SATURDAY 03 JANUARY 2026
SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ppq93)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x6)
An episode inspired by our listeners
We revisit our listeners’ favourite topics and dig deeper in this special programme.
First, we hear from some of our insomniac listeners and explore how we fall asleep with neuroscientist Dr Ada Eban-Rothschild from the University of Michigan.
Next, we return to our favourite food facts with a small surprise for one of the presenters.
Then, we put our knowledge to the test with extra quizzes and examine the randomness of multiple-choice questions.
Finally, we’re joined by Dr Alyn Euritt to discuss the importance of connection, especially between Marnie, Caroline and all the loyal listeners of the show.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenters: Caroline Steel and Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Imaan Moin, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Lucy Davies
SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ppv17)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3p71m)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219d69m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct7159)
Are conspiracy theories America’s biggest export?
We are away for Christmas, so this is a repeat of a previous episode.
Mistrust in science has never been higher. Fewer people are getting vaccinated, a known vaccine skeptic is leading the most powerful health agency in America and an outbreak of measels in Texas this year led to the first fatalities in almost a decade. Then, in August, a gunman opened fire on the headquarters of the Centre for Disease Control with many speculating he was fuelled by misinformation about health.
Increasingly this misinformation is being exported around the world.
Marianna Spring is the BBC’s Social Media Investigations Correspondent and tells the story of how suspicion of science in America helped radicalise a British mom with devastating consequences.
Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Lucy Pawle
Executive producer: Annie Brown
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Kate Shemirani. Martin Pope / Getty
SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ppysc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3pbsr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219db1r)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zkd)
The Ashes: The epic 125-day journey from England to Australia
Back in September we spoke to 18-year-old Tommy Lamb who was travelling from England to Australia to watch the Ashes without using an aeroplane. He has made it and witnessed the bonkers boxing day Test in Melbourne. He gives us his thoughts on if the 125-day journey was worth it to see a two-day Test match.
Australia are 3-1 up in the Ashes, but the final Test in Sydney could be pivotal for both sides in terms of looking to the future. Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma assess what could be the key battles and how significant the final match will be for both sides. And the Stumped team make their New Years resolutions and tell us what aspects of cricket they would like to change.
Photo: 18 year old Tommy Lamb travelling from England to Australia. Credit: Tommy Lamb
SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pq2jh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj0)
Outlook Mixtape: The Last Picture Show
The Outlook Mixtape is back with another flick through the archive for stories with cinema at their heart.
We hear from Walter Murch, the legendary sound designer whose work on The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now transformed how films sound. From whirring helicopters to bustling city streets, his experimental techniques reshaped cinematic storytelling and immersed audiences in entirely new ways. This was first broadcast in 2020.
British-Iraqi producer Lateif Jorephani recalls working on Clash of Loyalties, a troubled epic commissioned by Saddam Hussein in the early 1980s. Intended as a grand, Hollywood-style origin story of modern Iraq and starring Oliver Reed, the production took a dramatic turn when war broke out mid-shoot, leaving cast and crew stranded amid chaos. This was first broadcast in 2016.
During the Covid lockdown in Cork, Ireland, Scott Duggan turned his terraced street into an open-air cinema, projecting films onto a wall and bringing neighbours together when the world felt shut down. This was first broadcast in 2020.
Presenter: Asya Fouks
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape on a white background with a white label with the words: The Outlook Mixtape. Credit: Getty Images)
SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct744z)
South Africa's luxury train
In 1986, South African businessman Rohan Vos was sitting in the bath when he decided to pursue his passion and launch a vintage railway business. However, the venture nearly bankrupted him, and he was forced to sell his family home.
But, improved economic conditions in the 1990s and a chance encounter with a travel agent in London saved the business.
Rovos Rail is now regarded as one of the most luxurious trains in the world, and carries passengers all over the southern half of Africa.
Rohan Vos looks back on the story with Ben Henderson.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
(Photo: Rohan Vos. Credit: David Lefranc/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pq68m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:06 today]
SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pqb0r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3pq14)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219dp94)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 05:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzq)
3. The Sign-Seeker
Will learns of his task: To find the six Signs of the Light before the Dark destroys them. He discovers an unexpected power and learns he is an Old One, whose duty is to fight the rising strength of the Dark across the centuries. Listen on headphones for 3D immersive sound. #TheDarkIsRising
Will Stanton: Noah Alexander
John Smith/Paul Stanton/Mr Beaumont: Thomas Arnold
Bus Conductor/Jamaican Old One/James Stanton: Danny Bailey
Stephen Stanton: Simon Bubb
Mrs Stanton/Mrs Pettigrew/Dr Armstrong: Amanda Hadingue
The Walker/Hawkin: Toby Jones
Narrator: Simon McBurney
The Rider/Mr Mithothin/Mr Stanton/Farmer Dawson: Tim McMullan
Merriman: Paul Rhys
Maggie Barnes/Mary Stanton: Natasha Stone
The Lady/Miss Greythorne: Harriet Walter
Herne: Miles Yekinni
The chorister: Vinay Singh
Radio announcer: Samuel West
Soundscape design: Gareth Fry
Music: Josh Sneesby
Original songs by Johnny Flynn, Luisa Gerstein and Héloïse Tunstall-Behrens
Adapted for audio by Robert Macfarlane and Simon McBurney
Dramaturg: James Yeatman
Director: Simon McBurney
Producers: Catherine Bailey and Tim Bell
A Complicité and Catherine Bailey Production for BBC World Service
Commissioned by Simon Pitts
SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct6w01)
Numbers of the year 2026
From record-breaking passenger numbers, to some more record-breaking numbers - courtesy of the Men’s football World Cup. We look forward to what 2026 might have in store for us - numerically of course.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Charlotte McDonald and Katie Solleveld
Production Co-ordinator: Sabine Schereck
Sound Mix: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Richard Vadon
SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pqfrw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8j2kbz0gv)
Sparklers in bottles started Swiss bar fire, officials say
Swiss authorities believe a fire at a bar, which killed 40 people and injured more than a hundred others, was caused by indoor fireworks in bottles that got too close to the ceiling. Our correspondent in Crans-Montana has the latest.
Also in today’s programme: multiple explosions rock Venezuela's capital, Caracas; and the twin brothers who have scaled some of the highest mountains in the world - we speak to one of them.
Weekend presenter Paul Henley is joined by Paula Erizanu, a journalist and writer based in Moldova, and Tom Nuttall, The Economist’s chief Germany correspondent.
(Photo: Aftermath of New Year's Eve party fire and explosion at Crans-Montana's "Le Constellation" bar, in Sion. 3 January 2026/ Reuters)
SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pqkj0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8j2kbz46z)
Reports of explosions in Venezuelan capital
Venezuela has been on high alert for possible US strikes after Donald Trump's massive military build-up off the coast. We hear from a journalist who was woken by the explosions in Caracas.
Also on the programme: the latest on the investigations into the Swiss bar fire; and as New York City's new mayor, Zoran Mamdani, takes office, we'll hear from former mayor, Bill de Blasio.
(Photo: Venezuelan forces on a vehicle patrol the streets in Caracas, Venezuela, 03 January 2026, after multiple explosions were reported across the capital. Credit: MIGUEL GUTIERREZ/EPA/Shutterstock)
SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pqp84)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8j2kbz7z3)
Military infrastructure hit in Venezuela
There've been several explosions in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas and other cities, with plumes of smoke rising from military facilities. The Venezuelan government says it's been attacked by the United States.
Also in the programme: Iranian officials say they'll continue to clamp down on anti-government protesters, despite warnings from the US president, Donald Trump, that he'd intervene; and as the hit sci-fi show Stranger Things ends, we hear why it appealed to so many people.
(Photo: A fire burns near vegetation in Caracas, Venezuela, 03 January 2026, after multiple explosions were reported across the capital.
Credit: Photo by MIGUEL GUTIERREZ/EPA/Shutterstock)
SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pqt08)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnq)
Living in space
The first crew arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) 25 years ago. Since then, almost three hundred people from some 20 nations have visited the orbiting laboratory. If you were born after November 2000, for your entire life, there has always been someone living in space.
In our conversations astronauts Tim Peake and Nicole Stott share their experiences of life on the ISS.
“It felt like I was coming to a second home when I got there, almost immediately,” Nicole tells us. “Floating and flying and having that extraordinary view out of the window, it’s like nothing else.”
Nasa’s latest venture, Artemis II, is due for launch in the next few months. The ten-day mission will carry four astronauts further than any human has gone before, in a loop far beyond the Moon. It’s the latest stage of the US-led plan to eventually land humans on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.
To discuss the future of space exploration, we bring together astronaut Mike Massimino, he’s flown to space twice and starred (as an astronaut) in The Big Bang Theory. We also hear from former Nasa researcher and AI expert, Kiri Wagstaff, and Les Johnson, he was a senior engineer at Nasa and is now the CEO of Infinite Frontiers Consulting.
Presenter: Luke Jones
BBC producer: Isabella Bull
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver
An Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS
(Photo: Astronaut Tim Peake Credit: Tim Peake)
SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219f58n)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8byy)
Join Americast for insights and analysis on what's happening inside Trump's White House.
SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pqxrd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878v)
Football is coming!
Soccer is going to be one of the focal points of the sporting calendar this year, not least because in June the men's FIFA World Cup will be hosted in Mexico, Canada and the United State of America. So we thought we'd start the year by exploring what it was like to be a football fan in this day and age. What binds fans from wherever they come from and what are the challenges that a more modern, more business focused game means for those for whom football is more than just a game
Football can prove an intimidating atmosphere, in some ways that the purpose of vocally supporting your team! but when that intimidation comes from your own fans simply because you are a woman making going to a football match be for some women a traumatic experience. We hear directly about those experiences at an event hosted by Deborah Dilworth, Head of Women's Football at the Football Supporters Association.
In 2008 Union Berlin, who at the time played in the third tier in German football, had long term financial challenges which meant their unique stadium, the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, which is surrounded by forest in East Berlin, was becoming too run down to use. As the risk of having to move, and lose its extraordinary atmosphere, fans volunteered in their thousands to take on the renovation work themselves! Lifelong Union fan Sylvia Weisheit oversaw the project and told her story to Not by the Playbook
Each country had its own unique football culture, it's own chants and accepted behaviors and South America has always been one of the hotbeds of the game and atmospheres generated that sometimes tip the Richter scale! Rodrigo Barneschi supports Brazilian side Palmeiras, and has been to more than a 1000 of their games and almost 100 stadiums all over South American and beyond. He has detailed his journeys in a new book: "Outsiders: A Football Fanatic’s South American Odyssey."
A tournament like the World Cup always boosts the attendances of the domestic leagues. So it might be that after the World Cup you could be looking for a club team to support. Location is pretty important, but if you don't have a local team you might look further afield and then slightly different priorities might point you towards a team. For example if you like a team that wins, try current European champions Paris St Germain. But if you want a club that's cool, well then try a little further down the Seine at FC Red Star. The club have over many years cultivated a down to earth but still stylish culture. Simon Binns fell in love with the club whilst visiting Paris to see family, before he knew it he was part of the Red Star Ultras. He explains how in his new book Red Star Paris: Punks, Politics and Power Struggles in the Fight for the Coolest Club on Earth.
Photo: England take on China in a Women's International Friendly, Nov 2025 CREDIT: Joel Hammer/BBC)
SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pr1hj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3qfhx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pr57n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 12:06 World Book Club (w3ct74s7)
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - The Palace of Illusions
Harriett Gilbert welcomes bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni into the World Book Club studio to discuss her internationally acclaimed novel, The Palace of Illusions.
A luminous reimagining of the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharat, The Palace of Illusions traces the life of Princess Panchaali—better known as Draupadi—from her miraculous birth in fire to her destiny as the wife of five brothers cheated of their father’s kingdom. Swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, Panchaali stands beside them through years of exile and the terrible civil war that engulfs the kings of India. Along the way, she navigates fierce rivalries, a complex friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, and a forbidden attraction to her husbands’ most dangerous enemy.
With its vivid imagery, lyrical prose and unforgettable characters, Divakaruni’s novel brings to life a world of warriors, gods, and fate, seen through the eyes of a fiery woman determined to shape her own destiny.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni answers readers’ questions about reclaiming women’s voices from myth and legend, the different kinds of love - marital, forbidden and divine, and how mythology can be used to re-write expectations for how people should live their lives even in the modern day.
SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pr8zs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zssht76wfkd)
US launches strikes on Venezuela and captures president
The United States has captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and launched a “large-scale” strike against the country, according to US President Donald Trump. It follows weeks of heightened tension as the US president ramped up pressure on the Venezuelan leader. We get reaction from the US and wider region.
Also in the programme: the Swedish workers trialling a “friendship hour” to combat loneliness.
(Photo: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro holds Simon Bolivar’s sword as he addresses members of the armed forces, Bolivarian Militia, police, and civilians during a rally against a possible escalation of US actions toward the country, at Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas, Venezuela, November 25, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo)
SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9prdqx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqy3szd13c)
Live Sporting Action
We’ll have live Premier League commentary of Wolverhampton Wanderers against West Ham United. Lee James will be joined by the Leicester City and Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and the former Crystal Palace and DR Congo winger Yannick Bolasie to build up to that and discuss the three other games in the Premier League on Saturday.
We’ll also discuss the opening two round of 16 games at the Africa Cup of Nations, the final weekend of the NFL regular season, and the World Darts Championship final.
Photo: A general view of the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and West Ham United FC at Molineux on April 01, 2025 in Wolverhampton, England. (Credit: Getty Images)
SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9prwqf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3r8qt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ps0gk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 19:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723q)
How did music megatours become such a money spinner?
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shattered records, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, redefining what’s possible and confirming a new era in the business of touring.
As streaming transformed how we listen to music, selling records is no longer the financial centrepiece it once was for artists. Instead, exclusivity has been transferred to the live experience. But staging shows on this scale requires enormous investment and complex production. At the same time, ticket scarcity fuels extraordinary demand and rising prices, which mean big ticket prices.
Tanya Beckett explores how technology, fandom and economics turn modern concert tours into multi-billion-dollar ventures.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: How did music megatours become such a money spinner?
Contributors
Kevin Kim, Head of Asia at music distribution company Route Note, Seoul, South Korea
Serona Elton, professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, United States
Adam Behr, Reader and Head of Music at Newcastle University, United Kingdom
Poppy Reid, music journalist and founder of Curious Media, Sydney, Australia
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producers: Maeve Schaffer and Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Editor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Taylor Swift during The Eras Tour. Credit: Erika Goldring/TAS24/Getty Images)
SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219gcqy)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 19:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzf)
Happy News
Positive news stories
SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ps46p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 20:06 Newshour (w172zssht76x8s9)
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ps7yt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zssht76xdjf)
Trump: US intends to 'run' Venezuela, after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro
President Trump has announced the United States will run Venezuela until an orderly transition can be achieved, saying he wasn't afraid of putting boots on the ground. His comments came hours after US forces captured the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro (and his wife) during an overnight raid in Caracas. Mr Trump said Mr Maduro would soon face narco-terrorism charges in New York, posting a picture of the Venezuelan leader blindfolded and handcuffed. Mr Trump warned the US military would remain engaged to prevent resistance, but US Democrats have condemned a prolonged American involvement. The president also pledged that US oil companies would take over and rehabilitate Venezuelan oil facilities.
(Photo: Trump earlier shared a photo he said was of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. The image shows him blindfolded and wearing ear defenders)
SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pscpy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3rrqb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219gqzb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72f2)
Fuse ODG
Fuse ODG is one of the pioneers in the Afrobeats movement. Songs like Azonto and Antenna made him a household name. In 2018 he was the first Ghanaian to win a Grammy for his collaboration with UK superstar Ed Sheeran.
Born in South London to Ghanaian parents, he was raised in Ghana before returning to the UK for his secondary education. That experience shaped his musical journey, and his determination to challenge negative narratives about Africa. He refused to be a part of the re-release of the Band Aid song Do They Know It’s Christmas. And he’s launched an app to teach kids about African history and a range of Nana Dolls, toys with different African hairstyles and wearing African fashions.
In this episode he tells DJ Edu about his latest album SONA - Spirit of New Africa - and songs within it including 54 Countries and Sundiata, both of which continue his crusade to turn the story of Africa around.
SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pshg2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 23:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 today]
SUNDAY 04 JANUARY 2026
SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9psm66)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:06 on Saturday]
SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219gzgl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct8tym)
Kibera ballerinas
Ballet, a centuries-old form of European dance, is flourishing in one of Africa’s largest informal settlements. In Kibera, Kenya, we follow aspiring young dancers as they prepare for their biggest performance yet. Amid the pirouettes, jumps and lifts, Carolyne Kiambo discovers how ballet is helping these young Kenyans beyond the stage.
Presenter: Carolyne Kiambo
Producer: Sue Coryndon
SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9psqyb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3s3yq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219h36q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 01:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:32 on Saturday]
SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zss)
Football's Next Star
In 2009, British 17-year-old Ben Greenhalgh won a reality TV show called Football's Next Star, earning him a six-month contract to play for Italian champions Inter Milan.
During his time in Milan, the club enjoyed the greatest season in its history - winning the treble of Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.
He trained alongside star players including Patrick Vieira, Samuel Eto'o and a young Mario Balotelli. But Greenhalgh says nobody was above José Mourinho, who was at the peak of his managerial powers. Ben Greenhalgh looks back on the remarkable story with Ben Henderson.
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: Ben Greenhalgh. Credit: Ben Greenhalgh)
SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9psvpg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3s7pv)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219h6yv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkh)
How can we eliminate malaria?
In the past decade there has been little progress in lowering malaria cases, with over half a million people still dying from the mosquito-borne disease every year. We look at the big ideas and innovations of the future that could help us eliminate malaria once and for all.
What would happen if we got rid of the insect responsible for spreading the malaria parasite? Claudia heads to Imperial College London where she is joined by Dr Federica Bernardini and their 120 colonies of mosquitos to find out how revolutionary genetic technologies are aiming to do just that.
Picking up on Imperial’s work in the field is Principal Investigator at Target Malaria in Uganda, Dr Jonathan Kayondo. His job is to understand what it would mean to release these modified mosquitos into the wild.
Looking at the existing tools that need levelling up is Dr Rob Moon, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Dr James Tibenderana, Chief Executive at the Malaria Consortium. Alongside Claudia they look at the next generation of vaccines and the importance of accessible rapid diagnostic tests.
But is all this going to be enough to eliminate malaria?
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Katie Tomsett
SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pszfl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 03:06 World Book Club (w3ct74s7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pt35q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsm)
Rebuilding a life amid Syria's ruins
Pascale Harter introduces stories from Syria, China, Brazil and Greece.
Whole neighbourhoods in cities across Syria lie in ruins after 14 years of civil war. But amid the wreckage, there are some signs of life - as refugees trickle back into these areas and try to work out how to remake their lives. In Ghouta, one man called out from the shell of his home to our correspondent Lyse Doucet and talked about how he's rebuilding after the fall of the Assad regime.
China's ambitions for the coming year are high. The country's still striving for pole position in the global pecking order as it makes advances in green energy, artificial intelligence, and military might. But what might be its Achilles heel? Laura Bicker looks at the challenges facing Beijing in the year ahead.
In Brazil, the battle over the future of the Amazon rainforest is still being hard fought. A group of industrial agriculture companies are trying to overturn a landmark moratorium on trading soybeans grown on recently-deforested land - a policy said to have said thousands of hectares from the chainsaws. Justin Rowlatt got a bird's eye view on the issue from the top of a tower built to gauge the health of planet Earth.
These are hard times for Greek livestock farmers - with an outbreak of sheep pox ripping through their flocks. The highly contagious viral disease isn't dangerous to humans, but it can kill animals - and it's threatening Greece's feta cheese production. There's been a surge in cases over recent months, and mass culls have hit farmers across the country - more than 400,000 sheep and goats have been killed so far. Hester Underhill travelled to the agricultural heartland of Thessaly.
Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison(Image: Eastern Ghouta. Credit: Lyse Doucet/BBC)
SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219hgg3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 04:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vwt)
The Child Cancer Scam
3. The recruiters
A woman called Isabel pushes a little girl to send videos from her hospital bed. It’s part of a recruitment drive for sick children in Colombia to take part in campaigns. What does she know about the hundreds of thousands of dollars that appear to have been raised? It’s money the family never saw. Who was she working for, and what can she tell us about this scam?
Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.
Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model.
SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pt6xv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3sly7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219hl67)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct8tym)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:32 today]
SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ptbnz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8j2kc1xcy)
Trump says US will 'run' Venezuela
US President Donald Trump says he intends to run Venezuela and its vital oil sector, following the capture of President Maduro, in a military raid on Caracas.
Also in today's programme: North Korea has launched multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea hours before South Korean leader's visit to China, and we look ahead to the FIFA men's World Cup this summer.
Presenter Paul Henley is joined by Julia Buxton, Professor of Justice at the Liverpool John Moores University, UK and Gareth Mclean, a screenwriter, dramatist and journalist in London.
Photo caption: US President Donald Trump addresses the media after capture of Venezuelan President Maduro, Palm Beach, USA . 03 January 2026./EPA
SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ptgf3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8j2kc2142)
Maduro in custody in New York after US strikes Venezuela
US President Donald Trump says he intends to run Venezuela and its vital oil sector, following the capture of President Maduro in a military raid on Caracas.
Democrat congressman Brad Sherman gives us his assessment.
Also in today's programme: the pros and cons of using weight-loss drugs; and how will the authorities in Iran respond to protests over the state of the country’s economy?
(Photo: US Customs and Border Protection agents guard border after the US struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro. 3 January 2026/
José Luis González - Reuters)
SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ptl57)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8j2kc24w6)
Concern across Latin America after US strikes Venezuela
US President Donald Trump says he intends to run Venezuela and its vital oil sector following the capture of President Maduro in a military raid on Caracas. Venezuela’s neighbours are already expressing their concerns.
Also in today’s programme: Why Kenya struggles to convince the global athletics authority, World Athletics (WA), that its athletes are not drug cheats; and we hear about Quartet for the End of Time, a piece of chamber music that was first performed in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp.
(Photo: Protest in San Francisco against US military action in Venezuela, USA - 03 Jan 2026. John G Mabanglo /EPA/Shutterstock
SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ptpxc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 today]
SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219j25r)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct5xnz)
What's the point of cookbooks?
When there are so many recipes available for free online, why does anyone still buy cookbooks?
In this programme we look into the business of selling cookbooks, what future the format may have and hear about the treasured tomes you turn to time and time again.
Ruth Alexander visits Books for Cooks, a specialist cookbook shop in London, to chat to Eric Treuille who cooks lunch for his customers from a different cookbook each day.
She speaks to cookbook writers Mogau Seshoene in South Africa, author of ‘The Lazy Makoti’ books, and Joanne Molinaro in the US, author of ‘The Korean Vegan’.
Doris Cooper tells Ruth what a publisher is looking for in a cookbook. She tells Ruth about her big hits and misses as editor-in-chief of Simon Element, a division of Simon and Schuster in New York.
And listeners in Italy, Malta and the US tell us about their favourite cookbooks.
If you would like to contact the programme email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: Ruth Alexander with her grandmother’s cookbook, which still holds her handwritten pastry recipe. Credit: BBC)
SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pttnh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyq)
Making friends in Sweden
8% of Swedish adults say they have no close friends, according to one survey. But a wave of innovative projects is trying to change that. From buddy schemes to corporate “friendship hours” and grassroots social clubs, we explore how adults are going about enhancing their social lives — and what other nations might learn.
People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.
Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter/producer: Maddy Savage
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner
(Image: Minttu and Yashu who met through Kompis Sverige, Maddy Savage/BBC)
SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219j5xw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v3)
Afghanistan's love poetry princess
Love poetry featuring love between a man and a woman was banned by the Taliban in September 2025. For many Afghans, poetry is something which is very much a part of everyday life and has often been passed down in the oral, folk-law tradition. It weaves in and out of conversation effortlessly and is an important way of connecting with one another. In this episode of The Fifth Floor, we discuss one of the most venerated female love poets in Afghan culture – Rabia Balkhi. Rabia wrote her poetry in the 10th century, and the story goes that she fell in love with her brother's servant. When her love poetry for him was discovered, she was imprisoned, but even as she lay dying, she continued to write her poems in her own blood. Her determination to express her true feelings makes her a symbol of inspiration to people, and especially women, in Afghanistan today. We are joined by three BBC Afghan journalists Shekiba Habib, Aalia Farzan and Abdullah Shadan to tell us more about Rabia Balkhi’s story and Afghanistan’s love for poetry.
This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.
Presented by Faranak Amidi.
Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9ptydm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3tbf0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219j9p0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 11:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:32 on Saturday]
SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6w01)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:50 on Saturday]
SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pv24r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 12:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:06 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219jff4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 12:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcp)
Four Months in Gaza
A raw and intimate perspective on the terror, anger, and hope of living through war.
As bombs hit ever closer to her home in central Gaza, Hanya Aljamal spots her elderly neighbour tending to his garden. “He's been raking the earth,” she says, “prepping the soil for new seeds. Given everything that's already happening, it's quite interesting seeing him do that right now. I mean, if grandpa thinks it's a good time to put seeds in, then I don't know, maybe there's hope.”
In audio diaries sent from her balcony over four months, Hanya sees impromptu volleyball matches, flying shrapnel, and a hastily constructed tent village as Israel expands its military action. But after she questions whether she will live to see the end of the conflict, a fragile peace is finally agreed and Hanya’s personal situation changes dramatically.
Producer/presenter: Simon Maybin
Editor: Clare Fordham
Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
(Image credit: Hanya Aljamal)
SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pv5ww)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zssht76zbgh)
What happens next in Venezuela?
The US will "run" Venezuela until a "safe, proper and judicious transition" can be ensured, Donald Trump has said, after US strikes led to the capture of the Latin American country's president and his rendition to New York.
What happens next in Venezuela? There's been celebration and condemnation of America's intervention. We'll hear from in Caracas and also the Colombia-Venezuela border.
Also in the programme: We also hear from a former Trump insider who worked with him on Venezuela, ask a leading international criminal lawyer about the legality of the situation; and we'll hear about weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy.
(Photo shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in New York. Credit: White House's Rapid Response 47 account on X.com)
SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pv9n0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqy3szgy0g)
Live Sporting Action
Sportsworld has full commentary from Craven Cottage as Fulham take on Liverpool in the Premier League. Former Newcastle and Tottenham defender Seb Bassong joins Delyth Lloyd to look ahead to all the day’s games. We’ll also be in Morocco as the last-16 ties continue at the Africa Cup of Nations, and keep across the action in Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga.
The team also have the latest from the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, and as Tiger Woods turns 50, we ask whether one of golf’s most famous names could yet add to his 15 Major titles.
Photo: Andreas Pereira of Fulham and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool challenge during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Liverpool FC at Craven Cottage on April 6, 2025 in London, England. (Credit: Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
SUN 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pvsmj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 18:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7031)
Are there any quick fixes to the climate crisis?
People often ask whether there are any quick fixes to the climate crisis — easy wins that could cut emissions without waiting decades. This week, The Climate Question does something a little different.
Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar stage an imaginary cabinet meeting, with three “ministers” competing to deliver the biggest climate impact in just five years. Climate scientist and YouTuber Adam Levy pitches methane cuts in food and farming. Radhika Khosla, an urban climatologist and adviser to national governments, argues building smarter and reducing air conditioning are the fastest levers. And Jordan steps into the role of Transport Minister to make the case for buses, bikes and less traffic.
Together, they explore whether these quick fixes are enough — and why, if they’re so effective, they aren’t already happening.
Guests:
Radhika Khosla – Associate Professor, University of Oxford
Adam Levy – Climate Scientist and creator of ClimateAdam
Hosts: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar
Production Team: Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, Dafydd Evans, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle
Editor: Simon Watts
Image: Reuters
Got a question or a comment? You can email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
SUN 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219k4wx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 18:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq0)
Two families from Sarajevo
Born into a Bosnian Muslim family, Salih Hardaga grew up knowing that his family had done a very courageous thing. During the Nazi occupation of Sarajevo, his parents, Mustafa and Zeinaba, sheltered their Jewish friends, the Kabiljos, even though their home stood opposite a Nazi headquarters.
After World War Two, the Kabiljos moved to Israel, but the families kept in touch - and in the early 1990s, the tables were turned. When war broke out in the former Yugoslavia in 1992, the Kabiljos were horrified to see that their former hometown of Sarajevo came under siege. They decided to try to rescue their old friends.
Alex Strangwayes-Booth tells the story of the two families, meeting Salih Hardaga, now in his 80s and hearing his memories of his parents’ brave actions. She finds out how the Kabiljo family in Israel enlisted the help of the authorities to rescue Salih’s mother, husband and daughter from the Siege of Sarajevo. And Alex meets younger members of the Hardaga family who lived through the events, and reflects on the offer of rescue they received.
(Photo: The Hardaga and Kabiljos family. Credit: Eli Tauber/Jewish Museum of Sarajevo)
SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pvxcn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3v9d1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219k8n1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 19:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvj)
Haroon Mirza
Following his time at CERN, Haroon Mirza has been creating a major installation based on his research there. The piece, made with his collaborator Jack Jelfs, is a sculptural art work which uses a circle of 8 speakers, a large screen and an octagonal chandelier sculpture of LEDs to compose light, sound and video. Combined with a careful manipulation of spatial acoustics, the viewer is cocooned in a truly immersive experience.
Oonagh Cousins joins Haroon in his studio as he and Jack work together on the installation, to discover the creative processes behind his art. What are the technical challenges in creating this kind of piece which has to be reassembled in different spaces – and will the final installation and rehearsals go according to plan?
SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pw13s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:06 on Saturday]
SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pw4vx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zssht7709fj)
Rubio defends US actions in Venezuela
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS news that the US will defend its interests in its own western hemisphere and insists Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is an indicted criminal.
In this edition dedicated to the Venezuelan crisis; we hear from a Caracas resident; and the intriguing details of the operation to extract Nicolás Maduro.
(Photograph: a supporter of President Maduro in Caracas holding dolls of Maduro and his wife. Credit: Shutterstock)
SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pw8m1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlhrj3vnmf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219kmwf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:32 today]
SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1m9pwdc5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7031)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:06 today]
SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxw219krmk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 23:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 today]
MONDAY 05 JANUARY 2026
MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl00ccg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lpqmv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct8xsy)
An armada for asteroid Apophis?
Friday, April 13th 2029 – mark it in your calendar. That’s the day an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will fly past Earth, closer than some satellites. Don’t worry – it will miss, but it’ll will pass so close to Earth that it will be visible to the naked eye of 2 billion people, particularly in North Africa and Western Europe. Roland Pease this week attended the Apophis T-5 Years conference at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, meeting astronomers scrambling to get missions up to the object to learn what kind of threats such asteroids might pose to us in the future and to discuss the science of planetary defence. NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX, a follow-on to OSIRIS-REx, will study the physical changes due to the gravitational forces from the Earth as it closely passes us by. But will there be an armada of spacecraft sent to monitor Apophis? The European Space Agency hope to gather support for their own mission, RAMSES.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
Image Credit: JPL/Caltech
MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl00h3l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sdzw3z)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lpvcz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx3)
The Life Scientific: George Church
"My ideas are often labelled as impossible, or useless, or both. Usually when people say that I'm on the right track." George Church is a geneticist, molecular engineer, and one of the pioneers of modern genomics. He's also someone who makes a habit of finding solutions to the seemingly impossible. Over the course of his career so far, George developed the first method for direct genomic sequencing, helped initiate the Human Genome Project, and founded the Personal Genome Project: making huge quantities of DNA data publicly available for research. Today, as a professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, he’s working on some of the most headline-grabbing - and controversial - science on the planet: from the so-called "de-extinction" of woolly mammoths, to growing transplant-suitable organs in pigs, to virus-proofing humans. When inspiration strikes, there seems to be little that will slow him down - even the fact that he has narcolepsy, the neurological disorder that causes sudden sleep attacks. In fact, as George tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili, some of his best ideas come in those moments between waking and sleep...
MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl00lvq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sdzzw3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lpz43)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stv)
Did I inherit my laugh?
CrowdScience listener Limbikani in Zambia is always being told he has his Dad’s laugh, so he set us the challenge of trying to find out whether a laugh can be passed down in our genes or if it’s something we learn from our environment.
Presenter Caroline Steel steps into the world of one of the world’s greatest laughter experts, Professor Sophie Scott, neuroscientist at University College London. In her office stuffed with memorabilia of a life filled with fun, they discuss how the shape of our bodies could play a role in how we laugh.
Also joining the fun is Dr Gil Greengross, evolutionary psychologist at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK. Gil tells us how Charles Darwin was the first person to question how laughter evolved.
Caroline also speaks to Dr Nancy Segal, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton. Nancy is an expert in studies that demonstrate the role of nature vs nurture in how who we are and how we behave. She tells the story of the ‘Giggle Twins’, who were separated at birth but found they laughed identically when they met three decades later.
So does that mean that we really do inherit our laughs from our parents?
Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Editor: Ben Motley
Credit: The sound of rats laughing (slowed down so that our ears can detect the ultrasound) is courtesy of Dr. Jaak Panksepp
(Photo: Father and son on yellow background- stock photo Credit: Georgijevic via Getty Images)
MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl00qlv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lq2w7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:32 on Sunday]
MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl00vbz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf07cc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lq6mc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct709v)
The fast and fearless women of skeleton
Skeleton is one of the oldest winter sports in existence. Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two Olympic medallists whose careers have seen them sliding down an icy track – face first – at speeds of up to 140 kilometres an hour.
Lizzy Yarnold won gold medals for skeleton at successive Winter Olympics. She joined the Great Britain national squad in 2010, winning Olympic gold in 2014 and 2018, and is the most successful British Winter Olympian and skeleton athlete of all time from any nation.
Kimberley Bos is a World Champion skeleton racer from the Netherlands and will be competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. She originally competed internationally in bobsleigh, before switching to skeleton for the 2013–14 European Cup season – being the only skeleton athlete representing her country for years. She won a bronze medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2021 – the first Olympic medal winner for her country in a sliding sport. Kimberley went on to win the World Championships in Lake Placid in March 2025.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Kimberley Bos credit Viesturs Lacis. (R), Lizzy Yarnold credit Karen Yeoman.)
MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl00z33)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1dzc3p)
Trump warns new Venezuelan leader
Trump has warned Venezuela's new leader Delcy Rodríguez she could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro" if she "doesn't do what's right".
We'll speak to a resident of the capital Caracas about how the capture of the authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro does not mean an immediate change to Venezuelans' daily struggle.
We'll also hear from one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the United States. How are they reacting to the dramatic events back home?
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump walks to the White House as he returns from Florida; Credit: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl012v7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1dzgvt)
Venezuela's new leader calls for respectful relations
Mr Maduro is due to appear in a New York court later on drugs charges he says were a pretext for regime change. We get the latest from inside Venezuela.
We also go to the border between Venezuela and Colombia and speak to our correspondent there.
Donald Trump has vowed to tap into Venezuela's oil reserves after seizing President Nicolás Maduro and saying the US will "run" the country until a 'safe' transition.
(Photo: Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez presents the government's 2026 budget proposal; Credit: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)
MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl016lc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1dzlly)
Delcy Rodriguez invites Donald Trump to collaborate
Donald Trump has warned Venezuela's new leader Delcy Rodríguez she could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro" if she "doesn't do what's right".
We'll hear from a resident of the capital Caracas about how the capture of the authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro does not mean an immediate change to Venezuelans' daily struggle.
32 Cubans had been killed in the US operation to remove Nicolas Maduro from power. We get reactions from a former Cuban ambassador.
(Photo: Venezuela's Vice President Rodriguez gestures as she presents the government's 2026 budget proposal; Credit: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/ Reuters
MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl01bbh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0s)
Actor Diego Calva: Latin America is more than violence, salsa music and food
“In Latin America, we have way more than violence, we're more than salsa as our music, or food, or culture. It's a pleasure and a responsibility to share it with the world.”
BBC presenter Nikki Bedi speaks to Mexican actor Diego Calva about his life and career.
Diego Calva first made waves in independent cinema before landing major roles in hit series like Narcos: Mexico and the award-winning Hollywood epic Babylon, where he starred alongside Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. It was his first American film — and it earned him widespread critical acclaim.
Raised in Mexico City by a single mother, he originally set out to be a writer and director before fate intervened. One day, when an actor didn’t turn up for a college film he was working on, Diego was asked to step in.
Since then he’s continued to build an impressive international career and has a starring role in the second series of The Night Manager, the acclaimed television drama based on the book by John le Carré.
Diego Calva talks about navigating fame, challenging stereotypes, and the power of telling Latin American stories on the global stage.
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 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.
Presenter: Nikki Bedi
Producer: Farhana Haider
Editor: Nick Holland
Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.
(Image: Diego Calva. Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lqplw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rzk)
What's the future for Venezuelan oil?
After American forces arrested and removed the leader of Venezuela, Rahul Tandon looks at what the future might hold for the world's largest oil reserve, and what can we learn from the country's past.
Many US companies were forced out of Venezuela when the oil industry was nationalised in the 1970s. The type of oil found there is also hard to reach and complicated to refine.
We look at its difficult history, where the oil it produces now goes to, and whether US oil companies will want to spend the tens of billions of dollars it is thought will be needed to fix Venezuela's oil infrastructure.
If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Rahul Tandon
Reporter: Gideon Long
Producer: Justin Bones
(Picture: A man wearing a face mask walks past a mural depicting an oil pump and the Venezuelan flag in a street of Caracas, on 26 May, 2022. Credit: Getty Images)
MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7478)
The Hillsborough disaster
On 15 April 1989, there was a crowd crush at a football match in Sheffield, England, which led to the death of 97 fans.
It was the semi-final of the FA Cup between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest and the worst sporting disaster in UK history.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Jenni Hicks, whose daughters died in the disaster.
This programme contains distressing details.
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: Tributes laid in memory of those who died at Hillsborough. Credit: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl01g2m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf0v30)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lqtc0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl01ktr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71wy)
The American Freedom Train and the invention of text messaging
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.
Our guest is Professor Barbara Keys, a specialist in US history at Durham University.
We start with a celebration of the American Freedom Train, as the US prepares to mark 250 years of independence.
Then, the South African railway enthusiast who created one of the most luxurious train services in the world.
We hear about the invention of text messaging and how it changed the way we communicate.
Plus, 75 years of Radio Free Europe broadcasting news to audiences behind the Iron Curtain.
The thousand-year-long musical composition that's due to end in 2999.
And our Sporting Witness looks at how a British teenager won a six-month contract to play for Italian champions Inter Milan.
Contributors:
Lou Nelson - former security guard on the American Freedom Train 1975-76.
Rohan Vos - founder and CEO of Rovos Rail.
Friedhelm "Fred" Hillebrand - inventor of SMS and text messaging.
Arch Puddington - former deputy director Radio Free Europe.
Jem Finer - musician and composer of Longplayer.
Ben Greenhalgh - Margate player-manager and winner of reality show "Football's Next Star".
(Photo: American Freedom Train, 1976. Credit: NARA/DVIDS)
MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl01pkw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf12l8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lr1v8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct717l)
What’s next for Venezuela?
The Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are due to appear in a federal Manhattan court on Monday, after the United States captured them in a military operation in Venezuela.
President Trump says the US will run Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”. But Maduro’s allies – including its new interim president – remain in charge.
We speak to Ione Wells, the BBC’s South America correspondent, about what might happen in the coming weeks and months.
Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Aron Keller
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Nicolás Maduro in an image distributed by President Trump which he said was taken on board the USS Iwo Jima.
MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl01tb0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqt)
The unlikely NBA star who hated sport and his body, part 1
John Amaechi always felt uneasy in his body even though he played in the best basketball league in the world. Today he's a psychologist making sense of his and others' lives.
Part one of John's story follows him from his childhood as a tall, mixed race boy growing up in 1980s Britain who felt uneasy in his body - people always commented on his stature and appearance. He loved reading books alongside a mother he adored. Inspired by some of the work she did as doctor, he wanted to be a psychologist when he grew up. Sport was the furthest thing from his mind. But when John was a teenager he was scouted to join a local basketball team and realised his body could be an advantage. Within just a few years John was embarking on a career in America's National Basketball Association, making headlines and breaking new ground along the way.
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: May Cameron
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: John Amaechi wearing a blue and white basketball vest looking straight into the camera in front of a plain blue background. Credit: Getty Images)
MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7478)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl01y24)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf1b2j)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lr9bj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct709v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl021t8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hj66cw)
Trump warns new Venezuelan leader as Maduro set to appear in court
The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are being transferred to a court in New York to face drugs charges -- two days after they were seized by US troops. Meanwhile in Caracas, Delcy Rodriguez is due to be sworn in as Venezuela's interim leader. She's offered to cooperate with Washington, after President Trump threatened further action.
Also in the programme: A French court has found ten people guilty of spreading lies online about President Macron's wife Brigitte; as protests in Iran continue for a ninth day, the Speaker of Parliament has said that the protesters' demands must be heard; and Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves, what happens to that now?
(Photo credit: Reuters/Adam Gray)
MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl025kd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lrjts)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct886l)
World Business Express - Finance, economy and business news from BBC journalists around the world. The stories that matter: World Business Express brings you the essentials on the fast-changing global economy. What forces are driving the markets and industry? Hear unique insight from top CEOs, investors, economic thinkers and small business bosses.
From global trade, to oil and food prices and the rise of artificial intelligence, to the corporate crashes and standout entrepreneur start-ups, the BBC World Service brings you trusted reporting. We’ll explain how the top stories impact your own finances.
MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0299j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 16:06 BBC OS (w1730686dld45fh)
Handcuffed Nicolás Maduro transferred to New York court
The Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been moved in handcuffs to the Manhattan courthouse where they'll answer charges of drug trafficking and terrorism. Our South America correspondent and North America correspondent are answering audience questions about the developments.
We also hear reaction from people inside Venezuela on what they think should happen next.
We explain a case in France where a Paris court has convicted 10 people of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of the Franch president.
And following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal as Manchester United manager, we bring you reaction from fans.
Presenter: Rahul Tandon.
(Photo: Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted, as he heads towards the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others, at Downtown Manhattan Heliport, in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2026. Credit: Adam Gray/Reuters)
MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl02f1n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 17:06 BBC OS (w1730686dld495m)
Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty to drugs charges
The ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and terrorism before a court in New York. We hear from our correspondent outside the court, and our correspondents in Colombia and Brussels explain what the international reaction has been to the developments.
Donald Trump says America built the oil industry in Venezuela which then “stole it through force” from the US. BBC Verify's Ben Chu has been looking into President Trump's claims.
We also hear reaction from people inside Venezuela on what they think should happen next.
Police in Switzerland say they've now identified all those injured in the New Year's Day fire in Crans-Montana. We speak to European journalists who covered the story.
Presenter: Rahul Tandon.
(Photo: Protesters and press are seen outside of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, where Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared on drug charges in New York, 05 January 2026. Credit: Olga Fedorova/EPA)
MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl02jss)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7478)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl02njx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf21k9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9ls0t9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z64)
2026/01/05 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 (w172zwx1zl02s91)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 on Sunday]
MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9ls4kf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx4)
What is Quantum?
Quantum theory – our best understanding of the world at the smallest level – is famously weird and notoriously confusing. It’s a theory that seems to say particles can be in two places at once, or somehow “know” if you’re looking at them. Or at least, that’s what you might have heard. But is that really what quantum theory tells us about reality?
To find out, presenter Marnie Chesterton travels to the birthplace of quantum theory: the remote, windswept island of Helgoland. Here, a century ago, a young scientist called Werner Heisenberg made a leap of understanding that laid the foundations of quantum mechanics, and changed the world.
To mark a century of quantum, leading physicists from across the globe have gathered on Helgoland for a conference, and Marnie joins them with an unconventional plan. She’s allowed to ask them JUST ONE QUESTION, in the hope it can get to the heart of what this strange and difficult subject is really about: “What IS quantum?”
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Anand Jagatia
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jazz George
MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl02x15)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hj71ls)
Venezuela's Maduro pleads not guilty to drug charges
The Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in New York to drug trafficking and other charges while Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president. Can she command the support of regime insiders as well as Washington?
Also on the programme: we'll hear how ordinary Venezuelans are responding to the upheaval; and ask a Republican member of congress about President Trump's astonishing use of raw American power and the diplomatic conundrum for the US allies.
(Photo: A screen grab taken from a handout video screenshot made available by Venezuela's state television VTV shows Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez being sworn in as acting president of the country in Caracas, Venezuela. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl030s9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf2dsp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lsd1p)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76ty)
What’s daily life like in post-Maduro Venezuela?
We get a sense of what prices and the jobs market are like in Venezuela, and also look at the country's oil sector. Also, our reporter in South Korea on K-beauty and the global demand for Korean skincare and cosmetics.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.
(Picture: Law enforcement officials move captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores out of the helicopter, ahead of a court hearing in New York. Credit: REUTERS/Adam Gray TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl034jf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lshst)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct709v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
TUESDAY 06 JANUARY 2026
TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0388k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71wy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl03d0p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf2s12)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lsr92)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct717l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl03hrt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf2ws6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lsw16)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcq)
South Africa and the fight against TB
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, TB is humanity’s oldest contagious disease. It has become something of an afterthought in rich nations, but remains the world’s most deadly infectious disease. In 2024 it killed more than 1.2 million people.
South Africa has one of the highest TB burdens in the world, but it has also developed one of the most sophisticated scientific ecosystems for the study of the disease. Clinical trials conducted in the country have been crucial to the innovation of TB treatments, vaccines, diagnostics and prevention strategies.
Much of the funding for this research comes from American institutions. But since early 2025, streams of that money have been withdrawn due to a series of decisions by the Trump administration.
Sandra Kanthal visits Cape Town and discovers the story of two intertwined landscapes: the people in local communities struggling with the burden of tuberculosis, and the scientific institutions embedded in them trying to tackle the disease - and why at the moment both are struggling.
Presenter/Producer: Sandra Kanthal
Producer in South Africa: Isa-Lee Jacobson
Editor: Penny Murphy
Sound Design: James Beard
(Image Credit: Isa Jacobson/BBC)
TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl03mhy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Monday]
TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct7478)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl03r82)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf348g)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lt3jg)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvk)
Ismo Leikola
We follow comedian Ismo Leikola - known simply as Ismo - as he performs in both English and Finnish. We explore his distinctive brand of intellectual humour and how he enjoys creating theories about the world around him. Ismo was once named the funniest person in the world, and we gain a sense of his celebrity status, particularly in his hometown of Jyväskylä. He also reveals why he avoids politics and talks about his love life on stage.
Produced and presented by Olga Smirnova
Photograph credit: Fullstack Photos
TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl03w06)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f280s)
Maduro supporters call for the return of the man
Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as Venezuela's interim president in a parliamentary session that began with demands for the release from US custody of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.
The opposition leader in Venezuela says she plans to return home after President Nicolas Maduro was seized by the United States.
And we speak to a democrat Congressman on what he makes of the recent days of events.
(Photo: People carry signs reading "Trump out of Venezuela", during a protest; Credit: Tita Barros/Reuters
TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl03zrb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f2crx)
Venezuela swears in interim president
Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as Venezuela's interim president in a parliamentary session that began with demands for the release from US custody of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.
Donald Trump sends a warning to Colombia's president Gustavo Petro whom he accuses of "making and selling drugs to the United States." We'll speak to a Colombian diplomat on that escalating war of words.
And we'll tell you how tech companies are now on a race to build the most powerful computers.
(Photo: Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, interim President Delcy Rodriguez; Credit: Marcelo Garcia/
Miraflores Palace/Reuters)
TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl043hg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f2hj1)
Machado says she plans to return home as soon as possible
Speaking to Fox News, the Venezuelan opposition leader expressed warm support for President Trump, even though at the weekend he had declined to back her becoming Venezuela's new leader.
Pro Maduro supporters rally in Caracas asking for the return of the man they insist is still Venezuela's president. We speak to a student in Caracas describing the situation there.
And France hosts President Zelensky and key Ukrainian allies, as efforts intensify to finalise US- backed proposals for peace with Russia.
(Photo: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado arrives at the Grand Hotel, in Norway; Credit: Ole Berg-Rusten/EPA/Shutterstock)
TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0477l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyr)
Can AI power a green fashion revolution?
With a huge carbon footprint, vast water usage and filling up of landfills, the fashion industry’s impact is well documented. But companies throughout the supply chain have rolled out tech solutions, many of them AI powered, to address these issues.
At the growing stage, AI apps are being used by farmers to grow regenerative cotton. Other companies are using such tech to optimise orders, reducing the amount of garments that go straight to landfill. AI powered machines are detecting defects at the manufacturing stage and retailers are using it to help their customers make more informed choices.
Fashion journalist Brooke Roberts-Islam follows a pair of jeans across the full fashion supply chain. We visit a cotton farm in India, where AI tools help to reduce water and pesticide use; in Bangladesh, algorithms in garment factories prevent waste through identifying defects in materials and retailers in the West are providing their customers with detailed information on the materials used in each product.
Featuring contributions from Kuldeep Khatri, director of nature at Materra; Max Easton, CEO of Smartex; and Andrew Xeni, founder of the ethical retailer Nobody’s Child.
Presenter: Brooke Roberts-Islam
Sound engineer: Jarek Zaba
Producer: Jarek Zaba
A 2 Degrees West production for BBC World Service
(Photo: AI powered machine in a garment factory helps identify defects in materails. Credit: Russel Shubho)
TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9ltlhz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7t)
Can Asia’s economic growth hold up in 2026?
We explore how economies and companies rode out the tariff-driven economic storms of 2025 and hear how many continue to forge new partnerships in a changing world of global trade.
Asia business correspondent, Suranjana Tewari, and India business correspondent, Arunoday Mukharji, join us from Singapore and Delhi to discuss what the year might hold for the region's biggest economic players.
If you'd like to contact the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Matt Lines
(Picture: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping shaking hands at the Brics summit of emerging economies held in Russia in 2024. Credit: Getty Images)
TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74nv)
Isabel Allende: The House of the Spirits
In 1982, Isabel Allende published her debut novel, The House of the Spirits. The characters are based on her family, and the story reflects Chile’s 20th Century history, including the 1973 military coup in which her relative, President Salvador Allende, was overthrown.
The book began as a letter to her dying grandfather, but it grew into an epic multi-generational story.
The House of the Spirits was an international bestseller and made Isabel one of the most renowned novelists in Latin America’s rich literary history. She speaks to Ben Henderson.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
(Photo: Isabel Allende in 1986. Credit: Louis Monier/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl04bzq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf3r03)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9ltq83)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl04gqv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvf)
The Arts Hour New Year Comedy Show 2026
Welcoming in the new year with a laugh, host Daliso Chaponda is joined by six international comedians for our annual comedy show: Norwegian comedian Thor Stenhaug, Nigerian stand-up Ayoade Bamgboye, South African Indian comic Kaneez Surka, Greek comedian George Zacharopoulos, Singaporean stand-up Jin Hao Li and American comic Kemah Bob.
Main image: Daliso Chaponda
Photo credit: Steve Ullathorne
TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl04lgz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf3zhc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9ltyrc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d3)
People who could change the world in 2026
Who might have the power and influence to change the world in 2026? World leaders aside, we choose four people and discuss why they could intersect with some of the big stories and themes of the next year.
Producers: Xandra Ellin and Sam Chantarasak
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Image: FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring a goal. Credit: Pablo Morano/Reuters.
TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl04q73)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5h)
The unlikely NBA star who hated sport and his body, part 2
Part two of John Amaechi's story follows him as he makes it to America's National Basketball Association - the best basketball league in the world. But life on the court had its complications. The schedule and injuries could be relentless. Decisions weren't straightforward - he famously turned down a $17 million contract. He was also gay and aware of the prejudice he could face if the basketball world knew. After John retired from the game in 2003 he became the NBA's first player to come out, and pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a psychologist. John Amaechi has recently published a book on leadership called It's Not Magic.
The search for the lost music of Costa Rica's late 'King of Calypso'. Walter Ferguson spent many years serenading people with his songs and recording individual cassettes for adoring fans, but they were often the only recordings of his work. Much later a music producer realised all those cassettes contained one-off musical treasures and so began an international campaign to find Walter's lost songs. This interview was first broadcast in 2019.
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: May Cameron
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: John Amaechi wearing a black T-shirt and striped green trousers, sits on the floor and looks into the camera with a slight smile across his face. Credit: Getty Images)
TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74nv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl04tz7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf46zm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lv67m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl04yqc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hj938z)
From the sidelines, Venezuela's opposition praises US intervention
The Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has said the removal from power of President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces is a huge step for freedom despite being sidelined by Trump. We hear from inside the country amid a crackdown in Caracas.
Also on the programme, European leaders meet in Paris to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine, and a battle to save a historic monument to one of the great Antarctic explorers, Ernest Shackleton.
(Photo: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado looks on, outside the Grand Hotel after she was in the audience at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway, 12 December, 2025. Credit: NTB/Ole Berg-Rusten/Reuters)
TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl052gh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lvfqw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct888n)
Greenland businesses at the eye of geopolitical storm
Six European leaders today rallied to Greenland's support after the President Donald Trump said the US ‘needed Greenland’.
The UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark said in a joint statement, that Greenland ‘belongs to its people...and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations"
We look at Greenland’s business community and how it is responding to all the uncertainty over its future.
Also – as the first retail sales of Xmas are revealed…will it be a bumper year for companies relying on seasonal shopping.
And, as Manchester United part company with yet another manager, we look at the cost to the club in replacing Ruben Amorim, and those who have gone before him….
Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Senior Producer: Craig Henderson
TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0566m)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w1730686dld72bl)
Security forces patrol Venezuelan streets
In an image shared by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, armed police are seen patrolling the streets of Venezuela's capital Caracas. Citizen militias are reportedly preventing any celebrations of the seizure of Mr Maduro by US special forces. We speak to our regional experts and our colleagues at the Languages and Foreign desks about the unfolding crisis. We also hear a conversation with four Venezuelans abroad.
We hear from Switzerland, where officials admit safety checks were neglected for years at the bar where a catastrophic New Year’s Day fire broke out.
The English football club, Chelsea, have confirmed the appointment of Liam Rosenior as the new manager of their men's team. We get reaction from fans.
Presenter: Rahul Tandon.
(Photo: Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello is shown right-of-centre wearing a black cap with red writing on it. Credit: Instagram/@MINJUSTICIA_VE)
TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl059yr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w1730686dld762q)
Which countries could be in Trump's sights next?
When describing the Venezuela operation, Trump dusted off the 1823 Monroe Doctrine and its promise of US supremacy in the western hemisphere - re-branding it the "Donroe Doctrine". We check in with journalists covering Greenland, Colombia, and Cuba, and we speak to our South America correspondent about the situation in Venezuela.
We also hear a conversation with four Venezuelans abroad.
French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky and other key allies of the country as efforts intensify to agree security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. We have the latest from our regional expert.
Presenter: Rahul Tandon.
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he addresses House Republicans at their annual issues conference retreat, at the Kennedy Center, renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center by the Trump-appointed board of directors, in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 6, 2026. Credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl05fpw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5h)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74nv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl05kg0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf4ygd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lvxqd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zbn)
2026/01/06 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 (w172zwx1zl05p64)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rcq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lw1gj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zpy)
What to expect from tech in 2026
For our first episode of 2026, Tech Life looks forward to the rest of the year, and beyond. What are the latest consumer gadgets on display at a huge electronics trade show in Las Vegas? How will assistive technology, designed to help people with disabilities, change this year? What should we be looking out for in the world of gaming? And we ask a futurologist to predict how tech will help us buy things from retailers over the next decade.
Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producers: Tom Quinn & Imran Rahman-Jones
(Image: A computer-generated image of a circuit board, with “2026” shown in neon numbers in the centre. Credit: Getty Images)
TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl05sy8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hj9yhw)
European leaders commit to post-ceasefire security guarantees for Ukraine
After a meeting in Paris of the European allies who call themselves the "coalition of the willing", with the Ukrainian president and two senior US envoys also in attendance, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelensky signed a joint declaration on security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. We hear military analysis of the Ukraine agreement and also the latest US threats to annex Greenland.
Also in the programme: as the authorities in Venezuela turn up the repression, we hear from a one-time protestor in Caracas; and why anger is growing over an AI-powered tool for sexual content on Elon Musk's social media platform X.
(IMAGE: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer deliver a press conference upon the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine during the so-called 'Coalition of the Willing' summit, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2026 / CREDIT: Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS)
TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl05xpd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf59ps)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lw8ys)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76c7)
What will happen to Venezuela's economy beyond the oil industry?
As people wonder what happens next, we talk to a student and business owner about their hopes for Venezuela's future, and explore the economy beyond oil production. Also, does sacking football managers make good business sense? And we hear from gym enthusiasts keen on a German fitness trend.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.
(Picture: People walk in front of graffiti reading "Free Maduro" during a women's march toward the office of interim President Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas, Venezuela. Credt: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl061fj)
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TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lwdpx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
WEDNESDAY 07 JANUARY 2026
WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0655n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl068xs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf5ny5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lwn65)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl06dnx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf5sp9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lwry9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7031)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:06 on Sunday]
WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl06jf1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5h)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Tuesday]
WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74nv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl06n55)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf615k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lx0fk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 04:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc3)
Kennedy and Khrushchev
6. Kennedy’s move
Pressure is building on President Kennedy to order a military strike on the newly discovered nuclear missile site on Cuba. But JFK wonders whether it’s better to keep the discovery a secret from Premier Khrushchev – for now. Meanwhile, the Washington press grows suspicious of all the late-night activity at the White House. This is the personal and political story of the Cuban Missile Crisis, told by NIna Khrushcheva and Max Kennedy.
WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl06rx9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f54xw)
US discusses options to acquire Greenland
The White House says President Trump and his team have been discussing options for "acquiring" Greenland. Military force, it said, was one option available. Another would be to buy it as US lawmakers heard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We look at the viability of such plans and what this might mean for the future of the defence alliance Nato.
Donald Trump has said Venezuela will turn over a large quantity of sanctioned oil that will be sold for a fund that he himself will control.
And anti-government demonstrations have again flared up in the Iranian capital, Tehran. We look at how widespread these demonstrations have become and claims that thousands have been detained.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: Protesters gather in front of the US consulate during a demonstration, under the slogan, "Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people", in Nuuk, Greenland. Credit: Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Reuters)
WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl06wnf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f58p0)
White House discussing 'options' for Greenland
The White House says President Trump and his team have been discussing options for "acquiring" Greenland. Military force, it said, was one option available. Another would be buy it as US lawmakers heard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We look at the viability of such plans and what this might mean for the future of the defence alliance Nato.
Donald Trump has said Venezuela will turn over a large quantity of sanctioned oil that will be sold for a fund that he himself will control.
And the Sudan Doctors Network has accused the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Force of conducting a drone strike in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, which killed at least 13 civilians.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: A view of Old Nuuk in Greenland. Credit: Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters)
WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl070dk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f5df4)
Europe set for showdown with US over Greenland
The White House says President Trump is discussing options to take over Greenland, including military action, in spite of objections from his European allies.
The United States has also said authorities in Venezuela have agreed to export up to 50 million barrels of oil to America. Donald Trump said the oil would benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.
And anti-government demonstrations have again flared up in the Iranian capital, Tehran. We look at how widespread these demonstrations have become and claims that thousands have been detained.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen talks with the head of the Arctic Command Soeren Andersen, aboard the Defense's inspection vessel Vaedderen in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland. Credit: Tom Little/Reuters)
WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0744p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7k)
Nigel Casey, UK ambassador to Russia: No communication is extremely dangerous
Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia editor, speaks to Nigel Casey, the UK’s ambassador to Russia, about the challenges of working in Moscow on behalf of a government that views President Putin’s Russia as a threat to Britain. He believes this job is one of the most challenging - and important - of his career.
In a wide ranging conversation, the ambassador describes his life in Moscow over the last two years, a period of heightened tensions between the UK and Russia after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The number of diplomats in the city has been drastically reduced and, for a British ambassador in Moscow, there are daily challenges to deal with. You’re going to hear his experience of being followed wherever he goes in Russia and how, on occasions, his staff face harassment. He sees a key part of his job - defusing potentially dangerous diplomatic misunderstanding with the Russian government.
He also reveals the gap between the anti-British rhetoric heard in the country’s state media and the genuine curiosity of ordinary Russians towards the UK.
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 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.
Presenter: Steve Rosenberg
Producers: Ben Tavener, Clare Williamson and Lucy Sheppard
Editor: Justine Lang
Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.
(Image: Nigel Casey. Credit: UK Gov)
WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lxhf2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sdb)
How might tech shape our world in 2026?
Will the boom in artificial intelligence continue in 2026? We hear how the world’s biggest companies are jockeying for position in the race to dominate the field. After a year of record spending on AI, we look at how sustainable that type of investment might be in the year ahead.
Plus - what gadgets could become mainstream in 2026?
The BBC's Technology Editor, Zoe Kleinman, and North America technology correspondent in Silicon Valley, Lily Jamali, give Will Bain their predictions.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: Matt Lines
(Picture: Guests including CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg; Amazon founder Jeff Bezos; CEO of Google Sundar Pichai; and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI Elon Musk, arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, on Monday, 20th of January 2025. Credit: Getty Images)
WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74r3)
Tracey Emin’s unmade bed
In 1999, Dame Tracey Emin’s unmade bed was nominated for Britain’s prestigious Turner art prize opening up conversations about how we define art.
The installation titled, My Bed, was Dame Tracey’s bed surrounded by empty bottles and detritus.
Dame Tracey said: “It’s like a time capsule of a woman from the '90s.”
After eventually losing out on the Turner prize, she sold her piece for $200,000. She says: “The bed itself has become a national treasure of sorts”.
Natasha Fernandes uses Dame Tracey’s 2024 interview with BBC 100 Women to tell the story of her famous artwork.
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: Dame Tracey Emin and her unmade bed. Credit: Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images)
WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl077wt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf6mx6)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lxm56)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7031)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:06 on Sunday]
WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl07cmy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 10:06 World Book Club (w3ct74s7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Saturday]
WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl07hd2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf6wdg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lxvng)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gc)
The US ran a war game on the aftermath of Maduro’s fall – it predicted chaos
When the US government captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, on Saturday, most of the world was shocked. But US officials had for years been gaming out different scenarios, including predicting what would happen if Maduro was ousted. According to one man who took part, each ended in disaster.
On today’s episode, we speak to the former Washington Post journalist Douglas Farah, who participated in war games on Venezuela during Donald Trump’s first term, as well as during the Obama and Biden administrations.
Producers: Hannah Moore and Lucy Pawle
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: A protest against US strikes on Venezuela and the capture of President Maduro, in Brazil. Tuane Fernandes/Reuters
WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl07m46)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdd)
Fighting the fear - the architect who sang for her life
Camille O'Sullivan was long known in Ireland as the 'singing architect.' By day she was designing award-winning buildings, by night she was singing in local bars and pubs in Dublin. She always dreamed of a career in music but nerves and fear of failure were holding her back - until a near fatal car crash on a rainy day forced a reappraisal of her entire life.
Camille had her first official gig on crutches in December 2000, covering the songs of the music icon Jacques Brel. Since then, she's pulled in crowds in prestigious venues around the world including the Sydney Opera House and London's Royal Albert Hall. Her shows are emotionally intense and theatrical, continuing to perform music by Brel as well as other inspirations like Nick Cave and David Bowie. Most recently Camille has been celebrating her close friends the late Sinead O'Connor and Shane MacGowan of The Pogues in her tribute show, Loveletter.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Camille O'Sullivan performs live on stage during a concert in Berlin in 2017. She has long dark wavy hair and is wearing a red sequin jacket. Credit: Getty Images)
WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl07qwb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf73wq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9ly34q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 13:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl07vmg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hjd062)
US says it could use its military to seize Greenland
US President Donald Trump has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including use of the military, the White House said. The White House has told the BBC that acquiring Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow NAT member Denmark – was a "national security priority". We hear from a former senior commander of NATO and a politician from Greenland's parliament.
Also in the programme: US officials say that a mission to board a Russian flagged oil tanker sailing in the North Atlantic is underway; and the discovery of the trumpet from the Iron Age on the east coast of England.
(File photo: People gather for a protest outside the Embassy of the United States of America in Copenhagen, Denmark on March 29, 2025. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl07zcl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lybmz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sdb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88bq)
China accuses the US of bullying over Venezuela’s oil
The US President says the interim authorities in Venezuela will be turning over up to fifty million barrels of what he called 'sanctioned oil' to the United States. Also, America's Department of Health has frozen childcare and family assistance payments over alleged fraud. And, Google's Willow - one of the world's most advanced computers.
WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0833q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 16:06 BBC OS (w1730686dld9z7p)
US seizes two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil
The US says it seized a Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic linked to Venezuelan oil, and another tanker in the Caribbean in "back-to-back" boarding of two "ghost fleet" ships. We have the latest from our global affairs reporter.
As Europe pushes back against President Trump’s ambitions for Greenland, we hear from Greenlanders themselves on how they view these developments.
And after the US military operation to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power, we speak to four people in Venezuela about their daily lives and hopes for the future.
Presenter: James Reynolds.
(Photo: The vessel tanker Bella 1 (now called the Marinera) at Singapore Strait, after US officials say the US Coast Guard pursued an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, in this picture taken from social media on 18 March, 2025. Credit: Hakon Rimmereid/Reuters)
WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl086vv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 17:06 BBC OS (w1730686dldb2zt)
US seizes two oil tankers linked to Venezuela
The US seized a Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic linked to Venezuelan oil and a second tanker in the Caribbean. Our colleague with BBC Verify explains what is known about the tankers.
We speak to our regional analysts about the reaction and developments after the US operation in Venezuela.
UK researchers are studying old cancer samples to understand the rise of bowel cancer in young people. We hear from young patients about their experiences.
Presenter: James Reynolds.
(Photo: The vessel tanker Bella 1 (now called the Marinera) at Singapore Strait, after US officials say the US Coast Guard pursued an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, in this picture taken from social media on 18 March, 2025. Credit: Hakon Rimmereid/Reuters)
WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl08blz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl08gc3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf7vch)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lytmh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zdx)
2026/01/07 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 (w172zwx1zl08l37)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7031)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:06 on Sunday]
WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lyycm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkj)
China’s latest bid to boost its birth rate
China has just brought in taxes on contraception including condoms in a bid to increase the nation’s birth rate. What impact could this have when considered alongside other “fertility-friendly” policies? Global Health reporter Dorcas Wangira gives her verdict.
Could RSV vaccination dramatically reduce childhood asthma? Professor Bart Lambrecht from Ghent University shares his latest research suggesting just that.
How school-based vaccination programmes for HPV may provide cancer protection through herd immunity.
Plus, BBC reporter Erika Benke takes us to a Finnish sauna to understand what we do, and don’t know about the impact the ancient practice has on our health and wellbeing.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett
WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl08pvc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hjdvdz)
US seizes Russian-flagged tanker in Atlantic
The United States says it has seized two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil - one in the Caribbean and a Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic. We'll hear from a former head of NATO reflecting on President Trump's recent foreign policy moves.
Also on the programme: we speak to the son of a prominent Venezuelan political prisoner; and the story of Aldrich Ames, the CIA officer who became one of America's most damaging double agents, who has died aged 84.
(Photo: A US Coast Guard official looks through binoculars at the ship Marinera (Ex-Bella 1) in this handout image released January 7, 2026. Credit: X/Reuters)
WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl08tlh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf86lw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lz5vw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76jx)
US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker
Washington would control Venezuelan oil sales 'indefinitely' according to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Also, why is Warner Brothers Discovery telling its shareholders to reject an updated bid from Paramount Skydance? And the race to build the most powerful computers ever seen.
(PHOTO: The vessel tanker Bella 1 [now called the Marinera] at Singapore Strait, after U.S. officials say the U.S. Coast Guard pursued an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, in this picture taken from social media on March 18, 2025. Credit: Hakon Rimmereid/via REUTERS)
WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl08ybm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lz9m0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 23:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
THURSDAY 08 JANUARY 2026
THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0922r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 00:06 World Book Club (w3ct74s7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Saturday]
THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl095tw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf8kv8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lzk38)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl099l0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf8pld)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lznvd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct8ys0)
Returned to sender
Clint Buffington spends his time where land meets sea, searching for a very specific treasure - messages in bottles that have drifted across oceans. Over the past 20 years he has recovered more than 140 of them, each carrying a clue, sometimes decades old, waiting to be discovered.
Finding a bottle is only the beginning. The real mystery unfolds when Clint carefully extracts the fragile paper in his Utah home lab. He first teases out the faint, salt-blurred words, deciphering a message damaged by years at sea. Only then does Clint begin tracking down the person who sent it, often many years after they let it go. Each investigation is part detective work, part conversation across time.
The messages reveal remarkable journeys - a German sailor who cast a note into the Bermuda Triangle on his birthday in 1979, three French women who paddled across the Atlantic to set a world record, Puerto Rican students at a crossroads, even a pair of tiny dolls wrapped in a spell.
Join Clint on his search and the unexpected revelations it sparks - a reminder that across vast distances and years at sea, the quest for human connection is timeless.
Preenter: Clint Buffington
Prodcuer: Guy Natanel
Editor: Shannon Delwiche
A Sound & Bones production for BBC World Service
(Photo: Clint on a beach with bottles. Credit: Clint Buffington)
THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl09fb4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Wednesday]
THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl09k28)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf8y2n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9lzxbn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zn)
Tweaks for 2026: How to eat better
Ruth Alexander gathers the most useful, actionable nutrition advice from our episodes of 2025 to help set you up for 2026. Things like how to nourish your brain, keep an eye on portion sizes, and why it’s important to focus on fibre. Experts from around the world tell us about the small tweaks that can make a real difference to how we eat, think, and feel.
Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound mixing: Hal Haines
(Photo: a person looks at a variety of foods, Credit: Getty Images)
THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl09ntd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f81tz)
Woman shot dead by immigration officials in US
A US immigration agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in the city of Minneapolis, sparking a war of words as local officials rejected the Trump administration's account that it was self-defence. We speak to somebody close to the incident when it happened.
President Trump and his officials are 'actively' discussing a potential offer to buy the semi-autonomous Danish region of Greenland, the White House confirmed. It comes a day after it announced it was considering the use of force to take the territory.
And we look at the US seizure of the Marinera, a Venezuelan-linked tanker previously known as the Bella 1. It was stopped by the US Coast Guard as it travelled northwards through the waters between Iceland and Scotland under a Russian flag.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: People gather during a vigil for a 37-year-old woman who was shot in her car by a U.S. immigration agent, according to local and federal officials, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: Tim Evans/Reuters).
THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl09skj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f85l3)
Woman shot dead by immigration officials in Minneapolis
A US immigration agent has shot dead a woman in the city of Minneapolis further deepening the row between Washington and Democrat-run states over Trump's immigration crackdown.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he will meet with Danish officials next week to discuss the future of the Danish territory of Greenland which Trump wants to make part of US territory. We speak to a member of the Defence Committee in the Danish Parliament.
And we look at the continuing protests in Iran. On Wednesday two police officers were killed in the western town of Lordegan. At least 36 people have been killed since the protests began over worsening economic situation.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: A woman takes a moment as she places a cross at a makeshift memorial at the scene in which a woman was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis. Credit: Craig Lassig/EPA).
THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl09x9n)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1f89b7)
Minneapolis ICE shooting
A US immigration agent has shot dead a woman in the city of Minneapolis further deepening the row between Washington and Democrat-run states over Trump's immigration crackdown. Federal officials said a woman was trying to kill agents with a car in Minneapolis. We hear from somebody close to the incident when it happened.
We look at President Trump's decision to withdraw the UN from International Organisation.
And America has seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in back-to-back operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean. US forces boarded the Marinera, originally known as the Bella 1, between Iceland and Scotland as it headed towards Russia on Wednesday. Bella 1 had been travelling under a Russian flag.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: A woman reacts next to a memorial site during a vigil for a 37-year-old woman who was shot in her car by a U.S. immigration agent, according to local and federal officials, in Minneapolis. Credit: Tim Evans/Reuters).
THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0b11s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723r)
Can Kenya answer the call for employment?
Kenya is facing rising public discontent over allegations of political corruption, economic stagnation and a shortage of good quality jobs, particularly for the country’s Gen Z.
One of the government’s flagship responses is an ambitious push into digital outsourcing. It argues that call centres, coding work and other IT-enabled services can position the country as a global hub and generate a million new jobs within five years.
The model has worked before in countries such as India and the Philippines, but the global landscape is shifting. Advances in artificial intelligence are already transforming the very roles Kenya hopes to attract, raising questions about whether this strategy can deliver long-term employment at scale.
Tanya Beckett asks whether Kenya’s vision for digital outsourcing can provide stability and opportunity for the country.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Can Kenya answer the call for employment?
Contributors
Joy Kiiru, senior lecturer at the Department of Economics and Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya
Marcus Larsen, professor at the Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark
Deepa Mani, faculty member and deputy Dean for academic programmes at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India
Boaz Munga, research consultant at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, Nairobi, Kenya
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
(Photo: President of Kenya William Ruto. Credit: Luis Tato/Getty Images)
THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m0db5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s39)
The UAE's growing influence in Africa
The United Arab Emirates has become the largest state investor in Africa. It's spending billions of dollars across the continent; building ports, power plants and renewable energy projects.
We look at why Emirati companies are expanding so rapidly, and find out how much this investment is reshaping economies.
If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presented and produced by Sameer Hashmi
(Picture: General view of Berbera Port and Bebera city in Somaliland in the Horn of Africa, on 31st August 2021. Dubai-based port operator DP World and the Government of Somaliland, opened a container terminal at Berbera Port in June 2021. Credit: Getty Images)
THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74kf)
Sazae-san: World's longest-running cartoon
In 1969, a cartoon about a traditional Japanese family premiered on Fuji TV.
More than 55 years later, Sazae-san still airs in its original time slot. It is set in a more patriarchal time when women stay at home and do the housework, and men go to work and like getting drunk.
Sunishi Yukimuro was one of the first writers. He tells Vicky Farncombe how young viewers watch it as a period drama and enjoy the closeness of the family.
“They get most envious when they watch the scenes where everybody gets together to have a meal,” he says. “We don’t have such scenes in current families. People eat separately these days.”
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: Sazae-San. Credit: Hasegawa Machiko Art Museum/AFP via Getty Images)
THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0b4sx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf9jt9)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m0j29)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8ys0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0b8k1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt6)
The Media Show: Reporting the Venezuela operation
Reports that major US newspapers delayed publishing details of the US raid in Venezuela have prompted renewed scrutiny of how journalists handle sensitive national security information. The decision by the New York Times and the Washington Post followed warnings from the White House that publication could endanger American troops, raising questions about press freedom, editorial independence and ethical responsibility. Max Tani, media editor at Semafor, outlines how the story emerged.
Debate over the US coverage has drawn attention to how similar situations are handled in the UK, where defence reporting operates under a voluntary advisory system. The Defence and Security Media Advisory Committee issues guidance intended to prevent the publication of material that could risk lives or compromise operations, while preserving press freedom. Brigadier Geoffrey Dodds OBE, Secretary of the DSMA Committee, and Larisa Brown, Defence Editor at The Times, discuss how the system works.
A ballot by the actors union Equity has found overwhelming support for industrial action over digital scanning of actors. Paul Fleming, General Secretary of Equity, sets out why the union is pressing producers for stronger protections as AI tools become more widespread.
THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m0mtf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 10:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:32 on Saturday]
THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0bd95)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sf9s9k)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m0rkk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct719v)
Will Trump take control of Greenland?
After his major military operation in Venezuela, President Trump has escalated his rhetoric about taking control of Greenland. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the Arctic island – which is a semi-autonomous Danish territory - should be part of the US. "We need Greenland from a national security situation”, Trump told reporters recently, “It's so strategic”. In capitals around Europe, leaders are now wondering if Trump might just follow through on his threats.
We speak to journalist Adrienne Murray in Copenhagen to find out how Greenlanders and Danes feel about Trump’s comments, and what any US action on Greenland could mean for the future of Nato and Europe.
Producers: Viv Jones, Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Danish troops take part in military drills in Greenland. Credit: Guglielmo Mangiapane/ Reuters
THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0bj19)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyl)
The life and legacy of Eva Schloss, part 1
Eva Schloss, the Holocaust survivor and stepsister of Anne Frank, died on 3 January 2026 at the age of 96.
In 2022, she spoke to Outlook’s Emily Webb about being childhood friends and neighbours with Anne Frank in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Eva remembers Anne’s nickname was ‘Miss Quack Quack’ because she always loved talking. Then, like the Franks, Eva’s Jewish family was forced into hiding. Both families were ultimately betrayed and deported to Auschwitz, the most notorious of the Nazi death camps. After the war, Eva became Anne’s posthumous stepsister when her mother married Otto Frank, Anne’s father. Together they worked tirelessly to promote Anne Frank’s legacy through her diary.
Eva shared her extraordinary Holocaust testimony over two episodes. In this first episode, she describes her life before Auschwitz and her family’s eventual capture. In part two, you can hear about Eva’s memories of the liberation of Auschwitz, sitting with Otto Frank as he discovers Anne’s diary, and her efforts to keep her brother Heinz’s memory alive.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: A black and white photo of Eva Schloss aged 11 in 1940. She is wearing a black dress with a light-coloured collar and is sitting at a desk holding a pen. Credit: Courtesy of Eva Schloss)
THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74kf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0bmsf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfb0st)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m101t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0brjk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hjgx35)
Hundreds attend Minneapolis vigil after ICE shooting
Hundreds of people have attended a vigil in the US city of Minneapolis to protest against the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration agent. The woman, identified in the media as 37-year-old US citizen Renee Good, was shot at close range as she drove her car. The mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey has bluntly rejected the Trump administration's assertion that the agent had shot her in self-defence.
Also in the programme: the Lebanese military says it has completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, and the most exciting new species of plants and fungi identified last year, including a spider-eating fungus.
(Photo: People protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. US, 8 January, 2026. Credit: Tim Evans/Reuters)
THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0bw8p)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m17k2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s39)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88r3)
Why does the US want Greenland?
President Trump wants Greenland - and security, money and minerals are all part of the picture. We chat to a Danish politician about how Danes are feeling about his aims.
In the US, Trump also wants to crack down on payouts to executives and shareholders of major US defence contractors - and also plans to dramatically increase military spending. A defence specialist gives us the lowdown on his objectives.
And tech giant Samsung expects bumper profits, so how has that affected its shares? We find out.
THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0c00t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 16:06 BBC OS (w1730686dlddw4s)
Footage shows violent clashes as Iran protests spread
There were violent clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in several locations in Iran on Wednesday, as a wave of unrest sparked by the country's economic crisis continued for an 11th day. We take a walk around the BBC's headquarters to speak to the BBC's Persian service and hear a conversation with Iranians.
Children in Gaza are returning to school for the first time since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas. Our correspondent has been following some of their stories.
And Nasa says it might have to bring the crew of the International Space Station home early, because one of them has a medical issue. We explain more.
OS presenter: James Reynolds
(Photo: Screenshot of footage showing police and protesters in Iran. Credit: BBC)
THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0c3ry)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 17:06 BBC OS (w1730686dlddzwx)
US immigration agent fatally shoots woman in Minneapolis
A US immigration agent has shot dead a 37-year-old woman in the city of Minneapolis, sparking protests overnight. We speak to people in the city.
US President Donald Trump has signaled that the US intervention in Venezuela could last for several years and also refused to commit to a timeline for Venezuelan elections. Our correspondents explain this, plus we talk about the US policy on Greenland, Somalia and climate change.
And there were violent clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in several locations in Iran on Wednesday, as a wave of unrest sparked by the country's economic crisis continued for an 11th day. We hear a conversation with Iranians in different parts of the world.
OS presenter: James Reynolds
(Photo: A demonstrator faces a Border Patrol federal agent at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, at rally outside the Whipple Building, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 8 January 8, 2026. Credit: Tim Evans/Reuters)
THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0c7j2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74kf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0cc86)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfbr8l)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m1qjl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z8d)
2026/01/08 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 (w172zwx1zl0ch0b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct8ys0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m1v8q)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txt)
How rare are Greenland’s rare earth elements?
President Trump has his sights set on Greenland. If he succeeds, what mineral wealth will he find there? Adrian Finch, Professor of Geology at St Andrews University has been visiting Greenland for more than 3 decades and explains what so called ‘rare earth elements’ are found in Greenland and why.
Professor Danny Altmann talks to Tom Whipple about a new project to understand the genetic and metabolic similarities between two illnesses; Long Covid and ME.
And Lizzie Gibney, senior physics reporter at Nature brings her pick of the best new science this week.
To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.
Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0clrg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hjhrb2)
Trump officials defend officer who shot woman in Minneapolis while protests continue
Vice-President J.D.Vance insists Renee Good was shot by an ICE officer in self defence. We hear the latest from the city amid conflicting accounts of what happened.
Also in the programme: reports of clashes between Iranian security forces and protestors across the country; political prisoners released in Venezuela; and what it's like to be sick in space.
(Photo: US Vice-President Vance addresses the media in the White House; Credit: WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock)
THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0cqhl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfc3hz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m22rz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct75yt)
Greenland is not “an object to be acquired”, minister tells BBC
As President Trump and European leaders have their say about Greenland, BBC’s Andrew Peach hears from Greenland’s business minister, Naaja Nathanielson.
And, in a few weeks, a group of potential investors and hedge fund managers will be heading to Venezuela after its president was forcibly removed by the US. We will hear of those heading to Caracas.
Also, beef prices in the US are at record highs – they went up by 22% last year.
(Photo: The Greenlandic flag Erfalasorput flies on the Tivoli Castle in Tivoli in Copenhagen, Denmark, 08 January 2026. Credit: Ida Marie Odgaard/EPA/Shutterstock)
Presenter: Andrew Peach
Editor: Craig Henderson
Producer: Ahmed Adan
THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0cv7q)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m26j3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
FRIDAY 09 JANUARY 2026
FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0cyzv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m2b87)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 00:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vwv)
The Child Cancer Scam
4. The contract
A mother from Ukraine signs a contract, hoping that it will help her young daughter. Viktoriia has a brain tumour: her story is plastered all over social media despite her family’s request that the video they made isn’t shared.
Olena says she wasn’t given time to read the contract properly. When we look more closely, it makes for shocking reading. Now she knows the truth, she wants to stop the scammers, agreeing to help us go undercover.
Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.
Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model.
FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0d2qz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfcgrc)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m2g0c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct719v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0d6h3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfclhh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m2krh)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zpy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:32 on Tuesday]
FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0db77)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Thursday]
FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74kf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0dfzc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfctzr)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m2t7r)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq1)
Living side by side: Morocco’s Jews and Muslims
Relations between Jews and Muslims in Morocco have historically been strong – a coexistence that is frequently contrasted with tensions elsewhere in North Africa and the Middle East. Although now relatively small, Morocco’s vibrant Jewish community is still regarded as an important part of the country’s history and culture. In Casablanca there are a number of functioning synagogues, kosher butchers and Jewish schools. Around a million Moroccan Jews or Jews of Moroccan descent now live in Israel and travel freely back and forth between the two countries.
So how has the North African country managed to maintain a peaceful harmony while many other nations in the region have failed? And what could unsettle the balance?
Mike Lanchin hears from Moroccans of both faiths who have embraced this coexistence. Issam grew up in a mixed faith family and is now exploring Judaism. He has begun going to synagogue in Rabat. But some members of his own family are unhappy at his decision.
We visit the country’s only Jewish Museum, dedicated to preserving Jewish culture, and meet its Muslim curator who says that “as Moroccans, it is our duty to maintain our Jewish heritage.” And we hear from the prominent Jewish Moroccan singer Maxime Karoutchi, who regularly sings in Arabic and plays at Muslim weddings. “It is my culture, my country, my music,” he says. “When I sing, I represent my country.”
Producer/presenter: Mike Lanchin
Editor: Anna Stewart
A CTVC production for BBC World Service
(Photo: Muslims, Christians and Jews, gather along victims' associations during a ceremony in Casablanca on 16 May, 2023, on the 20th anniversary of the deadly suicide bombings in Casablanca. Credit: Fadel Senna/ AFP)
FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0dkqh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1fbyr2)
ICE protests continue in Minneapolis
Tension remains high in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of mother-of-three Renee Nicole Good by a US federal immigration agent in the city of Minneapolis. We look at the divisions this incident is creating in the United States.
Following the capture and trial of the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, we look at a similar event in 1989 and a US operation involving the then Panamanian leader General Manuel Noriega. We speak to the federal prosecutor who oversaw the conviction of Mr Noriega.
And we get a snapshot of life in the Sudanese capital Khartoum as it marks one thousand days of war in the country.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: People march during a protest against increased immigration enforcement, a day after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, in Minneapolis. Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters).
FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0dpgm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1fc2h6)
Ukraine reports explosions across country
Ukraine is again coming under night-time bombardment from Russia. Four people have been killed, and nineteen others injured in the capital, Kyiv. In the western region of Lviv, critical infrastructure has been damaged.
Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, has told the BBC he believes there's a real threat of US military action in his country, after American strikes on Venezuela and the seizure of Nicolás Maduro.
A row has broken out between the US and Somalia over the fate of food aid provided to the country. The US has accused Mogadishu of destroying a warehouse belonging to the World Food Programme at the country's main port, and of seizing the food inside.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: Firefighters work at the site of a building that was hit during a Russian drone and missile attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv. Credit: Thomas Peters/Reuters).
FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0dt6r)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq1h1fc67b)
Ukraine confirms Russian use of hypersonic ballistic missile
Russia's ministry of defence said it struck Ukraine overnight using an advanced Oreshnik ballistic missile as part of a wider bombardment. We speak to a Ukrainian politician who says the use of the intermediate range ballistic missile on Lviv, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, sends a message to the European Union.
Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, has told the BBC he believes there is a real threat of US military action in his country, after American strikes on Venezuela and the seizure of Nicolás Maduro.
And our Europe Editor reports from Greenland and speaks to people there about President Trump's attempt to acquire the island.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: Residents stand in front of a building that was hit during a Russian drone and missile attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit:Thomas Peter/Reuters)
FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0dxyw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8c48)
Mustafa Suleyman, Artificial Intelligence pioneer: People should be healthily afraid of AI
BBC presenter Amol Rajan speaks to the British artificial intelligence entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, Chief Executive of Microsoft AI.
He believes in the enormous potential of AI to be a force for good in the world, changing how we live and work for the better. He is committed to developing a humanist superintelligence, one that always works to serve people and never vice versa. But he remains clear about what he sees as the risks, issuing a warning that without the right ethical safeguards, AI could grow powerful enough to overwhelm humanity. "As somebody who’s deeply techno-optimistic, I invite people to be also healthily afraid and sceptical," he says.
The son of a London taxi-driver and a nurse, he dropped out of Oxford University and by his mid-twenties had co-founded DeepMind, the pioneering artificial intelligence research lab. By the time it was sold to Google four years later in 2014, it was worth a reported $400 million.
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 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.
Presenter: Amol Rajan
Producers: Kate Collins, Laura Cooper and Lucy Sheppard
Editor: Justine Lang
Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.
(Image: Mustafa Suleyman Credit: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m3978)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rt8)
Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands
We hear from a man who is immersed in the world of startups, innovation, venture capital, and the work of policymakers whose job it is to strengthen Europe's standing in all those fields. He's also a Prince of the Netherlands and the brother of the Dutch King.
Constantijn van Oranje has worked as a business consultant and at the European Commission. He is now a champion of the Dutch tech sector through his organisation, Techleap, set up to support the founders and startups hoping to shape the future of Europe's economy. It's given him a platform to have his say on some of the most pressing issues facing Europe today - but how does he balance his role with that of Prince?
We talk politics, regulation and unicorns.
If you'd like to get in touch with Business Daily, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presented and produced by Matthew Kenyon
(Photo: Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands presents the annual report of Techleap during the conference State of Dutch Tech on 12 February, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands. Credit: Getty Images)
FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7450)
Battle of Gallipoli
It's 110 years since the end of the Battle of Gallipoli. It was one of the deadliest in World War One. Among the 40,000 dead was a large contingent of Australian and New Zealand troops who became known as the Anzacs. Soldier Rupert Westmacott was injured and shared his memories with the BBC. Professor of Australian history, Carl Bridge, spoke to Simon Watts in 2012.
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: Soldiers landing at Gallipoli. Credit: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)
FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0f1q0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfdfqd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m3dzd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:32 on Thursday]
FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0f5g4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x7)
Science of the future
We take a look at some exciting science of the near future. First, the latest developments in animal-to-human organ transplants and the ambitious goals of eliminating cervical cancer around the world.
We are then joined by plasma physicist Dr Fatima Ebrahimi from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, who breaks down the mysteries behind nuclear fusion energy and how ambitious scientists are trying to channel the power of the Sun on Earth, in the hope of creating a massive source of clean energy.
Next, we investigate what blue-light-blocking glasses can do and consider what future scientists will think of the fossils of our civilisation!
Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Phillys Mwatee and Edd Gent
Producer: Imaan Moin
FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0f968)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfdp6n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m3ngn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct715b)
Will Gen Z protests around the world continue in 2026?
Throughout 2025, a massive youth protest movement took shape across the world. From Bangladesh, to Nepal, to Morocco, to Kenya, to the Maldives, young people were taking to the streets to demand, among other things, job security, improved standards of living, and the toppling of corrupt regimes. And in a number of cases their ambitious demands were met.
Today we speak to the BBC's social media investigations correspondent, Marianna Spring, about how social media helped spark a movement that transcended borders, and where the so-called, 'Gen Z Revolution' goes from here.
Producers: Xandra Ellin and Cat Farnsworth
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
(Photo: A protester carries a banner featuring a Malagasy version of the logo of the popular Japanese manga One Piece, during a nationwide youth-led demonstration over frequent power outages and water shortages, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, October 13, 2025. Credit: Siphiwe Sibeko/ Reuters)
FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0fdyd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj1)
The life and legacy of Eva Schloss, part 2
Eva Schloss, the Holocaust survivor and stepsister of Anne Frank, died on 3 January 2026 at the age of 96.
In 2022, she spoke to Outlook’s Emily Webb about being childhood friends and neighbours with Anne Frank in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Both their families were forced into hiding, ultimately betrayed and deported to Auschwitz where they had a harrowing experience. After the war, Eva became Anne’s posthumous stepsister when her mother married Otto Frank, Anne’s father. When Otto first discovered Anne’s now world-famous diary, he showed it to Eva. It was an emotional moment that reminded Eva of her last conversation with her beloved brother Heinz. A gifted artist, he had told Eva where he had hidden his cache of secret paintings and she was determined to bring them to light.
Eva shared her extraordinary Holocaust testimony over two episodes. In this second episode, she describes her memories of the liberation of Auschwitz, her efforts to keep her brother Heinz’s memory alive and why it took 40 years to share her story. In part one, you can hear about her recollections of Anne Frank, life before Auschwitz and her family’s eventual capture.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: A black and white photo of Eva Schloss on her wedding day in 1952 with her husband Zvi. Standing next to them is Eva's mother Fritzi and Otto Frank. Credit: Courtesy of Eva Schloss)
FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7450)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0fjpj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfdxpx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m3wyx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0fnfn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hjkt08)
Iranian Supreme Leader denounces protests
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has described demonstrators as vandals aiming to please a foreign power - as he faces the biggest wave of anti government protests in over a decade.
Also in the programme: we'll hear from the Greenlanders tired of President Trump's talk of take over; and the British government accuses the social media platform X of insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual abuse.
(Photo: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/West Asia News Agency)
FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0fs5s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8c48)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m44g5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rt8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88gv)
EU-Mercosur deal gets green light
A free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc is approved, but some countries aren’t happy. We speak to a European Commissioner for Trade about the deal.
And there's another big deal brewing - this time in the mining sector, as Glencore and Rio Tinto saare in preliminary talks about a takeover worth two hundred and seven billion dollars. A mining analyst gives us his take on what it could mean for the industry.
And how has news of that deal affected markets? We’ll be finding out.
FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0fwxx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w1730686dldhs1w)
Anti-government unrest continues to spread across Iran
More anti-government protests have erupted in Iran for a 13th day in a row, despite the country's supreme leader lashing out at people demonstrating. Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate power in Iran, has dismissed the protesters as "a bunch of vandals" trying to "please" US President Donald Trump, who threatened to "hit" Iran "very hard" if government forces kill protesters. We speak to our colleagues in BBC Persian and BBC Verify to piece together what we know.
Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has told the BBC he believes there is a real threat of US military action in his country, after the American operation in Venezuela seized Nicolas Maduro. We speak to our correspondent who interviewed him.
The first quarter final of AFCON is underway in Morocco, between Mali and Senegal. We check in with our reporter in the country.
OS presenter: James Reynolds
(Photo: Supplied image of demonstrations in Iran. Credit: BBC)
FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0g0p1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w1730686dldhwt0)
Exiled former Iranian crown prince asks Trump to prepare to 'intervene'
More anti-government protests have erupted in Iran for a 13th day in a row, despite the country's supreme leader lashing out at people demonstrating. Many protesters in Iran have been calling for the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah - so who is he, and how much support does he have? We speak to our colleagues in BBC Monitoring and BBC Persian, and check in with our reporter in the US after Pahlavi called for the US President's support.
Elon Musk's AI tool, Grok, is facing backlash over its use to make sexualised deepfake imagery. Grok fulfilled many user requests asking it to edit images of women to show them in bikinis or little clothing - something those subject to such requests have told the BBC left them feeling "humiliated" and "dehumanised". We speak to our tech reporter.
The US operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his country has sparked intense debate among Americans - raising questions about sovereignty, constitutional authority, and the principle of 'America First'. We bring together Republicans to discuss if there's been any split within President Trump's base.
OS presenter: James Reynolds
(Photo: Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran, attends a press conference in Paris, France, June 23, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Abdul Saboor)
FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0g4f5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7450)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0g859)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sffn5p)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m4mfp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z3w)
2026/01/09 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 (w172zwx1zl0gcxf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnr)
Life in Venezuela
After the dramatic US military operation that saw Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife taken from the country and placed in a New York prison, what, if anything, has changed for Venezuelans?
In our conversations, our guests share their experiences of living in Venezuela – the good and the bad. Vanessa tells us that even liking social media posts that appear to oppose the government could land people in jail.
“I read a lot on social media, why aren’t Venezuelans celebrating that Maduro is detained by the United States? It’s because we can’t,” she says. “We are very happy, but we are so scared. And even though he's no longer in the country and he’s no longer president, the regime is the same.”
Donald Trump said the US would “run” Venezuela and he has plans for the country’s crude oil reserves, which are the largest in the world. Despite this relatively untapped wealth, half the population lives in poverty and there have been shortages of food, fuel, water and medical supplies.
Our guests in Venezuela talk about the difficulty of earning money, while millions have decided to flee the country, due to economic challenges and political persecution.
We also bring Venezuelans together in the US, UK and Brazil who have moved abroad. They discuss what they miss about home and what might make them return.
Presenter: James Reynolds with Rahul Tandon
BBC producers: Isabella Bull and Adam Chowdhury
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Simon Peeks
A Boffin Media production in partnership with BBC OS
(Photo: Protesters hold up a huge Venezuelan flag. Credit: Maria Puerta-Riera)
FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m4r5t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stw)
How do cicadas know what season it is?
Crowdscience listener Ryosuke grew up in Japan, and spent his childhood summers catching cicadas in the park. For people in Japan, the sound of their chirping signals the first true summer day. But until they emerge, these enigmatic insects live underground - often for many years. Ryosuke wants to know how they know the time is right, and CrowdScience is on the case.
Presenter Anand Jagatia pieces together the story of the species, and meets the small but dedicated group of academics worldwide who’ve been able to study them.
In a field near Girona, Spain, he meets a scientist who’s spent the last twenty years counting them. How will a temperature probe help us work out when they might emerge, and what are they doing underground for so many years anyway?
In nearby Barcelona, another scientist cuts open the stem of a tomato plant and Anand watches as the sap flows out. Could this be a clue to how cicadas sense what’s going on above ground?
And he meets a cicada breeder in the US who has discovered a link between the life cycle of cicadas and the fruiting of a peach tree. Armed with that knowledge, can you really make time move faster for tree and insect alike?
Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski
Editor: Ben Motley
(Photo:Cicada on Hosta Leaf - stock photo Credit: KenWiedemann via Getty Images)
FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0ghnk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zssj5hjln75)
Reports suggest growing protests in Iran
Mass protests across Iran: but how will the authorities respond? We hear from the BBC Persian Service, where journalists are trying to monitor events amid an information blackout, and discuss Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's options with Iranian-American journalist Hooman Majd.
Also in the programme: Colombian President Gustavo Petro's views on United States policy in Latin America; and Elon Musk's former partner Ashley St Clair explains her concerns about sexualised images made by the Grok AI chatbot on X, formerly known as Twitter.
(Photo: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, taken on 3 Jan 2026; Credit: IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)
FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0gmdp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwlj3sfg0f2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m4zp2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76pf)
President Trump lays out plans for Venezuela's oil reserves
The US president, Donald Trump, has met top American energy executives in the White House, saying his government will choose which US firms can exploit Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
Also, Elon Musk's social media site X could face a UK ban over a feature enabling users to create fake, sexualised images of women.
And why the search for more protein and fibre means some takeaway food stores are feeling the pinch.
(PHOTO: A model of an oil pump is seen in front of a Venezuelan flag in this illustration taken January 9, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration).
Presenter: Andrew Peach
Editor: Craig Henderson
Producer: Ahmed Adan
FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx1zl0gr4t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 23:06 The Interview (w3ct8c48)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwf9m53f6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]