SATURDAY 27 DECEMBER 2025

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cxkp8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 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


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cxpfd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sx2fs)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzm1ps)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 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


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cxt5j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sx65x)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzm5fx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zkc)
The Best of Stumped in 2025

We look back at the best of Stumped in 2025 which gives you a chance to listen to some of the standout moments from the last twelve months, including our trip to India. We hear from former India captain Anjum Chopra on what it meant to her to witness history being made, when India women won their first ever Cricket World Cup. Plus when Alison Mitchell was in Guwahati, she spoke to the Secretary of the BCCI, Devajit Saikia, who told her how the Women's Premier League has been integral in growing women's cricket in the country.

Back in July, cricket was somewhat divided after South Africa's Wiaan Mulder remarkably passed up the opportunity to break Brian Lara's record for the highest individual score in a Test innings. Mulder, captaining South Africa for the first time, was 367 not out at lunch on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo when he declared in their first innings. Mulder was just 33 runs short of Lara’s record 400 that he scored for West Indies against England in Antigua in 2004. Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma debate if Mulder made the correct decision.

Former India International Cheteshwar Pujara and his wife Puja Pabari joined the Stumped podcast to share how they navigate life in the public eye. They have written a book and told us how the process came about and reveal what Cheteshwar is like behind closed doors.

And we hear from Tommy Lamb who has been travelling from England to Australia for the Ashes without using a plane.

Photo: Harmanpreet Kaur of India celebrates after taking the catch to dismiss Nadine De Klerk of South Africa and lead the teams out her team to victory in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup India 2025 Final match between India and South Africa at Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy on November 02, 2025 in Navi Mumbai, India. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cxxxn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 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)


SAT 03:50 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)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cy1ns)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cy5dx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sxkf9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzmjp9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzp)
2. Midwinter Day

Will awakes in a different time, centuries before his own. Where a familiar farm stood there is a huge forest, blanketed in snow. The Rider, a terrifying agent of the Dark, tries to kidnap him but Will is rescued by a white horse and taken to a pair of carved oak doors set on a hillside. 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 (w3ct6w00)
Numbers of the year 2025

We look back at some stand out numbers of 2025. How significant were Trump’s import tariffs? China sets the pace for solar power installation across the globe. We also look upwards to a particularly speedy comet - 3i Atlas.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Charlotte McDonald and Katie Solleveld
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Mix: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cy951)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8hq915vw0)
Thailand and Cambodia reach ceasefire

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, the two countries said in a joint statement pledging to end weeks of deadly border clashes. The truce - signed by the two countries' defence ministers - will come into effect in half an hour's time.

Also in the programme: President Trump has claimed the Christmas Day strikes he ordered on Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria, "decimated" their camps; Somalia has reacted angrily after Israel became the first country to recognise the breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent state; and harnessing the therapeutic power of music, especially for those in poor health.

Joining Julian Worricker to discuss this and more are Celia Szusterman, a Latin America specialist, and Michael Carlson, a British-American writer and broadcaster based in the UK.


(Photo: Displaced people queue for food at a temporary shelter amid clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed border area, in Buriram province, Thailand, December 16, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cydx5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8hq915zm4)
Thailand and Cambodia agree ceasefire after weeks of deadly clashes

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, intended to end weeks of deadly border clashes. The truce stipulates that both sides must maintain current troop deployments with no further movement. Millions of civilians displaced from border areas will be able to return home.

Also in the programme: We'll hear about the German-born professional boxer who's won the right to fight wearing a hijab; and transforming nature of voluntary kidney donation - for both the receiver and the giver.

Joining Julian Worricker to discuss this and more are Celia Szusterman, a Latin America specialist, and Michael Carlson, a British-American writer and broadcaster based in the UK.


(Photo: Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit after the ceasefire was agreed during a special meeting at a border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, Thailand. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cyjn9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8hq9163c8)
Nigeria says more strikes could be launched against jihadist groups

Nigeria has indicated that more strikes could be launched against jihadist groups, after the US attacked Islamic State targets in the north west of the country on Christmas Day. In an interview with the Politico news website, President Trump said the strikes were initially supposed to take place on Wednesday, but he delayed them by a day to give the militants what he called "a Christmas present". The government in Abuja gave the go-ahead for the operation - but the two sides differ over whether IS has been specifically targeting Nigeria's Christian community. Casualty numbers are unclear, but both US and Nigerian officials say militants were killed in the operation. A clergyman there tells us IS targets all Nigerians but Christians do face restrictions.

Also in the programme: Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to a ceasefire ‍aimed at ending weeks of clashes sparked by a long-running border dispute; why students in the UK are less inclined to study English to a higher level; and the music of the American singer-songwriter, Carole King.

Joining Julian Worricker to discuss this and more are Celia Szusterman, a Latin America specialist, and Michael Carlson, a British-American writer and broadcaster based in the UK.


(Photo: One strike hit a field near a village in Sokoto state)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cyndf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 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)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzn0nt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8byx)
Americast

Join Americast for insights and analysis on what's happening inside Trump's White House.


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cys4k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878t)
Not by the Playbook 2025 in review

We look back on a year full of inspirational stories from around the world and interviews with people defying the odds!

Inspirational stories from around the world. Interviews with people defying the odds
Discover Not by the Playbook - the podcast which seeks out the most incredible stories from sportspeople and athletes. We bring you interviews with the sporting heroes who have achieved success in the face of seemingly impossible challenges.
Formerly known as Sportshour, Not by the Playbook is brought to you by the BBC, the world's most trusted international news provider.
Tune in to hear from some of the most famous names in sport on subjects you've never heard them discuss before. You don't have to be an Olympic gold champion to have an extraordinary story – we also scour the globe for inspiring individuals who make a difference through sport.
Whether you’re a football or soccer fan, tennis lover, golf aficionado or cricket addict, you’ll find inspiration in the stories of resilience, determination, and discipline. Expect insightful, honest, and thought-provoking conversations from people who live and breathe sport.
Listen to Not by the Playbook on the BBC World Service every Saturday at 0900 GMT, or find it as a podcast wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Get in touch with us via email and use the hashtag #NBTP on social media.


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cywwp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sy8x2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzn852)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 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.


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cz0mt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 BBC Correspondents' Look Ahead (w3ct8vbw)
BBC Correspondents' Look Ahead to 2026

James Coomarasamy and BBC correspondents gaze into their crystal balls to predict what 2026 might have in store.

Among the points of discussion, The Global Story's Asma Khalid and BBC North America Correspondent, Anthony Zurcher, talk about the year ahead for President Trump and how his presidency could be shaped by November's midterm elections.

They are joined by BBC Economics Editor, Faisal Islam, to discuss the state of the global economy and whether the A.I bubble will continue to balloon - or burst.

From Beijing, BBC China Correspondent Laura Bicker examines the challenges facing the world's second-largest economy, from housing to youth unemployment, and the strides being made by China in developing green energy.

The BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, considers some of the on-going conflicts around the world and whether we will see a clearer path to peace in 2026.

And from Johannesburg, BBC Africa Correspondent Mayeni Jones looks at the impact of widespread youth protests across the world's youngest continent.


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cz4cy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zsshfyx38yk)
Thailand and Cambodia agree ceasefire after weeks of deadly clashes

A ceasefire has come into force along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, where weeks of clashes have forced a million people from their homes. The seventy- two- hour truce was agreed by the two countries' defence ministers following extensive diplomacy by Chinese officials.

Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia's defence minister has warned the main separatist movement in southern Yemen to withdraw from territory it's recently captured in two provinces, amid rising tensions in the area; Ukraine says overnight Russian air strikes in the capital Kyiv have injured at least eight people and caused power cuts; and ahead of the winter games in Italy - we meet Slovenia's world champion ski-jumpers targeting Olympic gold.


(Photo:Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit after the ceasefire was agreed during a special meeting at a border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, Thailand. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx181cz842)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqxrjnlwhj)
Live sport from around the world with news, interviews and analysis.


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx181czr3l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7sz43z)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzp3cz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsr)
ProZone: football's data revolution

In the 1990s, businessman Ramm Mylavaganam created a new way to analyse football matches, which would change how managers and coaches saw the game forever.

Whilst trying to sell some high-end massage chairs to Derby County, he found their assistant manager Steve McClaren watching hours of footage of opponents, trying to gain an advantage.

This gave him an idea – filming every minute of a match and then analysing the footage could be something football clubs want to invest in.

His idea would revolutionise the way football clubs looked at data, players and opponents. He’s been speaking to Tim O’Callaghan.

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: ProZone analysing a game between Reading and Manchester United. Credit: ProZone/Ramm Mylvaganam)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx181czvvq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 New Year's Concert (w3ct8vck)
BBC New Generation Artists Festive Concert

Join some of the world’s most exciting young classical musicians at the Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden for a musical journey that takes us from the cities of South America to the depths of the Russian countryside. With stop offs on the way, look out for musical postcards from the Scottish Highlands, Paris and Madrid and stand by for a surprise or two along the way!
For the past twenty five years, the BBC’s New Generation Artists scheme has helped to nurture the talents and careers of some of today’s top classical musicians. In the starry line-up for this special festive concert we welcome Scottish jazz pianist, Fergus McCreadie – whose albums have topped the UK Jazz & Blues charts and earned him a Mercury Prize shortlist. Also appearing is the dazzling soprano, Erika Baikoff, an alumna of the prestigious New York Metropolitan Opera and Verbier Festival talent schemes, Erika is already making debuts in some of the world’s great opera houses and concert halls. Also in the concert are the multi-award-winning Arod String Quartet and guitarist Thibaut music which reflects their own Spanish and French roots. Join the brightest young musical talents for a journey to remember.


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx181czzlv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvd)
Zadie Smith

As 2025 draws to a close, Nikki Bedi talks to writer Zadie Smith in a speacial interview about one of the big literary moments of the year: the publication of her new essay collection, Dead and Alive. The author of White Teeth, On Beauty and The Fraud reflects on what it means to be a muse, the idea of an "Art Monster" and how she grew up watching nine hours of television a day.

Also on the show we hear about Margaret Atwood's early memories of reading George Orwell, and from two men of the moment - Josh O'Connor and Paul Mescal - about starring as two music-collecting lovers in The History of Sound.

Australian star Toni Collette reveals what it was like working with Kate Winslet on her directorial debut, the festive tear-jerker Goodbye June; and Kenyan-British director Gurinder Chadha recalls how a trip to India inspired her novel Bollywood take on Jane Austen, Bride and Prejudice.

Plus critic Rhianna Dhillon gives her thoughts on the film highlight of the year, and what to look forward to next.

Producer: Ciaran Bermingham
Photo Credit: Ben Bailey-Smith


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d03bz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zsshfyx47xl)
Myanmar: first elections since military coup

In the coming hours, the people of Myanmar will get their first opportunity to vote in an election since the military seized power in a coup in 2021. The poll has been delayed several times by the ruling junta and many consider that a change is unlikely. We hear about the circumstances surrounding these elections in Myanmar and from a member of the Burmese resitance in exile.

Also in the programme: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is in Canada ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump on Sunday; China's first documented case of a tiger having quintuplets in the wild; and a tribute to Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist of The Cure who has died aged 65.

(PHOTO: People walk past an election banner ahead of a general election in Thingangyun Township, Yangon, Myanmar, December 27, 2025. CREDIT: REUTERS/Stringer)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d0733)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7szm3h)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzplch)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72f1)
Deejay Neptune

DJ Edu is joined by fellow DJ, Deejay Neptune. He is one of Nigeria’s most successful DJs and he’s also a record producer, responsible for a string of bangers including the irresistible hit Nobody, featuring Joeboy and Mr Eazi.

In this show Deejay Neptune presents his latest album, Greatness IV, and, in an alternative to the usual TIA 10in10 music mix, he and DJ Edu pick the hottest African tracks from 2025.


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d0bv7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]

SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER 2025

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d0glc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzptvr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 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.


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d0lbh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7szzbw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzpylw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d0q2m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7t0330)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzq2c0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 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


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d0ttr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 BBC Correspondents' Look Ahead (w3ct8vbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d0ykw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsl)
Iranian women's marathon struggle

Pascale Harter introduces stories from Iran, Norway's Svalbard archipelago, France's chestnut groves and the northern highlands of Laos

The mass protests against mandatory hijab rules which shook Iran in 2022 may seem to have petered out - but in public spaces and at sporting events across the country, there's still visible and widespread defiance of the regulations. Faranak Amidi spoke to some women who took part in a recent marathon race in Kish, off Iran's southern coast, where very few competitors covered their heads. Why did they run, and what did it mean to them?

Chestnuts are a beloved part of France's food heritage - and the demand far outstrips supply. Once they were a mainstay for peasant communities too poor to afford wheat bread. These days they're a delicacy - made into cakes, bread, soup, stuffings and some memorable seasonal desserts. But the crop's future is at risk, as climate change makes harvests unpredictable, as Julius Purcell found out in the groves of the Cevennes.

The landscape of the Svalbard archipelago, in the Arctic Ocean, is rugged in the extreme - but it's home to an array of wildlife, from migratory birds to walruses, seals, foxes, reindeer ... and polar bears. The bears now enjoy new legal protections, but as a changing climate melts the sea ice their hunting and mating habits are affected - and their population's under threat. Beth Timmins considered their past - and future - on Spitsbergen.

At the heart of southeast Asia, Laos is a nation home to many different ethnicities and an intricate tapestry of religious beliefs - as well as having complex relationships with neighbouring China, Thailand and Vietnam. In the northern highlands, Sara Wheeler travelled through a region where the majority of people belong to the Khmu language group and many still hold to an ancient animist world view.

Picture: The growing number of women and girls not adhering to hijab regulations has become increasingly noticeable in Iran. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzq9v8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vws)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d12b0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7t0gbd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzqfld)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct8h0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d1624)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8hq918rs3)
Myanmar votes as military holds first election since 2021 coup

Voting is taking place in the opening phase of Myanmar's general election - the first poll since the military seized power in a coup nearly five years ago. The ruling junta has framed the vote as a pathway back to stability- but critics say the heavily restricted elections are a sham.

Also in the programme: Developments in the conflict in Sudan where the UN says a new flashpoint is emerging, an American health advocate on how supermarkets are in the business of selling products, not providing nutrition; and a global walking challenge which has taken a British man 27 years!

Joining Julian Worricker to discuss this and more are Nataliya Vasilyeva, Russian freelance reporter for the New York Times newspaper, and David Patrikarakos, a British author and journalist.


(Photo: Myanmar's military is holding a phased election over the next month. Credit: EPA)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d19t8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8hq918wj7)
Trump to meet Zelensky for a peace deal with Russia

President Trump will meet Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Florida later as attempts continue to reach a peace deal with Russia. The two leaders are expected to discuss outstanding disagreements on territory and possible security guarantees.

Also in the programme: People in Myanmar are voting in the opening phase of the country's heavily restricted general election - the first since the military seized power in a coup nearly five years ago; Scientists say a force known as dark energy may be changing - and with it, the fate of the universe; and a report from Rome about Pope Leo and how his papacy has been shaping up since the high drama of the conclave.

Joining Julian Worricker to discuss this and more are Nataliya Vasilyeva, Russian freelance reporter for the New York Times newspaper, and David Patrikarakos, a British author and journalist.


(Photo credit: Reuters)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d1fkd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8hq91908c)
War-torn Myanmar voting in widely criticised 'sham' election

People in Myanmar are voting in the opening phase of the country's heavily restricted general election - the first since the military seized power in a coup nearly five years ago. The ruling junta has framed the vote as a pathway back to democracy and stability, but critics say the elections are a sham.

Also in the programme: Kosovo heads to polls hoping to break political deadlock; some of the best books of 2025 - we've recommendations from a top critic; the challenge of opening an independent bookshop when everyone tells you it will fail; and the music still being played and taught in Gaza.

Joining Julian Worricker to discuss this and more are Nataliya Vasilyeva, Russian freelance reporter for the New York Times newspaper, and David Patrikarakos, a British author and journalist.


(Photo: Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing cast his ballot in the capital Nay Pyi Taw. Credit: Win Kyaw Thu/BBC)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d1k9j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzqxkx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 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.


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d1p1n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 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)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzr1b1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v2)
Not-so-golden weddings

Gold prices have reached record highs this year, resulting in changes in buying habits, investment patterns and traditional customs. For the Fifth Floor, BBC language service journalists reflect on changing practices around gold in their regions and from the BBC's Delhi Bureau, Abhik Deb explains how sky-high prices are making a huge difference to Indian weddings, including his own.

Around a fifth of Guatemalans leave their home country to seek economic opportunity abroad, particularly in the USA. The money they send home offers vital support to the families they leave behind, but their earnings are also often used to build luxurious new houses in their hometowns. These homes, sometimes called 'remittance mansions', stand out from the traditional Guatemalan architecture all around them. For BBC Mundo, Atahualpa Amerise went to Guatemala to take a look.


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

Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.




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


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d1sss)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7t15t5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzr525)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6w00)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d1xjx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 New Year's Concert (w3ct8vck)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:06 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d2191)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zsshfyx65vn)
Polls close on first day of Myanmar's widely criticised 'sham' election

Voting has ended in the initial phase of Myanmar's first election since the military seized power almost five years ago. Most opposition parties were banned, including that of the deposed democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Also in the programme: The titan of French cinema, Brigitte Bardott has died aged 91; President Trump will meet Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Florida later on Sunday as efforts continue to reach a peace deal with Russia; and Sabalenka vs Kyrgios: in tennis - a true battle of the sexes or an opportunity for critics to belittle women's sport?


(Photo: Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing cast his ballot in the capital Nay Pyi Taw. Credit: Win Kyaw Thu/BBC)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d2515)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7030)
What can whales tell us about climate change?

Whales are among the largest animals to have ever lived – and scientists are discovering they also play a big role in the climate system. From the food they eat to where their waste and bodies end up, whales help move carbon from the atmosphere to the deep ocean, where it can be locked away for centuries.

This week, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore what whales can tell us about climate change – and how warming seas may be affecting them in return. They speak to Victoria Gill, BBC Science Correspondent, about new research analysing Antarctic seabed samples to trace how whale populations influence long-term carbon storage.

They also hear from Helen Czerski, physicist, oceanographer and author of Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World, about one of the most surprising scientific records of all: whale earwax – and how it reveals stress levels in the changing oceans.

Guests:
Victoria Gill, BBC Science Correspondent
Helen Czerski, Professor of the Environment and Society, University College London

Hosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar
Production Team: Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, James Piper, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle
Editor: Simon Watts

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


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzrj9k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzd)
Happy News

Positive news stories


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d28s9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqxrjnpx4r)
Live sport from around the world with news, interviews and analysis.


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d2rrt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7t24s6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzs416)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 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


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d2why)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d3082)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zsshfyx74tp)
Zelensky and Trump hold peace plan talks in Florida

Zelensky and Trump hold peace plan talks in Florida. We hear reaction from Kyiv and from our correspondent in Washington.

Also on the programme: dark energy may change the fate of the Universe, ending in what astronomers call a "Big Crunch". And Brigitte Bardot, French screen legend, dies aged 91, we look at her legacy as a feminine icon.

(Photo: President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy upon his arrival for meetings at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 28, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d3406)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhd7t2j0l)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzsh8l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx181d37rb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7030)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxvprzsm0q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 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)

MONDAY 29 DECEMBER 2025

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p76rm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218xl10)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txr)
BBC Inside Science

A weekly show exploring science, its mysteries, and the debates it sparks.


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p7bhr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj36qj4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218xps4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 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 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p7g7w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj36v88)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218xtj8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 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)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p7l00)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218xy8d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p7pr4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj372rj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218y20j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct709t)
How access to fitness improves women's lives

The benefits of being involved in group fitness activities such as gym classes or recreational sport can have a positive impact on both physical and mental health. Yet many women still face barriers to regular exercise.

Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two women in India and Uganda who’ve created grass roots fitness communities exclusively for women.

Mildred Apenyo is the founder of FitcliqueAfrica - a women-only gym which is the first of its kind in Uganda. She says that issues such as battling for space, safety and finding socially acceptable sports outfits makes attending the gym a daunting prospect for many women across East Africa. Her Kampala-based startup is focused on the overall wellness and safety of women rather than the attainment of the ‘ideal body’ with classes ranging from strength training to African Yoga and even self-defence workshops.

Swetha Subbiah co-founded Sisters In Sweat in 2017, in Bangalore with a mission to address the concerning percentage of women in India who, for a myriad of reasons are dropping out of sport after school or college. She points out that the landscape of organised recreational sport for women in India is virtually non-existent and wants to ensure that women have a platform to participate in and enjoy playing a sport with a community of like-minded individuals.

Produced by Hannah Dean

(Image: (L) Swetha Subbiah, credit Rohit Sarcar. (R) Mildred Apenyo, credit Shanyn Ahimbisibwe).


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p7th8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s366hv)
Trump admits issues remain on Ukraine-Russia deal

Addressing reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Zelensky said they had come to an agreement on "90%" of the 20-point peace plan, while Trump said a security guarantee for Ukraine was "close to 95%" done.

There's scepticism the first phase of a controversial general election in Myanmar will lead to a democratic government.


China says it has started large-scale military exercises around Taiwan.

(Photo: A handout photo made available by the Presidential Press Service shows US President Donald Trump (R) meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) in Florida; Credit: Presidential press Service handout/EPA/Shutterstock


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p7y7d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s36b7z)
China starts large-scale military exercises around Taiwan

The government in Taipei has been swift to condemn the war games as a “challenge to international law”. It said it had deployed what it called appropriate forces in response to Beijing's exercises. The war games come after the largest ever US arms sales to the island.

President Trump says a deal to end the war in Ukraine is very close after talks with the Ukrainian leader Zelensky in Florida. But thorny issues remain. We'll speak to a former US diplomat

Polls close on the first phase of voting in elections in Mynamar which the military government say will lead to a transition back to democracy.

(Photo: A Taiwanese Coast Guard vessel patrols along the Kinmen-Xiamen water passage; Credit: Daniel Ceng/ EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p81zj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s36g03)
China holds military drills simulating blockade of Taiwan

Taiwan's presidential office has criticised the upcoming Chinese drills, calling them a challenge to international norms.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky has met his US counterpart Donald Trump in Florida, the conclusion: positive tones, but the details still to be confirmed.

And as Syria tries to strengthen itself after deposing Bashar al assad, are those living in turkey planning to return. We bring you a report from there

(Photo: Navy Force helicopter under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army takes part in military exercises; Credit: Reuters)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p85qn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0r)
2025 on The Interview

2025 on The Interview

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

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the symbolic leader of the Anglican Communion, a figurehead for more than 85 million people worldwide. Justin Welby stepped down from the role in late 2024 over his handling of abuse in the Church of England. In this interview, his first since his resignation, he tells BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg he is deeply sorry for his failure, and that of the church, to serve the victims and survivors appropriately.

Australia’s ground-breaking social media ban for under-16s drew the attention of the world when it was enacted in December. Communications Minister Anika Wells is in charge of the policy, and told the BBC’s Australia Correspondent Katy Watson that she is trying to save a generation, with seven out of ten Australian young people suffering harm online. Despite opposition from tech giants, she says she is standing firm on the side of parents not platforms.

Music legend Stevie Wonder’s career spans seven decades and has brought him numerous awards including Grammys, a Golden Globe and an Oscar as well 100 million record sales. Whilst on tour in the summer, the American Ghanaian musician, who has been blind since birth, spoke to BBC presenter Annie Macmanus about his music and his childhood.

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

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


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218yk01)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s2r)
God in your pocket

Can your smartphone bring you spiritual fulfilment?

We look at the growth of religion-based apps, as the “faith tech” industry sees rapid growth.

Much of the tech charges a fee to use it, but not everyone is convinced.

Produced and presented by Rob Young

(Image: The "Text With Jesus" chatbot app which has thousands of paying subscribers. It lets people ostensibly ask questions of Mary, Joseph, Jesus and nearly all 12 apostles. Credit: Getty Images)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7477)
SMS: The invention of text messaging

In October 1984, as the market for mobile phones was just opening up, one man decided it would be useful if the new technology could be used to send and receive short, electronic messages.

But colleagues of Friedhelm 'Fred' Hillebrand - an engineer for Germany's Deutsche Telekom - told him the system's 160-character limit for text messages rendered it "useless".

After spending an evening typing-up birthday, Christmas and fax messages Fred proved them wrong, and within 20 years the SMS or short message service had changed the way we communicate around the world.

Fred Hillebrand tells Jacqueline Paine how text messaging very nearly didn't take off until it was discovered by young people.

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

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

Recent episodes explore everything from 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: News message on a mobile phone display. Credit: Blick/RDB/ullstein bild via Getty Images)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p89gs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj37ph5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218ynr5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p8f6x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71wx)
The history of toys

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

We learn about how Play-Doh evolved from a cleaning product to a childhood favourite and the creation of one of the best-selling board games of all time, Catan.

Our guest is the editor of Toy World Magazine, Caroline Tonks, who takes us through the history of toy crazes.

We also hear about the invention of the hoverboard, and how the Tamagotchi allowed people to have their own virtual pet.

Plus, how the family favourite game, Jenga, was born in 1970s Ghana.

And our Sporting Witness looks at how a piece of software revolutionised the game of football through data analysis.

Contributors:

Peg Roberts – daughter of Kay Zufall

Benjamin Teuber – son of Catan inventor Klaus Teuber

Caroline Tonks – editor of Toy World Magazine

Shane Chen – the inventor of the hoverboard

Akihiro Yokoi – the inventor of the Tamgotchi

Leslie Scott – the creator of the game Jenga

Ramm Mylavaganam – inventor of ProZone

(Photo: The Tamagotchi was introduced in 1996 and is one of the best-selling toys in history. Credit: Reuters)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p8jz1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj37xzf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218yx7f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct717k)
Nukes for nothing: The deal that broke Ukraine's trust

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

In 1994, Ukraine surrendered the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal, inherited from the collapsed Soviet Union, in exchange for security assurances from the US, Russia, and the UK.

Ukraine’s denuclearisation is often considered a huge success story in nuclear non-proliferation, but in retrospect, it may have paved the way for Putin's 2022 invasion.

As talk of US-European security guarantees for Ukraine resurfaces in the context of tentative Russia-Ukraine peace talks, we speak with BBC Paris correspondent Andrew Harding about the history of the 1994 agreement, and consider whether Ukraine would ever again believe promises made to protect it.


Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Annie Brown

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo: France's President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ludovic Marin/ Getty


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p8nq5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqs)
'My skin colour was a constant reminder of mum’s betrayal'

At the height of his fame, drummer Andrew ‘Shovell’ Lovell had everything he’d dreamed of: sex, drugs and regular appearances at the top of the charts with the dance music band M People. But sell-out shows, first-class travel and five-star hotels couldn’t stop the questions gnawing away at him. As a mixed-race kid growing up in a white family in south London he wanted to know: who were his birth parents? Why had they given him up? The answer, when it came, was shocking.
A disruptive and unruly child, Andrew was asked to leave school aged 15. He found a trade as a plumber but his true passion was music. He joined M People in the early 90s and by 1995 he was touring the world. The band was celebrating its second platinum-selling album in 1998 when Shovell sat down for a heart to heart with his adoptive parents on Christmas Day. He was 33 at the time, and a star – M People was one of the most successful dance music acts in the world with hits like Search for the Hero and Moving On Up. But deep down Andrew was still a little boy with a big question – to which he was about to get a devastating answer. The revelation of who his real mother was left him reeling and plunged him into a breakdown.

If you are suffering distress and need support, there are details of help available in many countries at www.befrienders.org

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Hetal Bapodra

(Photo) Andrew 'Shovell' Lovell crouches, looking straight into the camera, fingers and thumbs steepled with the tips pointing downward. Andrew is mixed race, shaven headed and wearing multi-coloured camouflage trousers, a mid-green collarless jacket and trainers.

Photo Credit: Gavin Mills Photography


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7477)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p8sg9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj385gp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218z4qp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct709t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p8x6f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zssht76f1s1)
Taiwan on high alert as China holds military drills

Taiwan has put its forces on high alert after China began a live-fire rehearsal of a blockade of the island. Is Beijing responding to a recent US-Taiwan arms deal?

Also in the programme: a special report from Myanmar, where some people have been voting in elections for the first time since a military coup five years ago; and how the discovery of a silver coin has excited historians in Scotland.

(Photo: Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets prepare for takeoff at an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, 29 December 2025. Reaction in Taiwan after China announces live fire drill around Taiwan - 29 Dec 2025. Credit: Photo by Ritchie B Tongo/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p90yk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218zd6y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s2r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct886k)
Families seek answers a year after the South Korean plane crash

One year on from South Korea’s worst air crash, families say they’re still waiting for answers.

Also, South Korea’s biggest e-commerce firm, Coupang, has agreed to pay over a billion dollars in compensation to its users for a massive data breach.

We also look back at the hacking of one of the UK's most famous brands – Jaguar Land Rover.

And the new James Bond game, 007 First Light, has been delayed until the end of May.

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


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p94pp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2c0tn)
'US has offered Ukraine 15-year security guarantee'

President Zelensky has said the US is offering Ukraine security guarantees against Russian aggression for 15 years - but he said he wished they would be for longer. President Trump said security guarantees had been 95% agreed, but land remained the thorniest issue. We get reaction from Ukrainians.

Our Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet joins to give her analysis on the efforts to end the the Russia-Ukraine conflict and on the developments in the Middle East.

As the popularity of weight-loss drugs continues to surge, we hear from experts about their impact - and from people who’ve used them to lose weight.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump (not pictured) in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, 28 December 2025. Credit: PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p98ft)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2c4ks)
Anthony Joshua injured in Nigeria car crash

The police in Nigeria say the former two-time heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, has been involved in a car crash, in which two people died. Officials suspect Joshua's vehicle crashed into a stationary lorry while overtaking at speed. We get more details from our correspondent.

President Zelensky has said the US is offering Ukraine security guarantees against Russian aggression for 15 years - but he said he wished they would be for longer. We get reaction from Ukrainians and speak to our BBC Monitoring analyst.

India’s Supreme Court has put on hold an order that had suspended the life sentence of a former member of the governing BJP party who was convicted of raping a teenager. Our reporter explains.

As the popularity of weight-loss drugs continues to surge, we hear from experts about their impact, and from people who’ve used them to lose weight.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

(Photo: The Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps has confirmed that the tragic accident involving the convoy of renowned British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua claimed the lives of two people on the Makun axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Credit: FRSC - Federal Road Safety Corps)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p9d5y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7477)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p9hy2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj38wyg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218zw6g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z63)
2025/12/29 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 (w172zwx1m9p9mp6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw218zzyl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx3)
The Life Scientific: George Church

"My ideas are often labelled as impossible, or useless, or both. Usually when people say that I'm on the right track." George Church is a geneticist, molecular engineer, and one of the pioneers of modern genomics. He's also someone who makes a habit of finding solutions to the seemingly impossible. Over the course of his career so far, George developed the first method for direct genomic sequencing, helped initiate the Human Genome Project, and founded the Personal Genome Project: making huge quantities of DNA data publicly available for research. Today, as a professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, he’s working on some of the most headline-grabbing - and controversial - science on the planet: from the so-called "de-extinction" of woolly mammoths, to growing transplant-suitable organs in pigs, to virus-proofing humans. When inspiration strikes, there seems to be little that will slow him down - even the fact that he has narcolepsy, the neurological disorder that causes sudden sleep attacks. In fact, as George tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili, some of his best ideas come in those moments between waking and sleep...


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p9rfb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zssht76fwzy)
Netanyahu and Trump discuss second phase of Gaza ceasefire

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss Gaza's future, including the issue of Hamas' disarmament. The two leaders also spoke about Iran's nuclear programme and the fragile Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire in Lebanon.

Also on the programme: British boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash in Nigeria; shopkeepers in Tehran have been demonstrating over the depreciating rial; and a special report on songbird poaching in China.

(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival for meetings at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p9w5g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3985v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw21907fv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76tx)
Iran traders protest as rial plunges

Traders in Iran have staged a second day of protests in Tehran, with many closing their shops and marching through key commercial areas to protest the collapse of the rial. Videos on social media show crowds chanting slogans against the government of President Masoud Pezeshkian, as officials warn against unrest and blame sanctions for the currency’s sharp fall.

Also, the hacking of Jaguar Land Rover has highlighted growing cyber vulnerabilities in the global car industry.

And with global military spending at record highs, we look at how defence budgets have surged in response to war and rising geopolitical tensions, with analysis from defence budget expert.

(Image: A Iranian man sells boiled beetroot and lava beans in Tajrish Bazaar in Tehran, Iran, 08 December 2025. Credit: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock.)


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9p9zxl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2190c5z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct709t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

TUESDAY 30 DECEMBER 2025

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pb3nq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71wx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pb7dv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj39mf7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2190lp7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct717k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pbc4z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj39r5c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2190qfc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcp)
Four Months in Gaza

A raw and intimate perspective on the terror, anger, and hope of living through war.

As bombs hit ever closer to her home in central Gaza, Hanya Aljamal spots her elderly neighbour tending to his garden. “He's been raking the earth,” she says, “prepping the soil for new seeds. Given everything that's already happening, it's quite interesting seeing him do that right now. I mean, if grandpa thinks it's a good time to put seeds in, then I don't know, maybe there's hope.”

In audio diaries sent from her balcony over four months, Hanya sees impromptu volleyball matches, flying shrapnel, and a hastily constructed tent village as Israel expands its military action. But after she questions whether she will live to see the end of the conflict, a fragile peace is finally agreed and Hanya’s personal situation changes dramatically.

Producer/presenter: Simon Maybin
Editor: Clare Fordham
Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

(Image credit: Hanya Aljamal)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pbgx3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct7477)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pbln7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj39znm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2190yxm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvj)
Haroon Mirza

Following his time at CERN, Haroon Mirza has been creating a major installation based on his research there. The piece, made with his collaborator Jack Jelfs, is a sculptural art work which uses a circle of 8 speakers, a large screen and an octagonal chandelier sculpture of LEDs to compose light, sound and video. Combined with a careful manipulation of spatial acoustics, the viewer is cocooned in a truly immersive experience.

Oonagh Cousins joins Haroon in his studio as he and Jack work together on the installation, to discover the creative processes behind his art. What are the technical challenges in creating this kind of piece which has to be reassembled in different spaces – and will the final installation and rehearsals go according to plan?


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pbqdc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s393dy)
Trump hopes to reach phase two of Gaza ceasefire 'very quickly'

The Gaza peace plan came into effect in October. Under the second phase, a technocratic government would be established in the devastated territory, Hamas would disarm and Israeli troops would withdraw. The reconstruction of Gaza would then begin.

On Ukraine, Russia is continuing to talk tough - rejecting any compromise on ending the war. We'll look at Russia's casualty rate and how that might affect their position.

And why some believe that Christianity should be the basis for the US government.

(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pbv4h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s39752)
Trump warns Hamas if it does not disarm quickly

Since the ceasefire came into effect, at least 414 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The Israeli military, which controls more than half of Gaza, has said it has only opened fire in response to ceasefire violations.

Iranians are holding protests against the rising cost of living as the country's currency plummets amid biting international sanctions.

And we'll have the story of the dinosaur hunters and their ten year investigation which led to the discovery of a spiky “punk rock dinosaur”

(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister; Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pbywm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s39bx6)
Trump says Gaza reconstruction could 'begin pretty soon'

Speaking about Hamas, President Trump said: 'If they don't disarm as, as they agreed to do, they agreed to it, and then there will be hell to pay for them' we go live to Gaza

Ukraine denies drone attack on Putin's residence as Russia's losses in the war increase. we speak to our correspondent who has been looking at the numbers

And why Japan cant let go of Hanako san -the little girl who haunts school toilets in their films and video games

(Photo: Palestinians walk along a street amid the rubble of destroyed buildings during a ceasefire; Credit: Mohammed Saber/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pc2mr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyq)
Making friends in Sweden

8% of Swedish adults say they have no close friends, according to one survey. But a wave of innovative projects is trying to change that. From buddy schemes to corporate “friendship hours” and grassroots social clubs, we explore how adults are going about enhancing their social lives — and what other nations might learn.

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

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Maddy Savage
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Minttu and Yashu who met through Kompis Sverige, Maddy Savage/BBC)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2191fx4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sd2)
What is oshikatsu and can it boost Japan's economy?

The superfan culture involves doing everything you can to be closer to your idols - often through concerts, merchandise, and streaming support.

And now oshikatsu is being praised by some economists for helping pull Japanese retail sales out of a long slump.

Figures suggest the role of fan purchasing power has boosted Japan’s annual retail turnover by 2%.

But what is so different about the way of supporting our heroes that has created such growth?

Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey

(Image: Anime and game fans attend the 105th ComicMarket Show in Tokyo, Japan, December 2024. Credit CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74nt)
Radio Free Europe

Seventy-five years ago, Radio Free Europe started broadcasting news to audiences behind the Iron Curtain.

It initially broadcast to Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania and programmes were produced in Munich, Germany.

It now reaches nearly 50 million people a week, in 27 languages in 23 countries.

Rachel Naylor speaks to former deputy director, Arch Puddington.

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: An engineer at Radio Free Europe in 1960. Credit: Bettmann)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pc6cw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3bld8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2191kn8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pcb40)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pcfw4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3btwj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2191t4j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d2)
Is the AI boom actually a bubble?

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

AI companies are seeing a monumental surge in investment – but some experts are now warning of the risks of an economic bubble.

Could AI be the biggest market bubble since the dot-com crash? Or is it a genuinely transformative technology that’s simply taking time to deliver? We speak to the BBC’s Evan Davis.


Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin

Executive Producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo: Artificial Intelligence mobile apps. Hannibal Hanschke/EPA/Shutterstock


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pckm8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5g)
My life-defining walk across the world with my best friend

American Tom Turcich was always terrified of death. As a boy he used to try to imagine what it would be like. When he was a teenager, Tom's childhood friend Ann Marie died in a tragic accident. One of the nicest people he knew, her loss made him realise death could happen to anyone at any time. A chance viewing of Dead Poets Society in high school led Tom to embody its core message of 'carpe diem'. Tom decided that the ultimate way of seizing the day was to walk the world. He became the tenth person ever to do it and his rescue dog Savannah, who he picked up as a puppy along the way, made history as the first dog to do so.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Emily Naylor

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

Film archive: Dead Poets Society / Touchstone Pictures / Peter Weir

(Photo: Courtesy of Tom Turcich. Tom and Savannah standing in the middle of an empty road in Croatia with the ocean behind them. Savannah is in between Tom's legs looking content with her tongue out. Tom is wearing shorts and a T-shirt and is carrying a rucksack.)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74nt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pcpcd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3c2cs)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw21921ms)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pct3j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zssht76hyp4)
Is Yemen's civil war escalating again?

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to withdraw its forces from Yemen after a Saudi bombing of the port of Mukalla. Saudi authorities say it targeted weapons intended for UAE-backed separatists who threatened its security.

Also in the programme: the latest search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 begins today; why a Japanese folk tale of a ghost that haunts school toilets still persists; and we look ahead to some of the big stories of next year with our correspondents who cover health, the environment and sport.

(Picture: People hold a South Yemen flag during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden on 25 December 2025. Credit: NAJEEB MOHAMED/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pcxvn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2192941)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sd2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct888m)
Iran's store owners take to the streets in anger

Iranian shopkeepers are taking part in protests as the currency hits a record low against the US dollar, and annual inflation is running at over 40 percent.

Denmark’s national postal service is delivering its last letter today, bringing an end to four centuries of letter delivery by the state-owned firm PostNord.

And, just before he retires, we say goodbye to Warren Buffett and look back at his career.

Also how artificial intelligence is driving a shake up in the legal profession worldwide.

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


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pd1ls)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2fxqr)
Protests in Iran are spreading

The sliding value of Iran's currency has fuelled a third day of demonstrations in the capital, Tehran. Shopkeepers and market stall holders protesting against rocketing food prices have been joined by university students demanding political change. There have also been protests in Isfahan, Kermanshah and Mashhad. We hear from Iranians and speak to our regional expert.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied allegations by Russia that Ukraine launched a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, and accused Moscow of trying to derail peace talks. We speak to our colleague with BBC Ukrainian.

And as weight-loss drugs surge in popularity, some argue they’re fuelling a rise in fatphobia. We bring you a conversation with four plus-size women who share their first-hand experiences.

A scheme to encourage climbers to bring their waste down from Mount Everest is being scrapped - with Nepalese authorities telling the BBC it has been a failure. Our environment correspondent explains.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Iranian shopkeepers protest over economic crisis in Tehran, Iran Islamic Republic Of - 29 Dec 2025. Credit: Stringer/EPA)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pd5bx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2g1gw)
UAE agrees to end operations in Yemen

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to end its operations in Yemen hours after Saudi Arabia demanded a full withdrawal, accusing the UAE of stoking division there. It followed a Saudi-led air strike on the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla, where Riyadh said weapons intended for southern Yemeni separatists had been sent. The UAE denied this, saying it was disappointed in the Saudi claims. We have the latest from our reporter.

BBC News Russian has been counting Russian war dead alongside the independent outlet Mediazona and a group of volunteers since February 2022. Our colleague from BBC Russian service Olga Ivshina explains.

And as weight-loss drugs surge in popularity, some argue they’re fuelling a rise in fatphobia. We bring you a conversation with four plus-size women who share their first-hand experiences.

Chart-topping K-pop band NewJeans' record label, Ador, is suing one of the band's members in what is yet another twist in their bitter year-long feud. Our reporter explains.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Southern forces ride a vehicle driving past a banner depicting UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L) and the top leader of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidaros Alzubidi, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 30 December 2025. Credit: Najeeb Mohamed/EPA)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pd931)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74nt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pddv5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3csvk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2192s3k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zbm)
2025/12/30 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 (w172zwx1m9pdjl9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rcp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2192wvp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zpx)
Tech Life's look back at 2025

A selection of our favourite stories in 2025. From bringing back extinct species to AI at a royal palace. And you tell us about the tech that's made a difference to your life.

Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producers: Tom Quinn and Imran Rahman-Jones

(Image: A young woman sits at a desk. A laptop computer is open on the desk. The number 2025 is projected in front of her, and she points to it with her index finger. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pdnbf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zssht76jsx1)
UAE says it will withdraw from Yemen

Supporters of southern Yemen's separatist movement have taken to the streets in Aden to protest at an ultimatum delivered by Saudi Arabia to the group's main backer, the United Arab Emirates. The UAE said on Tuesday it would abide by a Saudi demand to end its military involvement in Yemen. Riyadh has been angered by separatist advances towards the Saudi border. Overnight on Monday, a Saudi-led strike force attacked a port in southern Yemen, where Riyadh said two UAE ships had docked with weapons for the separatists. The UAE has denied this.

Also in the programme: Another day of street protests in Iran as inflation soars and the currency tanks - how will the government respond? And after 400 years, Denmark’s national postal service has delivered letters for the last time.

(Photo: The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seeks independence for southern Yemen. Credit: Photo by Najeeb Mohamed/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pds2k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3d52y)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw21934by)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76c6)
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett retires

From buying his first shares at just 11 years old to retiring at 95, we look back at what has made Warren Buffett one of finance’s most successful figures - and hear from someone who knows him about his legacy.

China is the world’s second-largest economy and official figures show strong growth. But a new report suggests the reality may be different. We speak to one of the people behind the report.

And we also look at the upcoming trial of a former military officer accused of blowing up one of Europe’s largest gas pipelines.

(Picture: Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, retires. Credit: EPA)


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pdwtp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2193832)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

WEDNESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2025

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pf0kt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pf49y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3djbb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2193hlb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pf822)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3dn2g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2193mbg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7030)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pfct6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74nt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pfhkb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3dwkq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2193vtq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc2)
Kennedy and Khrushchev

5. The crisis: Day one

Spy plane pictures reveal the Soviet missile build up to the Americans. Now they know what Khrushchev has really been up to.  How will a furious President Kennedy respond? 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 (w172zwx1m9pfm9g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3d0b1)
Protests spread across Iran

The Iranian government said it "recognises the protests" and would listen "with patience, even if it is confronted with harsh voices".

The US imposes sanctions on Iran and Venezuela linked to Tehran’s drone and ballistics production

And we'll look back at 2025 - a traumatic year for many not least in the Middle East. We go back to a wife and mother whose husband's remains were finally returned in October - 2 years after the October 7th attack

(Photo: Iranian shopkeepers and traders protest against the economic conditions in Tehran; Credit: Shutterstock)


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pfr1l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3d425)
Iranians protest over soaring cost of living

President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X late on Monday that he had instructed the interior minister to hold talks with what he described as "representatives" of the protesters so that measures could be taken "to resolve the problems and act responsibly".

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have fallen out over their interventions in Yemen. They're now backing separate groups in the country's civil war - and their relationship is under strain.

And we look at the next frontier in computer chip manufacturing : Space. A UK company is launching a satellite to manufacture semiconductors a zero gravity environment - we'll be speaking to the boss of Space Forge - an appropriately futuristic story as we prepare to enter the New Year.

(Photo: Iranian shopkeepers and traders protest against the economic conditions, as tear gas is fired; Credit: Shutterstock)


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pfvsq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3d7t9)
Israel to bar 37 aid groups from Gaza

Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which is in charge of registration applications, said the new measures on aid organisations would not impact the flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The move was heavily criticised by foreign ministers from 10 countries including the UK, who said the new rules were "restrictive" and "unacceptable".

This week Iran has seen several days of protests , starting with market traders angry about the falling value of the currency and being joined by students with wider political grievances.

And we will bring you the reflections of a Gaza journalist on the events the year and the prospects for the people in the coming 12 months.

(Photo: A Palestinian carries aid supplies that entered Gaza; Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pfzjv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7j)
Lady Gaga, global music icon and film star: the joy of music is to make people happy

It’s an amazing feeling to reach so many people with your music. The joy of it is hoping that you will make people feel happy.

In an updated version of an interview originally broadcast in April, BBC Music Correspondent Mark Savage speaks to Lady Gaga, American singer-songwriter and actor.

She has spent 18 years in the music industry, selling more than 170 million records, and winning an Oscar for best original song. In this conversation she reflects on the making of her latest album, as well as the pressures of fame and maintaining a public persona.

Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in 1986, Lady Gaga has become known for her flamboyant fashion and bold public image and has often found herself in the glare of the media spotlight. In 2019, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

In this interview, you’ll hear her thoughts on art and identity, being a super-fan of Elton John, and the lack of female role models in the music industry,

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: Mark Savage
Producers: Clare Williamson, Mantej Deol, Gabriel May & Lucy Sheppard
Editor: 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 (w172zwxw2194bt7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sd9)
What's it like being a delivery rider?

Doorstep delivery services boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic and they're still popular in many parts of the world: ordering hot meals, or groceries, via a mobile app to your door at the click of a button.

For the customer, it's a fast and convenient service. For the rider, it's flexible work, but there's no guaranteed income, the work is physical and the hours are often antisocial - especially during major holidays like Christmas and New Year. Why, then, do so many people do it?

We speak to riders in the US and UK about their experiences delivering food, drinks and other essentials to customers at all hours of the day.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can send us an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: David Harper
Producer: Victoria Hastings

(Picture: A delivery rider on a scooter, travelling through a city at night. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74r2)
The longest musical composition

On 31 December 1999, a piece of music started playing in a lighthouse in East London.

It’s called Longplayer, and it’s set to keep going, without repeating, until the year 2999.

It was created by Jem Finer from The Pogues, using 234 Tibetan singing bowls.

Megan Jones has been to meet Jem Finer, to find out why he wanted to create a one thousand year long musical composition.

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

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

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

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

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

(Photo: The Longplayer listening post at Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. Credit: BBC)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pg38z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3fh9c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2194gkc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7030)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pg713)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 BBC Correspondents' Look Ahead (w3ct8vbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pgbs7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3fqsm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2194q1m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gb)
The hostage negotiator’s guide to making deals with Putin’s Russia

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

Donald Trump has spent this year trying to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine. So far, Vladimir Putin doesn’t seem interested in the US’ proposals.

One man who has experience successfully negotiating with Russia – and many other American adversaries – is Roger Carstens, former Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. From 2020 to 2025 he worked to free dozens of US citizens taken hostage and wrongfully detained around the world, including Russia. Securing their release often required complex deals that took years to put together.


What does it take to successfully negotiate with Vladimir Putin’s Russia?


Producer: Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Mix: Travis Evans


Photo: Roger Carstens. Credit: BBC


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pggjc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdc)
The Girl from Ipanema: the woman who inspired the hit

Pianist Paul Barton had an unusual 50th birthday wish: to play classical music for retired elephants at a sanctuary in Thailand, where he lives. His wife managed to arrange it for him and soon Paul's one-off birthday wish became a long-term project and a passion. More than a decade on, Paul is still playing for the elephants and getting to know them better. This interview was first broadcast in 2024.

In the early 1960s, a young woman would stroll past a bar in Ipanema, southern Rio de Janeiro, nearly every day. Her walk was said to make everyone swoon and she was soon noticed by the regulars at the bar, including the composer Tom Jobim and poet Vinicius de Moraes. Unbeknown to her, de Moraes immortalised her in the lyrics which he wrote for the Girl from Ipanema. A few years later, when an American recording of the song became a global hit, many women claimed to be the inspiration behind it. But there was only one true girl from Ipanema: Helo Pinheiro.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Voice over: Julia Braun
Producers: Laura Thomas, Marcia Veiga, Radek Boschetty

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

(Photo: Helo Pinheiro in the 1960s and later years. In the middle photo, Helo, in a black shirt, smiles at the camera. In the photo on the left Helo, in white bikini, walks to a swimming pool. In the photo on the right Helo sits on a window ledge, playing a guitar. Credit: Acervo Pessoal Heloisa Pinheiro)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74r2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pgl8h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3fz8w)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2194yjw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pgq0m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zssht76lvl7)
EU objects to Gaza NGO ban

The EU says a new Israeli ban on nearly 40 aid groups working in Gaza and the West Bank would prevent lifesaving assistance from reaching Palestinians.

Also in the programme: How did thieves use a drill to steal €30m in a German bank heist? And the best moments from Newshour in 2025.

(Photo: MSF treat displaced Palestinians in Rafah. Credit: Haitham Imad/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pgtrr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2195614)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88bp)
Global economic predictions for 2026

In our last episode before the end of the year, we ask: what could 2026 hold for the global economy? Will the US keep powering ahead, is China finally turning a corner, and how much further can interest rates really fall?

And we speak to an applied futurist who advises businesses and governments on the pressures shaping the years ahead. We ask what his key predictions are for 2026, and what they could mean for workers, companies and governments.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Haider Saleem and Amber Mehmood
Editor: Stephen Ryan


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pgyhw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2jtmv)
World welcomes 2026

As the world rings in the new year, we share messages from across the globe about people’s hopes and expectations for 2026.

Our North America correspondent will join us to reflect on the biggest headlines and controversies from President Trump’s year in office.

Tens of thousands of app-based delivery workers in India are holding a day-long strike demanding better pay and conditions. The workers say they should be given a minimum monthly salary and insurance. Our reporter explains.

And we take a look back at the most memorable viral moments of 2025.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the New Year in Sydney, Australia, January 1, 2026. Credit: Hollie Adams/Reuters)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ph280)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2jycz)
Israel to bar 37 aid groups in Gaza

The European Union says a new Israeli ban on nearly 40 aid groups working in Gaza and the West Bank would prevent life saving assistance from reaching Palestinians. We hear from a resident in Gaza and speak to our correspondent.

Iranian officials say several people have attacked and damaged the governor's office in Fars province. We speak to our colleague from BBC Persian.

As the world rings in the new year, we share messages from across the globe about people’s hopes and expectations for 2026.

And we take a look back at the most memorable viral moments of 2025.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: A displaced Palestinian woman cooks at a tent, on New Year's Eve in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, December 31, 2025. Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ph604)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74r2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ph9r8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3gprn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2195p0n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zdw)
2025/12/31 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 (w172zwx1m9phfhd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7030)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2195srs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkh)
How can we eliminate malaria?

In the past decade there has been little progress in lowering malaria cases, with over half a million people still dying from the mosquito-borne disease every year. We look at the big ideas and innovations of the future that could help us eliminate malaria once and for all.

What would happen if we got rid of the insect responsible for spreading the malaria parasite? Claudia heads to Imperial College London where she is joined by Dr Federica Bernardini and their 120 colonies of mosquitos to find out how revolutionary genetic technologies are aiming to do just that.

Picking up on Imperial’s work in the field is Principal Investigator at Target Malaria in Uganda, Dr Jonathan Kayondo. His job is to understand what it would mean to release these modified mosquitos into the wild.

Looking at the existing tools that need levelling up is Dr Rob Moon, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Dr James Tibenderana, Chief Executive at the Malaria Consortium. Alongside Claudia they look at the next generation of vaccines and the importance of accessible rapid diagnostic tests.

But is all this going to be enough to eliminate malaria?

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Katie Tomsett


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9phk7j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zssht76mpt4)
Will Israel’s NGO ban in Gaza impact the ceasefire deal?

Some international humanitarian organisations operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank say they cannot comply with Israel’s demands to supply details of Palestinian staff due to data infringement and safety concerns.

Also in the programme: we ask why there is a shortage of female toilets in Japan’s parliament; conservation efforts saving albatrosses in South Africa; and we look at the best moments from Newshour in 2025.

(Photo: A Palestinian man carries food items collected from aid packages dropped from an airplane, amid a hunger crisis, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9phnzn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3h201)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2196181)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76jw)
How is streaming changing what we listen to and watch?

Netflix is screening its latest hit at the cinema and MTV is closing music-video channels. What can the latest moves in the entertainment business tell us about how streaming is changing our viewing and listening habits?

(Picture: The Netflix logo and an advertisement for Stranger Things are shown on one of their buildings in the Hollywood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 2, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake)


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9phsqs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2196505)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 23:59 BBC News (w172zwx1m9phxgx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.

THURSDAY 01 JANUARY 2026

THU 00:06 BBC Correspondents' Look Ahead (w3ct8vbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pj171)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3hf7f)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2196dhf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pj4z5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3hjzk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2196j7k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct8tym)
Kibera ballerinas

Ballet, a centuries-old form of European dance, is flourishing in one of Africa’s largest informal settlements. In Kibera, Kenya, we follow aspiring young dancers as they prepare for their biggest performance yet. Amid the pirouettes, jumps and lifts, Carolyne Kiambo discovers how ballet is helping these young Kenyans beyond the stage.

Presenter: Carolyne Kiambo
Producer: Sue Coryndon


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pj8q9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74r2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pjdgf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3hsgt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2196rqt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xnz)
What's the point of cookbooks?

When there are so many recipes available for free online, why does anyone still buy cookbooks?

In this programme we look into the business of selling cookbooks, what future the format may have and hear about the treasured tomes you turn to time and time again.

Ruth Alexander visits Books for Cooks, a specialist cookbook shop in London, to chat to Eric Treuille who cooks lunch for his customers from a different cookbook each day.

She speaks to cookbook writers Mogau Seshoene in South Africa, author of ‘The Lazy Makoti’ books, and Joanne Molinaro in the US, author of ‘The Korean Vegan’.

Doris Cooper tells Ruth what a publisher is looking for in a cookbook. She tells Ruth about her big hits and misses as editor-in-chief of Simon Element, a division of Simon and Schuster in New York.

And listeners in Italy, Malta and the US tell us about their favourite cookbooks.

If you would like to contact the programme email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.

Presented by Ruth Alexander.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: Ruth Alexander with her grandmother’s cookbook, which still holds her handwritten pastry recipe. Credit: BBC)


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pjj6k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3gx74)
New Year arrives in New York City

The ball has dropped in New York City heralding the beginning of 2026 to a Times Square packed with revellers. We will head there as the new Mayor is also sworn in

Venezuela's oil industry - and the wider economy - are under even more pressure. After airstrikes and a blockade, the US has announced some targeted sanctions too. So how is Venezuela coping? We'll head to the heart of the oil industry there to find out

(Photo: A screen displays "Happy New Year" message after the ball drop at Times Square; Credit: Kylie Copper/Reuters)


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pjmyp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3h0z8)
Trump orders withdrawal of the National Guard from Democrat-run cities

Chicago has just crossed over to 2026. We'll bring you the atmosphere there and what the city is looking forward to, including the withdrawal of federal guard troops that's just been announced by President Trump.

China's Lunar New Year is weeks away but preparations for it are already underway for the traditional festivities. Our correspondent there has been to the north of the country.

The US Treasury Department says it is imposing sanctions on four companies that were operating in Venezuela’s oil sector.

(Photo: National Guard members stand on deployment in northeast Washington; Credit: Will Oliver/ EPA/Shutterstock)


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pjrpt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3h4qd)
President Trump tells National Guard to withdraw

In a social media post, president Trump said federal forces would return to Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland if crime rates went up.

There's been an explosion at a Swiss ski resort killing a number of people. The cause isn't yet known. We'll be speaking to our reporter.

We will head to Calgary in Canada too, as the world continues to usher in 2026.

(Photo: National Guard members and police stand on deployment in northeast Washington; Credit: Will Oliver/ EPA/Shutterstock)


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pjwfy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723q)
How did music megatours become such a money spinner?

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shattered records, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, redefining what’s possible and confirming a new era in the business of touring.

As streaming transformed how we listen to music, selling records is no longer the financial centrepiece it once was for artists. Instead, exclusivity has been transferred to the live experience. But staging shows on this scale requires enormous investment and complex production. At the same time, ticket scarcity fuels extraordinary demand and rising prices, which mean big ticket prices.

Tanya Beckett explores how technology, fandom and economics turn modern concert tours into multi-billion-dollar ventures.

This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: How did music megatours become such a money spinner?

Contributors

Kevin Kim, Head of Asia at music distribution company Route Note, Seoul, South Korea

Serona Elton, professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, United States

Adam Behr, Reader and Head of Music at Newcastle University, United Kingdom

Poppy Reid, music journalist and founder of Curious Media, Sydney, Australia

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producers: Maeve Schaffer and Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: Taylor Swift during The Eras Tour. Credit: Erika Goldring/TAS24/Getty Images)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw21977qb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s2k)
Does getting up early breed success?

You might have seen it online - social media influencers sharing their morning routines before work. Some start as early as 4 or 5 AM, turning those hours into their personal 5-to-9 before the traditional 9-to-5 grind.

Michelle Obama, Bob Iger, and Apple CEO Tim Cook all claim to be up between 4 and 5 AM.

There’s a “5 AM club”, inspired by the habits of very successful people. But does waking up that early actually make us better at work?

And there’s even a whole industry of how to optimise your morning routine with supplements, journals and beauty products. In some cases, ice baths.

Against his better judgement, Business Daily's Matt Lines signed himself up to a week of 4 AM starts and met those for whom this is a way of life.

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

Presented and produced by Matt Lines

(Image: Matt Lines braving an ice bath as part of his research)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74kd)
The American Freedom Train

In April 1975, the American Freedom Train set out on a tour across the United States to celebrate 200 years of American independence.

On-board were more than 500 priceless artefacts, documenting important moments in America's history - including an original copy of the Constitution, Thomas Edison's first working light bulb and a NASA lunar rover.

Over the next 21 months, seven million people visited the travelling museum as it made its epic journey around 48 states.

Jacqueline Paine speaks to former train security guard Lou Nelson, about taking America's history to the people, as the country prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.

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: Local people in Archbold, Ohio queue to see the American Freedom Train, June 1975. Credit: AP)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pk062)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3jd6g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2197cgg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8tym)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pk3y6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt5)
The Media Show: How to Make a Hit TV Show

Have you ever wondered how reality TV gets made? Why some shows become instant classics, while others vanish without trace? In this special edition of The Media Show, four of the UK’s top creatives in unscripted television reveal their secrets. From The Traitors to Pointless, Hunted to Gogglebox, they discuss what makes a hit format, how casting decisions are made, how streamers and influencers are changing the landscape, and where the next big hit might come from. With Tim Harcourt, Chief Creative Officer, Studio Lambert; Matt Bennett, Director of Programmes, Shine Television; Tamara Gilder, Joint MD, Remarkable Entertainment; Art Sejdiu, Head of Commissioning Development, Channel Four.

Presenters: Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall
Producer: Dan Hardoon
Content producer: Lucy Wai
Researcher: Ruth Waites


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2197h6l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:32 on Sunday]


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pk7pb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3jmpq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2197lyq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct719t)
The death of reading

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

Are we living through the slow death of reading - replaced by an addictive screen culture that fragments our attention and floods us with trivial or unreliable information? Writer and voracious reader James Marriott believes we are entering a post-literate age with profoundly negative consequences for education, culture and democracy itself. In today's episode, James traces how an 18th century ‘reading revolution’ shaped the modern-world - and what might follow its sudden decline.


Producers: Aron Keller and Sam Chantarasak

Editor: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo: The al-Nahda al-Arabiya library (Arab Renaissance Library) in central Baghdad. AHMED JALIL/EPA.


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pkcfg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyk)
The singing linguist: from rock star to language detective

Growing up in New York, Robert Leonard fell in love with soul and Motown harmony singing. When he arrived at Columbia University in 1968, he joined an a cappella group devoted to 1950s doo-wop, a nostalgic sound from his childhood that felt gentler than the turbulent moment he and his fellow students were living through. When the group's performances around campus became wildly popular, Robert’s older brother saw an opportunity. He decided to style them into a band – called Sha Na Na – complete with choreographed moves and ironic outfits, and soon they were performing in the coolest venues across New York City. Sha Na Na’s upbeat ’50s revival act, wildly out of step with the psychedelic and folk rock of the era, became an unlikely hit with young people angry and heartbroken by the Vietnam War. Jimi Hendrix was a fan, and helped land them a slot at the now legendary Woodstock festival, where Sha Na Na’s gold lamé-clad performance would become iconic. But just a year later, Robert walked away from the band to pursue academia. He went on to become a professor of Swahili, and later a pioneer in forensic linguistics, analysing language to help solve crimes. Today, he's considered one of the best in the world.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Zoe Gelber

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

(Photos: Left: Robert Leonard singing onstage with Sha Na Na at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, wearing his signature gold lamé outfit in 1969, Right: Robert Leonard in his classroom teaching linguistics in Hofstra University in 2019. Both images courtesy of Robert Leonard)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74kd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pkh5l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3jw5z)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2197vfz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pklxq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zssht76prhb)
Dozens of people die after fire at Swiss ski resort

Swiss police say dozens of people have died in a fire at the ski resort of Crans-Montana. More than a hundred others were injured, many seriously. The fire broke out early in the morning in a bar packed with people celebrating the New Year. We hear from the scene.

Also in the programme: as the latest US visa bans and restrictions take effect in a large number of countries, mainly in Africa, we hear from the Nigerian government; plus what's behind the latest purges of China's top military officers?

(IMAGE: Furniture pieces lie on the ground as an ambulance stands at the site of an explosion and fire at the "Le Constellation" bar, where several people died and others were injured after an explosion tore through a crowded New Year’s Eve party, according to Swiss police, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, January 1, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from video / CREDIT: Valais Canton Police/Handout via REUTERS)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pkqnv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw21982y7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s2k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88r2)
Bulgaria adopts the Euro

At midnight on 01 January, Bulgaria became the 21st country in the European Union to adopt the Euro currency. Also, Serbia's main oil refinery has been given more time to find a new owner, as it tries to avoid US sanctions against Russian-owned oil companies. And, we visit the Chinese village at the centre of red paper lantern production.


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pkvdz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2mqjy)
Switzerland ski resort fire

The Swiss authorities have urged people not to overburden the country's hospitals as emergency wards become overwhelmed by victims of the devastating overnight fire at a winter resort. Dozens were killed and more than 100 were injured as flames shot through a crowded bar. The dead and injured are thought to include foreign tourists as well as Swiss citizens. We have the latest from Switzeland, and we speak to an eyewitness who has been helping the injured.

A ban by Israel on 37 aid groups working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank has come into effect. We speak to aid workers about the impact.

Russia has accused Ukraine of killing at least 24 people, including a child, in a drone attack on a hotel in Russian-occupied Kherson in southern Ukraine. Our regional expert explains.

And for 25 years, there’s always been a human presence aboard the International Space Station but there are five years left before it is due to be crashed back down to Earth. Astronauts share what life is really like on the ISS.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: A hearse outside the "Le Constellation" bar, after an explosion and fire during a New Year’s Eve party where several people died and others were injured, according to Swiss police, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, January 1, 2026. Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pkz53)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2mv92)
Around 40 killed in fire at Swiss bar

Switzerland has announced five days of mourning after about 40 people were killed in blaze at a bar packed with revellers early on New Year's Day. Witnesses at the bar in the ski resort of Crans Montana say the entire ceiling was ablaze within seconds. We have the latest from Switzerland, and we speak to an eyewitness who has been helping the injured.

In the fifth day of protests in Iran there have been violent clashes in a number of small towns up and down the country. We have the latest from our reporter from BBC Persian.

A ban by Israel on 37 aid groups working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank has come into effect. We speak to aid workers about the impact.

And for 25 years, there’s always been a human presence aboard the International Space Station but there are five years left before it is due to be crashed back down to Earth. Astronauts share what life is really like on the ISS.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Flowers and candles are left near the "Le Constellation" bar, after a fire and explosion in Switzerland, January 1, 2026. Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pl2x7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74kd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pl6nc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3klnr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2198kxr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z8c)
2026/01/01 GMT

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


THU 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9plbdh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct8tym)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2198pnw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 The Documentary (w3ct8xsy)
An armada for asteroid Apophis?

Friday, April 13th 2029 – mark it in your calendar. That’s the day an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will fly past Earth, closer than some satellites. Don’t worry – it will miss, but it’ll will pass so close to Earth that it will be visible to the naked eye of 2 billion people, particularly in North Africa and Western Europe. Roland Pease this week attended the Apophis T-5 Years conference at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, meeting astronomers scrambling to get missions up to the object to learn what kind of threats such asteroids might pose to us in the future and to discuss the science of planetary defence. NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX, a follow-on to OSIRIS-REx, will study the physical changes due to the gravitational forces from the Earth as it closely passes us by. But will there be an armada of spacecraft sent to monitor Apophis? The European Space Agency hope to gather support for their own mission, RAMSES.

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Image Credit: JPL/Caltech


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9plg4m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zssht76qlq7)
Around 40 people killed and 115 injured in New Year fire at Swiss bar

The President of Switzerland says the fire at a ski resort early on New Year's Day which killed around 40 people is one of his country's worst tragedies. Witnesses at the bar in the ski resort of Crans Montana say the entire ceiling was ablaze within seconds.

Also in the programme: There have clashes in a number of small towns across Iran, on the fifth day of anti-government protests; China has introduced a series of tax incentives - including levies on contraceptives and exemptions for childcare - to try to boost its falling birth rate; and new tax regulations are taking effect today in forty-eight countries over the personal ownership of cryptocurrency.

Plus punk rock is 50 years old this year. Why does this rather simple music keep influencing musicians even now?


(Photo: Officials say around 40 people were killed and 115 injured in the fire. Credit: Getty Images)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9plkwr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3kyx4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2198y54)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct75ys)
How do economies hit by war rebuild in 2026?

Syria rolls out redesigned banknotes as part of a currency reform aimed at rebuilding after years of war. Russia, meanwhile, is pressing ahead with tax rises to help fund the war in Ukraine as the invasion nears its fourth year. Rahul Tandon asks what realistic economic choices remain for governments under that kind of strain.

In the US, New York City has a new mayor: Zohran Mamdani. We speak to an adviser who served on his inaugural committee about what his agenda means for the city’s economy.

And our North America Technology Correspondent Lily Jamali reports back after a year investigating whether the gains from artificial intelligence are being shared more widely accross America - or still concentrated among a few firms and regions.

(Photo: A currency exchanger handles cash in his hands, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, at Yusuf al-Azma Square in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9plpmw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw21991x8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

FRIDAY 02 JANUARY 2026

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pltd0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw21995nd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vwt)
The Child Cancer Scam

3. The recruiters

A woman called Isabel pushes a little girl to send videos from her hospital bed. It’s part of a recruitment drive for sick children in Colombia to take part in campaigns. What does she know about the hundreds of thousands of dollars that appear to have been raised? It’s money the family never saw. Who was she working for, and what can she tell us about this scam?

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 (w172zwx1m9ply44)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3lb4j)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw21999dj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct719t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pm1w8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3lfwn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2199f4n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zpx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pm5md)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74kd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pm9cj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3lpcx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw2199nmx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq0)
Two families from Sarajevo

Born into a Bosnian Muslim family, Salih Hardaga grew up knowing that his family had done a very courageous thing. During the Nazi occupation of Sarajevo, his parents, Mustafa and Zeinaba, sheltered their Jewish friends, the Kabiljos, even though their home stood opposite a Nazi headquarters.

After World War Two, the Kabiljos moved to Israel, but the families kept in touch - and in the early 1990s, the tables were turned. When war broke out in the former Yugoslavia in 1992, the Kabiljos were horrified to see that their former hometown of Sarajevo came under siege. They decided to try to rescue their old friends.

Alex Strangwayes-Booth tells the story of the two families, meeting Salih Hardaga, now in his 80s and hearing his memories of his parents’ brave actions. She finds out how the Kabiljo family in Israel enlisted the help of the authorities to rescue Salih’s mother, husband and daughter from the Siege of Sarajevo. And Alex meets younger members of the Hardaga family who lived through the events, and reflects on the offer of rescue they received.

(Photo: The Hardaga and Kabiljos family. Credit: Eli Tauber/Jewish Museum of Sarajevo)


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pmf3n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3kt47)
Dozens dead in Swiss ski bar fire

Around 40 people died in a fire that ripped through a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana in the early hours of New Year's day. The fire broke out at a bar called Le Constellation.

Growing unrest in Iran is reported to have claimed more lives on a fifth day of protests over the soaring cost of living.

A series of new research results indicates that psychedelic drugs could be hugely beneficial in treating a range of mental disorders. These include depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, trauma as well as alcohol and gambling addiction.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: Several hundred mourners gather to lay down flowers and light candles to remember the victims of the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge, which left people dead and injured, during New Year's celebration in Crans-Montana. Credit: Alessandro Della Valle/EPA).


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pmjvs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3kxwc)
Around 40 killed in Swiss fire

Around 40 people died in a fire that ripped through a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana in the early hours of New Year's day. The fire broke out at a bar called Le Constellation. Police say another 115 were injured.

The new Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, has given his inaugural address. We take a look at his speech.

And we speak to the Kenyan writer, Tony Mochama. He travelled with his young son to Tanzania to pay his respect for the first time to his grandfather who died in the second world war. Until now they knew little of what had happened to their family member in the war.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo:Several hundred mourners gather to lay down flowers and light candles to remember the victims of the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge, which left people dead and injured, during New Year's celebration in Crans-Montana. Credit: Alessandro Della Valle/EPA)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pmnlx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq13s3l1mh)
Around 40 people killed in Swiss bar fire

Police say around 40 people were killed and over one hundred injured after a fire ripped through a bar were people were celebrating new year's eve in Switzerland. Officials are warning it could take days or even weeks to identify everyone.

We look at the growing unrest in Iran. Demonstrations have claimed more lives on a fifth day of protests over the soaring cost of living.

And the democratic politician Zohran Mamdani has been sworn in as the first Muslim Mayor of New York City. He assured every New Yorker "I am your mayor".

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo:People leave flowers outside the "Le Constellation" bar, after a fire and explosion during a New Year’s Eve party where several people died and others were injured, according to Swiss police, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland. Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters).


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pmsc1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzt)
Catherine Corless, Irish historian: I’m going to be a voice for these children

I’m going to be a voice for these children

Chris Page, the BBC’s Ireland correspondent speaks to the Irish historian Catherine Corless, who has changed history in her own country.

When she began to research a long-closed mother and baby home near where she lived, she encountered local resistance. But her dogged investigation led to the discovery that hundreds of babies and young children were buried in mass, unmarked graves inside a disused sewage tank at the site in Tuam, Ireland.

Her work led to the discovery of the scandal of Ireland’s historical mother and baby institutions, which housed unmarried mothers and their babies at a time when they were ostracized by Irish society and often their families too. An inquiry launched by the Irish government into the network of homes concluded about nine thousand children died in the eighteen homes investigated.

The revelation led to apologies from the Catholic Church in Ireland, the Irish Government, the council which owned the home in Tuam and the religious order which ran the home. The order has also contributed millions of dollars to a compensation scheme, and to the excavation now underway in Tuam.

Thank you to Chris Page and Chrissie McGlinchey from the BBC’s Ireland bureau for their help in making this programme.

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: Chris Page
Producers: Lucy Sheppard and Chrissie McGlinchey
Editor: Nick Holland

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

(Image: Catherine Corless. Credit: PA)


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219b4mf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rsn)
Business Daily meets: Thailand's Chef Pam

Thailand’s Pichaya Soontornyanakij, widely known as Chef Pam, was this year named the best female chef in the world by a panel of more than 1,000 gastronomists assembled by 50 Best, a food and drink sector brand. She’s the first Asian woman to win that award.

Gideon Long meets her at her Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok, in a building which has deep personal meaning for her and which she and her family have lovingly restored.

She takes him on a tour of the gastronomic delights of Bangkok’s Chinatown and tells him about her Thai-Chinese heritage and the challenges of the restaurant business.

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

Presented and produced by Gideon Long

(Image: Thai chef Pichaya Soontornyanakij at her restaurant in Bangkok.)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct744z)
South Africa's luxury train

In 1986, South African businessman Rohan Vos was sitting in the bath when he decided to pursue his passion and launch a vintage railway business. However, the venture nearly bankrupted him, and he was forced to sell his family home.

But, improved economic conditions in the 1990s and a chance encounter with a travel agent in London saved the business.

Rovos Rail is now regarded as one of the most luxurious trains in the world, and carries passengers all over the southern half of Africa.

Rohan Vos looks back on the story with Ben Henderson.

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

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

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

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

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

(Photo: Rohan Vos. Credit: David Lefranc/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pmx35)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3m93k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219b8ck)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8xsy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pn0v9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x6)
An episode inspired by our listeners

We revisit our listeners’ favourite topics and dig deeper in this special programme.

First, we hear from some of our insomniac listeners and explore how we fall asleep with neuroscientist Dr Ada Eban-Rothschild from the University of Michigan.

Next, we return to our favourite food facts with a small surprise for one of the presenters.

Then, we put our knowledge to the test with extra quizzes and examine the randomness of multiple-choice questions.

Finally, we’re joined by Dr Alyn Euritt to discuss the importance of connection, especially between Marnie, Caroline and all the loyal listeners of the show.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Caroline Steel and Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Imaan Moin, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Lucy Davies


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pn4lf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3mjlt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219bhvt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct7159)
Are conspiracy theories America’s biggest export?

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

Mistrust in science has never been higher. Fewer people are getting vaccinated, a known vaccine skeptic is leading the most powerful health agency in America and an outbreak of measels in Texas this year led to the first fatalities in almost a decade. Then, in August, a gunman opened fire on the headquarters of the Centre for Disease Control with many speculating he was fuelled by misinformation about health.

Increasingly this misinformation is being exported around the world.

Marianna Spring is the BBC’s Social Media Investigations Correspondent and tells the story of how suspicion of science in America helped radicalise a British mom with devastating consequences.


Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: Annie Brown

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo: Kate Shemirani. Martin Pope / Getty


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pn8bk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj0)
Outlook Mixtape: The Last Picture Show

The Outlook Mixtape is back with another flick through the archive for stories with cinema at their heart.

We hear from Walter Murch, the legendary sound designer whose work on The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now transformed how films sound. From whirring helicopters to bustling city streets, his experimental techniques reshaped cinematic storytelling and immersed audiences in entirely new ways. This was first broadcast in 2020.

British-Iraqi producer Lateif Jorephani recalls working on Clash of Loyalties, a troubled epic commissioned by Saddam Hussein in the early 1980s. Intended as a grand, Hollywood-style origin story of modern Iraq and starring Oliver Reed, the production took a dramatic turn when war broke out mid-shoot, leaving cast and crew stranded amid chaos. This was first broadcast in 2016.

During the Covid lockdown in Cork, Ireland, Scott Duggan turned his terraced street into an open-air cinema, projecting films onto a wall and bringing neighbours together when the world felt shut down. This was first broadcast in 2020.

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 (w3ct744z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pnd2p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3ms32)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219brc2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pnhtt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zssht76sndf)
Swiss fire families face agonising wait

As new images emerge of the fire at "Le Constellation" bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, the families of those still missing face an agonising wait for news: we have the latest from the investigation.

Also in the programme: President Trump says he's ready to step in to defend the anti-government protesters in Iran; we hear from a protester. Plus life at a hundred – we speak to one woman, still laughing - and still performing – at 100 years old.

(IMAGE: People pay their respects to the victims with flowers near the area where fire broke out at the 'Le Constellation' bar leaving people dead and injured, during New Year's celebration, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, 02 January 2026 / CREDIT: Jean-Christophe Botte/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pnmky)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219bzvb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rsn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88gt)
Anti-government protests over the economy in Iran turn deadly

In Iran, at least seven people have been killed in anti-government protests that were triggered by a sharp fall in the value of the currency, a rising cost of living and an economy that's labouring under Western sanctions.

The price of cigarettes looks set to rise in India. What will it mean for tobacco farmers?

Also, factory activity in the Euro Zone area contracted further last month.

Presenter: Gideon Long
Producer: Ahmed Adan and Amber Mehmood
Editor: Justin Bones


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pnrb2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2qmg1)
Swiss investigators working to identify those killed in bar fire

Authorities in Switzerland say they believe a fire at a ski resort bar was caused by "sparklers attached to champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling". An investigation to confirm how the blaze - which killed 40 people and injured 119 others - began is ongoing. We hear from the family of a 16 year old missing after the fire, and get the latest from our correspondent outside Le Constellation.

In Gambia, a search is underway after a boat carrying about 200 migrants aiming to reach Europe capsized off the coast. We get the latest from our correspondent in the region.

And 2026 marks the beginning of a new space race era, with NASA launching the Artemis II and plans in the works to get mankind to Mars and beyond. We hear from three people at the forefront of the next frontier in space.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Picture: Aftermath of New Year's Eve party fire and explosion at "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana. Credit: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pnw26)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w17306861b2qr65)
Swiss fire likely caused by sparklers attached to champagne bottles

Authorities in Switzerland say they believe a fire at a ski resort bar was caused by "sparklers attached to champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling". An investigation to confirm how the blaze - which killed 40 people and injured 119 others - began is ongoing. We hear from the family of a 16 year old missing after the fire, and get the latest from our BBC Verify team.

The US President has warned Iran against killing peaceful protesters, after reports at least six people were killed in demonstrations this week. The protests, sparked by worsening economic conditions, are now in their sixth day. We speak to our colleague from BBC Persian.

And 2026 marks the beginning of a new space race era, with NASA launching the Artemis II and plans in the works to get mankind to Mars and beyond. We hear from three people at the forefront of the next frontier in space.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Police officers stand guard in front of the "Le Constellation" bar, after a fire and explosion during a New Year's Eve party in Switzerland. Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pnztb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct744z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pp3kg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3nhkv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219cgtv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z3v)
2026/01/02 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 (w172zwx1m9pp79l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnq)
Living in space

The first crew arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) 25 years ago. Since then, almost three hundred people from some 20 nations have visited the orbiting laboratory. If you were born after November 2000, for your entire life, there has always been someone living in space.

In our conversations astronauts Tim Peake and Nicole Stott share their experiences of life on the ISS.

“It felt like I was coming to a second home when I got there, almost immediately,” Nicole tells us. “Floating and flying and having that extraordinary view out of the window, it’s like nothing else.”

Nasa’s latest venture, Artemis II, is due for launch in the next few months. The ten-day mission will carry four astronauts further than any human has gone before, in a loop far beyond the Moon. It’s the latest stage of the US-led plan to eventually land humans on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.

To discuss the future of space exploration, we bring together astronaut Mike Massimino, he’s flown to space twice and starred (as an astronaut) in The Big Bang Theory. We also hear from former Nasa researcher and AI expert, Kiri Wagstaff, and Les Johnson, he was a senior engineer at Nasa and is now the CEO of Infinite Frontiers Consulting.

Presenter: Luke Jones
BBC producer: Isabella Bull
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver
An Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS

(Photo: Astronaut Tim Peake Credit: Tim Peake)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219clkz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stv)
Did I inherit my laugh?

CrowdScience listener Limbikani in Zambia is always being told he has his Dad’s laugh, so he set us the challenge of trying to find out whether a laugh can be passed down in our genes or if it’s something we learn from our environment.

Presenter Caroline Steel steps into the world of one of the world’s greatest laughter experts, Professor Sophie Scott, neuroscientist at University College London. In her office stuffed with memorabilia of a life filled with fun, they discuss how the shape of our bodies could play a role in how we laugh.

Also joining the fun is Dr Gil Greengross, evolutionary psychologist at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK. Gil tells us how Charles Darwin was the first person to question how laughter evolved.

Caroline also speaks to Dr Nancy Segal, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton. Nancy is an expert in studies that demonstrate the role of nature vs nurture in how who we are and how we behave. She tells the story of the ‘Giggle Twins’, who were separated at birth but found they laughed identically when they met three decades later.

So does that mean that we really do inherit our laughs from our parents?

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Tom Bonnett

Editor: Ben Motley


Credit: The sound of rats laughing (slowed down so that our ears can detect the ultrasound) is courtesy of Dr. Jaak Panksepp

(Photo: Father and son on yellow background- stock photo Credit: Georgijevic via Getty Images)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ppc1q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zssht76thmb)
Swiss officials believe that the fatal fire was started by sparklers

Investigators have questioned two French managers from the bar and are looking into the insulation foam used on the ceiling.

Iran has warned President Trump against interference, after he said the US would come to the rescue if protesters were killed. We hear from a protester. And President Zelensky of Ukraine has appointed the country's military intelligence chief as the new head of his presidential office. But what do we know about Kyrylo Budanov?

(Picture: Tributes left in the town of Crans Montana in Switzerland. Credit: Bott / EPA)


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ppgsv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3nvt7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219cv27)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76pd)
China's BYD overtakes Tesla

The Chinese car company BYD has overtaken Elon Musk's Tesla as the world's biggest seller of electric vehicles. We unpack how it happened.

How viable is it to be a content creator? We look at how TikTok became a political flashpoint between the US and China.

And good news for pasta lovers? The US has slashed proposed tariffs on imports from Italy.

(Photo: A worker cleans up a BYD Dolphin. Credit: MAST IRHAM/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ppljz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219cytc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]