SATURDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2026

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6xx4t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72xg)
A sweet treat

A dip in global cocoa prices got the Unexpected Elements team wondering about chocolate science.

First, we look at how the microbial communities in cocoa beans fine tune the taste of chocolate. Also, could table sugar help us detect the missing bits of the universe? We look at how three elements in sugar were used in the hunt for dark matter.

We’re then joined by Professor of Experimental Psychology Charles Spence, who explains the myriad ways that taste can be influenced – including the shape and name of chocolate, and even the music we listen to as we eat it. Plus, we hear about the rediscovery of a moth in South Africa that was lost to science for 150 years.

And finally, why we cry when we chop onions and the insects that pollinate the cocoa tree. That’s all on this week’s Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Candice Bailey and Sandy Ong
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Lucy Davies, Tim Dodd, Imy Harper and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6y0wy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnmxdxb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tmd5b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct715k)
Mexico’s most wanted cartel boss is dead. Is it enough for Trump?

Mexico’s most wanted man – Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho” – was killed during a security operation to arrest the cartel leader on Sunday.

In the days that followed, the operation was celebrated by President Trump in his State of the Union address. But it came at a cost, as cartel members carried out retaliatory rampages across Mexico and turned many towns and cities into war zones.

El Mencho’s death came after months of pressure from the Trump administration on Mexico to do more to fight the drug cartels. According to one NBC News report, the US even considered sending troops into Mexico.

Our correspondent, Will Grant, examines the dilemma Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum now faces – and we ask if she is now caught between Trump and the cartels.

Producers: Chris Benderev and Aron Keller

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior News Editor: China Collins

Image Credits: FILE PHOTO: Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), led by Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” poses for a photo at an undisclosed location in Michoacan state, Mexico, October 15, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6y4n2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnmxjng)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tmhxg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zkn)
Georgia Voll on Healy, Australia v India rivalry & coffee

Australia great Alyssa Healy is playing in her final series before retirement as the blockbuster multi format series between Australia and India continues. One player who is tipped to follow in her footsteps is Australia's Georgia Voll, not only did the 22 year old guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the Women's Premier League title but she also made her highest T20 international score of 88 in the second T20 against India. Georgia joins us on the programme.

Plus, as the men's T20 World Cup enters the super eight's phase, we discuss South Africa’s statement win over co-hosts and defending champions India and we ask, if that victory could boost The Proteas credentials as one of the title contenders.

Photo Credit: Georgia Voll of Australia bats during game two of the Women's T20 International series between Australia and India at Manuka Oval on February 19, 2026 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images).


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6y8d6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj8)
Outlook Mixtape: Heavy Metal

Today, Joe Straczynski is an award-winning comic book writer and filmmaker. He's created TV shows like Babylon 5, Sense8 and the movie Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angeline Jolie. But he had a tough start to life. Joe was born into a loveless household full of abuse. His escape came through the pages of Superman comics. For him, the 'Man of Steel' saved his life and helped form his own moral character, steering him to a better life. Outlook's Andrea Kennedy spoke to Joe back in 2019.

Voice of Baceprot, or V.O.B., are an all-female metal band who met at school in a small rural town near Garut in Indonesia. Their parents thought they were going to Girl Scout meetings when really, they were rehearsing with their heavy metal band. Since then, they've been touring the world and gained some big name fans in the world of rock. Their success has created a new respect for music education in schools in their home province. Reporter Gaia Caramazza met them in 2023.

Back in the 1980s, Reg Mead was eating a Sunday lunch with friends when a woman told him a story about some ancient coins being uncovered and then swiftly ploughed back into a field on Jersey, the island where he lives off the northern coast of France. A keen metal detectorist, he was intrigued. From the woman's description he suspected the coins dated from the Iron Age and so, he set out to look for them with his best friend and fellow detectorist, Richard Miles. It took 30 years of searching, but eventually they found the coins and, it turned out, a whole lot more than they could have ever imagined. The two friends spoke to Jo Fidgen in 2022 about their hoard.

All Superman material is copyright of DC Comics Inc.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Andrea Rangecroft

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 (w3ct7457)
Syria's secret library

A group of young men in the besieged town of Darayya came together to build a secret library during the Syrian civil war, which started in 2011 and ended in 2024.

Braving snipers and bombardment, they rescued thousands of books from bombed-out buildings to rehouse.

The library was a symbol of hope for a community fractured by war.

Surya Elango speaks to Malik Alrifaii, a young volunteer who helped run the library.

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

(Photo: Books. Credit: Maskot via Getty images)

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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6yd4b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72xg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6yhwg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnmxwwv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tmw4v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzz)
11. The Hunt Rides

Will is pursued by the tornado of the Dark and prepares for the final battle. He flies with Merriman on the great white horse to where Herne the ancient hunter is waiting. Herne summons his hounds – a pack of huge white animals ghostly in the half-light. 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 (w3ct6w09)
Has a company really discovered a million new species?

Have a million new species just been discovered?

That’s the claim made by Dr Oliver Vince, co-founder of a company called Basecamp Research, who are collecting genetic data to train AI systems. The hope is that they’ll be able to use this to discover new medicines.

But is this number a good one? Rob Finn, from the European Bioinformatics Institute, explains what is being counted and how you go about counting them.

Credits:
Presenter and producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Dave O’Neill
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6ymml)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8lzpw66bk)
US and Israel strike Iran

Israel says it has launched what its calling a pre-emptive attack against Iran. The defence ministry said it was acting to remove threats against Israel. We speak to a professor inside Iran who is hearing the explosions and a journalist in Tel Aviv.

Also on the programme today: Former US president tells a Congressional Committee what he knew and didn't about crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein; and, Pakistan has declared that it is now in a state of "open war" with Afghanistan.

Presenter Paul Henley is joined by Julian Borger, Senior International Correspondent for the Guardian newspaper and Marta Pardavi, Hungarian human rights lawyer and activist.

(Photo: Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/ Reuters)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6yrcq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8lzpw6b2p)
Several Iranian cities struck in US-Israel attacks

Israel says it has launched a pre-emptive strike against Iran, describing the operation as an effort to eliminate threats to the country. A state of emergency has been declared, and residents have been warned to expect a possible Iranian missile attack soon.

We are bringing you the latest updates from Jerusalem, Iran, and Tel Aviv.

Presenter Paul Henley is joined by Julian Borger, Senior International Correspondent for the Guardian newspaper and Marta Pardavi, Hungarian human rights lawyer and activist.

(Photo: People run for cover following an explosion, after Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran, in Tehran, Iran February 28, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/ Reuters)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6yw3v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8lzpw6ftt)
State of Emergency declared in Israel

Israel says it has launched a pre-emptive strike against Iran, describing the operation as an effort to eliminate threats to the country. A state of emergency has been declared, and residents have been warned to expect a possible Iranian missile attack soon.

We are bringing you the latest updates from Jerusalem, Iran, and Tel Aviv.

Presenter Paul Henley is joined by Julian Borger, Senior International Correspondent for the Guardian newspaper and Marta Pardavi, Hungarian human rights lawyer and activist.

Photo: Israelis take shelter in an underground parking lot after missiles were launched towards Israel from Iran, in Tel Aviv. Credit Itai Ron/ Reuters)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6yzvz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 Weekend (w172zw8lzpw6kky)
A review of the week with the latest news.


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6z3m3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct8793)
What did you say?

Here on Not by the Playbook we know "communication is key". Making sure what we say is clear and concise is one of the crucial elements to an enjoyable show. And that's true of most areas of life, the better people communicate the better the outcome, even when the message is hard to hear or difficult to digest. This week, having travelled the world finding the most inspiring stories from the world of sport, we have found all our guest have one thing in common. They are masters of communication!

A good explanation can change the way we perceive the world. If something is communicated well enough it can alter our understanding of the concept of something we had held to be true forever. Take the idea of winning. Pretty straight forward, right?! The person who comes first, who beats all the others. The champion. Well Water polo legend Tony Azevedo certainly fits that description. A five-time Olympian he's considered one of the best to have played the game and yet now, as a coach he has a very different message about what it takes to be a winner. It's a message that is born from a life of overcoming difficulties and being prepared to constantly learn, in all areas of life. Most recently that revolved about what type of coffee is best to start the day with!

Getting important instructions understood is difficult enough when your team mates are human, but what about if in order to succeed you have to be able to communicate perfectly with an animal!? Well that's what distinguishes the athletes who take part in one of the toughest sporting events in the world, Iditarod dog-sled race each year. When you are making your way through 1,000 miles of Arctic wilderness in Alaska communicating with your team of dogs is crucial to not only success, but in staying alive! In the winter of 1985, Libby Riddles become the first woman to win the race.

Steve Wright and his wife Lizzy were briefly guest on our Super Bowl show a couple of weeks ago, by the way you can still enjoy that podcast, and all our other episodes, by searching for Not by the Playbook wherever you get your podcasts. The thing about the Super Bowl show is that we never have enough time! And so we only got to hear a tiny part of Lizzy and Steve's story and several people contact us to ask if they could hear more... And so in the spirit of understanding what was a clearly communicated message, we are going to set that right!

Steve was a very successful and decorated NFL star. He was a Cowboy and a Raider and his job required him to act in, and occupy, a super aggressive state of mind. But flicking a switch to go from the mild mannered man Steve is to a threatening and destructive offensive tackle, and back again wasn't easy. Alongside his wife, author Lizzy Wright, Steve explores the subject in their book "Aggressively Human: Discovering Humanity in the NFL, Reality TV, and Life."

There's little doubt that children benefit from stability. A routine and a place they can call home. Growing up in a family that has to travel the world regularly, living in different places with different cultures and languages can be unsettling, but for England's latest soccer star and multi linguist Erica Parkinson that lifestyle has given her huge advantages. Just 17 year old she has already played for the England under 19's team and is now part of the Under 23 set up! So could her upbringing have played a part in her swift rise up the footballing hierarchy? Speaking from her home in Porto, Portugal and also explained why she, and her brother Dennis, were always destined to make it as footballers. When she’s not on the pitch, Erica works with mindset coach Martin Fairn of Gazing Red2Blue. Erica draws on mindset coaching during high pressure situations on the pitch.

PHOTO: Tony Azevedo of the USA in action during the USA vs Italy Waterpolo group match at Julio de Lamare Aquatics Centre on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (CREDIT: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6z7c7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnmymcm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6zc3c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct8yxm)
Rewriting a revolution

On 25 February 1986 the Philippines, Asia’s oldest democracy peacefully took control of its destiny. Ferdinand Marcos, a democratically elected president-turned dictator, who remains accused of widespread graft and human rights abuses, had gambled on one too many rigged elections. After days of mounting protests and the defection of the military to the opposition, Marcos and his family were ejected from their gilded palace in Manila. These events have since been named the People Power Revolution.

The uprising ushered in a return to constitutional democracy, guardrails on executive power, and a new constitution that redistributed power from Manila to local governments across the 7,500-island archipelago. It was also supposed to seal the fate of the Marcoses once and for all: permanent exile in Hawaii.

Forty years on, not only are the Marcoses back, but they are arguably stronger than ever. Ferdinand’s eldest, Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jnr, is now president, with his sister, son, and various cousins in Congress. It’s a far cry from the Philippines of 1986, when the post-revolution state vowed ‘never again’ to let any Marcos near the halls of power.

But the story of the last four decades is not simply one of a profound Marcos restoration. The post-revolutionary Philippines cannot be separated from the failures of the post-revolutionary state. Politics remains dynastic, the economy profoundly unequal, while corrupt officials rarely face accountability. It is a cocktail for popular disaffection with democracy itself.

(Photo: Cory Aquino's meeting at Luneta in Manila, Philippines, 31 January, 1987. Credit: Eric Bouvet Eric/Getty Images)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6zgvh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zsslqcr3mf3)
US and Israel carry out joint attack on Iran

The US and Israel have carried out a joint attack on Iran. President Donald Trump confirms the start of a 'major combat operation,' and calls for regime change. We bring you reaction from neighbouring countries in the Middle East and the Gulf. We also hear from an Iranian resident in the capital Tehran, and views from Washington and Israel.

(Photo: Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran, after Israel launched an attack, February 28, 2026. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg6zllm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztr10yhm6z2)
Live Sporting Action

We have live Premier League commentary of Liverpool versus West Ham. The former Tottenham, Newcastle and Cameroon defender Seb Bassong and the former Chelsea and Germany defender Robert Huth will be with us to preview that and the other games in the Premier League.

We’ll preview the Women’s Asia Cup and hear from Australia’s Ellie Carpenter ahead of the tournament in Australia.

Away from football, there’s Super 8s action at the T20 World Cup and the National Hockey League is back underway following Team USA’s Olympic triumph.

Cadillac Team Principal Graeme Lowdon also joins us ahead of the team’s debut in Formula One.

Image: Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham United and Cody Gakpo of Liverpool during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg702l4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnmzglj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tpfvj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zt1)
Emil Zatopek at the Helsinki Olympics

In 1952, the Summer Olympics took place at the height of the Cold War in Helsinki, Finland.

Czechoslovak army officer Emil Zatopek achieved a unique feat in athletics by winning gold in the 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon.

Zatopek's biographer, Richard Askwith, speaks to Simon Watts about the athlete's incredible achievement.

This programme was first broadcast in 2016.

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: Emil Zapotek. Credit: Bettmann)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg706b8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723z)
Can the world catch China in the rare earths race?

Control of critical minerals is becoming a source of geopolitical tension. They are essential to modern technology and industries around the world, and China currently dominates the mining and processing industry.

As demand grows, governments in the United States and elsewhere are looking at ways to reduce their reliance on Chinese supply chains. That means investing in new mines and processing facilities even though they are expensive and environmentally toxic.

Ultimately, the US and EU have a goal of diversifying the control of these lucrative elements.

This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett explores whether the rest of the world can catch up with China in the race for rare earths.

Contributors:
Julie Michelle Klinger, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US
Sophia Kalanzakos, global distinguished professor of environmental studies and public policy in the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayan scholars programme at NYU Abu Dhabi, UAE
Kalim Siddiqui, international economist, UK
Dr Patrick Schröder, senior research fellow in the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House, UK

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey

(Photo: Trucks transporting minded materials. Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal/Getty Images)


SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tpkln)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzp)
The Happy Pod: The chance encounter that became a lasting friendship

We meet two women who have forged an unconventional friendship after meeting by chance more than four years ago. Neena found Carol's lost subway card in New York and they went on to build a close intergenerational bond. They say their 58 year age gap allows them to learn from each other, slow down and appreciate what's important.

Also: How decades of work have brought giant tortoises back to an island in the Galapagos for the first time in nearly two hundred years. The Floreana Tortoise became extinct after the arrival of humans, but now dozens of young reptiles bred from a closely related species have been released there.

Across the Pacific, we meet the Gen Z women working to restore damaged coral reefs on an Indonesian archipelago. The underwater gardeners recover broken fragments and help them grow.

Plus, the science behind why getting out into nature can boost our well being; the veterans reunited more than eighty years after they fought together in World War Two; and how an unwanted bike in Scotland has opened up new possibilities for para-cyclists in Kenya.

Presenter: Alex Ritson
Music: Iona Hampson

(Photo: Neena and Carol, who became friends after Neena returned Carol's lost subway card. Credit: Neena Roe)


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg70b2d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvp)
Jan Komasa

Nikki Bedi is joined by critic Zing Tsjeng to discuss cultural highlights of the week:

Australian actor and movie producer Margot Robbie on her experience filming Emerald Fennell’s racy take on Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Venezuelan-American theatre maker Moisés Kaufman explains what inspired his latest play, Here There Are Blueberries.

Hollywood leading man Ethan Hawke discusses his Oscar-nominated role as the prolific Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s film, Blue Moon

Norwegian director Mona Fastvold talks about their film, The Testament of Ann Lee, with star Amanda Seyfried.

And Iranian-born British actor Paul Chahidi describes how music from his native country provided the backdrop to his childhood in the UK

Plus, Nikki interviews Polish director Jan Komasa about his unsettling new film starring Adolescence's Stephen Graham. The Good Boy will be screening at London's Barbican as part of the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival on 11 March, ahead of an international release later in the month.

Photo credit: Zuzanna Krajewska


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg70ftj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zsslqcr4ld4)
President Trump says Iran's Supreme Leader is dead

US President Donald Trump says that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead following after a day of U.S. and Israeli military strikes. Iranian state media denies Mr Khamenei is dead. We bring you the latest political and diplomatic developments from across the world and from inside the country.

(Photo: People walk near a mural featuring images of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters).
Reuters )


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg70kkn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnmzyl1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tpxv1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72fb)
Will Flash and Stargirl

Will Flash is a rising Afrobeats star from Liberia, who says Rema is a big inspiration. He also gives thanks to his dad, who has supported his career every step of the way so far. His hits include My Ex, Kilimanjaro and Friday. Will Flash tells This Is Africa that his forthcoming EP will include a wide variety of different musical styles, and also that he’s proud to showcase Liberia’s unique sounds and its koloqua pidgin English.

Also in this episode, Stargirl, self-styled bad girl from The Gambia. She is shaking up her country with her dancehall vibes, which are heavily influenced by Jamaican artists, including Spice. She says her success and her music style have made her some enemies, but she is not going to stop. Her song Bunda with Fula Gangster now has over a million streams on YouTube.


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg70p9s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct8793)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]

SUNDAY 01 MARCH 2026

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg70t1x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct6rnz)
Living with Tourette syndrome

When the film I Swear won three Bafta awards, what happened at the ceremony prompted a much bigger story and wider discussion.

The film portrays the life of John Davidson who grew up with Tourette syndrome – the incurable condition, which causes sudden, repetitive sounds or movements.

During the awards, Davidson shouted out an involuntary racial slur, which was picked up by microphones and broadcast. In a statement, Davidson said he was "deeply mortified” and that the tics, as they are known, were involuntary and did not carry any meaning.

In our conversations, we bring together two black Americans with Tourette’s. They share their experiences, including dealing with the police.

“My parents had me sit there and recite and practice if I were to get pulled-over: ‘Hi, I have Tourette's syndrome it is a tic disorder, do you mind if I explain or do you know what it is?’,” Jamie Grace, a music producer in Atlanta tells us.“ And the first time I got pulled over it was really difficult, the responding officer accused me of being intoxicated and it became a difficult conversation.”

Tourette’s is a genetic condition that affects the nervous system. It’s estimated that one in every hundred children – many millions around the world – have it. We also bring together three people in the UK to give an insight into their lives with Tourette’s.

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producer: Lindsay Brown and Angela Sheeran.
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Simon Peeks

A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC Outside Source.

(Photo: Wilamena Dyer. Credit: Wilamena Dyer)


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tq5b9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yxl)
Caught on camera: Exposing China’s spycam porn

Warning: This programme deals with adult themes that may not be suitable for some listeners

Criminals are hiding video cameras in hotel rooms across China to secretly film and live stream unsuspecting victims having sex and then selling the footage online.

The illegal trade in spycam porn has become a big business, one with devastating consequences for the people whose most intimate moments are made public without their consent.

Wanqing Zhang has been hunting the hidden cameras and trying to find those responsible. Can they be stopped?

Presenter: Wanqing Zhang
Producer: Ed Main and Cate Brown
Executive producer: Ankur Shah
Editor: Flora Carmichael


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg70xt1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnn09tf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tq92f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zt1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg711k5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnn0fkk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tqdtk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkr)
Could a single vaccine block nearly all viruses?

A universal nasal spray vaccine that could block nearly all viruses, and possibly also bacteria and allergens has been successful at early stages of research. By leaving immune cells ‘on alert’, they become ready to jump into action no matter what infection tries to get into the body. Dr Matthew Fox, Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Global Health at Boston University, explains what this could mean for the future of disease prevention.

Four years into the Ukraine war, the founder of global initiative ‘Think Equal’ Leslee Udwin explains the programmes currently in place to help children to grow through their traumatic experiences. Plus, a teacher in Kharkiv, Violetta Kaleda, as well as some of the children within the programmes, describe the impact of bringing social and emotional learning into education.

Prevention campaigns are resuming after the cholera outbreak in Mozambique has now been declared an epidemic by the country’s national director of public health. Reporter Jose Tembe give the latest on the outbreak after the years-long shortage of cholera vaccines begins to rebound.

As commercial spaceflight grows and human fertility in space becomes a more pressing concern, embryologist Giles Palmer explains the current understanding of the effects of spaceflight on human reproductive systems. Plus, a new study on ultra-endurance marathon running shows it may accelerate aging and the breakdown of red blood cells.

Presenter: Laura Foster
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producers: Georgia Christie and Anna Charalambou


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg71599)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct8yxm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg7191f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsw)
Mexico's deadly drug cartel feud

Pascale Harter introduces stories on Mexico's cartel war, President Trump's State of the Union address, and a slow boat journey in Benin.

This episode contains scenes of violence and descriptions listeners may find upsetting.

Mexico was rocked by a violent rampage this week, after the drug lord, El Mencho, died following a fire-fight between his bodyguards and Mexican military commandos. It’s evidence of the challenges facing President Claudia Sheinbaum as she vows to take on the country’s criminal gangs. Quentin Sommerville reports on the fallout of El Mencho's death and the disturbingly violent rivalry between the cartels.

'Our country is winning again,' was President Donald Trump’s rallying cry at his State of the Union address this week in Washington, citing success in the jobs market and stopping illegal crossings at the southern border. But his sinking approval ratings suggest he’s not necessarily convincing the public. Anthony Zurcher watched on in the House Chamber.

The small West African nation of Benin is made up of around fifty different ethnic groups and languages. Most of the population is concentrated in the south - home to the country’s main cities, including the port of Cotonou. While Benin has only a handful of highways, its lush inter-connected lagoons provide a vital commercial artery. Sara Wheeler took a trip down the Black River.

Producer: Phoebe Keane
Production coordinators: Katie Morrison
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tqn9t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8yvs)
Russia-Ukraine war enters its fifth year

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, explores the mood in Ukraine after four years of war, examines how the war has changed Russia, and looks at whether Russia’s long sporting isolation is coming to an end.

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


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg71dsk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnn0ssy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tqs1y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg71jjp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8lzpw937n)
Iran state media: Supreme Leader is killed in US-Israel attack

Iran has confirmed that its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has been killed in an airstrike. We look back at his life and legacy.

Also on the programme today: US and Israeli strikes continue on Iran as Tehran retaliates, striking US bases in the Gulf; and the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has condemned both the US and Israeli strikes and Iran's retaliation. We bring you the latest from Jerusalem and the United Arab Emirates.

Presenter Paul Henley is joined by Janina Dill, the Dame Louise Richardson Chair in Global Security at the University of Oxford, and Negah Angha, Iran analyst and former senior advisor to the US State Department under the Biden administration.

Photo: Mourners gather at Enqelab Square in Tehran following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran Islamic Republic Of - 01 Mar 2026. Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg71n8t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8lzpw96zs)
Supreme leader mourned by supporters in Iran's capital

Iran has confirmed that its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has been killed in an airstrike. We look back at his life and legacy.

Also on the programme today: US and Israeli strikes continue on Iran as Tehran retaliates, striking US bases in the Gulf; and the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has condemned both the US and Israeli strikes and Iran's retaliation. We bring you the latest from Jerusalem and the United Arab Emirates.

Presenter Paul Henley is joined by Janina Dill, the Dame Louise Richardson Chair in Global Security at the University of Oxford, and Negah Angha, Iran analyst and former senior advisor to the US State Department under the Biden administration.

Photo: Mourners gather at Enqelab square in Tehran following death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran Islamic Republic Of - 01 Mar 2026. Credit :Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg71s0y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8lzpw9bqx)
Israel and Iran launch fresh attacks

Iran has confirmed that its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has been killed in an airstrike. We look back at his life and legacy.

Also on the programme today: US and Israeli strikes continue on Iran as Tehran retaliates, striking US bases in the Gulf; and the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has condemned both the US and Israeli strikes and Iran's retaliation. We bring you the latest from Jerusalem and the United Arab Emirates.

Presenter Paul Henley is joined by Janina Dill, the Dame Louise Richardson Chair in Global Security at the University of Oxford, and Negah Angha, Iran analyst and former senior advisor to the US State Department under the Biden administration.

Photo: Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg71ws2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 Weekend (w172zw8lzpw9gh1)
A review of the week with the latest news.


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg720j6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tvx)
The school run by kids

If you could invent a new kind of school what would it look like? What skills would you teach children, and how would the school be run?

On this edition of People Fixing The World we visit the Mechai Pattana School in Thailand which was founded by the campaigner Mechai Viravaidya in 2008, on principles of charity and leadership. Children are responsible for every aspect of running the school, from buying food for the kitchens to disciplining fellow students and even recruiting new staff.

The children also run their own businesses, and perform several hours of community service every week. Many of the students come from underprivileged backgrounds, but their school fees are “paid” by planting 800 trees a year, together with their families.

The idea is for the school to produce “change-makers” – could it be a model for others to follow?

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: William Kremer
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5trcsl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70vc)
Will Venezuela ditch Chavismo?

On the 3rd of January this year, Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, was removed from office by a US military intervention. He was flown to the United States to face charges of drug trafficking and partnering with terrorist groups, charges he denies. His leadership and that of his predecessor and mentor Hugo Chavez saw Venezuela move from being an oil rich, prosperous country to a country which was heavily sanctioned and under investigation by the International Criminal Court. Maduro's Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, has now succeeded him as acting president. Some Venezuelans feel that she represents only continuity with Chavismo, the political system Hugo Chavez created. Others feel that Rodriguez will be forced to adapt in order to survive. Jorge Perez and Alicia Hernandez of BBC Mundo have been following what is happening in Venezuela closely.

Snow leopards are beautiful, yet elusive creatures. They like to live high up in snowy mountains, including certain areas in the Indian Himalayas. A group of women in one of India's coldest and most remote regions have joined the efforts to conduct a snow leopard census, using camera traps to count the big cats and protect them and their habitat. Ashay Yedge of BBC Marathi recently traveled to the world's second-highest village to speak to them about their work.

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 Irena Taranyuk

Produced by Laura Thomas and Caroline Ferguson


(Photo: Irena Taranyuk)


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg7248b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnn1j8q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg7280g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct6rnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5trm8v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcy)
Russia's Church in Texas

Not that long ago many church-going Americans saw Russia as a godless place, an “evil empire” in the words of Ronald Reagan. But in President Trump’s second term, US-Russia relations have been turned on their head. Last year, the White House sided with the Kremlin at the United Nations, voting against a resolution to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This seismic shift is also being felt in parishes across America. Increasing numbers of US Catholics and Protestants are embracing Eastern Orthodoxy. Many converts disillusioned by the showbiz elements in many megachurches, say they are drawn to a faith with enduring traditions. Some, uneasy with social and demographic change, believe the churches they were raised in have lost their authority by going “woke” – shorthand for supporting equal marriage, female clergy, pro-choice, Black Lives Matter and other liberal issues.

Some converts have hundreds of thousands of followers online, and push Kremlin narratives that Russia is the world's last bastion of true Christianity - a few of the most radical have even emigrated there. Last year, Lucy Ash went to Texas – one of the most religious states in the US – to meet some new converts.

Presenter: Lucy Ash
Producer: Linda Pressly
Sound mix: James Beard
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy

(image: Fr Moses McPherson. Credit: BBC/Lucy Ash)


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg72crl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zsslqcr6jb6)
Iran names interim leaders following death of Supreme Leader

Iran's interim leadership council has been named following the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel attack. In Israel nine people have been killed by retaliatory strikes from Tehran.

(Photo: Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2026. CREDIT: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg72hhq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 Newshour (w172zsslqcr6n2b)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg72m7v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztr10yhq7m9)
Live Sporting Action

There’s another huge game in the English Premier League title race on Sunday, and Sportsworld will have full commentary of the leaders Arsenal at home to Chelsea. The former Cameroon defender Seb Bassong joins Delyth Lloyd to look ahead to the game and react to the day’s three other games.

With Italian clubs struggling in the Champions League, EuroStars looks at why Serie A teams appear to be falling behind the rest of Europe, and we also look ahead to the final games of the SheBelieves Cup.

There will also be reaction to the final round of Super 8 games at the Men’s T20 World Cup, and we look ahead to the start of the new Formula One season.

Photo: Trevoh Chalobah of Chelsea scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg7337c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnn2h7r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg736zh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72xg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg73bqm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zsslqcr7h97)
Attacks continue after death of Iran's supreme leader

Israel has said it has dealt a "severe blow" to Iran's command and control centres as it continues to strike the country. Iran's retaliations have led to casualties across the region. In the meantime, President Trump has said he is open to talking to Iran's new interim leaders.

We hear the latest from the ground in Tehran, talk to an Israeli MP and an economist about the impact on oil prices as shipping comes to a standstil in the Strait of Hormuz.

(Photo: a supporter of deceased Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini holds its picture at a rally in Lebanon. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg73ggr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwllnnn2vh4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tstr4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70vc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx4jg73l6w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7039)
Is cutting methane the quick way to cool the planet?

Methane is much more powerful than carbon dioxide and emissions are still rising. So what can we do to tackle the human-made sources of this greenhouse gas? And could this buy us time to get to grips with climate change?

It's a topic which many Climate Question listeners have been contacting us about. So in this episode Hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar put some of your questions and comments to Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Sciences at University College London.

What makes methane so powerful? Is meat production to blame? And what about leaks and gas-flaring in the fossil fuel industry?

Got a question or comment, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Production team: Simon Watts, Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock
Sound Engineers: Tom Brignell and James Piper
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Editor: Simon Watts


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxyz5tsyh8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 today]

MONDAY 02 MARCH 2026

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj7k75)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3xxhk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty1)
Does new science get us closer to finding out how life on earth began?

Perhaps it’s the biggest question science has left to answer, how did life begin? Now, molecular biologists in Cambridge university have discovered tiny molecules of RNA which they say might provide some clues. Science journalist and author Philip Ball explains what we know and whether we’ll ever find the origins of life on earth.

Professor Michael Wooldridge has given this year’s Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize lecture. He speaks to Tom Whipple about why the AI we have is not what he wanted it to be; rational. And science columnist at the Financial Times Anj Ahuja brings her favourite new science to discuss.

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

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


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj7nz9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy71zp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3y17p)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6sxc)
The Life Scientific: Julia Simner

Imagine if you were listening to an opera or a Taylor Swift concert, and as the lights in the auditorium dimmed, the music was accompanied by a rainbow of colours only you could see. Perhaps while listening to your friends talking, you simultaneously experience a smorgasbord of tastes, with different words evoking different flavours, maybe a delicious ice cream, or something as disgusting as ear wax...
This merging of the senses is known as synaesthesia, and it’s the rich research world of neuropsychologist Professor Julia Simner. Julia runs the Multisense lab at the University of Sussex and has pioneered research into understanding how special brains process our sensory world in special ways. In the studio she tests Jim to see if he might be a synaesthete or have aphantasia, which is the inability to view images in the mind’s eye. The results are surprising.
Julia’s discovered links to autism, and to different personality types, as well as a number of previously unknown sensory differences.
She describes her career and her life as a series of swerves, or sliding door moments, that have led her to study the subject and the people she’s passionate about. She says that the more she looks for these unusual traits in us the more she finds.


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj7sqf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy75qt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3y4zt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sv3)
How can we save the Great Barrier Reef?

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest and most complex natural ecosystems on earth, and it’s home to over 600 species of coral – marine animals that are most closely related to jellyfish.

But the coral is under threat, with climate change, ocean acidification and marine heatwaves endangering the reef and the many iconic animals that depend on it. CrowdScience listener Felix, aged 9, wants to know what we’re doing to protect it, and presenter Caroline Steel is on the case.

In this special edition of CrowdScience, we follow scientists from Australia’s Institute of Marine Science as they attempt to restore the reef with baby corals that they’ve nurtured in experimental tanks at their Sea Simulator facility on the country’s northeast coast.

This experiment kicked off in December, as the researchers recreated the annual mass coral spawning event in controlled conditions, manipulating temperature, pH, light, and nutrients to breed coral baby that they can then use to reseed damaged sections of reef.

After loading up a lorry full of corals and waving it goodbye, Caroline heads north for a rendezvous at dawn, as the corals are loaded onto a boat in Cairns. She travels across the coral sea with marine biologists from AIMS, and is on hand as the corals are introduced to their new home in the ocean.

This is just the beginning - a proof of principle. In future years, the scientists are hoping to reseed heat-tolerant corals, and to scale up and automate this work. But even then, is the scale of the problem too big? Can we restore a reef area the size of Japan, or is it too late?

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Marnie Chesterton

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Orange-lined triggerfish by coral in beautiful blue water - stock photo. Credit: treetstreet/Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj7xgk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct5tvx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3y8qy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70vc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj816p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy7f72)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3ydh2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct70b3)
Pregnancy by numbers

Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women in Pakistan and America who use numbers to help others understand and take control of their pregnancies - by unpacking the data.

Emily Oster is a bestselling author and leading expert on pregnancy, championing a data-based approach and unpacking studies and advice for mothers. She is also Professor of Economics at Brown University in America.

Maryam Mustafa is a computer scientist based in Pakistan, which has one of the worst rates of maternal mortality in the world. She has built an AI app that can equip mothers-to-be with the information they need to stay safe.

Producer: Hannah Sander

(Image: (L) Dr Emily Oster, credit Aisha McAdams. (R) Dr Maryam Mustafa, credit Maryam Mustafa.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj84yt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5y6jzd)
Trump says Iran strikes could continue for at least four weeks

In a message to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, President Trump said they should surrender or face certain death, which he warned would not be pretty.

We also hear from Iranians about what could come next for the country in the wake of these attacks that killed many senior officials including the Supreme Leader - Ali Khamenei.

Israel has also launched strikes on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in Beirut, with reports of ten dead. We'll bring you up to date.

(Photo: Smoke rises behind buildings after an explosion on the second consecutive day of strikes by the US and Israel. Credit: AbedinTaherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj88py)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5y6nqj)
US-Israel strikes in Iran continue as conflict widens

Donald Trump warns "there will likely be more" American casualties after US confirmed deaths of three servicemen. Israel pledges to intensify attacks on Iran, as Trump says the US military campaign could last weeks.

Crude oil prices have spiked in Asian energy markets following the uncertainty faced by cargo vessels in the Strait of Hormuz through which around twenty per cent of the world's oil passes.

(Photo: Smoke rises after Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon. Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj8dg2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5y6sgn)
Trump says Iran strikes to continue until ‘all’ goals achieved

US Central Command earlier said three US service members have been killed in action and five "seriously wounded" as Donald Trump warns "there will likely be more" American casualties.

Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire after Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel.

Iranian officials have reported at least 153 people were killed after a strike on a girls' school, with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian calling the incident a "barbaric act".

(Photo: Smoke rises in central Tehran after an Israeli attack in Iran, 1 March 2026; Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj8j66)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5y6x6s)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3ywgl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rz1)
Weight-loss drugs. Who pays?

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro are reshaping the treatment of obesity — and transforming the global pharmaceutical market.

Originally developed to treat type-2 diabetes, these injectable medicines — including semaglutide and tirzepatide — are now widely prescribed for weight loss, with growing evidence they can also reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

But in the United States, access to GLP-1 drugs often depends on insurance coverage — and on who can afford to pay.

In this first episode of a three-part Business Daily series on the global weight-loss economy, Sam Fenwick examines the real cost of obesity drugs in the U.S. healthcare system.

How much do GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro actually cost? Are they cost-effective in the long term? And can insurers and employers afford to provide them to millions of Americans living with obesity?

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

Produced and presented by Sam Fenwick

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, CEO of Canva Melanie Perkins, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Picture: Person standing on weighing scales. Credit: Press Association)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct747j)
Sweden’s diplomatic freeze with the USA

Outraged by the Christmas bombings of Hanoi in 1972 by the USA during the Vietnam War, the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme made a critical speech.

He compared the US’s actions to several massacres from history, including the killing of hundreds of thousands of Jews at the Treblinka Concentration Camp by the Nazis.

President Richard Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger reacted by recalling their ambassador and refusing to accept the Swedish counterpart.

Jan Ellisson was the first person to see the speech in the Swedish embassy in Washington and spent the next 15 months working to re-establish relations.

He has been speaking to Tim O’Callaghan.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, who made the speech about the Hanoi bombings. Credit: Sjöberg Bildbyrå/ullstein bild via Getty Images)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj8myb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy80yq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3z06q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sv3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj8rpg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71x6)
Blood diamonds and the meeting between Florence Nightingale and Aga Khan III

We begin with the trial of the former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor. It was claimed that he traded in arms and ammunition in return for so-called blood diamonds.

Our guest, gemmologist James Evans discusses the creation of synthetic diamonds.

Next we head to Syria where a group of young men in the besieged town of Darayya came together to build a secret library during the civil war.

Plus the start of the Second World War in the Pacific when Japanese troops landed in what was then northern Malaya.

We hear about a meeting between two of the most prominent figures in history from around the turn of the last century. Florence Nightingale and the Aga Khan, Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah.

Our sporting story takes us back to the summer of 1952 when the first Olympics of the Cold War era took place. Czechoslovakian army officer Emil Zatopek achieved a unique feat.

And finally, the moment when Spain's fledgling democratic government appeared to be under threat.

Contributors:

Brenda Hollis - Chief prosecutor at the Charles Taylor trial.
Malik Alrifaii - Volunteer who helped run the Syrian library.
Dorothy Variyan -Lived under Japanese rule during the occupation of the Malay peninsula.
Aga Khan III, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah - BBC archive interview from 1950.
Richard Asquith - Emil Zatopek's biographer.
Joaquin Almunia - Former Vice President of the European Commission

Presenter: Max Pearson

(Photo: Charles Taylor (rear C) appears in court in 2006. Credit: Rob Keeris/Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj8wfl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy88fz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3z7pz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct717v)
What next for Iran?

This weekend, Iranian state media confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran with an iron fist for more than 30 years, had been killed in joint US-Israeli strikes. In Iran, his death was met with an outpouring of grief by his supporters, while many across the country and in the diaspora met the news with jubilation and a tentative sense of hope. But what happens now?

President Trump has urged Iranians to “seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach,” but how realistic are the prospects of them forming a new – and significantly different - government? And how will the weakened regime retaliate against the US and Israel’s strikes?

Caroline Hawley, Diplomatic Correspondent for the BBC, joins us to discuss.

Producers: Hannah Moore, Aron Keller and Chris Benderev

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A woman holds an image of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters.


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj905q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wr2)
Secret letters from a Venetian palazzo

A story of passionate letters, written partly in code, that both divided and brought together four people from leading Venetian families. In the 1750s, Andrea Memmo and Giustiniana Wynne were deeply in love but their different social standing stopped them from even being seen in public together. Marriage was out of the question. To arrange their frequent assignations, Andrea and Giustiniana had to resort to coded letters, hand-delivered by faithful servants.

Count Alvise di Robilant, a 20th-Century descendant of Memmo, found and deciphered the lovers' letters but was murdered before he could publish them. His son Andrea, to whom it fell to finish the project, tells us how the letters brought him closer to his father, to his 18th-Century ancestor and to the city of Venice itself.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Radek Boschetty

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

(Photo: A collage of four photos, clockwise from top left: the facade of Palazzo Mocenigo in Venice, portrait of Andrea di Robilant, Alvise di Robilant looking out to the sea, portrait of Alvise di Robilant. Credit: Andrea di Robilant/Getty Images)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct747j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj93xv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy8hy7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3zh67)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct70b3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj97nz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1fd7l)
US-Israel war with Iran: Strikes continue

We hear from Lebanon and head to the Persian Gulf to take a look at the impact on oil prices. Israel's Head of State, President Isaac Herzog speaks to the BBC about his perspective on the conflict.

Also on the programme: we hear about the British allied response to the war as Cyprus remains on high alert and Greece sends military vessels and aircraft to help.

(Photo: Aftermath of an Israeli & US strike in Gandhi Hotel Hospital in Tehran Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj9cf3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x11)
Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN deputy director for women: Africa must prioritise water over war

“Africa is flowing with resources from oil, diamonds, critical minerals. But at times we find that in our cities, at the bus stations, there's no toilets with running water in a continent which is rich with possibilities. So it's how that intentionality, that political will, to put resources to what matters most.”

Daniel Dadzie speaks to Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN deputy director for women, about the need for Africa to focus on the priorities of its people, such as water and sanitation.

The interview took place at the African Union summit in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia, where the theme was: “Ensuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems.” It’s part of Agenda 2063 - the organisation’s 50-year strategic framework. But Gumbonzvanda says these things can’t wait fifty years, and that they need to be a priority for African leaders now.

In her role as deputy lead for UN Women, she is also increasingly concerned by the stories she’s been hearing from the women of Sudan, where the civil war continues to rage. She says that regional bodies and the UN are not doing enough to protect the war-torn country’s women and children.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Taiwan’s cyber ambassador Audrey Tang, author Sir Salman Rushdie, and South African health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. 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: Daniel Dadzie
Producers: Albert Kirui, Brian Khisa, and Clare Williamson
Editor: Damon Rose

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

(Image: Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for The Ford Foundation)


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg3zqph)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct886v)
Iran: War in Middle East rattles global markets

Airlines have grounded flights, one of the world’s busiest airports has shut, and oil prices are climbing after strikes in the Middle East. We hear from investors and analysts as they react in real-time to the US-Israel war with Iran. And we find out how the disruption is affecting air passengers and the wider travel industry.

Plus - we learn how the insurance market is responding to fast-moving events as it assesses coverage and war risk premiums.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj9h57)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxcc96)
Iran hits Gulf sites as US and Israel bomb Iran

The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said the US is carrying out a devastating mission in Iran aimed at destroying its missiles, its navy and its nuclear ambitions. He said it would not be an endless war, but refused to give a timeframe. Meanwhile, US and Israeli planes are continuing to pound Iran, with huge explosions heard in the Iranian capital. In response, Iranian drones and missiles are continuing to strike America's regional allies.

We get the latest from our correspondents in Israel and the US.

Colleagues from BBC Persian and BBC Verify will explain what they have been able to uncover about the situation inside Iran.

We also hear from ordinary Israelis and Iranians living abroad about how the war is affecting their lives and those of their families.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon

(Photo: US-Israeli attacks continue in Iran, Tehran. 2 Mar 2026. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj9lxc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxch1b)
Regional impact of US-Israel war with Iran

President Trump has said the US military is continuing to carry out large-scale combat operations against Iran to destroy what he described as the threat from its government. US and Israeli planes are continuing to pound Iran, with huge explosions heard in the Iranian capital. Our security correspondent and our chief international correspondent answer audience questions about the developments.

In response, Iranian drones and missiles are continuing to strike America's regional allies. We speak to two journalists in the region.

Qatar's state-owned energy company, QatarEnergy, says it has halted the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Iranian drone strikes on some of its key facilities. We also speak to our correspondent in Doha about the impact of the war on the global economy.

Israeli strikes have also again hit parts of the Lebanese capital, with plumes of smoke rising above Beirut's southern suburbs. We speak to our correspondent there.

Adressing the parliament today the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that the UK was not joining the US and Israel's offensive strikes but explained why he has given the US permission to use British bases. We speak to our political correspondent.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon.

(Photo: Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon - 02 Mar 2026. Credit: WAEL HAMZEH/EPA)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj9qnh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wr2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct747j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqj9vdm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy97f0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg406p0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z6d)
2026/03/02 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 (w172zwx4wqj9z4r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg40bf4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6sxd)
The Life Scientific: Pierre Friedlingstein

The COP30 climate summit is taking place in the Brazilian city of Belém, a gateway to the Amazon rainforest, which continues to face widespread deforestation. We all know that our climate is changing and that we are largely responsible for this, but we can’t tackle the problem unless we understand what’s going on.

One scientist who’s done more than most to rectify this is Professor Pierre Friedlingstein. He’s a prominent climate scientist and Chair in Mathematical Modelling of the Climate System at Exeter University. His models have transformed our understanding of climate change, revealing a complex dynamical system with carbon at its centre, cycling between the atmosphere, oceans and land, to directly influence the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Pierre is actively involved in assessing the state of our climate through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and, as director of the Global Carbon Budget, estimates the remaining amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted before we breach our global climate targets. It’s the ultimate test of effective climate action and the latest annual update will be released at COP.

Pierre explains how we can all play our part to reduce carbon emissions, and he practises what he preaches - he won’t be flying to COP this year so as to minimise his own carbon footprint.


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjb2ww)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1g7gh)
US continues 'large-scale operations' in Iran

President Donald Trump says the US continues to carry out "large-scale combat operations" in Iran to eliminate threats posed by the Iranian regime. As explosions thunder across the Iranian capital, we hear from a journalist in Tehran.

Also on the programme: the conflict spreading into Lebanon and across the Gulf, and why one Trump-supporting American commentator believes this war of choice was a mistake.

(Photo: President Donald Trump attends a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC. Credit: Reuters)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjb6n0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy9lnd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg40kxd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76v6)
What the US-Israel war with Iran means for global trade

The conflict has caused the closure of shipping lanes, with up to a fifth of global energy and as much as a third of other commercial shipping impacted.

Thousands of flights have also been suspended, with airports as well as refineries the target of Iranian attacks.

We get reaction to the latest developments.

(Picture: A traveller looks at a departures board displaying a cancelled Qatar Airways flight for Doha, amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, at Terminal 8 at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City, U.S., March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Bing Guan. Credit:).


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjbbd4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x11)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:06 today]


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg40pnj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct70b3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

TUESDAY 03 MARCH 2026

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjbg48)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71x6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjbkwd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xy9yws)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg40y4s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct717v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjbpmj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyb2mx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg411wx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcz)
Can Syria’s Kurds save their women’s revolution?

For 14 years, while Syria was divided by civil war, Kurds in the north-east of the country tried to build a new democratic society, with equality for men and women – an inspiration for feminists around the world. But now, the Kurdish autonomous area, Rojava, is coming back under the control of a central government that’s now run by former Islamists.

Reporter Tim Whewell asks whether Rojava’s rare social experiment - including all-women fighting units – will survive? He interviews Kurdish women, including the young co-mayor of one of the area’s main cities, who’s determined to continue her work, and learns about the origins of Rojava’s unusual system. He also talks to a woman who says she and her family witnessed the killing in January this year of unarmed Kurdish men, by fighters supporting the central government. As such allegations multiply, many Kurds are nervous about their future in a united Syria.

Local reporters/producers: Sangar Khaleel, Mustafa al-Ali, Khabat Abbas
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: A young fighter in the YPJ (Kurdish Women’s Protection Units) Credit: Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjbtcn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wr2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct747j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjby3s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xybb45)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg419d5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvt)
Kwan Pun Leung: The image creator of nature

Shan Ng follows acclaimed Hong Kong and Taiwan cinematographer Kwan Pun Leung as he creates a new music video, Fragile Love. Known for his work on landmark films including In the Mood for Love and 2046, Kwan has built a reputation for crafting deeply poetic and emotionally resonant images.

Across a career spanning decades, Kwan has developed a distinctive creative philosophy that places intuition and responsiveness at the centre of cinematography. Rather than focusing solely on the technical, he views filmmaking as a collaborative process with actors, directors and the natural environment. Light, movement and atmosphere are not simply tools but his partners in shaping meaning.

As he films and edits the music video, Kwan reflects on how some of cinema’s most memorable images emerge from relinquishing control. For him, cinematography is not simply about capturing reality, but allowing unexpected moments to shape the emotional language of the frame.

A Vaticinate Pictures production for BBC World Service


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjc1vx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5y9fwh)
Iran launches air attacks on Israel and several Gulf countries

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says "the hardest hits" on Iran are "yet to come" adding he would not "give away details of our tactical efforts".

Fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed forces of Hezbollah in Lebanon also appears to be escalating, with Israel ordering the evacuation of the capital Beirut.

Iran has continued to launch air attacks. Two drones have hit the US Embassy in the Saudi capital Riyadh. We'll ask how the president who pledged to remove America from 'forever wars' is being seen by his supporters now.

(Photo: Vehicles move along a road as smoke billows from Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery after a reported Iranian drone strike; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjc5m1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5y9kmm)
Rubio: The hardest hits on Iran are 'yet to come'

Iran has launched night-time air attacks on Israel and several Gulf countries, hitting the US embassy in Riyadh.

The American secretary of state Marco Rubio says the US will intensify its operations against Iran.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has issued evacuation orders to people in Beirut’s southern suburbs and in dozens of villages.

We get the thought of a former US national security adviser in the first Trump administration on what next and go live to Lebanon.

(Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gets ready to speak to the media before a classified briefing with lawmakers at the US Capitol in Washington. Credit: Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjc9c5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5y9pcr)
Israel launches fresh strikes on Tehran and Beirut

The US embassy in Riyadh has been hit by two drones, and Iranian state media says a command and staff building at a US air base in Bahrain has been destroyed.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says "the hardest hits" on Iran are "yet to come" adding he would not "give away details of our tactical efforts".

(Photo: Smoke and fire rise from a vehicle following an explosion at an unknown location; Credit:X/Reuters)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjcf39)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xz0)
Super seagrass

Seagrass meadows are one of the world’s most valuable underwater habitats. As well as providing food and shelter to thousands of species, seagrass is also known for its ability to store carbon and improve water quality, making it a powerful natural solution to tackle the impacts of climate change. But so much of the once thriving plant has disappeared from our planet. We visit North America’s eastern seaboard where scientists are looking at how a technique called ‘assisted gene flow’ is helping seagrass adapt and survive in warming waters. And we travel to a river estuary in northeast England to find out how local people are trying to regrow these lost meadows.

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: Cordelia Hemming
Reporters: Ben Wyatt and Leigh Jones
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Editor: Jon Bithrey


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg41scp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s82)
The worldwide weight-loss revolution

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound are reshaping the treatment of obesity around the world. But even when these medicines are judged “cost-effective”, access often depends on who can afford to pay.

In the second episode of our Business Daily series on the global weight-loss economy, Sam Fenwick examines how different countries are funding — or rationing — access to these high-priced injections.

In England, the state's National Health System says the drugs offer good value for money, and yet rollout is being phased in slowly because of cost and capacity pressures. In the United Arab Emirates, most patients rely on private insurance or pay out of their own pockets. And in India, where obesity is rising fast, affordability remains a major barrier, although lower-cost generics may soon change that.

If these medicines can prevent diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, they might save health systems money in the long run. But right now, governments, insurers and patients are grappling with the same question: Can we afford the weight-loss revolution?

Produced and presented by Sam Fenwick

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

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small start-up 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 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, CEO of Canva Melanie Perkins, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Photo: A man gets his waist measured. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74p3)
Elvis visits Scotland

In 1960, as he headed home from military service, the King of Rock ’n’ Roll made an unexpected stop at Prestwick Airport.

It's believed to be the only time Elvis Presley is known to have set foot on British soil.

It was only a brief visit, but for 16-year-old Anne Murphy, watching him walk down the airplane steps is a memory that has never faded.

More than six decades later, she tells Megan Jones what it was like to see Elvis up close.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Elvis at Prestwick Airport, with Anne Murphy looking up at him. Credit: The Hollywood Archive/Alamy)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjcjvf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xybxvt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg41x3t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjcnlk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjcsbp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyc5c2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg424m2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71dc)
Iran war: Chaos engulfs the Gulf

The Gulf states are some of the wealthiest places on earth, and have until recently been mostly insulated from Middle East conflicts. But the US-Israel war with Iran is now engulfing the Gulf.

The BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner joins us to discuss whether this is a moment that could change the entire region and affect all of us.

Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Xandra Ellin
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Smoke billows from Jebel Ali port in Dubai after an Iranian attack. Credit: Raghed Waked/Reuters.


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjcx2t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5r)
The rediscovered tapes of an electronic music pioneer

In 1986, American musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland went to a remote cabin in the Canadian wilderness to write a record. Composed on early digital equipment, the result was a short, experimental and oddly hypnotic album of six songs called Keyboard Fantasies. A few hundred cassettes were made, around 50 sold, and the rest were put in a box where they would stay for decades. Thirty years later, a Japanese record collector heard the tape by chance and was transfixed. He got in touch with the artist, who was by then going by Glenn after having transitioned in the mid-90s, and asked if he could share it. Those songs, which were composed in isolation soon began to travel, eventually finding thousands of devoted fans across the world and turning Glenn into an unlikely cult icon. Today, at 82 and with a recent dementia diagnosis, he is still writing and performing music. With his wife and creative collaborator Elizabeth, he spoke to Outlook’s Zoe Gelber about becoming a late-blooming star.

Marine ecologist Dr Pia Winberg has spent her life championing one of the planet’s most overlooked organisms: seaweed. It has a multitude of uses, from cleaning up and quietly restoring damaged ecosystems to being an important source of nutrition. But Pia's passion focussed on what seaweed could do for human skin. She started her own research project, extracting and purifying seaweed gels in a small factory on the coast of New South Wales, Australia. Pretty soon, her work caught the attention of a pioneering burns surgeon, Professor Fiona Wood, who was interested in how seaweed gels might help to promote wound healing in her patients – and Pia was more than happy to help. In 2019, while scaling up production in her factory, Pia suffered a devastating industrial accident that left her with severe injuries to her scalp. But, in a remarkable twist, the very gel she had been developing became part of her own recovery.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producers: Zoe Gelber and Marcia Veiga

(Photo: Glenn Copeland, smiling and laughing. Credit: Wade Muir)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74p3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjd0ty)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xycdvb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg42d3b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjd4l2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1j94p)
Fresh Israeli strikes on Iran

As loud explosions continue to be heard across Tehran there are reports that many residents are trying to flee the capital by car while others are stocking up on essential supplies. Israel says it's bombed Iran's presidential office and the US claims to have destroyed command facilities and missile launch sites across the country. Iran has threatened to open the gates of hell as it retaliates.

Also, Leaked photo, hot tub, and Pizzagate - video of Clintons' testimony on Epstein ties released.

And discovering your old painting was actually a masterpiece by Rembrandt!


(Photo: A street in Tehran this morning following a blast at a police station. Credit: Reuters)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjd8b6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg42mll)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s82)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct888x)
Strait talking: Energy markets rocked as conflict intensifies

Natural gas prices spike in Europe after Qatar closes its LNG base. Meanwhile the Strait of Hormuz closure sends crude oil higher and its importance in the shipment of fertiliser ingredients could have major effects on global crop production this year, the boss of Yara says.


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjdd2b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxg869)
Israel says ground troops advance in Lebanon

Israel's defence minister says ground troops will "advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon" in order to stop attacks. We bring you the latest and speak to people being displaced in Lebanon.

We also look at other elements of the US-Israel war with Iran. Our coverage includes our correspondent answering listener questions and walking over to our Verify team who are looking at the latest videos. Our correspondent in Doha will also tell us about the regional impact of the war.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon.

(Photo: Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, March 3, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Azakir)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjdhtg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxgcyf)
Israel attacks presidential office in Tehran

We bring you the latest on the US-Israel war with Iran, as strikes continue. Our coverage includes hearing from Iranians around the world and our business correspondent will explain why oil and gas prices continue to rise as the conflict intensifies.

Israel's defence minister says ground troops will "advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon" in order to stop attacks. We bring you the latest from our correspondents there.

And we also hear from US President Donald Trump speaking in the White House.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon.

(Photo: Smoke rises after an airstrike in central Tehran, Iran, 03 March 2026. Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjdmkl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74p3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjdr9q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyd4b3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg433l3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zbx)
2026/03/03 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 (w172zwx4wqjdw1v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rcz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg437b7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zq6)
Quantum computers are coming - do we need ethical guidelines?

Quantum computing promises revolutionary new discoveries. But tech revolutions can be messy. Is now the time to start thinking about how we ethically use quantum machines?

Also, we find out how glass can be turned into useful data storage that will last for thousands of years. And what can science fiction tell us about our spacefaring future?

Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: An image of a quantum computer inside a high-tech facility. The computer has metallic silver and gold-coloured tubing to assist in cooling. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjdzsz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1k4cl)
President Trump says Iran's leadership and military have been devastated

President Trump says both Iran's leadership and military have been knocked out by US and Israeli attacks on day four of the war. We'll bring you the latest and hear from Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister as Israel pursues the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia; and how might Gulf states react if Iran continues to attack them?




(An explosion in Tehran, Iran as US/Israeli attacks continue. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjf3k3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xydhkh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg43gth)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76ch)
Trump: US Navy could escort tankers through Hormuz

President Trump says the US Navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz "if necessary", after shipping traffic almost entirely halted through the key sea passage following Iranian threats to "set fire" to ships. We hear the latest on shipping in the region.

We also head to Lebanon as hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah continue to escalate. What does this mean for the future of the country?

And OpenAI says it’s rewriting parts of what it calls an “opportunistic and sloppy” deal with the US government over the use of its AI in classified military operations.

(PHOTO: Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo).


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjf797)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg43lkm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

WEDNESDAY 04 MARCH 2026

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjfc1c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjfgsh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xydvsw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg43v1w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71dc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjfljm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xydzk0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg43yt0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7039)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjfq8r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74p3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjfv0w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyf718)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg44698)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8yw5)
The Darkest Web

3. The hidden child

US Special Agents Greg and Pete are desperate. Somewhere in America a twelve year old girl, who they have called Lucy, is being sexually abused. Her abuser has been sharing images of his abuse for six years on the dark web. They have to find her - and save her.

They were convinced that Facebook would be able to help them using its facial recognition technology, but the tech giant is unable to help. So they go back to the start, examining every single thing they can see in the room she is being abused in: the sofa, the bed and then finally they wonder what they might discover if they look at the room itself, specifically the exposed brick wall. Is there any way someone could identify these bricks? And could that person help them to find Lucy?

Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

This podcast includes some upsetting scenes, discussions of child sexual abuse, and there’s some strong language.

For further information on the issues raised in the programme, contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Reporter and Presenter: Sam Piranty
Writer and Producer: Annabel Deas
Script advice: Matt Willis
Sound design: Neil Churchill
Composer: Rob Lewis
Executive Producer: Rebecca Henschke
Commissioning Senior Producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning Editor: Jon Manel


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjfys0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5ydbsl)
Israel launches new strikes on Iran

Israel says it is carrying out a fresh wave of strikes in Iran. Earlier it said it had carried out attacks on Iran's "leadership compound". Meanwhile the United States says it's struck nearly two thousand targets in Iran and has sunk much of the Iranian navy. President Trump told reporters at the White House that "everything's been knocked out in Iran".

Meanwhile in Lebanon Israel continues to target what it describes as Iran-backed Hezbollah positions. The strikes on Lebanon have forced thousands of people to flee their homes. Urgent warnings to more than a dozen villages in southern and eastern Lebanon were issued early this morning telling people there to evacuate ahead of imminent strikes. We speak to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

And we continue to monitor the effect this conflict is having on the stock markets and Asian stock markets are seeing dramatic falls. South Korea is having an especially tough time. Its Kospi exchange briefly halted trading after stocks fell by more than eight per cent.


Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: A view of a damaged building around Ferdowsi Square after an airstrike in central Tehran, Iran. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA).


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjg2j4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5ydgjq)
Israel launches "a broad wave of strikes" on Iran

Israel says it is carrying out a fresh wave of strikes in Iran. Earlier it said it had carried out attacks on Iran's "leadership compound". Meanwhile the United States says it's struck nearly two thousand targets in Iran and has sunk much of the Iranian navy. President Trump told reporters at the White House that "everything's been knocked out in Iran".

We get a reaction to what's going on in Iran from its diaspora. Some opposed to the current regime in Iran advocate for the return of the son of the last Shah, Reza Pahlavi. We speak to one of his advisers.

And we continue to monitor the effect this conflict is having on the stock markets and Asian stock markets are seeing dramatic falls. South Korea is having an especially tough time. Its Kospi exchange briefly halted trading after stocks fell by more than eight per cent.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: The national flag of Iran flies in the wind as debris lies scattered in the aftermath of an Israeli and U.S. strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters).


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjg688)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5ydl8v)
Israel launches new wave of 'extensive strikes' on Iran

Israel says it has launched a new wave of "extensive strikes" on Iranian infrastructure. Meanwhile the United States says it's struck nearly two thousand targets in Iran since the war broke out and has sunk much of the Iranian navy. President Trump told reporters at the White House that "everything's been knocked out in Iran". We speak to a diplomat with the Israeli foreign ministry.

As US-Israeli attacks continue, the United Nations nuclear watchdog says ‘no radiological consequence expected’ after entrances to underground nuclear site damaged. We speak to an Iranian nuclear specialist.

Meanwhile in Lebanon Israel continues to target what it describes as Iran-backed Hezbollah positions. The strikes on Lebanon have forced thousands of people to flee their homes. Urgent warnings to more than a dozen villages in southern and eastern Lebanon were issued early this morning telling people there to evacuate ahead of imminent strikes.

Presenter: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: A woman walks on the street following an Israeli and U.S. strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran. Credit:
Majid Asgaripour/Reuters).


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjgb0d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7t)
Guillermo del Toro, director: I only make movies for art

“I have never made a movie I didn't believe was necessary for me or for someone in the world, whether to entertain or to connect at a spiritual level or something. It's been only done for the art.”

John Wilson speaks to Oscar-winning Mexican director, screenwriter, and producer, Guillermo del Toro about his life and career.

Born in Guadalajara in 1964, his life suddenly changed at the age of five after his father, then a motorcycle racer, won the lottery. While his parents travelled the world with the winnings, del Toro was raised at home by his Catholic great aunt, a deeply religious figure who exposed him to concepts including purgatory and sin.

Fascinated and frightened in equal measure, it piqued his interest in the supernatural, leading him to seek out books and films on the genre. And when his father presented him with a video camera a few years later, the two interests combined and set the young del Toro on a path to becoming an Oscar winner renowned for making films that mix fantasy, horror, and Gothic romance, to create modern fairy tales.

Thank you to the This Cultural Life team 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 education campaigner Malala Yousafzai, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, and artificial intelligence pioneer Mustafa Suleyman. 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: John Wilson
Producers: Ben Cooper and Edwina Pitman
Editor: Damon Rose

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

(Image: Guillermo del Toro. Credit: Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg44p8s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sdl)
Are weight-loss drugs reshaping business?

In the final episode of our series on the weight-loss drug boom, we explore how the global surge in demand for obesity medications could be reshaping the business landscape. From established companies rethinking their business models, to start-ups seeking to capitalise on shifting consumer habits, the ripple effects are already being felt across several industries.

We also examine what the future may hold for the weight-loss market and the wider economy, as this sector continues to grow and evolve.

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

Producer/presenter: Hannah Mullane

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, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the AI boom, 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, CEO of Canva Melanie Perkins, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Photo: Close-up of a woman's hand shopping for yoghurt along the dairy aisle in supermarket, reading the nutrition label on the pot. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74rc)
Portugal’s worst train disaster

On 11 September 1985 in Mangualde, central Portugal, an express train collided head-on with a regional train killing an estimated 150 people.

The impact destroyed both engines and the leaking diesel caught fire. Many of the bodies were unidentifiable after passengers who survived the collision were trapped in the wreckage and unable to escape the blaze and toxic fumes.

An inquiry found both trains had been allowed to use the same single track line when the express should have had priority. A station master who realised the mistake was unable to contact the drivers in time.

Most of the victims’ remains are buried in a mass grave near the disaster site and a small chapel has now been built where memorial services take place every year.

Jacqueline Paine speaks to former voluntary fire station Commander Américo Borges who was one of the first on the scene.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Monument in memory of the Alcafache accident. Credit: Vitor Oliveira)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjgfrj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyftrx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg44t0x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7039)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjgkhn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct8yxm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjgp7s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyg285)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg451j5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gm)
Iran under attack: The view from inside

Five days since the first US–Israeli strikes on Iran, and the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the country is once again in a communications blackout. With limited access to reliable information, it is difficult to know how ordinary Iranians are coping.

Parham Ghobadi, senior reporter and presenter at BBC Persian, has been speaking to people inside Iran to guage their fears, their expectations, and how they are navigating a moment that could reshape their country’s future.

Producer: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito and Chris Benderev

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: A woman reacts on the street following an Israeli and US strike on a police station, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency/Reuters)


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjgszx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdn)
I learnt to fly a spaceship in just nine weeks

After the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster, American astronaut Edward Lu had just nine weeks to learn how to fly the Soviet-era Soyuz spacecraft. That's no mean feat: most people take at least a year to accomplish this. And he had to do all his training in the Russian language.

Once he had made it to the International Space Station, how did he cope living in a confined, highly unusual environment with just one other human for six months? What was it like being someone’s best man when the bride and groom were separated by hundreds of kilometres? What did really happen with that ‘Space Shuffle’ card trick? And why did seeing the craters on the Moon prompt Ed to become an asteroid hunter?

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Radek Boschetty

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

(Photo: Astronaut Edward T. Lu is pictured wearing a white Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit in the Quest airlock on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74rc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjgxr1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyg9rf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4590f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8yw5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjh1h5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1m61s)
US strikes Iranian warship off Sri Lankan coast

The Sri Lankan navy says it has rescued 32 people after a distress call from the Iranian IRIS Dena, with around 140 people on board currently missing. We also hear from Iraq's Kurdistan region where reports suggest the US could back the Kurdish armed groups to cross over into Iran in a ground operation.

Also on the programme: the latest from the onflict in the Middle East, with a lineup of who is in the running to take over from Iran's Supreme Leader; the controversial 'Moonies' church that has contravened the law in Japan, and proof that a woman's brain does change during pregnancy.

(Photo: Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam in India on 18 February, 2026. Credit: Associated Press)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjh579)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg45jhp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sdl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88bz)
Crude warning: Energy experts warn Strait of Hormuz closure could force oil price higher

Oil and gas traders took a breath on Wednesday after Trump pledged help in the Strait of Hormuz, but experts say there are still signs the price of crude could break through the $100 mark as hundreds of tankers are anchored and unused in the vital waterway.

Meanwhile, TikTok has told the BBC is won't bring in end-to-end encryption in its popular social media app


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjh8zf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxk53d)
Insights from Iranians in London

We are broadcasting from a Persian restaurant in London, bringing together members of the Iranian community to share their stories — their perspectives on the war and how it’s impacting their families.

As Israel says it has carried out another wave of attacks on Iran, new strikes — apparently launched from Iran — have also been reported in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Also, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean with a torpedo. Our correspondents and regional analysts explain today’s developments in the war.

Presenter: James Reynolds.


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjhdqk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxk8vj)
Insights from Iranians in London

We are broadcasting from a Persian restaurant in London, bringing together members of the Iranian community to share their stories — their perspectives on the war and how it’s impacting their families. As Israel says it has carried out another wave of attacks on Iran, new strikes — apparently launched from Iran — have also been reported in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Also, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean with a torpedo. Our correspondents and regional analysts explain today’s developments in the war. Presenter: James Reynolds.


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjhjgp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74rc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjhn6t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyh176)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg460h6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zf5)
2026/03/04 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 (w172zwx4wqjhryy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7039)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4647b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vks)
Do collagen supplements really do anything?

Collagen supplements have become increasingly popular over recent years. However, a new review has revealed that although taking collagen may rejuvenate the skin, it won’t stop you from getting wrinkles. Dr Ann Robinson, a family doctor, discusses findings on what collagen is actually doing for your skin.

The world is short of nearly a million midwives, a new report in Women and Birth warns. Daniela Drandić, the Head of Advocacy & Communications at the International Confederation of Midwives, is one of the authors of the study and breaks down the reason for this shortage and what could be done to increase numbers. Plus, we hear from Sarah Namyalo, a midwife in Uganda, who is doing her best to serve her community under difficult working conditions.

A protein derived from a tick could lead to new therapies for conditions such as MS and certain cancers. Known as ‘evasins’, these proteins produced by parasites such as ticks block the inflammatory response and could prevent the immune system from overreacting and develop certain diseases.

Gout is a common type of inflammatory arthritis that causes joint pain and swelling but often goes untreated. Journalist Tony Vinyoh was recently diagnosed and treated for gout, and reports on how the disease is managed and perceived in Cameroon. Plus, scientists have developed the first ever fart measuring underwear, revealing that we break wind almost double the amount previously estimated.

Presenter: Laura Foster
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producers: Georgia Christie and Anna Charalambou


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjhwq2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1n18p)
US sub sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.

Washington says it's the first time since the Second World War it's used a torpedo to sink an enemy vessel.

Also on the programme: we gauge the scale of the attacks inside Iran by speaking to a resident in Tehran and verifying video footage; and a look at a new AI model, trained on the DNA of over 100,000 species, that is capable of designing new genomes.

(Photo: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon on 2 March. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjj0g6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyhdgl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg46cql)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76k5)
How are shipping delays at the Strait of Hormuz impacting global business?

The US-Israel war with Iran brought the crisis in global shipping. We hear how it's affecting seafarers and speak to the Head of the International Maritime Organisation.

Also, all provinces in Iraq have experienced a power blackout, which the government has attributed to a technical fault. We get the latest from Baghdad.

And how a bag of money on a runway caused havoc in Bolivia.

(Picture: Shipping containers at the port of Oakland, California. Credit: Reuters)


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjj46b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg46hgq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8yw5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

THURSDAY 05 MARCH 2026

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjj7yg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct8yxm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjjcpl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyhrpz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg46qyz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjjhfq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyhwg3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg46vq3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct93b4)
Forty-eight hours in Isfahan

*** This episode contains scenes of violence and descriptions you may find upsetting ***
Eyewitnesses from a city in Iran describe how armed forces loyal to the Islamic regime killed countless protesters in a lethal crackdown on demonstrations earlier this year. Seen through the eyes of people who were in Isfahan, this programme pieces together a snapshot of events from 8-9 January. That is when huge numbers of people took to the streets to protest decades of oppression and call for an end to the Islamic Republic.

Thousands of people across the country were killed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's armed forces. The regime blamed the bloodshed on what it called rioters and street terrorists backed by the countries enemies. The UN has called for an independent investigation. However, any prospect of clarity about what happened is at risk of being overshadowed by the current conflict engulfing the country. The first waves of US and Israeli military strikes on Iran killed Ali Khamenei. There are reports of hundreds of civilian casualties too on a population that is already paid a heavy human price for standing up to the regime.

(Photo: A protester flashes a victory sign in front of a fire during a demonstration in Shahin Shahr, Isfahan, Iran, on 9 January , 2026. Credit: Nika/Middle East Images/AFP)


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjjm5v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74rc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjjqxz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyj3yc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4736c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zx)
The story of the sandwich

Shattering the myth of its aristocratic origins and exploring some of the boldest creations; Ruth Alexander finds out about the history, culture and family ties wrapped up in the sandwich.

Josh Veasey, co-owner of Rack in North West England talks about his menu’s hits and misses and what it’s like to make a living out of making sandwiches.

The fourth Earl of Sandwich John Montagu is popularly credited with coming up with the idea of putting a tasty filling between two slices of bread; food historian Dr Annie Gray reveals the facts of the matter.

Masterchef Australia finalist and food writer Samira el Khafir talks about some of her favourite Middle Eastern wraps, enduring staples in the region and far beyond.

Ruth discusses the changing fashions for fillings with Barry Enderwick, the California-based creator of the social media channel, Sandwiches of History.

And Ozoz Sokoh, author of Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria, reflects on how the sandwiches of her childhood were shaped by a long history of enslavement and British colonial rule.

Producers: Julia Paul & Lexy O’Connor
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Editor: Sara Wadeson

(Phoro: A smiling dark haired woman holds up a sandwich with a bite taken out of it. Credit: Farkot Architect/Getty Images)

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


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjjvp3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5yh7pp)
US Senate backs Trump's war powers

The US Senate has cleared the way for Donald Trump to continue attacking Iran - rejecting an effort to curb the president's war powers.

The US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has said an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. Based on the ship's documents, 180 people were believed to have been aboard thie Iris Dena. Eighty bodies from the ship where found by rescuers, according to a Sri Lankan defence official. Another 32 were rescued by the Sri Lankan navy.

And in the escalating conflict in South Sudan the government has accused opposition forces of killing 178 civilians in the north of the country. We go live to South Sudan.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.


(Photo: Still image of the moment a US torpedo struck an Iranian naval ship, Iris Dena, in the Indian Ocean. Credit: US Defence Department).


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjjzf7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5yhcft)
Senate backs Trump's war powers

The US Senate has cleared the way for Donald Trump to continue attacking Iran - rejecting an effort to curb the president's war powers.

Meanwhile the Israeli military says Iran has launched several missiles towards Israel in the early hours of Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. We go live to Tel Aviv.

The US military has identified two more service members killed in a drone strike in Kuwait. An unmanned aircraft evaded air defences and hit a command centre in Port Shuaiba on Sunday killing six Americans. We head to Kuwait to hear how the country is dealing with the attacks.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: Iranians pray next a damaged police station building in central Tehran, Iran. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjk35c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5yhh5y)
Israel and Iran launch new strikes

Israel and Iran launch new strikes as the war in the Middle East enters a sixth day. It comes as as the Senate voted against curbing his power to continue the joint military operation with Israel.

The airstrikes on Iran continue - Israel says it has dropped more than 5,000 bombs on Iran and it plans at least one or two more weeks of operations against Tehran.

And the authorities in China have set their lowest economic growth target for decades - we find out more from Beijing.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: An Iranian woman walks next to a damaged police station building in central Tehran, Iran. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA).


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjk6xh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct7240)
How will Spain’s migrant amnesty work?

Half a million people are in Spain without official permission.

They come mainly from Colombia, Peru, Honduras, Paraguay, and Argentina. It’s thought that most outstay their work, student, or tourist visas.

An amnesty to grant them legal status to remain and work is due to start within weeks.

It's a very different approach from most other countries in Europe that have been tightening controls on migration.

The prime minister has admitted “Some say we've gone too far, that we're going against the current”.

Opposition parties argue that this policy puts pressure on public services.

This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: “How will Spain’s migrant amnesty work?”


Contributors:
Ismael Gálvez Iniesta, assistant professor, department of applied economics, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Spain
Donna Cabrera, independent researcher, international migration lecturer, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia
Alana Moceri, international relations professor, IE University, Spain
Joan Monràs, economics professor, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain


Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Daniel Rosney
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: James Bradshaw
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey

(Photo: Pedro Sánchez the Prime Minister of Spain. Credit: NurPhoto / Getty Images)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg47l5w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s3k)
Can the Gulf stay open for business?

From Hollywood adverts fronted by Idris Elba to glittering skylines and global events, Gulf countries have spent decades pitching themselves as stable hubs for international investment.

But as conflict spreads across the Middle East, investors are watching the region more closely.

In this edition of Business Daily, Sam Fenwick investigates whether the Gulf’s carefully built reputation for stability can hold — and what rising geopolitical tensions could mean for foreign investment, business confidence and the region’s economic ambitions.

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

Presenter: Sam Fenwick
Producers: Sarah Rogers, Gideon Long, David Cann and Rebecca Smylie

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, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the AI boom, 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, CEO of Canva Melanie Perkins, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Picture: A green motorway sign points the way to Dubai as smoke rises in the background. Credit: Getty Images)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74kp)
India’s first nuclear test

In May 1974 India successfully detonated its first atomic device. It had been developed in secret with the codename Smiling Buddha.

India called it a peaceful nuclear explosion, though the experimental device was in effect a plutonium bomb.

The test was seen as a triumph of Indian science and technology, but it led to the suspension of international nuclear cooperation with India, and spurred Pakistan to speed up development of its own nuclear bomb.

Dr SK Sikka, who was one of India’s leading nuclear scientists, spoke to Alex Last in 2018 about his role in the secret project.

Dr Sikka died in 2023 at the age of 82.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: A crater showing the aftermath of the nuclear test. Credit: Reuters)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjkbnm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyjqp0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg47py0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct93b4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjkgdr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ytg)
The Media Show: Iran and the bigger story

Events in Iran have led news bulletins, alongside ongoing wars in Ukraine and Sudan. As crises compete for attention, questions are being raised about whether reporting captures a wider shift in global power or centres on immediate developments. Christina Lamb, Chief International Correspondent at The Sunday Times, Aaron Bastani, co-founder of Novara Media, and Sir John Tusa, former Managing Director of the BBC World Service, discuss the media’s role in uncertain times.
The Green Party’s victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election in the north of England, overturning a previously safe Labour seat, has prompted debate about political reporting in the UK. Rachel Cunliffe, Associate Editor at The New Statesman, explains her approach.
At the age of 90, Sir John Tusa has launched a new interview podcast, The Best is Yet to Come, featuring conversations with public figures in their nineties. The series enters a crowded podcast market and raises questions about how older voices are represented in the media.

Production credits
Presenters: Katie Razzall
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Content Producer: Lucy Wai
Researcher: Ruth Waites
Technical Coordinator: Margot Campanaro
Sound: Pat Sissons


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg47tp4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct8yxb)
The women of IS: Part two

What next for the Syrian detention camps and their residents? After the fall of the so-called “caliphate”, tens of thousands of women and children from around the world - followers of the Islamic State group as well as its victims - ended up in a handful of camps in north-eastern Syria. Once run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, those camps are now in the process of being closed down by the Syrian authorities. This three-part series explores the trauma that led to their prolonged existence and how it might affect their future.

In part two, we examine where governments are drawing the line on repatriation, from Britain’s tough stance to Kazakhstan’s model of success.

Contributors: Mina al-Lami, Jiyar Gol, Barry Marston, Clare Denning, Mohammed Al-Jumaily, Bryn Windsor
Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjkl4w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyjz58)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg47yf8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71b3)
Could Iran be the next ‘forever war’?

Following President Donald Trump’s announcement over the weekend that the United States was launching an offensive in Iran alongside the Israeli military, comparisons to past US interventions in the region began to proliferate. Many Americans asked whether this latest military operation would become another ‘forever war’, as the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan came to be called.

We talk to Gordon Correra, security analyst for the BBC, about America’s complicated history of intervention in the Middle East and surrounding region, and ask what these past conflicts might tell us about possible outcomes for the war in Iran.

Producer: Viv Jones, Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A US soldier watches as a statue of Iraq's President Saddam Hussein falls in central Baghdad in 2003. Credit: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjkpx0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyv)
Why a British band toured war-torn Ukraine, twice

It’s a hard sell, playing in a war zone for no money, but Jonny Foster felt people in Ukraine needed a night out more than most.

He is the lead singer of Hardwicke Circus, an indie rock band from Carlisle in the north of England, who toured Ukraine twice last year.

The band believes everyone has a right to enjoy live music and they are comfortable playing in any venue; during lockdown, when all their gigs were cancelled, they toured 15 prisons across the UK.

Their fearless 81-year-old manager, Dave Robinson, always goes on the road with them. He has decades of experience, having toured with Jimi Hendrix and co-founded Stiff Records, a punk-era record label that signed acts such as Elvis Costello, The Pogues, Madness, Motörhead, The Damned, and Kirsty MacColl.

The UK government advises against all but essential travel to Ukraine and half the members of Hardwicke Circus decided not to take the risk, but Jonny, his brother Tom, and Dave found a willing bass player, keyboardist, guitar player, and saxophonist and reformed Hardwicke Circus in time for their charity tour in June. A group of people from around the world who had never played together as a group, they met the night before the first gig in the hotel room and stayed up all night, rehearsing.

They teamed up with a Ukrainian band from Kharkiv, called Okazia. It was Okazia's first tour and their lead singer, Snishka, didn't quite believe it would happen. But the tour went well and they raised money for emergency vehicles which Hardwicke Circus intended to deliver to the front line.

But during the second tour, in winter weather, things started to go wrong…

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Vibeke Venema

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

(Photo: Hardwicke Circus and Okazia performing in Ukraine Credit: Yuri Gryaznov)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74kp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjktn4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyk6nj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg485xj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjkyd8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1q2yw)
Huge explosions reported in Iranian capital

The United States and Israel have carried out a sixth day of attacks. Columns of smoke are towering in the sky in the capital, Tehran, where the Azadi football stadium appears to have been severely damaged. We'll also investigate unconfirmed reports that the US is trying to foment a Kurdish rebellion in the north of Iran.

Also in the programme: people in Nepal have been voting for the first time since last year's "Gen Z" demonstrations, in which dozens of young protesters died; and the drug trials that have had some terrific results for children with the severest epilepsy.



(Photo: People gather on the sides of a road as smoke rises in the background following an explosion, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 5, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via REUTERS)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjl24d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct7240)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg48fds)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s3k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88rc)
Can Gulf countries export oil before storage runs out?

As global oil prices continue to climb, crude oil supplies from Iraq and Kuwait could stop shipping within days if travel through the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually halted.

Plus, China cuts its economic growth forecast to the lowest level since 1991.


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjl5wj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxn20h)
US and Israel step up attacks on Iranian cities

Israel and the United States have intensified their attacks on Iran. In Israel, the military has reported new attacks from Iran, and the UAE says it intercepted six Iranian missiles and 131 drones today. Explosions have also been reported in Qatar and Bahrain. Our correspondents in Israel and Qatar give us the latest.

We also hear from people inside Iran, and we speak to people in the Gulf states about how the war is affecting their daily lives.

Our media specialists from BBC Monitoring explain how the events are being reported by media in Israel and Iran.

Conservative Anglicans meeting in Nigeria’s capital Abuja have pulled back from creating a new leader with the same authority as the Archbishop of Canterbury. But in a challenge to the church in Canterbury they have created a new council which they say will lead the Anglican Communion. Many conservatives are unhappy with the church installing its first woman Archbishop of Canterbury. We hear from Anglican women in Africa.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Smoke rises above the city, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 5 March, 2026. Credit: Reuters)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjl9mn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxn5rm)
Is Europe divided on the war in the Middle East?

Explosions have again been heard in various locations across Iran's capital, and earlier the US and Israel stepped up their strikes across Iran. The EU's Chief Diplomat, Kaja Kallas, says countries in the Middle East have told European officials they are concerned about the risk of civil war in Iran. Our Europe editor, our China analyst and our Russia expert explain the different responses to what is happening in Iran.

Our colleagues from the BBC Persian Service will explain how they are reporting on developments inside Iran. BBC Persian is the Persian language service of BBC News, used by 24 million people around the world - the majority in Iran - despite being blocked and routinely jammed by Iranian authorities.

We hear from parents about a new drug that could transform the lives of their children living with a severe form of epilepsy.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas speaks to the media ahead of an informal video conference of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, 5 March 2026. Credit: Olivier Hoslet/EPA)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjlfcs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74kp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjlk3x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyky49)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg48xd9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z8n)
2026/03/05 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 (w172zwx4wqjlnw1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct93b4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4914f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty2)
How is war being fought in space?

This week Inside Science comes from Space Comm Expo in London, one of the biggest space conferences in the world. Tom Whipple explores the conference with Suzie Imber, Professor of Planetary Science at the University of Leicester.

Tom also speaks to Dr Everett Dolman, Professor of Space Strategy at John Hopkins University in the USA, about the role of space in modern warfare.

Jodie Howlett, who oversees in-orbit manufacturing at the UK Space Agency talks about why the unique physics of space could be the perfect environment in which to manufacture the next generation of medicines.

And Daniela Schmidt, Professor of Earth Sciences at Bristol University tells us why new research shows how we’ve drastically underestimated our measurements of sea level.

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

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Alex Mansfield and Clare Salisbury
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Editor: Martin Smith


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjlsm5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1qy5s)
Attacks on Iran continue for a sixth day

Explosions have again been heard in locations across Tehran, as darkness fell in Iran's capital. Earlier the United States and Israel stepped up their attacks on Iranian cities, including Karaj and Isfahan, where eyewitnesses described bodies lying in the street. Also, President Trump has said he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader.

Also in the programme: US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is replaced; and how to recognise a real Stradivarius.

(Photo: A view of the Azadi sports complex after the airstrikes in Tehran, Iran, 05 March 2026. CREDIT: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjlxc9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyl9cp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg498mp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct75z2)
The economic hardship for Iran and its citizens

What do people in Iran think about the war? We hear from Iranians across the country who tell us how life has changed.

Also, we look at the life of foreign workers living in neighbouring countries, hearing from two Indian construction workers from Qatar. We ask how they are feeling since the war started.

But others are willing to pay over $250,000 just to escape from the United Arab Emirates.

(Picture: Iran, Shiraz, Shah Cheragh - stock photo. Credit: Getty Images)


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjm13f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct7240)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg49dct)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]

FRIDAY 06 MARCH 2026

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjm4vk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ytg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg49j3y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8yvt)
Can Iran hold out against US-Israeli strikes?

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses whether the Iranian regime will survive, looks at what Israel and the United States are aiming to achieve in their war with Iran, and examines whether Iran’s attacks on countries in the Gulf will change the balance of power in the region.

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


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjm8lp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xylnm2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg49mw2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71b3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjmdbt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xylsc6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg49rm6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zq6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjmj2y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74kp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjmmv2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xym0vg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4b03g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq9)
Leaving Isis: Is redemption possible?

In 2014, Tareena Shakil, then 24, made a decision that would change her life forever. She secretly left the UK, telling her family she was on holiday, and travelled with her young son to Syria to join the Islamic State group. Within months she found herself in the heart of the extremist stronghold, and later fled to Turkey before returning to the UK, where she was arrested and became one of the first British women to be convicted for membership of Isis and encouraging terrorism.

Shakil was sentenced to six years in prison but was released after serving half her term. In the years since, she has publicly expressed regret for her actions, accepted responsibility for lying about her journey when first questioned by police, and described her experience as a time when she “lost her way”.
Rajeev Gupta meets Tareena in Birmingham as she reflects on a path that took her from belief to extremism and the long, difficult process of finding her footing again. In candid conversation, she explores how identity, faith, family and the search for meaning intersected in the decisions she made, and what she believes now about forgiveness and moving forward.

Presenter: Rajeev Gupta
Producer: Matt O’Donoghue
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
Editor: Chloe Walker

(Photo: Tareena Shakil and the BBC's Rajeev Gupta. Credit: Matt O'Donoghue)


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjmrl6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5yl4ls)
US and Israel speak of a new phase of their war on Iran

As US-Israeli strikes on Iran continue on the sixth day of the war - Iranians tell the BBC life is "tiring" and they feel "trapped", with one man saying it's "frightening" when his house shakes.

We'll examine some of the economic impacts of the conflict - which is affecting even major economic powers like India and China.

And our South America correspondent is reporting from inside Caracas to find out how Venezuela has changed since the US removed former President Nicolas Maduro from power.

(Photo: Smoke rises after an airstrike in central Tehran, Iran; Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjmwbb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5yl8bx)
Israel launches fresh strikes on Tehran and Beirut

US President Donald Trump has told NBC News, external that it would be a "waste of time" currently to send US troops to Iran, and that it is not something he is thinking about right now as conflict enters it seventh day.

Israel says it has launched strikes in Beirut and Tehran; Iran says that it has launched missiles at Tel Aviv; Bahrain said Iran had attacked a hotel and residential buildings; and Qatar said it intercepted a drone attack on a US base.

(Photo: People run for safety as smoke rises after an airstrike in central Tehran, Iran; Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjn02g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq4d5yld31)
US says strikes on Iran to 'surge dramatically'

Overnight, strikes targeted locations across the Middle East, including in Israel, Iran, Lebanon, and Bahrain. President Donald Trump has said he is not considering sending troops to Iran, describing it as a "waste of time", adding that Tehran has "lost everything they can lose".

The Israeli military said that its strikes overnight targeted what it called “regime infrastructure” in Tehran.

And our South America correspondent is reporting from inside Caracas to find out how Venezuela has changed since the US removed former President Nicolas Maduro from power

(Photo: US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks during a press conference at CENTCOM headquarters; Credit: Cristóbal Herrera/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjn3tl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4j)
Julia Gillard, former Australian PM and chair at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership: The backsliding of gender equality

“One of the things that was going to combat gender inequality in our world was that sense of progress and then to see in the research that actually the younger generation is more conservative on these questions than people my age, that deeply troubled me.”

Lucy Hockings speaks to Julia Gillard former Australian PM and chair at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, King’s College London about new research on equality.

Having worked her way to the top in the male dominated world of Australian politics, Julia knows about sexism and misogyny. She famously called it out in a speech against opposition leader Tony Abbott in 2012 and has always been a proponent of equality for women. But 14 years on and research from the organisation she now leads finds that more and more young men want a traditional wife that obeys her husband and that’s not too independent*. So what has gone wrong?

Lucy and Julia unpick the research and analyse the factors behind this backsliding, and they also discuss Julia’s time as Australia’s first ever female head of government.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and former New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Lucy Hockings
Producer: Clare Williamson
Editor: Justine Lang

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

*31% of Gen Z men (born between 1997 and 2012) agree that a wife should always obey her husband and one third (33%) say a husband should have the final word on important decisions, according to a new global study of 23,000 people in 29-countries conducted by Ipsos UK and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School, King’s College London.

(Image: Julia Gillard Credit: Vicki Couchman for King’s College London)


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4bh2z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtj)
Finding peace through chocolate

Rahul Tandon talks to a man whose family chocolate business – founded by his father in Syria in the 1980s - was destroyed by war. His family was ripped apart and he had to flee, via a refugee camp in Lebanon, to Canada where he resettled and re-launched the business.

Today, it’s thriving, enjoying global sales. The company is called Peace by Chocolate, and our guest, Tareq Hadhad, is its founder and CEO.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon
Producer: Ahmed Adan

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

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, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the boom in weight-loss drugs, 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, CEO of Canva Melanie Perkins, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Picture: Tareq Hadhad. Credit: Tareq Hadhad)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7458)
The invention of the mobility scooter

In 1967, American plumber Al Thieme promised his wife with multiple sclerosis that he would find her an alternative to a wheelchair.

He came up with a battery-powered seat on wheels.

He called it an ‘amigo’ and soon other people wanted one too. In 1968, he founded Amigo Mobility International and started selling his vehicles around the world.

He speaks to Rachel Naylor.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Al Thieme with an early model. Credit: Amigo Mobility International)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjn7kq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xymml3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4blv3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjnc9v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72xh)
The colour of science

The Hindu festival of Holi has the Unexpected Elements team delving into the science of colour. First up, forget chicken and egg, we bring you a whole new controversy of which came first: colour or colour vision? Then, we learn how a new development in infrared contact lenses could extend our range of vision and help people with colour blindness.

We’re then joined by marine biologist Roger Hanlon who explains how octopuses are great at changing tones, even though they can’t appreciate the colours that they make. Plus, what’s orange, cream, 5,000 years old and worryingly resistant to most of our common antibiotics? And why does reading on dark mode leave one listener seeing things? All on this week’s Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Chhavi Sachdev
Producers: Imy Harper, with Ella Hubber and Lucy Davies


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjnh1z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xymw2c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4bvbc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct715l)
Do Trump and Netanyahu have conflicting end goals on Iran?

For Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the war on Iran is the culmination of a long-standing political ambition. On Sunday, Netanyahu said he was finally doing what he had “hoped to achieve for 40 years – to crush the regime of terror completely.” Polling suggests the war is popular in Israel too.

But it’s a lot more complicated for Donald Trump. He was elected on a promise to end foreign wars, and current polling suggests the war is not supported by most Americans.

We talk to the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen about whether this war, which Netanyahu says is an opportunity, complements or collides with Donald Trump’s own interests. And ask if Benjamin Netanyahu has everything to gain from this war, and Donald Trump a lot more to lose?

Producers: Lucy Pawle and Sam Chantarasak

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 29, 2025.


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjnlt3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj9)
Outlook Mixtape: The birds and the bees

Audric de Campeau left a job in marketing to keep bees in Paris. His hives sit on top of some of the most famous landmarks in the French capital. He told Outlook's Saskia Collette in 2017 how he takes the honey made by his bees deep underground into the city's catacombs to produce an alcoholic drink called mead.

When Candida Meyrick adopted a baby Harris hawk her life changed. She was suddenly training a powerful bird of prey and out with it everyday in the Welsh countryside. Falconry – hunting with a bird of prey – requires careful daily handling. But the hawk expanded Candida's world and taught her life lessons she had no idea were coming. This interview was first broadcast in January this year.

Carla Valentine spoke to Outlook's Saskia Collette in 2018 about her experience dating as a mortician. It hasn't always been easy, so she decided to start a dating website for other people also working in the death industry who might find their work a little hard to discuss on a first date.

Salvino Sagone worked as a building surveyor by day and wrote poetry by night, collecting love stories from members of the public. He sat on a chair on the streets of Milan with a placard that read "I listen to love stories for free" and invited passers-by to share their romantic tales with him. He spoke to Outlook in 2018.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: May Cameron

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 (w3ct7458)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjnqk7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyn3km)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4c2tm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjnv9c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1szvz)
Heaviest night of bombing in Tehran

Israel and the United States have continued their heavy attacks on Tehran and other cities across Iran, while Israel has stepped up its bombing of Lebanon.

Also in the programme:  a report from Caracas as the US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum became the latest senior American official to visit Venezuela; and we hear from a youth mentor in Haiti's gang-ravaged capital Port-au-Prince, whose film has just won a best documentary award.

(Photo: US-Israeli attacks continue in Iran amid escalating conflict, Tehran on 6 March 2026. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjnz1h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4cb9w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88h3)
US allows Russian oil sales to tackle rising prices

The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, says he will grant India a 30-day waiver to buy sanctioned oil from Russia to help ease supply concerns in the global market.

It comes as the Qatari energy minister warns that all energy producers in the Gulf region could shut down exports within weeks.

Plus - we hear from Nepal where votes are being counted in what’s being dubbed the young versus old election.


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjp2sm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxqyxl)
Week one of US-Israel war with Iran

Israel and the United States have continued heavy bombing of Tehran and other Iranian cities. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have intensified too. We hear from residents in Tehran and Beirut. Our colleague from BBC Persian and our correspondent in Lebanon explain today's developments.

Our weapons expert breaks down the military capabilities of each side in the war.

We preview the new F1 season and discuss the call by Lewis Hamilton for the sport to expand into Africa.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Smoke rises after an airstrike in central Tehran, Iran, 06 March 2026. A joint Israeli and US military operation continues to target multiple locations across Iran since the early hours of 28 February 2026. Credit: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjp6jr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 Outside Source (w17306899qxr2nq)
What do Trump supporters think about the war?

President Trump has demanded the unconditional surrender of Iran, as the United States and Israel continue their bombardment of Tehran and other Iranian cities. We speak to our correspondent about the latest opinion polls and hear from Americans who support President Trump to understand their reaction to his decision to launch military action against Iran.

We are live in Venezuela, where our correspondent has been gauging the public mood following the seizure of Nicolás Maduro.

Our colleagues at BBC Verify have been analysing new satellite images from the Iranian city of Minab - they explain what the data shows about the reported damage near a primary school there.

And, we look ahead to the Paralympics.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: President Donald Trump Hosts Roundtable on Ratepayer Protection Pledge, Washington DC, US, 4 Mar 2026. Credit: Bonnie Cash/EPA)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjpb8w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7458)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjpg10)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xynv1d)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4ct9d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z44)
2026/03/06 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 (w172zwx4wqjpks4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct6rp0)
Iranians in London

Five Iranians join host James Reynolds in the Naroon Persian restaurant in central London to share their experiences. In our conversation over dinner, our guests discuss the war, what it’s like to be so far from home, fears for family and friends in Iran and their hopes for the future of the country.

“One of the things we can all relate to is a big sense of survivor’s guilt,” Rahah tells us. “The people you’ve spent all your days with, they’re experiencing that uncertainty and that stress and you’re sat here trying to convince your nervous system that you’re not the one that’s being attacked.”

Many people who have left Iran tend to oppose the regime and it’s difficult to gauge how much support the government has. One Dutch study suggested it’s around 20% of the population and our guests discuss why they decided to leave and what they miss about home.

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Lindsay Brown and Angela Sheeran
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver

A Boffin Media production in partnership with the Outside Source team.

(Photo shows two of our contributors. Credit: BBC)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4cy1j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sv4)
What keeps the universe in balance?

CrowdScience listener Ndanusa in Ghana, is gazing up at the stars, and wondering. Big philosophical questions, like… what keeps our universe in balance?

From our perspective here on earth, the universe seems like a vast, harmonious system, perpetuating eternally without change. But Ndanusa knows a thing or two about the stars, and he knows that they use up hydrogen as they burn, and release helium. And he’s wondering, is there something out there which does the opposite? Something that uses up helium, and produces hydrogen, to keep the universe in perfect, chemical equilibrium?

His question makes sense! Here on earth for example, animals use up oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, and plants do the opposite. A perfect cycle of production and consumption which (at least in theory), keeps our planet in perfect balance. Could the same kind of system be in place in the wider expanse of the universe?

His intriguing question leads presenter Alex Lathbridge on a journey into the blackness of deep space, the ancient origins of our universe, and the complex physics of the stars. He pops into the Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory, just outside Accra, where astrophysicist Dr Proven Adzri helps him peer into the earliest few seconds of our universe, and find out what set the stars burning. And at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Dr Linus Labik talks him through what’s going on at the atomic level. And in the deep blackness of the night, up above the tree canopy of Kakum National Park, he takes a peek at the stars for himself. Local guides Chris and Kwabena explain how much meaning there is behind the stars in the night sky.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge

Producer: Emily Knight

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Large orange and purple exploding orb - stock photo Credit: Soubrette via Getty Images)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjppj8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zssm2n1tv2w)
Trump demands Iran surrender unconditionally

President Trump says only Iran's unconditional surrender will end American and Israeli bombardment. The US and Israel say much of Iran's capability has been destroyed but Iran is fighting back. We speak to one of the few international journalists in Iran about the latest attacks.

Also in the programme: Ukraine and six European nations boycott the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics because of Russian and Belarusian athletes taking part; and a firefighter in Texas recounts how his team rescued two people whose hot air balloon got entangled in a 300-metre tower.
Photo: US-Israeli attacks continue in Iran amid escalating conflict. Credit: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjpt8d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlm0xyp68s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4d5js)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76pp)
Middle East crisis: Israel bombing Beirut

Israel bombards Beirut and Tehran and many people are being displaced. We hear from the restaurant owner keeping the doors open for her customers despite the explosions.

Also, Ed Butler finds out why hundreds of trafficked workers were released from scam centres in Cambodia, only to end up wandering the streets of the capital without a way back home.

And we dig into the growing numbers of young Roblox millionaires.

(Picture: Israeli airstrike hits Dahieh in southern Beirut, Lebanon - 06 Mar 2026, Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx4wqjpy0j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxzbg4d98x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]