SATURDAY 16 AUGUST 2025
SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxhd2d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72wd)
Why do we follow trends?
What's got rabbit-like ears, huge eyes, nine teeth and a demonic grin? It’s Labubu! These ugly-cute toys have gone viral online, largely thanks to social media’s trending machine. Their fame was previously limited to China and parts of Asia, but since 2024 their popularity has grown and the dolls can now be purchased in more than 30 countries round the world.
This week, the global demand for Labubu inspired us to play around with trend-based science. First up, we hear how the special sauce behind TikTok’s algorithm helps drive viral trends.
Next, we find out that humans are not the only ones that love a fad – chimpanzees are susceptible to them too!
We then discover what connects the hugely popular Beanie Baby toys of the 1990s with modern CubeSat exploration, thanks to aerospace engineer Professor James Cutler, from the University of Michigan.
Plus, we discuss a weird object thousands of light-years away that could lead to new physics.
And why do we find songs annoying after multiple listens?
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Godfred Boafo and Edd Gent
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Imaan Moin, Lucy Davies and Margaret Sessa Hawkins
SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxhhtj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs6q37hn9p)
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxhmkn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbh0l1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj5zv1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 02:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfq)
Vaccine study retraction request rejected
US Health Secretary RFK Jr’s call to retract a study on childhood vaccines is resisted by the journal. Also antibiotics get designed by AI, and a new way for stars to die.
A study focussing on Danish childhood vaccination data has attracted the US Secretary for Health’s anger, as RFK jr calls for the journal in which it was published, the Annals of Internal Medicine, to retract it. The Editor, Christine Laine, talk to Science in Action about the strengths and challenges of observational studies.
The cuts to prestigious US federal science funded research continue, as last week it was announced that $500 million funding for future mRNA vaccines would be withdrawn. Barney Graham, one of the pioneers in the field and prominent during the Covid vaccines, argues that the research will still happen, though maybe not in the US, as mRNA has become a fundamental area of global research.
Meanwhile, strides are being made in the field of synthetic biology as Jim Collins and colleagues at MIT and Harvard have used AI to design potentially viable antibiotics for two important drug-resistant superbugs. Previously, AI has been used to comb through libraries of known antibiotics. This study has gone a step further, and used generative AI to design new ones, that can then be synthesised using real chemicals. Though a long way from being prescribable drugs, the team think this could herald a new golden age of antibiotic development – something which has been lacking in recent decades.
Finally, it seems astronomers may have discovered a new way for a star to die, sort of. Supernova 2023zkd was seen to explode back in 2023, found by a team looking for odd events. It didn’t seem quite like normal supernovae, in that it took a bit longer to die down. Then the team looked back, and noticed that it had also been getting slowly brighter for almost a year. At 730 million light years away, in a galaxy far, far away, it also seemed to have been stripped of all its hydrogen and even stranger yet, appeared to have exploded twice. As Ashley Villar of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics explains, the almost unique observation fits with a model of the huge star getting closer to a black hole, the gravity of which may have disrupted the star enough to cause it to explode.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Ella Hubber with Alex Mansfield
Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Child getting a vaccine. Credit: Luis Alvarez via Getty Images)
SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxhr9s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wh6)
Outlook Mixtape: Indiana Jones, soccer grannies, and the £1 music deal
Four stories of people with tools for transformation, making their mark on the world around them.
Deborah Nadoolman Landis inherited the busy hands of her family's matriarchs, learning to knit from her grandmother and helping her mother put on plays for deaf children. During her childhood in New York City, she discovered how to turn everything from sheets, shower heads or chicken bones into costumes, a skill that later got her on Steven Spielberg's radar. The director asked her to work on his low-budget film, featuring a fedora-wearing, whip-wielding archaeologist named Indiana Jones. The movie turned out to be a blockbuster hit.
Pedro Niada built his family's dream home by hand on Robinson Crusoe island, 700 kilometres off the coast of Chile. The island's remote position meant there wasn't a hardware store on the island. Instead, he used materials from his surroundings: wood from the forest and cement made from beach sand. With its curved walls, the house looked like a giant wave. Just two years after construction was complete, a tsunami ripped their home from its foundations and swept it out to sea, but the shape of the house bought them precious time to escape their sinking home. Pedro had unknowingly engineered his family's survival.
Rebecca Ntsanwisi - affectionately known by her community in Limpopo, South Africa as Mama Beka - was on a serious health-kick. It was during her recovery from cancer when she discovered game-changing powers in the tips of her toes. The simple act of booting a ball back to a group of local boys led to her form her own team of elderly women in her area, called Vakhegula Vakhegula ("Grannies Grannies"). Although it took the grannies a while to master the basics, the team were asked to play in 2010's Veteran's Cup. Mama Beka went on to create the Soccer Grannies World Cup, an international tournament celebrating senior women in sports.
Simon Parkes turned a disused, crumbling building into one of London's most iconic concert halls. He started off as a budding gig goer, moving from the countryside to the city, in search of its live music scene. At just 23, he put his accountancy studies to the test, convincing the brewery who owned the dilapidated building to sell it to him for just one pound, in exchange for sales of beer once it was up and running. Over the next decade, Simon booked musical acts with social causes - such as the UK Miner's Strike, Artists United Against Apartheid and Nicaraguan solidarity - transforming the site into a cultural epicentre, where progressive political movements of the time found a home.
Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Elena Angelides
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)
SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct7445)
Pramoedya Ananta Toer: The banned author of Indonesia
In 1969, Indonesian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer was imprisoned without trial in the notorious labour camp on Buru Island. He spent 10 years there.
He is best known for his novels about the rise of Indonesian nationalism. He wrote much of his work in captivity. As he was denied pen and paper on the island, his most famous work, the Buru Quartet, began as oral storytelling. He narrated the stories to fellow prisoners until he was eventually allowed to write them down himself.
His powerful story is told through archive interviews. Produced and presented by Gill Kearsley.
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.
SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxhw1x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72wd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:06 today]
SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxhzt1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbhctf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj6c2f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 05:32 Dear Daughter (w3ct7zqt)
Bombs overhead
Firyal and her daughter were asleep when the Yemeni civil war reached their town in 2014. They woke up to the sound of bombs overhead – Firyal was terrified, but her daughter was looking at her for reassurance. What should she say?
Together, they fled their home. It was the start of a long journey, moving from place to place in search of safety and new opportunities. And Firyal is a single parent – the responsibility is all on her shoulders.
Firyal tells Namulanta about their new life in Malaysia, about the challenges of single motherhood in different places, and what she hopes for her daughter’s future.
Letter writer: Firyal
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 https://www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter
SAT 05:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zrz)
The referee who invented the red card
It was during the 1966 World Cup match between England and Argentina that one of England’s leading professional referees, Ken Aston, had an idea that would revolutionise football.
Aston, who was watching the game from the stands, was concerned over apparent language barriers between players and officials. His solution was to recommend referees be given red and yellow cards, as way of cautioning and if necessary, sending off a player.
Mike Lanchin has been speaking to Ken Aston’s son, Peter, and Ben van Maaren, a Dutch collector of refereeing memorabilia, including some of Aston’s personal papers. A CTVC production.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.
Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.
(Photo: Ken Ashton on the pitch in 1962. Credit: Alamy)
SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxj3k5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkrp84)
A review of the week with the latest news.
SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxj799)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkrt08)
A review of the week with the latest news.
SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxjc1f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkrxrd)
A review of the week with the latest news.
SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxjgsk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rmx)
Messages from Sudan's war
Few people in Sudan have been left untouched by the civil war. More than 150,000 people have died, 12 people million have been forced to leave their homes and millions face starvation.
The conflict broke out in April 2023 after a vicious struggle for power between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group – the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Today, the front lines are in the south and the western Darfur region.
We hear messages from people inside the besieged city of el-Fasher and bring together displaced families in conversation to share their experiences.
“It was terrifying, the bombing and shelling over our heads,” Isra tells us. “We’re still struggling for safety and basic necessities of life – food and clean water,” adds Abdalrashid.
The medical charity Doctors Without Borders has warned that Sudan also faces the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years. Representatives from aid agencies tell us how they are struggling to reach people most in need.
Presenter: Andrew Peach
BBC producers: Anjolaoluwa Olosunde and Isabella Bull
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the OS team.
(Photo: A Sudanese cholera patient looks on as he lies on a bed at a United Nations-Run makeshift clinic, in Tawila north Darfur, Sudan, August 5, 2025. Credit: Mohammed Jamal/Reuters)
SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj6v1y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 09:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z54)
Ashes in a bottle and a new approach to death
How an act of neighbourly love - and comforting food - helped heal deep wounds: your responses to a Facebook post that reached millions. Plus, an AI future vision (you might call a dystopia) that is fascinating YouTube viewers, The Happy Pod explores the story of a woman's ashes sent to travel the world, and a rebirth in the way we deal with death.
SAT 09:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvn)
Over to You
Talk back to the BBC and challenge the programme makers.
SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxjljp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct7z0m)
A left-field look at the Premier League
Could there be a bigger contrast? As the richest soccer league in the world, the English Premier League, gets it new season underway we are on the streets of Oslo meeting the players of the Homeless World Cup and how they are using soccer to turn their lives around. David Duke is the chief executive and founder of Street Soccer Scotland, the charity which transforms lives through football. Fourteen years ago, he was sleeping rough and living in hostels when he saw an advertisement for Homeless World Cup. He was selected to represent his country and three years later, in 2007, he managed the Scottish team who lifted the trophy.
Have you, or your child got what it takes to be a Premier League footballer? The fact is that most players are recruited by the age or 8. So how can you spot who is going to make it to the top at such a young age? Chris Robinson knows, he spent twelve year as part of the recruitment team at Chelsea’s academy. He tells us what it's like trying to spot talent, the massive names he helped find, and some he rejected but that went on to become world class.
For Keith Salmon going to watch his beloved Liverpool is about more than just the game. For him it’s about friendship and community
Keith's is a story about so much more than just supporting the champions home and away, it's about what the sport of football gives him and his family
In May 2012, Manchester City won their first Premier League title with a nail-biting injury time victory in the last game of the season. In a goal that made football history, Argentine striker Sergio Agüero rocketed the ball past the QPR keeper in the 94th minute. We hear from former Manchester City defender Micah Richards about his memories of the match.
Photo: A detailed view of the Premier League trophy, dressed in red ribbons, prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield on May 25, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (CREDIT: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxjq8t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbj396)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj72k6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 11:32 The Interview (w3ct7x09)
Captain Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 commander.
Captain Jim Lovell, commander of the doomed Apollo 13 space mission to the Moon. Jim, who died this month at the age of 97, tells how he helped guide his stricken craft safely back to Earth after it suffered a near catastrophic explosion in an interview first broadcast in April 2020 on the BBC series 13 Minutes to the Moon. He talks to Kevin Fong about the doomed Nasa mission, from the shocking moment of the explosion to the enormous relief of splashdown. Lovell shares the story of the lunar landmark he named in honour of his wife. And he reflects on survival, the global impact of Apollo 13, and what it meant to finally come back to Earth.
(Image: Jim Lovell, Credit: Nasa)
SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxjv0y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct80hj)
Ghost cities FC
James Montague tells the story of two refugee football clubs - who once played in the same Soviet league - but whose fortunes have waxed and waned during thirty years of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno Karabakh. As Qarabag FK prepares to return to the city their people fled from, Lernayin Artsakh FC prepares for a life of exile, both clubs now avatars for a seemingly intractable conflict in the Caucuses.
SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxjys2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zss6qjfp3bp)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxk2j6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqn1365pwn)
Live Sporting Action
Katie Smith presents commentary from the Stadium of Light as Sunderland end their eight year wait for a return to the top-flight at home to West Ham United.
Former West Ham winger Matt Jarvis and former Spurs defender Stephen Kelly are on our Sportsworld team to discuss the week’s big talking points on the opening Saturday of the English Premier League season. We’ll have updates of Burnley’s trip to Tottenham, and Brighton against Fulham. Plus, there’ll be reaction to the early game between Aston Villa and Newcastle, and defending champions Liverpool start to the season against Bournemouth.
We’ll also be in Spain as La Liga gets underway for the new season and France where Paris Saint Germain start their campaign for a fifth consecutive title. With less than a week to go to before it gets underway, we’ll look ahead to the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Image: Luke O'Nien of Sunderland lifts The Sky Bet Championship Play-Off trophy after his team's victory and subsequent promotion to the Premier League following the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final match between Sheffield United and Sunderland at Wembley Stadium on May 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxkkhq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbjyj3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj7xs3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 18:32 Dear Daughter (w3ct7zqt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:32 today]
SAT 18:50 More or Less (w3ct6vz7)
How weird was the Med Sea heatwave?
In early July, the Mediterranean Sea experienced a marine heatwave. The surface of the water reached temperatures of 30 degrees in some places.
A social media post at the time claimed that some of these sea temperatures were so different to the normal sea temperature at this time of year, that the sea was experiencing a “1-in-216,000,000,000-year sea temperature anomaly”.
This would suggest that the likelihood of the event was on a timescale far longer than the amount of time the entire universe has existed.
Is the claim true? Dr Jules Kajtar, a physical oceanographer from the National Oceanography Centre, takes a look at the statistics.
We heard about this story because a listener spotted it and emailed the team. Get in touch if you’ve seen a number you think we should look at. moreorless@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Lizzy McNeill
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Sound mix: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon
SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxkp7v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 19:06 BBC Proms on the World Service (w3ct80h4)
From Dark till Dawn
A chance to experience the Proms’ main home, the Royal Albert Hall in London, at its most magical: we’ll sample a series of performances extending from midnight to beyond the dawn chorus. Among the performers are the dynamic Norwegian ensemble Barokksolistene who create a tavern-like mood with traditional songs and dances, the Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino who makes his Proms debut with his own arrangement of Ravel’s Bolero for two pianos, and the aptly-named singer-songwriter Sleeping at Last.
Rajan Datar and Alice Farnham introduce this BBC Proms concert.
Broadcast programme:
Trad. – Three folk tunes
Performers: Barokksolistene, Mamelukk, Bjarte Eike violin/director
Eleanor Daley - Grandmother Moon
Ivo Antognini - Come To Me
Performers: Pembroke College Chapel Choir, Anna Lapwood conductor
Ravel, arr. Sumino – Bolero
Performer: Hayato Sumino
Radiohead, arr. Sumino & Kobekina - Like Spinning Plates
Performers: Anastasia Kobekina and Hayato Sumino
Keita - Bamba, the Light of Touba
Performers: Seckou Keita, Mohamed Gueye, 12 Ensemble
Sleeping At Last - North
Performers: Sleeping At Last, Pembroke College Chapel Choir
(Photo: Hayato Sumino at the 2025 BBC Proms. Credit: BBC/Mark Allan)
SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxkszz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztm)
Celine Song discusses Materialists
Nikki Bedi speaks to Celine Song, the South Korean-born Canadian director and writer behind Past Lives, about her latest movie Materialists, starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. In this extended interview, Song discusses drawing on her own experience working as a matchmaker and making playlists for her characters.
She also speaks Emmy-nominated Salvadoran-American comedian, writer and film maker Julio Torres about his new stand up show Color Theory which he has brought to London’s Soho Theatre.
Plus critic and podcaster Murtada Elfadl joins to give his take on the week’s cultural talking points, from Jamie Lee Curtis in Freakier Friday to why the British original of The Office is superior to the American version of the sitcom.
Producer: Ciaran Bermingham
SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxkxr3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zss6qjfq29q)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxl1h7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 22:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct7z0m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 today]
SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxl57c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbkk7r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj8jhr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 23:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72d8)
This is Africa
DJ Edu’s pan-African music show for the BBC World Service.
SUNDAY 17 AUGUST 2025
SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxl8zh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:06 on Saturday]
SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj8n7w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct80hh)
Birding the gender gap
During the annual World Series of Birding in New Jersey, US, teams compete to see who can identify the most bird species in 24 hours. For team Galbatross the goal is different and much harder - they only identify female birds. This self-imposed restriction is a form of activism, calling into question centuries of ornithology that has focused primarily on male birds, with their bright plumage, elaborate dances, and loud songs.
We follow team Galbatross as they attempt to break their own record for the most female birds spotted during the World Series of Birding. Along the way, we hear from scientists and birders alike about how we got where we are, and how expanding science to be more inclusive of species of all genders can change our perspective on ourselves and the environment.
SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxldqm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 01:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722x)
How are drones changing the landscape of modern warfare?
When the war in Ukraine began back in February 2022, the remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle or drone as its commonly known, was peripheral to the conflict. But three years on, the drone in all its shapes and sizes has taken on a central role in this battle, in the air, on land and at sea, for surveillance, reconnaissance, combat and other purposes. Now drone technology is evolving even further into the area of autonomous weapons.
But whilst the drone can offer greater strategic and operational flexibility and a possible reduction in the number of military casualties, there are concerns that the drone, particularly in Ukraine’s case, has prolonged the war.
Only last year the United Nations reported that 118 countries now had military drones, along with at least 65 non-state actors. And as an increasing number of countries have begun to manufacture and export their own array of military drones, many are concerned about how drone technology is presenting a big challenge in terms of defensive measures.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘How are drones changing the landscape of modern warfare?
Contributors:
James Patton Rogers, Author and Executive Director, Brooks Tech Policy Institute, Cornell University, New York State, USA.
Dr Oleksandra Molloy, Senior Lecturer in Aviation, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia
Stacie Pettyjohn, Director of the Defence Programme, Centre for A New American Security, Washington DC. USA.
Dr. Elke Schwarz, Professor of Political Theory, Queen Mary University, London, UK
Presenter: Gary O’Donoghue
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Toby James
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Image credit SOPA via Getty Images
SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj8s00)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 01:32 Dear Daughter (w3ct7zqt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:32 on Saturday]
SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zrz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:50 on Saturday]
SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxljgr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbkxh4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj8wr4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjp)
How plastic harms health
As negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty are due to conclude at the United Nations, we check in on whether health is on the agenda with Dr Cressida Bowyer, Associate Professor in Arts and Sustainability from the University of Portsmouth in the UK who is at the conference.
We also hear from John Chweya, a Kenyan waste picker, who has seen the impacts of plastic waste firsthand and delve into the scientific evidence about how plastic harms health with Dr Stephanie Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology at Imperial College London.
25 years on from the SuperAgers research project being established, we catch up with lead investigator Sandra Weintraub who is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg Mesulam Institute to find out what factors link these age-defying brains.
Claudia and BBC Health Reporter Philippa Roxby have a go at conch blowing as there is new research saying it might help the breathing disorder obstructive sleep apnoea.
Plus, research into the relationship between a covid-19 infection and RSV in children.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett
SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxln6w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct80hj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxlrz0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trt)
Afghanstan's hidden lives
Pascale Harter introduces stories from Afghanistan, China and Tajikistan.
In Afghanistan's Ghor Province, Mahjooba Nowrouzi reports from a small maternity hospital where two female doctors serve thousands of patients. With limited resources and financial support, the odds are stacked against them - and against the women they tend to and treat.
Last year, BBC Radio 4’s Crossing Continents aired the award-winning documentary ‘Our Whole Life is a Secret’, which charted the daily life of a young Afghan woman. In this dispatch, she provides an update on her life today, four years after the Taliban returned to power.
In Beijing, pro-democracy campaigners regularly face surveillance and restrictions on their movement. Among them is human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, who was arrested in 2015 and imprisoned for 'subverting state power'. Danny Vincent heard about his life since his release.
In the Tajikistan the endangered striped hyena is fighting for survival. Tajik conservationists have been working hard to save this elusive and much misunderstood animal. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent met them on a trek into the mountains.
Image: An Afghan burqa-clad woman walks along a street in Kandahar. (Photo by SANAULLAH SEIAM/AFP via Getty Images)
SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj947d)
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SUN 04:32 On the Podium (w3ct80k2)
Marit Bouwmeester: Perfection and parenthood
Marit Bouwmeester is the most decorated female sailor in Olympic history, winning medals at four consecutive Games, including two golds. She credits her success to the mental strength she amassed over the course of two decades, committing herself to constant improvement, and succeeding where people she regarded as more talented failed.
But has becoming a mother changed the way she sees sport and the world?
Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry talk to Marit about how she worked to build a champion's mentality, including deliberately using worse equipment in her training to force her to improve her skills, and how difficult it can be to pursue perfection in a sport where so many factors can be out of your control. She also reveals why she doesn't keep her medals at home, and shares her thoughts on the future of sailing - and how her sport has brought her face-to-face with the climate crisis.
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.
SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxlwq4)
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SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbl8qj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj97zj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct80hh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:32 today]
SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxm0g8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkvl57)
A review of the week with the latest news.
SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxm46d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkvpxc)
A review of the week with the latest news.
SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxm7yj)
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SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkvtnh)
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SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmcpn)
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SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 today]
SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj9qz1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yt)
Garlic: Food or medicine?
From ancient Egyptian pyramid builders to French chefs, garlic has been prized, feared, and even used to ward off evil. In this episode, Rumella Dasgupta explores garlic’s journey through history and across cultures - from its medicinal roots and rich folklore to its starring role in kitchens worldwide. Featuring chefs, historians, and dietitians, we uncover how this pungent bulb became a global favourite - and ask the ultimate question: is garlic really good for us?
Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Image: A bulb of garlic split in half to reveal cloves Credit: Getty
SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmhfs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct80hl)
Speaking out
Communication is a human right - but what happens when someone can’t speak for themselves?
Sean Allsop struggled to talk until he was eight years old, when he began to speak thanks to years of speech therapy. He explores the technologies and innovations helping people around the world who struggle to communicate.
We meet Richard Cave, National Advisor at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, as he introduces a patient and their family to voice banking, a method that preserves someone's voice before it's lost, using recordings to create a personalised synthetic version. He explains why having your own voice is a major part of your identity.
In the United States, we hear from people trialling a brain chip that turns neural signals into speech. It's still in its early stages, but how close are we to seeing this kind of technology more widely available for those who would benefit from it? A child-friendly robot made in Luxembourg is teaching children with communication difficulties how to express emotions and build social skills. And in San Cesareo, Italy, the simplest solutions can sometimes prove the most effective. The town has introduced AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) sign boards in public spaces, helping both users and non-users learn and connect.
Image: A student pointing at an image on an AAC sign board (Credit: Eleonora Vallerotonda)
SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj9vq5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70t9)
The Fifth Floor
Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the fifth floor of Broadcasting House, home to the BBC’s Language Services.
SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmm5x)
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SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbm069)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj9zg9)
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SUN 11:32 Dear Daughter (w3ct7zqt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:32 on Saturday]
SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6vz7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:50 on Saturday]
SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmqy1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 12:06 BBC Proms on the World Service (w3ct80h4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:06 on Saturday]
SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmvp5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zss6qjfs07s)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmzf9)
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SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7027)
Is Brazil doing enough to protect the Amazon?
This week Host Graihagh Jackson grabs a chat with the BBC’s correspondents in two countries that will shape our future climate.
Brazil is about to host the giant COP climate conference in the Amazon, but the pace of reducing deforestation has just slowed and there are concerns about potentially weaker environmental standards. Ione Wells in Sao Paulo also talks Graihagh through proposals for oil exploration in the mouth of the rainforest.
Plus, China has just started work on the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam. It’s a huge 167-billion dollar project to bring power from Tibet to Hong Kong. The dam will increase Beijing’s use of renewable energy, but comes with a potential environmental cost, as well as the risk of creating tension with China’s neighbours. Laura Bicker gives us some staggering facts and figures about the dam – as well as an explanation of how fish can use “ladders”.
Got a climate question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721
Presenter: Graihagh Jackson with Jordan Dunbar
Producer: Diane Richardson
Production Co-Ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Sound Engineers: Dafydd Evans and Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts
SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbjbbpp)
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SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tym)
Positive news stories
SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxn35f)
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SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqn1368qjw)
Live Sporting Action
The English Premier League is back this weekend, and Sportsworld on Sunday has full commentary of the blockbuster meeting between Manchester United and Arsenal. Both sides have spent big during the summer and will look to make a flying start to the new campaign.
John Bennett looks ahead to the game with our Sportsworld fans panel, while the former DR Congo defender Gabriel Zakuani joins after the game to look back over all the weekend’s action.
Spain’s La Liga also starts this weekend, and is the focus on EuroStars. We’ll also keep across the Cincinnati Open tennis and the latest from the African Nations Championship.
Image: Declan Rice of Arsenal battles for possession with Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on March 09, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxnl4y)
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SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbmz5b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbjbyfb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 19:32 The Interview (w3ct7x09)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Saturday]
SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxnpx2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72wd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:06 on Saturday]
SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxntn6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zss6qjfsz6t)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxnydb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 22:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7027)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:06 today]
SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbjc9nq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 22:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z54)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:32 on Saturday]
SUN 22:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:50 on Saturday]
SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxp24g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbng4v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbjcfdv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 23:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70t9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:32 today]
MONDAY 18 AUGUST 2025
MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxp5wl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbjck4z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 00:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 on Saturday]
MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6t4ww)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712msjx8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblthj58)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6sw9)
The Life Scientific: Liz Morris
A frozen, white world at the far-reaches of the globe, where you're surrounded by snow and silence, might sound rather appealing. Factor in temperatures that drop to -57°C and a few of us might be put off - but for glaciologist Liz Morris, that's very much her happy place.
Liz is an Emeritus Associate at the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute, and was among the first British women scientists to work on the planet’s coldest continent, Antarctica. Over the course of her career, Liz has gathered vital data on polar ice sheets and how they’re affected by climate change. She's also made numerous research trips across the Greenland Ice Shelf, and has a glacier named after her in Antarctica.
In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Liz discusses her fascination with glaciers and ice - and explains her unwavering determination to break into what was once a heavily male-dominated field.
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor
Reversion for World Service by Minnie Harrop
MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6t8n0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712msnnd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblthmxd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6st1)
How long does light last?
When listener Rob from Devon, UK, heard of a newly detected planet light years away, he was struck by the sheer scale the light must travel to reach us here on Earth. It got him wondering: How long does light last? What’s the oldest light we’ve ever observed? And does light ever die?
To find out, presenter Anand Jagatia calls on some of the brightest minds in astronomy and physics.
Astronomer Matthew Middleton from the University of Southampton describes himself as “a kid in a sweet shop” when it comes to physics, and that enthusiasm comes in handy, because scientists still struggle to define exactly what light is. What we do know is that light comes in many forms, and choosing the right kind can peel back the cosmic curtain, revealing the universe’s deepest and darkest secrets. That knowledge will prove vital in Anand’s search for the oldest light ever observed.
At the European Southern Observatory in Chile, staff astronomer Pascale Hibon gives Anand a behind-the-scenes look at the Very Large Telescope, one of the most advanced optical instruments on Earth, perfectly placed under some of the clearest skies on the planet. Light from the objects Pascale studies has often travelled for billions of years, making her images snapshots of the distant past. In a sense, she’s pretty much a time traveller.
If light has crossed the vastness of the universe to reach us, it must be unimaginably ancient. But what will become of it in the far future? Could we trap it and preserve it forever?
“If we knew what light is, that might be an easier question to answer,” says Miles Padgett at the University of Glasgow, who has spent his career trying to pin it down. As Anand discovers, physics can be more philosophical than you might expect.
From redshifted galaxies at the edge of the observable universe to exotic materials that can slow light to walking pace, CrowdScience explores whether we can catch light, how it changes over time, and why truly understanding it remains one of physics’ most stubborn challenges.
Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Harrison Lewis
Editor: Ilan Goodman
(Image: An area of deep space with thousands of galaxies in various shapes and sizes on a black background. Most are circles or ovals, with a few spirals. More distant galaxies are smaller, down to being mere dots, while closer galaxies are larger and some appear to be glowing. Red and orange galaxies contain more dust or more stellar activity Credit:ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Östlin, P. G. Perez-Gonzalez, J. Melinder, the JADES Collaboration, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb))
MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6tdd4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct80hl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblthrnj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 03:32 Pick of the World (w3ct7z54)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:32 on Saturday]
MON 03:50 Over to You (w3ct6xvn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:50 on Saturday]
MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6tj48)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712msx4n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblthwdn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct7091)
How to be a confident woman
While confidence is widely understood as important, actually building and maintaining it can feel like an impossible task. A comedian from New Zealand and a body positive writer, speaker and influencer from the UK tell Datshiane Navanayagam about how they grew their self-confidence and give advice for others on how to get it.
Megan Jayne Crabbe is a British bestselling author, presenter and body confidence advocate known for helping people improve their relationship with their bodies. She produces empowering content around body positivity, mental health and feminism which is shared with her more than 1.3 million social media followers. Her latest book is called We Don't Make Ourselves Smaller Here, which explores what we can do to live life as our fullest, boldest and most confident selves.
Alice Snedden from New Zealand is a comedian and television actor, director and writer renowned for her confidence. Alice studied law at university but never practiced it. The night before she was admitted to the bar, Alice performed her first stand-up comedy set and never looked back. Television shows she has been involved with include Alice Snedden's Bad News, Starstruck and Break Clause.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Alice Snedden courtesy Avalon. (R) Megan Jayne Crabbe credit Kiran Gidda.)
MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6tmwd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbms0wz)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6trmj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbms4n3)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6twcn)
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MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbms8d7)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6v03s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzz)
Giuseppe Lavazza: coffee is a big responsibility
Coffee is a big responsibility
Julia Caesar speaks to Giuseppe Lavazza, chairman of coffee giant Lavazza, about the multiple challenges facing the industry today.
Many people around the world say they can’t function without their morning cup of coffee. In fact, global coffee consumption has been steadily rising with around two billion cups of coffee consumed every day. This growth is driven by rising demand in emerging markets like China and India, as well as the popularity of specialty and cold coffee beverages.
However, the industry itself is facing major challenges, including an increase in the cost of raw materials due to changing weather patterns, growing concerns over geopolitical instability impacting shipping routes, and economic uncertainty due to tariffs.
The coffee market, which was valued at approximately $495.5 billion in 2023, is a far cry from when Lavazza coffee was first established nearly a century ago in Turin, Italy.
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: Julia Caesar
Producers: Lucy Sheppard and Ben Cooper
Editor: Nick Holland
Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.
(Image: Giuseppe Lavazza. Credit: Jaimi Joy/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltjcd5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rxz)
The feud between Trump and the Fed
Does a row between one of the world's most powerful politicians, and one of the world's most powerful bankers, have real consequences for the global economy?
We look at the showdown between US President Donald Trump and the head of the US central bank, Jerome Powell, who was appointed by President Trump in 2017 during his first term. We’ll hear how the relationship appears to have broken down - and try and work out what happens next.
If you'd like to email the programme, email businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Matt Lines
Business Correspondent in New York: Erin Delmore
(Picture: US President Donald Trump with Jerome Powell at the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion headquarters renovation project, on 24 July 2025, in Washington, DC. President Trump has been critical of the cost of the renovations. Credit: Getty Images)
MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct746g)
Spot the Dog
In 1978, British artist Eric Hill designed an interactive book about a yellow puppy for his two-year-old son, Chris.
Eric had noticed Chris kept lifting up the paper he was working on to see what was underneath and it inspired him to come up with a new format for a children’s book - lift-the-flap.
Since Where’s Spot? was published in 1980, more than 65 million copies of Spot books have been sold worldwide, in more than 60 languages.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Eric’s son, Chris Hill.
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: Eric Hill with Spot in 1984. Credit: Ted Bath / Daily Express / Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6v3vx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mthw9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltjh49)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6st1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6v7m1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71w4)
Indonesian history
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.
Our guest is Dr Anne-Lot Hoek, a research fellow at the International Institution of Social History in Amsterdam.
This week, we’re looking at key moments in Indonesian history, as the country marks 80 years since independence.
We start by hearing about the writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who wrote Buru Quartet while imprisoned in the notorious labour camp on Buru island.
Then, the reopening of the worlds’ largest Buddhist monument after major restoration work.
Plus, 50 years since the Santa Cruz massacre, when Indonesian troops opened fire on independence activists.
Also, Jakarta’s ban on the use of dancing monkeys on the city’s streets.
And, the discovery of a new species of human.
Contributors:
Pramoedya Ananta Toer - archive recordings of the writer.
Werdi – one of the workers on the project.
Dr Anne-Lot Hoek - research fellow at the International Institution of Social History in Amsterdam.
Max Stahl - archive recordings of the British cameraman.
Femke den Haas – animal rights activist.
Peter Brown - Australian paleoanthropologist.
(Photo: Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Credit: Reuters)
MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6vcc5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mtrck)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltjqmk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 11:32 The Conversation (w3ct7091)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6vh39)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wq0)
Outlook
True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.
MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct746g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6vlvf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mtzvt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltjz3t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 13:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6st1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6vqlk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zss72sqzw55)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6vvbp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltk6m2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76qw)
First broadcast 18/08/2025 14:32 GMT
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6vz2t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 16:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wlxv6s)
2025/08/18 15:06 GMT
BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.
MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6w2ty)
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MON 17:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wlxyyx)
2025/08/18 16:06 GMT
BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.
MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6w6l2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct746g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6wbb6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mvqbl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltkpll)
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MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z5b)
2025/08/18 GMT
BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.
MON 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6wg2b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 on Sunday]
MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltktbq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6swb)
The Life Scientific: Neil Lawrence
When you think of Artificial Intelligence, does it inspire confidence, or concern?
Although it's now generally accepted that this technology will play a major role in our future, a lot of conversations around AI and machine learning come back to the argument over us losing control and robots taking over.
Happily, Neil Lawrence has a more optimistic view of the power of AI, and how we might navigate the potential pitfalls. Neil is the DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge, and over the course of his career has been involved in deploying AI and machine learning in both academic and commercial scenarios, with a stint at Amazon as well as working across fields as varied as movie animation, Formula 1 strategy, and medical research.
Speaking with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Neil says ultimately his efforts are all about making a difference to our everyday lives - and that we need to learn how to embrace AI, albeit with a healthy dollop of scepticism; not least when it comes to how our data is used, and the power of 'the digital oligarchy'...
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor
Reversion for World Service by Minnie Harrop
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TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rbx)
Europe’s migrant crisis: the truck that shocked the world
In the summer of 2015 tens of thousands of people left their homes in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq in the hope of finding a safe haven in Europe. The journeys they took were often hazardous and not everyone reached their destination. In one of the most notorious cases, 71 migrants were found dead in the back of a refrigerated truck on a motorway in Austria. They had all suffocated. Could this tragedy have been prevented? For Assignment, Nick Thorpe speaks to two of the people smugglers who are now serving life sentences in a Bulgarian prison. He visits a man in northern Iraq who lost his younger brother and two children aboard the truck and asks the police in Hungary if they could have acted sooner.
Producer: Tim Mansel
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(Image: On a motorway near Parndorf, Austria, forensic police officers inspect the truck in which 71 migrants were found dead. Credit: Reuters/Heinz-Peter Bader)
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TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtr)
The Herds
A vast herd of life-size puppet animals travel from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle, fleeing the effects of climate change.
Following their project The Walk with Little Amal, in which a 13-foot puppet visited 17 countries to draw attention to the vast numbers of children fleeing war, violence, and persecution, former artistic director of the Young Vic David Lan and celebrated Palestinian theatre director Amir Nizar Zuabi have created a new global project: The Herds. Concerned with raising awareness of climate change, it’s inspired by the notion that animals are the first to sense environmental disaster and respond alarmingly.
International artists, arts organisations, and educational institutions united across Africa and Europe between April and August 2025 to present The Herds in cities in 18 countries. The animals, designed in Cape Town by the Ukwanda Puppet Collective and replicated by partners along the route, reflect the countries through which they passed.
The 42 company puppeteers come from 19 countries, including Australia, Russia, France, the UK, Canada, Norway, Nigeria, Chile, Greece and China. In each city, local volunteers join The Herds for a few days and are trained as puppeteers.
We catch up with The Herds on the streets of Venice, Paris, London and Manchester.
Location sound and post production by Giovanni Sipiano.
Original music by Kling Klang Klong and Co and Miiqo Studios, Berlin.
Presented and produced by Roger James Elsgood.
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A washing machine solution
British Sikh engineer, Navjot Sawhney gave up his lucrative career to go and work in India, to use his skills to help solve problems for rural communities. While there, he became fascinated with the problems his neighbour, Divya, was facing while handwashing clothes, sometimes for up to three hours a day.
Broadcaster and journalist Nkem Ifejika finds out how Nav promised to design a hand crank, off-grid washing machine for his neighbour, to help her avoid the sore joints, aching limbs, and irritated skin she got from her daily wash.
Within two years of coming up with the idea, Nav had set up his own company, The Washing Machine Project, and trialled his first machine in a refugee camp in Iraq. From that first trip, over five years ago, the project has now provided nearly a thousand machines, free to the users in poorer communities and refugee camps, in eleven countries around the world.
Nkem hears how seven years on, Nav fulfilled his promise to return to India with a machine for his neighbour, Divya.
The Washing Machine Project is now partnered with the Whirlpool Foundation, the social corporate responsibility arm of the company that designed the first electric domestic machine over 100 years ago, and together they hope to impact 150,000 people over the next five years.
Nkem asks if a project like this can really make a difference, given that roughly five billion people still wash their clothes by hand.
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TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s70)
Is cybercrime the biggest threat to business?
Cyberattacks are on the rise, with retail, banking, and airline industries all targeted in recent months. The cost to the economy is huge and thought to be worth billions of dollars.
As businesses scramble to stay secure, we investigate the ransomware gangs behind the breaches and the experts working to stop them.
If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Sam Gruet
Producer: Megan Lawton
(Picture: Back of hacker sitting in front of some computer screens. Credit: Getty Images)
TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74n1)
One man’s escape from McCarthyism
In 1951, at the height of the McCarthy era, a time when the US government pursued suspected communists, Victor Grossman was drafted into the army. A committed communist since his teens, he hid his political beliefs.
Stationed in West Germany and under FBI scrutiny, he faced the threat of a possible court martial. To avoid prison, he fled to the Soviet Union in 1952, swimming across the Danube River.
Victor tells Lizzy Kinch about his dramatic escape and life in East Germany. A Whistledown production.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
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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: Victor Grossman. Credit: Victor Grossman)
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TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zp4)
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TUE 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76bf)
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WED 04:32 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle (w3ct80bn)
The Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle: 5. Space truck
President Ronald Reagan declares the space shuttle open for business. It’s Independence Day 1982. And we’re in the sweltering Mojave desert of California.
Carrying commercial satellites into orbit is one of the shuttle’s jobs. But things start to go wrong for the astronauts when a $75-million satellite is lost in space.
And that’s just the start of a series of unfortunate events. Can they fix it and prove the space shuttle’s worth?
Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects.
13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the 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:
Ronald Reagan declares Space Shuttle open for business, Reagan Library, 1982
The story of satellite WESTAR 6 and Palapa, CBS News, 1986
STS 41-B coverage, CBS News and KTRH News, 1984
Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office
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WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6scj)
Denmark's "burp tax"
Farmers in Denmark are getting ready for an ambitious new scheme that will transform the country's landscape from 2030.
As well as giving land back to nature, the Green Tripartite Agreement will see farmers taxed on the greenhouse gas emissions coming from livestock - the first country in the world to do so.
Animals like cattle, sheep and pigs release the greenhouse gas methane as part of their digestive processes. Will the tax push up the price of food as some fear, and put farmers out of business? Or is it a model that other countries can and should follow?
Plus - we meet Hilda, the Scottish calf bred to emit lower levels of methane.
if you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presented and produced by Lexy O'Connor
(Picture: Calves - including Hilda - in a shed.)
WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74q9)
The book that changed Norway’s view of immigrants
In 2010, a book came out in Norway that transformed the way people looked at paperless immigrants. The author, a 25-year-old Russian woman, fled North Ossetia as a child with her parents. They were never granted asylum, yet she managed to earn a university degree and eventually had to make a choice: continue living in hiding or face deportation.
Her book triggered a government crisis and a change to Norway's immigration regulations. Lars Bevanger speaks to the author, Maria Amelie.
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.
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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: Maria Amelie. Credit: BBC)
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12:06 on Saturday]
THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww72vm5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs72ck303b)
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww72zc9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n2ccp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltsbmp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct81nr)
White Coats Vs The White House
What is going on with US science? Science Journalist Roland Pease asks whether the rounds of cuts, reorganisations and political strong-arming can be weathered, and how they will likely affect us all.
80 years after Vannevar Bush proposed what became the pact between government and universities that led to decades of global scientific dominance, is the edifice being toppled?
Bush’s report “Science, The Endless Frontier” led to the unwritten pact between university scientists and government funding that underpinned US leadership until now. “Trust us with the money, we’ll give you the global scientific advantage”.
Today, US scientists fear the Trump administration is ripping up that agreement. Mandating what and what can’t be studied, who can study it, and re-defining expertise, government funded science in the US is being withered. The specialist agencies are either being closed down or defunded to the extent that many tens of thousands of government scientists are already unemployed. Multi-year experiments are being closed down uncompleted. Top universities are besieged by mandates on who and how they hire, tied to their future funding. Data streams that benefit researchers around the globe are being switched off. Even definitions of what counts as evidence are being re-drafted.
Science is a complex, interwoven and international activity. The administration's declared aim is "Restoring Gold Standard Science", but scientific bodies fear its actions will cede global leadership to China, and that the whole world may be poorer.
Can the coming storm be weathered, even if we can no longer predict it?
Produced by Alex Mansfield
Written and Presented by Roland Pease
THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww7333f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Wednesday]
THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74q9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww736vk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n2lvy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltsl3y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yv)
The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.
THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73blp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn1qm8)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73gbt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn1vcd)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73l2y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn1z3j)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73pv2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722y)
Can Indonesia afford free lunches?
Children in Indonesia are now receiving free school meals — part of a bold new plan by President Prabowo Subianto to tackle malnutrition.
Around one in five children in the country are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age.
The lunch programme is central to Prabowo’s vision of a “Golden Indonesia” – a prosperous, high-income nation by 2045.
But not everyone is happy.
To fund this and other populist pledges, the president has reallocated billions in public funds, cutting budgets from ministries including health and education.
There have also been reports of food poisoning linked to the programme.
Meanwhile, millions of Indonesians are struggling. The International Monetary Fund warns the country's unemployment rate will rise to 5% this year — the highest among the Southeast Asian economies it tracks.
On this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking: ‘Can Indonesia afford free lunches?’
Contributors:
Dini Widiastuti, Executive Director, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia
Julia Lau, Senior Fellow and Coordinator, Indonesia Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
Dr Suman Chakrabarti, Associate Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, India
Bhima Yudhistira, Executive Director, Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), Indonesia
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Vicky Farncombe
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Image Credit: Dimas Rachmatsyah via Getty Images
THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltt23g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s2h)
Are you a personality hire?
The trend has taken off on social media as it's resonated with office workers around the world.
So what value does an extroverted colleague bring to a company?
And is it fair, or even legal, for businesses to recruit for specific personality types?
Produced and presented by Imran Rahman-Jones
(Image: Two colleagues laughing together. Credit: Getty Images)
THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74jm)
The rise and fall of BlackBerry
In the early 2000s, BlackBerry was the phone that ruled the world. But within a decade, it collapsed, overtaken by the touch screen revolution.
Sam Gruet speaks to former co-CEO Jim Balsillie about BlackBerry’s meteoric rise, its battle against Apple, and the moment he knew it was all over.
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: BlackBerry phone in 2002. Credit: Rob Homer/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)
THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73tl6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n36ll)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltt5vl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct81nr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73ybb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ysd)
The Media Show
Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin. Exploring the important questions about long-running stories and the latest global news. An honest, unvarnished, explanation of the world.
THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltt9lq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 10:32 The Documentary (w3ct80hw)
The Second Map
We remember the attack on Pearl Harbour and the atomic bombing of Japan during World War Two. Yet hundreds of thousands of British and Allied soldiers fought for years on the Asian and Pacific fronts against the Japanese in a brutal war - so why don't we remember it better today? 'The Second Map' charts key moments in this other, lesser known war to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ day, through remarkable audio testimonies that have never been broadcast before, of soldiers and civilians - on all sides.
THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww7422g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n3g2v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblttfbv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 11:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww745tl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxs)
Outlook
True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.
THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74jm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww749kq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n3pl3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblttnv3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 13:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:32 on Wednesday]
THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww74f9v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zss72sr8kwg)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww74k1z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblttxbc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct75vr)
First broadcast 21/08/2025 14:32 GMT
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww74nt3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 16:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm6jy2)
2025/08/21 15:06 GMT
BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.
THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww74sk7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 17:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm6np6)
2025/08/21 16:06 GMT
BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.
THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww74x9c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74jm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww7511h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n4f1w)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltvd9w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z7l)
2025/08/21 GMT
BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.
THU 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww754sm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct81nr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltvj20)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 20:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfr)
Science in Action
The BBC brings you all the week's science news.
THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww758jr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zss72sr9f3c)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww75d8w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 22:06 The Inquiry (w3ct722y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltvrk8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 22:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70yv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww75j10)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n4x1d)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltvw9d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct75y0)
First broadcast 21/08/2025 21:32 GMT
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
FRIDAY 22 AUGUST 2025
FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww75ms4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7ysd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltw01j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 00:32 Happy News (w3ct6tym)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:32 on Sunday]
FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww75rj8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs72ck5x0f)
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww75w8d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n588s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltw7js)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zp4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:32 on Tuesday]
FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww7600j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wxs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Thursday]
FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74jm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww763rn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n5hs1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltwh11)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp7)
Gaudí: God’s architect
In one of his final official acts before he died, Pope Francis put Antoni Gaudí, Spain’s most famous architect, onto the path to sainthood.
Gaudí's masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, is a towering basilica, strangely designed and bursting with colour. It stands in the heart of Barcelona and its walls recount the entire story of the Catholic religion. After 140 years, having survived wars, arson attacks and dictatorship, it is still under construction. As Gaudí worked on it throughout his life, he became obsessive and it intensified his devotion. By the end of his life he was living like a monk.
Today, millions come every year to see his work. Some have been so affected by his art and approach they have converted to Catholicism. The process to confirm Gaudí as a saint is secretive and potentially long. But for the creator of the world’s longest ongoing construction, there’s no rush.
The BBC's Max Horberry has been to Barcelona to see Gaudí's work and speak to the people who have been working to finish the Sagrada Familia and campaigning for Gaudí's sainthood. We will find out more about the path to sainthood and how architecture, nature and religion intertwine in Gaudí’s life.
[Credit: Fundació Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família]
Producer/Presenter: Max Horberry
Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww767hs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn4mjc)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76c7x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn4r8h)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76h01)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn4w0m)
Live news, business and sport from around the world.
FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76lr5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 08:06 Americast (w3ct7t5t)
Join Americast for insights and analysis on what's happening inside Trump's White House.
FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltwz0k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rsg)
Business Daily meets: Spencer Horne
The South African entrepreneur tells us about his experience growing up under the apartheid regime, before securing a scholarship that would take him to Harvard University in the US.
He's now returned home to set up Cloudline, an airship company which aims to deliver goods and carry out surveys in remote parts of Africa.
Airships are seeing something of a comeback, with investors seeing an opportunity for quick, green transportation without the need for complex infrastructure.
The sector is still in its early stages, but Spencer Horne explains why he's so passionate - and why he believes their the answer to African growth.
Produced and presented by Russell Padmore
(Image: Spencer Horne. Credit: Cloudline)
FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7446)
Geneva Conventions
In 1859, Swiss businessman Henry Dunant witnessed the Battle of Solferino, in Italy.
He couldn’t believe the lack of aid for the wounded soldiers and came up with two ideas – a voluntary aid organisation and an international treaty to protect those injured in wartime.
They went on to become the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863 and the first Geneva Convention in 1864.
Henry’s great great great grand nephew, Gabriel Martinez, read excerpts from his book, A Memory of Solferino, to Rachel Naylor.
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: Participants representing 16 states during the adoption of the first Geneva Convention on 22 August 1864 in Geneva. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76qh9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n63hp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltx2rp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 09:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:32 on Thursday]
FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76v7f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72wf)
Unexpected Elements
The news you know, the science you don’t. Unexpected Elements looks beyond everyday narratives to discover a goldmine of scientific stories and connections from around the globe. From Afronauts, to why we argue, to a deep dive on animal lifespans: see the world in a new way with Unexpected Elements.
FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76yzk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n6bzy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltxb7y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 11:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww772qp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wh7)
True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.
FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7446)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww776gt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n6lh6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltxkr6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 13:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:32 on Thursday]
FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww77b6y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zss72srcgsk)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww77fz2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 15:06 Americast (w3ct7t5t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltxt7g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76lc)
First broadcast 22/08/2025 14:32 GMT
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww77kq6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm9fv5)
2025/08/22 15:06 GMT
BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.
FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww77pgb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm9kl9)
2025/08/22 16:06 GMT
BBC OS gives a vibrant account of the day’s events with explanation and reaction from those involved.
FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww77t6g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wh7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7446)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww77xyl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n79yz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblty96z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z32)
2025/08/22 GMT
BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.
FRI 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww781pq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rmy)
BBC OS Conversations
How major news stories are affecting the lives of people around the world
FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltydz3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6st2)
How does camouflage work?
CrowdScience listener Paul from Uganda is fascinated by military uniforms. The outfits of so many different armies, from different countries all around the world, often look remarkably similar – mottled shades of olive green camouflage.
Where did it come from? How does it work as camouflage? And what inspired it?
Alex Lathbridge delves into the science, the history and the future of camouflage.
FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww785fv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zss72srdb0g)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww7895z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 22:06 Americast (w3ct7t5t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltyngc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 22:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww78dy3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n7syh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltys6h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76nm)
First broadcast 22/08/2025 21:32 GMT
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.