SATURDAY 16 AUGUST 2025
SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxhd2d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 00:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbgs2s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxhhtj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs6q37hn9p)
Ukraine summit ends with no deal
President Donald Trump and the Russian President Vladimir Putin end summit in Alaska without a deal. We get reaction from business experts after this important meeting.
We examine what next for both the Russian and the Ukrainian economies.
Presenter Rahul Tandon also talks to guests from the US, Ukraine and Russia to hear what this outcome means for the global economy.
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funded research continue, as last week it was announced that $500 million funding for future mRNA vaccines would be withdrawn.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)
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 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)
Trump and Putin fail to agree peace deal in Alaska
President Trump said one or two 'significant' points of difference remain between him and President Putin over the terms of a Ukraine peace deal, after the two leaders failed to achieve a decisive agreement in Alaska. We get the reaction from Oleksander Merezhko, Chair of the Ukrainian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, and former Putin adviser Sergei Markov.
Also in the programme: Israeli Architect and human rights advocate Alon Cohen-Lifshitz tells us how Israel's E1 West Bank settlement plan could achieve the stated goal of the country's finance minister, to 'bury' the prospect of a Palestinian state; and Jodie Ginsburg CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists joins us to address the killing Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al Sharif by the IDF.
Presenter Krupa Padhy is joined by the writer and broadcaster Maria Margaronis, and former Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment at NATO, Camille Grand.
Photo: US President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose on the podium on the tarmac after they arrived to attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, 15 August 2025. Credit: Photo by GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxj799)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkrt08)
Trump says peace deal 'up to Zelensky'
Donald Trump set the table for a second round of peace talks involving, Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders, after failing to achieve a breakthrough in direct talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. With the future of the Russian occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk remaining as a major sticking point, we speak to Marta, a Ukrainian woman forced to flee her home in the Donbas following the invasion.
Also in the program: The European Commission warns that in the last week alone it has received the same number of requests to help fight wildfires than it received during the whole of 2024, and we hear from Jim Sanborn, the architect of the cryptic sculpture housed at the CIA's Virginia headquarters.
Presenter Krupa Padhy is joined by the writer and broadcaster Maria Margaronis, and former Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment at NATO, Camille Grand.
Photo:U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk to a joint news conference following their meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. Credit: Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool
SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxjc1f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkrxrd)
Zelensky agrees to meet Putin and Trump
Volodymyr Zelensky gave his support to a trilateral meeting between himself, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, following talks between the Russian and US Presidents in Alaska. President Trump also briefed European leaders on the talks. We hear from Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna about Europe's role in the negotiations.
Also in the programme: As talks unfold, Russia continues to make slow but steady battlefield gains in the east of Ukraine. We hear from Ukrainian tennis player turned Ukrainian army master-sergeant Sergiy Stakhovsky about moral on the front lines. And Russian born Cold War historian Vladislav Zubok tells us about the significance of Alaska, the talks and Putin long term view of history.
Presenter Krupa Padhy is joined by the writer and broadcaster Maria Margaronis, and former Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment at NATO, Camille Grand.
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures during a press conference on the first day of the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025), on plans for the reconstruction of Ukraine, in Rome, Italy, July 10, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane)
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)
Focussing on one of Hollywood’s golden-age stars
There is a new series of the podcast Untold Legends. This time the focus is one of Hollywood’s golden-age stars Hedy Lamarr. We hear your comments and speak to the show’s presenter.
Plus, the annual BBC Global Audience Measure figures have been release. So what do they reveal about who is listening to what and where?
Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Howard Shannon
A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
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
Qarabag FK is not only a refugee football club but also the most successful team in Azerbaijan. Located in Baku, they originally hail from the 'ghost' city of Aghdam, in the Nagorno Karabakh region of the South Caucasus. When a war broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the late 1980s, Armenian forces seized Nagorno Karabakh - a disputed territory that both countries claim - and laid waste to Aghdam.
The club relocated to the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and rebuilt. But after the second Nagorno Karabakh war, which Azerbaijan won, the government has begun to rebuild Aghdam at breakneck speed. The centre-piece will be Qarabag's regenerated former stadium. The football club is a symbol of an Azerbaijani return to lands the government describes as "unlawfully stolen".
But as one team returns, another has been forced out. Lernayin Artsakh FC was based in Stepanakert. As Azeri troops bore down on the city in September 2023, its players, officials and families fled for Armenia, an act that the Armenian government called "ethnic cleansing". The team is now based in Armenia, playing in the second division.
James Montague travels to Nagorno Karabakh to visit the two refugee football clubs who once played in the same league but who have come to represent division and displacement in the region.
Presenter: James Montague
Producer and Sound Mix: Ben Wyatt
A Comuniqe production for the BBC World Service
(Photo: A 'no football' sign at a minefield in Nagorno Karabakh. Credit: James Montague)
SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxjys2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zss6qjfp3bp)
Trump touts progress towards peace deal
Donald Trump has said he, along with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, have determined that a peace agreement was preferable to a ceasefire in the conflict between the two warring nations.
The announcement comes after Mr Trump's high-profile summit in Alaska with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin ended without an agreement.
We'll hear a Ukrainian response to the sight of President Putin being given a red carpet welcome in Alaska and get reaction fom the foreign minister of the Czech Republic.
Also in the programme: Violent clashes erupt in Serbia's capital after demonstrations by pro-government and anti-corruption groups; and we mark 80 years since the publication of George Orwell's Animal Farm.
(Photo shows US.president Donald Trump at a press conference with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska,on 15th August 2025. Jeenah Moon/Reuters)
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 Mediterranean 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 to 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)
Ukraine: Trump pushing ahead with diplomacy despite no breakthrough
Vladimir Putin has reportedly demanded a Ukrainian withdrawal from the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for a freezing of front lines elsewhere. The Russian president made the demand during Friday's meeting with President Trump in Alaska, according to sources involved in the talks. We speak to Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Also in the programme: Environmentalists have welcomed a deal signed by Mexico, Belize and Guatemala to protect the second large rainforest in the Americas; and are mangoes good for diabetes?
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
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)
Blinky Bill
Blinky Bill is a key player in Kenya’s alternative music scene. He was a founder member of Just a Band, a group of dynamic young creatives known for genre-bending and playful music videos.
His sound is difficult to categorise and, as he tells DJ Edu in this episode, he draws inspiration from a very wide pool, and he loves music too much to jump on any particular trend.
The interview was recorded at The Alchemist, a music venue where Blinky Bill launched an alternative music night with the aim of giving a platform to musicians but also building an audience in Kenya for more diverse sounds.
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)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
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)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
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)
Can Ukraine accept 'land for peace' deal?
Reports from the Alaska summit indicate that Putin has demanded Ukraine surrender it's two eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, in exchange for freezing the battle lines in other areas of the country. President Zelensky has firmly rejected ceding the Donbas, but is expected to face pressure from Donald Trump to accept the terms during talks in Washington on Monday. We get reaction and analysis from Kyiv.
Also in the programme: can anything cool down Paris' political debate over air conditioning infrastructure? And the Mayor of Regina, Saskatchewan tells us why Chappell Roan ought to follow through, and trade the city life for the Canadian prairie.
Joining Krupa Thakrar Padhy is journalist and culture writer Ella Dorn, and Fuad Musallam, assistant professor of social anthropology at the University of Birmingham.
(Picture: Activists wearing masks of US President Donald J. Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) tear a paper map of Ukraine during a protest called 'No dirty deals at the expense of Ukraine' in Berlin, Germany, 14 August 2025. Credit: FILIP SINGER/EPA/Shutterstock)
SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxm46d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkvpxc)
Trump backs Putin's call for permanent peace deal
The US president backed away from his demand for a immediate but temporary ceasefire in Ukraine after meeting President Putin in Alaska, saying it is up to Ukraine to accept a peace deal.
Also in the programme: as President Trump sends the US National Guard on to the streets of Washington, we'll hear from DC council chairman
Phil Mendelson; And we ask why do mammals keep evolving into anteaters, and are humans destined to follow suit?
Joining Krupa Padhy is journalist and culture writer Ella Dorn, and Fuad Musallam, assistant professor of social anthropology at the University of Birmingham.
(Picture: US President Donald Trump (R) welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting to negotiate at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, 15 August 2025; Credit: Photo by GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)
SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxm7yj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw86zvkvtnh)
Where does Alaska summit leave Europe's 'coalition of the willing'?
European leaders will hold 'coalition of the willing' talks on potential security guarantees for Ukraine, following reports that President Trump may back Russia's demand that Kyiv surrender control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of a peace deal. Veteran diplomat and former UK National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts tells us how Europe can attempt to influence the negotiations.
Also in the programme: we speak to the woman operating a secret network of girl schools in the Taliban's Afghanistan; and Musician 'Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly' tells us about the need to protect small music venues.
Joining Krupa Padhy is journalist and culture writer Ella Dorn, and Fuad Musallam, assistant professor of social anthropology at the University of Birmingham.
(Picture: France's President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer react after a joint press conference following a meeting of the 'Coalition of the willing' at the Mariinskyi Palace, the official residence of the president of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, 10 May 2025; Credit: SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmcpn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
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)
Comedians and Afghan weddings
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they introduced many controversial measures, including a ban on music. How do people celebrate special occasions, like weddings? BBC Pashto’s Payenda Sargand recently attended a wedding in the southern city of Kandahar and tells us about the other forms of entertainment that were on display, including poetry, singers performing without music and stand-up comedians.
The tradition of ‘money spraying' is a major part of Nigerian wedding celebrations, but now you could face a hefty fine or even a prison sentence if you’re caught doing it. Make-up artist Abdullahi Musa Huseini, also known as Amuscap on social media, was recently sentenced by a high court in the northern city of Kano for throwing cash at his own wedding, and he’s currently serving a six-month jail sentence. Mansur Abubakar from BBC Africa has been reporting on this story.
Tuareg communities in North Africa traditionally celebrate weddings with a 7-day party. The BBC Arabic's Xtra TV producers were invited to a wedding in Gath, in the south of Libya, and got to know the groom, Jamal, a young man who said he had to save for years to be able to afford such a feast in the current cost-of-living crisis. Saif Rebai reports.
This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world. This is an EcoAudio certified production.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmm5x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbm069)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbj9zg9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
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)
European leaders to join Zelensky for key meeting in Washington
What next for Ukraine? EU leaders have said they intend to travel to Washington as President Zelensky prepares for talks with Trump.
Also in the programme: Hostage families have called a general strike in Israel; and the great Mayan forest and efforts to save it.
(Photograph: President Zelensky and Ursula Von der Leyen in Brussels. Credit: Shutterstock)
SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxmzf9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
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)
The Happy Pod: Mountaintop matchmaking
In the Swiss mountains, handwritten notes left on mountain peaks have been turning scenic climbs into unexpected matchmaking journeys, bringing nature lovers together one hike at a time.
Dubbed “Mountain Tinder”, couples are meeting through notebooks tucked into mountaintop letterboxes. The movement is spreading beyond Switzerland, inspiring similar efforts as far away as Argentina. With no swipes or algorithms, it is a love story written in the clouds.
Also, a couple in Tasmania have taken to tackling homelessness into their own hands, a group of actors are bringing the joy of theatre to remote communities in Finland by touring on a boat, and how Strictly Come Dancing's first celebrity with Down's Syndrome is inspiring others.
Presenter: Jannat Jalil
Music: Iona Hampson
(Photo: A couple sitting in a mountain. Credit: AFP)
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)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl6ntbmz5b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbjbyfb)
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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)
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04:06 on Saturday]
SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrjlxntn6)
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SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zss6qjfsz6t)
US offers Ukraine 'historic' security guarantees
Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, says Vladimir Putin has agreed to 'robust' security guarantees for Ukraine. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has welcomed the US offer - we'll get more details about what was discussed at the summit in Alaska.
Also in the programme: the robots that imitate athletes; and we look back on the life of the English actor Terence Stamp, who has died aged 87.
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference in Brussels; 17 August 2025. Credit: OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA/Shutterstock)
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)
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MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6trt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxkzbjck4z)
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MON 00:32 Science In Action (w3ct6yfq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 on Saturday]
MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6t4ww)
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MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712msjx8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblthj58)
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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)
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MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712msnnd)
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MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblthmxd)
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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 is the oldest light we have 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 explains how 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.
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? Miles Padgett at the University of Glasgow, has spent his career trying to pin it down. As Anand discovers, physics can be more philosophical than you might expect.
Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Harrison Lewis
Editor: Ilan Goodman
(Photo: 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. Credit:G. Östlin, P. G. Perez-Gonzalez, J. Melinder, the Jades collaboration, M. Zamani/ESA/Webb, Nasa and CSA)
MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6tdd4)
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MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct80hl)
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10:06 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblthrnj)
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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)
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MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712msx4n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlblthwdn)
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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)
European leaders will join Zelensky in Washington
President Zelensky of Ukraine is in Washington where he will meet President Trump later today to press his version of what an end to the war in his country should look like. European leaders from five countries will join Volodymyr Zelensky when he meets Mr Trump in Washington.
Bolivia's presidential election is heading for a run-off vote, but without the governing Socialists, who've been in power for two decades. Early official results from Sunday's ballot suggest a centre-right candidate, Rodrigo Paz Pereira of the Christian Democratic Party, will face a right-wing former president, Jorge 'Tuto' Quiroga, in the second round.
In excess of 330 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds more are still missing after flash floods hit Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. More torrential rain has caused further destruction across the area.
Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference at the European Commission in Brussels. Credit: Olivier Hoslet/EPA)
MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6trmj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbms4n3)
European leaders join Washington meeting on Ukraine
Several European leaders are flying across the Atlantic to be by the side of Ukraine's President Zelensky in Washington as he meets President Trump. More than three years since Russia's full scall invasion of it's neighbouring country, they will discuss borders, security and defence. Writing on his Truth Social platform, President Trump said Ukraine's leader can end Russia's war "if he wants to" but there would be "no going into Nato by Ukraine" as part of a peace deal. We speak to a Ukrainian politician.
Bolivia's presidential election is heading for a run-off vote, but without the governing Socialists, who've been in power for two decades. Early official results from Sunday's ballot suggest a centre-right candidate, Rodrigo Paz Pereira of the Christian Democratic Party, will face a right-wing former president, Jorge 'Tuto' Quiroga, in the second round.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria has gone public with an ambitious target of growing the nation's economy by seven percent per annum by 2027.
Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai
(Photo: European Commission Ursula van der Leyen and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a video conference with EU leaders in Brussels. Credit:Presidential Press Service handout/EPA).
MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6twcn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbms8d7)
President Zelensky to meet President Trump in Washington
President Zelensky of Ukraine will meet with President Trump in Washington later today to discuss the future of Ukraine. European leaders will join Mr Zelensky for the talks and press their concerns about the future security for Ukraine and Europe. Writing on his Truth Social platform, President Trump said Ukraine's leader can end Russia's war "if he wants to" but there would be "no going into NATO by Ukraine."
We report from the occupied West Bank where our team witnessed an attack by dozens of Israeli settlers on a group of Palestinians.
And as pressure mounts on Israel over reports of growing starvation in Gaza, the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty are making their first visit to Egypt’s border crossing with Gaza.
Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Credit: Olivier Hoslet/EPA)
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)
Amazing Love Stories: A second chance at first love
Outlook presents: Amazing Love Stories.
Over the next two weeks we've curated a collection of love stories from around the world and in all its guises - puppy love that falters and finds its feet again, longing through wars and exile, and romance that blooms in the most unexpected places. These are stories of love in all its forms - messy, beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking. But always human, surprising and unforgettable.
Kevin and Debi met as teenagers in the 1960s, while auditioning for a high school musical. They quickly fell in love and after learning Debi was pregnant, they made plans to elope. However, those dreams of a future together as a family were interrupted when Debi's parents discovered the pregnancy and she was sent to a home for unwed mothers.
Kevin joined the marines in the hopes of providing for his new family but when he was away, Debi was persuaded to place her baby daughter, Val for adoption. Kevin received the news in a letter before being deployed to Vietnam where he was severely wounded.
The former high school sweethearts lost contact and started different lives. Despite the trauma and separation, Kevin never stopped loving Debi or thinking about the child they had lost. Years passed, marriages, children, careers, but the memory of that first love remained.
Then, forty years later, Debi was able to track down Val online. Mother and daughter were reunited and after that first meeting, the conversation turned to Kevin. After some internet sleuthing, they tracked him down, leading to a big reunion and a romance rekindled.
Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Kevin and Debi. Credit: Kevin and Debi)
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)
Russian strikes across Ukraine ahead of talks in Washington
President Zelensky has condemned the latest deadly Russian attacks on Ukraine, ahead of his talks with President Trump and European leaders in Washington. Mr Zelensky accused Russia of carrying out what he called demonstrative killings to 'humiliate diplomatic efforts' to end the war. Ukraine says at least ten people have been killed in strikes on Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia.
Also the Egyptian foreign minister and the Palestinian prime minister are visiting the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to highlight the need for more food aid to get through. We have an interview with the Palestinian prime minister, Mohammad Mustafa.
And Croatian ultra-nationalist mega-gig exposes divided society.
(Photo: A residential area damaged by strikes in Kharkiv, north-east Ukraine, on Monday. Credit: EPA)
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)
Qantas hit with record fine over COVID layoffs
An Australian court found the airline illegally sacked 1,800 workers during the pandemic
Also, Roger Hearing hears how the Swiss watchmaker Swatch has withdrawn advertisements featuring an Asian model pulling the corners of his eyes after facing a backlash in China.
MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6vz2t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 16:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wlxv6s)
European leaders to join Trump-Zelensky meeting
Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, has met Donald Trump's special envoy on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, ahead of his encounter with the US president at the White House. Mr Zelensky said Russia could only be forced into peace through strength, and "President Trump had that strength". Earlier, he accused Moscow of trying to humiliate diplomatic efforts to end the war by killing ten civilians in overnight air strikes.
We discuss potential outcomes from today's meeting with Ukrainian MPs and speak to our security correspondent about what's at stake.
Reports suggest that Hamas has agreed to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal. We have the latest from our regional editor.
A court in Hong Kong has been hearing the closing arguments in the trial of Jimmy Lai, one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese state. We speak to our regional editor and hear from two activists who have left Hong Kong.
Presenter: Luke Jones.
(Photo: Ukraine's President Zelensky in Belgium - 17 Aug 2025. Credit: Olivier Hoslet/EPA/Shutterstock)
MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6w2ty)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 17:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wlxyyx)
Trump hails 'big day' ahead of Ukraine talks
Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, has met Donald Trump's special envoy on Ukraine (Keith Kellogg) ahead of his encounter with the US president at the White House later today. Mr Zelensky said Russia could only be forced into peace through strength, and "President Trump had that strength". We speak to our correspondents in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and in Washington.
We also hear a conversation with three Ukrainian soldiers about what it is like on the frontline and what they expect from today’s talks.
We get an update on Pakistan's devastating monsoon season; more than 330 people have died in flash floods across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
And could the next James Bond be a woman? British actress Helen Mirren says, “it has to be a guy”. We find out what some of the Bond fans think.
Presenter: Luke Jones.
(Photo: The White House ahead of the visit of Ukrainian President Zelenskiy and European leaders in Washington. Credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6w6l2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 18:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wly2q1)
Trump meets Zelensky in White House
President Trump has welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to the White House for crunch talks. In remarks to the press, Mr Trump said very substantial progress was being made in efforts to find peace. Mr Zelensky thanked the US leader prominently for his attempts to stop the killing. It's the first time Ukraine's president has been in the Oval Office since a meeting in February ended in acrimony.
We bring you the press conference featuring President Trump and President Zelensky live from the White House.
Our diplomatic correspondent and our correspondents in Washington and Kyiv give their analysis on today's developments.
Presenter: Luke Jones
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump (left) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, US. Picture date: Monday August 18, 2025. PA Photo. Credit: Samuel Corum/PA Wire)
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)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
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
MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6wktg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zss72sr0qd2)
Zelensky meets Trump to talk peace, again
The Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky visits the White House, six months after an Oval Office dressing down, and three days after Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin. Several European leaders also flew to DC to show support for Ukraine. But is there any evidence of any progress towards peace? And on what terms?
Also in the programme: as Hamas says it accepts the latest Gaza ceasefire offer, our correspondent Lucy Williamson reports from the West Bank, where she witnessed Palestinian farmers being attacked by settlers; plus a cartographer explains why many maps literally distort our picture of the world - a problem the African Union has now joined calls to correct.
(IMAGE: United States President Donald J Trump (R) meets President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 18 August 2025 / CREDIT: Photo by PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)
MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6wpkl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 22:06 The Interview (w3ct7wzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltl1tz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 22:32 The Conversation (w3ct7091)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6wt9q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mw6b3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltl5l3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76t4)
Ukraine talks: Will Ukraine and Russia negotiate a full peace deal?
As Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders hold talks with President Donald Trump at the White House, we hear from Ukrainian business owner on what needs to happen to rebuild her country's economy.
Also, Roger Hearing asks why Norway's $2 trillion Sovereign Wealth Fund says it will divest from six companies which have connections to the West Bank and Gaza.
Plus, how the US state of Georgia is fighting to bring back more film production.
TUESDAY 19 AUGUST 2025
TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6wy1v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71w4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6x1sz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs72cjx694)
Ukraine talks: Will Ukraine and Russia negotiate a full peace deal?
Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders are holding talks with Donald Trump at the White House - what will be next? We hear from Ukrainian business owner.
Also, the Norwegian fund - worth $2 trillion - says it will divest from six firms with connections to the West Bank and Gaza. It currently has around $
1.86 bn in companies listed in Israel.
And are more people wondering about investing in that staple of many American and Middle Eastern cities - air conditioning? Where do you think some of the biggest movies and TV shows of the last twenty years have been shot? Fast and Furious? Stranger Things? The Walking Dead? Spiderman: Homecoming? It's the US state of Georgia. Despite a drop in investments over the recent years we find out why this state wants to keep the crown as an alternative to Hollywood.
TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6x5k3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mwkkh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltljth)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
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?
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
Local producer: Yana Pelovska
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Series editor: Penny Murphy
(Photo: On a motorway near Parndorf, Austria, forensic police officers inspect the truck in which 71 migrants were found dead. Credit: Heinz-Peter Bader/ Reuters)
TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6x997)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Monday]
TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct746g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6xf1c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mwt1r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltls9r)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
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.
An Art and Adventure audio production.
Image: The Herds in Paris (Credit: David Levene)
TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6xjsh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbmvxt2)
Zelensky says he's ready for talks with Putin
President Trump says he's spoken by phone to Vladimir Putin to begin arrangements for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. His confirmation followed his positive account of talks with President Zelensky and key European leaders at the White House. We get reaction from Kyiv.
At the heart of the talks is the Donbas region in Ukraine, with Putin demanding Ukraine give up Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for a freeze along the rest of the frontline. We speak to somebody 30 kilometres from the frontline.
Flash floods triggered by intense rain have killed more than 300 people in northwest Pakistan since Friday. Video has captured the full scale of the devastation, showing homes swept away, strewn boulders and debris-filled streets. We have a report from one of the worst affected regions.
Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai
(Photo: United States President Donald Trump meets President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/EPA)
TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6xnjm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbmw1k6)
Zelensky welcomes talks with Putin
Plans are being made for a meeting between Ukraine's President Zelensky and Russia's President Putin - that's what Donald Trump's said - after the US President hosted Ukranian and European leaders in Washington. Their aim - to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Part of the talks - how Ukraine is protected after fighting stops. But what does any future security arrangement mean for the rest of Europe, particularly those bordering Russia? We'll speak live to an MP from Latvia.
It's reported that Hamas has agreed to a 60 days ceasefire, in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages. A formal response is awaited from Israel after to this new proposal from Arab mediators for a Gaza ceasefire.
And we report from the largest mental health centre for women in Afghanistan. The United Nations recently warned that the situation for women and girls in the country is getting worse, with number suffering from psychological issues on the rise. Many of those being treated have been affected by domestic violence, and now feel trapped in the mental health system.
Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai
(Photo:U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy walk during a meeting at the White House. Credit: Alexander Drago/Reuters)
TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6xs8r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbmw59b)
Washington talks on Ukraine
The President of Ukraine and European leaders have held Ukraine war talks with President Trump in Washington. Further talks with Vladimir Putin of Russia are now being floated by the US. President Zelensky says he's ready to meet Putin. We'll find out how this might go down in Ukraine after so many years of war. And look at what President Putin's next move might be?
We look at weather conditions that have killed at least 341 people in northwest Pakistan since Friday
And how long tubes of mud - drilled out of the Antarctic seafloor - could reveal how the frozen continent is changing.
Presenters: Rob Young and Pria Rai
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Finland's President Alexander Stubb amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine. Credit:Alexander Drago/Reuters)
TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6xx0w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct80hm)
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.
Producer: Alex Strangwayes-Booth
A CTVC production
TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltm898)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
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
(Photo: A computer popup box screen warning of a system hack. 3D illustration. 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.
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: Victor Grossman. Credit: Victor Grossman)
TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6y0s0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mxdsd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltmd1d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rbx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6y4j4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:06 on Saturday]
TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6y888)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mxn8n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltmmjn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 11:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6yd0d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4p)
Amazing Love Stories: Our dream to marry 22 times
In the second episode in our collection of unforgettable love stories from around the world we hear about Fleur Pierets and Julian Boom who wanted to wed in every country that allowed gay marriage. After falling in love at first sight, the artist couple wanted to make a statement to the world. So in 2017, they embarked on Project 22 - a performance art piece in which they would marry in all 22 countries where same-sex marriage was legal at the time. But four weddings later, their trip would be tragically cut short.
This interview was first broadcast in September 2023. The film adaptation of Fleur's book about Julian - also called Julian - will have its world premiere next month.
News clip: Chasing News
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producers: Olivia Lynch-Kelly and Zoe Gelber
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Fleur and Julian getting married in Paris. Credit: Mahdi Aridj)
TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74n1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6yhrj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mxwrx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltmw0x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 13:32 Discovery (w3ct6swb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:32 on Monday]
TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6ymhn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zss72sr2s28)
Zelensky hails talks with Trump and European leaders as 'significant'
President Volodymyr Zelensky says work has already started on security guarantees for Ukraine after talks in Washington about how to end the war. But there's been no let up in Russian attacks on Ukraine - with oil and gas infrastructure targeted overnight.
Also in the programme: Mediators await Israeli response to new Gaza ceasefire proposal; entire church begins two-day journey across Swedish city; and the women trapped in Afghanistan's mental health system.
(Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit: EPA)
TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6yr7s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct80hm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltn3j5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct7671)
India removes cotton import duties
The Indian government has suspended import duties on cotton until the end of September in response to demands from industry groups. The move to exempt them from the 11% levy is seen as a relief for the textile industry, which is facing a steep 50% tariff on shipments to the US.
Also, how much would you pay for a cup of coffee? If you're in the US, you could be about to pay a whole lot more due to tariffs.
And prices for obesity-treatment drug in the US are expected to drop as Novo Nordisk halves the price of Ozempic.
TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6yvzx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm0r3w)
Trump rules out sending US troops to Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees if a peace deal is reached. Trump hinted at US air support and tells Fox News that Russia's Vladimir Putin would face a "rough situation" if he doesn't co-operate in the peace process. We answer audience questions with our correspondents from the US, Ukraine, Russia and Europe, plus speak to Ukrainians from around the world about how they are seeing the talks.
We get the latest on flooding in Pakistan, where over 330 people have been killed.
And our science correspondent explains why scientists hope seabed mud could reveal Antarctic Ocean secrets.
OS presenter: Luke Jones.
(Photo: A handout photo made available by the Presidential Press Service shows United States President Donald J Trump (R) meets President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 18 August 2025. Credit: PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)
TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6yzr1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm0vw0)
How close are we to peace in Ukraine?
US President Donald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees if a peace deal is reached. Trump hinted at US air support and tells Fox News that Russia's Vladimir Putin would face a "rough situation" if he doesn't co-operate in the peace process. Our Diplomatic Correspondent Paul Adams explains how close we are to peace in Ukraine.
Israeli officials have said the government will only agree to a Gaza ceasefire if all fifty remaining hostages are released. Our Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet will talk us through it.
And we speak to people in the Swedish city where a historic church is being moved to a new home, to protect the building from being damaged by mining.
OS presenter: Luke Jones.
(Photo: A handout photo made available by the Presidential Press Service shows United States President Donald J Trump (R) meets President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 18 August 2025. Credit: HANDOUT /NO SALES
Mandatory Credit: Photo by PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)
TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6z3h5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74n1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6z779)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mym7p)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltnlhp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z9v)
2025/08/19 GMT
BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.
TUE 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6zbzf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rbx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltnq7t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zp4)
Tech and performance at the Edinburgh Festivals
A special from Edinburgh, where art and performance meet tech with spectacular results. Including a magician with robot assistants, an AI improv group and an electrifying dance act.
Every August, Edinburgh becomes the centre of the arts world, with half a million visitors and thousands of acts descending on the Scottish capital. Among these are performers using some pioneering tech, asking questions about the role of AI in our lives and even a choreographer stimulating his dancers’ muscles with electricity.
Tell us about your own mini-adventure with tech by emailing techlife@bbc.co.uk or sending us a Whatsapp voice note to +44 330 1230 320.
Presenter and producer: Imran Rahman-Jones
Editor: Monica Soriano
(Image: A man in a white shirt a grey waistcoat, on stage with a humanoid robot head. Credit: Getty Images)
TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6zgqk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zss72sr3m95)
Israel says not interested in “partial deal” with Hamas
A day after Hamas accepts a new ceasefire proposal in Gaza, an Israeli government spokesman tells us Israel is not interested in a “partial deal. We ask what's changed since Israel backed a very similar proposal three months ago.
Also in the programme: the White House says work continues on hammering out security guarantees for Ukraine; and a cocoa connoisseur on new scientific insights into what makes great chocolate.
(IMAGE: Israeli tanks deployed along the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel, 19 August 2025. / CREDIT: Photo by ATEF SAFADI/EPA/Shutterstock (15447793c))
TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6zlgp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 22:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct80hm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltnyr2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 22:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vtr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6zq6t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mz376)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltp2h6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76bf)
China’s gains from US tariffs: cheap Russian oil and Brazilian soybeans
American farmers warn of lasting damage as Chinese importers choose cheaper alternatives from other countries like Russia and Brazil Also, tariffs risk taking some of the steam out of the US coffee industry. And Roger Hearing hears why the British horseracing sector could face strike action over proposed betting tax changes.
WEDNESDAY 20 AUGUST 2025
WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6ztyy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6ztm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:06 on Saturday]
WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww6zyq2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 01:06 Business Matters (w172zrs72ck0367)
How is global trade shifting amid the US tariffs war?
American farmers warn of lasting damage as Chinese importers choose cheaper alternatives from other countries like Russia and Brazil.
Also, tariffs risk taking some of the steam out of the US coffee industry.
And Roger Hearing hears why the British horseracing sector could face strike action over proposed betting tax changes.
All of that with analysis from business consultant Jessica Khine in Malaysia and journalist Alexander Kaufman in the United States.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.
WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww702g6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mzggl)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltpfql)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7027)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:06 on Sunday]
WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww7066b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x4p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Tuesday]
WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74n1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww709yg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712mzpyv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltpp6v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
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
WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww70fpl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbmytq5)
Rising tensions between US and Venezuela
Tension between the US and Venezuela escalate with the White House deploying three US Marine clad warships to southern Caribbean waters just as the President Trump's administration designates several prominent drug cartels as terrorist organisations. The White House says the President is prepared to do whatever it takes to stop drugs entering the US. We get the view of a former Venezuelan opposition leader.
Israel has demanded the release of all Gaza hostages, casting doubt on whether it will accept a new proposal of a 60-day ceasefire that Hamas agreed to on Monday. We speak to a member of the Israeli Prime Minister's party.
And we speak to a South Sudanese opposition politician as the political crisis in the country continues to threaten the stability and security of the nation.
Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai
(Photo: People participate in a demonstration in support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela this month. Hundreds of Chavistas mobilized in Caracas and other regions of Venezuela in response to what they described as threats from the United States. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez/EPA)
WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww70kfq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbmyyg9)
M23 rebels accused of massacre in Democratic Republic of Congo
Human Rights Watch says it has compiled evidence that Congolese M23 rebels killed at least one hundred and forty civilians last month, mostly ethnic Hutu men, women and children. The alleged massacre near Virunga National Park would be one of the deadliest attacks by M23 rebels in more than three years, coming despite a peace process aimed at ending the conflict in Eastern Congo.
President Donald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees if a peace deal is reached. The US President also said that Russia's Vladimir Putin would face a "rough situation" if he doesn't co-operate in the peace process. This comes comes after Monday's talks between Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump and European leaders at the White House. We get a Ukrainian view on those possible talks with Russia and a what a future peace deal might look like?
Tension between the US and Venezuela escalate with the White House deploying three US Marine clad warships to southern Caribbean waters just as the President Trump's administration designates several prominent drug cartels as terrorist organisations. The White House says the President is prepared to do whatever it takes to stop drugs entering the US. We get the view of a former Venezuelan opposition leader.
Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai
(Photo: An M23 rebel walks on the outskirts of Matanda which is controlled by M23 rebels, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Credit: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)
WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww70p5v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbmz26f)
M23 blamed for massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Human Rights Watch says it has compiled evidence that Congolese M23 rebels killed at least one-hundred-and forty-civilians last month, mostly ethnic Hutu men, women and children. The UN and Rwandan military sources indicate the Rwanda Defence Force was complicit in the killings. We hear from the lead author of the report.
Israel has demanded the release of all Gaza hostages, casting doubt on whether it will accept a new proposal of a 60-day ceasefire that Hamas agreed to on Monday. We get a regional view on the situation
We hear the story of a woman who lost her voice with the onset of Motor Neuron Disease and withinin months of her becoming a mum for the second time. 25 years on her voice has been recreated with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Prai
(Photos: Members of the M23 rebel group mount their vehicles after a ceremony in Goma. Credit: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters)
WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww70sxz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6r)
Eliot Higgins: Algorithms don’t drive the truth
Algorithms don’t drive the truth
Amol Rajan speaks to Eliot Higgins, founder of the open-source investigative organisation Bellingcat, as the world grapples with the growing threat posed by misinformation and conspiracy theories being deliberately spread online.
Founded in 2014, Bellingcat is an independent investigative collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists from around the world.
The organisation uses open-source research methods, which involve analysing publicly-available data that can be accessed and used without any special permissions or restrictions.
It has investigated a variety of subjects of public interest, including the shooting down of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine to police violence in Colombia and the illegal wildlife trade in the UAE.
Higgins argues that the need for organisations like Bellingcat has never been more important, as conspiracy theories flood the internet and some people avoid mainstream news outlets altogether. He believes this is partly down to a lack of trust in institutions, which is subsequently leading to a crisis in democracies all over the world.
Thank you to the Radical with Amol Rajan team for their help in making this programme.
The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.
Presenter: Amol Rajan
Producers: Ben Cooper, Lewis Vickers and Izzy Rowley
Editor: Nick Holland
Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.
(Image: Eliot Higgins. Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltq56c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
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.
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: Maria Amelie. Credit: BBC)
WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww70xp3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n09ph)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltq8yh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7027)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:06 on Sunday]
WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww711f7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct80hj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Saturday]
WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww7155c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n0k5r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltqjfr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 11:32 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle (w3ct80bn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww718xh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcl)
Amazing Love Stories: The lost diary that kept a love alive
As a young Jewish girl, Elizabeth Bellak appeared on stage, on the radio and in Polish films. She was dubbed the 'Polish Shirley Temple' but her career came to an abrupt end at the outbreak of World War Two. She was visiting her grandparents and her older sister, Renia in the city of Przemysl when it was captured by the Soviet Army. Renia began a secret diary about their lives under occupation, but also about falling in love with her boyfriend Zygmund. Renia shared her first kiss with him just hours before the Nazis invaded their city.
The Nazis forced the Jews to live inside ghettos and by 1942, they were facing mass deportation and death. Renia and Elizabeth were smuggled out of the ghetto by Zygmund, but only days afterwards Renia was murdered. Eleven-year-old Elizabeth survived and escaped to Warsaw where she lived with her mother under false papers.
After the war, Elizabeth and her mother started a new life in America but still hid their identity. But in the 1950s, Zygmund turned up at their doorstep – he had survived the death camps and had kept Renia's secret diary safe. Elizabeth and her mother couldn't bear to read it and instead the diary locked in a safe for decades. Elizabeth became a teacher and told everyone, including her husband and children, that she was Catholic, but one day her daughter discovered the truth about her mother's identity and the existence of the hidden diary. She convinced Elizabeth to finally read it and then they published it.
This year Renia's Diary will have been translated into 23 languages, leading to her being described as 'Poland's Anne Frank'.
Across two weeks we’ve curated a collection of love stories from around the world. Love in all its guises; puppy love that falters and finds its feet again, longing through wars and exile, and romance that blooms in the most unexpected places. Messy, beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking. But always human, surprising and unforgettable. You'll find them all on the Outlook website in a box set called Amazing Love Stories.
Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Sarah Kendal
Extracts of Renia's Diary by Renia Spiegel appear, courtesy of Elizabeth Bellak, voiced by Karolina Boka and Radek Boschetty and translated by Anna Blasiak & Marta Dziurosz.
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp 44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Archival photographs of Renia and Zygmund as teenagers. Credit: FAMILY HANDOUT/ARCHIVE ELIZABETH BELLAK/AFP via Getty Images)
WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74q9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww71dnm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n0sp0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltqry0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 13:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zp4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:32 on Tuesday]
WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww71jdr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zss72sr5nzc)
DRC: Rights group alleges mass killings by armed group M23
A report by Human Right Watch alleges the M23 rebel group killed at least 140 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last month in one of the worst atrocities committed since its insurgency in 2021. The overall number of victims could exceed 300. We hear from an eye witness and the DRC foreign minister, who says the alleged massacres violated a ceasefire agreement.
Also in the programme: the Israeli Defence Force has called around 60,000 reservists in what is being seen as evidence of an imminent operation to take over Gaza City; and the scientific research giving hope to people who have lost their sense of smell.
(Photo: a member of the M23 rebel group walks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, March 2025. Credit: Reuters / Z. Bensemra)
WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww71n4w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltr0f8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 15:32 World Business Report (w3ct76fv)
Doll-maker Labubu’s profits to rise nearly 400%
Net profits of Labubu maker, Pop Mart, have soared by nearly 400%, and the company's Hong Kong-listed shares are up more than 570%, and it's now worth more than twice as much as Mattel – which makes Barbie. We will look at why these elf-like dolls, made by the Chinese, are trending.
After a five-year pause, China and India are going to restart direct flights between the two countries.
And today, in our Africa series, we're in Kenya, where a tech company in Nairobi is encouraging the use of Bitcoin in one of Africa’s largest slums.
WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww71rx0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 16:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm3n0z)
Floods in Pakistan
The authorities in the Pakistani city of Karachi have declared an emergency and a public holiday after torrential monsoon rains paralysed the financial capital. Pakistan's northern and north-western regions have also been hit by flash floods and landslides. We speak to local journalists who have been covering the story and also affected by the floods.
Six severed heads have been found on a road in central Mexico, in an area not normally associated with cartel violence. Our correspondent has the details.
Our regional editors in the newsroom give updates on the atrocities reported by M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo and on the virtual meeting by Nato military leaders about the future of Ukraine.
We also hear a conversation with three Ukrainians about what has happened to them since the war started.
Presenter: Luke Jones.
(Photo: Monsoon rains in Pakistan, Karachi - 20 Aug 2025 Credit: Photo by SHAHZAIB AKBER/EPA)
WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww71wn4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 17:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm3rs3)
Israel calls up 60,000 reservists
Call-up letters are being sent to 60,000 Israeli reservists after the army approved a controversial widened offensive to capture Gaza City. Israeli Army Radio said the operation would last into next year. A million Palestinians are to be ordered south. Our correspondent in Jerusalem explains.
Nato military chiefs have held a virtual meeting to try to flesh out potential security guarantees for Ukraine, in the event of a peace deal with Russia. We hear a conversation with three Ukrainians about what has happened to them since the war started.
A historic church in northern Sweden has arrived at its destination after a two-day journey across the city of Kiruna. We speak to people in Kiruna.
We speak to tennis journalists about why the new format of the US Open's mixed doubles tournament has been so divisive.
Presenter: Luke Jones
(Photo: Istaeli tanks patrol Gaza border, No Location, Israel - 19 Aug 2025. Credit: Atef Safadi/EPA/Shutterstock)
WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww720d8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xcl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74q9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww7244d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n1j4s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltrhds)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zd3)
2025/08/20 GMT
BBC sports correspondents tell the story behind today's top sporting news, with interviews and reports from across the world.
WED 20:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww727wj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7027)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:06 on Sunday]
WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltrm4x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vjq)
Using AI to discover new antibiotics
AI models have helped to discover new potential antibiotics to treat drug resistant infections of gonorrhoea and MRSA. We speak to Professor Jim Collins from MIT to understand what’s next for his machine-generated medicines and the role AI could play in the future of drug discovery.
A new report has found high rates of bloodstream infections and antibiotic resistance in central lines used in Indian ICUs. Family doctor Ann Robinson joins Claudia to understand the risks posed to already vulnerable patients.
We consider a new review that found no evidence ketamine is effective at helping those with chronic pain, despite it being prescribed off-label for this use in some countries.
Rwandan MPs have approved lowering the age adolescents can access sexual and reproductive health services without parental consent from 18 to 15. We catch up with BBC reporter Dorcas Wangira on what this could mean for the health of adolescents and the fallout of the decision in Rwanda.
Finally, people with diabetes in India have long been told to steer clear of mangoes - Ann and Claudia unpick whether this advice needs to change.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett
WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww72cmn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zss72sr6j68)
Israel says offensive in Gaza City has begun
Israel says it's widened its offensive in Gaza City has begun, while also approving the construction of a settlement that largely splits the occupied West Bank. Newshour hears from Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, a member of the Religious Zionism party, and from Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative.
Also in the programme: the ongoing deportation raids in California; and the battle to save one of the world's tallest trees from fire.
(Picture: Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich speaks at a press conference regarding settlements expansion, near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim)
WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww72hcs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 22:06 The Interview (w3ct7x6r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltrvn5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 22:32 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle (w3ct80bn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww72m3x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 23:06 The Newsroom (w172zwl712n2049)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxlbltrzd9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct76j3)
Federal Reserve comes under pressure as interest rate decision looms
The Chair of the Federal Reserve chair are under scrutiny from Donald Trump after fraud allegations emerge about Governor Lisa Cook. How will it affect the interest rate decision?
The authorities in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi have declared an emergency and a public holiday after monsoon rains paralysed the city. We hear from the local business owner.
Sony PlayStation increased the price on its console. Is it one of the consequences of the trade war?
And we look at Denmark's decision to tax cow and sheep burps for greenhouse gas reasons.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.
THURSDAY 21 AUGUST 2025
THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww72qw1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct80hj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
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)
Federal Reserve comes under pressure as interest rate decision looms
The Chair of the Federal Reserve chair are under scrutiny from Donald Trump after fraud allegations emerge about Governor Lisa Cook. How will it affect the interest rate decision?
The authorities in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi have declared an emergency and a public holiday after monsoon rains paralysed the city. We hear from the local business owner.
Sony PlayStation increased the price on its console. Is it one of the consequences of the trade war?
And we look at Denmark's decision to tax cow and sheep burps for greenhouse gas reasons.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.
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 v the White House
Science journalist Roland Pease asks whether the rounds of cuts, reorganisations and political strong-arming of US science can be weathered, and how likely this will affect us all.
Eighty years ago Vannevar Bush proposed what became the pact between government and universities that led to decades of global scientific dominance.
Today, US scientists fear the Trump administration is ripping up that agreement, mandating what can and can’t be studied, who can study it, and redefining expertise. The specialist agencies are either being closed down or defunded to the extent that 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 redrafted.
Can the Trump administration's declared aim of "restoring gold standard science", be achieved?
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alex Mansfield
(Photo: Demonstrators take part in a Stand Up For Science rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, 7 March, 2025. Credit: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)
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)
Making care home food better
The quality of food in care homes for the elderly can be underwhelming. Ruth Alexander talks to the people highlighting the issue and finding ways to bring nutrition and comfort back on the menu.
Dr Lisa Portner, a medical doctor and researcher at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charite, outlines the inadequate diet offered by three nursing homes she studied in Germany.
Australian restaurateur and food writer Maggie Beer tells how she came to set up the Maggie Beer Foundation, which aims to research the issues, raise awareness and offer culinary training.
Ronald Marshall explains the simple ways he found to help carers understand the food preferences of his mum, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2020.
And Navjot Gill-Chawla recounts the conversations she had with South-Asian Canadians living with dementia and their families, as a PhD Candidate in Public Health at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. When the subject of care homes came up, she says food was uppermost in their minds.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
And if you'd like to try Maggie's brownie recipe featured in the show, you can find it in full on our website.
Producer: Beatrice Pickup
(Photo: Two cooks in a care home kitchen are smiling as they prepare a tray of brigh orange roast pumpkin. Credit: Sam Kroepsch)
THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73blp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn1qm8)
Israel begins first stages of Gaza City takeover
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This comes after Israel announced the first steps of an operation to take over Gaza City. We look at the objectives behind this latest ground offensive.
State legislators in Texas have approved a bill that redraws voting district boundaries in favour of the Republican party. This raises the prospect of similar efforts across the US ahead of the mid-term elections. We get the view of a Democratic State Senator.
And Nato military commanders have held a series of meetings in Washington to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine if there is a peace deal with Russia.
Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai
(Photo: Palestinians stand as smoke rises following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City. Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)
THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73gbt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn1vcd)
UN calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as the Israeli military says it has began the first stages of an assault on Gaza City. We speak to an Israeli reservist.
Russia plays down talks between its leader Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Zelensky as Nato countries look to strengthen security guarantees for Ukraine in case of a peace deal. We look at what these guarantees might be with somebody who knows Nato well.
And a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which was agreed at the end of last month, is still holding. Relations between the two south east Asian neighbours remain very tense. Around forty people are believed to have died in five days of fighting, sparked by a long-standing dispute over their border. We look the continuing war of words between the two countries.
Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai
(Photo: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Credit: Franck Robichon/EPA)
THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww73l2y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn1z3j)
Gaza: UN calls for an immediate ceasefire
The UN secretary-general, Anthony Guterres, has again called for an immediate ceasefire to avoid what he called "inevitable death and destruction". Officials in Gaza City say thousands of Palestinians are fleeing as the Israeli military begins the first stage of its operation to take the city.
Also in the programme: Russia plays down talks between its leader Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Zelensky as NATO countries look to strengthen security guarantees for Ukraine in case of a peace deal. We are joined by the Polish foreign minister. And, Thailand and Cambodia are respecting the ceasefire but how long will this last?
Presenters: James Copnall and Pria Rai
Photo: Palestinians mourn loved ones killed in Israeli strikes. 20 August 2025/ Reuters
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: Trump, Zelensky and the cameras
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington for talks with Donald Trump and other European leaders. The timing coincided with Anushka Asthana’s first day as US editor for Channel 4 News, who describes her early impressions of covering the American political landscape. Meanwhile, independent Russian broadcaster TV Rain, operating in exile from Amsterdam, also reported intensively on the Washington meetings. Ekaterina Kotrikadze, news director and anchor, TV Rain, explains how the organisation continues to reach audiences under pressure of censorship and surveillance.
The Edinburgh TV Festival has been taking place this week, and brings together industry voices to assess the future of television in the UK and beyond. Camilla Lewis, creative director, Curve Media, and Matt Belloni, co-founder, Puck, provide their perspectives on where money, audiences and creative opportunities are moving.
Hedge fund Hunterbrook is experimenting with an unusual model for the news business: publishing investigative journalism while also using its findings to guide investment decisions. Sam Koppelman, co-founder, Hunterbrook, outlines how the company separates editorial and financial operations while aiming to sustain investigative reporting.
Presenter: Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Assistant Producers: Lucy Wai and Martha Owen
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. 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.
(Photo: The USS Nevada is aground and burning off Waipio Point, after the end of the Japanese air raid in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, 7 December, 1941. Credit: Department of the US Navy/Reuters)
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)
Amazing Love Stories: I fell in love with my sperm donor
Jessica Share was in a lesbian relationship in the early 2000s. She and her partner used sperm from an anonymous donor to start a family and loved their baby daughter Alice when she arrived. After Jessica and her partner split up, Alice became interested in her heritage and did a DNA test when she was 11 years old. To everyone's surprise, a man called Aaron Long was revealed to be her biological father. As Alice was still a child, her mother Jessica reached out to Aaron, and they began sending messages back and forth. What came next surprised them all - and Jessica and Aaron embarked on a wholly unexpected journey.
Across two weeks we've curated a collection of love stories from around the world. Love in all its guises; puppy love that falters and finds its feet again, longing through wars and exile, and romance that blooms in the most unexpected places. Messy, beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking. But always human, surprising and unforgettable. You'll find them all on the Outlook website in a box set called Amazing Love Stories.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: May Cameron
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Aaron and Jessica. Credit: Aaron and Jessica)
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)
Israel launches new assault on Gaza
Israel has launched a new assault on Gaza, stepping up its bombardment of northern suburbs Gaza City. We’ll hear from a journalist in the city.
Also in the programme: A torrent of Russian drones and missiles have hit Ukraine; a warning that AI might bring on psychosis; and the impact of tourism on Antarctica.
(Photo: Palestinian family fleeing Gaza City. Credit: Reuters)
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)
EU and US release details of their tariff deal
The European Union and the White House have confirmed a 15% deal, including European cars and pharmaceuticals, in a joint statement clarifying their tentative trade deal announced last month.
And in our Africa series this month, today we discuss the African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims to create a single market for goods and services in the continent, boosting trade and economic integration.
Plus, Microsoft's head of artificial intelligence says he's alarmed by rising cases of a phenomenon dubbed "AI psychosis"—that’s relying so heavily on chatbots and losing touch with reality.
THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww74nt3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 16:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm6jy2)
Palestinians flee Gaza City districts
There have been renewed calls for Israel to give international media access to Gaza. In a joint statement more than 20 countries also said attacks on reporters now working in the territory must stop. Israel's troops have established a foothold on the outskirts of Gaza City which is home to more than a million Palestinians - after days of intense bombing and artillery fire. We bring together three people in Gaza City to share what they are experiencing.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on allies to put Russia under greater pressure to stop the war, after the latest overnight bombardment -- one of the biggest of the war. We speak to our colleague with BBC Ukraine.
A landmark new assessment has officially recognised four distinct giraffe species, overturning the long-held classification of the world’s tallest land mammal as a single species. Our science reporter explains.
After Denmark abolished a sales tax to fight “reading crisis”, we speak to people around the world who enjoy reading or are members of book clubs.
Presenter: Luke Jones.
(Photo: Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza ride with their belongings as they head south, amid an Israeli military operation, in Gaza City, August 21, 2025. Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)
THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww74sk7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 17:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm6np6)
Israel's operation to capture all of Gaza City
Witness testimony speaks of Israeli drones circling over Gaza City, some of them attacking people. The reports come as Israel continues its attacks, with hundreds fleeing. Israel wants to signal that it is pressing ahead with its plan to capture all of Gaza City despite international criticism. We hear from Gazans and speak to Israelis about the operation.
Microsoft's AI boss Mustafa Suleman has been posting online about his concerns about AI psychosis, an unhealthy attachment to AI chatbots. Our tech reporter explains.
We speak to our reporter who is at the world's largest computer and video games festival Gamescom in Germany.
Presenter: Luke Jones
(Photo: Protesters hold cutout pictures of hostages and signs, as they demand the immediate release of the hostages kidnapped during the 7 October, 2023 attack and the end of the war, in Tel Aviv, Israel, 21 August, 2025. Credit: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)
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)
Not cold fusion all over again
A desktop nuclear fusion reactor that uses electrochemistry to up the ante. Also, a global survey of human wildfire exposures finds Africa burning ahead, plus tiny swarming robots and record-breaking 2024 ice melts from glaciers on Svalbard.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alex Mansfield
Production co-ordinator: Jana Holesworth
(Photo: The Thunderbird Reactor at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Credit: Berlinguette Group/UBC)
THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww758jr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zss72sr9f3c)
Israel will begin talks to free all hostages, Netanyahu says
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the start of negotiations to end the war in Gaza on ‘Israel’s terms’. He said those included the release of all hostages held by Hamas. This comes as he approves plans to take over Gaza City.
Also in the programme; why political parties in the United States are seeking to manipulate the boundaries of electoral constituencies; the new research that confirms there are four species of giraffe.
(File Picture: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a reception in Jerusalem on August 13, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool)
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)
How does the EU-US trade deal affect the car industry?
The EU and US clarify details of a tentative trade deal, with President Trump dropping plans for steep tariffs on cars, semi-conductors and pharmaceuticals. We get reaction from the German auto industry.
We examine why a gathering of top economists and central bankers in the US is being overshadowed by politics. Tensions are high between President Trump and Federal Chair Jerome Powell, who is preparing a big speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium.
And McDonald’s gets a scolding from the Japanese government. So why is a Happy Meal campaign involving Pokemon Cards drawing criticism?
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)
Fed Chair set to deliver key speech at major US finance summit
Federal Chair Jerome Powell takes centre stage at Jackson Hole in the US to deliver his final speech. It comes at a time when tensions are high between him and President Trump. We look ahead to this important speech.
Details emerge of a tentative deal between the European Union and the US .Some sectors will see smaller-than-expected tariff hikes. We hear from a representative of the German automotive industry
And Ecuador is home to the Galápagos Islands, towering volcanoes, and the Amazon rainforest. But how did one of South America’s most peaceful countries become one of the most violent? We take a look at how this surge in crime has affected the tourism sector.
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)
Israel to resume talks to release hostages
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he's ordered the beginning of immediate negotiations for the conclusion of the Gaza war on Israel's terms. He said those included the release of all hostages held by Hamas. At the same time Netanyahu told Israeli troops on Thursday night that his cabinet had also approved plans for a massive assault on Gaza City. We get a Palestinian reaction.
In California Governor Gary Newsom and state politicians have moved to create new districts that could help Democrats in five congressional seats.
And a new report that raises the alarm about acute malnutrition among children in Melit, in North Darfur in Sudan.
Presenters: James Copnall and Victoria Uwonkunda
(Photo: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City. Credit: Dawoud Abu)
FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76c7x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn4r8h)
Israel says it's ready to negotiate on hostages
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he's ordered the start of negotiations for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas and an end to the war in Gaza on Israel's terms. He has also approved widely criticised plans to seize Gaza City, in the north of the territory, with a massive offensive that would force hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move south. We get an Israeli view on the situation.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country is ready to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "in neutral Europe." Despite diplomatic overtures, Russia has continued its attacks on Ukraine. We speak to the Lithuanian former Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis.
And we speak to a Palestinian beauty queen who is set to make history at this year’s Miss Universe pageant in Thailand. 27-year-old Nadeen Ayoub, a health and nutrition coach, will be competing in the global contest and representing the Palestinian community for the first time.
Presenters: James Copnall and Victoria Uwonkunda
(Photo: Palestinians take part in a protest demanding an end to the war in Gaza and rejecting mass displacement, in Gaza City. Credit: Ebrahim Hajjaj/Reuters)
FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76h01)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsprdbn4w0m)
Netanyahu orders 'immediate' hostage negotiations as Gaza City offensive continues
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he's ordered the beginning of immediate negotiations for the conclusion of the Gaza war on Israel's terms.We are joined by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
Also, Ireland’s former President Mary Robinson has said she was left “shocked” by the level of mass starvation and humanitarian suffering in Gaza, after visiting the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, and a Palestinian beauty queen is set to make history at this year’s Miss Universe pageant in Thailand. Nadeen Ayoub joins us.
(Photo: Displaced Palestinians make their way as they flee amid an Israeli military operation, in Gaza City. 22 August 2025/ Reuters)
FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww76lr5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 08:06 Americast (w3ct7t5t)
Is Donald Trump losing his Latino base?
One of the biggest stories of last year’s presidential election was Donald Trump’s success with Latino voters which led him to win crucial swing states in the battle for the White House.
While the Democrats still won the popular vote nationwide, there was no question that Trump’s messaging on the economy appealed to voters worried about the cost of living.
Eight months on from that victory, are Latinos still with Trump? Recent polling suggest that doubts are growing about the president’s ability to ease the cost of living. With the midterm elections roughly a year away, are Latino voters going to turn their back on the president, and will they go back to the Democrats?
Justin and Sarah are joined by veteran Latino pollster Mike Madrid, who talks us through why Latinos could leave Trump as quick as they arrived, and why it shouldn’t be assumed that they’ll go back to the Democrats.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
GUEST:
• Mike Madrid, Latino Republican pollster & author of ‘The Latino Century’
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
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Radical: BBC Sounds - Radical with Amol Rajan - Available Episodes
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 the technology is the answer to African growth.
If you'd like to get in touch with our programme, you can email us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presented and produced 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)
Mountains of overtourism
As Nepal makes 97 peaks free to climb, we look at the science of overtourism – especially on mountains. How do so many visitors affect these environments, and what can be done? Plus, are mountains carbon sources, or carbon sinks? And why do we feel the drive to summit these peaks anyway? A psychologist specialising in thrill-seeking explains.
Also on the show, we take your questions, read out your comments, and look at what it takes to physically measure the height of a peak like Everest.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Chhavi Sachdev and Leonie Joubert
Producers: Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Imaan Moin and Lucy Davies
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)
Amazing Love Stories: The forbidden lovers' daring escape
When Karl-Heinz and Hedi fell in love they faced one major obstacle: the Iron Curtain. They met as teenagers at the height of the Cold War and were separated by a border – he was in capitalist West Germany and she was forbidden from leaving the communist East. They hatched a secret plan to be together, but it was elaborate and at times even farcical. Their mission seemed impossible – especially when the East German secret police, the notorious Stasi, were on their tail. But maybe, just maybe, they’d get lucky.
Across two weeks we’ve curated a collection of love stories from around the world. Love in all its guises; puppy love that falters and finds its feet again, longing through wars and exile, and romance that blooms in the most unexpected places. Messy, beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking. But always human, surprising and unforgettable. You'll find them all on the Outlook website in a box set called Amazing Love Stories.
Presenters: Emily Webb and Jo Fidgen
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Translation: Sandra Dobrozemsky and Felix Kronabetter
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Hedi and Karl-Heinz Stützel. Credit: NORDPOLARIS)
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)
UN-backed body confirms famine in Gaza City
A report by the internationally recognised body for determining global food insecurity has confirmed that there is now famine in Gaza City. The IPC warns that the dire situation is likely to expand to other parts of the territory by the end of next month - with half-a-million people in Gaza facing catastrophic conditions. Israel denies there is famine in the territory.
Also in the programme: Spain’s most famous architect on the path to sainthood; and the dinosaur with the 'eye-catching sail'.
(File photo: Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, August 21, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Hatem Khaled)
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)
All eyes on Jerome Powell’s major speech at Jackson Hole
The Federal Reserve's annual summit is happening in the scenic setting of Jackson Hole kicks into high gear on Friday, with the Fed Chair, Jerome Powell, taking centre stage.
UN agencies are warning that the global workforce needs better protection from excessive heat driven by worldwide warming.
And, in Scotland's capital where the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and International Festival take over the city's streets, we look at the impact of tourism going up, so does the cost of accommodation.
FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww77kq6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm9fv5)
Famine confirmed in Gaza City
The United Nations says the famine in Gaza has been caused by the systematic obstruction of aid supplies by Israel. The UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher said the territory was just a few hundred metres from food. Our BBC Verify colleague explains what the report says and how it defines famine. We also hear from people in the city and speak to aid workers.
UN agencies are warning that the global workforce needs better protection from excessive heat driven by worldwide warming. Our environment correspondent explains.
Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 starts today. We speak to journalists who are covering the event.
The mayor of the Japanese city of Toyoake has called on residents to limit their smartphone use to just two hours a day, outside of work or school. We ask OS listeners what they think about the plan.
FBI agents have raided the home of John Bolton, President Trump's former National Security Adviser. Our correspondent explains.
California's state senate has passed legislation redrawing political districts to help Democrats gain five more seats in the US House of Representatives. The measure will counter similar moves in Texas benefitting the Republicans in Congress. We get reaction from Americans.
Presenter: Andrew Peach.
(Photo: A Palestinian reacts as he waits to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 28, 2025. Credit: Khamis Al-Rifi/Reuters)
FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww77pgb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w173067x9wm9kl9)
Israel says there is no famine in Gaza
The UN humanitarian chief has pleaded for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, saying enough is enough, after a monitor confirmed famine for the first time. It's found that 130,000 children are now at risk of dying from malnutrition. The Israeli prime minister has called the UN-backed report an "outright lie". We get the latest from our correspondent and speak to people in Gaza.
The head of NATO has called for robust security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure Russia honours any peace deal. Our correspondent has the latest.
India's Supreme Court has modified its previous order that all stray dogs in the capital Delhi must be rounded up and removed from the streets, following widespread protests by animal welfare groups.
Canada is removing all tariffs on US goods that are compliant with the existing North American free trade agreement, matching exemptions announced earlier this month by Washington. And, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve has indicated interest rates could soon be cut. We speak to our business correspondent in New York.
Presenter: Andrew Peach.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu holds press conference for international media, Jerusalem, Israel - 10 Aug 2025. Credit: ABIR SULTAN/POOL/EPA)
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)
Ukrainians at war and their hopes for peace
While US President Donald Trump spearheads efforts to halt the conflict in Ukraine, Russian drones and missiles continue to kill and injure civilians, invaders control around a fifth of the country, and many Ukrainians fear that any peace agreement could result in a permanent loss of territory.
Away from the international diplomacy, we wanted to give a sense of how life has changed in Ukraine over the past three and a half years of war. In our conversations, we bring together three soldiers who share their experiences of the frontline.
We also hear from Ukrainians forced to leave the country and bring together three women dealing with the trauma of the conflict.
“I think the life of the whole of Ukraine has changed in a bigger or smaller way,” Sasha tells us. “Everybody has lost someone or something – be it a home, friend or someone from their closest family.”
Presenter: Andrew Peach
BBC Producers: Iqra Farooq, Angela Sheeran, Kira Fomenko and Martyn Williams
Boffin Media Producers: Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham
An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the OS team.
(Photo: Victor Tregubov, the spokesperson of the Dnipro Operational Strategic Group of Forces)
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?
Camouflage isn't just for chameleons! Military forces around the world deck their soldiers out in those distinctive green and brown uniforms, to give them the best chance of staying safe, and remaining undetected. But how do they work? Why do they look so different from country to country? And why do you still see soldiers wearing it in the city, when it can't possibly work as camouflage?
These are the questions in the mind of Crowdscience listener Paul, in Uganda. In his home of Kampala he often sees soldiers on patrol. As a botanist, he's fascinated by the nature-inspired designs, and he wants to know how they came to be. So Alex Lathbridge sets off to find out.
At Camolab at the University of Bristol, Laszlo Talas talks Alex through the history of battle-dress. There have been some extraordinary designs over the years, some of them quite beautiful in their way, and many with hidden easter eggs printed into the design!
In a patch of forest on the outskirts of Prague, Alex gets to try some of the latest gear out for himself. Fully kitted out in ghillie suit, camouflage chaps, face mask and goggles, he tries to disappear into tue background. With the help of 4M Tactical, the company who manufacture a cloak currently in use in Ukraine. It has the power to make you invisible, not just in the visible spectrum, but in the infrared too. With high tech sensors and infrared cameras now a staple of the modern battlefield, clothes like this are becoming essential.
Not all camouflage technology belongs to the military. Futuristic clothing company Vollebak in London are using 'the fabrics of the future' to design high tech streetwear for savvy 21st century urban warriors. Founder Steve Tindall shows Alex their prototype Thermal Camo Jacket, which uses hundreds of layers of graphene to give the illusion of heat, or cold. Steve says that hiding in plain sight is less about concealing yourself from human eyes, and more about avoiding the pervasive sensors and constant surveillance that are increasingly a feature of urban living.
Meanwhile in Sweden, they're taking the inspiration from chameleons more literally. Hans Karis, deputy research director of the Swedish defence institute FOI, introduces Alex to their Adaptive Camouflage, interwoven with a network of tiny coloured LEDs to change colour at will. It's not on the market yet, but perhaps chameleon soldiers will be a thing of the future.
Presented by Alex Lathbridge
Produced by Emily Knight
(Photo: Thermal imaging of people in the woods)
FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwwrww785fv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zss72srdb0g)
The UN says there is famine in Gaza City
The UN's top humanitarian official Tom Fletcher says the report on the famine in Gaza City is 'irrefutable testimony'. But Israel categorically denies any claims of famine.
Also in the programme: the FBI raids the home of President Trump’s former advisor John Bolton; and the Indian government cracks down on online gambling.
(Image: A child reacts surrounded by pots as Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on 21 August 2025. Credit: Reuters/Hatem Khaled)
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)
Fed Chair Powell eyes September rate cut
As Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signals a move to a rate cut in December, we find out what it means for the US economy and the financial markets.
Also, friends again? Canadian PM Mark Carney calls a halt to some of the retaliatory tariffs imposed on the US. We find out what Canada's businesses think of the thaw in trade relations.
And, President Trump says the US government is to take a 10% stake in chipmaker Intel. We'll be hearing what's behind the move.