SATURDAY 16 MAY 2026

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lnjdz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 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


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lnn53)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh562026c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6c0fh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8m8q)
Did Trump and Xi get what they wanted?

Donald Trump has concluded his final round of talks with Xi Jinping and wrapped up his state visit to Beijing.

Trade, oil, Iran and Taiwan were among the topics discussed over two days of meetings. The US president said the meeting was ‘’successful” and “unforgettable” – and said he expects the relationship will be better than ever. Does Xi Jinping see things the same way? We speak to the BBC’s senior China correspondent, Laura Bicker.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Valerio Esposito
Executive producer: James Shield
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Trump and Xi. Reuters/Evan Vucci/Pool


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lnrx7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh56205yh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6c45m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct99f6)
Should the Big Bash League follow The Hundred and allow IPL investment?

On Stumped this week with Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma we discuss if IPL investment could be coming to the Big Bash League? It’s an issue that has divided cricket in Australia, but Charu feels Indian investors may not jump at the chance of buying a stake in a franchise.

What’s the point of one-off Test matches? We debate the pros and cons of short series after former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews blasted the potential idea of one-off Tests in the next series of the World Test Championship.

And we hear from Brazil pacer Laura Cardoso, who stunned the cricket world with record-breaking T20 international figures of 9 for 4, the best ever in the format. Remarkably, Cardoso says she had no idea she’d made history.

Photo: The Scorchers celebrate with the trophy after victory in the Men's Big Bash League Final match between the Perth Scorchers and the Brisbane Heat at Optus Stadium on February 04, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Credit: Cricket Australia via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lnwnc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 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)


SAT 03:50 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)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lp0dh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lp44m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh5620k5w)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6chf0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h1)
Samsung

8. Scapegoat

An old feud comes back to haunt the Lee family. A seed sown decades ago blossoms into a fraternal battle, putting the carefully planned succession at risk. But it’s not the only front on which Samsung is fighting for its survival.

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 (w3ct998p)
Erdos Problem 1196: Can AI now solve maths that no human can?

It is said that AI could soon be coming for the jobs of artists, lawyers, and software engineers. But it might now also be threatening a role at the height of academia – are pure mathematicians safe?

Last month, a Stanford mathematician woke up to an email, claiming to have the solution to a problem he had been working on for seven years - a 60-year-old conundrum known as Erdos Problem 1196.

The answer had been generated in just 80 minutes - by ChatGPT.

Since the end of last year, AI has been providing solutions to a number of novel maths problems, but Problem 1196 is the first to raise eyebrows within the mathematical community.

In this episode, we talk to the mathematicians who have worked on Problem 1196 and find out what the rise of AI could mean for the future of their field.

Our contributors include Katie Steckles, Mathematician and communicator, Jared Duker Lichtman, Szegő assistant professor of mathematics at Stanford University and Liam Price, amateur mathematician.

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald
Producer: Josh McMinn
Sound engineer: Dave O'Neill
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lp7wr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w1730c5jlqnpmb7)
US reportedly prepares to indict former Cuban leader

Tensions between Cuba and the US continue to rise amid reports that former President Raul Castro, brother of former leader Fidel who died in 2016, may soon face a US indictment over a 1996 downing of two small planes belonging to a Cuban exile group called Brothers to the Rescue.

We hear from someone on the ground in Cuba about what life is like on the island amid fuel shortages and regular power outages, and hear from the founder of Brothers to the Rescue José Basulto.

Also in today’s programme: Taiwan's president has pressed the case for US arms supplies, just hours after President Trump said he had not decided whether to proceed with a major weapons sale to the island following a summit in China with President Xi Jinping; and, are children reading fewer books? We hear from author and former Childrens’ Laureate Frank Cotterill-Boyce.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Yu Jie, a senior research fellow on China at Chatham House in London, and Soumaya Keynes, a columnist on economics for the Financial Times newspaper and co-author of a new book, How to Win a Trade War: A Friendly Guide to an Unfriendly World.

Photo: Cuba's former President Raul Castro watches a May Day rally in Havana, Cuba May 1, 2025: (Credit: Reuters/Norlys Perez)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lpcmw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w1730c5jlqnpr2c)
Taiwan presses case for US arms deal

Anxiety is growing in Taiwan over US arms sales to the country after President Donald Trump said he had not decided whether to proceed with a weapons deal following a summit in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Senior research fellow on China at Chatham House and Weekend panelist Yu Jie unpacks the weeks events.

Also in today’s programme: the future of Prime Minister Kier Starmer’s premiership after a turbulent week in the British parliament; and we’ll hear from Lebanon, where Israeli airstrikes continue to strike the country despite the extension of the ceasefire on Friday.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Yu Jie, a senior research fellow on China at Chatham House in London, and Soumaya Keynes, a columnist on economics for the Financial Times newspaper and co-author of a new book, How to Win a Trade War: A Friendly Guide to an Unfriendly World.

Photo: An F-16 fighter jet takes off during an annual military exercise ahead of Lunar New Year in Chiayi, Taiwan January 28, 2026. (Credit: Reuters/Ann Wang)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lphd0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w1730c5jlqnpvth)
US increases pressure on Cuba

The US justice department is reportedly preparing to indict former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in the coming days over the shooting down of two aircraft three decades ago. We’ll hear from a pilot that narrowly avoided being shot down.

Also in today’s programme: Austria prepares to host the Eurovision grand final on Saturday evening in an event steeped in political division and controversy with 5 European nations boycotting over Israel’s participation; and where did all the tenors go? We hear why there may be a shortage of them in choirs across the world.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Yu Jie, a senior research fellow on China at Chatham House in London, and Soumaya Keynes, a columnist on economics for the Financial Times newspaper and co-author of a new book, How to Win a Trade War: A Friendly Guide to an Unfriendly World.

Photo: People wait to enter a bank in Havana, Cuba, 14 May 2026.(Credit: Ernesto Mastrascusa, EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lpm44)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 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)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6czdj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8lz2)
Why Democrats are panicking about losing California

It’s the world’s fourth largest economy, with over 40 million people and home to some of the world’s most powerful tech companies. So why aren’t the Democratic party’s biggest names queuing up for a chance to run California?

Voting has started in a primary to decide who will run to replace Governor Gavin Newsom. Democrats have been scrambling after its frontrunner, Rep Eric Swalwell dropped out following allegations of sexual misconduct, and without a blockbuster candidate such as Kamala Harris, Democrat voters have been left navigating a crowded, unsettled field of candidates.

In this episode, Sarah, Anthony and Justin discuss why California is problematic to govern and assess the risk for Democrats possibly losing the state. Also, who is the British-born Republican endorsed by Trump and does he have a real chance of making it to the November election?

We also hear from Democrat Californian royalty, Christine Pelosi, long time Democrat strategist who is now running as a Californian State Senate candidate, and of course daughter to Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the House of Representatives.

Presenter: Sarah Smith, North America editor, Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter and 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 George Dabby with Tom Gillett, Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. 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: 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: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Radical: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lpqw8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct996f)
'Cold hands, warm heart'

We start in the Arctic Circle, via the Welsh valleys, where Cath Pendleton has always loved swimming. Born from a childhood playing in the rivers of her home town of Merthyr, all through her life, her time in the water has been a sanctuary from the strain of daily life. But what makes Cath's story so remarkable is the type of open water swimming she loves the most is in the coldest waters you can find known as "ice swimming". But not content with simply finding cold rivers in Wales, Cath stepped it up a notch and journeyed to Antarctica, where she made history, almost by accident when she became the first person to swim an ice mile inside the Antarctic Circle!

There are some things that seem just too difficult for humans to achieve, but there's probably nowhere quite like the Paralympics to leave you slack jawed in amazement at people not just doing, but excelling at things you thought impossible. To that end I urge you to seek out footage of snowboarder Noah Elliot and remember he is an above the knee amputee. From his home in Colorado we chatted about life on the slopes and so it seemed only right to start by talking about winning gold in Milan Cortina in March.

There are few professions as seemingly cold as the world of corporate law. Rose Harvey's escape from the daily pressures of this high stakes career was to go running. That sliding doors moment in 2020 certainly raised the temperature taking her into the heat of Olympic competition.

It's probably the most infamous story in Winter Olympic history and in this case one of the protagonists must have had ice running through her veins... In 1994, ice skater Nancy Kerrigan, was clubbed in the knee shortly after a training session. The attack put the Olympic hopes of the American golden girl in jeopardy. To everyone's shock the plot was traced back to one of the support staff of Kerrigan's rivals. Mary Scotvold was Kerrigan's coach.

Photo: Gold medallist Noah Elliott of Team United States poses for a photo with his medal on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Para Snowboard Men's Banked Slalom SB-LL1 on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games (CREDIT: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lpvmd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh56218nn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6d6ws)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 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


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lpzcj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 In Our Time (w3ct9764)
The Columbian Exchange

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the exchange of cultures and biology across the Atlantic and Pacific after 1492. That was when Columbus reached the Bahamas, a time when Europe had no potatoes, tomatoes, sunflowers or, arguably, syphilis in its most virulent form; the Americas had no cattle, bananas, sugar cane or smallpox. The lists of what was then exchanged are long and as these flora, fauna and diseases moved between continents, their impact ranged from transformation to devastation. In parts of the Americas, European viruses helped kill over 90 percent of the population. In parts of Europe, Africa and Asia populations boomed on the new American foods. Sheep from Europe grazed fertile land into deserts in some parts of the Americas, while the lowered populations in others led to local reforestation which, arguably, is linked to a particularly cold period in the Little Ice Age.

With:
Rebecca Earle, Professor of History at the University of Warwick
John Lindo, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Emory University
Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lq33n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnqxbq)
US-Nigerian operation kills Islamic State commander

Nigeria and the United States say they have killed a senior Islamic State leader in a joint operation. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki oversaw IS-linked activities across Africa and was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by Washington in 2023. We speak to a spokesperson for the Nigerian president and a regional security expert.

Also on the programme: where has this week's US-China summit left Taiwan?; and the Swiss bus service on the road to nowhere.

(Photo: Nigerian soldiers walk past military tanks prepared for deployment during a tour of the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole by Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, November 7, 2025 Credit: REUTERS/Ahmed Kingimi/File Photo)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lq6vs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w1730c8tcn2gt0f)
Live Sporting Action

Lee James presents live from Wembley for the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea. Pep Guardiola's relentless Manchester City make history as the first club to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals.

They aim to secure a domestic cup double following their EFL Cup triumph. Meanwhile, Chelsea go into their 17th final, desperate to break a brutal 13-match winless streak against City and bounce back from losing their last three FA Cup final appearances. Sportsworld has all the build-up followed by the whole match live from kick off at 1400 GMT.

Sportsworld will also have the latest news from around the sporting world, including golf’s PGA Championship, Diamond League athletics from Shanghai, finals weekend at the Italian Open tennis, cycling’s Giro d ’Italia and the NBA play-offs.

Photo: A detailed view of the custom Emirates FA Cup final corner flag, seen inside the stadium prior to the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on May 17, 2025 in London, England. (Credit: The FA via Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lqpv9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh56223wk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6f23p)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct8rx3)
Leicester City’s Premier League win

In 2016, Leicester City pulled off one of football’s greatest shocks.

The club won the English Premier League despite starting the season as 5000:1 outsiders. Just a year earlier, they had narrowly avoided relegation.

Captain Wes Morgan looks back on that title-winning season, from the the now-famous celebrations at the home of star striker, Jamie Vardy, to the moment he lifted the trophy in front of Leicester's home crowd.

This episode was presented by Helen Ledwick.

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: Captain Wes Morgan and manager Claudio Ranieri of Leicester City lift the Premier League Trophy. Credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lqtlf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 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)


SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6f5vt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:32 Happy News (w3ct8nwd)
The Happy Pod: My college designs on display at the Met

We meet a teacher whose college fashion designs have gone on display at the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Nadia Pinkney says she was shocked when the curator said they wanted to display her collection, which was inspired by a family history of Alzheimer's disease. She describes seeing the exhibition as an out-of-body experience and hopes it will encourage more people to talk about difficult topics like dementia.

Also, the passengers catching a bus to nowhere in Switzerland. The project is designed to encourage people to slow down and talk to new people face-to-face. The mother who found comfort from being able to hold her late daughter's hand again, after it was donated for a rare transplant. The Polish influencer who has raised millions of dollars for a cancer charity by hosting a livestream for nine days, non-stop. And, the grandmother fighting to preserve Chile's wetlands for the next generation.

Plus, the Canadian truck driver who rescued a moose called Rebel; and why musicians in southern England are holding improvised concerts with nightingales.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs
Music: Iona Hampson

(Photo: Nadia Pinkney with her designs on show at the Met in New York. Credit: Nadia Pinkney)


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lqybk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7x)
Carla Simon

Nikki Bedi speaks to the Spanish director of Romeria, Carla Simon. Plus Zakia Sewell – broadcaster and author of new book Finding Albion – joins to discuss the week’s cultural highlights:

American country music star Kacey Musgraves on her new album

Filmmaker Warwick Thornton talks about the relationships between Aboriginal Australians and Chinese labourers

Indian-born novelist Amitav Ghosh shares his love of Rabindranath Tagore

Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver on new Star Wars film, The Mandalorian and Grogu

The artist representing Britain at this year’s Venice Biennale, Lubaina Himid pays tribute to her Tanzanian mother

And nomadic folk music from Inner Mongolian group, Anda Union

Photo Credit: David Ruano


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lr22p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnrw9r)
Six dead in Maldives scuba diving tragedy

A rescue diver from the Maldives has died after searching for the bodies of five Italians who were exploring an underwater cave. The team from Italy were diving at depths that are not permitted for recreational divers. We hear from a government spokesperson about the rescue operation and from a former military diver about the conditions in the cave.

Also on the programme: more than 50 children have been abducted in Nigeria; and the Eurovision 2026 finals take place in Vienna.

(Photo: A police boat joins a search and recovery operation in the Vaavu Atoll, Maldives. Credit: SOPHIA NASIF/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lr5tt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct996f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lr9ky)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh5622qm6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6fnvb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:32 This Is Africa (w3ct8td0)
J-Rio

Why were young people in Libreville dancing to ntcham, a high-energy urban dance that was born in Gabon - while listening to Ghanaian and Nigerian soundtracks? It wasn’t right, thought J-Rio, a Gabonese musician who was one of the first Francophone artists TIA host DJ Edu the Afroboss played back in the day.

J-Rio did something about it – and he tells This is Africa how, in 2014, he became the father of ntcham music, when he made the first Gabonese song to complement the dance craze. Sors Ça became a massive hit – and inspired other Gabonese musicians to make songs in this new genre of music.

J-Rio also talks about how his phrase “Je suis Gaboma et c’est Mal Swag” became a rallying cry for Gabonese people at home and in the diaspora. And he opens about how he lost confidence in himself and found himself in a creative block for a few years.

Plus DJ Edu plays his latest mix of the hottest tunes coming out of the African continent.

SUNDAY 17 MAY 2026

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lrfb2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6fslg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 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)


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lrk26)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh5622z3g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6fxbl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct8rx3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lrntb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh56232vl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6g12q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 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


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lrskg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 In Our Time (w3ct9764)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lrx9l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99by)
China-US talks: when Trump met Xi

Pascale Harter introduces stories from China, the Canadian Arctic, the Venice Biennale and Sierra Leone.

Laura Bicker has been in Beijing where parades, red carpets and singing children greeted Donald Trump. So what progress was made in China-US relations after a frosty period?

Canada's far north is so vast and so cold that it can be hard to tell land from sea - much less friend from foe. But the country's pouring new investment and technology into defending its frontier - including some advanced AI-powered robots to patrol the wilderness. David Baillie met the human and robot rangers.

The Venice Biennale was meant to help bring nations together through art - but this year the grand exhibition's been beset by rancorous politics over the involvement of Russia and Israel. Kirsty Lang explores how the high concepts on show have been shaped by international disputes.

Sierra Leone's first lady, Fatima Bio, has had an extraordinary life - and currently has an unusually high profile inside the country. Megha Mohan joined a hectic motorcade journey upcountry from Freetown to her family farm to interview her.


(US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. Credit: Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6g8kz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ls11q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh5623g2z)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6gdb3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ls4sv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w1730c5jlqnsj7b)
Ebola kills at least 80 in DR Congo

The World Health Organisation has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a public health emergency of international concern. However, it said the outbreak did not meet the criteria of a pandemic. Nearly ninety deaths have been recorded so far, and medical experts have warned that the current strain of the virus has a very high mortality rate.

Also in the programme: more than 50 children kidnapped in Nigeria; and the Eurovision song contest.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Nadim Houry, the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), and Orysia Lutsevych deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia programme and head of the Ukraine forum at Chatham House.

(Photo: Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ls8jz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w1730c5jlqnsmzg)
Russia comes under large Ukrainian drone attack

Russia says Ukraine has launched heavy drone attacks targeting more than a dozen regions overnight. The defence ministry said Russia shot down more than five hundred drones. Officials say three people were killed and seventeen injured. Drones are reported to have hit several buildings, including near a city oil refinery.

Also in the programme: Lebanon and Israel agree to extend their ceasefire; and the bestselling memoir The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind becomes a musical.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Nadim Houry, the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), and Orysia Lutsevych deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia programme and head of the Ukraine forum at Chatham House.

(Photo: Russian security personnel stand guard next to a pickup truck equipped with a machine gun near the Kremlin in central Moscow, Russia, May 15, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lsd93)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w1730c5jlqnsrql)
Around 246 suspected Ebola cases in Eastern Ituri province

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. The agency said the outbreak in DR Congo's eastern Ituri province, which has seen around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths reported, does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency.

Also in the programme: potential challengers to the British Prime Minister; and the Cannes Film Festival.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Nadim Houry, the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), and Orysia Lutsevych deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia programme and head of the Ukraine forum at Chatham House.

(Photo: People at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lsj17)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99by)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6gw9m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 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)


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lsmsc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 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)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6h01r)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqg)
How Belarus silenced its free press

Until the end of March this year, BBC News Russian was the only source of independent reporting in Belarus, where journalism has been suppressed. Around two dozen independent journalists are currently behind bars, with many more forced into exile by the government of Alexander Lukashenko. Then, on March 25th, Belarus added the BBC to a list of extremist materials, meaning that it is now an offense for people in Belarus to even like or share BBC content.

BBC Russian's Alina Isachenka came into The Fifth Floor studio to explain how the BBC is trying to keep its readers in Belarus safe.

 Peace talks between Iran and the United States seem to have stopped, at least for now, while the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz remains firmly in place. But there's another unexpected player drawing attention in the region: Pakistan. Somehow, Pakistan has managed to stay on good terms with both Iran, its neighbor, and Iran's regional rival, Saudi Arabia, with whom it has a defense pact. BBC Persian's Mohammad Vaziri has been following Pakistan's balacing act.

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.



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

Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.

This is an EcoAudio certified production.



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


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lsrjh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh56245kr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6h3sw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct998p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lsw8m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6h7k0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:32 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)


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lt00r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gntt7t)
Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. The WHO said the outbreak in DR Congo's eastern Ituri province, which has seen around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths reported, does not yet meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency. We hear from the man who first identified the virus.

Also in the programme: will the US and China come to an agreement on artificial intelligence?; and the Iranian family saga in the running for the International Booker Prize.

(Photo: Ugandan doctors wear their personal protective equipment at the Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital Isolation Centre in Entebbe, Uganda, 20 October 2022. Credit: ISAAC KASAMANI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lt3rw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 Sportsworld (w1730c8tcn2kpxj)
Live Sporting Action

Delyth Lloyd presents live commentary of Leeds United against Brighton and Hove Albion on a busy Sunday of Premier League action.


There will be updates throughout the afternoon on all of the Premier Leagues games taking place, where the race for European places will be the focus. Plus, reaction to Manchester United versus Nottingham Forest in the day’s early kick-off.

Sportsworld will also have the latest news from around the sporting world, including golf’s PGA Championship, the men’s final of the Italian Open tennis, cycling’s Giro d’Italia and the NBA play-offs.

There will also be news from the final day of the Women’s Six Nations ahead of the title decider between France and England.

Plus, ahead of the Europa League final on Wednesday, Sportsworld gets an insight into Unai Emery’s previous successes in the competition and hear more about Bundesliga side Freiburg ahead of their first European final.

Photo: Diego Gomez of Brighton and Hove Albion in action against Joe Rodon of Leeds United during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds United at Amex Stadium on November 01, 2025 in Brighton, England. (Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ltlrd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 18:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hg)
The electric car boom in South East Asia

Electric vehicle sales are soaring in Thailand and Vietnam. What’s behind the boom? And will it help the climate?

Thais and Vietnamese are switching to electric cars in huge numbers – attracted by government subsidies and a more exciting range of EVs.

Jobs in the car industry are also up in both countries as a new generation of manufacturers compete for domination of the emerging electric market.

But can the pace of growth last? Will the boom in electric cars reduce the chronic air pollution in cities like Bangkok? And will it help Thailand and Vietnam reduce their carbon emissions?

In this edition of The Climate Question, Host Jordan Dunbar chats to Ember’s Asian Energy Analyst, Lam Pham and Bloomberg’s Thailand Reporter, Patpicha Tanakasempipat.

Got a question or comment? Email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar
Producer: Nik Sindle
Sound engineer: Jack Graysmark and Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts


SUN 18:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6hz0s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 18:32 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.


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ltqhj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh56254js)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6j2rx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 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.


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ltv7n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34ltyzs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn03gnvs6v)
Ukraine strikes Moscow in biggest attack on Russia

Ukraine sent nearly 600 drones into Russia overnight, the biggest single attack on the country since the start of the war. Targets in Moscow and a patrol ship in the Caspian Sea were hit, with at least four killed in the offensive.

We hear from The Economist's Shashank Joshi about the significance of the strikes, and from Russia analyst Professor Nina Khrushcheva about how President Putin might respond.

Also in the programme: The Democratic Republic of the Congo fights to contain a deadly Ebola outbreak; and what does Che Guevara's daughter make of recent US hostility towards Cuba?

(Photo: A man inspects a damaged apartment building following a drone attack outside Moscow on May 17, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lv2qx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 today]


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6jg09)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 Assignment (w3ct8h13)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lv6h1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqh5625mj9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6jkrf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]

MONDAY 18 MAY 2026

MON 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkm34lvb75)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99by)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfjw6jphk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 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


MON 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdwz97g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgc9q8q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hnnhv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 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 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdwzdzl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgc9v0v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hns7z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 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)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdwzjqq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hnx03)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdwzngv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcb2j3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hp0r7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nf)
Catfishing and its consequences

Online romance fraud and 'catfishing' – when someone pretends to be someone they’re not - is a problem across the globe. It causes financial and emotional devastation, yet many people refuse to take it seriously. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from the UK and Sweden who have spent years rebuilding their lives after being targeted by men they met on dating sites.

Pernilla Sjöholm is from Sweden. She was conned by the infamous Simon Leviev, the so-called "Tinder Swindler" and allegedly scammed out of the equivalent of $65,000. Pernilla is now an international speaker on AI, cybersecurity and fraud prevention. She also co-founded IDfier, working on digital identity verification, and is the author of Swindled Never After.

Anna Rowe is pushing for greater support for romance fraud victims after her own experience of being conned. In 2015 she fell in love with a man who she had met online. After 14 months she discovered that the man she was in a relationship with, ‘Antony Ray’ was using a fake identity and leading a double life which left Anna feeling emotionally and sexually violated. Anna is now dedicated to helping victims of all types of romance fraud and catfishing through her platforms LoveSaid and Catch the Catfish.

(Image: (L) Anna Rowe, credit Nina Rangoy. (R) Pernilla Sjöholm, credit Daniel Diamond.)

Produced by Jane Thurlow and Hannah Dean


MON 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdwzs6z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lkvdq)
WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DR Congo an international emergency

Senior Congolese health officials have been visiting the neighbouring province of Ituri, the centre of the outbreak, as they step up efforts to contain it.

Ukraine's military claims that Russian forces are preparing for a major offensive in the summer. We report from inside what is now called the kill-zone in Ukraine's east.

The global market price of crude has risen above $110 a barrel on Monday, after Donald Trump warned Iran to move fast in peace negotiations, there won't be anything left of them if they don't.

(Photo: People at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain. Credit: Victoire Mukenge/Reuters)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdwzwz3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lkz4v)
Rwanda tightens screening at its border with the DRC amid Ebola outbreak

The WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, after a case was detected in another neighbouring country, Uganda.

We also hear from a survivor of the infection from the world's biggest Ebola outbreak a decade ago about how it is to recover from the deadly infection.

A new report says the number of executions that took place around the world last year was the highest figure in more than four decades driven largely by Iran. Our correspondent brings us that report.

(Photo: Workers stand guard at the gate of the Kibuli Muslim Hospital where a Congolese man died of Ebola Bundibugyo virus. Credit: Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx00q7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6ll2wz)
CDC stresses need for health measures as Ebola breaks in DRC

The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention cautions that in the absence of vaccines and effective medicines, people should be careful about hygiene.

A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack kills three in the Moscow region as Ukraine claims Russia is preparing for a major offensive in the summer.

And we go back to Gaza this morning as health officials say five people were killed in Israeli attacks there.

(Photo: Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia. Credit: Victoire Mukenge/Reuters)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx04gc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl6)
Fatima Bio, Sierra Leone First Lady: Speaking up

BBC journalist Megha Mohan speaks to Sierra Leone’s first lady, Fatima Bio, about escaping child marriage at the age of 13, rebuilding her life as a refugee in London, and her rise to become one of the country’s most outspoken public figures.

Since becoming first lady, Bio has transformed the role in Sierra Leone, campaigning publicly on issues including child marriage, sexual violence and period poverty.

To supporters, she is a refreshing voice in politics, who speaks up for women and girls, while others say she has overstepped her remit and that she is too vocal and too involved in the running of her husband’s party.

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: Megha Mohan
Producer: 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: Fatima Bio. Credit: Getty Images)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hphqr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gfs)
How do we live with data centres?

Data centres are becoming and ever bigger part of our daily lives and our landscapes – great big warehouses, packed with computers, that power pretty much every digital thing we do, from using AI chatbots or filing our tax returns. They’ve popped up around the world in recent years and – whether we like it or not - more are coming. But people don’t necessarily want to live next to these places. They’re often big, faceless facilities, built close to the towns and cities they serve, and there’s a perception that they’re pushing up electricity costs and consuming precious water. So as the AI revolution rolls on, fuelling the need for ever greater digital storage capacity, how do we learn to live with data centres?

Presenter/producer: Gideon Long

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

(Picture: Aerial view of a large Google Data Centre in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, UK on 30th November 2025. Credit: Richard Newstead/Getty Images)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct8r39)
Poland’s underground newspaper

In 1981, Poland's communist regime imposed martial law and the dissident Solidarity movement was suppressed.

In response, Helena Luczywo helped set up an underground newspaper called Mazovia Weekly to communicate uncensored information to the population.

Despite police raids and arrests, the newspaper played a significant role in the fall of communism in Poland.

Helena tells Ben Henderson about the years she edited the newspaper while on the run.

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: Protest against martial law, 1982. Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx086h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcbp7r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hpmgw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct8k6w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx0cym)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct99l4)
The first reality game show and a joik performance on Eurovision

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

We start with the launch of Expedition Robinson in Sweden in 1997 and discuss how reality TV began around the world with our guest Misha Kavka, Professor of Cross-Media Culture at the University of Amsterdam.

Plus, a Norwegian Sami protest song that made history in 1980, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission which investigated residential schools and the uncovering a lost burial ground in Brazil in 1996.

Also, the 'sporting miracle' of 5,000-to-one outsiders Leicester City FC winning the English Premier League and the discovery of the fossil that revealed the first feathered dinosaur.

Contributors:
Martin Melin - the first winner of Expedition Robinson.
Misha Kavka - Professor of Cross-Media Culture at the University of Amsterdam.
Chief Wilton "Willie" Littlechild - former Commissioner with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Philip Currie - palaeontologist who helped identify the first fossil of a feathered dinosaur.
Wes Morgan - former captain of Leicester City FC.
Inga Haetta - sister of Mattis Haetta, who performed the first joik at Eurovision.


(Photo: Group of adults lying by a pool with a film crew giving instructions - stock photo. Credit: Yellow Dog Productions)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx0hpr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcbxr0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hpvz4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mc0)
The American mayor accused of working for China

The mayor of the Californian city of Arcadia has agreed to plead guilty to charges she acted as an illegal agent for China. Prosecutors say Eileen Wang was directly co-ordinating with a Chinese official to disseminate news stories downplaying human rights concerns in China, with the aim of trying to influence US government and public opinion.

US authorities say the extent of China’s covert activity and espionage in the United States goes well beyond this case. According to the FBI, Chinese counterintelligence and espionage efforts are a “grave threat to the economic well-being and democratic values of the United States”.

We speak to Andrew Badger, former CIA case officer and co-author of The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign to Steal America's Secrets.

Producer: Viv Jones and Lucy Pawle
Executive producer: James Shield
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Eileen Wang. Credit: City of Arcadia City Hall/ Reuters)


MON 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx0mfw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8hx8)
Could a fig tree reveal a secret prison?

Alejandra Holzapfel was a university student when she was abducted in 1974 during Chile’s military dictatorship under General Augusto Pinochet. Like thousands of other activists, she was detained without trial and held in a network of secret prisons where torture, sexual violence and enforced disappearances were routine.

Alejandra was taken to one such place – a house on an ordinary residential street in Santiago that had been turned into a clandestine torture centre and disturbingly called the “Venda Sexy,” or the “Sexy Blindfold” by the military authorities who operated it. Blindfolded for three weeks, what helped Alejandra survive was the solidarity among the women detainees. In the rare moments when her blindfold was removed, she held on to small details of her surroundings – a staircase, a glimpse of a fig tree through a little bathroom window.

Years later, after Chile’s return to democracy in 1990, those fragments of memory became vital clues. Together with other survivors, Alejandra helped identify the house, beginning a decades-long campaign to expose its past and reclaim it as a site of public memory.

Today, Alejandra is back inside that same house – no longer a prisoner, but its director. The building is now known by its address, Iran 3037, which refers to the name of the street and the number of the house. She talks to BBC reporter Grace Livingstone about her search for truth and justice, and how a place once defined by cruelty has been transformed into one of remembrance and resistance.

This programme contains references to torture and sexual violence.

Presenter: Grace Livingstone
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Voiceover: Cecilia Barría

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

(Photo: Alejandra Holzapfel has short, reddish-brown hair. She is wearing dangly earrings and layers of knitted clothes. She stands in front of an open iron gate showing a house with amber coloured walls and a tiled courtyard. Credit: Grace Livingstone)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct8r39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx0r60)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcc578)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hq3gd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx0vy4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqz1p56)
Ebola outbreak declared emergency of 'international concern'

An ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. The World Health Organisation has said that the virus has spread beyond the DRC, with confirmed cases reported in neighbouring Uganda. Two other neighbours - Rwanda and South Sudan - are also now on "high alert". The current strain of Ebola is caused by the Bundibugyo virus for which there are no approved drugs or vaccines.
Also on the programme: A decade after Britain voted to leave the European Union... could it be heading back in? And the daughter of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara gives us her reaction to the US blockade of her country

(Image: REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx0zp8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hqbyn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gfs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d38)
Major rail strike brings New York to a halt

Long Island Rail Road workers walk out, leaving hundreds of thousands of commuters scrambling for alternatives and raising concerns about the wider economic impact of the disruption.

Elsewhere, rising fuel prices around the world have led to a nationwide strike by public transport operators in Kenya. While in India the rupee has hit a historic low, while oil prices are up and imports becoming more expensive.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx13fd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdqkqs95)
Ebola outbreak in DRC

Health officials in central Africa are urging people in areas affected by an Ebola outbreak to maintain strict hygiene to prevent its spread. We answer audience questions about the outbreak.

We explain why people have been queueing outside Swatch stores to buy a new pocket watch. We speak to BBC Business and people who have been queueing.

After three hikers were killed during an eruption of a volcano in Indonesia, we speak to a tour guide and to a lava chaser.

And we go to Kenya to hear about a nationwide strike by owners of matatus - those are commercial and public transport vehicles - following a recent hike in the cost of fuel.

Presenter: Pria Rai.

(Photo: Workers stand guard at the gate of the Kibuli Muslim Hospital where a Congolese man died of Ebola Bundibugyo virus in Kibuli suburb of Kampala, Uganda May 16, 2026. Credit: Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx175j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdqkqx19)
How worrying is the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo?

Congolese officials say an American doctor is among the latest confirmed cases of Ebola in the new outbreak in the eastern DRC. With nearly 90 reported deaths, and no vaccine, health officials are urging people to maintain strict hygiene. We hear a conversation with medics and aid workers about the challenges they are facing.

Two women have told BBC Panorama they were raped during the filming of one of Channel 4’s biggest shows, Married at First Sight UK, while a third has described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. Channel 4 says all the allegations are, “wholly uncorroborated and disputed.” Our reporter gives details.

After US President Donald Trump warned Iran the "clock is ticking" - to find a way of ending the war - Iran's foreign ministry says it has responded to the latest American proposals. We speak to BBC Persian.

Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, the UN says it's verified the execution of at least 32 political prisoners in Iran. Our reporter explains.

After three hikers were killed during an eruption of a volcano in Indonesia, we speak to a tour guide and to a lava chaser.

Presenter: Pria Rai.

(Photo: Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. Credit: Victoire Mukenge/Reuters)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx1bxn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8hx8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct8r39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx1gns)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgccwq1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hqty5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rjv)
2026/05/18 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 (w1730nkmgdx1ldx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99by)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hqyp9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct8jsc)
The Life Scientific: Washington Yotto Ochieng

As a child growing up on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Washington Yotto Ochieng once watched a plane cross the night sky and told his mother he wished he could travel on it. But he remembers her encouraging him to dream bigger... Today, Washington is a Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London, and President of the Royal Institute of Navigation. Over a career bridging industry and academia, he has helped shape the movement of urban transport; how satellites guide us and locate us; and how governments manage the technologies underpinning so much of modern life. Professor Jim Al-Khalili speaks to Washington about his inspirational upbringing, how reliant we've become on technologies such as GPS, and his work encouraging the next generation of engineers in both the UK and Africa.


MON 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx1q51)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqz2jd3)
Deadly outbreak of Ebola virus spreading in central Africa.

A deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus is spreading in central Africa. We'll talk to a doctor with experience of both treating and contracting the disease.

A report from Ukraine's "kill-zone".

Elon Musk loses AI lawsuit against Sam Altman.

and a survivor of the Blitz on her recollections of the horrors of that bombing campaign on the UK.


MON 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx1tx5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hr65k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx1yn9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcdcpk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hr9xp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fmy)
Musk and Altman are 'toddlers'

Tech journalist Kara Swisher describes Elon Musk and Sam Altman as 'toddlers' as their trial concludes. In a unanimous verdict, the jury agreed that Elon Musk's claims essentially expired after waiting too long to file his lawsuit.

Plus we hear from a New York cabbie who expects a deal to be made as over 3,000 transport workers staged a strike following the breakdown in talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

TUESDAY 19 MAY 2026

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx22df)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct99l4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx264k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcdm5t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hrkdy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mc0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx29wp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcdqxy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hrp52)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct8h14)
Victim or accomplice? The story of Jeffrey Epstein’s pilot girlfriend

Nadia Marcinko, originally Marcinková, was born in Slovakia and met Jeffrey Epstein as an 18-year-old model. Later, she became a successful aircraft pilot. For seven years, she was Epstein’s main girlfriend. And she is one of four women that US prosecutors named in a 2008 plea deal as his “potential co-conspirators”. But she has never been accused of any crime. And she has described herself as a victim who was abused physically and psychologically by Epstein.

Now, a committee of the US Congress is beginning to address the sensitive question of whether it is possible for someone to be both a victim and an accomplice, as it takes testimony from two of the “potential co-conspirators”, Epstein’s former assistants Sarah Kellen and Lesley Groff. Nadia Marcinko, who disappeared from public view several years ago, may also be called to testify.

BBC reporter Tim Whewell and independent Slovak journalist Jakub Pohle have talked to people who have known her, and dug deep into the Epstein files, to put together the most detailed account yet of her life.

Presenter/producer: Tim Whewell and Jakub Pohle
Additional research: Oscar Brophy
Actors: Tara Gadomski, Kerry Shale, Simona Vrabcova, Rebeka Jurcackova, Jozef Radovsky
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Photo: Nadia Marcinko. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx2fmt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8hx8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct8r39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx2kcy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcdzf6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hrxnb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l58)
Thomas Keneally: What’s next for the Schindler’s List author?

Rachel Naylor visits the Booker Prize-winning author Thomas Keneally in his home in Sydney, Australia, to see how he writes his latest book.

He gives Rachel a tour of his neighbourhood Manly, a seaside suburb in the Northern Beaches, famous for its ferry, surfing and his beloved Sea Eagles, the rugby league team.

Rachel accompanies Thomas, known for writing Schindler’s List, on his daily walk around North Head, in Sydney Harbour National Park, taking in the breathtaking views, navigating the swamp and avoiding the spiders.

Thomas, who’s written more than 50 books, shows Rachel round his library and they discuss ageing, feeling adrift and his first rejection.

As he contemplates retirement, he also talks about his recent ill health and how he wants to write the best book written by someone aged over 90.

Presenter and producer: Rachel Naylor
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical producer: Cameron Ward
Production management: Phoebe Lomas

Image: Thomas Keneally (Credit: Rachel Naylor/BBC)


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx2p42)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lnr9t)
Officials in DRC say the number of Ebola deaths has increased sharply

Kinshasa says response teams are on the ground, working to trace suspected infections.They say new cases are being found across a wider area.

As China's Xi Jinping prepares to welcome Russia's Vladimir Putin to Beijing, we'll ask what the two leaders are likely to discuss -- and what it could mean for the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

We have an interview with the former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who had been found guilty of smuggling 400 tonnes of cocaine into the United States, only to be pardoned by Donald Trump.

And Elon Musk plans to appeal against the dismissal of his legal case against OpenAI.

(Photo: A Congolese health worker checks the temperature to screen a traveller at the Grande Barrier border; Credit: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx2sw6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lnw1y)
Over 100 people dead in Ebola outbreak in DR Congo

The WHO has said the outbreak in DR Congo's eastern Ituri province is a public health emergency of international concern, but did not meet the criteria of a pandemic. The agency has also warned it could potentially be "a much larger outbreak" than what is currently being detected and reported.

The World Food Programnme is warning that the crisis in the Middle East is exacerbating food insecurity around the world. We bring you a report from Afghanistan where fathers are forced to sell their children.

Trump says he has called off new Iran attack at request of Gulf states. We see how the conflict is affecting these countries and head to Qatar.

(Photo: A woman washes her hands at the Grande Barrier border following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak. Credit: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx2xmb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lnzt2)
DRC Ebola outbreak spreads over a wider area than originally thought

The World Health Organisation says the more it investigates the ebola outbreak in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the more it's finding evidence the disease has spread.

Selling children to survive as Afghanistan is facing one of the most severe hunger crises in the world . we bring you a report from there.

As the ceasefire between lebanon and Israel has been extended further, we hear from the Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon of what does this mean.

(Photo: A Congolese health worker checks the temperature to screen a traveller at the Grande Barrier border; Credit: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx31cg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0r)
How to thrive with ADHD

People with ADHD can face many challenges including struggles with attention, impulsivity and time management. In this programme we go to global creative company DRPG’s offices in the UK where they are doing things differently to support their ADHD colleagues.

We also hear about the work of Unlocking ADHD, a charity set up by Singapore based Moonlake Lee who believes that the key to navigating life with ADHD is rooted in the creation of community spaces. And finally we go to Australia to hear how homes are being redesigned to cater to people with the condition.

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

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Alex Collins
Australia reporter: Louise Miolin, ABC News
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Photo: Members of the DRPG Neurodiversity Network)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hsdmv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gqt)
Video Game Console Wars

In the 1990s, the video game industry was locked in competition between gaming giants Sega and Nintendo, battling for dominance in living rooms around the world as they raced to deliver the best games on their consoles while attacking one another in advertising. This rivalry reshaped the landscape of gaming, helping it grow into the world’s biggest entertainment industry today. We hear from Sega America CEO Tom Kalinske, who took on Nintendo by targeting a more mature audience, focusing on lower prices. Central to that plan was the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, a character designed to challenge Mario as the face of gaming. We also travel to the heart of Madrid, to the OXO video game museum to explore the legacy of the console wars and how they helped the industry level up.

Presenter/producer: Sean Allsop

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


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct985v)
Exposing King Albert II's secret child

In 1999, a teenager's debut book unintentionally caused a royal scandal in Belgium that wouldn't be resolved for more than 20 years.

Each evening after he'd finished his homework, Mario Danneels dedicated his spare time writing a biography of Queen Paola. While researching her, he'd discovered that her husband, King Albert II, had fathered a child outside of his marriage.

It was just one sentence in his book but once the revelation was published it caused headlines across Europe which, as Mario tells Daniel Rosney, would weigh heavily on him until 2020.

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: Mario Danneels, 1999. Credit: Renders/Isopress-Senepart via Shutterstock)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx353l)
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TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcfl4v)
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TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hsjcz)
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TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct8h14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx38vq)
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TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx3dlv)
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TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcftn3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hsrw7)
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TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mhj)
Inside the war in Lebanon

President Donald Trump has warned Iran the "clock is ticking" as talks to bring their war to an end have stalled. "They better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

There are multiple thorny issues to be resolved between the US and Iran, but one of them concerns another country altogether: Lebanon. Iran has reportedly insisted on an end to the war in Lebanon before talks can continue with the US.

A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced back in April, but Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire since then and hundreds have been killed.

Hugo Bachega, Middle East Correspondent, discusses why the war in Lebanon is so hard to end, and what that means for the chances of a deal between the US and Iran.

Producer: Viv Jones and Aron Keller

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Choukine, Lebanon (Reuters)


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx3jbz)
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TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbt)
My childhood prophecy: You must become a chess champion

In the mountains of Arizona, Danny Rensch grew up in the Church of Immortal Consciousness, a religious group often known as the Collective. Every member was given a spiritual ‘purpose’ and expected to live by it, while the group faced hostility from locals outside.

Things shifted in 1995, after nine-year-old Danny watched the film Searching for Bobby Fischer, the true story of a young American chess prodigy, Josh Waitzkin. He was hooked and soon obsessed with chess. Inside the Collective, chess quickly turned into far more than a hobby. A highly successful youth team was formed, with Danny placed at its centre.

Then, when he was 12, during a group trance session, Danny was assigned his spiritual purpose: he must become a world chess champion.

He would become an elite player, but that purpose, and the mounting pressure to win, came at a cost, testing his sense of self, his relationships and, ultimately, what freedom looks like.
Today, Danny is the co-founder and chief chess officer at chess.com, and he has written a memoir, Dark Squares.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder

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

(Photo: A young Danny Rensch at a chess tournament focussing over the chess board. Credit: Danny Rensch)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct985v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx3n33)
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TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcg24c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4ht0ch)
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TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l58)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx3rv7)
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TUE 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqz4l29)
WHO scaling up response to Ebola outbreak

The World Health Organisation has sent six tonnes of medical supplies to the Democratic Republic of Congo as it continues to sound the alarm over the scale of the Ebola outbreak in central Africa. We hear why the authorities are battling against the widespread local belief that symptoms are caused not by the Ebola virus, but witchcraft.

Also, a look ahead to today's primary contests in the United States with Kentucky becoming the most expensive race ever, and the former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, tells our correspondent why he believes he was the victim of “lawfare” and “a witch-hunt” by a vindictive Biden Administration.

(Photo: Fatima Tafida, the Regional Supply Chain Lead for Emergencies at the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Office for Africa pastes stickers on shipment pallets as the WHO mobilises 4.7 tonnes of essential medical supplies and emergency kits to support the affected regions in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 18 May, 2026. Credit: World Health Organization/Handout /Reuters)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx3wlc)
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TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4ht7vr)
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TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gqt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d7s)
Kenya's government cuts fuel prices after deadly protests

Deadly protests in Kenya have forced the government to cut diesel prices after a sharp jump in fuel costs, driven by supply pressures from the Middle East conflict.

Roads into the Nairobi were blocked, tyres burned and public transport disrupted as anger grows over fuel hikes.

A nationwide transport strike has now been called off for a week as negotiations take place.

And what next for Elon Musk after his lawsuit against OpenAI fell flat?


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx40bh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdqktp68)
Ebola outbreak spreads

People living close to the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak which has killed 131 people have told BBC News of their fear, as a World Health Organization (WHO) representative warned cases may be spreading faster than originally thought.

James Reynolds has the latest on this and the other global stories you need to know about today.

(Photo: A woman washes her hands at the Grande Barrier border following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak. Credit: REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx442m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdqktsyd)
Ebola outbreak in DRC

People living close to the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak which has killed 131 people have told BBC News of their fear, as a World Health Organization (WHO) representative warns cases may be spreading faster than originally thought.

James Reynolds has the latest on on this and the other global stories you need to know about today.

(Photo: WHO sends health supplies to DRC. Credit: World Health Organization/Reuters)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx47tr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct985v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx4ckw)
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TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcgsm4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4htqv8)
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TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rpc)
2026/05/19 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 (w1730nkmgdx4hb0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct8h14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4htvld)
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TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct8jxw)
Myth or mythos: Is the AI cyber threat real?

From fears that a powerful new AI could supercharge hacking, to the ransomware gangs holding our data hostage, we talk to a former FBI expert about the latest cyber threats.

Also in Tech Life this week: we hear from a listener who is using dermatology tech to educate schoolchildren on the importance of staying safe in the sun.

Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: Numerous computer screens are displaying green-coloured code and a finger pointing at a smartphone screen. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx4m24)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqz5f96)
WHO warns Ebola cases in DRC could double

We hear from a journalist in eastern DR Congo on how situation is becoming more and more difficult for people in the city of Goma, a major transport hub - and we speak to Tom Frieden, a leading US scientist involved in fighting the last major Ebola outbreak.

Also on the programme: An interview with former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, pardoned by Donald Trump, now in hiding in the US.
We have a rare report from inside Afghanistan.
And an age-old mystery at sea has been solved - we hear how biologists rumbled the whale.

(Photo: UNICEF staff receive medical supplies from an aircraft in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 19, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx4qt8)
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TUE 22:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hv32n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l58)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx4vkd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgch8ln)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hv6ts)
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TUE 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fsg)
Why did a former Google CEO get booed?

The former Google CEO got heckled at a graduation ceremony at the University of Arizona. The editor-in-chief of their student paper The Daily Wildcat tells us why.

We also discuss fuel price hikes in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi concludes his European visit in Norway.

And with data centres springing up all over the world, the communities living near them share how they cope with the disruptions they can bring.

Plus, Kenya's government has cut diesel prices after people took to the streets to protest rising costs. An Uber driver and farmer tell us about the impact it's had on them.

WEDNESDAY 20 MAY 2026

WED 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx4z9j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx531n)
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WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgchj2x)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hvgb1)
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WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mhj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx56ss)
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WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgchmv1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hvl25)
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WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct99hg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx5bjx)
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WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct985v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx5g91)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgchwb9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hvtkf)
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WED 04:32 World of Secrets (w3ct9b24)
Searching for Soldier Dad

5. Answers

Cathy and Peter are now speaking with their dads. But are the new relationships all they hoped for?

Lawyer James Netto has a “day in court like no other” when a father makes a shock appearance.

And we travel to a barracks in the South of England to ask pressing questions of the British Army.

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

World of Secrets will be back soon with gripping new investigations.

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 (w1730nkmgdx5l15)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lrn6x)
Putin and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing

The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has welcomed Vladimir Putin to the Great Hall of the People six days after the visit of Donald Trump. Talks are expected to focus on trade, particularly the supply of Russian oil and gas to China.

The number of suspected Ebola cases in the eastern DRC has continued to grow, with the WHO warning it could reach 1000 in the coming days. We speak to a resident of Bunia the epicentre of the latest outbreak.

And it's taken them twenty-two years but Arsenal have won the Premier League again.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk at the personal residence of the Chinese leader Zhongnanhai in Beijing. Credit: Alexander Kazakov/Reuters).


WED 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx5ps9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lrrz1)
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin meet in Beijing

The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has warmly welcomed Vladimir Putin to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, as the two leaders try to demonstrate the strength of their relationship, just days after a visit by Donald Trump. Mr Xi warned the world was in danger of reverting to the law of the jungle, an apparent reference to the war in the Middle East.

The number of suspected Ebola cases in the eastern DRC has continued to grow, with the WHO warning it could reach 1000 in the coming days. We go live to Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of the latest conflict.

And after a two decade wait Arsenal have won the Premier League.

(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit: Alexander Kazakov/Reuters).


WED 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx5tjf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lrwq5)
China-Russia meeting

Hot on the heels of President Trump's visit to Beijing last week, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has met Xi Jinping at China's Great Hall of the People today.

The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Replublic of Congo is continuing to spread. The World Health Organisation say cases could reach one thousand in the coming days.

Crowds in north London partied into the night to celebrate Arsenal's first victory in the Premier League for twenty-two years.

(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Credit: Alexander Kazakov/Reuters).


WED 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx5y8k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct98gw)
Daniel Noboa, Ecuador President: A war on gangs

“This is a war. We will treat it as a war, and first thing that we want is the war to end. We want peace. We want a better life for our people, especially for our youth.”

Caitriona Perry speaks to Ecuador President Daniel Noboa about his hard-line military crackdown on violent criminal gangs, which has involved measures that human rights groups warn could pose a risk to civil liberties.

President Noboa, who is one of the world’s youngest leaders, has warned about the levels of crime faced in Ecuador. He claims that due to its location between Colombia and Peru, the world's two largest producers of cocaine, it has become a major location for drug-trafficking gangs.

He talks about the attempts that have been made on his life, and the threats his family have faced. He calls on the cooperation from other countries to help fight international crime organisations.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Volodymyr Zelensky, Azar Nafisi and Julia Gillard. 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: Caitriona Perry
Producer: Ellyn Duncan, Chloe Ross and Cordelia Hemming
Editor: Farhana Haider

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

(Image: Daniel Noboa. Credit: Getty)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hw9jy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct98rx)
Trump v The US Federal Reserve

How will President Trump get on with Kevin Warsh, who is starting out as the Chair of the Federal Reserve, America's Central Bank? Trump famously clashed with his predecessor Jerome Powell. Can the US central bank remain truly independent from the government?

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Josh Martin

(Photo: Kevin Warsh testifies during a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 21 April 2026. Credit: Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct9883)
Witness History

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.


WED 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx620p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcjh1y)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hwf92)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct99hg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx65rt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 In Our Time (w3ct9764)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx69hy)
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WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcjqk6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hwnsb)
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WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mks)
Why Britain keeps losing prime ministers

In the decade since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the country has cycled through six prime ministers, victims of both their own decisions, and global pressures.

Now, Sir Keir Starmer, the current prime minister and leader of the left-leaning Labour party, could be the seventh leader to fall, under pressure from members of his own party who feel he has failed to tackle key issues like the cost of living, immigration, and sluggish economic growth.

To top it off, recent local elections across the country proved disastrous for Labour as it lost ground to populist parties on both the left and right, and only two years after a landslide victory some of Sir Keir’s own party members are calling for him to step down.

How did British politics become so volatile? BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale joins us to explain.


Producers: Hannah Moore and Aron Keller

Executive producer: Richard Fenton-Smith

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins


Photo:Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer makes a statement in number 10 Downing Street, Westminster. Credit: Jack Taylor/PA Wire


WED 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx6f82)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkl)
Grateful 'for a couple of hours of normal life'

Tari Lang was just 14 when her home country of Indonesia experienced an abrupt political U-turn in 1965. What followed would rip Tari’s family apart. A change of government quickly descended into a wave of violence right across the country. Both Tari's British mother and her Indonesian father had been prominent in the previous government and were among the many people targeted by the new regime. Soon many of Tari's peers were on the run.

Even though she was still at school, Tari responded with resistance. She started preparing safe houses for fugitives in the kampungs, the village-like communities on the outskirts of Jakarta, and – rather unexpectedly – found her first love in one of them. With both her parents in prison, Tari would eventually become the sole breadwinner of the family, looking after her younger brother and coming up with imaginative ideas to make ends meet.

Tari's book about her teenage years in Jakarta and the military coup is called My Neighbour, the Dictator.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer Radek Boschetty
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Tari Lang in Indonesia in the 1960s. Credit: Tari Lang)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct9883)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx6k06)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcjz1g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hwx8l)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 World of Secrets (w3ct9b24)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx6nrb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqz7gzd)
Ebola: Is lack of testing the problem?

Why was the Ebola outbreak able to spread so quickly? We speak to the co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response about Ebola testing shortfalls in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Also on the programme: we examine the relationship between Russia and China as Vladimir Putin fails to reach a gas pipeline deal during a visit to Beijing. Plus, we hear why the Tyrannosaurus Rex had such short arms.

(Picture: A health worker takes the temperature of an M23 rebel in Goma, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Credit: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx6shg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct98gw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hx4rv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct98rx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8db1)
Trump leaves, Putin enters

Hot on the heels of the US President, the Russian leader is the latest to meet with President Xi in Beijing, signing over 20 agreements on trade and technology.

The two leaders failed to come to an agreement on a long awaited Russian gas pipeline between the countries. China is Russia's top trading partner and also its biggest customer for oil and gas.

Elsewhere, we hear from Greenland where President Trump's envoy has turned up at one of the country's biggest business conferences.


WED 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx6x7l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdqkxl3c)
Arsenal fans celebrate Premier League title

Supporters of Arsenal football team have been celebrating success after winning the English Premier League. We speak to a podcaster about Arsenal winning the league for the first time in 22 years, and we hear a conversation with fans around the world.

Marco Rubio has offered a "new relationship" with the Cuban people, in a video message marking the anniversary of Cuba's independence. We have the latest.

Russia and China have failed to reach agreement on a multibillion-dollar gas pipeline during President Putin's visit to China. Our China and Russia experts discuss the visit.

A long queue of climbers has formed at the higher camps of Mount Everest waiting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak, leaving mountaineers and expedition operators worried about safety. Our environmental correspondent explains.

Southampton football club has apologised to fans, players and the wider football community after admitting allegations of spying on three other teams. We bring together sports journalists to talk about this and other slightly strange cases of cheating in international sport.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Arsenal fans at the Emirates. Credit: Jeff Moore/PA Wire)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx70zq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdqkxpvh)
Raúl Castro to be indicted in the US

The US Justice Department is shortly expected to unveil criminal charges against Cuba's veteran leader Raúl Castro - increasing the pressure on the leadership. Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has offered a "new relationship" with the Cuban people, in a video message marking the anniversary of Cuba's independence. We speak to our correspondent in Cuba, and we hear from two people living in the capital Havana.

The World Health Organization says a vaccine may be ready in nine months to help counter the Ebola outbreak in central Africa. We speak to our correspondent in the DRC.

Supporters of Arsenal football team have been celebrating success after winning the English Premier League. We hear from fans around the world.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: 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. Cuba, 15 May, 2026. Credit: Norlys Perez/Reuters)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx74qv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct9883)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx78gz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgckpj7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hxmrc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rrm)
2026/05/20 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 (w1730nkmgdx7d73)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hxrhh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct8k2d)
Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

An Ebola outbreak that started in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading in the region and has been declared a health emergency. Health Check’s Claudia Hammond has the latest with BBC reporter Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa, Heather Kerr, Country Director for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the DRC, and Professor Trudie Lang, head of the Global Health Network at Oxford University.

Claudia is joined in the studio by BBC health reporter Laura Foster. They discuss the call for more testing of drugs with under-represented groups, after a study of Black African Americans, smokers, and people with complex health conditions in the US showed that an asthma drug, Tezepelumab, led to 70% fewer asthma attacks in people with severe asthma.

They also hear about new hearing technology which can read peoples’ brainwaves to help people to pick out the single voice they want to listen to in a noisy room. Claudia speaks to Nima Mesgarani, Associate Professor at the Zuckerman Institute at  Columbia University in New York.

And Claudia and Laura discuss why some cancer patients would fancy a pre-consultation with an AI avatar before a consultation with their real-life doctor? It's the subject of research by Dr Adam Raben, Chair of Radiation Oncology at the Helen F Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Care in Newark, Delaware, USA; presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology Congress.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell & Clare Salisbury

Image: A Congolese health worker checks the temperature to screen a traveller at the Grande Barrier border following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, at the border crossing point between Congo and Rwanda, in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo May 18, 2026


WED 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx7hz7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqz8b69)
Former Cuban president Raul Castro indicted in US

The US Justice Department has indicted Cuba's former leader, Raul Castro, on criminal charges. The allegations centre on a Cuban military offensive against US civilian aircraft in 1996. The planes were operated by an organisation called Brothers to the Rescue and were searching for people who wanted to leave the island, when they were shot down by the Cuban military, which was led by Castro at the time. We get the latest from the BBC’s Cuba correspondent.

Also on the programme: Israel's far-right security minister has been condemned for taunting handcuffed Gaza flotilla activists; and we hear from the winner of this year’s International Booker Prize. 

(Photo: Cuba's former President Raul Castro watches a May Day rally in Havana, Cuba 1st May, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Norlys Perez)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx7mqc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Interview (w3ct98gw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hxzzr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World of Secrets (w3ct9b24)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx7rgh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcl5hr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hy3qw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fvq)
Why did Bolt's CEO fire whole HR team?

Ryan Breslow let go of 30% of his workforce, plus his entire HR department. He defended this by saying they 'created problems that didn't exist.'

And, AI giant Nvidia is the first company to be worth $5 trillion, following their fiscal first-quarter earnings announcement. This comes after their CEO was in Beijing with President Trump last week where he said he'd like to sell more microchips to China.

Plus, Arsenal are champions of the 2025-26 Premiere League. How much more money will one of the richest football clubs in the world have to look forward to?

THURSDAY 21 MAY 2026

THU 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx7w6m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 In Our Time (w3ct9764)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx7zyr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgclf00)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hyc74)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mks)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx83pw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcljr4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hygz8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct9bcp)
When Shiraz calls

A personal account of day-to-day life in Iran told through the conversations of two Iranian sisters – one in the UK, the other in the Iranian city of Shiraz.

Since the outbreak of war at the end of February, a near total internet blackout and a shutdown of international phone lines by the Iranian authorities has meant limited information has got out of the country. But the sisters have made recordings of their conversations which have been shared with the BBC.

They discuss when the bombs land, the destruction of places they love and the realities of an economy that’s being brought to its knees. They struggle to sleep at night. Salaries don’t come through. It’s a roller coaster of emotions. But there are also moments of calm and comfort, a spot of dark humour and the scent of hyacinths.

Image: Qur'an Gate or Shiraz Gate, Shiraz, Iran Credit: Emad Aljumah/Getty Images


THU 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx87g0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct9883)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx8c64)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcls7d)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hyqgj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8sw0)
The craft of the cocktail

Making cocktails isn't just about flair - bottles spinning through the air as the bartender puts on a show. It's about precision, perfectionism and people skills.

Ruth Alexander meets three world-class bartenders to hear stories about their most glamorous customers, the dangerous ones, and what it takes to make the perfect drink.

Hear about the highs and lows; from the glamour of working on a movie set to the what happens when customers turn nasty. What's it like to make this challenging job your career?

Plus of course: how to make the perfect martini! (The answer might surprise you!)

Producers: Lexy O'Connor and Izzy Greenfield
Sound Engineer: Andrew Mills

Image description:


THU 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx8gy8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lvk40)
US indicts Raul Castro of Cuba

The US justice department has accused the 94-year-old communist leader of conspiracy and four counts of murder stemming from a 1996 incident in which Cuban airforce jets shot down two planes flown by Miami-based Cuban exiles. We get the view of a former Canadian diplomat in the country at the time of the incident.

Iran has created a body to oversee the Hormuz Strait has announced the formation of a controlled maritime zone to regulate traffic.

And the World Health Organisation has warned that cases of Ebola could be spreading faster than originally thought.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.

(Photo: Former Cuban President Raul Castro. Credit: Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA).


THU 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx8lpd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lvnw4)
Former Cuban president charged with murder in US

The US justice department has accused the 94-year-old communist leader of conspiracy and four counts of murder stemming from a 1996 incident in which Cuban airforce jets shot down two planes flown by Miami-based Cuban exiles. We get the view from that exile community in Miami.

The World Health Organization has warned that cases of Ebola could be spreading faster than originally thought. We hear how medics are coping with the situation.

And Israel's far-right National Security Minister has received international condemnation for his treatment of detained activists from a Gaza aid flotilla.

Presenter: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: Former Cuban President Raul Castro. Credit: Ernesto Mastrascuasa/EPA)


THU 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx8qfj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lvsm8)
US indicts former Cuban president

The United States has indicted Cuba's former president Raul Castro on several charges including murder. The charge relates to the downing of aircraft flown by a Miami-based exile group in 1996. We report from the island.

The World Health Organisation has warned that cases of Ebola could be spreading faster than originally thought. We speak to the Red Cross in the Democratic Republic of Congo, The epicentre of where this latest strain of the disease began.

SpaceX, a rocket-maker and AI lab has filed for an initial public offering of stock. It's likely to make Elon Musk, the owner, a trillionaire.

Presenter: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: Former Cuban President Raul Castro. Credit: Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA)


THU 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx8v5n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pn)
Are the Himalayan glaciers at a tipping point?

The Himalayan glaciers are melting more rapidly as global temperatures rise, raising concerns about the future of ecosystems and communities across the Himalayan mountain range. Glaciers store more than two thirds of the world’s freshwater and help regulate global temperatures by reflecting the sun’s rays.

Across South Asia, melting ice is contributing to the formation of unstable glacial lakes and increasing the risks of floods, droughts and avalanches. The Himalayas are a vital source of water for millions of people, supporting agriculture, energy production and livelihoods from tourism.

Experts warn that continued glacier loss could have significant consequences for people living in the region and the mountainous ecosystem, but what can be done to respond to these changes?

Contributors:
Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada
Pam Pearson, director and founder of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, US
Matthias Huss, glaciologist and senior scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
Alton Byers, faculty research scientist at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado, US

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researchers: Evie Yabsley and Amelia Cox
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Mitch Goodall
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey

(Photo: Trekkers walk to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Credit: Kriangkrai Thitimakorn/Getty Images)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hz6g1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gl9)
Musk v Altman: Tech bros battle

A California jury tossed out Elon Musk's high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI and its boss Sam Altman. But who actually wins and what does this public row mean for the reputation of their companies? Michelle Fleury and Rahul Tandon are joined by the BBC's Lily Jamali, who spent weeks in court following the twists and turns in a battle of the tech titans.

Producer: Gideon Long

You can email us: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

(Photo: A combination photo shows OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (L) and Tesla CEO Elon Musk (R) during a trial at a federal courthouse in Oakland, California, US. Credit: Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct98bc)
Montenegro votes for independence

Montenegro achieving independence from Serbia in 2006 was the final part of the break-up of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Montenegro and Serbia had been joined since the end of the First World War, but after other Yugoslav countries broke away in the 1990s, an independence movement began to grow.

In 2006, the people of the small European nation went to the polls and narrowly voted to become an independent country.

Ivan Vujovic campaigned for independence in Montenegro with the Social Democratic Party. He speaks 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: Pro-independence supporters celebrate the result of the referendum in 2006. Credit: Reuters/ Stevo Vasiljevic)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx8yxs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcmcz1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hzb65)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct9bcp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx92nx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct98md)
The Media Show: Filming inside El Salvador’s mega-prison

A Channel 5 documentary filmed inside El Salvador’s Cecot prison has drawn attention to the country’s tough approach to gang crime and the questions around filming in tightly controlled places. The prison holds thousands of suspected gang members and has become a powerful symbol of President Nayib Bukele’s security policies. Richard Madeley describes the strict conditions faced by the first British production team allowed inside, when filming Inside the World's Mega Prison.

Matt Brittin has this week started work as BBC Director General. He joins the corporation at a time of financial pressure, changing viewing habits and growing debate about the power of technology companies. Matt Brittin joins The Media Show to set out his early priorities. Rosamund Urwin, Media Editor at The Sunday Times, gives her assessment.

Allegations linked to Channel 4’s Married at First Sight have raised new concerns about welfare standards in reality television after a BBC Panorama investigation reported claims from former participants. Channel 4 has ordered an external review and removed all ten series from streaming while political and regulatory questions continue. Noor Nanji, Culture Correspondent at the BBC, outlines her reporting behind the investigation.

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Content producer: Lucy Wai
Sound engineer: Volodymyr Muzyczka


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hzfy9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 Over to You (w3ct99kl)
The art of the interview

From extraordinary personal stories with Outlook's Jo Fidgen, to Hollywood directors with Nikki Bedi, the interviews and interviewing you hear on the World Service are hugely varied. But what goes into finding the interviewees and preparing for the interview? When you are in the room, face-to-face with someone, how do you get the best out of your interviewee? Qasa also speaks to Ivana Davidovich, the host of the new World of Secrets podcast Searching for Soldier Dad, to explore how the interview process works in an investigative podcast series.


THU 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx96f1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcmmg9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hzkpf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mf8)
'The Doping Olympics': a look inside the Enhanced Games

At the inaugural Enhanced Games this weekend, something unprecedented is taking place; professional athletes from around the world will be encouraged to swim, lift, and sprint with the aid of performance enhancing drugs.

The competition — nicknamed the 'Doping Olympics' — has provoked enormous controversy in the world of sport. Enhanced runs counter to the many athletic organisations who have spent decades prioritising a crackdown on performance enhancing drugs. Many in the sporting world say that a competition that endorses doping will normalise unfair and possibly dangerous drug use. But supporters argue that the competition will facilitate the safe, open use of drugs that are often taken unsafely and without medical supervision at competitions elsewhere.

BBC sports editor Dan Roan joins us to break down all things Enhanced Games. His documentary, Enhanced Games: A Sporting Revolution or Dangerous Doping?, is available now on YouTube.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Valerio Esposito

Executive producers: James Shield and China Collins

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Olympic swimming medallist Ben Proud has become the first British athlete to join the Enhanced Games, an event which allows athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs. Credit: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire.


THU 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx9b55)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8j41)
Escape from Castro’s Cuba: ‘Singing saved my sanity’

Dulce Maria grew up in rural Cuba among sugar fields and wide green plains, surrounded by music, family and folk songs which she began singing from a very early age. In 1959, Fidel Castro came to power and in this new order, people who didn’t support his regime were branded as traitors, including Dulce’s father who was arrested. To keep her safe, Dulce and her eldest sister were sent to live with their grandmother in the capital Havana. The flat was next to a music school and Dulce could often be found standing by the school’s fence, mimicking the students’ vocal warm ups.

One day, Dulce went to buy milk for her grandmother from a corner shop when Fidel Castro walked in to buy cigars. Already known locally as a singer, she performed a patriotic song for the new leader who called her 'the future of Cuba'. Soon after, his government offered to send her to the Soviet Union for opera training but her parents refused. As political pressure mounted, the family caught wind of a secret programme called Operation Peter Pan. It was organised by the Catholic church and supported by US government, and saw over 14,000 Cuban children relocated to the USA. Dulce and two of her siblings were among them.

She was first housed in a Florida refugee camp and then spent three very difficult years in foster care in California. Later on in life, Dulce would reinvent herself as Candi Sosa and rebuild her life through music.

This interview contains a description of child sexual abuse in the second half of the programme.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Marcia Veiga

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

(Photo: Dulce as a child smiling into the camera. The middle photo shows her wearing a sequined dark blue dress smiling at the camera while holding a microphone. On the right photo, she is playing conga drums. Credit: Courtesy of Candi Sosa)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct98bc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx9fx9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcmvyk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4hzt5p)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8sw0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx9knf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqzbcwh)
Outrage after Israeli minister taunts Gaza flotilla activists

There has been international condemnation of Israel's treatment of pro-Palestinian activists who were on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted by Israeli naval forces.

Also on the programme: the first case of Ebola has been announced in the rebel-held territory in eastern Congo; and an online political group in India called The Cockroach Janta Party ‌has amassed nearly 15 million followers on Instagram in less than a week.

(Photo: Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade, gather at a port before their departure in the southern Turkish resort of Marmaris, Turkey on May 14, 2026. Credit: Reuters)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx9pdk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j01ny)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gl9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d5j)
Inside Space X's IPO plan

Elon Musk's space X is going public, in what could be the biggest initial public offering in history. Leanna Byrne speaks to Dr Stephanie Hare about the significance of the IPO.

We also hear from Azadeh Moshiri in India about why the cockroach has unexpectedly become India's new political mascot.


THU 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx9t4p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdql0h0g)
M23 rebels announce first suspected Ebola death in South Kivu

M23 rebels in eastern Congo have announced the first suspected death from Ebola in South Kivu province, raising fears the disease is spreading in areas affected by armed conflict. Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, because of an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country. We have the latest from our correspondent.

We speak to residents in the Caribbean about the campaign against developers changing their famous beaches.

In the UK the independent regulator Ofcom has criticised TikTok and YouTube, saying in a new report their content feeds are "not safe enough" for children. Our tech reporter has details.

We speak to doctors about a rare genetic skin condition, Epidermolysis bullosa.

The English football club Aston Villa are celebrating their biggest success in 44 years, victory in the Europa League. We speak to fans around the world.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: A healthcare worker walks past the treatment center set up by the NGO Alima in the courtyard of Bunia General Referral Hospital in Bunia, Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 21, 2026. Credit: Stringer/REUTERS)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdx9xwt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdql0lrl)
Gaza flotilla activists deported from Israel

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists who were detained in Israel after their flotilla bringing symbolic aid to Gaza was intercepted have been deported, Israel has confirmed. It follows international backlash in response to a video posted by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showing himself taunting activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs. We speak to our correspondent and hear from activists.

We speak to our Defence Correspondent, Jonathan Beale, who has been reporting on Ukraine's drone warfare.

The US Secretary of State says Cuba has nominally agreed to take Washington's offer of $100m in aid, but disputes remain about who will distribute it. We speak to our correspondent in Havana.

A satirical Indian political group, known as the Cockroach Janta Party, has attracted nearly 16 million followers on Instagram. Our reporter explains.

We speak to doctors about a rare genetic skin condition, Epidermolysis bullosa.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, detained by Israeli forces after their vessels were intercepted in international waters in the Mediterranean, disembark a plane upon arrival at Istanbul Airport, Turkey, May 21, 2026. Credit: Murad Sezer/Reuters)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxb1my)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8j41)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct98bc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxb5d2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcnlfb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j0jng)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rm3)
2026/05/21 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 (w1730nkmgdxb946)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct9bcp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j0ndl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977m)
El Niño is nigh, but so what?

With 2023’s El Niño – a recurring pattern of extreme weather across the pacific basin - still leaving a bad taste in people's mouth, 2026 sees an El Niño stirring in the Pacific Ocean and there are warnings that this will be one of the strongest yet.

Roland Pease speaks with Amanda Maycock, a climatologist from Leeds University, to discuss what this climate phenomenon is and how it will impact the world from October to early next year.

He also hears from Scott Evans from the American Museum of Natural History, who has been exploring the Mackenzie mountains of Canada’s Northwest Territory to better understand the biology and ecology of life on earth before anything we might recognize - from the Ediacara era. This was before the explosion of different animal types with hard shells and bones in the later, Cambrian, time. In certain places around the world, much older rocks from the ancient ocean floor reveal an ecosystem abounding with soft, squidgy animal wierdness.

In Canada Scott has found a new trove of these fossils, but from far deeper below the surface of those ancient seas. Did animal life begin deep in the darkest depths rather than paddling in pools nearer the land?

Today, over half a billion years later, bottom trawling, a common fishing method involving dragging heavy nets across the bottom of the seafloor, is an environmentally destructive process that rips up everything in its path to maximise catch. We talked to Amanda Vincent, a professor at the Institute for the Oceans and fisheries of the British Columbia university and founder of the international Project Seahorse conservation group, about what bottom-trawl bans can achieve, in the light of results published about a renaissance of biodiversity off the coast of Scotland in an area where trawling has been banned for several years.

Plus, we talk to science journalist Gareth Mitchell, who explains how bottom trawling can also have negative consequences on technology, as well as other science news you may have missed, including updates on solar storms and robotic wolf shortages in Japan.

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producers: Alex Mansfield and Dan Welsh
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxbdwb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqzc73d)
Is an invasion of Cuba imminent?

A day after the US's indictment of former Cuban president Raul Castro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Havana has accepted an offer of $100m in aid but that the chances of a negotiated settlement was "not high". Could the US be considering an imminent invasion of Cuba?

Also on the programme: Amid a growing number of cases, a hospital treating Ebola patients in Congo is set on fire; and the new research suggesting that Beluga whales recognise their own reflections.

(Photo: Rubio speaks to the press before boarding his plane at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, May 21, 2026 Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxbjmg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j0wwv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8sw0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxbncl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcp2dv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j10mz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fq6)
AI, billions and the race to go public

Artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX are preparing for potential stock market listings in 2026, as investor interest in the sector pushes combined company valuations towards the trillion-dollar mark.

President Trump has also decided against signing a planned executive order on AI regulation today, a move being closely watched by technology companies and investors.

And Universal Music Group and Spotify have signed a new agreement around AI-generated music — including covers and remixes that imitate artists’ voices and styles — raising fresh questions about ownership, consent and how musicians should be compensated in the age of AI.

(Picture: REUTERS/Kent Nishimura)

FRIDAY 22 MAY 2026

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxbs3q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct98md)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j14d3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw4)
Are US-China relations at a turning point?

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses whether there has been a significant shift in the relationship between the United States and China, examines the long-term political turmoil in the United Kingdom, and looks at the psychological impact of artificial intelligence.

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


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxbwvv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcp9x3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j1847)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mf8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxc0lz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcpfn7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j1cwc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct8jxw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxc4c3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8j41)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct98bc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxc837)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcpp4h)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j1mcm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983l)
Fighting for the Children of Chernobyl

Forty years ago, the world’s worst nuclear accident took place at Chernobyl, in what was then the Soviet Union. When news of the disaster began to emerge beyond the Iron Curtain, one of those paying close attention was Adi Roche in Ireland.

At the time, Adi was working as a peace educator, teaching about nuclear weapons and Cold War tensions. She went on to found Chernobyl Children International, which became one of the most significant and sustained humanitarian responses to the disaster. Over the years, she brought aid and medical support to Ukraine, Belarus and other affected regions, established a paediatric cardiac programme for children born with heart defects, and helped arrange for children from Belarus to be adopted in Ireland.

In this edition of Heart and Soul, Colm Flynn meets Adi Roche to hear about the work that has shaped her life, and the Christian faith that she says has sustained her through it. Together, they reflect on suffering, compassion and the question of how a loving God can make sense in the face of such tragedy.

Colm also meets Raisa Miknovitch Carolan, who was just six years old when Adi first encountered her in Belarus. A survivor of the Chernobyl disaster, Raisa was abandoned in an orphanage before later being adopted by an Irish family. Now 29, and having undergone 25 operations for serious health conditions linked to radiation exposure, she reflects on survival, loss and the difficult knowledge that while she was given a new life, many others were left behind.

Producer/presenter: Colm Flynn
Series producer: Rajeev Gupta
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
Editor: Chloe Walker

(Photo: Adi Roche at the Chernobyl Nuclear. Credit: Chernobyl Children International)


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxccvc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lyg13)
Angry crowd sets fire to a hospital in the eastern DRC

The BBC understands relatives stormed the facility - located near the city of Bunia - and tried to remove the body after health workers refused to release it. The rebel M23 group confirmed its first case in South Kivu province, raising fears about the virus' spread in areas affected by armed conflict.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said Cuba is a threat to national security and that the likelihood of a peaceful outcome is not high.

President Trump says he will speak to Taiwan's president in break from protocol. We get the view from one of Taiwan's senior diplomats in Washington.

(Credit: Congolese women mourn the death of a victim of Ebola, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain; Credit: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters)


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxchlh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lyks7)
Ebola outbreak spreads further in DRC

Medical staff at the Rwampara Hospital are under military protection as police try to restore order. The BBC understands relatives stormed the facility, located near the city of Bunia, and tried to remove the body after health workers refused to release it.

The US secretary of state calls Cuba a threat to national security as hopes of a negotiated peaceful settlement seemingly diminish. We hear a special report from our correspondent in the island-nation's capital.

The co-founder of the social media network Reddit, Alexis Ohanian is now turning his focus to the future of women’s sport. We take a look at why.

(Photo: Congolese women mourn the death of a victim of Ebola; Credit: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxcmbm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1bv6lypjc)
DRC minister insists Ebola virus poses no international threat

Health officials say the outbreak has killed more than 150 people, with over 600 suspected cases reported.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Cuba poses a "national security threat" to the US and the likelihood of a peaceful agreement is "not high". We get a report from Cuba.

And two Iranian sisters tell us of the life in Iran since the war between US and Iran started.

(Photo: People mourn the death of a victim of Ebola, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak. Credit: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxcr2r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct98k4)
Jennifer Riria, banking chief: Financial system still excludes women

“Most of Africa is rural, and although urbanisation is taking root now, the systems that deliver financial services to women are still eluding them.”

Leanna Byrne speaks to microfinance pioneer Dr Jennifer Riria about her life, career, and personal mission to improve the lives of women in some of Africa’s poorest communities.

Having started life in a poor, rural village in Kenya, Dr Riria worked her way up to develop and run one of the biggest microfinance institutions for women in Africa.

Microfinance is a banking service providing small loans and more, to people with low income who might lack access to traditional banking. It’s aimed at fostering self-sufficiency, financial education, and entrepreneurship in developing areas.

Her focus is not limited to finance. She also draws on her experiences of teaching at university, and consulting for UNICEF, the UN children’s aid agency, in order to progress women’s development in education and leadership.

Thank you to the Business Daily team for their help in making this programme.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Botswana’s president Duma Boko, entrepreneur Emma Grede, and astronaut Jeremy Hansen. 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: Leanna Byrne
Producers: Ben Cooper, Ahmed Adan and Amber Mehmood
Editor: Damon Rose

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

(Image: Jennifer Riria. Credit: Getty)


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j23c4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtd)
The ex-ballerina betting big on prediction markets

On Meet the Founders, we meet Luana Lopes Lara, creator of Kalshi, a prediction markets startup that allows users to trade on the outcome of real-world events - from inflation and interest rates to elections and geopolitics.

Kalshi drew attention for showing Zohran Mamdani as a favourite in the NYC mayoral race, as prediction markets gain traction as political barometers. But the wider industry has also faced scrutiny: a trader on rival platform Polymarket reportedly made nearly half a million dollars betting on the capture of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro before it was announced.

The controversy around prediction markets has placed Lopes Lara and her company at the centre of a growing regulatory and ethical debate in the US. In this episode, the Brazilian founder explains how the discipline and resilience of ballet has shaped her approach to building a business, and why she believes markets can often forecast the future better than experts.

(First broadcast/podcast on 06 February 2026)

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

Presenter: Sam Fenwick
Producer: Amber Mehmood
Sound mix: Toby James

(Picture: Luana Lara Lopes, founder and Chief Operating Officer of Kalshi.)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct98dm)
Canada's worst E.coli outbreak

In 2000, contaminated drinking water in the small Canadian town of Walkerton triggered one of the country’s worst public health disasters.

Heavy rainfall washed E. coli bacteria into the town’s water supply, but failures in testing and reporting meant residents continued to drink the water. Seven people died and thousands fell ill.

Megan Lawton speaks to resident Bruce Davidson who experienced the crisis firsthand.

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 sign stating the water is find, on Knights of Colombus hall just outside of Walkerton, 2000. Credit: Peter Power/via Getty)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxcvtw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcq8w4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j2738)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxczl0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcf)
Unexpected enhancements

Have you ever wondered what happen to salmon when too much cocaine seeps into their rivers? Inspired by the Enhanced Games, we lookat unexpected areas of performance enhancement. Peptides are making a splash in influencer circles, but what is the science?

Plus, we hear from Prof David Putrino, who is making sure the athletes at the Enhanced Games are staying safe. He shares what we can learn from the Games – and how the data could help develop future medicines.

Also on the show, whether radio waves can enhance your sense of smell, and is an hour at a gallery as beneficial as an hour at the gym?

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Katie Silver and Andrada Fiscutean
Producer: Sophie Ormiston, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Robbie Wojciechowski and Scarlett Victoria


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxd3b4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcqjcd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j2glj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8m8r)
Has the US set the stage for military intervention in Cuba?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubia has said Cuba poses a "national security threat" to the US and the likelihood of a peaceful agreement is "not high". His comments come days after the US announced criminal charges against Cuba’s former president Raul Castro, the brother of Fidel Castro.

The charges relate to his alleged role in the shooting down of two planes in 1996, which killed four people, including three Americans. The Cuban government say the move is “a political manoeuvre, devoid of any legal foundation.”

The indictment has drawn comparisons to the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and whether the US has set the stage for military intervention.

Asma speaks to Cecilia Barria, a journalist based in Miami for BBC Mundo, and Will Grant, the BBC’s Mexico, Central America and Cuba correspondent, about the story behind the charges — and why three decades on, the indictment is only happening now.


Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Aron Keller
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Raul Castro attend the International Labor Day commemoration in Havana, Cuba, 01 May 2026. Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA/Shutterstock


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxd728)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8hph)
Outlook Mixtape: Stories from the small print

You might flick through the ads in the back of the papers for a second-hand car or a job. But what if you stumbled on an advert looking for a parent? We’ve browsed the Outlook archives to bring you three surprising stories from the world of advertising.

Zarna Garg knows more than most, about the power of the ad. Born in Mumbai to a wealthy Indian family, she was kicked out by her controlling father when she refused an arranged marriage. Overnight, Zarna lost the home she knew and had to rely on the kindness of friends for a place to stay. After more than a year of instability, she succumbed to her father’s demands and agreed to be married. But just before the wedding, Zarna received a visa and arrived in the US – in pursuit of happiness and love, on her own terms. She decided to defy social norms and place a rather unconventional ad for a husband on an Indian classified website and waited to see who would respond…

When advertising executive Juan Carlos Ortiz  ran a campaign against the addictive qualities of cocaine it earned him a prestigious advertising award but also made him powerful enemies of the FARC guerilla group who relied on the drugs trade. A few years later, Juan Carlos (who was a whizz with radio jingles) was asked by a Colombian army chief to embed a secret message in a piece of music intended to be heard by hostages being held by FARC rebels in the middle of a jungle. But would he succeed?

Georgie Codd grew up in the UK with her mum and granny, both doting parents, but she always wondered what it would be like to have a dad. So one day she decided to advertise in newspapers and magazines for a father figure. Surely there would be men out there who had always longed to be fathers but thought they had missed their chance? Perhaps she could find these men? Georgie's numerous new pen pals uncover a tale of fathers, daughters and missing pieces.

Listener satisfaction guaranteed...terms and conditions apply.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Hannah Dean

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 (w3ct98dm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxdbtd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcqrvn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j2q2s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxdgkj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqzf8sl)
WHO upgrades risk from Ebola to 'very high' in DRC

The WHO has upgraded the risk from the current Ebola outbreak to "very high" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and says regionally the risk is high -- though it remains low in the rest of the world. Newshour hears from Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group which helped develop the Astra Zeneca Covid vaccine.

Also in the programme: Will Grant reports from Havana on Cuba under pressure; and how barnacles affect stationary ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

(Picture: Red Cross workers walk in a formation as they disinfect Rwampara general hospital before handling the body of a person who died of Ebola, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak. Credit: Reuters)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxdl9n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct98k4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j2yl1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d10)
Hike, cut or hold? What will the new Fed head do on interest rates

The new chair of the world's most powerful central bank is being sworn in at the White House today.

Kevin Warsh becomes the 17th Chair of the Federal Reserve at a very tense moment for the US and global economies. He is an advocate for cutting rates, something President Trump has long demanded.

Also, why were two boxes of Japanese Melons worth $36,500?


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxdq1s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdql3cxk)
WHO upgrades Ebola outbreak risk in DRC to 'very high'

Scientists at Oxford University are developing a new vaccine that could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months to help tackle the Ebola emergency. The WHO has upgraded its risk for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to "very high". It says the risk in the wider region is high, but the global risk is low. We get details from our health reporter, and we speak to journalists who have covered previous Ebola outbreaks.

Stephen Colbert has signed off the final episode of The Late Show, bringing the programme's historic 33-year run to an end. We speak to culture journalists about the future of late-night talks shows in the US.

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United States has constantly been reassessing its relationship with the Nato military alliance. We find out more about the gathering of foreign ministers in Sweden.

And, we speak to strippers in Montreal about this weekend's strike during the city’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, 22 May 2026. Credit: Martial Trezzini/EPA)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxdtsx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6cdql3hnp)
UK scientists developing Ebola vaccine

Scientists at Oxford University are developing a new vaccine that could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months to help tackle the Ebola emergency. A virus expert answers audience questions about the outbreak. We also speak to journalists who have covered previous Ebola outbreaks.

An intense heatwave is scorching large areas of India - including the capital, Delhi. We speak to our environment correspondent.

Our sports reporter talks through today's headlines, including the news that Manchester City's long- standing manager, Pep Guardiola, is leaving.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: A Ugandan health worker prepares to administer the ebola vaccine to a man in Kirembo village, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kasese district, Uganda, 16 June, 2019. Credit: James Akena/Reuters)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxdyk1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8hph)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct98dm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxf295)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcrhbf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j3fkk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rgl)
2026/05/22 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 (w1730nkmgdxf619)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3m)
Life in a volcano danger zone

Earlier this month, a volcanic eruption – which sent a plume of ash some ten kilometres into the sky – killed three people hiking up Mount Dukono in Indonesia. The tourists had climbed the mountain despite official warnings.

It’s the latest incident in recent years where tourists have been killed visiting an active volcano. In our conversations, we explore the attraction of volcanoes, as well as hearing about the extreme danger they can pose to visitors and those living nearby.

“I think it’s good in life to maybe do something that scares you and be humbled,” says photographer Demian in Hawaii. “[We] lose our ego for a moment and realise how small we are, and how big and strong these forces are.”

Volcano guides share their experiences, someone who has chosen to make his home on the slopes of an active volcano describes his view, and we find out what it’s like to be a lava chaser.

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Iqra Farooq, Angela Sheeran and Beau Brown
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver
A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC Outside Source team.

(Photo: Dukono Volcano eruptions aftermath, North Halmahera, Indonesia. Credit: Nizam/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j3k9p)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct8k6x)
Why am I an introvert?

CrowdScience listener Daniel in Accra, Ghana is an introvert. Or at least, he thinks he is. And he’s worried that his preference for quiet spaces and lower social interaction might be holding him back in life. But what is introversion really? How do introverts and extroverts see the world differently? And is it better to be one or the other?

Presenter Alex Lathbridge spends his working days talking to interesting people like Daniel. He loves meeting people, and talking to them too, yet he also thinks that deep down, he might be an introvert. To understand how and why people come to be introverted or extraverted, and what’s happening in the brain, he pays a visit to neuroscientist Dr Thomas Tagoe from the University of Ghana Medical school, for a peek inside the mind. Turns out, introverts aren’t shy, and definitely aren’t anti-social either, despite what people might assume. The difference is more about how we process stimulation, and at what point we find it all a bit too much to process. Although sometimes it might feel like the world is built for the extraverts out there, Thomas offers some reassurance. There are huge benefits to being introverted too, and there’s room in the world for all the different personality types to thrive.

But how about in the workplace? Daniel is worried that his introversion could be holding him back at work. He feels like being good at your job is not always enough – you need to be able to network, charm people, and “work the room” if you want to succeed. So, Alex heads for the Methodist University of Ghana to meet Professor William Baah-Boateng, who has studied the effect of all the different personality types on their performance in the workplace. Is there a place for the introverts of this work to make their mark?

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge

Producer: Emily Knight

Editor: Ben Motley 

(Photo:A view of a woman's eye looking through a hole in some colorful paper-Stock Photo - Credit:PeopleImages via Getty Images)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxf9sf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn0gqzg40h)
Rubio tries to reassure Nato allies over US troop deployments in Europe

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to reassure allies after US rowed back on plans last week to cancel long held plans to deploy 4,000 US troops to Poland and instead send an extra 5,000 troops there. The move has caused confusion amongst NATO allies.

Also in the programme: Thousands of Cubans have taken part in a state-organized protest in the capital, Havana, in support of the country's former leader, Raul Castro, who was charged with murder and other crimes in the United States this week; and Carlo Petrini who began the Slow Food movement as a protest against a McDonalds opening in Rome has died at the age of seventy six.

Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets press after NATO foreign ministers meet in Helsingborg, Sweden. Credit: JOHAN NILSSON/TT/EPA/Shutterstock


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxffjk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Interview (w3ct98k4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j3ssy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkmgdxfk8p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhjgcrz9y)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlfx4j3xk2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fkp)
US Federal Reserve appoints new chair

US Federal Reserve appoints Kevin Warsh as new chair. President Trump said he wanted Mr Warsh to be "totally independent". We examine what the appointment means for US interest rates. Presenter Vishala Sri-Pathma speaks to a Cuban economist after tensions rise between Cuba and the United States. And we are in Cannes to hear how AI is affecting the film industry.

(PHOTO CREDIT :U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the swearing-in ceremony for incoming Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 22, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)