SATURDAY 17 JANUARY 2026
SAT 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb80hs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x8)
Science down under
This week the Unexpected Elements team has travelled Down Under to sunny Sydney where we discover some wonderfully Australian science with the help of some wonderfully Australian panellists.
First, we discuss the surprising American origins of Australia’s iconic marsupials and Marnie gets up close and personal with Pez the Tasmanian Devil.
We also talk to Andy Flies from the University of Tasmania who is working on a vaccine to combat a deadly contagious cancer spreading through Australia’s Devil population.
Next, we’re joined by Susan Sawyer from the University of Melbourne as we delve into the debate surrounding Australia’s social media ban for under 16-year-olds. Are the kids alright? Plus, we find out about the tree that seems to be adding fuel to the country’s recent wildfires.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Katie Silver and Jonathan Webb
Producers: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, with Ella Hubber, Sophie Ormiston and Lucy Davies
SAT 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb847x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1r7j89)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwskxyhj9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct715c)
The post-World War II era is over. What comes next?
For most of the years since World War Two, many global powers said they adhered to a rules-based international order. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House that idea is falling away. But did it ever exist in reality? And what’s the alternative now?
The BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen wraps up our week of special coverage.
Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Xandra Ellin
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
(Photo: Presidents Putin, Trump and Xi as Russian dolls. Credit: Yuri Kochetkov. EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
SAT 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb8801)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1r7n0f)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwskxym8f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct6zkg)
Alyssa Healy to retire: Elyse Villani on her Australia teammates legacy
Nikesh Rughani, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta reflect on the career of Australia great Alyssa Healy after she announced that she will retire from all formats of the game in March. We are joined by her former teammate and fellow World Cup winner Elyse Villani who shares what she believes Healy’s legacy is and her captaincy style. Villani also tells us how she transitioned from player to commentator and why she made her decision to retire from playing in the Women's Big Bash League.
The fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League is underway, and we have already seen a hattrick and final ball thrillers. We discuss the tournament so far and go behind the scenes with Mumbai Indians player Milly Illingworth.
Plus, we celebrate another milestone for India's Virat Kohli and Jim tells us his thoughts on the 150th anniversary Test, which will be a pink ball Test at the MCG.
Photo: Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani of Australia celebrate winning game two of the Women's International Twenty20 series between Australia and New Zealand at Allan Border Field on October 1, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
SAT 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb8cr5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj2)
Claudette Colvin: A teen’s revolutionary act of defiance
Remembering the late Claudette Colvin, US civil rights pioneer who died this week aged 86. In March 1955, Claudette was a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Montgomery, Alabama when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a bus. Claudette’s brave defiance of the city’s segregation laws was overshadowed nine months later by a similar act of resistance by her friend, Rosa Parks, which in turn spurred on local pastor Martin Luther King Jr and lit the spark of the civil rights movement. While Rosa Parks became known around the world, it would take decades for Claudette to get recognition – and justice – for her protest. Claudette spoke to Outlook’s Matthew Bannister in 2018.
Plus, two other stories of teenagers who courageously challenged the world around them:
Lebanese Girl Scout Marina El Khawand raced against time to save a stranger after the horrific 2020 Beirut port explosion, she now helps to provide life-saving medicine across Lebanon.
Aged 13, Dutch sailor Laura Dekker shocked the world when she announced her plan to sail around the globe, solo. It was a legal and personal struggle she ultimately won, becoming the youngest person to complete a solo circumnavigation.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producers: Maryam Maruf, Elena Angelides, May Cameron
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: A black and white photo of a teenage Claudette Colvin. Credit: Alamy)
SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct7451)
Afghan Star
In 2005, a new show was launched on television in Afghanistan to find new musical talent – it was called Afghan Star and was inspired by formats like American Idol and the X-Factor.
The programme came after the music industry in Afghanistan had been decimated under the Taliban between 1996 and 2001.
Music has been culturally important in Afghan history, however, playing music and musical instruments had been banned whilst the Taliban were in power.
Jahid Mohseni was the development producer for Afghan Star, he has been speaking to Tim O’Callaghan.
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: The first season of Afghan Star. Credit: MOBY Media Group)
SAT 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb8hh9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:06 today]
SAT 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb8m7f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1r807t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwskxyzht)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 05:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzs)
5. The Book of Gramarye
It is Christmas Eve and Will has been transported to a different time, 1875. Hawkin risks his life to break a spell and free a tome of ancient knowledge. The book speaks of hidden things - of real magic, of rocks and trees and stars. 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 (w3ct6w03)
South Korea study does not show Covid vaccine causes cancer
In Autumn 2025 a paper in South Korea was published that excited many a vaccine sceptic online. The paper claimed that receiving a vaccination against Covid19 was linked to a 27% increase in cancer risk.
However, when you dig into the data there is no evidence that the vaccine caused the cancer. We spoke to Professor Justin Fendos to explain why we cannot take this type of statistical analysis at face value.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound engineer: James Beard
SAT 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb8qzk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8jt2zj9pj)
Blair and Rubio on Trump's Gaza 'Board of Peace'
President Trump announces the key members of his “Board of Peace” for Gaza, tasked with overseeing the management and rebuilding of the Strip. But the challenges are immense — so what are the chances of success?
Also in the programme: US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on nations that do not support his ambitions to annex Greenland. Iceland’s foreign minister joins us, and we examine a row over Gaza at a book fair in Australia.
Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by Dimitar Bechev, Director of the Dahrendorf Programme at the European Studies Centre, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, and Jana Bakunina, a Russian-born author and investment specialist.
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C. 9 Jan 2026, Credit: Reuters)
SAT 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb8vqp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8jt2zjffn)
The future of Greenland
Can Denmark secure Greenland’s future with help from its Nato allies? We’ll hear from one of Nato’s most senior military officers.
Also on the programme, President Trump reveals the names of key members of his Board of Peace for the future of Gaza; and a new study that challenges the US health secretary’s claim that paracetamol during pregnancy could be linked to autism.
Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by Dimitar Bechev, Director of the Dahrendorf Programme at the European Studies Centre, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, and Jana Bakunina, a Russian-born author and investment specialist.
(Picture: An overhead view of Nuuk, Greenland. Credit: REUTERS/Marko Djurica)
SAT 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb8zgt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8jt2zjk5s)
White House names members Gaza Board of Peace
The Trump administration has named US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and former UK prime minister Tony Blair among others as members of its Board of Peace for Gaza. It forms part of President Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas.
Also in the programme: the daughter of a journalist arrested before the recent protests in Iran tells us about the brutal treatment her mother has suffered in jail; and a Russian teacher who filmed war propaganda classes in his school and made an Oscar-nominated film out of it. We hear from David Borenstein, the director of the film, Mr. Nobody Against Putin.
Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by Dimitar Bechev, Director of the Dahrendorf Programme at the European Studies Centre, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, and Jana Bakunina, a Russian-born author and investment specialist.
(Picture: A displaced Palestinian man sits at a tent camp in Gaza. Credit: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
SAT 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb936y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 09:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rns)
Surviving an Avalanche
In the past few days there have been a number of deaths on ski slopes in the Alps and, in recent months, hikers in Greece, climbers in Italy’s Dolomite mountains, and guides in the Himalayas have all lost their lives.
The peak season for these huge and potentially lethal mass movements of snow is now underway in the northern hemisphere. To understand the dangers, and what it’s like to experience an avalanche, we hear from three survivors.
For mountaineer Cory Richards in South Africa, the impact of an avalanche while climbing the world's 13th tallest mountain in Pakistan left him and his two climbing partners thinking they were all about to die.
“Probably what carried us mostly was the air blast and the debris as it started moving across the flat ground,” says Cory. “It picked us up and threw us several hundred feet. We were all tied together and we all ended up partially buried.”
Fortunately for Cory and our other guests – JT Holmes and Benton Hodges in the United States – they survived. Benton was even part of the rescue mission to save his friend. But an avalanche can have more than a physical impact, and we also hear about the effects on everyone’s mental health, sometimes years after the event.
Hosts: James Reynolds and Luke Jones
BBC producer: Iqra Farooq
Boffin Media producers: Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver
A Boffin Media production in partnership with BBC OS
(Image: Cory Richards. Credit Cory Richards)
SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwskxzghb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8bz0)
Can Denmark convince Trump not to “conquer” Greenland?
There are two big stories on today’s episode. What happened when foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland met with Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House? We discuss their “frank” talks and “fundamental disagreements”.
Plus, the world’s top central banker Jerome Powell has hit back at the US president in an unprecedented video statement on social media. It follows the Trump administration opening a criminal investigation against Jerome Powell, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Over the past year the president has insulted Powell publicly, criticising his decisions not to cut interest rates, as well as calling the Fed chair "Mr Too Late", a “major loser” and a "numbskull".
Justin, Sarah and Anthony explain why it matters and the impact this very public spat could have on the US and global economy.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Purvee Pattni, George Dabby, Alix Pickles, and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
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US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
SAT 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb96z2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878x)
Taking control
Life is full of challenges. Some are caused by circumstances we have no control over. Sometimes our struggles are rooted in long held social attitudes that can take generations to change... and then there are those problems that come entirely from within ourselves, when our minds or bodies work differently from others. We've searched the globe to find 5 athletes with extraordinary tales of challenges they have overcome in every one of those categories.
Basketballer Daniel Edozie is a former Division One college baller who also represented England on the international stage... but Daniel led a nomadic life as a child. He was born in the UK, and then taken to America by his mother but ended up being abandoned and living on the streets of Skid Row in Los Angles. Daniels ability to navigate such a dangerous place at such a young age is remarkable. So how did he take control of his own destiny and set his sights on sporting greatness?
Runner Lauren Fleshman had a long and successful athletics career, including being twice US 5,000m champion. She retired a decade ago which meant she had more time for writing, something she'd enjoyed doing whilst competing. Her blog "Ask Lauren Fleshman" was a huge success, and when you hear Lauren speak, it's no surprising why people seek out her advice. Drawing on a lifetime of experience, Lauren then published her memoir 'Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World' tackling the added societal stresses and strains professional female sport stars have compared to their male counter parts.
When suffer from physical frailty, the source of that difficulty is usually quite obvious, and the treatments well established, but when our brains work differently, the results can be very scary. Even getting the right diagnosis can be a challenge. It took footballer Millie Farrow years of uncertainty and confusion before she was diagnosed with the mental health condition Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The condition made the chances of her fulfilling her dream of becoming a professional footballer slim. Fast forward to today, and having learned how to live successfully with her OCD she's thrived. She's currently playing in Australia, but has also played for North Carolina Courage and several teams in her home country England
It's a cruel joke that it's often those who seemingly have it all that can struggle the most. Marcus Smith II was a first round pick when he joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014. His NFL career continued to rise when he signed a lucrative contract with the Seattle Seahawks. It seemed Marcus was living the dream... but actually he was suffering with crippling anxiety, nothing new to him, it was something he had to deal with since he was just 8 years old.. but eventually it became too much for him to bear. Some of his story is difficult to hear, but after seeking help he was able to take a different path and is now helping others struggling with their mental health.
When our bodies fail us sometimes it's our minds that make the difference. In 1981, jockey Bob Champion won a fairytale victory in Britain's most famous horse race, the Grand National. Two years earlier, Champion had been diagnosed with cancer, he put his survival through invasive treatment down to his focus on his life time dream. Winning the Grand National.
PHOTO: Daniel Edozie #42 of the Iowa State Cyclones celebrates after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 85-83 in the third round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (CREDIT: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAT 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb9bq6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1r8qql)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwskxzpzl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 11:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vww)
The Child Cancer Scam
5. The agency
The investigation into why millions of dollars promised to families with sick children never reaches them moves to Israel. There we find misleading addresses and more questions than answers. Who is making these online campaigns which claim to help desperate parents? New ones keep appearing, but the story’s the same.
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.
SAT 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb9ggb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 12:06 World Questions (w3ct7508)
Hungary
Jonny Dymond chairs a debate with leading Hungarian politicians and academics who take questions from the public across Hungary. With elections due in April, can the right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been in power for 15 years, hold off his main political challenger?
The Panel:
Andras Laszlo, MEP, Fidesz Party
Timea Szabo, MP, PM Green Party
Boris Kalnoky, journalist and analyst. Head of the Media School at Mathias Corvinus Collegium
Zsuzsanna Szelenyi, author and research fellow at Central European University Democracy Institute
Producer: Helen Towner
Sound engineers: Syd Dundon, Kate Barker and Joe Lawrence
(Photo: Supporters of Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition TISZA party, waving Hungarian flags.
Credit: Janos Kummer/Getty Images)
SAT 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb9l6g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 13:06 Newshour (w172zssjjrvfqs2)
Yoweri Museveni declared winner of Uganda election
Uganda’s opposition leader, Bobi Wine, has urged his supporters to hold non- violent protests following presidential elections on Thursday. In a video posted on X, Wine questioned the credibility of the vote, saying results could not be verified after members of his party were arrested amid an ongoing internet shutdown.
Also in the programme: the new ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza; and US politicians visit Denmark amid tensions over Greenland.
(Photo: A man cycles past a campaign billboard of Uganda's President, following the general elections in Kampala, Uganda January 16, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya)
SAT 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvb9pyl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqyvblybb1)
Live Sporting Action
Sportsworld presents live Premier League commentary from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs host West Ham.
Lee James will be joined by the former Spurs, Newcastle and Cameroon defender Sebastien Bassong and Sportsworld's John Bennett to discuss Saturday's seven games, including updates and reaction from the early game as United host City in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
Sportsworld will be presented live from Rabat to build up to Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final. We'll also look ahead to the NFL Divisional Round and tennis's Australian Open, which gets underway in Melbourne on Sunday.
Photo: Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek of West Ham United and Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham Hotspur battle for a header during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium on September 13, 2025 in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)
SAT 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbb5y3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1r9kyh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky0k6h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 18:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:32 today]
SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsv)
Senna’s first Formula 1 win
At the Portuguese Grand Prix in 1985, three-time Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna won his first race.
In torrential rain, Senna dominated the race, leading from the start and winning by more than a minute and lapped nearly every other driver.
Whilst other drivers were crashing out, the Brazilian kept his cool and took the chequered flag after 67 laps.
Senna’s mechanic at Lotus, Chris Dinnage, speaks to Guy Kilty about watching from the pit lane.
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: Senna taking the chequered flag at the Portugese Grand Prix in 1985. Credit: Ercole Colombo/Studio Colombo/Getty Images)
SAT 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbb9p7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 19:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723s)
Is nuclear disarmament set to self-destruct?
In February 2026, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty bilateral between Russia and the United States is set to expire. The aim of the New START agreement was to reduce and limit the number of strategic nuclear warheads, but once this treaty comes to an end it means there will no longer be rules on the cap of these nuclear weapons. The legal provisions in the treaty for a one-time five-year extension, were used in 2021.
The multilateral Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is still in place, to which 190 countries are signatories. The general idea behind the NPT was for nuclear countries to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons, with the goal of complete disarmament. Whilst those countries without nuclear weapons would commit to not pursuing them. In 1995 the members agreed to extend the treaty indefinitely, but it is not without its challenges. Four nuclear powers sit outside the NPT and there are rifts between the non-nuclear and nuclear states.
So, on The Inquiry this week we’re asking, ‘Is nuclear disarmament set to self-destruct?’
Contributors:
Hermann Wentker, Professor of Modern History, University of Potsdam and Head of Berlin Research Department, The Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History, Germany
Alexandra Bell, President and CEO, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, USA
Mike Albertson, arms-control expert, former negotiator on New START arms reduction treaty, USA
Nathalie Tocci, Professor of Practice, Johns Hopkins SAIS (School of Advanced International Studies), Italy
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Deck of the nuclear submarine Saphir. Credit: Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky0nym)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 19:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzh)
The Happy Pod: The injection that saved my sight
We hear from a woman whose determination to avoid going blind has inspired her doctors to develop a new treatment for a rare eye condition. Nicki Guy says the injection of a low cost, water-based gel has been life changing and given her the chance to see her son grow up. The treatment has already helped restore the eyesight of dozens of other people with hypotony, which can cause the eye to collapse, leading to blindness.
Also, the new Barbie doll that is designed to help improve understanding and acceptance of autism. A neurodiverse writer says she hopes it will help young girls understand it is not something to hide or be ashamed of.
A revolutionary way of treating some cancers is being offered to people in the UK with an aggressive form of leukaemia for the first time. Research has shown genetically modifying the patient’s own cells to recognise the blood cancer, can extend their lives, or in some cases, offer a cure.
Plus, how one man's regular habit of having gumbo at the same restaurant twice a day may have saved his life, the 24-year-old in charge of protecting the Pacific Ocean around the remote Pitcairn island, and the amateur football team who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in English footballing history by beating a side from the Premier League.
Presenter: Valerie Sanderson
Music: Iona Hampson
(Photo: Nicki Guy having her eyes examined. Credit: PA)
SAT 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbbffc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvh)
Kaouther Ben Hania on her film The Voice of Hind Rajab
Nikki Bedi and Hanna Flint discuss cultural highlights of the week:
American director Noah Baumbach on working with George Clooney on the film, Jay Kelly.
English-Japanese actor Will Sharpe on portraying Mozart in the TV series, Amadeus.
Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson on their roles as a Neil Diamond tribute act in Song Sung Blue.
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania tells Nikki about the making her film, The Voice of Hind Rajab.
Spanish-born actor Oona Chaplin talks about her work on Avatar: Fire and Ash.
And Brazilian-Norwegian singer songwriter Charlotte Dos Santos explains why she likes recording onto tape.
SAT 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbbk5h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 21:06 Newshour (w172zssjjrvgpr3)
US to impose tariffs on European countries
Donald Trump says he'll impose 10% tariffs on eight European allies including Germany, France, Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands who are opposed to his plan to purchase Greenland. These would come into force from February 1st and remain in place until a deal is done on the autonomous Danish territory. Trump said the levies would go up to 25% from June 1st. The US president says the vast Arctic Island is critical to America's national security.
Also in the programme: We hear from Uganda's sports minister on President Museveni's re-election; and more reaction to the appointment of a Gaza "Board of Peace."
(Picture: US President, Donald Trump. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)
SAT 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbbnxm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1rb1y0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SAT 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky1160)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SAT 22:32 This Is Africa (w3ct72f4)
Gemy and General Remy
Gemy has shot to the top of the charts in Sierra Leone with his melodious track Salone Titi. He tells This Is Africa how grateful he is to the musical family of a school friend, thanks to whom his vocal talent was spotted and his first steps in music supported.
Self-styled bad boy General Remy is representing Mauritius with his shatta dancehall sound. He is also very popular in other Indian Ocean nations, especially Seychelles and Reunion. When he isn’t making music he says you can find him out on the ocean fishing, even though he hates eating fish!
Image: Gemy and General Remy
SAT 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbbsnr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SAT 23:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct878x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 today]
SUNDAY 18 JANUARY 2026
SUN 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbbxdw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 00:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rns)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:06 on Saturday]
SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky18p8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct8xr8)
Stories from the New Silk Road: The Bering Sea
In 1867, the US government bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars. At the time, critics questioned the value of purchasing such an inhospitable and remote territory. Yet today, due to its abundance of natural resources, America’s largest state has proved to be a significant investment. BBC foreign correspondent Anna Holligan travels to Alaska to report on the increasing China-Russia-US tension in the region.
Supported by Russia, through fishing, shipping and military exercises, China has a growing presence in the Bering Sea, which separates mainland Russia from the US by 55 miles at its narrowest point.
As Anna visits the largest Coast Guard base in the world on Alaska’s Kodiak Island, she asks why is China seeking to expand their influence in one of the most dangerous and volatile seas in the world? What does it mean for local communities living and working in America’s ‘Last Frontier’? Is this remote corner of the US becoming a new frontline in an economic and political battle involving three superpowers?
Presenter: Anna Holligan
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Editor: Monica Whitlock
A Pod60 production for BBC World Service
(Photo: Lieutenant commander Jonathon R. Resch USCG Arctic District. Credit: Anna Holligan)
SUN 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbc150)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1rbf5d)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky1dfd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 01:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:32 on Saturday]
SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct7zsv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:50 on Saturday]
SUN 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbc4x4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1rbjxj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky1j5j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkk)
What effect does exercise really have on depression?
We are often told exercise is good for boosting your mood, but a new Cochrane review has looked at what the evidence says about how much difference exercise can really make when treating depression.
Many patients with chronic conditions fail to take medications as prescribed. We discuss a novel pill casing that can send a signal once it has been broken down in the stomach. Prof Giovanni Traverso, gastroenterologist and director of the Laboratory for Translational Engineering at MIT, explains how it works.
A year on from the USAID freeze, global health journalist Andrew Green unpicks America’s radically different influence on world health today.
In Malawi’s townships, many families can no longer afford charcoal or gas. Instead, they turn to burning plastic waste as cooking fuel. This keeps food on the table but fills kitchens and markets with toxic smoke, contributing to respiratory illness, pregnancy complications, and environmental damage. We hear from our reporter, Carrim Mpaweni.
And we look at auto-brewery syndrome as researchers search for why some people’s gut microbes produce high alcohol levels.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant producers: Jonathan Blackwell and Anna Charalambou
SUN 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbc8n8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 03:06 World Questions (w3ct7508)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbcddd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsp)
Greenlanders reject Trump's takeover plan
Pascale Harter introduces storied from Greenland, Colombia, and the global market in Irish whiskey - from Japan to India.
President Trump has repeatedly insisted that the US needs to 'own' Greenland, to prevent Russia and China taking it over. But this vast, frozen territory is officially part of the Kingdom of Denmark - and the Greenlanders themselves have their own views on its future. Katya Adler has been in the capital Nuuk, speaking to people of Inuit descent about their island's painful history of colonisation - and how much say they will have in what comes next.
Colombia has also been attracting attention from America, following the recent US operation in Venezuela. An ongoing war of words between its President, Gustavo Petro, and the US President on issues from migration to drugs US strikes on fishing boats in the Caribbean, has raised the level of tension. Can Mr Petro continue to walk the tightrope and avoid US intervention? Ione Wells reports from Bogota.
While Irish pubs have spread across the world - there's even one on Antarctica - the fortunes of Irish whiskey have been more variable. Once, the island was the word's biggest whiskey exporter, with bars across the British Empire stocking its product. But then Irish brands lost ground in global markets, to whiskeys made in Scotland, the US and Japan. Now premium single malt is being made across states across India too. Jordan Dunbar explores how whiskey drinkers' tastes have changed and how Irish distillers are staging a comeback.
Producer: Polly Hope
Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Co-Ordinators: Sophie Hill & Jack Young
Correction: The Greenland dispatch incorrectly states the distance from Greenland to the United States.
(Image Credit: Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky1rns)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 04:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vww)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Saturday]
SUN 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbcj4j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1rbx4x)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky1wdx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct8xr8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:32 today]
SUN 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbcmwn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 06:06 Weekend (w172zw8jt2zm6lm)
Trump tariff threat over Greenland 'unacceptable', European leaders say
European leaders condemn Trump’s tariffs on Nato allies resisting his Greenland push, calling them intimidation and blackmail.
Also in today’s programme: Uganda’s opposition leader Bobi Wine says he has escaped from police custody, and there is a new personalised treatment for leukaemia.
Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by Rim Turkmani, Assistant Professor specialising in Syria and the Middle East at the London School of Economics, and Henry Chu, interim curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.
(Photo: Protesters rally in Greenland against Trump annexation threat January 17, 2026. Reuters/Marko Djurica)
SUN 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbcrms)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 07:06 Weekend (w172zw8jt2zmbbr)
EU calls emergency meeting on Greenland
Protesters in Greenland took to the streets in the capital as furious European leaders called Trump’s threats intimidation and blackmail, after the US president threatened to impose tariffs on Nato allies who pushed back on his plan to own Greenland. We get the latest political reaction from Denmark.
Also in today’s programme: we hear from the husband of an Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been detained by the authorities for over a month; and we head to Morocco ahead of the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where the hosts take on Senegal.
Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by Rim Turkmani, Assistant Professor specialising in Syria and the Middle East at the London School of Economics, and Henry Chu, interim curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.
Photo: A 3D‑printed miniature model of U.S. President Donald Trump, EU and Greenland flags, and the word "Tariffs" appear in this illustration taken January 17, 2026. Reuters/Dado Ruvic
SUN 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbcwcx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 08:06 Weekend (w172zw8jt2zmg2w)
Uganda's internet services restored
Internet services have been restored in Uganda, hours after President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner of last week’s general election.
Also in today's programme: A music director is campaigning to grant the choral tradition of English Evensong - more than 500 years old - a world heritage status; and, Grok, Elon Musk's AI tool, will no longer be able to edit photos of real people.
Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by Rim Turkmani, Assistant Professor specialising in Syria and the Middle East at the London School of Economics, and Henry Chu, interim curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.
Photo: Supporters celebrate after election result in Kampala, Uganda. 17 Jan 2026/ Daniel Irungu/EPA/Shutterstock
SUN 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbd041)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 today]
SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky2cdf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zp)
Should we all eat the Mediterranean way?
The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, pulses and olive oil and traditionally includes small amounts of fish and very little red meat. Thousands of studies back its health benefits. In fact, it's considered to be one of the most widely researched diets in the world. But why has this way of eating come to prominence over others?
Marta Guasch-Ferre from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark explains what the Mediterranean diet is and how her Spanish roots have informed her work.
Professor Sarah Tracy from the University of Oklahoma tells the story of the diet's roots, popularised by American scientist Ancel Keys in the 1950's.
And Ruth asks, if this way of eating isn't familiar in your culture, can you still make use of the Mediterranean diet's principles to improve your health? Singapore based cardiologist Professor Huang Zijuan has been looking at the science behind Asian inspired food swaps that could offer the same health benefits.
Plus public health expert Professor Pekka Puska explains how he used the work of Ancel Keys in the 1970's to help transform the life expectancy of Finnish men. He co-led the now world famous North Karelia project, after Keys' research revealed how the region in eastern Finland had the highest rates of blood cholesterol in the world.
Produced by Lexy O’Connor
The sound engineer was Andrew Mills.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Image: A family is eating together. The wooden table is covered in brightly coloured plates of salads, pastas and olives. Hands reach over to take some of the food. (Credit: Getty/Compassionate Eye Foundation/Natasha Alipour Faridani)
SUN 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbd3w5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xys)
No brother left behind
The Igba Boyi apprenticeship scheme, described as the world's largest business incubator, has helped the Nigerian Igbo people build generational wealth in the devastating aftermath of the Civil War.
The scheme involves a master mentoring an apprentice who, upon graduation, is "settled" with start-up funds and contacts to launch their own business.
BBC Reporter Chiagozie Nwonwu explores this vital tradition and why it is now at risk of fading out in modern Nigeria.
A Whistledown production.
SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky2h4k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v5)
Kenyans lured to Russia's frontline
Kenyan authorities recently reported that 200 of their citizens are fighting for Russia in the war in Ukraine. Many of them have reported that they travelled to Russia after replying to job adverts for roles as drivers, security guards and cooks. It was only on arrival that they were sent for military training, and then sent to the battlefield in Ukraine. BBC Newsday's David Wafula has spoken to families trying to find sons and brothers, lost in Russia's war.
In September 2025 a wave of anti-government protests swept through Indonesia. Bali, however, remained free from demonstrations. Academics and sociologists say this is due to a legacy of terror from the island's 1965 communist purge. This brutal period taught communities a chilling lesson: dissent leads to annihilation. As a result, many Balinese people have become conditioned to avoid confrontation and suppress negative opinions, especially concerning the tourism sector. Tri Wahyuni of BBC Indonesian has looked into Bali's relationship with tourism and its own history.
In Panna, a diamond mining region in central India, two childhood friends recently made a discovery that they think could change their lives forever. They had rented a small patch of land in the hopes of finding diamonds, and after only 19 days of digging they found one worth an estimated $55,000. Vishnukant Tiwari reports for the BBC in central India and spoke to the brothers.
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 and Caroline Ferguson
SUN 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbd7m9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1rcmmp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky2lwp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 11:32 The Dark Is Rising (w3ct4lzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:32 on Saturday]
SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct6w03)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:50 on Saturday]
SUN 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbdccf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 12:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rns)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:06 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky2qmt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 12:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcr)
The Netherlands: 10 new cities?
'Start by lighting a candle every morning.’ In other words, pray. That’s the advice on one social media platform to those looking for a rented property in the Netherlands. The pressure on housing is immense: an estimated shortage of 400,000 homes. It was the number one issue in the recent Dutch general election, with the winning D66 party promising to build '10 new cities'.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Squatting was made a criminal offence over a decade ago, but with an estimated 90,000 homes standing empty, the squatters – krakers – are back. And there are thousands of people breaking the law by living year-round in holiday or recreation parks deep in the Netherlands’ countryside.
The authorities are trying to change the dynamics. The city of Amsterdam is cracking down on second homes and owners who leave a property vacant. And last year, in an effort to cool an overheated market and limit the exploitation of tenants, the national government strengthened rent controls. But this has only encouraged landlords to throw in the towel and put their properties up for sale.
There’s also a question mark over plans to build thousands of homes - and new cities - because of an obstacle few seem to have foreseen... Electricity. The Netherlands has enough power, but it doesn’t have the infrastructure to transport it to proposed new developments.
Of course, the Dutch are known for innovation – especially in their management of water. Could floating apartment blocks be one of the answers?
For Assignment, Linda Pressly meets both those at the sharp end of the Dutch housing crisis, and those working to mitigate its fallout.
Producer: Tim Mansel
Sound mix: Duncan Hannant
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Penny Murphy
(Image: Martijn Lentze, a property developer in The Hague. Credit: Tim Mansel/BBC)
SUN 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbdh3k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 13:06 Newshour (w172zssjjrvjmp5)
EU holds emergency meeting over US tariff threats
European Union ambassadors will hold an emergency meeting later today in Brussels to discuss their response to Mr Trump's threat of tariffs on European countries opposing his plan to acquire Greenland. The US president has said that he will introduce a 10% levy on goods produced by eight countries.
We speak to the former foreign minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock.
Also in the programme: government forces make advances after two weeks of fighting in Syria; and the world's only nocturnal parrot comes back from the brink of extinction.
(Photo: woman waves a Greenlandic flag during protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's annexation demands on January 17, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Marko Djurica).
SUN 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbdlvp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 14:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7033)
Could ancient rice seeds help fight climate change?
How farmers and scientists in eastern India are using ancient rice seeds to fight the growing impact of flooding, soil salinity and drought.
The BBC’s William Kremer tells Graihagh Jackson about his visit to the Sundarbans in West Bengal, where cyclones and rising sea levels have devastated crops. William meets the rice growers drawing on the skills of their forefathers to feed their families. Graihagh also gets a global overview from Dr Rafal Gutaker, rice expert at Kew Gardens, London. This programme was first broadcast in 2025.
Reporter in India: William Kremer
Production Team: Diane Richardson, Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward
Sound Mix: Neil Churchill and Tom Brignell
Editor: Simon Watts
If you have a question for the team, email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721
Image credit: Reuters
SUN 14:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky2z42)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 14:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:32 on Saturday]
SUN 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbdqlt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 15:06 Sportsworld (w172ztqyvbm1bz8)
Live Sporting Action
Sportsworld has Premier League commentary from Villa Park as Champions League-chasing Aston Villa host Everton. There will also be updates and reaction from the day’s other game as Newcastle go to bottom club Wolves.
We will also be live with our team in Rabat ahead of the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, and take a look at all the big football stories across Europe.
Plus there’s reaction from the opening day of the Australian Open tennis; the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs; and the latest from the Masters Snooker in London.
Photo: Matty Cash of Aston Villa and Jack Grealish of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton and Aston Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Credit: Getty Images)
SUN 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbf6lb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1rdllq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky3kvq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 19:32 Over to You (w3ct8sh2)
How live programming is made
Live broadcast has been part and parcel of radio since its inception. We go behind the scenes of BBC OS to hear how live radio is made daily on one of the flagship news programmes of the BBC World Service.
Breaking news is fast moving, at one moment there is a vacuum of facts and the next a deluge, all of which must be packaged and presented to inform the public responsibly. Presenter Qasa Alom speaks to Danny Savage, BBC News Northern England correspondent, who reported live on location in the aftermath of the October 2025 Manchester synagogue attack.
A familiar companion for radio sports fans is the voice of the commentator. Building plays word by word, adding colour, spitting stats and giving words to pure emotions, a live radio sporting event does not exist without commentary. Qasa speaks to BBC Sport commentator John Bennett, from Morocco where he is covering the Africa Cup of Nations.
We also hear from listeners about their memories listening to live radio.
Presenter: Qasa Alom
Producers: Jill Achineku and Emily Uchida Finch
A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
SUN 20:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbfbbg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:06 on Saturday]
SUN 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbfg2l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 21:06 Newshour (w172zssjjrvkln6)
Danish PM: "Europe won't be blackmailed"
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says "Europe won't be blackmailed", as she and other European leaders continue to weigh their response to US President Donald Trump's tariff threats over Greenland. Trump says he will impose new taxes on eight European nations, including Denmark, in February if they oppose his proposed takeover of Greenland.
Also on the programme: The Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have agreed an immediate ceasefire after nearly two weeks of fighting; and we hear about revolutionary treatment for people with an aggressive form of leukaemia, or blood cancer, which is being offered to patients in the UK.
(Photo: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks at a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 13th of January 13, 2026. Credit: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS)
SUN 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbfktq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljh1rdyv3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky3y33)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 22:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:32 today]
SUN 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx2bvbfpkv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
SUN 23:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7033)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:06 today]
SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxwsky41v7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
SUN 23:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 today]
MONDAY 19 JANUARY 2026
MON 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mknl4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v780vj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 00:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txv)
Why is Nasa sending people around the moon?
The space science world is buzzing. In the next few days, NASA is expected to begin the rollout of its Artemis II rocket to the launch pad with the launch itself expected as early as February. Science journalist Jonathan Amos explains why NASA is interested in travelling around the moon now? And what we will learn from sending humans further into space than ever before.
Penny Sarchet, Managing Editor at New Scientist brings Tom Whipple her pick of the best new science this week.
And why are scientists shipping ice cores from around the world to a frozen cave in Antarctica? Dr Liz Thomas, head of ice core research at the British Antarctic Survey explains the science behind the Ice Memory Sanctuary as it officially opens.
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: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Tim Dodd and Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
MON 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mksb8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1k5bn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v784ln)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx5)
Frontiers of Space Science
The very latest developments in the world of space science with Roland Pease, recorded at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in New Orleans, where thousands of space and planetary scientists come together to promote discovery in space science for the benefit of humanity.
Roland talks to Andy Rivkin, planetary astronomer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, about planetary defence from asteroids, including the small potential for asteroid 2024 YR4 to hit the moon in 2032.
We hear from Craig DeForest, principle investigator for the PUNCH mission (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere), which is a constellation of four small satellites that aim to learn how the Sun's corona becomes the solar wind. And Lara Waldrop, principle investigator of the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, discusses the Earth's exosphere which plays an important role in Earth’s response to space weather caused by the Sun.
We also talk lunar earthquakes, or moonquakes, and plans to put seismometers on the moon to measure them with Philippe Lognonné, professor at Université Paris Cité and planetary seismologist at Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, and Ceri Nunn, lunar seismologist from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
MON 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mkx2d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1k92s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v788bs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stx)
Why do I find silence unbearable?
Is silence blood-curdling or blissful? CrowdScience listener Ziqi finds it intolerable and thinks that there’s a good reason for it – silence is so rare in nature that it could be a signal for danger.
Presenter Marnie Chesterton is on a mission to test Ziqi’s theory, starting with her own tolerance for silence.
She meets acoustic engineer Trevor Cox in the UK to find out whether silence is something we can measure. To do that she steps into an anechoic chamber, a place that’s designed to absorb all sound. In this most silent of silent places, what does silence actually sound like?
Marnie also talks to researcher Eric Pfeifer in Germany, who is exploring the impact of spending time in silence and has evidence to suggest that it could be a positive experience.
And neuroscientist Marta Moita in Portugal tells Marnie about how rats use silence to detect a threat in their environment. Her discoveries may hold the answer to Ziqi’s question.
Presenter Marnie Chesterton
Producer Jo Glanville
Editor Ben Motley
(Photo:Young woman covering ears ignoring loud noise, plugging ears with fingers annoyed by noisy neighbours - stock photo- Credit: Mariia Vitkovska via Getty Images)
MON 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3ml0tj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xys)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v78d2x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct70v5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:32 on Sunday]
MON 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3ml4kn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1kjl1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v78hv1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct709x)
The female game-makers
How do video and board games get from idea to reality? Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women who invent, tweak and perfect the games that so many of us love to play.
Sigurlína Ingvarsdóttir from Iceland has produced some of the world’s biggest video game titles, including FIFA and Star Wars: Battlefront. She now invests in start-up gaming companies as a venture capitalist.
Natalie Podd invented the board game Confident while canoeing up the Amazon, and quit her corporate job in the UK as an actuary in order to work on it and other ideas. She and her husband sell their board games around the world.
Produced by Hannah Sander
(Image: (L) Natalie Podd. (R) Sigurlína Ingvarsdóttir.)
MON 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3ml89s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1jnbc)
European nations discuss retaliatory measures against US
The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, said the EU stood ready to defend itself against any form of coercion. Ministers from Denmark and Greenland will meet the head of NATO in Brussels on Monday.
Senegal win Africa Cup of Nations after chaotic final against Morocco.
And in Syria, Kurdish leaders say that they've agreed to a peace deal following two weeks of fighting with the central government's forces. The Kurdish group, the SDF have agreed to withdraw from two Arab majority provinces.
(Photo: People attend a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the U.S; Credit: Marco Durica/ Reuters)
MON 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mld1x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1js2h)
Guterres: US is ripping up the international rule book
The world seems more unstable than ever, with the diplomatic mechanisms for tackling the world's problems seemingly weakening. We'll hear from the United Nation Secretary General Antonio Guterres about the the challenges and potential reforms to the UN Security Council.
Senegal are celebrating after securing victory over Morocco in the final of the African Cup of Nations. The dramatic game had everything - a stunning winning goal and a large dose of controversy.
A tragic train crash in Spain - 21 people have died when two trains collided in southern Spain. The rescue operation has continued through the night.
(Photo: Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres speaks during the General Debate of the 80th session; Credit: Sarah Yenesel/EPA/Shutterstock)
MON 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mlht1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1jwtm)
Guterres criticises US for failing to observe international law
In an interview with the BBC, Antonio Guterres called for reforms to the Security Council that would limit the veto powers of permanent members such as the US and Russia, and better reflect the world that exists today.
European countries discuss possible retaliatory measures as their dispute with President Trump over Greenland continues. Ministers from Denmark and Greenland will meet the head of NATO in Brussels on Monday. We go live to Germany to get reactions from there.
Senegal wins African Cup of Nations after chaotic final against Morocco which saw the west Africans walk off the pitch and Morocco miss a penalty in injury time.
We will also hear from Moroccan Minister of Trade after his country hosted Africa's premier football tournament.
(Photo: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres smiles while speaking with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer; Credit: Henry Nicholls/Reuters)
MON 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mlmk5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0v)
Karol Nawrocki, Polish President: Europe has lost its way
Nick Robinson speaks to Polish President Karol Nawrocki about Trump, Russia and the future of Europe.
A historian and a boxer by background, he was elected in June 2025 with the support of Poland’s conservative opposition Law and Justice Party.
A social conservative and devout Catholic, he is also an outspoken critic of the European Union and staunch supporter of Donald Trump, believing that the US President is the only person who can stop the threat to Europe from Vladimir Putin’s Russia: "Europe for a number of years was involved in not so important things, in ideological issues such as Green Deal for instance, climate policy, migration issues. It was not building its resilience and its security."
The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, American singer-songwriter Patti Smith and Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally in France. 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: Nick Robinson
Producers: Oscar Pearson 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: Polish President Karol Nawrocki. Credit: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP)
MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v78ztk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6ryv)
Life after DOGE
Twelve months into Donald Trump’s second term as President, we examine what it’s meant for the US workforce.
For government workers it has been a year of cuts, sackings and Elon Musk’s now disbanded DOGE - Department of Government Efficiency - group. Some sections of the workforce have felt their rights under attack. Meanwhile, many Republicans feel DOGE has been a success.
Has the past year also provided opportunities for those switching to the private sector?
If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Craig Henderson
(Picture: President Donald Trump listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on the 26th of February 2025 in Washington, DC. He was holding the first Cabinet meeting of his second term, joined by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, then head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Credit: Getty Images)
MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct747b)
Exiled Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran
In February 1979, after the Shah left Iran, religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini flew back to Tehran from Paris.
He had been in exile and was greeted by millions of people lining the streets.
In 2011, Mohsen Sazegara who worked for the Ayatollah, spoke to Louise Hidalgo.
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: Ayatollah Khomeini on the flight back from exile. Credit: Gabriel Duval/AFP via Getty Images)
MON 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mlr99)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1l49p)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v793kp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6stx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
MON 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mlw1f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct71x0)
The birth of the modern fitted kitchen and the creation of Cluedo
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.
Our guest is food historian Dr Annie Gray.
She discusses the impact of the first modern, fitted kitchen - the Frankfurt Kitchen - on the kitchens of today. It all goes back to 1926 and the reluctant Austrian architect Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky who said she wanted to be remembered for more than designing a "damned" kitchen. Sorry Margarete.
Next is the invention of the board game Cluedo, or Clue in the United States, which stemmed from playing the piano at murder mystery parties in English country houses and hotels in the 1930s.
Then, we enter the murky world of computer viruses. The first one to affect personal computers in 1986 became known as 'Brain'.
We hear from a survivor of the deadly mudslides which affected Venezuela in December 1999.
A Lotus mechanic gives his account of Brazilian racing star Ayrton Senna's first Formula 1 win in 1985.
And finally, a glimpse into a period of freedom in Afghanistan from 2005 when a TV musical talent contest called Afghan Star gripped audiences.
Contributors:
Christine Zwingl - architect.
Marcia Lewis - daughter of the creators of Cluedo.
Amjad Farooq Alvi - founder of Brain Computers.
Leydys Crespo - survivor of Venezuelan mudslides in 1999.
Chris Dinnage - Ayrton Senna's mechanic.
Jahid Mohseni - the development producer for Afghan Star.
(Picture: A 1950s fitted kitchen. Credit: Getty Images)
MON 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mlzsk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1lcsy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v79c1y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct717n)
How Charlie Kirk inspired a new Korean right-wing youth movement
A right-wing movement in South Korea is attracting disenchanted young people who are concerned about mass immigration, lawfare and cancel culture. They sport red baseball caps, idolise Charlie Kirk and chant that “Korea is for Koreans”.
The movement has rallied around the impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was sentenced last week to five years in jail for abuse of power, obstructing justice and falsifying documents in relation to his failed martial law bid in 2024. Yoon could also face the death penalty over insurrection charges, which he denies.
The BBC’s Seoul correspondent, Jake Kwon, explains how South Korea found itself at the heart of a globalised culture war.
Producers: Valerio Esposito and Cat Farnsworth
Mix: Travis Evans
Executive Producer: James Shield
Senior news editor: China Collins
(Photo: Jintak Han/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
MON 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mm3jp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqw)
The fan who brought his football club back to life
In the early 1970s, a young boy from a council estate in South London went to his first football match. Ivor Heller stood wide-eyed on the terraces of Plough Lane, mesmerised by the atmosphere. From that moment on, football was more than just a game, it was the centre of his world.
As his beloved Wimbledon FC shot to national prominence, Ivor was climbing his own ladder, building a thriving business while following every twist and turn of the team’s fortunes. He recalls the thrill of the against-the-odds FA Cup win against Liverpool in 1988, the surreal scenes on the streets of Wimbledon, the pubs overflowing, and fans celebrating until the early dawn.
But in 2002, Wimbledon's world collapsed. The Football Association approved the moneymen’s pitch to relocate the club 70 miles away in Milton Keynes. For fans, it was more than a loss of a team, it was a betrayal. For Ivor, it was a call to action. From his print company office, he gathered friends and began to design the blueprint for a new club. Within ten working days, AFC Wimbledon was born: a fan-owned, volunteer-driven club starting in the ninth tier of English football.
Over the following years, AFC Wimbledon rose through the leagues while keeping one goal in mind: returning to Plough Lane, the spiritual home of Wimbledon football. In 2020, after raising over five million pounds from fans and supporters, they purchased the ground and rebuilt a new stadium. For Ivor, the club is not a new entity - it is the continuation of a legacy, rooted in the same streets and stands that captivated him as a small boy decades ago.
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producers: Marcia Veiga and Edgar Maddicott
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Ivor Heller draped with fist raised raised, draped in yellow and blue beneath and AFC Wimbledon banner. Credit: Shutterstock)
MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct747b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
MON 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mm78t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1lm96)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v79lk6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct709x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
MON 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mmc0y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 14:06 Newshour (w172zssjx14rhlk)
European countries harden response to Trump's Greenland threats
European countries harden their response to President Trump's repeated threats to take over Greenland. We hear from a Swedish Member of the European Parliament pressing for the EU to take the strongest possible action against potential US tariffs.
Also in the programme: the head of the United Nations talks to the BBC about what he sees as a new world order, with the US putting itself above the law. and there are no obvious explanations for what caused a horrific high-speed train crash in the south of Spain.
(Photo: The European Central Bank (ECB) building is seen in the background as a cargo ship is docked in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 19 January 2026. Credit: Ronald Wittek/Shutterstock)
MON 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mmgs2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v79v1g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6ryv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct886n)
New flare up in Europe-US trade relations over Greenland
Leaders of European countries have reacted angrily to the threat of additional tariffs by the US. Donald Trump says he'll first put 10% then 25% extra import tax on nine countries including Germany, France and the UK as he increases the pressure on his claim for Greenland to be sold by Denmark to the United States.
China reports 5% GDP growth, but weak demand and falling birth rates signal deeper challenges for the world’s second-largest economy.
And winners crowned on and off the pitch at football's African Cup of Nations.
Presenter: Bisi Adebayo
Editor: Justin Bones
MON 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mmlj6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 16:06 BBC OS (w1730687440pgn5)
Row over Greenland escalates
As the row over Greenland escalates, President Trump has told Norway's prime minister that because he missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize, he no longer feels obliged "to think purely of peace." The US president says he will impose tariffs on countries that oppose his plan to take over Greenland. We hear messages from Europeans and speak to journalists in Italy, France and Germany.
Spain's PM Pedro Sánchez has vowed an investigation will uncover the cause of a high-speed train crash that killed at least 39 people as the country declares three days of mourning. We speak to our correspondent in Spain.
Iran's police chief has called on protesters who were in his words ''deceived by foreign agencies'' to turn themselves in. We speak to our colleague with BBC Persian.
Senegal beat Morocco to win the Africa Cup of Nations for a second time - but only after the final was overshadowed when they temporarily refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless. We hear reaction from fans and speak to our sports reporters.
Presenter: Rahul Tandon.
(Photo: US President Donald J. Trump responds to questions from the news media as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 16 January 2026. Credit: SHAWN THEW/EPA)
MON 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mmq8b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 17:06 BBC OS (w1730687440pld9)
Trump links Greenland threat to Nobel Peace Prize
Donald Trump says he will "100%" follow through on his threats to impose further tariffs if a deal over Greenland is not reached. President Trump has linked his push to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize -- telling Norway's prime minister he no longer feels obliged to think "purely of peace". We get reaction from Europeans and speak to journalists in Germany, Italy and France. Our business correspondent and our Washington correspondent also join to discuss the developments.
An international trial is examining whether a finger-prick blood test could be used to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. Our medical editor explains.
Zootropolis 2 has become Hollywood's highest-grossing animated film of all time, after taking $1.7bn at the box office globally. We speak to our reporter.
Presenter: Rahul Tandon.
(Photo: A man walks a dog at Nuuk's old harbour, Greenland, January 18, 2026. Credit: Marko Djurica/Reuters)
MON 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mmv0g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct747b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
MON 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mmyrl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1mbrz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7bb0z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z66)
2026/01/19 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 (w172zwx2q3mn2hq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct6tsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:06 on Sunday]
MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7bfs3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct6sx6)
Frontiers of Earth Science
The very latest developments in the world of Earth science with Roland Pease, recorded at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in New Orleans, where thousands of Earth, atmospheric, glacial, ocean and hydrologic scientists come together to promote discovery in Earth science for the benefit of humanity.
Twenty years on, we discuss the enduring lessons from the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005, hearing from Lieutenant General Russel Honoré who led the military relief effort, and Roland speaks to Jill Trepanier, hurricane climatologist from Louisiana State University.
We also hear about the mouth of the Mississippi River, known as the Bird's Foot Delta, south of New Orleans. Carol Wilson, assistant professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Louisiana State University, tells us how important these wetlands are as storm protections, yet they’re under threat from sea level rise and lack of sediment.
Roland takes a look at fifty-thousand-year-old Antarctic ice whilst speaking to Ed Brook, Professor at Oregon State University and director of COLDEX (Center for Oldest Ice Exploration), whose team is searching for ice which is potentially ten million years old. And he speaks to Allison Chartrand, assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, who has been working to reveal the hidden landscapes of Greenland under the ice.
And Bob Hazen, scientist at the Carnegie Science Earth & Planets Laboratory, takes us back to the origins of life on Earth. He is investigating rocks which could be over four billion years old and may contain molecular fragments of ancient life.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
MON 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mn67v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 21:06 Newshour (w172zssjx14sbtg)
European allies rebuff Donald Trump's latest threats over Greenland
European allies rebuff Trump over Greenland -- we'll hear the case FOR a US takeover.
Dozens dead in Spain as in a high-speed train crash. We speak to a survivor
Was it thrilling or was it shameful? The sensational conclusion to Africa's top football tournament.
and the Italian fashion legend - Valentino - has died.
(Picture: U.S. President, Donald Trump and Norway's Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Stoere. Credit: REUTERS)
MON 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mn9zz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1mq0c)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7bp8c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76v0)
Donald Trump steps up pressure over Greenland
The US President remains committed to taking control of the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, leading to strong push back from European leaders. We get reaction from the Duncan Edwards, CEO of the BritishAmerican Business trade body and Matthew Bartlett, Republican strategist and who worked in the State Department during the first Trump administration. Plus, we hear from American farmers in Texas, Minnesota and New York about how a year of tariffs has affected their businesses and livelihoods.
(Photo: A 3D-printed miniature model of U.S. President Donald Trump, and the EU and Greenland flags appear in this illustration taken January 17, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
MON 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mnfr3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
MON 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x0v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7bt0h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
MON 23:32 The Conversation (w3ct709x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
TUESDAY 20 JANUARY 2026
TUE 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mnkh7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct71x0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mnp7c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1n27r)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7c1hr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct717n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mnszh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1n5zw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7c57w)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcs)
Greece: Rescuers on trial
In a case with profound implications for European migration policy, 24 former volunteer aid workers have been on trial on the Greek island of Lesbos. Seven years ago, they were arrested after rescuing thousands of migrants from the sea. Now, after many delays, the case involving charges of facilitating illegal entry of foreigners, membership of a criminal organisation and money laundering has gone ahead. Among the defendants facing a possible 20 years in jail have been the Syrian refugee and former competitive swimmer Sara Mardini - and Irish human rights activist and lawyer Sean Binder. They've denied the charges - and said the prosecution was an attempt by the Greek authorities to criminalise help to asylum seekers.
Tim Whewell reports on the trial, its outcome - and the consequences for Lesbos. In in 2015, when about 600,000 migrants arrived on the island after crossing the narrow strait from Turkey. In 2015, local people were proud of their efforts to rescue and support refugees. But later, attitudes changed. And NGOs stopped their rescue work - for fear more aid workers might be prosecuted. Now, far fewer migrants attempt the crossing to Greece. But those who do sometimes die in shipwrecks. And there are allegations, denied by Greece, that its police are illegally pushing asylum seekers back - putting them back on boats and abandoning them at sea.
What will the verdicts in this trial mean for Greece, for other European states that have been tightening their immigration policies - and for the defendants whose lives have been on hold for the last seven years?
Producer/presenter: Tim Whewell.
Translation/field production: Hibai Arbide Aza, Sophia Koufopoulou, Anthi Pazianou
Actors: Jason Barnett & Sam Swann
Editor: Penny Murphy
(Image courtesy of Sean Binder)
TUE 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mnxqm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wqw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Monday]
TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct747b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mp1gr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1nfh4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7cdr4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvm)
Black Girlhood in photos and writing
Black girls performing in a parade on the streets of Chicago and playing in the surf at Martha's Vineyard offer a glimpse of what it's like, growing up in the United States today. Sisters Salamishah and Scheherazade Tillet are using photographs and words to capture the lives of girls from two very different communities.
TUE 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mp56w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1mk7g)
Bobi Wine says he will continue to stand up to President Museveni
Speaking to the BBC from hiding, the Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine said he would continue to stand up to President Museveni despite concerns for his safety following last week's elections. He restated his claims that the Ugandan security forces wanted to seize and harm him.
In Syria, there are reports of renewed fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the north east of the country, despite efforts to establish a ceasefire. Both sides blame the other for the release of fifteen hundred Islamic State militants from a prison.
With President Trump threatening trade tariffs again, many Americans are worried about the impact they would have on the cost of living. What will the tariffs mean?
(Photo: Uganda's opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine (L), and his wife Barbra; Credit: Daniel Irungu/EPA/Shutterstock)
TUE 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mp8z0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1mnzl)
Trump says he will '100%' carry out Greenland tariffs threat
European leaders are expected to use their addresses to the World Economic Forum in Davos to argue that Greenland should remain free of US control. Europe is keen to maintain a united front, threatening retaliation if Mr Trump imposes sanctions.
We'll also look at Donald Trump's plans for the next stage of Gaza peace process and the whether his "Board of Peace" will represent the Palestinians living in Gaza.
And forty people have died when one train left its tracks and collided with another travelling in the opposite direction in Spain. We go live there as Spain mourns the victims.
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media ahead of boarding Air Force One to depart for Washington; Credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
TUE 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mpdq4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1msqq)
EU vows to protect its interests over Greenland
Europe has been keen to maintain a united front, threatening retaliation if Mr Trump imposes sanctions. We will bring you a Russian perspective this morning
More than twenty people are dead and more than seventy are missing in a massive Pakistan mall fire. we speak to someone whose relatives were in the mall.
And we hear from the West Bank where a football pitch for Palestinian children is under threat of demolition by the Israeli military.
(Photo: Flags and the logo of the World Economic Forum (WEF) are pictured prior to the 56th annual meeting of the WEF in Davos; Credit: Gian Ehrenzeller/
EPA/Shutterstock)
TUE 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mpjg8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyt)
Wild horses in the American West
Wild horses have been roaming public lands in the American West for over a century but their population numbers are far greater than what is considered an appropriate management level. This is causing ecological damage and strains on natural resources, in addition to concerns about the horses' health.
This has become a deeply contentious and emotive issue. We drive hundreds of miles across the mountains and plains of Nevada and California, to witness first hand how different stakeholders are putting their differences aside and coming together to find innovative solutions.
(Photo: Wild bronze stallion, Black Rock Desert, California, USA. Credit: Bernard Friel/Universal Images Group/
Getty Images)
TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7cwqn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7w)
America's affordability question
In the second of two programmes, we look at Donald Trump's record on the economy one year into his second presidential term. Today, we are asking is the United States still facing a cost of living crunch?
Its economy - the largest in the world - is still growing faster than most others and the stock markets are hitting record highs, yet many Americans say they are still struggling to make ends meet. What's going on? We get the view from our North America business correspondent, Samira Hussain; a data scientist; an economist; and consumers from across the country.
If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Rahul Tandon
Producer: Craig Henderson
Additional production (audio diaries): Niamh McDermott
(Picture: A woman walks down the aisle at the grocery store with her shopping cart looking at shelved goods. Credit: Getty Images)
TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74nx)
The Irish priest who built an airport
In May 1986, a new airport opened in Knock in the west of Ireland. It was the dream of an Irish priest, Monsignor James Horan, who raised millions to have it built.
The location for the airport seemed impossible – set in the boggy, foggy hills of rural County Mayo.
However, Knock attracts more than a million pilgrims every year, who come to visit the supposed site of an apparition by the Virgin Mary and other saints.
So, Horan convinced politicians that this remote western landscape could host a gateway to the world, and service the pilgrims who come to visit the shrine of Knock.
Pearce Concannon was working at the local Knock Shrine when the airport opened and remembers when Horan asked him to quit his job and become a firefighter at his new airport. He speaks to Colm Flynn.
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: Monsignor James Horan in front of the first plane to arrive at the airport. Credit: Ireland West Airport)
TUE 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mpn6d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1p16s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7d0gs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct6rcs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
TUE 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mpryj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:06 on Saturday]
TUE 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mpwpn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1p8q1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7d7z1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d5)
Greenland: Could the US regret alienating its Nato allies?
President Trump says he will, "100%" follow through on his threats to impose tariffs if a deal over Greenland is not reached, and responded "no comment" on Monday when asked whether he would use force to seize the island.
Even if Trump’s attempt to control Greenland goes no further, has trust between the United States and its Nato allies been damaged beyond repair? We speak to the BBC’s world news correspondent, Joe Inwood.
Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Lucy Pawle
Mix: Travis Evans
Executive producer: James Shield
Senior news editor: China Collins
Credits: Love Actually (2003) / Dir: Richard Curtis / Universal Pictures
Photo: A town in Greenland. BBC.
TUE 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mq0fs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5k)
I'm a champion boxer, but couldn't tell my mum
Ramla Ali was a baby when her older brother was killed by a stray grenade in the garden of her family home in Mogadishu, Somalia, during the civil war. To keep the rest of their family safe, her parents fled the country via a perilous boat crossing to Kenya, where Ramla almost died. They eventually got to London and Ramla grew up being bullied and becoming overweight. To help build her confidence, her mum signed her up for a gym, which is where Ramla discovered a boxercise class by chance. Soon she was boxing at every available opportunity. Ramla knew her parents wouldn’t approve, so she kept it secret, even when she won national titles and was one of the best boxers in the UK. She would go on to reinstate boxing in Somalia, where the sport had been banned since 1976, become famous after bringing an international gold medal to the country and be the first Somali boxer to compete at the Olympic Games. Ramla recently returned from her first trip back to Somalia since she left where she was met by thousands of fans at the airport and even met the President.
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Emily Naylor
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Ramla Ali looking proud with a visibly bruised face and smiling at the camera. She's holding a gold belt that says 'Intercontinental Champion' from the International Boxing Federation. Credit: Courtesy of Ramla Ali)
TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
TUE 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mq45x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1pj69)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7dhg9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
TUE 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mq7y1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 14:06 Newshour (w172zssjx14vdhn)
Europe grapples with transatlantic crisis at Davos
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Europe's most senior politicians grapple with a transatlantic crisis and a US president speaking to them in a way they have never known before. Can the UK's 'gentle' approach still work?
Also on the programme: The Ugandan singer-turned-opposition leader Bobi Wine gives his first post-election interview to the BBC in hiding; and an Austrian cow that uses a tool, held in its mouth, to scratch its back.
(Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Layen speaks during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos. Credit: Reuters)
TUE 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mqcp5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7dqyk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct888q)
US Dollar falls as Trump doubles down on Greenland
The US dollar and Wall Street stocks fell sharply as President Trump says he will hold a meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos about who will control the future of Greenland.
Also, it's the first anniversary of Donald Trump’s second term in office. We examine his decisions and policies and their impact on the global economy.
TUE 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mqhf9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 16:06 BBC OS (w1730687440sck8)
Trump says 'no going back' on Greenland plan
US President Donald Trump says he will tell European leaders "we have to have" Greenland at this week's forum in Davos, Switzerland. Trump adds there is "no going back" on his plan as he says "Greenland is imperative for national and world security". We'll bring you all the latest updates and hear a conversation with people in Greenland.
And we hear from Senegal, where the winners of the Africa Cup of Nations will hold a celebratory parade through Dakar later today before a reception at the presidential palace.
OS presenter: Rahul Tandon.
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media, alongside Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, ahead of boarding Air Force One to depart for Washington, at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 19, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
TUE 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mqm5f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 17:06 BBC OS (w1730687440sh9d)
Macron calls Trump tariff threat 'unacceptable'
French President Emmanuel Macron says the "endless accumulation of new tariffs" from the US is "fundamentally unacceptable", as US President Donald Trump says there is "no going back" on his plan, claiming "Greenland is imperative for national and world security". We get the latest and speak to young people in Greenland.
Rescuers have been clearing the charred ruins of a shopping mall in Pakistan's biggest city Karachi following a massive fire in which more than 70 people are still missing. Our Global Affairs Reporter explained.
And Brooklyn Peltz Beckham has said he does not want to "reconcile" with his family - in his first public comments addressing reports about his relationship with his parents. We have a conversation about how this could impact the family.
OS presenter: Rahul Tandon.
(Photo: Screen grab taken from the World Economic Forum live feed of French President Emmanuel Macron speaking at the annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Credit: World Economic Forum/PA Wire)
TUE 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mqqxk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
TUE 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mqvnp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1q7p2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7f6y2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zbq)
2026/01/20 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 (w172zwx2q3mqzdt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct6rcs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7fbp6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zq0)
What's new in health tech?
We all want to stay fit and healthy. But how can technology help ? Shiona McCallum discusses new health tech on display at the world's biggest consumer electronics trade show. And if you own cryptocurrency - beware. Thieves could be targeting you. The BBC's Cyber Correspondent, Joe Tidy, joins us to explain more.
Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Image: A photo of Shiona McCallum wearing an LED face mask. The room is dark and the transparent face mask covers Shiona's face. The light emitting from the mask gives Shiona's face a red glow. Credit: BBC.)
TUE 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mr34y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 21:06 Newshour (w172zssjx14w7qk)
Greenland tensions continue at Davos
The World Economic Forum in Switzerland has been dominated by President Trump's ambition to take control of Greenland and his threat to impose tariffs on European countries that resist. President Macron of France accused the US of trying to weaken and subordinate Europe.
Also in the programme: A new ceasefire announced in Syria; and we hear from the Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine.
(Picture: France's President Emmanuel Macron at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)
TUE 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mr6x2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1qlxg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7fl5g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76c9)
Davos dominated by President Trump's ambition of Greenland
The World Economic Forum at the Swiss resort of Davos has been dominated by President Trump's ambition to take control of Greenland, and his threat to impose tariffs on European countries that resist.
EU leaders could be hitting back with tariffs of their own. So, what are the market reactions in the US and in Europe?
Also, it was tariffs on allies, tariffs on rivals, tariffs that sent shockwaves through the global economy. One industry that felt the impact is cars. We will hear businesses in South Africa, the US, and Canada.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump holds a press briefing with reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 20 January 2025. Credit: Photo by JIM LO SCALZO/EPA/Shutterstock)
TUE 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mrbn6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
TUE 23:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct6xyt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7fpxl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
TUE 23:32 In the Studio (w3ct6vvm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
WEDNESDAY 21 JANUARY 2026
WED 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mrgdb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct6zvh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:06 on Saturday]
WED 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mrl4g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1qz4v)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7fydv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71d5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mrpwl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1r2wz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7g24z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7033)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:06 on Sunday]
WED 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mrtmq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6x5k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Tuesday]
WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mrycv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1rbd7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7g9n7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 04:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc5)
Kennedy and Khrushchev
8. The logic of war
Troops in Cuba fear an attack is imminent, as alarm grows around the world. Fidel Castro urges Khrushchev to strike first. The Soviet premier warns President Kennedy, in a long and emotional letter, that “the knot of war” has been tied - soon "even he who tied it will not have the strength to untie it”. This is the personal and political story of the Cuban Missile Crisis, told by Nina Khrushcheva and Max Kennedy.
WED 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3ms23z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1qg4k)
Trump ratchets up tension with Europe
President Donald Trump has doubled down on his demands to own Greenland. He dismissed suggestions he's willing to break apart the NATO, the western military alliance, over his desire to acquire the Artic territory, that is part of Denmark. Asked how far he was willing to go to acquire Greenland he replied: "You'll find out".
A Japanese court has sentenced the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to life in prison. The sentencing came three and a half years after the assassination of Japan’s longest-serving premier which shocked the nation.
And we go to Ukraine where temperatures are well below zero and a million households in Kyiv are surviving without power.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.
(Photo: US President Trump departs White House for Davos, Switzerland, Washington D C. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/EPA).
WED 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3ms5w3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1qkwp)
Trump doubles down over Greenland
President Donald Trump has doubled down on his demands to own Greenland. He dismissed suggestions he's willing to break apart the NATO, the western military alliance, over his desire to acquire the Artic territory, that is part of Denmark. Asked how far he was willing to go to acquire Greenland he replied: "You'll find out". We get a view from Estonia on how Europe should respond.
A Japanese court has sentenced the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to life in prison. The sentencing came three and a half years after the assassination of Japan’s longest-serving premier which shocked the nation.
And we speak to the Jamaican Tourism Minister about Hurricane Melissa and how the island is coming back after the devastating weather event.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy.
The audio for this programme has been removed due to technical issues during the broadcast.
(Photo: US President Trump departs White House for Davos, Switzerland, Washington D C. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/EPA).
WED 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3ms9m7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1qpmt)
Trump heading to Davos amindst row over Greenland
Donald Trump is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, with his visit expected to be dominated by his ongoing push to acquire Greenland. Ahead of the visit he dismissed suggestions he's willing to break apart the NATO, the western military alliance, over his desire to acquire the Artic territory. Asked how far he was willing to go to acquire Greenland he replied: "You'll find out". We get reaction from a Danish parliamentarian.
We go to Ukraine where one million households are without electricity, and many thousands without heat after Russia knocked out power, water and heating to much of the Ukrainian capital on Monday night.
And following the devastation of many towns by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, we speak to the Jamaican tourism minister about reconstruction and climate justice.
Presenters: Anne Soy and James Copnall.
(Photo: US President Trump departs White House for Davos, Switzerland, Washington D C. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/EPA).
WED 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3msfcc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7m)
Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General: The threat to international law from power
“There are those that believe the power of law should be replaced by the law of power”
Anna Foster speaks to Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, about the threat to international law from states acting through power and influence instead, in particular America. Defending the rule of law is necessary, he says, if we are to have a better world.
He also sets out the case for reform of the UN Security Council to allow it to remain effective and relevant in the face of increasingly complex global conflicts.
Antonio Guterres has been at the head of the United Nations since 2017, and is now entering his final year in office.
Thank you to the Today team for its help in making this programme.
The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and Mustafa Suleyman, boss of Microsoft AI. 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: Anna Foster
Producer: 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: Antonio Guterres. Credit: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)
WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7gsmr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sdd)
Slovakia: Small country, auto giant
When Slovakia was part of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the cars it made were noisy, thirsty and slow by western standards at the time. But when Volkswagen bought the car-maker Skoda, that was the beginning of a major change.
Now, Slovakia makes almost a million cars a year and with Volvo opening a factory here in 2027, it’ll be a quarter of a million more. Extraordinary for a country of five million people.
We visit a factory and find out why this small nation is attracting so much car industry investment.
If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presented and produced by John Laurenson
(Picture: Workers on a production line in a car factory, Slovakia. Credit: BBC/John Laurenson)
WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74r5)
Operation Mincemeat
In the early hours of 30 April, 1943, one of the most audacious hoaxes of World War Two has just got underway. Its code-name - Operation Mincemeat.
The body of a British naval officer, Major William Martin, has been washed up on a Spanish beach. The dead man is carrying top-secret papers revealing details of a planned Allied invasion, and it’s not long before they fall into enemy hands.
But the plans are false and Major Martin doesn’t exist.
In a daring mission, British naval intelligence has requisitioned a corpse and dressed him in uniform to plant fake information. It works.
But for decades, no-one knew the real name of the man who’d played the biggest part: Major William Martin.
Enter Roger Morgan, an amateur historian. He tells Jane Wilkinson how Operation Mincemeat unfolded and how he uncovered the major’s true identity.
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: William Martin's ID card. Credit: National Archives, Kew)
WED 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3msk3h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1ry3w)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7gxcw)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct7033)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:06 on Sunday]
WED 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3msnvm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 10:06 World Questions (w3ct7508)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Saturday]
WED 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3msslr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1s5m4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7h4w4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gf)
Have the protests in Iran failed?
After weeks of mass demonstrations, Iran is reeling from one of the deadliest government crackdowns in its history. In a rare speech on Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei admitted that thousands of protesters have been killed, "some in an inhuman, savage manner", but he also blamed the US for their deaths.
President Trump urged Iranian demonstrators to “keep protesting”, promising that “help is on its way”. Yet the window for US military intervention appears to have narrowed while the Iranian government has largely quelled the unrest. Amid a near-total internet shutdown however, the situation on the ground remains unclear.
In today’s episode, we speak with journalists in the BBC’s Persian Service in London, to unpack how anger over the economy escalated into a nationwide uprising that seemed to genuinely challenge the government’s grip on power. They walk us through the difficulties of covering these protests from outside the country, explain why the movement failed to topple the Iranian leadership, and explain what this means for the stability of the Iranian government going forward.
Featuring Parham Ghobadi, Sarah Namjoo, Ghoncheh Habibiazad and Maryam Zohdi.
Producers: Viv Jones, Aron Keller and Lucy Pawle
Executive producers: James Shield and Bridget Harney
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: A handout photo made available by the Iranian supreme leader's office shows Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaking during a ceremony in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Leader's office handout/EPA/Shutterstock.
WED 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3msxbw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdg)
I escaped a sect to become a chart-topping pianist
Raised in a secluded spiritual community in rural France, as a child Jean-Philippe Rio-Py was desperately lonely. His only solace was an abandoned piano in the château where they lived, which he played obsessively as a means of escape from his strict and oppressive everyday reality. At 18 years old, he fled the community, drifting lost and depressed from place to place, before a chance encounter with a stranger led him to win a university scholarship to study music in England. He soon found himself performing at glitzy events in London, where he was spotted by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who offered to buy the self-taught pianist and composer a grand piano. Jean-Philippe used it to write his first album, and today his minimalist compositions, released under his artist name Riopy, have topped global classical charts and been streamed more than a billion times worldwide.
Latvian piano builder, David Klavins, makes giant pianos. They are often so tall that anyone who wishes to play them has to climb a staircase in order to reach the keys. He told Outlook about his innovative creations in June 2019.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Zoe Gelber
(Photo: Riopy playing his grand piano at home. Credit: Greg Williams)
WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74r5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
WED 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mt130)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1sf3d)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7hdcd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 13:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
WED 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mt4v4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 14:06 Newshour (w172zssjx14y9dr)
Trump says he won't take Greenland by force
President Trump tells the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he is seeking immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland, but won't use force to take it. We hear live reaction to his speech.
Also in the programme: a BBC investigation into the killing of protesters in Iran; and the challenges for athletes of travelling with large sports equipment.
(IMAGE: US President Donald Trump speaks during his special address at the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2026 / CREDIT: photo by GIAN EHRENZELLER/EPA/Shutterstock (16380717ba))
WED 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mt8l8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7hmvn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6sdd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88bs)
Snap cuts deal to settle social media addiction lawsuit
Snapchat’s parent company Snap may have settled but other defendants in the case including Meta, ByteDance's TikTok and Alphabet's YouTube have not.
Plus, we’ll bring you more on the spat between Elon Musk and Micheal O’Leary, the boss of Ryanair, Europe’s biggest airline.
Also, what was in President Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos?
WED 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mtdbd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 16:06 BBC OS (w1730687440w8gc)
Trump wants 'immediate negotiations' to acquire Greenland
President Trump has told the World Economic Forum the United States won't use force to take Greenland, but he's demanded immediate negotitations for the US to acquire the island. We speak to our correspondents and regional analysts.
We also speak to local hotel owners and tour guides in Greenland about how the spotlight is affecting tourism on the island.
And we hear about new research suggesting that mixing different types of exercise could be the key to a longer life.
Presenter: James Reynolds.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks during his special address at the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2026. Credit: Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA)
WED 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mtj2j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 17:06 BBC OS (w1730687440wd6h)
Trump says he won't use force to take over Greenland
President Trump says he wants immediate negotiations on ownership of Greenland, but that he won't use force to take it. Addressing global leaders at Davos, Mr Trump said only America could protect the Arctic territory and that Denmark was "ungrateful" for refusing to relinquish it. We have the key takeaways from Mr Trump's speech and speak to our reporter in Davos, and we hear what the reaction has been in Denmark.
Our security correspondent and our Washington correspondent assess how President Trump’s focus on Greenland will go down with NATO allies.
We also speak to local hotel owners and tour guides in Greenland about how the spotlight is affecting tourism on the island.
Hundreds of photos revealing the faces of those killed during Iran's violent crackdown on anti-government protests have been leaked to BBC Verify. We speak to our colleagues from BBC Verify.
Presenter: James Reynolds.
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2026. Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
WED 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mtmtn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74r5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
WED 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mtrks)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1t4l5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7j3v5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6zdz)
2026/01/21 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 (w172zwx2q3mtw9x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct7033)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:06 on Sunday]
WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7j7l9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct6vkl)
Could the shingles vaccine really slow down the ageing process?
Joined by BBC Brazil reporter Camilla Mota, presenter Claudia Hammond discusses new research from the U.S. that has found that people who have had a vaccine against shingles seem to be aging more slowly.
We hear from James Tibenderana, Chief Executive of Malaria Consortium about research from Brazil that shows that as deforestation expands, mosquitoes are increasingly using humans as a blood source instead of wildlife. What does this mean for the spread of mosquito-borne diseases?
Plus, why does Brazil have a particularly high number of supercentenarians? And could swearing make you stronger?
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producers: Jonathan Blackwell and Anna Charalambou
WED 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mv021)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 21:06 Newshour (w172zssjx14z4mn)
Trump drops threat of tariffs over Greenland after Nato talks in Davos
President Trump says he will not initiate tariffs on those countries opposed to his acquiring Greenland. He was speaking after talks with Nato leaders meeting at Davos. Also in the programme: The Nigerian government plans to restart drilling for oil in the Niger Delta, 30 years after nine people were executed for criticising the damage caused by Shell’s oil operations there; and researchers reveal news of the oldest cave art ever discovered.
(IMAGE: US President Donald Trump attends a reception with business leaders during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2026 / CREDIT: photo by REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
WED 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mv3t5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1thtk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7jh2k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76jz)
Trump backs down from tariff threats over Greenland dispute
President Trump makes a u-turn on tariffs after reaching a framework for a future deal over Greenland. Leanna Byrne asks - what do we know about this deal?
We also follow the US Supreme Court hearing involving Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, who denies allegations of misrepresenting her home ownership status.
And the EU-Mercosur trade deal faces a legal challenge.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaking at the annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2026. Credit: Photo by World Economic Forum/PA Wire)
WED 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mv7k9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
WED 23:06 The Interview (w3ct7x7m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7jltp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
WED 23:32 The Bomb (w3ct8vc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
THURSDAY 22 JANUARY 2026
THU 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mvc9f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 00:06 World Questions (w3ct7508)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Saturday]
THU 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mvh1k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1tw1y)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7jv9y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct71gf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:32 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mvlsp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1tzt2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7jz22)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yt4)
Putin's foreign fighters
Over the past year, BBC Eye has followed the journeys of young men from Syria, Egypt, and Yemen who travelled to Russia in search of work, only to end up on the frontlines in Ukraine. Why are these men risking their lives in a war that is not theirs?
Many, including students, say they were tricked into fighting for the Russian army by a recruiter. BBC Eye investigates their stories, meeting a family grieving the loss of their son and a young Yemeni man now trapped in a prisoner-of-war camp.
Presenter/reporter: Nawal Al-Maghafi
Producers: Ruth Evans and Sheida Kiran
Editor: Rebecca Henschke
Executive producer: Mamdouh Akbiek
Sound engineer: Simon Jarvis
Additional journalism by Ali Ibrahim, Gehad Abbas, and Rayan Maroouf
Voice over by Ali Elhawary, Majd Kilani, Mahmoud Al Sheikh, and Anastasia Uspenskaya
THU 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mvqjt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6xdg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 on Wednesday]
THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74r5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mvv8y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1v79b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7k6kb)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zq)
Dinner unboxed
Meal kits have become a familiar part of food shopping in many countries, offering pre-portioned ingredients and recipes delivered to the door. But how widespread are they, and what do they reveal about how people are eating today?
Ruth Alexander hears from Philip Doran, CEO of HelloFresh UK and Ireland, and Sarah Hewitt, CEO of South African meal kit company UCOOK, about how these services operate in very different markets.
She also speaks to Dr Rebecca Bennett, a food systems researcher, about what meal kits say about changing cooking habits and online food platforms, and to market analyst Nandini Roy on how big the global meal kit industry is and where future growth may come from.
Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Image: A woman unpacks a box full of food (credit: Getty Images)
THU 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mvz12)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1tc1n)
Trump says 'framework of future deal' on Greenland
President Trump says he's exploring a potential deal on Greenland after talks with NATO. He backed off on threats to tariff European allies that had opposed his plan for America to acquire the island.
Nigeria’s police have confirmed that worshippers were abducted over the weekend in Kaduna state, reversing an earlier denial of the attack.
And we look at the East European country of Slovakia making the highest number of cars per capita in the world.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks prior to a bilateral meeting with Swiss officials on the sidelines of the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Credit: Laurent Gilliéron/EPA)
THU 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mw2s6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1tgss)
US says it's reached a "framework" deal on Greenland
President Trump says he's exploring a potential deal on Greenland after talks with NATO. He backed off on threats to tariff European allies that had opposed his plan for America to acquire the island. We get reaction from Canada, a NATO member.
Seven countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt say they will join the US President's Board of Peace. The board was originally thought to be aimed at helping end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee reconstruction. But its proposed charter does not mention the Palestinian territory and appears to be designed to supplant functions of the UN.
And the wife of Uganda’s veteran opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, says her husband is seriously ill in detention. We speak to her about his condition.
Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy
(Photo: U.S. President Trump holds a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Credit:
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters).
THU 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mw6jb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1tljx)
'Framework' deal on Greenland agreed says Trump
President Trump says he is exploring a potential deal on Greenland after talks with Nato. He backed off on threats to tariff European allies that had opposed his plan for America to acquire the island. We get reaction this from Nato partners.
We speak to a Danish MP who says this is all very stressful for the people of Greenland and distrust the legitimacy of the deal.
And we speak to the Winnie Byanyima, the wife of of Uganda’s veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye, who says he is seriously ill in detention.
Presenters: Anne Soy and James Copnall
(Photo: US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
THU 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mwb8g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723t)
Is history repeating itself in Iran?
Iran has been shaken by protests on a scale not seen since its 1979 revolution.
Demonstrations that began in the country’s capital over the state of the economy have spread to multiple cities, with wider calls for political change.
The government has called the demonstrations "riots" backed by the nation’s enemies.
Thousands have been killed.
For some, the scenes bring back memories of the uprising that toppled the monarchy more than four decades ago.
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, has emerged as a figure that could challenge the existing order.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is history repeating itself in Iran?’
Contributors:
Naghmeh Sohrabi, modern Middle East historian, director for research at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University, United States
Azadeh Kian, author of ‘Rethinking Gender, Ethnicity and Religion in Iran’, emerita professor of sociology and gender studies at the University of Paris Cité, France
Sara Bazoobandi, non-resident research fellow at the Institute for Security Policy of Kiel University, Germany
Siavash Ardalan, BBC Persia senior reporter, United Kingdom
Presenter: Daniel Rosney
Producer: Megan Lawton
Technical producer: James Bradshaw
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Car on fire on a street in Iran. Credit: WANA/Reuters/BBC Images)
THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7kpjv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s3c)
Can an island of flowers become a global chip hub?
Forty years ago Japan made more than half of the world's semiconductors. Today, it produces just over 10%. But the country has big ambitions to turn that around.
We hear from the CEO of a company at the centre of the government's high-stakes gamble to revive its semiconductor industry, and more broadly, its tech power.
And we'll learn how the island of Hokkaido is now the site of billions in investment to turn what has long been an agricultural powerhouse into a global chip manufacturing hub.
If you'd like to contact the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Suranjana Tewari
Producer: Jaltson Akkanath Chummar
(Picture: A lavender field and colourful flower garden in Hokkaido, Japan. Credit: Getty Images)
THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct74kh)
The Challenger space shuttle tragedy
On 28 January 1986, a space shuttle launch went wrong.
Six astronauts and a teacher, Christa McAuliffe, were killed.
In 1984, US President Ronald Reagan had announced that Nasa would search for a member of the public to accompany experienced astronauts on the space shuttle Challenger.
Barbara Morgan was chosen as the teacher backup and had trained alongside the Challenger team.
She watched as the shuttle was destroyed a little more than a minute after take-off.
In 2012, Barbara Morgan spoke to Chloe Hadjimatheou.
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: Launch of Space Shuttle Challenger. Credit: Oxford Science Archive/Print Collector/Getty Images)
THU 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mwg0l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1vv0z)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7kt8z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct8yt4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
THU 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mwkrq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt8)
The Media Show: The battle for brand Beckham
A public statement by Brooklyn Beckham has prompted extensive media coverage and online debate about how celebrity families manage press narratives. Katie Razzall is joined by Simon Boyle, former executive showbiz editor at The Sun, and Alexandra Shulman, former editor of British Vogue.
Donald Trump’s demands about Greenland have triggered an international crisis, with journalists tracking his statements made through official channels and on social media. Elisabet Svane, political analyst at Politiken, and Michael Birnbaum, White House reporter for The Washington Post, discuss their approach to the story.
As the UK considers restrictions on children using social media, Australia’s recent ban on accounts for children under 16 has become a reference point in media coverage. The Australian experience is explained by Bronte Gossling, reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.
Presenter: Katie Razzall
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Content producer: Lucy Wai
Researcher: Phil Hawkins
Technical Coordinator: Mark Dickins
Sound: Robin Schroder
THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7ky13)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 10:32 Happy News (w3ct6tzh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:32 on Saturday]
THU 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mwphv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1w2j7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7l1s7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct719x)
Is Canada leading the global resistance against Trump?
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seemed to challenge Donald Trump in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, declaring that “the old world order is not coming back” and urging fellow “middle powers” to come together.
In response, Trump said Canada gets “a lot of freebies” from the United States and “they should be grateful”.
After striking a major trade and tariff deal with China – the US’s rival superpower – is Carney emerging as the leader of a global resistance to Trump? And does he have an alternative vision for the world? We speak to Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent.
Producers: Aron Keller, Hannah Moore, Sam Chantarasak and Xandra Ellin
Executive producer: James Shield
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
(Photo: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Credit: Jessica Lee/EPA/Shutterstock)
THU 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mwt7z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyn)
‘The stillness was a gift’
When Patrick Bringley was mourning the premature death of his brother, he decided that he needed a completely different pace of life to the hectic media career he had been leading. A chance but transformational visit of another museum with his mother gave him the idea of becoming a guard at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The long hours spent contemplating art works at the Met, some of which had been created hundreds of years ago, opened Patrick's eyes to how similar our emotional and creative responses to life-changing events like grief can be, no matter who or where we are. Some 500 people work as guards at the Museum and it was their camaraderie and wisdom that also helped Patrick to overcome his loss.
Patrick's memoir of his time at the Met is called All the Beauty in the World.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Radek Boschetty
(Photo: Patrick Bringley, in a smart dark blue uniform and tie, stands in a foyer of the Met Museum in New York with visitors in the background. Credit: Ross White)
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct74kh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
THU 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mwy03)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1wb0h)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7l98h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
THU 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mx1r7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 14:06 Newshour (w172zssjx15169v)
Trump launches 'Board of Peace'
US president Donald Trump has launched his Board of Peace - promising a new era of peace for the Middle East and beyond.
The board is part of Trump's 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war. The UK says will not yet be signing up the board over concerns about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's possible participation. We'll ask how it will work -- and get the view of a former top UN official.
Also in the programme: Can President Trump pressure President Zelensky over concessions to Russia?; and we'll have the latest on a landslide in New Zealand.
(Photo shows US president Donald Trump taking part in an announcement for his Board of Peace initiative in Davos, Switzerland on 22 January2026. Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
THU 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mx5hc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7ljrr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:32 today]
THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88r5)
Could a Jeff Bezos satellite network rival Starlink?
Blue Origin, the company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, says it will launch a new satellite-based communications network called TeraWave. We find out if it could eventually rival Elon Musk's Starlink, which currently dominates the satellite internet market.
Plus, the conversation in Davos switches to the economic future of Venezuela.
And Spanish football giants Real Madrid are the richest football club in the world, again.
THU 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mx97h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 16:06 BBC OS (w1730687440z5cg)
Who is on Trump's 'Board of Peace'?
Donald Trump has held a signing ceremony for his ''Board of Peace''. Mr Trump said the board would work in conjunction with the United Nations but critics say it's designed to replace some of the UN's functions. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has made a speech critical of Europe. Our security correspondent answers audience questions on the Ukraine war, Greenland and the "Board of Peace".
The nominations for this year's Oscars are out - with the vampire horror Sinners up for a record 16 different awards. We get the headlines from our film reporter.
We profile one of the world’s biggest internet personalities, IShowSpeed, whose recent tour of Africa has attracted widespread attention.
And as the global job market contracts — partly due to the impact of AI — many graduates are struggling to secure entry level roles. We hear a conversation with three young people who’ve applied for hundreds of jobs.
Presenter: James Reynolds.
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban as they take part in a charter announcement for Trump's Board of Peace initiative, in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
THU 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mxdzm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 17:06 BBC OS (w1730687440z93l)
Zelensky accuses Europe of 'avoiding action'
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has made a speech critical of Europe at the Davos Forum, saying it was good at planning for the future but could not tackle the problems of today. We speak to our colleagues from BBC Russian and BBC Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump has announced there is a "framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland". We speak to MPs in Greenland.
As Mercedes appoints Doriane Pin as a development driver, we hear from female drivers about their roles and prospects in Formula 1.
We speak to our reporters and editors in the newsroom about the stories they have been working on today including the story about a young Afghan woman who was arrested by morality police for secretly teaching Taekwondo to men and women. She has been released today.
Presenter: James Reynolds.
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks at the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
THU 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mxjqr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct74kh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:50 today]
THU 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mxngw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1x1h8)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7m0r8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z8g)
2026/01/22 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 (w172zwx2q3mxs70)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct8yt4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
02:32 today]
THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7m4hd)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txw)
How is air travel returning to supersonic speeds?
It’s exactly half a century since two Concorde jets took off from Paris and London respectively. The supersonic jet would come to define top end luxury travel. But Concorde has also been retired for nearly half that time, famously making its final flight to Bristol, UK where it was built, in 2003.
What is Concorde’s engineering legacy? And will supersonic speeds ever be a reality for air travellers again?
Tom Whipple is at Aerospace Bristol, back on-board Concorde which these days is stowed safely in its hangar. He meets Concorde’s former Chief Engineer John Britton. He also hears what it will take to overcome the engineering challenges of supersonic flight from Dr Kshitij Sabnis, lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at Queen Mary University of London. And speaks to founder and CEO of US start up Boom Supersonic Blake Scholl who wants to make supersonic air travel accessible to all.
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: Tim Dodd, Kate White, Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mxwz4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 21:06 Newshour (w172zssjx1521jr)
Trump: Board of Peace to forge 'everlasting peace'
President Trump says his Board of Peace will help forge 'everlasting' peace in the Middle East and the wider world, but a number of European countries have refused to join the body. We hear from the president’s former Deputy National Security Adviser.
Also on the programme: US envoys head to Moscow to meet with President Putin in latest round of Ukraine peace talks; and the nominations for this year's Oscars are out, with vampire horror Sinners receiving a record-breaking sixteen nods.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump holding charter for his Board of Peace initiative in Davos, Switzerland, on 22 January 2026; Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
THU 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3my0q8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1xdqn)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen
THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7mczn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct75yw)
What’s really in Trump’s Greenland framework deal?
Global economic tensions over Greenland may be fading, but the uncertainty is prompting questions about whether some of America’s trade partners should look to diversify into new markets.
Also, the film Sinners sets a new Oscars record with sixteen nominations, but do more nominations always translate into higher box office revenue?
And demand soars for the most talked about item at Davos - President Macron’s blue sunglasses.
(Photo: A 3D printed miniature of U.S. President Donald Trump and Greenland flag taken January 9, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
THU 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3my4gd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
THU 23:06 The Inquiry (w3ct723t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:06 today]
THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7mhqs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
THU 23:32 The Food Chain (w3ct70zq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
04:32 today]
FRIDAY 23 JANUARY 2026
FRI 00:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3my86j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.
FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct7yt8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:06 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7mmgx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.
FRI 00:32 World of Secrets (w3ct8vwx)
The Child Cancer Scam
6. The calls
After never receiving the money raised in their children’s name, mothers are finally confronting the scammers and demanding answers.
Now is the time to ask why. Where is the money?
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.
World of Secrets will be back with gripping new investigations in 2026.
FRI 01:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mycyn)
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FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1xrz1)
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FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7mr71)
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FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct719x)
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FRI 02:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3myhps)
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FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1xwq5)
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FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7mvz5)
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FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct6zq0)
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FRI 03:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mymfx)
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FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct6wyn)
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FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct74kh)
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FRI 04:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3myr61)
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FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1y46f)
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FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7n3gf)
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FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq3)
Daughters of thunder
In small towns and rural areas across the south of the United States traditional family churches have long been key guardians of black culture, memory and community spirit. Until very recently women called to preach in these communities faced opposition ranging from grudging acceptance at best to total ostracisation. But now an increasing number of women are winning acceptance as preachers, pastors and community leaders in Baptist and United Methodist Churches, becoming the vital glue which binds changing, rural black communities together.
Alvin Hall asks some of these women about the lengths they have gone to to follow their calling, driving hundreds of miles to carry the word of God in touring ministries reminiscent of the male Circuit Riders of Alvin’s childhood. In Paducah, Kentucky he meets Baptist pastors Donna G Hawkins, LaRita Horton Addison and James Lee Hudson to explore their individual journeys towards acceptance. Alvin also meets Associate Pastor, Reverend Vanessa Skillion who has travelled 216 miles to join Donna in preaching at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. Meanwhile in Nashville, Tennessee Alvin hears the perspectives of two United Methodist Ministers, Reverend Dr Jacqui King and Reverend Dr Paula Smith.
In life stories, preaching, prayers and music we encounter communities uplifted and worship subtly altered by the spirits of women.
Music performed by Donna G. Hawkins and the congregation of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Paducah, KY.
Presenter: Alvin Hall
Producer: Michael Umney
A Just Radio production for BBC World Service .
(Photo: Pastor Donna Hawkins standing in her pulpit. Credit: Michael Umney and Alvin Hall)
FRI 05:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3myvy5)
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FRI 05:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1x7yr)
EU says it has serious doubts about Board of Peace
The European Council president Antonio Costa said the EU questions its compatibility with the United Nations. The US president has invited many world figures to join - though he says he's now decided to exclude the Canadian prime minister Mark Carney.
TikTok has completed a deal establishing a separate American subsidiary for the popular video platform to avoid a US ban.
US Vice President JD Vance has been meeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota , which has become the the epicentre of unrest over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
(Photo: European Council President Antonio Costa (L) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; Credit: Olivier Hoslet/EPA/Shutterstock)
FRI 06:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3myzp9)
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FRI 06:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1xcpw)
EU questions Board of Peace compatibility with the UN
The founding charter of Trump's body for resolving international conflicts has a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership. The US president has invited many world figures to join - though he says he's now decided to exclude the Canadian prime minister Mark Carney.
Vladimir Putin has held late night talks with three US envoys ahead of proposed trilateral peace talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine in the UAE.
And in Minnesota - quickly becoming the focal point of America's tensions over immigration - accusations that enforcement agents have been arresting Native Americans. We'll speak to an activist from the community.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump (C) holds a signing ceremony for the 'Board of Peace' charter; Credit: Gian Ehnrenzeller/EPA/Shutterstock)
FRI 07:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mz3ff)
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FRI 07:06 Newsday (w172zsq26l1xhg0)
Russia, Ukraine and US to hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi
President Zelensky also made clear that the future status of territory in eastern Ukraine remained an unsolved issue ahead of talks in Abu Dhabi.
EU Says it has doubts about Trump Board of peace questioning its compatibility with the United Nations. So where does that leave the Board. We bring you reaction from France.
TikTok has completed a deal establishing a separate American subsidiary for the popular video platform to avoid a US ban.
The Australian e-safety Commissioner speaks to BBC on why Australia took the step of stopping social media access for under 16s.
(Photo: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands; Credit: Reuters)
FRI 08:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mz75k)
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FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4b)
Chloé Zhao, director: I was an outsider
‘It's so far from your reality because I didn't know anybody and I was an immigrant’
Anita Rani speaks to the Beijing-born director Chloé Zhao about her career and her latest film, Hamnet.
Zhao made history in 2021 when, at the age of just 39, she became the first woman of colour - and, at the time, only the second woman ever - to win the best director award at the Oscars.
Now, just five years after her Oscars triumph for Nomadland, Zhao is making headlines once again as the director of the critically-acclaimed movie Hamnet, a dramatisation about the son of the English playwright William Shakespeare. It won two Golden Globe awards, including one for ‘Best Drama Movie’, and has recently been nominated for 8 Academy Awards too.
Thank you to the Woman’s Hour team for their help in making this programme.
The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Indian author Twinkle Khanna, former US Vice President Kamala Harris, and Hollywood legend Sir Anthony Hopkins. 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: Anita Rani
Producers: Emma Pearce, Ben 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: Chloé Zhao. Credit: Emma McIntyre/WireImage)
FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7nlfy)
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FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtb)
Lew Frankfort: Building a billion-dollar brand
When Lew Frankfort joined Coach, it was a family run, wholesale handbag business worth six million dollars.
He spent 35 years at the company, from opening the company's first shop to growing the business now valued at over five billion dollars.
We find out what led Lew to an unlikely career in fashion and how a chance meeting with a US president sparked his social consciousness.
If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Ed Butler
Producers: Hannah Bewley and Hannah Mullane
(Photo: Lew Frankfort, chairman emeritus and former CEO of Coach)
FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct7452)
Agatha Christie: best-selling novelist of all time
On 12 January 1976, author Agatha Christie died peacefully, aged 85.
She created the detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
By the time of her death, Christie had written more than 80 books. Most of her works were detective novels but she also wrote romances, short stories, poetry and plays.
In 2015, Louise Hidalgo spoke to her grandson, Mathew Prichard.
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: English detective novelist, Agatha Christie. Credit: Bettman/Getty Images)
FRI 09:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mzbxp)
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FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1yqy2)
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FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7nq62)
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FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txw)
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20:32 on Thursday]
FRI 10:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mzgnt)
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FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct72x9)
Banging the science drum
After the leaders of Japan and South Korea ended their summit with the two participating in a drumming duet, we’re marching to the beat of our own drum and exploring some rhythmic science.
First, we look at nature’s drummer, the woodpecker, and why their pecking doesn’t give them a concussion. We also discuss how the rhythm of your brain waves impacts your sense of ownership over your own body.
Then, we’re joined by Daniel Levitin, author of Music as Medicine, who tells us all about using rhythm in the treatment of neurological conditions.
Next, we hear about a new claim to the title of the world’s oldest computer, and how flying affects your body’s natural rhythms.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Anand Jagatia, with Sandy Ong and Edd Gent
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Ella Hubber, Lucy Davies and Imy Harper
FRI 11:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mzldy)
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FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1yzfb)
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FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7nypb)
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FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct715d)
Will Trump’s Board of Peace actually stop wars?
In Davos on Thursday, Donald Trump officially launched his new Board of Peace. Initially created to oversee the Gaza peace plan, the body has since expanded in scope. Led by Trump himself, the board says it will address global crises and conflicts. The initiative has raised concerns among traditional allies, while several controversial leaders have been invited to take part.
We speak to BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner about whether it could even replace the United Nations.
Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Valerio Esposito
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
FRI 12:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mzq52)
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FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj3)
Outlook Mixtape: Treasures in the attic
Four stories of long-forgotten pasts brought to light after rummaging in attics near and far.
In 2014, Debayan Sen was cleaning the family attic in Kolkata, India when he made an unexpected discovery: a dusty, old vinyl record called Disco Jazz. What astonished him was that his mother Rupa was on the cover. She had made the album in 1982 and it had sold only a handful of copies. Following the flop, she decided to abandon her dreams of becoming a singer, and didn't talk about it. So Debayan had no idea his very traditional Indian mother had even had a music career. Not only did that attic discovery reveal Rupa’s secret disco past but also that her music had an underground fanbase of millions worldwide. Debayan and Rupa spoke to Emily Webb in 2021.
Nirvana's Kurt Cobain compared the sound of the British punk band The Raincoats to "the experience of listening in, from an attic." A strange compliment, but he played their record so many times, he wore it out and so, on a trip to London in the early 90s, he visited a vinyl store in search of another copy. No joy there, but he was told one of The Raincoats' founding members, Ana Da Silva, worked in an antiques shop nearby. Kurt paid her a visit and discovered that Ana and her bandmate Gina Birch had been leading separate lives after the band split up. It had been a decade since they played together. But Kurt's enthusiasm united the band for one last chapter.
In an attic in rural France, the diaries of a Nobel Prize-winning author, Annie Ernaux, lay unread for years. As a teenager, she wrote about her feeling of desire and reflections on her sexuality, which felt at odds with strict societal norms of the 1950s. But when her mum found them, she found the content so disturbing, that she burned them. Even though Annie’s diaries didn’t survive, she overcame stigma and shame to turn her experience into proactive, unflinching fiction. Vibeke Venema spoke to Annie in her home in France in 2025. This was a co-production between Nobel Prize Outreach and the BBC.
When Antony Penrose dusted off an old journal in the attic of his family farm in the English countryside, it helped him to heal a difficult relationship with his late mother. She was the American war journalist and photographer Lee Miller, but Anthony saw her as a cruel alcoholic during much of his childhood. Two years after her death, he headed up to the loft in search of family photographs, and stumbled upon his mother's reports from World War Two. The discovery helped him realise what his mother had been through and better understand their strained relationship. Anthony spoke to Jo Fidgen in 2025.
Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Elena Angelides
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)
FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct7452)
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08:50 today]
FRI 13:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mztx6)
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FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1z6xl)
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FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7p65l)
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FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq3)
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04:32 today]
FRI 14:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3mzynb)
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FRI 14:06 Newshour (w172zssjx15436y)
Three-way talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine to start
The first three-way talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine are due to be held later today. It's a new development - but will it bring peace closer?
Senior officials from all three nations are involved, but it is unclear whether they will be in the same room together at any point.
Also in the programme: A deal has been done to keep Tiktok in the US; we go inside the secret prisons of southern Yemen; and we find out how to eavesdrop on villains in 17th century London.
(Photo shows Russia's top economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff attend a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on 22 January 2026. Alexander Kazakov/Sputnikl/EPA)
FRI 15:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3n02dg)
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FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4b)
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08:06 today]
FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7pfnv)
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FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6rtb)
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FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct88gx)
TikTok secures US future
The social media giant has finalised a deal to allow it to continue to operate in the United States, where its famous algorithm will be retrained exclusively on American user-data.
For the past year, TikTok's been at the heart of a dispute between its Chinese owner Bytedance and the US government over data privacy.
Plus we'll give you a rare glimpse into life on board one of the ships in Russia's shadow fleet.
FRI 16:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3n064l)
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FRI 16:06 BBC OS (w1730687441228k)
Ukraine, Russia and US hold trilateral talks
Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the US are meeting in Abu Dhabi for their first trilateral talks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. We speak to our Ukraine and Russia analysts and to our Washington correspondent.
Kremlin has repeated its demand that Ukraine must withdraw from the eastern Donbas region. We hear from Ukrainians about whether they would ever consider ceding the territory for peace.
We break down the deal that will allow TikTok to keep operating in the US.
The United Nation's top human rights official has urged the authorities in Iran to reconsider, pull back and end their brutal repression. We speak to our correspondent who has interviewed Volker Türk in Geneva.
We speak to casting directors about their craft, as the first-ever Oscar nominees for Achievement in Casting were announced on Thursday.
Presenter: James Reynolds.
(Photo: Rescuers stand in front of an apartment building damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine January 22, 2026. Credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)
FRI 17:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3n09wq)
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FRI 17:06 BBC OS (w1730687441260p)
UK PM calls Trump's comments on Nato in Afghanistan 'insulting'
There's been an angry backlash to the US president's claims that NATO allies avoided the frontline during the conflict.
The issue of territory is expected to dominate the first three-way talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Our chief international correspondent reflects on this week's developments involving Greenland, Ukraine, Nato and Iran.
We speak to BBC Verify about the investigation into dozens of sanctioned Russian oil tankers which have been sailing through the English Channel this year.
We speak to casting directors about their craft, as the first-ever Oscar nominees for Achievement in Casting were announced on Thursday.
Presenter: James Reynolds.
(Photo: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gestures during a visit to a community group in Hertfordshire, Britain, January 22, 2026. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/Reuters)
FRI 18:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3n0fmv)
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FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct6wj3)
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12:06 today]
FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct7452)
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08:50 today]
FRI 19:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3n0kcz)
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FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb1zydc)
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FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7pxnc)
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FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct6z3y)
2026/01/23 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 (w172zwx2q3n0p43)
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FRI 20:06 BBC OS Conversations (w3ct6rnt)
Living in Greenland
Described by Donald Trump as “a giant piece of ice,” the world’s largest island has found itself at the centre of global attention.
The President’s demands to take over the self-governing Danish territory – potentially even by force – led to a diplomatic crisis and the President threatened economic sanctions against European allies for opposing his plans.
Despite now ruling out military action, US intentions are still uncertain. In our conversations, we bring together young Greenlanders to discuss what they make of President Trump’s proposal to take it over and share their experiences of living in Greenland.
“As a Greenlander, nature is the best feeling you can ever do for yourself,” Minik tells us. “Dog sledding, snowmobiling, sailing, it’s a part of our daily living.”
“If you’re in Greenland and you’re not a nature person, it’s not for you,” Julia adds.
As well as its strategic importance, there has also been increased interest in Greenland's natural resources, including rare earth minerals, which are becoming easier to access as ice recedes due to climate change.
But, right now, Greenland’s economy is largely dependent on fishing and a growing tourism industry. Three people who work in tourism give their insight into the country’s culture, hospitality and natural beauty.
Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Ben Davis and Isabella Bull
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver
A Boffin Media production in partnership with BBC OS
(Photo: Naja, who lives in Greenland and features in our programme. Credit: Naja)
FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7q1dh)
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FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct6sty)
Do fish know what they look like?
There’s something fishy going on in the Czech Republic, where CrowdScience listener Ian lives. He keeps tropical fish, and he’s noticed that when he adds new ones to his tank, they swim with others of the same breed. He wants to know how they recognise each other. Do they know what they look like, and recognise others that look the same, or is there something else going on?
Presenter Anand Jagatia takes a deep breath and dives into the science. At the Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth, Dr Lauren Nadler from the University of Southampton introduces us to some Blue Green Chromis fish to look for clues about how and why they form their large social groups. And we explore the smelly world of fish olfaction with Professor Culum Brown from Macquarie University in Sydney Australia.
The mirror test is a classic way of trying to understand whether an animal can recognise itself or not. Professor Alex Jordan from the Max Plank institute in Konstanz, Germany explains how scientists place a visible mark on an animal, show it a mirror, and if the animal tries to rub it off, it suggests that the animal knows it’s seeing itself. A variety of apes, elephants and dolphins have passed with flying colours, but has a fish been able to take on the test? And are there really self-aware shoals drifting through our oceans?
Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Emily Bird
Editor: Ben Motley
(Photo:Familiarity of the two fish. Portrait of a Hemichromis lifalili. Macro- Credit: kozorog via Getty Images)
FRI 21:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3n0sw7)
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FRI 21:06 Newshour (w172zssjx154yfv)
Donald Trump sparks outrage over Nato troops claim
World leaders and army veterans have rejected President Trump's claim that Nato service personnel did not fight on the front lines or play a key part during the US-led war in Afghanistan. We speak to a former secretary general of Nato, whose alliance sent thousands of international troops to fight during the invasion.
Also in the programme: grim reports continue to emerge from Iran; why Nelson Mandela's family is fighting to keep his belongings from an auction; and does celebrated political scientist Francis Fukuyama believe this is the end of the "rules-based" international order?
(Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC, US, October 22, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
FRI 22:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3n0xmc)
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FRI 22:06 The Newsroom (w172zwljvb209mr)
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FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7q8wr)
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FRI 22:32 World Business Report (w3ct76ph)
Ukraine's battle to keep the lights on
Andrew Peach speaks to the man in charge of keeping Ukraine's largest private energy company going in the face of relentless Russian drone attacks on the country's networks.
And we look at how the US administration's decision to end protected visa status for hundreds of thousands of Haitians is hitting the retirement home industry in Florida.
Also, we'll be finding out how Robbie Williams has become bigger than the Beatles - by one measure at least.
(Picture: Workers of the DTEK energy company fix power lines outside a house in Novi Petrivtsi that was damaged during Russian missile and drone strikes. Credit: REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
FRI 23:00 BBC News (w172zwx2q3n11ch)
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FRI 23:06 The Interview (w3ct8c4b)
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FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w172zwxx4v7qdmw)
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FRI 23:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq3)
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