SATURDAY 28 JUNE 2025

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq1btj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72w5)
A roarsome episode

This week, Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae has been unveiled at London's Natural History Museum. This newly described herbivorous dinosaur has inspired us to take a stomp through the science of ancient animals, mass extinctions and fossils.

First up, we hear about a shepherd who recently found a South African dinosaur, which has helped shed light on the period between the Triassic and Jurassic.

We then take a look at some new theories that suggest the mass extinctions that wiped out ancient creatures may not have been as massive as we thought.

But one extinction definitely is currently underway, according to ecologist Professor Dave Goulson. And that’s the mass extinction of insects.

Plus, we find out the latest theory of why the Tyrannosaurus rex had such tiny arms, and we meet the rat ancestors that munched on dinosaurs.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Candice Bailey and Camilla Mota
Producer: Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Minnie Harrop


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq1gkn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs45711m1t)
Trump trade: one step forward, two steps back

There's another twist to the tariffs tale... US President Donald Trump says he's stopping trade talks with Canada over a tax he's not happy about.

The US and China have reached a trade truce on critical minerals... but how critical is the deal?

And Glastonbury has a hippy roots, but it’s making serious money.... we’ll hear how it generates hundreds of millions for the British economy.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq1l9s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y40zb5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9qyl5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zjc)
England vs India: Where does the India Test team go from here?

On this week’s Stumped with Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell & Charu Sharma, we hear from Indian Test Cricketer K S Bharat after India lose the opening Test of their five match series away in England.

Bharat talks about what Shubman Gill is like as a captain, what it is like to keep wicket to Jasprit Bumrah and what changes India could make to their side going forward.

The team also discus Australia’s tour of the West Indies, with both sides in transition they assess the changes they’re making.

Plus, we reflect on the Test match retirement of Sri Lanka great Angelo Mathews.

Photo: Joe Root and Jamie Smith of England celebrate after Smith hits the winning runs during day five of the first Rothesay Test Match between England and India at Headingley on June 24, 2025 in Leeds, England. (Credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq1q1x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wgz)
Outlook Mixtape: Stitches, seams and movie scenes

A patchwork of stories on the power of a good outfit.

Sarah Tinney started one of Australia's biggest open-water swims as a way of dealing with grief. All of the swimmers dress up as Marilyn Monroe, her late mother's favourite film star.

Inspired by watching The Oprah Winfrey Show, Nepalese designer Prabal Gurung decided to try and make it in America. After launching his own label at New York Fashion Week in 2009, it all took off.

Wilson Maina grew up in Kenya listening to his grandfather’s many tall tales, and didn’t always believe them. So he was surprised that his grandfather’s story about a uniform that saved his life at the time of the Mau Mau rebellion, turned out to be true.

Ruth Carter made history when she became the first Black costume designer to win an Oscar for her work on Black Panther. Ruth has been working in film for over 35 years, but her fascination with clothes began as a young woman when she would modify her mother’s old clothes to make unique pieces.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Florian Bohr

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

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty images)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct743y)
Italian happiness trains

Between 1945 and 1952, ‘happiness trains’ transported 70,000 children from southern to northern Italy to live with wealthier families.

It was a scheme organised by the Union of Italian Women and the Italian Communist Party in an attempt to make the lives of southern Italian children better.

Ten-year-old Bianca D’Aniello was one of the passengers to travel from Salerno in the south to Mestre in the north where she was looked after by a family with more resources.

Bianca’s life in Mestre was miserable because of Italy’s fascist regime and the devastation her city faced in the wake of World War Two. Her journey was nerve-racking as she jumped on a train for the first time saying goodbye to her mum and siblings. What she didn’t realise was what life had in store for her in her new life.

Bianca speaks to Natasha Fernandes about how that ‘happiness train’ changed her life forever.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Children on board an Italian 'happiness train' kiss and wave goodbye to their parents. Credit: Instituto Storico Modena)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq1tt1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72w5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq1yk5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y41bkk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9r9tk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7zzg)
Bill Walton’s The Grateful Team: Ep 1

Bill Walton tells the story of Sarunas Marciulionis’ journey from the USSR to the NBA. Along the way, there’s also a Grateful Dead concert…

It’s Moscow, 1989, and Lithuanian basketball star Sarunas Marciulionis is walking nervously through the airport. If all goes to plan, a new life awaits playing basketball for the NBA in the US. But first, he must cross the Iron Curtain.

Sarunas doesn’t yet know the incredible journey he is about to go on. One which will involve political upheaval, the Olympic games, the US rock band The Grateful Dead - and, of course, tie-dye.

The late NBA star and sports commentator Bill Walton presents this extraordinary true story. Bill passed away in 2024, not long after recording the series, and his family have given permission for its release following his death.

Amazing Sport Stories brings you the greatest twists and personal journeys from sport history. Listen for inspiring tales of courage, drama, myths and legends from all over the globe. All told in mini seasons and one-off documentary episodes. #AmazingSportStories

Amazing Sport Stories: Bill Walton’s The Grateful Team is a Bespoken Media production for the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct6vz0)
Has Russia suffered a million casualties in the Ukraine war?

It’s been over three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the human toll is growing on both sides.

Recently, politicians and journalists have declared a grim milestone, one million Russian casualties.

But is this number accurate?

Tim talks to Seth Jones, from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Olga Ivshina, from the BBC Russian service, to investigate this statistic.

If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, email the More or Less team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Nicholas Barrett
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq2299)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw84fzc9n08)
DRC and Rwanda sign peace deal

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace deal seen as a first step towards ending three decades of conflict between the two countries. Also on the programme, an interview with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation about the shooting of Palestinians seeking aid; and, Alanis Morrisette goes to the Glastonbury music festival.

(Photo: Members of the M23 rebel group stand guard at the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo (CADECO) which will serve as the bank for the city of Goma where all banks have closed since the city was taken by the M23 rebels, in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq261f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw84fzc9rrd)
Rwanda and DRC sign peace deal in Washington

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a peace deal in Washington aimed at ending decades of devastating conflict between the two neighbours, and potentially granting the US lucrative mineral access. Also on the programme, the BBC's Lyse Doucet speaks to us from inside Iran; and, two hundred years of trains.

(Photo: M23 rebels stand guard near civilians during a meeting organised by the M23 at the Stade de l'Unite, after the town of Goma was taken by the M23 rebels, in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, February 6, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq29sk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw84fzc9whj)
Iran honours the dead from war with Israel

A major state funeral is underway in Tehran to honour senior military commanders and leading nuclear scientists killed by Israel during its twelve-day war. The BBC's Lyse Doucet speaks to us from Tehran. Also on the programme, how artificial intelligence could be used for mental health; and, a play about one man's determination to visit all 54 African nations.

Speaking to Julian Worricker are Zanele Mji, a South African investigative journalist, and Samir Puri, director of the Centre for Global Governance and Security at Chatham House.


(Photo: Funeral ceremony for Iranian IRGC leaders who were killed in Israel airstrike in Tehran, Iran Islamic Republic Of - 28 Jun 2025. ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq2fjp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rmp)
Iranians living in the USA

Following the recent bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites by the United States, we talk to Iranians living in the US about their thoughts as they watch events in the Middle East from afar.

They describe feeling conflicted about the attacks carried out by their adopted homeland. They worry about friends and relatives who could be in danger back in Iran. But – perhaps unsurprisingly for an exiled community – they have strong views on the Iranian regime.

Shaheen grew up in the US but feels very connected to his Iranian heritage. He says, “Even though none of us like war, none of us want this war, at the very same time, it’s almost like there’s this weird piece of hope that maybe this will be the end of the Islamic Republic. And I think that’s a very complicated feeling to have.”

Fellow American-Iranian Mana thinks about the future of her people, “I feel not just guilt as an Iranian, but shame as an American, because I'm afraid that we just made their standard of living and what they're going to have after this ceasefire so much worse.”

Presenter: Luke Jones
BBC producers: Gabriela Boccaccio and Laura Cress.
Boffin Media producer: Anne McNaught

An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the OS team.

(Photo: Laila Massoudnia at a cultural event for creatives in LA. Credit: Laila Massoudnia)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9rst2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z4x)
Spain is in the wrong time zone

Our science team tell you why Spain's clocks are wrong - and what it means for people living in the country. Plus, how the blockbuster film Jaws changed our attitude to sharks and the story of Indian superstar singer and rapper Sidhu Moose Wala. Why was he killed? Also this week, a friendship that crosses the conflict between Iran and Israel.


SAT 09:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvf)
Providing expertise and analysis on Iran

The BBC News Persian service has provided expertise and analysis to the whole of the BBC, in spite of being banned from Iran. We hear how journalists with BBC News Persian have been broadcasting reports about the situation in Iran and we are joined by the head of its service.

Plus, The Killing Call tells of the murder of Indian music star Sidhu Moose Wala. The executive editor of World Service documentaries tells us of the various challenges producers faced in its making.

Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Howard Shannon
A Whistledown production for BBC World Service


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq2k8t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct7z0d)
Colourblind

Climber Janja Garnbret is one of the best examples of how easy becoming an Olympic champion can look. In both Tokyo and Paris she seemingly effortlessly ascended her way to gold. They sit alongside her eight World Championships. At 26 she is still young enough to continue to dominate for some time. From her home Slovenia, where she is a mega star, she joined Katie Smith to talk about just how much effort goes into making the very difficult look like a walk in the park, what it felt like to become a two-time Olympic champion and body image.

Some say silver is "first looser" and there is no doubt a bitter sweet feel to coming second, even if you are considered one of Africa's greatest Olympic sprinter. Sadly for him there no better person to speak about what it feel like to land a silver, he won four Olympic silvers. We hear from for Namibia's Frankie Fredricks on how it felt to never make it to gold.

We meet the Bronze who is a born winner. This bronze is about to set off to defend her gold medal winning performance of four years ago, because this Bronze is England footballer Lucy Bronze. She is part of the England squad looking to defend their Women's Euro title in Switzerland. So if we cannot talk to Lucy about what it is like to finish with a bronze (and yes, we know she won bronze in 2015 at the World Cup) we might as well ask her about the secret to her success, and it turns out that is a small dog called Nala.

It seems more than a bit unfair to have our final guest, our guess that fits the theme because it's the "no medal at all" section of the show. Not least because Justin Phongsavanh won Paralympic bronze in the javelin in Tokyo. But with a chance to compete in front of his home crowd at the Games of LA in 2028 his dream appears to have been ripped away from him. Justin has been explaining what has happened and how he is coping. He also tells us about one night in 2015 when his life changed forever.

(Photo: Janja Garnbret of Slovenia competes during the women's lead climbing qualification of the Climbing World Cup 2023 in Innsbruck, Austria. Credit: Marco Kost/Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq2p0y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y4221b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9s19b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78bs)
Has Iran weathered the storm of US and Israeli attacks?

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses whether the Iranian regime has successfully weathered the storm caused by the attacks by Israel and the United States, examines the state of the NATO alliance, and looks at the ferocious gangland culture of Cape Town in South Africa.

Producer: Alix Pickles
Executive Producer: Benedick Watt
Commissioning Editor: Vara Szajkowski


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq2ss2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Forum (w3ct712s)
Customer service: The rise of the doom loop

The quality of customer service can make or break a company. That has always been true but the kind of customer experience we now expect when things go wrong with our purchases is vastly different from what we wanted half a century ago. 1960s answering services, the new organisations managing calls on behalf of businesses, relied on a single technology: the telephone. Now a firm needs to offer its customers multiple ways to contact it. But which one should a company prioritise, especially in these financially straitened times? The latest AI-enabled chatbots? Well-trained, empowered people in call centres? Or something else entirely? And how do these changes impact customer service representatives, the people who actually deliver the service to us every day?

Iszi Lawrence discusses these questions with Jo Causon, CEO of the Institute of Customer Service in the UK; call centre researchers Professors Premilla D’Cruz and Ernesto Noronha from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad; Franco-American service designer Matthew Marino and World Service listeners.

(Photo: A woman in jeans interacting with virtual contact icons on a screen. Credit: Umnat Seebuaphan/iStock/Getty Images)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq2xj6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zss45n7722t)
Iran holds state funeral for commanders and scientists

Tehran stages a mass state funeral for senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists killed in Israeli attacks. The BBC's Lyse Doucet reports from the scene, where large crowds have gathered on the streets.

Also in the programme: Christians in Damascus prepare to attend church services on Sunday despite the biggest sectarian attack on their community in a century last weekend; and as France brings in a ban on smoking at beaches, parks and other public spaces, we hear from one outraged smoker.

(IMAGE: People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 28, 2025 / CREDIT: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq318b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqkh6zqnms)
Live Sporting Action

John Bennett will be joined by guests to preview the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 on the eve of the tournament. Will England defend their crown or will Spain add the title to their 2023 World Cup win? Who else is among the favourites and what about debutants Wales and Poland? We’ll hear from England captain Leah Williamson, Poland and Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor – the top scorer in the world in 2025 – and other stars who will be playing in Switzerland for the Championship.

The Club World Cup knockout stages get underway with an all Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo. We’ll discuss that and what else to expect from the ties in the last 16.

Away from football, we’ll begin our build-up to Wimbledon with a special documentary all about tennis legend Arthur Ashe from those who knew him best on the 50th anniversary of Ashe becoming the first African-American to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title.

The 2016 Olympic singles champion Monica Puig is the first special guest in the brand new series of On the Podium with Ed Harry and Eliza Skinner. Puig discusses becoming Puerto Rico's first ever Olympic gold medallist.

Cricket’s newly crowned World Test champions South Africa are back in action against Zimbabwe, while runners up Australia are in West Indies. There’s also a Women’s T20 international between England and India. There’s F1 qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in rugby union world champions South Africa take on Barbarians in a historic match on South African soil, while the British and Irish Lions have their opener on their tour in Australia.

Photo: A general view of the newly released official UEFA Women's EURO 2025 match ball 'Konektis' ahead of the UEFA Women´s EURO 2025 Final Tournament Draw on December 15, 2024 in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Credit: UEFA via Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq3j7v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y42x87)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9swj7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7zzg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 More or Less (w3ct6vz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 today]


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq3mzz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722p)
How crucial is the Strait of Hormuz to global oil supplies?

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important energy corridors in the world. It is the only sea route from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, it serves as the primary maritime route for oil exports from the Gulf. Any disruption to traffic through the strait would have implications for oil markets and regional stability.

While some Gulf states have developed pipelines to bypass the strait, the volume of oil transported by sea is far greater, and for many countries, including key Gulf exporters, the waterway is essential to maintaining trade. China is the largest buyer of oil that travels through the strait, making it particularly exposed to any disruption.

Iran itself relies on the Strait of Hormuz to sell its oil and any blockage of the route would likely damage Iran’s own economy and could strain relationships with regional neighbours.

Despite past threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway has remained open, including during the tanker wars of the 1980s, but any disruption could have a big impact on global oil supplies.

Picture Credit: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Contributors:
Camille Lons, Deputy Head of the Paris office of the Council on Foreign relations
Elisabeth Braw, Senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Jacob P. Larsen, BIMCO’s Chief Safety & Security Officer

Petter Haugen, Partner, Equity Research Shipping, ABG Sundal Collier, Nordic Investment Bank

Presenter Charmaine Cozier
Producer Louise Clarke
Researcher Maeve Schaffer
Editor Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Gareth Jones
Production Coordinator - Tammy Snow


SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9t08c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:32 The Documentary (w3ct80jk)
Iran crisis: your questions answered

A special episode answering your questions about the Iran crisis. BBC experts discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions, possibilities of regime change and the impact on the wider Middle East.


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq3rr3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztd)
Composer and musician Anoushka Shankar

Nikki Bedi talks to sitarist Anoushka Shankar about her latest album, Chapter III: We Return to Light and is joined by cultural critic, Karen Krizanovich.

They hear from and discuss:

Oscar winning filmmaker Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland reunite on their dystopian blockbuster, 28 Years Later.

Argentinian writer Agustina Bazterrica on her new convent-set horror novel.

Korean-Canadian director Celine Song talks about how being a matchmaker to the wealthy inspired her new film Materialists.

Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winning Alan Menken on the Disney film that made him want to be a composer.

And there’s music from the Ghanaian queen of frafra gospel, singer Florence Adooni.

Main image: Anoushka Shankar
Photo credit: Laura Lewis


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq3wh7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zss45n7811v)
Europe facing heatwave

Southern European countries have issued health and fire warnings as temperatures may exceed forty Celsius this weekend. Spanish emergency services are on standby for a surge in heatstroke cases, while Italian authorities are advising residents in several cities to stay indoors during the middle of the day. We hear from the UN Habitat's Global Heat Officer, Dr Eleni Myrivili.

Also in the programme: reportage from our Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet in Iran; a controversial smoking ban in France; and a high-profile wedding in Venice.

(Photo: People cool off in a fountain during a heatwave, in Rome, Italy, 28 June 2025. Credit: ANGELO CARCONI/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq407c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct7z0d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq43zh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y43hzw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9th7w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72d1)
Wendy Shay

Ghanaian singer Wendy Shay was born Wendy Asiamah Addo. She moved to Germany as a teenager, where she went to music school and trained as a nurse, then worked as a midwife for a while before being pulled back to her musical roots in Ghana.

In 2018 she was signed to Rufftown Records by its founder, Bullet, and shot to fame with her first single, the mega-hit Uber Driver. Her music is a blend of afrobeats, highlife and hiplife; she is one of Ghana’s most streamed artists, despite being subjected to lots of abuse at the beginning of her career.

But Wendy Shay is not just about the music – she has also set up a charitable foundation to support orphanages, hospitals, and special schools in some of the most deprived communities in Ghana.

SUNDAY 29 JUNE 2025

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq47qm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rmp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9tm00)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct7y7w)
Inside the US trans military ban

One of the first executive orders that President Donald Trump signed in his second term of office stated that being transgender is incompatible with the ‘rigorous standards necessary for military service’. It set the stage for a ban on trans people serving in the military, regardless of ability, rank or service history. Official figures say there are 4,240 transgender service members in the US armed forces, however research commissioned by the US Defense Department in 2016 estimated there could be up to around 10,000.

Over the past four months the BBC has been following the stories of two trans service people as the executive order took effect. Both have served 17 years in the military, and are now facing the threat of a dishonourable discharge.

Archive sources: NBC News, FOX News, CBS News, CNN, Chicks on the Right, Newsmax, 9 News, WKYC, ABC News, US Army's School of Advanced Military Studies


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq4cgr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:06 on Saturday]


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9tqr4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7zzg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zrr)
World Cup whisky

In 1974, East Germany beat West Germany in a World Cup match in Hamburg. Afterwards, on a flight, the West German Finance Minister, Hans Apel, found himself sitting next to one of the East German players, Hans-Jurgen Kreische.

Apel was so despondent that he told Kreische West Germany could not win the World Cup. Kreische disagreed and the pair had a bet.

They tell Mani Djazmi about that fateful moment, and the disastrous consequences it had for Kreische’s playing career.

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: a glass of whisky. Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq4h6w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y43w78)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9tvh8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjg)
Childhood vaccination coverage stalls worldwide

There has been immense progress on childhood vaccination since 1974, with over four billion children vaccinated worldwide. So why now are we seeing vaccination rates stall, and decline? We look at what is driving this stagnation that is putting millions of children at risk.

The psychological impacts of war can persist for long after the events themselves. Reporter Stephanie Tam talks to the therapists aiming to break cycles of intergenerational trauma in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Being diagnosed with ME, or chronic fatigue syndrome, can be a long process that requires ruling out other conditions first, we discover how researchers are working towards identifying blood biomarkers of chronic fatigue syndrome. Also, on the show we hear from Dr Adele Goman who has unexpectedly found hearing interventions reduce the risk of falling.

Finally, Dr Phil Silva the founder of the Dunedin Study has died. We take a look at some of the key achievements of this landmark study that has been running for half a century. It follows the same group of almost 1000 people, all born within 12 months of each other in the early 1970s.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producers: Katie Tomsett & Hannah Robins
Studio Manager: Sue Maillot

(Image: Doctor injecting a vaccine. Credit: Karl Tapales via Getty Images)


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq4lz0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Forum (w3ct712s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq4qq4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trl)
Iranians anxious over what comes next

Pascale Harter introduces dispatches from the Turkey-Iran border, Russia, the USA and Paraguay.

Israel’s attacks on Iran led thousands of people to flee cities under fire - now they must decide whether to return home, fearing further strikes and a regime still in power. Orla Guerin has been on the Turkey-Iran border, where she spoke to Iranians escaping the war, and others going back home to their families still in the country.

As Western leaders gathered for the G7 and NATO summits, President Putin held his own annual international gathering: the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. While an economic summit in name, Steve Rosenberg found the focus this year to be much more geared towards the promotion of Russia’s military might.

Donald Trump’s sudden decision to attack Iran’s nuclear sites was met with concern by many in Washington – including some of his most ardent supporters. But the dissenters were quick to fall back in line, says Bernd Debusmann in Washington DC.

And finally the herbal drink Mate is hugely popular in Argentina - football legend Lionel Messi is a big fan. But across the border in Paraguay, Jane Chambers finds Mate enthusiasts are miffed that their bigger neighbour is seen as the originator of Mate, claiming Paraguay is the true home of Mate culture.


Image: Iranians leave Turkey through the Razi-Kapiköy border crossing in north-eastern Turkey. (Photo by YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9v2zj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78bs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq4vg8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y447gn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9v6qn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct7y7w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq4z6d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw84fzcdjxc)
UN watchdog says Iran able to enrich uranium in months

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog says Iran will be able to start enriching uranium again in a matter of months, contradicting statements by the United States. Also on the programme, thousands gather in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, demanding early elections and an end to the government of President Aleksandar Vucic; and we discuss the heat as temperatures soar across Europe.

Photo: Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, gives a speech.(Yoan Valet/EPA/Shutterstock/ 26 June 2025.)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq52yj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw84fzcdnnh)
World Bank to send $250 million to rebuild war-torn Lebanon

The World Bank announced it was providing $250 million dollars for the rebuild of southern Lebanon following last year's war between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah. Also on the programme, the BBC reports from Tehran; and, a new smoking ban comes into effect in France.

Julian Worricker is joined by Suzanne Lynch, Brussels bureau chief, and Jeremy Shapiro, director of the US Programme at the European Council for Foreign Relations think tank.

(Photo: People stand together at a damaged site in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, at Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq56pn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw84fzcdsdm)
One of Hong Kong's last remaining pro-democracy groups to disband

One of Hong Kong's last remaining pro-democracy groups is expected to officially announce that it will disband. The League of Social Democrats said it wouldn't survive to see its twentieth anniversary next year. Also on the programme, we hear from meteorologist Jim Dale about the soaring temperatures across Europe; and lead singer of The Zombies, Colin Blunstone, tells us about the release of a new film about the band 60 years after the group met.

Photo: Members of the League of Social Democrats (LSD) protest outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts during a verdict for 47 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, China, 30 May 2024. (LEUNG MAN HEI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq5bfs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9vpq5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yl)
The story of your plate

What can we tell about a society from the plates, bowls and cups it uses?

In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about the history of pottery, from early earthenware to the porcelain discovered by ancient China, known as ‘white gold’.

Professor of archaeology, Joanita Vroom from Leiden University in the Netherlands explains why every pot has a story to tell.

Historian Professor Suzanne Marchand from Louisiana State University in the United States picks up the story of porcelain in the 18th century. Such was its value that it prompted numerous failed attempts, theft and even imprisonment of those who knew the secret recipe.

Ruth visits the Wedgwood factory and museum collection in North Staffordshire in the English Midlands. V&A curator Kate Turner explains how the company’s founder, Josiah Wedgwood, changed dinnerware tastes once again – catering to an emerging consumer class looking for affordable ways to decorate their home. Ruth tours the factory and meets Emma Glynn, Creative Director of Wedgwood to discuss the challenges in today’s market.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup

(Image: a potter throwing a plate on a potter's wheel. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq5g5x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxp)
What to do with stray animals

From street dogs to feral pigeons, many towns and cities are having to deal with exploding bird and animal populations which can pose risks to health and safety. This week we take a look at ways we can control numbers in an effective and humane way. We visit a special pigeon loft in Germany, where pigeon eggs are swapped with dummy eggs to help manage the population. And we take a walk with tourists in Mexico, who are helping to socialise stray dogs while also providing funds for their care.

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

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Claire Bates
Reporters: Maddie Drury, Andre Lombard
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Layla Kudri with a couple of street dogs on a hike in Mexico, BBC)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9vtg9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70t2)
Who's Poland's new president?

Poland’s president-elect, Karol Nawrocki, is a right-wing historian, an amateur boxer and a fan of Donald Trump. What will his presidency mean for the region? Kateryna Khinkulova, editor of the newly launched BBC News Polska, explains. Plus, a brief history of Lebanese cinema with Mohamad Hamdar from BBC Arabic; India’s ‘tailor on wheels’ with Anil Kumar reporting for BBC Telugu, and the science of smiling with Alassane Dia from BBC Afrique.

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 Alice Gioia, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.
This is an EcoAudio certified production.


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


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq5ky1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y44yyf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9vy6f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 Amazing Sport Stories (w3ct7zzg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6vz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq5pp5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rmp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9w1yk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:32 The Documentary (w3ct80jk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:32 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq5tf9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zss45n79yzx)
Iran could start enriching uranium for bomb within months, UN nuclear chief says

Iran has the capacity to start enriching uranium again - for a possible bomb - in "a matter of months", Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has said. In an interview with CBS news, Mr Grossi also said the US strikes on three Iranian sites last weekend had caused severe but "not total" damage, contradicting President Trump's claim that Iran's nuclear facilities were "totally obliterated".

Also on the programme: one of Hong Kong's last remaining pro-democracy groups, the League of Social Democrats, has announced that it will disband; and we hear from The Who's Pete Townsend about the ballet version of the group's Quadrophenia album and film.

(Photo: IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in Vienna, Austria on 25 June, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Lisa Leutner)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq5y5f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7020)
How could climate change affect my health?

Climate change is having major health impacts around the world - which are only expected to increase as our planet gets warmer. These impacts range from heat stroke to the spread of tropical diseases, from hospitals losing power during extreme weather to the effect on our mental health. In this week's show, Graihagh Jackson talks to two doctors from Malaysia and Egypt about the challenges the medical sector faces, as well as possible solutions and how healthcare must also address its own emissions problem.

If you have a question or a comment, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721

Guests:
Dr Jemilah Mahmoud, Executive Director, Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Malaysia.
Dr Omnia El Omrani, Vice-Chair of the Global Climate and Health Alliance,

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson
Producer: Diane Richardson
Research: Jordan Dunbar
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and Philip Bull
Editor: Simon Watts


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9w9ft)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tyd)
The Happy Pod: A song fit for a King

We meet Jack Pepper, the composer who has written a song for King Charles. The piece celebrates the harmony between people and the natural world. Also, hope for Alzheimer's patients and how tourism could help stray dogs.

Presenter: Bernadette Kehoe
Music: Iona Hampson

(Photo: King Chalres. Credit: Ian Jones Photography /The King’s Foundation)


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq61xk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqkh6ztp90)
Live Sporting Action

With the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations less than a week away, Delyth Lloyd and guests will preview the tournament in Morocco.

Cole Hocker, who beat favourites Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr to Olympic 1500m Gold in Paris, is our guest on the latest edition of The Warm Up Track with Ed Harry and Ade Adedoyin.

We’ll be at Wimbledon to look ahead to the third Grand Slam of the year with Lee James from 17 GMT.

Plus, we’ll round up the day’s sports news including the Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-finals, the Club World Cup and Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix.

Photo: South Africa's players pose for pictures with the trophy after winning the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations final football match between Morocco and South Africa at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on July 23, 2022. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq6jx2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y45xxg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9wx5g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct7yv7)
What next for Poland?

Why are Poland's young voters turning to the right? With his veto powers, Poland’s president-elect Karol Nawrocki could halt the pro-EU government of Donald Tusk. Poland is a NATO member and backs Ukraine in the war with Russia. Scaling up security is an issue almost all Poles agree on, yet there are some signs of shifting attitudes - on foreign policy and immigration. We examine the gender gap among voters and the recent election discourse to understand how conflicting priorities and enduring conservative values are shaping the eastern flank of the West.

Contributors: Margaryta Maliukova
Producers: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq6nn6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72w5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq6sdb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zss45n7bxyy)
Iran says no date set for talks with US

Iran's deputy foreign minister has told the BBC it will not enter into talks on its nuclear programme unless America guarantees not to bomb the country again during the negotiations. The demand comes as the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, warns that Iran has the capacity to resume enriching uranium in a matter of months. Our chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, spoke to Majid Takht-Ravanchi - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs.

Also in the programme: As summer temperatures soar in Europe, we ask why the continent is warming so quickly; an Iranian journalist on the aftermath of Israel's bombing of a notorious prison, in Tehran; and how Club World Cup footballers are struggling in the heat of the US summer.


(Photo: Majid Takht-Ravanchi - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs. Credit: BBC)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq6x4g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7020)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9x8dv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z4x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


SUN 22:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:50 on Saturday]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq70wl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl43y46dwz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9xd4z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70t2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]

MONDAY 30 JUNE 2025

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwnzqq74mq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhfg9xhx3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfh)
Vera C. Rubin Observatory first images

A spectacular new 10-year telescopic survey of the universe gets underway in Chile. Also, a project to create human chromosomes completely synthetically.

Almost three decades ago Tony Tyson (now of UC Davis) and colleagues were standing in the control room of the world’s biggest (at the time) digital astronomical camera. It was 3am when he suggested astronomers could do better.

This week, the Vera C Rubin Observatory unveiled first images from the telescope he envisioned. Unprecedented in so many ways, expect many discoveries to come from this unique machine.

Another ambitious project known as SynHG kicks off this week, on the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first draft of the human genome, with a plan to develop the technology to potentially create a whole synthetic version. Jason Chin of MRC Laboratory of Molecular Laboratory in Cambridge and colleagues will be extending their previous work in synthetic biology to human DNA, whilst Joy Zheng of the University of Kent will be running a parallel project examining the ethical side of the objectives, and possibilities.

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alex Mansfield
Production co-ordinator: Jazz George

Photo Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00c3n0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fbhnd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm1gxd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct5rmq)
Unstoppable: Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner

Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber both have a love of science, but it turns out there’s a lot they don’t know about some of the leading women at the front of the inventing game. In Unstoppable, Dr Julia and Dr Ella tell each other the hidden, world-shaping stories of the engineers, innovators and inventors they wish they’d known about when they were starting out as scientists. This week, the inventor whose incredible capacity to solve problems inspired today’s most popular period products.

Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner – known as Beatrice – grew up in a family of inventors, creating her first invention at just six years old. And she didn’t stop there – she continued to invent throughout her adult life, including a new and improved sanitary pad in a time when there was still a big taboo around periods.

However, as an African American woman during a time of racial segregation, Beatrice faced injustice and discrimination when trying to get her inventions patented. But if anything, this spurred Beatrice on, and at one point in time she held the most patents of any African American woman.

Dr Julia and Dr Ella are joined by Professor Sharra Vostral and Ashleigh Coren as they tell Beatrice’s remarkable story.

Presenters: Dr Ella Hubber and Dr Julia Ravey
Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey
Assistant producer: Sophie Ormiston
Production co-ordinator: Elisabeth Tuohy
Editor: Holly Squire


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00c7d4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fbmdj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm1lnj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sst)
Why are twins special?

No one really cares that CrowdScience listener Sam has a younger brother, but they do care about his sister. In fact, they’re fascinated by her. That’s because Sam and his sister are fraternal twins.

He’s been wondering all his life why he’s treated differently. Could it be cultural? Twins have long appeared in classical mythology, revered literature, and playful comedies—captivating artists and audiences alike across time and continents. Or is there something more scientific behind our fascination? Why are twins special?

Anand Jagatia investigates with Karen Dillon from Blackburn College in the USA, who says it’s more complicated. Over the years we have created stereotypes of who and what twins are. Our perception has been warped by history and pop culture. As an identical twin herself, she knows firsthand how stereotypes can shape a twin’s identity.

Philosopher Helena De Bres from Wellesley College in the USA believes these stereotypes play on human anxieties. Their similarities and differences are derived from their biology, maybe our genes have more of an influence over our personalities and behaviours than we like to think?

And Nancy Segal agrees, Director of the Twin Studies Centre at California State University in the USA. She has spent her career studying twins. She’s found that nearly every trait, whether it be behavioural or physiological, has a genetic component to it.

Anand is sure to leave you thinking that Sam, his sister and all the other twins across the globe, really are special!

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Harrison Lewis
Series Editor: Ben Motley

(Image: Twin girls (8-10) wearing matching coats and pigtails. Credit: Jade Albert Studio, Inc via Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00cc48)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm1qdn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z4x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


MON 03:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:50 on Saturday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00cgwd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fbvws)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm1v4s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct708t)
Pastry queens

An Indian chef who opened a patisserie in Jaipur and a Syrian chef with two pastry shops in the heart of Paris tell Datshiane Navanayagam about adding new layers to French classics.

After training at le Cordon Bleu school in Paris Tejasvi Chandela returned to her hometown of Jaipur to open Dzurt, the first pastry shop in the city. She also teaches masterclasses at cookery schools around the world to show to what extent the techniques and flavours of Indian mithai are compatible with modern European-style pastry.

Myriam Sabet has two pastry shops in Paris. Originally from Syria Myriam’s first career was in finance but she changed direction to baking after the birth of her daughter. She founded Maison Aleph with her husband where she focuses on crunchy pastry which reminds her of the sweets of her youth. Myriam brings together classic French pastries with a twist, like crispy phyllo nests featuring pistachio and ice cream enriched with za’atar, honey, and apricot.

Produced by Jane Thurlow

(Image: (L) Myriam Sabet credit Jacques Gavard. (R) Tejasvi Chandela credit Bhuvan Gaur.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00clmj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgf9zn3)
Israel orders evacuations in northern Gaza

Israel orders evacuations in northern Gaza ahead of increased military action. We'll hear from a resident there.

Iran says it won't enter renewed talks about its nuclear programme without a US guarantee not to carry out further attacks during any negotiations. We'll hear from one of the Iranian ministers.

and, at least two firefighters are shot dead in the US state of Idaho, when they were ambushed while tackling a wildfire in a mountain area.

This programme was edited on 1st July 2025

An earlier version of this episode included an interview with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe which had been edited for concision but was missing part of the minister’s view. This episode has now been updated to remove the interview, and the minister’s full answer was broadcast on Newsday on 2nd July 2025

(Photo: Palestinians flee their homes, Jabalia, northern Gaza, 9 June 2025; Credit: Reuters)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00cqcn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfb3d7)
Palestinians told to evacuate northern Gaza

Palestinians are told to evacuate from parts of northern Gaza ahead of increased Israeli military action. We'll hear from a woman in Gaza. We'll also be hearing the view from Israel.

An Iranian minister tells the BBC that the US must rule out more strikes before new talks.

And, two firefighters have been fatally shot in a mountain community in the north-western US state of Idaho while responding to a wildfire fire.

This programme was edited on 1st July 2025

An earlier version of this episode included an interview with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe which had been edited for concision but was missing part of the minister’s view. This episode has now been updated to remove the interview, and the minister’s full answer was broadcast on Newsday on 2nd July 2025

(Photo: Palestinians flee their homes, Jabalia, 9 June 2025; Credit: Reuters)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00cv3s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfb74c)
Northern Gaza residents ordered to evacuate

Israel orders evacuations in northern Gaza ahead of increased military action. We'll hear from a doctor in Gaza city. We'll also speak to our correspondent on the prospect of a peace deal announced by President trump.

We'll bring you a report from Mariupol in Ukraine and hear from people who escaped.

As the civil war in Sudan continues, we'll hear from neighbouring Chad, where many refugees have been heading. We speak to the Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme.

(Photo: Palestinians flee their homes, Jabalia, 9 June 2025; Credit: Reuters)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00cyvx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzr)
Philippe Kehren, CEO of multinational Solvay: Reducing reliance on China’s rare earth metals

Jonathan Josephs speaks to Philippe Kehren, CEO of chemical multinational company Solvay. His firm sits at the forefront of Europe’s efforts to diversify its supply of rare earth metals. These elements are essential to much of modern technology, from mobile phones to medical equipment, car batteries and renewable energy.

Currently their supply is heavily dependent on China, which mines around 70% of all rare earth metals, and refines around 90%. Solvay aims to play a significant role in reducing this dependence, by increasing European capacity to mine and refine these materials.

However, Mr Kehren says the European Union needs to play its part by introducing incentives for customers to buy from European suppliers rather than their cheaper Chinese competitors.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Jonathan Josephs
Producer: Lucy Sheppard
Editor: Nick Holland

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

(Image: Philippe Kehren. Credit: Dirk Waem/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm2b49)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rxr)
Cashing in on cassava

It's one of the world’s most versatile crops and a critical source of food security - it’s also a commodity under increasing global demand.

Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of the root vegetable, cassava, but export numbers are tiny.

Currently, the country imports products that compete with the indigenous crop.

We hear from farmers, entrepreneurs and leading agronomists on plans to industrialise Nigeria’s cassava industry and realise its economic potential.

Produced and presented by Laura Heighton-Ginns
Additional sound mixing by James Bradshaw

(Image: Mrs Kemi farms a five hectare smallholding in south west Nigeria. Image credit: Bassey Oluwakemi Ibilola)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7467)
Ai Weiwei: Imprisoned for art

In 2008, an earthquake in China’s Sichuan province killed almost 90,000 people. Many were crushed when school buildings collapsed, exposing their poor construction quality.

To counter perceived government suppression of information, the artist Ai Weiwei made an artwork from 90 tonnes of steel bars salvaged from the schools' wreckage.

In 2011, Ai Weiwei was detained in harsh conditions for 81 days and banned from leaving China. While his official charge was tax evasion, his detention was widely viewed as a response to his activism. But the artwork, Straight, became a global sensation. Ai Weiwei tells the story to Ben Henderson.

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

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

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

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

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

(Photo: Ai Weiwei in front of his artwork, Straight. Credit: Leon Neal/AFP via Getty Images)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00d2m1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fcgmf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm2fwf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sst)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00d6c5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71vx)
Robert Kennedy's funeral train and the opening of the Medellin Metro

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service, all related to trains and journeys which have helped to shape our world.

Our guest Nicky Gardner, travel writer and co-author of Europe by Rail: the Definitive Guide, discusses the origins of train travel.

The first story involved the hijacking of a train in 1950s communist Czechoslovakia which was driven across the border into West Germany.

We also hear about Senator Robert Kennedy's funeral train in 1960s America, and Italy's "happiness train", which took children from the poverty stricken south to wealthier families in the north.

Contributors - Archive interview with Karel Ruml.
Frank Mankiewicz - Robert Kennedy's former press secretary, and Rosey Grier, his former bodyguard.
Bianca D’Aniello - a passenger on the “happiness train”.
June Cutchins - received gifts from the Gratitude Train.
Tomas Andreas Elejalde - general manager of the Medellin Metro.

(Photo: People stand near railroad tracks as a train carries the body of Robert Kennedy on June 8, 1968. Credit: Steve Northrup/The Washington Post via Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00db39)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fcq3p)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm2pcp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Conversation (w3ct708t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00dfvf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wps)
Dressing Indiana Jones: The woman behind the fedora

Deborah Nadoolman Landis seemed destined for creativity, having inherited the quick wit and busy hands of her family's matriarchs. Growing up in New York City, she learned to knit from her grandmother and took part in her mother's plays for children. From an early age, Deborah discovered that everything from towels to sheets and even mop heads could have a purpose in costume design.

After moving to California to study costume design in 1973, she met her soon-to-be husband, director John Landis. Their shared love of film - and sense of humour - led to celebrated comedy collaborations such as Kentucky Fried Movie, National Lampoon's Animal House, and The Blues Brothers. While John made movie magic, Deborah was the visionary behind the clothing for each character.

When Steven Spielberg fell in love with their film Animal House, he headhunted Deborah to become his first ever costume designer. They began work on the war comedy, 1941. It was a huge box office flop, but their low-budget follow-up - featuring a fedora-wearing, whip-wielding archaeologist named Indiana Jones - became a blockbuster hit. By creating Harrison Ford's iconic outfit, as well as Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket and many other unforgettable on-screen looks, Deborah helped define 1980s Hollywood film and pop culture.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Tommy Dixon

Clips: Raiders of the Lost Ark / Paramount, Lucas Films / Steven Spielberg; Thriller / Optimum Productions / John Landis; National Lampoon's Animal House / Universal Pictures / John Landis; Coming to America / Paramount, Eddie Murphy Productions / John Landis.

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

(Photo: Deborah Nadoolman Landis posing to the right of Indiana Jones costume. Credit: Getty Images)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7467)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00dklk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fcyly)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm2xvy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sst)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00dpbp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjjtx9)
US and Iran step back from nuclear talks

Prospects for negotiations between the United States and Iran on nuclear proliferation have dimmed significantly.

Just a few days ago, it seemed the two sides were ready to return to negotiations. But US President Donald Trump then said he was not speaking to Iran and was not offering Tehran anything. Iran's deputy foreign minister has told the BBC his country won't enter into talks on its nuclear programme.

Also in the programme: We'll get a rare glimpse at life inside the Ukrainian city of Mariupol after three years of Russian occupation; and after calling the shots for 148 years, tennis tournament Wimbledon says goodbye to human line judges.

(Photo: Iran's deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi in an interview with the BBC's Lyse Doucet. Credit: BBC)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00dt2t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm35c6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76qn)
US-Canada: Can a trade deal get done?

While businesses on both sides of the Atlantic are hoping that the UK-US trade deal - which comes into effect today - will provide a much needed boost, we look at whether Canada can get a breakthrough in talks with their North American neighbour in Washington.

Sam Fenwick discusses how backlogs are piling up at major shipping ports across Europe as logistic companies struggle to deal with US president Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade policies, while unusually low water levels on the Rhine make it even harder for barges to move goods through Germany and the Netherlands.

And have you ever tried to scam a scammer? We find out how an AI bots creator in Australia is tackling the growth of fake calls and text messages.

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00dxty)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0dgsyx)
Would you replace your doctor with AI?

Microsoft’s AI team has released research which suggests that AI may be four times better than doctors at diagnosing medicine’s most challenging cases. We hear from the head of Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence unit, Mustafa Suleyman and get reaction from doctors.

The US Senate is voting today on sweeping economic legislation which President Donald Trump calls the 'Big Beautiful Bill'. Our North America Correspondent joins us to explain more.

And we take a walk around the BBC's HQ here in London to get the latest from our experts on Gaza and Iran.

Presenter: Luke Jones.

(Photo: An illustration of Artificial Intelligence. Credit: Reuters/Dado Ruvic)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00f1l2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0dgxq1)
'Unprecedented' alerts as blistering heat grips Europe

A record number of heat alerts are in place across France as the country, and other parts of southern and eastern Europe, remain in the grip of soaring temperatures. We speak to our BBC Weather team to explain more and hear from people across the continent.

Microsoft’s AI team has released research which suggests that AI may be four times better than doctors at diagnosing medicine’s most challenging cases. We hear from the head of Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence unit, Mustafa Suleyman and get reaction from doctors.

And we'll be live from Wimbledon as the tennis tournament gets under way in London.

(Photo: A tourist holding an umbrella to protect herself from the sun stands next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Credit: Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00f5b6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wps)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7467)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00f92b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fdp2q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm3nbq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z53)
2025/06/30 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 (w172zwwpc00fdtg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm3s2v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6sw3)
The Life Scientific - Tim Peake

What's it like living underwater for two weeks? What's the trickiest part of training to be an astronaut? What are the most memorable sights you see from space? Several extreme questions, all of which can be answered by one man: Major Tim Peake.

After a childhood packed with outdoor adventures, via the Cub Scouts and school Cadet Force, Tim joined the British Army Air Corps and became a military flying instructor then a test pilot; before eventually being selected as a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. In 2015, Tim became the first British ESA astronaut to visit the International Space Station.

Over the course of a six-month mission, he took part in more than 250 scientific experiments and worked with more than two million schoolchildren across Europe.

In a special New Year’s episode recorded in front of an audience at London’s Royal Society, Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to Tim about his lifelong passion for adventure, the thrill of flight and why scientific experiments in space are so important.

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00fjkl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjkp46)
What is Netanyahu's Gaza strategy?

Israel has carried out waves of airstrikes and artillery fire in Gaza, reportedly killing at least 60 people, some of them while queuing for aid. Medical officials say about 20 people were killed in an airstrike on a beachfront site in Gaza City. One eyewitness said women and children were present when a warplane fired. What is the strategy of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when it comes to the war in Gaza?

Also in the programme: We get a rare glimpse of life in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, under Russian occupation for three years; and we hear from a Norwegian lottery winner who was a millionaire for 15 minutes.

(File photo: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage, in the central city of Rehovot, Israel June 20, 2025. Credit: Jack Guez/Pool via Reuters)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00fn9q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm40l3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 The Conversation (w3ct708t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00fs1v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6ff527)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm44b7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76sx)
Global supply chain worries hit a record high

Global supply chains are in trouble, driven by crises due to tariffs, geopolitical shocks and Middle East instability, according to the latest survey carried out by CIPS Pulse of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. Roger Hearing hears from Ben Farrell, CIPS CEO.

Also, as a key tariff deadline set by US President Donald Trump draws closer, talks between the United States and many other countries, including India, have hit roadblocks over import duties on auto parts, steel, and agricultural goods.

And Italian luxury fashion brand Prada has said it acknowledges the Indian roots of its new footwear line, days after the design sparked a controversy in India.

TUESDAY 01 JULY 2025

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00fwsz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71vx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00g0k3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs4jhbg518)
Record level of concerns hit global supply chains

Global supply chains are in trouble, driven by crises due to tariffs, geopolitical shocks and Middle East instability, according to the latest survey carried out by CIPS Pulse of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. Roger Hearing hears from Ben Farrell, CIPS CEO.

Also, Italian luxury fashion brand Prada has said it acknowledges the Indian roots of its new footwear line, days after the design sparked a controversy in India.

Why is it that cassava, a major food source across the world, doesn't make more money for one of the biggest producers – Nigeria?

And President Donald Trump blamed AT&T for technical issues in a conference call he has been holding with American faith leaders.

Throughout the programme, Roger Hearing will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Peter Morici, economist and professor of business at the University of Maryland, who's in Alexandria, Virginia - and Jennifer Pak, China correspondent at Marketplace, usually based in Shanghai but today she's in Canada.


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00g497)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6ffj9m)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm4hkm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rbp)
Sri Lanka: The X-Press Pearl disaster

In 2021, a huge container ship, the X-Press Pearl caught fire and sank off the coast of Sri Lanka, releasing hazardous materials, toxic chemicals and more than 1000 tonnes of microplastic pellets into the sea. The UN called it an environmental catastrophe. Today, Sri Lanka is still counting the cost. Leana Hosea visits Sri Lanka to investigate the legacy of the disaster, and find out why, four years on, there’s still a battle for compensation.

Producer: Alex Last
Local producer: Saroj Pathirana (Fellow, Pulitzer Center's Ocean Reporting Network)
Sound mix: Neil Churchill
Assignment series editor: Penny Murphy

(Image: Container ship X-Press Pearl on fire. Credit: Sri Lanka Ports Authority)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00g81c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wps)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct7467)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00gcsh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6ffrsw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm4r1w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtj)
Joachim Trier: The making of Sentimental Value, part 2

In part 2 of the documentary about the making of Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value, the director starts the painful process of editing the film and killing some darlings. During the process, however, he receives some good news: the movie has been selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival. This is a double-edged sword, though, as this will be the first time that the film is reviewed. And he reveals to presenter Stephen Hughes that he never reads his reviews after one of his films was shown at Cannes to a mixed reception.


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00ghjm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfdwk6)
Microsoft says AI diagnostic tool can outperform doctors

Microsoft has released research which suggests that Artificial Intelligence may be four times better than humans at diagnosing medicine’s most challenging cases. We'll hear from the head of Microsoft's AI unit. We'll get reactions from doctors and what this will mean for them.

A joint call has been made by some of the world's leading aid agencies and rights groups to shut down the US and Israeli backed food distribution system in Gaza. They say it violates all humanitarian norms. We'll go to Gaza and hear from a pregnant woman there.

(Photo: A general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward, 23 June 2023; Credit: PA)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00gm8r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgff09b)
Microsoft claims AI system better than doctors

Microsoft's AI system correctly diagnoses eighty-five percent of medical conditions compared to twenty percent of human doctors. We'll hear about the research from the head of Microsoft AI.

We'll also speak to a radiologist doctor about her thoughts on what the future holds.

Will a UN summit tackle the effects of climate change in developing nations? We'll speak to a Nigerian minister attending the summit.

And some of the world's leading aid agencies call for the shut down of the US and Israeli-backed food distribution system in Gaza.

(Photo: Artificial Intelligence illustration created on 19 February 2024; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00gr0w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgff41g)
Microsoft claims AI diagnostic tool better than doctors

Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence team has released research which suggests that AI may be four times better than humans at diagnosing medicine’s most challenging cases. We'll speak to the head of Microsoft's AI unit. We'll also hear from a doctor about what that could mean for her and the profession.

A joint call has been made by some of the world's leading aid agencies and human rights groups to shut down the US and Israeli backed food distribution system in Gaza. They say it violates all humanitarian norms.

(Photo: A user on a laptop displaying a 'Matrix'-style screensaver, in London, 3 December 2024; Credit: PA)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00gvs0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxq)
The traffic lights tackling poverty

Despite a lot of progress in the last few decades, more than a billion people still live in acute poverty, according to the UN. Many don’t have access to basic needs like food, water, shelter and clothing. We look at an innovative project in Paraguay where people identify their own needs using a traffic light system and are then linked up with businesses, NGOs and government bodies who they work with to improve their lives.

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

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Jane Chambers
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner

(Image: Person looking at Poverty Stoplight survey, Poverty Stoplight)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm571d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s6s)
Twenty-five years of ‘The Bridge’

The Öresund Bridge, which connects Sweden and Demark, opened exactly 25 years ago today. It is one of Europe’s most iconic bridges, carrying road and rail passengers between Copenhagen and Malmo.

We look at how it has helped boost business and tourism and find out what other cities and countries might learn from its cross-border successes and challenges.

Producer/presenter: Maddy Savage

(Image: The bridge on a calm day. Credit Getty Images)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74mt)
Cecil the lion

On 1 July 2015, a much-loved lion was killed in Zimbabwe by an American trophy hunter.

Black-maned Cecil was one of the star attractions at Hwange National Park. He was baited outside the park and shot with a bow.

American dentist Walter Palmer, who reportedly paid a local guide $50,000 to shoot Cecil, was widely condemned. He said he didn’t know Cecil was a known local favourite and had relied on the expertise of a local professional guide to carry out a legal hunt.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing but the killing became international news and sparked a global debate about trophy hunting and its role in conservation.

Prof Andrew Loveridge, who had been tracking Cecil for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, tells Vicky Farncombe about the moment he was told the lion had died.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Cecil the lion. Credit: Brent Stapelkamp)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00gzj4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fgcjj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm5bsj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rbp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00h388)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00h70d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fgm0s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm5l8s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00hbrj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4g)
We found our baby on the subway

In 2000 Danny Stewart found a newborn baby boy, tucked in the corner of a New York subway station on his way home from work. The discovery hit the headlines, but when no one came forward to claim the baby the family court judge asked Danny if he would like to adopt him. Danny and his partner Peter Mercurio had never discussed raising a child together, but soon found themselves on an extraordinary journey. Peter has written a book about their story, called Our Subway Baby.

This episode was first broadcast in 2020.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Zoe Gelber

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

(Picture: (from left) Peter, Kevin and Danny Credit: Peter Mercurio)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74mt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00hghn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fgvj1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm5ts1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 Discovery (w3ct6sw3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Monday]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00hl7s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjmqtd)
USAID cuts risk causing 14 million deaths -report

New research has predicted that more than 14 million of the world's most vulnerable people, a third of them small children, could die because of the Trump administration's dismantling of US foreign aid.

Also on the programme: Thailand's constitutional court has suspended the prime minister over comments she made in a leaked phone conversation; and US Senate Republican leaders are struggling to secure the 50 votes needed to pass President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”.

(Photo: People hold placards, as the USAID building sits closed to employees after a memo was issued advising agency personnel to work remotely, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2025. Credit: Reuters)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00hpzx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm6289)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct766t)
Marathon vote on Trump's “Big, Beautiful Bill”

The US Senate holds marathon vote on President Donald Trumps “big, beautiful bill" which has reached 45 consecutive votes, making it the longest vote-a-rama in Senate history.

There's a stark warning that cuts to USAID could lead to 14 million additional deaths. What does this mean for economic stabilities of the countries facing these cuts?

In Japan, the country is standing firm against pressure to open up its rice market to the US.

Plus, one of Europe's most iconic landmarks that drives business and economic growth turns 25.


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00htr1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0dkpw0)
Global aid cuts risk 14 million deaths

President Donald Trump's move to cut most of the US funding towards foreign humanitarian aid could cause more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, according to research published in The Lancet medical journal. A third of those at risk of premature deaths were children, researchers projected. We take a walk around the BBC's many language services at the BBC HQ in London to hear how these aid cuts are already affecting countries globally.

We speak to three undocumented migrants in the US about the rising amounts of fear in their communities since President Trump's crackdown on immigration.

And we hear from our political correspondent about the sharp rise in the number of migrants crossing the Channel from France to Britain in small boats.

Photo: A Rohingya girl feeds a child from a jar with the USAID logo on it, at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, February 11, 2025.

Credit: REUTERS/Ro Yassin Abdumonab


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00hyh5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0dktm4)
Trump's crackdown on migration

US President Donald Trump is visiting a new migrant detention facility, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz". The facility, in the middle of a Miami swamp, was proposed by state lawmakers to support US President Donald Trump's deportation agenda. As Trump's crackdown on migrants intensifies, we speak to three undocumented migrants about what life is like for them.

We speak to journalists across Europe, as a heatwave sweeps the continent.

And as President Trump’s ban on trans people serving in the US military comes into force, we follow two long-serving transgender officers, who explain this means their military careers are almost certainly over.

Presenter: Luke Jones

Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visit a temporary migrant detention center informally known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in Ochopee, Florida, U.S., July 1, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00j279)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74mt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00j5zf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fhkzt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm6k7t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z9m)
2025/07/01 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 (w172zwwpc00j9qk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rbp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm6nzy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6znx)
The future of the internet is up for debate

The way the internet will operate in the future is being discussed at the moment. Will it remain as it is now, or could governments become more involved and take more control ? We speak to ICANN, one of the technical institutions which help to keep the internet functioning, about their concerns.

Also this week: the man behind one of the most popular websites in the world talks to Tech Life. And we hear from the award-winning teenage inventor of a toxic dust detector.

We enjoy reading your messages about the one item of tech you simply can't do without. If you want to tell us about your must-have piece of tech, please get in touch by emailing techlife@bbc.co.uk or send us a Whatsapp message or voice memo on +44 330 1230 320.

You can use the same contact details to send us any questions you've ever wanted to have answered about quantum computers. We're hoping to gather up your questions and ask an expert about quantum computing in a future episode.

Presenter: Graham Fraser
Producer: Tom Quinn
Editor: Monica Soriano

Image: An illustration of a woman holding a tablet device connected to the internet. Credit: Suwanmanee99/Getty Images


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00jfgp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjnl19)
US Senate Republicans narrowly pass Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill

The US Senate has narrowly approved President Trump's major tax and spending bill. The chamber was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, meaning the Vice President, JD Vance, cast the deciding vote. The legislation will now return to the House of Representatives.

Also, will the M23 militia "disarm and disengage" in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in line with the US brokered peace deal? We speak to Dr Massad Boulos, President Trump's Senior Advisor for Africa.

And the remarkable story of how a father and young daughter miraculously survived falling off a cruise ship.


(Photo: Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski supported the passage of the bill after intense negotiations. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00jk6t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm6xh6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00jnyy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fj1zb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm717b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76b6)
Vance saves Trump's ‘big, beautiful’ bill in Senate

After hours of stalemate, Republicans in the US Senate have narrowly passed Donald Trump’s mega-bill on tax and spending, meaning the proposed legislation has cleared one of its key hurdles.

Also, US President Donald Trump has suggested that Doge, the cost-cutting agency Elon Musk helped set up, could be used to hurt the billionaire's companies – as the former allies continue their public dispute over Trump's budget plans.

And it's 25 years since one of the world's first and longest transnational bridges was opened in northern Europe – the Öresund Bridge – but it is facing new challenges.

WEDNESDAY 02 JULY 2025

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00jsq2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00jxg6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs4jhbk1yc)
US vice president saves Trump's ‘big, beautiful’ bill in Senate

After hours of stalemate, Republicans in the US Senate have narrowly passed Donald Trump’s mega-bill on tax and spending, meaning the proposed legislation has cleared one of its key hurdles.

Also, US President Donald Trump has suggested that Doge, the cost-cutting agency Elon Musk helped set up, could be used to hurt the billionaire's companies – as the former allies continue their public dispute over Trump's budget plans.

And it's 25 years since one of the world's first and longest transnational bridges was opened in northern Europe – the Öresund Bridge – but it is facing new challenges.

Throughout the programme, Roger Hearing will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Mehmal Sarfraz, the Pakistani journalist and analyst who's in Sunnyvale, California, but usually based in Lahore; and Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer at the financial technology company Circle in Washington.


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00k16b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fjf6q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm7dgq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7020)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00k4yg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74mt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00k8pl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fjnpz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm7myz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 World of Secrets (w3ct7zwb)
The Killing Call

The Killing Call: 3. The gangsters

Thousands from across India crowd the streets for Sidhu Moose Wala’s funeral, to grieve one of Punjab’s famous sons. Millions more watch. Flowers are thrown at the coffin, pulled by his favourite tractor. Amongst the grief are anger and unanswered questions– why was he not better protected? And we find out more about the world he was caught up in.

Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur.

Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

Archive audio credits: NDTV, India Today, Pun Yaab, Lovepreet Waraich, BritAsiaTV, CBC, CTV, WION

Here’s a link to the BBC Eye two-part documentary films, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/thekillingcall

If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002f18y


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00kdfq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfhsg9)
Trump: Israel agrees to conditions for Gaza ceasefire

President Donald Trump has said Israel has agreed to the "necessary conditions" to finalise a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. The US President said he believed Netanyahu wanted to end hostilities in Gaza. He said he hoped that, for the good of the Middle East, Hamas would take the deal because, in his words, "it will not get better -- it will only get worse." We get the view of a former State department official on whether the ceasefire will work.

Hundreds of followers of the Dalai Lama have gathered in northern India to mark the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s 90th birthday. On this symbolic day, he’s expected to unveil long-awaited plans for his succession—a moment that carries weight not just for Tibetan Buddhists, but also for China, India, and the wider region. We speak to the the foreign minister of the Tibetan government in exile and former Prime Minister, Lobsang Sangay.

And the jury has reached a partial verdict in the criminal trial of rapper and business mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs'. The jury sent a note to the judge Tuesday afternoon saying it had reached a verdict on four of the five counts.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Photo: The sun sets over Gaza, as seen from Israel, July 1, 2025. Credit: Amir Cohen/Reuters)


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00kj5v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfhx6f)
Trump says Israel ready for Gaza ceasefire

President Trump has urged Hamas to accept 'the final' ceasefire proposal as he announces Israel has agreed to a sixty-day ceasefire in Gaza - we'll speak to a former Israeli MP.

Hundreds of followers of the Dalai Lama have gathered in northern India to mark the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s 90th birthday - where has said that his successor will come after his death... we go to China to get reaction

And the US Senate has narrowly passed Donald Trump’s 'big beautiful bill' - we'll speak to a woman who's concerned they will lose their health insurance.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Photo: A Palestinian man inspects the site of an Israeli strike on a house that took place on Monday, in Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip. Credit: Ramadan Abed/REUTERS)


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00kmxz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfj0yk)
Trump says Israel has agreed to Gaza truce

President Trump says Israel has agreed to conditions for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire. Posting on his Truth Social he said "I hope...that Hames takes this Deal, because it will not get better." We bring you the reaction from the new foreign minister for the Palestinian Authority and also find out what's being said in Israel and speak to our correspondent there.

The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama says his successor will be confirmed only afer his death. He made the long-awaited announcement in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala, where he lives in exile from Chinese rule.

And Republicans in the US Senate have narrowly passed Donald Trump's mega-bill on tax and spending. We hear from somebody who tells us people in her community are "running scared" and only now realisng they will be losing their housing, healthcare and food stamps.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Photo: A Palestinian woman looks at the damage, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house that took place on Monday, in Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip. Credit: Ramadan Abed/Reuters)


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00krp3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6j)
Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister: Regime change is a futile exercise

Lyse Doucet speaks to Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, about the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and its government.

The interview took place in the country’s capital Tehran after Iran’s twelve-day war with Israel.

Both sides fired missiles into each other’s territories, with hundreds killed as military sites were destroyed and civilian infrastructure badly damaged.

Israel first attacked Iran on 13 June, claiming Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon. The conflict ended when the United States bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites.

It is worth remembering, before any of the aggression started, talks about the future of Iran’s nuclear programme were ongoing with the US. But they were overshadowed by a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency declaring Iran was in breach of its nuclear obligations and questioned why Iran was enriching uranium to such high levels.

For now, there’s a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Majid Takht-Ravanchi explains why he thinks it will hold and what it will take for diplomacy with the United States to resume in good faith.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Lyse Doucet
Producers: Charlotte Scarr and Ben Cooper
Sound: Dave O’Neill
Editor: Nick Holland

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

(Image: Majid Takht-Ravanchi. Credit: Safin Hamid/AFP via Getty Images)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm83yh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sc9)
Can Manchester United be turned around?

In the 24/25 season the club finished in it's worst ever Premier League position.

It also failed to qualify lucrative European football.

Off the pitch, talk of worsening financial difficulties and redundancies at its Old Trafford HQ.

Can new part-owner - and Britain's wealthiest man - Sir Jim Ratcliffe turn things around?

And as the club looks to replace Old Trafford, is now really the right time to be investing in a new stadium?

Produced and presented by Matt Lines

(Image: Diogo Dalot of Manchester United looks dejected with his teammates at the end of the UEFA Europa League Final match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United 21 May 2025. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74q2)
Drill, baby, drill!

Judging by how often US President Donald Trump has repeated the slogan “Drill, baby, drill”, you might think he coined it. But the phrase actually dates back to 2008.

It was at the Republican National Convention that former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele first used it, arguing the United States needed to become energy independent.

The slogan, the result of what Michael describes as a late-night epiphany, quickly entered the mainstream of American politics - adopted by a range of politicians in the years that followed. He shares his memories of that moment with Marco Silva.

This programme contains archive from: C-SPAN, PBS Newshour, Fox News, and CNN.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Michael Steele. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00kwf7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fk8fm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm87pm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7020)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00l05c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Forum (w3ct712s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00l3xh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fkhxw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm8h5w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 World of Secrets (w3ct7zwb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00l7nm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcc)
Marcel Marceau: The mime genius and the hidden manuscript

If you picture a mime in your head, it's likely to be a person with a painted white face with cartoonish features, perhaps wearing a striped black and white t-shirt. You're probably conjuring up the image of the French mime artist, Marcel Marceau. Marcel Marceau is the grandee of mime artistry, perhaps the most famous mime in history and a global icon.

But what is less known, is the story of the secret manuscript that he left for his daughters on his deathbed. It was filled with passages about his emotional inner life when he was in the French Resistance during World War Two, drawing on mime techniques to help smuggle Jewish children out of Nazi-occupied France across the Swiss border to safety.

After the war, Marcel's mime career took off and he was celebrated by Hollywood royalty and world leaders alike. In his 50s he met his third wife and they brought up their two daughters, Aurelia and Camille, in a world filled with art, theatre and... silence. Marcel rarely spoke about his wartime experiences, yet throughout his life he had been writing down his most intimate thoughts and recollections. As he began to lose his memory, he handed over this manuscript to Aurelia and Camille, urging them to read it, ready to break his silence at last and reveal the man behind the make up.

Aurelia and Camille Marceau published Marcel Marceau's manuscript, Histoire de ma vie de 1923 jusqu'en 1952 (Story of my life from 1923 to 1952) on the centenary of his birth.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Sarah Kendal
Voice overs: Florence de Schlichting and Genevieve Sagno

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

(Photo: Marcel Marceau. Credit: Getty)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74q2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00lcdr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fkrf4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm8qp4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 Tech Life (w3ct6znx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00lh4w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjqmqh)
What's next for Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill'?

After being passed by the Senate, President Trump's bill returns to the House. We speak to rural healthcare provider Karen White on its possible impact on healthcare for poorer people.

Also in the programme, the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has confirmed that he will have a successor; renewed talk about a ceasefire in Gaza; and the composer who has written a piece of music based on the movements of moths.

(Photo: The U.S. Capitol building in Washington; Credit: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00llx0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm8z5d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76fm)
Quad countries join forces to secure critical minerals

The US, Japan, India, and Australia are joining forces to secure critical minerals supplies essential for next-generation technologies.

In the UK, why is the finance minister appear visibly upset during a House of Commons debate?

The US Senate narrowly passes Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' but now it faces the House of Representatives.

In Switzerland, the Women's Football European Championship is kicking off with record sponsorship deals, rising TV audiences, and sold-out stadiums highlighting the tournament’s economic momentum.

Plus, do you look at the faces printed on your banknotes? Sam Fenwick finds out why a bank is redesigning notes.


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00lqn4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0dnls3)
Diddy verdict

Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is found not guilty of racketeering, and not guilty of sex trafficking ex-partner Casandra Ventura and another woman referred to as "Jane". He is found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, related to both women. We get reaction.

We answer audience questions after Donald Trump said Israel had agreed to finalise a deal on hostage releases and a 60 day ceasefire.

And we explain all the background to today's announcement from the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama that he will have a successor.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: Defence lawyers comfort Sean "Diddy" Combs while discussing how to handle a note sent by jurors that they had reached a verdict on four of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., July 1, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. Credit: Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00lvd8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0dnqj7)
Diddy verdict

Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is found not guilty of racketeering, and not guilty of sex trafficking ex-partner Casandra Ventura and another woman referred to as "Jane". He is found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, related to both women. We get reaction from around the world.

And BTS are back. The South Korean band have confirmed their highly-anticipated comeback. We hear from their fans.

(Photo: Rapper P. Diddy at the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Credit: Reuters/Danny Moloshok/File Photo)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00lz4d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74q2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00m2wj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6flgwx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm9g4x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zcw)
2025/07/02 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 (w172zwwpc00m6mn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7020)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm9kx1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjh)
Can bacteria-eating viruses be used to fight superbugs?

Phages are viruses that only infect bacteria. How might they help us tackle antimicrobial resistance? Franklin Nobrega and Esme Brinsden from the University of Southampton explain how their citizen science project that collects samples from around the globe is building a library of these bacteria-fighting viruses.

How can ultrasound find new targets to treat apathy in Parkinson’s disease? Tom Gilbertson and Isla Barnard from the University of Dundee explain all.

Also on the show, EntangleCam is using quantum physics to improve what we can see inside the human body and how breast cancer is diagnosed.

Plus, surgical gloves with special sensors that improve precision and sensitivity in obstetrics and surgery. Carmen Fernadez fills us in on the engineering behind them and Dawn Parris tells us about her research into their use in practice.

Join us for a special episode of Health Check from The Royal Society’s annual Summer Science Exhibition in London. Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher to take a look and compete in scientific games to see who this year’s champion is.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett
Studio Manager: Phil Lander


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00mbcs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjrgyd)
Jury delivers verdicts in trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs

The US rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs is awaiting a bail decision after being found guilty on prostitution charges relating to his sex parties. He was cleared of three more serious charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. The closely-followed trial in New York lasted almost two months, featuring sometimes emotional testimony from more than 30 witnesses including his ex-partners. The courtroom heard lurid details about Mr Combs' so-called "freak-off" hotel sex parties that involved women including his girlfriends, male escorts and copious drug taking.

Also in the programme: Ukraine wants answers from America over a scaling back of military aid, warning the move will embolden Russia; and the composer who has written a piece of music based on the movements of moths.

(File photo: Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala, New York City, 1 May, 2017. Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson/File Photo)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00mg3x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm9td9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 World of Secrets (w3ct7zwb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00mkw1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6flywf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqm9y4f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76hw)
What's in Vietnam's trade deal with America?

President Trump announces 20% tariff on Vietnamese goods. Under the agreement, Vietnam will charge no tariffs on imports from the US.

Also, members of Congress are wrangling over Donald Trump’s sweeping finance bill.

Plus, we explore why remittances to Mexico from workers in the U.S. have seen a sharp decline.

THURSDAY 03 JULY 2025

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00mpm5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Forum (w3ct712s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00mtc9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs4jhbmyvg)
What's in Vietnam's new trade deal with the US?

President Trump has announced a 20 percent tariff on Vietnamese goods under a new trade deal. In return, Vietnam will remove all tariffs on American imports.

Also, members of Congress locked in debate over Trump’s major finance bill.

And as Del Monte declares bankruptcy - are we all falling out of love with canned food?


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00my3f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fmb3t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmb9ct)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct8005)
Diabetes in Pakistan: A nation's struggle

British-Pakistani comedian and pharmacist Lubna Kerr explores Pakistan’s growing diabetes crisis. With type 2 diabetes rates now the highest in the world, the disease is affecting millions - shaping lives, straining healthcare, and raising urgent questions about prevention.

Many sufferers remain undiagnosed, missing crucial early intervention. But for those who do receive a diagnosis, the ability to monitor blood sugar levels regularly is crucial while the costs of medication can be astronomical especially if they develop complications.

Experts blame a rise in diabetes on the popularity of American style fast food and the use of trans fats as well as increasing urbanisation and lack of exercise because of high pressured lifestyles.

Lubna hears how there is also a genetic predisposition to diabetes which can also run in families and how myths and stigma impact on people living with the disease.

Presenter: Lubna Kerr
Producer: Ashley Byrne
A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00n1vk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74q2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00n5lp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fmkm2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmbjw2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70ym)
Video game food

It can be the difference between life and death for your character, signal you’re on a hostile planet or in a sumptuous world, or can even give you the whole basis for a game.

In this week’s Food Chain we hear where the ideas for some of the most disgusting and delicious foods in games come from, and how to recreate them in real life.

Video game creator Tim Cain tells us why food was such an important tool in his games Fallout and The Outer Worlds. Author and gamer Cassandra Reeder tells us why she started making entire recipe books based on food from video games, and how important is food in gaming? Video game enthusiast Harriet tells us why it's an essential tool for escapism.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Izzy Greenfield and Hannah Bewley


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00n9bt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgflpcd)
Sean 'Diddy' Coombs stays in jail until sentencing

The American rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been found guilty of prostitution offences at a court in New York, after a 7 week trial. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years - but Mr Combs, who's 55, was cleared of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The case tested the legal line between consensual sex and criminal exploitation, raising broader questions about how the justice system prosecutes high-profile defendants accused of abusing their power.

A ferry with sixty five passengers and crew has sunk near the Indonesian island of Bali. At least twenty-three people have been rescued and four bodies recovered. We find out the latest from Indonesia.

And we look at the arrest of a Zimbabwean journalist Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper. She was detained on Wednesday over a satirical article critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Photo:Rapper Sean Diddy Combs arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Credit Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00nf2y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgflt3j)
Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail

Musician Sean "Diddy" Combs has been refused bail after being found guilty of prostitution-related offences. He was cleared of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. The case tested the legal line between consensual sex and criminal exploitation, and raised broader questions about how the justice system prosecutes high-profile defendants accused of abusing their power.

We hear from those risking gunfire and being crushed by trucks to try and access food at Gaza Health Foundation centres in Gaza.

And the UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has had a traumatic week - forced to u turn on a key welfare bill and to reject speculation about the position of his finance minister Rachel Reeves.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Photo: Janice Combs, mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs, walks outside the U.S. federal court, following a bail hearing, after the jury reached verdicts in the Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial. Credit: Jeenah Moon/Reuters)


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00njv2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgflxvn)
Rap music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs refused bail

The rap music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs will remain in custody in New York after being convicted of prostitution related charges. He was acquitted of more serious charges and will now await sentencing. He could potentially face a sentence of up to 20 years. We speak to the presenter of the BBC podcast: Diddy on Trial.

US President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Hamas to agree to a ceasefire deal in Gaza. He says Israel has agreed to the "necessary conditions". A Hamas official has told the BBC that they are ready and serious about a deal.

And we look at the death of the director of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza. Dr Marwan al -Sultan died alongside his wife and other family members when his home was hit by an Israeli strike.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Image: Artist's courtroom illustration of Sean "Diddy" Combs reacting after verdicts are read of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, US. Credit: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters)


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00nnl6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722q)
Does Trump care about Taiwan?

Ahead of last year’s US Presidential elections, Donald Trump was asked if he would defend China against Taiwan, he responded that Taiwan should pay the US for protection from China. Taiwan is a self-governing island, claimed by Beijing and whilst Taiwan is not formally recognised by the US, they do remain the island’s most important security partner. Taiwan manufactures over ninety percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductor chips, which makes some American industries heavily dependent on trade links with the island.
But official US policy towards Taiwan is one of ‘strategic ambiguity’. So when the US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth recently warned of China posing an ‘imminent’ threat to Taiwan, whilst at the same time urging Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to deter war, it raised the issue of how far America would be prepared to go to defend Taiwan. China in response accused the US of being the ‘biggest troublemaker’ for regional peace.
The US has only just agreed a truce on trade tariffs with China and President Trump’s immediate attention has shifted onto issues in the Middle East, so if Pete Hegseth’s warning is valid, how far up the list is Taiwan in terms of Trump’s foreign policy priorities. This week on the Inquiry we’re asking ‘Does Trump care about Taiwan?’
Contributors:
Dr Chun-yi Lee, Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, Director of Taiwan Research Hub, University of Nottingham, UK
Christopher S. Chivvis, Senior Fellow and Director, American Statecraft Program, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC, USA
Patricia Kim, Scholar on China, The Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA
Raymond Kuo, Inaugural Director, Taiwan Policy Initiative, The Rand Corporation, California, USA

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Production Co-ordinator: Tammy Snow
Image Credit: Taiwanese flags wave at the park decorated by Chang Lao-wang, ahead of Taiwan National Day in Taoyuan, Taiwan, October 5, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmc0vl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s28)
Space: the next investment frontier?

Billionaires, scientists and start-ups are all trying to get in on the action.

And it's not all about sending rockets and satellites into space. Space-enabled technologies are informing climate forecasting and disaster planning, as well as playing a role in logistics, defence and food security.

State funded and private investment has reach an all time high.

We head to the IAC in Milan to meet some of the industry experts leading the charge.

Produced and presented by Ru Abbass

Image: An illustration of Haven 2, the proposed successor to the International Space Station. Image courtesy of Vast)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74jd)
Back to the Future

On 3 July 1985 Back to the Future was released.

The film tells the story of Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, played by Michael J Fox, who is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-travelling DeLorean car invented by his friend, Doc Brown.

The screenplay for the genre-bending story was rejected 40 times, but it became a Hollywood blockbuster, dominating contemporary culture and bringing its leading actor worldwide fame.

The film’s co-writer and producer, Bob Gale takes Josephine McDermott back to 1985, reflecting on how in the first draft of the script the time machine was a refrigerator and Einstein the dog was a chimp.

With movie excerpts from the 1985 Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and U-Drive productions film, directed by Robert Zemeckis.

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

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

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

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

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

(Photo: Michael J Fox in Back to the Future. Credit: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00nsbb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fn5bq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmc4lq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8005)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00nx2g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ys5)
The Media Show: Gaza documentary controversy

The BBC’s decision not to broadcast a Gaza war documentary, later picked up by Channel 4, has prompted scrutiny over its editorial standards. The film, made by Basement Films, features testimony from medical staff in Gaza. Former Channel 4 executive Dorothy Byrne critiques the BBC’s stance.

A live-streamed Glastonbury performance by punk band Bob Vylan included chants that Keir Starmer called "appalling hate speech", leading to a BBC apology for not halting the stream sooner. Chris Banatvala, a former Ofcom head of standards, raises questions about the effectiveness of the BBC’s editorial oversight in live broadcasting situations.

The complexity of reporting on the Israel-Gaza conflict while managing personal identity is addressed by BBC journalist Tim Franks. Reflecting on his experience as a Jewish former Middle East correspondent, Franks considers public assumptions about bias and the pressure on journalists to separate identity from reporting. He also discusses themes from his new book, The Lines We Draw.

Formula 1 celebrates 75 years, but footage from its first three decades remains largely unseen. Broadcaster Steve Rider is spearheading efforts to recover and digitise this early archive, while journalist Rebecca Clancy reports on the sport’s global strategy and expanding social media presence.

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Lucy Wai
Assistant producer: Emily Channon


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmc8bv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 Happy News (w3ct6tyd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:32 on Sunday]


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00p0tl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fndtz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmcd2z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70ym)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00p4kq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxk)
I woke to a tsunami – and my family home swept out to sea

Originally from the Chilean capital Santiago, Pedro Niada’s love of diving and underwater photography took him to the remote island of Robinson Crusoe, nearly 700km off the mainland. Here, he met his wife Fabiana and started a family. And he built their dream home by hand, with wood from the forest and cement made from beach sand. With its curved walls, the house looked like a giant wave.

Just two years after construction was complete, an earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale – the sixth most powerful ever recorded – sent a tsunami roaring towards them. Their home was ripped from its foundations and swept out to sea, but the shape of the house bought them precious time to escape their sinking home. Pedro had unknowingly engineered his family’s survival. But his life's work had now been washed away in a wave.

Devastated, the family decided to rebuild their lives on mainland Chile, but Pedro’s yearning for the island would bring him back exactly 15 years after the tsunami. He tells Asya about his recent homecoming and how the unexpected trip helped him heal.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Florian Bohr, Elena Angelides and Andrea Kennedy

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

(Photo: Pedro and his family before the tsunami. Credit: Pedro Niada)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74jd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00p89v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fnnb7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmcml7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Wednesday]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00pd1z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjtjml)
UN report accuses companies of complicity in war crimes in the Palestinian territories

The UN's special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has accused dozens of companies of being complicit in war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank in a UN report. They include arms producers, manufacturers whose vehicles are used to demolish homes, technology companies and banks. Israel rejects the charge of genocide and has called the report groundless, defamatory and a flagrant abuse of office. We'll hear from the report’s author Francesca Albanese.

Also on the programme: President Trump's huge tax and spending bill is heading for a final vote in the US House of Representatives - we'll have the latest from Washington; and astronomers have discovered only the third known object to enter our solar system from interstellar space.

(Photo: UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, speaks during a press conference at the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland on 11 December, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Pierre Albouygives)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00pht3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmcw2h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct75vj)
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' heads for final vote

US President Donald Trump's huge budget bill is heading for a final vote in the US House of Representatives. Democrats warn it includes the largest cut to Medicaid in US history, while Republicans argue it will spark economic growth. We hear from a US based green energy company about the impact of the bill on the country’s renewables industry.

Leaders from across the globe have been meeting in Seville to discuss the growth of world debt. A new UN-backed Borrowers’ Forum promises to give developing countries a united voice to tackle mounting debt. But why are critics saying it’s not enough?


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00pmk7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0drhp6)
Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota dies in car crash

Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota has died in a car crash in Spain. Local police say the car left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another car. The Portuguese international was a key part of the Liverpool side that won the Premier League last season. We speak to fans of the teams that Jota played for to hear their reaction.

We speak to our reporter in Indonesia where at least six people have died and dozens are missing after a ferry sank off the tourist island of Bali.

And we speak to people who people about their journey to sobriety, after celebrities Brad Pitt and Ulrika Jonsson have spoken out about their battles with alcoholism.

Presenter: Mark Lowen

Photo: Diogo Jota on 21/08/21. Credit: Mike Egerton/PA Wire


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00pr9c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0drmfb)
Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota dies in car crash

Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota has died in a car crash in Spain. Local police say the car left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another car. The Portuguese international was a key part of the Liverpool side that won the Premier League last season. We podcasters who follow the teams that Jota played for to hear their reaction.

We get the latest from Gaza where more than one hundred people have been killed in the last twenty-four hours, as Israel carried out some of the most intense bombing in recent months.

And we speak to people who people about their journey to sobriety, after celebrities Brad Pitt and Ulrika Jonsson have spoken out about their battles with alcoholism.

Presenter: Mark Lowen

Photo: Diogo Jota 02 April 2025. Credit: ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA/Shutterstock


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00pw1h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74jd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00pzsm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fpct0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmdc20)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z7c)
2025/07/03 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 (w172zwwpc00q3jr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct8005)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmdgt4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfj)
Bird flu surges in Cambodia

There's a surge in cases and deaths from H5N1 bird flu in Cambodia - we hear what's the driver and how concerned we should be. Erik Karlsson, Head of Virology at the Pasteur Institute in Phnom Penh and director of the WHO’s H5 Reference Laboratory has been watching the uptick.

An interstellar interloper has been spotted entering our solar system. Most likely a comet, and possibly visible in the sky, it’s just the third such visitor we’ve ever seen. Josep Trigo of Spain’s Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC) and the Catalan Institute for Space Studies is one of many astronomers keeping his eye out.

DNA from an ancient Egyptian buried in cave 2,500 BCE, the oldest to date, tell a tale of travelling ancestors, according to research led by Adeline Morez of Liverpool John Moore’s University and published in Nature.

Also, Corey Allard of Harvard university has been looking at a particular type of sea slug. Published in the journal Cell, the work has been trying to work out how these slugs effectively nurture and manage stolen chloroplasts – stolen from ingested plant cells - within their own bodies. Artfully, they may use these “Kleptoplasts” to dodge periods of food shortage.


Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alex Mansfield
Production Coordinator: Jazz George


Photo Credit: Institut Pasteur du Cambodge


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00q78w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjvcvh)
US politicians narrowly approve 'big, beautiful, bill'

The US House of Representatives has narrowly approved President Trump's budget bill, despite the Democratic leader in the House delaying the vote for more than eight-and-a-half hours with a marathon speech. The bill aims to slash spending on social welfare programs while increasing funds for border-related operations. We hear from a former senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.

Also in the programme: Gaza doctor Marwan al-sultan is killed; and the interstellar comet moving through our solar system

(Picture: A view of the US Capitol Building at dawn, in Washington, DC, USA, 03 July 2025. Credit: EPA)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00qc10)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmdq9d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70ym)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00qgs4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fpvsj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmdv1j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct75xs)
Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' finally passes through congress

President Donald Trump’s massive finance bill has cleared its final hurdle in Congress — but what could it mean for the U.S. economy and for poorer Americans who rely on government support programmes?

Also, Superman is back on screen — but is the superhero genre starting to lose its shine?

And as Britpop legends Oasis prepare to kick -off their long-awaited reunion tour in Cardiff, fans are snapping up merchandise from pop-up stores across the UK and Ireland.

FRIDAY 04 JULY 2025

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00qlj8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ys5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmdysn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct78bt)
What the Israel-Iran conflict tells us about Donald Trump’s foreign policy

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses US President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy in his second term, examines reaction in Israel to the country’s conflict with Iran, and looks at the controversial new project to create artificial human DNA from scratch.

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


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00qq8d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs4jhbqvrk)
Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' clears final hurdle in congress

Donald Trump's flagship finance bill has finally passed through congress. But what does it mean for the economy – and for low-income Americans relying on federal support?

Plus, Hollywood rolls out yet another Superman reboot – is there still an appetite for the caped crusader?

And with Oasis reuniting on stage, we explore the tour merchandise expected to rake in millions.


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00qv0j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fq70x)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmf68x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6znx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00qyrn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74jd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00r2hs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fqgj5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmffs5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp0)
Verses for Women: Egypt’s Quran Reciters

Salma El-Wardany meets young women in Egypt using their voices to amplify their faith – drawing inspiration from the long tradition of female Quran reciters in the country. Following in the footsteps of pioneering women like Sheikha Munira Abdou who was first heard on Egyptian Radio 100 years ago and the renowned singer Umm Kulthum, more Egyptian women are sharing their recitations of the Quran publicly. They’re stepping out of the shadows of a fatwa that denounced women’s voices as awrah (to be covered or not heard) which led to a ban of public recitation on the radio in the 1940s. The ban lasted years but the tradition is being restored thanks to a new generation, with women boldly reciting and chanting about the Prophet Mohammed on social media.

Salma visits Aya Mahmoud and Horeya Boreya, two young women who have both gained hundreds of thousands of followers thanks to their reciting online, and have the backing of Al Azhar Mosque, who announced a fatwa in 2021 that it was permissible. Salma visits the El Hour troupe, the first all-female chanting group to meet the founder Neama Fathy and hears about the challenges of overcoming conservative opinions. While the female voice is still a controversial topic – Salma meets Dr Yasmin Asmin, a feminist scholar who argues there isn’t basis in scripture to say women’s voices are awrah – women spoke and were heard in the Quran and were central to sharing and teaching the Quran in the time of the Prophet onwards.

Presenter: Salma El-Wardany
Producer: Miriam Williamson
Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00r67x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfpl8h)
Tax and spending bill passed in USA

President Trump's massive tax and spending bill has been narrowly approved by the US House of Representatives after two days of high political drama. In the end only two Republicans voted against -- after a drive to bring dissenters on side. The bill cuts taxes - especially for wealthier Americans - while giving tens of billions of extra dollars to Mr Trump's anti immigration campaign. Critics of the bill say it could effect millions of poorer Americans and lead to cuts in federal assistance programmes. We will discuss the bill with a policymaker who supports it.

A former security contractor for Gaza's controversial new Israel - and US-backed aid distribution sites has told the BBC that he witnessed colleagues opening fire several times on hungry Palestianians who had posed no threat, including with machine guns. We have a report from our correspondent.

And we report from Mali where military authorities have granted General Assimi Goita a five year presidential mandate, a mandate that is renewable as many times as is deemed necessary. The military junta took power after coups in 2020 and 2021 and had promised to hand over power to civilian rule.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Photo: U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson shake hands after signing the U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill. Umit Bektas/Reuters)


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00rb01)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfpq0m)
President Trump's tax and spending bill passed

President Trump's massive tax and spending bill has been narrowly approved by the US House of Representatives after two days of high political drama. In the end only two Republicans voted against -- after a drive to bring dissenters on side. The bill cuts taxes - especially for wealthier Americans - while giving tens of billions of extra dollars to Mr Trump's anti immigration campaign. Critics of the bill say it could effect millions of poorer Americans and lead to cuts in federal assistance programmes. We will look at what it means for Americans and the Trump presidency.

Tributes have been paid to Liverpool and Portugal football player Diogo Jota who died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre. We report from his hometown of Porto.

And President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have spoken on the phone on Thursday, but that has not stopped the bombs falling for another night. Air raids have been sounding on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Photo: US President Donald Trump leaving the White House to go to a rally in Iowa, after lawmakers passed his big beautiful bill in Washington, DC, US. Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00rfr5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zspnvgfptrr)
Tax and spending bill in USA passed

President Trump's massive tax and spending bill has been narrowly approved by the US House of Representatives after two days of high political drama. In the end only two Republicans voted against -- after a drive to bring dissenters on side. The bill cuts taxes - especially for wealthier Americans - while giving tens of billions of extra dollars to Mr Trump's anti immigration campaign. Critics of the bill say it could effect millions of poorer Americans and lead to cuts in federal assistance programmes. We will discuss the bill with a policymaker who supports it.

A former security contractor for Gaza's controversial new Israel - and US-backed aid distribution sites has told the BBC that he witnessed colleagues opening fire several times on hungry Palestianians who had posed no threat, including with machine guns. We have a report from our correspondent.

And we look at the number of Palestinian doctors and healthworkers being held in Israeli prisons. We hear from a doctor's campaign group who say they are being held without violation of law or explaination of detention.

Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai

(Photo: The US Capital dome in Washington DC. Credit: Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00rkh9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 Americast (w3ct7t5l)
Is Trump deporting record numbers of migrants?

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to target illegal immigrants that were the ‘worst of the worst’ with strict deportation enforcements. Six months into his second term, the US president has ramped up his battle over so-called 'sanctuary cities' by taking legal action against Los Angeles, and other Democratic cities. Trump says the Democrats are harbouring “millions of illegal aliens” by creating sanctuary cities which don’t need to co-operate with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

Justin and Anthony discuss the upcoming fight between Donald Trump and these cities, and assess how achievable his promise is to carry out the largest deportation programme in American history.

HOSTS:
* Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
* Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter

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

This episode was made by Purvee Pattni with Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producers were Ricardo McCarthy and Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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

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

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

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. 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.

The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm **


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmfxrp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rs7)
Business Daily meets: Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry

The entrepreneur grew up in a small village in the foothills of the Himalayas with no electricity.

He went on to found a cloud-based cyber-security company with a value of $47 billion, trying to protect digital data for businesses and governments.

Jay Chaudhry tells us about his daily battle to stay ahead of the “bad guys”.

Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Amber Mehmood

(Image: Jay Chaudhry giving the keynote speech at Zenith Live. Credit: Zscaler)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct743z)
Dancing in the Street: David Bowie and Mick Jagger

In July 1985, music legends Mick Jagger and David Bowie were asked to perform a duet with a twist at Live Aid, the biggest concert in pop history.

Utilising the latest satellite technology, Mick would perform on the US stage in Philadelphia, while David would perform on the UK stage at Wembley Stadium.

As the technical issues were being discussed, it soon became obvious that a half-second delay in the link between cities would prevent the live performance from happening, so a recording was planned instead.

A short list of songs was discussed before the duo finally settled on the Motown classic Dancing in the Street.

Live Aid press officer Bernard Doherty tells Des Shaw how the duet and video were recorded in just 18 hours and became a highlight of the benefit concert on 13 July 1985. A Zinc Media production.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Mick Jagger and David Bowie performing Dancing In The Street. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00rp7f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fr27t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmg1ht)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00rszk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72w6)
Cargo ships, chemical spills and caribou

The X-Press Pearl shipping disaster takes us on a voyage through shipping-related science.

First, we learn about how pollution from the X-Press Pearl explosion impacted the foundation of the marine food web – plankton. We also hear about an innovative system that can help slash the shipping industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.

And we take a short trip in a time-machine back to the Stone Age, where biological anthropologist Professor Yousuke Kaifu from the University of Tokyo explains what it takes to recreate a Palaeolithic voyage from Taiwan to the Ryukyu Archipelago.

We also look at how artificial intelligence could help Canadian caribou cross sea ice, the science of lightning and thunder, and the tricky disputes around shipwrecks and treasure.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
   
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Meral Jamal and Godfred Boafo
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Minnie Harrop and Imaan Moin


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00rxqp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fr9r2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmg902)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00s1gt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wh0)
Outlook Mixtape: Gangsters, The Boss, and a dad on the run

Three people whose lives entwine with the cult classic television show, The Sopranos.

Robin Green is a multi-award-winning American writer who has been dizzyingly successful. But at times, she didn't even realise she could actually write. A self-described “clueless girl”, she was in her 20s when she became the only woman on the editorial masthead at Rolling Stone magazine in the 1970s. Robin later moved to Los Angeles with the love of her life, an aspiring writer called Mitch. It was while watching daytime TV that her career took a dramatic turn, leading her and Mitch into the writing room for the hit show The Sopranos. She crafted characters and storylines inspired from her own life – including her gangsterish grandfather.

Known as the man behind ‘The Boss’, rock guitarist and actor Steve Van Zandt is Bruce Springsteen’s longtime friend, musical collaborator and founding member of the E Street Band. But in the late 90s, Steve came into contact with a different 'boss' altogether - when he took on the role of Silvio Dante in The Sopranos - a role in which, once again, he was the man behind the boss - the loyal consigliere to Tony Soprano.

Musician Nick Reynolds is a member of London-based band, Alabama 3, whose track Woke Up This Morning was used as the theme song for The Sopranos. But Nick's own life is unexpectedly linked to real life international crime. Early one morning in 1968, a young Nick answered his front door – completely oblivious to the whirlwind about to be unleashed on his family. Most of his childhood had been spent carefree and happy on the warm shores of Mexico with his parents. But, all the while, he'd been growing up in the shadow of one of the most notorious crimes of the 20th Century.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Anna Lacey and Marcia Veiga

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

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct743z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00s56y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6frk7b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmgjhb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00s8z2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjxfjp)
Russia bombs Kyiv

Ukraine says Russia carried out its biggest drone and missile attack on the capital yet, just two days after the US announced it was suspending the supply of some critical weapons to Kyiv, and hours after Presidents Trump and Putin spoke on the phone. We report from Kyiv.

Also in the programme: President Trump’s huge tax and spending bill squeaks through Congress – but will it be a vote-winner or loser at next year's midterm elections? We hear from a Republican pollster; and a security contractor for the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation tells the BBC they were instructed to shoot first and ask questions later.

(IMAGE: Smoke is seen from outskirts of the city, after a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 4, 2025 / CREDIT: Alina Smutko / Reuters)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00sdq6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 Americast (w3ct7t5l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmgrzl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76l4)
Could Trump’s “big beautiful bill” help China?

The US tax and spending bill suggests that to subsidise electric vehicles and solar panels. President Donald Trump is also trying to encourage American allies in Europe and Asia to buy more US liquid natural gas and oil. But experts are arguing that this could allow China a free run at becoming the world’s first electricity superpower.

Also, US President Donald Trump says his administration will probably start notifying trading partners from Friday of the new US tariff on their exports effective Aug. 1.

And fifteen years after their explosive split, music legends Liam and Noel Gallagher are reuniting for an Oasis tour that kicks off today in Cardiff, Wales.


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00sjgb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0dvdl9)
WHO criticises killings at Gaza aid points

The World Health Organisation has appealed for an end to what it called the senseless killings at US- and Israeli- backed aid distribution centres in Gaza. Meanwhile an aid contractor in Gaza has told the BBC he saw colleagues fire on hungry Palestinians. We hear from Gazans and speak to our Middle East correspondent Ione Wells

We hear from Indigenous Australians after a major report found that British colonists committed genocide against the Indigenous population in Victoria.

We are joined by Zumba instructors and students in the Indian state of Kerala where the introduction of Zumba classes in schools has sparked protests from religious groups.

Plans for a futuristic Wakanda-style city in Senegal dreamt up by the singer Akon have been scrapped and instead he will work on something more realistic, according to Senegalese officials. We speak to our BBC Afrique correspondent.

Presenter: Luke Jones
(Photo: A Palestinian, wounded by Israeli fire while seeking aid on Friday, according to medics, receives treatment at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, July 4 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00sn6g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w173067ts0dvjbf)
Russia pummels Kyiv with drone strikes

Rescue workers in Ukraine say one person has died following massive overnight drone and missile attack on Kyiv. The Russian bombardment was the biggest of the war to date. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for further sanctions on Russia to stop the destruction. We speak to residents of Kyiv. We are also joined by our Ukraine correspondent.

We hear from Indigenous Australians after a major report found that British colonists committed genocide against the Indigenous population in Victoria.

Oasis fans are flocking to Cardiff in Wales today for the start of the UK band's mega comeback tour - their first show together in 16 years. The BBC's Music Correspondent Mark Savage joins us from the Principality Stadium. We also speak to Oasis super fans from different parts of the world who have travelled over to see the brothers on stage.

Presenter: Luke Jones
(Photo: Local people walk in a damaged area after a Russian airstrike in Kyiv, Ukraine, 04 July 2025. Credit: SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00sryl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wh0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct743z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00swpq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fs8q3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmh7z3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z2v)
2025/07/04 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 (w172zwwpc00t0fv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rmq)
Undocumented migrants in the USA

Donald Trump campaigned hard on illegal immigration ahead of the Presidential election and promised voters a major crackdown if they backed him.

Since he came to power, the President has issued executive orders to fortify the country’s borders and suspend the entry of undocumented migrants. He has also vowed to oversee the largest deportation programme in American history with criminals and gang members prioritised in raids.

The three women we talk to came to the US as children and have lived most of their lives in the country…but now they fear being arrested by the authorities and deported.

“I didn’t find out I was undocumented until I was 18,” Angela tells us. “I got accepted to my dream university and we went to registration, we went to go to choose my dorm, my classes and then when we got to the financial aid office, he started to ask me for all these documents I didn’t have…And that’s when I realised, oh, I’m undocumented and this is what it means.”

In the week where the US government unveiled a new detention centre for holding thousands of migrants, we also hear from Republican voters who support the President’s policies.

Presenter: Luke Jones
BBC producer: Isabella Bull
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham

An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the OS team.

(Photo: A woman holds a Colombian flag at a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in New York. Credit: SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmhcq7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6ssv)
Can we harness solar energy from other stars?

Listener Dickson Mukisa from Uganda has been gazing up at the stars. But he’s not making wishes. He wants to know whether we can harness their energy, in the same way we do with our OWN star – the sun. After all, they may seem small and twinkly to us, but each one is a gigantic flaming ball of energy, with a power outputs averaging around 40 quadrillion kilowatt-hours per year – EACH! With somewhere between 100 and 400 BILLION stars in our own galaxy alone, that’s a lot of power! Can we get ‘solar power’ from stars that are such a long way away from earth? And what might we use it for?

Alex Lathbridge heads to the University College London Observatory, to peer through the eyepiece of an enormous telescope and see some stars for himself. Professor Steve Fossey explains just how much of the light energy of the stars reaches us on earth. In other words, how BRIGHT they are.

Once the starlight reaches earth of course, we have to capture it. Could traditional solar panels do the job? Alex meets Professor Henry Snaith from the University of Oxford, to find out about the future of photovoltaic technology, and why it could all be heading out to space.

Once in space, things start getting weird! What if we made an enormous fleet of solar panels, and put them all into orbit around a star, soaking up every last drop of that precious energy? That might sound like science fiction, but the idea has been around for decades. It’s called a Dyson Sphere, or Dyson Swarm. Swedish researcher at the Insitute for Future Studies, Anders Sandberg explains how we might be able to build one around a neighbouring star... in around 10,000 years or so.

But maybe it’s not all about light. Finally, Alex explores the mysterious, invisible energy of the ‘solar wind’, with Pekka Janhunen, Finnish physicist and inventor of the “E-Sail”, which might be able to harness the power of the stellar wind, too.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge
Producer: Emily Knight
Series Producer: Ben Motley

(Image: Astronomer looking at the starry skies with a telescope. Credit: m-gucci via Getty Images)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00t45z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zss4jxjy8rl)
Ukraine experiences its biggest bombardment since the war began

Russian drones and missiles hit nearly every district of Kyiv overnight. A record 539 drone and 11 missiles strikes were recorded by Ukrainian authorities. Meanwhile, Dutch and German intelligence agencies have warned that Russia's use of chemical weapons in Ukraine is intensifying in both frequency and strength.

Also on the programme: Donald Trump is due to sign the "Big Beautiful Bill." And music's "bad-boy" brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are onstage together for the first time in sixteen years as Oasis play their first reunion show in Cardiff.

(Picture: A drone explodes in the skies above Kyiv. Credit: Reuters)


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00t7y3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 Americast (w3ct7t5l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmhm6h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwpc00tcp7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl4h6fsrpm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxhsqmhqym)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76nd)
Trump signs 'Big Beautiful Bill' into law

President Trump has signed his flagship bill into law — slashing taxes and welfare, while boosting military and immigration spending. But what does this mean for America’s economy and global standing?

And with new tariffs looming, can the U.S. reach a trade deal with its partners before tensions boil over?

Plus, We explore the rise of Velvet Sundown, the mysterious AI-powered band drawing in over 850,000 Spotify listeners without a single live show, interview, or known band member.