SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2025

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3sz7x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x1)
The unexpected science behind Klimt's artwork

The Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Gustav Klimt has recently sold for $236m, making it the second-most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.

Inspired by this headline, the Unexpected Elements team delve into the story of how microbiology may have influenced Klimt’s work.

Speaking of microbiology, we find out that bacteria could help restore frescoes to their former glory.

We also get on the line with Dr Siyakha Mguni, an archaeologist and senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town, who tells us about ancient artworks far older than anything Klimt ever painted.

Plus, the world’s biggest spider’s web, and why mosquitoes are impressive 3D printers.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Edd Gent
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Alice McKee, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3t301)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jsh0f)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqhg8f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct7154)
When popes get political

Pope Leo is on his first official visit abroad, and there are already signs he’s willing to use his position to speak out on controversial matters. His recent comments about abortion and the rights of migrants have created headlines in the United States, and raised eyebrows from some conservatives who see the first American pope challenging President Trump’s policies.

It wouldn't be the first time that a pope has weighed in on politics. From Nazism to communism and the Cold War, from refugees to climate change, popes have used their position to influence global affairs.

In this episode we speak to author and presenter Edward Stourton, who has covered religious affairs and the USA extensively for the BBC, about what power Pope Leo XIV has, and what lessons he can learn from his predecessors.

Producers: Lucy Pawle and Sam Chantarasak

Executive producers: James Shield and Bridget Harney

Senior news editor: China Collins

Mix: Travis Evans

Image: Pope Leo XIV visits Ankara, Turkey on 27 November. Vatican Media Handout/EPA/Shutterstock


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3t6r5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jslrk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqhl0k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zk7)
Ashes 2025: Gillespie on Bazball, bowling and Brisbane

After the first two-day Ashes Test match since 1921 and an Australian victory to leave the hosts 1-0 up in the series, Alison Mitchell, Corbin Middlemas and Charu Sharma are joined by former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie. He shares where he thinks it went wrong for England, if they should be playing against the President’s XI, if Travis Head should be the new permanent opener for Australia and the proficiency of the hosts in pink ball Tests.

Plus, South Africa beat India by 408 runs to win their two match Test series away from home 2-0. It is India’s heaviest loss and Temba Bavuma’s eleventh win out of twelve as captain of the Proteas. Charu Sharma assesses the mood in India and tells us where the future lies for head coach Gautam Gambhir.

And India have now won their second cricket World Cup in the space of a month. India cricket journalist Annesha Ghosh tells us more about the inaugural Blind Women’s T20 World Cup and how the victory can change the perception of disability sport in the country.

Photo: Travis Head of Australia raises his bat after scoring 100 runs during day two of the First 2025/26 Ashes Series Test Match between Australia and England at Perth Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Photo:


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3tbh9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6whv)
Outlook Mixtape: Unseen yet powerful

While Silicon Valley moguls revel in their wealth, Tim Berners-Lee, the man behind the first web browser, has never sought money or fame. He tells us where his values come from and why his children were told not to mention his work at school.

Afghan medical physicist Shakardokht Jafari is developing an innovative way of improving cancer care which was inspired by common glass beads. But when she was a child refugee in Iran her family were determined to marry her off as soon as possible despite her outstanding school performance. The interview was first broadcast in 2023.

Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu is a distinguished British-Nigerian nano-pharmacologist developing medicines on a scale so tiny that they are invisible without an electron microscope. And yet, at the start of her career she was a young woman with three children, no money and nowhere to live.

Japanese student Eimi Haga employed a different invisible technology to write her history project: the secret ink used in the past by Japanese spies called ninjas. The story was first broadcast in 2019.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen

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

(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape spooled halfway through with a white label with The Outlool Mixtape written in black. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct744t)
Ravi and George

Following the Beatles final concert tour, George Harrison travelled to India in 1967 to learn sitar under the renowned musician Ravi Shankar.

Fleeing Beatlemania he travelled in disguise to Mumbai and then to Srinagar in Kashmir.

Listening to BBC archive and using excerpts from a Martin Scorsese documentary, we hear one of the world's most famous guitarists challenge himself to learn a new instrument.

The moment influenced George’s spirituality, his burgeoning solo musical career, as well as the Beatles. It also propelled Ravi Shankar further into the limelight.

The musicians remained lifelong friends. Ravi says they last saw each other on 28 November 2001, the day before George died.

Produced and presented by Surya Elango.

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: George Harrison and Ravi Shankar in 1975. Credit: by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3tg7f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3tkzk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jsyzy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqhy7y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7zzg)
Bill Walton’s The Grateful Team: Ep 1

Bill Walton tells the story of Sarunas Marciulionis’ journey from the USSR to the NBA. Along the way, there’s also a Grateful Dead concert…

It’s Moscow, 1989, and Lithuanian basketball star Sarunas Marciulionis is walking nervously through the airport. If all goes to plan, a new life awaits playing basketball for the NBA in the US. But first, he must cross the Iron Curtain.

Sarunas doesn’t yet know the incredible journey he is about to go on. One which will involve political upheaval, the Olympic games, the US rock band The Grateful Dead - and, of course, tie-dye.

The late NBA star and sports commentator Bill Walton presents this extraordinary true story. Bill passed away in 2024, not long after recording the series, and his family have given permission for its release following his death.

Amazing Sport Stories brings you the greatest twists and personal journeys from sport history. Listen for inspiring tales of courage, drama, myths and legends from all over the globe. All told in mini seasons and one-off documentary episodes. #AmazingSportStories

Amazing Sport Stories: Bill Walton’s The Grateful Team is a Bespoken Media production for the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct6vzw)
Richard Thaler and The Winner’s Curse

In the later part of the 20th century, a pioneering group of economists started shaking up their academic field. These “behavioural economists” used findings from experimental psychology and everyday life to challenge the prevailing view that human beings were rational decision makers – acting in predictable ways to maximize their wealth.

One of those pioneers was Richard Thaler, who noted down some of these “anomalies” in a column in the 1980s, which was turned into a book - The Winner’s Curse - first published in 1992. His work also won him the Nobel memorial prize in economics in 2017.

More than 30 years on, he has returned to that book, publishing a new, updated version with co-author Alex Imas, which looks at whether those anomalies in rational thinking have stood the test of time.

Tim asks him to set out two of his most famous ideas – the winner’s curse itself, and the idea of “mental accounting”.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Sound Mix: Donald MacDonald
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3tpqp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8g86s28fn)
Solar radiation glitch grounds thousands of Airbus jets worldwide

More than 6,000 Airbus A320-family aircraft were briefly grounded after solar radiation was found to interfere with flight-control computers. Most planes will return to service after quick software updates, but older jets need hardware replacements, causing scattered global disruptions.

Also in the programme: in Ukraine,  President Zelensky has called for unity, after his chief of staff resigned. Andriy Yermak stepped down after anti- corruption investigators searched his residence earlier in Kyiv. Mr Yermak headed the Ukrainian delegation at talks about ending the war with Russia.

And we talk to a former schoolgirl who was kidnapped in Nigeria in 2014. Rebecca Ishaku managed to escape by jumping off a truck as it was being driven by Boko Haram militants. Kidnappings in the country have been an ongoing issue for many years. Most notoriously in April 2014, the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, in Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria.

 Our guests today: Momtaza Mehri, a writer, poet and researcher and Andreas Østhagen, Research Director for Arctic and Ocean Politics at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Norway. PHOTO CREDIT: An Airbus passenger aircraft by Austrian Airlines / REUTERS


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3ttgt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8g86s2d5s)
Deadly Drone Strike Hits Kyiv Amid Peace Talks

In Ukraine, a drone attack overnight has killed one man and injured several others in the capital Kyiv. This comes after President Zelensky 's chief of staff resigned. Andriy Yermak stepped down after anti- corruption investigators searched his residence earlier in Kyiv. Mr Yermak headed the Ukrainian delegation at talks about ending the war with Russia.
Also in the programme, we discuss the use of bamboo as a material for construction.  About one billion people in warm, tropical climates live in homes made from bamboo and that's because it's easy to grow, durable and sustainable.  But it's come under the international spotlight because of the deadly fire at a residential tower block complex in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong on Wednesday.  At least 128 people were killed. 

 And a study published this week in the journal Science, has cast new light on how cats came to be domesticated and part of the daily life of so many human beings.  Apparently, one myth that has been shattered is that cats were domesticated about ten-thousand years ago.

 Our guests today: Momtaza Mehri, a writer, poet and researcher and Andreas Østhagen, Research Director for Arctic and Ocean Politics at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Norway. PHOTO CREDIT: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak walk in Kyiv, Ukraine January 22, 2024 / REUTERS


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3ty6y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8g86s2hxx)
Deadly Russian drone strike hits Kyiv as peace talks loom

A night-time Russian drone assault on Kyiv has killed one man and injured several others, with explosions damaging multiple apartment blocks. The attack comes as Ukrainian negotiators travel to Washington for talks on a revised US peace plan, amid the resignation of key envoy Andriy Yermak.
Also in the programme, the festive holiday season is just around the corner, and the US has kicked it off this week with the Thanksgiving celebrations.

And in the world of music, there's a new piece of work which takes its inspiration from beyond our solar system. Described as a "cosmic tone poem for orchestra" , Exoplanets by the British composer, Robert Laidlow turns what we know of those alien planets observed by telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope, into musical form.

Our guests today: Momtaza Mehri, a writer, poet and researcher and Andreas Østhagen, Research Director for Arctic and Ocean Politics at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Norway. PHOTO CREDIT: Aftermath of a Russian missile and drone attack in Kyiv / REUTERS


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3v1z2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnk)
Brain fog and perimenopause

Earlier this month BBC Tech Editor Zoe Kleinman was about to go live on TV to explain a global outage affecting dozens of websites and apps. Millions would be watching, but she kept forgetting a key technical phrase and had to resort to reading from notes.

The ‘brain fog’ Zoe experienced coincided with perimenopause – the start of the menopause and time in life for women where hormone levels are changing. She wrote about the experience on social media, attracting thousands of views and hundreds of supportive comments.

Zoe says that, at the time, she felt she had failed and her “professional pride had been dented.” We bring together Zoe with two women with similar experiences.

“I thought I was truly coming down with early dementia,” Shantaquilette in Texas tells us. “I was forgetting conversations, losing my train of thought in mid-sentence, and walking into rooms like a Sims character waiting for instructions, it scared me enough to start googling things I had no business googling.”

A recent report from the UK-based women’s rights organisation, The Fawcett Society, found that one in 10 women have even had to leave their jobs as a result of menopause. We bring together Katie in the UK, Karen in South Africa and Geet, an airline pilot in India.

Host: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Ben Davis and Ash Mohamed
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver

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

(Photo: Karen, a menopause coach in South Africa. Credit: Karen)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqjf7g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8bys)
The Donald Trump v Zohran Mamdani Show

In this episode, Sarah and Anthony unpack one of the most surprising political moments of the year - when New York’s incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani met Donald Trump in the Oval Office. After weeks of insulting each other during the mayoral campaign, Republicans and Democrats are still reacting to what turned out to be a very amicable and friendly meeting.

Trump has promised to help Mamdani make New York City a success, and “great again”, but what does this actually mean, and will the US president do it? We also look at how Mamdani will be navigating the wider politics of being a mayor, particularly with midterm elections in 2026. In New York state, can Mamdani persuade his Democratic governor to put up taxes for the wealthiest? And how will he balance maintaining good relations with both Trump and Demoratic socialists in New York?

Meanwhile, with Trump’s ally Elise Stefanik running for governor, how will the Republican campaign deal with the president’s new attitude towards Mamdani?

Sarah and Anthony are joined by Nick Reisman, POLITICO’s Albany Bureau Chief and New York politics expert.

HOSTS:

- Sarah Smith, North America Editor
- Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

GUEST:

- Nick Reisman, Albany Bureau Chief for Politico

GET IN TOUCH:

- Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
- Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
- Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
- Or use #Americast


This episode was made by George Dabby with Adriana Urbano. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.

You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155#

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3v5q6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878p)
Body positive

***The first part of this interview discusses topics that some may find distressing***

At 6ft 4' and over 300 pounds, Welshwoman Rebecca Roberts is the current, and three times winner of the World's Strongest Woman Championship. But for Rebecca competing in displays of great strength is about more than just showing the world that healthy women can have body shapes of all types and sizes. For her the sport was her saviour, a way to boost her self esteem and self worth, and reclaim what had been so cruelly taken from her.

Britain's Emma Finucane did not just have to overcome the physical challenges to become an Olympic champion in Paris, she had to battle her way through the stigma of developing a body built for cycling, where legs are the engine and the muscles, something that does not fit with what a stereotype of what a woman's body should look like.

The global fitness industry is estimated to be worth more than $250 billion and growing. But with so much money at stake, not to mention the health of humanity, what is the best form of training and fitness? Dr Conor Heffernan from Ulster University has recently published his latest book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century. It is a book about the history of the fitness industry intertwined with his own fitness journey

At the Seoul Olympics of 1988 American sprinter Florence Griffith-Joyner became the first American woman to win four medals in a single games. She also broke the world record in the 200m to go along with her 100m record achieved earlier that same year. Both records still stand to this day! But Flo-Jo, as she was nicknamed, was also famous for her flamboyant nails and unique dress sense. In a rare interview, Flo-Jo's husband Al Joyner, remembers her achievements and premature death in 1998.

(Photo: Collectible illustrated tobacco or cigarette card, published in 1938 by Ardath Tobacco Company, depicting a woman demonstrating the two positions for side stretching. Credit: Nextrecord Archives/Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3v9gb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jtpgq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqjnqq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 The Documentary (w3ct8xbt)
Why there is hope for Haiti

Haiti's capital, Port au Prince, is now largely under the control of armed gangs. More than a million people have been displaced from their homes and a new UN-backed force led by Kenya is struggling to restore order. But away from the headlines of chaos and gang violence, Haitians are still resisting and trying to build a life for themselves.

In this special edition of the Global News Podcast, Nick Miles speaks to medics, activists and academics and asks them a simple question - why is there still hope for Haiti?

(Photo: A Kenyan police officer patrols in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as the country faces emergency food insecurity and social and political crisis, 3 October, 2024. Credit: Jean Feguens Regala/Reuters)


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3vf6g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct8cmw)
Young and stateless

What does it mean to belong nowhere? Across the world, millions of people are denied citizenship and live without a country to call their own. It is estimated that half of these are children.

We follow a new generation of young stateless individuals who are reclaiming the narrative. From the corridors of the European Parliament in Brussels, to Hungary where Aleksejs Ivashuk gathers experts and advocates from across Europe for the Apartride Network's Statelessness Awareness Forum Europe – the first conference of its kind, organised and led by stateless people themselves. Among them is Christiana Bukalu, who was born in Germany and founded Statefree, a community for folks like herself who are caught up in this legal limbo.

The majority of people are stateless, hold a special status of non-citizen, or are categorised as "undefined nationality" through no fault of their own – but the onus is often put on the individual to fight for access to rights that citizens take for granted. With insight from long-time experts, we discover how changes in borders, gaps in nationality laws, persecution, complex histories and gender discrimination play a role in the exclusion of millions.

Statelessness is a global yet diverse phenomenon but with many common experiences: we hear what it means to grow up without a passport, to be denied access to education, jobs, and healthcare, to navigate Kafkaesque bureaucracy. Yet this is also a story of resilience, of young people who are holding state actors to account and shaping a global movement for recognition and pride.

Presenter: Allan Little
Producer: Victoria Ferran
A Just Radio production for BBC World Service


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3vjyl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zssfzwmzpj6)
Nigeria's School Kidnapping Crisis

After the kidnapping of hundreds of children, we hear from a Nigerian minister about the difficulties that the government has in providing security to the Nigerian people. The government has declared a nationwide security emergency and ordered the recruitment of 20,000 more police.

Also on the programme: President Trump has said he'll pardon the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who's serving a prison sentence in the United States on drugs and weapons charges; and an award winning children's programme about communist politics in Soviet era East Germany

(Photo: Nana Aisha Shemsudeen teaches her younger siblings and neighbors at her parents' house in Minna following the closure of all government schools due to insecurity in Niger State, Nigeria Credit: Marvellous Durowaiye)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3vnpq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqw9gdh925)
Live Sporting Action

We'll have live Premier League commentary from the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City take on strugglers Leeds United. John Bennett will joined by the former Newcastle, Tottenham and Cameroon defender Seb Bassong and the former Bournemouth and Everton midfielder Dan Gosling to discuss Saturday's matches.

We'll also be in Peru to preview the all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores final between Palmeiras and Flamengo.

Away from football, it's the final sprint race of the Formula One season in Qatar ahead of qualifying for the penultimate Grand Prix of the campaign. Wales face South Africa in the final match of Rugby Union's Autumn Internationals and we'll be in North America for the Thanksgiving games in NFL and NBA.

Photo: Erling Haaland of Manchester City heads towards goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leeds United at Etihad Stadium on May 06, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Credit: Danehouse/Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3w4p7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jvjpm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqkhym)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7zzg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsm)
The Premier League’s first female photographer

In 1986, Magi Haroun began her career in football photography. She would become the first female photographer in the Premier League in the 1990s.

She grew up with close connections to Manchester United. Her uncle was the club’s chairman from 1965 until 1980, and she had a good relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson during his tenure as manager.

She speaks to Tim O’Callaghan and tells him about embarking on a career in a male-dominated field.

She also reveals the unlikely story of how she rescued a cat from Manchester United’s training ground.

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: Magi at Manchester United’s 2-0 win against Coventry City in the Premier League in 1995. Credit: BBC)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3w8fc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Reith Lectures (w3ct8dz4)
Rutger Bregman: 1. Moral revolution

Rutger Bregman's 2025 Reith Lectures, called Moral Revolution, explore the moral decay and un-seriousness of today's elites, drawing historical parallels to past eras of corruption that preceded transformative movements especially the 19th Century campaign to abolish slavery. In his series, he argues that small, committed groups can spark moral revolutions, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and long-term vision.

Bregman advocates for a new "realist utopia" in the face of rapid technological change, promoting ideas like Universal Basic Income, fairer taxation and responsible tech regulation. Finally, he zooms out to reflect on humanity’s strange historical trajectory, warning of the existential risks posed by unchecked AI and urging privileged individuals to take on an active role in shaping a better future.

The Reith Lectures are presented by Anita Anand who chairs a Q&A. The programme was recorded in front of an audience in London.

(Photo: Dutch historian Rutger Bregman is seen during his speech at the Barcelona Thought Biennale. Credit: Paco Freire/Getty Images)


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3wd5h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zv8)
Director Nia DaCosta on her film Hedda

Nikki Bedi talks to director Nia DaCosta about her film Hedda starring Tessa Thompson and is joined by cultural critic Hanna Flint.

Oscar winning British actor Daniel Day-Lewis and his director son Ronan, discuss working together on their film Anemone.

Spanish superstar Rosalia reveals why, and how, she chooses different languages to sing in.

Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston tackles a classic Arthur Miller play with actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

Australian actor Sarah Snook, of Succession fame, talks about her latest series All Her Fault.

And Puerto Rican guitarist Carlos Alomar on collaborating with David Bowie.

Main image: Tessa Thompson as Hedda
Photo credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Audio for this episode was updated on 2nd December 2025.


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3whxm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zssfzwn0nh7)
Venezuela slams Trump's airspace warning

Venezuela has condemned President Trump's warning that its airspace should be considered closed. It called it a colonialist threat and an unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people. Mr Trump's post could lead to travel uncertainty and deter airlines from operating in the area. We hear from the capital Caracas.

Also in the programme: Celebrated British playwright Tom Stoppard has died; and Ukraine's battle against Russia's "shadow fleet"

(Picture: People shop at a market, after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and around Venezuela would be closed entirely, in Caracas, Venezuela. Credit:Reuters)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3wmnr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jw0p4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqkzy4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72dx)
Gunz

In the first of two episodes featuring artists from Africa’s smallest nation, Seychelles, we meet Gunz, one of the country’s most popular musicians. He is a rapper known for his freestyling and dancing, who blends Creole with English in his lyrics about life on the street.

Gunz launched his solo career in 2016, the year after his trio Zanfan Move dropped the banger Leson lo Leson – a song credited with changing the game in Seychelles. Since then he has been branching out, collaborating with G Nako from Tanzania and General Remy from Mauritius.


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3wrdw)
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SAT 23:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]

SUNDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2025

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3ww50)
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SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pql7fd)
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SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct8vcl)
The Chinese Cryptoqueen

Between 2014 and 2017 thousands of ordinary Chinese people handed their money over to a company that promised them fabulous riches by helping them to ride the wave of the future - cryptocurrency. That vision collapsed when the shadowy figure behind it, Qian Zhimin, fled to the UK with a Bitcoin stash bought with their money.
She settled down in London, planning her comeback as the Queen of Liberland, a scrap of land on the banks of the Danube. But her downfall began when she botched an attempt to buy a north London mansion. This alerted the police, who arrested Qian and seized a stash of Bitcoin now worth billions of dollars.
Many investors put everything they had into the company. Several have now told the BBC how they were persuaded to invest, and how the company’s collapse led to personal and financial ruin.
Now, as Qian is sentenced, the question remains: will the victims get their money back?


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3wzx4)
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SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jwcxj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqlc5j)
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SUN 01:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7zzg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3x3n8)
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SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jwhnn)
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SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqlgxn)
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SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkb)
Childhood hypertension becomes more common

A recent meta-analysis finds that childhood hypertension rates (commonly known as high blood pressure) are increasing significantly around the world. Professor of cardiovascular medicine and population health at the University of Oxford, Kazem Rahimi, explains what is driving this trend.

Recent changes in hormone therapy labels in the US come after years of lobbying by physicians and activists. Presenter’s friend, Dr Ann Robinson, explains how our understanding of hormone therapy – its risks and its benefits – has changed over time.

Can stress during pregnancy impact a baby’s development even after birth? Claudia speaks to associate professor Ying Meng at the University of Rochester School of Nursing in the US to find out more about the surprising impact of cortisol on baby teeth emergence.

Can weight loss drugs reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease? A new study sheds light on the answer. And, Health Check hears about an artificial tongue with a taste for spice.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producers: Helena Selby & Georgia Christie


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3x7dd)
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SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct8cmw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3xc4j)
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SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsg)
Nigeria's epidemic of school kidnappings

Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, has declared a nationwide security emergency after a spate of mass of kidnappings from schools across the the country’s north and central belt. Who's behind these abductions, what do they want - and what's being done to get the children back? Mayeni Jones reports from Minna, in Niger state.

Donald Trump moved fast to repeal the Biden administration's moratorium on federal executions in the United States. Just over half of Americans say they support the use of the death penalty for convicted murderers. Since the beginning of this year, more than 40 prisoners have been put to death. Hilary Andersson was recently selected to be a media witness for an execution in Oklahoma.

Kazakhstan, the largest and richest of the "five stans" which were formerly constituent parts of the USSR, has been forging its own political and economic path since independence. It's on good trade terms with the USA, Russia and China - and on something of a building spree. Tim Hartley recently revisited the country for the first time in more than 20 years, and found it keen to keep going forward.

Plenty of tourists flock to the shores of the Black Sea for sunshine, fun at its beach resorts, or its cities' ancient heritage. But Caroline Eden wanted to see a different side, and have a proper adventure - so she recently crossed the Sea on a cargo ferry, in the company of traders and truckers from many nations (as well as a small herd of live cattle)

Presenter: Max Pearson
Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

(Photo: A classroom at St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Niger state - the site of a mass abduction of children in November 2025. Credit: Ifeanyi Immanuel Bakwenye/AFP)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqlqdx)
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SUN 04:32 The Documentary (w3ct8xbt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3xgwn)
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SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jwvx1)
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SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqlv51)
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SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct8vcl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3xlms)
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SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8g86s55br)
Trump warns Venezuela’s skies are “closed” as fears of US military action

Trump has declared Venezuelan airspace “closed” igniting fears of imminent US military action while Caracas denounces what it calls a “colonialist threat”.

Also in the programme: Pope Leo concludes his visit to Turkey today before he visits Lebanon in what’s being described as an important national moment. And we speak to the head of a campaign group that’s been supporting Australia’s ban on children using social media.

Joining our presenter Julian Worricker to discuss these stories are journalist Oana Lungescu, former NATO spokesperson and now distinguished fellow at RUSI in Brussels, and Anthony Gardner, senior advisor at Brunswick Group in London and a former US diplomat.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Soldiers stand under military planes at aeronautical fair in Maracay, Venezuela on November 29, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Juan Carlos Hernandez)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3xqcx)
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SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8g86s592w)
Venezuela slams Trump as fears mount over US military moves

Venezuela has accused US President Donald Trump of issuing a “colonialist threat” after declaring the country’s airspace closed. We hear from a journalist in the capital Caracas.

Also in the programme: a Ukrainian delegation is set to meet US diplomats in Florida today to discuss Trump’s plan to end the conflict; and we’ll reflect on the legacy of Sir Tom Stoppard, the British playwright who has died aged 88, who is remembered worldwide for six decades of work exploring philosophical and political themes.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker to discuss these stories are journalist Oana Lungescu, former Nato spokesperson and now distinguished fellow at RUSI in Brussels, and Anthony Gardner, senior advisor at Brunswick Group in London and a former U.S. diplomat.

(Photo: A man walks past a mural in the colors of the Venezuelan flag in Caracas, Venezuela, 29 November, 2025. Credit: Gaby Oraa/Reuters)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3xv41)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8g86s5dv0)
Pope to visit Lebanon days after Israeli strikes in the capital

Pope Leo XIV is set to travel to Lebanon later today in what's being framed as an important national moment. The visit comes just days after Israeli strikes in the capital Beirut against the militant group Hezbollah.

Also, Ukrainian negotiators are set to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff over Washington's plan to end the war with Russia. We hear from Russian former Foreign Deputy Minister Andry Federov about the talks, and we speak to two members of Jamaica's bobsleigh team that won its first ever gold at the North American Cup in Canada on Monday.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker to discuss these stories are journalist Oana Lungescu, former Nato spokesperson and now distinguished fellow at RUSI in Brussels, and Anthony Gardner, senior adviser at Brunswick Group in London and a former US diplomat.

(Photo: Pope Leo XIV arrives to attend a Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St George in Istanbul, Turkey, 30 November, 2025. Credit: Umit Bektas/Reuters)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3xyw5)
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SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqmb4k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zg)
To tip or not to tip?

Ruth Alexander explores the art and etiquette of tipping and how it varies around the world.

She hears from staff and customers in countries where tipping is essential and in places where it can be taken as an insult.

Ruth also talks to servers and bartenders about what your gratuity means to them and how tipping can sometimes bring out the best and worst in their customers.

Producer: Lexy O’Connor and Rumella Dasgupta

Sound mixing: Hal Haines

Image: A jar full of coins and notes has the word “tips” written on it. It floats on a red background. Credit: Nikola Stojadinovic / Getty


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3y2m9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyk)
Preserving Peru’s food heritage

Peru is famous for its diverse and innovative cuisine - but how is it making sure its venerable food heritage is preserved for decades to come? We meet the indigenous Quechua people who are cultivating more than 1300 species of potato, working with scientists to safeguard seeds in community banks as part of both ecological and cultural efforts. And we hear how communities in the high Andes are turning back to crops like quinoa and kiwacha in the face of climate pressures and the desire to boost nutrition.

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: Jane Chambers
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Peruvian farmer Victoria Quispe on her farm, Jesus Infantes, SIMPLi)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqmfwp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70ty)
What is the 'Shadow Fleet'?

Around one fifth of the world's oil tankers now belong to the 'shadow fleet', more than a thousand ships which Russia uses to skirt sanctions and - increasingly - conduct acts of sabotage and hybrid warfare. BBC Russian's economics reporter Alexey Kalmykov explains how, with its opaque ownership structures and uninsured, poorly maintained ships, the shadow fleet presents an ecological, economic and strategic threat.

On the night of 13 November 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia erupted, and the resulting landslide of mud and debris devastated the nearby city of Armero, causing twenty thousand deaths in the city itself and a further 5,000 in the wider area. In the aftermath, a baby called Jennifer was left with the Red Cross by her mother, who is then believed to have ventured back to the ruins of the family home to search for her partner. She never returned. BBC Mundo's Jose Carlos Cueto tells the story of Jennifer, who has become known as the 'daughter of the volcano' and continues to search for the truth about her mother.

Chicken 65 is a spicy, crispy chicken dish adored in the south of India. You can eat it in upmarket restaurants and roadside food stalls alike. But how did it get its name? From the BBC's Delhi Bureau, Bimal Thankachan joins Faranak as they eat some Chicken 65 and dive into the story of how it got its name.

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.

Presenter: Faranak Amidi

Producer: Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean

This is an EcoAudio certified production

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3y6cf)
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SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jxlct)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqmkmt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7zzg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6vzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3yb3k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 The Reith Lectures (w3ct8dz4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:06 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3yfvp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zssfzwn2lf9)
Benjamin Netanyahu seeks pardon from Israel's president

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been facing a long-running corruption trial, has submitted an official request to the country's president to pardon him. Mr Netanyahu, who denies wrongdoing, released a two and a half minute video saying that a presidential pardon would advance much needed national reconciliation, but he added that he'd be happy to continue with the trial.

Also in the programme: The extraordinary story of a woman who survived torture in Iraq; Nigerian troops have rescued twelve young women who were abducted from their homes in Borno State by suspected Islamic State fighters last week; and 'Paddington the musical' hits the stage in London's West End.


(Photo: Netanyahu said a pardon would lead to national reconciliation in Israel. Credit: EPA)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3yklt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702w)
Who wins in the electric vehicles transition?

Across the world vehicle manufacturers are racing to make zero emission cars in the move away from fossil-fuel powered vehicles. It’s a huge market which could reach 9 trillion dollars worldwide by 2030. One small country which is grabbing this opportunity is Hungary. Located in the heart of Europe but with a population of under 10 million, it’s becoming one of the top battery producers globally for electric cars.

This transition is bringing billions of euros of investment into the Hungarian economy and creating tens of thousands of jobs. One city in particular – Debrecen – the country’s second biggest, is becoming an epi-centre for battery production. The Climate Question’s Jordan Dunbar has been to Debrecen to find out who’s benefitting from the green gold rush. He speaks to local people and businesses about their hopes and fears as their city is transformed.

This programme was first broadcast in February 2025.

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar
Producers in Hungary: Ellie House and Balint Bardi
Producer in London: Caroline Bayley
Sound Designer: Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts

If you have a question, email us at the climatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at +44 8000 321 721


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqmxw6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tz8)
The Happy Pod: Diabetes awareness month special

In this special episode we're marking Diabetes Awareness Month with a range of stories about innovation, advocacy and education, including a book helping children newly diagnosed with type-1 diabetes. It began as a university project for Lea Leleta Sumer, who is from Bosnia-Herzegovina and has lived with the condition since she was two years old. She wanted to help children like her come to terms with their condition, as well as educate others.

Also, the Barbie doll with type-1 diabetes, a collaboration from Mattel and the international diabetes charity, Breakthrough T1D. We meet the women who inspired the doll.

We speak to Sally TM, of RuPaul's Drag Race UK fame, who was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes around the age of 10. Sally uses her art and platform to advocate for people living with the condition.

Plus, the teacher who has broken the world record for the fastest marathon by a male with type-1 diabetes. And we find out how recent advances in technology have made the daily management of the condition easier and safer, and consider what's to come.

Presenters: Harry Bligh and Alex Ritson
Music: Sarah Warren

(Photo: Lea Leleta Sümer reading her children’s book Lea and her Diabetes. Credit: Lea Leleta Sümer)


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3ypby)
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SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqw9gdl9qd)
Live Sporting Action

It’s a busy Sunday of Premier League football, and Sportsworld has commentary from Stamford Bridge as Chelsea host leaders Arsenal. There will also be updates and reaction from the day’s four other games, including champions Liverpool at West Ham, and Manchester United’s trip to Crystal Palace.

Spain’s La Liga is the focus on this week’s EuroStars, and we also look back over the final of the Copa Libertadores and the Conference Finals in the MLS Playoffs.

Away from the football, the Formula One Drivers title could be decided this weekend, and we’ll be at the UK snooker Championship in London – the first of the sport’s big Triple Crown events.

Photo: Declan Rice of Arsenal is challenged by Reece James of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on March 16, 2025 in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3z5bg)
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SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jykbv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqnjlv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct7yvg)
What is the 'Russian cultural code'?

Why the traditional kokoshnik headdress is en vogue in Russia, and how it has become a poster image for the Kremlin’s vision of national identity. When President Putin talks not of tanks but of tiaras, it’s a signal that symbolism matters. We unpick the dress code of the Russian “patriot” to explore a deeper idea at the heart of everything from fashion and music to entertainment and literature. We go on a mission to decode the “cultural code” that, in the eyes of Russia’s leaders, makes the nation unique - and morally superior.

Contributors: Veronika Malinboym, Yulia Volovik
Producer: Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3z92l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3zdtq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zssfzwn3kdb)
Will Netanyahu be pardoned?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the country's president, Isaac Herzog, for a pardon over corruption cases he has been battling. We speak to an opposition member of the Israeli Knesset who opposes a potential pardon for Mr Netanyahu.

Also on the programme: local media in Hong Kong report that police have arrested a university student who was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into the huge, deadly fire at a housing complex; and the musical featuring Britain’s most beloved bear, Paddington.

(Photo: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, October 22, 2025. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3zjkv)
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SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlfy5jyxl7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqnwv7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70ty)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwzsz3zn9z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxt7pqp0lc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcj)
Stemming the tide in Normandy

Coastal erosion has become a serious problem for many seaside communities, no more so than in Normandy, in north-west France, where rising sea levels, strong tides and stronger storms have swept away homes, sand dunes and beaches.

Every year the sea here is reclaiming several metres of coastline. But there are arguments over what to do about it.

In the area around Coutainville beachfront homeowners, oyster producers and campsites are confronting local and national authority plans for some of them to move and to allow nature to take its course. Some locals, suspicious of outside influence, argue this is a conspiracy by environmentalists to get rid of them. And yet others say the growing impact of climate change on coastal erosion is there for all to see.

Carolyn Lamboley speaks to those on both sides of the debate about what can be done to stem the tide.

Producer: John Murphy
Studio mix: Neil Churchill
Production coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy

Photo: BBC/John Murphy

MONDAY 01 DECEMBER 2025

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f3mb8)
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MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0szln)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txm)
Why aren’t gene therapies more common?

This week, a world first gene therapy treats rare Hunter syndrome. Could these personalised medicines be used more widely? We speak to Claire Booth, professor in Gene Therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

And high in the Chilean desert, the last bit of 13 billion year old light has hit the mirror of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope for the last time. Dr Jenifer Millard, a science communicator and host of the Awesome Astronomy podcast, tells us what it’s been up to for the past 20 years.

And Penny Sarchet, managing editor at New Scientist brings her pick of the latest new discoveries.

Think you know space? Head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science, and follow the links to the Open University to try The Open University Space Quiz.

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producers: Alex Mansfield, Ella Hubber, Jonathan Blackwell, Tim Dodd and Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f3r2d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv342s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0t3bs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6swy)
The animal employment agency

We live in a time of automation and robotics; the machines run the factories, and AI will soon take all the jobs. Yet, even today, there are certain niche jobs where only an animal will do. Comedian and biologist Simon Watt meets some of them and the people who train them, study them, and love them.

He starts with a business of ferrets (yes, that is their collective noun) at the National Ferret School in Derbyshire, who have swapped rabbit holes and trouser legs for drain-clearing, rewiring, and laying fibre optic cables. Ferret Trainer James McKay demonstrates why they are perfect for the job, as he casually folds one trainee into a tight pretzel.

Simon visits the HQ of Medical Detection Dogs, a training facility in Milton Keynes where dogs are being trained to sniff the tell-tale signs of a host of diseases. You may have heard of their 'cancer dogs', but it goes much further - epilepsy, malaria, Parkinson's, even Covid-19. Dr Claire Guest explains.

Although we have no real idea exactly how dogs do what they do, AI may be on the cusp of solving this puzzle for us. Simon speaks to Dr Andreas Mershin from start-up Realnose, which is developing “electronic noses".

Finally, Simon meets some real heroes - HeroRats, to be precise. Not the same species that haunts our sewers, these are African Giant Pouched Rats, and their job as landmine detection specialists is saving lives across Thailand, Mozambique, Cambodia and Zimbabwe. Dr Cynthia Fast from UCLA trains them for the job.

Presenter: Simon Watt
Producer: Emily Knight


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f3vtj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv37tx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0t72x)
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MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stp)
How big is a rainbow?

When listener Sakura’s husband came home from his morning walk in Cambridgeshire, UK, he told her about a massive rainbow he’d seen. But when he showed her a picture, she didn’t think it was particularly large. So how big is a rainbow really? Are they always the same size? And if some are bigger than others, is there a limit?



To find the answers, presenter Marnie Chesterton meets independent rainbow expert Philip Laven in a pitch-black studio to simulate how a rainbow is formed. He demonstrates how they are created by sunlight, reflecting and refracting in millions of little water droplets.



But what does that mean for their size? Raymond Lee, retired professor from the US Naval academy, says that rainbows are not objects and don’t have a linear size, just a specific angular size that’s relative to the person seeing it. But Marnie doesn’t give up so easily – some rainbows still look bigger than others.



In her journey to discover other ways to size up a rainbow, Marnie hears from Australian aerial photographer Colin Leonhardt who stunned the world with a beautiful picture. Next, assistant professor Ping Wah Li from The Chinese University of Hong Kong explains why it’s possible to come across more than one rainbow at a time.



And finally, atmospheric scientist Harald Edens shares another way to consider size, as well as how much he struggles to explain the complexity of rainbows to his four-year old daughter.



Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producer: Florian Bohr

Editor: Ben Motley

Photo: Rainbow of Dreams - stock photo stock photo Credit: Laurent Fox via Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f3zkn)
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MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0tbv1)
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MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70ty)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f439s)
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MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv3hb5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0tgl5)
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MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct709p)
What my disability taught me about parenting

What's it like navigating the world as a disabled parent?
Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from the US and Italy about the reality of parenting with a disability and about why it’s important to reconsider some of the common misconceptions that exist within society around the kind of life that disabled mothers can provide for their children.

Jessica Slice is an American disabled author, speaker and essayist who now lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. She was diagnosed with an autonomic nervous system disorder in her twenties after a strenuous hike while on holiday in Greece. The condition changed her life forever – requiring her to use a wheelchair and sometimes experiencing chronic pain - but it also made her consider having children, seriously for the very first time. Her book, Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges An Inaccessible World chronicles some of the obstacles that disabled parents face, and examines the societal beliefs that underpin those barriers.

Laura Coccia from Italy is a former Paralympian who is now a representative at the European Disability Forum. She now lives in Brussels and says she faces stigma everyday as a mother with a form of cerebral palsy. She wrote a weekly online diary about her pregnancy as a disabled woman in 2019, giving a candid insight to some of the challenges she faced, but also how she was going through the same things as any other pregnant woman. She has also co-authored a children's book called La Sedia Magica della Mamma, created to show disability not as an obstacle but as a natural part of life.

Producer: Emily Naylor and Hannah Dean

(Image: (L) Jessica Slice credit Vanessa Heins. (R) Laura Coccia courtesy Laura Coccia)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f471x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv2m2h)
Russia lures African fighters in the war in Ukraine

Some 200 Kenyans are fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine and more could be recruited into the conflict, authorities say. We hear the final voice note of one such 22-year-old Kenyan man ... his last message to his mother.

We go to Sri Lanka to hear about the torrential rains and floods that have hit the island nation - killing more than 330 - and whose government is seeking international assistance.

(Photo: Foreign fighters in Ukraine; Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f4bt1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv2qtm)
Africans are sent to Ukraine to fight for Russia

Kenya's embassy in Moscow has recorded injuries among some of the recruits, who were allegedly promised up to $18,000. We hear from two parents in Kenya whose sons travelled to Russia and then to Ukraine.

Senior American and Ukrainian figures have been holding talks in Florida, as the Trump administration pushes to end Russia's war with Ukraine

(Photo: A Russian army soldier walks along a ruined street of Malaya Loknya settlement which was recently retaken by Russia's armed forces; Credit: Reuters)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f4gk5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv2vkr)
Over 200 Kenyans fighting for Russia in Ukraine

About 1,400 citizens from across Africa are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, with some recruited through deception, the Ukraine government said. In September, Kenyan authorities rescued more than 20 nationals who were preparing to join the Russia-Ukraine war near the capital, Nairobi.

We also hear from the BBC's Olga Ivshina who has been tracking the Russian army in Ukraine.

Pope Leo continues his first official foreign trip abroad as pontiff. He has left Turkey and now is in Lebanon where his chief concern is seeking to promote peace and reconciliation in relation to the war in Gaza.

(Photo: Russian soldiers training in Ukraine in November 2025. Credit: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f4l99)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0m)
Shabana Mahmood, British Home Secretary: Do not make that boat crossing

Nick Robinson speaks to Shabana Mahmood, British Home Secretary, about her far-reaching proposals to shake up the UK immigration system, designed to make asylum seekers think twice before attempting to enter the country illegally.

She also shares her own experience of racism as the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, and her belief that ensuring secure borders is the best way to combat this.

Under her plans, refugee status will be made temporary, with frequent reviews, meaning people could be returned to their home country if it is deemed safe. Refugees will also need to live in the UK for 20 years before they can apply to stay permanently, a signifcant increase on the current five years. The removal of failed asylum seekers will be speeded up, and Shabana Mahmood is revoking the legal duty to provide them with support such as housing and money.

Presenter: Nick Robinson
Producer: Lucy Sheppard and Daniel Kraemer
Editor: Justine Lang

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

(Image: Shabana Mahmood. Credit: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Getty Images)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0tykp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rym)
What has happened to Europe's air traffic controllers?

Staff shortages and strikes are leaving passengers and airlines frustrated. So why are there such problems in recruitment?

Industry bodies estimate over the next decade we could be short of 70,000 air traffic controllers around the world. We hear what is luring some controllers out of Europe and why others are leaving the sector all together. And what could the financial and safety implications be for passengers and airlines?

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Josh Martin

(Photo: NATS Swanwick ops room,. NATS is a UK-based air traffic control company. Credit: NATS)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7473)
West Africa fights back against Boko Haram

In 2015, West African countries fought against the jihadist militant group Boko Haram which controlled large areas of northeastern Nigeria.

The group, whose name means 'western education is forbidden', had killed thousands and displaced millions in the years preceding 2015.

They made worldwide headlines in 2014 when they kidnapped 276 girls from a boarding school.

Tim O’Callaghan speaks to retired Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, who was director of public relations for the Nigerian army in 2015.

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: Nigerian soldiers hold a Boko Haram flag after liberating an area from their control in 2015. Credit: Reuters)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f4q1f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv431t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0v29t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f4tsk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71ws)
Literary hoaxes and an underground cathedral

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

Our guest is literature lecturer Dr Hetta Howes on major literary hoaxes around the world.

We hear about Howard Hughes' fake autobiography, the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá in Colombia and how the Indian musician Ravi Shankar taught George Harrison the sitar.

Plus, the Indian woman who led her country's first delegation to the United Nations, the Premier League's first female photographer and how Toy Story revolutionised animation.

Contributors:
Clifford Irving - American author who faked an autobiography of Howard Hughes.
Dr Hetta Howes - a senior lecturer in English Literature at City St George’s, at the University of London.
Jorge Enrique Castelblanco - Colombian engineer behind the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá.
Ravi Shankar - Indian sitar maestro.
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit - led India's first delegation to the United Nations in 1946.
Magi Haroun - the Premier League's first female photographer.
Doug Sweetland - animator on Toy Story.

(Photo: Clifford Irving leaving the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, followed by news crews in 1972. Credit: Bettmann Archive / Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f4yjp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv4bk2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0v9t2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct717f)
Whatever happened to Iran’s nuclear programme?

Last June, Israel and the United States carried out coordinated strikes on nuclear and military sites across Iran in what became known as the 12-day war.

The aim was clear: destroy Iran’s nuclear-enrichment facilities amid warnings that Tehran was dangerously close to developing a nuclear weapon. But conflicting reports in the immediate aftermath left the public uncertain about how effective the operation really was.

Six months after the bombings, we speak with Parham Ghobadi, senior reporter for BBC Persian, about what the war actually achieved, the current state of Iran’s nuclear programme, and what daily life inside Iran looks like today.

Producer: Viv Jones and Valerio Esposito

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: A US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Credit: US Air Force)


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f528t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqn)
The gay Kenyan boyband star who refused to be defeated

Willis Chimano is one of Kenya’s biggest pop stars. With the boyband Sauti Sol, he’s won a string of awards and even danced with President Barack Obama. But behind the success, Chimano had a secret: being gay in a country where gay sex is criminalised and people who identify as LGBT+ can experience violence and harassment. Since his childhood, Chimano had been hiding his sexuality but then in 2018 he was outed. Suddenly his career stood its toughest test as he was caught in a media frenzy and dealing with exposure that threatened to derail his entire life - and his relationship with his conservative family. But Chimano emerged from the storm as role model for LGBT+ people, becoming Kenya’s most famous openly gay singer.

His memoir Heavy is the Crown will be released in 2026.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producers: Maryam Maruf and June Christie

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

(Photo: Chimano stands in an outdoor space with trees in the background. He is wearing a shiny pink suit with matching eyeshadow and a yellow shirt. Credit: Rogers Ouma)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7473)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f560y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv4l1b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0vk9b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct709p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f59s2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4y9gbp)
South East Asian storm deaths near 800

Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines are grappling with severe flooding, landslides and storm damage after torrential rain and vast cyclones hit the region over the past few days.

Also, the presidential election in Honduras is too-close-to-call, and the Oxford English Dictionary releases its 'word of the year'.

(Photo: A military rescue team vehicle makes its way through a flooded road after heavy rainfall in a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 30 November 2025. Credit: Chamila Karunarathne/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f5fj6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0vssl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rym)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct886f)
Online retail giant hack exposes nearly 34 million customers' data

South Korea's largest online retailer, Coupang, has apologised for a massive data breach potentially involving nearly 34 million local customer accounts.

And why did China’s factory activity unexpectedly contracted in November?

Also, smartphone makers are asked to preload an India state-owned cybersecurity app that cannot be deleted on all new devices.

Presenter: Hannah Mullane
Producer: Ahmed Adan
Editor: Justin Bones


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f5k8b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7t7fd9)
Devastating floods in Asia

Massive rescue operations are continuing in Indonesia and Sri Lanka where hundreds of people have been killed in flooding. The two countries have have deployed their militaries to help survivors. We hear from our reporters and speak to aid workers.

The World Health Organization has hailed the use of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic in the global fight against obesity, but says access needs to be fairer. We speak to our health reporter.

Our colleague in Kenya shares her conversation with a mother whose son vanished after being lured to Russia for a security guard job—only to end up fighting in Ukraine.

And after “rage bait” was named Phrase of the Year by Oxford University Press, we explore how content creators craft posts designed to drive traffic.

Presenter: Luke Jones

(Photo: Aftermath of floods and landslides that killed hundreds of people in Sumatra, Meurudu, Indonesia, 01 Dec 2025. Credit: Hotli Simanjuntak/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f5p0g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7t7k4f)
Sudanese accounts of escaping el-Fasher

The Sudanese city of el-Fasher in the western Darfur region was recently captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This was a huge victory for the paramilitary group, but widespread accounts of brutality, killing and rape have drawn international condemnation. The BBC has travelled to a camp set near the town of al-Dabbah in northern Sudan to hear first-hand the stories of those who escaped. We speak to our Africa correspondent Barbara Plett Usher. And a warning, you may find some the details distressing.

President Zelensky has said Russia must not be rewarded for invading Ukraine and his priorities during peace talks are maintaining sovereignty and ensuring strong security guarantees. We have the latest on this week's diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Australia’s communications minister has told the BBC she is not intimidated by the opposition to the country’s social media ban for teens. We hear a report by our correspondent in Australia.

Massive rescue operations are continuing in Indonesia and Sri Lanka where hundreds of people have been killed in flooding. We hear from aid workers.

US lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration for answers about military strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats. Our correspondent explains.

Presenter: Luke Jones

(Photo: Clothes hung out to dry outside a tent in a displacement camp in Al-Dabbah, Sudan, November 17, 2025. Credit: El Tayeb Siddig/Reuters)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f5srl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7473)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f5xhq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv59j3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0w8s3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z5z)
2025/12/01 GMT

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


MON 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f617v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0wdj7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6swz)
Waking up with a different voice

What’s it like to wake up with a brand new voice? For those with foreign accent syndrome, this is their reality. Patients who develop this rare speech disorder start speaking in a brand new accent that they often have no connection to.

So how does losing the voice you’ve known your entire life shape, or break, your identity?

Presenter Ella Hubber speaks to Althia Bryden, who developed foreign accent syndrome last year, and Sarah Colwill, who has lived with the condition for the past 15 years. They share the deep impact it has had on their identity and connection to those around them.

And to understand what is happening in the brain to cause this complete change in accent, and whether it’s really even an accent at all, Ella speaks to professor Nicholas Miller, who has been unpicking the mystery of foreign accent syndrome for decades. Also, professor Stefanie Keulen shares that there are actually multiple types of the condition.

Even though foreign accent syndrome is rare, it is found around the world, can affect anyone, and highlights just how deeply our voices influence all aspects of our lives.

Presenter: Ella Hubber
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Ella Hubber
Assistant Producer: Minnie Harrop
Editor: Martin Smith


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f64zz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4yb9kl)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f68r3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv5nrh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0wn0h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76ts)
US manufacturing sounds alarm bells on the economy

The two sides of the American economy today as consumers spend on Cyber Monday but manufacturers issue dire warnings.

Presenter Bisi Adebayo hears from Jamaica which has just been promised a $7b billion boost as it rebuilds after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.

And Serbia is warning it could be just days away from a major fuel crisis - the country’s biggest oil refinery may have to shut down unless the United States grants it a license to keep operating under sanctions rules.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Picture: Getty Images General Views of Production at Memac Industries Ahead of ISM Manufacturing Data


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f6dh7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0wrrm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct709p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

TUESDAY 02 DECEMBER 2025

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f6j7c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71ws)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f6mzh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv60zw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0x07w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct717f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f6rqm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv64r0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0x400)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rck)
Ireland's new alcohol warning

Ireland has become the first country in the world to introduce labels linking alcohol with cancer and liver disease. Some producers began re-labelling their products this year and they're already on sale in pubs and supermarkets across the country. The rest of the drinks industry was due to follow suit next year but the Irish government has decided to delay the compulsory introduction of these labels until 2028. They blame uncertainty with world trade, but critics believe it’s the result of lobbying by the drinks industry which claims the labels are both excessive and fearmongering.

Ireland has a complex relationship with drinking, with its pubs venerated in many parts of the world and huge brands such as Guinness and Jamesons major exports. But alcoholism has been a long running issue putting a strain on the Irish health service. While overall alcohol consumption in Ireland is falling, binge drinking and drinking amongst teenagers and young people is increasing. Are Irish people and the country as a whole developing a new relationship with drink, and if so, which direction will win out? Katie Flannery heads out with the drinkers and non-drinkers in Dublin to find out.

Produced by Bob Howard.

(Image: Bob Howard/BBC)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f6wgr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct7473)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f706w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv6d78)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0xch8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvd)
Joana Vasconcelos: Mask out of mirrors

The Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos is renowned for her large-scale sculptural pieces which have featured in galleries across the world. She has used materials such as fabric, plastic and even tampons to construct her works.

In June 2018 her exhibition called I’m Your Mirror opened at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. For this Joana made a series of new sculptures, including an enormous Venetian-style mask, made of overlapping mirrors. After being shown in Bilbao, the mask is now on display at the Museu de Serralves in Porto, Portugal with another version of it also on show in Venice at the Kempinski on San Clemente Island.

The construction of the huge mask was a process full of challenges as the enormous structure took shape in Joana’s Lisbon studio. In this programme Anna McNamee follows Joana through the process of working with the mirrors and explores how the piece is designed, shaped and packed up ready to begin its journey to Bilbao.

Producers: Emma Kingsley and Anna McNamee

(Photo: Joana Vasconcelos. Credit: Kenton Thatcher/© Unidade Infinita Projectos)


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f73z0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv5hzl)
Death toll in Indonesia floods passes 600

On Monday, President Prabowo Subianto - who was visiting some of the flood affected areas in North Sumatra in Indonesia - acknowledged some roads were still cut off, but added "we're doing everything we can to overcome difficulties".

Aid operations are also continuing across the Indian Ocean in Sri Lanka, which has also been devastated by flooding.

Russia claims to have captured a town in eastern Ukraine, hours ahead of talks between Russia's Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow.

Australia’s Communications Minister has told the BBC she will plough on with the country’s social media ban for teens.

(Photo: Residents clean up their houses from the mud in a flood-affected village in the Meureudu are in Indonesia: Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f77q4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv5mqq)
Hundreds are dead after floods across South Asia

Aid workers have been trying to reach people on foot and by motorcycle, as many roads are impassable to larger vehicles.Over 600 people are dead in Indonesia.

President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Ukraine peace plan... but on the battlefront, Russian forces are claiming more territorial gains. We'll speak to a former US diplomat on these developments

(Photo: Local residents observe an area hit by deadly flash floods following heavy rains in Padang; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f7cg8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv5rgv)
Rescuers battle to reach affected areas In Indonesia

Indonesia is just one part of Asia which has been hit with torrential rain and storms in recent days, with Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka all also reporting deaths.

Russia claims to have captured key a town in eastern Ukraine, hours ahead of talks between Russia's Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow. We get reaction form Ukraine and get the thoughts of the BBC Monitoring’s Russia Editor

(Photo: A woman walks among tree trunks that stranded on a shore following deadly flash floods and landslides, in Padang; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f7h6d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyl)
Building empathy and fighting disinformation

***This programme contains references to sexual violence***
We look at solutions that focus on teaching children how to respect each other and understand their emotions better. We visit a primary school in Botswana where a charity called Think Equal is helping teachers put empathy at the heart of their teaching and speak to Think Equal's founder Leslee Udwin. Plus, Myra visits a school in East London where teenagers are being taught how to interpret what they read online as part of an initiative to tackle misinformation and polarisation.

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: Natasha Fernandes
Sound engineer: Andrew Mills
Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Photo: Myra Anubi with Leslee Udwin of Think Equal in the BBC studio)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0xvgs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7n)
Is it the end of the music video?

TV channels dedicated to them are shutting down around the world and some superstars have even stopped making them, so are music videos in decline, or are they more vital than ever to grab our attention?

We hear from industry insiders in the US, Europe and in South Korea on how the streaming era has changed how we consume music - and shifted the way record labels make money.

Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney

(Image: Ne-Yo on set during the filming of a music video for his song "Closer" at the Santa Clarita Studios on 10 April 2008 in California (Credit: Matthew Simmons/WireImage)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74np)
Building the New Afrika Shrine in Nigeria

It's 25 years since the opening of the New Afrika Shrine, an open-air entertainment centre in Nigeria.

A hub for Afrobeat music and culture, it's dedicated to the legacy of Fela Kuti who pioneered the genre.

Omoyeni Anikulapo-Kuti, also known as Yeni Kuti, is Fela’s eldest daughter. She speaks to Surya Elango about building the New Afrika Shrine.

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: Fela Kuti performing. Credit: Frans Schellekens/Redferns)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f7lyj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv6zyx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0xz6x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rck)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f7qpn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zv8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f7vfs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv77g5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0y6q5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71cy)
The death of reading

Are we living through the slow death of reading - replaced by an addictive screen culture that fragments our attention and floods us with trivial or unreliable information? Writer and voracious reader James Marriott believes we are entering a post-literate age with profoundly negative consequences for education, culture and democracy itself. In today's episode, James traces how an 18th century ‘reading revolution’ shaped the modern-world - and what might follow its sudden decline.
Producers: Aron Keller and Sam Chantarasak
Editor: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: The al-Nahda al-Arabiya library in central Baghdad. (Credit: Ahmed Jalil/EPA)


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f7z5x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5b)
Svetlana Alexievich: Tell the whole truth

When Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2015, the judges described her work as “a monument to suffering and courage in our time”. Alexievich’s books bear witness to how people in the former Soviet Union lived through historic events such as the Second World War, the war in Afghanistan, and the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. She calls her books ‘novels in voices’ because at the heart of her work are the voices of ordinary people and their ways of coping with the traumas inflicted on them. You might find some of the things she talks about disturbing.

Indian surgeon and award-winning novelist Kavery Nambisan has dedicated her life to caring for some of the most marginalised people of her country: migrant workers, abandoned widows, the destitute. She tells Asya Fouks why she thinks writing fiction has made her a better physician and how she copes when patients turn up at her house instead of waiting for her clinic to open. She also explains how a short letter from Bihar, which she had received as a young doctor, changed her life.


Presenter: Asya Fouks
Alexievich voiceover: Irena Taranyuk
The Alexievich interview is a co-production between Nobel Prize Outreach and the BBC.
Producers: Vibeke Venema, Tatsiana Yanutsevich and Radek Boschetty.

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


(Photo: Svetlana Alexievich and Kavery Nambisan. Alexievich on the left wears a green shirt, Nambisan on the right wears a blue and red sari. Credits: David Bullivant/BBC, Joseph Kozhithara)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74np)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f82y1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv7gyf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0yg6f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f86p5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4ydc7s)
A plea from Indonesia: 'Help my country'

The number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to more than 700. In addition, 500 people are still reported missing, with many feared buried under mud. Around one million people have been evacuated from their homes, with meaningful assistance still yet to reach hard-hit isolated areas. Newshour got through to one resident, a man called Lodewick Marpaung in north Sumatra. He pleaded for help.

Also in the programme: US envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to the Kremlin - can he strike a deal on Ukraine? Also, Japan's new leader says she's giving up her own work-life balance - and everyone must 'work like a horse'.

(Photo: A picture taken with a drone shows piles of wood that were swept away by the floodwaters in a flood-affected village in Sumatra, Indonesia, 1 December 2025. Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces. Credit: Hotli Simanjuntak/ EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f8bf9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0yppp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct888h)
Oil shortage could leave country without fuel

Today, Serbia's only oil refinery is due to shut down, all because of US sanctions on the national oil company, which is mostly Russian-owned. So, what will this mean for the country's energy and how badly will it harm its economy?

And Netflix has reportedly put in a second-round bid for parts of Warner Bros Discovery. Leanna Byrne looks at what Netflix actually wants.

Also, for the first time in more than 20 years, a rare Fabergé egg is going up for auction.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Ahmed Adan
Editor: Justin Bones


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f8g5f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7tbb9d)
Trump's envoy in Moscow for peace talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, after the White House said it was "very optimistic" about reaching a deal to end the Ukraine war. The summit comes after two days of negotiations in Florida between Ukrainian and US officials, aimed at refining a US-backed peace plan which had been viewed as favourable to Russia. We bring together our correspondents covering the US, Ukraine and Russia to hear how likely peace is.

Hundreds of people have been killed by flooding in Indonesia, and millions of people affected across the region. We speak to our correspondent on the ground in Sumatra to hear more.

After the deadly apartment fire in Hong Kong, we speak to firefighters around the world who have fought similar blazes.

(Photo: A motorcade, reportedly transporting officials including Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, departs Vnukovo International Airport to meet a Russian delegation in Moscow, Russia, 2 December, 2025. Credit: Anastasia Barashkova/Reuters)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f8kxk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7tbg1j)
What's it like fighting a high rise fire?

Hong Kong's leader John Lee has said there are serious problems in the territory's construction industry as he announced an independent inquiry into last week's apartment complex fire. So what's like going into a high rise building to fight a fire? We speak to firefighters to hear their experiences.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, after the White House said it was "very optimistic" about reaching a deal to end the Ukraine war. We speak to Ukrainian Members of Parliament to hear their thoughts.

We speak to our correspondent who has been travelling with the Pope on his first foreign visit. He's been to Lebanon and Turkey.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Burnt out shells of high rise blocks in Hong Kong, from a fire leaving at least 44 dead and 279 missing, 27 Nov, 2025. Credit: Leung Man Hei/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f8pnp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74np)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f8tdt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv86f6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0z5p6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zbh)
2025/12/02 GMT

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


TUE 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f8y4y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rck)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0z9fb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zps)
The secret ways AI is used to write hit songs

We’re all about AI today. As AI-generated music tops US charts, a musician explains how he uses AI in the songwriting process. A fashion house explains how they use it to help sizing issues. And with the festive season approaching, there is a warning over its use in children’s toys.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Imran Rahman-Jones
Studio manager: Nolwenn Movallali

(Image: Manon Dave wearing a baseball cap, a white T-shirt and jeans, sitting on a stage wearing a head mic. He is gesturing with his hands mid-sentence. Credit: Getty Images.)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f91x2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4yf6gp)
US delegation meets Vladimir Putin

President Vladimir Putin has accused European countries of being on the side of war and putting forward proposals to end the conflict in Ukraine that they knew would be unacceptable. He added that Russia was ready for a wider war with Europe if that's what they wanted. Mr Putin was speaking shortly before he started talks with President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow.

Also in the programme: a rising death toll after floods in Indonesia; and a Faberge egg sells for millions at auction.

(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin, presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev and foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov attend a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 2, 2025. CREDIT: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f95n6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv8knl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0zjxl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76c2)
Trump launches savings scheme for newborn babies

Ed Butler explores Invest America, a new US government initiative aimed at boosting long-term investment among younger citizens. The plan gives every newborn Americans $1,000 to invest in stocks and shares for their future, and is part of President Trump's controversial 'Big, beautiful' spending bill.
We’ll also look at concerns over why India is requiring telecom companies to pre-install a government tracking app on all new mobile phones.
And we revisit a 90s classic — the Tamagotchi is back on top as Japan’s most sought-after children’s gift this Christmas, nearly thirty years after it first became a sensation.
(Picture: Stock selection of US Dollar notes. Credit: Chris Radburn/PA Wire.)


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f99db)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0znnq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

WEDNESDAY 03 DECEMBER 2025

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f9f4g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zv8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f9jwl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv8xwz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz0zx4z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71cy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f9nmq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv91n3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz100x3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct702w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f9scv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74np)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx057f9x3z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv994c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz108dc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vby)
Kennedy and Khrushchev

1. Opening moves

As the USA and Soviet Union race for supremacy in the 1960s, Premier Khrushchev sizes up his rival, President John F Kennedy. Hosts Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the superpower leaders, explore their rise to power - one wealthy, smooth-talking and Harvard educated, the other a hardened Soviet war leader from a peasant family. As they prepare to meet for the first and only time as world leaders, the stakes couldn't be higher: they are fierce rivals in the race to build ever more devastating missiles. This is the personal and political history of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Nina Khrushcheva is the great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev and Max Kennedy is the nephew of President John F Kennedy, and the son of Robert F Kennedy.


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fb0w3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv8dwp)
Kremlin: Ukraine talks "constructive" but no breakthrough

There's been no breakthrough on the search for peace in Ukraine despite five hours of talks in Moscow. But both Russia and the United States say some progress was made. Earlier this week, the Kremlin said Russia had fully captured the key Donbas town of Pokrovsk, after more than a year of heavy fighting -- though Ukraine's military insists it's still engaging the enemy. We speak to an active serviceman in the region.

Hong Kong's leader says an independent committee will investigate the cause of the city's deadliest fire in decades which killed 151 people last week. Many remain missing. Officials have found substandard building materials used in the tower block helped the blaze to spread quickly. We'll bring you an update on the investigation.

And we speak to the head of the International Organisation on Migration on her organisations findings on the number of rising global migrants and her observations of how this is playing out in Mozambique as she pays a visit to that country.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: Russian President Putin meets US Special Envoy Witkoff at Kremlin, Moscow, Russian Federation. Credit: Alexander Kzakov/EPA)


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fb4m7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv8jmt)
No deal from Russia US talks on Ukraine

Talks in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's envoys have ended without a breakthrough in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Russian officials said the discussions had not brought peace any closer, although it was also no further away. However, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says some progress has been made. Meanwhile Russian forces continue to advance in the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine. We hear from an active serviceman in the region.

The number of people who died following last week's apartment complex fire has risen to 156. We speak to a Hong Kong resident who has been helping with the recovery.

And Sweden has nominated the head man at the Swedish household goods giant IKEA as the candidate to become the next high commissioner of the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. We find out why he wants to move from the coorperate world to the humanitarian one.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit: Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA)


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fb8cc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zspznpv8ncy)
No breakthrough on Ukraine peace deal

Despite five hours of talks between the Russian President and the US special envoy there seems to be no breakthrough on securing a peace deal for Ukraine. We get a view on how the talks are progressing from the European Union who say there's still a lot of work to do.

The number of people who died following last week's apartment complex fire has risen to 156. We speak to a Hong Kong resident who has been helping with the recovery.

And we look at the fighting taking place in South Central Sudan between the army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner attend a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Credit: Sputnik)


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fbd3h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7d)
Anika Wells, Communications Minister: Australia’s social media ban

“This is giving parents another weapon in their arsenal for their lives and for the happiness and mental wellbeing of their children.”

Katy Watson speaks to Australia’s Communication Minister Anika Wells about the world’s first social media ban for children under 16.

Under the new law, social media companies will face fines of up to about US $32 million if they fail to take steps to ensure that under-16s in Australia cannot set up accounts. It has wide public support and comes about after research shows that seven out of ten Australian young people are suffering harm online.

However, the law has its opponents too, from those who fear children could be cut off, or driven to darker, unregulated sites to the huge international technology companies and even the US President, but Anika Wells is undaunted. Her government wants to promote the mental health of its young people, and she maintains that even if the law is flawed, ‘Australians will look back and ask, why did that take so long? Not why did they do that?’

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 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Katy Watson
Producers: Simon Atkinson, Clare Williamson & Farhana Haider
Editor: Justine Lang

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

(Image: Anika Wells. Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz10rcw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sd5)
Welcome to 'Bitcoin city'

In Lugano, Switzerland, the cryptocurrency is accepted in some shops and for local municipal services.

But the drive towards using what can often be a volatile payment method instead of Swiss francs, hasn't been welcomed by everyone.

We hear from businesses, officials and consumers who are navigating this new world.

Produced and presented by John Laurenson

(Image: View of Lake Lugano, Switzerland)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74qy)
Escaping Nigeria's Biafra war

When the south-east region of Nigeria declared itself to be the independent state of Biafra, civil war broke out in May 1967. More than a million people died before the fighting stopped.

In 2021, Patricia Ngozi Ebigwe, now better known as TV and music star Patti Boulaye, spoke to Paul Waters about escaping the conflict.

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: Government troops during the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, 1969. Credit: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fbhvm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fv9ww0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz10w40)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct702w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fbmlr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct8cmw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fbrbw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvb4c8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz113m8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71g6)
Why has Trump pardoned Honduras’s drug trafficker ex-president?

President Donald Trump has pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, a former president of Honduras who was serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and weapons offences.

It was only last year that Hernández was convicted in a New York courtroom of being part of a huge drug trafficking conspiracy, after being extradited to the US. Prosecutors said the operation flooded America with cocaine and turned Honduras into a “narco-state”. But Trump has claimed the investigation was a Biden administration “set up”, and Hernández is now a free man.

As the Trump administration ramps up its military threats against Latin American drug cartels, including multiple strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, why has it pardoned Hernández? Will Grant reports.

Producer: Xandra Ellin, Hannah Moore and Viv Jones

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Juan Orlando Hernandez being escorted by US agents for extradition in 2022. Credit: Fredy Rodriguez/Reuters)


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fbw30)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xd7)
The pioneer senator rewriting the rules in Ireland

In June 2020, Eileen Flynn was nervously waiting at home for an important phone call. When it came later that afternoon, it was the Irish Prime Minister inviting her to become a senator in the upper house of the country's parliament, the Oireachtas. Eileen accepted and in doing so changed her country's political history by becoming the first ever senator from the Irish Traveller community - a marginalised ethnic minority of around 40,000 people in Ireland that often face prejudice and discrimination. Although only 30 years old at the time, Eileen had not had an easy path to politics. She grew up one of nine siblings on Ireland's oldest halting site - purpose-built accommodation provided by the local authority for Travellers - where the living conditions were tough and many children didn't finish secondary education. Her mother died when Eileen was just 10 years old, then days later, Eileen was in a serious car crash that left her using a wheelchair for nearly a year. Despite missing countless days of school during her recovery, she and her twin sister were the first from their site to go into higher education. After years of activism on causes including same-sex marriage and abortion rights, both issues that run up against beliefs within her own religion and culture, Eileen was appointed one of the Prime Minister's 11 nominees to the Irish senate where she continues to champion the rights of people from her own and other ethnic minorities in Ireland. But for Eileen, hers isn't a sad story but one about the women who've inspired her, and the little girls whose role model she's become.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Andrea Rangecroft

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

(Photo: Irish Senator Eileen Flynn speaks into a cordless microphone. She has a dark bob and is wearing a tan jacket.)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74qy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fbzv4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvbcvj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz11c3j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vby)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fc3l8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4yh84w)
EU to phase out Russian gas imports by 2027

The European Union has reached an agreement to phase out its remaining imports of Russian gas by 2027. The decision came after a lengthy meeting in Moscow between US and Russian representatives resulted in no breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine. The sovereignty of the eastern region of Donbas, largely controlled by Russia, is at the heart of the negotiations, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refusing to cede the territory.

Also in the programme: we go to the Swiss town where you can pay with Bitcoin; and the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 will resume at the end of the month, 11 years after its disappearance.

(Photo: A gas torch is seen next to the Lukoil company sign at the Filanovskogo oil platform in the Caspian Sea, Russia. Credit: Reuters / M. Shemetov).


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fc7bd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz11lls)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sd5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88bk)
Can Europe survive without Russian gas?

The European Union says it will stop buying Russian gas from 2027, but why is it taking so long as Russia continues to use money from fossil fuels to fund its campaign in Ukraine? William Lee Adams finds out.

Also, France's president heads to China hoping to resolve a series of trade disagreements.

India's government has scrapped an order to smartphone manufacturers to preload a state-run cyber safety app on all new devices.

Presenter: William Lee Adams
Producer: Ahmed Adan
Editor: Justin Bones


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fcc2j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7tf76h)
EU to phase out Russian natural gas imports

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has said a deal to phase out EU imports of Russian gas by 2027 marks the dawn of a new era. The move is designed to cut Russian revenues that fund the war against Ukraine. We speak to our Europe expert in the newsroom.

The Kremlin says its wrong to suggest Vladimir Putin rejected US proposals for peace with Ukraine during talks on Tuesday. Ukraine says it's been told by President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, that there was a positive outcome to a meeting with President Putin in Moscow. Our colleague from BBC Russian explains.

It's been a week since the tower-block fire in Hong Kong killed over 150 people. We speak to our reporter who has been covering the story.

We speak to young people about Australia’s age-based social media ban. From next week, children under 16 will no longer be able to access platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference on the provisional agreement on the phasing out of Russian fossil fuels, in Brussels, Belgium, 03 December 2025. Credit:Olivier Matthys/EPA)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fcgtn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7tfbym)
Trump says he does not want Somalis in US

US President Donald Trump has said he does not want Somali immigrants in the US, telling reporters they should "go back to where they came from" and "their country is no good for a reason". His disparaging comments came as immigration authorities were reported to be planning an enforcement operation in Minnesota's large Somali community. We hear reactions from Somalia and speak to our correspondent.

The music streaming service Spotify has released its 2025 Spotify Wrapped, which gives listeners a summary of their listening habits over the past year. Our music correspondent joins to tell us more.

Israel has received a body that Hamas says belongs to one of the two dead hostages still left in Gaza. Our correspondent joins from Cairo.

We speak to young people about Australia’s age-based social media ban. From next week, children under 16 will no longer be able to access platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.


Presenter: James Reynolds.


(Photo: Somali residents look out of the lobby of the Riverside Plaza, an apartment complex popular among Somali-Americans, amid reports of a planned federal operation targeting Somali immigrants, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., December 2, 2025. Credit: Tim Evans/Reuters)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fclks)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xd7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74qy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fcq9x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvc3b9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz122l9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zdr)
2025/12/03 GMT

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


WED 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fcv21)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz126bf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkc)
The risky use of skin lightening in children

New research shows that 20% of children under five years old in Nigeria have been exposed to skin lightening products, even by parents who know the risks associated with the products. Claudia speaks to Aisha, a mother, to understand why skin lightening can seem appealing, and to dermatologist Atinuke Ajani from Ile-Ife, Nigeria, who explains the growing prevalence of this trend.

Epidemiologist Matt Fox joins Claudia to explain the latest breakthrough in HIV immunotherapy treatment and what research is still needed to find a cure.

Momentary lapses in attention when exhausted may be your brain’s way of catching up on sleep. Laura Lewis, who is associate professor of medical engineering and electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, explains the latest findings in sleep deprivation neuroscience.

Claudia and Matt discuss a recent finding that medical research published by women is less likely to be retracted and the simple step that airlines could take to be better prepared for the medical emergency that causes 86% of in-flight mortalities.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producers: Helena Selby and Georgia Christie


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fcyt5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4yj3cs)
Trump says he does not want Somalis in US

US President Donald Trump has said he does not want Somali immigrants in the US. There are threats of further immigration raids in Minnesota, home to one third of America's Somali community.

Also on the programme: the EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing on Europe’s plan to stop importing Russian gas but not until the end of 2027; and how does it feel when the remains of a giant octopus wash up on your shore?

(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington DC on December 3, 2025. Credit: Reuters)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fd2k9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvcgkp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz12ftp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76jr)
EU set to put forward proposal to spend Russian state assets

The EU's proposal would see €140bn of Russian state assets held in Belgium transformed into a "reparations loan". We hear the concerns from the Belgians - do they have cause for concern?

Also, how the current tensions between the US and Venezuela will impact oil exports.

And, what are your Spotify listening habits?

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Picture: Getty Images - EU Unveils Two Solutions To Support Ukraine


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fd69f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz12kkt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vby)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

THURSDAY 04 DECEMBER 2025

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fdb1k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct8cmw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fdfsp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvctt2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz12t22)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71g6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fdkjt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvcyk6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz12xt6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct8cnd)
Rocks To Riches

Each year, thousands of fragments of meteorites land on the surface of the earth. Most people who come across them might disregard them as just a dusty old rock. But others know exactly what they're looking for and their worth. For some, getting their hands on a meteorite is just a hobby but for others, an obsession and a booming business. With interest in meteorites ever expanding, we explore the global trade in this otherworldly material. With rare specimens often out of the price range of museums and institutions, they end up in the hands of private collectors-but what is the impact of that on the scientists trying to study them?

(Image: Meteorite, Credit: Elizabeth Zucolotto)


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fdp8y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xd7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74qy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fdt12)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvd61g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz1359g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zh)
How to eat well in the cold

How do you eat well in freezing the cold? When you live in some of the coldest places on earth, what you eat, and how much, really matters.

Ruth Alexander hears advice from a scientist, who goes on expeditions to study the body’s reaction to sub-zero temperatures, and talks to people living in the Arctic circle.

What do they cook, and what is their favourite food and drink to keep them warm in the winter? She hears how they find fresh ingredients when all around the ground is frozen – and how freezing temperatures can spark culinary creativity.

Producer: Julia Paul and Lexy O'Connor
Sound engineer: Hal Haines

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


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fdxs6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zspznpvc9ss)
Ukraine talks move to US

The White House has confirmed that President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Ukraine's top negotiator on Thursday to discuss Russia's reaction to the US-backed peace plan. Mr Witkoff met President Putin on Tuesday for talks the Kremlin said had been productive but which did not secure a breakthrough. On Newsday we've been looking at how Africans from across the continent have been recruited to Russian forces. Ukraine says some 1,400 citizens from 36 African countries are fighting for the Russians. We speak to the majority chief whip in the Kenyan parliament to ask what's being done to secure the safe return of his country's citizens.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has pushed more than 12 million people to flee their homes since the conflict began in 2023. Today we interview a spokesperson for the Sudan Founding Alliance, known as TASIS, which is led by the RSF leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

US President Donald Trump has continued to lambast America's Somali community, calling them 'garbage' and not wanted in the US. His disparaging comments came as immigration authorities were reported to be planning an enforcement operation targeting the large Somali community in Minnesota. We get a view on the comments from Omar Fateh, a Minnesota State Senator and of Somali origin.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: A serviceman of the 13th 'Khartiia' Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine takes part in tactical training at an undisclosed location in the Kharkiv region, northeastern Ukraine. Credit: Sergey Kozlov/EPA)


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx057ff1jb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zspznpvcfjx)
Talks to end war in Ukraine move to US

The White House has confirmed that President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Ukraine's top negotiator on Thursday to discuss Russia's reaction to the US-backed peace plan. Mr Witkoff met President Putin on Tuesday for talks the Kremlin said had been productive but which did not secure a breakthrough. On Newsday we've been looking at how Africans from across the continent have been recruited to Russian forces. Ukraine says some 1,400 citizens from 36 African countries are fighting for the Russians. We speak to the majority chief whip in the Kenyan parliament to ask what's being done to secure the safe return of his country's citizens.

Meanwhile the Russian President Vladimir Putin, fresh from talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, is keeping his focus on diplomacy. He’s now in India for meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

President Trump says he’s planning to deploy National Guard troops to New Orleans to crack down on crime. That comes as the Trump administration has paused all immigration applications from 19 countries it says are “high-risk.” US Citizenship and Immigration services released this memorandum on Tuesday directing agents to stop processing applications for individuals from countries that were already facing restrictions under a narrower travel ban the President issued in June. We find out what the climate is like in New Orleans.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: A handout still image taken from a video provided by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows a Soviet self-propelled 203 mm cannon 2S7M 'Malka' fire towards Ukrainian army positions at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Credit: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via EPA)


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx057ff58g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zspznpvck91)
Vladimir Putin in India

President Putin starts a visit to India today. He'll meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and high on the agenda will be the pressure India is facing to stop buying Russian oil.

Meanwhile American and Ukrainian offiicials are due to meet in Forida to continue discussions on America's plan to end the war in Ukraine. We continue our investigation into Africans who say they were duped into fighting in the war for Russia. We'll speak to a senior Kenyan politician to ask what work is being done to return these citizens back home?

And we speak to a senior Minnosota politician of Somali origin about President Trump's harsh criticism of the Somali community in the United States.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: Alexander Kazakov/Reuters).


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx057ff90l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723l)
Will Australia’s social media ban start a global trend?

On 10 December 2025, Australia will become the first country in the world to ban under-16s from using social media apps. Children will have their accounts deactivated on most platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, X, and Facebook.

Critics say the ban could push children to unregulated platforms, but prime minister Anthony Albanese argues the new law is to safeguard vulnerable members of society. World leaders are watching with interest.

Politicians from the UK, Denmark, Greece and France have all suggested tighter controls could be coming soon. New Zealand’s government wants tougher rules too, and public debates are also beginning in Japan and Indonesia.

Will Australia’s social media ban start a global trend? We speak to Terry Flew, professor of digital communication and culture at the University of Sydney, Australia; Sonia Livingstone, professor in the department of media and communications at the London School of Economics, United Kingdom; Lisa Given, professor of information sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia and Jessica Galissaire, senior policy researcher at Interface, France

Producer/presenter: Daniel Rosney
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Production management assistant: Liam Morrey
Sound engineer: James Bradshaw
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: A child looking at a mobile phone. Credit: David Gray/AFP)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz13n8z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s34)
The making of a World Cup

Whether you call it football or soccer, next summer, the US, Mexico and Canada will host the FIFA World Cup. It’s the first time three countries have organised the tournament.

A record 48 teams will compete across 16 host cities, with millions attending games across North America and billions watching at home.

But how much does it cost to host a World Cup? What does it take for a city to welcome hundreds of thousands of fans? And does that investment really boost the local economy? We go pitch-side to find out.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer Sam Gruet

(Picture: Sharon Bollenbach, Executive Director of World Cup Hosting for Toronto, Canada.)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74k8)
Wole Soyinka: Imprisoned during Nigeria’s Biafra war

In 1967, Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka tried to stop the country’s Biafra war, in which Nigeria’s Igbo people responded to violence by seceding from the rest of the country. They proclaimed a new Republic of Biafra.

When the fighting began, Soyinka was building a reputation as a poet and playwright abroad. However, in a last-ditch attempt to avert civil war, he set off on a secret mission behind the front line to meet the Biafran leader, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. When he left Biafra, he was imprisoned by the federal government without trial for more than two years.

Soyinka drew on his prison experience in his writing over the following years, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986 - the first African to win the award. He looks back on those events with Ben Henderson.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.

For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from 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: Wole Soyinka in 1969. Credit: Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx057ffdrq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvdss3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz13s13)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8cnd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx057ffjhv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt1)
The Media Show: Manchester’s YouTube problem

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has accused vloggers of provoking vulnerable people to generate online views, with a particular focus on the city’s Piccadilly Gardens. Sarah Lester, editor of the Manchester Evening News, and Charlotte Dewar, chief executive of the Independent Press Standards Organisation, discuss the issues.

A new investigation suggests widespread use of illicit streaming devices and apps now threatens the financial viability of the Premier League’s TV deals. Adam Leventhal, senior writer at The Athletic, and Minal Modha, head of sport media rights at Ampere Analysis, assess the scale of the trend.

Netflix’s expanding interest in podcast-style formats has led them to sign a deal with Gary Lineker’s The Rest Is Football show. Nick Hilton, co-founder of Podot, explains why podcasts are becoming strategically important for the streamer.

Plus, Ian Hislop reflects on another year as editor of Private Eye, and discusses his magazine’s approach to journalism and satire.

Presenter: Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Content producer: Lucy Wai
Sound engineer: Allyson Purcell-Davis
Production co-ordinator: Ruth Waites
Technical co-ordinator: Ozgur Cevik


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz13ws7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct7yvh)
Made in Russia: The Kremlin’s economic rebrand

Moscow is working around international sanctions by promoting self-sustainability, elevating Russian brands and deepening trade with friendly countries. After Western companies retreated as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, Russian consumer habits and the economy began to shift. We explore how sanctions reshaped everyday life and ask: can Russia sustain a forever war?

Krassi Ivanova Twigg speaks to the BBC's military and economy expert Tim Bowler, who has been tracking the movement of foreign companies in Russia's new reality. And Evgeny Poduvkin of the BBC Russia team explores the 'grey markets' where ordinary Russian citizens are acquiring western brands.

Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Producer: Kriszta Satori
Music: Pete Cunningham


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx057ffn7z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvf18c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz140jc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct719p)
How did a Chinese spiritual movement build a US media empire?

When China began cracking down on the spiritual movement Falun Gong in the 1990s, its leader and some followers moved to the United States. From there, they started the Epoch Times, a free newsletter.

But in the past decade, the organisation has grown to become a conservative media empire – with a Pentagon press pass, a slick TV arm, and many millions of dollars in revenue. How did they do it? The story involves a mysterious spiritual leader, a dance troupe, and even a federal indictment.

What does the meteoric rise of the Epoch Times say about how media and politics in the United States have changed in the last decade? We speak to Brandy Zadrozny, who has investigated the Epoch Times for NBC News.

Producer: Lucy Pawle and Cat Farnsworth

Sound engineer: Martin Peralta and Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Members of the Falun Gong protesting in New York. Credit: Alex Segre/BBC Images)


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx057ffs03)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyf)
Annie Ernaux: ‘My mum burned my teenage diaries’

Annie Ernaux has spent decades transforming the intimate details of her life into stories that illuminate more than just one woman’s experience.That fearless writing earned her a Nobel Prize. It is not just what she writes that is impressive, but that she got to write at all. Annie comes from rural Normandy, the daughter of shopkeepers, not the Parisian intelligentsia. She had to fight for her place at the table. Her honesty about her sexuality and desire, at odds with the strict norms of the 1950s, were so disturbing to her mother that when she found her teenage diaries, she burned them. Afterwards, only memory remained to guide Annie back to the past. Vibeke Venema spoke to Annie who reflects on the experiences that shaped her life. They became the focus of her books: the all-consuming affair she had in Simple Passion, the sweep of collective memory in The Years, and the backstreet abortion she had at the age of 23 that almost cost her her life, recounted in Happening. This interview contains references to sexual assault and abortion that some may find upsetting. It was a co-production between Nobel Prize Outreach and the BBC.

When Vashti Bunyan, a shy art-school droupout, tried to make it as a popstar in 1960s London, people just didn't get her music – or her. Disillusioned, she set off to Scotland on a horse and wagon. Along the way, she wrote songs of her extraordinary journey and in 1970 even recorded an album, Just Another Diamond Day. But when that flopped, she turned her back on music for good, vowing never to set foot in a studio again. Vashti thought her music was lost to history, but 30 years later, she discovered her album had become an underground hit. This interview was first broadcast in 2023.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Voiceover: Angelique Talio
Producer: Vibeke Venema, Laura Gozzi and Edgar Maddicott

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

(Photo: Annie Ernaux with blonde hair and a green shirt looks into the camera. Credit: Getty Images)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74k8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx057ffwr7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvf8rm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz1480m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fg0hc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4yl51z)
President Putin arrives in India for talks

As President Putin arrives for talks with Prime Minister Modi, will India's imports of cheap Russian crude oil scupper its relationship with the US, which says they are fuelling the war in Ukraine?

Also in the programme: what will the publication of tens of thousands of new photos and files mean for the Syrian families still looking for answers about their missing relatives? And we remember the American guitarist Steve Cropper, the man behind countless '60s soul classics.

(IMAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) sit in a car after Putin's arrival at the Palam Air Base in New Delhi, India, 04 December 2025. CREDIT: GRIGORY SYSOEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock (16009955i))


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fg47h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz14hhw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s34)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88qy)
Putin in India

Russia's president Vladimir Putin is visiting India. Economic cooperation is high on the agenda and, for India, its relationship with Russia is even more important with high US tariffs hurting the country's export market.

The maker of the diabetes drug, Ozempic, could be facing a major headache after a court in India told a generic drugs company that they could export Novo Nordisk's key ingredient without patent protection

And the EU is looking into the way Meta uses AI in WhatsApp.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Ahmed Adan
Editor: Justin Bones


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fg7zm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7tj43l)
DR Congo and Rwanda to sign peace deal in Washington

The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are set to sign a peace deal aimed at ending the long-running conflict in the region at a summit hosted by US President Donald Trump in Washington. We hear voices from the ground and answer audience questions on the conflict and what this agreement could mean.

Also, we look at what’s on the agenda during President Putin’s visit to India this week.

The future of the Eurovision Song Contest is to be decided at a crucial meeting in Geneva this week. We explain a number of changes participating countries will discuss.

And we bring together Australian parents and children to discuss the new social media ban for under-16s, which comes into effect next week.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Congolese civilians who fled from Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, following clashes between M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), carry their belongings, 30 January, 2025. Credit: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fgcqr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7tj7vq)
Vatican commission votes against women as deacons

A Vatican commission has voted against allowing women to serve as deacons. In a report given to Pope Leo, the commission said historical research and theological investigation "excludes the possibility" of allowing women deacons at this time, but recommended further study, adding that the findings were not "definitive." We get reaction from Catholics and speak to our global religion reporter.

An independent Pentagon watchdog report has found that the US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, could have endangered the lives of American troops through the reckless use of the Signal messaging app. Our global affairs explains.

Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands have pulled out of next year's Eurovision song contest after it was confirmed that Israel could participate. We have the latest.

And we bring together Australian parents and children to discuss the new social media ban for under-16s, which comes into effect next week.


Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Pope Leo XIV leads Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo near Rome, Italy - 17 Aug 2025. Credit: VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT/EPA)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fghgw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74k8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fgm70)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvg07d)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz14zhd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z87)
2025/12/04 GMT

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


THU 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fgqz4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct8cnd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz1537j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txn)
A 'functional' cure for HIV?

Almost 40 years ago, the first treatment was approved for HIV, but it came with a warning: “This is not a cure.” On the week of World AIDS Day, Kate Bishop, principal group leader at the Francis Crick Institute, tells us how science may now have finally found a “functional” cure for the virus that causes AIDS.

How are tree rings, volcanoes, trade routes and Europe’s deadly Black Death pandemic connected? Professor Ulf Büntgen from the University of Cambridge explains how matching tree ring data with historical records shows that Italian city-states importing grain accidentally introduced the Black Death to Europe.

Plus science broadcaster Caroline Steel is in the studio to discuss her favourite new scientific discoveries.

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. 

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producers: Jonathan Blackwell, Ella Hubber, Tim Dodd, Alex Mansfield, and Hannah Fisher
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fgvq8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4ym08w)
Eurovision in crisis as countries walk out over Israel

Broadcasters in Ireland, The Netherlands, Slovenia and in Spain announced that they would neither show nor take part in next year’s competition, due to be held in Vienna. Members of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the contest, had earlier decided not to hold a vote on barring Israel from competing.

Also on the programme: Vladimir Putin is feted by Narendra Modi on his visit to India; and we hear what the late Steve Cropper, legendary session guitarist, taught Otis Reading.

(Picture: Israeli entrant Yuval Raphael ahead of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, May 14, 2025 Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fgzgd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvgcgs)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz15bqs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct75yn)
Will Putin's visit to India help Russia to continue to trade oil?

President Putin has arrived in India for talks expected to focus on trade and expanding defence ties. India, like China, has been a big purchaser of Russian oil and has been accused by the West of financing the war. We hear from Russia and oil industry experts.

Also, why scam centres in Myanmar have attracted the attention of both government forces and insurgent groups.

And what next for Eurovision? Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia boycott the song contest after Israel is allowed to compete. We find out this means for the future of the competition.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India, New Delhi - 04 Dec 2025


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fh36j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz15ggx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

FRIDAY 05 DECEMBER 2025

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fh6yn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz15l71)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Happy News (w3ct6tz8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:32 on Sunday]


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fhbps)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvgqq5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz15pz5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct719p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fhgfx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvgvg9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz15tq9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zps)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fhl61)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74k8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fhpy5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvh2yk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz1626k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp3)
Rāgas and Redemption: Alam Khan’s spiritual legacy

What does it mean to inherit a sacred tradition? Alam Khan was born into one of the most revered lineages in Indian classical music—his father, Ali Akbar Khan, was hailed as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century and brought the spiritually rich sarod and rāga music to the West. But Alam's journey has not been one of simple inheritance.

Presenter Rajeev Gupta follows Alam across California - from his father's grave to the family music school and into the quiet spaces where Alam seeks refuge. At the heart of this documentary is a deeply personal wrestle: growing up American, immersed in rock and hip-hop, Alam resisted the weight of legacy. But after his father's death, something changed. Going through his father’s recordings, he felt a cosmic calling - one that was more spiritual than familial.

Through intimate conversation and music, Alam explains the sacred philosophy behind Indian rāgas, where melody becomes a prayer and performance a form of spiritual alignment with the cosmos. But this is also a story of doubt, pressure, and the personal cost of carrying a spiritual tradition into the modern world. This is the story of a man finding peace in music, faith in legacy, and meaning in sound.

[Photo Description: (Left to Right) Rajeev Gupta and Alam Khan in front of a photo of Ali Akbar Khan, Photo Credit: Rajeev Gupta]

Producer/presenter: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fhtp9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zspznpvg6pw)
Leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda sign peace deal

The leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a peace agreement in Washington to end the long- running conflict in the eastern DRC. President Trump hosted Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi in a ceremony at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace. Mr Trump called it a great day for Africa and the world.

Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia have said they will boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest because Israel would continue to be allowed in the competition.

And Mark Zuckerberg plans to slash metaverse spending as he shifts his attention to AI. Metaverse was conceived as a virtual 3D space, where users interact while being represented by avatars.

Presenters: Rob Young and Anne Soy.

(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi and President of Rwanda Paul Kagame pose for a picture following a signing ceremony at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington. Credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters).


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fhyff)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zspznpvgbg0)
DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal

The leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a peace agreement in Washington to end the long- running conflict in the eastern DRC. President Trump hosted Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi in a ceremony at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace. Mr Trump called it a great day for Africa and the world.

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff have met with Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's national security council chief in Miami on how to secure a lasting peace deal. It follows talks with the Russian President Vladimir Putin who has said he intends to seize full control of Ukraine's Donbas region through military force, unless Ukrainian troops withdraw. We speak to a Lithuanian diplomat to get a view on how these current Ukraine talks have been going.

Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia have said they will boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest because Israel would continue to be allowed in the competition.

Presenters: Rob Young and Anne Soy.

(Photo:U.S. President Donald Trump listens to President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (not pictured) speak during a signing ceremony with President of Rwanda Paul Kagame. Credit: Kevin Lamarque).


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fj25k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zspznpvgg64)
Peace agreement between Rwanda and DR Congo

The leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a peace agreement in Washington to end the long- running conflict in the eastern DRC. President Trump hosted Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi in a ceremony at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace. Mr Trump called it a great day for Africa and the world.

And the Eurovision Song Contest has been thrown into turmoil after four countries said they would boycott next year's event. Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia want Israel to be excluded from the contest because of the war in Gaza.

And we speak to a man wanting to swim Mount Kenya’s glaciers as he campaigns against climate change.

Presenter: Rob Young and Anne Soy

(Photo: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi during a signing ceremony at the US Institute of Peace in Washington. Credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fj5xp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8c43)
Melanie Perkins, Canva CEO: From information to imagination

Zoe Kleinman, the BBC’s Technology editor, speaks to Canva CEO Melanie Perkins about the current tech and AI revolution that is transforming the internet and the world. Perkins, who is still only in her late-30s, is well-known for her entrepreneurial drive, having quit university at just 19 years old to launch her first venture.

Unlike many of today’s Silicon Valley-based big tech companies, Canva started out in the Australian city of Perth with a mission to ‘empower the world to design’.

It offers a variety of templates and tools to help users without technical skills or a design background to create a range of professional-looking graphics and presentations, from wedding invitations to business pitch decks.

Since launching in 2013, it has grown to become a multi-billion dollar business used by around 250 million people every month.

The success of Canva has catapulted Perkins into a number of lists ranking the world’s most powerful women, compiled by the likes of Forbes and Fortune. But it is a far cry from the very early days, when she was rejected by over 100 investors as she sought to get it off the ground.

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 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Zoe Kleinman
Producers: Ben Cooper and Philippa Wain
Editor: Justine Lang

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

(Image: Canva CEO Melanie Perkins holds a microphone. Credit: Alisha Jucevic/Getty Images)


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz16k62)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rt3)
Miishe Addy: From Silicon Valley to Accra

Miishe Addy started her first company in California’s Silicon Valley followed by another business in Accra, Ghana. Now, she runs one of Africa’s fastest-growing logistics tech firms.

She describes how she’s tackling the hidden costs of African trade, and what she’s learned as a female founder building companies in two continents.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Sam Fenwick
Producers: Ahmed Adan and Niamh McDermott

(Picture: Miishe Addy. Credit: Jetstream)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct744v)
How Lagos Fashion Week began

In 2011, Lagos Fashion Week debuted, putting Nigerian style on the map.

Omoyemi Akerele founded the event which helped to launch the careers of designers internationally.

It has grown into a major fashion event and won the 2025 Earthshot Prize for sustainability.

In 2023, Omoyemi Akerele spoke to Reena Stanton-Sharma about the first show.

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: Founder of the Lagos Fashion and Design Week Omoyemi Akerele. Credit: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fj9nt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvhpp6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz16ny6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fjfdy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x2)
Some bear-y interesting space science

A teddy bear launched into the upper atmosphere as part of a school science project has gone missing! Inspired by this story, the Unexpected Elements team look into how bears could help improve astronauts’ health on long-term space flights. Next, how has a US Air Force site delivered an unexpected conservation win for an endangered species?

We’re then joined by Justin Gregg, a professor of animal behaviour and cognition. He reveals why we anthropomorphise cuddly toys – such as teddy bears – and why this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

We meet Alan Turing’s teddy bear, before finding out why it’s good to get lost.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Chhavi Sachdev
Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Alice McKee and Robbie Wojciechowski


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fjk52)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvhy5g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz16xfg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct7155)
The Fifa-Trump bromance

Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, is widely expected to award Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize on Friday, at the draw for the 2026 World Cup in Washington DC. The prize has led to scrutiny over Infantino’s close relationship with Trump, along with concerns that Trump might move matches from host cities and fears over visa delays or refusals for travelling fans and officials.

We speak to Dan Roan, the BBC’s sports editor, about why Infantino is cosying up to Trump, and what it means for football and global diplomacy.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak and Aron Keller

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Image: Fifa President Gianni Infantino shows US President Donald Trump the World Cup Trophy in the Oval Office. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fjnx6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6whw)
Outlook Mixtape: A day at the races

The Mongol Derby is billed as one of the longest and toughest horse races in the world, designed to mimic the way couriers used to take messages from the farthest reaches of the Mongol Empire on horseback. In 2013, British rider Lara Prior-Palmer made a last-minute decision to take part. And with just a few snacks, a single change of clothes, and many wrong turns along the way, she went on to win – the first woman to do so. She told Outlook’s Seyi Rhodes about her victory in November 2023.

You might catch Thomas Panek running through a park in Westchester County, just outside New York City. He is confident, with a dog running alongside him. But this is a partnership that is unusual because Thomas is not leading the dog, the dog is leading him. Thomas is blind and through his running, ended up making history. Outlook’s Jason Strother recently went for a run with him in June 2019.

Yara Shalaby is Egypt's first female rally driver. She's mastered the sport in some of the country's toughest desert terrain, while also putting up with a lot of detractors – people telling her that women cannot drive. In spite of that, she told Jo Fidgen in 2021, she has risen up in the sport and beaten many of her male competitors in the process.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Hetal Bapodra

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

(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape on a white background with a white label with the words: The Outlook Mixtape. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct744v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fjsnb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvj5nq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz174xq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fjxdg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4yp1z2)
US security strategy warns of 'civilisational erasure' in Europe

A new US security strategy warns that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” and calls on Europeans to shoulder more of the burden for defence. It comes as the German parliament votes to introduce voluntary military service; we hear from a student protesting the change.

Also, a big deal in Hollywood, as Netflix agrees to buy the film and streaming services of Warner Bros; and travel chaos in India as the country's largest airline IndiGo cancels hundreds of flights over new rules for pilots.

(IMAGE: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives on the red carpet ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw / CREDIT: REUTERS/Brian Snyder)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fk14l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8c43)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz17ddz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rt3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88gp)
Netflix to buy Warner Bros film and streaming

In Hollywood’s biggest plot twist of the year, Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros' streaming and studio business for $72bn (£54bn) in a deal that can potentially pave the way for a radical reshaping of the US media industry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to provide uninterrupted fuel supplies for India as Delhi faces heavy pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow.

Also, in India, the civil aviation ministry says it's immediately suspending some rules governing pilots' night working hours after mass flight cancellations by the country's biggest airline, Indigo.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Ahmed Adan
Editor: Justin Bones


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fk4wq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7tm10p)
Norris-Verstappen-Piastri F1 title decider

The Formula 1 championship will be decided at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, with three drivers still in contention. We bring together three F1 podcasters to explain what’s at stake, and we hear from fans.

President Putin, during his visit to India, said Russia is ready to supply uninterrupted fuel to India despite U.S. objections. We speak to our reporter in Delhi and to our colleague from BBC Russian.

Machines mining minerals in the deep ocean have been found to cause significant damage to life on the seabed, scientists carrying out the largest study of its kind say. Our science correspondent explains.

We speak to people from the Somali community in the US, after President Trump said, “he does not want Somali immigrants in the US”.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: ed Bull driver Max Verstappen during free practice at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Picture date: Friday December 5, 2025. Credit: David Davies/PA Wire)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fk8mv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w1730684l7tm4rt)
World Cup 2026 draw gets underway

The draw for next year's men's football World Cup is getting under way at a glitzy ceremony in Washington. We explain how teams will be allocated to their groups, and we bring together fans from the countries who have qualified for the first time.

Netflix has agreed to buy the film and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery for $72bn in a major Hollywood deal. We speak to our business reporter and an entertainment industry expert.

The Formula 1 championship will be decided at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, with three drivers still in contention. We bring together three F1 podcasters to explain what’s at stake, and we hear from fans.

Germany has voted to reintroduce voluntary military service for 18-year-olds as it tries to increase numbers in its understaffed armed forces.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Fifa President Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump speak to media as they arrive on the red carpet ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2026 draw. Credit: Brian Snyder/Reuters)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fkdcz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6whw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct744v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fkj43)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvjx4h)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz17wdh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z3q)
2025/12/05 GMT

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


FRI 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fkmw7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnl)
Australia’s under-16 social media ban

From 10 December, Australian children under 16 will be banned from most social media platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat.

The ban is designed to protect teenagers from harmful content and other risks such as cyberbullying and grooming. Surveys suggest the legislation is popular with many parents, but it has been challenged by social media companies and some young campaigners have argued it disregards children’s rights.

In our conversations we bring together two families in New South Wales who are on opposite sides of the debate. We also hear from three young Australians with tens of thousands of social media followers, including Ella.

“It’s not our fault the harmful content’s there, it’s the apps’,” Ella tells us. “So why are we being the ones removed? We’ll still find ways of getting to that harmful content, no matter the ban or no ban – it’s the content that needs to be removed, not us.”

Presenter: Luke Jones
BBC producers: Isabella Bull and Angela Sheeran
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editor: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver

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

(Photo: Courtney from New South Wales with her son Kyan, who’s 13. He will be affected by the ban. Credit: Courtney)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz1804m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stq)
Can we turn deserts green?

Can we turn the world’s deserts green? CrowdScience listener Youcef is captivated by the idea of bringing water back to Earth’s driest landscapes. With sea levels rising and huge stretches of land drying out each year, he wonders whether redirecting seawater inland could offer a solution to both problems. Presenter Alex Lathbridge sets out to investigate starting with a kettle of salty water.

Alex speaks to scientists about how deserts form, and how human actions like overgrazing can tip a fragile grassland into a barren landscape. He learns how the brightness of bare sand affects local weather, reducing cloud formation and rainfall. Researcher Yan Li reveals how huge solar and wind farms could darken and roughen the Sahara’s surface enough to double its rainfall, potentially kickstarting a self-reinforcing cycle of vegetation and moisture.

But what about deserts where clouds already drift overhead? In the Atacama, one of the driest places on Earth, geographer Virginia Carter shows how fog harvesting nets can coax litres of fresh water from the air.

Alex also investigates desalination, where professor Chris Sansom is trying to harness solar power to remove the salt from seawater without burning vast amounts of fossil fuels. It is promising, but can it reduce the impact of rising sea levels? And what do you do with all the salt that’s left over?

Climate scientist Alan Condron proposes an even wilder idea: towing kilometre-sized icebergs from Antarctica to parched nations. His models show it might be possible, but the logistics verge on science fiction.

Finally, plant scientist Zinnia Gonzalez Carranza warns that greening deserts isn’t just about adding water. Introducing new species, even hardy ones like mesquite, can trigger ecological chaos and harm the very communities who depend on these landscapes.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge
Producer: Sam Baker
Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Palm trees growing in cracked, parched earth and the sun rising behind them. Credit: Danymages/Getty Images)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fkrmc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zssgc4ypx5z)
The 2026 World Cup draw takes place in Washington DC

Groups for the next men's world cup are revealed at a glitzy gala - and President Trump gets the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. We hear about the teams and matches, and speak to Politico reporter Sophia Cai about the warm relationship between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Also in the programme: Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros in major media deal; and the acclaimed architect Frank Gehry has died at the age of 96.

(Photo: FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw. Credit: WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fkwch)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlg9fvk8cw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz187mw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76p8)
Netflix to take over Warner Bros film and streaming business

Netflix has agreed to buy the film and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery for $72bn in a major Hollywood deal. Warner Bros owns the streaming service HBO Max, as well as major franchises like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. Is this the beginning of a radical reshaping of the US media industry?
Indian officials say they have arrested one of the world's most wanted traffickers of tiger body parts. We hear from a wildlife crime expert about the size of the trade and the threat to tiger populations.

And Curaçao - a tiny southern Caribbean island with around 155,000 inhabitants - will face four time winners Germany at the FIFA World Cup. We hear from one superfan who is figuring out how he will get there.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voice note: +44 330 678 3033.


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx057fl03m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Interview (w3ct8c43)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxtlz18cd0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]