terminal illness he gave Lola her old diary entry - he'd rescued it, kept it safe and wanted her to have it back. Just two years later, Lola won a gold medal in rowing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lola spoke to Outlook's Edgar Maddicott.

Presenter: Asya Fouks

If you have a story for our Memory Box about an object with great personal significance, please get in touch! Email outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c231n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099v9fz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyrgb1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xn3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c26ss)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgx028r)
New Orleans: Biden says attacker had a "desire to kill"

The US authorities are investigating whether Wednesday's deadly truck attack in New Orleans is linked to an explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas on the same day. The FBI believes the man who rammed his car into a crowd in New Orleans killing fifteen people was not acting alone.

Also in the programme: Netherlands to open archive on people accused of wartime Nazi collaboration; and 250 years since the birth of the novelist Jane Austen.


(Photo: The attack took place in an extremely busy area full of bars and restaurants. Credit: EPA)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c2bjx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct5xjf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyrpt9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct603n)
Toxic waste removed from Bhopal 40 years after gas leak

The material being removed today represents just a fraction—only one percent—of the toxic waste that has lingered at the site for decades.
The disaster killed thousands of people in 1984, since then, the toxic material had been lying in the mothballed factory, polluting groundwater in the surrounding areas. We discuss why it’s been left there so long and who should be held accountable.
We take a look at BYD, China’s biggest electric car brand as they post record sales for 2024.
And we head to France, where Paris Football Club may be on the verge of a major transformation after being bought by a powerful partnership: Bernard Arnault – the richest man in France – and Red Bull.


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c2g91)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pfq3cd)
FBI believes New Orleans attacker acted alone

Detectives investigating the deadly New Year truck attack in New Orleans say they now believe there was nobody else involved, other than the driver - who was a supporter of the Islamic State group. For the latest on the suspect and the victims, we speak to local journalists in the city and bring live a press conference from New Orleans.

We also hear from eyewitnesses in New Orleans about how the attack has been affecting their lives in the city.

We speak to a sport reporter about the postponed Sugar Bowl between the US college football teams of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia that is set to kick off on Thursday in New Orleans.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: A member of the National Guard Military Police stands, in the area where people were killed by a man driving a truck in an attack during New Year's celebrations, in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., January 2, 2025. Credit: Octavio Jones/Reuters)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c2l15)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pfq73j)
New Orleans attack was 'premeditated act of terrorism'

The FBI now says the man who carried out Wednesday's deadly attack in New Orleans was acting alone, and members of the public are not in any danger. It confirmed that Shamsud-Din Jabbar - a US-born military veteran - had declared his support for Islamic State militants, and the attack was a premeditated act of terrorism. We have the latest from a local journalist, and we speak to our jihadism expert about the ISIS operatives around the world.

We also hear from residents in New Orleans about how their city has been affected by the attack.

Police in the US state of Texas have been combing through evidence at the home of the suspect. We speak to a local journalist there.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI's counter-terrorism division. Credit: US Pool)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c2ps9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct5nyz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c2tjf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099w0xr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyys5st)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5w6s)
2025/01/02 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 (w172zgfj37c2y8k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct7l64)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyys9jy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 Science In Action (w3ct5vdy)
5 Years of Covid (part 2/2)

Sars CoV-2 has been with us for five years. In the second of a 2-part special, Science in Action asks how well was science prepared for it? And are we any better prepared for the next one?

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alex Mansfield, with Debbie Kilbride
Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c320p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgx0xhn)
New Orleans attacker acted alone

The FBI now says the man who carried out Wednesday's deadly attack in New Orleans was acting alone, and members of the public are not in any danger. It confirmed that Shamsud-Din Jabbar - a US-born military veteran - had declared his support for Islamic State militants, and the attack was a premeditated act of terrorism. We hear from a New Orleans City Councilman on how the city is coping with the aftermath of the attack. Also in the programme: how El Salvador has cut its homicide rate to make it one of the safest countries in the Western Hemisphere; and with just weeks before Donald Trump is inaugurated as the new president of the United States, how might the relationship between him and the world’s media be characterised?

(Photo: Military personnel stand near the site where people were killed by a man driving a truck in an attack during New Year's celebrations, in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., January 1, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c35rt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099wd54)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyysk16)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct605x)
New Orleans Attack: Business reaction

We hear from the owner of several restaurants in New Orleans after a man drove a truck into a crowd. The attack took place at Bourbon Street a well-known tourist hotspot that is filled with restaurants, bars and clubs.

Presenter Rahul Tandon talks to a US based bike manufacturer about the impact tariffs will have on the global economy as well as on companies like his which rely on Chinese parts to keep the business going.

We are also in Mexico to hear about its trading relationship with US with the imminent arrival of Donald Trump. The plans to curb immigration along the border between the country.


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c39hy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct5xjf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyysnsb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xn3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

FRIDAY 03 JANUARY 2025

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c3f82)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct6pmq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyssjg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Happy News (w3ct5sqn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:32 on Sunday]


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c3k06)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 Business Matters (w172zbfw9tpft52)
Clashes in South Korea after investigators try to arrest the President

We are in South Korea where police are dispersing the impeached president's supporters who have been blocking access to his residence. They are jostling with protesters.

We hear from the owner of several restaurants in New Orleans after a man drove a truck into a crowd. The attack took place at Bourbon Street a well-known tourist hotspot that is filled with restaurants, bars and clubs.

Presenter Rahul Tandon also hears from a US based bike manufacturer about the impact tariffs will have on the global economy as well as on US companies which rely on Chinese parts.


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c3nrb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099ww4n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyt10q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct5wnb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c3shg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct5nyz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct5yl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c3x7l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099x3mx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyt8hz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct5tg8)
The plight of Hindus in Bangladesh: Part one

In the aftermath of Bangladesh’s political unrest and the student-led protests that led to the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024, the country is facing a period of transition and uncertainty. Amid the chaos, harrowing videos and reports of violent attacks against the Hindu minority flooded social media—images of burning buildings, horrifying violence, and women weeping as they pleaded for help. However, some began to doubt the veracity and authenticity of these videos after they seemed to be sensationalised by right-wing influencers and news outlets in neighbouring India.

Despite this, shocking new videos of alleged attacks continue to appear on social media, with little or no acknowledgement from a world that is now questioning their legitimacy. In the first episode of a two-part series for BBC World Service’s Heart & Soul, reporter Sahar Zand travels to Bangladesh to investigate the truth behind the contradictory news headlines and the contrasting videos emerging daily online. There, Sahar follows two Hindu university students, Sukanto and Banamali, who have made it their mission to verify and document what they describe as brutal assaults on their community, determined to set the record straight.

Sahar follows Sukanto and Banamali as they travel to some of the worst-affected areas, and sees and hears firsthand accounts of homes burned, families separated, temples desecrated, and entire villages torn apart by mob violence. Despite their tireless efforts to report the truth, the two friends say that the Hindu experience in Bangladesh has been met with silence from both the world's media and the country's authorities.

Producer: Sahar Zand
Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta

(Photo: Sahar Zand with Jakesh Chongraray in his living room, which was attacked and set alight by a mob of around 100 men during anti-Hindu violence in Burasardubi Upazila, Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh. The attack on August 5, 2024, left 17 houses and 3 temples looted and burned)


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c40zq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mky4n9)
Investigators halt attempt to detain impeached South Korean president

A stand off in Seoul, South Korea, as police fail in an attempt to arrest the impeached president, after opposition from the military and a presidential security unit. We'll hear from a former minister.

New Orleans has been determined to get back on its feet after an attack which left fourteen people dead. We'll speak to a journalist who has been covering an iconic sporting event, the Sugar Bowl, which just took place.

In Syria, the new authorities have published a new school curriculum, though some feel the changes demonstrate their fundamentalist agenda. We'll hear from a teacher in the country.

We'll focus on Sudan, visiting a clinic in one of the places most affected by the war, and finding out why so many are angry about a currency swap.We'll also meet a refugee helping others fleeing conflict with their mental health

And a leading Zimbabwean writer tells us what makes her tick.

(Picture: Investigators from the state anti-corruption agency walk into the entrance of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence, Seoul, Korea - 03 Jan 2025: Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c44qv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mky8df)
South Korean investigators suspend attempt to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol

In the next hour, we'll take you to South Korea where police had entered the presidential compound to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol, but called off the attempt after supporters of the impeached president blocked the entrance and protested outside.

We'll also return to New Orleans, and hear from somebody who was metres away from the deadly vehicle attack on New Year's Day which left fourteen people dead.

In business we will hear about some disappointing results for Tesla, despite Elon Musk's close relationship with the incoming US president Donald trump.

In Mozambique, the number of those killed in post election protests has risen too, with many people fleeing to neighbouring Malawi.

(Picture: Supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol gather as members of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and police officials wait to enter the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, 03 January 2025; Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c48gz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zbkf2mkyd4k)
Investigators fail to arrest impeached South Korean president

In South Korea, police have suspended their attempt to arrest the impeached president, after being denied entry to his residence by the presidential security team. We'll get reaction from a former South Korean minister.

New Orleans, in the United States, is determined to get back on its feet after an attack which left fourteen people dead. An investigation to determine what happened is ongoing. We'll speak to a former official of the country's department of homeland security.

A study has revealed that there is resistance to a new Tuberculosis treatment plan recently recommended by the World Health Organisation. We'll speak to the researcher.

We'll head to South Korea to find out more about the failed attempt to arrest the impeached president.

We'll head to North Darfur, to get the latest on the humanitarian situation in a part of Sudan heavily affected by the war.

And we'll meet the South Sudanese woman helping her fellow refugees in Uganda.

(Picture: Police officers and investigators leave impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence, Seoul, South Korea, January 3, 2025; Credit: Reuters)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c4d73)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t4y)
Diane Foley: Bringing detained Americans home

Stephen Sackur talks to Diane Foley, whose son James was kidnapped by the Islamic State group and murdered in 2014. She’s spent a decade coming to terms with that and campaigning to get other detained Americans home.


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyytrhh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5z2s)
Business Daily meets: Astronaut Chris Hadfield

Colonel Chris Hadfield is a former fighter pilot who became an astronaut and served as a commander of the International Space Station (ISS).

While in orbit he became a social media star, posting breath-taking pictures of earth, as well as videos demonstrating practical science and playing his guitar. These days, the Canadian invests in businesses and has written several best-selling fiction and non-fiction books.

In this programme, Chris Hadfield tells Russell Padmore how he was influenced by Star Trek, and the Apollo missions to the moon, as a child. He outlines why he welcomes private investment in space and he explains how he has become known for being the musical star in orbit.

(Picture: Chris Hadfield with a night sky in the background. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Russell Padmore


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct5yfp)
Creating Alexa

The smart speaker Alexa is used by hundreds of millions of people around the world every day, but did you know its voice was created by two people in Poland back in 2000?

Lukasz Osowski and Michal Kaszczuk were final year students at Gdansk Technical University when they decided to create a device which could understand you and talk back in a voice which sounded like a human.

They went through a few versions and started getting attention from big companies before eventually making a deal with Amazon.

Lukasz and Michal speak 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.

(Photo: Amazon Echo Plus smart speaker. Credit: Olly Curtis/Future via Getty Images)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c4hz7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099xqck)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyytw7m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 Science In Action (w3ct5vdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c4mqc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct5q2z)
(Re)New Year

Happy New Year! This week, the Unexpected Elements team is reflecting on 2024 and looking forward to 2025 for renewed chances to spot the northern lights while they're at their peak visibility in this current solar cycle, and we recap on cellular regeneration advancements and regulations in embryonic stem cell models. 

We chat to Professor Rene Oudmaijer from the Royal Observatory of Belgium who explains that stars also renew themselves... and this process is key to our lovely planet (and ourselves) existing!  

We also learn all about the potential of bogs and wetlands in the fight against climate change from Professor Christian Dunn of Bangor University. 

With another amazing year behind us, we reminisce about our favourite stories and listener correspondences in 2024. 

And finally, we’re wowed by the regenerative ‘superpowers’ of the magnificent axolotl who has the cellular capabilities to re-grow limbs! 

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements. 

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton and Caroline Steel 
Producers: Harrison Lewis, Imaan Moin and William Hornbrook 
Sound Engineer: Duncan Hannant


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c4rgh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099xyvt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyv3qw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct6dxd)
The 'Holy Grail' of shipwrecks

The wreck of a Spanish galleon, the San José, is thought to hold a cargo of gold, silver and emeralds worth $18 billion dollars. It’s laid on the seabed off the coast of Colombia for more than 300 years, after being sunk by the British. Decades after it was discovered, a debate still rages among various groups who think they have the right to retrieve the San José’s long lost cargo.

On today's episode, Lucy Hockings speaks to marine archaeologist Dr Rodrigo Pacheco-Ruiz and our business correspondent Gideon Long to find out who’s claim to the wreck is strongest.

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: Mike Regaard and Ben Andrews

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c4w6m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct699x)
Outlook Mixtape: A keyboard of dreams and a wild baby hare

Kenyan Teddy Otieno was obsessed with classical piano music but didn't have access to a keyboard. So he watched YouTube videos and learned with a cardboard replica until a chance encounter helped him realise his dreams.

Chloe Dalton's hectic life in London was burning her out when she stumbled across an abandoned baby hare in the countryside. She helped the animal grow and in turn it helped her find a slower, quieter and more restorative way of being.

The sacred statue of Cameroon’s Queen Ngonnso was looted by colonials 100 years ago and taken to Germany. Artist Sylvie Njobati promised her grandfather she would bring it back and went on a mission to retrieve it.

Inspired by Muppets creator Jim Henson and his own mother's puppet shows, American Basil Twist took his creations on stage in New York beginning a career marvelling crowds with puppetry. This interview was first broadcast in February 2024.

Presenter: India Rakusen

If you have a story for our Memory Box about an object with great personal significance, please get in touch! Email outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct5yfp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c4zyr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099y6c2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyvc74)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct5tg8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c53pw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgx2z5v)
Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeo prevent his arrest

Anti-corruption investigators wanted to arrest the former president for his failed attempt to impose martial law. Mr Yoon, who has been impeached, is still in the presidential compound. Supporters of the impeached president were out in force too. Some were seen waving the American flag, and carrying placards saying "stop the steal."

Also on the programme, we hear about the plight of health workers from Gaza who are being detained by Israeli authorities, often without charge. And we go to Australia where debate is raging over crocodiles; just how many are too many and how should a cull work?

(Picture: Supporters of President Yoon clash with police in Seoul. Credit: Reuters)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c57g0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t4y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyvlqd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct5ztm)
Biden rejects Nippon Steel’s $15bn takeover of US Steel

US where President Biden has blocked the takeover of US Steel -- the nation's third-biggest steelmaker -- by the Japanese company Nippon Steel.

We hear from Syria as it destroys what had been its number one cash export - highly addictive amphetamines.

Also in the show, could Slovakia really be about to switch off Ukraine's electricity supply?


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c5c64)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pft08h)
Attempt to arrest South Korean president fails

In South Korea, anti-corruption investigators have called on the acting president to intervene, as they try to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol for his failed attempt to impose martial law. We speak to two journalists in the country about the two big stories, the plane crash on Sunday and the failure to arrest the suspended president, they have covered.

We explain the case against Apple over its virtual assistant Siri which claimants allege eavesdrops customers.

The foreign ministers of France and Germany are in Syria to meet the country's new rulers who overthrew President Bashar al Assad last month. We speak to our correspondent in Lebanon, who has just returned from Beirut.

With the arrival of the new year, our Silicon Valley reporter reflects on the big tech stories she continues to monitor in 2025.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Protests in Seoul as investigators halt attempt to detain impeached president Yoon, Korea - 03 Jan 2025. Credit: JEON HEON-KYUN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c5gy8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w172zbjg8pft40m)
Victims' families seek answers in New Orleans attack

We have the latest from New Orleans where 14 people were killed when a man ploughed through a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen, is now the sole suspect. He was shot dead by police at the scene.

We hear from people in the Hanoi after the Vietnamese capital was declared the most polluted city in the world.

With the arrival of the new year, our Silicon Valley reporter reflects on the big tech stories she continues to monitor in 2025.

With 17-year old Luke Little on the verge of history as he prepares for tonight’s PDC World Darts Championship final in London, we explain what exactly darts is and speak to our reporter about the growing popularity of the sport.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Matthew Tenedorio's family says they begged him not to head into New Orleans on New Year's Eve. Credit: Christina Bounds)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c5lpd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct699x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct5yfp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c5qfj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099yxtv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyw2px)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct5w28)
2025/01/03 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 (w172zgfj37c5v5n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct5rcr)
How going viral changed my life

Despite its many grim news headlines, 2024 had its share of fun moments on social media, bringing whole internet communities together and changing the lives of the people involved. Sometimes these were the result of a post that went viral, others were completely accidental.

“I’m looking for a man in finance …” is the opening line of one of the most viewed, copied and remixed social media posts of the year. The woman behind it, Megan Boni, aka TikTok’s Girl on Couch, invented the rhyme as a jokey description of the perfect man she and her single friends would like to meet. She posted it one evening, and the internet went wild … “I woke up the next morning to a million views, and it just kept going up and up and up and I was like cool, this is fun. And then I had my friend who works in music and she was like, ‘record labels want to speak to you!”

Internet fame has changed Megan’s life, and it’s been a similar story for Scottish actor Kirsty Paterson. Kirsty was photographed looking dejected in a sad green Oompa Loompa wig at possibly the world’s worst Willie Wonka-inspired event ever. The picture, which she hates, was shared around the world, and the initial publicity led to a slew of vicious replies. “I looked like a six year old drug addict and I should ‘just get a facelift or kill myself’. That was one of the hundreds of comments …” she says. But some months later, she’s grateful for the very positive effect it’s had on her career, with jobs in LA and London that would never have otherwise come her way.

Megan and Kirsty are joined by Kelley Heyer, the inventor of the Charli XCX ‘Apple Dance’, and Auri Kananen, Finnish queen of housecleaning videos, to discuss what it’s like to ‘go viral’, and what happens next.

Hosted by Luke Jones.

A Boffin Media production with producer Anne McNaught in partnership with the BBC OS team and producer Iqra Farooq.

(Photo: Auri Kananen in one her cleaning videos. Credit: Auri Kananen)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyyw6g1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct5rj8)
Why am I embarrassed when I fall?

When listener Diana fell on a run on her birthday, her first instinct was not to check her bruised hand, but instead to get up as quickly as possible and act as if nothing had happened. She felt embarrassed. Meanwhile, her son Marley loves to watch fail videos that, mostly, show people falling over. So why does falling – something that can cause serious injury – elicit both embarrassment and laughter?

In the name of CrowdScience, presenter Caroline Steel trips, stumbles and falls. She spends a morning with clown Sean Kempton who teaches her slapstick skills, including how to do it safely.

Psychologist Rowland Miller explains why falling can be embarrassing and shares his theory of why humans have developed this emotion in the first place. Then it’s time for Caroline to try out Diana’s predicament herself. If a BBC presenter falls in a park, will she feel embarrassed?

From embarrassment to laughter, psychologist Janet Gibson lists the ingredients of a funny fall, and humour expert Caleb Warren explains how they can get funnier with distance. Then Caroline tries, semi-successfully, to make members of the public laugh. Will clown Sean do a better job?

Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Florian Bohr
Editor: Cathy Edwards
Production coordinators: Ishmael Soriano
Sound engineers: Bob Nettles, Tim Heffer and Giles Aspen


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c5yxs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zb99kgx3tdr)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c62nx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zbqq099z927)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyywfy9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct5zww)
First broadcast 03/01/2025 22:32 GMT

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zgfj37c66f1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 HARDtalk (w3ct5t4y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zggbjyywkpf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct5tg8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]