SATURDAY 19 JULY 2025

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jncsn1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72w8)
How dust affects the world

This week, a new report into the dangers that sand and dust storms pose to the world's health and economy has inspired us to delve in the science of dust.

First, we look at the report by the World Meteorological Organisation and hear about what can be done to mitigate the dangers of dust.

We also find out the surprising way in which the Sahara is keeping the Amazon rainforest well-fed, and Derek Fabel from the University of Glasgow tells us how dust can help us to determine the age of glaciers.

Plus, the dusty maths that took 15 years to solve, and the musician who swapped jazz for space dust.

All that, and many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Minnie Harrop, Lucy Davies, and Robbie Wojciechowski


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jncxd5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs580zd1wb)
Japan votes amid economic pressure

Voters head to the polls in Japan this weekend in a crucial Upper House election. The vote comes amid rising economic pressures, including the threat of US tariffs on key exports like cars, high inflation, low productivity and a rapidly ageing population.

Also, the EU cuts its price cap on Russian crude oil to 47 dollars a barrel. France says it could force Moscow into a ceasefire in Ukraine.

And after three decades on air, could The Late Show become too expensive for US television to sustain?


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnd149)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2cf4p)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj882ddp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zjg)
How does West Indies cricket recover from Test humiliation?

On this week's Stumped with Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma, West Indies slumped to an historic 27-all out against Australia - the lowest score recorded in Test cricket since 1955. Following their humiliation, the WIndies cricket board called an emergency meeting but what will that do to help turn around their fortunes? The team discuss what's next for Test cricket in the Caribbean.

Plus, in 2013, Puja Pabari, who had never followed cricket and didn’t understand the game, married India batter Cheteshwar Pujara and witnessed firsthand what happens in an international cricketer’s daily life. They both join us, as we pull back the curtain and find out what life is really like for the spouse of an elite cricketer.

Photo: Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster, Cameron Green and Sam Konstas of Australia celebrate the dismissal of Jayden Seales of West Indies during the third day of the third Test cricket match between West Indies and Australia at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, on July 14, 2025. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnd4wf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wh2)
Outlook Mixtape: Whales of wonder

Fabrice Schnöller is a French engineer who left a highly-paid job in construction and dedicated his life to the pursuit of understanding whalesong. He told Outlook's Saskia Collette how it all began after a chance encounter with a pod of sperm whales. This interview was first broadcast in 2018.

Zach Small is a British father who took his daughters on an ocean adventure to scatter their mother's ashes. But their voyage nearly ended in disaster when their catamaran hit a sleeping whale and their boat quickly began to sink – hundreds of miles from land.

Rainer Schimpf is a dive tour operator from South Africa who photographs ocean life off the Eastern Cape. He told Outlook's Neal Razzell about being swept into the mouth of a large Bryde whale while snorkelling and filming a sardine run. This interview was first broadcast in 2019.

Asha De Vos is a marine biologist who runs Sri Lanka's first marine conservation centre, Oceanswell. Asha has been working to help save Sri Lanka's native and endangered pygmy blue whale. She also goes by the nickname 'whale poop girl' because of what she's discovered from the animal's excrement. This interview was first broadcast in 2018.

In the late 1970s American Michael Fishbach was one of the world's top 50 tennis players. Today he's founder of the Great Whale Conservancy and spends his life trying to stop their numbers from dwindling. Michael told Outlook about saving one particular humpback whale called Valentina. This interview was first broadcast in 2018.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: May Cameron

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

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct7441)
Italo disco

In the late 1970s, disco died in America and a new wave of Italian producers took advantage of the advances in electronic instruments to craft their own dancefloor fillers.

The result was Italo disco – a genre of music recognisable for its synthesiser beats, heavily accented English lyrics and catchy melodies.

One of the biggest hits was Dolce Vita.

Singer Ryan Paris – real name Fabio Roscioli – tells Vicky Farncombe how it felt to be part of that moment.

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: Ryan Paris. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnd8mk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72w8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnddcp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2csd2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj882rn2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Dear Daughter (w3ct7xf2)
The bra fashion show

When Mahynour’s daughter gets her first bra, it’s Mahynour who is the most excited – her little girl is a young lady now.

But it also brings Mahynour’s memories of her own teenage years flooding back. She remembers not wanting to wear a bra – she felt ashamed of the changes in her body, and she didn’t know who to talk to.

How can she make sure her daughter has a better experience? Luckily, her female relatives are on hand to help out…

Letter writer: Mahynour

Dear Daughter is an award-winning podcast from the BBC World Service about love, life, family, and raising children. It is the brainchild of Namulanta Kombo, a mother on a quest to create a ‘handbook to life’ for her daughter, through the advice of parents from all over the world.

Each episode, a guest reads a letter they’ve written to their children (or their future children, or the children they never had) with the advice, life lessons, and personal stories they’d like to pass on. Expect extraordinary true stories, inspirational advice for parents, and moving accounts of families, relationships and raising daughters.

Share your letter! What do you want to say to your kids? Or the next generation? Do you have thoughts on motherhood, fatherhood, or parenthood to share? Whether you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son or just want to write a letter, send us a WhatsApp message on +44 800 030 4404 or visit www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter

Audio for this episode was updated on 1 May 2025.


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct6vz3)
Are one in six children living through war?

In the midst of the television coverage of Soccer Aid, a celebrity soccer match organised by Unicef, the audience was told that “one in six children around the world are currently living through war”.

Listener Isla got in touch with More or Less to ask whether the claim was correct, so we tracked down the source to an organisation called the Peace Research Institute Oslo.

Research director Siri Aas Rustad tells us how they worked out a figure for the number of children living near to a “conflict” and the big differences between that and something most people would think of as “war”.

If you’ve seen a number you think we should look at, email the team on moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Lizzy McNeill
Producer: Nicholas Barrett
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Giles Aspen
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jndj3t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw85js9n2ts)
Trump sues Murdoch over Epstein allegations

President Donald Trump files a libel case against two journalists and News Corp Mogul, Rupert Murdoch over a claims Mr Trump wrote a vulgar letter to the late sex offender Jeffery Epstein.

Also in the programme: Following a week of intercommunal violence in Syria’s Druze heartland, the US says it has brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Damascus; and we ask should the Kremlin be worried about the latest threat of US sanctions?

Joining presenter Paul Henley are Kadri Liik, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relation in Berlin. She joins us from Estonia and David Patrikarakos, British author and Special Correspondent for the Daily Mail newspaper, here in the UK.

(Picture: President Donald Trump speaking in the White House. Credit: Shutterstock)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jndmvy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw85js9n6kx)
Syria sends troops back to Druze heartland

The US says it brokered a deal between Israel and Damascus, allowing the Syrian government to deploy a new force to the Druze capital of Sweida, following days of sectarian clashes in the country’s south. One member of Sweida’s Druze community tells us the city is in a humanitarian ‘disaster area’, after government forces attacked its primary hospital earlier this week.


Also in the programme: We ask how does Russia see Europe and the European Union; and Trump sues the WSJ and its owners over claims he wrote a letter to the late sex offender Jeffery Epstein, what do his supporters think?


Joining presenter Paul Henley are Kadri Liik, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relation in Berlin and David Patrikarakos, British author and journalist and Special Correspondent for the Daily Mail newspaper, here in the UK.


(Picture: Bedouin fighters standing on a highway. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jndrm2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw85js9nbb1)
Aid agencies warn of dire situation among Afghan returnees

Aid agencies warn of dire situation in Afghanistan as thousands of Afghan refugees are forced to return from Iran. Also in the programme: The story behind Ireland’s lost babies; and the Puerto Rican appeal of music superstar, Bad Bunny as he plays back home.


Joining presenter Paul Henley are Kadri Liik, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relation in Berlin and David Patrikarakos, British author and journalist and Special Correspondent for the Daily Mail newspaper, here in the UK .

(Picture: Afghan refugees return home at Herat. Credit: Shutterstock)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jndwc6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rms)
Landmines

Hidden landmines and other devices left behind from wars are present in nearly 70 countries and territories, according to the military alliance Nato. Among those is Ukraine, where the war has made it one of the most mine laden countries in the world.

Recently, Ukraine joined several other countries bordering Russia in announcing it will withdraw from an international mine ban treaty.

Since 1999 that agreement, known as the Ottawa Convention, has prohibited the use, stockpiling and production of anti-personnel mines.

In today’s edition, we discuss the global impact of the weapon. Researchers say each year more than 5,500 people are killed or injured. Most are civilians. Many are children.

We hear from landmine survivors in Ukraine, Iraq, Cambodia, Bosnia and Uganda about how their lives have been changed by landmines.

Also, three men in Ukraine, Tajikistan and Syria, discuss why they put their lives at risk by trying to remove landmines.

“I’m doing this because I have seen too many lives destroyed by mines and unexploded ordinances with people losing limbs and families unable to farm their land safely,” says Yevhen in Ukraine. “So someone has to clear these deadly remnants of war.”

Hosted by Mark Lowen with conversations by Mark Lowen and Luke Jones.
BBC OS Producers: Isabella Bull, Angela Sheeran, Ben Davis and Laura Cress.
Boffin Media Producer: Sue Nelson.

Warning: Contains descriptions of injuries from explosions due to mines.

(Photo: Tun Channareth with his family. Credit: Tun Channareth/CCBL Cambodia Campaign to Ban Landmines)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj8837ml)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z50)
How to keep an ancient language alive

Mourning the loss of an old Italian dialect, from the streets of Italy and words spoken in Dialetto Pavese. Plus a story of resilience seen by 11 million of you during Disability Pride Month, the man who left his own wedding to save a life - and the Indian girl who is the only pupil in her school.


SAT 09:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvj)
The AI-powered new Polish service launches

Why has the BBC brought back a Polish Language Service 20 years after the previous version was scrapped - and how are AI and social media making this one different?

Plus, OTY has previously discussed what’s termed “news fatigue”, now a listener in the US raises the possibility of “Trump fatigue”.

And BBC Sounds is coming to an end this week for those outside the UK, with international users switching to a new BBC app. We hear more listener comments on the change.

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


SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnf03b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct7z0h)
So bored!

LA is the spiritual home of skateboarding. But it has come a long way from its past as “counterculture” and is now part of the Olympic games which return to Los Angeles in 2028. When Skateboard Hall of Fame inductee, Jaime Reyes started out in the 1990’s she was all alone in a man’s world. Her rise to the top of the sport was as much about her own personal success as it was about getting other girls to see what is possible.

When we play a board game, we can get 5 or 6 friends around the board at the most but imagine playing your favourite game with 20,000 others. You need somewhere pretty big for that. So how about the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York? Brennan Lee Mulligan did just that with his version of the game Dungeons and Dragons.

Simon Parker heads to Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing, to find out how the sport developed into an Olympic discipline. And we hear from Garrett McNamara of the who broke the world record for the biggest wave ever surfed officially judged to be 78ft.

And how do you go about creating a new board game? Well Professor Mary Flanagan has a Games Lab at Dartmouth University* to research board games! She explains the hidden messages in every one we play.

Katie Smith provides the weekly brain teaser from the Women's Euros in Switzerland

Photo: (Original Caption) 2/16/1965-New York, NY-Alfred Hitchcock won't reveal the subject of his next movie, but he's obviously bored with the former friends who starred in his scare-film "The Birds." The maestro of mayhem was caught in the "ho hum" mood when he dropped in at the Rizzoli Bookstore on New York's Fifth Avenue, to check on the latest "Ghoulology." CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

*We incorrectly stated in the podcast the university that Professor Mary Flanagan has her Game Lab. It is in fact located at Dartmouth.


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnf3vg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2dhvv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj883h3v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjk)
HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir recommended by WHO

Lenacapavir has been incredibly promising in trials and now the World Health Organisation have officially recommended the drug for HIV prevention. Smitha Mundasad explains the difference this bi-annual injection could make in the fight against HIV.

We hear how Malawi is trying to stop mpox from entering its borders. Reporter Carrim Mpaweni investigates the measures in place to keep the disease at bay.

A skin swab test could detect Parkinson’s disease 7 years ahead of symptoms developing. We find out how it’s all thanks to a woman who can smell the disease.

In the UK, Claudia meets the Cycling Together group which teaches women who are experiencing anxiety, depression or abusive relationships how to ride a bike.

A woman in Guadeloupe went for a routine blood test and 15 years later discovers she has a unique blood type. But what does this mean for her health, and actually is a blood type anyway?

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Studio Managers: Searle Whittney and Neva Missirian


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnf7ll)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct80b0)
Dying for a transplant

In 2019 British-Nigerian comedian Emmanuel Sonubi suffered heart failure whilst on-stage during his set at a comedy club in Dubai, and when he returned to the UK was told that he might need a heart transplant but there's a severe shortage of donors for people from his background. In Dying for a Transplant, Emmanuel explores the varying attitudes to organ donation and transplantation around the world and asks what different nations and cultures can learn from each other.


Producer: Kurt Brooks
A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service

(Photo: Comedian Emmanuel Sonubi. Credit: )


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnfcbq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zss58g5khxb)
Syrian presidency announces ceasefire

Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to protect all of Syria's minorities as he sent security forces to the Druze heartland, after sectarian clashes left hundreds dead in Sweida.

We hear from a Druze woman whose whole family was killed by what she claims were Syrian government forces.

Also, should Putin-aligned artists be welcomed at cultural events? And, a symphonic tribute to The Beatles.

(Photo: Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Aleppo, Syria, 27 May, 2025. Credit: Reuters)


SAT 14:00 Sportsworld (w172ztqll0y232p)
Live Sporting Action

Lee James presents live Diamond League athletics from the London Stadium with just two months to go before the World Championships in Tokyo.

World Indoor medallist and 2012 Olympian Andrew Osagie will be alongside Ed Harry for commentary with some of the biggest names in the sport in action, including Noah Lyles, Femke Bol and Sifan Hassan.

We’ll also have updates from Royal Portrush of the 153rd Open Championship, golf’s final men’s major of the year.

Plus we’ll be in Switzerland and Morocco with Euro 2025 and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the quarter final stages, we’ll have reaction to the British and Irish Lions first Test against Australia and we’ll hear from eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao ahead of his return to the ring at 46 years old.

Photo: Molly Caudery of Great Britain competes in the women's pole vault final during the London Athletics Meet, part of the 2024 Diamond League at London Stadium on July 20, 2024 in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnfz2c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2fc2r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj884bbr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Dear Daughter (w3ct7xf2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 More or Less (w3ct6vz3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 today]


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jng2th)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Evidence (w3ct70sb)
The Thirst for Water

On this episode of The Evidence, Claudia Hammond discusses all things hydration with a panel of experts. Where do our hydration guidelines come from? How do we determine the perfect amount of water we should drink? What are the issues with water access that people and populations face aroud the globe? And how will climate change affect the amount of water we need, and our access to it. In front of a live audience at the Wellcome Collection in London, Claudia discusses these questions and more with Neil Turner, nephrologist and professor emeritus at Edinburhg University, Yael Velleman, Director of Policy and Innovation at Unlimit Health, working at the intersection of water access, sanitation, and disease; and Anthony Acciavatti, an associate professor at Yale Architecture School and creator of the exhibtion Groundwater Earth: The World Before and After The Tubewell.


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jng6km)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zth)
Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner Chanel Sutherland

Nikki Bedi is joined by writer Chanel Sutherland and film critic Hanna Flint to discuss cultural highlights of the week.

Hollywood director James Gunn on reviving Superman and the actor Rachel Brosnahan on being cast as Lois Lane.

The author and Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah on growing up in Zanzibar.

New Zealand’s biggest popstar Lorde, discusses her new album, Virgin.

Vincentian-Canadian Chanel Sutherland talks about her Commonwealth prizewinning short story, Descend.

German artist Anselm Keifer reveals his love of Van Gogh.

And art collector Shalini Passi shares her experience of starring in Netflix reality show, Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives.

Main image: Chanel Sutherland


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jngb9r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zss58g5lgwc)
Clashes in Syria despite ceasefire agreement

There have been further clashes in Syria's Suweida province where gunmen from the Bedouin community have continued to target the Druze minority in defiance of a ceasefire. Also today: another twist in the complex relationship between Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump; and a symphonic tribute to The Beatles.


(Photo: Bedouin fighters stand in the back of a truck at an Internal Security Forces checkpoint working to prevent Bedouin fighters from advancing towards Suweida, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Walgha, Suweida province, Syria July 19, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jngg1w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct7z0h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jngkt0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2fytd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj884y2d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72d4)
Pcha

Pcha is a young Malian who is following in the footsteps of his father, Neba Solo, and playing the balafon, Mali’s traditional xylophone, made from wood and using gourds as resonators. But Pcha is bringing the balafon right up to date, playing it in his own way and mixing it up with electronic sounds and afrobeats and hip hop rhythms.

In this episode Pcha explains how proud he is to have made the balafon cool for a new generation of Malians, and how important he feels it is for young musicians to learn to play their country’s distinctive instruments.

SUNDAY 20 JULY 2025

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jngpk4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rms)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj8851tj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct80bf)
The kidnapped dead: Germany’s stolen skulls

In 1900, German colonial officers executed 19 Tanzanian leaders, including Akida Kiwelu, and shipped their skulls to Berlin for scientific study. Thousands of such skulls and ancestral remains stolen from Germany’s past colonies are still kept in Berlin museums to this day.

In an administrative building in Berlin, Zablon Kiwelu encounters his grandfather’s skull for the first time. DNA testing confirmed a genetic match to this skull, held in an anthropological colonial-era collection of thousands of skulls known as the S-Collection. But despite proof of his heritage, Zablon cannot bring his grandfather home for a proper burial.

Through intimate accounts and revealing interviews with museum curators, activists, and affected families, this documentary uncovers the lasting impact of colonial-era crimes in Germany, Tanzania, and beyond. Why were these collections of human remains assembled? What were ethnologists like Felix von Luschan intending to prove? And why are thousands of human remains still held in museum collections to this day?

Presenter: Peter Frederick Matthews
Producer: Ben Schuman-Stoler, Rowan Ben Jackson
A Munck Studios and Kollo Media production for BBC World Service

(Image: Composite image of Zablon Kiwelu (L) and his grandfather Akida Kiwelu (R). Credit:)


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jngt98)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722s)
Is AI eroding our critical thinking?

More and more of the tasks we perform in our daily lives are been guided by artificial intelligence, from searching the internet for answers to relying on satellite navigation in our cars. But studies recently released suggest that our use of AI is having a negative impact on our ability to make informed judgements and decisions. In one recent study from MiT’s Media Lab, a group of people were asked to write several essays. Some of them used AI, others didn’t. Those who used generative AI reportedly became lazier with each subsequent essay.

This cognitive offloading, allowing AI to take over from our brains might be less taxing, but there are concerns that if we come to rely on AI, we are in danger of replacing our own critical thinking for a technology that might not always come up with the right answer.

However, there are those who argue that AI can be beneficial in helping our cognitive function, that it can be employed to take on the more mundane, repetitive tasks, freeing up headspace to allow us to become more productive. Software education platforms are just one example where AI is been employed to assist teachers in things like knowledge checks and grading, with the claim that it allows them time for more valuable interaction with their students.

So is it possible to find a balance where we can we can rely on AI but not to the extent were we lose our mental agility.
On this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking "Is AI eroding our critical thinking?’

Contributors:
Dr. Daniel Willingham, Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia, USA
Dr. Michael Gerlich, Professor of Management, SBS Swiss Business School, Zurich, Switzerland
Yvonne Soh, Co-founder and CEO, Noodle Factory, Singapore
Sana Khareghani, Professor of Practice in AI, AI Policy Lead for Responsible AI UK Programme, King’s College, London

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Production Co-ordinator: Tammy Snow
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj8855kn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 Dear Daughter (w3ct7xf2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zrv)
Irish hurling legend Christy Ring

Christy Ring was one of Ireland’s greatest hurling players. His career spanned three decades and he achieved many accolades including eight All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship titles.

In 1956, he played in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final. Christy Ring’s Cork were hoping to beat Wexford to not only secure the championship, but for him to also achieve a record ninth title.

Craig Boardman talks to Christy’s grandson Simon Kennefick, and former teammate Seán Kennefick, about Christy’s legacy.

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: Christy Ring. Credit: GAA Museum)


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jngy1d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2gb1s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj88599s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnh1sj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct80b0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnh5jn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trp)
Ukraine's war games

Max Pearson introduces stories from Ukraine, Ireland, Bolivia and the USA.

Kill Russian soldiers, win points - a sobering new scheme for Ukrainians soldiers rewards units with new battlefield equipment, when they successfully eliminate enemy troops. Paul Adams meets the government minister behind the scheme, and hears what Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline think of it.

In Ireland, the excavation of the bodies of hundreds of babies and young children got underway this week at an unmarked mass grave in Tuam. Chris Page discovers the decision to exhume the remains has not been entirely well received by locals, as Ireland continues to confront the secrets of its church-run institutions.

Bolivia was once seen as an economic miracle, thanks to its huge natural gas reserves. But the energy exports on which the country once thrived have fallen sharply in recent years, pushing many people into poverty. Carolyn Lamboley reveals how the country’s economic woes are now affecting people from all walks of life.

And finally, we’re in the Zion National Park in Utah where Stephen Moss tells the story of the conservation campaign that helped bring the Californian Condor back from the brink of extinction.


Ukrainian anti-aircraft FPV drone operators work from shelter in Ukraine (Photo by Maks Muravsky/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj885jt1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfl)
Biggest black hole merger observed

Two black holes have collided and combined in the largest merger yet observed. Mark Hannam of Cardiff University and member of the study explains how the Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatories (LIGO) detected this ‘violent’ event through spacetime.

The lifestyle of ancient humans had an impact on their risk for infectious diseases. Astrid Iversen of the University of Oxford explains how the shift away from being hunter-gatherers played a role in the origins of human pathogens.

Nitrogen fixation, or the process of organic compounds accessing nitrogen from the atmosphere via microorganisms, plays a key role in climate modelling. But prior estimations have long been missing key data to make accurate analysis. Carla Reis Ely of Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education shares the updated facts and figures on global nitrogen fixation.

How intelligent is artificial intelligence? Can AI start discovering new scientific laws in the year? Keyon Vafa of Harvard University put several AI models to the test to see if they could discover Newton’s law of gravity and understand the world around us.

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Imaan Moin
Production Coordinator: Jana Bennet-Holesworth

(Image: Black Hole, digital illustration. Credit: Aaron Horowitz via Getty Images)


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnh98s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2gp95)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj885nk5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct80bf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnhf0x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw85js9qzqw)
US demands Syria act to prevent massacres

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Syria to deploy its forces to prevent radical jihadists from carrying out further massacres, following days of sectarian clashes in the south of the country. We get the insights of British-Syrian novelist Robin Yassin-Kassab, who joins the programme from Damascus.

Also in the programme: as Meta settles an $8 billion lawsuit brought by its own investors over data leaks to Cambridge Analytica, we explore the case's implications for digital privacy; and we speak to director Femi Elufo-woju Junior about his revival of two obscure 20th century operas.

Joining presenter Paul Henley are Melanie Garson, Associate Professor in International Conflict Resolution & International Security at University College London, and Nicki Kindersley, senior lecturer in African history at Cardiff University

(Pictured A Bedouin fighters sits on a car at an Internal Security Forces checkpoint working to prevent Bedouin fighters from advancing towards Sweida, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Walgha, Sweida province, Syria July 19, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi).


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnhjs1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw85js9r3h0)
Syria says it has ended sectarian killings

The Syrian government has said it halted sectarian clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the southern city of Sweida, after days of sectarian killings. We speak to one Druze man in the north of the province, who children are amongst those killed, and that the government in Damascus has failed to protect them.

Also in the programme: we explore the legacy of 19th century designer and social activist William Morris; and American filmmaker Justin Schein breaks down his new work 'Death and Taxes', which charts the tensions between him and his late father, caused by their disagreement over US inheritance tax.

Joining presenter Paul Henley are Melanie Garson, Associate Professor in International Conflict Resolution & International Security at University College London, and Nicki Kindersley, senior lecturer in African history at Cardiff University.

(Pictured:A Bedouin fighter walks near damaged cars, following the Syrian presidency's announcement of a ceasefire after days of violence in Sweida province triggered by clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions, in Sweida, Syria, July 19, 2025. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri).


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnhnj5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw85js9r774)
DRC and M23 rebels agree ceasefire deal

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Rwanda backed M23 rebels agreed to a permanent ceasefire 'in principle', raising hopes that the two warring parties could end over three decades of conflict in eastern DRC. We breakdown the terms of the agreement, and the hurdles that still remain.

Also in the programme: how AI virtual assistants come unstuck by regional accents; and researchers in Canada discover that all living being emit a very feint light - or 'aura'.

Joining presenter Paul Henley are Melanie Garson, Associate Professor in International Conflict Resolution & International Security at University College London, and Nicki Kindersley, senior lecturer in African history at Cardiff University.

(Picture: Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi's high representative Sumbu Sita Mambu, Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi and Benjamin Mbonimpa, who heads the M23 delegation to Doha attend a signing ceremony of a declaration of principles to end fighting in eastern Congo between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group, in Doha, Qatar, July 19, 2025. REUTERS)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnhs89)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj8864jp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yp)
A place at the table: fostering and adoption

What’s at stake when a child has their first meal in a new home?

For children entering care, especially those who have faced food insecurity, that first plate of food can be a big moment.

In this programme, Ruth Alexander explores how food and mealtimes can help children feel safe and give them a sense of belonging.

She meets Jessica-Rae Williamson, a 21 year old care leaver from Manchester, England, who still remembers the first meal she ate with her foster family, aged 13.

In Wrexham, Wales, Ruth meets long-term foster carers John and Viv, Cath and Neil and Rosemary, who have opened their homes to dozens of children through Foster Wales. They discuss their strategies for dealing with picky eating and hoarding.

Dr Katja Rowell, feeding expert and author of the book “Love Me, Feed Me: The Foster and Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Responsive Feeding”, gives her counter-intuitive tips for avoiding mealtimes becoming a battleground.

And Melissa Guida-Richards, author of the book “What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption”, shares her experience of being adopted from Colombia by Italian and Portuguese parents living in the US and her subsequent search for her Colombian heritage through food.

This programme contains discussion of food poverty and insecurity, and disordered eating. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised and need support, speak to a health professional.

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

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: a partly eaten plate of spaghetti bolognese sat on a child's knee.Credit: Getty Images/BBC)


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnhx0f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxs)
Saving mothers and babies

In 2017, Spanish engineer Pablo Bergasa began an unusual hobby: to design a new incubator for use in African hospitals. Eight years on, he has sent 200 of his machines around the world, and he estimates they have saved the lives of 5,000 babies. Pablo’s incubator costs just a small proportion of the price of a regular machine and can run on a battery and a bottle of water. Plus Myra Anubi hears about how a simple but ingenious plastic sheet is saving women from dying after giving birth.

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: Esperanza Escribano
Producer: William Kremer
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andrew Mills


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj88688t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70t5)
The mystery of the ‘tula boy’

In 1953, a South Korean child was smuggled into Colombia in a duffle bag, or ‘tula’ in Spanish. He was adopted and re-named Carlos Arturo Gallón, but he had questions about his identity that remained unanswered for over half a century. José Carlos Cueto from BBC Mundo reports. Plus, why a traditional Indian shoe found itself in the middle of a fashion controversy, with Janhavee Moole reporting for BBC Marathi.

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 and Caroline Ferguson.
This is an EcoAudio certified production.

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


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnj0rk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2hdry)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj886d0y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 Dear Daughter (w3ct7xf2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6vz3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnj4hp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 The Evidence (w3ct70sb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:06 on Saturday]


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnj87t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zss58g5ndtf)
Dozens killed by Israeli fire at aid point, Gaza health officials say

Health officials in Gaza say dozens of people have been killed and dozens more injured by Israeli fire as they waited for a UN aid delivery.

The IDF has not previously sent ground troops into the neighbourhoods because it believes that Hamas is holding hostages there.

Also in the proghramme: Syria's interior ministry says violence in the southern city of Sweida has "halted"; six months since Donald Trump returned to the White House. we'll check in with Trump supporters; and British men collect world relay gold medals 28 years late.

(Photo shows people waiting at an aid point in Gaza on 20 July 2025. Credit: Ramadan Abed/Reuters)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnjczy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7023)
Is the race for rare earths good for the planet?

Rare earths have been described as the oil of the 21st century, incredibly valuable both economically and in the fight against climate change. There's a battle underway around the world to mine and control these minerals - a battle that is currently being won by China.

As demand rises, the problems with rare earths are also becoming clearer because getting them out of the ground requires strip mining and the use of poisonous chemicals.

BBC China Correspondent Laura Bicker has seen this environmental impact first hand on a visit to the rare earth hubs of Bayan Obo in northern China and Guanzuo in the south. She's been speaking to locals about the benefits this booming industry brings and the damage that it can cause.

BBC Climate and Science Reporter Esme Stallard also joins Jordan Dunbar to chat about why rare earths are so valuable and the state of greenhouse gas emissions in China. Plus, she's got an update on a climate satellite that's gone missing in space!

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar
Producers: Diane Richardson and Jordan Dunbar
Production Co-Ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Mix: Tom Brignell and Dave O'Neill
Editor: Simon Watts

Got a question you’d like us to answer? Send an email to: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com or whatsapp us on +44 8000 321 721


SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj886r8b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tyh)
The Happy Pod: The thrill of swimming the Arctic Circle

We meet some of the swimmers participating in this year's swim across the Arctic Circle. Also, the groundbreaking science behind three parent babies, and the grandchildren available for hire in Bulgaria.

Presenter: Oliver Conway
Music: Iona Hampson

(Photo: Swimmers walking to the water. Credit: Lotta Nyberg for Heart of Lapland)


SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnjhr2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqll0y543j)
Live Sporting Action

The Women’s European Championships and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations are about to reach the semi-final stage, and John Bennett looks ahead to all the matches. Sportsworld will be live in Switzerland and Morocco with expert guests from the countries hoping to lift two of the biggest prizes in women’s football.

With the men’s World Cup less than a year away, we ask what lessons tournament organisers will have learned from the Club World Cup.

Plus, we’ll also bring you the latest from The Open golf at Portrush, and there’s a chance to hear the latest edition of our On The Podium podcast, this week featuring Olympic gold medallist Noemie Fox.

Photo: General view of the fifth green during day one of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 17, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnjzql)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2jcqz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj887bzz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtl)
Anatomy of a scene

For over 25 years Antonia Quirke has made programmes and written articles about film. After a chance comment during an interview, she was offered a small part in a screen adaptation of Jim Crace’s novel Harvest, directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari, one of the celebrated instigators of the surreal, unsettling cinema movement known as the Greek Weird Wave. Filmed over the course of one tempestuous summer on location in the remote Scottish Highlands, little did she know that she was to end up having to perform a particularly gruesome act of violence during a pivotal scene. And then watch that moment screened for the first time at the Venice Film Festival. Antonia reports from the set as she prepares for – and dreads - her moment in the spotlight.

This programme contains content that some listeners may find upsetting.


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnk3gq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72w8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnk76v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zss58g5pcsg)
Violence reignites in southern Syria

Fighting has again broken out in the southern Syrian province of Suweida between Druze militia and tribal forces. A rights group says more than 1,100 people have died in a week of violence. We will hear from our correspondent from the area, and we will discuss the different approach taken by the US and Israel towards the situation in Syria.

Also on the programme: We’ll hear from the wife of Boniface Mwangi, the Kenyan human rights activist who has been arrested by the government; and the Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk wins again.

(Picture: Bedouin fighters in the village of Al-Mazraa, after days of violence in the Suweida province in Syria. Credit: REUTERS/Karam al-Masri)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnkbyz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7023)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 today]


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj887q7c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z50)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


SUN 22:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:50 on Saturday]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnkgq3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl56r2jvqh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj887tzh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70t5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]

MONDAY 21 JULY 2025

MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwq2jnklg7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjj887yqm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 on Sunday]


MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsypkgj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cnygx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkcxqx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6sw5)
Tooth and Claw: Harpy Eagles

Named after a beast from Greek mythology, the harpy eagle is widely considered to be the most powerful bird of prey due to its strong legs and huge talons. With a crown of feathers atop its head, and known for eating monkeys and sloths, this regal-looking raptor dominates the rainforest canopies across much of South and Central America.

Presenter Adam Hart looks into the folklore and cultural importance of these imposing birds, as well as finding out why these apex predators of the treetops are having to increasingly search for ground-dwelling prey such as armadillos. He also hears how harpy eagle researchers were the pioneers for biological applications of GPS in order to study and track these animals in the dense rainforest.

Contributors:

Dr. Helena Aguiar-Silva, biologist and associate research scientist at the National Institute for Amazonian Research and a member of Projeto Harpia Brasil.

Dr. Eduardo Alvarez founder of a non-profit organisation called EarthMatters.org, to concentrate on the study and conservation of harpy eagles and to preserve their rainforest habitat.

Presenter: Professor Adam Hart
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Image: Harpy eagle and nest with chick
Credit: João Marcos Rosa


MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsypp6n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cp271)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkd1h1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6ssx)
What if the Earth spun backwards?

Your whole life is governed by spin. The rotation of our planet tells you when to wake up, and Earth’s orbit around the Sun is the reason why some of us dig out a jumper for half the year and a t-shirt for the rest. But what if that all changed?

That’s exactly what 8-year-old Geronimo in Ecuador wants to know. He and his dad, Fabian, have got themselves dizzy trying to figure out what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning, or better yet, started spinning in the opposite direction. Would everyone fly off into space? Would school be at night? Eager for answers, they decided to ask CrowdScience.

Presenter Anand Jagatia embarks on an interstellar journey, blasting off with the celestial origins of spin itself. Astronomer Amy Bonsor from the University of Cambridge in the UK explains how Earth’s rotation began, with collapsing clouds of gas, planetary pile-ups and crushing gravitational force.

At Keele Observatory, things get apocalyptic. Anand meets astronomer Jacco van Loon, who explains what would happen if Geronimo somehow waved a magic wand and brought Earth’s rotation to a halt. With months of unbroken daylight or darkness, devastating storms and even the loss of the Earth’s magnetic shield, it’s like the script of a disaster movie.

Wave that magic wand again and we imagine a world where the Earth not only stops... but starts spinning the other way. Meteorologist Joao Basso from the University of Leipzig in Germany walks us through a mind-bending 2018 study that tells us the surprising things that would happen to the global climate.

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


MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsypsys)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkd575)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z50)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:32 on Saturday]


MON 03:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:50 on Saturday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsypxpx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cp9q9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkd8z9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct708x)
Women and robots

Two women from Australia and Germany tell Ella Al-Shamahi about their work in robotics: from tackling loneliness with humanoid companions to making industrial robots more accessible.

Australian Grace Brown began building robots at 15, but it was the isolation of pandemic lockdown - five months without human contact - that led her to create Abi, a friendly humanoid companion robot inspired by Disney and Pixar characters. Working in secret while her family believed she was completing her master’s degree, Grace instead launched Andromeda Robotics from her bedroom, testing early prototypes in Melbourne nursing homes to help combat loneliness. Grace was recently named one of Forbes Australia's 30 under 30.

Maria Piechnick is a German engineer and co-founder of Wandelbots, a company passionate about making robotics accessible to everyone. Her mission is to democratize the field of robotics and enable small and medium sized businesses to be able to deploy robots for any task with ease and efficiency. Maria's work spans a wide range: from enabling a cake company to decorate its products with robotic arms to developing advanced systems that safely defuse unexploded bombs from the Second World War.

Produced by Emily Naylor

(Image: (L) Maria Piechnick credit Wandelbots. (R) Grace Brown credit Andromeda Robotics.)


MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyq1g1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cnfgm)
UN Humanitarian affairs agency criticizes Gaza evacuation order

The Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for a crowded part of central Gaza, as sixty-seven Palestinians are reported to have been killed while seeking aid in northern Gaza. Israel defence forces dispute the number of deaths. We will hear from a doctor working in Gaza.

Japan's prime minister has vowed to stay on despite the ruling coalition losing its majority in the country's upper house of parliament. There's been a surge in support for the far right.

And a prominent human rights activist has been arrested and charged with terrorism offences in Kenya. We'll hear from his wife.
(Photo: Palestinians flee their homes after the Israeli army issued Jabalia evacuation order, 9 June 2025; Credit: Reuters)


Displaced Palestinians receive aid through the WFP, Gaza City, 26 June 2025; Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyq565)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cnk6r)
Japan's PM vows to stay on despite election loss

Japan's Prime Minister vows to stay on despite bruising election loss. What next for his party and the country?

The UN humanitarian affairs agency says an Israeli military evacuation order for central Gaza has dealt another devastating blow to efforts to keep people alive in the war-ravaged territory. This comes as more Palestinians are reported to have been killed as they waited for UN aid lorries in northern Gaza. We'll hear from a doctor in the territory.

and the US Commerce Secretary says he is confident they will secure a trade deal with the European Union.

(Photo: PM Shigeru Ishiba, Tokyo, Japan, 20 July 2025; Credit:
EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyq8y9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cnnyw)
UN criticizes central Gaza evacuation order

The Israeli military has issued an evacuation order for a crowded part of central Gaza, as sixty-seven Palestinians are reported to have been killed while seeking aid in northern Gaza. Israel disputes the number of deaths. We'll go live to Israel and speak to our correspondent.

Japan's prime minister has vowed to stay on despite his party losing its majority in the country's upper house of parliament. There's been a surge in support for the far right. We'll get the thoughts of a governing party member of parliament.

And Alaska Airlines says it has grounded its airplanes because of an IT outage.

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


MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyqdpf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzv)
Friedrich Merz: Europe was free-riding on US

Europe was free-riding on US

Nick Robinson speaks to Friedrich Merz, the new German Chancellor, about the future of Europe’s defence amid the growing threat posed by Russia.

Merz, the leader of the centre-right Christian Democrat party, was elected as Chancellor earlier this year at the second attempt, following chaotic scenes in the German Bundestag that saw him lose the first parliamentary vote.

He’s been in the UK to sign the first-ever friendship treaty between the two countries - it’s a wide-ranging agreement covering everything from migration to energy, and business to defence.

Unlike his predecessors who, in the shadow of World War Two, were keen to reassure the world that German military strength was not a priority, Chancellor Merz has decided to invest heavily in defence.

He says that a strong army is now essential, thanks to the grave threat Russia poses to European peace and stability - and that Germany must be able to protect itself, and not rely on America.

Chancellor Merz also talks about his good relations with US President Donald Trump and the rise of the far right AFD (Alternative für Deutschland) party in his country, which is now the official opposition.

Thank you to the Today programme team for their help in making this programme.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. 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, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Nick Robinson
Producers: Lucy Sheppard, Ben Cooper and Kirsty McKenzie
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: Friedrich Merz. Credit: Reuters)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkdryt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rxv)
The rapid rise of online gambling in South Africa

In the first of a two part series, we investigate the explosive growth of online gambling since the Covid-19 pandemic.

While betting company revenues have soared, many South African individuals and families are facing the consequences.

We hear from recovering gambling addicts and explore how economic hardship, weak regulation, and the prevalence of mobile betting platforms are fuelling a national crisis.

If you are affected by harmful gambling or are suffering distress or despair you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available for despair in some countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide (www.befrienders.org)

Produced and presented by Frey Lindsay

(Image: South African businessman looking at phone. Credit: Getty Images)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct746b)
Irawati Karve: India’s groundbreaking anthropologist

Irawati Karve became India’s first female anthropologist - studying tribes that nobody had investigated, and taking her children on expeditions deep in the rainforest.

In 1927, she dared to defy the racist theory of Eugen Fischer, a famous German professor during her PhD in Berlin. Irawati scientifically rejected human differences to justify discrimination, and was the first to do so.

Her granddaughter, Urmilla Deshpande, speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma about her life and career.

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: Irawati Karve. Credit: Urmilla Deshpande)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyqjfk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cpxfy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkdwpy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6ssx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyqn5p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71w0)
Nuclear diplomacy and Italo disco

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dina Esfandiary, Middle East Geo-economics Lead at Bloomberg Economics.

We start in 2015 with insider accounts of the Iran nuclear deal and the Greek debt crisis.

Then, the 1995 'Turbot War' between Canada and Spain.

We hear how international broadcaster Voice of America was born during World War 2.

Finally, the rise of Italo disco in the early 1980s.

Contributors:

Baroness Catherine Ashton - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Dina Esfandiary - Middle East Geo-economics Lead at Bloomberg Economics.
Euclid Tsakalotos - Greece's Finance Minister.
Brian Tobin - Canada’s Minister for Fisheries and Oceans.
Ryan Paris - singer of Dolce Vita.

(Photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2015. Credit: Thomas Imo/Photothek via Getty Images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyqrxt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cq4y6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkf466)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Conversation (w3ct708x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyqwny)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wpw)
Morgan's Warriors: The matriarch on a mission to protect

Melissa Robinson lost her cousin to a serial killer targeting indigenous women in the city of Winnipeg, Canada. When she learned that police didn't plan to search for any of the women's remains, she led her community in protests that swept the nation and forced her government's hand.

In 2024 Jeremy Skibicki was given four life sentences for the murders of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and Ashlee Shingoose. When the verdict was announced, Melissa swore she would do all she could to stop this happening again. She formed a group called Morgan's Warriors, walking the streets where all these women were preyed upon.

Reporter Brandi Morin has been to Winnipeg for Outlook to tell Melissa's story. This is just one chapter in a life that has always been about holding up those around her, often while surviving blow after blow. Melissa was recently made a Pipe Carrier by indigenous elders - a position honouring wisdom and ongoing spiritual leadership - but her journey here has been long.

Melissa's story includes the impact of suicide and violence. But it's not just been about survival, it's the tale of a matriarch finding her power, in her family and her community.

If you'd like to tell us what you think, or share your experiences, please email us at outlook@bbc.com or send a voice note to WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Reporter: Brandi Morin
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

(Image: Melissa Robinson in front of Brady Landfill at Camp Morgan, Winnipeg, Canada, 27 September 2023. Credit: The Washington Post via Getty Images)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct746b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyr0f2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cqdfg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkfcpg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6ssx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyr456)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqgw8qt)
Israel launches ground and air assault on central Gaza

The Israeli military has launched a ground and air assault on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza just hours after Israel issued evacuation warnings for several parts of the town. Also on the programme, Ecuador's most notorious gang boss is extradited to the United States; and, a musical which tells the stories of two Iranian women who feel compelled to leave Iran and make dangerous journeys to Europe.

(Photo: Smoke rises during Israeli strikes amid the Israeli military operation in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyr7xb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkfm5q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76qr)
Japan election: what will happen to trade deal with the US?

Japan's ruling coalition has lost its majority in the country's upper house, but Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he has no plans to quit. How will it affect country's economy?

More than 30 of Germany's largest companies are gathering in Berlin to boost investor confidence in Europe's top economy.

And will NYC mayoral proposal reforms from Zohran Mamdani really work?

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


MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyrcng)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtbt7sf)
Israel's first ground assault on Deir al-Balah in Gaza

Residents of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza say Israeli tankfire has destroyed houses and mosques and killed several people in the army's latest ground offensive. Aid agencies say the assault is beyond description. We hear from residents in Gaza and speak to aid agencies and to our Middle East expert.

Britain's defence secretary has suggested there's now "maximum opportunity" to force Russia to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. Our Ukraine correspondent explains recent developments in the war.

Actress Lupita Nyong'o has spoken about "suffering in silence" with uterine fibroids. We hear a conversation about the lack of awareness and stigma surrounding fibroids and hysterectomy.

(Photo: Smoke rises during Israeli strikes amid the Israeli military operation in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, July 21, 2025. Credit: Hatem Khaled/Reuters)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyrhdl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtbtcjk)
Racism in football

England are working with police after defender Jess Carter revealed she had been the target of racist abuse during Euro 2025. In a statement, the Lionesses said they would stop the anti-racism gesture of taking a knee before matches as it was "clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism". We speak to a campaigner in the UK and an expert from Italy.

Police in Pakistan have made 11 arrests, after a video emerged showing a man and woman being shot and killed by a group of men in Balochistan province. We find out what happened.

At least 19 people, most of them children, have benn killed when a Bangladesh airforce training jet crashed into a school compound in Dhaka. We get more details from our correspondent.

Actress Lupita Nyong'o has spoken about "suffering in silence" with uterine fibroids. We hear a conversation about the lack of awareness and stigma surrounding fibroids and hysterectomy.

Lawyers for the Trump administration and Harvard University will square off in a Boston courtroom on Monday with billions in US government funding at stake. Our Washington correspondent explains.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: Jess Carter has made 49 England appearances since her debut in 2017. Credit: Getty Images)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyrm4q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wpw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct746b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyrqwv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cr3x7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkg357)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z56)
2025/07/21 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 (w172zwwqfsyrvmz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkg6xc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6sw6)
Tooth and Claw: Leopards

Investigating an elusive big cat known for its excellent tree climbing abilities - the leopard! This master of camouflage is found from the south of Africa to the far east of Asia – a spotted predator that stalks and ambushes its prey!

Presenter Adam Hart will investigate their relationships with tigers and lions, as well as learning about a recent discovery that leopards each have their own unique roar. He’ll also discuss the future of the Arabian leopard and the potential for a reintroduction to Saudi Arabia, and find out about the role of synthetic fur capes known as ‘Heritage Furs’ in leopard conservation.

Contributors:

Dr. Gareth Mann, who is based in South Africa, is Leopard Program Director for Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organisation.

Dr. Charlotte Searle, postdoctoral researcher and conservationist based in Tanzania, who is associated with the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford.

Presenter: Professor Adam Hart
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Photo: Leopard in tree
Credit: Valentin Wolf via Getty Images


MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyrzd3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqgx3yq)
Over twenty countries demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Israel has launched a ground offensive against the town of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. It comes as 25 countries, including two permanent members of the Security Council, have called for an immediate end to the fighting. Newshour speaks to Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide.

Also in the programme: the stolen painting returned to Italy after 52 years; Venus Williams is back on court.

(Picture: Smoke rises during Israeli strikes amid the Israeli military operation in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, July 21, 2025. Credit: Reuters)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsys347)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkggdm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 The Conversation (w3ct708x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsys6wc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0crlwr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkgl4r)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76t0)
Tariff pressures shift global container flows

We look at global container shipping volumes to assess how tariffs are reshaping trade flows.

Two former U.S. Fed chairs, Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen, issue a rare warning about political pressure on the central bank — could it damage America’s economic credibility?

In Japan, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces fresh economic headwinds after losing control of both houses of parliament.

And in the UK, we visit an Oxfam bookshop in Hove where a donation from Nick Cave is turning rare books into hot sellers.

TUESDAY 22 JULY 2025

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsysbmh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71w0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsysgcm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs5m98slvs)
Challenging economic times for Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is under increasing pressure after his coalition government lost its majority in the upper house of parliament. Mr. Ishiba says Japan needs political stability to address its mounting economic challenges.

Also, Rahul Tandon examines global container shipping volumes to see how tariffs are redrawing trade routes.

And two former U.S. Federal Reserve chairs, Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen, issue a rare warning that political interference could seriously damage America’s economic credibility.


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsysl3r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0crz44)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkgyd4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rbs)
Vancouver's mental health crisis

On 26 April, this year, 11 people were killed after a car was driven into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver. Dozens more were injured, making it the deadliest attack in the city’s history. The youngest victim was just five years old.

The accused, 30-year-old Adam Kai-Ji Lo, remains in custody while facing numerous charges of second-degree murder. Shortly after the attack, authorities confirmed that he was ‘being supervised under the Mental Health Act’ at the time of the attack.

This case has sparked a conversation that was already bubbling under the surface about mental health and the way it is dealt with – or not - in the city.
April’s attack was not the first time a random act of violence had occurred in the city, where the suspect was being treated for mental health issues. A report into a triple stabbing at a festival in Vancouver's Chinatown last year said the man accused of the crimes had been released by a psychiatric care facility 99 times in the year prior without incident.

Sam Gruet travels to Vancouver, British Columbia to ask if the city and wider province, is facing a mental health crisis, exploring how a mixture of cuts and a worsening opioid crisis has led some to call for drastic action.

Producer: Megan Lawton
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Photo: Candles placed on 41st and Fraser in Vancouver the day after a man drove a car into a crowd during the Lapu Lapu Festival. Credit: Don MacKinnon/AFP/Getty Images)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyspvw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wpw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct746b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsystm0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cs6md)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkh5wd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtm)
Wynton Marsalis: The sound of democracy

An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning jazz trumpeter and bandleader Wynton Marsalis, one of America’s greatest living musicians. How does a great artist pass on the lessons and traditions of their culture to the next generation? We follow Wynton and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as they prepare for the international premiere of Wynton’s Democracy! Suite.

Presenter: Leo Hornak
An Ictus Media production for BBC World Service

(Image: Wynton Marsalis. Credit: Jazz at Lincoln Center)


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsysyc4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8crbcq)
UN chief appalled by declining humanitarian conditions in Gaza

The head of the United Nations has said that the ‘last lifelines’ for Palestinians in Gaza are collapsing as Israeli tanks roll into the city of Deir al Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip. We hope to speak to a humanitarian worker on the ground in that city.
A white former policeman in the United States who took part in a raid in which a black woman, Breonna Taylor, was shot dead has been sentenced to thirty-three months in jail. We'll speak to the lawyer representing her family.
And, as an unsteady calm returns to Syria's southern Suwayda region, we'll look at whether aid organisations have access to the region where over a thousand people were killed in clashes.

(Photo: Smoke rises during Israeli strikes in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 21 July 2025; Credit: Reuters)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyt238)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8crg3v)
UN boss warns Gaza’s ‘last lifelines’ are collapsing

The head of the United Nations has said that the 'last lifelines' for Palestinians in Gaza were collapsing as Israeli tanks roll into the city of Deir al Balah in the centre of the strip. We'll speak to a representative of the UN.

A white former policeman in the United States who took part in a raid in which a black woman, Breonna Taylor, was shot dead as she slept has been sentenced to thirty-three months in jail. We'll speak to the attorney who represented the Taylor Family.

And we'll hear about the deadly aftermath of a fighter jet which crashed into a school in Bangladesh with our correspondent at the scene.

(Photo: A residential building hit by an Israeli strike, Gaza City, 21 July 2025; Credit:
Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyt5vd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8crkvz)
WHO says its operations in central Gaza compromised

The World Health Organisation has warned that Israel's offensive in central Gaza is undermining its ability to work. We'll speak to the organisation's spokesperson.

We'll also hear from a paramedic and field hospital lead in Rafah.

A white former policeman in the United States who took part in a raid in which a black woman, Breonna Taylor, was shot dead has been sentenced to thirty-three months in jail. We'll speak to the lawyer representing her family.


(Photo: Destruction at the al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, 10 April 2024; Credit:
WHO)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyt9lj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxt)
Being better citizens

Citizenship is a kind of social contract that exists in democracies. To function effectively, members of society need to feel like they can engage with and improve their communities. We take a look at two projects helping people do just that in Portugal. We explore a scheme that has helped 30,000 teenagers team up with politicians to transform their local areas. And we hear how another project has enlisted older people in society to train as agents in disaster prevention and spread their knowledge in the wider community.

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: Alison Roberts
Producer: Claire Bates
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Students at a school in Portugal take part in a MyPolis session, MyPolis)


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkhnvx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s6w)
Nigeria’s underage gambling problem

A boom in betting - both online and in shops - is fuelling addiction and debt among young people.

We speak to teenage gamblers, whistle-blowers, and campaigners who reveal how social media influencers and lack of regulation are driving a growing crisis in Nigeria.

If you are affected by harmful gambling or are suffering distress or despair you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available for despair in some countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide (www.befrienders.org)

Produced and presented by Frey Lindsay

(Image: A close-up of a man's hands holding a mobile phone. Credit: Getty Images)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74mx)
The killing of Jean Charles de Menezes

On 22 July 2005, an unarmed Brazilian man was shot dead by anti-terrorism police at Stockwell Tube station, in London.

Jean Charles de Menezes was shot seven times in the head because he was mistaken for a terror suspect.

The killing made headlines all over the world and his family demanded justice.

Matt Pintus spoke to Jean Charles’ cousin and best friend, Patricia da Silva, in 2022.

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: A memorial for Jean Charles de Menezes outside Stockwell Tube station. Credit: Oli Scarff / Getty Images)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsytfbn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cstc1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkhsm1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsytk2s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zth)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsytntx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0ct1v9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkj139)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsytsl1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4k)
My £1 deal that rocked London's music scene

In the early 1980s Simon Parkes was a young music fan living in London. By day he studied law and accountancy, and by night he was immersing himself in the city's music scene. When a friend told him about a disused dilapidated cinema for sale in Brixton in south London he was immediately interested - Simon had always toyed with the idea of putting on events. When he saw the building, he knew it had potential and struck a deal with the brewery which owned it. Simon negotiated buying it for just £1 by promising the brewery sales in beer. He renamed the building the Brixton Academy. Over the next decade Simon turned it into one of London's foremost music venues, booking the biggest artists of the time like The Clash, Diana Ross, Grace Jones and Snoop Dogg. A play about Simon's time at the Brixton Academy is called Brixton Calling.

Anika Orrock is an illustrator and cartoonist – interests she inherited from her beloved grandfather Ray Orrock, a cartoonist and well-known writer in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. On the wall of her grandparents' house hung a personalised Peanuts comic strip, addressed to Ray and signed by the legendary cartoonist and Peanuts creator, Charles M. Schulz. Anika loved and studied the comic strip throughout her childhood, but when Ray became sick, he decided to auction it to pay for his hospice care. He sold it cheaply to someone online who said it would be a lifelong dream to own it. But years later after Ray had died, Anika discovered it had been a scam. Anika was furious, went hunting for it, without luck - and was forced to let it go. Then, after a chance conversation a few years later, she ended up being reunited with it.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: May Cameron, Zoe Gelber and Maryam Maruf

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

(Photo: Simon Parkes. Credit: Just Kick It Anywhere)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74mx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsytxb5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0ct9bk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkj8lk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 Discovery (w3ct6sw6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Monday]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyv129)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqgz5mx)
WHO condemns Israeli attacks on facilities in Gaza

The World Health Organization says Israel's offensive in central Gaza has compromised its efforts to continue working, after its facilities came under attack. Also on the programme, we speak to the Kenyan human rights activist who was arrested on suspicion of terror offences; and Australia's pristine waters off its south coast have been inundated by a toxic algal bloom.

(Photo: Smoke rises during Israeli strikes amid the Israeli military operation in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyv4tf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkjj2t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct766x)
AstraZeneca announces $50 billion investment in the United States

The pharmaceutical giant Astra Zeneca has announced it's to invest $50bn in the US by 2030 as President Trump threatens the sector with tariffs.

At a collapsed gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo people are using their hands and basic tools to try to reach victims who are trapped underground.

And Andrew Peach looks at the rise of ride hailing apps in Thailand and the impact it's having on taxis and Tuk-Tuks.

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


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyv8kk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtbx4pj)
Gaza health ministry says 33 dead from malnutrition

In Gaza 33 people, including 12 children, have died from malnutrition in the past 48 hours according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. We speak to Palestinians around the world and hear messages from inside Gaza.

And a Syrian fact-finding committee has said that 1,426 people, including 90 women, were killed during the March massacres of Syrian Alawites. We explain more.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: Displaced Palestinians inspect shelters damaged during an Israeli military operation in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, July 22, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyvd9p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtbx8fn)
Gaza: 'More than 30 dead of starvation'

In Gaza 33 people, including 12 children, have died from malnutrition in the past 48 hours according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. We speak to our Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet to explain more.

At a collapsed gold mine in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo people are using their hands and basic tools to try to reach victims trapped underground. Our Africa Regional Editor gives us an update.

And the authorities in Bangladesh say the number of people killed when a fighter plane crashed into a school on Monday has risen to 31. Most of the dead were children. Our correspondent in Dhaka brings us the latest.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: Smoke rises as displaced Palestinian walk with their belongings in the aftermath of an Israeli military operation in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, July 22, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyvj1t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74mx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyvmsy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cv0tb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkk02b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z9q)
2025/07/22 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 (w172zwwqfsyvrk2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkk3tg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zp0)
Can sewage make tech cleaner ?

Thousands of tonnes of excess sewage, manure, food waste and paper sludge are being pumped hundreds of meters underground in the USA, where it will stay for centuries, preventing greenhouse gases from being released. Microsoft is backing the method to help offset carbon emissions. We speak to the co-founder and CEO of Vaulted Deep.

Also on Tech Life: We sound out some in the music industry about the impact of generative AI. And a high altitude Tech Life listener tells us about the time his tech went wrong.

We enjoy reading your messages about Tech Life. Please get in touch by emailing techlife@bbc.co.uk or send us a Whatsapp message or voice memo on +44 330 1230 320. Please include your name and where you live.

Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn
Editor: Monica Soriano

Image: Slurry injection technology in use on location in the USA. Credit: Vaulted Deep


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyvw96)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqh00vt)
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry: More than 30 dead from starvation

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 30 people have died of starvation in the past two days, as Israel continues an offensive in the centre of the territory. We hear form a resident of Gaza City.

Also in the programme: Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osborne dies, and mining for lithium in Chile's salt flats.

(Photo: Smoke rises in the aftermath of an Israeli military operation in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. Credit: Reuters)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyw01b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xxt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkkc9q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyw3sg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cvhsv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkkh1v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76b9)
Philippines reaches trade agreement with the US

The Philippines and Indonesia join Vietnam in getting tariff reductions from Washington — but what does this mean for the rest of the region?

Plus, A London court orders the estate of late tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch to pay nearly $950 million to Hewlett-Packard over the Autonomy deal.

And Coca-Cola confirms a switch to raw cane sugar — a move backed by President Trump but raising eyebrows among U.S. corn growers.

WEDNESDAY 23 JULY 2025

WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyw7jl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The World Debate (w3ct81n2)
What can stop the war in Gaza?

Nick Robinson is joined by a panel of guests to discuss how stop the war in Gaza. He is joined by Jeremy Bowen, BBC international editor; Raja Khalidi, Palestinian development economist who joins us from the West Bank; (Lord) Simon MacDonald, former British diplomat who was the top civil servant at the Foreign Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service until August 2020. From 2003 to 2006 he was British Ambassador to Israel; Michael Kleiner, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party in Israel, and president of the party's internal court who joins us from Tel Aviv; Prof Yuli Tamir, Former Minister of Immigration, Minister of Education and Deputy Speaker of the Knesset for the Israeli Labour Party between 2003-2010, also joining from Tel Aviv; Baroness Arminka Helic, Conservative member of the House of Lords, senior special adviser to Foreign Secretary William Hague, former member of House of Lords International Relations and Security Committee.


WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsywc8q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs5m98whrw)
Trump announces US trade deal with Japan

President Donald Trump has announced a major trade deal with Japan, introducing a 15% U.S. tariff on Japanese goods. The news comes as the Philippines and Indonesia join Vietnam in securing tariff reductions from Washington.

Plus Roger Hearing examines a tough road ahead for U.S. car-makers grappling with global trade tensions.

And could modern science finally crack the age-old quest to turn other metals into gold?


WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsywh0v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cvw17)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkkv97)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7023)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsywlrz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74mx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsywqj3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cw3jh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkl2sh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle (w3ct80bj)
The Space Shuttle

The Space Shuttle: 1. The spaceplane

Can Nasa build the most complex flying machine in space history? The plan is to create a permanent human presence in space.

It’s Spring 1969 - two months before the launch of Apollo 11 – the first US mission to land humans on the moon. But meanwhile, hidden away from public view, Nasa is thinking the unthinkable.

Maverick engineer Dr Max Faget is already a legend within Nasa. He’s fascinated by what could be next for human spaceflight. In a backroom, of Building 36 at Johnson Space Center, he invites a handful of engineers to a meeting. One of them is Ivy Hooks, a mathematician and engineer. And one of the first female engineers at Nasa.

Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects.

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for BBC World Service.

Hosted by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Archive:
Richard Nixon launches Nasa’s space shuttle programme, CBS News, 1972
Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office


WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsywv87)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cv78t)
Gaza: Aid agencies warn of mass starvation

More than one hundred aid agencies have issued a joint statement warning that mass starvation is spreading across the Gaza Strip, despite Israeli denials. The signatories include major organisations, such as Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Oxfam. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than thirty people have died as a result of malnutrition in the past three days, including over a dozen children. Israel refutes this and asserts its Hamas propoganda. We have the testimony of one woman in Gaza due to give birth.

Syria’s defence ministry says it will investigate allegations that government forces carried out a massacre targeting members of the Druze community. Staff at the city's hospital told the BBC that scores of patients were killed inside - some were thrown off the roof.

And we remember Ozzy Osbourne, the frontman of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, who died in the UK at the age of 76.

Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai

(Photo: Palestinians gather to receive food from charity kitchen, in Gaza City. Credit: Dawoud Abu/Reuters)


WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsywz0c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cvc0y)
Aid agencies call for action as hunger spreads in Gaza

More than one hundred aid agencies have issued a joint statement warning that mass starvation is spreading across the Gaza Strip. Israel has acknowledged there's been a significant drop in the amount of aid reaching Gaza, but insists the military has not identified famine in the strip. We hear from a woman in Gaza whose neighbour's son was killed looking for food.

The US speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced yesterday that he was sending the House home for its summer break early. Mr. Johnson said the House would adjourn until September in order to avoid what he called “political games” over the investigation into accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

And President Trump says he has reached a massive trade deal with Japan. Helping to ease trade tensions between the US and one of it's closest Asian partners.

Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai

(Photo:Palestinians gather to receive food from charity kitchen, in Gaza City. Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)


WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyx2rh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cvgs2)
Aid agencies warn of mass starvation in Gaza

More than one hundred aid agencies have issued a joint statement warning that mass starvation is spreading across the Gaza Strip. Israel has acknowledged there's been a significant drop in the amount of aid reaching Gaza, but insists the military has not identified famine in the strip. We hear from a women due to give birth in Gaza.

Donald Trump says that the US has just completed a trade deal with Japan, which he has called the "largest deal ever made." We discuss the details of that deal.

But despite this deal Japanese media is reporting that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to resign within weeks following two historic elections defeats. We look at what this might mean for the future political scene in Japan.

Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai

(Photo: Palestinians gather to receive food from charity kitchen, in Gaza City. Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)


WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyx6hm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6m)
Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani: We were outsiders

Bishop Guli is currently the Bishop of Chelmsford, a city in England, but it is also being reported that she’s one of the leading candidates to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury - the most senior bishop in the Church of England.

Although she is keen not to add to any media speculation, if selected, Bishop Guli would be a remarkable choice. Not only would she be the first woman to hold the position in the Church’s long history, but she would also become the first person of Middle Eastern heritage to hold the position too.

Born in Iran, her family came to the UK as refugees after her brother was murdered in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Edward Stourton, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Sunday programme, speaks to Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani about her Persian identity and her 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, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Edward Stourton
Producers: Ben Cooper, Katy Davis and Lucy Sheppard
Editor: Damon Rose

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

(Image: Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani. Credit: BBC Radio 4/PA)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjklks0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6scd)
Did kids movies save Hollywood?

Films for children and young adults are giving a major boost to cinemas. The recent A Minecraft Movie smashed records, making $301 million globally in its opening weekend - the biggest ever for a video game adaptation.

In 2024, Inside Out 2 led the global box office earning $1.69 billion, followed by Despicable Me 4 and Kung Fu Panda.

Now, film studios are following these trends; fast-tracking sequels, producing more animations, and adapting popular video games into stories geared towards family audiences.

We speak to film producers, box office analysts and cinema operators about the strategies behind this shift and its impact on the industry.

If you'd like to contact the show, send an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer: Sam Gruet

(Picture: General view of a roadside billboard along the Sunset Strip promoting A Minecraft Movie, in April 2025, in West Hollywood, California, US. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74q5)
President Clinton plays the sax in Prague

In January 1994, two presidents enjoyed a memorable night in the Czech Republic – ending with an impromptu jazz performance.

Five years after the fall of communism, the US president Bill Clinton visited Prague to share his hopes for a new transatlantic alliance.

Key to his vision was his friendship with the Czech president Vaclav Havel, a playwright who had been imprisoned for dissidence during the Cold War.

During the visit, Havel arranged a series of surprises for Clinton including a reunion with the family he had stayed with on a visit to Prague in 1970.

The final surprise took place at the city’s famous Reduta jazz club. Havel presented Clinton with a saxophone and the two friends performed together on stage – a moment which came to symbolise the new partnership between East and West.

Vicky Farncombe uses archive from the Vaclav Havel Center and the William J Clinton Presidential Library to relive the big night out.

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: Presidents perform at the Reduta jazz club. Credit: Office of the President of the Czech Republic)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyxb7r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cwq84)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjklpj4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7023)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyxfzw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct80b0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyxkr0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cwyrd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkly0d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle (w3ct80bj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyxph4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcg)
The political poster child who became a million dollar model

Czech supermodel Paulina Porizkova has posed for countless magazine covers, and walked the catwalks of some of the world's most fashionable cities. But her career in front of the camera began far from the fashion world’s glamourous orbit when she was separated from her parents as a child and became the face of the hardships of Communist Czechoslovakia.

After leaving Czechoslovakia, Paulina was spotted by an agent and went to Paris at 15 to model. She became wildly successful, earning millions of dollars in the 1980s as one of the world's highest paid supermodels. But after decades of success in an industry she'd first entered as a child, Paulina was greeted by an ugly reality: ageism.

The clip of Late Night with David Letterman came from Late Night with David Letterman, Carson Productions, NBC Productions and Space Age Meats Productions.

This episode was first broadcast in January 2023.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Producer: Olivia Lynch-Kelly

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

(Photo: Paulina Porizkova. Credit: Jill Greenberg)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74q5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyxt78)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cx67n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkm5hn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zp0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyxxzd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqh22k0)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.


WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyy1qj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkmdzx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76fq)
US and Japan agree trade deal

A trade deal between the United States and Japan has been announced with Donald Trump's threatened tariffs cut from 25% to 15%. Andrew Peach hears from experts about what that means for the two countries, and the rest of the world.

Two former bankers convicted of manipulating interest rates after the global financial crisis of 2008 have their convictions quashed in the UK.

Plus the Malaysian government gives everyone 100 ringgit - approximately 24 USD - to help with the cost of living.

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


WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyy5gn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtc01lm)
Gaza: Aid agencies accuse Israel of aid 'siege'

Doctors in Gaza say they're fighting a losing battle to save lives, as aid agencies warn that mass starvation is spreading. We hear from residents in Gaza and speak to aid agencies.

The world's top court has delivered a highly anticipated ruling laying out the legal obligations countries have to prevent climate change. Our climate reporter explains, and we speak to three people who helped bring the campaign to the ICJ along with many other climate action groups.

We speak to writers in America about the cancellation of The Late Show and the challenges of traditional broadcast television.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: A Palestinian girl reacts as she waits to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 22, 2025. Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo/Reuters)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyy96s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtc05br)
Israeli media coverage of the Gaza war

More than 100 aid agencies warn that "mass starvation" is spreading across Gaza, accusing Israel of not allowing food inside the Strip to be distributed. We hear from people in Gaza and speak to our correspondent as well as to aid workers.

We also discuss with two journalists how the Israeli media is covering the war in Gaza.

An intense heathwave with temperatures soaring to 50C has hit Iran. Our regional editor explains the impact.

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine have arrived in Turkey for talks to end the war. Our Russia expert joins from Istanbul to give the latest.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: A mourner reacts during the funeral of 12-year-old Wasem Abu Daqa, who was killed overnight by Israeli fire, according to medics, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 20 July, 2025. Credit: Hatem Khaled/Reuters)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyydyx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74q5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyyjq1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cxxqf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkmwzf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zcz)
2025/07/23 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 (w172zwwqfsyyng5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7023)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkn0qk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjl)
Do you really have a penicillin allergy?

Penicillin is the go-to antibiotic for many common infections - but in the UK more than 1-in-15 adults have a penicillin allergy label on their medical record. New research suggests that many with these labels are not actually allergic. Professor Sue Pavitt explains how more accurate allergy labelling might help fight the rise of antimicrobial resistance.

Both Burundi and Senegal announced last week that they had eliminated trachoma. Dr Graham Easton walks us through the long road to this milestone.

A passionate debate has caused division in Maharashtra, India, over the possibility of homeopaths being allowed to practice and prescribe conventional medicine. Reporter Chhavi Sachdev explains why doctors on both sides are striking.

In the UK, eight babies made with the combined genetic material of three people have been born without the hereditary mitochondrial disease. We explore the implications of this breakthrough.

Sex at birth might not be as random as we once thought; a new study found that families with three children of the same sex are more likely to have another child of the same sex.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Alice McKee
Studio Managers: Dyfan Rose and Andrew Garrett


WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyys69)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqh2xrx)
WHO head says 'man-made mass starvation' happening Gaza

The World Health Organisation's chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has demanded full access for aid into Gaza as well as a ceasefire, describing the situation there as "man-made mass starvation". We speak to a doctor in Gaza City and to a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister's office.

Also in the programme: the International Court of Justice clears the way for countries to sue each other over climate change; and what's behind the rise in bars dedicated to women's sport?

(Picture: Gazans react as they ask for food at a charity kitchen in Gaza City, July 14, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyywyf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkn86t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle (w3ct80bj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyz0pk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cydpy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkncyy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76hz)
Is a trade deal between the US and the EU now very close?

The European Union is racing to secure a trade agreement with President Donald Trump to avert sweeping tariffs. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed optimism, saying “decisions” could be near.

We also examine why children’s films are once again powering Hollywood’s box office.

And how mounting pressure is pushing gaming platforms to censor adult content.

THURSDAY 24 JULY 2025

THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyz4fp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct80b0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyz85t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs5m98zdnz)
Can the US and EU seal a trade deal in time?

After the Japanese trade deal with the US, there are reports that an agreement with the European Union is very near.

Also, presenter Roger Hearing takes a look at how algae is damaging the fishing industry in Australia.

And Iran struggles under a heatwave that makes normal life impossible.


THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyzcxy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cyryb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjknr6b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct7y7x)
The battle for Bangladesh: Eye Investigations

In July 2024 Bangladesh was rocked by protests. They were sparked by anger at widespread corruption, and the reinstatement of a quota system that reserved 30 percent of civil service jobs for families of war veterans. An estimated 1,400 people were killed in the protests, which led to Bangladesh’s leader of 15 years, Sheikh Hasina, fleeing the country.

After months of painstaking investigation, BBC Eye can now reveal how the police response to the protest unfolded, and has verified a leaked audio recording in which Sheikh Hasina is heard authorising her security services to use lethal weapons against the protestors.

We follow the story of one young man in particular, struggling to find justice for his 19-year-old brother who was among those killed.

Reporters: Riddhi Jha and Christopher Giles
Researcher: Rafid Hossain
Produced by Louise Hidalgo, Ivana Davidovic and Harriet Shawcross
Editor: Rebecca Henschke
Executive producer: Job Rabkin


THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyzhp2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74q5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyzmf6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0cz0fl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjknzpl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yq)
India's caste system and food

Something as simple as sharing a meal or utensils can carry social stigma for the millions born into the bottom of India’s caste system, a social structure that divides people into different groups.

In this programme Devina Gupta explores the foods of the Dalit community, historically considered at the very bottom of the caste system. She hears how many dishes evolved from necessity, due to low incomes and lack of available food and speaks to people looking to record and share these dishes with future generations.

Devina meets people who identify as Dalit to talk about the discrimination they have experienced in their communities and workplaces as a result of their family’s social status, and how it can be particularly hard to find work in the food industry.

If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.

Producer Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: some foraged green leaves being washed in a bowl of water. Credit: BBC)


THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyzr5b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cy45x)
Haiti: Rape and other sexual violence is surging

In Haiti’s capital Port au Prince, gangs now control 90% of the city. The police are outnumbered and outgunned, government authority has all but collapsed, and ordinary Haitians are trapped in a daily struggle for survival. Over a million people have been forced to flee their homes, as violence and insecurity spread, but it’s women and children who are suffering the most. We report from the capital Port au Prince.

The World Health Organisation says that Gaza is experiencing "man made starvation" - and blamed Israel's blockade of the territory. Israel has blamed Hamas for stealing food. Many people have been shot while trying to get access to aid distribution points - We'll hear how Gazans are risking their lives to try and get food for their families.

Tesla has said it will build cheaper cars and win approval for its self-driving software in Europe this year, as it tries to revivie its struggling business. The company has just released its latest profit figures - down for a second quarter in a row.

Presenters: Joe Inwood and Pria Rai

(Photo: Protest against gang-related violence in Port au Prince. Credit: Jean Feguens Regala/Reuters)


THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyzvxg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cy7y1)
Aid agencies say violence against women in Haiti has tripled.

In Haiti’s capital Port au Prince, gangs now control 90% of the city. The police are outnumbered and outgunned, government authority has all but collapsed, and ordinary Haitians are trapped in a daily struggle for survival. Over a million people have been forced to flee their homes, as violence and insecurity spread, but it’s women and children who are suffering the most. We speak to a leading aid agency in the capital.

The head of the World Health Organisation says that Israel's blockade of Gaza is responsible for a large portion of the population starving. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as man made starvation. We speak to people living there to find out if they are managing to feed themselves.

There's been a second day of protests in Ukraine, about President Zelensky's plans for fighting corruption. Demonstrators are angry about the president's decision to implement legislation that they say undermines anti corruption agencies. We take a look at the demonstrations and the President's plans.

Presenters: Joe Inwood and Pria Rai

(Photo: a victim of sexual violence in Haiti. Credit: Phil Pendlebury/BBC News)


THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsyzznl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8cycp5)
Aid agencies say Haitian gang violence has sharply increased

In Haiti’s capital Port au Prince, gangs now control 90% of the city. The police are outnumbered and outgunned, government authority has all but collapsed, and ordinary Haitians are trapped in a daily struggle for survival. And it is women and children who are suffering the most with the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières telling the BBC that cases of sexual violence in Haiti have tripled in the last four years. One in five victims of sexual violence is a child and some victims of rape are as young as six. We have a report from the capital.

The head of the World Health Organisation says that Israel's blockade of Gaza is responsible for a large portion of the population starving. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as man-made starvation. We speak to people in Gaza to find out how they surviving.

And we speak to a US senator trying to stop the destruction of millions of dollars worth of contraception, which she argues could save lives and prevent unwanted pregnancies in many countries who had previously benefitted from US AID.

Presenters: Joe Inwood and Pria Rai

(Photo: Gang member in Haiti. Credit: Phil Pendlebury)


THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz03dq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722t)
What will Chile’s latest telescope tell us about the universe?

In Chile, a powerful new telescope has just given a taster of what we can expect from it later this year, when it will be used to survey the cosmos over a ten-year period. In one image it revealed vast colourful gas and dust clouds swirling in a star-forming region 9,000 light years from the Earth.

Housed in the Vera C Rubin Observatory, which sits on a mountain in the Chilean Andes, the telescope is designed to get giant images of the sky about one hundred times larger and quicker than any other existing telescope can achieve. It contains the world’s most largest digital camera, the size of a large car.

When the Legacy Survey of Space and Time begins towards the end of 2025, the camera will film the entire Southern hemisphere night sky for the next decade, every three days, repeating the process over and over. And it will focus on four areas: mapping changes in the skies or transient objects, the formation of the Milky Way, mapping the Solar System and understanding dark matter or how the universe formed.

So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking, ‘What will Chile’s latest telescope tell us about the Universe?’

Contributors:
Catherine Heymans, Professor of Astrophysics, University of Edinburgh, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, UK
Željko Ivezić, Director of Rubin Construction, Professor of Astronomy, University of Washington, USA
Dr. Megan Schwamb, Planetary Astronomer, Reader, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Dr. Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, Observational Astronomer, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, USA

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producers: Louise Clarke and Jill Collins
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey

Image Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkpgp3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s2c)
How to start a women's pro-football team

The founders of Dutch women's team Hera United are finalising preparations for their first ever season in the Netherlands' top flight.

They're the first women's-only professional team in the country, and want to drive the development of the sport by stepping out of the traditional male dominated club format.

We hear from Hera's founders on persuading investors to back them and the impact they're hoping to have on the game as a whole.

We talk to the founder of Glasgow City FC, who followed the same path nearly 30 years ago.

And we hear from the team behind Europe's first women's sports bar, who have taken inspiration from Hera's journey.

Produced and presented by Matthew Kenyon

(Image: The Her United team. Credit: Hera United)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74jh)
The invention of Kevlar

In 1965, a new fibre was discovered by Polish American scientist Stephanie Kwolek. It was called Kevlar and it was found to be five times stronger than steel.

Since that discovery it’s been used to save thousands of lives through its use in bulletproof vests, but it’s also used in hundreds of other products from aeroplanes to protective clothing for motorcyclists.

Stephanie was one of the only female scientists working for the chemical firm DuPont and was passionate about encouraging more women and girls into the field of chemistry.

Tim O’Callaghan has uses archive of Stephanie Kwolek from 1996 to tell the story of her discovery.

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: Stephanie with items which use Kevlar. Credit: Smithsonian Institute)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz074v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0czm57)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkplf7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct7y7x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz0bwz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ys8)
The Media Show: YouTubers and the migrant hotel protest

In Epping, just outside London, protests have taken place near a hotel housing asylum seekers. While mainstream news outlets reported the story, a video filmed by YouTuber Wesley Winter attracted hundreds of thousands of views online. His presence - and the reaction to other journalists on the ground - has reignited debate over who the public trusts to shape stories like these. Wesley Winter reflects on how he works and what drives his audience.

Agence France-Presse says its journalists in Gaza are now facing starvation. The agency is working to evacuate remaining freelancers and their families as conditions continue to deteriorate. Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s Global News Director, describes what his reporters are telling him from the ground - and what might be lost if they are forced to stop.

In Rome, the Vatican is hosting a global gathering of Catholic influencers - from priests and nuns to lay creators with large digital followings. The Church’s media strategy dates back a century, but the rise of online evangelisation presents new opportunities and risks. Dr Justin Tackett, a philosopher at North Carolina State University, and Mary-Aoife Ong, co-director of Carlo Acutis Youth Ireland, discuss.

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Assistant Producers: Martha Owen and Emily Channon
Production Coordinator: Ruth Waites
Technical Coordinator: Samuel Iyiola
Sound: Robin Schroder


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkpq5c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 On the Podium (w3ct80jz)
Noemie Fox: Paddling out of the shadows

Noemie Fox grew up in a family of canoeing and kayaking champions, but she didn't believe she could become one herself. She struggled to master the skills that seemed to come naturally to her relatives, and felt like she didn't have what it took to reach the top.

Then, in her mid-20s, things began to change. With the addition of the chaotic, high-intensity discipline of kayak cross to the Olympic programme in Paris, Noemie seized her opportunity to finally step into the spotlight. But when the draw for her first race at the Games was made, she discovered she'd be lining up against the most decorated canoe slalom racer in Olympic history: her own sister, Jess.

Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry hear from Noemie about what it's like to grow up surrounded by sporting success, what drove her on to overcome her doubts, and why the support of her family has been crucial to her success. She also shares her thoughts about what comes next - and why a gesture from a Sydney zoo might be an even bigger honour than making Olympic history.

On the Podium is the podcast that sits down with Olympic and Paralympic medallists to discover the real stories behind their success. Pole vault pioneer Stacy Dragila talks about her battle to get her sport on the Olympic programme, and triathlete Jess Learmonth reveals what led her back to sport after walking away as a teenager. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.


THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz0gn3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0czvnh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkptxh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz0ld7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxn)
'Only God can judge': Changing Namibia's homosexuality laws

What do you do when your mother thinks you're a sinner and your country thinks you're a criminal? This was the position Namibian Friedel Dausab found himself in when he realised he was gay, aged 13. His mother was an Evangelical Lutheran missionary and for years after he came out, they didn't speak. In an attempt to bring them closer together, Friedel agreed to try - in his words - 'to pray the gay away'. But it didn't work. Friedel's Mum looked again at the Bible and came round to the view that it isn't for her to judge her son's sexuality, but for God, and she loved her son too much to reject him. She's been his staunchest defender ever since and he's needed it - because Friedel's had a lot to deal with. In 1999 at the age of 25, he was diagnosed with HIV and after that started working with organisations promoting sexual health and supporting LGBTQ+ people. He became convinced that one of the reasons why Namibia wasn't getting to grips with high transmission rates of HIV is because it wouldn't acknowledge that some men have sex with men. Friedel also believed that the laws criminalising homosexual acts were 'un-Namibian', hangovers from the colonial era and in direct contradiction to the commitment to human rights enshrined in its constitution. He and a group of like-minded people decided to go to the High Court to get the laws overturned, and Friedel became the face of the legal action. Friedel's Mum stayed by his side and prayed until the verdict was announced in June 2024.

Presenter Jo Fidgen
Producer Anna Lacey

(Image: 'Friedel Dausab outside Namibia's High Court'. Credit: Friedel Dausab)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74jh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz0q4c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d034r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkq2dr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Wednesday]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz0twh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqh4zg3)
The gangs of Haiti: 'We become the devil'

The BBC has gained rare access to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, where gangs now control 90% of the city. The police there are outnumbered and outgunned, government authority has all but collapsed, and ordinary Haitians are trapped in a daily struggle for survival. In the past six months, more than 4,000 people have been killed. We have a special report.

Also on the programme: Thailand and Cambodia trade airstrikes and artillery fire in a deadly escalation of a border dispute; and do you really need to do 10,000 steps a day to be healthy?

(Photo: Gang members on the streets of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Credit: BBC/ Phil Pendlebury)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz0ymm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkq9x0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct75vm)
President Xi Jinping and Ursula von der Leyen talk trade and rare minerals

China's President Xi Jinping calls for mutual trust and stronger communication with the EU as he welcomes the Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to Beijing. The leaders have discussed trade imbalances, tariffs and critical minerals among other issues.

Meanwhile the European Investment Bank starts its Boost Africa initiative in an effort to unlock venture capital support for entrepreneurship across the continent.

Plus Andrew Peach hears how the toy industry is responding to higher costs because of US tariffs.

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


THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz12cr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtc2yhq)
The UN demands full access for aid into Gaza

The Hamas-run health ministry says another two people have died of malnutrition in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of such deaths to 113 since 7 October 2023. We speak to our Middle East regional editor.

Cambodian and Thai soldiers have fought near several temples along their shared border. The two countries have also traded airstrikes and artillery fire in a deadly escalation of a border dispute. Our regional expert explains.

We have an update on the protests in Ukraine against the bill that critics say weakens the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies.

Emergency crews are struggling to control multiple fires which have broken out in Turkey, and on the nearby island of Cyprus. BBC Turkish has details.

And a major study suggests that walking 7,000 steps a day can be enough to boost your brainpower and help protect against a range of different diseases. Mark takes a walk around the BBC building to speak to our experts and regional editors, hoping to reach 7,000 steps.

Presenter: Mark Lowen.

(Photo: Displaced Palestinian mother Samah Matar holds her malnourished son Youssef, who suffers from cerebral palsy, at a school where they shelter amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 24, 2025. Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz163w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtc327v)
Gaza war: Hostage families

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says it is recalling its team of ceasefire negotiators in Doha, Qatar, to Israel. We have the latest on the talks, and we speak to Israeli families of the hostages still in Gaza. With warnings of mass starvation in Gaza, we also hear from residents there.

BBC News and three leading news agencies have expressed desperate concern for journalists in Gaza, who they say are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families. We hear from the BBC's Director of News Content, Richard Burgess.

Gangs in Haiti now control 90% of the capital Port au Prince. The police are outnumbered and outgunned, government authority has all but collapsed, and ordinary Haitians are trapped in a daily struggle for survival. In the past six months, more than 4,000 people have been killed – that’s nearly half the total number recorded last year. We speak to our correspondent Nawal al-Maghafi who has had a rare access to the streets of the capital.

Cambodian and Thai soldiers have fought near several temples along their shared frontier in a deadly escalation of a border dispute. We speak to our correspondent in the region and hear messages from both countries.

(Photo: Hostages’ families and reportedly over 50,000 supporters, march to the U.S. Embassy in a plea for the US to help Israel and Hamas secure a deal to bring the hostages home - 19 July 2025. Credit: Paulina Patimer)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz19w0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74jh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz1fm4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d0tmj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkqswj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z7g)
2025/07/24 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 (w172zwwqfsz1kc8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct7y7x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkqxmn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfm)
Discovering Betelgeuse’s Betelbuddy

Have we found Betelgeuse’s ‘Betelbuddy?’ An astronomical mystery seems to be solved as the long-predicted stellar companion to the bright star Betelgeuse has been detected by a team of researchers led by Steve Howell of the NASA Ames Research Center using the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii. Steve discusses this breakthrough alongside astronomer Andrea Dupree of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who has discussed the predictions of this star on previous Science in Action programmes.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the parasite plasmodium that kills more than half a million people each year. George Dimopoulos of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute is using gene editing and gene drive technology to target the parasites as they develop in the guts of mosquito. Can this new method disrupt the malaria parasite life cycle safely and sustainably?

Our gut microbiomes are linked to our brains, but how can the bacteria in our colon communicate with our nervous system? M. Maya Kaelberer of the University of Arizona explains this neurobiotic sense, suggesting that the microbes in our large intestine communicate with specialised sensory cells in the gut. These cells send signals up to our brain and regulate our appetite. So, who really decides when you're hungry? Is it you, or is it your microbiome?

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Imaan Moin with Alex Mansfield
Production Coordinator: Jana Bennet-Holesworth

(Image: Betelgeuse and Its Stellar Companion in Orion. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA Image Processing: M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))


THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz1p3d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqh5tp0)
Increase in sexual violence in Haiti

The medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres, has told the BBC that cases of sexual violence in Haiti have tripled in the last four years. One in five victims are under the age of eighteen. With gangs now controlling nearly all of the capital, Port au Prince, violence and insecurity are worsening. So far this year, more than four thousand people have been killed. A BBC team talking to survivors in the capital found women and children were the most affected by systematic rape, murder and arson.

Also in the programme: an American university agrees to a settlement with the Trump administration; and the death of a global wrestling icon.

(Photo: A damaged house stands after gangs torched homes in a residential area in Furcy, Haiti. CREDIT: REUTERS/Jean Feguens Regala)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz1svj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkr53x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz1xln)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d19m1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkr8w1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct75xw)
Trump clashes with US central bank chair on building site

President Donald Trump claims further renovation budget overruns adding pressure on US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. Roger Hearing hears reaction from Loretta Mester, the former Cleveland Fed President.

Profits plummet at LVMH, the makers of luxury champagne, jewellery and expensive handbags.

And as women’s football has been dominating the sporting agenda this week, both in Africa and Europe, we look at where women’s teams must compete for investment and coverage with the men.

FRIDAY 25 JULY 2025

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz21bs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ys8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkrdm5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 On the Podium (w3ct80jz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Thursday]


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz252x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs5m9929l2)
Trump clashes with US central bank chair over building renovation

President Donald Trump claims further renovation budget overruns, adding pressure on US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. Roger Hearing hears a reaction from Loretta Mester, the former Cleveland Fed President.

World’s largest fan convention, Comicon 2025 is kicking off in San Diego, which brings over $180 million into the city.

And as women’s football has been dominating the sporting agenda this week, both in Africa and Europe, we look at where women’s teams must compete for investment and coverage with the men.

Throughout the program, Roger will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world—Alexander Kaufman, award-winning reporter and the author of the newsletter Field Notes on Substack, who's in New York, and Mehmal Sarfraz, journalist and analyst, normally based in Lahore but currently in California.


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz28v1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d1nvf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkrn3f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zp0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz2dl5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74jh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz2jb9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d1xbp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkrwlp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp3)
Rāgas and Redemption: Alam Khan’s spiritual legacy

What does it mean to inherit a sacred tradition? Alam Khan was born into one of the most revered lineages in Indian classical music—his father, Ali Akbar Khan, was hailed as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century and brought the spiritually rich sarod and rāga music to the West. But Alam's journey has not been one of simple inheritance.

Presenter Rajeev Gupta follows Alam across California - from his father's grave to the family music school and into the quiet spaces where Alam seeks refuge. At the heart of this documentary is a deeply personal wrestle: growing up American, immersed in rock and hip-hop, Alam resisted the weight of legacy. But after his father's death, something changed. Going through his father’s recordings, he felt a cosmic calling - one that was more spiritual than familial.

Through intimate conversation and music, Alam explains the sacred philosophy behind Indian rāgas, where melody becomes a prayer and performance a form of spiritual alignment with the cosmos. But this is also a story of doubt, pressure, and the personal cost of carrying a spiritual tradition into the modern world. This is the story of a man finding peace in music, faith in legacy, and meaning in sound.

[Photo Description: (Left to Right) Rajeev Gupta and Alam Khan in front of a photo of Ali Akbar Khan, Photo Credit: Rajeev Gupta]

Producer/presenter: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz2n2f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8d1130)
US and Israel withdraw from Gaza ceasefire talks

As hunger in Gaza worsens, American and European attitudes to the situation there appear to be diverging. The US and Israel have pulled out of ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas for a failure to reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, President Macron has announced that France will recognise Palestinian statehood, a strong diplomatic rebuke to Israel. We'll explore whether that is likely to make any difference to events on the ground.

We'll also have more from Haiti, looking at the deteriorating humanitarian situation there.

(Photo: Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity kitchen, Gaza City, 25 July 2025; Credit: Reuters)


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz2rtk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8d14v4)
France to recognise Palestinian state in September

President Macron of France says that at the United Nations General Assembly in September his country will recognise a Palestinian state, becoming the first major western nation to do so.

The US has described it as reckless as, along with Israel, it also pulls it's negotiators from ceasefire talks with Hamas, with seemingly little progress on ending the fighting in Gaza.

Our correspondent joins us live from near the Thailand-Cambodia border where fighting has forced thousands of people from their homes.

Joining us from our business desk , Davina Gupta talks us though how things are looking for chip maker Intel, and it's plans to significantly reduce its workforce.

(Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron, Paris, France, 23 July 2025; Credit: Reuters)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz2wkp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsppy8d18l8)
French government to recognise Palestinian state

The French government says it will recognise a Palestinian state when the United Nations general assembly gathers in September. Israel and the US have criticised the announcement, but the move has been welcomed by Saudi Arabia and Hamas.

We continue our reporting on the critical situation in Haiti where a shortfall in aid from the US is compounding a disastrous security situation.

And in the US, President Trump and the head of the federal reserve, Jerome Powell, have clashed in public over building renovation costs.

(Photo: President Emmanuel Macron of France, Berlin, Germany, 23 July 2025; Credit: Reuters)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz309t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 Americast (w3ct7t5p)
Donald Trump’s mid-year review

We’ve now witnessed six months of Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. In that time he's dominated the world's media and international headlines, but how much has he actually achieved so far? And what could he improve on?

Today, Sarah and Justin are conducting a mid-year appraisal of the president with someone who knows him well - Marc Short, chief of staff to vice president Mike Pence during Trump’s first term.

HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor

GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
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• Or use #Americast

This episode was made by Tim Walklate, George Dabby, Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. 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.

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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including 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.

Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
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FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkscl6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rsb)
Business Daily meets: OYO CEO Ritesh Agarwal

The Indian billionaire speaks to Rahul Tandon about his journey from selling sim cards in a small Indian town to founding OYO, a global hospitality chain, at just 19.

A fellowship from US entrepreneur Peter Thiel gave Ritesh Agarwal $100,000 to pursue his start-up dreams. Despite rapid growth, OYO later faced serious challenges to its business. Now 31, the entrepreneur reflects on how he brought the company back from the brink.

If you'd like to contact the show, send an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rahul Tandon
Producer: Amber Mehmood

(Photo: Ritesh Agarwal, founder and chief executive officer of OYO Hotels and Homes, during the Mumbai Tech Week in Mumbai, India, in March 2025. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7442)
A Chorus Line

It's 50 years since theatre history was made - the premiere of A Chorus Line. It was seen as a seminal moment, turning the spotlight on the people who make the show for the first time.

Baayork Lee tells Josephine McDermott how she played Connie Wong in the original production. Like many of the first cast, her true life experiences made it into the show which was developed in workshops by director and choreographer Michael Bennett.

Baayork Lee describes “the buzz” the musical generated soon after opening in a small venue off Broadway on 21 May, 1975, with everyone from singer Diana Ross and former first lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis to comedian Groucho Marx vying for seats. Two months later on 27 July the show transferred to Broadway. It won nine Tony Awards and became one of the longest-running shows on Broadway.

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: A Chorus Line at the Shubert Theatre. Credit: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz341y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d2j2b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkshbb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz37t2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72w9)
The science of ageing

This week, Cameroon’s Paul Biya announced his plan to run for an 8th term as president at the grand old age of 92. So, we have elected to investigate the science of ageing.

First, we ask if a 60-year-old brain is as sharp as a 20-year-old one. Then, we find out about parts of the world that boast impressively long life expectancies. Have these places found the secret to longevity, or are they not what they seem?

Next up, we talk to Professor Thomas Boothby from the University of Wyoming about tiny, eight-legged animals called tardigrades, and what they could teach us about living longer.

We also dig into the story behind a recently uncovered ancient Peruvian city, before finding out the science behind so-called ‘old wives’ tales’.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Camilla Mota and Phillys Mwatee
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Lucy Davies and Robbie Wojciechowski


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz3ck6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d2rkl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjksqtl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz3h9b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wh3)
Outlook Mixtape: Women who dared

Today's Mixtape is a collection of historic firsts. The secret life of Eva B, Pakistan's first woman rapper; Meg Crane, an American who fought the system to create the first home pregnancy test; and Banu Mushtaq who as a child in India learnt a language usually taught to boys.

Eva B's music has reached millions and even been featured in a Marvel miniseries, but when she first started out, she was a teenager creating songs in her bedroom in Karachi - and doing it in secret. However, she soon found that being Pakistan's first female rapper was not an easy thing to hide.

In 1967 Meg Crane had the idea for a home pregnancy test - one that women could do themselves. Although her idea was dismissed, she continued to work on her prototype. The fight for recognition, and to finally get her design onto shelves, started on the day that she gatecrashed a meeting of male product designers. The only support in the room came from an advertising executive called Ira Sturtevant, who would change Meg's life forever.

Indian writer Banu Mushtaq made history in May when she won the International Booker prize for Heart Lamp, a collection of short stories translated from the Kannada language. Not only was this the first short story collection to win the coveted prize, but Banu was the first author writing in Kannada to win, she shared the prize with her translator Deepa Bhasthi. Growing up in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, she was the first girl in her area to learn Kannada in school - a language that, at the time, was taught only to boys. It was the start of a most unconventional life.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry

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

(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7442)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz3m1g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d301v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjksz9v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz3qsl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqh7wc6)
Thailand warns clashes with Cambodia could 'move towards war'

The Thai prime minister has warned that clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, which have killed at least 16 people and displaced tens of thousands in both countries, could "move towards war".

Also in the programme: The photographer in Gaza who took a powerful image of a mother and her malnourished baby; and on news of the death of US musician Chuck Mangione, we celebrate his beloved flugelhorn.

(Photo: People flee Cambodia due to the armed border conflict with Thailand, Oddar Meanchey Province 25 Jul 2025. Credit: Photo by Kith Serey/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz3vjq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 Americast (w3ct7t5p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkt6t3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76l7)
Thailand-Cambodia border: all trade between two countries is stopped

As a long running dispute over territory in Thailand and Cambodia escalates, we ask how trade between the two countries has been affected and how important it is to the economy of the region.

We are also looking at Volkswagen's fortunes, with both changing tariffs and new competition to deal with.

And how tech is helping to complete a 143 year construction project in Barcelona.

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


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz3z8v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtc5vdt)
Life in Gaza

As international warnings grow of starvation in Gaza, Israel has said it will allow other countries to airdrop aid into the territory. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates could reportedly start deliveries within days. Our our chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet joins us to look at the latest developments.

We bring together Gazan journalists covering the ongoing conflict, and also hear a conversation with health professionals in Gaza.

We speak to sports journalist about the legacy of wrestling star Hulk Hogan who died this week at the age of 71.

Presenter: Andrew Peach.

Photo: Palestinians gather as they carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, amid a hunger crisis, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz430z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w173067vvtc5z4y)
Cambodia and Thailand conflict explained

With Thailand warning that clashes with its neighbour Cambodia could lead to war, we're joined by our South East Asia Correspondent Jonathan Head, who explains what's behind the conflict.

We hear a conversation with health workers in Gaza about the ongoing hunger crisis.

We go through the latest developments in the US Justice Department's investigation into businessman and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Presenter: Andrew Peach

Photo: Evacuees at a Thai government evacuation centre, where they have been relocated due to clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers along the disputed border in Prasat District, Surin Province, Thailand, 25 July 2025. Credit: Photo by KAIKUNGWON DUANJUMROON/EPA/Shutterstock


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz46s3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wh3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7442)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz4bj7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d3qjm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjktpsm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z2y)
2025/07/25 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 (w172zwwqfsz4g8c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rmt)
The hidden pain of fibroids

When Oscar winning film star Lupita Nyong'o revealed on Instagram her decade long struggle with uterine fibroids it attracted almost a million likes. The post has sparked a global debate about a health problem that affects millions of women around the world but is rarely talked about.

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in the uterus, the medical term for a woman’s womb. Symptoms can be severe and include heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods and stomach pain.

Black and Asian women are more likely to be affected, and we bring together three women who share their experiences of living with the condition.

“A woman sitting across from you at work who’s smiling and having a conversation may be dying inside,” Sateria tells us. “She may be haemorrhaging, may be short of breath, may feel horrible and society has taught us that we should not reveal that agony.”

Treatment options for fibroids are limited, and many women are advised to have surgery to remove their uterus – known as a hysterectomy. That means they will no longer be able to have children. We bring together three women to discuss the stigma they have experienced as a result.

Presenter: Iqra Farooq
BBC producers: Iqra Farooq, Laura Cress and Akwasi Sarpong
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham

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

(Photo: Ningrum, Ima and Wulan - three friends who support each other. Credit: Ima)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkttjr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6ssy)
Could technology improve our brains?

What comes to mind when you imagine the future of humanity? Could a computer make your mind more efficient? Enhance your cognition? Or cure a disorder you've been grappling with all your life? CrowdScience listener Mariana from Mexico hopes that one day technology will be able to help improve our brains. 

Presenter Alex Lathbridge seeks out some of these brain boosters, exploring emerging technologies in deep brain stimulation at City St George’s University of London in the UK. Professor Francesca Morgante and Dr Lucia Ricciard explain how they’re using technology to treat Parkinson’s.

And could brain technology help with even the most enigmatic elements of our minds? Dr Robert Hampson at Wake Forest University in the USA takes us through his research in restoring memory impairment.  

Along the way we interrogate the ethical implications of the breakneck speed of progress in brain augmentation research with researcher Anders Sandberg from the Institute of Future Studies in Sweden.   

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge 
Producer: Emily Bird 
Series Producer: Ben Motley


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz4l0h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zss5mqh8ql3)
Gaza whistleblower speaks of indiscriminate brutality against civilians

A US military veteran who worked for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has told the BBC he's never seen such brutality as that shown by Israeli soldiers and American contractors against starving civilians.

And Israel's ambassador to France tells Newshour a French decision to recognise a Palestinian state will damage international relations. We'll also hear from the Palestinian ambassador to the UN.

Also on the programme: some of Donald Trump's supporters, in Florida, answer questions about the president's links to Jeffrey Epstein; and a study of vast amounts of data showing strong links between air pollution and dementia.

(Photo: A child eats as displaced Palestinians gather outside the Sokar Charity Kitchen to receive limited food rations in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, 21 May 2025. Credit: EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz4prm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 Americast (w3ct7t5p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkv210)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwqfsz4thr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl5l0d46j4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxjwjkv5s4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76nh)
Wall Street ends another week at record highs

It's been a busy few weeks on Wall Street's financial market, as stock valuations are close to record levels. The S&P 500 index has hit a string of all-time peaks this month, while US corporate borrowing costs are nearing their lowest level in decades, and Nvidia became the first company worth $4 trillion.

The United States Treasury has lifted sanctions on several individuals and companies accused of supplying arms to Myanmar's military regime, leading to an outcry by human rights groups.

And with Donald Trump doing diplomacy on the golf course in Scotland—is doing business on the green a good thing?