SATURDAY 30 MAY 2026

SAT 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp76tmn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 00:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcg)
Celebrating science on Africa Day

How do you translate the latest science work across the 2000 different languages spoken around the African continent? And have you heard of sky mountain? Africa Day has the Unexpected Elements team taking a deep dive into a range of unexpected stories from across the continent.

The day is celebrated every year to mark the establishment of the African Union in 1963. In the Turkana region of northern Kenya, we learn about a team of geologists who have been studying continental break-up. Researchers think it could be one of the weakest areas of the Earth’s crust. We explore the difficult process of translating scientific papers into the many languages spoken across the continent.

Plus, entomologist Dr Gimo Daniel tells us about the unexpected joys of dung beetles. And we learn how AI and large language models are finding new ways to track conservation and mass animal migrations.

And finally, we explore why bats harbour so many diseases yet seem to be tolerant to things that humans get ill from.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Tristan Ahtone in Finland and Phillys Mwatee in Kenya
Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Robbie Wojciechowski


SAT 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp76ycs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpkcf1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dtx9n5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8m8s)
From campus to the Vatican, is an AI backlash growing stronger?

At the Vatican on Monday, Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical, a letter issued to the world’s bishops. In it, he criticised artificial intelligence and what he called the “culture of power” fuelling its rise, urging world leaders to regulate the technology more forcefully.

The Pope’s scepticism towards AI does not exist in a vacuum. It comes after several weeks in which numerous commencement speakers championing artificial intelligence on US college campuses were booed by Gen Z graduates.

Is a backlash to AI brewing? We speak to BBC religion editor Aleem Maqbool about the Pope’s AI-critical encyclical, and to Rachel Janfaza, founder of the Gen Z research firm The Up and Up, about why Gen Z’s relationship with AI is far more complicated than many think.

Producer: Xandra Ellin, Cat Farnsworth, and Valerio Esposito

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Pope Leo XIV during a meeting with Italian bishops in Vatican City, 28 May 2026. Credit: Vatican Media/EPA)


SAT 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7723x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpkh55)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dtxfd9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 02:32 Stumped (w3ct99f8)
Afghanistan Women’s Refugee Team: What’s next?

The Afghanistan Women’s Refugee team are heading to England for a development tour during the Women’s World Cup. The England and Wales cricket board Deputy CEO and Managing Director of England Women, Clare Connor, tells Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma how the tour came about and discusses future funding of the team.

With the start of the T20 World Cup just days away, the team hear more about the preparation of the host country, England. Captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, who’s been recovering from a calf injury in the build-up to the tournament, joins the show.

Plus, have Surrey County Cricket Club found the perfect way to banish those summer workday blues? With the club pondering whether The Oval was the "best home office in the country", the team discuss which cricket ground could be the best home office away from home.

Photo: Afghanistan Women's XI players huddle before the cricket match between Afghanistan Women's XI and Cricket Without Borders XI at Junction Oval in Melbourne on January 30, 2025. Hundreds of women athletes fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took over in August 2021, escaping a hardline stance that essentially banned women's sport and education. Most of the national women's cricket side settled as refugees in Australia, where they reunited for the first time to play a charity match in Melbourne. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)


SAT 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp775w1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8hpj)
Outlook Mixtape: Kinds of Blue

From the aquamarine depths of Egyptian seas to the backwaters of Louisiana, two stories of very different kinds of blues.

Raised on a sharecropping farm in rural Louisiana, Robert Finley grew up surrounded by music, but under strict rules. Gospel was allowed; the blues were forbidden. His deeply religious dad dismissed it as “the devil’s music.” So Robert became a carpenter like his father and played the blues in secret, teaching himself the guitar and writing songs about everyday life. Music remained on the margins as he spent most of his adult life building houses – until his early 60s, when Robert lost his sight to glaucoma and had to give up carpentry. With no other way to earn a living, Robert began busking, singing his own songs on the street. Eventually he was spotted by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, and together they recorded Robert’s first album. Now in his 70s, Robert is touring internationally and releasing new music, including his latest album Hallelujah, Don’t Let the Devil Fool You.

Belgian actor Kristof Coenen was in his 30s when he moved to Dahab in Egypt. Captivated by the Blue Hole, a coral-lined sinkhole in the Red Sea, he decided to become a freediver after he met the renowned safety instructor Stephen Keenan. They became close friends, and together they would freedive – descending to the dark depths of the ocean on a single breath. It opened up a record-breaking world of daring swims through caves and reefs. But in freediving, pushing to the limit can be fatal.

Presenter: India Rakusen
Producer: Zoe Gelber

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

(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape with a white label with the words: The Outlook Mixtape. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 03:50 Witness History (w3ct98dn)
Filming Titanic in Mexico

In 1997, Titanic, one of the most successful films in movie history, and one of the most expensive, was made in Mexico.  

The director James Cameron and his production team built an almost full-size replica of the ship in Rosarito, Baja California, in the world’s biggest water tank.

Over the seven-month shoot, the budget soared to more than $200m, and there were worries about recouping costs. But when it opened, Titanic became the first film to gross over $1bn at the box office, and in 1998, won 11 Oscars.

Luisa Gomez de Silva, then an assistant co-ordinator in the art department, talks to Jane Wilkinson about working on set.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic. Credit: CBS/Getty Images)


SAT 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp779m5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 04:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 today]


SAT 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp77fc9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpkvdk)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 05:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dtxsmp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 05:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h3)
Samsung

10. The good son

Samsung faces an uncertain future after its chairman, JY Lee, is jailed. In the final part of the series, Samsung is uncharted territory. The company – and the family – must survive.

In this brand-new 10-part series from the BBC World Service, we take you behind closed doors - inside the billion-dollar deals and the family power struggles that shape global empires. When your relatives are also your business partners, every decision is personal. In these dynasties, the boardroom isn’t just about profit - it’s about survival.

Host: Elise Hu
Producers: Simon Tulett and Sally Abrahams
Fact-checkers: Matt Toulson and Su-Min Hwang
Music: Thomas Ross Fitzsimons
Mixing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King
Series editor: Matt Willis
With special thanks to Geoffrey Cain, Sojin Lim, Jaeyeon Lee, Jake Kwon and Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel

Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production


SAT 05:50 More or Less (w3ct998r)
The known unknowns of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

On the 17th of May the World Health Organisation declared a new outbreak of Ebolavirus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an International Emergency.

Ebola virus is an extremely nasty viral disease with a high death toll. But despite its severity, very little is known about the number of infections in this current outbreak, in part because this particular species of Ebola is a rare one.

Headlines recently stated that modelling shows that the number of infections could be almost 1,000 more than recorded. We speak to Dr Ruth McCabe, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London, who worked on the modelling behind those estimates.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Sound Mix: James Beard
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp77k3f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 06:06 Weekend (w1730c5kb897xjx)
Hegseth urges Asian allies to ramp up military spending

The US Defence Secretary has urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China's growing power. Speaking at the key Asian defence summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Pete Hegseth said alarm over Beijing’s rapid military build-up was understandable. He said no state, including China, can dominate Asia without unravelling the regional balance of power.

Also in the programme: one of America's top orchestras has a female lead; and mixed martial arts at the White House.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Kathleen Stock, a UK-based writer, cultural commentator and contributing editor to the online news and opinion website, Unherd; and Chris Michael, US editor for the Guardian newspaper based here in London.

(Photo: Delegates view U.S Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's speech on a screen at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore May 30, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Caroline Chia)


SAT 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp77nvk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 07:06 Weekend (w1730c5kb898191)
Romanian President discusses Russian drone

This week a Russian drone hit a block of flats in Romania, causing a fire and injuring two people according to Romanian officials. We get reaction on the programme from Romanian President Nicușor Dan.

Also in the programme: heatwaves in Europe; and a new film about British-Mexican artist Leonora Carrington.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Kathleen Stock, a UK-based writer, cultural commentator and contributing editor to the online news and opinion website, Unherd; and Chris Michael, US editor for the Guardian newspaper based here in London.

(Photo: Romanian President Nicusor Dan (C), assisted by Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu (L), attends a press conference following his visit to the site of a Russian drone crash into a residential building in Galati city, Romania, 29 May 2026. CREDIT: ROBERT GHEMENT/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp77slp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 08:06 Weekend (w1730c5kb898515)
Romania’s President speaks to Weekend

We hear from Romanian President Nicușor Dan about the Russian drone which hit a block of flats in Romania. President Dan says he has no doubt it was a Russian drone which entered his country’s airspace and hit an apartment block in the east of the country. In the interview, President Dan did not rule out expelling the Russian ambassador should there be further incidents of this kind.

Also in the programme: the UFC comes to The White House; and we look ahead to the UEFA Champions League Final in Budapest.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Kathleen Stock, a UK-based writer, cultural commentator and contributing editor to the online news and opinion website, Unherd; and Chris Michael, US editor for the Guardian newspaper based here in London.

(Photo: A handout photo made available by the Romanian Presidency shows Romanian President Nicusor Dan addressing the media. CREDIT: LUCA ACHIM/ROMANIAN PRESIDENCY HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp77xbt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3n)
Responding to Ebola

With the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the head of the World Health Organisation warned this week that the country faces a “catastrophic collision” of disease and conflict.

Ebola is a disease caused by a virus, and outbreaks between people start when somebody catches it from an infected animal. Ebola is rare but the symptoms are severe, often leading to death. To compound matters, not only is this area of central Africa badly affected by conflict, there is also not currently a vaccine for this strain of the virus.

In our conversations two aid workers in the region share their experiences of containing the disease. We also hear from journalists tackling misinformation, and we meet Harriet in Liberia who contracted Ebola during a previous outbreak.

“I had a last word to my daughter,” Harriet tells us. “I said to her, if I don’t survive, please go and continue your life alone with your siblings and family members and just be a good person.”

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Isabella Bull, Ben Davis and Akwasi Sarpong
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver

A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC World Service Outside Source team

(Photo: Prevention measures to contain the spread of Ebola in DR Congo. Credit: Marie Jeanne Munyerenkana/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dty8m6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 09:32 Americast (w3ct8lz4)
Does the US need new laws to protect elections?

US presidents have always told lies. Richard Nixon famously lied to Congress over his knowledge of the Watergate scandal while Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives after declaring that he did not have “sexual relations” with Monica Lewinsky.

How much does the American public care about politicians lying and could a new law stop it from happening?

In today’s Americast, Justin and Sarah speak to a former federal prosecutor who wants to hold politicians accountable if their lies damage democracy. Andrew Weissman played a major role in former FBI director Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and now believes the US should bring in laws to protect elections from lies.

HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter

GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast

This episode was made by George Dabby with Tom Gillett, Grace Reeve and Oscar Pearson. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The series producer is George Dabby. 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.

You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.

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. 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
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 (w1730nkmtp7812y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 10:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct996h)
Pioneering

Four pioneers from four different sports all of whom trod a path where no path had previously existed. Along the way their determination not only made them legends, but gave all those who came after them the chance to see what success could look like and have something to emulate.

Women's professional sport has, for most, only been a very recent thing. Take women's rugby, the professional era which is just for the very elite in the game only started in 2019 It's meant that for many it has been quite common to juggle an elite sporting career with something a little more regular. Unless you are Shaunagh Brown, because whatever Shaunagh does, she does it with style and swagger... so we suspect our chat about her life on and off the field would have been fun even if she'd been in data entry or a tax consultant! Her career straddled the pro era and she hung up her cleats in 2023 which means she's got the chance to add to an already long and interesting CV

Women's boxing has only been in the Olympics since 2012... And Sweden's Anna Laurell Nash was there! For many years women boxing was at best frowned upon by many parts of society which added a whole level of pressure to those trying to make it succeed. What makes Anna's story so unusual that she was also pursuing a parallel career in academia. In fact now that she has hung up her gloves she holds a senior role at the Stockholm School of Economics, from where she spoke to us about where he love of pugilism started

Hannah Cox is where a pioneering spirit meets running, and exploring, and good old fashioned adventuring! Here's the facts, she recently ran 100 marathons in 100 days in India, a remarkable feet for any athlete, perhaps even more so if they only started running 18 months ago! But for Hannah this is not just a story about physical endurance and mental resilience. It's also about completing a route no one had taken before in modern times and in doing so connecting her present day life with a past she knew very little about

The world of ten pin bowling is not just a popular past time, but has a deeply competitive professional league... Before Kelly Kulick no woman had ever played on the professional tour.

PHOTO: Shaunagh Brown of England is all smiles during an England Red Roses Training Session 2022 (CREDIT: Catherine Ivill - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)


SAT 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp784v2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqplkwb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dtyj3g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 11:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw5)
Is the US preparing to invade Cuba?

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses the possibility of the US forcing regime change in Cuba, examines the effect of the war in Ukraine on Vladimir Putin’s standing in Russia, and looks at the increasing popularity of prediction markets.

Producer: Kate Cornell
Executive Producer: Benedick Watt
Commissioning Editors: Silvia Costeloe and Paul Royall


SAT 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp788l6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 12:06 The Documentary (w3ct9b8g)
Africa's football dreamers

Football is an obsession for many Ghanaians and a route to fame and fortune for a talented few – and it can be a gruelling journey for the children dreaming of stardom in the world’s top leagues.

Against this backdrop, the country’s Right to Dream football academy aims to provide a safe passage to international game. Unusually, the school owns a number of top-tier clubs in Denmark, Egypt and the USA, which can act as stepping stones to the world’s top leagues - a path that stars such as Tottenham’s Mohamed Kudus and Atalanta’s Kamaldeen Sulemana have taken.

But while as many as 50,000 children try out for the school, just a handful win scholarships every year. Justice Baidoo meets the talented dreamers who hope to become the next generation of African superstars, from 10-year-olds attending their first trials in rural villages, right through to those taking their first steps as pro footballers in Europe.

(Photo: Football students at Right to Dream. Credit: Edward Obeng/Right to Dream)


SAT 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp78dbb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 13:06 Newshour (w1730bn0v0996kd)
New test could eliminate chemo for many breast cancer patients

Millions of people with breast cancer could safely avoid chemotherapy as scientists have developed a groundbreaking DNA test. We speak to an oncologist who has been involved in the research and a woman who has gone through chemotherapy after a breast cancer diagnosis.

Also on the programme: we hear from the Romanian president on the Russian drone that hit an apartment block in the east of the country; and a preview of tonight's Champions League football final between Paris St Germain and the London club Arsenal.

(Photo: A nurse provides assistance to a patient undergoing a mammogram in a modern medical facility. Credit: Getty Images)


SAT 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp78j2g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 14:06 Sportsworld (w1730c8v35q1373)
Live sport from around the world with news, interviews and analysis.


SAT 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp78rkq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 16:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct996h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]


SAT 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp78w9v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 17:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 today]


SAT 17:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dtz7l7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 17:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 today]


SAT 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7901z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpmf37)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 18:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dtzcbc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 18:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 today]


SAT 18:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct8rx5)
Mexico’s Cachirules scandal

In 1988, a scandal took place in Mexican football, which saw the men’s team banned from the 1990 World Cup.

Mexico had fielded over-age players for the under-20s CONCACAF tournament, which was discovered by sports journalist Antonio Moreno.

When he published his findings, it led to the banning of all international teams from tournaments for two years.

It gave birth to a theory that Mexico have become cursed at the World Cup, failing to progress past the last-16 ever since.

Antonio has been speaking to Tim O’Callaghan about uncovering the scandal and the impact it had.

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: The book produced by the Mexican football federation which led to the scandal being uncovered. Credit: Antonio Moreno)


SAT 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp793t3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pp)
What’s the future for monetary unions?

At the beginning of this year Bulgaria, considered as one of the poorest countries in the European Union, became the latest to officially join the eurozone. Bulgaria’s legal tender since 1881 had been the lev, but since the mid-1990s it had been pegged to other European currencies, first to the German deutschmark and now to the euro. But it remains to be seen if the country’s economic policy can take advantage of the opportunities that joining the single currency can afford, in terms of trade and economic development.

Monetary unions are not a new concept, some like the Scandinavian monetary union date back to the 19th Century, involving Denmark, Sweden and Norway. It established a fixed exchange rate system based on the gold standard, whilst member countries still had their own currencies before it was gradually dissolved from the outbreak of World War One onwards.

Today, the biggest monetary union is the eurozone, used by around 358 million people across 21 European Union countries. It has one monetary authority for all the members and a standardised currency and coinage.

And now the Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS is actively planning a monetary union with a common currency called the eco and pegged to the euro. The ambition is for greater economic sovereignty and regional economic integration.

But with the US dollar as the world’s dominant global reserve currency, even though it’s not part of a global monetary union, is there an argument for one currency across all borders and if so, what should it be?

So, on The Inquiry this week we’re asking, ‘What’s the future for monetary unions?’

Contributors:
Assoc Prof Ralitsa Simeonova-Ganeva, Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria
Prof Barry Eichengreen, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Prof Mohamed Ben Omar Ndiaye, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal
Dr Judy Shelton, Senior Fellow, The Independent Institute, California, USA

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producers: Daniel Rosney and Jill Collins
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical producer: Toby James
Production management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey

(Photo: Euro and US dollar banknotes. Credit: BBC/Corbis Royalty Free)


SAT 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dtzh2h)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 19:32 Happy News (w3ct8nwg)
The Happy Pod: The simple plastic sheet saving lives

Researchers say a simple sheet of plastic is helping to prevent women dying after childbirth. The drape measures blood loss, which allows doctors to provide faster treatment. It has been successful in Nigeria, and now the health professionals want it used across the globe.

Plus, meet Joy and Diane who have been friends for 60 years. It all started with one letter when they were 12 years old and they have been pen pals ever since.

Also, the fishing group helping people with breast cancer. The woman trying to save endangered Indian Skimmer water birds. The rare rainforest that is being restored in Northern Ireland over the next 100 years, and the homes in Australia which are being adapted to help people with ADHD.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs
Music: Iona Hampson

(Photo: Dr Hadiza Galdanci holding a birth drape. Credit: Nelson Owoicho/Gates Foundation)


SAT 20:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp797k7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 20:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7z)
International bestselling novelist Tayari Jones

Nikki Bedi meets international bestselling author Tayari Jones whose award-winning novel ‘An American Marriage’ was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her Book Club and was championed by former US President Barack Obama. As an important contemporary voice in American fiction, Tayari is celebrated for writing about race, class, and life in the American South, all of which feature in her latest novel Kin.

Director and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman talks about using poetry in his films.

Singer-songwriter Jill Scott on collaborating with hip-hop legends The Roots,

French actor Isabelle Huppert on her role in the film, The Richest Woman in the World.

Literary translator Lin King, explains her work on this year’s International Booker Prize winning novel, Taiwan Travelogue.

Plus, some desert blues from Malian band Tamikrest.

Tayari Jones and film critic Guy Lodge join Nikki in conversation about the week’s cultural highlights.

(Photo: Author Tayari Jones. Credit: Julie Yarborough)


SAT 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp79c9c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn0v09b5jf)
Ebola spread in DR Congo 'alarming', says MSF

The rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has created a "deeply alarming" situation, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières has warned. Also on the programme, Scientists have carried out a large scale international trial on a test that could help millions of breast cancer patients be treated safely without the need for chemotherapy; and there are wild celebrations in the streets of the French capital, after Paris St-Germain successfully defended their European Champions League men's football title, defeating Arsenal on penalties.

(Photo: Ebola prevention campaign held in Goma, Congo The Democratic Republic Of The - 29 May 2026. MARIE JEANNE MUNYERENKANA/EPA/Shutterstock)


SAT 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp79h1h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 22:06 Not by the Playbook (w3ct996h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 today]


SAT 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp79lsm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpn0tw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SAT 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dtzz20)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SAT 23:32 This Is Africa (w3ct8td2)
Vex Prince

Vex Prince is an up-and-coming artist from Rwanda with a reputation for energetic stage performances and flamboyant costumes. He works with Rwandan designers, and outfits he’s appeared in include a red suit encrusted with beads and flowers, a satin toga draped over a suit, and a huge fluffy coat which looks like it’s made from raffia.

Vex Prince also has a love affair with Ivory Coast. In April 2026 he performed at MASA – Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain d'Abidjan - a huge arts festival which takes over the Ivorian capital every two years. He has two collaborations with Ivorian artists: Money features Dorty, and Laler features former TIA guest Fior 2 Bior. Both songs appear on his debut album, Levitation, which dropped in 2025.

SUNDAY 31 MAY 2026

SUN 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp79qjr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv02t4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 00:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b94)
Manosphere messiahs: Mexico

It started in the West with influencers like Andrew Tate. Now the manosphere has gone global, with copycats from Africa to Latin America attracting huge audiences and the cash to match.

In the first episode of a two-part investigation, reporter Jacqui Wakefield explores the booming industry in Mexico, where social media algorithms are fuelling a growing gender divide. She follows one of the biggest influencers in Latin America, the Mexican El Temach, meeting his fans – and one of the people who knows him best. And she speaks to some of the women paying the price for the misogyny of some manosphere content.

Reporter: Jacqui Wakefield
Producer: Katy Ling
Executive Producer: Louise Hidalgo
Sound engineer: Gareth Jones
Editor: Rebecca Henschke


SUN 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp79v8w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpn8b4)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv06k8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 01:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 01:50 Sporting Witness (w3ct8rx5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp79z10)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpnd28)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv0b9d)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 02:32 Health Check (w3ct8k2f)
Seafarer welfare in the Strait of Hormuz

Three months into the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, we find out about the 20,000 sailors trapped on board with dwindling resources and minimal health provision. We hear from Mohamed Arrachedi, Network Co-ordinator for the Arab World and Iran for the International Transport Workers’ Federation, and Helen Sampson, Emeritus Professor in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University.

News from the World Health Assembly where WHO member countries come together for form health policy for the year ahead. Global Health journalist Andrew Green reports.

Lots of us love a video game, but for a few the games can start to take over their lives, and the impact of a gaming disorder can be very serious – especially for children. Our reporter Kate Ferguson reports from a specialist clinic in Western Australia to find out how they have been tackling the issue
One in four surveyed doctors thought preservation was likely to work in the future, but how might we be preserved and why would we want to be? We unpack the reality of what’s possible now and what might be next.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins, Clare Salisbury,
Researcher: Scarlett Victoria

This programme was edited on 29/05/2026


SUN 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7b2s4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 03:06 The Documentary (w3ct9b8g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7b6j8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99c0)
Cuba's revolutionary exhaustion

The governments of Cuba and the United States have been at odds since at least 1959 - with periods of high tension alternating with times of apparent bridge-building. The Trump administration makes no secret of its wish to get the Cuban Communist Party out of power, and during 2026 it's tightened its economic measures against the island ever more intensely. Now the American legal system is also being employed as a way to pressure Cuba's leadership further. Will Grant has been in Havana hearing how Cubans feel about these tactics.

Israel's air and artillery strikes in southern Lebanon have escalated over the past week, as the Israeli Defence Forces and the Iranian-linked militia group Hizbollah continue to fight for control of strategic territory. John Sudworth talked to civilians in Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley about their fears for the future of the country - and the risks of this conflict aggravating divides between Lebanese communities.

Greeks already work some of the longest hours in Europe - and since October, it's been legal, under certain conditions, for employers to introduce shifts of up to 13 hours. Caught between rising prices and stagnant wages, many workers feel they're cracking under the strain. Heidi Fuller Love heard a chorus of indignation in one taverna.

For children who are adopted, it's not unusual to grow up wondering where you first came from - and that urge may be particularly strong among those adopted from one country and raised in another. Tanya Datta recently travelled to Maharashtra state in India, accompanying a friend brought up in France who wanted to find out how, and why, she had been given up for adoption.

Introduced by Pascale Harter.

Producer: Polly Hope
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

(Photo: People attend a rally outside the US Embassy in Havana in May 2026. Credit: Adalberto Roque/ AFP)


SUN 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv0ksn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 04:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7bb8d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpnr9n)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 05:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv0pjs)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 05:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b94)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:32 today]


SUN 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7bg0j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 06:06 Weekend (w1730c5kb89btg0)
Ebola spread in DR Congo 'deeply alarming' warns MSF

The rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has created a "deeply alarming" situation, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned. Speaking two weeks on from the outbreak being declared, MSF deputy director Dr Alan Gonzales said never before had "so many cases" been recorded so soon.

Also in the programme: a new test that could potentially save thousands of women from undergoing chemotherapy; and Iranians get back online.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Helene von Bismarck, historian and author, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society; and Patrick Bishop, military author, journalist and historian.

(Photo: A coordinator with U-Reporters, an UNICEF program to engage and inform local communities, wears a protective gown as he takes part in a campaign to raise awareness against Ebola in Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, 29 May 2026. CREDIT: MARIE JEANNE MUNYERENKANA/EPA/Shutterstock)


SUN 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7bkrn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 07:06 Weekend (w1730c5kb89by64)
Colombians head to the polls

People in Colombia go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president. The current left-wing leader, Gustavo Petro, cannot seek re-election, but the vote is being seen as a key test of his policies. The election includes candidates with different visions of how to tackle violence driven by rival armed groups competing over cocaine smuggling routes.

Also in the programme: the Pope warns of AI’s dangers; and Liverpool Football Club parts ways with their manager.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Helene von Bismarck, historian and author, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society; and Patrick Bishop, military author, journalist and historian.

(Photo: Member of the military patrol Colombia’s border with Venezuela to control irregular crossings ahead of the first round of the presidential election to be held on May 31, in Cucuta, Colombia May 30, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Lucas Molet)


SUN 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7bphs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 08:06 Weekend (w1730c5kb89c1y8)
Lebanese PM accuses Israel of pursuing ‘scorched-earth policy’

Israel's military says it is expanding into additional areas in southern Lebanon, after ground troops crossed the river Litani. Ahead of the troops' move, the Israeli air force conducted extensive strikes against Hezbollah targets north of the river. The military also announced that one of its soldiers was killed in a drone attack by Hezbollah.

Also in the programme: Iran changes World Cup base; and will a woman lead the UN?

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Helene von Bismarck, historian and author, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society; and Patrick Bishop, military author, journalist and historian.

(Photo: Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Marjayoun, Lebanon, 31 May, 2026. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7bt7x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99c0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 today]


SUN 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv15j9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 09:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8sw1)
The business of food tours

Food tours are becoming one of the fastest-growing parts of the travel industry, with tourists increasingly choosing to explore cities and cultures through what they eat.

In this episode, Ruth Alexander explores the global rise of guided food experiences and the people building businesses around them.

In Manchester, food tour guide Julia Fairburn takes Ruth through some of the city’s best-known food spots, explaining how successful tours combine local history, storytelling and carefully paced eating experiences designed to leave visitors with lasting memories.

Eric Wolf, founder and executive director of the World Food Travel Association in Valencia, Spain, explains how food tourism has expanded worldwide into a multi-billion-dollar industry, as travellers increasingly seek authentic and immersive culinary experiences.

We also hear from Judith von Prockel, who began creating holidays centred around food experiences more than two decades ago, long before culinary tourism became mainstream. She reflects on how attitudes towards food travel have changed and why people are increasingly planning trips around what they want to eat.

And in Malaysia, Pauline Lee from Simply Enak describes the work involved in creating memorable food tours in a growing and increasingly competitive market, where guides must balance logistics, hospitality and cultural storytelling alongside the food itself.

From hidden local gems to global tourism trends, we explore why food tours have become big business — and what travellers are really looking for when they book them.

If you’d like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Andy Mills
Picture: Simple Enak


SUN 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7by01)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0s)
The dogs that bring hope

Rescued street dogs in Uganda help survivors find comfort, healing and renewed hope.

Northern Uganda was torn apart by a violent insurgency led by the Lords Resistance Army some twenty years ago. Kidnapping, rape and mutilation were commonplace. Many thousands of people were left with physical and emotional scars as a result. But one organisation is helping to bring comfort to those who have suffered using the healing power of dogs.

Myra Anubi visits the Comfort Dog project where street dogs are retrained to become companions to those who have suffered terrible trauma. It’s led by psychologist Francis Okello Oloya who himself was blinded as a result of the war. The powerful connection between humans and their pets is having a remarkable effect on people’s well being. And the street dogs themselves are now cared for by new owners which is helping to change the perception of animals who are often mistreated.


People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Richard Kenny
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Andy Mills

(Image: Volunteers with the Comfort Dog project and their canine friends, BBC)


SUN 10:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv198f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 10:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqj)
Embargo and the Cuban spirit

Last week, the American government charged the former Cuban leader, Raúl Castro, with conspiracy to kill US nationals. They accuse him of playing a part in the downing of two planes in 1996, which were flying between Cuba and Florida. This comes after months of the US putting increasing pressure on the country. In January, President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country who supplied oil to the island, resulting in huge energy shortages ever since, with some parts of the country being without power for 22 hours a day. But Cubans have been living under a strict trade embargo for decades, so they are not unfamiliar with such hardships. José Carlos Cueto López of BBC Mundo is from Cuba, and knows exactly what it's like for people living in such challenging circumstances.

 The UN says that at least 32 political prisoners have been executed in Iran since February this year. The UN's Human Rights Office has warned that the death penalty is increasingly being used to silence political dissent. Last year, Iran carried out 2,159 executions according to Amnesty International, the highest number since 1981. The Iranian government says that the vast majority are for drugs related offenses or murder. Ghoncheh Habibiazad of BBC Persian has been trying to find out more about the political prisoners who've been executed this year.

The Fifth Floor is at the heart of global storytelling on the BBC World Service, bringing you the best stories from journalists in the BBC's 43 language services. We're here to help you make sense of the stories making headlines around the world; to excite your curiosity and to get to grips with the facts.

Recent episodes have investigated Russia’s youth armies and how they make soldiers of Ukrainian children; featured the BBC team who were the first journalists to the site of the Nigerian school kidnappings and reflected the effects of internet blackouts in Iran, Uganda and India.

If you want to know more about Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and the legacy of Hugo Chavez; or how Vladimir Putin’s network of deep cover spies operates; or why Donald Trump signed an executive order granting white South Africans asylum in the US, we have all those stories and more.


This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.

Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.



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


SUN 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7c1r5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqppgsf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv1f0k)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 11:32 Inheritance: Samsung (w3ct94h3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:32 on Saturday]


SUN 11:50 More or Less (w3ct998r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:50 on Saturday]


SUN 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7c5h9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:06 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv1jrp)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 12:32 Assignment (w3ct8h15)
Sierra Leone: The diamond that saved a thousand lives

In 2017, five men digging in an open pit found the third largest diamond ever unearthed in west Africa. It was dubbed the Peace Diamond, in memory of the brutal civil war that had ravaged large parts of the region in the 1990s – a war driven in part by factions competing for control of the diamond trade. When the Peace Diamond sold for $6.5 million at auction in New York, the government pledged some of the profits would provide solar power, a clinic, a school and a road connection for the Sierra Leonean village where it was found. Each of the diggers and the pit’s owner also got a small share of the spoils. Nine years on, we return to Sierra Leone to see how much the government kept their promise and to what extent the discovery really did transform the lives for those involved for better, or for worse.

Presenter/producer: Ed Butler
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Series editor: Penny Murphy

(Photo: The Peace Diamond in the hands of a group from Sierra Leone. Credit: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)


SUN 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7c97f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 13:06 Newshour (w1730bn0v09d3gh)
Colombia goes to the polls to elect new president

There's tight security in parts of Colombia as polls open for today's presidential election with a human rights activist and a far-right populist nicknamed “the Tiger” among the frontrunners. We'll have the latest from Bogota.

Also on the programme: Israel says it's moving further into southern Lebanon as its war against Hezbollah intensifies; and a Georgian wine cellar once owned by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin has officially been unsealed.

(Photo: Workers stick campaign posters of the Historic Pact (Pacto Historico) on the day of the presidential election in Corinto, Colombia on May 31. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7cdzk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 14:06 Sportsworld (w1730c8v35q4046)
Live sport from around the world with news, interviews and analysis.


SUN 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7cwz2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 18:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hj)
Can we save the world's coral?

Corals protect humans and sustain 25% of all marine life. But reefs are under threat from climate change, and mass bleaching events mean that some scientists estimate they could disappear by 2100.

In this episode, Graihagh Jackson is joined by BBC CrowdScience presenter, Caroline Steel. We go to Puerto Rico to see how self-duplicating, carnivorous coral could be the solution. We also speak to the scientist who helped discover what was causing coral bleaching in the first place - back when climate change was commonly denied.

This programme was first broadcast in 2024.

Guests:
Dr Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane
Dr Stacey Williams, Executive Director at the Institute for Socio Ecological Research

Picture: Prickly alcyonarian - Dendronephthya sp. Orange red colored soft coral. Credit: ultramarinfoto via Getty.

Presenters: Graihagh Jackson and Caroline Steel
Producer: Octavia Woodward
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Editor: Simon Watts
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

Got a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail the team: theclimatequestion@bbc.com


SUN 18:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv287g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 18:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l59)
Sydney fireworks, the return

Australia is one of the first countries to see in the new year, and with the Harbour as the backdrop, Sydney shines bright with optimism and hope after some very heavy years.

New Year’s Eve in Sydney is more than the twelve o’clock show. It's an event that takes over an entire city. Fireworks are launched from the Sydney Harbour Bridge now 90 years old and the Sydney Opera House, there are barges positioned across the Harbour, there are rooftops around the city with pyrotechnics, as well as lighting projections on the boats on the harbour, Luna Park and the bridge pylons.

It’s a year in the planning and one family has been designing the fireworks for this spectacular night for the last 29 years. Foti Fireworks is an award winning pyrotechnics family business originating in 1793 in Italy. They still have family members operating today, not only in Italy, but in Hong Kong and Sydney Australia bringing joy and hope to people all over the world.

Regina Botros spoke with Fortunato Foti and other artists who together paint the canvas of the Sydney skyline for millions the world over.


SUN 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7d0q6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpqfrg)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv2czl)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 19:32 The Global Jigsaw (w3ct9b04)
Caucasus: Armenia’s new chapter

Will Armenia opt for a “soft divorce” with Russia and realign its foreign policy in a pivotal vote in June? As pro-Western and pro-Russian forces gear up for a showdown, we explore the ideas, the pressures and the political visions that could shape the country’s future - and the wider implications for the South Caucasus.

Contributors: Daria Mosolova, Gayane Alexanyan and Grigor Atanesian

Producer: Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham


SUN 20:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7d4gb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 20:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kcg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:06 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7d86g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn0v09f2fj)
Colombians vote for new leader

Colombians are voting in a presidential election after a campaign marred by violence. Also on the programme, the death in prison of Nicaraguan indigenous leader, Brooklyn Rivera; and we hear from John Travolta on his directorial debut.

(Photo: Colombia holds first round of presidential election, Bogota - 31 May 2026. Mauricio Duenas Castaneda/EPA/Shutterstock)


SUN 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7dcyl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 today]


SUN 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv2r6z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 22:32 Assignment (w3ct8h15)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 today]


SUN 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7dhpq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqhwqpqxqz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


SUN 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv2vz3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


SUN 23:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 today]

MONDAY 01 JUNE 2026

MON 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkmtp7dmfv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 00:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99c0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlg8dv2zq7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 00:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977n)
Plankton's untapped potential

From Hay Festival 2026, a dive into a big year for our oceans, with plankton specialist Vincent Doumeizel and physicist turned oceanographer Helen Czerski.

Vincent is author of the Power of Plankton, which describes the crucial history and future of plankton and planktonic life on our planet. Helen's book The Blue Machine looks at the physical oceanic processes that shape the world.

Presented by Tom Whipple
Produced by Alex Mansfield


MON 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjjlg4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzw0hd)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp46yqj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 01:32 Discovery (w3ct8jsd)
The Life Scientific: Hiranya Peiris

Hiranya Peiris is playing a starring role in a movie that promises to tell perhaps the greatest story of all time. However, it’s a movie with a difference – there’s no director and no script. The Legacy Survey of Space and Time is one of the most ambitious projects in the world of astronomy, with a mission to create a decade-long time-lapse movie of the visible universe, to answer fundamental questions about its origin, evolution and, ultimately, its fate.

Hiranya is Professor of Astrophysics 1909, the prestigious Chair at the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge University. Over her career she’s been one of the pioneers of a revolution in astronomy, bridging fundamental physics with the observational data coming back from space, to establish the first evidence-based standard model for the origin, evolution and fate of the universe. The endeavour has transformed the field from the ‘wild west’ of physics to the modern era of precision cosmology.

Ironically, it was another movie, of sorts, Carl Sagan’s documentary series ‘Cosmos’, that first sparked Hiranya’s interest in the universe as a young girl. Always keen to inspire women to follow in her footsteps and choose careers in science, if this interview were a live show she’d have reserved the front row for schoolgirls.


MON 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjjq68)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzw47j)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp472gn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 02:32 CrowdScience (w3ct8k6y)
What's the deal with tongues?

Why is there such a variety of tongues in the animal kingdom? CrowdScience listener Dale has observed that his dog’s tongue is different from his and so is his cat’s.  He’d like to know the reason.

Caroline Steel visits London Zoo in the UK to find out more about the different types of tongues - from giraffes and birds to lizards.

She talks to evolutionary biologist Kurt Schwenk, who explains that the development of tongues made it possible for animals to make the leap from the sea to life on land. Fish could rely on water to help them swallow food, but air and gravity required a whole different mechanism for having dinner.

But why is there such a variety of tongues between species - from the forked tongue of a snake to the rough tongue of a cat? And does it all come down to our diets?

Researcher Callum Ross reveals how he’s pioneered a new technique for investigating how animals use their tongues when they eat and drink, and why tongues are so important for swallowing.

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Jo Glanville

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Giraffe licking its lips - stock photo - Credit: laurenepbath via Getty Images)


MON 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjjtyd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 03:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4766s)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 03:32 The Fifth Floor (w3ct8sqj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:32 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjjypj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzwcqs)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp479yx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 04:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nh)
The challenges for women in palliative care

Confronting the death of a loved one – or the end of our own life – can be frightening and overwhelming. And yet it is something that will happen to all of us. So how can we open up conversations about the way we want to die? Is it possible to avoid pain and suffering? And who are the people who will care for us in our final moments?

Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women who work in palliative care.

Dr Tania Pastrana is from Colombia and is now based in Germany where she works for the International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care (IAHPC). And Dr Catherine Millington-Sanders is a general practitioner, and national lead in palliative care for the Royal College of GPs.

Producer: Hannah Sander


MON 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjk2fn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr744md)
Colombia presidential runoff pits leftist against pro-Trump rival

In Colombia, Mr Cepeda wants to build on the current administration's strategy of negotiating with armed groups. Mr De la Espriella, by contrast, wants a tough military crackdown, and has proposed building mega-prisons in the jungle.

As the conflict continues in Lebanon with Israel committing its deepest incursion into Lebanese territory in 20 years - could we be on the cusp of a deal that would get the ceasefire back on track... we'll speak to a Lebanese expert.

From cafes and gyms to supermarkets and restaurants, content creators and influencers are moving into everyday spaces - but are they becoming too intrusive?

(Photo: Supporters of presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella celebrate at the end of election day in Barranquilla; Credit: Ernesto Guzmán Jr/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjk65s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr748cj)
Colombia's presidential election goes to a runoff

Both men offer differing visions for how to solve Colombia's violent internal armed conflict that has lasted for decades but has resurged in recent years.

On Sunday, neither candidate achieved more than 50% of the vote to win outright.

As the conflict continues in Lebanon with Israel committing its deepest incursion into Lebanese territory in 20 years - could we be on the cusp of a deal that would get the ceasefire back on track... we'll speak to our correspondent in Beirut.

Content creators and influencers are moving into everyday spaces - but are they becoming too intrusive?

(Photo: Supporters of presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella celebrate at the end of election day; Credit: Ernesto Guzmán Jr/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjk9xx)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr74d3n)
Iran and the US report a new wave of air strikes

US Central Command said on social media that the strikes were in response to what it called "aggressive Iranian actions" that included the shooting down a US Predator drone operating over international waters. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they'd targeted a base used by the US military, without identifying it.

Israel seizes castle in Lebanon as it expands its ground offensive there. We go live to Lebanon to get the latest from there.

A hard-right criminal defence lawyer and admirer of Donald Trump has come out on top in the first round of Colombia's presidential election - we'll speak to a close ally of the candidate aiming to prevent a right wing victory.

(Photo: An Iranian woman walks next to an anti-Israeli mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, May 30, 2026; Credit: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters)


MON 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjkfp1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 08:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl8)
Kate Kallot, AI founder: A global digital divide?

“Historically, as a region, we’ve been extracted at two levels. If you look at the AI value chain, a lot of our youth, some who have studied computer science, are left at data labelling roles at the bottom of the value chain, where the least value is created. In a different way, a lot of our data is being extracted for free to train those systems. We want to make sure we don’t go into similar models that we had during colonisation.”

Leanna Byrne speaks to Kate Kallot, founder of the Kenyan artificial intelligence company Amini, which is building AI infrastructure across Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.

She warns that billions of people risk being left out of the artificial intelligence systems shaping modern life, with languages, cultures and knowledge from large parts of the world underrepresented in the technology being built today.

Kate argues that AI risks repeating old patterns of global inequality, with poorer countries supplying valuable data while richer nations reap the rewards.

She explains why the Global South should help shape the future of AI, rather than simply supply the data behind it.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Sundar Pichai and Julia Gillard.

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: Leanne Byrne
Producer: Osman Iqbal
Editor: Farhana Haider and Damon Rose

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

(Image: Kate Kallot. Credit: Getty)


MON 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp47syf)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gfv)
Are content creators invading public spaces?

From cafes and gyms to supermarkets and restaurants, content creators are moving into everyday spaces, searching for attractive backdrops for their photos and videos. But as the influencer economy grows, their presence is dividing companies, customers and creators. Megan Lawton speaks to business owners, influencers and digital culture experts about what the rules should be.

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer: Sam Gruet

(Photo: Tony Marks, owner of the Starfish and Coffee cafe in Brighton in the UK; Credit: Megan Lawton)


MON 08:50 Witness History (w3ct8r3c)
Recording the Eichmann interviews

In the 1950s, Dutch journalist Willem Sassen recorded hours of interview with the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann about his involvement in the Holocaust, before his capture in Argentina by Israeli agents.

Willem's daughter Saskia Sassen tells Louise Hidalgo about the tapes, her memories of their secret visitor and the night the Israelis snatched Eichmann off the streets of Buenos Aires.

This programme was first broadcast in 2015.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann during his trial. Credit: GPO via Getty Images)


MON 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjkkf5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzwzgf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp47xpk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 09:32 CrowdScience (w3ct8k6y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


MON 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjkp59)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 10:06 The History Hour (w3ct99l6)
Mexican history: A love song and a gas explosion

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.

Our guest is Michelle Meinhart, a reader in musicology and cultural history at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London.

We start by hearing about a Mexican song that captivated lovers in World War Two.

Then, a marketing strategist recalls how he worked on a Mexican election campaign in 2000 that saw a change of government for the first time in 71 years.

We hear how millions of indigenous women in Mexico won the right to vote and stand in elections in 2014.

Plus, a woman recalls her family's escape from a deadly gas explosion in Mexico City in 1984.

Finally, we find out how Titanic, one of the most successful films in movie history, was made in Mexico in 1997.

Contributors:

Mariano Rivera Velazquez - son of singer Consuelo Velazquez who wrote Bésame Mucho.

Michelle Meinhart - a reader in musicology and cultural history at Trinity Laban Conservatoire.

Francisco Ortiz - marketing strategist.

Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza - campaigner for indigenous women's rights.

Virginia Martínez Tellez - San Juanico resident.

Antonio Moreno - sports journalist.

Luisa Gomez de Silva - assistant coordinator in the art department for the movie Titanic.

(Photo: A welcoming kiss. Credit: Topical press agency/Hulton archive/Getty images)


MON 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjksxf)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzx6yp)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4855t)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mc2)
How did prediction markets get so big?

On prediction markets such as Polymarket people are placing sometimes huge wagers on questions ranging from the sublime (‘will Jesus Christ return by the end of the year?’) to the very serious (‘will the US invade Iran?’).

Gambling is restricted across many US states but prediction markets are not classified as gambling. Their rapid rise over recent years speaks – some say – to an increasing nihilism among young men in particular, who feel they may as well try to profit from world events they cannot control.

Supporters say prediction markets are a smart way to make money. Critics say they are enabling insider trading. So what is the truth behind their rise? We speak to senior business journalist at the BBC, Mitch Labiak.

Producer: Hannah Moore

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producers: Richard Fenton-Smith and James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Polymarket logo appears in this illustration. Credit: Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo


MON 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjkxnk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8hxb)
I was forced to rob my own bank, part 1

In 2000, armed men burst into Michelle Renee's home and held her child hostage while she was forced to rob her own bank. None of them could have predicted what happened next.

Michelle Renee was at home with her seven-year-old daughter Breea when armed men burst through the door. They held Breea hostage while they took Michelle to the bank where she worked. She was told to remove all the money from the vault or her daughter would die. The gang were later caught and imprisoned but the fallout from that day and the accusations hurled at her during the trial would leave a lasting scar.

Ten years after the event Michelle and Breea chose to write one of the gunmen a letter. It was a way of bringing the story to a close, they weren’t expecting a response. It took him years but Robert Ortiz did write back – asking did she want to meet? 

This story is told in two episodes, in episode one Michelle tells the story of the day of the robbery and the impact of the trial when suddenly she stands accused. In episode two we bring in Robert and hear how two people have built a friendship from the most unlikely start.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder and Andrea Kennedy

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

(Photo: Michelle Renee smiling at the camera. Credit: Michelle Renee)


MON 12:50 Witness History (w3ct8r3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjl1dp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzxgfy)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp48dp2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 13:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjl54t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn168llzcw)
Israel PM orders strikes on Beirut suburbs

Israel has ordered attacks against Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut - prompting many residents to evacuate the Lebanese capital. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the military would strike what he called 'terrorist targets' in the area, in response to attacks on Israeli civilians.

Also in the programme: Grammy-winning director, Meji Alabi, explores his Nigerian grandfather's role in the Biafran war; woman with incurable cancer reaches Everest summit; and South Africa’s parliament is starting an impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa over a scandal involving the theft of more than half a million dollars from his farm.


(Photo: People make their way as they flee the southern suburbs of Beirut, after Israeli PM Netanyahu ordered the military to attack targets in the suburbs. Credit: EPA)


MON 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjl8wy)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 15:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp48n5b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gfv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


MON 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d3b)
Nvidia “re-invents the computer” with new chip

Tech giant Nvidia says it will launch a new “superchip” for personal computers, marking a major new venture for the world’s most valuable company.

Plus, Softbank eclipses Toyota to become Japan’s biggest company by market value, and we look at what a rise in fertiliser prices – triggered by war in the Middle East - means for farmers in India.


MON 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjldn2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d48692hv)
Iran and US launch further attacks against each other

Iran says it's targeted an American military airbase after the United States launched renewed strikes on Iranian targets over the weekend. Iranian media say the government is pausing indirect talks with the United States in protest against Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon. We have the latest.

Social media star KSI has announced he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen after 13 years. We speak to our reporter, and we bring together YouTubers to discuss the news.

The US biotechnology company Moderna says it is working with a global health coalition to develop a potential vaccine for a rare strain of Ebola linked to an outbreak in the DRC. Our reporter explains.

We speak to two people who attempted to climb Everest but had to turn back.

Presenter: Pria Rai.

(Photo: Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are visible near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 31, 2026. Credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via Reuters)


MON 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjljd6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486967z)
Lebanese civilians flee parts of the capital Beirut

Israel has ordered attacks against Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut - prompting many residents to evacuate the Lebanese capital.

Simple checks are spotting young women with silent heart issues that put them at risk of their heart stopping suddenly, known as sudden cardiac death (SCD), say UK researchers. We find out more about the research and speak to those at high risk of SCD.

The US biotechnology company Moderna says it is working with a global health coalition to develop a potential vaccine for a rare strain of Ebola linked to an outbreak in the DRC. Our healt correspondent explains.

We get details about a BBC Eye investigation into the Nigerian civil war. Surviving Biafra: Voices from the Nigerian Civil War includes previously unseen footage taken on the frontline of the devastating war that lasted from 1967 until 1970, when ethnic tensions threatened to tear apart the young West African nation.

Social media star KSI has announced he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen after 13 years. We get reaction from followers and other YouTubers.

Presenter: Pria Rai.

(Photo: Israel strikes southern Lebanon amid ceasefire, Nabatieh - 01 Jun 2026. Credit: STRINGER/EPA)


MON 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjln4b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8hxb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


MON 18:50 Witness History (w3ct8r3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


MON 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjlrwg)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzy5xq)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4944v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rjx)
2026/06/01 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 (w1730nkn5yjlwml)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 20:06 From Our Own Correspondent (w3ct99c0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:06 on Sunday]


MON 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp497wz)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 20:32 Discovery (w3ct8jsf)
The Life Scientific: Seth Berkley

Dr Seth Berkley is an epidemiologist and global health leader whose career has been shaped by one central problem: vaccines save lives, but only if people can actually get them. His 40-year career has spanned the global, from helping to build Uganda’s first HIV surveillance system and founding the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative; to leading Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance for more than a decade – overseeing the immunisation of hundreds of millions of children worldwide. And when COVID-19 struck, Seth co-founded COVAX, the global initiative designed to stop wealthy nations monopolising vaccines. In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Seth discusses the highs and lows of his globe-trotting career - from saving millions of young lives through vaccine distribution, to setting his own shattered leg after a climbing accident in Namibia - and addresses the huge challenge of tackling vaccine scepticism.


MON 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjm0cq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn168lmtls)
Lebanon says Hezbollah agrees to a truce

Lebanon says Hezbollah has agreed to stop firing into Israel in exchange for the Israelis halting attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut. We hear from a resident who has fled Beirut, and an Israeli MK who says his country has the right to occupy Lebanese territory.

Also in the programme: the first women with stage four cancer to reach the summit of Everest; and we hear from a biographer of Marilyn Monroe's on the eve of the hundredth anniversary of her birth.

(Photo: People flee Beirut's southern suburbs after Netanyahu orders strikes, Lebanon on 1 June 2026. Credit: Wael Hamzeh/EPA/Shutterstock)


MON 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjm43v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 22:06 The Interview (w3ct8kl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


MON 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp49hd7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 22:32 The Conversation (w3ct99nh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


MON 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjm7vz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


MON 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzynx7)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


MON 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp49m4c)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


MON 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fn0)
How will Nvidia reinvent your laptop?

Big tech firms race to cash in on the AI boom. Anthropic, the firm behind chatbot Claude went public in the US, filing paperwork for a stock market listing later this year while Nvidia launched a new processor they say could reinvent the PC in the age of artificial intelligence.

In India, fertilizer supplies are under strain from shipping disruptions caused by the Middle East war. Our correspondent explains how this will affect farming and food prices in Asia's third largest economy.

And, a supermarket chain in Belfast has added a pub to one of their stores, but it's proven controversial because of Northern Ireland's strict licensing laws.

Plus Backrooms, a new horror film, created by a young YouTuber, earned over $80 million in its opening weekend. Could digital creators be the next generation of filmmakers?

TUESDAY 02 JUNE 2026

TUE 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjmcm3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 00:06 The History Hour (w3ct99l6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjmhc7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzyxdh)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp49vmm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mc2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjmm3c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzz14m)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp49zcr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 02:32 Assignment (w3ct8h16)
Italy’s migrant fruit pickers

In Italy, Georgia Meloni’s coalition government gained power on an anti-immigration political platform. But faced with low birth-rates and a dwindling workforce, the prime minister has had to be pragmatic. Over the next two years, hundreds of thousands of temporary visas are being offered to migrant workers, mainly from Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, to help fill the gaps.

In the far south of Italy, one of the country’s poorest regions, Calabria, is famous for its citrus fruit, and thousands of farms need workers to pick their produce. Some of the migrant workers live in terrible conditions. Lizzy McNeill reports on what the reality is on the ground.

Producer: John Murphy
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Photo: A worker empties the basket of clementines in the fields of Calabria, southern Italy. Credit: Alfonso Di Vincenzo/Getty Images)


TUE 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjmqvh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8hxb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Monday]


TUE 03:50 Witness History (w3ct8r3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjmvlm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzz8mw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4b6w0)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 04:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l5b)
São Paulo's carnival competition

Every year during Brazil’s carnival celebrations, samba schools are tasked with creating elaborate parades based around a unique theme, from which they build huge floats, compose a song, and choreograph an entire visual spectacle.

Tom Raine follows one of São Paulo’s oldest samba schools, Águia de Ouro, in the final stages of creating their carnival parade ahead of their most important event of the year - parading in São Paulo’s iconic Sambadrome in the attendance of thousands of people, and millions more watching on TV across Brazil.

This year they have chosen a theme titled Amsterdam: City of Liberty, celebrating the cities’ values of freedom, tolerance and modernity. It’s not just a celebration but a fierce competition, with rigorous judging and a football-style league system of promotion and relegation.

In The Studio goes behind the scenes to São Paulo’s “carnival factory” to find out what it takes to put on a parade, from one whole year of work to just one hour on the tarmac.

Presenter/producer: Tom Raine


TUE 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjmzbr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr771jh)
Russia launches a large-scale aerial attack across Ukraine

At least nine people have been killed and dozens more have been injured after Russia launched a major overnight assault on cities across Ukraine. Local authorities in the eastern city of Dnipro say five people have died in attacks there. Others are reported wounded in attacks in Kharkiv in the north-east.

There have been reports of clashes in Lebanon and projectiles fired into Israel despite Donald Trump announcing Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop fighting - we'll hear from a Lebanese Minister.

We'll also get the view of a veteran American diplomat as concerns grow that Donald Trump's truce announcement may not materialise.

(Photo: The site of a Russian strike on a residential area in the Pokotylivka village of Kharkiv; Credit: Sergey Kozlov/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjn32w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7758m)
At least nine people have been killed across Ukraine

In Ukraine - Russia has carried out a major overnight aerial assault across several cities, using drones and missiles. We'll go to the Ukrainian Kyiv and speak to a member of parliament in the President's party

There have been reports of clashes in Lebanon and projectiles fired into Israel despite Donald Trump announcing Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop fighting - we'll get the view of a former Israeli member of parliament

And did you know that ships at sea have an expiry date too - we'll find out why hundreds of shadow fleet vessels are operating on the high seas beyond their design life

(Photo: Fire and smoke rise from a damaged apartment building during a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv; Credit:
Gleb Garanich/Reuters)


TUE 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjn6v0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7790r)
Massive Russian attack on cities across Ukraine

Air raid warnings were in place across most of Ukraine. Large plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the centre of Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two high-rise apartment buildings had been hit in the city and there are fears people are trapped under rubble.

Clashes have continued in southern Lebanon despite Israel and Hezbollah accepting a US plan to implement a partial ceasefire. We get the latest from Beirut.

As Italy faces a severe shortage of labour, the Italian government promises to issue half a million temporary work visas to migrants over the next two years.

(Photo: Resident Olha Mudra and her daughter Natalia, 6, look at their damaged apartment ; Credit: Thomas Peter/Reuters)


TUE 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjnbl4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0t)
Slow down!

Is our modern obsession with speed damaging us? This week we explore the slow movement, a philosophy that challenges our fixation with productivity and suggests slowing down could offer a more meaningful way to live.

Joined by Dr Joanne Lee from the University of Warwick, we visit a school garden and restaurant in Malawi to see how Slow Food is influencing how people grow and consume food. And presenter Myra Anubi takes part in an immersive Slow Art experience in London.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Claire Bates
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Editor: Jon Bithrey


TUE 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4bpvj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gqw)
Spain's economy is growing fast. So why is youth unemployment still so high?

Many graduates are reluctant to work in the country’s large tourism and service sectors, looking instead for roles that match their university skills. That can make finding a first job after graduating a real challenge.

Presenter/producer: Ashish Sharma

If you’d like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

(Picture: Spanish Secretary of State for Labour Joaquin Perez Rey speaking about how unemployment in April 2026 fell below 2.4 million people for the first time since June 2008. Credit: JAVIER LIZON/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 08:50 Witness History (w3ct985x)
The first Irish language television channel

In 1996, Ireland launched its first television channel broadcasting exclusively in the Irish language.

Teilifís na Gaeilge, later renamed TG4, went on air on Halloween night. It aimed to appeal to both native and non-native speakers. The launch followed decades of campaigning for more Irish-language broadcasting in the country.

Sinéad Ní Ghuidhir was the first presenter to speak on the new station. She speaks to Lorcan Clancy about the excitement of opening night.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Broadcast from Teilifís na Gaeilge (TG4). Credit: TG4)


TUE 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjngb8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj7zzzwcj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4btln)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 09:32 Assignment (w3ct8h16)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjnl2d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 10:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


TUE 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjnptj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj80003vs)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4c22x)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mhl)
The dark side of reality TV

***This episode includes details of alleged sexual offences and misconduct and includes descriptions which some listeners might find distressing***
Married at First Sight UK is one of the UK’s biggest reality TV shows. The dating format sees complete strangers marry in a mock-wedding, before moving in together and sharing a bed. Cameras follow what happens next.

The BBC has uncovered allegations that raise serious concerns that welfare procedures on the reality show have failed contributors, leaving them at risk. Three women have told the BBC they were victims of sexual assault, and misconduct, by their former on-screen husbands.

The men deny all the allegations against them, and both Channel 4 and CPL - the independent production company that makes the series - say the welfare protocols are robust and comprehensive.

Following this investigation, Channel 4 has announced an external review into contributor welfare and has removed all previous seasons of MAFS UK.

Noor Nanji, BBC culture correspondent, tells the story behind her investigation which has shaken the reality TV industry. And she discusses whether a scandal like this could provoke a new reckoning in the genre.

(Photo: Shona Manderson, a ‘bride’ on Married at First Sight UK)


TUE 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjntkn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbw)
I was forced to rob my own bank, part 2

Many years after he’d held a gun to her daughter’s head, Michelle wrote to Robert Ortiz seeking closure. It took him years to write back – and then they met.

In 2000, Michelle Renee was at home with her seven-year-old daughter Breea when armed men burst through the door. They held Breea hostage while they took Michelle to the bank where she worked. She was told to remove all the money from the vault or her daughter would die. The gang were later caught and imprisoned but the fallout from that day and the accusations hurled at her during the trial would leave a lasting scar. Ten years after the event Michelle and Breea chose to write one of the gunmen a letter. It was a way of bringing the story to a close, they weren’t expecting a response. It took him years but Robert Ortiz did write back – asking did she want to meet? 

This story is told in two episodes, in episode one Michelle tells the story of the day of the robbery and the impact of the trial when suddenly she stands accused. In episode two we bring in Robert and hear how two people have built a friendship from the most unlikely start.

Growing up in Sweden, Patrik Svensson loved going fishing for eels with his father. As a young boy the eel was steeped in mystery for him, but the more he learnt about the fish, the more mysterious it became. This set Patrik on a scientific and personal journey of discovery, published in his book The Gospel of the Eels. (This item was first broadcast in 2023)


Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder and Andrea Kennedy

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

(Photo: Michelle Renee sitting on a sofa looking at the camera. She has long blonde hair and is wearing a white cowboy hat and brown top. Credit: Michelle Renee)


TUE 12:50 Witness History (w3ct985x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjny9s)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8000cc1)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4c9l5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 13:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l5b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjp21x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn168lpw8z)
Deal or no deal: Clashes continue in south Lebanon

Just hours after the US announced a fresh ceasefire in Lebanon, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have started - again. We hear from Lebanon's deputy prime minister, Tarek Mitri.

Nearly 250 people in Africa have died of Ebola over the last few weeks. We speak with the regional director of the World Health Organization, who has just visited the epicentre of the outbreak.

And a Paralympic athlete who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident may become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit. What would that look like?

(Photo: Smoke billows from southern Lebanon, following Israeli strikes, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 2, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/ Stringer)


TUE 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjp5t1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4ck2f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8gqw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


TUE 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d7v)
Toy Story is back!

More than 30 years after the original movie, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are back as Woody and Buzz in the fifth instalment of one of the most lucrative franchises in film history.

Plus, with inflation rising above 3%, is a rate hike back on the table for the Eurozone?

And, Nvidia doubles down on Taiwan despite the island's tensions with China.


TUE 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjp9k5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486czdy)
Russian attacks kill 18 people across Ukraine

A Russian missile and drone attack killed at least 18 people across Ukraine overnight, including two children, marking one of Moscow's largest assaults in recent months. We speak to our correspondent and hear a conversation with MPs in Ukraine.

Two people have died in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki during protests against plans to establish a US-backed Ebola isolation centre near a military base. Our reporter there explains.

Clashes have continued in southern Lebanon despite Israel and Hezbollah accepting a US plan for a partial ceasefire. We speak to our correspondent.

And we speak to two people in Puerto Rico about what they think a new catchy AI generated song about the island that is taking over Tik Tok.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: The site of a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine June 2, 2026. Credit: Press service of the National Police of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters


TUE 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjpf99)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486d352)
UN warns of strongest El Niño in decades

A new phase of the natural El Niño weather pattern could begin in a matter of weeks, the UN has warned, boosting temperatures on a planet already under strain from climate change. We speak to our correspondent about what the impact could be.

A Russian missile and drone attack killed at least 18 people across Ukraine overnight, including two children, marking one of Moscow's largest assaults in recent months. We speak to our correspondent and hear a conversation with MPs in Ukraine.

And actor Tom Hanks has said the latest Toy Story film highlights children's addiction to screens, an issue that he says strikes "terror in the heart". We hear from parents around the world.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: A farmer works in a rice field during the start of the rice planting season in Indrapuri village, Aceh Besar, Indonesia, 11 May 2026. Credit: Photo by Hotli Simanjuntak/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjpk1f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


TUE 18:50 Witness History (w3ct985x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


TUE 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjpnsk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj80012tt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4d11y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rpf)
2026/06/02 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 (w1730nkn5yjpsjp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:06 Assignment (w3ct8h16)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


TUE 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4d4t2)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 20:32 Tech Life (w3ct8jxy)
Microsoft's big quantum bet

Microsoft unveils a new quantum chip. It's a big moment for the company, as its quantum programme has faced criticism. Is the tech giant's strategy finally paying off? And when will this chip deliver practical quantum computing? The BBC's Technology Editor, Zoe Kleinman, interviews Microsoft's executive vice president for quantum.

Also this week: what new tech can soccer fans expect at the World Cup? Shiona McCallum reports from FIFA headquarters in Switzerland. And a leading critic of AI hype returns to Tech Life.

Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: A hand is seen holding the new Majorana 2 quantum chip from Microsoft. The chip is gold-coloured. It is so large that it is the same size as the hand. Credit: Microsoft)


TUE 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjpx8t)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn168lqqhw)
Hezbollah: 'we reject these talks'

Diplomats from Israel and Lebanon have been meeting in Washington for a fourth round of talks as Israeli forces continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon. We speak to a member of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah on why it has no plans to give up its weapons. Also in the programme: As the head of the UN gives a stark warning about the most catastrophic El Niño yet, farmers around the world remind us what's at stake; and the meaning of new research into the magnetic fields of planets beyond our solar system.

(Photo: Destroyed buildings after an Israeli airstrike that targeted the city of Tyre, Lebanon. Credit: WAEL HAMZEH/EPA/Shutterstock)


TUE 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjq10y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:06 People Fixing The World (w3ct8t0t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


TUE 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4dd9b)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 22:32 In the Studio (w3ct8l5b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


TUE 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjq4s2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8001ktb)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


TUE 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4dj1g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


TUE 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fsj)
Who gets to regulate AI?

President Trump signed an executive order to vet AI models before they are released. The hope is to prevent AI-enabled cyberattacks, but what will it mean for the investment boom?

Also, Spain has the second highest unemployment rate in Europe despite also being one of the fastest-growing economies. We find out why.

The UN has warned that this year's El Nino will be the worst in decades. This is expected to impact agriculture and food supply chains. We hear from a restaurant in the Philippines that relies on locally farmed produce on the preemptive measures they'll be taking ahead of any disruption to food supply chains.

And, NBA star Steph Curry ended his multi-billion dollar deal with Under Armour and signed a new one with Chinese sports brand Li-Ning. Will this new sponsorship be just as lucrative?

WEDNESDAY 03 JUNE 2026

WED 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjq8j6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 00:06 The Arts Hour (w3ct8h7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:06 on Saturday]


WED 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjqd8b)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8001t9l)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4drjq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mhl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjqj0g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8001y1q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4dw8v)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 02:32 The Climate Question (w3ct99hj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjqmrl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8jbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Tuesday]


WED 03:50 Witness History (w3ct985x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjqrhq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj80025jz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4f3s3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 04:32 Good Bad Billionaire (w3ct9bc1)
Beyoncé: The business of Queen B

Beyoncé started out as a little girl competing in local talent shows, but over the course of a 30-year career in music she transformed herself into a mogul worth $1 billion. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack trace Beyoncé’s early years in girl group Girls Tyme, the turbulent rise of Destiny’s Child, and her breakout as a solo artist, before examining the strategic decisions that transformed her from performer to powerful businesswoman and entrepreneur. Beyonce’s rise to billionaire features conflicts with family and friends, brand battles, and questions around feminism, capitalism, and control. Simon and Zing ask: is she a force for empowerment, a ruthless operator, or simply one of the most effective wealth-builders in modern entertainment?

Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires? Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire


WED 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjqw7v)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr79yfl)
US and Iran launch new strikes

The US military says it has launched "self-defense" strikes on Iran and shot down ballistic missiles and drones fired at ships and Gulf countries. The strikes on Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz were "in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East". The latest attacks come amid stalled ceasefire negotiations.

We take a look at the toll on Lebanese people as Israel continues its offensive against the Iranian backed Hezbollah in the country.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Congress that the Trump Administration will re-engage with the global vaccine alliance amid the Ebola outbreak in central Africa.

Presenters: Anne Soy and James Copnall

(Photo: Iranians ride a motorbike past a residential building, destroyed by previous US-Israeli airstrikes, in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA).


WED 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjqzzz)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7b25q)
US and Iran exchange new strikes

The US military says it has launched "self-defense" strikes on Iran and shot down ballistic missiles and drones fired at ships and Gulf countries. The strikes on Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz were "in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East". The latest attacks come amid stalled ceasefire negotiations.

We look at the mandatory evacuation order for more than seven thousand people to leave their homes in the north-eastern Kharkiv region in Ukraine. It follows strikes by Russia earlier this week.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Congress that the Trump Administration will re-engage with the global vaccine alliance amid the Ebola outbreak in central Africa.

Presenters: Anne Soy and James Copnall.

(Photo: US military release image of vessel purportedly being hit. Credit: X/US Central Command)


WED 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjr3r3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7b5xv)
US and Iran launch new strikes

US Central Command says it has struck targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It described the attacks as "self-defence" after Iran fired missiles on Kuwait and Bahrain.

The developments come as diplomats from Israel and Lebanon meet in Washington for a fourth round of talks. The talks aim to reduce tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. We go live to Lebanon.

And a tropical storm that's heading towards Tokyo in Japan creating winds of up to ninety kilometres an hour.

Presenters: Anne Soy and James Copnall.

(Photo: Iranians walk next to an anti-US mural depicting Iran and US negotiations at a table, next to the former US Embassy in Tehran. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/ EPA).


WED 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjr7h7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 08:06 The Interview (w3ct98gy)
Reid Hoffman, tech billionaire: AI job revolution

Amol Rajan speaks to tech billionaire Reid Hoffman, about why he thinks artificial intelligence could transform the future of work.

Reid Hoffman is best known for co-founding LinkedIn, the largest professional networking platform in the world, and revolutionising the world of work. He wants to do it again with a rapid adoption of AI in the workplace in a way he says is safe and ethical.

As one of the world’s richest men he also gives his thoughts on tech billionaires and his former relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Thank you to the Radical with Amol Rajan 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 entrepreneur Emma Grede, CEO of Otter.ai Sam Liang, and First Lady of Sierra Leone Fatima Bio. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Amol Rajan
Producer: Cordelia Hemming
Editor: Farhana Haider

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

(Image: Reid Hoffman. Credit: Jason Alden/Getty Images)


WED 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4flrm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7h)
The blurring of K-beauty

Renowned for its multi-step skincare routine and its foundation in the ever trendy Korean culture, K-beauty has become a multi-billion dollar industry across the globe.

The term covers a wide range of skincare, make-up and cosmetics from South Korea and is lauded for its quality and value.

But as demand grows, tens of thousands of companies are claiming to be K-beauty, and not all of them are based in South Korea. This has raised questions about its identity and authenticity.

In the midst of its identity crisis, counterfeiters are now getting involved.

So, what puts the K in K-beauty?

We hear from manufacturers, retailers and industry bodies who might have an idea.

Presented and produced by David Cann
Sound mix: Ben Houghton

[This episode was first broadcast on 28 October 2025]

(Picture: A young Asian woman applying a moisturising cream in front of a mirror. Credit: Getty Images)


WED 08:50 Witness History (w3ct9885)
Australia's first Big Thing

In 1963, a giant Scotsman sculpture appeared outside the Scotty Motel in Adelaide, in South Australia. A banana, a koala, and even a potato soon followed, paving the way for the country’s beloved Big Things - one of Australia’s quirkiest cultural phenomena.

Paul Kelly was the artist behind both the Big Scotsman and the equally iconic Big Lobster. He and his daughter, Christobel Kelly, tell Stefania Gozzer how each sculpture came to life.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: The Big Scotsman. Credit: Paul Kelly's archive)


WED 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjrc7c)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8002s8m)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4fqhr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 09:32 The Climate Question (w3ct99hj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjrgzh)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 10:06 The Documentary (w3ct9b8g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


WED 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjrlqm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj80030rw)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4fz00)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mkv)
Why the UK banned Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur

On Sunday, two prominent left-wing political commentators in the US — Hasan Piker and his uncle, Cenk Uygur – said they had been barred from visiting the UK.

Both men were due to appear at the SXSW London festival, but say the British government blocked them from entering the country because of their criticism of Israel. The British government confirmed that it had denied them entry on the grounds that their presence in the UK “may not be conducive to the public good” but did not elaborate further. Their cases have sparked renewed debate about the limits of free speech in the UK.

We speak to American political activist Shabbos Kestenbaum – who was due to debate Cenk Uygur in London – and to the legal academic and host of the BBC’s The Law Show, Joelle Grogan.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak, Lucy Pawle and Aron Keller

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Hasan Piker speaks to members of the media at the venue for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani's election night rally in Brooklyn, New York, November 4, 2025. Credit: Jeenah Moon/Reuters


WED 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjrqgr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkn)
Twins, parliament and my secret battle with psychosis

On a single day in December 2015, Mar García Puig gave birth to premature twins and was elected to the Spanish parliament. It marked the start of two life-changing roles – as a mother and a public figure – even as she faced an invisible crisis. Almost immediately after her children were born, Mar was gripped by postpartum psychosis – a rare but severe condition. She was experiencing intense anxiety and hypochondrial delusions that convinced her that she and her babies were in danger.

As Mar began her duties as an MP, she kept her condition hidden, aware of the stigma surrounding mothers and women in politics. Supported by her family and driven by a determination not to fail in either role, she continued her work in parliament while navigating intrusive fears and the pressures of early motherhood – though she also found fleeting, powerful moments of joy with her newborns.

Over time, with the help of family, therapy and her own research into the long history of “mad mothers,” Mar began to make sense of her experience. She’s written a book called The History of the Vertebrate.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Maryam Maruf

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

(Photo: Mar García Puig is sitting at a table and laughing with her twins who are standing either side of her, kissing her cheeks. Credit: Courtesy of Mar García Puig)


WED 12:50 Witness History (w3ct9885)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjrv6w)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8003884)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4g6h8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 13:32 Good Bad Billionaire (w3ct9bc1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjryz0)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn168lss62)
Russian warship among targets hit in a large-scale attack on St Petersburg

Ukraine says it hit a warship and an oil terminal in a large-scale drone attack on Russia's second city St Petersburg - just ahead of a major international economic forum being held there.


Also on the programme: A leading Venezuelan opposition activist tells us his country needs elections as soon as possible - but he doubts that interim president Delcy Rodriguez shares his view.

And scientists uncover living yeasts in the frozen body of a man who lived five thousand years ago -- and then manage to bake some bread with it.

(Photo: Heavy smoke billows after Ukrainian drones hit infrastructure, according to local authorities, in St Petersburg, Russia, 3rd June 2026. Credit: Reuters/Stringer)


WED 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjs2q4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 15:06 The Interview (w3ct98gy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4gfzj)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct6s7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


WED 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8db3)
US seeks to refloat its tariffs policy

The US proposes new duties of at least 10% on 60 countries in response to the Supreme Court’s decision back in February to strike down Donald Trump’s earlier tariffs

Trump's trade representative Jamieson Greer argues that the 60 nations, which cover most of the world including the European Union and Canada, have not done enough to crack down on forced labour.

Plus, the OECD gives its latest assessment of the global economy. We tell you what it says.

And secret documents obtained by the BBC suggest oil giant Shell continued to operate a pipeline in Nigeria even though bosses knew it was causing widespread pollution.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Gideon Long


WED 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjs6g8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486gwb1)
Protests in UK over handling of stabbing case

Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student, was stabbed to death in December, and was arrested and handcuffed as he lay dying on the ground. His killer, Vickrum Digwa, had claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack. The government now says anti-racism guidance should change. We hear how the story has become a big political story in the UK.

Lebanon's health ministry has said two paramedics were killed and a third seriously injured by an Israeli strike in the south of the country. We hear from displaced people in Lebanon and speak to our corrrespondents.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka saw her French Open title hopes vanish as she completely unravelled in a crushing quarter-final defeat by Diana Shnaider in yet another shock result at this year's tournament. We speak to our tennis correspondent in Paris.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Protesters stand facing police officers during a demonstration following the conviction of Vikrum Digwa for the murder of student Henry Nowak, in Southampton, Britain, 2 June, 2026. Credit: Isabel Infantes/Reuters)


WED 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjsb6d)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486h025)
Aid workers on Ebola frontline in DRC

The head of the World Health Organization says the number of suspected Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reduced significantly as testing ramps up. We bring together aid workers to share their experiences.

Ukraine says a Russian warship was among targets hit in a large-scale drone attack on St Petersburg ahead of the Russian city's annual economic forum. We hear from our Russia editor and our correspondent in Ukraine.

Internal documents obtained by the BBC show the British oil giant, Shell continued to operate a major pipeline in southern Nigeria, even though it knew it was causing widespread pollution. Our reporter has details.

A study has found that doing 90 minutes to two hours of strength training each week can greatly reduce the risk of an early death. We speak to an expert and bring together older people who do weight training.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Unicef staff and airport workers load trucks with aid from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) for the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain, at Bunia National Airport, Democratic Republic of Congo, 28 May, 2026. Credit: Gradel MuyisaMumbere/Reuters)


WED 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjsfyj)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


WED 18:50 Witness History (w3ct9885)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


WED 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjskpn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8003zqx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4gxz1)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rrp)
2026/06/03 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 (w1730nkn5yjspfs)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 20:06 The Climate Question (w3ct99hj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:06 on Sunday]


WED 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4h1q5)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 20:32 Health Check (w3ct8k2g)
Health at the football World Cup

From heat exhaustion to dengue fever - monitoring public health risks at the biggest tournament in football history.

With millions of fans travelling to the USA, Canada and Mexico for the men’s football World Cup, Claudia Hammond speaks to Professor Rebecca Katz from Georgetown University in Washington DC who is the Director of the newly set up Health Security Operations Center, a surveillance hub to track threats to health, monitoring the risk of diseases such as measles, dengue and chikungunya.

With the World Cup coinciding with rainy season in Mexico, which also means mosquito season, our reporter Rogelio Navarro in Guadalajara brings us the latest on efforts in Jalisco state to prevent outbreaks of dengue which is transmitted by mosquitoes.

And the potential for health issues due to extreme heat has caused concerns amongst players, spectators and scientists. At the men’s FIFA Club World Cup in the USA last year Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez spoke out about the difficulties of playing in high temperatures. We hear from Norwegian international midfielder Morten Thorsby and Douglas Casa, CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute and Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, who have written to tournament organisers, FIFA, calling for stronger heat protection measures for players and spectators.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Image: Aziz Behich and Mathew Leckie of Australia drink water during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group D match between Australia and Denmark at Al Janoub Stadium on November 30, 2022 in Al Wakrah, Qatar


WED 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjst5x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn168ltmdz)
Venezuela: 5 months since Maduro’s overthrow

It's now five months since the United States removed the then Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas by force to face trial on drug charges. What has changed in the interim in Venezuela?

Also in the programme: The leader of the Cuban Five - Gerardo Hernández - speaks to us about Raúl Castro's 95th birthday, and US pressure for change in Havana; and the German film director Wim Wenders says he's withdrawing his 1975 film Wrong Move because of complaints by the actress Nastassja Kinski who appeared topless in it when she was 13 years old.

(Photo: Members of Venezuelan opposition political parties, public sector workers and students protest demanding higher wages, better working conditions, and an electoral calendar for the presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela, 3 June 2026. Credit: Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)


WED 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjsxy1)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 22:06 The Interview (w3ct98gy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


WED 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4h96f)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 22:32 Good Bad Billionaire (w3ct9bc1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


WED 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjt1p5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


WED 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8004gqf)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


WED 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4hdyk)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


WED 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fvs)
Can Trump's latest tariff plan on 60 countries stick?

The head of manufacturers association in Switzerland weighs in on what's at stake from President Trump's latest policy on trade.

Also, what's going on behind the scenes at 60 Minutes, as a major network boss wields the axe at the highest rating US current affairs programme.

And Michelle Obama says it's good for Gen Z workers to experience bad bosses and boring jobs.. but is she right?

(Picture: US President Donald Trump Returns to the White House, Washington, USA - 04 Jan 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

THURSDAY 04 JUNE 2026

THU 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjt5f9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 00:06 The Documentary (w3ct9b8g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Saturday]


THU 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjt95f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8004q6p)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4hnft)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mkv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Wednesday]


THU 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjtdxk)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8004tyt)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4hs5y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 02:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b95)
Manosphere messiahs: Kenya

It started in the West with influencers like Andrew Tate. Now the manosphere has gone global, with copycats from Africa to Latin America attracting huge audiences and the cash to match. In the second episode of a two-part investigation, reporter Jacqui Wakefield explores the booming industry in Kenya, where social media algorithms are fuelling a growing gender divide. She meets one of the biggest Kenyan influencers, Andrew Kibe, and his devoted fans and asks, are women paying the price?

Reporter: Jacqui Wakefield
Producer: Katy Ling
Executive Producer: Louise Hidalgo
Sound engineer: Gareth Jones
Editor: Rebecca Henschke


THU 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjtjnp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8jkn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Wednesday]


THU 03:50 Witness History (w3ct9885)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Wednesday]


THU 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjtndt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj80052g2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4j0p6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 04:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8sw2)
Can I save the family restaurant?

Running a restaurant is hard. Long hours, tight margins and constant stress. In this week's programme Rumella Dasgupta travels to Edinburgh, Scotland, to meet Lisa He and her mum Sophie. Lisa has just put her life and acting career on hold, to try and help her mum save the family's restaurant, the China Star. A video she made documenting her attempt has gone viral, with more than fifteen million views.

But is a viral video going to be enough to turn a failing business into a success? Lisa's got to fix the sprawling menu, digitise the paper ordering system and cut costs.

Lisa and Rumella meet restaurant turnaround expert David Hopkins from the Fifteen Group in Canada, who's on hand to give advice and to explain why restaurants are such difficult businesses to run.

Meanwhile the Mand family in Sydney Australia know only too well what Lisa and Sophie are going through. Last year, son Bhav documented his fight to save his dad's failing restaurant. So how's it doing now?

And, in such a difficult industry, when is the right time to walk away? Rumella hears from Carleigh Bond, who made the tough decision to close her vegan fast-food restaurant Forked Up in October 2025.

Producers: Lexy O'Connor and Beatrice Pickup.

Sound Engineer: Andrew Mills

Image description: Lisa He and mum Sophie in their restaurant, The China Star. Lisa is looking at mum and smiling. (Credit: BBC)


THU 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjts4y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7dvbp)
US House approves war powers resolution

The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution aimed at limiting President Trump's power to continue the war with Iran. It's the fourth time the House has tried to curb the US war against Iran. Four Republicans sided with Democrats in this vote.

Israel and Lebanon have agreed a ceasefire that would require Hezbollah to halt its attacks, and see the Lebanese armed forces take control of some areas.

And we look at the work being done to find a vaccine against the current strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Presenters: Anne Soy and James Copnall

(Photo: United States Capitol, the meeting place of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Credit: Eliyahu Parypa/Getty).


THU 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjtwx2)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7dz2t)
US House votes to rein in Trump's Iran war powers

The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution aimed at limiting President Trump's power to continue the war with Iran. It's the fourth time the House has tried to curb the US war against Iran. Four Republicans sided with Democrats in this vote.

We speak to the World Health Organisation in Lebanon and find out how attacks on medical facilities are costing lives.

And we look at the work being done to find a vaccine against the current strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Presenters: Anne Soy and James Copnall

(Photo: US House Speaker Mike Johnson. Credit: Will Oliver/EPA).


THU 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjv0n6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7f2ty)
Israel and Lebanon renew ceasefire agreement

Israel and Lebanon agree to implement a conditional ceasefire if Hezbollah stops attacks on Israel. We look at the chances of success without Hezbollah's involvement.

House Republicans join Democrats to curb President Trump's war powers in Iran. The move is seen as a sign of the growing opposition to the military campaign now in it's fourth month. We look at how this reflects the views of Americans who are counting the cost of the war.

We speak to a Venezuelan opposition activist about continuing anti government demonstrations in his country.

And we look at the price set by rocket maker SpaceX for it's initial public offering next week. It's likely to make Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire.

Presenters: Anne Soy and James Copnall

(Photo: A meeting between Israeli and Lebanese delegations hosted by the United States. Credit: Nathan Howard/Reuters).


THU 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjv4db)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 08:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pq)
Is Portugal’s drugs policy in need of reform?

In 2001, Portugal decriminalised the possession and use of all illicit drugs. It was a move designed to mitigate the country’s public health crisis, which at the time meant Portugal had one of the worst rates of overdose deaths in Europe, as well as the highest rate of HIV among drug users. Whilst drugs remained illegal, users did not receive a criminal record but were instead referred to rehabilitation and treatment programmes. It was an approach that proved so successful, that it has remained in place for a quarter of a century.

But just over 10 years after its introduction, Portugal’s drugs policy started to come under strain as the country’s economic crisis and subsequent austerity measures led to budget cuts for drug services. More recently the rising cost of living has diverted people’s attention from investment in this field. On top of this, the trafficking of cocaine and newer substances into the country along with changing demographics is putting decriminalisation under strain.

So, on The Inquiry this week, we’re asking ‘Is Portugal’s drugs policy in need of reform?’

Contributors:
Joana Teixeira, President of the Board of Directors, Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (ICAD), Lisbon, Portugal
Luís Mendão, Director General, Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (GAT), Lisbon, Portugal
António Leitão da Silva, Chief of Police, Braga, Portugal
Keith Humphreys, Esther Ting Memorial Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, California, USA

Presenter: David Baker
Producer: Jill Collins
Technical Producer: Toby James
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey

(Photo: Discarded drug paraphernalia. Credit: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)


THU 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4jhnq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8glc)
Has the World Cup broken dynamic pricing?

This week, Michelle, Rahul and Will explore the world of dynamic pricing, where prices go up when demand is high and come down when demand drops. It’s already standard in travel and hospitality. Now, it’s expanding into live events, and this year, it reached the World Cup. Supporters say it’s simple economics, charging what people are willing to pay. Critics argue it risks pricing ordinary fans out of the experiences they love. So how does dynamic pricing really work? Why has it become one of the most controversial trends in live entertainment? And as organisers push to maximise revenue, are we seeing the future of events, or the point where fans push back?

Hosts: Will Bain, Michelle Fleury and Rahul Tandon
Producer: Rebecca Smyllie

(Picture: The 2026 FIFA World Cup logo is placed over the original logo of the Hard Rock stadium in Miami, Florida, USA. Credit: CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock)


THU 08:50 Witness History (w3ct98bf)
The protests that sparked the Tiananmen Square massacre

One month before the bloodshed in Beijing, a 10km line of protestors snaked through the city.

For over a decade China had been opening up to global trade and there was promise that, with greater economic freedoms, democratic rights might be within reach too.

In an emotional testimony, student organiser Wu'er Kaixi explains why he thought protest and demonstrations were encouraging leaders towards a more progressive China.

On 4 May 1989, with huge numbers in the streets it was a moment when many dared to believe the fight for democracy could be won. But, as Wu'er Kaixi tells Tom Bonnett, it was a brief high point. A month later, tanks and soldiers descended on the streets and sent a bloody message - protest would not be tolerated.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Student protests in Beijing in May 1989. Credit: Getty Images)


THU 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjv84g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8005p5q)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4jmdv)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 09:32 The Documentary (w3ct9b95)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjvcwl)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 10:06 The Explanation (w3ct98mg)
The Media Show: Inside Rafa Nadal's Netflix show

A new Netflix documentary follows the final stage of Rafael Nadal's tennis career. The series is the latest high-profile sports documentary made for a streaming platform. Zachary Heinzerling, director of Rafa, outlines how the film was made and the level of access his team received. Minal Modha, senior research director at Ampere Analysis, provides context on the growing business of sports documentaries.

In Scotland, Peter Murrell's guilty plea to embezzling funds from the SNP has renewed attention on the reporting that first raised questions about the affair. John Ferguson, political editor at the Sunday Mail, reflects on his own journalism. Laura Kuenssberg explains how she secured the first broadcast interview with Nicola Sturgeon since her estranged husband’s conviction.

CBS News is facing upheaval following changes in leadership and the departure of several senior figures. The latest developments centre on the dismissal of veteran correspondent Scott Pelley after public criticism of the network's direction. Michael Grynbaum, media correspondent at The New York Times, outlines the story.

Presenter: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson and Lucy Wai
Researcher: Ruth Waites
Sound engineer: Volodymyr Muzyczka


THU 10:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4jr4z)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 10:32 Happy News (w3ct8nwg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:32 on Saturday]


THU 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjvhmq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8005xnz)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4jvx3)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mfb)
The battle to save James Bond from becoming slop

Casting is finally underway for a new James Bond. But why has it taken five years to even begin the search?

Since Daniel Craig retired as Bond in 2021, there have been reports of a behind-the-scenes David and Goliath battle between the family business which has held creative control of the franchise since the 1960s and its new owners, Amazon. It is now up to Jeff Bezos’s tech giant to decide who will play 007 – and how to run the series.

In an era when Hollywood studios are desperate to eke out every last dollar from movie franchises, can James Bond retain its mystique and appeal to a new generation of cinema goers?

We speak to Wall Street Journal enterprise reporter Erich Schwartzel.

Producer: Lucy Pawle and Xandra Ellin

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Executive producer: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Daniel Craig at the world premiere of the Bond film, No Time to Die, London, 28 September, 2021 Credit: Neil Hall/European Pressphoto Agency)


THU 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjvmcv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8j43)
Heated Rivalry: How a hockey TV show inspired me to come out

Two stories about on-screen romances, and what happens when they meet real life.

Jesse Kortuem grew up in Minneapolis, in a neighbourhood where ice hockey was central to the community. With three older brothers already playing the sport, Jesse was on the ice from the age of three. During his teenage years, the ice hockey locker room was a place of homophobic slurs, which contributed to complicated feelings about his own sexuality. For years, he felt he couldn't be both a gay man and an athlete. So he 'edited' himself within the sport and hid his sexuality from his teammates in the amateur ice hockey league he played in. That is until 2025, when the surprise smash hit TV series Heated Rivalry - a gay love story, set in the world of ice hockey - exploded into the zeitgeist. With no big budget, and no big names - it become one of the most talked about shows of the year. Jesse watched as ice hockey fans from various backgrounds cheered on the show, hoping that the characters were given a Cinderella story ending. One viral social media post later, Jesse felt a seismic shift about who he could be, on the ice.

Minh Thu and Truc Nhu were two contestants of the reality show, The Bachelor Vietnam. For them, it wasn't what they saw on the screen that led them to be open about their sexuality - but what happened behind the camera. The two women were competing for the affections of the 'bachelor' but instead found love with each other. Emily Webb spoke to them down the line in Ho Chi Minh City in 2019.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Elena Angelides

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

(Photo: Jesse Korteum stands on an outdoor ice hockey rink, wearing a jersey of an LGBTQ+ team and association for the sport. Credit: Courtesy of Jesse Kortuem)


THU 12:50 Witness History (w3ct98bf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjvr3z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8006557)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4k3dc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 13:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8sw2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjvvw3)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn168lwp35)
Israel and Lebanon agree ceasefire

The US State Department has announced Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire and create a number of "pilot" security zones inside Lebanon in which Hezbollah operatives would be banned. Hezbollah has rejected the agreement.

Also in the programme: Tech executives are calling for stricter regulations to prevent AI from being used to develop biological weapons and find out why a 62-million-year-old Egyptian fossil is exciting scientists.

(Picture: The US, Israel and Lebanon agree to a ceasefire at the State Department in the US. Credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard)


THU 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjvzm7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 15:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4kbwm)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8glc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


THU 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d5l)
Musk's SpaceX sets terms for mega IPO

Elon Musk's SpaceX has outlined the terms of its IPO, saying its shares should be sold at $135 each. That values the company at $1.75 trillion, well above previous estimates. Only six companies on the S&P 500 stock market index are worth more. We look at how successful the IPO is likely to be.

Plus, shares in US chipmaker Broadcom drop sharply. We ask why.

And we hear from the CEO of dating app Hinge on the importance of old-fashioned in-person dates in the age of AI.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Gideon Long


THU 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjw3cc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486ks74)
Mexico's World Cup security challenge

The BBC's Will Grant got a first-hand look at security preparations in Monterrey, Nuevo León, a city in northern Mexico, ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup. We hear his report and speak to him about the challenges the officials are facing. We also hear messages from Mexicans.

A proposed ceasefire in southern Lebanon called a last chance for peace has been rejected by the Hezbollah militant group. We speak to our correspondent in Beirut.

We find out about two horror films directed by YouTube creators that are topping the box office charts in the US.

A Nepali climbing guide thought to have died on Mount Everest has been found crawling down to Base Camp, six days after he was last seen alive.

We speak to doctors and midwives about birth injuries that affected millions of women around the world.

WARNING: Listeners will hear detailed descriptions of birth injuries which some may find distressing.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: Members of the drone squad demonstrate robots in Guadalajara, Mexico, 26 May 2026. Credit: Francisco Guasco/EPA)


THU 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjw73h)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486kwz8)
Can World Cup hosts put differences aside for a month?

Football fans travelling to North America for the continent's first co-hosted World Cup will find three host countries who have endured a tense time. We speak to our correspondents in the three host countries, the US, Canada and Mexico.

Thousands of people have been marching in Jerusalem's annual Pride parade, which is usually held under tight security after violence at the event in previous years. Our correspondent is there.

A Nepali climbing guide thought to have died on Mount Everest has been found crawling down to Base Camp, six days after he was last seen alive.

Our sports reporter has today's sport headlines.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Fifa World Cup signage is displayed at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, California, US, 3 June 2026. Credit: Chris Torres/EPA)


THU 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjwbvm)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8j43)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


THU 18:50 Witness History (w3ct98bf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


THU 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjwglr)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8006wn0)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4ktw4)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rm5)
2026/06/04 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 (w1730nkn5yjwlbw)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 20:06 The Documentary (w3ct9b95)
[Repeat of broadcast at 02:32 today]


THU 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4kym8)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 20:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977p)
How is AI going to change science?

Are we moving away from science as a strictly human endeavour? This is the view of Pushmeet Kohli, head of AI for Science at Google DeepMind. He joins Tom Whipple to discuss the use of the AI tool Co-Scientist as a collaborator in the lab, and the challenges in making Artificial Intelligence that works in science. Clare Bryant from the University of Cambridge also joins the conversation.

And Steve Brusatte, Professor of Palaeontology at the University of Edinburgh, joins the program to talk about his new book, The Story of Birds, tracing a 150‑million‑year journey from small, feathered dinosaurs to the birds of today.

Plus, science journalist Caroline Steel joins us to discuss the latest scientific discoveries that you might have missed.

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producers: Dan Welsh and Kate White
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Editor: Martin Smith


THU 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjwq30)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn168lxjb2)
Lebanon says it's prepared to use the army to constrain Hezbollah

Lebanon's government says it will use the army to keep Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon, following a truce with Israel. But can that work without Hezbollah’s consent?

Also in the programme: we hear from a member of Curacao’s first ever World Cup soccer team; and a Sherpa feared dead on Everest reaches base camp after six days on the mountain.

(IMAGE: Smoke billows from southern Lebanon, following Israeli strikes, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 4, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Stringer)


THU 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjwtv4)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 22:06 The Inquiry (w3ct98pq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


THU 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4l63j)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 22:32 The Food Chain (w3ct8sw2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


THU 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjwyl8)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


THU 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8007cmj)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


THU 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4l9vn)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


THU 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fq8)
Why water bottles have been given a red card by Fifa?

As Elon Musk's SpaceX seeks a valuation of nearly $1,8tn, which would make it the largest initial public sale in history, we find out what that could look like.

Elsewhere Armenia has today secured €50m in aid from European union to offset Russian trade restrictions, we find out the impact on business.

Also, Fifa bans fans from bringing refillable water bottles into World Cup venues.

And we will be hearing why Fiji has rejected thousands of tonnes of other people's rubbish.

(Photo: Philadelphia City Hall can be seen behind a World Cup flag ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, 4 Jun, 2026; Credit: Bill Streicher/Reuters Connect)

FRIDAY 05 JUNE 2026

FRI 00:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjx2bd)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:06 The Explanation (w3ct98mg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:06 on Thursday]


FRI 00:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4lfls)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 00:32 Unspun World with John Simpson (w3ct8tw6)
What’s it like to be living in Iran now?

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, explores the feelings of ordinary Iranians about the conflict with the United States, analyses the latest extreme global weather warnings, and looks at the state of Ethiopia as it heads to the polls.

Producer: Kate Cornell
Executive Producer: Benedick Watt
Commissioning Editors: Silvia Costeloe and Paul Royall


FRI 01:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjx62j)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8007m3s)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 01:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4lkbx)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 01:32 The Global Story (w3ct8mfb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:32 on Thursday]


FRI 02:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjx9tn)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8007qvx)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 02:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4lp31)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 02:32 Tech Life (w3ct8jxy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Tuesday]


FRI 03:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjxfks)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 03:06 Outlook (w3ct8j43)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 on Thursday]


FRI 03:50 Witness History (w3ct98bf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Thursday]


FRI 04:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjxk9x)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8007zc5)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 04:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4lxl9)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 04:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983n)
The missionary soldier

David Eubank calls himself a missionary soldier. A former US Special Forces soldier, he’s now an ordained Christian Reverend and founder of the Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian group working in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.

He prays before missions, runs towards gunfire, rescues the wounded, and says love is what keeps him there. But David's story is also morally complicated. He has carried dying children from battlefields. He has watched friends and colleagues die. And he has killed.

Rajeev Gupta speaks to David about what it means to follow Jesus in a firefight. David reflects on his upbringing as a missionary child in Thailand, his years in the US military, and the call that took him into Burma’s long-running civil war.

He describes the moments when his faith and a desire for revenge came into conflict. But how does David know he is on the right side? And how does he keep believing in God after seeing so much suffering?

Producer: Sam Gruet
Presenter: Rajeev Gupta
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
Editor: Chloe Walker

(Photo: David Eubank talks to Rangers during a morning devotion outside of West Demoso, Karenni State, Myanmar. Credit: Naw Films)


FRI 05:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjxp21)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 05:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7hr7s)
Putin to address his flagship St.Petersburg summit

In St.Petersburg, Kremlin wants to demonstrate that Russia remains economically powerful despite ongoing Western sanctions.We'll speak to a Russian former deputy minister and an economic analyst.

How devastating can the flesh-eating screwworm detected in the US for the first time in 60 years be for the country's cattle industry?

And we will hear about President Trump's plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to revive the US coal industry.

(Photo: Participants attend a session on energy sector at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum; Credit: Anastasia Barashkova/Reuters)


FRI 06:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjxst5)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 06:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7hvzx)
Kremlin says Russia-US dialogue is going well

Around twenty thousand delegates from more than a hundred countries are attending, including senior figures from China, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania and Uzbekistan. President Putin is due to deliver a major speech later today. The Kremlin wants to demonstrate that Russia remains economically powerful despite ongoing Western sanctions.

And why the famous Kpop band, Le Sserafim is now looking at life differently.

(Photo: President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua (C) attends a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin; Credit: Valeriy Sharifulin/PUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 07:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjxxk9)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 07:06 Newsday (w1730c1ckr7hzr1)
Debates and dealings dominate St Petersburg Economic Forum

President Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev says that Russia -US dialogue is ongoing. A U.S. delegation is in attendance at this year's forum for the first time since 2018 including the chair of the administration’s Commission of Fine Arts and architect of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, Rodney Cook.

The software giant Anthropic says advanced AI systems are beginning to show signs they could go rogue and has urged a coordinated global slowdown in building them.

President Trump says he's spoken directly to the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah -- officially designated in the US as a foreign terrorist organisation -- about a possible end to fighting in Lebanon.

(Photo: An attendee views a rifle during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in St. Petersburg, Russia; Credit: Anatoly Maltsev/
EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 08:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjy19f)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:06 The Interview (w3ct98k6)
David Miliband, International Rescue Committee President: It’s a new world disorder

“It's what we call a new world disorder: 60 wars, 120 million people - refugees and displaced, 300 million people hungry, plus another 45 million according to the World Food Program as a result of the constrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. That's a disordered world. And people can inveigh against international institutions as much as they like, but the problem we're facing is not that there's too strong an international system - it's too weak.”

Caitríona Perry speaks to David Miliband, President of the International Rescue Committee.

Miliband, who was previously British Foreign Secretary, first took up the post in 2013, overseeing the New York-headquartered organisation whose humanitarian relief operations are active in over 40 war-affected countries.

As the world navigates multiple conflicts across the Middle East and Africa, in places such as Sudan, Lebanon and Gaza, humanitarian crises continue to grow.

They are further compounded by cuts to international aid, the breakdown of the rules-based order, plus trade and shipping difficulties due to the conflict in Iran.

This means aid organisations like the IRC are increasingly having to adapt how they respond.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with the World Health Organisation’s Hanan Balkhy; former US Ambassador to the UN, Samanthan Power; and humanitarian chef José Andrés. 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: Caitríona Perry
Producers: Ben Cooper and Chloe Ross
Editor: Damon Rose

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

(Image: David Miliband. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)


FRI 08:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4mdkt)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 08:32 Business Daily (w3ct8g9b)
How karate helped a shy kid transform how India pays

We hear how karate, being laughed out of a bank boardroom in a cash-obsessed country helped shape one of India’s most valuable fintech companies. Harshil Mathur shares how discipline, resilience and a leap of faith helped him build Razorpay into a $7.5 billion company at the heart of India’s digital payments revolution.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rahul Tandon
Producer: Amber Mehmood and Niamh Mc Dermott

(Picture: Harshil Mathur)


FRI 08:50 Witness History (w3ct98dp)
The creation of Inspector Montalbano

On 10 March 1994, Italian author Andrea Camilleri's The Shape of Water was published.

It features Inspector Montalbano in the fictional Sicilian town of Vigàta.

The novel is widely credited with helping start a new wave of Italian noir.

It is the first book in a series that has had worldwide sales of 25 million and has been translated into 120 languages.

Jen Dale uses BBC Archive to tell the story of how the fictional detective was created.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Picture: Italian writer Andrea Camilleri. Credit: Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images)


FRI 09:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjy51k)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8008l2t)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 09:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4mj9y)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 09:32 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:32 on Thursday]


FRI 10:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjy8sp)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 10:06 Unexpected Elements (w3ct8kch)
Science bears fruit

Long live the king – of mangoes! In India the famed ‘king of mangoes’, the Alphonso mango, is in drastically short supply after a particularly bad bout of adverse weather. Inspired by the mango’s plight, the Unexpected Elements team takes a look at what fruit science can bear.

First, from the ‘king of mangoes’ to the ‘king of fruits’, we hear how the infamously stinky durian could be used to charge your phone. Then, an evil lemon planet. We discuss the planet so bizarre it sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi movie.

Plus, have you ever wondered what the key to immortality is? Well, if you guessed sea cucumbers you might be right. We’re joined by Dr Annie Mercier who tells us all about these eternal weirdos of the sea and their surprisingly vital role in the ocean’s ecosystem.

Also, a crayfish invasion, plant cause of death, and what exactly is El Niño?

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Sandy Ong and Michael Kaloki
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Lucy Davies, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Robbie


FRI 11:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjydjt)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8008tl2)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 11:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4mrt6)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 11:32 The Global Story (w3ct8m8t)
How the ‘Godzilla’ El Niño could change the world

Scientists warn that a “super” El Niño could be on its way which, combined with the effects of human-caused climate change, could result in 2027 being the warmest year on record. Yet El Niño is not just a climate story - throughout history, this recurring weather pattern has helped shape global events, triggering everything from famines and revolutions to impacting the Cold War. In this episode, we speak to historian Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford, to discuss what historical El Niños tell us about what cou be coming our way, and how we can collectively prepare.

Producers: Valerio Esposito and Aron Keller

Executive producer: James Shield and China Collins

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A woman rides a bicycle in the rain in Yangon, Myanmar, 22 May 2026. Credit: Nyein Chan Naing/EPA/Shutterstock


FRI 12:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjyj8y)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 12:06 Outlook (w3ct8hpk)
Outlook Mixtape: A portrait of the artist

German artist Carlotta has a severe form of prosopagnosia, or face blindness, a brain disorder that means she can’t recognise faces, not even her own. Her condition went undiagnosed for years, and as a result Carlotta tried to avoid other people as much as she could. But she had always loved painting, and came up with a creative way of making self-portraits. It was through Carlotta’s art that neuroscientist and filmmaker Valentin Riedl came to meet her. After all these years seeking solitude, Carlotta agreed to work with Valentin and together they made a documentary called Lost in Face. They spoke to Emily Webb in 2020.

Margaret Keane was the artist behind the popular Big Eyes paintings of the 1960s, but her husband Walter Keane bullied her into letting him take the credit for them. He made millions of dollars from them, until Margaret took him to court to prove they were her own. In 2014, when she spoke to Outlook's Jo Fidgen, her story was made into a feature film by Hollywood director Tim Burton. Margaret died in 2022.

Paul Ninson grew up hearing traditional stories about Ghana's Ashanti people from his grandparents. He became a self-taught photographer, committed to capturing and preserving African culture. Determined to challenge the usual photographic stereotypes, he began with a project in a Kenyan village where no men are allowed.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Hetal Bapodra


FRI 12:50 Witness History (w3ct98dp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 13:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjyn12)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj800922b)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 13:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4n09g)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 13:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 14:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjyrs6)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 14:06 Newshour (w1730bn168lzl08)
Anthropic founder warns of AI risks

One of the biggest artificial intelligence developers, Anthropic has warned that the latest models might escape human control. It has proposed a co-ordinated global slowdown on building AI systems. One of the firm's co-founders, Jack Clark has been speaking to BBC.

Also in the programme: the latest from Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg; and how an outsider reached the French Open tennis final.

(Photo: Anthropic logo. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)


FRI 15:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjywjb)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:06 The Interview (w3ct98k6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 15:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4n7sq)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 15:32 Business Daily (w3ct8g9b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:32 today]


FRI 15:50 World Business Express (w3ct8d12)
US jobs growth way better than expected

US jobs growth was way better than expected last month. The world’s biggest economy added twice as many jobs as economists had forecast: 172,000 versus predictions of around 88,000.

Plus, nearly a year after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the families of victims in India say they’re being paid significantly less in compensation than their counterparts in the UK.

We hear from one of Vladimir Putin’s top advisers on the state of the Russian economy, and from a co-founder of the AI giant Anthropic, who says artificial intelligence needs to be reined in.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne
Producer: Gideon Long


FRI 16:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjz08g)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 16:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486np47)
Protests against illegal migrants in South Africa

Nigeria has become the latest African country to say it will repatriate citizens from South Africa, following a wave of anti-migrant protests and violence. We hear from South Africans and from foreigners in the country, and our correspondent explains why hostility towards foreigners has been simmering for years.

Scientists have found that the world's coastal mangrove forests are staging an unexpected comeback. Our environment correspondent explains.

Nearly a year since an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed, the families still wait for answers. Our reporter tells us what is known about the investigation and compensation.

Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark has called for the ability to slow progression of artificial intelligence (AI), warning the technology is nearing a point where it could develop without human input. We hear the interview he has given to the BBC.

The British black music entrepreneur, Kanya King, has died at the age of 57. King single-handedly established the Music of Black Origin or MOBO awards, remortgaging her house to get the initial ceremony off the ground in 1996. We look back at her career.

Presenter: James Reynolds

(Photo: Ghanaian citizens arrive at the Accra International Airport as Ghana repatriates hundreds of its citizens from South Africa 27 May, 2026. Credit: Francis Kokoroko/Reuters)


FRI 17:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjz40l)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 17:06 Outside Source (w1730c6d486nswc)
Putin talks up Russia's economy

President Putin has used his keynote address at the annual international economic forum in St Petersburg to talk up the state of Russia's economy. We speak to our correspondent.

Two Russian cosmonauts on board the International Space Station have completed the repair of one of two leaks that had caused concern. We speak to a space expert.

The French Open tennis tournament has been full of surprises. Two tennis journalists talk through what has happened so far and what is expected from the weekend.

Nearly a year since an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed, the families still wait for answers. Our reporter tells us what is known about the investigation and compensation.

Presenter: James Reynolds.

(Photo: St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia, St Petersburg, Russian Federation - 05 Jun 2026. Credit: ANATOLY MALTSEV/EPA)


FRI 18:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjz7rq)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 18:06 Outlook (w3ct8hpk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:06 today]


FRI 18:50 Witness History (w3ct98dp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


FRI 19:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjzchv)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj8009sk3)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 19:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4nqs7)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 19:32 Sport Today (w3ct8rgn)
2026/06/05 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 (w1730nkn5yjzh7z)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:06 BBC Conversations (w3ct8m3p)
Injured during childbirth

Three women come together to discuss a sensitive subject that’s not often talked about: Injuries experienced during childbirth.

While many of these injuries heal quickly, millions of women around the world sustain trauma that can impact their long-term physical, psychological, and social well-being.

“You really have to struggle not to feel ashamed that your body has failed you,” Gill tells us. “You’re led to believe as a woman that this is what we’re here to do, to get pregnant and to give birth to babies easily and without any problems afterwards.”

We also hear about the stigma surrounding birth injuries in some parts of the world, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, and bring together health professionals helping women rebuild their lives and educate their communities.

Warning: our guests discuss the physical impact of childbirth, which will include some detailed biological descriptions.

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Lindsay Brown and Angela Sheeran
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver
A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC World Service Outside Source team.

(Photo: Karen - who features in our programme - with her baby)


FRI 20:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4nvjc)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 20:32 CrowdScience (w3ct8k6z)
Do plants have personalities?

CrowdScience listener George is showing Alex Lathbridge around a small, dark, and extremely hot shed, just outside the city of Accra in Ghana. Inside are row after row of shelves, stacked high with bulging grow-bags. And out of some of them, gorgeous cascades of oyster mushrooms are bursting into bloom.

We’re on George’s mushroom farm, and he’s noticed something interesting. Even though the conditions in his grow-shed are tightly controlled – they have exactly the same food, water, and light as each other – nevertheless, they respond differently. Some are more vigorous than others, some bloom quicker, others last longer, and some are more tolerant when the conditions change. And this got George wondering. Could ‘brainless’ lifeforms like mushrooms, and plants, have different ‘personalities’? Do they experience the world differently, and live their lives differently from each other? Alex Lathbridge is on the case.

He visits the PGRRI, the Plant Genetic Resources Research Centre, for a quick lesson on genetic variation in the plant world. Plants are all different at the genetic level, and it’s those differences which can result in a tastier fruit, or a hardier crop. But would we call traits like these personality?

In the Minimal Intelligence Lab in the University of Murcia in Spain, Paco Calvo thinks that we absolutely should. He studies plant intelligence, and points Alex to a whole host of examples of plants being smart in ways which might surprise you. Each one is an individual, and if we can only slow down enough to appreciate them properly, we’d be able to understand them better too.

Back in Ghana, Alex meets plant physiologist Dr Acheampong Atta-Boateng, in the beautiful grounds of Aburi Botanical Gardens, to meet some of these plants for himself. And he discovers that there’s a whole world of smart, resilient, and resourceful little organisms in the plant world, full of personality, if you know where to look. Who needs a brain!?

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge

Producer: Emily Knight

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Drawing of a face and smiling eyes on a sunflower flower - stock photo- Credit: Jose A. Bernat Bacete via Getty Images)


FRI 21:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjzm03)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 21:06 Newshour (w1730bn168m0f75)
The International Space Station springs a leak

Astronauts onboard the International Space Station were ordered to prepare for evacuation after an air leak suddenly got worse. The situation returned to normal after two Russian cosmonauts completed repairs. We talk to retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who served as commander of the ISS in 2013.

We'll also hear from the Sherpa who went missing on the upper slopes of Mount Everest for six days and survived; and we remember Kanya King, the founder of the MOBO awards recognising Black music and its impact.


(A view of Earth from the Cupola on the earth-facing side of the International Space Station is seen in this NASA handout photo taken June 12, 2013 and provided June 17, 2013. Credit: Reuters)


FRI 22:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjzqr7)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:06 The Interview (w3ct98k6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:06 today]


FRI 22:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4p30m)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 22:32 Heart and Soul (w3ct983n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:32 today]


FRI 23:00 BBC News (w1730nkn5yjzvhc)
The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:06 The Newsroom (w1730bqj800b8jm)
The world's Newsroom brings you global events as they happen


FRI 23:30 BBC News Summary (w1730nlgmp4p6rr)
The latest two minute news summary from BBC World Service.


FRI 23:32 World Business Report (w3ct8fkr)
Is the FIFA World Cup boosting the US job market?

US hospitality industry leads on new jobs growth, but is AI still impacting hiring for white-collar roles?

Moscow says the Russian economy is proving resilient in the face of international sanctions - we hear how the economy hits the local business from the Russian business owner in St Petersburg.

And the legacy of the co-founder of Netflix, Reed Hastings, who departs the streaming giant today after almost thirty years.

(Picture: International soccer friendly - Mexico vs Serbia, Toluca - 05 Jun 2026, Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)