SATURDAY 09 MAY 2026

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8wct4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcc)
One hundred years of Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough is arguably the world’s favourite broadcaster, and this week he’s blowing out the candles on his 100th birthday cake. Inspired by his significant birthday, we decided to uncover the biology behind centenarians. What are Sir David’s secrets?

Speaking of ageing, we then find out about a little jellyfish that never gets old. Could it help us unlock immortality?

Next up, climb aboard as we chat with Dr Nadine Johnston, a marine ecologist who works on the iconic Sir David Attenborough research vessel, as she tells us about the tiny Antarctic animals that could lock up more carbon than the Amazon rainforest.

We then find out about improved landslide prediction in Nepal and how the world has changed in Sir David’s life.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Chhavi Sachdev and Tristan Ahtone
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Ella Hubber and Robbie Wojciechowski


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8whk8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxr6xlj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwkvtn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8m8p)
The AI chatbot users falling into delusional spirals

**Warning: this episode includes discussions of sexual abuse, suicide and upsetting scenes**

In just the last few years, AI chatbots have become routine aspects of many people’s everyday lives. They are being used as search engines, agony aunts, and sources of companionship.

In rare cases though, AI chatbots have sent users down a dark path. In a new BBC investigation, population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty speaks to people who have experienced delusions after talking to chatbots – including one man who grabbed a hammer and prepared for war after his chatbot told him it was sentient.

Producers: Valerio Esposito, Viv Jones and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Studio manager: Jonathan Greer

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Adam Hourican. Credit: BBC.


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8wm9d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxr71bn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwkzks)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct99f5)
Suzie Bates: The New Zealand great on her final T20 World Cup and retirement

New Zealand’s Suzie Bates will retire from international cricket after this summer’s Women's T20 World Cup. It marks the end of an illustrious 20-year career and many records to be proud of. Suzie tells the podcast it was a difficult decision but feels it’s the right time and believes the future is bright for the White Ferns with the next generation of players.

Plus, Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets to win the 2026 PSL final in Lahore. Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie starred with bat and ball to register the franchise’s second title in nine years. Cricket broadcaster Zainab Abbas joins Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma to reflect on the tournament in the impact of Babar Azam.

Photo: Suzie Bates of New Zealand reacts after the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final 2024 match between South Africa and New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Credit: ICC via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8wr1j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8hpf)
Outlook Mixtape: Into the Woods

Four stories from the Outlook archive about people whose lives have been shaped, transformed or completely upended by woodlands and trees.

When environmentalist Nate Madsen found that a grove of giant redwoods in Freshwater Creek Forest, California, was going to be logged, he decided to act. He climbed up a tree - which he named Mariah - and ended up living on its branches for more than two years to prevent it from being felled.

Next, we head to Pemba, part of the Zanzibar archipelago off the east coast of Africa. It's known as the Green Island but by the end of the 20th century significant parts of its forest were degraded or gone altogether. In 2018, Matthew Banister spoke to Mbarouk Mussa Omar, a man who set out to bring the forest back, though it wasn't exactly the career Mbarouk had imagined for himself.

Nalini Nadkarni is a tree canopy scientist, which means she spends her time dangling off branches secured by mountain climbing equipment in places such as Costa Rica. But Nalini's career nearly came crashing to an end when she fell from a tree. In 2019 she told Jo Fidgen how she recovered and returned to climbing trees.

In 2024 Andrea Kennedy spoke to Jair Candor, a Brazilian who moved into the Amazon when he was a child and never really left. For decades, Jair has been trying to ensure that the indigenous groups in the rainforests of Matto Grosso and elsewhere can continue their unique kind of existence.  

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Compilation producer: Radek Boschetty

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 (w3ct98dk)
Sir David Attenborough's first Zoo Quest

In 1954, the BBC broadcast a new television programme in the United Kingdom.

It was called Zoo Quest and it launched the career of a man who has since brought the natural world into millions of homes around the world, the broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.

In 2021, Louise Hidalgo dove into the BBC archives to hear Sir David tell the story of the first natural history expedition for Zoo Quest - the hunt for the White-necked Picathartes in Sierra Leone in West Africa.

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: Sir David Attenborough plays recordings to Bundu Tribeswomen for Zoo Quest. Credit: BBC)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8wvsn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8wzjs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxr7dl1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwlbt5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h0)
Samsung

7. The crown slips

The Lee family suffers a devastating personal loss, quickly followed by claims of professional wrongdoing. Samsung is left without a Lee family member in charge. Can it be brought back under their control?

In this brand-new 10-part series from the BBC World Service, we take you behind closed doors - inside the billion-dollar deals and the family power struggles that shape global empires. When your relatives are also your business partners, every decision is personal. In these dynasties, the boardroom isn’t just about profit - it’s about survival.

Host: Elise Hu
Producers: Simon Tulett and Sally Abrahams
Fact-checkers: Matt Toulson and Su-Min Hwang
Music: Thomas Ross Fitzsimons
Mixing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King
Series editor: Matt Willis
With special thanks to Geoffrey Cain, Sojin Lim, Jaeyeon Lee, Jake Kwon and Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel

Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct998n)
Why it’s wrong to say vaping is as bad for you as smoking

According to the World Health organisation, smoking kills some 7 million people every year. It is one of the world’s leading causes of preventable death.

Because smoking causes lung cancer and other awful health conditions, many smokers switch to vaping - using nicotine-based e-cigarettes.

But the World Health organisation is also concerned about vaping. Last year they said 100 million people around the world are now using e-cigarettes, including millions of children, and warned that they were fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction.

But how do the health risks of these two means of getting nicotine into your bloodstream compare?

According to a recent headline in the Daily Mail, they’re basically the same. Here’s the headline:

“Vaping is linked to lung and mouth cancer in major study, as experts warn: 'It is NOT safer than smoking’”

But is vaping really just as bad for you as smoking?

CONTRIBUTOR:

Professor Lion Shahab, Co-Director of the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group

CREDITS:

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald
Reporter/producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Dave O’Neil
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8x38x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w1730c5j7gbxgqd)
Starmer's party suffers heavy losses in UK elections

The UK’s governing Labour party has suffered heavy losses in elections to the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments and English local authorities. In England, right-wing populists Reform have been the beneficiary of many of Labour’s losses. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said he will not be standing down despite mounting disquiet within his party.

Also on the programme: Russia’s annual Victory Day parade, commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany, is expected to be a more muted affair as military hardware is tied up in Ukraine; and a look ahead to the International Booker Prize.

Joining Rebecca Kesby are Rachel Kyte, Special Representative on Climate for the British Government and a Professor of Climate Policy at the University of Oxford, and Mark MacKinnon, foreign correspondent for Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper.

(Picture: Starmer meets Labour Party members in Ealing, west London, May 8, 2026. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8x711)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w1730c5j7gbxlgj)
Temporary ceasefire in Ukraine comes into effect

The pause in fighting comes as Russia prepares to hold its annual Victory Day parade, commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany. This year’s event will lack some of the usual military hardware, which is believed to be tied up in the war in Ukraine.

Also on the programme: In Hungary new Prime Minister Péter Magyar is sworn in after his Tisza party’s landslide victory over Victor Orban in last month’s historic elections. And we look at the world of ‘kid-fluencing’ on social media.

Joining Rebecca Kesby are Rachel Kyte, Special Representative on Climate for the British Government and a Professor of Climate Policy at the University of Oxford, and Mark MacKinnon, foreign correspondent for Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper.

(Picture: Putin delivers a speech during a military parade on Victory Day, Moscow, May 9, 2026. Credit: Kremlin.ru/Handout via REUTERS)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8xbs5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w1730c5j7gbxq6n)
Russia holds scaled back Victory Day amid Ukraine ceasefire

Russia and Ukraine announce a temporary ceasefire as Moscow holds its annual Victory Day celebrations commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Much of the customary military hardware, usually paraded through Red Square, will be tied up in Ukraine.

Also on the programme: Mexico's schoolchildren are getting an extra 40 days off this summer as their country co-hosts the World Cup, but many parents aren't happy with that plan. And we mark 100 years of David Attenborough on planet Earth.

Joining Rebecca Kesby are Rachel Kyte, Special Representative on Climate for the British Government and a Professor of Climate Policy at the University of Oxford, and Mark MacKinnon, foreign correspondent for Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper.

(Picture: Russian security personnel patrol before a military parade on Victory Day in central Moscow, May 9 Credit: REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8xgj9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3k)
Sir David Attenborough changed my life

As Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday, we bring together conservationists and filmmakers to discuss the impact of Sir David’s long career, and the influence he’s had on how we think about nature.

We hear how his tv programmes and books have reached audiences around the world and the inspiration they have provided.

Wendy Kirorei describes how growing up in Kenya, Sir David’s documentaries were shown constantly on televisions in public places, and led her to become a wildlife film-maker. “My dream was to do my first documentary in the Maasai Mara purely influenced by watching a lot of his work growing up,”
Conservationist Paula Kahumbu says, “His ability to tell stories about Africa's wildlife has kind of like woken everyone up. We should be telling our wildlife stories. We should be out there learning about these creatures, making films ourselves.”

As a champion of nature for over seven decades, he’s been a role model for many young people. “There are already millions of little Sir Davids out there,” says Indian conservationist Charu Mishra. “His impact has been generational, right? I mean, some people have impact around the world, but his goes across generations.”

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Iqra Farooq, Lindsay Brown
Boffin Media producer: Anne McNaught
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver

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

(Photo: Charu Mishra who works to protect snow leopards in India, with Sir David Attenborough. Credit: Whitley Fund for Nature)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwltsp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8lz1)
Trump takes his revenge on disloyal Republicans

The US president is going after his fellow Republicans in Kentucky and Indiana.
Donald Trump is getting involved in key state primaries - often in cases where US presidents don’t intervene - urging voters to stay away and not vote for candidates who Trump regards as his political enemies. From Indiana to Kentucky, Louisiana and beyond, Anthony and Justin look at how Trump’s MAGA Republican party is targeting fellow Republicans and whether it’s succeeding.
Trump’s top target is the seven term Republican congressman in Kentucky, Thomas Massie who has stood up to Trump on issues including the Epstein files, congressional spending and the war in Iran. Massie now faces a challenge from a multi million dollar funded Trump backed candidate… we look at Massie’s chances, and what this race tells us more widely about what happens to Republicans who stand up to Trump.
We also look at Louisiana and Indiana, where Trump has recently wiped out state senators he regarded as disloyal.

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

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

This episode was made by Purvee Pattni, Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producers were Jack Graysmark and Stephen Bailey. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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

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

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

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

Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mssm
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8xl8f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct996d)
What happened next

Do you ever find yourself thinking back to the good old days, whenever they were, and thinking about someone you've not seen for a while and wondering "What ever happened to" Well this week we hear from four former elite sport stars who are now enjoying a very different career to the one you knew them for!

First up a chat with an Australian about cricket, not that unusual you might think but this has nothing to do with wickets and wides. Zach Schubert grew up rural Southern Australia with a burning ambition, fuelled in part by seeing his cousin represent Australia playing hockey at the Olympics... But Zach had no idea just how arduous and tortuous his journey to get there would be! But get there he did, when in 2024 in Paris right in front of the Eiffel Tower he stepped on to the sand with team mate Tom Hodges to take part in the Beach volleyball. He tells us about that and now having retired about the cricket and cockroach farm he created.


Growing up Joe Balnton only had one goal, to make it to Baseball's big league. And he did, being drafted in 2003 to the Oakland A's. It started a life long love of California that is still a massive influence in his life, but before he could retire he had World Series to win! And he did that playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. He made history too because after pitching well in Game 4, it's what he did with the bat that he's be forever remembered. For the first time in his MLB career he hit a home run! It was the first home run scored by a pitcher in the World Series since 1974 and no one has repeated the feet since!
Joe continued to play at the highest level picking up a second World Series ring with Kansas City in 2015. Eventually though time was called on his career on the mound but Joe knew exactly what his next adventure would be! That's because he'd been honing his skills ahead of his next career pretty much from the moment he arrived in California over 20 years before... Speaking to us from his vineyard in the Napa Valley, he told us all about winning it all back then and how he's now crafting rather lovely Cabernet Sauvignon.

Josh Navidi is the rugby union player who despite having hung up his cleats, is still playing in front of a packed stadium on match day!? Born in Wales Josh lived his formative years in New Zealand before returning to the UK and eventually pulling on the red shirt of Wales. Despite a very pregnant pause between his first call up and his second cap, Josh had a hugely successful career, winning almost everything that the game has to offer. So how, despite having retired through injury can you still see him perform on matchdays. In fact when he spoke to us he was right outside the nation stadium preparing to wow the crowd again this time with his ability to get the party going with his DJing skills!

Faramarz Assef was one of Iran's most famous pop singers during the time of the Shah, but what most of his fans don't know is that he used to be an international athlete.

Photo: Wales player Josh Navidi faces the media during Wales Media access ahead of their match against the Australian Wallabies at the Hensol Castle on November 9, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales. (CREDIT: Stu Forster/Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8xq0k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxr841t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwm28y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw2)
What’s at stake for Iran in its war with the US?

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses the Iranian position in its confrontation with the United States in the Gulf, examines the state of play in Russia’s war with Ukraine, and looks at the chances of Benjamin Netanyahu surviving as Israeli Prime Minister after elections later this year.

Producer: Kate Cornell
Executive Producer: Benedick Watt
Commissioning Editors: Silvia Costeloe and Paul Royall


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8xtrp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 World Questions (w3ct8snq)
Sweden

MPs from Sweden’s four main political parties take part in a debate with questions from a lively and diverse audience in Stockholm. Issues raised include the tightening of immigration and citizenship rules, the privatisation of education, the threat from Russia and a return to military conscription, and Sweden’s international reputation.

The panel:
Karin Enström, The Moderate Party Secretary-General
Morgan Johansson, The Social Democratic Party Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
Mattias Karlsson, Sweden Democrats International Secretary
Håkan Svenneling, Left Party, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson

Presenter: Jonny Dymond
Producer: Helen Towner
Sound engineers: Darren Wardrobe, Kate Barker, Lewis Allsopp, Nathan Ashong

(Photo: The Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) and the Riksbank Bridge with the national flag of Sweden. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8xyht)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w1730bmzr6byrqw)
Moscow's Victory Day parade held under ceasefire

Russia's annual Victory Day parade in Moscow coincided with a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, announced by President Trump. President Zelensky ordered his forces not to target the event, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany. It was much scaled back this year because of the war, with no armoured vehicles or ballistic missiles on display.

Also in the programme: Hungary's new parliament is meeting, heralding a shift in direction under the new prime minister; and the Venice Biennale art exhibition starts today, with calls for boycotts of artists from Russia and Israel - but not everyone agrees.

(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony as the country marks the 81st anniversary of the victory in World War II. Credit: Alexander Nemenov/ EPA/Shuttershock)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8y27y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w1730c8t0crpndl)
Live Sporting Action

Lee James presents live Premier League commentary of Sunderland against Manchester United from the Stadium of Light.

Lee will be joined by former Aston Villa and US goalkeeper Brad Friedel and former Tottenham and Fulham defender Stephen Kelly to reflect on the commentary game and discuss the weekend's other talking points.

We'll also discuss the Women's 6 Nations, Italian Open Tennis and latest from the NBA playoffs.

Photo: Granit Xhaka of Sunderland and Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United in action during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Sunderland at Old Trafford on October 4, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8yk7g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxr8z8q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwmxhv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct8rx2)
Nigeria’s 12-year wait for gold

At the Sydney Olympics in 2000 the Nigerian 4x400m relay team surpassed expectations by winning silver in dramatic fashion.

But, in the years that followed revelations about doping in the winning USA team began to emerge.

Twelve years after the original race, Nigeria were officially declared the Olympic champions.

Enefiok Udo-Obong ran the final leg of the relay in 2000 for Nigeria, he has been speaking to Tim O’Callaghan.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.

Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

(Photo: The Nigerian team after the relay in 2000. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8ynzl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pl)
Are countries really running out of jet fuel?

Global oil markets have been affected by the US Israel war with Iran, leading to higher jet fuel prices and increased attention on supply risks.

But how serious is the situation? While some experts point to tightening supply chains and regional bottlenecks, others say there is no clear evidence so far of immediate shortages.

Even so, the refining and distribution of jet fuel remains a potential vulnerability, as disruption can have notable impacts even when crude oil itself is available. With air travel crucial to trade and tourism, the resilience of fuel supply is a growing concern for economies and travellers. Can alternative suppliers and fuel sources help limit the impact of future disruption?

Contributors:
Zach Aman, professor of chemical engineering, the University of Western Australia
Ahmed Mehdi, senior fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and managing director at Renaissance Energy Advisors, UK
Dumebi Oluwole, lead economist at Stears, Nigeria
Li Qiao, professor of aeronautics and astronautics, Purdue University, US

Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical producer: Mitch Goodall


(Photo: Airline worker attaching fuel pipe to plane to refuel. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)


SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwn17z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:32 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II (w3ct9b9r)
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II

Artemis II, Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8ysqq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7w)
Film-maker Alejandro González Iñárritu

Nikki Bedi talks to Oscar winning Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu about his career and discusses the week’s cultural highlights with cultural critic Leila Latif:

The American writer and actor Lena Dunham answers the question; will she bring back her groundbreaking hit TV series Girls?

Moroccan film-maker Maryam Touzani talks about her latest movie Calle Malaga.

Danish novelist Solvej Balle discusses the concept of time travel in her novels.

And, we hear a special piece of music dedicated to the late Indian singer Asha Bhosle from Urdu poet and musician Tauseef Akhtar.

(Photo: Alejandro González Iñárritu holding an Oscar statue. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8yxgv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w1730bmzr6bzqpx)
Hungary’s new prime minister sworn in

The new Hungarian prime minister, Péter Magyar, has given his first speech after being sworn into office. Addressing a square full of supporters waving Hungarian and EU flags, he vowed to 'change the government and the system', and end what he called 'decades of drifting'.

Also in the programme: Russia celebrates Victory Day; and a novel set during a turbulent time in Taiwanese history is shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.

(Photo: Newly sworn-in Prime Minister Peter Magyar (C) attends the Tisza Party's all-day 'regime change public celebration' event in Budapest, Hungary, 09 May 2026. CREDIT: TAMAS VASVARI/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8z16z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct996d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8z4z3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxr9l0c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwnj7h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:32 This Is Africa (w3ct8tcz)
Hiro

Imagine having to pretend that you’re playing football – which you’re not even very good at - while all the time you’re in the studio making music? That’s what Hiro, a singer-songwriter born in France to Congolese parents, did as a teenager because, at first, his parents didn’t support his dream of becoming a musician.

In this edition of This is Africa, Hiro tells DJ Edu the Afroboss how the racism he encountered growing up made him stronger and more determined to keep rooted in his Congolese identity. He talks about how his sound reflects his passion for both French hip-hop and the Congelese rhythms that he grew up listening to, including the giants Papa Wemba and Koffi Olomide - one of his many collaborators. Others include Davido and Mr Eazi, superstars of the afrobeats movement that Hiro describes as revolutionary.

Plus DJ Edu plays his pick of the latest tracks coming out of Africa.

SUNDAY 10 MAY 2026

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8z8q7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwnmzm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b85)
For the love of dogs

Mityana is a bustling regional town in central Uganda, where motorbikes are king. Here an online con operation flourishes in plain sight. Armed with smartphones, emotional images, and carefully crafted lies, a network of young men preys on dog lovers in Europe and America - people who believe they are saving abused, sick, or dying animals. This documentary dives into the shadowy world of the dog-rescue scammers of Mityana. Through undercover reporting, BBC Africa Eye exposes how the scams work, and the lengths the scammers will go to extort donations from well-meaning animal lovers in the West.


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8zdgc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxr9thm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwnrqr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct8rx2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8zj6h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxr9y7r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwnwgw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct8k2b)
Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship

We bring you the latest on the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise liner MV Hondius with BBC health reporter Smitha Mundasad.

Endometriosis, where cells similar to the lining of the womb grow elsewhere in the body, can take up to a decade to get diagnosed despite leaving some women in debilitating pain. A new scanning technique hoping to speed up that diagnosis. Dr Tatjana Gibbons, from Oxford University, who developed the test, explains how it works.

We unpack how the way operations are schedules affects patient outcomes with transplants.

How electricity is improving treatment for patients with a heart rhythm disorder. Professor Oussama Wazni explains how it works.

And how seven rings can translate sign language into text.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins & Georgia Christie


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8zmym)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 World Questions (w3ct8snq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8zrpr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99bx)
Putin and Russia's new normal

Pascale Harter introduces stories from Russia, Japan and Nagaland in northeastern India.

The Kremlin has recently increased security measures around President Vladimir Putin after a spate of assassinations of top Russian military figures. This comes as internet controls have made life less convenient, and the economic impact of Russia's war in Ukraine affects ordinary people more directly. Steve Rosenberg observes the shift in the country’s mood.

Japan has taken a major step away from its post-war pacifist stance, lifting long-standing restrictions on arms exports. The government says it’s a necessary step to meet new strategic realities in Asia - but it’s raising some alarm among the public. In recent weeks there have been protests in major cities across the country. Kurumi Mori reports from Tokyo.

Nagaland, in northeastern India, looks and feels very different from much of the rest of the country. Most of its territory is inhabited by tribal peoples - many of them Christian - and it has its own particular traditions and rituals. In the village of Tuophema, Simon Broughton witnessed one of the most impressive annual ceremonies: a rite where hundreds of men join forces to drag, raise and carve a huge standing stone to mark their collective effort.

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

(Image: President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, spring 2026. Credit: Mikhail METZEL / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwp3z4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw8zwfw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxrb9h4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwp7q8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b85)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw90060)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w1730c5j7gc0cmh)
Tenerife medics prepare as virus-hit cruise ship arrives

Intense preparations are underway in the Canary Islands as the ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak approaches.

Also in today's programme: Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, suggests the war in Ukraine will “come to an end soon”. We bring you the Ukrainian reaction; and this year marks the 35th anniversary of the release of the film The Silence of the Lambs, widely recognised as one of the greatest psychological thrillers of all time.

Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by James Crabtree, a geopolitical analyst and author based in London, and Joana Ramiro, Communications Director of the US-based The Democracy Collaborative think tank and research centre.

Photo: The cruise ship MV Hondius arrives at the port of Granadilla de Abona after being affected by a hantavirus outbreak, in Tenerife, Spain, May 10, 2026. Reuters/Hannah McKay


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw903y4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w1730c5j7gc0hcm)
Hantavirus ship arrives in Tenerife port

The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak arrives at the Spanish island of Tenerife. Health officials say risk of contagion are low but are taking every precaution.

Also in today's programme: Is the war in Iran making the human rights situation even worse? We'll hear about the plight of political prisoners; and, could we lose half of the world's languages in the next few decades?

Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by James Crabtree, a geopolitical analyst and author based in London, and Joana Ramiro, Communications Director of the US-based The Democracy Collaborative think tank and research centre.

Photo: MV Hondius enters the port of Granadilla de Abona to anchor, disembark passengers, Granadilla De Abona Tenerife, Spain /10 May 2026


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw907p8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w1730c5j7gc0m3r)
Anger and fear as virus-hit cruise ship arrives in Tenerife

The arrival of the MV Hondius in Tenerife and preparations for the disembarkation of passengers for their repatriation 'has taken place in a totally normal way,' according to Spanish authorities.

Also in today's programme: An emotional return to Sudan's capital, Khartoum, for one of our BBC colleagues, Mohanad Hashim; and, Seret, the Israeli International Film Festival comes to London. But with recent antisemitic attacks in the UK do the filmmakers feel welcome?

Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by James Crabtree, a geopolitical analyst and author based in London, and Joana Ramiro, Communications Director of the US-based The Democracy Collaborative think tank and research centre.

Photo: The cruise ship MV Hondius arrives at the port of Granadilla de Abona after being affected by a hantavirus outbreak, in Tenerife Credit: Hannah McKay/Reuters)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw90cfd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwpqps)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8svy)
Rethinking the potato

Potatoes are having a moment.

Once dismissed as dull, stodgy or even unhealthy, they’re now back, appearing on restaurant menus, in food magazines and across social media feeds.

But the story of the potato goes back much further.

In this episode, Ruth Alexander traces the journey of one of the world’s most familiar foods. From its origins millions of years ago to its place in today’s global food system.

AJ Shehata, senior sous chef at Fallow restaurant in London explains why the potato forces chefs to get creative.

At the Natural History Museum, botanist Sandy Knapp explains how the potato may have been born from a chance encounter between two wild plants in the Andes, an event that made it possible for potatoes to grow underground and spread across new environments.

We explore how the potato became a global food. Potatoes USA president Blair Richardson explains how demand continues to grow worldwide, and how the industry is working to reshape the potato’s image.

We ask whether the potato’s reputation is deserved. Nutrition scientist Candida Rebello shares research suggesting potatoes may be far more beneficial, and more misunderstood, than many people think.

And at the International Potato Center in Peru, scientist Julian Soto works with farmers to conserve thousands of native potato varieties. In the Andes, potatoes are not just a crop, they are part of culture, identity and family life.

From ancient origins to modern revival, this is the story of how the potato conquered the world, fell out of favour, and is now being rediscovered, just as new challenges begin to emerge.

If you’d like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Picture: Getty


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw90h5j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0p)
The SafeBox

Over the last five years, almost 200 journalists have been killed outside conflict zones, with reporters being murdered while investigating corruption, organised crime and environmental destruction. For World Press Freedom Day, People Fixing the World looks at the work of a pioneering organisation that is trying to help. Forbidden Stories, based in France, pledges to continue the work of journalists who have been killed, imprisoned or forced into exile. To help them do this, they encourage the use of a digital “safe box”, where reporters whose lives are at risk can keep notes and interviews, and which can be opened in the event of their death. This tool means that even if reporters die, their work can live on – but many reporters believe SafeBox helps keep them safe too.

We meet Laurent Richard, founder of Forbidden Stories. From Ecuador, Tamia Villavicencio explains how she is continuing her father Fernando’s work despite serious risks to her safety. And we hear how a network of reporters finished the investigations of Colombian journalist Rafael Moreno after he was murdered in 2022.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: William Kremer
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound engineer: Hal Haines

(Photo: Amanda and Tamia Villavicencio holding a photograph of their father, Fernando Villavicencio. Credit Tamia Villavicencio)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwpvfx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqf)
A 93 year old president gets a deputy

At 93, Paul Biya is the oldest head of state in the world. In November he will have been the leader of Cameroon for 44 years and is currently serving his eighth consecutive term. It was announced in April that for the first time in Biya's leadership, the position of vice-president would be created in the country. This new post has drawn attention to the lack of certainty within Cameroon over who will take over from Paul Biya once he is no longer in office. BBC Africa's Paul Njie is from Cameroon himself and has been looking into the story.

A Thai drag performer has won the latest series of the television show RuPaul's Drag Race: UK versus The World. Gawdland is the first Thai winner of the all-star series and also the first non-native English speaker to take the title. Her triumph took some by surprise, but for fans of Drag Race, she's seen as a trailblazer for East Asian drag queens. Panisa Aemocha of BBC Thai explains what makes Gawdland such a stand-out performer.

Like anyone forced to leave their home country against their will, Russians who've sought asylum abroad face a variety of painful realities. Besides homesickness and the challenges of adapting to a new country, they also cannot safely return home to visit loved ones. For many years, exiled Russians could reunite with Russian family and friends in a wide variety of European and other countries, including the Baltic states. But as the rift between Russia and the rest of Europe deepend in the wake of the war in Ukraine, visa restrictions changed, leaving Russians with only a small handful of countries in which they could meet people from home. Recently, an exiled Russian man in his twenties, Sasha, planned and filmed a unique reunion with Russian friends. BBC Russian's Tatiana Kovtun tells Sasha's story and discusses the online response.


The Fifth Floor is at the heart of global storytelling on the BBC World Service, bringing you the best stories from journalists in the BBC's 43 language services. We're here to help you make sense of the stories making headlines around the world; to excite your curiosity and to get to grips with the facts.
 
Recent episodes have investigated Russia’s youth armies and how they make soldiers of Ukrainian children; featured the BBC team who were the first journalists to the site of the Nigerian school kidnappings and reflected the effects of internet blackouts in Iran, Uganda and India.
 
If you want to know more about Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and the legacy of Hugo Chavez; or how Vladimir Putin’s network of deep cover spies operates; or why Donald Trump signed an executive order granting white South Africans asylum in the US, we have all those stories and more.


Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Laura Thomas and Caroline Ferguson

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


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw90lxn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxrc0yx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwpz61)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct998n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw90qns)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwq2y5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:32 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II (w3ct9b9r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:32 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw90vdx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w1730bmzr6c1nmz)
Spain evacuates virus-hit ship in Tenerife

The passengers of a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak have started leaving the vessel off the Spanish island of Tenerife. Five people were seen boarding a small boat, socially distanced from each other and wearing protective clothing and face masks. They were met by officials in white hazmat suits, then boarded a coach to take them to the airport. They'll be flown out on charter flights. Three people died and several others become infected in the outbreak.

Also in the programme: Police in Pakistan say militants have detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint and opened fire, killing 15 officers; and 35 years after the film was released, we look at the legacy of The Silence of the Lambs.

(Photo: Passengers were evacuated from the ship dressed in hazmat suits. They were hosed down before boarding a plane in Tenerife. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw90z51)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hf)
Q+A: The carbon footprint of your tech and AI

What’s the carbon footprint of streaming your favourite shows or doing an AI search? How vulnerable are river estuaries to climate change? Plus, are you a climate optimist or pessimist? Graihagh Jackson and her panel answer your questions.

The panel are Justin Rowlatt, BBC climate editor; Akshat Rathi, senior climate reporter for Bloomberg News and host of Bloomberg's Zero podcast; and Caroline Steel, presenter of BBC CrowdScience.

Got a question or comment for the next listeners' show? You can email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721

Production team: Diane Richardson and Grace Braddock
Sound Engineers: Ben Andrews and Tom Brignell
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Editor: Simon Watts

Picture Credit: ljubaphoto via Getty Images


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwqbff)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct8nwc)
The Happy Pod: 'Life changing' treatment restored my daughter's vision

Six-year-old Saffie would have gone completely blind by adulthood, if not for a groundbreaking gene therapy. Her mother says she is now "thriving" and the results have been "incredible". Saffie was treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in the UK.

Also, the woman in Ethiopia who has given birth to quintuplets. Bedriya Adem had been trying to conceive for 12 years. She says her five babies are a 'blessing'.

Plus, the beloved natural history presenter, David Attenborough turns 100. Why childhood musicians make better surgeons, the human choir singing with whales, and find out how four grandmothers become friends with a professional wrestler in Las Vegas.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs
Music: Iona Hampson

(Photo: Six-year-old Saffie wearing a hat smiling. Credit: PA)


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw912x5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w1730c8t0crsp1t)
Live Sporting Action

Delyth Lloyd presents live Premier League commentary of a huge game at both ends of the table as West Ham United host league leaders Arsenal at the London Stadium.

After dropping into the relegation zone last weekend, can West Ham boost their survival chances, or will Arsenal strengthen their grip at the top of the table? There will also be updates from Sunday’s other Premier League games as the race for European football continues.

Hear about two underdog stories – as Hearts look to break the dominance of Celtic and Rangers in Scotland, while in Switzerland there’s FC Thun’s unlikely triumph after the promoted side won the Swiss Super League, their first title in the club’s 128-year history. Delyth speaks to Lithuania’s current national team manager and Champions League winner Edgaras Jankauskas who played for Hearts when the Scottish club finished second in 2006, and Mani Djazmi finds out more about the success of FC Thun.

There will also be news from around the sporting world, including a preview to El Clasico which could see Barcelona win La Liga against rivals Real Madrid. Plus, the latest from cycling’s Giro d’Italia, the Italian Open tennis, the NBA play-offs and the opening weekend of the expanded WNBA.

Photo: Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal under pressure from El Hadji Malick Diouf of West Ham United and Crysencio Summerville of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on October 4, 2025 in London, England. (Credit: MB Media/Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw91kwp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxrczxy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwqy52)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct9b03)
Russia’s 'nyet' to the internet

The Kremlin’s pursuit of a “sovereign internet” has raised fears of a digital Iron Curtain. After months of mobile internet shutdowns, Russian authorities have moved to block major platforms like YouTube and Telegram, along with the VPNs people rely on to bypass restrictions. We explore what’s driving the push to isolate the largest country on Earth from the global internet and unpack the political, economic and military implications of the country’s tightening digital borders.

Contributors: Daria Mosolova, Howard Gethin, Gleb Borshchevski, Evgeny Pudovkin
Producer: Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw91pmt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw91tcy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w1730bmzr6c2mm0)
Countries airlift nationals evacuated from virus-hit cruise ship

France's Prime Minister says that one of the passengers repatriated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship in the Atlantic has shown symptoms. The individual was among five French nationals flown back on Sunday from the MV Hondius, currently moored off Tenerife in Spain.

Also in the programme: Iran says it has sent a response via Pakistan to the latest US plan to end the war with counter-proposals reported to include a separation of talks on the immediate conflict and Tehran's nuclear programme; the story of a criminal underworld in Brazil; and the choir, here in the UK, singing music based on whale song!


(Photo: They were pictured boarding buses to Tenerife's airport after reaching land. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw91y42)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwr9dg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 Assignment (w3ct8h12)
Serbia: Under the canopy

Eighteen months ago, the renovation of the railway station in Serbia’s second biggest city, Novi Sad, led to a tragic accident. A substantial concrete canopy, which ran across the front of the station building, suddenly collapsed, killing 16 people. The disaster sparked mass protests. Marchers demanded justice for the dead and injured.

As the protests spread to the capital, Belgrade, and to towns and cities across the country, the demands evolved. Protesters accused the government of corruption and of covering up the truth about what happened. The government accused the protesters of being foreign agents, supported and organised by malign outside forces.

Now, after more than a year, the mass protests have finally subsided. Jill McGivering is in Serbia to find out what has happened to that explosion of anti-government anger.

Presenter: Jill McGivering
Producer: Caroline Finnigan
Studio engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image credit: Andrej Isakovic/AFP)


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw921w6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqgsxrdgxg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwrf4l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]

MONDAY 11 MAY 2026

MON 00:00 BBC News (w1730nklqw925mb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlf5lwrjwq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977k)
Should Pluto become a planet again?

"Make Pluto a planet again" was the call this week from Donald Trump’s NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman.

The icy body was first seen in 1930 and was the only planet whose discovery was claimed by the United States. In 2006, though, it was officially stripped of its planet status.

Tom Whipple is joined by astronomer Chris Lintott to discuss the debate that has raged ever since over whether Pluto should or shouldn’t be reinstated as the solar system’s 9th planet.

We also hear about the big money scientific prize hoping to lead to breakthroughs in how humans can communicate with animals. Head judge Professor Yossi Yovel, from Tel Aviv University, and finalists Dr Catherine Crockford, from the CNRS Institute for Cognitive Sciences in Lyon, and Professor Nicolas Mathevon, from the University of Saint-Etienne, tell us what the Coller Dolittle Challenge is hoping to uncover.

Plus, Penny Sarchet from New Scientist brings us the science news that might have slipped under the radar this week, including why there’s a scientific gap in the dating lives of over 50s.

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Alex Mansfield
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l64mm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561jknw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5whx0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct8js9)
The Life Scientific: Jens Juul Holst

As recently as a few years ago, the idea of a self-administered injection that would deliver proven weight-loss results might have sounded fantastical. Today, these medications are a reality and a global phenomenon; hailed in many quarters as “miracle drugs" for their success in treating obesity and diabetes. They do this by replicating a gut hormone called GLP‑1, which tells the brain you’ve eaten enough and nudges the pancreas to release insulin; and this hormone was discovered and decoded thanks to years of work by today's guest. Jens Juul Holst is a Professor of Medical Physiology and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. His efforts laid the groundwork for today’s weight loss jabs, earning him a slew of high-profile accolades and awards. Now it seems they might not only have positive impacts on obesity and diabetes, but also other health issues... But alongside the big success comes some big questions: including concerns over side effects, weight regain post-treatment, the black market in such drugs, and their cost and accessibility. In a frank conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Jens address these issues and shares his hopes for the future of GLP-1-focused research.


MON 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l68cr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561jpf0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5wmn4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct8k6v)
How come sea levels are rising faster in some places than others?

As our oceans warm due to climate change, sea levels are rising. It ought to be straightforward – as water gets warmer, it increases in volume.

All the world’s oceans are connected, so how come sea levels are rising at different rates around the world, and even falling in some places? CrowdScience listener Alison in Australia wants to know the science behind the mystery.

 Presenter Anand Jagatia travels to the Philippines to investigate. The country is being particularly affected by the issue, with its more than 7,500 islands experiencing sea level rises that are double the global average.

On Palawan Island, in the east of the country, he speaks to people whose homes and livelihoods are being put at risk by rising waters.

He also visits the Philippine Coast Guard in Manila and speaks to Commander James Barandino, from their Marine Environmental Protection division, to hear how their work is being affected by sea level rises and the flooding it causes.

Dr Charina Lyn Repollo from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute shows Anand how they monitor sea levels at dozens of locations. Their data shows huge variations in sea level across the country. How can that be the case?

Anand also speaks to Jonathan Bamber, Professor of Earth Observation and Glaciology at the University of Bristol in the UK, to unpick the science behind how sea levels can rise at different rates in different places.

And how do we protect people from rising waters? Dr Rodel Diaz Lasco from the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management in Manila, explains how global collaboration might hold the key.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Dan Welsh

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Globe floating on water - stock photo- Credit: Jan Hakan Dahlstrom via Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l6d3w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5wrd8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l6hw0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561jxx8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5ww4d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nd)
Falling in love with flowers

Datshiane Navanayagam meets the women behind leading nurseries and flower farms in Germany and America. From a vase of cut roses to the perennials that brighten our gardens, these women cultivate beauty from bare earth.

Danielle Dall’Armi transformed a derelict lemon and avocado farm in California into a rose farm with an international reputation. A self-taught horticulturalist, she now has 25,000 rose plants and supplies high-end customers.

Anja Maubach runs the nursery founded by her great-grandfather, renowned botanist Georg Abends, specialising in perennials. She is also an expert on the great female horticulturalists of the past, such as Gertrude Jekyll and Vita Sackville-West.

Producer: Hannah Sander

(Image: (L) Anja Maubach, credit Daniel Welschenbach. (R) Danielle Dall'Armi, credit Victoria Pearson.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l6mm4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8spsw)
Trump calls Iran response to end war 'totally unacceptable'

The Iranian proposals reportedly included suggestions to separate negotiations on ending hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz from more complex issues, like Tehran's nuclear programme.

Mr Trump had criticised previous US policy towards Iran and insisted Tehran would be "laughing no longer".

We'll get the latest on the Hantavirus outbreak and speak to a epidemiologist on the quarantine procedure which some of those on board that ship will be experiencing.

And we'll go to Lebanon where deadly Israeli air strikes continue despite a fragile truce.

(Photo: US President Donald J. Trump gives remarks to the media as he departs the White House; Credit: Aaron Schwartz/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l6rc8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8stk0)
Trump dismisses Iran's response to US proposals to end the war

President Trump has rejected Iran's counter- proposals to a US plan for potential peace talks. Writing on Truth Social, he said "I don't like it - totally unacceptable!"

The White House said President Trump ‌would 'apply pressure' on his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping over Iran - Nick Marsh on our Singapore Business Desk will have more on that.

US health authorities have said one of the seventeen Americans being repatriated from the hantavirus- struck cruise ship, has tested positive - we'll speak to our correspondent in the Canary Islands.

(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House for Florida in Washington, DC, USA; Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/
EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l6w3d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8sy94)
US rejects Iran's counter proposals to end the war

Sources in Iran, quoted by the semi-official news agency Tasnim, said Mr Trump's reaction didn't "matter at all" and that Iran would only draft plans for the rights of the Iranian nation.

One of the American passengers repatriated from the hantavirus-struck cruise ship has tested positive, and a second person has shown mild symptoms.

The British Prime minister Keir Starmer will promise bolder action to tackle "big challenges" facing the country, as he battles to persuade his MPs not to ditch him as Labour leader. So is he safe for now?

(Photo: Iranians walk next to a anti-US and Israel mural in a street in Tehran. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA-EFE)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l6zvj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl5)
Mikhail Ulyanov: Rescuing Iran nuclear talks

“It’s outrageous because these nuclear plant facilities were certified by the International Atomic Energy Agency as purely peaceful facilities. The inspectors, they spent, there, a lot of time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Iran is the most verifiable country, thousands of inspections. The agency knows everything about what is going on.”

BBC journalist Farnaz Ghazizadeh speaks to Mikhail Ivanovich Ulyanov, Russia’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, about the collapse of diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear programme and whether negotiations can still be rescued.

With decades of experience in disarmament and nuclear negotiations, Ulyanov insists Iran’s nuclear programme is already among the most heavily monitored in the world, and argues concerns over the programme have been exaggerated.

Now, as conflict in the region intensifies, Russia is offering to act as a mediator.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN. 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: Farnaz Ghazizadeh
Producers: Osman Iqbal
Editor: Damon Rose and Justine Lang

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

(Image: Mikhail Ulyanov. Credit: Reuters)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5xc3x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gfr)
Is Chile becoming Argentina's shopping centre?

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Argentines cross the Andes looking for bargains. With a favourable exchange rate, it can be considerably cheaper to buy well-known clothes and electronics brands in Chile. President Javier Milei's economic reforms have helped ease inflation so some people in Argentina have more money to spend. Jane Chambers has been to meet bargain hunters from Argentina and the retailers looking for their business.

(Photo: Argentine President Javier Milei reacts in the Chamber of Deputies during Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni's annual report in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 29 April 2026. Credit: Matias Martin Campaya/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct8r38)
Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a seven-year project which examined the country’s residential school system.

For more than 100 years, Indigenous children were taken from their families to boarding schools with the sole purpose to “kill the Indian in the child”.

The schools were run by various church organisations on behalf of the Canadian government, and many children were subject to physical and sexual abuse.

In 2015, the commission found that cultural genocide had been committed against Canada’s Indigenous people.

Chief Wilton Littlechild was one of the three commissioners who travelled the country hearing survivor’s testimony. 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: Female students at a residential school with a nun in 1940. Credit: Reuters/ Canada. Dept. Indian and Northern Affairs/Library and Archives Canada)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l73ln)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561kjmx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5xgw1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct8k6v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l77bs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct99l3)
Sir David Attenborough's first Zoo Quest and a WW2 sabotage mission in Norway

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

We start with the broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough. To mark his 100th birthday, we go back to the mid 1950s and the television programme that launched his career. Our guest is Dr Paula Kahumbu, a Kenyan conservationist and head of the conservation organisation, Wildlife Direct.

Then, the story of a World War Two sabotage plot carried out by a team of Norwegian resistance fighters.

We hear about Africa's worst stadium disaster, at the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana.

Plus, a Spanish nun reflects on the killing of two fellow sisters during the Algerian civil conflict in the 1990s.

We also hear how the world's most complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex was found in South Dakota, USA, in 1990.

Finally, how the Nigerian 4 x 400m relay team were declared Olympic champions, 12 years after the race.

Contributors:

Sir David Attenborough - naturalist and broadcaster (BBC archive)

Dr Paula Kahumbu, CEO of Kenyan conservation organisation, Wildlife Direct

Gunnar Deinboll Jenssen - nephew of the Norwegian resistance fighter Lieutenant Peter Deinboll

Herbert Mensah - former chair of the football club Asante Kotoko

Sister Lourdes Migueles - Spanish nun who chose to stay in Algeria during civil conflict

Peter Larson - American commercial fossil collector and researcher

Enefiok Udo-Obong - former Nigerian sprinter

(Photo: Sir David Attenborough, naturalist and broadcaster, with two ring-tailed lemurs. Credit: Keystone/Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l7c2x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561ks45)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5xqc9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mbz)
Operation Ajax: The CIA’s Iran coup

At the outset of the war in Iran, US President Donald Trump suggested that regime change was one of its goals. He later said it had been had achieved, a claim that is disputed by critics who point out that the same repressive forces in Iran still hold power.

American attempts at regime change in Iran have a long history. In 1953 the CIA, assisted by British intelligence, led a deadly coup that toppled Iran’s last democratically elected leader. It’s a moment in history that poisoned US-Iranian relations, and helped launch the theocratic revolution to come. But the immediate success of ‘Operation Ajax’ would convince the CIA to carry out a wave of similar plots around the world.

We get the full story from Scott Anderson, author of King of Kings: The Fall of the Shah and the Revolution That Forged Modern Iran.

Producers: Viv Jones and Valerio Esposito
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Supporters of the Shah of Iran in Tehran, 1953. Credit (Getty/Bettmann)


MON 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l7gv1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8hx7)
We never believed our mother was a murderer

When Earl and Dean Williams were children, they discovered that the people raising them in the Belizean town of San Ignacio were not their parents, but their great aunt and uncle. It would take several more years for Earl and Dean to uncover what had happened to their biological mother, Nora Parham.

Their cousin had access to police archives, and what he found was difficult to hear: Nora had been found guilty of murdering her partner, a police constable called Ketchell Trapp, by setting him on fire. She became the only woman in Belize's history to be executed.

Following her execution, her eight sons were raised by different relatives around the country and one was even sent to the United States. Contact among the brothers was sparse and reunions were rare.

Dean and Earl both found it hard to accept their mother was capable of such an act. And, over time, Dean came across information that did seem to exonerate her. Former neighbours said Ketchell Trapp had been physically abusive to Nora. Then a friend and neighbour called Agripina Espejo said she had been present at the hospital when Ketchell Trapp gave his dying statement to police. According to Espejo, he said he had accidentally set himself on fire and that his injuries were not Nora's fault.

In 2022, nearly 60 years after Nora was hanged, Belize's Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, brought the case to the House of Representatives. The motion to posthumously pardon Nora passed, with five of her sons watching tearfully from the gallery. In a final act of dignification, Nora's previously unmarked grave was given a headstone.

Presented and produced by Saskia Collette

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

(Photo: A portrait photo of Nora Parham. She is wearing a smart, light coloured blouse with drop earrings. Her hair is parted on the side and pulled back away from her face. Credit: Courtesy of Earl Williams)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct8r38)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l7ll5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561l0mf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5xyvk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l7qb9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gn8jkc)
Trump dismisses Iran's latest negotiating position

President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran's response to US proposals to end the war as "totally unacceptable". Iran's semi-official news agency, Tasnim, said Tehran's proposal included an immediate end to the war on all fronts and a halt to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and guarantees of no further attacks on Iran.

We speak to a former Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, about the conflict and what role China could play in ending it.

Also in the programme: we report on the origins of the Hantavirus; a relative of Syria's Bashar al-Asad is on trial in Damascus for torture and massacres; and why are so many World Cup football teams doing their preparations in Kansas City.

(Photo shows US president Donald J. Trump giving remarks to the media in Washington, DC, USA on 8 May 2026. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/EPA]


MON 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l7v2f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5y6bt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d37)
Narendra Modi urges Indians to WFH

The PM says austerity measures will cut India's fuel use and save foreign exchange. India imports 90% of its oil. Its fuel bill has spiked since the US and Israel's war on Iran.

President Emmanuel Macron goes on a charm offensive in Africa. He's visiting Kenya for the two day Africa Forward Summit, a gathering meant to showcase France’s new policy for the continent.

And singer Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15mn for using her image without her permission.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l7ytk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g7ympb)
Hantavirus ship passengers returning home

A total of seven cases of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius have been confirmed. The final passengers and crew are now being evacuated from the vessel which is moored off the Spanish island of Tenerife. We speak to our reporter there, and we bring together virus experts to explain and discuss developments.

Britain's embattled Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has said he will fight any leadership challenge that arises from last week's disastrous election results.

We hear a conversation with people who are living in volcanic areas despite the risk of eruption.

The online daily game Wordle, which is played by millions of people across the world, is to be made into a television show in the United States. Our newsroom reporter explains.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon

(Photo: A personnel in a biohazard suit assists in the disembarkation of a passenger evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was affected by a hantavirus outbreak, and arrived on a chartered aircraft at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, US. 11 May, 2026. Credit: Hayden Smith/Reuters)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l82kp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g7yrfg)
Trump says US-Iran ceasefire on 'life support'

President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran's response to US proposals to end the war as "totally unacceptable". We have the latest from BBC Persian and our Washington correspondent.

The head of the Saudi state-owned oil giant, Aramco, has said the Iran conflict has caused the largest ever shock to global energy supplies. We speak to our business correspondent. We also hear from people in India and Sri Lanka about the impact of the war on their lives.

Researchers are warning that increased ship traffic off South Africa - due to the US-Israel war on Iran - is increasing dangers for whales. Our correspondent explains.

A man accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump during a gala dinner in Washington last month has pleaded not guilty. We have the latest.

And, we hear a conversation with sports journalists about a big VAR decision in Sunday's crunch Premier League football game between Arsenal and West Ham.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon.

(Photo: President Trump participates in maternal healthcare event at the White House, Washington, USA - 11 May 2026. Credit: AARON SCHWARTZ/POOL/EPA)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l869t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8hx7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct8r38)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l8b1y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561lr36)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5ypbb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rjt)
2026/05/11 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 (w1730nkm34l8ft2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5yt2g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct8jsb)
The Life Scientific: Lucy Carpenter

Working on a remote tropical island in the Atlantic might sound like some sort of romantic idyll - but trying to conduct scientific research on a windy, isolated volanic outcrop is no picnic, as Lucy Carpenter can attest! Lucy is an atmopsheric chemist and a Professor at the University of York, whose work has helped to transform understanding of how oceans shape the air above them. She was one of the founding scientists behind the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory, established on São Vicente in 2006 and now a key global monitoring site. Measurements made there helped overturn a long-standing assumption: ozone loss is not solely a human-made problem. Lucy and her colleagues showed that gases released by natural marine processes can trigger chemical reactions that destroy ozone - demonstrating that the sea is not simply a passive backdrop to climate change but an active participant; affecting aerosols, clouds and ultimately the climate itself. More recently Lucy's expertise has taken her into the policy arena, co-chairing the scientific assessment panel for the Montreal Protocol: the international agreement designed to protect the ozone layer. In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Lucy discusses her journey from sampling ocean air to turning the tide of global environmental policy - and explains why her passion for duathlons could arguably be seen as an easier pastime than scientific research.


MON 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l8kk6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gn9cs8)
Trump: Iran ceasefire on ‘massive life support’

The US president voices scepticism over the latest Iranian demands. Donald Trump says the month-long ceasefire between the US and Iran is on "massive life support" and insists he’s in no hurry to reach a peace deal. So how fragile is the Iran-US ceasefire?

Also on the programme: As the final Hantavirus cruise passengers disembark, we hear from the medical facility in the US where sixteen of them are being quarantined; and the comedian who's donning the persona of Alex Jones, conspiracy theorist extraordinaire - to help compensate the victims he's defamed.

(Photo: An Iranian person walks next to an anti-US and Israel mural in a street in Tehran, Iran following an exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz amid a ceasefire. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l8p9b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5z1kq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l8t1g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561m72q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5z59v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fmx)
Oil deadlock deepens

Oil prices are rising as tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt supply, with petrol in parts of the US now topping six dollars a gallon. We’re joined by David Malpass, former US Treasury Under-Secretary under President Trump and former World Bank President, to discuss the global economic impact.

And what does all this mean on the ground for small businesses already under pressure?

Also, Nintendo shares fall after a price hike for its new Switch 2 console, as booming demand for AI drives up the cost of memory chips and pushes prices higher for gamers. We’ll be asking what’s behind the global scramble for semiconductors — and how far those costs could go.

(Picture: Reuters/Kim Soo-hyeon)

TUESDAY 12 MAY 2026

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l8xsl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct99l3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l91jq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561mgkz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5zdt3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mbz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l958v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561mlb3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5zjk7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct8h13)
Return to Khartoum: War, loss and hope

Since 2023, Sudan has been engulfed by a brutal civil war. More than 150,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced. The war began as a power struggle between the Sudanese military and the powerful paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The capital Khartoum was the epicentre of the conflict. Millions fled as fighting wrecked the city. In 2025, the Sudanese military finally retook the capital from the RSF. One year on, Mohanad Hashim returns home to Khartoum to see how life is slowly returning to the battered city.

Reporter: Mohanad Hashim
Producer: Alex Last
Sound mix: Neil Churchill
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: Boy walks past buildings pockmarked by bullets and shrapnel in downtown Khartoum. Credit: Alex Last/BBC)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l990z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8hx7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct8r38)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l9ds3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561mttc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw5zs1h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l57)
Mika Obanda: Mosaic art

Mika Obanda creates vibrant mosaics using egg shells in his Kenyan studio. He gets the eggshells from local hotels and paints them after cleaning and shaping them. Last summer Frenny Jowi visited him as he prepared his latest collection - Trying to Blossom - for an exhibition. But then disaster struck - so Frenny has been back to find out how Mika has coped with hardship, with support from his local community.


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l9jj7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8wlpz)
A number of ministers urge Prime Minister Starmer to step down

The cabinet is due to meet in a few hours time. On Monday Sir Keir insisted he would not quit, and would fight any leadership challenge.

The Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi - a two‑day France–Africa forum - is drawing to a close today here in the Kenyan capital. It's the first time France has staged an event of this kind in an English‑speaking country beyond its traditional partners.

Children in Mexico are cheering this week because it's been announced their summer holidays will be extended this year.

(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer giving a speech at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in Waterloo, London; Credit: James Manning/PA)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l9n8c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8wqg3)
The British Prime Minister is under mounting pressure to resign

More than seventy Labour members of parliament have called for the Prime Minister to stand down. Several senior ministers have urged him to set a timetable for his departure.

The last passengers leave the virus-hit cruise ship as authorities confirm three new positive cases of hantavirus.

A former World Bank president has told the BBC that China can stop hoarding food and fertiliser to ease a global supply crisis caused by the Iran war - Nick Marsh on our Singapore Business Desk will have more on that.

(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking to the media after meeting Labour Party members; Credit: Maja Smiejkowska/PA)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l9s0h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8wv67)
Keir Starmer fights to stay on as British Prime Minister

Pressure has been building on the prime minister after Labour's disastrous performance in last week's elections - but he's vowed to prove "doubters" wrong and says he won't "walk away".

The last passengers leave the virus-hit cruise ship as authorities confirm three new positive cases linked to the deadly outbreak.


And a BBC investigation finds out the man and his gang believed to be responsible for bringing thousands of migrants into the UK in small boats and lorries.

(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets Labour Party members at Kingsdown Methodist Church Hall in Ealing; Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34l9wrm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0q)
Saving Chile's urban wetlands

We visit the communities in Chile restoring vital wetlands in cities and towns.

Chile’s urban wetlands are under pressure from rapid development, pollution and neglect, yet they play a crucial role in storing rainwater, supporting wildlife and reducing floods.

We visit the southern city of Valdivia where local communities have restored damaged wetlands by clearing rubbish, replanting native species and designing parks that work with nature rather than against it. Their efforts have transformed unsafe dumping grounds into thriving public spaces.

And in the major city of Concepción, residents work to restore wetlands to help fight flooding by reconnecting fragmented wetlands to allow them to do their original job.

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

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Jane Chambers
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Francisco Vasque in the Parque Urbano Catrico, Valdivia, Chile/Jane Chambers/BBC)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw60810)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gqs)
How lucrative licences are shaping the toy industry

We look at the multi-billion-dollar toy industry. We ask why backing the right movie, YouTube show, or social media trend can affect your bottom line. And we hear about the challenges making products based on surprise hits, and how the humble puzzle could be the in-toy for 2026.

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

Presenter/producer: Elizabeth Hotson


(Picture: Figures from the "KPop Demon Hunters" toy series are on display at Mattel's booth at the New York Toy Fair in New York City, U.S., February 17, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/ Jeenah Moon)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct985t)
The fossil that revealed the first dinosaur feathers

In 1996, a fossil unearthed in China became the first confirmed record of a dinosaur covered in feathers.

Before this discovery, some palaeontologists had suggested that dinosaurs might have developed feathers and eventually evolved into modern birds, but the idea remained controversial due to the lack of concrete evidence.

Canadian palaeontologist Philip Currie was among the first experts to examine the specimen and recognise it as a feathered dinosaur. He tells Stefania Gozzer about the scientific debate the fossil ignited, as well as the challenges of accessing the specimen at a time when it was still difficult for Western researchers to study fossils in China.

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 cast of a Sinosauropteryx prima is on display in the Royal Ontario Museum. Credit: Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lb0hr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561nfk0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw60cs4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct8h13)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lb47w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lb800)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561np18)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw60m8d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mhh)
Russell Brand, born again

The British comedian Russell Brand is due to stand trial in the UK this year on charges of rape and sexual assault, to which he pleads not guilty.

Over the course of his decades-long career, he has had many guises; Hollywood actor, MTV presenter, radio host, author, religious sceptic, and political agitator among them, moving between mainstream and ‘alternative’ media platforms.

His latest appearances, on podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan, have gone viral for his admissions about his past behaviour, and his conversion to Christianity.

With BBC media editor Katie Razzall.


Producer: Hannah Moore

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo: British actor and comedian Russell Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court, February 24, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville.


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lbcr4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbs)
We crossed the Atlantic in two floating cars

In the summer of 1999, in the Atlantic Ocean, a merchant ship spotted two small cars, a Volkswagen Passat and a Ford Taunus, bobbing along – with two Italian men sitting on top.

The two young men were Marco Amoretti and his friend Marco de Candia. And the brainchild behind the crossing was Marco Amoretti’s father, Giorgio.

Giorgio Amoretti was a rebel and adventurer who had travelled the world in outlandish ways. His big dream was to sail across the Atlantic in a floating car and he had spent years planning the trip. But when Giorgio fell seriously ill, his three sons and their friend Marco de Candia set out to make his dream come true.

They adapted two cars for the sea journey and drove them from their home in Italy to Las Palmas in the Canaries. There they waterproofed them, added sails, and filled them with polyurethane foam so they would float. On the roof they installed a dinghy with a tent, where they could sleep. Then, with just a solar-powered satellite phone, dry foods and tanks of water on board, they launched – two men per car.

At first, the cars went around in circles just off the coast without catching the current. After 10 days of seasickness, two of the brothers called for rescue. But Marco Amoretti and his friend Marco de Candia carried on. They got used to life at sea and spent their time fishing, writing in their diaries and listening to music.

One journalist following the story named them the "autonauti" - like astronauts in cars.

Every day they would call home, where Marco’s mother Serenella was looking after Giorgio. Then the satellite phone broke and nobody knew where they were….

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Vibeke Venema

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

(Photo: Marco Amoretti and Marco de Candia stand on one of the floating cars. Credit: Autonauti)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct985t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lbhh8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561nxjj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw60vrn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l57)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lbm7d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gncfgg)
Britain’s prime minister fights for his political life

The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is still fighting for his political life amid open revolt in his own party; do the rebels have the numbers to oust him - or can he hang on?

Also in the programme: a special report from Khartoum three years into Sudan's civil war, where land mines are hampering aid efforts; how enjoying cultural activities can help slow down biological ageing; and - a propos - we have an appreciation of Shostakovich's first symphony, 100 years after its premiere in Leningrad.

(IMAGE: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer walks through the Member's Lobby of the Houses of Parliament in London to the House of Lords to hear the King's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament, Wednesday May 13, 2026 / CREDIT: Toby Melville/PA Wire)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lbqzj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6137x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gqs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d7r)
US inflation leaps to 3.8%

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have caused higher energy and grocery prices. The average US price for a gallon of unleaded is at its highest level since July 2022, at $4.50.

A Japanese snack maker says it's been forced to print its packaging in black and white because of ink shortages caused by the crisis in the Persian Gulf.

And it's the first day of the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France, one of the biggest events in the world of cinema,


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lbvqn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g81jlf)
Calls for UK PM Starmer to quit

Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to quit as UK Prime Minister. Government ministers have resigned and over 80 Labour MPs have urged the Prime Minister to quit immediately, or draw up a timetable to leave. Meanwhile more than 100 MPs are understood to have signed a statement backing the PM. So what's going on? Our correspondent explains.

There is "no sign" of a larger hantavirus outbreak after the evacuation of the last passengers from a disease-stricken cruise ship, the head of the UN health agency has said. We speak to journalists around the world about how their governments are responding.

And Eurovision starts tonight, with some countries boycotting the song contest over Israel's participation. We speak to our correspondent and have a conversation with some of the contestants.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon.

(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer giving a speech at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in Waterloo, London, as he sets out the next steps he is taking in his plan to build a stronger, fairer Britain. Picture date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Credit: James Manning/PA Wire)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lbzgs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g81nbk)
UK PM Starmer says he won't quit

Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to quit as UK Prime Minister. Government ministers have resigned and over 80 Labour MPs have urged the Prime Minister to quit immediately, or draw up a timetable to leave. Meanwhile more than 100 MPs are understood to have signed a statement backing the PM. So what's going on? We get the latest and speak to correspondents from news organisations from around the world who are here reporting on the story.

One year after the Sudanese military finally retook the capital, Khartoum, my colleague Mohanad Hashim returned home to see how life is slowly returning to the battered city. He explains what he saw.

And Japan's baseball governing body has adopted a rule change to punish dangerous swings, after an umpire was hit in the head by a bat. We speak to people in the game about the decision.

Outside Source presenter: Rahul Tandon.

(Photo: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer giving a speech at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in Waterloo, London, as he sets out the next steps he is taking in his plan to build a stronger, fairer Britain. Picture date: Monday May 11, 2026. Credit: James Manning/PA Wire)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lc36x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct985t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lc6z1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561pn09)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw61l7f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rpb)
2026/05/12 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 (w1730nkm34lcbq5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct8h13)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw61pzk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct8jxv)
The AI pothole hunter

Drivers and cyclists know the dangers of potholes and broken road signs. A Swedish company is fitting vehicles with cameras, and using AI to spot potential problems and defects. We speak to the CEO to find out how it works.

Also in Tech Life this week: some think the internet's business model is obsolete. We talk to a big tech leader on what might replace it. And a young entrepreneur, who learned to code without a computer, tells us about his AI teaching app that will work without the internet.

Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn

(Image: Deep potholes have formed on a tarmac road. They are deep enough to catch rainwater. A car is about to drive over them. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lcgg9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnd8pc)
British Prime Minister faces further calls for his resignation

Keir Starmer's position as Britain's Prime Minister is looking increasingly uncertain. He's said it's business as usual, but a succession of his junior ministers have now resigned.

Also on the programme: A suggestion of a huge breakthrough in the treatment of H.I.V; and the crime writer Patricia Cornwell on why she felt compelled to write a memoir.

(Photo: Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets construction apprentices in London. Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville/Pool)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lcl6f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw61ygt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l57)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lcpyk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561q3zt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6226y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fsf)
US price worries: customers tighten purse strings

Are higher prices in the US starting to show up in household bills as inflation moves closer to 4%? We’ll be looking at where that pressure is coming from, how long it might last, and what it means for businesses and consumers already feeling the squeeze.

Also today, after an awkward intervention from President Macron, we get the mood from the tech-focused Africa Forward summit, where leaders and investors are debating the future of digital growth on the continent.

And we hear why eBay has ruled out a deal to merge with GameStop, ending speculation over a possible takeover in the gaming retail space.

(Picture: Allison Dinner/EPA/Shutterstock)

WEDNESDAY 13 MAY 2026

WED 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lctpp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lcyft)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561qch2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw629q6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mhh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ld25y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561qh76)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw62fgb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct99hf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ld5y2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct985t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ld9p6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561qqqg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw62nyl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 World of Secrets (w3ct9b23)
Searching for Soldier Dad

4. The dads

Lawyer James has an extraordinary breakthrough for teenage orphan Yvonne. Could her father be alive?

Meanwhile, it’s time for the big day in court. Can the legal team convince the judge to confirm Cathy and Peter’s fathers?

Searching for Soldier Dad is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.

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

Presenter: Ivana Davidovic
Series producer: Josephine Casserly
Sound design: Tom Brignell
Executive producer: Matt Willis
Commissioning senior producers: Katy Davis and Anne Dixey
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel


WED 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ldffb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8zhm2)
Trump heads to China for Xi summit

President Trump is heading to Beijing on the first visit by a US leader in nine years; talks with Chinese leaders are likely to focus on Iran, Taiwan, and trade tensions between the two superpowers. We speak to a former Assistant US Trade Representative for China.

We speak to a Red Cross representative in Tehran about the impact of recent hostilities on the city and about a moderate earthquake that has shaken the city overnight.

And we speak to two teenage sisters in Gaza who have been awarded an environmental prize for their novel construction idea.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before departing the White House for China, in Washington, DC. Credit: Bonnie Cash/EPA).


WED 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ldk5g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8zmc6)
Trump-Xi to meet

President Trump is heading to Beijing on the first visit by a US leader in nine years; talks with Chinese leaders are likely to focus on Iran, Taiwan, and trade tensions between the two superpowers. We report from cyberpunk city of Chongqing in China.

The British prime minister Keir Starmer is due to hold talks with one of his potential leadership rivals, as he resists pressure to resign from members of his own party.

And Israel has qualified for the final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. Credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters).


WED 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ldnxl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy8zr3b)
Trump sets off to China for talks with Xi Jinping

President Trump heads to Beijing for a summit with the China's leader. They are expected to discuss trade first and foremost and the US president is being accompanied by a range of business executives.

We speak to a Red Cross representative in Tehran. We look at the impact on the city from recent hostilities and a moderate earthquake that has shaken the city overnight.

And we hear from the Latvian foreign minister and discuss a European Union decision this week to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

Presenter: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: President Donald Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC. Credit: Bonnie Cash/EPA)


WED 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ldsnq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct98gv)
Yurii Tokar: Russia deployed Kenyans to death zone

“Russians collected all Kenyans and did everything for them to go to the front line, to go to the death zone.”

Waihiga Mwaura speaks to Yurii Tokar the Ukraine ambassador to Kenya. The Ukrainian claims Russia deliberately deployed many conscripted Kenyans to the front line of the Russia-Ukraine war shortly before the Kenyan foreign minister arrived in Moscow with the intention of stopping recruitment of his countrymen.

The Russian embassy in Kenya did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for comment. It has previously denied any Government involvement in the illegal recruitment of Kenyan citizens.

A representative of Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the BBC that "the government is not aware of such allegations and treats them as possible rumours and propaganda.”

Thank you to the Focus on Africa team for its 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 John Healey, Nadia Calviño and Volodymyr Zelensky. 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: Waihiga Mwaura
Producer: Cordelia Hemming
Editor: Damon Rose

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

(Image: Yurii Tokar. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw634y3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct98rw)
How US funding cuts are reshaping aid in Africa

How has the development and aid sector in Africa adapted in the 15 months since the Trump administration started closing USAID? Have predictions of mortalities come to pass, and how can the funding gaps be filled? We hear from the people who used to be in charge of multi-billion-dollar budgets, as well as those receiving funds on the front lines of the HIV crisis in Tanzania.

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Josh Martin

(Picture: 29-year-old Rashida Musa tends to her sick child who was sent home from the hospital due to malnutrition following the aid cut by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Tudun Gambo, Bauchi State, Nigeria, May 8, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct9882)
Uncovering a lost burial ground in Rio

In 1996, the bricklayer renovating Merced dos Anjos’ home in Rio de Janeiro told her something strange had happened. Bones appeared as he was breaking ground. As she inspected the site, she found they were human. But why so many bones? Was it the work of a serial killer?

The answer was more macabre. They had unearthed an ancient cemetery. The discovery shed light on the brutal history of Brazil’s slavery past – and Rio’s role as the biggest slavery port in the Americas.

The neighbouring Valongo Wharf, today a World Heritage Site, received roughly one million African captives by 1831. Many were too weak after the transatlantic crossing and died soon after arriving. They were buried in the so-called New Blacks Cemetery.

Merced dos Anjos tells Julia Carneiro how the discovery upended her life and led her to create a research centre to shed light on Rio's painful past.

An Overcoat Media production.

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: Merced Guimarães dos Anjos. Credit: Julia Dias Carneiro)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ldxdv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561rbg3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw638p7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct99hf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lf14z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 World Questions (w3ct8snq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lf4x3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561rkyc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw63j5h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mkr)
President Xi’s purges

For the first time in nearly a decade a sitting American President is travelling to China. While tensions between the US and China have been simmering for a while now, over everything from tariffs to Taiwan, Donald Trump has expressed admiration for his powerful Chinese counterpart.

Meanwhile in China, President Xi has been conducting a years long “purge” on the military elite.

The BBC’s Celia Hatton joins us to discuss whether this should be seen as a weakness… or a strength.

Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior News Editor: China Collins

Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in 2019.


WED 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lf8n7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkk)
Why did my white dad keep a file on me?

Following her parents’ deaths, Dorothy Roberts became the custodian of her father’s huge archive of documents from his career as an anthropologist. It seemed natural that Dorothy took care of the hoard as she's the academic among her sisters. After over a decade of procrastination, Dorothy finally decided to explore the files and realised they contained her father’s essays, diaries, and transcripts of hundreds of interviews he conducted with interracial couples in the 20th century.

Dorothy had always known that her white father was interested in the topic and believed it stemmed from his relationship with her black mother. But the transcripts revealed that his fascination with black-white unions began nearly two decades before he met her mother. She wondered, was her family an experiment to test her father’s theory that interracial unions could solve racism?

Entranced by this discovery, Dorothy took herself and the files back to her childhood neighbourhood of Kenwood on the south side of Chicago. She spent an entire summer going through the transcripts, which illuminated the harsh realities of being in a mixed relationship in mid-century Chicago. Along the way, she found out about what she believed could be the origins of her father’s views on race – a transformative trip he took to India as a teenager.

There was a final, startling realisation: that her father had kept a file on her too. In it was an essay Dorothy had written in college about hiding the fact that her father was white to emphasise her black identity. Through the archive Dorothy has been able to reconcile with what it means to be a black woman with a white father and how his ideals about a common humanity that transcends race have inspired her own perspective and work. Dorothy has written a memoir called The Mixed Marriage Project.

A warning that in this episode there is historical archive that contains an outdated racial term that may cause offence.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Saskia Collette

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

(Photo: The Roberts family at their home in Chicago, 1960. Credit: Courtesy of Dorothy Roberts )


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct9882)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lfddc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561rtfm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw63rnr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 World of Secrets (w3ct9b23)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lfj4h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gngbck)
President Trump arrives in China

President Trump arrives in China, the first US president to go there in nearly a decade. We'll look at how the balance of power has shifted since then and how Chinese perceptions of America have also changed.

Also in the programme: on the day of the King’s Speech to Parliament setting out the next legislative programme, speculation mounts that a senior minister will challenge Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership; and the stricken love letters of the English romantic poet John Keats, now up for auction.

(IMAGE: U.S. President Donald Trump participates in an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport during his visit to the country, in Beijing, China, May 13, 2026 / CREDIT: Reuters/Evan Vucci)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lfmwm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct98gv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw64050)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct98rw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8db0)
Trump flies to China for talks with Xi

Tariffs, tech competition, the Iran war and Taiwan top the agenda for the two superpowers. Trump, last visited in 2017. He returns to a stronger, more assertive China.

Tens of thousands take to the streets of Buenos Aires to protest the economic policies of Argentina's President Javier Milei.

And India hikes the tariff on imports of gold and silver from 6% to 15%.


WED 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lfrmr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g84fhj)
Eurovision 2026 amid controversy

The national broadcasters of five countries -- Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia -- have boycotted this year's Eurovision over Israel's war in Gaza. Our correspondent in Vienna covering the contest has been speaking to the Israeli singer and to the director of the competition about the controversies. We also brought together Sweden's 2010 representative and Austria's entrant from 2022.

We explain why polycystic ovary syndrome is being relabelled polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, and we speak to women living with PMOS.

More than 1,000 passengers are being held on a UK-operated cruise ship in France after 49 people fell ill from gastrointestinal sickness. Our newsroom reporter has the latest.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: 70th Eurovision Song Contest - 1st Semi Final, Vienna, Austria - 12 May 2026. Credit: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lfwcw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g84k7n)
Gaza envoy says ceasefire 'far from perfect'

The international official overseeing the planned reconstruction of Gaza has said that seven months into the ceasefire, the door to the future of the Palestinian enclave remains closed. Our correspondent gives details, and we speak to residents in Gaza.

Gunshots have been heard inside the Philippine Senate during what appears to have been an operation to arrest a legislator wanted by the International Criminal Court. We speak to a journalist in Manila.

The political future of the British Prime Minister is again in doubt, with a challenge to his leadership of the governing Labour party expected imminently. Our political correspondent explains.

We explain why polycystic ovary syndrome is being relabelled polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, and we speak to women living with PMOS.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: High representative, director-general for Trump's Board of Peace press briefing in Jerusalem - 13 May 2026. Credit: ATEF SAFADI/EPA/Shutterstock)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lg040)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct9882)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lg3w4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561sjxd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw64h4j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rrl)
2026/05/13 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 (w1730nkm34lg7m8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw64lwn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct8k2c)
Why renaming a health condition matters

Global health reporter Dorcas Wangira joins Claudia Hammond to discuss how renaming a common health condition affecting millions of women worldwide hopes to improve understanding, treatment and diagnoses. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).

Dorcas also brings Claudia Hammond news of a controversial AI algorithm being used by the Kenyan Government to work out how much people should be charged for healthcare costs.

We hear from Peru where researchers have been mapping pesticide use and cases of people getting cancer in a major new study. And from the USA where a study on our disease-fighting T cells shows that they become more effective after we’ve eaten a meal.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins, Georgia Christie and Jonathan Blackwell


WED 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lgccd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnh5lg)
Fanfare in Beijing, as Trump is welcomed for summit

President Trump has been given a lavish welcome to Beijing where he and American business leaders will hold talks with their Chinese counterparts on Thursday. Also on the programme, is the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, about to be forced out of office? And, we hear from Alex Batty, the British boy who sparked a high-profile international missing person investigation. He tells us what happened.

(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, China, May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lgh3j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Interview (w3ct98gv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw64vcx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World of Secrets (w3ct9b23)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lglvn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561t0wx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw64z41)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fvp)
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discuss tariffs, trade, and AI

US President Donald Trump is in China to meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping. They're expected to discuss their current tense trade relationship, the Middle East war, and negotiate an extension of their trade truce agreed in October that paused tariff escalation between the two nations.

India has raised import tariffs on gold and silver purchased abroad to ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves after feeling the squeeze from rising energy prices. They're the world's second largest consumer for precious metals, and we hear how this is likely to affect global demand.

Open AI CEO Sam Altman testified in court today in the ongoing case against Elon Musk, concluding the evidentiary portion of the trial. Closing arguments are due next. Our North America technology correspondent Lily Jamali gives us an update from California.

And how has the aid sector affected Africa after Donald Trump closed the US Agency for International Development? Ed Butler reports from a maternity care project and speaks with experts across the continent.

THURSDAY 14 MAY 2026

THU 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lgqls)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 World Questions (w3ct8snq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lgvbx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561t8d5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw656m9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mkr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lgz31)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561td49)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw65bcf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b7z)
An animal exodus

The Natural History Museum of London is getting ready to move 28 million of its precious specimens to a new state-of-the-art home. Imagine moving tens of millions of delicate animal and plant specimens, gathered from all across the world, over the centuries. Some are as big as a bus, some so tiny you need tweezers to pack them. Some are millions of years old. How to move 350 taxidermy tortoises? The biggest weigh half a tonne. Then there’s the ten-metre anaconda. The team may have to get him out through the lift shaft. What if moths get in? What if something gets lost?

Dr Jeff Streicher, senior curator in charge, Amphibians and Reptiles and Richard Sabin, principal curator, Mammals talk us through this logistical puzzle on a mind-boggling scale. When the collections eventually arrive in their new home, scientists and researchers present and future will be able to explore the specimens’ vast amounts of data, much of it yet untapped, using the latest digital, analytical, and genomic technologies.

The writing of Charles Darwin was read by Jo Stone-Fewings, in Beagle Diary (BBC Radio 4, 2006). Reproduced here with kind permission from Brill Productions, Jo Stone-Fewings and Professor John Van Wyhe ( Darwin Online).

Presenter: Stephen Coates
Sound engineer: Arlie Adlington
Music: Stephen Coates
Producer: Monica Whitlock
A Storyscape production for BBC World Service

(Photo: Giraffes at the Natural History Museum Research Facility. Credit:Trustees of the Natural History Museum)


THU 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lh2v5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct9882)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lh6l9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561tmmk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw65kvp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8svz)
How to meal prep like a pro

Meal prepping is supposed to save us time, money and stress. It is a huge trend on social media, but how can we make it work in our own real, messy lives?

Ruth Alexander meets Hannah, a busy working mum who wants help to make meal times easier, quicker and more varied. Could batch cooking be the answer?

On hand to offer advice and inspiration are Jess Rice from the US website Budget Bytes and Kevin Curry, who has around two million followers across his Fit Men Cook social media accounts.

And if you have ever wondered whether those leftovers are safe to eat, or how long you should leave hot food cooling on the kitchen counter before you freeze it, there is advice from Natalie Stanton, who trains chefs in food safety.

If you would like to get in touch with The Food Chain team, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producer: Lexy O'Connor

Sound engineer: Hal Haines

(Image: A food container with chicken and vegetables being opened by a woman's hands. Credit: Getty Images)


THU 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lhbbf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy92dj5)
Trump meets Xi in Beijing

President Xi of China has called for China and US to be 'partners not rivals' ahead of high stakes talks with his US counterpart in Beijing. We look at the diplomatic as well as trade aspirations of this meeting.

The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, has said officials will 'get to the bottom' of what happened in the Senate building, where gunshots were fired amid a continuing stand-off over a fugitive legislator.

We speak to a Sudanese doctor who has recently returned to his country. He gives us his observations about the state of his country's health care system.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo:The scene as US President Donald Trump participates in events at the Great Hall of the People and does a greeting with the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping. Credit: Kenny Holston/Reuters)


THU 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lhg2k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy92j89)
Trump-Xi summit

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have been holding talks in the Chinese capital, Beijing, with trade and Iran expected to be high on the agenda.

The Philippine Senate was locked down with military personnel seen entering the building where a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court has sought refuge.

How art at the Venice Biennale is drawing attention to the conflict in Ukraine.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping stands next to US President Donald Trump. Credit: MaximShenetove/Reuters).


THU 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lhktp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy92n0f)
Trump-Xi summit

The first of four meetings this year between China and US has just concluded in Beijing. President Xi Jinping has called for China and US to be "partners not rivals". President Trump has described the Chinese premier as a "great leader".

Before the summit began the daughter of the jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai urged the US president to intervene to help secure her father’s freedom. We speak to a close associate of Mr Lai

The Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos has said officials will "get to the bottom" of what happened in the Senate building, where gunshots were fired amid a continuing standoff over a fugitive legislator.

(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping stand together as they tour the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Credit: Evan Vucci/Reuters).


THU 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lhpkt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pm)
What is the future of the European Union?

The recent election result in Hungary has been seen as a welcome relief within the European Union.

The bloc of 27 nations has, at times, felt frustrated with the country for blocking what the other 26 members have agreed to do, especially regarding financial support for Ukraine.

Now the EU has been able to push through a loan to Ukraine of more than US$100bn, and some observers believe the union’s turbulent years are behind it.

As it marks 10 years since the United Kingdom voted to leave, and with Montenegro expected to soon join, this week, what is the future of the European Union?’

Contributors:
Dr Monika Sus, professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences and at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute in Florence, Italy
Michael Geary, professor of European history at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Catherine E. de Vries, author How Europe Survives: The Adaptability and Resilience of a Continent in Peril, vice dean of the school for politics, economics and global affairs at IE University of Madrid, Spain
Dr Andi Hoxhaj, lecturer in law and director of the European law and LLM programme at King's College, London, UK

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

(Photo: European Union flags. Credit: Reuters)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw661v6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gl8)
The US-China economic relationship

As US President Donald Trump travels to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, we look at the tensions and the relationship between the world's two biggest economies.

Presenter: Will Bain, Michelle Fleury and Rahul Tandon
Producer: Gideon Long

(Photo: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, 30 October, 2025. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct98bb)
When Sweden invented the reality game show

In 1997, Sweden changed television history. That year saw the launch of Expedition Robinson, widely regarded as the world’s first reality-based competitive television programme.

The premise was strikingly simple. A group of ordinary people were stranded on a remote island, where they were required to build shelter, compete in challenges and vote one another out — until only one contestant remained.

When the final votes were cast, it was Martin Melin who stood alone. In doing so, he became the world’s first reality TV winner — years before the genre would grow into a global entertainment force.

The programme’s path to broadcast was far from smooth. It prompted fierce ethical debate in Sweden and came close to being pulled before transmission. Yet once it aired, it became one of the country’s most talked-about and successful television shows.

Its format would go on to inspire the international hit Survivor, which marks its 50th US season in 2026.

Martin tells Maddy Savage how it felt to be part of a new cultural phenomenon.

A Podlit production.

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: Martin Melin. Credit: Aftonbladet via Alamy)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lht9y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561v7c6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw665lb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lhy22)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct98mc)
The Media Show: Wrestling with Trump

Munya Chawawa found viral fame during the lockdown for his satirical videos on social media. Now he has a new Channel 4 documentary, Wrestling with Trump, which looks at the links between professional wrestling and the MAGA movement.

Restrictions on prisoners in the UK speaking to journalists are in focus after The Guardian was told Jeremy Bamber can no longer exchange letters or phone calls with journalists. Bamber was convicted in 1986 of murdering his adoptive family and is serving life in prison. Simon Hattenstone, feature writer at The Guardian, and Emily Bolton, defence lawyer and founder of Objection, set out the issues.

The top parenting influencers, often dubbed as “momfluencers”, can earn millions. The phenomena is the subject of a new book, Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online. Author, Fortesa Latifi, and Jasmine McInnes, family and travel influencer, discuss the world of “sharenting”.

Presenter: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Content producer: Lucy Wai
Sound engineer: Syd Dundon


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw669bg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 Happy News (w3ct8nwc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:32 on Sunday]


THU 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lj1t6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561vgvg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw66f2l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mf7)
Eurovision: A song contest in turmoil

This Saturday, the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest final takes place in Vienna, and this year’s competition is again mired in controversy.

A boycott over Israel’s participation by several countries, including Spain and Ireland, threatens to put the competition’s stance of political neutrality to the test. And it is part of a wider debate over which countries should be allowed to compete in prestigious international arts and sports competitions.

We speak to William Lee Adams, a culture reporter at the BBC who also runs a Eurovision YouTube channel, to unpack the controversy surrounding this year’s contest and discuss whether politics and art can ever really be separated.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Executive producer: James Shield

Senior News Editor: China Collins

(Photo: Noam Bettan of Israel performs during the first semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, 12 May 2026. Credit: Hannibal Hanschke/EPA/Shuttershock.)


THU 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lj5kb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8j40)
The Englishman who became an unlikely Brazilian pop star

Born into an English military family in the 1950s, Richard Court had an elite education and was being primed for the corporate life. But then a chance encounter with a group of Brazilian rock stars on a Welsh mountain convinced him to make a spur-of-the-moment decision to move to Brazil. He’d always dabbled in music, and so while working as an English teacher in Rio de Janeiro he experimented with writing and recording a few songs in his free time. Record companies didn’t quite know what to make of this Englishman singing in Portuguese but one label decided to give him a shot. When his first song was accidentally played out on the radio in 1983, it became a surprise phenomenon, selling hundreds of thousands of copies within weeks and making Richard – now reinvented as Ritchie – one of the biggest names in Brazilian pop. To this day, many Brazilians still don’t know that Ritchie is in fact English. Outlook’s Tom Raine met the unlikely star at his studio in Rio de Janeiro.

Reporter: Tom Raine
Producer: Andrea Kennedy
Presenter: Jo Fidgen

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

(Photo: Black and white photograph of Ritchie in 1983 looking moodily at the camera, wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a flower pinned to his label. Credit: Milton Montenegro)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct98bb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lj99g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561vqbq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw66nkv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8svz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ljf1l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnk78n)
Xi tells Trump they should be partners not rivals

President Xi Jinping described US-Chinese relations as "the most important" in the world and stressed to President Trump that the US and China should be partners and not rivals. Also, in the programme; the dental tools used by Neanderthals and we hear from an exiled Venezuelan politician on how his country is five months after Maduro's capture.



(Photo: President Trump and Xi walking in the Great Hall of the People. Credit: Reuters)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ljjsq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw66x23)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d5h)
World Business Express - Finance, economy and business news from BBC journalists around the world. The stories that matter: World Business Express brings you the essentials on the fast-changing global economy. What forces are driving the markets and industry? Hear unique insight from top CEOs, investors, economic thinkers and small business bosses.
From global trade, to oil and food prices and the rise of artificial intelligence, to the corporate crashes and standout entrepreneur start-ups, the BBC World Service brings you trusted reporting. We’ll explain how the top stories impact your own finances.


THU 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ljnjv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g87bdm)
Xi Jinping meets Donald Trump in China

China's President, Xi Jinping, has told a state banquet for Donald Trump that China and the United States should be “partners, not rivals”. The presidents held two hours of talks. The White House has made no mention of Taiwan, one of the most sensitive issues. Xi earlier warned of potential conflict over the island. We speak to people in Taiwan on how they are feeling about the future.

We hear the latest from Ukraine, where the air force says Russia fired more than 1500 drones in the space of 36 hours, making it the largest sustained aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of Moscow's invasion.

And we speak to women who have suffered from birth injuries, and the life-changing effects they can have.

Presenter: James Reynolds

Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Evan Vucci


THU 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ljs8z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g87g4r)
Cuba runs out of diesel and oil

Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, the country's Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy has said. In an interview with state-run media, he said there were limited amounts of gas available, but that Cuba's energy system was in a "critical" state as a US-led blockade of oil to the country squeezed supply. Scattered protests against power cuts broke out in the capital Havana. We hear from people there.

We discuss the upcoming World Cup, after a group of world-leading scientists have warned Fifa its current heat safety measures are "inadequate" and could put players at risk of serious harm.

China's President, Xi Jinping, has told a state banquet for Donald Trump that China and the United States should be “partners, not rivals”. The presidents held two hours of talks. The White House has made no mention of Taiwan, one of the most sensitive issues. Xi earlier warned of potential conflict over the island. We speak to people in Taiwan on how they are feeling about the future.

Presenter: James Reynolds

Photo: People walk past trash set on fire in the middle of a street during a protest against frequent power cuts as Havana faces its worst rolling blackouts in decades amid a US blockade that has strangled the island of fuel, 13 May, 2026. Credit: Norlys Perez/ Reuters)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ljx13)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8j40)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct98bb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lk0s7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561wfth)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw67d1m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rm2)
2026/05/14 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 (w1730nkm34lk4jc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct9b7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw67hsr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977l)
The science behind hantavirus

Following three deaths linked to the deadly hantavirus disease on a cruise ship this month, the scientific community is racing to answer the many unknown questions surrounding the outbreak.

Tom Whipple speaks to Dr Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Basel and co-founder of Pathoplexus, an online database of pathogen genomes, to explore what the new hantavirus genomic sequences can tell us.

He also hears from Dr Nicole Luri, Executive Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response from the NGO The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI), to hear what steps would be taken if the hantavirus strain had the potential to become a pandemic, and how far their "100 days" mission has come.

With less than a month until the men’s football World Cup kicks off in the United States, Canada and Mexico, there are warnings from climate scientists that football’s global governing body FIFA needs to do more to combat the risks from the high temperatures both players and fans are expected to face. We speak to Dr Theodore Keeping from the World Weather Attribution team at Imperial College London to hear about the predicted conditions and the concerns they are raising.

Plus, mathematician Kit Yates from the University of Bath brings us his pick of the week’s science news you might have missed, including new hearing technology that might help you follow conversations in rowdy parties.

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Alex Mansfield
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lk88h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnl2hk)
New challenge to British PM Keir Starmer's leadership

Is the United Kingdom on the verge of replacing another Prime Minister? The incumbent Sir Keir Starmer faces fresh challenges to his leadership today, beginning with the resignation of his Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has already called on the Prime Minister to step down after disastrous local election results last week. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, says he's going to stand for election to return to Parliament, and he could challenge Mr Starmer if he wins that by-election.

Also in the programme: reflections on the meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi in Beijing; and we look at the dinosaur with the tiny brain, said to be as heavy as nine elephants.

(Photo: Prime Minister Keir Starmer and MP Wes Streeting who has just resigned as Health Minister. Credit: Associated Press)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lkd0m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw67r90)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8svz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lkhrr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561wxt0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw67w14)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fq5)
Will Donald Trump's visit to China benefit the global economy?

The US president and his Chinese counterpart struck a positive tone at a banquet dinner in Beijing today. But what was actually achieved in a day of meetings between the two world leaders?

Protests have broken out in Havana following ongoing power blackouts described as the worst in decades. Cuba's energy minister admits that they've run out of diesel and fuel oil because of the US-led blockade.

And, with the men's World Cup less than a month away, hotels in the USA are seeing 80% less demand for bookings than expected. The cost of transport and tickets are some of the reasons cited. We hear insights from a hospitality industry insider and a fan who spent over $2,000 to be at the first match.

FRIDAY 15 MAY 2026

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lkmhw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct98mc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw67zs8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw3)
Why can’t the US and Iran reach a peace deal?

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses what is preventing the United States and Iran from reaching an agreement to end their conflict, examines the global economic impact of the confrontation, and looks at the growing threat from jihadists in West Africa.

Producer: Kate Cornell
Executive Producer: Benedick Watt
Commissioning Editors: Silvia Costeloe and Paul Royall


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lkr80)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561x598)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw683jd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mf7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lkw04)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561x91d)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6878j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct8jxv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lkzr8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8j40)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct98bb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ll3hd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561xjjn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw68grs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983k)
Speaking from the heart

Anna was just 25, and newly married living near Oxford when she suffered a massive stroke, caused by a tumour in her heart. It initially left her locked in – unable to let the world around her know that she was even conscious.

Mike Wooldridge hears Anna’s extraordinary story: the sheer terror she felt when she realized she was unable to move a muscle or make a sound; the confusion of not knowing where she was and what had happened to her; and the spiritual struggles as Anna, who’d been brought up a Christian, became convinced that she must have done something terrible for God to punish her in this way.

Anna’s surgeon, Stephen Westaby, explains why Anna had to endure no fewer than five open heart operations, each more complex than the one before. And we find out how gradually, Anna learnt to communicate again and came to realise that God still loved her.

Today Anna is playing a healing role in her church community. And she says she thanks God every morning that she is still alive – even though over 30 years after her stroke, she remains paralysed and dependent on a wheelchair.

Producer: Kristine Pommert
Reader: Lex Parry
Music research: Katie Harris
Editor: Anna Stewart
A CTVC production for the BBC World Service

(Photo: A stethoscope and a red heart shape. Credit: Myriams Photos)

Audio Recording of How Can I Keep From Singing kindly provided by the National Lutheran Choir, Dr. Jennaya Robison, artistic director
Copyright © National Lutheran Choir. Used by permission.


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ll77j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy959f8)
Second day of talks for Trump and Xi

The US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China meet again for a final round of talks in Beijing. President Trump told Fox news that he had pushed for China to buy more products from American farms and that Xi had told him that Beijing would refuse to provide Tehran with any military equipment while the US is at war with Iran.

A federal jury in Chicago has ordered Boeing to pay nearly $50 million to the family of a young woman who was killed when a Boeing 737 Max jet crashed in Ethiopia in 2019. We speak to her mother.

And we look at the relics, looted by British soldiers more than 150 years ago, being returned to Ethiopia.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: US President Donald Trump is greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China. Credit: Evan Vucci/Reuters).


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34llbzn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy95f5d)
Trump meets Xi for final day of talks

The US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China meet again for a final round of talks in Beijing. President Trump told Fox news that he had pushed for China to buy more products from American farms and that Xi had told him that Beijing would refuse to provide Tehran with any military equipment while the US is at war with Iran.

Pressure mounts for the British Prime Minister as likely challengers emerge as candidates for the Labour leadership.

And a federal jury in Chicago has ordered Boeing to pay nearly $50 million to the family of a young woman who was killed when a Boeing 737 Max jet crashed in Ethiopia in 2019. We speak to her mother.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping gestures during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of their visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing. Credit: Evan Vucci/Reuters).


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34llgqs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bgy95jxj)
Trump holds final round of talks with Xi

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have been holding their final round of talks in Beijing. Mr Trump said they'd made some fantastic trade deals, though he didn't give details. He'd earlier said China may buy US oil and aircraft.

And a federal jury in Chicago has ordered Boeing to pay nearly $50 million to the family of a young woman who was killed when a Boeing 737 Max jet crashed in Ethiopia in 2019. We speak to her mother.

And we speak to residents in Ukraine in a week that has seen some of the most severe Russian air attacks in the country.

Presenter: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: US President Donald Trump poses for a picture with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China. Credit: Evan Vucci/Reuters)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lllgx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct98k3)
Leopoldo Lopez, Venezuelan opposition leader: I am not bitter

James Menendez speaks to Leopoldo Lopez, once the most prominent face of Venezuela’s opposition, he is now living in exile in Spain.

He spent more than a decade attempting to unseat Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian government and was imprisoned for over three years, accused of inciting the 2014 anti-government protests.

Following the capture and arrest of Maduro by US forces in January, the country has entered a new and uncertain phase, with Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez now acting as interim leader.

Leopoldo Lopez talks to us about the prospect of elections in Venezuela and the personal cost of standing up for political change.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel prize winner Maria Corina Machado, director Chloe Zhao and musical icon Ringo Starr. 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: James Menendez
Producer: Farhana Haider

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

(Image: Leopoldo Lopez. Credit: Reuters)


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw68yr9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtf)
The banker who loaned to women when no one else would

Jennifer Riria grew up in a rural village in Kenya, juggled motherhood and university studies in her late teens, and ended up running one of the biggest microfinance institutions for women in Africa, which allows women to access loans for their businesses. The entrepreneur pioneered giving small loans to women at a time when they were not allowed to get finance. We hear about her story in life and in business.

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

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producers: Ahmed Adan and Amber Mehmood
Sound mix: Toby James

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

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

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

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

(Picture: Jennifer Riria.)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct98dl)
The Sami protest song that made Eurovision history

In 1980, Norway’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest included a traditional Sami joik song from the country’s indigenous community.

It was the first time joiking was heard by an international audience.

The song was originally created by Mattis Haetta as part of a protest against the building of a dam in Finnmark, in northern Norway – which would have flooded traditional Sami reindeer herding routes and villages.

Surya Elango speaks to Inga Haetta, the sister of Mattis.

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: Mattis Hætta on Eurovision 1980. Credit: Stein Dag Jensen/National Library of Norway)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34llq71)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561y489)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw692hf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lltz5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcd)
Hantavirus outbreak and what’s in a name

An outbreak of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship has us looking at the unexpected science around the disease. First up, why is this outbreak such an unusual occurrence?

Then, what's in a name? We look at how diseases are named, and why the system has sometimes been problematic.

Also, the mysterious case of medicine disappearing from the quarantine tanks at an aquarium. We speak to the expert who solved the puzzle.

All that, plus more fun and strange science, on this week's Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Alex Lathbridge, with Camilla Mota and Kai Kupferschmidt
Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Robbie Wojciechowski and Scarlett Victoria


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34llyq9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561ycrk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw699zp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct7157)
Why K-beauty is everywhere

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

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

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

Producer: Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Sound engineer: Marty Peralta

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Model Lee Hyun-yi attends the photocall event celebrating the launch of AHC’s new product at the FKI Tower Conference Center in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu. Credit: iMBC/Imazins/Getty Images)


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lm2gf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8hpg)
The Outlook Mixtape: A room of one's own

Nearly 100 years ago, the British writer Virginia Woolf wrote her seminal text A Room of One's Own, about the need for women to have their own space – physically and intellectually. We look at three stories from people who have run with the idea of shaking off convention to create the room to be themselves.

Everlyn Nicodemus fell in love with painting when she was in her 20s living in Tanzania. But it was only when she was in her 60s, widowed and working in nursing homes that her art was discovered and she was given the luxury of her own studio. Outlook's May Cameron visited Everlyn in her studio in Scotland and heard how she went from struggling to pay her bills to showcasing her art in the world's most prestigious art galleries.

Hiba was studying English literature in the early 2000s in Syria when she read Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own for the first time. She told Jo Fidgen in 2019 about the uprisings in Syria and how her feminist defiance towards the Assad regime was inspired by Virginia Woolf.

Deke Duncan loves radio and for decades has run a pretend music station from his garden shed, with his friends in the UK. Typically, he has only one listener – his wife. In 2018 he told Jo Fidgen how that all changed when he received a call from his local radio station with an offer to broadcast to thousands of people for the first time.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: May Cameron

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

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


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct98dl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lm66k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561ym7t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw69kgy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lm9yp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnn45r)
Trump and Xi conclude 'very successful' talks with Xi in Beijing

US President Donald Trump left Beijing after a two-day summit saying he had struck "fantastic trade deals, great for both countries", but few details have emerged on what the two superpowers agreed. President Trump, who's flying back from a summit in Beijing, says he doesn't think there's a risk of conflict between the US and China over Taiwan.


Also on the programme: US media reports say Washington is preparing criminal charges against the ninety-four-year-old former Cuban leader, Raul Castro; and archaeologists and preservation groups have appealed to a court in the US to prevent the company - RMS Titanic Inc - from selling 100 of the ship's artefacts to private collectors. We hear from Professor Mike Williams, a member of the group asking the court to stop the auction.

(Photo: Trump said the meeting was "very successful, world-renowned, and unforgettable", while Xi called it a "historic and landmark" visit, according to Chinese state media. Credit: Reuters)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lmfpt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct98k3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw69sz6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d0z)
Trump and Xi talks come to a close

Ahead of President Trump's and President Xi's China summit, there were hopes of deals agreed on both trade and tariffs. But has anything actually been achieved? Leanna Byrne finds out.
And less than a month from the start of the World Cup, fans and hoteliers are getting nervous at the impact of escalating prices for tickets, transport and taxes. Can fans afford to make the journey?
Also, we hear why the bond markets are nervous of political change in the UK.


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lmkfy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g8b79q)
CIA chief visits Cuba

CIA director John Ratcliffe has met his Cuban counterpart at the interior ministry in Havana, after the US renewed an offer of $100m of aid to ease the effects of its oil blockade. Our newsroom reporter explains.

We hear from our correspondent and podcasters in Vienna where the Eurovision Song Contest is taking place this week.

President Trump, who's flying back from a summit in Beijing, says he doesn't think there's a risk of conflict between the US and China over Taiwan. We speak to our China correspondent about President Trump's visit, and we hear from Chinese Americans.

France is trying to send two orcas who have been languishing in an abandoned zoo to Spain - against the wishes of animal protection activists. Our reporter explains.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: A man drives an electric rickshaw along an avenue as Cuba's electrical grid suffered a partial collapse early Thursday morning, cutting power across eastern Cuba amid a U.S. fuel blockade, in Havana, Cuba, May 14, 2026. Credit: Norlys Perez/Reuters)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lmp62)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6c1g8bc1v)
WHO warns nicotine pouch brands targeting youth

The World Health Organization issued a warning over the rapid global expansion of nicotine pouch products, highlighting the tobacco industry's aggressive marketing tactics to hook young people. We speak to experts.

US media reports say Washington is preparing criminal charges against the 94-year-old former Cuban leader, Raul Castro. We speak to our correspondent who covers Cuba.

Five Italians have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, the foreign ministry in Rome has said. The ministery said the divers are believed to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres. We speak to people who do cave diving.

An unknown bidder has agreed to pay nine million dollars to dine with the billionaire investor Warren Buffet, and the basketball superstar Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha. We ask OS listeners who would be their dream dinner guest and how much would they pay.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Nicotine pouches)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lmsy6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8hpg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct98dl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lmxpb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561zbql)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6b8yq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rgk)
2026/05/15 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 (w1730nkm34ln1fg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3l)
Hantavirus nearly killed me

It’s just over six weeks since the ship, MV Hondius, left Argentina for a cruise visiting remote islands in the South Atlantic. A month later, three passengers had died. The World Health Organisation identified the probable cause as hantavirus – a rodent-borne disease that the victims most likely contracted in south America.

In our conversations, we bring together Christian in Germany and Lorne in Canada to share their experiences of the virus and their own brush with death.

“My heart failed, and I apparently died for 11 minutes,” Lorne tells host James Reynolds. “The degree of sickness and illness that I went through was hell on Earth…it was torture.”

This week, the final tourists were evacuated from the cruise ship. Eight people are being treated for hantavirus and other passengers being monitored in quarantine at several locations around the world. We also bring together three experts to discuss how the disease spreads, its prevention and treatment.

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

(Photo: Lorne, who survived Hantavirus)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6bdpv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct8k6w)
Why do we itch?

Why do we feel itchy? So many listeners have emailed in with questions about itchiness, and presenter Anand Jagatia on the case.

We explore why we itch, the different types of itch, the different causes, and why scratching can help with the itchy sensation. 

Anand puts your questions to an expert panel: Dr Sonja Ständer, professor of Dermatology and Neurodermatology at the University of Münster and and Gil Yosipovitch, Professor of Dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at University of Miami. 

Also joining them from the University of Hull in the UK is Dr Henning Holle who studies the psychology of itch. He’s got an itchy game for Anand, Sonja and Gil to play in the studio, but is it really as simple as he’s letting on?

Presenter: Anand Jagatia 

Producer: Tom Bonnett 

Editor: Ben Motley 

(Photo: Young women have skin problems, irritation on her skin, skin infection itching red rash, arm scratching with hands, isolated over yellow background - stock photo - Credit: Arnav Pratap Singh via Getty Images)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ln55l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnnzdn)
Cuba: US plans to indict Raul Castro

CIA chief makes rare trip to Cuba as oil terminals run dry, meanwhile US media reports say Washington is preparing criminal charges against its former leader Raul Castro.

Also in the programme: why nationalist vigilante groups are spreading across Russia; and a French museum holds a display of famous art works from the Second World War in order to reunite them with their rightful owners.

(Image: A vintage car passes by images of late Cuban President Fidel Castro, Cuba's former President Raul Castro and Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel displayed on a billboard in Havana. Credit: REUTERS/Norlys Perez)


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ln8xq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Interview (w3ct98k3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6bn63)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lndnv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh561ztq3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6bry7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fkn)
Trump heads home after high-stakes China talks

As the US president leaves Beijing for Washington, it's clear both parties are eager to improve their economic relationship. We reflect on the last two days with American and Chinese experts.

Across the pond, it's been a dramatic week for British politics too as Prime Minster Keir Starmer faces calls to step down. How will this affect the UK's economy amidst instabilities already caused by the Middle East war?

And a decision by car giant Stellantis to make more models in China highlights the West's increasing interest in their manufacturing. We hear from experts sitting shotgun in the drive to develop China's car industry.