SATURDAY 07 FEBRUARY 2026

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8lgb9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72xc)
Let the games begin

The Winter Olympics has the Unexpected Elements team looking into some of the incredible science behind the sports. First up, the tale of India’s lone luge pilot: how did using old train tracks as sled runners give him a competitive edge? Then, we look at the physics behind a cheating scandal that has rocked the ski jumping world. Scientific studies tell us exactly how much difference changing a single stitch in a costume can make.

Did you know there are different types of ice? Professor Christoph Salzmann has discovered three of them, and tells us what makes them unique. Plus dinosaurs, disease, and whether we laugh with an accent. All on this week’s Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Tristan Ahtone
Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Lucy Davies, Imy Harper and Tim Dodd


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8ll2f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpkz2t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcw8ybt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct715g)
Could the Epstein scandal topple the British Prime Minister?

Warning: this episode contains themes of sexual abuse.

Following the release of the latest tranche of Epstein files, renewed scrutiny has fallen on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s links to powerful figures in the United States. In the UK, attention has shifted to a related controversy that is now sending tremors through Westminster.

Newly surfaced email exchanges between Epstein and former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson - also known as Britain’s “Prince of Darkness”, have raised questions about the nature of their relationship and its political ramifications, triggering a police investigation and threatening the position of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

George Parker, the Financial Times Political Editor and BBC Radio Presenter, has known the man in question for over three decades. He talks about the seismic implications the Epstein files are having on British politics.


Producers: Samantha Chantarasak, Valerio Esposito and Cat Farnsworth

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Peter Mandelson and Keir Starmer. Credit: Carl Court/PA Wire


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8lptk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpl2ty)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcw922y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zkk)
Pakistan to play at T20 World Cup - but refuse to face India

With the T20 World Cup starting on Saturday 7th February, Pakistan will take part but have refused to play against tournament co-hosts India. We hear from Pakistan cricket journalist Shahid Hashmi on what this means for the global game.

And 2025 was a record breaking year for New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy who received his maiden senior World Cup call up and was selected for the upcoming Indian Premier League with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Jacob joins us on the programme.

Image - LAHORE, PAKISTAN - JANUARY 31: Players of Pakistan celebrates wicket of Cooper Connolly of Australia during the T20 International match between Pakistan and Australia at Gaddafi Stadium on January 31, 2026 in Lahore, Pakistan. (Photo by Sameer Ali/Getty Images).


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8ltkp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj5)
Outlook Mixtape: The boyband edition

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

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.

In the late 80s, the British group Bros was one of the most successful pop acts in the world. Made up of lead singer Matt Goss, his twin brother Luke, and childhood friend Craig Logan, Bros quickly achieved multi-platinum selling albums and legions of adoring fans. But behind the scenes not everything was as it seemed. By 1992 the band had collapsed, and the relationship between the brothers never fully recovered. Matt told Mobeen Azhar in 2021 how the split affected his mental health, and how he eventually made his way back to music.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Zoe Gelber

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 (w3ct7454)
My dad created Mr Men and Little Miss

In 1971, advertising writer Roger Hargreaves's eight-year-old son Adam asked him an unusual question: 'What does a tickle look like?'

Inspired, Roger got out his marker pens and created an orange character with a round body, long stretchy arms and a blue bowler hat.

That character would become Mr Tickle, one of the first Mr Men books.

Adam Hargreaves tells Megan Jones how his late father's children's books became a worldwide success.

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: Roger Hargreaves with Mr Wrong. Credit: Gerrit Alan Fokkema/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8ly9t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72xc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8m21y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvplg2b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcw9fbb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzw)
8. The Coming of the Cold

The Dark grips the country in unnatural frost, as deepening snow traps people indoors. Will needs the Fifth Sign, the Sign of Fire. Meanwhile, the frozen man Will rescued from the snow says the Dark is calling. 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 (w3ct6w06)
Is this Premier League striker a secret maths genius?

Chelsea striker Liam Delap has recently stunned fans on Instagram by apparently doing incredibly complicated calculations in his head, finding what’s known as the cube root of some very large numbers.

But is he really a human calculator? Or is there something else going on? Tim Harford speaks to Rob Eastaway, mathematician and author of ‘Maths on the Back of an Envelope’ to learn about the trick you can use to pull this off - and while he’s here we also ask him about the trend of more goals being scored in the Premier League.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Nathan Gower
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Programme Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Engineer: James Beard
Credit: Video of Liam Delap from Chelsea’s Instagram account, chelseafc


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8m5t2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8kwwxvrj1)
Trump threatens tariffs on Iran’s trading partners

US President Donald Trump has said he could impose additional tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran after the first round of talks with the country.

Also on the programme: The US urges three-way talks with Russia and China to set new limits on nuclear weapons, as it accused Beijing of conducting secret nuclear testing in 2020; and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is poised to expand her power after a snap election on Sunday.

(Photo: Iranian walk past an anti-US mural showing a negotiation table on a street in Tehran on 5 February. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8m9k6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8kwwxvw85)
How did Epstein make his money?

Following the release of millions of files relating to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) last week, we pose a key question: how did the late convicted paedophile make his money?

Also on the program: we examine a genuinely new phenomenon in outer space—black hole stars; and Nigerian-British actress Wunmi Mosaku joins us to talk about her Oscar-nominated role in Sinners.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Eleanor Shearer, a novelist and senior research fellow at the Common Wealth think tank in London, and David Marsh, author and chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF), a London-based financial and economic research organization.

(Photo: Jeffrey Epstein is seen in this image from the US Justice Department’s file of Epstein, released by the House Oversight Committee on December 18, 2025. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8mf9b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8kwwxw009)
US threatens tariffs after talks with Iran

The United States says it will impose secondary tariffs on any country that imports goods or services from Iran. Also on the programme, a look at how the European Union will handle its trading relationship with China in the coming years; and, a celebration of Iranian pre-revolutionary cinema.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Eleanor Shearer, a novelist and senior research fellow at the Common Wealth think tank in London, and David Marsh, author and chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF), a London-based financial and economic research organisation.

(Photo: Anti-US billboard in Tehran following US threats against Iran, Iran Islamic Republic Of - 31 Jan 2026. ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8mk1g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct6rnw)
Returning to Gaza

For the first time since May 2024, people have been allowed to cross between Gaza and Egypt through the Rafah crossing – seen by many Palestinians as a lifeline to the world. Israel reopened the border after the body of the last Israeli hostage was returned.

So far, only a few of an estimated 20,000 sick and wounded people in the territory have been allowed through for medical treatment abroad. People are also coming back into Gaza but the numbers allowed are also very limited.

In our conversations, Gazans share experiences of their daily lives and their plans to see their families again. We also bring together Gazans living abroad who want to go back home.

“My body is in Ireland, but my soul is still in Gaza,” Rawanda, a student currently in Ireland tells us. “In every single moment I imagine myself in Gaza with my family and friends – I might return to rubble, but Gaza is still my home that I will never give up.”

And friends reunited - we bring together (on the phone at least) two friends remembering a happier time.

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Lindsay Brown and Ben Davis
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver
A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC Outside Source

(Photo: Palestinians coming from Rafah crossing arrive at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Credit: Ramadan Abed/Reuters)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcw9x9v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8bz3)
Is Donald Trump going to cancel the midterm elections?

This week Donald Trump has doubled down on why he thinks power should be taken away from individual states when it comes to running elections. Instead, he says federal government should be running elections - contrary to the U.S. constitution - claiming there is too much corruption from “crooked” blue Democrat states.
In this episode, Justin and Anthony unpack what the president is proposing, and look at other ways Republicans could disrupt this year’s midterms. Also, is there a way Trump may be able to effectively cancel or stop the midterms from happening at all?

Plus, what are the Democrats up to ahead of the midterms? The California governor Gavin Newsom achieved a win in the Supreme Court, allowing California to use a new voting map that favours Democrats. And there’s been a historic win in Texas with a huge 31-point swing towards the Democrats from the ’24 presidential election. What does this tell us about the popularity of Democratic policies?

And we hear another entry into the ‘United States of Americast’ - this time from Jenny in Utah who tells us about the issues that matter in the ‘Beehive State’.

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

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

The race to the midterms is well and truly under

This episode was made by Purvee Pattni with Rufus Gray, Grace Reeve and Kris Jalowiecki. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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

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

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

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

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


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8mnsl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct8790)
Super Bowl: Story of redemption

Sometimes realising your dream can all be a bit much. Leonard Russell was drafter 14th overall when the Patriots signed him. The franchise was on the brink of a historic dynasty and Russell was right there, winning the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1991. But being at the top causes its own challenges. Leonard turned to illegal substances to deal with the pressures., and it didn't take long before it had taken his career, marriage and very nearly his life. Ejected from the NFL and sat in a jail cell Leonard realised he needed a radical change of life. Leonard Russell's story is one of revival and responsibility. His comeback is inspirational and shows what can be achieved no matter how far you fall

How do we as individuals balance the challenges thrown at us in life and not engage in damaging behaviour. For Steve Wright there was an added layer of difficulty. His job as an NFL player required him to act in and occupy an aggressive state of mind. But flicking a switch to go from his natural mild mannered to threatening and destructive and back again was not easy. Alongside his wife Lizzy Wright, we explore living with Jekyll and Hyde.

Jaime Coffee became the first woman to call an NFL game in the stadium when she did so at Levi Stadium (where the Super Bowl is to be played) a couple years back. She had previously broken glass ceilings in basketball by calling NBA games and again when invited by the 49ers to be their stadium announcer for a game back in August 2023

Whichever team wins the Super Bowl will not only receive the Vince Lombardi trophy and have a homecoming parade they also receive a Super Bowl ring! Over the years these have got bigger and more elaborate. Chris Poitras is vice president and chief operating officer of Jostens. They are the jewelers who have made the vast majority of Super Bowl rings over the years.

This episode was updated on 9 February 2026 due to music rights restrictions.

(Photo: Running Back Leonard Russell #32 of the New England Patriots runs the ball against the Phoenix Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium, 10 October,1993 in Tempe, Arizona. The Patriots won 23-21. (Bernstein Associates/Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8msjq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpm5k3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwb4t3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78c6)
Is time running out for Iran’s supreme leader?

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, looks at the dangers facing the Iranian clerical regime, explores whether peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine can succeed, and analyses who is actually governing Venezuela.

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


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8mx8v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 World Book Club (w3ct74s8)
Linwood Barclay - Take Your Breath Away

Harriett Gilbert welcomes master of suspense, the Canadian author Linwood Barclay in the World Book Club Studio, to answer your questions about his thriller 'Take Your Breath Away'.

The story centres on Andrew Mason, whose wife Brie vanished six years ago, making him the prime suspect. But just as he’s beginning to rebuild his life, a mysterious woman resembling Brie suddenly appears, forcing him to uncover the truth about what happened to his wife, uncovering secrets and lies at every turn.

Linwood will be answering your questions, about how to craft a mystery that keeps readers hooked till the last page, how playing with different points of view can mask or reveal the truth, and why vivid settings can be just as important as characters to telling a compelling story.


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8n10z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zsskmkss5ll)
Britain’s former PM calls for ethical reforms in public life

The UK’s former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who appointed Peter Mandelson as a cabinet minister, has called for an ethical shakeup in public life in the wake of the Epstein scandal. Mr Brown also defended Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a man of principle who could tackle the problem.

Also in the programme: Russia attacks more energy infrastructure in Ukraine; political analysis of President Trump’s racist Truth Social post; and will the Japanese prime minister's decision to call a snap election pay off?

(IMAGE: Former prime minister Gordon Brown speaks at a child poverty event, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Child Poverty Action Group (Cpag), at Somerset House, in central London, Thursday November 6, 2025 / CREDIT: James Manning/PA Wire)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8n4s3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqzy4k8s4k)
Live sport from around the world with news, interviews and analysis.


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8nmrm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpn0s0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwc010)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsy)
Sibling success on the slopes

In 2003, skiing history was made when Croatian siblings Janica and Ivica Kostelić became the first sister-brother duo to win World Cup Alpine slalom races on the same day.

Despite coming from a country with limited skiing facilities, the Kostelić siblings managed to make it to the pinnacle of the sport.

They would both go on to win again at the World Championships a month later - although this time a day apart.

They have been speaking to Marta Medvešek about what it felt like to chase — and achieve —their dreams together.

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: Credit: Janica and Ivica Kostelić at the Alpine Ski World Cup in 2003. Reuters/Denis Balibouse DB/CR/GB)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8nrhr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723w)
What does the national election mean for the future of Bangladesh?

Bangladesh will hold a national election in February, after years of political turmoil and the ousting of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina. Her rule of more than a decade delivered strong economic growth but was also accompanied by tighter political control and repeated confrontations with protesters.

Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has been banned. This has brought renewed focus on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s leader Tarique Rahman, who is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, as well as several emerging challengers.

Following years of unrest, the vote is seen as a test of whether Bangladesh can move towards political stability.

This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: What does the national election mean for the future of Bangladesh?

Contributors:
Shaheen Mamun, Executive Director of the Jargoron Foundation, London, UK
Zia Chowdhury, journalist, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Constantino Xavier, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, New Delhi, India

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey

This programme has been updated since the original broadcast.

(Photo: A woman casting her ballot during the 2024 national election in Bangladesh. Credit: Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)


SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwc3s4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzl)
The Happy Pod: Sharing stories, one phone call at a time

We speak to Joe Bloom, the man behind the social media account 'A View From A Bridge' which shares people's meaningful conversations to millions online. The idea is simple: an old-school phone is placed on a bridge and strangers are invited to pick it up and share their stories. Famous faces such as Max Richter, Cynthia Erivo, Paul Smith and many more have all bared their souls.

Plus, the 13-year-old boy who saved his family after they were swept out to sea off the coast of Australia - Austin Appelbee has been described as a 'hero' by emergency services. We meet Leo Gottesman, the 82-year-old goalkeeper. We also hear from the first female mayor of Addis Ababa who has pledged to make it the best city in Africa to be a mother and raise a child -- and, as the Winter Olympics get underway in Milan, we look at the hotel in Scotland producing the world's best curlers.

Presenter: Celia Hatton
Music: Iona Hampson

(Photo: Cynthia Erivo contributing to A View from a Bridge. Credit Joe Bloom/@aview.fromabridge)


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8nw7w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvl)
Author Daniyal Mueenuddin

Nikki Bedi talks to Daniyal Mueenuddin, the Pakistani-American author behind one of the year’s most anticipated novels, This Is Where The Serpent Lives. They discuss how it weaves a panoply of different characters with a kaleidoscopic overview of Pakistan’s social upheaval and rural/urban conflicts following independence.

Plus Bidisha joins as this week’s cultural critic, discussing Richard Linklater, French New Wave cinema, Albanian folk music, the films of Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi, the photography of Peter Hujar and one of world’s biggest selling genre’s: “romantasy”.

(Photo: Daniyal Mueenuddin. Credit: Chris Blonk)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8p000)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zsskmkst4km)
President Trump sets June deadline to end war in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has set a deadline for the end of the war in Ukraine - June. President Volodomyr Zelensky has said he will be sending a delegation to Miami for US-brokered talks in Miami.
We get a Ukrainian MP's reaction to the latest deadline and hear about life in Kyiv as Russia targets the country's energy infrastructure.

Also in the programme: the rush to get key AI components into outer space; and the small change in French rural life that could be fuelling the rise of the far-right.

(Photo: A person with a flashlight in a dark street during a power cut in Lviv, Ukraine. Credit: Mykola Tys, EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8p3r4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpnhrj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwch0j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72f7)
Tolani

Nigerian alte/RnB/afrobeats singer-songwriter Tolani has just released a heart-on-her-sleeve album. As she tells DJ Edu, much of it is inspired by a particularly painful breakup, and the title references Tolani’s tendency to procrastinate.

Songs range from Hate Loving, inspired by relationships that drag on long after the love has died, to Treasure, which is about regaining confidence after a breakup, and Punish You, a gleeful revenge number.

Tolani also talks about the challenges of forging a music career when you come from a family of celebrities. Her father is billionaire Femi Otedola - one of Nigeria’s richest men. She anticipates a level of criticism other artists might not suffer, and this is one of the reasons it has taken her so long to release her album.


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8p7h8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct8790)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]

SUNDAY 08 FEBRUARY 2026

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8pc7d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct6rnw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwcqhs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yw9)
Game of clones

In Argentina, cloning polo horses is transforming the sport. There are big companies, big profits and big ambitions. Against the backdrop of the Argentine Open, (the crown jewel of the Polo season,) presenter Marnie Chesterton talks to scientists and key figures in this tale of how cloning conquered Polo, and where the genetic interventions are heading.

(Photo: Before the start of the Triple Crown match, teams present their cloned horses during a ceremony dedicated to Cuartetera, the most important mare in the history of polo, 18 November, 2023. Credit: Sebastián López Brach/The Washington Post/Getty Images)


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8pgzj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpnvzx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwcv7x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8plqn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpnzr1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwcz01)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkn)
Why do some people hoard?

Many of us can empathise with that feeling of keeping stuff for years and years. We might keep treasured objects with real sentimental value, or we might have items for a long time - and yet we can't really explain why. For those of us who don’t like getting rid of our belongings, life can feel very full of stuff. But when does a tendency to hold on to things become more worrying? It can be difficult to put a figure on just how many people have what's known as hoarding disorder. So what causes this complex and little discussed issue – and is it more than just a problem of too much stuff? Claudia visits a woman who describes how hoarding has taken over her life to the extent that she doesn’t let anyone into her home. We also meet her psychologist to understand what underpins hoarding disorder and how it’s treated.

And joining us in the studio is Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster to look at whether our state of mind when we get vaccinated affects how well the vaccine works. They also discuss why the menopause might be bad for the brain whereas grandparenting might be good for the brain.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell & Gerry Holt


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8pqgs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 World Book Club (w3ct74s8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8pv6x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tss)
Gaza: Rafah border crossing reopens

Max Pearson introduces stories from the Gaza-Egypt border, Cuba, Bangladesh, and Ukraine.

The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt reopened this week after being mainly kept shut since Israel captured the Gazan side in 2024. It’s opening has brought relief to many Palestinians who see it as a lifeline to the world. However, there has been frustration over delays and the small number of people being allowed through each day. Yolande Knell has been following developments.

Outside Venezuela, nowhere was last month’s US military action in Caracas felt more keenly than in Cuba. Venezuela has helped prop up the Communist-run island for twenty-five years, with subsidised supplies of crude oil. Will Grant reports from Havana on the island's growing economic crisis.

Bangladesh goes to the polls next week in its first election since a student uprising forced the previous Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, to flee for India. However, a new -student-led political party is already in crisis. Azadeh Moshiri reports from Dhaka.

Ukraine continues to endure heavy Russian bombardment of its energy grid - in the capital more than a thousand buildings are still without power. But locals are finding innovative ways to keep warm amid freezing temperatures, as Abdujalil Abdurasulov discovered at a disco on a frozen river.

Producer: Phoebe Keane
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill

(Image: Rafah Crossing Between Egypt and Gaza Credit: Ali Moustafa/Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwd6h9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78c6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8pyz1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvppbzf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwdb7f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yw9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8q2q5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8kwwxynf4)
Thailand voters head to polls in high-stakes election

Millions across Thailand are heading to the polls today to elect a new parliament. But all eyes are on what happens after the election as powerful unelected bodies may ultimately decide who actually runs the country.

Also on the programme: the publisher of the Washington Post is stepping down -- days after the newspaper announced mass lay-offs; and Norway investigates its former prime minister on suspicion of corruption over Epstein ties. 

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by panellists Latika Bourke, an Australian author and journalist, and Steve Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times in Europe.

(Photo: Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, People's Party leader and prime ministerial candidate, votes in the general election at a polling station in Bangkok. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8q6g9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8kwwxys58)
Japan heads to the polls, as PM hopes to increase power

People across Japan are braving snow to vote in a snap election called by the prime minister Sanae Takaichi, whose coalition is expected to clinch a decisive win if opinion polls are correct.

Also on the programme, veteran war correspondent of The Times joins us live from Donbas in Eastern Ukraine; and, how photography is defining the coverage of the immigration crackdown by ICE in the US.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by panellists Latika Bourke, an Australian author and journalist, and Steve Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times in Europe.

(Photo: Japanese Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Sanae Takaichi (C) delivers a speech in support of a local candidate at an election campaign rally in Tokyo, Japan, 07 February 2026, the last day of the campaign for Japan's general elections. FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA/Shutterstock)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8qb6f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8kwwxywxd)
'All of our gowns were bloodied,' says Iranian doctor caring for injured protesters

In an interview with Weekend, an Iranian doctor describes via translator the scenes at her clinic following the violent crackdown of the anti-government protests in January.

Also on the programme: Israeli president Isaac Herzog visits Australia following the attack on a Jewish event at Bondi Beach in December which killed 15 people; and the two female Iranian musicians who play instruments traditionally performed mostly by men.

 (Photo: Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi applauds during a protest organised by supporters of the Iranian opposition group in Berlin, Germany on February 7, 2026. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8qfyk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwdt6y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zs)
Can you learn to love the foods you hate?

Most of us have foods we refuse to eat - think coriander, or maybe olives. But where do those strong dislikes come from, and is it possible to change them?

In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander sets out to find out whether you really can learn to love the foods you hate. From first encounters that go wrong to memories that linger, she explores why food preferences can feel so fixed, and whether anything might help shift them.

Ruth speaks to neuroscientist Dr Dana Small, professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair at McGill University, about what’s happening in the brain and body when we eat, and how unconscious reward signals shape what we come to like or avoid.

She also hears from psychologist Dr Rachel Herz, an expert on the science of smell and author of Why We Eat What We Eat, about the powerful role odour, memory and emotion play in food dislike, often before we’re even aware of it.

And registered dietitian Clare Thornton-Wood shares practical, low-pressure techniques used with both children and adults to build tolerance - and sometimes even enjoyment - for foods they can’t stand.

Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Annie Gardiner
Picture: A woman holding a fork with a piece of broccoli in front of her, looking unsure (credit: Getty)


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8qkpp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyw)
Family Friendly Cities

Cities are growing and developing at a faster rate than at any time in history. More than half the world’s population now live in cities. But cities don’t always offer the best opportunities for those living within them. They can be polluted, congested and often don’t have enough green spaces or playgrounds.

We find out about two cities trying to change that. The mayor of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia say she wants her city to be the best in Africa to raise a child and be a mother. We find out what she’s trying to do.

And in the Colombian capital, Bogota, we’ll visit the city’s ‘Care Blocks’ where people are given the opportunity to learn new skills - or just relax - while their children or dependents are looked after.

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: Claire Bowes
Colombia reporter: Laura Ubate
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Caregivers and children in Bogota, Colombia, learn to ride bikes, Laura Ubate/BBC)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwdxz2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v8)
China's Population 'Rhinoceros'

China's population has shrunk, year on year, for four years in a row, pushing a country with a long history of official worry about overpopulation to contemplate a sharp decline in births. BBC China's Yan Chen reflects on the reasons behind the drop and what it will mean for the country and a generation of children growing up now.

Three years ago Magerram Zeynalov, who covers Azerbaijan for for BBC News Russian, wrote an article about the fact that six years after the start of the global pandemic, Azerbaijan's land borders remain closed. Since he wrote it, nothing has changed: although Azerbaijan's airspace is open, its land borders remain shut. The Azerbaijani government cites security concerns as the reason; Magerram reflects on the impact a sixth year of closed land borders in "the most stable country in the world."

In the Indian state of Maharashtra, tigers are thriving. It's a win for conservationists, but locals living near tiger reserves are concerned about the threat to life. Bhagyashri Raut, who reports for BBC Marathi, explains how a group of mothers have taken matters into their own hands to protect children on their way to school. 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 (w172zwx3fn8qpft)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpq2g6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwf1q6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6w06)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8qt5y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct6rnw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwf5gb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcv)
India's sportswomen playing to be seen

How sport is giving some young women in India a way out of child marriage and allowing them to be seen.

Officially, the practice of child marriage is illegal in the country. But UNICEF estimates that over 200 million girls and women in India have been married before they turned 18. Take Munna as an example. Her mother was fifteen when she married and Munna herself was only 14 when she was told she would be a child bride. However, she fought back, using football as her weapon. She broke social norms and took up the sport, including wearing shorts on the pitch, and fended off various attempts to marry her off early. Now her rebellion has spread to her youngest sister, who has felt emboldened by her elder sister and has made it to the state football team.

Sport has also helped members of a marginalised community - the Siddis, who were originally brought to India from Africa mainly as slaves - to battle against discrimination. For Shahin her route was via judo.

Divya Arya reports on how sport is helping some young women to break free from the bonds of early marriage and to forge an identity for themselves.

Producer: John Murphy
Programme mix: James Beard
Programme co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: Munna Vaishnav from Rajasthan - football saved her from being a child bride. Credit: BBC)


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8qxy2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zsskmksw2hp)
Sanae Takaichi ahead in Japanese election

Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is projected to win in the snap election, while in Thailand a party calling for liberal change is challenging for power again. We report live from Tokyo and Bangkok.

Also in the programme: a Russian soldier who fought in Ukraine, fled to Kazakhstan and now faces possible deportation back to Russia, tells us why he deserted; the chief executive of The Washington Post steps down after sacking 300 journalists; and sixty years after the Monkees were formed to rival the Beatles, we hear from the last surviving member, Micky Dolenz.

(IMAGE: TV staff gesture in the direction of the cameras as Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), gives an interview at the LDP headquarters on general election day in Tokyo, Japan, February 8, 2026 / CREDIT: Kim Kyung-Hoon/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock (16528062x))


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8r1p6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7036)
Can winter sports survive a warming world?

Winter sport depends on one thing that is becoming less reliable each year: snow. As temperatures rise, glaciers are retreating, seasons are shifting, and lower-elevation resorts are struggling to guarantee consistent conditions.

Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar explore the ways climate change is reshaping winter sport, from elite competition to local economies. Former alpine ski racer and BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott describes how competitors have to deal with shorter training seasons, cancelled races and increasing injury risks.

They also speak to Daniel Scott, a leading researcher on climate change and winter tourism at the University of Waterloo in Canada, about which cities may still be able to host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics by the 2050s. And Professor Scott tells The Climate Question how organisers are adapting through snowmaking, snow storage and changes to competition schedules.

Guests:
Chemmy Alcott – former British Winter Olympian and BBC Ski Sunday presenter
Professor Daniel Scott – University of Waterloo, Canada

If you have a question for the team, email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721

Presenters: Jordan Dunbar and Graihagh Jackson
Production team: Grace Braddock, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle
Sound engineers: Tom Brignell and Philip Bull
Editor: Simon Watts

Image: Reuters


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwfdyl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:32 on Saturday]


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8r5fb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqzy4kcsss)
Live sport from around the world with news, interviews and analysis.


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8rndv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvpr1f7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwg0p7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvp)
Liberation Radio

Matthew Sweet reports from an exhibition in Sweden about American conscripts who sought refuge there during the war in Vietnam. He hears from sound artist Nhung Nguyen and film-maker Esther Johnson about their work on archival documents and extracts from the station known as Liberation Radio.

(Credit: Bettmann)


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8rs4z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72xc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8rwx3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zsskmksx1gq)
Japan's PM Takaichi on course for landslide victory in snap election

Japan's governing coalition led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is projected to have won two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives. Ms Takaichi sought and got a clear public mandate in a general election she called just four months after becoming leader of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Also, the Iranian Nobel peace laureate, Narges Mohammadi, has received another prison sentence - for what the court said was "collusion to commit crimes"; And we speak to one of the Epstein survivors who had a relationship with him for two years.

(Photo of Japan's prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who appeared at the LDP headquarters on Sunday night for the vote count. Credit: Franck Robichon/Reuters)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8s0n7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlkkvprdnm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwgcxm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx3fn8s4dc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7036)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxxwcwghnr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 today]

MONDAY 09 FEBRUARY 2026

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkx3dn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5lgp1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txy)
Where do forever chemicals come from?

This week the UK Government decided it was worried enough about so called ‘forever chemicals’ to bring in it’s first ever plan to tackle them. Environment Minister Emma Hardy called PFAS "one of the most pressing chemical challenges of our time". Stephanie Metzger, policy adviser at the Royal Society of Chemistry talks us through where all these chemicals have come from, and Lucy Hart, researcher at Lancaster university, brings us new science on their sources.

Technology journalist Gareth Mitchell is in the studio with his take on this week’s brand new discoveries.

And as future winter Olympians ready themselves atop Italy’s snow-covered peaks, Victoria Gill hears how the chemical make up of ski wax can make or break a gold medal winning run. She hears from Jostein Vinjerui, manager of the British cross-country team, and Pat Sharples, Head Coach for GB Snowsports.

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.

Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producer: Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Kate White and Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkx74s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zwm55)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5llf5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx8)
The Life Scientific: Eleanor Schofield

In July 1545, King Henry VIII watched from Southsea Castle on England's south coast as his fleet sailed out to face the French - only to witness his prized warship, the Mary Rose, sink before his eyes. Raised from the Solent in 1982, the ship is now the centrepiece of the Mary Rose Museum, along with thousands more artefacts that were recovered from the seabed. But keeping the 500-year-old ship and its associated Tudor relics in good condition is no small task, which is where Dr Eleanor Schofield comes in. As Director of Collections at the Mary Rose Trust and a materials engineer by training, Eleanor has spent years tackling the unique scientific challenges of conserving centuries-old wood and metal. From the United States to Portsmouth, Eleanor's research is helping ensure this iconic vessel remains 'ship-shape' for generations to come. In a special edition of The Life Scientific, recorded in front of an audience at the museum in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyards, Professor Jim Al-Khalili discovers how cutting-edge science is keeping history afloat.


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkxbwx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zwqx9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5lq59)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sv0)
Do multiple choice questions make us biased?

CrowdScience listener Griffith in Ghana, isn’t JUST a CrowdScience listener. He’s also a listener to our sister show on the World Service, Unexpected Elements. But he’s noticed something funny.

 

In the weekly Unexpected Elements multiple-choice quiz, the answer is almost NEVER ‘a’. It’s nearly always ‘b’, or ‘c’. Why is this? When we set the quiz, why are we so reluctant to choose option ‘a’?

 

His question leads presenter Alex Lathbridge on a journey into the murky depths of our brain, where he discovers the cognitive biases which so often trip us up in games of chance, or probability. Your brain might be a marvellous machine when it comes to figuring out how to understand the world, but sometimes, in the name of efficiency, it takes clever little short-cuts to the answer.



This pragmatic approach to problem solving helps us manage an incredibly complicated world. But occasionally, especially when it comes to mathematics, chance, and probability, it leads us in the wrong direction. With the help of mathematician Kit Yates from the University of Bath in the UK, and some rather stale sweets, Alex will be finding out how to win at games of chance.

 

Alex also explores the world of gaming, and gambling. Games of chance in which our intuition sometimes lets us down, and makes us choose unwisely. Rachel Croson, Professor of Economics at the University of Minnesota, USA, talks us through how the human brain can work against us.



But can knowledge of those human pitfalls help us to win? Alex hears from Maria Konnikova, who turned her research on the psychology of poker into a successful gambling career. Can we really use maths to beat our brains, and learn how to win more often?

 
Presenter Alex Lathbridge

Producer Emily Knight

Editor Ben Motley

(Photo: Close up image of multiple choice question. Credit: BBC)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkxgn1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5ltxf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkxld5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zwzdk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5lynk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct70b0)
Researching the lives of women in the past

Have you ever wondered if there were a scandal buried in your family history? Datshiane Navanayagam meets two female genealogists from the US and Ireland to discuss the desire many of us have to dig into our heritage.
Michele Soulli is an American genealogist who made headlines around the world when she tracked down the real "Brenda" from rap superstar Tupac's hit song Brenda's Got A Baby, and reunited her with the child she had put up for adoption.
Hilary McDonagh helps clients who want to trace their family histories or find missing heirs. In Ireland, where famine prompted girls to migrate overseas by themselves, Hilary has unearthed some incredible stories.
Producer: Hannah Sander

(Image credit: Hilary McDonagh (L), Michele Soulli (R))


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkxq49)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq39czw34w)
Jimmy Lai is sentenced to twenty years in prison

The Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner, Jimmy Lai, who's seventy-eight and a British citizen, had been found guilty of foreign collusion and sedition. His family says the sentence is cruel and draconian.

The Conservative Sanae Takaichi has won a landslide victory in Japan's election. She now faces both economic challenges at home and security issues abroad.

Venezuela is to introduce an amnesty law which is expected to free hundreds of political prisoners. One opposition supporter who was released a few days ago tells us his story.

(Photo: Media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily, walks to a prison van; Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkxtwf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq39czw6x0)
Lai's lawyer calls on world to free Jimmy Lai

This is the harshest sentence to be given under the controversial national security law, which China says is necessary for the city's stability. Hailed a hero by the pro-democracy movement, Jimmy Lai is seen as a traitor by Beijing.

Venezuela frees hundreds of political prisoners. One opposition supporter who was released a few days ago tells us his story.

Thai PM claims election victory in general elections with conservatives well ahead of rivals.

(Photo: Media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, arrives at the Court of Final Appeal; Credit:Tyrone Siu/Reuters)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkxymk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq39czwbn4)
Hong Kong court jails pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai

Lai, who holds a British passport, was one of the loudest critics of Beijing, often wielding his pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily, as a tool of protest.

Venezuela’s government has released several prominent opposition members from prison. One opposition supporter, a medical doctor who was released a few days ago tells us his story.

Seahawks dominate Patriots to claim second Super Bowl victory

({Photo: Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, looks on as he leaves the Court of Final Appeal by prison van; Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxky2cp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0y)
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, South African health minister: The fight against HIV/AIDS continues.

“Even though we say we want to be self-sufficient, we don't think global solidarity must be dropped. Because if it gets dropped, the world will be in trouble.”

Mayeni Jones the BBC’s Africa correspondent speaks to Dr Aaron Motsoaledi South Africa’s health minister a year on since the US announced foreign aid cuts. At the time he called the USAID freeze a wake up call for Africa.

Dr Motsoaledi, has been at the centre of South Africa’s public health response for more than a decade. A medical doctor by training, he first took on the health portfolio in 2009, overseeing the world’s largest HIV treatment programme.

In this conversation he explains how the country is filling the aid gap and where progress stands in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Syria’s only female cabinet minister, Hind Kabawat, Ugandan human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo and Mexican actor, Diego Calva. 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: Mayeni Jones
Producers: Ed Habershon, Farhana Haider
Editor: Justine Lang

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

(Image: Dr Aaron Motsoaledi Credit: PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5mfn2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6ryy)
Is Poland’s “economic miracle” for real?

Poland’s economy is expected to be the fastest-growing in Europe this year according to the European Union, with the spending power of its average worker on course to overtake that of Japan.

So how, three and a half decades after the fall of communism, has it become a case study of capitalism?

We hear from some of the country's biggest companies on that increased consumer power, their ambitions to take on the world with international expansion, and ask what hurdles lie in the way for what one economist calls "Europe's growth champion."

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

Presented and produced by Will Bain

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Picture: An aerial view of Warsaw, Poland, including modern skyscrapers. Credit: Getty Images)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct747f)
The discovery of nerve growth factor

During World War Two, Italian scientist Dr Rita Levi-Montalcini was forced to do experiments in her bedroom after being banned from universities because she was Jewish.

Her experiments in that bedroom laboratory on chicken embryos led to the discovery of nerve cell death.

Whilst working in the United States after the war, she worked out that a protein factor was required for the growth of our nerves. A discovery which won her the Nobel Prize in physiology in 1986.

Her work improved our understanding of the nervous system and has allowed scientists to potentially battle degenerative diseases such as dementia.

Produced and presented by Tim O’Callaghan, using archive interviews from the Nobel Prize Institute, the Society for Neuroscience and the BBC Archives.

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

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

Recent episodes explore everything from 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: Dr Rita Levi-Montalcini in 1950. Mondadori via Getty Images)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxky63t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zxl46)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5mkd6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sv0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxky9vy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71x3)
Creating Mr Men and the Austrian wine scandal

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

What does a tickle look like? That was the question eight-year-old Adam Hargreaves asked in 1971. He explains how it led his father Roger Hargreaves, to create the children's book series Mr Men.

Our guest Professor Nina Christensen, head of the Centre for Children's Literature and Media at Aarhus University, on the wider history of children's literature.

We hear a remarkable account from Captain Chris Fraser-Perry, who took part in the Jugroom Fort rescue mission, during the war in Afghanistan.

Plus from Cuba, we learn about the Mariel boatlift of 1980 in which thousands of people left for the United States and in 2022, the controversial visit to Cuba by former US President Jimmy Carter.

And the story behind the contamination of Austria's fine wine in 1985.

Our Sporting Witness episode this week looks at the first sister-brother duo to win Alpine Ski World Cup races on the same day.

Contributors:

Adam Hargreaves - Roger Hargreaves son
Nina Christensen - head of the Centre for Children's Literature and Media at Aarhus University
Captain Chris Fraser-Perry - British Royal Marine
Mirta Ojito - Cuban-born journalist
Jennifer McCoy - former director of the Carter Center
Ivica Kostelic - Croatian alpine skier
Janica Kostelic - Croatian alpine skier
Heidi Schroek - Austrian wine-maker

(Photo: English author Roger Hargreaves. Credit: Monti Spry/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkyfm2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zxtmg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5mswg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct717r)
Live in Washington DC

2026 has already been a huge year for international news, from Venezuela to Greenland to Iran.

We wanted to get our heads around what other seismic changes we can expect in the rest of 2026: from Europe’s new dynamic with Washington, to President Trump’s meeting with President Xi of China, to the rebuilding of Gaza.

So we sat down with two foreign policy experts: Tom Bateman, the BBC’s State Department Correspondent, and Emma Ashford, a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center and author of First Among Equals: US Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World.

We were joined in the heart of Washington DC by a live audience at Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.

Recorded Monday 2 February.

Producers: Chris Benderev and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A live taping of The Global Story in Washington DC on 2 February 2026. Credit:Emma Carroll Hudson/Syracuse University


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkykc6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqz)
I bought Macclesfield FC while drunk and it saved my life

Entrepreneur Rob Smethurst never planned to become the owner of a football club. In the grip of alcohol addiction, and on a four-day drinking binge, he bought Macclesfield FC, a small-town club, way down in the rankings with a crumbling football stadium.

When Rob arrived at the grounds he was given an enormous bunch of keys, it took him an hour just to work out how to get in. Rob focused on building up the club and himself from a place of ruin, and what followed was one of English football’s great modern fairy tales. Macclesfield’s stunning FA Cup giant-killing of holders Crystal Palace, was a result that sent shockwaves through the competition and briefly put a small, struggling club at the centre of the football world.

This is Rob’s remarkable personal story about addiction, self-destruction, and the moment he realised he was losing control of his life. But buying Macclesfield was not just a reckless act – it became a strange kind of lifeline, giving him purpose, responsibility, and a reason to start facing his demons and ultimately recover.

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by addiction, there is help available, speak to a health professional, or search online for an organisation that offers support.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Rachel Oakes and Edgar Maddicott
 
Got a story to tell? Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Macclesfield FC owner, Robert Smethurst smiles after the team's victory following the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Macclesfield and Crystal Palace at Moss Rose Ground. Credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct747f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkyp3b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zy23q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5n1cq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct70b0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkysvg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv32yf2)
Former Hong Kong media tycoon sentenced to decades in prison

Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy media tycoon in Hong Kong, has been jailed for 20 years for colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law.

Rights groups called it a death sentence for the 78-year-old, whose family has raised concerns about his health, but Hong Kong's leader said it was "deeply gratifying". We'll hear from Mr Lai's son about his father's situation.

Also in the programme: We'll be reflecting on a historic election victory for the Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi with a member of the governing Liberal Democratic Party; how the DNA of identical twinas is complicating a murder trial in France; and we'll get the reaction to last night's half-time Superbowl show by the Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, which has been criticised by President Trump.

(Photo shows Jimmy Lai walking to a prison van to head to court in Hong Kong, China on 12 December 2020. Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters/File Photo]


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkyxll)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5n8vz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6ryy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct886r)
Nikkei hits record after Takaichi victory

Japanese stocks have surged after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s resounding election win, pushing the Nikkei to a record high. Andrew Peach looks at what it means for Japan’s economy.

We’ll also hear about concerns from Indian farmers over the country’s interim trade agreement with the United States.

And why a major new international report says businesses often have more financial incentive to damage nature than protect it.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkz1bq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 Outside Source (w17306886xz0xgp)
Hong Kong's pro-democracy tycoon sentenced to 20 years

The British government is expanding its visa scheme to more people living in Hong Kong in response to the 20-year prison sentence handed down to the pro-democracy campaigner, Jimmy Lai. Mr Lai, who's 78 and a British citizen, had been found guilty of foreign collusion and publishing seditious material. We speak to exiled activists and to our correspondent, and we hear from Jimmy Lai's son.

We speak to Latino musicians Mimi Leclerq and Mari Segura about Bad Bunny's Super Bowl half-time show and discuss the moment their genre is having.

We get space experts to discuss Elon Musk’s SpaceX plan to build a “self-growing” city on the Moon.

Presenter: Pria Rai.

(Photo: Chief Superintendent of the Hong Kong police for National Security Steve Li Kwai-wah speaks to media at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts in Hong Kong, China, 09 February, 2026. Credit: May James/EPA)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkz52v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 Outside Source (w17306886xz116t)
British PM’s future hangs in balance

The office of the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, says he will not be resigning as the fallout continues from the Epstein files. Sir Keir is facing scrutiny about appointing Peter Mandelson as Britain’s US ambassador, and revelations about Lord Mandelson's links to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We speak to our political correspondent.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, invoked her right to remain silent during questioning by the US House Oversight Committee on Monday. We hear from politicians who spoke to the press after the hearing, and we speak to our correspondent.

Britain is to expand its visa programme to more people from Hong Kong after the pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in jail. We hear from Hong Kong's exiled activists.

The world’s biggest social media giants are heading to court for the first time in a wave of landmark trials that will determine whether their platforms are responsible for harming children. Our North America tech correspondent explains.

Presenter: Pria Rai.

(Photo: No.10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 08 February 2026. Credit: Andy Rain/EPA)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkz8tz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct747f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkzdl3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zyslh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5nrvh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z69)
2026/02/09 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 (w172zwx3sxkzjb7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5nwlm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx9)
The Life Scientific: AP De Silva

From humble beginnings in his native Sri Lanka, to a more than 40 year academic career at Queen’s University Belfast, Prof. AP (Amilra Prasanna) De Silva’s research into molecular photosensors has led to a pioneering career in that’s evolved from chemistry to medical diagnostics on one hand, to information processing on the other. Prof. De Silva challenged cultural expectations and overcame the lack of opportunities in chemistry that were available in Sri Lanka in the early 1970s. He first moved to Belfast to pursue research in photochemistry at Queen’s University. Inspired by his grandmother’s struggle with high blood pressure he engineered a unique sodium photosensor by marrying fluorescent molecules with chemical receptors. As a result of his international collaborations, a commercial, portable sensor was developed to detect salts and minerals in the blood. Its speed of analysis has since saved countless lives and improved healthcare around the world. AP talks to Jim Al-Khalili about his passion for engineering molecules and how his photochemical innovations have since crossed into computer science. They’ve been developed to perform molecular computations far inside the human body - where silicon microchips fear to tread. A new deeper understanding of life inside our tissues and cells beckons.


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkzn2c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv33smz)
British prime minister fights for political survival

Keir Starmer's judgment is being questioned over his past appointment as ambassador to the United States of Peter Mandelson, a British peer with deep personal connections to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Can he survive as prime minister? We hear the latest from our reporter in parliament. And as Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell invokes the Fifth Amendment, declining to answer questions before the US House Oversight Committee, we catch up with the political reaction.

Also in the programme: American tech giants Meta and Google go on trial in California - they're accused of harming children by knowingly creating addictive social media platforms. And the French government sends letters to every 29-year-old in the country, exhorting them to have babies while their biological clocks are still ticking.

(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer leaving 10 Downing Street, London. Credit: James Manning/PA Wire)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkzrth)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zz4tw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5p42w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76v3)
Social media on trial in LA

A landmark US trial begins today in Los Angeles, where plaintiffs say Instagram and YouTube were built to addict kids. We hear from our North America Technololgy Correspondent on what the families said today in court.

Then to Japan, where Sanae Takaichi’s decisive election win is being read by markets positively - sending the Nikkei to record highs. We’ll hear from Tokyo and the US on what her strengthened mandate could mean for the Japan-US relationship.

And there's a major pharma-versus-telehealth clash: Novo Nordisk is suing Hims & Hers, accusing it of patent infringement linked to semaglutide - seeking to halt sales of unapproved compounded versions and pursuing damages, in a case that could ripple through the booming online weight-loss market.

(Photo: Parents who lost children to alleged social media–related harms hold a vigil ahead of a social media addiction trial in Los Angeles on February 5, 2026. Credit: Jill Connelly/Reuters)


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxkzwkm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5p7v0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct70b0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2026

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl009r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71x3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl041w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zzj28)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5phb8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct717r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl07t0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zzmtd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5pm2d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcw)
When Christian nationalists come to town

People in Gainesboro, Tennessee, have some new neighbours. A conservative developer has bought land just outside the tiny rural Appalachian town, with the aim of forging an “aligned” community based on shared values like “faith, family, and freedom“. Two of the first people to come to town are controversial Christian nationalists who talk about civilisational collapse and the “imperative for like-minded Christians to gather and fight”.

Their extreme views on women, civil rights, and the role of the Church have attracted the attention of critics both locally and further afield. In Gainesboro itself, a resistance movement has formed and the battle lines have been drawn.

This small town of 900 people has become a symbol of the next frontier of America’s political warfare. Is the new development a haven for hate and extremism, with the newcomers looking to take over local power? Or are they just conservative businessmen catering to a renewed demand for the rural, traditional lifestyle? What actually is Christian nationalism? And what is it like for the locals, whose little town has been thrust into the spotlight? Ellie House reports from Gainesboro, Tennessee.

Producer: Mike Wendling
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Studio Manager: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image credit: Ellie House/BBC)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl0ck4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct747f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl0h98)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky3zzw9n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5pvkn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvq)
New climbing video game

Gaming writer Jordan Erica Webber on the epic task of building a virtual mountain for a prize-winning video game. She hears from the creators and voice actor behind the French game Cairn.


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl0m1d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq39czz01z)
A landmark trial starts in California against Meta and Google

Mark Lanier is representing a woman who says she suffered severe mental harm by becoming addicted to social media as a child. The companies, Meta and Google deny their products deliberately harm children.

The brutal clampdown on protests in Iran may have left tens of thousands dead, amongst those killed activists think that there could be several hundred dead children. We'll hear from those who have been investigating the casualties under the "empty desk" campaign.

There's new archaeological evidence that shows that north america's indigenous population travelled to the islands around Greenland four-and-a-half-thousand years ago.

(Photo: File photo dated 03/01/18 of the icons of social media apps are displayed on a mobile phone screen; Credit:Yui Mok/PA)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl0qsj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq39czz3t3)
Meta and Google are accused of creating "addiction machines"

The outcome of the trial may provide a benchmark for monetary damages that would likely impact thousands of cases brought by other plaintiffs, their families, state prosecutors, and school districts across the United States.

In the US, a second dealine to pay a ransom for suspected kidnap victim Nancy Guthrie has passed. She is the mother of high profile American TV presenter Savannah Guthrie has been missing for more than a week.

The release of the Epstein documents continues to have an impact on powerful people around the world, in this hour we'll take a look at Epstein's connections to Israel

(Photo: Parents who lost children to social media–related harms hold a vigil ahead of a social media addiction trial; Credit:Jill Connelly/Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl0vjn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq39czz7k7)
A lawyer accuses tech giants of engineering addiction in children's brains

Mark Lanier is representing a woman who says she suffered severe mental harm by becoming addicted to social media as a child. Meta and Google deny their products deliberately harm children. We hear from a mother who lost her child.

The brutal clampdown on protests in Iran left thousands dead. Activists claim that among those killed are several hundred children.

The release of the Epstein documents continues to have an impact on powerful people around the world, In this hour we'll take a look at Epstein's connections to Slovakia.

(Photo: Parents who lost children to social media–related harms hold a vigil ahead of a social media addiction trial; Credit: Jill Connelly/Reuters)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl0z8s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyx)
The positive power of your peers

Peer support is an often overlooked but important tool that can reduce isolation, increase confidence and complement various health services. We take a look at a project in Ireland where older volunteers are paired with those in a similar age bracket to provide a weekly chat and health check-in in their homes. This provides a safe space where clients can share any concerns and flag up potential health issues before they get more serious.

Then we turn to Brazil where an interactive game, co-designed by Brazilian teenagers in conjunction with Oxford and Brasilia Universities, helps students learn more about mental health and how they can help friends who are struggling.

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

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: Claire Bates
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Characters from the Brazilian game Where is Kaue, Protagonistas)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5qbk5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7z)
After the cyclone: Can Sri Lanka’s economy recover?

Sri Lanka: a country long loved and marketed as a tropical paradise is reeling after Cyclone Ditwah, which hit the island nation last November.

The storm left a third of the island in ruins. Hundreds of lives were lost, homes were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced. The country's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called it the country's worst-ever economic disaster. Can it recover?

We hear from citizens and businesses affected by the latest disaster to hit a country that has already endured so many setbacks.

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

Presented and produced by Vishala Sri-Pathma

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Photo: An aerial view of Warsaw, Poland, including modern skyscrapers. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74p0)
When Pink Floyd played in Venice

In July 1989, Pink Floyd played a free concert to 200,000 people in Venice, Italy. The British rock band took to a stage made of floating barges as crowds of fans watched from boats, gondolas and rooftops. The show was also broadcast worldwide to an estimated 100 million viewers in over 20 countries.

But, behind the scenes, the gig was marred by controversy. Concerns about crowd numbers and the potential damage the noise could do to the city’s historical buildings nearly saw the show called off. But no one could have predicted it would bring down the city’s politicians.

Italian music promoter, Fran Tomasi, who worked with the band and came up with the idea for the show, talks to Emma Forde.

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.

Thanks to Granada International /RaiUno/Promoproductions, Inc.

(Photo: Pink Floyd performing in Venice. Credit: Andrea Pattaro)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl130x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky400h19)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5qg99)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl16s1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl1bj5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky400qjk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5qpsk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d8)
The origins of ICE

The top official from ICE – US Immigration and Customs Enforcement – will testify in front of Congress this week, for the first time since two people were shot and killed in Minneapolis.

Democrats are demanding changes to the way ICE operates, including banning face masks and requiring agents to have warrants signed by a judge before they can enter private properties. Republicans say these measures could make officers less safe.

Meanwhile, the controversy over ICE has spread to other countries. A protest broke out in Milan in response to the presence of ICE agents in Italy, who say they are helping with American security operations during the Winter Olympics.

Camilo Montoya-Galvez, immigration reporter for CBS News, has been covering ICE operations across multiple US cities. He tells us the history of how this previously little-known law enforcement agency was created, and how it has become so internationally controversial.

Producers: Viv Jones, Aron Keller and Chris Benderev

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Anti-ICE protests in Milan. Credit: Reuters/ Alkis Konstantinidis


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl1g89)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5n)
I had to fight for my life and learn to dance again

Marc Brew grew up in Jerilderie, a small rural town in Australia, where he was the only boy who danced. Raised by his mother, a single parent and his biggest supporter, he won a scholarship to a boarding arts school in Melbourne. In his early twenties, while working with a dance company in South Africa, the car he was travelling in was hit by a drunk driver. The three other passengers were killed, and Marc was left paralysed from the chest down. Two years after the accident, Marc returned to dance. His work includes An Accident/A Life, which examines the crash and its aftermath, and a new dance-theatre piece, Boys Don’t Dance, reflecting on his childhood.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Emily Naylor

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

(Photo: Marc Brew during his dance-theatre production An Accident/A Life, co-created with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Marc is balanced on one foot and arm low to the ground on a dark stage, with a car behind him facing the audience with its headlights on. Credit: Filip Van Roer)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74p0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl1l0f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky400z0t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5qy8t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl1prk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv35vb5)
Epstein abuse survivors set to press Congress for law change

Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, campaigners, and politicians are heading to Washington today to press for a change in law around time limits on seeking compensation.

This comes after US lawmakers say files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were improperly redacted ahead of their release by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Also in the programme: The UN warns that Tigray in northern Ethiopia may be about to tip back into all-out conflict; we'll hear why the French president is concerned about whether Europe can stand up to American and Chinese muscle; and we'll look at what nature can do for a person's state of mind.

(Photo shows a file photo of the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington DC, USA on 4 March 2025. Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl1thp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5r5s2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct888t)
BP steps up cost cutting as profits slide

Oil giant BP is pulling back billions that had been earmarked for shareholders as it looks to steady its finances after a fall in profits. Leanna Byrne asks what it means for BP’s longer-term strategy in energy?

Also, how unusual is it for a major artist to walk away from a powerful talent agency?

And Spotify wraps its fourth quarter with good numbers.


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl1y7t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 Outside Source (w17306886xz3tcs)
Epstein survivors hold press conference

Senator Chuck Schumer, along with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, are in Washington DC to unveil “Virginia’s Law” legislations that aims to eliminate the statute of limitations for sex traffickers and abusers. We speak to our correspondents in the US and UK about the continuing fallout from the Epstein files.

Future editions of the Winter Olympics could be moved to January in order to benefit from more snow and colder weather. We speak to people who compete in winter sports to hear how climate change is affecting their work.

We hear the story of two sisters in India who are fighting child marriage through football.

Presenter: James Reynolds

Photo: Virginia Giuffre's brother, Sky Roberts, speaks next to his wife, Amanda Roberts, as they take part in introducing Virginia's Law

Credit: Reuters/Anna Rose Layden


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl21zy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 Outside Source (w17306886xz3y3x)
Is social media built to be addictive?

The world's largest social media companies have been accused of creating "addiction machines" at a landmark trial in California examining the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube. The companies also maintain they are not responsible for content that third parties post under federal law. We hear from parents around the world.

Future editions of the Winter Olympics could be moved to January in order to benefit from more snow and colder weather. We speak to people who compete in winter sports to hear how climate change is affecting their work.

US news presenter Savannah Guthrie has said her family believes their abducted mother is still alive, as she issued a new appeal to anyone with information. We bring you the latest.

Presenter: James Reynolds

Photo: Social media applications are displayed on a mobile phone Credit: REUTERS/Hollie Adams


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl25r2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74p0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl29h6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky401phl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5rnrl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zbt)
2026/02/10 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 (w172zwx3sxl2f7b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rcw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5rshq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zq3)
Would you wear smart glasses?

Is this the year when smart glasses become mainstream? Whether you need spectacles for your vision, or wear sunglasses, tech firms are hoping you'll buy their latest devices. Tech Life's Alasdair Keane has road tested some of the latest wearables on the market.

From smart glasses to smart bricks! It's been a childhood favourite for decades, and now Lego is packing its colourful plastic with lights, sensors and sound synthesisers. Shiona McCallum plays with the new tech.

And we hear from a Hong Kong tech company that's developing AI for neglected languages, starting with Cantonese.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Tom Quinn

(Image: A photo of Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta. He is wearing dark-rimmed smart glasses. Credit: Reuters.)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl2jzg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv36pk2)
Iran: BBC in Tehran for first time since protest crackdown

The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet is reporting from Tehran for the first time since the crackdown by security forces on nationwide anti-government protests last month. Iran's leaders are marking 47 years since the Islamic Revolution, with bunting and flags decorating the streets of Tehran. But the pain is still raw after unprecedented force was used to put down the protests.

Also in the programme: we speak to US Congressman on viewing the underacted Epstein files; and we look at new research which suggests brain exercises could help delay the onset of dementia.

(Photo: People walk next to a mural with a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl2nql)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky4021qz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5s0zz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76cd)
Tourism on alert as Cuba run out of jet fuel

Cuba has warned international airlines that jet fuel will no longer be available, signalling a deepening energy crunch as the US seeks to squeeze Cuba’s oil supply. We find out what this means for tourism.

Transparency International says corruption is worsening worldwide, with the global average score in its Corruption Perceptions Index at its lowest level in more than a decade. Our International Business Correspondent Theo Leggett explains what is driving the deterioration - and why it matters for investment and growth.

And one Insurance company says it has launched the first insurance comparison app built on ChatGPT, letting customers shop for cover by “chatting” rather than filling in forms. The move has unsettled investors, knocking shares in comparison and insurance sites amid fears AI could disrupt the sector. We hear from one Insurance CEO on how AI could change the way people buy insurance.

(Picture: Airplane on a runway in Cuba. Credit: Getty Images).


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl2sgq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5s4r3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2026

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl2x6v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl30yz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky402dzc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5sd7c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl34q3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky402jqh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5shzh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7036)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl38g7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74p0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl3d6c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky402s6r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5srgr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yxn)
Trump and Greenland: How MAGA went Arctic

Why does President Trump really want Greenland? The Arctic territory is rich in vital minerals and oil. And it hosts an important American military base as the race for dominance in the Arctic heats up between China, Russia and the USA.

But drill down beneath Trump's stated reasons and the true picture is less clear. A financier-turned-MAGA operative and his Greenlandic protégé, the small print of right-wing wish list Project 2025, and a penchant for big places on maps might better explain the recent diplomatic crisis. Lucy Proctor delves into the backstory to Trump's insistence on acquiring Greenland.

(Photo: The US flag is displayed on the exterior of the United States Consulate on 26 March, 2025, in Nuuk, Greenland. Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images)


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl3hyh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d01wz2)
Nine killed and dozens injured in Canada shooting

Nine people have been killed and dozens injured at a school and home in western Canada. Seven victims were fatally wounded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, while two bodies were found at a nearby residence. The individual believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self-inflicted injury according to police. We speak to a town councillor from Tumbler Ridge.

In Iran, the country's leaders are set to mark the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Events will be held across the country. It comes as US President Donald Trump has renewed his threats against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme, saying the US will have to do "something very tough," if a deal isn't reached. Our Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, reports from Tehran.

More than 150,000 people have been forced from their homes in northern Morocco after days of heavy rain and flash flooding linked to Storm Marta.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: British Columbia Premier David Eby speaking about shooting at Tumbler Ridge school. Credit: BBC TV News).


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl3mpm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d020q6)
Nine dead and dozens injured at school and home in Canada shooting

Nine people have been killed and dozens injured at a school and home in western Canada. Seven victims were fatally wounded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, while two bodies were found at a nearby residence. The individual believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self-inflicted injury according to police. We speak to Kerry-Lynne Findlay, of the British Columbian Conservative Party.

We speak to the brother of Iranian nobel laureate, Narges Mohammadi. She was given a new prison term of seven and a half years at the weekend. She has been on hunger strike and protesting her prison conditions.

And a former Florida police chief has said he received a call from Donald Trump twenty years ago in which the now-president told him "everyone" knew about the behaviour of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The account is contained in an FBI document released in the latest batch of Epstein files.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: British Columbia Premier David Eby. Credit: BBC News).


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl3rfr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d024gb)
Nine killed and 25 injured in Canada shootings

Nine people have been killed and dozens injured at a school and home in western Canada. Seven victims were fatally wounded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, while two bodies were found at a nearby residence. The individual believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self-inflicted injury according to police.

In Iran, the country's leaders are set to mark the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Events will be held across the country. It comes as US President Donald Trump has renewed his threats against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme, saying the US will have to do "something very tough," if a deal isn't reached. Our Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, reports from Tehran.

And we speak to Provedencia, a 104-year-old Puerto Rican grandmother. She watched the Bad Bunny performance at Sunday's Super Bowl and we get her reaction to that event.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: British Columbia Premier David Eby speaking about shooting at Tumbler Ridge school. Credit: BBC TV News)


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl3w5w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7q)
Azar Nafisi, author: Iranians are fighting for their freedom

'What the regime does to women is even if they don't kill us, when you stop a woman from being herself, stop her from speaking the way she wants to or stop her from connecting, it’s a kind of murder. And so we're fighting for our existence. We're fighting our survival.’

Svetlana Reiter speaks to the Iranian-American writer, Azar Nafisi, about the current instability in the country of her birth as Iranians continue to seek regime change in Tehran.

Born in Tehran in 1956, the story of her life has been greatly shaped by the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979, when Nafisi taught English literature at the University of Tehran. She was expelled from the University for not wearing a hijab, and eventually left for the US less than two decades later.

Nafisi is best-known for her New York Times bestseller, Reading Lolita in Tehran, in which she wrote about her experiences under the Islamic regime. The book focuses on a short period before she left Iran in 1997, when she would gather a group of young women at her house one morning every week to read and discuss forbidden works of Western literature.

Thank you to the BBC Russian Service 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, including episodes with Russian punk activist Maria Alyokhina, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales and author Sir Salman Rushdie. 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: Svetlana Reiter
Producers: Anastasia Soroka and Ben Cooper
Editor: Damon Rose

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

(Image: Azar Nafisi Credit: Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5t7g8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sdh)
Biohacking: where fad meets finance?

Biohackers say they're making their bodies and brains run better by hacking their biology. And it's not just kitchen counter experimentation anymore. There's now an entire industry promising to optimise you with supplements, treatments and increasingly strange gadgets.

Are these expensive, unproven “hacks” worth the investment?

To get in touch with the team, send an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Michelle Fleury
Producer: Nathalie Jimenez

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Picture: North America Business Correspondent Michelle Fleury and Midtown Biohack owner Chuck Morris, standing over a client trying out a red light therapy headset.)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74r8)
Gina Lollobrigida interviews Fidel Castro

Gina Lollobrigida was one of the biggest stars of European cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. Often described as "the most beautiful woman in the world", her films included Beat the Devil, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and Crossed Swords.

She was fawned over by Howard Hughes, one of the world's richest men, and co-starred alongside the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Rock Hudson and Errol Flynn.

But later in life, she reinvented herself as an artist and photographer. In 1974, she secured an exclusive photo shoot and interview with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, during which he gave her his watch as a gift. Ben Henderson tells her story using BBC archive.

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: Gina Lollobrigida in 2008. Credit: Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl3zy0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky403cyd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5tc6d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7036)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl43p4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 World Book Club (w3ct74s8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl47f8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky403mfn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5tlpn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gj)
The ‘weight loss revolution’ changing the world

During Sunday's Super Bowl in California, a flurry of ads from drug manufacturers and telehealth companies implored viewers at home to "ask their doctor” about a class of weight loss drugs, known as GLP-1s.

These medications — like Mounjaro and Wegovy — have become ubiquitous. In just a few short years, they’ve transformed the way we live, move, and eat, whether we take them or not. And access and demand are only increasing, as pill forms of the drugs come onto the market.

But where did they come from? And how are they reshaping our world? Today, we speak to Giles Yeo, a professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge, about the so-called weight loss revolution.

Producer: Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Someone using a set of weighing scales. Chris Radburn/PA)


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl4c5d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdk)
The reluctant revival of a Lebanese folk singer

Rogér Fahkr always had a restless and creative soul. At 17 years old, he left his home in Beirut to walk across Lebanon with his guitar, playing folk songs in English, Arabic and French. But this free and easy vagabond life would come to an abrupt end when civil war broke out in 1975, and it became unsafe even go outside.

Amidst the bomb blasts, Rogér and some friends went into a studio and in a single 10 hour session, he recorded an album called Fine Anyway. He drew the album cover himself – an imaginary house in peacetime with a chimney and white picket fence. He made 200 copies and had big ambitions to get his songs out to the wider world, but the dream was shattered when war intensified. Just days after his album was on sale, the record shop selling his music was forced to close its doors.

In 1981, Rogér was offered a ticket out of the worsening situation in Lebanon when he was asked to join legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz’s American tour. He settled in San Fransico, finally putting down some roots and abandoning music. He kept his folk songs a secret – not even revealing his musical past to his son.

That was until 2018 when Jannis Stürtz, co-founder of Habibi Funk record label, came across the album Rogér had recorded four decades earlier in Lebanon. Rogér’s music aspirations had all but faded and he declined Jannis’ constant requests to rerelease his music. But that changed after the horrific 2020 Beirut port explosion. Rogér, initially reluctant to send his music back out into the world, agreed for it to be included on a fundraising album. The response was overwhelming. Rogér’s album from all those years ago made a major comeback and was reissued on Jannis’ label. He went onto perform sold out concerts in Europe, and was finally able to share his full self with his son for the very first time.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Elena Angelides and Hannah Dean

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

(Photo: A black and white photo of a young Rogér Fakhr from the 1970s, in a recording studio in Lebanon sitting in front of a microphone, wearing headphones and holding a guitar. Credit: Raymond Sabbah)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74r8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl4gxj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky403vxx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5tv5x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yxn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl4lnn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv38r78)
Iran celebrates anniversary of its revolution

This year's anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran hides a deep pain after thousands of protestors were killed by regime forces.

The BBC has been speaking to people on the streets of Tehran about the current situation and we'll hear what's going on with the talks between Iran and the United States.

Also in this programme: A small town in southern Canada reels from one of the deadliest shootings in the country's history; what reports that Ukraine is to hold elections this spring could mean for the country, four years after Russia full-scale invasion; and how biohacking is becoming big business.

(Photo shows Iranians taking part in celebrations to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran on 11 February 2026. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl4qds)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5v2p5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sdh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88bw)
Jobs grow in the US – beating expectations

US employers added a greater-than-expected 130,000 jobs in January, helping nudge the unemployment rate lower to 4.3%, according to official government statistics released on Tuesday. The figures could help ease fears about the health of the job market, after last year's sharp slowdown as firms wrestled with changes, including major cuts to government spending and a crackdown on immigration.

The Dutch brewers Heineken has cut thousands of jobs after it finds drinkers are consuming less beer. Heineken - which also makes Amstel and Tiger lagers - said the cuts would come from brewing and white-collar roles among its 87,000-strong global workforce.

And China teeters on the edge of stagflation as inflation slows and worries continue over why consumers just don’t appear to be spending - putting pressure on Chinese firms to sell their goods abroad and make profits there.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Senior Producer: Craig Henderson


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl4v4x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 Outside Source (w17306886xz6q8w)
Trump-Netanyahu meeting in Washington

Israel's prime minister is meeting President Trump at the White House for talks expected to focus on Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu wants the US to insist that Tehran cuts its missile programme and support for proxy groups. We speak to our correspondent in the US, as well as to our reporters from BBC Persian and BBC Arabic.

A survivor of the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein has told the BBC the British royal family’s reaction to the latest release of the Epstein files has been too little too late. We hear some of the interview Juliette Bryant has given to the BBC.

After the opening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza last week, we speak to three Gazans abroad about their hopes to return home.

We get an update on today's headlines at the Winter Olympics.

The Trump administration has blamed a Mexican drone incursion for the temporary closure of the airspace over El Paso International airport in Texas. We speak to our newsroom reporter.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu press conference at the White House, Washington, USA - 29 Sep 2025. Credit: JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/EPA)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl4yx1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 Outside Source (w17306886xz6v10)
Canadian PM 'devastated' by mass shooting

Canada's prime minister says the entire country is in mourning, after nine people were killed in a shooting in rural British Columbia. Mark Carney has cancelled a trip to Europe. We speak to a local journalist in Tumbler Ridge about the latest.

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting President Trump at the White House, with Iran likely to dominate the agenda. We hear from our correspondents.

We hear a report by our chief international correspondent from inside Iran.

And after Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid admitted on live television to cheating on his girlfriend, we talk to relationship experts about trust, infidelity, and the pressures that lead to cheating in relationships.

Pop superstar Britney Spears has sold the rights to her entire music catalogue, the BBC has learned. We speak to music journalists.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Tumbler Ridge shootings - RCMP take up position outside a home in Tumbler Ridge where two additional bodies were found. Credit: Trent Ernst/Tumbler RidgeLines)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl52n5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74r8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl56d9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky404ldp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5vknp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zf2)
2026/02/11 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 (w172zwx3sxl5b4f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7036)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5vpdt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkp)
Are statins safer than we thought?

Statins are one of the most prescribed drugs in the world as they are highly effective at reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol that causes cardiovascular disease. A new review in the Lancet has found there are far fewer side effects associated with their use than previously thought.

New Nipah cases have been reported in India and Bangladesh. Trudie Lang Professor of Global Health Research at the University of Oxford explains the significance and how worried we should be.

A team in Cardiff, Wales have designed a reusable sanitary pad that cleans in sunlight. As a trial of the product begins in Nepal, we find out what the participants think of the idea and how it works.

What does air pollution do to our bodies? James Gallagher reports.

Plus, does pink noise actually help us sleep?

Presenter: Laura Foster
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producers: Jonathan Blackwell, Anna Charalambou


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl5fwk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv39lg5)
Trump insists that Iran nuclear talks will continue

President Trump has told the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that talks with Iran over its nuclear programme will continue. For the first time since demonstrations in January, the BBC is able to report from inside Iran and our Chief International correspondent Lyse Doucet has been speaking to people in the capital, Tehran.

Also on the programme: the Winter Olympian balancing winning medals with her homework; and we hear from Brontë country in northern England - where a rather saucy new interpretation of Wuthering Heights has been filmed.

(Trump meets Netanyahu in Washington, 11 February 2026. Credit:Getty Images)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl5kmp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky404yn2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5vxx2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76k2)
What’s behind the US job numbers?

The US jobs market shows signs of steady but subdued growth. Andrew Peach examines what’s driving the numbers, including the impact of tariffs and a tougher immigration crackdown.

Also, Dutch brewer Heineken cuts thousands of jobs worldwide as beer consumption falls.

And we look at the rise of “biohacking” and whether changing your daily routine could really help you live longer.

(Photo: A view of the US Department of Labor in Washington DC, USA, 05 September 2025. Credit: WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock).


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl5pct)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5w1n6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yxn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2026

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl5t3y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 World Book Club (w3ct74s8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl5xw2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky4059wg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5w94g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl61m6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky405fml)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5wdwl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct8ywk)
Kentucky's Real People Radio

For World Radio Day 2026, we visit WMMT in Whitesburg, Kentucky, one of many small community radio stations in the US existentially threatened by cuts to government funding. At a moment when news has become increasingly polarised, these stations are even more needed, often providing communities with their only source of essential information and emergency warnings.

WMMT was founded in 1985 with a mission to “be a voice of mountain people’s music, culture and social issues.” Known to listeners as "Possum Radio" or "Real People Radio," WMMT broadcasts to the coalfield communities of eastern Kentucky and neighbouring Appalachian states, home to people whose voices are among the least heard in the United States. Reaching out beyond the local area, the popular weekly program Calls From Home broadcasts messages from family and friends to a large incarcerated population from across the United States in nine regional prison complexes, built in the late '90s as a band-aid "solution" to the decline in mining jobs. 

WMMT also acts as a communications safety net when cell towers, telephone lines and the internet go down during increasingly severe natural disasters. Powered by volunteer DJs and at best a skeleton crew of paid staff, WMMT currently has only one full-time employee, station manager Jared Hamilton, who is scrambling to raise funds to keep it on the air. At this critical moment in America's history, the station is helping to keep the community steady with one foot in Appalachia's traditions and the other in the future.

Presenter: Maria Margaronis
Producer: David Goren
A Storyscape production for BBC World Service

(Photo: Beckie sits in front of a mic in the WMMT studio. Credit: Maria Margaronis)


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl65cb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74r8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl693g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky405p3v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5wncv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zt)
How to write a recipe

We all have recipes we turn to again and again, perhaps from the stained pages of our favourite cookbooks, or handed down through families. But have you ever wondered about the work that’s gone into writing that set of instructions? In this edition of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander looks at the art and science of recipe writing.

How does a cook turn what is often an instinctive and creative process into a list of instructions anyone can follow? How much detail is too much, and what are the essential elements no recipe is complete without? Ruth talks to a well-known cook who describes her love-hate relationship with recipe writing and a cookbook editor reveals how she’s built recipes from chefs’ doodles or even notes scrawled on a napkin. Find out what it’s like to work in the world of recipe testing and how the art of writing recipes has changed over hundreds of years.

Producer: Lexy O’Connor

Sound engineer: Hal Haines

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


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl6dvl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d04sw5)
China's carbon emissions fall for first time in 2025

Chinese emissions of carbon dioxide fell for the first time in 2025. The decrease was marginal but could represent a milestone. Rapid increases in the use of solar and wind power enegy has meant the country's energy sector emissions remained flat, even as the demand for electricity increased. We look at this significant development.

Voters are heading to the polls in Bangladesh for the first time since a deadly uprising in 2024 unseated the authoritarian prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. We go live to Bangladesh.

And we report from South Africa where a survivor of Epstein's abuse has told the BBC she believes the British royal family’s reaction to the latest release of the Epstein files has been too little too late.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: A general view of solar panels at the Dunhuang Photovoltaic Industrial Park, during an organised media tour to Dunhuang, in Gansu province, China. Credit: Tingshu Wang/Reuters).


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl6jlq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d04xm9)
China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell in 2025

New figures show China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell in 2025, the first full year to show such a decline. The analysis for the website, Carbon Brief, suggest the reduction is modest - just 0.3 per cent but campaigners say it raises hopes that emissions from the world's biggest polluter might be peaking ahead of schedule.

President Trump says he insisted, in his talks with the visiting Israeli prime minister, that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme will continue. In a post on social media, Mr Trump said he'd told Benjamin Netanyahu that his preference would be to reach a deal as opposed to further military action but that this would depend on Tehran. We get the view of a former adviser to the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

An 18-year-old has been named as the suspect in the shooting that killed eight people and injured dozens more in British Columbia, Canada.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: Solar panels lie in front of factories at Jinjie Industrial Park in Shenmu, Shaanxi province, China. Credit: Reuters).


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl6nbv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d051cf)
Carbon emissions decline in China

New figures show China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell in 2025, the first full year to show such a decline. The analysis for the website, Carbon Brief, suggest the reduction is modest - just 0.3 per cent but campaigners say it raises hopes that emissions from the world's biggest polluter might be peaking ahead of schedule.

Bangladesh is holding its first election since a student led protest in 2024 overthrew the long time ruler Sheikh Hasina.

And Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Radcliffe has been condemned by the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, for claiming Britain has been 'colonised by immigrants'.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: A chemical factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China. Credit: Jianan Yu/Reuters).


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl6s2z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723x)
Why are our taps running dry?

Chennai, São Paulo, Mexico City, Tehran, Cape Town - these cities have all faced the threat of a ‘Zero Day’, or, having no fresh water left in their taps.

The UN says we’re entering a ‘water bankruptcy’ era, meaning our water ‘current accounts’ are running empty, while our ‘savings accounts’ - the long term stores of water deep underground - have been depleted, with some beyond repair.

So how did we get here?

From clearing forests for cattle grazing, to thirsty AI data centres, Rajan Datar examines the pressures on our global water supply and looks for solutions.

Contributors:
Jayshree Vencatesan, Co-founder, Care Earth Trust, India
Augusto Getirana, research scientist at NASA's Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, USA
Prof Bridget Scanlon, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas, USA
Dr Jie-Sheng Tan Soo, Director, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, National University of Singapore

Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Phoebe Keane
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey

(Photo: Indian women with empty plastic pots protest as they demand drinking water. Credit: Arun Sankar/Getty Images)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5x4cc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s3g)
What next for Venezuela?

Six weeks after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela appears to be shifting its economic strategy.

The government is reopening its crucial oil industry to foreign investment and redirecting oil exports back toward the United States.

Presenter Rahul Tandon is joined by producer Gideon Long, who spent five years reporting from Venezuela, to examine the changes introduced since Maduro’s capture and explore what further steps may be required to persuade international companies to return and invest. They also consider whether Venezuela can reduce its reliance on oil and develop a more diversified, resilient economy.

We hear voices from inside and outside the country, including acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, as well as US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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

Presenters: Rahul Tandon and Gideon Long
Produced by Gideon Long and Elisabeth Mahy

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Picture: A man on a motorcycle transports water bottles past pumpjacks, beside deteriorating oil infrastructure on the shores of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. Credit: Reuters)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74kl)
The Mont Blanc Tunnel

In July 1965, a 12km tunnel dug deep beneath the Alps was opened to traffic, making it the longest vehicular tunnel in the world. Linking France and Italy, the Mont Blanc Tunnel was a remarkable feat of engineering.

Franco Cuaz, a consultant on the project and the tunnel's first operations manager, spoke to Mike Lanchin in 2017 about the risks and challenges of the ambitious project.

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 Mont Blanc Tunnel. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl6wv3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky4068vh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5x83h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8ywk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl70l7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ytc)
The Media Show: Bonfire of the Murdochs

A new book focuses on the future of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire after a legal dispute within his family. The case has renewed attention on Murdoch’s long-standing influence in British newspapers and the role of Fox News in American politics. Gabriel Sherman, author of Bonfire of the Murdochs, sets out the background to the succession battle and the company’s direction under Lachlan Murdoch.

A week of intense reporting on Sir Keir Starmer has led to debate about the role of political journalism in the UK. Some commentators have argued that reporting may have fuelled the sense of crisis which followed further revelations in the Epstein files. Simon Nixon, author of the Wealth of Nations newsletter, and Catherine Neilan, Whitehall editor at The Observer, debate how political reporting works.

The Washington Post has announced around 300 job losses, cutting roughly a third of its newsroom. Some sections, including sport, have closed and foreign reporting has been reduced. The changes have prompted concern about the paper’s future and about pressures facing major news organisations. Marissa Lang, former Enterprise reporter at The Washington Post and member of The Washington Post Guild bargaining committee, and Cameron Barr, former senior managing editor of the paper and now Investigations editor at Mill Media, describe the impact of the cuts and the wider challenges for the industry.

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Content producer: Dan Hardoon
Researcher: Ruth Waites
Sound engineer: Jack Wilfan
Technical co-ordinator: Akik Rahman


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5xcvm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 The Documentary (w3ct93yc)
Kirsty Coventry: Becoming president of the IOC

With the 2026 Winter Olympics well under way in Italy, we look to the most powerful woman in sport - the International Olympics Committee president, Kirsty Coventry.

The most decorated African Olympian of all time, the 42-year-old mother-of-two made history as both the first African and the first woman to hold the title when she was elected last year.

Kirsty began swimming from an early age, in the family pool in Harare, Zimbabwe, where her mother gave swimming lessons to local children. Her talent was soon spotted, and she competed in her first Olympics at just aged 16, going on to compete in four more.

With seven Olympic medals and several World Records under her belt, she decided to take on a role at the International Olympic Committee, quickly climbing the ranks.

Her reign is being closely watched by both her supporters and her detractors - from the decisions she makes around Russian and transgender athletes being allowed to compete, to the challenge global warming creates for running the competition. So, as the Winter Olympics begin, Mark Coles examines how she got here.

Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Keiligh Baker and Katie Solleveld
Production co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Gemma Ashman
Sound engineer: James Beard
Editor: Justine Lang


THU 10:50 What in the World (w3ct73y1)
Are Instagram and YouTube 'addiction machines'?

A landmark trial is underway in California that examines the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube. Lawyers for the plaintiff, referred to as K.G.M., will argue that she suffered from mental health issues as a result of social media addiction. Her team claims that the named social media companies deliberately built “addiction machines” that use the algorithm to keep young people hooked. K.G.M.’s lawyers also argue that Meta and YouTube failed to warn of the dangers to young users posed by the design of their platforms. Instagram and YouTube deny the allegations and argue that they can’t be held liable for users’ behaviour.

Lily Jamali, the BBC’s North America Technology correspondent, is in Los Angeles for the case. She explains the arguments on both sides, previews who we will hear from and discusses the potential implications.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Ash Mohamed
Editor: Verity Wilde


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl74bc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky406jbr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5xhlr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71b0)
With Jimmy Lai in jail, have Trump and the West abandoned Hong Kong?

On Monday, Hong Kong's pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law. The family of the 78-year-old, who is a British citizen, have appealed to foreign governments to call for Lai’s release.
Lai’s sentence, which is the harshest yet under this law, has caused global concern over whether this is an attempt by Beijing to crackdown on dissent and democracy in the Chinese territory.
We speak to Danny Vincent, the BBC’s Hong Kong reporter, who was the last journalist to interview Jimmy Lai.
Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Chris Benderev
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Jimmy Lai is escorted out of a Correctional Services Department vehicle and into the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong, China, 09 February 2021. Credit: Tyrone Sui/Reuters


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl782h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyr)
Forget Cool Runnings: Inside the real Jamaican bobsled team

Devon Harris grew up in a tough area of Kingston, Jamaica, called Olympic Gardens. He dreamed of taking part in the Olympics, but living on a tropical island meant winter sports were never on his radar. For him, school was his haven away from the violence he witnessed in his neighbourhood and he worked hard in the classroom and on the sports field so that he could one day fulfil his dream of becoming an army officer. It was during his time in the Jamaica Defence Force that his sporting talent was spotted and he ended up getting a spot on Jamaica’s first-ever bobsleigh team. The Jamaicans made history at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, but this wasn’t anything like Cool Runnings – the 1993 Hollywood film inspired by the team’s story – the reality was much tougher and much more rewarding.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Andrea Rangecroft

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

(Image description: Left to Right, Michael White, Dudley Stokes, Devon Harris and Frederick Powell. A black and white photo shows the 4 members of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team on a tropical beach in Kingston. They are standing in front of what appears to be a training sled. They are holding helmets and wearing gloves. The two in the middle, which includes Devon Harris, are bare-chested, and the other two wear white t-shirts, one of which says Jamaica Bobsled. Credit: Will and Deni McIntyre/Getty Images)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74kl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl7ctm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky406rv0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5xr30)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl7hkr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv3cn4c)
Bangladesh: First elections since student-led uprising

Vote counting is underway in Bangladesh after its first election since the protests that overthrew the authoritarian Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. We hear about the circumstances surrounding these elections.

Also on the programme: in China, annual emissions of carbon dioxide fell for the first time last year. Lauri Myllyvirta of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, which compiled the data, explains the significance behind this, and the Berlin film festival opens tonight with an Afghanistan romcom. We hear from its writer, director and star, Shahrbanoo Sadat.

(Photo: Electoral workers count the votes, during the 13th general election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 12 February, 2026. Credit: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl7m9w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5xzl8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s3g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88r8)
Why Russia blocked WhatsApp

Russia has ordered a block on WhatsApp, as the Kremlin continues to tighten restrictions on foreign messaging platforms and digital communications.

Also, China is heading into the Lunar New Year holiday after a turbulent period in its trade relationship with the United States. Despite tensions, Beijing says it’s striking deals across Europe, India, Africa and South America. We hear from Rutie Zhang, Chief Strategy Officer at China Minmetal Futures in Shanghai, on what’s really driving the numbers.

And Irish artists could soon receive a weekly payment worth about three hundred and eighty dollars, under a new government scheme designed to support creative work.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: David Cann
Editor: Stephen Ryan


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl7r20)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 Outside Source (w17306886xz9m5z)
Bangladeshis await results of election and referendum

Votes are being counted in Bangladesh after its first election since student-led protests ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. We speak to our correspondent on the ground, and we hear from those who took part in protests in 2024.

The billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has apologised for "offending some people" with his language after saying the UK had been "colonised by immigrants", but maintained an "open debate" on the matter was needed. We hear about the reaction, and we speak to our sports correspondent and to our political correspondent.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday. Our colleague from BBC Korean Service explains.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: A group of young women show their inked thumbs after casting their votes at a polling centre at Dania College, at Dhaka Government Muslim High School, Bangladesh, 12 February 2026. Credit: Monirul Alam/EPA)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl7vt4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 Outside Source (w17306886xz9qy3)
Nato to step up with challenge to support Ukraine

We speak to our correspondent in Ukraine about the latest on the ground and about Nato's continued assurances that the alliance will be able to support the country's war effort. It comes as UK announced an urgent new air defence package for Ukraine.

After polls closed in Bangladesh’s first election since the student led protests of 2024, we hear from young voters about what the result could mean for the country’s future.

And one of the most read stories on BBC Online is about a man who says he was dead for 40 minutes - and what he experienced afterwards. We hear similar accounts.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte gestures during a press conference at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 12, 2026. Credit: Tom Nicholson/Reuters)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl7zk8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74kl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl839d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky407h9s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5ygks)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z8k)
2026/02/12 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 (w172zwx3sxl871j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct8ywk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5yl9x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txz)
Will there be a city on the moon in ten years?

Elon Musk says his company Space X will focus on establishing a ‘self-growing city’ on the moon before going to Mars. Why the pivot? And what would it take to build a lunar metropolis? Victoria Gill speaks to head of space at the Science Museum Libby Jackson.

Can we stimulate the human brain to make humans more altruistic? Professor of neuroeconomics at the University of Zurich, Christian Ruff brings us the results of his experiments. And science journalist Caroline Steel brings us her selection of the most exciting new scientific discoveries this week.

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.

Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producer: Clare Salisbury, Kate White, Katie Tomsett
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl8bsn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv3dhc8)
A deepening fuel crisis batters Cuba

More countries advise against all but essential travel to Cuba, as US squeeze on oil supplies bites. It follows moves by the Trump administration to impose what is in effect an oil blockade on the island by threatening tariffs on any country supplying Havana.

Also in the programme: President Trump has repealed a government scientific finding that carbon emissions endanger human health, removing the legal basis for federal climate change regulations; and we ask, is the artificial intelligence revolution going to transform humanity?

(Photo: A man fishes near the Cuban-flagged tanker Alicia, docked at the Matanzas terminal, in Matanzas, Cuba, February 10, 2026. Credit Reuters/Norlys Perez)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl8gjs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky407vk5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5ytt5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct75yz)
Trump revokes landmark climate ruling

President Trump says greenhouse gas emissions do not endanger public health, rolling back a landmark finding that formed the legal basis for US climate regulation. Andrew Peach gets reactions.

Also, South Africa's president sets out his plans to tackle growing water shortages.

And a dispute over the future of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 12 February 2026. Credit: WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock).


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl8l8x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5yyk9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2026

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl8q11)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ytc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5z29f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78c7)
Who is in control of Gaza now?

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, explores who is actually governing Gaza at the moment, analyses the landslide election victory for Japan’s prime minister, and looks at a landmark trial in the US that will determine whether social media giants are responsible for harming children.

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


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl8ts5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky4086sk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5z61k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71b0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl8yj9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky408bjp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5z9sp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zq3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl928f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74kl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl960k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky408l0y)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n5zk8y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq6)
The Gaudí code

Millions flock to Spain’s Sagrada Família to marvel at its towering tree-like columns, remarkable displays of light and ornate stonework.

One hundred years after the master architect Antoni Gaudí’s death, Spanish journalist Lluís Amiguet explores why so many people – regardless of faith – come to visit a Barcelona church that is still far from finished.

Amiguet hears how Gaudí was inspired by what he called “The Great Book Of Nature” and learns how this might have been of particular interest to visitors from Japan who were among the first to come and see Gaudí’s work.

He meets Japanese architect Hiroya Tanaka who believes there are secret codes hidden within Gaudi’s plans, talks to Òscar Tusquets who organised a petition for work to stop on the church before suddenly changing his mind and he tours the towers of the world’s tallest church.

Producer: Robin Markwell

(Photo: The towering columns and ornate ceiling of the Sagrada Familai. Credit: The Sagrada Familia)


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl99rp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d07ps8)
Bangladesh Nationalist Party claims victory

The Bangladesh National Party is projected to have won a landslide victory in Thursday's general election. Its leader, Tarique Rahman, has been congratulated by the US and India. We get a reaction from the winning party.

President Trump has revoked the 2009 endangerment finding on public health that underpins US regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. The White House called the decision the largest act of deregulation in US history and claimed it would end what Mr Trump called the green scam.

And we report on Cuba where emergency measures are in place to save energy. It comes as the US moves to block the island nation from importing oil and after the Trump administration cut off fuel shipments from Venezuela and threatened tariffs on any other country that continues to supply the communist-run nation.

Presenters: James Copnall and Catherine Byaruhanga.

(Photo: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman. Credit: Reuters).


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl9fht)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d07tjd)
Bangladesh's Nationalist Party wins election

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has secured a landslide victory in the first election since a student-led uprising deposed the long-time authoritarian leader. We go live to Dhaka.

US President Donald Trump has reversed a key Obama-era scientific ruling that underpins all federal actions on curbing planet-warming gases.

And the death toll from Cyclone Gezani, which struck the African island nation of Madagascar earlier this week, has continued to rise. At least 38 people are known to have died, with many of the fatalities occuring in the main port city of Toamasina, which took the brunt of the cyclone's impact.

Presenters: James Copnall and Catherine Byaruhanga.

(Photo: Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chant slogans as they celebrate unofficial news of Tarique Rahman's win in his constituency in the 13th general election near the party's Gulshan office in Dhaka. Credit: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters).


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl9k7y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq39d07y8j)
Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins election

The BNP has secured a majority after the country's landmark election. The election is the first to be held since student-led protests in 2024 ended the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina. We look at he challenges now facing the BNP leader Tarique Rahman.

US President Donald Trump has reversed a key Obama-era scientific ruling that underpins all federal actions on curbing planet-warming gases.

And we report on Cuba where emergency measures are in place to save energy. It comes as the US moves to block the island nation from importing oil and after the Trump administration cut off fuel shipments from Venezuela and threatened tariffs on any other country that continues to supply the communist-run nation.

Presenters: James Copnall and Catherine Byaruhanga.

(Photo: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman speaks with the media after voting, outside a polling station during the national election in Dhaka. Credit: Reuters).


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl9p02)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4f)
Dame Sarah Mulally, Archbishop of Canterbury: Working in partnership with others

Aleem Maqbool speaks to Dame Sarah Mulally, shortly before being confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury. She's the first woman ever to lead the Church of England.

It is a tough time for the Church and its leader who has to hold together people with a broad range of opinions across the Anglican Communion, one of the largest Christian communities in the world.

Dame Sarah's election has upset some traditionalists who have threatened to leave the church because they are against the role of women in leadership. And, with her predecessor leaving because of his failings over abuse in the church, her stance on safeguarding, along with reparative justice and the blessings in church of same sex couples, are all in the spotlight.

A former nurse, Dame Sarah rose to become England's chief nursing officer before being ordained. She says that there are strong links between nursing and being a priest - not always finding a cure, she says, but trying to heal.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Hind Kabawat, Syria's only woman minister, and Nigel Casey, the UK's ambassador to Russia. 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: Aleem Maqbool
Producers: Clare Williamson
Editors: Justine Lang and Damon Rose

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

(Image: Dame Sarah Mullally Credit: Ray Tang/Getty Images)


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n6018g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtf)
The banker who loaned to women when no one else would

Jennifer Riria grew up in a rural village in Kenya, juggled motherhood and university studies in her late teens, and ended up running one of the biggest microfinance institutions for women in Africa, which allows women to access loans for their businesses. The entrepreneur pioneered giving small loans to women at a time when they were not allowed to get finance. We hear about her story in life and in business.

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

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producers: Ahmed Adan and Amber Mehmood
Sound mix: Toby James

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders - like Jennifer Riria - and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Picture: Jennifer Riria.)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7455)
The flooding of Florence

In November, 1966, Florence suffered one of the worst floods in its history after heavy rainfall caused the River Arno to burst.

The Italian city was submerged under tons of mud, rubble and sewage, leaving thousands homeless and destroying around 14,000 art treasures, and millions of books and manuscripts.

Among those who came to the rescue were the so-called ‘mud angels’ – young people from around the world who wanted to help in the clean-up.

Antonina Bargellini, then the 22-year-old daughter of the city’s mayor, recalls days of deep mud and stinking streets. She tells Jane Wilkinson about what happened.

Archive from BBC, British Pathe and Associated Press, plus Florence: Days of Destruction, directed by Franco Zeffirelli in 1966.

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: Flooded street in Florence, 1966. Credit: Giorgio Lotti/Mondadori via Getty Image)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl9sr6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky4095rl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n6050l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxl9xhb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72xd)
Are you lucky?

K-pop fans in Taiwan have been turning to the God of love in the hope it will boost their luck in getting concert tickets. It got the Unexpected Elements team thinking, are some people just lucky?

First, we look at how music resonates in the brain and why listening to it live can feel more emotional. Also, can we measure how lucky we are? We look at a possible formula, and how you can increase your chances of striking on a lucky event.

We are then joined by professor of marketing Marco Bertini, who explains the wild west of dynamic pricing and gives us some tips and tricks along the way. Plus we hear about Kenya’s ambitious plans to integrate traditional medicine into its health system.

And finally, why we dance when we pee and the Great British art of queuing. That’s all on this week’s Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Phillys Mwatee and Imaan Moin
Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Ella Hubber, Lucy Davies, Imy Harper and Tim Dodd


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlb17g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky409f7v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n60dhv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct715h)
Epstein’s global network: What the files reveal

Two weeks after the latest release of the Epstein files, the headlines keep pouring in.

In just the past few days, revelations in the documents have nearly brought down a British prime minister, and implicated politicians and royals from around the world. The files are even fueling speculation about whether the late sex offender could have been a spy.

We speak to Nomia Iqbal, BBC World Affairs Correspondent, about what we’ve learned this week about the international fallout of the Epstein scandal.

Producers: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Epstein files. Credit: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA/Shutterstock


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlb4zl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj6)
Outlook Mixtape: A day at the office

Ash Atalla is the original producer of the hit TV show, The Office, and the recipient of multiple Golden Globes, BAFTAs and British Comedy Awards. When he and his parents moved from Cairo, Egypt to the UK Ash excelled at his studies before getting himself a junior TV role at the BBC. It was there, as a researcher in the comedy department, that Ash was introduced to two men who would change his life - a young BBC trainee called Stephen Merchant and his friend, Ricky Gervais. Ash took the idea of a sitcom set in a paper company with a toe-curlingly awkward boss to the TV commissioners who, despite there being no well-known actors attached, saw the potential and commissioned a series. The Office debuted in 2021. There are now countless international versions with millions of viewers worldwide. Ash spoke to Mobeen Azhar in 2025, reflecting on fame, accolades and offering some creative advice.

When an advertising firm in Chennai adopted a stray dog who they found sitting in front of a tea shop – he not only became the beloved office dog but also an official team member. Our reporter Geeta Pandey dropped in to meet top dog Goofy and one of his doting colleagues, Bala Manian, back in 2016.

Brendan Quigley and Derrik Albertelli are two members of the Boston Typewriter Orchestra. They shun sheet music and conventional instruments in favour of expertly manipulating the musical scrapes, taps and pings of old typewriters to create their songs. The collective have made it their mission to breathe new life into this otherwise mostly redundant piece of office equipment, and in 2017 Brendan and Quigley spoke to Outlook about what drew them to typewriters in the first place….and how to get a good bass sound from the shift key!

Hiroki Terai believes that Japanese people aren't very good at expressing their emotions. So he decided to set up a business that allows people to hire a handsome man to play them sad video clips and wipe away their tears. The service was especially tailored to corporate businesses – who would partake in watching the sad videos together, as a quasi team-building exercise and be encouraged to cry. Hiroki hoped that normalising the expression of such emotions would create a healthier workplace for everyone. The BBC's Emily Webb went to Tokyo in 2016 to find out more.

Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 has long been an anthem for working women around the world. She wrote it on the set of a movie - the hit 80s comedy 9 to 5 starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and of course Dolly Parton. It's a film about three secretaries who decide to take revenge on their misogynistic boss. The film was inspired by the stories of real secretaries who became so exasperated with how they were being treated by their managers that they decided to fight back. They formed an organisation called 9 to 5 and Karen Nussbaum was one of its founders. She spoke to Saskia Collette in 2020.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Hannah Dean

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 (w3ct7455)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlb8qq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky409nr3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n60n03)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlbdgv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv3gk1g)
Bangladesh Nationalist Party secures landslide victory

Tarique Rahman is set to become the country's next prime minister. He comes from a family dynasty and has been living in self-imposed exile in London for the past 17 years. After a period of violent upheaval, what comes next for Bangladesh?

Also on the programme: reaction from Ukraine after skeleton bob racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is disqualified from the Winter Olympics; and award-winning British cinematographer Roger Deakins has written a memoir. We hear from the man behind Fargo, the Big Lebowski, Skyfall and others.

(Photo: Tarique Rahman greets supporters during an election campaign rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 09 February 2026 / Credit: MONIRUL ALAM/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlbj6z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n60whc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88h0)
Bangladesh election: Can new leadership boost its clothing industry?

The next government faces the huge task of restoring stability to key sectors, including the vital garment industry. We hear from a denim manufacturer and young voters about what they want next.

And the designer behind Japan’s Hello Kitty character for more than four decades is stepping down.

Presenter: Andrew Peach
Producer: David Cann
Editor: Stephen Ryan


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlbmz3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 Outside Source (w17306886xzdj32)
Germany's Merz acknowledges rift between Europe and US

Germany's chancellor has acknowledged a deep rift between Europe and the United States, in the opening speech at the Munich security conference. Outside the conference large numbers of people have gathered in support of an Iranian opposition group. They are calling for the overthrow of the clerical regime by the Iranian people. We speak to our correspondent.

We look at changing parenting trends, amid reports that the popularity of “gentle parenting” is fading as more families turn to firmer approaches. Two parenting experts join to discuss.

Our reporter at the Winter Olympics in Italy gives the main headlines from the Games so far. We also speak to a former figure skater who breaks down the backflip, quad axel and other big talking points in figure skating.

Past connections to Jeffrey Epstein have caused two prominent figures in the world of business to announce their resignations. One is Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem who is quitting as head of the Dubai-based global ports operator, DP World. Our reporter explains.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky and Friedrich Merz shake hands prior bilateral talks during the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany February 13, 2026 Credit: Michaela Stache/Reuters)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlbrq7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 Outside Source (w17306886xzdmv6)
UN alarmed by Cuba's crisis

The UN human rights chief says he is extremely concerned by the worsening situation in Cuba caused by oil shortages.The US has threatened countries with tariffs if they sell oil to the communist-run island.

Germany's chancellor has acknowledged a deep rift between Europe and the United States, in the opening speech at the Munich security conference. We speak to our reporter in Munich.

Our reporter joins from the Canadian Rockies town of Tumbler Ridge, where eight people were killed in two shootings - at a school and at a home - this week.

We discuss the main talking points so far at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

The new adaptation of Wuthering Heights starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, will be packing out cinemas this weekend,.and it is part of a wider trend. We explain why many are so in love with historical romance.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: A person rides an electric motorcycle in Havana, Cuba, 09 February 2026. Credit: Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlbwgc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7455)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlc06h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky40bd6w)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n61cgw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z41)
2026/02/13 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 (w172zwx3sxlc3ym)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct6rnx)
Body image and weight loss drugs

An advert shown during this year’s Super Bowl has prompted a backlash on social media. In the ad, tennis champion Serena Williams promotes a weight loss injection, saying she is "healthier" thanks
to the product. Many fans have expressed disappointment that a woman associated with strength and body positivity, is now selling being thinner as the ideal.

So, is body positivity out and fat shaming back? In our conversations, we discuss the cultural pressure to lose weight now these drugs, known as GLP-1s, are widely available.

“I’ll tell people you are okay the way you are, and often I’ll get comments saying you are promoting being fat and everyone will get really ill,” says Emilia. “It’s so preposterous because these people don’t care about you and your health.”

GLP-1 drugs slow digestion, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so you eat less. We also bring together two men to share their experiences of using them.

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Isabella Bull, Iqra Farooq and Luke Hastings
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver

BBC Conversations is produced in partnership with BBC Outside Source, which is broadcast on the BBC World Service weekdays 1600-1800 GMT. It is a Boffin Media production for BBC World Service.

Photo: Emilia Gordon who features in this episode. Credit: Emilia Gordon)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n61h70)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sv1)
Can we cancel light waves?

Noise cancelling headphones filter out sound waves that we don’t want to hear. Listener Ahmed in Libya loves wearing his and, as he was listening to them, he had a thought: ‘Could we cancel out light waves in a similar way to how noise cancelling headphones do it?’

He sent his question to CrowdScience and now presenter Alex Lathbridge is getting deep into the physics, to find out if light cancelling devices could replace curtains and shutters.

Alex starts at the Ray Dolby Centre in Cambridge in the UK, built to honour Ray Dolby’s invention of noise cancelling technology. In this amazing building he meets Jeremy Baumberg, Professor of Nanophotonics at Cambridge University. With the help of a tuning fork and a laser beams, Jeremy shows Alex that manipulating light is no easy feat.

Undeterred, Alex tracks down Stefan Rotter, Professor of Theoretical Physics at Vienna Technical University in Austria. Stefan and his colleagues around the world have been pushing forward the development of a device called the ‘anti-laser’. Alex and Stefan explore whether this could be the light-cancelling device of Ahmed’s imagination.

And once we've created a light-cancelling device, what do we do with it? Mary Lou Jepsen is an inventor and the founder of health tech firm Openwater. She tells Alex about how she’s using light wave manipulation to open up new possibilities for medical imaging, and even treatment.

This programme includes clips from:

Surrounded by Sound: Ray Dolby and the Art of Noise Reduction https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002bswq

CrowdScience: Can we trap light in a box? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswvwy

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge

Producer: Tom Bonnett

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Eyesight and vision concept - stock photo Credit: J Studios / Getty Images)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlc7pr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zsskzv3hd8c)
Germany's Merz warns rules-based order 'no longer exists'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has told other world leaders that 'our freedom is not guaranteed' in an era of big power politics. Opening the annual Munich Security Conference, Merz said that Europeans must be ready to make a 'sacrifice'. He also admitted that 'a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States'. We'll speak to a senior German politician and a former member of the first Trump administration.

Also in the programme: a BBC Investigation uncovers devastating side effects of a set of widely used prescription drugs that can trigger impulsive behaviours; and we speak to the Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins about his memoir.

(Picture: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during the Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen)


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlccfw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlky40brg8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n61qq8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76pl)
Cuba's going dark as fuel shortages hit

Cuba goes dark as fuel shortages affect power supplies. We hear from the people affected by the outages, and the price the island nation is paying as the darkness spreads.

As we approach the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we speak to the man in charge of keeping the power going as Ukraine approaches a humanitarian crisis.

In Bangladesh, we get reaction as the Bangladesh National Party and allies win a commanding, two‑thirds‑plus majority in the first general election since the student‑led uprising that drove Sheikh Hasina from office in 2024. And we ask - what next for an economy hit so hard by US tariffs?

And PlayStation has surprise‑launched a new God of War game, Sons of Sparta, on the PS5. We hear from a gaming expert on why this franchise is such a big deal.

(Picture: A bicitaxi rides in a street of Havana, on February 13, 2026. Credit: YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images.)


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx3sxlch60)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxy7n61vgd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]