SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER 2025

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rhqjy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72wp)
Why are gold prices so high?

Record high gold prices have us looking at the science of inflation, why gold is leaking from volcanoes, and entomologist Katy Price explains why shiny gold can be a good color for camoflague.

Plus the dark science going on in a gold mine, whether we can move at the speed of light, and the debate around golden rice. All that, plus more unexpected elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Robbie Wojciechowski and Lucy Davies.


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rhv92)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75h79g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc66kg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct714s)
Why has Trump authorised CIA action in Venezuela?

On Wednesday, President Trump confirmed that he has authorised the CIA to take covert lethal action in Venezuela. The revelation came off the back of a series of US strikes on Venezuelan boats accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea, which resulted in the death of 27 people in what some human rights experts are calling "extrajudicial executions".

The US military operation has the region on edge, leaving analysts wondering whether this is just part of a new war on drugs, or a push to bring down the Maduro regime. The BBC's Will Grant briefs us on these latest developments, and the CIA's history in Latin America.

Producers: Viv Jones and Valerio Esposito

Editor: Annie Brown and James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Image: Miguel Gutierrez/Shutterstock


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rhz16)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75hc1l)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc6b9l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zjw)
Harmanpreet Kaur: How was India's captain discovered?

On this week's Stumped with Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta, we hear more about how India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur began her cricketing journey. Kaur was born in Moga, in the north of India and was coached by Kamaldeesh Singh Sodhi. His son Yadwinder, who also coached her, explains how his father first spotted her talent, and how she's grown into a player to step up for her team, most notably after scoring 171 against Australia in the 2017 World Cup.

The women's world cup is really heating up with matches going down to the wire and the pressure becoming more intense. Hosts India have gone from the highs of beating Sri Lanka and Pakistan to losing against South Africa and tournament favourites Australia. The team discuss the state of play as the group stage draws ever closer to the end.

Plus, we hear from 2017 India World Cup finalist Punam Raut, who told us that despite losing the 2017 final in England, the team were greeted like winners upon their return to India.

Photo: Indian cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur (R) and Poonam Raul take a run during the ICC Women's World Cup Twenty20 semi final match between Australia and India at the Beausjour Cricket Ground in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia on May 13, 2010. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rj2sb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6whh)
Outlook Mixtape: Why did the chicken...

Three finger-lickin' chicken tales from the Outlook archive for your delectation.

Guirec Soudée had always dreamed of sailing around the world. He set out at the age of 21 in a rusty 30-foot boat, with no communication equipment and little sailing experience. During a stop in the Canary Islands he met Monique – a Rhode Island Red chicken and, 'fell in love'. She was to become his confidante and best friend during a four-year trip. Together, they sailed across the Atlantic, then on to Greenland and even crossed the treacherous Northwest Passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic. He became the youngest sailor to complete the crossing; Monique the only chicken. This interview was first broadcast in 2021.

Michael Sayman loved two things when he was growing up in Miami in the noughties – his Mum's Peruvian chicken and his smartphone. When the family restaurant was struggling under the recession, 12-year-old Michael wanted to help and started creating phone apps. All of a sudden, this child was keeping the chicken business afloat and paying the bills, but his schoolwork was starting to suffer and the pressure was taking a toll. And then came an email from Mark Zuckerberg that would change everything. Michael spoke to us in 2024.

The late legendary American chef Leah Chase was known as New Orleans' 'Queen of Creole Cuisine'. The restaurant she ran, called Dooky Chase, was named after her husband and his father whose family started it in 1941. Famous for its dishes like fried chicken and gumbo, Leah hosted the likes of Martin Luther King, Ray Charles and Barack Obama. Her story inspired the Disney film, The Princess and the Frog. Leah Chase spoke to us in 2016.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Tommy Dixon

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

(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct744g)
My aunt created The Moomins

The first Moomins story about a family of nature-loving white round trolls was published in 1945 during World War Two. The Moomins and the Great Flood was created by writer and artist Tove Jansson as a source of comfort during bleak times.

It highlighted the struggles of those who’d been displaced by war introducing readers into the lives of Moomintroll, Moominmamma and Moominpappa.

Tove's tales and illustrations, featuring the cuddly creatures with smooth round snouts, are loved the world over and have been published in more than 60 languages.

She was born in Finland but her first language was Swedish, which the original Moomins books were published in. Tove's niece Sophia Jansson, speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma about growing up in a family surrounded by creativity and nature.

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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Tove Jansson in 1988. Credit: Hans/Paul/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rj6jg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72wp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rjb8l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75hq8z)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc6pjz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Trending (w3ct72tq)
Sabotage by smartphone

Ukrainian teenagers are being recruited online to carry out sabotage against their own country in return for cryptocurrency, and for some the consequences are deadly.

Ukraine accuses Russia of using Telegram to offer minors large sums of money to plant bombs or stage arson attacks. There have even been allegations that some recruits have been blown up while transporting explosive devices.

This episode features a rare interview with a Ukrainian teenager who is currently awaiting trial after authorities claim they caught him planting a bomb in a vehicle used by the conscription service.

Presenter: Dan Hardoon
Producer: Ed Main
Editor: Flora Carmichael


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct6vzj)
Nobel economics prize 2025: What's the big idea?

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt have been awarded this year’s Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.

The three are sharing 11 million Swedish kronor, over a million dollars, after being recognised for their work in the area of “innovation-driven economic growth”. But why does this area matter and what did the three economists actually do?
We turn the tables on our presenter Tim Harford, to explain all.

If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, let us know: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Lizzy McNeill
Reporter: Tim Harford
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Donald MacDonald
Editor: Richard Vadon

Image credit: Johan Jarnestad / The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rjg0q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8b88ds0qp)
A review of the week with the latest news.


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rjkrv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8b88ds4gt)
A review of the week with the latest news.


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rjphz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8b88ds86y)
A review of the week with the latest news.


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rjt83)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rn6)
Families in Israel and Gaza share their stories

After two years and two days of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas have agreed the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire. In our conversations, families in Israel and Gaza share their experiences of the conflict and their lives today.


With the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages seized by Hamas fighters on 7 October 2023 now back with their families, we hear from husband and wife George and Yael. Their town was attacked by Hamas fighters two years ago, but Yael is hoping for a lasting peace.


“Most people here just want to live a peaceful life,” she says. “Even if they’re Palestinians, it doesn’t matter who they are, if they’re peaceful to us, then we’re peaceful to them.”


On the other side of the border, thousands of Gazans have been making the journey back to their homes but most already know that there will be little left. We connect Basil in Gaza with his daughter, Layan, who escaped to Egypt. She has not seen her father for more than two years but hopes to return.


“It’s a difficult feeling to know that a place that you once loved is ruined, but your soul is still longing to go there and you still have hope for the future that it is going to be rebuilt,” she tells us. “I want to be part of this rebuilding process.”


Presenter: Rahul Tandon
BBC producers: Isabella Bull and Iqra Farooq
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham

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

(Photo/credit: Basil with his daughters)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc75jh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z5f)
Is the 'grey divorce' a big thing, then?

A million of you stop by for a story about the so-called “grey divorce” - that’s separating from a partner later in life. Plus, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the latest subject of our hit podcast Good Bad Billionaire, your arguments in favour of a four-day week and the beauty of chattering geese in Scotland's skies.


SAT 09:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvy)
Over to You

Talk back to the BBC and challenge the programme makers.


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rjy07)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878b)
Horsing around

They say if you want a stable relationship, get a horse! But hey sometimes doing things off the hoof works just as well.  This week we're saddling up and on the trail for the most inspirational stories from the world of sport - the equestrian edition...

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway" So said Hollywood icon John Wayne. And that's true of our first guest because Lissa Bachner's story is nothing short of incredible. Alongside her horse Milo, she's won show jumping competitions all over America. She's considered one of the best amateurs out there. Show jumping is an unforgiving sport where a horse and rider navigate a course of jumps as quickly as possible without incurring faults. The goal is to complete the course with the fewest penalties in fastest time without knocking down the fences. So, imagine doing all of that and being blind. That's right. Lissa Bachner is blind, but it hasn't stopped her and Milo making their mark on the equestrian world 

Show jumping, three-day eventing and dressage are the most common forms of equestrian sport. All Olympic disciplines they test rider and horse and the relationship they have. It's one of very very few sports in the Olympics where men and women compete together. And yet only once has a woman topped the official world rankings. So, meet Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who was born in the USA but after marrying decided to represent Germany. She went on the win bronze at the Rio Games of 2016. 

With over two million dollars in prize money, cowboy hats as far as the eye can see and a sport that has more than a touch of the Wild West... We are going to spend a little bit of time emersed in what's known as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" Each July in Canada the Calgary Stampede attracts thousands of fans... But is a celebration of athletic endeavour and cultural heritage, or outdated and cruel to animals?  

If a man raced a horse who would win?  Well, it has been on the minds of a small town in Wales for quite some time. In fact, since 1980 they have been hosting an annual race to find out the answer. Not By the Playbook has been hearing from long distance runner Huw Lobb and race creator Gordon Green about the day that two legs out ran four for the very first time.

PHOTO: Saddle Bronc rider, Bailey Small in action during the 2025 edition of the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on July 11, 2025. (CREDIT: Artur Widak/Anadolu via Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rk1rc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75jfrr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc7f0r)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78c0)
Gaza’s internal power struggle

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses who will actually be running Gaza in the wake of the ceasefire there, examines the escalating trade war between China and the United States, and looks at the recent spate of cyber-attacks targeting western companies.

Producer: Kate Cornell
Executive Producer: Benedick Watt
Commissioning Editor: Vara Szajkowski


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rk5hh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct831r)
Brazil's Miracle: An Indigenous Disaster

In 2024, something momentous happened in Brazil. For the first time since the military dictatorship ended in 1985, the State issued a formal apology to an indigoes group for their treatment during that period. This documentary tells the story of what the Krenak community lived through, and the ways the dictatorship still impacts them to this day. Through the voices of community leaders, elders, state officials and local journalists The Documentary covers the untold story of Brazil's miracle and its Indigenous disaster.

A Bite Your Tongue production.


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rk97m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zss9zy8pft7)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rkdzr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqr9j161c6)
Live Sporting Action

There’s live Premier League commentary of Manchester City against Everton with updates from the rest of the Premier League games. The former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani and Leicester City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic will join us.

Las Vegas Aces’ Megan Gustafson speaks to us about their WNBA Championship win.

Sportsworld will also preview the NBA season and there’s also qualifying in Texas for Formula One’s United States Grand Prix and Women’s Cricket World Cup action.

Photo: Jeremy Doku of Manchester City is challenged by James Tarkowski of Everton during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Everton FC at Etihad Stadium on December 26, 2024. (Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rkwz8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75k8zn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc887n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Trending (w3ct72tq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 More or Less (w3ct6vzj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 today]


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rl0qd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Evidence (w3ct70sc)
Weight loss jabs: A medical game changer?

Claudia Hammond and a panel of experts discuss the latest evidence on weight loss injections. Medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy are proven to be highly effective for weight management. They are also increasingly being found to treat other conditions and reduce the risk of disease, promising health benefits far beyond the treatment of obesity. But these drugs generally need to be continued for weight loss to be maintained, so there are big questions to be answered about their use and significant challenges to overcome around access and availability.

In front of a live audience at Wellcome Collection in London, Claudia and her guests explore the potential and negatives of weight loss injections and ask whether they really are the next wonder drug.

Declarations of interest:

Professor John Wilding has advised several companies involved in development of treatments for obesity and diabetes and been an investigator for related clinical trials; consultancy fees for this work are paid to his employer.

Professor Giles Yeo has received grant funding from Novo Nordisk and currently has grant funding from AMGEN. He consults for both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Company.

Dr Adrian Brown has received researcher-led grant funding from Novo Nordisk and has received honoraria and speaker fees from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. He is on the Medical Advisory Board and is a shareholder of Reset Health Ltd.

Professor Barbara McGowan has received speaker fees or consultancy fees from Novo Nordisk, Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Astra Zeneca, Janssen. She was a recipient of a Novo Nordisk research grant and she is the Chief Medical Officer and Shareholder of Reset Health Ltd.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

Producer: Helena Selby

Editor: Martin Smith

(Photo: Woman using Semaglutide injection pen. Credit: Munro/Getty Images)


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rl4gj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztx)
Global filmmakers at the London Film Festival

Nikki Bedi talks to international filmmakers taking part in this year's London Film Festival

American writer director Kelly Reichardt takes us back to the 1970s with her heist film The Mastermind starring Josh O' Connor.

French Moroccan filmmaker Robin Campillo shares how he continued the work of his late friend and collaborator Laurent Cantet with coming-of-age drama Enzo.

Oscar-winning documentary-maker Laura Poitras talks about her latest film Cover-Up, which looks at the work of the Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersch.

And another Oscar winner, Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes discusses his film Orphan about a young boy in 1950s Hungary.

(Main Image: Josh O'Connor in The Mastermind. Credit: Mastermind Movie Inc)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rl86n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zss9zy8qds8)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rlcys)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rlhpx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75kwq9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc8vz9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72dk)
Fameye

Fameye was crowned highlife artist of the year at the 2025 Telecel Ghana Music Awards, but as he tells DJ Edu, he’s still working to come up with a musical style all his own.

The Ghanian star established himself in 2019 with the hit song Nothing I Get. It resonated with Ghanaians because of the distinctive highlife/hiplife sound and the lyrics, which talk about having nothing and yet still being subjected to envy. Since then, Fameye has released many more songs and albums including Songs of Peter and Three Times of Peter. Peter is his given name, but also his artistic alter ego. He has recently revealed a third alter ego, Antonio, the name of his father, a police officer who died when Fameye was a baby.

SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER 2025

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rlmg1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rn6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc8zqf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct831q)
Fighting on two fronts

Meet the polar scientists of Ukraine’s National Antarctic Scientific Centre, who lead extraordinary dual lives, conducting critical climate research in Antarctica while also serving on the frontlines of war against Russia. This documentary reveals how scientists are defending both their country’s sovereignty and its scientific legacy. Despite war, displacement, and destruction, Ukraine’s commitment to climate science endures, revealing a powerful intersection between national identity, resilience, and global responsibility.

Producer/presenter: Harrison Lewis

Photo credit: Alexandra Montgomery


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rlr65)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75l46k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc93gk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 Trending (w3ct72tq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zs8)
Child soldier to sky runner

In 2015 Mira Rai took the international sky running scene by storm, winning gold medals in ultra-endurance running events ranging from 50-150 kilometres.

At first, little was known about this young competitor whose grit and determination were unparalleled. But behind her calm demeanour was a personal story which would shock the ultra-running world. She tells Hunter Charlton how she began life in a poor farming village before being recruited by Nepal’s Maoist insurgents and served in the civil war as a teenager. An Ember Audio production.

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: Mira Rai on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Credit: Prakash Mathema/via Getty Images)


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rlvy9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75l7yp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc976p)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjz)
How to prioritise aid in Gaza

As the fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza, we hear about the health impacts and realities of the aid being let into the territory from Olga Cherevko – spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Gaza.

The first ever evidence-based and outcome-specific dietary guidelines to treat chronic constipation in adults has been published. Could kiwi fruit hold the answer? We found out what’s in the new recommendations from Dr Eirini Dimidi.

The World Health Summit concluded this week, journalist Andrew Green was there and reports on the highlights from reshaping the global aid landscape to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

As California bans ultra-processed food in schools, we find out what changes pupils will see on their plates.

And treating baby wraps with Permethrin may hold promise for malaria prevention in newborns.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins and Katie Tomsett

Image: Trucks carrying aid wait at the border crossing for entry into the Gaza Strip on October 12, 2025 in Rafah, Egypt. This week's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has brought an end to the two years of war that followed the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, allowing aid groups to increase delivery of humanitarian relief.

Image Credit: Ali Moustafa/Getty Images


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rlzpf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct831r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rm3fk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6ts3)
Trump's Middle East victory lap

Pascale Harter introduces dispatches from Air Force One, Israel, Haiti and St Helena.

President Donald Trump received a hero’s welcome when he landed in Israel this week, following his central role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. During his whirlwind trip, he also flew to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, where he declared ‘an historical turning point’ to the gathered world leaders. State Department correspondent Tom Bateman was on board Air Force One with the President.

The BBC's International Editor, Jeremy Bowen, considers a longer view of the conflict. While 7 October 2023 and the two years of war which have followed are certainly milestones to match 1948 and 1967, the history of the region suggests that Trump's goal of peace in the Middle East may lie some distance ahead.

More than 90% of Haiti's capital city, Port au Prince, is under the control of armed gangs. Entire neighbourhoods now lie deserted after gun battles and mass attacks on people's homes drove residents out. Many of them now live tented camps - and only a few can find refuge. Jasmin Dyer visited a safe house for women and children who've survived some of the worst of the violence.

The British territory of St Helena, in the south Atlantic, might look idyllic: remote, lush, and community-oriented, far from the woes of the wider world. But it's also emptying out, as young people in particular seek their fortunes elsewhere. Beth Rose found an island worrying about its long-term future.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc9gpy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78c0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rm75p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75lm62)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rc9lg2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct831q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rmbxt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8b88dvxms)
A review of the week with the latest news.


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rmgny)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8b88dw1cx)
A review of the week with the latest news.


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rmlf2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8b88dw541)
A review of the week with the latest news.


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rmq56)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6ts3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rcb2fl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70z3)
The power of pepper

Pepper is ubiquitous at the dining table, but arguably most of us don’t know much about it.

In this programme John Laurenson finds out about the pepper plant – how it is grown and harvested and the range of flavours it can offer. He learns about the history of this spice and why it was once so revered, and the ways in which you can use it today to make your food not just tastier, but also healthier.

If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.

Produced and presented by John Laurenson.

Image: a cartoon wooden pepper mill with specks of ground pepper coming out of it, floats on a blue background. (Credit: Getty/yurumarukko)


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rmtxb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xy6)
Alaska’s wild solutions

The US state of Alaska may be known for its rugged wilderness, but it’s also quietly leading a green revolution. We explore how an island community is powering itself through a locally built and managed microgrid - cutting out fossil fuels and slashing energy costs. And we find out how scientists are using native mushrooms to produce sustainable building insulation and cold fish storage boxes that could help promote sustainability both in Alaska and beyond.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. 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
Reporter: Anna Holligan
Producer: Peter Devlin
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: Grizzly bear in Katmai National Park, Alaska, Getty Images)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rcb65q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70tl)
Reporting the impact of  the Gaza ceasefire

Following the ceasefire in Gaza, this week has seen the release of hostages and prisoners on both sides and the beginning of the return of the remains of some of the deceased. Over the past two years, The Fifth Floor has been speaking to language service colleagues reporting on the conflict. This week, we reconnect with them to find out how networks of citizens on both sides have informed and provided new perspectives on their reporting. Amira Dakroury checked in from the BBC's Cairo Bureau where she's part of the team producing Middle East Diaries, formerly Gaza Lifeline; and from Tel Aviv, BBC Arabic's Michael Shuval reflected on reporting the stories of hostage families.

Dr Tri Maharani's videos about how to treat snake bites are beginning to be well known in Indonesia. For fifteen years, she's worked to improve outcomes for snakebite victims in her country, where only one antivenom is currently available, but more than eighty species of poisonous snake are a threat. BBC Indonesian's Astudestra Ajengrastri spoke to her.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.

Presented by Faranak Amidi
Produced by Laura Thomas and Caroline Ferguson


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rmyng)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75mbnv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rcb9xv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 Trending (w3ct72tq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6vzj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rn2dl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 The Evidence (w3ct70sc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:06 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rn64q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zss9zy8sbqb)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rn9wv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702j)
Can Mumbai cope with a changing monsoon?

Mumbai is India’s economic engine, but every rainy season this megacity comes to a virtual standstill as torrential rains flood streets, homes and transport networks. In 2005, Mumbai faced one of its worst floods on record – and experts warn that climate change could make future rainfall even more intense.

This week, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore what’s happening with Mumbai and the mighty monsoon – and how a city of more than 20 million people can adapt to a wetter, more unpredictable future.

They hear from BBC Marathi correspondent Janhavee Moole and Zerin Osho, Director of the India Programme at the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, about the challenges to India’s financial capital.

Guests:
Janhavee Moole, BBC Marathi
Zerin Osho, Director, India Programme, Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development

Production Team: Jordan Dunbar, Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, Joe McCartney, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle
Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question? Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rcbp57)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tyx)
Positive news stories


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rnfmz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqr9j1920f)
Live Sporting Action

Sportsworld this Sunday has commentary of one of the biggest rivalries in football as Liverpool take on Manchester United at Anfield. Can Liverpool end their three-match losing run or will Manchester United add to the champions’ problems with their first win at Anfield since 2016?

The former Liverpool and Tottenham defender Steven Caulker joins Delyth Lloyd to look back over that and all the weekend’s Premier League action.

With just six rounds to go of the Formula One season, the battle to win the Drivers’ Championship is hotting up, and we’ll be in Austin, Texas to look ahead to the race. And we bring you the latest from the Women’s Cricket World Cup where co-hosts India take on England.

Photo: Harry Maguire of Manchester United in action during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United FC at Anfield on January 05, 2025. (Credit: Manchester United via Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rnxmh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75n9mw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rcc8ww)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 World of Secrets (w3ct854q)
Death in Dubai

Death in Dubai: 4. The right hand man

A key insider agrees to talk. He says he worked at the centre of this illegal prostitution ring. Why is he speaking out now? And what can he tell us about the world Monic was caught up in, and the man she was working for? We follow in Monic’s footsteps to the glitzy clubs and bars where we are told she was sent.
This episode includes discussion of sex and abuse.

Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.

Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service.

Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.

If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org

For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubai

If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rp1cm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72wp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rp53r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zss9zy8t9pc)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rp8vw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rccn48)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z5f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


SUN 22:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:50 on Saturday]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rpdm0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl9y75nsmd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rccrwd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70tl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]

MONDAY 20 OCTOBER 2025

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwvt0rpjc4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6ts3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxp7rccwmj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yg0)
Paris agreement impacts and drought realities

Ten years on from the Paris climate agreement, has it helped? Also, an international drought experiment, insights from 2D water, and social distancin in ants.


Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alex Mansfield
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

(Photo: Small bushfire. Credit: Lea Scaddan/Getty Images)


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwww591thcf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgswct)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nhvmt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6swl)
The Life Scientific: Brian Schmidt

Have you ever pondered the fact that the universe is expanding? And not only that, it's expanding at an increasing speed - meaning everything around us is getting further and further away?

If that isolating thought makes you feel slightly panicked, don't worry: this programme also contains wine!

Brian Schmidt is a Distinguished Professor of Astrophysics at the Australian National University, known for his work on supernovae: massive explosions that take place when stars come to the ends of their lives. They are among the most energetic events in the universe and incredibly difficult to find; but that’s what his High-Z Supernova Search Team did, identifying enough of these rare and distant explosions to measure just how fast they were moving away from us.

This led them to the realisation that, contrary to long-held belief in cosmology, the expansion of the universe was speeding up; a discovery which earned Brian a share of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics. As if that wasn't enough, he's gone on to discover one of the earliest stars in the universe; run a university; and become a winemaker, at his very own vineyard just outside Canberra.

In a conversation spanning the genius phraseology of writer Douglas Adams, the importance of pisco sours, and the similarities between astronomy and viticulture, Brian tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili how his supernovae breakthrough paved the way for a revolution in astronomy - and where the field needs to go next...

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor
Revised for World Service by Minnie Harrop


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwww591tm3k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgt03y)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nhzcy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stb)
Can we record our senses?

How would you record a special moment? Maybe you could take a photograph, film a little video, or record some audio. We have lots of ways of recording what life LOOKS and SOUNDS like, but is the same true for the other senses? What if you wanted to record the smells that greet you on entering your favourite restaurant? Or record the way your loved ones hand feels in yours?

These are the questions on the mind of listener Aravind, from California in the USA. He wants to know if there are any ways of recording and reproducing sensory experiences like taste and smell, or physical touch.

Anand Jagatia is on the case, and is smelling, tasting, and quite literally FEELING his way to the answer. From a multi-sensory movie experience in Valencia, Spain, to the fascinating history of the pioneers of ‘scented cinema’, through to the ground-breaking “haptic technology” which is enhancing the capabilities of our sense of touch. Both for us, and for the robots which do the jobs we don’t want to.



Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Emily Knight

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Woman making ASMR sounds with microphone and perfume on yellow background, closeup - stock photo. Credit: Liudmila Chernetska via Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwww591tqvp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xy6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nj342)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z5f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


MON 03:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:50 on Saturday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwww591tvlt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgt7m6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nj6w6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct709b)
Using sound as a tool for conservation

What can the sounds of the natural world tell us about the health of our ecosystems? Datshiane Navanayagam talks two sound ecologists in Scotland and Australia about using soundscape monitoring as a tool to help in conservation work.

Dr Elizabeth Znidersic is an Australian ecologist who has worked extensively in the US and in Tasmania with the Parks and Wildlife Service. Her current project, 'Eavesdropping on wetland birds' uses sound recorders to detect secretive marsh birds and she is about embark on a world-first trial, looking into the effectiveness of using call-playback systems to help restore terrestrial ecosystems.

Dr Denise Risch is a marine mammal ecologist and senior lecturer at the Scottish Association for Marine Science. For twenty years, she’s been involved in the study of aquatic soundscapes and investigates how marine species are impacted by man-made noise pollution. She’s been involved in a project which uses underwater microphones to measure turbine noise in Pentland Firth strait and another, to establish the effects of acoustic signals on harbour porpoises in Scottish waters.

(Image: (L) Dr Elizabeth Znidersic courtesy Dr Elizabeth Znidersic. (R) Dr Denise Risch credit Jonny Reid.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwww591tzby)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgsccj)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwww591v332)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgsh3n)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwww591v6v6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgslvs)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwww591vblb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x08)
Dr Vivek Murthy: loneliness is public health risk

‘There are real consequences to our physical and mental health’

Katty Kay speaks to Dr Vivek Murthy, former US Surgeon-General about the challenge posed by loneliness and isolation in the modern world.

Dr. Murthy, the first person of Indian descent in the post, was appointed during the second Obama administration. He then returned in 2021, serving until the beginning of this year.

The Surgeon-General’s job is to provide the American public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury. They also oversee the country’s 6,000 public health professionals who respond to national health threats and public health crises.

It was during his second term, under the Biden administration, that Dr. Murthy first started expressing concern about the impact of social media on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. He described the loneliness epidemic of social isolation as a risk to public health akin to smoking and diabetes.

In this interview, he examines the scale of the challenge posed by loneliness and how artificial intelligence, or AI, on the one hand is being used to tackle it, but may also be simultaneously adding to the problem.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Katty Kay
Producers: Ben Cooper, Aiden Johnson and Ilyas Kirmani
Editor: Justine Lang

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0njpvq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6ry8)
Can China’s debt problem be solved?

As China’s Communist Party conclave gets underway, we take a look at one of the biggest things affecting the country’s economy; debt.

2024 saw an estimated 25 - 34 million people default on their personal loans while household debt has now reached more than 60% of GDP.

With the government using subsidies and handouts to get people spending, can China’s debt problem be solved?

Presenter: Ed Butler / Producer: Matt Lines

(Image: Diners in Shanghai, China during Golden Week, 2024. Credit: Getty Images)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct746r)
The British oil tanker sunk in Indonesia

In 1958, the British oil tanker, SS San Flaviano, was sunk in the harbour of Balikpapan, Indonesia, while a rebellion was underway against President Ahmed Sukarno.

It’s reported the bomb was dropped by a CIA pilot authorised to aid the rebels, but confirming their involvement has required some investigating.

Megan Jones has been looking into it and speaking to Joseph McCorry who was forced to evacuate the ship after seeing the bomb drop.

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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Joseph McCorry at training school. Credit: Joseph McCorry)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwww591vgbg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgtvbv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0njtlv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwww591vl2l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71wf)
Nordic Noir and the Moomins

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.

Indian-based author and podcaster Purba Chakraborty talks about the history of fiction writing.

We hear about the rise in popularity of 'Nordic Noir', following the publication of Henning Mankell's crime novels.

Then we listen to BBC archive of writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges - regarded as one of the most influential Latin American writers in history.

Plus, the trial of two Soviet writers, Yuli Daniel and Andrei Sinyavsky, accused of smuggling their works to the west.

Helen Fielding looks back at her weekly newspaper column about a 30-something, single woman in London, which became a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s.

The niece of Finnish writer and artist Tove Jansson talks about her iconic Moomin books - which have been published in more than 60 languages.

And finally, we hear the personal story of young Nepalese athlete Mira Rai, which shocked the ultra-running world.

Contributors:
Anneli Høier - literary agent.
Jorge Luis Borges - short story writer and poet.
Purba Chakraborty - writer and podcaster.
Andrei Sinyavsky - Russian writer and Soviet dissident.
Alexander Daniel - son of Yuli Daniel, Russian writer and Soviet dissident.
Helen Fielding - journalist and writer.
Sophia Jansson - niece of Tove Jansson, author and artist.
Mira Rai - Nepalese trail runner.

(Photo: Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell and a copy of one of his books. Credit: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwww591vptq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgv2v3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nk233)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct7172)
The Global Story

.


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwww591vtkv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wq9)
The baby-dinosaur hunter who ended up in Hollywood

Jack Horner inspired a character in Jurassic Park after the dino discovery of a lifetime.

Jack has been fascinated by fossils for as long as he can remember. He spent his childhood digging around in the fossil-rich earth of Montana, as his father was involved in the gravel-extraction business. By the age of eight he was rewarded with his first big treasure – a real piece of dinosaur bone. As Jack's fossil collection grew, so did his passion for palaeontology. But he struggled at school, where severe undiagnosed dyslexia led his teachers and parents to write him off as lazy and spoiled. He pushed on regardless and in 1978 made a life-changing find: the world's first baby-dinosaur skeletons, and evidence that dinosaur parents cared for and raised their young like many modern birds. The discovery made front-page headlines around the world, and led to awards and accolades Jack had never thought possible. It also brought him to the attention of author Michael Crichton, who based a lead character in his hit book, Jurassic Park, on Jack. And when the call came from Stephen Spielberg to come and advise on the movie version, his fame as a dinosaur expert hit a whole new level. Jack was then himself inspired by the movie, and supervised one of his students in extracting DNA from a T. rex. It didn't work – but it led to his current 'Dino Chicken' project, where he is discovering how to bring ancient dinosaur features back to life in modern birds so he can finally have a pet dinosaur of his own.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Anna Lacey and Lucy Davies

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

(Photo: Palaeontologist Jack Horner on a sandy and rocky dig site, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and an orange shirt. There is another man in the background looking at fossils. Credit: Jack Horner)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct746r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwww591vy9z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgvbbc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nk9lc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct709b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwww591w223)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6l06mq)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwww591w5t7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x08)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nkk2m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6ry8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct81ny)
World Business Express - Finance, economy and business news from BBC journalists around the world. The stories that matter: World Business Express brings you the essentials on the fast-changing global economy. What forces are driving the markets and industry? Hear unique insight from top CEOs, investors, economic thinkers and small business bosses.
From global trade, to oil and food prices and the rise of artificial intelligence, to the corporate crashes and standout entrepreneur start-ups, the BBC World Service brings you trusted reporting. We’ll explain how the top stories impact your own finances.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwww591w9kc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9fy5pb)
2025/10/20 15:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwww591wf9h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9fy9fg)
2025/10/20 16:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwww591wk1m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wq9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct746r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwww591wnsr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgw1t4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nl124)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z5m)
2025/10/20 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 (w172zwww591wsjw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6ts3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nl4t8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6swm)
The Life Scientific: Tim Coulson

As a young man, traveling in Africa, Tim Coulson - now Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford - became seriously ill with malaria and was told a second bout would probably kill him. Aged only 20, this brush with his own mortality led him to promise himself he would write a complete guide to science: life, the universe and everything. His aim was to understand the existence of all living things - no mean feat!

Over the course of a colourful career, Tim's work has taken him all over the world: including researching wolves in Yellowstone National Park, little fish called guppies in the rivers of Trinidad and silvereye birds on Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Using complicated mathematical models he builds up a picture of ecosystems seeking to explain how predators impact both evolution and ecosystems. And finally, more than thirty years after he vowed to write the book that would explain everything we know about science, he's done just that.

In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Tim talks about his journey from youthful ambition to science demystifier.

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Geraldine Fitzgerald
Revised for World Service by Minnie Harrop


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwww591wx90)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6l11vm)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwww591x114)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Interview (w3ct7x08)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nld9j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 The Conversation (w3ct709b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwww591x4s8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgwjsn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nlj1n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76tf)
First broadcast 20/10/2025 21:32 GMT

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

TUESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2025

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwww591x8jd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71wf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwww591xd8j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgws8x)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nlrjx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct7172)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwww591xj0n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgwx11)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nlw91)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rc6)
Drugs, Overdose, Hope, Nevada

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from drug overdose since the opioid crisis began in the US more than two decades ago. It’s fentanyl, a potent, synthetic opioid, mass produced in Mexico, that drove the increasing number of deaths. Now narcotics-related fatalities have fallen overall in the US. But that doesn’t mean fewer people are dying everywhere. In Nevada, those mortality statistics have continued to increase. For Assignment, Linda Pressly visits Las Vegas and Reno to find out why this desert state is bucking the trend.

Producers: Linda Pressly and Tim Mansel

(Image: Debris at the mouth of a storm drain that runs under the city of Las Vegas. Thousands of people live in the drains, many of them people with substance abuse issues. Credit: Tim Mansel/BBC)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwww591xmrs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wq9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct746r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwww591xrhx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgx4j9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nm3s9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vv1)
Carl Brandon Strehlke

Art historian Carl Brandon Stehlke is a world expert on the great fifteenth-century Florentine painter Fra Angelico, and this is his dream project: a historic, once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of the artist's work at the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco in Florence. The show brings together more than 140 works from 70 different lenders and reunites the sections of Angelico's great altarpieces, scattered when Napoleon closed the city's churches and convents in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, now fully restored and seen together for the first time in two hundred years.

Carl takes Maria Margaronis through the process of mounting such a massive exhibition from conception to grand opening. In the restorers' studios she hears how new technologies are revealing the limpid colours of paintings once thought beyond repair. And in the stillness of the San Marco convent Carl explains how Angelico's intimate, deeply humane frescos guided the friars' meditation and spiritual life, and how he fell in love with the artist's work nearly fifty years ago. Music from 15th century Florence courtesy of Piffaro, The Renaissance Band.

Presented and produced by Maria Margaronis.


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwww591xw81)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgw88m)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwww591y005)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgwd0r)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwww591y3r9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgwhrw)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwww591y7hf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xy7)
Harnessing the wind to keep us cool

Many cities are becoming unpleasant to live in: they are getting hotter due to climate change and all the heat absorbed by the streets and buildings. But Stuttgart in Germany has been tackling this by carefully studying local wind patterns. Using the natural airflow they are cooling the city by creating corridors of wind from the surrounding hills.  It’s an idea which is being copied by cities around the world such as Singapore. There we see how new buildings are being designed to allow a breeze to flow despite the continued development.

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

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: Richard Kenny
Singapore reporter: Tessa Wong
With thanks to: Indrawan Prabaharyaka
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Richard Hassell of WOHA architects in the Punggol Digital district of Singapore, BBC)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nmlrt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s79)
Why are medical students going to Bulgaria?

We head to the Eastern European country to find out why it's become so popular with people from the UK and elsewhere in the world, who are going there to study medicine.

And we hear how Bulgaria is dealing with its own issues in retaining healthcare workers, as it faces a 'brain drain' to other countries and sectors.

Produced and presented by Gill Dummigan

(Image: An international student in a tuition session in Plovdiv, Bulgaria)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74nb)
Wangari Maathai: The first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize

In 2004, the Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, a grass-roots organisation empowering local women to plant trees. It spread to other African countries and contributed to the planting of over 30 million trees. In 2016, Alex Last spoke to her daughter, Wanjira.

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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Wangari Maathai standing outside the Green Belt Movement. Credit: William F. Campbell/Getty Images)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwww591yc7k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgxr7y)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nmqhy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rc6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwww591ygzp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwww591ylqt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgxzr6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nmz06)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71cl)
The Global Story

.


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwww591yqgy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4z)
Outlook

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74nb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwww591yv72)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgy77g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nn6hg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vv1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwww591yyz6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6l33jt)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwww591z2qb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xy7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nnfzq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s79)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct81p4)
World Business Express - Finance, economy and business news from BBC journalists around the world. The stories that matter: World Business Express brings you the essentials on the fast-changing global economy. What forces are driving the markets and industry? Hear unique insight from top CEOs, investors, economic thinkers and small business bosses.
From global trade, to oil and food prices and the rise of artificial intelligence, to the corporate crashes and standout entrepreneur start-ups, the BBC World Service brings you trusted reporting. We’ll explain how the top stories impact your own finances.


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwww591z6gg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9g12lf)
2025/10/21 15:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwww591zb6l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9g16bk)
2025/10/21 16:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwww591zfyq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74nb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwww591zkpv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgyyq7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nnxz7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zb4)
2025/10/21 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 (w172zwww591zpfz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rc6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0np1qc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zpf)
Tech Life discovers and explains the ways technology is changing our lives, wherever we are in the world.


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwww591zt63)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6l3yrq)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwww591zxy7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xy7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0np96m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vv1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwww59201pc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgzfpr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0npdyr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76bq)
First broadcast 21/10/2025 21:32 GMT

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER 2025

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwww59205fh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwww592095m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgzp60)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0npng0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71cl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwww5920dxr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hgzsy4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nps64)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct702j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwww5920jnw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74nb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwww5920nf0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh01fd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nq0pd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 Cyber Hack (w3ct89y8)
Evil Corp

1. Zeus

Moscow drag racers, an opulent Russian wedding and a malware code named after the Greek god of thunder - how do they all connect? A cyber-sleuth and “dark hero of the internet” Lawrence Baldwin sees signs of an emerging underworld. As money vanishes from accounts across the US, Lawrence follows the trail, infiltrating the gang - holding out for clues. But who are these audacious hackers?

Hosted by Joe Tidy, the BBC’s cyber correspondent – one of the few Western journalists to have met an alleged member of Evil Corp – and the Sarah Rainsford, who spent more than two decades reporting from Moscow.


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwww5920s54)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgz55q)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwww5920wx8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgz8xv)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwww59210nd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrgzdnz)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwww59214dj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x71)
The Interview

Conversations with people shaping our world. The best interviews from the BBC.


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nqhnx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sct)
Can you buy your way into a job?

We look at a growing industry where candidates are spending on career coaching, résumé redesigns, AI tools, and job boards.

In a tough job market, with companies cutting staff due to artificial intelligence and rising costs, is this the way to get ahead?

We talk to job seekers about whether these tools really help and share what you can do to find work without spending money.

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer: Sam Gruet

(Image: Giovanna Ventola, who runs an online community for jobhunters. Credit: Frank Ventola)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74ql)
The UK’s first black-owned music studio

Sonny Roberts, a Jamaican carpenter, arrived in Britain in the 1950s. It was a time of racial disharmony, including the Notting Hill riots and the murder of Kelso Cochrane. In this tense atmosphere, black musicians struggled to make a name for themselves. Then in 1961, Roberts set up the UK’s first black-owned music studio, Planetone, in a basement in Kilburn.

The studio gave the Caribbean community a musical platform. In later years, Roberts produced Nigerian band Nkengas’ album, Destruction - one of the earliest examples of Afrobeat in the UK. His 1987 production of Judy Boucher's Can't Be with You Tonight reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, beaten only by Madonna.

Roberts laid the foundations for black British music. Ben Henderson speaks to his daughter, Cleon Roberts.

This programme contains outdated and offensive language.

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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Sonny Roberts in 1982. Credit: David Corio/Redferns via Getty images)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwww592184n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh0n51)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nqmf1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct702j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwww5921cws)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct831r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwww5921hmx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh0wn9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nqvx9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71fv)
.


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwww5921md1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcw)
Outlook

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74ql)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwww5921r45)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh144k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nr3dk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 Cyber Hack (w3ct89y8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwww5921vw9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6l60fx)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwww5921zmf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x71)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nrbwt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sct)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct81pb)
World Business Express - Finance, economy and business news from BBC journalists around the world. The stories that matter: World Business Express brings you the essentials on the fast-changing global economy. What forces are driving the markets and industry? Hear unique insight from top CEOs, investors, economic thinkers and small business bosses.
From global trade, to oil and food prices and the rise of artificial intelligence, to the corporate crashes and standout entrepreneur start-ups, the BBC World Service brings you trusted reporting. We’ll explain how the top stories impact your own finances.


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwww59223ck)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9g3zhj)
2025/10/22 15:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwww592273p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9g437n)
2025/10/22 16:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwww5922bvt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74ql)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwww5922gly)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh1vmb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nrtwb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zdd)
2025/10/22 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 (w172zwww5922lc2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nrymg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vk0)
Health Check

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwww5922q36)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6l6vnt)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwww5922tvb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Interview (w3ct7x71)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0ns63q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 Cyber Hack (w3ct89y8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwww5922ylg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh2blv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0ns9vv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76jd)
First broadcast 22/10/2025 21:32 GMT

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER 2025

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwww59232bl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct831r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwww592362q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh2l33)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nskc3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71fv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwww59239tv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh2pv7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nsp37)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct8cb9)
Surf And Spirits

Off the coast of Java lies G-Land, one of the world’s most legendary surf breaks—framed by a forest ancient Javanese belief says belongs to spirits, not humans. Despite Java being one of the most crowded islands on earth, this sacred jungle has remained largely untouched. In the 1970s, surfer Bobby Radiasa arrived, and found both myth and magic in its waves. He tells the extraoridnary story of how surfing transformed his life and how G-land became part of him.


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwww5923fkz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74ql)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwww5923kb3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh2ybh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nsxlh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70z4)
The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwww5923p27)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrh222t)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwww5923stc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrh25ty)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwww5923xkh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrh29l2)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwww592419m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct7237)
Can Benin win back its diaspora?

Benin has long tried to highlight its role in the transatlantic slave trade through monuments and memorials in the country, in the hope it would attract tourism.

Now it has a new plan.

It is offering citizenship to descendants of enslaved Africans around the world.

US singers Lauryn Hill and Ciara received their citizenship in July. Filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee have also been made Benin’s ambassadors to the African-American population in America.

The move is an attempt to attract talent and money to its shores and showcase the nation’s culture and traditions to a wider audience.

This week on The Inquiry we’re asking: Can Benin win back its diaspora?

Contributors:
Dr Bayo Holsey, Association Professor, African American Studies and Anthropology at Emory University, United States
Ana Lucia Araujo, Professor in the Department of History at Howard University, United States
Dr Leonard Wantchekon, Founder and President of the African School of Economics
Tonya Lewis Lee, filmmaker and entrepreneur

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Daniel Rosney
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Technical producer: Nicky Edwards
Production Co-ordinator: Hattie Valentine
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: Ciara receiving citizenship of Benin. Credit: Government of Benin)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0ntdl0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s2s)
Business Daily

The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74jx)
The discovery that led to weight loss injections and treatments for diabetes

In the 1980s, scientists made a discovery that would eventually lead to the development of drugs now used worldwide to treat diabetes and to help people manage obesity through weight loss injections.

One of the key scientists behind this breakthrough was Svetlana Mojsov. She discovered that a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) plays an important role in how our bodies respond to food.

Svetlana’s work laid the foundation for a drug company to develop treatments based on GLP-1 — first for type 2 diabetes, and later for weight loss. She tells Gill Kearsley her 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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Injection pens. Credit: Carsten Snejbjerg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwww592451r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh3k24)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0ntjb4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8cb9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwww59248sw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ysp)
The Media Show

Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin. Exploring the important questions about long-running stories and the latest global news. An honest, unvarnished, explanation of the world.


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0ntn28)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 World of Secrets (w3ct854r)
Death in Dubai

Death in Dubai: 5. The reality of ‘Porta Potty’

The story behind the viral Dubai Porta Potty rumours and why, even in death, Monic became the subject of an online witch hunt. Meanwhile we go undercover – are we getting closer to Monic’s boss? And a breakthrough in the quest to find where she is buried.

This episode includes discussion of disturbing events, including sexual abuse and violence. It also contains racist language.

Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.

Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service, produced in association with Thread Studios.

Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.

Audio for this episode was updated on 22nd September 2025.

If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org

For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubai

If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwww5924dk0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh3skd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0ntrtd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct719b)
.


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwww5924j94)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wy2)
Outlook

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74jx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwww5924n18)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh411n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nv09n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70z4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwww5924rsd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6l8xc0)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwww5924wjj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct7237)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nv7sx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s2s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct81pj)
World Business Express - Finance, economy and business news from BBC journalists around the world. The stories that matter: World Business Express brings you the essentials on the fast-changing global economy. What forces are driving the markets and industry? Hear unique insight from top CEOs, investors, economic thinkers and small business bosses.
From global trade, to oil and food prices and the rise of artificial intelligence, to the corporate crashes and standout entrepreneur start-ups, the BBC World Service brings you trusted reporting. We’ll explain how the top stories impact your own finances.


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwww592508n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9g6wdm)
2025/10/23 15:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwww592540s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9g704r)
2025/10/23 16:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwww59257rx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wy2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74jx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwww5925cj1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh4rjf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nvqsf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z7w)
2025/10/23 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 (w172zwww5925h85)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct8cb9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nvvjk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yg1)
Science in Action

The BBC brings you all the week's science news.


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwww5925m09)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6l9rkx)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwww5925qrf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Inquiry (w3ct7237)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nw30t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70z4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwww5925vhk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh57hy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nw6ry)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct75y9)
First broadcast 23/10/2025 21:32 GMT

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER 2025

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwww5925z7p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ysp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nwbj2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78c1)
Unspun World with John Simpson

The BBC's world affairs editor, John Simpson, uses his experience and expertise to examine the most important international stories. Drawing on the unique local knowledge of the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, he goes beyond the headlines to get to the unspun truth about the world.


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwww59262zt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh5h06)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nwg86)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct719b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwww59266qy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh5lrb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nwl0b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zpf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwww5926bh2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wy2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74jx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwww5926g76)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh5v7l)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nwthl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpj)
The right thing: A deal with God

***This programme contains references to sexual abuse which some listeners may find upsetting***
Since the 1950s, North Korea has been an authoritarian, isolationist state, and in practice there is no freedom of religion. Timothy Cho and his schoolteacher parents had learned to distrust and even fear Christianity. But the faith was going to play a significant role in Timothy’s life.

At the age of nine, Timothy returned from school, to find that his parents had fled the country, leaving him behind. So, at the age of 17, he decided to follow them, only to be captured by Chinese soldiers when he crossed the border and returned to prison in North Korea.

Timothy made his second attempt at escape in the same year, and this time he was successful, arriving in the city of Shanghai with a group of other North Korean refugees. The group broke into the American school in Shanghai, thinking they would get asylum that way, but the school handed them over to the Chinese police.

Back in prison, feeling hopeless and fearful, Timothy met a South Korean gangster, who taught him how to pray. Timothy made a deal with God, that if God gave him his freedom, he would dedicate his life to his faith.

Mike Wooldridge hears the story of Timothy’s escape, how he made his way to England, eventually finding work with the British government. And how he has kept his side of the deal, fighting for human rights in his home country, with Christianity playing a key role in his life. Mike asks if Timothy believes he did the right thing, making his deal with God back in his prison cell in Shanghai.


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwww5926kzb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrh4yzx)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwww5926pqg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrh52r1)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwww5926tgl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zspvnrh56h5)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwww5926y6q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 Americast (w3ct7t63)
Join Americast for insights and analysis on what's happening inside Trump's White House.


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nx9h3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rsr)
Business Daily

The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct744h)
The man who invented the scratch card

In May 1974, scratch cards went on sale for the first time in the US State of Massachusetts.

Free giveaway and coupon games from stores had been commonplace across the USA during the 1950s and 60s – but players could easily cheat.

The mathematician John Koza was hired to make the games more secure; he succeeded in making the modern-day scratch card.

He’s told Johnny I’Anson how he convinced the state-run lotteries to use his invention to offer cash prizes.

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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: The original scratch card. Credit: Massachusetts State Lottery)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwww59271yv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh6fz7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nxf77)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yg1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwww59275pz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72wq)
The news you know, the science you don’t. Unexpected Elements looks beyond everyday narratives to discover a goldmine of scientific stories and connections from around the globe. From Afronauts, to why we argue, to a deep dive on animal lifespans: see the world in a new way with Unexpected Elements.


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwww59279g3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh6pgh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nxnqh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct714t)
The Global Story

.


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwww5927f67)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6whj)
Outlook

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct744h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwww5927jyc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh6xyr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nxx6r)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwww5927nph)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6lct83)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwww5927sfm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 Americast (w3ct7t63)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0ny4q0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rsr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct81pq)
World Business Express - Finance, economy and business news from BBC journalists around the world. The stories that matter: World Business Express brings you the essentials on the fast-changing global economy. What forces are driving the markets and industry? Hear unique insight from top CEOs, investors, economic thinkers and small business bosses.
From global trade, to oil and food prices and the rise of artificial intelligence, to the corporate crashes and standout entrepreneur start-ups, the BBC World Service brings you trusted reporting. We’ll explain how the top stories impact your own finances.


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwww5927x5r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9g9s9q)
2025/10/24 15:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwww59280xw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w1730680l9g9x1v)
2025/10/24 16:06 GMT

BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwww59284p0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6whj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct744h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwww59288f4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh7nfj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nympj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z3c)
2025/10/24 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 (w172zwww5928d58)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rn7)
BBC OS Conversations

How major news stories are affecting the lives of people around the world


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nyrfn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stc)
Should we help maggots and caterpillars?

We all know insects are important, but one CrowdScience listener worries that they don’t seem to have equal billing when it comes to human love and attention.

In Scotland’s capital Edinburgh, listener Rachel loves to sit and listen to the birds, the bees and the hoverflies as they go about their daily chores. And it’s got her wondering why bees and butterflies seem to get all the conservation efforts.

What do we need to do to protect butterflies when they're less beautiful caterpillars, or ladybirds when they're less glamorous larvae? Are people even aware that insects exist in multiple stages of a lifecycle, and that around the world, insect populations are facing perilous levels of decline?

Presenter Alex Lathbridge is on a mission to identify the other unsung insect heroes. We meet the midge that pollinates cocoa crops in Ghana, the billions of hoverflies used in Britain to keep strawberries free from pests and chemicals and we learn what we can all do to help keep insects in our gardens… even if that means sacrificing a cabbage or two.


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwww5928hxd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zssbc6ldnh0)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwww5928mnj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 Americast (w3ct7t63)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nyzxx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwww5928rdn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlb9hh84f1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxpm0nz3p1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76nx)
First broadcast 24/10/2025 21:32 GMT

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.