SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER 2025

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws24f2f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x4)
Why are we sad when television series end?

The end of Australian soap opera Neighbours has us wondering why a television series ending makes us sad. Also, what does science say about how to engage with screens while still protecting your vision?

Also on the show, visual ecologist Daniel Hanley has created a camera to help us visualize the world animals see, and why are there green birds, green insects, but no green mammals?

All that plus more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, and Ella Hubber


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws24jtk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh3xty)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhntx2y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct7157)
Why K-beauty is everywhere

The promise of pore-free, glassy, youthful-looking skin has made Korean beauty products a global phenomenon. Americans spent as much $1.7bn (£1.3bn) on K-beauty in 2024, according to industry estimates, and the US now imports more cosmetics from South Korea than any other country.

How did the South Korean government help K-beauty ride the soft power wave that has also brought us TV shows like KPop Demon Hunters, and pop groups such as Blackpink and BTS? And what are the risks of buying into the ‘perfect’ beauty ideals that the industry promotes?

Today, we speak to Elise Hu, the host of TED Daily Talks host and author of 'Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital'.

Producer: Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Marty Peralta

Senior news editor: China Collins



Photo: Model Lee Hyun-yi attends the photocall event celebrating the launch of AHC’s new product ‘Full Lift Eye Cream for Face’ at the FKI Tower Conference Center in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu. Credit: iMBC/Imazins via Getty Images.


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws24nkp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh41l2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnv0v2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zkb)
IPL auction, WBBL review and Ashes controversy

Millions of dollars have been spent as the IPL 2026 mini auction was completed. It was the uncapped Indian players who stole the spotlight with franchises spending large amounts of money on raw potential, so the team debate raw talent versus experience and why all-rounders are so sought after. This comes after Australian Cameron Green has become the most expensive overseas player in the history of the IPL after Kolkata Knight Riders bought the all-rounder for approximately US$2.8 million.

The Women’s Big Bash has a new name on the trophy. Hobart Hurricanes are the champions, so we looked back at the tournament as a whole with the ABC’s Brett Sprigg.

And with the controversy surrounding Snicko in the Ashes, the team debate whether technology still has a place in modern cricket.

Photo: Cameron Green gestures during an IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on April 6, 2024. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Photo:


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws24s9t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6why)
Outlook Mixtape: In the club

Aonishiki Arata's rise through the ranks of Sumo wrestling has been meteoric, but despite his name, Aonishiki is Ukrainian. Born Danylo Yavhusishyn in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, he took up Sumo at the age of seven and finished third in the Junior World Sumo Championships in Osaka in 2019. After the Russian invasion in 2022 he fled his home country and last month won the Emperor's Cup tournament in Japan. He's just 21 years old, and that win catapults him to Ozeki level - sumo's second highest rank. Mobeen met him in London in October 2025.

Londoner Khadijah Mellah was a teenager who had only been riding for four months when she became the first Muslim woman to win a prestigious British horse race. Despite being the youngest competitor, she rode to victory in the 2019 Magnolia Cup at the world-famous Goodwood Racecourse. She told Emily Webb about her breakthrough the following year.

Growing up during China's Cultural Revolution, Guo Pei didn't know what fashion was. As a child, she wasn't allowed to wear anything but a blue or green uniform. Today, she's China's most famous fashion designer, and some of her embroidered couture creations are worth millions. Guo dressed Rihanna for the Met Ball in 2015 in a spectacular and richly-embellished yellow outfit. She spoke to Saskia Collette in 2019.

Asha Puthli's vocals can be heard on influential jazz-fusion and disco tracks from the 1970s, and in samples and remixes from some of the world biggest hip-hop artists.Though when she started out in Mumbai clubs, she sang with her back to the audience to avoid being recognised and alerting her parents. She spoke to Mobeen Azhar in 2024

Presenter:Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder

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

(Photo: (Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape on a white background with a white label with the words: The Outlook Mixtape. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct744x)
The first television opera

On 24 December 1951, in the United States, television history was made with the live broadcast of Amahl and the Night Visitors, the first opera ever composed specifically for TV.

Written by acclaimed Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti, the opera almost didn’t happen. Struggling with writer’s block and a looming deadline, Menotti feared he wouldn’t finish, until a visit to an art gallery sparked a childhood memory and inspired the story.

Broadcast live every Christmas Eve on NBC until 1966, Amahl and the Night Visitors became a much-loved holiday tradition for American audiences.

Produced and presented by Gill Kearsley using a variety of archive from the 1950s through to the 2000s.

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: Gian Carlo Menotti in 1957. Credit: Erich Auerbach/Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws24x1y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws250t2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh4dtg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnvd2g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzn)
1. Midwinter Eve

This night will be bad. Tomorrow will be beyond all imagining. December 20, the day before Will’s 11th birthday, and all he wants is snow. But something is not right. On his way to Dawson’s Farm, a hunched old man scuttles into trees, the animals are disturbed. And then Will receives a present. It is a Sign. Listen on headphones for 3D immersive sound. #TheDarkIsRising

Will Stanton: Noah Alexander
John Smith/Paul Stanton/Mr Beaumont: Thomas Arnold
Bus Conductor/Jamaican Old One/James Stanton: Danny Bailey
Stephen Stanton: Simon Bubb
Mrs Stanton/Mrs Pettigrew/Dr Armstrong: Amanda Hadingue
The Walker/Hawkin: Toby Jones
Narrator: Simon McBurney
The Rider/Mr Mithothin/Mr Stanton/Farmer Dawson: Tim McMullan
Merriman: Paul Rhys
Maggie Barnes/Mary Stanton: Natasha Stone
The Lady/Miss Greythorne: Harriet Walter
Herne: Miles Yekinni
The chorister: Vinay Singh
Radio announcer: Samuel West

Soundscape design: Gareth Fry
Music: Josh Sneesby
Original songs by Johnny Flynn, Luisa Gerstein and Héloïse Tunstall-Behrens

Adapted for audio by Robert Macfarlane and Simon McBurney
Dramaturg: James Yeatman

Director: Simon McBurney
Producers: Catherine Bailey and Tim Bell

A Complicité and Catherine Bailey Production for BBC World Service
Commissioned by Simon Pitts


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct6vzz)
The shocking world of US health costs

A loyal listener wrote in to question this claim made by neuroscientist Dr Daniel Levitin: "Here in the US valium in a pharmacy might be $3 that same pill in a hospital setting might be $750."

Our listener was shocked at how one pill can cost 250 x more in a hospital setting than in a pharmacy. But can it? Sort of.

We turned to Elisabeth Rosenthal to take us on a dive into the frankly shocking world of US Health costs.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Mix: Neil Churchill


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws254k6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8hc0qdq85)
US DOJ releases thousands of 'Epstein files'

The US Department of Justice has released thousands of court files related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffery Epstein, following months of pressure on President Donald Trump. Many of the published files have been redacted, drawing criticism both sides of the political aisle, but the Trump administration says details have been withheld to protect victims' identities.

Also in the programme: Donald Trump claims Venezuela's oil industry is an American creation and labels its previous nationalisation 'theft'. We explore how that has gone down in Caracas. And with AFCON 2025 due to kick off in Morocco this weekend, we ask whether the benefits of hosting the African football tournament, outweigh the costs.

Joining Krupa Padhy to discuss this and more are Bloomberg's Brussels Bureau chief, Suzanne Lynch and The Economist's Defence Editor Shashank Joshi.

(Pictured: Newly-released documents from disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a number of pictures of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and a photo of a painting depicting Clinton in a blue dress, are seen in these handout images released by the U.S. Justice Department and printed and arranged for a photograph by Reuters in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 19, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws2589b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8hc0qdv09)
Epstein survivor: DOJ partial files release not sufficient

US lawmakers criticise redactions in Epstein files as not all documents are released. Among those seen consorting with the late financier and sex offender are politicians, singers and celebrities. Democrats say the failure to publish everything is a violation of the law. We hear reactions from a survivor.

Also on the programme: A Hungarian view on EU's failed attempt to use Russia's frozen assets to help Ukraine's war effort; and we head to New Orleans to meet tens of thousands of Earth Scientists.

Joining Krupa Padhy to discuss this and more are Bloomberg's Brussels Bureau chief Suzanne Lynch and The Economist's Defence Editor Shashank Joshi.

(Image: Newly-released documents from disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws25d1g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8hc0qdyrf)
Ukraine war: US and Russian negotiators prepare for Miami peace talks

President Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is travelling to Florida for talks between Russia and Ukraine. US secretary of state Marco Rubio dismisses suggestions that Washington was trying to force Kyiv into an unfavourable peace deal. With Brussels' committing an additional $105 billion to fund Kyiv, but failing to agree on the use of Russia's frozen assets, we get Europe view on the latest round of negotiations.

Also in the programme: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are given additional jail sentences over a jewellery set gifted to Mr Khan by a Saudi Prince, we bring you the latest from Islamabad; and we explore the phenomenon of music streaming 'Glocalisation' with Spotify's former Chief economist Will Page.

Joining Krupa Padhy to discuss this and more are Bloomberg's Brussels Bureau chief, Suzanne Lynch and The Economist's Defence Editor Shashank Joshi.

(Pictured: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speak as they gather for a family photo at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, December 15, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/Pool)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws25hsl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnn)
Jewish Australians on the Bondi Beach attacks

The Australian government says it will crack down on hate speech following the deadly shooting that targeted a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach. People had come together to celebrate Hanukkah when two gunmen opened fire, killing fifteen people.

Australia’s new laws aim to target those who spread “hate, division and radicalisation". In our conversations, Jewish Australians discuss their personal experiences of antisemitism in Australia.

“You see the arson, you see the graffiti, you see the protests, you see the slogans, you see the people delegitimising Israel and its right to exist,” Sharon tells us. “And the jump is, unfortunately, not that far for people to then delegitimise the right of Jews to be in this country.”

Reports from across the world suggest that antisemitism is on the rise, particularly since the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. We also bring together Jews in the US, Belgium and Germany who share their experiences of attacks on their community, and discuss what can be done about it.

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

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

(Photo: Vigil for those killed on Bondi Beach. Credit: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnvw1z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8byw)
Has Trump’s chief of staff revealed White House secrets?

Susie Wiles is widely credited as being the mastermind behind Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign last year. The White House Chief of Staff, referred to by the president as the “most powerful woman in the world”, is the gatekeeper to the Oval Office and a crucial figure in delivering Trump’s national agenda.

She also rarely speaks to the media, making her an elusive figure in the president’s top team despite her significant influence. But in a series of interviews for Vanity Fair, she refers to Donald Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality”, describes JD Vance as a “conspiracy theorist” and Elon Musk as an “odd, odd duck”. The White House has described the articles as a “framed hit piece” and accused Vanity Fair of taking statements out of context.

In today’s podcast, Justin and Anthony go through some of the most revealing lines from the interviews, and speak to the journalist who sat down with Susie Wiles - Chris Whipple - to find out why he thinks Wiles wanted to speak with him, and how he responds to White House criticism of the interviews.

HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

GUEST:
Chris Whipple, Journalist and author of several White House books, including Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History

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 Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Michael 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 The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course 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.

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


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws25mjq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878s)
Hockey Night

Hockey means different things to different people. In India it's second only to cricket in terms of popularity, but no the kind that is played on Ice... In Canada the frozen form of the game is the national sport, and has made worldwide stars on many of it's players, but those who represent the Canadian field hockey team are not well known. As we roam the globe we realise one thing really binds the two versions of the sport, amazing and inspiring stories

In 2015 ice hockey player Daniel Carcillo was still living his dream playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and winning Stanley Cups. But despite having his named etched on the Staley Cup again in 2015 the year proved to be his last on the ice. Not even winning the most sort after prize in Ice hockey could hide the trauma he was going through. In February of that year he lost his best friend and former team mate Steve Montador. It was later revealed Montador had suffered with CTE, a degenerative brain condition is caused by concussions, something he and Daniel were more than used to as professional hockey players. Carcillo hung up his skates and left the rink for good but retirement did not bring him any peace, in fact his health deteriorated. Desperate for answer and living in the shadow of CTE, Daniel turned to researching alternative, less mainstream forms of treatment. He came to believe that the answers to the issues he was suffering with could be helped by Psilocybin, the main psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms. He tells us his story.

Having represented New Zealand at the last four Olympics it's fair to say that Hugo Inglis has dedicated his life to the game of field hockey. Now into his mid 30's he decided to retire from the sport after the Paris Games, but unlike so many stories of sport stars struggling with life after competing, Hugo is thriving. What he's turned his hand to will have a far more reaching and positive impact in the world than he could ever imagine. Alongside friend and fellow athlete Marcus Daniell, Hugo has started High Impact Athletes an organisation which helps athletes channel the charitable efforts in a way that maxamises their money time and platform. Their mantra is "We believe in a world where all those who can give, give effectively".

Field hockey in India is second only to cricket in terms of popularity... So it's not as unusual as you might think that when the women's team won an unlikely gold at the Commonwealth Games of 2002 their story inspired the hit Bollywood film, "Chak De India!" (Come On, India!), which is credited with improving attitudes to women’s sport in India. Not by the Playbook's hears from to the Indian goal-keeper, Helen Mary Innocent.

It's 45 years since the USA beat the USSR in the Ice hockey competition at the Winter Olympics of Lake Placid in 1980. It's one of the iconic stories in Games history and retold at every opportunity! but what about the the other side of the Miracle on Ice story? time to hear the Soviet players view

Photo: Raitis Ivanans #41 of the Los Angeles Kings and Daniel Carcillo #13 of the Phoenix Coyotes are restrained by the officials during their game at Staples Center on Feburary 18, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (CREDIT: Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws25r8v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh5497)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnw3k7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vwr)
The Child Cancer Scam

1. The video

Seven-year-old Khalil from the Philippines has cancer. His family hope making a campaign video might save him, because they desperately need help to pay for his treatment. But the shoot is demanding, exhausting. Khalil even has onions put in front of his eyes to make him cry.

For his mother Aljin, it’s a last-ditch attempt to help her son. But despite following every demand made by a “foreign sponsor”, she’s told the video doesn’t make any money.

Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

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


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws25w0z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct8sj4)
United in space: How we built the ISS

Celebrating 25 unbroken years of humans living in space, former international director of the UK Space Agency Dr Alice Bunn charts how nations put aside differences to create the ultimate symbol of human ingenuity and collaboration – a space station orbiting our planet that has been home to more than 300 people from 24 different nations.

Using mission control audio, news archive and personal stories, Alice illuminates acts of epic survival, humour and selflessness that made the station a reality. She investigates why a near fatal disaster on the Russian Mir space station spurred nations to commit to the ISS, and reveals how a Moscow basement and Hollywood royalty sparked bonding between Russians and Americans. She also discovers how quick thinking and plastic tape saved the station, allowing it to grow to the size of a football pitch, and how one astronaut came within seconds of drowning in space.

Looking into the future, Alice explores how the legacy of the ISS will be carried on by a new generation of private space stations, which have the power to push back the boundaries of science for the good of all humanity. The reduced gravity offers enormous possibilities, including creating materials impossible to create on Earth.

Producer: Duncan Bulling
Presenter: Dr Alice Bunn
A 2 Degrees West production

Image: The International Space Station, pictured in 2011 (Credit: Nasa via Reuters)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws25zs3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zssh2plb4bq)
Politicians and survivors criticise Epstein file release

The US justice department has released a tranche of some of the so-called Epstein files, including photos of the interiors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's homes, his overseas travels and celebrities. Survivors and some US politicians have criticised the release as incomplete, overly-redacted and providing no context of when and where photos were taken. We hear from survivor Marina Lacerda.

Also in the programme: US fighter jets attack targets linked to Islamic State in Syria; and a rare sighting of a "pink" platypus in Australia.

(Photo: Undated handout photo issued by the US Department of Justice of a photograph appearing to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reclining across the laps of five people. It has been released in the latest tranche of Epstein files. He appears to be smiling with his eyes closed and his head nearly resting on a woman's lap while Ghislaine Maxwell (now a convicted associate of Epstein) stands above peering and smiling in the undated picture. Issue date: Friday December 19, 2025. PA Photo)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws263j7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqxd8btqwp)
Live Sporting Action

We’ll have live Premier League commentary of Manchester City against West Ham United. Lee James will be joined by the former Brentford and Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton and the former Liverpool and England striker Natasha Dowie build up to that and discuss the seven other games in the Premier League on Saturday.

We’ll preview the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on Sunday in Morocco. The former South Africa captain Dean Furman, former Sierra Leone defender Steven Caulker and John Bennett will join us for that.

Away from football, we’ll look back on Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul’s fight in Miami and we’ll be in Adelaide on Day Four of the third Ashes Test, where Australia can retain the urn.

Photo: Phil Foden of Manchester City and Crysencio Summerville of West Ham United in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and West Ham United FC at Etihad Stadium on January 4, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws26lhr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh5zj4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnwys4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsq)
A Cold War hockey match

In August 1961, the Soviet Union began building a wall between East and West Berlin.

Weeks after construction began, the Scotland international women’s hockey team were invited to play against West Germany.

They travelled by plane and coach, getting stopped at Checkpoint Charlie, before arriving for the match at the Olympic Hockey Stadium in West Berlin.

Although they didn’t win, Valerie Crombie has been speaking to Megan Jones about the significance of taking part and about the memento she got to keep.

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: The team at Turnhouse Airport, now known as Edinburgh Airport, in 1961. Credit: Scottish Hockey).


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws26q7w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Reith Lectures (w3ct8dz7)
Rutger Bregman: 4. Fighting for humanity in the age of the machine

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 this fourth and final lecture, 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. The programme was recorded in front of an audience at Stanford University, USA with a Q&A.

(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 (w172zwx0ws26v00)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvc)
On Tour in Rome

Nikki Bedi is on stage at Teatro Italia in Rome with leading creatives and live audience, to explore the impact of the country’s colossal cultural history on its new wave of artistic talent.

Creative powerhouse Margherita Vicario reveals the inspiration for her film Gloria!, about rebellious women musicians in a convent in 1800 Venice.

Horror maestro Paolo Strippoli explains the meaning of his film, The Holy Boy, set in a village that depends on the miraculous healing powers of a teenage boy.

There is live comedy from Luca Ravenna.

Live music comes from singer songwriter Levante and poetic rapper Mecna.

And Daniele Tinti is Nikki’s insider guide to Rome’s revealing locations


Photo credit
Marco Ponzianelli


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws26yr4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zssh2plc39r)
Epstein victims and lawmakers criticise number of files released and redactions

We get reaction to the Epstein files, which were released on Friday but were heavily redacted and represent only a fraction of the number held by the FBI. There is more information, but are Epstein survivors satisfied that enough is being done? We are joined by Lisa Bryant, director and executive producer of a Netflix documentary series titled Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich.

Also on today’s programme: President Zelensky says he is open to US proposals for direct talks with Russia, though there are conditions; will the prizefighter vs YouTuber bout change boxing? And a new lemon-shaped planet has been discovered -- and it’s really weird.

A sheet of redacted pages in connection with late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is shown on a computer screen (19 December, 2025. U.S. Justice Department/Reuters)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws272h8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh6ghn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnxfrn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72f0)
Lojay

Lekan Osifeso Jr, better known as Lojay, exploded onto the scene in 2021 with his massive hit Monalisa, produced by Sarz and remixed featuring US star Chris Brown.

Lojay’s place amongst Afrobeats royalty was established, and he has collaborated with many of the best, including Davido, Wizkid, Ayra Starr and Fireboy DML. His debut album XOXO dropped in October 2025 and features fellow Nigerian Victony, as well as Odeal from the UK, Feid from Colombia and South African superstar Tyla. Lojay is also the first independent Afrobeats artist to be nominated for a Grammy, for his performance on Chris Brown’s multi-platinum hit Sensational.

In this episode, Lojay tells DJ Edu about XOXO, his US tour, his musical influences and the first lyrics he wrote age 10.


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws2767d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]

SUNDAY 21 DECEMBER 2025

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws279zj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnxp7x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct8sj3)
Elephant politics

Botswana is home to about a third of Africa’s remaining savanna elephants, over 130,000. But it is a burden as well as a blessing. It puts pressure on local communities, and the cost of conservation is huge. Climate change means elephants are moving into new areas in their search for water and in some parts of this sparsely populated country there are more elephants than people. Jo Dwyer travels to northern Botswana, where safari-based tourism helps drive the economy. Elephants bring in the tourists, but conservation is a balancing act. The protection of wild animal populations has to be carefully balanced with the protection of the people who live among them.

There are calls from Botswana and other countries in the region for more help with what they describe as an international wildlife resource. They would like to see a new global funding model for elephant conservation. But in the meantime, conservationists in Botswana defend the country’s controversial practise of trophy hunting, as a valuable part of its conservation toolkit.

Producer/presenter: Jo Dwyer
Editor: Chris Ledgard

(Photo: Elephants in northern Botswana. Credit: Jo Dwyer)


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws27fqn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh6tr1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnxt01)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws27kgs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh6yh5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnxxr5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkf)
Behind the Huntington’s disease breakthrough

James Gallagher joins Claudia Hammond to share his pick for health breakthrough of 2025 – the world's first gene therapy to treat Huntington’s disease.

Popular science author Mary Roach joins Claudia to discuss the future of prosthetics.

Also on the show, James shares his latest reporting on how sperm from a donor with a cancer-causing gene was used to conceive almost 200 children.

We hear from Mohsen Rajabi how teachers in Iran are providing first-line mental health support to refugee students as they cope with settlement traumas.

Plus, how an electronic nose could help detect mould in the home.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws27p6x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct8sj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws27sz1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsk)
Ukraine's defiance in Pokrovsk

Pascale Harter introduces correspondents' stories from eastern Ukraine, Australia, Hong Kong and Jordan.

Russian forces have tried to capture the city of Pokrovsk for nearly two years, but Ukrainian forces say they're still resisting the advance, helped by Ukraine's innovative arms industry. Jonathan Beale met battle-scarred troops at a command centre and visited a secret munitions factory making the sort of long-range weapons the West has hesitated to supply to Kyiv.

The media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been convicted of ‘colluding with foreign forces’ under Hong Kong's controversial national security law. Mr Lai had been accused of violating the law for his role in pro-democracy protests and through his newspaper, Apple Daily. Danny Vincent followed the case and was in court as the verdict was handed down.

The images of two gunmen opening fire on a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi beach in Sydney have shocked the world - and shaken Australia's sense of itself. 15 people were shot dead and dozens more were injured in the country's worst mass shooting for nearly three decades. Katy Watson has been speaking to members of Sydney's Jewish community.

The Kingdom of Jordan prides itself on being an oasis of calm in a turbulent neighbourhood - and on its plethora of historic sites. It's been trying to draw more religious tourists, in particular, to places mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. But recent conflicts all around it meant fewer travellers making their way along its ancient paths. Sebastian Usher recently walked some of its trails, and looked over breathtaking, but divided, landscapes.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
(Image: Destroyed apartment buildings that remain in a residential district in Pokrovsk, Ukraine. Credit: Taras Ibragimov/Suspilne Ukraine/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhny57f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vwr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws27xq5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh79qk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhny8zk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct8sj3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws281g9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8hc0qhm58)
Evidence of mass-killings in Sudan

Researchers from Yale say satellite imagery indicates that Sudan's rebel militia, the RSF, are attempting to cover up mass killings which took place following their takeover of Darfur's regional capital, El Fasher. He hear the plight of one refugee who fled the city following its fall, and explore the challenges posed by Sudanese medics operating in the war-torn region.

Also in the programme: We speak to Blue Origin Astronaut Michaela Benthaus, less than a day after she made history as the first wheelchair user in space; and Mississippi Blues musician Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram gives us a sneak peak at his new album 'Hard Road'.

Joining Krupa Padhy to discuss this and more are the writer, broadcaster and actor Alex Andreou, and independent journalist Isabel Woodford.

(Pictured: A displaced boy from al-Fashir gets down from a truck, at a displacement camp in Al-Dabba, Sudan, November 19, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws2856f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8hc0qhqxd)
US seizes second Venezuelan oil tanker

Venezuela has accuses the Trump administration of 'international piracy' after US forces seize a second oil tanker off the country's coast. We speak to former Venezuelan Minister Ricardo Huassmann about why he supports regime change, and explore the US war game planning which could come into play if the Maduro regime is toppled.

Also in the programme: As Australia marks a national day of reflection to honour the victims of last weeks Hanukkah terror attack, we speak to Bondi survivor Chavi Blok; and Grammy winning jazz musician Michael League tells us why he believes more action is needed to protect artists from the threat of AI.

Joining Krupa Padhy to discuss this and more are the writer, broadcaster and actor Alex Andreou, and independent journalist Isabel Woodford.

(Pictured:A U.S. military helicopter flies over the Panama-flagged Centuries, which was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard, days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, east of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea December 20, 2025. Credit: DHS/Handout via REUTERS)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws288yk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8hc0qhvnj)
Thousands mourn Bondi Beach victims in nationwide memorial

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was booed by crowd members on his arrival at a memorial service held to honour the victims of last week's Bondi Beach terror attack. Mr Albanese has called for a security review following the attack on a Hanukkah event, but his government has faced criticism from within the Australian Jewish community for not doing enough to combat antisemitism. We bring you the latest from Sydney.

Also in the programme: Former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels explains why Republican attempts to gerrymander congressional seats in his state have stalled; and we examine the role of Russian mercenaries in the rise of the Sahel's military dictatorships.

Joining Krupa Padhy to discuss this and more are the writer, broadcaster and actor Alex Andreou, and independent journalist Isabel Woodford.

(Pictured: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (C-R) and his wife, Jodie Haydon (C-L), arrive to attend a National Day of Reflection vigil and commemoration for the victims and survivors of the Bondi Massacre at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, 21 December 2025. Credit: Photo by DEAN LEWINS/EPA/Shutterstock)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws28dpp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnyrz2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zk)
What is the ultimate hangover cure?

With the festive season approaching in parts of the world, Ruth Alexander explores what’s actually happening in the body during a hangover, why some people suffer more than others, and whether common remedies make any real difference.

How the body processes alcohol and why that can make you feel so bad is explained by Andrew Scholey, Professor of Human Psychopharmacology at Northumbria University in the UK and member of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group.

Marisa Moll, a registered nutritionist from Paraguay, shares her recommendations on what to consume before you drink alcohol to try to reduce the risk of a hangover.

And Jonathon Shears, Professor of English Literature at Keele University in the UK and author of The Hangover, a Literary and Cultural History, reflects on the cultural history of the hangover.

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

Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Andrew Mills
Image: A woman looks at empty bottles of alcohol (credit: Getty)


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws28jft)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyn)
Saving mothers with portable ultrasound

The World Health Organisation recommends all pregnant women should have at least one ultrasound before six months. However, only half of women do in sub-Saharan Africa. This week we visit Kenya to see how portable ultrasound devices are flagging up any issues early. And how AI could overcome the barrier of not having enough trained midwives on the ground.

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
Producers: Calvin Manika, Claire Bates
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: A midwife gives a pregnant woman an ultrasound scan, BBC/Davis Ojiambo)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnywq6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v1)
Living in fear on South Africa's farms

In February, American President Donald Trump signed an executive order which said that South African Afrikaners - descendants of mainly Dutch settlers who arrived in the 17th Century - could be admitted as refugees in the USA as they were "victims of unjust racial discrimination". President Trump’s move to prioritise the resettlement of white South African farmers reignited global controversy when he referenced what he has described as a “genocide” against white farmers. Thousands of South Africans have now applied for refugee status in the USA, and are waiting to potentially relocate there. Farmers in South Africa are predominantly white, but farmers and farm workers of all races fear theft and violent crime in the country. Claire Mawisa is a reporter for BBC Africa Eye and recently travelled to meet farmers in South Africa.

Kings, or chiefs, in Ghana don't hold much formal or political power, but they are hugely important to people and hold a lot of cultural and social influence. But there are also powerful royal women in Ghana. They've held power in certain parts of the country for a long time, but it seems their influence is now on the rise. It is a story that caught the eye of Stefania Okereke of BBC Focus on Africa.


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

Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Laura Thomas.


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws28n5y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh816b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnz0gb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6vzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws28ry2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 The Reith Lectures (w3ct8dz7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:06 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws28wp6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zssh2plf17t)
Thousands gather at Bondi Beach to pay their respects

The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has been booed at a ceremony in Sydney to remember the fifteen people who died in the Bondi Beach shooting. A minute's silence was held across the nation to mark the time that the attack began, and candles were lit.  Tens of thousands of people gathered at Bondi Beach to pay their respects to those who were killed when two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish celebration a week ago.

Also in the programme: The US seizes another oil tanker in the Caribbean; and Morocco prepares for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.

(Photo: Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends the 'Light Over Darkness' vigil honouring victims and survivors of a deadly mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14, in Sydney, Australia, December 21, 2025. CREDIT: REUTERS/Hollie Adams)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws290fb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702z)
Q&A: The jobs of the future, nitrous oxide, ice cores

We answer YOUR climate questions – on everything from “green” careers to ice cores to the world’s electricity challenge!

In this edition of The Climate Question, Host Graihagh Jackson explores your climate-related headscratchers. Her panel chat about the new jobs that will open up as the world economy moves away from fossil fuels – and the skills that will be needed.

They also discuss the dangers of nitrous oxide – a planet-warming gas, but also crucial for the fertilisers that help feed us. And have you ever wondered how scientists actually date the ice cores they dig out of glaciers. Some of them are 100,000s of years old!

Plus: the controversial scientists who’ve won the Nobel Prize, and is there anywhere on Earth that’s untouched by humans?

Host: Graihagh Jackson
Guests: BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, BBC CrowdScience Presenter Caroline Steel, and Akshat Rathi, Bloomberg Senior Climate Reporter and Host of the Bloomberg Green podcast.

Production Team: Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle, Graihagh Jackson, Grace Braddock
Sound Mix: Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnzcpq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzc)
Happy News

Positive news stories


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws2945g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqxd8bxrjx)
Live Sporting Action

It’s the opening game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and John Bennett and a panel of experts will be looking ahead to the tournament. We’ll be live in Rabat ahead of hosts Morocco against Comoros, and hear from Zambia’s Kalusha Bwalya on their chances.

At 1600 GMT we begin the build-up to our live Premier League commentary as in-form Aston Villa host Manchester United.

There will also be reaction to the third Ashes Test, the latest from the NFL as teams battle for playoff spots, plus we’ll be live at London’s Alexandra Palace for the latest from the World Darts Championship.

Photo: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa controls the ball whilst under pressure from Harry Maguire of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Aston Villa FC at Old Trafford on May 25, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws29m4z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh905c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhnzzfc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 Over to You (w3ct8sh1)
Ask the controller

It is our annual Ask the Controller special with the boss of BBC World Service English Jon Zilkha in the studio to answer your questions.

We also hear from listeners on what they have enjoyed on the BBC World Service in 2025. And what would they would like to hear more of in 2026.


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws29qx3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws29vn7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zssh2plg06v)
US pursuing another Venezuelan oil tanker

There are reports that the US coastguard may be trying to intercept another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, but why is US oil firm Chevron still operating in the country?

Also in the programme: Israel's security cabinet approves 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank; and an elegy for the US penny that is no longer being produced after 230 years.

(Photo: Government supporters participate in a protest against US President Donald Trump's order to blockade sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in Caracas, Venezuela on 17 December 2025. Credit: Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws29zdc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlh0zh9cdr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhp0bnr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx0ws2b34h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvbhp0gdw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcm)
Stolen brides of Kazakhstan: the fightback

In plain sight, in a modern city, a colleague offers to drive you home after work. How would you respond? One woman in Kazakhstan accepted the lift only to find herself kidnapped or ‘stolen’ as a bride. She got away, rescued by the police, but for many Kazakh women kidnap leads to marriage.

Human Rights lawyer Khalida Azhigulova reckons that thousands of women are forced into marriage each year in Kazakhstan, including many who are abducted. Some women even find that a wedding has already been arranged by the time a kidnapper gets her home. Now, after 20 years of campaigning by Khalida and other activists, legislators have passed a law making forced marriage a crime.

Monica Whitlock and Roza Kudabayeva travel to Kazakhstan to meet women who’ve been kidnapped, and hearing about the intense pressures that make them feel obliged to marry their abductors. Women like Gulbala who endured 20 years of marriage with her kidnapper and is now making a new life for herself. And Klara who is crystal clear that it’s time for a change. All her children will marry in the proper way, she says, because no one should be forced into marriage.

Bride stealing is a problem not only in Kazakhstan, but in many other parts of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It’s often defended as ‘tradition’ rooted in the Kazakh’s nomadic past. Nonsense, says Khalida. ‘Kazakh girls in the nomadic community were raised as warriors. They were taught to ride a horse, how to gallop, how to use arms and how to fight. She would not let anyone kidnap her.’

Produced by Monica Whitlock and Rose Kudabayeva.
Sound engineer: James Beard
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Series editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: Klara and her new daughter-in-law Adina support the new law. Credit Monica Whitlock/BBC)

MONDAY 22 DECEMBER 2025

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cg24s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz4ff5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txq)
How did President Trump transform science in 2025?

This week President Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget announced that a major climate research centre would be broken up. 2025 has brought a wave of reorganisations and funding cuts, reshaping the ways science is done in the USA. Veteran science journalist Roland Pease tells us whether we’re starting to see the impacts.

Victoria Gill gets a subterranean tour of Finland’s new nuclear waste disposal facility. It’s the first country in the world to get one and the UK are interested in learning how they did it. Victoria is also joined by science journalist Caroline Steel to talk about this week in science research.

And 40 years ago, Dian Fossey was murdered at her home in Rwanda where she had spent decades studying mountain gorillas. Gilly Forrester, Professor of Comparative Cognition at the University of Sussex talks about why the data collected from Dian’s ‘gorillas in the mist’ continues to shape science today.

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: Victoria Gill
Producers: Clare Salisbury, Kate White and Tim Dodd
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cg5wx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sfkx9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz4k59)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx1)
The Life Scientific: Sonia Gandhi

Many people will be familiar with Parkinson’s disease: the progressive brain disorder that causes symptoms including tremors and slower movement, leading on to serious cognitive problems. You might not know that it’s the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. Today it affects around 11.8 million people and that’s forecast to double by 2030. Dr Sonia Gandhi is one of the scientists working to change that trend. As Professor of Neurology at University College London and Assistant Research Director at the Francis Crick Institute, her work involves using stem cells to build models of the human brain, helping to drive the development of drugs and other therapies for Parkinson’s patients. Talking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Sonia explains why this destructive condition is on the rise - and the promising routes they're studying to find new ways to tackle it.


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cg9n1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sfpnf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz4nxf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sts)
How do we adapt to the cold?

When some people are wandering around in shorts and a t-shirt, others are wrapped up in warm coats and jumpers. How come our responses to cold weather are so different?



People have been living in cold environments for thousands of years. So why do some of us struggle with the cold more than others, and what, if any, adaptations have our bodies made to cope in freezing temperatures?



CrowdScience listener Anne from the UK is amazed by the warm houses of her neighbours, and wants to know whether her background might have affected her perspective on the cold.



Caroline Steel investigates, visiting a laboratory in Loughborough University, UK, that pushes the body to the extreme. Dr Matt Maley explains what happens inside our systems to help us survive the plummeting thermostat and how this adaption can vary from person to person.



But it’s not just biological. Our culture impacts our experience of cold too. CrowdScience heads to Norway to meet the global community on the icy Arctic island of Svalbard. There Caroline meets Associate Professor Gunhild Sætren at the Arctic Safety Centre to find out the important role appropriate clothing plays in being prepared for the chilly weather.



And we speak to Dr Cara Ocobock at the University of Notre Dame, USA, who tells us about her research comparing Finnish reindeer herders and office workers reactions to cold temperatures.



Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Hannah Fisher

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Woman enjoying winter playing in fresh snow. Credit: Olga Pankova/Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cgfd5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz4snk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cgk49)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sfy4p)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz4xdp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct709s)
Female philanthropists

In the season of giving, Datshiane Navanayagam talks to philanthropists from France and Nigeria about using their wealth to help others thrive. Historically philanthropic giving has been dominated by men, but as women’s global wealth grows so does their capacity for donating money to charitable causes and enterprise. The Conversation talks to a French heiress who felt compelled to give away her money following the death of her son in a helicopter crash and a former corporate banker from Nigeria who’s galvanising businesswomen from the African diaspora to invest in the futures of women on the continent.

Albina du Boisrouvay was born into extreme wealth as granddaughter of a Bolivian tin magnate and daughter of a French aristocrat. She went on to pursue an alternative career as a film director and when her 24 year old son François-Xavier Bagnoud died, Albina sold three-quarters of her assets and founded FXB Foundation in his name. Its mission is to fight poverty, AIDs and support orphans and vulnerable children. Since 1989, FXB Foundation has impacted the lives of 20 million people. She’s recently written about her extraordinary life in a book called Phoenix Rising.

Former corporate banker, Dr Anino Emuwa is from Nigeria and managing director at Avandis Consulting in France. She co-founded Women in Philanthropy and Impact Africa, bringing together women in business from the African diaspora to use the power of philanthropy to drive sustainable development. With only 0.4% of foundation grants globally directed toward organisations addressing women's issues, WIPIA approaches philanthropy through a gendered lens and supports women to lead scalable change in Africa.

Produced by Jane Thurlow

(Image: (L) Albina du Boisrouvay credit Karine Bauzin. (R), Dr Anino Emuwa courtesy Dr Anino Emuwa.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cgnwf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsf1x0)
New South Wales parliament debates stricter gun control laws

The gun control proposals, which are expected to pass, include limits on the number of firearms an individual can own. The gun lobby says the legislation is rushed and will unfairly penalise responsible gun owners. On Sunday, the Australian prime minister was booed at a ceremony to commemorate the victims. The government is accused of not doing enough to combat anti-semitism.

We will go to Rabat, the capital of Morocco, where with great fanfare the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament has got under way - with a win for the hosts.

And we will find out about a production pause for Jim Beam, one of the most famous names in whiskey, and what it has to do with President Trump's tariffs

(Photo: Rabbi Yossi Friedman leads a tribute for the victims of a mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah; Credit: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cgsmk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsf5n4)
Myanmar military bombs schools and churches in rebel-held state

Many people in the rebel held Chin state have left their homes, with some fleeing into India. The push comes ahead of the first general election in Myanmar since the army overthrew the government in two thousand and twenty one.

We are also in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, where the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament has got under way - with a win for the hosts.

(Photo: Members of the People's Defence Force (PDF) hike at a training camp in an area controlled by ethnic Karen rebels; Credit: Reuters)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cgxcp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsf9d8)
BBC: Civilians in Myanmar rebel areas targeted by air strikes

Many people in rebel held Chin state have left their homes, with some fleeing into India. The push comes ahead of the first general election in Myanmar since the army overthrew the government in two thousand and twenty one. Critics describe the vote as a sham.

We are in the capital of Morocco, where with great fanfare the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament has got under way - with a win for the hosts. We'll speak to supporters, and discuss what's likely to happen over the next month with a leading African football journalist

(Photo: Military personnel participates in a parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw; Credit: Reuters)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ch13t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0q)
K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Arden Cho: I was born in America, but wasn’t seen as American

‘Being born in America, feeling American, but having people treat me like I'm not.’

Chi Chi Izundu speaks to Korean American actor Arden Cho, star of the hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, about her life and career.

Cho is the voice of Rumi, a leading character who must come to terms with her own identity as part-human, part-demon.

It’s a duality that resonated powerfully with her, as the daughter of Korean immigrants who struggled for acceptance, and faced racism while growing up in America.

Now, Korean culture is increasingly popular worldwide, and she has become a leading role model for Asian American children, the kind she says she lacked when she was young.

And despite KPop Demon Hunters being crowned as Netflix’s most-watched film ever, Cho warns that Asian-led film projects are still seen as a risk.

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: Chi Chi Izundu
Producers: Lucy Sheppard, Clare Williamson and Rebecca Thorn
Editor: Nick Holland

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

(Image: Arden Cho. Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty Images)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz5dd6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6ryq)
How Christmas spending is changing

Festive spending habits are changing, with many, especially younger shoppers, predicted to cut back.

We look at what’s driving the shift, the impact on retail, and how artificial intelligence is starting to shape the way shoppers choose gifts and search for lower prices.

Plus - we hear from members of the World Service audience on what their holiday spending priorities are.

You can get in touch with the programme - our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer: Sam Gruet

(Picture: Nelmar Cornes, a stationary enthusiast and the owner of the Toronto Pen Shoppe in Toronto, Canada.)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7476)
The invention of Jenga

It's just over 30 years since the brick game was introduced to the world at a department store in London.

Made of 54 wooden blocks stacked into a tower in rows of three by three, each player takes a turn to remove a block from the tower and place it at the top. When the tower falls, the game is over.

Surya Elango speaks to its British designer Leslie Scott about how a family game that started in her parent's home in 1970s Ghana, became an international hit.

By 1986, the game was successfully introduced into the North America market at a time when video games were taking off.

It’s now in the US National Toy Hall of Fame having sold millions worldwide. Leslie went on to create 40 other games.

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: Leslie Scott with a jenga set in 1983. Credit: Sue Macpherson ARPS.)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ch4vy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sgjwb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz5j4b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sts)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ch8m2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71ww)
Norway’s sushi contribution and Laurel and Hardy’s Christmas

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

We learn about how a Norwegian businessman brought salmon sushi to Japan in the 1980s.

Our guest is cookbook author Nancy Singleton Hachisu, who tells us more about the history of sushi in Japan and around the world.

We hear about the first opera written for TV in 1950s America and how U.S Marshalls used fake NFL tickets to capture some of Washington DC’s most wanted.

Plus, how disability rights campaigners in India led to a change in the law in 1995 and when Scotland played hockey in Germany during the cold war.

Finally, the story of when Laurel and Hardy spent Christmas at an English country pub.

Contributors:

Bjørn-Eirik – Norwegian businessman who brought salmon sushi to Japan

Nancy Singleton Hachisu – cookbook author

Archive of Gian Carlo Menotti – Italian composer

Stacia Hylton – former U.S Marshall

Javed Abidi – Indian disability rights campaigner

Archive of customers at The Bull Inn – the pub that Laurel and Hardy visited in 1953

Valerie Sinclair – member of Scotland's hockey team who played West Germany in 1961

(Photo: Japanese demonstration to Norwegian royal family. Credit: Bjørn-Eirik Olson)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx181chdc6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sgscl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz5rml)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct717j)
Is Trump looking for war with Venezuela?

Tensions between the US and Venezuela are reaching a dangerous tipping point. The Trump administration has accused president Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel and declared Maduro's government a “foreign terrorist organisation”. President Trump has also ordered a naval blockade of the country’s oil-sanctioned exports using what he calls “the largest ever armada assembled in the history of South America”.

In today’s episode, we speak to BBC Mundo journalist, Jorge Perez Valeri to ask whether the escalating military rhetoric from Washington could be paving the way for war, and how Venezuelans, already grappling with deep economic hardship, are feeling about the prospect.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak, Lucy Pawle and Aron Keller.
Editor: Bridget Harney
Mix: Marty Peralta
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro attends an event at the Mariche Metrocable station. Credit: Reuters.


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx181chj3b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqr)
The real story of the von Trapp family singers

At 86 years old, Johannes von Trapp is the last surviving child of Captain Georg von Trapp and his wife Maria whose story was turned into The Sound of Music, about a trainee nun who became a governess and then mother to the von Trapp children. Sixty years after its release, Johannes tells us the extraordinary true story; from his mother's initial reluctance to marry Captain von Trapp, to the family having to flee the Nazi occupation of their home in Austria, leaving behind a wealthy lifestyle before eventually arriving in New York in 1938 with very little money. With a total of ten children - seven of them from Georg's first marriage - the family settled in Vermont and toured the world as the Trapp Family Singers. Johannes remembers a home filled with music and joy, a mother who was a force of nature, and a father who was warm and loving - although he did use a whistle to gather together his children! In 1942 the family bought what would become the Trapp Family Lodge, a resort hotel in Stowe, Vermont. Johannes ran the hotel for decades before stepping down earlier this year.

Film archive: The Sound of Music/Robert Wise Productions & Argyle Enterprises/Robert Wise

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: June Christie

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

(Photo: Black and white photo of the von Trapp family at Christmas in 1943 - Johannes is just a young boy at the front and centre of the photo with eight of his siblings, and Captain von Trapp is to the right of the photo. Credit: von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7476)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx181chmvg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sh0vv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz603v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct709s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx181chrll)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zsshfywmx56)
Myanmar military appears to bomb schools and churches

Myanmar’s military rulers promise to hold an election this week. We have a rare report from inside the country, where government campaigning appears to involve bombing schools and churches in rebel-held areas.

Also in the programme: the US navy is in pursuit of another oil tanker near Venezuela; but what is this "shadow" fleet? And after the mass killing at Bondi Beach, more details emerge about the alleged Islamist gunmen, while the state government prepares to crack down on guns and hate speech.

(IMAGE: Primary school in Vanha village, Chin state, Myanmar / CREDIT: Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO))


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx181chwbq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz67m3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6ryq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct886j)
Why is bourbon maker Jim Beam pausing production?

Leanna Byrne takes a look as Jim Beam, one of the most recognisable names in American bourbon, confirms it will pause production for a year at its main Kentucky distillery from January.

India and New Zealand strike a new free trade deal, cutting tariffs and opening markets on both sides.

And at the box office, the latest Avatar: Fire and Ash opens more quietly than expected in the US, despite strong takings overseas.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cj02v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1rkw6t)
The rise of online sleep trends

A new TikTok trend has seen people suggesting that if you eat seven baby carrots before bed it will improve your sleep. This is just one of the latest trends that people claim help them sleep. In recent months we've also seen the idea of "dark showering" which is basically showering in the dark before bed. So what works and what doesn't? We speak to two sleep specialists, who also answer audience questions about how to get a good night's rest.

We have the latest on a Russian general killed in a car bombing.

As the year draws to a close, we are checking in with our correspondents and regional experts from across the world. It has been a period of intense political instability in South Korea, while the country’s cultural footprint continues to spread globally thanks to its biggest export - K Pop. Our reporter Julie Yoonnyung Lee takes stock of the year.

Morocco is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, shining a spotlight on the country's relationship with the rest of Africa. We speak to our reporter who has been gauging the mood in Rabat.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: A man awake in bed in the early hours of the morning as Britons are under-sleeping by an average of almost an hour every night, health experts have said. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cj3tz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1rkzyy)
Trump appoints special envoy for Greenland

Denmark has warned the US to respect its sovereignty after Donald Trump appointed a special envoy to Greenland, which the US president has previously threatened to annex. We speak with journalists in Denmark, Greenland, and the US about what this move could mean.

Nearly 600 people have been arrested across several African countries in an anti-cybercrime operation coordinated by Interpol. Our correspondent explains.

A pair of US lawmakers have threatened legal action against US Attorney General Pam Bondi, after her deadline to release all government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was met only in part.

In Myanmar, voters head to the polls this week — but the election is widely seen as a sham orchestrated by the military junta to cement its grip on power. Our correspondent joins us with exclusive reporting after speaking to civilians fleeing the civil war.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: An aerial view shows eastern Greenland, September 18, 2025. Credit: Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo/Reuters)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cj7l3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7476)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cjcb7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7shrbm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz6qlm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z62)
2025/12/22 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 (w172zwx181cjh2c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz6vbr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx2)
The Life Scientific: Gareth Collett

Movies might have us believe that bomb disposal comes down to cutting the right wire. In fact, explosive devices are complex and varied - and learning how to dispose of them safely involves intense training, as well as the ability to stay calm under pressure. This was the world of Dr Gareth Collett, a retired British Army Brigadier General and engineer, specialising in bomb disposal; whose 32-year military career took him around the world, including heading up major ordnance clearance projects in Iraq and Afghanistan. After retiring from the army, Gareth became a university lecturer – but following his diagnosis with bladder cancer, started researching a possible link between bomb disposal veterans and higher rates of urological cancers. In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Gareth discusses this ongoing research, dealing with PTSD - and why he just can't watch Oscar-winning movie The Hurt Locker...


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cjlth)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zsshfywnrd3)
What is life in Gaza like after the ceasefire?

The total number of people killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire took place in October has reached 400, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Flooding, low temperatures and makeshift shelters have also presented issues for those in the region. We speak with a Gazan resident about what life is like now for her and her peers.

Also in the programme: More children abducted from a Nigerian Catholic school last month look set to be released; CBS News faces criticism for delaying a ’60 Minutes’ special on the US deportation of migrants to an El Salvadoran megaprison; and Ukraine takes part in a morale-boosting Secret Santa scheme, offering gifts to soldiers on the frontline.

(Photo: Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike on Friday, according to medics, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Credit: Dabou Abu Alkas, Reuters)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cjqkm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sj3l0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz72v0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76tw)
Another dramatic turn in the Warner Bros Discovery takeover

The American billionaire Larry Ellison has promised more than $40 billion of his money in support of Paramount to buy rival studio, Warner Bros Discovery. Where does this leave antitrust questions around a Paramount or Netflix takeover? Ed Butler hears from Phillip Berenbroick, who served as chief counsel for the US Senate’s judiciary subcommittee on antitrust matters.

How much money is Morocco spending as host for the African Cup of Nations?

Also, we explore Yiwu, China’s capital of Christmas.

(Photo: Paramount, Netflix and Warner Bros logos are seen in this illustration taken December 8, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cjv9r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz76l4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct709s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2025

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cjz1w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71ww)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ck2t0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sjgtd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz7g2d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct717j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ck6k4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sjlkj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz7ktj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcn)
Argentina's elusive big cats

After decades of extinction, wild jaguars are once again roaming in Northern Argentina. It has been at least thirty five years since a wild jaguar cub was spotted in this dry and dusty part of Argentina. But in August 2025, a baby appeared on the chocolatey-brown banks of the River Bermejo. Its existence was a great success for the team from Rewilding Argentina, a non-profit foundation that started reintroducing these magnificent beasts here in 2019. But it has not been easy: hunting is still a problem and the organisation has had to get the locals on board with sharing their home with big cats. Charlotte Pritchard travels to 'The Impenetrable Forest' to find out how the birth of this baby became possible.

Producer: Macarena Gagliardi.
Sound engineer: Duncan Hannant
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Series editor: Penny Murphy

(Image Credit: Pablo Luna)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ckb98)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct7476)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ckg1d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sjv1s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz7t9s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvh)
Michael Symmons Roberts' Christmas card poem

There’s a tradition among poets to write a poem to put inside the Christmas cards they send. So, the BBC World Service has commissioned one specially from the poet, dramatist and novelist Michael Symmons Roberts, whose Christian faith is important to his identity and work. But his art is not a direct expression of this, and instead he follows the poet Emily Dickinson’s instruction to "tell all the truth but tell it slant".

Michael has just become a grandfather, so feels keenly the happiness of the arrival of a cherished child, creating a parallel between his own life and the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus. Julian May follows Michael’s creative process as he grapples huge spiritual and personal themes – distilling them to a length which can fit on a Christmas card: a daunting but joyful task.

The programme begins on London’s Oxford Street, where consumerism triggers preparations a full three months before Christmas, and ends with the sealing of the Christmas cards before they are popped into the post box.


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ckksj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhshyt3)
US pursues third oil tanker linked to Venezuela

President Trump said that the US would hold onto the seized oil and the vessels carrying it. "We're going to keep it... maybe we'll sell it, maybe we'll keep it", he said.

US President pauses the leases on five major off-shore wind farms along the US east coast, citing "national security concerns

Eliud Kipchoge - the Kenyan marathon legend speaks to Newsday

(Photo: A U.S. military helicopter flies over the Panama-flagged Centuries; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ckpjn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsj2k7)
US says would hold onto Venezuelan seized oil

The Trump administration has accused Venezuela of using oil money to fund drug-related crime. The seizure of the tankers is the latest development in the US's pressure campaign against the government of Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.

Lawmakers in Australia's New South Wales are expected to pass toucher gun control laws in response to the Bondi Beach mass shoting over a week ago. We'll speak to an MP in support of the changes

And as Israel expands its settlements in West Bank, we hear from an activist wounded in the clashes with settlers

(Photo: A coast guard boat of the Venezuelan Navy patrols along the Caribbean coast; Credit: Juan Carlos Hernandez/Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ckt8s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsj69c)
Widespread power cuts in Ukraine after Russian attack

On Monday, Russia struck the Black Sea port of Odesa for the second time in 24 hours, leaving some residents without power and water.

President Trump says the US may keep or sell the oil from the two tankers it seized off the coast of Venezuela this month. The US coastguard is still chasing a third ship in international waters. We speak to a former Venezuelan govermnent adviser.

We also speak to Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan marathon legend who won two Olympic gold medals back-to-back, on his plans for the future.

(Photo: The moon rises over a dark residential area during a power outage in Kyiv. Credit: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cky0x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyp)
Our favourite solutions

Presenter Myra Anubi and the team chat about some of their favourite projects that have been covered on People Fixing The World over the last twelve months, from radioactive rhinos in South Africa to the Buz Stop Boys cleaning up streets in Ghana.

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: Louise Pepper
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: The People Fixing The World team at the BBC, from left to right - Richard Kenny, Natasha Fernandes, Claire Bowes, Louise Pepper, Katie Solleveld, Myra Anubi, Claire Bates, Jon Bithrey, copyright BBC)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz8999)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7r)
The art of the Christmas advert

We look at what makes a great Christmas marketing campaign. From a budget-friendly advert based around coffee cups, to multi-million dollar epic commercials featuring Hollywood A-list celebrities.

We unwrap the secrets behind the world's most iconic festive advertising.

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

Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson

(Picture: A woman and a man wearing Santa hats, sitting in front of a TV with Christmas tree, candles and food. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74ns)
Inventing Play-Doh

In 1956, one of the world’s most beloved children’s toys went on sale for the first time, but its origins were surprising.

The modelling clay had started out as a household cleaning product. In the days when homes were heated by coal fires, it was used to clean soot and dirt from wallpaper.

But its manufacturer ran into trouble as oil and gas heating became increasingly popular. Then Kay Zufall, whose brother-in-law owned the firm, had an idea.

Her children enjoyed using the putty to make ornaments and jewellery so she suggested the company switch markets and give the clay a new name. Play-Doh was born.

According to the current brand owners, more than three billion cans have been sold in 80 countries around the world. Peg Roberts, Kay’s daughter, tells Jane Wilkinson how her mother had the idea.

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: Play-Doh. Credit: Anacleto Rapping/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cl1s1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7skfsf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz8f1f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cl5j5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cl989)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7skp8p)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz8njp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d1)
Meeting settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank

Attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have broken UN records this year, reaching the highest level in almost 20 years.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed a “minority” that “does not represent the large settler public”. Meanwhile, Israel’s security cabinet has just approved the recognition of 19 new settlements as the government continues its settlement expansion push.

We’re joined by the BBC’s Sarah Montague who has been speaking with Palestinians who say they are experiencing settler intimidation, and with a prominent settler who is a member of the Israeli parliament.

Producers: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin

Executive Producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Marty Peralta

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo: Israeli border police remove settlers near Hebron. Credit Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock.


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx181clf0f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5f)
A child of snow and ice: How I skied across Antarctica

Karen Kyllesø is a child of ice and snow, growing up in a Norwegian mountain village and starting to ski as soon as she could walk. By age 14, Karen had developed a passion for polar exploration - and a TV documentary of a comedian trekking across Greenland inspired her to take on the same challenge. She made it through the 28-day expedition, despite enduring a 3-day hurricane along the way. But having achieved her goal she wanted something bigger so decided to walk across Antarctica - solo and unsupported - to the South Pole. The journey tested her mental and physical resilience but she crossed the finish line with one day of emergency food to spare, as the youngest person to ever complete the feat.

Raghvendra Kumar was at university when he met Krishna Kumar Thakur, 'the little brother he never had'. The two were inseparable friends and made great plans for the future. But tragedy struck when Krishna was killed in a motorcycle accident - one the doctors believed could have been prevented if he'd been wearing a helmet. Raghvendra vowed to try and stop other young people dying in the same way and has since dedicated his life to giving away free helmets and road safety advice to make India's roads safer. His work has earned him the name: 'The Helmet Man of India'.


Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Anna Lacey

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

(Photo: Karen is in a snowy landscape wearing a thick red coat, a black fleece hat and goggles on her head. She has blond hair and has frost on her eyelashes. Credit: Karen Kyllesø)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74ns)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cljrk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7skxry)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz8x0y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx181clnhp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zsshfywqt29)
"Massive" Russian airstrikes cause more power cuts in Ukraine

Ukraine suffers widespread power cuts after a night of Russian air attacks described by President Zelensky as “massive”. We hear from a resident of the city of Odesa on the Black Sea coast.

Also in the programme: a Venezuelan former diplomat tells us what he makes of the current US pressure campaign, and a retired US admiral tells us what he makes of the president's plan for big new "Trump-class" warships; and we hear the story of Mary Ann Macham, an enslaved woman who escaped across the Atlantic from America in the 1830s and was welcomed in by a local community of Quakers in North East England.

(IMAGE: Firefighters extinguish a burning cargo vessel damaged during Russian overnight drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a port in Odesa region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released December 23, 2025 / CREDIT: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region/Handout via REUTERS).


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cls7t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz94j6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct888l)
Is the US economy in better shape than expected?

New figures suggest the US economy is powering ahead but questions remain about what that really means for businesses? Leanna Byrne looks at what’s behind the data.

Also, US regulators have approved the first pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy.

And could North Koreans be working remotely for US companies?


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx181clwzy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1rns3x)
Russia launches 'massive' attack across Ukraine

Russia carried out a "massive" overnight attack on several Ukrainian cities, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, a day after he warned of strikes over the Christmas period. We get the latest.

We also speak to our Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg, who reflects on the year in Moscow.

Israel's defence minister has issued a statement saying that his suggestion that military units might be established in Gaza was made purely in a security context - and there was no intention of establishing a settlement in the enclave. Our reporter from BBC Arabic explains.

And we talk to people with insomnia about their experiences of having problems sleeping.

(Photo: A firefighter works at the site of a house heavily damaged during Russian early morning drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine, December 23, 2025. Credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv region/Handout via Reuters)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cm0r2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1rnww1)
Thousands of new Epstein files published

The US Department of Justice has published thousands more files relating to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein -- its largest such release to date. Among the documents is an email from an investigator that says Donald Trump travelled many more times on Epstein's private jet than was previously reported. Mr Trump's presence on such flights does not indicate wrongdoing. We speak to our correspondent.

Russia carried out a "massive" overnight attack on several Ukrainian cities, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, a day after he warned of strikes over the Christmas period. We hear a conversation with three Ukrainians, and we speak to our Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg, who reflects on the year in Moscow.

In the NBA, Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel became the fastest player to score 100 three-pointers during a 139-132 defeat at the Cleveland Cavaliers. We speak to a sports journalist covering NBA.

Our global affairs reporter gives an update on the biggest news lines out of Africa today, including the abduction of 28 travellers in Nigeria's Plateau state.

Presenter: Luke Jones.

(Photo: Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein are seen in this image released by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 19, 2025. Credit : U.S. Justice Department/Handout via Reuters)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cm4h6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74ns)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cm87b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sln7q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz9mhq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zbl)
2025/12/23 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 (w172zwx181cmczg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rcn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz9r7v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zpw)
Launching a commercial space station

A company called Vast hopes to put Haven-1 into orbit in 2026. If successful, it'll be the world's first commercial space station. We speak to the company's CEO, Max Haot.

Also on Tech Life this week: find out about robots in Japan that will help people cope with dementia. And the local language avatar providing growing tips to farmers in Africa.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Tom Quinn

(Image: A future illustration of the commercial space station Haven-1 in orbit above Planet Earth. It is docked with a Dragon spacecraft. Credit: Vast.)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cmhql)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zsshfywrn96)
More Epstein files released

The US Department of Justice has published thousands more files relating to the late sex- offender, Jeffrey Epstein -- its largest such release to date. Among the documents is an email from an investigator that says Donald Trump travelled many more times on Epstein's private jet than was previously reported. Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the Epstein scandal.

Also on the programme: Amid ongoing violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, we report on the trauma of modern-day birth in Bethlehem; and we hear from Mulatu Astatke, known as the father of Ethio-jazz.

(Photo: A newly-released unsealed indictment of disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is seen in this handout image released by the U.S. Justice Department and printed and arranged for a photograph by Reuters in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cmmgq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sm0h3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprz9zr3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76c5)
US economy better than expected

The US economy picked up speed over the three months to September, as consumer spending jumped and exports increased but consumer sentiment is low, Rahul Tandon hears from a business about what things are like on the ground.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill version of the weight-loss drug Wegovy, according to pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk.

And, an important moment for Indian female cricket players seeing their match fees doubled for domestic games.

(Photo: A person shops for products imported from Asia at a market in Los Angeles, California, USA, 07 April 2025. Credit: ALLISON DINNER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cmr6v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzb3h7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

WEDNESDAY 24 DECEMBER 2025

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cmvyz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cmzq3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7smcqh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzbbzh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cn3g7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7smhgm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzbgqm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct702z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cn76c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74ns)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cnbyh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7smqyw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzbq6w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc1)
Kennedy and Khrushchev

4. Almost caught

A covert convoy of ships carries Soviet missiles across the Atlantic, while American U-2 planes spy over Cuba and the sea routes. And as the ships arrive, Khrushchev writes to Kennedy about the divided city of Berlin. It’s a distraction tactic. But the American spy planes photograph an alarming development. Hosts Nina Khrushcheva and Max Kennedy, relatives of the superpower leaders, tell the personal and political history of the Cuban Missile Crisis.


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cngpm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhslvq6)
Latest Epstein file release

Further revelations from the latest release of files concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which suggest US President Donald Trump was listed as a passenger on Epstein's private jet on eight flights between 1993 and 1996. The US president has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and his alleged presence on the flights does not indicate wrongdoing.

As we approach four years since the full scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin in Moscow shows no sign of stopping its attacks. The war though hasn't stopped many Ukrainians from celebrating Christmas.

And following the recall of 30 ambassadors by the Trump administration as part of changes to its foreign and diplomatic policies, we speak to the union that represents the career diplomats.

Presenters: Rob Young and Anne Soy

(Photo: New Epstein images released by U.S. Justice Department. Credit: US Justice Department/Reuters).


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cnlfr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhslzgb)
Australia passes new gun laws

The Australian state of New South Wales has passed sweeping new laws on gun ownership and protests after last week's mass shooting at a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach. Individuals in the state will be allowed to own no more than four guns while farmers will be permitted to have up to ten. We speak to a local government politician.

We have a report on Bethlehem marking Christmas for the first time since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

And we look at why China is delaying its plans to mass produce and sell self-driving vehicles.

Presenters: Rob Young and Anne Soy.

(Photo: NSW Premier Chris Minns speaks to media next to NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley and NSW Attorney General Michael Daley during a press conference in Sydney, Australia. Credit: Dean Lewins/Reuters).


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cnq5w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsm36g)
New gun laws passed Australia

The Australian state of New South Wales has passed sweeping new laws on gun ownership and protests after last week's mass shooting at a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach. Individuals in the state will be allowed to own no more than four guns while farmers will be permitted to have up to ten. We speak to a local government politician.

The US state department says it will deny visas to five Europeans, accusing them of leading efforts to censor Americans online.

And we speak to the mayor of Bethlehem where they are marking Christmas for the first time since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

Presenters: Rob Young and Anne Soy.

(Photo: Premier Chris Minns speaks to media next to NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley and NSW Attorney General Michael Daley during a press conference in Sydney, Australia. Credit: Dean Lewins/Reuters).


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cnty0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7h)
2025 on The Interview

2025 on The Interview

A special episode from The Interview, featuring three of the most compelling conversations from 2025.

US President Donald Trump spoke to the BBC’s Chief North America correspondent Gary O’Donoghue in July, in a wide-ranging and frank telephone conversation from the Oval Office. President Trump reflects on the assassination attempt that took place a year previously, and also expresses his frustration at the slow pace of attempts to bring peace to Ukraine.

British royal Prince Harry was born into one of the world’s most famous families, and grew up in the public eye. In May, he lost a final court appeal to reverse the downgrading of security protection for him and his family since stepping down from royal duties. He gave his reaction to BBC correspondent Nada Tawfik in an emotional and deeply personal conversation.

The Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai is known worldwide as the spirited girl who took on the Taliban and nearly lost her life, then went on to win the Nobel Prize and advocate for girls everywhere to go to school. But, as she explains to BBC presenter Madina Maishanu, although her public life defined her to the world, she did not know who she was.

Thank you to the all the teams across the BBC who have helped us make The Interview throughout 2025.

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: Farhana Haider
Producers: Ben Cooper, Clare Williamson, Farhana Haider, Lucy Sheppard
Editors: Justine Lang and Nick Holland

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


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzc66d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sd8)
Yiwu: Christmas city

We're in Santa’s grotto – sort of - a Chinese city that some call the Christmas capital of the world.

With 75,000 traders, across 50,000 stores, Yiwu offers the world’s largest wholesale market across a labyrinth of arcades.

But at a time of growing trade tensions with the US, who’s actually buying the tinsel this year?

If you'd like to send us an email, our address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: David Cann
Additional production: Victoriya Holland

(Picture: Crowds of people walking through Yiwu wholesale market. Credit: BBC/Wang Xiqing)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74r1)
How the hoverboard was created

It was Back to the Future II that made a generation of children dream of travelling by hoverboard.

In the 1989 film, the hero Marty McFly escapes from his arch nemesis Biff by jumping on a flying skateboard.

But it wasn’t until 2011 that inventor Shane Chen came up with the next best thing – a motorised skateboard that moves intuitively and gives the rider a feeling of floating.

The creation became the must-have toy of 2015 and social media was flooded with videos of celebrities trying it out.

But the hoverboard never brought riches for Shane. He tells Vicky Farncombe how cheap knock-offs stole his profits and caused fires and accidents.

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: A hoverboard. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cnyp4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7snbpj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzc9yj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct702z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cp2f8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct8sj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cp65d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7snl5s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzckfs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71g9)
The disgraced UK doctor behind autism misinformation

We are away for Christmas, so this is a repeat of a previous episode.

In September, President Trump and the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a press conference in which they made extraordinary new claims about autism. They suggested a potential link between the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and the development of autism. They also advocated spacing out childhood vaccinations.


The two men's interest in the link between vaccines and autism goes back decades but these claims did not originate in the US. They trace back to the UK in 1998, when disgraced former doctor Andrew Wakefield first published his now-debunked theory linking MMR vaccines to autism cases in children.


The science journalist Adam Rutherford explains to the Global Story how the Wakefield vaccine conspiracy became the biggest medical disinformation disaster in recent history, and how these ideas found fertile ground in the Trump administration.


Producers: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito

Executive producer: Annie Brown, James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo: President Trump & Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cp9xj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdb)
Julia and Arturo: Why my parrot and I didn't talk for 40 years

Julia Hinshaw-Ryberg lives in Sweden and is known for occasionally riding the Stockholm metro with her beloved Amazonian parrot Arturo on her shoulder. Julia and Arturo have been in each other’s lives for almost 60 years – she was 14 years old and he was a baby when he was given to her as a Christmas present in 1968. It was instant affection and over the next few years, Julia and Arturo became inseparable. Arturo wasn’t a mere pet – he was family, adored by everyone including Julia’s husband Mats. So after Julia gave birth to her first baby, it was a huge shock when Arturo reacted with unexpected violence. Arturo and Julia’s once close and loving bond was overcome with jealousy, suspicion and fear. Their relationship broke down and Mats became the only person Arturo could safely be around. But 40 years later, it was time for a second chance. Reporter Tim Mansel went to meet Julia, Mats and Arturo to hear a unique story of love, loyalty and reconciliation.

Anna Kharzeeva was running a small cooking school in Moscow when she decided to cook her way through a Soviet relic. It was her babushka Elena’s treasured copy of The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food, the official – and for decades the only – cookbook in the USSR. Recipes ranged from basic to zany to the impossible, involving prep like stabbing cabbage with a wooden stake, or wrapping buckwheat in blankets. With babushka Elena as her guide, Anna dived into the Soviet Union’s complex culinary past – and her own family’s food history.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Maryam Maruf

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

(Photo: Collage of two photos: On the right is a recent photo of Julia affectionately looking at Arturo, a yellow naped, green Amazon parrot perching on her fingers. On the left is a childhood photo of Julia from the mid-1960s aged around nine or ten smiling at a different green Amazon parrot perching on her arm. Credit: Tim Mansel / Julia Hinshaw-Ryberg)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74r1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cpfnn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sntp1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzcsy1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cpkds)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zsshfywtpzd)
Zelensky sets out Ukraine peace plan

President Zelensky has revealed a draft deal to end the war in Ukraine that has been negotiated with the US and is currently being reviewed by Moscow. The 20-point plan includes security guarantees for Kyiv from the US, NATO and Europe, but Mr Zelensky says the question of territory remains unresolved.

Also in the programme: the US denies visas to five Europeans accused of leading efforts to stifle Americans online; and Egypt begins restoring a 4,500-year-old boat that once belonged to King Khufu.

(Picture: Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit: SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/Shutterstock)


WED 15:00 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzczj8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:02 A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (w3ct8v3s)
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

A service of carols, hymns and readings live from the candlelit Chapel of King's College, Cambridge.

Hymn: Once in royal David's City (Irby, descant Willcocks)
Bidding Prayer (read by the Dean)
Carol: The blessed son of God (Ralph Vaughan Williams)
First lesson: Genesis 3 vv. 8-19 (read by a Chorister)
Carol: Adam lay ybounden (Boris Ord)
Second lesson: Genesis 22 vv. 15-19 (read by a College student)
Carol: Nowell, nowell, nowell (Elizabeth Maconchy)
Third lesson: Isaiah 9 vv. 2, 6-7 (read by a member of College staff)
Carol: On Christmas night (trad. arr. Philip Ledger)
Hymn: It came upon the midnight clear (Noel, descant Scott)
Fourth lesson: Isaiah 11 vv. 1-9 (read by a representative of Eton College)
Carol: The Darkling Thrush (Rachel Portman) – 2025 commission
Carol: The Lamb (John Tavener)
Fifth lesson: Luke 1 vv. 26-38 (read by a Fellow)
Carol: Ave Maria (Anton Bruckner)
Carol: There is no rose (anon. transc. Stevens)
Sixth lesson: Luke 2 vv. 1-7 (read by the Mayor of Cambridge)
Carol: A boy was born (Benjamin Britten)
Hymn: Unto us is born a Son (Piae Cantiones arr. Willcocks)
Seventh lesson: Luke 2 vv. 8-20 (read by the Director of Music)
Carol: Nativity Carol (John Rutter)
Carol: The shepherds’ farewell (Hector Berlioz)
Eighth lesson: Matthew 2 vv. 1-12 (read by the Vice-Provost)
Carol: Dormi Jesu (John Rutter)
Carol: I saw three ships (Stuart Nicholson)
Ninth lesson: John 1 vv. 1-14 (read by the Provost)
Hymn: O come, all ye faithful (Adeste Fideles, arr. Willcocks, Daniel Hyde)
Collect and Blessing
Hymn: Hark, the herald angels sing (Mendelssohn, arr. Willcocks)

Organ voluntaries:
In dulci jubilo, BWV 729 (Bach)
Dieu parmi nous (Messiaen)

Revd. Dr. Stephen Cherry (Dean)
Daniel Hyde (Director of Music)
Revd. Dr. Jonathan Kimber (Chaplain)
Harrison Cole (Assisting Organist)

For millions listening around the world, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, live from the candlelit Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, marks the beginning of Christmas. The service is based around nine Bible readings which tell the story of the loving purposes of God. They are interspersed with carols old and new, sung by the world-famous Chapel choir who also lead the congregation in traditional Christmas hymns.

A new work has been commissioned for the Christmas Eve service every year since 1983, and this year Rachel Portman has written The Darkling Thrush.

A number of pieces by twentieth century composers such as Elizabeth Maconchy, John Tavener and Benjamin Britten sit alongside traditional carols. The service includes two pieces by Sir John Rutter who celebrated his 80th birthday earlier this year.

Producer: Katharine Longworth


WED 16:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzd55f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 16:32 BBC OS (w1730685p1rrqp9)
2025/12/24 16:32 GMT

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


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cpxn5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1rrss4)
European leaders accuse Washington of “intimidation”

The European Union has condemned a decision by the US to impose visa bans on the former EU commissioner Thierry Breton and four others involved in regulating tech companies. The US State Department announced the move on Tuesday, accusing Mr Breton and the others of leading efforts to censor Americans online. We get analysis from our correspondent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of violating the Gaza ceasefire by refusing to disarm. As 2025 draws to a close, we speak to our Gaza correspondent Rushdi Abualouf to get his assessment of the situation on the ground.

We get the latest from the AFCON football tournament in Morocco, and look back on a year of global sport with two of our regular sport presenters, Mike Williams and Maz Farooki.

Presenter: Luke Jones.

(Photo: US President Donald Trump attends a press conference, Florida, U.S., December 22, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cq1d9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74r1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cq54f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7spk4t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzdjdt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zdv)
2025/12/24 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 (w172zwx181cq8wk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct702z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzdn4y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkg)
2025: A big year for tackling malaria

Malaria is still the third biggest killer on the planet and despite decades of serious investment it’s a disease that is still very much with us. But that investment is starting to pay off - 2025 has been a big year for new ways of tackling the disease.

This week we’re reflecting on the progress made in 2025 – but also asking what impact unprecedented cuts to global health funding might have on whether children living in hot and humid regions of the world contract malaria.

Our expert guide is James Tibenderana, an epidemiologist from Uganda. He is Chief Executive at the Malaria Consortium, an organisation that advises governments on best practice for tackling malaria as well as delivering their own programmes.

We also hear from Nigeria, the country with the highest rates of malaria in the world. Dr Onyinye Echedike-Elekwa at The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital on the south coast of the country tells us how it’s been in the clinic this year.

The drug known as GamLun marks a huge breakthrough in the treatment of malaria. Abdoulaye Djimdé is Professor of Parasitology and Mycology at the Malaria Research and Training Centre University of Bamako, Mali. He led clinical trials of the medication and explains how it works.

In September, the World Health Organisation announced conditional approval for indoor use of spatial emanators, a device which continually releases a mosquito toxin into the air for up to a year. Epidemiologist Ellie Sherrard-Smith from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK explains the potential benefits and concerns for this tool.

Plus, we reflect on the progress made in the malaria vaccine roll out this year and how a new formulation of a pre-existing drug is offering hope to the very youngest patients

And could we ever eliminate malaria completely? Next week, we consider the big ideas hoping to do just that.

With thanks to Karina Igonikon

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cqdmp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zsshfywvk69)
Ukraine's Draft Peace Plan: Zelensky moves towards demilitarised zones

President Zelensky says he's prepared to withdraw Ukrainian troops from the eastern part of the country, if a demilitarised zone is created in its place. He gave details of an updated plan as "the main framework for ending the war", he said it proposed security guarantees from the US, Nato and Europeans for a co-ordinated military response if Russia invaded Ukraine again.

Also on the programme: European leaders have condemned a US visa ban on the official who drew up the bloc's tech regulations; and people in Bethlehem are celebrating Christmas Eve for the first time since the war began in Gaza.

(Photo: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni take part in a family picture at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. Credit: Clemens Bilan/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cqjct)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7spxd6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzdwn6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76jv)
Pakistani auctions its state airline live on TV

In Pakistan, the government has sold its national carrier, PIA, in an auction which was televised live. The airline sold for $482 million. Gideon Long speaks to Muhammad Ali, the privatisation adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

We hear from two countries at the sharp end of Donald Trump’s tariffs over the past year - India, which is on 50% US export tariffs, and South Africa facing 30%.

And in the UK there is a blue and smelly cheese called Stilton which many people traditionally eat at Christmas. In fact 40% of sales are in the six weeks before Christmas. But its makers are on a mission to change all that and make Stilton a year round nibble.

(PHOTO: View of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane at Islamabad International Airport, Pakistan October 3, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo)


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cqn3y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzf0db)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

THURSDAY 25 DECEMBER 2025

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cqrw2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct8sj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cqwm6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sq8ml)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzf7wl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71g9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cr0cb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sqdcq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzfcmq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct8h0m)
New Elements

What does it take to make something which has never existed on Earth before? The search for element 120 on the periodic table has begun at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

Cosmologist Andrew Pontzen, who is used to studying the processes of creation, visits the 88-Inch Cyclotron facility at Berkeley where the next new element may be created very soon.

To uncover what motivates scientists to pursue something that is possibly only produced in the violent explosions of stars he speaks with the scientists trying it now, with the scientists who last made an element at Berkeley 50 years ago, and with a historian about the fraught history of element discovery - from flying through mushroom clouds to faking elements.

The answer is not as straight forward as he suspected.


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cr43g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74r1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cr7vl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sqmvz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzfm3z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zl)
Family ties

Food is at the centre of family life – on ordinary days, in the everyday rush, during the dramas, and the quieter moments too.

In this episode, Ruth Alexander looks back at some of The Food Chain's most moving and intimate moments of 2025, all revealing the power food has to bind people together.

From the first meal taken by a foster child in an unfamiliar home to the couple cooking together for the first time in their lives after a dementia diagnosis, these stories show how food has the capacity to strengthen family bonds and how its absence can shape a life just as deeply.

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

Producer: Rumella Dasgupta.


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx181crclq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsprm9)
Kenyans fighting in Ukraine for Russia

Young Kenyans are being lured to Russia with promises of well paid jobs, are getting caught up in the war in Ukraine. Today we hear the story of one man who has just returned back home.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has given details of an updated peace plan offering Russia the potential withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the east and the creation of a demilitarised zone in their place.

Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, is today holding its first local elections by universal suffrage in more than half a century. More than one million people have registered to vote, although fewer than half have collected their voter cards, in a contest that’s already proving controversial.


Presenters: Rob Young and Anne Soy

(Photo: Military training in Kyiv. Credit: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA).


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx181crhbv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhspwcf)
Kenyan man lured to fight in Ukraine for Russia

We look at how some Kenyans are being lured to Russia, only to end up caught up in the war in Ukraine. We hear directly from a Kenyan man who has returned home after being injured in the conflict.

We report from Bethlehem in the Occupied West Bank, where Christmas started, to see if there will be celebrations two years since the Gaza War erupted and festivities stopped.

And the United States is signalling growing frustration over Somalia’s long-running AU-backed mission, saying Somali authorities must take greater responsibility for their own security.

Presenters: Rob Young and Anne Soy

(Photo: Ukrainian servicemen of the mobile fire team prepare to work on their position in the Kharkiv area, northeastern Ukraine. Credit: Sergey Kozlov/EPA).


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx181crm2z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsq03k)
How African nationals are being lured to fight for Russia

We look at how some Kenyans are being lured to Russia, only to end up caught up in the war in Ukraine. We hear directly from a Kenyan man who has returned home after being injured in the conflict.

The heir to the influential Zia family in Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman, has arrived back in the country, after seventeen years in exile.

And as PostNord, a joint state-run postal and logistics service overseen by the governments of Sweden and Denmkar set to end all mail collections, we speak to pen pales who have written to each other for decades and discuss the joy of letter writing.

Presenters: Rob Young and Ann Soy

(Photo: Ukrainian servicemen of the mobile fire team prepare to work on their position in the Kharkiv area, northeastern Ukraine. Credit: Sergey Kozlov/EPA).


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx181crqv3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723p)
Will there ever be a single global language?

Christmas is a time of year when many families and friends come together for a period of joy, peace and goodwill.

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ has been translated into thousands of languages over thousands of years.

And while you may hear it differently, the message is the same.

From carols to conversations, Christmas reminds us how united we can be. But there’s still one thing that sets us apart and prevents us from truly understanding one another - language.

Esperanto, created in the late 1800s, was the most ambitious direct attempt at creating a singular way of speaking.

Its struggle to spread beyond a committed community shows us how deeply languages are tied to identity, power and history.

This week on The Inquiry we’re asking: Will there ever be a single global language?

Contributors:
Esther Schor, author Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of Universal Language, professor of English at Princeton University, United States
Patrick Foote, author Immigrant Tongues: Exploring How Languages Moved, Evolved, and Defined Us, YouTuber, United Kingdom
Salikoko Mufwene, professor of linguistics at the University of Chicago, United States
Celeste Rodriguez-Louro, associate professor, chair of linguistics, director of language lab at the University of Western Australia

Presenter and Producer: Daniel Rosney
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Technical Producer: James Bradshaw
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: Earth. Credit: Planet Observer/Getty Images)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzg33h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct5zp1)
Lapland: The world’s biggest Christmas economy?

How has Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland, become a global hub for the Christmas economy?

Known as the official home of Father Christmas, Lapland attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year - generating significant revenue.

We head to the most popular Christmas spot, Rovaneimi, to hear how a resort there benefits from this tourism. And the head of the tourist board, Sanna Kärkkäinen, tells us how records are about to be broken.

Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield
Reporter: Erika Benke

(Picture: Lapland at night, showing illuminated buildings. Credit: BBC/Erika Benke)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74kc)
Tamagotchi is born

The Tamagotchi was first released in Japan in 1996 after it was developed by Akihiro Yokoi and his colleagues at his toy development company.

Measuring just a few centimetres long, the egg-shaped digital gadget was home to a series of pixelated alien pets.

Owners had to feed, clean and play with their pets by pressing three tiny buttons. Looking after your Tamagotchi and seeing them evolve was thrilling for many children and its popularity quickly spread from Japan across the world.

Almost 100 million Tamagotchis have been sold in more than 50 countries.

Akihiro Yokoi tells Emily Uchida Finch how the hit toy was born, and the impact its prevalence has had on his life and career.

A Whistledown production for BBC Witness History.

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:Tamagotchi.Credit:Yves Forestier/Sygma via Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx181crvl7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sr7lm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzg6vm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8h0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx181crzbc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt4)
The Media Show: Meet The Tech Bros

Time Magazine named “The Architects of AI” as their Person of the Year for 2025. This is a group of people, mostly men, who now wield an extraordinary level of influence over the future of society. The Media Show profiles four of them: Mike Isaac from The New York Times explains the rise of Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI; Lauren Goode from Wired outlines the power and beliefs of venture capitalist Marc Andreessen; Stephen Witt, biographer of Jensen Huang, describes how the Nvidia boss has built the chips powering modern AI; and Richard Spencer of The Times reports on DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, whose work has challenged the dominance of US tech companies.

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Content Producer: Lucy Wai
Production Coordinator: Ruth Waites


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzgblr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct7yvj)
Persian poetry and politics

How poetry is used by Persian speaking leaders to build legitimacy and shape the political narrative. Across Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, millions share a language - and a passion for poetry. But with its abundance of lovers and wine, Persian poetry sits uneasily with Iran’s theocratic leaders. We explore their complicated relationship with this facet of Persian identity, and how they occasionally turn to verse to secure popular appeal.

Producer: Kriszta Satori, Barry Sadid
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cs32h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7srh2w)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzggbw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct719s)
Is social media dead?

We are away for Christmas, so this is a repeat of a previous episode.

For much of the 21st century, our social lives have been shaped, at least in part, on the internet. But in an age of influencers, generative AI, complex algorithms, and politically entangled technocrats, some users say social media is growing less, well, social.

So, is social media dead? Or is it just becoming something else? We speak with New Yorker staff writer Kyle Chayka about what happened to social networks, and what their transformation suggests about the future of media.


Producers: Xandra Ellin and Aron Keller

Executive Producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior News Editor: China Collins


Photo: Social media apps on a phone. Yui Mok/PA


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cs6tm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyj)
Against the grain: How woodcarving reunited a father and son

Scottish woodcarver Callum Robinson learned everything about the trade from his father, master carver David Robinson. David is a member of Britain’s oldest wood and stone carvers’ association, and his extraordinary illustrations of the natural world – from coral reefs and birds of prey to ponies and jaguars – have been sought after by many, including the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Callum grew up watching his dad spend countless hours designing and building their family home, embellishing it with intricate carvings. After David lost his job as a landscape architect, he began crafting furniture for local clients, with Callum often lending a hand in the workshop. As a teenager, Callum started apprenticing under his father and longed for his approval. Together they created beautiful kitchens and furniture, and through this demanding process, Callum forged a special bond with his father.

After several years in his dad’s workshop, making furniture began to feel routine. Callum craved something bigger, bolder and more exciting. The opportunity came when he met Marisa, a cheeky and daring designer.

Callum and Marisa got married and set off to chase their dreams. Much to David’s dismay, Callum left the family workshop and launched a studio with Marisa. They now worked for luxury brands, but running a business proved far from easy. Despite working on prestigious projects, they constantly struggled to balance the books.

When a lucrative commission seemed to offer a lifeline, Callum thought his problems were solved. But when the deal collapsed, the studio faced near-bankruptcy, and Callum, Marisa and their employees were at risk of losing their jobs. In the midst of turmoil, Callum had to reconnect with his father and, in doing so, ‘relearn’ how to use his hands.

Callum's book is called Ingrained: The making of a craftsman.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Tommy Dixon and May Cameron
Reporter: Tommy Dixon

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

(Photo: Two photos set against a gradient background. The left photo shows Callum as a red headed child sitting with his baby brother on their father's lap as he reads them a book. The right photo is a recent one of Callum, he has a beard and is wearing a leather apron and is standing next to his father who is smiling. They are both behind a workshop desk Credit: Callum Robinson / Tommy Dixon)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74kc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx181csbkr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7srql4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzgpv4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx181csg9w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zsshfywxlwh)
Bangladesh PM hopeful returns home

A senior leader of Bangladesh's biggest political group, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman, has returned to the country after 17 years in exile. Mr Rahman is seen as the leading contender to become prime minister in this February's elections. Greeted by hundreds of thousands of people, Mr Rahman addressed a huge crowd and called on citizens from all ethnic and religious groups to join in creating a secular and inclusive nation.

Also in the programme: Pope Leo highlights the plight of the people of Gaza in a Christmas address; and a Christmas meeting between a bone marrow donor and a cancer survivor.

(Picture: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman addresses his supporters. Credit: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx181csl20)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 His Majesty The King's Christmas Message (w3ct8vc8)
His Majesty The King's Christmas Message

His Majesty the King's Christmas Message to the Commonwealth


THU 15:12 Happy News (w3ct6tzc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:32 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzgybd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct75yr)
World Business Report Review of the year 2025 - from tariffs to Labubu

Frey Lindsay looks back on the stories shaping the world of money and work in 2025. It's been a year where tariffs have grabbed many of the headlines and we hear from our correspondents around the world on the impact they've had. We also hear about the biggest toy and collector craze of 2025 - the Labubu doll.

(Picture: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis)


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cspt4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1rvky3)
Somalia's first direct elections in over five decades

Residents of Somalia's capital Mogadishu are voting in municipal polls, the country's first direct elections in more than 50 years. Under the current system, clan representatives elect lawmakers. We hear from voters about what this historic moment means to them.

Earlier this year, Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston sparked debate with her comments on why she never considered adoption. She said "I want my own DNA in a little person". We speak to women around the world about their choices - whether to adopt, pursue biological motherhood, or take a different path.

And we look back at 2025 to uncover the biggest trends that shaped the film industry.

Presenter: James Reynolds.


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cstk8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1rvpp7)
How 2025 shaped film industry?

From the rise of AI-driven filmmaking to the dominance of streaming platforms and a year of financial uncertainty for Hollywood, 2025 was a turning point for the movie industry. We take a closer look at the trends that shaped cinema this year - and what they mean for the future with the BBC's Tom Brooke.

Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of Bangladesh’s largest political party, has returned home after 17 years in exile. We explore his role in shaping the country’s politics.

Earlier this year, Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston sparked debate with her comments on why she never considered adoption. She said "I want my own DNA in a little person". We speak to women around the world about their choices - whether to adopt, pursue biological motherhood, or take a different path.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Mikey Madison, winner of the Oscar for Best Actress for "Anora", Adrien Brody, winner of the Oscar for Best Actor for "The Brutalist", Zoe Saldana, winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 'Emilia Perez', and Kieran Culkin, winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for "A Real Pain", pose in the Oscars photo room at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 2, 2025. Credit: Daniel Cole/Reuters)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx181csy9d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74kc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ct21j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7ssg1x)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzhf9x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z8b)
When a Lioness met a Super Falcon

2025 was a memorable year for the women’s football teams of England and Nigeria. While the Lionesses won the Euros in Switzerland the Super Falcons were crowned champions in Morocco.

The England defender Esmie Morgan and the Nigeria defender Ashleigh Plumptre meet up with Sport Today’s Lee James to look back on a summer to remember.   

Photo: Aggie Beever-Jones of England lays down an England flag during the England Women's team victory parade and celebration on July 29, 2025 in London, England. England defeated Spain in the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Final to retain the trophy on 27 July. (Credit: Getty Images)


THU 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ct5sn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct8h0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzhk21)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txr)
BBC Inside Science

A weekly show exploring science, its mysteries, and the debates it sparks.


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ct9js)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zsshfywyg3d)
Leading Bangladeshi politician returns from exile

A senior leader of Bangladesh's biggest political group, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman, has returned to the country after seventeen years in exile. He promised to unite people of all faiths and ensure their safety.

Also in the programme: Pope Leo has used two Christmas Day addresses to call for peace and denounce war, plus the annual NewsHour Christmas quiz.

(Photo: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman waves from a vehicle after his arrival from London, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 25, 2025. CREDIT: REUTERS/Anik Rahman)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ctf8x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sst99)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzhsk9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct75yr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:32 today]


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ctk11)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzhx9f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

FRIDAY 26 DECEMBER 2025

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ctns5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzj11k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vws)
The Child Cancer Scam

2. The director

As videos of other sick children pleading for money are found online, we find out more about the man behind the camera. And it becomes clear that there’s a complex network of organisations registered in Israel, the United States and Canada, exploiting families who just need help.

Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

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


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ctsj9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7st5jp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzj4sp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct719s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx181ctx8f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7st98t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzj8jt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zpw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cv10k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74kc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cv4rp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7stjs2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzjj12)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpz)
The lord and dance: Michael Flatley

Michael Flatley is the most famous Irish dancer in the world, rising to stardom for his leading roles in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. In this Heart and Soul Christmas special, Colm Flynn travels to meet Flatley at home, where he reflects on the highs of his remarkable career and the personal experiences that shaped his outlook on life and faith.

Born in Chicago to Irish parents, Flatley grew up surrounded by music, dance, and the values of hard work and perseverance. His ground-breaking performance in Riverdance at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 brought Irish dance to a global audience, and his later productions redefined what Irish traditional dance could be. Yet, as he explains in this conversation, the drive to succeed came with challenges — moments of exhaustion, doubt, and the constant search for meaning beyond the stage.

In recent years, Michael Flatley’s life was upended when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. This caused him to stop and re-evaluate everything in his life. He tells Colm Flynn how it deepened his faith and sense of gratitude. He describes the diagnosis as a moment that forced him to re-examine what truly matters: family, love, and belief in God. “I am a man of faith and I surrender to the Lord,” he says, recalling how prayer and reflection sustained him through treatment and recovery.

In this interview, Michael looks back on the extraordinary journey from a young boy in Chicago with a passion for Irish dance to one of the most recognised performers in the world, and how, through it all, faith remained a quiet but steady presence guiding his path.

Producer/presenter: Colm Flynn
Series producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno

(Photo: Michael Flatley and dancers perform on stage at Olympiahalle on 23 November, 2010, Munich, Germany. Credit: Stefan M. Prager)


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cv8ht)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhssnjd)
US hits IS militants in north-western Nigeria

The Nigerian foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar told the BBC that it was a joint operation that had been planned for a while. He stressed that the strikes had nothing to do with religion, as the terrorists were killing Nigerians irrespective of their faith.

We'll also speak to a former US diplomat who was based in Moscow to get his take on the latest developments in the Ukraine Peace Talks.

We will also take you through the Africa Cup of Nations games today.

(Photo: People stand outside the Al-Adum Jumaat Mosque a day after an explosion that struck the mosque; Credit: Ahmed Kingimi/Reuters)


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cvd7y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhsss8j)
US and Nigeria attack IS militants

The Nigerian foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar told the BBC it was a joint operation that had been planned for a while. He stressed that the strikes had nothing to do with religion, as the militants were killing Nigerians irrespective of their faith.

We'll also hear from the losing candidate in Honduras' bitterly thought and extremely close presidential contest - and ask him why he won't accept the election results.

And is Parisian Chic on the wane as fast fashion grows globally - we'll put that question to iconic French clothing designer - Agnes B.

(Photo: Nigerian police officers stand guard outside the Al-Adum Jumaat Mosque; Credit: Ahmed Kingimi/Reuters)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cvj02)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq0rhssx0n)
US launches deadly strikes against IS in Nigeria

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told Newsday it was a "joint operation" targeting "terrorists", and it "has nothing to do with a particular religion".

We'll also hear from Honduras and the defeated presidential candidate

As European countries invest heavily in defence to counter threats from Russia , we bring you a report from Switzerland

(Photo: An armoured vehicle of Nigerian Security Forces drives by newly built homes; Credit: Christophe Van Der Perre/Reuters


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cvmr6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8c46)
2025 on The Interview

2025 on The Interview

A special episode of The Interview, featuring three of the most compelling conversations from 2025.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s controversial challenge to climate orthodoxy was the subject of his conversation with the BBC’s climate editor Justin Rowlatt. Like his boss President Trump, Secretary Wright believes the threat from climate change is exaggerated, and the rush to decarbonisation by renewables has been an expensive mistake.

In an interview with BBC presenter Paul Njie, Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud defends his efforts to tackle the terrorist insurgency in his country. And he stands firm in the face of demands for independence from the northern region of Somaliland - the unity of Somalia, he says, is sacrosanct.

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood set out her plans for a radical reform of the UK asylum system in a conversation with the BBC’s Nick Robinson. It makes for an uncompromising message for those trying to enter Britain illegally.

Thank you to the all the teams across the BBC who have helped us make The Interview throughout 2025.

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: Lucy Sheppard
Producers: Ben Cooper, Clare Williamson, Farhana Haider, Lucy Sheppard
Editors: Justine Lang and Nick Holland

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


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzk00l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rt6)
Business Daily meets: Ned Guinness

With 250 years of brewing history behind his family, Arthur Edward Guinness was discouraged from taking on the responsibility that the men of his family had for centuries.

Now Ned, or Lord Iveagh, grows crops, brews beer and is in pursuit of being able to pour the perfect pint in one of the two pubs he owns in the rural east of England.

He tells Leanna Byrne about the extraordinary family history he sees as his legacy, and talks about how the famous brewery at St James's Gate in Dublin, Ireland became one of the most successful in the world.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Hannah Bewley

(Image: Ned Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh, attends the "House Of Guinness" London Premiere at Picturehouse Central on 23 September 2025 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct744y)
Creating the board game Catan

In 1995, Klaus Teuber’s board game Catan launched in Germany.

The board is made up of hexagonal tiles, and it's a game about strategy and collecting resources.

It's since sold over 40 million copies and been translated into more than 40 different languages.

Klaus Teuber died in 2023.

Megan Jones speaks to his son Benjamin, who now runs the company, with brother Guido.

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.

(Picture: Klaus, Guido and Benjamin playing Catan. Credit: Benjamin Teuber)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cvrhb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sv4hq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzk3rq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cvw7g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x5)
The gift of science

This Boxing Day and holiday season, our present to you is the science of gifts.

First, we investigate the health benefits of donating blood, and find out about the predator sharing a feast of food in the Arctic.

We’re then joined in the studio by physicist Dr Krishma Singal from Rice University, who unravels the soft-matter physics and brilliant engineering potential of knitting.

Next, we discuss the reputation of piranhas, enquire about the uniqueness of our sneezes, and break down how salting roads makes them safer in the winter.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, with Camilla Mota and Meral Jamal
Producer: Imaan Moin


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cvzzl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7svczz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzkc7z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct7158)
Can Apple cut ties with China?

We are away for Christmas, so this is a repeat of a previous episode.

Apple is promising to make more products in the US, backed by a $600bn investment over the next four years. But after decades of relying on Chinese manufacturing that promise is going to be tough to keep.

Today we’re joined by journalist and author Patrick McGee to discuss whether Apple can navigate the demands of Donald Trump’s America First agenda and disentangle itself from a made-in-China business model.


Producers: Hannah Moore and Aron Keller

Executive producers: James Shield and Annie Brown

Mix: Nicky Edwards and Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo: Apple CEO Tim Cook. Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cw3qq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6whz)
Outlook Mixtape: Lights, Camera, Action!

Pass the popcorn, Outlook Mixtape is going to the movies. Over two shows we're celebrating the magic of filmmaking with some gems from the Outlook vault.

We hear the amazing tale of how writer Eleanor “Baby” Bergstein’s script for Dirty Dancing, inspired by her teenage years as a competitive dancer, was repeatedly dismissed by studios — before becoming going on to become a cultural phenomenon and box-office smash.

We also step inside the monster suit with Kenpachiro Satsuma, the classically trained Japanese actor whose dreams of leading-man roles took a sharp turn when he became Godzilla — and other creatures — raining down fire and terror as one of cinema’s most enduring icons long before CGI took over. This was first broadcast in 2019.

And in rural India, filmmaker Amit Madheshiya documents the final days of the country’s travelling cinemas: projectionists who hauled films from village to village, delivering the magic of the silver screen to audiences far from theatres. As technology advances, these cinematic journeys are fading, but their legacy lives on. This was first broadcast in 2018.

Presenter: Asya Fouks

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 (w3ct744y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cw7gv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7svmh7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzklr7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cwc6z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zsshfyx0hsl)
US says it launches strikes against Islamic State in Nigeria

Nigeria's foreign minister has said US strikes against the Islamic State group were nothing to do with a particular religion, despite Donald Trump's assertions. He said that the attacks targeted militants killing Nigerians- irrespective of their faith.

Also in the programme: We head to the Netherlands to explore the Silicon Valley of farming; Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak has received a 15-year jail sentence over his involvement in one of the world's biggest corruption scandals; and could there be hope of a cure for dementia?


(Photo: The US defence department posted a short video that appears to show a missile being launched from a military vessel. Credit: US Department of Defense)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cwgz3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8c46)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzkv7h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rt6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88gs)
1MDB: Ex-Malaysia PM Najib Razak found guilty in state funds scandal

Ex-Malaysia PM Najib Razak has been jailed for 15 years for abuse of power and money laundering - Bisi Adebayo looks at the details.

Japan approves a record-breaking budget with defence spending at a new high.

And we head to to Nigeria, where 'Detty December' is proving to be big business, a point echoed by Nigerian singer and event co-founder Darey Art Alade.

Presenter: Bisi Adebayo
Producer: Haider Saleem
Editor: Justin Bones


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cwlq7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1rygv6)
Why did US launch strikes in Nigeria?

The US has launched strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in north-western Nigeria, where militants have sought to establish a foothold. Nigeria has denied Donald Trump's assertion that the strikes were to do with religion. We get reaction from Nigerians and explain the story with our regional experts.

We speak to our China correspondent about the key moments that shaped the year and what they reveal about China’s role on the global stage.

Researchers have rediscovered an elusive wild cat in Thailand where it was long feared to be extinct. Our reporter explains.

And we bring you the second conversation in our series on adoption. Today, adoptees share their stories and reflect on Jennifer Aniston’s controversial comments about not wanting to adopt because she prefers “my own DNA in a little person”.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: The US defence department posted a short video that appears to show a missile being launched from a military vessel. Credit: US Department of Defense)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cwqgc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w1730685p1ryllb)
Stories from China in 2025

We have been looking back at the big stories from China in 2025 with our correspondent, who has covered everything from political developments and economic shifts to cultural trends and breaking news. Laura Bicker shares the key moments that shaped the year and what they reveal about China's role on the global stage.

The US has launched strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in north-western Nigeria, where militants have sought to establish a foothold. Our reporter explains.

Police say two people have been killed in a stabbing and car-ramming attack in northern Israel. Our correspondent in Jerusalem has the latest.

And we bring you the second conversation in our series on adoption. Today, adoptees share their stories and reflect on Jennifer Aniston’s controversial comments about not wanting to adopt because she prefers “my own DNA in a little person”.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Chinese flag is displayed next to "Made in China" marking on a printed circuit board in this illustration taken February 17, 2023. Credit: Florence Lo/Illustration/File Phot/Reuters)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cwv6h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6whz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct744y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cwyym)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7swbz0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzlb70)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z3t)
2025/12/26 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 (w172zwx181cx2pr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnp)
Why I chose to adopt

Actress Jennifer Aniston sparked controversy recently when she said that, despite years of unsuccessful fertility treatment, she’s not interested in adopting a baby. Instead, she wants “my own DNA in a little person.”

Four women from India, the US and UK share their experiences of trying to have children by several different routes. Sometimes, their choices bring judgement.

Imogen, in the UK, always wanted to adopt, yet family and friends asked: “Why are you not going to go down the IVF route?”

Margaret, a mother in India, has both a biological son and an adoptive daughter. She felt an instant connection with the baby girl and has never regretted the decision. Yet everyone tried to dissuade her and her husband from adoption. There have been challenges, she says, but they have been able to overcome them together.

“For me, adoption has been a very beautiful experience,” says Margaret, and wishes it was more common in India.

Her daughter Shika, now 26, joins two other adult adoptive children for our second conversation. They discuss what it was like growing up and how being adopted has affected them personally as well as the relationship with their parents.

Presenter: Luke Jones
BBC producers: Iqra Farooq
Boffin Media producer: Anne McNaught
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver
A Boffin Media production in partnership with BBC OS

(Photo: Shika and Margaret, who feature in our conversation. Credit: Margaret)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzlfz4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stt)
The CrowdScience quiz of the year

In 2025, the crack team of intrepid presenters here on CrowdScience have been on some incredible adventures. They’ve wondered whether water is wet, and gone a hunt for a missing tangerine. They’ve wondered why animals swallow rocks, imagined what would happen if the earth spun backwards and pondered whether atoms are immortal.

But, as the year draws to a close, Anand Jagatia is wondering… have they REALLY been paying attention? Time to put them to the test!

In this special programme, Anand gathers the other four presenters into a studio together – Caroline, Alex, Marnie and Chhavi, for an end-of-year quiz – and you can join in at home!

Presenters: Anand Jagatia, Caroline Steel, Alex Lathbridge, Marnie Chesterton and Chhavi Sachdev

Producer: Emily Knight

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: CrowdScience presenters in the studio with purple background Credit: BBC)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cx6fw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zsshfyx1c0h)
Will US strikes on Nigeria stop violence against Christians?

With Christmas Day missile strikes on sites linked to the Islamic State group, we hear from a Catholic priest in Nigeria.

Also in the programme: a BBC Persian TV documentary, in which one of Iran’s leading female actors renounces the compulsory hijab, has broken viewing records; and we look ahead to some of the more unusual sports in next year's Winter Olympics.

(Photo: A man standing amid a destroyed building following US strikes in Nigeria's Kwara State. Credit: REUTERS/Abdullahi Dare Akogun)


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cxb60)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7swq6d)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzlpgd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76pc)
What is the economic impact of the fighting between Thailand and Cambodia?

We're looking at what's happening inside Cambodia, amidst that border conflict, with incursions going deeper into the territory from the Thai military. What are the economic consequences for Cambodia? Also we're looking at the sliding global oil price, and what Nigerians do for fun at the year's end.

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

Picture:Cambodia Thailand by AP.


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cxfy4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Interview (w3ct8c46)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzlt6j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]