BBC World Service on Player FM: Recent Episodes
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Russia has again targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure; we hear from the governor of one of the regions that has been hit.
Also in the programme: Israeli airstrikes on Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza kill at least forty-six people in a multi-storey building; why Maoris and their supporters are marching to protest against a proposed change to New Zealand’s founding treaty; and the drama that portrays former German Chancellor Angela Merkel as an amateur sleuth.
(IMAGE: Firefighters work at the site of a critical infrastructure facility hit by a Russian missile strike, in Vinnytsia region, Ukraine November 17, 2024 / CREDIT: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Vinnytsia region/Handout via REUTERS)
Singapore has some of the harshest drug laws in the world and the government. Trafficking illegal narcotics can result in decades in prison and even a death sentence. But do they really deter drug crimes?
The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide, one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world.
For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.
Back in 2015, BBC World Service launched the first BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award, to raise the profile of the women’s game but also highlight key issues within the sport.
Ten years ago, the current Champions League winners Barcelona and the Women’s Super League in England still weren’t professional, the Women’s World Cup was about to kick off in Canada using artificial pitches, much to the dismay of players and coaches – something which has never been repeated!
To mark an historic 10th year of the award, past winners including Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala and England’s Lucy Bronze reflect on winning the trophy. Along with previous nominees, they discuss key moments in the last decade and the challenges still ahead for the women’s game.
Joe Biden has met Xi Jinping as concerns over a US-China trade war grow. Also: the discovery of ancient volcanoes on the Moon, and a secret garden in Venice is opened to the public for the first time in 500 years.
The Suez Canal was once one of the busiest global shipping routes – a third of the world's shipping containers normally pass through it.
Since the Houthis began to attack passing ships last year, the volume of vessels going through has declined rapidly.
The canal is run by the Egyptian government, and fewer ships means less foreign currency coming into the economy.
And it’s not just revenue from ships that Egypt is losing, it’s also losing tourists, as many people cancel their trips and spend their dollars elsewhere.
We speak to businesses in Cairo to see how they’re being impacted by these changes, and ask, as Egypt loses out, are other countries winning? Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane (Image: A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on November 3, 2024 in Egypt. Credit: Getty Images)
US and Chinese leaders to discuss “delicate transition” in Lima as President Biden holds his last talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on sides of APEC summit. Also in the programme: families of Israeli hostages in Gaza on Donald Trump’s hopes to secure the hostages release; and we ask what happened on the dark side of the moon nearly three billion years ago?
(IMAGE: President Biden the APEC summit in Peru. CREDIT: Reuters/Leah Millis)
President Zelensky says that with Donald Trump in power in the US, Ukraine's war with Russia will end sooner than expected: does this signal a big change in his thinking? We hear from a Ukrainian MP.
Also in the programme: we hear live from South Africa where a stand-off continues between police and illegal miners at an abandoned gold mine; and we follow the Afghans leaving their homeland in the hope of making it to the UK.
(IMAGE: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference after the 5th summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, 07 November 2024 / CREDIT: Zoltan Balogh /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Hollywood star Idris Elba recently announced he'll soon relocate to Africa and promote the film industry there. He spoke to BBC Africa's Thomas Naadi about it. The British actor is not alone: BBC Africa Eye's Nour Abida has been following the journeys of a group of second generation French nationals who want to move back to Senegal. Her documentary, The Homecoming, is available on the BBC World Service YouTube channel.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
Billy and Susan's life changed when they spotted a starving otter. Now, Molly is part of the family and a film has been made about their story. Also, the invention giving people with disabilities greater freedom.
Toulouse’s six European titles make them the most successful club in European rugby, and if you were to say the French club were out of this world, then you would be right. The city considers itself the aerospace capital of Europe and it turns out one of the club’s secrets to success has been to mix the methods and practices of those training to go into space adapted to the sports field. Sportshour's Chris Bockman finds out more.
Former jockey Karen Wiltshire has a powerful and unheard story to tell about being at the forefront of changing participation in sport. Before her no professional female jockey had ever ridden a winner in British Flat racing when she guided The Goldstone to victory in 1978. Her journey there had seen her manhandled physically and harangued mentally and is all detailed in her book "No Place for a Girl"
Can table football last in an age of digital information? Derek Air has just written a booked called Land of the Giants: My Journey Through the World of Table Football. It's essentially a love letter to an old-fashioned favourite, a much-loved game, and one that simply refuses to die in this digital age.
We hear from Danny Care, a world-class Rugby player who has represented England at every level. After multiple Rugby World Cups and Six Nations tournaments, he became just the sixth player to reach 100 Test caps for his country during England's win over Ireland in in March. Shortly after achieving this remarkable milestone, Danny announced his retirement from international rugby.
Image: A blue poster promoting an event showcasing the relationship between space and sport at Cité de l'Espace in Toulouse, France.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were the undisputed King of Clay and King of Grass respectively. But who would win on a hybrid court made up of half grass and half clay?
That was the idea from Argentinean creative entrepreneur and tennis fan Pablo del Campo, who wanted to stage the exhibition match which would be watched by millions.
As Rafael Nadal retires from professional tennis, Pablo tells Uma Doraiswamy how he made the iconic court possible in May 2007 in a bid to find out who would win the Battle of the Surfaces.
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: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federe compete in the Battle of Surfaces. Credit: Bob Martin/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
It was billed as too close to call right up to the night itself, but in the end the US presidential election saw a clear victory for the Republicans. We hear listeners' views on World Service coverage of the vote, and are joined in the studio by the team behind the election night show America Decides.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
Jewellery can enthral us in many ways: it can delight, inspire and uplift us or it can transport us to the place where we acquired it. It can also make us avaricious or jealous. But why? What explains our enduring fascination with shiny metal and colourful stones?
Iszi Lawrence is joined by Dr. Emily Stoehrer, Senior Curator of Jewelry at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and author of several books on American jewellery and fashion; Dr. Petra Ahde-Deal, a Finnish gemmologist and jeweller who currently lectures at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and at the DIS Study Abroad Program in Copenhagen; Emefa Cole, jewellery maker originally from Ghana who is also the Curator of Diaspora Jewellery at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; Mansi Rao, Curator of the South Asia Collection in Norwich and World Service listeners.
Some of the questions discussed include: gold has been the top choice both for jewellery makers and for buyers in many cultures all over the world. But there are similar metals which are more scarce - and more expensive - than gold, so it’s not exclusivity that makes it popular. And why do men wear flamboyant jewellery at some Indian weddings?
(Photo: Gold Indian wedding bracelet. Credit: Neha S/Getty Images)
We analyse the potential economic challenges the Trump administration could bring to the Eurozone, with forecasts already downgraded by the European Commission. Carsten Brzeski, chief Eurozone economist at ING Bank, offers his analysis on what this could mean for the region's future.
We also explore the race for the next U.S. Treasury Secretary and what it signals for future U.S. policy, with insights from Sylvan Lane, Business Editor at The Hill.
Finally, we turn to Sri Lanka, where President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s decisive election victory raises hopes for sweeping economic reforms. Shanta Devarajan, a professor at Georgetown University and former World Bank senior official, provides a closer look at the challenges and opportunities facing the country.
More than two weeks after the floods that swept through the Valencia region of Spain, the streets are still being cleared of mud and debris. More than 220 people are known to have died but many more have lost their homes and businesses. In our conversations, a family shares their experience of searching for their father and we hear how a mother is struggling to come to terms with the events she witnessed. Meanwhile, recriminations are flying over who is to blame. Officials are facing criticism for failing to issue a weather warning to people’s phones in time, and for the slow mobilisation in the aftermath of the disaster. Three volunteers who have been helping with the rescue effort share their frustrations with the government response.
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Sporting Witness and Witness History programmes.
We hear about the half-clay, half-grass exhibition match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Then, we look back through the archives to find out how Greece held a referendum to decide the country’s future.
Next, a mountain massacre on the Himalayas in Pakistan.
Plus, India’s coal-mine rescue.
And, how a mother successfully campaigned to change her child’s gender on official documents in Argentina.
Contributors:
Pablo del Campo – creative entrepreneur and tennis fan.
Fiona Skillen – Professor of Sports History at Glasgow Caledonian University.
BBC Archives.
Aleksandra Dzik – Polish mountaineer.
Sarpreet Singh Gill – Jaswant Singh Gill’s son.
Gabriela Mansilla – Luana’s mother.
(Photo: 'The Battle of the Surfaces' at The Palma Arena on May 2, 2007 in Mallorca. Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
An aide to the Israeli PM has been accused of altering 7 October records to improve Mr Netanyahu's image. Also: the growing trade in smuggling tarantulas, and why people prefer AI-generated poetry.
European vaccine shares fall on the nomination by Donald Trump of vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Junior as US Health Secretary. We look at his views on food, nutrition and agriculture.
Also on the programme: why the South African authorities are determined to starve thousands of illegal miners to force them out of a mine; and the man caught smuggling hundreds of tarantulas and bullet ants by plane at great risk to himself.
(Photo: Robert F Kennedy Jr speaks at Bitcoin 2024 in Nashville in July. Credit: Reuters)
Global vaccine makers' shares dip after news that Robert F Kennedy Jr is Donald Trump's pick to lead US health department. We find out why.One of China's investments in a Colombian mine has backfired after a drug gang commandeered part of the business. We look into what happened.The European Union has delayed by a year a regulation that was going to ban the import of goods linked to deforestation, a move that has been criticised by companies like chocolate maker Ferrero Rocher. We talk to one of its executives.Sri Lanka has a new president. We hear about the challenges he'll face to lift the economy.And we hear from our correspondent in the US about the latest ruling against a crypto scam.
South African authorities try to force as many as 4,000 illegal miners - known as zama zamas - to return to the surface, by denying them food and water. The miners, who have been stuck underground, fear they will be arrested. Who are they? And could the government's hardline operation be challenged in the courts?
What next for Mali - now that the multinational UN peacekeeping force, MINUSMA, has officially ended its mission after being ordered out of the country by the military government.
And Miss Somalia, Khadija Omar, tells us about her journey from the stifling heat of a refugee camp to making history on a global stage as the first hijab-wearing beauty queen to take part in the Miss Universe pageant.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Nyasha Michelle and Amie Liebowitz in London. Susan Gachuhi in Nairobi, and Blessing Aderogba in LagosTechnical Producer: Nick RandellSenior Journalist: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
The left-wing alliance of Sri Lanka's new leader wins a landslide. Also; volunteers enter South Africa mine to aid illegal workers, and a look ahead to one of the most controversial boxing bouts in modern history.
Donald Trump is continuing to build a controversial administration, having picked vaccine sceptic and former independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr as his health secretary. Kennedy, commonly known by his initials RFK Jr, has a history of spreading health information that scientists say is false. We hear from a senior adviser to the Trump 2024 election campaign, as well as a former CDC director with serious concerns about the choice.
Also on the programme: the latest from the UN climate talks in Azerbaijan, as well as the remarkable discovery of a pre-historic ecosystem in the Italian Alps.
(Picture: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-A-Lago in Florida Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
A new era is beginning at Manchester United with former Braga and Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim officially installed as head coach. He'll take charge of his first match against Ipswich Town, but who is Ruben Amorim and what makes him tick? In a special Sportsworld podcast, United We Stand fanzine editor Andy Mitten joins Delyth Lloyd to find out more about Amorim from those who know him best - his childhood friends, former colleagues, players who have worked with him, as well as discovering what it takes to manage one of the biggest clubs in the world. Photo: Ruben Amorim visits Old Trafford on November 13, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Credit: Manchester United via Getty Images)
It’s been 24 years since the release of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which left audiences captivated by the story of Maximus the gladiator, played by Russell Crowe. Now, Gladiator II is hitting the cinemas, so this week we enter the arena to take a look at some gladiatorial science.
We hear about an angry little fish that fights off its rivals in mouth-to-mouth combat, we discover how humans have looked to nature to design better armour, and we find out about the perfume that Julius Caesar would have worn.
We also speak to Dr Chris Nowinski, a former WWE professional wrestler who's now a pioneering neuroscientist. He’s leading some research into how to prevent concussions in sport, and is co-founder of The Concussion Legacy Foundation.
That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Christine Yohannes and Chhavi SachdevProducers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Dan Welsh and Imaan MoinSound engineer: Dyfan Rose
Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 9 uses of ‘see’ - in 5 minutes.
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Since the 19th Century, Germans have been bathing nude at the beach.
The naturist movement, known as the FKK, was banned under the Nazis.
People also faced official disapproval during the early years of communist rule in East Germany.
Mike Lanchin spoke to German naturist, Wolfgang Haider, in 2017.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Picture: Bathers enjoy the beach. Credit: Sean Gallup via Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Steve McQueen, the Oscar-winning director of films including 12 Years a Slave and Widows. Much of his work has portrayed racial injustice, and his latest film, Blitz, tells the story of a black boy caught up in war-torn London in 1940. His images are often difficult to bear - how important is it not to look away?
Image: Steve McQueen (Credit: Andy Rain/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
President elect Donald Trump Nominates Robert F Kennedy to lead US Health Department. Shares in vaccine companies fell on the news of the announcement
Ben & Jerry’s have filed a case against their owner, Unilever. They accuse Unilever of trying to prevent the ice cream company from making public statements supporting Palestinian refugees.
The President of Guyana has announced that every adult in the country will receive one- hundred- thousand ($100,000) Guyanese dollars -- or nearly five hundred US Dollars. We ask, why?
At the age of 34, Donna Mulhearn – a committed Christian - had grown disillusioned with her career as a journalist and political adviser. When she heard someone on the radio seeking volunteers to serve as human shields in Iraq, Donna - already opposed to the war and a staunch advocate of non-violent action - immediately knew what she had to do. Despite the objections of concerned family and friends, she travelled to Baghdad to join hundreds of other volunteers from around the world. But all too soon things got complicated. The Iraqi authorities had their own ideas about where the human shields should be deployed – and then Donna, along with other volunteers, witnessed scenes of carnage. Despite all this, Mike Wooldridge, asks, does she feel with hindsight that she did the right thing?
A Brazilian judge says a foiled suicide bomber wanted to blow up the country's Supreme Court. Also: the hundreds of miners hiding in a South African mine, and the dead British soldiers - identified after 70 years.
The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has exceeded 800 million, more than quadrupling since 1990. This is according to new data published in the journal The Lancet on World Diabetes Day.
Also on the programme: Police in Brazil say an attack on the Supreme Court was a terrorist incident; and there is growing anger over Donald Trump's choices for some of the most powerful positions in the next US government, particularly his choice of Attorney General.
(Photo: A person using a set of weighing scales. Credit: PA)
Before December, the United Nations aims to have a global treaty in place covering efforts to limit global plastic production and pollution. In a paper in the journal Science, a team of scientists have used machine learning to estimate what happens by 2050 if we do nothing. But they have also found that the problem is solvable, with the right political will, and as marine ecologist Neil Nathan of UCSB points out, with surprisingly little new rules, waste could be reduced by 91%.
Machine learning this week has also helped in the creation of Evo, a tool that has created a sort of chat-GPT for the language of life, DNA. Patrick Hsu, of the University of California at Berkeley is very optimistic that the power of this tool both to predict function and one day even design whole organisms is a foundational new approach.
Migratory birds navigate vast distances without GPS. It’s long been strongly suspected that they use the earth’s magnetic field to find their way, but Richard Holland of Bangor University and colleagues have found nuance in the way they do, and publish their findings in Proceedings of the Royal Society B this week. Using electromagnetic cages they have fooled individual warblers into acting as if they were in Russia, whilst actually still being in Austria.
Meanwhile, Daniele Sorini, a cosmologist at Durham University has been thinking about dark energy and the possibility of our existence. In a thought experiment wondering what changing the density of dark energy would do to the likelihood of our being here to even think about it. Slightly contrary to what many reason is the fine-tuning of universal constants to allow us, as intelligent observers, to exist, Daniele and colleagues calculate that actually our observed density of dark energy is not the most likely to allow intelligent life. If there are other universes in the multiverse, most observers would think there was much more dark energy than we do. You can read up about it in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, if you are an intelligent observer yourself.
Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Alex Mansfield with Eliane GlaserProduction Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Plastic waste issues in Philippines. Credit: Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Philippines braces for a fifth typhoon in three weeks. Past storms left more 150 dead, and thousands have now been evacuated. We get the latest. As the consequences of global warming become more clear, some of the private finance is now backing stronger moves into renewable energy to mitigate what is happening. We hear about this new trend. And around 4,000 illegal miners are stuck inside an old mine with police officers waiting for them outside. The miners fear they will be arrested if they come out but their families have a different version. We find out.
The Israeli authorities have caused massive and deliberate forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, in what amounts to a war crime, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.
Donald Trump has nominated former Republican US Congressman Matt Gaetz for the role of US attorney-general.He is a man with many critics, including within his own party. So will the Senate approve the nomination? Also on the programme: Super Typhoon Usagi makes landfall in an already storm-battered Philippines; and the academic from London who is under house arrest in Azerbaijan while the UN climate change conference continues.
Photo: Former US Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz speaks at a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Henderson, Nevada U.S. 31st October 2024. Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake
The European Union has announced it will not renew its fishing agreement with Senegal, citing concerns over the country’s efforts to curb illegal fishing. European officials pointed to inadequate monitoring and surveillance systems in Dakar. Without a renewed agreement European vessels will be required to exit Senegalese waters when the deal expires on Sunday. What are the reasons behind this decision?
Also, did you know that two in three children endure violent punishment or discipline at home and at school?
And making the case for tourism in Africa...it's not only about the fauna and the flora!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Sunita Nahar, Joseph Keen and Nyasha Michelle in LondonTechnical Producer: Nick RandellSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
A relationship between sisters can be one of the closest there is. Neil and Georgie tune in to a BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour special about sisterhood and teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript and worksheet for this episode to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-241114
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In 2013, a six-year-old from Argentina became one of the youngest people in the world to legally have their gender changed on official documents through self-declaration.
It followed the introduction of the Gender Identity Act in 2012, that aimed to reduce the exclusion of transgender people.
But as Luana's mother Gabriela Mansilla reveals, the fight for recognition wasn’t easy. Gabriela speaks to Madeleine Drury.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Luana hugging her mother Gabriela Mansilla in 2015. Credit: AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
US President-elect Donald Trump has picked Elon Musk for a role in government cost-cutting, as part of his drive to "dismantle" bureaucracy. We speak to Trevor Traina, former United States Ambassador to Austria during Donald Trump's first presidency.
Also, China is showing off its latest generation of stealth fighter jets and other military hardware at its Zhuhai Airshow.
Why Germany is in the midst of a lot of political and economic trouble?
Devina Gupta explains us how businesses copying in Indian capital city Delhi while facing high levels of air pollution.
And the New York City council passed a bill that will prevent tenants from having to pay fees to brokers hired by landlords.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
You can spend hours in an airport and never learn anything about the people around you. But follow the chaplains of London Heathrow, and you might start to see things - and people - differently. Headed up by Reverend Ruth Bottoms, a team of 20 multi-faith chaplains offer sanctuary and support to passengers and staff in the unpredictable environment of a mega airport. Counselling nervous fliers, responding to crises, leading daily masses in Heathrow’s own chapel - these chaplains respond to whatever comes their way.
Jude Shapiro spends a week with the chaplains and those they encounter to see what happens when faith, flight and the stresses of Europe’s busiest airport combine.
With thanks to the Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy and Heathrow Airport.
Presenter/producer: Jude ShapiroExecutive producer: Jack HowsonSound engineer: Arlie AdlingtonA Peanut and Crumb production for BBC World Service
It was on a university trip that Kenyan entrepreneur Joseph Nguthiru first came across water hyacinth in Lake Naivasha.
It is an incredibly harmful and invasive weed that is currently blocking waterways and devastating fish populations all over the world.
Joseph, who was an engineering student at the time, tells us how he came up with a solution to use the plant as a material for making packaging - and how he's founded a successful business, HyaPak Ecotech, as a result.
Produced and presented by Zawadi Mudibo
(Image: Fishermen removing water hyacinth from the net in Lake Victoria in Kisumu, western Kenya in 2018)
From spiced lattes to scented candles, autumn has become a staple in marketing calendars and on social media. We speak to businesses who thrive at this time of year; hear from content creators fuelling fall fever; and look at how the season is embraced in parts of the world without autumnal temperatures.
(Picture: Friends Amina, Ayesha and Noor in front of some pumpkins at Downey’s Farm, near Toronto, Canada. Every year they go to recreate a photo in the pumpkin patch. Credit: Megan Lawton/BBC)
Presenter: Megan Lawton Producer: Sam Gruet
Dull? Boring? Plain?
Vanilla is a byword for something which is ordinary or standard.
In this programme Ruth Alexander finds the story of the popular spice is anything but normal.
Originating in Mexico it’s travelled the globe and taken over, and is now one of the most valuable commodities available.
It’s gone from being highly sought after and the height of luxury – even serving as an aphrodisiac for Mesoamericans and a European monarch - to ubiquitous and considered “regular”.
Despite its reputation there is still a lot to appreciate about this complex flavour, and fans in one ice cream parlour are keen to make sure it isn’t overlooked.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Nina Pullman and Hannah Bewley
(Image: A vanilla bean and flower. Credit: Getty Images)
Republicans secure total control of US congress after winning the House of Representatives. Also: climate impact of jet condensation trails and the kidults rediscovering the joy of toys.
US President-elect Donald Trump has picked Elon Musk for a role in government cost-cutting, as part of his drive to "dismantle" bureaucracy. We speak to Trevor Traina, former United States Ambassador to Austria during Donald Trump's first presidency.
Also, China is showing off its latest generation of stealth fighter jets and other military hardware at its Zhuhai Airshow.
Why Germany is in the midst of a lot of political and economic trouble?
And the New York City council passed a bill that will prevent tenants from having to pay fees to brokers hired by landlords.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
President Biden and Donald Trump have held initial transition talks in the White House as the Republicans makes further significant nominations including Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. We hear from Estonia's foreign minister Margus Tsahkna.
Also in the programme: a cheap way to reduce damage from contrails; and more heavy flooding in the Valencia region of Spain.
(Picture: US President Biden hosts President-elect Trump at the White House, Washington Dc, USA. Credit: EPA-EFE)
As Trump is elected to a second term in office, what will his policies mean for U.S. and global health funding, vaccine distribution and international health strategies?
Also on the program, have you ever wondered what health issues we should worry about if humans settle in space? Claudia speaks with the Wienersmiths, a husband-and-wife team who authored a book exploring the possibility of space colonies, sharing insights on the scientific and logistical challenges of sustaining life beyond Earth. And we hear the latest on Pakistan’s smog crisis, examining its persistent impact on communities and its place within the global issue of air pollution.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Jack Lee
How will the NATO military alliance and support for Ukraine hold together with Donald Trump in the White House? Also on the programme: the United States will continue to send military support to Israel despite the passing of a deadline for improved conditions in Gaza; and, a conversation with Samantha Harvey, whose novel "Orbital" has won the Booker Prize.
(Photo: ETTORE FERRARI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (14868645ab)NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte speaks during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (not pictured) following their meeting at the Chigi Palace in Rome, Italy, 05 November 2024. Rutte took office as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 14th Secretary General on 01 October 2024.)
The US Secretary of State also said Israel had achieved its war aims in Gaza – and the fighting there should stop. Elsewhere: President Elect Donald Trump puts Elon Musk in charge of rooting out government inefficiency.
As COP 29- the climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan focuses on finance. What is the status of the loss and damage fund?Meanwhile a UN panel in Sudan to investigate possible war crimes in DarfurAnd is Lakurawa really a new jihadist group in Nigeria? How does it operate?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Charles Gitonga, Susan Gachuhi and Bella HassanTechnical Producer: Philip BullSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditor: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
An area can be a large geographic place, or a smaller place like a room. There are some words that we often use together. These are called collocations. Learn some of the verbs that we often use with the noun 'area' with Georgie.
TRANSCRIPT Find a free transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/english_in_a_minute/241015
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On 13 November 1989, mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill saved 65 miners from the Mahabir Coal Mine, in India.
The miners, who had been trapped for three days after a flood, were winched out one by one using a tiny, steel capsule.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Jaswant's son, Sarpreet Singh Gill.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Jaswant Singh Gill, next to the capsule. Credit: Sarpreet Singh Gill)
Stephen Sackur speaks to British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi. Her latest film, The Teacher, is set in the West Bank and invites audiences to see and feel the Palestinian experience in intimate, human and emotional detail; but is that possible in the post-October 7th climate of war?
一位听众想知道除了 “outgoing（外向的）” 和 “shy（害羞的，内向的）” 之外，还有哪些常用的表达可以用来向他人介绍自己的性格特点。其实，许多和描述性格 “personality” 有关的表达都和能量 “energy” 有关。此外，英语中也有不少常用表达能帮助我们介绍自己的情绪 “emotion” 有哪些特点。本期 “你问我答” 节目中，主持人 Georgie 和步理通过介绍自己来讲解一些英语中常用于描述性格的表达。
President Xi goes to Lima, as Peru gears up for the thirty-first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economic leaders' meeting.
Bitcoin continues to hit new highs following Trump's victory. How long can it continue?
Jaguar is betting big on EVs and is even going so far as to stopping selling its new petrol cars in the UK entirely.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned over an abuse scandal. Also: the six word google search that can expose you to hacking, and the female magician who pulled off a disappearing act from the all male Magic Circle.
We look at the issues facing two of Europe’s major economies.
Germany’s downturn has deepened with existential fears about its major export industries. And now, political turmoil means industry leaders are calling for a snap election as soon as possible.
Meanwhile in France, there is weak growth as consumers feel poorer and politicians can’t agree on spending.
(Picture: French and German flags waving next to each other. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Rob Young
President Xi goes to Lima, as Peru gears up for the thirty-first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economic leaders' meeting.
Bitcoin continues to hit new highs following Trump's victory. How long can it continue?
Jaguar is betting big on EVs and is even going so far as to stopping selling its new petrol cars in the UK entirely.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
The Israeli army has announced the opening of a new aid crossing into Gaza, just as a US deadline demanding the improvement of humanitarian conditions expires. As humanitarian agencies say the situation is still desperate, we'll hear from the Israeli military.
Also on the programme: The spiritual leader of the Anglican Church resigns over a child abuse scandal, the Russian doctor jailed for five years after a patient denounced her comments on the war in Ukraine; and one of the greatest paintings in the world may be about to become even greater!
(Photo: A UN-backed report recently warned there was an imminent likelihood of famine in northern Gaza. Credit: AFP)
We hear from a former moderator in Kenya who was left traumatised by his previous job. And we ask what video games could do to be more accessible to blind people. Plus – the radar tech used to help with online mapping.Warning: This episode includes a description of child sexual abuse.
We love hearing from you on Tech Life. You can email us at techlife@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp us on +44330 1230 320.
Presenter: Graham FraserProducer: Imran Rahman-JonesEditor: Monica Soriano
(Image: A man in glasses looking at a screen, with writing digitally imposed in front of his face. Credit: Getty Images.)
Israel opens a fifth border crossing as aid agencies say it has missed a US deadline to boost aid into Gaza. Also: New Zealand's PM apologises to children in care, and a Russian doctor is jailed for pro-Ukraine comments.
Oil giant Shell wins ruling that it does not have to comply with specific targets to reduce its carbon emissions. Roger Hearing hears from our correspondent in the Hague, Anna Holligan, about what the ruling means for the industry. We find out how the wine industry is being impacted by extreme weather events and climate change. Plus we look at the rise and fall of the Bio-Tech company ‘23 and Me’, as it's set to lay off 40% of its workforce
The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, has told the COP climate summit in Azerbaijan that to double down on the use of fossil fuels is "absurd" and that the "clean energy revolution" has arrived. However, the host, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, described his country's reserves of oil and gas as "a gift from God". We speak to a woman in Canada's Nova Scotia province whose six-year-old son was killed by flash floods linked to climate change.
Also in the programme: the leader of the Anglican Church - the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby - has resigned, after a report found he failed to do enough to stop a prolific child abuser; and the female magician who tricked her way into Britain's all-male Magic Circle club, but who has since disappeared.
(Picture: People embrace as they stand near damage to a road, after the heaviest rain to hit the Canadian province of Nova Scotia in more than 50 years triggered floods on July 23, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/John Morris)
Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, will hold its general election tomorrow. The incumbent president, Muse Bihi Abdi, is seeking re-election. Somaliland says it would like to be recognised by the international community. Why isn't it recognised and what will the elections mean for the region?
Also we'll get reaction as Nigeria allows women free access to c-sections.
And we'll meet one of the world's smartest mathematicians, from Cameroon!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Nyasha Michelle, Sunita Nahar and Victor Sylver in London. Blessing Aderogba in LagosTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
We discuss where we use adverbs with adjectives and other adverbs. FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️6 Minute English ✔️6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️The English We Speak They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
英语表达 “that's on you” 的意思是 “这就要怪你了”，这个表达中的 “on someone” 的意思是 “是某人的责任”。而与之相关的表达 “that's on me” 除了可以表示 “这事怪我” 以外还有一个意思，你知道是什么吗？听本期 “地道英语” 节目，学习表达 “that's on you” 的用法。
In 1974, Greece held a referendum to decide the future of the country’s monarchy, and whether Constantine II would remain their king.
Constantine had come to the throne in 1964, but he’d inherited a divided country. Political divisions, between the left and right, ran deep.
In 1967, a group of army officers launched a coup, and Constantine fled into exile in England. When the military regime collapsed seven years later, the new government called a referendum to decide the fate of the country.
Some of the population supported the king, but many thought the monarchy was outdated and irrelevant.
Finally, in December, 1974, four and a half million people went to the polls to cast their vote. The result was two to one in favour of a republic. Constantine had lost his crown.
Jane Wilkinson has been looking through the BBC archives to find out more.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: The wedding of King Constantine and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, Athens, 1964. Credit: Central Press/Getty Images)
It's been three weeks since Italy's far-right government signed the five-year migration deal with Albania. Now, a court has blocked Italy's plan to send asylum seekers to the Balkan nation, disrupting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's main migration policy and raising questions about what's next.
Also, we find out why dockers have been locked out of the Port of Montreal after they reject their latest pay offer.
And we'll speak to one man who's riding the waves of retirement... quite literally.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
The Saudi Crown Prince says Israel's actions in Gaza amount to "genocide". Also: COP29 gets underway amid warning 2024 will be hottest year on record, and scientists rethink chances of life on Uranus.
Climate change is changing the way winemakers plan, harvest and make their product.
On the Greek island of Santorini we find out how new techniques of vine planting are helping to preserve water amid more frequent drought conditions.
Investors in England have realised areas in the south of country have similar weather conditions to Champagne in France, 30 years ago.
Plus we hear from experts in France and Australia to discover different methods the industry is using, and find out how new businesses are advising the global wine industry to ensure its survival in a changing world.
Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney
(Image: A picker throws the collected grapes from the vine in a tank at the Gusbourne Estate, Appledore near Ashford, England on October 28, 2022. Credit: Getty Images)
It's been three weeks since Italy's far-right government signed the five-year migration deal with Albania. Now, a court has blocked Italy's plan to send asylum seekers to the Balkan nation, disrupting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's main migration policy and raising questions about what's next.
Also, we find out why dockers have been locked out of the Port of Montreal after they reject their latest pay offer.
And we'll speak to one man who's riding the waves of retirement... quite literally.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
The COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan has opened with a warning from the United Nations that this year is almost certain to be the hottest on record.
Also in the programme: is it time to rethink the war in Ukraine? And new information on the planet Uranus.
(Picture: A night view shows the venue of the United Nations climate change conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan November 11, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Murad Sezer)
In recent decades, we have taken huge steps forward in treating formerly fatal viruses - with pharmacological breakthroughs revolutionising treatment for conditions such as HIV, hepatitis and herpes. Raymond Schinazi has played a big role in that revolution.
Ray was born in Egypt, where his mother’s brush with a potentially deadly illness during his childhood inspired a fascination with medicine. His childhood was scattered; after his family were forced to leave their homeland and travelled to Italy as refugees, Ray ended up on a scholarship to a British boarding school - and subsequently went on to study and flourish in the world of chemistry and biology.
Today, Ray is the director of the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology at Emory University in Atlanta, where he also set up the renowned Center for AIDS Research. His work in the early days of HIV studies led to drugs that many with the virus still take today; while his contribution to developing a cure for Hepatitis C has saved millions of lives around the world.
Speaking to Jim al-Khalili, Ray reflects on his route to success and explains why he is confident that more big breakthroughs are on the horizon.
World leaders meet in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to discuss the funding of policies against global warming in the COP29. We get the latest from our correspondent. In Iceland, a team of scientists are preparing to drill into one of the world's most active volcanoes. Could it provide a source of cheap green energy? We find out. Iran's latest attempt to reduce pollution is resulting in power cuts throughout the country. We hear why. And after the devastating floods in the Spanish region of Valencia, we look into how companies could help keep employees safe during a natural disaster.
The UN has warned 2024 will be the hottest year on record, as its annual climate conference begins in Baku.
Also on the programme: BBC on set with Squid Game's director; how an international effort caught one of the world's most prolific online child abusers - we'll hear from some of his victims; and China's mass bike-ride for breakfast buns!
(Photo: Dr al-Jaber (left) handed Babayev the COP gavel at the opening of the summit this morning. Credit: Reuters)
COP29 has kicked off in Azerbaijan, with finance for developing countries at the centre. An Indian court rules that entering a hotel room with a man does not equal consent. Also: We hear from the director of Squid Game.
The ECOWAS Court recently declared Sierra Leone’s loitering laws discriminatory and ordered their amendment or repeal
A BBC investigation sees evidence that devastating flood water in South Sudan is spreading pollution from the oil industry.
And why is there a dispute over uranium production in Niger ?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Patricia Whitehorne, Bella Hassan, Joseph Keen and Paul Bakibinga. Technical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Find out why we write some phrases with hyphens but not others.
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters
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Hard Talk is a long-standing in-depth interview programme but it’s now facing the chop.Listeners give us their views about its proposed closure.And the BBC tells us why the decision to end the show is being taken.Plus, a listener argues that special effects used in some programme trailers are off putting.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC World Service
In 2013, 11 people were shot dead in base camp of the Nanga Parbat mountain in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan.
The gunmen were associated with the Pakistani Taliban and the group were set up to target foreigners.
It was the worst attack on tourists in Pakistan in a decade.
Polish climber Aleksandra Dzik, aged 30, was on the mountain that night, at camp two, and speaks to Megan Jones.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Nanga Parbat base camp. Credit: Aleksandra Dzik)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Jamaica's minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett. While the island nation projects itself to the world as a Caribbean success story, its reputation is being tarnished by violent crime, drugs and gang warfare. What will it take to make Jamaica more secure?
Everyone wants to feel confident in the workplace. But knowing what to do to perform at your best isn’t always easy. Datshiane Navanayagam is joined by two entrepreneurs and career coaches to explore strategies to help women thrive in their jobs.
Jo Wimble Groves is an award-winning British entrepreneur, writer and motivational speaker specializing in women in the workplace. She has a blog tacking work-life balance and resilience called Guilty Mother which has a global following of 55,000 readers. Jo's expertise in leadership and productivity has earned her multiple Women in Business awards.
Alexandra Roxana Popa from Romania built her successful business career with the guidance of inquisitive mentors who helped her grow by asking the right questions. After training at CTI Coaching school in London she became a career coach and focusses on empowering women in their professional journeys.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Jo Wimble Groves credit Leana Catherine Photography. (R) Alexandra Popa credit Ioana Dodan.)
A historic trial is underway in Sweden. Two European executives of a Swedish oil company are accused of aiding and abetting war crimes in South Sudan. George Tai, whose family was killed in the so-called “oil wars”, hopes the case will set a legal precedent. BBC Eye investigates the legacy of oil in South Sudan: from violence to pollution and asks who should be held responsible?
When he slid off a 40-metre cliff in the jungle, Morgan Segui thought he was sure to die.
Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food; that is the rule that every mountaineer knows by heart. For Morgan Segui, a French acrobat-turned-explorer, he knew it meant his chances of survival were vanishingly small. He lay at the bottom of a dry gorge in the Timorese jungle of South Asia, miles from help, after taking a dramatic fall which broke several bones and left a huge gash to his head. Dazed and without water, he spent three days and nights on the jungle floor trying to cling to life. Until, astonishingly, a herd of goats came to his rescue.
Presenter: Asya FouksProducer: Edgar Maddicott
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
Attracted by Argentina’s right-wing libertarian president Javier Milei, and fearful of political breakdown and even the prospect of a widescale war in the northern hemisphere, some US citizens say they are planning to move to the South American nation to start afresh.
We speak to a few of them, and to an Argentine tech entrepreneur who left his country years ago due to its political and economic instability, but who is now spending more time there – attracted by Milei’s promises to slash the state.
What will these converts to Argentina find there, and will it match their expectations?
(Picture: Argentina's president, Javier Milei, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Natalio Cosoy
Israel has declared the defeat of Hezbollah but the group continued firing rockets from Lebanon. Also: the COP 29 climate meeting gets underway, and the secret of making a great panettone from the new world champion.
More than a hundred heads of state and government are gathering in Azerbaijan for the UN's annual climate summit - known as COP 29. 2024 is predicted to be the warmest year on record. But will previous commitments to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 celsius be achievable with the new US administration promises to withdrawal from the Paris climate treaty, as Donald Trump promises to 'drill, baby, drill.' We hear about climate financing and from the conservative coalition for climate solutions.
Also in the programme: the new Israeli Defence Minister - Israel Katz - has said Hezbollah has been defeated, and has described the killing of the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as the “crowning achievement"; and the Nubian pyramids of of Meroë threatened by Sudan's civil war.
(Photo: Kiki Ritmeijer and Sarah Nasrawi, both UN Youth Representatives on Sustainable Development from the Netherlands, pose for a selfie outside the venue ahead of the United Nations climate change conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan November 10, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Murad Sezer)
The UN climate summit is opening in Azerbaijan with 2024 set to be the first year to breach the 1.5C global warming limit.
But could President-elect Donald Trump's energy policies undermine the goal of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions?
Also on the programme: Russia and Ukraine attack each other with drones in their heaviest assault of the war; and Dutch police use a hologram of a sex worker murdered 15 years ago in a fresh bid to find her killer.
(Photo: Climate activists project a message onto Tower Bridge ahead of COP29 climate talks in London. Credit: Reuters)
We've teamed up with the The Climate Question to answer your questions about climate change. We learn how far nations are from meeting their targets, how people are coping with the impact, and about possible solutions.
Sydney has one of the most recognisable opera house in the world, but some of the most innovative opera-making is happening at the other end of town, in the building where they used to build train carriages. Sydney Chamber Opera, led by o Jack Symonds, is a young, experimental collective of opera makers, collaborating with the established national company Opera Australia to bring Jack's epic Gilgamesh to the stage. Directed by Kip Williams, it is a new opera based on a very old story of queer desire, environmentalism, and dancing scorpions. Ce Benedict follows Gilgamesh from pianos falling through floorboards in rehearsals, to Opera Australia's artistic director unexpectedly stepping down, through to the literal glitter of opening night.
Tens of thousands protest in Valencia over the Spanish authorities' handling of the deadly floods. Also: the women giving up sex with men because of Donald Trump, and an emperor penguin's epic journey to Australia.
Qatar says that it will not mediate in peace talks between Israel and Hamas until the attitudes of both sides improve.
Also in the programme: One hundred and thirty thousand people have been demonstrating in the Spanish city of Valencia over the regional government's handling of last week's deadly flash floods; and why young Americans voted for Donald J. Trump.
(Image: General view shows northern Gaza. Credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
A separatist group in western Pakistan says it carried out a suicide bombing at a railway station which killed at least 25 people and injured dozens more. The separatist militant group, Balochistan Liberation Army, said the blast at Quetta station targeted an army unit.
Also in the programme: a senior advisor to Donald Trump's campaign says Ukraine needs to acknowledge that it has lost Crimea to Russia; and we delve into the mystery of UK's oldest satellite which is thousands of kilometres away from where it should be. (Picture: Pakistani security officials inspect the scene of a blast at a railway station in Quetta, Balochistan. Credit: SAMI KHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
We hear about innovative environmental projects awarded millions of dollars in this year's Earthshot prizes. Also: the twins cleaning streets for free; detecting tumours with graphene; and a remarkable Himalayan rescue.
Presenter: Andrew Peach. Music composed by Iona Hampson.
Why are people protesting on the streets of Tbilisi, in Georgia, and how did people vote in Indian-administered Kashmir? With correspondents Nina Akhmeteli and Raghvendra Rao.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
How do you channel the passion, determination and fortitude to achieve something knowing you've lost friends doing the same thing? Professional skier Cody Townsend has lost many friends on the mountains he’s skiing down as he attempts to climb and ski all the routes detailed in the book, “The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America”. They're some of the most dangerous slopes on the continent and he’s documented the 46 he’s completed so far in a video series – but although the videos have stopped, that doesn’t mean the challenge attempt is finished. Townsend tells Sportshour’s Caroline Barker about the risks, the rewards and the rules he sets himself when he skis... an experience he wouldn’t trade, even for Olympic gold.
Photo: Cody Townsend skiing down a mountain with rockfaces on either side. (Credit: Summit Lunch Productions)
In November 1973, Netherlands women’s football team lined up for their country’s first official international. It was a major step on the road to the development of the game, both in the Netherlands and in England, who were their opponents that day.
Now over 50 years on from that game, with the two countries both now powerhouses in women’s football, Matthew Kenyon speaks to one of the players from the Dutch team who was just 16 years old at the time, Ellen Popeyus, for whom the game was another chance to prove the doubters wrong.
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: Former Dutch footballer Ellen Popeyus with the shirt she was given to commemorate her role in the country’s first ever official women’s international game. Credit: Matthew Kenyon/BBC)
There are reports that Donald Trump wants his former trade representative back when he returns to the White House - what does it mean for the economy?
Robert Lighthizer was the man who pushed protectionism and tariffs on imports during President Trump's first term. So what will it mean for global trade if he takes up his old job? And will this provoke another trade war with China?
Also, why are Swedish police seizing luxury items without formal suspicion?
You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!
On 20 January, Republican Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. His domestic pledges include promises to bring down prices, tackle immigration, introduce tariffs on imports, and cut tax. Throughout the election campaign, we have been hearing from people from across the US - Republicans, Democrats and those who were undecided – about the issues that matter to them. In the lead up to the election, we heard from American voters from across the political spectrum and, this time in our conversations, host Mark Lowen hears widely contrasting views on the future of the country.
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.
We hear about Polish war hero Irena Sendler who saved thousands of Jewish children during the Second World War.
Expert Kathryn Atwood explains why women’s stories of bravery from that time are not as prominent as men’s.
Plus, the invention of ‘Baby’ – one of the first programmable computers.
In the second half of the programme, we tell stories from Iran.
Journalist Sally Quinn looks back at the excess of the Shah of Iran’s three-day party, held in 1971.
Two very different women – the former Empress of Iran, Farah Pahlavi, and social scientist Rouhi Shafi – describe how it feels to be exiled from their country.
Finally, Barry Rosen shares the dramatic story of when he was held hostage in the US embassy in the Tehran for 444 days.
Contributors:Irena Sendler – WW2 hero.Kathryn J Atwood – author.Sally Quinn - journalist.Farah Pahlavi – former Empress of Iran.Rouhi Shafi – social scientist who fled Iran.Barry Rosen – former hostage.
(Photo: Children rescued from the Warsaw Ghetto by Irena Sendler. Credit: Getty Images)
The US has brought charges over an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump. Also: calls for the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign over an abuse scandal, and why Swedish police can now seize luxury goods.
Britain agrees to give sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius but what follows next?
Why the Islamic police in Kano northern Nigeria is cracking down on sports betting
And why are parents sending very young children to boarding school in Lesotho?
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Bella Hassan and Nyasha Michelle in London. Frenny Jowi in Nairobi. Senior Producer: Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Nick RandellEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Leading Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran’s Supreme Leader told a crowd of thousands that Iran’s allies must ‘fasten the seatbelt of resistance from Iran to Afghanistan’. Israel has continued to intensify its strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Also on the programme: we speak to the widow of the man who was killed during July’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump; and Brazil is hit by its worst wildfires in two decades.
(Picture: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaking during the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran, 04 October 2024 Credit: IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Iran’s supreme leader tells a crowd in Tehran that the October 7th massacre was a 'legitimate act'. Also: EU hits China with EV sales tariffs, world's first ovarian cancer vaccine and Google Search's AI makeover.
Did you know the iconic yellow smiley face was first designed in 1963? However, its creator, Harvey Ball, soon worried that the symbol had become over-commercialised. To counter this, he introduced World Smile Day in 1999, celebrated on the first Friday of October, as a way to encourage acts of kindness and spread smiles.
In the spirit of making you smile, the Unexpected Elements team has gathered science stories that bring them joy—each with a twist, of course.
Children across cultures have invented secret languages to confuse their parents—and there's science behind it. The human face can produce 19 different types of smiles. And let’s not forget the Brazilian scientist who not only pioneered species classification but also became a key figure in the country's suffragette movement.
Meanwhile, Marnie Chesterton introduces us to the ever-cheerful Professor Andrea Sella from University College London, whose humour never fails to brighten her day. Together, they explore the role of humour in science and its importance in engaging both audiences and students.
Plus, we’ll dive into the science of vocal fingerprints, meet a man who physically couldn’t smile, and hear about a global update to cyber security regulations that just might make you grin.
Happy Friday!
Presenters: Marnie Chesterton with Andrada Fiscutean and Camilla MotaProducers: Harrison Lewis with Jonathan Blackwell, Elizabeth Barsotti, and Anna Charalambou.
A year on from the Hamas attack on Israel, Jackie Leonard and Katya Adler from The Global Story put BBC listener questions to our Middle East correspondent, Yolande Knell, and the BBC's security correspondent, Frank Gardner.
Andrew Peach discusses these and more business stories from around the world with journalists Mehmal Sarfraz and Alison van Diggelen.
Oil prices rose after Joe Biden said he was discussing possible Israeli strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure. Also: the sequel to the asteroid which killed off dinosaurs, and the 31-year treasure hunt for the Golden Owl.
Peter Adamski seemed to have it all. At 19, he had met Kathy, the love of his life and the woman he would marry. In his 20s, he landed a prestigious job with the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, jetting around the world in first class for business meetings. He had a healthy baby boy, John, his wealth soared into the millions, and he owned three houses. He was living the American dream. But everything changed when he and Kathy received the news from a doctor: "Kathy, you have early-onset Alzheimer’s." The future they had envisioned together was abruptly replaced by the prospect of a long, painful farewell. After Kathy’s passing, Peter felt as though he had lost all sense of meaning - until one night, he felt a profound call from God. At 65, he became a Catholic priest, and he believes his life has never been more fulfilling.
Carl Allen is a multi-millionaire former businessman who ran a trash bag company in the US.
He's now the owner of an island in the Bahamas, a philanthropist and deep-sea treasure hunter, scouring the seabed for sunken Spanish galleons, slave ships and long-lost treasure. He tells us about his relentless search for one Spanish galleon that’s fired his imagination for the past 40 years. We discuss the ethics of treasure hunting and his belief that the best way to bring up relics from the bottom of the ocean is through PPPs - public-private partnerships. Produced and presented by Gideon Long
(Image: Carl Allen on a boat with some treasure. Image credit: Brendan Chavez at Allen Exploration)
More explosions tore through the Lebanese capital today as Israeli military says it hit Hezbollah targets in Beirut. Israel has also continued to warn people in southern Lebanon to leave their homes - including in the region of Nabatieh. It comes as the Israeli army says Hezbollah has fired 200 rockets into Israel today.
One of the most senior leaders of Hamas - which is designated a terrorist organisation by the UK and other governments - has told the BBC that the current crisis they provoked in the Middle East, which has led to the deaths of thousands of people in the past year, is justified. The Deputy leader of Hamas, Khalil al Haya, said the October 7th attacks, which killed 1200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, were necessary to place the issue of Palestinian statehood back on the global agenda. He insisted without it, the cycle of violence in the Middle East would not end.
Also in programme: we discuss the UK government's decision to give up sovereignty of the remote but strategic Chagos islands after 200 years of rule; and whether the hit US sitcom 'Cheers' is set for British remake 30 years on. (Photo: Beirut Bachoura neighbourhood Credit: Louisa Gouliamaki for Reuters)
As we were putting the finishing touches to last week’s Science in Action, the US National Weather Service was warning of Hurricane Helene’s fast approach to the Florida coast – alerting people to ‘unsurvivable’ storm surges of up to 6 metres. But the category 4 storm powered, as forecast, far past the coast and into the rugged interior of Tennessee and the Carolinas. 150 billion tonnes of rainfall are estimated to have been dumped there, with devastating consequences for the towns and villages snuggled into the deep-cut valleys of the region. Bloomberg says the event could cost $160 billion. Extreme warmth in the Gulf of Mexico helped fuel the hurricane, and within a few days Berkeley climatologist Michael Wehner had computed the fingerprint of climate change on the event.
The journal Nature published this week a study estimating the true number of casualties of hurricanes like Helene – not just those registered in the immediate aftermath, deaths caused by the instant trauma, but those in the months, even years, that follow, because of the disruption to lives and infrastructure. Rachel Young of Stanford University was herself surprised by the scale of harm her calculations revealed.
At least the dams held in North Carolina during Helene, although the sight of torrents of water gushing down the protective spillways at the peak was fearsome to see. A year ago, the two dams upstream of the Libyan port Derna both failed during Storm Daniel – ripping out the heart of the city and claiming at least 6000 lives. We reported what we could at the time here on Science in Action. But a World Bank study on the disaster reported back to an international dam conference in India this week a more detailed investigation – though the fractious politics of Libya put constraints on their work. Climate change was a massive part – normal monthly September rain in the area is 1.5 mm – but over 200 mm, maybe 400, fell on the hills behind Derna the night of the 10th. But it was the report of independent engineer Ahmed Chraibi that interested Science in Action – on the condition of the two dams, one just on the edge of the city, the other larger one 15 km upstream. He confirmed these had been built, in the 70s, for flood protection not to store water, but were in a shocking state long before last year’s cataclysm.
You’ve not been paying attention here in the past 5 years if you haven’t learned how clever our immune system is in recognising viruses that invade our bodies. Different arms of the system like antibodies and white blood cells can take on the viruses directly, or kill infected cells to stop the infection spreading further. But it’s slow to respond to new infections, which is why our pharmacies also stock antivirals, small molecules which also lock onto components of viruses to stop them replicating. Too often though, they’re not as effective as we’d like. Flu antivirals for example work only if you catch the infection very early. So I was intrigued to read in the Proceedings of the National Academy this week of a new kind of drug that is like an antiviral, but gets the immune system to do the hard work. Imrul Shahria reckoned there are all kinds of antibodies and immune cells floating through our tissues not doing much, but that could be tricked into tackling flu infections – with a little molecular deception. He's effectively hacked the flu antiviral zanamivir which locks onto the neuraminidase protein – the N – of flu viruses, and given it immune superpowers.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex MansfieldProduction co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis
(Photo: Hurricane Helene Causes Massive Flooding Across Swath Of Western North Carolina. Credit: Melissa Sue Gerrits via Getty)
The UK is to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after 50 years but will keep military base on Diego Garcia. Also: Lebanon says two soldiers have been killed by Israel, as Israel continues its Hezbollah offensive.
Kenya's Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, who calls himself the “truthful man”, is facing impeachment. Before he was elected as a member of parliament in 2017 little was known about the man, who would in five short years, rise to become Kenya’s second-in-command. So who is he and why is he facing impeachment?
Also how are Tunisian's feeling ahead of their Presidential elections on Sunday?
And once a popular event in Zimbabwe, what do Zimbabweans now think of their State of Nation Address and how are they reacting to their currency's recent crash?
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Frenny Jowi in Nairobi. Rob Wilson and Benjamin Woodroof in London.Technical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
What makes us like the flavours we like? Phil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-241003
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus \LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ Learning English for Work ✔️ Learning English from the News ✔️ Learning English Stories
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In November 1967, the Maltese diplomat, Arvid Pardo, addressed the United Nations with a remarkable speech that shaped the laws governing the sea.
Pardo's message is immortalised in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was adopted in 1982, and is now the fundamental legislation governing difficult topics such as deep sea mining.
Artemis Irvine spoke to Christina Pardo Menez, Arvid Pardo's daughter, and his friend David Attard.
A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Arvid Pardo. Credit: Elisabeth Mann Borgese fonds, Dalhousie University Archives)
OpenAI's value surges to $157bn in funding deal where the maker of ChatGPT raised $6.6bn from a pool of investors that include Microsoft. We also hear from North Carolina, where damages caused by hurricane Helene could have serious implications for the tech-industry. And we take a look at the effect that the latest conflict in the Middle East is having on Israel’s economy.
Andrew Peach discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Walter Todd, Chief Investment Officer at Greenwood Capital in California, and Stefanie Yuen Thio, Joint Managing Partner at TSMP Law in Singapore.
A bonus episode from the Lives Less Ordinary podcast. British-Iranian Anoosheh Ashoori spent years in one of Iran’s toughest prisons after being snatched off the street by security forces. He was falsely accused of espionage, but realised he'd become a pawn in a game of global politics.For more extraordinary personal stories from around the world, go to bbcworldservice.com/liveslessordinary or search for Live Less Ordinary wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Harry Graham
Joe Biden says he doesn't support Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Also: scientists analyse 130,000 brain cells of a fruit fly, and the ban on 'honking' in the Bangladeshi capital.
There are more than three million vessels on the world's sea beds, and plenty of explorers looking for them.
But if they find something valuable, do they get to keep it? We talk to an arbitration lawyer about the laws governing the sea, and hear from maritime archaeologists about the perils of rummaging around on the ocean floor, disturbing long-sunken wrecks that offer a priceless glimpse into history. Some say we should leave these ships be, especially when they’re graveyards. Others say we should bring them to the surface, put them in museums to educate people, make money from them and perhaps even sell off some of their treasure.
Produced and presented by Gideon Long
(Image: A diver looks at a shipwreck. Credit: Getty Images)
OpenAI's value surges to $157bn in funding deal where the maker of ChatGPT raised $6.6bn from a pool of investors that include Microsoft. We also hear from North Carolina, where damages caused by hurricane Helene could have serious implications for the tech-industry. And we take a look at the effect that the latest conflict in the Middle East is having on Israel’s economy.
President Biden has said the US does not support an attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear sites, while the UN secretary general has warned of the danger of a regional war across the Middle East. We speak to expert on why diplomacy is crucial at this stage.
Also in the programme: Biden visits Hurricane Helene-ravaged areas; and the discovery of an unknown species of moth.
(Image: Smoke rises following an Israeli military strike in southern Lebanon. Credit: STR/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
As mpox continues to spread to new places, we find out how the vaccine rollout is going and what more needs to be done to help both contain and better understand the virus.
Also on the show; why the first medication approved to treat schizophrenia in decades has the world of psychiatry excited, and how finding out what doesn’t work in health care can be just as useful as knowing what does. Plus, can laughter help treat dry eye disease?
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett
Lebanon conflict: As Israel continues to attack, we learn the plight of foreigners stranded there
We assess the state of security in Mali following last month's deadly attack in the capital, Bamako
And outrage in Egypt after a video showing possible sexual harassment by male doctors goes viral. A medical association vows to investigate.
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Bella Hassan, Yvette Twagiramariya and Nyasha Michelle in London. With Frenny Jowi in Nairobi.Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Israel's military says a team commander has died in the fighting, a day after it announced its invasion. Also: we ask how Israel will respond to Iran's missile attack, and reaction from the US vice-president debate.
With reports of close combat between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, we hear from both sides of the border. And how will Israel respond to Iran's barrage of missiles last night?
We also get reaction from Tehran to Iran's decision to attack Israel directly; and we ask where this all leaves American influence in the region - is it now just a bystander?
(IMAGE: Smoke billows amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon October 2, 2024 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Aziz Taher)
If your teachers tell you to work on your English, they have a good point! And Georgie has a number of points to make about the word 'point'. Listen to Georgie now to find out more.
TRANSCRIPT Find a free transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/english_in_a_minute/240903
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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✔️ Learning English Stories✔️ Learning English from the News✔️ 6 Minute English
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In 1989, South Africa became the first, and only country to make and then dismantle nuclear weapons.
The project was conducted at Kentron Circle, a secret weapons facility.
André Buys was plant manager and systems engineer at Kentron Circle and was involved in making the weapons.
He tells Gill Kearsley about his work on this once top-secret project.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: André Buys and his son standing in front of the empty warhead storage vaults at the former Kentron Circle nuclear weapons facility. Credit: André Buys)
The attacks come after Israeli troops invaded Lebanon, in a ground operation against Hezbollah. Thousands have crossed from Lebanon to Syria seeking shelter. What could this mean for these countries whose economies are already struggling? Also, what will Mexico's first female president do for the country's economy? Plus, Canada’s international trade minister talks about fears of ending up in a trade war with China.
Andrew Peach is joined throughout the show by Hayley Woodin, editor in chief of Business in Vancouver, Canada, and David Kuo from The Smart Investor in Singapore.
Israel says 180 missiles were fired from Iran, most of which were intercepted. Also: Mexico's first female president Claudia Sheinbaum has been sworn in.
In May, riots broke out in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia - a group of islands in the South Pacific. Protesters were calling for independence from the European nation that has ruled the archipelago for more than a century and a half. Amid the violence came an unusual claim - that Azerbaijan, a seemingly disconnected nation thousands of miles from both Paris and the Pacific Ocean - was stoking the violence online. BBC Trending asks if there is any truth to the claim. And if so, what might Azerbaijan be hoping to achieve?
In the first of our three part series looking at the money behind shipwrecks, we start with what's been called the most valuable shipwreck in the world.
The San José is a Spanish galleon sunk by the British off the Colombian coast more than 300 years ago.
The treasure onboard is estimated to be worth $18bn, which means plenty of people are looking for it, and trying to lay claim to it.
A salvage company, the Colombians, the Spanish and a Bolivian indigenous community all say the shipwreck and treasure is theirs.
We hear their claims and find out more about this "hold grail of shipwrecks".
Presented and produced by Gideon Long.
(Image: Wagner's action of Cartagena (depicting the moment the San Jose exploded) by Samuel Scott. Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London)
Iran has launched around 180 missiles but most of them were intercepted. The attack comes after Israeli troops invaded Lebanon, in a ground operation against Hezbollah. We get the latest. As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, collateral effects start to be seen in the oil market, where prices have risen, and neighbouring countries like Syria, to where thousands of people have crossed from Lebanon seeking shelter. We take a look at what's unfolding in the region.And Canada’s international trade minister tells the BBC about the country's commercial relations with China now that tariffs of 100% on electric vehicles imported from the Asian giant have come into force.
How does a company make profit in the charity fundraising space? We speak to Tim Cadogan, CEO of online fundraising platform GoFundMe. We hear about the solar-powered boats being used by indigenous communities in the Amazon. And it’s 30 years of the infamous Comic Sans font.We love hearing from you. Get in touch by emailing techlife@bbc.co.uk or send us a Whatsapp on +44330 123 0320.
Presenter: Chris VallanceProducer: Imran Rahman-JonesResearcher: Laura CressEditor: Monica Soriano
(Image: A computer keyboard with a "donate" button and a love heart on it. Credit: Getty Images)
Tens of thousands of dock workers in the US walk out in a dispute over pay and automation. Will Bain hears from our North America business correspondent Michelle Fleury, who's at the port of Newark. We also hear how the dispute could affect global supply chains, and the CEO of one of the world's biggest warehouse firms, Prologis, on how it could affect them.In the Middle East, the Israeli military has been carrying out what it describes as limited, localised raids against Hezbollah across its border with Lebanon. We hear from a Lebanese economist on how the Middle East's economy is likely to react, and hear about a jump in oil prices following the US' announcement that there are signs that Iran is preparing to launch an imminent missile attack against Israel. Plus we're in Paris to find out about the city's fashion week - and the luxury market's challenges with declining sales.
The newly appointed Foreign Minister of the DR Congo, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, tells Focus on Africa, the crisis faced in her country is an international not a regional one. We'll get the details from the BBC's Wahiga Mwaura.
Also we'll hear from a member of Eswatini's opposition party after an alleged poisoning attempt on their leader.
And why illegal lithium mining is on the rise in Nigeria.
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Rob Wilson in London and Blessing Aderogba in LagosTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Israel's ground invasion in Lebanon continues. Also: scientists warn it may be too late to save many of Switzerland's glaciers; and the play with no rehearsal or director.
Israel has told the residents of more than twenty locations in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately. Its forces have been carrying out what it describes as limited, localised raids across the Lebanese border against Hezbollah. We hear from Peter Lerner of the IDF, Lebanese businessman and independent MP Neemat Frem, and Dina Esfandiary of the Crisis Group on how Iran may respond to Nasrallah's killing.
Also in the programme: the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher reports from Sudan, where famine is spreading as the civil war goes on; and a look at water worries in Panama, one of the world's wettest countries.
(IMAGE: Palestinian refugee camp has hit in Lebanon / CREDIT: EPA)
Jakarta is facing all sorts of problems - deadly floods, land subsidence, extreme pollution, notorious traffic and overcrowding. Indonesia’s outgoing president has come up with an extreme solution: moving the country’s capital a thousand kilometres away, to the middle of the rainforest. Will the new city be a futuristic utopia and a model for sustainable urbanisation - or an eye-wateringly expensive, ecologically disastrous ghost town? BBC Indonesia reporter Astudestra Ajengrastri travels to the island of Borneo to find out if the ambitious plans will live up to reality.
In 2009, a UN-backed war crimes tribunal opened in Cambodia to try the senior Khmer Rouge commanders responsible for genocide.
An estimated two million people were killed during Pol Pot's regime in the 1970s.
Aged 26, New Zealander Kerry Hamill was on a sailing trip with friends when he mistakenly found himself in Cambodian waters.
He was taken to Tuol Sleng prison where thousands of people were tortured and murdered.
In 2022 Kerry's brother, Rob Hamill, told Josephine McDermott how he testified against the infamous torturer Comrade Duch.
(Photo: Kerry Hamill aboard his boat. Credit: Rob Hamill)
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
Learn about using the active and passive voices in this episode of 6 Minute Grammar. FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
当我们想做出意义重大的决定时，除了深思熟虑，有时，“bide our time（等待时机）” 也很重要。“Bide someone's time” 这个英语短语来源于一个现在已经不常用的单词 “bide（等待）”。听节目，跟主持人 Phil 和菲菲一起学习如何使用 “bide someone's time”。
Israel launches a "localised, targeted" ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, backed by air strikes and artillery fire. The US says it supports the incursion and warns against mission creep.
The Israeli military says troops are carrying out raids on villages in southern Lebanon, while further air strikes hit Beirut. Also: hundreds unaccounted for in the US in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen.
Panama is one of the wettest countries in the world. It also has a world famous shipping canal which earns it billions of dollars a year. With big money and high rainfall combined, it should be straightforward to meet the water needs of its four million plus people.
But hundreds of thousands of Panamanians don’t have access to piped water. With a growing population and a drought, last year the Canal Authority reduced the number of ships passing through by a third, losing it and the country hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
The Authority says this was done to protect drinking water for the 2.5 million people who rely on the same water supply the Canal uses to work its massive locks. With uncertainty over the impact of climate change, Panamanians are asking whether there’ll be enough fresh water to satisfy the enormous demand from the canal’s locks with the basic need to have regular access to clean water.
Jane Chambers travels to Panama to meet the people involved in the struggles for access to water.
It’s the second largest landmass in the world, famous for its lakes and spectacular forests, yet Canada’s travel industry has faced challenges since the Covid pandemic hit in 2020.
International visitor numbers still haven't recovered, and extreme weather events like wildfires have destroyed some of its best-known resorts. Plus difficult diplomatic relations have meant a reduction in tourists from a key market - China.
But Canada’s government says it has a plan for the sector which is worth $38bn CAD to Canada’s GDP.
We’ll hear about it from the country’s tourism minister and from business owners and tourists too.
Presented and produced by Megan Lawton
(Image: Jack Rivers is an indigenous cultural guide on Manitoulin Island, he runs tours around the Wiikwemkoong Reserve. Before the pandemic, indigenous tourism was the fastest growing sector of Canadian tourism, with significant gains in job creation and contributions to Canada's GDP)
US ports brace for shut down as dockworkers strike is set to halt container traffic along the east and gulf coasts. We get the latest.
The markets haven't welcome the arrival of Japan's new Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba. We find out why.
And we take a look at the 10-billion merger of the last two remaining satellite TV providers in the US.
The US State Department says Israel has informed Washington of its plans to go into Lebanon. We track the latest events, and here from retired Israeli military man Amir Avivi and Lebanese politician Michel Helou.
Also in the programme: the trail of destruction left across North Carolina by Hurricane Helene, and love blossoms when a cruise ship is delayed in Northern Ireland.
(Photo: Israeli forces firing towards Lebanon near the Israel-Lebanon border on 30 September, 2024. Credit: The Associated Press)
Take a trip around the supermarket and you'll see shelves of products claiming to be 'high in protein'. Scroll through your social media and you'll find beautiful, sculpted people offering recipes and ideas for packing more protein into your diet.
Science presenters Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber have noticed this too. They wanted to unpick the protein puzzle to find out what it does in our bodies and how much we really need. Can this macronutrient really help us lose weight, get fit and be healthier?
Along the way, they speak to Professor Giles Yeo from the University of Cambridge, Bridget Benelam from the British Nutrition Foundation, Paralympian hopeful Harrison Walsh, and food historian Pen Vogler.
Presenters: Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella HubberProducer: Alice Lipscombe-SouthwellEditor: Martin Smith
Credits: @thefitadam/@TSCPodcast/@tadhgmoody/@meg_squats/@aussiefitness
Israel continues to strike Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthi targets, as speculation about an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon grows. We hear live from the Middle East, where Hezbollah's deputy leader has made a defiant speech after the killing of Hassan Nasrallah.
Also in the programme: as Austria's far-right Freedom Party wins the election, we hear how its leader, Herbert Kickl, came to power. And Roger McGuinn of the Byrds looks back at the life and music of Kris Kristofferson.
(IMAGE: Smoke billows over Khiam, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the Lebanese border with Israel, September 30, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters/Karamallah Daher)
Japan’s new PM has called an early election. Roger Hearing hears how the markets reacted to the surprise win of Shigeru Ishiba in the race to become president of the Liberal Democratic Party.The auto company Stellantis which owns Aston Martin, Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and Jeep has become the latest European car manufacturer to issue a profit warningAnd global rice prices have been falling on Monday, following India's recent decision to resume exports.
BBC Africa Eye investigates how some sailors were tricked into smuggling cocaine to Cape Verde. We’ll also meet the rap artist and former cocaine addict who is helping addictsWhy South Sudan lawyers are challenging the postponement of elections in courtPlus, harrowing tales of the conditions young Kenyan doctors operate under
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan, Nyasha Michelle and Rob Wilson in London with Frenny Jowi in Nairobi.Technical Producer: Chris KouzarisSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, says the group is ready if Israel invades Lebanon. Also: Marine Le Pen on trial accused of embezzling European parliamentary funds, and UK ends coal power after 142 years.
Learn phrasal verbs in sentences to help understand their meanings.
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In November 1938, the Nazis organised a night of terror against Jews in Germany. Windows of homes, businesses and synagogues were broken.
Kurt Salomon Maier was 8 years old, living with his Jewish family in Kippenheim, Germany.
He survived what became known as Kristallnacht or ‘the Night of Broken Glass’ and escaped to the United States.
Kurt Salomon Maier, now 94-years-old, speaks to James Jackson. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Windows with broken glass after Kristallnacht. Credit: Bettmann/CORBIS/Bettmann Archive)
For decades, the world of driving instructors was largely male dominated. Up until recently not every woman even had the right to drive - that only changed in 2018 when Saudi Arabia lifted their ban on female drivers. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two instructors to find out what it takes to teach this skill.
Aman Sanghera, a London-based driving instructor, turned to social media during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep teaching and share practical driving tips on her YouTube channel, Clearview Driving. Her videos quickly went viral, amassing nearly a billion views.
Haru Hasegawa was a secondary school teacher in the Philippines but, since moving to Japan, now helps foreigners navigate the challenges of learning to drive in Tokyo at EDS Driving School. She made the career switch after her own Japanese driving instructor suggested it as a perfect fit.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Aman Sanghera courtesy of Aman Sanghera. (R) Haru Hasegawa courtesy of Haru Hasegawa.)
Ian Rankin is on a deadline to complete his next Inspector Rebus thriller. He is happy with the first draft: “at the moment, it is perfect!”. But what will others make of it? In the second of two episodes recorded across Scotland over several months, we follow the bestselling crime writer to the remote, coastal town of Cromarty. He comes here to escape reality, and to write without distraction. But on this occasion, there is a crime fiction festival taking place. Will he get any work done?
Ian Rankin has been called “the king of crime fiction”. His Inspector Rebus books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, translated into 37 languages. And yet, as he embarks on writing the next in his series, he reveals that “sitting down and actually writing the books is hard… and it's not getting any easier.” Where does he begin and where might the series end? Recorded across Scotland over several months, we follow Ian Rankin as he gets his next novel into shape.
Lebanon's health ministry has said more than 50 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday. Also: early results in Austria's general election indicate the far-right Freedom Party is heading for a victory.
Joshua created an AI simulation of his deceased fiancée to help him deal with his loss.
When gaming enthusiast Joshua Barbeau met Jessica, he knew he had found his soulmate. But his happiness didn't last. Jessica died from a rare health condition aged just 23, leaving Joshua struggling to cope with his grief, and his life. Eight years later, in 2020, while playing around with a website that used AI to create bespoke chatbots, Joshua had an audacious idea. He decided to create a chatbot based on his beloved Jessica. It's an experience that he says helped him finally to find closure.
Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Rebecca Vincent
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
As the world gradually adopts 5G, there’s already talk of the next generation.
It’ll be around 2030 before 6G arrives, but network operators in Japan and South Korea are gearing up.
Meanwhile, some predict that 6G will render smartphones obsolete within a decade.
Devices like sensors, displays, drones and electronics in vehicles will spontaneously create their own networks, sending and receiving at super-fast data rates and low latency.
So, why the early excitement over 6G? How should businesses be preparing and what difference will it make to our lives?
Presenter: Gareth MitchellReporter: Michael KalokiProducer: Izzy Greenfield
(Image: A person holds a mobile phone next to a cell tower. Credit: Getty Images)
Israel has attacked Houthi sites in Yemen it said were used to transport Iranian weapons and oil. The strikes came as Israel carried out more attacks across Lebanon, and Hezbollah fired more rockets into northern Israel
Also on the programme: Austria's far right Freedom Party is heading for victory in national elections; and the Pope has been berated on a visit to Belgium about the clerical abuse of children and gender inequality in the Church.
(Photo: Smoke rises from the site of Israeli air strikes in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Yemen on September 29, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)
Lebanon's prime minister has said continuing Israeli attacks could displace as many as a million people. Najib Mikati appealed for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. He was speaking as Israel carried out more airstrikes in Lebanon after killing Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday. We hear from the IDF spokesman, Peter Lerner, and Nasser Yassin, Lebanon's Minister of Environment and has been given responsibility for providing for all those internally displaced people. We will also be asking to Iranian academic and write, Azadeh Moaveni, about how Nasrallah's death could affect Hezbollah's standing in Lebanon and the rest of the region.
Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia has carried out nearly two hundred executions this year - the highest in more than three decades; and ahead of the VICE presidential debate in the US - we'll be in Nebraska - what are the big election issues in rural America?
Presenter: Julian Marshall.
(Photo: Residents in Beirut seek refuge on the streets after Israeli air strikes in the city. Credit: EPA)
Your weekly bonus episode of The Global Story.
When OceanGate's Titan submersible went missing last June, it sparked a monumental rescue mission which captured the attention of the world. After days of searching, authorities concluded that the vessel had suffered a catastrophic implosion, and that all five passengers died almost instantly. For the past two weeks, the US Coast Guard has been hearing testimonies from former employees and industry experts, to try to identify what went wrong.
On this episode, Azadeh Moshiri is joined by the BBC's science editor, Rebecca Morelle, to discuss the most revealing evidence, and consider whether the tragic event could have been avoided.
The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide, one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world.
For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.
We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com
You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.
Producers: Laurie Kalus and Eleanor Sly Sound engineers: Phil Bull and Mike Regaard Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they have "settled the score" with the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, as Iran vows to avenge his death. Also: many killed and missing in Nepal floods.
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the killing of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut as a historic turning point that will help Israel achieve its war goals.
On the programme: We will talk to a spokesman for Israel's military, which dropped the bomb that killed Nasrallah on Friday; also ask how the group's backer, Iran, may respond, and assess the risks for the wider Middle East; and hear how Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon have reacted to the killing.
(Photo: A group in Beirut carry a photo of Nasrallah and chant slogans. Credit: Getty Images)
The Iranian-backed group Hezbollah has described its leader Hassan Nasrallah as a martyr and vowed to continue its battle against Israel. An Israeli Defence Forces spokesman said his death made the world "a safer place".
Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its leader in an Israeli airstrike. The Iran- backed group vowed to continue its fight against Israel. Also on the programme, US presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris has given details of tough new measures she says will strengthen immigration control as she visited the Mexico border.
On October 1st, Claudia Sheinbaum will take office and become Mexico's first female president. What will her presidency look like? With Laura García from BBC Mundo and Luis Fajardo from BBC Monitoring.
Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
At the One Young World summit in Canada, we meet leaders and innovators from around the world including a 22-year-old MP, a woman using AI to tackle cyberbullying, and the founder of a fashion brand praised by Beyoncé.
From sneaking out of her house to play football to becoming a trailblazer for others, Sportshour’s Caroline Barker speaks to Jackline Juma who has become the first female head coach in the Kenyan Premier League. The FC Talanta head coach has already made a winning start, and she's hoping her role will inspire more women and girls to follow their footballing dreams.
British triathlete Kat Matthews reveals what it has taken to get back on the IRONMAN World Championship podium, two years after a near-fatal crash whilst training for the same event in 2022.
Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever may have been knocked out of the WNBA play-offs, but the basketball star’s impact extends way beyond the court. Former Icelandic basketballer Helena Sverrisdóttir has proof of that after she hosted a watch party in Iceland. Plus, hear from Samson Ndayishimiye, President of the Rwanda Cycling Federation, as Africa gets ready to host the World Road Cycling Championships for the first time in 2025, and there’s all the flicks and tricks from the Subbuteo World Cup.
Image: FC Talanta's Jackline Juma on the touchline coaching. (Image: FC Talanta/Football Kenya Federation/Kevin Teya)
There are now almost 3,000 billionaires in the world today. But how do the super-rich amass their incredible wealth? The podcast Good, Bad Billionaire is back with season two to find out.
We hear listeners’ reactions and questions, including what qualifies a billionaire to be featured on the show - and are there in fact more African billionaires than records reveal? We are joined in the studio by its presenter Simon Jack.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Brian McKechnie is one of the few people in history to have represented New Zealand in both international rugby and international cricket.
He has also been at centre of two of the country’s biggest major sporting controversies.
He speaks to Will Yates. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service.
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 groundbreaking 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: Brian McKechnie playing for New Zealand. Credit: Getty Images)
Israeli warplanes have launched new attacks on buildings in south Beirut where the military says Hezbollah is storing weapons. Israel strikes Beirut buildings after reportedly targeting Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Elsewhere, in Myanmar, the military junta made a surprise offer to hold talks with rebel groups on a political solution to the country’s nationwide armed conflict. Ethnic armed groups sceptical of this offer have rejected it. Devina Gupta looks at the civil war’s impact on the country’s economy. And, India’s gold imports tripled in the month of August, according to the World Gold Council. Gold prices recently hit an all-time high. But why are prices rising?
Devina is joined by Nga Pham, freelance journalist and filmmaker in Taipei and Andy Uhler - journalism fellow at University of Texas Energy Institute and Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.
The escalating conflict between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel is being described as one of the most intense in recent times. The current fighting has been taking place since October last year with the start of the conflict in Gaza. There have been hundreds of deaths in the past couple of weeks, thousands of injuries and tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. In our conversations, we talk with two doctors in Beirut who treated victims of the exploding pagers and walkie-talkies that targeted Hezbollah operatives. We also bring together people in southern Lebanon, including Zaahra who is reluctant to leave her home despite bombardment by Israeli forces. “It’s our land, it’s where we grew up,” she tells host Luke Jones.
We start our programme with the story of a couple who were arrested under South Africa's Immorality Act, which banned sexual relationships between white people and non-white people.
Another law banned Inter-racial marriage in South Africa. In 1985, this was lifted. The first couple to marry under the new rules share their memories.
Our guest is Dr Susanne Klausen, The Brill Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at The Pennsylvania State University in the USA. She talks about love, marriage and sex in Apartheid South Africa and the two laws that were both repealed on the same day in 1985.
We hear from a survivor of the Estonia ferry disaster in 1994, one of the deadliest shipping disasters since the Titanic. Also, Allen Hughes tells of the time when rap sensation, Tupac Shakur was fired from the crime movie Menace II Society.
And finally, the ‘moon man of India’ tells of the country’s momentous mission to Mars.
Contributors:
Dr Zureena Desai- arrested under the Immorality Act in South Africa.Suzanne La Clerc and Protas Madlala - the first inter-racial couple to get married under new rules in South Africa.Dr Susanne Klausen - The Brill Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at The Pennsylvania State University in the USA.Urban Lambertson – survivor of the Estonia ferry disaster.Allen Hughes – filmmaker.Dr Mylswamy Annadurai- scientist working on India’s Mars Orbiter Mission.
(Photo: Dr Zureena Desai. Credit: Abrie Jantjies)
Several buildings are destroyed by a series of huge explosions in a densely-populated area in Lebanon's capital; Iran describes the attack as ‘a game changing escalation’. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah, telling world leaders at the UN General Assembly 'We are winning'.
Also in the programme: we hear from Haiti where armed gangs are targeting journalists; and Sir Michael Palin pays tribute to actress Dame Maggie Smith, who has died at the age of 89.
(IMAGE: A screen grab shows smoke rising behind buildings in Beirut, Lebanon on 27 September 2024. CREDIT: Reuters TV)
Mishal Husain speaks to Imaan Mazari-Hazir, a lawyer in Pakistan whose passion for human rights began early in her legal studies. She has become well known in her home country for defending people’s rights against the state – taking on difficult cases of abduction and forced disappearance, and speaking out against the country's powerful military. She has herself faced arrest, and now charges under anti-terror laws. Amid political and economic turmoil, is the rule of law in Pakistan in crisis?
Stephen Sackur speaks to the de-facto leader of the Venezuelan opposition, María Corina Machado. Two months after an election which she says delivered a humiliating defeat to the country's authoritarian leader President Nicolás Maduro, he’s clinging on to power and his regime is clamping down on dissent. Have hopes for change again been thwarted in Venezuela?
Is another trade war brewing between the world's two biggest economies? The United States has just increased the level of border taxes - tariffs - on electric vehicles as well as on solar panels and batteries from China. Beijing has vowed to respond. Rob Young looks at the reasons behind the move.
Also, Japan has suffered what's often called three lost economic decades. Well, it's about to get a new prime minister. So, what's his plan for the world's fourth biggest economy?
And we look at the workers being fooled by artificial intelligence clones of their boss. Would you be able to tell the difference?
The leader of the Sudanese army has told UN General Assembly in New York, that a peace deal depends on the paramilitary Rapid Support Force laying down their arms. The army has also launched a major offensive in the capital Khartoum, targeting areas in the hands of RSF. The BBC's Barbara Plett has got rare access to Sudan. She's accompanied the army to some areas and reports on the how the war is devastating lives.
Also, was there an attempted coup in Benin, and by whom?
And the remains of South African anti apartheid freedom fighters who died whilst in exile, are returned home for proper burial.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Victor Sylver and Rob Wilson in LondonTechnical Producer: Chris AblakwaSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEdiros: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Hurricane Helene heads to US state of Georgia after hitting Florida. Also: Japan has a new prime minister; actress Maggie Smith dies.
In a rare report from Sudan's war-torn capital Khartoum, women have told the BBC about the gendered violence they face in areas controlled by the rebel Rapid Support Forces group.
They detail the harassment they face going about everyday lives and the threats to their families.
Also in the programme: Japan's ruling party picks a new Prime Minister, as it tries to recover from a series of scandals; and the Israeli prime minister says negotiations on a ceasefire in Lebanon are continuing, but Israeli warplanes have been carrying out more airstrikes against Hezbollah.
(Photo shows a close-up of a woman's hands, with chipped blue nail polish. Credit: Hassan Lali/BBC)
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will choose its new leader on Friday, after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s surprise announcement that he’s stepping down. Who are the candidates jostling to replace him? And how will their policies effect the economy and wider region?
Elsewhere, Spanish unions have taken to the street in support of a law that would shorten the workday. They gathered around the country to put pressure on the national employer’s confederation to back the law, which would reduce the working week to 37.5 hours. Elon Musk has been snubbed by the British government and will not be invited to the inaugural International Investment Summit attracting investment to the UK. Rahul Tandon finds out more. And in the US, Meta has announced Hollywood celebrities will be voicing their new AI chatbots. Is this a marketing gimmick or the future of AI?
Joining Rahul is Karen Percy, a freelance journalist in Melbourne and a South Korean scholar, lawyer, and consultant Jasper Kim with the University of Melbourne.
Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined his Ukrainian victory plan at the White House; Kamala Harris warned other aggressors would become emboldened if Putin won. Also: a new map of the Milky Way, and the world's oldest cheese.
In Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, queues of people of all faiths visit a Greek Orthodox Church on the first day of each month to make a wish. Emily Wither spoke to devotees who shared their hopes and desires, as they stood patiently in long lines. No one knows exactly how the tradition started, but visitors take a gold key and descend the stairs to the underground Byzantine chapel to visit an ancient spring believed to have miraculous and spiritual powers. Once their wish comes true, they return the key to the church, who pass it on to others wishing for good luck.
Former fund manager Ruchir Sharma spent most of his career as a money manager on Wall Street. Lately though, he’s become a fierce critic of modern capitalism – arguing that the economic system is less fair and less efficient than it has ever been.
What’s the fix?
Produced and presented by Vivienne Nunis
(Image: Ruchir Sharma)
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will choose its new leader on Friday, after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s surprise announcement that he’s stepping down. But what do we know about those vying to take over from him? And how will a new leader effect the economy?
Meanwhile, in Spain, union groups have taken to the street in support of a law that would shorten the workday. Unions gathered around the country to put pressure on the national employer’s confederation to back the law, which would reduce the working week to 37.5 hours. And, you might have thought Elon Musk would be a prime candidate to be invited to the British government's inaugural International Investment Summit attracting investment to the UK. But the BBC understands he has - very purposefully - not been invited.
President Zelensky persuaded the US President to give Ukraine more aid – but also alienated Republicans – during his visit to the US. Does the fate of Ukraine now turn on the result of November's US election?
Also in the programme: we hear from Syria, as tens of thousands of refugees cross the border fleeing Israeli attacks on Lebanon; and crowds in Mexico City call for justice, ten years on from the killing of 43 students which shocked the world.
(IMAGE: US President Joe Biden (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L), during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 26 September 2024. / CREDIT: Alexander Drago/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Valerie Trouet of the University of Arizona tells us how tree-ring data has been used to show how the jet stream has shaped extreme weather in Europe for centuries, influencing harvests, wildfires and epidemics.
Monash University’s Andy Tomkins discusses how, around 460 million years ago, the Earth was briefly encircled by a ring of dust – like Saturn is today, and that the resulting temporary astronomical shade may have cooled the planet. Andy proposes that this dust came from an asteroid which had a close encounter with our planet.
And the cell biology of choking on your drink with Laura Seeholzer from the University of California, San Francisco. Laura has won the 2024 Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology recognising her work on the discovery of how neuroendocrine cells protect our airways.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis
(Photo: Members of the research team collected tree ring samples at various locations in Europe, including the Balkan region. Credit: Courtesy of Valerie Trouet)
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has told the military to continue striking Hezbollah with full force in Lebanon, despite international calls for a ceasefire. There's been a large explosion in Beirut. Unconfirmed reports suggest the commander of Hezbollah's drone operations was the target. We speak to Boaz Bismuth, a member of parliament for Mr Netanyahu's Likud party.
Also, a new documentary about the survivors of the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel, nearly a year ago -- we'll hear from one of them and the director.
And recreating the exhibition of Monet's paintings of a smog-filled London that cemented his reputation.
(Photo: Buildings destroyed after air strikes in Saksakiyeh, south Lebanon. Credit: REU)
Devina Gupta looks at how China's slowing economy is helping some countries…
Also, from cooling economies to cooling appliances that are becoming dangerous for our planet we look at the latest UN report and find out how a business in India is using solar energy to run a cold storage unit.
And - South Korea's plan to make dog meat farmers move away from their profession.
Kenyan police are alleged to have used unlawful force during protests in June.
How African countries benefit from having satellites in space
And Ethiopia finally launches a stock market.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Frenny Jowi and Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Bella Hassan and Nyasha Michelle in London. Technical producer : Nick Randell Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga. Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Israeli PM tells military to keep fighting with 'full force'. Also: President Biden announces the release of billions of dollars of aid for Ukraine, and the world's longest-serving death row inmate acquitted in Japan.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Lebanon’s economy minister, Amin Salam. His country is being bombed and the casualties are mounting as Israel attempts to destroy the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants entrenched in Lebanon. Is there an off ramp from the road to all-out war?
A bonus Newshour episode in which James Menendez explores the US election. In this special podcast extra, we'll be speaking to Midwesterners who suddenly find themselves centre stage in the election. We'll head to Georgia to focus on the people who haven't yet decided how they'll vote. And, while some people are wondering what's going to happen in the next 40 days, we'll hear from the survivalists in Oregon, preparing for a once-in-three-hundred-years natural disaster.
We visit an archaeological dig and meet the heritage consultants who ‘rescue history’ before the developers move in.
In wealthy countries, these consultants are paid in advance, and this has led to a growing industry. In lower income countries that’s not the case – so what’s happening there?
Plus - we look at how the very definition of heritage is fundamentally shifting.
(Picture: Archaeologist excavating part of human skeleton and skull from the ground. Credit: Getty Images.)
Presented and produced by David Reid
In 1949, inter-racial marriage and relationships were banned by South Africa’s apartheid government.
In June 1985, the ban was lifted.
Suzanne La Clerc and Protas Madlala were the first couple to tie the knot under the new rules.
Ashley Byrne was speaking to them in 2015.
Protas Madlala died in 2023.
A made in Manchester production for the BBC World Service
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: The wedding of Protas Madlala and American Susan Leclerc. Credit: Philip Littleton/AFP/Getty Images)
If you moved to a different country, how would you cope with new kinds of food? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.
How can farmers water their crops when they live in the driest place on Earth? Neil and Beth teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240926
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including:✔️ Learning English for Work✔️ Learning English from the News✔️ Learning English Stories
They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
Pakistan has welcomed a $7bn IMF bailout package as the country emerges from one of its worst economic crises. Now, the government has increased its efforts to raise nearly $46bn in taxes for the year - we hear from Pakistan’s business community and a former finance minister about what’s next for the country.
Elsewhere, in the US, plane maker Boeing faces more turbulence after a warning from the safety regulator, which has told US politicians that they won't let the company boost production until it addresses a series of issues. Meanwhile, Rahul Tandon speaks to a key player at New York Climate Week about what companies are really doing to reach net zero. Is it enough? And we ask where the US economy is heading, as the main presidential candidates set out their vision for the economy.
Rahul is joined by Emily Peck, markets correspondent at Axios in New York and Mehmal Sarfraz - journalist and co-founder of The Current in Lahore.
A bonus episode from The Inquiry.
Just over three years ago the Taliban seized Kabul and stormed to power in Afghanistan. They soon declared a new government which is still not recognised by any other country. The Taliban claim they have made improvements to the country. War is over and, they say, there is more peace and security than before they came to power. But millions of people are struggling to survive in the country, there is a restrictive rule of law that is imposed by a very hierarchical government structure and half the population need aid.
This week on The Inquiry we’re asking ‘How are the Taliban governing Afghanistan?’
The Inquiry gets beyond the headlines to explore the trends, forces and ideas shaping the world. For more episodes just search for The Inquiry wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.
Presenter: Emily Wither Producers: Louise Clarke and Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producers: Nicky Edwards and Cameron Ward Contributors: Dr Weeda Mehran, co-director for Advanced Internationalist studies at Exeter University Graeme Smith, senior analyst for the International Crisis Group Dr Orzala Nemet, research associate at ODI Overseas Development Institute Javid Ahmad, non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC
The army chief told troops to be ready for a cross-border ground operation. The UN says more than 90,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Monday. Also: walking on the moon at Europe's lunar life simulator.
Fancy starting a food truck? It can be a way to trial new food concepts and see if your business has potential before committing to a restaurant premises.
In this programme Ruth Alexander finds out what its really like running a food truck or van.
She meets customers queuing for over an hour for the SpudBros van in Preston, North West England, where brothers Harley and Jacob Nelson have drummed up business for their jacket potatoes on social media. Ruth speaks to Anna Brand who runs a vegan food van Vege Bang Bang in Auckland New Zealand, and sisters Natalie and Samantha Mwedekeli who started Mama Rocks, a food van selling gourmet burgers in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015. Today they have five premises and its time to sell the van that started it all. And Karan Malik talks about his food van SuperSuckers in Delhi, India. He saw the trend take off, but tells Ruth why he decided to get out of the business. If you'd like to contact the programme email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.
Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. Research by Henry Liston.(Image: Brothers Jacob and Harley Nelson in their food van selling jacket potatoes in Preston North West England. Credit: BBC)
Pakistan looks ahead to an anticipated $7bn IMF package as the country emerges from one of its worst economic crises since independence. Now, the government has amped up its efforts to raise nearly $46bn in taxes for the year - we hear from the former governor of the country’s state bank about what needs to happen next.
Meanwhile, in the US, the main presidential candidates are setting out their vision for the economy. Donald Trump currently has a 6% poll lead over Kamala Harris on the economy, but she’s been making gains. And, US plane maker Boeing faces more turbulence after a warning from the safety regulator, which has told US politicians that they won't let the company boost production until it addresses a series of issues. We hear from a former Boeing employee about his concerns, and how he expects the current struggle between the company and workers to play out.
Is Israel preparing for a full-scale ground incursion of Lebanon? Israel has been actively striking against southern Lebanon – but also aiming north of the capital city Beirut. We get an on-the-ground update from those living amongst the airstrikes.
Also in the programme: We take a closer look on how the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon is affecting the race in one of the swing states in the upcoming US election; and we hear from an Israeli soldier who did fight on Lebanese ground – in 2006.
(Photo: Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike as seen from Tyre. Credit: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
As vector-borne diseases begin to spread more widely around the world, we look at why, what the effects are, and what can be done.
Also on the program, a new study has examined the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, what did they find, and how is this different from previous papers? And can space flight age you? A new study tries to find out.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett
We hear from a doctor in Pakistan who says he sees parents who do not have enough money to take their dead children home, highlighting the growing and devastating pressures poor families face as rising costs leave them unable to afford basic medication. Devina Gupta finds out if an IMF bailout package can help the country’s health care system.
Also, what does an IMF bailout look like for Bangladesh?
And in Ghana where an IMF bailout may have slowed inflation, food prices are still rising, we find out why…
A coalition of civil society organizations, labor unions, media outlets and religious leaders in Ghana have intensified pressure on the government to act decisively against illegal mining, known as galamsey. What impact does galamsey have on the country?
Also, an appeal from Amnesty International to release four activists detained in Angola. There's concern over their detriorating health. We'll hear from the wife of one of those detained.
And a challenge to the organisers of Fashion Week in Nigeria..to add plus size models to the catwalk!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson in London. Frenny Jowi in Nairobi and Todah Opeyemi in Lagos.Technical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Israel has carried out another extensive wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon -- hours after the group fired a ballistic missile towards Tel Aviv for the first time. We hear from Israel and talk to the head of one Lebanese charity trying to help those fleeing the bombardment in southern Lebanon.
Also on the programme: is crime now on the rise in tightly-controlled Cuba and if so, why? And we ask why so many children are now short-sighted.
(Photo: People walk on a beach as smoke billows in the background over southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike. Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
The latest on the exodus from southern Lebanon, as well as international reaction. Also: Women and children are dying in Sudan's Darfur region as the healthcare system collapses, the 'hidden' crime wave in Cuba, and how to tell if someone is actually addicted to their smartphone.
Collocations are words that commonly go together. Learn common collocations with 'way'. Think of 'a way' as a path in front of you, and let nothing stand in your way of English proficiency!
TRANSCRIPT Find a free transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/english_in_a_minute/240827
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In 1969, a white man and an Indian woman were put on trial in South Africa for conspiring to have sex.
Dr Zureena Desai and Professor John Blacking were the most high profile couple to be arrested under the Immorality Act.
Their case made headlines all over the world and made a laughing stock of South Africa's ruling National Party and its racist regime.
Dr Desai tells Vicky Farncombe about the ridiculous lengths police officers went to in order to gather evidence against the couple, including climbing trees and listening at ventilation shafts.
“Young people born after 1994 don't remember what South Africa was like,” she says. “People died. And people were arrested for fatuous reasons.”
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Dr Zureena Desai. Credit: Abrie Jantjies)
一位听众来信询问 “sell out” 在表示 “卖完了，卖光了” 这个意思时，使用主动语态还是被动语态更常用。听本期 “你问我答” 节目讲解固定搭配 “sell out” 的用法，以及相关名词 “sellout” 的具体含义。
Markets react to China’s stimulus. Its Chinas biggest stimulus since the global pandemic in 2020Crowdstrike gets a grilling from US regulators. Senior executive Adam Meyers told a US Congressional committee that Crowdstrike ensures it could never happen again.Airstrikes have continued for a second day in Lebanon, we look at how it’s affecting air travel.
A bonus episode from The Climate Question podcast.
BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt travels to Somalia to investigate the links between global warming and the decades-long conflict there. He hears how Somalis are responding by launching businesses and their own renewables industry.
For more episodes on the issues facing our planet and how we might combat them, just search for The Climate Question wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Presenter: Justin RowlattProducer in Somalia: Stuart PhillipsProducers in London: Miho Tanaka, Sara HegartySound Mix: Tom Brignell and David CracklesEditor: Simon Watts
What do Hollywood legend Leo DiCaprio, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and English zoologist Jane Goodall have in common? They have all taken to social media to call for the protection of the Masungi Georeserve, a popular ecotourism destination in the Philippines. This comes after the Philippine government proposed scrapping a contract with the reserve that handed it control over 2,700 hectares of land for reforestation purposes. As public debate rages on, BBC Trending has uncovered evidence of an online disinformation campaign targeting the nature reserve’s keepers. But who is the puppet master pulling the strings from the shadows?
Officials say two days of attacks have created carnage across the country. Also: US IT firm CrowdStrike apologises for the world's worst computer glitch, and the country with a growing number of mountain gorillas.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). For five decades she has led the campaign to end human exploitation and abuse of animals. From food to fashion, to testing in laboratories, are we humans really capable of going animal-free?
Ever been stuck in a meeting drowning in buzzwords? Terms like "synergies", "low-hanging fruit" or "deliverables"?
They're just a few examples of corporate jargon. A lexicon of colourful metaphors, buzzwords and acronyms that you’d never use with friends or family but have become common parlance in the world of international business.
Workplace lingo might serve as a useful industry short-hand, or a way to gel with colleagues, but it can also irritate, obscure meaning or even hide unpleasant truths. And it's more prevalent than ever.
In this episode, we team up with our colleagues at BBC Learning English to explore the origins and purpose of corporate language and why we love to hate it; hearing from workplace culture and linguistics experts, professionals in the City of London, a plain-talking CEO, and some of you - the BBC World Service audience.
(Picture: Business people looking at sticky notes on a glass board as part of an upskill workshop. Credit: Getty Images.)
Presenters: Ed Butler and Pippa SmithProducer: Elisabeth Mahy
Want to learn more about this topic? Click on Related links or go to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/business-jargon/240925
President Biden has led calls at the annual gathering of the UN General Assembly to prevent a slide into full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. After another day of cross-border strikes, Israel says it's killed a senior commander of the Lebanese group in Beirut. Also in the programme, Ukraine's president speaks to the United Nations; and how an octopus and a fish join forces and go hunting.
(Photo: Smoke billows over southern Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon September 24, 2024. REUTERS/Aziz Taher)
It’s the ongoing question about AI – will it replace jobs or create new ones? We look at the argument from the point of view of call centre workers in the Philippines. Also on the programme, how Google Maps is tracking the changes in the built environment around the world. Plus – the small European city home to some of the most important music tech in the world.
Get in touch with Tech Life by emailing techlife@bbc.co.uk or sending us a Whatsapp on +44 330 1230 320.
Presenter: Chris Vallance Producers: Tom Quinn and Imran Rahman-JonesEditor: Monica Soriano
(Image: An animation of a robot wearing a headset and microphone. Credit: Getty Images)
New stimulus measures are being introduced by China’s central bank to reduce interest rates on existing mortgages. Devina Gupta speaks to lead economist Betty Wang.
Also, is fashion giant Shein benefiting from tax loopholes in the UK? The boss of a popular clothing chain Superdry thinks so, we find out more…
And - Singapore sees the biggest corruption scandal in its recent history, we look at why this conviction has had a huge global interest.
The Tanzanian opposition is concerned by abductions in the country they suggest are meant to cower the opposition.
The Zimbabwe plans to cull at least 200 elephants. The meat will be used to feed hungry people. So what are the challenges and advantages of eating elephant meat?
And why did Botswana's ex-president return home to face trial. Does he have other plans afoot?
Presenter :Charles GitongaProducers: Nyasha Michelle, Bella Hassan and Patricia Whitehorne in London and Blessing Aderogba in Lagos.Technical producer: Chris AblakwaSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
The Israeli military says it has conducted a "targeted" strike in Lebanon's capital, Beirut. Just how much support is there inside Israel for the intensification of the conflict? We hear from an Israeli politician with the centrist opposition party, Yesh Atid.
Also on the programme, will a new defence supremo in Brussels help or hinder Europe's attempt to bolster its security? And we look at the way octopuses and fish co-operate in the sea.
(Photo: People gather at the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs. Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)
The Lebanese government says 558 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since Monday. Meanwhile, Hezbollah rockets trigger alarms in Northern Israel. Also: Sweden accuses Iran of stirring up division through hacking.
What to do with pronouns, tenses and word order when you report what someone else says.
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️ The English We Speak
They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
你的一天是如何开始的？会不会 “feel good from the get-go”，从一大早就有好心情？我们可以用 “from the get-go” 来表达 “某事从一开始就……”。除此之外，“from the beginning” 和 “from the very start” 也可以表达相同的意思。本期节目教你如何使用 “from the get-go”。
In 1993, a gritty and unflinching crime movie called Menace II Society was released to huge acclaim.
The debut picture from the teenage directors, Allen and Albert Hughes, provided a deep dive into the harsh realities faced by many young African Americans growing up in Los Angeles.
But behind the scenes, all was not well and the violence on-screen bled into real life.
Rap sensation, Tupac Shakur – who had originally been cast to feature in the movie – had fallen out with the directors and was sacked during production.
He promised retribution against the Hughes brothers, and his retribution would eventually land him time in jail.
More than 30 years on from the movie’s release, Allen Hughes shares his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Tupac Shakur pictured in 1993. Credit: Getty Images)
We hear from Lebanon's business community as it comes under sustained Israeli bombardmentQuestions about the future of the giant tech company Intel and whether it might be bought up in a huge Wall Street deal
And what's behind Washington's plans to ban Chinese tech in cars? Israeli airstrikes have hit Lebanon. The Death toll has risen to over 500
Israel says it hit over one thousand Hezbollah targets and tells civilians in southern Lebanon to flee areas near the group's weapons. Also: Albania plans microstate within its borders.
The US ‘pro-life’ movement has gained ground in recent years, with courts overturning women’s right to an abortion and questioning the legality of IVF fertility treatments. The question at the heart of the debate is when does life begin? ‘Pro-life’ has become synonymous with evangelical Christianity - often considered a powerful voting bloc in America. But how united are Christian preachers? And what does this tell us about the upcoming election? Ellie House reports from the divided churches in the swing state of Michigan.
Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, as well companies like Boeing, believe a future where more satellites are put in orbit, alongside new space stations, as well as plans for bases on the moon, will prove very profitable.
But it is not proving easy for Boeing in particular, following problems with its Starliner space craft on its maiden flight to the International Space Station.
We hear from astrophysicists, companies that advise on space investment, and former astronaut Cady Coleman.
Produced and presented by Russell Padmore
(Image: Artist's concept of the Boeing Starliner craft travelling in Earth orbit. Credit: Boeing)
Lebanese health officials say Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah have killed more than three-hundred-and-fifty people. It's the deadliest day of conflict across the border in nearly two decades. Also on the programme, for the first time in 10 years, Indian administered Kashmir is voting in local assembly elections; and new music from Pakistan’s Qawalli maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan released years after his death.
(Photo: Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system operates for interceptions as rockets are launched from Lebanon towards Israel, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from Haifa, Israel, September 23, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Nvidia shares fall by 9.5%
Chinese car giant BYD may put its plans to build a factory in Mexico on hold until after the US Presidential election.
The new album ‘brat’ by pop start Charlie XCX has been a cultural zeitgeist this summer.
Today the singer posted on social media to say "goodbye forever brat summer".
President Zelensky says Russia will be held accountable for a deadly missile attack in Poltava. Also: Prague honours the man who saved Jewish children from the Nazis, and NY governor's ex-aide charged as Chinese agent.
Vladimir Putin talks of restoring greatness to what he calls the Russian world: an expanse of territory which, as Ukrainians know to their cost, stretches far beyond Russia’s current borders. Putin’s expansionist nationalism requires military power, but it’s harnessed the cultural and spiritual authority of the Russian Orthodox Church too. Stephen Sackur speaks to Andrey Kordochkin, who was a Russian Orthodox priest who spoke out against the Ukraine war and the "Putinisation" of the church. Is he swimming against an unstoppable tide?
Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande and even Donald Trump have signed up to the manifesting philosophy - the trend in believing that dreams can come true if you envision a positive outcome.
But does it hold the secret to financial and professional success or is it a pseudoscientific fad? And what's behind the meteoric rise of this new-age practice?
From books and podcasts to thousands of creators and videos on social media, Megan Lawton traces the history, investigates the methods and explores the latest wave of this 'positive mindset phenomenon'.
Presented and produced by Megan Lawton
(Picture: Alicia Tghlian runs manifesting platform, Growth for Girlies, from her condo in Toronto, Canada.)
President Zelensky says 2 Russian missiles struck a military training institute and a hospital in the central Ukrainian city, the worst single attack on a city this year.
Also on the programme: An attempt by inmates to break out of a high-security prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo has led to the deaths of 129 people; and the Prague street named after Sir Nicholas Winton, the British man who saved hundreds of Jewish children from the Holocaust.
(Photo: An image of a damaged building in Poltava.)
We get a first-hand insight into how the war in Sudan has affected tech workers and companies there.
Also on Tech Life:
Old unwanted fishing nets are a real issue, for marine life and us here on dry land. One man has come up with a way of turning an environmental problem into useful 3D printed products.
And, we can see the sea. We can see the sky. But wouldn't it be great if we could see the wind as well? Well now we can!
Presenter: Graham FraserProducer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum, Sudan, amidst ongoing fighting on June 7, 2023. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
We start in Germany, where perhaps the biggest warnings yet about the pressure on Europe's car industry have come from one of the continent's biggest firms. Volkswagen - VW - has warned it could close factories for the first time in its history as it comes under increasing financial pressure.
Also today the boss of one of the world's biggest delivery firms warns of disruption to global trade,
And, fancy an AI dating - wingman?
As African leaders gather in Beijing this week for the China-Africa summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping may have one thing under his belt to boast about - satellite TV rolled out in Africa. But have villagers really benefiited or not?
Also, an announcement asking to free members of the Muslim Brotherhood from Egypt's prisons is quickly withdrawn. Why?
And in Cape Town, artists from across the continent come together to perform challenging art for challenging times!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan and Stefania OkerekeTechnical Producer: Chris AblakwaSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
At least forty people are killed in a deadly Russian missile attack as President Putin visits Mongolia - where he could be arrested. Also: the boss of Volkswagen goes on trial and we hear about Sikh superheroes.
For more than six months, a BBC Eye team has been investigating extremist settlers establishing a new type of illegal settlement known as a “herding outpost”. Some have been sanctioned by the UK and US governments for forcing Palestinians from their homes as part of a “campaign of violence and intimidation”. In this documentary we tell the story of the Palestinian communities living on the frontline of their outposts. We expose how some of these settlers have been supported by two powerful organisations in Israel, one which describes itself as “an arm of the Israeli state”.
Image credit: BBC Eye
“Clutch at straws（抓救命稻草）” 并不是指真的用手 “clutch（紧握）” 一束 “straws（稻草）”，而是比喻为摆脱困境，选择并不可靠的解决方法的行为。“Clutch at straws” 在口语中还可以用来表示某人的观点缺乏说服力，显得只是急于表达自己的想法。听节目，学习 “clutch at straws” 的用法。
We discover that chocolate biscuits are a helpful learning tool when talking about this. FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️ The English We Speak They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
In 1976, the 3,000-year-old mummy of Ramesses II was found to have a fungal infection.
The embalmed body of the Egyptian pharaoh was flown from Cairo to Paris for a once-in-a-deathtime makeover.
It received a royal welcome at the airport, and was guarded throughout its restoration, which took place at the Musee de l’Homme.
Anne-Marie Gouden worked as a receptionist at the museum. She tells Gill Kearsley the extraordinary story of the restoration.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: The mummy of Ramesses II being examined in Paris. Credit: Tony Comiti/Sygma via Getty Images)
Campaign donations have been a key feature of the 2024 US election. Since Kamala Harris entered the presidential race huge donation figures have been widely reported in the media. One Republican donor tells us why he’s hoping for a Trump win. We examine where campaign donations are coming from and how decisive they might be in this election.
Also in the programme, Rahul Tandon looks at the protests and general strike in Israel following the death of six hostages held by Hamas and speaks to the business owner encouraging his workers to strike.
He’ll be looking back at Mexico’s President Lopez Obrador’s economic record as he prepares to leave office and discussing dynamic pricing and the best way to price concert tickets.
Rahul is joined by senior freelance reporter Karen Pearcy and Allie Garfinkle, senior finance reporter at Fortune.
Pressure mounts on the Israeli prime minister, following the killing of six hostages. Also: the Mayor of Paris provokes protests saying she wants the Olympic rings to stay on the Eiffel Tower forever; and how to hold a fashion show in a war zone.
As many countries and cities around the world rally against over tourism, we're in Albania which is investing huge sums in growing its infrastructure to welcome visitors in.
The UN ranks Albania 4th globally for tourism growth and it places top spot in the European list of countries. Around 14 million visitors are expected in 2024 but with a tourism boom comes huge investment, construction and a changing economy, but at what cost to the environment? We hear about plans to build a luxury resort - funded by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner - and travel to a construction site for a new airport serving the coastal resorts.
Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney
(Image: Aerial view of a crowded sand beach with umbrellas and lots of people at sunset in Ksamil, southern Albania. Credit: Getty Images)
Campaign donations have been a key feature of the 2024 US election. Since Kamala Harris entered the presidential race huge donation figures have been widely reported in the media. One Republican donor tells us why he’s hoping for a Trump win. We examine where campaign donations are coming from and how decisive they might be in this election.
Also in the programme, Rahul Tandon looks at the protests and general strike in Israel following the death of six hostages held by Hamas, and looking back at Mexico’s President Lopez Obrador’s economic record as he prepares to leave office.
President Biden has said that a final deal for a ceasefire - and the release of hostages held in Gaza - is very close to being presented to Israel and Hamas, by mediators. He also said did not think the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was doing enough to secure an agreement.
Benjamin Netanyahu has been appealing to the public for their continued support. He also asked for forgiveness from Israelis for not being able to bring back alive the six hostages who were found dead in Gaza on Saturday. We hear from a member of the Israeli Government and our Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale .
Also on the programme: What is dynamic pricing, and why has it caused upset amongst fans trying to secure tickets to see Oasis in the UK?; and US political statistician, Nate Silver, talks about his latest book and why we should all take more risks.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu holds press conference in Jerusalem. Credit:Ohad Zwigenberg EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Dr Sheila Willis is a forensic scientist who was Director General of Forensic Science Ireland for many years.
She has spent her life using science to help solve cases, working on crime scenes and then analysing material in the lab, and presenting scientific evidence in court.
It’s a complicated business. Forensic science relies on powerful technology, such as DNA analysis, but it cannot be that alone - it’s also about human judgement, logical reasoning and asking the right questions.
It is these fundamentals of forensic science that Sheila has fought for through her long career and what she fears may be becoming lost from the field now.
We find out what happens when the two very different worlds of science and the law clash in the courtroom. How to walk the line of presenting scientific evidence where there is pressure to be definitive where often science cannot be - and what this part of the job has in common with food packaging.
And what makes a good forensic scientist?
We’ll turn the studio at London’s Broadcasting House into a live crime scene to see if host Professor Jim Al-Khalili would be any good as a forensic investigator…
Businesses, schools, universities and transport across Israel have been disrupted by a general strike called to put pressure on the government to agree a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. We find out how firms are operating and from one boss who's encouraging his staff to strike.
Also, Thailand's war on an "alien" fish that it fears could cost its economy almost $300 million.
And cries of foul play from fans of the band Oasis, after a ticketing meltdown and experiencing the rough side of dynamic pricing.
Hundreds of thousands strike in Israel to pressurise PM Netanyahu to secure a hostage release deal with Hamas. Also: Analysis of Germany's regional elections, and how boys are flooded with violent social media content.
Frank McWeeny heads to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, to meet the underground music community leading protests against government clampdown on freedom of expression and civil society groups. How vital is dancing in a country going through the biggest political and social crisis of its generation? We hear from the city most important techno club Bassiani, militant radio station and event space Mutant Radio, and members of the nightlife scene.
Photo of Bassiani club main room, taken in 2019. Credit: Bassiani.
Do you ever 'meet up with' your friend in the park? We talk about multi-word verbs. FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ Learning English from the News ✔️ Learning Easy English They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
On the 26 September 2014 Nathan Law stood on a makeshift stage outside Hong Kong's central government complex and chanted ‘Democracy Now’ and ‘Freedom’ into a microphone.
He was leading hundreds of protesters who had gathered to demand that China grants Hong Kong free and fair elections.
As the day went on the protest continued to grow and it wasn’t long before Nathan’s face was all over the news.
Then at 2am his microphone was cut off and the protest plunged into darkness as plain-clothed police officers rushed to the stage and arrested him.
Nathan tells Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty how despite his arrest the protests continued to grow into some of the largest Hong Kong had ever seen lasting 79 days in total.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Picture: Umbrella Protests. Credit: Getty Images)
Children's TV presenters from Ireland and South Africa tell Datshiane Navanayagam about working in television and their love for inspiring young minds.
Niamh Ní Chróinín from Ireland is a children's TV presenter for Cúla4, an Irish-language channel that broadcasts exclusively in Gaelic. She is keen to foster a love for Irish culture and language among children.
Shudufhadzo Mathagwa is a South African children's TV presenter, model and actor who is passionate about youth empowerment. She currently presents on Play Room, the 24-hour children’s television channel that combines education and entertainment with both a local and international focus.
Produced by Emily Naylor for the BBC World Service.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza. His images of death, destruction and loss in Gaza went viral across the world. He left 108 days after Israel launched its military response to Hamas’s October 7th attack. What impact have his images had, on him, and us?
American artist Laurie Anderson is putting the finishing touches to her new album Amelia at Miraval Studios in southern France. This is Laurie's first record in six years, and she tells the story of renowned female aviator Amelia Earhart’s tragic last flight in 1937. Earhart’s plane disappeared without trace over the Pacific as she attempted to circumnavigate the globe. The fate of Amelia and her navigator Fred Noonan became one of the most enduring mysteries of the last century. This 22-track album has been almost 25 years in the making, and Laurie has come to Miraval Studios in southern France to work with Emmy-winning sound engineer Damien Quintard. We go behind the scenes as they collaborate on a complex mix, which includes the Filharmonie Brno orchestra, a string trio and other solo musicians.
Germany's AfD becomes first far-right party to win state election since Nazi era. Also: the mysterious death of the 'Russian spy whale', and the South African beauty queen crowned Miss Nigeria after a nationality row.
American endurance swimmer Diana Nyad faced down box jellyfish, cold and extreme fatigue to become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage for protection, in 2013. She was 64 and had always been drawn by intense, seemingly unachievable feats of marathon swimming. It was after shooting to fame for swimming round the island of Manhattan in the 1970s that Diana first seized on an idea that had been planted in her head in childhood: she would swim the 112 miles from Cuba to Florida's Key West. Five attempts and more than thirty years later, she finally succeeded, wobbling unsteadily up the beach after nearly 53 hours in the water to tell a cheering crowd, "never, ever give up... you are never too old to chase your dreams."
Archive from Diana's swimming and broadcasting careers appears courtesy of: Florida Keys TV; The Wolfson Archives, Miami Dade College; PBS; FOX Sports; ABC; Courage to Succeed (1977).
Presenter: Asya FouksProducer: Laura Thomas and Saskia Edwards
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
We hear from farmers in Montana, Iowa and Georgia.
What do they want to hear from the presidential candidates ahead of the US election?
Presenter: Ed ButlerProducer: David Cann
(Image: A farmer using a combine in the US. Credit: Getty Images)
Exit polls suggest the far right Alternative for Germany is on course to win a state election for the first time. The party is predicted to win around 33% percent of the votes in Thuringia and in the neighbouring state of Saxony, exit polls put the AfD in second place.
Also in the programme: Protests have erupted in Israel after six hostages were killed in Gaza, increasing the pressure on Binyamin Netanyahu’s government; and an opera version of the famous UK fictional detective Sherlock Holmes goes on stage.
(Picture: Right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) top candidate Bjoern Hoecke gives thumbs up on the day of the Thuringia state election in Erfurt, Germany, September 1. Credit: Reuters).
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the killing of six hostages in Gaza shows Hamas doesn't want a ceasefire deal. The deaths came as aid agencies begin a mass vaccination campaign against polio in the Palestinian territory. We look in detail at both.
Also in the programme: What is driving voters from eastern Germany? And an opera based on one of the best known Sherlock Holmes novels.
(Photo: A combination picture shows undated handout images of hostages Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, and Almog Sarusi, who were kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 attacks, and whose bodies have been found underground in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip and returned to Israel, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Credit: Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via Reuters)
This is a bonus episode from The Global Story asking - Are ultra-processed foods impossible to avoid?
Research into ultra-processed foods suggests they could be linked to health problems including cancers, heart disease, obesity and depression - but scientists are yet to agree on how they actually affect us. Often mass-produced, and containing multiple additives, UPFs have become the target of nutritionists and clean-living advocates alike. But, given how common they are, can we realistically avoid them?
On this episode, Lucy Hockings speaks with BBC health reporter Philippa Roxby, and Ruth Alexander, presenter of The Food Chain podcast from the BBC World Service. Together, they unpack what we really know about UPFs.
The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide, one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world.
Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.
We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com
You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.
Producers: Beth Timmins, Laurie Kalus, and Alice Aylett Roberts. Sound Engineers: Ben Andrews and Mike Regaard. Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.
German author Ewald Arenz, answers readers questions about his bestselling novel Tasting Sunlight. It’s the moving story of Liss, a reclusive woman who single-handedly runs her family farm, and teenage runaway Sally who takes refuge there. As they work together, Liss and Sally form an unlikely – and nurturing – friendship.
Kavita Puri goes to India to meet the last survivors of the 1943 Bengal famine. She looks for traces of how war and famine impacted Kolkata and then travels from the city along the road to where the story of famine begins. Kavita goes deep into the countryside and the jungle in West Bengal to find people who lived through that devastating time more than 80 years ago. For the past year and a half Kavita has been asking why there is no memorial to the three million people who died. But then in the Bengal jungle she finally finds it – and it’s not what she expected.
Israel and Hamas agree to localised pauses in fighting to enable more than 600,000 Palestinian children to be vaccinated. Also: The weight loss drug that studies suggest can treat other illnesses linked to heart failure, arthritis, Alzheimer's and even cancer, and the armless Paralympic archer.
UN agencies and local health officials in the Gaza Strip are launching an ambitious campaign to vaccinate 640,000 children against polio. To be effective, the World Health Organization (WHO) says at least 90% of children under 10 must be immunised in a short time frame. We hear from parents on the ground in Gaza.
Also on the programme: another challenge for tech billionaire Elon Musk over his social website 'X', now it's been blocked in Brazil; and the dulcet tones of marmoset monkeys speaking to each other.
(Picture: The mother of Palestinian boy Abdul Rahman Abu Al-Jidyan, who is the first person to contract polio in Gaza in 25 years, gestures as she looks after him in their tent, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip Credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
We meet Manette, the 102 year old who has become the Britain's oldest skydiver. Also: as the Paralympics get underway, we hear the stories of inspiring athletes including USA swimmer, Ali Truwit, who was attacked by a shark.
Presenter: Rachel Wright. Music composed by Iona Hampson.
X, formerly Twitter, has been banned in Brazil after its owner Elon Musk refused to comply with court orders to suspend certain accounts.
Also on the programme: The Ukrainian city of Kharkiv comes under Russian attack again, we hear from a resident living there. And we hear about monkeys who call each other by name.
(Photo: Elon Musk, owner of X. Credit: Reuters/David Swanson)
Could a cup of coffee become an act of love and remembrance? BBC Ukrainian's Ilona Hromliuk speaks to the relatives of fallen soldiers who have opened 'memory cafés' to pay tribute to their loved ones. Plus, Alfred Lasteck from BBC Africa tells us about a pioneering conservation project that helped restore the coral reef around the Mnemba island in Zanzibar, and sports journalist Emmanuel Akindubuwa meets the power couple of Nigerian para table tennis.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
Live from Paris with all the action and stories from the 2024 Paralympic Games
Photo: Dong Lu of team China competes in the Women's 200m individual medley final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (CReditby Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
It was the biggest gold mine fraud of all time and devastated countless lives. But what really happened? We hear listeners’ feedback on The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam and its presenter Suzanne Wilton tells us how she spent almost 30 years investigating this murder mystery.
Plus, the world’s most popular fruit is under threat. We air a critique of the documentary Going Bananas.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
In 2012, The Gambia made their first appearance at the Paralympic Games. President of the Gambian National Paralympic Committee Sulayman Colley speaks to Justice Baidoo about how he succeeded in organising the team for the London games.
A Made in Manchester Production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: Isatou Nyang was the first athlete to compete for The Gambia in the 2012 Paralympic Games. Credit: Scott Heavey/Getty Images)
The social media platform X has been suspended in Brazil. A Supreme Court judge has ordered "immediate and complete suspension" across the country
In Libya the head of the central bank has fled the country in fear of his life. Sadiq Al Kabir and his senior staff claim they were forced to leave following death threats by militias.
And in Bangladesh this week incessant rains there has led to flooding in many low lying areas. This has not only led to displacement of tens of thousands of people but also disrupted work at the garment factories there which are now struggling to complete orders on time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian attack on Kharkiv could have been prevented if international donors allowed their weapons to be used inside Russia. Also: do marmoset monkeys call each other by name?
The withdrawal of US troops in 2021 prompted the collapse of the Afghan military, an interim government and then a power grab by the hardline Islamist regime. Since then there have been increasingly harsh restrictions on everything from freedom of movement to clothing. Women and girls are now longer able to attend school after the age of 12 or university and must not speak in public. Host Luke Jones brings together three women in Kabul and in the nearby Ghazni province to hear about their lives, ambitions and how the latest laws make them feel.
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes. Our guest is European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who completed the longest uninterrupted space flight of any European.
First, we go to Australia in the 1990s when amateur radio enthusiast Maggie Iaquinto befriended Soviet cosmonauts on the Mir space station. She updated them on global news as the USSR crumbled back on Earth.
Then, the inspiring story of Waris Dirie, who walked barefoot across the Somalian desert to escape child marriage and became an international supermodel.
We hear a harrowing account of Guatemala's civil war that ended in 1996.
Then, why the author of Mary Poppins, PL Travers, hated the Disney film.
Finally, the Canadian town that welcomed aliens in 1967.
Contributors:Samantha Cristoforetti - European Space Agency astronaut.Ben Iaquinto - son of Maggie Iaquinto who befriended Soviet cosmonauts.Waris Dirie - model from Somalia.Jeremias Tecu - survivor of Guatemala's civil war.Brian Sibley and Kitty Travers - friend and daughter of PL Travers.Paul Boisvert - worked on Canada's alien landing pad.
(Photo: Mir Space Station in 1995. Credit: Space Frontiers/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
An attack on Ukraine’s second biggest city leaves five dead. It comes at the end of a week in which Ukraine says Russia has launched more than four hundred missile and drone strikes. We’ll hear from Kharkiv and from the embattled town of Pokrovsk.
Also in the programme, Burkina Faso’s losing battle against a jihadist insurgency – and multi-award winning British actor Gary Oldman on the one honour missing from his trophy cabinet
(Photo: Ukrainian rescuers at the suite of a damaged residential building in Kharkiv after the attack. Credit: SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In her first TV interview of the US election campaign, Kamala Harris sets out her vision for president and promises to 'turn the page'. Also: tributes to New Zealand's Māori King who’s died, and carbonara in a can.
Elon Musk's social platform X expects to be blocked in Brazil after missing a judge's deadline to appoint a new legal representative. We get the latest. As The Maldives see their credit rating downgraded by ratings agency Fitch, investors fear the archipelago could become the first country to default on a sukuk, an Islamic financial product similar to a bond. We hear more about the islands' situation. And as more young Africans are leave their countries in search of a better future, we find out what happens to the elderly parents who are left behind.
Every year hundreds of thousands of people go missing or are ‘forcibly disappeared’ around the world, and Africa has one of the highest number of cases. On International Day of the Disappeared we hear the testimony of one affected family, and discuss what needs to be done to effectively deal with the crisis.
As health officials from several African nations conclude a week-long summit to discuss the MPox outbreak, are they closer to delivering on plans for the rollout of vaccines? And what are the challenges of being a female stand-up comedian in Tanzania? Comedy sketch performer, Sakinah Chandoo, shares her wit and wisdom.
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Bella Hassan, Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke and Sunita Nahar in London. Susan Gachuhi was in Nairobi. Technical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Journalist: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Aid agencies are preparing to start a mass polio vaccination programme in Gaza, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a series of pauses in the fighting.
The campaign will aim to vaccinate around 640,000 children across the Gaza strip and will begin on Sunday, the World Health Organisation says.
Also in the programme: Kamala Harris responds to accusations she's flip-flopped on policy in her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee; the actor Gary Oldman on reprising his role as a shambolic spy with terrible personal hygiene; and a tribute to the truck driver who became king of the Māori people.
(File photo showing a nurse handling a syringe. Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA)
Following anti-tourism protests across popular Spanish cities and towns, we are looking for the world's most unwelcome visitor. Our panellists (and producers) are pitching their terrible tourists to see who really is the worst of them all. Some of our contenders include...
The wild boars who's unanticipated vacay to Rome has gone on for so long and caused so much carnage that researchers are putting them on birth control.
The microbes potentially hitching a ride to the moon via space probes and astronauts' poo
The multi-destination parasite who wreaks havoc as it interrails through snails (castrating them on the way), frogs (making them spout multiple limbs) and birds.
But there are some instances when tourists can be a good thing - and this is especially the case in the human body when we want to grow a baby. How is in that we are able to protect what should be an 'unwelcome visitor' from a hyperalert, hostile immune system? Our expert Edward Chuong explains.
Plus, we uncover the DNA origins of the world's most popular coffee bean, hear the freeloading activities of the male angular fish, and read out a selection of your wonderful emails.
Presenter: Caroline Steel Panellists: Phillys Mwatee & Christine Yohannes Producer: Julia Ravey Production team: Emily Knight, Noa Dowling Studio manager: Emma Harth
Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 8 uses of ‘round’ - in 5 minutes.
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Amateur radio enthusiast Maggie Iaquinto spent a year trying to make contact with Russian cosmonauts on the Mir space station using special equipment.
It took careful planning as she had to know when they were orbiting past her house in Australia and what frequency they’d be on.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Maggie relayed crucial information to cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev.
Maggie’s son Ben Iaquinto speaks to Megan Jones.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Margaret Iaquinto. Credit: Benjamin Iaquinto)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Latvia’s defence minister Andris Sprūds. He wants to ramp up military support for Ukraine, and he backs Kyiv’s dramatic push into Russian territory. But will divisions inside Nato and the EU leave Ukraine short of the backing it needs?
Donald Trump campaigns in Michigan and Wisconsin. He won these states in 2016 but lost them in 2020.
Singapore is trying an interesting experiment to support its ageing and experienced workforce
And fans of the hit HBO TV series 'Industry' are in for a bumpy ride as series three returns - with a focus on ethical investments
Twenty years ago, reporter Julia Paul was teaching media to young women in an Afghanistan where the Taliban were in retreat, if only temporarily. Now she has tracked down two of them again to find out how their lives have fared in the decades since. Some have fled abroad while others are still in Afghanistan, imprisoned in their homes. But even for those who have escaped, life is far from easy. As one of the army of secular western aid workers that flooded Afghan society all those years ago, Julia discusses with the women whether or not the West should have intervened in the first place.
The IAEA says Tehran now has almost enough of the uranium material to make four nuclear bombs if enriched further. Also: Ukraine F-16 fighter jet crashes just weeks after it was donated by NATO allies.
It is transfer deadline day for football's most competitive league - the Premier League - when clubs can add players to their squad who were previously under contract with another club.
In the cut and thrust of football's transfer market are the agents. Among them, Kees Vos - who has been described as one of the most influential figures in world football. As agent to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, he is said to control the ins and outs of the club.
Matt Lines talks to him about the stories behind the headline transfer sagas and how the industry has changed during his 20 years in the business.
(Photo: Kees Vos)
Presented/produced by Matt Lines
Israel’s operation continued in the West Bank for a second day. One of the top commanders of the militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was killed. We speak to a journalist who met him earlier this year.
Also in the programme: the fish stinking up a storm in Greece; and we meet the passenger aboard the cruise ship, cruising nowhere.
(Photo: An Israeli military vehicle takes part in a raid in the West Bank. Credit: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta:)
In 1977 astronomers recorded a brief and strange radio transmission that looked like it perhaps had even come from an alien civilization. It was named the Wow! signal – because that’s what astronomer Jerry Ehman wrote on the computer printout upon its discovery. But now a team including Abel Méndez of the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo have come up with an astrophysical hypothesis.
An oil tanker which was attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea last week is still on fire and may be leaking oil, the US Pentagon says. The talk now is of an agreement to salvage the tanker so a crisis may be avoided, but marine ecologist Carlos Duarte of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia explains how precious ecosystems are at risk.
A meta-analysis of Mediterranean Sea marine species reveals the profound impact of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Konstantina Agiadi of the University of Vienna tells us how this drastic environmental event resulted in the almost complete evaporation of the Mediterranean Sea roughly 5.5 million years ago and how the resulting changes still influence ecosystems today.
Wildfires that swept across Canada last year are still burning in some parts. A new study has confirmed that they put into the atmosphere a vast amount of burned carbon, over half a billion tonnes. Only China, India and the USA emitted more fossil-fuel based carbon in that period. Brendan Byrne of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been using satellite-based observations to track the carbon release.
Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Jonathan BlackwellProduction Coordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis
(Image: The Wow! signal represented as "6EQUJ5". Credit: NAAPO)
Germany’s DAX Index, which tracks the country's 40 largest companies on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, has hit a record high as investors expect the European Central Bank to cut rates.
Certain African countries have seen prices and taxes rise in the last few years, leading people to take the streets. We hear from people in Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya.
And could a universal basic income help protect the Amazon rainforest?
The UN's secretary-general has called on Israel to halt its military operation in the occupied West Bank, saying it’s "fuelling an already explosive situation".
We hear from the territory and look at the Israeli accusation that Iran is supplying arms to Palestinian militants.
Also in the programme: Why the founder of the Telegram messaging app has been placed under formal investigation in France for complicity in organised crime; and why some say it's time to reintroduce once-extinct beavers into the wild in parts of the UK.
(Photo shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking during a press conference. Credit: Lirio da Fonseca/Reuters)
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on a three-day trip to west Africa. He's hoping to curb the record number of unauthorised migrants travelling by boat to Europe via the Canary Islands. But why is migration increasing?
Also why is there a delay in paying the Kenyan police deployed in Haiti?
And what does naming of a lion, after the leader of the opposition, tell us about politics in Tanzania today?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Joseph Keen, Bella Hassan and Patricia WhitehorneTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell wants some Israeli ministers sanctioned for anti-Palestinian 'hate messages'. Also: hopes for a cancer vaccine, and dancing round the clock in Buenos Aires at the World Tango Festival.
More than 200,000 people were killed during Guatemala's 36-year civil war between the military and left-wing rebels which ended in 1996.
Of these, an estimated 45,000 people were forcibly disappeared, their bodies buried in unmarked pits.
Jeremias Tecu's two brothers were among the disappeared.
They went missing after a family party in 1981.
Jeremias tells Vicky Farncombe how his mother put herself in danger trying to find out what happened to them.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Jeremias Tecu. Credit: Jeremias Tecu)
Mmm, delicious. Hear a real-life chocolate maker talking about her job! Neil and Beth teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240829
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including:✔️ Learning English for Work✔️ Learning English from the News✔️ Learning English StoriesThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.
The AI boom has seen huge demand for the firm's advanced technology, though there have been concerns over when its next-generation chips will be ready.
Also, how did Qantas boss Valerie Hudson score on her first set of full-year financial results since taking over?
And why video game actors are striking in Hollywood.
One of the highlights of the Paralympics is wheelchair tennis and one of its true champions is Kgothatso Montjane. KG, as she likes to be known, was born with amniotic band syndrome, a condition that prevents limbs from developing properly. It did not stop her from pursuing her dreams. In 2021 KG became the first black South African to compete at Wimbledon. She tells the story of her life and career, the big successes and the challenges she faced. She speaks to Brad Parks, who co-invented the game, and Shingo Kunieda, regarded to be the best male player of all time, former champion Jordanne Whiley, and KG’s hero Esther Vergeer.
The FBI said the gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump last month had searched extensively online for events by the former US president and Joe Biden. Also: the 2024 Paralympics opening ceremony lights up Paris.
As temperatures rise, productivity falls.
Extreme global temperatures are draining tens of billions of dollars in economic productivity every year from some of the world’s biggest cities. It’s not just outdoor jobs that are impacted, but office work too.
In this episode, we ask work leaders, economists and employees what can be done to work around hot weather. From changing working hours to introducing heatwave insurance.
(Picture: Labourer drinking from a water bottle, in the sunshine. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Megan Lawton
If you’re a light or moderate drinker, the World Health Organization wants you to know that no level of alcohol is safe for your health.
But just how big is that risk and might it be one you’re willing to take? And what happened to the idea that a glass of red wine might be good for you?
In this programme Ruth Alexander finds out about the studies the guidance has been based on, and the statistical risk of dying from alcohol-related disease.
Dr Tim Stockwell, Scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, is the author of a meta-analysis of 107 studies that look at the links between ill health and alcohol. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter is Emeritus Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge in the UK, he explains how we can make sense of risk as individuals.
And Anna Tait in the UK, Amelie Hauenstein in Germany, David Matayabas in the US and Bill Quinn in Australia talk about how much alcohol they drink, and what moderation looks like to them.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(image: four hands raising pints of beer in a ‘cheers’ gesture. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Tech companies are scrambling for its technology, but the firm has seen production delays. We hear from an investor who has held shares in the company for more than 20 years. The Telegram boss Pavel Durov is under formal investigation in France as part of a probe into organised crime on the messaging app. And how some companies are going out of their way to hire older workers.
The raids were the biggest in the occupied West Bank for twenty years, with four Palestinian cities targeted simultaneously. We speak to Palestinian and Israeli politicians, as well as the BBC’s own journalist in Jenin.
Also on the programme: as the Paralympics opening ceremony gets underway, we hear from a British wheelchair rugby player hoping to retain his gold medal title; and nuclear plants under threat in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
(Picture: Smoke rises over Jenin refugee camp, 28 August 2024 Credit: ALAA BADARNEH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In 2017, Adam Tjolle accidentally discovered he had a brain tumour. At the time, presenter and close friend Claudia Hammond followed him on his journey before, during and after undergoing life-changing surgery. Meeting up now in Malawi, Adam and Claudia listen back to the old recordings and reflect on what has changed for Adam since his operation. Adam still lives in Scotland, but his new life after brain surgery sometimes brings him to Malawi, where he works with the Lilongwe Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (LSPCA). Claudia joins Adam and Dr Tino Razemba at one of the LSPCA’s ‘spay days’, neutering local dogs in underserved communities. As well as getting involved, Claudia has a chance to see Adam’s passion first-hand. Prior to his surgery, Adam’s prognosis was a life expectancy of seven years. That time period has now passed. So what does life mean to Adam now? And today, as one in two people born after 1960 will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point, what can the rest of us can learn from Adam’s experience of living with uncertainty?
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Sophie Ormiston and Paula McGrath
The UK's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, visits Germany to explore a 'reset' of relations with the European Union. But how easy is his quest? We find out. Ageing population is also a big concern in the UK, where 15 million people are over the age of 50 and economically inactive. As this trend rises, we look into what companies are doing to recruit these older workers. The National Football League (NFL) has taken a historic step which could transform the financing of American football. We hear the details.
Israeli security forces said they are conducting "a counterterrorism operation” targeting at least four Palestinian cities. Local journalists said they had not seen anything of this scope and scale in the West Bank since the days of the second Palestinian uprising two decades ago. We hear from a hospital in Jenin as well as the view from Israel.
Also on the programme: the head of the UN's international atomic energy agency tells us why fighting around Russia's Kursk nuclear plant is dangerous; and, as the Paris Paralympics opens, we hear from a competitor who is seven months pregnant.
(Picture: An Israeli military vehicle takes part in a raid in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Credit: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta)
An El Nino induced drought is intensifying across southern Africa and has left almost 70 million people in urgent need of aid. Countries affected include Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia. We hear about the devastating impact it's having on a community in Northern Zimbabwe.
Also the Gambian government wants to make ammendments to the country's constitution..but does it enjoy the support of all its citizens?
And the African athletes going for gold at this year's Paralympics!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Nour Abida, Rob Wilson, Joseph Keen and Bella Hassan in LondonTechincal Producer: Jonny HallSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
At least nine Palestinians have been killed as Israel raids cities in the north of the West Bank. Also: Japan issues an emergency warning as a powerful typhoon approaches, and Paris prepares to host the Paralympics.
Each year millions of Indians go abroad to study and work.
A lot of them end up sending money back home, a transfer known as remittances.
The money is a crucial source of household income in low and middle-income countries, according to the World Bank.
India is the only country to have received more than 100 billion dollars through this route - but it comes at a loss of its human capital.
In this episode, we speak to Indian expats and economists to explore the effect of remittances on the Indian economy.
(Picture: Closeup view of a man counting Indian currency. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Devina Gupta
Gold prices hit new record high as investors pile back into the commodity ahead of expected interest rate cuts in the US. We look into the details. A month after the resignation of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, the BBC talks to former IMF economist and new central bank Governor, Ahsan Mansur, about the economic challenges the country faces. And we find out why protesters in Serbia are against a lithium mine that could cover 90% of the metal's demand in Europe.
A number of prominent Democrats are due to speak on day three of the gathering. Tim Walz is expected to deliver the keynote address as he officially accepts the vice presidential nomination. We speak to Congresswoman Dina Titus.
Also in the programme: The Palestinian movement Fatah has accused Israel of trying to start a regional war, after it killed a senior official from the group; and we remember the life of pioneering Irish feminist and journalist Nell McCafferty and her decades of activism.
(Photo: Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz gestures during a campaign rally at Fiserv Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 20 August 2024. Credit: EPA)
The World Health Organisation has officially declared the spread of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.
Health Check has been following the spread of the disease across the Democratic Republic of Congo and now internationally in recent weeks, and Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC health journalist Philippa Roxby to discuss the latest developments.
Claudia and Philippa also look at the doctors strikes taking place across India following the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. Hundreds of thousands of doctors have refused to work, with hospitals and clinics turning away non-emergency patients.
We also find out how prescription drugs get given their names, with Professor Caleb Alexander from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health telling us about the risks of getting it wrong.
Claudia also hears how personal objects can help us form links in our brains and remember our loved ones. And the study that suggests we age dramatically in two bursts – at the ages of 44 and 60.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Dan Welsh
African domestic workers trapped by their labour contracts in Lebanon as border tensions with Israel escalate
A young Liberian poet in America tells us why bookshops are needed back home.
And why are Mixed Martial Arts rising in popularity in Africa.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan, Joseph Keen, Rob Wilson and Nyasha Michelle in London. Blessing Aderogba and Todah Opeyemi in LagosTechnical Producer Nick RandellSenior Producer Paul BakibingaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Barack and Michelle Obama electrify Democrats at the party convention but warn of a tight race for the White House. Also: a new law in Hungary could make Ukrainians homeless, and Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck.
It can take a lot of energy to create a podcast but Phil doesn't mind. He really wants to tell you about the word 'energy'.
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-98
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一位听众想知道怎么准确表达 “确保一件事会按预期实现”。在英语中 “make sure”、“be sure”、“ensure”、“guarantee” 和 “see to it” 等词语和搭配都可以表示 “主动给出或寻求他人的保证”，但你知道它们的使用要点吗？本期 “你问我答” 节目就让我们来学习如何 “make things certain”。
Stephen Sackur speaks to one of Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Ministers, Olha Stefanishyna. Kyiv’s military offensive inside Russia has shifted the dynamic in what looked like a war of attrition tilting in Moscow’s favour. But does this dramatic gambit make strategic sense, or is it an act of desperation?
The Democratic National Convention continues, with Barack and Michelle Obama expected to address the public. We get the latest.
A federal judge in Texas has barred a US Federal Trade Commission rule from taking effect. It was meant to ban agreements that prevented workers from joining their employers' rivals or launching competing businesses. We get the details.
'Black Myth: Wukong', a new game made by Chinese developers, has become one of the most played ever on one of the top gaming platforms. We hear about the game's plot, and why it's so popular.
Tesla's Chinese-made electric vehicles imported into the European Union will be subject to lower tariffs than those produced by competitors. We listen to the EU's arguments, and look at the implications this can have on the European market.
Ed Butler discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: David Kuo, financial analyst and the co-founder of the Smart Investor based in Singapore, and Emily Peck, markets correspondent at the Axios news website..
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said there was no more time to waste to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal. Also: Africa's main public health agency announces plans to make 10m mpox vaccines available for use across the continent, and researchers say drone swarms could stop wildfires.
Fishermen from the Philippines, Ghana and Sri Lanka speak out about how badly, they say, they were treated by a Scottish fishing company that hired them. Most of the fishermen have been waiting in the UK for more than 10 years for their case to be heard. Despite two extensive police investigations, no convictions have been secured for human trafficking or modern slavery. This is the first time the fishermen have spoken out.
Tesla's Chinese-made electric vehicles imported into the European Union will be subject to lower tariffs than those produced by competitors. We listen to the EU's arguments, and look at the implications this can have on the European market. Ghana's president has launched the start of the construction of a multibillion-dollar petroleum hub in the west of the country. But landowners at the proposed site are not happy about it. We find out why. And 'Black Myth: Wukong', a new game made by Chinese developers, has become one of the most played ever on one of the top gaming platforms. We hear about the game's plot, and why it's so popular.
We’re in Manisa on Turkey’s west coast.
It’s one of the country’s manufacturing centres for home appliances like washers, dryers, and refrigerators.
But soon, thanks to a $1bn investment deal, it will also be a local factory hub for China’s BYD - the world’s second biggest maker of electric vehicles.
The Turkish government is desperate for international investment to turn around its economy, and the region would benefit from 5,000 jobs. China is keen to get another foothold into the European market. So is it win-win?
Produced and presented by: Victoria Craig
(Image: BYD vehicles in Istanbul as the Chinese automotive giant announced a huge factory investment. Credit: Getty Images)
Efrat Machikawa, niece of 80-year-old hostage Gadi Moses, calls on negotiators to 'seal the deal' while the opposition in Israel accuses the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of sabotaging Gaza peace talks.
Also in the programme: Rohingya persecution in Myanmar; and the oldest person in the world dies at 117.
(Picture: A combination picture shows undated handout images of Israeli hostages Alex Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Yagev Buchshtab, Chaim Peri and Abraham Munder and hostage Nadav Popplewell, who were kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas. Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/The Hostages)
An artificial intelligence tool is helping to detect chest issues, which could indicate lung cancer, in a matter of seconds. It's now in use in forty countries around the world. It's called Annalise AI, and we speak to the co-founder of the company behind it.
Also on Tech Life:
In Kenya, Direct Air Capture technology is being designed, manufactured and deployed in the vast Rift valley.
And the commute of the future is being mapped out and planned today - find out about digital twinning.
Presenter: Chris VallanceProducer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: A doctor examines an X-ray image on a tablet. Credit: Athima Tongloom/Getty Images)
Anti-government insurgents in Myanmar have been accused of a "massacre" of Rohingya Muslims. Thousands have fled to Bangladesh in the past two weeks after facing violence again.
The BBC has gathered evidence of a particularly deadly attack on 5 August in which scores of fleeing Rohingyas were bombed, they say, by a rebel group.
Also in the programme: The Israeli army says it's recovered the bodies of another six hostages from Gaza; and the Democratic convention in Chicago, the old guard of the party pour scorn on the old foe, Donald Trump.
(Photo shows three people are visible in a hut which appears to be made of bamboo; the woman is wearing a head and face covering, and the man has a medical face covering on. Credit: Aamir Peerzada/BBC)
A video appearing to show a young woman being sexually assaulted in Tanzania went viral, prompting an outcry in the East African nation. This past weekend a police commander in the capital, Dodoma, was removed from her post following controversial comments in which she linked the victim in the video to sex work. So what's been the reaction in Tanzania?
Also, why is Libya's Central Bank under siege?
And why did Kenya's government first try to control the price of tea and then reversed the plan?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan and Nyasha Michelle in London and Charles Gitonga in NairobiTechnical Producer: Nick RandellSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
President Biden wept as he handed the baton to his Vice President, Kamala Harris, during the Democratic National Convention. Also, Israel retrieves the bodies of six hostages as Anthony Blinken is on his latest peace mission; and testimony from Muslim Rohingyas as they are bombed by both sides in Myanmar's civil war.
Listen to our fantastic, wonderful programme about strong adjectives.
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英语表达 “find your groove” 意为 “找到你的节奏”。这个短语来自于单词 “groove” 的其中一个意思 “音乐的律动”。听节目中主持人 Phil 和菲菲如何用 “find your groove” 来表达 “找寻人生中最擅长和享受的事情”。
After World War Two, Egypt’s government recruited thousands of Nazis and their collaborators to bolster the country’s defence and security.
This was part of Egyptian President Nasser’s efforts to modernise the country and present himself as the leader of the Arab world in its conflict with Israel.
Johann Von Leers was one of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi propagandists. Nasser’s government recruited him in 1956 to lead Egypt’s antisemitic propaganda machine.
Frank Gelli was a member of a far-right group in Italy at the time. He was sent to meet Von Leers in Cairo in 1964. He tells Ben Henderson about their conversation.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Johann von Leers. Credit: Bernd Settnik/BArch/CC-BY-SA 3.0)
The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, in a four-day event that will see Kamala Harris formally confirmed as the party's presidential candidate. We hear from correspondents on the ground. The government in Nicaragua has outlawed 1,500 civil society groups in one day. They're accused of failing to report their finances and face the confiscation of all their property. We hear about the economic implications. And British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is among the missing along with his 18-year-old daughter after the superyacht they were sailing in sank in Sicily. We get the latest.Ed Butler discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Angel Zhong, an Associate Professor of Finance at RMIT University in Melbourne, and researcher on technology and ethics Stephanie Hare, in London.
In Ukraine drone technology is transforming the battlefield and the rules of war are being rewritten. The BBC’s Quentin Sommerville travels to the frontlines in the northeast of the country, and meets some of the Ukrainian prisoners who could help solve a critical shortage of manpower in the country’s war with Russia.
Kamala Harris will be officially confirmed as party's presidential candidate at the event but pro-Palestinian demonstrations threaten to disrupt the unity message. Also: UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch among missing after yacht sinks off the coast of Sicily, and the talk show host Phil Donahue dies aged 88.
In February 2024, huge forest fires destroyed 90% of the land and plant species. Workers were killed and homes destroyed.
We travel to the seaside town of Vina del Mar to find out how the country’s oldest and most important botanical garden is recovering.
The garden’s described as the green lung of the region, and used to be home to hundreds of different plant species, many of them native to Chile.
We’ve follow the gardens as they try to reopen and get visitors and tourists back through the gates.
Produced and presented by Jane Chambers
(Image: Park rangers clean roads after the fires in February 2024. Image: Getty Images)
The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, in a four-day event that will see Kamala Harris formally confirmed as the party's presidential candidate. We hear from correspondents on the ground. The government in Nicaragua has outlawed 1,500 civil society groups in one day. They're accused of failing to report their finances and face the confiscation of all their property. We hear about the economic implications. And British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is among the missing along with his 18-year-old daughter after the superyacht they were sailing in sank in Sicily. We get the latest.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who's held talks with Israeli leaders, also said that Israel has approved a proposal aimed at bridging the divide between both sides.
Also on the programme: President Biden is due to address the opening day of the Democratic Convention in Chicago; and the luxury super-yacht which sank in a storm in the Mediterranean.
(Photo: U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to members of the press in Israel on August 19, 2024. Credit: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters)
Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, or ‘JVT’ as he's arguably better known, first came to widespread public attention in his role as Deputy Chief Medical Officer during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But even before that, Jonathan had built an impressive career based on a long-held fascination with respiratory illness and infectious diseases. He’s worked across the public and private sectors, contributing significantly to improving our understanding of influenza and treatments to address such viruses.
It’s hard to believe that back in his teens, JVT – the man who advised the nation on pandemic precautions and helped make the UK’s vaccine roll-out possible – nearly didn’t get the grades he needed to go to medical school. But early challenges aside, Jonathan went on to discover a love for both medical research and public speaking: making complex public health messages easier to digest – not least by using analogies relating to his beloved football.
Speaking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili in the first episode of a new series of The Life Scientific, Jonathan discusses his life and career: from academic emphasis in childhood and imposter syndrome at medical school, to pandemic pressures around Covid-19 and big birthday celebrations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said now is "probably the best, maybe the last opportunity" to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.
We'll hear from a senior Hamas official, and a member of Israel's main governing party about their thoughts on the situation.
Also in the programme: As the Democrats' convention begins in Chicago, can Kamala Harris keep up her campaign's momentum? And as Ukraine and Russia both make incursions into each other's territory, what does this mean for the conflict?
(Photo shows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Israel's President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, Israel on 19 August 2024. Credit: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters)
At the start of a day of meetings with Israeli leaders, Mr Blinken said it was time to say yes to a deal without excuses. Also: Russian officials say Ukraine has struck a third key bridge in the Kursk region and Chicago hosts the Democratic National Convention.
Why did a Western Cape court order that dozens of homeless people be evicted from the streets of Cape Town?
We take a closer look at Nigeria's multiple exchange rates
And what lures African athletes to compete for other countries?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Blessing Aderogba in Lagos. Bella Hassan and Rob Wilson in London. Technical Producer: Nick RandellSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
In 2003, the French rock star Bertrand Cantat murdered his actress girlfriend, Marie Trintignant.
The attack happened in Lithuania where Marie had been shooting a film.
Cantat was sentenced to eight years, but was released after just four and returned to music.
Journalist Michelle Fines tells Vicky Farncombe how the case divided opinion in France with some calling it a brutal murder, others a crime of passion.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Marie Trintignant. Credit: Getty Images)
How words change depending on whether a man or a woman is doing the job.
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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Stephen Sackur speaks to the prominent Indian lawyer Karuna Nundy. This episode contains references to rape and sexual assault
Traditionally women often take on much of the responsibility for practical and emotional support for a family as well as passing on family knowledge and traditions. But is the role still relevant? Datshiane Navanayagam talks to women from Canada and the UK about being a modern matriarch.
All her life, Helen Knott has looked to the strong women in her indigenous community for guidance, absorbed their stories and admired their independence. When her mother and grandmother died she tried to step into the roles they'd held in community. Her book Becoming a Matriarch is a love letter to the eldest daughters of families who often carry invisible responsibilities.
Tanika Gupta is an award-winning playwright British playwright whose work celebrates her Bengali culture and often challenges gender and race stereotypes. She has worked across theatre, television, radio and film. Her latest play A Tupperware Of Ashes is about a restaurateur with dementia and the impact on her three children of looking after her. Tanika wrote the play after her own mother died from cancer. It will be screened internationally by the National Theatre later this year.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Tanika Gupta credit Oscar May. (R) Helen Knott courtesy Duckworth Books.)
Artist Ad Minoliti lives and works in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires. They are known for their vibrant, geometric designs and the colours in their artworks often leap from the canvas onto the walls and floors of the gallery space. Nature and the environment are an important part of their work and Ad surrounds themselves with wildlife, from growing plants to encourage butterflies and bees at their home, to helping to cultivate green spaces in Buenos Aires. Ad is creating an installation for Un Été au Havre, A Summer in Le Havre festival in northern France and wants their artwork to be enjoyed not only by people, but be beneficial for nature as well. The BBC's Andrea Kidd joins them in their studio as they design their piece called Hôtel des Oiseaux, a bird hotel that will be a welcoming space for the birds.
President Zelensky outlines his aims for the cross-border offensive. Also: a last US diplomatic push for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages, and President Macron leads tributes to the French actor, Alain Delon.
Osel Hita Torres was a Spanish toddler when he was recognised by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of a well-known Tibetan Buddhist monk and teacher called Lama Yeshe. As a child he was sent to a monastery in India to prepare for life as a monk and scholar. Many expected him to carry on Lama Yeshe’s work of teaching Buddhism around the world when he grew up. But Osel had other ideas.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Zoe Gelber
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
(Photo: The Little Lama Osel with Geshe Gendun Choephel (left) and Lama Zopa Rinpoche (right): Credit: Jacie Keeley)
We catch up on the ongoing disruption to the shipping industry after Houthi attacks on commercial vessels.
The Iran-backed group said it was targeting ships linked to Israel, the US and the UK in support of Hamas.
We look at the cost of diverting cargo away from the Red Sea, and hear about the impact of months of disruption.
Plus a new remote shipping route is getting more traffic, as ships travel over the top of the world via the Arctic.
Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey
(Image: A Houthi military helicopter flies over a ship in the Red Sea. Credit: Reuters)
Almost two weeks into its attack on Russia's Kursk region, Ukraine has rendered unusable another bridge over the river Seym, further complicating logistics for Russian forces, and making it more difficult for them to bring in reinforcements. Earlier in the week, the Ukrainians destroyed another bridge. Correspondents say cutting Russian access may indicate Kyiv is planning to hold and expand the ground they've taken, to form a buffer zone to protect Ukraine's Sumy region.
Also in the programme: With 78 days to go until the US Presidential election, what are the polls saying? and gamers make it to the rich list.
(Photo: A satellite image shows a bridge collapsed over the Seym river in the Glushkovo district, after a Ukrainian strike in the Kursk region. Credit: Handout via Reuters.)
Ukraine says it has destroyed a second bridge in Russia, as it continues its offensive in the Kursk region. The commander of the Ukrainian air force posted a video appearing to show the moment the bridge was brought down, saying the aim was to cut Russian supply lines.
Also on the programme: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken due in Israel, in a renewed push for a Gaza ceasefire deal. We look back at the life and times of handsome French film star Alain Delon, who died aged 88 today. And we speak to Parwana Fayyaz and Batool Haidari, two writers involved in “My Dear Kabul”, a book featuring the WhatsApp messages that gave 23 Afghan women solace when the Taliban took over their country three years ago.
(Photo: A destroyed Russian tank outside Ukrainian-controlled Russian town of Sudzha, Kursk region. Credit: YAN DOBRONOSOV/AFP/Getty Images)
This is a Bonus episode from The Global Story - Is Twitch too big to fail?
The world's largest live-streaming platform, Twitch, faces an uncertain future. Media reports suggest that parent company Amazon has become frustrated by its failure to make profit, and rumours are swirling of a third round of layoffs within a year. But does its loyal audience of 240 million active monthly users make it too big to fail? On this episode, Caitríona Perry is joined by BBC tech reporter Tom Gerken, and the BBC's former gaming correspondent Steffan Powell. They examine what makes Twitch unique, and discuss whether the platform is under threat from its rivals.This episode was made by Laurie Kalus and Tom Kavanagh. The technical producers were Ben Andrews and Jonny Baker. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.
The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.
Venezuela's opposition leader has urged supporters to continue protesting against President Maduro. Also: the UN nuclear watchdog's safety warning about Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant, and why sunlight is good for you.
In August of 2023, the tourist epicentre of the Hawaiian island of Maui caught fire and the blaze engulfed 2,000 houses, 800 businesses and took the lives of at least 115 people. But the history of the town of Lahaina means it did not go from being the lush and prosperous capital of Hawaii it once was, to disappearing through flames overnight. Born and raised on the island of Maui, Pūlama Kaufman returns there and, with cultural leader Hokulani Holt. They ask questions about the hidden stories of mistreatment, illegal ownership and cultural stripping that may have contributed to seeing Lahaina hidden under ash.
Large opposition rallies in Venezuela, as opposition leader Maria Machado calls for the details of the presidential elections - which the opposition claim President Nicholas Maduro lost – to be published. Also in the programme; Indian doctors strike to protest the murder of a woman colleague; and a new play sheds light on the life of the rock icon, Janis Joplin.
(Photo: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado greeting her supporters in a rally in Caracas. Credit: Shutterstock)
The documentary A slogan and a Land, saw reporter Tim Whewell travel from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea - perhaps the most contested piece of land in the world. We hear your views on this road trip and Tim tells us about the challenges he faced in making this two-part series.
Plus, an emotional response to The Inquiry’s report on Easter Island - and just what do the initials O and S really stand for?
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for World Service
Lebanon says at least ten people have been killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in the southern city of Nabatieh. Israel said it was targeting a Hezbollah weapons depot. Lebanese media say Hezbollah has fired more than forty rockets into northern Israel in retaliation. We have an interview with Lebanon's health minister, Firass Abiad.
Also in the programme: Doctors in India go on strike in protest at the rape and murder of a junior doctor in a hospital last week; and the London play that reflects on the legacy of rock legend, Janis Joplin.
(Photo: A man inspects the scene at an industrial area hit by an airstrike in Wadi Al Kfour, Nabatieh province, southern Lebanon, 17 August 2024. Credit: EPA)
Meet the newlyweds with a twist; 87-year old Bev says it was love at first sight when 89-year-old Mark moved into the same care home as her. Also, the Olympic marathon runner who is celebrating coming last. Presenter: Oliver Conway. Music composed by Iona Hampson.
India's ancient caste system can result in controversy and discrimination in the country. But a new trend has sprung up of young women flaunting their caste on social media. Our Delhi correspondent Divya Arya has met some of these women, to try and find out why they are so keen to express 'caste pride'. Plus BBC Mundo's Laura García meets the residents of a Parisian retirement home who have found their own way of embracing the Olympic spirit. Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
You could say Sportshour's Premier League preview lacks a bit of emotion. There's no drama. No temper tantrums. No overheated opinions. Just facts. Cold hard facts. Ian Graham is a 'data architect' and if you don't really know what that is then you are not alone. But it turns out data architects are one of the secret ingredients you need to win the Premier League. Ian is the proof. He was Liverpool's Director of Research until 2023 and has just written a new book "How to win the Premier League"
It's not just the Premier League whose season starts this weekend. The inaugural Women's "USL Super League" launches in America. Aimed at providing younger footballers a stepping stone into the big leagues it's made up of eight teams, expanding to sixteen next season. One of stars of this new league is Laveni Vaka. Earlier this year she became the first female pro-footballer from the Pacific Island of Tonga. The defender tells us how thrilled she was to be turning out for her new team Fort Lauderdale United
It's been a shocking week in the world of chess with news that Russian chess star Amina Abakarova, was caught on CCTV allegedly trying to poison her opponent who was taken ill and hospitalised after her chess board was smeared with mercury! Abakarova has been detained and faces a prison sentence of up to three years if convicted. Chess has been the subject of a number of bad headlines over the years from extra ordinary accusations of cheating to this latest life threatening incident. Grand Master, five time World champion and deputy president of the International Chess Federation Viswanathan Anand joins us
The English Channel is not only the world's busiest shipping lane, it is an iconic challenge to cross for swimmers and now windsurfers too! Dodge the enormous ships and you could find yourself in a small elite club of people to have faced down that challenge... Windsurfer, Bob van de Burgt is hoping to do just that this coming week, but not content with simply landing in the UK from his home in Netherlands, he's going to return across the channel immediately! and you can follow Bob's progress at www.surfingformuscles.com
Photo: Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates with his Premier League winners medal (Credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Trischa Zorn-Hudson is the most decorated Paralympian in history.
Competing across seven games, Trischa - who has been blind since birth - won a remarkable haul of 55 medals.
In that time, she also saw the Paralympics go through drastic changes, as competitors campaigned to get similar privileges and rights as Olympic athletes.
Trischa shares memories of her career with Matt Pintus.
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: Trischa Zorn-Hudson competing during the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Credit: Getty Images)
Kamala Harris has outlined her economic programme ahead of the US presidential election in November. She discussed what the so called "opportunity economy" would mean for Americans, and in particular the middle class, while also addressing the key issues of the campaign – rising health care prices and food inflation.
Staying with the US, we speak to the new mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, as the city prepares to welcome thousands of officials, journalists and others for the Democratic National Convention. There’s concerns that any celebrations over Kamala Harris’ nomination will be impacted large-scale protests against US support for Israel in Gaza.
Rahul Tandon hears how week-long protests throughout India – calling for protection, accountability and capital punishment – after a junior doctor was raped and murdered at work, may lead to a nationwide strike.
The English Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, broadcasting in 212 territories to 643 million homes, with a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. But as the new football season kicks off, we find out why people in Peru support Manchester United rather than their local club sides.
And how much of an issue is over-tourism becoming? Will Bain has been talking to Sebastian Ebel, the chief executive of TUI, one of the world's biggest travel companies, after recent protests in Mallorca and Greece against platforms like Airbnb.
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
International condemnation followed the elections in Venezuela at the end of July that saw President Maduro declared the winner for a third consecutive term. Those who oppose him have been protesting. There has been violence, many injuries and hundreds arrested and detained. We bring together Venezuelans inside the country and those aboard. You can hear the pride and hope that people have for their country, but also their underlying fears. We hear from a family that is spread across the world. The mother explains why she is the only one remaining in the country. Although she misses her family, her love for her country and its people make her reluctant to leave. However, she reveals how she has a ladder from a window in her home in case she needs to make a quick escape.
Health officials have confirmed the first polio case in Gaza for 25 years. The UN wants the vaccination of 600,000 children. Also: Kamala Harris unveils her economic plan, and fantasy football's threat to mental health.
We hear about the founding father of Indonesian independence.
Then, we look at how 'spray on skin' was used after the 2002 Bali bombings.
Next, we hear about the last ever Olympic art competition.
Plus, the most decorated Paralympian in history.
And, the Brazilian singer who earned the title Queen of Samba.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History and Sporting Witness interviews. Our guest is Professor of Indonesian history, Kirsten Shulze from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Contributors:
Kartika Soekarno – Sukarno’s youngest daughter.
Professor Kirsten Shulze - London School of Economics and Political Science.
Professor Fiona Wood – Burns specialist.
Daniel Weinzweig – John Weinzweig’s son.
Trischa Zorn-Hudson – Paralympian.
Adelzon Alves – Broadcaster and samba record producer.
(Photo: Sukarno. Credit: Christian Hirous/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images).
Kamala Harris has outlined her economic programme ahead of the US presidential election in November. She discussed what the so called "opportunity economy" would mean for Americans, and in particular the middle class, while also addressing the key issues of the campaign – health care costs and rising food inflation.
The English Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, broadcasting in 212 territories to 643 million homes, with a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. But as the new football season kicks off, Rahul Tandon finds out why people in Peru support Manchester United rather than their local club sides.
Thailand’s youngest-ever head of government, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, faces the difficult task of managing relations with the military, which constrains the power of elected governments.
And we travel to the world's highest single arch railway bridge, which connects Indian-administered Kashmir with the rest of India for the first time by rail.
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
Aid agencies are warning of a critical shortage of treatments and vaccines for Mpox across Africa, and are urging wealthy countries with supplies to share them. The warning comes following the World Health Organisation’s decision to declare the latest Mpox outbreak a global health emergency.
Also in the programme: The three countries trying to mediate a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza have presented a new proposal to Israel and Hamas; and US Congressman Joaquin Castro congressman on a mission to make his country's musical heritage more Latino!
(Photo: Hundreds of deaths from mpox have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Credit: Reuters)
"It's devastating. This was the moment I realised it's finally here, like a boomerang." A resident of the Kursk region describes the moment she realised the war had come to Russia.
Also in the programme: one Palestinian killed in West Bank settler violence; and Thailand's new prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
(Picture: A sign reading 'Kursk - 108 km' on a road not far from the Ukraine - Russian border, Ukraine, 15 August 2024. Mandatory Credit: EPA-EFE)
Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes Thailand's youngest ever prime minister. Also: Anger grows after Israeli settlers torch West Bank village, and the WHO warns wealthy countries against stockpiling Mpox vaccines.
A Chinese company has initiated plans to seize Nigerian assets in in the United Kingdom, United States of America and in six other countries. What's going on?
Also, can US negotiators convince General Burhan's side to attend the Sudan Peace talks in Geneva?
And why was there a media blackout in Senegal?
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Rob Wilson, Bella Hassan and Nyasha MichelleTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 9 uses of ‘run’ - in 5 minutes.
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Stephen Sackur speaks to Shannon Watts, an American political activist who built apowerful women-led gun control movement and is now a fund-raiser for Kamala Harris. Why does she believe the votes of white women will swing the Trump/Harris race?
It's been a landmark day in the US, particularly for the millions struggling to afford vital health care medicine. But why is there about to be a fall in the price of many drugs? Rahul Tandon speaks to a health policy professor in Tennessee.
Meanwhile, as Sweden's confirmed the first case of the new Mpox variant outside Africa, we hear from Paul Chaplin, of drug manufacturer Bavaria Nordic who are the main producer of the vaccine, on whether there's enough of the vaccine to fight the disease.
We discuss the problem's facing India's economy, where issues of women in the workplace are back in the spot light after the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata.
Elsewhere, are food halls being used to increase the value of surrounding offices and apartments in cities and towns globally. Devina Gupta discusses a growing trend in the US where nearly 400 are now in operation.
And we look at why the process of getting elected, which is hard work at the best of times, has become a disaster in the most unexpected way for hundreds of candidates in Australia.
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.
Despite some opposition from within their own faith communities, Muti’ah and Angelica are on a mission to teach other Muslim women how to have healthy and safe sex lives.
Geeta Pendse meets them both and finds out how to deliver sex education that is both useful and appropriate for their students.
Presenter: Geeta PendseProducer: Linda WalkerSeries producer: Rajeev GuptaProduction co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
The first case of a deadly Mpox variant has been found outside Africa. Sweden has reported a case of someone who was infected in Africa where there is a major outbreak of the Mpox Clade 1 variant. The World Health Organisation says it expects more infections will be found in Europe in the coming days. Also: five people are charged over the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, and Washington condemns Russia for sending a ballerina to jail for donating to a US-funded pro-Ukraine charity.
As Sweden's confirmed the first case of the new Mpox variant outside Africa, we spoke to Paul Chaplin, of drug manufacturer Bavaria Nordic who are the main producer of the vaccine, on whether there's enough of the vaccine to fight the disease.
In the US the White House says its negotiated a big cut in the prices of some key medicines. The deal was reached with big pharmaceutical companies and covers ten medicines for conditions including diabetes and heart failure. But how has the US government achieved such a deal? Rahul Tandon speaks to a health policy professor in Tennessee.
And we discuss the problem's facing India's economy, where issues of women in the workplace are back in the spot light after the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata.
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
Ginny Gilder won silver as a US Olympic rower in 1984. Today, she's a multimillionaire owner of a women's professional basketball team.
How did success in the water inspire Ginny's breakthrough to the board room?
We look at a life given to sport and business - and what drives her.
(Image: Ginny Gilder. Credit: Getty Images)
Presenter: Ed ButlerProducer: Amber Mehmood
A new round of Middle East peace talks have begun, despite Hamas’s refusal to send a delegation. The US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says there’s been a “promising start” to the meetings. Delegations are coming together as the Hamas-run health ministry says the Gaza death toll has now reached 40,000. Also on the programme: Five people have been charged in connection with the ketamine-related death of ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry; and three years on since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, a UN representative for the country tells us how women’s rights have been affected.
(Photo: Families of Hamas hostages protest for their release, Tel Aviv, Israel, 15th August 2024. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In June this year there was the first detected occurrence of rabies in Cape fur seals, discovered after a rabies case in a dog that had been bitten by a seal. Professor Wanda Markotter, Director of the Centre for Viral Zoonoses at University of Pretoria, has been trying to work out how the virus spread into seals and how to keep people (and their pet dogs) safe.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a seismic “advisory” last week alerting local authorities and the public to a heightened risk of a massive, tsunami-generating earthquake on its southeast coast. Californian emergency manager and sociologist James Goltz, has been working with Japanese experts to evaluate a new dynamic alert system that they introduced after the great 2011 earthquake and tsunami which claimed up to 20,000 lives further north.
We hear from Professor Alan Jamieson from the depths of the Tonga Trench. He recently dived into it to see what weird and wonderful creatures he’d find there – but when he reached the bottom, he didn’t see what he expected...!
And Steven Goderis of the Free University of Brussels tells us about the Chicxulub impactor - the massive asteroid smacked into Earth off the Mexican coast causing the mass extinction event which wiped out the dinosaurs. He’s part of a paper in the journal Science, looking into the history of the impactor - revealing it was a rare carbonaceous asteroid from beyond Jupiter.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production Coordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis
(Image: Fighting Seals. Credit: Edwin Remsberg via Getty Images)
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern. We hear about the economic implications. Japan registered an annual GDP growth of 3.1% in the second quarter of the year, a figure above expectations. But can we say the country-s economy is back on its feet? We find out. And North Korea will soon open some areas of the country to new visitors after years of shut borders, according to some tour operators. We talk to one of them.
India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, has condemned violence against women after a night of protests across the country following the rape and murder last week of a young doctor in Kolkata. How bad is the situation for women in India?
Also in the programme: the woman jailed in Russia for donating $51 to Ukraine; Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg's statue of his wife.
(Picture: A woman holds a candle during a vigil condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, on a street in Mumbai, India. Credit: Reuters)
Hamas says more than 40,000 have been killed in Gaza since the war began ten months ago. Meanwhile new ceasefire talks have begun in Qatar - without Hamas. Also: India's Prime Minister condemns violence against women as anger sweeps the nation over the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, North Korea to open to tourism after five years, Mark Zuckerberg reveals 'Roman' statue of his wife, should we go and live on Mars? And the new theatre and TV trend - age-blind casting.
Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, known as ‘Carlos the Jackal’, carried out bombings, killings and kidnappings.
Born in Venezuela, he was considered one of the most notorious political militants of the 1970s and 80s.
After years on the run, he was captured in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in 1994.
Former CIA operative Billy Waugh tracked him down.
He spoke to Alex Last in 2014, before his death in 2023.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, aka "Carlos". Credit: Thomas Coex / AFP via Getty Images)
New data shows inflation in US is slowing down. Will it mean the US central bank will cut interest rates in September? We speak to a panel of guests sharing their thoughts. Sticking with inflation numbers and China is braced for an economic slowdown ahead of todays data release.
Meanwhile Japan is set for a new Prime Minister as Kishida bows out as party leader.
And – who do you turn to when Waymo self-driving cars start honking at each other in a parking lot situated within a neighbourhood – we hear from one resident.
Scientists are alarmed at the high fatality rate and rapid spread of a new mpox variant in parts of Africa. Also: more delays for astronauts stuck in space as Nasa ponders return, and a TV weather presenter in Australia speaks out about an on-air panic attack.
As Spain's La Liga gets underway, we explore the global advertising appeal and earning potential of one of its newest football stars.
Jude Bellingham is a 21-year-old midfielder from England who plays for Real Madrid, and he's hitting the peak of his career.
The face of several brands, with major endorsement deals and more courting his attention, we explore his global advertising appeal, and how he might manage these partnerships while still focusing on his game.
Presented and produced by Matt Lines
(Image: Jude Bellingham holding the UEFA Champion's League trophy on 1 June 2024. Credit: Getty Images)
New data shows inflation in US is slowing down. Will it mean the US central bank will cut interest rates in September? We speak to a panel of guests sharing their thoughts.
And Japan is set for a new Prime Minister as Kishida bows out as party leader.
We hear from Yan Furtsev, a Russian opposition politician in Kursk helping evacuees from areas under Ukrainian control. President Zelensky said around one hundred Russian troops had been taken prisoner, but Russian state TV claimed that the Ukrainian advance had been almost ‘completely blocked’.
Also on the programme: a special report from Afghanistan, where hundreds of thousands of refugees have been forced to return after being expelled by Pakistan; and with the rise of ‘age-blind’ casting, can older actors play roles traditionally given to much younger performers?
(Picture: Ukrainian servicemen ride military vehicles from a crossing point at the border with Russia in Sumy region, Ukraine August 13, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
More than four years after the start of the Covid pandemic, the virus is showing no signs of fading away. This week, the World Health Organisation warned, in fact, that coronavirus is making a comeback, with 84 countries reporting an increase in positive test rates.
For an in-depth look at how the world is coping with the disease, Claudia Hammond speaks to immunologist Professor Danny Altmann from Imperial College London to ask what the future might hold.
Claudia is also joined by global health journalist Andrew Green to discuss whether Covid conspiracy theories are leading to a rise in AIDS denialism.
We hear the latest developments on the spread of the mosquito and midge-borne Oropouche virus, as cases of the disease are confirmed to have been found in Europe for the first time.
And as many of Europe’s major football leagues prepare to get underway again this week, we hear about the tobacco product snus that’s proving to be particularly popular with footballers, and whether it could give them an edge or pose a health risk.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Dan Welsh
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announces he will step down in September, once his party has elected a new leader. Rise in the cost of living and scandals in his party has plummeted his government's approval ratings. We get the latest. Many YouTube users in Russia report that the platform has either stopped working or they're being restricted access to certain channels. We hear about the impact this is having on businesses that rely on YouTube to get their income. In Seville, the city council says it will cut the water supply to unlicensed tourist apartments. We hear what residents think about this plan.
Since the war between Hamas and Israel erupted in October 2023, the fear has been that the conflict in Gaza could lead to a wider regional war across the Middle East. Questions are growing as to whether Iran will retaliate against Israel, which is widely believed to be responsible for a strike that killed former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. US President Joe Biden thinks a ceasefire deal could make all the difference. We hear from a former Israeli diplomat and an expert on Iranian politics.Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky claims Ukrainian forces have continued to advance further into Russia's Kursk region; and an Australian weather presenter tells us what it was like to experience a panic attack live on air.
(Photo: Smoke rises after an explosion following an Israeli airstrike in the Central Gaza Strip, July 20th, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Omar Naaman)
Thomas Kwoyelo, a child soldier-turned-rebel commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance Army has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in a landmark case in Uganda. He denied all 78 charges that were brought against him. Who is he and what role did he play in the LRA?
Also a conversation with a journalist travelling around Sudan, bearing witness to what's happening in the country
And what's behind the violence against other African nationals in South Africa?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan, Rob Wilson, Joseph Keen and Nyasha MichelleTechnical Producer: Chris KouzarisSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Thailand's Constitutional Court dismisses Prime Minister Sretta Thavisin for breach of ethics. Also: Thousands of corpses traded in China funeral scandal, Melbourne joins Paris in outlawing e-scooters, and neighbours turn on each other in Portofino air con crackdown.
A picture may be worth a thousand words but this podcast is worth even more - even though it doesn't need a thousand words! Listen to Phil talk about the word 'paint'.
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-97
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On the morning of 17 August 1945, the Indonesian nationalist leader, Sukarno, read out a statement declaring independence.
It was broadcast to the country on radio and it came just two days after Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II.
The announcement marked the culmination of years of struggle against Dutch colonial rule, which had lasted for over three centuries.
Sukarno’s youngest daughter, Kartika Soekarno, speaks to Matt Pintus about the journey to independence.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Sukarno's proclamation of independence in 1945. Credit: Getty Images)
一位听众想要了解 6 种形容 “臭” 的单词有哪些不同。Foetid、stench、stink、odour、reek、pong 和 smelly 意义相近，但依据不同地区的语言习惯、词性、场合和频率等使用方式略有区别。如果你也想学习这些单词的使用方法，就请接下来收听本期 “你问我答” 节目。
Stephen Sackur speaks to Pavel Latushka, a key figure in the opposition movement struggling for regime change in Belarus. The country’s authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko is a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin - does that mean change in Minsk can only come with change in Moscow?
Starbuck replace boss after sales slump, prompting a sharp rise in its share price. Also, we speak to James Peak, Banksy superfan and presenter of the BBC Sounds podcast The Banksy Story, about the new Banksy artworks that have been cropping up all over London. E-scooters have been banned in the Australian city of Melbourne after much controversy. The BBC’s Katy Watson tells us more.
The US President Joe Biden said such a deal would help deter Iran from launching attacks on Israel. Iran blames Israel for the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran, and says it will retaliate. Also: Mpox is declared a public health emergency in Africa, and the rarely-seen Titanic artefacts kept in a secret warehouse.
Air Pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths every year. Governments around the world have been trying to tackle it with a variety of measures. But now, the fight against air pollution is increasingly catching the imagination of artists and designers. In Al Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi, a 7m high installation, Smog Free Tower by Dutch Studio Roosegaarde, bills itself as "the world's first smog vacuum cleaner." It purifies 30,000 cubic metres of air per hour and the dirt filtered from this urban smog is compressed into jewellery - Smog Free Ring - sold to finance the project. In Delhi and Bangalore, AIR INK is "turning air pollution into ink solution" by capturing the black particles that float in the atmosphere and turning them into ink. Founder Anirudh Sharma and His co-founder, Nikhil Kaushik, say taking air pollution and turning it into as means the more AIR INK on your page, the less pollution in your lungs.
We explore professional dog-walking around the world. We hear from walkers from the United States, Argentina and Europe about how they operate, the growing market, and the challenges of making a career from taking other people's pets on daily walks - sometimes several at a time.
And we join a dog walker in Paris, Caroline, to find out why the relationship between walker and dog is the most important when securing clients.
Expect plenty of barks.
(Image: Caroline, a professional dog-walker in Paris, with three dogs)
Presented and produced by Sean Allsop
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said his country now controls seventy-four communities in the Kursk region of western Russia. It's a week since Kyiv sent large numbers of troops over the border into Kursk in a surprise military incursion that caught Russia off guard. We will have a view from Moscow while our correspondent reports from the border with the Kursk region.
Also in the programme: The highly infectious disease, Mpox, has been declared a public health emergency in Africa by the continent’s leading health body; and Banksy's eighth London artwork in eight days defaced.
(Photo: The offensive into Russia has boosted morale on the Ukrainian side. Credit: Reuters)
We take a look at a recent announcement from the International Olympic Committee that the inaugural Olympic esports games will be hosted in Saudi Arabia next year. While many have welcomed the competitive video gaming event, others have questioned the choice of host, because of the Kingdom's human rights record.
The summer Olympics have come to a close in Paris, so we speak to the man behind the huge television operation there, using new tech to deliver the action to you - from almost every possible angle.
From China to Mexico - how online shopping is changing the economics of restaurant food deliveries in a mega city. And what does it take to keep Wikipedia up-to-date ? We find out.
Presenter: Alasdair KeaneProducer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: A competitor takes part in a motorsport event during Olympic esports week in Singapore, 2023. Credit: Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
The Ukrainian army has pushed its way into Russian land and claim to have taken control of 1,000 sq kms of territory. In the programme today we discuss Ukraine's surprise incursion and get reaction from Moscow. Also on the programme: Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s relationship, and the battle of the air cons in Portofino, Italy.
(Photo: A damaged car on the side of the road following the Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk border region. Credit: Reuters)
South Korea is advising carmakers to disclose EV batteries information after fire incidents caused concerns over their safety. We look into the details. Car leasing companies say they are having to take cuts when selling used electric cars. We hear about the impact this can have in the industry. And beer is at the heart of a dispute between the Democratic Republic of Congo, And Zambia. We listen to what is happening at the border of the two neighbouring countries.
Why are so many potential presidential contestants in jail ahead of October presidential polls in Tunisia?
We find out why Nigerian demonstrators were waving Russian flags at protests
And how a novel method of mental health therapy- the friendship bench- could be making its way to a place near you.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Charles Gitonga, Susan Gachuhi and Frenny Jowi in Nairobi. Blessing Aderogba in Lagos and Nyasha Michelle and Bella Hassan in LondonSenior Producer:Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Chris Kouzaris Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Donald Trump says he'll hold another election rally at the site of the assassination attempt against him during a conversation with Elon Musk, which was livestreamed on X to an audience of several million people. Also, Indian doctors go on strike over the rape and murder of one of their colleagues, and how the authorities at South Korean airports try to avoid unwelcome insects creeping into the country.
Learn what to say when you're making a guess about a past or present situation.
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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From 1912 until 1948, you could win medals in art at the Olympic Games, in categories such as architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture.
At the London Games in 1948, Canadian composer John Weinzweig won a silver medal for his composition, Divertimento for Flute and Strings.
Rachel Naylor speaks to his son, Daniel Weinzweig.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: John Weinzeig. Credit: Frank Lennon / Toronto Star via Getty Images)
形容词 “top-notch” 的意思是 “顶呱呱”。当我们对某道菜赞不绝口，或者对一个人欣赏有加的时候，就可以形容他们是 “top-notch”。在英语中，如何准确使用 “top-notch”，称赞他人 “顶呱呱” 呢？一起来学习本期节目介绍的形容词 “top-notch”。
Russia evacuates twenty five thousand citizens in the Kursk region
The curtain has closed on the Paris Olympics. We look to LA, where it is heading next
Elon Musk interviews Donald Trump
And Disney has announced it will invest $60 billion in new experiences over the next ten years - a key part of its strategy to keep the parks fresh and relevant in a competitive segment.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had brought war to others and now it was coming back. The local Russian governor said some 28 villages in the region had fallen to Ukrainian forces. Also: White House says an Iranian attack on Israel could come this week, and scientists find a reservoir of liquid water deep in the crust of Mars.
The so-called ‘parents’ revolution’ is happening in America - and it’s a revolt against the public education system. School choice campaigns are gaining ground across the country, fighting for tax-funded vouchers giving parents the opportunity to select their preferred school. More and more families are ditching institutions altogether, with homeschooling reportedly the fastest growing form of education in the US. Why are families turning away from traditional schooling, and what does this mean for the future of America’s education system? Alex Last travels to Arizona - a state at the forefront of the school choice movement - to find out more.
From Instagram-famous dogs to viral kittens, pet influencers are revolutionising brand marketing with viral content and endorsements.
It's a lucrative market in which companies are leveraging these furry celebrities to drive engagement and sales.
We'll uncover why this trend is proving to be so profitable.
(Image: Tika, an Italian greyhound, modelling canine fashion. Credit: Thomas Shapiro)
Presented and produced by Deborah Weitzmann
The governor of Russia's Kursk region has told President Putin that one- hundred- and- eighty- thousand residents are being evacuated as Ukraine continues its surprise offensive. Mr Putin vowed that the enemy would be "kicked out."
In the programme today we will be looking at some Russian reaction to the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk and in particular what Russian military bloggers are saying.
Also in the programme: The fires in Greece getting nearer to Athens; and two male flamingos in a zoo in Southern England who have successfully nurtured an egg!
(Photo: Residents in parts of the Kursk region have been warned to shelter in basements, and a growing number have been evacuated. Credit: Reuters)
Dr Chris van Tulleken wrestles with the dilemma of slaughter. Could he bring himself to dispatch an animal himself? Is he happy supporting an industry which kills animals in his name? And if not, what could he eat instead?
Chris explores the rise of the alternative protein industry – plant-based meat alternatives, lab-grown meat, or most shocking of all for some, actual meat abstinence, Veganism.
And it is time to revisit that initial question: what’s influencing our choices when it comes to eating chicken, what impact is that having – and are we bothered?
The International Labour Organisation says youth unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years but it warns challenges are bigger for young people in certain regions. We look into where this is happening. Inflation in India has dropped to 3.54% in July, and is now the lowest in almost five years. We hear about the reasons and the consequences of this decline.And the business travel industry has recovered from the pandemic blow despite companies making less trips. We look at how corporate travel is evolving after Covid.
Russia is evacuating a growing number of people from another border region as Ukraine's surprise attack continues. Some 11,000 people in the Belgorod region have been moved, Russian state media reported, because of "enemy action" near the border
Also in the programme, the US has ordered the rapid deployment of a submarine and aircraft carrier to the Middle East as fears grow of a wider regional conflict; and Bhutan's one and only Olympic competitor talks about the joys of coming last.
(Photo: Russian service members drive a tank in the area bordering Ukraine in Kursk region. Credit: Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS).
Former finance minister Manuel Chang was found guilty of fraud and money laundering in a major corruption case, which came to be known as the 'tuna bond' scandal. It involved two billion dolars and crippled Mozambique's economy. How did this scandal change the country and what measures have been put in place against corruption?
Also, the impact of forced evictions in Abidjan
And celebrating the new stars in African sport, at the end of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson, Joseph Keen and Bella Hassan.Technical Producer: Jack GraysmarkSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Speaking at a Russian security council meeting, he said the Russian army must dislodge Kyiv's troops from the border region. Also: The leader of a Kenyan cult goes on trial for manslaughter over the deaths of more than four hundred of his followers; and the Italian media is exercised about rumours that Madonna wants to hire the ancient ruins of Pompeii to stage a birthday party.
Singer Clara Nunes is an icon of African Brazilian culture and known as the Queen of Samba.
Her first samba song Ê Baiana was released in 1973.
In 1974, the release of the song Conto de Areia secured her a place in history. Clara sold more records than any other Brazilian woman had before.
She's considered to be one of the greatest samba singers of her generation.She died in 1983.
Brazilian radio broadcaster and samba record producer Adelzon Alves worked with Clara. He tells Gill Kearsley Clara’s story.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Clara Nunes in 1974. Credit: Gilbert Girbaldi/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
British people love to talk about weather! Learn some useful vocabulary about it here.
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Stephen Sackur speaks to the renowned economist Ian Goldin, who wants to reframe the debate around migration. He’s been a senior official at the World Bank, an economic adviser to Nelson Mandela and he’s now professor of globalisation and development at Oxford University. His latest book, The Shortest History of Migration, illustrates the centrality of movement to the evolution of humanity – from the earliest human travellers leaving East Africa some 300,000 years ago to all of the people seeking sanctuary and prosperity across today's national borders.
Migration is, right now, a hot and contentious topic. Powerful political voices across the world link migration with insecurity, crime and cultural breakdown. Others say migrants bring new ideas and energy and are vital to economic growth. It seems no amount of border security will stop people wanting to move; indeed, global heating and political instability are likely to see the numbers increase. Will migration, and how we deal with it, be the defining issue of this century?
Musicians from China and Syria tell Datshiane Navanayagam about taking up traditional instruments and introducing them to western audiences.
Wu Man is one of the world's foremost players of the pipa: a four-stringed Chinese lute which dates back 2000 years. She's also a composer and passionate advocate for Chinese traditional music.
Maya Youssef from Syria is hailed as ‘queen of the qanun,’ the 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither. Her award-winning intense and thoughtful music performances are rooted in the Arabic classical tradition but forge pathways into jazz, Western classical and Latin styles.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Maya Youssef credit Igor Studio. (R) Wu Man credit Call the Shots Photography.)
Russia's defence ministry said its forces had engaged Ukrainian troops near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, as the offensive in the Kursk region entered a sixth day. Also: President Biden explains why he dropped out of White House race, and Tom Cruise abseils off stadium roof in Olympic closing ceremony in Paris.
The Norwegian artist Edvard Munch is best known for his expressionist painting The Scream. A pastel version of it fetched $ 120 million when it was last auctioned in 2012, making it the most expensive piece of art ever sold at an auction. The art exhibition Edvard Munch: Trembling, shifts the focus to his landscape paintings, revealing a very different side of the artist and showing the vivid colours he used. Presenting this exhibition on both sides of the Atlantic - in the US, then in Germany and Norway - makes the show open up to a wider audience. But what does it take for an exhibition to go on a journey? The Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany grants the BBC exclusive access to witness what happens behind closed doors, when art works worth millions move across countries.
With animal adoptions skyrocketing during the pandemic, pet care has evolved dramatically.
From self-cleaning cat litter trays to smart feeding bowls, interactive toys, and pet cameras, we'll hear from some of the brands reshaping the way we care for our furry friends.
But are we missing out on the meaningful connections our pets need as automation becomes more prevalent?
(Picture: Rupert the British Shorthair cat, inside his litter robot. Credit: Deborah Weitzmann/BBC)
Presented and produced by Deborah Weitzmann
The closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics is taking place in the Stade de France, bringing an end to a festival of sport that has thrilled audiences around the world.
In his first interview since dropping his re-election bid, President Biden says he wanted to avoid becoming a distraction in the campaign to defeat Donald Trump.
And allegations of torture as the Zimbabwe authorities round up political dissidents ahead of a regional summit in the capital.
(Photo: French swimmer Leon Marchand carries the Olympic flame taken from at the Olympic cauldron at the Jardin des Tuileries and to be taken to the Closing Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France Stadium in Paris, France, 11 August 2024. Credit: Reuters)
After 16 days of competition across 32 sports with 329 gold medallists the Olympic Games in Paris has drawn to a close.
Lee James is joined by French broadcaster Julian Laurens to assess the impact of the Games and the legacy they can have on the city of Paris and the nation of France.
The team look back at the memorable moments and athletes from the Games, and what may be to come in Los Angeles in 2028 with the help of USA Today’s Rachel Bowers as well as Sportsworld's Ed Harry and Ade Adedoyin.
Image: A general view inside Eiffel Tower Stadium following the Women's Semifinal match between Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy of Team Australia and Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa of Team Brazil on day thirteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on August 08, 2024 in Paris, France. (Credit: Getty Images)
On the final day of the Summer Olympics, France's Sports Minister reflects on what the Games have meant for her country. And we look at the cultural and social impact of the Games in Paris. Also in the programme: Donald Trump's presidential campaign team says its internal communications have been hacked by Iran; and 160 opposition members and activists have been arrested in Zimbabwe ahead of a regional summit. We hear from a lawyer representing some of them. (Picture: Sifan Hassan of Netherlands celebrates after winning gold in women's marathon. Credit: REUTERS/Lisa Leutner)
This is a bonus episode from The Global Story - Overtourism: Can travel hotspots cope with the crowds?
2024 is expected to be a record-breaking year for tourism, with more travellers going on holiday than ever before. But hotspots like Venice, Hawaii and Bali are also struggling from overtourism. Rajan Datar, host of the BBC's Travel Show, has been meeting people who live in some of the world's tourism hotspots and tells Lucy Hockings about the impact huge numbers of visitors are having on communities and the environment.
This episode was made by Alice Aylett Roberts, Richard Moran and Eleanor Sly. The technical producer was Johnny Hall. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.
The US is home to around seven million undocumented migrants from central and south America. Many have been in the US for years, providing a vital workforce for many sectors of the US economy. But they have no health cover, or workplace benefits and many live under the constant threat of deportation back home. As Americans prepare for another presidential race where immigration is likely to figure high again on the agenda, Mike Lanchin travels to the state of Maryland, to hear about the lives of some of its large undocumented Latino population. He speaks to Maria who gets up at 5am for work, but has no holiday or sick pay. He meets Delmi, who has been using false papers to get work, and Toño who came to the US as an unaccompanied minor but now has a temporary work permit.
An Israeli air strike on a school building sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City has killed dozens of people and drawn strong international condemnation. Also: Russia steps up evacuations of the Kursk region following the cross border attack by Ukraine. In Bangladesh, the chief justice of the supreme court has become the latest senior official to resign in the face of large demonstrations. The authorities in Japan are urging people to avoid hoarding despite concern about the possibility of a mega earthquake. And the secretive British graffiti artist Banksy has been creating a series of unusual images on the streets of London.
At the age of 11 in 1985, Salva Dut was separated from his family by the Sudanese civil war. After a decade moving between different refugee camps, and presumed an orphan, Salva was recommended for resettlement in the United States as part of a UN-backed programme to support some 4,000 so-called 'lost boys' who'd been displaced by conflict. Salva settled with a host family in Rochester, New York. But when he was in his late 20s, he found out that his father was in fact still alive. Salva travelled back to Sudan to find him. His father was in a clinic and sick with a waterborne disease. Salva decided to try to bring clean water to his home village. A few years later, he established an NGO, Water for South Sudan, and he returned to his birthplace to drill his first well.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Jo Impey
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
(Photo: Salva Dut drilling for water; Credit: Water for South Sudan, Inc)
The White House has said far too many civilians continue to be killed in Gaza, after a deadly Israeli airstrike on a school where displaced Palestinian were sheltering. The director of a local hospital said more than seventy people died. Israel said nineteen Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters were killed. Egypt and Qatar - mediators in Gaza ceasefire talks - have condemned the strike. We hear from local residents in Gaza city. Also on the programme: the former head of YouTube and one of the highest profile chief executives in Silicon Valley - Susan Wojcicki - has died at the age of 56; and, sweeping change in Bangladesh, how is interim leader Mohammad Yunus doing?
(Picture: Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City. Credit: Mahmoud Issa, for Reauters)
An Israeli air strike on a school building sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City has killed more than 70 people. The situation is reported to be "catastrophic".
A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces said al-Taba’een school "served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility" with approximately 20 "militants" operating there. Hamas denies this.
Also in the programme: In Bangladesh, after the ousting of long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina, now the chief justice resigns after student leaders called for him to go; and 12 years after she lost out to a dope cheat, we speak to the Olympic 400m hurdler who's finally got the gold medal she deserved.
(Photo shows the damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a school in Gaza City on 10 August 2024. Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
We hear about the giant personalities of the panda pair bringing joy to the crowds at San Diego Zoo. The super relaxed male and curious, playful female are the first pandas sent to the US from China in more than twenty years.
Also: How Botswana celebrated its first gold medal at an Olympics with a nationwide party - and an afternoon off work.We hear from a woman who's defied tradition in southern Iraq to set up the region's first all female cafe.We visit Amsterdam's Offline Club -- where people have to ditch their smartphones and talk to people in real life.For the first time ever, there's space at the Olympics for breastfeeding and childcare.And how gold was followed by diamonds for one champion at the Olympics.
Our weekly collection of happy stories and positive news from around the world.
According to the UN, from 2008-2018 over 18,000 Vietnamese citizens a year married foreigners. The vast majority of them are women, and many find their foreign husbands through special matchmaking agencies. Thoung Le from BBC Vietnamese has been looking into this profitable and controversial business.
Produced by Caroline Ferguson, Hannah Dean and Alice Gioia.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
To the Paris pool next where The Chinese divers have again dominated the medals at the Paris Games, but they still have some way to overshadow Greg Louganis of the United States... widely regarded as the greatest diver of all time. Louganuis won DOUBLE gold at his home games in Los Angeles in 1984 and repeated that feat in Seoul four years later. But it's for a dive that went spectacularly wrong for which he is best remembered. At the '88 games he cracked his head open on the springboard. falling unceremoniously into the water... Remarkably, he brushed himself off and STILL went on to win gold. Greg has been speaking to Sportshour's Olympic reporter Joel Hammer, starting with the silver he won as a 16 year old in Montreal back in 1976:
One man with a keen eye on the boxing later will be Maurice Hope. A former world champion, he fought at the 1972 Olympics in Munich for Great Britain.Those Munich Olympics will always be overshadowed by The Munich massacre, one of the darkest chapters in Olympic history... when eleven members of the Israeli team were taken hostage and killed... inside the Olympic village, by Palestinian gunmen from the Black September group. For Maurice those dark nights will live with him forever. Maurice Hope MBE has written a book about his life called "Land of Hope and Glory: The Windrush Kid Who Conquered The World". He talks about his journey from Antigua aged just nine... and moving with his family as part of the Windrush generation to the U.K when Caribbean people were invited to help rebuild the British economy after World War II.
Plus, a true pioneer of the Olympic spirit and in particular women's sport. The Olympics of 2024 are the first with equal representation of male and female athletes, and the journey to equality, in part, is thanks to Alice Milliat's lobbying in the early 1900s. But who was Alice? A statue of Alice stands outside the headquarters of the French Olympic Committe and a book about her life has just been released called " La Vie Jamais Racontée: Alice Milliat, a French Heroine and Sporting Suffragette'. Its author is Nancy Gillen
Throughout the Olympics we've been hearing from Dr Lindsay Krasnoff, expert in sport diplomacy specialising in France and in particular basketball. So what better way to end her Sportshour postcards from the Games than by previewing both Men's and women's upcoming basketball gold medal matches between the mighty USA and the hosts France. It's the hottest ticket in town!
Photo: Greg Louganis of the United States prepares to dive in the Men's 10-metre Platform diving competition during the XXIV Olympic Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea. (CREDIT: Pascal Rondeau/Allsport/Getty Images)
In 2008, the Danish 49er sailing team won one of the most dramatic sailing golds in Olympic history.
Going into the final race, Denmark had a comfortable lead. But on their way to the start line, their mast snapped in stormy seas, seemingly crushing their chances of securing a medal. The only hope of salvaging their Olympic dreams rested on the selflessness of their Croatian competitors.
Sailors Martin Kirketerp and Pavle Kostov tell Marta Medvešek the story of a rollercoaster medal race.
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 groundbreaking 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: Jonas Warrer and Martin Kirketerp Ibsen of Denmark in a spare boat borrowed from the Croatian team as they compete in the 49er class race in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images)
In 1979, the Moral Majority was launched and changed the course of US politics.
It was set up to promote family values by religious conservatives from Catholic, Jewish and evangelical Christian communities.
It urged Protestants, in particular, to go against the tradition of separating politics and religion. It encouraged them to vote Republican.
Richard Viguerie was one of the driving forces behind the movement.
He spoke to Claire Bowes in 2016.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Richard Viguerie and Ronald Reagan. Credit: courtesy of ConservativeHQ.com)
Tim Walz told a rally in Philadelphia that Republican contenders in November's presidential election are " weird as hell". Also: Hamas names Yahya Sinwar as new overall leader, and Philippe Petit is to mark 50 years since his Twin Towers high-wire walk.
A major Democratic party donor in the US tells us why adding Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to the Harris presidential ticket is the right pick for the party.
We find out who is being lined up as Bangladesh's interim leader and what they want for their economy.
And Uber was once a company synonymous with government rows but have managed to ride out the market storm - one taxi ride at a time.
A killer fungus is ravaging plantations of the Cavendish banana worldwide. It travels through the soil at lightning speed and chokes the banana plant so its leaves shrivel up and die. The disease is known as Tropical Race 4, or TR4 for short, and it has spread across the globe from Australia, to the Philippines, Pakistan and Mozambique. Now TR4 is widespread across Latin America. In Colombia where 30,000 people are employed in banana plantations, the government declared a state of national emergency when the fungus first arrived on farms in 2019. An international community of scientists is experimenting with different techniques to try to halt the spread of TR4 whether that's through gene-editing, selective breeding or injecting microbes into the soil.
A major Democratic party donor in the US tells us why adding Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to the Harris presidential ticket is the right pick for the party.
We find out who is being lined up as Bangladesh's interim leader and what they want for their economy.
And Uber was once a company synonymous with government rows but have managed to ride out the market storm - one taxi ride at a time.
The US Vice-President, Kamala Harris, has chosen the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, as her running-mate for the presidential election in November. Also on the programme: the president of Bangladesh has dissolved parliament, paving the way for the formation of an interim government; and a high-wire artist remembers the day he walked between the Twin Towers in New York.
(Photo: Photo by SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Minnesota Governor Tim Walz walks out of the West Wing to deliver remarks to the news media following his meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 03 July 2024.)
It's called Pig Butchering - a cruel romance scam which has victims around the world. The BBC's Cyber correspondent, Joe Tidy, was targeted online. He played along to learn about the con and then turned the tables on the scammer, known as Jessica. Joe tells us what happened. Also on Tech Life, we find out about a digital detox. And we hear about the role played by artificial intelligence in discovering an important new antibiotic.
Presenter: Chris VallanceProducers: Imran Rahman-Jones and Tom QuinnEditor: Monica Soriano
(Photo: A red paper cut-out of a heart shape, torn in the middle, resting on a computer keyboard. Credit: Pla2na/Getty Images)
Kamala Harris has picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as running mate in the US presidential elections. The former high school teacher will be vice-president if she wins. We get the latest. Students in Bangladesh want the country's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus, to be named chief adviser of a new interim government. This comes a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country in the face of a popular uprising. We hear about Yunus's work and the state of the nation's economy.A US judge has ruled Google acted illegally to crush its competition and maintain a monopoly on online search and related advertising. We take a look at the consequences of the ruling.
The US Vice-President Kamala Harris has chosen the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as her running mate for November's presidential election. We hear from one of his old friends.
Also on the programme: the president of Bangladesh has dissolved parliament to enable a new government to be formed, a day after the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted by protesters. And the British government condemns Elon Musk's comments that civil war is inevitable in Britain as unrest continues across the country.
(Picture: VP Candidate Tim Walz, the current governor of Minnesota. Credit: Reuters)
Kamala Harris has named the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, to be her vice-presidential running mate. Also: Bangladesh's president dissolves parliament, clearing the way for the formation of a new government, disturbing evidence of torture of Palestinians in Israeli jails, and the Algerian winner of Africa's first Olympic gold medal in gymnastics.
The United Kingdom is experiencing almost a week of violent disorder after three girls were fatally stabbed in the town of Southport, in England. The subsequent unrest in towns and cities has been fuelled by misinformation online, the far-right and anti-immigration sentiment. How did the UK get to this point?
Also, why does Lesotho have the highest suicide rates in the world?
And Somalia sentences seven young Tik Tok users to jail for 'indecency' and 'incitement'.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducer: Sunita Nahar, Bella Hassan, Frenny Jowi and Rob WilsonTechnical Producer: Chris AblakwaSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Please Note: If you have been affected by the content on suicide in this episode, do search for the BBC's Action line or contact a local support group for help.
Learn how to use two types of conditional sentences
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including:✔️ 6 Minute English✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary✔️ The English We SpeakThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.
The US presidential election of 2000 was one of the closest and most contested in history.
It was more than a month before the result was decided after a Supreme Court decision. It all came down to the vote in Florida, where irregularities and technical problems added to the confusion.
In the end it's thought there were just a few hundred votes in it but the result still divides opinion.
Callie Shell was the official photographer for Al Gore's presidential campaign and documented the dramatic events behind closed doors in pictures. She tells Rebecca Kesby what it was like to be there.
This programme was first broadcast in 2020.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Al Gore and George Bush. Credit: Getty Images)
主持人 Beth 的西班牙语老师突然要求大家上台发言，练习口语。Beth 没有事先作准备，所以只好即兴发挥。实用短语 “off the cuff” 的意思就是 “没有准备，即兴地”。“即兴评论” 用英语怎么说？听对话，学习 “地道英语” 短语 “off the cuff” 在日常交流中的正确用法。
Weak economic data from the US has fuelled speculation that the world's largest economy is slowing. In London, the FTSE 100 fell and stocks in Asia have tumbled. We take a look at what's perplexing investors around the world.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister resigns following weeks of deadly anti-government protests we find out how the garment and textiles industry has been impacted.
And we hear how product placement is being used at the Olympic Game after one brand became highly visible during the opening ceremony.
Weeks of increasingly violent unrest forced the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down. She's fled to India, ending a run of 15 years in power. Also: the UN says nine of its staff members in Gaza may have been involved in the October 7th attack on Israel last year, and a 15 year old teenager has become Britain's youngest ever Chess Grandmaster.
The Italian town of Monfalcone on the Adriatic coast has an ethnic make-up unique to the country. Of a population of just over thirty thousand, more than six thousand are from Bangladesh. They’ve come to help construct huge cruise ships, providing labour to do the type of manual jobs which Italians no longer want to do.
For years, they worshipped at two Islamic centres in the town. Then, in November, the town’s far right mayor, Anna Maria Cisint, tried to effectively ban collective prayer there, along with stopping cricket - the Bangladeshi national sport - from being played within the town.
She says she is defending Christian values. Her critics say she is building walls rather than bridges. For Assignment, Sofia Bettiza travels to Italy to discover how the country is dealing with the increasing numbers of legal migrants coming to work in a country which needs their labour.
Four sportsmen have reached 10 figures according to financial magazine Forbes.
However the wealthiest sportswoman, tennis star Serena Williams, could triple her wealth and not get there.
We speak to agent Stuart Duguid, who looks after four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who tells us how elite sportswomen are investing their money and what barriers there are to growing their fortunes.
We ask if, and when it might happen, and what that would mean for women’s sport.
Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Matt Lines
(Serena Williams playing in the 2022 US Open. Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Weak economic data from the US has fuelled speculation that the world's largest economy is slowing. In London, the FTSE 100 fell and stocks in Asia have tumbled. We take a look at what's perplexing investors around the world.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister resigns following weeks of deadly anti-government protests we find out how the garment and textiles industry has been impacted.
And we hear how product placement is being used at the Olympic Game after one brand became highly visible during the opening ceremony.
We're a planet addicted to chicken - and our appetites fuel a massive global industry... but is it one we should support?
As Chris wrestles with how he personally feels about this weird and wonderful bird, he decides to take a look at the business as a whole: a global industry that's cited by some as a shining example of a super-efficient food production system, one that could help drive food security around the world.
But others say it’s a cruel, destructive and outdated structure that makes a few people richer while exploiting others – along with animals and the environment.
In Brazil, one of the world’s biggest chicken and soya producers, our reporter Leonardo Milano hears accusations of threats and pollution relating to the feed sector; while in Africa, Chris learns about poultry-farming initiatives helping to make struggling nations more food-secure.
And then there are the other challenges that the industry is wrestling with: from antimicrobial resistance to the threat of another major global pandemic, potentially stemming from chicken farms…
So is there a ‘big business bad guy’ to blame – or does responsibility lie closer to home, with unquestioning consumers like Chris?
The long-serving prime minster of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has resigned and fled the country in a military helicopter. In the morning, tens of thousands of people defied curfew orders and marched towards the capital, Dhaka. Crowds cheered in the street upon hearing the news about the PM stepping down. Also on the programme: the International Boxing Association weighs in on the controversy surrounding Olympic boxers Imane Khelif of Algeria and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting; and the British government holds an emergency meeting after anti-immigration riots.
(Photo: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addresses a meeting with foreign observers and journalists in Dhaka, 8th January 2024. Credit: Monirul Alam/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
It's been a torrid day on the world's stock markets. Japan's Nikkei index leads the sell-off with a fall of over 12 percent. European and US markets are also down.
And in Bangladesh, the prime minister resigns and flees the country just before protesters storm her official residence. What happens next, and will Bangladeshi businesses now be able to get back on their feet?
Hundreds gather in protest at popular Lido beach in Mogadishu after a deadly Al-Shabab militant attack.
The African Union declares coffee a strategic commodity. What does that mean?And is Nigeria ready for a new state?Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Claudia Efemini, Nyasha Michelle and Sunita Nahar in London
Technical Producer :Jonny HallSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors : Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country after anti-government protests in which hundreds of people have been killed. Huge crowds of protesters have been celebrating in the streets of the capital, but there has also been widespread looting, including in the Prime Minister's official residence. The army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, says he will be forming an interim government. Also: The Japanese stock exchange has had one of the worst days in its history. The biggest drop was in Japan, where the Nikkei 225 index plunged more than 12 per cent. And we find out about the frontrunners for the US Democratic Vice-President nominee - Senator Mark Kelly, and two Governors, Tim Walz and Josh Shapiro.
Learn about words that sound the same but have different meanings.
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Pete Souza was Chief Official White House Photographer during Barack Obama's presidency. His photo from when Bin Laden was killed by US soldiers in 2011 has become one of his most famous.
He tells Uma Doraiswamy what that day was like leading up to the moment when he took the photo.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden. Credit: Getty Images / Pete Souza, White House)
In a special edition of HARDtalk, Stephen Sackur looks back at Interviews with guests who have risked their personal freedom to disclose secret information. What motivates these whistleblowers?
Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from Costa Rica and Switzerland about how animal behaviour is studied and what it reveals about life on our planet.
Marta Manser from Switzerland is a Professor of Animal Behaviour at the University of Zurich. She is the project director of the Kalahari Meerkat Project and has studied the species for nearly thirty years. Marta’s work has significantly improved our understanding of meerkat social structures, vocal communication, and group coordination.
Dr Gloriana Chaverri is an Associate Professor at the University of Costa Rica and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. She began her work with bats by investigating their mating systems and social organization. Recently she has been focusing on bat vocal communication.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Marta Manser courtesy of Marta Manser. (R) Gloriana Chaverri courtesy of Gloriana Chaverri.)
Known to many as breakdancing, breaking sprung up in the economic and social unrest of 1970s New York, as a form of expressive protest. Today, it is also a globalised and dizzyingly virtuosic competitive dance sport - and now it is making its debut at the Paris Olympics. We follow Australian competitor Rachael Gunn (B-girl Raygun) as she hits pause on her day-job as a university lecturer and prepares for her debut on the Olympics stage. In conversations across the final 100 days, as she practises at home in Sydney, tests out new moves in the UK, and gets settled in Paris, we hear about the challenges of training, experimenting, and honing her performance.
The British prime minister Keir Starmer says people in the UK have a right to be safe. He also condemned the violence targeting Muslim communities. Also: scores of people killed in Bangladesh anti-government protest, and kimchi - a traditional Korean side dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables - is becoming popular around the world.
Salva Dut is one of Sudan's so-called 'Lost Boys.' Separated from his family at the age of 11 when the civil war reached his village in 1985, Salva walked for weeks to reach safety in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. There, he lived out most of his teenage years, amongst thousands of other orphans. Like most of them, Salva had no idea what had happened to his family. With little adult supervision, the boys developed their own systems of organisation. That was to prove vital when in 1991 they were driven from the camp by a new conflict. Salva was 17 by this point, and he'd become a leader amongst the boys. In total there were 17,000 of them. They set off in groups, first back towards Sudan, then south, towards Kenya. When they emerged from the wilderness after many months, aid workers were astonished to find them still alive. They shared their story with the world. The United Nations recommended almost 4,000 of the Lost Boys for resettlement in the US, and Salva's name was among them. By this point, in his early 20s, Salva had been separated from his family for a decade. A reunion seemed impossible. He would be boarding a flight and leaving the continent of his birth behind.
The second part of Salva's story will be broadcast on the next edition of Lives Less Ordinary
Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Jo Impey
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
The sudden closure of the huge open pit copper mine, Cobre Panamá, has created a dramatic economic fallout, with its loss of jobs and damage to the country’s reputation for investors.
It was shut down by Panama's Supreme Court after months of protests against it.
We look at the impact, and also ask what could happen next?
Produced and presented by Jane Chambers Additional sound mixing by Grant Cassidy
(Image: The Cobre Panama mine. Credit: Reuters)
More than ninety people have been killed in Bangladesh in clashes between police and anti-government protesters demanding the resignation of the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia is one of the latest countries urging their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately amid fears of an all-out war between Israel and the Iranian backed militant group Hezbollah; and exports of the South Korean staple kimchi are on a record rise worldwide. (Picture: Mass Students' Procession in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Credit: MONIRUL ALAM/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
At least 25 people have been killed in Bangladesh in worsening clashes between police and anti-government protesters who are demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down. We hear from a student and a government minister.
Also in the programme: Riots and looting in several British towns and cities; and life becomes easier for breastfeeding athletes at the Paris Olympics.
(Photo: Demonstrators shout slogans after occupying a street during a protest. Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 4, 2024. Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)
This is a bonus episode from The Global Story - CrowdStrike: Is our tech too vulnerable?
What can we learn from the biggest IT outage in history? A glitch at the major cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike brought banks, hospitals, airports, and thousands of businesses to a standstill. It was a reminder that our digital world is reliant on a few big companies to keep it running. So how vulnerable are they to accidents or attacks that could shut down wide sections of society? Lucy Hockings speaks to the BBC's Cyber Correspondent Joe Tidy.
This episode was made by Peter Goffin and Alix Pickles. The technical producers were Jack Graysmark and Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.
The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.
Maria Corina Machado appeared at a protest rally in Caracas, defying threats of arrest from President Maduro. She urged her supporters to continue protesting against fraud in last week's presidential election. Also: beach attack in Somali capital kills dozens, and the US rock band Aerosmith retires from touring due to singer Steven Tyler's vocal cord damage.
In one of the last broadcast interviews, the acclaimed Irish author Edna O’Brien, who died aged 93 in July 2024, is in conversation with Kim Chakanetsa. In this bonus episode, shediscusses her final novel, Girl – which tells the story of a young girl in Nigeria who is captured by the Islamist group Boko Haram – the effects of lockdown and her love of writing and literature from around the world… (Recorded in 2020)
Hong Kong's history is being revised and erased - it's early origins, colonial legacy, post 1997 handover period and the crucial years since the mass 2019 democracy protests are being uprooted, overturned and rewritten by a government guided by the ruling Communist Party in Beijing. This 'rewriting' of history is being enforced in schools, universities, libraries, the local media and online. This process has seen library shelves raided, museums closed for 'review', art galleries censored, media archives wiped, commemorations and memorials banned. Every department of government seems affected - library users asked to scour the shelves for 'banned' books, the arts sector to purge itself of 'anti-China elements', the annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre shut down. Democracy activists, authors of children's books, students, and newspaper owners have been jailed for holding contradictory views, telling alternative narratives. All in the few years since 2019 and Covid-19. Hong Kong is a changed place - a place where memory wars are being fought, where history and your interpretation of it can lead to long prison sentences or exile.
Venezuela's opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has turned up at a mass rally in Caracas, defying government calls for her arrest. Also in the programme: there has been international condemnation after an attack in Somalia's capital Mogadishu. At least 37 people were killed on Friday in a suicide attack carried out by al-Shabab militants; and the US rock band Aerosmith have announced their immediate retirement from touring due to Steven Tyler's vocal injury. (Photo: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attends a protest in Caracas. Credit: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
The September 11 pardon given to the perpetrators has been revoked as torture was used against them in Guantanamo Bay. Also in the programme: a Druze eyewitness recounts last week’s attack in the Golan Heights which killed 12 children; and we hear from the prisoners released from Russia.
(Photo: Woman in the 9/11 memorial in New York. Credit: Reuters)
A new blood test for Alzheimer's appears to be able to spot the disease up to ten years before symptoms develop. It's hoped it could lead to earlier treatment and slow progression of the disease, giving patients better quality of life for longer.Also: The 50-year-old X Games champion, Andy MacDonald, who's aiming to outdo the teenagers in Olympic skateboarding.How Platypus Rescue HQ is hoping to help the animals make more babies, called puggles.Why a travel blogger in Germany woke up to dozens of messages from students in China.And, in a country famous for its food, what's on the menu for Olympic and Paralympic athletes?
Our weekly collection of happy stories and positive news from around the world.
Three years ago the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. BBC Afghan journalists Shekiba Habib and Shoaib Sharifi were living and following the events as they unfolded and continue to do so.
Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
Meet a sport's icon making his mark at the Olympics in Paris. After the biggest grind, Andy MacDonald will represent Team GB at the grand old age of 50. This is a man who holds the record for the most X Games medals in a skateboarding discipline - the pinnacle championships of extreme sports - and he has also been named World Champions skateboarder nine times. He has even invented tricks that will feature in the Games but even for him, going to Paris is something special.
(Photo: Andrew Macdonald of Great Britain competes during the Skateboarding during the Olympic Qualifier Series. Credit: Fred Lee/Getty Images)
Fake news and conspiracy theories are explored in the series Whose Truth - we get your feedback and hear from its presenter, Babita Sharma.
Plus with The Olympics underway, it is proving to be a busy summer of sport. So what do listeners think of the World Service’s coverage on this and other sporting events?
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
Breaking makes its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but its origins as a sport go back to 1970s New York.
Michael Holman formed a group of the most talented breakdancers in the city called 'The New York City Breakers'.
He remembers when the crew performed at a salute for the US Olympic team in 1984, where they wrote a proclamation backstage - proposing it should be a future event at the games, with a set of rules to go with it.
This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: Breakdancers in 1984 in New York, Brooklyn. Credit: Getty Images)
It began as a peaceful student protest against the way some government jobs are reserved for war veterans and their families. The violence that followed is some of the worst the country has witnessed in recent years. More than 200 people are reported dead, with most blamed on police gunfire. Host James Reynolds speaks with those in Bangladesh and hears stories of what they have witnessed; their fears for their safety and that of friends and family. They describe being afraid to leave their homes and being unable to sleep and eat.
The US Vice-President Kamala Harris has been formally chosen as the presidential nominee by the Democratic National Convention, after receiving enough party delegate votes. She is both the first black and South Asian woman to become the leader of a major US political party. Also: Instagram is blocked in Turkey amid accusations of censorship, and why Zanzibar could become Africa’s Hollywood.
A warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners - this programme contains the names and voices of people who have died.
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.
We take a look at the Ice Bucket Challenge, the viral fundraising sensation that took over the internet in 2014.
Our guest Professor Sander van der Linden breaks down the psychology behind virality and outlines the challenges facing those who conquered the algorithm.
Plus, how one man smuggled punk rock over the Berlin Wall.
Also, we meet the man who found a retirement home for Bulgaria's dancing bears.
We hear the remarkable story of Australia's Freedom Riders who campaigned against indigenous discrimination.
Finally, we relive the mountain top escape of the Yazidi's who were fleeing Islamic State Militants.
Contributors:Nancy Frates – Pete Frates mother.Sander van der Linden - Professor of Social Psychology at Cambridge University.Mark Reeder - smuggled punk rock over the Berlin Wall.Dr Amir Khalil – founded the sanctuary for dancing bears.Darce Cassidy and Gary Williams – involved in the Freedom Rides.Mirza Dinnayi - helped evacuate the Yazidi's.
(Photo: Ice Bucket Challenge. Credit:Getty Images)
Two of the most high-profile Russian dissidents freed as part of a major prisoner swap say they refused officials' demands to plead for mercy from President Putin to secure their release. Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin said they considered him a tyrant, a murderer and a war criminal.
Also in the programme, the Venezuelan government cracks down on protests against last weekend's disputed election.
And North Korea is hoping that Donald Trump becomes the next US President - that's according to a senior North Korean defector.
(Photo: Released prisoners make press statement in Bonn following prisoner swap between Russia and the West, Germany - 02 Aug 2024. Credit: EPA)
As the US publishes disappointing jobs figures we look back at a week in which global stock markets have wobbled.
Also, we look at how protests in Bangladesh have affected the country’s leading garment trade industry. Its’ taken a financial hit worth billions of dollars….
And, as the athletics kicks off at Paris 2024 - how the super-shoe has become a controversial issue for athletes.
The Kremlin confirms convicted assassin Vadim Krasikov, released in a huge east-west prisoner swap, was a Russian security agent.
The historic exchange freed 24 prisoners from seven countries - three of whom have now returned to the US.
Also: Hundreds of mourners gather in Doha to offer funeral prayers for assassinated Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh, and a senior North Korean defector says his country is rooting for another Donald Trump presidency.
The day’s top stories from BBC News and our correspondents across the world. Delivered twice a day on weekdays, daily at weekends.
The Kremlin has admitted that Vadim Krasikov, a convicted killer released as part of the prisoner exchange with the US, was a Russian spy working for the FSB.
We'll hear from the investigator who first uncovered his identity and helped negotiate the deal: We will also get reaction from Washington and from a Russian politician loyal to Vladimir Putin.
Also in the programme: An exclusive interview with a high-ranking North Korean defector who tells us why Kim Jong-Un is hoping Donald Trump will be re-elected as president; and why there is controversy surrounding the women's boxing at the Olympics in Paris.
(Photo shows Russian citizens released after the Russian-US prisoner swap disembarking from a plane at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia on 1 August 2024. Credit: Sergei Ilyin/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool via EPA)
Algeria's Imane Khelif found herself at the centre of controversy at the Olympic games in Paris after her opponent, Italy's Angela Carini surrendered just 46 seconds into the boxing match. The result generated immediate discussion because Khelif had in the past failed testosterone and gender eligibility tests at the World Championships. Carina later said, "I have never been hit so hard in my life". Who is Imane Khelif and why is her gender being questioned?
Also, Botswana's President calls on businesses to adopt a police station? What does this mean and what's the reaction in Botswana?
And why forest fires are on the rise in Morocco.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Susan Gachuhi and Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Rob Wilson, Bella Hassan and Patricia Whitehorn in London. Technical Producer: Philip Bull Senior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Injuries meant wrestler Dan Russell missed out on two opportunities for glory at the Olympics back in the 1990s. But missing out on the chance to fight for gold twice was not what left him feeling empty when he retired from the sport. Dan had a difficult childhood, suffering abuse from neighbours and enduring a brutal training regime, being made to wrestle all day, every day, by his father, who was also a Christian pastor. Once retired, Dan’s past traumas began to haunt him, causing rifts in his marriage and leading to a deep depression. Dan had trophies and medals from his sporting days, but what next? And where was God in his life when he needed Him most? Then, a chance call from USA Wrestling asking Dan to head up Wrestling for Peace, a charity project bringing people together through wrestling and humanitarian work changed the course of everything. A dream told him he was destined to move and work in Jordan, in the Middle East and Dan and his wife, Joy, sold everything and moved to Jordan to set up the charity there. Will Dan ever be able to find redemption as he continues to wrestle, now with life itself rather than in the ring?
Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 10 uses of ‘make’ - in 5 minutes.
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Champagne has been discovered in a 100+ year old shipwreck. It's an amazing find. But can you drink it? Speaking of bubbly, we learn more about the physics of bubbles, and why understanding it is crucial for the climate. Also on the show, a 2,000 year-old mystery about a navigation device that persists up to the present day.
In 2014, the ice bucket challenge craze took over the internet.
Millions of people including sports stars and celebrities filmed themselves being doused in ice cold water for charity.
Nancy Frates' son Pete helped to make the ice bucket challenge become a phenomenon. Nancy tells Gill Kearsley the poignant story of how the challenge went from a simple idea to world news.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Pete Frates takes part in the ice bucket challenge. Credit: Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Apple and Amazon have released their quarterly results, which were below expectation. Intel shares sank after the markets closed.
Several people have been shot dead, dozens wounded in the northern Nigerian city of Kano during some dramatic protests about the rising cost of living in the country.
On social media, a group of US journalists complained that their current employer, The Chicago Tribune, could replace them with AI
President Biden hails biggest prisoner swap since Cold War a 'feat of diplomacy'. In total, 10 Russians -- including 2 children -- were exchanged for 16 Westerners and Russians imprisoned in Russia. It was a seven nation prisoner swap which involved complicated and long negotiations. Also: Three men accused of plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001 who have been detained in Guantanamo Bay receive a plea deal. We get reaction from a family member of one of the victims, and in the Olympics a clash in the women's boxing was abandoned after just 46 secs amidst controversy over gender eligibility rules.
The founder of one of Ireland's largest recruitment agencies, Staffline, shares how her upbringing during one of the most politically tumultuous periods in Northern Ireland's history, known as 'The Troubles', shaped her career path.
From working in her parent's taxi firm, to the probation service to recruitment. And even a foray into politics.
So what does Tina McKenzie MBE envision for the future of the country?
Presenter: Sam FenwickProducer: Amber Mehmood
(Image: Tina McKenzie. Credit: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
A major prisoner exchange between Russia, the US and four European countries has taken place, with the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich among those freed. Also on the programme: Israel says it's received intelligence confirming that the head of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an air strike in Gaza last month; and Muslim girls in London learn to fence.
(Photo: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is on trial on spying charges, smiles inside an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo)
Nasa's Perseverance Rover has found a fascinating rock on Mars that may indicate it hosted microbial life billions of years ago. Abigail Allwood, exobiologist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Lab, is on the team scrutinising the new Martian data.
And a couple of newly discovered, approximately 500 year old fossils from the ‘Cambrian explosion’ of complexity caught presenter Roland Pease’s eye this week. First Martin Smith from Durham University tells us about a tiny grub that is ancestor to worms, insects, spiders and crustaceans. Then Ma Xiaoya, who has positions at both Yunnan University in China and Exeter University in the UK, tells us about a spiny slug that was also discovered in a famous fossil site in China.
And the first sightings of the landscapes on the underside of the ice shelves that fringe Antarctica. These float atop the ocean around the frozen continent but effectively hold back the glaciers and ice sheets on the vast landmass. Their physical condition therefore is pretty critical in this warming world, Anna Wåhlin of Gothenburg University tells us.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Photo: Nasa’s Perseverance Mars rover taking a selfie on Mars. Credit: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
We report from Nigeria where young people are making their voices heard, as they protest about economic hardship.
The Bank of England has cut interest rates for the first time in more than four years. We'll find out how the news is being received by British businesses.
And when did airline safety videos turn into epic productions? We find out why one major airline has invested in a lavish production designed to keep passengers’ attention during those often tedious safety demonstrations…
Kenyan authorities begin the process of culling a million Indian house crows
Why are hundreds of thousands of people in Lesotho now facing severe food insecurity ?
And three journalists sentenced to years in prison after writing about corruption in Morocco released after pardons from King Mohammed VI
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers : Blessing Aderogba in Lagos and Sunita Nahar in LondonTechnical Producer: Philip BullSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Stephen Sackur speaks to influential far-right Israeli politician Ohad Tal, who wants the military to push for total victory in Gaza, against Hezbollah, and in the de-facto conflict for Iran. Amid the assassinations and vows of retribution, is Israel gearing up for a multi-front war?
Three US citizens - reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva - imprisoned in Russia are expected to be released today under a major prisoner exchange deal between Russia and the West.
The exchange will involve 24 prisoners held in Russia, the US, Germany and three other Western countries.
Also in the programme: Israel says its received information confirming that the head of Hamas' military wing in Gaza was killed in an airstrike; and the US says it's reached a plea deal with three men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks - but some families of the victims say they're furious at the way the cases have been handled.
(Photo shows the journalist Evan Gershkovich standing inside a glass defendant's cage in Yekaterinburg's Sverdlovsk Regional Court, Russia on 19 July 2024, Credit; Stringer/EPA)
The US says journalist Evan Gershkovich part of prisoner exchange agreed with Russia. Germany and three other European countries included in deal. Also: funeral for Hamas leader killed in Iran.
What's really happening in our brain when we fall in love?
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240801
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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A warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners - this programme contains the names of people who have died.
Nearly 60 years ago, a group of university students set out on a bus to challenge the discrimination of Australia’s indigenous people.
Led by Sydney University’s first indigenous undergraduate, Charles Perkins, they toured north-western New South Wales highlighting the public pools, cinemas, theatres and pubs in country towns where Aboriginal people were excluded or segregated from white people.
Darce Cassidy was recording the journey for a radio programme. We hear 19-year-old Brian Aarons demonstrating at a swimming pool in Moree where Aboriginal children were not normally allowed to swim.
He and Gary Williams, an indigenous student, recall the Freedom Ride to Josephine McDermott, including the moment when they made the national news by ordering a beer together in a Bowraville pub.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: The 1965 Freedom Riders. Brian Aarons and Gary Williams sit fifth and fourth from the right, one row from the back. Credit: Reproduced with permission of Wendy Watson-Ekstein and Ann Curthoys)
On this month's World Book Club, Harriett Gilbert will be talking to bestselling American writer Paul Auster about his acclaimed work The New York Trilogy. In three brilliant variations on the classic detective story, Auster makes the well-traversed terrain of New York City his own. Each interconnected tale exploits the elements of standard detective fiction to achieve an entirely new genre that was ground-breaking when it was published three decades ago. In each story the search for clues leads to remarkable coincidences in the universe as the simple act of trailing a man ultimately becomes a startling investigation of identity and what it means to be human. Hear what readers made of Paul and his novel and what happened when another Paul Auster stood up to introduce himself to the Paul Auster on the stage.
The U.S. Trade Representative's office said tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports will be delayed by at least two weeks. It will affect many industries including judiciary and trade. We hear from the President and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities and still trader.
Also, in the programme, Ed Butler looks at the ongoing protests in Venezuela following Sunday’s Presidential elections, and finds out how the US sanctions are affecting Georgia.
Following the death of the acclaimed Irish author Edna O’Brien, who died aged 93 in July 2024, a bonus edition of World Book Club which was first published in 2008. Edna O’Brien was born in rural County Clare in 1930, and found her education by nuns suffocating. She moved to Dublin, and subsequently spent much of her life in London. The Country Girls tells the story of two girls from rural Ireland growing up in a convent school before moving to Dublin to begin their adult lives.
Israel says it's delivered crushing blows to its enemies; Iran vows revenge. Also: the contested Venezuelan election as seen by international observers, and Donald Trump questions Kamala Harris's racial identity.
Football clubs must work under a strict policy of Financial Fair Play - or FFP - but what does it mean? And how does it work?
With the summer transfer window now open, clubs are in business, buying and selling players. But football’s governing bodies are keeping a close eye on how much they spend.
We take a look at how top-flight clubs in the Spanish league, La Liga, are managing the financial constraints.
(Image: Real Madrid unveils new signing, Kylian Mbappe, at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Spain, in July 2024. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Ashish Sharma.
Have you heard of ‘super sweet’ sweetcorn?
If you’ve purchased fresh, frozen or tinned sweetcorn in the last few decades there’s a good chance its the super sweet variety. It’s an example of how our fruit and vegetables have been bred over time to make them sweeter, or less bitter. Its partly about appealing to consumer tastes, but can have other advantages such as better storage and reducing food waste.
In this programme Ruth Alexander finds out how and why the taste of our fresh produce is changing, and asks if we’re gaining sweetness, what are we losing?
Ruth visits Barfoots farm on the south coast of England, the biggest supplier of fresh sweetcorn in the UK, all of it super sweet varieties. Plant breeder Dr Michael Mazourek at Cornell University in the United States explains how selective breeding works, and what sort of characteristics have been prioritised by the food industry. Dr Sarah Frith, vet at Melbourne Zoo in Australia explains why they’ve stopped giving fruit to the animals. And Dr Gabriella Morini, chemist at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy explains the latest research on bitter flavours, and why they might be good for us.
If you’d like to contact the programme email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: corn on the cob in the husk, with a background image of a field of sweetcorn plants. Credit: BBC)
Lebanon and the Lebanese people are still suffering a debilitating economic crisis that has gripped the country since 2019. On Monday Israel struck a major blow against the Iranian backed Hezbollah with an attack on Beirut. There are fears this will further hurt an already weak economy. We hear from the local business owner who's struggling to run a restaurant.
Also, in the programme, Ed Butler looks at the ongoing protests in Venezuela following Sunday’s Presidential elections, and finds out how the US sanctions are affecting Georgia.
Israeli PM says his country dealt crushing blows to its enemies, it was his first statement since killing of Hezbollah’s Shukr and Hamas’ leader Haniyeh. Also in the programme: Columbia’s former president on the Venezuelan elections; Sudan’s army chief survive an attempt on his life; and the Kosovan music festival organised by Dua Lipa.
(Photo: protesters in Tehran hold the picture of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader killed in Tehran. Credit: Reuters)
The world’s first deaths from the mosquito-borne Oropouche virus have been recorded in Brazil. Two women have died from the illness in the state of Bahia in the northeast of the country.
Claudia Hammond is joined by Dr Ayan Panja to discuss the implications of outbreaks of Oropouche across South and Central America.
We also hear about the latest developments with Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab as it’s rejected for use by the EU’s health regulator. The European Medicines Agency says the benefits of the drug don’t counterbalance the risk of serious side effects, despite it being approved in the US earlier this year.
Claudia and Ayan also look at both the psychology of languishing and whether loneliness leads to a higher risk of having a stroke.
And we look at the research suggesting cycling to work can lead to an almost 50% lower risk of dying.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Dan Welsh
We look at the reasons behind Boeings large financial decline and how this will affect its supply chain
We also look at why Japan is bucking the trend and raising interest rates. And we look ahead to the crucial US decision on interest rates later on Wednesday, as pressure grows for a reduction.
Also, today we find out why some of the shares in the biggest tech companies on the planet have been slipping this week.
And, why financial incentives attracting remote digital workers in South Africa are not proving popular with some of the locals...
Following the death of the Irish author Edna O’Brien in July 2024, another chance to hear a 2008 World Book Club episode in which she talked to Harriett Gilbert and an audience of readers about her renowned debut novel The Country Girls. Banned in her homeland on publication, it has become one of O’Brien’s most admired and renowned works.
Producer: Oliver Jones
Image: Edna O'Brien, pictured in 2009 at the Hay Festival (Credit: David Levenson/Getty Images)
Thirty-six members of Uganda’s opposition Forum for Democratic Change Katonga party - or FDC Katonga – were recently arrested in Kenya and taken back home to face terrorism charges. A party spokesperson insists they have done nothing wrong. So why were they in Kenya, and why have the Ugandan authorities detained them?
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez has competed at the Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant. A few online comments have called her participation irresponsible. What are the risks to performing in elite sport with a baby on the way?
And it is almost a year since Nigeria’s flag designer died but he has still not been buried. Why has there been no action on plans for a state funeral?
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Rob Wilson, Yvette Twagiramariya and Joseph Keen in London. Blessing Aderogba in Lagos.Technical Producer: Jack GraysmarkSenior Producer: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
The Palestinian militant group, Hamas, says its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, has been killed in Iran. Will this lead to a regional escalation?
Also on the programme: Costa Rica has said it is prepared to offer the Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, asylum after reports the government in Caracas had issued an arrest warrant for her; and Australia starts the world-first peanut allergy treatment for babies.
(Photo: Palestinian group Hamas' top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, pictured in March. Credit: Reuters)
Hamas says its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, has been killed in an Israeli strike in the Iranian capital. Iran vows revenge. Also, Kamala Harris takes her campaign fight to the crucial state of Georgia, and don't underestimate the memory of a goldfish.
How appropriate! Beth has created a podcast to help you use the word 'appropriate'!
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-95
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Stephen Sackur speaks to US Democratic party congressman Adam Smith. Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race and Kamala Harris’s anointment as his replacement has left Democrats almost giddy with excitement. But what makes them think they can beat Donald Trump?
In 1998, brown bears were declared a protected species in Bulgaria and the ancient tradition of forcing them to dance for people's entertainment became illegal.
A veterinarian called Dr Amir Khalil helped establish a bear sanctuary in the country, to look after the retired animals.
In this programme, first broadcast in 2018, he spoke to Farhana Haider.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Brown bear in Bulgaria. Credit: Getty Images)
一位听众来信询问如何在日常英语会话中使用像 literally, basically, actually 的这类副词。以英语为母语的人们在日常交流时，常常会在句首或句中使用这类副词。主持人 Georgie 和佳莹在本期 “你问我答” 节目中讲解这三个词的主要用法，同时补充一些日常会话中的常用副词，帮助你扩充词汇量。
The Israeli military said Fuad Shukr was 'eliminated' but local security sources say he was not in the building that was hit. Also: the new head of the US Secret Service apologises for its failure to stop Donald Trump's would-be assassin, and protests across Turkey - as its parliament legislates to round up the country's four million stray dogs.
Protests in Venezuela have been met by violent repression, as critics question the validity of election results that were declared in favour of the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro, who has presided over almost a decade of economic collapse. We'll get the latest from Caracas.
Also, Microsoft's earnings for this quarter are up, but its cloud arm underperformed.
And what 's happened to US consumer confidence, on the day before the Fed decides whether to lower interest rates?
In a bonus episode of The Global Story podcast - Divorce: The art of breaking up.
The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Divorce rates have been in decline across the West for decades. Experts put this down to a variety of factors, from fewer marriages to a widening dating pool, but cultural differences mean it is difficult to draw broad conclusions on the trends around splitting up. So how can we judge how attitudes to divorce have changed? On today's episode Lucy Hockings is joined by divorce mediator and former BBC presenter Joanna Gosling, as well as Marina Adshade, a professor at the University of British Columbia who focusses on the economics of sex and relationships. They interrogate some of the stats on divorce, and discuss how the process of dissolving marriage is portrayed in popular culture.
The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.
Producer: Alice Aylett Roberts, Laurie Kalus and Emilia Jansson Sound engineer: Hannah Montgomery and Phil BullAssistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Editor is Richard Fenton-Smith
More than 25 years after the Kosovo war, a music festival in the capital Pristina is hoping to change the image of the country around the world by inviting international artists and fans to learn more about the country’s cultural scene. Sunny Hill Festival is organised by global pop star Dua Lipa and her dad Dugi, who’s from Pristina.
They are using their industry contacts to bring acts like Bebe Rexha, Stormzy and Burna Boy to party with tens of thousands of people, as well as inviting top industry experts. But more than 15 years after Kosovo declared independence, could politicians be doing more to help boost the country’s music scene rather than relying on the Lipa family? Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney
(Dua Lipa performs on stage with her father Dukagjin Lipa during her first concert held in her hometown Pristina in 2016)
Protests in Venezuela have been met by violent repression, as critics question the validity of election results that were declared in favour of the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro, who has presided over almost a decade of economic collapse. We'll get the latest from Caracas.
Also, Microsoft's earnings for this quarter are up, but its cloud arm underperformed.
And what 's happened to US consumer confidence, on the day before the Fed decides whether to lower interest rates?
Mass protests in Venezuela as Maduro’s win is disputed as he faces more challenges even among his former supporters. Also in the programme: Israel says it targeted a Hezbollah commander in a Beirut strike, it says he was responsible for Saturday’s deadly attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; and the Turkish parliament passes a law to rid the streets of stray dogs.
(Picture: Supporters of the Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia in Caracas. Credit: Shutterstock)
How do we cope when the tech we rely on stops working? We're looking at different types of blackouts this week. We'll explore the Bangladesh internet shutdown which affected up to 170 million people for 10 days. Then we turn to South Africa, which experienced 15 years of daily power outages until very recently. Then to a country which still experiences blackouts now - Cuba. We meet the game developers who work even when the electricity cuts off.
Presenter: Zoe KleinmanProducer: Imran Rahman-JonesEditor: Monica Soriano
(Image: A red road sign saying "404". Credit: Getty Images)
We look at what's going on with Germany's economy… once Europe's driving force, new data today suggests its economy went into reverse from April to June.
Also today, why a mega fine for one of the world's biggest holiday booking platforms could be the start of the latest round in the continuing battle between governments and Big Tech.
Dozens of people remain trapped as heavy rains hamper rescue efforts in the in the southern state of Kerala. Also: the men's triathlon event is postponed in the Paris Olympics after water tests on Tuesday showed the Seine wasn't clean enough for the swimming race, and what effect is the demise of the landline in favour of the mobile having on our brains and behaviour?
There have been protests across Venezuela against the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro, which the opposition says was fraudulent. Caracas has ordered diplomats from seven Latin American countries to leave because of their refusal to recognise Maduro's official victory.
Also on the programme, the Israeli government has vowed a harsh response to a rocket attack three days ago that killed 12 young people from the Druze community in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; and, at the Paris Olympics, athletes have expressed frustration after the men's triathlon was postponed by a day because of pollution in the River Seine.
(Photo: A demonstrator reacts when Molotov cocktails hit the ground in front of security forces during protests against election results after Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his opposition rival Edmundo Gonzalez claimed victory in Sunday's presidential election, in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela July 29, 2024. REUTERS/Samir Aponte)
Ethiopia became the third African economy in 3 years to default on its government debt. To get IMF's fiscal support, it has had to lower the worth of its currency, making the Birr fall by 30% against the US dollar.
We hear about the continued suffering with malnutrition of children in Katsina northern Nigeria
And how did Senegal get its largest national park removed from the UN’s list of World Heritage in Danger list?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Patricia Whitehorne, Sunita Nahar and Yvette Twagiramariya in London. Technical Producer: Jack GraysmarkSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
表达 “take the wheel” 的字面意思是 “掌握方向盘，开车”。但在日常英语交流中，“take the wheel” 还可以被用来比喻 “负起责任，做主”。听节目中主持人 Georgie 和菲菲介绍这个表达在生活和工作中的用法。
When Islamic State (IS) militants took control of Syria and Iraq in June 2014, the entire Yazidi population in Sinjar were immediately in grave danger. The Sunni Muslims of IS believed Yazidis were infidels and should either convert to Islam or be killed.
On 3 August 2014, 5,000 Yazidis were killed on the first day of the genocide. For those who survived that night, the only escape route was to climb Mount Sinjar in the blistering heat, with no shelter or food, and pray to be rescued.
Mirza Dinnayi convinced Iraq’s president to supply three helicopters and began evacuating 50,000 Yazidis, who were stranded on top of the mountain in a race against time. Mirza shares his experience with Sarah Ehrlich.
A 2 Degrees West production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: Yazidi people escape the Sinjar mountains in August 2014. Credit: Emrah Yorulmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
To separate or not to separate? We look into phrasal and prepositional verbs.
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including:✔️ 6 Minute English✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary✔️ The English We SpeakThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.
The demonstrators in Caracas say the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's re-election was fraudulent. He has accused his opponents of trying to stage a coup. Also: the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is jeered by crowds on a visit to the scene of a deadly rocket strike in the Golan Heights, and a man's late graduation after a parrot sparks a rent row.
The people of Venezuela face an uncertain future as president Nicolas Maduro claims victory in its presidential election - but the opposition has reacted with fury, and is claiming foul play.
So what does this mean for citizens and businesses?
And we hear from the widow of the pilot who died when Boeing 737 Max crashed.
In a special edition of HARDtalk Stephen Sackur looks back at some of the guests who have risked their personal freedom to disclose secret information. What motivates these whistleblowers?
This is a bonus episode from HARDtalk, a show that brings you in-depth, hard-hitting interviews with newsworthy personalities. For more episodes search for HARDtalk wherever your get your BBC podcasts.
We look at Japan's policy to boost its economy by getting more women into the workforce.
It was announced back in 2013 by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and dubbed 'Womenomics'.
Mr Abe gave a deadline of 2020 to significantly increase the number of women in leadership roles. But that date quietly came and went without the target even getting close.
However could things could be starting to change? Japan Airlines new CEO Mitsuko Tottori is a woman, and that has restarted conversations. We hear from her, and from young women in the country about their hopes for the future.
Produced and presented by Mariko Oi
(Image: Mitsuko Tottori, chief executive officer of Japan Airlines Co. Credit: Getty Images)
The people of Venezuela face an uncertain future as president Nicolas Maduro claims victory in its presidential election - but the opposition has reacted with fury, and is claiming foul play.
So what does this mean for citizens and businesses?
And we hear from the widow of the pilot who died when Boeing 737 Max crashed.
Tension in Lebanon as Israel vows to strike Hezbollah following Saturday’s deadly attack on the Golan Heights. Also in the programme: President Biden proposes an overhaul of the Supreme Court; Venezuela’s president, Nicholas Maduro claims victory; and could Zambia honour its commitments for free primary and secondary education?
(Photo: Empty hall in Rafik Hariri International Airport as airlines cancel their flights to Lebanon. Credit: Shutterstock)
Chris has learned how to make better chicken choices, and what those choices really mean.
So why is he STILL eating RUBBISH?
Like many of us, Chris is always trying to eat better food: healthy, high welfare, good for the environment. This kind of consumer demand is making the chicken industry better, in tiny increments. So why do so many of us give ourselves a pass when it comes to the food we KNOW we shouldn’t be eating, yet we do in absolutely vast amounts… fast food?
Chicken is at the very heart of this industry. As a cheap meat that doesn’t have a strong taste, can easily take on other flavours and doesn’t have any religious restrictions, it’s the ideal takeaway ingredient; from nuggets to chow mein to tikka masala.
And although we might be careful about chicken choices when buying it raw to prepare at home, somehow we don’t seem to mind turning a blind eye to the origins and nutritional content of our fast food favourites, especially if we’re hungry…
Chris discovers just how bad this food can be for both us and the planet, and why we’re powerless to resist it.
We'll be looking at why Ethiopia has decided to allow its currency to be traded on international markets - and what that means in practice both at home and abroad Also, today, what impact could Venezuela's contested election have on the country's key industry - oil. And we'll be hearing from Amazon Web Services on how big tech, has entered the Olympic Games...
A large group of Libyans have been charged with visa violations after being arrested by South African police at an illegal military training camp. But how did the site, in Mpumalanga province, go undetected?
African leaders have signed up to the first pan-African human rights legislation to address the unique challenges faced by persons with disabilities. Zambian musician John Chiti who was born with albinism and is visually impaired, says it means governments can now be held to account.
And how the war in Sudan is destroying the country's ancient archaeological legacy, through the mass looting and destruction of historical and important artefacts.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Rob Wilson and Joseph Keen in London; Frenny Jowi in NairobiTechnical Producer: Jonny HallSenior Producer: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
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The opposition says vote tallies as well as quick counts, show opposition leader, Edmundo Gonzalez had a lead of 40 percentage points over the incumbent. Opposition parties got behind Mr Gonzalez in an attempt to unseat President Maduro after 11 years in power. Opinion polls conducted ahead of the election suggest Mr Gonzalez would roundly defeat the president.
Also on the programme: Remembering the trailblazing Irish writer, Edna O’Brien; and what does it take to make an Olympic comeback?
(Photo: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrates after partial results are announced by the electoral council in Caracas, Venezuela. Credit: Ronald Penar/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The opposition has denounced the official result of the Presidential election as fraud. Also: Germany and other countries have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, ahead of an expected response by Israel to a deadly attack it has blamed on Hezbollah, and Turkey debates a new law to curb its large stray dog population.
In Rio 2016, African competitors won 45 medals, with 10 of them golds. At the last Games in Tokyo - that number slipped to 37 medals overall.
But Africa does have its first medal. On the opening day, South Africa won bronze in the men's Rugby 7s.
BBC Sport Africa's senior reporter Celestine Karoney. George Addo Junior and Nishat Ladha joined Sportsworld’s Lee James at our Olympic hub to take a look at Africa’s medal chances.
Photo: Bronze medallist Mohamed Elsayed of Team Egypt celebrates on the podium during the Men's Épée medal ceremony on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Grand Palais on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (Credit: Getty Images)
In 1983, punk rock was strictly forbidden in East Berlin. However, that didn’t stop young music obsessive Mark Reeder, from Manchester in the UK, smuggling cassettes, and then a punk band across the Berlin Wall.
Mark shares how he arranged for the West German band, Die Toten Hosen, to perform illegally at a secret concert in a church. This episode was produced by Paul Hanford and Rosalie Delaney. A Munck Studios production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: Members of the band Die Toten Hosen and friends in East Berlin in 1983. Credit: Mark Reeder)
Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred is this year’s World Indoor champion for the women’s 60 metres. She’s aiming to win Saint Lucia’s first Olympic medal, and would like it to be gold.
After a stunning US Collegiate career, Alfred reached the final of both the 100 and 200 metres at the 2023 World Championships, just missing a medal in the longer sprint. In 2024, her first season as a professional, she made history for Saint Lucia, winning the island’s first World Indoor gold, taking the 60 metres title in Glasgow.
Julien describes just how tough the pathway to the top of the sport can be. She explains how hard it was relocating to Jamaica as a young teenager in order to join a coaching group. We also gain a real insight into the role of her coach, Edrick Floreal, and the value he places on supporting his athletes – not just on the track, but in terms of their mental well-being.
Over the winter of 2023, Dina Asher-Smith joined Alfred’s training group – so what’s it like working each day alongside one of your main rivals?
What was it like when she returned home to Saint Lucia from this year’s World Indoor championships with that 60 metres gold? How much pressure is she putting on herself to deliver the country’s first Olympic medal of any colour? Plus, even when you are truly world class at 100 and 200 metres, does that necessarily mean you enjoy both events?
Image: Gold medallist Julien Alfred of Team Saint Lucia poses for a photo after winning the Women's 60 Metres Final on Day Two of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 2024 at Emirates Arena on March 02, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Syed Zafar Islam, spokesman for India’s Hindu nationalist BJP party. Recent elections dealt Prime Minister Narendra Modi an unexpected blow; he lost seats, and his majority. Will that prompt him to row back on a policy agenda his critics call divisive and dangerous?
Music therapists from Spain and the UK tell Datshiane Navanayagam about the role music can have reducing isolation and easing some symptoms of dementia.
Professor Melissa Mercadal-Brotons teaches music therapy at Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya. She was president of the World Federation of Music Therapy and her clinical and research work focuses on the impact of music on people with dementia.
Amina Hussain is Manchester Camerata’s principal flute and resident music therapist. She runs sessions with groups of people with dementia that revolve around improvisation where everyone has an instrument that’s easy to play. She says the alleviation of symptoms like anxiety, isolation and confidence are wonderful to see.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Amina Hussain. Credit: Amina Hussain. (R) Melissa Mercadal-Brotons. Credit: Melissa Mercadal-Brotons.)
There are fears that a major Israeli reprisal against the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, could ignite a regional war. Hezbollah has denied carrying out the strike in Majdal Shams. Also: Venezuelans vote in election challenging Maduro's grip on power, and the Irish author Edna O'Brien dies aged 93.
Dr Willard Wigan MBE creates the smallest handmade sculptures in the world. He uses high powered microscopes and custom-made tools formed from shards of diamond, hypodermic needles, and paintbrushes made from eyelashes. Willard’s talent and determination propelled him to international acclaim. His work sells for six-figure sums, and he has exhibited internationally. However, his path to success has been far from easy. As a schoolboy, he struggled with reading and writing due to unrecognised autism, his teachers dismissed him, and he endured routine bullying and racism. Willard's latest sculpture, a tribute to Charles Darwin, is crafted on the end of a pencil – a canvas rich in symbolism.
In the early 1980s Jason Evans' father was given a blood product called Factor 8 to treat his haemophilia, which infected him with HIV. He was one of thousands of people in the UK who were unwittingly infected with blood-borne viruses from blood products and infusions, despite the dangers being already known. Jason's father died when he was just four, and he spent most of his life campaigning for the truth about what happened.
Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Julian Siddle
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
Venezuela's Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, has dismissed concerns about fraud and government intimidation in the presidential election. He tells BBC Newshour that millions of people had been voting in peace across the country, adding that Venezuela had one of the world's most reliable voting systems.
Also on the programme: Fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah - we'll have the latest and hear from the Druze community; and Public Enemy's Flavor Flav tells us why he's the hype man for the USA's Olympic water polo team.
(Photo: a Venezuelan citizen paints his face with the national flag during presidential election day in Venezuela. Credit: Luis Eduardo Noriega, Shutterstock)
Israel's air force says it has hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon which comes after the deadly rocket strike on a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that left twelve children and young adults dead and dozens injured, according to Israeli authorities. The Israel Defence Forces said a rocket was fired by the powerful Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a claim strongly denied by the group. We hear from Lebanon’s Foreign Minister and a government spokesperson.
Also on the programme: polls have opened in Venezuela in the most tensely awaited presidential election in more than a decade; and we get the latest on a busy day at the Olympics with Simone Biles making her return to gymnastics.
(Photo: Emergency personnel inspect the area after rockets were launched across Lebanon's border with Israel which, according to Israel's ambulance services, people were killed, at a soccer pitch in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, July 27, 2024. REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
This is a bonus episode from The Global Story - taking a look at a much-debated slogan, and a journey through the land that it refers to; from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean sea. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas last year, the cry “From the River to the Sea” has been heard more and more as a pro-Palestinian slogan. But what river? What sea? And what exactly does the phrase mean? It is the subject of intense controversy. BBC Current Affairs journalist Tim Whewell joins our presenter Lucy Hockings to discuss his journey from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, across a tiny stretch of land - that is perhaps the most argued-over in the world. The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.
The Israel Defense Forces said a rocket fired by the Lebanese Hezbollah group fell on the Druze town of Majdal Shams - a claim denied by the movement. Also: Trump courts crypto industry votes, and why is hip-hop playing an increasingly prominent role in world music?
We visit the Las Patronas women 30 years on from when the young Romero Vazquez sisters first threw a loaf of bread onto the infamously dangerous La Bestia train. A train meant only for cargo, but which has become a dangerous mode of transport for more than 400,000 migrants every year. It begins from near the border of Guatemala, and along its 2000 mile journey migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico itself cling to its roof, heading north to America. Norma Romero guides us through the last 30 years since her and her sister first made the decision to help the passing migrants.
The IDF said that a Hamas command and control centre was embedded inside the school. We hear from an MSF nurse working in the emergency room in a nearby hospital about the casualties she's witnessed.
Also on the programme: The first images of the devastation caused by Wildfires in Canada emerge; and as they're set to play Serbia in the Olympic Games tomorrow, we ask if the United States has lost its dominance over basketball.
(Photo: A Palestinian man carries a body following an Israeli strike in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting won the first 2024 Olympic gold medals in the mixed 10m air rifle. Fourteen gold medals are up for grabs today, including in diving, fencing, and rugby sevens. Also on the programme, we look ahead to tomorrow's presidential election in Venezuela. And how does it feel when life imitates art? We meet Mike Bartlett, whose 2022 play "The 47th" depicted a presidential contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. (Picture: Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting Credit: Reuters / Alfiky)
With the Paris Olympics underway, we hear about Beacon -- the therapy dog that's helped the USA Gymnastics team cope with the pressure and stress of competitive sport. His handler and owner, Tracey, tells us his friendly face and intuitive nature make him perfect for the job -- and that some of the gymnasts even talk to him.
Also: the first horse rider from the Arab world to qualify for Olympic equestrian eventing tells us it's a huge honour to represent the region's history.
How a new type of IVF is helping protect the future of threatened southern white Rhinos.
A woman who travelled solo across Africa on a motorcycle says the three month journey made her feel alive.
We're in Denmark to learn about a project that helps people with mental health issues - by prescribing a course of museum visits, concerts and other cultural activities.
And we find out about the Olympic couples competing in the city of love.
Our weekly collection of happy stories and positive news from around the world.
Presenter: Jannat Jalil. Music composed by Iona Hampson.
In countries like Somalia and Iran, where women are largely expected to present themselves with modesty, what role can make-up play? Bella Hassan of BBC Focus on Africa is from Somalia and Mina Joshaghani of BBC Persian is from Iran. They tell us about how make-up functions in a conservative society. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
We're live in the French capital as the Games begin!
One of the most popular Olympic disciplines is gymnastics. It requires artistic flair alongside core strength and amazing flexibility. So imagine having to compete with scoliosis, a condition that curves the back into unnatural positions. That's precisely the challenge Italian Marta Pagnini had to overcome in order to achieve her dream of competing at the Olympics, winning bronze in the Group All Around in 2012. Now retired Marta has been telling Sportshour's Caroline Barker about her gymnastics career and her continued battle with scoliosis.
Kayla Harrison has always been a fighter, both inside and out of the sporting arena. The double Olympic gold medal winning judoka now completes in mixed martial arts in the UFC. Twelve years on from her first gold in London and just months after her debut in the UFC, Kayla has been reflecting on her career and the challenges she has had to face outside sport. She's been telling Sportshour's Joel Hammer how she now splits her time between training and competing and spending time with her children on the farm they live on.
From life in the Olympic village to the secrets of the Opening ceremony, and what essentials you need to pack that no one tells you about. Speaking to Sportshour's Caroline Barker, Team GB's Olympic cycling silver medallist from Tokyo Neah Evans busts some myths ahead of setting off for Paris.
Photo: Olympic Rings displayed at the Eiffel Tower Stadium at the Paris Games. (CREDIT: DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images)
We get listeners’ reactions to drama on the radio, as part of the BBC World Service and British Council's International Playwriting Competition. We’re joined by the competition’s winning authors.
Plus the annual Global Audience Measure figures are out, so what do they reveal about who’s listening?
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
A tumultuous week in US politics raises questions about the November elections.
Presenter Roger Hearing explores what lies ahead for Venezuela as the government and opposition pledge to fix the struggling economy before the elections.
Hollywood faces another actors' strike, this time over voiceover work in video games.
In spectacular style, bridges and riverbanks were used as catwalks, stages and grandstands, with performances by Lady Gaga in French and the French-Malian singer, Aya Nakamura. The culmination of the show included Celine Dion standing on an illuminated Eiffel Tower. Also: Bangladesh police detain protest leaders at a hospital, and a Scottish peat bog gets UNESCO world heritage status.
Could a woman of colour be the next president of the United States? That is what much of America has been asking this week and it is at the heart of our conversations. Race remains a major political and social issue in the US and there is plenty of discussion about Ms Harris’s background as a black and Asian-American woman. We bring together three black women Democratic party supporters: Kay in New York, Ashley in Oklahoma City and Keosha in Washington DC. With President Biden standing down, we get their reaction to the new choice for Democratic candidate in November’s elections.
Venezuelans head to the polls amid growing concerns about election fairness and economic instability.
Long: : Venezuelans head to the polls this Sunday for a presidential election fraught with concerns over fairness and transparency, against a backdrop of prolonged political and economic turmoil.
The Paris Olympics are set to dazzle with a grand opening ceremony, despite earlier arson attacks on the train network raising security issues. The games are anticipated to inject 5 to 10 billion euros into the French economy.
Plus Argentina’s strong peso is creating a unique economic challenge: inflation is surpassing currency devaluation, prompting many Argentinians to cross borders for cheaper goods in neighbouring countries due to high domestic tariffs.
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is underway, with a flotilla of boats taking the athletes down the River Seine as an accordionist plays Piaf on a bridge. The rain has for now abated, sparing the hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered on the quays and bridges. Meanwhile, the French intelligence services are hunting those who disrupted the Olympic festivities by sabotaging the high-speed rail lines into Paris -- also affecting locals setting off for the summer holidays.
Hospital staff in Bangladesh say plain-clothes police have taken away three leaders of the recent student protests. They were being treated in Dhaka for injuries allegedly sustained in custody.
And we will hear about the nationwide women only student organization in America, that Kamala Harris hopes will help her win the presidency.
(Photo: A torchbearer runs atop the Musee d'Orsay during the opening ceremony. Credit: REUTERS/Peter Cziborra)
In this special edition of World Business Report on the day of the opening ceremony in Paris, we're on the banks of the Seine where the event takes place, and hear from businesses who say that the security lockdown in the area has hit their trade badly.
Will Bain also goes behind the scenes of what it takes to run a team involved in the Olympics. Each country has a Team Leader or Ambassador - or in Olympics terminology they're called Chef de Mission. we hear from Anindya Bakrie who has this role looking after the Indonesian team - he is CEO of Bakrie and Brothers, one of the country’s biggest conglomerates.
And we look at how smaller brands are muscling in on the bigger names of fashion giants such as Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Nike. This year’s games will see some smaller labels on the podium as athletes wear less-well known clothing brands.
he Olympics opening ceremony expected to get under way in Paris today. Audiences from all over the world are expected to watch.
How can Nigeria solve its oil theft problem?
And what is causing Namibia's housing crisis, and could mushrooms provide the answer?
Presenter : Charles GitongaProducers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke, Rob Wilson and Patricia Whitehorne in London. Blessing Aderogba in Lagos. Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical producer: Nick RandellEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Some 800,000 passengers affected after three high speed rail lines into Paris targeted by arson attacks. The French rail operator, SNCF, says disruption is expected to continue throughout the weekend.
Also: In the US, former president Barack Obama backs Vice President Kamala Harris in her election campaign, Open AI launches its rival to the long dominant Google search engine, and two leaders of one of the world's most dangerous and powerful crime syndicates have been arrested in Texas.
The French rail network has been disrupted by a series of acts of sabotage, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers - just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony gets under way in Paris. Also on the programme, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Ethiopia's troubled Tigray region; and, a crisis for Japanese deer as tourists behave inappropriately.
(Photo: A SNCF railway worker carries cable wires at the site where vandals targeted France's high-speed train network with a series of coordinated actions that brought major disruption, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, in Croisilles, northern France July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
In 1974, Ghana pioneered a new system which would help in the roll-out of the immunisation of serious diseases across Africa and the rest of the world. The World Health Organisation chose the country to trial its cold chain system, to help keep vaccines for often deadly diseases refrigerated. It would later evolve into the storage systems used to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Justice Baidoo meets Patience Azuma, who was one of the first children to benefit from the Enhanced Immunisation Programme in the 1970s and Dr Kofi Ahmed later a chief medical officer, who helped in the original cold storage system roll out.
A Made in Manchester Production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: A man being vaccinated in Ghana. Credit: Junior Asiama / 500px)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Taro Kono, digital transformation minister in a Japanese government wrestling with massive problems. This erstwhile economic powerhouse is stuck with low growth, massive debt and an aging, declining population. Can Japan reboot itself for the 21st century?
It’s a race against time in the Philippines as officials rush to contain what could be the worst oil spill in the country's history.
The US has reported a growth rate of 2.8% so is it enough to signal the end of fears about a recession? Roger Hearing speaks to Bonnie Wilson, Associate Professor, Department of Economics at Saint Louis University.
Also find out why Donald Trump takes centre stage at this years Bitcoin conference. We find out why Mr Trump wasn’t always the staunch crypto supporter he is today.
And, why has a cartoon sequel about emotions become the highest-grossing animated film of all time?
On a busy street in Los Angeles a group of people in yellow vests are holding a ladder against a lamppost. Up the ladder, 34-year-old Evan Clark is ripping down a sign that is nailed to the post. It reads “Jesus: The way, the truth, the life”. These are members of the Atheist Street Pirates, local activists who track and remove religious signs affixed to public property. This group say that there are laws that forbid the erection of religious messages on public property. Nastaran Tavakoli-Far travels to Los Angeles and joins the Atheist Street Pirates out on a hunt for religious signs.
President Nicholas Maduro has asked voters to support him to secure peace and stability, a week after saying there would be a "bloodbath" if he lost. The opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, leads most opinion polls but there are fears the vote won't be fair. Also: Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met President Biden to discuss efforts towards a ceasefire-for-hostages deal in Gaza, and why Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, is no friend of the Hollywood star, Jennifer Aniston.
We hear from 4-time Olympic gold medallist Libby Trickett and her entrepreneurial husband Liam.
Libby Trickett (Lenton) competed for Australia at the highest level, winning gold in the pool in Beijing and London.
At the height of her swimming career she married fellow swimmer Luke Trickett, who had left the sport and was using the skills he'd learnt as an athlete to enter the business world.
We hear how the Global Financial Crisis inspired Luke’s entrepreneurial spirit. And through it all, how teamwork has been their ultimate key to success in transitioning to new careers after retiring from competitive sports.
Presenter: Ed ButlerProducer: Amber MehmoodEditor: Lis Mahy
(Photo: Libby and Luke Trickett. Credit: Getty Images)
The US has reported a growth rate of 2.8% so is it enough to signal the end of fears about a recession? Roger Hearing speaks to Bonnie Wilson, Associate Professor, Department of Economics at Saint Louis University.
Also find out why Donald Trump takes centre stage at this years Bitcoin conference. We find out why Mr Trump wasn’t always the staunch crypto supporter he is today.
And, Venezuela’s presidential election takes place this Sunday, with a unified opposition hoping to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power. Catherine Ellis reports from the town of Barquisimeto
President Biden is meeting the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House to discuss efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Mr Biden has previously criticised Israel for the number of Palestinian civilians killed during its war against Hamas. He has made clear that he wants to ensure that a deal to end the war and free the hostages will be delivered during his last six months in office. We speak to Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son, Sagui Dekel-Chen, who was captured by Hamas on October 7th and has been held in Gaza for the past 10 months. Jonathan is part of a delegation of hostage families who have travelled to Washington to meet with Mr Biden and prime minister Netanyahu.
We have a special report on how drones are being used - close to the Ukraine-Russia frontline - our correspondent has been on that frontline.
And we will look at took ahead to Sunday's Presidential Election in Venezuela.
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
The near extinction of vultures in India may be responsible for an additional half a million human deaths between 2000 and 2005. The widespread use of the painkiller diclofenac in herds of cattle, starting in 1994, led to a massive decline in vulture populations in India, as the drug is poisonous to them. We hear from environmental economist Anant Sudarshan of Warwick University.
Cooking like a Neanderthal - Mariana Nabais of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution has been replicating ancient butchering methods to learn how Neanderthals ate birds.
A faster test for sepsis – we hear from Sunghoon Kwon of Seoul National University about a new method for identifying the pathogens involved in sepsis cases. The test has the potential to reduce the turnaround times normally associated with developing treatments for infections and may improve patient outcomes.
And it seems we may have inherited some conversational habits from chimps – or rather from whatever came before us and chimps 6 million years ago. Cat Hobaiter of the School of Psychology and Neuroscience of St Andrews University and her colleagues have found that like humans, wild chimps engage in snappy, turn-taking conversations.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: World Wildlife Day - Gyps fulvus feeding on a buffalo carcass at Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India. Credit: Anuwar Hazarika/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The international watchdog, Amnesty International, is calling for a nationwide arms embargo on Sudan after its investigation found that a constant flow of weapons is fuelling the devastating war. But how can the supply of arms be stopped?
For the first time, sub Saharan Africa has seen a dramatic drop in new HIV infections compared to the rest of the world, so what is driving that success?
And we hear from Gofa in southern Ethiopia, where there are fears that the death toll will continue to rise following the deadly landslides.
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Sunita Nahar and Yvette Twagiramariya in London; Frenny Jowi in NairobiTechnical Producer: Nick RandellSenior Producer: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Authorities in the Philippines are racing to contain a major oil spill from a capsized ship in Manila Bay. Clean up operations are being hampered by strong winds and high waves brought by Typhoon Gaemi, which is now making landfall in southern China. Also in this podcast: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to meet with US President Joe Biden as pressure builds for a hostage deal. The Israeli army has recovered another five bodies from Gaza. Accusations that Sudan's bloody civil war is being fuelled by the illegal trade in weapons, how the battlefield in Ukraine has been transformed into a war of drones, and we take a look inside the Olympic Village ahead of the games kicking off in Paris.
In his first address to the nation since he pulled out of the presidential race, President Biden said saving democracy is more important than personal ambition. Also in the programme: Rescue teams in Taiwan race to save the crew of a sunken ship in the wake of Typhoon Gaemi; and will Deadpool and Wolverine revive Marvel’s fortunes? (Photo: Biden in the Oval Office. Credit: Reuters)
More than 10,000 Russian workers built the first line of the Moscow Metro which opened in 1935 to great fanfare.
The spectacular stations were designed to show the world the power and possibility of Russian strength. Stalin wanted architects to design stations to be 'palaces for the people', with statues and structures built to make people look up and admire the marble walls, high ceilings and grand chandeliers.
Now one of the busiest undergrounds in the world, Uma Doraiswamy goes through the archives and hears from Tatiana Fedorova, one of the workers who sometimes had to use her hands to dig the tunnels.
(Photo: The Sokolniki Metro station in Moscow in 1935. Credit: Getty Images)
Canada’s Marco Arop is the reigning World champion for the men’s 800 metres. He describes being inspired to take up the event after finding the video of David Rudisha breaking the world record to win Olympic gold in 2012.
Marco tells The Warm Up Track that he watched it repeatedly. Fittingly, it was the Kenyan who presented him with his World gold in Budapest in 2023. For Marco, that moment was even better than winning the race and, in the near future, he hopes that they can find time to sit down together and talk all things 800 metres.
Having made his name as a front-runner, an athlete who likes to lead a race from gun to tape, Marco was finding it hard to hold on and win races at the highest level. He’s very candid about just how hard it was it for him go against his natural instincts and change his tactics, and how not making the final at the Tokyo Olympics was part of that difficult journey.
In the late 1990s, Marco’s family fled the war in Sudan, eventually settling in Canada. So how much contact does he have now with his family in Sudan?
Also, while he represents Canada, how aware is he of being a symbol of hope for refugees everywhere?
Finally, with some incredible times being clocked this year in his event, does Marco think that Rudisha’s world record is on borrowed time?
Image: Gold medallist Marco Arop of Team Canada reacts after winning the Men's 800m Final during day eight of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 26, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Why is it better to read from a book than a screen? Phil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240725
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Joe Biden spoke from the White House in his first public address since quitting the presidential race. He said it was time to “pass the torch to a new generation.” We get the latest reaction from Republicans and Democrats. Plus, what could it mean for the contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris?
And, we're live in Taiwan as it suffers its worst typhoon in eight years.
In the industrial town of Haryana in Northern India, young girls are breaking barriers training hard to become the next generation of gold medal-winning wrestlers, following their idols who have tasted Olympic glory abroad and made a stand against attitudes to women at home. But their success has come at a price. BBC journalist Divya Arya looks at what it takes for these girls to become an Indian wrestling heroine.
The Israeli prime minister's speech to a joint session of Congress received standing ovations from mostly Republicans but it was boycotted by several Democrats. Also: the British equestrian, Charlotte Dujardin, has withdrawn from the Olympics after a video emerged of her whipping her horse, and why Komodo dragons are such dangerous predators.
This documentary contains discriminatory and homophobic language that some listeners may find offensive.
In 1993 the legislators in Cobb County, Georgia passed a resolution stating that “lifestyles advocated by the gay community are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes".
Cobb County was due to welcome the Olympics in 1996 hosting the volleyball competition as part of the Atlanta Games. Narrated by Wanda Guenette, a member of the 1996 Canadian volleyball team who identifies as gay, and who faced the prospect of having her Olympic dream turned into a nightmare, forced to compete in a place that had made it clear she and other gay athletes were not welcome.
In Episode 4 it's early 1996 and preparations for the Games are nearly complete. Just the torch relay, the symbolic journey the Olympic flame makes to the host city, carried by the great and good across the host nation. Despite everything, the flame was still set to pass through Cobb County. But Jon-Ivan Weaver and Pat Hussain weren't going to allow that to happen. Plus, we also discuss how far gay rights have come in the last thirty years, and how much further they still need to go.
This is the inspiring story of a small campaign group who took on one of the most powerful organisations in the world and forced change. With the help of an Olympic legend and after months of high-profile peaceful protests, the Atlanta Organising Committee finally stripped Cobb County as a host venue and diverted the torch relay away from its streets
Photo Credit: Carol Brown/Georgia State University Library
This documentary contains discriminatory and homophobic language that some listeners may find offensive.
In 1993 the legislators in Cobb County, Georgia passed a resolution stating that “lifestyles advocated by the gay community are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes".
Cobb County was due to welcome the Olympics in 1996 hosting the volleyball competition as part of the Atlanta Games. Narrated by Wanda Guenette, a member of the 1996 Canadian volleyball team who identifies as gay, and who faced the prospect of having her Olympic dream turned into a nightmare, forced to compete in a place that had made it clear she and other gay athletes were not welcome.
In Episode 3 we hear from Olympic legend Greg Louganis. In the early 1990’s there were few openly gay athletes, retired or active. Having only recently come out the Olympic movement wanted to recognise his bravery with an award. Louganis used his acceptance speech to condemn the decision to have the Games in Cobb County and added to the pressure to have them removed.
This is the inspiring story of a small campaign group who took on one of the most powerful organisations in the world and forced change. With the help of an Olympic legend and after months of high-profile peaceful protests, the Atlanta Organising Committee finally stripped Cobb County as a host venue and diverted the torch relay away from its streets.
Photo Credit: Carol Brown/Georgia State University Library
This documentary contains discriminatory and homophobic language that some listeners may find offensive.
In 1993 the legislators in Cobb County, Georgia passed a resolution stating that “lifestyles advocated by the gay community are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes". Cobb County was due to welcome the Olympics in 1996 hosting the volleyball competition as part of the Atlanta Games.
Narrated by Wanda Guenette, a member of the 1996 Canadian volleyball team who identifies as gay, and who faced the prospect of having her Olympic dream turned into a nightmare, forced to compete in a place that had made it clear she and other gay athletes were not welcome.
In Episode 2 we meet the driving forces behind the “Olympics out of Cobb” movement, Jon-Ivan Weaver and Pat Hussain and their life partners Diego and Cherry. They explain the lengths they had to go to, to have their voices heard.
This is the inspiring story of a small campaign group who took on one of the most powerful organisations in the world and forced change. With the help of an Olympic legend and after months of high-profile peaceful protests, the Atlanta Organising Committee finally stripped Cobb County as a host venue and diverted the torch relay away from its streets.
Photo Credit: Carol Brown/Georgia State University Library
This documentary contains discriminatory and homophobic language that some listeners may find offensive.
In 1993 the legislators in Cobb County, Georgia passed a resolution stating that “lifestyles advocated by the gay community are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes". Cobb County was due to welcome the Olympics in 1996 hosting the volleyball competition as part of the Atlanta Games.
Narrated by Wanda Guenette, a member of the 1996 Canadian volleyball team who identifies as gay, and who faced the prospect of having her Olympic dream turned into a nightmare, forced to compete in a place that had made it clear she and other gay athletes were not welcome.
Episode one looks at the history of the US South, the campaign to get the Games to Atlanta and help change perceptions of what the South was like. At the same time a conservative backlash against gay rights was forming in Cobb County.
This is the inspiring story of a small campaign group who took on one of the most powerful organisations in the world and forced change. With the help of an Olympic legend and after months of high-profile peaceful protests, the Atlanta Organising Committee finally stripped Cobb County as a host venue and diverted the torch relay away from its streets.
Photo Credit: Carol Brown/Georgia State University Library
Paris 2024 will see the debut of the competitive street dance, Breaking.
From the streets of the Bronx in the 70s to sport's biggest stage, we hear from the pioneers and the athletes hoping to turn their passion into a lucrative career.
Breaking isn’t currently on the list for the next games in LA in 2028, so could it be a one-hit wonder?
(Image: Man doing a headstand outside with his crew cheering in the background. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Matt Lines
Three million bananas; 600-800 baguettes a day; 47,000 plates...as the world’s elite sportsmen and women arrive in Paris, a huge catering operation awaits them.
Ruth Alexander finds out what it takes to keep the athletes happy and fuel a medal-winning performance.
Team GB pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw talks about her relationship with food during her years as an athlete, and why she’s looking forward to retirement after Paris 2024.
Alicia Glass, senior dietician for Team USA, gives an insight in to how a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the right time can make a big difference.
Reporter Michael Kaloki in Nairobi drops in on Kenya’s sprinters while they’re having lunch to find out what’s on their plates.
And the head of catering for the London 2012 Games Jan Matthews offers advice for the team in Paris this year on how to keep athletes who need a lot of fuel happy.
This programme includes conversations about losing and gaining weight, goal weights and difficult relationships with food that some listeners might find upsetting.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Hannah Bewley, Elisabeth Mahy and Michael Kaloki
(Image: Holly Bradshaw, Team GB pole vaulter, wins bronze at Tokyo 2020. Credit: Reuters)
China begins mining copper in Afghanistan following a deal made years before the Taliban takeover in 2021. What could it mean for the Afghan people and for future investors?
Plus, a UK cosmetic surgery firm drops its legal actions against former clients who criticised it in online reviews.
And Salt Lake City celebrates getting the Winter Olympics in 2034.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has addressed both chambers of the US Congress in a bid to bolster support for his country's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Also on the programme: Germany bans an Iranian-linked group accusing it of promoting extremism; and we hear from the scene of two landslides in a remote region of Ethiopia, which have killed more than 200 people.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the US Capitol. Credit: Getty Images)
Systemic racism affects our wellbeing long before we ever see a doctor. How can the health community address it?
Also on the programme, a new malaria vaccine is rolled out in the Ivory Coast, we take a closer look at the story behind it. And while we have long been cautioned against heavy exercise before sleep, it turns out that light intermittent exercise may be the secret to getting a bit more sleep.
Some 200,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults suffered abuse while in social care in New Zealand over the last 70 years, a landmark investigation has found.
New Zealand's prime minister says it's a "dark day" for the country. We'll hear from a survivor of abuse in the system about the impact it's had.
Also in the programme: Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the US Congress in Washington DC today amid protests, and ahead of the Olympics in Paris, there is a spy-drone scandal.
(Photo shows survivors of the care system looking emotional in New Zealand. Credit: Getty Images)
Presenter Will Bain examines the ongoing turbulence in supply chains and the under-the-radar aviation deals at Farnborough in the south of England, where the biggest names in global aviation are convening for its renowned air show.
We'll also delve into the continuing fallout from the global IT outage, focusing on what’s next for the company at the centre of it, CrowdStrike.
Plus, we explore why luxury goods stocks are selling off, as shares in one of the industry’s biggest names, LVMH, take a hit.
A public inquiry finds 200,000 people suffered abuse over the past 70 years. The prime minister, Christopher Luxon, called it "a dark and sorrowful day in the country's history". Māoris and people with disabilities were particularly affected. The publication follows a six-year investigation. Also: Typhoon Gaemi is battering Taiwan with powerful winds and torrential rain, and Janet Jackson on growing up in one of music's most famous families.
Dozens arrested in Uganda for involvement in banned anti-corruption protests. President Yoweri Museveni had warned before the event that protesters were "playing with fire".
Sierra Leone jails 11 people over an alleged coup attempt, who are they and are all the cases concluded? ?
And we meet Gabriella Ghermandi, the Ethiopian ethno-musicologist who is all for women’s empowerment
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers :Joseph Keen, Victor Sylver, Rob Wilson, Yvette Twagiramariya, Bella Hassan and Nyasha Michelle all in London.Senior Producer: Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Philip Bull Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
Do you have the capacity to listen to another podcast? Great - subscribe and listen to this one. Beth explains how to use the word 'capacity'.
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-94
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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At the London 2012 Olympics, the Somali sprinter Zamzam Farah became a crowd favourite after finishing last in her 400m heat by 27 seconds.
Zamzam had grown up in war-torn Mogadishu, where she had to dodge violence while training on the so-called ‘Road of Death’.
She competed with her body fully covered, but, after the Olympics, her family in Somalia received death threats because of what Al-Shabab considered unacceptable behaviour for a Muslim woman. She remained in the UK and gained asylum.
Zamzam Farah spoke to Ian Williams in 2021.
(Photo: Zamzam Farah about to start the 400m at the London 2012 Olympics. Credit: Olivier Morin/AFP/GettyImages)
一位听众来信询问如何判断在句子中应使用现在分词还是过去分词。英语中的分词分为以 -ing 结尾的现在分词和多以 -ed 结尾的过去分词。虽然在一些极为特殊的句子中，这两种分词可以互换使用，但在大多数情况下，它们在句中起到的作用是不同的。本期节目从分词所在句子的时态、动作的主动或被动性等多个角度分析现在分词和过去分词的用法。
Kamala Harris attempts to use people power to try and defeat Donald Trump in the US Presidential Election in October 2024. Presenter Devina Gupta gets reaction to her securing over $100 million dollars in campaign funds so far.
India’s new coalition government unveils its first budget. There are plans to grow the economy by creating new jobs and attracting more investment from abroad.
We hear from an internet service provider in Bangladesh who is trying to keep services going following huge protests over job quotas in the country
Kim Cheatle said she took 'full responsibility' for the security lapse surrounding the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. She had faced calls from Democrats and Republicans to step down. Also: scientists push for a new HIV vaccine to be made available across the globe, and sharks off the coast of Brazil test positive for cocaine.
In 1993 the legislators in Cobb County Atlanta passed a resolution stating that “lifestyles advocated by the gay community are incompatible with the standards to which this community describes“. The northern suburb was due to welcome the Olympics in 1996 as host of the volleyball competition. This is the inspiring story of a small campaign group who forced a change. After months of high-profile protests the organising committee stripped Cobb County as a host venue and diverted the torch relay away from its streets.
Sarah Montague speaks to Venezuelan opposition politician Maria Corina Machado. Banned from running in the country’s presidential elections this weekend, she’s still a leading figure in the movement trying to unseat socialist authoritarian Nicolas Maduro. With the country’s economy in ruins and more than a quarter of the population having fled, could the next few days change the fortunes of this oil-rich but very troubled nation?
The running shoe industry is worth around $50bn across the world, with more and more of us taking part in the sport.
With more popularity comes more competition, so what are brands doing to keep consumers interested? We ask the chief marketing officer at Swiss sportswear company, ON, and find out how it helps sales when a top athlete wears their shoes.
And as the debate around 'super shoes' rumbles on, are they really worth the expensive price tag? US marathon winner Kellyn Taylor tells us about the pros and cons of carbon plated shoes - which played a big role in marathon records being smashed in 2023.
Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield.
(This programme was first broadcast in January 2024. Picture: Runners on a race track. Credit: Getty Images)
Presenter Devina Gupta examines India’s first budget for the new coalition government led by Narendra Modi. There are plans to grow the economy by creating jobs and attracting new investment from abroad. We are in Bangladesh to hear from an internet service provider about how he is trying to keep services going for businesses after protests turned violent in the country. And we hear how one of the main airlines in the US, Delta is struggling to get its operation back to normal after last week's IT outage. Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike triggered the chaos with its faulty computer update.
Kamala Harris, buoyed up by high profile Democratic endorsements and a massive influx of donations from ordinary supporters, takes to the US campaign trail in Wisconsin.
Also in the programme: why is the UK facing what some are calling a national emergency of violence against women and girls? And scientists push for a game-changing drug that prevents HIV infection to be made cheaply and globally available.
(IMAGE: US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at West Allis, Wisconsin, USA, USA, 23 July 2024 / CREDIT:Jeffrey Phelps/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Alasdair Keane is at the season finale of the Formula E, taking a look at how the tech has advanced over 10 years. We hear from the co-founder of the fully electric car racing event and ask where it goes next. What do the drivers think? And how does the event meet its sustainability goals? Plus, we go behind the scenes of a world-record-breaking AI event.
Presented and produced by Alasdair Keane.Produced by Imran Rahman-Jones.Edited by Monica Soriano.
Image: An orange Formula E car on the racetrack in London. Credit: Getty Images.
For eons, salt has been crucial to human health, culture, and diet. On this episode of The Evidence, we explore the strange science of salt taste – why it can be sweet, salty, or even a flavour enhancer. We look at how salt keeps our bodies running, and what happens if we have to little of it. And while too little salt may be bad, too much is also a problem. What does the science say about how much salt is optimal, and what can we do to make sure we’re eating the right amount? Claudia Hammond is joined by a panel of salty experts who will help find the answers to these questions and more.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington DC for the first time since the Hamas attacks of October the 7th plunged the Middle East into war and chaos.
The visit comes as he is under pressure to end the war in Gaza from both Israelis and the US administration.
Also in the programme: Kamala Harris starts the Presidentical race behind in the polls and with just over 100 days to go - can she turn things around? And Hollywood star Keanu Reeves talks to us about life, death, and his new book.
(File photo shows Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president Joe Biden in Tel Aviv, Israel on 18 October 2023. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Zambia’s President Hakinde Hichilema has fired the entire board of the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission after allegations that certain officials on the body tasked with fighting corruption, were taking bribes. The accusations have been strongly denied, but a former chairman says the board needs to be reformed.
Ethiopia has seen a surge in kidnappings for ransom in recent years and the country’s largest region, Oromia, is one of the worst affected. Who are the groups behind the abductions and what are their motives?
And how can artisanal and informal mining in sub-Saharan Africa be made safer?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Nyasha Michelle in London; Blessing Aderogba in Lagos; and Charles Gitonga in NairobiTechnical Producer: Jack GraysmarkSenior Producer: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
The US vice-president's campaign has secured a record amount of donations. Also, China says Hamas, Fatah and a dozen other Palestinian factions have agreed to set up an interim administration for Gaza, and the first blind Barbie doll goes on sale.
Learn how to use 'both', 'every', 'all', 'each', 'either' and 'neither'.
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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After being designed in one night, Shuss, the cartoon skier, debuted at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, France.
Instead of ‘mascot’, the Olympic Organising Committee referred to it as a ‘character’ at the time.
In the colours of the French flag, Shuss was available as a variety of souvenirs.
Megan Jones speaks to one manufacturer of Shuss merchandise, André Thiennot.
(Picture: Shuss souvenir. Credit: BBC)
我们有时想表达一个大家都明白的复杂事情，但不想用英语从头到尾描述一遍，就可以使用表达 “the works”。“The works” 在日常英语对话中的意思是 “整件事情” 或 “整套物品”。和它意思相同的另一个表达是什么呢？听节目，学习 “the works” 的用法。
Kamala Harris accused Donald Trump of taking the US backwards. She promised more gun control and protection for reproductive rights. In his first public comments since pulling out of the race, Joe Biden urged Democrats to embrace Ms Harris. Also: an oxygen discovery has defied knowledge of the deep ocean, and with life expectancy increasing, China will raise its official retirement age.
Donors offer support to Kamala Harris as she sets out her economic vision if she became president. Presenter Devina Gupta hears from a former campaign manager for Kamala Harris to get a sense of what she stands for.
India’s new coalition government unveils its first budget. We assess how it will play out amongst different groups across the country.
Hundreds of residents of the Balearic island of Mallorca have taken to the streets. They are protesting about the impact of high visitor numbers. They say this is making it hard for local people to buy property.
The Apartheid Killer. All the victims were black and the youngest was just 12 years old. Relatives are still searching for graves, years later. Multiple people were killed in the city of East London, South Africa – by one person. After years of investigation, we’ve tracked him down. To hear more, search for World of Secrets, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. You can also listen here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtvs0/episodes/downloadsWorld of Secrets is the home of major BBC global investigations and gripping storytelling, holding the powerful to account. Follow or subscribe to catch up on previous seasons and to hear what’s coming up in 2024.
We’re used to fashion giants like adidas and Nike designing athlete uniforms for the Olympics and Paralympics.
This year however, it’s likely we’ll see smaller labels on the podium.
In this programme we hear from the diverse list of designers and learn why the fashion industry is so keen to work with sports stars.
Presented and produced by Megan Lawton
(Image: Portugal's Gabriel Ribeiro competes during the Skateboarding Men's Street Preliminaries of the Olympic Qualifier Series 2024.Image: Getty Images)
Presenter Devina Gupta speaks to a former campaign manager for Kamala Harris Jill Habig about the challenges that lie ahead for her in a bid to become US President. We hear how she is continuing to secure funds. We also examines India's newly elected government’s first budget. How will it play out given Narendra Modi’s poor showing in the polls and reliance on coalition partners? We also assess how the Chinese economy will fare after The People's Bank of China decided to cut short-term rates. Its hoped this will reduce borrowing costs and help businesses.
What do we know about US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is thought most likely to win the Democratic Party nomination after the withdrawal of Joe Biden? What are her strengths - what are her weaknesses - and does she have a path to victory? Also in the programme: the battles between the Mexican state and the drug cartels claim yet another victim - Mexico City's police intelligence chief; and a BBC investigation tracks down one of South Africa's most notorious serial killers – Louis van Schoor – who shot dead dozens of black men and boys in the late eighties, but was controversially released from prison, and now says police colluded in his crimes.
(IMAGE: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris looks on during an event with the women and men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion teams in her first public appearance since President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, U.S., July 22, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters/Nathan Howard)
Do YOU know what you're eating? Are you sure?
Dr Chris van Tulleken is keen to make good food choices, and buy the best chicken possible for his dinner. High welfare, tasty, and good for the environment, ideally. But it's not as easy as that. How CAN he make good food choices if he has no idea what he's buying?
Chris explores what we actually know about the food we buy, and to what extent we can trust what's on a label.
He also uncovers the startling truth about two very different ways that we buy chicken - lifting the lid on why sometimes, even the most moral meat shoppers turn a blind eye...
Donations to President Joe Biden's party saw a huge spike after he announced he was no longer running in the US election. Donors had pressured Mr Biden to step aside. But his departure from the candidacy leaves a number of questions - particularly when it comes to the vast sums of money required to secure a term in the White House. Also on the programme, Will Bain looks ahead to one of the aviation world's biggest events.
Angola's new law with lengthy prison sentences for vandalism. Who are the real targets-criminals or the opposition?
Can Zambia stop boys from being abducted to undergo circumcision?
And is China muscling in on Nigeria's potentially lucrative car market?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson, Patricia Whitehorne, Bella Hassan and Yvette Twagiramariya in London. Blessing Aderogba in Lagos.Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical Producer: Craig KinghamEditors :Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Many leading Democrats in the United States have followed Joe Biden's lead by backing his vice president, Kamala Harris as the party's new presidential nominee for the November elections. It follows Mr Biden's decision to withdraw from the election process.
Also in the programme: Hundreds killed and arrested following unrest in Bangladesh and anti-tourism demonstrations in Spain.
(Picture: US Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and US President Joe Biden (R) react during a campaign event at the Chavis Community Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, US, 26 March 2024. Credit: Allison Joyce/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Barack Obama has reportedly joined other senior Democrats in urging Mr Biden to consider his position. The 81-year-old president has suspended campaigning while he recovers from Covid. Also: thousands of rare bird eggs have been seized in Australia, and the American comedian Bob Newhart has died at 94.
Trump is set to take centre stage at the Republican National Convention on Thursday evening to deliver a speech and formally accept the party's presidential nomination - we hear from his former national security advisor.Also on the programme: In Bangladesh the internet is cut off as protesters set fire to the headquarters of the national broadcaster;the stegosaurus bones that have sold for $44.6M. And can Britain learn lessons from an unusually high death toll during the Covid pandemic?
(Photo: Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump stands with members of his extended family on Day 3 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Credit: Reuters / O'hare)
There’s an update from asteroid expert Patrick Michel about the European Space Agency’s Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety. The ESA have received permission to begin preparatory work for the planetary defence mission which will rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis, that will be passing by the Earth on Friday, April 13th 2029.
And in news from the Moon this week – a massive cave has been discovered on its surface that might be a window into the body’s sub-surface, and even a ready-made lunar base for future astronauts to use. The claim was made in Nature Astronomy by a team of Italian planetary scientists, and two experts in remote sensing who have been re-interpreting radar data from a NASA orbiter - Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone from University of Trento in Italy. In the magazine Science, there’s a call for a re-doubling of efforts to tackle malaria in Africa as signs grow that a leading treatment, Artemisinin, is becoming less effective. Deus Ishengoma, a malaria expert with the Tanzanian National Institute for Medical Research, is worried, having seen the transformation Artemesinin made in the past.
Tiny solar-powered flying robots - an ultra-lightweight, solar-powered micro aerial vehicle capable of sustained flight is described in a paper published in Nature. Peng Jinzhe of the School of Energy and Power Engineering at Beihang University was part of the team behind the 8 millimetre robot.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: ESA’s Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis. Credit: The European Space Agency)
Former Brazilian model, wellness influencer and spiritual life coach Kat Torres was an inspiration and a lifeline to women all over the world. More than a million people on Instagram followed her extraordinary career trajectory from extreme poverty in Brazil, to a European modelling career and a life of luxury in the US. But behind the perfectly curated posts is a story of witchcraft, sexual exploitation and human trafficking; a dark and secretive sorority that led to missing women and sent their families and the FBI on a desperate search to find them. After months of investigations, a team from BBC Eye and BBC News Brasil uncover a wellness empire built on half-truths and lies. For the documentary Hannah Price tells the story of her enslaved followers and the heavy price they paid. And for the first time - in a surreal confrontation behind the walls of a Brazilian prison - we hear from the self-proclaimed “guru” who exerted absolute control.
Delegates at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee have responded positively to the first speech by their vice presidential nominee, JD Vance.
Also in the programme: the Iranian badminton player competing at the Paris Olympics as part of the team of refugees; and after astronomers find tantalising evidence of so-called 'biosignature gases', could there really be life in the clouds of Venus?
(IMAGE: Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio Senator JD Vance speaks on the third day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 17 July 2024 / CREDIT: Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Protests in Kenya and Bangladesh which were ignited by high prices and increasing job insecurity have evolved into political movements. In both countries, people are challenging the role of their elected leaders. Sam Fenwick explores if fragile economies influenced the demonstrations.
Also, Ursula von der Leyen has won a second term as European Commission President, pledging great prosperity for EU citizens.
South Africa’s parliament reopens after landmark elections that lead to the formation of a government of national unity after the governing ANC lost its majority. We talk to international co-operation minister, Ronald Lamola. Is the ANC buying time or wasting time?Somalia imposes a 5 percent tax on digital transactions sparking causing a public outcryAnd why is Turkey boosting cooperation with Niger?
Prsenter : Audrey BrownProducers :Bella Hassan, Joseph Keen and Sunita Nahar in London and Susan Gachuhi in NairobiTechnical Producer: Jonny HallSenior Producer: Paul Bakibinga.Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
Members of the European Parliament backed her at a vote in Strasbourg on Thursday. She will now serve another five years at the helm of the EU. Also: The team set up to represent the world's refugees at the Paris Olympics, a step in the right direction for gay rights in South Korea -- and how getting a bit fatter round the middle is slowing down the Earth's rotation.
Could AI reduce the need for animal testing? Phil and Georgie teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240718
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including:✔️ Learning English for Work✔️ Learning English from the News✔️ Learning English Stories
They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
Between 1963 and 1974, more than 2,000 people in Cyprus went missing during clashes, a coup and the Turkish invasion.
Only about half of them have been found.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Nick Neokleous, the President of the Organisation of Relatives of Missing Cypriots, whose brother, Pavlos, went missing in 1974.
(Photo: A Cypriot woman holds a picture of her relatives, who went missing in 1974. Credit: Laura Boushnak via Getty Images)
President Biden tests positve for covid as Senior Democratic congressman Adam Schiff adds his voice to calls from within the party asking him to to leave the presidential race.
Presenter Roger Hearing discusses Donald Trump's comments on funding the defence of Taiwan - and tech stocks tumble over fears about the security of the global microchip supply.
Plus the UK government commits to renationalising the railways - is this a sign of a change in the western mantra that state ownership of business doesn't work?
The White House says the US president is experiencing 'mild symptoms' after testing positive during a campaign trip to Las Vegas. The news comes as top Democrat Adam Schiff called on Mr Biden to 'pass the torch'. The California congressman is the most prominent Democrat yet to publicly call for the president to step aside. Also: the Caribbean island of Carriacou struggles to cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, and the skeleton of a stegosaurus sells at auction for more than 44 million dollars - a record amount for a dinosaur.
For decades, Nigeria has struggled to grow its domestic automotive industry while vehicles made by manufacturers from Japan, Korea, Europe and the US have dominated. But critics say many of those cars are not suitable for Nigeria’s roads.
Lately, there has been a surge of “made in Nigeria” brands, of vehicles manufactured and assembled locally, which have been designed with the country’s challenging road conditions in mind.
But as Nigerians are gearing up to the idea of replacing their trusted foreign brands with local alternatives, China has introduced a range of vehicles tailored to the Nigerian market - but cheaper.
(Image: A Nord Tank SUV. Credit: Tobi Ajayi)
Presented and produced by Peter Macjob
Why do we cook? To create flavour, to aid digestion and to release nutrients from our food.
Every time we fry, steam, boil, or bake a series of chemical reactions take place that are key to a dish’s success.
In this programme Ruth Alexander puts questions from the BBC World Service audience to Dr Stuart Farrimond in the UK, author of ‘The Science of Cooking’. Susannah and Aaron Rickard in Australia tell Ruth about the chemical reactions they discovered when researching their cookbook ‘Cooking with Alcohol’. And Krish Ashok in India, author of ‘Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking’, explains the science behind the culinary wisdom of your parents and grandparents.
If you’d like to contact the programme email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: two young girls wearing goggles and aprons conducting a science experiment. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)
Donald Trump's recent comments suggesting Taiwan should pay for its own defence have sent shockwaves through global markets, leading to a significant drop in semiconductor stocks.
In the UK, the King's Speech in Parliament has proposed a dramatic shift in the transportation sector by suggesting the nationalisation of the railways.
And presenter Roger Hearing dives into the world of sports as the WNBA finalises its next national media rights package, set to bring in approximately $2.2 billion over the next 11 years.
China says it is suspending nuclear non-proliferation and arms control talks with the United States in response to recent US military sales to Taiwan.
Also on the programme: We speak to a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, who says she was fired because she was determined to chair a press union there; and the mayor of Paris has taken a plunge into the river Seine to prove it is clean enough for competitive swimming ahead of the Olympic Games.
(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds at the closing session of the National People's Congress. Credit: Reuters)
In the last two years, online searches for ‘toxic positivity’ have spiked. In this discussion from the Cheltenham Science Festival, we find out what toxic positivity is, and how it can hurt you and people around you.
In front of a live audience, Claudia Hammond is joined by psychologist Dr Linda Blair, GP and educator Dr Anisha Patel, and wellbeing consultant and content creator Benjy Kusi.
Linda has been interested in the rise in the use of the term ‘toxic positivity’ and has noticed how it’s having an impact on our wellbeing. She reveals why it is important for us not to suppress ‘negative’ feelings and emotions.
Anisha was diagnosed with bowel cancer when she was 39. She authored the book Everything You Hoped You’d Never Need To Know About Bowel Cancer, where she speaks about her diagnosis and treatment journey. She experienced first-hand the harm that toxic positivity can do.
Benjy works with many different companies to help improve their inclusion and wellbeing practices. He’s the author of the book Hope This Helps and posts frequent videos about lots of tricky issues on TikTok and Instagram.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Alice Lipscombe-SouthwellProduction Coordinator: Jana Bennett-HolesworthEditor: Holly Squire
Long: Bangladesh shuts down schools as student protests turn deadly amid calls for a reform of the quota system for public sector jobs. We hear from the Bangladesh law minister Anisul Huq. Also in the programme: Paris Olympics organising committee chair says the Seine River is safe for sport; and the Gazan man with Down’s syndrome attacked by Israeli army dog.
(Photo: Funeral prayers of six Bengali students killed in Dhaka. Credit: Reuters)
University students have been holding rallies for days against the system of reserving some public sector jobs for the relatives of war heroes, from when the country gained independence from Pakistan.
Some jobs are also reserved for women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
Also, Britain's King Charles opens parliament, and the new government promises to "take the brakes off Britain" -- by boosting house building. Will it lead to more investment? We'll hear from a building firm.
And the luxury fashion brands being investigated for how they treat workers in their supply chains.
The manager of a coffee farmers's co-operative says small scale farmers in Africa are concerned that they may soon be unable to sell their produce to Europe because of the impact of the European Union's deforestation regulations.
New information about the largest rainforest in Southern Africa raises questions about discovery - is it just a foreign concept?
And, two decades after his country's capital was conquered by Italy, Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila became the first black African to win Olympic gold, running barefoot in Rome.
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Joseph Keen and Sunita Nahar in London, and Susan Gachuhi in Nairobi.Technical producer: Jonny HallSenior Journalist: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard.
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After months of anticipation, Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the Seine to show the river is clean enough to host open-swimming competitions during the 2024 Olympics. Also: Police in Thailand say six Vietnamese tourists found dead in a luxury hotel were poisoned with cyanide, students protest in Bangladesh over a lack of job and what Afro-futurism means for Africans around the world...
We'll bring you the best reports and analysis from the BBC's correspondents around the world.
Phil said that preparing this programme on the word 'cause' was hard work but he didn't mind because it was for a good cause - you! Listen to him now.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-93
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ Learning English Grammar✔️ Learning English for Work✔️ Learning Easy English They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
一位听众来信问道：如何判断动词后应用不定式 “to do” 还是 “to + 动词-ing”？要解答这个问题，还要从句子中的主动词是什么来加以判断。在本期节目中，主持人 Beth 和佳莹通过分析一段音频中对 “to + 动词原形” 和 “to + 动词-ing” 的使用来讲解判断动词后应跟 “to do” 还是 “to doing” 的方法和技巧。
Love them or loathe them, retailers across the world are installing more automated checkouts, as they aim to reduce staff costs.
But the loss of personal service and the unreliable technology has prompted complaints from customers.
And supermarkets are also facing a significant increase in theft from self-scan checkouts.
We're in Ireland, where shops only installed the technology in recent years. Plus we hear from experts in Australia, China, the UK and United States.
(Image: A man scans some bread through a self checkout. Credit: Getty Images)
Produced and presented by Russell Padmore
In April 2003, the people of Cyprus were allowed to cross the ceasefire line for the first time in 29 years.
Hundreds of people rushed to the check points and queued for hours to visit the homes they had left after the Greek coup and Turkish invasion of July 1974. Greek Cypriots made up the great majority of those displaced, often fleeing under fire with nothing but the clothes they had on.
Singer and ethnomusicologist Nicoletta Demetriou’s parents were among them. Nicoletta tells Maria Margaronis about the day the checkpoints opened, the experience of crossing, and her parents’ encounter with their old neighbourhood and its new inhabitants — and reflects on how it changed her.
(Photo: People crossing the ceasefire line in Cyprus in April 2003. Credit: Janine Haidar/AFP via Getty Images)
Music: Solo laouto by Michalis Tterlikkas.
Sarah Montague speaks to former Catholic priest Oliver McTernan who has spent more than two decades working in conflict resolution in the Middle East. He is the director of the organisation Forward Thinking and was involved in negotiations that led to the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011. While he has no formal role in the current talks over the war in Gaza, he regularly speaks to senior figures in both Hamas and the Israeli government. Given the history of this protracted conflict, does he hold any hope that it will ever be resolved?
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses Elon Musk's decision to relocate SpaceX from California because of a new law which bans schools from requiring staff to disclose information about a child's gender identity
In Bangladesh, the government has shut down all schools and colleges indefinitely, and police have stormed the opposition party's headquarters following the deaths of six individuals in student protests.
Joe Biden has urged a ban on the assault rifle model used in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Mr Trump has resumed his campaign after a two-day pause.
In this second part of his journey from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Israel, reporter Tim Whewell continues his exploration of the physical and human reality behind the slogan “From the River to the Sea”, a phrase which creates intense controversy. In this podcast he descends from the high ridge of the West Bank hills to the Israeli Mediterranean coast at Herzlia, known for its beaches and high-tech industry – and then continues along the sea, to end his journey at the ruined ancient city of Caesarea. Along the way, on the West Bank, he encounters a Palestinian dry stone waller and an Israeli hairdresser – and then, crossing into Israel, he talks to Jewish Israelis including teachers, activists and a journalist – and to Palestinian citizens of Israel. Finally, he meets a group of young Israelis who have recently finished their military service. Some of them have been fighting in Gaza. What future do all these people hope for, in the 90 kilometres between the River and the Sea? Presenter/producer: Tim Whewell Sound mixing: Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Penny Murphy (Photo shows some of the people Tim meets in the two parts of the series. Clockwise from top left: Ben Levy, Israeli nature ranger; Sulieman Mleahat, Palestinian development worker; Susie Becher, Israeli political activist; Okayla Shehadi, retired Palestinian citizen of Israel.)
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas last year, the cry “From the River to the Sea” has been heard more and more as a pro-Palestinian slogan. But what river? What sea? And what exactly does the phrase mean? It’s the subject of intense controversy. In this two-part series, reporter Tim Whewell travels from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, across a tiny stretch of land – just over an hour by car if you don’t stop - that’s perhaps the most argued-over in the world. Along the way, he meets shepherds and teachers, soldiers and gardeners, artists and activists - Palestinians and Israelis of many different views and backgrounds. The shortest line from the River to the Sea doesn’t pass through Gaza. But everyone Tim meets on his journey across the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the River, and in Israel, is living in the terrible shadow of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel and the war that’s followed. The future of the often-beautiful, fast-changing, overcrowded region he crosses will be at the heart of any eventual solution to the Middle East conflict. In this first programme, he goes from the Jordan, through the Israeli settlement of Argaman, the Palestinian herding community of al-Farisiyah and the Palestinian village of Duma, ending up at the Israeli settlement of Shilo. What do people in those places think now – and do they have any hope for the future? (In Part 2, Tim leaves the West Bank and travels through Israel.) Presenter/producer: Tim Whewell Sound mixing: Andy Fell and Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Penny Murphy (Photo shows some of the people Tim meets in the two parts of the series. Clockwise from top left: Ben Levy, Israeli nature ranger; Sulieman Mleahat, Palestinian development worker; Susie Becher, Israeli political activist; Okayla Shehadi, retired Palestinian citizen of Israel.)
He was found guilty on all 16 charges, including bribery, acting as a foreign agent, and obstructing justice. Also: Police in Thailand are investigating the mysterious deaths of six foreign nationals whose bodies were found in a Bangkok hotel suite, and the American rock duo, Tenacious D, cancel the rest of their world tour after an on-stage quip in Australia about the near fatal attempt on Donald Trump’s life. We'll bring you the best reports and analysis from the BBC's correspondents around the world.
We head to Montreal, host city of the Canadian F1 Grand Prix.
It's the country's largest tourist event, with an estimated 345,000 fans attending in 2023.
And the sport is growing in popularity, thanks in part to the Netflix series, Drive to Survive.
So how valuable is a Grand Prix to a country's economy? And which other cities are trying to get in on the action?
Produced and presented by Megan Lawton
(Image: The start of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec on 9 June 2024. Credit: Getty Images)
Presenter Rahul Tandon explores what lies ahead for Bangladesh after the government indefinitely closed all schools and colleges. Six people have died in student protests over a quota system for government employment.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s government has resigned . It follows political deadlock in France as it prepares to host the Summer Olympics.
Rwandan leader Paul Kagame is poised to extend his 24-year reign. Provisional election results indicate he has secured a fourth term with 99 percent of the vote.
Ukraine is facing up to a crisis of military recruitment, as a deadline passes for all men there, between the ages of 18 and 60 to register their details. A reluctance, among some, to fight the ongoing Russian invasion, is fuelled by a controversial mobilisation law, which means there is no cap on people's length of service.
Also on the programme: A Republican party spokeswoman tells us about Mr Trump's triumphant return to the US election campaign; and how a senior North Korean diplomat managed to defect to the South.
(Picture: U.S President Donald Trump listens during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Ahead of the Olympics in Paris, we look at tech in sport. How is it used by athletes to improve their performance? And how is it used to deliver the spectacle to viewers at home? We also follow the quest to bring mountain biking to the Paralympics and how technology advancements are helping this become a reality. Plus, the potential for AI growth in Africa and how it might change the continent.
Presented by Zoe KleinmanProduced by Tom Quinn and Imran Rahman-JonesEdited by Monica Soriano
(Image: A male swimmer wearing goggles and a black swimming cap emerges out of the water. Credit: Getty Images)
Elsewhere, Devina Gupta looks to the debate around low-carbon fertilisers, and in Turkey, the government is set to approve a new bill hoping to steady the country's shaky economy. And what's it like being a delivery company on Amazon Prime Day? We speak to one firm in India.
Is the role of the church in Kenyan politics changing? We hear the perspective of a senior member of the umbrella group- the National Council of Churches of Kenya
Why has Chadian President Mahamat Deby cancelled an official visit to Paris scheduled for this week?
We talk to the founder of a beauty pageant in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, a place with a reputation for danger.
JD Vance is Donald Trump's running mate, we speak to his university roommate and explore how Vance went from a never-Trumper to his running mate. Also on the programme: Kenyan police arrest a man who says he killed 42 women; and the remote mountain-top rainforest in Mozambique, now a conservation area.
(Photo: JD Vance walking with his wife in the Republican national Convention. Credit: Shutterstock)
The Ukrainian government is struggling to replace battlefield losses in its ongoing war against Russia which is well into its third year. Also: why Donald Trump picked JD Vance as his running mate, and Gareth Southgate is resigning as England manager, even though his team reached the final of the Euros football tournament.
Valarie Allman is reigning Olympic champion for the women’s discus and has also won bronze and silver at the last two editions of the World Championships.
She tells The Warm Up Track how she and her coach figured out ‘the master of all puzzles’ to win Olympic gold in Tokyo. Valarie explains how, starting out, they sought to break the mould of how previous US throwers had prepared for global championships, and that strategy was to face her main rivals as often as possible on the circuit. But, having succeeded in that, the pandemic then took away that opportunity to compete.
Valarie says that actually helped her fall back in love with the sport – all of which set up her Olympic gold medal winning season in 2021. She tells us how it felt silly telling herself she was going to win Olympic gold – but how, after a while, those affirmations began to feel authentic.
Young Valarie was a dancer, so what was it like to be around the TV show ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ at weekends, and then being back in Middle School during the week?
Also find out how the prospect of a spaghetti dinner encouraged her to try out for the discus in High School and what it meant the day she could throw as far as the prairie dog hole on the school field. Plus, how having an older brother helped develop her competitiveness, and which Frank Sinatra song she’s really taken to heart.
Image: Valarie Allman of Team United States celebrates with her countries flag after winning the gold medal in the Women's Discus Final on day ten of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 02, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
On the 20 July 1974, a young pilot was preparing to land passenger flight CY317 into Nicosia Airport in Cyprus, amidst the threat of an imminent Turkish invasion. From the air, he could see warships approaching the island.
Little did he know that his aircraft would be the final one to land there, it would be destroyed within hours, and the airport remains frozen in time to this day.
Fifty years later, Captain Adamos Marneros tells Amelia Parker about that fear-filled final flight, on a pivotal day in 1974, and the airport, which he revisited a few years ago.
(Photo: Captain Adamos Marneros outside the derelict Nicosia Airport in 2012. Credit: Andros Efstathios)
英语表达 “dip your toe into…” 的字面意思是 “把脚趾头伸进……” ，就好像泡脚时先把脚趾头伸进热水中试试温度的动作。尝试新事物会让你感到害怕吗？一开始你是不是会小心摸索前进？本期节目中要介绍的表达 “dip your toe into…” 就可以用来比喻 “小心尝试，摸索前进”。
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses the announcement of Iowa Senator JD Vance as Donald Trump’s pick to be his running mate in November’s Presidential election.
Rahul speaks to the Democratic Mayor of Milwaukee, the city that is hosting the Republican Party's National Convention.
And the long delayed Third Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party is taking place in Beijing.
Project Rescue Children claims to save children from trafficking and abuse across the world, but the BBC has uncovered evidence of false and misleading social media posts. The charity's director, Adam Whittington, has raised thousands of pounds from sponsors and donors. But the BBC’s Hayley Mortimer has found that unsuspecting children are being used as props, and the rescue centres have no children. Project Rescue Children rejects the BBC's findings and says its work has benefitted hundreds of children worldwide.
The announcement came at the opening of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where Trump was officially endorsed as the party's candidate for the presidential election. Also, Pakistani government intends to ban Imran Khan's political party, and scientists discover a deep cave on the Moon which they say could be an ideal location for a permanent base.
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses the announcement of Iowa Senator JD Vance as Donald Trump’s pick to be his running mate in November’s Presidential election.
Rahul speaks to Vivek Ramaswamy - who himself was a candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination.
And we hear about the new law in Indonesia where maternity leave has been extended from 3 months to six months for certain people.
Donald Trump is in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, two days after he survived an assassination attempt. We hear from our correspondent on the ground in Milwaukee and from Donald Trump's former chief of staff Also on the programme: Counting is under way in Rwanda's presidential and parliamentary elections.; and scientists say they've found the first cave on the moon that could be a natural spot for a future research base. (Picture: Ohio Senator J.D. Vance is endorsed by former U.S. President Donald Trump Credit: REUTERS/Gaelen Morse)
We’ve heard about the potential problems around chicken welfare. But how does that square with their impact on the environment?
Dr Chris van Tulleken finds out what it takes to produce the most eco-friendly chicken meat possible. And makes a devastating discovery. Welfare concerns, and environmental credentials, often pull in OPPOSITE directions. Does he want to eat the happiest birds, or the ones kindest to the planet?
Halfway through his poultry quest, Chris remains massively conflicted: he loves chicken, but some of what he’s discovered makes him question how much he eats it. Will he still be able to look at it the same way as he goes deeper down the rabbit hole? And more importantly, should he keep serving it up to the family?
Zimbabwe's President Emerson Mnangagwa has announced public hearings into the mass killings of Zimbabwe's Ndebele people 40 years ago. The president says the hearings will be a mechanism to bring healing and national cohesion. But a survivor of the massacre of opposition supporters, tells us he does not trust the process.
Also, why are major gas companies threatening to pull out of South Africa?
And Zambia has spent millions of dollars on hiring new teachers and making primary and secondary education free, but the policy has also worsened class overcrowding.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan, Rob Wilson and Joseph Keen in London. Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Technical producer: Craig KinghamSenior Journalist: Paul BakibingaEditors : Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard.
Police in Kenya suspect he is behind the gruesome murders of at least nine women. Their bodies were found in a former quarry used as a rubbish dump near Nairobi. Under interrogation the suspect has admitted killing 42 women. Also: Republicans arrive for their national convention in Milwaukee where Donald Trump will be confirmed as the Republican presidential candidate after the assassination attempt on him. We also hear from a photographer who captured the image of the bullet that hit Mr Trump's ear at the rally in Pennsylvania. And, chaos and violence at the Copa America final in Miami, and a new cheaper malaria vaccine is rolled out in Africa
Two days after surviving an assassination attempt, Donald Trump is in Milwaukee, joining thousands of supporters and political heavyweights at the start of the Republican National Convention. The four day event will culminate with his acceptance speech as the Republican candidate to contest November’s presidential election. Mr Trump has signalled that he has rewritten his speech to switch from denouncing President Biden to call for national unity, after the attempt on his life. Both men have said America must now come together.
We'll be in Milwaukee where the Republican National Convention is being held. We'll also hear from a friend of Donald Trump.
(Photo: Supporters of former US President Donald Trump wait for his arrival in Milwaukee, after he survived an assassination attempt. Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria)
Having fled the Syrian Civil War aged just seventeen, Yusra Mardini competed in swimming for the first ever Refugee Team at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Five years later in Tokyo she had the honour of carrying the team flag at the opening ceremony. Now a goodwill ambassador for the UN, Yusra will be making a difference out of the pool in Paris, working as a reporter telling the stories of the current refugee athletes. She tells Caroline Barker why it’s maybe more important than ever to champion the athletes and shine an even bigger spotlight on them at this summer’s Games. Yusra also recounts her story when she fled Syria for Germany in 2015, including her extraordinary sea crossing from Turkey to Greece.
We’ll be at Wimbledon with Jamie Broughton, who has been sniffing out the big stories off the court during the championships. He’s been on patrol with one of the dogs that helps to keep the All England Club safe.
We hear from the Guru of the penalty shootout, Professor Geir Jordet, author of the new book “Pressure: Lessons from the psychology of the penalty shootout.” As a consultant for more than 60 teams, and a personal performance adviser to over 130 top flight players, who better than to find out the keys to success for spot kicks.
There’s also the caffeinated tea that is causing a stir at the Copa America. Our Latin American Editor Mimi Swaby tells us why fans of Argentina, who play Colombia in the final, are so annoyed after the team were pictured drinking the Uruguayan brand on social media.
And we talk to former ice hockey enforcer Kyle Clark, who is now an electric aircraft pioneer. His company Beta Technologies is looking to change the way we fly to a more eco-friendly way. He tells us how hockey inspired the name and how he’s looking to shape the future of aviation.
Photo: Yusra Mardini of Refugee Olympic team warms up during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 24, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan (Credit: BSR Agency/Getty Images)
On 15 July 1974, the Greek military dictatorship in Athens sponsored a coup on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, aiming to overthrow its selected president and unite the island with Greece.
Days later, Turkey invaded the island, taking a third of it and displacing many thousands of its inhabitants.
The writer Bekir Azgun grew up in the village of Potamia, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots had once lived together in harmony. He speaks to Maria Margaronis about the day of the coup and reflects on the gradual separation of the island's two communities, beginning with the Greek Cypriot anticolonial struggle against Britain in the 1950s and culminating in the Turkish invasion and partition.
No outside power acted to stop this conflict between two NATO members. Cyprus, strategically positioned near the Middle East, remains divided to this day.
Archive by kind permission of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
Music by Michalis Terlikkas.
(Photo: The new de facto President of Cyprus, Nikos Sampson, holds a press conference after the military coup d'état which deposed Archbishop Makarios. Credit: Harry Dempster/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
This documentary contains discriminatory and homophobic language that some listeners may find offensive.
In 1993 the legislators in Cobb County, Georgia passed a resolution stating that “lifestyles advocated by the gay community are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes".
Cobb County was due to welcome the Olympics in 1996 hosting the volleyball competition as part of the Atlanta Games. Narrated by Wanda Guenette, a member of the 1996 Canadian volleyball team who identifies as gay, and who faced the prospect of having her Olympic dream turned into a nightmare, forced to compete in a place that had made it clear she and other gay athletes were not welcome.
This is the inspiring story of a small campaign group who took on one of the most powerful organisations in the world and forced change. With the help of an Olympic legend and after months of high-profile peaceful protests, the Atlanta organising committee finally stripped Cobb County as a host venue and diverted the torch relay away from its streets. Coming soon.
Photo Credit: Carole Brown/Georgia State University Library
Stephen Sackur speaks to Maria Butina, member of the State Duma for President Putin’s United Russia party. The war in Ukraine now hinges on strength of will and staying power: the fighting is attritional, the bloodshed horrendous and Nato has just reaffirmed its commitment to Kyiv. Two and a half years after the invasion, is time really on Russia’s side?
Ella Al-Shamahi talks to sports psychologists from the US and South Africa about helping athletes achieve peak performance mentally and physically. Now seen as an essential part of any elite team, as well as being involved in maintaining good team dynamics they support athletes coping with competition stress, injury, and those preparing for retirement.
Dr Koketjo Tsebe has worked with various national sporting codes in South Africa. She was a team psychologist for Banyana Banyana and supported the team during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. She is also a team psychologist for the national softball team and is part of the South Africa Olympic team heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Dr Kensa Gunter works with athletes in the US to help strengthen the mental aspects of performance. She’s involved with teams and individuals at high school and college as well Olympic hopefuls and elite athletes in tennis, the NFL and both the men’s and women’s NBA. Working in Atlanta she also advises coaches, athletic trainers, governing bodies and sports nutritionists.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Kensa Gunta credit Katlyne Hill. (R) Koketjo Tsebe courtesy Koketjo Tsebe.)
Inspired by a story told to her by an Indigenous elder, Taipei-based artist Anchi Lin, also known by her Atayal name Ciwas Tahos, is working on a new multi-media installation. Anchi has dedicated her research and creative work to exploring the Indigenous space of Temahahoi, a place where queer, gender non-conforming people lived and could communicate with bees, who were also their protection from approaching intruders. Combining new technology, handmade ceramics and traditional bee chasing skills, Anchi Lin celebrates her Indigenous culture and identity in her work.
Neighbours cannot believe the quiet young man they knew opened fire on Donald Trump. President Biden has promised a swift investigation into the attempted assassination. Also: how young protestors in Kenya are successfully challenging the relationship between Christian leaders and politicians, and tributes are paid to the American broadcaster and sex-therapist, Doctor Ruth, who has died aged 96.
Anoosheh Ashoori was visiting Iran when he was snatched off the street by security forces. He was falsely accused of espionage, and spent years in one of the country's toughest prisons.
For a long time, he didn't know why he'd been targeted. Anoosheh was a British-Iranian dual national, but he'd worked a career as an engineer, and had no links to intelligence services. Gradually, as his incarceration wore on, he realised he'd become a pawn in a game of global politics.
Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Harry GrahamEditor: Andrea Kennedy
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
Some cities around the world have decided to make public transport free. Services can range from local bus routes to shopping malls to city-wide transit. We're in the rich nation of Luxembourg which became the first country to introduce free public transport nationally, as well as in Delhi where women can travel for free in an effort to boost the numbers of women in the workforce. We're also hearing from Kansas City where the funding model is running out for a scheme introduced four years ago. Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney
Image:A woman boards a bus in New Delhi in October 2019, following a Delhi goverment travel scheme distributing free bus tickets for women. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)
Former US President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt after being shot at a Republican rally in Pennsylvania. We get political reactions from congressmen from both the Republican and Democratic party and speak to the New York Times photographer who captured the image of a bullet streaking past Mr Trump.
Also in the programme: the role has political violence in US political history; and we get the latest sports update from Wimbledon and the Euro football finals.
(Photo: Donald Trump gets escorted off stage after being shot at the Republican rally in Pennsylvania. Credit: REUTERS)
Donald Trump urges Americans to unite in the face of wickedness after he survives an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. We consider the implications for the election campaign and ask how the gunman was able to get so close.
A bullet hit his ear while he was speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. President Biden has urged everyone to condemn the attack.
We will hear from eye witnesses to the attack and we'll examine the security failures which led to it. And we'll also be asking what effect this is likely to have on the presidential campaign?
(Picture: Donald Trump being taken to safety by his security detail. Credit: Maxell / EPA)
Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. US secret service agents rushed on to the stage to protect him. He appeared to have blood on his ear and was taken away by car. A spokesman for Mr Trump's campaign team said he was fine and undergoing medical checks.
An Israeli strike has killed dozens in al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area in Gaza, where large numbers of displaced Palestinians have been sheltering in tents. The Israeli Defence Force said the strike's objective were two top Hamas leaders.We hear from UNRWA about the scenes at Nasser hospital, which is close to the strike's location.
Also in our programme: France struggles to appoint a new Prime Minister, and criminal charges of involuntary homicide are dropped against actor Alec Baldwin.
(Photo: a Palestinian woman and her children mourning the death of her husband killed following an Israeli air strike in the Al-Mawasi area. Credit: Saber / Shutterstock).
Toronto is a bustling city on Lake Ontario which is growing at an astonishing rate. Almost a third of Torontonians have arrived in the last decade and more than half were born outside of Canada. The city’s Mohawk name is , which means “the place on the water where the trees are standing".Noah Richler explores the fictional landscape of the city with four of its exciting writers from different generations and backgrounds; Catherine Hernandez, Adrianna Chartrand, Don Gillmor and Deepa Rajagopalan who all join him in front of a lively audience at The House of Anansi Bookshop.
We hear about the law in Brazil which made it illegal for women and girls to play football for 40 years.
Dilma Mendes shares her incredible experience of being arrested numerous times as a child, just for kicking a ball. Our guest, Alexandra Allred, herself a pioneering sportswomen, discusses the discrimination women have faced to break into competitive sport.
Plus, the moment when the 'Queen of Salsa', banned from Cuba by Fidel Castro, was allowed to return to Cuban territory for one performance.
We learn about the brutal crushing of a student movement in 1968 in Mexico City 10 days before the Olympic Games, which ended in dozens being killed.
Also, the start of an environmental movement in Italy in 1988, and the invention of the air fryer. The prototype was nearly as big as a dog kennel and made of wood and aluminium.
Contributors:Dilma Mendes - defied Brazil's ban on women playing football.Alexandra Allred - author of When Women Stood: The Untold History of Females Who Changed Sports and the World.Omer Pardillo Cid - manager and close friend of Celia Cruz.David Huerta - witness to the Mexico City massacre in 1968.Rosa Porcu - a protester against the 'poison ships' docked in Italy in 1988.Suus van der Weij - daughter of Fred van der Weij, inventor of the air fryer.
When listener Sophia decided to donate a kidney to a stranger through a domino transplant scheme, her teenage daughter Katie objected. But years later, Katie decided to do the same - inspired by the chain of goodness her mother started, and the joy of meeting organ recipients at the transplant games.Also: Big Ocean - the first K-pop band whose members all have hearing impairments. As the Paris Olympics approach, we look back at the amazing story of two athletes who chose to share gold in Tokyo. Wild horses return to Kazakhstan for the first time in over two hundred years, thanks to a zoo breeding programme. The innovative system helping grow crops in arid regions with less water. And the children who got to perform at London's famous Royal Opera House.
Our weekly collection of happy stories and positive news from around the world.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says at least 71 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike near the southern city of Khan Younis. Israeli defence sources are reported to have described the incident as a "very significant" strike with reports a senior Hamas commander, Mohammed Deif, was the target.
Also in the programme: Russia spies arrested in Australia; and Captain Flinders is buried again.
(Picture: People mourn at Nasser hospital, following the killing of Palestinians in an Israeli strike at a tent camp, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 13, 2024. Credit: Reuters)
Hundreds of thousands of men are currently fighting for Ukraine, and the army needs yet more soldiers. We speak to three BBC Ukrainian colleagues about the way this is changing the country, and how it's viewed by Ukrainians. Daria Taradai and Ilona Hromliuk join us from Kyiv, and Anastasiya Zanuda joins us from Warsaw.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
Seventeen-year-old Maria Sharapova shocked the tennis world when she won Wimbledon in 2004.
The teenager beat top seed and defending champion Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam singles title in one of the most memorable finals in history.
Twenty years on, Sportsworld’s Delyth Lloyd looks back on Sharapova’s rise and route to the Wimbledon title with insight from her former doubles partner Tamarine Tanasugarn, her second round opponent Anne Keothavong, and tennis commentator Barry Millns, who commentated on the final for BBC World Service.
After winning Wimbledon, Sharapova went onto win a career Grand Slam and became the highest paid women’s sports star in the world for over a decade.
Forbes reporter Matt Craig shares what it is that made Sharapova so marketable, while Tanasugarn and Keothavong both reflect on Sharapova’s career and legacy.
Image: Maria Sharapova, 17 year old Russian from Siberia who won the women’s singles championship at Wimbledon 2004. (Credit: BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)
The 1994 Wimbledon Championships were dominated by one story - whether Martina Navratilova could bow out with a record-breaking tenth title.
The 37-year-old looked on course to do so, making it to the final where she'd face 22-year-old Spanish player, Conchita Martinez.
The scene was set but Conchita hadn't read the script.
Thirty years on, she shares her memories of that day with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Conchita Martinez. Credit: Getty Images)
It’s all change at the top of the BBC World Service as the boss for the past three years leaves. We ask the departing director Liliane Landor about the challenges she faced during her time at the helm. She gives us an honest personal appraisal of the highs and lows - and the challenges her successor faces.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC World Service
President Joe Biden's re-election campaign is under intense scrutiny amid questions over his age. Also: children killed in Nigeria school collapse, and the first British post box with the King Charles III cypher.
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses President Biden's attempts to carry on and fight in the 2024 Presidential race despite recent gaffes. He faces fresh calls from within the Democratic party to step aside in favour of another candidate. Pakistan has reached a deal with the International Monetary Fund for a seven billion dollar bailout. In return, Pakistan's government has promised to implement reforms and step up efforts to collect more tax. We find out what impact this will have on the country's economy .
Automatic vending machines selling bullets will appear in grocery stores in the United States. We hear from the manufacturer behind the artificial intelligence software who argues it will be more secure than other sales methods.
People in both the UK and France have voted for change in snap elections, sending a signal that they are unhappy with many aspects of their lives. To get a sense of why people voted the way they did, host James Reynolds takes a mini tour of towns and cities across the UK. In Bradford, a city in the north of England, he meets Anna who wanted equal opportunities and voters in the town of Worthing on England’s south coast, which has just elected its first ever Labour MP. Pam and Mike tell us about the challenges they have experienced since Brexit, when Britain left the European Union. We also visit a café and shop in the port town of Dover, and we end our journey, across the English Channel in France.
Presenter Rahul Tandon discusses the ongoing debate about the future of Joe Biden. One of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters Vivek Ramaswamy assesses the shortcomings of the current President.
Saudia Arabia has boosted imports of the dirtiest type of oil after hot weather. We hear why the world’s biggest crude exporter buys fuel oil for power plants.
French Football is facing a financial crisis because it cannot find a TV deal. We find out what impact this could have on the professional game in the country.
Nearly twenty US Congressional Democrats have publicly urged President Joe Biden to step down from the presidential race, amid concerns that his faculties are declining with age. He has vowed to stay on despite making several blunders. Could Vice-President Kamala Harris replace Mr Biden as candidate if he steps down?
Also in the programme: UN peace talks to end Sudan's civil war fall through; and a new expedition seeks to explore the Titanic shipwreck.
(Photo: US Vice-President Kamala Harris campaigning in Greensboro, North Carolina. Credit: Lesser)
Joe Biden has promised to stay on as Democratic presidential candidate despite making several faux pas at the recent NATO summit, including introducing President Zelensky as Putin.
Also on the programme: the president of Colombia has called on the UN to make cocaine legal. He believes it will help bring peace to his country, which has battled an armed conflict for 60 years. And, do narcissists become more agreeable as they get older?
(Photo: Joe Biden has faced accusations of being too old to run for US President. Credit: Shutterstock)
There's more concern in the US, but mirth in Moscow. Also: the head of Japan's navy resigns over a series of scandals including the mishandling of classified documents by staff, and scientists return to the wreck of the Titanic for the first time since the Titan submersible disaster - but this time it will be robots making the dive.
In the lead up to the US election President Joe Biden admitted to ‘screwing up’ in a debate against Donald Trump. His excuse? Several trips around the world, a cold and severe jet lag. Joe has Marnie and the panel wondering how we can fly better.
We’ll be stopping off to hear how one species, much like the US president, should consider reducing it’s airmiles, if only to avoid a pointless 16,000km round trip every year. There’ll also be a stopover in Northern Canada to hear how thinning ice is making it difficult for local communities to remain in touch with their ancestral heritage and traditional modes of travel.
Whilst we recommend considering more environmentally friendly alternatives here at Unexpected Elements Airways, we understand that some flights can’t be avoided. Take time whilst onboard to consider how you can reduce the symptoms of jetlag with tricks learnt from the latest scientific understanding of human physiology. Professor Rosemary Braun tells us how the clocklike rhythms of the body can be manipulated to make any long haul flights more manageable.
Also, the smashing specificity of Wimbledon’s grass tennis courts, a grand astronomical debate from the 1920s and a very special Nunavut Day.
Presenter: Marnie ChestertonPanellists: Christine Yohannes and Meral JamalProducers: Julia Ravey, Harrison Lewis, Dan Welsh and Noa Dowling
Stephen Sackur speaks to Sir Laurie Bristow, Britain’s last Ambassador to Afghanistan who led a desperate evacuation when Kabul fell to the Taliban three years ago. What are his reflections on the significance of the West’s strategic failure in Afghanistan?
Rahul Tandon presents with contributions from Alison Van Diggelen in Silicon Valley, USA; and Jyoti Malhotra in Chandigarh, India.
President Biden faces the media in a hotly-anticipated press conference for the future of his presidential campaign - and after a gaffe-filled few weeks.
In Colombia, the President calls for the legalisation of cocaine - saying the armed conflict in his country would end within a day if the UN declared cocaine legal across the world.
Plus the son of Asia's richest person, Mukesh Ambani, gets married - in a four day extravaganza which will bring parts of Mumbai to a halt.
The BBC's Rahila Bano, explains why her family decided to break with the Muslim tradition of a congregational prayer reading for her mother after she passed away. Instead she decided to concentrate on one of the five pillars of Islam - to give alms or charity and on her mother's wishes to focus on those who are poor and in need. Rahila spoke to her sister about it for the first time since her mum’s death. She also spoke to a friend who lost her mother about why she decided to organise a prayer gathering in her mother's memory and to an Islamic scholar who says “khatams” are not really part of Islam
The US president, Joe Biden, who is under intense scrutiny amid concerns over his age, held a high-stakes news conference in Washington. Also: the Israeli defence minister has called for a state inquiry into what led to the Hamas attacks of October the seventh last year, and are you an early bird or a night owl?
We go to India to find out what it takes to manage one of the country's most iconic brands – Bisleri.
It is so popular that it has become synonymous with the product itself - bottled mineral water.
We hear from CEO Angelo George about the ethics of paying for water, plastic pollution and the challenges of shrinking water resources.
Produced and presented by Devina Gupta
Sound mixing by Wayne Parkes
(Image: Angelo George. Credit: Angelo George)
We hear from Democrat fundraisers who are divided over whether he should pull out of the campaign for re-election.
In the past week, since Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance, a number of donors have publicly warned they will withhold funds unless Mr Biden is replaced as the Democratic party candidate.
Pressure on Mr Biden, 81, to step aside has grown, including from Hollywood celebrities George Clooney and Michael Douglas.
However he has vowed to stay on, taking on Donald Trump, 78, in the November presidential election.
Produced and presented by Ed Butler
(Image: President Joe Biden speaks during a 4th of July event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2024 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images)
Rahul Tandon hears from Democratic donors and swing state voters as President Biden prepares for a high-stakes news conference following the NATO summit in Washington DC.We also examine Kenya's financial situation - as the President dismisses the cabinet following the deadly riots over tax changes.
Nato members have pledged their support for an "irreversible path" to future membership for Ukraine, as well as more aid. In response, former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev said he hoped this would end "either with the disappearance of Ukraine, or NATO -- or better still, both”. A US State Department director tells Newshour that Russia is trying to “undermine the alliance and threaten” the war-torn nation. Also in the programme: US President Joe Biden prepares to take to the stage at a NATO summit news conference. Will he reassure critics that he is a competent candidate for the 2024 election? Moreover, researchers film male lions swimming over a mile to find mates - in a species first. We speak to a big cat expert.
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky hugs NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the 2024 NATO Conference in Washington DC, 11th July 2024.Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
The 2024 north Atlantic hurricane season has started with a bang, with Hurricane Beryl traversing the whole ocean, and leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean, into Mexico and Texas. Presenter Roland Pease speaks to climate expert Michael Mann of Pennsylvania University about this hurricane season and the role of climate change.
And Roland speaks to Amie Eisfeld of the Influenza Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who has been looking at the infection and transmission of bovine H5N1 influenza (bird flu). The virus is shown to be transmitted through the milk of cows with bovine flu to mice and by intranasal exposure to mice and ferrets. The findings are published in Nature this week.
Ancient genomics: Neolithic farmers hit hard by the plague. Repeated outbreaks of plague may have contributed to the decline in Neolithic populations in Scandinavia, a Nature paper suggests. The analysis of ancient DNA from more than 100 individuals sheds light on the fate of these farmers around 5000 years ago. Roland speaks to geneticist Frederik Seersholm of the Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre in Copenhagen.
And a cheap coating that can be painted easily onto the glass of greenhouses converts part of the sunlight spectrum into red light that should boost the rate at which plants grow. Roland joins the chemists and crop scientists to see if there really is a difference with tomatoes and strawberries.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Hurricane Beryl batters northern Jamaica after killing 7 people in southeast Caribbean. Credit: Anadolu/Getty Images)
Will he stand in November, or won't he? US president Joe Biden under even greater pressure to step back amid fears about his mental and physical fitness. We hear from Morris Pearl, Chairman of the Patriotic Millionaires group.
Also, we hear from the trade union movement in South Korea on the indefinite strike hitting Samsung. And with two major football finals on the horizon, we look at how demand for classic shirts has taken off.
More than half the population in Sudan - nearly 26 million people - face acute hunger as the ongoing war hinders agricultural production. The UN agency for Food and Agriculture (FAO) says it is trying to provide seed to farmers to help grow food.
Who are Nigeria's ghost workers who are costing the economy millions of dollars? And will a new government plan succeed in exposing them and crackdown on the problem?
And a Congolese entomologist says protein-rich insects are the food of the future.
Presenter :Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan in London, Frenny Jowi in Nairobi and Blessing Aderogba in Lagos.Technical Producer: Jack GraysmarkSenior Journalist: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
China has fiercely rejected accusations from Nato - whose leaders are meeting in Washington - that it's helping maintain Russia's war in Ukraine. The military alliance said Beijing had become Russia's "decisive enabler", with its "large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base". Beijing urged nations to reflect on the "root causes" of the war.
Also on the programme: A survey of Jewish people in thirteen EU countries has found they continue to face high levels of antisemitism; the renewed pressures on US president Joe Biden to stand down; and early birds versus night owls, a new study has deemed one smarter than the other, we hear from both sides.
(Picture:75th NATO Summit in Washington DC, USA - 11 Jul 2024 Credit: Alessandro di Meo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In September 1988, protests broke out in Manfredonia, Italy, after the arrival of a large ship carrying toxic waste of Italian origin. The Deep Sea Carrier had arrived from Nigeria, after a protracted diplomatic dispute between Italy and Nigeria.
For four days, the town was completely shut down and by the end of the protests, an environmental movement was born.
The Deep Sea Carrier and another ship, the Karin B, became known as the ‘navi dei veleni’, or poison ships.
Jill Achineku speaks to Rosa Porcu, a teacher and one of the protesters. A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: Rusty barrrels of toxic waste. Credit: iznashih)
What happens when you put the kids in charge of the school? Phil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240704
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Rahul Tandon is joined by Fermin Koop in Argentina & Zyma Islam in Bangladesh to discuss the most important and interesting global business and economic stories.
We hear from Betsey Stevenson, former economic advisor to President Obama, who served on the transition team for the Biden-Harris ticket - as the first Democratic Senator publicly calls for President Biden to stand aside as the party's presidential nominee.
Meanwhile the US imposes steel tariffs on Mexico - at least the steel coming from China. We ask whether tariffs are economically the way forward - or backward.
Plus in Greece - new regulations are being introduced to limit the areas on beaches that bars and restaurants can use. The rules are intended to leave enough space for the public, who have complained about exorbitant prices charged by beachfront businesses that restrict their free access.
Football rarely stops in Turkey, but when two earthquakes causes tens of thousands to die in the south-east region of the country early in 2023, even the passionately followed Super Lig top division is suspended. Hatayspor - a team from the league - loses its star player Christian Atsu to the rubble of a collapsed building. Its home city of Antakya is all but wiped from the map. A year later, football writer James Montague travels to his home nation of Turkey to tell the story of the indomitable club's improbable, and symbolic fight to survive in the aftermath of the disaster.
The outgoing NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said the alliance also pledged a minimum forty billion dollars of military aid to Kyiv over the coming year. Also: the Hollywood actor George Clooney has become the latest high-profile Democrat to urge President Biden to drop his bid for re-election, and we look at the latest backlash against mass tourism in Europe.
Two football mad continents, Europe and South America, are competing in international tournaments at the moment.
Fans are all decked out in their teams shirts - but they’re not all wearing the latest versions.
In fact, sales of retro or vintage shirts are booming.
Be it the iconic Italian kits of the 90s, the classic sky blue of Argentina or Nigeria’s viral world cup kit - we look into this trend and speak to the fans who are buying, and the companies cashing in.
Produced and presented by Imran Rahman-Jones.
Image: A fan wears a retro Eric Cantona shirt before a Manchester United match in April 2024. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Of the tens of millions of people around the world with autism or down syndrome, only a tiny fraction is in paid employment.
But cooking, making drinks and waiting tables is work where people with learning disabilities can shine.
John Laurenson takes us to a Café Joyeux (Happy Café) in Paris, one of a fast-growing chain of cafe-restaurants where most of the staff have autism or down syndrome and where the croque monsieur comes with a smile.
We also hear from a cafe in Mumbai launched by the mother whose daughter has autism and, in Turkey, the KFCs with a difference.
Find out how café work can transform the lives of employees and owners.
Presenter/Producer: John Laurenson
(Image: Louis, Laura, Anne-France and Arnaud. Credit: BBC)
Rahul Tandon hears from Biden donor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who says it's "crunch time" for the President as pressure mounts over whether he should try for re-election.Meanwhile the US administration imposes tariffs on Mexican steel imports - those which have been partly made in China. Is this an anti-China move - or a election ploy?We also find out why the charge is very much reduced on lithium-ion batteries - with prices down 51% in China, this year alone.
Israeli leaflets dropped across Gaza City warn inhabitants to leave in advance of a new round of urban combat. An estimated quarter-of-a-million people are still living there. We hear from Israeli spokesman David Mencer and Sam Rose from UNWRA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
Also in the programme: US actor Alec Baldwin appears in court accused of involuntary manslaughter after fatal filmset shooting; and the UK's 'sugar tax' shown to sharply reduce consumers' sugar intake.
(Photo: Palestinians inspect damage after Israeli forces withdrew from Shejaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza city. Credit: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
After a three-day strike at the world's largest maker of semiconductors, smartphones and TVs, the labour union at Samsung Electronics in South Korea has declared an indefinite strike.
The union, which has 30,000 members, claims the strike has impacted production, but Samsung denies this. We hear from Professor Daejong Kim from the Graduate School of Business at Sejong University.
Also, Roger Hearing finds out why India's prime minister Narendra Modi is visiting Austria and why the global alcohol industry is obsessed with celebrity-owned drinks.
All through Ghana civil servants have been on strike following the government's failure to honour a pledge to raise their pay. Can their grievances be addressed?
We meet a doctor who carries out operations to reverse female genital mutilation.
And why are Somalis being forced to remove bodies from a graveyard in Mogadishu?
Presenter :Audrey BrownProducers: Joseph Keen, Patricia Whitehorne and Bella Hassan in London. Frenny Jowi and Susan Gachuhi in NairobiTechnical Producer: Jack GraysmarkSenior Journalist: Paul BakibingaEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
NATO leaders gather in Washington DC, with the defence of Ukraine top of their agenda. We hear from a mother whose 12-year-old son survived Russia's missile attack on Kyiv's children's hospital on Monday.
Also in the programme: a Democratic congressman defends the beleaguered US president; and the 16-year-old footballing sensation who just propelled Spain into the finals of the Euros.
(IMAGE: Rescuers work at the site of a missile strike on the 'Okhmatdyt' children's hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. A total of 29 people have been killed, including four children, and 117 others injured, including 10 children, as a result of shelling in Kyiv on 08 July / CREDIT: Maxym Marusenk / /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Israel has told all residents of Gaza City to evacuate- the second time they've had to leave the biggest city in the territory.
It comes as indirect ceasefire talks resume in Qatar.
Also in this podcast:
NATO leaders meet in Washington for a second day, with Ukraine defence at the top of the agenda.
Scientists discover traces of toxic metals in tampons and another joke from American TV show 'The Simpsons' is coming true.
The Global News Podcast brings you the day's top stories from BBC News, covering world events, politics, culture and more.
Let's learn about the word 'quality' with Phil.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-92
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On 2 October 1968, thousands of students protested in Mexico City, 10 days before the Olympics.
The students wanted the government to free political prisoners and respect their right to protest.
More than 4,000 activists came to the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the capital's Tlatelolco district that evening.
It resulted in Mexican soldiers opening fire on the protesters. The death toll has never been confirmed, a government report from the time put it at 26, while student leaders estimated it at more than 100.
In 2011, one of the young protesters, David Huerta, spoke to Julian Miglierini.
(Photo: Students arrested by police in Tlatelolco on 2 October 1968. Credit: Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images)
NATO leaders meet in Washington, amid a rising deathtoll in Ukraine and a debate around the future of US President Biden. What's expected from the reunion?
Elsewhere, Vivienne Nunis looks at why car thefts are soaring in Canada, and why the non-alcholic beer market has investors' attention.
It is one of the most bizarre crimes of our times. Con men posing as police officers are forcing Chinese students to fake their own kidnapping. Elaine Chong reports on the extremes to which criminals will go to make money from their victims. The scammers trick Chinese people studying abroad into believing that they are wanted for crimes back in their homeland, and that they must hand over large sums of money to avoid repercussions for them or their family. When the students can no longer meet the escalating demands they are told to fake their own kidnapping so the fake police can seek a ransom from their relatives back in China.
Ukraine is high on the agenda at the three-day summit. In his opening remarks, President Biden pledged more air defence systems for Kyiv. Meanwhile Democratic party politicians have held meetings over concerns about Mr Biden's fitness for re-election. Also in this podcast, a Russian court issues an arrest warrant for opposition figure Yulia Navalnya, the trial of actor Alex Baldwin begins in New Mexico, and how Denmark is encouraging tourists to go green.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian MP who’s now a key leader of an anti-Putin armed resistance movement active both inside and outside Russia. As Putin’s assault on Ukraine grinds on, how significant is this Russian resistance?
It's the biggest operation of its kind in US history, as the state tries to save its coastline which is vanishing at an alarming rate.
We travel to the Mississippi River and the city of New Orleans to see how billions of dollars are being spent to fix the rapid land loss.
The project to revert the Mississippi to its land-making pathways could restore ecosystems destroyed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and create buffers to protect against sea level rise and hurricanes.
The Louisiana coastline is disappearing due to human-made and natural factors, such as leveeing the Mississippi for oil and gas infrastructure, erosion, and sea-level rises.
And this is having an impact on local wetlands which are eroding, leaving communities vulnerable to storm surges and flooding.
Produced and presented by Beth Timmins
(Image: Oyster shells painted by members of the community as part of the shorelines project )
NATO leaders meet in Washington, amid a rising deathtoll in Ukraine and a debate around the future of US President Biden. What will come from the reunion of the alliance?
Elsewhere, Vivienne Nunis looks at the successful launch of Europe's newest rocket, and why the non-alcholic beer market has investors' attention.
As NATO leaders meet, in Washington, for the organisation's seventy-fifth anniversary summit, war rages on in Europe. Should Ukraine be allowed to join the club - to protect it from Vladimir Putin? We speak to a former Deputy Secretary General of NATO about the likelihood of Ukraine joining the alliance. Also on the programme: campaigners in Australia are putting pressure on ministers to help more disabled people and those with medical conditions get visas; and the Danish capital Copenhagen announces plans to reward eco-friendly tourists with free food and activities.
Photo: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO secretary-general attend a press conference, in Kyiv, April 29, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Thomas Peter.
As Japan axes the use of floppy discs for official government business, presenter Chris Vallance looks at other old tech that's still in use. From magnetic tape to a clockwork interplanetary rover, he discovers some vintage tech with a future. Also in this edition of Tech Life, we test an app that uses artificial intelligence to identify objects and tells us how to recycle them. And we speak to an expert conserving rhinos in South Africa with the help of nuclear technology.
Presenter: Chris VallanceProducer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: A hand loads a floppy disc into a disc drive. Credit: Stockbyte/Getty Images)
The US president Joe Biden is welcoming the heads of NATO member states to Washington today, for its annual summit.
Among the key topics on the agenda are affirming support for Ukraine and strengthening deterrence and defense. We speak to Sweden’s Minister for Defence Pål Jonson.
Also, in the programme, we find out what new trade deals between India and Russia have been discussed in Moscow today and the European Space Agency joins the space race.
Refugees and migrants taking land routes across Africa to get to the Mediterranean and Europe, face extreme violence, abuse and exploitation, with far more believed to be dying there than at sea, a UN-backed report says.
Plus, why is Tanzania struggling with a huge shortage of university professors?
And how the Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay made history at the gruelling Tour de France.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Joseph Keen, Bella Hassan, and Nyasha Michelle in London. Charles Gitonga in NairobiTechnical Producer: Nick RandellSenior Producer: Patricia WhitehorneEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
NATO leaders meet in Washington, with Russia's attack on Kyiv's children's hospital expected to be on the agenda. Plus, what would a second Trump presidency mean for the alliance?
Also in the programme: we hear from Congressman Adam Smith, the latest Democrat to say Joe Biden should stand down as the party's presidential candidate. And the people campaigning to overturn Australia's immigration ban on people with disabilities.
(IMAGE: A view of the convention centre on the day of the NATO 75th Anniversary celebratory event in Washington, U.S., July 9, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters / Yves Herman)
UN to discuss Russia's bombardment of children's hospital. School students in South Korea to receive suicide prevention education. Officials investigate China tanker cooking oil scandal. We report on Australia's strict visa rules regarding disabilities. And human rights groups warn of increased attacks against gays in Ghana.
In January 1990, Cuban singer Celia Cruz, known as ‘the Queen of salsa’, went back to Cuba. Banned by Fidel Castro for opposing his regime, it was the only time in her 43 years of exile that she was able to visit the island.
She was invited to sing in the US naval base on Guantanamo Bay. The trip only lasted a day and a half, but it was full of touching moments and symbolisms. Omer Pardillo Cid, Celia’s manager and close friend, tells Stefania Gozzer about the mark this visit left in the singer.
(Photo: Celia Cruz holds a Cuban flag as she performs during the 'Combinacion Perfecta' concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1993. Credit: Getty)
In a new exhibition Wendy breaks conventions, painting on walls and installing herself in the gallery, becoming part of the art. Wendy Sharpe is an multi-award winning Australian artist working on a new exhibition Spellbound for the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. In this exhibition she breaks all the rules, by painting directly onto walls, hanging works upside down or touching and installing not only her studio in this museum, but also herself, as she paints a mural directly on the wall in front of the public. Regina Botros joins her as she works towards this immersive, labyrinth-like exhibition, where the lines between art and artist are blurred.
Joe Biden has faced ongoing questions surrounding his ability to carry on as president, after his recent debate performance. Now, he's written to Democratic lawmakers, calling for unity and reassuring them he has the ability to run against Donald Trump. Also on this podcast: NATO condemns a Russian airstrike on a children's hospital in Kyiv, a Kenyan doomsday cult leader goes on trial, plane-maker Boeing faces more safety concerns, and a painting in Sydney depicting Jesus as a cartoon character causes a stir.
The global alcohol industry is worth just over one and a half trillion US dollars, and celebrities want a part of it.
Famous faces and their drinks brands are filling up the shelves, from model Kendall Jenner’s tequila to actor Ryan Reynolds’s gin. And it’s not just alcohol: the energy drink market is in the sights of celebrities, too. How much more are customers willing to pay for these products?
In today’s episode of Business Daily, we'll ask those who stock the drinks, and those who serve them, how much difference - if any - a famous name makes, and we'll hear why celebrities and brands benefit from mutual association.
(Picture: David Beckham and Kendall Jenner. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield
Snap elections have produced a win for a left-wing coalition and a somewhat unexpected defeat for the far-right. But no party, or group of parties, has overall control and it isn't clear whether President Macron's gamble of calling those elections has paid off. We hear from one of their MPs.
Russia's latest barrage of missile attacks has killed dozens of people, including at a children's hospital in Kyiv. And it comes the day before NATO holds its summit of leaders of the western world, in Washington.
Pic: Deputy of LFI Matilde Panod (L) and leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) Jean-Luc Melenchon arrive to the Headquarter of the Party for a meeting in Paris Credit: Andre Pain/EPA)
We eat chicken. A LOT of it. We might love the taste, but what about how we're treating those birds?
After witnessing first-hand the reality of indoor chicken farming - how most of the chicken we eat is raised - Dr Chris van Tulleken wants to know: are the birds happy enough, or is our method of rearing cheap chicken actually cruel?
If so, what’s the ‘happier’ alternative – and do carnivores like Chris care enough to pay the price for that, or does a love of meat ultimately trump ethics?
Chris battles with his conscience, and finds the answer hard to stomach.
France which is Europe's second largest economy - woke up to an unexpected result in the second round of its general election. Projections showed the far-right National Rally had failed to win a majority. It had been the largest party after first-round voting - but today, the left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, has most seats, while President Macron’s centre alliance came second. Sam Fenwick gets reaction from businesses and economists about what the result of a hung parliament in France could mean. So, from one election without a clear winner to another with a very clear outcome; UK Labours new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, outlines her plans for delivering economic growth. And Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge stemming from two crashes of 737 Max jetliners that killed three hundred and 46 people. As part of the plea deal, Boeing will pay a criminal fine of nearly $250 million.
The West African regional grouping Ecowas has warned that it risks disintegration and worsened insecurity after Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed a breakaway confederation. Can the three landlocked countries go it alone?
Can your social media presence be inherited after you die?
And a new look at how electronic waste can be recycled in Ghana
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Joseph Keen, Bella Hassan, Yvette Twagiramariya and Nyasha Michelle in London. Susan Gachuhi and Charles Gitonga in Nairobi.Technical Producer: Nick RandellSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Russia unleashes a barrage of missiles on Ukraine killing dozens of people, some at the main children's hospital in Kyiv. We hear from one of the doctors.
Also in the programme: extended coverage of the French election results and their implications, live from Newshour's team in Paris. With none of the three main blocs getting anywhere near a majority - but the Left nudging ahead after Sunday's second round - is one of the world's major economies heading for political deadlock and uncertainty?
(IMAGE: Rescuers work at Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital that was damaged during Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 8, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters / Oleksandr Ratushniak)
Among the targets of Russia's latest barrage of missiles is a children's hospital in Kyiv. The city's mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, called it genocide. Also, the tricky business of forming a government after the inconclusive election in France, and how rule changes in artistic swimming could make the sport more exciting.
In 2006, Dutch engineer Fred van der Weij invented a kitchen device that changed the way many of us cook today: the air fryer.
Fred’s first prototype was nearly as big as a dog kennel and made of wood and aluminium, with a chicken wire basket. It was only a partial success.
But Fred was certain he could make the machine work thanks to an idea he patented called rapid air technology.
Four years later, and after several more prototypes, Fred took his invention to the electronics company, Philips, and signed a deal.
Today, there are many other air fryer brands and models, and by the end of 2024, it’s estimated 80 million will have been sold around the world.
Fred died of cancer in 2022 but his daughter Suus van der Weij witnessed the development of his invention. She told Jane Wilkinson about the family’s pride in her father.
(Photo: Fred van der Weij with his prototypes. Credit: van der Weij family)
What's the connection between a teacher, a driver or a presenter?
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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Stephen Sackur is in the heart of London to speak with Indian-born restaurateur and activist Asma Khan. She created the first all-female, high-end Indian restaurant in the world
How are extraterrestrial spaces being designed? Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two space architects from Austria and the US to hear about how living spaces will be created for the moon and beyond.
Barbara Imhof from Austria is a renowned space architect and co-founder of LIQUIFER Systems Group, specializing in designing sustainable habitats for space exploration. She collaborates with NASA and ESA on projects like the Mars Analog Habitat and inflatable lunar habitats. Imhof's [would we usually use a surname rather than first name or ‘her’] work integrates architecture, technology, and human factors to advance space exploration and inspire sustainable design on Earth.
Melodie Yashar is an Amercian architect and technologist focused on advancing human space exploration through innovative architecture and construction technologies. She has worked on projects such as Mars Dune Alpha and the Mars Ice House, emphasizing sustainable habitats for space environments. Melodie co-founded SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architecture) and collaborates with NASA on extraterrestrial construction initiatives.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Melodie Yashar credit Regan Morton. (R) Barbara Imhof credit Bruno Stubenrauch.)
In a coastal region of eastern Kenya at least one elderly person is being killed every week – in the name of witchcraft. There are violent attacks on people accused of being witches across much of Africa. But, according to human rights groups, the seventy or so murders every year in Kilifi County are about more than fear of the supernatural. For Assignment, Njeri Nwangi from BBC Africa Eye investigates the real motives behind these brutal attacks and the impunity that enables them. She meets victims, relatives and perpetrators. Listeners might find some of the details in this programme upsetting.
Archive: ‘Witches’ Burnt in Kenya, NTD News
When Sister Helen Prejean agreed to write to a convicted murderer on Louisiana’s death row in 1982, she had no idea what was coming. She would end up becoming his spiritual advisor, eventually accompanying him to his execution two years later. The experience changed her profoundly. She wrote a book about what she'd witnessed on death row, Dead Man Walking, which was turned into a major Hollywood movie in 1995. Forty years later, she has witnessed six more state executions - and is still tirelessly fighting to end them.
Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Zoe Gelber
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
Exit polls show surprise lead for left alliance, with the far right in third place. No bloc will have a majority to govern on its own. Also: the prominent US congressman Adam Schiff says Vice President Kamala Harris could overwhelmingly beat Donald Trump; and NASA volunteers emerge from year living in simulated Mars base.
Ghana’s parliament has recently passed a tough new anti-LGBT bill.
President Nana Akufo-Addo hasn't yet signed it in to law, after warnings that it could threaten Ghana’s much needed donor funding from places like the World Bank and IMF.
Ghana is suffering a major economic crisis and last year had a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Other African countries have also brought in similar laws. But is it fair for international financial institutions to get involved in politics in this way?
Presenter: Ed ButlerProducer: Immie Rhodes
(Image credit: AFP)
A left-wing coalition is projected to win parliamentary elections in France, prompting the French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to announce his resignation.
But there is no outright winner and a coalition of centre and leftist parties has held off the far right's ambitions for a majority in Parliament. But if there is no dominant party, what impact will that have?
(Photo: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen talks to journalists after early projections were announced. Credit: Reuters)
Large numbers of French people are voting in the second round of parliamentary elections. Turnout at midday was the highest in over forty years. Attention is focused on whether the far- right National Rally can win an absolute majority.
Also in the programme: Reports quoting Hamas sources say the militant group has accepted Washington’s proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages; and for how much longer can Joe Biden resist pressure to stand aside as the Democratic party's presidential candidate?
(Photo: A woman exits a voting booth with her ballot in hand in the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, at a polling station in Paris, France, July 7, 2024. REUTERS/Yara Nardi)
President Pezeshkian beat hardline coservative rival Saeed Jalili in a second round vote. The 71 year old heart surgeon wants constructive negotiations with western powers over a renewal of the faltering 2015 nuclear deal. We assess its prospects of happening. Also: Hamas says a strike on a UN-run school in Gaza has killed at least 16 people. Israel says it was used by Hamas operatives. A fifth Democratic member of Congress has urged Joe Biden to withdraw from the US presidential race. And there's nervousness in France ahead of Sunday's second round vote that could bring in a far right government.
Voters go to the polls tomorrow in a runoff legislative election between the far-right and a coalition of moderate and centrist parties.
Also in the programme: What might the new Iranian president do - we look at his policy agenda at home and abroad; and the new-look British cabinet.
(Photo: Election posters of the French far-right National Rally. Credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
He beat the hardline conservative candidate Saeed Jalili after securing 53.3% of the more than 30 million votes counted.
Also in the programme: The UK's new Prime Minister holds his first cabinet meeting; and Turkey's ruling party are working on a new bill aimed at getting stray dogs off the streets.
(Photo: Iranian presidential reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during an election campaign in Tehran. Credit: STR/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A virtual tour of Brazil's giant ravines, the radio shows helping Maasai people to protect their land and a real life Squid Game in South Korea: how BBC journalists around the world are finding new and engaging ways to cover climate change stories. Featuring Carol Olona and Shin Suzuki, Caroline Mwende and Suhnwook Lee.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
Imagine bumping into a stranger who has the power and kindness to make your dreams come true. Listener Uta tells us how her chance meeting with Harry led to a place at the University she'd thought was out of reach -- and changed her life forever. They talk about why you should take a chance on strangers and always be willing to help others. Also: We hear from the inspiring young woman helping farmers boost their crops in Kenya using artificial intelligence.Why K-pop stars New Jeans are guiding people around a museum in Europe.The Indonesian women playing heavy metal in hijabs to break down stereotypes.Scientists find lifelong learning isn't reserved for humans -- chimps can do it too.And the world's first school exam in skateboarding.
Our weekly collection of positive stories and happy news from around the world.
Kevin Kwan discusses his internationally best-selling novel, Crazy Rich Asians, with readers from around the world.
Chinese-American academic Rachel Chu lives a modest and happy life with her boyfriend and fellow academic Nick. But when Nick invites her home to Singapore to meet the family, everything changes – starting with the first class flights.
Saturated with wildly wealthy and deliciously dysfunctional super-elites, this ironic and funny rom-com makes a perfect escapist summer read.
We speak to sports psychologist Doctor Carly Anderson who is the team psychologist for the US curling team including when the men won Olympic gold in 2018. She tell us about the mental toughness and the preparation needed to compete in an Olympics after US gymnast Simone Biles qualified for her third games.
NFL player Jermaine Eluemunor has been playing in the NFL since 2017, but this season will turn out for the New York Giants. It was the team that made him fall in love with the sport when he watched them play on TV in his home town of London. This week he returned to the UK and tells Caroline about a camp he is running to get more kids involved.
Caroline is joined by Met police officer turned boxer Rachel Bower on why she wants more women to take up the sport. Plus, we get cooking with Tour de France chef Owen Blandy. He tells us what food he cooks up a mountain and the strangest requests that he has had.
We head to Wimbledon to preview the second week of action and hear how the famous Slazenger balls used at the event are kept in such pristine condition.
Photo: Simone Biles of the United States on the podium with her gold medal after her victory in the Women's Balance Beam Final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships-Antwerp 2023 at the Antwerp Sportpaleis on October 8th, 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
It's 30 years since the murder of Colombian footballer, Andres Escobar.
Just days before his fatal shooting, Escobar had scored an own goal for Colombia at the 1994 World Cup.
He had been blamed for his country's early exit from the tournament and many linked his death directly to his mistake on the pitch.
Matt Pintus has been through the BBC World Service archive, listening to interviews with the Colombian journalist Luis Fernando Restrepo, a friend of Escobar's who saw him on the night he was killed.
(Photo: Andres Escobar playing for Colombia. Credit: Getty Images)
We are now into the second year of changes affecting Focus on Africa and its switch to being primarily a podcast. So how is it going down with listeners? We hear your views - including on recent events in Kenya - and are joined in the studio for an update by its news editor, Alice Muthengi.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
It's a make or break moment for US President Joe Biden who has been facing pressure to step aside after his stumbling performance in the debate against President Trump.
Also, in the programme, Devina Gupta looks at the big election showdown in France this weekend. And the boss of Esports World Cup joins us from Saudi Arabia to talk about allegations of Sports washing.
The UK's first female finance minister Rachel Reeves said the central mission was to boost economic growth nationwide. Also: Hungary's Russia-friendly prime minister meets Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and Kenyan leader responds to criticism from young people in online debate.
Like many countries, Kenya is struggling with a cost of living crisis and how to balance the books. The government’s answer was a plan to raise taxes, in what was called the Finance Bill, and this created a spark for protests across the country. According to estimates by the state-funded rights commission, 39 people have been killed in those demonstrations. Parliament was set on fire and hundreds were arrested. Many of those protesters are in their 20s, from what is known as Generation Z. Ultimately, President Ruto said he would not go ahead with tax increases, and he would listen to the country’s youth - but the protests continue. Host James Reynolds brings together several Gen Z protesters to discuss what is making them so angry.
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.
We hear about the era-defining book Subway Art and how Fight the Power became a protest anthem. Artist curator Marianne Vosloo explains how both street art and hip-hop are linked.
Plus, two stories from Georgia. Firstly, how Stalin carried out his most severe purge in Georgia in 1937, killing thousands of people, and then how after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, the newly independent state was thrown into a political and economic crisis.
Finally, we hear from a former Canadian prime minister, on how her party was left with just two seats after the election in 1993.
Contributors:Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant – authors of Subway Art.Marianne Vosloo - artist curator who works within the field of street art and urban art intervention.Chuck D – Public Enemy frontman.Levan Pesvianidze – Georgian whose grandfather and uncle were both executed.Lamara Vashakidze - a survivor of Georgia’s crisis in 1991.Kim Campbell – former Canadian prime minister.Preston Manning – founder and former leader of Reform.
(Photo: People queing to buy Subway Art. Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
After a momentous change for British politics, the new Prime Minister, Labour's Keir Starmer has been welcoming in his new cabinet. And amongst the members of his top team was the country's first ever female finance minister.
Also, in the programme, Devina Gupta looks at the big elections showdown in France this weekend. And the boss of Esports World Cup joins us from Saudi Arabia to talk about allegations of Sports washing.
Hours after his Labour Party was swept to office with a massive electoral majority, Britain's new prime minister Keir Starmer has assembled his senior government team. Britain's first female chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said the government's central mission was to restore economic growth nationwide. Also in the programme: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban visits Moscow; and Joe Biden claims he isn’t dropping out. (Photo: Newly elected Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria outside No 10 Downing Street after the Labour party won a landslide victory at the 2024 General Election. CREDIT: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
In a bonus episode of The Global Story podcast - A historic loss for the conservatives ushers in a new era in British politics.
The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
On Thursday, voters in the UK delivered a decisive political verdict. Keir Starmer became the new Prime Minister, as the Labour party won a landslide victory. The Conservatives, who have run Britain for 14 years, suffered the worst election defeat in their long history. So, who is Keir Starmer? And can his party deliver the change the people voted for?
Lucy Hockings speaks to Rob Watson - the BBC World Service's UK Political Correspondent. He explains how the Labour majority will command a huge majority in the House of Commons, but not necessarily the same level of support among the public.
This episode was made by Richard Moran, Alix Pickles, Peter Goffin and Eleanor Sly. The technical producers were Ricardo McCarthy. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Keir Starmer said Britain had voted for national renewal, and his government would serve all of its people whether they voted for his Labour Party or not. The former prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said he would step down as Conservative Party leader, but not immediately. Also, European leaders react with anger as the Hungarian prime minister visits Vladimir Putin, and people in Iran vote in the second round of the presidential election.
On World Business Report we have a panel of experts who have been there and know how it works to explain how markets have reacted to the news of a new UK government, ways to boost economic growth and how, practically does Britain's new finance minister get started in a new job?
France also prepares for the second round of its election on Sunday, we hear how businesses are trying to navigate the current political uncertainty there.
Britain's outgoing prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has left Downing Street after his Conservative Party suffered a crushing defeat in Thursday's general election. After 14 years in opposition the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, won with a landslide majority. We have a special edition of Newshour broadcasting from outside the UK parliament.
(Picture: Sir Keir Starmer announces the victory of the Labour Party in the UK Election. Credit: Reu / Plunkett)
Burkina Faso's military is facing increased pressure after reports of a recent spate of the deadly attacks of soldiers by jihadist fighters. The Junta government lead by Ibrahim Traore ,has kept mum about this incidents.
Why are soldiers deserting the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo? 25 soldiers have been sentenced to death for running away from battle with the M23 militia group.
And members of Kenya’s LGBTQ community call for greater freedoms
Presenter:Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan, Nyasha Michelle, Claudia Efemini and Joseph Keen in London. Susan Gachuhi in NairobiSenior Producer: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Craig KinghamEditors:Alice Muthengi adnd Andre Lombard
So we started farming this bird called chicken, and it spread around the world. But what does it actually TAKE to feed us the amount of chicken we want to consume?
100 years ago this was a scrawny, egg-laying bird, only good for a stew once her eggs ran out – no one ate chicken meat. Fast forward to today and it’s the most consumed protein on the planet. How did we come to eat it in the first place, and what are the consequences of producing chicken meat on the vast, industrial scales we now consume it?
Dr Chris van Tulleken uncovers the extraordinary accident of history that birthed a new industry, and changed the way we eat – and think about – meat forever.
In Canada's 1993 election, the governing Progressive Conservative Party was routed, ending up with just two seats.
In the 1980s, the party won the largest majority in Canadian history. But by 1993, it was in crisis and the new Prime Minister, Kim Campbell, called an election. But she didn’t bank on the emergence of a new populist party called Reform, which stormed Canada’s traditionally two-party system claiming 52 seats. The Progressive Conservatives never recovered.
Ben Henderson speaks to the former Prime Minister, Kim Campbell, and Preston Manning, founder and former leader of Reform.
(Photo: Preston Manning. Credit: Peter Power/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
In Australia, more than six people were hospitalised suffering from hallucinations and persistent vomiting. The thing they all had in common? They ate a specific brand of hemp-infused mushroom gummies, which have since been recalled.
But why take mushroom supplements in the first place? Social media claims fungi harnesses the power to unlock your hidden potential, to increase concentration and reduce stress. This week’s panel looks into the evidence. Will these claims crumble under scrutiny?
Professor David Nutt pulls magic mushrooms out of the magicians hat to expose its secrets. These recreational drugs are classified as a psychedelic, causing users to hallucinate. Find out what hallucinations are and why David believes this shroom, illegal in much of the world, could become a key ingredient in medicinal treatments sometime soon.
Also, the first chemist on record, how touch screens can tell the difference between your finger and an inanimate object, and why some songs get stuck between your ears.
Presenter: Alex LathbridgePanellists: Christine Yohannes and Godfred BoafoProducers: Harrison Lewis, Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Noa Dowling and Florian Bohr
Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 9 uses of 'cut' - in 5 minutes.
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Keir Starmer's Labour party wins a huge parliamentary majority. Scores of former government ministers lose seats after 14 years of Conservative leadership. We examine the popularity of the new right-wing Reform party, and the results in Scotland. Also: The impact of social media on campaigning, and the view of newspapers around the world.
Sepharad is the Hebrew word for Spain and Jews who trace their ancestry there are called Sephardic Jews. Five hundred years ago they were expelled from Spain. Their exile created new communities stretching from Brazil to Amsterdam to Istanbul and today, Israel. It is a culture filled with food and songs of longing for a homeland. Michael Goldfarb goes on a journey from the past to the present in search of Sepharad.
Millions of people voted at the UK General election. Rahul Tandon finds out what the exit polls tell us about how the contest could go and what it means global economy.
Exit polls estimate a Labour majority of a-hundred-and-seventy seats in the new British parliament. Rishi Sunak and his Conservative party appear to have suffered one of their worst ever nights. Also: US President Joe Biden welcomes Israel's announcement that it will resume talks with Hamas in Qatar, and why you can no longer cuddle a Koala in Brisbane.
France's centrist Prime Minister Gabriel Attal warns of a "climate of fear" ahead of parliamentary elections on Sunday - while national football star Kylian Mbappe urges people to vote against the far right National Rally.
Also in the programme: negotiations resume between Israel and Hamas on a Gaza ceasefire deal; and as pressure mounts on 81-year old US President Joe Biden to stand aside as Democratic Party candidate, we hear some sobering thoughts from Malaysia's former prime minister, who was 94 when he resigned.
(IMAGE: French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is seen after Ensemble Pour La Republique candidate and French Government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot and her team were targeted by an unidentified group of youth while they were out putting up campaign posters prior to the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Meudon-la-Foret, near Paris, France, July 4, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters/Benoit Tessier)
Science in Action is at the UK's Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, hunting for dark matter, melting ancient ice, cleaning up disused mines and looking for the batteries of the future.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Pile of used batteries ready for recycling. Credit: Mindful Media via Getty Images)
Will Bain finds out more about the malaria vaccine that scientists and economists think could save some economies millions…
Also, those EU tariffs on Chinese electric cars have come into force - we'll look at what that might mean next…
And finally, we're off for a spot of wine tasting.
New efforts to end the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages are under way. Meanwhile the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah says it's launched more than 200 rockets and attack drones towards Israel, in response to the killing of one of its senior commanders. We hear from our correspondent in the region.
Also on the programme: The election in France and how the issue of immigration is driving a wedge between communities in the port of Marseille; and we hear all about how IVF could help save rhinos from extinction.
(Photo: Hezbollah hits Israel with over 200 rockets after commander's killing; Credit: Mostafa Alkhrouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Africa's youngest nation, South Sudan will head to the polls this December, but critics say they are disappointed with the government’s lack of preparedness. These elections will be the first ever conducted in the country since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. However, several conditions listed in a peace agreement, drawn up in September 2018, have not yet been met. Is the country ready?
Also, what's causing the Gen Z inspired protests in Kenya to continue, despite some concessions by the president?
And we learn more about the allegations that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is defending senior officials accused of corruption.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers Kaine Pieri, Bella Hassan, Joseph Keen and Sunita Nahar in London and Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Senior Producer Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Craig Kingham.Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard.
The Lebanese armed movement, Hezbollah, says it has fired more than two hundred rockets and explosive drones into northern Israel, targeting several military bases. The barrage follows the killing of one of the group’s senior commanders in an Israeli strike on Wednesday. The Israeli army says it shot down a number of projectiles and has responded by destroying seven rocket launch sites in southern Lebanon. Also: strong winds and heavy rain hit the Cayman Islands as Hurricane Beryl makes its way towards the coast of Mexico, and the nine year old girl who's now England's youngest international chess star.
It's 35 years since the release of one of the most provocative songs in music history.
Fight the Power by hip-hop group, Public Enemy, was radical both politically and sonically.
The song was written at the request of filmmaker, Spike Lee, who needed an anthem for his 1989 movie, Do the Right Thing.
The film became a box office smash and - despite controversy surrounding Public Enemy's image - the song soon became an anthem of protest and rebellion all over the world.
Public Enemy frontman, Chuck D, shares his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Chuck D and Spike Lee pictured in 1989. Credit: Getty Images)
You might think that we teach toddlers, but they can teach us as well! Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240704
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✔️ Learning English for Work✔️ Learning English from the News✔️ Learning English Stories
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Hurricane Beryl has hit Jamaica, bringing with it catastrophic damage. A number of people have already been killed in the path of the storm, including in Grenada, as well as St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Devina Gupta talks to local business owners and finds out how climate change is impacting insurance companies across the globe.
Also, in the programme, we talk to Austin D. Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Federal Reserve. We also take a look at the UK’s general election and one of the big voter issues - the price of buying a home.
Questions have been swirling around whether the US president Joe Biden will continue his re-election bid after last week's disastrous TV debate. Also: Israeli strike kills senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, and world's oldest cave art found showing humans and pig.
In many countries around the world, trying to take your own life is still a criminal offence. People who have attempted suicide are often put in prison and deep-rooted religious beliefs and cultural attitudes are often behind the criminalisation laws. Journalist Ashley Byrne looks into Malawi where people face jail sentences of up to two years and Bangladesh and Kenya who have been arrested, beaten up and faced problems rebuilding their lives. Ashley (whose partner tried to take his own life twice) also speaks to mental health specialists in countries which have recently changed the law like Singapore and Pakistan. He hears how despite decriminalisation stigma around suicide prevails.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied in multiple industries all around the world, and in travel, the technology has made big strides.
We travel to Spain to find out how the airline Iberia and the hotel chain Iberostar are using AI to change the way they operate.
At Iberostar, AI applications can analyse and predict the amount of food that restaurants will need, and hopefully reduce food waste as a result.
Meanwhile, Iberia is using the tool as a personal assistant to help high-end travellers plan their trips.
And we hear about some of the limitations of the technology if it's not applied properly.
(Picture: Business woman with an open suitcase, preparing for a trip, while looking at her phone. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Ashish Sharma
Taste, it turns out, is not a matter of opinion. Scientists have discovered that your perception of taste is informed by your genetics.
When we eat or drink something, we may be having an entirely different experience to the person we’re sharing a meal with, or the chef who has prepared it, or the critic who has recommended it.
In this programme Ruth Alexander explores her likes and dislikes and how they might be informed by biology.
Ruth meets Laura Kent of the Yorkshire Wine School in the UK who helps her learn about her sensitivity to acidic and bitter flavours. Ruth speaks to Anne Fadiman, writer and Professor of creative writing at Yale University in the US, who dislikes wine, despite her wine critic father loving it. Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, US, explains the science. Tim Hanni, Master of Wine, and author of ‘Why You Like The Wine You Like’ argues that the wine industry is not paying enough attention to individual tastes. Where does this new science leave wine competitions? David Kermode, judge at the IWSC, International Wine and Spirits Competition, makes the case for the experts.
If you'd like to contact the programme, please contact thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.
Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: three people tasting wine. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Hurricane Beryl has hit Jamaica, bringing with it catastrophic damage. A number of people have already been killed in the path of the storm, including in Grenada, as well as St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Devina Gupta talks to local business owners and finds out how climate change is impacting insurance companies across the globe.
Also, in the programme, we talk to Austin D. Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Federal Reserve. We also take a look at the UK’s general election and one of the big voter issues - the price of buying a home.
Hurricane Beryl is battering southern Jamaica with sustained winds of up to two- hundred- and- thirty kilometres an hour. It may make landfall there in the coming hours. There are reports of power cuts in many places, including the capital, Kingston. The Category Four storm is already causing dangerous winds and a sea surge. The Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness, has declared a twelve-hour daytime curfew across the island. The hurricane caused extensive damage on other Caribbean islands. Seven people are known to have died so far. Also in the programme: the UK prepares to go to the polls; and what effect is AI having on the climate? (Photo: Sea waves break as Hurricane Beryl approaches, as seen from the Caribbean Terrace neighbourhood in Kingston, Jamaica. CREDIT: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
A special episode from this year’s annual Royal Society Summer Exhibition in London, with Claudia Hammond joined by BBC health and science correspondent, James Gallagher, to take a look at a range of new health research.
The exhibitions include a look at how special forms of UV light might be able to cut away cancerous cells in brain tumours, with the possibility of light emitting bandages also being used to target cancer treatments.
Claudia and James also look at research from The Francis Crick Institute into whether a simple blood test can help work out how to quickly identify patients who are most likely to deteriorate when they have a virus.
We also hear how much brain devices we can buy online really tell us about our brain activity, as well as research into how the way babies wriggle may help identify future developmental issues.
Claudia and James also compete in a number of scientific games to see who is this year’s Summer Exhibition champion.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh
The court has also ruled that Japan's twenty-year statute of limitations does not apply in such cases, paving the way for thousands to seek redress. Also: the United Nations says aid sent to the people of Sudan has been looted on an industrial scale, a mother says she killed her terminally ill seven year old son to end his suffering, and voters in the UK go to the polls on Thursday, we look at the issue of immigration.
The UK is less than 24 hours away from polls opening in a landmark general election. The next government will inherit a low growth economy and a complicated relationship with its biggest trading partner, the European Union. Waiting lists within the National Health Service, and rise in the cost of living have been among the major issues during the campaign.
Britain's political parties are making their last push for support on the eve of voting in the general election, with the governing Conservatives still far behind in opinion polls. We have a special broadcast from the English West Midlands. Also in the programme: Child marriage ban welcomed in Sierra Leone; and what women's BMX at the Olympics has done for the sport.
(Photo: Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak. Credit: PA and Reuters)
Two countries with major links to Africa are holding make or break elections this week. Britain and France. These elections will usher in new governments which may have completely new approaches to the continent. How will the outcome of the British and French elections impact Africa? And should Africans care?
Also, Sierra Leone receives a million dollar grant from a US development agency, to scale up its electricity supply. How did they land the deal and how will the money be used?
And the ancient language in danger of disappearing in Ethiopia.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Sunita Nahar, Victor Sylver and Joseph Keen.Tech Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Listen to Beth explain how to use the word 'general'. How many ways do you use the word 'general'?
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-91
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Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the newly independent state Georgia found itself on the verge of a civil war.
Rebel groups in Tbilisi came together to overthrow the newly elected President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who was forced into hiding. Gunmen took to the streets and hospitals were overwhelmed.
In 2010, Tom Esslemont spoke to Lamara Vashakidze, a survivor of Georgia’s crisis.
(Photo: Two Georgian soldiers stand among bomb-damaged buildings in Tbilisi. Credit: Patrick Robert/Sygma/CORBIS/Sygma via Getty Images)
Do you know how to pronounce the words photographer and photograph? We can help you.
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Stephen Sackur speaks to Anne Enright, the Irish novelist whose fiction digs deep into the dynamics of family, motherhood, and sexuality. In the course of her long writing career, just how much has Ireland changed?
Judo is a powerful practice that cultivates discipline, resilience and community. It's also an incredible test of physical and mental strength. Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two top female judo competitors to find out what it takes to be an elite athlete.
Tina Trstenjak is a recently retired Slovenian judoka and Olympic gold medallist in the women's 63 kg category at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She has also secured multiple World and European Championship titles, solidifying her status as one of the top competitors in her weight class. recently retired, she works for the International Judo Federation as an expert and referee observer.
Sandrine Billiet is from Belgium and has also competed for Cape Verde internationally including at the 2019 World Judo Championships and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She says judo sustained her through her teenage years and the long illness of her mother. She works for the World Olympians Association.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
Script writer Baek Mi-kyoung has pioneered female narratives on Korean television, putting women front and centre of acclaimed dramas like Mine and The Lady in Dignity. Seven years ago, her K-drama Strong Girl Bong-soon was a huge success. Audiences fell in love with this rom-com about a cute girl with supernatural strength. / Next, Baek wanted to create an all-action multigenerational female superhero series. But would the budget match her ambitions? Vibeke Venema meets her as the series, Strong Girl Nam-soon, is going to air - and the all-important TV ratings are coming in.
Exit polls suggest Marine Le Pen’s National Rally won the biggest share of the vote – far more than President Macron’s party. Also: Australia introduces some of the world's toughest new regulations on vaping, and Indonesia’s hijab-wearing heavy metal band takes Glastonbury by storm.
Salima Hashmi is a pioneer of political satire on Pakistani TV. But after the dictator General Zia took power in the 1977 military coup, she faced new and dangerous challenges when her show was banned. It was a troubling time for Salima’s family but from exile, her father Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote his most famous poem, Hum Dekhenge, a battle cry for liberation. Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Maryam MarufArchive from the Faiz Foundation Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
After tackling its security problem, can the smallest country in Central America get its finances under control too?
We hear from street sellers, economists and locals about the issues they're still facing, and visit a surf town where tourism is having a big economic impact.
Produced and presented by Jane Chambers
(Image: A street market in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Credit: Getty Images)
France's far right National Rally has made big gains in the first round of the parliamentary elections, exit polls suggest.
Celebrating her party's early success, Marine Le Pen says "democracy has spoken" as she declares President Emmanuel Macron's camp "practically wiped out". Meanwhile, Mr Macron is calling for a broad alliance against Ms Le Pen's party ahead of next week's second round. Also in the programme: The UN holds talks with members of the Afghan Taliban in Qatar: does bringing them to the table imply recognition of their government? And the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines on preparations for Hurricane Beryl.
(Photo shows Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, speaking to journalists after partial results in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections in Henin-Beaumont, France on 30 June 2024. Credit: Yves Herman/Reuters)
Round one of the French parliamentary elections: with the far right party of Marine Le Pen ahead in the polls, what's expected and what could happen in the next two weeks as the three main voting blocs compete for votes?
Also in the programme: the United Nations says conditions for Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip are 'unbearable' following a flare-up in the fighting there - we hear from UNRWA inside Gaza; and we look at the economic impact of banning TikTok in India.
(IMAGE: A voter casts their ballot in the first round of France's early parliamentary elections, at a polling station in Paris, France, 30 June 2024 / CREDIT: MOHAMMED BADRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Nigeria is Africa’s economic powerhouse - so why are so many young people trying to leave and find opportunities in other countries? It’s become so common there’s even a word for it: Japa, Yoruba for escape.
Last year, Nigeria’s immigration service issued a record number of passports - almost 2 million.
So when we were in Lagos we spoke to the BBC’s Faith Oshoko, who explained what drives young professionals to move abroad.
And we chatted to students - would they ever Japa? And would they come back?
To find out more of what is going on in the world search for "What in the World" wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.
Next Friday's poll will be between hardliner Saeed Jalili and rival Masoud Pezeshkian, seen as a reformist, who both failed to secure a majority. Also: the acquittal of all 28 people charged with money laundering following the Panama Papers scandal, and a Yazidi choir of victims of the Islamic State group sing of their memories.
In Iran - the only reformist candidate in presidential elections will face a run-off, at the end of next week, with an ultra-conservative rival. Also on the programme, 10 years after Islamic State declared their “Caliphate”, Yazidis are still struggling to recover from genocide; and, Amnesty International says armed criminals may have been introduced into protests in Kenya to inflame the situation.
(Photo: An Iranian woman casts her vote in a polling station during the presidential election, in Tehran, Iran, 28 June 2024. Iran holds presidential elections on 28 June, following the death of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on 19 May 2024.STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Presidential elections in Iran go to a second round, with the only candidate to have criticised the status quo clearly ahead. But after a record low turnout, the authorities denied that there was widespread voter apathy. Also in the programme: ten years after the founding of the Islamic Caliphate, some victims of IS sing their memories; and how TikTok is being used to recruit guerilla fighters in Colombia.
(IMAGE: An Iranian woman look at the presidential candidates lists before casting her vote in a polling station during the presidential election, in Tehran, Iran, 28 June 2024 / CREDIT: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Instant loan apps promise easy money. But what's the catch? Investigative reporter Poonam Agarwal and filmmaker Ronny Sen take us behind the scenes of their award-winning documentary The Trap: Inside the blackmail scam destroying lives across India.
This programme contains discussion of suicide and suicide attempts. If you feel affected by this topic, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at: www.befrienders.org
Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
Preschool teacher Carissa got tested as soon as she heard her former pupil, 5 year old Ezra, needed a liver transplant. She tells us she didn't think twice about donating and wants him to be able to do 'five year old things'. Ezra's mum Karen says she's overwhelmed that someone would be willing to do something so selfless and giving for her son.Also: A new drug that could protect women from getting HIV with just two injections a year.The extraordinary Euro 2024 football victory that's helped a country believe in itself.How volunteers managed to save priceless works of art at the start of the war in Ukraine.We're back in Finland for an equestrian competition with no animals - where people jump and ride wooden stick toys called hobby horses.And we hear from Debbie Wileman - whose lockdown social videos have led to a new career as a Judy Garland impersonator.Our weekly collection of happy news and positive stories from around the world.
Noor Slaoui is another history maker at this year’s Olympic in Paris becoming the first equestrian rider from the Middle East or North Africa to compete in Eventing in the history of the Games. Growing up Morocco, Noor tells us about walking equine animals in the Atlas Mountains with her family in her childhood and how she has ended up in England’s horsing hub via France. Spurred on by the belief in her by her mother, Noor also tells us how she feels when she represents the region as a female athlete.
Hear how a school in one of the most disadvantaged areas in London, just 10 kilometres from the home of Wimbledon, is making tennis more accessible. Under a programme set up by the charity Greenhouse Sports, tennis coach Tom Sippy has transformed the sporting complexion at Sarah Bonnell school in the heart of East London. Tom and student Manal explain how a scheme which started with holey nets and broken tennis courts has turned into an award-winning initiative.
We’ll meet Caroline and Tinashe Gatimu, the mother and daughter rally team from Kenya trying to inspire unexpected passions. The pair are the first mother-daughter team to race at the World Rally Championship Safari, and 2024 marks the 71st edition of the Safari Rally in Kenya. Sportshour's Shabnam Younus-Jewell has been speaking to them about how they are encouraging more women to get into motorsport.
Dynamo Victoria FC’s founder Alejandro Ramirez explains how Sir Alex Ferguson has shaped the ethos and the name of one of the most multicultural amateur football teams in Australia. With more than 30 nationalities across their men's and women's teams, we’ll hear about their success and the “cultural mosaic” that is Melbourne.
Plus, we hear why Parkrun – the weekend running event with millions of participants worldwide - could now be on its way to Uganda. Parkrun MD for Europe and Africa Tom Williams joins us, as well as Josephine Ocaka, one of a group of Ugandans, looking to take the social running event to their home country.
Photo: Noor Slaoui competes in the Aston Advanced 2022 with her horse Cash in Hand. (Credit: ROKH Global)
We get your comments on one writer’s endless curiosity about the effects of culture wars on ordinary lives. And we ask that journalist, Jon Ronson, about how he approached making the Things Fell Apart mini-series.
Plus, a unique broadcast that is unlike anything else heard on the BBC World Service for the world’s smallest audience! We tell the story of the Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast 2024.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Jewish tennis star Liesl Herbst dreamt of playing at Wimbledon but after Hitler invaded Austria, she was banned from competing.
After fleeing from the Nazis with her family to London, she finally played two months before World War Two began.
When it resumed in 1946, Liesl returned with her daughter Dorli to play in the ladies' doubles.
They remain the only mother and daughter who have competed together at Wimbledon.
Felice Hardy, granddaughter of Liesl and daughter of Dorli, author of The Tennis Champion Who Escaped The Nazis, speaks to Megan Jones.
(Credit: Hardy)
We look at the reaction to the first US 2024 presidential debate between Biden and Trump with Julia Manchester, reporter from The Hill.
Meta threatens to block news content on Facebook in Australia if a law charging them licensing fees is implemented. Roger Hearing speaks to Professor Taylor Owen from McGill University in Montreal, who has studied the effect on media organisations in Canada.
We go to Haiti where Kenyan police attempt to tackle the endemic gang violence there.
And with Roger throughout the programme are two guests on opposite sides of the world - Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Sydney, and Gaby Castro Fontoura, Director of Sunny Sky Solutions consultancy in Uruguay, Punta Del Este.
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is something millions of people look forward to as an immensely spiritual experience. A main pillar of Islam, Muslims try to do it at least once in their lives, if they are physically and financially able. Saudi Arabia says 1.8 million people took part in Hajj this year. It coincided with a heatwave where temperatures reached more than 50C. Some 1,300 people died, many of those due to the intense heat. Three Muslims - from Kenya, the United States and Saudi Arabia – share their experiences of Hajj, including spiritual enlightenment, overcrowding, bereavement and sexual harassment.
US President Joe Biden has spoken at a rally in North Carolina - his first public event since he struggled in the first televised debate of the 2024 presidential campaign. He directly addressed concerns about his age, admitting he doesn't debate like he used to, but "when you get knocked down, you get back up". His Republican opponent, Donald Trump, also held a rally. He boasted to voters in Virginia about his past presidential record and claimed victory in Thursday's debate. Also: The roof of the main airport terminal in the Indian city of Delhi collapses in heavy rain, and the Colombian schoolchildren being lured by rebels on TikTok.
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.
We hear the story of the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world and the creation of one of the most recognisable characters on the planet.
Plus, an amazing first hand account of the expulsion of German-speakers from Czechoslovakia at the end of the Second World War, the man behind Dignitas, the assisted dying organisation in Switzerland, and the son of a Guatemalan president who was overthrown in an American-backed coup in the 1950s.
Contributors:Mark Burry - architect, who was part of a team trying to piece together Gaudí's vision for the Sagrada Família.Madeleine Kessler - architect from Madeleine Kessler Architecture.Yuko Shimizu - the artist who designed Hello Kitty.Helmut Scholz - a Sudeten German, who was expelled from Czechoslovakia after the Second World War.Ludwig Minelli - the lawyer behind Dignitas, the assisted dying organisation.Juan Jacobo - the son of the former Guatemalan president Jacobo Árbenz.
(Photo: The Sagrada Família, in Barcelona. Credit: Getty Images)
In a 6-3 vote, the US Supreme Court killed a legal precedent that conservatives have attacked for decades, known as the "Chevron deference". The court decided in 1984 that judges should defer to federal agencies in interpreting ambiguous parts of statutes. However, from now on the courts alone will decide. Roger Hearing speaks to our reporter Nada Tawfik who tells us more about the Chevron Deference and a scientist who is among those opposing the judgement.
As Iran votes in a new president, what are the economic challenges the new man will face?
Kenyan police have arrived in Haiti to try to tackle the endemic gang violence there - a Haitian professor tells us what difference they're likely to make. We hear from a gang leader and Professor in Haiti.
And it was the busiest day ever for American air travel - a big post-covid recovery - but do the airlines and airports have enough capacity?
President Javier Milei’s plans to slash public spending has been approved by Parliament. Devina Gupta speaks to reporter Natalio Cosoy based in Argentina about what this controversial approval could mean for ordinary citizens.
We head to India's capital city - Delhi which has seen its highest rainfall in over 80 years.
And find out how investors are reacting to two big upcoming elections - the US and France.
US Democrats are discussing whether Joe Biden can continue as the party's presidential candidate in the wake of his halting display in a televised election debate with Donald Trump. We speak to Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Also in the programme: Millions of Iranians vote in a presidential election; and a new electric car battery which charges in under five minutes.
(Photo: Composite photo of Democratic Party presidential candidate, US President Joe Biden (R) and Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump (L) speak during a presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia, 27 June 2024. Credit: Brian SnyderReuters)
Sierra Leone recently passed a landmark bill to ban child marriage. The country has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world. How easy will it be to eliminate the practice?
Also we hear from the new chancellor for the University of Nairobi Professor Patrick Verkooijen. What's his view on the Gen Z inspired protests in Kenya?
And how did Togo manage to eliminate four neglected tropical diseases?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Aime Liebowitz, Bella Hassan, Victor Sylver and Rob Wilson in London. Frenny Jowi and Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Technical Producer: Chris KouzarisSenior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
After president Joe Biden's faltering performance in the TV debate with Donald Trump there are calls to replace him. Also, Iranians are voting to elect a new president to replace Ebrahim Raisi who was killed last month in a helicopter crash, and why radioactive rhino horns help conservation efforts.
A nationwide power outage in Ecuador left 18 million people in the dark, shutting down traffic lights and the capital’s subway system.
But Ecuador isn’t the only place dealing with blackouts. In Nunavut, Canada, where panelist Meral Jamal lives, power outages happen frequently, including as she was preparing for this programme. How do you deal with a power outage in a remote place? And how did the Inuit manage the cold winter months without electricity at all?
What is the darkest colour in the world? You may think it is black, but, in fact, there is something even darker – ultra-black. Deep-sea fish, butterflies, and, surprisingly, even humans have used ultra-black for a variety of purposes, like being sneaky, fashion statements, and contemporary art.
But what about nature’s blackouts? Ocean scientists Allie Clement tells us about long sunless winters in Antarctica, merry midwinter celebrations, and how ecosystems in Antarctica responds to months of darkness.
Also, the singular origin of a new apex predator hybrid, why alligators have such disgusting table manners, and the maths of scamming which adds up to some astonishingly big bucks.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton with Meral Jamal and Phillys MwateeProducer: Florian Bohr with Julia Ravey, Noa Dowling and Katie TomsettSound engineer: Tim Heffer
Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 9 uses of 'dead' - in 5 minutes.
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In anticipation of the first debate, we are joined by expert guests to look at how important these heads-to-heads can be. Will the debate allow Biden to reclaim some of the lost ground? And what do small businesses want to hear from the two candidates?
Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be using the stage at the CNN debate in Atlanta to try and convince voters to back them in November. Also: Palestinians flee Gaza City's Shejaiya area amid heavy bombardment, and Elon Musk's SpaceX hired to destroy International Space Station.
The CEO of Vue International started out as a high school drop out as he wanted to concentrate on a snowsports career.
We hear how, when that didn't work out, Tim Richards ended up entering the film industry and eventually starting his own cinema chain in his garage.
Vue is now Europe's largest privately owned cinema chain but it hasn't been an easy ride - Tim tells us how the company has weathered both the Covid pandemic and the Hollywood writer's strikes. Presenter: Leanna ByrneProducer: Amber Mehmood
(Image: Tim Richards. Credit: Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump prepare to go head to head in televised debates. We ask a former adviser to Biden and a Republican pollster about what’s to expect and what’s at stake. Also on the programme: more protests in Kenya even after the President U-Turns on his controversial tax policy; a BBC investigation tracks down a prolific people smuggler involved in trafficking people across the English Channel; and new research warns that AI-generated essays score higher grades than student-written scripts and are virtually impossible for universities to detect. (Picture: The press room in the McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus ahead of the first 2024 presidential debate Credit: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
It's 20 years since Greece caused one of the biggest shocks in the history of football by winning Euro 2004.
Greece were 80/1 outsiders before a ball was kicked, and had never even won a match or scored a goal at a major tournament.
They had a two-man coaching team and a squad of unknowns, but became champions of Europe.
Sportsworld’s Mani Djazmi looks back on their triumph in Portugal and in a special podcast, you’ll hear from members of the Greek squad including Angelos Charisteas, Nikos Dabizas and Traianos Dellas.
Photo: Greece players lift the Euro 2004 trophy, having beaten hosts Portugal 1-0 at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
We head to Kenya where a day after President Ruto rolled back controversial tax increases, young protestors are still out on the streets . As police fire tear gas to try and disperse crowds, Devina Gupta finds out what the impact has been on daily life and businesses.
Also, how families in Zambia are struggling with rising costs, driven by a prolonged drought.
From the US - what to expect in the first presidential debate today, and why pharmacy chain Walgreens is shutting a significant number of stores.
The former head of Bolivia's army is in custody after leading what the government described as an attempted coup. Seconds before his arrest on Wednesday, General Juan José Zúñiga told reporters he'd been ordered to stage the uprising by the president. He said Luis Acre wanted to boost his own popularity by putting armoured vehicles on the streets. Also in the programme: The BBC tracks down a man thought to be behind deadly trips for migrants across the English Channel; and are British voters fed-up with politicians? (Photo: Bolivian General Juan José Zúñiga is presented after his arrest by the authorities for an apparent coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia June 26, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Claudia Morales)
He is thought to organise illegal boat crossings between France and the UK, including a trip in April which resulted in the death of a seven-year-old girl. Also in this podcast: Joe Biden and Donald Trump prepare to go head-to-head in their first election debate, Bolivia's opposition says the attempted military coup on Wednesday was staged by the president, and Denmark introduces the world's first tax on cows.
BBC Trending's podcast feed is closing, but we'll be publishing new episodes in the BBC World Service's Documentary Podcast from now on. Search for The Documentary wherever you get your BBC podcasts, and subscribe to get new episodes of BBC Trending along with a range of exciting new documentaries from around the world.
The brilliant cricketer Frank Worrell became the first permanent Black captain of the West Indies team in 1960 – but he had to wait for a decade to get the job, denied by the elitism, insularity and racism of Caribbean cricket's rulers. BBC producer and cricket author Simon Lister travels to Barbados to find out how Worrell's upbringing, his cricketing adventures and his determination not to be cowed by the powers that ran island cricket, shaped a man who changed the West Indian game for ever. Simon Lister also considers Frank Worrell's legacy for today, speaking to Ebony Rainford-Brent, England's women's first Black cricketer who discovered that she had a unique connection to Frank Worrell that changed her life.This programme contains outdated and discriminatory language
In June 1954, the first CIA-backed coup took place in Guatemala, when President Jacobo Arbenz was overthrown in a operation organised by the US government. The Administration of Dwight D Eisenhower feared his policies - which included a land reform - could threaten the interests of one of the most powerful firms in the US at the time – the United Fruit Company.
Arbenz was labelled a communist, and he was forced into a long exile that took him and his family to seek shelter across Europe and Latin America. Arbenz's son told Mike Lanchin in 2016 about the devastating impact the coup had on his family.
(Photo: The Arbenz family in 1955. Credit: RDB via Getty)
How can literacy change people's lives? Beth and Phil discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240627
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LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including:
✔️ Learning English for Work✔️ Learning English from the News✔️ Learning English Stories
They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, seems to have defeated a military coup attempt in the city. He later made a social media address from inside the presidential palace, a short time after a tank knocked down a main gate, allowing troops to enter the complex. Also: Sunak and Starmer clash in final UK election debate, and music festival blamed for gazelle deaths in Spain.
In Bolivia, factions of the military attempted to enter the presidential palace in what was described as an attempted coup. We dig into what prompted the military assault, and the questions now facing the country's leaders. Elsewhere, Roger Hearing looks at the latest in Kenya following deadly riots. And we hear how small food cooperatives in Spain are taking on major supermarkets.
More of us are living in cities and urban farming is on the rise. Can you be sure the city soil you’re growing in is clean enough?
Industry and traffic can contaminate land, but there are ways to deal with the problem.
Ruth Alexander finds out how to test soil, how to clean it, and which fruit and vegetables are the safest to grow on former industrial and commercial sites.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: A garden trowel with some soil on it)
Producer: Hannah Bewley
It's a familiar feature of our oceans and beaches and yet its environmental impact has largely been overlooked.
Now supporters say seaweed can help us address climate change by reducing our reliance on fertilisers, and by reducing the methane emissions produced by cows. On top of that, proponents say a new material produced from the sugars in seaweed could provide a biodegradable alternative to the millions of tonnes of single-use plastic we throw away each year.
No wonder the World Bank is predicting a global seaweed boom worth $12bn this decade.
We hear from scientists and entrepreneurs from Australia to Zanzibar who say we are only just beginning to understand the exciting possibilities posed by this ubiquitous underwater species.
The Irish folk tune Dúlamán, about the island’s traditional seaweed gatherers, is used with the permission of musician Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh.
Produced and presented by Vivienne Nunis.
(Picture: Seaweed farm. Sumbawa. Indonesia. Credit: Getty Images)
In Bolivia, factions of the military have attempted to enter the presidential palace in what's being described as an attempted coup. We dig into what might be behind the movement. Elsewhere, Roger Hearing looks at the latest in Kenya following deadly riots. And we hear from the Dubai boss of one of the world's largest free trade areas, who has defended its policy to continue trading even with countries locked in conflict.
President Ruto of Kenya has abandoned planned tax rises in response to deadly protests on Tuesday. Newshour gets reaction from a young protestor.
Also in the programme: the US Supreme Court's accidental abortion leak; and an astronaut on when things go wrong in space;
(Picture: Kenyan President Ruto withdraws controversial tax bill in the wake of violent protests, Nairobi, Kenya - 26 Jun 2024 leak. Credit: handout)
This week on Health Check, we get an update on a new and concerning strain of MPox that is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Also on the program, it has been two years since the United States overturned the constitutional right to an abortion with the Dobbs decision. What effect has this had on the global picture of abortion? And could arts-based strategies help doctors to cope with burnout and patient communication. Doctor Graham Easton joins Claudia Hammond to discuss these stories and more.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins
Kenya’s President has declined to sign a contentious finance bill that has sparked nationwide deadly protests. The bill has been sent back to parliament for amendments.
Leanna Byrne speaks to a Kenyan influencer who explains how the proposals could affect her work.
Volkswagen has jolted the electric vehicle industry by partnering with an EV start-up... We'll get the ins-and-outs of that deal.
And the Japanese yen has dropped to its lowest level in 34 years, which has people wondering: Will the government intervene?
Somalia's ambassador to the United Nations recently accused Ethiopian troops of making illegal incursions across their shared border. Relations between the two countries have continued to decline ever since Ethiopia signed a non-binding agreement with the breakaway Republic of Somaliland earlier this year.
Why Africans continue to pay a high price for denied visas into Europe.
And how floating solar panels can help Africa become more energy sufficient.
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Susan Gachuhi, Frenny Jowi, Sunita Nahar, Bella Hassan, Nyasha Michelle and Patricia Whitehorne.Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
At least 13 protesters were killed during protests in Kenya, doctors say, and a section of the parliament buildings went up in flames as demonstrations against new tax proposals escalated on Tuesday.
We hear from Kenya's governing party about the situation.
Also in the programme: the UN warns about lethal new synthetic drugs; Julian Assange arrives back in Australia; and what to wear to sing along with Shania Twain at Glastonbury.
(Photo shows flames and smoke coming out of a building during a protest near the Kenyan parliament against tax hikes in Nairobi, Kenya on 25 June 2024. Credit: EPA)
Julian Assange returns to Australia a free man after a court appearance on a remote Pacific island. Also: American journalist Evan Gershkovich has gone on trial in Russia on spying charges, an Islamist rebel is found guilty of war crimes in Mali and who is filling the Legend slot in this year's Glastonbury festival?
Listen to Beth explain how to use the word 'material' and then you can use material everyday.
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcriptf or this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-90
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish
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LIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ Learning English Vocabulary✔️ 6 Minute English Grammar✔️ Learning English ConversationsThey're all available by searching in your podcast app
听众 Terence 来信询问单词 “plunge”、“plummet” 和 “slump” 之间的区别。这三个词都可以作名词和动词，用来描述 “人或物体的位置突然下降”，它们也都能被用在谈论数据、金钱、商业等抽象的语境中表示 “暴跌”。听 “你问我答” 节目辨析这三个近义词的用法。
In 1998, the assisted dying society, Dignitas was set up in Switzerland by lawyer Ludwig Minelli.
It was the first end-of-life organisation in the world to help foreigners - non-Swiss citizens - to die.
Since then around 4,000 people from 65 different countries have ended their lives with help from the group, which operates under the full name 'Dignitas - To live with dignity. To die with dignity.'
But while 10 countries have legalised assisted dying, most have not. Critics say it can weaken respect for human life, put pressure on the terminally ill to die and lead to worsening end-of-life care.
Ludwig Minelli tells Jane Wilkinson why he believes freedom of choice is so important.
(Photo: Ludwig Minelli in 2012. Credit: Sebastien Bozon/AFP/GettyImages)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Fabrice Leggeri, an MEP in Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party. The far right has high hopes of winning power in parliamentaryelections in France over the next two weeks. The once unthinkable is very possible - what would it mean for France and Europe?
We hear about the huge demonstrations across Kenya over tax hikes. President Ruto goes on national TV and vows to restore order across the country. Presenter Rahul Tandon assesses the debt problems facing the African nation.
Also on the programme we have an interview with a key economic advisor who has worked with Donald Trump. We hear what the former President’s economic policy might look like if he is elected again.
And extreme heat is causing huge problems across different parts of the world. We have a special report from India about a new insurance policy designed to help poorer workers to financially survive when rising temperatures make working impossible.
The websites have names like DC Weekly and Chicago Crier. They are filled with thousands of legitimate-looking stories, plucked from real news websites and rewritten by artificial intelligence. But BBC Trending has found that these sites are part of a wide-ranging operation designed to insert false stories into political debates, over Ukraine and now gradually shifting to the US election campaign. One of the people involved is John Dougan, a former Florida police officer now living in Moscow. Online evidence links him to the network of sites, which reference American cities and are populated by fake journalists. Experts believe they are part of a wide effort to influence American public opinion in advance of November’s presidential election.
The court on the island of Saipan is expected to allow the Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, to walk free and return to his native Australia. Also: the Kenyan president, William Ruto, has described violence during huge protests against tax rises as an unprecedented attack on the country's democracy, and scientists in Japan are working on creating human-like skin for robots.
With just over a week to go until the UK General Election, we head to the seaside town of Southport in the north west of England.
We speak to students and young entrepreneurs who live in the area to find out how they are feeling.
We ask about the impact of inflation and a rising cost of living, and see which issues they'd like to hear the politicians talking about.
It's far from a British problem - Southport could really be a microcosm of the changes and challenges facing young people in a community near you.
Presenter: Will BainProducers: Izzy Greenfield and Lexy O'Connor
(Image: Business owner Leanne and manager Alex behind the till at the their shop Cake Corner)
Presenter Rahul Tandon examines the widespread protests over tax rises taking place in Kenya. Many young people are involved in the demonstrations across the country.
We hear from an informal advisor to Donald Trump about what the former President’s economic vision will be if he is elected again.
Deadly heat waves are becoming more intense and frequent across different parts of the globe. We are in India to hear how this is affecting the rural poor.
People have been killed and injured in Kenya as demonstrators break into parliament in escalating protests over government tax hikes. President Ruto has promised a tough response.
Also in the programme: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange prepares for a court hearing on a remote US island that could lead to his freedom. But the debate continues - was he a hero or villain for leaking classified US documents? And as scientists make progress in attaching living human skin to humanoid robots, we hear about the potential advantages.
(IMAGE: People attend a demonstration against Kenya's proposed finance bill 2024/2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters / Monicah Mwangi)
Experts develop a new blood test that could change the way suspected cases of bowel cancer are managed. At the heart of it is A.I. analysis to calculate a patient's cancer risk. We speak to the team behind the PinPoint Test. Also on Tech Life this week, period trackers and your personal data - find out how one app is promising to keep your information safe. Drones are being used to make childbirth safer in Rwanda. And listen to the aerospace students who have developed a new way to move satellites around in space.
Presenter: Shiona McCallumProducer: Tom Quinn
(Image: A photo of a lab technician holding a blood sample. Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images)
Protesters in Kenya embarked on yet another round of demonstrations against a new finance bill that seeks to introduce new taxes. Police appeared overwhelmed in some parts of the capital, Nairobi. Demonstrators were seen approaching the parliament complex, where fire could be seen. Why have demonstrations darkened?
Also Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control expresses particular concern over this year's outbreak of cholera. Over 50 people have died from the disease.
And a new study in Sierra Leone says political discourse can have a devastating impact on mental health.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Charles Gitonga, Sunita Nahar, Rob Wilson and Victor SylverSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Chris AblakwaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
The wife of the Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, says she's elated that he's left jail in Britain, but remains worried that his fourteen-year legal battle is not yet over. Mr Assange has left the UK as part of a plea deal with American prosecutors to avoid extradition to the United States. He's due to appear in court in a remote US Pacific territory, where he'll plead guilty to a single charge under the Espionage Act. We'll hear from his wife and ask whether Mr Assange's work was necessary or damaging?
Also in the programme: part of Kenya's parliament complex has been set on fire and several people have reportedly been shot dead during huge protests against planned tax rises; and Israel's top court has told the military to end an exemption for ultra-Orthodox religious students straining the coalition government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Picture: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange disembarks from a plane at Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport in Thailand. Credit: Wikileaks via Reuters)
Julian Assange has for years fought extradition to the United States, accused of leaking a huge quantity of classified defence documents. He will now return to Australia, where his wife Stella Assange is waiting for him. But first, he has to appear in court in a United States territory in the pacific. Also on this podcast, protests erupt in Kenya over new tax proposals, Israel's supreme court orders ultra-orthodox religious students can no longer avoid being drafted into the military, and why a sample of dirt and rocks from the far side of the moon has scientists excited.
When visionary architect Antoni Gaudi died unexpectedly in 1926, his followers were left with incredible plaster of Paris models showing how to complete his famous church, La Sagrada Familia.
The only problem was they were smashed “to smithereens” during the Spanish Civil War.
New Zealand architect Mark Burry was part of a small team trying to piece together Gaudi’s vision for the Barcelona basilica.
He tells Vicky Farncombe about his first week in the job.
“There were literally thousands and thousands of pieces and lots of missing pieces.
“By day three, I was in despair.”
He also shares the spine-tingling moment he heard music in the church for the first time.
(Photo: La Sagrada Familia. Credit: Getty Images)
英语表达 “take the plunge” 的字面意思是 “纵身跳入水中”，但在日常生活中，它被用来比喻 “下定决心冒险尝试一件困难的事情”。听节目中主持人 Beth 和菲菲用 “take the plunge” 描述自己和身边的人 “下定决心，采取行动” 的经历。
The EU has agreed to talks over its plans to put tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. China has urged the EU to reverse them before July 4.
Elsewhere, some of the world's largest music labels are suing two artificial intelligence firms, claiming they are training their models with copyrighted music. And Rahul Tandon looks at tribute bands' welcome victory with Meta.
In late 2023 a group of German journalists released a podcast series, Legion: Most Wanted. It described their ultimately unsuccessful search for a terrorist suspect, Daniela Klette, using an AI facial recognition tool. She had been on the run for more than 30 years, together with two accomplices. The trio are believed by the police to have been members of the Red Army Faction, the RAF, an anti-imperialist terrorist group, often referred to as the Baader Meinhof gang. The RAF claimed responsibility in the late 1980s and early 1990s for the assassination of a number of prominent Germans. None of these crimes has ever been cleared up.
Ever needed to put your stuff in a storage unit?
Recent research predicts the global self-storage market will be worth around $70bn by 2031 and the UK’s self-storage industry made more than £1bn last year for the first time ever.
But what’s behind this rapid growth? What are people putting into these units? And what does it have to do with Gen Z and internet shoppers?
We also hear from critics on what the growing industry says about housing around the world.
Presented and produced by Sam Gruet
(Image: A young woman loads storage boxes into a unit. Credit: Getty Images)
Some of the world's largest music labels are suing two artificial intelligence firms, claiming they are training their models with copyrighted music.
Elsewhere, Rahul Tandon looks into the latest fight Apple is facing in the EU, and why there's trouble rumbling in the Premier League.
Nine million children don't get enough to eat and almost none are in school.
Also on the programme: following the coordinated attacks against churches and synagogues in Dagestan, Moscow's former Chief Rabbi tell us that the Kremlin is focussing on the wrong enemy. And the rebel nuns in Spain who picked a fight with the Vatican over land and are now excommunicated.
(Picture: Children in Sudan. Credit: Reuters)
Namibian activist Friedel Dausab, who won a landmark case when judges ruled that laws banning same-sex acts between men are unconstitutional, says he drew strength from his Christian faith and from his mum.
Over a billion dollars has been pledged to develop vaccines in Africa. How will it work and will African insitutions be able to access the money?
And who is Michael Usi, the former comedian who is now Malawi's new vice president?
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Rob Wilson, Frenny Jowi and Bella HassanSenior Journalist: Patricia WhitehorneTechnical Producer: Chris AblakwaEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Footage posted on social media show people shooting at police cars. Among the dead are 15 police officers. The attacks targeted churches and synagogues in Derbent and Makhachkala. Investigators say five gunmen were killed. Most of the attackers, they said, came from one small area of Dagestan. In its first comments, the Kremlin dismissed the possibility of another wave of Islamist violence in the Northern Caucasus. Also: a huge fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea kills 22 people including 18 Chinese workers, and Princess Anne - the sister of King Charles - has been admitted to hospital in England after an incident involving a horse.
Attacks on police posts, churches and a synagogue in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan have left 19 people dead, 15 of whom were police officers, along with four civilians. Five gunmen also died.
The apparently coordinated attacks targeted the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala on the Orthodox festival of Pentecost, with an Orthodox priest among those killed. Are there growing concerns about the threat posed by Islamist terror groups in the region?
Also in the programme: We'll hear from a former head of the Shin Bet - Israel's domestic intelligence service. How concerned is he about an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon? And we'll hear from a composer who’s beginning a tour of works inspired by the changing sound of summer.
(Photo shows damage to the Kele-Numaz synagogue following a terror attack in Derbent, Republic of Dagestan, Russia on 24 June 2024. Credit: Video on the Telegram channel of the head of Dagestan Republic Sergey Melikov via EPA)
Learn how to use compound adjectives (e.g. low-fat yoghurt, high-quality carbohydrates)
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At the end of World War Two, the Czechoslovak government expelled up to three million German speakers, known as the Sudeten Germans.
They were accused of being loyal to Nazi Germany and collaborating in war crimes.
By 1946 the expulsions were in full swing, and Helmut Scholz, who was a six-years-old at the time, was caught up in the turmoil.
Helmut tells Phil Jones about the traumatic train journey, in a cattle truck, from his home in Czechoslovakia to Germany.
(Photo: Helmut Scholz: Credit: Helmut Scholz)
Datshiane Navanayagam talks to ‘Tine Zekis from the US and Hira Ali from Pakistan, two career coaches seeking to understand and reexamine what imposter syndrome really means, as well as offer their advice on how to overcome it.
‘Tine Zekis has dedicated her career to helping women of colour succeed in the workplace. In 2022, she founded an organisation which provides women with key insights on salary negotiation, career moves and imposter syndrome called Getting Black Women Paid. ‘Tine is the author of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at Work: The Black Woman's Guide to Conquer Perfectionism, Stop Overthinking & Thrive in Your Career.
Hira Ali had been feeling symptoms of imposter syndrome long before discovering the term existed. It wasn’t until her article for The Huffington Post about the topic went viral that she realised just how pervasive the experience is, and began mentoring and coaching others. She is the author of two books: Her Way To The Top: A Guide to Smashing the Glass Ceiling and Her Allies: A Practical Toolkit to Help Men Lead Through Advocacy. Produced by Elena Angelides
(Image: (L) 'Tine Zekis credit Noor Naseer. (R) Hira Ali credit Sabiha Hudda-Khaku.)
Hanna Harris is Helsinki’s chief design officer and the second person in the job since the role was created in 2016. But why does a city need a chief design officer? And, what can design do to boost wellbeing? Erika Benke joins Hanna as she searches for new pioneering opportunities that have the potential to change people’s lives. They visit a vast decommissioned power plant, inviting local people to share their views on how to give an industrial facility that has served its purpose, a new lease of life. They also go to an old playground that is about to be transformed into a new themed playground where children can learn about computing, algorithms and AI. As Hanna travels a cross the city, we hear her plotting, planning and exploring ideas and infecting others with her passion for design.
Gunmen in the southern Russian republic have killed police officers and a priest in what officials are calling acts of terror. Also: the US prepares to receive two new pandas from China, and the man whose home was turned into a cannabis farm.
Salima Hashmi grew up in Lahore witnessing the radical poetry of her celebrated father, Faiz Ahmed Faiz. It inspired her own path into art and performance, creating Pakistani TV’s first ever political satire show, Such Gup.
Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Maryam Maruf
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
A shadow fleet of old and poorly maintained ships is cruising the high seas, often hiding their true identities through a series of shell companies.
Their numbers have grown massively since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Lloyd’s List estimates as many as 12% of tankers are part of the dark fleet.
There’s increasing concern about the danger to the environment, and to ship’s crews. But how effective at tackling the problem is the regulator, the International Maritime Organisation?
Presenter: Lesley CurwenProducer: Clare Williamson
(Image: Sea and ship at sunset. Credit: Getty Images)
Gunmen in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan have killed six police officers in a series of attacks, security officials say. Twelve other officers were also wounded in the attacks. A synagogue, two churches and a police checkpoint were targeted in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala.
Also in the programme: Countdown to Iran's Presidential elections next week with five hard-line candidates and a reformist; and the absent landlord who found that his family home had been turned into a cannabis farm.
(Photo: A view shows plumes of smoke rising from building in Derbent, Dagestan, June 23, 2024, in this still image obtained from a video. Credit: Reuters/via a third party)
The Israeli military says it is to investigate an incident in which an injured Palestinian was strapped to an Israeli military vehicle in the West bank. But Israeli human rights group B'Tselem is sceptical.
Also on the programme: French feminists protesting against what they see as the threat to women's rights of the far right National Rally party; and chaos over the exams for higher education that has sparked further protests across India.
(Photo: Footage shows wounded Palestinian strapped to Israeli army jeep. Credit: BBC)
After a lull in activities, in 2024 the Islamic State Group claimed to be behind several major attacks, showing the world they have not gone away. Among them was the storming by gunmen of a Moscow concert hall. Ten years after the Islamist extremists declared the establishment of a caliphate, our Jihadist Media Monitoring Team considers the current capabilities and ambitions of the group that once ruled over a large territory in Iraq and Syria.
Producer: Kriszta SatoriPresenter: Krassi Twigg
The Supreme Court has ordered a retrial for Toomaj Salehi who was sentenced to death after speaking out in support of protests that had exploded across Iran. Also: the new documentary about the designer of the wrap dress, Diane von Furstenberg, and the world's ugliest dog.
Writer Alvin Hall returns to the world he grew up in, to shed light on the political present and share a haunting portrait of a disappearing way of life. This is Wakulla County, Florida and it is an America most people do not know. It has long been deeply rural, a place of unspoilt wilderness and incredible natural beauty. But it has also been a place with a violent history of racial segregation and oppression. The security Alvin experienced as a child growing up in one of the county's self-sufficient Black “village” communities contrasts with horrific racial violence he has only gained knowledge of as an adult. But change is coming. Since Alvin’s last visit almost 10 years ago unprecedented development has swept the county and it seems as if decades of racial division might really be starting to wear away. Is this really the beginning of the end?
At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in shelling near the Gaza office of Red Cross, the agency says. We hear from William Schomburg, the head of the ICRC delegation in Gaza.
Also in the programme: The lawyer for a Florida family suing Nasa for space junk that fell on their property; and why the King of the Competitive Eating circuit has been banned from taking part in the annual Fourth of July Nathan's Hot Dog Eating competition.
(Photo: A delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) inspects a makeshift displacement camp in Rafah's Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip on 29 May 2024. Credit: Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images)
When Celia's daughter asked about regrets, she posted a message about a puffin sweater she wished she'd bought. Just days later, a man she'd never met sent her the exact same one for free - saying it felt so good to be kind.Also: The earthquakes being caused by enthusiastic fans during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.A BBC radio programme reaches 46 people celebrating mid winter in Antarctica.How artificial intelligence could help us understand what dogs are trying to say.Why a sculptor decided to create dozens of art galleries and museums around the world - underwater.And the festival celebrating the enduring traditions of Flamenco dancing - and bringing it into the twenty first century.
Our weekly collection of happy news and positive stories from around the world.
The Red Cross says 22 people were killed in shelling near its offices in Gaza. It's called on both Hamas and the Israeli military to do more to protect civilians. We speak to William Schomburg who is the head of the ICRC delegation in Gaza.
Also in the programme: Ukraine says there has been another massive Russian attack on its energy infrastructure; a new documentary about the designer of the wrap around dress - Diane Von Furstenberg; and should NASA pay for damage caused by falling space junk?
(Photo credit: AFP)
10 years ago, IS proclaimed the creation of an Islamic State or Caliphate in Iraq and Syria. They went on to dominate headlines for years, committing terrible attacks and atrocities in the Middle East and beyond. Despite losing territory in 2019, the group still exists and is active in many countries around the world. Jihadist media specialist Mina Al-Lami analyses IS' most recent activities and the threats posed by them and other militant groups.
Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
Kenya’s leading tennis player Angella Okutoyi continues to make history against the odds. The African Games champion tells Sportshour’s Caroline Barker about her struggles growing up – including living in an orphanage – to becoming the first Kenyan to win a tennis Grand Slam after winning the Wimbledon girls' doubles title in 2022.
Australian para climber Sarah Larcombe shares how she used to hide her disability, but now fully embraces her amputation. The multiple international medallist is hoping para climbing’s proposed inclusion at the 2028 Paralympic Games will help the sport climb to new heights.
Sportshour meets the football fan who has watched football in all 55 UEFA member countries and even came onto play in the final game himself after flying English eighth tier side Hadley FC to San Marino.
Also hear the story of the Georgian footballer who is having an impact on European aviation, Tottenham Hotspur defender Amy James-Turner on playing for the planet and Anthony Hamer-Hodges, Principal at the London College of Contemporary Music, on football anthems.
Image: Angella Okutoyi of Kenya celebrates winning a point against Carolina Kuhl of Germany during her first round Juniors match on Day 7 of the US Open Tennis Championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre on September 04, 2022 in New York City (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)
A Swiss court has sentenced four members of the UK's richest family to prison sentences ranging from four to four-and-a-half years.
Prakash and Kamal Hinduja as well as son Ajay and his wife Namrata were found guilty of exploitation - usury in the Swiss penal code - and illegal employment.
Also, in the programme, Rahul Tandon finds out how Canadian farmers are coping during the extreme heat and we look at how a deal looks finally sealed to sell Queen's back catalogue...the most valuable in rock.
The war in Ukraine has contributed to a heightened awareness of security in parts of Europe, and in some countries, the reintroduction of different forms of national service has become a debate once again. In the UK, the ruling Conservative party has promised a system of national service if re-elected. In Italy too, deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini has introduced a controversial bill to bring back mandatory military service. In Germany, the defence minister has presented a proposal for selective military service focused on volunteers to boost its depleted armed forces. Our conversations in this edition bring people together who have completed national service in some form.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service on the history of travel. Our guest is Dr. Susan Houge Mackenzie, Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism at the University of Otago in New Zealand.
First, we'll hear from the man responsible for the first commercial bungee jump.
Then, the pioneers of low-cost transatlantic flights and luxury cruises describe how they revolutionised travel.
Finally, we hear the remarkable stories of how Cancún and Benidorm transformed into holiday hotspots, involving General Franco, bikinis and excommunication.
Contributors:Dr. Susan Houge Mackenzie - Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism at the University of Otago in New Zealand.AJ Hackett - pioneer of the world's first commercial bungee jump.Edda Helgason - daughter of Sigurdur Helgason who launched Loftleioir Icelandic, the first budget transatlantic airline.Hans Indridason - ran Loftleioir Icelandic's sales and marketing department.Tor Stangeland - Captain of Sovereign of the Seas cruise ship.Juan Enríquez - son of Antonio Enríquez Savignac, who turned Cancún into a world-beating tourist destination.Pedro Zaragoza - former Mayor of Benidorm.
(Photo: Bungee jumping. Credit: Getty Images)
In June 1976, Muhammad Ali was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Ali travelled to Tokyo, Japan to face his next opponent, the professional wrestler Antonio Inoki.
In a first of its kind, the exhibition fight called “The War of the Worlds” was met with controversy because of the rules applied.
Ringside Photographer Claude Charlier tells Sean Allsop how the fight unfolded in a packed Budokan Hall and how many now consider this fight the origin of MMA Mixed Martial Arts.
(Photo: Muhammad Ali stands over Antonio Inoki, 1976. Credit: Claude Charlier)
Court in Switzerland sentences four members of the billionaire family to jail for exploiting domestic staff. Also: the fierce battle for a small Ukrainian town, and John F. Kennedy's watch will go under the hammer.
A Swiss court has sentenced four members of the UK's richest family to prison sentences ranging from four to four-and-a-half years.
Prakash and Kamal Hinduja as well as son Ajay and his wife Namrata were found guilty of exploitation - usury in the Swiss penal code - and illegal employment.
Also, in the programme, Rahul Tandon finds out how Canadian farmers working during extreme heat and a deal looks finally sealed to sell Queen's back catalogue...the most valuable in rock.
Also on the programme, The US state of Hawaii has agreed to take action to decarbonize its transport by 2045 after a lawsuit was brought by thirteen young people – we hear from one of their representatives, and four members of the Hindujas, known as Britain’s wealthiest family, have been handed jail sentences for exploiting servants in their villa in Geneva.
(Picture: A fire blazes on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border following attacks from Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in northern Israel June 18, 2024. REUTERS/Ayal Margolin )
This special programme is dedicated to the team of scientists and support staff isolated at British research stations in the Antarctic midwinter. For the staff living at three British Antarctic Survey research stations (Rothera, Bird Island and South Georgia), and at other national bases across the frozen continent, midwinter is a special time. With no sunlight, Antarctica is at its coldest and those stationed on the frozen continent face months of total isolation. Midwinter celebrations at the British research stations include a feast, exchange of presents, watching the 1982 horror film The Thing (where an alien monster terrorises an Antarctic base) and listening - on short wave - to the BBC’s Midwinter Broadcast. Presenter Cerys Matthews features messages from family and friends at home, as well as music requests from Antarctica.
We look into the booming religious tourism sector and its challenges, amid hundreds of pilgrim deaths in Saudi.
Elsewhere, Rob Young looks into the latest US inflation data and asks why a former football star is turning his eye to African fintech.
Lobby groups say at least 200 people were injured and more than 100 arrested across Kenya. Protesters say the controversial finance bill that includes additional taxes would choke the economy and raise the cost of living. Also: parts of southern China have once in a century flooding, while the north is hit by extreme temperatures and drought, how wild chimpanzees seek out medicinal plants, and Stonehenge marks the summer solstice - the longest period of daylight in the northern hemisphere.
Kenya braces itself for more marches next week when lawmakers take a final vote on the controversial tax proposals. But who are the young people taking to the streets and are they really changing the face of protest in Kenya?
Also what are the factors hampering Burundi's economy
And why are South African traditional healers, or Sangomas as they're known, being trained to test clients for HIV?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson, Susan Gachuhi, Bella Hassan and Nyasha MichelleSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Jack GraysmarkEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
The UN says more than a million people are at risk. Meanwhile a US-built pier designed to facilitate aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip was re-anchored on Wednesday. In recent weeks, strong winds and heavy seas had struck the $300m structure. So how much aid has got in via the pier?Also on the programme: we visit the hometown of French president Emmanuel Macron in the run up to the general election in July; and new research suggests wild chimpanzees in Uganda are ‘self-medicating’ with healing plants.(Picture: A child in Gaza waits to receive food. Credit: Reuters / Khaled)
On 12 November 1988, the world’s first commercial bungee jumping site was opened near Queenstown, New Zealand.
AJ Hackett and Henry Van Asch started out bungee jumping as a hobby with friends. They developed the bungee ropes and rigging system and found the perfect site – the historic Kawarau Suspension Bridge – which would give paying customers the chance to safely fall 43 metres.
It helped make Queenstown become the adventure tourism capital of the world. Josephine McDermott jumped from the bridge herself 20 years ago and finds out from AJ Hackett how it all came about.
(Photo: A jump from Kawarau Bridge. Credit: Getty Images)
At a recent Taylor Swift concert in Scotland, seismographs measured a “Swift Quake” caused by foot-stomping fans. But this wasn’t the only star that has made the ground shake - there have been several others, including Travis Scott and Bruce Springsteen. Could this power be harnessed in some way?
Turning our attention to non-popstar quakes, there are some animals that seem to predict earthquakes. A pond in Italy, usually filled with toads during breeding season, was suddenly void of them shortly before an earthquake hit. Are there any other animals with seismographic abilities? And is there a chance we could harness their abilities somehow?
Also, tremors on the small island of Mayotte led to a surprising deep-sea discovery. Nathalie Feuillet shares some earth-shattering facts about her team’s discovery.
And, to shake things up, Marnie and panel talk about the 'Frenchness' of French fries, the tech hidden inside the Euros’ footballs, and the gadgets that fools your employer into thinking you are working.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, Godfred Boafo, Christine YohannesProducer: Florian Bohr, Julia Ravey, Dan Welsh, Noa Dowling.Sound engineer: Emily Preston
Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 12 uses of 'pay' - in 5 minutes.
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The inflation is the rate at which prices increases - so when we say the inflation rate is slowing down it does not mean that prices are falling .
So we wanted to discuss why inflation is still so sticky with someone in the US who has been looking at it for some time - someone involved in those crucial decisions on interest rates
Rahul Tandon spoke to Austin Goolsbee President of the Federal Reserve bank of Chicago one of 12 Reserve banks in the US.
The US ambassador to China tells the BBC that despite a competitive relationship, the two countries are now talking more regularly to prevent escalation in the disputed South China Sea. Also on the podcast: India's government is accused of failing the education system after cancelling an exam taken by nearly a million people, a look back on the life of Canadian film star, Donald Sutherland, and the Spanish feline that looks to be saved from extinction.
Senegalese international and former Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy is considered a legend of football.
Becoming the first African to be awarded both the UEFA and FIFA goalkeeper of the year in 2021, followed by a big money transfer deal to Saudi Arabia, Mendy has reached the very heights of the game.
But football careers don't last forever, so he is diversifying, and can now add a new line on his CV - as an investor in Francophone Africa.
We hear about his work on the pitch to date, what’s motivated a move into fintech, and why he thinks footballers need to plan for their future after they give up the professional game.
(Image: Edouard Mendy looks on in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia, 2024. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Peter MacJob
It is now more than a year since civil war erupted in Sudan following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. 14 months on, the figures show that over 6 million people have been displaced within the country, with at least one and half million people fleeing across Sudan's borders. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has just got back from the country and explains what he has seen.
Also on the programme, we reflect on the life of actor Donald Sutherland who has died at the age of 88; and we hear from Kenya where young people have taken to the streets to try to force the government to back down on its plan for tax rises.
(Picture: A handout photograph, shows a woman and baby at the Zamzam displacement camp, close to El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan, January 2024, MSF/Mohamed Zakaria/Handout via REUTERS)
How has China reached the top spot of scientific research so quickly? Science editor of The Economist, Ainslie Johnstone, gives us the CCPs grand, broad plans whilst Nature’s Asia and Pacific editor, Gemma Conroy, digs into the specifics of China’s future particle collider.
Also, Gene Kirtsky, who has been studying cicadas for 50 years, discusses the spectacle of the millions of insects which have been emerging across the USA this summer.
And Unexpected Elements' Marnie Chesterton gets close and personal with the stinkiest plant in the world at Kew Garden in London. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella HubberProduction Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory Under Construction. Credit: VCG / Getty Images.)
EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles could backfire, after Chinese car companies called on their government to introduce import taxes on EU petrol cars, in response. Vishala Sri-Pathma dives into whether this is a sign of things to come.
Elsewhere, we look at protests in Kenya over a slew of unpopular tax proposals. And we examine the prospects for closer economic ties between Russia and Vietnam after President Putin’s visit to Hanoi.
Demonstrators, many of them young, were armed only with their smart phones. Police in Nairobi came on horseback and used water cannon. The Kenyan government plans to raise more than two-and-a-half billion dollars in new taxes. Also: a day after signing a defence agreement with North Korea, Russia's President Putin visits Vietnam, the new treatment that leaves heart attack victims more active than they were, and the British musician Rapman on his Netflix show about superheroes in London.
Hundreds of Muslim worshippers have reportedly died during Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of the deaths have been because of heat-related illnesses. Saudi Arabia has been hit by sweltering temperatures this year. What measures are in place to help travellers mitigate the risks from these high temperatures?
Also, why are cases of sexually transmitted infections on the rise on the continent?
And why do many students from across Africa prefer studying at Western Universities? What's the attraction and how are they treated once they get into a University in the West?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Frenny Jowi, Susan Gachuhi, Patricia Whitehorne, Nyasha Michelle and Bella Hassan.Technical Producer :Jack GraysmarkSenior Producer:Paul BakibingaEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
A group of scientists from an organisation called the World Weather Attribution group have said that recent heatwaves in North America and Europe were made 35 times more likely because of global warming. There have been heatwaves in parts of southeast Asia, in Greece and Turkey. Also hundreds of people have died in Saudi Arabia, where 1.8 million are taking part in the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, because of temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Also in the programme: Vladimir Putin visits Vietnam ; and how shockwaves can help regenerate heart tissue after a bypass operation.
(Photo: India issues heatwave red alert, New Delhi Credit: HARISH TYAGI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
On 16 January 1988, the world’s largest passenger ship, Sovereign of the Seas, set sail on her maiden voyage around the Caribbean.
She carried more than 2,600 passengers and had five restaurants, nine bars, four pools and a casino.
Rachel Naylor speaks to her captain, Tor Stangeland.
(Photo: Sovereign of the Seas. Credit: Getty Images)
Did you know that being in nature, and building with wood, has benefits for our physical and mental health? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240620
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Ukraine is under enormous pressure as Russia seeks new frontline gains and, in the diplomatic arena, some Western allies show signs of war fatigue. Stephen Sackur asks Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba whether Kyiv will be bounced into a deal on President Putin’s terms?
Intense heatwaves hit Saudi Arabia, India and Southern Europe. We ask, what’s the impact?
Ecuador has experienced a nationwide blackout
And government debt worldwide is four times what it was in 2000. We hear more from UNCTAD economist Carlos Razo
Many of the most brutal cases took place in Aleppo between 2011 and 2013. Also: hundreds of people are reported to have died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as temperatures in Mecca exceeded fifty degrees, and scientists shed light on why some people do not get Covid-19.
There has been devastating human and economic consequences of the heatwaves in several parts of the world. At least five hundred and fifty pilgrims have died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to MeccaIn the UK inflation has come under the 2 per cent target for the first time in three years
And the surging prices of luxury goods have turned off turned off some shoppers. We ask why?
Over 800 ethnically-Korean refugees fled Ukraine for Koryo Village in South Korea’s Gwangju province following Russia’s invasion. Many Koryoin are women and children who escaped Ukraine when male family members were drafted. Some have secured legal status and jobs, while others await document processing. They are descendants of Koreans who fled to the Soviet Union during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Journalist So Jeong Lee visits the village, observing new arrivals and a school where children learn Korean. But recent elections have led to new government policies which will impact the Koryoin.
The social shopping industry is estimated to reach around $8.5 trillion in global sales by 2030. So what are the big tech giants doing to win over a generation of teenagers hooked onto shopping on social media?
We find out what makes shopping social and find out what happens when a country bans social shopping on the world’s fastest growing platform.
We speak to Gen Z shoppers, social media experts and an Indonesian business owner who almost had to let his staff go after the government changed the law around selling on social media.
Presented and produced by Sam Gruet
(Image:Livestream seller Evo Syah. Image credit: Evo Syah)
What’s it like spending 24 hours a day together? Ruth Alexander speaks to couples who run restaurants. She hears how they met, what they argue about and why being a couple might be good for business.
Ruth visits Andrea Follador and Jazz Navin at ‘The Perfect Match’ restaurant in Sale, in the North West of England. Jazz is the chef and Andrea is the sommelier, the two met working at Gordan Ramsay’s ‘The Savoy Grill’ in London. Ruth speaks to Frederico Araya and Fernanda Guerrero, chefs who have lived and worked together in their native Chile, China, and now Singapore where they run fine dining ‘Araya’ restaurant. Rita Sodi and wife Jody Williams ran a restaurant each, and then decided to open one together, 'Via Carota' in New York, United States. Today they run five bars and restaurants together in the city.
If you would like to get in touch with the show please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: Andrea Follador and Jazz Navin who run ‘The Perfect Match’ restaurant together in North West England. Credit: BBC)
The lead author of a UN-backed investigation tells us both Hamas and Israel are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. But Navi Pillay says neither side cooperated with the report. So how valuable can it be?
Also on the programme: Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un have signed a strategic partnership treaty - we ask what Russia and North Korea can gain from each other; and Naomi Campbell looks back at her career on and off the catwalk.
(Photo: A girl sits as Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen. Credit: Reuters)
This week, Health Check takes a deep dive into the evidence on the relationship between exercise and mental health. Not just whether getting moving can make a difference, but why.
Claudia Hammond laces up her running shoes and goes for a jog at the seaside with a group of people who are running for their mental health. Claudia meets the founder of 'Run Talk Run', Jess Robson, and talks to other members of the group about why they find exercise helpful.
Back in the studio, Claudia speaks to Jonathan Roiser, Professor of Neuroscience and Mental Health at University College London in the UK. He’s about to embark on a major piece of research that should help us understand a lot more about what exercise does for people with depression. As well as explaining what they’re hoping to discover, he tells her about the latest research into exercise and mental health. Why does it work for some people and not others, and what’s the best exercise for your brain?
Then there’s the commonly held belief that exercise is good for your mood because it ‘gets the endorphins going’, but we know that endorphins are not able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Claudia talks to Dr Hilary Marusak from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit USA about one of the possible alternatives – the endocannabinoid system.
Throughout the programme Claudia is joined by Dr Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. Together they discuss the many barriers people face to improving their physical activity, including the fact that poor mental health itself can stop you wanting to exercise in the first place.
And if getting more exercise really does sound like the worst idea you can think of, it turns out that watching sport on TV might also be good for you.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Ben MotleyContent Editor: Holly Squire
Citroen CEO Thierry Koskas tells the BBC about its plans to compete with Chinese manufacturers, and why it's "confident" it can beat them on home turf.
Elsewhere, Roger Hearing looks at whether Nvidia - now the world's most valuable company - is in a price bubble. And he hears from South Africa's new coalition about plans to boost the country’s economy.
Amnesty International is calling on Egypt to stop arresting Sudanese people seeking refuge from war. The human rights watchdog says Egypt must also stop sending refugees back to Sudan. Our correspondent in Cairo tells us how these refugees are perceived and treated.
Also why is violence once again on the rise in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Province?
And how did Famo, a genre of music in Lesotho, came to be associated with gang violence?
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan, Rob Wilson, Patricia Whitehorn and Nyasha MichelleSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Jonathan Greer
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un have hailed closer relations between Russia and North Korea on a day of choreographed events in Pyongyang. The two leaders stood beneath huge portraits of themselves as they watched a military parade. Mr Kim said he unconditionally supported Russia's military action in Ukraine.
Also in the programme: The displaced Gazan families forced to live next to vast rubbish dumps; deadly heat at the Hajj; a presidential debate in Iran; and the world's smelliest plant!
(Photo credit: KCNA)
Accord signed on Vladimir Putin's first visit to Pyongyang in more than twenty years. Kim Jong-un said he unconditionally supported Russia's military action in Ukraine. Mr Putin said he appreciated North Korea's unwavering support. Also: Cyril Ramaphosa is sworn in for a second term as President of South Africa, Nvidia becomes the world's most valuable company, and the flower that stinks of rotting meat.
Get ready to hear Beth explain how to use the word 'during' in 60 seconds - it's amazing!
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcriptf or this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-87
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President Putin has arrived in Pyongyang on a state visit
President Biden has announced a new policy that would protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation.
Boeing's boss Dave Calhoun faces tough questions from lawmakers about the companies culture
Chip-maker Nvidia has become the world’s most valuable company after its share price climbed to an all-time high. It is now worth $3.34tn with the price having nearly doubled since the start of this year.
Also, Devina Gupta takes a look at President Joe Biden's new policy that is likely to change the lives of tens of thousands of migrants married to US citizens, and finds out why stock exchange workers are going on strike in Italy.
一位听众来信询问近义词 “weak、fragile、feeble、vulnerable” 的区别。主持人 Georgie 和佳莹在节目中首先讲解 “weak” 的用法，因为它的用法最多；接着逐一对比其它三个单词和 “weak” 之间的相同和不同之处；最后总结这组近义词的用法。
In the 1950s, the transformation of the sleepy little town of Benidorm began when Pedro Zaragoza was appointed mayor. He started by getting pipes built to allow running water, then went on to pass a decree which allowed women to wear bikinis. Now, every year millions of tourists arrive in Benidorm, on Spain’s Costa Blanca. This episode was produced by Simon Watts in 2018, using recordings of Pedro Zaragoza.
(Photo: Tourists flock to the beaches in Spain. Credit: David Ramos via Getty Images)
Under the existing rules, foreigners who arrive illegally into the United States and marry US citizens must wait abroad for their applications to be processed. Also: Putin arrives in North Korea ahead of talks with Kim Jong Un, and McDonald's withdraws its malfunctioning AI ordering software.
Fighters from dissident armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to glorify their lives as guerrillas and recruit youngsters. These armed groups did not like the terms of a peace treaty negotiated between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government in 2016, and they kept fighting against the Colombian government. Videos glorifying life inside the guerrilla: money, cars, guns, women, community and purpose, have struck a chord with teens, particularly in rural areas like the Cauca region in west Colombia. So how popular are these TikToks and what does it mean for Colombia?
As prize money gaps between men and women begin to close in many sports, in golf, the pay disparity is still very large.
Nelly Korda, winner of five consecutive tournaments, earned less than Scottie Scheffler, who won four. And although current and former players like Korda and Mel Reid have made strides in the game, there's a significant difference in the prize money they receive.
A lot of the disparity has been linked to the level of investment in the game. The men’s game has seen major cash injections, such as the $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund into LIV Golf. Sam Fenwick explores what could boost investment in the women’s game and asks current player Mel Reid and former player, Nancy Lopez, how the game can attract more funding and TV time.
(Picture: A montage of Nelly Korda and Scottie Scheffler, swinging their golf clubs, against a background of a green. Credit: PA/USA Today Sports/BBC)
Presented and produced by Sam Fenwick
Stephen Sackur is in Paris to speak to the acclaimed actor and director Mathieu Kassovitz. Three decades ago, his film La Haine (Hate) focused on inequality, racism and police brutality in a Parisian suburb. He has a powerful voice in French culture, so what is his take on where his country is now and where it’s going?
Fighters from dissident armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to glorify their lives as guerrillas and recruit youngsters.
These armed groups didn't like the terms of a peace treaty negotiated between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government in 2016, and they kept fighting against the Colombian government. These groups make their money from illegal businesses.
Their videos have struck a chord with teens, particularly in rural areas like the Cauca region in west Colombia. Although not all the videos actively offer jobs, there are hundreds showing off what they portray as a slice of life inside the guerrilla: money, cars, guns, women, community and purpose. They do not emphasise the dangers associated with the lifestyle.
So how popular are these TikToks and what does it mean for Colombia that there’s tonnes of them, easily found by young people with smartphones across the country?
Presenter: Laura Garcia and Rachelle KrygierProducer: Jonathan GriffinStudio Manager: Annie GardinerEditor: Flora CarmichaelMusic: Bloque Occidental - Carlos Carrillo
President Joe Biden announces a new policy that would protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation, according to administration officials.
Also in the programme: Kenyan’s government scraps a financial bill amid violent protests; and a citizens group has decided how the fortune of an Austro-German heiress will be given away.
(Photo: President Joe Biden during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. Credit: Reuters).
Presenter Shiona McCallum is joined by technology reporter Paul Carter to look at some of the latest developments in artificial limb tech. Paul talks about his own personal experiences of trying out different prosthetics. Shiona interviews the youngest boy in the world to be fitted with a bionic arm, and his mum. Sierra Leone benefits from a prosthetics project. And would you want an extra robotic thumb ?
Presenters: Shiona McCallum with Paul Carter Producer: Tom Quinn
(Image: A photo of presenter Shiona McCallum in the Tech Life studio with technology reporter Paul Carter. Credit: BBC)
Kenya's government has bowed to public pressure and scrapped plans to introduce new taxes on items like bread and motor vehicles. Why were Kenyans so angry with the tax increments?
Ethiopia one of sub-Saharan Africa's major economies, opens up its banking sector to foreign investors. What will it mean for the country?
And why is Sierra Leone considering updating its child protection laws?
Russian leader Vladimir Putin is in North Korea for his first talks there in almost a quarter of a century. We hear what two of the world's most sanctioned nations have to offer each other's economies.
Roger Hearing finds out why Boeing's CEO is likely to get a grilling when he appears before the US Senate.
With another US electric vehicle start-up filing for bankruptcy, what does it mean for the industry? Meanwhile, how can a new AI tool help fruit growers improve their profits by predicting their harvest?
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
North Korea is preparing to welcome Vladimir Putin on his first visit there in more than twenty years. Also: Police in Kenya have fired tear gas and used water cannon to try to disperse protestors opposed to a new finance bill. The Senate in Thailand has passed a law allowing same sex marriage - the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. And why has a parkour runner at a UNESCO protected site in Italy sparked fury?
Mr Putin is expected to arrive in the capital to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un – but what do both countries want? Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised North Korea for "firmly supporting" Moscow's war in Ukraine. This is his first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years.
In eight days, the US journalist Evan Gershkovich will stand trial on espionage charges in Russia. The Wall Street Journal reporter has been accused of collecting information for the CIA. We’ll hear from his editor, Emma Tucker.
Also in the programme, a new report says next month's Paris Olympics could be the hottest games ever. We'll hear from India's top triathlete, Pragnya Mohan, who's already had to relocate her training away from her home country's heat.
(Photo: Russian and North Korean leaders at a meeting in September in the Russian city of Vladivostok Credits: REUTERS)
Is Russia Europe’s last empire? Is its invasion of Ukraine a “colonial war”? Is “decolonising” the country the only way of ensuring it stops being a threat to its neighbours and world peace?
Since last year, “decolonising Russia” has become a buzz-phrase in Ukraine and other former members of the soviet union, among many Western strategists and politicians, Russian studies experts – and Russia’s own liberal opposition and ethnic minorities.
And that’s triggered a vigorous debate about whether the term “decolonisation” is really relevant to Russia – and what it means. Is it about challenging the “imperial mindset” of its rulers – and perhaps of every ordinary Russian? Or perhaps it means dismembering the country itself?
In “Assignment: Decolonising Russia” Tim Whewell dissects a new and vital controversy with the help of historians, policy makers and activists in the former Soviet Union, the West and the Global South.
Finn and Catherine talk about the future.
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The oldest of the continental tournaments - the Copa America - begins its 48th edition on 20th June.
It's being hosted in the United States and the World Cup holders Argentina are defending the title they won in Brazil three years ago.
Sportsworld's Mani Djazmi and guests have your essential guide to the Copa America of 2024.
Photo: Lionel Scaloni, Head Coach of Argentina, presents the Copa America trophy during the official draw of CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 at James L. Knight Center on December 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Credit: Getty Images)
Sada Williams of Barbados is the reigning Commonwealth champion for the women’s 400m and also won bronze at the last two editions of the World Championships.
Williams is among the favourites for Olympic gold in Paris but, when she isn’t racing, she’s not someone who seeks the spotlight.
In a rare interview, she explains how being the centre of attention is not her thing – and that extends to her gold medal winning moment on the podium at the Commonwealth Games. As happy as she was, she was thankful when the anthem ended and the whole stadium stopped focussing exclusively on her.
Williams shares how she has suffered from anxiety in her career, and some of the strategies she’s used to overcome that – including no longer following what her opponents are doing. In fact, she barely follows track and field at all when she’s not actually at a meet or a championships.
Plus, as reigning Commonwealth champion, she expresses her hope that the 2022 Games in Birmingham don’t turn out to be the last.
Photo: Sada Williams of Barbados following the women's 400m hurdles finals during day five of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023. (Credit: Getty Images)
In 1969, Antonio Enríquez Savignac was given the go-ahead to transform a secluded Mexican island into a world-beating tourist destination.
The technocrat believed tourism was a cost effective solution for fixing the country's faltering economy.
He was given funding from the Mexican federal government to create infrastructure on the island, including an airport.
The resort would be called Cancún.
More than 50 years later, Cancún welcomes more than 20 million guests to its shores every year, with over 30,000 hotels scattered across the island.
However, the island has become a crime hotspot and there are major pollution problems in the area.
Antonio's son, Juan Enríquez, shares his memories with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Cancún. Credit: Getty Images)
每个人在人生中都会经历 “peaks（高峰）” 和 “troughs（低谷）”。英语表达 “peaks and troughs” 就可以用来比喻 “人生经历中的沉浮波折，起起落落”。主持人菲菲和 Neil 在节目中分享他们经历过的 “peaks and troughs”，教大家如何使用这个 “地道英语” 表达。
United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has called for a warning label to be placed on social media platforms advising of the damage to adolescents’ mental health. We hear from a whistleblower on his experiences of working in a social media company.
Our colleague Ed Butler explores ‘over tourism’, where locals feel left out of tourist hotspots
And The Pixar film Inside Out 2 has dramatically exceeded ticket sales predictions on its opening weekend, bucking a trend of poor performances from new film releases. Rahul Tandon asks why.
United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has called for a warning label to be placed on social media platforms advising of the damage to adolescents’ mental health.
In a historic move, the governor of a US state has pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana convictions.
The BBC’s Ed Butler explores ‘over tourism’, where locals feel left out of tourist hotspots
And The Pixar film Inside Out 2 has dramatically exceeded ticket sales predictions on it’s opening weekend, bucking a trend of poor performances from new film releases. We ask why?
The governor Wes Moore said his executive order marked "the most sweeping state-level pardon in American history". Also: the Kremlin has confirmed that the Russian president Vladimir Putin will travel to North Korea on Tuesday, and the British actor Ian McKellen falls off stage during a performance in London.
Summer tourism in the Mediterranean is not only already in full swing but set for another bumper season.
In Rhodes, "the more the merrier” is the mantra on this famed Greek isle, which is economically reliant on tourism. But the growing influx of arrivals each year alongside increasing frequency and ferocity of the annual wildfire season is posing some hard questions for locals about the need for more environmentally-friendly forms of tourism. Now, an ambitious five-year programme is underway, aimed at transforming the fourth-largest Greek island into “a beacon for sustainable tourism.” We head to Rhodes to take a look at how it is progressing, how businesses are adapting, and the way tourists are responding.
Presenter/producer: Victoria Craig
(Photo: Anda Karayanni of the Irene Palace Hotel, Rhodes, tending to some plants. Credit: Victoria Craig/BBC)
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his six-member war cabinet, a widely expected decision that follows the departure of centrist opposition leader Benny Gantz and his ally Gadi Eisenkot. Also on the programme: Migrant deaths in the Mediterranean allegedly at the hands of the Greek coastguard, we hear testimony from those who witnessed others thrown overboard; and the international effort to find hundreds of species of ‘missing’ birds (Photo: Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu Credit: Gil Cohen Magen via Reuters)
Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber both have a love of science, but it turns out there’s a lot they don’t know about some of the leading women at the front of the inventing game. In Unstoppable, Dr Julia and Dr Ella tell each other the hidden, world-shaping stories of the engineers, innovators and inventors they wish they’d known about when they were starting out as scientists. This week, the inventor whose incredible capacity to solve problems inspired today’s most popular period products.
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner – known as Beatrice – grew up in a family of inventors, creating her first invention at just six years old. And she didn’t stop there – she continued to invent throughout her adult life, including a new and improved sanitary pad in a time when there was still a big taboo around periods.
However, as an African American woman during a time of racial segregation, Beatrice faced injustice and discrimination when trying to get her inventions patented. But if anything, this spurred Beatrice on, and at one point in time she held the most patents of any African American woman.
Dr Julia and Dr Ella are joined by Professor Sharra Vostral and Ashleigh Coren as they tell Beatrice’s remarkable story.
Presenters: Dr Ella Hubber and Dr Julia Ravey Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston Production Coordinator: Elisabeth Tuohy Editor: Holly Squire
The economist Thomas Piketty – author of international bestseller Capital in the Twenty-First Century – joins Roger Hearing to discuss the upcoming French elections, as fears of a far right election win make markets nervous.
We also take a look at the world’s second largest economy, China. Its premier Li Qiang is on a visit to Australia to try to repair a fractured relationship that has caused major problems for trade. Meanwhile China seems poised to impose tariffs on EU pork - is this just retaliation for tariffs on Chinese electric cars?
Today marks the official start of campaigning for the snap general election in France. It was called by President Emmanuel Macron after his Renaissance party lost heavily to the anti-immigration National Rally in the recent EU parliamentary polls. Also in the programme: the BBC hears testimony that the Greek coastguard caused the deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean; and the music stars with a difference -- K-pop's first hearing-impaired group. (Photo: People take part in a demonstration against the French far right party National Rally after the results of the European elections, in Paris, France, 15 June 2024. Credit: Mandatory Credit: Photo by Andre Pain/ EPA-EFE/REX Shutterstock)
Israel's PM dissolves his six-member war cabinet with no plans for a replacement. The BBC hears from witnesses who say the Greek coastguard threw migrants to their deaths. Also: Denmark says it's looking at additional ways of stopping Russian oil exports passing through the Baltic Sea, and news avoidance at record levels.
Female students at the University of Juba in South Sudan say, they were arrested and beaten by police following a protest against a rise in hostel fees. It's caused concern amongst civil society groups in the country. We'll hear reaction from Jackline Nasiwa, a human rights defender and director of Centre for Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice in South Sudan.
Also a task team in Sierra Leone finds that the addictive drug Kush is one hundred times more potent than heroin
And can AI help farmers on the continent with pest control?
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Rob Wilson, Bella Hassan and Frenny JowiSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Jonny HallEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
In 1955, a small Icelandic airline, Loftleioir Icelandic, slashed the cost of flying across the Atlantic.
For the first time, thousands of young Americans were able to afford air travel to Europe on what became known as the 'Hippie Express.'
In 2017, Mike Lanchin spoke to Edda Helgason, whose father, Sigurdur Helgason, launched the ambitious scheme, and Hans Indridason, who ran the company's sales and marketing department at the time.
(Photo: Icelandic Airlines plane, with passengers disembarking, 1965. Credit: Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images)
Finn and Catherine give you some tips on how to remember new words.
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Stephen Sackur speaks to Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. He wants massive international financial backing to turn his continent into a global economic powerhouse. But amid chronic poverty, debt and climate threats, will Africa get the support it needs?
When is tourism good tourism, and when is it just too much?
Current projections suggest global travel is going to carry on rising for the foreseeable future, as low-cost air travel and budget rentals make package holidays ever more affordable for ever more people.
But from Tenerife to Venice, more and more tourist destinations are feeling the pressure of these rising visitor numbers. In holiday hotspots, local people are complaining of congested streets, rising housing costs, and environmental degradation. And some have even taken to the streets to protest about the issue. So what’s to be done?
(Image: Thousands of people demonstrate against tourism policies on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain in 2024)
Presented and produced by Ed Butler
Laughter isn't just for fun - it's a powerful tool that strengthens social bonds, enhances group dynamics and fosters emotional connection. It’s also great for our health. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two specialists about why having a laugh works.
Professor Sophie Scott is a British cognitive neuroscientist whose research has helped millions of people better understand and appreciate the use of laughter in social interactions. She is the director of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience where she also runs a lab. Dr Disa Sauter is a social psychologist at the University of Amsterdam who leads the Positive Emotions Project (PEP). This initiative seeks to explore the unique benefits of various positive emotions. A key focus of her work is investigating how laughing can strengthen social bonds and enhance overall well-being.
Produced by Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Disa Sauter courtesy of Disa Sauter. (R) Sophie Scott, credit Small Wardour Studios.)
For artist Nazanin Moradi, who was brought up in Iran where women are “second-class citizens in every sense,” reversing the “unfair” gender roles is paramount. In her new project, the multidisciplinary artist challenges male domination and toxic masculinity, within a fragmented historical context where fantasy meets rebellion. She does this by changing the narrative of ancient Mesopotamian mythology, fixating on the legendary battle where the supremely powerful dragon goddess of oceans Tiamat, was killed by the storm god Marduk. Sahar Zand spends time with Nazanin as she embarks on the ambitious project.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was speaking at the close of a summit for peace in Switzerland. Also: Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has described the introduction of daily "tactical pauses" in military activity in a part of southern Gaza as “unacceptable”, and the original multi-coloured dancefloor used in the 1977 film, Saturday Night Fever, has been sold at auction.
Alain Gachet quit a lucrative career in oil to search for water underground. Colleagues told him he was a 'crazy donkey', but he eventually developed an algorithm that allowed him to 'peel the earth like an onion' and detect water beneath the surface. Soon, he was asked to train his talents to help pinpoint areas of life-saving reserves of water for desperate refugees escaping the conflict in Darfur.
Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Anna Lacey and Hetal Bapodra Editor: Munazza Khan
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
The Ukraine peace summit ends in Switzerland with strong support for Kyiv and a call for dialogue - but is Russia listening?
Also in the programme: the heat dome spreading across the US, with dangerous consequences; and some advice on living happily from the world's happiest country.
(IMAGE: (L-R) President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada attend the closing press conference of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in Stansstad near Lucerne, Switzerland, 16 June 2024 / CREDIT: Allessandro della Valle / POOL / EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Israeli military says it will hold a daily "tactical pause of military activity" along a road in southern Gaza to enable more humanitarian aid to enter but emphasised that there is no ceasefire and combat would continue in Rafah. They will only affect a route that leads northwards from the key Kerem Shalom crossing, which Gaza shares with Israel.
World leaders at the Ukraine summit for peace in Switzerland are exploring ways of ensuring the security of nuclear sites and of Ukraine's food exports.
Also on the programme: the mystery and history surrounding the desk of literary giant Dr Samuel Johnson; and we hear from the father of Swedish DJ Avicii, on his son's life and death.
(Photo: Displaced Palestinians collect donated food in Khan Yunis camp Credit: Photo by HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Eighty years ago at least three million Indians, who were British subjects, died in the Bengal Famine. But today different generations in Britain are coming to terms with this difficult past. Kavita Puri meets the granddaughter of a senior colonial figure, who is only just learning about her grandfather's role in the famine. Initially she feels shame, but discoveries in her family archive change her perspective. A 97 year-old British man makes a surprising revelation about his role in the Bengal famine. And three generations on, British Bengalis mark the famine in Britain, in an unexpected way.To hear the other episodes in the mini-series Three Million, scroll down to the 23rd February 2024.
The two-day gathering follows President Putin outlining Russia’s ceasefire terms, which have been widely dismissed. Russia has not been invited to the peace summit and China, a key strategic partner, is not attending. Also: Israel has launched an investigation into the deaths of eight IDF soldiers in Rafah, and Sweden welcomes home two citizens who had been arrested in Iran after a prisoner swap.
Delegates at a peace summit for Ukraine in Switzerland have been voicing their support for Kyiv, but some have questioned the meeting's purpose without Russia in attendance. Leaders from 90 countries are attending.
Also on the programme: we'll look back over a turbulent few days in France after President Macron's surprise snap election call last Sunday; and with the Olympics due to start in just over a month, what is the current status of Russian athletes?
(Picture: President Zelensky of Ukraine in Switzerland. Credit: EPA)
More than 90 countries and global institutions are in Switzerland to discuss how to end the conflict in Ukraine. So what is need to happen to start a peace process?
Also on the programme: a Russian journalist tells us the dangers of being a journalist - including poisoning; and how will the new coalition government in South Africa team up with its rivals?
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive to attend a media briefing during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine. Credit: ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
This week's edition comes from Finland, the country repeatedly crowned the happiest in the world, and the Helsinki Happiness Hacks event introduced people - selected from thousands of applicants across the globe - to Finns willing to share the secrets of their contentment. These include skateboarding, dancing with friends, messy art, walking barefoot, ice cream for breakfast, and of course, a sauna. And we explore how happiness is measured and why a dose of pessimism doesn’t preclude happiness.
Would you turn to AI to create your perfect partner? Wanqing Zhang from the BBC Global China Unit has been looking into an AI dating trend that is going viral in China. Plus, Daria Taradai from BBC Ukraine tells us what it's like to live and work with power cuts in Kyiv.
Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
Delyth Lloyd is in Berlin for the start of the men’s European Championship. She travels across the German capital and visits famous sports teams such as Bundesliga side Union Berlin and basketball club Alba Berlin to understand how you build a successful team in the city.
She also gets to hang out with Berliner and future Olympic rower Maren Volz as she prepares for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Image: The Olympiastadion in Berlin during the men's European Championship. (Credit: BBC)
Australian motorcycle racer Tayla Relph’s interest in motorsport made her a target of bullying at school and she began travelling around Australia in a van with her family whilst following the motorcycle racing calendar. Now Relph is lining up alongside 25 other women - from 18 different countries – as the first all-female motorcycle circuit-racing series at world championship level gets underway. Sportshour’s Caroline Barker speaks to Relph ahead of the first race in Italy.
Allison Hill shares how she fell in love with running during the pandemic and how that led to her creating Hill Run Club in Toronto, Canada. It’s a story of community, friendship and grief with the club boasting over 500 registered members.
Born in Germany, European champion boxer Abass Baraou moved to Togo, before returning to Germany. He’s since lived in the UK and now in Miami and he tells Sportshour’s Sophia Hartley about his globe-trotting story, the racist abuse he faced in Germany and how he's edging closer to a fight for the world title.
And – NFL Fan of the Year and US comedian Tom Grossi returns to Sportshour to share his latest challenge of visiting five countries and seven international NFL stadiums in 10 days, passing a $1 million raised for charity in the process.
Image: Tayla Relph riding for TAYCO Motorsport during testing ahead of the inaugural FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship season. (Credit: Click Diversity)
We hear how listeners feel about the BBC World Service's reporting on the plethora of elections around the world. By way of a case study, we focus on India and hear about the challenges faced by the corporation in reporting the country’s recent elections.
We are joined from Delhi by the BBC’s director of journalism with the Collective Newsroom, Mukesh Sharma.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
In 1988, the Soviet Union made it to the final of the European Championships where they faced competition favourites, the Netherlands.
It proved to be the side’s last great achievement before the breakup of the union.
Soviet defender Sergei Baltacha remembers coming on as a substitute to mark the world’s best player, Marco van Basten.
He speaks to Tim Mansel.
(Photo: Sergei Baltacha tackling Holland's Ruud Gullit. Credit: Reuters)
Many of us remember the first portable music device we owned: a transistor radio, a boombox, a Walkman or perhaps an iPod. We might even recall the songs we played on it. But we might be less aware of how profoundly audio technology developments from the 1950s to 2000s changed the ways in which we consume music and other audio outside of the home or concert venue. Transistor radios allowed outdoor sounds and noises to mix and compete with those coming over the airwaves, creating new auditory experiences; the cassette player gave the listener a cheap way of making and re-making their own playlists; and the advent of digital music players encouraged us to ‘own’ music recordings without possessing a physical copy of the audio.
Iszi Lawrence discusses the history of portable music with Dr. Annie Jamieson, Curator of Sound Technologies at Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum; American drummer and writer Damon Krukowski; Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey, science historian and Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru, India; Karin Bijsterveld, Professor of Science, Technology and Modern Culture at Maastricht University; and World Service listeners.
(Photo: Andrii Iemelyanenko/ Getty Images)
In their closing statement - G7 leaders have issued their starkest warning yet to China over its support for Russia, attacking Beijing for “enabling” Russia’s war in Ukraine, and threatened more sanctions if Beijing keeps transferring material used by Moscow’s defence industry.
Smartphones outnumber people now, according to the World Economic Forum. We talk with 'The Phone Lady' who's business aims to help people overcome their phone phobia.
Our Europe Correspondent Nick Beake reports from Munich after hosts Germany have won their opening game of the 2024 European Football Championships, with a huge 5-1 win over Scotland.
We also discuss America's third largest bank - Wells Fargo - after they fired more than a dozen employees following allegations that some were faking keyboard activity to fool the firm into thinking they were working.
Politics in Europe took a shift to the right following the recent European parliamentary elections, with far-right parties making gains in several countries, most notably France. The size of victory for the opposition National Rally Party led President Macron to call a snap national election. We bring together two men who support Marine Le Pen’s far-right party to discuss what’s informing their views. A major concern, they say, is fear about crime and security, which causes some people to carry knives.
Bump stocks were banned after they were used in America's deadliest mass shooting in 2017. Western leaders dismiss Russian President Putin's call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, as they meet at the G7 summit in southern Italy. Also: A Chinese court sentences a journalist who reported on #MeToo to jail for "subversion", and why grey whales are shrinking.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
First, we hear about Boko Haram militants driving into Gwoza in north-east Nigeria in 2014, to begin an assault which left hundreds dead.
Next, the Irish shopworkers who went on strike after refusing to handle South African goods.
Then, it’s 25 years since Nato bombed the Serbian state TV station in Belgrade.
Plus, Norway’s biggest industrial disaster.
And, Brazil’s iconic egg-shaped telephone booth.
Contributors:
Ruoyah who lived through the Boko Haram massacre.
Makena Micheni - Associate Lecturer at St Andrews University.
Irish shopworker Mary Manning.
TV technician Dragan Šuković.
Harry Vike and his wife Greta.
Chu Ming Silveira’s son Alan Chu.
(Photo: A woman from Gwoza displaced by the violence. Credit: Reuters/Stringer)
Jusper Machogu is a farmer from southwestern Kenya who describes himself as a “climate sceptic”: he wrongly claims that climate change is a “scam” or a “hoax” designed to hold Africa back. On social media, he has also become known as a staunch defender of fossil fuel exploration in Africa.
His views have caught the eye of those in the West who, like him, deny the overwhelming scientific consensus on global warming. They have helped him grow his following and spread his message globally. But, in doing so, has Mr Machogu unwittingly become a tool for the fossil fuel industry? And, on a rapidly warming planet, just how dangerous is the message of social media influencers like him?
Presenter/producer: Marco SilvaEditor: Flora Carmichael
South Africa's newly formed national unity government need to get the economy growing again. We hear from entrepreneur and outspoken critic of the ANC Rob Hersov on what can be done.
Meta has halted its AI models in Europe after the Irish privacy regulator told it to delay its plan to harness data from Facebook and Instagram users. We look at what happened and why.
Also, Devina Gupta turns to Venezuela where Presidential elections are set for July 28. Edmundo Gonzalez, a little-known former diplomat has been chosen by various parties to be their candidate after the most prominent opposition leader had been barred from running.
South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) and the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) have agreed to form a government of national unity, along with two smaller opposition parties. We look at the state of politics in South Africa as the once mighty African National Congress is forced to share power. Also in the programme: The first match of the European football championships has begun - so how strong are politically nationalist feelings among the fans? And we'll hear from the German comedian who's just had an audience with the Pope. (Photo: The DA and ANC parties have been bitter rivals for many years. Credit: Getty Images)
Residents of Rafah say western areas of the overcrowded city have come under heavy fire, over the past 24 hours, with Israeli helicopter missions and street battles. We hear from a spokesman from the UN's agency for children.
Also in the programme: South Africa is on course for a historic coalition government after the centre right Democratic Alliance announced it would join the African National Congress; and researchers say Pacific grey whales are rapidly getting smaller.
(Photo: Girls walk while carrying a container as Palestinians flee Rafah following heavy fighting, 13 June 2024. Credit: Hatem Khaled/Reuters)
Nigeria, a nation once notorious for military rule, is marking 25 years of democracy, at a time when several of its West African neighbours have had coups in recent years. But as many Nigerians struggle to earn enough to live on, amid an economic crisis and dramatically rising prices, some appear to be very unhappy with how they are being governed. So, is democracy working in Nigeria?
Also, why are young people being targeted to smoke e-cigarettes?
And we'll learn more about the social media influencer from Kenya, spreading disinformation about climate change.
Presenter:Charles GitongaTechnical Producer:Nick RandellProducers: Joseph Keen, Rob Wilson, Bella Hassan and Patricia WhitehorneSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), says it has agreed a deal with the governing African National Congress (ANC) to form a government of national unity. How will it change the economy?
Also, in the programme, Rahul Tandon finds out why Japan is become very popular tourism destination and how it affecting local businesses.
Three political parties have supported the ANC’s bid for a unity government. The ANC lost its parliamentary majority in last month’s election. Parliament has already been sworn in. Also: G7 leaders focus on tensions with China on the second day of their summit in Italy; And the authorities in Thailand search for three oil tankers which went missing.
Attar is the essential oil that is produced when aromatics like jasmine and sandalwood are pressed and distilled. It has been a feature of life in India, as well as many other parts of the world, for over 5,000 years, and it has been the defining industry of the Indian city of Kannauj for over a thousand. But whereas once this ancient discipline employed nearly all the city’s residents, it’s now suffering severely from the impact of climate change and the rise of synthetic perfumes.
Journalist Jigyasa Mishra meets the farmers, flower pickers and traditional perfumers of Kannauj to better understand the way of life attar sustains and to ask: can anything be done to reverse the trend?
Producers: Jigyasa Mishra and Artemis Irvine
A Whistledown Production for BBC World Service
Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 13 uses of 'turn' - in 5 minutes.
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Could a scientific burger compete against the fast food giants? We fear not!
You will need:• Meat - A tick capable of inducing alpha gal syndrome, a disease that makes you allergic to red meat.• Garnish - Lettuce grown in space. (WARNING: it is more susceptible to bacterial infection than that grown on Earth).• Buns - A short but thick guide to the human buttocks with Heather Radke. Why do we humans have such large behinds?• Something sweet - We’ve chosen the humble baobab seed. An unusual tree indigenous to Madagascar, the subject of an incredibly successful conservation project.• Fries - Of course! The humble potato is threatened by climate change, what’s being done to futureproof it?
Instructions:• Who are we kidding! There is no scientific method!• Bang it all together and feast your ears on this week’s show!
Head chef/presenter: Marnie ChestertonSous chefs/panellists: Candice Bailey and Affelia WibisonoHome ecs/producers: Harrison Lewis, Julia Ravey, Ben Motley and Noa Dowling
In 1971, a female architect called Chu Ming Silveira created Brazil's iconic egg-shaped telephone booth, Orelhão.
More than 50,000 of the booths were installed across Brazil and the design was so successful that other countries decided to use it.
Chu Ming was born in China and moved over to Brazil with her family in 1949, following the end of the Chinese Civil War.
At a time when not many architects were women in the country, she was tasked with creating a design for a cheap, light-weight and visually attractive public phone booth.
Chu Ming died in 1997, aged 58. In 2017, Google decided to celebrate her life by creating a doodle.
Her son, Alan Chu, has been sharing his memories of Chu Ming with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Chu Ming using an Orelhão phone booth. Credit: Chu Ming Silveira’s Collection - Ouvio.arq.br)
Stephen Sackur is in Paris to speak to the French Minister Delegate for Europe, Jean-Noël Barrot. President Emmanuel Macron has just taken the gamble of his political life, calling a snap parliamentary election in an effort to outsmart the extremes of right and left. If it backfires, what will it mean for France and Europe?
Tesla shareholders say Elon Musk is entitled to a $56 billion pay package. after a US court invalidated it.. Presenter Devina Gupta asks how much should the head of one of the world's top tech companies be paid?
Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida come to an agreement after a feud over $17 billion in planned development at Walt Disney World. Disney say the deal will fuel new investment.
The U.S. Supreme Court has backed Starbucks challenge to a judicial order to rehire seven Memphis employees. They were fired asthey sought to form a union.
(Photo: Elon Musk Credit: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo)
George Antone is a member of the only Roman Catholic Church in Gaza, part of a dwindling Christian community whose roots in this area, go back to the 4th Century. When war broke out in October 2023, he is convinced that staying in Gaza City is the right option - for safety and to continue bearing witness to Jesus in this part of the world. His is the first family to move into the compound of the Holy Family Church and he helps lead the parish through the next months as they suffer deaths of loved ones, near starvation and destruction of their homes. Throughout it all, he keeps in contact with BBC Producer Catherine Murray sending her WhatsApp messages from a warzone.
In a separate landmark security deal, the US pledges to provide Ukraine with a range of military aid and training over the next decade. Also: The US Supreme Court rejects an attempt to restrict access to a widely-used abortion drug, and endangered wild horses return to the Kazakh plains for the first time in centuries.
23 years ago, the US multi-millionaire Dennis Tito became the world’s first-ever space tourist, funding his own trip into orbit.
There was clearly money to be made, and now the lure of making space tourism more accessible to the masses is even greater - with several private companies jockeying for position.
Jane Poynter’s firm is among them.
It’s an industry experiencing dramatic growth – but the price of any of these trips is out of reach of most of us.
We explore whether this firm could achieve its aim of launching more of us into stratospheric heights.
And we hear how Jane went on her own journey: from ecologist working in the famous Biosphere 2 experiment in the early 1990s, to looking skywards and the possibilities of a career in space tourism.
Presenter: Ed ButlerProducer: Amber Mehmood
The U.S. Supreme Court has backed Starbucks challenge to a judicial order to rehire seven Memphis employees. They were fired asthey sought to form a union. Presenter Devina Gupta examines the implications of the verdict.
Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida agree to end a feud over $17 billion in planned development at Walt Disney World. Disney say the deal will fuel new investment.
New York has passed a pair of proposed laws that aim to make social media less harmful to children. We hear what the legislation might mean if it is signed off by the State governor.
Presidents Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky sign a ten year security deal as the G7 agreed to send Ukraine $50bn in aid from frozen Russian assets.
Also on the programme: Argentina's president Javier Milei gets Senate approval for his economic reform plans; and the airlift to return endangered wild horses to the plains of Kazakhstan for the first time in more than two hundred years.
(Photo: Presidents Biden and Zelensky arrive at a press conference in Fasano, Italy. Credit: Reuters)
With mice being the latest species to carry the disease, pandemic expert Rick Bright calls for stronger counter measures. “It’s like PTSD from February 2020” he says. The authorities in the USA are responding too slow to the spread of H5N1 bird flu through its dairy farms – even mice are carrying the virus now, and not enough is known of how it is evolving and whether humans are threatened. He talks Roland through the complex political and public health issues.
Child sacrifices in the Mayan empire a thousand years ago have been confirmed with DNA evidence from bones recovered in the 1960s from an underground pit. Some victims were twins, possibly indicating a brutal ritualistic re-enactment of an ancient myth involving divine twins. Geneticist Rodrigo Barquera describes the analysis.
Mature orchids perform a unique form of offspring-care, feeding tiny seedlings with nutrients via networks of thread-like fungal hyphae in the soil, according to experiments conducted at Sheffield University. Mycologist Katie Field has been delving into this underground sustenance network.
Geoscientists at the edge of the Arctic ocean are looking for ancient clues to the stability of the Atlantic circulation that brings critical warmth to Europe and the northern hemisphere. Could past changes help unravel the influence of global warming? Roland talks to Renata Lucchi in the control room of Research Vessel JOIDES Resolution.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Mouse sitting on grain. Credit: SAEED KHAN/Getty Images)
In this edition of Newshour, presented by Tim Franks:
Can the G7 leaders squeeze Russia more over Ukraine? Argentina's radical economic reforms move ahead. Another huge increase in the world's displaced. And a big advance in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
(Photo: Discussions have begun at the G7 meeting in Puglia, southern Italy. Credit: PA MEDIA)
The G7 is a group of the world's most powerful and economically advanced democracies, and G7 leaders have now arrived for a summit in Italy. Top of the agenda is a plan to use fifty billion dollars in interest from frozen Russian assets as a loan for Ukraine.
And Russia penalised by new Western sanctions - this time aimed at the Moscow stock exchange. But will any of it really hurt the Russian economy?
Roger Hearing also finds out why Spanish restaurant workers under pressure because everybody eats so late.
The United States' envoy to Sudan has warned that the fall of the besieged city of el-Fasher in western Darfur, is imminent. It's the only city still under army control in the region. What happens if the city falls? And what will the wider impact be?
Also Malawi mourns the death of its Vice President and 9 other passengers folliwng an airplane crash, we'll find out more about Mr Chilima, the man and the politician.
And have you ever heard of the condition gynaecomastia? We'll hear a personal testimony.
Presenter: Charles GitongaProducers: Joseph Keen, Bella Hassan, Patricia Whitehorne and Frenny JowiSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Leaders want to use $50bn in interest from frozen Russian assets to extend a loan to Ukraine. Also: Hungary is ordered to pay a fine for violating the European Union's rules on asylum and immigration, and residents in a suburb of Nairobi in Kenya are on high alert after a lioness eats a family dog.
Can names be attached to painful histories? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary. For more great language tips and programmes visit bbclearningenglish.com [Image: Getty]
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240613
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In 1980, 123 men were killed when the Alexander L. Kielland platform capsized in the North Sea oil fields.
It was Norway's biggest industrial disaster and led to a range of safety improvements for those working in the country’s oil and gas sector.
Lars Bevanger speaks to survivor Harry Vike, who spent 10 hours in a lifeboat waiting to be rescued, and his wife Grete, who was waiting for a call to find out if he was alive or dead.
(Photo: The broken leg of the Alexander Kielland oil drilling platform, 1980. Credit: Alamy)
As one Silicon Valley titan unveils its latest Apple Intelligence software, we examine the generative AI that's creeping onto a smartphone near you - just how unnerved should you be? Plus, the concept of subscription streaming arrives in the world of console. Ed Butler examines if it is worth the cost…
And intimacy at the office - is BP right to demand that all its workers to fess up about their workplace love affairs?
Sharing their thoughts we speak to Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at the Hitotsubashi University in Japan and currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, while here in the UK, we have Stephanie Hare, writer, journalist and all-round luminary on tech, ethics and much more.
[MAGE CREDIT: REUTERS]
The UN proposal sets out conditions for a "complete ceasefire" in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Also: Aircraft carrying Malawi vice-president goes missing, and two-in-one flu and Covid jab passes advanced trial.
Greystones made global headlines a year ago when, concerned by rising anxiety levels among their pupils, the headteachers from all the primary schools in the town invited parents to sign a voluntary pact or code; not to buy their child a smartphone before they moved up to secondary school. In Ireland that’s usually at age 12. Beth McLeod talks to teachers, pupils and parents about their reaction to the initiative. Has there been any backlash? At one of the town’s secondary schools she meets an assistant headteacher who is passionately demanding a culture change around phone use for older students too, warning parents that although they think they are giving their children access to the internet, they are really giving the internet access to their children. She speaks to teenagers about their views on what is the right age to be on social media and asks the Irish Health Minister what the government is doing to hold tech companies to account.
We look at how soaring food and fuel prices are affecting the tiny island nation in the western Pacific Ocean.
Like much of the world, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have led to supply chain issues, and rising costs.
And with limited opportunities, young people are facing the question, should they stay or leave and chase careers elsewhere?
Produced and presented by Frey Lindsay
(Image: People gathered under the Japan-Palau Friendship bridge in Koror, Palau. Credit: Frey Lindsay/BBC)
From Apple iPhone’s to Call of Duty 6 we have blockbuster names from the world of tech for you today - including a controversial plan to sell the new video game via a subscription model. How will that work?
Also today, we hear from a former Indian finance minister about the challenges facing the new one as Prime Minister Narendra Modi starts a third term in office.
And we consider BP's plan to make all its employees come clean about their workplace love affairs.
France's political leaders are scrambling to prepare for snap elections after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament in response to a stinging European vote defeat by the far-right National Rally. These snap legislative elections could be a turning point for Macron's presidency. If the RN wins an absolute majority of seats in the National Assembly, it could provide France's next prime minister. Also in the programme: a military aircraft in Malawi carrying the country's vice president has been reported missing; and wildfires are raging across the world's largest tropical wetland: the Pantanal, in Brazil.
(Photo: Emmanuel Macron after voting in European Elections Credit: Hannah McKay/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK)
In her last year of high school, Olga González-Sanabria went on a field trip to the University of Puerto Rico’s school of engineering – and immediately knew that was what she wanted to do. She followed her passion and after university was recruited by Nasa, where she carried out instrumental work, without which we would not have the International Space Station.
As the very first Latina woman working in engineering at Nasa, Olga’s career has not always been an easy ride, but is filled with remarkable achievements. Dr Ella and Dr Julia tell her story, and Olga herself gives us a first-hand account of her life so far.
Presenters: Dr Ella Hubber and Dr Julia Ravey Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey Assistant producer: Sophie Ormiston Production co-ordinator: Elisabeth Tuohy Editor: Holly Squire
(Photo: Olga González-Sanabria. Credit: Nasa Glenn Research Center)
European stocks fell on Monday as traders reacted to initial results from the EU Parliament elections and the surprise call for parliamentary elections by French President Emmanuel Macron. Rahul Tandon finds how an early EU election results indicate that populist, far-right parties could have a bigger hand in European policymaking and affecting economy. Also, in the programme, we are talking about Japanese carmakers crisis and finds out why India is returning to a coalition government.
France’s President Macron plays political poker after a thumping in the European elections, gambling on snap elections for the national parliament. And as the far right makes gains across much – if not all – of Europe, we ask, where next for the European Union?
Also in the programme: as the US secretary of state begins his latest Middle East tour, what's changed in Israel? And the widow of the Islamic State leader says she couldn't stop her husband's crimes.
(IMAGE: Supporters watch French President Emmanuel Macron's speech on a large screen at the electoral party after the announcement of the results of the European Parliamentary elections in Paris, France, 09 June 2024 / CREDIT: Christophe Petit-Tesson / EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Somalia was recently elected by the United Nations General Assembly to be a member of the 15 member U.N.Security Council. This is for a two-year term starting next year. What does Somalia bring to the top table at the UN?
Also, how huge quantities of gold are being smuggled out of Africa
And we meet the Ghanaian dance duo Afronita and Abigail who wowed a talent show in Britain.
Presenter: Charles GitongaTechnical Producer: Ricardo McCarthyProducers: Bella Hassan, Rob Wilson, Yvette Twagiramariya, Daniel Dadzie, Emmanuella Alausa and Nyasha Michelle Senior Producers: Karnie Sharp and Paul BakibingaEditors : Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Ursula von der Leyen says the result comes with great responsibility for the parties on the political centre. The reactions in France following a surprise parliamentary election. Plus analysis on why voters have backed far right parties in such large numbers. Also: the BBC speaks to the widow of the IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi about the persecution of Yazidis in Iraq, and the South African photographer who's won international acclaim for challenging discrimination.
Released in 2017, the video game Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice saw players take control of dark-age warrior Senua as she battled to rescue the soul of her dead lover from the Norse underworld. The action-adventure game from British studio Ninja Theory won awards for its gameplay, acting and storytelling, as well as plaudits for its nuanced and well-researched depiction of psychosis. German actor Melina Juergens was awarded a Bafta for her performance as the titular character. Now studio head Dominic Matthews and his team are working on the sequel, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Nathan Jones joins Dominic, Melina and the rest of the team in Cambridge as they tell this next chapter of their story.
Grenada’s Kirani James discusses winning his first global medal aged 14, and the Olympic title at 19. He also describes being diagnosed with the thyroid condition Graves’ Disease in 2017, and the impact that had on him.
He tells us where he keeps his full set of Olympic medals, and explains what it’s meant to stand on the podium in the same event at the last three editions of the Games.
When he won at London 2012, he went online to check the words of Grenada’s national anthem, because he knew all 105 thousand residents of the island would be watching him sing.
Still only 31, James believes he can reach the Olympic final again in Paris and tells us why, once there, all things are possible. He also reveals that, whatever happens in the French capital, he wants to compete at LA 2028, and that desire grew out of a conversation he had last year with his former coach Harvey Glance, before he passed away in June of 2023.
Photo: Grenada's gold medallist Kirani James celebrates on the podium of the men's 400m at the athletics event during the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 7, 2012 in London. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
In April 1999 Nato bombed the Serbian state TV station in Belgrade, killing 16 people.
It was part of a military campaign to force Serbia to withdraw from Kosovo.
Mike Lanchin has been speaking to one of the survivors, Dragan Šuković, a TV technician, who was working at the station that night.
This programme was first broadcast in 2015.
(Photo: The Radio Television of Serbia building. Credit: Getty Images)
Interested or interesting? Which adjective do you use? We discuss -ing and -ed adjectives
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How do you report on what's going on in your country when it's no longer safe for you to be there? Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women journalists who are living away from their home.
Hind Al Eryani is a freelance journalist and human rights advocate from Yemen. She publishes a blog and features in international media like The Washington Post and France’s TV5. She has covered the war in her country, written about women's rights and led a campaign against the use of qat, a mild narcotic leaf common in Yemen. After facing threats to her life she now lives in Sweden with her daughter.
Journalist Nazeeha Saeed, was arrested and detained by Bahraini authorities while covering protests in the country for France 24 TV and Radio Monte Carlo. Nazeeha says she was subjected to torture and abuse, but remained in Bahrain for five years trying to continue her journalism despite attempts to restrict and silence her. She eventually left and now lives in Germany.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Nazeeha Saeed, credit Hamza Qabbani. (R) Hind Al Eryani, credit Jesper Anhede.)
The French president Emmanuel Macron has called elections on 30 June and 7 July, after exit polls show his party is set to be trounced by National Rally in the European elections. Also: Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz quits the emergency government, and tributes are paid to the popular TV presenter Dr Michael Mosley who was found dead on the Greek island of Symi.
Beth Rodden escaped her kidnappers, and pushed her body to its limit, following the climber code of whatever hurts makes you stronger. She married her boyfriend Tommy Caldwell, who had saved them by pushing their captor off a cliff in the Kyrgyz mountains. They became the first couple to free climb the Nose in Yosemite National Park. To the world she was a record-breaking athlete, but inside she was crumbling, haunted by that moment in the mountains. It would take her 15 years to face it head on, and in doing so she redefined what it meant to be a climber.
Beth's book A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story is out now.
Clips are from NPR and the Associated Press.
Presenter: Emily WebbProducer: Louise Morris
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
We travel to the tiny pacific nation which wants to shrink its marine sanctuary, and open it up once more to commercial fishing.
The President says it’s costing too much in lost revenue, when Palauans are already struggling.
But opponents say this goes against Palau's conservationist ethos.
So today we're asking - can conservation and commerce, co-exist?
Produced and presented by Frey Lindsay
(Image: The National Geographic Society research vessel the Argo, in the Pacific Ocean East of Palau. Credit: Frey Lindsay)
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has quit the emergency government in a sign of deepening divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's post-conflict plans for Gaza.
Also on the programme: French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the Parliament and called snap elections in the wake of tonight's European election results; and Narendra Modi has been sworn in as India's prime minister for a third term.
(Photo: Benny Gantz holds a press conference in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. Credit: ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 274 Palestinians were killed during Saturday's Israeli offensive on the Nuseirat refugee camp. The operation led to the rescue of four Israeli hostages. Israel has previously estimated there were fewer than one hundred casualties. Footage from the area's Al-Aqsa hospital shows badly wounded people lying on the ground. We speak to a doctor who was there. Also in the programme: millions vote to elect representatives to the European Parliament; and will Americans learn to love cricket? (Photo: The Hamas-run health ministry has started naming people it says were killed as Israeli forces fought Hamas in and around the Nuseirat refugee camp. Credit: Reuters)
The Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj, attracted no fewer than two million pilgrims in 2023. But this pilgrim boom has an environmental downside: climate scientists are warning that the five-day Hajj alone, with its bargain flights, hotels, catering and local transport, produces over 1.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, roughly the amount New York City emits every two weeks. Yet the Saudi government has plans to go much bigger still: by 2030, they want 30 million pilgrims a year to take part in the Hajj and Umrah. Zubeida Malik asks what the Saudi authorities, local groups and campaigners, religious scholars and the pilgrims themselves can do to reduce the environmental footprint of one of the largest religious gatherings on the planet.
The high representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, said that reports of -- what he called -- "another massacre of civilians" were appalling. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than two hundred Palestinians were killed in the Israeli raid, to rescue the four hostages. Also: President Biden says France remains America's best friend, after a wide-ranging discussion with his French counterpart in the Élysée palace, and tributes are paid to the Nasa "Earthrise" astronaut William Anders who has died in a plane crash aged 90.
Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were freed during a "high-risk, complex mission" from two separate buildings in the Nuseirat area, the Israel Defense Forces said. Hamas claims more than two hundred Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in the same area as the raid took place. The IDF said the released hostages were all in good health, and they were later pictured embracing family members at a medical centre near Tel Aviv.
Also on the programme: A celebration of the first colour photo of earth taken from space on the occasion of the photographer, Bill Anders’ death; and UNESCO celebrates the unique cultural importance of Italian opera.
(Photo: Almog Meir Jan, a rescued hostage embraces a loved one Credit: Israeli Army handout via REUTERS)
Israeli security forces say they've rescued four hostages from two separate locations during a special operation in Nuseirat, in central Gaza. They've been named as Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv. All had been abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on October the seventh. They're said to be in good medical condition and have been transferred to hospital. Gaza's Al-Aqsa hospital says at least fifty Palestinians - including children - were killed during the Israeli operation. Also in the programme: The astronaut who took the ground-breaking first colour photo of Earth from space, William Anders, has died; and as UNESCO celebrates Italian opera, we listen in.
(Photo: People react outside a medical centre, after the military say four hostages rescued alive from the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, in Ramat Gan, Israel 8 June, 2024. Credit: Marko Djurica/Reuters)
Christian nearly drowned while swimming in the sea in Italy as a child. He returned to the beach with his wife and child - only to find that Yuri, the man who saved his life, was still there. The two men tell us about their emotional reunion and the profound effect the experience has had on them.Also: The New York couple who found a safe full of cash, and get to keep it, thanks to the increasingly popular hobby of magnet fishing.We speak to Yazzy Chamberlain and her grandad John, whose duets of classic songs have earned them millions of online viewers -- including Coldplay.How the powers of nature are being used to help solve water shortages in Mexico City by cleaning polluted rivers.The skull of a giant prehistoric bird known as the demon duck has been found in Australia.And don't waste a moment - the final message from Rob Burrow, rugby league star and Motor Neurone Disease campaigner.
Our weekly collection of happy news and positive stories from around the world.
The election of Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum is a moment of history. For the first time, a woman is in charge of the country. Host James Reynolds travels around the country hearing about the challenges facing the new president through the lives and concerns and hopes of the people he spoke to. Many live in fear of criminal cartels and armed gangs, and women feel unsafe on the streets. Ricardo, whose brother was abducted and sister was murdered, is afraid to go out with his daughters. In a migration camp in Tijuana, a couple with two young daughters describe how they left their hometown after receiving death threats from a cartel and Ana, who wants to be a doctor, hopes a woman in power will make a difference.
In August 1971, a group of footballers were catapulted from obscurity to overnight stardom in Mexico when record-breaking crowds turned out as the country hosted a forerunner of the women’s World Cup.
With women’s football still in its infancy after being suppressed in many parts of the world for decades, players got a taste of the sport’s potential popularity when they appeared in front of 100,000 fans in Mexico’s biggest grounds.
One of the English team, Trudy McCaffery, tells Ian Youngs what it was like to go from playing in empty parks to the packed Azteca Stadium – and back.
(Photo: Trudy McCaffery with scrapbox. Credit: Trudy McCaffery)
The United States releases jobs data. More than a quarter of a million new ones were added last monthsuggesting the world's largest economy remains buoyant.
In South Korea workers at the country's biggest company ,Samsung. have staged industrial action for the first time in the company's more-than fifty-year history. The BBC’s Sally Nabil reports from Cairo.Egypt is increasing the price of subsidized bread by 300 per cent.And the T20 cricket world cup tournament is being held in the US for the first time ever.
We were joined by ABC's senior business correspondent Peter Ryan and Technology journalist Takara Small
Mandatory Credit: Photo by JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (14001465b)
Israel's envoy to the UN says he's been informed of the decision, which has not been confirmed by the UN. The report on children and armed conflict will also include Hamas and Islamic Jihad. President Biden has spoken in defence of democracy, and against isolationism, on the site of a Nazi stronghold stormed by American troops on D-Day. We explore the impact of YouTube's new restrictions on gun videos in reducing youth violence. And, the stress suffered by students in China as they face end-of-high school exams.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
First, we hear how a young Irishwoman called Maureen Flavin Sweeney drew up a weather report that delayed the date of D-Day.
Then, 99-year-old former field medic, Charles Norman Shay, shares his remarkable account of landing on the Normandy beach in France codenamed Omaha on D-Day.
Next, we also talk to Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi who hurled his shoes at the President of the United States.
Plus, we hear about China gifting Taiwan two giant pandas, in a practice known as ‘panda diplomacy’.
Finally, it’s the 40th anniversary of the popular computer game Tetris being invented.
Contributors:
Edward Sweeney – Maureen Flavin Sweeney’s son.Charles Norman Shay – former field medic in the United States Army.Muntadhar al-Zaidi – Iraqi journalist.Eve Chen – curator of the Giant Panda House at Taipei Zoo. Alexey Pajitnov – Russian engineer.Henk Rogers – American businessman.
(Photo: U.S Troops rushing to the Normandy beaches. Credit: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The US special envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, warns other countries not to seek to benefit from the conflict there. Khartoum, he said, needed aid not arms.
Also in the programme: are sanctions against Russia working? And sea urchins under threat.
(Picture: Adam Hassan, who has an album with pictures of his son and father, who he said were killed by the RSF and Arab militias in the West Darfur town of Murnei in June, sits outside his makeshift shelter in Adre, Chad. Credit: Reuters)
Union workers at Samsung Electronics are holding the first ever strike in the company's five decade history. We find out why, and what impact it could have on. Elsewhere, Rob Young looks at oil giant Aramco's secondary listing, which was priced below expectations. And finally, we look at the multi billion-dollar drug industry focused on weight loss
President Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, have been meeting in Paris, a day after they both attended commemorations of the Second World War D-Day landings. Mr Biden apologised for delays to the delivery of military aid, caused by some Republicans in Congress, but stressed that the US would not walk away from Ukraine. Also: the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologises for skipping the main D-Day commemoration event in Normandy; and workers at the tech giant Samsung go on strike for the first time.
The Focus on Africa Podcast turns 1. On this special edition, we look back at the year that's been. We re-visit kidnappings in Nigeria, we head back to the Seychelles where an opposition leader was accused of witchcraft and remember the challenges and opportunities of being a first-born daughter.
Presenters: Richard Kagoe and Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson, Nyasha Michelle, Daniel Dadzie, Patricia Whitehorne, Stefania Okereke, Sunita Nahar, Lola Schroer, Amie Liebowitz, Nour Abida and Tom Kavanagh in London. Charles Gitonga, Susan Gachuhi, Frenny Jowi in Nairobi and Todah Opeyemi in LagosSenior Journalists: Karnie Sharp and Paul Bakibinga Technical Producer: Jonny HallEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
With elections to the European Parliament underway, what's driving the expected rightward shift in the politics of many EU countries?
Also in the programme: what humpback whales can tell us about the impact of climate change on the Antarctic; and the woman who allegedly inspired the stalker character in the hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer sues the streamer for defamation.
(Image: The European Parliament prepares for broadcast of European elections results, Brussels, Belgium - 07 Jun 2024 / CREDIT: Olivier Hoslet / EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In 2008, Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest at America's occupation of Iraq.
George W Bush had been giving a joint press conference in Baghdad with Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki at the time. He was in his final months as president as Barack Obama was due to take over.
As he threw the first shoe, Muntadhar yelled: “Here is your goodbye kiss, you dog."
He tells Vicky Farncombe how he prepared for the moment and what happened to him next.
(Photo: President Bush ducks after Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw a shoe. Credit: Reuters)
After North Korean balloons delivered trash to South Korea, we explore balloons of all kinds, why they can be useful, and when they’re not.
Scientists have been using balloons for a long time, from pig bladders dropped from great heights, to Michael Faraday inventing the rubber balloon.
Floating through the air seems like a great, energy-efficient way to fly. So why isn’t the sky full of airships?
And party balloons are fun… but do we want to waste our precious helium on parties? What is this limited gas worth saving for?
Also, why you’re likely smarter than your grandparents were at your age, why snails climb up walls, and scientists looking at clouds from space.
Presenter: MarnieChestertonPanellists: Andrada Fiscutean, Meral JamalGuests: Prof Andrea Sella (University College London) and Prof Dave Hodgson (University of Exeter)Producer: Florian Bohr with Harrison Lewis, Julia Ravey and Noa Dowling
Alice is at the trial. Will the Queen let her escape without a punishment?
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Farmers' protests have been erupting across Europe, and on February 20th one image from a protest in Poland went viral. It showed a tractor carrying a soviet flag and bearing a slogan calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to ‘bring order to Ukraine, Brussels and our rulers.’ The man driving the tractor was arrested and is currently awaiting trial. After the image was released Poland’s foreign ministry spokesperson released a statement warning of attempts to take over the country’s agricultural protest movement by extreme and irresponsible groups ‘possibly under the influence of Russian agents.’ In this episode of BBC Trending, we attempt to track down the man behind the banner. Who is he? And what’s the evidence for Russian involvement in, or amplification of, farmers’ protests in Poland and beyond?
The European Central Bank has announced a cut in its main interest rate from an all-time high of 4% to 3.75%.
A Norwegian mining group has confirmed that it's discovered the largest deposit of rare-earth minerals in Europe.
Mike Lynch, the man once known as Britain’s Bill Gates, has been acquitted of the charges against him by a court in San Francisco.
We look at the impact of the new wave of injectable diabetes and weight loss drugs
And Virgin Australia plans to allow dogs and cats to fly in the main cabin on its flights.
(Credit: European Central Bank. Photo by FRIEDEMANN VOGEL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Hundreds brave Arizona heat to see Donald Trump in his first campaign event since his New York hush-money trial conviction.
Also in this Podcast: The UN says 35 children have been killed in an attack in central Sudan, World leaders mark D-Day's 80th anniversary, and how wild fish are becoming hooked on methamphetamine and other hardcore drugs.
The Global News Podcast brings you the best analysis from BBC correspondents in London and around the world.
'Spiritual but not religious’ is the fastest growing faith category amongst Gen Z and Millennials around the world. However, in Nigeria, where most people identify as either Christian or Muslim, questioning doctrine or exploring alternative beliefs is still often seen as taboo. Kamsy and Ore were both raised in evangelical Christian households, but began questioning their faith in their early 20s. Separately, they began reading about other belief systems, such as Judaism, Buddhism and traditional African religions, and posting their thoughts and experiences on social media. Neither were prepared for the backlash they received. When the two of them finally connected, they bonded over how lonely their ‘deconstruction’ journeys had been. So they created a WhatsApp group for others like them. Today, The Table defines itself as a community for the irreligious yet spiritual, and aims to provide a space for connection and discussion free from the dogma.
Diabetes and obesity drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro have become famous for helping users shed big amounts of weight. It's a market that could soon be worth more than $100 billion. Two companies dominate this space, Novo Nordisk which makes Ozempic and Eli Lilly, maker of Mounjaro. But with competitors desperate for a piece of the action, how long can these two giants stay in front?
Leanna Byrne hears from some of the companies involved, including those at the centre of the action and those developing the next wave of treatments.
Presented by Leanna Byrne and produced by Lexy O'Connor
(Image: A box of the anti-obesity drug Wegovy, including injection pens. Credit: Getty Images)
The European Central Bank has announced a cut in its main interest rate from an all-time high of 4% to 3.75%.
A Norwegian mining group has confirmed that it's discovered the largest deposit of rare earth minerals in Europe.
And Virgin Australia plans to break new ground by allowing dogs and cats to fly in the main cabin on flights. The BBC’s Phil Mercer tells us more
Photo by FRIEDEMANN VOGEL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock. European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde addresses a press conference
In Normandy, world leaders reflect on the sacrifice of war and the need for peace and the few surviving veterans tell their stories.
Also on the programme: the UN in Gaza refutes Israeli claims the UN is too close to Hamas; and are Elon Musk's space dreams getting closer to reality?
(Picture: D-Day veterans in Normandy. Credit: Reuters / Tessier)
The ‘origami’ superpowers of a single-celled pond hunter, it hunts by launching a neck-like proboscis that can extend more than 30 times its body length. Manu Prakash of Stanford University reveals the amazing mathematical mechanisms of the protist, Lacrymaria olor.
Research from Elana Hobkirk at Durham University has found that the process of domestication and selective breeding has limited the ability of domestic dogs to use facial expressions to convey emotions as effectively as their wolf ancestors. Whilst we may be easily manipulated by the ‘puppy eyes’ of our pet dogs, they are no longer able to display the same range of emotions that wolves can, who need strong visual communication to maintain their packs.
Who discovered the first black hole? Science writer Marcus Chown tells us about the discovery of Cygnus X-1 discovered by Paul Murdin and Louise Webster in 1971.
And 100 years ago this week, Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose posted his revolutionary paper to Albert Einstein, which went on to influence quantum mechanics, low-temperature physics, atomic physics, and the physics of the particles that shape the Universe. Physicist Ajoy Ghatak and presenter Roland Pease discuss the story of the man who had the word ‘boson’ coined to memorialise him in the late 1920s.
Also in the longer podcast version: It’s a microbe-eat-microbe world out there, with bacteria waging constant war against each other. It’s by dipping into their ever-evolving chemical arsenal that we keep our pharmacies supplied with the antibiotics we use to fight infectious bacteria - and computer biologist Luis Coelho of Queensland University of Technology has turned to genetics and AI to speed up the search for novel compounds.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Why is football such a universal language? Three BBC World Service journalists and football fans - Matias Zibell Garcia, Pooria Jafereh and Njoroge Muigai – explain what the game mean to their audiences in Argentina, Iran and Kenya, and look ahead at the summer season. Plus, Tamara Ebiwei from BBC Pidgin on why Nigerian players have to learn a new national anthem.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
The European Central Bank has cut interest rates for the first time in five years, but what does it mean for the Eurozone?
We hear about the fall of one of India's biggest start-ups, and the BBC's Devina Gupta also looks at the story of online education company, Byjus, as its US lenders kick off bankruptcy proceedings.
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
President Biden uses speech in Northern France to liken Ukraine's struggle against Russia to the fight to defeat Nazi Germany in the Second World War. We bring you the best reportage and analysis from BBC correspondents in London and around the world. Also in this podcast: Nepal says it has removed eleven tonnes of rubbish from popular Himalayan climbing routes during this year's clean-up campaign, and a week after Donald Trump was convicted of falsifying business records, the former president has had some good news from the courts - a more serious criminal case against him in the state of Georgia has been paused.
Western leaders and veterans of the Second World War are in northern France to mark 80 years since the D-Day landings -- the start of the operation to liberate northern Europe from the Nazis. We hear from the ceremonies, and from some of the survivors.
Also in the programme: more than forty people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a UN-run school that was sheltering displaced families – we hear from UNRWA and the Israeli Defence Forces; and we talk to one of the scientists who have discovered a new way to predict dementia, many years before symptoms appear.
Major Republican donors have backed Donald Trump despite his conviction in a hush money case. Presenter Devina Gupta discusses how there is still huge financial backing for the former president. Plus, with Mexico expected to elect its first-ever female president, we examine the economy she inherits, and what her economic priorities likely to be. And, the owner of Worldle, a geography-based spinoff of the hit online game Wordle, tells us how he faces a legal challenge from the New York Times.
(Photo: Donald Trump Credit: Peter Foley EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Men and women are having babies later in life. Why? And what does society think of older parents?
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240530
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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called coal, oil and gas corporations the “godfathers of climate chaos” who had distorted the truth and deceived the public for decades. He said that just as tobacco advertising was banned because of the threat to health, the same should now apply to fossil fuels.
Also in the programme, Rahul Tandon talks about Canada's interest rate cuts and finds out why a Hollywood film studio is refusing to release a film.
Our guests are Simon Littlewood and Michael Malone.
(Picture: A logo on a Shell petrol station. Picture credit: Reuters)
Female genital mutilation affects around 230 million women and girls globally, with rates highest in Africa. FGM is considered a human rights violation and has no health benefits. That’s according to World Health Organisation. Hibo Wardere, a survivor from Somalia, recounts her ordeal and discusses the importance of education in ending the practice.
The Gambia banned FGM in 2015, but it could be about to reverse this. BBC journalist Esther Ogola, who’s based in Nairobi, explains why. We also hear how Kenya has more than halved its victims - and discuss the likelihood of the practice ending by 2030, which is the UN’s goal.
To find out more of what is going on in the world search for "What in the World" wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.
Note: This episode contains some graphic descriptions of FGM.
Resistance groups say the village of Wad al-Nourah was besieged by the Rapid Support Forces on Tuesday before being attacked. Footage on social media shows dozens of bodies lined up for burial. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the heads of oil and gas corporations the "godfathers of climate chaos"; and the AI tool that allows participants to receive advice from their future selves.
In the first of a two-part series, in a collaboration with The Food Chain, we look at the impact of the success of weight-loss drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk on the small country of Denmark.
The Scandinavian nation is where the company is based, and with a population of less than six million people, Novo is having an outsized impact on the economy there. Denmark is now publishing separate economic statistics, minus the pharmaceutical industry.
One town in particular, Kalundborg, has seen huge change since the company set up its manufacturing facility there. We look at the impact on local business; hearing from the town's residents, who now have quite different economic prospects.
(Picture: The headquarters of Novo Nordisk in Denmark, viewed from above. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Adrienne Murray
Ruth Alexander speaks to patients about their experiences of weight-loss drugs.
The new class of drugs impact appetite, making you feel full sooner, and slowing the rate at which your stomach empties. Known as GLP-1 medications, studies suggest that patients can lose 10% or even up to 25% of their body weight depending on which drug they use. For many who have struggled with obesity and obesity related disease the drugs have the potential to transform their health.
However some patients have struggled with the side effects of the drugs and the manufacturers’ own studies indicate that if people stopping taking them, much of the weight lost is regained, making them drugs for life for some.
Ruth Alexander speaks to Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine, Naveed Sattar, at Glasgow University who is Chair of the UK government’s obesity mission. He explains how these drugs work and the potentials costs and savings for the National Health Service, or NHS. Adrienne Bitar, historian at Cornell University in New York, is the author of ‘Diet and the Disease of Civilization’, a study of diet books of the 20th century. She explains the ideas diet culture is built on. And Ruth asks Gary Foster, Chief Scientific Officer at WeightWatchers, what these weight-loss drugs will mean for the multi-billion-dollar diet industry.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
Image: Michelle Herum in Denmark who currently uses a weight loss drug. Credit: Hanne Juul/BBC)
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called coal, oil and gas corporations the “godfathers of climate chaos” who had distorted the truth and deceived the public for decades. He said that just as tobacco advertising was banned because of the threat to health, the same should now apply to fossil fuels.
Also in the programme, Rahul Tandon talks about Canada's interest rate cuts and finds out why a Hollywood film studio is refusing to release a film.
The UN Secretary General has called for immediate action to tackle climate change, including phasing out fossil fuels, banning ads about them, and imposing windfall taxes on energy companies. Antonio Guterres described fossil fuel firms as the godfathers of climate chaos, raking in profits while the planet burned. Also in the programme: Narendra Modi is on course for a third term as India's prime minister, with his BJP securing the backing of allied parties to form a new coalition government; and how much impact do the blue lights from our phones and tablet screens actually have on our sleep.
(Picture: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speak at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on June 5, 2024. Credit: David Dee Delgado/REUTERS)
A third human case of bird flu has been reported in the US in a farmworker in Michigan who experienced respiratory symptoms. It follows a recent rapid spread of the virus among dairy cows across the country.
Claudia Hammond is joined by public health consultant Dr Ike Anya to discuss the latest developments, as half of the nation’s stockpile of the H5N1 vaccine is made ready to deploy.
We also hear from the women who’ve posted on social media that they’ve become pregnant after using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for weight loss. Claudia speaks to Dr Charlotte Moffat from the University of Ulster about whether the drugs could be interfering with birth control and boosting fertility.
We also hear from author David Robson about his new book ‘The Laws of Connection’, which explores the science and health effects of our social connections, and discuss what social strategies we can all take to improve how we socialise.
And Claudia and Ike take a look at a competition in South Korea trying to raise awareness of stress where the person with the lowest resting heart rate wins.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Dan WelshEditor: Holly Squire
The St Petersburg International Economic Forum gets underway, with Russia hoping to woo investors from the Middle East, Asia and Africa - amid Western sanctions. We look into why the Chinese-Russian trade boom is now under the spotlight. Elsewhere, Will Bain looks into the latest electric vehicle player hoping to take on Tesla, before talking to the creator of the AI chatbot that mirrors the "future you..."
Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov is back in Africa having visited the continent several times in the past couple of years. What is Russia looking for in these frequent visits to the continent? And can it help with Libya?
Also, how internet scams in Nigeria are impacting the lives of teenagers in different parts of the world
And why Madagascans are unhappy about internet access in their country.
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Charles Gitonga, Bella Hassan, Kaine Pieri and Joseph KeenTechnical Producer: Chris AblakwaSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to retain power, but his BJP party lost its outright parliamentary majority for the first time in 10 years. This concluded the world's biggest election which was held in seven phases over six weeks with almost a billion people registered to vote.
Also on the programme: on the eve of key European elections, we hear from Poland where farmers are feeling the heat from neighbouring Ukraine; and advice from your future self, the chatbot offering life lessons from what AI thinks you'll be like at sixty.
(Photo: Prime Minister Modi claims victory in India elections Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Climate scientists also warn that the crucial threshold of one-point-point-five Celsius could be breached within years. That threshold is considered vital to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Also: four women register as candidates for Iran's presidential election, and the contribution of women to the D-Day landings 80 years ago.
Phil knows all about the word 'count' and he'll explain what he knows to you in 60 seconds.
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Attacked on social media - how Nobel Prize laureate Maria Ressa came under fire for doing her job as a journalist in the Philippines, covering the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. She talks to Babita Sharma about the fight to stop social media being used to spread lies and hate against powerful women. Babita also speaks to two female digital pioneers. Lucina Di Meco is the co-founder of the California-based group She Persisted, which addresses the digital threat faced by women in politics. Audrey Pe is founder of the non-profit organisation WiTech, which aims to inspire young people to use technology to bring positive change.
This content was created as a co-production between Nobel Prize Outreach and the BBC.Image of Maria Ressa: Getty Images
Nobel Prize laureate Sir Paul Nurse wants science, not politics, to guide the debate surrounding climate change. But how do you convince the denialists? Babita Sharma takes us through the evolving strategies of those who claim climate change isn’t real, and speaks to two young people who are trying to make a difference. UK climate activist Phoebe L Hanson founded Teach the Teacher, which gives school children the resources to engage with their teachers on climate change. Ugandan Nyombi Morris set up a non-profit organisation, Earth Volunteers, to mobilise young people like him who wanted to promote the fight against the climate crisis.
This content was created as a co-production between Nobel Prize Outreach and the BBC.Image credit: Francis Crick Institute
Can information become a weapon of war? Oleksandra Matviichuk, whose organisation was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, is documenting alleged Russian war crimes against Ukraine. She talks to Babita Sharma about how she uncovers the evidence. Babita also speaks to Anastasiia Romaniuk, a young Ukrainian digital platforms analyst, who is exposing disinformation around the war, and to Lisa Kaplan, founder and CEO of a US company which helps organisations protect themselves from social media manipulation.
This content was created as a co-production between Nobel Prize Outreach and the BBC.Image: Courtesy of Oleksandra Matviichuk
How Nobel Prize laureate Katalin Kariko got caught up in the Covid vaccine disinformation wars. What was it like - as someone behind one of the vaccines – to be in the eye of the false information storm? Katalin tells her story to Babita Sharma. And US educator and artist Young Elder tells Babita how she helped to build trust in the vaccine among Baltimore’s black community. She works with Hip Hop Health, an organisation combating health and vaccine disinformation, started by rapper Doug E Fresh.
This content was created as a co-production between Nobel Prize Outreach and the BBC.Image: Courtesy of Katalin Kariko
In 1944, a young Irishwoman called Maureen Flavin drew up a weather report that helped change the course of World War Two.
Maureen was working at a post office in Blacksod on the far west coast of Ireland. Her duties included recording rainfall, wind speeds, temperature and air pressure.
On 3 June, she sent one of her hourly reports to Dublin, unaware that the figures were being passed on to the Allied headquarters in England. It was the first indication of bad weather heading towards the coast of France - and it was a huge blow.
Hundreds of thousands of British, American and Canadian servicemen had already gathered for the most ambitious operation of the war, the assault of the Normandy beaches on 5 June.
But after reading Maureen’s report, chief meteorologist Group Captain James Stagg advised a delay of 24 hours.
US General, Dwight Eisenhower, gave the order, and D-Day was finally launched on 6 June, 1944. A date that went down in history.
Maureen's son Edward tells Jane Wilkinson about the family's pride in their mother.
(Photo: Maureen Flavin Sweeney. Credit: Sweeney family photo)
听众 “天天向上” 想知道动词 “advise、suggest、recommend” 的后面应该跟哪些句子成分？首先，从含义上看，这三个词都可以表示 “建议”。其次，从用法上看，它们的后面都可以跟动词-ing、“that” 引导的从句、名词或名词成分。本期节目先讲解这三个近义词之间的共同点，然后分析它们的不同之处。
Modi-led alliance claims victory in India’s general election despite having many critics of high unemployment figures and slow economic growth there. What look at what this means for the Indian economy.
We hear from local reporters, economists and business owners in India.
(Picture: Indian PM Modi speaks to supporters at the BJP headquarters, in New Delhi. Picture credit: Reuters)
Farmers' protests have been erupting across Europe, and on February 20th one image from a protest in Poland went viral. It showed a tractor carrying a soviet flag and bearing a slogan calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to ‘bring order to Ukraine, Brussels and our rulers’. The man driving the tractor was arrested and is currently awaiting trial. After the image was released Poland’s foreign ministry spokesperson released a statement warning of attempts to take over the country’s agricultural protest movement by extreme and irresponsible groups ‘possibly under the influence of Russian agents.’ We attempt to track down the man behind the banner. Who is he? And what is the evidence for Russian involvement in, or amplification of, farmers’ protests in Poland and beyond?
An alliance led by Mr Modi has won enough seats to allow him to serve as prime minister for a third term. His BJP party has far fewer seats than it won in the last election five years ago. Also in this podcast: President Biden announces a new policy on immigration at the border with Mexico, the leaders of the UK's two main political parties, Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, go head to head in a live TV debate, and pilots in Switzerland's Air Force to practice taking off from motorways.
President Biden has claimed the US economy is the ‘envy of the world’ and that his administration has added record job numbers, with around one million people hired since the turn of this year.
With inflation falling and the possibility of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates, we find out if the rosy economic picture is being felt by those who are hiring or trying to get hired.
(Image: A sign on a wall recruiting for staff at a hotel in California in 2024 as a man walks by. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Matt Lines
Modi-led alliance claims victory in India’s general election despite having many critics of high unemployment figures and slow economic growth there. What look at what this means for the Indian economy.
We hear from local reporters, economists and business owners in India.
The Indian Prime Minister says his third term is a historic feat, but his majority has been greatly reduced.
Also on the programme, President Biden issues new measures against asylum seekers; the first TV debate ahead of the British elections; and the three boys in North Dakota who found a dinosaur.
(Photo: Jubilant Modi supporters outside BJP HQ in Delhi. Credit: Shutterstock)
What is it like to have an AI boyfriend? We hear about women in China who prefer to date a chatbot over a real person. How can tech be used to unlock the potential of crops - and help with food shortages? And we meet the fashion designer who hopes to fool facial recognition technology with her clothes.
Presenter: Shiona McCallumProducers: Tom Quinn and Imran Rahman-Jones
(Image: A woman looking at her phone which has hearts coming out of it. Credit: Getty Images)
The first-ever summit of African leaders and South Korea is underway in Seoul. South Korea has promised to boost development aid for Africa by up to $10 billion over the next six years. The country also aims to tap into Africa's rich mineral resources. How else can Africa benefit from this new forged relationship with South Korea?
Also the UN warns that millions of people in Sudan are at risk of malnutrition and starvation
And new initiatives on tackling bullying, are being discussed and planned in schools on the continent.
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Nyasha Michelle, Charles Gitonga, Yvette Twagiramariya, Bella Hassan and Emmanuella AluasaSenior Producer: Paul BakibingaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lose his majority, but hold on to power to win a third term in office as the final votes are counted. He called it "a historical feat in India’s history." Also on the podcast: Qatar says it's waiting for a clear position from Israel on the Gaza peace plan, the growing use of AI in scientific research papers, and why nostalgic music events have become so popular.
The BJP-led alliance is leading in just under 300 seats, while opposition parties are ahead in about 200. Meanwhile, more than two dozen opposition parties that joined to take on Mr Modi and the BJP, are hoping to prove exit polls wrong.
Also on the programme: we hear from an Israeli hostage negotiator, and we look at why the Swiss Air Force is taking to the road.
(Photo: Indian voters show their inked fingers after casting their vote during the last phase of the Indian parliament elections Credit: Manu Arora/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Sarah Montague speaks to hostage negotiator Mickey Bergman, who has spent much of the last two decades working behind the scenes to help negotiate the release of Americans kidnapped or detained abroad – either by criminals, political actors or governments. What difference do such “fringe diplomats” make? Are they a help or a hindrance?
We talk about unusual food and give you rules to help you choose tenses.
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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In 1984, Russian engineer Alexey Pajitnov invented the popular computer game Tetris. But it was not until American businessman Henk Rogers joined him that the game became an all-time favourite in video game consoles across the world.
Chloe Hadjimatheou spoke to both of them about how the idea of the game originated and the challenges of exporting it from the Soviet Union. This programme was first broadcast in 2011.
(Photo: Tetris 99. Credit: Getty Images)
做饭时适当地搅动锅里的食材 “stir the pot”，可以使食材表面均匀受热。但在日常生活中，如果某人 “stir the pot”，那这个人则是在 “搬弄是非，添油加醋，故意制造麻烦”。听节目，学习这个表达的用法。
India has just finished its marathon elections and as the new government takes charge we take a look at one of its biggest challenges - rising youth unemployment.
With an average age of 29 years, India’s population is one of the youngest globally, but job creation for them hasn’t been easy in this fast growing economy.
The BBC’s Devina Gupta travels to Delhi to talks to students and first time job seekers about this growing job crisis and what can be done to solve it.
Presenter and producer: Devina Gupta
(Image: young men in Delhi waiting for the labour chow. Credit: Devina Gupta)
Mexico's first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, breaks a political glass ceiling and she wins the election. However, following the victory, investors have been reacting rather negatively. They’ve been selling off pesos—Mexico’s currency—over fears of radical constitutional changes. The peso slipped about 3% against the dollar, its lowest level since November last year. How will it affect local business owners and the economy?
Also, in the programme, Sam Fenwick finds out why the boss of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, thinks it’s time for emerging economies to stop relying on infinite streams of cash from other governments.
(Picture: Sheinbaum wins Mexico's presidential election. Picture credit: Reuters)
Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, has become the first child of a sitting US president to be a criminal defendant. He denies all charges against him. Also: Israel confirms deaths of four more hostages in Gaza, and Mr Beast overtakes T-Series for most YouTube subscribers.
El Salvador used to be known as one of the most dangerous places in the world. The central American country was dominated by rival gangs who terrorised the population. President Bukele declared a State of Emergency in 2022 and since then more than 76,000 people have been arrested – around 1% of the population. Two years on Jane Chambers travels to El Salvador to find out how people’s lives have changed – for better and for worse - since the crack down on crime.
Mexico's first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, breaks a political glass ceiling and she wins the election. However, following the victory, investors have been reacting rather negatively. They’ve been selling off pesos—Mexico’s currency—over fears of radical constitutional changes. The peso slipped about 3% against the dollar, its lowest level since November last year. How will it affect local business owners and the economy?
Also, in the programme, Sam Fenwick finds out why the boss of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, thinks it’s time for emerging economies to stop relying on infinite streams of cash from other governments.
Claudia Sheinbaum becomes Mexico’s first woman president, so how will she tackle the country’s violence and insecurity? Also in the programme: Nigeria’s public sector workers go on strike disrupting power supplies; and was the so-called Bulgarian Crypto-queen murdered? ( Photo: Claudia Sheinbaum addressing a victory rally in Mexico city. Credit: Reuters.)
Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber both have a love of science, but it turns out there’s a lot they don’t know about some of the leading women at the front of the inventing game. In Unstoppable, Dr Julia and Dr Ella tell each other the hidden, world-shaping stories of the engineers, innovators and inventors they wish they’d known about when they were starting out as scientists. This week, the story of an Indian chemist whose work laid the foundations to save thousands of lives.
In a lab in 1950s Kolkata, Asima Chatterjee laboriously extracts chemicals from the Indian snakeroot plant. She knows she’ll have to send the products away – she doesn’t have the money or resources to analyse them in India. But the tireless and uncompromising chemist perseveres, and her work paved the way for modern-day chemotherapy treatments.
Asima grew up in a time when it was uncommon for women in India to have an education, but went on to become a hugely influential figure in her field whose work is still repurposed and cited today. Dr Ella and Dr Julia take us through her inspirational journey, joined by Professor Sivapriya Kirubakaran and Dr Sarah O’Connor.
Presenters: Dr Ella Hubber and Dr Julia Ravey Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey Assistant producer: Sophie Ormiston Production Coordinator: Elisabeth Tuohy Editor: Holly Squire
On World Business Report Will Bain hears from one of the main unions leading today's action on why they have called for an indefinite strike.
Plus, in an exclusive interview with the BBC, the head of the World Bank tells us that developing nations cannot bank on the deep pockets of wealthier Western Nations
Also find out why Mexico's currency is slipping on a landslide win for a Presidential candidate promising more of the same
And Shein has changed fast fashion and become a favourite with shoppers all round the world - so why is where it sells its shares proving so controversial?
Following last week's elections, South Africa’s ruling African National Congress, has lost its majority. The ANC now needs a coalition partner to ally with. It's begun closed-door negotiations with its political opponents, but who will it choose and why?
Also Nigeria's public workers begin an indefinite nationwide strike following failed negotiations with the government
And have you heard of 'adaptive' clothing? It's a new much needed fashion trend, helping people with disabilities to shop with ease.
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers; Rob Wilson, Charles Gitonga, Susan Gachuhi, Yvette Twagiramariya and Bella HassanSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
An ally of outgoing left wing leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador, she has won a landslide victory with about sixty per cent of the vote. Even her most ardent supporters say they want to see more done to tackle violent crime in the drug-violence ravaged nation.
Also on the programme: Hunter Biden, the son of the US President, goes on trial for gun charges; and the stray-dog rescuer of Ukraine on why she cannot stay away from the frontlines of war.
(Picture: Claudia Sheinbaum addressing her supporters in Mexico City Credit: REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini)
Supporters of Claudia Sheinbaum have been celebrating her landslide victory in Mexico's presidential election. Also: blackout in Nigeria as striking workers shut down the entire power grid, new blood test to predict breast cancer return and couple find safe full of cash while magnet fishing in New York.
In this short and sweet episode, learn some common binomials, or phrases made of two words.
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They're all available by searching in your podcast app.
In 2008, panda-mania hit Taiwan when China gifted the country two giant pandas.
This practice known as ‘panda diplomacy’ is thought to date back as far as the 7th Century.
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan flew into Taiwan and became instant celebrities.
Eve Chen, curator of the Giant Panda House at Taipei Zoo says: “They were extremely cute and adorable. You could call them like the handsome and the beauty, like the Barbie and Ken in a panda.”
Eve tells Gill Kearsley about their arrival and what it meant to Taiwan.
(Photo: Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan in China. Credit: Visual China Group via Getty Images.)
Do you want some cheap and cheerful tips to improve your English? Listen to learn more.
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LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including:
✔️ 6 Minute English✔️ Learning English from the News✔️ Learning English for WorkThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.
Exactly one year into his new job, we meet Ajay Banga, the President of the World Bank. He previously ran Mastercard, but following President Biden's nomination, Ajay Banga took on one of the most important roles in finance in June 2023. He tells us what steps he's putting in place to reform the organisation, how western governments are struggling to fund it to the same levels that it used to, and he warns inflation might not come down much further.
Presenter: Sam FenwickProducer: Olie D'Albertanson
(Image: Ajay Banga. Credit: Gretty)
Lilian Olivia Orero is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, award-winning writer and champion of women’s digital rights. She is the founder of the community-based organisation SafeOnlineWomen-Kenya. Lilian Olivia recently served as the youngest person on a UN led programme aimed at ending violence against women and girls.
Nighat Dad is a Pakistani lawyer and founder of Digital Rights Foundation, a charity organisation focused on cyber harassment, data protection and free speech online in Pakistan and South Asia. As a feminist and pioneer for women's rights activism in Pakistan, Nighat has raised awareness of Pakistani patriarchy.
Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to Lilian and Nighat about the scale of harassment women face on the internet.
Producer: Emily Naylor
(Image: (L) Lilian Olivia Orero, credit Daniel Samwel. (R) Nighat Dad, courtesy of Nighat Dad)
Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted his African National Congress party has suffered a challenging election result. Also: Mexicans vote in election likely to see first woman president, and the media tycoon Rupert Murdoch marries for fifth time at the age of 93.
Andy Riley is an Emmy-winning scriptwriter and a million-selling author and cartoonist published in more than 20 countries, notably with the Bunny Suicides book series. Antonia Quirke follows him as he begins to write and draw the third book in his graphic novel series for children. The series is called Action Dude. That's the name of the main character, too; he lives for danger, he lives for excitement, he lives with his Mum because he's eight years old. Antonia also follows Andy as he performs a semi-improvised, hour-long stand up show with live drawing.
Beth Rodden was on a dream climbing expedition in Kyrgyzstan when she was kidnapped by Islamist militants. She and her friends spent days moving between hiding places in the mountains, fearing for their lives as food supplies dwindled. Then, six days in, the group found themselves at the edge of a cliff with a single young guard. They had a chance to escape, but it came with a huge ethical dilemma.
Presenter: Emily WebbProducer: Louise Morris
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
Voting is taking place in Mexico in an election which is almost certain to result in the country's first female president. More than twenty candidates have been killed in what is now the most violent election in modern Mexican history.
Also in the programme: scientists in Britain have developed a blood test that could forecast the return of breast cancer years before tumours show up in scans; and will the T20 Cricket World Cup help the sport compete with more established sports in the United States.
(A woman shows her inked thumb after voting at a polling station during general elections, in Comachuen, Mexico on June 2, 2024. Credit: Ivan Arias/Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu risks losing power if he agrees to the latest deal on the table for a ceasefire in Gaza. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have threatened to bring down the government if Mr Netanyahu agrees to the deal. We speak to Hanoch Milwidsky, a member of the Knesset for Mr Netanyahu's Likud Party.
Also in the programme: China lands a probe on the unexplored, far side of the moon; and coalition talks begin in South Africa, with the African National Congress losing its outright majority in the elections.
(Photo: Israeli right-wing Knesset members Itamar ben Gvir (L) and Bezalel Smotrich (R) in the Israeli parliament in November 2022. Credit: Abir Sultan/Pool via REUTERS)
The Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said any deal that resulted in a ceasefire in Gaza before Hamas was destroyed would be a victory for terrorism. Also: Boeing's first crewed Starliner launch delayed again over computer issues, and the life-saving Heimlich manoeuvre is fifty years old.
The ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas made by US President Joe Biden has received mixed reactions in Israel. The opposition has backed it but the two leading right-wing ministers have threatened to pull out of the coalition government if there is a deal.
Mexicans will go to the polls this Sunday after a violent campaign. We hear from Professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera in Mexico City; And cybersecurity expert Lisa McKee explains the consequences of the recent Ticketmaster data breach.
(Picture: Protesters demand release of hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
South Africa is set to be governed by coalition after the ruling ANC loses its majority. With most results declared, the party has around 40%, its worst result for thirty years. It's now preparing to launch coalition talks with its rivals.
Also in the programme: a new saliva test for prostate cancer; and Boeing prepares for its Starliner launch to the International Space Station
(Picture: First-time voter in Kwazulu Natal dons a green and black MK party t-shirt. Credit: BBC)
To combat over-working culture, South Koreans have taken part in the annual 'space-out' competition, where they must simply sit still and do absolutely nothing for 90 minutes. But, they must not fall asleep.
Also: meet the podcasters hoping to promote friendship between Morocco and Algeria, a hungry sea lion who hitched a ride with some rowers in Los Angeles, a potentially groundbreaking new treatment which could help restore movements to paralysed people, and the power of vibrations harnessed in sound therapy.
Our weekly collection of happy news and positive stories from around the world
How many soldiers are fighting - and dying - for Russia in Ukraine? Who are they, and what do their stories tell us about Russia's frontline tactics? We'll ask Olga Ivshina, who has been monitoring Russian losses in Ukraine from day one. Plus, Anne McAlpine from BBC Alba dives into the history of Gaelic proverbs.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
In Miriam Toews’s novel, Women Talking, the women of a remote Mennonite colony are hold secret meetings to talk about the crimes of the men who they live alongside. After years of being told that they were suffering from hysterical delusions, the women “came to understand that they were collectively dreaming one dream, and that it wasn’t a dream at all.”
Women Talking is a response to the real life events on a Mennonite settlement in Bolivia between 2005 and 2009.
Miriam Toews talks to World Book Club readers in Toronto and around the world about her unique and powerful story about the power of language and solidarity.
Dame Kelly Holmes was the first British woman to become a double Olympic champion winning the 800 and 1500 metres at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Despite the jubilation, it was not a moment of happiness but a period of fear. A fear that she might be outed as being gay.
Revealed publicly just two years ago this month, Dame Kelly tells Caroline Barker about her renewed joy in life after coming out as gay. She explains the terror of hiding her sexuality in the British Army, where being gay was illegal until 2000 and how her story has inspired others to reach out to her. Kelly also talks about how being able to be herself has given her the confidence to do pantomime and what she wants to do next to help others.
With the Paris Olympics the first Games with equal men and women participation in sailing, World Sailing is bidding to increase female representation in the sport at all levels with a new report. Who better to explain the development of that than trailblazing Olympic gold medallist Jo Aleh, who will go to her fourth Olympic Games this summer? She'll tell us about the powerful women in the sport, her experience of gender equality in coaching and her journey to Paris.
Award winning journalist Joe Posnanski tells us why we should love baseball and divulges his equation for what he thinks makes a great sporting moment. He also shares a few of his favourite moments from the sport’s history picked from his new book “Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments”.
We’ll also find out how the iconic Champions League final music was made ahead of the biggest club game in football.
PHOTO: Kelly Holmes during The British Diversity Awards 2024 at Grosvenor House on March 20, 2024 in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)
It's 30 years since John Aldridge made headlines for all the wrong reasons during a World Cup match between Ireland and Mexico.
The Irish striker lost his temper with a match official, after not being allowed to take to the field as a substitute. Ireland were losing the match 2-0 and needed a goal.
Aldridge and his manager, Jack Charlton, were pictured on television broadcasts around the world shouting expletives.
Both were punished after the game, but when Aldridge finally was allowed on the pitch, he scored a goal to give Ireland a chance to get back into the game.
He shares his memories of that day with Alan Hamilton. This episode is narrated by Tricia Penrose.
A Moon Road Production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: John Aldridge shouting at FIFA official. Credit: Shutterstock)
Major Republican donors have backed Donald Trump despite his conviction in a hush money case. Presenter Devina Gupta discusses why there is still huge financial backing for the former President with guests from New Zealand and the United States.
Voters go to the polls in Mexico. The country’s new President is the be the first ever woman to lead the nation. We look at the economy she inherits, and what are her economic priorities likely to be.
The owner of the hit online game Wordle is legally challenging a geography-based spinoff called Worldle.
The New York Times, purchased Wordle for a seven figure sum in 2022. It accuses Worldle of attempting to capitalise on "the enormous goodwill” associated with its own brand. (Picture: Donald Trump Credit: Peter Foley EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The plan would begin with a six-week ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israel Defence Forces from populated areas of Gaza. Also: Donald Trump to appeal what he called "rigged" conviction, and a rare fern has the largest genome of any organism on earth - fifty times more DNA than humans.
Anyone seeking election as a politician can expect to have to argue their case with the electorate, and deal with opposition and criticism. But what happens when that democratic debate turns toxic and politicians face personal abuse, intimidation and threats of violence? With election campaigns being fought in several countries around the world, we bring together politicians in Canada, France and the UK to discuss some of their experiences of public office. Heather Williams, a councillor in the east of England tells presenter Luke Jones how she was threatened with being shot and Catherine McKenna who served in the Canadian government, and her son Matt share the challenges they faced living life under the political spotlight.
It was the biggest gold mine fraud of all time – a scam that devastated countless lives. But what really happened?
A warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners - this programme contains the names and voices of people who have died.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
First, the story of Brazil's most wanted, Carlos Lamarca. He was a captain who deserted the army in the 1960s and joined in the armed struggle against the military regime in the country.
Then, Bill Booth - historian of twentieth century Latin America at University College London - joins Max to talk about other revolutionary figures from South America.
Next, the story of Australia's first Aboriginal MP and how he fought for indigenous rights.
Plus, the 90th anniversary of the first ever quintuplets, the 1984 Apple commercial that changed advertising and the 2014 Flint, Michigan water contamination crisis.
Contributors:João Salgado Lopes - friend of Carlos LamarcaBill Booth - historian of twentieth century Latin America at University College LondonJoanna Lindgren - great niece of Neville BonnerJeneyah McDonald - Flint, Michigan residentDr Mona Hanna-Attisha – a paediatrician and professor of public health, MichiganMike Murray - former Apple marketing manager
(Photo: Subcomandante Marcos pictured in 2001. Credit: Getty Images)
Major Republican donors have backed Donald Trump despite his conviction in a hush money case. Presenter Devina Gupta examines why there is still huge financial backing for the former President.
Voters go to the polls in Mexico. The country’s new President is the be the first ever woman to lead the nation. We look at the economy she inherits, and what are her economic priorities likely to be.
The owner of the hit online game Wordle is legally challenging a geography-based spinoff called Worldle.
The New York Times, purchased Wordle for a seven figure sum in 2022. It accuses Worldle of attempting to capitalise on "the enormous goodwill” associated with its own brand.
President Biden has called on Israel and Hamas to accept a new proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. He said the three-phase approach - approved by Israeli officials - would initially involve a six-week ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. In his first response, Prime Minister Netanyahu said the war would only end with the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities.
Also in the programme: Donald Trump has confirmed he'll appeal against his historic criminal conviction, in a tirade that included attacks on the judge and his political opponents; and South Africa's governing ANC loses its parliamentary majority - so what's gone wrong in the thirty years since it swept to power amid a wave of optimism.
(Image: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House on 31 May 2024. Credit: Reuters/Hockstein)
The South African election is moving ever closer to a result, and it looks like the ANC will have to start talking to potential coalition partners.
What could that mean for the economy there?
Plus, we're getting reports of another major cyber-attack, this time affecting a major bank.
And how does it feel when your niche web project becomes the focus of a trademark claim from a very large company with a very large legal budget?
The United States has sanctioned Uganda’s parliament speaker, her husband and others over corruption and rights abuses, but will the imposed restrictions have a wider impact?
After the mysterious disappearance of a Zambia parliamentarian who was later found, opposition politicians fear the country’s democracy is under threat.
And why is there a power tussle between the Cameroon government and the national football federation over who should be head coach of the national team - the Indomitable Lions.
The US presidential election campaign has moved into uncharted territory, after the Republican presumptive candidate Donald Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records. The former president's criminal conviction does not prevent him from running - even if he's sentenced to jail. President Biden's campaign said the threat Mr Trump posed to America's democracy had never been greater - and the ballot box was the only way to keep him out of the White House. Many Republicans say the trial was a travesty of justice, and Mr Trump himself has claimed he is a political prisoner. Opinion polls before his conviction had the two candidates locked in a tight race. Also in the programme: Germany joins the United States in saying it will allow Ukraine to use its weapons for limited strikes inside Russia; we'll hear from Moscow and from Kyiv. (Photo: Former US President Donald Trump gestures to the media and the crowd outside Trump Tower after a jury found him guilty on all 34 counts in his criminal trial in New York, 30 May 2024. Credit: Peter Foley/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Donald Trump becomes the first former or sitting US president to be convicted of a crime. Presenter Devina Gupta examines what this will mean for his bid to become President again.
Plus, extreme heat is causing chaos in South Asia. What does this mean for businesses and workers in Pakistan and India?
(Picture: Donald Trump Credit: Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters)
US presidential election campaign moves into uncharted territory after Donald Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records. We bring you the best content, reportage and analysis of the Trump verdict and look at where the US election goes from here. Also in this podcast: the latest from South Africa on the political horse-trading expected as the ANC is tipped to lose its three-decade majority - why have some voters fallen out of love with the party? And in Canada for the first time an indigenous politician addresses a provincial parliament in his own language.
As the Olympic torch makes its way through France, we investigate the fires that continually smoulder and those which are stomped out.
You might expect snow to make a solid fire extinguisher, but in Canada, it is somehow keeping embers alight. These ‘Zombie fires’ keep burning through the winter, releasing huge amounts of carbon into the air and enhancing the tinderbox for summer wildfires.
While wildfires leave trails of destruction, for some plants and animals, they act as a catalyst for life – helping them to spread their seeds or flower. And the extent of these blazes can also be marshalled by nature – with elephants and beavers building natural fire breaks into landscapes to prevent uncontrollable flames.
We hear about when the first fires happened on Earth and how we can study ancient fires which have long since gone out. Plus, we unpick the key to monogamy (in mice), why cicadas love prime numbers as well as your thoughts on snakes...
Presenter: Caroline Steel with Philistiah Mwatee and Chhavi Sachdev Producer: Alex Mansfield with Florian Bohr, Harrison Lewis, Julia Ravey and Noa Dowling Sound engineer: Emily Preston
Forty years ago, a Hollywood director, some tech revolutionaries and a group of London skinheads created a commercial that would rock the advertising world.
Based on George Orwell’s dystopic novel ‘1984’, and launched in the same year, the ad was like nothing that had been seen before.
But its road to being shown was rocky, and the beleaguered advert almost never made it air.
Mike Murray was Apple marketing manager at the time, he speaks to Molly Pipe.
(Photo: Steve Jobs in a room of computers in 1984. Credit: Michael L Abramson/Getty Images)
Alice finds herself at a trial. Did the Knave of Hearts steal the Queen's tarts?
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Anna Holligan spends time with Dutch Muslim Nora Akachar, whose world was turned upside down with the traditional progressive country voted for right-wing politician Geert Wilders. Nora is left questioning her identity and what it means for her to be Muslim in the Netherlands today.
The jury at Donald Trump's hush-money trial in New York found him guilty on all 34 counts. Mr Trump said the case was "rigged" and the real verdict would come in the presidential election in November. President Biden said it shows no one is above the law. He said Mr Trump continued to pose a great threat to democracy, and accused him of running what he called an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and retribution. But the Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, called the verdict "a shameful day for America."
We found out why the dating guru swapped a career in investment banking to become a matchmaker.
Now famous for his role in the hit TV show ‘Married at First Sight’, Paul Carrick Brunson explains how his current career path wasn’t always written in the stars. But a combination of business acumen, the backing of his partner and a touch of luck led to a lucrative trade in matchmaking.
He explains his core business principles and gives his top tips for discussing money in a relationship.
(Image: Paul Carrick Brunson. Credit: Chris Bethell)
Presenter: Devina GuptaProducer: Sam Clack
President Biden has reportedly given the go-ahead to Ukraine to use its weaponry on targets within Russia as NATO foreign ministers meet in the Czech Republic to discuss the issue. We ask a NATO foreign minister what's changed.
Also in the programme, we hear from Mexico ahead of this weekend's elections; and world-record breaker Sophie Holmes shares her remarkable story of running 36 marathons in as many days.
Photo: A Ukrainian soldier fires a D-30 howitzer towards Russian troops in Kharkiv region, Ukraine Credit: REUTERS/Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy
AI is already being used in every branch of science, and will become more and more a feature of future breakthroughs. But with its power to find subtle patterns in massive data sets comes a concern about how we will know when to trust its outcomes, and how to rely on its predictions. Science in Action talks to Alison Noble who just completed a Royal Society report on trust in scientific AI.
With highly pathogenic bird flu infecting around 70 dairy herds across 10 states in the USA, including a herd of alpacas, we get an update from health journalist Helen Branswell of StatNews on the latest science and efforts to get on top of the infection.
Also, from the pioneers of the mRNA vaccines that helped turn around the COVID pandemic, an experimental version that could be rolled out rapidly if the bird flu does cross worryingly into people. University of Pennsylvania’s Scott Hensley described how it works, and how promising it looks.
Science in Action also hears how Europe’s new EarthCARE satellite, equipped to peer deep inside clouds, will tackle one of the biggest unknowns in the science of global warming.
Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Jonathan Blackwell
Mishal Husain speaks to the former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mohammed Shtayyeh. How does he see the Palestinian people’s future? Can he, and should he, work with Hamas?
There's confusion today surrounding a claim by a notorious hacking group that they have accessed personal details of more than half-a-billion people who use the US website Ticketmaster – but is it true?
Two months after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge cut off the port of Baltimore, transportation businesses are counting the days until it can reopen.
Plus David Harper finds out how Thailand is trying to encourage Digital Nomads to travel there to work.
Finally, we explore whether having a famous resident can be a blessing or a curse for your town?
The landmark case has swept up Hong Kong’s best-known pro-democracy campaigners, and effectively wiped out that whole movement. Also: Spanish MP's have approved a highly contested law granting amnesty to separatists from the region of Catalonia, we're in South Africa where counting is underway in the country's elections, and Pop star Harry Styles' home village in England puts on its own guided tours.
It's one year since Bola Tinubu became Nigeria’s President. Mr Tinubu assumed office during a time of unprecedented challenges for Africa’s most populous country. How are Nigerian's feeling about his promise of a "renewed hope"?
Somalia is the only sub-Saharan country to carry out the death penalty, where according to Amnesty International executions are on the rise. What's the attitude towards the death penalty there?
And Zimbabwe re-launches it's national youth programme, which aims at equipping young people with life skills. What do young Zimbabweans think?
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Joseph Keen, Bella Hassan, Yvette Twagiramariya and Patricia Whitehorne Senior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Phillip BullEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Are electric rickshaws the solution to urban air pollution? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240606
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Flint was once one of the richest cities in the United States. But in the 1980s, it was badly affected by the downturn in car manufacturing and by 2014 it was nearly bankrupt. To save money, the city switched its water supply away from Lake Huron to its own Flint River, but state officials failed to treat the river water properly. As a result lead, a powerful neurotoxin, was released into the drinking water.
Despite mounting evidence, officials denied anything was wrong and it took them a year and a half to switch water supply back to Lake Huron. But many residents of Flint –a majority African-American city with high rates of poverty– have been left fearful about the long term impacts on their children.
Rob Walker speaks to lifelong Flint resident Jeneyah McDonald who had two young children at the time. He also hears from Dr Mona Hanna-Attisha – a paediatrician and professor of public health– who helped bring the scandal to national attention after showing that lead had found its way into the bloodstreams of the city’s children.
(Photo: Bottled water donations to help with the Flint Michigan water crisis in 2016. Credit: Dennis Pajot via Getty Images)
As an intense heat wave sweeps across the north and west of India, Rahul Tandon looks at the impact of this on the world’s fastest growing economy.
The price of heavily subsidised bread in Egypt is to quadruple from June. The BBC’s Sally Nibil explains just how significant the news is and why the subsidy is such an important source of government support for the less well off.
And as the former co-working giant WeWork looks to be on the verge of agreeing a deal that could see it emerge from bankruptcy, we look at how reduced demand for physical office space around the world has affected the sector.
Talking about these - as well as other big business stories from around the world, Rahul Tandon is joined by Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Bloomberg Senior Asia Correspondent in Hong Kong and Sushma Ramachandran, Independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper, in Delhi, India.(Picture credit: Hindustan Times/Getty Images)
Ghanaian gamer and broadcaster Kobby Spiky explores the video game landscape across Africa. He speaks to everyday gamers and developers about their experiences of playing and creating them. Although Asia and North America are usually seen as the hubs of the video game industry because they are the homes of the three major console manufacturers and some of the largest publishers in the world, countries like Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria are paving the way for Africa to emerge as the next big thing in gaming. As smartphones and tablets become more accessible, mobile gaming has taken hold across the continent. And as more people look for authentic characters and stories, African developers are standing out from their foreign competitors.
The 12 New Yorkers have asked to hear back some of the testimony. Also: Israel takes control of corridor between Gaza and Egypt, the iconic Ukrainian hotel being auctioned off for the war effort and why hardly any of us are using AI tools.
It's been two months since the collapse of the key bridge in Baltimore, and the deadline to unblock the port's shipping channel is imminent. The US government has given a loose promise to make it happen by the end of May - but there are doubts that deadline will be met, causing more disruption to the local and global economy. How will businesses on sea and land find a way through more uncertainty?
Izzy Greenfield speaks to small businesses who are feeling the impact; from fewer customers to disruption to supply chains.
Baltimore used to rank first among US ports for autos and light trucks, handling a record 850,000 vehicles last year. Importantly, the port is where vehicles are processed and labelled to be sold domestically. We hear how the industry is seeing an immediate impact. And we learn about the struggles that transportation workers continue to face.
(Image: Baltimore bridge after it collapsed in March 2024. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield
Devina Gupta takes a food tour of her home city of Delhi to see how people are adapting to rising summer temperatures.
In May this year the city saw a record temperature of almost 50C, and knowing what to eat in such heat can be a challenge.
The changing climate is sparking innovative recipes in restaurant kitchens and bringing traditional practices back to people’s kitchens.
Devina tries old favourites at street markets, a modern twist on a classic drink at a high end restaurant and is (almost) convinced that a vegetable she has hated since childhood might work wonders in the heat.
She hears from public health expert Dr Samar Husayn about why the cold, sweet treats you might reach for on a hot day aren’t always the best.
And she sees the difference between how those who have air-conditioned homes and those who don’t are coping.
Presenter: Devina Gupta
Producer: Hannah Bewley
(Image: A bowl of gourd dip with restaurant workers in the heat in the background. Credit: BBC)
Provisional reports say that Temperatures have reached fifty-two degrees centigrade in the Indian capital, Delhi, as an intense heatwave sweeps across the north and west of the country. Rahul Tandon looks at how it’s affecting the lives of people there - and the economy.
The price of heavily subsidised bread in Egypt is to quadruple from June. The BBC’s Sally Nibil explains just how significant the news is and why the subsidy is such an important source of government support for the less well off.
Unionised workers of Samsung Electronics in Seoul are to strike next week in what will be the first-ever strike in the tech giant’s five decades of history - we look at the reason why.
South Africans have been voting in the most pivotal election since the end of apartheid, which could see the African National Congress lose its majority for the first time. Newshour gets the latest and speaks to voters.
Also in the programme: the impact on civilians as Israel pushes ahead with its military operation in Gaza; and the table tennis player who's qualified for the Paralympics tell us how he competes with no hands.
Photo: People queue to cast their votes in the South African elections in Durban, South Africa Credit: REUTERS/Alaister Russell
Life expectancy is expected to increase by almost five years around the world by 2050, according to new research. The Global Burden of Disease Study says countries with lower life expectancy are expected to see the biggest increases.
Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC Africa health correspondent Dorcas Wangira to hear how public health measures are behind the predicted increases.
We also hear about how negotiations at this week’s World Health Assembly to secure a global deal for countries to prepare for pandemics have fallen through.
Claudia and Dorcas discuss new research in Kenya into the time of day mosquitoes are biting children in school, and what it tells us about whether the insects are getting smarter.
We also hear about the project twinning hospitals in Mexico and the US to try to improve the survival chances of children with leukaemia.
And new research from Australia suggests having a baby takes much more metabolic energy than previously thought.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Dan WelshEditor: Holly Squire
Record breaking heat in northern India as temperatures hit 52 degrees.
It's election day in South Africa and it's a crucial vote because the ANC could lose its majority for the first time since 1994 so could this call have a lot to do with the country's economy?
Find out why Union workers at Samsung Electronics say they're going to hold the first ever strike since the company was founded over five decades ago...
And one billionaire is making waves as he plans to travel down to the Titanic wreck in a submersible. Yes, we've got questions too…
South Africans go to the polls today in what is predicted to be the most competitive election since the end of apartheid. Also in the programme, Delhi hits record-level temperatures and South Korea's clean-up effort after North Korea sends hundreds of balloons of rubbish that land across the country
(Picture: People wait in line to cast their votes in Johannesburg, South Africa. Credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Officials say the country is likely to experience longer and more intense heatwaves this year. Also: A senior Israeli official says he expects the fighting to continue in Gaza for at least the rest of the year; how North Korea is menacing its southern neighbour with balloons filled with rubbish; and as voters in South Africa go to the polls - President Cyril Ramaphosa believes support for his party is solid. Plus, the Nigerian criminals using nude photos to extort money from young people around the world.
The military junta in Burkina Faso extends its military rule for another five years. So does this mean it is consolidating its power?
There have been chaotic scenes in Sierra Leone during the Bar Association’s ballot for a powerful executive, deeply steeped in the country’s politics,
and Gen Z’s desire for promotion in the South African workplace – what are employers doing to accommodate them?
Phil has scheduled a time to talk to you about the word 'schedule'. That time is now and he will do it in 60 seconds.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-83
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Most of us have noticed the prices of our weekly food shopping going up over the last few years, but some items have risen by astronomical amounts.
Extra virgin olive oil - a premium, unprocessed oil from the olive, has seen many customers' prices rise by 50% in the past year alone.
We explain why, as we hear from oil sommeliers and the people who buy and sell the product.
(Image: Olive oil being poured into a bowl. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Rick Kelsey
A warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners - this programme contains the names and voices of people who have died.
In 1971, Neville Bonner became the first Aboriginal person to become a member of the Australian Parliament.
In 1979, he was named Australian of the Year in recognition of his work fighting for the rights of indigenous Australians - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
His great niece Joanna Lindgren shares her memories of 'Uncle Neville' with Vicky Farncombe.
"He was gentle, he was a terrific listener. It didn't matter that you were 13 years old, you never felt that he was not interested in what you had to say," she says.
(Photo: Old Parliament House, in Canberra. Credit: Getty Images)
一位听众来信询问 “go up、go down、go along” 在表示 “沿路走” 时有何区别。虽然 “up”、“down” 和 “along” 都可以用作表方向的介词，但在给人指路时，“go up、go down、go along” 的意思略有不同。仅通过说 “go up” 或 “go down”，能否说明道路的走向或行进的方向？本期 “你问我答” 节目将对以上问题进行解答。
In a viral thread posted on X in January this year, a 23-year-old Russian man claims he used ChatGPT to filter through and chat thousands of women on Tinder, eventually proposing to one that was selected by the algorithm.The scale and success of his experiment sparked scepticism. Some raised doubts about the technical plausibility of it, while others voiced concerns about the ethical implications of such an endeavour.In an attempt to better understand his experiment, BBC Trending interviewed the Russian man and asked experts what they made of it. As AI becomes more advanced and accessible, the story also highlights broader concerns about the future of this technology in online dating. How will AI reshape the landscape of online dating in the coming years? What biases may be inherent in its algorithms? Is using AI in this manner a form of catfishing? Presenter: Olga RobinsonProducer: Marta PausilliEditor: Flora Carmichael
We ask the founder of Argentina's biggest start-up about what his country's president, Javier Milei, hopes to achieve from private talks this week with the CEOs of Google, OpenAI, Meta and Apple.
Elsewhere, Rahul Tandon looks into the latest data from the US economy, as businesses weigh up who to vote for in the elections later in the year.
(Photo: Argentina's President Javier Milei gestures to supporters in Cordoba, Argentina. Credit: Reuters)
Emergency services in Gaza said four tank shells hit a cluster of tents in al-Mawasi - a supposed safe zone the Israelis had told Palestinians to move to to escape fighting in Rafah. Also: closing arguments in the fraud trial of former US president Donald Trump and the cancer survivor turned fashion designer.
In a viral thread posted on X in January this year, a 23-year-old Russian man claims he used ChatGPT to filter through and chat thousands of women on Tinder, eventually proposing to one that was selected by the algorithm. The scale and success of his experiment sparked scepticism. Some raised doubts about the technical plausibility of it, while others voiced concerns about the ethical implications of such an endeavour. In an attempt to better understand his experiment, BBC Trending interviewed the Russian man and asked experts what they made of it. As AI becomes more advanced and accessible, the story also highlights broader concerns about the future of this technology in online dating. How will AI reshape the landscape of online dating in the coming years? What biases may be inherent in its algorithms? Is using AI in this manner a form of catfishing?
We speak to the founder of Argentina's top start-up about the country's tech scene as its president, Javier Milei, meets with the CEOs of Google, OpenAI, Meta and Apple.
Elsewhere, Rahul Tandon looks into what the latest disruption in the Red Sea means, and he looks ahead to the South African elections.
Officials from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry say Israeli strikes on a tent camp for displaced Palestinians to the west of Rafah have reportedly killed at least twenty-one people. The tents that were reportedly hit were in Al-Mawasi. Israel has denied targeting the area. Newshour hears from James Smith, a British doctor working with the NGO Cadus, currently based in Al Mawasi.
Also in the programme: closing arguments in the Trump trial; and why peanut butter can help counter peanut allergies.
(Picture: A girl looks on, while Palestinians travel on foot along with their belongings, as they flee Rafah due to an Israeli military operation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Credit: Reuters)
There are words of warning about facial recognition, biometrics and artificial intelligence - technologies increasingly being adopted by law enforcement worldwide. Also on Tech Life this week, we learn about an African company offering a local alternative to the big electric vehicle manufacturers. Basketball gets into tech. And why we need tech to identify and map where our rubbish goes.
Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: An illustration of facial recognition on the face of a woman. Credit: Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images)
In Sri Lanka, tea pickers have received a pay rise mandated by the Government, and, a BBC investigation reveals child labour in beauty industry supply chain.
Also, Sam Fenwick discovers whether new EU border controls will improve security, or lead to travel chaos?
Plus, a discussion on the challenges of running a small business in South Africa – is it worth the investment?
It's getting easier to access illegal arms in Kenya which has led to the rise in violent crime, especially in more deprived areas. What's fuelling the rise in gun crime?
Also, why is Ghana turning to nuclear power?
And a documentary explores the reality African students face when they choose to study abroad.
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Charles Gitonga, Bella Hassan, Yvette Twagiramariya and Rob WilsonSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Witnesses say Israeli tanks are in the southern Gaza city, despite a global outcry over the killing of dozens of Palestinian civilians after an Israeli air strike. Meanwhile, three European nations have officially recognised a Palestinian state. Also: On the eve of South Africa's election, we look at the lengths some people go to, to find a home, we have a special report from the besieged Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, and why an album has been given top billing at a museum in Australia.
Ninety years ago, the first surviving quintuplets were born in a small village in northern Canada.
The Dionnes grew up in a specially-adapted nursery where millions of people could visit them.
But, years later they struggled to adapt to life back with their parents which led to a fight for compensation.
This programme was produced and presented by Simon Watts in 2012 using BBC archive.
(Photo: The quintuplets on their fourth birthday. Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images)
一道淡而无味的菜肴、一个不痛不痒的回答和一个空洞无聊的发言之间有什么共同点？它们都可以用英语单词 “wishy-washy” 来形容。“Wishy-washy” 听起来有点像水唰唰作响的声音，它的实际含义是什么？听主持人 Neil 和菲菲的对话，学习这个拟声词在日常交流中的用法。
Catherine and Neil explain the right way to use these verbs.
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French President Emmanuel Macron is on the final day of his state visit to Germany, where he will be discussing how Europe can catch up with the US and China.
Also Rahul Tandon is joined by guests to discuss the upcoming elections in South Africa and Mexico, and the battle over a multi-billion dollar shipwreck in Colombia.
(Photo: France and Germany's leaders wave together. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Myanmar is in the grip of a country-wide insurgency as armed resistance groups, including many young people from the cities, attempt to overthrow a military regime which seized power in a coup three years ago. As much as two thirds of Myanmar, mostly the countryside, may now be under the control of the resistance. Access is extremely difficult, hundreds of journalists have been jailed, but our correspondent Quentin Sommerville has managed to travel to Karenni and Shan states – in the east of the Myanmar - with young revolutionaries. Some have taken up arms, but others - doctors and teachers - are supporting the insurgency with skills of their own.
Presenter: Quentin SommervilleProducer: Lindle MarkwellEditor: Penny MurphySound Engineer: Andy FellProduction Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
image: KNDF graduates in Myanmar. Credit: BBC
The global perfume industry is worth billions. Some luxury brands sell for hundreds of dollars a bottle. But BBC Eye Investigations has discovered that, when the sun goes down in Egypt, there is a hidden human cost to this industry. In the summer of 2023, the BBC visited four different locations in Egypt’s main jasmine-growing area, Al Gharbia, and found children - some as young as five - working at night to pick the jasmine that was supplied to some of the world’s leading perfume brands through factories in Egypt. The UN’s Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery tells the BBC what it’s uncovered ‘may constitute the worst form of child labour’. We hear the story of one family who say they have no choice but to take their children into the jasmine fields to work, in order to earn enough money to live.
Reporter: Natasha Cox Producers: Ahmed El Shamy and Louise Hidalgo Editors: Rebecca Henschke and Rosie GarthwaiteSound engineer: Neil Churchill + James Beard
Female-only co-working spaces started to grow during the #metoo movement. But some have struggled.
We speak to entrepreneurs who are running these spaces - and the women working in them.
Are they a viable alternative to going to the office?
(Picture: Oi Leng Lui, who founded the co-working space, The Hearth, in north London.)
Presented and produced by Dougal Shaw
South Africa's economy is under the spotlight, ahead of the elections there this week. The vote could see the ruling party ANC win less than 50% for the first time in its history. Elsewhere, Rahul Tandon looks at the AI battle heating up, with Elon Musk's new company raising $6 billion. And he goes inside the disruption facing business in Iceland, amid rising volcanic activity.
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of the killing of dozens of Palestinians in a fire in Rafah after an Israeli air strike as a tragedy. We hear from a journalist in Rafah and get reaction from Amir Avivi, a retired IDF brigadier general.
Also in the programme: Norwegian author Asne Seierstad; and China cracks down on influencers.
(Picture: Palestinians search smouldering debris in the aftermath of a fatal Israeli air strike at a camp in Gaza. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber both have a love of science, but it turns out there’s a lot they don’t know about some of the leading women at the front of the inventing game. In Unstoppable, Dr Julia and Dr Ella tell each other the hidden, world-shaping stories of the engineers, innovators and inventors they wish they’d known about when they were starting out as scientists. This week, the story of the woman who mastered viewing the world in microscopic detail – ultimately helping us discover the structure of DNA.
Florence Bell’s scientific career began in the 1930s whilst studying at Cambridge University. The University didn’t grant degrees to women at the time, but this didn’t dissuade Florence. She was so talented at an imaging technique called X-ray crystallography that she started a PhD in the field – and it was during this time that she would make a pivotal discovery about the molecule of life.
Florence is an unsung hero of the DNA story. Her work laid the foundation for a vital field of research, yet her contribution was buried for years. Dr Julia and Dr Ella tell Florence’s tale, with input from Dr Kersten Hall, science historian and visiting fellow at the University of Leeds.
Presenters: Dr Ella Hubber and Dr Julia Ravey Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey Assistant producer: Sophie Ormiston Production Coordinator: Elisabeth TuohyEditor: Holly Squire
(Photo: Florence Bell. Credit: Courtesy of her son Chris Sawyer. No reuse)
Africa's wrestling with a $1.2tn debt, while global interest rates are at a 40-year high. This week’s African Development Bank summit is focusing on this debt crisis. What solutions are on the horizon, and how are businesses coping?
Elsewhere, Sam Fenwick is looking at the global cost of shipping containers. They are on the rise again this month causing European retailers to order now to make sure stuff arrives in time for Christmas.
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.
Hamas says dozens of civilians were killed; Israel says it was targeting Hamas compound. Also: more than 2,000 people are now feared dead after Friday's landslide in Papua New Guinea, and the FBI investigates hundreds of treasures believed to have been stolen from the British Museum.
There's been condemnation by European and Arab countries of Israel's continuing bombardment of Gaza. Last night, Israel launched an air strike in Rafah that killed at least 45 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli military says it's reviewing the incident. But it said the air strike targeted a Hamas compound, killing two senior members of the group.
Also in the programme: Emergency teams in Papua New Guinea say recovery efforts in the wake of a devastating landslide are being complicated by further ground movement; and the story of the rare painting by the Italian artist Caravaggio that nearly sold for a fraction of its value.
(Picture: Palestinians try to put out a fire at the site of an Israeli strike near an area designated for displaced people, in Rafah on May 27, 2024. Credit: Mohammed Salem/REUTERS)
Kenya has been designated the status of non-NATO ally by the US President Joe Biden, making it the first sub-Saharan African country to receive that designation. Learn what it means for Kenya and more widely for Africa.
How an initiative in West Africa is improving accountability and transparency in the extraction sector, and a Namibian activist who is advocating for the end of fossil fuels in Africa.
In 1964, João Goulart, the president of Brazil, was overthrown in a military coup.
In the repression which followed, hundreds of people were disappeared or killed, and many more detained and tortured.
Carlos Lamarca was a captain who deserted the army and joined in the armed struggle against the military regime. He was shot dead in 1971.
His friend and fellow fighter, João Salgado Lopes, tells Vicky Farncombe about their time together hiding in the Caatinga, the Brazilian outback.
(Photo: Wanted poster of Carlos Lamarca. Credit: Memories of the Dictatorship)
Do you like to eat a full English breakfast? Listen to find out how to use this phrase.
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Stephen Sackur speaks to the data scientist Stephen J Shaw who says humanity faces a looming demographic crisis, with falling birth rates having dire economic and social consequences. But in an age of economic turbulence and ecological concern do we really want to be promoting the idea that humans need to have more babies?
In recent years women have overtaken men as the majority on allotments and community gardens. These spaces for growing fruit and vegetables to eat at home have been peaceful places that provide families with healthy food. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women from Kenya and Ukraine about the appeal of these plots.
JC Niala is a writer, academic and creative from Kenya who has written about the history of allotments. Alongside Greenpeace, she has co-created ‘The Waiting List’, an allotment-sized artwork highlighting the significant demand and lengthy waiting lists for allotments.
Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian cook and author of the award-winning Mamushka cook book. Raised in rural Ukraine she later moved to London where she missed the fresh tastes of homegrown food. This led her to start the lengthy process of securing an allotment, which she says helps make a place feel like ‘home’, particularly during times of war and displacement.
They've written essays for a book celebrating allotment life called This Allotment: Stories of Growing, Eating and Nurturing.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) JC Niala, courtesy of JC Niala. (R) Olia Hercules, credit Joe Woodhouse.)
Chilean director and playwright Constanza Hola Chamy directs a professional cast and a community cast for her new play Mad Women, which highlights bipolar disorder. It is inspired by the lives of three outstanding Latin American artists: the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Chilean singer-songwriter and visual artist Violeta Parra and Columbian painter Judith Marquez, and their struggles with mental health. Felicity Finch follows Constanza as she and her international creative team collaborate and face the challenges of working with the two casts.
Officials say an entire village in a mountainous area of the north of the country was obliterated in the early hours of Friday morning. Rescuers are reported to be at risk because the land is still moving. Also: Palestinian health officials say Israel has carried out a deadly airstrike on an area for displaced people in southern Gaza and rehabilitating the humble pigeon - which has apparently been unfairly maligned in recent years.
Setsuko Thurlow knows what nuclear war looks like.
She was a 13-year-old schoolgirl when an atomic bomb was dropped on her home city of Hiroshima, Japan. Most of the places she knew were destroyed in an instant. Narrowly escaping death herself, Setsuko became a witness to the aftermath of atomic warfare, and the things she saw that day would compel her to spend her life fighting for nuclear disarmament.
Archive was from British Pathé
Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Jo Impey and Harry GrahamEditor: Laura Thomas
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
About 670 people are buried under a landslide and are feared dead in Papua New Guinea. The United Nations based its estimate on the number of houses believed to have been swamped by up to eight metres of rock, earth and trees. We speak to a reporter in the country.
Also in the programme: Another mass kidnapping in Nigeria. Amnesty International's country director tells us the authorities should be doing more to protect people; and the King of Clay returns to the French open - but could it be game over for Rafael Nadal by year's end?
(Photo: People carry bags in the aftermath of a landslide in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 24, 2024, in this still image obtained from a video. Credit: Andrew Ruing/Handout via Reuters)
Hundreds feared dead after landslide swept villages in Papua New Guinea. Also in the programme; Aid delivery resumes into Gaza; extreme heat in Pakistan; and we ask whether this could be Rafael Nadal’s last clay tournament.
(Photo: Local men digging in Enga province in aftermath of the landslide in Papua New Guinea. Credit: Reuters/Emmanuel Eralia)
President Zelensky denounced the deadly airstrike on the crowded DIY superstore as an act of Russian madness. Also: massive fire at games arcade in India, and the Disney composer Richard Sherman dies aged 95.
The rise of China is a defining challenge for the West. How far should it co-operate, compete or confront Beijing? And were Western countries slow to respond to China’s growing assertiveness?
The BBC’s Security Correspondent, Gordon Corera, delves into the worlds of espionage, surveillance, technology, the theft of commercial secrets, free speech at universities and political interference to explore the points of friction. In this documentary, he speaks to spy chiefs, former prime ministers and dissidents as well as those on the frontline of this Shadow War.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to focus on job creation if the governing African National Congress is voted back into power next week. He was speaking during the ANC's final campaign rally at a football stadium in Johannesburg.
Also in the programme: An American journalist recalls her meeting with Cambodian dictator Pol Pot in the 1970s; and are dumbphones the answer to parents woes about smartphones?
(Photo: ANC supporters attend the African National Congress Party final election rally held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Credit: Kim Ludbrook/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Kenya's President says peacekeeping forces will help quell growing gang violence in Haiti and are expected to arrive in three weeks. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, William Ruto confirmed a planning team was already in Haiti and had met local police to secure arrangements before the Kenyan troops are deployed. We'll hear from a journalist on the ground in Haiti on what the peacekeepers can expect from local gangs.
Also in the programme: Warnings rise over the possibility of genocide in Sudan's Darfur region. And a flowering plant last seen in the 1960s is re-introduced in Wales.
(Picture: William Ruto speaking in Washington, D.C., May 24th 2024. Picture credit: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno)
How an injured greyhound found her voice, accompanying her adopted human 'big sister' while she plays the piano. Georgia, who now has a huge social media following, has a particular talent for opera.Also: The man who nearly became America's first black astronaut finally makes it into space -- the oldest person ever to do so. Meanwhile the spaceships of the future, imagined by children from around the world, have been flying over New York. We meet the man who spent twelve years fighting to save a forest from mining - and won. And, after seagull boy and lion girl, goat woman.
Our weekly collection of happy news and positive stories from around the world.
What's the price journalists pay for telling the truth? For many it's exile. We'll hear from two colleagues, TV presenter Shazia Haya from BBC Pashto and Nina Nazarova from BBC Russian, both living and working in exile.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
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Taiwan badminton player Chou Tien-chen was keen to make sure he was in the best shape possible ahead of qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games. What should have been a straightforward full medical examination saw him diagnosed with early stage colon cancer. After taking a second doctor’s opinion to undergo surgery, Chou is now back playing on the world stage. He’ll explain why he kept the news from his fans and even his friends for almost a year and why he hopes his story will inspire others to undergo early cancer screening.
Lacrosse won’t be making an appearance in Paris but will be brought back into the Olympic Games for Los Angeles in 2028. As one of the fastest growing sports, it will celebrate a landmark moment in September with its first ever Women’s Box Lacrosse World Championships. Eleni Megoran will represent Australia at the Championships and tells us about how big this is for the sport and for women. Eleni also shares how she’s seen as a “cool” teacher and a trailblazer with her students in her job as a teacher.
We check back in former South African Netballer Vanes-Mari du Toit about her record breaking swim in the Himalayas. She was part of the Mad Swimmers team, who swam in a new body of water found at 6405 metres above sea level on Everest. She explains how the hike and swim were and why we need to take note..
Cuban weightlifter Ramiro Mora Romero tells us about making the Olympic Refugee Team via the circus and an army barracks. Now the British record holder in the 89kg, 96kg and 102kg weight categories ahead of Paris, explains how he has fulfilled a long term promise of making an Olympic games to his parents, who died when he was young.
Image: Chou Tien-chen punches the air when competing at the 2024 Thailand Open. (Credit: BWF/Badmintonphoto)
Families of the victims of a school mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas two years ago, have announced lawsuits against Instagram's parent company Meta, the maker of the video game ''Call of Duty'' and a gun manufacturer.
Devina Gupta finds out why Eli Lilly is investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana and how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which governs university sports in the US, has reached a deal that could lead to college athletes getting paid.
(Picture: Microsoft buys Activision, in New York City. Picture credit: Reuters)
In the United States, questions are being asked after two beauty queens, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, stepped down in as many weeks. The sudden and controversial resignations have put the spotlight on a global, multi-million dollar business. We get a broader overview of what it is like to take part with former winners from Germany, Finland and Nigeria. Presenter James Reynolds also hears from two pageant judges and an organiser on how protections are put in place for those taking part.
In a dramatic move, the International Court of Justice supported a South African request that Israel should halt its operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Also: US missionaries killed in Haiti gang violence, and Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock dies aged 53.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
This week’s programmes are all about the history of footwear.
First we take a trip back to the 1960’s when Brazilians were introduced to a new type of footwear, which went on to become one of the country’s biggest exports.
Plus the story of how a then rookie basketball player called Michael Jordan signed a deal with Nike that revolutionised sports marketing.
We also hear about the thousands of shoes owned by the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos.
Then we learn how one family feud led to the creation of two massive sportswear companies, Adidas and Puma.
Finally, we hear how a Czech company revolutionised shoe production and brought affordable footwear to the world.
Contributors:Sergio Sanchez -author and former employee of Havainas Sonny Vaccaro-Former Nike executive Dr Alex Sherlock – Lecturer in the school of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia and founder of the Footwear Research Network.Sigi Dassler – Daughter of Adi Dassler the founder of AdidasMick Pinion – Former Bata engineer
(Photo: Air Jordan Original. Credit: GettyImages)
Ten days at the end of Manchester United's 98/99 season would define the club as one of the greatest teams in the world. They won the English Premier League, followed by the FA Cup.
It had been 31 years since they last won the European Cup, with Bayern Munich determined to end their bid for the record-breaking treble.
Former United midfielder Jesper Blomqvist speaks to Uma Doraiswamy about the pressure of trying to get the treble when everybody expects you to win, and how being substituted led to United equalising when they needed it most.
(Photo: Jesper Blomqvist with the European Cup. Credit: Reuters)
Eli Lilly announced investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana. It will help company to expand the supply of its highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound, diabetes treatment Mounjaro and other medicines in its pipeline. How will it affect the local economy?
Devina Gupta finds out why electricity prices are gone up in Texas and how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which governs university sports in the US, has reached a deal that could lead to college athletes getting paid.
The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel must immediately halt its military operation in Rafah.The United Nations' highest court has also ordered Israel to re-open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Rafah to let in aid.We speak to a legal expert about the importance of these rulings and we get the reaction from Israel and Gaza.
Also in our programme: one of Britain's greatest miscarriages of justice is finally put right with the quashing of hundreds of convictions; and what does Artificial Intelligence hold for Hollywood's animal stars?
(Photo: International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam stands during an ICJ ruling on the situation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Credit: Shutterstock)
The besieged city of El-Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region, is facing a growing risk of genocide as the world's attention is focused on other conflicts, that's the warning from a United Nations expert. Alice Wairimu Nderitu told the BBC, many civilians have been targeted based on their ethnicity in El-Fasher, where fierce fighting has intensified in recent days. What constitutes a genocide?
Also why some of the main political parties in South Africa have raised concern about the rise in illegal immigration ahead of the general elections
And we meet 18 year old Helms Ategeka from Uganda who has broken the internet after being accepted into over 120 colleges in the United States!
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducer: Frenny Jowi, Toda Opiyemi, Rob Wilson, Yvette Twagiramariya, Bella Hassan and Sunita Nahar. Senior Journalist: Karnie Sharp Technical Producer: Daniela Victoria Varela HernandezEditors are Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
We take a look at the Ukrainian economy as G7 leaders meet to discuss how to finance the recovery of the war-torn nation. Elsewhere, Rahul Tandon explores the key issues at stake ahead of South Africa's election next week, and looks at the new deal that could lead to U.S college athletes finally getting paid.
The IDF said the men's bodies were recovered from the northern town of Jabalia overnight in a joint operation with Israel's domestic intelligence agency. Also: emergency teams in Papua New Guinea search for people trapped after a massive landslide, and a gymnast from Uzbekistan has missed her chance to compete at her ninth consecutive Olympics.
There's been a warning that Sudan's Darfur region is at growing risk of genocide. A United Nations expert, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, told the BBC that the Rapid Support Forces, who are at war with the army, were targeting communities based on their ethnicity.
Also in the programme: International Court of Justice rules on Israel's Gaza operation; and The Boss honoured in London.
(Picture: People fleeing the violence in West Darfur, cross the border into Adre, Chad, August 4, 2023. Credit: Reuters)
How would you feel if you spent more and more of your life underground? Could that be how more and more of us live in the future? Presenter Marnie Chesterton and panellists Candice Bailey in Johannesburg, South Africa and Tristan Ahtone in Helsinki, Finland dig into subterranean science. Did you know around a million people live underground in China's capital Beijing? Have you heard of the race to dig the deepest hole in the Earth? In this episode we explore how humans have been digging deep for over 3,000 years explorer Christian Clot tell us why living underground with no contact to the world above was a nicer experience that you might expect.
In 1984, Nike signed rookie basketball player Michael Jordan and created a shoe in his name – the Air Jordan.
The unprecedented deal would change sports marketing forever.
Former executive Sonny Vaccaro was the man who persuaded his bosses to put all their marketing budget on one untried player.
He became convinced of Michael’s talent after seeing him make the winning shot in a college game.
He tells Vicky Farncombe about the challenges of persuading Michael – an Adidas fan – to sign, and how the Air Jordan's controversial black and red colour scheme upset the National Basketball Association (NBA).
(Photo: Air Jordans. Credit: Getty)
Sarah Montague speaks to Norway’s Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide. His country, along with Ireland and Spain, says it will recognise a Palestinian state. Israel says that decision sends a message to the world that “terrorism pays”. Will the move help or hinder the path to peace in the Middle East?
US regulators have sued Live Nation, accusing the entertainment giant of using illegal tactics to maintain a monopoly over the live music industry. The lawsuit from the Department of Justice said the firm's practices had kept out competitors, and led to higher ticket prices and worse service for customers.
Also, Devina Gupta finds out how Russian president Vladimir Putin could use US property in the country to compensate for frozen Russian assets. And why one of Australia’s biggest banks, the Commonwealth, is predicting the country will become cashless by 2026.
(Picture: The logo for Live Nation Entertainment is displayed on a screen on the floor at the NYSE in New York. Picture credit: Reuters)
Live Nation - which promotes concerts, owns venues and sells tickets through its Ticketmaster platform - currently controls around eighty percent of major entertainment ticket sales in the US. Also: the French president speaks of an "unprecedented insurrection movement" in New Caledonia, and do you get frustrated when your name is auto-corrected online?
Hervé lost a leg in a motorbike accident. On the eve of the operation, he made a deal with God: “If I walk again, I'll go to Santiago.” He did walk again, but not on pilgrimage. Instead, he got caught up in his business affairs, had a burn out, tried to kill himself and spent several months in a psychiatric hospital before he decided to keep his side of the bargain. He set out, with crutches and a prosthetic leg, for Santiago de Compostela, a journey of 1,920 kilometres from his home in Brittany in north west France to the cathedral that contains the relics of Saint James at the tip of north west Spain. John Laurenson walks with him for a couple of days to hear his story and talk about life, God, pilgrimage.
Laura Chinchilla was the first woman to serve as president of Costa Rica and one of the first in Latin America.
We talk to her about what that journey to the top job in her country was like, and the challenges facing Latin America - from corruption to crime, the drugs trade, migration, the brain drain, poor governance and low economic productivity.
And we consider some of the potential solutions to those problems - solutions that could help Latin America bring prosperity to its people.
(Picture: Laura Chinchilla Miranda, former President of Costa Rica, speaking at a conference. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Gideon Long
US regulators have sued Live Nation, accusing the entertainment giant of using illegal tactics to maintain a monopoly over the live music industry. The lawsuit from the Department of Justice said the firm's practices had kept out competitors, and led to higher ticket prices and worse service for customers.
Also, Devina Gupta finds out how Russian president Vladimir Putin could use US property in the country to compensate for frozen Russian assets. And why one of Australia’s biggest banks, the Commonwealth, is predicting the country will become cashless by 2026.
Medical workers with the resistance in Myanmar have spoken of the terrible injuries suffered by those fighting the ruling junta's troops. A BBC team met doctors in Karenni state. Thousands of people have been killed since Myanmar's army seized power in a coup three years ago.
Also in the programme: A fifth senior army figure in Russia has been arrested; and inside Sudan's war-struck El Fasher.
(Picture: A soldier from Karenni state who was injured during a fight against the Burmese army. Credit: Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Fentanyl is a powerful morphine substitute, but it is also incredibly addictive – millions struggle with weaning themselves off it. And of the 600,000 drug deaths worldwide each year, the World Health Organisation estimates 80% are due to opioids in general, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl being a growing part of the problem. New work with genetically manipulated mice suggests that fentanyl affects two parts of the brain, one associated with the high, but also another that regulates fear. This knowledge could aid in the development of treatments to reduce addiction to the opioid.
Early developers: Long before a developing implants into a mother's uterus, in fact as the fertilised egg divides for the first time into a pair of cells, which line becomes the future baby and which will become the 'life support' system of the placenta has been decided. Embryologist Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz explains why this early unfolding of the genetic programme is important, and why it's taken so long to discover it.
Getting through pregnancy is only the first step in a person’s life. Surviving childhood, particularly for our old stone age ancestors, was the next challenge. And a new study looking at children’s teeth found at ancient archaeological sites gives clues as to why our ancestors fared better than the neanderthals around them during the last ice age.
Supersense: twitching hairs on some caterpillars turn out to be early-warning sensors feeling the electric field of an approaching wasp, giving the potential prey precious moments to hide or escape death. Biophysicist Daniel Robert explains the challenge of seeing the electric world of insect hunters and hunted.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Fentanyl. Credit: Isaac Lee via Getty Images.)
The first batch of genetically modified mosquitoes is being released in Djibouti in a bid to stop the spread of malaria carrying vectors that bite during the day and thrive in urban areas. How does this work?
Also, an overview of South Africa's 'historic' elections. Who are the main parties and what are the issues?
And scientists trace the origins of one of Africa's most iconic trees, the baobab tree, to Madagascar. Why are they in decline on the Island?
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Charles Gitonga, Frenny Jowi, Rob Wilson and Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Daniela Victoria Varela HernandezEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Germany's post-Covid recovery has not gone as planned, according to a damning new report by the country's commerce chamber.
Elsewhere, Roger Hearing looks at news reports that the US is planning to sue Ticketmaster-owner Live Nation over anti-competitive practices. And we look inside the first state visit by an African leader to the US in over 15 years.
Russia pounds Kharkiv with missiles killing seven people as President Volodymyr Zelensky chides Ukraine's western allies for not providing enough militarysupport. Newshour hears from Kharkiv and from John Herbst a former US ambassador to Ukraine.
Also in the programme: the dispute over the billion-dollar galleon; and campaigning starts in the UK's election.
(Picture: A firefighter washes up his face as he works at a compound of a print works hit by Russian missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine May 23, 2024. Credit: Reuters)
Taiwan's new president, William Lai, has promised to defend freedom and democracy after China launched military exercises around the island. Beijing is simulating a full-scale attack and has described the exercises as "strong punishment" for what it calls Taiwan's "separatist acts". Also: A purge of the Russian military is continuing with the arrest of the deputy Chief of General Staff, Vadim Shamarin, after he was accused of taking bribes. At least nine people have been killed after a stage collapsed at an election rally in Mexico. Colombia seals off the site of an 18th century warship that went down loaded with treasure. And as the UK gets into general election campaign mode, we'll get some analysis from our political correspondent, Rob Watson.
In 2001, more than 700 pairs of Imelda Marcos’s shoes were put on display at the Marikina Shoe Museum in the Philippines.
The wife of the dictator President Ferdinand Marcos, became famous for buying shoes, while millions of Filipinos were living in poverty. It’s thought she had in around 3,000 pairs.
Ella Rule has been through the archive to tell the story of Imelda and her shoes.
(Photo: Imelda Marcos' shoe collection. Credit: Christophe LOVINY/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
How did bubble tea get its bubbles? How was this drink invented? Neil and Beth chat about this.
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240523
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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The race begins for UK’s political parties to woo its voters ahead of July 4th General Elections – but is now the right time?
Tech giant Nvidia continues to grow and grow, but can it keep going?
And Elvis's Graceland is not up for sale. Find out why…
[IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS]
The world of esports is a wide and varied domain which has captured audiences around the world. OJ Borg explores how Denmark is leading the way in embracing the sport. Speaking to star players, schools that have embraced it in their curriculum and the fans pushing it forward, OJ investigates Denmark’s esports revolution.
The British Prime Minister sets July 4th as voting day. Also, reaction from Palestinians and Israelis to the decision of Spain, Ireland and Norway to recognise Palestine as a state; and Colombia bids farewell to its most famous Vallenato musician.
Across the region, there are examples of economic success stories: countries, companies and people that are getting things right, transforming their local economies and bringing prosperity to the region.
We go to Peru, where fruit producers are enjoying a blueberry boom.
We hear from Uruguay, which generates almost all its electricity from renewable energy, and we visit a factory Mexico that’s benefiting from “nearshoring” and the country’s proximity to the United States.
We talk to two female entrepreneurs – one from Chile and one from Colombia – on how the ecosystem for start-ups has evolved in their countries and the exciting possibilities the region has to offer.
Produced and presented by Gideon Long
(Image: Close-up on a worker loading baskets of blueberries on a truck at a plantation. Credit: Getty Images)
Ruth Alexander explores the origins and evolution of the humble grab-and-go food the burrito, which started life in northern Mexico, before crossing over into the US and becoming a hit around the world.
Versions of the spicy wrap can be enjoyed in restaurants, street food shacks and supermarket home meal kits all over the world.
We explore the burrito’s contested origins, find out why some Mexican food purists dislike the popular menu item and ask what the future holds for it, and the cuisine more broadly.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: a burrito in a restaurant in Juarez, Mexico. Credit: Vianey Alderete Contreras/BBC)
Presented by Ruth Alexander.Produced by Sam Clack.Additional reporting by Vianey Alderete Contreras in Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, United States.
UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended his political and economic record in the wake of some relatively positive inflation numbers. So, is this the right moment for a General Election?
Find out how Brazil's farmers are adapting to climate change. While Ugandan farmers are adapting to elephants trespassing from South Sudan.
In a surprise move, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a summer UK general election to take place on 4th July.
Also on the programme: lawyers for the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo say they have new evidence from whistleblowers that the US technology giant, Apple, is illegally obtaining minerals from gangs; and South Africa’s former president, Jacob Zuma, has told the BBC he wants to change the country’s constitution after he was barred from running for parliament in next week’s elections.
(Photo: Rishi Sunak issues a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, after calling a general election. Credit: Lucy North/PA Wire)
This week, we’re looking at examples of innovative thinking in medicine. A new, non-invasive device could help people with paralysis to regain movement. And as Namibia passes a critical milestone, we look back on one of the biggest developments in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Also on the programme, an update on the Korean doctors’ strike, and a summit looks to tackle the often-overlooked problem of indoor air pollution.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Margaret Sessa-HawkinsEditor: Holly Squire
In the wake of three countries moving to formally recognise Palestine as a state and Israel recalling ambassadors to those countries, we hear from the Office of the Israeli Prime Minister. Also in the programme: Winner of this year’s international Booker Prize German writer Jenny Erpenbeck joins us in the studio along with her translator Michael Hofmann; and we hear about a new feature that will allow computers to continuously take snapshots of our screens.
(Photo: Protests to mark the 76th anniversary of the Nakba in Ramallah. Credit: Reuters)
UK inflation hit its lowest in 3 years, but was still hotter than analysts expected. In this special episode, we record live from a Manchester food hall to talk to businesses and their customers about the price changes they're seeing.they're seeing.
We also speak to experts about what this means for central bank rate cuts, and how the UK is faring compared to major global economies.
Hundreds of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa are being arrested and deported to desert areas in Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania using funds made available by the European Union. An investigation by eight international news organisations says the migrants also face human rights abuses as countries try to stop them from reaching Europe.
Also how illegal logging is funding the insurgency in Northern Mozambique
And a Kenyan mother's desperate attempt to help save her son from execution in Saudi Arabia.
Israel recalls envoys as Spain, Ireland and Norway commit to recognise Palestinian state. Also, Russia says it's captured another village in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. The German far-right party, the AFD, has banned its lead candidate from electioneering after a series of controversial statements. And we have a special report from Myanmar where insurgents fighting to overthrow the military junta in Myanmar have told the BBC they're confident of victory, after a series of advances.
This programme is supreme - Beth is explaining how to use the word 'supreme'
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-3/session-83
FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglishFollow us ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ Learning Easy English ✔️ Learning English Conversations✔️ 6 Minute EnglishThey're all available by searching in your podcast app
一位听众来信询问限定词 “no” 和介词 “without” 后应跟名词单数还是复数。比如： “没有糖，不加糖” 的英语表达方式是 “no sugar” 还是 “no sugars”，还是两者均成立？当 “without” 的后面跟可数名词单数时，“without” 和这个名词之间是不是必须加冠词？答案就在本期 “你问我答” 节目中。
How the Dassler brothers created two global sportswear firms.
In 1948, Adi and Rudi Dassler who lived in a small German town fell out. They went on to set up Adidas and Puma.
Adi Dassler played a crucial role in West Germany's victory in the 1954 World Cup with his game-changing footwear.
In 2022, Reena Stanton-Sharma spoke to Adi's daughter Sigi Dassler, who remembers her dad’s obsession with sports shoes and talks about her fondness for rappers Run-DMC, who paid tribute to her dad’s shoes in their 1986 song My Adidas.
The European Union has approved the use of profits from Russia's frozen central bank assets to help Ukraine buy weapons and fund reconstruction. Ukraine has welcomed the move but how the scheme might work and could it risk undermining the rule of law? Hollywood actress star Scarlett Johansson has said she was left "angered" after the organisation OpenAI launched a chatbot with an "eerily similar" voice to her own. OpenAI have confirmed they would remove the voice, but have insisted that it was not meant to be an "imitation" of the star. How can AI seek to develop while staying on the right side of copyright law?Joining Ed Butler to discuss these and other big business stories of the day from around the world are Rachel Puppazoni, Business Reporter for ABC News in Perth, Australia and Technology journalist, Takara Small, based in Toronto. (Image credit: Anton Petrus/Getty Images.)
Long Covid can ruin lives, and scientists are striving to understand the condition and beginning to get some early clues about possible treatments. While there are still more questions than answers, though, many have turned online for help. But could what they find there sometimes do more harm than good? Rachel Schraer goes undercover to investigate the Lightning Process, a controversial treatment programme for Long Covid being promoted online. Reporter: Rachel Schraer Producer: Paul Grant Editor: Flora Carmichael
Seven people were seriously injured during the incident on Singapore Airlines flight from London. Also: Sixteen of the world’s largest AI firms have agreed on new safety guidelines, and schools are closed in northern India as the authorities deal with an intense heatwave.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Professor Jim Skea, chair of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He is a key player collating the latest climate science and right now the situation looks grim; global emissions are still rising, so are temperatures and targets seem likely to be missed. Are humans bungling our chance to avert disaster?
From soybean production to coffee exports to sugar cane, grains and tropical fruit - agriculture is powering the Brazilian economy.
We travel to a farm outside the capital Brasilia, and look at how the country could play a major role in providing the world with food security in the years ahead.
And we consider a major threat to agriculture – climate change, which is forcing Brazilian farmers to adapt to survive.
We talk to the Brazilian head of the International Coffee Organisation – on what her home country can do to deal with extreme weather events.
And away from agriculture, we consider Brazil’s heavy industry, and ask why it hasn’t made more of its rich musical heritage.
Produced and presented by Gideon Long.
(Image: Cultivation of sugarcane in the interior of the State of São Paulo. Huge areas are cultivated and after harvesting will come sugar, alcohol, drink and ethanol. Credit: Getty Images)
As EU countries adopt a plan to use profits from frozen Russian assets for Ukraine defences and rebuilding, Ed Butler, looks at how the scheme might work and whether the idea risks undermining the rule of law.Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson is taking legal advice after a new version of the AI bot, Chat GPT, was released with a voice she claims is eerily similar to her own - how can AI seek to develop while staying on the right right side of copyright laws?And, Red Lobster, was once one of the world's largest seafood chains but as it files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, how did the once successful seafood franchise end up in such deep water?
Israeli war cabinet member Ron Dermer rejects the ICC prosecutor’s arrest warrants against Israel's prime minister and defence minister as ‘outrageous’. He also denied that there were food shortages or famine conditions in Gaza and said the Israeli government does have a plan for post-war Gaza.
Also in the programme: One passenger dies and seven people are seriously injured due to extreme turbulence on a London to Singapore flight forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok; and the EU decides to give the windfall profits of frozen Russian central bank assets to Ukraine.
(Photo: Ron Dermer, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 6 November 2021. Credit: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Alasdair Keane hears how the organisation behind the event is enlisting an AI platform to tackle online abuse aimed at athletes competing in the event. Also in this episode Shiona McCallum meets the next generation of game designers and we find out about a project in Rwanda to improve the fit of prosthetic limbs.
Image: Paris 2024 Olympic Games logo is displayed near the Eiffel Tower (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)
European Union’s landmark rules on artificial intelligence will enter into force next month
The AI Act imposes strict transparency obligations on high-risk AI systems while such requirements for general-purpose AI models will be lighter.
At least 200 Kenyan police officers are set to arrive in Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. This decision coincides with the current visit by President Ruto to the United States. Have sufficient preparations being made on the ground in Haiti to receive the troops?
Also , there is renewed hope that a fresh round of talks can lead to lasting peace in South Sudan.
And how effective is the ECOWAS court of justice?
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Frenny Jowi, Charles Gitonga, Rob Wilson and Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Craig KinghamEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
A court in Greece has abandoned the trial of nine Egyptian men accused of causing the worst migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean for a decade. Judges ruled they did not have jurisdiction to hear the case because the vessel sank in international waters. Also: OpenAI earns the wrath of Scarlett Johansson -- and one of Japan's most popular photo spots is blocked to obscure views of Mount Fuji.
Give us 6 minutes and we can help you learn about the second conditional!
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In 1962, a new brand of footwear launched that would become one of Brazil’s most successful and best-known exports: Havaianas. As the country’s footwear industry started to expand, one company wanted to make something that was comfortable, inexpensive, and ideal for South America's long hot summers.
Havaianas soon became the favourite of the working class because of their affordability. Fast forward almost forty years and they featured on catwalks in Paris and Oscar goody bags in Hollywood, a surprisingly journey from their modest beginnings as the choice of farmers, builders, and tyre fitters.
Johnny I’Anson has been speaking to former employee and author Sergio Sanchez about the birth of a humble flip-flop, and how they became a global success story selling 250 million pairs a year.
(Photo: Rows of brightly coloured Havaianas flip-flops. Credit: Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)
It has been a whirlwind in the US markets - the main indexes all hitting record highs while at the same time, commodity prices are rising.
The ship that destroyed the bridge in Baltimore back in March is finally re-floated and back in port.
And Business Matters takes a close look at the economies of Latin America with reporter Gideon Long.
[IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS]
The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world. Bordered by Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan it spans 371,000 square kilometres and bridges Europe and Central Asia. It’s fed mainly by Russia’s Volga and Ural rivers and the sea is not only rich in oil and gas but is also home to numerous rare and endemic species, including the Caspian seal and 90% of the world’s remaining wild sturgeon. But the Caspian Sea is in crisis. Climate change and the damming of Russia’s rivers are causing the coastline to recede at an alarming rate. The sea’s levels have fallen by a metre in the last 4 years, a trend likely to increase. Recent studies have shown that the levels could drop between 9 and 18 metres by 2100. Last June Kazakh government officials declared a state of emergency over the Caspian. Iran has also raised the alarm with the UN. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent travels to Kazakhstan for Assignment to report from the shores of the Caspian Sea on what can be done to prevent an environmental disaster.
Go back 50 years and Latin America was generally wealthier than East Asia. But that’s been reversed.
While the economies of East and Southeast Asia have taken off, enjoying a so-called "economic miracle", Latin America’s have experienced only tepid growth, despite the region’s enormous potential. Gideon Long asks why.
We go to Singapore, one of the most open and business friendly nations on earth, to visit a factory making credit cards using the latest computer chips. And we ask economists what Latin America can learn from the 'Asian Tigers'.
(Picture: A photograph of a tourist boat in Singapore next to a drone view shot showing buildings in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Credit: Reuters/EPA images)
Presented and produced by Gideon LongReporter: Monica Miller
growing speculation over who will eventually replace President Raisi begins as Iran enters 5 days of mourning.
Plus, could Saudi Arabia’s largest aviation deal signal a snub to Boeing?
Also, the ship that destroyed the bridge in Baltimore back in March is finally on the move.
And we have a special look at the economies of Latin America with our reporter Gideon Long.
Israel’s Prime Minister said the attempt by International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan to seek an arrest warrant was part of ‘the new antisemitism’. Khan is also seeking warrants against Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas.
Also on the programme: Iran says it will hold elections on the 28th of June after its president, Ebrahim Raisi, was killed in a helicopter crash; and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologises to victims of the infected blood scandal, calling it a ‘day of shame’ for the British state.
(Picture: Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, February 18, 2024 Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber both have a love of science, but it turns out there’s a lot they don’t know about some of the leading women at the front of the inventing game. In Unstoppable, Dr Julia and Dr Ella tell each other the hidden, world-shaping stories of the engineers, innovators and inventors they wish they’d known about when they were starting out as scientists. This week, the story of an engineer who turned plastic into gold, all starting from her mother’s backyard.
Every day, around 500 tonnes of plastic waste is generated in the Kenyan city of Nairobi. Hardly any of it is recycled – but engineer Nzambi Matee is on a mission to change that. Frustrated by the level of pollution, in 2017 Nzambi constructed a laboratory in her mother’s backyard. It was here that she used her self-taught engineering skills to convert plastic waste into bricks that are stronger and more eco-friendly than concrete.
Since then, Nzambi’s backyard operation has grown into a company – Gjenge Makers – and the bricks are widely used across Nairobi. And at only 31, Nzambi is just getting started. As Dr Julia and Dr Ella trace Nzambi’s journey, we hear from Nzambi herself about what it took to get to this point, as well as her ambitions for the future.
Presenters: Dr Ella Hubber and Dr Julia Ravey Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey Assistant producer: Sophie Ormiston Editor: Holly Squire
Taiwan's newly inaugurated president William Lai has called on China to stop threatening the island and accept the existence of its democracy.
But Taiwan’s relationship with China is not the only thing that William Lai has to tackle. there are a number of economic challenges ahead of him like rising property prices and encouraging young Taiwanese people to stay and work in the country instead of heading to other prosperous Asian cities.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says his office is seeking arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. He alleges there is evidence to suggest starvation has been used as a method of warfare against civilians. The prosecutor has also applied for arrest warrants for three leaders of Hamas for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the October the 7th attacks in Israel. He said the decisions were the outcome of an independent and impartial investigation. ICC judges will now decide whether to grant the warrants. Also in the programme: As Iran confirms the death of president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, what's the mood in the capital Tehran? And will there be justice for victims of Britain's infected blood scandal? (File photo: International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan. October 12, 2023. Reuters/Piroschka van de Wouw)
Tehran announces five days of national mourning. Also: hours after the inauguration of Taiwan's new president, China warns the self-governing island that independence is a dead end; and the UN human rights chief says he's deeply alarmed by the destruction of one of the main towns in Myanmar's Rakhine State and the expulsion of its Rohingya population.
The Democratic Republic of Congo says it has quashed an attempted coup on Sunday. The army said the group of people behind the attempted coup were foreigners or Congolese citizens based abroad. Who are these men and why would they want to topple the government?
Also, are Universities on the continent doing enough to inspire the next generation?
And meet Lord Spikeheart, the heavy metal music artist from Kenya, yes, from Kenya!
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Patricia Whitehorn, Rob Wilson, Nyasha Michelle and Bella HassanSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two of the first generation of women to ever fly F16s, Manja Blok for the Netherlands Air Force and Heather Penney for the US Air Force.
Manja Blok was the first female operational F-16 fighter pilot in the world. After taking the aviation exam at 19, Manja was told she was unfit to become a pilot and pursued a career as a beautician instead. She tried again at 22 and in 1991, made her F-16 debut in a career that lasted a decade and paved the way for women behind her.
Heather Penney joined the US Air Force in the late nineties, after Congress lifted the combat exclusion for women in aviation in 1993. Six months after becoming qualified for combat, Heather was assigned a mission on September 11th 2001 during the attacks in New York and Washington D.C, to intercept hijacked Flight 93.
Produced by Elena Angelides
(Image: (L) Manja Blok, courtesy of Joni Isreali. (R ) Heather Penney, courtesy of Tim Engle)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Gillian Slovo whose acclaimed fiction, plays and memoirs reflect an extraordinary backstory. The daughter of South African parents whose struggle against apartheid brought prison and exile and in her mother’s case, assassination. Has her writing exorcised demons?
Zoë Barrett and Patrick Eley have a unique way of thinking about space. They know just how to guide people from A to B with ease, no matter how higgledy-piggledy the building or complex the environment. Zoë and Patrick consider every detail of their work carefully, with aspects such as shape, colour, typeface, graphic design, materials and iconography forming an integral part of their strategically placed signage and maps. Their job is to make sense of confusion with beautiful, simple, modern designs and attractive invitations to ‘walk this way’.
In 2016, when Jenny Söderqvist and Helene Åberg’s car exploded in the middle of the vast Kalahari desert, their supplies and only lifeline to the outside world went up in flames. No rescue would come. The two friends from Sweden would spend the next five harrowing days lost in the wilderness and stalked by lions, until their salvation appeared to them in the most unlikely of forms: a tin of Spam.
Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Edgar Maddicott
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
A major search operation is continuing for Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister after their aircraft went missing in bad weather. Also: Argentina's President Javier Milei insults the Spanish PM's wife, and the how the battle to be the English Premier League champions went down to the wire.
It's a region blessed with incredible natural resources, from copper to lithium to rich agricultural lands. It’s home to vibrant cultures, amazing music and creative and talented people.
And yet it has never fulfilled its enormous economic potential.
All too often it’s lurched from boom to bust, from hyperinflation to debt crises.
We ask why that is.
We consider corruption, crime, inequality, excessive bureaucracy and weak governance.
We look at Argentina’s long decline and Venezuela’s economic implosion, and ask what Latin America can do to bring greater prosperity to its people.
Produced and presented by Gideon Long
(Image: A man waves an Argentine flag during the demonstration. Members of the Argentine Workers' General Confederation and social organizations protested against new Argentine President Javier Milei's economic reforms, outside the Justice Palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: Getty Images)
Rescue teams in Iran are searching a remote mountain region for a helicopter carrying the country's president and foreign minister, which is reported to have crashed. We have the latest on the search mission - and ask what the outcome might mean for Iran.
Also in the programme: as a second member of Israel's three-man war cabinet berates Benjamin Netanyahu over his lack of a plan for the day after the Gaza war, we ask where next for the prime minister; and an extraordinary row between Spain and Argentina over a presidential speech in Madrid.
(IMAGE: A helicopter carrying Iran"s President Ebrahim Raisi takes off, near the Iran-Azerbaijan border, May 19, 2024. The helicopter with Raisi on board later crashed. / CREDIT: Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under increasing pressure to come up with a post-war plan for Gaza. We get the latest updates from Jerusalem, and speak to a member of Mr Netanyahu's party.
We also talk about the rally organised in Madrid by Spanish political party Vox ahead of the European elections next month. Argentina's libertarian president Javier Milei is present, alongside European far right leaders.
Also in our programme: protests in Georgia continue over a law seen as extending Russia's sphere of influence; and Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usky becomes the first undisputed world heavyweight champion this century.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at an event marking Holocaust Remembrance Day earlier this month. Credit: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun)
A bonus episode from The Global Jigsaw podcast. “China is not buying Africa, it is building Africa” is the view from Beijing. How is this landing with local audiences? There have been hints of a cooling down of Sino-African friendship. For this episode, the team travels to the Kenyan capital Nairobi to get a sense of Chinese influence on the ground, and understand why Beijing has chosen it as a hub for its media operation in Africa.
For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globaljigsaw or search for The Global Jigsaw wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Producer: Kriszta Satori Presenter: Krassi Twigg
The number of labels to describe different types of mental disorder has mushroomed in recent years. New categories include Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Prolonged Grief Disorder and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Many classifications have been created or influenced by a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Advocates of DSM say labels help people take ownership of their situation, provide them with answers, treatments and social support. Critics think it creates stigma, medicalises normality and leads to a glut of unnecessary and harmful drug prescriptions. UK based musician Jay Emme asks if labels help or hinders in everyday life and whether it’s time to drop the terms ‘mental’ and ‘disorder’?
Benny Gantz has set a three-week deadline for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to agree to a plan that includes the establishment of a multinational civilian administration for Gaza. Also: Georgia's president vetoes "foreign agent" law, and a napkin linked to the footballer Lionel Messi sells at auction for nearly $1m.
Israel's opposition leader Benny Gantz has given the government three weeks to come up with a post-war plan for Gaza, or his party will quit the war coalition. He said the six-point action plan should include an internationally administered Gaza Strip.
Also in the programme: the man charged with attempting to murder Slovakia's prime minister appears in court; and we preview the boxing match whose winner will become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
(IMAGE: Israeli Emergency cabinet minister and opposition politician Benny Gantz addresses the press in Kiryat Shmona, Israel November 14, 2023 / CREDIT: Reuters / Evelyn Hockstein / File Photo)
Doctors treating Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico now say they will not be able to move him to the country's capital in the coming days. But they say he is in a serious but stable condition. Mr Fico is being treated in a small town hospital close to where he was shot on Wednesday. The man charged with attempting to murder Mr Fico has been in court on Saturday, with prosecutors arguing he must remain in custody pending his trial.
Also in the programme: there's been a fifth night of unrest in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia sparked by changes to voting rights; and how Cuba's sugar industry is emblematic of the country's economic woes.
(Picture: A convoy of police cars carrying a man accused of the attempted murder of the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, arrives at court on 18 May, 2024. Credit: JAKUB GAVLAK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
We hear from Georgia Laurie on the 'superhero move' to save her twin sister from a crocodile that's earned her a bravery award from King Charles. Her sister Melissa tells us how Georgia's singing helped her fight for her life.Also: Bringing the joy of Irish dancing to a global stage -- the Gardiner Brothers, Michael and Matthew, talk about their rise to social media fame.We go to Thailand to find out what happens if you let children take control of their school.Sven the heartbroken reindeer finds new love after generous donors helped pay for a new stable mate.Why Stevie Wonder wanted to become a citizen of Ghana.And the girls football team who went from losing every game to winning their local cup -- beating a boys team five divisions above them.Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world.
Park Jung-oh defected to South Korea from the North 26 years ago. Hearing how North Koreans in the Hwanghae Province suffer from food shortage, he started throwing bottles filled with rice and a USB stick into the Yellow Sea, hoping they would land on North Korean shores. Did his messages ever reach anyone? Rachel Lee from BBC Korean brings us this extraordinary story. Plus, Madina Dahiru Maishanu, the youngest presenter at BBC Hausa, shares stories from her award-winning show, Mahangar Zamani, and Thomas Naadi tells us about Stevie Wonder's love affair with Ghana.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
As flooding in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul continues to cause devastation, Shabnam Younus-Jewell speaks to Brazilian surfer Pedro Scooby who is among a number of sportspeople from the country helping those affected.
Gaz Choudhry explains why he switched the wheelchair basketball court for the theatre stage. The two-time Paralympic medallist has recently been performing in 'Grenfell: In The Words of The Survivors' in New York, which tells the story of the Grenfell Fire that killed 72 residents of a tower block in London in 2017.
Twelve months ago, the Netherlands didn't have a women's rugby league team but now they're targeting a spot at the Rugby League World Cup for the first time. We’ll meet the three Australian born sisters – Nicole, Jessica and Claire Kennedy – who are hoping to help get them there.
And - we’ll find out about the sport of pickleball after it was announced India will launch the first-ever professional league.
Image: Aerial view of flooded houses of the Guarujá neighbourhood, located in the extreme south of Porto Alegre, on May 14, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. After several days of heavy rain, Porto Alegre and many other municipalities in Rio Grande Do Sul are flooded due to the swelling of the rivers. (Photo by Jefferson Bernardes/Getty Images)
It's 30 years since the death of Formula One driver, Ayrton Senna.
The three time world champion died in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy. The Brazilian icon was just 34-years-old at the time.
Following his death, major safety changes in Formula One were introduced.
Matt Pintus has been delving into the BBC World Service archives to find first person accounts of the tragedy.
You'll hear from Senna's manager, Julian Jakobi, and from one of the first people on the scene of the crash, Professor Sid Watkins.
(Photo: Ayrton Senna before the San Marino Grand Prix. Credit: Getty Images)
Among all the talk about ‘knowledge economy’ it is easy to forget that universal schooling is a relatively new phenomenon. Mandated first in a few European countries in the 18th century, it did not reach many others until the 20th. And the idea that women have an equal right to be educated frequently encountered stiff opposition, often from the privileged who feared that knowledgeable females would upset the social status quo.
Just about everywhere, the right to women’s education was hard won: for instance Bal Gangadhar Tilak, one of the influential leaders of Indian independence movement, campaigned vociferously for decades against sending girls to school, complaining that it would lead to increased competition for jobs and to women neglecting their ‘domestic duties’. Mary Carpenter, the acclaimed Victorian education reformer, maintained that neatness and needlework, rather than a full academic curriculum, were ‘essential to a woman’.
Fast forward to 2024 and even though the gap between male and female educational attainment has narrowed world-wide, there are still many places where women lag behind, even in something as basic as literacy. According to UNESCO, women today account for almost two-thirds of all adults unable to read.
So how did we get here? And how can we close this gap? Iszi Lawrence follows the story of women’s education with Jane Martin, Professor of Social History of Education at Birmingham University; Parimala V. Rao, Professor of the History of Education at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi; Dr. Karen Teoh, Associate of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard and World Service listeners.
(Photo: Teenage girls and boys learning in classroom. Credit: Maskot/Getty Images)
Shareholders of plane maker Boeing approved a pay package of nearly $33 million for outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun - the highest ever agreed by the company - at its AGM on Friday. Mr Calhoun, who will leave the company at the end of the year, was also re-elected to stay on the troubled company’s board.
Cubans are enduring some of their bleakest economic times since the Cold War – amid worsening inflation, a scarcity of basic goods and a decades-long US economic embargo. The BBC’s Correspondent, Will Grant, looks at how the situation has impacted on one of Cuba’s most quintessential industries – sugar – to see how tough the situation has become.
Plus as Mercedes workers in Alabama have voted against joining a union we look at the result means for workers and management.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent, in Sydney and Han Lin, China Country Director of “The Asia Group” a Washington DC based consultancy, and NYU Shanghai professor based in Shanghai.(Image Credit: The Washington Post/Getty Images.)
Vast areas of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul remain under water after the worst flooding in 80 years. Homes have been destroyed, thousands are without power or drinking water, and entire towns remain cut-off. The torrential rains began in Rio Grande do Sul at the end of April, saturating the ground and bursting the banks of the Taquari and Caí rivers. Those rivers flow into the Guaíba, which has led to severe flooding in the state capital, Porto Alegre. We bring together three residents of Porto Alegre and volunteer rescue workers to share their experiences of the flooding.
The three had been killed in the Hamas attack on Israel on the 7th of October and their bodies taken to Gaza. Also: Putin claims Russia is not seeking the capture of Kharkiv, and Indian spices face heat over global safety concerns.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
This week, we hear how nuclear testing changed politics in French Polynesia.
Plus, the story of how the FBI caught Ana Montes, the spy known as the ‘Queen of Cuba’.
We also talk to Jewish and Palestinian people about the moment the state of Israel was proclaimed in 1948.
Finally, we tell the unlikely story of how a heavy metal rock band emerged during the violent years of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.
Contributors: Antony Géros - President of the Assembly of French PolynesiaKDee Aimiti Ma'ia'i – doctoral candidate at University of OxfordPete Lapp – former FBI agentHasan HammamiArieh HandlerZipporah PorathFiras Al-Lateef – bass player
(Photo: Antony Géros. Credit: Getty Images)
Shareholders of plane maker Boeing approved a pay package of nearly $33 million for outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun - the highest ever agreed by the company - at its AGM on Friday. Mr Calhoun was also re-elected to stay on the troubled company’s board.
Cubans are enduring some of their bleakest economic times since the Cold War – amid worsening inflation, a scarcity of basic goods and a decades-long US economic embargo. The BBC’s Correspondent, Will Grant, looks at how the situation has impacted on one of Cuba’s most quintessential industries – sugar – to see how tough the situation has become.
Russian forces continue to press ahead with their offensive in the Kharkiv region of north-east Ukraine as President Zelensky signs two new laws to boost army recruitment as Ukraine struggles to mobilise fighters. How much is Kyiv now on the back foot in the war?
Also in the programme: Ecologists in Costa Rica have just completed one of the largest ever "eco-acoustic" surveys recording sounds of forests regenerating across the entire country; and the Vatican has said Catholics need to be more cautious about accepting phenomena as supernatural.
(Photo: Local residents react after a rocket attack on a residential area in Kharkiv, north-eastern Ukraine, 7 April 2024, amid the Russian invasion. Credit: EPA/Sergey Kozlov)
The United States has called for a temporary nationwide ceasefire following continued fighting between the national army and armed groups in Oromia and Amhara regions. The US alleges that the armed groups target schools, health centres and water infrastructure.
Why has Gabon's deposed President Ali Bongo gone on hunger strike?
And Audrey speaks to legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder after he was granted Ghanaian citizenship earlier this week!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson, Karnie Sharp,Bella Hassan, Charles Gitonga and Paul BakibingaTechnical Producers : Jonny Hall and Daniela Victoria Varela Hernandez Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard.
China's real estate industry is facing major financial problems, leaving many empty or half-finished unused buildings. One of China’s largest real-estate companies, Country Garden of the verge of liquidation.
Also, Roger Hearing finds out what's happening with businesses in New Caledonia. And we hear how the economic growth in India affecting people's life.
A temporary pier built by American troops has been used for the first time to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The first consignments were brought ashore a few hours ago. The development follows a call by the US State Department on Thursday for Israel to do more to get aid into Gaza where conditions are deteriorating. The UN has said there will soon be no food left in the territory and warned that although the newly completed pier will help, re-opening land crossings is still the most effective way to get supplies into Gaza.
Also, the UN humanitarian aid chief has defended the organisation's use of casualty figures during the war in Gaza after criticism by Israel. We have an interview with Martin Griffiths.
We will hear from the frontline of the war in Ukraine. And did the Egyptians use waterways to construct the Pyramids?
Also, we will speak to the Nigerian Minister for Women's Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, who's trying to ban mass weddings to protect young girls.
(Photo: The aid will be collected from a floating base before being transported to Gaza. Credit: Reuters)
Israel tells UN's highest court, the ICJ, that accusations of genocide in Gaza are a distortion of facts as it defends its military campaign. US confirms first Gaza aid trucks arrive via pier. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on the controversial 'foreign agent' law. French police shoot dead man who set fire to a synagogue. The row in Australia over an unflattering portrait of the country's richest woman. And scientists say they've solved the mystery of how dozens of pyramids were built in Egypt.
Now Alice gets to play croquet with the Queen. Is she in danger?
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In a competitive world, is it always best to finish first? A tribute to second place, second thoughts, and second opinions.
You might assume that Olympic gold medallists have more successful lives than their silver-placed competitors. A study shows that on average winners die a year younger than the runners up, and earn less money.
In the invasive jelly-fish wars of the Black Sea of recent years, it seems the second-comers prevailed over the voracious first-timers.
And what about siblings? Does the first-born in a family really have any discernible advantage in life?
Also, the potential perils of cutting-edge wearable medi-tech, the value of second opinions, and the chemical benefits of silver itself.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton, with Godfred Boafo and Andrada FiscuteanProduced by Alex Mansfield, with Dan Welsh, Julia Ravey and Noa DowlingSound by Gwynfor Jones
In 2001, the American Ana Montes, who was working for the United States Defense Intelligence Agency was arrested for espionage.
Although the FBI knew that there was a spy they didn't know who it was. The Cubans always referred to Ana by a man's name.
Former FBI agent, Pete Lapp, tells Gill Kearsley the fascinating story of how he and his team tracked down and arrested Ana, who is known as ‘Queen of Cuba’.
(Photo: Ana Montes in 2001. Credit: FBI )
Stephen Sackur is in Helsinki to speak to the President of Finland Alexander Stubb. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to take the strategically significant step of joining Nato. But is it wise for Finland to pick sides in the deepening conflict between Russia and the west?
As the Dow Jones hits a record high Rahul Tandon looks at how a strong stock market is helping some people retire earlier than expected.
Two months after a container ship crash saw the collapse of a road bridge in Baltimore, killing six workers, we explore the reasons why 21 seamen are still stranded on the vessel.
And on the day that Singapore Airlines announces staff bonuses worth nearly eight months' salary we examine how they came to receive such a generous payout. (Picture credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images.)
When Father Père Basile was 12 years of age, he started thinking of a religious life. But it never crossed his mind that he would someday be living in a cloistered abbey in the south of France producing wine. This monastery has incredible history as it is the site of the oldest papal vineyard in the world, dating back to the 14th Century. When Pope Clement V moved the papal capital from Rome to Avignon in France, his palace needed a steady stream of wine and so the vineyard was planted in Le Barroux. Presenter Colm Flynn travels to the abbey to meet Fr Père Basile, and hears his amazing story of growing up as the son of wealthy, world-travelling diplomats, and turning his back on that to pursue a deeper calling in life.
The US State Department wants Israel to provide sustained humanitarian access to both southern and northern Gaza. Also, the European Union begins a formal investigation into allegations that Facebook and Instagram are failing to protect the safety of children, and India's most famous footballer announces his retirement.
We head to the robot workshop home of Marty the robotical.
Sandy Enoch founded the Scottish tech firm Robotical which creates educational robots.
Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw.
(Image: Marty the robot)
Two months after a container ship crash saw the collapse of a road bridge in Baltimore, killing six workers, Rahul Tandon speaks to the Executive Director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Centre about why staff on the ship are still stuck aboard.
As the Dow Jones hits a record high we look at how a strong stock market is helping some to retire earlier than expected and on the day that Singapore Airlines announces staff bonuses worth nearly eight months' salary we look at how they came to receive such a generous payout.
A man has been charged with the attempted murder of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico after the politician was seriously hurt in a shooting attack. Mr Fico is in a serious but stable condition.
Also on the programme: the president of Georgia tells the BBC why a controversial law just passed by the government is a move in the wrong direction; and the musician Elton John on his love of photography. (Credit: Reuters)
They were the best northern and southern lights in decades, but why? And what’s next? We hear from astrophysicist Steph Yardley about the solar maximum, geomagnetic storms and atmospheric spectaculars.
Also, the impossible heatwave in the Philippines made possible by global warming – the analysis of a continent-spanning climate extreme by the World Weather Attribution collaboration.
Getting close up to raging tornadoes in order to fill in the big gaps that remain in the science of their development.
And the tale of the lizard’s tail, and how it could lead to safer buildings in the future.
(Photo: The aurora borealis, also known as the 'northern lights’, are seen over The Roaches near Leek, Staffordshire, Britain, May 10, 2024. Credit: Carl Recine/Reuters)
Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Jonathan Blackwell
A Swiss court has sentenced ex-Gambian minister,Ousman Sonko to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity. Mr Sonko fled to Switzerland in 2016. He was arrested and had been in custody since 2017, after a human rights group based in Geneva filed a criminal complaint against him. Audrey speaks with Fatoumatta Sandeng, the daughter of the tortured opposition leader, Ebrima Solo Sandeng.
Also why are some South Africans not happy about a new law which provides equal access to healthcare for all citizens?
And a conversation with the Cameroonian-American singer Libianca, who received death threats for waving a flag.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson, Richard Kagoe, Yvette Twagiramariya and Bella HassanSenior Journalist: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Putin vows China will "always be a good friend to Russia"- at the start of a two day visit to Beijing. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Putin has relied on Xi Jinping's support in the face of Western sanctions.
Also: Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico remains in a serious condition in hospital after an assassination attempt, widespread floods in southern Brazil cause Olympic hopefuls to give up on their dream, and could English Premier League football scrap VAR?
The day’s top stories from BBC News. Presented by Jannat Jalil.
Chines leader Xi Jinping has been rolling out the red carpet for the Russian President Vladimir Putin during his two days visit. A Large portion of the meeting focused around the two countries' trade relationship. What do these two huge economies want from each other?
Also, in the programme, Sam Fenwick looks at Kenya where the government announced a new tax policy that will increase the price of staples like bread, mobile phone data and money transfers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping praised their friendship and deep ties in a joint appearance in Beijing.
Also on the programme: World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director, Cindy McCain, speaks about the agony of Gazans and the frustration of humanitarian aid agencies; and the Estonian foreign minister responds to the claims of the Georgian government that he’s acting like an old-school Soviet.
(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) attends a welcome ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. Credit: SERGEY BOBYLEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Are secrets always negative? Or can they be positive too? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary. For more great language tips and programmes visit bbclearningenglish.com [Image: Getty Images]
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240516
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In the late 1990s, a heavy metal band called Acrassicauda formed in Iraq, when the country was under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.
Over the next decade, the pioneering band found themselves on a collision course with the dictatorship militants and the west.
The band was able to get inspiration from various bootleg tapes of heavy metal's greatest acts.
Acrassicauda performed under Saddam's regime, but because of censorship restrictions, they had to write a song that praised the dictator.
Johnny I'Anson speaks to bass player, Firas Al-Lateef.
(Photo: Acrassicauda perform in Iraq in 2004. Credit: Getty Images)
Where next for the sometimes tricky relationship between football and crypto companies?
We look at how some of the biggest clubs, and players, have embraced crypto products, and what that means for supporters.
From fan engagement tokens to NFTs, advertised by the world’s biggest stars, to deals with Premier League clubs which turned out to be fraudulent. Is it putting fans in a potentially difficult financial position?
Or just giving them another way to support the team they love?
Produced and presented by Imran Rahman-Jones
(Referee Arda Kardeşler performs the pregame toss with a coin bearing the Bitcoin logo for a match between Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe on May 8, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Getty Images)
President Putin’s visit comes as Russia has become more economically dependent on China following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago; Rahul Tandon examines the economic benefits for both nations.
The Ambassador-at-Large with Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chan Hen Chee, talks to us about the country’s future direction after its long serving Prime Minister steps down.
India and Iran have signed a deal allowing a company to develop and control the management of an Iranian port for 10 years. We look at this will potentially bring new economic benefits to India.(Picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on development of Russia's military industrial complex .Credit: Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS)
The attack happened in Handlova as the Slovak prime minister greeted people in front of a community centre where a government meeting had been held. Also: Biden and Trump agree to participate in two televised presidential debates in June and September, and a photography collection belonging to the British singer Elton John is going on display in London.
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. EncroChat: The crime family brought down by their violent messages.The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC, with Katya Adler. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
This programme contains descriptions some of you may find upsetting.
Enter the magical world of children’s writer Cressida Cowell. She created the hugely successful How to Train Your Dragon series, which continues to excite children across the globe and has been turned into Oscar nominated animated films. For her latest series, Cressida explores teenage magic and Iron Age warriors. As she works on the illustrations for the second book in this new trilogy, The Wizards of Once: Twice Magic, she gives fellow children’s author Michael Rosen an insight into how she creates these worlds.
Israel is planning an assault on Hamas fighters in Rafah and orders tens of thousands more Palestinians to leave. Also: Switzerland wins the Eurovision Song Contest while Israel came fifth, and mass demonstrations in Georgia over a controversial proposed law.
Israel has told tens of thousands more Palestinians to leave Rafah, as it intensifies military operations in southern Gaza. Flyers dropped from the air and posts on social media told residents in the city’s eastern districts go to al-Mawasi, a narrow coastal area which Israel calls an ‘’expanded humanitarian zone’’. We hear from Jerusalem and Rafah.
Also on the programme: Flash floods in Afghanistan claim the lives of hundreds; and reflections on the illustrious career of The Beach Boys.
(Picture: Internally displaced Palestinians leave Rafah after Israeli evacuation order Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The volunteers restoring the beautiful beaches of Bali and beyond by clearing plastic pollution from Indonesia's rivers, and upcycling it into chairs. The profits are used to fund more river clean ups.The deaf toddler who has near normal hearing after groundbreaking gene therapy.Why are hundreds of sea lions gathering at Pier 39 in San Francisco?After seagull boy, we bring you lion girl - the five year old whose amazing lion roar has been viewed millions of times.We chat to two old friends who reconnected -- and then studied why old friends find it hard to reconnect.And we meet the football fan who moved to a new country to support his team in the English Premier League.
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world.
The Israeli military has ordered another evacuation of tens of thousands more Palestinians from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Residents of eastern districts of the city were told to go to al-Mawasi, a narrow coastal area designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, told the BBC that the area had no running water or proper sanitation. Also in the programme: More than 150 people killed in flash floods in the north of Afghanistan; and a solar storm produces spectacular lightshows in many parts of the world. (Photo: A Palestinian boy sits atop a vehicle loaded with belongings as he flees Rafah, after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of the southern Gaza City, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, May 11, 2024. Credit: Reuters/Hatem Khaled)
The BBC's new Global China Unit tell Faranak Amidi about their investigation into Chinese mines overseas, and what it's like to work in them and live near them.
Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
Would you move heaven and earth to change your life? No? Well how about just your living room? When times got tough, New Yorker James Grammer found solace in sport, in particular the ancient Japanese sport of Sumo. But initially there was nowhere local to compete. While the parks were fine in the summer, the traditional sumo loincloth would be a bit chilly in winter ! So James turned his apartment into a Beya, the name for where Sumo wrestlers train. He’ll tell us the joys and drawbacks of sumo wrestling at home and his ambitions going forward as well as why he has been so keen on big contact sports growing up.
Iranian born film director Milad Alami moved to Sweden as a child refugee and his latest movie OPPONENT uses the sport of wrestling to highlight the challenges encountered by refugees across Europe. Milad draws on his own experiences to tell the story of an Iranian wrestler who worn down by the asylum process seeks out the one thing he knows and starts to train with the Swedish wrestling team. He tells us why he chose wrestling, why he wanted to highlight the challenge of refugees fitting into a new country and how important it was for him to cast real refugees in the film.
We’ll get the inside track on horse racing’s oldest racecourse, the Roodee – more commonly known as Chester Racecourse. Sportshour reporter Richard Padula finds out why former Ballon d’or winner Michael Owen is so enamoured with the sport and the course.
On Eurovision Grand Final day, BBC Sport’s music aficionado Pat Nevin casts his ear across the fancied songs for this year’s competition. Croatia are strong favourites but are they Pat’s?
Plus, what links American footballer Brandon Mebane, Footballer Douglas Luiz and Formula One Driver Daniel Ricciardo? The answer – Bellydancing and to mark World Bellydancing Day, we’ll get a tutorial from Heather Eggins from Belly Dance Heaven.
Photo: Sumo wrestlers practice in James Grammer's apartment turned sumo Beya in New York. (Credit: James Grammer)
The BBC World Service has launched its Global China Unit, a new team that will focus on reporting stories on the country’s role in the world. Listeners say its opening is vital but also ask if coverage of China will be fair and balanced. We speak with the BBC executive who will help run the team.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Alice Annum is Ghana's original 'Baby Jet'.
She gained the nickname after winning two silver medals at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, for the 100m and 200m sprint races.
Alice was also the first woman to represent Ghana at the Olympics. Throughout her career, not only did she compete as a runner, she also competed in long jump.
In more recent years the name 'Baby Jet' has been taken on by former footballer, Asamoah Gyan.
But Alice knows that she is the original. She tells Gill Kearsley the story of how she got the nickname.
(Photo: Alice Annum in 2024. Credit: Sally McBratney. Photo: Alice Annum the finish line of the Women's 100-metre event of the 1970 Commonwealth Games. Credit: Daily Express/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
US Consumer sentiment sags to a six-month low. Americans cite high inflation and fears around unemployment
A free bottle of wine has finally been claimed after being hidden in the privacy policy of a tax-focused think tank's website for three months. We hear more from the Director of consumer protection for Consumer Federation of America
The Oscars have launched a global fund raising campaign to boost its finances following a decade long decline in its viewership
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Adam Davis/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (14441942o)A customer walks past the fresh fruit section at a H-E-B supermarket in Austin, Texas, USA, 19 April 2024
The United Nations General Assembly has enhanced Palestine's rights within the organisation and called for it to be accepted as a member. Also: India court grants bail to jailed opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal, and how important is it to read the small print?
The pandemic stopped most of us travelling anywhere, but now the United Nations predicts that international tourism will soon return to pre-Covid levels. While that might be welcome if you’re making money from tourism, the number of visitors can also cause problems. Hosts James Reynolds and Lukwesa Burak discuss how you balance the tourist dollar.
Residents of Venice, Bali and Spain’s Canary Islands discuss their concerns, ranging from a lack of infrastructure and non-tourist housing to cultural insensitivity and the distribution of tourism income.
“Tenerife has about one million residents and six million tourists visit every year,” says Brian. “With over 36 percent of the population living in or at risk of poverty, it’s obvious that mass tourism has failed the islanders.”
We also discuss the role of travel influencers who share videos and photos with a mass audience on social media. Kristen Sarah in Costa Rica, who runs @Hopscotchtheglobe vlog, says: “As influencers, it’s our messaging that encourages and inspires others to follow in our footsteps,” she says. “A photo is just a photo. But if you don’t take in the place that you’re visiting, then what’s the point of even going?”
A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS team.
This week, how more than one billion people living in India were given a unique digital ID during the world's largest biometric project. The Aadhaar scheme was launched in 2009 but it wasn't without controversy. Our guest, digital identity expert Dr Edgar Whitley, tells us about the history of ID schemes around the world.
Plus, the Spanish doctor whose pioneering surgery helped millions of people to get rid of their glasses and see more clearly. And why East Germany's thirst for caffeine in the 1980s led to an unusual collaboration with Vietnam.
Also, the story behind one of the most famous royal photographs ever taken – Princess Diana sitting alone on a bench in front of the Taj Mahal in 1992. The man who took the image tells us more.
And finally, how a Ghanaian athlete, Alice Annum, earned the nickname ‘Baby Jet’ after her medal-winning success in the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Contributors:Nandan Nilekani - former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of IndiaDr Edgar Whitley - digital identity expert at the London School of EconomicsDr Carmen Barraquer Coll – daughter of ophthalmologist Jose Ignacio Barraquer MonerSiegfried Kaulfuß – East German official in charge of coffee production in VietnamAnwar Hussein – royal photographerAlice Annum – retired Ghanaian athlete
(Photo: Scanning fingerprints for Aadhaar registration. Credit: David Talukdar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
President Zelensky says Russian forces have launched a surprise cross-border attack into Ukrainian territory near the city of Kharkiv. We hear from Kharkiv MP Mariia Mezentseva.
Also in the programme: BBC tracks downs a notorious people smuggler; and free wine hidden in the small print.
(Picture: At least two injured, including child, in Russian missile strike in Ukraine's Kharkiv. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The UK has emerged from recession – but can it hold its ground? And how does it compare to the rest of the world?
Elsewhere, Emily Thomas digs into the agricultural impact of the floods in Brazil, and looks back at Chinese president Xi Jinping's visit to Europe.
A BBC investigation has located one of Europe's most wanted people smugglers in Iraq. Barzan Majeed, nicknamed the Scorpion, admitted trafficking thousands of people, knowing it was illegal and dangerous. He is still operating, after being deported from the United Kingdom eight years ago.
Also in the programme: UNWRA closes it headquarters in Jerusalem following attacks; and why the future of the African penguin is threatened with extinction.
(Picture: Barzan Majeed. Credit: BBC)
Human Rights Watch says ethnic cleansing has taken place in El Geneina against the Massalit and non-Arab residents. What's the evidence?
Also, after more than three billion doses, the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine won't be manufactured anymore. Why is that, and how will this affect future vaccine uptake in Africa?
And we explore attitudes to twins from Igbo Bora, a small rural community in southwest Nigeria which has an extraordinarily high number of them!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan, Victor Sylver, Charles Gitonga and Rob WilsonSenior Producer: Karnie harpTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
President Zelenskyy says a fierce battle is underway and people are being evacuated in the Kharkiv region. Also: tensions grow between the US and Israel over the war in Gaza and Israel's offensive on Rafah, the BBC tracks down one of Europe's biggest people smugglers, and is there a future for the African penguin?
It’s time for an unexpected celebration and we look to science for advice on clothes, cake and how presenter Marnie and panellists Christine and Candice can improve their singing. We also hear about the sleuths who have tracked down an animal that’s been presumed extinct for almost a century, we help a listener find the answer to whether using sunscreen is stopping him from getting vitamin d and Marnie talks to the Dog Aging Project to ask why studying healthy ageing in our canine companions can lead to better health for people too. Presenter: Marnie ChestertonPanellists: Christine Yohannes and Candice BaileyGuests: Bryan Nichols, Pennsylvania State University and Matt Kaberline, founder of the Dog Aging Project.Producer: Tom Bonnett with Dan Welsh, Emily Knight, Julia Ravey and Noa Dowling
The tech giant Apple has faced an online backlash in response to an advert featuring books and musical instrument being crushed, to demonstrate how their creativity has been compressed into the latest iPad.
Also, with music catalogue company Hipgnosis facing a takeover, is it worth a price tag of $1.6 billion?
And remarks by a boss at China's biggest search engine reignite the debate around China's 9-9-6 work-all-hours culture.
The tech giant Apple has faced an online backlash in response to an advert featuring books and musical instrument being crushed, to demonstrate how their creativity has been compressed into the latest iPad.
Also, with music catalogue company Hipgnosis facing a takeover, is it worth a price tag of $1.6 billion?
And we hear from one of the Eurovision song contest’s most successful songwriters.
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will "stand alone" and "fight with its fingernails", after the US warned it could halt arms shipments if Israel ordered a full-scale invasion of Rafah in Gaza. Also: Israel heads to Eurovision final despite protests; and the tech company Apple faces a backlash over the destruction of musical instruments and books in an iPad advert.
In the heart of Colombia, very special Christmas celebrations take place not in December but in February. Its roots lie in the days of slavery when many Afro-Colombians were serving their masters' festivities during that time. In an act of cultural and racial resistance that has been preserved for nearly 200 years, Christmas celebrations in Quinamayo are held 40 days after the traditional birth date of Jesus and the amount of time that the Virgin Mary is said to have rested after delivery, and right after the end of harvest season. Christina Noreiga asks how the celebrations came about and why they have a special magic for both young and old.
The Nigerian-born businessman tells us about his journey from working in a fast food restaurant and facing racism from some customers, to being inspired to start his own business in London.
He also talks about the influence of his Christian faith on his business decisions - and how it opened up a network of business connections which allowed his property portfolio to grow.
Sanmi Adegoke's Rehoboth group has now undertaken more than 20 major renovation projects and has £35m worth of property assets under its management.
Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw.
(Image: Sanmi Adegoke. Credit: A&O Studios)
Israeli tanks mass near the southern Gazan city of Rafah - as tens of thousands flee the area. Meanwhile US President Joe Biden faces fierce criticism at home for pausing a shipment of bombs to Israel.
Also in the programme: a BBC investigation uncovers evidence that police in Saudi Arabia were authorised to kill people resisting the vast and controversial Neom development project. And we hear about Ukraine's plans to recruit prisoners for the frontline, after Russia's convict recruitment programme attracted widespread disapproval.
(IMAGE: Israeli military vehicles are seen near the Israel-Gaza Border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in southern Israel, May 9, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters / Amir Cohen)
Could future blood transfusions be made safer by mixing in a new bacterial enzyme? Every year 118 million blood donations need to be carefully sorted to ensure the correct blood types go to the right patients. Prof Martin Olsson, of Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues in Denmark have published a study that suggests an enzyme made by bacteria in our gut could edit our blood cells to effectively convert type A, B and AB to type O. This would be a step towards a universal blood type that could be given to any patient.
Papua New Guinea’s Naomi Longa is a “Sea Woman of Melanesia”. She works to train local women from the Kimbe Bay region of the Coral Triangle to dive, snorkel, navigate and use AI to monitor the coral reefs there. She is winner of this year’s Whitley Award, and tells us why it is socially and scientifically useful to get locals - specifically females - involved in conservation efforts there.
Data scientist and roboticist Prof Daniele Rus of MIT has been using Machine Learning to decipher structure in a vast swath of Sperm Whale song data from Dominica. They have discovered a set of patterns and rules of context that seem to govern the way sperm whales structure their distinctive sets of clicks. The next step? See if we can decode any semantic content…
Also, 200 years after Beethoven’s 9th symphony premiered, science says its composer couldn’t hold a beat. A cautionary tale of the hubris of genetic data miners, Laura Wesseldijk describes to Roland how she and her collaborators designed the paradoxical study to point out the limitations of finding any sort of “musical genius” genes with contemporary techniques.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex MansfieldProduction Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Two Sperm Whales, Caribbean Sea, Dominica. Credit: Reinhard Dirscherl via Getty Images)
Almost three-thousand cabin crew members in India have taken part in a mass sick leave in protest for better working conditions. Air India have cancelled 85 flights while travel disruption continues for hundreds of passengers.
Also, on the show – find out why Korean women are reluctant to have children.
Plus, you can hear how Euro Vision song writers are earning a living for the annual singing competition.
A British girl born deaf can now hear unaided after a ground-breaking gene-therapy treatment. Opal Sandy was treated shortly before her first birthday and six months on can hear sounds as soft as a whisper and is starting to talk. Opal is part of a trial recruiting patients in the UK, US and Spain. Also in the programme: the advocacy group Human Rights Watch has accused Sudan's Rapid Support Force of possible genocide in the city of El Geneina in Darfur; and US president Joe Biden has issued his strongest warning yet to Israel against launching a full-scale military assault on Rafah in southern Gaza. Picture: Opal Sandy, who has received a ground-breaking so that she can hear unaided, reads with her mother Jo at their home. Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Kenyan government doctors have signed an agreement to return to work in a bid to end a strike that started nearly 2 months ago. However, not all the doctors' demands have been met.
Thousands of Sudanese refugees flee two UN camps in Ethiopia due to security concerns.
And South Africa initiates plans to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Charles Gitonga, Richard Kagoe, Susan Gachuhi, Rob Wilson and Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors : Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
The Rapid Support Forces in Sudan are facing allegations of war crimes and genocide in West Darfur. The New York-based Human Rights Watch says the leaders of the RSF and its Arab allies should be sanctioned for deliberately targeting non-Arab communities. It says the international community has failed to respond to the scale of the crisis in Sudan. Also: Saudi Arabia is accused of using lethal force to clear land for a futuristic desert city, why Russia is opening an embassy in Sierra Leone - after more than three decades, Japan announces expansion of whale hunting, a supplier to the aircraft manufacturer Boeing says major parts left its factory with serious defects, and a trial to send a former Paralympian into orbit.
In 2009, the Indian government embarked on an ambitious task to register all of the country's billion-plus citizens with a unique digital ID.
Aadhaar - which means foundation in many Indian languages - became the world's largest ever biometrics project.
It allowed millions of people to open bank accounts or access a mobile connection for the very first time.
But the project also attracted considerable opposition from privacy advocates and civil rights groups, who brought a case that went all the way to India's Supreme Court.
Dan Hardoon speaks to Nandan Nilekani, who chaired the Aadhaar project.
(Photo: Aadhaar system. Credit: Getty Images)
Could bitter foods be better for your health?
(Image: Getty Images)
Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240509
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President Joe Biden has warned that if Israel launches a ground operation into Rafah he will not supply the offensive weapons that have been used in the past. Also: European Union to give profits from Russian assets to Ukraine, and Malaysia offers trade partners "orangutan diplomacy".
A former employee of Boeing's biggest supplier has claimed that sections of 737 Max aircraft regularly left its factory with serious defects.
Spirit Aerosystems builds fuselages for the 737 Max, which are then shipped to Boeing’s own plant for final assembly.
Speaking publicly for the first time, former quality inspector Santiago Peredes told the BBC that some managers actively tried to discourage him from flagging up flaws in half-finished planes.
Also, Rahul Tandon, finds out why there are a lot of concerns about whether the plan to use Russian assets for weapons is legal and why not everyone was keen to see the Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Hungary.
(Photo: A worker walks past Boeing's 737 MAX-9 under construction at their production facility in Renton, Washington, US. Credit: Reuters)
The small rural town of Igbo-Ora in south-western Nigeria proclaims itself to be the “twin capital of the world". It has an astonishingly high twin birth rate. Everyone here wants to have twins because in Yoruba culture they are believed to bring good fortune and are celebrated almost as deities. And yet, in another part of Nigeria, near the capital Abuja, a different community once viewed twins with fear. Twins were seen as the manifestations of evil spirits. There were even reports that some twins were killed as infants. Nigerian journalist Peter Macjob visits both communities, to hear about the lives of twins and explore the power of traditional beliefs.
The Eurovision Song Contest has transformed itself from a TV show experiment to the world's largest live music event.
160 million people are expected to watch this year's competition in Sweden, as 37 countries take part.
The acts participating will be hoping to become global superstars following the likes of ABBA, Celine Dion and Måneskin.
And outside of the competition many fans around have turned their love of Eurovision into a business: from side-hustles to songwriters. We hear their stories and learn about the economics of having a winning song, and discover the plans for the first ever Eurovision world tour.
Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney
(Image: Malta entry Sarah Bonnici rehearsing Loop at this year's Eurovison. Credit: Connie Cumming/EBU)
Why eat with your hands?
Many food cultures around the world eat using hands, and most of us use our hands some of the time. Do we really need cutlery or chopsticks to eat a salad, peas or rice? And if you were to tackle soup or stew with your hands, how would you go about it?
Michael Kaloki reports from Nairobi, Kenya, where the staple dish ugali, made from maize flour, is traditionally eaten by hand. Michael has observed that people increasingly use cutlery to eat the dish, and he speaks to restaurateurs and customers about why that might be, and what might be lost.
Ruth Alexander learns about the etiquette of eating by hand with food writer and consultant Karen Anand in India. And Ruth explores whether food might be more enjoyable, and even taste better, when eaten by hand. Psychologist Professor Charles Spence from Oxford University, and chef Jozef Youssef of Kitchen Theory in the UK share their research.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
Reporting by Michael Kaloki in Nairobi, Kenya.
(Image: a man’s hands, pulling apart a sweet cake wrapped in dough, with sauce on his hands. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)
A former employee of Boeing's biggest supplier has claimed that sections of 737 Max aircraft regularly left its factory with serious defects.
Spirit Aerosystems builds fuselages for the 737 Max, which are then shipped to Boeing’s own plant for final assembly.
Speaking publicly for the first time, former quality inspector Santiago Peredes told the BBC that some managers actively tried to discourage him from flagging up flaws in half-finished planes.
Also, Rahul Tandon, finds out why there are a lot of concerns about whether the plan to use Russian assets for weapons is legal and why not everyone was keen to see the Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Hungary.
The US has confirmed that it suspended an arms shipment to Israel as its operation in Rafah intensifies.
Also in the programme: our Berlin correspondent investigates Germany's strengthening far-right; and the ancient rock found by a lockdown gardener in Britain. (Picture: Destroyed houses and mosque between Khan Younis and Rafah. Credit: Shutterstock)
A research center in Sudan had brought hope for neglected disease mycetoma, we hear from a mycetoma expert how the conflict has affected research. Also on the show, have researchers discovered a genetic form of Alzheimer’s, and for the first time an orangutan is seen making a medicine to treat its own wound – what can this tell us about the history of human medication?
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins
The process of childbirth can be painful yet amazing, but at times and in some places, also very dangerous. Recorded in Malawi, East Africa, Claudia Hammond is joined by a panel of maternal health experts to figure out why it is that the equivalent of a large jumbo jet full of women die every day due to pregnancy or childbirth. Together, they examine how so many women can still be at risk during this period despite a greater access to healthcare. They also look into whether an eighty-year-old drug could be a game-changer when it comes to haemorrhage. Plus, they consider a study of 1.3 million women which asked what it is that women actually want from maternal healthcare. With Owen Chikwaza from the Malawi Ministry of Health, Linda Mipando of Kamuzu University and Elimase Kamanga-Gama, Director of the White Ribbon Alliance Malawi, Claudia looks at the many challenges and successes within the field, drawing from local experiences to offer global insights.
Produced by: Margaret Sessa-HawkinsEditor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire Presenter: Claudia Hammond Studio Engineers: Andrew Saunderson and David Sproule
(Photo: Pregnant woman being examined by a doctor. Credit: Holly Squire BBC)
We speak to the head of Sweden’s central bank, after it voted to cut interest rates; making it one of the first to do so in the region. The bank moved ahead of the U.S Federal Reserve for the first time this century.
Elsewhere, Ed Butler looks at why Ghana could face issues with the World Bank over its LGBT policies, and why the rising prices of doner kebabs in Germany is becoming a political issue.
The US last week paused a bomb shipment for Israel over concerns it was going ahead with a major ground operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a senior US administration official said. Israel has not "fully addressed" US concerns over humanitarian needs of civilians in Rafah, the official said. An Israeli military official appeared to play down the US move. We hear analysis from the US and reaction from Israel.
Also on the programme: How emissions from ships may be contributing to higher ocean temperatures; and the man who shaped the personality cult of North Korea’s ruling family.
(Picture: Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Salem)
As the defence partnership between countries in the Sahel and the US and France ends, there's curiosity about which West African country will offer a base for French and US troops. Why is it important for these forces to have a base in West Africa?
Also we revist the plight of migrants in Libya, after 107 people, including women and children are freed from captivity.
And Audrey chats to ‘The Queen of Afrobeat'....singer-songwriter and actress, Tiwa Savage!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Charles Gitonga, Bella Hassan, Rob Wilson and Yvette TwagiramariyaTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Producer: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Sea temperatures broke records every day over the past year, hitting marine life hard and driving a new wave of coral bleaching. China's President Xi Jinping visits Serbia. A BBC investigation uncovers clear ties between members of Germany's AfD party, and former neo-Nazi networks. Russia's last Eurovision contestant says she won't stop protesting against the war in Ukraine. And how a peanut and milk allergy trial is transforming lives.
A bonus episode from the World of Secrets podcast. Inside the World of Secrets investigation – the story of the journalism behind The Disciples. Hear from the journalists and the whistleblowers about the investigation into TB Joshua. A special episode with season 2 presenters Charlie Northcott and Yemisi Adegoke, producer Rob Byrne and whistleblowers Rae and Ajoke. Hosted by Hannah Ajala, presenter of the Love, Janessa podcast, and recorded in front of an audience at World Service Presents in London.Plus we hear from the presenter of the first season of World of Secrets, Rianna Croxford, about how she investigated allegations of sexual exploitation made against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie and Fitch.Season 2 of World of Secrets is a story of miracles, faith and manipulation – the cult of Nigerian prophet TB Joshua.Content warning: This episode contains references to sexual, physical and psychological abuse.If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this podcast, please contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support for survivors of sexual abuse, go to bbc.co.uk/actionlineIf you are suffering distress and need support, details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide: www.befrienders.org
In 1963, Dr Jose Ignacio Barraquer Moner performed the first surgery on a human eye aimed at correcting short-sightedness.
The ophthalmologist had been developing his technique for years, believing that there was a better solution for blurry vision than wearing glasses.
But he had to move from Spain to Colombia to begin his experimental surgery which involved dry ice, a watchmaker’s lathe and rabbits. The idea was to change the shape of the cornea – the front layer of the eye - to focus vision.
First, he sliced off the patient’s cornea then dunked it in liquid nitrogen, before using a miniature lathe to carve the frozen cornea into the right shape. Next, he thawed the disc and sewed it back on.
Jose’s initial surgery was performed on rabbits, but in 1963 he carried out the first procedure on a human patient, a 9 year old girl. It was a success, and soon doctors from around the world were flocking to Colombia to find out more.
Barraquer called this procedure keratomileusis, from the Greek words for “carving” and “cornea.” The technique was the forerunner of Lasik eye surgery when the lathe was replaced with lasers.
Jose’s daughter, Carmen Barraquer Coll followed her father into ophthalmology and tells Jane Wilkinson, how he inspired her.
(Photo: Lasik eye surgery in 2009. Credit: BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images)
单词 “expert” 作名词时的意思是 “专家，内行”，后面可以跟介词 “in”、“on” 和 “at” 搭配使用。比如，“an expert in chemistry” 和 “an expert on chemistry” 都可以指 “化学领域的专家”，而在这里用 “in” 或 “on” 的区别在于 “专家的权威性”。听 “你问我答” 节目讲解 “expert” 作名词时的含义和用法。
TikTok has filed a lawsuit aiming to block a US law that would ban in the video app in the country unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company.
In the filing, the social media company called the act an "extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights" of the company and its 170 million American users.
Also, Rahul Tandon, looks at the Disney financial results and finds out what can you buy with Argentina's new 10 000 pesos banknote.
(Picture: The offices of TikTok in Culver City, California. Picture credit: Reuters)
The porn star provided a detailed salacious account of her alleged sexual encounter with the former US president Donald Trump. Also: Israel takes Rafah crossing as truce talks continue, and the Swiss army knife maker is to produce a version without a blade.
In this podcast, Nicky Campbell talks to extraordinary people and explores what it means to be different. Is it how we think? Or how we act? From those who’ve survived extreme experiences to people with unique jobs, listen to hear something different each week. For every episode, just search for Different wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Lithuania’s foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. He wants the West to ramp up support for Ukraine to defeat Putin; he’s infuriated China with his stand on Taiwan. He calls it values-based foreign policy, but is Europe backing him?
In Scotland in the 1980s, a slump in the whisky market brought about the closure of some of the country's most iconic distilleries. These sites become known as 'ghost' distilleries - where spirit production has stopped, but where some stock is still available.
In this programme, Elizabeth Hotson will be discovering why some of these distilleries are now being brought back to life.
She visits the legendary Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay for its much-anticipated re-opening and hears from the master blender there, and she takes a tour of London’s fabled Vintage House.
A whisky writer explains what makes a truly great dram and we learn why investors need to be careful if they’re planning to jump on the whisky bandwagon.
(Picture: A bottle of Port Ellen whisky bottled in 1980. Credit: Elizabeth Hotson/BBC)
Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson
TikTok has filed a lawsuit aiming to block a US law that would ban in the video app in the country unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company.
In the filing, the social media company called the act an "extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights" of the company and its 170 million American users.
Also, Rahul Tandon, looks at the Disney financial results and finds out what can you buy with Argentina's new 10 000 pesos banknote.
Israel vows to continue attacks in Rafah as the UN chief warns of worsening humanitarian situation; also in the programme, Stormy Daniels appears at Trump’s hush money trial; Putin begins his fifth term in office; and Sir Owl, the Nepalese man dedicated to conserving owls.
(Photo: Smoke in Rafah following and Israeli attack. Credit: Shutterstock)
Customs officers looking for illegally traded elephant ivory face a challenge, because ivory taken from the remains of mammoths is legal. Telling the two apart isn't easy. Now researchers have come up with a new technique using lasers that promises to make ivory identification easier. We speak to two experts involved in the project. Also on Tech Life this week, "The chatbot will see you now". People are more willing to discuss personal health matters with artificial intelligence than real medics. Hear about a community-based solution to the problem of e-waste. And how do you detect crumbling concrete in buildings ? Shiona McCallum reports on a tech solution.
Presenter: Chris VallanceProducer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: An illustration of a woolly mammoth. Credit: Leonello Calvetti/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)
Saudi’s state-oil company Aramco saw profits drop this week, but its payout to the government will still reach an eye-watering $31 billion. We see if the Saudi economy can cope with all its expensive mega projects.
Also, Ed Butler explores the latest issues at Boeing, and finds out why India is becoming a hot new destination for big concerts.
Two time Olympic champion marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge has been speaking to the BBC about the impact of social media abuse on him and his family.
Togo's ruling party wins a parliamentary majority in legislative elections, is President Faure Gnassingbé set to extend his time in power?
And can the tropical modernism architectural style help face the challenge of climate change?
Presenter:Audrey BrownProducers:Patricia Whitehorne, Rob Wilson,Bella Hassan, Victor Sylver and Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Jonny HallEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Israel’s army says it has seized the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, after continuously bombarding eastern Rafah overnight. Tanks moved in on the vital entry point for aid, a day after Israel ordered civilians to evacuate the area. Meanwhile, truce talks are to resume in Cairo after Israel said terms which Hamas had agreed to were unacceptable.
Also on the programme: A new insight into Alzheimer’s; the marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge slowed by online abuse; and an ode to the Ode to Joy.
(Photo: People flee the eastern parts of Rafah after the Israeli military begins evacuating Palestinian civilians Credit: Reuters/Doaa al Baz)
It says the plot involved recruiting military officers who would abduct Mr Zelensky and then murder him. The assassinations, according to the statement, were to be timed for President Putin's inauguration, as a present. President Putin has now been sworn in for a fifth term. Humanitarian agencies say the closure of the two main crossings into southern Gaza is making it almost impossible to deliver aid, as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas. Rescuers in South Africa have made contact with some of the construction workers trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building. How AI is helping to identify victims of the Holocaust, and how major music artists are turning their attention to India.
In the 1980s, a thirst for caffeine caused an unusual global collaboration.
Coffee-loving East Germans were left without after a crop failure in the world’s biggest exporter of the drink, Brazil.
So the East Germans hatched a scheme, linking up with fellow communist state Vietnam to create a mass of coffee plantations.
The man behind the plan, Siegfried Kaulfuß, tells Michael Rossi about the scale and success of the endeavour.
(Photo: Siegfried Kaulfuß with Vietnamese coffee farmers. Credit: Siegfried Kaulfuß)
要想给一道淡而无味的菜提味，可以加一点 “调料”；要想使一件了无生趣的事情变得乐趣横生，可以给它注入一丝 “活力”。名词 “zing” 就可以用来指 “刺激、辛辣的味道” 以及 “活力”。听节目中两位主持人的对话，学习名词 “zing” 的用法，让你的英语学习 “zing 味无穷”！
Passive forms can be tricky to understand but Rob, Neil and Mike are here to help you.
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On his first visit to Europe since 2019, president Xi Jinping has been talking about trade ties. The West is worried about cheap Chinese imports of electric cars.
Also, Rahul Tandon finds out why global petrol demand growth could halve in 2024 and what impact the shutdown in Israel would have on Al Jazeera's business operations.
(Picture: State dinner in honour of Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Paris, France - 06 May 2024. Picture credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Last year in Italy the biggest anti-mafia trial in 30 years reached a climax. On the stand were the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta: they are estimated to run 80 percent of Europe’s cocaine and to make more money in a year than McDonalds and Deutsche Bank put together.
With access to mafioso-turned-collaborator Emanuele Mancuso, journalist Francisco Garcia looks at why Emanuele testified against his powerful family. What has this trial meant for the 'Ndrangheta? And has it changed life for Calabrians today?
Hamas said on Monday it had approved a ceasefire proposal put forward over the weekend. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he could not agree to the proposal - but is willing to negotiate. Meanwhile, the Israeli military is conducting what it called "targeted strikes" against Hamas in eastern Rafah. On Monday morning, Israel urged 100,000 Palestinians to leave eastern Rafah ahead of a "limited" military operation. Also: Russia announces drills involving tactical nuclear weapons near Ukraine, and authorities in South Africa search for survivors trapped in a collapsed building.
Elton John, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran - all artists who've had sell-out world tours in recent years.
And new markets, such as India, are being added to the global tour map. But the same can’t be said for smaller venues. In the UK and Australia, the lights are off, and thousands are closing their doors. We hear from musicians, promoters and the people who run venues; asking why there’s such a contrast between sell out stadium tours and struggling grassroots venues.
And we see what the future could hold for India's live music scene. Produced and presented by Megan Lawton
(Image: Ed Sheeran performing in Mumbai, India in 2017. Credit: Getty Images)
On his first visit to Europe since 2019, president Xi Jinping has been talking about trade ties. The West is worried about cheap Chinese imports of electric cars.
Also, Rahul Tandon finds out why global petrol demand growth could halve in 2024 and what impact the shutdown in Israel would have on Al Jazeera's business operations.
Hamas says it has accepted a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza from international mediators. Israel says it's studying the terms, which are aimed at achieving an end to the war. Also in the programme: we'll hear from Argentina's controversial president, Javier Milei; and busting the myth of one of the most famous deaths in rock and roll.
(Picture: Palestinians in Rafah, Gaza celebrate after Hamas accepted a proposed cease-fire. Credit: Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Underwater cameraman Roger Munns set himself and his team an incredible challenge. In 2008, they visited Tonga to film the biggest courtship ritual of the animal kingdom, the humpback heat run, for the very first time underwater and up close.
In the first few days, Roger had intimate encounters with the whales but most of the time, he was sat on the back of the boat, waiting to find a heat run. After two unsuccessful weeks, he started to wonder whether they would ever see one.
But a few days later somebody spotted a heat run, and everything sprang into action. Roger got in position and dove down ten meters underwater on a single breath. From then on, his job was just to wait and hold his camera ready. In a moment that seemed to stretch out time, he waited, nervously, for a group of 40-ton bus-sized whales to speed past him…
And Victor Vescovo describes his adventures into the deep, diving to the deepest parts of all five oceans.
Victor's longest dive was solo to the lowest point on Earth - the Challenger Deep at the bottom of the Marianas trench in the western Pacific. On reaching the bottom, some 35,853 feet below the ocean surface, should something have gone wrong, there was no hope of rescue.
Victor describes his feelings before making this historic descent and on the way down. Touching down on the sea bed, he was astounded by the abundance of marine life. Victor describes how he hopes that the mapping, observations and sample collections he has made on his dives will advance scientific understanding of the deep oceans, and where his eternal quest to explore might take him next.
Produced by Florian Bohr and Diane Hope
Credits:
Humpback whale mother and calf sounds - Acoustic Communications CNRS team & CETAMADA
Humpback whale calf sounds - Lars Bejder (MMRP Hawaii), Peter T. Madsen (Aarhus University) & Simone Videsen (Aarhus University)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping chooses France for his first visit to the continent after a five-year absence. We get the latest.Kosovo is home to Europe’s largest zinc, lead and silver mine. We visit it to know a bit more about central Europe’s smallest economy per capita.And we hear about a new form of ghost flights and the fine that the Australian airline Qantas has just received for using them.
The evacuation comes ahead of an offensive in a region where more than 1.4 million people are sheltering. The Israeli military says the operation will be carried out with "limited scope". A senior Hamas official has described the move as a "dangerous escalation that will have consequences". Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire deal and the release of Israeli hostages have stalled. Also: China's President, Xi Jinping, is in France on the first stop of a tour of Europe. Combat veterans in Ukraine say the method of conscription should change. The people of Chad are voting for a new president after three years of military rule. Meanwhile, Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei, speaks for the first time to the BBC and defends his radical austerity plans. Mexican surfers pay tribute to three tourists from Australia and America whose bodies were found in a well, after they went missing on holiday. And correcting a music myth about Mama Cass Elliott. Top news and analysis from around the world.
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands remain displaced across east Africa. Kenya and Tanzania escaped major damage from cyclone Hidaya, over the weekend, but they remain at risk of further flooding and landslides. Have governments done enough?
Also why has the place of birth been removed from the passports of a group of people born in the Chagos Islands?
And what's going on between Wizkid and Davido?
Presenter: Daniel DadzieProducers: Audrey Brown, Bella Hassan and Charles GitongaTechnical Producer: Phillip BullSenior Producer: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Air-dropped leaflets told Palestinians to leave ahead of a planned military operation. The Israeli Defence Forces directed civilians to an ‘expanded humanitarian area’ in the coastal strip of Al-Mawasi. Aid agencies say there is not enough infrastructure to support the wave of displaced people, and many fear the order marks the beginning of a major Israeli offensive in Rafah.
Also on the programme: Argentina’s libertarian president Javier Milei speaks to the BBC’s Ione Wells about his economic ‘shock therapy’; and Ukraine’s war-weary troops fighting on the front lines for two years without a break.
(Picture: Palestinians leave eastern Rafah as Israel orders evacuations, 6 May, 2024 Credit: HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
When a new show called Friends hit American TV screens in September 1994, it made household names of its cast.
Over 10 series, it charted the lives of six young New Yorkers, through marriages, divorces, births and deaths.
The final episode was broadcast on 6 May 2004.
In 2014, executive producer Kevin Bright told Farhana Haider how the show was born - and how it became one of the biggest comedies of all time.
(Photo: The cast on the last day of filming. Credit: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
A British explorer who transformed travel and travel writing and a Nigerian novelist and travel blogger talk to Ella Al-Shamahi about their adventures around the world.
Hilary Bradt co-founded the world's largest independently owned guidebook publisher fifty years ago. She’s been inspiring travellers to go off the beaten track ever since, publishing guides to destinations where no guidebook previously existed, like Uganda, Yugoslavia, North Korea, Eritrea and Madagascar.
Lola Akinmade Åkerström is a Nigerian travel storyteller, photographer, speaker and an international author whose books are published in 18 languages. She lives in Sweden, teaches travel writing and is the current editor-in-chief for Slow Travel Stockholm.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Lola Akinmade Åkerström, credit Jessica Wikström. (R) Hilary Bradt, credit Alex Graeme.)
Indian artist Abhishek Singh’s comic books have sold more than half a million copies and been translated into Italian, Spanish, French and English. His interpretation of the Indian myth, Krishna: A Journey Within, was the first graphic novel by an Indian writer and artist to be published in American comic book history. Abhishek has long included environmental themes in his work, but after travelling round the mountains and forests of India, and spending time with elephants in particular, he realised that most mythic tales concern kings and queens and battles, all about humans and human activity. He decided it was time to create a new non-human mythology, one which centres on our vulnerable environment and the animals who live within it. Paul Waters joins him in Delhi as he paints one of his pictures for his new graphic novel The Hymns of Medhini.
The Qatar-based news network condemned the confiscation of broadcast equipment. Also: Israel closes an aid crossing into Gaza after three soldiers were killed in a Hamas rocket attack, and why there are Cubans now fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
Afghan Tae Kwon Do champion Marzieh Hamidi’s hard road to the Paris Olympics
A sport that involved kicking and punching was a natural fit for this Olympian-to-be, who spent her teens fending off men on the streets of Kabul. At just 22, Marzieh has had to be a fighter in most aspects of her life. As she gets ready to represent the Refugee Team at this year's Paris Olympics, she tells the full story of her and her family's remarkable quest for freedom for the first time.
Presenter: Jo FidgenProducers: Laura Thomas and Kevyah Cardoso
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
Stephen Sackur speaks to Jonathan Haidt, the American social psychologist whose work focuses on how social and cultural change affects our minds and thoughts. How worried should we be about what smartphones and social media are doing to our children’s mental health?
Ed Butler travels to Kosovo to find out what the prospects are for this young, ethnically divided population.
After Ukraine, it's Europe's poorest region, where a brutal past still casts a shadow.
But it's also a territory full of economic promise – with precious minerals buried underground, and vast vineyards. If only the politics would stop getting in the way.
(Image: A wine maker in Kosovo, Milan Lakicevic, standing in front of stainless steel tanks, while holding a bottle of his wine.)
Presented and produced by Ed Butler
Israel has shut down international news channel Al-Jazeera, accusing the platform of bias in its coverage of the Israel-Gaza war. The network has called the ban 'a criminal action' aimed at concealing the truth of the war. We get reaction from the International Federation of Journalists. Also: dozens killed in southern Brazil after floods and mudslides; and the death of actor Bernard Hill
(Photo: an Al-Jazeera building in Doha. Credit: Reuters / Arafat Barbakh)
Attempts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza continue with Hamas in Cairo. We hear from an Israeli man whose brother is being held hostage in Gaza, and from our own Gaza correspondent.
Also in the programme: President Zelensky delivers a defiant Easter message in front of Kyiv's ancient cathedral, telling Ukrainians God is on their side; and Brazil's President Lula visits flood-hit areas in the south of the country.
Officials say another 70 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul. Also, talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages continue in Cairo, and the Spanish Government tries to calm tensions with Argentina after some unguarded comments about the Argentine President.
Egypt is hosting the latest round of talks on a possible ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages. Hamas negotiators are in Cairo, where mediators from Egypt, the US and Qatar are awaiting a response to the latest proposal. We'll hear from a former Israeli general.
Also on the programme we hear about three arrests that have been made in Canada connected to a murder that's brought relations with India to a new low; and hear from a Madonna music fan among the big crowds at Brazil's Copacabana beach there for a free concert.
Photo: Palestinians in the aftermath of Israeli bombing in Rafah 3rd May; Credit: AFP.
Efforts have intensified to secure a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, with talks resuming in Cairo on Saturday.We hear from a former Israeli negotiator on his experience of dealing with Hamas.
Also on the programme: how warmer temperatures mean Brazil is recording its highest ever rate of the potentially fatal dengue fever; and we ask what it’s like being a foreigner living in Japan after President Biden suggests the country’s xenophobic.
Photo: Shelters used by displaced Palestinians who fled from the northern Gaza strip at Deir Al Balah beach in the southern Gaza Strip. Credit: MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
This week, the adventures of Galena the cat who ended up hundreds of kilometres from home after climbing into a box. Also: How a stick on patch can vaccinate children against measles and rubella -- without the need for doctors or nurses. And video-calling isn't just for people, it's for parrots too. The happiest stories in the world - our weekly collection.
Nataliya Zotova of BBC Russian tells us how Yulia Navalnaya has stepped in for her husband since his death and how there is somewhat of a precedent for this in Russia. Plus Ikechukwu Kalu explains how the BBC Igbo social media team use proverbs to connect with their audience.
Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
Percival Everett will be discussing his Booker-shortlisted novel The Trees. This powerful and fiercely funny satire centring on revenge and racial justice in America shifts genres between police procedural, magical realism and horror with wit and consummate skill. Percival Everett addresses some of America’s darkest history with an unusual mix of playfulness and political seriousness.
Caroline Barker speaks to Jake Peacock on how he wants to entertain and inspire the world through his achievements in the Muay Thai ring. Peacock, who was born with one arm shorter than the other, was bullied at school and still receives negative messages on social media, but he says his greatest satisfaction comes from inspiring people.
From free classes and sharing equipment to the Olympic Games, Samantha Catantan is the first Filipino fencer to qualify for the Olympics in 32 years - and the first woman. Her qualification came after a significant injury setback and she’s not the only Catantan sibling with an Olympic dream.
Double Olympic rowing champion Heather Stanning has recently completed Marathon des Sables, a six-day footrace over 250km in the Sahara Desert. Is the “toughest footrace on earth” her toughest challenge yet?
And, 4 May is also known as 'Star Wars Day' so to mark the day Sportshour finds out more about the Stars Wars inspired sport of lightsaber duelling with France’s Celine Marie Mercier.
(Photo: Jake Peacock after winning on his ONE Championship debut against Kohei Shinjo in Bangkok in April 2024. Credit: ONE Championship)
The new podcast series Where to be a Woman has been asking: where can women live their best lives? One of the programme’s presenters Sophia Smith Galer and senior journalist Prabhjit Bains tell us why they feel this question is such a pertinent one right now and listeners tell us what they think of the podcast.
Plus, following a recent complaint of changing sounds levels online, several more listeners say they too are suffering the same problem.
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown Production for the BBC World Service
In May 1974, the Italian Bridge Federation invited a team of American women players to an invitational challenge match against their own women's team.
Over eight days, the two highly successful teams would compete in the city of Venice for a new trophy dubbed 'The Venice Cup'.
Originally a one-off event, the Venice Cup continues to this day as a biennial tournament and is held around the world.
Andrew Edwards speaks to American Bridge life-master Bette Cohn, now in her 90s, about her memories of the competition.
A Made In Manchester production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: The Italian Venice Cup team. Credit: World Bridge Federation)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Mihai Popșoi, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Moldova. The former Soviet Republic in south east Europe is now seeking EU membership. Just as in neighbouring Ukraine, Moldova’s western orientation has infuriated Moscow; is another conflict looming?
The Israeli Foreign Ministry is to reduce Turkish imports both to Israel and to the occupied Palestinian territories. It’s also appealing for sanctions against Turkey for violating existing trade agreements.
Also, in the programme, we look at Brazil’s plans to propose a global annual tax for billionaires at the G20 in July
The war in Gaza has triggered demonstrations at dozens of universities thousands of miles away in the United States. There have been hundreds of arrests as police have gone in to break them up and remove the protest camps that have been set up. Amid the heightened tensions, three Jewish students with different views towards Israel and its government, share their experience on campus and the impact on their studies.. We also hear from protesters at two Ivy League universities in the US, Colombia and Harvard. One describes witnessing the police raids. They explain their motivation for being part of the protest and reflect on whether their actions might have possible repercussions in the future.
Police say they've been charged in connection with the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June. Also, the Kenyan president issues a warning that a powerful cyclone could be about to hit coastal areas, and Spain's government announces a national prize for bullfighting is to be abolished over concerns about animal welfare.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
This week we hear the story of Rogelio Goiburu, who has dedicated his life to finding the victims of Alfredo Stroessner's dictatorship in Paraguay, including the remains of his own father. Our expert Dr Francesca Lessa talks about other enforced disappearances in South America.
Plus, we hear about how, in February 2014, ordinary people got to see inside Mezhyhirya, the extraordinarily extravagant home of Ukraine's former president.
Also, a shocking psychological experiment from the 1960s. Just to warn you, this includes original recordings of the experiments which listeners may find disturbing.
The programme also includes the breakthrough moment when the Channel Tunnel was finally completed linking England and France beneath the sea and, finally, the story behind one of the world's most popular self-help books.
Contributors:Rogelio Goiburu - dedicated to finding the victims of Stroessner's ParaguayDr Francesca Lessa - Associate Professor in International Relations of the Americas at University College London (UCL)Denys Tarakhkotelyk - from the Mezhyhirya estateGraham Fagg - the Englishman who broke through the Channel TunnelDonna Dale Carnegie - daughter of Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People(Photo: Alfredo Stroessner. Credit: STR/AFP via Getty Images)
The Israeli Foreign Ministry is to reduce Turkish imports both to Israel and to the occupied Palestinian territories. It’s also appealing for sanctions against Turkey for violating existing trade agreements.
Also, in the programme, we look at Brazil’s plans to propose a global annual tax for billionaires at the G20 in July
The Sudanese city of El-Fasher is on the brink of a major clash between rival forces, trapping hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Also on the programme: Turkey severs trade links with Israel over the war in Gaza; and Russian troops have been deployed to an airbase in Niger where American soldiers are located.
(Photo: Newly arrived refugees from Darfur in Sudan sit on horse as they head to their shelters in Adre, Chad. Credit: Getty Images)
The U.S. has withdrawn its troops from Chad, this follows a similar move in neighbouring Niger. The head of the US Africa Command says it was "temporary repositioning" of troops. What does he mean and how damaging is this to global security interests?
Also why is there growing concern for the safety of children in South Africa?
And cyclone Hidaya is expected to make landfall on the East African Coast, affecting mainly the already flooded countries of Tanzania and Kenya. How prepared are they?
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Charles Gitonga, Bella Hassan, Richard Kagoe and Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerEditors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
The UN has warned that Sudan’s civil war is preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid. Toby Harward, the UN’s Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, said fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces around El-Fasher in Darfur has had led to an increase in arbitrary killings and the burning of villages. Also on the programme: Turkey suspends all trade with Israel over its offensive in Gaza; and China launches a rocket to collect samples from the dark side of the Moon. (Picture: Refugees from Darfur in Adre, Chad, 4 August 2023 Credit: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)
More than a million on the brink of famine as fighting intensifies around the city of Al-Fashir. A senior UN official tells the BBC there's been a breakdown in the rule of law, a spate of arbitrary killings -- and the burning of entire villages. Also: Turkey bans all trade with Israel -- and Italians face the end of puppy yoga.
Thirty years on from the opening of the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France, we look at the moment the two halves of the tunnel were connected in 1990.
Graham Fagg was the man who made the breakthrough, and the first person to cross by land between the two countries in 8,000 years.
In 2010, he told Lucy Williamson about the festivities of that day.
(Photo: The moment of breakthrough Graham Fagg greets Frenchman Philippe Cozette. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
The sight of horses running wild in a city leads panellist Tristan Ahtone in Helsinki to rethink how we rate horses' welfare, Chhavi Sachdev in Mumbai tells the story of the country that is cloning the Lionel Messi of horses for sport and presenter Marnie Chesterton finds out why roboticist Eakta Jain is studying horses to engineer better relationships between humans and autonomous vehicles. All that, plus the slippery record for the world's biggest snake, how the alphabet came to be and asteroid forcing scientists to reiterate 'it will not hit Earth'.
Last month, Ankara introduced partial restrictions citing being refused permission to drop aid into Gaza. Their response was to introduce restrictions on trade. Now, it appears that all imports and exports from Israel have been blocked. The country’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz said this was "how a dictator behaves" "and they will lose."
Also, in the programme, we look at Pandemic-era fitness darling Peloton is showing more signs of trouble, as the CEO steps down and announcing staff redundancies.
(Picture: Turkish President Erdogan addresses his supporters ahead of the local elections in Istanbul. Picture credit: Reuters)
The US President Joe Biden has urged pro-Palestinian protesters on university campuses to uphold the rule of law. Police have detained more than 2,000 people nationwide in the past fortnight at college rallies and protest camps. Also: Russia blamed for GPS interference affecting flights in Europe, and a wounded orangutan in Indonesia is seen using a plant as medicine.
Dating in the Jewish world can be a struggle - different denominations, beliefs, being Kosher or not Kosher, ideologies and geography makes navigating this world difficult to decode. Amie Liebowitz talks to matchmaker and dating coach Aleeza Ben Shalom from Netflix's Jewish Matchmaker and goes on her own quest to learn about the traditional and religious values of matchmaking.
Last month, Ankara introduced partial restrictions citing being refused permission to drop aid into Gaza. Their response was to introduce restrictions on trade. Now, it appears that all imports and exports from Israel have been blocked. The country’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz said this was "how a dictator behaves" "and they will lose."
Also, in the programme, we look at Pandemic-era fitness darling Peloton is showing more signs of trouble, as the CEO steps down and announcing staff redundancies.
The US has accused Russia of deploying chemical weapons as a "method of warfare" in Ukraine, in violation of international laws banning their use. We speak to a Ukrainian MP who is near the frontline in Donetsk region.
Also on the programme: a UN expert says the death of an 8-year-old boy in the West Bank appears to be a “war crime” after reviewing evidence gathered by the BBC; and a paediatrician tells us how a small change in interior design can make a big difference to neurodiverse people.
(Photo: Russian servicemen march to Red Square for a rehearsal for the annual military parade. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
As bird flu is found in US farm cats fed on raw cow’s milk, chimpanzees are observed eating infected bat dung instead of vegetables. There is a constant threat of infections crossing from species to us and also from species to other species, particularly because of what we do. That is, after all, what happened to start the pandemic.
We hear about the ongoing struggles of the Chinese virologist who broke his instructions in China in order to share the first COVID genetic data.
And a strange tale of how tobacco growing might provide bat viruses a path into other species.
Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Alex MansfieldProduction Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Image: Cows on an American cattle farm (Credit: Adam Davis/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Ella Al-Shamahi talks to two women from Wales and Goa rescuing people in trouble on the coast. Vivienne Grey was one of the first women to become a crewmember at Little and Broad Haven RNLI in Wales when she started as a volunteer in 1990. She's been involved in more than 120 ‘shouts’ on the lifeboat and is credited directly for saving the lives of eight people. She’s now training coordinator at the lifeboat station and works part-time as a teacher. Vivienne also volunteers with the local Coastguard Rescue Team. Ananyaa Bath is a lifeguard and lifeguard trainer in India. She works for Drishti Marine, a safety and life-saving service, which has 400 life-savers patrolling Goa's 103km coastline.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Vivienne Grey, credit RNLI. (R) Ananyaa Bath, credit Drishti Marine.)
The Co-op Live Arena is Europe's biggest, with a capacity of 23,500. But fans have reacted with shock and confusion after it called off its opening concert at the last minute. We're outside the venue - and will ask what it means for the Co-op - which has bought the naming rights for the venue - but doesn't run it.
Maersk, the world's second largest shipping company - says the Red Sea route might not be open for the rest of the year. Rahul Tandon asks what that means for the world's supply chain.
Plus we hear from Japan as it continues to tackle a demographic issue - amid criticism from US President Joe Biden.
Hundreds of officers fire flares and stun grenades on protesters. Also: the EU announces a billion dollar package for Lebanon; and the American 'King of Twang' guitarist Duane Eddy dies at 86.
The BBC has carried out an investigation into the death of a Palestinian boy in the West Bank - an investigation which a UN expert says may amount to evidence of a war crime. Also in the programme: as police in Los Angeles dismantle another pro-Palestinian university encampment, we hear from the veteran US senator Bernie Sanders. Plus, how scientists reconstructed a Neanderthal woman's face.
(Photo: Adam, eight, was shot in the head as he ran away from Israeli armoured vehicles. Credit: BBC)
A UN-backed special court has issued an international arrest warrant for the former president of the Central African Republic, François Bozizé. This is in connection with an investigation into his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity committed by soldiers in a prison between 2009 and 2013. We'll get the details.
Also why are gunmen guarding cocoa crops in Uganda?
And a big victory for a small indigenous community in South Africa, who won a Goldman Environmental Prize for standing up to a multinational company.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson, Charles Gitonga, Paul Bakibinga.Senior Producer: Karnie SharpTechnical Producer: Nick RandellEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
In February 2014, Ukraine’s ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych fled the country.
His estate was abandoned by security guards, so for the first time ordinary people got to see inside Mezhyhirya, the extraordinarily extravagant home of the former president.
Denys Tarakhkotelyk was one of those early visitors, and went on to take charge of the estate. He tells Gill Kearsley his remarkable story, and how the house became known as a ‘museum of corruption’.
(Photo: People wander around President Viktor Yanukovych's Mezhyhirya estate. Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
A lot can happen at the dinner table, and not just eating! Beth and Neil discuss chatting at meal times and teach you some useful vocabulary.
(Image: Getty)
TRANSCRIPTFind a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240502
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The US Federal Reserve says it needs greater confidence that inflation is easing before cutting interest rates. We get the latest from our correspondent in New York. The housing market is one of the industries most impacted by the higher cost of borrowing. We hear from a buyer. And we have an exclusive interview with Pakistan's Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, about the conditions the country has to meet after taking a loan from the International Monetary Fund. Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Karen Percy, a freelance reporter in Melbourne, and Alison Van Diggelen, host of 'Fresh Dialogues' in Silicon Valley.
(Picture: A trader works inside a booth, as screens display a news conference by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell. Picture credit: REUTERS.)
Riot police in Tbilisi fired tear gas and water cannon into crowds protesting against a law seen by the opposition as targeting media freedoms. The protestors also say that they are concerned about the future of the country - whether it will be closer to Russia or the EU. Also: US universities are gripped by protests over the war in Gaza, and can you be a cage fighter if you hate fighting?
South Africa is marking 30 years of democracy this year, reflecting on the remarkable transition from apartheid that captivated the world. While some South Africans are celebrating, others are questioning whether the promises of democracy have delivered. The BBC’s Nomsa Maseko embarks on a personal journey, starting from the polling station she accompanied her mother to in April 1994, to meet the people who fought for South Africa’s freedom, built its democratic institutions, and are seeking to improve their own lives today. She asks all of them: what does 30 years of democracy mean to you?
Why are so few women making a living from fixing bicycles?
Meet Sharvari, Belinda and Brenna, three female bike mechanics from different corners of the world.
From setting up a female run workshop in India, teaching skills to other women, or working within elite sport: these three are all making a living in the male dominated world of bike mechanics.
Hear their stories and find out what happened when we got them all talking to each other.
Presented and produced by Lexy O'Connor
(Image: Bicycle mechanic Belinda Everett, Credit: Ryan Goff, #rygoff)
Stunning cakes, colourful salads and intricate garnishes use flowers to entice customers, but there’s more to this trend than just beautiful social media pictures.
Many cultures around the world have eaten flowers for centuries, and some of them pack a serious punch.
Devina Gupta explores the history of edible flowers and visits a site in the UK where they’re grown all year round. She gets quite a shock when trying one particular variety.
We find out why flowers are used on food nowadays, and how generations of knowledge about their use and properties were lost when they were brought to Western countries.
If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.
Presented by Devina Gupta
Produced by Julia Paul and Beatrice Pickup
(Image: A nasturtium flower growing. Credit: BBC)
The US Federal Reserve says it needs greater confidence that inflation is easing before cutting interest rates. We get the latest from our correspondent in New York.The housing market is one of the industries most impacted by the higher cost of borrowing. We hear from buyers and sellers. And we have an exclusive interview with Pakistan's Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, about the conditions the country has to meet after taking a loan from the International Monetary Fund.
An Israeli deadline looms for Hamas to respond to its offer of a ceasefire in return for the release of some hostages. We hear from Israeli politician Ohad Tal who is with the National Religious Party–Religious Zionism party.
Also in the programme; US senator Bernie Sanders; and Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling on the Fall Guy
(Picture: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with the families of the hostages outside of a hotel, in Tel Aviv. Credit: Reuters)
There's been a lot of coverage in the media around the world about the mental health difficulties facing boys, but looking at figures for mental health problems in children and teens, there's clearly something going on with girls too. For some years, research has shown more girls are experiencing problems than boys, with a troubling spike in difficulties showing up in the late teens.
On today's programme, Claudia Hammond explores the issue with a variety of guests. She visits King's College London's (KCL) Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience to speak to Gemma Knowles, a lecturer in epidemiology and youth mental health; Craig Morgan, professor of social epidemiology and co-director of ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health; and Valeria Mondelli, a clinical professor of psychoneuroimmunology - about their work with young people, trying to uncover the deeper causes and to find new solutions.
She also hears from some of the young people involved in a major study into mental health, conducted by the team at KCL and spanning nearly a decade.
Claudia is joined by Dr Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist, who uses her own professional experiences to discuss the trends and challenges of youth mental health.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Dan Welsh
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb exclusively speaks to World Business Report about the latest and 24th International Monetary Fund bailout for the country - and says it should be its last.
In this extended podcast version of the interview with Mr. Aurangzeb, he talks to Will Bain about the steps he thinks are necessary for Pakistan to achieve economic stability.
The country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has previously said the disbursement of $1.1 billion by the IMF will help the country achieve that, amid discussions for a new loan programme. The funding was the second and final tranche of Pakistan's $3 billion standby arrangement with the IMF which it secured last summer to help avert a sovereign default.
Also, in the programme, we look at how the risk of flooding or landslides are affecting people living in Kenya.
The U.S. has warned of a looming potential "large scale massacre" in Al-Fashir, a city in Sudan. The United Nations says it's also concerned about a possible imminent attack. What's going on?
Also state TV in Mali says the senior IS commander, Abu Huzeifa, who had a 5 million dollar bounty on his head has been killed by troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Who was he and why is his death being seen as significant?
And we meet the award winning Cameroonian conservationist saving manatees.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Victor Sylver, Rob Wilson, Patricia Whitehorne, Bella Hassan and Paul BakibingaEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Chaotic scenes on US university campuses after police raid a sit-in protest at Columbia University in New York making more than 100 arrests, and violence breaks out between rival demonstrators at UCLA in Los Angeles.
Also in the programme: protestors in the Georgian capital Tbilisi clash with riot police as a proposed new law polarises opinion between pro EU and pro Russian elements; could this have far wider consequences? And we reflect on the life of American novelist Paul Auster who has died.
(IMAGE: CHP officers put on their gear amid clashes near an encampment (not pictured) by supporters of Palestinians in Gaza, on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 1, 2024 / CREDIT: Reuters / David Swanson)
UCLA is the latest US university campus to be hit by clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and their opponents. The American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pushes to get more aid into Gaza, while urging Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal. Why are women footballers more likely to get injured during their periods? And remembering Paul Auster, the American author who's died at the age of 77.
In 1936, Dale Carnegie wrote one of the world’s most popular self help books - How to Win Friends and Influence People.
The idea was suggested by a book editor who had attended one of Dale’s public speaking courses in New York.
The result was a mix of psychology, philosophy and good old-fashioned common sense. Dale offered advice like: Smile. Give praise. Be a good listener. And remember people’s names.
The book went on to become a best seller. Today, more than 30 million copies have been sold worldwide, and it’s been translated into 36 languages. Even the title is part of popular culture.
Dale’s daughter Donna Dale Carnegie tells Jane Wilkinson about the secret of its success.
(Photo: How to Win Friends and Influence People in 1955. Credit: Frederic Hamilton/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
一位听众想知道如何区分英语爆破音以及所谓的 “失去爆破” 现象。英语中的爆破音包括这六个辅音：/g/、 /b/、/d/、/k/、/p/ 和 /t/。“失去爆破” 其实是英语语音中 “同化” 现象的一种。在语速较快的口语会话中，爆破音除了会出现 “同化” 现象以外，还可能出现 “省音” 现象。本期节目重点围绕爆破音的这两个语音现象展开讲解。
Ed Butler is joined by Yves Hayaux Du Tilly, a Mexican lawyer who advises companies on business matters affecting Mexico and Latin America, and from Beijing by Jennifer Pak, the China Correspondent for American Public Media, to discuss the latest international business news.
In this edition they spoke about the Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who's been sentenced to four months in a US prison for failing to establish adequate anti-money laundering protections.
Reports coming out of Washington suggest that the US government is about to take an historic step toward easing federal restrictions on cannabis.
The lower house of Congress in Argentina has given its general approval to a comprehensive package of austerity measures proposed by the President, Javier Milei . The house in Buenos Aires has spent over a day voting on individual articles of the various measures which have led to huge protests in the city in recent months.
Also China’s leaders have pledged more support for the world’s second-largest economy, saying it “still faces many challenges”; and the Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones says young women in tech have to be 'resilient'.
REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the giant crypto exchange, Binance, will spend 4 months in a US prison. He had pled guilty to charges of enabling money laundering at the exchange. Ed Butler asks what it means for crypto.
Meanwhile, in Argentina, a series of key reforms were passed which could spell privatization of a dozen companies. We speak to a former presidential candidate who says the reforms will spell trouble.
Finally, Beijing, Brussels and Washington are preparing for a major showdown over electric cars.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ami Ayalon, former director of the Israeli Security Agency, also known as Shin Bet, and now a fierce critic of Prime Minister Netanyahu's government. Is today's Israel ready to listen to the lessons of one of its ageing warriors?
A bonus episode from the Lives Less Ordinary podcast. Evy Mages grew up in and out of foster care in 1970s and 80s Austria. But even when she started a new life in the US, she was haunted by traumatic memories of a strange yellow house high up in the Alps, where she had been placed as an eight-year-old. It took an idle internet search in her 50s to reveal that this was actually an institution called a 'Kinderbeobachtungsstation', or 'child-observation station', where vulnerable children were experimented on by a psychologist using shocking methods. She decided to step back into her past to uncover the full, disturbing truth of what happened there. Evy's story first appeared in the New Yorker in 2023. Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Edgar Maddicott Editor: Rebecca Vincent Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
The judge at the hush money trial in New York fined the former US president and warned him to stop making public statements about witnesses and jurors. Also: Colombian military loses millions of bullets; in the world of gaming, Manchester City's footballer Erling Haaland morphs into the Barbarian King in the Clash of the Clans.
Over its long history women have been mostly excluded from the Tour de France. Until recently.
In 2022, after a long campaign by some of female cycling's biggest names, the Tour de France Femmes was introduced. So how is it doing? And will it ever be on a level footing with the much older and long-established men's race?
We hear from competitors, sponsors, broadcasters and race director Marion Rousse.
Produced and presented by Lexy O'Connor
(Team Jumbo Visma rider Marianne Vos wears the yellow jersey during 3rd stage of the first Tour de France Femmes in 2022: Getty Images)
Binyamin Natanyahu reaffirms his intention to send troops to Rafah; UN Secretary-General says such an assault would be devastating. We unpick the latest developments, including speculation about a possible ceasefire deal, with analyst Ya'akov Katz.
Also in the programme: Donald Trump is fined for contempt of court; and a Finnish cyber-criminal is jailed for trying to blackmail thousands of people with their confidential psychotherapy notes.
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 18, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun//File Photo)
This week we're taking a global look at TikTok, and some of the problems the video sharing platform has been facing. Also on Tech Life, you want to keep in touch with your child, but is there an alternative to giving them a smartphone ? We hear from video gamers in South Africa. And a female tech boss from Brazil shares advice on how others can follow her success.
Presenter: Shiona McCallumProducer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: The TikTok logo on a mobile phone screen. Credit: Chesnot/Getty Images)
Zimbabwe introduces a new currency, the ZiG, to tackle its high inflation.
The Argentinian parliament has approved sweeping austerity measures which has triggered mass protests. We also hear from Ecuador, a country which in the late 90s successfully dealt with high inflation.
And we hear from Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones on women in tech and the path to success.
The Israeli PM Netanyahu says war won’t stop until the goal of defeating Hamas was achieved. Also: reports from Mali say senior figure in the Islamic State group in Africa has been killed. A leaked document obtained by the BBC says a teenager found dead during anti-government protests in Iran was sexually assaulted and killed by men working for security forces. The authorities had claimed Nika Shakarami took her own life. In The Gambia - a study has found that a stick-on measles vaccine patch could be an effective alternative to injections. And, a fascinating insight into the final hours of the philosopher Plato.
More than 160 people are now known to have been killed by weeks of flooding in Kenya following torrential rain, that's according to officials. We'll hear from the Kenyan President, William Ruto.
Also former UK diplomat, Tim Cole, says it's time to reset London's relationship with Africa. What would that new relationship look like?
And we meet young Africans pushing the boundaries of representation in the gaming industry!
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Charles Gitonga, Bella Hassan, Patricia Whitehorn, Nyasha Michelle and Rob WilsonTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Producer: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Dozens of pro-Palestine demonstrators at Columbia University in New York City have escalated their protest over the war in Gaza by occupying an academic building. Also on the programme: we speak to New Yorkers as their city is set to become the first in America to adopt a congestion charge; And a BBC investigation uncovers chilling details of an Iranian teenager's death in detention.(Photo: Protestors link arms to barricade themselves in Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, in New York city. Credit: REUTERS)
Learn different ways of asking for information and making requests.
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In 1961, the American psychologist Stanley Milgram began a series of controversial experiments on ‘obedience to authority’.
His study aimed to show how ordinary people could be capable of committing evil acts, if ordered to do so.
He wanted to understand the psychology behind genocide, telling the BBC: “How is it possible that ordinary people who were courteous and decent in everyday life, can act callously, inhumanely, without any limitations of conscience?”
During the tests, participants were led to believe that they were assisting an unrelated experiment, in which they had to administer electric shocks to another person.
These fake shocks gradually increased to levels that would have been harmful had they been real volunteers.
Vicky Farncombe looks back at the experiment, using BBC archive.
This programme includes original recordings of the experiments which listeners may find disturbing.
(Photo: Stanley Milgram beside the shock generator. Credit: BBC)
Ed Butler presents with guests Kristina Hooper, who's Chief Global Market Strategist at Invesco, the investment firm in New York, and Jessica Khine, who's Head of Asia for the Japanese financial consultancy, Astris Advisory.
They discuss the decision on scrapping coal-fired power stations made by the G7, the Premier League introducing new financial rules, and the story about the mining giants BHP and Vale who've offered to pay Brazil about $25.7 billion in total compensation for a 2015 dam disaster at an iron ore complex.
Photo: Ratcliffe on Soar coal-fired power station, Jeremy Ball, BBC News
The US secretary of state Antony Blinken says he hopes Hamas will accept what he called Israel's "extraordinarily generous" offer for a Gaza truce. Also: Premier League football clubs back plan to look at spending cap, and how long should a blockbuster film be?
It's a quarter of a century since Kosovo emerged from a brutal war, one which pitted local ethnic Albanians against Serbs. Twenty-five years on, the government in Pristina is pressing ahead with reforms that could reinforce its separation from Serbia. They include banning the use of Serb dinars and curbing the import of things like Serb medicines. Pristina says the moves are needed to curb illegality and tax-evasion. But they’ve brought widespread complaints from local Serbs who feel victimised. Is the government justified in claiming there’s a rising risk of violence, or are the restrictions themselves making this more likely?
The 'pink pound' or 'pink dollar' is believed to be worth billions of dollars, and tourism is one sector looking to benefit.
We find out how the industry is trying to attract LGBT travellers, with countries like Nepal taking steps to be a more appealing destination.
And we head to the coastal town of Sitges in Spain, where gay people have been holidaying for more than 100 years.
Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney.
(Image: The Nomadic Boys in New Zealand. Credit: The Nomadic Boys)
Western diplomats have expressed 'cautious optimism' over a potential ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Our Gaza reporter and an Israeli journalist tell us more about the negotiations in Cairo.
We also speak to the family of one of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza and we hear about the realities of reporting from the territory.
Also in the programme: women in Amsterdam win the right to 'urination equality'; and the twelve-sided Roman mystery object that has been baffling experts for centuries.
(Photo: U.S.Secretary of State Antony Blinken walks to the U.S.-Arab meeting with representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Palestinian Authority in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Credit: REUTERS / Evelyn Hockstein / Pool)
Primatologist Catherine Hobaiter has spent more of her adult life in the rain forests of Uganda, with family bands of chimpanzees, than she has with her own human family members. For more than 20 years now she has spent 6 months every year at a remote field station, getting up before dawn every day to observe and collect behavioural data on family bands of chimps as they wake up and go about their daily lives. What is she trying to find out, that has gripped her for so long?
It turns out that life in a chimpanzee troupe is every bit as gripping as a soap opera. But there are many more moments of beauty, revelation and the joy of discovery, as Catherine pursues her continuing, multi-decadal quest to understand what it means to be a chimpanzee.
And when Sara Dykman set out to bicycle with the monarch butterfly migration, from the mountains of central Mexico, across the USA to Canada, she didn't think about the 10,201 miles that she would cover. Coping with headwinds, heavy rain storms, and everything from dirt roads to busy highways were not the challenge for Sara though. It was seeing how little of the Monarch's only food plant, milkweed, was left for them to feed on during their amazing, multigenerational, multinational migration.
However, Sara found solace in the many conservationists and backyard butterfly gardeners she met along the way, and in the 9000 schoolchildren she gave talks to en route. The most emotional part of the journey for Sara was the last three miles - arriving successfully back at the monarch's overwintering site in Mexico.
Produced by Diane Hope.
Credits:
Monarch butterfly recordings - Robert Mackay
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is talking up an Israeli offer to Hamas – does this mean Israel and Hamas are on the verge of a new deal to pause hostilities? We also hear about the perils of being a journalist in Gaza.
Also in the programme: Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says he'll stay on, despite allegations about his family; and Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz on competing freedoms and the dangers of neoliberalism.
(IMAGE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the World Economic Forum's special meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - 29 Apr 2024CREDIT: Deepu Das/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
It is 30 years since South Africa held its first democratic elections. Three decades on, is it hope or gloom for the 'rainbow nation'?
Also did a national emergency against sexual violence set up 5 years ago, make any difference in Sierra Leone?
And we meet the Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, using cloth to wrap up the brutalist Barbican centre in London and revealing a hidden history.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Rob Wilson, Patricia Whitehorne, Nyasha Michelle and Paul BakibingaEditors :Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has urged Hamas to accept what he has called Israel's "extraordinarily generous" ceasefire proposal for Gaza. Also: Following five days of speculation and corruption allegations against his wife, the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, says he will not resign. Meanwhile in Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf has decided to step down. Cleanup and rescue operations continue in the US state of Oklahoma after deadly tornadoes. And the daily pain and suffering of working as a journalist in Gaza. Top news and analysis from around the world.
It’s 70 years since General Alfredo Stroessner seized power in Paraguay in a military coup.
Stroessner remained in power for almost 35 years, before being toppled in 1989.
More than 450 people were murdered under Stroessner's rule, with the fate of thousands more unknown. They are remembered as 'the disappeared' of Paraguay.
One man has dedicated his life to finding the victims of Stroessner's dictatorship, including the remains of his own father.
Rogelio Goiburu shares his story with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Rogelio Goiburu digging for the remains of Paraguay's 'disappeared'. Credit: Getty Images)
Ella Al-Shamahi meets two women tackling negative or ageist attitudes towards older people around the world. Alana Officer is leading the World Health Organization Decade of Ageing Well. With a background in podiatric medicine, exercise and public health she's worked on health, disability, rehabilitation and development in West and Central Africa, Europe, South Asia, the Middle East and the Western Pacific. Lina Walker is vice president of health security in AARP’s Public Policy Institute. (AARP was formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons.) She has spent nearly 20 years conducting research and publishing on health care and retirement issues.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Lina Walker, credit AARP. (R) Alana Officer, courtesy Alana Officer.)
Wangari Mathenge used to be a high-flying corporate lawyer before turning to her first love of art. She likes to express herself through her colourful palette, large-scale figurative paintings and immersive installations of places she has lived and worked. For this In The Studio, arts journalist Anna Bailey follows Wangari as she creates her next immersive experience, a life-sized replica of her Nairobi studio, where she invited 20 female domestic workers to have a day of rest, while also painting them for a new series of work which looks at the plight of female domestic workers in Kenya. Wangari also invites listeners into her Chicago studio, where she working on the next painting in the series. But as Anna finds out, rest is not only important to the workers but to Wangari herself. Presenter and producer Anna Bailey Executive producer Andrea Kidd.
On the day his mother disappeared in December 1989, 11-year-old Collier Landry started looking for evidence.
He suspected his father, a rich and well-respected town doctor, had something to do with it. This is the story of Collier's fight to get justice for his mother, and the detective who believed him.
Collier's film is called A Murder in Mansfield.
Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Helen Fitzhenry
Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
Ireland has just launched a scheme to charge a deposit on bottles and cans which is refunded when consumers return them to recycling machines in supermarkets.
The Irish have set up a non profit making company to manage the scheme, funded by the drinks making firms, which should avoid the financial problems that have dogged the industry in the United States.
Many privately owned American recycling companies are in danger of going out of business because the fee they get from state governments, under the Bottle Bill, has not been increased for years, even though their costs have soared.
Produced and presented by Russell Padmore
(Picture: Reverse vending machines for Ireland’s new deposit return recycling scheme)
Ministers in Israel’s government are divided over a possible ceasefire deal with Hamas, which could see the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, said the government would have no right to exist if it prevented a deal, but far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said a ceasefire would amount to a humiliating surrender.
Also on the programme: As South Africa marks 30 years since the end of apartheid, voters ask whether the ANC can still deliver on the promise of freedom and democracy; and Iranian authorities clamp down on the Egyptian hit TV series Assassins.
(Picture: Benny Gantz at a march by supporters of hostages in Gaza near Beit Shemesh, Israel, March 1, 2024 Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
The Palestinian President says only the US can prevent an Israeli attack on Rafah. Efforts are underway to negotiate a truce between Israel and Hamas to safeguard the southern Gaza city where more than a million have fled. The US Secretary of State is meeting Arab leaders to discuss the situation.
Also in the programme: South Africa's democratic credentials, 30 years after the country's first true elections; Sophie Trudeau, wife of the Canadian prime minister, on separation and survival.
(Photo: A Palestinian girl at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah last week. Credit: Reuters)
Over the past twenty years, paintings from a private collection of Russian and Ukrainian modern art have been sold to museums and private collectors around the world. Paintings were sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds from the Zaks collection, as it’s known. It was said to include over 200 oil paintings of some of the most treasured Russian and Ukrainian avant-garde artists, including those by El Lissitzky, Exter, Goncharova and Popova, putting it among the largest in the world. This has caught the eye of three art detectives and the BBC’s Grigor Atanesian follows them, along with forensic experts, to discover more about the collection, what’s been happening and if the paintings are real or worthless fakes.
President Cyril Ramaphosa pays tribute to those who helped bring white minority rule to an end, but acknowledges the challenges still faced by his country. Also: Hamas releases a video showing the first proof of life of two more hostages held in Gaza, and the passenger aged 101 who was classed as being just 1 year old by an airline.
About 100 people have been detained at Northeastern University in the US city of Boston as police broke up a pro-Palestinian protest. It's the latest standoff in a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins at campuses around the United States.
Also in the programme: A resident of Haiti tells us he wants his country to be "occupied" to stop gang violence; and celebrations in South Africa marking 30 years since the first ever free and fair election in 1994.
(Photo: Police watch as pro-Palestinian students occupy a tent encampment in the grounds of Northeastern University while calling for the school to divest from Israel. Boston, USA, 26 April 2024. Credit: CJ Gunther/ EPA-EFE /REX/Shutterstock)
South Africa is marking 30 years since its first democratic elections, but the ANC could lose its grip on power due to endemic corruption, record levels of crime and unemployment, and infrastructure problems.
Also in the programme: thousands of people in Australia take to the street to demand action following a surge in violence against women; and a hole in the ozone layer is causing problems for wildlife in the Antarctic.
(Photo: Supporters of the African National Congress (ANC) in Soweto, South Africa. Credit: Reuters).
How is disinformation created and spread, and how is it impacting the way journalists work? We'll look at what's going on in Latin America, Russia and Nigeria with the help of three World Service journalists: Luis Fajardo is a senior editor with BBC Monitoring, covering South American media; Olga Robinson, also with Monitoring, is a disinformation analyst specialised in Russian affairs; and Olaronke Alo is part of the Disinformation Unit in Nigeria.
Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)
This week, we meet one of the hundreds of ballerinas who balanced on their toes in New York to set a new world record. Also: how a generous stranger gave a kidney to a five-year-old girl. And we hear from Europe's best seagull impersonator.
This episode contains discussions and references to suicide. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide: befrienders.org
Depression, health issues and the impact of the covid pandemic are familiar to many the world over. Canoeist Esti Olivier has been through it all and now has her eyes firmly fixed on competing at the Olympics in Paris. She tells us the highs and lows of the past few years of her life including missing out on the Tokyo Olympics. The moment she booked her place in Paris is one you’ve probably never heard before.
Michael Anton Monsour is a club owner hoping to change the way sport looks at head injuries - by prevention. His club, Manchester ’62, who play in the top division in Gibraltar, made history with all 10 outfield players wearing protective headgear in a match. Michael is hoping to make as big a global impact as the club his team are named after - Manchester United – and tell us why the issue of head injuries is so important to him. Star player Ahmed Salam also tells us what it’s like to wear the headgear during games.
Darcy Budworth tells about the “alley-cat” race series Take The Bridge that she founded. The races held in the dead of night in some of the worlds biggest cities, have a start point and an end but the route is up to you. The only rule is that you have to make the checkpoints dotted around the city selected. Nine years after its creation, Darcy tells us why it was important to her to bring the fun back into running.
And the London Marathon’s “wine guy” drops in. Wine specialist Tom Gilbey went viral on social media, when he tested his palate every mile of the London Marathon, guessing which wine he was being offered. He tells us why he did it and gives Caroline a wine-tasting lesson.
Photo: Esti Olivier takes part in a Canoe Sprint race. (Credit: Sean van der Westhuizen)
It's 20 years since the death of the scout responsible for finding some of the greatest players in Liverpool's history.
Geoff Twentyman joined Bill Shankly's Liverpool in 1967 as chief scout, tasked with overhauling the club's recruitment system.
Armed with his scouting diary, he unearthed lower league players who would later on go to be world beating superstars, including Kevin Keegan, Alan Hansen and Ian Rush.
His two decades as chief scout contributed to the most successful period in the club's history - as they won 9 titles, 6 domestic cups and 6 European cups.
In March 2024, a plaque celebrating Geoff along with the rest of 'the boot room boys' was unveiled outside Liverpool's Anfield stadium.
His son, Geoff Jr, has been speaking to Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Geoff Twentyman with the European Cup. Credit: The Twentyman family)
America's top diplomat and the Chinese president have held talks in Beijing as both sides seek to stabilise relations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that Washington will act if China does not stop supplying Russia with items used in its assault on Ukraine.
Also, in the programme, Roger Hearing finds out how important good manners still are in the business world and who created World biggest 3D printer.
(Picture: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits China. Picture credit: Reuters)
After months of delays, US politicians agreed a $61bn aid package of military assistance for Ukraine to support their fight with Russia. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said it could save thousands of lives in the war and President Joe Biden said it would make the world safer. In this edition, host Luke Jones hears from Americans who continuously raise support of their own for the Ukraine war effort. Many have family or friends in Ukraine and their fundraising supports everything from vehicles to medical aid to art therapy.
The $6bn package comes days after a huge military aid bill was approved in Washington. Also: UN investigators have dismissed or suspended cases against four UNRWA employees accused of involvement in the October 7th Hamas-led attacks because of a lack of evidence from Israel, and King Charles is to start returning to public duties in Britain after reacting positively to treatment for cancer.
It’s been thirty years since the first fully democratic elections in South Africa, which saw the African National Congress take power in 1994.
But two years before that historic moment, white South Africans had to vote in a referendum that would decide whether or not to usher in a multi-racial government. We hear from President FW de Klerk’s then communications officer about how they helped “close the book on apartheid.”
Then we journey back to 1976 and hear about the Soweto Uprising, a student led protest against the enforced study of Afrikaans. Bongi Mkhabela who helped organise the peaceful march, tells us how it came to a bloody and tragic end.
Plus we take a look at the pivotal role played by women and girls in the lead up to the 1994 elections. Journalist and researcher Shanthini Naidoo tells us why women’s work and activism in the ANC is so often overlooked.
We hear from Oliver Tambo’s son about his father’s return to South Africa after 30 years in exile.
We also hear about the long overdue return of Sarah Baartman’s remains to South Africa, after over 190 years being kept in Europe, where she suffered horrific abuse while she was alive. This programme contains discriminatory language.
And finally, we learn about one of South Africa’s biggest popstars Brenda Fassie, from her friend, rival and admirer Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
Contributors: David Stewards – President FW de Klerk’s former communications advisorBongi Mkhabela- Student organiser of the Soweto uprising Shanthini Naidoo- Journalist and researcher on women during apartheid Dali Tambo- Son of Oliver Tambo Diana Ferrus – Poet who helped bring Sarah Baartman homeYvonne Chaka Chaka- South African popstar
(Photo: Nelson Mandela after winning the election in 1994. Credit: Getty Images)
America's top diplomat and the Chinese president have held talks in Beijing as both sides seek to stabilise relations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that Washington will act if China does not stop supplying Russia with items used in its assault on Ukraine.
Also, in the programme, Roger Hearing finds out how Egypt authorities dealing with the inflation and who created World biggest 3D printer.
In an interview with the BBC, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says China is “helping Russia perpetuate its aggression against Ukraine”. But is there anything the US can do to stop it?
Also in the programme: large scale trials begin of the first personalised anti-cancer mRNA vaccines, given in combination with antibodies as a treatment for the skin cancer melanoma; and Denmark abolishes a public holiday - to spend more money on defence.
(IMAGE: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, April 26, 2024. / CREDIT: Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Could the US Secretary’s visit to Beijing further improve the US-China relationship that still crackles with tension and suspicion? Devina Gupta speaks to Prof Henry Gao, an expert in global trade at Singapore Management University.
Over to Haiti and it is day one of the new interim government there which is trying to crackdown on gang violence we speak to the boss one of the main telecom companies - about what it is like to do business in this chaos and his hopes for stability.
Messaging app WhatsApp says it will leave India if it is forced to break its end-to-end encryption, that is mandated by India's 2021 Information Technology Rules.
Finally – what does it mean for a female flight attendant to get a CEO position for an Asian airline company? We find out how this story made headlines in Japan.
The Chinese leader tells the visiting US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, they should work together. Mr Blinken says he raised concerns about China's support for Russia in its war against Ukraine. Also: Britain begins tests of the first personalised vaccine for melanoma skin cancer -- based on the mRNA technology used in Covid jabs. And how talking to Twain the humpback whale could help us communicate with aliens from outer space.
On 13 December 1990, the anti-apartheid politician Oliver Tambo returned to South Africa after 30 years in exile.
As the president of the banned African National Congress (ANC), he had lived in Zambia building the liberation movement while other key ANC members including Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu were political prisoners.
By lobbying around the world and attracting talented South African exiles such as Thabo Mbeki, he built the organisation into a legitimate contender for government.
When President FW de Klerk unbanned the ANC, Oliver or OR Tambo was finally able to return home where he was greeted by a crowd of thousands at the airport.
Oliver Tambo’s son, Dali Tambo, recalls to Josephine McDermott how his father and other ANC exiles danced in the aisle of the plane as they crossed into South African airspace.
(Photo: Oliver Tambo at Jan Smuts Airport. Credit: AP/John Parkin)
More than 220 civilians, including at least 56 children, were massacred by Burkina Faso's military in a single day this year. That's the allegation by Human Rights Watch. So, how did HRW reach this conclusion and what's the response from the Burkina Faso government?
Also why is the DR Congo warning big tech companies, like Apple, to not use minerals from the eastern part of the country?
And we meet Nigerian Afrobeats artist, Arja Starr!
Presenter: Richard KagoeProducers: Charles Gitonga, Stefania Okereke and Bella Hassan Technical Producer: Danny CoxSenior Producer: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Alice is beginning to wonder who she is, when a caterpillar gives her a piece of advice.
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Light the candles, cross your legs and follow the Unexpected Team as they cross the boarders of reality to ask why we believe in the illogical.
Light the candles, cross your legs and join the Unexpected Team as they journey beyond the borders of reality to ask why we believe in the illogical.
After a fraudulent psychic dupes 1.3 Americans, panellist Camilla Mota turns to history for insight into how scientists debunk such con artists. The Unexpected library harbours secrets of paranormal experimentation and dead air live on the BBC, and panellist Phillys Mwatee reveals why our beliefs win out over hard evidence written in ink. Nevertheless, in a world rife with conspiracy and vaccine hesitancy, Melissa Kapulu from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya, shares the fascinating scientific obstacles faced in the quest to eradicate malaria from Africa once and for all.
Also hear how a Nigerian Pastor and super-star has been making Melissa's job much harder, and life on fake mars.
Note to self: No ghoul or spirit observed, moving on to next show... Presenter: Alex Lathbridge, Phillys Mwatee and Camilla Mota
Producer: Harrison Lewis, Alex Mansfield and Noa Dowling
In an exclusive interview, Stephen Sackur speaks to Joan Donoghue, who has just retired as president of the International Court of Justice. In January, the court found there was a plausible case for Israel to answer for alleged violation of the Genocide Convention. Has the ruling changed anything in Gaza?
The US economy grew by less than forecast in the first three months of this year but inflation gathered pace, which could delay an interest rate cut.
Official figures revealed the economy expanded at an annualised rate of 1.6%, far below expectations and the growth seen in the final months of 2023.
Meanwhile, inflation, which measures the pace of price rises, has increased.
(Picture: Retail sales drop in Britain, Huddersfield, United Kingdom - 21 Oct 2022. Picture credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
On the southern shores of Vietnam, whales are revered as gods of the oceans. Eliza Lomas visits whale temples and a whale cemetery, hearing about the roots and rituals of the belief. We learn how worshippers’ lives are entwined with the sea, joining a festival where whales are honoured with a ceremonial journey. With lives at sea full of risk, we hear how these sacred creatures ensure fishermen a safe return to land.
Donald Trump argues he can't be indicted under the constitution for actions while he was in office. The ruling will determine whether the former President should face trial on charges that he plotted to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Also: New York's top court overturns one of Harvey Weinstein's rape convictions -- but the disgraced Hollywood producer will remain in jail, and the British synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys are back with a new album.
We speak to the Armenian entrepreneur behind the popular photo editing app used by millions on Instagram, and by businesses too.
Mr Avoyan tells us about his childhood, growing up in a country which only gained independence when he was in his 20s. He tells us how this liberation set free his entrepreneurial spirit, and why he relocated his company from Armenia to the US.
Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw
(Image: Hovhannes Avoyan)
The US economy grew by less than forecast in the first three months of this year but inflation gathered pace, which could delay an interest rate cut.
Official figures revealed the economy expanded at an annualised rate of 1.6%, far below expectations and the growth seen in the final months of 2023.
Meanwhile, inflation, which measures the pace of price rises, has increased.
At a hearing in Washington DC, Donald Trump's lawyers have been arguing that he cannot be tried for his alleged crimes, which include conspiring to overturn the 2020 US presidential election. We ask lawyer Amy Howe what this all means for him and his political future.
Also in the programme: a new transitional council is sworn in to lead Haiti amid continuing violence and chaos; and the so-called 'Pushkin plot' to steal rare books from libraries across Europe and replace them with fakes.
(Photo: US Supreme Court hears Trump immunity case, Washington. Credit: SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Friday, April 13th 2029 – mark it in your calendar. That’s the day an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will fly past Earth, closer than some satellites. Don’t worry – it will miss, but it’ll will pass so close to Earth that it will be visible to the naked eye of 2 billion people, particularly in North Africa and Western Europe.
Roland Pease this week attended the Apophis T-5 Years conference at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, meeting astronomers scrambling to get missions up to the object to learn what kind of threats such asteroids might pose to us in the future and to discuss the science of planetary defence.
NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX, a follow-on to OSIRIS-REx, will study the physical changes due to the gravitational forces from the Earth as it closely passes us by. But will there be an armada of spacecraft sent to monitor Apophis? The European Space Agency hope to gather support for their own mission, RAMSES.
Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Jonathan Blackwell
Image Credit: JPL/Caltech
Day trippers will have to pay €5 to visit the famous Italian city. The local government wants to discourage low-budget tourists who don't stay overnight in Venice. We get the latest. Mining giant BHP has proposed a buyout of Anglo American. The $39bn deal would forge the world's biggest copper miner in times when the price for this mineral is soaring. We look into the details. And we hear about the challenges US businesses operating in China are facing.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a visit to China - offering a mixture of friendliness and warnings. We assess US-China relations and ask what, if anything, this visit could change.
Also in the programme: the father of a US-Canadian aid worker killed in Gaza tells us the message he'd like today’s memorial service to send to the world; and the possible dangers of yet another artificial sweetener - one that's hard to avoid if you like soft drinks, cakes or chewing gum.
(MAGE: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at the Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, China, April 25, 2024 / CREDIT: Mark Schiefelbein / Pool via REUTERS)
The World Bank has suspended a multi million dollar fund to expand Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, after it received allegations of serious abuse, which the Tanzanian government denies. We'll get the details.
What is cloud seeding, how does it work and can drought stricken parts of Africa benefit from it or not?
And a personal testimony from someone living with disability in a South Sudan refugee camp.
Human Rights Watch report says children were among those killed in what it calls one of the worst army abuse incidents in Burkina Faso in nearly a decade. Also: The US Secretary of State is in Beijing as the world's largest economies try to mend their relationship - will it work? We hear mixed reactions to a new tourist tax in Venice, and how did the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret club in Paris lose the sails of its windmill?
Mums-to-be often feel guilty about the food they crave in pregnancy. Georgie and Phil discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary. (Image: Getty)
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2024/ep-240425
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Brenda Fassie was one of South Africa's biggest pop stars in the late 1980s. The singer’s career nosedived in 1990, but her comeback saw her dubbed the 'Madonna of the townships' by Time magazine.
Yvonne Chaka Chaka, born a year after Brenda, was perhaps the only South African pop star who could rival her popularity.
Twenty years ago, in 2004, Brenda died
Yvonne celebrates Brenda's life with Ben Henderson.
(Photo Brenda Fassie, a South African pop star, performing on stage. Credit :ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty Images.)
As modest fashion week starts in Istanbul, we look at the growth of this area of the fashion industry.
Long considered a faith-based choice, it is gaining in popularity, proven by the modest-friendly options that many leading brands now offer.
We hear the thoughts of retailers and designers on why more women are choosing to dress modestly. And content creator Maha Gondal explains how she's bringing her take on modest fashion to her thousands of followers.
Plus we look at what can go wrong when brands try to cash in on what they see as a lucrative market.
Presented and produced by Megan Lawton
(Image: Woman wearing a maxi dress with long sleeves, standing in front of a wall covered with foliage. Credit: Getty Images)
The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is continuing his visit to China, there are tensions on many fronts between the world’s two superpowers, how will the trip pay out? We hear from Brian Wong, from the Centre on Contemporary China and the World, in Hong Kong.
As TikTok vows to fight a new law which could see it sold or banned in the US, what could a ban mean for businesses who rely on it?
And more than 40% of Japan’s municipalities might eventually vanish due to a sharp population decline brought on by a chronically low birthrate, what’s going on?(Photo Credit: Reuters)
Sweden has a global reputation for championing high taxes and social equality, but it has more dollar billionaires, relative to its population size, than almost anywhere else on the planet. Stockholm-based journalist Maddy Savage untangles the rise of the super rich, from the country’s booming tech sector to wealth and taxation policy shifts. She also delves into the deep-rooted cultural norms which can discourage Swedes from celebrating money, and investigates the rise in impact investing, as some of Sweden’s richest business leaders plough their cash into new startups prioritizing social and environmental sustainability. A Podlit AB production.
US House speaker confronts students, calling the protests anti-Semitic and demanding they stop, while protesters fear loss of free speech. After six months of conflict in Gaza, we look at the impact on the Israeli and West Bank economies. Also: President Zelensky welcomes the long-awaited US aid package to Ukraine. We ask how likely it is to change events on the ground. Portugal's surprise mea culpa as it says it wants to take full responsibility for its involvement in the slave trade, and how easy is it to reconnect with old friends?
Do you know how much salt you should be eating?
And if I tell you it’s less than 5 grams a day, do you know how much that is?
Ruth Alexander explores the wonder of salt and why chefs think their job would be pointless without it and why the impact it’s having on the food might surprise you.
Professor Paul Breslin tells us about the “magical” chemical reaction happening on your tongue when you eat salt, and why your brain responds to that.
We hear about what eating too much salt can do to you from an expert in Australia, as well as a mother in Kazakhstan who cut out salt almost completely – in a country which has one of the highest consumptions in the world.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presented by Ruth Alexander
Produced by Hannah Bewley
(Image: A chef sprinkles salt on a pan of food. Credit: BBC)
US President Joe Biden says Ukraine will receive more arms and equipment within the week after the US Senate approved a $60bn aid package. But what difference will this make to the people there?
Also on the programme: we hear the conflicting claims about the mass graves found in Gaza; and the ‘lost’ painting of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt that has been sold at auction in Vienna.
(Photo: US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the National Security Supplemental. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
After a number of incidents around the world so far this year that have left dozens of flyers needing hospital treatment, we look at how a rise in air turbulence because of global warming is leading to more and more injuries to passengers.
Professor Paul Williams from the University of Reading in the UK tells us why turbulence is so hard to plan for, how new technology might be able to help solve the problem, and how despite an increase in incidents it’s still incredibly rare to experience extreme turbulence./
Claudia Hammond is also joined by Monica Lakhanpaul, Professor of Integrated Community Child Health at University College London, to look at how a shortage of HPV vaccines is leading to millions of girls across Africa missing out on receiving the shots.
Monica also tells us about her new research on the barriers children with epilepsy are facing being able to exercise.
We also explore what it’s like for people that don’t have an inner monologue and can’t imagine sounds – a phenomenon known as anauralia.
Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Dan Welsh
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Beijing in an attempt to curb support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We look into the details. Boeing reports results after a difficult quarter, and what happens to movies once they have been taken down from streaming platforms? We find out.
African leaders meeting at a security summit in Nigeria says the continent needs a new plan to tackle violent extremism. The two-day counter-terrorism summit, supported by the United Nations, was also attended by African Union Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat What are the challenges facing the continent and how can it be tackled?
Also why is so little money spent on healthcare in Africa?
And a plan to save the South African rhino as poaching numbers rise.
Presenter: Audrey BrownProducers: Bella Hassan and Charles GitongaTechnical Producer: Jonathan GreerSenior Producer: Karnie SharpEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
US to deliver more arms to Ukraine after Congress approved multi-billion dollars aid package to Kyiv; also in the programme we look into claims of mass graves in Gaza; why have Tesla’s profit’s dropped?; and a lost Klimt painting goes on auction in Vienna.
(Photo: Ukraine supporter holding American and Ukrainian flags outside Congress. Credit: Shutterstock)
America's top diplomat Anthony Blinken arrives in Shanghai amid Chinese anger over Taiwan aid. Also: Relief in Ukraine after US senate approves aid package, and how AI helped discover Plato's grave.
In August 2002, the remains of an indigenous South African woman called Sarah Baartman were returned to South Africa after almost 200 years away. Sarah died in Paris in 1815 after being forced to perform in European 'freak shows' where people considered to be biological rarities were paraded for entertainment. She had been subjected to racist and degrading treatment and her remains were exhibited at a French museum until 1976.
When Nelson Mandela became the president of South Africa in 1994, he requested that Sarah's remains be returned to her homeland. However, by 1998 that had not happened. Poet Diana Ferrus decided to write about Sarah’s limbo. Her poem became so popular that it was noticed by politicians in France. Diana shares her memories of that time with Matt Pintus.
This programme contains discriminatory language.
(Photo: Sarah Baartman likeness at French museum. Credit: Getty Images)
Consumers have the buying power but how much are they considered when a brand decides to make a change?
In this edition of The Food Chain Ruth Alexander takes a look at what goes into developing some of the products we know and love.
We travel to the northwest of England to a consumer taste testing facility, Wirral Sensory Services. Such businesses would have been few and far between just decades ago but now they’re a big part of the research process when brands look to launch new products or make changes to existing ones.
Consumer expert Dr Sara Jaeger tells us about the benefits and the limitations of these tests and business consultant Samuel West talks us through some of the most well know failures in food.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Hannah Mullane
(Image: a woman blindfolded, sat in front of a pizza. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Driven by things like petrol prices, the consumer price index increased by 0.6% last month, the largest gain since June 2022.
However underlying inflation was the smallest in nearly two years, so what could that mean for further interest rate rises by the Federal Reserve?
Roger Hearing finds out how the price rises are affecting businesses and what driving up the price of petrol.
Nearly three days after catastrophic floods swept away a large part of the Libyan port city of Derna, the security forces are still recovering bodies from the sea. On land, rescue teams are digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the hope of finding survivors. We speak to a journalist in Derna and a doctor who is preparing to visit the affected areas.
Also in the programme: the UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, has announced he is stepping down and warns the conflict risks becoming a full-blown civil war; and the largest newspaper chain in the United States has announced it will hire a full time Taylor Swift reporter.
(Picture: Cars were damaged after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall in Derna. Credit: Esam Omran Al-Fetor/Reuters)
The author Max Dickins was preparing to propose to his girlfriend when he came to a realisation: he didn’t have anyone he felt he could ask to be his best man. It prompted him to write the book ‘Billy No-Mates’, looking at why he didn’t have any close male friends any more, and asking if men, in general, have a friendship problem.
In a special discussion in front of a live audience at the Cheltenham Science Festival in England, Claudia Hammond speaks to Max about his journey.
They’re also joined by Robin Dunbar, a Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at Oxford University who’s spent decades researching friendships in humans and other primates, and Radha Modgil, a practicing GP and wellbeing expert whose book ‘Know Your Own Power’ looks at what advice there is for people facing difficulties as they go through life.
The panel look at what psychology can teach us about friendships between men, the difference these relationships can make to our mental health, and the best way of both maintaining the friendships we have and finding ways to make new friends.
Produced in partnership with the Open University. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh
The European Commission has started an investigation to assess whether China is using unfair subsidies to boost the sale of its electric vehicles in Europe. Certain state subsidies are illegal under international trade rules.
There are scenes of utter devastation in Libya's eastern city of Derna, after a powerful storm caused two dams to burst, sweeping away large parts of the port city. Some aid has arrived, but with the country struggling under divided political administrations in the east and west, Libya's Prime Minister in Tripoli said they would only accept "necessary aid". We look at how the catastrophic impact of Storm Daniel has brought the country’s fragile and complex political situation to the fore.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted a year-long visa ban imposed on Nigerian travellers. Flights were stopped last year after Dubai’s Emirates airline suspended operations in Nigeria as it was angered by moves preventing it from transferring its revenues overseas because of a foreign currency crisis.
Also…Conservationists in Egypt oppose the government’s plan to build a highway through Cairo’s centuries old cemetery The City of the Dead.
Thousands more people are still reported missing in what the United Nations has called a calamity of epic proportions. Also: President Putin meets with Kim Jong Un, and a new look at the life story of rock legend, David Bowie.
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has praised the strengthening of future co-operation with North Korea, after a rare visit by the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, to a space centre in the Russian far east. Mr Putin promised to help North Korea with its space programme. US officials suspect Moscow wants to buy North Korean munitions for its war in Ukraine.
Also in the programme: we hear from a resident in Timbuktu following a spate of attacks in Mali; and a former Secret Service agent says he has a new nugget of information about the assassination of President John F Kennedy.
(North Korea's Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un and Russia's President, Vladimir Putin. Credit: Reuters)
Rioting broke out in 2000 after the Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon made a controversial visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s old city.
In 2012, Mike Lanchin spoke to an Israeli and a Palestinian who were there that day.
(Photo: Ariel Sharon is flanked by security guards as he leaves the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Credit: AWAD AWAD/AFP via Getty Images)
听众 Cathy 想知道搭配 “in terms of、in light of、from the perspective” 的区别。这三个搭配都可以用在语句中，起连接的作用，但意思和用法不同。“In terms of” 通常用来引出要谈论的具体事情，“in light of” 引出需要特别考虑的事情，而 “from the perspective of” 则用来说明某人的观点。听节目，学习这三个搭配的具体用法。
Stephen Sackur speaks to Mustafa Suleyman, a British pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence and a leading voice in a debate which matters to all of us. How can we take advantage of the vast potential of intelligent machines without sowing the seeds of our own destruction?
K-Pop, short for Korean Popular music, has become a global phenomenon with millions of fans worldwide.
It’s a multi-billion dollar industry with 80 million units of physical albums sold in 2022. But a huge chunk of it goes straight to landfill.
Why are the fans buying so many albums just to throw them away?
We hear from fans, artists and tech companies who are trying to make the industry greener.
Presenter: David Cann
(Picture: Victon; Credit: IST Entertainment)
The head of BP Bernard Looney has suddenly resigned following allegations over personal relationships with colleagues. We find out what this means for the company going forward.
It's Apple's new product launch day and it was overshadowed by their charging cable. We will be getting the latest news about the tech giant after the EU forced them to change their lightning charger ports.
And dynamic pricing arrives in some British pubs - but will people accept paying more at busy times?
Two dams and four bridges collapsed near the Libyan city of Derna when Storm Daniel struck on Sunday. Also: US House of Representatives to open Biden impeachment inquiry, and stolen Van Gogh painting handed to art sleuth in Ikea bag.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi describes India’s new parliament as a reflection of the “aspirations and dreams” of all Indians. But the huge triangular structure that sits next to its colonial-era predecessor is controversial: some opposition parties boycotted its inauguration. From Delhi, Shalu Yadav reports on a story that is about cost, architecture and urban design, but also power, democracy and India’s future.
The head of BP Bernard Looney has suddenly resigned following allegations over personal relationships with colleagues. We find out what this means for the company going forward.
What happens when the NFL's Most Valuable Player gets injured right at the start of the season. Well it happened to the Jet's very own Aaron Rodgers we take a look at what this means for his club and the future of the games going forward.
And Pickleball is the rage in America this summer. It’s a form of paddle tennis and is taking over space in American cities and taking up increasingly large parts of personal and corporate budgets. We'll hear just how fast the sport is growing.
There's a new testing kit for life-threatening diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. We hear about the technology from the project leader and some of those involved in Uganda and Kenya. Also in Tech Life, we report on lab grown diamonds in India. And posting photos of flooding on social media could help experts predict where it might happen next. Photo Credit: Getty Images.
US prosecutors are taking Google to court over allegations it made deals with smartphone makers to ensure it was the default search engine on billions of devices. The Department of Justice claims the tech giant engaged in illegal practices, which Google denies. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is forecasting that demand for oil, natural gas and coal will all peak before 2030. We ask if this is the beginning of the end for the fossil fuel era, what does it mean for the countries that rely on them now? Pickleball has become a popular racket sport in the US this summer, but why is it frowned upon in some quarters? Michelle Fleury reports on the tennis-like craze from New York City.
We look at why Morocco’s government has been selective over offers of humanitarian assistance from abroad, after the devastating earthquake which has killed more than 2,800 people.
Four East African countries have reportedly incurred an estimated $30 billion in losses between 2021 and 2023, due to extreme droughts and devastating floods.
Plus we meet the Queen of African horror writing, who is scared of ghosts.
Kim Jong Un travelled to Russia on an armoured train. It's not clear where the meeting will take place. Also: Deadly floods in Libya, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent launch an emergency appeal after the earthquake in Morocco.
A minister in the eastern government of Libya tells us what he saw in the worst hit city, Derna, where two dams collapsed.
Also in the programme: for the first time in the history of the Israeli state, all 15 Supreme Court justices have convened to hear appeals against the government's attempt to restrict their power; and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has entered Russia for a meeting with President Putin, so will an arms deal be on the table?
(Photo: People stand in a damaged road after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Shahhat city, Libya, September 11, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Omar Jarhman)
In 2000, President Bill Clinton led a major effort to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
The two sides were brought together at the leafy presidential retreat in Maryland. The Israeli leader, Ehud Barak and the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, failed to reach any agreement and the summit ended in failure.
In 2017, Farhana Haider spoke to senior American diplomatic interpreter and policy adviser, Gamal Helal, who attended the Camp David summit.
(Photo: US President Bill Clinton with Israeli leader, Ehud Barak and the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafa, at Camp David. Credit: Getty Images)
如何表示你与他人同病相怜，有同一种负面的经历或陷入了同样不愉快的处境？表达 “join the club” 的字面意思是 “加入俱乐部”，但它的实际含义是 “彼此彼此，咱俩一样倒霉”。听节目，学习在非正式场合中使用这个表达。
We meet the Chinese property tycoon and multi-millionaire who, along with his then-wife, once moved in the highest echelons of power in Beijing.
But the couple fell foul of the Chinese government during Xi Jinping’s inexorable rise to power and in 2017 Desmond’s ex-wife was abducted – he says by the Chinese state.
She vanished for two years and even now is restricted in her movements, although she’s never been charged with any crime.
Mr Shum now lives in the UK, from where he gave us his extraordinary account of business life at the highest level in China. And he tells us why he thinks the current Chinese economy is rotten to the core.
Presenter: Ed Butler
(Image: Desmond Shum. Credit: Desmond Shum)
The two leaders are likely to discuss North Korea supplying weapons in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine. We will hear the latest on the economic friendship between the two countries.
And Thailand's new prime minister has announced a cash handout in a bid to revive the economy. $300 will be distributed to every citizen through a digital wallet. We look at how this tactic will revive the country's economy.
Also, US actress Drew Barrymore has caused controversy by bringing her talk show back to the airwaves despite the ongoing Hollywood strikes. We find out how her daytime show will be affected going forward.
(Picture: North Korea's Kim en route to Russia for talks with Putin Credit: Reuters)
Rescuers have been using their bare hands as desperate search efforts in Morocco continue for survivors of Friday's earthquake. Ukraine claims to have retaken Black Sea drilling rigs, and Dolly the Sheep creator Ian Wilmut dies aged 79.
The two leaders are likely to discuss North Korea supplying weapons in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine. We will hear the latest on the economic friendship between the two countries.
And Thailand's new prime minister has announced a cash handout in a bid to revive the economy. $300 will be distributed to every citizen through a digital wallet. We look at how this tactic will revive the country's economy.
Also, we're about to see the opening of the biggest legal case against big tech in decades as Google will be prosecuted on charges of monopolizing the online search space. We'll find out what this means for the tech industry going forward.
Alongside the trauma - now the frustration: survivors of Morocco's earthquake say rescue and aid have come too slowly.
Rescuers in Morocco have been using their bare hands as desperate search efforts continue for survivors of Friday's powerful earthquake. The tremor was the country's deadliest in 60 years.
Also in the programme: Flooding in eastern Libya kills at least 150 people, though reports say there could be many more dead; Chile marks the anniversary of the coup that ended democracy for almost two decades - but 50 years on, the memory is increasingly contested; and why the US wants to cosy up to communist Vietnam.
(Photo shows rescue workers carrying the body of a victim killed in the village of Talat Talat N'Yaaqoub. Credit: EPA)
Dr Erica McAlister uncovers a treasure trove of remarkable insights from the insect world including the innocuous flies that are Drosophila melanogaster. More is known about these flies than any other animal on the planet, as a model for human genetics. And the hoverfly that arguably undergoes the biggest transformation of any animal and how insect metamorphosis could be a tool to track future climate change.
The interior ministry of Morocco says nearly two-thousand five hundred people have died following Friday's earthquake. Rescue teams are still battling to find survivors trapped in the rubble. We look at the economic impact on the country.
The EU is considering scrapping plans to impose regulations designed to improve animal welfare in the farming industry, over concerns about the impact it could have on food inflation.
Lab-grown meat can be labelled kosher and halal as long as its cells are derived in methods compliant with religious standards, according to two panels of experts commissioned by the industry.
The number of people killed in Friday's powerful earthquake in Morocco has risen to more than two thousand people, the interior ministry says. With a magnitude of 6.8, the earthquake which hit central Morocco is the biggest the area has seen since before 1900.
We explore the impact of military rule in Guinea two years after the fall of former President Alpha Conde.
And we hear how a British-Nigerian performance artist is using opera to reconnect with her Pidgin-speaking roots.
Rescue teams are still battling to find survivors trapped in the rubble following Friday's earthquake in Morocco. Heavy lifting equipment can't get through roads blocked by boulders, so villagers have been forced to dig with their hands through the debris from collapsed buildings.
Also in the programme: it is 50 years since the Chilean president Salvador Allende was overthrown by General Pinochet - we hear from someone who saw the coup unfold, and a man has been arrested in the UK for allegedly spying on behalf of China.
(Photo: Some are trying to salvage what they can, including here in a hamlet on the outskirts of Talaat N'Yaaqoub. Credit: Reuters)
The death toll continues to rise in the aftermath of Morocco's worst earthquake for more than half a century. Also: We hear from residents in war-torn Sudan, and the toxic culture of British ballet is exposed.
In September 1993, a peace agreement was signed between Israel and the Palestinians after months of secret negotiations.The historic handshake between Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin took place on the lawn of the White House.Mona Juul, Norway's Ambassador to the UK, and her husband were part of the team that planned and orchestrated top-secret meetings that culminated in the signing of the Oslo Accords.She spoke to Louise Hidalgo in 2010.(Photo: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres signs the historic Oslo Accords looked on by (from left) Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, unidentified aide, US President Bill Clinton and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. Credit: J David Ake/AFP via Getty Images)
Kim Chakanetsa talks to two entrepreneurs who teach women to be money-savvy. Arese Ugwu is a Nigerian author whose work is centred around personal finance. She wrote two best-selling books, The smart money tribe and The smart money woman. The latter has recently been turned into a Netflix show. Shikha Mittal is a personal finance educator from India. In 2010 she started Be.artsy, a social enterprise empowering people through courses and awareness campaigns. The two big causes she cares about are fighting sexual harassment in the workplace and making people – and women in particular – financially literate.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Shikha Mittal, credit Be.artsy. (R) Arese Ugwu, credit Ryan OniFOTO Studios.)
Luis Rubiales resigns for kissing Spain's team captain Jenni Hermoso after they won the Women's World Cup. Also: Morocco faces a race against time to save survivors in earthquake rubble, and the magical sounds of a primeval European forest.
Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh is one of Ireland's leading screen costume designers - working on such productions as The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Jimmy's Hall and the recent, multi award-winning The Banshees of Inisherin. For many years she has also been compiling a collection of iconic items seen on the Irish screen. Eimer has been involved in the photographing of each item to museum standard, allowing the entire collection to be available online for anybody across the world to access, free. We follow Eimer as she oversees the meticulous photographing of her applauded and distinctive knitwear for the Banshees of Inisherin.
From the page to the stage: William turns childhood fantasies into reality. In London, William Lee Adams is feeling disillusioned with his job, when a Romanian singer on a horse appears on his computer screen and he's inspired to start writing about the Eurovision Song Contest. Wiwibloggs is born, and grows to be the world's most-followed independent blog and video channel about Eurovision. In the process, he gets to visit some of the far-flung places he escaped to as a child in the US reading encyclopaedias. William has written a memoir called Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision.Presenter: India RakusenProducer: Rob Wilson
The former British colony in South America boasts the world’s fastest-growing economy at the moment – it expanded by 62 per cent last year, according to the International Monetary Fund.The reason is oil. Since 2015, US oil major Exxon and its partners have made a series of massive discoveries in Guyanese waters, catapulting the country into the world’s top 20 in terms of reserves.That’s bringing billions of dollars into the economy but also challenges: how can Guyana avoid the ‘resource curse’ - the mismanagement and corruption that have afflicted other commodity-rich nations? How can it exploit the oil bonanza with a population of less than a million people? And has the oil come too late anyway – just as the world move away from fossil fuels?We talk to the country’s president Irfaan Ali.Presenter and producer: Gideon Long(Image: President Irfaan Ali. Credit: Keon Blades/ Office of the President Guyana)
Morocco is facing a race against time to save those trapped under the rubble by Friday's earthquake, as emergency services battle to supply remote mountainous areas.The earthquake, the country's deadliest in 60 years, struck below a cluster of villages south of Marrakesh. We'll hear about trauma and heartbreak in Morocco as reports begin to emerge from the remote mountainous areas totally devastated by the earthquake.Also in the programme: After an airstrike on a market in Khartoum kills dozens of Sudanese civilians - we speak to a medic treating the wounded; and Luis Rubiales has resigned as president of the Spanish Football Federation following criticism for kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso at the Women's World Cup final.(Photo shows three mourners crying during a funeral in Moulay Brahim, Morocco. Credit: Reuters)
The Moroccan army has cleared one of the main roads to the areas worst affected by Friday's earthquake, allowing vital assistance to reach people. A landslide had blocked the road to the small town of Asni in the Atlas mountains. Video footage shows ancient hilltop villages reduced to rubble and dust by the quake. More than 2,000 people have died in the earthquake.Also in the programme: US President Joe Biden has arrived in Vietnam's capital Hanoi to sign a partnership agreement; and we hear from the actor Louis Garrel who has been a star of French cinema for 20 years. (Picture: People inspect a destroyed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in the town of Amizmiz. Credit: Nacho Doce/Reuters)
In a special Season-ending episode The Warm Up Track welcomes two brand new world champions from Budapest, Hurdler Danielle Williams and Long Jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou.What’s it like winning your second World title eight years after your first?How do you win Gold with your last jump of the competition?Who celebrated their Gold medal with a slice of chocolate cake?Danielle also explains her ideas for improving and evolving the sport of Track and Field as we look at what Budapest did well and the lessons that can be learned for future world championships. More broadly, we also explore how Athletics can and should be making a bigger impact as a global sport. Miltiadis explains how his success has led to Greece embracing the Long Jump and plenty of young people taking up the sport of Athletics in his home town and across the country. We also look ahead to Paris 2024. Danielle will be looking to qualify for the Games for the first time, while Miltiadis will hope to make a successful defence of the title he won in Tokyo. Photo: Danielle Williams of Jamaica poses for photos following the women's 100m hurdles final during day six of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 24, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Credit: Getty Images)
Science journalist Sue Nelson shares her personal journey to better understand a condition that affects millions worldwide. Inside her autistic inner world is a cacophony of brain chatter, anxiety and sensory issues - recreated within a 360 degree soundscape - that impact her life and interactions with others. Sue, who discovered she had autism last year aged 60, meets other autistic people, researchers and clinicians to try to make sense of her late diagnosis. Those who offer their own stories and experiences include Canadian actor Mickey Rowe, the first autistic actor to play the autistic lead character in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime; award-winning science writer Dr Camilla Pang; and former teacher Pete Wharmby, who left the profession to write about his condition to help others.
Morocco has declared three days of national mourning for the victims of last night's earthquake. So far more than 1000 people are known to have died, with reports of entire villages being razed to the ground. We hear from eye witnesses, a relief worker and a doctor.
Also in the programme: the star conductor who opened and closed London's Prom concerts says sexism is still rife in the classical music world; and a human rights campaigner from Bahrain tells us why she's risking her freedom to try to save her father.
Photo: A room damaged by a powerful earthquake in the village of Tansghart in the Asni area, Morocco Credit: Reuters/Abdelhak Balhaki
The 6.8 magnitude quake has killed more than 800 people in Morocco.Also on the programme, India is hosting the latest G20 summit which has just admitted the African Union as a permanent member. And we also hear from one of the organisers of Belgrade Pride, which takes place today. (Picture: A man and a boy walk beside a ruined building in Marrakesh. Credit: Morchidi / EPA)
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. We hear from Chilean politician Hermógenes Pérez de Arce, who helped oust President Allende in 1973. We also hear from the widow of folk singer Victor Jara, who was killed during the military coup.Our guest is Dr Camila Vergara, who is a historian and journalist from Chile, and a senior lecturer at the University of Essex Business School in the UK. She tells us more about the aftermath of the Chilean coup, and its lasting impact.Eva Franchell speaks about her friend, the Swedish foreign minister Anna Lindh who was murdered in 2003.In the second half of the programme, campaigner Frank Heweston shares his experience on Greenpeace’s Arctic voyage to disrupt drilling on a newly built oil rig and we hear from a friend and promoter of Zanzibar’s most famous musician, Bi Kidude. Contributors:Camila Vergara - historian and journalist from Chile, and senior lecturer at the University of Essex Business School.Hermógenes Pérez de Arce – Chilean politician.Joan Jara – widow of Victor Jara.Eva Franchell – Anna Lindh’s former press secretary and best friend.Maryam Hamdani - friend and promoter of Bi Kidude.(Photo: President Salvador Allende. Credit: Bettman/Getty Images)
A recent edition of The Explanation asked “Could Puerto Rico become America's 51st state?” We hear your feedback on this series and the show’s presenter Claire Graham gives us her explanation of how news stories such as this are chosen.
Plus, listeners query if the World Service is striking the right balance on coverage of US politics and also ask if a recent edition of Crowd Science was just too far-fetched to understand.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the blind schoolboy who helped rebuild his school in Yemen, a new app teaching people literacy skills in the Horn of Africa. And, how Tilos has become the world's first zero-waste island.
The Rugby World Cup is underway. From when William Webb Ellis first picked up and ran with a football in 1823 and the sport of Rugby was born, to now, and the playing for the trophy in his name. Alix Popham proudly represented Wales at two World Cups, including the last time it was held in France. Undoubtedly the pinnacle of any sporting career with memories to last a life time. Sadly not for Alix... Because now, aged just 43, he lives with early-on-set dementia
When Arcangelo crossed the line first in the Belmont Stakes earlier this year, it was a hugely significant moment in horse racing. The first time a triple crown race - one of the most prestigious in the sport - had been won by a female trainer. Jena Antonucci is her name and as Arcangelo approached the finish line her excitement could be heard by all those around her.
What did you do last weekend? Watched some TV? Go out shopping? Maybe a stroll in the country?! Well that's just not enough for some people... Particularly ultra endurance marathon runners! People like Jon Albon. Jon spent last weekend winning the 100 kilometre Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix, known as the "CCC". He's now won two of the three races that make up the infamous "Ultra-Trail Mont Blanc"... So when in a 100km race dose it begin to hurt!?
The US Open will crowns it's champions this weekend. Men's finalist Danill Medvedev said earlier in week he feared "one player is going to die" because of the extreme heat. Meanwhile home favourite and women's finalist Coco Gauff had her semi final victory interrupted for nearly an hour by environmental protesters. Well someone who has long spoken out about the damage to sport climate change is reeking is New Zealand player Marcus Daniell.
A member of the EcoAthletes, a collective of likeminded sport stars, he has been telling about the climate and his other off court activities, but also about what it's like to experience that winning moment. In Tokyo last year he doubles partner Michael Venus picked up Olympic bronze for New Zealand... So how did they handle that moment? Some sink to the court on their knees, others straight to the net for the hand shake and a reserved fist bump. For others... you're a blubbering wreck... Like Marcus Daniell did. As you'll hear the two men had very different reactions to their moment of victory!
Image: Alix Popham (C) of Wales celebrates as the final whistle blows during the RBS Six Nations Championship match between England and Wales at Twickenham on February 2, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)
In 2015, Japan’s Rugby Union team pulled off one of the greatest sporting upsets of all time, when they beat South Africa in their opening match of the World Cup in England. The Brave Blossoms’ win over one of the giants of world rugby would have been unimaginable before the team’s remarkable transformation under its captain Michael Leitch and head coach Eddie Jones. Michael Leitch spoke to Theo Whyte about the match, and how a last minute decision changed Japanese rugby forever. This is a Whistledown production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Karne Hesketh of Japan scores the winning try during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Japan at the Brighton Community Stadium on September 19th 2015. Credit: Getty Images)
Officials at the G20 summit in Delhi say the African Union could become a member. The proposal has been backed by the US and by India, which is hosting the meeting.Roger Hearing discusses this topic and more other stories with Rachel Pupazzoni, Business Reporter at ABC News Australia and Simon Littlewood, Singapore based economics and the President of ACG Global Growth Delivered. (Workers decorate a G20 installation at the International Media Centre (IMC) on the eve of the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi on September 8, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Africa causes little damage to the climate but tends to feel the brunt of changing weather patterns. That was the debate in recent days as Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, hosted Africa’s first-ever climate summit. More than a dozen African leaders discussed the continent's increasing exposure to climate change and what that means for the environment, food supply and the economy. They also wanted to get their case together ahead of the next big climate conference, COP 28, which will be held in Dubai at the end of the year. We went around the continent to bring together some of those who are affected by climate change. We hear from farmers, environmental journalists and climate activists, with guests from Liberia, Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana, Malawi and Kenya.
In It's first 'global stocktake' the organisation warns that radical change is needed, quickly. Also: Newly released documents in the US show that a grand jury in the state of Georgia recommended many more indictments, including that of Senator Lindsey Graham, and, Ezra Collective, become the first jazz band to win the prestigious Mercury music award.
Conspiracy theories about viruses and vaccines have exploded in recent years. At the same time, something arguably stranger has spiralled…groups online who don’t believe germs which cause disease exist at all. They believe that there’s no such thing as viruses and that all diseases are caused by living an unhealthy life, particularly our diet and environmental toxins. It goes hand in hand with a rejection of vaccines and other forms of conventional medicine. The BBC's health and disinformation reporter Rachel Schraer investigates how germ denial has grown and spread on social media. In South Africa, a small group of germ deniers, influenced by American conspiracy theorists, is awaking painful memories.Presenter and prodcer: Rachel SchraerEditor: Flora Carmichael
Officials at the G20 summit in Delhi say the African Union could become a member. The proposal has been backed by the US and by India, which is hosting the meeting.
Gabon's ruling junta, which seized power in a coup last week, has appointed a former opposition leader as prime minister of its transitional government. Raymond Ndong Sima tells us that the decades-long influence of the Bongo family, which ruled for decades, is not over. Also in the programme: Elon Musk says he didn't act on a request from Kyiv to activate his Starlink satellite network to help Ukraine carry out an attack; and the challenges that faced the first American women in space. (Picture: Gabonese Prime Minister, Raymond Ndong Sima. Credit: Getty Images)
We're getting more suspicious about the disappearance of Jamie Phelps and his son, Pip.
Apple's stock market valuation has fallen by almost $200bn in two days after reports that Chinese government workers have been banned from using iPhones. We take a look at the implications this might have for the firm. Chevron workers at two of the companies' LNG facilities in Australia have begun a strike that could have global repercussions. We get the latest from our correspondent in Sydney. And as leaders of the world's major economies gather in India to attend the G20 summit, we find out what food they'll be served.
The worst downpour in 140 years shut schools and offices, and left streets under water. Also: The UK's massive manhunt for the terror suspect who escaped prison strapped under a lorry, and what it's like to go on a night out in wartime Ukraine.
Hong Kong and southern Chinese cities are battling widespread flooding as the region endures some of its heaviest rainfall on record. On Friday, streets and subway stations were under water in Hong Kong as officials shut schools and workplaces.The region's weather bureau said the downpour, which began on Thursday, is the biggest to hit the city in nearly 140 years.Also in the programme: As Delhi welcomes world leaders to the G20 summit hosted in India - what does Prime Minister Narendra Modi hope to achieve? And, the new boss of a Japanese pop talent agency faces sexual abuse allegations just a day after the previous boss stepped down.(Photo shows drainage workers assisting a driver stranded due to flooding in Hong Kong. Credit: Reuters)
We go to Gabon to get the latest on the situation in the country, after the military forced President Ali Bongo from power. The transitional authorities have held talks with dissidents jailed under Ali Bongo, and have freed some political prisoners.An update from Kadugli in Sudan, an area that has been experiencing heavy fighting in recent weeks. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced there, as the country as a whole faces up to a dire humanitarian situation.Plus should Africa's hopes for the rugby World Cup rest on the current champions - South Africa?
There has been a spate of protests across Syria, with unrest spilling into areas which were previously strongholds of support for President Bashar al-Assad. Anger at poor living conditions has spiralled into calls for political change. Amira Fathalla is a Middle East specialist with BBC Monitoring and she tells us why this is so significant.A new image for millet in NepalThe United Nations is encouraging farmers around the world to plant more millet, and has declared 2023 the International Year of Millets. In Nepal, the crop fell out of favour with some people, being considered a food for the poor. BBC Nepali's Bishnu Pokarel tells us how a growing awareness of its health benefits is transforming its image. Boxing returns to Zanzibar after nearly 60 years Boxing fans in Zanzibar last week witnessed their first tournament on the island in almost six decades. A ban which had been imposed in 1964 was lifted in September last year by the president. BBC Africa's Alfred Lasteck attended the much anticipated tournament.The bloggers selling Russia’s war Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia's pro-war influencers have gained millions of followers on social media. They frequently embed themselves with the Russian army and post footage from the front line, calling on young Russians to enlist. Grigor Atanesian has investigated their activities for the BBC Disinformation Unit. The catacombs of Lima Beneath the streets of the Peruvian capital Lima lies a network of tunnels and crypts, which served as a vast underground cemetery for hundreds of years. Many of these catacombs remain unexplored, but some are open to the public. One recent visitor was BBC Mundo’s Guillermo Olmo. (Photo: People protesting in Syria's southern city of Sweida, September 2023. Credit: Sam Hariri/AFP via Getty Images)
On 11 September 1973, General Augusto Pinochet deposed Chile's President Salvador Allende in a military coup.Thousands of people were tortured and killed in the months after the coup, including the folk singer Victor Jara. His widow, Joan Jara, spoke to Gideon Long in 2013.(Photo: Victor Jara. Credit: Gems/Redferns via Getty Images)
Science is all around us but a lot of it can be difficult to understand.Gareth Mitchell speaks to people building careers around helping make science understandable to the general public.We speak to a YouTuber making music about science, a science festival organiser and a science communication consultant who works with different businesses to make science more engaging and easy to access. Producer: Hannah Mullane Presenter: Gareth Mitchell(Image: Ellie Mackay at work. Credit: Ellie Mackay)
World leaders are making their way to Delhi for this weekend's G20 summit. And India is trying hard to present its best face for the visiting dignitaries. But is it trying too hard?The co-working company, WeWork, is looking to renegotiate nearly all of its office leases following a significant decline in its share value since the beginning of the year. The company has 777 locations in 39 countries with long term lease obligations totalling more than $13 billion. Roger Hearing discusses this topics and more other stories with Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Rachel Cartland - author, writer and expert based in Hong Kong. (G20 installation outside Pragati Maidan ahead of the G20 India Summit, on September 7, 2023 in New Delhi, India. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
But the NATO chief acknowledged that at 100 metres a day, it was painfully slow. Also: Dozens are killed in an attack by Islamist militants in north-eastern Mali, and Freddie Mercury's piano sells for two million dollars at auction.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine pushed Sweden to seek Nato membership but right now the country is also grappling with a wave of gun violence and bombings instigated by violent crime gangs. Why are Swedes feeling so nervous?
The co-working company, WeWork, is looking to renegotiate nearly all of its office leases following a significant decline in its share value since the beginning of the year. The company has 777 locations in 39 countries with long term lease obligations totalling more than $13 billion.
Thousands of Haitians had been displaced from their homes in the capital Port-au-Prince in recent weeks. With gang violence out of control in the city, one woman tells Newshour how gangs raided her neighbourhood. Seven members of her family including her mother, siblings, and eldest son have not been heard from since. Also in the programme: Mexico's Supreme Court legalises abortion across the country; and a sexual abuse scandal rocks Japan.(Picture: Residents gather outside a military base demanding help after fleeing Carrefour-Feuilles, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Credit: Reuters)
In September 2012 Arctic sea ice melted to its minimum ever recorded and the German research ice breaker, Polarstern, ventured deep into the region North of Russia to record findings. It’s now retracing its steps, over a decade later, to observe how things have progressed. Autun Purser and Antje Boethius describe the journey and the importance of documenting developments in the face of climate change. Some 75 million individuals are believed to live with Long Covid and, in order to treat the plethora of symptoms presented by patients, researchers continue to search for the root source of the condition in the hope of better prescribing broad therapeutics. Akiko Iwasaki, Professor of Immunobiology at Yale University, updates Roland on the working hypotheses. And one year on from the Hunga Tonga eruption, where a shockwave circled the globe four times, researchers have been able to calculate the speed of the currents in the southern Pacific Ocean. BBC correspondent Jon Amos caught up with Michael Clare to hear how other South Pacific Islands can learn from the most explosive volcanic eruption in 100 years.Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Harrison Lewis
As imports and exports fall again in China, we ask what the economic slowdown means for the rest of the world. A separate report also shows a decline in the services sector of the world's second-largest economy. Senior Bloomberg correspondent in Hong Kong Rebecca Choong Wilkins gives us her analysis. Struggling co-working company WeWork is looking to renegotiate all of its office leases around the world as it questions remain over its ability to stat in business. CEO and co-founder of flexible workspace company Industrious, Jamie Hodari. We go behind-the-scenes of the World Cup of Flowers, taking place in Manchester, England.
Nigeria's Appeal Court has rejected challenges to Bola Tinubu's narrow victory in February's presidential election. As election petitions become more common in Africa we ask how fair are election challenges. Between July and October 2022, about 70 children in the west African nation of The Gambia died because of suspected kidney ailments allegedly caused by consumption of cough syrup made in India. A year on since the first deaths in the Gambia, we hear from the families about their shared grief and their struggle for justice.And meet young climate change activists on the frontline pushing for more action beyond pledges following the Africa Climate Summit that took place in Nairobi.
The head of Japan's most powerful talent agency resigns over allegations that her late uncle - who founded the firm - sexually abused young men.Julie Fujishima's departure comes a week after investigators found Johnny and Associates' founder Kitagawa abused hundreds of boys and young men over six decades.Also in the programme: America agrees to send Ukraine tank shells made of depleted uranium; and how Italian experts are helping to repair Odesa's cathedral, which was badly damaged by a Russian missile in July.(Photo shows the former president of Johnny and Associates, Julie Fujishima, during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan on 7 September 2023. Credit: Franck Robichon/EPA)
The niece of, Johnny Kitagawa, the agency's founder has admitted for the first time that sexual abuse happened, as far back as the 1950s. Also: The ousted president of Gabon, Ali Bongo, has been released from house arrest. We find out where he is likely to be now, and despite years of civil war - in Yemen there's a story of hope and change, and we hear from the G20 chef in Delhi.
On 11 September 1973, General Augusto Pinochet deposed Chile's democratically elected president, Salvador Allende, in a violent military coup.Hermógenes Pérez de Arce was a politician and helped organise the coup. He speaks to Jane Chambers.(Photo: Hermógenes Pérez de Arce. Credit: sourced)
It's a rapidly emerging technology that has the potential to solve problems at an incredible pace. At the moment its uses are limited but that hasn’t stopped investment rolling into the sector and businesses from making money as the technology develops around the world. Gareth Mitchell speaks to three different quantum businesses to discuss its viability and its risk. Presenter: Gareth MitchellProducer: Hannah Mullane(Image: Quantum entanglement. Credit: Getty Images)
Following recent coups in Niger and Gabon, and with seven African coups in the last three years, some political commentators are suggesting that there might be an epidemic of coups. But are coups really contagious, and what does the political science say? Caroline Steel and the Unexpected Elements team across three different continents go on a quest to find the science lurking behind the news.We find out what trees in Chile can tell us about coups and we meet the wasp that performs a coup on a poor unsuspecting cockroach, turning it into a zombie and eating it alive. There’s light relief in the form of cows listening to classical music, the answer to a listener question about carbon capture and reflections on efforts to rid the world of plastic bags.All that plus your emails, whatsapps, and more fruit chat than you can shake a banana skin at.Presented by Caroline SteelProduced by Ben Motley, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins and Sophie Ormiston
African leaders have issued a declaration proposing new taxes across the world to fund action against climate change. The United States has announced another billion dollars' worth of aid for Ukraine. It includes a- hundred- and- seventy- five- million dollars in military assistance. Today marks 10 years since Chinese President, Xi Jinping, launched the Belt and Road Initiative on September 7, 2013, proposing new trade routes to create a 'new Silk Road' and widen economic cooperation. What is the impact of this after a decade? Rahul Tandon discusses these topics and more with Alexander Kaufman, Senior Reporter at Huffington Post and Zyma Islam, Journalist at Daily Star in Bangladesh. (A young man getting water from river Shabelle in the city of Gode, Ethiopia, after climate induced drought caused the failure of five rainy seasons, triggering the worst drought in four decades in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Photo Credit: Getty Images).
They've done it without using sperm, eggs or a womb. Also: The US promises another billion dollars' worth of assistance for Ukraine - including depleted uranium ammunition for battle tanks, and the Rolling Stones unveil their first new album in 18 years.
As India welcomes the world’s biggest economies for the G20 meeting this September, we look at the role that food might play in top level discussions. Food diplomacy is increasingly seen as a form of ‘soft power’ that can help build bridges and find common ground. In this programme Devina Gupta speaks to chef Arun Sundaraj, who is leading the catering teams at the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi which is hosting many of the G20 delegates. She visits the Colombian embassy in London to hear from the country’s ambassador about the role food played during vital peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC. Devina also travels to Glasgow in Scotland to share a plate of haggis with Scotland’s national chef, Gary Maclean and Lauren Bernstein, founder and CEO of The Culinary Diplomacy Project in the United States, explains why governments are looking to hire culinary experts to aid in diplomacy. Presented by Devina Gupta. Produced by Rumella Dasgupta. (Image: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden raise two wine glasses in a toast. Credit: Getty Images/ The Washington Post/ BBC).
African leaders have issued a declaration proposing new taxes across the world to fund action against climate change. The Nairobi Declaration was issued at the end of the three-day Africa Climate Summit in the Kenyan capital. Turkey pushed up its inflation forecasts and cut those of economic growth on Wednesday, as President Erdogan appeared to endorse the big interest rate hikes that are driving a turnaround toward more orthodox policies. The European Union Commission has designated six tech giants as 'gatekeepers'. This means, Amazon, Alphabet, Apple , Meta, Microsoft and TikTok owner ByteDance, have six months to comply with tougher obligations designed to open their platforms to more competitors.
President Zelensky has condemned a "deliberate" attack on Ukraine's "peaceful city" of Kostyantynivka. According to the Ukrainian authorities, 17 people were killed and more than 30 others were injured in the missile strike on a market area in the town. Also in the programme: scientists grow cells that closely resemble a two-week-old fertilised human embryo; and a new Rolling Stones album. (Photo: Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba (L) speaking with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) during his visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, 06 September 2023. CREDIT: EPA/FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY HANDOUT)
With deaths from opioid overdoses rocketing to more than 100,000 people each year, the US has moved to make the drug Naloxone available to buy in pharmacies for the first time there this week. The nasal spray treatment can revive people who have overdosed within minutes.Claudia Hammond is joined by Dr Ann Robinson to hear how the drug works, and what lessons the US can learn from how other countries around the world are using it.We also hear from the first polar research team to try to tackle taboos over menstruation by training the next generation of Arctic and Antarctic scientists how to deal with having your period during an expedition.Claudia and Ann look at new research suggesting the morning after pill becomes more effective when taken with anti-inflammatory drugs.And we find out whether opposites do truly attract, as a new study on romantic relationships uncovers what happy couples do and don’t have in common.Image Credit: Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty ImagesPresenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Dan Welsh
With inflation up, consumer sentiment down and business activity contracting in Germany, we ask if two decades of prosperity in the European powerhouse are at an end. In a special programme, Vivienne Nunis is joined by BBC correspondent Damien McGuiness in Berlin to discuss the core issues. We hear from Thilo Brodtmann, head of Germany's largest industrial association, the VDMA. Thorsten Schmidt, CEO of Heller Machine Tools in Nürtingen gives us his view on the recent slowdown in manufacturing output.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has attended a wreath- laying ceremony at a military cemetery in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. His unannounced visit aims to underline US support, three months into Ukraine's counter- offensive. Also on the programme: African leaders call for new global taxes to fund action on global warming; and the Rolling Stones launch their first album of new material for 18 years. (Image: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal shake hands prior to their meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 6 September 2023. Credit: REUTERS/SMIALOWSKI)
Taiwan's president is visiting Eswatini. It's to mark 55 years of cooperation with her country's last African ally. Has Taipei's influence on the continent waned ? We examine the recent spate of coups in former French colonies in Africa.Plus do we really need vultures? Fears that the scavengers are facing extinction
It comes as two studies show that this year is likely to be the hottest in human history with alarming consequences. Also: The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is on a surprise trip to Ukraine, and the plague of bedbugs that's taken hold in France.
Hear the marvellous sounds of Europe's last primeval forest, Białoweiza, in an immersive experience rich with all kinds of bird song and animal sounds, including that of the rare European bison. They're recorded by Polish field recordist Izabela Dłużyk.Izabela is unusual as a young woman recordist, in a profession dominated by men - all the more so because has been blind from birth. She developed a special sensitivity to birdsong ever since her family gave her a tape recorder at the age of 12, and she at once turned its microphone towards the sky. She identifies species entirely though her ears, with an extraordinarily detailed depth of field.Hearing the forest through Izabela’s acute ears, we venture into her world as well as that of the wilderness she loves. Recorded on location in Białoweiza, we also hear night and dawn recordings that bring all sorts of surprises to the microphone.Produced by Monica Whitlock. Mixed by Neil Churchill
In 2003, Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh was stabbed to death in a department store in the middle of Stockholm. The 46-year-old member of the ruling Social Democratic party, was tipped as successor to Swedish Prime Minister Göran Person, and an important international career was likely around the corner. Her murder caused national trauma in Sweden. Her press secretary and best friend, Eva Franchell, witnessed the murder. She speaks to Marie Fjellborg.An SMT production for BBC World Service, produced by Anna Iverson.(Photo: Anna Lindh in 2001. Credit: Getty Images)
网友 “橘子味夏天” 想知道搭配 “agree with、agree on、agree to” 和 “agree about” 之间的区别。虽然它们都包含动词 “agree（同意）”，但如果改变它后面接的介词，那么将会相应地改变动词后的宾语类型。“Agree with” 和 “agree about” 都与 “同意某人的观点或某个想法” 有关；“agree on” 强调 “就某个决定达成一致”；而 “agree to” 则强调 “接受并将按提议做某事”。本期节目具体介绍动词 “agree” 后接不同介词时的含义和用法。
We travel to a facility in the south of England to see one of the super-fast computers in action.We’ll find out what quantum computing has the potential to do, what its going to take to make that a reality and importantly whether quantum businesses are making any money...Presenter: Gareth Mitchell Producer: Hannah Mullane (Image: A quantum computer. Credit: Oxford Quantum Circuits)
Enrique Tarrio was found guilty of seditious conspiracy and obstructing official proceedings at a Washington court last May. Also: The Spanish women's football coach is sacked amid continuing scandal over controversial kiss, and conservationists to free 2,000 rhinos from a farm in South Africa.
The cost of oil jumps above $90 a barrel for the first time in 2023. We look at the reasons and the consequences this can have across the world. A new law has taken effect in New York City that restricts short term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. We find out the details and talk to an Airbnb host about the implications. And we hear about the Belgian government's initiative to put pressure on banks to get them to raise interest rates on deposits. But will it work?Rahul Tandon discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Dana Peterson in New York, who is the Chief Economist & Center Leader of Economy, Strategy & Finance at The Conference Board, and Jessica Khine in Singapore, who is a Corporate Advisor for a boutique in Japan called Astris Advisory.(Picture: An oil and gas pump jack near Granum, in Canada. Picture credit: Reuters)
Stephen Sackur speaks to US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a loyal backer of Donald Trump as he bids to win back the White House. Does his comeback spell trouble for America?
The cost of oil climbs above $90 a barrel for the first time in 2023. We look at the reasons and the consequences this can have in countries that are already struggling with high fuel prices like Pakistan. A new law has taken effect in New York City that restricts short term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. We find out the details. And we hear about the Belgian government's initiative to put pressure on banks to get them to raise interest rates on deposits. But will it work?
Spain's football federation has sacked Jorge Vilda, the head coach of its World-Cup-winning women's team. He was a close ally of Luis Rubiales -- the suspended president, who has been under fire for kissing the player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, she says without her consent, as the team celebrated winning the tournament.Also on the programme: why the North Korean leader seems likely to visit Russia's far east to meet President Putin; and why the hosts of the African climate change summit are being sued for inaction. (Picture: President Putin and Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok in 2019. Credit: REUTERS)
Associate Professor Lee Seok Woo, from NTU, in Singapore, tells us how a Tom Cruise film inspired him to create a battery, powered by tears, that's so small it could be fitted to a contact lens. Ben Derico reports from San Francisco on why Chatbot detectors are mistakenly accusing people for whom English is a second language of cheating in exams. Analyst Ben Wood, from CCS Insight, brings us up to speed on Apple's latest product plans. And journalist Jack Thompson guides us through the farming revolution in Senegal, being powered by WhatsApp voicenotes.
n the early hours of 14th June, a heavily overcrowded, rusty fishing trawler carrying as many as 750 migrants capsized off the coast of Greece. The passengers - men, women and children from countries including Pakistan, Egypt and Syria - were fleeing conflict and poverty, hoping to start safer and more prosperous lives in Europe.After its engine broke down, the boat drifted for several hours while desperate passengers made distress calls and waited for rescue. Only 104 people survived the sinking. More than 600 may have drowned, making this one of the deadliest disasters in Europe’s ongoing migration crisis.For Assignment, Nick Beake travels to Greece to meet survivors of the sinking, who are now living in a refugee camp outside Athens. He hears how they endured a four-day voyage, during which several passengers died due to a lack of food, water and ventilation on board. Brutal smugglers forced them to board the dangerous boat, and confiscated water bottles and life jackets to make room for extra passengers.Many of the survivors have accused the Greek coastguard of causing the sinking by attempting to tow the heavily overloaded vessel. Greek authorities have denied these claims. Nick meets a Greek activist who volunteers for an emergency hotline that received distress calls from passengers on the ship. She explains that the June 14th disaster is not the first time the Greek coastguard has come under scrutiny, and it has previously been accused of using aggressive and illegal tactics to deter migration.Presented by Nick BeakeProducer: Viv JonesStudio mix: Graham PuddifootSeries Editor: Penny Murphy
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is stepping down two months earlier than planned, as the airline faces growing controversies. In the past two years Qantas has faced a slew of criticism for expensive airfares, mass delays and cancellations, and its treatment of workers. Labor Senator Tony Sheldon gives his reaction to the news. South Africa's economy has grown more quickly than expected in the second quarter of 2023. This is despite ongoing power outages impacting the country. An ice cream seller in Soweto tells us how he's been affected. The maker of weight-loss drug Wegovy briefly became Europe's most valuable company, after the treatment was made available in the UK.
Kim Jong Un has not left North Korea for four years. US officials believe this is part of efforts by Moscow to boost supplies of weapons for its troops in Ukraine. It's expected to happen at the end of September.Also on the programme: the children of Lebanon who cannot afford an education and who are forced into work. And how is it even possible for two people to tunnel through the Great Wall Of China? (Picture: President Putin and Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok in 2019. Credit: Getty Images)
The government in the Democratic Republic of Congo has said that at least 43 people were killed when soldiers broke up a demonstration against UN peacekeepers in the eastern city of Goma on Wednesday. We ask what's behind the chronic instability in the DRC? Around 80 percent of all farms in Africa are tilled by smallholder farmers. They produce most of the food we eat on the continent - and yet they get very little recognition for what they do. We hear from Wangari Kuria, the founder of Farmer on Fire. She is challenging the leaders currently meeting in Nairobi at the first Africa Climate Summit.And we do a deep dive on the Bongos; the family that has held power in Gabon since 1967.
The cut in rations comes amid growing alarm over shrinking aid for Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Also: Two Swedish oil company executives go on trial accused of complicity in war crimes committed in Sudan, and why the old adage ‘opposites attract’ may be the opposite of good advice for daters.
In the 1980s, Bi Kidude burst onto the international music scene, when she was in her 70s. She was one of the first women from Zanzibar to sing in public without wearing the veil, in the traditional Muslim country. She was born Fatuma binti Baraka, known as Bi Kidude or "little madame" in Swahili, and fondly referred to as the "golden grandmother of music". Maryam Hamdani was one of her oldest friends and helped launch Bi Kidude's career globally. Maryam spoke to Reena Stanton-Sharma about the charismatic musician who died in 2013.(Photo: Bi Kidude at the Sauti za Busara Music Festival. Credit: Mwanzo Millinga/AFP via Getty Images)
有时候，与其逆流而上，人们更愿意跟随他人的想法行事，因为 “随大溜” 是更容易的选择。英语中就有一个可以表示 “随大溜，顺波逐流” 的表达 —— “go with the flow”。听对话，学习这个表达的实际含义和用法。
For all the exciting developments in the synthetic biology industry, there are also concerns. People can edit genes in their garages these days, so who’s regulating this space?Plus - we’ll hear about the exciting new business models with biology at their core, including one of the first synbio businesses to trade as a public stock - Ginkgo Bioworks.Presenter: Gareth MitchellProducer: Izzy Greenfield(Image: A petri dish in a lab. Credit: Getty Images)
Russian president Vladimir Putin says the agreement to allow Ukrainian grain exports on the Black Sea will be revived when his demands on exporting Russian products are met. We look into the impact this is having on Ukraine's economy. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are holding their biannual meeting in Indonesia. We hear about the topics they will discuss and why US president Joe Biden's absence is under scrutiny.Rahul Tandon discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: University of Maryland School of Business professor Peter Morici in the US and ABC's presenter Sinead Mangan in Australia.(Picture: Russian President Putin and Turkey's President Erdogan meet in Sochi, Russia. Picture credit: SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock.)
Slovakia may be a small country, but its upcoming elections could have a big impact across Europe and beyond. One of the strongest supporters of Ukraine in its war against Russia, Slovakia was the first Nato country to deliver fighter jets to its eastern neighbour. But could that soon change? September’s snap elections follow the collapse of Slovakia’s staunchly pro-Western government. Leading the polls is the populist party of former Prime Minister Robert Fico. The fiercely Moscow-friendly candidate has promised to end military aid to Ukraine, if he returns to power. John Kampfner travels across Slovakia to find out why the country looks set for a dramatic political about-turn.
It's believed the North Korean leader will discuss supplying arms to Russia for use in Ukraine. Also: scientists say invasive species are responsible for the majority of plant and animal extinctions, and the search engine Google turns 25.
Russian president Vladimir Putin says the agreement to allow Ukrainian grain exports on the Black Sea will be revived when his demands on exporting Russian products are met. We look into the impact this is having on Ukraine's economy. Protests against soaring electricity bills continue in Pakistan. We hear about the challenges high energy rates pose for local businesses and why the government does not have many alternatives to help bring prices down.And we get the latest from the biannual meeting held by the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is taking place in Indonesia.
Scientists say invasive species are responsible for the majority of plant and animal extinctions and cost the world hundreds of billions dollars a year. The UN Convention on Biodiversity said they destroy forests and crops, and cause pollution. The UN study says human activity is making the effects worse, and recommends tougher border controls.Also on the programme: teachers strike in South Korea; and classical music performed by dogs.(Photo: A grey squirrel sitting on a branch. CREDIT: BBC)
Dr Erica McAlister uncovers a treasure trove of remarkable insects from the humble flea whose jump enables them to fly without wings and the mystery of the hawkmoth’s tongue, whose varying length has offered the simplest and most effective proof of Charles Darwin's theory of Natural Selection in action.
As Turkey's annual rate of inflation hits 58.94% in August, we analyse the reasons why. We hear from a local business owner in Ankara about his struggles with rising energy and food costs. We also take a closer look at two other countries struggling to control inflation: Pakistan and Argentina. Residents in Spain's capital city, Madrid, are dealing with the aftermath of flash flooding over the weekend. Transport links have been affected and many businesses have been forced to close. Internet search engine Google turns 25. We find out how the company with humble beginnings turned into a tech titan.
Ukraine is to get a new defence minister - but why now in the middle of the counteroffensive against Russia? And what difference will it make?Also in the programme: the first ever Africa Climate Conference opens in Nairobi, with a focus on finance; we hear from the new head of the UN's Green Climate Fund, set up to help developing countries. And school teachers in South Korea go on strike over bullying by parents.(IMAGE: Rustem Umerov, chairman of Ukraine's State Property Fund and President Zelensky's choice for defence minister to replace Oleksii Reznikov / CREDIT: Getty Images)
As the first ever Africa Climate Summit begins in Nairobi, we hear from a community suing the Kenyan government over climate damage.We look at the serious danger to human life posed by air pollution in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos.Plus, can Kenyan police help bring stability to Haiti?
The Kenyan president has opened Africa's first climate summit, urging fellow leaders to focus on solutions rather than who's to blame for global warming. Also: Ukraine's Defence Minister confirms he is leaving his post, and we hear from dogs performing with an orchestra in Denmark.
On 14 September 2013, the Arctic Sunrise - a ship belonging to the environmental group Greenpeace - embarked on an Arctic expedition.Its aim was to disrupt the first day of drilling on a newly built oil rig. This would be the first to drill for Arctic oil - something that had only been made possible in recent years by melting ice in the region.Frank Hewetson, a Greenpeace campaigner, was on board. He tells the story of the protest and arrest of 30 people by the Russian authorities.A Falling Tree production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Sign asking for Frank Hewetson's release. Credit: In Pictures Ltd/Corbis via Getty Images)
In this week’s series focusing on business and science, we start things off by looking at the world of synthetic biology.The industry is estimated to be worth around $30bn in the next few years, but how is that money actually made?We speak to businesses across the world to find out how they’ve taken the building blocks of synthetic biology and engineered them into products that we use on a daily basis.Presenter: Gareth MitchellProducer: Izzy Greenfield(Image: A scientist working with lab grown meat. Credit: Getty Images)
Kim Chakanetsa meets two trailblazing athletes who help promote women’s participation in sports.Ray Bassil is the first Arab woman to compete in three Olympic games and win three consecutive World Cup medals in trap shooting. Ray has become a prominent figure in Lebanese sports, breaking barriers as a female athlete in this a male-dominated field. She has also worked with UNDP as youth and gender Goodwill Ambassador.Sarah El Jizi is a basketball player who leads a series of sports programs for Right To Play, an NGO promoting skills development and social cohesion among youth in refugee camps. Sarah works with local female coaches to teach kids life skills like inter-faith dialogue, effective communication, respect and team-work through sport.Produced by Alice Gioia. Sound recording by Antonio Nakhoul.(Image: (L) Sarah El Jizi. (R) Ray Bassil.)
Robyn Weintraub is a leading crossword designer who writes clues and fills in cells for the New York Times, famous for its challenging daily puzzles. She also creates for the New Yorker, People Magazine and the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Robyn is known for her distinct style, and keen readers recognise a “Robyn Puzzle” from the quotes and sayings she uses as hints. Tara Gadomski follows Robyn over three intense days as she constructs a new crossword puzzle from blank page to completed grid. We get a glimpse of her long word lists and her daily puzzle-writing routine, and experience Robyn’s final verification - by pencil and paper - to make sure the puzzle is satisfying for the millions of people who will try to solve it then we discover whether Robyn’s puzzle has been accepted for publication by the New York Times
The generals say Ukrainian troops have breached the first line of Russian defences in the south, near Zaporizhzhia. Also: many people killed after air strike on Sudanese capital, and Paul McCartney launches a global search for his missing Beatles' 1961 Höfner guitar.
A bond between brothers, a coming-out story, and an international song contest. William Lee Adams is one of the leading voices covering the Eurovision Song Contest, criss-crossing the continent to interview stars and live-stream shows. But as a child growing up in small-town America, he was made to feel invisible; encouraged to suppress his Vietnamese heritage and questions about his sexuality. He found solace in caring for his brother, John, who had severe physical disabilities due to a brain condition. Even so, he needed an escape route. William has written a memoir called Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision. Presenter: India RakusenProducer: Rob Wilson
Stephen Sackur speaks to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to be Speaker of the US House of Representatives and a leading figures in the Democratic Party. With a Trump versus Biden presidential re-run looking likely, how close is the United States to political meltdown?
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said he will ask parliament to dismiss the defence minister Oleksii Reznikov this week.In his nightly television address, Mr Zelensky said Mr Reznikov had served for 550 days during a full-scale war and now was the time for what he called "new approaches". It will be the biggest shake up at the Ukrainian defence ministry since the Russian invasion.Also in the programme: Israel says it's considering deporting asylum seekers who were involved in clashes on the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday; and thousands have been stranded at America's Burning Man festival as heavy rain turns the site into a mudbath.(Photo shows Ukraine's former defence minister Oleksii Reznikov at a NATO leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on 11 July 2023. Credit: Ints Kalnins/Reuters)
Thousands of protesters are expected to take to the streets to demand the withdrawal of French troops from the country. On Saturday's there was mass demonstration. The demand to expel Niger’s former colonial ruler is backed by Niger’s military regime, which seized power in a coup in July. Also on the programme: Pope Francis’s visit to Mongolia’s tiny flock of 1,500 ends with a Mass in an ice hockey arena. Flanked by two bishops from Hong Kong, the Pope urged Chinese Catholics to not only be good Christians, but ‘good citizens’. And the ousted president of Gabon’s surprising relationship with the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. (IMAGE: Supporters of the military junta protest against the French military presence in Niger, Niamey, 2 September 2023 CREDIT: ISSIFOU DJIBO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Dozens of people are reported injured in Tel Aviv as demonstrations turned violent. Also: Ukraine's tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky detained in fraud case, and US singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett dies aged seventy-six.
Police in Israel have opened an investigation into the use of live fire by officers, during clashes in Tel Aviv between rival groups of Eritrean asylum seekers. Nearly a hundred and fifty people were injured. We hear what life is like for the community living in Tel Aviv.The Nobel Foundation has reversed a much-criticised decision to invite Russia, Belarus and Iran to this year's awards ceremony in Stockholm. Will Oslo, which hosts the Nobel Peace Prize do the same? And a new film about Bobi Wine, Uganda's pop star turned opposition politician - speak to his wife and one of the directors of the film.(Photo: Police said demonstrators for and against the Eritrean regime planned to rally in different areas, but did not stick to the arrangement. Credit: Reuters)
India has launched its first observation mission to study the Sun in the latest success for the burgeoning space power. Large crowds gathered to watch the Aditya-L1 satellite blast off from Andhra Pradesh state, with India's Space Agency later confirming the craft had successfully separated from the rocket. Also in the programme: Nobel Foundation cancels its invitation to the Russian and Belarus ambassadors to this year's ceremony after widespread criticism; and two members of the Proud Boys militia are sentenced.(Photo: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Aditya-L1 mission payloads blasting off from a launch pad aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL rocket, in Kolkata, India, 02 September 2023. Credit: Piyal Adhikary/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the extraordinary difference a pioneering stem cell treatment has made to one of its patients, the man who saved a toddler as she fell from an apartment block in Italy. And, a chance to hear our politics correspondent, Rob Watson, like you've never heard him before.
It was John Lennon who said "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans!" and that's certainly true for Olympic gold medal winning Triathlete Jess Learmonth. Jess had her sights firmly set on retaining the title she won in Tokyo when Paris rolls around next year, but then an unexpected and wonderful thing happened. She became pregnant! Her due date is in just two weeks time, but that doesn't mean she isn't still eyeing up an Olympic berth in ParisOn Thursday the new NFL season kicks off. One man sure to be watching will be Marc Buoniconti. He comes from American football royalty. His dad Nick was a Hall of Famer, a star of the unbeaten Dolphins team of 1972, still the only side to go undefeated throughout an entire season. Marc was all set to carve out his own NFL career when at the age of just 19 he suffered a spinal chord injury whilst playing at college; in that moment his life changed forever.Marc has been telling Sportshour's Shari Vahl about his tragic and yet remarkably uplifting storyImagine scuba diving without a breathing apparatus, diving down hundreds of feet on a single breath and holding it for as long as three and a half minutes. That's freediving and extreme sport that's growing in popularity and interest. But it's also one of the most dangerous. Alessia Zecchini is the world record holder and was recently subject of a documentary " The Deepest Breath " So what drives her to pursue such a dangerous and deadly pursuit? Sportshour's Stefano Montali has been delving deep : TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 27: Jessica Learmonth of Team Great Britain reacts during the Women's Individual Triathlon on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Odaiba Marine Park on July 27, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The recent women’s football World Cup has been widely hailed as a success for the international game. We hear your thoughts on the BBC’s coverage. Plus, a listener asks if there’s a place for sports reporting in a serious news show.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
In 1977 English batsman Dennis Amiss became the first cricket player in the modern game to wear protective headgear. Derided and taunted by spectators, as well as some players, the pioneering use of head protection revolutionised pitch safety. He speaks to Wayne Wright about the profound effect in had on the sport. This is a Made in Manchester Production for the BBC World Service.(Photo: 10th June 1974: Dennis Amiss in action against India in the first test at Old Trafford. Amiss was later to a wear cricket helmet for protection from 1977. Credit: Getty Images)
The highest storm alert is in force in Hong Kong as Typhoon Saola is approaching.It could be the strongest storm to hit the region in decades, with the Hong Kong Observatory is warning of winds with mean speeds of 118 km/h.Tens of millions of people in Hong Kong and adjacent areas of mainland China have taken shelter. Emergency shelters have been opening in the city of Shenzhen.(Picture: HONG KONG, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Super Typhoon Saola hits Hong Kong, China on September 01, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The US elections for the next president are not until November 2024, but the campaigning for votes is underway. And it’s two familiar faces who seem to be the ones to beat. Host Lukwesa Barak hears from Democrats and Republicans across the country about what they make of their choices, and also from those who feel that neither party represents them.
The members of the Pro-Trump group were convicted over the US Capitol attack in January 2021. Also: Christie's cancels sales of jewellery from the widow of a German billionaire who made his fortune during the Nazi era, And Mohamed Al Fayed - the Egyptian businessman who owned Harrods in London has died.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Jean H. Lee, an American journalist who has covered both North and South Korea extensively. Jean is also the co-host of the BBC World Service podcast, The Lazarus Heist. She tells us more about the relationship between the two countries.The programme begins with the historic meeting between North and South Korea's leaders almost 50 years after the Korean War. We hear from Sameh Elbarky who was in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square on the day the army killed hundreds of protestors following a military coup. In the second half of the programme, British black activists recount how they protested against racism within the local bus company in Bristol in 1963. One of the first Chinese students to arrive in the US in the early 1980s following the Cultural Revolution shares her experience. Finally, how the Mexican island of Guadalupe was saved from being destroyed by hungry goats. Contributors:Jean H. Lee - American journalist and the co-host of the BBC's The Lazarus Heist podcast.Professor Chung-in Moon - South Korean special delegate. Sameh Elbarky - survivor of the Rabaa massacre.Paul Stephenson - spokesperson for the Bristol Bus Boycott. Roy Hackett - Bristol Bus Boycott protestor. Zha Jianying - Chinese American writer. Professor Exequiel Ezcurra - conservationist. (Photo: North and South Korean leaders meet at the summit in 2000. Credit: REUTERS/Pool/Files (NORTH KOREA POLITICS OBITUARY))
In a gruesome new trend, TikTok has been flooded with videos in which AI-generated versions of real life child murder victims tell the stories of how they were killed. The mother of child murder victim James Bulger and other grieving parents have expressed their disgust that their loved ones digital versions of their loved ones have been created and posted online without their consent. In the first episode of “Extreme”, a new series from BBC Trending, Ed Main investigates this phenomenon.More than 100 different AI-generated versions of the same child have been posted online. Social media safety campaigner Baroness Beeban Kidron calls it an “emotional assault” on victims’ families. While TikTok has banned AI content that uses the likeness of real children, some of these videos have gathered millions of views. So who is creating these mini horror movies and why are people watching them despite the distress they are causing?Presenter and producer: Ed MainAdditional reporting: Thuong LeEditor: Flora Carmichael
Mohamed Al Fayed, former Harrods owner whose son Dodi was killed alongside Diana, Princess of Wales in car crash, has died aged 94.Born in Egypt, he built a business empire in the Middle East before moving to the UK in the 1970s.
Families have been searching mortuaries in Johannesburg a day after the fire that killed over 70 people. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Forensic investigators have been at the site, picking through the charred remains of the burnt-out structure.Also on the programme: Anger in Sweden over the decision to invite the Russian ambassador to the Nobel award ceremony; and a relative remembers one of the Moroccan jet skiers killed by the Algerian coastguard.(Image: A view of damaged buildings in the aftermath of a deadly fire in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 1 September 2023. Credit: Reuters/Tassiem)
Vivienne Nunis hears about a new report which says that if nothing is done to redress Africa’s huge debt burden, the consequences will be felt far outside the continent. New rules come into force today (Friday) in the Netherlands, which could further limit the export of high-end semiconductor technology to China. From today, rented E-scooters will no longer be seen on the streets of Paris - after residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of getting rid of them.
Many buildings in the centre of the South African city of Johannesburg, where a horrific fire has killed more than 70 people, are deemed unfit to live in. Yet these old blocks, abandoned by their owners or the city authorities, are full of families often paying rent to criminal gangs who run them. The buildings, which lack running water, toilets or a legal electricity connection, are then said to have been "hijacked". We find out what this means. A private plane found with more than $5m in cash, fake gold, guns and ammunition on board, is at the centre of a deepening investigation in the Zambian capital, Lusaka. The African Climate Summit will take place in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi next week, featuring speakers from Kenya’s government, the African Union and the United Nations. Will the event be just hot air or will it provide a solid plan of action?
74-year-old had appealed for a royal pardon from the Thai king. Also: Hong Kong is hit by a massive hurricane and why some bloggers in Russia are allowed to criticise the war in Ukraine.
Super-typhoon Saola prompts flight cancellations, railway closures and severe weather warnings across Hong Kong and southern mainland China; we get an update from Hong Kong and hear about the global economic importance of Guangdong, in the typhoon's path.Also in the programme: Algerian coastguards shoot dead two tourists who strayed into Algerian waters on their jet skis from a Moroccan resort; and we report from Kashmir, where journalists say the administration is carrying out a systematic campaign of arrests and intimidation.(IMAGE: People brave strong winds in Hong Kong, China, as Super Typhoon Saola approaches, September 1, 2023. CREDIT: Reuters / Tyrone Siu)
BBC Urdu’s Azizullah Khan was on the scene soon after last week’s dramatic rescue in northwest Pakistan, when a broken cable car was left dangling hundreds of metres above the ground. He interviewed survivors and local people, and tells us about the harshness of their lives. The rescue put an international spotlight on these remote villages, but will that change anything? Andalusian SpanishBBC Mundo's Alicia Hernandez is from Andalusia in the south of Spain, and she published an online piece about the unique dialect of Spanish spoken there, which differs from the standard form. She explains why it's the basis of the Spanish spoken across Latin America.Chinese shoppers stockpiling salt Consumers in mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong have been panic-buying table salt after Japan began releasing treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima power plant. Martin Yip of BBC Chinese explains why. Lebanon's beauty treatment boom Despite the economic crisis in Lebanon, its cosmetic procedures industry is thriving. The pressure to look good has forced many women to continue costly beauty treatments, with diaspora remittances and visits home keeping the clinics busy. We hear more from BBC Arabic's Carine Torbey.Gold smuggling in Nepal The recent seizure of 60 kilograms of gold at Kathmandu airport has shone light on the scale of smuggling in Nepal’s tightly controlled gold market. It’s a story that hints at corruption and shady dealings in high places. BBC Nepali’s Sanjaya Dhakal has been covering the story. (Photo: Army soldier descends from a helicopter during a rescue mission to recover students stuck in a chairlift in a remote village in Pakistan. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
American writer and visual artist Audrey Niffenegger talks about her bestselling novel The Time Traveler’s Wife - a magical love story with a twist.Funny, quirky, and occasionally heartbreaking, this is the story of a relationship lived in the moment – even if those moments are all in the wrong order.Clare and Henry met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when she was twenty-two and he was thirty. Because Henry is a time traveller. He suffers from a rare genetic condition that means he can be pulled forwards or backwards through time at any moment, without his control.Against this backdrop, Clare and Henry build a deep and passionate relationship that spans Clare’s whole life and most of Henry’s – all while trying to live a normal life. But unlike most couples, they know how it will end from very early on. Audrey Niffenegger explores the depths of love and trust and inevitable grief and loss through her unusual and moving novel.(Picture: Audrey Niffenegger. Photo credit: Dennis Hearne, courtesy MacAdam/Cage.)
Launched in 1966 by Communist leader Mao Zedong, the Cultural Revolution plunged China into a decade of chaos. The education of millions of young people was disrupted and China was cut off from the rest of the world. When students first started venturing out, it was still a country feeling the after effects of the Cultural Revolution. Farhana Haider spoke to writer Zha Jianying in 2021. She was one of the first batch of Chinese students to arrive in the USA in the early 1980s.(Photo: Zha Jianying. Credit: Simon Song/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
Many of us have drawers and boxes full of beauty products that we never end up finishing. We meet the Nordic start-ups who are trying to cut some of that waste by changing the way we shop. We find out about tech which personalises products, and then makes it 'on demand' rather than in bulk. And will the use of AI actually end up encouraging people buying more, rather than less?Presented and produced by Maddy Savage(Image: A scientist at Swedish tech start-up Ellure. Credit: BBC)
Zeinab Badawi speaks to Sudan's former ambassador to Washington Nureldin Satti. The conflict that broke out in April between two rival generals in Sudan has been escalating with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. More than 4 million people have been forced to flee their homes amidst reports of widespread atrocities. Can a humanitarian catastrophe be averted in Sudan?
Tropical Storm Idalia is the most expensive natural disaster to hit the US this year.UBS has estimated that insurance companies in the state will be have to pay out $10 billion, but that figure could rise. This will put more pressure on insurance companies in Florida, where nine property insurance firms have closed down since 2021.We hear from a business that was badly damaged by the storm.(Picture: PERRY, FL - AUGUST 30: A damaged business in downtown Perry, Fla. Scenes from Perry, Fla. on Wednesday, August 30, 2023 after Hurricane Idalia passed through the area. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Aaliyah grew up a devout Muslim but now makes adult content for the online service OnlyFans. She’s often pictured wearing a hijab. Aaliyah is her stage name. She’s had death threats but believes that expressing her sexuality and making her own choices about her body are empowering. She has also had support from young Muslim women and couples. She was brought up in the UK as a Muslim and began to question her faith at the age of 12, when her parents got divorced. She says, “My work now is definitely a rebellion against my upbringing. I’m tired of being told how women should be”. Aaliyah still describes herself as Muslim, and feels that her sex work is more important than the version of Islam she grew up with.Can you be a sex worker and still follow your faith? Sex work has always challenged religion. Although it’s broadly considered immoral within Christianity, Islam and Judaism, sacred texts carry some mixed messages. Women sex workers often see male religious leaders condemning them in public, whilst buying their services in private.In Bangalore in India, women at a sex workers cooperative think religion is compatible with their work. One Christian, who’s a mother and wife, says her family don’t know how she makes her living. “I can talk to God about it when I can’t talk to my husband”. In Nigeria, a Muslim sex worker we’re calling Zara operates in an area where sex work is illegal and dangerous. But she draws strength from her faith. “I know what God says about selling sex, that it’s against the religion but he understands that I have to do it.”
The President calls for urgent action to address inner city housing problems after dozens were killed. Also: Long sentences for two former leaders of the far-right Proud Boys for their role in the storming of the Capitol building in Washington in 2021, and the massive Watusi bull spotted in the passenger seat of a car on the move in Nebraska.
Florida’s Tropical Storm Idalia is the most expensive natural disaster to hit the United States this year.Insurance companies in Florida are now under pressure; nine property insurance firms have closed down since 2021.We hear from a business in Cedar Key which was badly damaged by the storm.
The South African president says he expects actions to be taken to prevent any recurrence of the fire in a derelict building that killed more than 70 people in the South African city of Johannesburg. It's thought 200 families were living in an abandoned five storey building when it caught light. We hear from government minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.Also in the programme: Filipino fishermen face off against China; and ABBA's Agnetha Fältskog's new single.(Picture: Firefighters work at the scene of a deadly blaze, in Johannesburg, South Africa August 31, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)
Global sea levels are rising more than 3mm per year under current climate conditions. At this rate we are due to hit an alarming 7mm rise per year by the end of the century. If this is not slowed, it could lead to the drowning of essential coastal ecosystems like mangroves and lagoons, Professor of Environmental Science Neil Saintilan tells Science in Action. The seas are also heating up. We’ve covered the devastating effect of marine heatwaves on vibrant sea life like coral reefs before. But what about the less glamourous bottom-dwelling fish? Ecologist Alexa Fredston has found that they may be more robust than we think. Also this week, bird virus expert Michelle Wille tells us about the imminent threat of bird flu spreading from South America to Antartica where hundreds of thousands of sea birds are at risk. And from one south pole to another, we have an update on how India’s mission on the lunar south pole is going with Lunar and Planetary Insitute scientist David Kring. Image Credit: Marie HickmanPresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Ella HubberEditor: Richard Collings
More than 70 people have been killed and 50 injured in a fire in Johannesburg, South Africa. We get the latest on the search and recovery operation, and hear about so called "hi-jacked" buildings.
Also in the programme: former French president Francois Hollande on the coup in Gabon and how the situation compares to that in Niger; and why the wild boar in Bavaria's forests are still radioactive, long after Chernobyl.
[MAGE: An emergency services member climbs a ladder at the site of a fire that broke out at a five-storey building in the city centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 August 2023 / CREDIT: EPA / KIM LUDBROOK]
Army officers who seized power name a transitional leader for this nation rich in oil and manganese, a key mineral in the steel industry. We take a look at Gabon's economy, the role it could have played in the political crisis which unravelled this week, and the challenges it will face under new leadership.
Figures from China's manufacturing sector show that activity has dropped for the fifth month in a row. We look into the latest gloomy data on the state of the world's second largest economy.
And we hear how two years of drought in Spain, the number one global producer of olive oil, are making prices of the commodity soar.
At least 15 truck drivers stuck on the Egypt-Sudan border have recently died from heat stroke. Hundreds have been stuck at the border due to bureaucratic red tape causing congestion
What are the medium and long term implications of the coup in Gabon?
Plus we meet Koyo Kouoh, the woman in charge of the biggest museum of contemporary art in Africa.
A fire in a block of flats in the South African city of Johannesburg has killed more than 70 people. Officials said bodies had been found piled up at a locked gate that had prevented people fleeing. It's not known what caused the blaze. Also: the man the military has named as Gabon's interim leader says the ousted president Ali Bongo had no right to continue in office, and we find out how a team of online love scammers was brought down in Indonesia.
In 2000, an expedition to the Mexican island of Guadalupe launched a fight to save its ecosystem from being eaten by goats.Russian whalers had introduced the goats to the island in the 19th Century and the population exploded as they ate their way through Guadalupe’s plants, shrubs and trees.Several species of birds were already extinct when a group of scientists, from the San Diego Natural History Museum, visited to inspect the damage.Their expedition would begin the campaign to save the island’s wildlife from extinction, as Professor Exequiel Ezcurra tells Jane Wilkinson.(Photo: Goats on Guadalupe Island. Credit: Northern Light Productions)
Does the paper industry use too much water? As concern about plastic waste grows, many companies have switched from plastic packaging to paper, but how environmentally friendly is paper production? Uruguay, in South America, has been suffering from drought and its forestry and pulp milling industries are coming under increasing scrutiny for the amount of water used. We’ve been to an enormous new pulp mill in central Uruguay, capable of producing more than two million tonnes of pulp every year, to find out more. Producer / presenter: Grace Livingstone(Image: Water protests in Uruguay; Credit: BBC)
India's successful moon landing has the Unexpected Elements team engaging in some serious lunacy. We look at where the moon even came from, how it helps us navigate, and whether it has a cultural and ecological heritage.
Also on the show, is Dr. TikTok leading to a raft of self-diagnoses, should we be eating banana peels and worms, and we go back to the moon to see if it has any effect on our sleep.
Gnawa music is a Moroccan spiritual musical tradition developed by descendants of enslaved people from Sub-Saharan Africa. It combines ritual poetry with traditional music and dance, and is traditionally only performed by men. But one female Moroccan artist, Asmâa Hamzaoui, has broken the mould. She's become an international star, who has even performed for Madonna on her birthday. For Assignment, reporter Myriam Francois travels to Casablanca to meet Asmaa and her family, and follows her to the Essaouira Festival, the annual celebration of Gnawa culture.
What does its ever-growing popularity tell us about the changing identity of a country that once saw itself primarily as part of the Arab world, but has now become more interested in its links to the rest of the African continent?
Presented by Myriam Francois Produced by Tim Whewell Series editor Penny Murphy
(Image: Asmâa Hamzaoui. Credit: BBC/Myriam Francois)
Switzerland has outlined a series of measures to combat money laundering and increase transparency in its huge financial sector. They include a register of those who ultimately benefit from trusts and companies - Switzerland is the only European country that doesn't have one.
Toymaker Lego saw profits fall in the first half of the year as the bumper sales growth seen during the pandemic starts to fade.
Burger King must face a lawsuit that alleges it makes its Whopper burger appear larger on its menus than it is in reality, a US judge has ruled. So what goes into photographing food? Can it be cheated?
Roger Hearing discusses these topics and more with Takara Small, technology journalist in Toronto, and Satoshi Shimoda, Senior Staff Writer at Nikkei newspaper, based in Tokyo.
(A sign showing "Bank" written at the entrance of the headquarters of Swiss giant banking UBS. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
The deposed president, Ali Bongo, appeals for support while under house arrest. Also: Hurricane Idalia batters the US state of Florida before heading to Georgia, and Switzerland proposes sweeping new laws to combat money laundering.
Weaning refers to the process of introducing your baby to solid foods, alongside breast milk or formula. In the UK, the NHS suggests this normally happens at around six months old.
In this programme Rick Kelsey starts the weaning journey with his baby boy Albie, and finds out about some of the different approaches including ‘spoon fed’ and ‘baby led’ weaning. He also gets advice on how to deal with allergies and choking.
Rick Kelsey is joined by Katie Shelton from ‘Scrummy Tummies’, Dr Sarika Kapoor who posts online as ‘The Weaning GP’, and Rachel Childs, nutritionist at First Steps Nutrition Trust, a public health charity in the UK.
Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey.
You can contact the programme by emailing thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Image: a baby being spoon fed, with food around its mouth. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)
Switzerland has outlined a series of measures to combat money laundering and increase transparency in its huge financial sector. They include a register of those who ultimately benefit from trusts and companies - Switzerland is the only European country that doesn't have one.
One of China's biggest property development firms, Country Garden, has reported half year losses of six-point-seven billion dollars. The announcement increases concerns about the troubled property sector, which accounts for more than a quarter of Chinese GDP.
Burger King must face a lawsuit that alleges it makes its Whopper burger appear larger on its menus than it is in reality, a US judge has ruled.
Gabon's President Ali Bongo appeals for help after the army deposed him in a coup and put him under house arrest. Army officers appeared on TV to say they had taken power. They say they have annulled the results of Saturday's election in which Mr Bongo was declared the winner, but the opposition claims it was fraudulent. Also on the programme: a report from the front line in north-east Ukraine where modest Russian advances are costing Ukrainian lives; and hurricane Idalia batters the Gulf Coast of Florida.
(Picture: People celebrate in support of the military coup in a street in the capital of Gabon, Libreville Credit: REUTERS/Scott Ngokila)
In March 2015, Brazil reported a large outbreak of the Zika virus infection. Over the next year, the disease became a global medical emergency. Thousands of babies were born brain-damaged, after their mothers became infected while pregnant.
As the World Health Organisation discusses the current global Zika situation and the lessons learned from the outbreak, Claudia Hammond is joined by Dr Graham Easton to hear from the families affected in Brazil and ask what life is now like for the babies who were born with complications.
We also hear about new recommendations for how communities around the world can better prevent Sudden Cardiac Death, as well as research on whether how far away you are from a defibrillator is related to how deprived your area is.
Claudia speaks to a psychiatric nurse and the woman who says she saved her life by going above and beyond the call of duty.
And we hear about the world first from Australia, where scientists discovered a living worm in the brain of a woman who’d been experiencing stomach pain and night sweats.
Image Credit: Joao Paulo Burini
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh
Senior army officers in Gabon announced a coup shortly after President Ali Bongo's re-election was announced.
One of the BBC's team spends 24 hours with Tunisia's coast guard as it finds people desperate to cross continents.
How to win an argument? We debate the pros and cons of the art of debating with high school students.
Military officers in Gabon have appeared on on television to say they have seized power. They said they had placed President Ali Bongo under house arrest and were annulling the results of an election on Saturday, in which Mr Bongo was declared the winner.
His overthrow would end his family's 56-year hold on power in the resource-rich West African country and would be the eighth coup in a former French colony in Africa in the past three years. France has condemned the latest events.
Also in the programme: our correspondent sees at first hand how Russian kamikaze drones are slowing Ukraine's counteroffensive; Australia announces a date for a referendum on indigenous rights; and the international operation to bring down a hugely lucrative malware network.
(Photo shows a military vehicle passing by people celebrating in the city Port Gentil in Gabon. Credit: Gaetan M-Antchouwet via Reuters)
Electricity prices in the country have soared since the government cut energy subsidies to obtain a $3bn bailout from the International Monetary Fund leading to protests. We hear how this is impacting individuals and businesses.
Also in the programme, we get the latest from Gabon, where the military has seized power and placed President Ali Bongo, 64, under house arrest. We take a look at the economic background in which the coup has taken place.
Netflix has told the BBC that their gaming division is a "natural extension" of their entertainment business. We talk to one of the firm's gaming partners about the opportunities that the streaming giant has opened for the industry.
Military officers have placed President Ali Bongo under house arrest. Also: overnight drone and missile attacks on targets in both Russia and Ukraine, and Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida.
On 14 August 2013, Egypt's army killed hundreds of protestors in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square.
They were protesting against a military coup that had taken place a month earlier, in which the democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted.
Sameh Elbarky was in the square that day. He speaks to Ben Henderson.
(Photo: A poster of Egypt's ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, among debris in Rabaa Square. Credit: NurPhoto/Corbis via Getty Images)
How does sleep relate to your job, your income, or your socio-economic status?
We look at the impact of a good, and bad night’s rest. We discuss the factors affecting sleep, including access to health care, where and how you live, and how that might influence other aspects of your life.
Plus we look at the growing market in devices to ‘cure’ sleep problems.
Producer and presenter: Elizabeth Hotson
(Image: A man in bed in a deep sleep. Credit: Getty Images)
虽然动词 “start、open” 和短语 “start up、set up” 都可以用来表示 “开始，创立” 的意思，但它们的含义稍有不同。在具体使用时，需要根据 “创业” 的类型来判断应选用哪个动词或短语。听节目，学用英语谈论 “创业” 和 “开店”。
Stephen Sackur speaks to Peter Boehringer, Vice Chairman of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Deutschland party. They are anti-immigrant, anti-EU, anti-military aid for Ukraine, and are running second in national polls. Does their rise threaten Germany’s stability?
US commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, is calling on Beijing to reduce the risk of doing business in China for American companies. Ms Raimondo says fines, raids and other actions that have made it too risky to do business in the world's second largest economy. She made the remarks during her current 4-day trip to China, but she added she didn't want Washington to cut links with the Chinese economy. The Chinese premier, Li Qiang, accused the United States of politicising trade, which he warned would have a disastrous impact on global finances.
Workers at two large liquefied natural gas plants in Australia are set to go on strike from 7 September, in a move that could drive up global prices. The dispute is about pay and working conditions. The Wheatstone and Gorgon sites produce more than 5% of the world's LNG and about 500 workers are currently employed at the two plants in Western Australia.
Roger Hearing discusses these topics and more with Jyoti Malhotra, Editor, National and Strategic Affairs of The Print news portal in Delhi and Alison Van Diggelen, host of the Fresh Dialogues in San Francisco.
Yevgeny Prigozhin was buried during a private service in his home town of St Petersburg. Also: Evacuation orders are issued in parts of Florida as an extremely dangerous hurricane heads towards the US Gulf coast, and could music from Mozart help to reduce pain in babies?
US commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, is calling on Beijing to reduce the risk of doing business in China for American companies.
He was buried this Tuesday in a small private funeral in St Petersburg. He led a failed mutiny against the Russian authorities two months ago and the role of the mercenary group he commanded has played a decisive role in Ukraine's war. We hear from a former Wagner fighter about Prigozhin's legacy and the future of the mercenary group.
Also on the programme: Prosecutors in Uganda have for the first time charged someone with "aggravated homosexuality", punishable by death ; and the rapper Eminem has told Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to stop using one of his songs during his political campaign.
(Picture: PMC Wagner group founder and chief Yevgeny Prigozhin funeral in St. Petersburg, St Petersburg, Russian Federation. Credit: Anatoly Maltsev via EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
This week, the academic Kate Crawford tells us how she travelled the world to find the true cost of AI. Reporter Chris Vallance updates us on a watermark system - developed by Deepmind, Google's AI arm - which aims to show whether an image was generated by a machine or designed by a human. Mansoor Hamayun, Co-Founder and CEO of Bboxx tells us about the company's smart cooking valve, designed to protect lives - and trees - in Rwanda. We speak to Fu’ad Lawal, the founder of Archivi.ng,and archivist Grace Abraham, about why the key to Nigeria's tech future may lie in digitsing newspapers from its past.
(Picture credit: an imagined digital landscape, by Andriy Onufriyenko, for Getty images)
Gina Raimondo is the latest of four US top officials to visit China in the last two months. We look into what might come out from her four-day visit to the Asian superpower.
London has expanded its Ultra Low Emission Zone to make it the world's biggest anti pollution charging zone. We hear how much drivers will have to pay to drive within the city, and the impact it can have on workers and businesses.
And India, the world's largest rice exporter, has issued new curbs on exports of this cereal. We listen to the reasons and the potential consequences.
But the former Prime Minister is unlikely to be released soon. Also: A new study by the Energy Policy Institute of Chicago says the impact of air pollution is now the greatest external threat to human health - and people in South Asia are among the worst affected, and how doctors in Australia extracted a live worm from a woman's brain.
Sierra Leone is grappling with a serious substance crisis. A cheap and illegal synthetic drug known as Kush that is wreaking havoc among the youth.
Around 500 schools have been shutdown in Cameroon. Will they open in time for the new school year?
Plus what's life like as the great granddaughter of Emperor Haile Selassie?
A major new report warns that air pollution is one of the world’s greatest threats to public health, with India, Pakistan, China and Nigeria some of the worst hit countries. Researchers say that poor air quality can take more than two years off average life expectancy.
Also on the programme: The Spanish World Cup sexism scandal continues as Spain’s regional football federations call on Luis Rubiales to stand down; and the smart socks with AI being used to help people with dementia.
(IMAGE: An Indian man with his face covered with a cloth walks amid heavy smog in New Delhi, India CREDIT: EPA-EFE/RAJAT GUPTA)
俗话说：鱼和熊掌不可兼得。两件好事并不总是能够同时实现。英语新词 “cakeism” 就可以用来指这种 “想同时得到两个好处或做成两件好事的不现实心态或愿望”。这个词来自哪句英文谚语？听对话，学习名词 “cakeism” 的用法。
In June 2000, a historic meeting took place between South Korean president Kim Dae-jung and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il.
This was the first inter-Korean summit since the Korean War, almost 50 years earlier.
Professor Chung-in Moon from South Korea was a special delegate at the summit.
He told Gill Kearsley about his experience in North Korea.
(Photo: North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. Credit: Newsmakers)
On 1st February 2021, a coup d'état began in Myanmar where the National League for democracy was deposed by Myanmar's military.
Students studying at the country’s higher education institutes were left with a decision: continue their studies under the new regime or walk out.
In this documentary - A New Term in Myanmar - more than two years on from the coup, we will hear from five students at Parami University sharing their experiences of studying during the coup.
Offering a US style Liberal Arts education, Parami University is one of many institutions offering people another chance to begin, or in some cases, restart their learning.
From dealing with electricity blackouts to writing essays about philosophy for teachers who are only ever a tile on a screen and usually on the other side of the world - each student shares how they are using education as both resistance and hope for themselves and their country.
Alongside them, we will hear from Parami University staff and academics who explain how education continues during conflict.
Names and voices have been changed on some contributors
With thanks to Dr Shona Loong, Dr Will Buckingham, Dr Kyaw Moe Tun and students at Parami University
Photo credit - Quinn - Student at Parami University
Producer: Mollie Davidson
A 7digital Production for BBC World Service
Delegates will soon descend on Saudi Arabia for perhaps the most consequential meeting in UNESCO’s history. With an extended agenda after last year’s cancellation, it’s the first World Heritage Committee meeting to be held in-person for four years.
In this episode we examine the so-called ‘UNESCO effect’ - and hear from entrepreneurs around Angkor Wat, in Cambodia, about the mixed consequences of its listing. We also hear from officials in Liverpool, in England, about UNESCO's decision to remove World Heritage status from the city's historic centre and docklands.
Presenter / producer: Laura Heighton-Ginns Image: Angkor Wat; Credit: Getty Images
Shares in embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande have fallen almost 80% in their first day of trading in Hong Kong for a year and a half. The shares have lost more than 99% of their value in the past three years as Beijing cracked down on property firms.
A technical issue at UK air traffic control has led to long flight delays and a federal judge has scheduled the trial for Donald Trump for his alleged effort to overturn the 2020 election for 4 March, the day before Super Tuesday, the biggest voting day in the Republican race.
Roger Hearing discusses these topics and more with Gaby Castro-Fontoura, a business consultant based in Uruguay, and Ralph Silva of the Silva Research Network in Toronto, Canada.
(Evergrande Group logo. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Spanish Football Federation regional leaders have called on their president Luis Rubiales to immediately resign after he kissed the player Jenni Hermoso at the Women's World Cup final in Australia. Also: Trump faces trial a day before the vital Republican vote on Super Tuesday, and what was discovered in a time capsule when it was opened at the US Military Academy at West Point?
Shares in embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande have fallen almost 80% in their first day of trading in Hong Kong for a year and a half. The shares have lost more than 99% of their value in the past three years as Beijing cracked down on property firms.
Also, a technical issue at UK air traffic control has led to long flight delays and even though layoffs are down, employers are still finding ways to cut jobs
We report on the latest developments in the Spanish World Cup football sexism scandal: a criminal investigation, an urgent meeting and a reported hunger strike. But how far does the sport Europe-wide need to change?
Also in the programme: Donald Trump is told he'll face a major criminal trial in March -- the day before the major presidential primaries; and a totem pole taken by a British museum heads back to Canada.
(Photo: The church in Motril, Spain, where the mother of Spanish Football Federation President, Luis Rubiales is reported to be on hunger strike. Credit: Reuters)
Imagine a world in which your laptop or mobile device accesses the internet, not via radio waves – or WiFi – as it does today but by using light instead: LiFi.
Well, that world may not be as far away as you might think. In fact, the technology is already here; and it’s thanks in large part to the engineering ingenuity of Harald Haas, Distinguished Professor of Mobile Communications and Director of the Li-Fi Research and Development Centre at the University of Strathclyde.
He tells Jim Al-Khalili about the two decades he has spent researching optical wireless communications, building up to his LiFi breakthrough in 2011, where he made waves in the scientific community and beyond by showing how a simple desk lamp could be used to stream a video.
Harald’s research could well have a very real impact on people’s lives, reinventing the way we connect online – but, as Jim hears, his early life was dogged by a very real fear he may have the same devastating disease that took his mother's life at an early age; an experience that shaped his early years and which has driven him to succeed in his own life and career.
Shares of the Chinese property giant fell by almost 80% on its first day of trading since March last year. The firm had suspended its activity in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as it aimed to release a global restructuring plan.
he US Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, is the fourth member of Joe Biden's cabinet to visit China in the last two months. We look into what might come out of this three-day trip.
And thousands of airline passengers face potential delays and cancellations after a technical issue at UK air traffic control led it to bring in traffic restrictions to "maintain safety". We hear the latest.
The big drop highlights China's current problems in the property sector. Also: The billionaire founder of the electronics giant Foxconn is announcing he'll run for the presidency of Taiwan, and France announces that it is banning schoolgirls from wearing abayas, the loose fitting full length robes usually worn by Muslims.
The runner-up in Zimbabwe's presidential election, Nelson Chamisa, has accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of carrying out an electoral coup. Former Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria chairperson Attahiru Muhammadu Jega is leading the Carter Center's observer mission to Zimbabwe. He talks about his role as electoral observer.
It has been more than a month since the military in Niger overthrew former President Bazoum. Burkina Faso and Mali have also been living under military governments that came to power through coups. In today's episode of Focus on Africa we ask have the juntas there delivered on their promises and what has life been like for the ordinary citizens ?
We speak with Ghanaian actor Majid Michel about how he coped with losing his voice after a car accident in 2015 and the secret to his longevity in the industry.
The Libyan foreign minister is reported to have been sacked for meeting her Israeli counterpart when the two countries don't have formal relations.
Libya - a strong backer of the Palestinian cause - does not recognise Israel, and the meeting has sparked protests in the majority Arab state. Israeli FM Eli Cohen said the "historic" meeting was "the first step" in establishing relations with Libya. So who sanctioned the encounter?
Also in the programme: Shares in the troubled Chinese property firm Evergrande have plummeted on their first day of trading for 18 months - is it simply too big to fail?; and the French government is banning the wearing of abayas -- the loose-fitting robes worn by some Muslim women -- in state-run schools.
(Photo shows demonstrators in Libya burning tyres to protest against the meeting of the foreign minister with her Israeli counterpart in Italy. Credit: STR/EPA)
Sixty years ago, there was a boycott of local bus services in the English city of Bristol. The bus company had specified that it did not want to employ black bus drivers.
The boycott ended on 28 August 1963 and the campaign helped to bring about Britain's first laws against racial discrimination.
In 2013, Louise Hidalgo heard from Paul Stephenson and Roy Hackett, who died in 2022.
This programme contains some racist language, used at the time.
(Photo: Bus on Park Street in Bristol in the early 1960s. Credit: Fox Photos/Getty Images)
These tech powerhouses bring in money and jobs but can be environmentally problematic and in Ireland data centres account for almost a fifth of the electricity consumption.
We explore how Ireland can keep hold of this valuable industry and make sure it's energy supply isn't affected.
Producer / presenter: Leanna Byrne Image: Data centre; Credit: Getty Images
A report published by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency in 2023 found that less than a quarter of the nuclear workforce are women. And when it comes to scientific, engineering and leadership roles in the industry, that figure is even smaller. Those who support nuclear as part of the energy mix to combat climate change say addressing this gender imbalance is essential, if the industry is to remain competitive and innovative.
Beatriz de la Pava is joined by two women working to increase female representation at all levels in nuclear power generation.
Lisa McBride is Canada’s country leader for small modular reactors with GE Hitachi's Nuclear Products Division. She began her career with Ontario Power Generation, where she spent 18 years in a range of leadership roles including nuclear security.
Raquel Heredia from Mexico is the Training Manager for the World Nuclear University, an organisation which works towards improving education and skills in the nuclear industry. She’s also worked as a data analyst, consultant and engineer in the field of sustainable development.
Produced by Fiona Clampin.
(Image: (L) Raquel Heredia. (R) Lisa McBride, credit: Elle Marie Photography.)
Russian officials say Yevgeny Prigozhin has been confirmed dead after genetic analysis of bodies found in Wednesday's plane crash. Also: Zimbabwean opposition leader has accused Emmerson Mnangagwa of carrying out a coup after official results showed the president won the recent election, and an Austrian town protests against mass tourism.
The French national team are known throughout the sporting world as "les bleus" because of their iconic kits, which echo the blue of the French national flag.
French sportswear brand Le Coq Sportif, in collaboration with the French Rugby Federation, have been creating and developing a new kit for the national squad ahead of France hosting the Rugby World Cup in September and October 2023.
Rosa Johnston-Flint talks to some of the creatives behind the design and manufacture of this new kit, and goes to Le Coq Sportif's factory in Romilly-sur-Seine, a small town not far from Paris, to watch the first shirt being made with fabric especially created in France.
Rugby is a rough contact sport, so how do you make a jersey that can withstand tackles while being as light as something worn by a cyclist and looking elegant under the spotlight of a home world cup?
Presenter/producer: Rosa Johnston-Flint Executive producer: Andrea Kidd
Harrison Okene spent three days trapped in an air pocket in a sunken ship.
Harrison was the ship's cook, and he'd been in the bathroom when the tugboat he worked on had suddenly capsized in bad weather. The vessel sank 30 metres to the seabed, upside down, and Harrison was trapped inside.
Days passed, and up on the surface a mission was launched to recover the bodies of the tugboat's crew. Divers descended, but they never expected to find anyone alive.
Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Harry Graham Editor: Munazza Khan Sound design: Joel Cox
Stephen Sackur speaks to the former punk rock star turned environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey. He is leading the campaign to clean up Britain’s waterways with fishermen and conservationists pitted against the privatised water industry and state regulators. Can he reverse the tide of environmental degradation?
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been elected to a second term with 52.6% of the vote, the electoral commission says. But the opposition also claims to have won, saying there was widespread vote-rigging, and observers said the vote fell short of democratic standards.
Also in the programme: Russia says Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has been confirmed dead after Wednesday's plane crash; and the tiny town of Hallstatt in Austria protests against receiving over a million tourists per year.
(Picture: Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks to the media at State House in Harare< Zimbabwe. Picture credit: REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo)
The incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa has been declared the winner of Zimbabwe's presidential election - despite criticism of an unfair process from international observers and the opposition. The Justice Minister tells Newshour the criticisms are rubbish.
Also in the programme: Russian officials confirm the Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin died in Wednesday's plane crash; and in Budapest fans have been cheering the athletes at the world athletics championships - but at what cost to Hungary?
Luis Rubiales refused to resign after kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips following Spain's victory in Australia. Also: thousands mark the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's March on Washington, and a high-altitude heist shocks Switzerland.
Spain's entire coaching staff from their World Cup win, except for manager Jorge Vilda, has resigned over the Luis Rubiales scandal. Spanish FA president Rubiales was suspended on Saturday by Fifa after kissing forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the Women's World Cup final victory over England in Sydney – a kiss she says was non-consensual.
Also in the programme: spate of looting of stores and supermarkets around Argentina has led to dozens of arrests; and we hear from San Francisco, where driverless taxis are now in operation.
(Picture: People protest outside the Spanish Soccer Federation. Picture credit: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes)
The Spanish football federation says it will take legal action over player Jenni Hermoso's comments about its president Luis Rubiales. Rubiales has refused to resign after kissing the player on the lips following Spain's Women's World Cup final win. Hermoso said on Friday she did not consent, but the federation has questioned her version of events.
Also in the programme: a new report finds that rape continues to be used as a weapon of war in Ethiopia's Tigray region; and we meet Kurdish Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor - one of the world's great masters of the Persian violin.
(Picture: A group of protesters demonstrated outside the Spanish football federation headquarters. Caption: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, huge relief in Pakistan after the rescue of two adults and six schoolboys after a cable car line snapped, the volunteers in Switzerland protecting livestock from wolves and therefore wolves from people, and some of the very best things about this year's Women's football world cup.
We're at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest catching up on the latest action.
Plus, the Women's World Cup has undoubtedly spurred a new generation of fans to the game. Street corners, parks and any where a game can be played is now almost as likely to be filled with youngsters wearing shirts with Carmano, Kerr or Bronze on the back of their shirts as Ronaldo, Messi or Kane. But up until Thursday, and despite her penalty saving heroics in the final, one replica shirt you couldn't buy was that of England Goalkeeper Mary Earps. Well after calls from fans and even a petition, Nike have finally succumbed. In a statement they said "Nike has secured limited quantities of goalkeeper jerseys for England, U.S., France, and the Netherlands... We recognize that during the tournament we didn’t serve those fans who wished to show their passion and support to the squad's goalkeepers. So why does it matter? We speak to Alex Ireland who is the author of the recently published Pretty Poly: The History of the Football Shirt’
Tony Gale won the Premier League with Blackburn in 1995, but started his career alongside the great George Best. No surprise then that Tony was known throughout his career as a bit of a character in the dressing room! He's just released his autobiography called "That's Entertainment" and he told us what it was like to be an apprentice at Fulham in the 1970's alongside some of the biggest names to ever to play the game.
Photo: Gold medallist Gianmarco Tamberi of Team Italy celebrates after winning the Men's High Jump Final during day four of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 22, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Credit: Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
In September 1997, the Australian tennis player Pat Rafter was the surprise winner of the US Open. Dismissed as a “fluke” victory by John McEnroe, Rafter returned to Flushing Meadows the following year to retain the title and also became world number one. Pat Rafter talks to Ashley Byrne about the victories and his career. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production.
(Photo: Pat Rafter in action during the Men's Singles Final at The US Open in Flushing, New York on September 7th, 1997. Credit: Getty Images)
The US Federal Reserve chairman has said the central bank will continue to raise interest rates "if appropriate" as inflation remains "too high". Jerome Powell told an annual gathering of central bankers that the pace of price rises had fallen from a peak.
The Director of the British Museum is stepping down over the way the institution under his leadership handled a series of thefts that have shaken its reputation.
The international leg of Taylor Swift's Eras tour kicked off last night in Mexico City. She is on track to make one billion US dollars from her Eras tour, which would make concert history.
(People shop at a Market in New York City. Photo Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Luis Rubiales has refused to resign after kissing Jenni Hermoso at the women's World Cup final in Australia. Also: Maui officials release list of those still missing after recent wildfires, and the Trump mugshot sends social media into a frenzy with memes and jokes.
More than 60 people are currently feared lost at sea after trying to escape Senegal by boat for a better life in Europe. According to the UN, Africa accounts for only 14 percent of the global migrant population. Most Africans also migrate internally but, due to the recent tragedy from Senegal, we decided to focus on those - both skilled and unskilled - who want to leave the continent for elsewhere. Host James Reynolds and his colleague Lukwesa Burak hear from men and women across four countries in Africa to discover the many reasons why they want to leave.
We also hear from two unemployed mothers, one of whom is prepared to temporarily leave her young child with relatives in order to secure her own and her daughter’s future.
A co-production between the BBC OS team and Boffin Media.
Max Pearson presents a collection of Witness History stories from the BBC World Service, this week we are focusing on Irish history.
In 2006, Ireland’s economic boom, known as the Celtic Tiger, ended. It meant thousands of people, like Michele Burke, were left devastated as house construction stopped.
In 1959, Tralee, in Ireland, hosted a festival to promote the town and build Irish connections around the world. The Rose of Tralee is now one of Ireland’s oldest and largest festivals.
Veteran RTE broadcaster and author, Joe Duffy, walks us through the significance of the Celtic Tiger.
At Easter 1916, a small army of Irish rebels attempted to start a revolution against British rule. They held out for more than a week against a massive British military response, but the insurrection ultimately failed.
Also, how electrification lit up rural Ireland for the first time, despite concerns about its potential dangers.
And how a group of women fought against a sexist tradition, that prevented them from taking a dip in a popular swimming spot.
Contributors: Michelle Burke - lived through the Celtic Tiger boom and bust. Alice O’Sullivan - first Rose of Tralee winner. Joe Duffy - broadcaster and author. Mary Dorcey - poet, writer and women’s rights activist.
(Photo: Deserted 'ghost estate' in Ireland. Credit: Tim Graham/Getty Images)
The US Federal Reserve chairman has said the central bank will continue to raise interest rates "if appropriate" as inflation remains "too high". Jerome Powell told an annual gathering of central bankers that the pace of price rises had fallen from a peak.
The Director of the British Museum is stepping down over the way the institution under his leadership handled a series of thefts that have shaken its reputation.
The international leg of Taylor Swift's Eras tour kicked off last night in Mexico City. She is on track to make one billion US dollars from her Eras tour, which would make concert history.
Spain's football chief is refusing to bow to growing pressure to resign after his controversial kiss at the Women's Football World Cup final.
Luis Rubiales had been expected to quit at a press conference, but instead gave a defiant speech, claiming the kiss was consensual and he was the victim of fake feminism. His attitude has angered players and government ministers, with many seeing it as symptom of sexism in Spanish sport and wider society.
Also in the programme: Denmark is planning to ban the burning of holy books after a number of recent incidents involving the Koran caused anger in the Muslim world - we speak to an MP who's opposed; and why non-plastic drinking straws may not be so eco-friendly after all.
(Photo shows Luis Rubiales announcing he will be staying as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Credit: Royal Spanish Football Federation via Reuters)
Germany’s economy slowly recovered in the second quarter of the year but it’s still very weak. Slow performance continues to drag down growth across the whole Eurozone.
Officials in Ethiopia's Tigray region have reported that more than 1,400 have died of starvation since international food aid was suspended a few months ago. Deliveries were halted after reports of widespread theft and corruption, but the impact has been catastrophic for many people living there. BBC Tigrinya’s Girmay Gebru tells us what he's seen in displaced people's camps in the region, where people are forced to beg to survive.
‘With my own eyes’: witnessing historic moments in Azerbaijan A new BBC Azerbaijani series hears from people who witnessed key moments in the country's history. Presenter Vusal Hamzayev tells us about one guest, Alexey Manvelyan, who's BBC Azerbaijani's correspondent in the Armenian capital Yerevan. Alexey recalls the era when Azerbaijan and Armenia were part of the Soviet Union. He, like many Armenians, lived in Azerbaijan, and many Azerbaijanis lived in Armenia. Then war broke out over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
Africa’s first English slave fort An archaeological dig in Ghana has discovered what is thought to be the first English slave fort in Africa. Parts of the foundations of Fort Kormantine, as well as 17th century artefacts, were discovered beneath the existing Fort Amsterdam, ending decades of speculation. BBC Africa’s Favour Nunoo visited the site and met those making the discoveries.
Ecuador votes against oil extraction in the Amazon The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world and home to the country’s last remaining uncontacted tribes. But the discovery of oil there 20 years ago divided Ecuadorians, with some wanting the park to remain untouched, and others arguing that this oil was vital for economic development. Now a referendum has decided to ban oil extraction. BBC Mundo’s Ana Maria Roura explains why this area and this decision are so unique.
Jakarta tops the list of polluted cities Earlier this month, Jakarta was ranked the world's most polluted city. The government has instructed civil servants to work from home, blaming vehicle emissions and global warming, but some experts claim that the power plants which surround the city are to blame. BBC Indonesian's Trisha Husada has been following one of the, literally, hottest topics in the country.
(Photo: Tigrayan woman and her children in an IDP camp in Shire. Credit: BBC)
The Kremlin says western allegations that it gave an order to kill the Wagner paramilitary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin are a complete lie. We hear from a Russian journalist who has spoken to some of Wagner’s mercenary fighters.
Also in the programme: we pick apart the historic significance of the Donald Trump mugshot; and the head of Spain's football federation has insisted he won't resign over his controversial kiss at the Women's World Cup final.
(Photo: A woman lays flowers in Moscow. Credit: Reuters)
In a defiant speech, Luis Rubiales claimed an unsolicited kiss he gave a player after her world cup triumph, was consensual. Also: Donald Trump becomes the first former or serving US president to have his mugshot taken, and the latest manifestation of 'Swiftonomics' - what impact is Taylor Swift expected to have on the economies of the cities her one-hundred date world-tour is taking in?
The BRICS bloc of developing nations agreed this week s to admit six new countries. The countries Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - are set to join in January. Can this counter Western dominance?
As thousands of UN troops speed up their pull out of Mali, despite a deteriorating security situation. We talk to BBC Arabic’s Feras Kilani the first journalist to travel to Northern Mali since French forces ended their military operation there two years ago
Plus why are more airlines adopting the use of sustainable aviation fuel? We hear from an expert based in Kenya
The Forty Foot is a famous sea swimming spot in Ireland’s capital city of Dublin. For hundreds of years, only men had the privilege of bathing in its deep, icy waters – naked if they chose.
That was until one day in the summer of 1974, when a group of women decided to plot an invasion.
At a time when Irish women couldn’t even access contraception, why did this group of hardy feminists decide to fight this particular battle for equality?
Rosie Blunt speaks to poet, writer, women’s rights activist, and swimmer Mary Dorcey.
(Photo: Woman diving at the Forty Foot in 2019. Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
A documentary recently told the story of a 14-year-old American schoolboy who is on a mission to prevent billions of batteries going into landfill. We hear your feedback on this positive, solutions-focused programme, and the show’s presenter and producer join us to explain the process of working with young people.
Plus, we hear some initial reaction to the World Service's coverage of football's Women's World Cup.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
Taylor Swift's Eras tour is predicted to make a record $1 billion - but how?
As countries around the world grapple with high inflation, how has Taylor Swift been able to persuade fans to spend money?
Olivia Wilson speaks to Brittany Hodak, author of Creating Superfans, to understand the role Swiftomania has played in her commercial and financial success.
Tyler Morse is the CEO of MCR, the third largest hotel owner-operator in the United States. He explains how Taylor Swift’s concerts have had a significant impact on the local economies of the cities she has toured in – including some of his hotels in Phoenix, Arizona.
Presented and produced by Olivia Wilson.
(Image: Taylor Swift performing in Seattle. Credit: Getty Images)
The BRICS group of nations has invited six countries to join them. They are Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We look at how some of these countries would benefit from joining this bloc.
China suspends all seafood imports from Japan over the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific.
Central banks from around the world are gathering for the annual three-day conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
(The national flags of current BRICS members are displayed at the conference centre in South Africa. Photo Credit: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)
Baptist minister Dr Martin Luther King Jr delivered his "I have a dream" speech on 28 August 1963 to crowds of over 250,000 in Washington DC as part of the Great March, which called for jobs and freedom for African Americans. It helped spur the passage of the US Civil Rights Act of 1964. On the 60th anniversary of this legendary speech, Emmy award-winning journalist Sherri Jackson meets speakers from differing religious backgrounds and experiences to talk about how they have been influenced by Dr King's words. They discuss the details of his vision, and the role of faith in securing social justice and in anti-racism protest today.
Produced by Nina Robinson Series producer: Rajeev Gupta Production coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
The former president faces election 2020 fraud charges. He denies all thirteen charges, which include racketeering and making false statements. Also: President Putin breaks his silence over the presumed death of the Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin; and scientists observe a catastrophic die-off of emperor penguin chicks in Antarctica.
The BRICS group of nations has invited six countries to join them. They are Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We look at how some of these countries would benefit from joining this bloc.
Central banks from around the world are gathering for the annual three-day conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Turkey's central bank hiked interest rates on Thursday by more than expected as it steps up a new commitment to damp inflation through monetary policy.
Former US president Donald Trump is surrender in the US state of Georgia to face charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state.
The current frontrunner for the Republican nomination for next year's presidential election will likely be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken at Fulton County jail in Atlanta. Mr Trump will return at a later date to enter a plea in court and his bail has been set at $200,000.
Also in the programme: Russia's President Putin says he sends his "most sincere condolences" to the families of the Wagner leaders apparently killed in a plane crash yesterday; and we'll head to Zimbabwe where police have arrested 41 election monitors and confiscated all their computers and phones.
(File photo of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on 12 August 2023. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Advances in brain-computer interfaces have allowed patients with paralysis to communicate faster, more accurately and more expressively with direct brain to speech translation. Co-author of an exciting new paper in the field, bioengineer Alex Silva, tells Science in Action about his team’s work with patient Ann.
The world has been following the Indian and Russian race to land on the lunar south pole. Producer Ella Hubber gives a timeline of the events leading up to that historic landing.
Also this week, a new prediction model allows us to better prepare for future extreme weather events. But is this worst-case scenario model scaremongering? Roland talks to author Erich Fischer about the projections.
And virologist Connor Bamford talks detecting bird flu in wastewater for betting monitoring.
Image Credit: Noah Berger
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber Editor: Richard Collings
Yevgeny Prigozhin was a head of the private military company and he used to personally operate the budget and salaries for the Wagner group. What will happen to Wagner now and who will take over the organisation?
The Ukrainian president Zelensky says Kyiv had nothing to do with a plane crash in which the Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed to have died. So what are the implications for Mr Putin's grip on power and the war in Ukraine?
Also in the programme: the clash between Republican presidential candidates in a debate without Donald Trump; and Japan finally releases the water from the Fukushima's nuclear plant causing concern for some.
(Photo: Wreckage of the private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is seen near the crash site in the Tver region, Russia, August 24, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Marina Lystseva)
Wagner boss Prigozhin is presumed dead after Russia plane crash. In his last address, he said the Wagner group is making Africa "more free". His presumed death received little media attention or official reactions in Mali and the Central African Republic where thousands of mercenaries are active. So in today's episode, we ask what would be the impact of Prigozhin’s presumed death on Wagner in Africa.
Also, in Tunisia dozens of environment activists are appealing harsh prison sentences handed down after protesting against a dangerous landfill site.
And how is climate change affecting livestock? More than one billion cows around the world could experience heat stress by the end of the century.
Speculation mounts after Wagner mercenary boss is presumed dead. Also: Japan begins pumping more than a million tonnes of treated radioactive water into the Pacific ocean and a sound on the island of Ireland that hasn't been heard for 200 years.
In 2006, Michele Burke and her fiancé William were looking forward to moving into their dream home in the picturesque town of Killaloe, in Ireland.
But when Ireland's economic boom - known as the Celtic Tiger - ended and the global financial crisis of 2008 hit, construction on Michele and William's new house abruptly stopped.
The couple were stuck paying a mortgage on a home they couldn't move into. They were not the only ones struggling. During the recession, there were more than 1,000 abandoned 'ghost estates' in Ireland.
Michele tells Vicky Farncombe about her eight-year fight to move into her house.
Many of us started working from home in the coronavirus pandemic - and never went back.
Now, office space in many cities around the world is standing empty. We visit Mumbai, New York and London, where an increase in home working means buildings in business districts standing empty. And Singapore, which seems to be bucking the trend, with demand as high as ever.
We also hear from the CEO of US-based commercial real estate company Remax - are we witnessing the end of the traditional office?
Produced and presented by Alex Bell.
This week, we start off by digging into conspiracy theories. What’s behind their enduring allure? And have they always been around? Marnie and the panel investigate.
Many conspiracy theories are based off of misinformation… but what’s actually going on in our brains when we lie? We look into the case of the man who was physically unable of spreading tall tales.
Sometimes, the truth is there, but is difficult to uncover. Delving for this deeper meaning is something particle physicists like Dr Harry Cliff have been doing for decades. Harry tells us where we are in the ongoing quest to understand our Universe.
Also, we hear the ingenious way Costa Rican scientists are dealing with pineapple waste, and we answer a South African listener’s question about evolution.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Sophie Ormiston, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins and Alex Mansfield
In 2020 Belize was broke. Again. This small, climate-vulnerable, Central American nation is home to the western hemisphere’s longest barrier reef. And it was about to default on a debt of over half a billion dollars. Enter an American NGO... The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is the world’s largest conservation charity. TNC made an offer to the government of Belize: it would help restructure the debt, if Belize would channel the savings made into its precious coastal resources. In 2021, the deal became reality – creditors were paid off, and investors found for the new, so-called ‘blue bond.’ Belize’s debt shrank by 12% overnight. A win-win, right?
But as Linda Pressly finds on a trip to Belize for Assignment, the ‘blue bond’ hasn’t been universally welcomed. There are concerns about an international NGO having influence in a poor nation, and arguments about which Belizean marine organisations have benefitted from the new investment. And there is one unresolved question: what does the ‘blue bond’ agreement mean for the potential future exploration of offshore oil in Belizean waters?
Presenter/producer: Linda Pressly Sound engineer: Neil Churchill Editor: Penny Murphy
(Photo: Replanting corals to restore Belize’s barrier reef is critical work in an era of climate emergency. Credit: Fragments of Hope)
Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet which crashed on Wednesday evening north of Moscow with no survivors, the Russian authorities said, raising fears among his allies that he had been killed.
Plus, central bankers from around the world descend on the US mountain resort of Jackson Hole in Wyoming for the Federal Reserve’s annual gathering.
The race to win the Republican nomination for the White House steps up a gear, as the party holds its first presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Roger Hearing will discuss these stories and more with Steven Bertoni, Forbes Senior Editor who is in New York, and Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University who is in Whistler, Canada.
(Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian private security company Wagner, holding a rifle in an unspecified location in Africa on August 21, 2023. Photo credit: Wagner Account/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Prigozhin was on the passenger list of a jet which crashed in Russia killing everyone on board. Also, Donald Trump's former lawyer is booked on conspiracy charges, graphic evidence from Andrew Tate’s court case in Romania and fans say The Rolling Stones have announced a new album in a surprising way.
Imagine not being able to sit and eat at the dinner table with your family without feeling furious.
The little-known condition of Misophonia, often called “sound rage”, is a lower tolerance to certain sounds. Although sufferers can react to several types of repetitive noises, many are particularly triggered by eating sounds.
Misophonia has not been classified as a clinical disorder, and there have only been a few studies into it, which means many doctors have never heard of the condition. In this programme, Ruth Alexander meets three people with Misophonia who are trying to raise awareness.
If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Image: Young man and woman next to each other, woman biting into apple. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Produced by Julia Paul
Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet which crashed on Wednesday evening north of Moscow with no survivors, the Russian authorities said, raising fears among his allies that he had been killed.
India makes history by becoming the first nation to land near the Moon's south pole. One of the mission's major goals is to hunt for water-based ice, which scientists say could support human habitation on the Moon in future.
Plus, central bankers from around the world descend on the US mountain resort of Jackson Hole in Wyoming for the Federal Reserve’s annual gathering.
Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the list of passengers on an aircraft that crashed in the Tver Region, Russian authorities say. We have the latest from our reporter in Moscow, the view of a former Russian politician, plus an analysis of Wagner’s role in the war in Ukraine.
Also on the programme: India becomes the first country to land on the southern polar region of the moon.
(Picture: Yevgeny Prigozhin, gives an address at an unknown location. Credit: PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS)
When former transplant surgeon Paolo Macchiarini first implanted a synthetic trachea into a patient more than a decade ago, it was hailed as a breakthrough. But the person he operated on died, as did subsequent patients. And in 2013, Macchiarini was reported to Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, where he had carried out the operations, for scientific misconduct. Over the years, Health Check has followed the story and in this programme we hear the latest as Macchiarini appeals against a prison sentence in Sweden for gross assault.
Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher who has been finding out whether eating his meals quickly or slowly is better for his health. And he brings us news from the USA of one of the first functional kidney transplants from a pig into a human.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh
India's Chandrayaan-3 has become the first spacecraft to land near the south pole of the Moon. Also on the programme: Pakistani police have arrested the owner and operator of the cable car which was stranded high above a riverbed on Tuesday; and we hear from the Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma in his first international interview after ten years in jail.
(Image: Scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) celebrate after the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Moon. Credit: Getty)
India makes history by becoming the first nation to land near the Moon's south pole. One of the mission's major goals is to hunt for water-based ice, which scientists say could support human habitation on the Moon in future.
Scientists hope to deploy a rover on the lunar surface to send images and data back to Earth. Also: Zimbabweans vote in a crucial presidential election, and a rare baby giraffe is born with no spots.
Haiti has been rocked by deadly violence since the assassination of the country’s President Jovenel Moïse two years ago. A Kenyan delegation has held meetings with Haitian police officials, weeks after the Kenyan government offered to lead a multinational team in tackling the country’s extreme gang violence. We hear from a local businessman on what life is like for ordinary citizens.
In the aftermath of the coup in Niger, false claims and misinformation are being shared online, adding to the tensions over the country's future. We look into some of the widely shared claims.
How can an entire nation's history be conserved? An ambitious initiative in Nigeria is currently in progress, involving the digitisation of all newspapers published since the country's independence in 1960.
In 1959, Tralee, in Ireland, hosted a festival to promote the town and build Irish connections around the world.
It became known as the Rose of Tralee and is now one of Ireland’s oldest and largest festivals, as well as one of the most watched TV programmes.
Last year, more than 30 international ‘roses’ or contestants took part, including representatives from Toronto, Sydney and Dubai.
Rachel Naylor speaks to the first woman to be crowned the Rose of Tralee, an unofficial ambassador of Ireland, Alice O’Sullivan, from Dublin.
(Photo: Alice O'Sullivan at the Rose of Tralee in 1959. Credit: George Doyle, Paudi Cronin (Neustock Media). From Kerry County Museum’s photo library, created with support from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht through their 2020 Audience Engagement Fund)
一位网友想知道如何区分及物动词和不及物动词以及谓语动词和非谓语动词。要想区分及物动词和不及物动词，首先要判断动词后是否需要接直接宾语。谓语动词和非谓语动词的主要区别则在于动词在句中的成分以及它是否会因人称和时态的变化而变化。听节目中两位主持人的讲解。
The humble wine cork, once the main way to stop a bottle of wine, had its market share decimated in the 1990’s when screw caps were favoured. However, the problem of 'corked' wine has been almost completely solved and cork is recognised as a more sustainable, if slightly less convenient material for wine makers to use.
In this episode we visit the world’s largest cork producing region in Portugal to find out more about how the cork industry has hit the good times once again. We explore which wines taste better with cork and how supermarkets are cutting down on wine packaging.
Presenter / producer: Rick Kelsey Additional reporting: Alastair Leithead Image: Cork production; Credit: Getty Images
Stephen Sackur speaks to the Hong Kong lawmaker Dominic Lee. He is a staunch defender of the Beijing-inspired national security crackdown, which has all but eliminated Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. But is China undermining Hong Kong’s desirability to traders and investors?
British microchip designing giant Arm has announced it has filed paperwork to sell its shares in the US. The Cambridge-based company, which designs chips for devices from smartphones to game consoles, plans to list on New York's Nasdaq in September.
Also, Microsoft has made a new bid to buy Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard in the latest twist in the tale of what would be the biggest deal of its kind in the gaming industry. Its original $69bn (£59bn) deal was blocked by UK regulators, but under the new offer Microsoft has agreed to transfer the rights to stream Activision games from the cloud to Ubisoft, a video games publisher, for 15 years.
Roger Hearing will discuss these stories and more with Jeanette Rodrigues, South Asia managing editor for Bloomberg News who's in Mumbai and Walter Todd, the president and chief investment officer for Greenwood Capital in Greenwood, South Carolina.
(Arm's chips are used in devices such as smartphones. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
All eight people who were stuck in a cable car dangling above a ravine have been rescued. The BRICS economic group - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa- consider adding new members to their bloc. Also: The latest from forest fires in Greece and Canada, and the rapper in Tunisia using her words to push for social change.
Neurodivergent students learn, think, and process information differently than their neurotypical peers. Because of this, they often face unique challenges in the school setting. Students may struggle with executive functioning skills, typical social and communication skills and have sensory processing difficulties. As a result, they may be more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and many other mental health crises - resulting in a difficult education in which they won't receive the grades or social experience that they could achieve. This programme uses the Østerskov Efterskole school in Denmark as a case study to determine whether their revolutionary LARP (Live Action Role Play) teaching techniques could aid the education of every neurodiverse pupil.
Microsoft has made a new bid to buy Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard in the latest twist in the tale of what would be the biggest deal of its kind in the gaming industry. Its original $69bn (£59bn) deal was blocked by UK regulators, but under the new offer Microsoft has agreed to transfer the rights to stream Activision games from the cloud to Ubisoft, a video games publisher, for 15 years.
The five Brics countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - are holding their 15th annual summit in Johannesburg. What's on the agenda?
Also, British microchip designing giant Arm has announced it has filed paperwork to sell its shares in the US. The Cambridge-based company, which designs chips for devices from smartphones to game consoles, plans to list on New York's Nasdaq in September.
Seven children and a teacher who were stuck in a cable car for many hours dangling over a ravine in Pakistan's north-west have been rescued. They were helped to safety along a zip wire, as a huge crowd on top of the hillside celebrated their rescue.
Also in the programme: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, otherwise known as the BRICS group of countries began a three-day summit in Johannesburg; and raging fires in Greece have killed 20 people, 19 of whom are assumed to be migrants attempting to cross the country.
(IMAGE: Pakistani army soldiers carry out rescue operation for stranded in a chairlift students in Battagram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 August 2023 / Credit: EPA/SULTAN DOGAR)
Have you ever turned to a smart assistant on your phone or a speaker to catch up on the progress of a big sports match? During the Women's Football World Cup one popular device failed to recognise the women's semi-final as a football match. We explore why, and other biases that exist in AI. We also answer another listener question to explore AI in drug and vaccine discovery and meet the people in Malaysia and Japan who are among Wikipedia’s top editors.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Image: Goal picture from Semi Final match between Australia and England at Stadium Australia on August 16, 2023)
The first day of the Summit BRICS 2023 is hosted by South Africa. Official meeting has been set aside for events involving the more than 70 countries invited as "friends" of the BRICS bloc. Delegations will gather to discuss the expansions, trades deals and de-dollarization.
Saudi border guards are accused of the mass killing of migrants along the Yemeni border in a new report by Human Rights Watch. The report says hundreds of people, many of them Ethiopians who cross war-torn Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia, have been shot dead.
We delve into the intricacies of coup attempts, as David Otto, Director for Geneva Centre for Africa Security & Strategic Studies shares insight on the crucial factors that determine their success or failure.
Plus we speak to Nigerian music producer and artist Eclipse Nkasi about the ethical way of using AI to produce music.
The Zimbabwean government spokesman, Nick Mangwana, tells us he hopes President Emmerson Mnangagwa will win Wednesday's elections so that he can fulfil his electoral programme. The elections pit the incumbent and Zanu-PF party leader against the opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa.
Also on the programme: the former prime minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, has returned from self-imposed exile, been arrested and sent to prison; and we hear the latest on the attempts to rescue people stuck in a cable car in Pakistan.
(Picture: Zanu-PF party rally. Credit: Getty Images)
Rescuers are working to free eight people trapped in a cable car dangling above a ravine. Also: 18 bodies found in Greece after a forest fire, and Scotland looks to Portugal for inspiration on how to tackle drug abuse.
Learn how to use 'will', 'going to', 'might' and 'be likely to' to talk about the future.
In May 1948, Canon John Hayes flicked a switch and brought electricity to the parish of Bansha, in Ireland.
The village was the first in Tipperary to be connected to the grid, under the Rural Electrification Scheme.
The ambitious programme ran from 1946 to 1964 and saw 300,000 homes powered up.
Vicky Farncombe produced this episode of Witness History using archives from Irish electricity board, the ESB.
(Photo: Erecting electricity poles in rural Ireland. Credit: ESB Archives)
你可能知道 “drip-feed” 表示 “给（某人）打点滴、输液”，但除此之外，它还可以被用在其它语境中，表示 “一点一点地提供信息”。听对话，学习 “drip-feed” 的具体用法。
Working irregular hours, including overnight, means meal times can be disrupted.
So what impact does this have on the body and overall health?
We hear from workers in Mumbai and Lagos about their experiences, plus get advice from a dietician about what and when you should be eating.
Produced and presented by Marie Keyworth.
(Image: Workers in a construction camp cutting metal at night. Credit: Getty Images)
Tropical Storm Hilary swept across the US state of California on Sunday night, bringing fierce winds and flooding to the Pacific coast. Now headed north to Nevada, the storm passed over Southern California, with record rainfall and flash flooding predicted in the Death Valley National Park. The storm is expected to deal a major blow to the region's economy, including its vineyards which last year generated over $88 billion for the US.
Left-winger Luisa Gonzalez is leading in Ecuador's presidential election. The poll was combined with a referendum, in which voters chose to end oil drilling in the Amazon. What could this mean for the country's economy, given that oil production accounts for almost 30 percent of its exports?
We also head to Valencia to see how people in the city have been celebrating Spain winning the Women's World Cup.
Roger Hearing will be joined throughout the programme by Rachel Pupazzoni, business reporter for ABC News Australia and Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland in Alexandra, Virginia.
(Motorists deal with a flooded road and stuck vehicles during heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary in Palm Springs, California. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Hundreds of people are still missing as the US President visits Maui. Also: Spain’s Women's World Cup champions arrive in Madrid, and a new Artificial Intelligence tool which measures the health of your heart.
Tropical Storm Hilary swept across the US state of California on Sunday night, bringing fierce winds and flooding to the Pacific coast. Now headed north to Nevada, the storm passed over Southern California, with record rainfall and flash flooding predicted in the Death Valley National Park. The storm is expected to deal a major blow to the region's economy, including its vineyards which last year generated over $88 billion for the US.
Left-winger Luisa Gonzalez is leading in Ecuador's presidential election. The poll was combined with a referendum, in which voters chose to end oil drilling in the Amazon.
Spain celebrates winning the Women's World Cup.
A nurse who is Britain’s worst child serial killer has been given a rare Whole Life Order which means she’ll spend the rest of her life in jail. Lucy Letby was convicted on Friday of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six other infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Letby deliberately injected babies with air, force fed others milk and poisoned two of the infants with insulin.
Also in the programme: scientists have trained Artificial Intelligence on MRI scans and ECGs to calculate the effective age of a human heart - often different to the age of the patient. We hear from the lead researcher. And after Tropical Storm Hilary ravages Southern California, how are residents coping?
(Photo: Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of Judge Mr Justice Goss addressing the dock containing two dock offices beside empty seats during the sentencing of nurse Lucy Letby at Manchester Crown Court. Credit: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire)
Anne-Marie Imafidon passed her computing A-Level at the age of 11 and by 16, was accepted to the University of Oxford to study Maths and Computer Science. She's used to the 'child prodigy' label that's followed her throughout her career, but that doesn't mean she's had an easy ride.
It was a combination of personal experience and the discovery that the number of women working in the STEM sectors - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - was in free-fall that inspired Anne-Marie to found Stemettes: a not-for-profit social enterprise introducing girls to STEM ideas and careers in fun and accessible ways. It's now in its tenth year and still growing, while Anne-Marie has received an MBE, enjoyed a successful stint as the numbers guru on the TV series Countdown, and is the current President of the British Science Association.
In conversation in front of an audience at the UK's 2023 Cheltenham Science Festival, she tells Jim Al-Khalili about her quest for equality and diversity across the scientific community - and explains why she thinks everyone has the potential to be a 'child prodigy', given the right opportunity...
The BRICS group of developing economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa meet in Johannesburg this week for their annual summit.
Top of the agenda will be its expansion. Twenty-three countries have formally expressed an interest in joining the group, while officials have said a total of 40 are seeking membership. We find out why this economic group is so important.
South Africa to host Brics summit but Russia’s President Putin will only join by video link. On the agenda global economic and security matters and the creation of new financial institutions.
More than 1,400 people starve to death in Ethiopia's northern Tigray since food aid was suspended because of theft
And Ghanaian immunologist Yaw Bediako on how to expand research and keep African scientists on the continent.
Saudi border guards are accused of the mass killing of migrants along the Yemeni border in a new report by Human Rights Watch. The report says hundreds of people, many of them Ethiopians who cross war-torn Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia, have been shot dead. Some migrants have told the BBC they had limbs severed by gunfire and saw bodies left on the trails. Saudi Arabia has rejected the report as unfounded.
Also in the programme: Zimbabwe's opposition leader tells us why he's convinced he'll win Wednesday's election; and why a burnt-out car chassis has just been bought for $2m.
(Photo: an Ethiopian migrant who said he was shot at the border by men wearing Saudi military uniforms. Credit: BBC)
Human Rights Watch says hundreds of people have been gunned down by security forces. Also: the British serial killer nurse who murdered at least seven babies has been sentenced to life in prison, and we learn about a refurbished ship using wind power to carry cargo.
Catherine and Finn talk about spelling words with double letters in 6 Minute Vocabulary.
At Easter 1916, a small army of Irish rebels attempted to start a revolution against British rule.
They held out for more than a week against a massive British military response.
Simon Watts brings together eye-witness accounts of the Easter Rising.
(Photo: Irish rebels lying in wait on a roof getting ready to fire during the Easter Rising. Credit: Mondadori via Getty Images)
The government in Bangladesh is trying to modernise its economy and has announced a policy to create digital only banks. The idea is to move away from traditional bricks and mortar banks and provide more financial services to people in remote areas.
For fintech companies that operate digital wallets – this is a gamechanger. However, many people in the country don’t have access to smartphones or the internet, so how will these banks work for them and for Bangladesh’s economy?
Presenter / producer: Devina Gupta Image: Money exchange; Credit: Getty Images
It's been said that the Covid-19 lockdown had a devastating impact on children's speech development. But it also affected the support that older patients can get for their speech and swallowing problems. Beatriz de la Pava talks to speech therapists from Greece and South Africa about the work they do.
Emilia Michou is a speech and language therapist from Greece. She’s a clinical academic, spending half of her time with patients and half teaching at Patras University. Inspired to take up SLT because of the struggles she and her brother had communicating when they were children. She specialises in supporting people with degenerative conditions or after stroke and says there are an increasing number of ways in which speech therapists help people of all ages.
Dr Sadna Balton heads up the speech and audiology department at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, the largest hospital in Africa and third largest in the world. She’s a paediatric therapist working with babies to teenagers helping children with autism, down’s syndrome, cleft palate – and also training care-givers and parents in how to communicate with their child.
World famous violinist Nicola Benedetti starts her new job as Director of the Edinburgh International Festival. Anna Bailey follows her as she enters unchartered territory, commissioning new works and running an organisation. Nicola talks through her decisions for her first programme, which features over 2000 artists from 48 countries. And Anna follows the progress of some of those artists as they begin rehearsals in the Scottish capital.
The storm has made landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast and is heading for the south-western US. Also: why Russia's first moon mission in nearly fifty years has ended in failure, and how cats and dogs are helping war-ravaged Ukrainians.
In 1982, two Mississippi boys recreated a $22m film, shot-for-shot, on their pocket money.
Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala were aged 10 and 11. Their mission would take them seven years to complete, and it would push their friendship to the edge. There’d be amateur stunts, fires, visits to the emergency ward, production shut down by angry parents and many fallouts. It would swallow them whole.
But decades later a lost tape would be unearthed, bringing Eric and Chris back together for their final scene and face-to-face with one of their heroes.
Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Edgar Maddicott Editor: Munazza Khan
Stephen Sackur speaks to Jasvinder Sanghera, a lifelong advocate for survivors of abuse. She was hired by the Church of England to help them confront abuse, but then fired
The Spanish football team beat England 1-0 in a closely-fought final in Sydney to win the trophy for the first time. Queen Letizia and her daughter, Princess Sofia, joined the players on the pitch to mark their triumph.
Also in the programme: voters in Ecuador are choosing a president today after a campaign marred by violence; and Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years crashes into the moon, so what could have gone wrong?
(Photo: Spain's Alexia Putellas (left), Jennifer Hermoso and Irene Paredes celebrate with the trophy after winning the FIFA Women's World Cup final match in Australia. Credit: PA).
Spain beat England 1-0 to win their first FIFA World Cup. Mani Djazmi, Maz Farookhi and Katie Smith are joined by former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley to discuss the final and Spain manager Jorge Vilda’s role and future.
Image: Ivana Andres of Spain lifts the FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy following victory in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia on August 20, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Spain took the football title after a fiercely contested final at Stadium Australia in Sydney, despite late English pressure. Also on the programme, Russia's first mission to the surface of the moon in nearly 50 years has ended in failure after crashing; and the Vienna cemetery that’s home to famous composers and fresh vegetables.
(Photo: Spain players celebrate with the trophy after winning the World Cup REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli)
Officials say seven people, including a 6-year-old child, died when a missile struck a theatre in the northern city of Chernihiv. Also: the man attempting to swim the length of America's Hudson River, and the Italian prime minister's unusual act of diplomacy, after four Italian tourists left a restaurant in Albania without paying.
Madagascar is experiencing its worst famine for over 30 years. With successive years of drought, this began in the country’s deep south but as successive cyclones hit Madagascar in 2022 and 2023, people in the south-east are now also suffering from food insecurity. The United Nations has described this as the “world’s first climate-induced famine”. But some climate scientists claim there is little evidence suggesting global warming is the primary cause. Journalist Raissa Iousouff travels to the south of Madagascar in search of answers and meets many of the local people and communities who are fighting to survive.
A Russian missile attack on a theatre in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. We speak to the mayor who arrived at the scene minutes after it happened.
Also in the programme: A fast-moving wildfire in Canada, which multiplied a hundredfold in just one day, is threatening tens of thousands of people in British Columbia. Local fire chief Jason Brolund tells us "the stories coming from my firefighters are mind boggling"; and the man swimming America's Hudson River in a solo protest to protect waterways.
(The scene of a missile hit at the Drama Theatre in central Chernihiv, Ukraine, 19 August 2023. Credit: Photo by Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Katie Smith, Mani Djazmi and Maz Farookhi take a ferry trip down the Parramatta River from Sydney's Circular Quay to the Olympic Park, where tomorrow either Spain or England will be crowned world champions for the very first time at Stadium Australia.
We hear from Women's Champions League-winning coach Lluis Cortes, Women's European Championship winner Jill Scott, Chelsea Women manager Emma Hayes and two-time Women’s World Cup-winning manager Jill Ellis, as well as England captain Millie Bright and Spanish football journalist Sara Gutierrez, as we build up to Sunday's tournament finale.
Image: The World Cup trophy prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 Group A match between New Zealand and Norway at Eden Park on July 20, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Credit: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
We preview the Women's World Cup final between England and Spain and review the tournament as a whole. Former Italian international goalkeeper Arianna Criscione, who told us before the tournament she wanted to see plenty of shock results and a narrowing of the gap between the best and the rest, certainly got what she wanted. But what else caught her eye and what room for improvement is still there on and off the pitch
It's not just on the pitch that attitudes and actions are changing, but off it too. Belinda Goh is an architect and designer for Populus, an Australian architectural firm and was heavily involved in the design of "the Home of the Matilda's" one of very few training facilities specifically designed for women, by women.
It's less than a year until the Olympics in Paris and as always one of the most watched events will be the athletics but this years World Championships are more than just a staging post to the Games in 2024... On man hoping to make his mark is Sam Mattis. Sam has had an interesting route to elite sport, his "sliding doors" moment happened a few years back when he gave up a potentially lucrative career on Wall Street to pursue his Olympic dream. An athlete and a campaigner on social issues, he is part of the EcoAthlete collective (www.ecoathlete.org)
Plus, out on the high seas another Olympic discipline is finding it's World Champion and making waves ahead of the Paris Games.
(Photo: England celebrate reaching the World Cup final Credit: Getty)
Canada is having its worst wildfire season on record, with at least 1,000 fires burning across the country. British Columbia has declared a state of emergency; 15,000 households have been ordered to evacuate, as firefighters battle raging wildfires that have set homes ablaze.
Also on the programme: Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has hosted talks with Iran's foreign minister. Is the meeting a sign relations are improving? And we hear why Italy's government settled the bill of four Italian tourists in Albania, who left a restaurant without paying for their meal. Plus, how will history look back on the indictment of former President Donald Trump?
(Photo: The McDougall Creek wildfire burns next to houses in the Okanagan community of West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, August 19, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Chris Helgren)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, Jordan Hogg and his campaign to get more disabled people working in the film and TV industry, the Ukrainian soldier who became a ballet star after losing both legs in the war, and the surfers rescued after 36 hours adrift off Indonesia.
In 2021, Afghanistan's women's national players fled Kabul to Australia, following the return to power of the Taliban. No women's team representing Afghanistan has kicked a ball in international football since.
We catch up with goalkeeper Fati, who's now living and studying in Melbourne, to find out what life's like in Australia, what she wants from FIFA, and how the Women's World Cup has impacted her.
Image: Footballer Fatima Yousufi speaks during the Angel City Equity Summit at Sydney Opera House on August 04, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images)
The documentary The Engineers: Lunar Exploration, examined how some of the world’s leading space agencies are working on a project to put astronauts on the moon within two years. We hear what listeners think of this journey into space - and we speak with the programme’s producer about the challenges of making complex science technology understandable.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
We discuss how the heavily-indebted Evergrande hopes filing for bankruptcy protection will protect its assets in the US, as it works on a multi-billion dollar deal with creditors. The move comes as problems in China's property market add to concerns about the world's second largest economy.
Also, US President Joe Biden has today hailed a "new era" of unity with the leaders of South Korea and Japan, as the three allies announced security cooperation at a first-of-its-kind summit, at Camp David, west of Washington.
Millions of people will be gearing up to watch the Women's World Cup final over the weekend, when Spain take on England.
Our presenter Rahul Tandon is joined by Takara Small, a technology journalist based in Canada, and Zyma Islam, a reporter with the Daily Star newspaper in Bangladesh.
(Evergrande Group logo. Photo credit: Getty Images)
For every young American under the age of 18, there are about two cats or dogs receiving free food and lodgings in US homes and that pattern is replicated in many other countries. So why do so many of us keep pets? Why do we name them, consider them part of the family? Companionship, pleasure, status symbol and kinship with all life have been offered as explanations but it's easy to forget that mass keeping of pets - as opposed to working animals - is a recent development of the last two centuries or so.
Iszi Lawrence talks about our evolving relationship with pets with Dr. Anindita Bhadra from the Dog Lab at the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research in Kolkata; Dr. Erin Hecht, evolutionary biologist from Harvard; Dr. Margo DeMello, anthrozoologist from Carroll College in Montana; writer and cultural commentator from Japan Manami Okazaki; Durham University historian Professor Julie-Marie Strange; and Rachel Williams, neuroscientist at UCL and comedian. We also sift through the dozens of comments and pet stories sent in by Forum listeners.
(Photo: A young woman with her pet dog. Credit: Luis Alvarez/Getty Images)
In 1984, the West Indies celebrated a 5-0 test series defeat of England on British soil - a historic cricketing victory that became known as Blackwash.
But for Windies fans, it was more than just a record score-line. It was also recognition at a time when many British Caribbean communities were suffering racism, unemployment and poverty.
They flooded onto the pitch to celebrate, unfurling a banner in bold painted letters which read ‘Blackwash’.
It had a huge impact, as West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding tells Jane Wilkinson.
(Photo: Blackwash banner, The Oval, 1984. Credit: Allsport/Getty Images)
It is the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century. On the Hawaiian island of Maui, block after block of the seaside town of Lahaina lies in ruins. Only the twisted wreckage of buildings and charred vegetation remain among the ashes. More than 100 people have been killed. Host James Reynolds speaks to Ella, who lost her family home in the fires and with two volunteers, Uilani and Alison.
The leaders of the three countries agreed to expand military and economic ties, and condemned China's actions in the South China Sea at a historic summit. Also: a nurse found guilty of murdering babies in her care has become Britain's most prolific child serial killer in modern times, and why Iceland's prime minister writes crime novels in her spare time.
A compilation of this week's Witness History episodes. Gerald Clarke, the author of Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland, speaks to Max Pearson about the legacy of the stage and screen actress who died in 1969.
We also look at how a chance encounter led to the return of two of the looted Benin Bronzes, ancient artworks which were among thousands stolen from Benin City by the British Army in 1897.
And we head back to 2008, when a nine-year-old boy tripped over a fossil that would lead to one of the most important discoveries in the history of human evolution.
Contributors:
Author Gerald Clarke John Kelsch from the Judy Garland Museum Production assistant Rosalyn Wilder Retired police officer Tim Awoyemi Matt Berger who discovered the Australopithecus sediba fossil Hedayat Matine-Daftary, grandson of Mohammed Mossadeq
(Photo: Judy Garland during a press conference in 1963. Credit: Central Press/Getty Images)
Filing for bankruptcy protection will allow the heavily-indebted Evergrande to protect its assets in the US as it works on a multi-billion dollar deal with creditors. The company defaulted on its huge debts in 2021, which sent shockwaves through global financial markets. The move comes as problems in China's property market add to concerns about the world's second largest economy.
England will take on Spain in the Women’s World Cup final over the weekend. Co-hosting the tournament was expected to generate about a third of a billion dollars for the Australian economy.
Google AdSense - a technology used by Google to serve advertisements based on website content - does not support indigenous African languages. So what is Google doing to help African language websites monetise their content?
A British nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of murdering seven newborn babies and trying to kill another six in the neonatal unit of a hospital in northwest England where she worked. The murders happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. Letby is the UK's most prolific killer of babies in modern times. The thirty three year-old, denied all the charges against her, blaming the deaths on hospital hygiene and staffing levels.
Also in the programme: WHO says it's monitoring a new Covid variant; and Joe Biden hailed a "new era" of unity with the leaders of South Korea and Japan at summit near Washington.
(Picture: Letby was charged in November 2020 with murder and attempted murder. Credit: CHESHIRE POLICE)
Since August 2021 when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, an estimated 600,000 Afghans have crossed the border into Pakistan. Pakistan has hosted millions of refugees over the years, but has recently cracked down on undocumented Afghans, who now struggle to find jobs and housing, and to educate their children. BBC Urdu's Nazish Faiz met a teacher who’s set up a free school in Peshawar for Afghan children.
K-pop bands with no Koreans Black Swan is the first K-pop girl group with no Korean members. They're from Belgium, the US, Germany and India. Yuna Ku from BBC Korean recently met the group to find out how this came about, and what makes a band K-pop if there are no Koreans.
Iran’s Ashuradeh Island: a wildlife sanctuary under threat Ashuradeh Island in the Caspian Sea is a wildlife sanctuary now threatened by plans for tourism development. BBC Persian's Siavash Ardalan tells us about the island, and also the bigger picture of the many threats facing habitats and wildlife in Iran.
Caucasus women escaping for a better life Women in Russia's North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan report being denied education, forced into marriage and subjected to FGM in the conservative village communties. Zlata Onufrieva of BBC Russian tells the stories of some who've fled their family homes for a freer life.
Elections and the oligarchy in Guatemala Sunday sees the second round of voting in Guatemala's presidential election, following the surprise success of centre left candidate Bernardo Arévalo, who's challenging former first lady Sandra Torres. The election has thrown the spotlight on Guatemala's business elites, who have held enormous power since colonial times. BBC Mundo's Gerardo Lissardy explains their influence.
The giant Chinese property developer, Evergrande, has played down its decision to file for bankruptcy protection in the United States. The company described the move as a 'normal procedure'. We hear concerns about property values are falling faster than Beijing has revealed.
And we will look at the Women’s World Cup final over the weekend - England will take on Spain. Co-hosting the tournament was expected to generate about a third of a billion dollars for the Australian economy.
Google AdSense - a technology used by the company to serve advertisements based on website content - does not support indigenous African languages. So what is Google doing to help African language websites monetise their content?
It's deadline day for the evacuation of an entire Canadian city as crews battle to control wildfires. Steven Guilbeault, Canada's minister for environment and climate change tell us "It is by far the worst forest fire season in our history" and that an area larger than Greece has been burnt.
Also on the programme: at least 1,400 people have starved to death in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray in recent months; and a nurse in Britain has been found guilty of murdering seven babies.
(Picture: Yellowknife residents leave the city on Highway 3, the only highway in or out of the community. Credit: Kane / Reuters)
The BBC has been told that fourteen hundred people have died of starvation in Ethiopia's Tigray region since international food aid was suspended. Also: Russia has accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on Moscow's business district, and Italian cheesemakers use technology to stop counterfeit cheese.
Zimbabwe prepares to hold its second election since the 2017 overthrow of President Robert Mugabe, with many disenchanted at a lack of progress under his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa. Many Zimbabweans face economic hardship, and some young people are turning to drugs to fill the void created by a lack of opportunities.
Plus, we look at the impact of the World Bank saying Uganda won’t receive new loans from the institution, as a result of the country passing a stringent anti-LGBTQ+ law in May. Uganda’s government has called the announcement unjust and hypocritical.
And we hear reactions from Ghana to the new government-imposed 10% tax on betting and lottery winnings. The move has not been well received by gamblers, but the authorities say they need the extra revenue.
The ruby slippers from the 1939 movie 'The Wizard of Oz' are some of the most treasured film memorabilia of all time. There are thought to be four pairs from the film that have survived.
This is the story of the slippers that were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota, USA in 2005.
John Kelsch is one of the people who started the museum. He tells Gill Kearsley the story of the stolen slippers.
(Photo: Publicity still from 'The Wizard of Oz', Credit: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to exiled Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy. He has tried and failed to engineer the downfall of Cambodian ruler Hun Sen for decades. Now Hun Sen’s son is taking over. Few in Cambodia expect anything significant to change, including the relative impotence of the opposition. Has Sam Rainsy been comprehensively outmanoeuvred?
Dive into a world of amazing cakes and cafes, where look and taste combine in the hope of tempting customers to part with their cash for sweet treats.
Explore how our tastes and habits are changing when it comes to buying and eating cakes and puddings – and find out why social media is now crucial to the baking and dessert café industry.
Presenter / producer: Emb Hashmi Image: Forever Rose cafe; Credit: Ebraheem Al Samadi
We look at how US government bonds have become a good source of income for investors.
We hear from one businessman in Canada as wildfires spread across his neighbourhood.
and we discuss why some of the biggest hotel groups in the world are helping to boost all-inclusive holidays
After the horrific role played by the German military in the Holocaust, arguably the last place you would expect to find a Jew would be in the German Armed Forces. And yet it is estimated that today there are around 300 practising Jewish military personnel, and since 2021 they have had their own chaplain, the first chief rabbi – and the first non-Christian - in nearly 90 years. With the help of serving personnel and the head of the military rabbinate, Shelly Kupferberg explores what it means to be Jewish in today’s German armed forces. Shelly also hears from Michael Fürst, the very first Jew to sign up after World War Two, who is now the president of the association of Jewish communities of Lower Saxony.
Georgia officials say the names and addresses of jurors have been shared online, after they voted to indict former President Donald Trump. Also: Britain invites Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to visit, outraging human rights groups. And the musician Nile Rodgers accuses a far-right political party in Switzerland of stealing his hit song "We Are Family".
We examine why US government bonds are becoming more lucrative for investors.
We hear what impact a drought is having on maritime trade going through the Panama canal.
AND We get reaction to news that the world's second biggest fashion retailer H&M is investigating 20 alleged instances of worker abuse at Myanmar garment factories that supply it.
Traffic is clogging up along a single highway that leads out of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, as authorities rush to get everyone out of the city. More than twenty thousand people have been told they have less than 24 hours before the fires reach them.
Also on the programme: The International Chess Federation bans transgender women from competing at women’s events. We hear reaction from transgender player, Yosha Iglesias. And we speak to Africa’s fastest man on his chase to make history.
(Picture: Yellowknife residents leave the city on Highway 3, the only highway in or out of the community, after an evacuation order was given due to the proximity of a wildfire in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Credit: Reuters)
Hawaii is still reeling from the devastating fires that consumed Lahaina on the island of Maui last week. Professor of Meteorology from the University of Hawaii, Kevin Hamiliton, joins Science in Action to discuss the factors that make these events more likely across the Hawaiian Islands. Amongst these is climate change.
Also this week we discuss the concerning reports of a sudden spike in methane levels in the Arctic with Xin Lan of the US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.
A few weeks ago, we devoted a whole programme to the exciting research on human embryo models made from stem cells. Whilst representing an incredible step for medical research, these raise serious ethical questions. A team of biologists and embryologists have put together a proposal on how to move forward with this ethical quandary, Embryologist Nicolas Rivron tells us more.
And we address the incredible claim of the room temperature super conductor, LK-99, with sceptical materials scientist Michael Fuhrer.
Photo: The Maui town of Lahaina after being destroyed by wildfires Credit: Getty Images
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber Editor: Richard Collings
As wildfire roars towards the small city of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's North-West territories, all the residents have been ordered to evacuate.
Also in the programme: Pakistani authorities ban public gatherings in the city of Jaranwala after at least four churches are torched by a Muslim mob. A senior bishop tells Newshour the inciters need to be punished; and we hear from one of the researchers behind a major Hong Kong study showing that an anti-inflammatory drug can boost the effectiveness of emergency contraception.
(IMAGE: Flames and smoke rise from a wildfire in Northwest Territories, Canada, August 13, 2023, in this picture obtained from a social media video. Mary Jane Martin/via REUTERS)
We will look at the Panama Canal which has extended restrictions on vessels, as it battles an on-going drought. It’s also limited the amount cargo ships can carry.
Burger King says it has removed tomatoes from its food in Indian outlets after a sharp rise in prices. Monsoon rains in July disrupted crops and supply chains. Today, supply has returned but prices have remained high.
And Google has announced plans to train twenty- thousand Nigerian women and young people in digital skills to support government targets of creating one million tech jobs.
Libya's political chaos continues. Two powerful militias clashed this week in the capital Tripoli. Calm was restored but over 50 people were killed, and more than 140 were injured.
A group of opposition parties in South Africa have been meeting to form an alliance to dislodge the ruling African National Congress from power. But why was the EFF excluded?
And a petitioner calls on members of parliament in Kenya to ban the use of popular social media app TikTok. He argues that the application is contributing to the erosion of cultural and religious morals.
West African military chiefs warn Niger junta they will send in troops. Also, entire city in Canada warned to evacuate because of fires, and South Korean teachers put their foot down.
Judy Garland ended her long and glitzy stage and screen career at a London theatre club in January 1969. She was booked for five weeks of nightly shows at the 'Talk of the Town', but by that time, the former child star of the 'Wizard of Oz' was struggling with a drug and drink addiction.
In 2019, Mike Lanchin heard the memories of Rosalyn Wilder, then a young production assistant, whose job was to try to get Judy Garland on stage each night.
(Photo: Judy Garland performing in one of her final shows. Credit: Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
What’s the best way to help people in need?
In the past, humanitarian aid has focused on providing shelter and food, but there’s a growing move towards direct cash payments.
We'll take you to Syria, Egypt and Kenya to find out how it works and why it's being embraced.
We speak to Rory Stewart, president of the US charity Give Directly, which is based entirely on direct cash payments. And hear from two women who’ve used some of that money to develop their own small businesses in Kenya.
Elias Abu Ata explains how the International Rescue Committee used cash in the wake of the earthquake in Syria earlier this year, and Rasha Batarsay, UNHCR cash programme officer for Egypt tells us how it’s being used to help refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan.
Finally, is cash assistance more vulnerable to fraud? Oliver May, former head of counter fraud at Oxfam, gives his view.
Producer/presenter James Graham Additional production support from Chrystal Onkeo
(Image: Rory Stewart from Give Directly visiting a project in Malawi. Credit: Give Directly.)
The conversation this week starts off on corruption. There are allegations of political or corporate malfeasance in the news regularly throughout the world. But can science bring anything to the investigators? We look at some efforts to bring empirical rigour to the fight.
But corruption of sorts is also a big thing in our online lives. Algorithms can deliver duff results, maybe because they are poorly concieved, or perhaps because they are fed corrupt data.
So when our cellular biological algorithms are corrupted, our health is affected. Can cancerous tumours be considered corrupt organs, co-opting healthy cells to assist in their nefarious ends? Dr Ilaria Malanchi of the Crick Institute in London muses on the commonalities.
Also, a look at the politicisation of pre-human palaeontology and how our stories of human origins have been, and in some ways still are, connected with nationalist geographical identities that mainstream science doesn't recognize.
Presented by Caroline Steel, with Yangyang Chen and Meral Jamal. Produced by Alex Mansfield, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Ben Motley, and Sophie Ormiston.
Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans are fleeing their country, looking for work in the West, especially in the United Kingdom.
Last year Zimbabwe was the third largest source of foreign workers for the UK, behind India and Nigeria, and ahead of the Philippines and Pakistan, which have much larger populations.
A popular social media post reads: “the Zimbabwean dream is to leave Zimbabwe.”
Many of those leaving their country are highly qualified. They’re taking jobs in the British care sector, where there is a huge shortage of workers. They send much of what they earn back to their families in Zimbabwe. For those back home it’s often the only way to survive in a country with hyper-inflation.
Zimbabwe is about to go to the polls but few expect things to change. The economy is in dire straits and the opposition hasn’t been allowed to campaign freely. Some activists have been imprisoned or even killed. The ruling ZANU PF party, which has been in power since independence in 1980, shows little sign of losing control.
Earlier this year the UK gave Zimbabwean teachers “Qualified Teacher” status, allowing them to work long-term in the UK. Zimbabwean parents fear their children’s teachers will be the next to leave.
Zimbabwe’s latest skills exodus could break the country’s healthcare and education systems, which are already crumbling after decades of under-investment and corruption. For Assignment, Charlotte Ashton hears from Zimbabweans who’ve left, Zimbabweans who want to leave and Zimbabweans who say they can only dream of leaving.
Presenter: Charlotte Ashton Producer: John Murphy
(Image: A well-used five US dollar note in Zimbabwe. Credit: KB Mpofu)
We discuss Joe Biden plans to boost the US economy through the landmark legislation known as the Inflation Reduction Act. We hear the arguments both for and against its potential to develop green industries in the US.
We hear from the man who came up with the term BRICS to describe the economic alliance that binds Brazil, Russia, India and China. The countries came together two decades ago.
And Sotherby’s in California is auctioning off twenty vintage Ferraris which came into their possession in a rather bizarre way.
The Fulton County prosecutor recommends a trial date for the former president's latest charges. Also: More than 60 migrants are presumed dead after their vessel sank off the coast of Cape Verde in West Africa. And the story of an Irish bank with unlimited withdrawals.
President Joe Biden has used the first anniversary of his signature Inflation Reduction Act to pitch the landmark clean-energy law as an economic powerhouse to an American public.
Two decades ago Brazil, Russia, India and China came together to form an economic group called BRICs. We talk to the former Goldman Sachs economist, Jim O'Neill who came up with the acronym.
And we hear about how twenty vintage Ferraris bought by a collector from a dusty old barn are now being auctioned off in Sotherbys in California.
Until now, Ecuador has avoided the worst effects of the narco gangs, political violence and instability that have plagued its larger neighbours. But in the past week, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio is one of two politicians to have been shot dead, just days ahead of a snap election. We hear from his running mate, Andrea Gonzalez, and analyst, Glaeldys Gonzalez.
Also in the programme: How the world of espionage is changing; and the scientists who have reconstructed a Pink Floyd song by analysing human brainwaves.
(Picture: Soldiers have been deployed in the run-up to Ecuador's snap presidential elections on Sunday. Credit: Reuters)
Iraq is the latest country to report a batch of contaminated cough syrup according to the World Health Organisation. It’s the latest in a string of health alerts issued by WHO in the last 12 months. According to reports, 300 children died worldwide last year by taking contaminated cough syrups. BBC health reporter Philippa Roxby joins Claudia Hammond to discuss this and the latest health research.
When the Ugandan government passed tough anti LGBTQ legislation in May, health experts claimed it would have a devastating effect on HIV healthcare services. We hear from a clinic in Kampala where people living with HIV are scared to collect their medicine.
And Claudia speaks to Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at University of California Berkeley in the USA, Bob Knight. His team are trying to improve technology for people who struggle with speech by decoding brain signals. All with a bit of help from classic rock music.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury
Join Mani Djazmi and Katie Smith at Stadium Australia in Sydney as they reflect on England reaching the Women's World Cup final for the very first time after beating the co-hosts 3-1.
We hear from England's match-winner Lauren Hemp, and BBC Sport's Emma Sanders drops by to discuss how Sarina Wiegman has taken the European champions to the brink of becoming World champions.
Meanwhile, it's the end of the road for the Matildas. Former Australia international Elissia Carnavas joins us to reflect on their run to the semi-finals and discuss the legacy this tournament could have for the development of women's football in Australia.
Image: Players of England celebrate following victory during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Semi Final match between Australia and England at Stadium Australia on August 16, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Naomi Baker - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast's stock market valuation has soared above Ford and General Motors (GM) on its first day of trading.
And many of the raw materials needed to make electric cars are mined in Africa. Yet, the continent often misses out on the key profits made from refining minerals like cobalt, lithium and manganese, according to a new UN report.
It’s a year since President Biden kickstarted a race to develop and grow green energy and clean technology with the largest ever programme of investment and subsidies - otherwise known as the Inflation Reduction Act. Some say it has left Europe and other parts of the world lagging with companies choosing the US to build new factories.
The Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead as he left a campaign rally last week, 11 days before the election. His running-mate, Andrea González, tells us that she is wearing a bulletproof vest 24 hours a day.
Also on the programme: England advance to the Women’s World Cup Final; and how AI created music from human brain waves.
(Photo: Andrea Gonzalez, vice presidential candidate. CREDIT: REUTERS/Henry Romero)
Former Ukrainian prisoners of war say they were subjected to torture at a Russian detention centre. Also: the Vietnamese electric car start-up VinFast is now worth almost twice as much as Ford or General Motors. And, in Women's Football World Cup semi-final, England have beaten Australia.
After the military junta ruling Niger closed the country’s airspace, we look at the potential implications for the country, and for aviation in Africa more broadly. The move will force commercial aircraft to find alternative routes, increasing flight times and prices for passengers.
Plus, we take a look at why Ethiopia is desperate to establish permanent access to a sea port, and why recent comments from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have provoked the ire of the country’s coastal neighbours.
And we look at some of the factors behind the increase in the number of men in Kenya choosing to get vasectomies.
一位听众想知道 “end up、end in、end by、end with” 之间的区别。单词 “end” 的意思是 “结束”，它的后面可以接不同的介词，组成动词短语。问题里提到的这四个短语中，“end in” 和 “end with” 后面通常接名词，“end up” 和 “end by” 的后面则可以接动词的 -ing 形式或其它类型的句子成分。听节目讲解这四个包含 “end” 的短语的正确用法。
Ida Tin coined the term Femtech after she founded the period tracking app, Clue, which has since been downloaded more than 100 million times.
We hear how she managed to turn her idea into a business, how she went about funding it over her 10 year stint as CEO and how she sees it evolving as technology becomes more advanced.
Producer/Presenter: Hannah Mullane Photo: Ida Tin Credit: Ida Tin
In 2004, a chance encounter in Nigeria led to the return of two of the country’s ancient artworks, the looted Benin Bronzes.
The treasures were among thousands stolen from Benin City by the British Army in 1897, and acquired by museums around the world.
More than a century later, Tim Awoyemi and Steve Dunstone were on a charity trip when they were approached by campaigners demanding the bronzes return.
The two men vowed to help, but it took them 10 years before they were able to fulfil that promise, as Tim Awoyemi tells Jane Wilkinson.
(Photo: Benin Bronzes, Nigeria, 2014. Credit: Kelvin Ikpea/AFP via Getty Images)
It has been said that if America sneezes then the world catches a cold and this must now be true of China, the world’s second largest economy.
On Tuesday it unexpectedly cut a key interest rate to try to boost growth and also said it would no longer report figures for youth unemployment. We look at how China’s economic woes are affecting the rest of the world.
(Picture: Businessman looking at cityscape. Picture credit: Getty Images)
In the 15 years that Jordan Hogg has been a TV director, he has never worked with another disabled director. Whilst 18% of the population has a disability, this is not represented in many industries, but Jordan is attempting to change this in TV and Film. Jordan, who has cerebral palsy, speaks to those who are challenging and changing the industry from within. Alongside him is TV Producer (and close friend) Jules Hussey. They speak to Academy award-winning actors James Martin and Rachel Shenton, hear the impact their award wins have had on the communities they were representing and discuss the changes that they believe have the biggest positive effects on inclusivity in Film and TV.
Stephen Sackur speaks to the leading British playwright and screenwriter Lucy Prebble. Her credits include Enron and The Effect in the theatre, Succession and I Hate Suzie on television. In an era of polarising culture wars and with perceived threats from A.I., are writers feeling a deep sense of unease?
The government claims its restrictions on women's rights will not last forever. Also: More than a million people have fled Sudan, as aid agencies say the crisis is spiralling out of control. And, almost 50 years after its creation, why so many people still love the Rubik's Cube.
There's more evidence that US consumers are weathering the economic storm and continuing to spend. Figures show retail sales rose by 0.7% in July which is more than expected.
It's welcome news for retailers who are struggling with high prices and lower margins, and that’s going to force the Fed to keep the prospect of more rate hikes on the table.
Two years after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, we hear from Adela Raz, former Afghan Ambassador, about how the international community can impact the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Later, we speak to Richard Fausset, National Correspondent for the New York Times about the significance of the charges brought against former US President Donald Trump in the state of Georgia.
Also in the programme: the surge of disinformation and fake news on social media surrounding the coup in Niger and Gabon’s new and controversial new deal with Bank of America to ease its debt burden.
(Picture: The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has seen the deterioration of women's rights. Credit: NAVA JAMSHIDI/BBC)
The internet is full of ways to learn, from quick life hacks to new skills. On Tech Life we meet the teacher in Nigeria trying to share IT skills on TikTok to help people get jobs in tech and we hear from people all over the world on what they've learned online. Also in this episode, we speak to the boss of the online moderation company, Sama, who've faced claims from employees that they were traumatised by work reviewing graphic online content. And what next for digital health care in Rwanda after uncertainty at the company Babylon.
Photo: Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. Young people learn future technologies at a robotics and coding workshop in Nairobi, Kenya
Unemployment amongst young people in China has been on the rise for some time now which at the last count had hit a record high of more than 20%.
Marking the second anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan, Taliban’s have barred nearly a million girls from secondary school, prohibited women from universities and ordered aid groups to “suspend work of all female employees.”
Maz Farookhi is in Auckland as Spain reach their first final in only their third World Cup finals appearance thanks to second half strikes from teenage sensation Salma Paralluelo and captain Olga Carmona.
Joining Maz is Spanish radio reporter Sara Gutierrez and Swedish journalist Amanda Zaza to chat about the pulsating semi-final. We also hear from New Zealand Herald’s Michael Burgess about what the tournament has done to football in New Zealand and how the last five weeks will be remembered.
As it’s the final match in New Zealand, we’ll also be hearing about the significance of the Maori performing art; Poi and why it’s been an ever present at grounds across New Zealand during the competition.
Finally, Katie Smith is in Sydney ahead of the second semi-final between co-hosts Australia and the European Champions England.
Photo: Jennifer Hermoso of Spain celebrates with her teammates after winning Sweden during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Semi Final match between Spain and Sweden at Eden Park on August 15, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Credit: Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
The former US president describes the charges as a 'witch hunt'. The indictment lists 13 counts against Mr Trump, who's accused of trying to overturn the last presidential election result. Also: Two years on from the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, women in the country tell us about their lives, and why the true story that inspired the Oscar-winning film, The Blind Side, has taken a much darker turn.
Donald Trump and his allies have condemned criminal charges brought against them by the US state of Georgia and accused the District Attorney of political interference. The indictment lists thirteen counts against the former president, who's accused of engaging in a criminal enterprise to overturn the result of the 2020 US presidential election in the state. Mr Trump described the indictment as a 'witch-hunt' by what he called an 'out-of-control' and 'very corrupt' district attorney.
Also in the programme: two years on from the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan; and the Rubik’s cube World Championship.
(Photo: Former US President Donald J. Trump (R) and Alina Habba (L), one of Mr. Trump's attorneys. CREDIT: EPA/JUSTIN LANE)
We speak to a farmer who had to flee Sudan due to the ongoing conflict, while the UN is warning that 20 million people in the country face severe acute hunger.
What makes a good leader? We'll find out from young Burundian leadership coach Iris Irumva.
And we bring you the second part of our special looking at the story behind the prison escape of convicted criminal Thabo Bester, a case that has transfixed South Africa.
The coup of 1953 changed the course of Iranian history. The USA - with British help - overthrew a nationalist president and installed the Shah in power.
In 2010, Alan Johnston heard archive recordings of the CIA officer who played a part and spoke to Hedayat Matine-Daftary, the grandson of Mohammed Mossadeq, the deposed president.
(Photo: crowds of people protest against the Iran coup in 1953. Credit: Getty Images)
你的身边有没有那么一个 “爱忘事的、糊里糊涂的人”？在日常交流中，名词 “scatterbrain” 就指 “迷糊、健忘的人”。“Scatterbrain” 的形容词是什么？怎么用？听节目，学习在口语会话中正确地使用这个词。
The country is not just facing record-high levels of youth unemployment - more than 20% of 16-24 year olds in urban areas at the latest count.
It is also facing growing discontent among many young people about the type of work they can find, often involving long hours, no overtime pay, and insecure contracts.
It is prompting some to opt out of the rat race altogether. And many experts think the current problems aren't just prompted by the global slowdown. They're structural.
Even the government's economic advisors think it may be time for a new economic plan if China is to avoid years of stagnation.
That change could slow and painful though. Will Xi Jinping and the country's other Communist Party leaders go for it?
Produced and presented by Ed Butler.
(Image: College students choose jobs at a job fair for 2023 graduates in Huai 'an City, East China's Jiangsu Province. 01/07/23. Photo credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Image)
The gross domestic product (GDP) figure translated to a quarterly increase of 1.5%. It's the third straight quarter of expansion led by external demand and expanded exports by 3.2% respectively.
The positive GBD data was driven by exports of goods such as automobiles as supply chain constraints, including shortage of semiconductors, eased. Recovering inbound tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the services exports.
(Picture: Japan flag and Japanese Yen cash bills. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Journalist Ellie House is bisexual. But before she had even realised that, it felt like big tech had already worked it out, with sites like Netflix and TikTok regularly recommending her LGBTQ content. Years later, Ellie goes on a quest to understand how the powerful recommendations systems that big tech companies use really work. She reconstructs her digital fingerprint, and hears from LGBTQ people around the world who are conflicted about the risks and rewards of being queer online.
The central bank in Moscow prepares to hold a special meeting as the currency falls sharply against the US dollar. Also: The US, UN and West African leaders condemn threats by Niger's coup leaders to prosecute the ousted president. And 200 people follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, setting sail on the same route he took around the world.
US Steel is in the middle of a bidding war. Esmark, a privately held company, made an offer to buy the company for 7.8 Billion dollars. The offer comes after 7.3 billion dollar bid from Cleveland-Cliffs was rejected.
Earlier, US Steel said it was considering strategic options and had already received multiple unsolicited bids that ranged from the possible acquisition of the whole company to specific assets.
A right-wing populist candidate has shaken Argentina's political establishment by coming first in the presidential primary election. Javier Mllei won more than 30% of the vote after calling for austerity and the dollarisation of the economy.
The former television personality has promised to put an end to what he calls a parasitic political class that has sunk Argentina. We'll explore what this means for the country’s forthcoming elections.
Also in the programme: Russia's central bank prepares to hold an emergency meeting as the rouble falls considerably against the American dollar; and two years after the retreat from Kabul, should the world accept Taliban rule? We'll be asking the US's last acting ambassador.
(Photo shows Javier Milei during Argentina's primary elections, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: Juan Ignacio Roncoroni/EPA)
Our genes can tell us so much about us, from why we look the way we look, think the way we think, even what kind of diseases we might be likely to suffer from. But our genes aren't the whole story. There are other, complex and intriguing systems within every cell in our bodies which control which of our tens-of-thousands of genes are switched on, or off, in different parts of the body, and under different circumstances.
Welcome to the fascinating world of 'epigenetics', which our guest, the molecular geneticist Anne Ferguson-Smith, describes as 'genetics with knobs on'.
Anne, now Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Cambridge, tells Jim about her life and work. She's spent her professional life at the cutting edge: from a degree in a brand new field of Molecular Biology, to post-grad working on brand new genetic structures, through to a lifetime of discoveries and breakthroughs which have changed our understanding of the genome.
Yet she wasn't always destined to be a scientist. She says she was a 'bad student' for a lot of her early life, and believes that embracing failure is an essential part of being a working scientist.
China's property developer giant, Country Garden, has seen its share price plunge to a record low today after it suspended trading on some key bonds. The company has become a symbol of China's struggling property sector.
Workers at several natural gas plants in Australia will decide this week whether to go on strike in a row over pay and conditions.
The owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram is set to be fined nearly $100,000 a day over alleged privacy breaches in Norway.
Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, has described the blaze as a fire hurricane, with high winds and temperatures reaching 1000 degrees Celsius. The authorities have warned that efforts to find and identify the dead on the island of Maui are still in in their early stages. Emergency plans will initially see hundreds of hotels rooms provided for those who have lost their homes.
Also in the programme: after two years of Taleban rule in Afghanistan, we ask whether the West should be doing more to engage with them diplomatically; and we hear why George Harrison's mother was disgusted by The Beatles' screaming fans.
(Image: Volunteers load water onto a boat to be transported to West Maui Credit: Getty)
The leaders of last month's coup say Mohamed Bazoum will be tried for high treason. Also, a colourful far-right candidate wins a primary election in Argentina, and fan letters written by Beatle George Harrison's mother go up for auction.
A group of data labellers in Kenya want parliament to step in to offer protection from mental trauma caused by reviewing harmful content.
Plus, the story of the girl in Mauritania who was arrested for blasphemy over an essay she wrote for school.
And how the case of escaped convict Thabo Bester is shining a light on prison privatisation in South Africa.
Mani Djazmi and Katie Smith are in Sydney and Maz Farookhi is in Auckland for the final week of the Women’s World Cup. Ahead of the first semi-final between Spain v Sweden, former Spain captain Verónica Boquete chats to Maz about what makes this Spanish team special despite the players complex relationship with head coach Jorge Vilda.
We also hear from Sweden and Everton defender Nathalie Bjorn on the excitement back home and learning from their past tournament failures and Australia midfielder Tameka Yallop says their peaking at the right time as the Matilda’s face England in the second semi-final.
Photo: Spain forward Salma Paralluelo celebrates scoring her team's second goal during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup quarter-final football match between Spain and the Netherlands at Wellington Stadium. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
On 15 August 2008, nine-year-old Matt Berger tripped over a fossil that would lead to one of the most important discoveries in the history of human evolution.
The young adventurer had been exploring the Cradle of Humankind, in South Africa, with his father Lee, a paleoanthropologist.
"I didn't really know what was happening. I was just there for fun. But my dad was so excited. So obviously that made me excited too," said Matt.
The fossil turned out to be from a new species of hominid called Australopithecus sediba.
Matt speaks to Vicky Farncombe about his memories of the day.
(Photo: Matt Berger, son of Prof Lee Berger, found the fossil of a new hominid species that lived 1.95 million years ago. Credit: Foto24/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
Is trouble brewing for the world’s second largest economy?
China’s exports are down, the property market’s creaking, and millions of young people - more than one in five - are officially classed as unemployed.
It's not just the lack of jobs, it's the quality of employment that's now on offer - much of it informal in sectors like hospitality or food delivery.
In the first of two programmes assessing the economic challenges, Ed Butler asks, what's gone wrong?
Produced and presented by Ed Butler.
(Image: A job-seeker look for employment at a job fair for college graduates in Nanjing in east China's Jiangsu province in Feb 2023. Credit: ZHONG NAN / Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the pioneering performance poet John Cooper Clarke. He was once dubbed the bard of punk and all his life he’s used words, rhythm and rhyme to find humour and truth in the chaos of everyday life. Where does his word magic come from?
Kim Chakanetsa meets two women looking after remarkable historical objects and artworks.
Kristiane Strætkvern is a Norwegian conservator with the National Museum of Denmark. She’s specialised in the preservation of waterlogged archaeological wooden objects and has worked on one of the world's largest Viking shipwrecks.
Susana Fajardo from Venezuela is a Senior Textile conservator at the V&A Museum in London. She originally trained in tapestry weaving and has worked across many forms of textiles, including theatre costumes, marionettes, carpets and leather armour.
Produced by Flora McWilliam and Alice Gioia
(Image: (L) Susana Fajardo, credit Alice Gioia. (R) Kristiane Strætkvern.)
Fashion designers and brother and sister duo, Christopher and Tammy Kane have been trendsetters in the fashion world since 2006. They’ve dressed celebrities and world leaders, blending a playful, sexy aesthetic with working-class realism. Now they're launching a brand-new club night in London, the More Joy Disco. But how does their upbringing in a small Scottish village inform the glitz and glamour of their event? And why is joy such a motivating factor for the pair?
How a jump changed daring parachutist Tony Osornio's life forever.
Tony was Mexico's best precision skydiver and the first woman to join her country's army. She says she "belonged to the skies", and became a member of an elite team of performance skydivers called the Crazy Birds. She was prepared to sacrifice everything for her love of parachuting - until a jump went badly wrong.
If you need support relating to any of the issues we've covered in this interview, you can find more information on the BBC Action line website or at Befrienders.org
Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Louise Morris
The wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui are now being described as the worst in the United States for more than a century, with 93 people confirmed dead. Representative Jill Tokuda gives us an update.
Also on the programme, can ECOWAS drum up enough support in the region for a military intervention in Niger? And as Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act sees schools censoring the work of Shakespeare, we ask a leading scholar if this is a serious situation or just a tempest in a tea cup?
(Picture: Residents push a shopping cart through the ruins of Lahaina Credit: Laurent / EPA)
The number of dead from the wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui continues to rise, as the state governor, Josh Green, warned it would.
Also in the programme: The Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been held in China for the past three years, we hear from her partner; and the Iranian parliament has voted to review a major new bill on the enforcement of the hijab without public debate.
(Photo: A firefighter puts out hot spots at the Ho'Onanea condominium complex in the aftermath of a wildfire, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii on 10 August 2023. Credit: Reuters/Jorge Garcia)
Hundreds of people are still unaccounted for days after the fires broke out in Maui. Also: Niger president "in good spirits" despite detention, and the scientist in Switzerland who has decided to save the last bit of his favourite glacier in his own freezer!
Humans are returning to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. The multi-national mission is called Artemis and involves the most powerful rocket and capable spacecraft ever built, a space station in lunar orbit, and a permanent moon-base on the surface. At a special event at the Royal Geographical Society in London, Dr Kevin Fong speaks to three of the world-leading engineers who are making this possible: Howard Hu, Orion programme manager at Nasa, Sara Pastor, chief engineer at the ESA Ihab Gateway, Libby Jackson, head of exploration at the UK Space Agency.
Join Maz Farookhi as she travels to Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand’s only professional football club to see the impact of the Women’s World Cup.
The club was founded in 2007 but the women’s team was only formed two years ago.
Maz chats with Phoenix head coach Paul Temple and Katie Barrott, female development lead at the club about what it’s like running the only professional women’s team in the country and how the World Cup will change New Zealand’s relationship with football.
Photo: Maz Farookhi with Paul Temple and Katie Barrott (Copyright: BBC Sport)
A senior official from FEMA tells Newshour that additional expert help has been deployed to Hawaii and that forensic work continues in the wake of devastating wildfires.
Also on the programme, Armenia has written to the United Nations Security Council asking for an emergency session on the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. We hear from Armenia's Ambassador to the UN. And we meet the scientist who kept the final remaining piece of his favourite glacier, which had melted due to climate change, in his own freezer.
(Picture: Workers clean the streets of Lahaina in Hawaii Credit: Laurent / EPA)
Mani Djazmi is in Brisbane, as co-hosts Australia reach the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup for the very first time after beating France 7-6 in a dramatic penalty shootout after it finished goalless after 120 minutes.
Mani speaks to ecstatic Australia fans outside the Brisbane Stadium, as Matildas mania sweeps across the country. We hear from a passionate Australia manager Tony Gustavsson after leading his history-making team into the last four, while France manager Herve Renard reflects on his side's dramatic exit from the tournament. An emotional Samantha Lewis from ABC News stops by to try and sum up what this achievement means for Australian women's football.
Elsewhere, Katie Smith is in Sydney speaking to more delirious Aussie fans following their historic win. Australia will face England in the semi-finals at Stadium Australia on Wednesday after coming from a goal down to beat Colombia. Katie reflects on a good night's work for Sarina Wiegman's side with former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley.
Image: (L-R) Mary Fowler, Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley of Australia celebrate the team’s victory through the penalty shootout following the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Quarter Final match between Australia and France at Brisbane Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Hawaii's attorney general has ordered an investigation into the handling of devastating wildfires which are now known to have killed at least eighty people. The authorities are facing growing questions about whether they could have done more to warn residents on the island of Maui.
Also in the programme: England captain Harry Kane is on the move; and reggae music from Japan.
(Picture: A tree trunk is still smouldering by the ocean after a wildfire burned through the city up to the port in Lahaina, Hawaii. CREDIT: EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, Afraa, the newborn rescued from the debris of Syria’s earthquake, is a symbol of hope, the mother and daughter who won the lottery to travel to space, and the dog who surfed to victory at the world championships.
The World Track Cycling Championships have been taking place in Glasgow, and the home crowd have had plenty to cheer. Success included Neah Evans, and her partner Elinor Barker, crowned world champions in the Madison, a team event as much about tactics as strength and speed. A crash in the race threatened to derail everything, but was Neah's previous experience as a veterinarian surgeon the difference in seeing them over the line?!
Sport and music can sometimes have an uneasy relationship, from professional athletes with questionable vocals or novelty groups releasing silly songs about winning the World Cup or drinking at the World Cup. Or both. Well with the release of their fourth album 'Grand Salami Time', The Baseball Project have proved that great music and great sport can mix. Hardly surprising though, the group is made up of two members of R.E.M, one of the best known artists of the last thirty years. Scott McCaughey, often referred to as the unofficial 5th member of REM, is also part of the Project and told us about their unique mix of beats and baseball, home runs and hit singles.
We are also at the Women's World Cup where New Zealand are preparing to host their last game, the semi final between Spain and Sweden. The co- hosts’ welcome will live long in the memory, as will their win over the former champions Norway in the opening match... but it has also meant an introduction to a Māori traditional dance called Poi.
Photo: Great Britain's Neah Evans and Elinor Barker celebrate winning gold in the women's Elite Madison race during the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on August 7, 2023 (Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Conversation sees two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, tell the stories of their lives. We hear your feedback on this long-running series and ask its host Kim Chakanetsa what she hopes the male audience gets from the show. Plus, we have a response for a listener about coverage of the Women’s Football World Cup.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
In 1997, Violet Palmer made history by becoming the first female referee in the NBA.
During her career she faced sexism and discrimination.
Violet tells Gill Kearsley about the anticipation and excitement of refereeing her first match.
(Photo: Violet Palmer in 2013. Credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
A judge in New York has revoked the bail of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former boss of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.
He will now remain in jail until his trial in October.
Reports from the courtroom say Mr Bankman-Fried handed his blazer, tie and shoelaces to his lawyers and was then handcuffed by U.S. Marshals.
Vivienne Nunis is joined by Peter Ryan, ABC Australia's senior business correspondent, from Sydney, and Jennifer Pak, China correspondent for Marketplace in Shanghai.
(Picture: NEW YORK, USA - AUGUST 11: FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives in Manhattan Federal Court to appear in court in New York, United States on August 11, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
A new season of the Saudi Pro League is underway, now featuring some of the biggest names in football. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante, among many others, have all signed-up to play in the country. It has shaken up the transfer window but it is not without its controversy. Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who signed for a Saudi club for example, was a vocal advocate of LGBTQ+ rights. But in Saudi Arabia, sexual activity with people of the same sex is illegal and can be punishable by death. Henderson’s rainbow armbands have been edited to grey in recent promotional videos. Host James Reynolds hears from three international football fans, Cassie, Alex and Evan.
The prosecutor, David Weiss, who brought criminal charges against Hunter Biden will get additional powers. Also: Ukraine sacks army conscription officials for taking bribes, and California approves driverless taxi expansion in San Francisco.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History stories from the BBC World Service.
Journalist Claude Angeli discovered French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing received diamonds from a depraved African emperor, which contributed to him losing the presidential election in 1981.
How Bosnia’s small Jewish community helped people from all sides of the conflict, during the siege of Sarajevo in the early 1990s.
The story of the gang of thieves, who held up a British Royal Mail train on its journey from Glasgow to London in August 1963.
Plus Jean-Michel Basquiat, a young black graffiti artist in the 1980s took the New York art world by storm. His paintings were selling for huge sums of money, but he died before the end of the decade.
And the rise and fall of self-made businesswoman Brownie Wise, who inspired an army of US housewives to sell Tupperware at parties.
Contributors:
Journalist Claude Angeli Journalist Pauline Bock Former vice president of the Jewish community Jakob Finci Author Bob Kealing Journalist Reginald Abbiss Patti Astor, friend of Jean-Michel Basquiat
(Photo: French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing and Jean-Bédel Bokassa in Bangui, March 1975. Credit: Getty Images)
At least 55 people are known to have died and thousands have been displaced from devastating wildfires that began on the island of Maui on Tuesday.
The extreme damage to homes and businesses would likely drive losses into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Hawaii is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. 15,000 visitors took flights out of Maui on Thursday. So what's next for the tourism industry?
State governor Josh Green has called the fires "catastrophic", and probably the largest natural disaster in Hawaii's history.
Also in the programme: Former US National Security Adviser, John Bolton, criticises the deal that will lead to the release of 5 American citizens detained in Iran, calling it "effectively human trafficking by the US government"; and Norwegian climber Kristin Harila defends herself against criticism that she walked over a dying sherpa while negotiating a narrow ledge on K2.
(Photo: Flames are seen near Lahaina as wildfires driven by high winds destroy a large part of the historic town of Lahaina, Hawaii on 9 August 2023. Dustin Johnson/Handout via Reuters)
Country Garden is one of China's biggest property firms, but there's trouble lurking in the undergrowth.
It's warned investors it could see a US$7 billion loss for the first half of the year.
Join Maz Farookhi in Wellington as Spain reach their first ever World Cup semi-final following a 2-1 victory over 2019 runners up Netherlands. A goal from Barcelona’s Salma Paralluelo in the 111th minute was enough for Jorge Vilda’s side to progress to the last four.
Maz spoke to Laia Cervello from The Athletic about the achievement and what it means for women’s football in the country. We'll also hear from Dutch journalist Jeroen van Barneveld about what went wrong for the Netherlands. Spain will meet Sweden for a place in the final after they beat Japan 2-1 in Auckland.
Meanwhile, Mani Djazmi is in Brisbane ahead of co-hosts Australia's quarter-final against France. Mani speaks to France manager Herve Renard about the challenge of facing a partisan Aussie crowd, while Australia manager Tony Gustavsson and defender Ellie Carpenter give us some insight into their preparations ahead of such a big game.
Katie Smith is in Sydney as European Champions England get ready to face Colombia.
Image: Salma Paralluelo of Spain celebrates after scoring her sides first goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Quarter Final match between Spain and Netherlands at Wellington Regional Stadium. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The authorities on Hawaii's island of Maui say it will take many years and billions of dollars to repair the damage caused by devastating wildfires. Fifty- five people are now known to have died and thousands have been displaced. We hear from survivors in Maui. Also on the programme, West African nations have decided to activate a standby force for possible military intervention in Niger and call for the release of president Mohamed Bazoum; and, we travel back to the origins of hip-hop.
(Photo: Views from the air of the community of Lahaina after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town several days ago, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Garcia)
Authorities say ‘Zeng’ was influenced by trips to the opera with a CIA agent. Also: South Africa's former president, Jacob Zuma is released from prison after one hour, and the Pokemon World Championships begins in Japan for the first time.
July 2023 was world’s hottest month on record, with extreme temperatures and weather patterns making global headlines. We asked colleagues from the language services how they had been covering the story. BBC Arabic's North Africa correspondent Bassam Bounenni reported on the heatwave in Tunisia, and the wildfires that spilled over from Algeria. BBC Korean's Damin Jung shares the stories of South Korea's extreme heat and torrential rains, which led to several deaths and severely disrupted the international Scout Jamboree. And Haider Ahmed reported from Iraq for BBC Arabic about the life of a Baghdad baker, working with temperatures hitting 50C outside and 60C inside.
Miami Vice and jai alai Jai alai is the world’s fastest ball game. It originated in the Basque region of Spain, and became synonymous with the ‘Miami vice’ era of drug violence and excess of 1970s and 80s, with packed stadiums hosting millionaires, celebrities, and mobsters. BBC Mundo's Atahualpa Amerise charts the changing fortunes of the game.
Sexism and misogyny in Pakistan Sexist attitudes in Pakistan have been in the spotlight after a senior minister called female leaders of the opposition PTI party “trash and leftovers”. For BBC Urdu, Saher Baloch has been reporting on the fierce backlash that followed.
Kyiv statue makeover Kyiv’s towering Soviet-era Motherland Monument shows a woman raising a sword in her right hand and a shield in her left. The hammer and sickle emblem that used to be on the shield is being replaced with a tryzub, the three-pronged emblem of Ukraine. BBC Ukrainian’s Irena Taranyuk explains the significance of the tryzub and why this change matters.
ECOWAS leaders have ended their emergency summit on the coup in Niger. They say all options are still on the table. They have also called for the immediate activation of a standby force. A new report accuses the Angolan police of serious human rights abuses. And a global survey explores the hopes and aspirations of the world's youth.
In the early 1980s, the young black graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat took the New York art world by storm. Soon, his paintings were selling for huge sums of money, but he would die before the decade was out on the 12th August 1988.
Tom Esslemont hears from Patti Astor who knew him in his heyday.
This programme was first broadcast in 2014.
(Photo: Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1985 Credit: Getty Images)
Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa tell us how they turned a side hustle into a full-time business.
In 2017 they moved their family from London to Scotland to set up their distillery, creating an African-Scottish business.
Presenter/producer Dougal Shaw.
(Image: Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa. Credit: BBC)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the UK’s former environment minister Lord Goldsmith. He resigned from Rishi Sunak’s government, accusing the prime minister of being uninterested in the environment. Since then, the government has approved new oil exploration. Is a green backlash reshaping politics?
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the releases of the prisoners in Iran but said their transfer to house arrest was just a first step. Also: West African nations to assemble "standby force" over Niger, and Virgin Galactic takes its first tourists to the edge of space.
As Hawaii tries to deal with a catastrophic wildfire that has taken 36 lives, we hear how the tourism industry there is trying to evacuate staff and visitors.
Roger Hearing is joined by Simon Littlewood, President of ACG Global in Singapore and technology journalist, Takara Small, in Canada.
(Picture: An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings on the waterfront burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The Rev Malcolm Rogers has been in charge of the most extraordinary church. St Andrews looks like an ordinary British Victorian church, but amazingly it’s just ten minutes from the heart of power in Russia, the Kremlin. His flock includes local Russian people but also many English speaking ex-pats and members of Moscow's international community. This would have been an unusual posting at any time, but he’s been there during a remarkable period. It included the diplomatic dispute over the Salisbury poisonings, the Football World Cup staged in Russia, the Covid Pandemic and now the war in Ukraine. It has put him in a sensitive situation at times, but it has also helped him to understand how the world is seen through Russian eyes.
As Hawaii tries to deal with a catastrophic wildfire that has taken 36 lives, we hear how the tourism industry there is trying to evacuate and protest staff and visitors.
Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz and two un-named US Iranian dual nationals were released to house arrest in Iran, which could lead to their eventual repatriation to the US.
Also on the programme: President Biden has declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Hawaii; and we hear how research on lizards could offer insights into the treatment of osteoarthritis.
(Image: US-Iranian Siamak Namazi is among those freed from Evin prison under the deal, Credit: Free the Namazis)
ProMED is one of the most useful scientific tools you’ve never heard of. It’s a global surveillance system of infectious disease outbreaks which is available, for free, to researchers and the public alike. But ISID, the society which runs the platform, claim they have run out of money to support ProMED and will be switching to a subscription service, against the wishes of both users and staff. ProMED editor Marjorie Pollak tells Science in Action about the vital service ProMED has played in pandemic monitoring – including the very first COVID outbreaks - and ISID boss Linda MacKinnon considers what’s next for the platform.
From wildfires in Europe to droughts in Africa, we have covered every kind of environmental disaster across most of the globe in the space of the past few weeks. To complete the distressing bucket list of climate extremes, we’re talking to sea ice expert Caroline Holmes on the concerning forecast for Antarctica.
Despite these terrestrial challenges, NASA is still trying to defend Earth against nearby objects which might hit us from space. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was launched at the asteroid Dimorphos back in in November 2021 and, a few weeks ago, the Hubble space telescope observed a swarm of boulders shed by Dimorphos post-impact. Some UK newspapers are concerned about their trajectory, but astronomer Dave Jewitt is here to calm us all down.
Photo: Disinfection Work At Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market Credit: China News Service
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber Editor: Richard Collings
A countrywide state of emergency has been declared in Ecuador after the assassination of a candidate in this month's presidential election. Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead while leaving a campaign event in the capital, Quito. Also on the programme, the leaders of the recent coup in Niger have announced a new government, as the regional West African bloc considers whether to agree a military intervention; and, scientists say they've found evidence that Mars had wet and dry seasons similar to Earth.
(Photo: STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Prices in the US rose to 3.2% compared to July last year, following 13 months of falls after peaking at 9.1 percent last June.
The increase is due partly to higher housing and food costs.
Although inflation has drifted down from last summer's 40 year high, but it's still well above what the Federal Reserve thinks of as normal prices.
There's been an increase in Russian attacks in the Kharkiv region. Also: West African leaders say dialogue with the leaders of the coup in Niger will be the 'bedrock' of their approach to the crisis, and there’s a state of emergency in Ecuador as a presidential candidate is assassinated weeks before polls open.
Endless queues and empty bakery stalls. Earlier this week, around 200 Tunisian bakers staged a sit-in after a government decision to stop selling them subsidised flour, a move threatening the closure of hundreds of bakeries.
Five people, including a police officer have died in violent protests related to the taxi strike in Cape Town, South Africa. We'll hear a first hand account of what it's like to live through the Cape Town minibus taxi strike in South Africa.
And we'll also hear from the Nigerian hit singer Flavour who is back on tour in Europe after eight years away. He sheds positive light around crossing the boundaries of tribalism through music.
Mani Djazmi, Maz Farookhi and Katie Smith are back together to preview the four quarter-finals.
Maz joins from Wellington to tell us about a quite extraordinary Netherlands press conference involving manager Andries Jonker and forward Lineth Beerensteyn ahead of their game against Spain. Beerensteyn doesn't hold back in her criticism of the USA.
Katie is in Sydney to talk about her chat with England midfielder Lucy Staniforth, and Mani speaks to the woman who is credited with coming up with the Matildas' name for the Australia women's football team. She tells us the tale, which involved a mechanical kangaroo and a famous Royal.
Image: Hayley Raso (L) and Emily Van Egmond of Australia (R) celebrates with her teammates after winning Denmark during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Australia and Runner Up Group D at Stadium Australia. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
In 1979, French journalist Claude Angeli and his colleagues discovered Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the French President, received gifts of diamonds worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from the grisly and deposed former Emperor Bokassa of the Central African Republic.
The scandal damaged Giscard d’Estaing’s reputation and contributed to him losing the French Presidential election in 1981.
Ben Henderson speaks to Claude Angeli.
(Photo: Giscard d'Estaing and Bokassa in 1975. Credit: William Karel/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Ynon Kreiz explains how they transformed Barbie, the well-loved and sometimes controversial doll, into a movie.
The boss of one of the world's biggest toy companies also talks about the need to bring more diversity into the Barbie brand, and expand products beyond the toy aisles.
Presenter/producer: Dougal Shaw
(Image: Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken in a still from the movie. Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
This week on the show that looks for the science behind the news, Marnie Chesterton investigates mystery after mystery. Where is Yevegeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, and could science help to trace him? Which animals would do best at a game of hide and seek? And we hear about the time when half the stuff in the universe went missing, and how cosmologists found it again.
We continue our endless quest to identify the Coolest Science in the World. This week’s contender studies the murky side of the genome – dark DNA. Plus the low-down on the indefinite doctor’s strike in Nigeria, we look behind the latest news about our warming oceans and have you ever felt someone else’s pain? You might be the 1 in 50 people known as mirror touch synaesthetes.
All that plus your emails, whatsapps and even more fruit chat.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton Produced by Ben Motley, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Alex Mansfield, Sophie Ormiston, Katie Tomsett and Florence Thompson.
Tens of thousands of Russian criminals – murders, rapists, robbers – were recruited from prisons by the mercenary group, Wagner, to fight in Ukraine. Now, after six months on the battlefield, the survivors have returned home, with official pardons. Many served only a fraction of their original sentences. And now, they're officially treated as heroes - protected by a new law which criminalises discreditation of anyone who fights on the Russian side in the war.
Already, some returnees are reported to have committed further serious crimes. One has confessed to the brutal axe-murder of his 85-year-old former landlady. In another case, an ex-convict believed to have served with Wagner has been charged with masterminding the killing of two children's entertainers, one of them a 19-year-old woman who was training to be a teacher. The murders in southern Russia provoked an outpouring of anger and grief, with thousands signing a petition demanding that the alleged ringleader - who denies any guilt - should get a life sentence if he is eventually convicted. But they know any punishment will probably be less severe, because the criminal records of former Wagner mercenaries have been wiped. They start their lives again from a clean slate, and if they re-offend, no previous convictions can be considered.
Reporter Arseny Sokolov talks to the mother of the murdered entertainer, to campaigners for prison reform - and to an ex-convict who fought for Wagner - to investigate what threat the returned mercenaries pose in their home towns and villages - and to assess the damage "legal nihilism" is doing to Russian society.
Producer: Tim Whewell Editor: Penny Murphy
(Image: A poster showing Wagner Group servicemen with a slogan reading “Join the winning team” in St. Petersburg, Russia, 24 June 2023. Credit: Anatoly Maltsev/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
US President Joe Biden will ban some US investment into Chinese quantum computing, advanced chips and artificial intelligence sectors, as it boosts efforts to stop China’s military from accessing American technology and capital. We hear how China have responded to the restrictions and what this means for their future economic relationship.
Entertainment giant Disney has reported losses that shows declines of its television and movie businesses. We get the latest on the future of the company.
And Mexican-American musician Sixto Rodriguez who is best known for his song Sugar Man has passed away. Mr Rodriguez failed to achieve commercial success in the US but years later his music developed a cult following overseas. We reflect back on his career.
Six people have died and many more have been injured on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Also: an investigation is launched into the deaths of migrants in a boat off Lampedusa, and the Sugar Man musician Sixto Rodriguez dies aged 81.
Italian food is one of the most popular cuisines in the world, but how did it first make its way out of Italy?
In this edition of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander uncovers stories of migration, food culture and legacy in the Italian diaspora.
Academic Donna Gabaccia explains why millions of Italians left their home country in the 1800s, creating new communities around the world that came to be known as ‘Little Italy’.
Ruth visits one of them, in London’s Clerkenwell, to discover its history and how a delicatessen founded in the late 1800s – still busy today – sparked a love for Italian cuisine.
We hear from an Italian restaurant owner in Buenos Aires, whose Genoese ancestors put their stamp on the local food scene more than 90 years ago.
And reporter Kizzy Cox takes a trip around some eateries in the world-famous Little Italy in New York City to see how the local community is moving with the times.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: Five contributors in the programme, from left to right: Lou di Palo, Luca Fadda, Hugo Banchero, Giorgia Fadda and Nico Paganelli, in front of a Little Italy sign. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Elisabeth Mahy Reporter: Kizzy Cox Additional production: Veronica Smink and Matías Zibell Garcia
President Joe Biden has banned major US investors from putting money into some Chinese firms making advanced semi-conductors, or developing quantum computing or artificial intelligence technology. We find out what this restriction means for the Chinese economy?
Entertainment giant Disney has reported losses that shows declines of its television and movie businesses. We get the latest on future of the company.
And Mexican-American musician Sixto Rodriguez who is best known for his song Sugar Man has passed away. Mr Rodriguez failed to achieve commercial success in the US but years later his music developed a cult following overseas. We reflect back on his career.
Only four people survived the incident in the Mediterranean Sea. They were taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday. We speak to Paul Wagner, from Sea Watch, about how the rescue mission unfolded.
Also on the programme: A summit aimed at protecting the Amazon wraps in in Brazil; and musician Sixto Rodriguez dies age 81. We speak to Stephen Segerman, the owner of a record shop in Cape Town whose search for the musician became a hit documentary which helped revive Rodriguez’s fortunes.
(Image: A file photo shows the Italian Coast Guard ship transporting migrants in Lampedusa. Credit: EPA)
In the week that the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that leprosy was now endemic in the South-eastern United States, Claudia Hammond looks at global action on leprosy with science journalist Kamala Thiagarajan. There is an international effort to learn more about weaning seriously ill people off ventilator support in hospitals. We hear about the Weansafe study from Ireland. Professor of integrated community child health at University College London, Monica Lakhanpaul joins Claudia in the studio to discuss why the roll out of a new vaccine for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) in the US could be a gamechanger. And why on your next trip to a hospital, you could see groups of elderly in-patients going on walks. Could it help prevent the effects of bedrest?
Image: Leprosy, nerve biopsy, nerve fibres surrounded by histiocytes
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury
It's often said that if America sneezes, the world catches a cold. That now must be true of China - the worlds second largest economy.
China's economy is struggling with falling prices - or deflation.
The main inflation measure has turned negative for the first time since the pandemic.
Delegates from the countries have been meeting in the Brazilian city of Belém for a two-day summit on the issue. A joint declaration created an alliance to combat deforestation, but left each country to pursue its own conservation goals.
Also on the programme: research suggests no direct link between time on Facebook and online harm; and the NME, described as a bible for British music and pop culture, is back in print from this summer.
(Image: Indigenous people take part in a march at the Amazon Summit in Belem, Para state, Brazil on 8 August 2023. Credit: Reuters/Marcelino)
With the coup leaders in Niger refusing demands to hand power back to the elected government, the West African regional block ECOWAS is considering options including a military invasion of the country. ECOWAS is due to hold an extraordinary summit in Nigeria on Thursday to discuss its next move.
Plus, we speak to the reporter behind a new BBC investigation into the 'spiritual healers' sexually abusing women in Morocco and Sudan.
And we hear about what the African Development Bank is doing to improve access to clean water and sanitation on the continent.
Reports say the vessel had set off from Tunisia. Also: China slips into deflation as consumer prices decline, and Poland increases troop numbers on its border with Belarus.
After the collapse of former Yugoslavia, Bosnian Serb forces laid siege to the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, in 1992. More than a quarter of a million people lived under almost constant bombardment and sniper fire for more than four years. Over 10,000 were killed.
Hunger and destitution took hold quickly. So, a small Jewish charity stepped in to provide essential food and medicine and evacuate elderly people and children from all sides of the conflict. In peace time, Sarajevo’s Jewish community had maintained good relations with Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats. This enabled them to provide a haven of peace for everyone.
In this episode, Jacky Rowland hears from Jakob Finci, who was the vice president of the Jewish community at the time. Part of their motivation, he says, was that many Jews in Sarajevo had been sheltered by Bosnian Muslims during the Nazi occupation in the 1940s.
This is a CTVC production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: members of the Jewish community being evacuated by bus to Croatia in 1993. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Nathan Law, the exiled Hong Kong democracy activist who’s now a wanted man with a million-dollar bounty on his head from the territory’s Beijing-backed authorities. Has China’s systematic repression effectively eradicated dissent in Hong Kong?
听众 Greg 想知道介词 “in” 和 “on” 在用来说明事物所在位置时的区别。虽然搭配 “in the tree” 和 “on the tree” 都可以翻译成 “在树上”，但它们的用法不同。这里，介词 “in” 和 “on” 分别用来说明物体和树之间怎样的位置关系？将名词 “tree” 换成 “playground（操场）” 后，搭配 “in the playground” 和 “on the playground” 又有何不同？本期节目讲解介词 “in” 和 “on” 的用法。
We meet one of the UKs most successful record producers, who was behind hits such as Smooth Operator.
He talks to Dougal Shaw about his career so far, his record label, and the future of music.
Sir Robin Millar is blind - his sight had totally gone by his mid-thirties - and he talks about the impact that has had on him.
And he talks about AI in music.
Producer/presenter: Dougal Shaw
Brazil's President Lula is hosting a summit in Belém, northern Brazil alongside seven other nations that share the Amazon. This is in a bid to save it and bring it out of economic turmoil.
The Federal Reserve reports that U.S. credit card debt has hit $1 trillion for the first time toward the end of July. We find out what it means for US consumers and the country.
And seeing as Frank Sinatra’s voice was used on a version of the hip-hop song “Gangsta’s Paradise” and various musicians are being mimicked by Artificial intelligence, Google and Universal Music have plans to license artists songs generated by A.I. We take a look at what this means for copyright claims.
Subsistence fishing employs hundreds of millions of people around the world. It’s an enormous business worth trillions of dollars. It’s also a dirty business. High-cost diesel motors and expensive, inefficient lights consume huge amounts of fossil fuels, leaving a considerable carbon footprint. But these lights are essential. Venturing out onto the high seas in a small boat is always dangerous, but night fishing is absolutely treacherous, so although good lighting saves lives, it also requires a lot of power. We follow the female scientists who are developing solar tech to help fisherfolk in South East Asia reduce their impact on the environment, improve their health and put money back in their pockets.
Eight regional leaders agree to form an alliance to fight deforestation. Also: Hundreds of firefighters are battling to contain forest fires in Portugal, and the mystery surrounding a fatal mushroom lunch in Australia.
Brazil's President Lula is hosting a summit in Belém, northern Brazil alongside seven other nations that share the Amazon. This is in a bid to save it and bring it out of economic turmoil.
The Taiwanese chipmaker, TSMC, is to open a new semiconductor factory in Germany, strongly boosting Europe's microchip industry. The firm, which already controls more than half the world's semiconductor output, will put over three billion dollars into the facility in Dresden. We take a look at how important this is for the two economies.
And the Federal Reserve reports that U.S. credit card debt has hit $1 trillion for the first time toward the end of July. We find out what it means for US consumers and the country.
The new report comes as a key summit opens in Brazil, aimed at ending deforestation and preserving the rainforest, which acts as a huge carbon sink for the planet. We speak to Carlos Nobre, an earth scientist, on whether the summit will produce concrete measures to save the Amazon ecosystem.
Also on the programme: Diplomatic efforts to reverse the coup in Niger intensify; and we speak to Anatoly Levchenko, former artistic director of the Mariupol Theatre in Ukraine, who was held as a prisoner for ten months.
(Image: A view of cracked ground in Tunisia. Credit: Reuters)
Juan Lavista Ferres, chief data scientist at Microsoft's AI For Good Lab, tells Tech Life how artificial intelligence can help predict wildfires.
Driverless cars are popping up on streets around the world. But not everyone welcomes them, and some protestors in San Francisco have turned to 'coning'. What's that ? We have a special report.
China is considering a limit on the amount of time children can spend on smartphones. You've been telling us what you think about the benefits and problems of children spending time on the devices.
Manu Chopra speaks to Tech Life about using technology to reduce poverty in India.
And what's the difference between a sentence written by a human and a machine ? We've been looking at some of the answers for you.
(Picture credit: Getty Images)
Global demand for Chinese goods fell by 14.5% last month compared to the same time last year.
It's a bigger than expected decline and reflects the threat of recession in the US and Europe, combined with high inflation.
Imports also fell for the ninth straight month, showing soft domestic demand.
Russia's Wagner mercenary group is "taking advantage" of instability in Niger, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told the BBC. What does this mean and what is next for Niger?
Surviving the bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi's capital 25 years ago, a woman reveals her children face still stigma due to her injuries. More than 200 people died and thousands of others were injured in the 1998 al-Qaeda attacks.
Authorities in the South African province of Limpopo have introduced the ‘midnight alcohol law’, which bans the sale of liquor past midnight. The provincial government says the alcohol curfew will help tackle social issues like gender based violence. We’ll hear from the National Liquor Traders Council and from organisations raising awareness on the harm caused by alcohol.
Katie Smith is in Melbourne where Colombia have made history, booking their spot in the last eight for the first time beating Jamaica 1-0. Katie catches up with Colombian journalist Valentina Pena to talk about the battle of the underdogs - how does the team's mentality change when they are not the lower ranked side trying to defy expectation? Plus, she gets immersed in the Colombian after party as thousands of fans celebrate outside the stadium.
And after touching down in Brisbane, Mani Djazmi is joined by French football journalist Lisa Leroux and Moroccan football journalist Amine El Amri to reflect on France's 4-0 thrashing of Morocco in Adelaide, as the French set up a mouth-watering quarter final clash with co-hosts Australia on Saturday.
Photo: Catalina Usme of Colombia celebrates after scoring her team's first goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Colombia and Jamaica. (Credit: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
The leaders of eight Amazon rainforest nations are meeting this week in Brazil to tackle pressing challenges facing the critical ecosystem. Newshour hears from farmers in Pará state and from agricultural expert Christian Lohbauer.
Also in the programme: a senior US official visits Niger coup leaders; and an extinction warning is issued for the Vaquita porpoise.
(Image: Indigenous people participate in a march for land demarcation, and against violence on indigenous lands and agribusiness, one day before the summit of the Amazon countries. Credit: Photo by Andre Borges/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
UN finds that war crimes in Myanmar have dramatically increased under the military junta. Also: South American leaders gather to try and stop the destruction of the Amazon rain forest, and why you need to be careful of who can hear you typing.
On 8 August 1963, a gang of thieves held up a British Royal Mail train on its journey from Glasgow to London.
They stole more than £2 million.
It was the biggest ever raid on a British train.
Most of the robbers ended up behind bars, but most of the money has never been recovered.
The robbery still occupies a unique place in the history of British crime.
In 2012 Chloe Hadjimatheou spoke to Reginald Abbiss who was a young BBC journalist who covered the story.
(Photo: The train involved in the robbery. Credit: Getty Images)
We meet one of the world's leading interior designers.
Kelly Hoppen finds design solutions for celebrities including the Beckhams, but also works with luxury brands and businesses too.
And she is enthusiastic about people achieving good design on a budget. She talks about growing up in South Africa, and explains how music inspires her work.
Producer/presenter Dougal Shaw.
(Image: Kelly Hoppen. Credit: BBC)
US trucking company Yellow has filed for bankruptcy and will be closing down. The company had received a $700mn Covid-19 relief loan from the Trump administration during the summer of 2020. So will the loan be repaid? And what does it mean for the 30,000 workers expected to lose their jobs?
Also Roger Hearing finds out why Zoom is now calling time on homeworking - as they ask employees within 50 miles of a company office to go in at least two days a week.
And apparently Americans are eating their burgers and fries at home, in their cars and at the office. In fact anywhere but at the fast-food restaurants themselves. McDonald’s, Burger King want big investments in eating areas, prompting pushback from franchisees.
In March 2022, seven months after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, second level education was banned for girls, leaving around 1.1 million of them without access to formal schooling. Then in December that year, all female students were refused access to universities and colleges. But across the country, Afghan women and girls are fighting back, and defying the Taliban government by continuing their education in secret. Founded and, for the most part, staffed by women, secret schools have started to emerge from the shadows, offering online and in-person classes to those brave enough to attend. BBC Afghan broadcast journalist, Sana Safi, takes us inside two such secret schools, and into the hearts and minds of those who, despite the risks, refuse to be denied an education.
Washington mounts pressure on coup leaders by suspending tens of millions in aid. Also: The official spokesman for the Israeli army describes violence perpetrated by settlers as terrorism, and William Friedkin - the Oscar winning director of The Exorcist and the French Connection - has died at the age of eighty-seven.
US trucking company Yellow has filed for bankruptcy and will be closing down. The company had received a $700mn Covid-19 relief loan from the Trump administration during the summer of 2020. So will the loan be repaid? And what does it mean for the 30,000 workers expected to lose their jobs?
Also Roger Hearing finds out why Matt Healy from the British band The 1975 has been threatened with legal action by the Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia.
We find out how much is expected to be at stake. And apparently Americans are eating their burgers and fries at home, in their cars and at the office. In fact anywhere but at the fast-food restaurants themselves. McDonald’s, Burger King want big investments in eating areas, prompting pushback from franchisees.
A deadline for civilian rule to be restored in Niger has passed. The ultimatum was imposed by the West African grouping of countries, ECOWAS, threatening military intervention if the leaders of the coup in Niger did not comply. ECOWAS says it will hold a summit in the Nigerian Capital, Abuja, on Thursday to discuss the situation.
Also in the programme: An Israeli military spokesperson describes West Bank settler violence as 'terrorism'; and Italy is to trial free taxis to curb drunk driving.
(Picture: Niger's junta leaders were cheered by thousands of supporters at a defiant rally in Niamey on Sunday. Credit: Reuters)
From landslides and wildfires to floods and tornadoes, Bruce Malamud has spent his career travelling the world and studying natural hazards.
Today, he is Wilson Chair of Hazard and Risk and Executive Director of the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience at Durham University - but as he tells Jim Al-Khalili, a lifelong passion for discovery has taken Bruce from volunteering with the Peace Corps in West Africa and a Fulbright Fellowship in Argentina, to fieldwork in India; not only studying hazards themselves, but also the people they affect - and building up the character and resilience to overcome personal tragedy along the way...
Over the years, his work in the field has opened up new ways of understanding such events: from statistical modelling to show how groups of hazards occur, to examining the cascading relationships between multiple hazards. And today, his focus is on projects that can bring tangible benefits to people at serious risk from environmental hazards - finding innovative ways to help them to better manage that threat.
There’s huge celebrations in Sydney where Australia comfortably made it through to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Denmark.
Mani Djazmi spoke to jubilant Matildas fans and the ABC’s Samantha Lewis to discuss the goals, increased expectations and the return of captain Sam Kerr for her first appearance since injury at her home World Cup.
Plus, England survived a scare to beat Nigeria on penalties after it finished goalless remarkably after 90 minutes. Who will they face in the quarterfinals?
In Melbourne, Katie Smith has been to the Jamaica camp to speak to manager Lorne Donaldson and player Deneisha Blackwood ahead of their last 16 tie against Colombia.
Photo: Hayley Raso and Emily Van Egmond of Australia celebrate with team-mates after beating Denmark during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Australia and Runner Up Group D at Stadium Australia on August 7, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Credit: Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
The largely Saudi Government owned oil producer saw a 38% drop to $30 billion for the second quarter.
That's compared to this time last year, when prices surged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The company said it was because of lower crude oil prices and smaller margins in refining and chemicals.
The West African bloc ECOWAS deadline for Niger's coup leaders to reinstate the democratically elected President has passed with no change. So what's ECOWAS going to do about it? And what do people in Niger want?
Also in the programme: Brazil's Environment Minister tells us it's now or never to save the Amazon rainforest ahead of President Lula's summit. And as scientists in California repeat their nuclear fusion success, is it really "the holy grail" of green power?
BBC Africa Eye reveals abuse of elderly people at a care home in Kenya. Secret filming shows staff mistreating residents and leaving medical conditions untreated.
Plus, we look at the current intensification of fighting in Ethiopia's Amhara region.
And Nigeria lose to England at the Women’s World Cup, but will Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses maul France?
BBC Africa Eye reveals abuse of elderly people at a care home in Kenya. Secret filming shows staff mistreating residents and leaving medical conditions untreated.
Plus, we look at the current intensification of fighting in Ethiopia's Amhara region.
And Nigeria lose to England at the Women’s World Cup, but will Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses maul France?
Burkina Faso and Mali say they will send a joint army delegation in support of Niger's generals. Also: Donald Trump faces legal deadline over election interference case and we find out the link between birds and good mental health.
In the 1950s, self-made businesswoman Brownie Wise transformed the fortunes of Tupperware by inspiring thousands of housewives to sell it at parties.
Her methods for motivating staff included selling the dress off her back and holding annual parties at the company's headquarters.
But as she became a star - appearing on magazine covers and chat shows - Brownie's relationship with her boss, Earl Tupper, soured.
Author Bob Kealing speaks to Vicky Farncombe about Brownie's rise and fall from grace.
(Photo: Brownie Wise tosses a bowl filled with water at a Tupperware party. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ukrainian rockstar Andriy Khlyvnyuk. After the all-out Russian invasion, he swapped his guitar for a gun. When he does sing now, it’s always for his country’s cause. What is this war doing to Ukraine’s culture and spirit?
Iain Griffin and Dirk Stewart formed their company after a mutual need for more leg room inspired a brainwave.
They created the Seatfrog app for train travel, which is disrupting the industry.
Dougal Shaw meets them (on a train), and finds out why their business changed from air travel to trains, and moved from Sydney to London.
Presenter/producer: Dougal Shaw
(Image: Iain Griffin and Dirk Stewart. Credit: BBC)
Kim Chakanetsa talks to two Beirut-based creatives who made it their mission to tell women’s stories.
Joana Hadjithomas is a Lebanese artist and director. Her work has been exposed at the Victoria and Albert museum in London and at the Guggenheim in New York. Her latest movie, Memory Box, inspired by her own experience of being a teenager in Lebanon during the civil war, was the country’s entry to the 2023 Oscars.
Madonna Adib is a Syrian writer and director whose work revolves around LGBTQ+ rights, identity and migration. Her latest documentary, Let My Body Speak, explores the experiences her body stores: her childhood in Damascus, witnessing the Syrian revolution, and falling in love with a woman.
Produced by Alice Gioia
(Image: (L) Madonna Adib, credit Elsy Hajjar. (R) Joana Hadjithomas.)
The Indian-born crime fiction author, Ajay Chowdhury, is writing the fifth instalment of his Detective Kamil Rahman series, set between India and the UK. But Ajay is also a leading digital tech entrepreneur and this side of his life influences how he writes his fiction. Join fellow author Paul Waters as he watches Ajay completing the first draft of his latest book with the help of artificial intelligence tools. Some authors – including Paul - fear that AI is an existential threat to human creativity, so why and how does Ajay use it to make his books better?
It follows the passing of a deadline to restore the elected president or face military intervention. Also: Rescue teams in Pakistan are trying to free people from the wreckage after a train derailment which left at least 30 people dead, and director Greta Gerwig breaks a record as Barbie makes a billion dollars at the box office.
Tony Osornio would go to dangerous extremes to keep skydiving.
She was born into a conservative family, and decided to marry the first man who asked in order to escape the restrictions of home.
Her husband was a Mexican military officer with access to the planes used by elite paratroopers. With his help, Tony would sneak on board too, parachute strapped to her back. In love with jumping, she decided she needed to join the Mexican army herself, something no woman had done before.
Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Louise Morris
Amid silence from ECOWAS, their deadline for the military junta in Niger to step down seems to have expired. ECOWAS had given the coup leaders a week to reinstate the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, threatening military intervention if its demands were not met. Also on the programme, today marks six months since two huge earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria, killing more than fifty thousand people and leaving many more homeless; and, defending champions the United States have been knocked out of the women's football world cup by Sweden.
(Photo: Thousands of anti-sanctions protestors gather in support of the putschist soldiers in the capital Niamey, Niger August 3, 2023. The sign reads "Down with France long live CNSP". REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou)
Katie Smith is in Melbourne, where Sweden have knocked out the back-to-back defending world champions USA in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Katie speaks to jubilant Sweden fans and dejected USA supporters. A relieved Björn Nordling from SVT reflects on Sweden's victory and looks ahead to their quarter final against Japan, while Emily Olsen, soccer editor for The Athletic, stops by to discuss where it all went wrong from the USA.
Elsewhere in Sydney, Mani Djazmi spoke to both managers after the Netherlands’ 2-0 win over South Africa in their last 16 encounter.
When Afraa was found in the rubble of a collapsed building in Syria, her umbilical cord was still attached to her mother, who had died just after giving birth. The video of the baby's rescue from the earthquake six months ago captivated the world. Since then she has made a remarkable recovery.
Also today: The Russians hunting for cheap flats in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol; and gymnastics champion Simone Biles has made a return - we'll hear about the mental block she experienced known as "the twisties".
(Photo: Afraa with her uncle, Khalil)
DJ and writer Lynnée Denise marks hip-hop’s 50th year by speaking to leading names about the music, the art and the creativity of this global cultural movement. Legendary hip-hop producer Pete Rock reminisces over the last five decades, celebrating the artform, exploring its social impact and ask what lies ahead in hip-hop’s story. Artist and rapper Chali 2na from Jurassic 5 tells us how the social realism of Grand Master Flash and the Furious 5 inspired him to write rhymes.
Imran Khan calls for protests after being sentenced over corruption charges. Also: US prosecutors ask a judge to limit what Donald Trump can say about his election fraud case, and Lonely Planet celebrates 50 years since the publication of its first travel guidebook.
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been jailed after being convicted on corruption charges.
Mr Khan has called for nationwide protests after he was handed a three-year jail sentence. His supporters say the prosecution is politically motivated.
Also in the programme: Bangladesh is facing its worst outbreak of dengue fever for at least two decades; and a pill aiming to treat depression in women following childbirth has just been approved in the United States promising to be a game changer for millions of women.
(Photo shows supporters of former Pakistani prime minister shout slogans at a protest on 5 August 2023. Credit: Amiruddin Mughal/EPA)
Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has been arrested following the decision by a court to sentence him to three years in prison. Mr Khan was found guilty of not declaring money he'd earned from selling state gifts such as luxury watches he'd received while he was prime minister. Imran Khan denies all the charges against him. He released a video message on social media after he'd been taken into custody.
Also on the programme: Saudi Arabia is hosting talks on a future settlement for the conflict in Ukraine; and some of the contents of Queen singer Freddy Mercury's home go under the hammer.
(Picture: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. Credit: Akhtar Soomro/ REUTERS)
2011 winners Japan beat Norway 3-1 to make it through to the quarter finals of the World Cup. Japanese sports writer Masujima Midori joins Maz Farookhi to discuss the teams performance.
The Athletic's Laia Cervelló Herrero also stops by to chat all things Jorge Vilda as Spain thrash Switzerland 5-1 to become the first team in the last eight.
Katie Smith is in Melbourne speaking to United States captain Alex Morgan as the World Champions arrive in Australia for their knockout match against Sweden.
Photo: Risa Shimizu of Japan and West Ham United celebrates after scoring her sides first goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Japan and Norway at Wellington Regional Stadium on August 5, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, smashing the record for climbing the world's fourteen highest peaks, the remarkable musician who plays the French horn with his toes, and an eight-year-old chess prodigy from Nigeria - sharing her passion for the game.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
We hear about a prehistoric discovery in India - a nest full of dinosaur eggs found in 1982. Plus, why a Mongolian dinosaur skeleton became the centre of a 2012 court battle in a case known as United States V One Tyrannosaurus Bataar.
Our guest, palaeobiologist Neil Gostling reveals how newly-uncovered dinosaurs are named, and tells us which fossilised beast was the first to be christened.
José Mujica recounts his journey from young revolutionary in the 1960s and 70s to becoming Uruguay's president in 2009. Plus, we learn more about the deaf children in Nicaragua who invented their own sign language. And find out why a treehouse built beside the Berlin Wall during the Cold War became a symbol of resistance.
Contributors: Professor Ashok Sahni - palaeontologist Associate Professor Neil Gostling - palaeobiologist Dr Bolortsetseg Minjin - paleontologist José Mujica - former president of Uruguay Professor Judy Shepard-Kegl - linguist Mehmet Kahlin – son of Osman Kahlin
(Photo: Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton, 2016. Credit: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)
The Nigerian national women’s football team were the first African team to reach the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup Tournament in China in 1991. Justice Baidoo speaks to Nkiri Okosieme – who captained the hastily assembled squad – and hears how they overcame opposition to claim their tournament spot. This programme is a Made in Manchester Production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: Nigeria goalkeepr Oyeka Anna Agumanu and Omon-Love Branch try to stop German Heidi Mohr's attack during the group C match on November 17, 1991 at the Jiangmen stadium at first FIFA World Championship for Women's Football. Credit: Getty Images)
Employment in the US held steady last month, bolstering hopes that the economy will avoid a painful downturn. Latest job figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show employers added 187,000 jobs while the jobless rate dropped to 3.5%.
Plus presenter Leanna Byrne speaks to Shannon K.O’Neil, a Latin American expert and vice-president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank in the US, about how inflation and increasing political pressures are pushing more people to leave countries such as Argentina and Venezuela and head north to the US in search of a better life.
Leanna Byrne speaks to Colin Peacock, producer and presenter of Mediawatch in New Zealand and Dr Stephanie Hare, researcher, broadcaster and author in London to discuss the day’s top business stories.
Niger has been the focus of international and diplomatic attention over the past week after its democratically elected president was removed from power by the military. In recent days, we have seen hundreds of foreign nationals leave the West African country. For most people in Niger though it is about trying to get on with life – amid the uncertainty – in a country that consistently ranks as having the lowest standards of living anywhere in the world. Host James Reynolds hears from two friends in Niger, Sadissou and Sidien, who share their different perspectives on events.
The Russian opposition leader is found guilty of further offences by a court at his penal colony. Also: Ethiopia declares state of emergency in Amhara, and Edinburgh Fringe performer gets huge show of support after only one person turned up for her show.
Employment in the US held steady last month, bolstering hopes that the economy will avoid a painful downturn. Latest job figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show employers added 187,000 jobs while the jobless rate dropped to 3.5%. Chris Low, Chief Economist at FHN Financial in New York and Julia Pollak Chief Economist at ZipRecruiter, in California, discuss what this could mean for the US economy.
Plus in the latest part of our series on immigration, presenter Leanna Byrne speaks to Shannon K.O’Neil, a Latin American expert and vice-president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank in the US, about how inflation and increasing political pressures are pushing more people to leave countries such as Argentina and Venezuela and head north to the US in search of a better life.
Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has told supporters not to lose the will to resist, after his jail term was extended to 19 years.
Also on the programme: Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region where fighting between the army and local militias has worsened; and we hear from oceanographers worried about the surging temperature of the world's seas.
(Image: Mr Navalny appears on a screen via a video link from his penal colony during court hearings in Moscow, 22 June 2023, Credit: EPA)
Alberta in Canada has withdrawn its bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. It follows a decision last month by the Australian state of Victoria to pull out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Both say that the event is simply too expensive - and would cost as much as $2bn. We speak to the CEO of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games about the impact of this.
An amateur rapper and her husband have pleaded guilty to trying to launder $4.5bn (£3.5bn) of Bitcoin that he had stolen in a hack in 2016. Heather "Razzlekhan" Morgan and Ilya Lichtenstein were arrested last year in New York. We find out how they manged that heist.
And we look at "Emancipendence" celebrations in Jamaica as it come to a climax. The day commemorates the abolition of slavery in not just Jamaica but the British Empire. We hear what this day has meant for the economic development of Jamaica.
Scientists say the average surface temperature of the world's oceans is at a record high - it's now 20.96 degrees Celsius compared to the previous record of 20.95 in 2016 - the numbers come from the EU's climate change service, Copernicus. So why is it happening and why does it matter? We speak to Dr Samantha Burgess, the Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service
Also on the programme: a husband and wife cyber crime team plead guilty to attempting to launder $4.5bn of Bitcoin; and the Edinburgh play about the prolific serial killer Harold Shipman. (Picture: Dead fish lie on the beach in Chumphon, Thailand June 22, 2023. Credit: Kantaphong Thakoonjiranon /via REUTERS)
We bring you reaction to the Senegalese authorities banning TikTok, which activists have been using to coordinate a string of recent protests. Tensions are high in the country, with repeated protests over legal cases against opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, whose PASTEF party was dissolved by the government this week.
Plus, ahead of Zimbabwe’s elections later this month, we speak to democracy activist Namatai Kwekweza about the state of politics in the country.
And we break down the story behind the viral video of the slow Somali runner competing in the 100m at the World University Games in China.
The average global sea surface temperature reaches 20.96 degrees Celsius with grim implications for the planet. Also: The Commonwealth Games suffers another blow as a Canadian province cancels a bid to host it weeks after Australia pulled out, and the would be rapper who's pleaded guilty to laundering billions of dollars of bitcoin.
In today's episode, Mani Djazmi, Maz Farookhi and Katie Smith reflect on Morocco's miraculous progression to the last 16 at the Women’s World Cup.
Mani chats to two-time World Cup-winner with Germany, Nadine Angerer, about the country’s shock elimination, while the team preview all eight round of 16 matches.
Former Switzerland international Tatjana Haenni drops by to talk about Switzerland's chances, while Mani speaks at length to the Netherlands manager Andries Jonker about the influence of Louis van Gaal and his side's epic travels across the Tasman.
Photo: Morocco players celebrate advancing to the knock out stage after the 1-0 victory in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group H match between Morocco and Colombia at Perth Rectangular Stadium on August 03, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Credit: FIFA via Getty Images)
Beirut's devastating port explosion killed more than 200, and injured thousands, but three years on, while neighbourhoods have largely returned to normal the families of victims are still waiting for answers. BBC Arabic's Carine Torbey spoke to three people directly affected by the explosion about their experiences and perspectives.
Why being a 'pure vegetarian' got Sudha Murty into trouble Sudha Murty is married to one of the richest men in India and mother-in-law to the British Prime Minister. But she recently sparked debates with comments about vegetarianism on a popular TV food programme, with her claim to being a ‘pure vegetarian’ offending many. From BBC Delhi, Geeta Pandey joins us to explore why vegetarianism can be such a controversial topic in India.
Ibrat Safo: finding my Ukrainian nanny When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, BBC journalist Ibrat Safo's first thought was for Natasha, the Ukrainian nanny who had cared for him as a baby in Uzbekistan. He decided to try and find her, and after more than a year, finally tracked her down.
Iran's hijab problem Efforts to enforce hijab rules in Iran have stepped up recently, with businesses being shut down, and women convicted of breaking the rules given bizarre sentences by courts, like being compelled to receive psychotherapy, or washing corpses. BBC Monitoring Iranian journalist Sonia has been following the story.
Myanmar's new banknote The military regime in Myanmar has just issued a new banknote worth 20,000 kyat, just less than $10. It bears the image of a white elephant, and its issue coincided with the unveiling of an enormous statue of Buddha in the capital Naypyidaw. BBC Burmese editor Soe Win Than explains the significance of the imagery and the timing.
(Photo: Lebanese army member by damaged grain silo, Beirut port blast site (August 7, 2020). Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo)
In 2012 a dinosaur skeleton became the subject of both a restraining order and a court case.
Mongolian palaeontologist, Dr Bolortsetseg Minjin helped stop the dinosaur falling into the hands of a private buyer after spotting a photo of the skeleton on TV in the United States.
The case became known as United States v One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton.
She told Gill Kearsley her extraordinary story.
(Photo: The 70-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus bataar on display in Ulan Bator. Credit: Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir/AFP via Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. He was ousted from power last year but thinks he can stage a comeback in elections scheduled for the autumn. Is Pakistan facing a period of political chaos?
We look into Mexico’s drive to get historical artefacts returned. Find out more about a famous quetzal feather crown believed to have been worn by the great Aztec emperor Moctezuma, it is currently in Austria and we hear from those who want to keep it there, and those campaigning for its return.
Presenter / producer: Beth Timmins Image: Moctezuma's headdress; Getty Images
Tech giants Amazon and Apple have released their latest results, tech writer Alison van Diggelen in San Francisco and Sushma Ramachandran, a business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper in New Delhi, join the programme to go over the numbers.
In India, the government is restricting imports of electronic items such as laptops, tablets and phones, we look at the reasons behind the decision and whether this could see the cost of such items rise in the country.
As part of our series on immigration we hear from the Argentine medical professionals leaving their homes and their country in search of better wages.
Three years on from the pandemic when Covid shut down international borders, Americans have rediscovered their love of vacationing abroad. Sam Fenwick speaks to Erika Richter, from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), about where Americans are travelling to and how much they’re spending on their trips.
The former US president says his latest indictment amounts to "persecution of a political opponent". Also: Amazon deforestation falls to lowest level since 2017, and the award-winning American composer Carl Davis dies aged eighty-six.
A doctor in New York, Anjoli has been longing for a space to practise spirituality within a like-minded community, but she does not want to go to her parents’ Hindu temple. Whilst she likes the rituals and the sense of community, she feels torn over the teachings about race and caste. She's one of a flock of people signing up to an online community called The Nearness - a group brought together by people with Divinity School backgrounds who yearn for a community where they can explore big spiritual questions, but outside the confines of tradition religion. Research suggests that many millennials are hungry for spiritual communities but wary of mainstream religious ones, so they are trying to create their own. But is it possible to do this in a lasting way, without the history, traditions and rituals of an established faith?
The world’s two biggest tech companies Apple and Amazon deliver their much anticipated latest results - we discuss what the numbers mean.
In India the government has announced restrictions on electrical goods such as laptops, tablets and phones - we look at the reasons why and what impact the move could have.
And seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady becomes the latest sporting legend to buy a share of a British soccer club - taking a minority stake in Birmingham City FC.
Security has been ramped up in Washington DC as Donald Trump arrives to face charges of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The former president pleaded not guilty on four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and to deny voters the right to have their ballots counted. We hear more about the judge ruling the case, Tanya Chutkan.
Also on the programme: Scientists discover a natural strain of bacteria which they say could help stop malaria passing from mosquitoes to humans, and what persuaded NFL star Tom Brady to invest in Birmingham City Football Club?
(Picture: A demonstrator carries a placard, as people gather on the day former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is facing federal charges related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, appears at the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. Credit: Reuters)
Science in Action returns to H5N1, the fast spreading strain of bird flu which has caused devastation in the sky, sea, and land over the last few months, with no end in sight.
Roland visits Skomer Island and the coast of Wales where sea bird colonies are threatened and hundreds of guillemots have washed ashore dead, struck down by bird flu.
We also hear of outbreaks on Finnish fur farms where controversial plans are in progress for culls of wild birds, of mysterious infections of domestic cats in Poland, and bird flu causing brain swelling in grey seals.
Plus we get an update on efforts to vaccinate Condors in California against the disease.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber
The 7 time Superbowl champion is the latest US celebrity to invest in a UK football team, and becomes chairman of a new advisory board for the club.
Birmingham City have recently been taken over by US Investment firm Knighthead Capital Management LLC.
Owner Tom Wagner says Brady show the club are "are setting the bar at world class".
A ceasefire comes into effect today between Colombia's government and the left-wing ELN guerrilla group. The truce will be in force for 180 days, and will be monitored by the United Nations. If the ceasefire holds it will be the longest time the ELN has agreed to halt the conflict since 1964.
Also in the programme: former US president Donald Trump appears in court today over alleged attempts to overturn the last presidential election; and we speak to the singer Emel Mathlouthi who was cancelled by a music festival in Tunisia following concerts in Bethlehem, Ramallah and East Jerusalem.
(Picture: The president of Colombia Gustavo Petro, accompanied by commander of the ELN guerrilla, Antonio Garcia, and the president of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel, shake hands during peace talks in Cuba in June. Credit: Mastrascusa/EPA)
Kenya’s government has ordered cryptocurrency company Worldcoin to stop signing up new users, due to privacy concerns over the company’s eyeball scanning technology. We look at some of the concerns around digital identities.
What's behind the spate of Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark?
South Africa's Banyana Banyana reach the knockout stage of the Women's World Cup for the first time with a stoppage-time goal.
Hundreds show support for coup and denounce international sanctions. Also, North Korea confirms it's holding the US soldier who dashed across the border, and Germany knocked out of the Women's Football World Cup.
In the 1980s, a Turkish worker in Germany, Osman Kahlin, provoked controversy when he turned a patch of disputed land against the Berlin Wall into a makeshift farm.
The land was owned by East Germany, but lay on the Western side of the wall due to a quirk in the wall's hurried construction.
Kahlin fought a running battle with both East and West German police to keep hold of the land, and kitted it out with a fully functioning treehouse that became a local symbol of resistance to authority.
Alex Eccleston speaks to Osman's son, Mehmet. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: Osman's treehouse. Credit: Schlemmer/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
On Sunday 6 August 2023 it will be six months since the devastating event which killed more than 50,000 people, injured tens of thousands more, and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
For Business Daily, Victoria Craig travels to the worst affected region of Hatay. When President Erdoğan visited the disaster area back in February, he vowed to rebuild within a year, so can he keep that promise?
Victoria speaks to residents who are still waiting to hear about permanent homes.
And we ask whether new homes will be safe enough to survive another natural disaster?
Presenter: Victoria Craig Producer: Gonca Tokyol
(Image: Reconstruction in Hatay)
The World Cup has us looking at why women get more ACL injuries, how to avoid cracking under pressure, and why some animals play dead.
Also on the program we consider the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence in Africa, whether the continent is turning to nuclear power, and if banana skins are hallucinogenic.
Millions of people left Romania after it entered the EU in 2007. They were haemorrhaging doctors at such a rate they had to shut entire hospitals and losing so many builders they had to cancel major infrastructure projects. By 2015, nearly 20% of the population lived abroad. Now their government wants them to come home. They’ve doubled health care salaries, offered tax breaks to builders and dished out thousands of Euros in grants for returners who start up a business. And in 2023, with Romania projected to have one of the fastest growing economies in the EU, the migration tide could finally be turning.
Dr Tessa Dunlop travels to Transylvania to meet Alina, who was persuaded to leave the UK by a grant that helped her start up a leather clothing business. Adrian, co-owner of an app design company, relishes the high tech salary he can earn and the relatively low living costs in Romania. Dan, a foetal medicine specialist left the UK after nearly a decade working for the NHS, hoping to improve Romania’s maternity wards. In some sectors, though, there are still shortages. Builder Ion can't find the Romanian talent he could easily recruit in Italy. Perhaps not enough has improved, yet, to tempt lower paid workers home.
Presenter: Dr Tessa Dunlop Producer: Phoebe Keane Editor: Penny Murphy Production Coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Mixed by: James Beard
(Image: Alina Morar returned to Romania to set up a leather clothing company with the help of a government grant. Credit: BBC)
Roger Hearing is joined by Steven Bertoni in New York and Karen Lema in Manila to look at the big business and financial stories of the day.
Global grain prices have had a challenging day after Russian attacks on a Ukrainian port on the Danube river reportedly damaged tens of thousands of tonnes of supplies. Roger speaks to Marcelo Elizondo, Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce in Argentina to discuss whether smaller exporters like Brazil and Argentina could step up to fill the gap.
Plus how is Canada reacting after Facebook and Google blocked their Canadian news feeds; government plans to tackle immigration in Chile and the US-American plan to build a new International Space Station.
Nigeria reportedly cuts electricity supplies to increase pressure on Niger military junta. Also: Pittsburgh synagogue gunman gets death penalty, and AI offers huge promise on breast cancer screening.
At what age should you start teaching children to cook, and why should you?
In this programme, Ruth Alexander meets children and young people who are talented in the kitchen, making the case for why it might be worth the time and the mess to trust them to make dinner.
We travel to the north-west of England to Sefton Carers Centre to meet Paige Jones, aged nine, who cares and cooks for her mum, Rachel, who has a health condition.
Food writer Jenny Chandler, who has authored two cookbooks for children, gives Ruth some tips about how she can get her three-year-old son engaged in the kitchen.
And Ruth meets the young cooking enthusiasts sharing their skills with others: Keffa Liona in Nairobi, Kenya, makes cooking videos with his younger brother, Kisali, which they post online; and Julian Frederick in Texas, United States, is - aged 15 - the CEO of Stepstool Chef, which provides video tutorials presented by children for children.
Presented by Ruth Alexander Produced by Beatrice Pickup
(Image: Child stood on a stool in a kitchen, making houmous.)
Meta has begun blocking access to news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada in response to a new law requiring internet giants to pay news publishers. Takara Small, a technology journalist brought us the latest from Toronto.
The government in Chile wants to restrict the numbers of migrants coming into the country. Jane Chambers looks at how the tightening of border controls is now pushing more would-be migrants north to the US.
Europe-based plane maker Airbus and the US space exploration firm Voyager Space have announced a joint venture to develop a possible replacement to the International Space Station. Roger Hearing speaks to Clay Mowry, Chief Revenue Officer, at Voyager space about the project.
Donald Trump's campaign team has said the latest criminal charges against him amount to election interference. Mr Trump is due to appear in court on Thursday to face accusations of plotting to overturn the last presidential poll. His campaign described the allegations as an "un-American witch hunt", and likened them to the persecution inflicted in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The indictment says Mr Trump knew he was lying when he complained of voter fraud.
Also in the programme: as Colombia prepares for an historic ceasefire with rebels, we speak to a government negotiator; and why are killer whales ramming boats in Spain?
(Photo: A woman holds a banner in front of the federal courthouse where former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is expected later this week. US August 1, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Henrietta Lacks was only 31 years old when she died from cervical cancer in 1951. While she was in hospital in the USA, her cells were harvested without her knowledge which, since being replicated infinitely, have gone on to enable research into cancer, dementia and Parkinson’s. As well as contributing to the development of vaccines for polio and COVID-19. Her family have fought for decades to get justice for the “stolen” cells, and this week reached a settlement with Massachusetts-based Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
The United Nations says we now live in the era of "global boiling". As temperatures continue to soar across the southern USA, the BBC’s Health and Science Correspondent James Gallagher heads to a high-tech heated chamber in the UK, on a mission to find out how hot is too hot for our bodies to cope with.
In Sweden, dentist Dr Nivetha Natarajan Gavriilidou tells Claudia Hammond about her work using the bone structure of the jaw to predict how we might get shorter as we age. Could it lead to dentists working closer with GPs? It’s a question we also put to our studio guest family doctor Ann Robinson. Who brings us new research from the USA that could lead to better treatment for children’s runny noses. And potentially some good news if you’re struggling to shave seconds off your 5KM PB. Could beating your time be down to your genes?
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury
Ukraine's main inland port, Izmail, has been hit by a drone strike weeks after Russia pulled out of an agreement that saw Ukrainian grain exported safely. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister has said the attack damaged 40,000 tons of grain planned for buyers in Africa, China and Israel. What impact is this having on the country and the wider economy.
As the coup in Niger continues, we ask how the global energy industry could be affected by the closure of borders in the world's seventh bigger producer of uranium ore.
And after the US had its credit rating downgraded from the highest AAA to AA+ by agency Fitch. We find out what this means for both the US government and its economy.
Katie Smith and Mani Djazmi are in Melbourne as Jamaica make history by becoming the first men's or women's Caribbean team to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup.
Jamaican journalist Wayde Brown from Irie FM joins us at the Rectangular Stadium to discuss the scale of the Reggae Girlz' achievement and how it will be received back home. Brazilian journalist Ricardo Setyon also stops by to discuss Brazil's shock elimination and whether this is the end for Brazilian superstar Marta.
There was more history making across the Tasman in New Zealand, where Maz Farookhi has been in wintery Wellington as the African Champions South Africa have reached the last 16 for the first time after beating Italy 3-2. We hear from Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellies about their historic achievement.
Image: Deneisha Blackwood and Vyan Sampson of Jamaica celebrate advancing to the knockout stage after the scoreless draw in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group F match between Jamaica and Brazil at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on August 02, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Donald Trump faces four new criminal charges, including conspiracy to 'defraud the United States'. The former US President says it's a persecution - an 'un-American witch hunt'. Newshour looks at the legal implications.
Also on the programme: In the UK there is a warning that cuts to the overseas aid budget could directly lead to the deaths of thousands of women in the poorest countries of the world; and the plight of an Iranian woman - injured in anti-government protests who was heading over the border to get medical treatment.
(Photo: President Donald Trump visits American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, on July 30th 2020 Credit: Reuters)
Niger’s military rulers reopen the borders, as Mali and Burkina Faso warn ECOWAS not to use military force to reinstate deposed president Mohamed Bazoum.
Plus, following the jailing of its leader Ousmane Sonko, Senegalese authorities dissolve the country’s largest opposition party Pastef.
And we take you to the exhibition showcasing Nigerian artists in a part of South London famous for its connection to the diaspora.
A million people are expected to attend the gatherings in Lisbon. Also: US singer, Lizzo is accused of sexual harassment and fat-shaming, and we hear from a female Ukrainian sniper.
It’s a Sportshour special with Caroline Barker at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town. It’s the first time the tournament has been held in Africa and we’ll hear from former Proteas players Zanele Mdodana and Vanes-Mari du Toit about the impact of hosting the event for South Africa. We’ll also hear from Uganda’s Peace Proscovia about how the game lifted her and her family out of poverty.
It must be very special to represent your country. Doubly so if you can do it alongside your sister! Well, that's what Sasha and Kadeen Corbin did when they played for England, but as their career come towards a close, they are back - but not for England - this time they are proudly representing Barbados . On the side-line, we speak to arguably the best coach in the business, the defending champions New Zealand’s Dame Noelene Taurua.
We hear from a player who says climate change ended her career. Former Australian international Amy Steel says environmental change had a drastic, life changing effect on her health.
We'll also hear from England star Geva Mentor on the only trophy missing in her cabinet - a World Cup. This is a record equalling sixth World Cup appearance for Geva.
Photo: Karla Pretorius (Vice Captain) of South Africa and Phillipa Yarranton of Wales during the Netball World Cup 2023, Pool C match between South Africa and Wales at Cape Town International Convention Centre Court 1 on July 28, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Netball World Cup 2023 via Getty Images)
In the early 1980s deaf children in Nicaragua invented a completely new sign language of their own.
It was a remarkable achievement, which allowed experts a unique insight into how human communication develops.
In 2020, Mike Lanchin spoke to an American linguist Judy Shepard-Kegl, who documented this process.
(Photo: Sign language class in Nicaragua. Credit: INTI OCON/AFP via Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Kwame Kwei-Armah, artistic director of the Young Vic theatre in London. His work poses questions about race, identity, equality and justice. In an era of political polarisation, are audiences prepared to engage?
Space agencies and billionaire investors plan to have people living on the Moon or Mars. But those lunar and martian residents will have to grow their own food to survive.
Find out how biologists from Florida, Norway and the Netherlands are experimenting to grow crops in regolith, the kind of soil found on the Moon and Mars. It could be very profitable enterprise.
Presenter / producer: Russell Padmore Image: Moon and crops; Credit: Getty Images
Roger Hearing is joined by Lori Ann LaRocco in the US and Colin Peacock in New Zealand to discuss some of the major financial stories of the day. The former US President Donald Trump is indicted on more charges - this time around the fallout from the 2020 election.
Ilya Espino de Marotta is the Panama Canal Authority's Deputy Administrator - she tells us about the struggle to keep goods flowing during the drought season.
Plus we ask if being mean in the office is actually the best way to climb the ladder.
PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS/Lindsay DeDario/File Photo
The special counsel said Donald Trump led an "unprecedented assault" on the US that was "fuelled by lies". Also: France begins evacuation of citizens after Niger coup, and Nasa picks up "heartbeat" signal from lost Voyager 2 spacecraft.
Former US President Donald Trump is facing a third case in the wake of the 2020 Presidential election and its fallout. We look at his finances. As Uber turns a profit for the first time, we look at how the company plans to expand and remain profitable. Plus we hear from the Panama Canal's administrators as it struggles with drought conditions.
France is evacuating its nationals from Niger amid growing hostility to the former colonial power after a military take-over.
Also today: we speak to an Israeli doctor who wants to quit the country because of the right wing nationalist government; and it's a double blue super moon. Why do super moons seem bigger and brighter?
(Photo: A protester carries a sign that reads 'France must go' during a protest in Niamey, Niger, 30 July 2023. Thousands of supporters of General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the Presidential Guard, who declared himself the new leader of Niger after a coup against democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum on 26 July, took to the streets of Niamey to demonstrate support for the coup .Credit: Issifou Djibo EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Have you thought about the cost of storing data from your phone or tablet ? We find out about what cloud storage costs you financially, and its impact on the environment. In Kenya, a huge cyber-attack targets the government's online services. We hear from some of those affected. Facebook has reached three billion users around the world. We ask what people like about it ? And we have a report on delivering rental cars in Germany, but without any drivers. (Picture credit: Getty Images)
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has fleshed out the details of a raft of measures to tackle the rising cost of living, which has prompted civil unrest and looting.
In a televised address to the nation, Mr Tinubu said he had ordered the release of 200,000 tonnes of grain from strategic reserves.
He also promised to increase the minimum wage, encourage more and better-paid jobs and financial help for the farming, manufacturing and smaller business sectors.
(Picture: President Bola Tinubu has appealed for patience while implementing his economic plans. Picture credit: AFP)
Mauritius, Morocco and Madagascar are leading African countries in making inroads in the fight against smoking, which claims over 8 million lives annually around the world.
What's behind the staying power of South Africa's second largest opposition party the EFF and its leader Julius Malema?
And Nigeria makes it into the Women's World Cup knockout phase
Russia blames Ukraine after the same building is struck twice within a matter of days. Also: Myanmar's ruling junta pardons deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi for some offences, though she will remain in detention, and there's backlash in Japan over the promotion of the film Oppenheimer.
France says it will evacuate its citizens from Niger following last week's coup. The foreign ministry said it was responding to an attack on the French embassy on Sunday, as well as the lack of commercial flights. So could France still play a military role in Niger?
Also: thousands of young Pakistanis have tried to reach Europe via Libya - it's a dangerous route and many die - we will hear from one of the people smugglers; and why you need to keep your eyes on the sky this month for blue moons and supermoons.
(Photo: Protesters outside the French embassy on Sunday chanted "Long live Russia" and "Down with France". Credit: AFP)
Maz Farookhi is in Auckland as the four-time winners of the World Cup, the United States are into the knockout stages of the World Cup following a 0-0 draw with Portugal.
Maz speaks to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Tannenwald, New York Times World Editor Andrew Das and Tatjana Haenni, the National Women’s Soccer League’s Chief Sporting Director, about why the USA have found this tournament so difficult and what areas they need to improve going forward.
Image: Alex Morgan of USA and San Diego Wave during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group E match between Portugal and USA at Eden Park on August 1, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In this special episode of The Warm Up Track, we’re joined by some of the stars of the very first World Athletics Championships as the event prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
1500m gold medallist Steve Cram explains how important the ’83 Worlds were, at a time when the Olympic Games was beset by political boycotts. He also outlines plans by Athletics’ world governing body, the IAAF, to make the World Championships their equivalent of the FIFA World Cup and make the Olympics track and field’s second tier competition for under-23s only.
Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, who won sprint relay bronze, describes a Jamaica team where you had to bring a sewing kit to make adjustments to the vest and shorts you’d been given. She also recalls how all of the teams stayed in university halls of residence, and how the cafeteria was the place to be, a real melting pot of nations where life-long friendships were made.
Jamaica’s first World Champion Bert Cameron says that, as he received his 400m gold, he saw his life in flashback – leaving him with the belief that God had given him his talent to lift his family out of poverty.
While Arto Bryggare, whose 110m hurdles silver was host nation Finland’s first medal of the Championships, recalls how he took time to speak with his team-mate Tiina Lilak during his lap of honour to say “stop playing, start throwing”. Lilak was involved in the Javelin final, and would go onto win gold that same night. Arto was in doping control when he heard the crowd “exploding” as she claimed the win. As for Arto, he says the silver is “the number one thing” in his career because it was a medal of “standing the pressure”.
Image: Steve Cram of Great Britain crosses the finishing line to win the 1500 metres final from Steve Scott of the USA and Said Aouita of Morrocco during the 1983 World Championships held on August 14, 1983 at the Olympic Stadium, in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images)
Colombian writer Pilar Quintana talks about her acclaimed novel The Bitch which explores themes of motherhood, loss, and the impact of violence on women's lives.
Set against the backdrop of the Pacific coast, the story revolves around Damaris, a young woman longing for a child but unable to conceive. When she discovers a pregnant dog near her home, she becomes obsessed with the idea of adopting one of its puppies.
However, her evolving relationship with the puppy becomes entangled with the violence of the society around her, revealing dark secrets and triggering a journey of self-discovery.
Through Quintana's lyrical prose, the novel delves deep into the complexities of human relationships, motherhood in particular, the scars left by conflict, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
A slow comeback from Covid has added to China's economic strain, but it's bucking the trend when it comes to global inflation. As an export ban on Chinese rare minerals comes into effect, we explore the impact it could have on the global chip industry. Host Roger Hearing is joined by Fermín Koop in Argentina and Kimberly Adams from Marketplace in the US.
(Picture: Customers at a supermarket in Qingzhou, Shandong province, China. Credit: Getty Images).
In 1982, nests of dinosaur eggs were identified for the first time in India.
They were found in Jabalpur, on a historic fossil site and former British military cantonment.
The eggs were from Titanosaurs, living at the end of the Cretaceous Period.
Palaeontologist Professor Ashok Sahni made the discovery, he’s been speaking to Laura Jones.
(Photo: Ashok Sahni at home with fossilised dinosaur eggs. Credit: BBC)
From Tibet to the Andes to the highlands of Ethiopia, around 150 million people around the world work at high altitude. Many were born there, but in a globalized world of mass migration, many weren’t, and are toiling in environments that their bodies maybe aren’t accustomed to.
What does that mean for their health and for the companies that employ them? We go to a high altitude copper mine in the Chilean Andes and talk to doctors about the potential risks of working on top of the world.
Producer / presenter: Gideon Long
(Image: A mine high in the Andes. Credit: Getty Images)
Science fiction flourished from the earliest days of the Soviet Union. A rare space to explore other realms and utopian dreams of progress. But with the Soviet Union's collapse different narratives bubbled up. Many of them reactionary, imperial, violent with one sub genre flourishing above all - Popadantsy: accidental time travel where protagonists return to World War Two or the Imperial past to set the path of Russian history on the 'right' course, Historian Catherine Merridale explores how the once visionary world of Russian science fiction shifted in the time of Vladimir Putin to become a reactionary playground.
Over four-hundred bodies have been exhumed and hundreds are still missing. Also: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation holds an extraordinary meeting to discuss the latest burning of the Quran in Sweden, and why people can barely work out if an animal in a Chinese zoo is a real bear or a fake one.
China confronts the threat of economic stagnation and deflation as it fails to bounce back post-Covid. Some analysts now say the government's economic growth target around 5% could be at risk for a second year in a row
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has condemned Sweden and Denmark for failing to prevent the repeated burning of the Quran by activists. At an extraordinary meeting, the Saudi-based organisation urged member states to take any action they deemed appropriate in response. Both Scandinavian countries have said they reject Islamophobic acts and are working on how to solve the problem.
Also in the programme: fighting at Lebanese refugee camp; and should Venice be added to UNESCO’s list of endangered World Heritage Sites?
(Picture: Police stand guard as a man (not in picture) prepares to burn a copy of the Koran in protest. CREDIT: EPA/OSCAR OLSSON SWEDEN OUT)
The world around us is three-dimensional. Yet, there are materials that can be regarded as two-dimensional. They are only one layer of atoms thick and have remarkable properties that are different from their three-dimensional counterparts. Sir Andre Geim created the first-ever man-made 2D material, by isolating graphene, and is one of the pioneers in this line of research. Even beyond his Nobel Prize-winning work on graphene, he has explored new ideas in many different areas of physics throughout his career. Andre tells Jim about his time growing up in the Soviet Union, being rejected from university based on his German ethnicity, his move to Western Europe, and levitating frogs.
Katie Smith and Mani Djazmi are joined by not one, not two, but three former Australian internationals in the shape of Mark Schwarzer, Amy Chapman and Alicia Ferguson to reflect on the Matildas’ 4-0 thrashing of Olympic champions Canada in Melbourne to progress to the last 16 as group winners. We also hear from former Colombia international Vanessa Cordoba following Colombia’s shock 2-1 win over two-time world champions Germany in Sydney on Sunday.
Photo:Steph Catley of Australia (C) celebrates her goal with her teammates during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Canada and Australia at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on July 31, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Credit: Richard Callis/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Manchester United have agreed a 10-year extension kit deal to their partnership with Adidas worth a minimum of £900m.
Lebanon’s economic and political paralysis enters a new phase today with the departure of the discredited central bank governor, Riad Salameh. For most of his thirty-year tenure he was celebrated as a financial genius, but he is now widely blamed for Lebanon’s almost complete economic collapse since 2019.
Online marketplace Etsy has come under fire from sellers for putting 75% of their takings on hold for 45 days.
At least forty-five people killed and over one hundred injured. Also: Chinese authorities are accused of pressuring Uyghur's to spy on human rights campaigners, and not one but two supermoons to appear in August.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned those responsible as being terrorists who have 'targeted those who speak for Islam, the Quran and Pakistan'; also our reporter in Ukraine has been on the front line with a team of elite snipers known as 'the Ghosts of Bakhmut'; and has Emperor Nero's lost theatre finally been found next door to the Vatican?
(Photo: Security officials inspect the scene of a bomb explosion in Khar, Bajaur district, Pakistan. Credit: Hanifullah Khan/EPA)
West African regional body ECOWAS has threatened a military response to the coup in Niger, if deposed president Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week.
Plus, we look at the impact of Kenya suspending the reopening of its border with Somalia after 11 years of closure, due to attacks by al-Shabab militants.
And we look at the impact of South Africa adopting sign language as the country’s twelfth official language.
Can you think out of the box or take the helicopter view at work? Learn business jargon.
In the 1960s and '70s, José Mujica was a leading member of a notorious left-wing militant group in Uruguay called the Tupamaros. He survived multiple bullet wounds, torture, and executed a daring prison escape.
After years held in solitary confinement, Mujica was released from prison in 1985 and entered politics. He became Uruguay’s president in 2009. He speaks to Ben Henderson.
(Photo: José Mujica at home in Montevideo. Credit: Ricardo Ceppi/Getty Images)
The country produces 70% of it's electricity this way - and is the global leader.
It's aiming to prolong the lifespan of its 56 existing nuclear reactors – and construct additional ones.
President Macron is calling it "the nuclear renaissance" of France.
However some people still have concerns over the safety measures in place.
So how much sense does France's nuclear strategy make, economically speaking?
Produced and presented by Lisa Louis.
Image:
In August 2020, an explosion destroyed the port of Beirut. More than 200 people lost their lives and thousands of small and medium women-owned businesses were destroyed. Kim Chakanetsa meets two entrepreneurs who are now working to rebuild their city and keep the economy going.
In 2018, Joelle Azar quit her job in banking and with the help of her three sisters, opened a food store in the centre of Beirut, where theysold produce made by local female farmers and artisans. On the day of the explosion, she was on her way to work when a balcony fell on her car. It took months for Joelle to get back on her feet, and even though her sisters have now left the country, she is determined to stay, keep the shop open and help her community heal.
Nour Tannir is a 27-year-old architect and entrepreneur. In 2017 Nour and her sister-in-law, jewellery designer Yasmine Dabbous, launched EspaceFann, a social enterprise offering women affordable workshops and professional courses in textile, design and traditional crafts. Their workshops were seriously damaged by the blast, but Nour thinks that all the adversities they faced made them stronger. Nour also owns her own brand of contemporary designs for religious rituals, 786 Faithful Solutions.
Produced by Alice Gioia
The crime writer Agatha Christie remains the best-selling novelist of all time even though her death was almost 50 years ago. Her fictional detective Hercule Poirot has attained legendary status, so for a modern novelist to breathe new life into the character is a considerable challenge. However, the English psychological crime author Sophie Hannah has been doing just that. In 2014 she wrote her first novel using Poirot as the central character and we follow her in 2018 as she prepares her third Poirot novel for publication, entitled The Mystery of Three Quarters. Felicity Finch next catches up with Sophie as her fifth Poirot novel, Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night, is due to be published.
West African regional bloc threatens military intervention and imposes sanctions. Also: At least 44 people have been killed and over 100 wounded in a suicide bomb attack in north-western Pakistan, and could a stairway make a heavenly home in London?
Stephen Sackur is at the Knepp Estate in the south of England to speak to conservationist Isabella Tree. Her estate is a world-renowned example of rewilding but is she building a pathway to a healthier planet or putting eco-principles above the needs of people?
By 1981, Pakistani-born immigrant Tariq Mehmood had endured years of violent racism in Britain. When he heard that gangs of white skinheads – with a history of attacking Asians – were coming to his home in Bradford, Tariq and his neighbours took desperate measures to defend their community. Underpinning their actions was the principle, “self-defence is no offence.” Tariq would end up being arrested, charged with conspiracy to make explosives, and facing life imprisonment. What followed was the landmark legal case of the Bradford 12.
Hand on the Sun, the novel that Tariq wrote in prison over 40 years ago, has been re-released with a new update.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producers: Maryam Maruf and Lina Chang Editor: Munazza Khan
The leaders of the block of West African nations, ECOWAS, threatens to take military action if Niger’s military junta does not end their coup in seven days’ time. In the meantime, economic sanctions have been immediately put in place.
Also on the programme: Kenya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alfred Mutua, discusses Kenya’s offer to help Haitian police combat criminal gangs. And we hear from the all-female Ukrainian group, Dakh Daughters, who produce what they call a freak cabaret.
(Image: Nigerien security forces prepare to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered in the capital city of Niger, Niamey. Credit: Reuters)
After more than 600 wickets, England fast bowler Stuart Broad has decided that the final 2023 Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval would be his last.
Broad has become synonymous with the famous rivalry between England and Australia, saving many of his best performances for Ashes battles.
We hear from Broad himself and his former England captains Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook before Lee James speaks to Daily Mirror cricket correspondent Dean Wilson and Australian commentator Jim Maxwell about the bowler and his legacy.
Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Thousands of protesters have gathered outside the French embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger, in support of the recent military coup. The leaders of the coup have warned the West African regional bloc ECOWAS against any possible military intervention. We have an interview with Niger's ambassador to the United Nations, Kiari Liman-Tinguiri.
Also on the programme: Russia has accused Ukraine of responsibility for the latest night time drone attack on Moscow. And the story behind the late Sinead O'Connor's song and what inspired Prince to write Nothing Compares to You.
(Photo: The junta says it took power because of the worsening security and economic situation. Credit: Getty Images)
New Zealand become the first ever hosts of the Women’s World Cup to exit at the group stage, after their 0-0 draw with Switzerland. Maz Farookhi speaks to former Football Fern Bex Sowden about New Zealand’s elimination from the tournament and what this means for the football in the country.
Former winners Norway are the second team to make it through following their 6-0 thrashing of Philippines. Norwegian journalist Caroline Simonsen explains why the national team blow so hot and cold.
Look at any fiction prize recently and odds are that you will find a Zimbabwean woman nominated, be it Tsitsi Dangaremba, NoViolet Bulawayo or Petina Gappah. But forget the glitz of the Booker, what is the situation inside Zimbabwe? Reporter Tawanda Mudzonga takes us on a literary tour of Zimbabwe to find out why it has produced so many talented and renowned women writers. Tawanda speaks to emerging authors like Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, Valerie Tagwira, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma and Sue Nyathi among others to explore what their writing can tell us about modern Zimbabwe.
Other EU countries, the African Union, and the US threaten to impose sanctions. Also: The eldest son of Colombia's president has been arrested on suspicion of money-laundering, and the latest census of tigers in India has found a substantial rise in the population.
Niger to lose all French development aid and budgetary support, following earlier moves by the EU to suspend financial and security cooperation. We hear about the likely impact on the local population from a security analyst in the Niger capital.
Also in the programme: the deepening political crisis in Peru; and promising news about tiger conservation across southern Asia.
(Photo: Shoppers in a street market in Niamey, Niger. Credit: ISSIFOU DJIBO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
European Union diplomats said financial and security co-operation with Niger was suspended with immediate effect after its army took power in a coup. The decision comes as the African Union called for constitutional order to be restored in the country within 15 days.
Also in the programme: At least four people are feared dead after an Australian army helicopter crashed into the sea during multi-national military exercises; and we speak to Canada's environment minister after a meeting of G20 countries on climate change.
(Picture: Torched cars sit in front of the headquarters of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, which was damaged during anti-government protests in Niamey. Credit: Issifou Djibo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the deal to get Colombian coffee growers and bears living in harmony, the power of sound in restoring Australian coral reefs, and how sending a fax can win you a fortune in Taiwan.
As the Women's World Cup continues we look at the drama behind the French women's national football team have been through this past couple of years. We get a potted history of this unsettling period for 'Le Blues' from author Professor Lindsay Krasnoff
This week the UN said this month is on course to be the world's hottest on record... and whilst Southern Europe is suffering with wild fires, catastrophic flooding has affected other parts of the world most recently the US state of Vermont, tucked up high on the countries East Coast. Renowned for it's snow capped mountains, it has produced many a Winter Olympic star, including biathlete Susan Dunklee, who was just one of those who has been affected by the weather
Sami Jo Small has always taken on difficult challenges head on... She studied the traditionally male dominated field of mechanical engineering at Stanford University, made an appearance on cult Canadian sitcom 'Letterkenny' playing herself and was part of the first Canadian women's Ice hockey team to win gold at an Olympics, and it's difficult no to admire those achievements even when you consider the level of fortitude she needed to stand a chance of succeeding
Photo: Brazil and Panama in action at the Women's World Cup 2023 in Adelaide, Australia. (Credit: Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
What is it about three ex -footballers having a chat about the game that makes for a good podcast? That's the question we’ll be putting to the producer and one of the presenters of Match of the Day Africa: Top 10 - and to be fair we are talking three multiple trophy winning international footballers here! Plus one listener has a bone or two to pick with the boss of World Service English after his interview on this programme last week.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Mani Djazmi is in Brisbane as star Australia forward Sam Kerr says she’ll definitely be playing in their crunch match against Olympic champions Canada on Monday. Former Australia international Amy Chapman chats to Mani about the significances of this news. Mani is joined by Maz Farookhi and Katie Smith to discuss Kerr and the increase of injuries at this World Cup as England’s Keira Walsh becomes the latest player to pick up a knock at this tournament.
To mark the final stages of this year's Tour de Femmes, Marianne Martin talks about winning the first official women’s Tour De France in 1984. She rode the 1,080km course in 29 hours, 39 minutes, and two seconds over 18 days – a remarkable feat considering she’d had anaemia earlier in that year.
The 1984 men’s champion Laurent Fignon won prizes valued at more than $225,000. Marianne Martin was awarded a trophy and $1,000.
This is a Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service is presented by Ashley Byrne.
(Photo: Marianne Martin with her team mates in Paris after winning the Tour de France in 1984. Credit: Graham Watson)
Argentina has reached a $7.5bn agreement with the International Monetary Fund, as it tries to get its troubled economy back on track.
The South American nation has been in negotiations with the Fund for months over its $44 billion loan program. That's the biggest outstanding deal that the IMF has with any country anywhere in the world.
(Picture: Close up of Argentine money, 200 pesos bills. Picture credit: Getty Images)
The Women’s World Cup is underway and global attention is once again on women in sport. Host James Reynolds brings together Preeti Singh, a national and international basketball player for India, lawyer and former England netball player Eboni Usoro-Brown and Jennifer Jones, one of Canada’s most successful female curlers. They compare notes on the progress in their respective professions. We also get into the challenges for a sports woman after having children. Jamaica footballer Cheyna Matthews is currently playing in the World Cup and adds her thoughts.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Ozoz Sokoh, Nigerian food writer and author of the Kitchen Butterfly food blog, who tells us about the history of West African food.
The programme begins with the story of Mr Bigg's, Nigeria's answer to McDonald's. Then, we hear about the 1960 coup against the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, from his grandnephew.
In the second half of the programme, a Jewish survivor tells us about the Nazi occupation of Greece from 1941-1944. Two witnesses tell us about Pope John Paul II's ill-fated visit to Nicaragua in 1983. And a Pakistani man recounts how he accidentally created the first personal computer virus in 1986.
Contributors: Ozoz Sokoh - Nigerian food writer and author of the Kitchen Butterfly food blog. Emmanuel Osugo - Mr Bigg's employee. Dr Asfa-Wossen Asserate - grandnephew of Haile Selassie. Yeti Mitrani - Jewish survivor of Nazi occupation of Greece. Nancy Frazier O’Brien - Catholic News Service reporter. Carlos Pensque - Nicaraguan protestor. Amjad Farooq Alvi - software developer.
(Photo: West African food. Credit: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Donald Trump says there's nothing in the US constitution to stop him from running for the White House again. Also: Washington warns Niger its security cooperation with the West African state is at risk after Wednesday's military coup, and the new research that suggests our imagination does not deteriorate with age.
Argentina has reached a $7.5bn agreement with the International Monetary Fund, as it tries to get its troubled economy back on track.
The South American nation has been in negotiations with the Fund for months over its $44 billion loan program. That's the biggest outstanding deal that the IMF has with any country anywhere in the world.
The army in Niger, which seized power in a coup on Wednesday, has warned other countries against intervening. We hear about American and French concerns for the country.
Also on the programme: the Norwegian climber Kristin Harila who along with her Nepali guide reached the fourteen major mountain peaks in three months and one day; and a tv writer gives his view on the Emmy's being postponed.
(Picture: Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani (Omar Tchiani) makes a televised address to the nation of Niger explaining the reasons for the coup, 28 July 2023. Credit: ORTN (Office of Radio and Television of Niger)
A senior adviser to Ukraine's defence minister Yuri Sak says his country's forces are making steady progress in a counterattack against Russian forces on the southeastern frontline. But is that progress quick enough ? We ask a military expert for some answers on Ukraine's counteroffensive.
Also on the programme: new charges against Donald Trump; and does our imagination improve as we get older?
(Picture: Ukrainian servicemen sign a national flag as they visit an exhibition of destroyed Russian military machinery. CREDIT: EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO)
The eurozone's economic outlook remains uncertain as the German economy stagnates in the second quarter of 2023. We look into the challenges Germany is facing and the impact they can have in the rest of the region.
The United Nations says this July is on course to be the world's hottest on record. We hear how workplaces need to adapt to changes in temperature.
And Kylie Minogue announces her first Las Vegas residency. What does this mean for her career?
Nigerian doctors tell us why they called an indefinite strike, as we discuss some of the challenges facing the country’s healthcare sector.
Plus, Mali relegates French, removing it as one of the country’s official languages, after the recent constitutional referendum.
And we’re in Kenya, where it’s hoped electric boda boda taxis will save drivers from rising fuel costs while saving the environment.
The three charges relate to his alleged mishandling of classified files after he left the White House. Also: Military general declares himself leader of Niger following the coup, and we hear from the man who brought a worm back to life after 46,000 years.
It’s been two months since violence in Manipur broke out between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities. When a video emerged showing two women being sexually assaulted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it ‘shamed’ India. BBC Delhi's Divya Arya has covered women’s affairs for many years, and explains how in Manipur, as in many other inter-community conflicts, women’s bodies have become the battlefield.
Liang Shi - China's "No.1 Gaokao holdout" China’s Gaokao university entrance exam is notoriously tough, but one man claims to have sat it, and failed, 27 times. Fan Wang of BBC Chinese shares Mr Liang’s story.
Nepalis joining the Russian army A growing number of young Nepalese men have enlisted with the Russian army, tempted by offers of good pay and a fast track to citizenship. BBC Nepali’s Swechhya Raut spoke to some of those who have signed up about their experiences.
Power cuts and water shortages in South Africa South Africa has been experiencing regular electricity blackouts which in turn have affected water supplies, with some South Africans drilling boreholes on their properties. Pumza Fihlani from BBC Johannesburg explains the long history behind the crisis.
Syrian refugees in Turkey Turkey is home to more than 3.3 million Syrians who fled because of war and insecurity. But there's growing pressure on them to go back, with many in the Turkish press and social media arguing that Syria is now safe. Nihan Kalle of BBC Monitoring reports on a popular Turkish travel vlogger whose videos from Syria reinforce this narrative.
(Photo: Women protest against sexual violence in India's north-eastern state of Manipur following inter-communal violence and sexual assault. Credit: AFP)
It’s been 50 years since a popular Nigerian fast food chain which later became known as Mr Bigg's was first launched.
The restaurants began as coffee shops in department stores in the 1960s and were later rebranded in 1986.
Mr Bigg's currently has more than 170 locations in 40 cities around Nigeria, and there were also restaurants in other African nations at one time.
Justice Baidoo spoke to Emmanuel Osugo, one of the pioneers of the chain.
A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: A Mr Bigg's restaurant. Credit: Adebola Familusi)
What does it take to host a brand new multi-sport competition?
We're in Rotterdam which is hosting the inaugural European Para Championships 2023.
It's hoped that holding events at the same time will raise the profile of para sports - and be more cost effective.
What does it take to get a fresh idea like this off the ground?
Producer/Presenter: Matthew Kenyon
(Image: Archer Roy Klaassen aiming his bow. Credit: European Para Championships / Rutger Pauw)
A prolonged heatwave in the US has created concerns in the White House as medics are warning of a rising number of burns and heat strokes in the workplace.
President Biden has announced a number of measures to help Americans deal with extreme temperatures, as a heatwave spreads across large parts of the United States.
(Picture: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, USA. Picture credit: Getty Images)
UN chief Antonio Guterres says the planet is entering an "era of global boiling". Also: the UN suspends its humanitarian operation in Niger, a day after soldiers announced the overthrow of the country's president, and is the Iron Age warrior in an elaborate grave a man or a woman?
A prolonged heatwave in the US has created concerns in the White House as medics are warning of a rising number of burns and heat strokes in the workplace.
President Biden has announced a number of measures to help Americans deal with extreme temperatures, as a heatwave spreads across large parts of the United States.
The era of global warming has ended and global boiling has arrived, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. We hear from Belize, a country that suffers the consequences of climate change despite having a virtually insignificant contribution to it.
Also on the programme: the recent coup in Niger threatens to make the country even more unstable; and in Mexico an independent panel of international experts has concluded that the Mexican security forces were complicit in the abduction of 43 students back in 2014.
(Photo: Fans keeping residents and tourists cool during a very hot day in Rome. Credit: EPA/MASSIMO PERCOSSI/epa09410918)
A large system of ocean currents known as the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) has been making headlines this week as a new paper predicts its imminent collapse. This could have devastating consequences for the climate. But not all climate scientist and oceanographers are convinced by the results. Stefan Rahmstorf and Eleanor Frajka-Williams debate the contentious paper.
In more positive news, huge steps have been made in the field of gene therapy. Stefano Rivella and Hamideh Parhiz tell us about their incredible mRNA delivery technology which could take much of the cost and risk out of treating debilitating disorders
And as wildfires continue to blaze around the world, reporter Melanie Brown discovers how experts study the physics of these blazes from the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber Editor: Richard Collings
Mani Djazmi reflects on Nigeria's shock 3-2 victory over hosts Australia, while Maz Farookhi is in Wellington with reaction to an entertaining 1-1 draw between the USA and the Netherlands, in a repeat of the 2019 World Cup final.
After Nigeria’s win against Australia, a side 30 places above them in the rankings, Mani hears from their jubilant fans on the streets of Brisbane accompanied by the soundtrack of celebratory drums.
The Guardian’s Jeff Kassouf and Dutch journalist Jeroen van Barneveld join Maz in New Zealand to bring you the perspective from the two 2019 World Cup finalists after their group stage meeting. Also hear from the supporters of both nations.
Image: Osinachi Ohale and Onome Ebi of Nigeria celebrate the team's 3-1 victory in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Australia and Nigeria at Brisbane Stadium on July 27, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Credit: FIFA via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told a summit of African leaders in St Petersburg that Russia will send thousands of tonnes of free grain within months. Secure food supplies have been a major worry since the invasion of Ukraine.
The European Central Bank has raised interest rates to a record level last seen in two-thousand-and-one. The key rate was increased by a quarter of a percentage point.
And, this Sunday’s Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix at the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit could be the last.
Soldiers in the West African country of Niger have announced a coup on national TV. They said they had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions and closed the nation's borders.
From street child to MP- Meet the man who led the campaign to abolish the death penalty in Ghana.
The journeys of church bells that herald Africa's new role as the beating heart of Christianity. Hannah Ajala follows the Marinelli bells to Nigeria where she interviews one of the country's most famous pastors, Dr Paul Enenche, about the rapid rise of Pentecostalism
The army is backing troops who toppled the country's president. Also: Vladimir Putin offers thousands of tonnes of free grain to Africa, and the favourites slip up at the Women's World Cup.
The army in Niger, in west Africa, has given its backing to the troops who announced in a television address that they had toppled the country's elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. Mr Bazoum, who is a close ally of western countries fighting Islamist militancy, has been detained since early Wednesday by troops from the presidential guard. What could it mean for the country and the region?
Also today: the man who spent 17 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit; and scientists resolve the mystery of a 2,000-year-old grave.
(Photo: Niger Army spokesman Colonel Major Amadou Adramane speaks during an appearance on national television, after President Mohamed Bazoum was held in the presidential palace, in Niamey, Niger, July 26, 2023. Credit: ORTN/via Reuters TV/Handout via Reuters)
In December 1960, there was an attempt to dethrone the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie and replace him with his son.
While the emperor was out of the country, the crown prince was taken to the headquarters of the military unit, the Imperial Bodyguard.
The conspirators, led by the troops' commander and his brother, also took top government officials hostage.
In 2015, Alex Last spoke to Dr Asfa-Wossen Asserate, the grandnephew of Haile Selassie, about the failed coup.
(Photo: Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. Credit: Terry Fincher via Getty Images)
Janelle Jones is currently the chief economist of one of the biggest union movements in America and before that she worked in White House. Janelle was the first black woman to serve as chief economist in the Labor department. She tells us about her time there, how she got into economics and what keeps her grounded.
Presenter: Devina Gupta Production: Sam Clack and Carmel O'Grady Image:
As Netflix cracks down on password sharing around the world - something it once encouraged - we wondered why people like to share passwords to other things, such as phones, email accounts and logins.
Passwords and encryption exist as ways of protecting us from hostile agents in most aspects of life. But timing is everything. Nature has been doing it for years of course. But climate change is upsetting some of the ecological match-ups of locks and keys, migration and feeding that have evolved over the millennia. We hear how the shifting patterns of weather and food availability is affecting cuckoos in Europe and India.
Another aspect of natural subterfuge is camouflage. Whilst physicists have been trying to make optical invisibility cloaks from ingenious new "metamaterials", Marc Holderied and team have been looking at how certain moths have used metamaterial properties in the structure of their wings to effectively hide from bats. They are acoustically invisible. Could similar materials be manufactured to make, for example, sound-proof wallpaper?
Also, we hear how India's Chandrayaan-3 moon mission - due to land on August 23rd this year - is exciting millions of people.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton Produced by Alex Mansfield, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Ben Motley and Sophie Ormiston
The battle to keep the peace between people and elephants in northern Botswana. The earth’s largest land mammal, the elephant, is an endangered species. Poaching, habitat loss and disease have decimated elephant populations. But not in Botswana, which has the world’s biggest population of elephants. In the north of the country, in the area around the remarkable Okavango Delta (the world’s largest inland delta), elephant numbers are growing and they outnumber people. This can pose serious problems for the human population, particularly local subsistence farmers. A crop raid by elephants can destroy a family’s annual food supply overnight. Elephants also pose a risk to life in their daily commute between their feeding grounds and their water sources. John Murphy travels to the top of the Okavango Delta, to see what efforts are being made to keep both people and elephants safe, and to persuade locals that these giant animals are an asset not a liability. He also explores threats from further afield to this green jewel in the desert, the Okavango Delta, which animals and people alike depend on.
Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Charlotte Ashton Studio Mix: Rod Farquhar Editor: Penny Murphy
(Image: Elephant wading in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Credit: Brytta/Getty)
Despite inflation being 3% last month, the Federal Reserve raised rates for the 11th time in just over a year.
The benchmark rate rose to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, the highest level for over 2 decades.
Ed Butler discusses this and all the other business and economic news from around the world with Walter Todd, president and chief investment officer of Greenwood Capital in South Carolina and Jessica Khine, a Corporate Advisor for Astris Advisory, based in Malaysia.
(Picture: A trader works inside a booth, as screens display a news conference by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell following the Fed rate announcement, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
Speaking after the trial in London, Kevin Spacey thanked the jurors and said he was "humbled". Also: Niger president held in apparent coup attempt, and the Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor dies aged 56.
Immersive dining has become something of a culinary craze in recent years.
As well as serving food, restaurants are providing multi-sensory experiences for customers; transforming their dining spaces into places where people can escape.
In this edition of The Food Chain, we take a look at immersive dining establishments around the world, exploring why customers are increasingly choosing to be entertained while they eat, and asking – is this dining trend a bit of a fad, or is it the future of eating out?
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: Diners eating at tables surrounded by flowing water, at Labassin Waterfall restaurant in the Philippines)
Presenter: Izzy Greenfield Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
The rise of 0.25% by the US Federal Reserve raised rates to 5.25%-5.5%, marking the eleventh increase since early 2022.
This is despite inflation in the country being 3% last month, with the Fed non-committal over future hikes.
Ed Butler finds out how this is affecting businesses in the country, and what they want to see happen next.
A jury in London has found Kevin Spacey not guilty of all nine sexual offences he was charged with. We look at the verdict’s implications for the Hollywood actor’s career and the future of the MeToo movement. Also on the programme: The Indian parliament is to hold a vote of no confidence in the government of Narendra Modi over ethnic violence in Manipur; and tributes to Sinéad O’Connor, who has died at the age of 56.
(IMAGE: Spacey speaks with the media outside Southwark Crown Court on 26 July CREDIT: REUTERS/Susannah Ireland
The World Health Organisation and UNICEF say global immunisation services reached 4 million more children in 2022 compared to the previous year, after a huge backslide during the Covid 19 pandemic. But the progress in countries like India and Indonesia masks continued decline in many lower income countries. Global health expert Tabitha Mwangi and Claudia Hammond discuss how immunisation numbers can bounce back.
They also look at new research from Sub-Saharan Africa that suggests as many as one in 10 teenagers might have high blood pressure, and what might be the most effective way of lowering it?
While you may be gripped by the action from the Women’s football World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Dr Kerry Peek is keeping a careful eye on the games for health reasons. She’s one of a team of ‘concussion spotters’ deployed this year for the first time at the tournament. Claudia asks her why professional sports women are more at risk from head injuries than men.
And are you a perfectionist? Psychologist Dr Thom Curran says striving to be perfect could put our mental health at risk.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Clare Salisbury and Dan Welsh
Devastating wildfires along Algeria's coast and in neighbouring Tunisia have destroyed homes and killed at least 34 people. We focus on the efforts to bring them under control.
We look ahead to the second Russia-Africa summit starting tomorrow in St Petersburg. How much leverage do African leaders have?
Plus, why polyamory is a growing lifestyle choice among some young Africans.
China has named Pan Gongsheng as the new governor of its central bank, the People's Bank of China (PBOC). The country is experiencing challenging economic times, with sluggish consumer spending, a crisis in the property market, weakening exports, record youth unemployment, and high local government debt.
China's political leadership has played down the severity of its economic issues, but this new appointment shows signs that that might be changing.
Wildfires continue to blaze across several Mediterranean countries. In Sicily power cables have melted, knocking out the electricity supply and affecting water pumps and cooling systems - we hear from the Mayor of Catania. Green issues are at the forefront of plans for next year's Olympics in Paris. And the Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty of multiple charges of sexual assault by a jury in London
Thousands flee, as wildfires threaten villages and holiday resorts. Also, the race to save stranded pilot whales. And scientists rethink the way we should work out.
In 1983 Pope John Paul II visited Nicaragua as part of an eight-day tour of Central America.
His trip came at a time of heightened tensions between the ruling Sandinista revolutionaries and the country’s Roman Catholic hierarchy.
The Pope, a staunch anti-communist, condemned members of the Nicaraguan clergy serving in the left-wing government and was heckled by Sandinista supporters during a large open-air mass in the capital, Managua.
Mike Lanchin has been hearing the memories of Nicaraguan Carlos Pensque, who turned out to protest as the Pope passed by, and of former US Catholic News Service reporter, Nancy Frazier O’Brien, who covered the papal visit. A CTVC production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: Pope John Paul II. Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images)
Holding governments to account for their abuses of human rights is hard. It requires focused forensic investigation, impartiality and no little courage. For six decades, Amnesty International has been advocating for prisoners of conscience in the face of state repression. But in recent times it’s both broadened its focus and faced unprecedented criticism. Stephen Sackur speaks to Agnes Callamard, Amnesty's secretary general. Is her organisation facing a credibility crisis?
Peter MacJob visits Eti-Oni village in south-west Nigeria, home to the oldest cocoa plantation in the country. It's king, HRH Oba Dokun Thompson, is on a mission to transform the economy of the community by manufacturing chocolates and selling in some of the finest shops across Europe.
Over 90% of Eti-Oni's inhabitants are cocoa farmers and although the cocoa industry is worth almost $130bn a year the money does not flow back to cocoa farmers. To try and change this King Thompson has partnered with Beech's fine chocolate in Preston in the north-west of England.
Presenter / producer: Peter MacJob Image: HRH Oba Dokun Thompson; Credit: HRH Oba Dokun Thompson
一位姓赵的听众想知道 “rank、rate、class” 和 “grade” 作动词时的区别。这四个词都可以表示 “分级”，它们用来谈论哪种 “分级” 方式？表示一个人的排名情况时，常用哪个词表示此人 “属于特定的级别”？短语 “rate someone as” 是什么意思？用 “class” 表示 “分类” 时，分类标准只能是个人意见吗？用 “grade” 表示 “给…分级” 时，后接哪个介词来引出分级的标准？听节目，学习区分这四个近义词的用法。
Several major tech companies, including Alphabet, Microsoft, and Snap Inc., have announced their latest earnings reports.
Both Alphabet and Microsoft have introduced a range of AI products following the release of ChatGPT by OpenAI, which was backed by Microsoft.
Ed Butler discusses this and more economic and business news from around the world with Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Bloomberg's 'Senior Asia Correspondent', based in Hong Kong and Andy Uhler, a research fellow at Columbia University in New York and the University of Texas in Austin.
(Picture: In this photo illustration, a Google logo is seen on a smartphone with a Microsoft logo in the background. Credit: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
A court found six men guilty of terrorist murder, after suicide bomb attacks killed 32 people at Brussels airport and a metro station in March 2016. Also: two pilots die in Greek firefighting plane crash, and new malaria vaccine gets green light in Burkina Faso.
Some of the world's biggest tech companies have reported their latest results, as Alphabet, Microsoft and Snap Inc all announce earnings.
Microsoft and Alphabet have both launched an array of AI products since OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, released ChatGPT late last year.
Ed Butler hears from tech investors about what the future holds for the industry and its biggest firms.
At least 34 people have been killed and thousands evacuated after wildfires broke out across Algeria, the country's interior ministry says. The most extensive fires, in the mountainous Kabylie region to the east of Algiers, spread to residential areas in the coastal towns of Bejaia and Jijel, fanned by high winds.
Also on the programme: Belgium’s biggest ever terror trial finds six men guilty of terrorist murder; and the IMF says it is optimistic about economic recovery, but only for the richer countries.
(Image: Men stand near burnt vehicles in the aftermath of a wildfire in Bejaia, Algeria on 25 July 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Boudina)
Zoe Kleinman and Shiona McCallum talk about X, the new name for Twitter, as Elon Musk continues making changes at the firm. What will the rebrand mean and where does the platform go next? We also try the eye scanning ‘orb’ that's been created to verify crypto payments. And we’re behind the scenes at CERN in Switzerland and talk to the creator of the AI League game that is accompanying the FIFA Women’s World Cup
(Image: A worker begins removing the sign at Twitter HQ (Justin Sullivan / Getty)
The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its forecast for the global economy in 2023. We look at the new figures and why the institution is feeling more positive about the world’s economic recovery - while warning about remaining threats.
Also in the programme, we hear about the economic impact of the wildfires in Greece and the new road being built in Paraguay to rival with the Panama Canal.
We look at how illicit financial flows are costing African governments billions of dollars in lost revenue and affecting spending on vital public services.
Plus, as the conflict in Sudan surpasses the 100-day mark, we examine international efforts to mediate an end to the fighting.
And we take you to the new International African American Museum in South Carolina in the United States.
Scientists say fires in Europe and America would be virtually impossible without climate change. Also, the crypto currency plan that will scan your eyeball. And why, after 100 years, Parisians can go for a dip in the Seine.
For nine years, a Sunni-led coalition and Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have been at war. The BBC's Orla Guerin reports from Taiz in southwest Yemen on how the war has impacted children and the UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Yemen, David Cressly, gives us the latest details on the conflict.
Also in the programme: China removes Foreign Minister Qin Gang from office; and we get the latest on the wildfires in Italy, Greece and Algeria.
(Image: A child who lost his leg after being hit by a shell. Credit: Goktay Koraltan/BBC)
It’s a tale of two cities on the latest World Football. Maz Farookhi is in Wellington and Katie Smith is in Auckland as the Philippines score their first ever World Cup goal and get their first ever World Cup win against co- hosts New Zealand.
We hear from former Football Fern Maia Jackman about what went wrong for New Zealand and Radyo Pilipinas’ Aaron Bayato on the historic win.
Katie has also been to Spain’s training base ahead of their next match where she caught up with journalist Laia Cervello.
Photo: Olivia McDaniel (C) and Philippines players celebrate the team's 1-0 victory in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group A match between New Zealand and Philippines at Wellington Regional Stadium on July 25, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Credit: FIFA via Getty Images)
'Welcome to the dungeon' was the message that flashed up on computer screens in 1986.
This was thought to be the first virus for personal computers and became known as 'Brain'.
'Brain' spread around the world and became infamous when it was featured in newspapers and magazines.
Amjad Farooq Alvi tells Gill Kearsley how he and his brother, Basit, came to develop this accidental virus from their shop in Lahore, Pakistan.
(Photo: The 'Brain' computer virus. Credit: Amjad and Basit Alvi)
The Bioceanic Highway, aims to link Chile's Pacific coast with Brazil's Atlantic coastline.
We’re in landlocked Paraguay to find out how one of the world’s biggest infrastructure projects, could change how people there do business, especially the Mennonites, a powerful, religious farming community who live directly in the new highways' path.
Presenter / producer: Jane Chambers Image: Bioceanic highway in Paraguay; Credit: Bob Howard
在失去一样东西或者错过一个机会后，我们需要接受此物一去不复返的事实。表达 “kiss something goodbye” 就可以用来指 “接受已失去某物的事实，与之说再见”。听节目，学习 “kiss something goodbye” 的用法。
Russia used military drones to attack Ukrainian grain warehouses on the Danube River, targeting another vital export route for Kyiv close to its border with Romania.
Global grain prices have spiked as a result, exacerbated by Russia quitting the Black Sea grain deal.
Ed Butler discusses this and more business and economic news from around the world with economist at the University of Maryland, Peter Morici, and Alaezi Akpuru, owner and creative director of the contemporary Nigerian fashion brand, Virgioli Fashion.
(Picture: A grain warehouse destroyed by a Russian drone strike is seen in a sea port, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa Region, Ukraine July 24, 2023. Credit: Press Service of the the Operational Command South of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout)
Protestors face water cannon outside the Israeli parliament as the bill becomes law. Also: Twitter rebranded as X as blue bird logo killed off, and is Toki the orca about to eye freedom after more than fifty years in captivity?
The world's most followed religion is changing rapidly. Hannah Ajala explores how church bells travelling from Italy to Nigeria herald Africa's new role as the beating heart of Christianity. The Marinelli family in Italy have been making church bells for nearly 1,000 years. But in recent decades demand from Italy has fallen as faith dwindles, whilst orders from sub-Saharan Africa have grown dramatically. Hannah Ajala follows the journey of the Marinelli bells to Nigeria where she interviews one of the country's most famous pastors, Dr Paul Enenche, about the rapid rise of Pentecostalism.
The country's government has caused turmoil by passing the first part of a new and highly controversial set of laws limiting the power of the Supreme Court to overrule government actions.
There have been angry protests on the streets on Jerusalem, while the Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has appeared on Israeli television saying he was willing to delay the new law for now in the interests of national unity.
Ed Butler speaks to the Histadrut, The General Federation of Labour in Israel, which had threatened a general strike if the law was passed.
The new reforms limit the powers of the Supreme Court to challenge government decisions. Water cannon and mounted police were used against thousands of protestors. We hear from a Reservist from an elite squadron who is now on strike.
Also on the programme; as Twitter rebrands itself as X we hear from one of the designers of the original logo. And is the footballing superstar Kylian Mbappe really headed for Saudi Arabia?
(Picture: Protesters in Jerusalem are sprayed with "skunk water," a foul smelling substance. Credit: Reuters / Zvulun)
Norwegian jazz musician Jon Larsen was having breakfast one clear spring morning when he noticed a tiny black speck land on his clean, white table. With no wind, birds or planes in sight, he wondered if it fell from space.
Dust from space isn’t as fanciful as it sounds. Billions of microscopic meteorites, dating back to the birth of our solar system, fall onto Earth every year. But they are so tiny, hidden among the copious dust of everyday life, that scientists believe they are impossible to find outside ultra clean environments like Antarctica.
But this doesn’t deter Jon, who, against the advice of all experts, decides he is going to be the first person to find an urban micrometeorite.
He takes presenter Caroline Steel and planetary scientist Dr Matthew Genge up onto some roofs, in search of the elusive particles. Can we find stardust on the top of the BBC?
Featuring Jon Larsen, Dr Matthew Genge and Svein Aarbostad.
Presenter: Caroline Steel
Mani Djazmi is in Melbourne as two-time world champions Germany hit debutants Morocco for six in their tournament opener.
Argentina's wait for a first World Cup win goes on as they are beaten by Italy. Katie Smith is joined by Argentinian commentator Andres Cantor who went viral on social media eight months ago when he got to call the moment that Lionel Messi guided the men's side to World Cup glory. He discusses whether Argentina's women can galvanize similar support in the country.
Maz Farookhi has moved onto Wellington ahead of New Zealand’s second match of the tournament against the Philippines on Wednesday. Football fever has definitely hit New Zealand with the squad dominating the media landscape - they’ve even knocked the All Blacks off the top of the sport bulletins. Maz is joined by Kiwi journalist Philip Rollo to preview the match.
And Mani catches up with the South Korea manager Colin Bell to discuss their tournament opener against Colombia and his love of singing!
Opposition lawmakers boycott the vote, as mass protests take place outside the parliament. Also: Greta Thunberg is fined for a Swedish climate protest. And why can't the Afghan women's football team play in the World Cup?
Chinese leaders pledge to step up policies focusing on expanding domestic demand, boosting confidence and preventing risks. We look into what this might mean for the world’s second largest economy.
Also in the programme, we hear about Twitter’s transformation into X and what users can expect from it.
And we get the latest from the general snap elections in Spain and the impact they are having in the economy.
The government proposals have triggered some of the largest protests in Israeli history. A major strike has been declared today. Newshour speaks to Dan Catarivas, head of international relations at the Manufacturer's Association of Israel, which is taking part in the strike.
Also on the programme: two main parties claim victory in Spain's snap general election; and new releases Barbie and Oppenheimer break records at the box office. Could this mark a comeback for cinemas?
(Picture: Israeli lawmakers take a selfie after passing the reform plan. Credit: Reuters)
One hundred days since the start of Sudan's new war -harrowing testimonies of Sudanese refugees in neighbouring Chad. Meanwhile protection and learning in child friendly spaces.
A leaked memo showing the Lagos State government in South West Nigeria had approved $77,000 for a mass burial of 103 victims of the historic 2020 anti-police brutality EndSars protest has sparked outrage in the country.
Plus the significance of the Lobito Corridor rail link offering an easier means of export for landlocked countries
The Greek city of Thessaloniki, or Salonica, was once known as the Jerusalem of the Balkans.
It was previously home to a large and thriving Sephardi Jewish population whose ancestors had been expelled from Spain in 1492.
However, the Nazi occupation of Greece from 1941 to 1944 almost completely wiped out that culture and community.
More than 90% of the approximately 50,000 Jews living in Salonica in 1943 were deported to Auschwitz and killed.
Yeti Mitrani was a young teenager at the time.
She speaks to Maria Margaronis about her family's escape and her childhood.
(Photo: Yeti as a child. Credit: Doris Mitrani)
Brooklyn-based architectural practice SO|IL's designs grace five continents; they have garnered a reputation for crafting exquisite arts spaces. They are joined by musician Ben Lovett, one of the founding members of folk rock outfit, Mumford & Sons. When he’s not on stage, he puts his energy into reinvigorating tired music venues with his company TVG. Launching in 2016, TVG is now a leader in this field, helping to ensure the survival of spectacular independent venues which would otherwise be vulnerable to closure. The opportunity to design a cultural space is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any architect. For every 100,000 homes, 5 museums and 1 concert hall are funded. In this episode of In the Studio, we’re afforded a rare opportunity to get behind-the-scenes and under the floorboards with the SO|IL experts as they describe how their philosophy and processes enrich and shape their buildings. Ben’s experience as a musician and performer, and now as a venue developer, provides him with a unique perspective on these types of spaces, understanding the needs of performers as well as those of the audience. He also grasps how these spaces can directly affect and inspire composers and other artists. The guests discuss what makes a successful performance space, and the importance of architecture in music's long-term development. Presenter: Ben Lovett Producer: Helen Lennard Image: Jing Liu, Ben Lovett and Florian Idenburg (Credit: Louise Orchard)
Georgia has seen huge economic growth but is there a cost to doing business with Russia?
Tens of thousands of Russians moved to the small South Caucasus nation since the war began and they brought along their money and their ideas. In this programme we hear from some of those who have made the move and set up homes and businesses in Georgia.
We'll also hear what Georgians, who fought their own war with Russia in 2008, make of the huge growth in trade and economic relations between the two countries.
Presenter / producer: Rayhan Demytrie Image: Anti-Russian protests in Georgia; Credit: BBC
The sleep economy is booming – from hi-tech sleep trackers to apps and cooling mattresses – and its worth is estimated at hundreds of billions of US dollars every year. So why do some of us still have trouble dropping off?
Part of the explanation may lie in our sex, as some studies suggest that women are 40 per cent more likely to experience sleep disruption than men. And throughout a woman’s life, puberty, pregnancy, menopause and caring responsibilities may all have an effect on the amount of good quality sleep available to women.
Kim Chakanetsa is joined by psychologist Dr Christine Blume from the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Basel in Switzerland. Since April 2022 she has been involved in a four-year project to study the effects of natural daylight and exercise on our circadian rhythms.
Dr Anita Shelgikar is clinical professor of neurology and programme director for the Sleep Medicine Fellowship at the University of Michigan in the United States. She researches a condition called obstructive sleep apnea, where a person's airway narrows during sleep and can cause them to wake repeatedly. This can affect pregnant women in particular.
Produced by Fiona Clampin
(Image: (L) Dr Christine Blume, courtesy of Michael Brauer. (R) Dr Anita Shelgikar, courtesy of University of Michigan Health.)
The Popular Party falls short of forming a majority, however, after a poor performance by its far-right allies. Also: Last-ditch talks are held in Israel ahead of a parliamentary vote on controversial judicial reforms that have caused months of widespread protests. And Netflix releases its first original African animation series, Supa Team 4.
As a Pakistani immigrant teenager in 1970s Britain, Tariq Mehmood endured homelessness and years of violent racism. He found shelter and wisdom in a library, and the strength to stand up to the racists. He co-founded the Asian Youth Movement, and their slogan “self-defence is no offence,” would galvanise an entire generation. But it’s a rationale that would see Tariq in court – facing life in prison – in the groundbreaking case of the Bradford 12.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producers: Maryam Maruf and Lina Chang Editor: Munazza Khan
Stephen Sackur speaks to the master of extreme swimming Lewis Pugh. From the North Pole to Antarctica, his death-defying swims are designed to focus attention on the damaging impact of climate change on our blue planet. Is this a form of activism that works?
Greek police say 19,000 people have had to be evacuated to escape wildfires on the island of Rhodes. It's said to be the biggest such operation Greece has ever carried out.
Also on the programme: a closely fought snap summer poll in Spain, while Cambodia's election is a foregone conclusion; and Israel's parliament begins debating a key element of the government's contentious judicial overhaul.
(Photo: Smoke rises from a wildfire on the island of Rhodes, Greece on 22 July 2023. Credit: Argiris Mantikos/Eurokinissi via Reuters)
Season Three of the Warm Up Track continues with Ryan Crouser, reigning World and Olympic champion and World Record holder for the men’s shot put.
Why does Ryan believes the 24 metre barrier can be broken?
Would he rather a third Olympic gold, or a world record that could stand for 30 or 40 years?
How has watching MMA and UFC fighters made him a better thrower?
Where in Eugene might you find Ryan serving you your pizza?
Ryan also explains why, despite playing American Football growing up, the potential for head injuries dissuaded him from pursuing it as a career. He breaks down the changes in technique which have already allowed him to improve his own world record and explains how, just months before he won Olympic gold in Rio, he was ready to walk away from the sport.
Photo: Ryan Crouser of United States competes in Men's Shot Put during Athletissima, part of the 2023 Diamond League series at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Credit: Getty Images)
The government says changes are needed to curb overreach by judges and courts. Also: Thousands are evacuated from beaches on the Greek island of Rhodes as wildfires destroy hotels, and a new museum in Italy celebrates Enrico Caruso, one of the greatest opera singers of all time.
Tens of thousands of Israelis opposed to a judicial overhaul sought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marched to Jerusalem on Saturday, as pressure mounts to scrap a bill that would curtail the Supreme Court's powers.
Also in the programme; ethnic violence has plunged the small Indian state of Manipur into what many have dubbed a state of civil war as the two largest groups battle over land and influence, and thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and hotels on the Greek island of Rhodes due to wildfires.
(Picture: People take part in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government's judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 22, 2023. Picture credit: Reuters/Corinna Kern)
Mani Djazmi and Maz Farookhi reflect on holders USA's opening game win over Vietnam in Auckland, including hearing from Meg Linehan, senior writer for The Athletic.
And we speak to FIFA assistant referee Heba Saadiyeh, who is the first Palestinian to participate in either a men's or women's FIFA World Cup.
Photo: Lindsey Horan (L) of USA celebrates with teammate Megan Rapinoe (R) after scoring her team's third goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group E match between USA and Vietnam at Eden Park on July 22, 2023 in Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand. (Credit: FIFA via Getty Images)
Scientists say they're alarmed at the unprecedented rate at which climate records are being broken; we'll look at the economic impact of sustained high temperatures. Also, we'll hear from inside Cambodia, where the self-styled 'strongman' prime minister Hun Sen is guaranteed to win Sunday's election. And Malaysia has cancelled a music festival after the singer of the British group, The 1975, kissed a male bandmate on stage.
(Photo: Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire burning in Saronida, near Athens, Greece, July 17, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Stelios Misinas )
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, a "breakthrough" drug that could slow down Alzheimer's, and the men remaking trees. Plus, solving a puzzle that stumped mathematicians for over 50 years.
We meet some of the character, on and off the field, as the Women's World Cup finally gets underway.
What does it take to win a stage of the Tour de France, and could anyone do it?! I think we all know the answer to that, but it hasn't stopped author James Witts. James' new book "Riding with the Rocketmen" is all about his attempt to ride a single stage of the tour, despite being "45 years old with fatty deposits" (his words not ours) So did James complete his challenge, and what did he learn about what athletes have to go through to win that yellow jersey.
Photo: USA lift the trophy after victory in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup (Credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Last week saw the publication of the BBC’s annual report, which includes the World Service. The World Service Audience is down 12% but we'll be looking into its finer details and asking what it means for you the listener. Do overall audience figures affect the kind of programmes being made? The boss of BBC World Service English, Jon Zilkha, tells us if that will affect the kind of programmes you hear.
Plus, listeners say their farewells to a stalwart of World Service news, Razia Iqbal, as she leaves the BBC after 30 years.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Businesses in South-West of the United States explain how the weather is impacting them.
India and Sri Lanka have announced that they will carry out feasibility studies on laying an oil pipeline across the narrow sea strait that divides them.
Taylor Swift is the latest big name to take her international tour to Singapore but not Hong Kong.
And, we discuss Burberry, the 170 year old high-fashion brand built on its British principles.
(A sign warns of extreme heat danger on Death Valley National Park on July 15, 2023, in California. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Millions of people around the world have been living under heat advisories due to record hot temperatures. The exceptional heat is being felt across Europe, the US, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Host James Reynolds hears from three farmers in South Africa, Nigeria and the UK about how they are having to adapt their work and methods due to the extreme conditions. We hear from three doctors in India, France and Australia about the warning signs of heatstroke and the cases they are having to treat due to exposure to the sun.
If confirmed, Lisa Franchetti would become the first female to hold the job. Also: More than 1,000 Israeli airforce reservists say they'll stop reporting for duty if the government goes ahead with its controversial judicial reforms, and we have an update on the lioness on the loose in Germany.
Max Pearson presents a compilation of stories from this week’s Witness History episodes.
In the autumn of 1945, World War II surrender ceremonies took place across the Japanese Empire. Thousands of people watched the incredible moment Japanese generals handed over their swords in China's Forbidden City in Beijing.
Historian James Holland, talks about the ritual and significance of a surrender.
Also, the first Barbie doll was sold in 1959. It took Ruth Handler, who created it, years to convince her male colleagues that it would sell.
The plastic creation sold 350,000 in the first year and went on to take the world by storm selling millions. It’s now even been turned into a live action film starring Margot Robbie.
Contributors: John Stanfield, signed surrender declaration documents on behalf of the British at the end of World War II James Holland, historian, writer, and broadcaster Ramona Reed on her father Dean Reed who became known as ‘Red Elvis’ Vents Krauklis, a demonstrator in the Latvian capital, Riga in 1991 Professor V. Craig Jordan, who helped bring the drug tamoxifen to the world’s attention Ruth and Elliot Handler from a BBC documentary broadcast in the 1990s
(Photo: Barbie in her various incarnations. Credit: Ian Waldie/Getty Images)
Businesses in South-West of the United States explain how the weather is impacting them.
‘Flying taxis’ could be become a reality in some cities as soon as 2026.
And, we discuss Burberry, the 170 year old high-fashion brand built on its British principles.
Former President Donald Trump will go on trial for alleged mishandling of classified documents in spring next year, a court has ruled. The high-profile case will begin with the election campaign in full swing. The former president has maintained his innocence, criticising the case as an attempt to destroy his election campaign.
Also on the programme: the rise of the narcas - the female drug bosses in Latin America; and we pay tribute to Tony Bennett - torchbearer of the Great American songbook who's died at the age of ninety six.
(Image: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures as he takes the stage during the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, on 15 July 2023. Credit: Reuters/Bello)
All eyes on the African teams as the Women’s World Cup gets underway. After years of being in the shadows, Morocco's national team will be making history in their first appearance.
We will be in the Central African Republic to find out more about the upcoming constitutional referendum.
And we take a look at the hurdles faced by women with disabilities when trying to access sexual and reproductive health services in Africa.
The New York crooner was 96. He was described by Frank Sinatra as the best in the business. Also: Ukraine's President Zelenksy dismisses his ambassador to Britain as President Putin declares Ukraine's counter-offensive ineffective, and an unexpected discovery in an underwater volcano in the Pacific.
Indian police say a crowd has attacked the home of the main suspect in an assault on two women who were paraded naked in Manipur during recent unrest. We hear from a Kuki social activist about her personal experience of violence.
Also on the programme the number of migrants arriving in Italy has more than doubled since far right leader Giorgia Meloni took over the presidency. We hear from one of the affected areas. And how post menopausal female killer whales protect their male offspring.
(Picture: Women hold protest against spiralling violence in Manipur Credit: EPA)
It's three months since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan between the army and the Rapid Support Forces militia, and since the launch of BBC Arabic's Sudan Lifeline radio service. We hear from Mays Baki in London and Zeinab Dabaa in Cairo about the scope of their work and stories they have been covering, from the barber offering free haircuts in Khartoum to the tragic killing of the governor of West Darfur.
Eritrea’s cycling star Biniam Girmay Biniam Girmay is attracting world attention as the only black African cyclist competing in this year’s Tour de France. He’s seen as one of the finest talents in the sport, and is a hero at home and across Africa. Fellow Eritrean Habtom Weldeyowhannes from BBC Tigrinya has been following his rise to fame.
The Taliban closes beauty salons in Afghanistan Following the Taliban decision to close all hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan, Shekiba Habib of BBC Pashto and Aaliya Farzan of BBC Dari discuss this latest restriction in the lives of women, and share memories of Afghan beauty.
(Photo: Sudanese man listening to radio. Credit: Ebrahim Hamid/AFP/Getty Images)
The Philippines become the second country to make their World Cup debut and Maz speaks to journalist Ryan Fenix about what it was like to be in the stadium to watch his country.
Katie Smith is in Melbourne as Nigeria’s goalkeeper saves them from defeat and we’ll hear from USA defender Naomi Girma as she prepares to burst onto the scene.
Photo: Philippines players applaud fans after the team's 0-2 defeat in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group A match between Philippines and Switzerland at Dunedin Stadium on July 21, 2023 in Dunedin / Ōtepoti, New Zealand. (Credit: Getty Images)
In 1966, at the height of the Cold War, American singer Dean Reed became the first western rock and roll star to tour the Soviet Union.
His visit was such a success that over the next two decades Dean became known as ‘Red Elvis’.
His concerts behind the Iron Curtain were sell-outs and he was mobbed by fans.
But when he wanted to return home to the United States, the reaction he faced was very different, as Dean’s daughter Ramona told Jane Wilkinson.
(Photo: Dean Reed in East Berlin, 1976. Credit: Getty Images)
Remember Brandi Chastain? She scored the winning goal in the 1999 Women's World Cup final. She celebrated the goal by whipping off her shirt and swinging it round her head. The image of Brandi in a sports bra was on the cover of newspapers around the world.
Now she’s joined forces with former team mates Leslie Osborne, Aly Wagner and Danielle Slaton to create a team, Bay FC, which will play in the US National Women’s Soccer League in 2024.
They’re part of a growing trend in women’s football of players who are willing to invest money earned while playing the game back to help the next generation of players.
We also hear from former England player Karen Carney who is helping retired footballers find a career in business.
Presenter / producer: Sam Fenwick
(Image: Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Leslie Osborne and Danielle Slaton launch Bay Area Football Club. Credit: Bay FC)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the President of Chile Gabriel Boric. Still just 37, he was elected amid excited talk of a new brand of progressive left politics in Latin America. But his ratings have plummeted - what's gone wrong for the young leader with big reformist ambition?
Global wheat prices have risen sharply after Russia carried out missile attacks on military infrastructure near grain ports in Ukraine.
And the new barbie film is on the way but this is not the only film and TV series we expect from the Mattel franchise.
(Picture: TQ Samsun last grain ship off the Black Sea on July 17, 2023 after Russia announced that it withdrew from the Grain Corridor Agreement. Source: Getty Images)
On a busy street in Los Angeles a group of people in yellow vests are holding a ladder against a lamppost. Up the ladder, 34-year-old Evan Clark is ripping down a sign that is nailed to the post. It reads “Jesus: The way, the truth, the life”. These are members of the Atheist Street Pirates, local activists who track and remove religious signs affixed to public property. They, along with other volunteers, interfaith leaders and progressive Christian pastors who have joined the pirates to remove signs, as they believe they interfere with creating a pluralistic society. Nastaran Tavakoli-Far travels to Los Angeles and joins the Atheist Street Pirates out on a hunt for religious signs,
The White House said they were having an impact on Russian formations. Also: India's Prime Minister says a video showing two women being paraded naked by a mob has shamed the nation, and could there be a lioness on the loose in Berlin?
Global wheat prices have risen after Russia carried out missile attacks on military infrastructure near grain ports in Ukraine.
Turkey’s Central bank raised interest rates to 17.5 per cent to tackle soaring inflation.
And the new barbie film is on the way but this is not the only film and TV series we expect from the Mattel franchise.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the alleged incident shameful. We speak to governing BJP spokesperson Anila Singh about the footage.
Also on the programme: a deal between Russia and Ukraine, allowing cargo ships to take grain onto world markets, comes to an end; and Newshour speaks to the current Miss America and student of nuclear engineering, Grace Stanke, about watching both Barbie and Oppenheimer on release day.
(Picture: People in Bangalore hold a vigil for the victims in Manipur. Credit: EPA)
For the third year running, Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula is experiencing another spectacular volcanic eruption. Volcanologist Evgenia Ilyinskaya has been out in Iceland witnessing the sight and getting samples of the noxious fumes.
Across the rest of the Northern Hemisphere heat domes persist, bringing extreme weather ranging from wildfires to tornadoes. We keep on seeing that this year “is the warmest in 120,000 years”. But what does that mean? Two paleoclimatologists, Bette Otto-Bliesner and Jessica Tierney tell us more.
And we’re going deep. Deep into the brain that is, with a newly-developed probe which is finer than a baby’s hair. Dr Anqi Zhang of Stanford University explains her delicate technology.
Finally, new research suggests that SARS-CoV-2 could have arisen in the wild no more than 4 years ago, a mishmash of other viral genomes. Bioinformatician Jonathan Pekar discusses his new paper.
Image Credit: Dr. Evgenia Ilyinskaya (@EIlyinskaya) and REUTERS
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber Editor: Richard Collings
World Football's Maz Farookhi is in Auckland to discuss New Zealand's first ever win at a Women's World Cup as Hannah Wilkinson’s goal stunned Norway. There was a minute’s silence before kick-off for the victims of a deadly shooting in Auckland on Thursday morning which overshadowed the opening game.
Elsewhere there’s relief for co-hosts Australia - Mani Djazmi sees the co-hosts get off the mark with a win against the Republic of Ireland, without their talismanic striker Sam Kerr who’s been ruled out of the first two games with injury.
(Image: Hannah Wilkinson of New Zealand celebrates the team’s first goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 Group A match between New Zealand and Norway at Eden Park. Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Shipments of non-basmati white rice will be banned to keep domestic prices down ahead of the general election expected early next year.
The biggest exporter of rice in the world is halting sales of the grain overseas with immediate effect.
It comes as worldwide grain prices have already been hit the collapse of the Black Sea Initiative and Russian threats to cargo ships.
For the past three nights Russia has bombarded Ukraine's grain facilities in Odesa and other cities. Moscow pulled out of a UN deal this week that ensured safe passage for grain shipments crossing the Black Sea. Global food prices could be impacted.
Also on the programme: we discuss sexual violence in India as footage emerges of an attack on two women; and as Barbie makes a come-back as a modern woman - why some feminists are still unconvinced she's a good thing.
(Photo: Rescue workers at the scene of an administrative building which was damaged after a rocket strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, on 20 July 2023. Credit: Tkachenko/EPA)
Both host nations, Australia and New Zealand, win on the opening day. The first match kicked off just hours after a deadly shooting in the New Zealand capital Auckland. Also : In Iraq hundreds of people stormed the Swedish embassy and set parts of the building on fire after permission was given to burn another Koran in Stockholm and the eye witness who watched the US soldier run from South into North Korea.
The challenge facing Africa's women and children is highlighted by a new United Nations report, which reveals that no country has achieved full gender parity or empowerment.
With rice becoming a staple food in Africa, we learn about a new initiative by the South Korean government to help countries on the continent ramp up their own production.
Nigeria's new national obsession is smashing world records, but can you set one for anything? We talk to Guinness World Records to find out which tasks are eligible.
Panini have been making World Cup sticker albums since 1970, but in 2011 they decided to make the first one for the women's tournament being held in Germany. Only available in the host country, they sold more than 4.5 million packets of stickers in two weeks. They had to print a million more stickers to keep up with demand. Roxanne König from Panini in Germany speaks to Uma Doraiswamy about how the album was created and its popularity.
(Photo: Panini stickers for the FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011. Credit: Getty Images)
The first Barbie doll was sold in 1959.
It took Ruth Handler, who created it, years to convince her male colleagues that it would sell.
The plastic creation sold 350,000 in the first year and went on to take the world by storm selling millions.
It’s now been turned into a live action film starring Margot Robbie which hits the cinemas on Thursday 20 July.
Ruth and husband Elliot Handler spoke to the BBC’s Alan Dein in a 1990s documentary which Claire Bowes used to make this programme first broadcast in 2014.
(Photo: A Barbie doll from 2009. Credit: Victor Chavez/WireImage via Getty Images)
Questions are being asked about the footwear that is currently on offer to women and girls.
Men and women's feet are very different, so why have large sports companies only just started to do research into women’s football boots?
And is this why more high-profile players are succumbing to injury?
Olivia Wilson speaks to Laura Youngson, the co-Founder of Ida Sports, one of the only companies that designs and produces female-specific football boots.
And Hyde United Women’s football club in the North West of England share what they’re looking for when it comes to buying football boots.
Presented and produced by Olivia Wilson.
(Image: Woman about to kick ball. Credit: Getty Images)
Unexpected Elements looks for the science behind the news, and this week the news is glittery and pink with the release of the Barbie movie.
The movie has very pink aesthetic, so we get philosophical about the colour pink – does it actually exist and if so, how come it isn’t in the rainbow?
We also discover how this iconic doll has performed some actual valuable science, helping cryogenic researchers design space suit technology to help future missions to the moon.
In Ask the Unexpected this week we’ve got dog science as we answer the age old joke: how does my dog smell? Terrible, obviously, but it also depends on something called the vomeronasal organ..
And there are newcomers in Germany and they’re troublemakers. We hear how an unpleasant mosquito borne virus has arrived in northern Europe and consider whether climate change might be to blame.
All that plus your emails and WhatsApps, language pedantry and an ewaste dating service.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton Produced by Ben Motley, with Margaret Sessa-Hawkins, Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston
Tunisia’s democracy is being dismantled by a president who claims he’s saving it from anarchy. Parliament has been dissolved, scores of judges sacked and opponents jailed. Once Tunisia - the north African country of just 12 million people squeezed between it’s much bigger neighbours Libya and Algeria - was a beacon of democracy. It was the first Arab country to overthrow it’s dictator Ben Ali in 2011 during what became known as the Arab Spring. Now a new authoritarian leader, Kais Saied, dominates the country. Tunisia faces numerous problems, from soaring prices and shortages of some basic foods - to thousands of migrants – many Tunisians - trying to flee across the Mediterranean to Europe.
Mike Thomson meets the sister of an activist who was imprisoned, an aspiring kickboxer who wants to settle abroad, a sub-Saharan migrant who’s lost his job and his home and a rapper, whose music helped inspire that 2011 revolution. What future faces Tunisia – democracy or dictatorship?
Presenter: Mike Thomson Producer: Bob Howard Mixed by Rod Farquhar Production coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Series Editor: Penny Murphy
(Image: Tunisians with Tunisian flags protesting against the constitutional referendum. Credit: Mohamed Messara/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Netflix gained almost 6 million new customers in the past three months after the streaming giant cracked down on password sharing.
The company have reported revenue of $8.2 billion in its second quarter.
(Picture: POLAND - 2023/01/20: In this photo illustration a Netflix logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The footage appears to show Yevgeny Prigozhin with large numbers of men in a Belarus camp. Also: the British government apologises for decades of discrimination of gay people in the military, and why the word Vegan seems to put meat eaters off.
Netflix gained almost 6 million new customers in the past three months after the streaming giant cracked down on password sharing.
The company have reported revenue of 8.2 billion US dollars in its second quarter.
What prompted the 23-year-old US serviceman, Private Travis King, to give his escort the slip at Seoul airport in South Korea and to cross into the north? More than 24 four hours since the story broke, many questions remain unanswered about him, his motives, and the consequences of the fact that he's now in detention in a country which is a sworn enemy of the United States. We hear from a former senior Swedish military officer who worked at the so called Demilitarized Zone at the border between the two Koreas.
Also on the programme: our political reporter goes walkabout in the former constituency of Boris Johnson a day ahead of a by-election there; and we speak to the only woman candidate in Zimbabwe’s coming presidential elections.
Photo: US soldier Travis King appears in this unknown location, undated photo Credit: REUTERS
Just months after the ‘momentous’ announcement of the first drug shown to slow the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, the results of a global trial into another have been published. The antibody medicine donanemab helped people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s by slowing the pace of the brain’s decline by about a third. Dr Graham Easton joins Claudia Hammond to look at what another ‘breakthrough’ means in practice.
They also look at new evidence from the USA that giving hearing aids to older people at risk from dementia could be another way to slow cognitive decline in some people.
While caring for women in childbirth, midwives are expected to be compassionate. But Claudia hears from two midwives who say that particularly in lower and middle income countries, midwives aren’t being shown enough compassion at work themselves.
And we hear from Germany where a portable brain scanner could provide a solution for people in hard-to-reach health clinics.
Image Credit: Andrew Brookes
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury & Dan Welsh
Indian automotive giant Tata has announced a $4bn electric car battery plant investment in the south of England. One of the world's biggest fertiliser distributors, Yara International, is feeling the sting of prolonged conflict in Ukraine. We also hear how farmers in the Central African Republic are getting a boost from juice.
More details have emerged about how a serving US soldier, Travis King, managed to cross into North Korea when he was meant to be leaving South Korea for the US after serving time in a detention facility in Seoul. What will Pyongyang try and leverage to allow him to return home?
Also in the programme: the winner of Thailand's general election appears to have been prevented from becoming prime minister by the military; and the head of Britain's spying agency says MI6 have recruited Russians, and encourages more to defect.
(Photo: US Private Travis King (wearing a black shirt and black cap) is seen in this picture taken during a tour of the tightly controlled Joint Security Area (JSA) on the border between the two Koreas, at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea, 18 July 2023. Credit: Sarah Leslie/Handout via Reuters)
Pita Limjaroenrat was suspended from parliament and forced to leave the chamber. Also: the head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service says it has recruited a number of Russians and has appealed for more to defect, and archaeologists in Pompeii make new discoveries.
Is there school in Kenya? Schools in the capital Nairobi and the coastal town of Mombasa have been shut indefinitely as three days of nationwide cost-of-living protests kicked off on Wednesday.
Russia cancels grain deal. Russia's withdrawal from the deal allowing Ukraine to safely export grain through the Black Sea is a "stab on the back" for those in drought-hit countries, Kenya's government has said. We look at what this means for food security in Africa.
And FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: Morocco's women football team has defied all odds to earn a spot in this summer's tournament.
As the Australian Matildas get ready to kick off their home World Cup campaign, Katie Smith goes back to a time when life was very different for the women representing the national side when they weren’t full time professionals selling out stadiums, when money was tight and publicity almost non-existent.
Let’s go back to 1999 - a year out from the Sydney Olympics, when Australian sports teams were desperate to get media coverage and capitalise on a game changing event for the nation. That’s where the Matildas’ nude calendar idea came from - pose naked, gain attention, challenge gender stereotypes, raise funds - but it didn’t end up being that simple.
Katie met up with former Matilda Trae McGovern, who featured in that now infamous calendar, to take a trip back in time.
In the autumn of 1945, World War II surrender ceremonies took place across the Japanese Empire.
The one in China was held at the Forbidden City in Beijing bringing an end to eight years of occupation. Thousands of people watched the incredible moment Japanese generals handed over their swords. The United States, China, Russia and the United Kingdom were all represented.
John Stanfield, now 103, is the last surviving British person who was there. He recalls to Josephine McDermott how he signed the surrender declaration documents on behalf of the British.
(Photo: Crowds gather in the Forbidden City to watch the Japanese surrender. Credit: John Stanfield, Bristol University's Historical Photographs of China)
Zeinab Badawi speaks to dissident Russian journalist and writer Mikhail Zygar, who has rare insights into the inner workings of the Kremlin. After the challenge to Vladimir Putin’s power and an aborted mutiny last month, how weak is the Russian president?
一位听众想让我们列举一些包含 “oxymoron（矛盾修辞法）” 的例子。“Oxymoron” 是将两个相互矛盾的词语或短语组合到一起的修辞方法。比如：“an open secret”、“bittersweet” 和 “the living dead”。本期 “你问我答” 节目通过分析一段情景对话，讲解这种修辞手法在英语中的运用。
The continent is football crazy but its women’s teams have never enjoyed the same success as the men’s.
Brazil have never won the Women’s World Cup. Argentina have never even won a match at the tournament.
Why is that? A lack of investment, TV revenue and sponsors, or deep-seated cultural issues and prejudices?
We look at the poor state of finances in the South American women’s game, and hear from women who are trying to change attitudes. They say that if broadcasters and potential sponsors don’t take women’s football seriously, they’re not only ignoring half the people on the continent – they’re missing out on a great business opportunity.
Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Gideon Long
(Image: Brazil goalkeeper after being knocked out of the 2019 Women's World Cup)
Earlier this week John Kerry, the US special envoy on climate, arrived in China to revive efforts to combat global warming.
It's the first substantive meeting of the world’s two largest carbon emitters since relations froze last August.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Alexander Kaufman, senior reporter at HuffPost, in New York and Emily Feng, NPR's International Correspondent covering China and Taiwan.
(Picture: US Climate Envoy John Kerry and China's Premier Li Qiang (R) shake hands before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 18, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Donald Trump said he was told to report to a grand jury "which almost always means an arrest." Also: veteran US diplomat Henry Kissinger - back in China at the age of 100, and the canine crackdown in a French town that's turned to CSI.
The World Trade Organisation is concerned food prices might rise after Russia pulled out of a deal to let Kyiv export grain.
Sam Fenwick speaks to Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who says she is still confident exports can resume after the breakdown of the Ukraine-grain deal.
North Korea is reported to have detained a serving US army soldier who crossed the heavily-fortified border from South Korea without permission.
The US State Department says the captured solider crossed "willfully and without authorisation" into North Korea. It's unclear if the man has defected to North Korea or hopes to return. There has been no word yet from the north.
We'll hear from experts about the historical precedents that have faced US defectors to North Korea and what treatment the soldier could face.
Also in the programme: The fast food giant McDonald's reacts to claims, by more than a hundred of its UK staff, that they'd been abused; and as Melbourne in Australia pulls out of hosting the next Commonwealth Games, is the future of the event at risk?
(Photo shows South Korean soldiers standing guard in the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.)
DeepMind founder Mustafa Suleyman reflects on the AI revolution - and tells us he left the UK for Silicon Valley because it remains the top place for tech talent. But Canada is trying to lure some of those highly skilled migrants away - immigration lawyer Pavan Dhillon explains how. Dr Grace Livingstone joins us from Uruguay to tell us why plans for a Google data centre there are so controversial. And - as AI version of Johnny Cash goes viral - Matt Griffiths from the charity Youth Music tells us why AI is being embraced by young creatives.
(PHOTO: Futuristic digital render with surreal cyber space and big sun, by Getty Images)
Tuesday was the world's hottest day ever, beating the previous record set on Monday, while nearly a third of Americans, over 113 million people, are covered by some sort of official heat advice.
We find out how economies are adapting to the extreme heat, and how business are coping as people are unable to work.
Roger Hearing speaks to former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and climate economists.
Twitter’s former employees in Ghana say the company has gone silent on all negotiations regarding payment of severance pay. In Africa, the biggest impact was in Ghana where the company opened a physical office just four days before the decision to fire staff. We speak to BBC business reporter in Lagos, Nkechi Ogbonna.
In Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that every party must be allowed to campaign. However, the high court has banned former cabinet minister and member of Zanu-PF, Saviour Kasukuwere from standing in the race due to ineligibility. He tells us why he finds the court ruling baffling.
Plus, In the fight against AIDS, an impressive success story has emerged from five African countries—Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe. We hear from Dr. Jerome Kamwela, the Director for Monitoring and Evaluation at the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACADS) about this progress.
One of Ukraine’s most senior military commanders, General Oleksandr Syrski, has told the BBC that its counter-offensive is not going as fast as he'd like. Also on the programme: Australia pulls out of hosting the Commonwealth Games; and the extreme and dangerous allure of free-diving.
(Pic: General Oleksandr Syrski and President Zelensky. Credit : Reuters)
Figures from earlier this year suggest cremation figures increased. Also: one of Ukraine's senior military commanders admits his frustration at the speed of the counter-offensive, and McDonald's have questions to answer after workers here in Britain claim harassment.
With just two days to go until the world’s biggest ever women’s sports event kicks off in New Zealand and Australia, World Football’s Mani Djazmi and Katie Smith are in Sydney, with Maz Farookhi in Auckland to preview the start of the tournament.
They discuss the hosts, the favourites and the debutants, including in-depth interviews with the two-time World Cup winner with the USA, Carli Lloyd; Australia goalkeeper Lydia Williams, one of only two players of aboriginal descent in the Matildas squad; and Panama midfielder Riley Tanner discusses the nation’s World Cup debut.
Photo: The FIFA Women's World Cup trophy is seen during its unveiling event on April 14, 2023. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
In January 1991, more than half a million people protested in Riga, the capital city of Latvia. They wanted to stop Soviet troops taking over important landmarks, so they built barricades and camped out on the streets.
Vents Krauklis was among the demonstrators. He’s been speaking to Laura Jones.
(Photo: People filling the streets of Riga during the Barricades. Credit: 1991 Barricades Museum, Riga/Ilgvars Gradovskis)
As the countries prepare to host the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup for the first time, we find out why they were chosen, and what the legacy of the games will be for them.
We take a look at the hospitality sector, including a café owner in New Zealand, who are hoping for a big boost from overseas visitors. How will they make the most of the opportunity, and cope with the influx of people coming into the town.
And we hear from an architect about the new training ground that the Australian women's football team, The Matilda's, will call home.
Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Barbara George
(Photo: Sydney Olympic Stadium. Credit: Getty Images)
英语中有个包含单词 “theatre” 的搭配，可以用来描述 “某人用戏剧化的表演让自己看起来很忙，其实并没有在认真工作的现象”。在工作中，你见过这样的 “影帝” 或 “影后” 吗？听节目，学习 “productivity theatre” 的用法。
Moscow notified the UN, Turkey and Ukraine on Monday that it would not renew the Black Sea grain initiative, accusing the West of not keeping its side of the bargain. The decision has been condemned by world leaders including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
(A farmer holds grains in pictured July 16, 2023. Source: Getty Images)
For centuries, Kew Gardens was the flash point for a lesser known British imperial project – the collection of plants from colonised nations for political and commercial gain. Author and journalist Rosie Kinchen finds out about the work Kew is doing today to examine this, and looks into how the institution is supporting botanical science and conservation around the globe. Rosie speaks to curatorial and scientific staff at Kew, as well as taking a wider view on the role of plants in colonial history.
A large trial has confirmed the drug, Donanemab, slows cognitive decline by a-third. Also: Working From Anywhere - the trend taking off in offices across the world, and the 80-year-old who's finally going into space.
Russia has said it will not renew a crucial deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain over the Black Sea.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a "rise in human suffering" would "inevitably" follow Russia's decision. So will the world go hungry?
Also in the programme: Iranian state media say morality police are relaunching street patrols; and the amazing story of the sailor and his dog, lost and then found, after two months at sea.
The United States could face a major supply chain disruptions and high shipping costs if a potential strike by the UPS delivery service, consisting of 340,000 workers, goes ahead. The proposed 10 day strike could be the most expensive walkout in at least a century, costing the U.S. economy upwards of $7 billion dollars.
We've been building computers to think like us for years, but our ability to replicate human senses has been impossible. Until now.
Evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Professor Ben Garrod, is off to meet some of the sensory innovators and technological pioneers who are developing human like-sensing technology. From skin patches that can read our sugar levels, to brain implants that could use our thoughts to control computers. This is the technology that could blur the boundary between body, mind, and computer chip.
We meet Jules Howard, a zoologist who uses VR to help us explore the anatomical worlds inside animals. Jules shows us the inner-workings of a ducks vagina. We meet Anagram, who’s augmented reality experiences can visualise the inner-worlds of those experiencing schizophrenia and ADHD. We play with the health monitors and wearable tech that claim they could make us fitter, happier, and more productive humans. And meet Dr David Putrino, a clinician with Mount Sinai in New York, who’s conducting some of the first medically-approved surgery for brain implants.
Presenter: Professor Ben Garrod Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
(Image: Artificial intelligence robot and binary. Credit: Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images)
The Ukrainian military says it carried out the overnight attack on the strategically important Kerch bridge linking Russia with occupied Crimea. Moscow has also blamed Ukraine saying the attack killed a civilian couple in a car and injured their daughter.
Also in the programme: US Climate envoy John Kerry is in China for climate talks, amid sweeping heatwaves in the US and Europe and damaging floods in Asia; and reports of a new breakthrough drug in the treatments of Alzheimer's disease.
(Picture: A view shows the Crimean Bridge, a section of which was damaged by an alleged overnight attack, as seen from the city of Kerch. Credit: Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters).
Human Rights Watch has called for an investigation into an increase in atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region, since recent fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries began.
After disputed elections, Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio announces a new cabinet. A third of its members are women, and for the first time ever a significant number are in their thirties. We talk to the new chief minister David Monina Sengeh, 36, about his role.
With Zambia's Copper Queens due to make their debut at the FIFA Women’s World Cup this week, we hear from team captain Barbra Banda. Is there really enough evidence to support gender eligibility regulations?
The deal to allow Ukrainian grain to be safely exported seems to be at an end. Russia says it is halting its involvement in the agreement brokered by the United Nations last summer. Without a deal, global food supplies are likely to be severely disrupted - Russia and Ukraine are major players in the wheat, barley, maize, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets.
Moscow says two people were killed in the attack on Kerch bridge. Also: the Kremlin says a deal allowing Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea has ended because the conditions have not been met, and local temperature records are broken in southern Europe as heatwave continues.
The story of how tamoxifen went from a failed contraceptive pill, to being used to prevent and treat breast cancer around the world.
It was the first ever targeted cancer drug.
Laura Jones speaks to Professor V. Craig Jordan, who helped bring it to the world’s attention in the 1970s.
Ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, we look at the business case for growing the sport.
Investment in women's football is increasing, in line with greater confidence in its popularity, and higher expectations from players and fans.
We ask where the commercial opportunities lie, how much money is coming into the game, and what does the future hold at such a pivotal moment?
Presenter and producer: Sam Fenwick
(Image: The USA team celebrating winning the 2019 Women's World Cup. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur interviews one of the world’s most innovative contemporary artists, Tomás Saraceno. His work involves spiders, balloons, dust and air. At its heart is a challenge to us all: Are we ready to reinvent what it means to be a human in a complex ecosystem on a small planet?
Beatriz de la Pava talks to two women on the frontline of disaster preparation about how communities can become more resilient to natural hazards, respond quickly to them, and recover afterwards.
Mami Mizutori is the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Before that she served for twenty-seven years in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Homolata Borah has worked towards reducing disaster risk for some of the most vulnerable communities living in the world’s largest inhabited river island of Majuli in the state of Assam in India.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
Acclaimed and award-winning Shakespearean, Gregory Doran, has directed every play in Shakespeare’s First Folio except Cymbeline. For him it’s one of Shakespeare’s most complex creations and he will be directing it for the first time as his swansong, as the Royal Shakespeare Company’s artistic director emeritus. From the start of the production’s rehearsal period until its first performance, we follow Gregory and his team as they get to grips with a play criticised and celebrated for its genre-busting, location-hopping, multiple plotlines, topped by the appearance of the god Jupiter descending from the heavens on an eagle.
The Spanish 20-year-old beat Novak Djokovic in a thrilling final on Centre Court. Also: Italians told to stay indoors as Europe braces for another heatwave and the singer and fashion icon Jane Birkin has died, aged 76.
Stany Nyandwi's rescued chimpanzees helped him through war and loneliness.
As a young boy Stany made money selling sugarcane and worked as a 'houseboy' for families in Burundi's capital city Bujumbura. But later, a job with rescued chimpanzees became about more than just money. When ethnic conflict in Burundi escalated into civil war, Stany fled to safety with the chimps who, with histories of their own, gave him companionship and a ticket to a future without war.
Stany is a chimp specialist and his behaviour should not be copied or emulated in any way.
He has co-written a book called The Chimpanzee Whisperer: A Life of Love and Loss, Compassion and Conservation.
Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: May Cameron Editor: Andrea Kennedy
Forecasters in the United States say temperature records could be broken today, as a heatwave starts to take hold. We speak to climate author Jeff Goodell on the dangers of heat.
Also on Newshour: Carlos Alcaraz wins Wimbledon; and Jane Birkin the English born actress and iconic singer of the 1960's - has died.
(Photo: A view of a digital sign displaying the high temperature in Death Valley, California, U.S. July 15, 2023. REUTERS/Jorge Garcia)
China and the United States will try and restart their co-operation on combating climate change. Washington's envoy John Kerry is in Beijing ahead of UN- sponsored talks later in the year.
Also on Newshour: A top-level European delegation tries to persuade the Tunisian president to do more to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean; Finland's plan to bury nuclear waste; and Jane Birkin - the Anglo-French actress, singer and icon of the 1960's - has died.
(Photo: Mr Kerry is the latest top official to be dispatched to China from Washington. Credit: Getty Images)
The Euros 2022 saw the Lionesses finally ‘bring it home’ - the excitement and crowd numbers showed there was a huge demand for women’s football. Ahead of the Women’s 2023 World Cup this documentary explores whether opportunities for women have changed. What is the state of play for women’s football around the globe?
From widescale heatwaves to floods and wildfires. Also: History is made at Wimbledon as the unseeded Czech player Marketa Vondrousova wins the women's singles final beating Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in straight sets, and the strange case of the woman who went to bed with her normal English accent one day and then woke up with a Welsh accent the next.
Nearly a third of Americans are under extreme advisories, with warnings that scorching temperatures in the west could be deadly to anyone without effective cooling or hydration. There are warnings that next week will see temperatures in their forties across southern Europe.
Also in the programme: Tennis player Marketa Vondrousova beats Ons Jabeur in Wimbledon women's final; and South Korea says it will expand its country's military and humanitarian aid support to Ukraine.
(Photo: A woman cools off in a fountain during a heat wave in Turin, Italy, 15 July 2023. Credit: EPA).
Heatwaves are also troubling North Africa and the US. More than 113 million Americans are suffering intense heat. We speak to German MEP Michael Bloss about how Europe has been affected and links with climate change.
Also on the programme: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol visits Ukraine for the first time; and Newshour speaks to one student who has found a way of using AI to predict earthquakes and assess how much damage might be done by one.
(Image: Cracked and dry earth is seen in the wide riverbed in the Loire River in France. Credit: Reuters)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the portable incubator saving lives in Ukraine, a tale of heroics on the streets of Taiwan. And, how putty might help to preserve Australia's coral reefs.
Sam Kerr is at the pinnacle of her career. She’s won her fourth Women’s Super League title with Chelsea, another FA Cup and is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in world football, winning multiple Golden Boot awards across the globe.
And now the Australian record goal scorer and captain, who was inspired by Cathy Freeman’s gold medal winning race at the Sydney Olympics, is the face of the 2023 World Cup – looking for her team’s own iconic moment -where a nation stops to watch.
So where did it all begin for Sam Kerr? Maz Farookhi and Jenny Wallace find out. 1993 was the year Australia’s most famous sporting icon Shane Warne bowled the Ball of the Century, but it’s also the year the future Matildas captain was born in Perth and in to a family passionate about Aussie rules football.
You’ll meet the Kerr camp: the coaches, players and family that have played their part in her rise to the top including back to back World Cup winner, USA’s Carli Lloyd, Australia teammates Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley, plus her parents Roger and Roxanne.
(Producer: Joanne Smith)
(Image: An image of Australia's Sam Kerr is projected onto the Sydney Opera House on September 05, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Credit: Getty Images)
This weekend will see the world's most famous Grand Slam crown it's champions but what's it really like to take part in such a momentous occasion?
The All England Club has opened a new entrance for the players which sees them head to the dressing rooms and eventually on to centre court we're given an exclusive tour by the tournament director Jamie Baker.
And once you have walked you from the entrance to the baseline?! How do you make sure you perform to the very best of your ability, in the most pressurised moment of your career? Well one person who knows exactly what it feels like, and how to harness that emotion, is Monica Puig. In 2016 she won the women's single title at the Rio Olympics, it was the first ever gold medal Puerto Rico had won. The pressure she faced that day was enormous, but she dealt with it and has been revealing her secrets having been forced to retire from the game in the last year aged 28
The Women's World Cup in Australian and New Zealand gets under way on Thursday. We look ahead to the tournament with the former Italian international and Paris Saint Germain goalkeeper Arianna Criscione. Arianna was not only a top professional, she used her time in football understanding the industry beyond the pitch... Armed now with a Masters in business, she is ready to revolutionise the sport off the pitch, and is just as excited about what's about to happen on it!
Photo: Detail view of the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy for winning the Women's Singles Final at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship (Credit: Gary M. Prior/Getty Images)
In some ways the 21st century is a very unusual time when it comes to adolescence - a study in the US found that teenagers smoke less, drink less and have less sex than the previous generation. And worldwide young people are coming of age in a digital era, with the dangers and opportunities that represents. Our expectations of teenagers vary hugely depending on the social, historical and cultural context. Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi takes us through the big evolutionary questions about adolescence: Why do humans go through this developmental stage? What's the point of all that teenage angst? And how come every generation stubbornly repeats the same mistakes?
She is joined by a panel of experts:
Laurence Steinberg is one of the world's leading experts on adolescence. He is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Temple University in Philadelphia, USA. His latest book is called, 'You and Your Adult Child'.
Emily Emmott is a lecturer in biological anthropology at University College London. She's currently researching the implications of the social environment around us during our teenage years.
Jon Savage is a British writer and music journalist, best known for his history of the Sex Pistols and punk music. He's the author of 'Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture'.
Brenna Hassett is a bioarchaeologist at University College London and the author of 'Growing Up Human: The Evolution of Childhood'.
Presented by Ella Al-Shamahi Produced by Jo Impey
Image: Teenagers dance the twist around a radio cassette recorder in a street in the Harajuku district of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, 1978 (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
In 1993, the Czech player Jana Novotna threw away a huge lead in the ladies' final at Wimbledon but captured the hearts of tennis fans by breaking down in tears on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent, the tournament's patron. Five years later, Novotna was back on Centre Court..and this time she won. She tells her story to Kirsty McQuire. The programme is a Sparklab Production for the BBC World Service and was first broadcast in 2015
(Photo: Czech tennis player Jana Novotna is consoled by the Duchess of Kent after losing the women's singles final at the 1993 Wimbledon Championships, held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England, 3rd July 1993. Credit: Getty Images)
We're back into earnings season, and, unsurprisingly it's the banks that are attracting most attention - they, are after all, the beneficiaries of the higher interest rates that have come with the Federal Reserve's bid to curb inflation. The first big headline profit result is from JPMorgan Chase - profits for the quarter ending June 30 were $14.5 billion, up 67 percent, while revenues were up 34 percent to $41.3 billion. Part of that was from its purchase of a majority of the failed First Republic Bank's assets in a government-backed deal in May. At Wells Fargo, meanwhile, profits also rose 57 percent to $4.9 billion. Citi however experienced a drop, blaming an anaemic investment banking market as a drag on their revenues.
(Picture: Outside view of a bank with American flag. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Prices almost everywhere are going up, which means most of us have less money to spend. At the heart of it is inflation, the rate at which prices are rising. It means paying higher costs for everything, from food to transport, clothes to power, and less on life’s luxuries.
Host James Reynolds has been bringing people around the world together to share their experiences of inflation. Three people living in cities in Asia, Africa and Europe describe their struggles to buy food and pay the rent.
We also speak to business owners, in Argentina, Senegal and Zimbabwe, including two who run restaurants. They give us an insight into how they stay solvent and share some advice on spending. They say that even when times are tough, people still want to go out to socialise with friends and family.
And two students, in Poland and Lebanon, tell us know they have taken on multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Charity says hundreds have been killed since conflict erupted in April. Also: Striking Hollywood actors join writers on picket lines outside studios in Los Angeles at the start of their biggest walkout in decades, and the TV ad for Volkswagen's 70th birthday in Brazil that's divided the nation.
Max Pearson presents a selection of this week’s Witness History stories.
In 1999, Aibo: the world's first robot dog, hit the shops in Japan and sold out in just 20 minutes.
We hear from Toshitada Doi who spent six years on the project when he worked at Sony. Plus we hear from Dr Ella Haig about the development of artificial intelligence.
Japanese software developer Shigetaka Kurita created the first emoji in 1999.
Valerie Hunter Gordon, from England, invented disposable nappies in 1947 after the birth of her third child. We hear from Valerie’s son, Nigel Hunter Gordon.
Hungarian journalist László Bíró was sick of smudging the ink from his fountain pen and so he invented the ballpoint pen in 1938.
Finally, a Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik invented what's known as the Rubik's Cube.
Contributors:
Toshitada Doi on developing Aibo: The world's first robot dog Dr Ella Haig, Reader in Artificial Intelligence, in the School of Computing at the University of Portsmouth in the UK Japanese software developer Shigetaka Kurita, who created the first emoji Nigel Hunter Gordon, the son of Valerie Hunter Gordon, on disposable nappies Hungarian journalist László Bíró, the inventor of the ballpoint pen Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik, the inventor of the Rubik's Cube
(Photo: The original Aibo. Credit: Jun Sato/WireImage via Getty Images)
We're back into earnings season, and, unsurprisingly it's the banks that are attracting most attention - they, are after all, the beneficiaries of the higher interest rates that have come with the Federal Reserve's bid to curb inflation. The first big headline profit result is from JP Morgan Chase - profits for the quarter ending June 30 were $14.5 billion, up 67 percent, while revenues were up 34 percent to $41.3 billion. Part of that was from its purchase of a majority of the failed First Republic Bank's assets in a government-backed deal in May. At Wells Fargo, meanwhile, profits also rose 57 percent to $4.9 billion. Citi however experienced a drop, blaming an anaemic investment banking market as a drag on their revenues.
The International Criminal Court has opened a new investigation into alleged war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. Ethnic violence has surged there as part of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF. The court's chief prosecutor -- Karim Khan -- said the reports included attacks on civilians, mass rapes, and the burning of homes and markets.
Also in the programme: Nigeria’s President announces a state of emergency as the country battles severe food crisis; and Hollywood actors start the first industry-wide walk-out in more than six decades.
(Photo: FILE PHOTO: A Sudanese man who fled the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. CREDIT: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo).
The International Criminal Court has opened a new investigation into alleged war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. Ethnic violence has surged there as part of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF. Our correspondent has been speaking to refugees who have fled to neighbouring Chad.
Also in the programme: the Indian space agency which has successfully launched a rocket that will attempt to land a rover on the moon; and France has posthumously awarded the Legion d'Honneur to a journalist killed working in Ukraine.
(Picture: Sudanese refugees gather as Doctors Without Borders teams assist the war-wounded from West Darfur in a hospital in Chad in June. Credit: Mohammad Ghannam/MSF/Handout via REUTERS)
South Korea has been on high alert as a storm battered the capital Seoul, while in the Philippines officials warned of a tropical cyclone.
Earlier this week India's capital New Delhi recorded its wettest July day in decades.
Sam Fenwick explores the financial impact of climate change.
A new report from the UN children's agency UNICEF estimates nearly three hundred children have died trying to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe. Also: Guinness world records has advice for people in Nigeria who want to get their names on the list and the Indian space agency has launched its latest mission to land on the moon.
New MPs were sworn in as Sierra Leone’s parliament opened following June’s elections, but the main opposition APC party is boycotting government business over alleged fraud.
Plus, could Ghana become the latest African country to legalise cannabis? President Nana Akufo-Addo has signed off on a bill allowing certain strains of the plant to be grown.
And we look at how the increase in people moving off the land and to the city in Africa is affecting the continent’s dietary health.
BBC Russian editor Famil Ismailov shares his insights into what's been going on between Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and President Vladimir Putin. How vulnerable is Prigozhin after his failed mutiny, and how has his relationship with the president changed?
Inter Miami and Messi Why would footballing superstar Lionel Messi, who earlier this year captained Argentina to World Cup victory, sign with a team currently at the bottom of America's Major League Soccer? BBC Mundo's Atahualpa Amerise sheds light on the appeal of his new club Inter Miami for Spanish-speaking followers of the beautiful game.
India and the Koh-i-Noor diamond For decades, campaigners in India have called for the repatriation of thousands of precious artefacts taken out of the country by the British, chief among them the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which forms part of the Crown Jewels. Zubair Ahmed from BBC Delhi explains why this is such a hot topic in India at the moment.
Tunisia's anti-migrant attacks The killing of a Tunisian man during a brawl between Tunisians and migrants in the port city of Sfax on 3 July triggered a surge of racially motivated attacks. Over recent years, Sfax has seen the arrival of large numbers of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa en route to Europe. BBC Arabic's Bassam Bounenni visited the city to report on the aftermath of the violence.
The Serbian love of swearing Language experts who’ve studied Serbian say that it stands out for the richness and creativity of its swearing. It was a topic tastefully tackled by BBC Serbian’s Jovana Georgievski.
(Photo: Yevgeny Prigozhin and President Vladimir Putin. Credit: Reuters (L) and SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (R)
In 1999, Japanese software developer Shigetaka Kurita created the first emoji.
The umbrella was one of 176 original images, featuring weather, transport signs, numbers and emotions.
He was inspired after noticing the popularity of a pager, aimed at teenagers, that used a heart symbol. The idea took off.
Today, more than 10 billion emoji are sent by people across the world every day.
Shigetaka told Jane Wilkinson of his pride in the creation.
(Photo: Umbrella emoji, 1999. Credit: Copyrighted by NTT DOCOMO)
Does France’s government have a clear strategy to deal with the deep social and economic divisions that led to the worst outbreak of violence and rioting for years, following the killing of a French youth by police? Zeinab Badawi speaks to France’s Europe minister Laurence Boone.
The eight-time Premier League winner on his successes and failures in business.
Gary Neville tells us why building companies in his home city of Manchester matters to him and explains what level of investment he'd like to see at his former club Manchester United.
Presenter: Sean Farrington Producer: Carmel O'Grady Image: Gary Neville; Credit: BBC
Hollywood actors are going on strike. In the last few hours the representatives of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists - known as SAG-AFTRA, announced its first major strike in 40 years. It follows weeks of talks about pay and the impact of artificial intelligence.
(Picture: Strikes in Hollywood. Picture credit: BBC)
It's the biggest shutdown of its kind in over 60 years. Also: President Biden says there's no possibility of President Putin winning the war in Ukraine, and why staff at a zoo in Canada are asking people not to show gorillas images from their mobile phones.
Hollywood actors are going on strike. In the last few hours the representatives of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists - known as SAG-AFTRA, announced its first major strike in 40 years. It follows weeks of talks about pay and the impact of artificial intelligence.
Hollywood actors have been ordered by their union to strike after weeks of talks with major studios and streaming giants collapsed. The Screen Actors Guild board voted unanimously for a walkout. The dispute has centred on pay, working conditions and what they've called the 'existential threat' posed by artificial intelligence to the industry. The union represents a hundred and sixty thousand actors. Hollywood writers have been on strike for weeks. It would be the first combined industrial action since 1960. We hear from an actor supporting the strike and a film industry observer.
Also in the programme: The bodies of at least 87 people allegedly killed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan have been found in a mass grave; and we hear from Emma Tsurkov, the sister of kidnapped academic and human rights activist Elizabeth Tsurkov, who is being held by a Shiite militia group in Iraq.
(Photo: SAG-AFTRA President US actress Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA secretary-treasurer US actress Joely Fisher, and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, joined by SAG-AFTRA members, hold a press conference at the labour union's headquarters in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2023. Credit: CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
As extreme heat returns to much of the world we hear the impact of last year’s heatwaves in Europe, where 62,000 people are estimated to have died. Joan Ballester, Associate Research Professor at Barcelona Institute for Global Health, discusses the figures from his latest paper and his concerns for the future.
This week the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of middle-distance runner and Olympic champion Caster Semenya in a case related to testosterone levels in female athletes. Marnie Chesterton speaks to developmental biologist Dr Emma Hilton about what causes differences in sexual development and the impact they can have.
Also, Kew Gardens is going digital. Millions of specimens are being made available to the world for the first time in an enormous digitisation project. Ella Hubber goes behind the scenes at Kew to see some of the precious specimens.
Finally, the Indonesian government has banned a group of foreign scientists from conducting conservation research. Bill Laurance, Research Professor at James Cook University, talks to Science in Action about keeping politics out of conservation science.
Image credit: Getty Images
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber
Tens of thousands of Hollywood actors are preparing to strike after last-ditch talks between their unions and streaming giants broke down just hours before a major deadline.
The Screen Actors Guild has agreed to one extension of talks with major studios but the union has been unable to agree a deal over issues around pay residuals and the use of artificial intelligence.
The reformer who won Thailand's election has failed to win enough votes in parliament to become prime minister.
Pita Limjaroenrat swept to victory in May as voters rejected nearly a decade of conservative military rule. He and his allies have a lower house majority but could not win over the senate, which was all appointed by a previous military government. Can democracy survive in Thailand?
Also in the programme: For the first time in decades, Hollywood faces a shutdown on two fronts: first it was a writers' strike. now it could be actors; and a BBC investigation casts doubt on the official greek response to the migrant drowning disaster.
(Photo shows Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat posing for a picture on 13 July 2023. Credit: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)
Kenyan protesters defied a police ban and demonstrations turned chaotic. The opposition called the move draconian, and vowed to go back to the streets. Can the police legally effect the ban?
After social media hype, there are reports of a surge in Ugandan men taking their children for DNA tests. But does that paint a true picture? We talk to a microbiologist to get to the bottom of it.
Plus, ahead of the Women's World Cup, South Africa's goalkeeper Andile Dlamini shares the inspiring story of how she overcame adversity.
The UN has been told of 87 bodies discovered in the grave in Darfur, with evidence they'd been killed by paramilitary forces. Also: Thailand's opposition leader has lost a parliamentary vote to confirm him as prime minister despite his recent election victory, and a deadly heatwave sweeps across southern Europe.
In 1947, after the birth of her third child, Valerie Hunter Gordon, from Surrey, in England, decided she was sick of the drudgery of cloth nappies.
She came up with a solution – a reusable outer garment, initially made out of parachute material, with a disposable, biodegradable pad inside.
She named it the Paddi and once her friends saw it, they all wanted one, so she went into business.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Nigel Hunter Gordon, Valerie’s son, who modelled them as a baby in the first adverts.
(Photo: Nigel's younger sister Frances Hunter Gordon wearing one of the mums nappies. Credit. Frances Ross)
Youth unemployment in Spain is still very high, with 29.3% of working people under 25 out of work.
Ahead of the snap General Election which will take place on Sunday 23 July, we speak to new voters and voters in their twenties who are just starting out in their careers. What policies appeal to them, how do they feel about an increasing right-wing presence, and what do they think of politicians using social media and podcasts to try and win their support?
We’ll also hear from a young entrepreneur who is looking to see what advantages they can get from a potential change of government.
Produced and presented by: Ashish Sharma Image:
As NATO meets, we look at what science says about consensus decision-making, whether the universe is left-handed, and what chemistry can tell us about our ancient past.
Also, we examine windfarms potentially blocking reindeer herding, our quest for the coolest science in the world continues with Beth the bee queen, and Caroline contemplates the long road that got us to a malaria vaccine.
Kaaps is a language widely spoken in the bleak townships of Cape Town, South Africa. It’s often denigrated as a lesser form of Afrikaans – the language that was used as a tool of white supremacy during the apartheid era. Spoken predominately by working class people on the Cape Flats, Kaaps is associated with negative stereotypes – its speakers denigrated as uneducated, "ghetto" layabouts involved in gang culture.
But a new, burgeoning movement led by hip-hop artists, academics, writers and film makers is actively changing that perception. They want to reclaim Afrikaaps to restore the linguistic, cultural and racial dignity of a formerly disenfranchised people. The writer Lindsay Johns travels to Cape Town to meet the activists determined to assert the worth and pride of the people who speak Afrikaaps.
Presenter: Lindsay Johns Producers: Audrey Brown and Tim Mansel Mixed by Neil Churchill Production coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Series Editor: Penny Murphy
(Image: Children in Lavender Hill, a township on the Cape Flats in Cape Town, South Africa. Credit: Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
After a many months of discussions, Pakistan has won final approval to borrow $3 billion from the International Monetary Fund. The deal will unlock long-awaited funding from other lenders that should help ease the nation’s dire need for cash and rescue its economy.
(Picture: People are busy selling goods for Independence day. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Russia says it will strengthen its military in response. Also: The BBC's highest-paid newsreader, Huw Edwards, is named as the presenter who's been the focus of allegations in the British media, and the author Sir Salman Rushdie speaks about a near-fatal attack on him last year.
Going to a wedding this year?
Spare a thought for the caterers - expected to put on ever-more elaborate feasts in ever-more challenging conditions.
In this episode, three wedding caterers - in India, the US and the UK - share anecdotes about demanding guests, make-shift hillside kitchens and emergency trips to hospital.
Warning: if you’re a bride- or groom-to-be, this programme might just give you a case of the jitters.
You can share your tales of wedding banquet triumphs and disasters by emailing thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: Bride and groom blowing out a candle on a cake. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
After a many months of discussions, Pakistan has won final approval to borrow $3 billion from the International Monetary Fund. The deal will unlock long-awaited funding from other lenders that should help ease the nation’s dire need for cash and rescue its economy.
President Zelensky wants assurances Ukraine will join Nato after the war, but members chose strategic caution. Also on the programme, one of the BBC's main news presenters - who faced a series of misconduct allegations - has been named as Huw Edwards; and democracy activists in Thailand call for protests after the Constitutional Court accepted two complaints against the leader of the reformist party which won the general election in May.
(NATO Holds 2023 Summit In Vilnius CREDIT: Getty Images)
Sir Salman Rushdie says he is physically "more or less OK" nearly a year after he was stabbed as he prepared to give a lecture in New York. However the 76-year-old told Newshour's Razia Iqbal in an exclusive interview that he was still processing the incident, which left him blind in one eye. "I have a very good therapist who has a lot of work to do," said the novelist. "I have crazy dreams." Last August, the Indian-born British-American author was put on a ventilator and spent six weeks in hospital after being stabbed up to 10 times on stage at an event in New York state.
Image: British-American novelist Salman Rushdie poses on the PEN America 2023 Spring Literary Gala red carpet at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, New York, USA, 18 May 2023. Photo by SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
“Sickle cell is not all that we are – Sickle Cell is solvable.” Lea Kilenga Bey from Kenya founded the non-profit Africa Sickle Cell Organisation to campaign on behalf of people like her who live with an inherited blood condition known as sickle cell disease. Now a group of experts from around the world are calling on Governments to provide better care for people with conditions like Lea’s. It comes just weeks after a study published in academic journal The Lancet Haematology showed that the number of people around the world who die with sickle cell disease could be as much as 11 times higher than previously estimated. Claudia Hammond speaks to Lea and hears from Professor Jennifer Knight-Madden in Jamaica where pioneering research has led to a newborn screening programme that helps to diagnose and treat Sickle Cell Disease in babies.
Side by Side is a pilot initiative led by the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK, pairing up volunteers with people living with dementia based on their common interests. It’s how David met Simon, who learnt he had Alzheimer’s disease during the Covid 19 lockdown. We hear from David, Simon, and Simon’s wife Ruth about the pair’s weekly walks and how they have helped Simon come to terms with his diagnosis.
And Claudia is joined by Consultant in public health Dr Ike Anya. They discuss new research on living with dementia including a study that suggests resistance training might delay the onset of symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s. There’s an early breakthrough in finding a treatment for parasitic born African Trypanosomiasis or Sleeping Sickness. And the researchers combining health education with street theatre in Malawi. How an interactive performance involving “infectious” beach balls transmitted by a giant Tsetse fly is teaching people about catching Sleeping Sickness.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury
Image credit: Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library
The rate of price growth in the US dropped to its slowest pace in more than two years, helped by cheaper used cars. Inflation has fallen sharply from a peak of more than 9% last year and June's reading marks the slowest pace since March 2021. The figures suggest a succession of interest rate rises have punctured soaring prices. However, analysts still expect the US Federal Reserve to raise rates again this month.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Ukraine accession process is being shortened, during a news conference with Ukrainian President Zelensky. The summit, taking place in Lithuania, ends today. We hear from the former Defence Minister of the country.
Also on the programme: we speak to internationally renowned author Sir Salman Rushdie about freedom of expression; and we look back at a major story in presenter Razia Iqbal's career on Newshour - the Arab Spring.
(Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine receives applause from NATO members at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 12 July 2023. Credit: Reuters/Mills)
NATO chief says the accession process is being shortened, and Ukraine "will become a member" - but does not specify a timeline. Also: North Korea fires long-range missile after threatening the United States, and Australian scientists develop a special glue to repair the Great Barrier Reef.
Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi has kicked off a three-country tour of Africa. His trip to Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe comes as the country is trying to create new economic relationships, in order to mitigate the impact of sanctions imposed on the country by the United States.
Plus, we look ahead to the upcoming elections in Gabon. Victory for incumbent Ali Bongo and his family dynasty looks a virtual certainty, before the vote even takes place.
And with Wimbledon underway, South African wheelchair tennis star Kgothatso Montjane tells us about making history at this year’s French Open.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Venezuelan opposition politician Maria Corina Machado, currently seen as the most likely challenger to socialist authoritarian president Nicolas Maduro in elections due next year. Maduro has survived the collapse of his economy and international sanctions. Has Venezuela’s opposition been outmanoeuvred?
听众梦日想知道 “result、outcome” 和 “consequence” 之间的区别。它们都有 “结果” 的意思，但正式程度不同，所指的 “结果” 也试情况而定，有所区别。它们当中哪个词最正式？哪个词通常指 “（不好的）后果”？听节目，学习这三个近义词之间的区别。
We're in Hollywood, where a rising number of stars are putting their names on wine and liquor products. Is it a sensible investment? Or is the market reaching saturation point?
Reporter KJ Matthews speaks to Bethenny Frankel, businesswoman, philanthropist and star of The Real Housewives of New York.
She launched a pre-packaged margarita line, named Skinnygirl Margarita, in 2009.
Plus we explore the potential of the growing non-alcoholic market for celebrities.
Presenter: KJ Matthews Producers: KJ Matthews and Helen Thomas
(Image: Bethenny Frankel giving a demonstration 2014. Credit: Getty Images)
The Nato alliance says Kyiv can join "when conditions are met" as president Zelensky criticises "absurd" delay. Also: police and anti-reform protestors clash in Israel; some birds are using anti-bird spikes to build their nests.
A US court has given Microsoft the green light to buy the videogame maker Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $69bn. Microsoft said after the US win, it would focus on resolving concerns around competition in the UK. The tech giant's merger with the Call of Duty owner would be the biggest deal of its kind in gaming industry history.
Bank of America has been ordered to pay out $150m (£116m) in penalties after it was found to have opened credit cards without customers' permission.
(Picture: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 by Activision. Source: Getty Images)
A US court has given Microsoft the green light to buy the videogame maker Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $69bn. Microsoft said after the US win, it would focus on resolving concerns around competition in the UK. The tech giant's merger with the Call of Duty owner would be the biggest deal of its kind in gaming industry history.
NATO members meeting at a summit in Vilnius have agreed to spend more on defence.
And US Senators have aired their concerns about Saudi Arabia’s plan to transform professional golf, after the biggest merger in the sport's history between the PGA Tour and the breakaway LIV league.
Nato states have said Ukraine can join the military alliance "when allies agree and conditions are met" after President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the "absurd" delay to accession. In a communique, Nato said it recognised the need to move faster but would not be drawn on a timeframe. We speak to a former deputy defence minister of Ukraine. Also on the programme: the European Court of Human Rights rules in favour of double 800m Olympic champion Caster Semenya in a case related to testosterone levels in female athletes. And we hear why Crawford Lake, a small body of water in Ontario, Canada, is being put forward as the location that best records humanity's recent impacts on Earth. (Image: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with his wife Olena Zelenska arrive for the dinner hosted by the Lithuanian president at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, 11 July 2023. TIM IRELAND/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Nigeria's state-owned oil company says an oil tanker carrying 800,000 litres of stolen crude has been intercepted offshore while heading to Cameroon. Oil theft from pipelines and wells in the Niger Delta is a major problem for the Nigerian economy, robbing it of much needed revenue. The oil company said that the Nigerian registered tanker had been operating in what it called stealth mode for the last 12 years.
Meta - the owner of Facebook - has launched Threads, a text-based social media app. Tech Life's correspondent in San Francisco tells us about the launch. And we look at the development of social media with Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor in the Department of Communications at Cornell University in the United States. Also in Tech Life, we hear from the chief executive of Nextdoor, who has global ambitions. Where does technology and the law meet ? A question being discussed in Nairobi, Kenya. And artificial intelligence reaches lawn tennis at Wimbledon. PHOTO CREDIT: Dado Ruvić, Reuters.
As European governments harden their stance on undocumented migration - we hear what's been happening to hundreds of people found in the Mediterranean by Spanish authorities. And what drives people to make these dangerous journeys.
Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been attacked in the Tunisian city of Sfax, with dozens reportedly wounded. We hear from one of them.
And a plan from the African Union to tap into the youthful energy that abounds on the continent.
Nigeria's state-owned oil company says an oil tanker carrying 800,000 litres of stolen crude has been intercepted offshore while heading to Cameroon.
Oil theft from pipelines and wells in the Niger Delta is a major problem for the Nigerian economy, robbing it of much needed revenue.
The oil company said that the Nigerian registered tanker had been operating in what it called stealth mode for the last 12 years.
Sweden is closer to becoming a NATO member after Turkey dropped its long-standing objection. We ask Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson how his country managed to win Turkey's support for its membership. 31 members gather for a summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, while there are discussions about another potencial member, Ukraine. President Zelensky has criticised the lack of a clear timeframe for the country to join.
Also on the programme: we hear from an eminent Indian journalist who thinks democracy is under threat; and the death of a Russian commander in Krasnodar has left lots of questions in Russia.
(Photo: NATO Secretary General meets Sweden's Kristersson and Turkey's Erdogan in Vilnius, Lithuania; Credit: FILIP SINGER/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
President Zelensky says it's "absurd" for Ukraine not to have a timeframe for joining Nato. He has accused the alliance of weakness and uncertainty. Also: Protests across Israel as judicial reform advances, and the soul singer Aretha Franklin's heirs are in dispute over her estate, five years after her death.
In 1974, a Hungarian architect, Ernő Rubik invented his very popular puzzle.
Nearly 50 years later, more than 450 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold worldwide.
In 2015, Ernő told Dina Newman how he came up with the idea and how it became a global phenomenon.
(Photo: Rubik's Cube. Credit: BBC)
What to do with pronouns, tenses and word order when you report what someone else says.
生活中有没有那么一件小事会令你感到特别厌烦？这件事情可能对其他人的影响不大，却让你倍感恼火？搭配 “pet hate” 指 “让某人讨厌的事情”。听节目，学习 “pet hate” 的具体用法。
A month on from the election in Turkey President Erdogan has promised to fix the economy.
In this programme we find out more about Mehmet Simsek, the new finance minister, who says he'll return Turkey to rational economics and reduce inflation. We also hear from those running businesses in Turkey about what they need to stay afloat.
Presenter / producer: Victoria Craig Image: Lira in a cash register; Credit: BBC
Threads, the social media app aimed at rivalling Twitter, has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days. The platform, launched by Instagram-owner Meta, has beaten a record set by Open AI's ChatGPT app.
China’s consumer inflation rate was flat in June while factory-gate prices fell further, causing alarms about deflation risks and adding to speculation about potential economic stimulus.
Could countries be soon mining the seabed? A meeting of The International Seabed Authority started on Monday to try and hammer out a global code for exactly that.
(The Meta logo with an Instagram Threads logo in the background. Source: Getty Images)
The Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg says President Erdogan will drop opposition to Sweden becoming the alliance's 32nd member. Also: family says Palestinian teenager shot dead in Jenin was unarmed, and a transparent mouse could improve cancer drug tests.
Threads, the social media app aimed at rivalling Twitter, has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days. The platform, launched by Instagram-owner Meta, has beaten a record set by Open AI's ChatGPT app.
China’s consumer inflation rate was flat in June while factory-gate prices fell further, causing alarms about deflation risks and adding to speculation about potential economic stimulus.
Could countries be soon mining the seabed? A meeting of The International Seabed Authority started on Monday to try and hammer out a global code for exactly that.
The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, says Turkey's president has agreed to back Sweden's membership of the alliance, after resisting it for many months. The announcement follows talks between the Swedish and Turkish leaders - along with Mr Stoltenberg - on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. We get reaction from Vilnius and from Sweden.
Also in the programme: can rare earth metals be mined from the bottom of the ocean without destroying the seabed? And Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the great survivor of Dutch politics, finally calls it a day.
(Picture: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves as he leaves after his meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, on the eve of the NATO summit. Credit: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
We've been building computers to think like us for years, but our ability to replicate human senses has been impossible. Until now. This technological revolution is starting to profoundly change not only how we interact with the world around us, but is allowing us to see, hear, smell, taste and even touch things we never imagined possible before.
An artificial intelligence revolution is super-charging sensing technology, promising us eyes with laser precision, ears that can distinguish every sound in a mile's radius and noses than can sniff out the early signs of forest fires before the first flame forms.
Evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Professor Ben Garrod is off to meet some of these sensory innovators and technological pioneers - the programmers, robotics engineers and neuroscientists, who are turning our world upside down and inside out.
In episode four - we’ll explore touch and what role does it plays for our nearest living relatives. Ben tries to give his mum a hug from 5,000 miles away. We discover what brain scans show when Ben given both painful and pleasurable touch. We explore what role the body could play in our use of computers in the future. We hear about remotely-operated sex toys. And learn about how all this might shift our understandings of intimate relationships in the future.
Could these new technologies and natural evolutions be redefining what it is to touch? Ben takes us through the amazing adaptations, and technological developments that could help touch become digitised.
Presenter: Prof Ben Garrod Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
(Photo: Hands touching fingers. Credit: Kelvin Murray/Getty Images)
China releases its latest tranche of economic data - which has led to worries over the possibility of deflation. Sam Fenwick hears about the pressure being placed on the government to introduce some stimulus packages to try to kick-start spending. Meanwhile the inquiry opens into the deaths of 157 people in an airliner disaster near Addis Ababa. We hear what it means for the industry.
We get an update from Somalia. The African Union has begun pulling its troops out of the country and plans to complete the withdrawal by December. Could the move hamper the fight against al-Shabab?
Plus, we take a look at the job networking website designed for people who work in the informal sector.
And we speak to two African entrepreneurs who are marketing their wares in China.
The Kremlin admits that President Putin met the Wagner mercenary boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, just five days after he led a failed mutiny.
Also in the programme: NATO lifts key hurdle to Ukraine membership; and Lesia Tsurenko on playing tennis in a time of war.
(Picture: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attends a press conference on the eve of a summit of NATO leaders, in Vilnius, Lithuania July 10, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Ints Kalnins)
Mr Putin's spokesman said Mr Prigozhin stressed loyalty to the president. Also: President Biden has held talks with the British Prime Minister Sunak in London ahead of Tuesday's NATO summit; and astronomers discover a scorching hot distant planet where the clouds rain liquid metal.
Summer marks the 50th anniversary of the WTA - the Women's Tennis Association.
Billie Jean King, along with Rosie Casals and many others, led the way in forming an organisation to give women equal rights in tennis.
They've helped pave the way for the many great players who have graced the women's game since - Martina Hingis, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graff, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek and many, many more have won Grand Slam titles since the formation of the WTA in 1973.
In a special Sportsworld podcast, Delyth Lloyd celebrates a milestone moment for women’s tennis.
Photo: Ann Kiyomura-Hayashi, Penelope Moor, Pam Whytcross, Helen Gourlay, Rosie Casals, Ingrid Löfdahl Bentzer, Betty Stöve, Billie Jean King, Françoise Dürr, Christina Sandberg, Ilana Kloss, Trish Bostrom and Sue Lightbody pose, as the WTA celebrates their 50th with iconic founder Billie Jean King and several founding members on June 30, 2023 in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)
In 1938, László Bíró, a Hungarian journalist, invented the ballpoint pen, because he was sick of smudging the ink from his fountain pen.
Inspired by the rollers of the printing press at his newspaper, he came up with the idea for a small ball at the end of the pen, which would stop ink from leaking.
Thanks to a chance meeting with the Argentine president Agustín Justo, László was invited to Argentina to manufacture his pen.
They soon took off and now around 15 million of them are sold every day around the world.
Rachel Naylor speaks to László’s daughter, Mariana Bíró.
(Photo: Ballpoint pens. Credit: Bernard Annebicque/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)
It’s been claimed artificial intelligence will be as revolutionary as mobile phones or the internet, but there are fears that developments in AI could come at the cost of jobs. We assess the pros and cons of this rapidly-evolving technology, with insight from Marc Raibert, Executive Director of the Boston Dynamics AI Institute. We also consider the impact of generative AI on the arts, with Matt Bellamy from British rock band Muse teasing a potential future collaboration with a humanoid robot.
Presented and produced by Sam Clack. Image: Ameca robot at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, London. Credit: Sam Clack / BBC
Artists from Ukraine and the UK tell Kim Chakanetsa about how they capture someone’s personality on canvas.
Laura Quinn Harris is a UK artist specialising in oil portraits of people and animals. Her work has been displayed in exhibitions including the prestigious BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition. Her sitters have included the actor Sir Ian McKellen, film producer Armando Iannucci and soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Laura first gained a degree in Mathematics before studying Scientific & Natural History Illustration and produces highly detailed portraits which can take up to several months to complete.
Ukrainian artist Tania Rivilis moved to Germany from Moscow in 2012 in her twenties and started painting after her husband gave her oil paints and brushes as a gift to help cope with the upheaval. In 2022 Tania received the William Lock Prize at the Royal Portrait Society for the most timeless portrait, her works have been displayed on billboards in Times Square in New York and she’s exhibited her works at Christie´s in London.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Tanya Rivilis, courtesy of Tanya Rivilis. (R) Laura Quinn Harris , courtesy of Laura Quinn Harris.)
The US president Joe Biden said the current Israeli government has "some of the most extreme" members he's ever seen. He accused the Palestinian Authority of creating a "vacuum for extremism" in the region. Also: BBC contacts police over presenter allegations, and K-pop megastars BTS release keenly awaited memoir.
In September 2017, The International Olympic Committee announced that a century after France last hosted the Olympics in 1924, the games would be returning to Paris for the third time in its history. The 2024 games, are set to become the most sustainable games to date and are following a new model -which involves only two new construction projects for the entire games – The Aquatics Centre and Olympic Village. The bid therefore to design the only new permanent sports facilities for Paris 2024 was highly sought after. French journalist, writer and broadcaster, Agnès Poirier, follows the architects who have won this coveted contract - Cécilia Gross and Laure Mériaud.
My search for the truth about my father and Martin Luther King’s assassination.
Leta McCollough Seletzky grew up knowing that her father was the ‘kneeling man’, photographed tending to the head wound of Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr just moments after he was shot in April 1968. As a teenager she stumbled across an alarming detail about why her father was there on that infamous day; it plunged her into the world of conspiracy theories and family secrets. It would take her many years to dig out his true story.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Rebecca Vincent
The US Climate Envoy John Kerry has urged China to boost its international co-operation on tackling global warming. Beijing is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with the US second. Mr Kerry said it was vital to find common ground with Beijing on the climate crisis and to "change the dynamic".
Also in the programme: A BBC male presenter is suspended while the corporation investigates allegations that he paid a teenager for sexually explicit photos; and is El Salvador's President defying the constitution to run for a second term?
(Photo: John Kerry speaking on BBC news and current affairs analysis programme Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Credit: BBC).
The US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, says four days of talks in China have helped create a healthier relationship between Washington and Beijing. Also on the programme, the three-month conflict in Sudan continues as an air-strike kills 22 in the residential are of Omdurman; and, the National Trust of Georgia has organised an unusual event making threatened buildings sing.
(Photo: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing 09/07/2023 Reuters)
Hundreds have died and millions forced from their homes in Sudan since April. Also: Zelensky visits Snake Island on 500th day of the war, and Elton John performs the last show of his farewell tour in Sweden.
President Zelensky says he's returned home from a visit to Turkey with five Ukrainian commanders captured by Russia. The commanders had been transferred to Turkey under a prisoner swap brokered by Ankara in September. Moscow said Turkey had violated the prisoner exchange terms and had failed to inform Moscow.
Also in the programme: A Sudanese army airstrike has killed more than twenty people in Omdurman; and a group of Angolan giraffes have returned to live in their historical homeland.
(Photo: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a joint press conference. Credit: Reuters).
In The Evidence on the BBC World Service, Claudia Hammond will be exploring the concept of solastalgia; broadly defined as the pain or emotional suffering brought about by environmental change close to your home or cherished place.
Made in collaboration with Wellcome Collection, Claudia Hammond and an expert panel examine this relatively new concept, one that might be increasingly heard about as the effects of climate change are felt.
Claudia will be hearing stories of solastalgia from communities in Kenya and Indonesia and examining where storytelling fits in with other types of evidence when it comes to health and wellbeing. What kind of impact can personal stories of loss have on policy makers?
On stage with Claudia and in front of a live studio audience, are artist Victoria Pratt, Creative Director of Invisible Flock; Daniel Kobei, Director of Ogiek People’s Development Program; epidemiologist Dr Elaine Flores from the Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; former prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard and environmental activist Laetania Belai Djandam
Produced by: Helena Selby and Geraldine Fitzgerald Studio Engineers: Emma Harth and Duncan Hannant
Photo: Man standing in grey climate whilst looking towards bright climate. Credit: Getty Images.
On the 500th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted a video of himself visiting Snake Island. The sliver of land in the Black Sea has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.
Also in the programme: Protests in South Korea over Japan's decision to release water from a nuclear plant in the sea; and how the US wants to work with China to combat America's opioid crisis.
(Picture: President Zelensky called Snake Island a "place of victory" that would never be reconquered. Credit: Telegram)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how sharing life stories is helping elderly patients connect with their carers. Also, the baby born onboard an express train in Kenya, and China’s “butterfly father” dedicating his life to protecting the beautiful insects.
We're at Wimbledon hearing about how The Ukrainian tennis project is helping one young player realise her Wimbledon dream after fleeing from her war torn home. Plus we are given a tour of the picturesque ground of the All England Club head gardener Martyn Falconer. Plus, while the biggest stars in tennis are on the court at Wimbledon, Rufus, an American Harris hawk, is there every day to keep an eye out for pigeons. His job is to patrol the skies, scare away pigeons and stop them eating the grass. Jamie Broughton met up recently with Rufus while on patrol with his handler, Donna Davis.
And away from SW19, to a sporting event where for some, the hardest part is simply getting to the venue! The bi-annual Islands Games get underway on the Channel Island of Guernsey on Saturday. The Games brings together athletes from some of the remotest islands around the world for a week of sporting competition Jorgen Peterson is chair of the Island Games and lives on the island of Aland in the Baltic Sea in between Sweden and Finland
And former world triathlon champion in her age group, Kate Strong who is exactly one month in to a 3 month, 4000 kilometre cycle challenge around Britain on a bike made out of bamboo! She's doing it to highlight the plight of the planet.
Photo: Iga Swiatek in action at Wimbledon (Credit: Getty Images)
In the summer of 1983, New Zealand tennis player Chris Lewis reached the Wimbledon men’s singles final, despite being ranked 91 in the world. Although it shocked the tournament, Lewis had been targeting it since he was 11 years old, when he watched tennis greats including Rod Laver and Tony Roche play in his home country.
(Photo: Chris Lewis (left) of New Zealand and John McEnroe of the USA during the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship Final held in June 1983 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. Credit: Getty Images)
Tech giant Ant Group is one of several companies facing massive fines imposed by the Chinese government. Ant offers loans, credit, investments and insurance to hundreds of millions of customers and small businesses, and is part of the empire of founder Jack Ma.
Plus: the end of an era, as Ford stops production of its iconic Fiesta model.
Roger Hearing is joined by Toronto based tech journalist Takara Small, and Colin Peacock, host of Mediawatch on Radio New Zealand.
Picture: Logos of Alipay and Ant Group (credit CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
France has questions to answer around inequity and its approach to policing. It follows days of violent protests after the fatal shooting in Paris, during a police traffic stop, of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent. The world also witnessed some of the country’s social issues laid bare, as anger around discrimination in some of France’s poorest areas spread across the country and came, once again, to the fore. In this edition, hosted by James Reynolds, we bring together young French men, mothers and those in public office from the capital’s suburbs to share their experiences of school, work and with the police.
The White House said it had postponed the decision for a long time because of the risk of civilian harm. Also: The tents at a military airfield in Belarus which could soon host Wagner mercenaries from Russia, and after a long absence, driven out by decades of conflict, giraffes are back in Angola, their historic homeland.
Max Pearson presents a selection of this week’s Witness History stories.
In 1972, tourists arrived in the Maldives for the first time. We hear from one of the people who made it happen, plus analysis of the growth of tourism around South East Asia with Ploysri Porananond.
Also, on the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service in the UK, one of the first doctors shares his experience.
Lawyers for both the prosecution and defence of concentration camp guard John Demjanjuk, discuss his trial.
The election in India, of what was to be the longest serving democratically elected government in the world.
Finally, a night out to remember, with Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury and Kenny Everett.
Contributors:
Ahmed Naseem on bringing tourism to the Maldives Ploysri Porananond, head of the centre for tourism research at Chiang Mai University in Thailand Dr John Marks on the formation of the NHS in 1948 Lawyer Yoram Sheftel, who acted in defence of John Demjanjuk Lawyer Eli Gabay, who prosecuted John Demjanjuk Mohammad Salim, former Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Cleo Rocos, on her night out with Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury and Kenny Everett
(Photo: Early tourists enjoy the Maldives in the 1970s Credit: Kurumba)
One of China's biggest tech firms, the company that runs the mobile payment service Alipay has been hit with a massive fine of almost a billion dollars. But many believe this could this mark the end of a long government crackdown which led to Ant Group and Alibaba founder Jack Ma stepping down.
Also tonight, Roger Hearing finds out why Ford is retiring its iconic Fiesta brand.
Picture: the Alipay logo at the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China, credit CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
White House advisor, Jake Sullivan, said the US wouldn't leave Ukraine defenceless as he pledged to send cluster bombs to assist them against Russia.
Also on the programme; climate campaigners say a new pledge by the global shipping industry to reduce planet warming gases to net zero by or around 2050 is too weak. And the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo, only has a week's supply of water left says the government.
(Picture: Cluster Bomb in Ukraine. Credit: Getty)
The scheme has already secured approval from UN nuclear watchdog IAEA. Also: Switzerland are set to join Europe-wide air defence system, and French football star Mbappe receives a hero's welcome in Cameroon.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has arrived in China as part of high-stakes attempts to rebuild bridges between the world's two biggest economies.
It is the second visit to Beijing by a senior Washington official in as many months and comes after the countries' relationship nose-dived this year.
The visit comes just days after Beijing said it would curb exports of two key materials used to make computer chips.
On World Swahili Day, we take at a look at how far the east African language has travelled and hear from people teaching it from Moscow to Bogotá.
Also in the pod: Since the covid 19 pandemic, there’s been growing interest in fruit bats. Our Global Health Correspondent Naomi Grimley has been given special access to a scientific research project in Ghana which aims to monitor them.
Also, we give you some more details on Threads, Meta's answer to twitting.
The US is planning to send Ukraine a cluster munitions package to help in its counteroffensive against Russia, US media reports. Ukraine has been asking for the weapons for months amid an ammunition shortage. Cluster munitions - which are banned by more than 100 countries - are a class of weapon which contains multiple explosive bomblets called submunitions.
Also on the programme: a major shipping deal on reaching net-zero emissions; and the rate of de-forestation in the Amazon region falls by a third.
(Photo: U.S. President Joe Biden arrives aboard Air Force One. CREDIT: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
BBC Urdu’s Saher Baloch follows in the dirt tracks of the petrol smugglers bringing fuel from Iran into the border town of Mashkel in Balochistan, and onwards into the markets of Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Vietnam's coffee culture Vietnam’s coffee culture is vibrant and unique, with popular coffee orders that include egg yolk and even fruit. Which may explain why international chains have failed to conquer the market, as BBC Vietnamese's Thuong Le explains.
Inside the "Well of Death" The so-called Well of Death is a traditional show at fairs in India, where stunt drivers defy gravity to ride cars and motorbikes around the inner walls of a huge barrel-shaped structure. BBC Delhi’s Anshul Verma watched them in action.
Seedlings for healthcare in Madagascar A scheme in Madagascar is giving free healthcare in exchange for tree seedlings, to improve the health of rural communities and fight deforestation. Elphas Lagat of BBC Africa went to Madagascar to see how it works.
South Korean fishers and Fukushima The International Atomic Energy Agency this week approved a Japanese plan to start releasing treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. Many in South Korea fear the impact on their fishing industry, and health, as BBC Korean’s Yuna Ku reports.
(Photo: Blue Zamyad smuggling truck loaded with petrol cannisters in Pakistan. Credit: BBC)
The tale of an extraordinary night at a legendary British gay pub.
Princess Diana, disguised as a man, along with star broadcaster Kenny Everett and Queen singer Freddie Mercury enjoyed a drink in London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern one night at the height of their fame in 1988.
The veracity of the event has been questioned but Cleo Rocos, who co-starred with Kenny in his hit TV show, described the celebrity night out in her in her book The Power of Positive Drinking.
Cleo tells her story to Alex Collins.
(Photo: Kenny Everett and Cleo Rocos. Credit: Tom Wargacki/WireImage via Getty Images)
How are loans and grants distributed? And how high are the returns?
Presenter: Peter MacJob Productions: Peter MacJob and Barbara George Image: TBC
Another chance to hear Stephen Sackur’s 2008 interview with the acclaimed writer and journalist Dame Ann Leslie who has passed away at the age of 82. She is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest British reporters of the last 50 years. But is the golden age of the intrepid foreign correspondent now gone for good?
On today's show, Roger Hearing looks into Twitter boss Elon Musk's claims that Facebook owner Meta has copied Twitter's trade secrets to build its rival app Threads, claims Meta denies.
Also tonight, guests Frank Tsai, Editor of Shanghai Review and Sarah Kunst, managing director of Cleo Capita discuss a move to force Uber Eats to pay its delivery workers the minimum wage in New York and Taylor Swift's billion dollar tour.
(Picture: Threads and Twitter logos are displayed on a mobile phone. Photo by Berke Bayur/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Hannah Ajala, a Nigerian-British broadcaster explores the new generation of chieftaincy and royalty in Nigeria. She takes a closer look at some of the key aspects of an inauguration ceremony across various states in Nigeria, and the impact Nigerian royalty has within Diaspora. Hannah speaks to the new wave of Chiefs and Kings embracing this tradition and why they continue with this path whilst integrating more modern practices and preserving their ultimate beliefs.
Calls for nations to stop supplying military rulers with foreign weapons. Also: The company that operated the submersible that imploded on a trip to the Titanic, killing everyone on board, has suspended all activities, and how a pioneering iron making technique that helped forge Britain's industrial revolution may have been stolen from slaves in Jamaica.
As Meta launches its new social media app Threads, Twitter boss Elon Musk is reported to have sent a cease and desist letter accusing the Facebook owner of building a "copycat" and using ex Twitter staff to create it.
A special report on the plight of the Yazidis, the ancient Iraqi community persecuted by Islamic State which is still facing problems in Iraq.
Also in the programme: UN issues stark wanring over Myanmar; and Prigozhin is in Russia, according to Belarus' president.
(Picture: Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar town, August 11th 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Rodi Said)
Record-breaking global temperatures are accelerating Greenland ice melt at an alarming rate. Professor of glaciology Alun Hubbard has witnessed the melt first hand. He tells us how the ice sheet is being destabilised and what this could mean on a human level.
Also, how safe are Japanese plans to dispose of nuclear waste from the Fukushima accident? We get reassurance from molecular pathology expert, Professor Gerry Thomas.
And last week was a big one for cosmology news. We catch up on science behind the gravitational hum that permeates the Universe with astrophysicist with Dr Chiara Mingarelli. And we hear about the traces of ghostly neutrinos within our Galaxy from the principal investigator of the world’s largest neutrino detector, Professor Francis Halzen.
Image: Meltwater forming on top of the Russell Glacier, Greenland
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber
Deputy mayor of Lviv, the largest town in western Ukraine, says a Russian attack is the heaviest of the war so far, with four people killed.
Also in the programme: where is Yevgeny Prigozhin? The President of Belarus says the head of Wagner is not in his country; and why is the Nutbush City Limits line dance an Australian phenomenon?
(Photo: Rescuers work at a site of a residential building hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine on 6 July 2023. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)
The boss of the energy Shell says cutting oil and gas production is 'dangerous and irresponsible'.
Wael Sawan insisted that the world still "desperately needs oil and gas" as moves to renewable energy were not happening fast enough to replace it.
The Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls Threads a 'friendly alternative' to Twitter. Also, Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is back in Russia, according to the Belarusian leader. And nearly 6,000 Australians set a world record for dancing to a classic Tina Turner tune.
South Sudan hasn't voted in an election since the country gained independence in 2011, but that could change if President Salva Kiir's pledge to hold general elections in 2024 go to plan.
Also on the pod: anger is still simmering in Nanterre, France, after the killing of a 17 year old by the hand of the police sparked days of violent protests. A BBC team speaks to local activists and hears from the police.
And, why are so many Egyptian athlets are fleeing their country? We look behind the intriguing case of an Egyptian wrestling champion who disappeared and resurfaced in France.
In 1972 the first tourists arrived in the Maldives.
They stayed in humble lodgings in three houses, looked after by young Maldivians including Ahmed Naseem, Mohamed Umar Maniku and their friends.
Perfect for sunbathing, swimming and fishing. Tourists loved it.
Italian travel agent George Corbin promised to bring more travellers if they had a place to stay.
On 3 October 1972, the first hotel resort called Kurumba opened, changing the islands forever.
Now, more than 1.5 million visitors enjoy the Maldives every year.
Ahmed Naseem, one of the pioneers of the industry, shares his memories with Nikola Bartosova.
(Photo: Kurumba in the 1970s. Credit: Kurumba)
The African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, gives duty-free access for exports to the American market, and has done for 23 years.
South Africa is one of the countries that has benefitted – but now its inclusion in doubt due to allegations from the US that it has violated its neutrality and supplied weapons to Russia - something South Africa denies. So what would being pushed out of AGOA mean for the country?
Plus we hear from Ethiopia – it has been suspended from AGOA due to the the war in Tigray - we hear from an economist in Addis Ababa who disputes the benefits of these trade agreements to Africa.
Presented by Ahmed Adan with reporting by Russell Padmore.
(Image: An Ivory Coast stand at the 2019 AGOA forum, showcasing products on the market. Credit: Getty Images)
In 2014, militants of the Islamic State group set out to destroy the ancient, minority Yazidi community of northern Iraq. Thousands were murdered, thousands of Yazidi women and children were enslaved and brutalised. Since the defeat of IS in 2017, the traumatized community has tried to recover. And yet, as Rachel Wright reports, more than 100,000 Yazidis remain stuck in camps, unable to return to their homes.
Photo: Bahar, a Yazidi survivor, holds a picture of her missing husband and son. She and her family were captured by Islamic State in 2014. (BBC)
Presenter: Rachel Wright Producer: Alex Last Sound Mix: Neva Missirian Production Coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Series Editor: Penny Murphy
The US Treasury Secretary touches down in Beijing ahead of a closely-watched trip to ease tensions and restoring ties between the nations.
Meetings are expected to focus on the need for economic cooperation with a view to stabilising the global economy.
Will Bin discusses this and more business news from around the world with Jessica Khine, from investment consultants Astris Advisory in Penang, Malaysia, and Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
(Picture: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen boards a flight bound for Beijing, China from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. July 5, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Andrea Shalal)
Ukraine claims Russian explosives have been planted there. Also: Angry crowds have confronted Palestinian Authority officials in Jenin, accusing them of weakness in the face of Israel's offensive there, and two previously unknown paintings by Rembrandt are to be auctioned in London.
Out of necessity, in adversity, or for the fun of it - how, and why did you learn to cook?
Ruth Alexander hears the stories behind people’s kitchen skills - the highs, the lows, the challenges overcome, and the connections made – and discovers there’s often more than just dinner at stake.
Growing up in Germany to Japanese parents, chef Nina Matsunaga remembers having to step up to the stove when her mother was taken ill; the eldest of three boys in Cameroon, Timah Julius Nyambod made breakfast and dinner for his brothers while his mother worked as a food vendor; Janet Pollock describes teaching herself to cook as a young child inspired by cookery shows in Nashville, USA; and Rahul Raina is holding on to his Kashmiri heritage in Oxford, England, thanks to the recipes and know-how of his mother and grandmother.
You can contact the programme by emailing – thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presented by Ruth Alexander
Produced by Beatrice Pickup and Rumella Dasgupta
(Image: Rahul Raina cooking chicken yakhni, a Kashmiri dish, with his mother Sunanda Dhar. Credit: BBC)
In a much watched visit to Beijing, the US treasury secretary hopes to calm tensions and restore communication between the nations.
Janet Yellen's trip follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken's last month, with meetings expected to focus on areas of potential agreement like stabilising the global economy.
We hear what realistically can be achieved during the visit.
Thousands gather in the streets of Jenin to mourn the twelve people killed by an Israeli attack. Widespread destruction of the city left burnt out cars, smashed windows and houses turned upside down. One doctor in Jenin tells us about the patients he's been treating. And we hear why the operation took place from the spokesperson of the Israeli Defence Forces, Richard Hecht.
Also in the programme: Colombia reaches a ceasefire deal after decades of conflict with a the country's biggest guerrilla; and is it safe to dump the wastewater of Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean?
(Picture: A view of a mass grave at the funeral of Palestinians killed during an Israeli military operation, in Jenin. Credit: Yosri Aljamal, Reuters).
Since early times, the drum has been part of human society. But have you ever considered how drumming might actually improve our physical and mental health? Researchers from the University of Essex are at this year’s annual Royal Society’s Summer Exhibition in London to talk to the public about their work which shows drumming during a rock concert might give you a similar workout as playing football.
Along with the BBC’s health and science correspondent, James Gallagher, Claudia Hammond gets a drumming lesson.
They also hear how specially designed audio is being used in virtual reality gaming to train the brains of people with hearing impairments. How micro-robots may provide the future of intricate eye surgery. And how laser technology currently being deployed by the Mars Rover could revolutionise the way we screen our bodies for diseases.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Erika Wright
Twelve Palestinians were killed during Israel's two-day military operation. One Israeli soldier was killed. Both Israel and Palestinian militants have declared the two-day battle a success. Also: Fifteen people have died in floods in China, and for the first time ever, a woman is appointed to manage a men's team in English professional football.
The world's average temperature reached a new high this week, topping 17 degrees Celsius for the first time.
This broke the previous record of 16.92 degrees from August 2016.
Vivienne Nunis speaks to one of the world's top global insurance brokers.
President Ruto outrages environmentalists after lifting a ban on cutting trees. But what does this mean for Kenya’s commitment to the environment? We ask Tracy Makheti, Community Manager at Greenpeace Africa.
From problems to solutions: we chat to Omolara Svensson, a Nigerian woman whose mission is to change stereotypes around farming and get more young people into agriculture.
Plus, Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija who has a new book called ‘The Savage Avenger’, tells us about his experience of being detained, tortured and having to flee Uganda.
The Israeli Defense Forces pull out of Jenin after their largest operation in the West Bank in almost a decade left 12 Palestinians dead. Also on the programme: Rolando Alvarez, one of the most prominent political prisoners in Nicaragua has been released from prison; and the world's average temperature reached a new high this week, but what does this mean? (Picture: A Palestinian woman near a damaged building after the Israeli army's withdrawal from the Jenin camp, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman)
On 5 July 1948, the UK’s National Health Service began as part of a series of reforms with the aim of supporting and protecting Britain's citizens from the “cradle to the grave”.
The architect of the NHS was the health minister in the post-war Labour party government, Aneurin Bevan. The care was to be free for all and paid for by taxation.
The birth of the NHS was not without controversy, the British Medical Association worried that doctors would be turned into civil servants.
On the same day that the NHS was born, John Marks qualified as a doctor.
Dr Marks spoke to Louise Hidalgo about the early days of the NHS in this programme first broadcast in 2009.
(Photo: Dr John Marks in July 1948. Credit: Courtesy of the Marks family and Routledge / Taylor & Francis)
名词 “grass、lawn” 和 “turf” 的含义都和 “草” 有关。“Grass” 指 “青草”，“lawn” 指 “草坪”，“turf” 指 “草皮”。这三个词的具体用法有哪些？与它们搭配使用的词组 “artificial grass”、“lawnmower” 的意思是什么？本期节目分析这三个近义词之间的区别。
We look into the growth of foreign investment in Africa’s media space. Africa is generating a huge amount of localized content as international streaming platforms and global media organisations battle to gain a foothold in the market.
We find out what’s driving the interest and whether it’s working.
Producer / presenter: Bisi Adebayo Image: Reporters in Nairobi; Credit: Getty Images
Negotiations between the sides have been going on for 2 decades, with members of the Mercosur trade bloc meeting once again.
We'll hear the latest from the talks in Argentina and why deforestation and beef wars remain hurdles ahead.
Will Bain discusses this and more with senior freelance reporter Karen Percy in Melbourne, Australia and Sergio Guzman, Director of Colombia Risk Analysis, a political risk consulting firm based in Bogotá.
(Picture: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez attend a summit of leaders of the Mercosur group, in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina July 4, 2023. Credit: Maria Eugenia Cerutti/Argentine Presidency/Handout)
Stephen Sackur speaks to controversial philosopher Peter Boghossian, who spoofed a host of US academic journals to expose what he claims is the corruption of academia by politically fashionable ‘woke’ ideology. Is he stoking the fires of a dangerous culture war?
It follows one of the biggest military operations in the occupied West Bank in years. Also: Sudan's army and rival paramilitary forces have engaged in some of the heaviest fighting in Omdurman since hostilities broke out in April, and the US aviation authority approves testing of the world's first fully electric flying cars.
It's 20 years in the making, but could the European Union and South America's trade blocs finally strike a deal?
Members of the Mercosur trade bloc have been meeting in Argentina, with beef and deforestation still significant stumbling blocks to any agreement.
We find out what the road ahead looks like for the leaders of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
An Israel defence source confirms to the BBC the army has begun to withdraw from Jenin after the two-day military operation in the city's refugee camp. Palestinian officials say eleven people have been killed. A Palestinian was shot dead in Tel Aviv by a passer-by, after he rammed his car into a crowd injuring eight people.
Also in the programme: Fighting has intensified in parts of Sudan; and the latest on a cricket row involving England and Australia.
(Picture: Israeli forces clash with Palestinians in Jenin. Credit: Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Bruce Daisley, a former European vice president of Twitter, talks to Tech Life. We report on scammers using artificial intelligence, bots and books to cash-in. A firm in India is measuring clicks and keyboard strokes to make work more productive. And the boss of the global software giant Adobe makes the positive case for artificial intelligence.
PHOTO CREDIT: Gonzalo Fuentes, Reuters.
Facebook owner Meta is launching its new app to rival Twitter and says it will go live later this week.
The app, which is called Threads and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram.
The move is the latest in a rivalry between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk.
A Palestinian has rammed a car into civilians in Tel Aviv before launching a knife attack. Also: the Taliban orders women's hair and beauty salons to close in Afghanistan, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, launches new platform, Threads, to rival Twitter.
Senegal’s president Macky Sall has announced he won’t seek a third term in office when the country holds an election in 2024. Speculation around what would have been a controversial candidacy has fuelled unrest in the country.
Plus, could Kenya become the latest African country to pass new legislation cracking down on LGBTQ+ rights? We look at the foreign organisations influencing the debate in Africa.
And we meet Musa Motha, the amputee dancer from South Africa whose inspiring story has touched the world.
Among the several thousand who have managed to leave the camp and seek safety is a 34 year old man, who has two small children. We spoke to him and asked him why did he decide to leave. Also on the programme: President Macksy Sall of Senegal won't run for the election in 2024; and Meta will launch an app called Threads later this week and it is set to be a Twitter rival. (Image: People rest as residents of Jenin camp flee their homes amid an Israeli military operation in Jenin. Credit: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta)
In 1977 what was to become the world’s longest-serving democratically elected communist government came to power in eastern India.
Poverty and absolute rule by the central government led to West Bengal embracing a different political ideology to the rest of the country. Their rule lasted until 2011 when they were voted out.
Former Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Salim shares his memories of when his party came to power with Rumella Dasgupta.
(Photo: Mohammed Salim. Credit: Biswarup Ganguly/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
搭配 “on the table” 的字面意思是 “在桌子上”，但它也可以被用来表示 “计划、建议等已经被提出，摆在了桌面上，有待讨论”。听节目，学习 “on the table” 的这个用法。
For almost a decade, the Central African Republic has seen growing investment and influence from the Russian mercenary group Wagner. It stretches from education and religion to business and military.
The recent mutiny has led to speculation about what the future of Russia's status in the CAR will be.
We explore Russia’s role in the CAR, and ask what it means for that country, the continent of Africa and the wider world?
Produced and presented by Peter MacJob, additional production from Zigoto Tchaya Tchameni.
(Image: A demonstrator holds a Russian flag during a march in support of Russia and China's presence in the Central African Republic. Credit: Getty Images)
Russia's once shadowy private military company Wagner hit the headlines around the world when the group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ordered his men to march on Moscow. Although the insurrection was short lived, the impact is felt far and wide. The Global Jigsaw from BBC Monitoring examines the Wagner mutiny from the perspective of countries who have a reason to pay close attention.
Over 30 EU lawmakers have signed a document that aims to ensure access to co-working spaces, prohibit tracking workers’ computers at home and protect them from having to send or respond to emails outside of working hours. The non-binding document was developed by the Future Workforce Alliance, a forum of politicians, business leaders and focused on policy changes in response to the digital transformation of work environments. Plus, how a drought in Mexico has resulted in a scarcity of chilli peppers to make hot sauce and why Singapore has been named the world’s most expensive city for a life of luxury. Will Bain discusses all this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Stefanie Yuen Thio, Joint Managing Partner at TSMP Law in Singapore and Andy Uhler, an energy and environment journalist based in Texas. (Picture: Hybrid workplace. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the raid on the Jenin refugee camp was designed to stop terrorists. Palestinians have accused Israel of a war crime. Also: activist fears for UK safety over Hong Kong bounty, and smartwatches may enable early Parkinson's diagnosis.
Over 30 EU lawmakers have signed a document that aims to ensure access to co-working spaces, prohibit tracking workers’ computers at home and protect them from having to send or respond to emails outside of working hours. The non-binding document was developed by the Future Workforce Alliance, a forum of politicians, business leaders and focused on policy changes in response to the digital transformation of work environments.
The Israeli military has begun what appears to be one of its most extensive operations in the occupied West Bank in years with drone strikes early on Monday. At least seven Palestinians have died. We speak to aid agencies on the ground and representatives of the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
Also in the programme: Hong Kong announces rewards for the capture of eight pro-democracy activists who’ve fled abroad; and the new Barbie film is banned in Vietnam after stumbling into geopolitical controversy.
(Photo: Israeli military vehicles cross the security fence from the West Bank city of Jenin area. Credit: EPA).
We've been building computers to think like us for years, but our ability to replicate human senses has been impossible. Until now. This technological revolution is starting to profoundly change not only how we interact with the world around us, but is allowing us to see, hear, smell, taste and even touch things we never imagined possible before.
An artificial intelligence revolution is super-charging sensing technology, promising us eyes with laser precision, ears that can distinguish every sound in a mile's radius and noses than can sniff out the early signs of forest fires before the first flame forms.
Evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Professor Ben Garrod, is off to meet some of these sensory innovators and technological pioneers. The archaeologists, ecologists and medics, who are turning our world upside down and inside out.
Could these new technologies and natural evolutions be redefining what it is to smell? Ben takes us through the amazing adaptations, and technological developments that could help broaden how we think of our noses.
Presenter: Professor Ben Garrod Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Credit:artpartner-images Creative #:460373999
The US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has announced that she will be in China later this week.
She recently warned that the collapse of relations between the two countries would pose a huge risk to the global economy.
At least seven Palestinians have been killed in the biggest Israeli army operation in the occupied West Bank for years. Also on the programme, minefields have slowed the Ukrainian counter offensive against Russia; and, an ongoing drought in Mexico is causing a severe shortage of the chilli peppers made to use the hot sauce, Sriracha.
(Photo: Israeli military launches large-scale operation in Jenin, West Bank 03/07/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
The military says it is targeting Palestinian militants in the Jenin refugee camp. Also: the civil unrest in France begins to calm, and why the upcoming Barbie film is being banned in Vietnam.
Kenya recently launched an online registry where employers can look up names of convicted sexual offenders. But how effective a deterrent is this? We ask Stanley Mutuma, a legal researcher in Kenya.
Also in the pod: Psychologist Dr Kirindi Odindo tells us about the added burden of responsibilities many young women feel as first-born girls in their family.
And, I speak with the woman who succesfully campained for the South African government to scrap tax on sanitary pads and other period products.
In 1986 a car factory worker from the United States was accused of being ‘Ivan the Terrible’, a notorious concentration camp guard at Treblinka during the Holocaust.
John Demjanjuk was extradited from the United States to Israel.
His trial became one of the most high profile cases in Israel’s history.
He was convicted, then later acquitted and then re-convicted in a German court for having worked in a different camp, Sobibor.
Lawyers for the defence, Yoram Sheftel, and prosecution, Eli Gabay, in the Israeli trial tell Dan Hardoon about the process of trying Demjanjuk, and the impact it made on their country’s society.
A Whistledown production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: John Demjanjuk in the Supreme Court of Israel. Credit: David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
Large parts of sub-Saharan Africa are facing dire economic circumstances. The World Bank says more than one in three countries are either in severe financial distress, or are close to default. What’s gone wrong?
In the first of a week of programmes, Ed Butler taking the pulse of investment in Africa and looking at ways the situation needs to change.
Presenter / producer: Ed Butler Image: Mine in Guinea; Credit: BBC
Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women about the joys and challenges of parenting a disabled child.
Gopika Kapoor is a writer, neurodiversity consultant and parent advocate. Her son Vir was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old. Gopika told her story in a book: Beyond the Blue: Love, Life and Autism. She lives and works in Mumbai.
Julie Jones is an accessible and inclusive travel writing specialist from Sydney in Australia. She’s a mum of two and she cares for her disabled adult son, Braeden, who lives with cerebral palsy. She writes a blog, Have Wheelchair Will Travel, and co-founded a magazine called Travel Without Limits.
Produced by Hetal Bapodra and Alice Gioia
(Image: (L) Julie Jones and her son Braeden, credit courtesy of Julie Jones. (R) Gopika Kapoor, credit courtesy of Gopika Kapoor.)
Zeinab Badawi speaks to Germany's Special Envoy on International Climate Action Jennifer Morgan. How is she trying to build partnerships to reduce greenhouse gas emissions amid accusations that the rich world is not doing enough?
The grandmother of 17-year-old Nahel accused the rioters in France of using his death as an excuse. Also: confusion in South Africa over whether or not the Zulu king has been poisoned, and mystery sea urchin deaths threaten Red Sea corals.
The British artist, Shezad Dawood is known for his colourful textiles and multimedia artworks, often featuring music and VR to explore issues such as migration, the environment and climate change. His latest exhibition is inspired by the African American composer and musician Yusef Lateef and his 1988 novella Night in the Garden of Love. Join Anna Bailey as she follows Shezad creating his latest commission for the Wiels, Contemporary Art Centre in Brussels, along with his collaborator the American musician and percussionist Adam Rudolph.
After five nights of unrest across France, there's been an appeal for calm from the grandmother of the boy whose killing by police ignited a series of riots across the country. Identified only as Nadia, she said she was angry at the policeman who killed her grandson but said his death should not be used as an excuse for violence.
Also in the programme: the Orkney islands, north of the British mainland, is set to explore alternative forms of governance, including closer links with Norway, Denmark or Iceland; and we meet the man dubbed the "Sultan of Sequins" who has spent a lifetime dressing some of the most iconic superstars of recent decades.
(Picture: A firefighter extinguishes a burning car during protests sparked by the death of a teenager in France. Credit: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters)
Rioters tried to burn down the house of the mayor of Hay-les-Roses in Paris. The unrest has taken place over five nights. We hear from Paris, Toulouse and Marseille.
Also on the programme: we hear about the loophole which allows energy companies to buy natural gas from Russia, but not oil. And we also meet the journalist who exposed allegations of war crimes committed by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.
(Picture: A vandalised window in the French town of Marseille. Credit: EPA / Ciantar)
The Warm Up Track is back! Season Three continues with World Indoor 60m Champion Mujinga Kambundji and World 200m Finalist, Joseph Fahnbulleh.
Who can’t remember the biggest race of their career – and what’s it really like when you’re in ‘The Zone’?
Which athlete is like a big brother to one of our guests – and what’s it like when one of your siblings is also an elite athlete?
What’s the most important non-Track and Field item which will be going in the suitcase for the World Championships?
Joseph also discusses at length why he chose to represent the country of his parents’ birth, Liberia, and why his first visit to the country will be with his Mother. Plus we discuss how our guests, and others, are making the sprints truly global and no longer simply the United States versus Jamaica.
Photo: Canada's Aaron Brown, Liberia's Joseph Fahnbulleh and USA's Noah Lyles competes in the men's 200m semi-finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 3, 2021. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
Test match cricket is played over five days - the red-ball version of the game is still seen as the true test of how you measure up to the games greats.
But there are now more and more shorter format competitions - the Indian Premier League is the most lucrative, but T20 franchise cricket is being played around the world.
The big three nations - Australia, India and England still play bilateral test series against each other with commercial appeal but elsewhere there are fewer Test matches.
So, what does the future hold for cricket’s purest form of the game? Sportsworld’s Lee James has been to Lord’s to investigate.
Photo: A general view inside the Lord’s cricket ground as Stuart Broad of England appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne of Australia during Day Three of the LV= Insurance Ashes 2nd Test match between England and Australia in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)
There have been clashes between police and rioters in the southern French city of Marseille. Also: Twitter limits number of tweets users can read per day, and Euclid space telescope is launched to search for the secrets of the dark universe.
Tensions remain high across France after the funeral of a young man whose killing by a police officer sparked four nights of rioting. We hear the latest from Paris and Marseille.
Also in the programme: the UN Secretary-General calls for international support during a visit to Haiti; and remembering Lord Creator, the Caribbean artist who helped forge Jamaica's musical identity.
(Photo: Person standing outside damaged shop after a night of rioting in Marseille. Credit: SEBASTIEN NOGIER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In France, a funeral service is being held for the teenage boy whose shooting by police led to four consecutive nights of rioting. We hear from the mayor of Grenoble, Eric Piolle.
Also in the broadcast: Australia permits prescription of psychedelic drugs; and the European Space Agency launches "Euclid" telescope.
(Picture: Nahel's mother, wearing a 'Justice for Nahel' T-shirt, raises her fist as she attends a march in the memory of her 17-year-old son who was killed by French Police in Nanterre. Credit: Photo by YOAN VALAT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The production team say they set out to see the world in a new way. So is the WS’s new science show Unexpected Elements achieving its aims? We hear what listeners think as the show beds in - and we speak with the programme’s producer about how to make science appeal to all. Plus: why are there programme trailers in the middle of podcasts?
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Bestselling author Sofi Oksanen answers readers' questions about her novel Purge.
It's a harrowing story of sexual violence, betrayal and retribution which charts the troubled history of Estonia during and after the Second World War. Told through the lives of two women, the story starts when a frightened stranger, Zara, arrives on Aliide's doorstep. Gradually, their parallel stories, and connected histories are uncovered. This powerful novel has been translated into 38 languages.
(Picture: Author Sofi Oksanen. Photo credit: Toni Härkönen,)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, 100,000 Sri Lankan monkeys saved from export to China. Also: an Australian man born in a taxi seeks the driver, and the 16-year-old fulfilling a dream by playing Glastonbury.
On this week’s Sportshour, we’re joined by a woman with a claim for having the strongest arm in Africa. Grace Mintah works as a police officer in Ghana but she also happens to be a three-time champion at the African Arm-Wrestling Championship. She tells Caroline Barker about switching from athletics to arm-wrestling, her dream of becoming a “superstar”, and one day winning an Olympic gold medal. The president of the African Arm-Wrestling Federation, Charles Osei-Asibey also discusses the rise in the sport’s popularity.
We also meet Claire Lomas, a former equestrian event rider who was paralysed from the chest down after a horse riding accident in 2007. Since then she’s raised over £850,000 for spinal injury charities by taking on sporting challenges, such as walking the London Marathon using a robotic suit, which she completed in 17 days.
To mark the start of the 110th edition of cycling’s Tour de France, Sportshour heads back in time to 1989 when American Greg LeMond recovered from being shot in a hunting accident to win cycling’s most prestigious event by just eight seconds. The Last Rider is a documentary film which tells Lemond’s story and Caroline is joined by its director, Alex Holmes.
It’s also the start of Wimbledon and apart from the tennis, it’s a competition known for its strawberries. They are grown on a farm in Kent, which has supplied the All England Club for more than 30 years, and Sportshour's Jamie Broughton went down to try them.
Photo: Competitors in action during The 14th Annual CT Fall Classic, Arm Wrestling Challenge. (Credit: Corbis via Getty Images)
On 6 July 2003, the first matches of the Homeless World Cup kicked off in Graz, Austria. The idea came from Mel Young and Harald Schmied. Mel talks to Kurt Brookes about the first tournament and how it continues to help change perceptions about homelessness.
A Made in Manchester Production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: Scotland play Poland in the Homeless World Cup played in Graz, Austria. Credit: Homeless World Cup Foundation)
Hollywood actors may join screenwriters in what would be the first two-union strike in the industry in more than sixty years, with huge consequences for film and television production.
Both sides have indicated a willingness to talk for several days past the deadline, which happened before resolutions were reached in the same negotiations in 2014 and 2017.
(Picture: Hollywood writers and their supporters walk the picket line outside Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, June 30, 2023. Picture credit: Getty Images).
Ex-president Jair Bolsonaro is barred from running for office in Brazil by the top electoral court. Also: France deploys 45,000 police to quell further riots, and unusual rise in child type 1 diabetes after Covid pandemic.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History stories.
In 1995, the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store in the South Korean capital, Seoul, killed and injured hundreds of people. Explaining the impact it had on urban planning is Dr Youngmi Kim, senior lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Edinburgh.
Also, the speech President John F Kennedy made at the height of the Cold War on 26 June 1963. It galvanised the world in support of West Berliners who had been isolated by the construction of the Berlin Wall.
From the archive, Dr Jean Jacques Mueyembe and Dr David Heymann worked to bring the first documented outbreak of Ebola under control in 1976.
Plus, Budapest's communist statue 'graveyard' which opened in 1993.
Finally, when Lady Gaga accepted an MTV Video Music Award in a dress made entirely out of beef.
Contributors:
Sun Minh Lee on the Sampoong Department Store disaster Dr Youngmi Kim, senior lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Edinburgh Gisela Morel-Tiemann on the Ich Bin Ein Berliner speech Dr Jean Jacques Mueyembe and Dr David Heymann on Ebola Judit Holp on Memento Park Franc Fernandez on Lady Gaga's meat dress
(Photo: US military troops and South Korean army soldiers look for survivors in the rubble of the collapsed Sampoong Department Store. Credit: Getty Images)
France is deploying forty-five thousand police officers to tackle the riots after the death of a teenager in a police shooting. A young man died after falling from a roof during the protests and bus and tram services are being suspended countrywide. Also on the programme: Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been banned from running for public office until 2030; and there's another Indiana Jones film out and we have been speaking to one of the stars of the saga. (Photo credit: MOHAMMED BADRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed a new three-billion dollar loan agreement with the IMF, saying it will help his country achieve economic stability. Mr Sharif said the deal would help sustainable growth and boost Pakistan's foreign currency reserves.
The social media giants Meta and Google have said they'll block local news from their platforms in Canada after it became the latest nation to pass a law to force tech giants to pay news providers for their content. It follows similar disputes in other jurisdictions including Australia.
A BBC investigation has found that TikTok is not removing many videos that deny the existence of man-made climate change - despite a promise in April that it would do so.
President Macron of France has blamed what he called "professionals of violence" for disrupting what should have been a period of respect after the police killing of a teenage boy on Tuesday. He said additional resources would be made available to deal with unrest. A third night of rioting on Thursday, left buildings including libraries and schools burnt and scores of police personnel injured.
Also, why isn't Tiktok taking down videos denying the existence of man-made climate change?
And the UN votes to set up a body to investigate the tens of thousands of Syrians who've disappeared -- we hear from an activist whose father is still missing.
(Photo credit: BBC)
As the mandate for United Nations peacekeeping soldiers to remain in Mali comes to an end after more than a decade, we look at what the force has achieved in the country, and what could happen once the troops have departed.
Plus, we examine the impact of IMF-mandated public spending cuts on countries like Kenya, who have to agree to stringent terms in order to receive emergency loans.
And we take a look at how the rising cost of living is making it difficult for some young Muslims to make the Hajj pilgrimage this year.
France has seen a third night of protests spreading outside Paris, to cities including Marseille and Toulouse. More than 800 people have been arrested as the clashes continue. In Paris, shops have been ransacked and cars set on fire despite a heavy police presence. Also: Pakistan's prime minister says a $3bn bailout from the IMF will help restore economic stability, and Cambodia's long-term leader threatens to block access to Facebook in the country.
Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine-like drug, is causing huge problems around the Middle East, as millions of pills are smuggled out of Syria. BBC News Arabic collaborated with the investigative journalism network OCCRP to find out who's behind the trade. Emir Nader tells us about the direct links they discovered to leading members of the Syrian Armed Forces and President Bashar al-Assad's family.
De-Russifying Kazakhstan Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, young people in Kazakhstan have been increasingly reclaiming their roots. There’s growing talk of “decolonisation" in Central Asia’s largest country, whose language and culture were suppressed in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, as BBC Russian’s Nargiza Ryskulova explains.
Pakistan floods: natural disaster or human failure? This year's pre-monsoon rains have already caused disruption and deaths in Pakistan. It's brought back worrying memories of last year's catastrophic floods, in which a third of the country was under water. BBC Urdu's Umer Draz Nangiana looked back at the 2022 floods in a series which revisited many of the worst hit areas to assess whether nature, or human failure, was to blame for the devastation.
Fake news in Iran A story suggesting that Steven Seagal - US actor and supporter of President Putin - had replaced General Sergei Shoigu as Russian Defence Minister, circulated in some Iranian media this week. And it’s not the first time Iranian media have missed the joke, as Ali Hamedani explains.
(Photo: Captagon pills found by border patrol forces. Credit: BBC)
On 12 September 2010 Lady Gaga, won the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.
She accepted the award in a dress made entirely out of beef.
13 years later Franc Fernandez, the man behind the meat dress, speaks to Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty about his memories of designing the fleshy frock.
He says, pulling apart the flesh and stitching it back together, had "serial killer vibes"!
(Photo: Lady Gaga in the meat dress. Credit: Getty Images)
Uorfi Javed is one of the most searched for social media stars in Asia, but despite huge fame and popularity she says she struggles to get work as big brands refuse to sign her.
Uorfi Javed started out as a TV actress and became famous after wearing a dress made out of bin bags while in the Big Brother house. In this interview she tells us why she continues to dress however she likes despite criticism, how she works with paparazzi photographers to boost her profile and how much money she makes from her huge social media accounts.
Presenter / producer: Devina Gupta Image: Uorfi Javed; Credit: Leh Studios
Stephen Sackur speaks to Anielle Franco, Brazil’s minister of racial equality. She was appointed by President Lula de Silva to tackle entrenched race inequality in everything from policing to schooling and business, just five years after her activist sister, Marielle Franco, was assassinated in Rio de Janeiro. Anielle Franco has vowed to fight racism and continue her sister’s work for social justice. Is Brazil ready for change?
US President Joe Biden said he "strongly" disagreed with the court's decision, and the US would need "a new path forward that is consistent with the law".
Plus, we'll be asking what a $1.4 billion deal on lithium mining means for Bolivia and we have a business insight into how AI is going to change the world.
Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: media entrepreneur Stella Bangura in Sierra Leone and market analyst Ralph Silva in Toronto.
(PICTURE: Pro Affirmative Action supporters and and counter protestors shout at each outside of the Supreme Court of the United States on Thursday, June 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. PICTURE CREDIT: Getty Images)
The songwriter, poet and author, Nick Cave has a conversation about grief, faith and the spirituality of music with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Nick writes hauntingly beautiful songs – the themes of which tackle deep questions about humanity – often drawing from biblical sources. In 2015, NIck's son Arthur, died in a tragic accident at the age of 15, after falling from a cliff. Last year, Nick’s eldest son Jethro also died in Melbourne at the age of 31. Much of Nick’s art in recent years has dealt with grief, suffering and forgiveness. He reflects on this in his book, Faith, Hope and Carnage, written during the pandemic with the journalist Sean O’Hagan. And he openly explores love and loss with those who write to him on his online forum called The Red Hand Files.
Buses and trams are halted in parts of Paris and local curfews are imposed. Also: The US Supreme Court rules that race can no longer be a factor in university admissions, and one of the world's most famous authors Isabel Allende speaks to the BBC about life, love and her new novel.
The cases concerned admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC). The court's conservative majority ruled 6-3 against UNC and 6-2 against Harvard. The justices sided with an organisation called Students for Fair Admissions, founded by a conservative activist, Edward Blum. The group argued before the court last October that Harvard's race-conscious admissions policy violated Title VI the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on race, colour or national origin.
Affirmative action is one of the most contentious issues in US education. It first made its way into policy in the 1960s, and has been defended as a measure to increase diversity.
The French authorities are bracing themselves for the possibility of more violence linked to protests against the shooting dead on Tuesday of a teenage boy by a policeman. Forty thousand officers were deployed across the country in response.
Also in the programme: The US Supreme Court has ruled that it is not permissible to consider a person's race in deciding on university admissions, reversing decades-old policies of affirmative action on campuses; and questions are being raised about the whereabouts of a senior general, Sergei Surovikin, amid unconfirmed reports that he's being investigated for possible links to the Wagner mutiny.
(Picture: French riot police clash with protesters following a march in the memory of teenager who was killed by French Police in Nanterre. Credit: Yoan Valat/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
We have entered a “permacrisis”, an extended period of instability and insecurity, fuelled not only by natural disasters but pandemics, climate change and war.
This week, Science in Action is at the Royal Society as they host the All European Academies assembly on the importance of research in crises. Roland speaks to international experts on how research contributes to responding to and preparing for the multiple and entangled crises of our time.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber Editor: Richard Collings Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Image Credits: Photo: REUTERS/Phil Noble Coronavirus: A man wearing a protective face mask walks past an illustration of a virus in Oldham. 3 August 2020 NARCH/NARCH30 A view of a cracked ground near the Sidi El Barrak dam in Nafza People look for shelter amidst flooding in Sylhet
Virgin Galactic launches its first commercial spaceflight called Galactic 01. Three Italians are on board, along with a Virgin Galactic instructor and the spaceplane's two pilots.
Sri Lanka's central bank has unveiled a plan to restructure government debt in an attempt to restore economic stability. The debt restructuring is part of a bailout programme Sri Lanka agreed with the International Monetary Fund in March. China holds more than half of the foreign debt.
Lookalikes of Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Freddie Mercury - among others – are angry with have Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram. They're unhappy about a Meta rule that bans accounts of people "pretending to be someone famous". We speak to one of them.
Zimbabweans are once again experiencing triple-digit inflation, ahead of August’s presidential election. We look at the state of the economy, which is once again a huge point of contention ahead of the vote.
Plus, as soldiers from Morocco and Israel carry out joint drills for the first time we examine what the two countries are hoping to get out of their new kinship.
And after many of us were gripped by the search for the Titan submersible, we speak to the Egyptian man who holds the record for the world’s deepest scuba dive.
France's interior minister has promised to restore order to the streets following a second night of rioting over the police killing of a 17-year-old boy. Gerald Darmanin said 40,000 officers would be deployed. We’ll hear from the family’s lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou.
Also on the programme: new evidence that gravitational waves reverberating in the universe might have the potential to change our understanding of the cosmos; and we’ll hear from a survivor of a boat that capsized off the coast of Greece two weeks ago with hundreds of migrants on board.
(Image: Riot police pass by a burning car during clashes with protesters in Nanterre, near Paris, France, 29 June 2023. Credit: EPA/Yoan Valat)
President Macron calls for calm after crisis meeting. Also: Appeal court judges rule UK Government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda are unlawful, and find out why Sri Lankans are getting an extended holiday weekend.
Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid, but how to pick a date for your festivities?
The Islamic calendar says look to the moon, but haven’t we always chosen to order life on earth by using the planets, moons and stars?
We hear about the Mayans who tracked Venus and the astronomer who proved that comets weren’t bad omens.
Having looked at the outsourcing of decisions to the sky, we wonder why we can’t just trust our brains and wonder what neuroscience has to say about it.
And now that AI is able to make decisions for us, we hear about the computer-predicted proteins doing work that would otherwise take millions of years of evolution.
Our ‘Under the Radar’ story this week comes from Brazil, where we meet the Lionfish – hear how these kings of the coral reef are upsetting the ecosystem by eating most of it.
In our ongoing quest to find The Coolest Science in the World, we hear from a scientist doing amazing things with immersive audio.
And Marnie learns about the engineer trying to build roads through fresh volcanic lava, and reflects on how we predict eruptions.
All this plus your emails and WhatsApps, and a lot of mango chat.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris
The Hungarian city of Budapest's communist statue 'graveyard' opened on 29 June 1993.
Statues representing communism were not destroyed, instead they were relocated to a specially designed park on the outskirts of the city.
Laura Jones has been speaking to Judit Holp, who runs Memento Park.
(Photo: Republic of Councils Monument in Memento Park Credit: Getty Images)
Many companies are urging staff to return to the office instead of working remotely, but noise levels are rising in workplaces, which can cause stress and undermine productivity.
This means offices are now being built or redesigned to control noise, Russell Padmore visits one in Ireland.
Producer / presenter: Russell Padmore Image: Office space; Credit: Getty images
Assignment tells the story of a young street trader from Lagos who ended up at the heart of an organ harvesting plot involving a senior Nigerian politician and a hospital in the UK. The young man was tested, trafficked and tricked into a plot to remove his kidney, to donate to the daughter of one of Nigeria’s most powerful politicians. As Mark Lobel discovers, the criminal trial and conviction is the first of its kind in the UK – and has led to police investigating more potential cases.
Presenter Mark Lobel Producer Kate West Editor Carl Johnston Studio mix by Graham Puddifoot
As Northern US cities struggle with smoke caused by wildfires in Canada, the South of the country tries to cope with intense heatwaves. We hear how a concrete contractor in Texas continues to operate while dealing with high temperatures.
Also in the programme, the US administration is contemplating new export controls on chips for artificial intelligence that could make it harder for American companies to sell advanced chips to China. We find out more.
And would you mind if your local sports team is transferred to another city? That is what fans of baseball team Oakland Athletics are going through. We hear why and what some US policymakers are proposing to stop this.
Will Bain discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Asia Government & Economics correspondent at Bloomberg in Hong Kong, and Alexander Kaufman, energy and climate reporter for Huff Post in New York.
(Picture: Hazy sky from the smoke of the raging Canadian wildfires, hanging over the U.S. Midwest and parts of the East Coast, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. Picture credit: Reuters)
Thousands of forces deployed to prevent a second night of violence. Also: Presumed human remains have been recovered from the wreckage of the submersible that imploded last week on a dive to the Titanic, and Madonna postpones her upcoming 'Celebration' world tour after being hospitalised with a serious bacterial infection.
Salt has been a staple ingredient in cooking and preserving food for thousands of years.
It adds flavour to food, preserves it, and keeps our bodies functioning.
In recent years, gourmet brands have emerged and some consumers have been willing to pay higher prices for rock and sea salts.
Ruth Alexander finds out how this trend started and asks whether there’s anything special about speciality salts.
She speaks to Jess Lea-Wilson, Ronan Burns and Rob Jardine about how Halen Mon seasalt is made in Anglesey, Wales; Craig Cormack, ‘The Salt Chef’, about the salt tasting sessions he runs in South Africa; and Rajesh Shah of Vikas Center for Development about how technology is improving conditions and profits for salt workers in the Indian state of Gujarat.
If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Julia Paul.
(Image: a spoonful of salt. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
We take a look at Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring plans and what it could mean for people there.
Also in the programme, we find out how businesses that operate outdoors in Texas are managing to stay open during the latest heatwave.
And would you mind if your local sports team is transferred to another city? That is what fans of baseball team Oakland Athletics are going through. We hear why and what some US policymakers are proposing to stop this.
The government is on high alert with 2,000 extra officers deployed across the Paris region tonight. We speak to Sebastian Roche, an expert on policing from Sciences Po University in Grenoble about the incident.
Also on the programme: The death toll of the missile strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk rises; and Peru declares a state of emergency amid an outbreak of dengue fever, which is thought to have been exacerbated by climate change.
(Image: A burnt out car following a night of civil unrest in Paris, CREDIT: EPA)
African HIV research now makes up almost a third of total research being conducted into the virus. A new study highlights how it has increased from just 5 per cent in 1986. But there’s still a way to go until the quantity of research reflects the burden of HIV infections on the African continent. Claudia Hammond speaks to Professor Thumbi Ndung’u and Dr Omolara Baiyegunhi from the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa about the future of research being conducted in Africa by Africans and why it matters.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now the fastest growing liver disease in Europe. It already affects 38 per cent of people around the world. We hear from Vienna in Austria where a mobile clinic is offering people liver scans, and specialists have been teaching school children about liver health.
Dr Ann Robinson joins Claudia in the studio to discuss the latest health research including a US study with good news for people diagnosed early with a skin cancer known as melanoma. And a simple reason why staying up late might mean you won’t live as long as someone who enjoys an early start to the day.
And who better to crunch the data on siestas than the President of the Spanish Federation of Sleep Medicine Societies. Dr Carlos Egea explains how the modern siesta is more about taking a short time to relax, rather than a long afternoon sleep.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris
Image credit: Credit:Portra Creative #:675577867
Annual profits at China's industrial firms extended a double-digit decline in the first five months as softening demand squeezed margins, reinforcing hopes of more policy support to bolster a stuttering post-COVID economic recovery.
One way that China is looking to revive its economy is by investing in batteries, spurred by massive government spending aimed at achieving energy independence. Goldman Sachs estimates that China requires a 70-fold increase in battery storage in the next eight years or so, to meet its targets of curbing fossil fuel use.
A new report published this week is making some devastating claims against Google accusing of overcharging firms using its ads. Google charges companies for the amount of time people spend looking at their ads online.
And a new study found that loan officers in Uganda are more likely to offer loans to heavier-looking people than thinner-looking individuals.
Protestors clashed with French police following the shooting. Also: In Ukraine the number of dead from a Russian missile strike on Kramotorsk is rising and South Korea changes the law to make people younger.
Ten people are now known to have been killed by a Russian missile attack on a restaurant in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine. Putin admits that Russia "fully funded" Wagner.
Also in the programme: protests in France over another fatal police shooting; and rewriting the classic French film La Haine . . . as a musical.
(Photo: An injured man reacts at the site of a hotel building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in central Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. credit: REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
We discuss the living legacy of Ghanaian author and champion of women's rights Ama Ata Aidoo, who died recently at the age of 81.
Also in the pod: we discuss with journalist Mark Lobel the story of a young man who was trafficked to London for an illegal organ donation operation.
And Serge Stroobants, from the Institute for Economics and Peace's tells us why 2022 was the "worst year in conflict, this century".
From the Sydney Opera House to a basic kitchen renovation there are thousands of examples of construction projects large and small which go horribly over budget.
Professor Bent Flyvbjerg has compiled a database of 16,000 projects, and by his reckoning only 8.5% them meet their initial estimates of cost and time. He talks to Sam Fenwick about his new book, “How Big Things Get Done”.
Presenter / producer: Sam Fenwick Image: Sydney opera house; Credit: Getty Images
网友 “闪电小子” 想知道 “despite、as、though、although” 和 “while” 之间的区别。这五个词都能用来表达 “虽然，尽管” 的意思，强调主句与从句对比鲜明，但它们的用法不同。听节目，学习这五个词的正确用法。
On 29 June 1995, the Sampoong Department Store in Seoul, South Korea, collapsed due to structural failures.
The disaster killed 502 people and injured more than 900. It provoked national outrage as the building's construction was riddled with corruption and malpractice.
Sun Minh Lee was working at the shop that day. She speaks to Ben Henderson.
(Photo: Sampoong Department Store after the collapse. Credit: Choo Youn-Kong/AFP/Getty Images)
New technology is being used to find deposits of nickel, copper, cobalt and lithium which are vital for the EV battery industry. We hear from a company that is using AI to locate these sought-after minerals. Also in the programme, we hear why the electric truck-maker Lordstown filed for bankruptcy and why it's suing the Taiwanese firm Foxconn. And Apple becomes the latest tech firm to call-out a planned law in the UK which could force encrypted messaging tools like iMessage, WhatsApp and Signal to scan messages for child abuse material. Will Bain discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: David Kuo, co-founder of the Smart Investor firm in Singapore, and Walter Todd, president of Greenwood Capital in South Carolina. (Picture: Lithium deposits. Picture credit: Reuters)
Yevgeny Prigozhin left Russia following an agreement that ended his brief mutiny. Also: A deadly Russian missile strike on restaurants and shops in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, and for the first time a Jamaican writer wins the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story prize.
Stephen Sackur speaks to the Church of England’s first black woman bishop, Rose Hudson-Wilkin. Her home patch, Dover, is at the centre of the political and moral debate about migration; her church is beset by arguments over gender, sex and safeguarding. Can the Anglican church hold together?
New technology is being used to find deposits of nickel, copper, cobalt and lithium which are vital for the EV battery industry. We hear from a company that is using AI to locate these sought-after minerals. Also in the programme, we hear why the electric truck-maker Lordstown filed for bankruptcy and why it's suing the Taiwanese firm Foxconn. And Apple becomes the latest tech firm to call-out a planned law in the UK which could force encrypted messaging tools like iMessage, WhatsApp and Signal to scan messages for child abuse material.
A Russian missile strike has hit a crowded restaurant area in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, Ukrainian officials say. Emergency services are at the scene helping the injured. We hear from a journalist who was in the restaurant just before the strike took place.
Also on the programme: the president of Estonia discusses the attempted Wagner coup in Russia; and we meet Ashley Elzinga, the DJ who has just presented a programme alongside an AI version of herself.
(Picture: The aftermath of the attack on Kramatorsk. Credit: Government of Ukraine.)
Scientist, best-selling author and entrepreneur, Gary Marcus talks to Tech Life about the forthcoming global summit looking at AI for good, and the need for regulation. We examine the Wagner Group's use of social media in Africa. How do you encourage teenage girls to take up tech and engineering jobs ? And prize-winning school pupils on making driving cars safer.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) says global oil demand will rise to 110 million barrels a day in about 20 years, pushing the world’s energy demand up by 23%.
The former chief executive at the car firm Audi has been given a 21-month suspended sentence by a court in Germany for his role in the diesel scandal in 2015. Rupert Stadler has also been fined nearly a million pounds, over the use of software, which made diesel cars appear less polluting than they really were.
Zimbabwe’s annual inflation doubled to close to 176 percent in June, after the local currency tumbled against the US dollar and food prices rose.
President Putin thanks his security forces for response to Wagner mercenary mutiny, and claims they helped prevent a civil war in Russia. The criminal case against those involved in the rebellion has been dropped.
Also in the programme: the future of Wagner in Africa; and the palm that fruits underground.
(Picture: President Putin addressing members of Russia's security services, Moscow, Russian Federation. Credit: SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The president called for a minute's silence for pilots killed in clashes during the Wagner rebellion. Also: Yet another ceasefire announced in Sudan, and after more than 40 years, actor Harrison Ford bows out as Indian Jones.
As the Kremlin sends the Wagner boss to Belarus following a dramatic weekend in Russia, what happens to the thousands of Wagner mercenaries serving in Africa? We discuss three possible scenarios with Senior Analyst for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, Julia Stanyard
Also in the pod: How disposing of plastics without care can end up clogging up drains and causing floods
And, we speak with Luis Munana from the acclaimed Netflix series Young, African and Famous
We've been building computers to think like us for years, but our ability to replicate human senses has been impossible. Until now. This technological revolution is starting to profoundly change not only how we interact with the world around us, but is allowing us to see, hear, smell, taste and even touch things we never imagined possible before.
An artificial intelligence revolution is super-charging sensing technology, promising us eyes with laser precision, ears that can distinguish every sound in a mile's radius and noses that can sniff out the early signs of forest fires before the first flame forms.
Evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Professor Ben Garrod is off to meet some of these sensory innovators and technological pioneers; The archaeologists, ecologists and medics, who are turning our world upside down and inside out.
In episode two, Ben finds sound solutions to tricky problems. We’ll hear about the ear which works up to depths of 500m below the ocean. In this light-deprived oceanic environment, we’ll find out how sound has become the most important sense. We’ll learn how noise pollution has inspired a number of revolutionary scientists to create sound-based solutions to better animal conservation. Along the way, we’ll meet engineers and computer programmers who’ve been able to find animals we thought previously extinct, and learn how one colour blind ornithologist mapped the entirety of a Caribbean archipelago so he could help protect his favourite species from storms and freak climate events.
Could these new technologies and natural evolutions be redefining what it is to hear? Ben takes us through the amazing adaptations and technological developments that could help stretch our hearing further than ever before.
Produced by Robbie Wojciechowski Presented by Professor Ben Garrod Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris
Photo credit: Zoological Society of London/PA Wire
In 1976 in a small Belgian missionary hospital in a village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then known as Zaire, people were dying from an unknown disease which caused a high temperature and vomiting.
It was the first documented outbreak of Ebola the virus.
About 300 people died.
Dr Jean Jacques Mueyembe and Dr David Heymann worked to bring the outbreak under control.
Claire Bowes spoke to them in this programme first broadcast in 2009.
(Photo: Residents who were being examined during the Ebola outbreak in Zaire in 1976. Credit: Public domain/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
In September 2021, a volcano erupted on the Spanish Canary Island. It lasted nearly three months.
Red hot lava spilled out and destroyed homes, businesses and everything in its path before reaching the sea 10 days later. It split the island in half.
Eighteen months on, we travel back to La Palma to see how the islanders are rebuilding their livelihoods and infrastructure.
Presented and produced by Ashish Sharma.
(Image:Karin Bansberg watering plants outside her temporary wooden home. Credit: BBC)
As the leader of Wagner's mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, defends his "march on Moscow," we take a look at the economic implications for Russia.
Also in the show, we find out what sea bed mining is – and why it's so controversial.
And we hear about the latest acquisition in the sports industry made by Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds.
Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland in Virginia, and Alaezi Akpuru, owner and creative director of Nigerian contemporary womenswear brand Virgioli Fashion in Lagos, Nigeria.
(Picture: Wagner Group in Rostov-on-Don. Picture credit: EPA)
Biniam Girmay stands on the brink of history as the first black African rider to win a stage of cycling’s biggest race: the Tour de France. After a hard upbringing as one of six children in the Eritrean capital Asmara, he has become one of the most talented riders from the continent in the sport’s history. We profile an extraordinary early life and examine the significance of what his achievements can mean for such an accessible sport, which, after more than 100 years, remains almost completely white European.
Russian leader said steps were taken to avoid bloodshed. Also: Israel's nationalist-religious government has approved plans for more than five-thousand new homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, and the creator of the lithium battery, John Goodenough, has died in the US at the age of one-hundred.
In the aftermath of the revolt led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, we explore the impact the mutiny will have in the economy.
Also in the programme, as wildfires continue to rage across the Canadian province of Quebec, we get the perspective from local businesses.
And we hear the latest from the presidents of the two biggest economies in South America, Brazil and Argentina, who are holding talks in Brasilia.
It is his first speech since Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s attempted mutiny last weekend. We get reaction from Moscow-based historian Nina Khrushcheva.
Also on the programme: A BBC investigation uncovers evidence of another suspected Chinese surveillance balloon travelling over Japan in 2021; and we learn about a bid for stunt teams in films to get recognition at the academy awards.
(Vladimir Putin delivers his address to the nation CREDIT: Kremlin.ru)
Germany's highest court has ruled that car manufacturers must - in principle - pay compensation to customers whose diesel vehicles were fitted with illegal devices to control emissions. The federal judges' decision could potentially cost Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and other carmakers millions of dollars.
After a mutiny by Wagner paramilitary forces in Russia was defused on Saturday, Global investors have been quick to react as the Russian rouble sank to a 15-month low - back to levels not seen since the early days of the invasion of Ukraine last year.
Pakistan is in a last-ditch attempt to revive a deal with the IMF. The finance minister has made drastic changes in the budget to try to secure the deal.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led the revolt reportedly remains under investigation. Also: a row in India over Barack Obama's remarks on Muslim rights, and in a BBC exclusive, the mother of the Titan sub victim says she gave up her place so he could go.
The Kremlin has published footage of President Vladimir Putin congratulating participants of an industrial forum. Meanwhile, Russian state television has shown the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, visiting what they said was a forward military command post. It's the first time they've been seen since Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin called-off his mutiny. We'll get the latest from Russia and hear from human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina. We will also speak to Belarus' opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Also in the programme: The main opposition candidate in Sierra Leone's presidential election has accused soldiers of firing live ammunition at his headquarters; and NASA has been in the West Australian outback as part its search for life on Mars.
(Picture: Russia President Vladimir Putin addresses participants of an industrial forum. Credit: Kremlin)
We look at how clan affiliations which cross national borders have set the tone for the recent fighting which has engulfed Sudan.
Plus, as the US dollar becomes more expensive for many African countries, could some be poised to abandon it?
And we look at the exhibition bringing the migration stories of African women to the Venice Biennale.
United States President John F Kennedy gave a speech in Berlin at the height of the Cold War on 26 June 1963.
It galvanised the world in support of West Berliners who had been isolated by the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Tom Wills speaks to Gisela Morel-Tiemann, who attended the speech as a student.
A Whistledown production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: John F Kennedy making his speech in Berlin. Credit: Lehnartz/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
The rush to extract battery metals from the bottom of the ocean and what that could cost financially and environmentally.
Michelle Fleury sees a specialist mining robot in action and hears the arguments for and against deep sea mining.
Presenter / producer: Michelle Fleury Image
Stephen Sackur interviews Patrick Verkooijen, the CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation. Back in 2015, world leaders pledged to speed up cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in a bid to stop our planet warming by more than 1.5°C. Most climate scientists now believe that threshold will be crossed, and soon. Is Patrick Verkooijen's focus on making the world climate change resilient an admission that the battle to cut emissions has already been lost?
Kim Chakanetsa meets two writers who, in their work, explore the themes of love, identity, belonging and inter-generational trauma.
Min Jin Lee is a South Korean - American author who wrote two novels, Free food for millionaires and Pachinko, a multi-generational saga following the story of a Korean family in Japan. Pachinko was a New York Times bestseller and was nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction, and it’s recently been turned into a TV series. Min is currently working on her third novel, American Hagwon.
Elif Shafak is a Turkish-British writer. She has written 19 books, most of them novels, which have been translated into 55 languages. She is a Booker prize finalist, and her most recent novel - The Island of Missing Trees - tells the forbidden love story between a Greek Cypriot man and a Turkish Cypriot woman.
Produced by Alice Gioia
(Image: (L) Elif Shafak, credit BBC. (R) Min Jin Lee, credit Getty Images.)
This programme contains racially sensitive language and themes that may be upsetting. Matthew Xia is a theatre director and Olivier award-winning artistic director of the Actors Touring Company. As his alter ego DJ Excalibur, he performed to a global audience of over a billion as one of the headline DJs at the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. His latest production is a futuristic hip-hop infused performance, Tambo & Bones, at the Stratford East Theatre in London. Written by the US playwright Dave Harris, this satirical play, which is part distorted clown-show, part absurdist Afro-futuristic lecture with robots, explores the commodification and commercialisation of the traumatic black experiences that have been portrayed on stage over the decades. Felicity Finch follows Matthew, his actors and creative team as they develop the work into a playful, funny and provocative show.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says an attempted rebellion was a "direct challenge" to President Putin. Also: fatal rollercoaster accident in Sweden, and Elton John takes to the stage in shimmering gold suit at Glastonbury.
Mariam and Mohammed are Yemeni filmmakers who turned the lens on their own relationship.
Mariam Al-Dhubhani and Mohammed Al-Jaberi's love story started in friendship, and it didn't take long before they fell for each other. Not even living in different continents – or a civil war – could get in their way. But when a heartbreaking loss shook the foundation of their relationship for the first time, it was a video camera that helped them find their way back to one another.
Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Gaia Caramazza Editor: Munazza Khan
Mariam and Mohammed are Yemeni filmmakers who turned the lens on their own relationship.
Mariam Al-Dhubhani and Mohammed Al-Jaberi's love story started in friendship, and it didn't take long before they fell for each other. Not even living in different continents – or a civil war – could get in their way. But when a heartbreaking loss shook the foundation of their relationship for the first time, it was a video camera that helped them find their way back to one another.
Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Gaia Caramazza Editor: Munazza Khan
America's top diplomat Antony Blinken has said an attempted armed mutiny in Russia shows "real cracks" in President Vladimir Putin's authority. He said Saturday's rebellion by Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner fighters was a "direct challenge" to Mr Putin, forcing him into an amnesty agreement.
Also in the programme: Guatemalans go to the polls today to choose a new president, amid concerns about corruption and mass migration; and Elton John performs his last UK concert of his career.
(Picture: A man holds a placard in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
Delyth Lloyd and Mani Djazmi profile the players who could make their breakthrough on the global stage at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Journalist Jen O’Neill joins the team to discuss the players to look out for, and the big names who will miss the tournament including England captain Leah Williamson.
We’ll also hear from Sophia Smith after her call up to the USA squad.
Photo: A general view of the OCEAUNZ footballs, the official match ball of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, before a behind closed doors training match between Republic of Ireland and Germany at Marbella Football Centre in Marbella, Spain. (Credit: Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, is to leave Russia for Belarus after calling off his troops' rebellion. The mutiny was a huge challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose image of authority is now weakened, experts say.
Mr Putin had decried Mr Prigozhin's actions as "treason" in a national TV address on Saturday, but the mercenary chief and his troops will not be prosecuted, the Kremlin says.
We'll be looking at where this situation leave Russia's president and what could potentially happen to the man who led - and then abandoned the rebellion.
Also in the programme: .Greeks look for stability as they vote in a general election, the second in little more than a month; and with record numbers and stifling heat as this year's Hajj pilgrimage gets underway.
(Photo shows Russian president Putin delivering an address to the nation in Moscow on 24 June 2023. Credit: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/EPA)
Fighters from the Russian mercenary group have begun leaving Rostov-on-Don where their mutiny began. President Putin decried Yevgeny Prigozhin's actions as "treason" in a national TV address on Saturday.
The head of the Wagner group Yevgeny Prigozhin will go to Belarus and charges against him will be dropped following their advance on Moscow.
He told his forces to return to their bases to "avoid bloodshed" after negotiations with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
In this special edition of Newshour; we explore the consequences of this unprecedented challenge to the rule of Russia President Vladimir Putin. We also discuss reports of new Ukrainian military moves in the midst of this disarray.
(Picture Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin Credit: Yulia Morozova/Reuters)
Reports from Russia say Wagner Group fighters are advancing towards Moscow, having taken control of the city of Rostov-on-Don near the border with Ukraine and sites further north in the city of Voronezh. In an address to the Russian people, President Vladimir Putin promised to put down what he called a "mutiny" by forces who had betrayed the country.
In a special Sportsworld podcast, Lee James looks back at five key moments in the evolution of women's cricket.
Photo: Australia celebrate after winning the ICC Women's T20 Cricket World Cup Final match between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 08, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Credit: Getty Images)
Special edition of Newshour - presented by Lyse Doucet:
President Putin says Russia is facing a battle for its future, in the face of an armed mutiny. He was speaking in an emergency address, after the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said he'd taken over the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. In his latest comments, Mr Prigozhin has hit back directly at the Russian leader. He said he did not want the country to continue living mired in "corruption, deceit and bureaucracy."
(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an emergency televised address in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2023. Credit: Reuters)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, an old cassette tape brings a mother's voice back to life, researchers find that napping is good for your brain. And: The mission to bring light to bombed houses in Ukraine. Presented by Jackie Leonard and music produced by Iona Hampson.
On this week’s Sportshour, former British athlete Hannah England joins us after having her voice cloned by artificial intelligence. You can hear “Hannah-bot” delivering updates from the European Team Athletics Championships in Poland on YouTube, with tennis’ Wimbledon set to follow suit over the next few weeks. Is a new era of sports commentary being ushered in?
This week is World Refugee Week and to mark the occasion we’re joined by 20-year-old Benham, who has been living in the United Kingdom since fleeing Iran in 2019. After the trauma of having to leave his home, family, friends and education, Benham has suffered from anxiety and depression. He tells Caroline Barker that playing sport has been the key to rediscovering happiness, sharing details of his recent trip to Wimbledon where he received tennis coaching and got a glimpse of Centre Court.
We’re joined by two of the Woolf Women – an all-female group of downhill skateboarders who, following the sudden death of one of the group’s father, decided to embark on a 3500 mile trip across Europe. A film is being released documenting their journey, with Anna Pixner and Alejandra Cardenas stopping by to tell us all about the sport and their hopes of getting it into the Olympic Games.
Plus, after teaching her how to play rugby league over Zoom during the covid-19 pandemic, York Valkyrie’s Lindsay Anfield went to visit her close friend Fortunate Irankunda in Uganda, as the former rugby union player tries to develop the sport in her country. She took half a dozen of her team out with her to run training sessions, school mini-tournaments, referee workshops and provide equipment. We’ll hear how it went.
Photo: European Athletics Commentator, Hannah England at work during day two of the European Games 2023 at Silesian Stadium on June 21, 2023 in Silesia, Poland. (Credit: Getty Images)
At the 1976 Olympics, the Japanese gymnast Shun Fujimoto horrified the world by continuing to compete in the team event despite breaking his knee during the floor exercise. Determined not to let down his team-mates, Fujimoto braved almost unbearable pain to achieve good scores on the pommel horse and rings, and help Japan to gold. Shun Fujimoto relives his agony with Ashley Byrne. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production for the BBC World Service and was first broadcast in 2016.
(Photo: Shun Fujimoto on the rings. Credit: Colorsport/Shutterstock)
The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin is being investigated for inciting mutiny after accusing the Russian military of launching a deadly missile strike on his troops.
(Picture: Yevgeny Prigozhin Picture credit: Getty Images)
Race against time rescue stories have been among the dominating international headlines in the past couple of weeks. There was the missing sub in the Atlantic and before that the incredible survival of the four children who were stranded for six weeks in the Amazon jungle in Colombia. Host James Reynolds brings together other people who have survived against the odds after being lost in the jungle and at sea.
The leader of the mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, accuses the Russian military of launching a deadly missile strike on its troops in Ukraine. Also: EU agency says Greece ignored offer to monitor a migrant boat that later sank, and a Peruvian restaurant in Lima is named as the world's best.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History stories.
Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, a fighter pilot in the Somali air force defied orders to bomb civilians in 1988. Explaining more about the Somali civil war and its legacy is BBC Monitoring's regional analyst Beverly Ochieng.
Also, the demonstrations in East Germany that triggered martial rule in 1953.
From the archive, Sam King recalls arriving in England on the Empire Windrush in 1948, one of 802 pioneering Caribbean migrants.
Plus, the 1994 raid on a gay nightclub in Melbourne, Australia, where more than 400 people were strip-searched and detained.
Finally, in 1971 Alan Shepard, the commander of Apollo 14 became the first and only person to play golf on the moon.
Contributors: Ahmed Mohamed Hassan on being a fighter pilot in the Somali air force Beverly Ochieng, BBC Monitoring's Horn Of Africa analyst Helmut Strecker on his recollections of the protests in East Germany Sam King on the Empire Windrush Gary Singer on the raid of Tasty nightclub Laura Shepard Churchley on her father Commander Alan Shepard
An attempt by the French president to win support for a global carbon tax on the shipping industry has failed.
Addressing a summit for a New Global Financing Pact, Emmanuel Macron said the shipping industry was responsible for more than two percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and should contribute to efforts to cut them, including through taxes.
He acknowledged that such a tax would only work if China, the United States and other European nations with stakes in the shipping industry joined forces.
BBC Urdu Service's Halid Karamat has been to Athens and managed to speak to Muhammed Hamza, one of only 12 Pakistani survivors of the migrant boat that sank in Greek waters last week. He said he had to drink seawater for several days and was forced to sit onboard.
Also in the programme: the authorities in Russia have accused the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, of calling for an armed mutiny. He says Moscow's forces have attacked his troops and he intends to punish those responsible; and a right wing Israeli cabinet minister has urged his government to launch a large-scale military operation in the West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir said the aim was - in his words - to eliminate thousands of terrorists.
(Photo: Migrants rest in a shelter, following a rescue operation, after their boat capsized at open sea, in Kalamata, Greece, on 14 June 2023. Credit: Reuters/Stelios Misinas)
The co-founder of the firm that developed the Titan submersible has rejected claims that it cut corners, after five people died descending to the wreck of the Titanic. We hear from US sub safety expert William Kohnen.
Also in the programme: James Cameron pays tribute to Titan dead; and the British Nigerian chefs backed by Beyoncé.
(Photo: Undated handout photo issued by OceanGate Expeditions of their submersible vessel named Titan. Credit: OceanGate Expeditions/PA Wire)
Developing nations have used an international summit in Paris to denounce the global financial system and demand radical reform. Rob Young hears what the problems are -- and ask if change is likely.
As China, the world’s second biggest economy, experiences its hottest summer for 60 years, we hear what it’s like to live and work, especially outside, in such extreme temperatures.
In a few weeks time Francis Bacon's masterpiece "Three Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer" is due to be offered as an IPO where investors will be able to buy shares for as little as $100. We look at why people would invest in this way and discuss whether buying shares in a painting could be a way to democratise owning art.
We focus on Ciyaal Weero, the Mogadishu gangs terrorising residents of Somalia's capital. They emerged in outlying districts of the city in late 2021, and have been using extreme violence to rob and extort people.
Plus, we speak to the lawyer who represented the family of a Nigerian man who died whilst being restrained by police in Switzerland in 2018, after all of the officers in question were acquitted over his death.
And we catch up with South Africa’s Nandi Madida to talk about how she’s using her radio show to promote African artists.
After the capsize of a migrant boat off the Greek coast BBC Arabic's Murad Shishani went to the Greek port of Kalamata to meet relatives hoping to find their loved ones. One man was waiting for news of 30 relatives and acquaintances from the Egyptian district of Sharkia. So why are so many trying to leave this place?
Pakistanis were one of the largest groups of migrants on the boat, including many from Pakistan Administered Kashmir. BBC Urdu's Umer Draz Nangiana visited the village of Bundli, home to 28 men on that boat, only 2 of whom survived, to find out what drove them to risk the journey.
The Settlers "The Settlers" film shows how Patagonia, in Southern Chile and Argentina, was colonised by Chilean and European settlers, including brutal raids against the indigenous Selk'nam people. BBC Mundo's Paula Molina explains modern Chileans' interest in the Selk’nam, and in this part of their own history.
Saving lives after the dam-burst in Russian occupied areas BBC Russian’s Olga Ivshina explains how volunteers working in the Russian occupied areas of Ukraine helped save civilians trapped by the floods using local boats.
South Korea's reclusive youth A growing number of young people in South Korea are choosing to withdraw from society. Hyunjung Kim of BBC Korean finds out why, and what the government and former recluses are doing to try and help them.
(Photo: Framed photo of missing son believed drowned on migrant ship. Credit: BBC)
The UN says the latest violence is driving Israelis and Palestinians deeper into an abyss. Also: Germany's parliament passes a law to make it easier for migrants - including asylum seekers - to find work in the country; and the co-founder of the firm that developed the Titan submersible rejects claims the company cut corners over safety.
Alan Shepard played golf on the moon in 1971.
He became the first and only person to enjoy the sport on the lunar surface.
The astronaut golfer’s daughter Laura Shepard Churchley was inspired by her father’s big journeys and later travelled to space herself, although she didn’t pack golf clubs.
Tricia Penrose hears Laura’s recollections of life with her father and his unique sporting space trip.
A Moon Road production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: Alan Shepard on the moon. Credit: NASA)
We’re at the Paris Air Show - a huge gathering of the biggest names in the global aerospace industry.
We will hear about the latest innovations in hypersonic passenger planes and how the sector can address environmental concerns.
Plus we speak to the defence sector about the latest developments in AI.
Presenter: Theo Leggett Producer: Hannah Mullane
(Image: People queuing to see an aircraft at the Paris Air Show. Credit: Reuters)
President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a number of deals. While secretaries signing the papers, the economic relationships are 'booming', according to Biden, with trade more than doubling over the past decade.
(Picture: Official State Visit Of Indian Prime Minister Modi To The U.S. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in London for a Ukraine Economic Recovery Conference. Will Ukraine get the help it needs?
The US coastguard says debris of the submersible was found around five hundred metres from the bow of the Titanic wreck. Also: Beijing records hottest June day in sixty years; Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg agree to hold a cage fight.
Prof. Robert Beckford interviews Barbara Blake-Hannah the UK’s first black news reporter who returned to Jamaica after just eight years after coming over as part of the Windrush generation. She talks about how racism lead her to embrace the Rastafari faith and what it means to her.
The US Coast Guard has confirmed that debris discovered in the North Atlantic, near the wreck of The Titanic belongs to the tourist submersible that went missing on Sunday with five people on board. A spokesman said the debris was consistent with the catastrophic loss of the submersible's pressure chamber.
Also in the programme: former Brazil President, Jair Bolsonaro is on trial accused of abusing his powers and undermining the country's democracy; and find out why Turkey and the UK have decided to raise interest rates.
(Picture: The US Coast Guard previously said noises were heard on Tuesday and Wednesday but it did not yet know what the noises were. Credit: Reuters)
President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a number of deals. While secretaries signing the papers, the economic relationships are 'booming', according to Biden, with trade more than doubling over the past decade.
Over the last week, news of “synthetic human embryos” has made headlines around the world. Science in Action is getting to the bottom of the sensational story.
We talk to two of the researchers who have made the embryo models from stem cells in their labs; Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz from the University of Cambridge and California Institute of Technology, and Professor Jacob Hanna from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. They tell us how they made the embryo models, what their aims are, and their own ethical considerations.
The scientific community is excited, but not surprised, by the breaking research. We hear how Dr Andreia Bernardo, group leader at Imperial College London, could use these structures in her future research.
Finally, Director of the Reproductive Sociology Research Group at Cambridge University, Professor Sarah Franklin, and Professor of Law at Stanford University, Hank Greely, tackle the legal and ethical constraints on this kind of work, and why it is important for understanding the health of mothers and babies.
Photo Credit: Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz Lab
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber
As the UK and Turkey raise their interest rates, presenter Will Bain discusses how two very different economies are using the same tool to fight inflation.
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is in America to meet President Biden and discuss defence spending among other issues. We explore what trade is like between the two countries.
The calls for change are being led by the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley. Her country wants the IMF and the World Bank to be able to help developing nations invest in clean energy and improve their resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Also on the programme; with the clock ticking, rescuers are desperately trying to find the missing Titanic submersible, itself, a hugely difficult task. And events are taking place today in the UK to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the "Windrush," the ship that started organised Caribbean migration to Britain.
(Picture: French President Emmanuel Macron (L), US philanthropist Melinda French Gates (R) and World Bank President Ajay Banga take part in a round table to discuss global economy during the New Global Financial Pact Summit in Paris. Credit: Marin / EPA)
Italy's former PM Silvio Berlusconi died on 12th June. Known for his lavish spending on Milan football club and his tumultuous relationship with Italian justice, the late media magnate had also a lesser-known passion: relaxing in Malindi. He was once quoted saying that he just 'could not get enough of the Kenyan coast'. Today, Malindi attracts European tourists, particularly Italians. A former manager of the super-luxury hotel Lion in the Sun, where Berlusconi stayed, reveals how the once fishing village became a destination cherished by Italians, including the late Silvio Berlusconi.
Also in the pod: as politicians and investors meet in Kenya to discuss how to harness renewable energy in Africa, a young policy adviser from Kenya tells us why she believes that wind energy has a promising future
And two young Sierra Leoneans discuss the importance of voting in this year's presidential elections
A French ship carrying a deep-sea diving robot has reached search area. Also, the US's agency for international development says broken ceasefires in Sudan are preventing aid reaching millions of people, and Barbados calls for reforms to institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF to help climate change.
We've been building computers to think like us for years, but our ability to replicate human senses has been impossible. Until now. This technological revolution is starting to profoundly change not only how we interact with the world around us, but is allowing us to see, hear, smell, taste and even touch things we never imagined possible before.
An Artificial Intelligence revolution is super-charging sensing technology, promising us eyes with laser precision, ears that can distinguish every sound in a mile radius and noses than can sniff out the early signs of forest fires before the first flame forms.
Evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Prof Ben Garrod, is off to meet some of these sensory innovators and technological pioneers. The archaeologists, ecologists and medics, who are turning our world upside down and inside out.
In episode one, Ben tries seeing further. The visible world to us is tiny, and we are able to detect just a fraction of the light spectrum that is out there. But new technology is pushing the boundary of what is visible. Ground penetrating LIDAR arrays are helping us to peel back the layers of planet Earth, and see the remains of ancient civilisations, previously invisible to us. The same technology is being used on the moons of Jupiter to provide 3D maps of the craters of faraway worlds. In the forests of west Africa, we meet the psychologists using infrared to monitor the stress levels of silverback gorillas being returned to the wild. And in a lab in central London, we meet the extraordinary animals that see hidden patterns in the natural world and perhaps even fields that are entirely invisible to us.
Could these new technologies be redefining what it is to see, hear, smell, and feel? Ben takes us through the amazing adaptations and development under the bonnet, and speculates where else these all seeing eyes may yet gaze.
Presenter: Professor Ben Garrod Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris
Image credit: Credit: Hans Neleman GETTY IMAGES Creative #:76527313
A look at some unexpected elements of congestion: Why does pollen make so many of us wheezy, and sneezy? What can it tell us about the distant past? Plus, we take a look at what we can learn from the construction and engineering behind aquatic snot palaces.
Plus your enemy’s enemy can be your friend – hear about the tiny viruses that invade certain bacteria. Speaking of bacteria, we’ll look at the latest place to hunt for new antibiotics – the fur of a certain animal, and with reports of famine emerging from North Korea, we hear about the scientist who is said to have saved more lives than any other person who has ever lived.
The Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury in England on 22 June 1948 with 802 people on board from the Caribbean.
The former passenger liner's arrival on that misty June day is now regarded as the symbolic starting point of a wave of Caribbean migration between 1948 and 1971 known as the "Windrush generation".
Sam King was one of the passengers.
He describes to Alan Johnston the conditions on board and the concerns people had about finding jobs in England.
In this programme first broadcast in 2011, Sam also talks about what life was like in their adopted country once they arrived.
(Photo: Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948. Credit: Daily Herald Archive/SSPL/Getty Images)
The CEO of the international private healthcare firm Bupa started the role in January 2021, right in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He speaks to Dougal Shaw about the challenges the company faced, and about lessons learnt for the future.
Plus we find out how routine helps to keep Mr Ereño grounded.
Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw.,
Image: Iñaki Ereño. Credit: BBC)
“It’s like living in a cemetery.” Jung Seongno lives in a banjiha, or semi-basement apartment in the South Korean capital Seoul. Last August parts of Seoul experienced major flooding. As a result several people, including a family of three, drowned in their banjiha. Seongno dreams of having a place where the sunlight and the wind can come in.
These subterranean dwellings are just one example of a growing wealth divide in Asia’s fourth largest economy. With almost half of the country’s population living in Greater Seoul, the struggle to find affordable housing has become a major political issue. It also contributes to Korea’s worryingly low birth rate. The inability of young people to afford a home of their own means they are not starting families. Many have given up on relationships altogether.
John Murphy reports from Seoul, where owning a home of your own is so important and yet increasingly unattainable.
Produced and presented by John Murphy Producer in Seoul: Keith Keunhyung Park Studio mix: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Iona Hammond Series editor: Penny Murphy
(Photo: Park Jongeon, his wife and dog live in this one room in one of Seoul’s poor housing districts. Credit: John Murphy)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the United States at the invitation of President Biden, and has held a meeting with Tesla CEO Elon Musk who wants to bring Tesla to India.
Next in line are CEOs from the likes of FedEx, Apple and Google who are among the top bosses invited to attend the state banquet at the White House with him on Thursday.
Devina Gupta discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Satoshi Shimoda, a senior journalist with the Nikkei newspaper in Japan and Andy Uhler, an energy specialist in the US.
(Picture: Biden welcomes Modi at the White House, Washington, USA - 21 Jun 2023 Credit: Photo by Yuri Gripas/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The search for a missing tourist submarine in the North Atlantic has doubled, as estimates suggest those on board would run out of oxygen in the coming hours. Also: The UN refugee agency has warned that the civil war in the west of Sudan is fast becoming an ethnic conflict, and an expedition finds a Mayan city deep in Mexican jungle.
Could our office, apartment and public buildings also be farms?
In this programme, Ruth Alexander meets the pioneers of rooftop farming, turning concrete into green spaces where fruit and vegetables are grown.
We find out about the logistics, the challenges, and whether it has the potential to feed city populations.
In Barcelona, Spain, she meets Joan Carulla, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday. Joan has been tending his private rooftop vegetable garden for fifty years with the help of his son, Toni. They’re joined by friend and fellow rooftop gardener, Robert Strauss.
Ruth speaks to Kotchakorn Voraakhom, a landscape architect in Bangkok, Thailand. She designed a farm on the roof of a university in 2019, the largest in Asia at that time.
And Mohamed Hage, co-founder and CEO of Lufa Farms in Montreal, Canada explains how they are farming rooftops on a commercial scale. To date the company has four rooftop greenhouses and an indoor farm, which produces enough food to feed about 2 per cent of the city’s population.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: Joan Carulla sat on a bench in his rooftop garden in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: BBC)
As India's prime minister continues his visit, we ask what Narendra Modi's trip will do for relations between the countries. Devina Gupta speaks to a former Indian national security adviser about potential defence deals worth millions of dollars expected to be announced.
We get the latest from the summit in London where business leaders and politicians are discussing future support for Ukraine.
And we hear from Ghana, which is showing signs of economic recovery.
The window of opportunity to rescue those trapped inside the Titan submersible is closing rapidly.
A hunt for the missing vessel, assumed to be nearly two miles beneath the surface, near the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic, continues.
But the response coordinator with the local coastguard has told a news conference in Boston there was still hope the vessel would be found and the five men on board saved:
Also in the programme: Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky talks to the BBC about the latest developments in the war in Ukraine; and 50 years of the Women's Tennis Association, remembered by founding member, Billie Jean King.
(Photo shows an undated handout photo issued by OceanGate Expeditions of their submersible vessel named Titan. Credit: OceanGate Expeditions/PA Wire)
When the Myanmar military staged a coup d’état in February 2021, many healthcare workers became the first government employees to react, announcing a boycott of state-run hospitals. Today, there are doctors, nurses and other health workers providing services across the country, outside of state hospitals and often in secret. Claudia Hammond hears how they are struggling to provide clinics with dwindling resources and equipment and about the impact it’s having on people’s health.
We hear from Salvador in Brazil where a joint effort between local people, the Federal University of Bahia and the University of Liverpool is aiming to track rats to try to control the spread of the bacterial disease Leptospirosis.
And Professor of Integrated Community Child Health at University College London, Monica Lakhanpaul brings us new research to discuss on the effects of polluted water on babies, why taking a short nap might be good for brain health. And an early study that suggests the painful condition Endometriosis, where tissue from the lining of the uterus moves to other organs in the body, might be caused by bacteria. If the link exists, could it provide hope for new treatments?
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury Assistant Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris
Political and business leaders from across the world are meeting in London to discuss ways of repairing the damage caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke to the meeting in London by video-link. He said a reconstruction programme could be “the largest source of economic, industrial and technological growth in Europe for decades and decades”. The UN and World Bank has estimated the cost of rebuilding to be over four- hundred- billion dollars.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met Tesla boss Elon Musk during a three-day visit to the US. Mr Musk says he wants his electric cars to be available in India 'as soon as possible'. Tesla has been considering setting up a factory to produce cars and a base to produce batteries. The Indian Government is inviting Tesla to explore investing there, while Mr Musk now says he is 'trying to figure out the right timing'. We examine how developed the electric vehicle infrastructure is in India.
And we report on how businesses in Lebanon are increasingly demanding to be paid in dollars. The economy has crashed in recent years which has sent the Lebanese pound - or lira as it’s known in Arabic - into freefall.
President Zelensky has urged those attending an international conference on rebuilding Ukraine to aim for the country's transformation, not just its reconstruction.
Also in the programme: more than 40 people are killed at a women’s prison in Honduras; and the US Coast Guard says underwater noises were detected in the area of the North Atlantic where a tourist submersible went missing.
(Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the opening session on the first day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Credit: Reuters).
Sierra Leone is experiencing election fever ahead of its fifth election since the end of a brutal civil war in 2002. More than three million voters are expected to choose the next president, parliamentarians and local councillors.
And in the pod: A new report into human trafficking states that the number of boys caught up in the system has risen sharply. Why is this?
Also: we speak to Bogolo Joy Kenewendo. Not so long ago she was one of the youngest government ministers in Africa. How did she make her presence felt in the corridors of power in Botswana?
Politicians and entrepreneurs are in London deciding on how best to invest after the war. Also: the hunt for the missing Titanic tourist sub enters a critical stage, and how one 14-year-old prodigy is preparing to start work with Elon Musk.
In the early hours of 7 August 1994, police raided Tasty, a gay nightclub in downtown Melbourne, Australia.
On the hunt for drugs they strip-searched more than 450 people in a raid that lasted hours.
Many people felt what happened was homophobic and that the police had abused their powers.
Some of those searched took legal action.
Damages were awarded and years later Victoria Police gave a formal apology.
Gary Singer who was in Tasty when the raid happened and was the organiser of the class-action lawsuit tells Alex Collins about how his night out on the town went from joy to despair once the police entered the club.
(Photo: People being searched by police in the Tasty nightclub)
一位听众来信询问单词 “brochure、leaflet” 和 “pamphlet” 之间的区别。这三个词所指的物品都属于 “印刷品”，但外观和用途有所不同。从外观上看，“brochure” 通常最厚，其次是 “pamphlet”，最薄的是 “leaflet”。在这三个词所指的 “册子” 中，哪个 “册子” 还包含观点和看法，而不只是提供信息？听节目，学习这三个单词的用法。
Every year, India faces blistering heatwaves. In many parts of the country the temperatures are soaring, making it difficult for people to go about their daily lives.
It’s the poor who are the most affected. They live in congested slums and have to step out in the heat to earn money. We explore what is being done, and what more could be done, to help them.
Presenter / producer: Davina Gupta Image: Woman in Chennai; Credit: EPA/Idrees Mohammed
Stephen Sackur speaks to the Indian opposition politician and writer Shashi Tharoor. On the face of it, India’s a rising superpower, the world’s most populous nation, with a growing economy and a popular leader. How strong is the argument that India is heading in the wrong direction?
America saw a surge in applications to build new homes in May, driven by single-family homebuilding projects which rose at it's highest rate in 3 decades.
We find out what this means for the market's recovery and if this boom makes housing affordable for buyers.
Devina Gupta discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Sarah Birke, Bureau Chief for Mexico, Central America and The Caribbean at the Economist, and Jyoti Malhotra, National & Strategic Affairs editor with The Print website in India.
(Picture: Construction workers build multifamily housing in San Diego, California, U.S., January 13, 2023 Credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)
No results from search as clock ticks down on breathable air for 5 passengers on board. Also: Reports from Honduras say a riot and a fire at a women's prison has left dozens dead, and Elton John speaks to the BBC as he prepares for his last ever concert in the UK at the world famous Glastonbury festival.
Construction of new single family homes rose the fastest in 3 decades, but with borrowing costs surging, can home buyers afford them? Devina Gupta finds out what is behind the boost in house builds.
We hear how Zoom is looking to change its strategy to beat so-called 'zoom fatigue'.
And we go to Portugal which is becoming a hub for 'Digital Nomads', people who can live and work where they please.
The rescue mission to find a missing tourist submersible, which lost contact on its descent to the Titanic, has expanded deep underwater. There are five people aboard and the US Coast Guard estimates they have about forty hours of oxygen left.
Also on the programme: we hear from the 13-year-old Ukrainian author who kept a diary of her journey escaping Russia’s invasion, and the full-time accountant who recorded this season's fastest 100m time in Europe.
(Picture: The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken SS Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland. Credit: Reuters)
Technology consultant Ann Charles on the future of podcasting after Spotify ditches some of its highest profile - and highest paid - broadcasters. Tom Nunlist, senior analyst at Trivium China, on how the authorities in Beijing are trying to regulate AI. And Alasdair Keane reports from Berlin's Green Tech Festival.
Portugal has welcomed thousands of high value, short stay workers with an attractive new visa.
They’re the so called Digital Nomads, who can live and work where they please - but the locals say they’re skewing the economy, we find out why.
Producer / presenter: Ciaran Tracey Image: Flexible working: Credit: PA
China's huge multinational tech firm, Alibaba, is to have a new chairman and chief executive, reportedly to make it commercially more effective. We look at why this is happening and what the changes mean.
The former head of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, is reported to have filed a billion dollar lawsuit against the Japanese car maker. Tokyo based writer, William Sposato, brings us up to date with the latest.
And former F1 ace, Nico Rosberg, tells why he’s left motorsport behind to become a green tech investor.
US and Canadian coastguards continue the search for the Titan vessel that went missing on Sunday. We hear from Colonel Terry Virts, a friend of British billionaire Hamish Harding, one of the five people on board the missing vessel. We also hear from Professor Alistair Greig about the challenges of the rescue operation. Also on the programme: police in British Columbia say the killing of the President of the Sikh temple was a targeted killing; and glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges.
(Pic credit : Oceangate)
The US coastguard says it's expanding its search into deeper waters in North Atlantic. Also: a special report into an international law enforcement effort to dismantle a monkey torture network spanning three continents, and scientists in Australia say a surge in the number of humpback whales spotted during the annual migration could mean whale populations are recovering.
Mali's ruling military junta held a constitutional referendum on Sunday, but turnout was around 27%, with many people refusing to take part. We look at what was on the table, and what the outcome could mean in terms of the return to democracy.
Plus, as South Africa takes a step towards making universal healthcare a reality, we speak to the head of the country's National Health Insurance about why some people aren't happy about the situation.
And we speak to the director of a museum in Nigeria preparing to receive some of the Benin Bronzes looted during the days of British colonialism, about why returning the artefacts home is important.
We discover that chocolate biscuits are a helpful learning tool when talking about this.
At the end of May 1988, rebels from the Somali National Movement launched a series of lightening attacks on cities in northern Somalia - the area that today is the self-declared republic of Somaliland.
The rebels were fighting against the military dictatorship of President Siad Barre.
By the start of June, they had taken control of most of Hargeisa, the biggest city in the north.
Government forces fell back to Hargeisa airport and other areas on the outskirts and were ordered to begin the indiscriminate bombardment of the city.
At the time Ahmed Mohamed Hassan was a fighter pilot in the Somali air force.
He now faced a choice: join other pilots in bombing the city or refuse and face the prospect of being shot.
He’s been talking to Rob Walker.
(Photo: Ahmed Mohamed Hassan in 2023. Credit: Ahmed Mohamed Hassan)
虽然有时在生活、工作或学习中犯小错误在所难免，但我们仍会因犯错误而感到自责。英语中有一个表达可以用来安慰他人 “谁都难免会犯这种错误，不要过于纠结，要向前看”。本期节目就来介绍这个实用表达的含义和用法。
Indian carrier IndiGo has agreed to buy 500 Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal worth roughly $55bn.
The agreement was announced on the first day of the Paris Airshow.
Devina Gupta discusses this and more business news from around the world with Takara Small, technology journalist based in Toronto and Sergio Guzmán, director of Colombia Risk Analysis based in Bogotá.
(Picture: Airbus wins record 500-plane order from India's IndiGo Credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
There's a horrific and disturbing trade in the torture of Macaque monkeys that are filmed and sold online. Rebecca Henschke follows the trade in these videos from the USA to Indonesia to the UK. Who is making them, who is selling them and who is buying them? Why is it that monkeys being put through unimaginable pain is so attractive that people are willing to pay to watch it? Rebecca confronts the people at the centre of this worldwide trade.
A major search operation is underway in the North Atlantic. Also: The UN secretary general warns that Sudan is descending into chaos at an unprecedented speed, and has called on the world to act, And could a nap a day help keep brain shrinkage at bay?
The order of 500 Airbus A320 aircraft by Indian carrier IndiGo is the largest single purchase agreement by any airline in commercial aviation history. Devina Gupta finds out if the deal worth roughly $55bn is a sign of a global rocovery in the industry.
We get the latest from the meeting between the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken and China's President Xi Jinping.
And ahead of World Refugee Day we hear from one woman who made the trip from South Sudan to Uganda and now works at the BidiBidi settlement camp.
We hear from the United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, who has raised concerns with the Taliban government. Also in the programme, the US Coastguard is searching for a missing submersible that's designed to take tourists to view the Titanic. Plus, Russia's leading opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, goes on trial again, to face his most serious charges yet. And Germany bets big on semiconductor chips, promising Intel billions in subsidies to build a major microchip plant.
(Picture: Afghan women learn tailoring skills at a centre in Kandahar, Afghanistan, 21 February 2023. This centre serves 60 women, including those who were forced to leave school under the Taliban. Photo by STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
England’s record-breaking pace bowler James Anderson is now starting his third decade as an international cricketer.
Now aged 40, England’s leading Test wicket taker is playing in his 10th Ashes series, but shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.
Hear from Anderson and players who have played alongside and against him including former England captain Sir Alastair Cook and Australia’s Peter Siddle as Sportsworld’s Lee James celebrates the England bowler’s two decades at the top.
(Image: James Anderson of England celebrates taking the wicket of Alex Carey of Australia during Day Three of the LV= Insurance Ashes 1st Test match between England and Australia at Edgbaston on June 18, 2023 in Birmingham, England. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Nine Egyptian nationals suspected of involvement in the sinking of a trawler carrying hundreds of migrants off the Greek coast have pleaded not guilty after appearing in court in Southern Greece on Monday.
Also in the programme: US and China pledge to stabilise relations; and Australia approves a referendum on aboriginal rights.
(Picture: A picture of the trawler in the hours before it sank. Credit: GREEK COAST GUARD)
Following U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing, we look at how tensions stand between the two countries and how they've affected business decisions far beyond the borders of both countries.
A new trade deal has been agreed between the EU and Kenya. Will Bain speaks to Miriam Garcia Ferrer, the EU's Spokesperson for Trade and Agriculture, on how the agreement will benefit both sides.
And the BBC’s International Business Correspondent, Theo Leggett, brings us the latest from the Paris Airshow – one of the biggest events of the year for the global aviation and aerospace industries.
Nine Egyptian nationals suspected of involvement in the sinking of a boat carrying hundreds of migrants off the Greek coast last week have pleaded not guilty after appearing in court. The men were arrested on suspicion of people smuggling and other offences following the disaster, which saw at least 78 people killed. We talk to someone who has been involved in migrant boat rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea.
Also in the pod: The effect of power shortages on South Africa's water supply.
And 10 years of K-Pop in Africa.
Antony Blinken said there were still issues of contention, but he agreed with the Chinese President on the need for better relations. Also: Nine Egyptians suspected of involvement in people trafficking linked to the Greek migrant boat disaster have pleaded not guilty in court and the Paris air show gets underway with sustainability as the dominant theme.
East German workers went on strike in protest at Soviet rule on 16 June 1953.
Demonstrations spread throughout the country but were soon crushed by communist troops. Martial law followed.
In 2011, Nina Robinson spoke to Helmut Strecker who was a 21-year-old student and the son of communist party supporters.
Helmut was on the streets of East Berlin trying to persuade marchers to go home.
(Photo: East Germany demonstrators march through Brandenburg Gate. Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images)
The small Caucasian country, which borders Russia, has experienced increased demand for surrogates after the war in Ukraine meant that Russia and Ukraine were no longer options for couples wanting a baby. Those countries used to be international hubs for surrogacy - when a woman carries a pregnancy for another couple or individual.
In Georgia, commercial surrogacy is legal, and regulations are extremely liberal. Affordable prices make Georgia an even more attractive alternative. We hear from clinics who say they are struggling to keep up with demand, plus from a surrogate mother who says it has been life-changing for her financially.
Producer and presenter: Khatia Shamanauri (Image: A pregnant woman looking at her phone. Credit: Getty Images)
Another chance to listen to Stephen Sackur's 2022 interview with the Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who has died aged 92. He exposed US government lies about Vietnam, and helped hasten President Nixon’s downfall. He dedicated his life to warning Americans about the dangers of unchecked military power. Was it a message they wanted to hear?
Tennis has a level of equality that women in other many other sports must envy, with equal prize money and media coverage at many top tournaments. Much of this is down to the work of the Women's Tennis Association, founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King and other players to unite all of women's professional tennis in one tour. To mark the 50th anniversary, Kim Chakanetsa talks to WTA president, Micky Lawler and top player, Johanna Konta about how the game is changing on the court and off it: the great steps made towards equality, and the challenges and the progress still to be made.
Former British No1 Johanna Konta won three WTA Tour titles. She also played for Great Britain in the Davis Cup and Olympics and was semi-finalist at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and Roland Garros. Born in Australia she moved to train in Spain at 14 and her parents settled in the UK. She’s one of only five British women to gain a world top-ten ranking in the open era – reaching No 4 in the world in June 2017. She retired from professional tennis in December 2021, before getting married and starting a family.
Micky Lawler was born in Holland, and while her father’s job took the family to live in Argentina, Bolivia and Kenya sport played an important part of her life growing up. A multi-linguist, she was teaching English and planning to be an interpreter when she got her first job in tennis. A highly successful sports agent before moving to the WTA, she’s helped build tournaments in countries around the world as a way of increasing opportunities for players.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Johanna Konta, credit Made Nagi/EPA. (R) Micky Lawler, credit Radka Leitmeritz.)
Wayne McGregor is a choreographer and director whose future-focused, multi-award-winning works take inspiration from technology, literature and visual art. As resident choreographer for the Royal Ballet since 2006, he has created a catalogue of daring and beautiful dance pieces, pushing the artform in radical new directions. Reporter Eliza Lomas goes backstage at the Royal Opera House, following Wayne as he creates a brand new work. Called ‘untitled: 2023’, the piece developed in collaboration with someone he greatly admires - the late Cuban-American artist Carmen Herrera.
Aaron Stark now works to raise awareness around why mass attacks happen.
Aaron had a chaotic and violent childhood, and by the time he was a teenager he was homeless, angry and traumatised. At his lowest point, he began to plan an appaling act of violence in a bid to punish the world around him. He wanted to get hold of a gun, but before he could, his best friend Mike changed the course of his life with a small, simple act of kindness.
This episode includes themes of suicide, self harm and drug use.
If you need support relating to any of the issues we've covered in this interview, you can find more information on the BBC Action line website or at Befrienders.org
Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Harry Graham and Emily Naylor Editor: Munazza Khan
A BBC investigation casts doubt on the Greek coastguard’s account of the hours leading up to the sinking of the migrant shipwreck. Also: The latest on the deadly Uganda school attack as the army hunts for the militants involved, and Finland teaches the rest of the world how to be happy
A BBC investigation has cast serious doubt on the Greek coastguard’s account of the sinking of a ship carrying hundreds of migrants on Wednesday. Greek authorities have not yet responded to the BBC's findings.
Also on the programme; the United States has given a positive assessment of talks between its top diplomat and China's foreign minister, but Beijing says relations are at a historic low. And, we hear how Swiss voters backed ambitious plans to save melting glaciers.
(Picture: A bus transporting survivors of the tragic shipwreck that occurred off the coast of Pylos on June 14th (Credit: Getty)
America's secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is making his first visit to China since taking office, as the two countries seek to prevent their rivalry from spiralling into conflict. We speak to our correspondent who is following Mr Blinken on the visit and to Huiyao Wang, of the Center for China and Globalization, a think tank with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Also in the programme: we discuss whether Artificial Intelligence poses a threat to humanity; and why Zimbabweans have an appetite for George Orwell's classic novel Animal Farm.
(Photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Credit: Reuters/Leah Millis/Pool)
The Warm Up Track is back! Season Three continues with Commonwealth 1500m Champion Oliver Hoare and World 200m Finalist, Luxolo Adams.
Who could have made it as a professional footballer?
Whose Dad woke the neighbours up honking the car horn when his son won?
What’s the strangest thing an opponent has done to win the psychological battle pre-race?
How do you process being compared to one of your country’s all-time greats, who was winning their medals more than 60 years ago?
We also discuss track and field’s new fly-on-the-wall documentaries – being shot this season – and the need for the sport to find characters and tell their stories.
Plus, we hear first-hand how the visa issues which affected a number of athletes before last year’s World Championships impacted directly on one of our guests.
Photo: Oliver Hoare of Team Australia celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Men's 1500m Final on day nine of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium on August 06, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Credit: Getty Images)
Fifty years on from the first mobile phone call, this programme examines how the device has revolutionised the way we lives our lives. It was 1973 when Martin Cooper, a Motorola researcher made the first mobile phone call to his rival at Bell Labs. The prototype weighed 2 kilograms and measured 23 by 13 by 4.5 centimetres. It offered a talk time of just 30 mins and took 10 hours to recharge. Fast forward five decades and checking the phone is the first thing many people do when they wake up in the morning and the last thing they do when they go to bed. How has the mobile phone revolutionised the way we live our lives?
Attackers linked to the Islamic State group used machetes and burned a dormitory during the attack in Mpondwe. Also: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa tells Vladimir Putin the war in Ukraine must end, and could crocodiles help humans development treatments for resistant fungal infections?
Survivors said pupils were killed with machetes and buildings were set ablaze during an overnight attack on a boarding school in western Uganda. At least six more are reported abducted. The military has vowed to track down the attackers, who they believe to be the radical Muslim organisation Allied Democratic Forces. We hear the government’s reaction Information Minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi.
Also on the programme: African leaders arrive in St Petersburg to meet Vladimir Putin for talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine, and the stand-up comic from Kyiv who is making New Yorkers laugh about the war.
Ugandan security forces stand guard as locals gather at the cordoned scene outside the Mpondwe Lhubirira Secondary School, after militants linked to rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed and abducted multiple people, in Mpondwe, western Uganda (Credit: Reuters)
A rebel group has attacked a school in western Uganda, killing at least forty people - most of them pupils. Dozens more have been abducted. Police say the attack was carried out by the ADF which is based in neighbouring Congo.
Also in the programme: We hear from the fishermen in North Africa offered fortunes for their boats; and Russia's only solo woman cosmonaut gets an award from the Kremlin, 60 years after going into space.
(Photo: A boy is comforted on Saturday at the scene of an attack at the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School in Uganda. Credit: AFP)
It’s one of the most historic and fearsome sporting rivalries – The Ashes as World Champions Australia up against a reborn England team – There is no contest quite like it.
With the series underway, have you ever wondered why this cricketing duel between Australia and England is called The Ashes? For that we go back to a Test Match at the Oval in South London in 1882 when Australia recorded their first ever win over England. Neil Robinson of the MCC explains the story.
Plus, we are on the road with the power couple of Squash, Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb of Egypt recently won their respective singles titles at the Manchester Open. As often is the case with elite sport, the journey to the top brings its challenges from dealing with setbacks to travelling on tour with their young daughter so how do they juggle family life with being the best Squash players in the world? Ali will explain all.
Over the next week, Germany will welcome 7,000 athletes from approximately 190 countries to compete in 26 sports in the Special Olympics. For one athlete, his life would have looked radically different if it wasn't for sport. Seven years ago, Gilmour Borg from Malta, joined the Special Olympics team which he says "transformed him as a person". Gilmour is now an ambassador for The Games and has been telling about those struggles during his teenage years that left him isolated and afraid. If you have been impacted by Gilmour's story, advice and help is available, visit BBC Action Line for more information.
Photo: A replica Ashes Urn is photographed prior to an Australia nets session at Edgbaston on June 15, 2023 in Birmingham, England. (Credit: Getty Images)
Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, thanks for the eagle eyed doctor in Australia who spotted a serious medical problem on a TV interview and issued a very timely warning. Praise in Colombia for the big sister who kept her little siblings alive in the jungle after their plane crashed. And the Mongolian women re-invigorating an old art-form for the twenty-first century.
Presented by Jackie Leonard. Music produced by Iona Hampson.
World Book Club took to the air over two decades ago and it is still going strong. Each month an author is quizzed by a live audience. We speak with its long-running host Harriett Gilbert and ask how do you make a show appeal to those who are not heavy readers? And listeners give their thoughts.
Plus, how a recent edition of HardTalk on Iranian Kurds hit the nail on the head for a listener in the US.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown Production for BBC World Service
From Bhutan to The Bahamas and Iceland to Indonesia, mass tourism has grown at an unprecedented rate over the last few decades. Today’s top destinations are struggling with the sheer numbers of visitors and the United Nations has called for a total rethink on how the industry operates.
The origins of travel for pleasure go back centuries and package holidays in the 1960s made it accessible to many in the West but it’s only the combination of cheap flights and the advent of the internet that has led to truly global tourism on a mass scale. Whilst the industry now generates huge income for many companies and individuals around the globe, critics point to the cost to both the environment and humankind.
Drawing on listeners’ questions and comments, Rajan Datar examines the way mass tourism has impacted people’s lives, both positively and negatively, and asks if the enforced pause in tourism caused by Covid was utilised as an opportunity for a re-think. He is joined by Sihle Khumalo, a popular South African travel writer; Shazia Mirza, a renowned British comedienne and writer; Qupanuk Olsen, originally a mining engineer but now Greenland’s leading travel influencer; Prof. Noel Salazar, anthropologist of tourism from KU Leuven in Belgium; Iñigo Sánchez-Fuarros, senior researcher at the Institute of Heritage Sciences of the Spanish National Research Council and Dr. Birgit Trauer, tourism consultant and educator from Australia.
[Photo: El Postiguet Beach in Alicante, Spain in the summer of 2022. Credit: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images.]
After being ridiculed by the English fans and media following his dismal performance in the 2010-2011 Ashes series, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson proved himself on home ground in 2013 by destroying England’s batting order. Taking 37 wickets and being named Player of the Series, Johnson dominated the tests which became known as Johnson's Ashes.
He speaks to the BBC as part of their coverage of the 2023 Ashes series.
(Photo: Mitchell Johnson of Australia celebrates after taking the wicket of Alastair Cook of England during day three of the Fourth Ashes Test Match between Australia and England at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 28, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. Credit: Getty)
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, is heading to Beijing to restore the line of communication between the two countries after a persistent economic and diplomatic tensions.
Filipinos make up around a quarter of all mariners worldwide, but many find it hard to get proper care abroad because of confusing legal loopholes.
And should tourists try their hand at haggling abroad – or just pay what they’re asked?
(Picture: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Source: Getty Images)
Robert Bowers is accused of killing eleven Jewish worshippers -- the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history. Also: Greece shipwreck survivor's emotional reunion, and the Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg dies aged 92.
Hundreds of wildfires are burning across Canada, almost half are classed by officials as ‘out of control’. Their immediate impact is the destruction of homes and businesses, plants and wildlife. But the smoke from those fires is affecting air quality. Maps tracking the spread of the smoke, have shown it covering large parts of Canada, as well as US cities such as Minneapolis and Chicago. We speak to families in Canada and New York who share experiences of the smoke from wildfires in Canada. Plus, mothers from India, Pakistan, and United States discuss the effect of air pollution.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History stories.
We focus on some of the world’s best known photographs - and the photographers who took them.
We find out why Lee Miller was in Hitler’s bath in the dying days of World War Two; and historian Dr Pippa Oldfield discusses the women who were the pioneers of war photography.
Also, Sir Don McCullin tells the story behind one of his most famous images of the Vietnam War.
Plus, more on the party pictures that shone a light on an unseen Africa and how the biggest names in jazz came together for one immortal portrait.
Finally, the first African American woman to have her photographs snapped up by New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
Contributors: Antony Penrose, Lee Miller's son and biographer Sir Don McCullin, photographer Dr Pippa Oldfield, photo-historian Manthia Diawara, filmmaker Jonathan Kane, son of photographer Art Kane Ming Smith, photographer
(Photo: Grace Jones. Studio 54, New York, 1970s. Credit: Ming Smith)
The United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken is heading to Beijing to restore the line of communication between the two countries after a persistent economic and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
World leaders are gathering in Paris to try to forge a new global financing pact. But an open letter signed by 25 of the world's leading economists suggests more radical reform is needed.
Plans to build the world's largest petrochemical refinery have led to angry protests in north west India. A group of Indian state oil majors and global giants Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company want to build the plant in western India's ecologically fragile Konkan belt.
(Picture: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Source: Getty Images)
Could Greece have done more to prevent a migrant boat from sinking? We ask a Greece's government official who says they offered help, but they didn't have the authority. He also says the European Union should do more.
Also in the programme: The US Deportment of Justice report into George Floyd's death says officers routinely used racial discrimination and excessive force; African leaders head from Ukraine to Russia; 15,000 flee Sudan to Chad; and the ocean racers testing microplastics.
Photo: Survivors of the migrant boat in the Greek city of Kalamata. Credit: Shutterstock.
The largest chipmaker in the US Micron announced it is looking to invest around $600m over the next few years in its chip packaging facility in the Chinese city of Xi'an. This can bring some peace in the US-China tech war.
An investigation by the BBC and international partners into Russian casualties in Ukraine has found that the numbers of dead soldiers are far in excess of official tallies.
It estimates that many more Russian soldiers have been killed during their country's war in Ukraine than the number acknowledged by Moscow. How much more can the country endure?
Also - as hundreds are feared lost at sea in Mediterranean migrant boat sinking, we'll hear from the Red Cross official leading efforts to re-unite families, and ask whether the Greek authorities failed in their duties; and a new type of dinosaur bares its bones.
(Photo shows a composite image showing pictures of Russian troops who have died in Ukraine. Credit: BBC)
BBC Mundo's correspondent in Bogota, Daniel Pardo, shares the story behind the extraordinary survival of four indigenous children who used ancestral knowledge to stay alive in the Colombian jungle after a plane crash. Their story has sparked a debate about the divide in the country between indigenous and urbanised communities.
Indian wrestler protest Since January some of India's top female wrestlers have been protesting, demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, outgoing chief of the Wrestling Federation of India and also a BJP MP. He has been accused of sexual harassment, which he denies. BBC Delhi’s Divya Arya brings us up to date with this week's developments.
Brazil, a 'nursery' for Russian spies? BBC Brasil has investigated the strange story of at least three alleged Russian spies who adopted Brazilian identities. Leandro Prazeres tells us why a false Brazilian identity would be ideal cover for agents who need to circulate worldwide without arousing suspicion.
Me and my name Egyptian Reem Fatthelbab tells us the story of her name, from her own intervention in choosing her first name, to the family history and meaning contained in her surname, inherited from her great-grandfather.
Humans and elephants in conflict in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is home to thousands of wild elephants, which increasingly come into conflict with humans. Last year, nearly 150 people died in elephant attacks and around 440 elephants were killed. BBC Sinhala’s Shirly Upul Kumara visited an elephant hotspot to see the problem first hand.
(Photo: Four children rescued after 40 days in the Amazon jungle. Credit: Colombian Military Forces/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Age of consent raised from 13 to 16 in Japan. Also: the blood test that can potentially detect 50 cancers, conversion therapy in Switzerland and the new dinosaur species discovered in Britain.
As African leaders visit Ukraine and Russia to help negotiate peace , we ask what unique perspectives they can bring to succeed where others have failed.
Also in the pod: can you really buy your way out of a climate catastrophe? Our Environment Correspondent tells us why buying carbon credits could be insufficient at preventing overshooting our global temperature targets.
And, as Belgium refurbishes a museum holding African artefacts, we reignite a conversation between two young Congolese activists on the future of African artefacts taken during the colonial past.
How TV series, films and social media can impact the travel industry.
We are in Paris to explore how the Netflix show Emily in Paris has changed tourism in the city. We also hear from a tour guide in New Zealand who changed his business when the Lord of the Rings film series became more popular.
Presenter / producer: Nina Pasquani Image: Paris; Credit: BBC
Leaders and representatives from various African countries are traveling to Eastern Europe in an effort to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia – and provide an Africa-led boost to the world’s economy. Roger Hearing is joined by ambassador Rama Yade from the Atlantic Council’s Africa Centre to discuss the visit.
Foxconn, one of the biggest electronics manufacturers in the world, makes more than half of Apple’s products as well as goods for Amazon, Dell and Sony amongst others. But how is the Taiwan-based giant coping amid increasing US-China tensions? The company’s CEO Young Liu speaks to the BBC’s Karishma Vaswani.
With the Fed holding US interest rates this week, and inflation apparently back within manageable limits, now America’s labour market is coming under scrutiny.
(Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (L). Archive image. Source Getty Images)
There’s a debate raging in Switzerland over a potential nationwide ban on so-called conversion therapy. We meet Christians whose lives the procedure has changed forever. They explain how growing up in an Evangelical community, they struggled with their faith and sexuality from a young age – driving them to seek help. So-called conversion therapy has been around for centuries. The controversial practice is used around the world to try to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The issue has become a hot topic in in Switzerland, and the parliamentary process to potentially enact a nationwide ban is underway. Claire Jones meets the Christians working to change the law, and those who are against a legislative ban.
Hundreds are still missing after one of Europe's worst migrant disasters. Also: NATO members discuss the future of support for Ukraine, and the Highway To Hell that officials want to rename.
Foxconn, one of the biggest electronics manufacturers in the world, makes more than half of Apple’s products as well as goods for Amazon, Dell and Sony amongst others. But how is the Taiwan-based giant coping amid increasing US-China tensions? The company’s CEO Young Liu speaks to the BBC’s Karishma Vaswani.
With the Fed holding US interest rates this week, and inflation apparently back within manageable limits, now America’s labour market is coming under scrutiny.
In the second part of our exclusive reporting into life in North Korea, we look at repression in the secretive authoritarian state which seems to be getting more repressive and totalitarian than ever.
Also in the programme: former UK Prime Minister - Boris Johnson - deliberately misled MPs over Covid-19 lockdown parties; and we speak to a Khartoum resident who fled the war as the conflict in Sudan enters its third month.
Photo: Barbed wire fence between North Korea and China. Credit: Reuters
As Pacific Ocean temperatures rise, the a major El Niño looming. Experts from the European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecasting, Magdalena Balmaseda and Tim Stockdale, join us to discuss how it is heating up the world and if it could herald in a new period of climate uncertainty. Last month, Roland stayed up all night to watch the spectacular explosion of supernova 2023ixf. Now, Dr Charlie Kilpatrick, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University, has identified the star that blew up 21 million lightyears away. A similar star in our galaxy, the exceptionally bright Betelgeuse, has been acting strangely. Dr Andrea Dupree, a senior astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, has been trying to figure out what’s going on. Is this iconic star about to pop? And from ageing stars to ageing flies, researchers have published a cell-by-cell map of fruit flies throughout the life of the short lived creatures, showing how they change. Steve Quake, Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Applied Physics at Stanford University, tells us what this means for us.
Image credit: ClimateReanalyzer.org
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber
We bring you an exclusive report from ordinary people inside the country and take a look at the economy of one of the world's most isolated nations. Devina Gupta finds out what life is really like for people living there.
Can Argentina replace its local currency with the US dollars? We hear one way the South American country is looking to tackle inflation.
And we learn about the growth in speciality cruises.
A damning report by British MPs has found that the former prime minister, Boris Johnson, deliberately lied to parliament over gatherings at his official residence during coronavirus lockdowns. Also: strong winds and heavy seas pound the coasts of north-western India and southern Pakistan as a powerful cyclone makes landfall, and scientists find ingredients for life on an icy moon of Saturn.
People living in North Korea have told the BBC that the government has become increasingly repressive. In secret interviews, they spoke of new laws and punishments being introduced, as well as increased surveillance.
Also, a report by British MPs has found that the former prime minister, Boris Johnson, repeatedly lied to parliament about illegal parties held during coronavirus lockdowns.
And how a bus bearing the number of the beast will no longer take you to Hel.
(Photo: Kim Jong-un is the current leader of North Korea. Credit: Getty Images)
Nigerian students to get interest free loans for higher education. Thanks to President Bola Tinubu's new student loan bill. How will it work in practice?
Also in the pod: There has been a furious reaction in Egypt to Netflix’s recently released “Queen Cleopatra” miniseries. We look at why many in the country are upset that a black actor was cast in the leading role.
And American pop diva Beyonce on a global tour but why isn’t Africa part of her world?
In 1968, British photographer Sir Don McCullin travelled to Vietnam for his second ever war assignment.
His graphic photographs of the fighting made his reputation and influenced public opinion in the West.
Sir Don produced some of his most powerful work during the visit including 'Shell-Shocked US Marine, The Battle of Hue'.
The photograph shows an American soldier, gripping his rifle whilst the carnage of one of the war’s most intense battle surrounds him.
Speaking to Louise Hidalgo in 2012, Sir Don describes how he took several frames of this man and how the soldier didn’t blink once.
(Photo: Sir Don McCullin in front of his photographs including 'Shell-Shocked US Marine, The Battle of Hue'. Credit: Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images)
How special interest cruises for fans of music, yoga and sci-fi are revamping the industry.
Deborah Weitzmann goes on a blues cruise to find out how the speciality cruise industry works and why it's growing in popularity. She also heads off the boat to find out what happens to on-shore businesses when all the entertainment is on the boat.
Presenter / producer: Deborah Weitzmann Image: Legendary Rhythm and blues cruise; Credit: BBC
The show that brings you the science behind the news, with Marnie Chesterton and an inter-continental team.
This week we take the headlines of the wildfires in North America, pull out the science and run with it. We explore what’s actually in smoke-polluted air, looking at the part the El Nino weather system plays in starting fires, and discover why a surprising element of air pollution is helping conservation biologists to track animals.
We look at how tobacco is not just bad for your lungs – it’s bad for some of the farmers who grow it too. We get the Kenyan perspective on farmers trying to move away from tobacco production. We continue our quest to find The Coolest Science in the World with a researcher who studies grasshoppers that are the noisiest on the planet, but might not actually be noisy enough.
And as Ukraine struggles with the devastation caused by the destruction of the Kherson dam, we look at dam building along the Mekong river and ask why a lack of flood water might be causing a problem.
All that, plus your emails and whatsapps, and a listener gets an unexpected answer to a question about whether we can send taste and smell over the airwaves.
Presented by: Marnie Chesterton Produced by Alex Mansfield, with Ben Motley, Margaret Sessa-Hawkins & Sophie Ormiston
An investigation by BBC Eye exposes the men profiting from an ugly business of sexual assault for sale.
We find websites selling thousands of videos of men sexually abusing women on trains, buses, and other crowded public places across East Asia. You can even order your own tailor-made assault on these sites.
They’re run by a shadowy figure known as “Uncle Qi”. He’s hailed as a guru by an online community of perverts. But who is he?
The hunt takes Assignment to Japan, where sexual assault in public is known as "Chikan". We take you inside this dark and twisted world to hear from the perpetrators of these horrific crimes, and meet the women who are fighting back. We visit a “Chikan” sex club where customers can pay to legally grope women in rooms decorated like trains; and we follow plain clothes police searching for sexual predators on Japan’s metro.
The investigation goes undercover to expose the identity of the men running these websites who are cashing in on sexual violence.
Presenter: Zhaoyin Feng BBC Eye Producers: Aliaume Leroy, Shanshan Chen, Zhaoyin Feng Assignment producer: John Murphy Sound mix: Rod Farquhar Production Co-ordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Assignment Editor: Penny Murphy
This programme deals with matters of a sexual nature which some listeners may find disturbing.
Roger Hearing looks at how the Federal Reserve has left the United States interest rates unchanged and steady for the first time in more than a year. However, its latest economic forecast suggest that more rate hikes lie ahead.
Half of workers aren’t engaged on the job, putting in slightest effort to get by, according to research by Gallup. Employee engagement, a measure of involvement and enthusiasm at work, globally declined for the second year in a row.
And the frenzy stoked by the start of the Beyonce's world tour is has been driving up prices in Sweden.
(Picture: Shopper in a supermarket in New York, in JUNE 12. Source: Getty Images)
Rare interviews with ordinary North Koreans inside the secretive state reveal chronic food shortages and starvation. Also: "extremely fierce battles" as Kyiv seeks to advance against Russian forces, and are fruit flies emotional?
Tabasco sauce, Lea and Perrins, Angostura Bitters. Those are a few of a very select number of sauces, condiments and tipples that have weathered changing tastes and trends over the years, even outliving their founders.
How do some brands manage to survive for 100, 150 or 200 years?
In this programme, David Reid lifts the lid on some of these store cupboard stalwarts to reveal the secrets of their longevity, heritage appeal, and what happens when a company tries to ‘tweak’ a winning recipe.
If you’d like to contact the programme you can email – thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: Tabasco sauce bottles)
Presented and produced by David Reid
In the United States, the Federal Reserve has left interest rates unchanged for the first time in more than a year. However, its latest economic forecasts suggest that more rate hikes lie ahead.
Despite the assurances given by the Qatar government and FIFA, a new report says “labour exploitation of migrant workers rampant during Qatar World Cup” and some workers were left unable to pay off the debts they built up to get their jobs in the first place and that many felt unable to complain for fear of reprisal.
And the frenzy stoked by the start of the singer's world tour is seen driving up prices in Sweden. She is apparently the queen of inflation after the rise of demand for hotels and restaurant meals, according to the country's economic statistics.
Exclusive interviews gathered inside the world’s most isolated state suggest the situation is the worst it’s been since the 1990s, according to experts. The BBC has secretly interviewed three ordinary people in North Korea. They told us that since the country’s border closure in 2020 in response to the pandemic, they are afraid they will either starve to death or be executed for flouting the rules.
Also on the programme: at least 79 people have died and more than 100 have been rescued after their fishing vessel capsized off the coast of southern Greece; and the frenzy stoked by the start of Beyoncé’s world tour is seen driving up prices in Sweden.
(Image: A rare photo taken inside North Korea during the pandemic, showing people at a crossing in Phyongysong. Credit: NK News)
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease which spreads to humans and can cause fever and severe joint pain, sometimes felt long term. It’s most common in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. But just like better known diseases Dengue and Zika, outbreaks look set to become more widespread as the world warms. We hear from Josie Shillito who caught Chikungunya while working on the island of Réunion. And Reader in Virus Evolution at Imperial College London, Dr Nuno R. Faria gives his reaction to news of the first phase three vaccination trial for the disease.
In the first of a new series where we try to answer your health questions, we hear from Steve from New Zealand who wants to know about the connection between migraines and vertigo. Dr Michael Strupp, Professor of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of Munich sheds some light.
BBC health reporter Philippa Roxby joins Claudia Hammond to discuss the latest health research. This week we hear about a shortage of blood available for transfusions across Sub-Saharan Africa. A study from the US estimating how many lives of people with covid would have been saved if the vaccines had been shared evenly around the world; How a drug more commonly used to treat diabetes might lower the risk of developing long covid. And a study from Taiwan where subterranean robots have been used to destroy mosquito breeding sites in sewers.
Image Credit: Reuters
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Clare Salisbury & Jonathan Blackwell
A draft law known as the AI Act has been passed by the European Parliament which would put new restrictions on the technology. Devina Gupta speaks to those behind the decision.
We hear from South Africa where lawmakers agreed on a new health insurance bill, which will pave the way for universal healthcare in the country.
And we hear how all-inclusive holiday resorts are helping local economies.
The United Nations refugee agency says the figures were made up of people fleeing due to war, persecution, poverty and climate change. We speak to Filippo Grandi, head of the UNHCR.
Also on the programme: EU approves a draft legislation designed to limit harm from AI systems; and a Chinese-Australian artist claims Chinese diplomats have tried to shut down his latest art exhibition.
(File photo shows migrants on a fishing boat in Greece CREDIT: Reuters)
The shipwreck is the deadliest off the country this year. Also: Italy holds state funeral for former PM Silvio Berlusconi and Europe approves an AI voluntary code of conduct.
How Nigeria's decision to drop a decades-long fuel subsidy scheme has impacted petrol prices in neighbouring Benin.
Also in the pod: six years since the BBC uncovered a sex for grades scandal, Nigerian lawmakers have passed a bill to fight sexual harassment in universities.
And the president of Uganda was a recent target of disinformation. We find out what happened and give some tips as to how you also can spot false information online.
The Malian photographer, Malick Sidibé, is one of Africa’s most celebrated artists.
His most famous photographs show black and white scenes of young people partying in the capital Bamako in the joyful, confident era after Mali’s independence from France in 1960.
In the 1990s, a chance encounter with a French curator brought Sidibé’s work international acclaim.
The wider world had been used to seeing a narrow range of images from Africa, so when Sidibé’s work went on show in Western galleries, audiences were stunned by the exuberant world they revealed.
In 2022, Manthia Diawara, the Malian filmmaker and professor at New York University, who knew Malick when he was a roving nightlife photographer spoke, to Viv Jones.
(Photo: Danser le Twist, 1963 by Malick Sidibé. Credit: Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris)
一位听众来信询问名词 “circumstance、surrounding、environment” 和 “atmosphere” 之间的区别。它们都与 “环境或情况” 有关，但具体的用法有所不同：谈论 “境况，客观条件” 用 “circumstance”；谈论 “周围环境” 时用复数名词 “surroundings”；名词 “environment” 强调 “环境给人带来的影响”；名词 “atmosphere” 指 “气氛”，强调 “环境给人带来的主观感受”。听节目，学习辨析这四个词的用法。
Stephen Sackur is in Manchester to talk to the city’s mayor, Andy Burnham. Six years after he quit the UK parliament with the hope of seeing power decentralised and the north of England revitalised, how is his radical agenda going, and is he a threat to his own Labour Party’s leader, Sir Keir Starmer?
The number of all inclusive resorts is growing but do they help local businesses?
All-inclusive holidays now make up more than half of all package holiday sales in the UK for the first time, and across Europe and North America the amount of resorts available is growing. Rick Kelsey explores whether these resorts are good for local economies and communities.
Presenter / producer: Rick Kelsey Images: Sun loungers; Credit: BBC
This week the EU votes on ways to regulate AI. Vice-President Margrethe Vestager leads the charge against threats posed by artificial intelligence. She tells the BBC that although the threat of human extinction ”probably does exist”, the likelihood is “quite small”. She says initial threats include discrimination, and criminals getting ahead of the police in understanding AI. This week European politicians debate the issue as they vote on the AI Act. It's the first law for AI systems in the West and it largely categorizes the away AI is used into four levels of risk: unacceptable risk, high risk, limited risk and minimal or no risk. If the legislation passes, unacceptable risk applications would banned by default and will not be deployed in European countries.
U.S inflation has fallen again – but is it enough to prevent an interest rate rise? Inflation was down to 4% in the US at the end of May – its lowest since 2021. Prices for eggs, petrol and furniture were down, helping to cut inflation to less than half of its peak a year ago. But as the U.S central bank prepares to meet later this week, all eyes will be on whether the continued downward trend is enough to persuade the Fed to hold back on further rises to interest rates.
And - how much money do you need to be wealthy in America? You might be surprised - Americans suggest it's around $2.2 million. The evidence comes in the annual Modern Wealth Survey carried out by the financial services company Charles Schwab.
Picture: European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager (REUTERS/Johanna Geron)
At least one charge carries a twenty-year jail sentence. Also: The BBC has reached one of the villages liberated this week by Ukrainian troops, a settlement utterly devastated by the fighting, and the new research suggesting the world's most famous early human ancestor, nicknamed Lucy, could walk fully upright and live in trees.
Inflation was down to 4% in the US at the end of May – its lowest since 2021. Prices for eggs, petrol and furniture were down, helping to cut inflation to less than half of its peak a year ago. But as the U.S central bank prepares to meet later this week, will the continued downward trend be enough to persuade them to hold back on further rises to interest rates?
In Mexico the race to elect the next President has begun, and the economy is expected to be a key feature of the campaign. Mexico is the second largest economy in Latin America and things are looking up post-Covid. The economy is expected to grow 1.7% this year, the job market is improving and the peso is strengthening against the dollar. But some economists fear the growth may be weak going into next year – just around the time the election is taking place.
And - how much money do you need to be wealthy in America? You might be surprised - Americans suggest it's around $2.2 million. The evidence comes in the annual Modern Wealth Survey carried out by the financial services company Charles Schwab.
Former US president Donald Trump is formally under arrest at a US federal court in Miami where he will shortly face charges that he illegally stored top-secret documents at his Florida estate. The 37 criminal indictments include conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Also on the programme: the BBC gains access to some of the first villages liberated in Ukraine’s counteroffensive; and Japan’s prime minister announced a range of new incentives to arrest his country’s dramatically declining birth rate.
(Image: A person holds a banner outside The Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse, on the morning former U.S. President Trump is to appear there on classified document charges, in Miami, Florida, U.S., June 13, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
This week Zoe Kleinman travels to Strasbourg, France to meet Margrethe Vestager, the woman leading the EU's attempts to regulate AI. Reporter Tom Gerken has been following the protest has caused Reddit to effectively fall silent. Chris Vallance meets the team trying out 3D printing as a way to rebuild schools destroyed in the war in the Ukraine. And Amazon tell us what they're doing to combat fake online reviews - and we ask a consumer group to review their initiative.
(PHOTO: Margrethe Vestager and Zoe Kleinman at the European parliament, Strasbourg, France, copyright BBC).
The US Consumer Prices Index showed prices rose at the slowest annual pace since March 2021. Devina Gupta hears how the figures provide some encouraging news for the Federal Reserve at the start of its two day meeting to discuss interest rates.
The United Nations and Ukraine have warned of a huge impact on global food security following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. The UN's aid chief, Martin Griffiths, told the BBC there was massive concern about the environmental destruction of what he called a breadbasket for the world.
The People’s Bank of China has lowered a short-term lending rate for the first time in 10 months to help restore market confidence and set a stalling post-pandemic recovery in the world's second-largest economy.
Former US president Donald Trump is set to make his initial federal court appearance in Miami today, to face multiple charges of hoarding classified documents. It is the first criminal prosecution of a former US president.
Also in the programme: the United Nations and Ukraine have warned of a huge impact on global food security following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam; and Pakistan's first female architect has been recognised with a major award.
(Picture: Supporters of former President Donald Trump gather near the entrance to the Trump National Doral Miami golf course ahead of his first appearance in a Federal Court. Credit: Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/REX/Shuttershock)
The Kenyan government is reconsidering a controversial tax change that widens the tax base to include social media influencers and cryptocurrency holders. It's not the only country proposing drastic changes. Opponents of these changes are alarmed saying that this is coming when the cost of living is very high.
Also in the pod: South Sudan is facing the fallout from the conflict in neighbouring Sudan. There are fears that the war in Sudan will have a regional impact as more people seek refuge.
And... Tackling the pain of a loved one's dementia Elizabeth Mutunga shares her pain and what she's done about it.
It comes as the UN warns of a threat to global food supplies. Meanwhile, Ukraine condemns an overnight attack on Kryvyi Rih, President Zelensky's home city. Also: Young Palestinians are disillusioned over voting rights, and Paul McCartney announces a new Beatles record made with the help of AI.
It's 65 years since aspiring photographer Art Kane persuaded 58 of the biggest names in jazz, including Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk to line up for a photo outside a townhouse in Harlem.
The resulting photo officially called Harlem 58 became known as 'A Great Day in Harlem' and appeared in Esquire magazine's Golden Age of Jazz edition.
But making it wasn't easy. Jonathan Kane, Art Kane's son, tells Vicky Farncombe the obstacles his late father had to overcome to create the iconic image.
(Photo: Harlem 58. Credit: Art Kane)
Why African tourists are key to helping the travel sector recover post-pandemic.
We hear from businesses in Gambia, Tanzania and Zambia to explore how well these countries recovered after Covid-19 lockdowns. We also explore why promoting tourism within Africa could be key to keeping global visitor numbers going up.
Presenter / producer: Bisi Adebayo Image: Gambia; Credit: Getty Images
The U.S watchdog has asked a judge to block a $69 billion bid by Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard.
The gaming company makes ‘Call of Duty’ and many other titles. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) position on the deal is now closer to the that taken by the UK regulator. The issue hangs on claims the sale would give Microsoft's Xbox exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo consoles and Sony's PlayStation out in the cold.
Also in the U.S, America's biggest bank, JPMorgan Chase, has agreed in principle to settle a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of victims of the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The case was brought by one victim on behalf of hundreds of other women and girls abused by the disgraced financier. The bank is facing a bill of around $290 million.
And – you may have heard of ‘greenwashing’ – but have you heard of the new phrase…green-hushing’? We find out why companies are suddenly starting to keep their green credentials to themselves.
Producer Steven Rajam travels to the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar to meet some of the women challenging convention, tradition and history at home and across the globe, including hip-hop artist Mrs M, Hollywood actress Bayra Bela and traditional throat-singer Zolzaya, whose fiddle is adorned not with the traditional horse's head, but a swan.
Former US President faces charges that he mishandled classified documents. Also: America's largest bank, JPMorgan Chase, has agreed to pay up to $290 million to victims of the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. And a woman in Ecuador wakes up inside a coffin at her own wake after being mistakenly declared dead.
The US watchdog the Federal Trade Commission has asked a judge to block Microsoft from closing in on a $69 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard – the company that makes ‘Call of Duty’ and many other big names. The U.S position on the deal is now closer to that taken by the UK regulator. The issue hangs on claims the sale would give Microsoft's Xbox exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo consoles and Sony's PlayStation out in the cold.
Also in the U.S, America's biggest bank, JPMorgan Chase, has agreed in principle to settle a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of victims of the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The case was brought by one victim on behalf of hundreds of other women and girls abused by the disgraced financier. The bank is facing a bill of around $290mn.
And – you may have heard of ‘greenwashing’ – but have you heard of the new phrase…green-hushing’? We find out why companies are suddenly starting to keep their green credentials to themselves.
James Gallagher get's behind the hype to find out if sperm counts are really falling? There are plenty of headlines telling us they are, but also scientists who disagree - he unpicks the evidence with two of them. James also gets his own sperm sample analysed and meets a couple who found the reason behind their low count was one of the leading causes of male infertility.
Italy’s billionaire former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has died at the age of 86. We will hear from one of his supporters and the man who replaced him. Also on the programme: life in the Sudanese capital Khartoum; and Japan rethinks how to address sexual violence against women.
(Picture: Silvio Berlusconi giving a speech in Rome in 2009. Credit: Reuters / Remo Casilli.)
The merger is the biggest in the banking industry since the global financial crisis of 2008; Devina Gupta asks if it will restore the faith of depositors and investors in the Swiss banking system?
Elsewhere, we reflect on the life of Silvio Berlusconi and discuss his legacy in both the politics and business worlds.
And have you heard of Halal holidays? We find out about the growth of Muslim-friendly getaways.
The flamboyant politician and media personality had leukaemia. Also: the Ukrainian army has retaken several villages from Russian occupiers as Kyiv's counter-offensive continues, and how London's famous black taxis might be moving with the times.
The European Union offers to help Tunisia with accessing IMF loans, but in exchange it expects the north African country to gatekeep migrants.
Also in the pod: With the BRICS Summit coming up soon, why is South Africa finding it so difficult to keep a neutral stance with Russia? We take a deep-dive in the historical relations between Russia and South Africa
And... We hear from a Ghanaian writer and pastor's wife who is rewriting the script about women and sexuality
Vogue's war correspondent Lee Miller found herself in Adolf Hitler's Munich apartment when the news broke that he was dead.
Earlier that day, she and fellow photographer David Scherman had witnessed the harrowing scenes at the liberated Dachau concentration camp.
Lee Miller's son and biographer, Antony Penrose, explains to Josephine McDermott the significance of the photograph taken in the final days of World War II in Europe.
(Photo: Lee Miller in Hitler's bathtub. Credit: David E. Scherman © Courtesy Lee Miller Archives)
Find out about the destinations that are top of the list for Muslims travellers wanting to go on holiday without compromising their religious beliefs and practices.
Explore what resorts and tour operators have to put in place to be certified halal friendly and examine why this is such a growth area for the global travel industry.
Presenter / producer: Emb Hashmi Image: Zahra Rose and friends on holiday; Credit: Zahra Rose
Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who’ve chosen a life not on the ocean wave, but under it.
Chief Petty Officer Sara Ryman is currently serving on board a submarine in the Swedish Navy as a sonar officer. She operates the kind of equipment that’s essential to a submarine’s ability to track other vessels underwater, while remaining undetected.
Lieutenant Commander Rochelle Egan leads a team of engineers and technicians who maintain the Royal Canadian Navy’s Atlantic submarine fleet in tip top condition. She joined the submarine service in 2015, where she became the first female Combat Systems Engineering Officer to serve on Canada’s Victoria Class submarines.
Produced by Fiona Clampin.
(Image: (L) Lieutenant Commander Rochelle Egan, credit Sailor First Class Bryan Underwood/Royal Canadian Navy (R) Chief Petty Officer Sara Ryman, credit Försvarsmakten/Swedish Armed Forces.)
In the Studio follows US poet laureate Ada Limón as she crafts an original poem dedicated to Nasa’s Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter’s icy moon. Her poem will be engraved on the Clipper spacecraft, which will launch in 2024 and travel 1.8 billion miles to reach Europa - a journey that will last six years. We follow Ada’s creative process over several months, from her first meetings with the Nasa team, through many drafts of the poem and a visit to Nasa's jet propulsion laboratory in California to see the Europa Clipper under construction. In this update, we hear the finished poem.
Moscow says its forces repelled Ukrainian assaults in the area and elsewhere. Also: the former First Minster of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has been released without charge after being arrested as part of an investigation into her party's finances, and Novak Djokovic becomes the first man to win twenty-three tennis grand slam titles by beating Casper Ruud in the French Open.
At the age of 13 Laura Dekker fought for her right to sail solo around the world.
Laura comes from a family of sailing enthusiasts, and her father taught her the ropes early. By 11 years old she was sailing unaided for weeks at a time, and at 13 she felt ready to tackle her biggest challenge yet. Her parents supported her decision, but the Dutch authorities had concerns; was it responsible to allow a child to circumnavigate the world alone?
Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: May Cameron
Ukraine says its troops have recaptured at least two neighbouring villages from the Russians in the southeast, the first settlements Kyiv claims to have liberated since launching a counter-offensive.
Also in the programme: a delegation of European leaders has promised over a billion dollars of financial assistance to Tunisia, as part of a proposed wider agreement encompassing action to tackle migration; and Novak Djokovic has become the most successful men's singles tennis player of all-time after winning this year's French Open.
(Picture: A Ukrainian serviceman stands next to a military vehicle in Donetsk region of Ukraine. Credit:Reuters/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
A doctor in Haiti tells Newshour the country could descend into civil war if there isn't outside intervention to control "horrible" gang violence. Also on the programme: Floodwaters are receding in southern Ukraine after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam; and Pat Metheny, one of the world's great jazz guitarists, is back with a new album.
(Photo: More that 50 confirmed deaths in Haiti as a result of flooding 06/06/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
The Warm Up Track is back! Season Three continues with World Shot Put Champion Chase Ealey and World Heptathlon Bronze medallist, Anna Hall.
How does the first injury sustained during a Warm Up Track recording happen? Whose Dad had to tell them that the 1500 metres/High Jump double wasn't a thing at the Olympics? What's it like when your event's world record holder marks you out for greatness? Who might you see spinning in unlikely places?
We also hear why the language and attitudes around body shape in sport have to change. Plus, why female athletes need to come up with specific coaching solutions and techniques to achieve their goals, rather than just copying the men.
Photo: Chase Ealey of Team United States competes in Women's Shot Put during Meeting de Paris, part of the 2023 Diamond League series at Stade Charlety on June 09, 2023 in Paris, France. (Credit: Getty Images)
Russia claims to have repelled all attacks so far. Also: The extraordinary story of the four children found alive 40 days after their plane crashed in the Colombian jungle, and Manchester City have won European club football's most prestigious tournament - the Champions League.
Four Colombian children who were on a plane that crashed in the Amazon jungle more than a month ago have been found alive. The children - aged 13, nine, four and one - were the only survivors when the Cessna plane they were travelling in with their mother went down in Caquetá.
Also in the programme: former US president Donald Trump has made his first speech since federal charges over his handling of classified documents was announced; and Sri Lanka has lifted import restrictions on nearly three-hundred items as the country is showing signs of emerging from its worst economic crisis in decades.
(Picture: Colombian military sources with child survivors of a plane crash in the Amazon jungle. Credit: Handout via Reuters)
Britain's former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned as an MP, saying he's been 'driven out' by a report into whether he deliberately misled parliament over breaches of Covid rules. What could his next move be? Also on the programme; four children who've been missing in the Colombian jungle for more than a month after a plane crash have been found alive; and the Kenyan athlete Faith Kipyegon has been hailed as "superhuman" after beating the world record in the women's 5,000 metres.
(Photo: Boris Johnson resigns as an MP 09/06/2023 Press Association File photo dated 02/03/23
Around 300 children and babies rescued from an orphanage in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Also: We hear from one of the researchers helping a paralysed man to walk again, and why some people in Japan are relearning how to smile.
Turkish runner Emine Hatun Mechaal explains how holding the Champions League final in Istanbul is providing hope to people from her country following February’s devastating earthquake. Mechaal recalls visiting her home city in the aftermath of her emotional performance at the European Indoor Championships in March and tells us she lost 40 friends and family to the disaster.
Hari Budha Magar reflects on making history as the first double above-knee amputee to scale Mount Everest. Magar lost his legs in an explosion while he was serving for the British Army in Afghanistan, and says he took on the challenge to change perceptions about people with disabilities.
Plus, triathlete Emma Pallant-Browne discusses normalising conversations about periods, after sharing a photo of her competing where she bled through her swimsuit.
Photo: A giant replica of the Champions League trophy is seen in front of Taksim Mosque ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2022/23 final on June 9, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Credit: Getty Images)
We live in an age of information warfare, weaponised narratives and captured media. So, what agendas are at play behind these? In a new series called The Global Jigsaw, BBC Monitoring tackles one subject in-depth in each episode, examining its portrayal through global media outlets. We ask the show’s editor what inspired this format and find out what listeners make of it.
Plus, did Witness History give due credit to all the Allies taking part in a campaign in North Africa during World War Two? One listener takes issue.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Can a man ever beat a horse in a foot race? Every year since 1980, a small town in Wales has been trying to find out.
Laurence Bassett speaks to long distance runner Huw Lobb and race creator Gordon Green about the 2004 race when, for the first time, two legs outran four.
This is a TBI Media production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: Huw Lobb winner of the Man v Horse race stands with the fastest rival horse Kaybeejay and rider Zoe White from Llandrindod Wells after the 2004 race. Credit: PA)
The former US President Donald Trump has been charged with mishandling hundreds of classified documents. Also: Boris Johnson resigns as British MP with immediate effect, and 100 years of Le Mans - the world's most famous 24 hour motor race.
Facebook's owner shows staff plans for a text-based social network designed to compete with Twitter. We hear more about this BBC exclusive.
Also in the programme, Jack Daniels has won a peculiar case against a firm that sold dog toys shaped like its emblematic bottle of whisky. We look into the arguments considered by the judge.
Roger Hearing discusses these and more stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Radio New Zealand's Colin Peacock in Wellington and Diane Brady, assistant managing editor at Forbes, in New York.
(Picture: Meta. Picture credit: Reuters)
The collision between three trains in the state of Odisha claimed more than 280 lives and left more than 1000 people injured. We bring together a volunteer, Govind Dalai, who was one of the first on the scene and doctors Manoj Kumar Barik and Amrit Pattojoshi. Dr Barik was working in the local hospital on the night the crash happened, and Dr Pattojoshi, a psychiatrist, has been involved in identifying those who lost their lives. They discuss the support they are trying to provide to the families of victims. Also, Shweta in New Delhi and Riddhi in Ambala City, talk about their experiences of Indian railways and their concerns about safety.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History and Sporting Witness stories.
We hear about the Inuit children taken away from their homes and culture, to be educated in Canadian cities. Adamie Kalingo tells his story about being placed with a foster family in Ottawa in 1964. Dr Raven Sinclair explains how Adamie’s story was part of a wider program of resettling Indigenous children.
Also, the crash at Le Mans which killed 80 people in 1955; the ceremony in 2005, organised by campaigner Ilguilas Weila, to free 7,000 slaves in Niger; plus, the forensic artist whose reconstructions have helped solve murders.
Finally, we find out whether a man can ever beat a horse in a race.
Contributors: Adamie Kalingo, taken from his Inuit community in 1964 Dr Raven Sinclair, retired professor of social work John Fitch, racing driver Ilguilas Weila, anti-slavery campaigner Richard Neave, forensic artist Huw Lobb, long distance runner Gordon Green, creator of the Man v Horse race
(Photo: Adamie Kalingo in 2023. Credit: Adamie Kalingo)
Facebook's owner shows staff plans for a text-based social network designed to compete with Twitter. We hear more about this BBC exclusive.
Pakistan has announced its latest budget amid pressure to meet International Monetary Fund's guidelines and receive the next allotment of the bailout granted by the institution. We find out more.
And Jack Daniels has won a peculiar case against a firm that sold dog toys shaped like its emblematic bottle of whisky. We look into the arguments considered by the judge.
Federal prosecutors unseal a wide-ranging indictment of Donald Trump, accusing the former US president of endangering national security by holding on to top defence documents.
Also in the programme: Boris Johnson to resign as an MP; and what space does to an astronaut's brain.
(Picture: An itemized list of property seized in the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Credit: REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo)
In recent weeks, Pakistan has been gripped by political and economic crises. Now as the government prepares a budget which needs to satisfy the IMF and win over voters ahead of a general election, we look at the challenges it faces to satisfy both.
In Turkey, President Erdogan has appointed the country's first female central bank governor. She’s the fifth person to take on the job in four years, so as Hafize Gaye Erkan takes up her post, can she stabilise the falling currency?
The Australian airline Qantas has scrapped some of its strict rules governing what their staff can and cannot wear. We look at what the new guidelines are and why the company has made the changes.
Experts say the indictment does not prevent Mr Trump from running for president again. We speak to legal expert Corey Brettschneider for his take on the case.
Also on the programme: the EU agrees on an overhaul of the bloc’s migration and asylum policies; and we learn the latest on the evidence indicating who might be behind the explosion at a Ukrainian dam.
(Photo: former President Donald Trump at a campaign event. CREDIT: Reuters)
What is behind this week's deadly fuel protests in Angola? Several people were killed in Huambo, as taxi drivers demonstrated against a sharp rise in petrol prices.
In Nigeria: calls for an investigation into the mystery of a vanishing plane.
And a chat with Uganda's first wildlife vet Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. What does she do and why did she choose that career?
The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have sent anti-narcotics units across the country to destroy this year's opium poppy crop. BBC Afghan's Dawood Azami explains how Afghanistan became the world’s biggest producer of opium, and why this campaign is succeeding after years of failure.
Pakistan's Bombay Bakery The Bombay Bakery in Hyderabad, Pakistan has been serving its famous cakes since 1911 and has recently been recommended by the government to become a national heritage site. BBC Urdu’s Riaz Sohail of BBC Urdu is from Hyderabad and shares memories of the bakery.
Burying the dead in Sudan In the war-torn Sudanese capital Khartoum, the violence and danger has forced many people to bury their loved ones and neighbours in makeshift graves in the streets and even in homes, as BBC Arabic's Ethar Shalaby reports.
Sexual assault for sale A BBC investigation has exposed an online business which sells thousands of videos of men sexually abusing women on trains and buses and in other public spaces across East Asia. Zhaoyin Feng and Shanshan Chen from BBC Eye Investigations tell us how they travelled to Tokyo to track down the man responsible, for the documentary Catching A Pervert.
(Photo: Afghan farmers harvest opium poppies. Credit: Noorullah Shirzada/AFP via Getty Images)
Scientists say there's evidence of a significant explosion in the area of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine at the same time that it was breached. Ukraine has released a recording which it says is of Russian military figures discussing how the dam was sabotaged - but this can't be verified yet. Also: Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged Donald Trump over his handling of classified documents after he left the White House, and new research suggests that there are far more people in India with diabetes than previously thought.
On 11 June 1955, more than 80 people were killed and 100 injured at the Le Mans 24-hour race.
A car driven by Pierre Levegh crashed into the crowd of around 300,000 causing the deaths.
John Fitch was an American racing driver on the Mercedes team at the centre of the tragedy.
After the crash, racing was banned in several countries.
John Fitch spoke to Claire Bowes in 2010.
(Photo: Crash at Le Mans. Credit: Fox Photos/Getty Images)
The work of Florida's Baptist Relief responding to climate events like Hurricane Ian and floods in Kentucky - in support of people whose lives have been turned upside down.
The Nigerian tech entrepreneur on how he built two billion dollar businesses.
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji co-founded talent marketplace Andela and payments company Flutterwave, both of which have been valued at more than a billion dollars.
He tells Rob Young he wants to use his wealth to help Africa achieve its economic potential.
Presenter / producer: Rob Young Image: Iyinoluwa Aboyeji; Credit: Getty Images
Philosopher Peter Singer has spent decades arguing for animal rights; his arguments have persuaded millions to give up meat. Has the movement he inspired become unstoppable?
Canada has lost 30,000 firemen since 2016. We talk to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs about their call for more efforts to boost recruitment amid the country's worst wildfire season on record.
And as home and hybrid working extend well beyond the pandemic, we look into the footprint they are leaving in the design of the office space.
Will Bain discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Delhi-based business journalist Sushma Ramachandran and technology journalist Takara Small in Toronto.
(Picture: Firefighter in Nova Scotia, Canada. Picture credit: Reuters)
The smoke from the Canadian wildfires has blanketed large areas of eastern North America. Also: children stabbed in French park are in stable condition, and the largest ruby gemstone ever to come to auction sells for millions of dollars.
Canada has lost 30,000 firemen since 2016. We talk to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs about their call for more efforts to boost recruitment amid the country's worst wildfire season on record.
Also in the show, should crypto currencies be considered securities or commodities? We hear about the implications that answer could have for firms like Binance and Coinbase.
As home and hybrid working extend well beyond the pandemic, we look into the footprint they are leaving in the design of the office space. And we find out how much was paid for the largest ruby ever to come to auction.
More international firefighters are being sent to Canada to help tackle the source of huge wildfires which have created a toxic blanket of smoke. The haze that's drifted across the border to the east coast of the United States has temporarily made some American cities the most polluted on earth. Poor visibility has led to the delay and cancellation of flights into New York and Philadelphia.
Also in the programme: A man armed with a knife has stabbed children in a playground in France; and Pat Robertson, a pioneer of the use of Christianity in US right wing politics has died.
(Picture: Millions of people in North America have been advised to wear N95 masks outdoors due to poor air quality levels. Credit: Getty Images)
The origin of all complex life has been traced back 1.6 billion years as new molecular fossil records have discovered the fatty stains that our ancient single celled ancestors have left behind. Jochen Brocks, Professor of Geobiology at Australian National University, discusses the significance of these unique biological signatures.
1 billion years later, to a mere 462 million years ago, life on Earth was experiencing a boom of new species but we have very few fossil records to understand this era. Now, palaeontologists Dr Joe Botting and Dr Lucy Muir have found the most abundant deposit of soft bodied fossils from this time in a tiny Welsh quarry.
Next, to the relatively recent past, 350 thousand years ago, where remains found in a South African cave suggest that an extinct species of human, Homo naledi, buried their dead. But Mike Petraglia, Professor of Human Evolution and Prehistory at the Max Planck Institute, doubts these claims.
And in the modern day, the fungi which have colonised our soil for millions of years are still helping us clean up the atmosphere. Professor of Plant-Soil Processes at the University of Sheffield, Katie Field, tells us about the astounding amount of carbon captured by the fungus beneath our feet.
Image: Artist’s imagination of an assemblage of primordial eukaryotic organisms of the ‘Protosterol Biota’ inhabiting a bacterial mat on the ocean floor. Credit: Orchestrated in MidJourney by TA 2023
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber
Businesses and schools in New York and across North America are affected by wildfire smoke from Canada with millions of people being advised to stay inside or if they have to go outside then they should wear a mask.
As the Eurozone economy enters a technical recession we speak to Emma Wall, Head of Investment Analysis & Research at Hargreaves Lansdown.
And we discuss the Kenya Finance Bill aimed at increasing revenues and addressing rising debt that has also been criticised for burdening Kenyans with higher taxes as the cost of living rises.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has gone to the Kherson region to see the scale of the chaos unleashed by the destruction of a dam. Ukraine says more than two-thirds of the flooded land is in Russian-occupied territory on the left bank of the Dnipro river. We get the latest from Kherson and an assessment of the cost of the damage.
Also in the programme: a man with a knife has attacked nursery-school children in the French town of Annecy; and Singapore apologises to Malaysia over a joke about flight MH37 that went missing in 2014 and has never been found.
(Picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to Ihor Klymenko, head of the National Police of Ukraine, during a visit to Kherson. Credit: Mykola Tymchenko/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A 22-month-old toddler was among the victims in a playground in the alpine town of Annecy. Also: Rescue efforts continue in Ukraine after the Kakhovka dam was breached on Tuesday, and what can we expect when football superstar Lionel Messi moves to Inter Miami?
Kenya and Nigeria are top targets of cybersecurity breaches in Africa, according to a recent report. The co-Founder of Nairobi's AfricaHackon Security tells us why cyber attacks in Africa are on the up.
Also in the pod: Our co-host Richard Kagoe takes a look at how climate change and unending conflict are fueling a humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region.
And with Kenya proposing to convert a place infamous for hosting a deadly cult into a memorial site, we ask what exactly is a cult and - could you also be drawn into one?
On 25 January 1933 the last legal communist march was held in Berlin.
Just a few days later Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.
Soon the Communist Party was banned and the Nazi grip on power was complete.
Eric Hobsbawm was a schoolboy communist at the time. He spoke to Andrew Whitehead in 2012.
(Photo: Communist rally 1932. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Femtech, or businesses building technology to support women’s health are growing fast but how much of that growth is supporting women in the parts of the world where access to healthcare can sometimes be difficult?
Hannah Mullane speaks to businesses who are providing technology to support women’s health in low income countries.
We hear how apps are adapted to work in places where internet is intermittent and access to electricity can be limited and we discuss how a business operates when the consumer doesn’t always have the means to pay.
Producer/Presenter: Hannah Mullane
(Image: Two of the users of one of the apps. Credit: Grace Health)
As French citizens protest against the raising of the state pension age, we look at the figures – are we really living longer? And if so, why? We take notes from the naked mole rat - it’s born looking wrinkled but this rodent is apparently ageless. And moving on from mere creatures, we’re asking if every state, society or civilisation has a lifespan, and if we can prevent it ending on our watch.
Also, as South Africans battle to live their best lives against almost daily power cuts, we look at load shedding – why is their power being switched off and is there a light at the end of the tunnel? We continue our quest to find The Coolest Science in the World with a man using tiny microbes for big problems, and the launch of a new BBC World Service drama about Fukushima gets us thinking about the consequences.
All that plus your emails and whatsapps, a team in three different countries and the decadence of Marnie’s footwear choices.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton Produced by Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Ben Motley
For more than 15 months the Ukrainian armed forces have held out against the superior numbers of the Russian invasion force. But not every Ukrainian man subject to the draft is willing to fight. More than 6,000 Ukrainian men of military age have been granted protection in Romania since the beginning of the war, according to figures supplied by the Romanian immigration authority. Some left Ukraine in order to avoid the draft. Others served on the front before throwing down their weapons. Romania has a 600-kilometre border with Ukraine, which is difficult to cross. The choice is either a short swim across a fast-moving river or a long trek over snow-covered mountains. A number of those who’ve tried have died in the attempt. Nick Thorpe has been to the border region to meet Ukrainian men who don’t want to fight in the war.
(Photo via Reuters)
Smoke from Canada fires blankets the US. New York's famous skyscrapers smothered in an orange tinged smog, and residents resorting to wearing face masks, the authorities are issuing health warnings, urging people to stay inside, if possible.
Meanwhile, business owners are continuing running their business with hopes for the clear skies in the future.
(Picture: Park Avenue Picture credit: Getty Images )
Ukraine's President Zelensky calls for international help as hundreds of thousands are left without drinking water in the south after a major dam was destroyed. Also: Millions breathing hazardous air across North America, and the crocodile that made herself pregnant.
Television cookery competitions are big business – drawing audiences in their millions over multiple series. How did they become such a successful format?
In this programme we go behind the scenes with competitors and judges. Ruth Alexander speaks to chef Simon Wood, who won the BBC’s 'Masterchef' in 2015 and today runs two restaurants of his own in the United Kingdom; New York based chef Marcus Samuelsson, who has both competed in and appeared as a judge in multiple different shows including 'Top Chef', 'Iron Chef' and 'Chopped'; and food writer Gail Simmons, judge on 'Top Chef' in the United States for all twenty seasons to date.
Tasha Oren is Associate Professor and Director of the Film and Media Studies Programe at Tufts University in Massachusetts, United States. She describes how food television has evolved over decades.
And Ruth speaks to World Service listeners Mutinkhe Kaunda in Zambia and Andrew Laverghetta in the US about what they look for in a TV cooking competition.
Clips from 'Iron Chef Japan' used courtesy of Fuji Television Network, Inc.
If you’d like to contact the programme you can email – thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: a hand holding up a trophy. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Smoke from Canada fires blankets the US. New York's famous skyscrapers smothered in an orange tinged smog, and residents resorting to wearing face masks, the authorities are issuing health warnings, urging people to stay inside, if possible.
Meanwhile, business owners are continuing running their business with hopes for the clear skies in the future.
Rising floodwaters prompt an emergency evacuation in southern Ukraine as homes are destroyed and landmines are swept away from the front line. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was shocked by the lack of outside help from aid agencies, including those from the United Nations, as well as the Red Cross.
Also on the programme: Is Canada about to experience its worst wildfire ever? We hear from the country’s Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair. And the first known crocodile to make itself pregnant without a partner.
(A flooded area after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, in Kherson, Ukraine June 7, 2023. Credit: REUTERS: Vladyslav Smilianets)
When China abruptly ended its tough lockdown policy in December 2022, Covid cases in the country rose rapidly. The Government’s official death toll was 121 thousand, but medical epidemiologist Ray Yip is one of several experts estimating it could have been much higher. Now China is experiencing another wave of Covid-19 fuelled by the Omicron variant, but this time the nation seems determined to continue with normal life. Claudia Hammond speaks to journalist Cindy Sui who has interviewed Chinese people about how authorities are handling the virus.
Claudia investigates the rise of medical journals and events, which might not be what they first appear. So called ‘pseudo-journals have even been known to accept complete fiction.
She is also joined by Professor of Epidemiology at Boston University Matt Fox to discuss recent trials of a new low cost meningitis vaccine in Mali and The Gambia. If rolled out it could protect against the five main meningococcal strains found in Africa. And a new way of detecting dangerous blood loss after birth. A randomised trial shows a plastic drape, costing between 1 and 2 US dollars might significantly lower the number of deaths by post-partum haemorrhage.
Image Credit: d3sign
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury Assistant Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
New figures from the OECD say that global economic growth is expected to rise slightly. And that means, says the OECD, that as the coronavirus pandemic and energy crisis fade into the background, the time is ripe for countries to get their public finances into better shape. We look at how governments might react.
Meanwhile China's total trade with Russia hit a new record high in May to levels not seen since the start of the war in Ukraine. Official data from Beijing showed trade between the two countries last month was worth $20.5 billion with Chinese imports from Russia worth $11.3 billion. We explore the factors influencing the spending behind the figures.
And as the Turkish lira tumbles to a low against the dollar we look at what this means for people in Turkey and Erdoğan’s new finance minister Mehmet Şimşek.
The Ukrainian government says the destruction of a Khakova dam is an "environmental catastrophe" with tens of thousands of people without clean drinking water and vast swathes of farmland at risk; also in the programme: what is Saudi money doing to the world of sport? And we hear from the man who had COVID for ten months, and now he's singing his heart out.
(Photo: Volunteers evacuating local residents from flooded areas near Kherson, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
Thousands of people evacuated, but many are still stranded. Also: the wager that humans will live until 150 years of age and Japan debates whether to redefine rape laws.
Racism in football: Last month monkey chants were hurled at Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr during a match, we hear from a member of Fifa's now disbanded Anti-Racism taskforce. Why is this a hard issue to deal with?
Also in the pod: June 7 is designated by the African Union as African border day? What does this mean?
And Chido Mpemba the AU's Special Envoy for Youth Affairs tells us what are her priorities.
虽然名词 “wharf、quay、pier” 和 “jetty” 都可以翻译成 “码头”，但它们所指的 “码头” 类型却不同。在四个词当中，“wharf” 和 “quay” 通常指 “装卸货物或供乘客上下船使用的大型码头”，而 “pier” 和 “jetty” 多指 “用于乘客上下船的、延伸到水面上的突堤码头”。听节目，学习辨析这四个近义词的用法。
When high inflation has hit all our budgets has the way we date changed? Are we approaching finding a potential partner differently? When is the right time to ask about money and their approach to their finances? Are you asking the right questions?
Our experts answer your questions on money and love and offer their advice on how to marry the two.
Presenter / producer: Devina Gupta Image: Heart and cash; Credit: Getty Images
The surprising announcement of the merge among two competitors: PGA Tour and LIV Golf became a real sensation.
The agreement comes after a year of unprecedented disruption in the men's game following the launch of LIV.
It means pending litigation between the tours will be halted and they will move forward as part of the same enterprise.
(Picture Golf ball on green. Picture credit: Getty Images)
Thousands flee floods after Nova Kakhovka dam collapse in Russian-held region of Ukraine. Also: Iran re-opens embassy in Saudi Arabia after thaw; PGA Tour and LIV Golf agree shock merger.
Stephen Sackur is in Cape Town to speak to political cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro). Can satire work in a country still recovering from the prolonged trauma of apartheid?
The surprising announcement of the merge among two competitors: PGA Tour and LIV Golf became a real sensation.
The agreement comes after a year of unprecedented disruption in the men's game following the launch of LIV.
It means pending litigation between the tours will be halted and they will move forward as part of the same enterprise.
Thousands of people are being evacuated from southern Ukraine, where the destruction of the Russian-controlled Nova Kakhovka dam has caused extensive flooding. Water has reached 80 towns and villages on both sides of the Dnipro river. A pro-Putin member of the Russian parliament, Evgeny Popov, tells Newshour that Ukraine was behind it.
Also today: the Taliban goes into battle against opium production; and the Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, who brought Bossa Nova to the world with her version of The Girl From Ipanema, has died at the age of 83.
(Photo: Ukraine's President Zelensky holds an emergency meeting with top state and regional officials concerning the Kakhovka dam destruction. June 6, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Tech Life goes to Apple Park at Cupertino, California, for the launch of the Vision Pro Mixed Reality headset. Zoe speaks to analyst Leo Leo Gebbie, app developer Emma Partlow, and north America technology reporter James Clayton, and asks is this a breakthrough moment for virtual reality? Will the headset's price put people off? Has Apple finally had another Iphone moment or, under boss Tim Cook, has it lost the ability to make products that change the world?
(PHOTO CREDIT: By Loren Elliott Credit: Reuters Location: Cupertino, Ca, United States)
The US regulator says the country's largest crypto platform failed to register as an exchange. The move comes a day after a similar lawsuit against Binance and its CEO. We find out what this means for crypto investors. Thousands of people are being evacuated downstream of a major dam at Nova Kakhovka which has been blown up in Russian-held Ukraine. We look into the economic implications. And we hear about the challenges of navigating through South Africa's power outages from the CEO of Transnet, the country's rail, port and pipeline company.
President Volodymr Zelensky has said Russia must be held accountable for the destruction of Nova Kakhovka dam, which has caused extensive flooding in southern Ukraine. Mr Zelensky said the Russian-controlled dam on the Dnipro river was destroyed by an internal explosion, in what he called a war crime and an act of terrorism. Russia has denied responsibility, blaming Ukrainian shelling instead.Also in the programme: Prince Harry has been giving evidence in court in London against a newspaper group he accuses of hacking his phone; and a Ghanian doctor describes the potentially disastrous consequences for local health services of richer nations recruiting large numbers of nurses from countries such as hers.(Photo: A general view of the Nova Kakhovka dam that was breached in Kherson region, Ukraine on 6 June 2023 in this screen grab taken from a video obtained by Reuters)
Evacuations are underway in the Kherson region as water levels rise. Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the Nova Kakhova dam. Moscow denies this. Also: Prince Harry is in court alleging journalists illegally gathered information about him, and the Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, the voice in The Girl from Ipanema, has died at the age of 83.
Dakar's time of reckoning. Following days of violent protests triggered by the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, the city counts its victims.Also in the pod: Does ChatGPT speak your language? We speak to the people expanding the language capabilities of machine learning systems. And we discuss ‘brain drain’ from the continent with two Ghanaian nurses who are currently working in the UK
In 1975, British forensic artist Richard Neave used a pile of modelling clay, two prosthetic eyes and a woman’s wig to reconstruct the face of an Egyptian mummy. It was to be the start of a 40-year career recreating the faces of the dead using the pioneering ‘Manchester technique’ that he invented. And as his reputation spread worldwide, the police came calling. They needed Richard’s skills to help catch a killer, as he told Jane Wilkinson.(Photo: Richard Neave in 2012. Credit: Bethany Clarke/Getty Images)
This is the story of liquefied natural gas (LNG), and how in the last year it has played an enormous role in keeping the lights on in EuropeThis special edition of Business Daily comes from inside the biggest LNG terminal in Europe. Rick Kelsey looks into the role the fuel is playing as sanctions mean gas pipelines from Russia into Europe are restricted. LNG terminals which were half empty are now full, but should the cutting usage of Russian gas automatically mean importing more gas from elsewhere in the world? Is there a greener option? Presenter / producer: Rick Kelsey(Image: Isle of Grain terminal, Kent; Credit: National Grid)
如果有人建议你做一件你绝对不想做的事情，那么你可以怎样礼貌地拒绝？本期 “地道英语” 节目教你一种拒绝的方法，可以让熟人或朋友明白你不仅对某事完全不感兴趣，而且不会改变主意。听主持人介绍名词短语 “hard pass” 的含义和用法。
Apple has unveiled a much-anticipated augmented reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, in its first major hardware launch for almost a decade. The tech firm also announced its latest iPhone operating system, as well as updates to MacBook Air.The headset has a two-hour battery life, costs $3,499 (£2,849) and will be released early next year in the US.(Picture: Apple Vision Pro. Picture credit: Apple)
In 1872, Yellowstone became America and the world's first national park. Alongside erupting geysers, bubbling hot springs, canyons, and bison herds, we uncover the pivotal role of art in winning over the public and convincing politicians to set aside this unique landscape, which today spans 2.2 million acres. Shirl Ireland is a landscape and wildlife painter from Gardiner, Montana, and naturalist and guide Ashea Mills, tread the same terrain as painter Thomas Moran and photographer William Henry Jackson.
President Zelensky says his country's forces are delivering 'the news Ukrainians were expecting'. Also: Apple launches a much anticipated digital headset - its first brand-new product for eight years, and with the announcement of his departure, how Edward Enninful broke boundaries as editor of British Vogue.
Crypto giant Binance has been accused of engaging in a "web of deception" as it was hit with another lawsuit by US financial regulators. The top US financial watchdog - the Securities and Exchange Commission has charged it for breaking the country's investment laws.
A statement a few hours ago from the Ukrainian defence ministry said its forces are "shifting to offensive actions" in some areas. But for such an under-stated statement, there's been a frenzy of speculation today. Is this the start of the long-expected, big counter-offensive by Ukraine against Russia?Also - an astonishing miscarriage of justice in Australia- we'll hear from the law professor who first took up the case more than ten years ago; and the promise of solar energy captured in space.(Photo: A Ukrainian serviceman stands near an anti-aircraft missile launcher Ukraine, 07 April 2023. Credit: Oleg Petrasyuk /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The country is the only member of the group of oil-producing countries, OPEC+, that will reduce output to boost prices. Will it work? Also in the programme, we look into India's railway system after three trains collided leaving 275 dead. And we hear the latest from the largest international meeting of the African private sector, which is taking place in Ivory Coast.
Russia says it has repelled a major attack by Ukrainian forces in the south-east, in the latest sign that the long-awaited counter-offensive may be underway. Also on the programme, in the run-up to the COP28 climate summit, climate negotiators are in Bonn today assessing where the world has got to in terms of cutting greenhouse gas emission targets; and, a woman once branded Australia's worst female serial killer has been pardoned and freed from prison after 20 years behind bars.(Photo: Ukrainian serviceman prepares a shell for a D-30 howitzer at a position in a front line near the town of Soledar 06/05/2023 Reuters)
Information on the latest fighting has not been independently verified, but questions swirl around the possible Ukrainian counter-offensive. Also: more than 180 victims of the Odisha rail disaster in India are yet to be identified, and France attempts to break the record for the largest crowd doing a dictation exam.
Many postgraduate students, including those from Africa, will lose the right to bring their families with the recent UK Immigration rules change. Audrey Brown unpacks the effects on prospective students.Also in the pod: Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni says an attack late last month on the Ugandan peacekeeping mission in Somalia left over 50 soldiers dead. Al-Shabaab claims they killed many more. How will it affect Uganda - and the reputation of the army?And going back to my roots. A British Somali journalist goes home for the first time. How does she reconcile the two very different aspects of living in present day Mogadishu- the positive and the ever present threat of danger.
On the centenary of her birth another chance to hear much-loved author Judith Kerr discussing her memorable young adults' novel When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit with Harriett Gilbert and readers around the world.Set during the Second World War, this semi-autobiographical novel traces the story of a young Jewish girl and her family who flee Berlin just as the Nazis come to power. The journey of a family splintered by conflict, driven by fear and eventually rewarded with reunion is seen through the eyes of the nine-year-old Anna. Judith Kerr’s novel, by turns heart-lifting and heart-rending has stood the test of time and continues to be enjoyed by readers of all ages to this day.(Picture: Judith Kerr. Credit: Eliz Huseyin)
In the early 1960s, the Canadian government launched an experimental programme to take academically promising Inuit children from their homes to be educated in Canada’s cities. The aim was to produce administrators who could spearhead development in the north of the country, but the project came at a great cost for the children and their families. Adamie Kalingo, born and raised in Nunavik, Northern Quebec, speaks to Maria Margaronis about being taken away at the age of 12 in 1964, his years living with a white family in Ottawa, and his eventual return.(Photo: Adamie Kalingo in 1963. Credit: Maureen Bus)
James Gallagher reports on a psychedelic renaissance; a new wave of research testing hallucinogenic drugs like magic mushrooms to treat mental health conditions.There’s genuine excitement and some early encouraging evidence. A manufacturer tells James that in five years’ time, it’s possible that psychedelics could be part of the medicine cabinet – but with the hype, there’s risk too and there’s much still to learn about who these drugs could help and how.Presenter: James GallagherProducer: Geraldine FitzgeraldImage: Fungi on purple background. Credit: Getty Images.
In March 2023 Silicon Valley Bank collapsed. It was the second largest banking failure in US history. The regulator, the FDIC, fired the management team and brought in a new person to run the institution while a buyer was found.As the former CEO of Fannie Mae, Tim Mayopoulus has experience of steering a bank through financial turmoil. He speaks to Sam Fenwick about how he steadied the nerves of SVB employees, customers and the global banking sector.Produced and presented by Sam Fenwick.(Image: Man walking past SVB branch. Credit: Getty Images)
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we live and work. Should we accept it, or push back? Kim Chakanetsa meets two women pioneers in the field of AI and ethics. Aleksandra Przegalińska is a philosopher and data scientist. She’s the vice-rector and the head of the Human-Machine Interaction Research Center at Kozminski University in Poland and a Senior Research Associate on AI, Robots, and the Future of Work at Harvard University in the USA. Mia Shah-Dand is the founder of Women in AI Ethics, a non-profit aiming to increase female representation in the field of artificial intelligence. She is also the CEO of Lighthouse3, a consulting firm based in California that helps large organisations deploy new technologies responsibly.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Aleksandra Przegalińska, credit courtesy of Aleksandra Przegalińska. (R) Mia Shah-Dand, credit courtesy of Mia Shah-Dand.)
The Old Oak will be Ken Loach's last feature film and Sharuna Sagar was granted exclusive access behind the scenes of this landmark movie. She joins the 86 year old director on his swansong as he brings together his loyal team for one last time. As with his previous two films, I, Daniel Blake and Sorry We Missed You, Ken returns to the North East of England, to tell the story of Syrian refugees who have been housed in an ex-mining village. With him are his long-standing partners, producer Rebecca O'Brien and writer Paul Laverty, and they reveal the secrets of Loach's success.
Anti-Kremlin Russian paramilitaries say they captured them. Also: The deputy head of Sudan's ruling council has called for the withdrawal of all forces from the capital, Khartoum, where there has been an alarming escalation in fighting, and could gay marriage be on the cards in Thailand?
Rowena Chiu was kept silent for 20 years by former film boss Harvey Weinstein.Rowena thought that speaking up about her alleged sexual assault by Weinstein would end up with him in court. But instead she was pressured into signing an NDA so severe that she could tell no one, at times even fearing for her safety. Keeping this secret sent Rowena to a very dark place. But decades later the #MeToo movement set her free.This episode contains references to suicide.The news archive is from NBC and ABCPresenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Rebecca Vincent
Stephen Sackur speaks to Abdullah Mohtadi, the leader of the Iranian Kurdish political movement Komala. From his exile in Iraq, he’s one of many voices calling for freedom and democracy in Iran. But what do Iran’s Kurds really want - more rights or independence?
Fighters opposed to the government in Moscow say they have captured some Russian soldiers in Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine.Belgorod's top official replied to say he had agreed to meet the men's captors if the soldiers were still alive.Russia has blamed Ukraine for recent attacks in its border territories. Kyiv denies being directly involved.Also in the programme: As hundreds of thousands of Poles protest against a law looking into alleged Russian influence in Polish politics, we speak to the opposition mayor of the capital, Warsaw; and we hear from Uganda’s ‘Ghetto Kids’ competing to win a big cash prize in a British talent show.(Photo shows members of Russian Volunteer Corps pose for a picture atop an armoured vehicle at Graivoron border crossing in Kozinka, Belgorod region, Russia. Credit: Russian Volunteer Corps via Reuters)
Mani Djazmi and Sarah Mulkerrins profile the eight teams set to make their Women’s World Cup debuts at the upcoming tournament in Australia and New Zealand. They’re joined by journalist Jen O’Neill as the team go around the globe hearing from some of the players who will be representing their nation on the biggest stage.Louise Quinn of Ireland describes how excitement is building in the squad, while there are also interviews with Reina Bonta of the Phillipines, Panama’s Riley Tanner and Morocco and Tottenham forward Rosella Ayane.(Image: The World Cup trophy is displayed at an official Maori welcome. Photo by William West / AFP via Getty Images)
India's top rail official says the cause and those responsible for the country's worst train crash in decades have been identified. Meanwhile, officials in Odisha state have now revised downwards the number of dead to 275. Also on the programme: China shuts down commemorations in Hong Kong of the anniversary of the 1989 brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square; and we hear why mountaineers are calling for higher standards for those attempting to climb Mount Everest.(Photo: People check a list at a hospital in Cuttack to see if their relatives have been taken there. Credit: Reuters)
The Warm Up Track is back! Season Three begins with World Champion hurdler Grant Holloway and Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, World and Olympic 1500 metres finalist.What happens when a shot-putter needs to borrow your jacket?Who might have made it as a speed skater?Who might need a couch to do a 5K?Plus, why something as simple as dyeing your hair can resonate way beyond the track and how athletes can use their platform to speak out about causes close to their heart.(Image: Grant Holloway of USA celebrates after winning the Men's 60m Hurdles during the World Athletics Indoor Tour - Birmingham at Utilita Arena Birmingham on February 25, 2023 in Birmingham, England. Photo by Stephen Pond - British Athletics/British Athletics via Getty Images)
he collision is one of the worst in decades, with 288 people confirmed dead and more than a thousand injured. Also: Turkey's president appoints an orthodox economist as his new finance minister, signalling a possible change in approach to his country's economic crisis and, as Burna Boy packs out a stadium in London, we hear why Afrobeats and African tunes are taking the world by storm.
At least 288 people have been killed and 1,000 injured in a crash involving three trains in India's eastern Odisha state. One passenger train derailed on to the adjacent track and was struck by an incoming train on Friday, also hitting a nearby stationary freight train. We'll hear from a survivor of the crash.
Also in the programme: President Joe Biden has signed a bill raising the US borrowing limit, averting "economic collapse" after weeks of negotiations with Republicans; and Manchester City defeat Manchester United to clinch the FA Cup final.
(Picture: Rescue workers sit at the site of a train collision in Odisha State, India; Credit: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)
More than 260 people are now known to have been killed in a collision involving three trains in Odisha state. Around 1,000 people have been injured in the crash, described as one of the deadliest in decades. It happened when an express train derailed. Another passenger train collided with it, hitting a parked freight train.Also today: Turkey's President Erdogan is being inaugurated for five more years in power.And a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander on the worsening security situation in Kosovo. (Photo: A photo made available by India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and taken with a drone shows the site of the train accident at Odisha Balasore, India, 03 June 2023. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Sudan what next after the US imposes sanctions on the waring factions?Also, the latest from the political crisis in Senegal.Plus, the Gambia's economic crisis, a warning of debt distress.And our Resident Presidents have got something to tell us.Those stories in this the final edition of the Africa Today Podcast, produced and presented by Esau Williams.
Sportsworld’s Lee James joins us live from Wembley ahead of the first-ever Manchester derby in the FA Cup final and Maz Farookhi joins us live from Eindhoven ahead of the Women’s Champions League final.The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, tells us the fact Manchester United and Manchester City are facing each other proves his area is the biggest football city in the world. We also hear from Alex Rowe and Jack Dormer about how they’ve managed to get to a game in every round of this year’s FA Cup.As he prepares to race in the Epsom Derby for the final time, jockey Frankie Dettori jokes he missed seeing Elton John to speak to us along with describing the emotions around a race he compares to the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.Young, strong, and Muslim. We meet powerlifter Tahirah Ali who is becoming a sports role model among Muslim women. Ali tells us how she’s helped get the rules around clothing changed to allow her to wear a hijab while competing in events.And - the four-time freestyle world champion kayaker – Dane Jackson – tells us about tackling the feared Santo Domingo Gorge in Mexico.(Image: A view of the FA Cup trophy prior to the FA Cup Semi Final match between Manchester City and Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium. Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
With the launch of a new unit, BBC Verify, the BBC is now sharing the fact-checking and investigative work its journalists and correspondents do behind the scenes with the audience. We ask the BBC’s director of news content what “transparency” actually means and why it is important?Plus, is the corporation getting repetitive with its use of interviewees? A listener tells us he has heard the same guest in three different programmes.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
In 1965, South African Albert Johanneson became the first black player of any nationality to take part in the FA Cup final. Willie Bell remembers what he was like as a Leeds United teammate. This is a Made in Manchester production for the BBC World Service.(Photo: Leeds United left-winger Albert Johanneson, March 1965. Credit: Getty Images)
President Joe Biden has called for national unity after confirming he will sign the debt ceiling deal between Republicans and Democrats. Rahul Tandon discusses this and how best anger can be managed and averted in the workplace with Associate Professor Mandy O'Neill, of George Mason University in Virginia.Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Sydney, and Lori Ann Larocco, senior editor of guests at CNBC in New Jersey, also join the show to talk about this and more of the world's business news.(Picture: President Joe Biden addresses the nation on averting default and the Bipartisan Budget Agreement in the Oval Office of the White House on 2 June 2023 in Washington DC. Credit: Jim Watson-Pool/Getty Images)
It’s 70 years since a New Zealand mountaineer and his Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer guide reached the highest point on Earth. There have been celebrations in Nepal in recent days to mark the anniversary. Thousands of people have followed in their footsteps but this climbing season on Mount Everest is drawing international attention for the record number of climbers and the increased deaths on the mountain. James Reynolds hosts conversations that give us an insight into one of the toughest challenges on the planet, as well as the challenges posed by climate change and the overall impact on those who rely on the mountain to earn a living.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes focusing on Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.It's 70 years since Edmund Hillary with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, became the first people to reach the summit of Everest in 1953.We hear about some of the earliest, tragic attempts to scale the mountain, and from those who've blazed a trail up the slopes for others to follow.Contributors: Peter Hillary - Sir Edmund Hillary's son.Jamling Tenzing Norgay - Tenzing Norgay's son.Bachendri Pal - the first Indian woman to scale Mount Everest.Michael Groom - a survivor of the tragic expedition in 1996 when a storm struck the mountain.Jochen Hemmleb - an original member of the team that discovered George Mallory's remains.(Photo: Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary after their return from Everest. Credit: Bettmann)
With South Africa expecting its worst ever blackouts, what options does the country have to ensure its economy doesn't continue to suffer? Rahul Tandon discusses the country's options and speaks to a Nigerian businessman on the impact that new president Bola Tinubu removal of fuel subsidies is having. And with youth unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds in China hitting a record 20.4 per cent in April, we ask why its so high.
Latest figures released by the Japanese health ministry reveal the country's birth rate has declined in 2022 for the seventh consecutive year, underscoring the sense of crisis. This is part of a trend seen across the world. Also on the programme, two Austrian- Iranian dual nationals serving long prison sentences in Iran for spying have been released and are on their way home; and, an auction begins this weekend to sell off items from the set of the American sitcom, "Cheers". We take a look back at a much-loved classic of television.
The US labour market shows strong position than expected with 339,000 jobs in May. This fuels the markets interest – will the Federal Reserve and the US central bank, continue increasing interest rates?
A blood test for more than fifty types of cancer has shown it can detect two thirds of cancers correctly. Researchers at Oxford University said although the test remains a 'work in progress' it could increase the number of cancers identified and reduce hospital tests. Also: The US Secretary of State says Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a strategic failure, in Senegal, police surround the house of an opposition leader after a jail sentence pronounced against him sparked deadly protests, and we hear from the Manchester City football star Erling Haaland ahead of the FA cup final on Saturday.
The United Nations says organised crime networks are expanding smuggling routes in Southeast and East Asia to ship synthetic drugs through the region. Also in the programme: a BBC investigation uncovers how one member of one of Iran's most persecuted families spent 1,000 days in solitary confinement; and the teenaged Ukrainian refugee turned playwright.
(Photo: A handful of the synthetic drug crystal meth Credit: REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski)
BBC Delhi explores the steady rise in female-led households in their documentary "Women in Charge: Is India Changing?" From widows to the growing number of women whose husbands have left home to find work, these women are assuming control of household finances, their children's education and local communities. Divya Arya discusses how this 'mini revolution' is affecting India's traditionally patriarchal society.
Vietnam's migrant workers in Taiwan Taiwan relies heavily on legal migrant workers from South East Asia for its economy. A recent film highlighted the tragic death of one illegal migrant, and raised the issue of the lives of these migrant workers in Taiwan. Tran Vo from BBC Vietnamese and Benny Lu from BBC Chinese collaborated to look into the challenges, and sometimes tragedies, faced by these workers.
Russians in Serbia Between February and November last year, 140,000 Russians officially moved to Serbia after the invasion of Ukraine. BBC Serbian was keen to find out more about the impact both for the Russians themselves and the local population, as Jovana Georgievski reports.
Syria's deadly truffle harvest It was a bumper year for desert truffles in Syria, attracting many to hunt for them in remote areas. But around 250 truffle hunters have died, some from landmines, but most in attacks by gunmen. Alex Wright and Mina Al-Lami from BBC Monitoring have been investigating these deaths.
(Photo: Widow and deputy village council head Maan Kanwar in Rajasthan wearing traditional colourful clothing. Credit: BBC)
The acclaimed Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo has died aged 81. A former education minister for a brief period in Ghana, she arguably did more than any other writer to depict and celebrate the condition of women in Africa. Zeinab Badawi spoke with her in 2014. How much is there really to celebrate about being female in Africa?Image: Ama Ata Aidoo, pictured in 2017 (Credit: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images)
As a child, Bachendri Pal never dreamt of conquering mountains but a chance meeting with a climber changed all that.She applied for a mountaineering course and was chosen to be part of India’s first mixed-gender team to climb Mount Everest. On the journey, she faced icy winds, freezing temperatures and an avalanche that destroyed the camp.But finally, on 23 May 1984, Bachendri became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Everest. It was an achievement that changed her life, as she told Jane Wilkinson.(Photo: Bachendri Pal, pictured on right, on Everest 1984. Credit: Sonam Paljor)
The African National Congress has dominated South African politics for the last 29 years, but the party of Nelson Mandela is in trouble. A power crisis is doing new damage to an economy already hit by shocking levels of poverty, inequality and corruption. If the ANC is faltering, who stands best placed to offer an alternative? Stephen Sackur speaks to the leader of the radical populist Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema. What will happen to South Africa if he gets even a share of power?
With the cost of living crisis forcing many of us to try and limit what we spend, more and more people are looking to repair the things they own. It’s giving momentum to an international network of ‘repair cafes’ and a global campaign for manufacturers to make products fixable.In this episode, we hear from World Service listeners about their do-it-yourself repairs - some more successful than others.Laura Heighton-Ginns visits a bustling repair cafe, where all sorts of household and sentimental items are given new life, including Rosebud, a doll who was first played with 70 years ago.Laura also speaks to Ugo Vallauri, co-director of the international Restart Project, about the need for durability to be built back into product design.Presenter/producer: Laura Heighton-Ginns
Stephen Sackur speaks to American writer, academic and cultural commentator Roxane Gay. Her unflinching, extraordinary memoir Hunger deals with her experience of rape and obesity. How scary is the level of self-exposure in much of her writing?
With Airbnb taking New York City to court over its attempts to force rental owners to register their homes, Ed Butler speaks to Cara Eisenpress, a senior technology reporter for Crains New York Business, about what it means for the city. Ed Butler also discusses whether communication tools like WhatsApp and Teams cause more problems than solutions within the workplace with Washington DC-based leadership & executive coach Michael Seelman.Meanwhile we hear about other business stories from around the World with Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter in California, the BBC's Washington correspondent Jessica Parker, Steven Bertoni whose a senior editor at Forbes in New York, and Jyoti Malhotra, an editor at The Print website in New Delhi.(Picture: An Airbnb logo displayed on a smartphone. Credit: Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The US government said the sanctions would cut off key financial flows to the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. Also: Donald Trump reportedly caught on tape talking about keeping classified document after leaving office, and a Nepali guide saves the life of a climber found in the "death zone" on Mount Everest.
Jean Vanier changed Richard and Hazel’s lives. He founded the L’Arche movement – a global network inspired by Christian teaching – where people with and without learning disabilities live together in community. During his life, Vanier was hailed as “a living saint” and “a prophet”. But shortly after his death, a deep and disturbing secret emerged – that Vanier founded L’Arche to hide a mystical sex sect, coercing and abusing at least 25 women, all without disabilities. Richard and Hazel were stunned when they discovered the truth. Now they and 150 L’Arche communities are coming to terms with what has happened.
A verdict against Senegalese opposition politician, Ousmane Sonko, has been announced. What impact would it have on his aspirations for higher office?And the controversial 'patriot' clause makes its way through Zimbabwe's parliament.Those stories in depth in t his podcast presented by Esau Williams
Is Africa at growing risk of an economic meltdown? Ed Butler speaks to the head of the IMF's Africa programme, Abe Selassie, about what help those nations in debt trouble need.
Social media personality Andrew Tate has denied fuelling a culture of misogyny and defended his reputation in a combative interview with the BBC.Mr Tate, in his first television interview with a major broadcaster since being released into house arrest from police custody in Romania in April, dismissed the testimonies of individual women involved in the current investigation who have accused the former kickboxer of rape and exploitation when they were put to him.Also in the programme: reports that peace talks between the warring factions in Sudan have collapsed -- but one resident of Khartoum tells us people barely noticed the last truce; and an operation begins to avert an environmental catastrophe off the coast of Yemen.(Picture shows Andrew Tate during his interview with the BBC. Credit: BBC)
The California Condor has been brought back from the brink of extinction by dedicated conservation efforts over the past 30 years. Now, this critically endangered species is the latest victim of the H5N1 bird flu which is racing round the world. California Condor Coordinator Ashleigh Blackford and wildlife veterinarian Dr Samantha Gibbs from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discuss their last-ditch efforts to vaccinate the birds against H5N1.Huge 40,000 km plumes of water ice have been imaged erupting from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Dr. Sara Faggi, a postdoctoral Researcher in the Solar System Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, dives into this incredible new observation from the James Webb Space Telescope. Dr Pierre Galand from France’s Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls has been part of a two-and-a-half-year expedition to sample the microorganisms in coral reefs across the world. His new research shows that this tiny life is much more diverse than previously understood and may be essential to life of the coral reefs. And, much deeper in the Ocean, researchers estimate that there are over 5000 unnamed species in the world’s largest mineral exploration region, the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Muriel Rabone and Dr Adrian Glover from the Natural History Museum in London talk to Roland about this region of stunning biodiversity and the hope to protect it.Contributors:Ashleigh Blackford, California Condor Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)Dr Samantha Gibbs, wildlife veterinarian, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Dr. Sara Faggi, Postdoctoral Researcher, Solar System Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterDr Pierre Galand, Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements BenthiquesMuriel Rabone, Data and Sample Coordinator, SCAN. Life Sciences Division, Natural History Museum LondonDr Adrian Glover, Merit Researcher, Invertebrates Division, Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum LondonImage: An adult and juvenile California condorCredit: Loi NguyenPresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Ella HubberEditor: Richard Collings
Snaking queues have been spreading across Nigeria’s petrol stations after the new president Bola Tinubu announced the end of fuel subsidies on Monday. As panic buyers try to fill up their deposits amid fear of fuel shortages, we hear about the impact this is having on businesses.
One of Australia's most decorated soldiers has lost his civil court case against three newspapers which had accused him of carrying out war crimes in Afghanistan. A judge in Sydney decided that some of the allegations against Ben Roberts-Smith were substantially true. These include his involvement in the deaths of unarmed Afghans. He has denied all the allegations.Also in the programme: European leaders are meeting in Moldova today for a summit focusing on the continent's security; and an endangered orchid which was flown from the United States has flowered in the UK for the first time today.(FILE PHOTO: Ben Roberts-Smith. CREDIT: Getty Images)
The war in Ukraine dominates the summit of 47 nations in Moldova. Also: Australia's most-decorated living soldier loses a historic defamation case, and the US House of Representatives passes a crucial debt deal.
Michael Groom is one of the survivors of a tragic climbing expedition to Mount Everest in Nepal. In 2010, Jonny Hogg spoke to Michael Groom about the moments that went badly wrong when a storm struck the world's highest mountain on 10 May 1996.(Photo: Michael Groom on Everest in 1993. Credit: Guy Cotter)
The cocaine trade generates billions of dollars for criminal gangs right around the world but most of the supply of the drug comes from Colombia. Some the money made in this illegal economy does filter into the legal one and by some estimates the cocaine business now accounts for 4% of Colombian gross domestic product.How does the cocaine business generate so much money and for who? We also ask what would happen in places like Columbia if the world legalised the cocaine trade, if it could be taxed and revenue earned by Governments much in the same way as products like tobacco and alcohol. We hear from a former Colombian president and Nobel Prize winner who says it should.Presenter/producer: Gideon Long(Image: Coca plants. Credit: Getty Images)
Human migration is in the headlines again – India and Australia have announced a new migration deal, in the US a Covid-inspired policy that allowed migrants to be quickly expelled has come to an end, and in the UK new measures were announced to stop foreign students bringing families with them, in a bid to reduce migration figures.But what does science tell us about migration? With a team across three continents, we’re looking at the origins of human migration and exploring some of the greatest migrations in the animal kingdom. We discover that migrating birds are more like migrating humans than you might think, and learn how even the ground beneath our feet is trying to move somewhere else.We’re also introduced to the real life people labelling images that inform the algorithms behind AI, a researcher with a wall of wind makes a bid for The Coolest Science in the World, we find out why tiles are colder than carpets and we dig deeper into the news that a company founded by Elon Musk has been given the go-ahead to trial a ‘brain-machine interface’.Presenter: Marnie ChestertonProducers: Margaret Sessa Hawkins & Ben Motley
Russia is supplying the Myanmar military with advanced fighter jets and training their pilots how to use them in a war against their own people. More than two years on from the coup, the country’s military is facing a countrywide armed uprising and their troops are struggling to hold ground and recruit foot-soldiers. So, the strategy is turning increasingly to the air with devastating consequences. BBC’s Asia editor Rebecca Henschke follows those fighting back on the ground and in the air. And meets defectors from the airforce who give exclusive insight into the strategy and psychology behind those operating these deadly machines.
(Photo credit: Free Burma Rangers)
We get the latest from Washington as Congress gets to vote on raising the debt ceiling.
The US would begin defaulting on its $31.4tn debt if the borrowing limit isn't lifted by 5 June.
Ed Butler discusses this and more of the world's business news with Financial Journalist and broadcaster Salve Duplito in the Philippines and Peter Jankowskis from Arbor Financial Services in the US.
(Picture: The dome of the U.S. Capitol Building is reflected in a puddle on a rainy morning in Washington February 2, 2012. Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
The US House of Representatives debates a bipartisan deal to raise the government's debt ceiling and avoid a damaging default. Also: Russia says heavy shelling from Ukraine is behind its decision to evacuate hundreds of children from Belgorod, and how difficult is it to make tasteless peas?
After months of negotiations Congress finally votes on raising the US Government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling. Ed Butler gets the latest from the vote and hears how it will affect those most in need.
As inflation in Sri Lanka falls 10%, but remains high at 25.2% we speak to the country's finance minister, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.
And how much is the Women's World Cup worth? FIFA is threatening a blackout if broadcasters don't improve their bids.
A lunch break can tell you quite a lot about a country’s work culture; ranging from two-hour, luxuriant pauses in some parts of the world, to a couple of minutes, snack-in-hand at a desk, in others.
For decades, people have built up camaraderie by meeting informally and in person, but technology and the pandemic have changed that.
In this programme, Ruth Alexander goes in search of the meaning and purpose of the lunch break; from power lunches in the heady world of international finance, to a simple snack and a chat with a colleague, and asks, what do we stand to lose if we don’t take a proper break?
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: Two women in workwear, laughing over a meal. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
Sudanese officials say the army has suspended ceasefire talks with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Zimbabwe dollar has suffered a sharp drop, days after the government proposed additional measures to stabilise the currency.
And we speak to Mark Weston about his book 'The Saviour Fish', which looks at an environmental catastrophe caused by East Africa's British colonial government to Lake Victoria.
We celebrate the legacy of one of Africa's most celebrated authors and playwrights, Ama Ata Aidoo, who has passed away at age 81.
President Biden has warned of recession and millions of jobs lost if the deal doesn’t pass. We speak to one Republican congressman who says his own leaders have given away too much in negotiations.
Also on the programme: Russia begins evacuating children from the border region of Belgorod. We remember the life and work of the Ghanian writer Ama Ata Aidoo. And astronomers discover a 6,000 mile-long plume of water spurting out of Saturn’s moon.
(Republican speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy speaks to media ahead of the vote CREDIT: EPA)
As Uganda approves some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ legislation in the world, we hear from Dr Chloe Orkin, Professor of infection and inequities at Queen Mary University in London about the impact the new laws are already having on HIV health services.
Strict abortion laws in some US states are causing women to travel hundreds of miles to terminate their pregnancies across state lines. In the latest in our series on the health impacts of the US Supreme Court ruling on abortion, Claudia Hammond discusses the mental health consequences that these abortion restrictions can have. She speaks to Nancy Davis from Louisiana who had to travel over 1,300 miles to New York for a medically advised abortion after being told her unborn baby would not live to them. We also hear from Dr. Katherine Wisner, Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Northwestern University in Chicago, who has researched the mental health ramifications of abortion restrictions.
BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher discusses the reaction to a new UK study which claims that including certain foods and drinks can prevent age related memory loss. And how researchers in Canada and the USA have discovered a new superbug killing antibiotic using AI.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Clare Salisbury and Jonathan Blackwell
We're looking at Asia's two biggest economies: India and China. In India GDP has risen to 6.1% in GDP while China - once called the world's factory for producing cheap goods - is seeing a dip in manufacturing activity.
The court increased prison sentences for two Serbian officials convicted of training death squads during the Bosnian war in the 1990s. Also: A BBC investigation reveals new evidence of the trauma suffered by Ukrainian children taken to Russia, and the rare albino giant anteater discovered in Brazil.
The BBC’s Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford has found new evidence of what is happening to Ukraine’s missing children, and meets some of the families who are fighting to get them back.
Also on the programme: NATO says it’s going to send hundreds more troops to Kosovo after a number of its peacekeepers were injured in clashes with Serb protesters on Monday; and the “mad and offensive” medieval manuscript offering a rare glimpse into 15th-century live comedy performances.
(Image: Children who went to a Russian-organised summer camp from non-government controlled territories and were then taken to Russia, wait for departure to Kyiv after returning via the Ukraine-Belarus border, in Volyn region, Ukraine. April 7, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
In 1999 the body of the legendary British mountaineer, George Mallory, was found on Mount Everest. Mallory disappeared on the mountain in 1924 together with his fellow climber Andrew Irvine.In 2016, Farhana Haider spoke to Jochen Hemmleb, one of the original members of the team that discovered George Mallory's remains.(Photo: George Mallory in 1909. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
听众 Cinta 来信询问单词 “factor、element、component” 和 “ingredient” 的区别。名词 “factor” 的意思是 “因素”，它强调对结果产生的影响，而 “element、component” 和 “ingredient” 在表达 “事物的组成要素” 时几乎没有区别。听节目，学习这四个词的用法。
Nigeria's most well known economist Tony Elumelu tells us why Africa needs to rethink it's relationship with business. He explains "Africapitalism", the idea that the private sector can transform Africa's economy and society for the better. He also discusses a number problems slowing economic growth in Africa, including young, well-educated people leaving for better opportunities elsewhere and a lack of investment in the tech sector. Presenter / producer: Peter MacJobImage: Tony Elumelu: Credit: Getty Images
Coming up after the news from the BBC World Service, it’s HARDtalk with me Stephen Sackur. The influential British author Martin Amis has died at his home in Florida aged 73. Stephen Sackur interviewed him in 2013 after the release of his novel Lionel Asbo: State of England. He was pigeon-holed early in his career as the ‘enfant terrible’ of the British literary world and throughout his career he remained one of the most closely scrutinised novelists of his generation. His books were filled with greed, lust, addiction and ignorance, and yet he suggested he wrote in a celebratory spirit. So, what exactly was he celebrating?
A new open letter warning that the risks of artificial intelligence are as serious as pandemics and nuclear war, has been released by tech leaders.The chief executives of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Google DeepMind are among those to have supported the statement.Ed butler discusses this and the rest of the business news from around the world with President Of AGC Global, Simon Littlewood in Singapore and from Delhi, Madhavan Narayanan, freelance writer and former senior editor at Hindustan Times.(Picture: AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
The unrest was sparked when ethnic-Albanian mayors took office in Serb-majority areas, after being elected in a vote boycotted by Serbs. Also: experts say Artificial Intelligence or AI could lead to extinction of humanity, and would you join the no washing of clothes movement?
New research from economists in both Europe and the US shows that corporations are artificially stimulating current high levels of inflation. Ed Butler speaks to one of those behind the studies and asks if the price rises are all entirely justified. We get the latest from Washington as President Biden urges Congress to pass a deal to raise the government's borrowing limit and prevent a potentially catastrophic default on US debt repayments.And we hear the new warnings about the risks posed to humanity by the latest advances in artificial intelligence.
A group of leading artificial intelligence experts have issued a warning that the technology could be capable of making humanity extinct. In a short statement posted online top tech experts warned that the threat from AI is as great as pandemics and nuclear war. Also in the programme: The search is continuing for four children believed to have survived a small-plane crash in the Colombian Jungle; and a new national security law has come into effect in the Chinese territory of Macau which punishes any opposition to Beijing.(FILE PHOTO: A robot equipped with artificial intelligence is seen at the AI Xperience Centre in Brussels, Credit: Reuters/Yves Herman)
South Africa grants diplomatic immunity to officials attending the BRICS summit in August. Russian President Vladmir Putin is expected to attend.Also, Uganda's President Museveni reacts to Ugandan Troops killed by Al-Shabab militants in Somalia.And we'll find out how incessant illegal gold and diamond mining is polluting rivers in Sierra Leone.Those stories and more in this podcast with Karnie Sharp.
Film-maker Justine Bateman on why she and her Hollywood colleagues fear AI will take their jobs. Drug safety campaigner Dominic Milton Trott on why he's taken his message to the darknet. And Shiona McCallum talks to the Romanian-American computer scientist Ion Stoica about AI, gender equality and what it's like being a billionaire
Many business groups including corporate giants such as Google warned Uganda's government of the negative impact the anti-LGBTQ legislation could bring. Homosexual acts are already illegal in Uganda but now anyone convicted faces life imprisonment.
First multiple drone attack on city since invasion of Ukraine. Also: a former government scientist in China says the possibility that Covid-19 leaked from a laboratory should not be dismissed, and President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela visits Brazil for the first time in eight years.
Moscow has been targeted by multiple drones, in the biggest such attack on the Russian capital since the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian defence ministry said eight drones had been brought down. Ukraine has denied carrying out the attack.
Also in the programme: Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has visited Brazil for the first time in eight years; and after a rock band complained about the reception from the crowd at a music concert in Scotland, we ask what's the etiquette for both artists and their audience?
(Photo: A man is seen through a window of a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow. Credit: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay had tried to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, six times before his successful climb with Edmund Hillary in 1953. His son, Jamling Norgay, spoke to Louise Clarke about the spiritual importance of the mountain for his father, and how Tenzing Norgay saved Hillary’s life when he fell down a crevasse on the mountain. (Photo: Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. Credit: BBC)
We hear about one Sri Lankan woman’s struggle with debt after taking out a small loan - what does her story tell us about how to lend to people unable to access finance through banks all over the world?In a special two-part Business Daily report, Ed Butler investigates what's gone wrong with microfinance. It was once seen as a progressive way to help people like Renuka Ratnayake improve their lives, but has it led to a new wave of predatory lending? If you are affected by any of the issues covered in this programme, you can find information at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline.Presenter / producer: Ed ButlerImage: Renuka Ratnayake; Credit: BBC
As International talks to tackle the usage of plastics begin in Paris, we ask what does the world need to do to get a grip of consumption?Do meetings get in the way of work? A new study has found that people are in 3 times more meetings and calls a week in February 2020.Rahul Tandon discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland and Rachel Pupazzoni, national business reporter and presenter with ABC News.(Picture: Plastic waste seen at the ALBA Group recycling plant in Berlin, Germany. Credit: EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN)
For years the people of Evin-Malmaison in north-east France have lived and brought up children in a town which is dangerously polluted. The Metaleurop Foundry attracted workers and their families, it provided life to the area - but it has now killed it with the pollution, which lies deep in the soil. Twenty years after the factory closed, the scale of the scandal has only just emerged, thanks to a new residents campaign. But who will takes responsibility? Marine Hay meets the families here who say they can't live with lead seeping into their water supply, but can't leave because, who would buy their houses?
Serb protestors were angry at ethnic Albanian mayors being installed in Serb-majority areas. Also: Erdogan supporters celebrate win in divided Turkey, and could tea, apples and berries stave off age-related memory loss?
In his inaugural address President Bola Tinubu announced the decades-long subsidy on petroleum products was being scrapped, leading to a rise in the price of petrol. Rahul Tandon finds out what the wider implications will be for the country already facing economic challenges.We speak to the company behind the 3D printed schools being built in Ukraine.And we hear why parents in France may be banned from posting pictures of their children on social media.
Activists in the country have called it a “dark day”. We speak to one LGBT activist about how the community will be affected. Also on the programme: Russia launches a daytime attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv; and Turkey wakes up to five more years of Erdogan. (File photo shows protest in South Africa in support of Uganda’s LGBT community. CREDIT: Reuters)
We’re familiar with fungal infections like Thrush and Athlete’s foot, but fungal diseases that can kill are on the increase. The World Health Organisation is so concerned that it’s published its first ever list of life threatening fungi. In this edition of Discovery, James Gallagher hears stories of hospitals being shut down, a ruined honeymoon and fungal infections that consume human tissue leaving terrible disfigurement. Add to that ‘The Last of Us’, a hit video game turned TV series where a parasitic fungus manipulating the brains of ants has jumped to people. Sounds fanciful but while this particular fungus couldn’t cross from ants to humans, Dr Neil Stone explains why invasive fungal infections are on the rise and a potential pandemic should not be dismissed.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu is sworn in as Nigeria's new president.Also, Somalia's president wants his people to have a direct say in choosing their leaders, the first time since 1969.Those stories and much more in this his final Africa Today podcast with Hassan Arouni.
Turkey's president Erdogan won a historic third term, seeing off Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. But its left more questions than answers on the country's future economic direction. And can the US finally get a deal done to avoid a debt crisis?
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters are celebrating after Turkey's long-time president won Sunday's vote, securing another five years in power. But the country is divided. Almost half the electorate in the polarised country did not back his authoritarian vision of Turkey. We speak to Ibrahim Kalin, one of Erdogan's senior advisers. Also on the programme: the devastation wrought in western Sudan; and we hear from the grandson of the last surviving member of the first ascent of Mount Everest.(Image: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledges supporters after winning re-election in Turkey's run-off vote, at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on 28 May 2023. Credit: EPA-EFE/Savas)
The latest attack was unusual because it took place during the day and seemed to be targeted at the city centre. Also: New laws in Uganda mean LGBT people could face the death penalty and a musical blast from the past, as the band Sparks retake the pop scene
On 29 May 1953 Edmund Hillary, climbing with sherpa Tenzing Norgay, became the first people to reach the summit of Everest.The two men instantly became famous all over the world. Edmund Hillary’s son, Peter Hillary, tells Louise Clarke about his father's heroic climb. (Photo: Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. Credit: BBC)
Stephen Sackur speaks to John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa’s biggest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance. He thinks South Africans are ready to throw out the ANC thanks to their failure to fix the economy, the energy sector and corruption, but is he a credible alternative?
Offering small unsecured loans to the world’s poorest was meant to transform the lives of millions but in Sri Lanka microfinance has left many women with debts they simply can't repay.In a special two-part Business Daily report, Ed Butler visits the villages in Sri Lanka where many of those otherwise excluded from organised finance have taken small loans only for their finances to spiral into debt. What's gone wrong with mircofinance? Has it led to a new wave of predatory lending? Presenter / producer: Ed ButlerImage: Women in Welioya; Credit: BBC
Kim Chakanetsa is in the heart of Los Angeles' comedy district to meet two stand-up comedians who recently opened their own venues. Jiaoying Summers is a stand-up comedian, a social media star and the owner of The Hollywood Comedy Club and the Pasadena Comedy Club. Originally from China, she moved to the US when she was 18. She studied theatre and drama, but after director John Singleton failed her at an audition and suggested she should try comedy instead, she gave stand-up a go. She says comedy saved her life and helped her through her post-partum depression and her divorce. Nthenya Ndunda is an actor and comedian who, in 2021, opened The Comedy Nook, a venue promoting the work of black artists. She was born in Kenya and grew up in Canada, and decided to open her business after her best friend passed away. Nthenya draws inspiration for her jokes from her personal experience as a black woman living in the US and as the mother of a one-year-old.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Nthenya Ndunda, credit Getty Images. (R) Jiaoying Summers, credit courtesy of Jiaoying Summers.)
Alberta is an award-winning Barbadian-Scottish multi-disciplinary artist whose work encompasses drawing, digital collage, film and video installation, sculpture, performance and writing. In this edition of In The Studio, Antonia Quirke follows the progress of a new painting, commissioned specifically for the exhibition. All is going well with the painting, until Alberta realises that it might be upside down.
Rowena Chiu on surviving the Hollywood sexual predator Harvey Weinstein.Rowena was just 24 when she became an assistant to Weinstein at his film company. She knew he was a difficult boss, but nothing prepared her for what happened one night in Venice in 1998. She says he told her he ‘liked Chinese girls’, and sexually assaulted her in his hotel room. It was the start of a story she never wanted to be part of.The news archive is from CBS.Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Rebecca Vincent
His rule now extends into a third decade. Also: President Biden holds more talks with the Republican House speaker to finalise a crucial deal to raise the US debt ceiling, and the Malaysian Prime Minister calls for an end to fawning coverage of his government and urges the press to be more critical.
Turkey's long-time president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has won today's presidential election run-off. He told his supporters that Turkey itself was the only winner. We'll bring you the latest from our correspondent in the capital.Also in the programme: One-person-one-vote could be returning to Somalia under plans agreed at a four-day conference in the capital Mogadishu; and authorities are urging the World Health Organisation to declare a public health emergency over a fungal outbreak linked to cosmetic surgery in Mexico.(Picture: Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan react following early exit poll results for the second round of the presidential election outside the provincial headquarters of AK Party in Istanbul. Credit: Reuters/Hannah McKay)
The opposition challenger in the presidential run-off in Turkey has urged voters to get rid of the authoritiarian regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The incumbent, however, is expected to extend his hold on power.How a combination of booming tourism, government measures to attract foreign investment and the possibilities of remote working have sent house prices soaring leading to a housing crisis in Portugal. Also, a deadly border clash between Iran and Afghanistan over access to water.(Photo shows a woman voting during the second round of the presidential election, in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Reuters)
Claim made to the BBC by one of Ukraine's most senior security officials. Also: Turkey holds its first ever presidential run-off election, with Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeking to extend his rule into a third decade in the face of a strong challenge from Kemal Kilicdaroglu and, Iraq announces a seventeen-billion dollar road and rail building project to link Europe and the Gulf.
The BBC has been investigating reports of possible war crimes on medical facilities and staff in Sudan, perpetrated by both sides in the conflict. Reports show bombing of hospitals, military occupation of healthcare facilities and the deliberate targeting of doctors. We have a special report.Also in the programme: NATO has urged the government in Kosovo not to further escalate tensions with the Serb minority; and a race to save unique relics and remains in Cairo's City of the Dead as the government clears the way for roads and bridges.(File photo: A Sudanese national flag is attached to a machine gun of Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) soldiers as they wait for the arrival of Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of RSF. June 22, 2019. Credit: Reuters/Umit Bektas)
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear how a shocking photo from a Bosnian concentration camp stunned the world, what it's like to be in a tornado and the heroic clown who helped after an earthquake in Peru.Plus the 1980 military coup in Suriname and the moment in the 1960s when African de-colonisation might have led to a United States of Africa.This programme contains descriptions of sexual violence.(Photo: Fikret Alic in a Bosnian refugee camp. Credit: ITN/Shutterstock)
Ukraine is ready to launch its long-expected counter-offensive against Russian forces, one of the country's most senior security officials has told the BBC. Oleksiy Danilov would not name a date but said an assault to retake territory from President Vladimir Putin's occupying forces could begin "tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week".Also in the programme: A BBC investigation has seen evidence that both sides in Sudan's conflict could be carrying out war crimes on medical facilities and staff; and Henry Kissinger - one of the dominant figures in twentieth century US diplomacy - turns one- hundred today.(Photo: Ukrainian troops have spent months training on Western equipment ahead of the expected attack. Credit: Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Eagles set up a girls Flag Football league in 2022, which has subsequently grown to 52 teams and this year they’ll donate over 30,000 sports bras to athletes in need. Palumbo Lady Griffins player Ruth Duink and her coach Chris Donnelly discuss how having access to sports bras has boosted the girls confidence out on the field.Loni Bergqvist tells us how she found love while hiking the famous Camino del Santiago. The American former teacher booked the trip while at a crossroads in her life and met her husband Kjarten, who was also restless in his own life. The couple now live in Denmark with their three children.And - Manchester City and Netherlands defender Kerstin Casparij joins us to chat about her love of gaming. Casparij fell in love with video games by watching her father play Lara Croft: Tomb Raider when she was younger and says at City they try and score “FIFA type” goals.(Photo: Palumbo Griffins at Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles. Credit: Philadelphia Eagles)
Schedule changes earlier this year saw some programmes merged or changed - including the creation of a new technology show. After two months on air, we ask listeners what they think of Tech Life. Is it a change for the better - or worse - from the two programmes it replaced? We ask the show’s producer how it is settling in.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC World Service
In May 2003, Arsenal started on an unbeaten run that would last for 49 Premier League games. The team became known as 'The Invincibles'. They were the first team to go unbeaten all season since Preston North End in 1888. Former Arsenal defender, Lauren, and British comedian, Alan Davies, speak to Matt Pintus about that team.(Photo: Arsenal celebrate winning the 2003/2004 Premier League. Credit: Getty Images)
President Biden has said that he should know by the end of Friday whether there is a deal with Republicans to raise the government debt ceiling, so it can continue to pay its bills. Mr Biden said things were looking good and he thought negotiators were very close to a deal. The two sides have a little more breathing room after the US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, extended the debt ceiling deadline by four days, to 5 June.(Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden. Source: Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The exact cause is unknown, but the mental health condition ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) affects millions of lives around the world. Symptoms include hyperactive behaviour and maintaining concentration. To understand its effect a little more, we brought people together who are living with it. Two mothers in Kenya and the UK share their experiences of bringing up children with the condition. Host James Reynolds also hears from two couples living with ADHD in Nigeria and the United States, and rapper Jude MI Abaga.
Pristina is accused of undermining efforts to normalize relations with Serbia, which has puts its army on high alert. Also: a Russian border region bordering Ukraine comes under heavy bombardment, and the discovery of thousands of weird and wonderful species in an untouched area of the Pacific Ocean.
The US House Speaker says there's been progress in the talks about a deal to raise the government debt limit for two years, and that negotiations with the White House will continue. Kevin McCarthy said the work would carry on until an agreement was reached - but he added this was just the start on cutting spending. The US needs to raise the debt ceiling so it can keep paying its bills and avoid a default that could happen in a week's time.Will Bain talks to the US Chamber of Commerce, billionaire and Republican donor Ken Fisher, and Mark Shepherd, the Mayor of Clearfield in Utah.
The governor of Russia’s southwestern Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said areas had come under heavy bombardment, suffering intense artillery and mortar shelling. He spoke of Ukraine hitting a whole string of villages following the arc of Russia’s border. Also on the programme: We hear from Ayse Bugra, the wife of Turkish political prisoner Osman Kavala, ahead of the country’s election on Sunday. And the love of sleeper trains and why they are making a comeback. (Image: Belgorod regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. Credit: Sputnik/Reuters)
Al-Shabab have carried out an attack on a base of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, housing Ugandan troops. The base is located around 100km from the capital, Mogadishu. The militant group said they captured the camp and killed dozens of ATMIS soldiers, but there's been no independent confirmation.We hear from Kenya's Nancy Karigithu, who is in the running to become the first African woman to head the International Maritime Organisation.Thousands of demonstrators gathered yesterday in the Malian capital, Bamako, to demand the departure of the UN mission in the country, known as MINUSMA.And Uganda's parliament has passed a bill increasing paternity leave from four to seven days. MPs said they got the idea from neighbouring Kenya, where male working employees get two weeks of leave.
A Russian missile's struck a clinic in Ukraine; we'll hear how Ukrainian surgeons are learning to deal with warzone injuries. Also in the programme: the Venezuelan government's army of twitter trolls; and the Afghan film-maker hoping to bring the suffering of Afghan women under the Taliban to a wider audience thanks to some Hollywood stardust.(Photo: Rescuers work at the site of a clinic heavily destroyed by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine May 26, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Mykola Synelnykov)
With less than a week to go until the deadline is breached, we find out how close we are to a deal between the Democrats and the Republicans. Rahul Tandon gets the economist perspective on how the deal can get over the line.After a year of strikes and union action, we speak to the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, which represents 45 million workers across the continent.And we heard from Barcelona, where the city's status as a tourist magnet has come under scrutiny.
It also found the UK embassy didn't help a British couple who lived steps away. The family said an 85-year-old man was shot by snipers before his disabled wife died of starvation. Also: An Indian government official has been suspended after ordering an entire reservoir to be drained to recover his phone and why the US city of San Francisco has appointed a drag laureate.
Violence broke out in the north eastern Indian state of Manipur earlier this month after a rally by indigenous communities protesting against moves to grant tribal status to the state's main ethnic group. Raghvendra Rao of BBC Delhi spoke to people affected by the violence. Cool pavements in Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, a trial project is turning some streets and pavements white. It's called 'Cool Pavements' and is all about reducing the amount of heat given off during the night by traditional black asphalt roads, as BBC Arabic's Nisrine Hatoum reports.Cleopatra Clash Netflix’s “Cleopatra” docudrama sparked international controversy over portraying the legendary ruler as mixed-race. Yassmin Farag from BBC Arabic tells us what we know of the actual heritage of the last Egyptian pharaoh, and why Egyptians are up in arms. Turkish Earthquake: Little AfghanistanBBC Uzbek's Firuz Rahimi visited the Turkish village of Ovakent, which was devastated by February's earthquake. The majority of the population living there are Afghan refugees of Uzbek and Turkman ethnicity who've been arriving since 1982. He heard the stories of those who lost relatives, homes and businesses, and their plans to rebuild. Vietnamese children of US fathersAbout 100,000 children were born to Vietnamese women and American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai has been helping these children reunite with their American fathers for years. My Hang Tran of BBC Vietnamese interviewed the author about why she wanted to shine a light on this consequence of war. (Photo: Car burned in Manipur, India. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
On 31 May 1970, the Huascarán avalanche, caused by the Ancash earthquake, destroyed the town of Yungay, in Peru.Only 400 people, out of a population of 18,000, survived. A clown, named Cucharita, saved approximately 300 children, who were at a circus performance, by leading them to higher ground. Rachel Naylor speaks to his son, Christian Peña. (Photo: Statue of Christ at the cemetery overlooking Yungay, after the avalanche. Credit: Science Photo Library)
Musicians, promoters and comedians take us inside the grass roots gigging industry.David Reid speaks to guitar band Vernons Future about their experience gigging at small venues in the UK and getting their music out to international audiences via streaming platforms. We also hear from gig promotions company Bugbear about organising gigs and comedians trying their luck at an open mic night, hoping to make it onto the comedy circuit. Presenter / producer: David ReidImage: Vernons Future; Credit: BBC
Nvidia, a US firm which specializes in chips powering artificial intelligence, surged as much as 27% on Thursday, putting the company on course for record performance with a market cap above $900 billion.But where is the future of AI while there are raising concerns about regulation and safety?And have you ever heard of ‘greedflation’? Find out why price rises might be bringing out some unsavoury tendencies in retail. (Picture: The logo of NVIDIA is seen displayed on a mobile phone screen with AI (artificial intelligence) written in the background. Source: Getty Images)
One of the founding principles of the United States is that religion and politics, church and state, are separate. Yet today in America religious belief and politics have become inseparable. Self-styled "evangelical" Christians have become the dominant grassroots force in the Republican Party. "Evangelical" is not a denomination, it can mean different things to different people in terms of religious doctrine. The unifying principle seems to be in the political outlook of its adherents: deeply conservative in the 21st Century American political context. Michael Goldfarb explores the tension between a life of Christian faith and the dirty realities of secular politics.
Breakthrough made by scientists from the US and Canada. Also: The European police agency breaks up what it calls an extremely violent gun and drug trafficking gang in an international operation, and why orcas are sinking boats off the Iberian coast.
Nvidia, a US firm which specializes in chips powering artificial intelligence, surged as much as 27% on Thursday, putting the company on course for record performance with a market cap above $900 billion. But where is the future of AI while there are raising concerns about regulating and its safety?The Eurasian Economic Forum continues Moscow. Vladimir Putin is attending alongside leaders from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.
Long: The head of Russia’s Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said they'd begun handing over control of the captured Ukrainian city to Moscow's army. Ukraine has dismissed claims that Bakhmut has fallen to Russia. We hear from military analyst Justin Crump on what we know so far. Also on the programme: Net migration into Britain reaches a record high, and we hear from a scientist who used AI to discover a new antibiotic. (Photo: An aerial view shows destructions in the frontline town of Bakhmut, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
A star in the nearby Pinwheel Galaxy has exploded spectacularly into a supernova, dubbed SN 2023ixf. It is the brightest in a decade and it has got astronomers around the world into a frenzy. Science in Action hears from both amateur and professional astronomers alike as they scramble to collect exciting new images and data. Back on the ground, we hear from the Professor of Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter, Tim Lenton about his new paper highlighting how rising global temperatures could push human populations from their homes.Contributors: Dan Milisavljevic, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University.Dr Jane Clark, Trustee of the Cardiff Astronomical Society Bronco Oostermeyer, amateur astronomerRaffaella Margutti, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, BerkeleyErez Zimmerman, Astrophysics PhD student, Weizmann institute of scienceProfessor Avishay Gal-Yam, Head of Experimental Astrophisics Group, Weizmann institute of scienceProfessor Tim Lenton, Director of the Global Systems Institute and Chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of ExeterPresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Ella Hubber(Image: Supernova SN 2023ixf. Credit: Dr Jane Clark and The Cardiff Astronomical Society)
The IMF has approved a $3.5bn loan for Ivory Coast. It said the loan will help the country tackle the triple shocks of the Covid pandemic, global monetary tightening and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.It’s Africa Day! This year marks 60 years since the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).Plus, Sierra Leone’s iconic Cotton Tree has fallen during a storm in Freetown.Three years on from the death of George Floyd, we look at what has changed for the African-American community.
A conversation with Twitter's owner Elon Musk was delayed when the platform malfunctioned. Ron DeSantis is seeking the Republican nomination for 2024's US presidential election.Also on the programme, Russia's Wagner mercenary group says its forces have begun withdrawing from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. And we hear the story of a paralysed man who can walk again, thanks to AI. (Picture: Ron DeSantis launches his campaign to be the Republican presidential candidate. Credit: Reuters)
As Germany enters recession, Rob Young looks at the key factors behind it and speaks to a manufacturer weathering the storm. With a tense political future and struggling economy, how likely is Pakistan to get the IMF funding it so desperately needs? And as Turkey holds a crucial election runoff we find out why voters are giving the incumbent President Erdoğan another chance.
Ukraine insists it still controls parts of the shattered city. Also: A court in Vietnam has jailed a noodle seller who made fun of one of the country’s most powerful ministers, and tributes are paid to music legend Tina Turner, we look back at her life and talent.
On 25 May 1963, leaders of 32 newly-independent African nations came together for the first time in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.At stake was the dream of a united Africa. In 2013, Alex Last spoke to Dr Bereket Habte Selassie who took part in that first gathering.(Photo: Haile Selassie, centre, and Ghana's first President Kwame Nkrumah, left, during the formation of the Organisation of African Unity. Credit: STR/AFP via Getty Images)
On the anniversary of the first telegraph being sent, the team discover how the telegraph was used as a colonial tool in Ghana, and how an eccentric Brazilian emperor helped spark a communications revolution.They also reveal how tiny worms have helped scientists work out how our hearing works, and how bioelectricity might help focus your mind and heal your wounds.There’s a tale of evil seaweed causing havoc for coastal communities, a scientist studying misophonia makes a pitch for The Coolest Science in the World, and there’s a listener question about how chickens fly.And Marnie delves into a lesser known history of space flight, with the tale of a Zambian man who dreamt of being an astronaut.
Drought and hotter summers are killing Germany’s spruce forests. They’re a staple of the timber industry but are proving unable to cope with the consequences of climate change. Four out of five of Germany’s trees show signs of sickness, according to the latest survey of the health of the country’s forests. All tree species are affected. And although the last couple of years have seen more rain this hasn’t been enough to compensate for the damage already done. One third of Germany is forested and trees are seen as a means of absorbing carbon emissions, as well as a source of wood for the building industry and heating. Forests are also a popular destination for recreation – hiking, biking or simply relaxing. Caroline Bayley has been to some of the country’s forests to find out what’s being done to rescue Germany’s trees before it’s too late.Producer/presenter: Caroline BayleyEditor: Penny MurphyStudio: Engineer Rod FarquharProduction co-ordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross(Photo: Harz mountains by Caroline Bayley)
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has filed the necessary paperwork to run for the US presidency, saying he's Donald Trump without the drama. Mr DeSantis is expected to be one of the strongest challengers to the current leader in the polling: Donald Trump, despite being some way behind him. Kasia Madera is joined by Kimberly Adams, a correspondent for Marketplace in the US and Alicia Garcia Herrero, an economist in Singapore.(Picture: SIOUX CENTER, IA - MAY 13: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the annual Feenstra Family Picnic at the Dean Family Classic Car Museum in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Her unmistakable voice on hits like The Best, and Private Dancer made Tina Turner a superstar. Also: Florida governor Ron DeSantis announces he is running for US president in 2024, and brain implants help paralysed man to walk again.
Why go to culinary school when you could learn on the job? Three trained chefs-turned teachers make the case for learning the basics and getting a qualification that could open doors in a competitive world. In this programme Ruth Alexander hears what it takes to be a great culinary teacher. She speaks to Gary Maclean, Executive Chef at City of Glasgow College in the UK, he’s Scotland’s national chef and won the BBC’s Masterchef the Professionals in 2016; Suzanne Storms, Assistant Professor at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong where she manages the culinary arts and management degree; and Alexandra Didier, Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. If you’d like to contact the programme you can email us – thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: a chef instructs a student in a kitchen classroom. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Ron DeSantis has filed the necessary paperwork to run for the US presidency, saying he's Donald Trump without the drama. Mr DeSantis is expected to be one of the strongest challengers to the current leader in the polling: Donald Trump, despite being some way behind him. Kasia Madera hears from David Kotok, the chair and chief investment officer of Cumberland Advisors - a money management firm in Florida.
Outbreaks of violence continue in Sudan, where a week-long ceasefire is meant to be in place between rival military forces. UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, said he had heard reports of fighting in parts of the capital, Khartoum.In Libya, representatives of the High Council of State and the east-based parliament, the House of Representatives held a press conference after a two-day meeting in Morocco. The committee has announced a consensus on the election process for the presidency and parliament, aiming to hold elections in early 2024.DRC president, Felix Tshisekedi is on his first official visit to Beijing. He is expected to meet Chinese President, Xi Jinping to review and sign several key trade deals.And the United Nations and The Gambia's Ministry of Health are partnering to provide fistula repair surgery and rehabilitation to women suffering from Obstetric Fistula.
The American Grammy award-winning singer, whose soul classics and pop hits like The Best and What's Love Got to Do With It made her a superstar, has died at the age of 83. The White House described her death as a massive loss. We hear from her friend and co-writer Martyn Ware. Also on the programme: we hear from Sudan where a week-long ceasefire between rival military forces appears to be breaking down. And is owning three Labradors worse for the environment than travelling by private jet?(Image: Tina Turner performs in New York's Central Park in 1969 wearing a red leather outfit. Credit: Getty Images)
As new research is released showing that lower back pain is the leading cause of disability across the world, we ask Professor of musculoskeletal health at Sydney university, Manuela Ferreira what we can do to reduce the risks. We’re talking empathy; the ability to resonate with how others feel. Do healthcare professionals have enough empathy? And can having too much sometimes cause people working in healthcare difficulties with their own mental health? BBC health reporter Smitha Mundasad joins Claudia in the studio to discuss heart health. As a new report by the World Heart Foundation warns that deaths from cardiovascular disease have increased by more than 60 per cent over the last 3 decades, we look at a study from Japan that shows how keeping your legs strong can lead to a better prognosis after a heart attack.And a device that could increase your chances of surviving an avalanche has been tested in Italy. Claudia and Smitha discuss the results. Image Credit: Moyo StudioPresenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Clare SalisburyAssistant Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
Just months after its first ever satellite mission in the UK reached space, Sir Richard Branson's firm has shut down. Will Bain finds out why it failed to take off, and what its collapse tells us about the cost of the space information race.We hear about the business of running a business in one of Kenya's biggest refugee camps.And it's a $2 billion industry, but is the message of gospel being lost in the secular world of commercialism?
Scientists at University College London have discovered why a genetic mutation means that Jo Cameron, a 75-year-old woman, feels no pain. She also experiences low amounts of anxiety and fear, and has the ability to heal wounds more effectively. Also on the programme: this year's hosts of the UN climate change talks defend their appointment of an oil boss as the chairman; and we hear from this year's International Booker Prize winner. (Image: Scottish woman Jo Cameron, 75, who feels no pain. Credit: Jo Cameron)
The Russian border region of Belgorod has once again come under attack, with drones and shellfire striking villages overnight. On Tuesday Russia claimed to have defeated a group of saboteurs who crossed the border from Ukraine. Also: Tens of thousands of students have sued their universities in the UK demanding to be refunded part of fees they paid while there were no in-person classes during the pandemic, and France is banning domestic flights for journeys that can be completed in in two and a half hours by train.
On 31 May 2013, a huge tornado hit an area close to El Reno in the US state of Oklahoma.It was the widest tornado ever recorded and produced extreme winds of more than 400 kilometres an hour.Eight people were killed, including three storm chasers. One of the people tracking the storm was Emily Sutton, a meteorologist with KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City.She’s a member of the station’s storm chasing team and was caught in the tornado. She tells Rob Walker about the impact that day had on her and other storm chasers.(Photo: Cars damaged by the El Reno tornado. Credit: Joe Raedle via Getty Images)
The ANC has ruled in South Africa since the racist apartheid system was overthrown. But right now the country is in a big mess, with a protracted energy crisis, unemployment, inequality and systemic corruption. Stephen Sackur is in Johannesburg to speak to Fikile Mbalula, secretary general of the ANC. Many South Africans feel their country is failing. With elections looming, will the ANC pay the price?
一位听众来信询问形容词 “sarcastic” 和 “ironic” 有何不同。这两个词都有 “讽刺的” 意思。虽然 “sarcastic” 和 “ironic” 所描述的事物之间有相似之处，但 “ironic” 所指的 “讽刺” 范围更广。本期节目讲解形容词 “sarcastic” 和 “ironic” 在含义和用法上的主要区别。
Gospel: Is the spiritual message of the music getting lost in the world of commercialism?It's the two billion dollar music industry with faith at the forefront. We investigate whether mainstream music artists are diluting an industry that dedicates itself to the word of god. Hear from one of gospel's best selling artists, Marvin Sapp, and a gospel choir leader in Rwanda.Presenter / producer: Izzy GreenfieldImage: Marvin Sapp; Credit: Marvin Sapp
The US surgeon general said social media use by children and teenagers posed a profound challenge to their health and well-being. Also: residents in Khartoum say the city has been largely quiet since the latest truce began, and the last emperor of China's watch sells for more than $5m.
Apple have announced a multi-billion-dollar deal with technology and manufacturing company Broadcom to produce 5G components to be used in its products. Kasia Madera is joined by economist Gaby Castro-Fontoura in Uruguay and report Andy Uhler in the US.(Picture: CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Apple CEO Tim Cook wears a new Apple Watch Ultra during an Apple special event on September 07, 2022 in Cupertino, California. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Mariam al Sadiq Al Mahdi says the level of mistrust between the rival military factions is too deep. Also: Closing arguments have been heard in New York in the civil rape and defamation trial against former president Donald Trump, and the singer, Grace Bumbry, who was one of the first African Americans to become a star of international opera, has died in Vienna aged 86.
Although Russia's federal budget revenues from oil and gas, the lifeblood of its economy, fell 64% in April from the year-earlier period, the government has decided to increase taxes on the industry. The Kremlin is seeking additional money after spending heavily on the war in Ukraine.
As violence continues in Sudan, looting is causing shortages of basic supplies. We'll hear from an activist just outside the capital Khartoum, about what she's seen and why she has stayed where she is.Also in the programme: Serbia's amnesty on illegal arms has seen around 1,500 weapons returned anonymously, as protests against the government's handling of two mass shootings take place in the capital Belgrade; and the American opera singer Grace Bumbry has died, aged 86.(Picture: Smoke billows in Sudan's capital Khartoum. Picture credit: AFP)
War between Sudan's two military factions continues despite Saudi Arabia's mediation efforts. We hear the latest from Khartoum.Also, the aftermath of floods and landslides in the East of the D R Congo - we speak to a civil society worker.And music by Cameroon's Blanche Bailly.Those stories and more in this podcast with Hassan Arouni.
James Gallagher is on a mission to find out what is the least amount of exercise you can do to still stay healthy. James goes on a Ramblers wellbeing walk, uses a treadmill for the first time and takes a hot bath all to find out how lazy he can be and still gain some health benefits.
Rahul Tandon is presenting and hears about China has warned the European Union not to go ahead with reported plans to impose sanctions on Chinese firms suspected of helping the Russian military. China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said such action would undermine trust and cooperation between China and the EU. As sides in the Sudan meet in Saudi Arabia for peace talks, there are reports from Khartoum suggesting that looting and lawlessness are now having a major impact on access to basic supplies. The car market globally is going through a period of huge change - as the world moves towards electric cars. How fast is that move going to happen and what will it mean for the SUV sector which accounts for over 40 percent of global sales?
Saudi Arabia has confirmed that the first face to face talks between representatives from the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces are taking place. We hear from Renk in South Sudan, a small town civilians have fled to. Also: The United Nations has called on the Taliban to stop public stoning, flogging and executions, and the BBC unveils a new way of broadcasting.
Russia has launched its biggest wave of drone attacks on Ukraine in months, with ten regions targeted overnight, and at least three civilians killed. We hear from the capital Kyiv and an analysis of the weapons and Russia’s latest strategy.Also on the programme; Saudi Arabia hosts talks for a ceasefire in Sudan but will there be peace anytime soon?, and we hear what the coronation of a new king means for one Caribbean nation. Plus Scientists are developing a test to determine whether you are too tired to drive.(Photo: Night shelling on the outskirts of Odessa during the fourth air attack by Russians in a month, Credit: EPA/OPERATIONAL COMMAND SOUTH HANDOUT)
Some see them as polar opposites, but more people than you might think are moving between the creative and technology industries; using the skills from one to further success in the other. But how easy is it to cross between art and engineering? David Harper meets Jan Harlan, who started his career in the embryonic IT industry of the 1960s. The precision and planning skills he developed would help him in a 30-year career as a producer for one of the world’s greatest film directors: Stanley Kubrick. David also speaks to Thomas Dolby, famous as a pop star in the 1980s synthpop scene, who later headed to Silicon Valley - using his enthusiasm for emerging technology to create new opportunities, including an infamous mobile phone ringtone. And we hear from Lyndsey Scott, an actress, former model and computer coder who develops iOS apps while simultaneously juggling an acting career. Despite her successes, she sometimes finds it difficult to be taken seriously in a male-dominated technology business. Presenter: David Harper Producers: David Harper and Victoria Hastings(Image: Lyndsey Scott. Credit: Lyndsey Scott)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Austria’s former foreign minister Karin Kneissl. Her ties to Moscow are close - Vladimir Putin attended her wedding,she sat on the board of a Russian energy company and condemns Europe's arming of Ukraine on Russian TV. What does her story say about Vienna’s close ties to Moscow and the impact of Austria’s neutrality?
In 1999, NATO carried out a bombing campaign in Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. On 7 May, five American bombs hit the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three people and damaging relations between China and the West. Ben Henderson speaks to Hong Shen, a Chinese businessman, who was one of the first on the scene.(Photo: Protesters hold pictures of Chinese journalists killed in the embassy bombing. Credit: Stephen Shaver/AFP via Getty Images)
Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who help save cultural heritage in areas afflicted by conflict and natural disasters.Kateryna Goncharova has a Ph.D. in Museum and Monuments Studies. She joined the World Monuments Fund in April 2022 as Ukraine Heritage Crisis Specialist and she works on the ground to safeguard the country’s cultural heritage. Some of the sites she’s currently working in are the Khanenko Museum in Kyiv, the Library of Youth in Chernihiv, and the Local History Museum in Okhtyrka, which have been severely damaged by missile attacks. Aparna Tandon leads the First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis Programme at Iccrom, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property. She has worked in countries afflicted by conflict and natural disasters – like Haiti, Nepal, Japan, Italy, and more recently, in the areas of Turkey and Syria hit by the 2023 earthquake. Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Kateryna Goncharova, credit World Monument Fund. (R) Aparna Tandon, credit courtesy of Aparna Tandon.)
In recent years, dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians, has made Los Angeles his home. The city is rich with art, fashion and intriguing social structures, all of which are key sources of inspiration for Kevin’s novels. Los Angeles has become his living and breathing studio, and going out into the city is a huge part of his creative process. In the first of several ‘deep dives’ into the LA life that sustains Kevin creatively, we attend the opening of a new show (featuring the work of artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby) at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Gardens, out in Pasadena, where the old money families of LA live.
After twelve years in the diplomatic cold Syria has been let back into the Arab League. Also: Floods and landslides have killed at least four hundred people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a spectacular concert has been held at Windsor Castle near London to mark the coronation of King Charles.
Wheeler Parker is Emmett Till's cousin and the last surviving witness to his abduction.Emmett's brutal murder in Mississippi in 1955 sparked a wave of protest in America. The 14-year-old African American was lynched for whistling at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, who recently died aged 88. Reverend Wheeler Parker was Emmett's cousin and was in the next room to him when he was kidnapped. The horrific events of that night have shaped Wheeler's life. We spoke to him before the news of Donham's death. Wheeler has written a book alongside lawyer and journalist Christopher Benson called: A Few Days Full of Trouble. We spoke to them before the death of Carolyn Bryant Donham. This programme contains some distressing scenes.Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Deiniol Buxton and Troy HolmesEditor: Munazza Khan
The Arab League has readmitted Syria after more than a decade of suspension, as countries in the region push to normalise ties with President Bashar al-Assad. We hear from a former member of the Syrian opposition who is disappointed that Syria has been let back in. Also in the programme: at least seven people have been killed and several others injured when an SUV mowed people down near a shelter for migrants in Brownsville, Texas; and Ukrainian officials have said Russia has sparked a "mad panic" by evacuating a town near the contested Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.(Picture: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in August 12, 2020. Picture credit: The Syrian Arab News Agency)
The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, warns of 'catastrophe' at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. He urges warring parties to get 'back to their senses' and agree over a 'set of principles' to protect reactors.Also in the programme: YouTubers in Turkey's election; and the EU's plan to regulate AI.(Picture: A motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission, escorted by the Russian military, arrives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, March 29, 2023. credit: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, says the threat of a severe nuclear accident must be prevented. Also: Britain's historic coronation spectacle, and a controversial repatriation plan for Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
The Lazarus Heist and its criminal investigation into financial fraud has returned for a second series. Listeners tell us what they think and we ask if there is ever an issue with over-egging the Hollywood- thriller style production in a documentary podcast? The show’s hosts join us to answer your comments.Plus, we need your help following Saturday’s Coronation of King Charles III.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC World Service
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have waved at crowds and watched a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London after their Coronation at Westminster Abbey. They were joined by other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children. We hear reflections from people in Commonwealth countries and from a friend of the new King.Also in the programme: representatives from Sudan's warring armies have arrived in Saudi Arabia for their first face-to-face negotiation.(Photo: King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their Coronation ceremony. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC)
Britain and the Commonwealth Realm, are welcoming a new monarch, King Charles III. King Charles and Queen Camilla left Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach after their formal coronation ceremony on Saturday.Also in the programme: Peace talks are due to begin in Saudi Arabia between Sudan's warring factions; and Sweden has condemned Iran following the execution of a Swedish-Iranian dissident.(Picture: King Charles III was formally crowned as monarch. Credit: PA Media)
The monarch was crowned in Westminster Abbey in London. We mark the historic moment and discuss the changing attitudes towards the king who is also head of state in several countries around the world.
One of King Charles III’s greatest passions outside of royal duty was polo, one of the world's oldest team sports. It’s a game played on horseback, where a long handled wooden mallet is used to hit a small ball. The King was considered to be a very good polo player and featured in some of the world’s strongest teams. His captain for five years was England international Julian Hipwood. Julian speaks to Caroline Barker about the times the then Prince stayed at his house in order to get a “quiet night”, how he mishit a shot and scarred Julian’s face and explains why he will do a “first class job” as King. We’re also joined by Antony Fanshawe, the director of polo for Guards Polo Club, which was set-up by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh in 1955. Eleanor Oldroyd is one of the BBC Radio's most experienced sport commentators, but she also commentates on key royal events. Before the coronation of King Charles III, Eleanor joins us to discuss the similarities and differences between commentating on an event like this compared to cricket or the Olympics. Plus, we cross to Arizona to speak to Iain Ward, who is currently cycling across the United States to raise money for cancer research and mental health charities. In 2020, Iain was diagnosed with a brain tumour and was given around five years to live. His positive attitude and physically-taxing adventures have seen him amass over five million followers across his social media platforms.
On 15th May 1993, the first match of Japan's first professional football league kicked off at the National Stadium in Tokyo. This new "J.League" replaced the previous version, which was composed of corporate teams of amateur and semi-professional players, and was seen by the Japanese Football Asociation as a means of qualifying for and eventually hosting a World Cup. Former Yokohama Marinos manager Hidehiko Shimizu tells Kurt Brookes about that first match and how it changed Japan's views on football. This is a Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Nagoya Grampus Eight play Yokohama Marinos in a J.League match. L-R Junji Koizumi, Gary Lineker and Masami Ihara. Credit: Getty)
A cult-like life coaching group has been accused of trolling former members.Lighthouse International Group promises to help people realise their dreams and ambitions, but the reality is more sinister. Lighthouse obsessively records and stores mentoring sessions and group calls. But when people ask questions or try to leave, that’s when the trouble really starts. BBC Trending's series Trolled lifts the lid on online abuse and trolling on and off social media.Presenter: Catrin NyeProducer: Ed MainEditor: Flora Carmichael
Royalty and dignitaries from around the world have arrived in London ahead of the coronation of King Charles. Many of them will be guests in Westminster Abbey on Saturday morning when at 11 o'clock in the morning the coronation ceremony will begin. Millions of other people across the UK and beyond are preparing to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III - a symbolic ceremony combining a religious service and pageantry. The day of splendour and formality will feature customs dating back more than 1,000 years. King Charles III is head of the Commonwealth countries and the head of state of 14 countries. (Picture: His Majesty King Charles III. Source: WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The fighting between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces started around three weeks ago. Since then, the UN estimates that more than a 100,000 people have fled the country and more than a third of a million have been displaced within Sudan. Host James Reynolds hears from some of those who have been forced to flee their country.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. We hear about the Scottish students who removed the 'Stone of Destiny' from Westminster Abbey in London. Former King Simeon II of Bulgaria explains how he went from child King to Prime Minister of his country. Also, why the body of Oliver Cromwell was dug up and executed in the UK in 1661. The son of Jean-Bédel Bokassa explains why his father proclaimed himself Emperor of the Central African Republic. Plus the story of the King found under a car park in England.Professor Cindy McCreery speaks to Max about royal thefts and repurposing of regal items.Contributors: Ian Hamilton, student who removed the 'Stone of Destiny.Cindy McCreery, Associate Professor in History at the University of Sydney.Charles Spencer, historian.Dr Gabriel Heaton, specialist at Sotheby's auction house.Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, former King and former Prime Minister of Bulgaria.Jean-Charles Bokassa, son of Jean-Béddel Bokassa.Dr Richard Buckley OBE, leader of the team which dug up Richard III's remains.(Photo: Jean-Béddel Bokassa after he crowned himself Emperor Credit: Getty Images)
Close to 20 million people are likely to have died during the last three years. Also: A wealthy Nigerian politician is jailed for plotting to steal the kidney of a man he trafficked to Britain, and why the Vatican is worried about the number of people who say they're communing with the Virgin Mary.
The World Health Organisation says Covid- 19 is no longer a global health emergency, after three years of lives and economies turned upside down -- and millions of deaths.Job creation in the US remained robust last month, despite turmoil in the banking sector and the impact of higher borrowing costs. Employers added 253,000 jobs, which was better than many analysts had expected. Millions of people across the UK and beyond are preparing to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III - a symbolic ceremony combining a religious service and pageantry.
Serbia is embarking on a push to disarm the country after two mass shootings within forty-eight hours. President Aleksandar Vucic said no new gun permits would be issued and existing owners would face increased background checks. We'll hear from our correspondent in Belgrade.Also in the programme: The WHO declares that Covid 19 is no longer a global health emergency; and the Irish language as well as Welsh and Scots Gaelic, are to be used for the first time in a British royal coronation.(A police officer guards as a Crime Scene Investigator looks for evidence at a crime scene site in the village of Dubona, near Mladenovac, Serbia. Credit: Andrej Cukic/EPA)
A former deputy president of the Nigerian senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has been given a nine-year jail term and his wife four-and-a-half years for conspiring to bring a 21-year-old Lagos street trader to the UK as a potential kidney donor for their sick daughter. A doctor who was also part of the plot received 10 years.South Sudan’s foreign minister, Deng Dau Deng, says his country is continuing efforts to persuade the two sides fighting in Sudan to meet for peace talks.Heavy gunfire continues to tear through the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, despite multiple ceasefire declarations.
The US banking crisis, which has seen three banks collapse, is pushing the price of gold up. Chinese consumers and central bank purchasing the precious metal is adding to its demand. We will be finding out what this means for consumers and retailers. Apple have reported revenue falling by 3% to nearly 95 billion dollars this last quarter - the CEO, Tim Cook has highlighted growth in India as a key market for them. We take a look at why the tech giant is investing a lot on money in the country. The coronation of King Charles the third will be a theatrical affair unlike anything seen for nearly seven decades, and it'll be watched by millions around the world. Our presenter Sam Fenwick will be bringing us the latest on the stories.
As Sudan's generals carry on their vicious fight, terrified civilians flee in all directions. Our reporter has made it to the southern border. We also hear from the World Food Programme about looting.Also in the programme: The tech journalist secretly tracked by TikTok; and how to get a knitting machine to make your satellite antenna. (Photo: People who fled Sudan wait outside the railway station in Aswan, Egypt, Credit: Photo by Khaled Elfiq//EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Eight people died and fourteen injured during the attack in a village south of Belgrade. Also, the leader of Russia's Wagner Group says he'll withdraw his troops from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in a row over ammunition, and thousands of people flee Sudan as efforts to broker peace talks continue.
This week, BBC Arabic launched an emergency radio service for Sudan, providing information and advice. Editor Adel Soliman tells us how they're putting together information about essential needs like how to obtain fuel, food and support. They also provide a platform for Sudanese people to share news from across the country.Thailand's election jargon Election time always spawns new buzzwords in Thailand. BBC Thai's Tossapol Chaisamritpol shares three from this election's crop: MP draining, landslide, and Big House.Speed dating for single MuslimsLondon recently hosted the biggest ever Muslim speed dating event, organised by the Muzz dating app. More than a thousand people took part, and BBC Arabic's Alma Hassoun went along to explore the challenges some young Muslims face in meeting and socialising with others of their religion.Reporting on Kenya's starvation cultBBC Africa’s Dorcas Wangira has been following the story of Kenyan preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who’s accused of encouraging his followers to starve themselves to death. Hundreds of bodies have been discovered in an isolated forest area on the Kenyan coast, and Dorcas was one of the first journalists on the scene. Paraguay, Taiwan and China The victory of the ruling Colorado Party in Paraguay’s recent election was also in part a victory for Taiwan: Paraguay remains one of the last Latin American countries retaining full diplomatic ties with Taipei, while the opposition party candidate had promised to follow the growing trend of switching to Beijing. BBC Monitoring's Luis Fajardo in Miami reports on what these ties mean, both for Paraguay, and for China and Taiwan. (Photo: Smoke rises during clashes in Khartoum, Sudan. Credit: Ahmed Satti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
On Christmas Eve 1950, four young Scottish students took the 'Stone of Destiny' from Westminster Abbey in London.The symbolic stone had been taken from Scotland to England centuries earlier and had sat beneath the Coronation Chair in the abbey ever since. In 2018, Anya Dorodeyko spoke to the late Ian Hamilton who took part in the daring escapade in order to draw attention to demands for Scottish home rule.(Photo: Ian Hamilton. Credit: BBC)
Best-selling American author Curtis Sittenfeld discusses her acclaimed debut novel, Prep.Set in an exclusive boarding school in north-eastern America, Prep is an insightful, caustic and funny coming-of-age story and a savage dissection of class, race, and gender.Clever, aspirational Lee Fiora is fourteen years old when her father drops her at the prestigious Ault School in Massachusetts that she has won a scholarship to. Both intimidated and fascinated by her classmates, she becomes a shrewd observer of, and ultimately a participant in, their snobby culture and rituals.She forms intense friendships with other girls; complicated relationships with teachers and an all-consuming infatuation with a boy from the cool crowd, all of which leads to conflicts with her parents back home in the mid-West, from whom Lee feels increasingly distant.Please see below for other novels about boarding schools mentioned in this programme:Make your Home among Strangers by Jennine Capó CrucetAdmissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School by Kendra JamesBlack Ice by Lorene Cary(Picture: Curtis Sittenfeld. Photo credit: Jenn Ackerman.)
It is more than 60 years since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet and set up a government-in-exile, hopeful of one day going back. Since then, China has banned any mention of the spiritual leader in his homeland, and there are reports of widespread human rights abuses. Sarah Montague speaks to the president of that self-declared government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering. Will he ever get to see his ancestral homeland, let alone govern it?
What's the future of the advertising industry? The industry veteran who was behind some of the most memorable ads of the 80s and 90s speaks to Dougal Shaw about the rise of digital platforms and social media.Hegarty is a revered figure in advertising because of the famous brands he helped to build. He was a founding partner of Saatchi & Saatchi and co-founder of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH). These days he is creative director of The Garage Soho, which invests in start-ups and helps to build brands.And Sir John also uses his own experiences of previous recessions to explain how he thinks companies can survive, and in some cases benefit from, a recession.Presenter/producer: Dougal Shaw(Image: Sir John Hegarty. Credit: Getty Images)
Apple has reported quarterly revenue and profit above Wall Street's expectations, fuelled by strong iPhone sales - particularly in emerging markets such as India (where the company recently opened its first stores). The US tech giant reported profits of twenty-four billion dollars ($24 billion) on revenue of ninety-four-point-eight billion dollars ($94.8 billion) in the first three months of this year.The US regional banking sector is coming under renewed pressure amid a crisis in confidence. Trading in the California lender PacWest was briefly suspended as shares fell more than fifty percent, after its owners confirmed it had explored strategic asset sales. The British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has won Thinking Out Loud copyright case. A New York court ruled today that Mr Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On when composing the track. (Picture: An iPhone logo in Shanghai, China. Source: Getty Images)
According to the national census, the number of British people who say they follow Shamanism as a religion has risen twelvefold in the space of 10 years. While the numbers are still low – at around 8,000 followers - the increase has put pressure on those who have followed the practice for years. The BBC’s Amber Haque visits a British shaman to find out what Shamanism is, what it means to her and her circle of believers and why they think it should be taken seriously.
The US President issues an executive order threatening sanctions. Also: Four members of the far-right Proud Boys militia have been convicted of seditious conspiracy in relation to the storming of the US Capitol building, and football team Napoli end a 33 year title drought by winning Italy's Serie A.
The US regional banking sector is coming under renewed pressure amid a crisis in confidence. Trading in the California lender PacWest was briefly suspended as shares fell more than fifty percent, after its owners confirmed it had explored strategic asset sales. The White House has been holding a meeting with tech company bosses to discuss the risks of Artificial Intelligence. The vice president, Kamala Harris, told them they had a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their products. The British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has won Thinking Out Loud copyright case. A New York court ruled today that Mr Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On when composing the track.
US President Joe Biden called the fighting in Sudan a betrayal of its people and issued an executive order authorising sanctions against the warring factions. We hear from a resident of Khartoum on the rise of robberies and violence in the capital. Also on the programme: A court in the United States has found that Ed Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye's hit, Let's Get It On, when composing Thinking Out Loud. And the southern Italian city of Naples hopes its football team will clinch its first league title since the days of Diego Maradona.
India is at the centre of much of the discussion on this week’s episode of Science In Action. We hear about how a proposal to scrap Darwinian evolution from Indian secondary schools has led to signatures from thousands of scientists. Dr Vineeta Bal, Researcher at the National University of Immunology, is one of the signatories on a petition against the proposed changes. We spoke to her about why she is against them.Also in India, a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, named XBBX.16 is being studied by epidemiologists in the country. Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, Professor of Microbiology at BJ Government Medical College, Pune, India, is behind the study. Further study of the variant has been looked into by Kei Sato, Professor of Systems Virology at the University of Tokyo. Kei has been mapping how new variants could cause us problems, ahead of them doing so. This kind of forward planning is something praised by Paul Bienaisz, Professor of Virology at The Rockefeller university. We talk to him about how vital this kind of work still is, even if many of us have confined the about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to memory. Lastly, we hear from Dr Usama Kadri, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at Cardiff University who has looked at how we might be able to use a novel bit of technology of underwater technology (called hydrophones), often used for animal conservation, to be able to detect earthquakes in the deep sea. Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Roland PeaseProducer: Ella Hubber
American president, Joe Biden has issued an executive order authorising sanctions against Sudan. He called the violence a tragedy and a betrayal of the Sudanese people.Liberia is scheduled to hold its presidential election in October this year but what are the prospects for the country's future and what impact will Liberians in the diaspora have on the poll?Plus a woman in Rwanda who is helping women open businesses and create jobs. She particularly helps students from rural parts of the country find work in the fashion industry.South Africa, known for having 11 official languages is on course to add a 12th - SIGN language. The National Assembly passed the Constitutional Eighteenth Amendment Bill, which will make the necessary changes to the Constitution to recognize a 12th official language.
The European Central Bank has raised interest rates to 3.25%, as part of its ongoing efforts to lower inflation in the 20 countries that use the Euro. It is the seventh successive increase. We find out what this means for businesses in the Eurozone. We hear from the CEO of Maersk as their profit figures are released and it shows that the global economy is slowing due to less freight moving around the world. The bosses of the biggest tech companies in the world will meet with US Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss the future of AI. How will AI be regulated by the government? Our presenter Sam Fenwick will bringing us the latest on all the stories.
A seven-day ceasefire, due to come into force in Sudan, appears to be in tatters as clashes continue between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The BBC’s Lyse Doucet speaks to Martin Griffiths, the UN’s aid chief, who has spoken with the two rival generals. Also on the programme: Indigenous leaders from 12 Commonwealth countries have called on King Charles III to make a formal apology for centuries of colonialism; and the 83-year-old flautist from Northern Ireland who shared the stage with Lizzo at the Met Gala. (IMAGE: Damaged cars and buildings in Khartoum North, 27 April CREDIT: REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo)
UN aid chief says Sudan generals unwilling to end conflict. Martin Griffiths said the determination of the generals to keep fighting risked turning the war into a global tragedy. Also: Ukraine's President Zelensky tells the International Criminal Court he believes it will soon prosecute President Putin, and scientists get their hands on human DNA from 20,000 years ago.
In June 2001, more than half a century after being driven into exile by communists, Bulgaria’s former King Simeon II made a dramatic comeback by winning the country’s parliamentary election. In 2018, Farhana Haider spoke to Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha about his remarkable journey from child king to prime minister.(Photo: Former King Simeon II of Bulgaria. Credit: Luc Castel/Getty Images)
Social entrepreneurship is often borne out of the need to address social issues, but it is fast becoming a major contributor to economic growth – contributing billions of dollars to global economies and providing millions of jobs whilst maintaining its core altruistic values of making the world a better place.We meet Zimbabwean born Max Zimani – who runs an African/Middle-Eastern restaurant in Slovenia, created out of the need for inclusion of the migrant communities in an homogenous society like Slovenia. Skukhna offers a global cuisine and brings communities together through exotic dining.Simona Simulyte is a serial entrepreneur and CEO Tech4Good. She runs an ecosystem in Lithuania that brings together people with ideas for social businesses, provides mentorship and help source for funds which enables these start-ups become self-sufficient. And Moses Onitilo is the co-founder of a company known as Jamborow - a blockchain driven fintech platform focused on financial inclusion and grassroot empowerment, specifically targeting the unbanked and the lower income and rural communities within Africa. The Jamborow eco-system cuts across seven African countries including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, and UgandaPresenter/producer Peter MacJob(Image: These members of a small savings group in Kenya now have access to e-wallets via mobile phones. Photo Credit: Moses Onitilo)
Thousands of Kenyan villagers are being given free cash as part of a huge trial being run by an American non-profit, GiveDirectly.Why? Some aid organisations believe that simply giving people money is one of the most effective ways to tackle extreme poverty and boost development. After all, they argue, local people themselves know best how to use the funds to improve their lives. But does it work? Is it really a long term solution? In 2018, the BBC visited a Kenyan village whose residents received money at the start of the trial. Five years on, the BBC’s Mary Harper returns to see what’s changed.Photo: Woman frying fish in village in western Kenya (BBC)Reporter: Mary HarperProducer: Alex LastStudio Manager: Graham PuddifootSeries Editor: Penny MurphyProduction Coordinator: Helena Warwick-CrossWith special thanks to Fred Ooko
The Russian Presidency said Ukraine was behind Kremlin drone strikes. Also: A new drug has been hailed as a big step towards an effective treatment for Alzheimer's, and the US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates to the highest level in sixteen years.
The crowning of a British monarch calls for an official dish. In 1953, for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, it was a curry and mayonnaise sandwich filling. This time around, King Charles III has selected a quiche - the principle of the shareable tart being to inspire the public to join in a celebratory lunch. It may sound fairly simple, but as Ruth Alexander discovers in this programme, a lot lies behind the commemorative dish. In this programme, Ruth asks why the new King wants his crowning moment to be marked with home-baking, what opportunities royal-inspired food offers, and what the monarch’s culinary choice might tell us about this moment in time. She visits a farm shop in Warwickshire, in the British Midlands, where owner Michelle Edkins has been baking and serving up a spread of dishes to mark the big occasion. Muhammed Ali, the owner of an Indian restaurant in the neighbouring county of Staffordshire, tells Ruth about a new Coronation-themed curry he’s put on his menu to capture the moment. Food historian, Dr Rachel Rich, puts the official quiche into historical context. And Prue Leith, South African-British celebrity cook and judge, gives her verdict on the dish and considers whether its simplicity and choice of ingredients signal something about the new monarch. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk (Picture: King Charles III having tea. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
The US Central Bank has raised its interest rates to its highest level in 16 years The moves are aimed at stabilising inflation and have pushed the target range for its benchmark rate to 5.25%. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said the US was "getting close or maybe even there" to pausing its rate-hike campaign but was prepared to do more if warranted. But there has been criticism from some economists with one describing the rise as ‘throwing the US labour market under a bus’.We also report on an Israeli food-tech company that has announced it has managed to produce the world's first ever ready-to-cook fish fillet using 3-d printing technology.And – just how does the French Finance Minister find the time to write erotic literature with the country facing a great deal of economic upheaval?
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied his country carried out an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, which Russia says was an attempt on President Vladimir Putin's life. We speak to the BBC's Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg and an advisor to Ukraine's Defence Minister. Also on the programme: thousands of refugees flee from Sudan to South Sudan, a country ill-equipped to deal with such an influx. And the growing threat of fungal diseases to food security worldwide. (Image: a still image taken from a video appearing to show a flying object exploding near the Kremlin during the alleged drone attack in Moscow. Ostorozhno Novosti/Handout via REUTERS)
Fighting is continuing in various parts of Sudan. The army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the rival Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, have agreed to a seven day ceasefire starting on Thursday. The two have also agreed to sit down for peace talks in neighbouring South Sudan.Today is World Press Freedom Day, we hear from a journalist from Somalia on the challenges of reporting in the country.An update on devastating floods in Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.
Medical professionals in Khartoum tell us how they are managing to continue their work to treat people in hospitals despite the ongoing violence in Sudan. Some hospitals are out of service and doctors say they are struggling to secure medical supplies.There is evidence that high blood pressure in young people in England is going undiagnosed, and levels are rising in the USA. Dr Graham Easton looks at the latest. He also discusses new research which may lead to earlier diagnosis of the degenerative condition Parkinson’s disease by testing for a build-up of abnormal proteins. Ian Temple has Parkinson’s disease, but that hasn’t stopped him dancing. He is part of a group run by the English National Ballet for people with Parkinson’s. We hear from a dance class, and Elke Kalbe, Professor of medical psychology at the University of Cologne, explains how physical exercise like this might benefit people with the condition.And have you ever heard someone with a near death experience recount that their life flashed before their eyes? We discuss new neuroscience which might explain the phenomenon.Image credit: Ahmed Satti/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesPresenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Clare Salisbury
The U.S Federal reserve is expected to raise rates again this week. That would be the 10the straight increase since March of last year. We'll find out what the expected rise will mean for the U.S economy. As the Coronation of King Charles III approaches new coins have started to circulate with his head on them. The BBC have been given exclusive access to the Royal Mint, where the coins are made. And A.I and education learning. The share price of several major education companies has fallen sharply, as the impact of artificial intelligence is being felt in the sector. We hear from the CEO of a language learning app that is thriving from A.I..
Russia claims it has foiled an attempt by Ukraine to assassinate President Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin.Also in the programme: South Sudan's foreign minister on bringing peace to Sudan; and US Surgeon General warns of the dangers of loneliness.(Picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the development of unmanned aircraft, at the Rudnyovo industrial park in Moscow, Russia April 27, 2023. Credit: Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin)
Ukraine has denied carrying out the drone attacks on the Kremlin. Also: Eight schoolchildren and a security guard have been shot dead by a fellow pupil in a rare mass shooting in Serbia, and some of America's best-known late-night talk shows have been taken off air due to a strike by Hollywood writers over money and the use of artificial intelligence.
In 1661 in England, following the restoration of the monarchy, the body of Oliver Cromwell was dug up for ritual execution. Cromwell had overthrown King Charles I and ruled as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.In 2014, Vincent Dowd spoke to civil war historian Charles Spencer.(Photo: The death mask of Oliver Cromwell. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
一位听众想知道单词 “flame、blaze” 和 “flare” 的区别。简单地说：表示 “一股火焰、火舌” 时应用 “flame”；若要强调 “火势猛烈”，就应该用 “blaze”；而要表示 “火焰突然旺起来”，同时强调 “燃烧过程的突然和迅速”，就要用 “flare”。听节目，学习这三个近义词的含义和用法。
Electrical line workers work all kinds of hours in very challenging conditions to keep electricity flowing to our homes and businesses. It's traditionally been a very male occupation but that's changing as more women break into the industry. We speak to Columbia’s first ever intake of female apprentice line workers about their intensive training experience, and Rosa Vasquez – one of the first women to do the job in Texas in 1978. We also head to Pakistan where there are currently no women in this line of work. Presenter / producer: Olivia WilsonImage: Apprentice line workers in Columbia; Credit: ISA
Stephen Sackur is in Berlin to talk to the influential chair of the German parliament's defence committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. Has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine really led to a fundamental strategic rethink in Berlin?
The rival parties say they will observe the truce from Thursday. Also: humans imitating birds in Belgium and England, and turning people's thoughts into written text with the help of AI.
Shares on Wall Street have been falling for some banks - trading in PacWest, seen as one of the weakest of the midsized regional banks, was briefly halted for volatility and was down 25 per cent by noon in New York. Western Alliance was down more than 20 per cent. Thousands of Hollywood TV and movie screenwriters are today downing tools after last minute talks broke down over pay. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, the first in 15 years, has seen more than 11,000 writers walking out. Tuesday’s late-night chat shows are expected to be the first to shut down. Forthcoming films could face delays.And we report on the desperate measures people are taking in Sri Lanka - one of the hardest hit economies in the world at the moment. It's economy has collapsed by nearly a fifth in the last three years, and the latest central bank report has suggested further recession is inevitable this year too.
Violence has forced roughly 100,000 people to flee Sudan's borders. We speak to one Khartoum resident about what life is like there at the moment. Also on the programme: The United Nations announces it will stay in Afghanistan to deliver aid despite the Taliban's decision to restrict women working with NGOs and UN agencies; and Newshour speaks to a professor at the University of Texas who has invented a way of translating someone's thoughts into written text. (Image: Smoke rises after aerial bombardment in Khartoum. Credit: Reuters)
Warring leaders in Sudan have agreed to a seven day truce to start on Thursday.Another Kenyan pastor is due in court for aiding suicide. This comes hours after Pastor Paul Mackenzie's arraignment today after his deceased members were found in mass graves on his property.And Uganda's Parliament has passed an anti-homosexuality bill that prescribes the death penalty for some offences.
With the first Web Summit taking place in Brazil, Tech Life explores digital transformation in South America and India. We speak to some of those on the cusp of digital change and to the CEO of Salesforce India, Arundhati Bhattacharya. Also in this episode, would you confess your biggest secrets to the internet? We find out why lots of people are through the social account Fesshole and Alasdair Keane explores some of the tech being trialled at the coronation of King Charles. (Photo: A marching band during the opening night of Web Summit Rio 2023. Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Getty Images)
The UN says more than 800,000 people could flee fighting in Sudan for neighbouring countries like Chad, Egypt and the Central African Republic. We will take a look at the economic challenges these countries face. Banking giant HSBC says its profits got a $1.5bn boost from the purchase of collapsed Silicon Valley Bank's British business. They also managed a pre-tax profit more than three times the amount from January to March last year. How did they do it – we’ll take a look. The world football governing body FIFA wants broadcasters to pay for the media rights as their President Gianni Infantino warns that if the UK Spain, France, Italy and Germany, do not improve their offers they won't be able to show the Women's World Cup game.
A man widely regarded as the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI) has quit his job at Google, warning about the risks posed by the technology he helped to develop. Dr Geoffrey Hinton joins a growing number of experts sharing their concerns about the speed at which AI is developing.Also in the programme: a Kenyan preacher accused of encouraging his followers to starve themselves to death appears in court; and 83-year-old Motown legend Smokey Robinson returns with his first album of new material in over a decade.(Photo: Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton. Credit: REUTERS/Mark Blinch)
More than 100,000 people have fled since fighting began in Sudan in April. Also: Palestinian hunger striker dies in Israeli prison, and Hollywood film and TV writers go out on strike.
Charles III waited a very long time to become King. Since his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, he filled his life with activity, pursuing deeply held passions and causes – on the environment, farming, architecture, charities to help young people and projects to improve understanding between religious groups. We speak to the people who know him best, to explain the ideas and values which motivated him for so many decades. We discover how his many eclectic projects are rooted in his spiritual beliefs about the essential harmony of the universe and his reverence for the natural world.
Jean-Bédel Bokassa crowned himself Emperor of the Central African Republic in a lavish ceremony on 4 December 1977.He'd already been president for several years since taking power in a military coup - but he wanted more. In 2018, Janet Ball spoke to his son Jean-Charles Bokassa.(Photo: Jean-Bédel Bokassa at his coronation. Credit: Pierre Guillaud / AFP via Getty Images)
The Swedish start-up that's worked out how to use hot fumes from kitchens to heat restaurants.Hear from the entrepreneurs who've developed this new technology. They tell us how it works and how it can help restaurants lower bills and carbon emissions. However this technology is expensive for restaurant owners, especially at a time when hiring workers and buying ingredients has got a lot more costly. One small business tells us about the benefits and challenges of investing in new equipment. Producer / presenter: Maddy SavageImage: Annika Lyndfors; Credit: BBC
习语 “hats off” 的字面意思是 “脱帽”，但人们在生活中会用它来表达 “对某人作出的成就感到敬佩，以表谢意”。“Hats off” 是否也能用来向人道贺？听节目，学习 “hats off” 的用法。
Customers and former staff praise First Republic’s service as it is taken over by JP Morgan Chase. First Republic had been under pressure since last month, when the collapse of two other US lenders sparked fears about the state of the banking system. Authorities said they hoped the deal would resolve the panic. The failure of San Francisco-based First Republic is the second-largest in US history and the third in the country since March.Hollywood writers and television producer approach a deadline to sign a new contract - or take strike action…the first such action in 15 years.Meanwhile, in France the traditional May Day protests have been given extra momentum due to anger over the pension reforms that have been rammed through parliament by President Emmanuel Macron. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in France and violent clashes erupted in some cities; the authorities say more than one hundred police were injured and nearly three hundred people were detained .
Geoffrey Hinton helped to establish some of the basic foundations of AI but now fears the technology is racing ahead too fast. He is leaving Google after more than ten years so he can speak more freely about the risks. The White House says First Republic bank, which collapsed to be taken over by JP Morgan, was ‘severely mismanaged’. However, some customers and former staff disagree. The failure of San Francisco-based First Republic is the second-largest in US history and the third in the country since March.And, Hollywood writers and television producers approach a deadline to sign a new contract - or take strike action…the first such action in 15 years. (Picture: Getty Images)
Protesters expressed anger at pension reforms. Also: The UN warns Sudan is facing a humanitarian catastrophe as fighting continues, and the man widely considered the "godfather of AI" quits Google and warns of danger ahead.
Hundreds have been killed and thousands wounded, since fighting erupted in Sudan. We speak to the BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet who has been on board a Saudi ship that is picking up people fleeing the country. Also on the programme: Police in Paris fire tear gas at demonstrators after violence broke out at a May Day rally; and the Hollywood writers threatening to go on strike. (Photo shows black smoke rising above buildings in Khartoum. CREDIT: Reuters)
Customers and former staff praise First Republic’s service as it is taken over by JP Morgan Chase. First Republic had been under pressure since last month, when the collapse of two other US lenders sparked fears about the state of the banking system. Authorities said they hoped the deal would resolve the panic. The failure of San Francisco-based First Republic is the second-largest in US history and the third in the country since March.Hollywood writers and television producer approach a deadline to sign a new contract - or take strike action…the first such action in 15 years.Meanwhile, in France the traditional May Day protests have been given extra momentum due to anger over the pension reforms that have been rammed through parliament by President Emmanuel Macron. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in France and violent clashes erupted in some cities; the authorities say more than one hundred police were injured and nearly three hundred people were detained .
There is a bizarre number in maths referred to simply as ‘i’. It appears to break the rules of arithmetic - but turns out to be utterly essential for applications across engineering and physics. We are talking about the square root of -1, which makes no sense.Professor Fry waxes lyrical about the beauty and power of this so-called ‘imaginary’ number to a sceptical Dr Rutherford. Dr Michael Brooks, author of The Maths That Made Us, tells the surprising story of the duelling Italian mathematicians who gave birth to this strange idea, and shares how Silicon Valley turned it into cold hard cash. Professor Jeff O’Connell, Ohlone College California, demonstrates that it's all about oscillations, and Dr Eleanor Knox, philosopher of physics at KCL and a senior visiting fellow at the University of Pittsburgh reveals that imaginary numbers are indispensable for the most fundamental physics of all: quantum mechanics.
Fighting has continued in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, as the United Nations warns of a deepening humanitarian disaster. Thousands of people have fled the city, but the situation is getting worse for those left behind.We take a look at Liberia's unfolding political equation as the country heads towards the presidential election in October. One of the main contenders, Joseph Boakai, has already sparked controversy by naming a surprise running mate. And we go to Ethiopia and Morocco, where Labour Unions and workers have been prevented from staging protests on this day, International Workers’ Day.
Presenter Sam Fenwick will take a look at First Republic Bank as it has been sold to investment banking giant JP Morgan. First Republic has become the third US bank to collapse this year. Globally there'll be fewer jobs around in the coming five years. Research suggests there could be a net loss of 14 million jobs. We hear from The World Economic Forum as they say says slower economic growth, supply chain shortages and inflation will affect job creation. And we'll find out why Cuba's annual May Day parade in Havana has been cancelled.
Air strikes have pounded Khartoum, despite a truce aimed at allowing civilians to flee. More than 500 deaths have been reported with the true number of casualties believed to be much higher. Millions remain trapped in the Sudanese capital.Also on the programme: we hear from the wife of a Wagner mercenary recruited to fight in Ukraine; and the monthly public transport pass that's getting people moving in Germany.(Image: A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan, on 1 May 2023. Credit: Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)
First Republic is the third US bank to collapse in the last two months. Also: aid agencies warn of an escalating humanitarian disaster in Sudan, and how artificial intelligence can help detect early-stage lung cancer.
In 2012, archaeologists from the University of Leicester discovered the lost grave of King Richard III under a car park in Leicester in the English East Midlands. Richard was the King of England more than 500 years ago and for centuries was portrayed as one of the great villains of English history.He was killed in 1485 leading his army in battle against a rival claimant to the throne, Henry Tudor. After the battle, King Richard III's corpse was stripped naked and paraded around before being hastily buried in a church within a friary in Leicester.In 2020, Alex Last spoke to Dr Richard Buckley who led the archaeological team that dug up the remains.(Photo: Remains of King Richard III. Credit: BBC)
We meet the Londoners moving into their first flats thanks to a ownership scheme which started in the US in the 1960s.Community land trust properties can only be bought by local people, and the price is set by average local income levels, not the open market. Dougal Shaw goes to a block of flats in Lewisham where buyers are just settling in. He speaks to a lawyer and community activist in the US – the idea started as part of the civil rights movement. And a property expert explains some of the potential long-term issues.Presenter/producer: Dougal Shaw(Image: Christian Codjoe is moving into a two-bed flat in Citizens House with his brother. Credit: BBC)(Image: Artists impression of the flats. Credit: French & Tie)
Kim Chakanetsa talks to two Paralympic wheelchair rugby players from UK and Denmark about competing at the top level in this mixed-gender, adrenaline-filled, high-impact sport – that used to be known as murderball.Kylie Grimes is an Paralympic gold medallist, competing at three Paralympics for Great Britain. As a teenage athlete and show jumper, Kylie had a life-changing spinal injury in 2006 but her passion for sport remained. Within three years she was cycling 450 km, from Vietnam to Cambodia, to raise money for charity and was playing wheelchair rugby. In 2012 she qualified for her first Paralympics in London she helped Team GB win its first Paralympic gold in the sport at Tokyo 2020.Sofie Skoubo helped the Danish wheelchair rugby team qualify for their first Paralympics in Tokyo. She has Muscular Dystrophy and has also fought off the court to focus on the special needs of para-athletes. Alongside her sports career she works for the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation on an initiative supporting disabled children access education.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Sofie Skoubo, credit D Echelard. (R) Kylie Grimes, credit Megum Masuda.)
The acclaimed British theatre director, Tinuke Craig embarks on her opera debut at the English National Opera with Blue, a tale of police violence in America and its impact on a New York family. The opera has been composed by the Tony award-winning Jeanine Tesori, with a libretto by Tazewell Thompson. Anna Bailey follows Tinuke and her operatic collaborators as she embarks on a challenging new chapter in her career.
Warring sides agree to extend the current truce in Sudan even as the fighting continues. Also: Pope Benedict urges Hungarians to "open doors" to migrants, and Ding Liren has become China's first male world chess champion.
Joseph Mbilinyi pioneered Swahili rap and then turned to politics, but ended up in jail.In the 1990s he'd become one of Tanzania's biggest stars under the stage name Sugu. He'd released albums, toured the country and abroad, and helped create a new genre called Bongo Flava. He's known for hard-hitting, often political, lyrics. In 2010 he took that message to parliament when he was elected as an opposition MP. But he ended up being jailed after speaking out against the president of the time.Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Rob WilsonEditor: Munazza Khan
Air strikes have pounded Sudan's capital, Khartoum, despite a truce aimed at allowing civilians to flee.The army said it was attacking the city to flush out its paramilitary rivals, the Rapid Response Forces (RSF). The fighting intensified even as the warring sides said they would extend the truce by another three days.We'll hear about the challenges of moving around a city at war and also hear from Darfur in the west.Also in the programme: China has its first world chess champion; and how legalisation in Thailand led to a marijuana boom.(Photo shows a burnt out car in Khartoum, Sudan. Credit: Getty Images)
Tens of thousands of Sudanese have abandoned their homes and are fleeing the country. Satellite images show long bus convoys at the Egyptian border and in Port Sudan there has been a rush for the limited spaces on ships heading to Saudi Arabia. Our correspondent in the east of Chad says thousands of women, children and the elderly are fleeing the violence in the Darfur region. Also in the programme: a key referendum in Uzbekistan; and history beckons in Naples. (Photo: British nationals board an RAF plane during the evacuation from Wadi Seidna Air Base, Sudan. CREDIT: Arron Hoare/UK Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.)
Sudan's army says it is launching a large scale attack on the capital, Khartoum, in an effort to recapture areas held by the rival Rapid Support Forces. Also: drone attack behind massive fire at Crimea fuel depot, and Freya the walrus is immortalised in a bronze statue in Oslo fjord.
People from all over the globe remember their meetings with King Charles III over the years. They include Dr Joe McInnes who took the former Prince for a dive beneath the ice of the North West passage in 1975, holocaust survivor Lily Ebert, Joseph Hammond who met the King when he visited a military cemetery in Ghana and former pop singer and Spice Girl Mel B who remembers several hilarious encounters with the King including one involving the former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela.
Sudan's army says it's launching a major assault on Khartoum with heavy weapons, to try to dislodge a rival militia force which is in control of large parts of the capital. As residents of Khartoum are told to brace for an escalation in the fighting, we hear how the rush to leave Sudan could tear some families apart. One woman says she is being told to leave her husband behind. Also in the programme: there's frustration in Kyiv at the EU's deal that limits agricultural imports from Ukraine; and we speak to a woman whose visit to see Michelangelo's famous statue David has made international headlines.(Photo: British nationals have been evacuated to Cyprus, before flying to the UK. Credit: Reuters)
Fighting is continuing in parts of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Both the army and the RSF agreed to a ceasefire but it has not held. Tens of thousands of people are fleeing the country. Our correspondent Lyse Doucet is in Jeddah where many people fleeing the fighting have arrived.Also on the programme: A court in the Netherlands has ordered a man suspected of fathering more than five hundred children to stop donating his sperm. And are laws designed to protect cows in India being used to target Muslims?(Photo: Sudanese refugees who have fled the violence in their country gather to receive food supplements from World Food Programme (WFP). CREDIT: REUTERS/Mahamat Ramadane)
The five times world champion – Viswanathan Anand – explains his approach to commentating on chess during the World Chess Championship. Anand believes that a fan’s experience of watching a chess game is equivalent to watching a marathon while flying in a helicopter and he aims to fill in the blanks. He also believes the battle between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren is among the best matches of the last twenty years.We speak to Birmingham Bulls player Dan Booth about how joining the inclusive rugby club has helped him and about the importance of the Union Cup. The tournament is the UK’s biggest LGBTQ+ rugby tournament, featuring over 47 teams and 1400 players from more than 18 countries in a four day event. Booth discusses the issues he faced when he first revealed his sexuality to former team-mates and recalls how hearing homophobic abuse directed at the Bulls, while he was playing for another team led him to leave that team and join the Bulls.And – Royale Union Saint-Gilloise defender Christian Burgess tells us about his work with refugees in Calais. Burgess is involved with the charity Care4Calais and he says his aim is to help provide some dignity for people living in the temporary settlements in northern France.Image: Viswanathan Anand of India competes against Jeffery Xiong of China during the 82nd Tata Steel Chess Tournament held at the home of PSV football club, Philips Stadion on January 16, 2020 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
We profile the BBC WS’s online offering: but is it user friendly enough and is it keeping up with ever changing technology? We put these points to the online team.Plus, a fond farewell to one of the English network’s longest serving news presenters, Bola Mosuro, who this week left the BBC after 31 years.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC Word Service
Since the Covid vaccines were rolled out, a trend has sprung up – of accounts online linking virtually any death or illness, of a celebrity, athlete or ordinary person, to the shots without any evidence. A conspiracy theory film called Died Suddenly released last year appears to have supercharged this practice- termed “ghouling”. BBC Trending investigates how far the Died Suddenly film has spread and what its impact has been – on the people who believe its message, and on bereaved families being trolled. We speak to Stew Peters, the film-maker behind the film, and challenge him on the misleading claims he is spreading.Presenter: Rachel SchraerReporter: Mike WendlingEditor: Flora Carmichael
The bank's shares plunge by more than 40% as plans for its survival fail to materialise. We talk to a depositor about his concerns and we ask experts what First Republic's clients like him can expect as news that the bank might be placed under receivership start to emerge. Also in the programme, we take a look into sustainable fashion now that the European Parliament’s Environment Committee has outlined a series of recommendations and measures to encourage members to produce circular, sustainable and socially responsible textiles. We also discuss Japan’s pledge to have women occupying at least 30% of executive positions in the country's top companies by the end of the decade. And we hear from Jason Derulo about the skills needed to succeed in the music industry.Devina Gupta is joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Senior Asia Correspondent with Bloomberg in Hong Kong, and Takara Small, a technology journalist in Toronto.(Picture: A man works inside one of the First Republic Bank branches in New York. Picture credit: Reuters)
In 2000, Indian weightlifter Karnam Malleswari became the first woman from her country to win an Olympic medal, lifting an astonishing 240kg across two categories. Nicknamed the Iron Lady, Malleswari quickly became a household name in India. She speaks to Dan Hardoon about her upbringing in a small Andhra Pradesh town, the taboos she broke to pursue her chosen career, her rapid rise to stardom, and her reflections on a landmark moment for Indian women in sport. This is a Whistledown production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Karnam Malleswari competing in the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Credit: Getty)
The RSF paramilitary general Hemedti says his fighters don't want to destroy Sudan. Also: India's police to register case against wrestling chief, and US regulators approve first human oral pill derived from human waste.
Fentanyl is a potentially deadly synthetic opioid. The other month, a drug enforcement official in the country described it as the single deadliest drug threat the US has encountered. It’s been around since the 1960s and small doses are used safely every day by medics for pain relief. But as an illegal drug, Fentanyl is blamed for more than 70,000 deaths in the US every year. We bring together two parents who lost children to the drug. George Gerchow in Colorado tells us that one of the hardest aspects is dealing with the stigma and lack of support from the community.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. We hear about Althea McNish, the Trinidadian artist who designed fabric for Queen Elizabeth II. Former Vogue editor Suzy Menkes on the success of the fashion celebration, the Met Gala. The Guatemalan Bishop, Juan Gerardi, killed in his home, after presenting the conclusions of a major investigation into abuses committed during the country's civil war. We remember Harry Belafonte, with a look back at his historic duet with Petula Clark.Plus the fight by the BBC to televise Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.Contributors:Rose Sinclair, Lecturer in textile design at Goldsmiths, University of London.Gavin Douglas, Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer in fashion design at Manchester Metropolitan University.Suzy Menkes, former Vogue International Editor.Ronalth Ochaeta, former head of the Catholic Church’s human rights office in Guatemala.Steve Binder, TV producer.Lady Jane Rayne Lacey, a lady in waiting at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.(Photo: Althea McNish Credit: Getty Images)
The bank's shares plunge by more than 40% as plans for its survival fail to materialise. We ask experts what First Republic's clients can expect as news that the bank might be placed under receivership start to emerge. The US financial sector continues to tremble as the Federal Reserve admits that it failed to act with "sufficient force and urgency" in its oversight of Silicon Valley Bank, which collapsed last month in the country's biggest bank failure since 2008. We find out more about the Fed's latest report on SVB. And we hear about the skills needed to succeed in the music industry from Jason Derulo.
The leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, tells the BBC he’s ready for peace talks if there is a cessation of hostilities. The current ceasefire has not held, and nearly two weeks of fighting between rival factions of Sudan’s military have left hundreds dead.Also in the programme: a wave of Russian air strikes on cities across Ukraine has left at least 25 people dead; and rehearsals start for what is being billed as the world’s first heavy metal dance experience – Black Sabbath The Ballet.(Photo: General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaking in Khartoum. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
Rival factions of Sudan's military agreed to renew a three-day ceasefire, following intensive diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries, as well as the US, UK and UN. But there are reports that heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum is still going on.In the wake of the cult deaths in Kenya, we delve into the mindset of a cult leader. And one of the top football coaches in Sudan says he feels “torn” about fleeing the country to escape the civil war, leaving his players behind.
The government-appointed chairman of the BBC, Richard Sharp, has resigned after admitting that he breached the British government's code for public appointments. We hear from a former Conservative culture minister.Also in the programme: WHO on the crisis in Sudan; and Eva Green's victory in a London court.(Picture: Richard Sharp resignation statement 28/04/2023. Credit: BBC)
Rahul Tandon hears about Sudanese who are trying to escape from the war and burying their money and gold according to Abdelaziz Musa, who fled to Egypt. Taiwan’s economy sank into recession after shrinking 3% in the first quarter of 2023, worse than projected. This is the fastest pace since the global financial crisis, a sign of how the drop-off in global demand for chips has showed little sign of abating.A controversial Canadian government bill to regulate streaming services has been passed by the Senate and become law. The legislation requires services such as Netflix and Spotify to pay to support Canadian media content, including music and TV shows. It also requires the platforms to promote and recommend Canadian programming, in English, French and indigenous languages.
High profile artists and cultural figures in both Iran and Russia face punishment and restrictions on their work if they speak out against their governments. Following the protests in Iran, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, artists are increasingly under pressure to toe the political line. With BBC Persian's Parham Ghobadi, and BBC Monitoring's Vitaliy Shevchenko. Couple living the Vietnamese saying dreamThere’s a Vietnamese phrase that suggests perfect happiness can be found by those who live in a western house, eat Chinese food and marry a Japanese woman. We hear about the couple on Tiktok living the dream, and about the history of this saying, with BBC Vietnamese's Thuong Le. Sudan: brothers divided by warThe fighting in Sudan has been a huge story for BBC Arabic. In addition to covering the main headlines they also told the story of two brothers fighting on opposite sides, as Majd Kilani reports. Meeting her pupils for the first time: North Waziristan The village school of Dewagar, North Waziristan, struggled to find a teacher due to the history of instability in the area. In 2020 Seema Mahin, based in Islamabad, became their online teacher, and recently went to meet them in person for the first time, with the help of Farhat Javed of BBC Urdu. (Photo: Iran’s Andiseh magazine shows Mahsa Amini, whose death sparked protests. Credit: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
At least eighteen people die in their homes, as Russia targets residential areas. Also: the first disabled astronaut experiences weightlessness for the first time and Carlos Acosta's Black Sabbath - the ballet.
Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953 was a watershed moment for television as millions watched the ceremony live.But it nearly never happened as the UK Government initially refused to allow TV cameras inside Westminster Abbey.The late Peter Dimmock, the BBC’s former head of outside broadcasts, looks back on the challenges the corporation faced.Former maid of honour Lady Jane Rayne Lacey also shares her memories of the day with Vicky Farncombe, including the part that felt “too sacred” to televise.(Photo: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Credit: Getty Images)
The Silicon Valley veteran created the first commercial website to support advertising in 1993.He is a publisher and author and now runs an online learning platform. He talks to Ed Butler about the recent dips in tech stocks, and the future of AI.Presenter: Ed ButlerProducer: Olivia Wilson(Image: Tim O'Reilly. Credit: Getty Images)
The US economy grew 1.1% in the year to March, down from 2.6% in the previous quarter. American consumers kept spending despite inflation, contributing to GDP expansion. But growth slowed down as businesses pulled back on investment and hiring. We hear from experts and businesses about the consequences this. Also in the show, we take a look at India’s plans to start producing genetically modified mustard seeds, and we listen to women who have experienced impostor syndrome.Devina Gupta is joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Colin Peacock, host of MediaWatch in New Zealand, and James Early, Chief Investment Officer at BBAE in the United States.(Picture: Illustration of US flag and dollars. Picture credit: Getty)
The warring sides in Sudan agreed to renew the truce just before it was due to end but there are doubts it can hold. Also: Washington imposes sanctions on Russian intelligence agency - the FSB, and the talk show host Jerry Springer dies aged 79.
Professor Robert Beckford explores the Christian understanding of reparations. He speaks to Christians in Barbados who say reparations from the Church are now both justified and necessary. But their perspective is only one side of the story. In England, representatives from the Church of England and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel articulate their understanding of reparations and why they believe it is unnecessary. Robert looks into Christian scripture to explore if there could be a theological case for the payment of reparations.
The US economy grew 1.1% in the year to March, down from 2.6% in the previous quarter. American consumers kept spending despite inflation, contributing to GDP expansion. But growth slowed down as businesses pulled back on investment and hiring. We talk to experts and businesses about the consequences. Also in the show, we take a look at Argentina’s latest interest rate hike, which now stands at 91%, and we hear the latest from the markets.
The Sudanese Armed Forces and rival Rapid Support Forces have agreed to extend the ongoing truce for a further 72 hours taking effect from the date of the end of the current ceasefire. Despite the preliminary extension, heavy fighting in parts of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has continued.Also on the programme: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suspended election campaigning after he fell ill during a live television interview; and we remember the life of the revolutionary talk show host Jerry Springer, who’s died aged 79.(Photo: Damaged car and buildings are seen at the central market during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, April 27, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
As Sudan’s 72-hour ceasefire deadline approaches, we speak to Deng Dau Deng, the foreign minister of neighbouring South Sudan which is leading mediation efforts. He told the BBC he hopes General Hamdan Dagalo will respond positively to an extension.Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio, dissolved parliament earlier this week ahead of elections in June.We hear from the United States ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy, on his recent statement accusing the Liberian government of corruption.Eleven female MPs in Uganda have been arrested whilst taking part in a protest march against police brutality.
Khartoum’s National Public Health Laboratory has been caught up in the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Dr Maysoon Dahab and Dr Ayman Ahmed explain the situation and why health labs are often targeted in conflicts.Virus hunters have used artificial intelligence to discover more than 180,000 new viruses. Professor Eddie Holmes and Dr Mang Shi tell Roland how AI is completely transforming the field of viral discovery.Experts have forecasted a return to El Niño conditions later this year, which could bring with it extreme weather events. Dr Emily Becker explains how the predictions are made and the global impact of a strong El Niño.And from future to historical weather – Roland talks to Professor Ed Hawkins about the powerful Storm Ulysses of 1903, and how it can help us better understand storms today.Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Roland PeaseAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
We are going to devote a lot of the programme to the world 's largest economy.Rahul Tandon hears about the United States economic growth slowing in the last three months. Recent GDP figures show the US economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.1%. That’s down from 2 point 6 percent at the end of last year but does show growth despite fears over a recession.The US House of Representatives on Wednesday narrowly passed a bill to raise the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling which includes sweeping spending cuts over the next decade. But it is unlikely to pass the Senate.Shares in First Republic continue to be volatile as concerns continue over its future. The bank earlier this week announced that it has seen more than 100 billion dollars of withdrawals.
The United Nations and South Sudan are leading efforts to arrange another three-day truce. Also, with just days to go before Turkey's election, President Erdogan is cancelling campaign appearances after falling ill. And the South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol serenades the White House with a karaoke classic.
This episode will render you oblivious, conked out and blissfully unaware. It’s about anaesthetics: those potent potions that send you into a deep, deathly sleep. Listener Alicia wants to know how they work, so our sleuths call on the expertise of consultant anaesthetist Dr Fiona Donald. Fiona shares her experience from the clinical frontline, and explains what we do and don’t know about how these chemicals work their mind-numbing magic.We hear about ground-breaking research led by Professor Irene Tracey, which reveals how a pattern of slow brain waves can be used to determine the optimum dosage of these dangerous drugs.And finally, Drs Rutherford and Fry wonder: what does all this tell us about normal consciousness? Professor Anil Seth shares how we can use brain tech to measure different levels of conscious awareness – from sleepy to psychedelic.
The Met Gala takes place annually on the first Monday in May. In 1995, Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour chaired the huge fashion celebration for the first time that takes place at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Anna changed the date of the celebrity bash from December to May and is the driving force that transformed the event from a society dinner to the star-studded affair labelled “fashion’s biggest night”. The shindig has been attended by stars including Rihanna, Beyoncé and Madonna. Fashion podcaster and former Vogue International editor Suzy Menkes tells Alex Collins about her memories of the gala as it became a global sensation.(Photo: Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala wearing a dress designed by Guo Pei. Credit: Getty Images)
Could growing genetically modified mustard be the answer to oil shortages in India? Each year India spends billions of dollars importing 70 percent of its cooking oil from other countries like Argentina, Malaysia and Brazil. We speak to a farmer struggling to make a profit growing un-modified mustard crops. We also explore the debate in India around genetically modified food crops and speak to one farmer already growing genetically modified cotton. Presenter / producer: Devina GuptaImage: Cotton farmer Ganesh Nanote; Credit: Ganesh Nanote
50 years after the last US bombs fell on Laos, they’re still killing and maiming. In an effort to stop the march of communism, between 1964 and 1973, America dropped over two million tonnes of ordnance on neutral Laos: on average, a planeload of bombs was released every eight minutes, 24 hours a day. This is more than was dropped on Germany and Japan in the entire Second World War. Laos, today a country of just 6 million people, remains the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita. Five decades after the war, these deadly items remain a persistent threat and daily reality for communities across Laos. More than 20,000 people have been killed or injured by UXO (unexploded ordnance, unexploded bombs, and explosive remnants of war) in Laos since the war ended in 1975, with people still killed and injured every year. Around half the victims are children. But UXO doesn’t just kill and maim, it renders agricultural land useless and prevents economic progress. Although Laos is rich in natural resources, its development has been crippled by the legacy of the war. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent travels to Laos to tell its story 50 years on. Producer John Murphy(Photo: Clearing unexploded bombs in northern Laos. Credit: MAG / Bart Verweij)
Microsoft's proposed $68.7bn deal to takeover game developer Activision Blizzard has been blocked by UK regulators over competition concerns. We get reaction to the decision from a former Vice President at Microsoft, Peter Moore.Devina Gupta discusses this and more business stories from around the world with Tony Nash, Chief Economist at Complete Intelligence in the US and Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University in Japan.(Picture: Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
The deal is an attempt to prevent attacks from North Korea with Seoul to remain a non-nuclear state. Also: The Chinese and Ukrainian Presidents speak for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and trading is suspended in shares of the struggling American bank, First Republic, following a further sharp fall in its value.
Genetically-modified food has long been a subject of debate. It was first introduced to market in the United States in the mid 90s. Since then, some governments have approved the cultivation and sale of GM food, whilst others have had bans in place. In this programme, we look at attempts by India and Kenya to approve genetically-modified food crops, and ask if lessons can be learnt from the United States where GM foods have been consumed for decades. Today there are lots of different genetic-engineering techniques in use. Generally, genetic modification refers to organisms created with particular characteristics, using some genetic material from a different organism. Ruth Alexander is joined by Devina Gupta, from Business Daily on the BBC World Service, who can explain the latest developments in India, where the government wants farmers to plant genetically-modified mustard. Ruth also speaks to Roy Mugiira, chief executive of the National Bio Safety Authority Kenya, the government appointed regulator for GM products. In Kenya, the government has lifted a 10-year ban on GM, and approved the use of GM maize, a staple crop. And Professor Jennifer Kuzma, co-director of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University, talks about how labelling can help give consumers choice over whether they eat GM. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: field of corn. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Disney accuses Ron DeSantis of organising a campaign of "government retaliation" as it launches a lawsuit against the Florida Governor and other state officials. Devina Gupta finds out how this court battle might play out.As UK Regulators block the multi-billion dollar deal between Activision Blizzard and Microsoft, we ask what it mean for investors looking to put money into the UK.And we hear from the world’s largest blueberry exporter, Peru, which gained the title in only a decade.
A fragile three-day ceasefire in Sudan has been threatened by an outbreak of renewed fighting between rival factions of the military. The violence broke out on the western outskirts of Omdurman, a city across the Nile from the capital, Khartoum. But much of central Khartoum remains calm, and thousands of Sudanese and foreign nationals are trying to get out. Also on the programme: China plays peacemaker in Ukraine; and a major decision by the Vatican will see lay people getting a greater say in running the Catholic Church.(Photo: British nationals get evacuated by military personnel in Khartoum. CREDIT: Phot Arron Hoare/UK MOD/Pool via REUTERS)
Thousands of Sudanese and foreign nationals are trying to get out of the country, during a tenuous 72-hour ceasefire. Heavy clashes were reported in Khartoum, and across the Nile in Omdurman, and there are claims that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have seized an oil refinery 70 kilometres north of the capital.The Sudanese Army is saying several former government officials suspected of war crimes have been able to leave prison in Khartoum, including Ahmed Haroun.Zambian activist Chilekwa Mumba on why he won't give up on his fight for justice.And we hear from Recho Rey - an up and coming rap artist from Uganda.
David Harper hears about Microsoft's $68.7bn (£55bn) deal to buy US video game company Activision Blizzard being blocked in the UK by the Competition and Markets Authority. The proposed takeover would see Microsoft acquire such hit titles as Call of Duty and Candy Crush.The Bank of England's top economist has said people in the UK need to accept that they are poorer otherwise prices will continue to rise.The Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is one of the world's busiest shipping routes, accounting for around 6% of global maritime trade. But it has a major problem. A severe lack of rainfall has forced the authorities to limit ship traffic for the fifth time during this drought season.
Ahmed Haroun, the former Sudanese minister of the interior who is wanted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, has been released from prison in Sudan. Haroun has been accused of committing genocide in Darfur. He claimed that prison guards and the armed forces aided his escape. Also on the programme: The drone pilots on the front line in Ukraine; and scientists solve a mystery about the brightest objects in the universe. (IMAGE: Ahmed Haroun displays his finger covered with ink after casting his vote in Kadugli, central Sudan, 02 May 2011 CREDIT: EPA/PHILIP DHIL)
Ahmed Haroun reportedly escaped from jail in Khartoum. Also: Taliban kill IS leader behind Kabul airport bombing, China detains Taiwan-based publisher and the age of quiet quitting.
On 26 April 1998 leading human rights campaigner, Bishop Juan Gerardi, was attacked and killed in his home, just two days after presenting the conclusions of a major investigation into abuses committed during Guatemala’s civil war. Bishop Gerardi’s report blamed the country’s military and paramilitary forces for the deaths of most of the 50,000 civilians killed during the conflict. Ronalth Ochaeta, who worked alongside Bishop Gerardi, tells Mike Lanchin about the murdered bishop’s life-long quest for justice.A CTVC production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Bishop Juan Gerardi. Credit: ODHAG)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the acclaimed Senegalese musician Baaba Maal. His records and musical collaborations have won him millions of fans worldwide, and he’s intent on helping his native Sahel region overcome its many challenges. Can this music icon make a difference?
一位网友想知道单词 “need” 作常规动词和作情态动词时的用法。虽然常规动词 “need” 和情态动词 “need” 的意思都是 “需要”，但用法不同。在 “I need water.” 中，“need” 的词性是什么？情态动词 “need” 的否定形式是什么？听节目，学习如何正确使用半情态动词 “need”。
How Peru went from having virtually no blueberry plantations to being the world's top exporter in just ten years.In this episode Stefania Gozzer visits a plantation in the region of Ica and hears from experts, firms and farmers about the key developments that made blueberries growing such a success, despite Peru’s ongoing political crises.Presenter / producer: Stefania GozzerImage: Blueberry farmer; Credit: BBC
As Joe Biden officially launches his bid to be re-elected as President of the United States, we look at his economic record, and the challenges he might face in a second term.Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news from around the world with Hayley Woodin, Editor in Chief of news publication, Business in Vancouver and Alaezi Akpuru, owner and creative director of Nigerian contemporary womenswear brand, Virgioli Fashion in Lagos.(Picture :U.S. President Joe Biden, who just announced his re-election campaign for president, delivers remarks at North America's Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton, Washington D.C, U.S., April 25, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis)
The company admitted to conspiring to sell cigarette materials to North Korea in a case brought by the US authorities. Also: Iran's government targets disloyal celebrities and Harry Belafonte, the great American singer, actor and civil rights activist, has died at the age of ninety-six.
Agatha Christie is the world's most translated author, with her work being available in over 100 languages. And one of her most beloved characters, Miss Marple, is about to be resurrected with the help of 12 contemporary authors. In The Studio talks to two of those writers: Dreda Say Mitchell who specialises in a different type of crime story, the gritty gangster genre, and Kate Mosse, who is known for her historical sagas. They reveal how they rose to the challenge of reinventing one of the most famous characters in 20th Century fiction.
President Joe Biden has confirmed he's going for a second term in next year's election, saying it is a pivotal moment with freedoms and rights under threat. Roger Hearing discusses how the US economy has fared during the Biden presidency and what the challenges are for a second term.We hear about the phenomenon of quiet quitting, where people doing the absolute minimum at work, or just leaving their jobs altogether.And we find out how inflation is hitting the price of sweets.
A ceasefire in Sudan appears to be holding, although there have been reports of new gunfire and shelling. People on the ground confirm to us the situation is calmer, but they fear for the worst.Also in the programme: Biden launches his bid for re-election, how please are with the announcement Democrats and Republicans?; and we remember actor and political activist Harry Belafonte who has died at 96. (Photo: People fleeing clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army rest in Khartoum. Credit: Reuters).
We bring you the latest from Sudan, where gunfire has been heard in Khartoum despite a new 72-hour truce being agreed between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).Police in Kenya have exhumed at least 89 bodies believed to be victims of a religious cult in Kenya’s southwest coastal region of Kilifi.And we say goodbye to the legendary Bola Mosuro on her last day at the BBC.
This week, an update on the legal battle between Meta and former Facebook moderators in Kenya. One of them, Trevin Brownee, tells our reporter Chris Vallance that reviewing the most extreme content on the internet cost him his "human side." We ask what's the human cost of keeping the internet safe, and what do we owe those who do that work for us? Also this week, the weird and wonderful sounds of quantum computers in action. Professor Winfried Hensinger, who heads the Sussex Ion Quantum Technology Group and is the director of the Sussex Centre for Quantum Technologies, explains how they could change the world. And Professor Stephen Brewster, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science, and his colleague Ammar Al-Taie, on the difficulties of getting driverless cars to understand the complex and subtle interactions between cyclists and drivers.(PHOTO CREDIT: Kenyan lawyer, Mercy Mutemi (seated 4th R) along with fellow counsel follow proceedings during a virtual pre-trial consultation with a judge and Meta's legal counsel when she appeared in labour court on behalf of 43 former content moderators for Facebook who filed a complaint in Kenya against Meta, Facebook's parent company (Photo by Tony KARUMBA / AFP) (Photo by TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images)
Rahul Tandon hears about Netflix’s plan to invest two and a half billion dollars in South Korea over the next four years, marking a doubling in its investment since 2016. The announcement from the streaming giant came during a visit by South Korea's president, Yoon Suk Yeol, to the US, and followed talks with Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos in Washington.US President Joe Biden has announced he will run for re-election in 2024, setting the stage for a potential rematch with Donald Trump. Sugar prices are the highest they have been since 2012 and cocoa prices at their highest since 2016. There are a number of factors at work - including bad weather and the war in Ukraine - which have worked together to create a major headache for the confectionery industry.
Residents of the war-torn Sudanese capital, Khartoum, are on the streets for the first time in days despite violations of a shaky ceasefire between two military factions. Both the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have accused each other of today's attacks, hours after a US- brokered three-day pause came into effect.Also in the programme: President Biden confirms he will run for a second term in November next year; and scientists sound the alarm about a recent and rapid rise in the temperature of the oceans, further adding to the rise in atmospheric warming.(Photo: A woman carries a gallon of water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan on 22 April 2023. Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
His announcement sets up a potential rematch with Donald Trump in 2024. Also: Recent, rapid ocean warming ahead of El Niño alarms scientists, uneasy truce holds in Sudan and South Korea welcomes major Netflix investment.
James Watson and Francis Crick first published their discoveries about the structure of DNA on 25 April 1953.Their findings were to revolutionise our understanding of life. We hear archive recordings of their memories, 70 years on.This programme, presented by Louise Hidalgo, was first broadcast in 2010.(Photo: James Watson and Francis Crick. Credit: Getty Images)
你有没有经历过这种情况：你满腹牢骚，想要抱怨某件事情，却不想让旁人听清楚你说的是什么？英语表达 “under one's breath” 就可以用来形容这种 “低声嘀咕，自言自语” 的做法。听节目，学习这个习语的用法。
Why are so many young French people feeling demotivated and quitting their jobs?Sabrina Teresi had a high-paying job as an engineer. She’d studied for years to qualify. She enjoyed the job at first but soon felt demotivated and after 3 years decided to quit.Polls show more and more young workers are struggling to find the energy to do their job, suffering from boredom and quitting their jobs. Is France facing an epidemic of laziness? Or are companies simply not adapting fast enough to new ways of working?Presenter / producer: Joshua ThorpeImage: Sabrina Teresi; Credit: Sabrina Teresi
Fox News has parted ways with their top presenter Tucker Carlson, a week after the firm's surprise decision to settle a multi-million dollar lawsuit over its reporting of the last Presidential election. His show regularly attracted more than three million viewers every evening. Meanwhile rival network CNN has terminated their contract with one of their leading hosts, Don Lemon. Roger Hearing discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of global policy at Circle in Washington, and Zyma Islam, Journalist for The Daily Star in Bangladesh in Dhaka.
The US said it followed 2 days of intense negotiation with the warring parties. Also: The controversial right-wing US TV host Tucker Carlson parts company with Fox News days after it paid a huge settlement to end a defamation case, and India is set to surpass China to become the world's most populous country this week.
We travel to Turkey's Anatolian heartland to find out whether the region which helped propel President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to power in the early 2000s will do it again in May's crucial election, despite widespread disappointment with the government's preparation and response to February's deadly earthquake.
The right-wing TV host, Tucker Carlson, leaves Fox News, while another prominent American broadcaster, Don Lemon, is fired by CNN. Roger Hearing finds out what's behind the moves and what it means for the networks.We get the latest on Disney's newest round of job and spending cuts.And we hear just how much of a toll Russia's war in Ukraine and Western sanctions are having on the country's economy as the head of the country’s state owned bank VTB, suggests stakes in state owned companies could be sold in a new privatisation drive.
A lull in the fighting in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has allowed some people to leave their homes for the first time in days to search for food. A BBC reporter in the city says the clashes between rival branches of the military are notably less intense, particularly outside army headquarters. Thousands of foreigners and Sudanese have now fled Khartoum, either by air or on a lengthy journey by road. Also in the programme: Fox News parts ways with host Tucker Carlson; and the potential impact of a record number of climbing permits being issued for Mount Everest this year. (Photo: People gather as they flee clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum. CREDIT: REUTERS/El-Tayeb Siddig)
Sudan's war has not let up and no ceasefire is apparent and as fighting intensifies, people are desperately trying to flee... Foreign embassies are evacuating their citizens and those Sudanese who can afford it are crossing to neighbouring Egypt.Tens of thousands of foreign students remain stranded... We hear how Nigeria's government is planning to evacuate them.Elsewhere, at least 58 bodies have been found in Masindi in Kenya, the victims of a religious cult.. It's feared more corpses may be unearthed.Those stories and more in this podcast presented by Bola Mosuro.
Millions remain trapped without food, water or healthcare amid intense fighting between rival generals in Sudan. Hospitals across the country have ceased to function, with reports of bodies left to decompose in the absence of staff. Meanwhile, the exodus of diplomats continues. We speak to the Norwegian Ambassador to Sudan, who managed to escape the fighting.Also on the programme: The body of the Spanish fascist leader Primo de Rivera is exhumed from its colossal, Franco-era mausoleum complex; and India’s faltering attempts to reintroduce cheetahs.(IMAGE:A person pushes a wheelbarrow with water containers during clashes between the RSFand the army in Khartoum North, April 22, 2023 CREDIT: REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo)
Rahul Tandon presents as the US asks South Korea to urge its chipmakers not to fill any gap in the market to support its policy on semiconductor chip manufacture. President Yoon Suk YeolI is visiting Washington this week and is expected to discuss the issue with President Biden amid tensions with China.Hundreds of garment workers in Bangladesh have demonstrated for justice as survivors wept on the ruins of Rana Plaza factory that collapsed ten years ago, killing more than 1100 people. As many countries rush to evacuate their nationals from Sudan, we look at the economic importance of the country - which is the third largest gold producer in Africa.
Some are being flown out from an airstrip near Khartoum during a lull in the fighting. Also: Kenya's president has condemned a religious cult that encouraged people to starve themselves to death, and the results of the European Seagull Screeching Championship.
In 1966, the artist Althea McNish designed fabrics for the Queen's tour of the West Indies when she visited Trinidad and Tobago.Althea, who was born in Trinidad and moved to England in 1950, had her vibrant designs turned into the Queen's dresses and they were even used for curtains and cushions for the royal residence.Rose Sinclair, a lecturer in textile design at Goldsmiths, University of London, speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma.(Photo: Althea McNish. Credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Increasingly, US companies are 'nearshoring' - moving their operations closer to home.Cities in the north of Mexico, like Monterrey, are seeing a manufacturing boom. We speak to some of the companies who are cashing in, and ask, is this a renaissance that will last?Plus we look at the other countries who are trying to get a share of the market.Presenter/producer: Samira Hussain(Image: Truck at the Mexico/US border. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the pioneering performance poet John Cooper Clarke. From his early days as the bard of punk to a decade lost to heroin and then the worldwide success of his poem I Wanna Be Yours and now a new tour, John Cooper Clarke has used words, rhythm and rhyme to find humour and truth in the chaos of everyday life. Where does his word magic come from?
Perfumers from Colombia and Sweden tell Kim Chakanetsa about inventing fragrances that evoke emotion and nostalgia.Adriana Medina is a Vice President Perfumer at one of the world's biggest fragrance companies, Givaudan. She grew up in Colombia and after a Masters degree in Cosmetic Science, she attended the Givaudan Perfumery School in Paris. Her creations include 3121 for Prince and Meow for Katy Perry as well as Bombshell for Victoria's Secret – one of the most popular perfumes in US for more than a decade.Born in Västerås Sweden, Maya Njie moved to the UK to study at the University of the Arts London. She started making her own fragrances as part of her art and as interest grew among friends and fellow artists she founded Maya Njie Perfumes in 2016. Her scents are deeply rooted in her Swedish and West African heritage.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Adriana Medina, courtesy Givaudan. (R) Maya Njie, courtesy Maya Njie.)
The US, UK, France and Germany among countries removing citizens as fierce fighting continues. Also: A rare electoral success for a right wing party in the German capital Berlin, and a new course record is set at this year's London marathon.
“He’s a coward, he’s not a man.” Martine’s mum passes judgement on Farouk. A final push for answers takes Nawal to Yemen and Norway. And questions of betrayal ring alarm bells in London.
Brothers Manni and Reuben Coe, and the text that prompted a lockdown rescue mission.Manni was living in Spain when he received this troubling text from his younger brother Reuben. Reuben has Down's syndrome, and had become isolated and non-verbal while living in a care home in the UK during the Covid pandemic. Manni decided to stage a rescue — a 'bro-nap' — and together they embarked on a loving journey of brotherhood and recovery. Manni and Reuben have written a book called Brother. Do. You. Love. Me.Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: May Cameron
“He won’t wake up...I think he’s dead.” What Farouk did in the hours after Martine died and the bridges he burned to get away. Nawal’s investigation reaches a critical point. Will Farouk keep talking?
Friends panic when "street-smart" Martine fails to come home. Her family scrambles to help as a surprise move on Facebook makes something “click” with police.
The hunt for the suspected killer of 23-year-old Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen, whose body was found buried under rubble in a London basement in 2008. She died after a night out with "billionaire playboy" Farouk Abdulhak, son of one of Yemen’s richest and most powerful men. Police found Martine’s remains in Farouk's apartment building. But Farouk had already fled. Fifteen years later, he’s still on the run. The BBC's Nawal Al-Maghafi was born in Yemen and has been on the case for more than a decade. This is the story of how she finally tracked down the elusive Farouk Abdulhak.
A growing number of countries have evacuated diplomats from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. There's been intense fighting in the city for more than a week, as a vicious power struggle between the army and a paramilitary group continues. Britain and the United States say they've already flown embassy staff out of Sudan. France, Germany and Italy have also been carrying out their own evacuation missions. But many foreign nationals remain trapped in Khartoum.Also in the programme: the Russian culture wars; and the arrested Sikh separatist leader. (Photo: A drone view shows smoke rising over the Khartoum North Light Industrial Area, in Bahri, Sudan. CREDIT: Video obtained by Reuters/ via REUTERS)
France is organising an evacuation of its citizens and embassy staff from the Sudanese capital after President Biden confirmed a US operation to extract its diplomats was over. Conflict has seen heavy bombardment in Khartoum, with hundreds killed and thousands more injured.Also in the programme: Russia's arts community split over the war in Ukraine; and a radical preacher calling for Sikh independence from India has been arrested in Punjab state.Picture: Smoke billows over residential buildings in eastern Khartoum on April 22, 2023. Picture credit: AFP via Getty Images
Clashes between rival military factions in Sudan continue, making it difficult for foreign nationals to leave the country. Also: Kenya finds more bodies in "starvation cult" investigation, and Barry Humphries, the man behind Dame Edna Everage, dies aged 89.
The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has suffered some of the most intense fighting since clashes began a week ago between rival military factions. Sustained gunfire around the international airport dashed any immediate hope of evacuating more foreign nationals. The first to leave have been welcomed in the Saudi port of Jeddah.Also on the programme: Australian writer and entertainer Barry Humphries passes away; and Wrexham’s Hollywood story continues.(Photo: Smoke rises over the city during the ongoing fighting between Sudanese army and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum. CREDIT: EPA/STRINGER)
One week on from the sudden eruption of violence in Sudan, the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has agreed to facilitate the evacuation of British, US, French and Chinese foreign nationals “in the coming hours”. Previous plans to evacuate foreign nationals have not been implemented because of safety fears.Also in the programme: more than 40 years after the deadly bombing of a synagogue in Paris, a French court has convicted a Lebanese-Canadian university professor of carrying out the attack; and can there be a Hollywood ending this football season for Welsh side Wrexham AFC?(Photo: Smoke is seen to rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. April 22, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
Eryn Mathewson tells us about competing for Team USA at the World Transplant Games in Perth this week. Eryn required a transplant and was given just seven days to live after suddenly developing liver failure. She has named her new organ “Salvador”, which is Spanish for saviour as her donor was of Dominican descent. Eryn discusses winning a silver medal in the 4x100 meters relay, her 80 year old teammate winning the 5K race, adapting to her new organ and her hopes of meeting her donor’s family one day.Malawi netball international Towera Vinkhumbo discusses the situation in her home country a month on from Cyclone Freddy wreaking havoc in the southern hemisphere. Vinkhumbo – who plays her club netball in Scotland – initially struggled to contact her family in Malawi. She tells us about the first phone call she had with her five year old daughter, who lives in Malawi and about how she’s using her position to raise awareness of what people need in the country following the storm.And Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt reflects on an extraordinary life devoted to religious service and basketball. The 103 year old tells us how she fell in love with the sport as a young girl and how she has been the chaplain for the men’s basketball team at Loyola University, Chicago since the 1990s. She went viral during March Madness in 2018 and tells us that led to her becoming an international celebrity.Photo: Eryn Mathewson bites her World Transplant Games silver medal (Credit: Eryn Mathewson/Twitter)
Misogyny, hate speech and threats - the BBC’s Trending team has lifted the lid on online abuse and trolling on social media. But is it telling us anything new, asks one listener? We hear more of your views and speak with the series editor about the challenges involved in making this eight-part series.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
In one of the dirtiest electoral campaigns in Brazil's history, figures on the left and right of the political spectrum trolled their opponents with jokes, ridicule and disinformation rocking the country's young democracy. We speak to both sides including a Congressman whose series of ambiguous or misleading posts on Twitter got millions of views and an Argentine political consultant whose false claims about voter fraud went viral, playing a key role in the movement that led to widespread national protests.So how has trolling evolved to become a central feature in Brazil’s political discourse and is there any way back from here? Jonathan Griffin and Juliana Gragnani investigate.Presenters and producers: Jonathan Griffin and Juliana GragnaniEditor: Flora Carmichael
The US Supreme Court has ruled that the abortion pill Mifepristone can still be available while a legal appeal against its use is considered. Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that now accounts for more than half of abortions in the US.The UK's deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has resigned over bullying accusations in his role. The former deputy prime minister has denied the claims, we find out what exactly constitutes as workplace bullying.What if we could reverse your biological age or how about the idea of being able to increase our "healthspans" - live our healthy years for longer? Imagine feeling like you're 40 at 60. BBC Click presenter Lara Lewington has been to California and met a tech billionaire, who's trying to do just that. (Picture: The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, U.S. Credit: Reuters.)
Both sides in the conflict in Sudan had agreed a three-day truce but bombing, shelling and gunfire continue. Also: Peru ex-president surrenders for extradition from US, and do you have an uneaten Easter egg from as long ago as 1939?
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear about the invention of the labradoodle, the first dog in space and how a Yorkshire terrier called Smoky became the world's first therapy dog.Author Mackenzi Lee talks about her book, The History of the World in Fifty Dogs. She discusses Napoleon Bonaparte's turbulent relationship with pugs and the first guide dogs in America. Plus, the guide dog who saved its owner's life during the 9/11 terror attacks and the man who dressed up as a dog to protest life in post-Soviet Russia.Contributors:Wally Conron - dog breeder.Mackenzi Lee - author.Michael Hingson - 9/11 terror attacks survivor.Professor Victor Yazdovsky - Russian immunologist.Oleg Kulik - Russian conceptual artist.Adrian Brigham - friend of American World War II veteran Bill Wynne.(Photo: Estie the labradoodle and Lola the cockapoo. Credit: Reena Stanton-Sharma)
To live in Sudan is to have experienced violence, protest, dictatorship, political instability and upheaval. But the scale of fighting during the last week has shocked many. Caught in the middle have been the people, as residential areas have been pummelled by missiles. Amid the crossfire, they have faced no power and no food and have had to decide whether to remain hiding in their homes or risk going outside. Three women from Khartoum - Dallia, Sara and Enass - share their personal situations and concerns with host James Reynolds.
Chile's President Gabriel Boric has said he wants to partially nationalize the country's lithium industry. This comes as there is a high demand for the metal which is used in the production of electric vehicles. Chile is the world's second largest producer of lithium. The New York Stock Exchange is the most valuable stock market in the world. We hear from the Head of International Capital Markets at the NYSE on if rising tensions between China and the US mean that companies from the world's second largest economy are thinking twice about listing in New York. What if we could reverse your biological age or how about the idea of being able to increase our "healthspans" - live our healthy years for longer? Imagine feeling like you're 40 at 60. BBC Click presenter Lara Lewington has been to California and met a tech billionaire, who's trying to do just that.
Khartoum residents mark Eid amid heavy clashes between the army and the paramilitary RSF on Friday; also in the programme The UN's annual climate report warns glaciers are doomed to disappear; the company continuing its legal fight against Fox News over their coverage of the last US presidential election; and 50 years after the Munich hostage crisis, Germany re-opens its investigation.(Photo: Plumes of smoke across Khartoum. Credit: Reuters)
Sporadic fighting has continued in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, despite the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) saying they were prepared to respect a three-day ceasefire with the army to coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid.Agency (UNHCR) estimates that as many as 20,000 people have fled the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region to seek refuge in neighbouring Chad.The conflict in Sudan is also having a big affect on its neighbours. First how Chad is dealing with the influx of refugees, meanwhile another neighbour - South Sudan - is concerned about its oil exports.
Sam Fenwick looks into the relationship between climate change and the unusually intense heatwave in India at this time of year.The net worth of Elon Musk, the second wealthiest person on Earth, records a $12.6 billion drop. Are things going to change for the mastermind of Tesla and SpaceX?Employees of German’s national operator Deutsche Bahn and aviation security at three German airports have been on strike, calling for pay rises to battle against the cost of living crisis.
Since the pandemic, reports from Uganda say there has been a 300% increase in pregnancies among girls aged 10-14. Sexual violence has been further fuelled in the north by the legacy of a 20-year insurgency led by notorious warlord Joseph Kony, and cases of sexual abuse of girls as young as three are being reported. For BBC Africa Eye, Paul Bakibinga investigates the true scale of the problem. Russia's online draft Under a new law recently signed by President Vladimir Putin, call-up papers will be served online, which makes avoiding the draft almost impossible. Kateryna Khinkulova of BBC Russian explains the new legislation. Fighting to keep Afghan music alive After they took power in August 2021, the Taliban imposed a total ban on playing and listening to music in public in Afghanistan. Students at the National Institute of Music fled the country, but now they are performing on the international stage in order to keep their music alive. BBC Afghan's Shekiba Habib has been talking to them.The return of Ya Ya the panda to China Ya Ya arrived at Memphis Zoo 20 years ago but will soon make the journey back to her home country. Chinese netizens have been urging her swift return and asking if it's time for China to move on from 'panda diplomacy'. The BBC's Fan Wang has been covering the story.(Photo: Young Ugandan mother carrying baby on her back)
A three-day truce during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr called by the UN, US and others has not materialised. Witnesses say bombing, shelling and gunfire continue in Khartoum.After a week of fighting between two factions of the country's military leadership at least 400 people have been killed. So where can pressure to end the conflict come from?Also in the programme: the UK's deputy prime minister has resigned over allegations of workplace bullying; and anti-LGBTQ legislation is deepening fears in Uganda.(Photo shows smoke rising over the city of in Khartoum, Sudan during ongoing fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces. Credit: EPA)
Paramilitary RSF forces have agreed to a three-day truce on humanitarian grounds, but no comment from the army. Also: Britain's deputy prime minister resigns following a report on bullying allegations against him, and the case of the missing gold at Toronto Airport.
What are the consequences of the Church of England's historic slave plantations in Barbados today? Theologian Robert Beckford considers why and how the Church's missionary arm, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, got involved in the slavery business. He travels to Barbados to hear from a range of voices who tell the story of how in 1710, the Church turned the Codrington Plantation into a missionary experiment. The original mission failed but later generations did eventually adopt the Anglican faith. However, spurred by the country becoming a republic, some are now questioning the Church's historic role in slavery. For some, it has turned them away from Christianity; for others, there is a need to decolonise or Africanise Anglican Christianity in Barbados. They say the religion's only hope of survival on the island is to make it relevant to the black majority populace. Through the voices of Bajan Anglican worshipers, Robert interrogates what the future of the Church now looks like in terms of practice and governance in Barbados.Presenter: Robert BeckfordProducer: Rajeev Gupta
President Joe Biden has said the US will put another $1 billion into a US climate fund to help tackle climate change in developing countries. Biden announced his plans at the virtual Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.Elon Musk's SpaceX company's new rocket, Starship, has exploded on its first ever flight. The rocket blew up within minutes but the launch was still deemed a success. The Tesla owner has said his company will try again with another test flight in a couple of months.This weekend millions of people in Pakistan will be celebrating Eid - the Muslim festival that marks the end of Ramadan. This year it has been particularly challenging as the usually lavish meals enjoyed after fasting have been hit by the rising cost of food. We head to Pakistan to find out what it has been like during this time.
The Starship rocket -- the biggest ever developed -- started to tumble a few minutes into the maiden flight, and was destroyed by its onboard automated system. Also: criminal charges have been dropped against the US actor Alec Baldwin regarding a shooting on a film set in 2021, and what age do you think is the oldest windsurfer in the world?
What are the consequences of the Church of England's historic slave plantations in Barbados today? Theologian Robert Beckford considers why and how the Church's missionary arm, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, got involved in the slavery business. He travels to Barbados to hear from a range of voices who tell the story of how in 1710, the Church turned the Codrington Plantation into a missionary experiment. The original mission failed but later generations did eventually adopt the Anglican faith. However, spurred by the country becoming a republic, some are now questioning the Church's historic role in slavery.
Elon Musk's SpaceX company's new rocket, Starship, has exploded on its first ever flight. The rocket blew up within minutes but the launch was still deemed a success. The Tesla owner has said his company will try again in a couple of months.President Joe Biden has said the US will put another $1 billion into a US climate fund to help tackle climate change in developing countries. Biden announced his plans at the virtual Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.Sri Lanka's economy has shrunk by more than a fifth in the past three years - and that's prompted a mass exodus from the country. By some estimates as many as one in twenty-five Sri Lankans have left in the last twelve months alone.
The head of the Sudanese army says he can see only a military solution to nearly a week of fighting which has left more than three hundred people dead. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan says he sees no room for talks with his paramilitary opponents of the Rapid Support Forces.Also in the programme: One of the main critics of Tunisia's president - the opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi - has been jailed after being accused of plotting against state security. We hear from his daughter, and the country's Foreign Minister; and the SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, has insisted the test launch of the most powerful rocket ever built was a success - despite it exploding minutes after take off from Texas.(Photo: Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stands at the podium during a ceremony to sign the framework agreement between military rulers and civilian powers in Khartoum, Sudan on 5 December 2022. Credit: Reuters/El Tayeb Siddig/File Photo)
The pandemic showed Africa at the back of the global queue when it came to vaccines. That should never happen again if plans being debated in Cape Town this week go ahead. Roland talks to Seanette Wilson of South Africa's Biovac.Also in the programme: life finds a way on plastic floating in the ocean; Greenland rock dust as a global fertiliser; and designing proteins from scratch.Image Credit: Robert Bonet/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesPresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Roland PeaseAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Nearly a week of fighting between rival military factions in Sudan is now thought to have killed at least 330 people, the World Health Organization estimates.Several African embassies have been concerned about the safety of their citizens in Sudan. We hear from a Kenya official on how they are trying to evacuate their nationals.Unicef says 67 million children missed out on vaccinations between 2019 and 2021, of whom 48 million did not receive a single routine vaccine. Nigeria is one of the countries with the largest numbers of ‘zero-dose’ children.
Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the Ennahda political party and one of the main opponents of the Tunisian president, Kais Saied, has been sent to jail, accused of threatening national security.Ghannouchi, 81, whose Islamist--inspired party was the largest in parliament before Saied dissolved the chamber in July 2021 was arrested on Monday, his party said. We'll speak to his daughter.Also in the programme: Growing anguish in Sudan's capital Khartoum as another planned ceasefire fails to take effect and how millions of children are missing out on routine vaccinations because of disruption caused by the pandemic.(Photo shows supporters of Rached Ghannouchi holding his picture at a protest. Credit: Jihed Abidellaoui/Reuters)
Sam Fenwick hears about the European Commission’s offer to nations which had imposed restrictions on importing cheap grain from Ukraine.Poland, Hungary and several other European countries had taken the action to protect their farming industries.The European Commission had previously warned those nations’ actions wouldn’t be tolerated.Plus the taps are turned on to a new natural gas field in Turkey and the Shanghai Motorshow looks towards electric vehicles.
At least 78 people have been killed at a school in Sanaa during a distribution of charity money. Also: More evidence of how fast the ice sheets are melting, and Michael Schumacher's family plan legal action after a magazine publishes an AI-generated interview of the F1 champion.
In 1944, Bill Wynne who was serving with the U.S. Army during World War II, adopted a tiny Yorkshire terrier called Smoky. When Bill caught dengue fever and was sent to hospital, his friends brought Smoky to see him. Soon the nurses were taking Smoky to visit other patients who had been wounded in the Biak Island invasion. She had a powerful healing effect on the soldiers and is believed to be one of the world’s first therapy dogs. Reena Stanton-Sharma talks to Bill's friend Adrian Brigham about Smoky, her role in World War II, and her TV career.Archive: University of Tennessee, PDSA, WCPN.(Photo: Bill Wynne and Smoky (centre) at the Vaughan General Hospital, in Illinois. Credit: Smoky War Dog, LLC)
As the price of food increases, we speak to Muslims to find out how it's affected their Iftar - the fast-breaking evening meal during the holy month of Ramadan. It's often a lavish family meal, but price rises mean that people are having to make changes. We hear from women in Somalia, Canada, Pakistan and the UK who are all facing a slightly different Ramadan, and Eid, this year. Presented by Emb Hashmi with reporting from Ahmed Adan.Editors: Carmel O'Grady and Helen Thomas(Image: Fatuma and her family in Somalia. Credit: BBC)
Record numbers are fleeing the island in the wake of a brutal economic crisis – perhaps one in twenty five Sri Lankans left last year alone. Some 300,000 went for contracted positions, mostly in the Gulf. But hundreds of thousands of others took less official routes. Many of them get scammed, some even lose their lives, as illegal migrants in what looks like a web of corruption and organised crime.Ed Butler speaks to some of those who are involved in this industry, who’ve taken this perilous option, and asks why aren’t more Sri Lankans, and even the government, speaking out more loudly about what some see as a national tragedy?Produced and presented by Ed ButlerProduction coordinator Helena Warwick CrossSeries editor Penny Murphy(Photo by Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images)
Apple Chief Executive, Tim Cook, has met with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as he is looking for a market growth and investment in India.Tesla shares dropped 2% after the electric-vehicle maker cuts down the price U.S for the sixth time this year. Tesla shares slid further in initial after-market trading on Wednesday following the company's quarterly report. April 18th - was Tax Day in the US - the day that marks the deadline for individuals to file their income tax returns for the year. That opportunity was by a group of billionaires to bring a protest to the US Congress too - demanding they pay more tax.It's been a challenging time for the global airline industry. Demand has yet to recover following the Covid pandemic - and this week industry leaders have warned the cost of de-carbonising flights could send passenger costs even higher in the years to come.(Picture: Men talk on their mobile phones in front of an iPhone 14 advertisement, in India. Source: Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Smoke was seen over the area of the army headquarters in the centre of Khartoum. Also: US Supreme Court delays abortion pill access decision, and could music increase our love of food?
Apple Chief Executive, Tim Cook, has met with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as he is looking for a market growth and investment in India. Tesla shares dropped 2% after the electric-vehicle maker cuts down the price U.S for the sixth time this year. Tesla shares slid further in initial after-market trading on Wednesday following the company's quarterly report. In the UK, people are struggling to pay their bills and are facing more financial pain within weeks after inflation defied predictions by staying in double-figures - at 10.1 per cent.
Every day, humans make multiple choices about what to eat. Some of those decisions will be better for our health than others - but what if we allowed a machine to decide for us? In this programme, Adam Shaw explores what would happen if we let artificial intelligence (AI) design our diets and whether that might improve our health. Adam visits a laboratory in the UK to meet AI researcher Dr James Neil, from the Centre for Nutrition Education & Lifestyle Management, whose company is developing machine-learning systems to create personalised diets. He speaks to dietician Pennie McCoy, to find out how a digital therapist called ‘Hope’ is learning to help Australians stay on track with their weight-loss goals. Dr Mariette Abrahams, dietician and CEO of Qina, a company in Portugal which offers strategic advice on the personalised nutritional market, tells Adam about the potential and the pitfalls of the new tools. And Dr Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine and executive vice president of Scripps Research in the US, considers whether AI-driven diets will be used for a small group of people, or whether the technology could fundamentally change everyone’s approach to food. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk (Picture: A robot hand and a human hand both reaching out to grab an apple. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Presenter: Adam Shaw Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
Violence goes on in Khartoum despite hopes of a ceasefire. We hear about the difficulties faced by humanitarian workers in Sudan. We also look at the background to the conflict in an interview with Jerome Tubiana, who once met one of the warring generals and now works for Doctors without Borders. Also in the programme: the latest on the two American teenagers who have been charged with murder after a shooting at a birthday party; and the US Supreme Court temporarily extends access to an abortion pill.(Photo: Smoke rises over Khartoum as fighting continues. Credit: STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock )
More than a quarter of the world’s malaria cases happen in Nigeria according to the World Health Organisation. This week the country became the second, after Ghana to provisionally approve the use of malaria vaccine R21. Professor Matt Fox explains why scientists have called the vaccine a ‘world changer’.We hear from dementia nurse Kemi Reeves who supports people living with dementia in Los Angeles. Her project has recently been shown to reduce the cost of caring for people with Alzheimers. We also hear about a new piece of research from the UK showing that hearing aids may protect against a higher risk of dementia.As we learn more about ‘Long Covid’, we explore evidence that links breathlessness with having had disrupted sleep.And have you ever been told you grind your teeth? Author Naomi Alderman was shocked recently when visiting the dentist to be told she had a condition called bruxism and hadn’t even realised. We ask whether experiencing the Covid pandemic may have led to more of us griding and clenching our teeth. Image Credit: Halfpoint ImagesPresenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Clare Salisbury
The ceasefire in Sudan appears to be in doubt as gunfire can still be heard across the capital, Khartoum. Smoke can be seen over the area of the army headquarters in the centre of the city, where much of the fighting between rival military factions is centred. The UN has now described Sudan's humanitarian situation as catastrophic with mass displacement of people.Muslims around the world will be ending the holy month of Ramadan this week but what is it like to fast when you are living in a multi-faith family?The South African Grannies International World Cup - where women 55 and older competed in front of cheering spectators.
The latest inflation rate of the UK defied expectations with annual price rises of 10.1%. Food and non-alcoholic drink soared at the fastest rate in 46 years. Meanwhile the inflation in Eurozone eases down to 6.9%.The trial between Fox and Dominion came to a dramatic end as a $787.5 million settlement was reached but the drama is far from over. We take a look at what might happen next.
Fox News has settled a landmark defamation case brought against it over its reporting of the last US presidential election. It'll pay $787.5 million dollars to Dominion voting systems, which said the broadcaster had admitted to telling lies. Newshour hears from a former close colleague of Rupert Murdoch, Andrew Neil.Also in the programme: Another promised humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan fails to materialise; and Ukraine's Eurovision contenders.(Picture: John Poulos, CEO of Dominion Voting Systems, and lawyers Davida Brook, Justin Nelson and Stephen Shackleford leave the courthouse after Dominion Voting Systems and Fox settled a defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million, avoiding trial, over Fox's coverage of debunked election-rigging claims. Credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
Fierce fighting continues in the Sudanese capital following a collapsed ceasefire. Also: Is Russia spying in the North Sea? And, we hear from Ukraine's Eurovision Song Contest hopefuls
After the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, a New York guide dog called Roselle was hailed as a hero for helping her owner safely down 78 flights of stairs and away from the Twin Towers before they collapsed. In this programme, first broadcast in 2017, Simon Watts speaks to Roselle's owner, Michael Hingson.(Photo: Roselle and Michael Hingson, right, meeting a 9/11 rescue team. Credit: Getty Images)
听众 Riley 想知道形容词 “affluent、rich” 和 “wealthy” 之间的差别。它们都有 “拥有大量金钱” 的意思，但用法不同。其中，哪个词相对更正式？哪个词强调 “拥有大量的财产或贵重物品”？怎么用 “rich” 指 “（食物）富含…”？本期节目讲解这三个近义词的用法。
The South American country is famous for its steaks, ribs, and milanesa. It is the second largest home market for beef in the world, and the fifth biggest exporter. But with soaring inflation, this much loved staple is becoming unaffordable for ordinary people.We look at the country’s love affair with beef and what measures the government is taking to protect it.Producer/presenter: Natalio Cosoy(Image: Porfirio Dávalos at his Friday barbecue. Credit: BBC)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister. Budapest is an outlier in both the EU and Nato, unwilling to arm Ukraine, eager to maintain close ties with Moscow, and dismissing demands to respect EU values. Will its defiance come at a price?
The US voting technology firm Dominion has settled with Fox News just before their defamation trial was due to begin. Dominion had sought $1.6bn (£1.3bn) from Fox, whom it claimed spread falsehoods about its voting machines in the 2020 presidential election. The final settlement agreed between both parties was for $787.5m.The world of its biggest competitor the streaming giant Netflix has just released its latest financial results and it has bounced back from the loss of 200,000 subscribers a year ago. Pew Research in the United States found that even when women earnt the same as a male partner - they still spent more of their down time caring for either children or elderly parents - as opposed to the men who spent it - doing whatever they wanted.Baseball's new pitch clock designed to speed up the pace of the game has won many fans - just not in professional teams' commercial departments. (People walk by the News Corporation headquarters, home to Fox News, on April 18, 2023 in New York City. Source: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The US broadcaster will pay the voting machine company nearly $790 million after airing false claims about Donald Trump's election defeat. Also: Gunfire shatters an agreed ceasefire in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, and a full T-Rex skeleton sells at auction.
Coming soon: The hunt for the suspected killer of 23-year-old Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen, whose body was found buried under rubble in a London basement in 2008. She died after a night out with "billionaire playboy" Farouk Abdulhak, son of one of Yemen’s richest and most powerful men. Police found Martine’s remains in Farouk's apartment building. But Farouk had already fled. Fifteen years later, he’s still on the run. The BBC's Nawal Al-Maghafi was born in Yemen and has been on the case for more than a decade. This is the story of how she finally tracked down the elusive Farouk Abdulhak.Murder in Mayfair is a new four-part mini-series from The Documentary, available on 24 April.
The US voting technology firm Dominion has settled with Fox News just before their defamation trial was due to begin. Dominion had sought $1.6bn (£1.3bn) from Fox, whom it claimed spread falsehoods about its voting machines in the 2020 presidential election. The final settlement agreed between both parties was for $787.5m.Apple's Chief Executive - Tim Cook - has launched the company's first Indian retail store. He was presented with a vintage Mac, at the store's opening in Mumbai, where people from across India came to participate in the event.The South Korean car company, Kia, has issued a plea to trade unions to drop a formal policy that favours hiring the children of long-time employees. The appeal follows pressure from the South Korean government on large companies to stop handing jobs to relatives of existing employees.
Despite Sudan’s two rival generals agreeing to a humanitarian pause to allow civilians to get medical help and supplies, fighting has continued in the Sudanese capital. We speak to a humanitarian worker in Khartoum.Also on the programme: Newshour speaks to the wife of Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza a day after he was sentenced to 25 years in jail for treason by a Russian court; and more than half a century after the contraceptive pill was first approved in the US, scientists are finally making headway with a male equivalent.(Picture: Sudanese people carry buckets as they look for drinking water after supplies were affected due to the ongoing fighting between Sudanese army and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan, 18 April 2023. Credit: STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Intense fighting has continued in Sudan, casting doubt over whether the rival military factions will commit to a 24-hour the humanitarian truce. We hear from the vice-president of the Doctors’ Union on the targeting of hospitals, and the inability to treat the injured. Plus, the leader of Tunisia's opposition Ennahda Party has been detained, and the authorities have banned meetings at all of its offices. And the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) celebrates sweeping the board in the recent senatorial elections, but what will that mean for democracy in the country?
As Google's boss, Sunder Pichai, says he doesn't fully understand its AI products, tech investor Ian Hogarth tells us it's time for a public debate on the technology's future. Reporter Michael Kaloki joins us from Nairobi to explain how the legal battle between Facebook and its Kenyan moderators is intensifying. Alasdair Keane meets the amateur composer crafting the sound of all human knowledge for Wikipedia. And our Click colleague Lara Lewington tells us about the tech entrepreneur devoting his time - and money - to finding ways to extend healthy human life.(Picture credit: Getty Images)
Sudan's rival generals have agreed a twenty-four-hour ceasefire following four days of intense fighting in Khartoum and other towns. We will hear from a resident of the capital Khartoum.Also on the programme: Russian court rejects appeal to release American reporter Evan Gershkovich; and controversy over an award-winning photograph created by artificial intelligence. (Picture: Smoke rises from burning aircraft inside Khartoum Airport during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum. Credit: Reuters)
The Chinese government released the nation’s latest economic statistics, showing a 4.5% growth comparing to the same period of 2022. But China’s young labour force, aged 16 to 24, suffers a 19.6% unemployment rate – What will happen when more fresh graduates finish schools this summer?Apple’s Tim Cook flew to India to launch the tech giant’s first physical Apple Store in Mumbai, India. Hundreds of Apple’s fans queued for hours just to be the first ones who step in the new landmark. Apple plans to increase production of iPhones to the world most populated country.
Videos appear to show Mr Putin visiting military bases in the Kherson region. Also: Sudan's rival generals agree to a twenty-four hour ceasefire, Apple opens its first store in India, and the winner of the Sony World Photography Award has refused his prize after revealing his work was created using AI.
In 1989, Australian dog breeder Wally Conron was tasked with finding a suitable dog for a blind woman in Hawaii whose husband was allergic to pet hair. By breeding together a poodle and a Labrador, he inadvertently created the world’s first ever labradoodle. More than three decades on, Wally believes he created Frankenstein’s monster. He has been sharing his memories of Sultan the labradoodle with George Crafer.(Photo: Wally Conron with Sultan the first ever labradoodle. Credit: Getty Images)
有时我们在遇到事情的时候可能会感到茫然无措、困惑不已、不确定该说什么或做什么才好。地道英语表达 “be at a loss” 就可以用来形容这种 “不知所措” 的感觉。听节目，学习这个表达的含义和用法。
Prices are around 45% more expensive than equivalent trips elsewhere, and it's often cheaper to fly out of the continent and back in. We look at the reasons Africans are paying higher fares for both internal and international flights, the impact this is having on business and tourism, plus the wider impact on the African economy.Producer/ presenter: Rebecca Kesby (Image: A plane on a runway in Nothern Africa. Credit: Getty Images)
Sam, Harsha and Siddhant are tech workers of Indian descent, who all say they have experienced discrimination in corporate America. They are not being singled out on the basis of race, gender, religion or nationality, but by an invisible factor; one they were born into, and one that others like them come to the US to try to escape. They say they have faced discrimination because of their caste.
There have been economic tensions between the US and China that has been for some time dominating the news and the involvement of their respective allies. Is this a new trade war that is coming back to the boil?And as a jobseeker, ChatGPT is affecting job applications as fears of cheating grow and employers thinking to disqualify any AI-aided submissions. (Picture: A photo illustration showing Chinese 100 yuan banknotes and US banknotes in Beijing. Source: EPA/WU HONG)
More than 180 people are dead and about 1,800 wounded after three days of fighting. Also: Two New York residents have been arrested on charges of operating a Chinese "secret police station" in the city's Chinatown, and a luxurious Roman winery is discovered on the grounds of an ancient villa.
There have been economic tensions between the US and China that has been for some time dominating the news and the involvement of their respective allies. Is this a new trade war that is coming back to the boil?Banks across the board are under pressure again to pay depositors more as interest rates continue to rise in the U.S. The Japanese video game maker, Sega Sammy Holdings has agreed to buy the makers of Angry Birds for nearly 800 million dollars.
We focus on Sudan where fighting has rocked the capital and other cities since Saturday, in bloody clashes which have left nearly 100 dead.The forces of General Fatah Al Burhan, commander in chief of the army, and his rival, General Mohamed Hamndan Dagalo, head of the Rapid Support Forces are talking tough. Will either heed ceasefire calls coming from the UN and African and international bodies?We hear from activists on the ground who say they only have food for one more day, and foreign students forced out of their hostels by the fighting.Those stories in this podcast presented by Bola Mosuro.
The UN special envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, has condemned the violence of the past three days and said he'd asked both the army and paramilitary forces to hold a brief ceasefire to allow humanitarian access to civilians.Also in the programme: There's been widespread condemnation of the record jail term for one of President Putin's most fearless critics, Vladimir Kara-Murza; and our South-East Asia Correspondent Jonathan Head reports from inside Myanmar for the first time since the coup.(Photo: Smoke rises from the tarmac of Khartoum International Airport as a fire burns, in Khartoum, Sudan on 17 April 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Abdullah Abdel Moneim/via Reuters)
‘Can we bring back extinct species?’ wonders listener Mikko Campbell. Well, Professor Fry is pretty excited by the prospect of woolly mammoths roaming the Siberian tundra once more. And everyone is impressed with the science that might make it happen. But Dr Rutherford comes out STRONGLY against the whole thing. Can our expert guests win him over?Dr Helen Pilcher shares the tale of Celia the lonely mountain goat, and makes the case for cloning to help protect species at risk of extinction. Professor Beth Shapiro sets out how biotech company ‘Colossal’ plans to engineer Asian elephants’ DNA to make a new group of mammoth-like creatures. And we hear how genetic technologies are being used in conservation efforts around the world.BUT WHAT ABOUT T-REXES? Not gonna happen. Sorry.Contributors: Dr Helen Pilcher, author of ‘Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-Extinction’, Professor Beth Shapiro from the University of California Santa Cruz, Dr Ben Novak of Revive and Restore and Tullis Matson from Nature’s SAFE.
Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel Hamnet was published in 2020 to great critical acclaim, winning the Women's Prize. It tells the story of a gifted herbalist, Agnes Hathaway, who is married to a young William Shakespeare. We follow her on her journey as they meet, marry, and later come to terms with the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. Now, the Royal Shakespeare Company is putting Hamnet on stage for the first time in Shakespeare’s birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon. Presenter Dan Hardoon follows the RSC’s Acting Artistic Director Erica Whyman throughout the rehearsal process.
Fighting is continuing across Sudan for a third day, with battles raging in densely-populated areas, as rival generals compete for power. We hear from the capital Khartoum and the Darfur region in Sudan's west.Also in the programme: Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza sentenced to twenty-five years in jail; and jazz great Ahmed Jamal dies.(Picture: Burnt-out passenger aircraft at Khartoum International Airport. Credit: Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)
With the Russian's invasion still going on in Ukraine, one of the only few options to export goods is going through land borders. But Slovakia just joined Poland and Hungary to ban cheap imports from Ukraine such as dairy, meats and grains, in order to protect their own agriculture industries.The European Commission rejects these nations' decisions and warns unilateral moves will not be tolerated. Japanese gaming tycoon Sega Sammy has just purchased Rovio, the company that created Angry Birds. Why is the deal significant in the mobile gaming world and how can they actually make money out of a free mobile game app?
Opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza criticised Russia's war in Ukraine. Also: honouring the women of the Northern Ireland peace process, we ask whether snoring is bad for your health and acclaimed Jazz pianist and composer Ahmad Jamal has died aged 92.
Laika the Russian stray was the first dog to orbit the Earth. She was sent into space on a flight in 1957 which had been timed to mark the anniversary of the Russian Revolution. She died after orbiting Earth four times. Professor Victor Yazdovsky's father was in charge of the dogs in the Russian space programme. In 2017, Professor Yazdovsky spoke to Olga Smirnova about playing with Laika, before her flight, when he was just nine-years-old.(Photo: Laika. Credit: Getty Images.)
Finn and Feifei help you learn this important part of speaking and writing, in English.
Has people using less cash and higher tip suggestions on pay terminals increased expectation on customers? Tipping has a long history in the United States, but there is evidence that the coronavirus pandemic has changed the culture and percentages involved. Presenter Rick Kelsey speaks to waiting staff in New York, travel experts and explores the legal rules around tipping.Presented and produced by Rick Kelsey(Image: Someone placing dollars into a tip jar. Credit: Getty Images)
In a world that is dominated by news of destruction and disaster it seems as though we will never see any positive news. Amongst this bad news fatigue, media forums focusing purely on positive and uplifting stories have begun to seep through to mainstream media. Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who decided to start their own positive news ventures. Anuradha Kedia is the co-founder of The Better India, the world's largest positive and solutions based media platform. Anuradha focuses on objective reporting and impact driven media to create a positive impact across India. Geri Weis-Corby is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Good News Network, an online newspaper which solely publishes positive and uplifting news stories. Geri is also the author of ‘And Now, The Good News’ which highlights some of their best news stories from the past 25 years.
Tricks from a hit TV show held the key to Jaivet Ealom’s audacious dash for freedom. As a student in his native Myanmar, Jaivet Ealom became obsessed with the hit US TV show Prison Break. He watched it on a loop, but never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d be in a similar position to its main character. When he found himself locked up in Australia's notorious Manus Regional Processing Centre with no end in sight, could he outdo fiction and find a way out?Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Edgar Maddicott
Stephen Sackur speaks to Christo Grozev, Bellingcat's lead Russia investigator. His work has exposed crimes and embarrassed the Kremlin. What motivates this digital detective?
Fierce clashes have been reported across Sudan as fighting between rival armed factions continues to spread.The escalation came on the second day of clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries, which have now left at least 59 dead.We'll hear from residents of the capital Khartoum trapped by the conflict. And ask if the mediators now on their way to the country can stop the fighting?Also in the programme: the Syrians risking their lives for a desert delicacy; and we report on the Team Ninja Trollhunters trying to combat climate change deniers online.(Photo shows smoke rising over Khartoum as army and paramilitaries clash in power struggle. Credit: @lostshmi on Instagram/Reuters)
Fierce fighting is raging for a second day in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, as rival wings of the armed forces fight for power. Health workers say over 50 civilians and dozens of fighters have been killed as fighting spreads beyond the country's main city. We'll bring you the latest news and analysis from inside Sudan. Also in the programme: two very different films are making the headlines right now. One is a Hollywood comedy-horror based on Bram Stoker's fictional vampire character, Dracula; the other is a thriller based in Egypt and centred on one of the country's most prestigious institutions. We'll hear from a film critic about one of the movies and the director of the other. And a deeply personal book reflecting on what it's like caring for a family member with dementia. We speak to the US doctor who wrote it. (Picture: Smoke rises over the city of Khartoum as army and paramilitaries clash in power struggle, Sudan, April 15, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Credit: Instagram @lostshmi/via REUTERS)
Civilans told to stay inside as gunfire and explosions rocked the capital, Khartoum, during clashes between two rival factions of the military. Also: Germany switches off its last three nuclear power stations, though Germans are divided about whether it is the right decision, and revealed -- some of the stars performing at a special concert to mark the coronation of King Charles.
The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has been rocked by gunfire and explosions as heavy fighting takes place between two rival factions of the military.Casualty numbers are unclear, but doctors have called on humanitarian organisations to provide medical assistance to the injured.We will have eye witness accounts and analysis on what is happening and why -- and those trapped in the middle of the fighting.Also in the programme: The former Chief of Staff to the director of the CIA gives us his response to the Pentagon leaks and how damaging they could be to the war effort in Ukraine; and as families in Yemen are reunited with a large-scale prisoner swap underway, we hear from ICRC who have been involved in the operation transferring the detainees.(Photo shows smoke rising near the Halfaya bridge in Khartoum during clashes between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army. Credit: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History and Sporting Witness episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear about the unearthing of a mass grave in Sernyky, Ukraine, in 1990, and when the Boston Marathon was the target of a terror attack in 2013.This programme contains distressing details.Contributors:James Bulgin - head of public history at the Imperial War Museum in Britain.Richard Wright - archaeologist.Jonathan Dimbleby - broadcaster.Edward Deveau - Watertown Chief of Police.Charles Barnett - managing director of Aintree Racecourse.Gary Anderson - designer.(Photo: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe. Credit: Getty Images)
There has been fighting in Sudan between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). There are conflicting reports coming out of the country and the RSF says it has taken control of the airport and presidential palace but this has not been confirmed. We will hear from eyewitnesses in Khartoum.Also on the programme: Germany is switching off its last three nuclear reactors after years of debate on the topic; and scientists think ancient viruses lingering in our DNA might help the body fight off cancer.(Photo: smoke rises from the buildings in Khartoum. Credit: AFP)
In the Persian gulf, a powerful storm appears to sink an oil tanker, prompting a dramatic Royal Navy rescue. But six weeks later, the same tanker causes a scandal when it drifts onto a luxury Bollywood beach in India - like a ghost. Environment journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor delve into the unsolved mystery, investigating allegations of murky goings-on.
Nigeria defender William Troost-Ekong tells us how he ensured his recent transfer to Serie A side Salernitana was carbon neutral and how his interest in climate change began when spending school holidays with his father in Lagos. Jessica Harrington tells us she’ll be watching her horse “Lifetime Ambition” run in the Grand National on television as she’s undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Harrington tells us she is doing well and what it would mean to her to finally train a Grand National winner.Snooker’s World Championship is underway and referee Brendan Moore will take charge of the final in his last match as a professional snooker official. The former bus driver tells us how he got into the sport and how the loss of his father means it will be an even more emotional farewell for him.And – Ceylon Andi Hickman from Football Beyond Borders tells us what more needs to be done to get teenage girls from Inner cities interested in women’s football.Photo: William Troost Ekong of Salernitana in action during the Serie A match between Hellas Verona and Salernitana at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on February 13, 2023 in Verona, Italy. (Credit: Getty Images)
When telecoms engineer Martin Cooper first chatted in public on a mobile phone 50 years ago few would have predicted that this brief telephone call would be the start of a revolution that would change the lives of billions. Over the last half a century, the mobile has transformed not just how we communicate with each other but also how we view and interact with the world around us. However, recent research suggests that this may not all be for the best.Drawing on listeners comments and questions, Rajan Datar explores what sets the mobile phone apart from previous communication devices. Why did SMS messaging take off so quickly after a slow start in the 1990s? And how did the morphing of a portable phone into a pocket computer a decade later lead to a situation where many people now interact with their phone more than with any human? Rajan is joined by Scott Campbell, Professor of Telecommunications at the University of Michigan whose work focuses on meanings, uses and consequences of mobile communication in everyday life; behavioural psychologist Dr. Daria Kuss from Nottingham Trent University who specialises in cyberpsychology, technology use and addictive behaviours; and comedienne and PhD. candidate at Exeter University Helen Keen who is researching social connections at the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health. We also hear from educator Wong Fung Sing from Singapore and other listeners from around the world.(Photo: mobile phones in a stack on a table. Credit: iStock/Getty images)
A ground-breaking new medical trial has begun in the UK aimed at slowing the progress of multiple sclerosis. The Octopus trial is looking into whether existing drugs can be repurposed to help slow the progression of the condition. Alykhan, who was diagnosed with MS when he was still at school, is taking part in the study. He joins us in conversation with Professor Jeremy Chataway, from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, who is leading the trial.
A row over a Twitter label describing the BBC as "government funded media" has been resolved - it is now to be labelled “publicly-funded”.We hear your thoughts on that Twitter spat and a former senior executive with the corporation tells us why she thinks the BBC was right to fight its corner.Plus, the Lazarus Heist is back for a second series - we hear listeners’ early reviews.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown Production for the BBC World Service
A twenty-one-year-old US National Guardsman Jack Teixeira has appeared in court in Boston accused of leaking highly-sensitive military intelligence. He’s said to have distributed very damaging intelligence on everything from Ukraine's war plans to Washington spying on its allies like South Korea. But there's one part of this that is especially interesting - it was all initially distributed on Discord, a social media platform, popular with gamers.(Picture: Two Wooden People Figures Communicating. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
France's top constitutional body clears government's highly unpopular move to raise pension age from 62 to 64. Also: The US airman accused of leaking confidential intelligence and defence documents has been officially charged in a court appearance in Boston, and the European Space Agency's mission, known as Juice, successfully launches on its way to explore the moons of Jupiter.
Climate-denying trolls, beware: a group of internet vigilantes is coming for you. They call themselves “Team Ninja Trollhunters”: a ragtag group of activists from around the globe, who have vowed to fight those spreading climate change misinformation on Twitter.The group claims to have succeeded in getting hundreds of users booted off the platform, but their methods aren’t without controversy. As a ferocious information war rages on online, are these vigilantes at risk of behaving like the very trolls they claim to be fighting?Presenter: Marco SilvaEditor: Flora Carmichael
A twenty-one-year-old US National Guardsman Jack Teixeira has appeared in court in Boston accused of leaking highly-sensitive military intelligence. He’s said to have distributed very damaging intelligence on everything from Ukraine's war plans to Washington spying on its allies like South Korea. But there's one part of this that is especially interesting - it was all initially distributed on Discord, a social media platform, popular with gamers.
The US airman accused of leaking confidential intelligence and defence documents has been officially charged in a court appearance in Boston. Mr Teixeira was arrested by armed FBI agents at his family home in Massachusetts on Thursday.Also on the programme: we speak to former Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett; and the agreement to try to stop Mexican drugs cartels smuggling fentanyl into the United States.(Image: The federal courthouse where Jack Teixeira, a member of the U.S. Air Force National Guard suspected of leaking highly classified U.S. documents, made his initial appearance in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S, on 14 April 2023. Credit: Reuters/Owen Lambert)
The first three months of 2023 has been described as the ‘deadliest’ for migrants crossing the Mediterranean by the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Pietro Bartolo, Member of the European Parliament for Lampedusa, off the coast of southern Italy, says there needs to be a fundamental rethink on how migrants are received and processed. Plus, what is behind the deaths in Kenya linked to the Good News International Church? And relatives of dozens of school girls who are still missing after being abducted in north-east Nigeria in 2014, have once again urged the government to seek their release.
Rahul Tandon hears about Brazil’s president Lula da Silva’s remarks on countries moving away from the dollar as he meets with the Chinese president Xi Jinping. The two leaders are expected to sign twenty trade agreements.The International Monetary Fund has projected that the economy of Sub-Saharan Africa will grow by 3.6 per cent in 2023 and accelerate to 4.2 per cent in 2024. Abebe Selassie, Director of the African Department at the IMF tells us more.To France, where the Constitutional Court is due to make a key decision any minute now on President Macron's controversial pension reforms. Macron wants to raise the age of retirement from 62 to 64 but his plan has faced massive opposition from unions and ordinary people.US firms are waiting to pump 'billions of dollars' of cash into the Northern Ireland economy if there’s more political stability there. That’s according to President Biden who is visiting the island of Ireland to mark 25-years since the Good Friday Agreement.
About 900 prisoners will be exchanged over the next three days. A Saudi delegation has left the capital Sanaa after talks with Houthi rebels, but said more negotiations would be needed to reach an agreement to end the eight-year civil war. Also: Police in Kenya are trying to track down and save members of a cult starving themselves to death, and a Spanish woman has emerged from a cave after 500 days living in complete isolation from other humans.
He's charged with the unauthorised removal and transmission of classified information. The files included confidential information about the war in Ukraine.Also on the programme: Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has met the Chinese leader Xi Jinping as he continues his official visit to China. President Xi called for deeper cooperation with Brazil. And the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer has been launched by the European Space Agency.(Picture: The arrest of Jack Teixeira. Credit: Reuters)
Since anti-government protests erupted in Iran following the death in police custody last September of Mahsa Amini, at least 30,000 people have been arrested. While most have been released on bail, it's reported that more than a hundred have been sentenced to death or charged with capital offences. BBC Persian's Firouzeh Akbarian tells us about the lawyers who are trying to stop more executions as well as free people from detention. A haunted forest in Serbia's 'Siberia' The Pešter Plateau in south west Serbia is nicknamed Serbia's Siberia because of its long cold winters, which often leave villages cut off by snow. Its extensive grasslands are used for raising sheep and cattle, but Sandra Maksimovic of BBC Serbian discovered an unusual forest which has survived through the centuries, because - according to legend - it's haunted.The Indian communities where women inheritIn India's north-eastern state of Meghalaya, many families still follow an age-old system of inheritance, where children take the mother's surname and the ancestral property goes to the youngest daughter. BBC Marathi's Mayuresh Konnur visited Meghalaya and discovered the pressure that modern life is putting on this matrilineal tradition. My father's story - and my country'sIn 2018, BBC Uzbek journalist Ibrat Safo began recording stories told by his father, Ozod. They were family memories but also revealed a lot about the history of Uzbekistan in the 20th century. When Ozod died earlier this year, Ibrat decided to share some of those 'Dad tapes'.(Photo: Women hold up signs depicting the image of Mahsa Amini, who died while in the custody of Iranian authorities. Credit: SAFIN HAMED/AFP via Getty Images)
The BBC’s Richard Dimbleby was the first reporter to enter the liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. His report describing the unimaginable horror he found was for many listeners around the world the first time they had heard the truth of what it was like to have endured life and death under the Nazis. An estimated 70,000 people died in the camp. The broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby reflects on the impact of the report on his father and why the BBC was reluctant to broadcast it at first. Produced by Josephine McDermott.This programme contains distressing details.(Photo: Prisoners at Belsen. Credit: Getty Images)
It sounds like a movie script, like Jurassic Park, but Australian scientists are actually aiming to 'de-extinct' an animal.The Tasmanian Tiger, or Thylacine, became extinct in 1936, nearly 90 years ago. It's native to Australia, and thanks to millions of dollars of funding via a US-based biotech company, Colossal Biosciences, research is underway which could bring it back to life.Sam Clack finds out why the project has attracted funding from a host of celebrity backers and asks whether science fiction could become reality?Produced and presented by Sam Clack.(Image: Tasmanian Tigers. Credit: Getty Images)
In the heyday of the Sikh Empire, Kirtan - Sikh hymns - were performed using stringed instruments such as the sarangi, rabab and taus. The rich, complex tones these instruments create are said to evoke a deeper connection to Waheguru (God). But in the late 19th Century, these traditional instruments were replaced by European imports like the harmonium. Now a new generation of diaspora Sikhs is painstakingly rebuilding that musical heritage - restoring scores and gathering to teach and learn traditional instruments. In 2022, the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority for Sikhs, signalled a revival of stringed instruments in the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine. But can they attract and train enough musicians to put strings back at the heart of Sikh worship? Monika Plaha meets one these musical pioneers, Harjinder Singh Lallie, and finds out how his beliefs fuel his work and how his music shapes his faith.Producer: Rachel Briggs and Ajai Singh Presenter: Monika PlahaEditor: Helen GradyProduction co-ordinator: Mica NepomucenoCome with us! Heart and Soul is moving and we would love it if you can join us. You can now find all our episodes on The Documentary, the home of original, global storytelling, from the BBC World Service. Search for The Documentary, wherever you found this podcast, and don’t forget to subscribe or follow.
In the heyday of the Sikh Empire, Kirtan (Sikh hymns) were performed using stringed instruments such as the sarangi, rabab and taus. The rich, complex tones these instruments create are said to evoke a deeper connection to Waheguru (God). But in the late 19th Century, these traditional instruments were replaced by European imports like the harmonium. Now a new generation of diaspora Sikhs is painstakingly rebuilding that musical heritage - restoring scores and meeting up to teach and learn traditional instruments. Monika Plaha meets one these musical pioneers, Harjinder Singh Lallie, and finds out how his beliefs fuel his work and how his music shapes his faith.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has started his trip to China. The trip's aim is to upgrade relations with China now that Lula is back in office and seek new Chinese investment in the Latin American country.(Picture: Inauguration of Lula Da Silva as The 39th President of Brazil. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The 21-year-old is accused of leaking classified government documents. Also: President Biden addresses the Irish parliament and calls for the United Kingdom to work more closely with Dublin to support Northern Ireland, and why dinosaur bones are the new collectables among the super rich.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Israeli MP and former UN ambassador Danny Danon. Amid political turmoil at home, a deteriorating security situation and stinging criticism from Israel’s allies overseas is the Netanyahu administration now jeopardising Israel’s future?
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has started his trip to China. The trip's aim is to upgrade relations with China now that Lula is back in office and seek new Chinese investment in the Latin American country.
At least 50 classified documents containing sensitive intelligence about countries around the world and the war in Ukraine, were leaked online. We speak to James Clapper former Director of National Intelligence until 2017 about how this was able to happen. Also on the programme: British fashion designer Mary Quant dies aged 93; and Newshour speaks to a China-based sports journalist about the Women’s Tennis Association returning to the country years after a row over the safety of a tennis player.(Picture: Alleged Pentagon leak suspect identified as Jack Teixeira. Credit: BBC)
H5N1 highly pathogenic avian flu is racing across the world, and has infected multiple species, including wild and farmed birds, and mammals from cats to sea lions. What can be done to control it? Roland Pease talks to global experts about the dangers to animal and human health, and about the measures to bring the outbreak under control.Image: A government worker examines chicks for signs of bird flu infection at a poultry farm in Darul Imarah in Indonesia's Aceh provinceImage credit: Chaideer MahyuddinProducer: Roland PeaseAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
The Sudanese army has warned of a risk of confrontation as the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) redeploys across the country, including to the border city Merowe, without the military's approval. The rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, who faked his death in prison and fled to Tanzania, has arrived back in South Africa, after being deported along with his celebrity doctor girlfriend, Nandipha Magudumana. And Sierra Leonean TikTok influencer, ‘Juju Jeks’ tells us why she is a fan of the popular social media app.
Today we're going to be talking about debt - not the household debt that you might owe to your bank but the really big stuff - the debt that countries owe to financial institutions and, in some cases, to other countries. And we're talking about it because it's growing all the time - the world is more indebted now than it has ever been. The Covid pandemic triggered the biggest surge in debt around the world since World War II. That is what is being discussed at the IMF and World Bank Spring meetings. where finance ministers, central bankers, CEOs and experts are gathered. Listen to World Business Report to find out more
The US President, Joe Biden, has said it is a "pleasure to be back" as he met Irish President Michael D Higgins in Dublin. He is spending most of Thursday in the company of leading Irish politicians and will also address a joint session of the Irish parliament. Also on the programme: we hear from the Washington Post's Shane Harris on his investigation into the leaking of top-secret US documents. And the British fashion designer Mary Quant, credited with designing the mini-skirt that helped to define the Swinging '60s, has died aged 93. (Image: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Farmleigh House, in Dublin, Ireland, April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
American media says he's working on a military base and disdainful of the government. Also Mary Quant - whose revolutionary clothes came to symbolise the 1960s - has died; and the bird that loads drinking water in its feathers.
On 5th April 1997, the 150th Grand National horse race was meant to take place at the Aintree racecourse near Liverpool. But the IRA sent 2 coded bomb threats which meant the world famous steeplechase had to be abandoned. Managing Director of the course at the time, Charles Barnett, tells Uma Doraiswamy what it was like to be the man responsible for safely evacuating 70,000 people and trying to get the race back on track.(Photo: A sign instructs the public on the evacuation procedure due to the IRA bomb scare which postponed The Grand National in April 1997. Credit: Getty)
How did the musical manage to run for a record breaking 35 years? And why is it closing? As the curtain comes down on the Phantom in New York's famous Broadway theatre district, we look at what this means for the theatre industry.The Phantom of the Opera has played to more than 140 million people around the world, it’s sold 20 million tickets, and been performed in 33 countries. But whilst the global tours will keep going, this weekend the show is closing in New York.Actor Jonathan Roxmouth played the Phantom on a world tour, and tells us about the shows impact across the globe.Matt Rousu is a professor of economics and runs the website ‘Broadway Economics’ - he talks through the fine margins that shows like Phantom operate within. And Kizzy Cox reports from Broadway where she meets fans, speaks to veteran theatre critic Ben Brantley, and talks to Jan Mullen, an orchestra musician who has been with The Phantom of the Opera since it opened in 1986.Presenter/ producer: Izzy Greenfield (Image: Jonathan Roxmouth plays 'The Phantom' and Meghan Picerno plays 'Christine Daae' in The Phantom Of The Opera, 2019 in Singapore. Credit: Getty Images)
Given the submarine's importance to many of the world's navies, it's perhaps surprising to learn that for many years it was considered an inventor's folly and of little use in maritime warfare. Indeed the submarine had a difficult birth because of the technical challenges involved in putting a moving vessel underwater, challenges that could only be overcome once the technology became available.The submarine eventually proved its potential in World War I, where its ability to pass undetected ushered in a new era of ‘unrestricted warfare’. Since then, it has never looked back and today’s submarines are capable of remaining submerged for months at a time – the ultimate stealth weapon. As navies modernise, what has traditionally been an exclusively male service is now opening up to women in some countries.Rajan Datar prowls the ocean's depths to find out more about the 'silent service', along with submarine designer Professor David Andrews from the Mechanical Engineering department of University College London; historian Axel Niestlé, author of German U-boat Losses in World War II; George Malcolmson, the curator of the British Royal Navy's submarine museum; and author Eric Wertheim, editor of the US Naval Institute’s reference book Combat Fleets of the World.Image: Karelia nuclear-powered submarine, Murmansk, Russia, 2018Credit: Lev Fedoseyev/Getty Images
The Gran Chaco Forest is Latin America’s second largest ecosystem. It is a mix of hot and arid scrublands, forests and wetlands, part of the River Plata basin, so large it extends into Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. Large parts of the forests have already been cleared to make way for farms. Now a new highway being driven through it is heralding further change. The so called Bioceanic Corridor will transport the produce of cattle ranchers and soya-bean farmers in Brazil and Paraguay across to ports on the west coast. Members of some indigenous communities like the Ayoreo see it as a further threat to their way of life. The new road is being cautiously welcomed by some members of the Mennonite Community, a Christian religious group who came to the Gran Chaco 100 years ago via Prussia, Russia and Canada and bought land from the government to farm. Will the impact of the road on the indigenous and Mennonite communities - and the environment - be worth the economic benefits? Jane Chambers travels across the Gran Chaco for Assignment. Produced by Bob Howard. The Paraguay producer was Santi Carneri.
US inflation fell to 5% last month – the lowest rate since May 2021. March’s monthly consumer price index – which measures the price of a ‘basket’ of goods and services – continued its steady decline from its peak of just over 9%. It prompted US President Joe Biden to tweet that: “Inflation has come down 45% since its summer peak. Gas prices are down, and grocery prices fell last month for the first time since September 2020”. But the slowdown is not expected to sway officials at the Federal Reserve, who set interest rates. Economists are still expecting an increase. Also in the US - some ambitious new targets have been announced for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The Environmental Protection Agency wants two-thirds of all new vehicles to be electric within a decade. It's the latest step by the Biden administration to push for the mass adoption of EVs. Last year, electric vehicles made up about six percent of the American market so there's a long way to go to hit those targets. Are they realistic? And - do you fancy buying a dinosaur skeleton?...because if you do next week is your big chance. The full skeleton of a T-Rex goes to auction in Switzerland. But you'll need a minimum of around $5 million if you fancy bidding. There is, however, some concern about the whole ethics of selling off such rare fossils. Will the public ever get to see it in future - or will fossil ownership simply become another rich person's toy?(Picture: President Biden during his visit to Ireland, Courtesy Getty Images)
According to the leaked US classified documents, Washington believes UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, is too willing to accommodate Russian interests. Also: study reveals cancer's 'infinite' ability to evolve, and Prince Harry to attend King Charles' coronation without his wife, Meghan.
Beyond Belief: The Life and Mission of John Hume is a new musical drama about the Irish politician who was one of the architects of the Northern Ireland peace process. Marie-Louise Muir goes behind the scenes of the production, staged in Hume's home city of Derry, with its director, Kieran Griffiths. She follows his young company of actors rehearsing for a major production which will be streamed live globally on the 25th anniversary of the signing of the historic peace accord, the Good Friday Agreement.
The British ‘caff’ - slang for café, and home of the breakfast fry up, or ‘full english’ - is under threat. Many have closed, struggling to compete with changing tastes and the success of chains. Many of Britain’s historic caffs opened in the 1940s and 50s, run by Italian migrants. Some of these original caffs are still trading, run by second and third generation Italian families. In this programme Ruth Alexander hears stories of the famous caffs that have closed for good, and goes in search of caffs still going. She’s joined by actor Michael Simkins, who has relied on hearty caff fare during a 40 year career in the theatres of London’s West End, and meets actor and director Mark Gatiss, who is finding it increasingly hard to find a good cup of tea in the capital. Ruth visits cafes that have been operating for decades – Bar Bruno in Soho, and Dino’s Café in East London, to learn exactly what their customers love so much about the traditional British caff. Restaurant sector consultant James Hacon describes the changes seen in the hospitality industry in the last twenty years, and why caffs now face such stiff competition.If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email - thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: Ernie Fiori proprietor of Dino’s Café at New Spitalfields Market, East London, holding up his tea pot. Credit: BBC)
US inflation fell to 5% last month – the lowest rate since May 2021. March’s monthly consumer price index – which measures the price of a ‘basket’ of goods and services – continued its steady decline from its peak of just over 9%. It prompted US President Joe Biden to tweet that: “Inflation has come down 45% since its summer peak. Gas prices are down, and grocery prices fell last month for the first time since September 2020”. But the slowdown is not expected to sway officials at the Federal Reserve, who set interest rates. Economists are still expecting an increase. They became fashionable during the pandemic...so why are so-called 'blank cheque' companies now being ripped up? Also known as special purpose acquisition companies - or Spacs - they raise cash by listing on the stock market before looking for a private company to merge with. The biggest of them in Europe, Pegasus Europe, is being wound up, prompting fears that Spacs may be reaching the end of the road. And - do you fancy buying a dinosaur skeleton?...because if you do next week is your big chance. The full skeleton of a T-Rex goes to auction in Switzerland. But you'll need a minimum of around $5 million if you fancy bidding. There is, however, some concern about the whole ethics of selling off such rare fossils. Will the public ever get to see it in future - or will fossil ownership simply become another rich person's toy?
A rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles - both cars and trucks - is planned to help the US meet its pledge to reduce carbon emissions. But how practical is the proposal? We hear from Larry Burns, who used to head research programmes for General Motors. Also in the programme: Will President Biden's visits to Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic help or hinder the peace process? And soccer's billion-dollar scam.(File photo: an electric car plugged into a charging point. Credit: John Walton/PA Wire)
Media reports Tidermene Commune in north-eastern Mali's Menaka region seized by fighters from Islamic State Sahel. The development would leave the town of Menaka effectively under siege by militants at a time when the population of the municipality has soared due to insecurity following the year-long offensive by the jihadist group in both Menaka and Gao regions.The Gambia's National Human Rights Commission released its fourth annual activity report for 2022. The Gambia is recovering from its terrible human rights record under the former dictator, Yahya Jammeh, who ruled for nearly a quarter of a century. South Africa's ‘Soweto Skeleton Movers’ on how they use dance to deal with trauma. Their performance is a mixture of two dance styles - Pantsula and Skeleton.
Researchers in Zambia and Pakistan have shown that a drug which helps to stop bleeding in childbirth is safe to give by injection into a muscle - making it easier to save women’s lives where skilled help isn’t always close by. Tranexamic acid is usually given by a drip into a vein. But a new study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine compared that method with giving an injection into the thigh and administering it as a drink in a solution. They found that the injection was just as effective as the drip – which doctors say will save time and lives. We hear from one of the first people in the world to be given blood grown in a laboratory – and the scientist who made it possible. People with conditions like sickle cell anaemia could eventually benefit from this technology with lab blood tailored to their needs. Overweight people with painful arthritic joints might be told it’s due to “wear and tear”. But Dr Graham Easton explains how a new study shows that changes to cells within our joints cause inflammation – and it’s not simply a case of extra weight putting pressure on our knees and hips. Producer: Paula McGrath
President Biden is in Northern Ireland, marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. He has called for the return of power sharing government in a speech in the region's capital, Belfast.Though short, it is a significant visit. We hear from the leader of one of the main political parties about its impact.Also in the programme: The CEO of Twitter, Elon Musk, has given the BBC an exclusive interview, in which he says his tenure there so far has not been easy; and we'll hear about more details that have emerged on the bombing of a village in Myanmar causing the deaths of many civilians.(Photo shows US president Joe Biden delivering his keynote speech at Ulster University in Belfast. Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
Running Twitter has been "quite painful" and "a rollercoaster", Elon Musk has said, in a hastily arranged live interview with the BBC.The multi-billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk, said that Running Twitter has been "quite painful" and "a rollercoaster". In an exclusive interview with the BBC he also said he would sell the company if the right person came along.US inflation eased last month to its lowest level in nearly two years, but an uptick in core prices will keep pressure on the Federal Reserve to press ahead with another interest rate increase in May.And, well a pair of trainers once worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan has sold for $2.2m at auction, becoming the priciest shoes ever sold.
President Biden urged political parties in Northern Ireland to return to its power sharing assembly. Also in this podcast: Russia says video of a Ukrainian soldier apparently being beheaded is awful but needs verifying; Elon Musk tells us about the pain of running Twitter; and the volcano that's hurled smoke 20 kilometres into the sky.
Investigative reporter Simona Weinglass leads a BBC Eye investigation into a criminal network, believed to have scammed more than a billion dollars from victims across the globe. The organisation sponsored a top-tier football club to promote its online trading platform, promising investors the chance of astonishing returns. We hear from victims, undercover agents and police, in a bid to track down who is in charge.
In 1990, archaeologist Richard Wright flew half way around the world to unearth a mass grave in Sernyky, Ukraine as part of an Australian Nazi war crimes investigation. The site contained more than 500 bodies of Jewish people who had been killed in a mass execution.Richard's findings were used in the war crimes trial of Ivan Polyukhovich. He had fled to Australia after World War Two. Decades later Richard recounts his experience to Alex Collins.This programme contains destressing details. (Photo: Mass grave in Sernyky. Credit: Sydney Jewish Museum)
听众 “刺猬” 想知道 “because of、due to、owing to” 和 “for” 有何不同。这些连接词都能引出事情发生的原因。它们当中有些较为正式，有些则常用于口语交流中。在它们中，哪个词后面必须接从句？哪个词后面要接名词或代词？哪个词作连接词的用法已经不常见？听节目，学习这四个连接词的用法和区别。
The International Monetary Fund raises concerns about the sudden failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the United States, and the loss of market confidence in Credit Swiss. At its spring conference with the World Bank in Washington, the IMF warned that global financial stability risks have increased rapidly in the last few months, in part because banks generally didn't prepare adequately for interest rates increases. The IMF warns that this might impact in particular regional and smaller banks in the US.Meanwhile, in Japan where interest rates are at 2%, we look at what the Bank of Japan might do with rates in the future. The central bank has indicated that it may revise or even abandon its targeting of long-term interest rates by the end of September - if conditions are right. And – we report on a novel way of increasing productivity in Bangladesh – providing workers with free glasses to improve their eyesight.
The US President's visit comes on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement -- a peace deal which helped end 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland. Also: IMF predicts interest rates likely to fall back to pre-Covid levels, and China eagerly awaits return of panda from US zoo.
Ben Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg Nazi trials, has died aged 103. He also helped liberate the death camps of Europe when he was serving in the US military. In 2017, Zeinab Badawi travelled to Florida to interview him at his home. Did he believe the Nuremberg trials have made genocide and crimes against humanity less likely to be committed in the world today?
Bright or turbulent? Mixed views on the global economy’s prospectsThe IMF and World Bank spring conference has been hearing mixed views on the immediate prospects for the global economy. IMF Chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas reckons that ‘turbulence is building and the situation is quite fragile’. But U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen felt that the future looked reasonably bright, and cautioned against ‘overdoing the negativism’.The IMF also raises concerns about the sudden failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the United States, and the loss of market confidence in Credit Swiss. The fund warned that global financial stability risks have increased rapidly in the last few months because banks didn't prepare adequately for interest rates increases. And – we report on a novel way of increasing productivity in Bangladesh – providing workers with free glasses to improve their eyesight.
At the start of President Biden's symbolic visit to Ireland on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement, we look at the Irish connections of several US presidents with journalist Lynne Kelleher.Also in the programme: an interview with the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about global growth and interest rates. And the travails of Tupperware, the once-cult brand of airtight plastic containers. (Photo: US President Joe Biden boards Air Force One for travel to Ireland. Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
The rebel (M23) group is expected to fully withdraw from key areas in eastern DR Congo’s Nord Kivu province. Troops from the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) will take over areas surrendered by the rebels, whose resurgence in late 2021 has killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands.Scientists from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) say they have found an invasive exotic freshwater snail which is not only decimating rice paddies, it's also putting people at risk of catching a strain of meningitis. The snail is believed to have arrived in the country in 2020 from South AmericaSierra-Leonean fashion designer Sheila Winston-Martin tells us about her beautiful garments made of traditional Krio fabrics from her native Sierra Leone.
Tech Life looks into the world of Kidfluencers, and asks if too much of children's lives are shared online to make money - we speak to those involved in the industry in India. We also hear how cyber is playing a role in the war in Ukraine and we speak to Bolor Erdene Battsengel about digital life in Mongolia.
主持人菲菲本想给同事 Rob 一个惊喜，为他办一个生日聚会，但活动却没能如期举行 ，反而惹得 Rob 恼羞成怒。菲菲用表达 “go off on one” 来向 Neil 描述了 Rob 的反应。这是什么意思？生日聚会上究竟发生了什么？听节目，学习 “go off on one” 的意思和用法。
Rahul Tandon hears from experts as the International Monetary Fund says central bank financial stability actions should not take precedence over moves to calm inflation, unless a severe financial crisis occurs.It’s also released a report saying Interest rates in major economies are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels.Meanwhile as many as 93% of the countries most vulnerable to climate disasters are either in or at significant risk of debt distress - according to research by ActionAid International.Switzerland's president, Alain Berset, says the government had no choice but to order the takeover of the troubled bank, Credit Suisse by its rival UBS, so as to prevent a financial crisis.
The attack targeted an area of resistance to the military government. Survivors say armed forces dropped a bomb on a village in the region of Sagaing, before firing on those below from a helicopter. Also: The UN faces an 'appalling choice' on whether to continue operations in Afghanistan, and the first woman to row solo across the Pacific Ocean.
Leaked Pentagon files have been shared across social media in recent days. The files include military assessments of the war in Ukraine and the extent to which the US spies on its allies. We ask a former US defence official what steps the Pentagon should take now. Also in the programme: we hear from a junior doctor in England on the first of four days of industrial action for better pay; and the day President Biden arrives in Northern Ireland, we speak to a former US envoy to the province.(Photo: The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, US, 3 March, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. Credit: Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
In 1970, American architecture student Gary Anderson won a competition, to mark the first Earth Day on 22 April, to design a logo for recycled paper products.His design of three arrows in a triangle shape remains in the public domain and is now used to mean recycling around the world. He spoke to Rachel Naylor.(Photo: Rubbish for recycling on a doorstep for collection. Credit: Getty Images)
"You didn't eat all the chocolate, did you?" Learn how to use 'did you' - a question tag.
His comments were made during an interview with US broadcaster NBC. Also: A gunman kills four people in a bank shooting in Kentucky, new research suggests social inequalities could lead to water shortages, and Super Mario Bros movie breaks box office records.
The spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are beginning in Washington - the major global financial institutions - are gathering at a time of profound concern about persistent inflation, struggling countries, and the health of the banking system. It follows several failures of regional banks and uncertainty in giant finance houses like Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank There’s another twist in the story of FTX - the crypto-currency exchange that collapsed spectacularly last year in what US prosecutors say was an "epic" fraud. It's now emerged that the former bosses of FTX joked about losing tens of millions of dollars and even signed off expenses with emojis. These are just some of the findings of an initial report from the new management team at the company.And President Joe Biden arrives in Northern Ireland on Tuesday to join ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement. He will be meeting business leaders there - and that's significant because business problems with the post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland have been a big factor in the current failure to re-establish devolved government. (Picture courtesy Getty Images: The World Bank and IMF Spring meeting in Washington)
Container ships are the monsters of the seas - the very biggest are almost half a kilometre long and piled high with up to 20,000 huge boxes. At any one time, there are tens of thousands of these floating cities on the move, many unable even to dock at local ports. It’s our relentless demand for more and cheaper stuff that drives the industry. We meet the British salvage man who’s making millions from the boxes that get left behind, lost or abandoned - yet another example of how invisible the world of shipping is, even though the whole planet depends on it.Image: Jake Slinn, founder of JS Global, at Felixstowe docks
Shipping has long been one of the most opaque of global industries. Now many operations in the oil sector, which accounts for nearly a third of all seaborne trade, have become still more secretive, following the West's imposition of sanctions on Russian oil. A new "dark fleet" of ageing tankers with obscure ownership, flying flags of convenience, has been formed to avoid the sanctions - and there has been a big increase in risky ship-to-ship transfers at sea, which make it easier to disguise the oil's origin. The Laconian Gulf in southern Greece is a major hub for such transfers, and locals now fear any accident could cause major environmental damage in an area which depends on tourism and fishing. Tim Whewell witnesses the operations close-up, and talks to campaigners who believe the influence of powerful shipowners makes local authorities turn a blind eye to possible dangers. Who is responsible for policing the operations of ships in international waters? And where is the oil going? The war in Ukraine has led to a major reshuffling of trade flows, as Asia becomes an ever bigger market for Russian crude.Presenter: Tim WhewellProducer: Monica Whitlock
Bulk carriers are the ships that keep the modern world going - like the MV Raeda and the MV Olivian Confidence carrying grain from Ukraine to Turkey, and flour to Afghanistan and Yemen. Zig zagging across the oceans for months at a time, bulk carriers keep us all going even in times of war and pandemic. "If it didn’t grow in your garden," says broker Aysu Gurgan, "a bulk carrier brought it to you."Steel, sand, coal, cement - the very fabric of the modern world - all of it reaches us on bulkers. Unseen by the very populations that rely on them, each bulker is also home to international crews who spend half their lives on board.Presenter: Tim WhewellProducer: Monica Whitlock
The spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are beginning in Washington - the major global financial institutions are gathering at a time of profound concern about the problem of persistent inflation, and concern about the health of the banking system after a number of failures of regional banks and wobbles in giant finance houses like Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank.President Joe Biden arrives in the province on Tuesday to join ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement. He will be meeting business leaders there - and that's significant because business problems with the post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland have been a big factor in the current failure to re-establish devolved government.And Jorge Luis Borges was Argentina's most famous writer - his works, including The Book of Sand, The Aleph and Universal History of Infamy, and he was a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. He died in 1986 and his wife Maria Kodama became the fervent guardian of his literary estate. She was very strict over how her husband's work could be used, but she died at the end of March, and didn't leave a will. So now rights to the works of have fallen into limbo...
US President Joe Biden has dropped another hint that he will seek re-election in 2024. Mr Biden said on Monday that he "plans" on running again but added that he is "not prepared to announce it yet". Also in the programme: Two prominent Chinese activists have been handed lengthy prison sentences after campaigning for greater government transparency. The wife of one tells us that she doesn't think he'll give up hope. And why is the new Super Mario Bros Movie breaking box office records? (Photo: US President Joe Biden greets guests at the Easter Egg Roll, a tradition dating back to 1878, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, 10 April 2023. Credit: Yuri Gripas/ABACA/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Fears over the fate of 400 people stranded off the coast of Malta after they fled from Libya.Also, thousands of Ethiopians take part in huge protests in Gonder, Betchena and Gojam in Amhara to denounce plans by the Federal government to disband the Amhara special forces.And the strange case of convicted South African rapist and muderer Thabo Bester who's been extradited from Tanzania.These stories and more in this podcast presented by Bola Mosuro.
The Great Pyramids of Giza are awesome feats of engineering and precision. So who built them - and how? Was it a mysteriously super-advanced civilization now oddly extinct? Was it even aliens?Nah, course not! Rutherford and Fry investigate how these inspiring monuments were really constructed, and learn about the complex civilisation and efficient bureaucracy that made them possible.Professor Sarah Parcak busts the myth that they were built by slaves. In fact, she reveals, it was gangs of well-paid blokes fuelled by the ancient Egyptian equivalent of burgers and beer. And Dr Chris Naunton explains how it was not some mysterious tech, but incredible organisation and teamwork which made it possible to transport massive stone blocks over long distances several thousand years before trucks arrived.Dr Heba Abd El Gawad points out how racism led to bizarre assumptions in the history of archaeology, and how those assumptions linger in contemporary conspiracy theories which refuse to accept that Egyptians could have built the pyramids themselves!Contributors: Professor Sarah Parcak, University of Alabama, Dr Chris Naunton, Egyptologist and broadcaster, Dr Heba Abd El Gawad, University College London
Bytedance, a parent company with TikTok, which operates in China, has recorded 79% increase in its profits to around $25 billion dollars last year. Meanwhile China’s financial sector is reeling from a series of new corruption probes and a surge in surprise audits of venture funds. And also - why are people in India consuming more ice cream in Winter?
China concludes three days military drills amid high tension in the South China Sea; also in the programme we speak to the wife of a Chinese activist sentenced to ten years in jail; and as Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement turns twenty-five we hear from one of the peace campaigners who were involved in the negotiations.(Photo: Taiwanese naval vessels in the South China Sea. Credit: Shutterstock)
Alexander Lukashenko says his country needs security guarantees from its ally, Russia, that it would defend its territory as if it were Moscow's own. Also: China says its military drills around Taiwan have ended successfully; and making dog-walking pay - lots!
Emperor Tewodros II is one of the towering figures of modern Ethiopian history. He tried to unify and modernise Ethiopia but his reign was also marked by brutality.He faced a rising tide of rebellion inside the country and then in 1868 a British military expedition marched into the Ethiopian highlands. Its aim was to free British diplomatic envoys the Emperor had imprisoned.Tewodros II made a last stand at Magdala, his mountain top fortress.In 2016, Rob Walker spoke to historian Philip Marsden.(Picture: Tewodros II. Credit: Getty Images)
What does it take to become a world champion tree climber?Josephine Hedger is a five-time World Champion and a Six Time European Champion tree climber. She lives in the New Forest, in the South of England, and when she's not competing or training she runs her own company, Arbor Venture Tree Care.Jess Hamer is an arborist from Australia and the record holder for fastest 15 metres ascent in the Tree Climbing World Championships. She’s passionate about conservation and she uses social media to document the amazing trees she climbs and the animals she encounters - including scary looking spiders and hairy caterpillars.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Jess Hamer, courtesy Jess Hamer. (R) Josephine Hedger, courtesy Josephine Hedger.)
The long-running war has left tens of thousands dead. Also: Benjamin Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials after World War Two, has died aged 103, and the number of wild tigers in India has almost doubled over the past 20 years.
ANC spy Sue Dobson infiltrated the South African government. Then her cover was blown. After training, Sue had got a job within the government's propaganda unit, and she was feeding back good intelligence to her ANC handlers. Then she got a phone call. The security services were after her, and she was a long way from safety. Presenter: India RakusenProducer: Harry GrahamEditor: Deiniol BuxtonSound design: Joel Cox
As President Biden visits Belfast and Dublin to mark 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement, Stephen Sackur speaks to Congressman Richard Neal, an influential voice when it comes to US policy on Northern Ireland. Will US/UK relations be tied to what happens next in Northern Ireland?
Saudi Arabia has backed Yemeni government forces against the rebels during the eight-year civil war. We speak to Farea al-Muslimi, a Yemen-born research fellow at the Chatham House foreign-affairs think-tank, about the significance of the meeting. Also on the programme: a funeral is held for two murdered British-Israeli sisters; and Newshour speaks to a conservation organisation in India about the success of a project to increase the country’s tiger population. (IMAGE: The head of Houthi Supreme Council meets shakes hands with the Saudi ambassador to Yemen. CREDIT: Reuters)
Tensions rise in Jerusalem as three religious holidays converge, overnight Israel targeted Syrian military positions; Jordan warns of catastrophic consequences if Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa Mosque; and we speak to the son of Benjamin Ferencz the last surviving prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials, who died aged 103. (Photo: Israeli soldiers take up positions in Malkia on the Israel-Lebanon border. Credit: shutterstock)
Hundreds of pupils have gone to hospital, continuing the mysterious months-long phenomenon. Also: a personalised cancer jab is being developed, and a US judge suspends the approval of a widely-used abortion pill.
A Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas has ordered a hold on the longstanding approval of a widely used abortion drug, mifepristone. But an hour later an Obama-picked judge in Washington state issued a competing ruling, ordering that access to the drug be preserved in 17 states. We hear from an abortion rights group and the Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative Christian legal group which represented the plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit. Also on the programme: China conducts military exercises around Taiwan; and what are the possibilities and pitfalls of AI-generated music? (FILE PHOTO: Boxes of mifepristone. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear about the lengths one woman goes to to escape Eritrea, how Zumba was invented by accident and how a giant peace statue on a Japanese island, crumbled into a ghostly ruin.Plus the arguments then, and the arguments still over the Good Friday Peace Agreement for Northern Ireland, and a picnic for peace that breached the Iron Curtain.This programme contains descriptions of sexual violence.Contributors:Martin Plaut - Senior Research Fellow at University of LondonSemhar Ghebreslassie - Eritrean graduateBeto Perez - Choreographer and inventor of ZumbaJane Morrice - Yes campaigner in 1998 referendum on the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement Lee Reynolds - No campaigner in 1998 referendum on the Northern Ireland Good Friday AgreementYusuke Natsukawa - Local resident of Awaji IslandGoro Otsubo - IT worker who enjoys visiting weird sites around JapanWalburga Habsburg Douglas - an organiser of the Pan-European picnic(Photo: Zumba creator Beto Perez. Credit: Getty Images)
Texas judge suspends government approval of mifepristone abortion pill, but a judge in Washington ruled access to the drug must be preserved; also in the programme Chinese military drills around Taiwan and an exiled Russian journalist speaks about her imprisoned fiancé and her thoughts on her friend Evan Gershkovich arrest.(Photo: Used boxes of Mifepristone in a waste basket in an abortion clinic. Copyright: Reuters)
Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, educating girls in Afghanistan, the Finish octogenarian mastering Taekwondo, and dogs enjoying art in Greece. Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.
Chloe Abbott tells us how she fulfilled a dream by singing on The Voice and how she’d love to appear in a Broadway Show. The 400m runner also gives us her thoughts on the idea of a musical based on the life of her former training partner and legendary athlete Allyson Felix. Abbott is hoping to make the USA team for the Paris Olympics and tells us how singing helps with her athletic training.Australia’s Kaye Scott wants a rule that sees elite level amateur boxers forced into retirement once they reach 41 years of age to be scrapped or changed. The 38 year old won a silver medal at the recent World Championships in India and will be 40 when the Paris Olympics starts. She tells us she’s coming into her peak years and wants to call time on her career when she’s ready.And David Sullivan tells us how losing four friends to cardiac arrest set him on a path to make golf courses safer. Sullivan’s playing partner died of a cardiac arrest while on a golf course and he himself has saved a mans life who had suffered a cardiac arrest while playing golf. Sullivan was at Royal Dornoch this week to oversee the installation of life saving defibrillators in all golf buggies at the venue.Image: © On/Devin Christopher
Last week, we aired an interview with the boss of BBC World Service English about how and why there had been some notable alterations to the schedule, with four shows coming to an end: Digital Planet, Tech Tent, The Cultural Frontline and World Football. Now you tell us what you think of the changes.Plus, listeners ask why is the data lite version of podcasts not available? We’ll investigate.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
Burmese women have been at the forefront of the resistance against the military junta ever since Myanmar lurched back into a dictatorship in 2021. Online, female activists and politicians have been fighting for their rights, gathering intel and strategizing - hoping that one day Myanmar will return to democracy. But these women have also been on the receiving end of targeted online attacks which have leaked into the offline world. So who is behind these strategic hate campaigns and why are they doing it? BBC Trending’s Reha Kansara investigates and unearths a network of pro-junta online trolls who dox and abuse women who oppose the regime.Presenter: Reha KansaraProducers: Nyein Chan Aye and Sachin CrokerEditor: Flora Carmichael
Samsung announces cuts to microchip production as it blames reduced demand for falling profits.We ask how the industry has gone from scarcity to surplus, in a matter of months.Will Bain discusses this and all the other global business news stories with Dr Stephanie Hare, technology researcher, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins of Bloomberg News in Hong Kong.(Picture: A man visits Semicon China, a trade fair for semiconductor technology, in Shanghai, China March 17, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo)
Israeli police say a car rammed into people near the beach. Also: controversy over Nike's partnership with the US trans influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, and the FBI apologises for bursting into a hotel room - and arresting the wrong man.
Samsung blames a fall in profits on reduced demand for semiconductors and a slowing economy. Will Bain asks why have we gone from shortages to surplus.We find out how ChatGPT could be in legal hot water over a defamation lawsuit in Australia.And it's 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, what has it meant for businesses in Northern Ireland.
Samsung Electronics announced that it would make a "meaningful" cut to chip production after flagging a 96% plunge in quarterly operating profit.The chip-making giant said sales had dropped sharply due to a slow global economy and less demand after Covid.
The raids follow rocket salvos towards Israel. Also: A mother and daughter reunion in South Korea, Northern Ireland marks 25 years of peace, and new evidence that people were taking mind-altering drugs in Spain three thousand years ago.
The raids follow rocket salvos towards Israel. Also: A mother and daughter reunion in South Korea, Northern Ireland marks 25 years of peace, and new evidence that people were taking mind-altering drugs in Spain three thousand years ago.
The strikes follow clashes at al-Aqsa mosque and rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza and southern Lebanon. We get the latest news from Lebanon. Also in the programme: as the 25th anniversary of the historic Good Friday peace agreement for Northern Ireland approaches, the threat of violence hasn't completely disappeared. We speak to Sara Canning, partner of the young journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead by local militants in Derry four years ago. We'll also hear the story of a mother and daughter who fled North Korea; and learn about the hazards of Artificial Intelligence from an Australian who claims he has been defamed by a robot. (Photo: Israeli Army strikes southern Lebanon, Alqulaylah. Credit: WAEL HAMZEH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
A year ago India evacuated thousands of students, mostly studying medicine, from Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Their arrival home was greeted with great thanks and fanfare, so why have more than a thousand felt compelled to return? BBC Hindi’s Jugal Purohit has been finding out. Chicken poop power A farmer in Kenya has developed an original way of tackling the rising cost of living, using chicken droppings to make biogas which produces electricity for his farm. BBC Africa business journalist Sara Adam went to meet him.The Javanese diaspora in Suriname More than 70,000 people in Suriname, around 15% of the population, are of Javanese ancestry. In the 19th century, Dutch colonisers recruited thousands of Indonesians from Java to work on plantations in Suriname. More than a century later, the Javanese Surinamese still keep their heritage alive. Mohamad Susilo from BBC Indonesian visited Suriname to meet some of them.Reporting Lebanon's financial meltdown The Lebanese lira has been in freefall as the country experiences a financial meltdown. Prices are constantly rising and many people are struggling to survive. For Carine Torbey, the BBC correspondent in Beirut, it’s a story she has to live as well as report.Investigating the ‘pig butchering’ romance scam One of the most successful global online romance scams, known as ‘pig butchering’, is run by criminal gangs in South East Asia. World Service journalist Zhaoyin Feng worked with the BBC Eye Investigation team, travelling from Boston to Phnom Penh to meet victims and former scammers.(Photo: Indian medical students who've returned to Ukraine. Credit: BBC)
On 22 May 1998, a referendum was held in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland asking voters if they supported the Good Friday Agreement.In both, the majority of the electorate voted in favour of adopting the peace deal. Rachel Naylor speaks to Jane Morrice, from the Yes campaign, and Lee Reynolds, from the No campaign.(Photo: A poster in Belfast ahead of the referendum. Credit: Gerry Penny via Getty Images)
How has stability in Northern Ireland helped businesses? We look at the impact of the peace deal from the perspective of people within Northern Ireland, and outside, and find out how it has helped the development of manufacturing, foreign investment, tourism, and farming.We also hear from the former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, one of the architects of The Good Friday Agreement.Presented and produced by Russell Padmore.(Image: Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair (left) and then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (right). Credit: PA)
Stephen Sackur is on a farm in rural Wiltshire to speak to Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales. The agriculture industry faces huge challenges: spiralling costs, a shortage of labour, and a demand that it produces more food at less cost to the environment. Farming is being transformed, but at what cost?
Mexico has become the most dangerous country in the world to be a Catholic priest. In the past 15 years, 50 were killed in narco-related violence. And the young men who enter the priesthood in the region of western Mexico known as Tierra Caliente, meaning "hot land", are at particular risk. They will have to work in drug cartel-controlled communities, may have gang leaders or members in their congregations and will struggle with the ethical and theological dilemmas of publicly condemning these men’s actions at the risk of being murdered for speaking out. Even baptisms or delivering communion or receiving donations can prove extremely threatening: to refuse them any of the most sacred rituals of the Church is to defy the cartels. And few live to tell the tale having refused to bend to the cartels’ demands.The BBC’s Mexico Correspondent, Will Grant travels to Tierra Caliente to meet a group of seminarians. In recent years, their director was attacked and almost killed. Members of a drug cartel entered their seminary, dragged off one of their colleagues and murdered him in the surrounding countryside. And the grave to one of their instructors is nestled by the chapel. All reminders, if any were needed, that these young men are about to join the world’s most dangerous priesthood. How are they prepared? Do they appreciate just what they are letting themselves in for? And how will they tackle the thorny ethical and spiritual questions which lie ahead as priests?Come with us! Heart and Soul is moving and we would love it if you can join us. You can now find all our episodes on The Documentary, the home of original, global storytelling, from the BBC World Service. Search for The Documentary, wherever you found this podcast, and don’t forget to subscribe or follow.
The Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu earlier declared his country's enemies would pay a price for the attacks. Also: White House blames chaotic Afghan pull-out on Trump, and Star Wars production designer Norman Reynolds dies aged 89.
Head of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva describes road ahead as "rough and foggy" while predicting describes road ahead as "rough and foggy".She was speaking in Washington ahead of the IMF's annual meeting, and called for more help for low-income countries.Will Bain discusses this and other business stories from around the world with Peter Jankovskis at Arbor Financial Services in Illinois, and Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Chief Economist at Natixis in Hong Kong.(Picture: A man walks past the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, U.S., May 10, 2018. Credit: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo)
Mexico has become the most dangerous country in the world to be a Catholic priest. In the past 15 years, 50 were killed in narco-related violence. And the young men who enter the priesthood in the region of western Mexico known as Tierra Caliente, meaning "hot land", are at particular risk. They will have to work in drug cartel-controlled communities, may have gang leaders or members in their congregations, and will struggle with the ethical and theological dilemmas of publicly condemning these men’s actions at the risk of being murdered for speaking out. Even baptisms or delivering communion or receiving donations can prove extremely threatening: to refuse them any of the most sacred rituals of the Church is to defy the cartels. And few live to tell the tale, having refused to bend to the cartels’ demands.The BBC’s Mexico correspondent, Will Grant, travels to Tierra Caliente to meet a group of seminarians. In recent years, their director was attacked and almost killed. Members of a drug cartel entered their seminary, dragged off one of their colleagues and murdered him in the surrounding countryside. And the grave to one of their instructors is nestled by the chapel. All reminders, if any were needed, that these young men are about to join the world’s most dangerous priesthood. How are they prepared? Do they appreciate just what they are letting themselves in for? And how will they tackle the thorny ethical and spiritual questions which lie ahead as priests?
IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva says the next 5 years will see 3% growth, the slowest pace for more than 3 decades. Will Bain asks a former IMF official why the institution is making this warning now.We hear from India as Central Bank there holds interest rates, the 2nd economy to do so in recent days following Australia.And we gets the latest on the civil war engulfing golf, as the US Masters gets underway with 18 players from the Saudi-backed LIV taking part.
The Israeli military has accused Palestinian militant groups of firing dozens of rockets from southern Lebanon into northern Israel.It said most of the 34 rockets were intercepted but that six hit Israeli territory, causing damage to buildings.Hamas said it had no information about who fired the missiles. The attack was the biggest single barrage from Lebanon in 17 years.Also in the programme: We'll hear what French President Emmanuel Macron's message for China was on his visit to Beijing; and the international golfers who have been told they cannot play for a lucrative Saudi tour without consequences.(Photo shows Israeli security personnel checking the remains of a rocket in Shlomi, northern Israel on 6 April 2023. Credit: Fadi Amun/Reuters)
Chasing tornados in the American mid-West – scientists are trying to learn the maximum from the tornado outbreaks currently in America. Professor Karen Kosiba calls us from a radar truck studying the storms, and Professor John Allen explains the energy powering them. From the weather of today to the skies of 800 years ago... Dr Sébastien Guillet reveals how lunar observations by medieval monks are helping untangle the connection between historic eruptions and climate. Finally, we go back even further in time to the Bronze Age with Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce – to find out what drugs our ancestors were into. Image credit: Getty Images / Michael B. Thomas Producer: Roland Pease Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Authorities in Ghana say 1,000 soldiers and police officers are being deployed to a north-eastern border town after gunmen killed an immigration officer and left two others in hospital.Uganda's Director of Public Prosecutions has approved corruption charges against Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu over her role in an iron sheets scandal in the north-eastern region.Zimbabwe might implement a law criminalising the recruitment of its health personnel by other countries. Thousands of trained doctors and nurses have been streaming out of the country - actively recruited by head-hunters for better pay and working conditions.
Emmanuel Macron appealed to the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, to 'bring Russia to its senses' over the war. A Kremlin spokesperson dismissed the idea that China could mediate in the conflict. Also: Alarming new research about Antarctica's melting ice sheet, and a stolen platypus rides Australia's railway.
Since January this year, hundreds of thousands of people have walked out across France in protest of proposed changes to the national pension age. France's unions have stepped up action against the unpopular reforms. The protests have made moving around cities difficult with regular traffic jams, train and flight delays.
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to use his influence to help stop Russia's war in Ukraine. The French leader is on a state visit to China, which has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Also on the programme: Japan runs out of space to bury chickens culled amid a record outbreak of bird flu. And months on from a devastating earthquake in Turkey, we hear about what life is like now in one of the country's worst-hit cities. (Image: French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping after meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, 06 April 2023. Ng Han Guan/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The detectives recall the story Lucy Phelps gave about her missing husband and young son.
In 2001, Colombian born choreographer Beto Perez created Zumba, a fitness craze which would go on to become a global phenomenon. The aerobic workout was inspired by Latin dance moves including Merengue and Salsa, and it was all created by accident. Now classes are held in 185 countries from Indonesia to Iceland, and 15 million people take part each week according to the company. Beto Perez shares his story with Reena Stanton-Sharma.(Photo: Beto Perez by Daniel Perez Garcia-Santos. Credit: Getty Images)
How do you make a game with a conservative image more marketable, and more profitable?Chess has been played for centuries, two people facing off over chessboard, but now it’s big business online too. Business Daily’s Dougal Shaw meets the head of World Chess, Ilya Merenzon, to talk about expanding the sport, the opportunities of the digital format, and the challenge of the recent cheating scandals.Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw.(Image: Magnus Carlsen at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in January 2021. Credit: Getty Images)
Affordable housing is in widespread crisis. Many cities around the world have failed to build enough houses with good design and make living in them affordable – whether rented or bought. This effects millions, especially young people. One place which seems to have a far better record is Vienna. Rents are modest, the housing is high quality, there’s a good social mix with new estates designed with everyone in mind. So how has the City achieved this? And with pressures like a growing right to buy ethos, how sustainable all this in the face of future challenges? While the great Social Democratic tradition that Vienna’s housing embodies seems to have faded or disappeared across much of Europe, here it seems to have thrived. Is Vienna’s housing dream a one-off, or can it be a place everywhere else can learn from?Reporter: Chris BowlbyProducer: Jim Frank
Healthcare company Johnson and Johnson has offered nearly $9 billion to settle a claim from tens of thousands of people who claim its talc product caused cancer. We hear from a lawyer whose firm is representing 17,000 claimants who say they've been affected by the company's trademarked talcum powder product. The housing boom is definitely over. In Europe anyway. House prices in the EU have suffered their first quarterly fall since 2015, according to the EU statistics office this week. House-hunters in Germany and Denmark tells us of their difficulties finding a home.Police forces around the world have launched a major joint operation to dismantle one of the biggest criminal marketplaces online. Genesis Market is thought to have sold personal information, such as passwords, stolen from more than two million people in the past six years. The details have allowed fraudsters to impersonate their victims online without raising suspicions. Globally, 200 searches were carried out and 120 people were arrested.And, Sri Lanka's economic crisis is having a devastating effect on what used to be one of Asia's most successful emerging economies. It's shrunk by a fifth in the last 3 years alone. And that's having an impact on the population, hundreds of thousands of whom are simply packing up to leave the island. We speak to some of them leaving – and those left behind.(Picture courtesy Getty Images)
Kevin McCarthy is the most senior politician to meet a Taiwanese leader on US soil since 1979. Also: Genesis Market cybercrime site is shut down in global police raids, and a deadly cobra in a cockpit forces an emergency landing in South Africa.
What’s the best way to produce affordable food, that’s good for the planet, and can feed us all? Is it even possible to have all three? In this programme, Grace Livingstone visits small and large farms in England and Argentina. She hears the case made for organic farming, and asks if it’s feasible for organic farms to produce enough food to feed a country. At a larger farm, she hears about why farmers rely on fertilisers and herbicides to produce large volumes of affordable food. Is it possible to farm in a way that increases biodiversity and protects the environment, whilst also remaining competitive? And what can we do as consumers to encourage and support greener farming? (Picture: Farmers Lizzie and Rob Walrond standing by a farm gate)Presented and produced by Grace Livingstone
Police forces around the world have launched what's being called a major joint operation to dismantle one of the biggest criminal marketplaces online. Genesis Market is thought to have sold personal information stolen from more than two million people in the past six years or so. The details have allowed fraudsters to impersonate their victims online without raising suspicions. Often costing less than $1, the personal information let fraudsters log into bank and shopping accounts.Law enforcement agencies from 17 countries were involved in the raids, which began at dawn on Tuesday. The operation was led by the FBI in the US and the Dutch National Police, working alongside the NCA in the UK, the Australian Federal Police, and countries across Europe. Globally, 200 searches were carried out and 120 people were arrested.We hear from a lawyer representing thousands of tens of thousands of claimants who say they've been affected by Johnson and Johnson's trademarked talcum powder product. The claimants are considering a $9 BILLION settlement over claims that the talc-based powder caused cancer. And, Sri Lanka's economic crisis is having a devastating effect on what used to be one of Asia's most successful emerging economies. It's shrunk by a fifth in the last 3 years alone. And that's having an impact on the population, hundreds of thousands of whom are simply packing up to leave the island. We speak to some of them leaving – and those left behind.
How did a convicted rapist manage to fake his own death and escape a high security prison in South Africa?Also, Zimbabwean opposition spokeswoman found guilty for communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the government.Plus, we meet the pilot who had to deal with a real life snake on a plane in South Africa.Those stories and more in this podcast with Audrey Brown,
A global policing operation has shut down one of the world’s largest criminal marketplaces. Operation Cookie Monster saw the FBI, the Dutch Police and more than a dozen other law enforcement agencies raid Genesis Market, used to buy and sell more than 80 million passwords. We speak to the leader of the Dutch Police’s cyber crime unit.Also on the programme: The President of Poland promises to deliver more fighter jets to Ukraine as Zelensky visits Warsaw and; the South African pilot forced to make an emergency landing after finding a stowaway cobra in his cockpit.(IMAGE:File photo dated 06/08/13 of a woman using a laptop. CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
Women do 90% of the work in global healthcare but hold only a quarter of leadership roles. We hear from an American doctor who says patients are missing out on the unique perspective of women because they aren’t involved in strategic decision-making. Margaret in Nairobi has set up a WhatsApp group to help to improve the rights of community healthcare workers and Indian doctor Snigdha explains how equality can only happen if childcare and access to education for women are improved. Pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes appear to make newborn babies “biologically younger” than those born to women who have healthy pregnancies. Researchers studied data from 1800 babies from 12 different parts of the United States and found that their so-called epigenetic age was reduced by around a week if their mothers had the conditions. As students across the world ask the popular artificial intelligence programme Chat GPT to write their essays, Professor Graham Easton assesses how much impact it could have on healthcare, from breast cancer screening to medical record keeping. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath Image Credit: Getty Images/ SDI Productions
Three leading grain exporters have announced they will no longer handle Russian grain exports. From July, the companies will only charter cargo ships for agricultural shipments from Russia.The move has stoked fresh concerns about global food security and increasing prices.
Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers clash at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Also in the programme: the Ukrainian grain glut that is affecting Poland’s farmers; and the exhibition featuring work by a jailed Russian anti-war artist. (Photo: Israeli policemen detain a Palestinian man in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Credit: Reuters)
The French president made his comments during a visit to Beijing. Also: Ukraine's president visits Poland, and Rupert Murdoch calls off his engagement.
一位听众来信询问：在 “中国长城” 的英文名称 “The Great Wall of China” 中，为什么名词 “wall” 用单数，而在 “castle walls（城堡围墙）” 中却使用复数 “walls”？本期 “你问我答” 节目将回答这个问题，并讲解什么是名词单复数以及它们的使用方法。
Find out about the Liberica bean, a species of coffee plant growers are hoping will make their crops sustainable as climate change alters growing conditions. We speak to farmers struggling to grow the most popular coffee plants and taste test a Liberica brew. Presenter / producer: Laura Heighton-GinnsImage: Martin Kinyua; Credit: Martin Kinyua
The former US president addresses his supporters after pleading not guilty to all 34 criminal charges brought against him. In this special update, we report from Florida, New York and the traditional Republican stronghold of Arizona.
The former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges. It’s the latest legal battle he faces. Will it put a strain on Trump’s $2.5 billion business empire?Trump denied the charges during an hour-long court hearing in New York. He stands accused of falsifying records to conceal crimes. The charges focus on hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.Donald Trump faces other investigations away from the criminal courts, piling pressure on the former Republican President as he prepares to stand again in the next election in 2024 as well as leading a huge business, running golf clubs, hotels and a property portfolio.And – Is the party is over for many of the world’s richest people. Forbes billionaires list has just come out and shows that half of billionaires on the list lost their wealth and got kicked off the list. For the second straight year, both the number of billionaires around the globe has declined, and total billionaire wealth has dropped too –down by $500 billion to $12.2 trillion.
The former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges. It’s the latest legal battle he faces. Will it put a strain on Trump’s $2.5 billion business empire?Trump denied the charges during an hour-long court hearing in New York. He stands accused of falsifying records to conceal crimes. The charges focus on hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.Donald Trump faces other investigations away from the criminal courts, piling pressure on the former Republican President as he prepares to stand again in the next election in 2024 as well as leading a huge business, running golf clubs, hotels and a property portfolio.And – what makes a great company? We take a look at a new list of the top 100 companies to work for….
Manhattan prosecutors unveil details of the 34 criminal felonies the former US President is charged with. We report from the scene and speak to Marc Lotter, one of Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign chiefs and former Federal Prosecutor Duncan Levin. Also on the programme: Finland joins NATO, doubling the length of the bloc’s border with Russia. We ask if the accession of the traditionally neutral country worsen tensions with Russia; and one half of Daft Punk’s surprising foray into ballet and classical music. (IMAGE: Trump sits in the courtroom for his arraignment in New York Criminal Court CREDIT: SETH WENIG/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
It's the first time a current or former US president has been arrested and appeared in a criminal court as a defendant. Also: Finland joins NATO, and the chairman of Credit Suisse apologises to shareholders.
Kenya is preparing to launch its first-ever Earth observation satellite in what is being described as a landmark achievement in the country’s space exploration efforts.The latest on the plight of refugees and civilians affected by fighting in North Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.More people today face danger from mines and unexploded devices compared to two years ago. What are the areas facing the biggest danger and what kinds of mines or devices pose the problems?South African rapper, Nasty C, speaks to us about his career and how the ongoing load-shedding situation in the country inspired his latest hit “Blackout”
Martha Lane Fox reflects on her thirty years in tech, including her front row seat in Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, how she remains one of very few high profile women in the industry, and why we need to make sure the whole world shapes the debate on AI. Chenai Chair, from the Mozilla Foundation, joins us from Zimbabwe to explain the work they're doing to make sure minority languages are included in digital services. India business correspondent Nikhil Inamdar tells us about his experience seeing an app which is helping people in poor areas claim vital welfare payments. And Spencer Kelly, from our sister programme, Click, tells us what he found out about the future of food in his trip to the markets and laboratories of Singapore.((PHOTO: Martha Lane Fox and Shiona McCallum, in London. BBC pic))
Nato’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said it was a historic day. Finland applied to join the alliance in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Also: New York braces for Donald Trump’s court appearance, and a new era for the electronic band Daft Punk.
Furious investors have criticised Credit Suisse chairman Alex Lehmann, at the bank’s final shareholder meeting.Mr Lehmann apologised to the audience and explained why he thought the bank had failed.
Trump is under investigation over hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. We speak to the BBC's James Reynolds live outside the court and Jim Trusty, a member of Trump’s legal team. Also on the programme: Finland joins Nato; and Newshour speaks to a member of Daft Punk who has turned to writing music for ballet. (Image: A Trump supporter carries a sign outside a New York court CREDIT: EPA)
The Khoi and San people, who discovered rooibos tea, have only recently started receiving a share of the industry's multimillion-pound profits. They tell us about their fight to get the money they're owed and we hear from the rooibos farmers who are now having to pay out. We also find out what this deal could mean for other indigenous groups in a similar situation. Presenter: Mohammed AllieProducer: Jo CritcherImage: Princess Chantal Revell from the National Khoi and San Council, drinking rooibos tea; Credit: Princess Chantal Revell
Shipping has long been one of the most opaque of global industries. Now many operations in the oil sector, which accounts for nearly a third of all seaborne trade, have become still more secretive, following the West's imposition of sanctions on Russian oil. A new "dark fleet" of ageing tankers with obscure ownership, flying flags of convenience, has been formed to avoid the sanctions - and there has been a big increase in risky ship-to-ship transfers at sea, which make it easier to disguise the oil's origin. The Laconian Gulf in southern Greece is a major hub for such transfers, and locals now fear any accident could cause major environmental damage in an area which depends on tourism and fishing. Tim Whewell witnesses the operations close-up - and talks to campaigners who believe the influence of powerful shipowners makes local authorities turn a blind eye to possible dangers. Who is responsible for policing the operations of ships in international waters? And where is the oil going? The war in Ukraine has led to a major reshuffling of trade flows, as Asia becomes an ever more more bigger market for Russian crude.Presenter: Tim WhewellProducer: Monica Whitlock (Photo: The vessel Merope anchored in the bay of Ceuta after having carried out oil transfer operations in international waters off the coast of Ceuta, 14 March, 2023. Credit: Antonio Sempere/Europa Press/Getty Images)
Oil prices have surged after several of the world’s largest exporters announced a cut in production. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and several Gulf states announced they were cutting output by more than a million barrels of oil a day. Also, Russia said it will extend its cut of half a million barrels per day until the end of the year. The price of Brent has risen by almost 6% as a result to around $85 a barrel. The cutback in production caught the rest of the world by surprise – not least in the US, which had been calling for an increase. Today oil producers in the US have been giving their reaction. The French President, Emmanuel Macron is on his way to Beijing, aiming to build bridges between his country and China, just as the world's second-largest economy gets closer to Russia. Also heading there is the European Commission President, Ursula Von Der Leyen. Both she and President Macron will be meeting with President Xi on Wednesday. But while Macron seemingly wants to improve diplomatic relations, Von Der Leyen has been taking a spikier approach of late.The cost of living crisis may be blighting livelihoods, indeed national economies all round the world, but there's at least one business that does seem to be booming at the moment. Weddings. Post pandemic the number of weddings is surging, a 60% increase compared to 2020 in the US, it's thought and by some estimates the global industry could quadruple over the next decade.
The former US President returns to his hometown to face charges over hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. On Tuesday he will become the first former president to be criminally indicted. We speak to the BBC’s James Reynolds live from Trump Tower and New York Times investigative journalist Susanne Craig.Also on the programme: NASA announces the four astronauts set to head to the moon for the first time since 1972 and; Newshour speaks to the inventor of the first mobile phone. (IMAGE: Donald Trump’s plane at Palm Beach International Airport CREDIT: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
Donald Trump is the first former US president in history to face a criminal case. He denies any wrongdoing. Also: Finland to join Nato military alliance on Tuesday, and Nasa names its Artemis-2 crew destined for the Moon.
Oil prices have surged after several of the world’s largest exporters announced a cut in production. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and several Gulf states announced they were cutting output by more than a million barrels of oil a day. Also, Russia said it will extend its cut of half a million barrels per day until the end of the year. The price of Brent has risen by almost 6% as a result to around $85 a barrel. The cutback in production caught the rest of the world by surprise – not least in the US, which had been calling for an increase. Today oil producers in the US have been giving their reaction. Also – we look at 50 years of the barcode…technology which transformed the global supply chain.
In Nigeria, an unspecified number of people have been killed and hundreds of houses burnt down in the Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi state. The attack on Sunday has heightened security concerns in the state which has witnessed similar incidents in the past. In Kenya, protests which have been ongoing in the country have been called off. They were due to continue today, but Opposition leader Raila Odinga called them off after being approached by President William Ruto.Sierra Leone general elections are just over two months away and the political barometre is heating up. In the latest flare up, the motorcade of the presidential hopeful for the main opposition APC had a bruising encounter with the police on a main highway leading to Freetown.A Kenyan startup - Kubik - has been awarded Startup of the Year in a global competition which spans 120 countries. They remove plastic from the environment and use that to create building materials for housing.
The poet Nikita Gill has written several volumes of poetry, and enjoys engaging poetically with her audience using social media. Her work often explores Greek myths, and her latest project is a series of four books, each one focusing on a single goddess. For this episode of In the Studio, we join her as she starts with Hekate, often called the goddess of witchcraft, and about whom little is known, other than that she was brought up in the underworld by Styx. Nikita describes Hekate as a dark anti-feminine goddess and a protest against what is expected of women, which is what appealed to her. But how do you go about creating a life for someone who is so mysterious? And as Nikita will also be illustrating her work, how will she decide how to visually portray her? Follow Nikita across several months as she works towards completing her first draft of this exciting new work.Presented and produced by Rebecca Armstrong for the BBC World Service
Russian investigators have detained a woman in the hunt for the killers of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a blast at a St Petersburg cafe. Also on the programme, a Newshour special broadcast from Ohio; and, Yunupingu, one of the most prominent and influential indigenous leaders of the past half century in Australia, has died. (Photo: Darya Trepova, suspected of bringing explosives to the cafe where war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion, speaks on camera during her arrest in Saint-Petersburg. 03/04/2023 Reuters)
Oil prices have surged after Saudi Arabia, Iraq and several Gulf states said on Sunday they were cutting output by more than one million barrels of oil a day. In addition, Russia said it will extend its cut of half a million barrels per day until the end of the year. Now markets are raising concerns about petrol prices which is again demonstrating the dependence of the global economy from the oil industry.
Investigators have detained 26-year-old Darya Trepova in connection with the bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky in St Petersburg on Sunday. Also: the survivors of an English suicide bombing launch landmark legal action against the conspiracy theorist who claimed it was faked, and we hear from the man who made the first mobile phone call 50 years ago.
In 2002, the Eritrean government extended its programme of compulsory national service to make it open-ended. Instead of serving 18 months as the government had originally decreed, most students finishing secondary school would be conscripted and forced to remain in government service indefinitely - either serving in the army or in civilian jobs. The Eritrean government said conscription was necessary because the recently ended war with neighbouring Ethiopia could break out again. But the prospect of working for the state for an indefinite period, without a proper salary, prompted many young Eritreans to begin trying to escape to neighbouring countries and to Europe. Over the past 20 years hundreds of thousands have left. It’s an exodus that continues to this day. Rob Walker speaks to Semhar Ghebreslassie who began her national service working as a teacher in 2008. This programme contains descriptions of sexual violence. (Picture: Eritrean migrants. Credit: Getty Images)
The barcode has become an essential part of the modern world. There are 10 billion barcode scans every day and they are used on products in every country.It started as a few lines drawn in the Florida sand and today it turns 50. It changed the way we shop and trade, without them global supply chains could not function.Presenter / producer: Sam Fenwick Image: Barcode; Credit: Getty Images
Stephen Sackur speaks to the renowned lawyer and author Geoffrey Robertson KC, who has long experience as an international human rights defender and a war crimes trial judge. Is the fact that President Vladimir Putin faces war crimes charges while still sitting in the Kremlin a sign of how far we’ve come, or how far we have to go when it comes to global justice?
Women playing, watching and reporting on sport is increasingly common. Yet sports journalism is an area still dominated by men, especially in written media. The women cover sports are subject to greater criticism and abuse than male counterparts. Beatriz de la Pava talks to sports journalists from India and Northern Ireland about the love of their careers.Orla Chennaoui is a sports presenter from Northern Ireland. She works for Eurosport covering MotoGP and the Olympics. Growing up she was a national level track and field athlete. She was a news journalist and broadcaster before a job as Sky’s London 2012 correspondent reawakened her passion for sport. One of India's most respected sports journalists, Sharda Ugra has been writing about cricket and other sport in India over 30 years. She got her first job as a sports writer at the Indian newspaper Midday after she and friends interviewed the cricket legend Imran Khan. She went on to be a senior editor at the sports channel ESPN in India and the CricInfo website. She’s now freelance and has written several books on cricket.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Orla Chennaoui, courtesy Eurosport. (R) Sharda Ugra, courtesy Sharda Ugra.)
Russia's Interior Ministry says Vladlen Tatarsky died and several others were injured. Also: The veteran leader of the Balkan state of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, has been defeated in a presidential election, and Parisians have voted to end on-street rentals of e-scooters.
Sue Dobson was a white South African who risked her life as an ANC secret agentSue was a student when she was first recruited as a spy for the African National Congress liberation movement in the 1980s, and she knew that if she was caught she'd face prison, torture or death. Sue's mission would require her to infiltrate the pro-apartheid media establishment, but first she needed to learn spycraft and weapons handling. Her training would take place in Soviet Russia. Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: Harry GrahamEditor: Deiniol BuxtonSound design: Joel Cox
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has called off mass anti-government protests following a televised appeal from President William Ruto. Demonstrations earlier this week had turned violent, and many feared a repeat of the inter-ethnic fighting of 2007 and 2008. We speak to Mr Odinga. Also on the programme: an explosion in a St Petersburg café kills one of Russia’s most prominent military bloggers; and the grandfather of electronic pop, Ryuichi Sakamoto, has died at the age of 71.(IMAGE: A supporter of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga runs in front of a water cannon. CREDIT: REUTERS/John Muchucha)
President Volodymyr Zelensky has marked the anniversary of the retreat of Russian forces from Kyiv with a statement claiming Ukrainian troops had defeated the greatest force of evil of our time.We will be speaking to the leader of a delegation from South Africa's governing ANC visiting Moscow. Why do they find it so hard to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine?Also, should Paris ban electric scooters?(Photo: Ukraine war: Russian strike on eastern city Kostyantynivka 'kills six' -- ruined apartment blocks in Kostyantynivka. Credit: @ANDRIYYERMAK/TWITTER)
Tens of thousands protest despite postponement of controversial reforms. Also: A leading Ukrainian Orthodox cleric has appeared in court on suspicion of supporting the Russian invasion, and why the role-playing game dungeons and dragons could be a good form of therapy.
The abbot of a major monastery in Kyiv, Metropolitan Pavel Lebed, is suspected of backing Russian invasion and inciting religious hatred. We hear the latest from the Ukrainian capital. Also in the programme: a look at the US ambitions of Bytedance, the company behind the controversial, Chinese-owned video-sharing app Tiktok; and the decline of a seasonal tradition, the April Fool.(Photo: Metropolitan Pavlo of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, accused of being linked to Moscow, receives an accusation letter from members of the State Security Service in Kyiv. Credit: Press Service of the State Security Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS)
Presenter Harriett Gilbert and readers around the world talk to acclaimed American author Paul Theroux about his bestselling travel book Deep South. After fifty years crossing the globe, seeking adventure and stories to tell about places far from home, Theroux travels deep into the heart of his native country and discovers a land as profoundly foreign as anything he has previously experienced abroad. He finds in the deep south a place of contradiction, full of unforgettable characters, landscapes, music, and sense of community, but also some of the nation’s worst schools, housing, and unemployment rates. On four road trips across four seasons, wending along rural highways, Theroux visits small-town churches and gun shows, meets mayors and social workers, writers and reverends. The spectre of racism and the history slavery is never far away, but more often than not Theroux is met with the warmest of welcomes and a willingness to engage in deep and wide-ranging conversations.(Picture: Paul Theroux. Photo credit: Steve McCurry.)
Severe weather in the United States has killed at least seven people and caused devastation across several states. Tornadoes killed three people in the state of Arkansas and injured more than twenty others. Further north, another three people died when a storm destroyed many homes in Indiana. In neighbouring Illinois, one person was killed when a theatre roof collapsed in the town of Belvidere.Also on the programme: The authorities in Iran have promised to enforce rigorously the wearing of headscarves following months of protests. With a growing number of women going unveiled in public, MPs have given them days to act.And we look at the fantasy role-play game Dungeons and Dragons - as a form of therapy.(Photo: Tornado damage in Arkansas. Credit: Reuters)
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear about Vietnam's manicure godfather, how Bengaluru became India's Silicon Valley and how the first ever photograph from a mobile phone was sent.Plus, the popularity of theoretical physicist Prof Stephen Hawking's book, A Brief History of Time, and the windmill that revolutionised wind power.Contributors:Tuong Vu - Professor of Political Science at the University of Oregon. Kien Nguyen - Wife of Minh Nguyen.Narayana Murthy - Founder of Infosys.Philippe Kahn - Software engineer and owner of world's first mobile phone photo.Peter Guzzardi - Publisher and editor.Britta Jensen - Teacher. (Photo: Minh and Kien Nguyen outside beauty school in California. Credit: Kien Nguyen)
Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how an amateur digger in Australia hit the jackpot, the boy who spent three years camping out for charity, and could the secret to happiness lie in our sweat? Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.
It’s the first weekend of the new baseball season, and despite having some of the most recognisable names in world sport playing the game, baseball has suffered a dip in popularity in recent years. Some suggest it's become too slow, even a bit dull. The MLB, the governing body, have introduced new rules this season to speed up the game, but could they take a few notes from the creator of the hugely successful and fast moving Banana Ball? Jesse Cole, is the creator and owner of the Savannah Bananas and explained to Sportshour's Katie Smith how it works, why it's so successful, and why he was wearing a bright yellow tuxedo for the interview!?The Power of Ping Pong: French born Cameroon Olympic table tennis player Sarah Hanffou tells us about the work and remarkable results of her foundation ‘Ping Sans Frontireres’. The foundation uses the sport to create opportunities for communities all over the world to improve local economies and improve daily life. Sarah is also a passionate environmentalist and has made Ping Sans Frontireres a beacon of what can be achieved in sport and business whilst being ecologically friendly. A lawyer by profession she's tells us about her Paris 2024 Olympic dreams and how the her life changing work off the table is only just beginning.Running in a Man’s world: Lauren Fleshman had a long successful athletics career, winning the 5,000m at the USA championships, twice. Drawing on her lifetime of experience Lauren has just published her memoir 'Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World'. Lauren has been telling us about just how challenging it can be to be a woman running in a man's world, what's improved in recent years and what still need to be done.Photo: Savannah Banana Malachi Mitchell flips in the air as the team cheers before the start of a banana ball game (CREDIT: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
It’s illegal in around 30 countries in Africa to be in a same-sex relationship and recently there’s been political debate in places such as Uganda and Ghana around stricter laws. We’ve also reported on the BBC in the past few months about violence against LGBT people in Kenya and Egypt, for example. The proposed new law in Uganda is awaiting the president’s assent, and if approved, it may see people who identify as gay, lesbian or queer imprisoned for life. We’ve spent the past few weeks making contact with some of those who are affected.
Since the world’s richest man bought Twitter last year, more than half the workforce has been sacked and scores of users previously banned for breaking Twitter’s rules were reinstated. Marianna Spring investigates how Elon Musk is transforming one of the world’s most influential social media platforms. She speaks to former insiders and examines evidence that suggests trolling and hate are thriving under the new owner.This is the first episode in BBC Trending's new series 'Trolled'.
Under the new US guidance carmakers are able to partake in a subsidy for electric vehicle purchases if it meets a threshold set by the US government for sourcing and processing components. Did Google use its dominant position with online adverts at the expense of publishers' revenue? As that is the case being brought against the tech giant and it's for over $4 billion. We get the latest from a technology reporter in the US. Going to college is an expensive business - especially in the US. A recent poll found that over half of Americans don’t think a college degree is worth the cost. We hear from an NYU graduate who is currently applying for grad school.(Picture: Woman plugging the charging cable into her electric car: Getty Images.)
Mass casualty event declared with hundreds reported injured. Also: Two thousand Ugandan troops have moved into the Democratic Republic of Congo to take up peacekeeping duty in the eastern part of the country, and Lolita the killer whale set for freedom after more than 50 years in captivity.
Under the new US guidance other carmakers would be able to partake in a subsidy for electric vehicles purchases if it meets a threshold set by the government for sourcing and processing components. The board of the International Monetary Fund has approved a four year package of loans for Ukraine, worth $15 billion. The IMF said the money would help ensure Ukraine's financial stability. Going to college is an expensive business - especially in the US. A recent poll found a majority of Americans don’t think a college degree is worth the cost - 56% of Americans think earning a four-year degree is a bad bet compared with 42% who retain faith in the credential. We hear from an NYU graduate.
His legal team say he's 'angry but not worried' about the case. An agreement has reportedly been reached for Mr Trump not to be handcuffed when he gives himself up next week. Also on the programme: President Zelensky and several European leaders have attended ceremonies marking the first anniversary of the liberation of Bucha, one of the towns most closely associated with Russian atrocities during the war in Ukraine. And the editor in chief of the Wall Street Journal updates us on the situation of the journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia on espionage charges. (Picture: US Newspapers Credit: Reuters)
A police officer who was injured during the protests in Western Kenya has died. Mr Odinga has warned of what he described as the ‘mother of all protests’ next Monday. Mr Odinga is also alleging that there has been an attempt to assassinate him. What happens when people and wild animals compete for land and water? It is a big political issue in countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe, Gabon and beyond.It is now a little over two weeks since Malawi experienced devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy. Search and rescue efforts continue - even though the possibility of finding survivors is dwindling. Life in the more than 500 camps for displaced people is difficult. Everyone is on guard - fearing an outbreak of waterborne diseases.A new study shows that medieval Swahili people had African and Asian ancestry, and that the civilization incorporated Persian and Indian culture. We explore why this matters.
Following similar moves by the US and the Netherlands, Japan announces measures that could restrict the supply of semiconductors to China. Rahul Tandon finds out why the country is taking these steps now.As the IPL gets underway we take a look at how the broadcast deal for the world's richest cricket competition compares to other sports.And, are you one of the billions of Candy Crush players? We hear from the boss of the company behind the game on a potential takeover from Microsoft.
His lawyer says he is upset and angry, but not worried. Also: we hear from Bucha one year after its liberation from Russian occupation, and do plants talk back to us?
A legal panel known as a grand jury has charged Donald Trump, making him the first US president to be indicted. The charge is believed to be connected to a payment to a porn actress for keeping quiet about an alleged affair. Also on the programme, President Zelensky has promised to punish every perpetrator of war crimes committed by Russian troops in Bucha, on the first anniversary of the town being retaken; and, a Bollywood movie angers Norwegians.(Photo: Former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Waco, Texas 25/03/2023 Reuters)
BBC Arabic’s recent film ‘Blind Faith’ exposes the clinics offering bogus, and potentially dangerous, treatments to people living with an incurable eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, or RP. The reporter is Ramadan Younes, who's based in Egypt. He also has RP and is visually impaired, and underwent one of these treatments himself. Vietnamese embassy protests in Poland Poland's Vietnamese community has been protesting outside the Vietnamese embassy in Warsaw, and demanding the resignation of the ambassador, over allegations of overcharging and illegal fees for visas and passports. BBC Vietnamese editor Giang Nguyen has been following the story.South Koreans committing to singledom BBC Korean journalist Yuna Ku has been investigating the growing number of Koreans committing to remaining single, some even staging 'non-marriage' ceremonies. She explores how the workplace, and society, are responding. (Photo: BBC Arabic's Ramadan Younes. Credit: BBC)
A Brief History of Time, the best-selling book written by the renowned theoretical physicist Prof Stephen Hawking, was published in March 1988.In this programme first broadcast in 2018, Louise Hidalgo talks about physics, existence and the universe that made the book so popular. The editor who published it, Peter Guzzardi, is her guest. (Picture: Prof Stephen Hawking. Credit: Getty Images)
Sarah Montague speaks to David Beasley, the outgoing head of the World Food Programme. During his tenure, the agency’s budget has more than doubled but the number of those close to famine is growing and conflict is disrupting food supply. How can the world’s most hungry be fed?(Photo: David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme appears via videolink on Hardtalk)
As India is poised to overtake China as the world's most populous country, we put questions from World Service listeners to the author of 8 Billion and Counting. Dr Jennifer Sciubba explains how the number of humans is growing in some countries, declining in others, how people are moving around the world and why that matters when it comes to money and work. She also discusses the issue of fertility and birth-rate, and it's close links to factors such as government support and childcare.Presenter: Devina GuptaProducers: Helen Thomas and Carmel O'Grady(Image: A mother and child. Credit: Getty Images)
Gwen was brought up as a strict evangelical Christian. She was taught that women needed to control the way they dressed and acted to control the behaviour of men. When she was sexually abused, she believed it was her fault. But when she first stepped into a nudist community, she felt free. She was naked, with other naked people, and her nakedness was not making other people molest her. She learnt that her body was not something she had to hide. The BBC’s Josie Le Vay visits Gwen at her home in a nudist community in Florida, USA, as she reconciles with the harm purity culture has caused herself, and those she taught it to. We meet Gwen’s neighbour, Michael, a retired chaplain and pastor, who runs nude bible reading sessions from his home and attends the nearby Garden of Eden church, which celebrates the ‘joy and innocence of Christian naturism’. And we hear how those who practise many of the evangelical teachings Gwen grew up with respond to her new nudist lifestyle; and her Christian friends who believe the Bible justifies their way of life.Producer: Michael GallagherPresenter: Josie Le VayEditor: Helen GradyProduction co-ordinator: Mica NepomucenoCome with us! Heart and Soul is moving and we would love it if you can join us. You can now find all our episodes on The Documentary, the home of original, global storytelling, from the BBC World Service. Search for The Documentary, wherever you found this podcast, and don’t forget to subscribe or follow.
Gwen was brought up as a strict evangelical Christian. She was taught that women needed to control the way they dressed and acted to control the behaviour of men. When she was sexually abused, she believed it was her fault. But when she first stepped into a nudist community, she felt free. She was naked, with other naked people, and her nakedness was not making other people molest her. She learnt that her body was not something she had to hide. The BBC’s Josie Le Vay visits Gwen at her home in a nudist community in Florida, USA.
A New York grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump on charges involving payments made to a porn star during the 2016 presidential campaign. He is being investigated over a $130,000 pay-out to Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair.Former Chief Executive Howard Schultz has been up in front of the US Congress defending claims made that they illegally fired pro-union baristas or spied on workers as hundreds of US stores organized unions starting in late 2021. We hear from a Starbucks worker on what the company claims really happened.Spices are on the rise, and some are saying this is due to increasing health concerns, the effect of the pandemic forcing more people to cook at home, and even social media fads. We hear more from a farmer in California. (Picture: Former President Donald Trump at NCAA Wrestling Championships. Credit: Reuters.)
He is the first former US president to face criminal charges, over alleged hush money paid to a porn star. Finland will become the thirty-first member state of NATO, after the Turkish parliament voted to back its application to join the alliance, and the lengths being gone to to get 2 Chinese pandas in a Danish zoo to mate.
Banks with between $100 billion and $250 billion in assets are going to need to hold more liquid assets, increase their capital, submit to regular stress tests and write "living wills" according to President Joe Biden's latest plans to keep US banks afloat. We take a look at one of the world’s fastest ageing countries – Japan. Less than 800,000 births were reported in the country last year which has prompted the government to plan more incentives for family planning for young couples. Also we hear from an attorney in Orlando as Disney have managed to sidestep Florida's governors board plans with a clause that involves King Charles III.
Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, reflects on a year of war, including the “difficult and complicated situation” in Bakhmut, nuclear threat from Russia, and “very regrettable” situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant.Also on the programme, Brazil’s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, has returned from his self-imposed exile in the United States. We speak to his former Health Secretary. And a novel approach to getting pandas to mate in captivity.(Photo: Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, speaking during an interview in Kyiv, February 7, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Anna Voitenko)
In this week's programme we'll be looking at a gene editing breakthrough – a new technique to correct genetic errors in sick patients. Roland speaks to Professor David Liu to learn about the base editing technology.Also, we look into the complex causes of last year's post-pandemic spike in child hepatitis. Professor Judy Breuer and her colleagues may have found an explanation behind the unexpected outbreak.And the James Webb Space Telescope continues to seek out the secrets of our universe. Professor Beth Biller and Dr Elsa Ducrot have the details on the atmospheres of two very distant, and very different, exoplanets.Plus how to get sober – for mice. Professor Steven Kliewer explains how certain mammals have evolved to deal with the intoxicating effects of ethanol. Image credit: Charles Hewitt/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesProducer: Roland Pease Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja warns the anti-government demonstrations called by opposition leader Raila Odinga could see Kenya “sliding into a precipice.” He says the protests are costing lives and livelihoods. Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, has been found guilty of libel and handed a two-month suspended jail sentence. What will that mean for his presidential ambition? And a political party in Lesotho wants South Africa to return land that was grabbed before Independence.
The 4 bank executives the Zurich branch of Gazprombank were found guilty allowing a friend of Vladimir Putin to deposit huge sums in Swiss banks. Rahul Tandon asks if the Swiss Government could have done more to prevent it happening.We get the latest as the International Court of Justice rules on a claim from Iran that Washington illegally allowed courts to freeze assets of Iranian companies.And we find out how much tax Premier League football clubs may have avoided paying.
The US newspaper, Wall Street Journal, has expressed deep concern for the safety of one of its reporters who's been arrested for spying in Russia. Also on the programme, a new report by the South Korean government says North Korea is using public executions to instil fear into its people; and, a simple blood test could prevent unnecessary chemotherapy treatment for thousands of bowel cancer patients every year.(Photo: Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich leaves a court building in Moscow 30/03/2023 Reuters)
The controversial far right former president returns after his self-imposed exile. Also; concerns after a Wall Street Journal reporter is arrested in Russia, King Charles becomes the first British monarch to address the German parliament, and why moths are crucial in pollinating plants.
It has been 30 years since Champions League winners Marseille were relegated from the French top division for bribery and match fixing.The champions were accused of offering bribes to players from fellow French side, Valenciennes.Jean Marie Veniel was the referee who first blew the whistle on the scandal. He has been sharing his memories with Matt Pintus. (Picture: Marseille celebrate after winning 1993 Champions League. Credit: Getty Images)
Japan is the world’s fastest ageing country, nearly 30% of Japan’s population is already over 65. Devina Gupta looks into what the ever decreasing workforce means for businesses in Japan. Many companies are pouring resources into developing advanced robots and artificial intelligence to do human work. Mikio Okumura- president of one of Japan’s largest insurance companies - Sompo Holdings, tells us his company has recently started using AI to analyse complex data to predict the health risks of individuals.Many small and medium businesses owners nearing retirement age are also struggling to find successors. Japan’s trade ministry has warned that by 2025 over half a million profitable businesses could close, costing the economy $165 billion. Tsuneo Watanabe, a director of Nihon M&A Center, a company that specializes in finding buyers for such enterprises tells us how they're trying to solve the problem.Producer / presenter: Devina GuptaImage: Senior citizens advertising in Tokyo; Credit: Getty Images
How has Finland survived so long as an independent European country, up close to Russia, its aggressive neighbour? Over the decades it’s learnt to live with both the Soviet Union and then post-communist Russia next door and to benefit from the cross-border trade it offered. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed attitudes in Finland, seen most clearly in its decision to join Nato. In this edition of Assignment, we report from the border towns of Lappeenranta and Imatra – which have gained economically from Russians crossing into Finland as tourists, for trade, to buy property and simply to go shopping. Now Russian tourist visas have been banned by the Finnish Government and the local mayor says the region is losing a million euros every day. The country’s army has male conscription, defence spending is at NATO levels and Finland’s cities have underground shelters to protect its population.Caroline Bayley looks at Finland’s relationship with Russia – past and present – and asks what’s next for these uneasy neighbours. Producer/presenter Caroline BayleyEditor Penny MurphyStudio Engineer Rod FarquharProduction co-ordinator Helena Warwick-Cross(Photo: Almost deserted border post on Finland’s border with Russia. Credit: Caroline Bayley)
Tsai Ing-wen left Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon for a 10-day trip to visit Central American allies, Belize and Guatemala. The trip includes two stopovers, in New York on the way in, and Los Angeles on the way out. Tsai is expected to meet with the speaker, Kevin McCarthy in California, but is facing intimidation from the Chinese government.(Picture: Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan, poses for a picture. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Low-lying Vanuatu has pushed for a legal opinion that could be cited in climate court cases. Also: Pope Francis has been taken to hospital with a respiratory infection, and Shaun the Sheep gets a hero's welcome following his trip around the moon.
Dark kitchens are the multi-block commercial units allowing virtual brands and events companies to prepare and deliver food. They’ve got a mysterious reputation, sometimes also called ghost kitchens, so The Food Chain wanted to see how they have expanded since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this episode, presenter Rick Kelsey speaks to chefs who buy a place in them, and to the owners who build them. Gini and Eccie Newton run Karma Kitchen, one of the fastest growing dark kitchens in Europe. They describe how much it costs to move in, how the model has changed, and respond to the restrictions put in by local governments on the kitchens in Barcelona, France and the Netherlands. Peter Cook is someone who knows the owners of the biggest dark kitchens in the world. He has recently returned from Amsterdam where he ran the Ghost Kitchen conference, and explains how PR around the kitchens is improving as they become more open spaces. And Yousif Kurdi runs Your Kitchen across the Netherlands, including in Amsterdam. He tells Rick how working with the locals is always good for business.(Picture: A woman packing a paper delivery bag. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Presented and produced by Rick Kelsey
The US is building stronger relationships in Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia as Kamala Harris takes a tour of Africa and announces more investment on the continent as the US government attempts to play catch up as it sees countries like China and Russia making big investments.
Key figures in the technology world want the training of powerful artificial intelligence systems to be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity.They have signed an open letter warning of potential risks, and say the race to develop AI systems, such as the presently popular ChatGPT, is out of control. Also in the programme: How an over-the-counter treatment could save tens of thousands of lives among those overdosing on opoid drugs; and the suffering of cobalt miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo that you never knew your electric car was causing.(Photo shows the introduction page of ChatGPT, an interactive AI chatbot model trained and developed by OpenAI, on its website. Credit: Wu Hao/EPA)
Here on Health Check, we’re always sniffing out the best global health research for our listeners – and this week is no different. We’ll hear about a study in Sweden where researchers are testing whether smelling other people’s body odour could be a useful part of therapy for social anxiety. And what is One Health? A new report from the World Health Organization suggests a joint plan of action is needed to tackle animal and human health threats – and even to avert future pandemics. We’ll talk to intensive care doctor Matt Morgan about what we can learn from giraffes to treat brain injury, what a koala’s eating habits can reveal about gut health and how when faced with disease we might have a lot in common with ants… We’ll also have a report from Somalia where five consecutive failed rainy seasons have left five million people with acute food shortages and nearly two million children at risk of malnutrition. With a sixth season projected to fail, medics are warning of severe and long lasting health implications, particularly for children. And we’ll be joined by global health expert Dr Matt Fox to discuss how certain types of gut bacteria in babies could predict the chance of developing type 1 diabetes in later life. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Gerry Holt & Helena Selby
The US Vice President is expected to land in Tanzania after visiting Ghana and ahead of reaching Zambia later in the week. The visit comes on the tail of a flurry of visits from top US government figures in Africa. We look at the main talking points of this latest visit. Also in the pod: Kenyan President Ruto pledges to punish rioters who have committed crimes during the ongoing cost-of-living protests in the country.Is it safe to fast during Ramadan if you have diabetes? We ask a Diabetologist in Nairobi.
More than 2,000 women are taking the Swiss government to court claiming its policy on climate change is violating their right to life and health - the first time the European Court of Human Rights will hear such a case; also, scientists reveal brightest gamma explosion ever; and the British man who helped bring early jazz to Europe.(Photo: Meltwater flows on the ice of the Pers Glacier in front of Mount Piz Palue near the Alpine resort of Pontresina, Switzerland Credit: REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)
A group of experts, including likes of Elon Musk and the Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak have signed an open letter calling for a 6 month pause on the development of AI technologies. David Harper speaks to one of the signatories about their concerns over the future of the technology.The BBC's Economics Editor Faisal Islam tells us about the risk social media poses to banks following the demise of Silicon Valley Bank.And can Amsterdam tidy up its image? A new campaign is looking at deterring rowdy tourists visiting the Dutch capital.
The European Court of Human Rights hears a case brought against the Swiss Government over lack of action on climate change. Also, hundreds of people ask for a pause in the development of Artificial Intelligence, and young British men told to stay away from Amsterdam.
In November 1975, Vietnamese Navy commander Minh Nguyen, left behind his macho military life and retrained as a manicurist. He migrated from Vietnam to the United States during the fall of Saigon. He went on to open a beauty school in Little Saigon, California and encouraged thousands of Vietnamese refugees to become nail technicians. Today, more than 40,000 students have graduated from Minh’s beauty schools and they have helped establish Vietnamese-Americans as the mainstay of the nail salon industry. Minh’s wife Kien talks to Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty. (Photo: Minh Nguyen. Credit: Minh Nguyen)
一位听众来信询问单词 “cross、across、crosswise” 和 “intersect” 的共同点和区别。它们当中有三个词都包含词根 “cross”，与 “交叉” 或 “穿过” 相关。“Across” 的副词含义是 “从一边到另一边地”；介词含义为 “在…另一边，在…各处”。“Crosswise” 同样可以作副词使用，表示 “交叉地，垂直穿过地”，但它是否常用？动词 “intersect” 指 “（道路或线条）交叉”。本期节目详细讲解这四个词的用法。
The fallout from Putin’s war on Ukraine is having a big impact on Romania, from the refugee crisis to fears of conflict spreading to neighbouring Moldova. How is Romania handling the pressure? Stephen Sackur speaks to the country’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu.(Photo: Bogdan Aurescu in the Hardtalk studio)
Bisi Adebayo investigates why so many young, highly skilled people leave Nigeria, known in the country as Japa.Bisi hears from journalist Victoria Idowu who re-located to Canada with her family and a teacher in Lagos who is about to pack her bags and move to the UK. We also hear from an expert in employment data Babajide Ogunsanwo who tells us how much this costs Nigeria and Wale Smart an employer who explains how tricky it is to find and retain staff. Presenter / producer: Bisi AdebayoImage: Graduating students of the American University of Nigeria; Credit: Getty Images
Over the last few years China gave billions dollars of loans across Asia, Europe and Africa. Now Beijing has also become a major emergency rescue lender to those same countries, many of which are struggling to repay their debts. (Picture: Belt And Road Forum For International Cooperation. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The Olympic committee wants the athletes to compete as neutrals amid the ongoing ban in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Also: the scientists on a mission to make meatballs from the long-extinct mammoth, and the amateur Australian gold digger who has found a massive nugget.
The US Senate's banking committee had some blunt questions for US bank regulators including those from the central bank, the Federal Reserve about how they didn't spot the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.Now they’ll be lots of questions about whether more regulation is needed.
Dozens of people die in a fire in a migrant processing centre in northern Mexico close to the border with the United States.Ciudad Juárez, where the fire occurred, is located across the Rio Grande river from El Paso, Texas and has seen an influx of people in recent weeks.Many of the victims are thought to be people from Central and South America trying to reach the US.Also in the programme: After another day of strikes and rallies in France against the government's pension reforms, we ask a union leader if they're ready to compromise; and the Syrian refugees in Lebanon forced to pick litter to earn a living.(Photo shows Mexican firefighters removing injured migrants, mostly Venezuelans, from the National Migration Institute building in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Credit: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters)
We visit Kenya after violent protests broke out yesterday called by opposition leader, Raila Odinga. He spoke exclusively to the BBC’s Ferdinand Omondi about the demonstrations.Ivorian director, Habibata Ouarme, discusses her latest film about female genital mutilation and reconstructive surgery.And Angélique Kidjo has become the third African artist to be awarded the Polar Music Prize.
Rahul Tandon speaks to one of the authors of a new report that looks at how much is China lending to the world and asks if it is putting countries into debt traps.We get the latest as one of world's biggest internet companies, the Chinese firm, Alibaba, says it's splitting up into six separate businesses.And we hear from France as protests against pension reforms enter a 10th day.
The facility houses people detained while trying to enter the US. Also: Police say a mass shooting at a school in Nashville was a carefully planned attack, Elon Musk announces further changes to Twitter's blue tick, and the winners of the 2023 Polar Music Prize.
Opposition parties in Israel are preparing to enter talks with the far-right coalition over the government's judicial overhaul plan, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced its passage through parliament would be paused. We speak to a politician from the prime minister’s Likud party.Also in the programme: We're live in Nashville Tennessee, after a primary school shooting kills six; and the remarkable Ethiopian pianist and nun Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, who has died aged 99. We hear her play.(Photo: Israeli protesters chant in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government's plan for judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 27, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Itai Ron)
Bulk carriers are the ships that keep the modern world going - like the MV Raeda and the MV Olivian Confidence carrying grain from Ukraine to Turkey, and flour to Afghanistan and Yemen. Zig zagging across the oceans for months at a time, bulk carriers keep us all going even in times of war and pandemic. ‘If it didn’t grow in your garden,’ says broker Aysu Gurgan, ‘A bulk carrier brought it to you.’ Steel, sand, coal, cement - the very fabric of the modern world - all of it reaches us on bulkers. Unseen by the very populations that rely on them, each bulker is also a home to international crews who spend half their lives on board.
After a few weeks of bad news about bank failures, financial markets are slowly coming back to normal. Central banks around the world have stressed that the banking system is safe and lenders are well capitalised. Analysts, however, admit that risks to financial stability have increased.(Picture: Glass front of a bank building. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Benjamin Netanyahu's plans provoked an outpouring of anger across Israeli society. Also: a heavily-armed young woman has killed six people, including children, at a school in the US state of Tennessee, and rehabilitating fictional villains - from being portrayed as ugly or disabled.
Protests in Kenya for a second Monday running, as promised by Riyla Odinga.Also, business people in Kenya are callng for the political empass to be resolved.And the American vice president, Kamala Harris, is in Ghana. What's on her agenda? We'll hear from our correspondent in Accra.Those stories and more in this podcast with Audrey Brown.
After a few weeks of bad news about bank failures, financial markets are slowly coming back to normal. Central banks around the world have stressed that the banking system is safe and lenders are well capitalised. Analysts, however, admit that risks to financial stability have increased.
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would delay a key part of controversial plans to overhaul the justice system to prevent a "rupture among our people". However it is unclear what a delay will achieve beyond buying time.It followed intense protests after he fired his defence minister, who had spoken against the plans.Also in the programme: Another school shooting in the US prompts renewed calls from the White House for gun control; and we ask if the steam has gone out of the Scottish independence movement with the appointment of a new governing party leader.(Photo shows Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, Israel on 27 March 2023. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA)
Close your eyes and think of a giraffe. Can you see it? I mean, really see it - in rich, vivid detail? If not - you aren’t alone!We’ve had scores of messages from listeners who report having a ‘blind mind’s eye’. They don’t see mental images at all and they want to know why. Jude from Perth wants to know what makes her brain different, and Diane from Scotland wonders whether it affectes her ability to remember family holidays.Our sleuths learn that this is a condition recently termed ‘aphantasia’. They meet the chap who came up with the name, Professor Adam Zeman, a neurologist from the University of Exeter, and quiz him on the brain mechanisms behind this mystery.Professor Julia Simner - a psychologist who, herself, doesn’t see mental images - shares the surprising research into how aphants differ slightly from others in a range of cognitive skills. We also hear about the world class artists and animators who can’t visualise - but can create beautiful, imaginary worlds.Philosophy professor Fiona Macpherson from the University of Glasgow, deepens the mystery: perhaps this largely hidden phenomenon is behind some of the most profound disagreements in the history of psychology. Our mental experiences are all very different - maybe that’s why thinkers have come up with such different theories about how our minds work.Search for the “VVIQ” or Vividness of Visual Imagery questionnaire to take the test yourself. Look for “The Perception Census” to take part in this massive online study of perceptual variation. And look up the 'Aphtantasia Network' if you're curious to find out more.Presenters: Hannah Fry and Adam RutherfordContributors: Professor Adam Zeman, Professor Julia Simner, Professor Fiona Macpherson
Today, there are protests in Kenya over the rising cost of living and in Germany, two of the country's biggest trade unions are holding a 24 hour strike over pay. Most flights, trains, ferries and buses have been cancelled. Workers want at least a 10% boost to their salaries, to help them cope with rapidly rising prices in Germany.
Israeli Prime Minister faces huge backlash, with widespread strikes and thousands protesting. Also: New leader of Scotland's main party pledges independence, and the eagerly awaited puffin migration to Northern Ireland.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under immense pressure over controversial judicial reforms that he wants to push through. The changes to the country's justice system have provoked an outpouring of anger from nearly all parts of Israeli society, including its powerful military. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in anger on Sunday evening after Mr Netanyahu fired his defence minister, who had called for a pause on the changes. We'll be live in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Also in the programme: Our South East Asia correspondent reports from inside Myanmar for the first time since the coup in 2021; and we have a report from the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, almost wiped off the map by Friday's tornado. (Photo: Protesters gather outside the Israeli Parliament ahead of mass protests in Jerusalem, 27 March 2023. Mass protests have been held in Israel for 12 weeks against the government's plans to reform the justice system and limit the power of the Supreme Court. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
In 1978, with energy prices rocketing due to the oil crisis, a group of volunteers in Denmark took matters into their own hands and built a wind turbine to power the town's school. They called it Tvindkraft and its design revolutionised the wind industry. Rachel Naylor speaks to Britta Jensen, a teacher from the school, who worked on the turbine.(Photo: Tvindkraft. Credit: Tvindkraft)
Stephen Sackur is in Prague for an exclusive interview with the newly elected president of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. What does the election of this former NATO General tell us about the resolve of Europeans to continue their economic and military support for Ukraine?
Devina Gupta reports on India's growing population and what that means for people living, working and running businesses there. Economist Ruchir Sharma has spent decades travelling across India and assessing it's population demographic, he tells us with 47% of Indians below the age of 25 the future is bright. 66 year old Radha Gupta and her daughter Aashima Gupta live in India’s capital city, Delhi. They tell us how population dynamics have changed their lifestyle over the years, and business woman Vineeta Singh tells us how she has capitalised on a growing number of consumers in India and how this is attracting global finance. Presenter / producer: Devina GuptaImage: Kolkata market: Credit: Getty Images
A skin positivity influencer from Venezuela and dermatologist from Barbados tell Kim Chakanetsa about the impact having acne has on their lives.Constanza Concha has a rare and extreme form of acne called conglobate which started when she was nine years old. With over 57,000 followers on Instagram @cottyconcha she’s appeared on the covers of both Vogue and Glamour magazine. She says she’s proud to be the representation she wanted to see when she was younger.Dr Sharon Crichlow is a consultant dermatologist from Barbados who works in the UK. As a lifelong acne sufferer, Dr Crichlow understands fully the enormous impact dermatological disease can have on a person’s quality of life and mental health. She focuses on acne, treatment of acne scarring and the problems associated with skin of colour.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Constanza Concha, courtesy Constanza Concha. (R) Dr Sharon Crichlow, credit Michelle Jovic.)Produced by Jane Thurlow
Natasha Lance Rogoff’s daunting task of making Sesame Street in post-Soviet Russia.In the early 90s, American journalist Natasha Lance Rogoff was covering the collapse of the Soviet Union – until the Muppets came calling, and she was tasked with bringing Sesame Street to Moscow. After decades of communism a new Russia was emerging, but could it embrace a US TV show?Creating Ulitsa Sezam was a daunting challenge for Natasha. She would have to overcome a huge culture clash and, along the way, face mobsters with shark tanks, bankruptcy, and the kidnapping of Elmo. Natasha has written a book called Muppets in Moscow: The unexpected crazy true story of making Sesame Street in Russia.Presenter: Asya FouksProducer: Maryam MarufEditor: Munazza Khan
Yoav Gallant had called for plans to overhaul the judiciary to be scrapped. Also: NATO allies condemn Moscow's plans to station nuclear weapons in Belarus, Lebanon gains an extra time zone, and we look back at the life of the founder of one of the world's biggest dumpling empires.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has transferred Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant from his post. On Saturday, Mr Gallant called on the prime minister to halt legislation on his proposed changes to the judiciary. The controversial bill has divided the country with many seeing it as a threat to Israeli democracy. Also in the programme: Kamala Harris arrives in Ghana as part of an Africa tour; and we hear from a Sierra Leonean living in Tunisia, on the difficulties facing sub-Saharan African migrants in the country.(Picture: Israel's Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant has been dismissed. Credit: EPA/ATEF SAFADI)
Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, President Vladimir Putin has declared. But he said the move would not violate nuclear non-proliferation agreements and compared it to the US stationing its weapons in Europe.We'll hear what an advisor to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence thinks about the situation and what it tells us about the closeness between Russia and its neighbouring ally Belarus.Also in the programme: As more lives are lost at sea off Tunisia, why are so many sub-Saharan migrants now using the country as a departure point to cross the Mediterranean to Europe? And why the people of Lebanon have woken up today in two time zones.(Photo shows Vladimir Putin at a recent meeting with members of the Security Council. Credit: Alexei Babushkin/Kremlin via Reuters)
Russian President says move wouldn't violate nuclear non-proliferation agreements. Also: Israel's defence minister calls for a freeze of planned changes to the judiciary following another day of mass protests, and we meet the creator and author of the Oscar winning animated short film The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.
The Rwandan dissident, Paul Rusesabagina, has been handed over to the Qatari government after being freed from jail. Mr Rusesabagina, whose heroism during the 1994 genocide was the subject of the film, Hotel Rwanda. He is later expected to fly to the United States to join his family. Also in the programme: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemns defamation ruling; and the US state of Mississippi is hit by tornadoes.(Photo: Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina walks handcuffed with guards to attend a court hearing at the Kicukiro Primary court in Kigali, Rwanda. CREDIT: EPA/EUGENE UWIMANA)
We are a teeming mass of interconnected microbes and the impact of this microscopic universe on our health, our minds, even our moods, is profound.Made in collaboration with Wellcome Collection, Claudia Hammond and an expert panel explore one of the fastest moving areas of science and what it means for modern medicine. Recorded in front of a live audience at Wellcome’s Reading Room in London, Claudia discovers how our microbes could be harnessed to improve our mental and physical health. And along with the scientific insights, there are important answers to questions everybody wants to know the answer to, such as why some peoples’ “emissions” smell so badly and how having a dog or cat enriches your microbiome.On stage with Claudia are immunologist Professor Sheena Cruickshank from the University of Manchester, microbiologist Professor Glenn Gibson from the University of Reading and neuroscientist Professor John Cryan from University College Cork in Ireland.Produced by: Fiona Hill and Elisabeth TuohyStudio Engineer: Bob Nettles and Emma HearthImage: Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of bacteria cultured from a sample of human faeces.Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library/Getty Images
We start in Rwanda, where Paul Rusesabagina has been released from prison. He was the manager of a hotel in Kigali in 1994 and is credited with saving the lives of more than a thousand people during the genocide. The movie "Hotel Rwanda" was inspired by his story. We bring you the latest on that story.Also on the programme: An MI5 spy who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland by defying orders, has broken his silence to the BBC, and we go to Israel and hear the views of ordinary people on the government’s plan to reform the country's judiciary.(Photo: Paul Rusesabagina, credited with saving over a thousand people during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, walks in handcuffs to a courtroom in Kigali, Rwanda February 26, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Clement Uwiringiyimana)
Max Pearson presents a compilation of stories about the history of film and cinema from around the world, including the longest running film in Indian cinema, the man who lived in an airport for 18 years and the ambitious release of the orca from the movie, Free Willy.Plus, the real life escape from Alcatraz and the incredible story of Vietnamese movie star, Kieu Chinh.Contributors:Dr Ranita Chatterjee - Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at the University of Exeter.Kajol - Indian actress.Kieu Chinh - Vietnamese actress.Andrew Donkin - Biographer of Mehran Karimi Nasseri.Jolene Babyak - Lived on Alcatraz Island.Dave Phillips - Founder of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation.(Photo: People queuing for DDLJ in Mumbai. Credit: Getty Images)
Sportsworld’s Lee James is in Mumbai, the venue for the inaugural Women’s Premier League final, to reflect on the ground-breaking new women’s cricket competition.Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning joins us to discuss how the competition is “on another level” to anything else she’s experienced. Former Indian cricketer Anjali Pendharkar tells us how women’s cricket has evolved over the last 30 years, plus we will speak to India journalist Zenia D’Cunha who tells us how the tournament has been perceived. And Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal details just what it takes to run a successful WPL team.Photo: Smriti Mandhana of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Meg Lanning of Delhi Capitals at the toss during the WPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals at Brabourne Stadium on March 5, 2023 in Mumbai, India. (Credit: Getty Images)
Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, an unusual cow brings joy to Australia, the happiest places in the world are revealed and how shrimps are saving lives. Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.
This time of year the banks of the River Thames in London are always filled with thousands of people. They line up to watch one of the oldest, hardest and most iconic rowing races in the world. The University Boat race. Crews representing the dark blue of Oxford take on the light blue of Cambridge in men's and women's races. So what does it take to win this gruelling event? Sophie Shapter knows, she was the cox of the winning Cambridge boat in 2018Carol Waller played in goal for New Zealand in their inaugural match in 1975, but the real challenge was just getting the game. Carol tells Sportshour's Katie Smith about the barriers the women's team had to overcome to be recognised, and the important role she played on and off the pitch to grow the game in New Zealand. It's been a long journey for Carol and the Football Ferns, but now New Zealand is co-hosting the World Cup in July and she can't wait!Marcus Smith II was a first round pick when he joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014. His NFL career continued to rise when he signed a lucrative contract with the Seattle Seahawks. It seemed Marcus had everything any footballer ever dreams of. But Marcus also had crippling anxiety, something he had suffered with since he was just 8 years old. Eventually it became too much for him to bear. After seeking help he was able to take a different path and is now helping others struggling with their mental health.Photo: Cox Sophie Shapter (cap) celebrates race victory for Cambridge University Women's Boat Club in the The Cancer Research UK Women's Boat Race 2018 (CREDIT: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
Love Janessa is the podcast series that examines an online so-called “catfishing scheme” which deceives mostly men into falling for and giving money to an apparently beautiful young woman called Janessa. But, the seven-part series asks - just who is Janessa Brazil? We hear your thoughts on the series and we’ are joined by journalist Hannah Ajala who set out to uncover the truth behind this form of fraudulent online dating. Plus the show’s commissioning editor Jon Manel tells us how the BBC World Service handles adult themes.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
U.S. President Joe Biden has given himself a thumbs up for the way he has handled the banking crisis. He insists that people's savings are secure. Meanwhile, more than 150,000 fans are gathering in Miami for Ultra - one of the world's biggest festivals of electronic dance music. We also talk about the Roy family, whose epic squabbles and schemes propelled HBO's TV series Succession to a string of awards. How true is the show to real life? Presenter Roger Hearing discusses these issues with Stella Bangura - an award winning TV presenter of a pan African Lifestyle TV show - On The Spot TV - who's in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis in Bogota. (Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden. Credit; Getty Images)
Paul Rusesabagina's life inspired a Hollywood film about the 1994 genocide. Also: The UN has expressed grave concern about the summary killings of civilians and prisoners of war during Russia's war in Ukraine, highlighting a litany of other abuses, and The City Killer asteroid that's set to make a close-ish call with earth.
Our presenter Roger Hearing discusses the banking crisis as high profile investors fear there are more pockets of distress yet to emerge after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and problems at Credit Suisse. Museums come under the spotlight as the Acropolis Museum in Athens today welcomed back three fragments of the Parthenon marbles from the Vatican in a special ceremony. Many Greeks think more of its ancient treasures should be brought back home and not kept in foreign museums. And we head to Peru, where at least 13,000 people are struggling with damages caused by cyclone Yaku. It’s been a week since this rare phenomenon hit the country, but rains and landslides persist.
Opposition parties in India have accused the government of stifling democracy after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from parliament over a defamation conviction. But a supporter of Prime Minister Modi tells us that it's a legal, not a political, matter.Also on the programme, Rwanda has said it will release the jailed dissident Paul Rusesabagina, whose life inspired a Hollywood film about the 1994 genocide. And Utah has now become the first American state to require parental permission for anyone under eighteen to use social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook. We will be joined by the governor of the state.(Picture: Rahul Gandhi Credit: Getty)
Rwanda says it will release the human rights activist Paul Rusesabagina from prison. He was in jail serving a 25-year sentence for terrorism. His co-accused were also granted presidential clemency.A cabinet reshuffle in the Democratic Republic of Congo includes unlikely names and old faces. What does it tell us about President Tshisekedi's game plan ahead of elections later this year?In Tanzania - 193 people are in isolation following the death of five others from Marburg Disease. How are people feeling and what measures are in place in the quarantined areas?
Our presenter Will Bain we be taking a look at Europe's Banking situation as Deutsche Banks shares fell by 14% and other banks are struggling. We will be hearing from the former head of the European Central Bank Peter Hahn on what he thinks is going wrong. The China Development Forum returns for the first time in person since before the pandemic. The event is usually attended by foreign representatives from across the world, however this year some US companies won't be attending. Popular TV show Succession is back on our screens. People absolutely love the show but what is it about boardroom drama that keeps us wanting more, we find out from a TV expert. (Picture: Economy graph: red down arrow, cash euro banknotes and stock exchange board.
Our presenter Will Bain we be taking a look at Europe's Banking situation as Deutsche Banks shares fell by 14% and other banks are struggling. We will be hearing from the former head of the European Central Bank Peter Hahn on what he thinks is going wrong. The China Development Forum returns for the first time in person since before the pandemic. The event is usually attended by foreign representatives from across the world, however this year some US companies won't be attending. Popular TV show Succession is back on our screens. People absolutely love the show but what is it about boardroom drama that keeps us wanting more, we find out from a TV expert.
There has been violence in some French cities in the latest round of demonstrations against proposals to raise the state pension age. Also: The US state of Utah gives parents control over their children's social media, and how a drawing by a Russian child sparked a police investigation.
Several French cities saw violence on the sidelines of Thursday's largely peaceful protests that attracted more than a million people.King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed, after a request by President Emmanuel Macron. The Elysée Palace said the decision was taken jointly.The entrance to the town hall in Bordeaux was set alight, but the deputy mayor of the city tells us she supports the sentiments of the protesters.Also in the programme: Why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial reforms are "illegal" according to the nation's attorney general; and we'll hear from our correspondent on the frontline in Ukraine's Donbas region.(Photo shows a broken billboard with graffiti reading "useless Macron" after clashes during protests over French government's pension reform in Paris, France. Credit: Yves Herman)
All episodes of our catfishing podcast are now available. You meet someone online. It turns out many others think they have fallen for the same person. It’s the story of the scammers and the unwitting face of a digital con. With host, Hannah Ajala.Search for Love, Janessa wherever you get your podcasts.
With big political changes in Brazil after a divisive election which brought in a new president, Faranak Amidi is in the country's largest city São Paulo to look at the stories being covered by the BBC journalists based there.The heart of São Paulo: Avenida PaulistaLeticia Mori takes us to the famous Avenida Paulista, built for the rich of São Paulo and now home to many businesses and banks. It hosts street markets and live performances every Sunday, and has also been the site of many protests and demonstrations.A country the size of a continentJournalists Vitor Tavares, Camilla Mota, Ian Alves and Ligia Guimarães give us an idea of the vastness of Brazil with a quick introduction to their home towns.Divided BrazilWe discuss the divisions which seem to touch all parts of life in Brazil - with João Fellet, Thais Carrança and Ian Alves. What's it been like reporting on such a polarised country, and has the new presidency brought any signs of change?My favourite neighbourhood: LiberdadeWe rejoin Leticia Mori in the Liberdade neighbourhood of São Paulo, home to the city's Japanese community. Leticia tells us about her own Japanese heritage and what this area tells us about the complex history of Brazil.Brazil, the melting potBrazil has one of the most diverse and mixed populations in the world, and São Paulo is its most diverse city. Camilla Mota, Mariana Alvim and Felipe Souza tell us what it means to be Brazilian, and discuss the stereotypes they're sometimes faced with.(Photo: A man shows the Brazilian flag in Avenida Paulista, São Paulo. Credit: Mauro Horita/Getty Images)
DNA has revealed potential animal COVID carriers at the Wuhan market, but what does that tell us about the start of the pandemic? Roland talks to two of the experts behind the new analysis: Dr Florence Débarre and Professor Eddie Holmes.Also, we look into Europe’s grand new space ambitions. ESA director general Josef Aschbacher gives Roland the details of the space agency’s out-of-this-world plans.And Beethoven's last DNA: a hairy story of his family and genetic afflictions. Dr Tristan Begg shares how the composer’s tresses unlocked new information about his life and death.Image credit: Eddie HolmesProducer: Roland Pease Assistant producer: Sophie Ormiston
All episodes of our catfishing podcast are now available. You meet someone online. It turns out many others think they have fallen for the same person. It’s the story of the scammers and the unwitting face of a digital con. With host, Hannah Ajala.Search for Love, Janessa wherever you get your podcasts.
The search giant is rolling out its challenger in the artificial intelligence arms race, competing against the Microsoft-backed Chat GPT. We take it for a spin, while also looking into the issue of internet shutdowns following a government-backed communications blackout in the state of Punjab in India.Image credit: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters
The chief executive of TikTok has been defending the Chinese-owned video-sharing app in the face of hostile questioning at a US Congressional committee hearing. Shou Zi Chew denied TikTok is a national security risk and played down the company's connection to China. He insisted data would never be given to the Chinese Communist Party, but did accept that data is currently accessible to staff in China. The committee chair Cathy Rodgers described TikTok as a weapon of the Chinese Communist Party that ought to be banned. Members of Congress also accused TikTok of delivering harmful content to young people.Also in the programme: A former Israeli Prime Minister tells Newshour that the government's plans for judicial reform have created the biggest crisis since the creation of Israel; and we report from the southern front of the war in Ukraine.(Photo: TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew testifies before a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing as lawmakers scrutinise the Chinese-owned video-sharing app. Credit: Reuters Evelyn Hockstein)
Former Nigerian senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice have been convicted of exploiting a young man from a poor village by bringing him to London to donate a kidney. The couple, and a doctor who was also found guilty, were convicted under Britain's Modern Slavery Act. We hear more about the case and get reaction from people in Nigeria. Ethiopia's prime minister appoints Getachew Reda, spokesperson of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, as Tigray's new interim leader. And French journalist Olivier Dubois, released by militants in Mali after being kidnapped and held hostage for nearly two years, tells us how he managed to keep his mind occupied during his months in captivity.
In the last weekly edition of the programme, presenter Mani Djazmi, Heather O'Reilly and Pat Nevin reflect on 22 years of World Football.
TikTok's boss Shou Zi Chew faced a grilling by the US congress over the safety of the social media app. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance and there are fears that the owners will share data with the Chinese government. The video hosting service has 150 million US users. The European Commission has drafted a plan to allow the sales of new cars with internal combustion engines after 2035 if they run only on climate neutral e-fuels. This means carmakers could keep selling combustion engine vehicles after 2035, the date when a planned EU law is set to ban the sale of new CO2-emitting cars. It is the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and its comes as cost of living has gone up around the world with food, fuel and gas prices up. Millions of Muslims around the world who are fasting are feeling the pinch of inflation.
Israel's parliament has passed a law limiting how a prime minister can be removed from office. The Israeli opposition says the legislation is aimed at protecting the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu who is facing corruption charges. We hear the view of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Also: A Nigerian senator and his wife have been convicted of trafficking a man to harvest a kidney for their daughter, and the good and the bad news about drinking coffee.
Israelis are holding demonstrations across the country in the latest mass protest against moves by the government to overhaul the judicial system.The law would make it more difficult for courts to remove a prime minister deemed unfit for office.We'll hear from a former prime minister who tells us he believes the government is looking increasingly isolated.Also in the programme: The boss of Tiktok prepares to testify before Congress in the US about the company's links to the Chinese Communist Party; and is Germany trying to derail an EU ban on petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035?(Photo shows demonstrators attending a "Day of Shutdown" protest in Tel Aviv, Israel on 23 March 2023. Credit: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)
Nathalie Amiel was a star of French rugby for more than fifteen years, from when she started playing internationally aged 15. She was part of the French team which won the Five Nations, as well as the European Championship four times. The 2002 season was her final one, she finished off her career winning the first ever women's Six Nations Championship.Nathalie has been speaking to Laura Jones.(Photo: Nathalie Amiel playing for France. Credit: Nathalie Amiel)
In 1988, Mehran Karimi Nasseri, from Iran, flew into Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris intending to transfer onto a flight to London. But he wasn’t allowed to board, as he didn’t have a passport. Caught in diplomatic limbo, he ended up staying at the airport for 18 years. Rachel Naylor speaks to his biographer, Andrew Donkin, who spent nearly three weeks with him at his ‘home’, in the departures lounge of Terminal 1.(Photo: Mehran Karimi Nasseri on his red bench at the airport in 2004. Credit: Eric Fougere via Getty Images)
Ten years ago this month, in March 2013, Venezuela’s charismatic socialist leader Hugo Chavez died and current president Nicolas Maduro took over.In the decade since, the South American nation suffered an extraordinary economic collapse – the economy shrunk by two thirds, inflation hit six digits, the government chopped 11 zeros off the bank notes, oil production slumped and millions of people fled abroad to escape economic hardship.We talk to Venezuelans who lived through that collapse, from a shopkeeper who went bankrupt to a university professor whose salary in the local currency, bolivars, is worth just 25 US dollars a month.We also ask if the worst is over and what the future holds for this once wealthy nation – a founding member of Opec that sits on some of the world’s largest oil reserves.Producer and presented by Gideon LongAdditional reporting: Vanessa Silva in Caracas(Image: A Venezuelan man holding a Chavez/Maduro balloon. Credit: Getty Images)
The Hoover Dam in the US, the Aswan Dam in Egypt and the recently opened, and sumptuously named, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam. Since modern times, huge mega dams like these to tame rivers, create water storage and hydropower, have become a symbol of nationhood used to create national pride and bolster political power, from the Cold War to today. Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, called dams the temples of modern India. But dams have also been highly controversial, displacing rural populations, disrupting local ecology and more recently it’s been shown that dams can increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. So why are so many countries like China still highly involved in dam building, and will they need to change tack in the future? And, could the humble beaver offer a solution?To discuss the past, present, and future of dam building, Rajan Datar is joined by Nikita Sud, Professor of the Politics of Development at Oxford University; Donald C. Jackson the Cornelia F. Hugel Professor of History at La Fayette University in the US and author of many books on the history of dam building, including Building the Ultimate Dam: John S. Eastwood and the Control of Water in the West; and Dr Majed Akhter, a political geographer who is senior lecturer in Geography at King’s College London. With the contribution of Dr Emily Fairfax, an ecohydrologist with an expertise in beaver activity and beaver dams from California State university Channel Islands in the US. Produced by Anne Khazam for the BBC World Service.(Photo: The Hoover Dam on the Colorado River straddling Nevada and Arizona at dawn. Credit: Sean Pavone via Getty Images)
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is destroying lives all over the United States. Manufactured illegally and at a huge profit by drug cartels in Mexico, it’s smuggled across the border into southern California and Arizona. The director at one entry point on the border acknowledges that they’re looking for needles in a haystack. And she says that they drug organisations have more money than they do.In the second of a two-part series, Assignment crosses into the US from Mexico to run a rule over the devastation this lethal drug has left in its wake in San Diego County. Presenter / producer: Linda PresslyProducer: Tim Mansel(Photo: The wall between the US and Mexico from the Mexican side. The city of San Diego is in the distance. Credit: Tim Mansel).
The US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by 0.25%, bringing their benchmark interest rate to the 4.75%-5.00% range. The Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the US banking system was strong and resilient, as he announced the latest rate rise.Presenter Roger Hearing discusses this and other global business news with Işın Eliçin, a senior media professional working at Medyascope in Istanbul, and Simon Littlewood, founder of ACG Growth Delivered in Singapore.(Picture: Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell takes questions from the news media while holding a news conference after the Fed raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point following a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on interest rate policy in Washington, U.S., March 22, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis)
The former British prime minister was grilled about whether he lied about breaching Covid lockdown rules. Also: The White House warns Uganda of possible economic repercussions if a new law banning people from identifying as LGBT comes into force, and could the mystery surrounding what killed Beethoven finally have been solved?
Long days, unsociable hours, a hectic and pressurised workload – the working environment for health care staff is full of challenges. Maintaining a healthy diet in those conditions is tough. Two shift workers talk honestly about what they eat on the job, and get advice from a dietician. Ruth Alexander speaks to Scott Christmas, who’s on his eighth year of overnight shifts, to Tom Gibbons, a paramedic, and to Dr Linia Patel, dietician and performance nutritionist. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk(Picture: A pair of hands holding a stethoscope and an apple. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
For the ninth time in a row, the US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates, up by 0.25%. Announcing the rise Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed is focused on tackling inflation. Roger Hearing gets reaction from both Wall Street and Main Street to the news.Argentina's economy expanded in the fourth-quarter of 2022, despite inflation of 102% in the country. We hear what's behind the economic growth in the face of huge pressures.And we get the latest from Florida, where the world's first launch of a 3D printed rocket is due to take place.
The UN opened its first conference on water security in almost half a century on Wednesday with a plea to governments to better manage one of humanity's shared resources. Co-chairwoman of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, Mariana Mazzucato tells Newshour about the scale of the problem.Also in the programme: Judicial reforms in Israel; and the life-giving molecule found on an asteroid.(Photo: Haider Jalil, 10, fills a water tank from a truck outside his family home in the village of Al-Bouzayyat which sits on the bank of a former canal which has dried up, in Diwaniya, Iraq. Credit: REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani/File Photo)
Babies, peanut butter and allergies; Psychologist Professor Elaine Fox on how to navigate change; how changing the clocks twice a year affects our health and why misophonia, the strong reaction to sounds of other people breathing, yawning or chewing, could be more common than we thought.Image Credit: Mohd Hafiez Mohd Razali / EyeEm
Uganda has passed one of the toughest pieces of anti-gay legislation in Africa. A rights activist tell us the bill has increased the fear of more attacks on gay people. Five people have died from an outbreak of Marburg virus in Tanzania. It has been three years since Malawi legalised cannabis, but the promise of an economic boom for farmers is yet to materialise. And we look at the fluctuations in the market for the Benin Bronzes.
John Bennett travels to Rabat, capital city of Morocco to find out the secrets behind the countries' football success. He visits the King Mohammad VI complex; the new headquarters of the football federation and home to the men's and women's national teams. John gets an inclusive look behind the scenes of the complex and speaks to the backroom staff who helped develop the countries football philosophy. Following their fourth place finish in Qatar, John speaks to members of the men’s team, including manager Walid Regragui, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and midfielder Ilias Chair about becoming the first African and Arab team to reach the semi finals of the World Cup. He also speaks to the women’s head coach Reynold Pedros and forward Rosella Ayane ahead of the women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. (Image: Morocco men's national team, Credit: Getty Images)
The US Federal Reserve will decided on whether to raise interest rate as they struggle to stabilise prices due to the rising cost of living. The collapse of two regional banks this months has highlighted their risks. Ukraine has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to secure more than 15 billion dollars worth of loans to help support the country's economy. In Somalia as Ramadan begins, Muslims who usually break a dawn-to-dusk fast with lavish family meals, are now stressed to secure even the most basic diets due to rising food costs.
Rights groups in Uganda have expressed concern about a new draft law which would make it a crime for people to identify as LGBT. Also on the programme, the UN has warned of a looming global water crisis because of pollution and excessive consumption, ahead of its first big conference on the subject in decades; and we hear from one of the first women who joined the London Stock Exchange, fifty years ago.(Photo: Uganda considers bill to criminalize identifying as LGBTQ in Kampala 21/03/2023 Reuters)
Overconsumption and climate change threaten future supplies. Also: Volodymr Zelensky visits Ukrainian troops near the embattled town of Bakhmut, Boris Johnson fights for his political life -- and everything you need to know about 3D cheesecake.
In 1995, Bollywood film Dilwale Duljania Le Jayenge, was released to critical acclaim. It premiered at the Maratha Mandir cinema in Mumbai. It's been screened there every day for the past 27 years since, stopping only briefly because of the Covid pandemic. It's become the longest-running film in India's cinema history. The actress Kajol, starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan and following its release, they became superstars overnight. Kajol, who played Simran in the film, spoke to Reena Stanton-Sharma about her memories of shooting the iconic movie.(Photo: Kajol (r) in Hindi film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Credit: Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)
听众 Evelyne 想知道单词 “being” 的含义和用法。“Being” 既可以作名词，也可以作动词。作名词时用法多样，比如，在搭配 “human being”、“came into being” 和 “my entire being” 当中，“being” 的意思都不同。此外，“being” 还是助动词 “be” 的现在分词。听节目，学习 “being” 的常见用法。
AI chatbots are everywhere at the moment - but how are they being used by business? Business Daily presenter Rick Kelsey heads to one of the world's financial hubs, Canary Wharf in London, to find out how this technology is changing jobs.Sarah Kunst, the managing director of Cleo Capital, which invests in tech companies in San Francisco, tells us how some start-ups are using AI bots to deep search the internet, but also about her concerns with misinformation.Chante Venter is from Wise Group, a removal firm in South Africa. She has recently started using the chatbot for communication with customers and says that it's helping her team enjoy their work more. Rochelle Garrad from Chards, a coin and bullion dealer in Blackpool in the north west of England, talks about how chatbots can create content like blogs and YouTube scripts very quickly, but sometimes less accurately.Producer / presenter: Rick KelseyImage
Russia wants to sign an agreement with China to build a new pipeline through Siberia. The idea was put forward many years ago, but it has gained urgency as it wants China to replace Europe as its main gas customer. Google is rolling out it’s AI Chat Bard. It can access up-to-date information from the internet and has a "Google it" button which accesses search. The month of fasting for Muslims, Ramadan, is about to get underway. Dates are one fruit that is much sought after to break the fast and we hear from an Egyptian company that exports the fruit across the world. Presenter Roger Hearing discusses global business news with Colin Peacock a producer and presenter of Mediawatch, on Radio New Zealand based in Wellington, and Hayley Woodin the executive editor of the Canada based website and publication Business in Vancouver
The quake, with a magnitude of 6.5, was centred in the Hindu Kush mountains. Also: UK defends sending shells made with depleted uranium to Ukraine after Putin warning, and Gwyneth Paltrow in court as ski crash trial begins.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Russian MP and pro-Kremlin TV host Evgeny Popov. The Ukraine invasion is beset with problems and Putin faces war crimes charges. Are cracks appearing?
Russia is looking to sign an agreement with China to build a new pipeline through Siberia. Moscow put forward the idea many years ago, but it has gained urgency as it turns to China to replace Europe as its main gas customer. Google is rolling out it’s AI Chat Bard. It can access up-to-date information from the internet and has a "Google it" button which accesses search. Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims is about to get underway. Dates are one fruit that is much sought after to break the fast and we hear from an Egyptian company that exports the fruit across the world.Presenter Roger Hearing brings you up to date with the main global business stories.
A New York court investigating ex-president Donald Trump over allegations he paid hush money to a pornographic actress is poised to release its decision.Also in the programme: Tim Franks reports from the West Bank; and Yusuf / Cat Stevens.(Picture: Demonstrators shout and hold up signs outside New York Criminal Court in advance of a potential Indictment of former President Donald Trump in New York. Credit: Peter Foley/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Parliament in Uganda has passed a bill that may see people who identify as gay, lesbian or queer be imprisoned for life, if it is signed into law.Kenya has received its first shipment from the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ programme.Senegalese president, Macky Sall, has rejected claims it would unconstitutional for him to seek a third term in office. And we hear from pioneering Malawian singer-songwriter, Ritaa, who is working on her debut album.
IMF has approved a $3bn bailout package for the bankrupted Sri Lanka. The nation's foreign minister pledged to reconstruct its state-own enterprises and their national airline but it seems like there is still a long road ahead for the island in South Asia, after getting multiple blows by the pandemic, increasing energy prices, tax cuts and the skyrocketed inflation.BBC’s lead presenter Ed Butler joins Will Bain from Columbo, the nation's capital, to find out what is coming next for some 22 million Sri Lankans. How would things change?
As Israel's parliament votes to allow Israelis back into four settlements evacuated years ago, we'll hear from Tim Franks in the occupied West Bank. Also on the programme, Russia's president Vladimir Putin has been discussing the war in Ukraine with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Moscow; and, an Indonesian court has agreed to allow a lawsuit brought by parents of children who died after being given tainted cough syrup.(Photo: Protests against Israel"s judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv 18/03/2023 Reuters)
Xi Jinping calls Moscow and Beijing 'strategic partners and great neighbouring powers'; Also: Britain's biggest police force accused of racism, sexism and homophobia, and why do fish sing?
In June 1962 three prisoners escaped from the maximum security US jail on the island of Alcatraz.They achieved this using a homemade raft, papier-mâché and... spoons.In 2013, Ashley Byrne spoke to Jolene Babyak who was living on the island at the time.A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service. (Picture: Alcatraz. Credit: Getty Images)
Arguably the fastest growing music genre in the world, Afrobeats artists are playing to sold out crowds in the most coveted venues across the globe.What started as an umbrella term in London, UK, to encapsulate pop music of African extraction has become a major force in pop culture.But is Afrobeats able to emerge as a major economic force within the continent and can it leverage on its global appeal to boost other sectors including fashion and the arts?We hear from the pioneers like Abass Tijani, one of the very first DJs to play Afrobeats in UK clubs and Ayo Shonaiya who created the first TV show featuring musicians from Nigeria and Ghana.We also hear from Weird MC and Paul Play Dairo – two artists whose experimentation of sound in the mid-1990s contributed immensely to the growth and appeal of the genre.Produced and presented by Peter MacJob.(Image: Burna Boy performing at the NBA All Star game 2023. Credit: Getty Images)
我们在生活中可能会遇到一些虽然不愿意做，但非做不可的事情，不能讨价还价，不能找借口，也没得商量。英语表达 “no ifs or buts” 正好可以用来表达这个含义。听节目，学习 “no ifs or buts” 的用法。
The IMF have agreed on a $2.9bn bailout for Sri Lanka to help the country restructure its debts. This comes as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence.China's leader Xi Jinping showed the importance of close relations between Russia and China at a dinner hosted by Vladimir Putin on Monday. This comes days after an international court called for the Russian president's arrest for war crimes in Ukraine.The failure of financial institutions is a serious problem with human costs, but to some people it is also something to remember. There is a market in financial souvenirs and memorabilia and that has happened with Credit Suisse. Madison Darbyshire is a US investments reporter for the Financial Times in New York and has been writing about this phenomenon.
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says that all countries should bring forward their net zero carbon plans by a decade. Also: France's government survives a no-confidence vote, and the Chinese city of Guixi launches its own dating app for residents.
Sri Lanka has secured a $2.9bn bailout from the International Monetary Fund as it faces its worst economic and social crisis since independence. A day after UBS Bank brought Credit Suisse out of financial trouble uncertainty in the markets have calmed down. The former finance Minister of Canada Joe Oliver gives his take on if politicians can have much influence on a financial crisis... China's leader Xi Jinping showed the importance of close relations between Russia and China at a dinner hosted by Vladimir Putin on Monday. This comes days after an international court called for the Russian president's arrest for war crimes in Ukrain.
The UN's International Panel on Climate Change says the world is on the brink of irrevocable damage, with global warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius now certain without drastic action. Also in the programme; a senior US figure involved in the invasion of Iraq expresses regret for his government's poor planning. And an iconic Indian cola brand attempts a comeback.(Picture: File image of a power station. Credit: Getty Creative)
South Africa's opposition Economic Freedom Fighters call for a shutdown of the economy... we'll hear how it went.Also, as Ramadan approaches, Egyptians despair over the rising cost of food.Plus, music and money from Malawi's artists to help victims of Cyclone Freddy.And how clever is Artificial Intelligence when it comes to knowledge about Africa?Those stories and more in this podcast presented by Audrey Brown.
Think Sahara Desert, think intense heat and drought. We see the Sahara as an unrelenting, frazzling, white place. But geo-archaeologist Dr Judith Bunbury says in the not so distant past, the region looked more like a safari park.In the more recent New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, from around 3500 years ago (the time of some of Egypt’s most famous kings like Ahmose I, Thutmose III, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and queens like Hatshepsut) core samples shows evidence of rainfall, huge lakes, springs, trees, birds, hares and even gazelle, very different from today.By combining geology with archaeology, Dr Bunbury, from the department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge and Senior Tutor at St Edmund’s College, tells Jim al-Khalili that evidence of how people adapted to their ever-changing landscape is buried in the mud, dust and sedimentary samples beneath these ancient sites, waiting to be discovered.The geo-archaeological research by Judith and her team, has helped to demonstrate that the building of the temples at Karnak near Luxor, added to by each of the Pharaohs, was completely dependent on the mighty Nile, a river which, over millennia, has wriggled and writhed, creating new land on one bank as it consumes land on another. Buildings and monuments were adapted and extended as the river constantly changed course.
It's Xi Jinping's first visit since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year - we'll discuss the symbolism of the trip; also, European banking shares have fallen after an emergency takeover of the failing bank Credit Suisse, by its larger Swiss rival, UBS; and on the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, our Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen speaks to those whose lives were turned upside-down.(Photo: Russian matryoshka dolls with portraits of the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sold on a street souvenir shop in downtown Moscow. Credit: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Banking stocks remain under pressure in London and across Europe today after the takeover of Credit Suisse by rival Swiss bank UBS failed to calm markets.Will Bain talks to companies affected and financial experts about the implications for the global financial system.
Scientists say clean energy and technology can be exploited to avoid the growing climate disaster. But they warn a key global temperature goal will probably be missed. Also: Russia's playing host to the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, in Moscow, and twenty years on - we hear from our correspondent who was there at the start of the US-led invasion of Iraq.
In 1974, legendary Vietnamese actress Kieu Chinh found herself on a farm in Canada cleaning up after chicken.She had narrowly escaped the fall of Saigon and a jail sentence in Singapore but Kieu was determined to get back to doing what she loved... making movies.How would she do it? Well, it involved Hollywood stars Burt Reynolds, William Holden and Tippi Hedren!Kieu tells Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty of her cinematic survival.(Picture: Kieu Chinh and Tippi Hedren. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the hugely successful bookseller James Daunt. From Waterstones to Barnes & Noble he has fought off ebooks and online retail to revive bricks and mortar bookstores. But is the books industry a place where creativity and diversity truly thrive?
Antibiotics stopped providing big gains for pharmaceutical companies decades ago, but as bacteria become more resistant to drugs, the world needs new classes of antibiotics to be discovered if we want to prevent the next global health crisis.Dr Tina Joshi, Associate Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the University of Plymouth explains that it’s more likely antimicrobial resistance will kill large numbers of human beings before climate change does. Kasim Kutay, CEO of the investment fund Novo Holdings tells us that for big pharma companies, antibiotics are seen as a contribution to society rather than an investment that can provide a profit. How can firms be convinced to invest in an unprofitable product? We hear how Netflix might provide a good model and we explore research in Phages - a bacteria specialised in eating other bacteria. Phages are being championed by some as a potential substitute for antibiotics. One patient in Minnesota tells us Phages saved his life.Presenter / producer: Stefania GozzerImage: Dr Tina Joshi; Credit: Dr Tina Joshi
Learn how to use compound adjectives (e.g. low-fat yoghurt, high-quality carbohydrates).
Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who work on the world’s fastest cars. Bernadette Collins is a strategy engineer from Northern Ireland. She worked for the Aston Martin Formula One team and with McLaren. She is currently a freelance engineer working on projects where she brings the lessons from F1 to other industries as well as continuing to work within the Formula One field. Lisa Veltman is a Dutch design engineer working with Scuderia AlphaTauri, an Italian Formula One racing team and constructor. She previously worked with the French team Alpine.Produced by Hetal Bapodra, Alice Gioia, Jane Thurlow.(Image: (L) Lisa Veltman, credit Patricio Barroso. (R) Bernadette Collins, credit Glenn Dunbar.)
The deal, backed by the Swiss government, follows weekend talks aimed at preventing the collapse of the Credit Suisse bank. Also: Saudi King invites Iran's president to visit Riyadh, and a skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex is to be auctioned in Europe.
Amjed Tantesh is determined to teach kids in Gaza to swim no matter how many pools he has to build.Finding freedom in the water as a child, Amjed wanted to train the next generation of Gazans for Olympic swimming glory – not easy when he had to keep abandoning his pools. Yet through relentlessly rebuilding and restarting, over decades of war, Amjed’s swimming initiative found its true purpose.This episode contains upsetting moments involving children.Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Louise MorrisInterpreter: Youssef Taha
Ukraine has condemned President Vladimir Putin's visit to the occupied city of Mariupol. It was the first time the Russian leader had been to a newly-occupied Russian territory in Ukraine, since ordering the invasion last year. Newshour spoke to Ukraine's prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, about the visit.Also in the programme: UBS agrees to rescue deal for Credit Suisse; and an accountant investigating high-level corruption, has been shot dead in South Africa.(Picture: Russia's President, Vladimir Putin. Credit: Reuters)
34 days after it first formed at the far end of the Indian Ocean, record-breaking Cyclone Freddy made a repeat landfall on Mozambique as well as passing over Malawi, causing extensive damage and loss of life. Climate scientists Liz Stephens and Izidine Pinto join Roland to give an update on the destruction and explain how Cyclone Freddy kept going for an exceptionally long time. At the Third International Human Genome Summit in London last week, Professor Katsuhiko Hayashi announced he had created baby mice from eggs formed by male mouse cells. Dr Nitzan Gonen explains the underlying science, whilst Professor Hank Greely discusses the ethics and future prospects. And from one rodent story to another, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in brown rats scurrying around New York sewers. Dr Thomas DeLiberto from the US Department of Agriculture gives Roland the details. When imagining a robot, a hard-edged, boxy, humanoid figure may spring to mind. But that is about to change.CrowdScience presenter Alex Lathbridge is on a mission to meet the robots that bend the rules of conventionality. Inspired by how creatures like us have evolved to move, some roboticists are looking to nature to design the next generation of machines. And that means making them softer. But just how soft can a robot really be?Join Alex as he goes on a wild adventure to answer this question from listener Sarah. He begins his quest at the ‘Hello, Robot’ Exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany to define what a robot actually is. Amelie Klein, the exhibition curator, states anything can be a robot as long as three specific criteria are met (including a cute cuddly baby seal). With this in mind, Alex meets Professor Andrew Conn from the Bristol Robotics Lab who demonstrates how soft materials like rubber are perfect contenders for machine design as they are tough to break and - importantly for our listener’s question - bendy.Alex is then thrown into a world of robots that completely change his idea of what machines are. He is shown how conventionally ‘hard’ machines are being modified with touches of softness to totally upgrade what they can do, including flexible ‘muscles’ for robot skeletons and silicon-joined human-like hands at the Soft Robotics Lab run by Professor Robert Katzschmann at ETH Zurich. He is then introduced to robots that are completely soft. Based on natural structures like elephant trunks and slithering snakes, these designs give robots completely new functions, such as the ability to delicately pick fruit and assist with search and rescue operations after earthquakes. Finally, Alex is presented with the idea that, in the future, a robot could be made of materials that are so soft, no trace of machine would remain after its use...Image credit: Jack McBrams/Getty Images Producer: Roland Pease Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
President Putin has been to Mariupol - thought to be his first visit to Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia since the invasion a year ago. Also on the programme: emergency talks are continuing in Switzerland in an attempt to rescue the troubled bank, Credit Suisse, before the opening of financial markets on Monday; and a Tyrannosaurus Rex goes up for auction.(Photo: Russian President Putin visits Crimea on ninth anniversary of Russia"s annexation 18/03/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
The case focuses on alleged hush money paid on Mr Trump's behalf to a former porn star. Also: Russia and Ukraine agree to extend grain deal, and the hunt for olive thieves in Spain.
Is former US President Donald Trump about to be arrested? He claims he is - posting on social media that he's heard leaked reports that he will be indicted. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has been investigating alleged "hush-money" payments made to adult movie actress Stormy Daniels. We hear from the Associated Press’s National Political Reporter Michelle Price. Also in the programme: the Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia – a key focus of the ICC indictment of Russian president Vladimir Putin. And actor Sam Neil on his Non-Hodgkins's lymphoma diagnosis.(Photo: A message on 18 March 2023 on the Truth Social account of former US President Donald Trump reads that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday 21 March as prosecutors consider charges over hush money payments to a porn star, and calls on his supporters to protest. Credit: Social Media via Reuters)
World Book Café travels to Paris to meet some of the French capital’s newest writers. Authors Mahir Guven, Blandine Rinkel, Laurent Petitmangin and Capucine Delattre discuss taking on the literary establishment and finding new ways to express themselves. Like many places in the world, questions of equality, diversity and freedom of expression are top of the agenda in France. But it is complicated; the ideal of universalism - meaning every citizen is considered to be the same regardless of class or ethnicity - is at the heart of the French republic. Does this 'universalism' leave space for the 21st Century desire to celebrate difference, and how can writing help reconcile these complex ideas? Image: The skyline of Paris, 9 December 2022 (Credit: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
We go to Pakistan where former PM Imran Khan faces corruption charges in court in Islamabad. There have been clashes between his supporters and the police. Also on the programme: one of Russia's most decorated writers, Mikhail Shishkin, gives us his reaction to the ICC's arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin; and the actor Sam Neill has revealed he has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and is receiving chemotherapy.(Photo: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. CREDIT: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)
A compilation of stories marking the 20th anniversary of the American led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Caroline Hawley, who was the Baghdad correspondent for the BBC at the time, speaks to Max Pearson about reporting on Iraq. Contributors:Lubna Naji - schoolgirl in Baghdad when the war broke out.Yasir Dhannoon - became a refugee when he fled Iraq. General Vincent Brooks - first revealed the playing cards to help US troops identify the most-wanted members of Saddam Hussein's government.Muwafaq al Rubaie - was asked to help to identify Saddam Hussein after he was captured. Banwal Baba Dawud - brother to Ammo Baba.(Photo: US Marines help Iraqis take down a Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad. Credit: RAMZI HAIDAR/AFP via Getty Images)
Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how a computer data centre could heat pools around the globe, Paris Opera appoints its first black star ballet dancer, and a robotic elephant helping to improve animal rights in India. Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.
Half a trillion dollars have been wiped from the value of bank shares around the world as financial shocks dived this week. The fallout is ongoing after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) spreads through global markets.The authorities are stepping in to get the situation under control, but some deposit holders are still feeling nervous. For now, many analysts say they think the shock will be contained.(Picture: Silicon Valley Bank Collapse. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
It alleges the Russian President is responsible for war crimes for the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. Also: Shares in the troubled banks, Credit Suisse and First Republic, have plunged again as fears persist about their financial health, and the former soldier who has spent nearly 6 years walking the coastline of Great Britain.
Half a trillion dollars have been wiped from the value of bank shares around the world as financial shocks dived this week. The fallout is ongoing after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) spreads through global markets.The authorities are stepping in to get the situation under control, but some deposit holders are still feeling nervous. For now, many analysts say they think the shock will be contained.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for President Putin for the alleged trafficking of children from Russian occupied parts of Ukraine. We hear from the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan. Also on the programme: shares fall once again at the troubled bank Credit Suisse; and we speak to Brazilian music legend Gilberto Gil.(Picture: President Putin of Russia. Credit: Metzel / Reuters)
More bodies recovered in the wost-hit areas of Malawi, following the devastation caused by Storm Freddy.Also, why are religious communities in the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa staging anti-LGBTQI protests?Plus our resident presidents are tackling a major issue... stay tuned...Those stories and more in this podcast presented by Victoria Uwonkunda.
Another bank bail-out has taken place this week. 11 giant US financial institutions said they will deposit $30 billion dollars in California’s First Republic Bank, to try to revive it from a whirling financial storm. Familiar names like J.P. Morgan and Citi are among those institutions which join the unusual bail-out campaign. US treasurer Janet Yellen reassured markets that banks in the US are still strong and healthy.The French government strongarmed their lawmakers to push its controversial pension reform package through on Thursday, sparking another wave of protests in many cities. The unions are now calling for another national strike next Thursday. Will President Macron back down again?
Another bank bail-out has taken place this week. 11 giant US financial institutions said they will deposit $30 billion dollars in California’s First Republic Bank, to try to revive it from a whirling financial storm. Familiar names like J.P. Morgan and Citi are among those institutions which join the unusual bail-out campaign. US treasurer Janet Yellen reassured markets that banks in the US are still strong and healthy.The French government strongarmed their lawmakers to push its controversial pension reform package through on Thursday, sparking another wave of protests in many cities. The unions are now calling for another national strike next Thursday. Will President Macron back down again?
The French President has used a special constitutional power to force his pension reforms through the national assembly. Crowds converged on Place de la Concorde in response to raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. The plans had sparked two months of heated political debate and strikes.Also on the programme: the prospective meeting between the leaders of China and Russia; and greenwashing - we hear that there are now a number of associated terms - but what are green hushing, green crowding and green lighting? (Image: Firefighters extinguish a fire after a demonstration near the National Assembly after the French National Assembly vote on the government's proposed pension reform law in Paris, France, on 16 March 2023. Credit: Badra/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The visit comes as Beijing, an ally of Russia, has offered proposals to end the war in Ukraine, to which the West has given a lukewarm reception. Also: Slovakia follows Poland in sending fighter jets to Kiev and scientists say they have found a way to avoid peanut allergies…
February's earthquake spanned the Turkey-Syria border and refocused international attention on the complicated geopolitics of northern Syria. We hear how the earthquake aid operation presented both challenges and opportunities to the different groups controlling Syria, from the government in Damascus to the rebel leaders of Idlib province. With BBC Monitoring jihadi expert Mina al-Lami and BBC Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab. The handwritten newspaper of Bangladesh Since 2019, a handwritten newspaper has been published by a group of day labourers in southern Bangladesh. It aims to inspire others with stories of ordinary villagers who have overcome struggles and hardships, as BBC Bengali's Nagib Bahar reports. Venezuela: 10 years after the death of Hugo ChavezVenezuelans have been marking the tenth anniversary of the death of former president Hugo Chavez, one of the most controversial, charismatic and influential politicians in Latin American history. As a child, teenager and then young reporter, BBC Mundo’s Jorge Perez witnessed some of the key moments of Chavez’s rule. Searching for gems of hope For four decades local people have been mining semi-precious stones in the mountainous Chumar Bakhoor area of Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan. BBC Urdu’s Musa Yawari travelled into the mountains to meet the miners as they brave hazardous conditions hoping to make their fortunes.(Photo: A man in Idlib province carrying the body of a child after the Turkey-Syria earthquake. Credit: Mohammed Al-Rifai/AFP via Getty images)
It has been 20 years since the start of the Iraq War.On 16 September 2007, private security guards employed by the American firm Blackwater opened fire on civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square. Seventeen Iraqis were killed, and another 20 injured. The Blackwater guards, who were escorting a convoy from the American embassy, claimed that they had come under attack from insurgents, but eye-witnesses and Iraqi officials quickly dismissed that version of events.Mohammed Kinani's nine year old son, Ali, was one of the victims.In this programme, first broadcast in 2020, Mohammed shares his story with Mike Lanchin.(Photo: An Iraqi looks at a burnt car on the site where Blackwater guards opened fire on civilians in Baghdad. Credit: Ali Yussef/AFP via Getty Images)
With more announcements about AI chatbot GPT4, we hear how it will be further integrated into Microsoft and speak to Duolingo about how they hope it will help users learn languages. We also explore the fallout in India and South Africa from the US failure of Silicon Valley Bank and our Tech Reporter, Alasdair Keane, speaks to Alpine F1’s Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon on how tech and data is keeping pace with Formula 1 innovation.(Image: Getty/NurPhoto)
The hospitality entrepreneur Sarah Willingham has worked extensively across the UK restaurant and bar industry. She also featured as a Dragon on the BBC TV show, Dragon's Den (the UK equivalent of Shark Tank).Sarah took a bet at the height of the coronavirus pandemic that cocktail bars would thrive again - and is now CEO of UK-based hospitality group Nightcap, a rapidly expanding drinks-led investment firm which she started with her husband in 2020. The company has acquired around 20 cocktail and party bars across the country, employing more than 1,000 staff.Sarah talks to Dougal Shaw about the difficulties of entrepreneurship in lockdown, some of the current challenges facing the hospitality industry and about the imposter syndrome she felt earlier in her career.Presenter and producer: Dougal Shaw(Image - Sarah Willingham. Credit: Getty Images)
There are fresh efforts to stabilise the global banking sector after big US banks come to rescue First Republic Bank.What about those who never use banks at all? We hear about the challenges for the billions of unbanked around the world. And the return of the sleeper train As Europe sees a boom in overnight rail services - what is the attraction of a midnight express? (Picture: First Republic Bank is displayed on a monitor on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Source: Getty Images)
The French President used special powers to force the bill through Parliament without a vote. Also: Some of the biggest banks in the US pump billions of dollars into rescuing the struggling lender, First Republic, and the competition to help decipher scrolls that survived the volcanic eruption in Pompeii almost 2000 years ago.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Palestinian politician, physician and civil rights activist Mustafa Barghouti. The seemingly endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict could be on the brink of getting a lot worse. If the two-state solution is dead, what option do the Palestinians have?
Eleven US major private banks have confirmed they have launched a thirty-billion-dollar rescue package for First Republic Bank.And what about those who never use banks at all? We hear about the challenges for the billions of unbanked people and businesses around the world.Protests in Paris as the French president pushes through controversial plans to raise the pension age to 64.And why sleeper trains are being revived across Europe from a 'slow travel' company founder.
The battle for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has been the longest and bloodiest since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began last February. On a day when a UN-backed inquiry has accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, we hear from Ukrainian soldiers just 500 metres from Russian forces as they battle for the city in the Donbas region.Also on the programme: the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan tells us why he didn’t show up in court this week to face the charges against him; and a bid to ban the import of hunting trophies to the UK comes under fire from African conservationists.(Picture: A Ukrainian soldier watches his surroundings at a frontline position near Bakhmut, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine on March 16, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura)
34 days after it first formed at the far end of the Indian Ocean, record-breaking Cyclone Freddy made a repeat landfall on Mozambique as well as passing over Malawi, causing extensive damage and loss of life. Climate scientists Liz Stephens and Izidine Pinto join Roland to give an update on the destruction and explain how Cyclone Freddy kept going for an exceptionally long time.At the Third International Human Genome Summit in London last week, Professor Katsuhiko Hayashi announced he had created baby mice from eggs formed by male mouse cells. Dr Nitzan Gonen explains the underlying science, whilst Professor Hank Greely discusses the ethics and future prospects.And from one rodent story to another, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in brown rats scurrying around New York sewers. Dr Thomas DeLiberto from the US Department of Agriculture gives Roland the details.Image credit: Jack McBrams/Getty ImagesProducer: Roland PeaseAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
We'll be in Malawi for the latest on efforts to help people caught in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Freddy.Also, Anthony Blinken is the first US Secretary of State to visit Niger, but why now?And what needs to be done to help children recover from the psychological effects of the war in Tigray?Those stories and more in this podcast presented by Audrey Brown.
Former World Cup winner Heather O'Reilly and former professional player Pat Nevin join Mani Djazmi to discuss FIFA - football's world governing body decision to have a 48 team men's World Cup which will have 104 matches and spread across six weeks. Guinea is a country that has never qualified for the World Cup and Mani speaks to their goalkeeper Aly Keita who is in favour of expanding the competition. The team also discuss the ongoing disagreement between United States coach Greg Berhalter and former teammate Claudio Reyna. Berhalter was cleared by an legal investigation into an incident of domestic violence 30 years ago. The incident from 1992 was brought to light by former USA players Claudio and Danielle Reyna who are parents of one of the USA's current players, Geo. They've been friends with the Berhalters for decades but were unhappy about the lack of playing time. The report also revealed new facts about Claudio Reyna whom, it says, was uncooperative and a pushy parent.Plus have a panel accidentally started a riot? That's after a title-deciding match between Al-Ahed and Al-Ansar couldn't finish after a goal scored in injury-time by Ahed's Scottish striker Lee Erwin sparked a riot by Ansar fans who set seats on fire and threw them onto the pitch forcing the refereeing officials to run for cover.We'll also hear a special guest!
Credit Suisse accepted a $54 billion bailout fund from Switzerland’s Central Bank, after its share price plunged up to 30% on Wednesday. The nation’s second largest bank’s stock price rebounded on Thursday but with issues surrounding the bank for years, investors are asking if the bailout money will save it from more trouble.Despite the bank crisis in Europe, The European Central Bank has decided to raise Eurozone interests rate by 0.5 percentage points. Meanwhile in the UK, Tik Tok has been banned in all government devices – following similar moves in the EU and elsewhere.(Picture: Getty Images)
US, Canada and EU have taken similar action amid concerns over data collection that they fear could be accessed by Beijing. Also: A United Nations commission says Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine but a genocide has not taken place, and the 'Home of Cricket' is forced to overturn a plan to modernise because of a backlash from its members.
Imran Khan accuses the Pakistani government of trying to 'get him out of the way'. Speaking to Newshour from his compound the former Pakistani PM says only fresh elections can unlock the 'quagmire'.Also in the programme Evgenia Kara-Murza on her husband's trial; and decoding the Herculaneum scrolls.(Picture: Supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, pose with a placard in a shape of a cricket bat, with "My-Red Line Imran Khan" written on it, as they gather with others outside Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)
President Biden says the US banking system remains safe, after the failure of the California-based Silicon Valley Bank. In a televised address from the White House, Mr Biden said his administration had acted to ensure that SVB customers would be able to get all their money.Shares in banks around the world slumped; the volatility has led to speculation that America's Federal Reserve will now pause its plans to keep raising interest rates, designed to tame inflation.(Picture: SANTA CLARA, CA, US - MARCH 13: A view of Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara, CA, after the federal government intervened upon the bankâs collapse, on March 13, 2023.Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is cutting 10,000 jobs. The tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.Protesters take to the streets of Pakistan in support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The country is in negotiations with the IMF over a bailout.Argentina’s annual inflation rate has hit a three-decade high, surging past 100 per cent for the first time since 1991. It is due to receive about $5.3bn from the IMF this month.
European banks come under pressure as the fallout from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank continues - we hear from Walter Todd Chief Investment Officer - Greenwood Capital, and the Nobel Prize winning economist Professor Philip Dybvig, Professor of Banking and Finance at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in Saint Louis.Also today a key meeting between South Korea and Japan, and the European nation pumping the brakes on road building - Wales' deputy minister for climate change Lee Waters tells us more.Will Bain is joined throughout by Tokyo-based Yoko Ishikura, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University, and from Ann Arbor, by Betsey Stevenson, Professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan.
Ammo Baba was a beloved player, whose heading ability was legendary and who scored Iraq's first ever international goal. As a coach, Ammo Baba won many regional trophies for the Iraqi team and stood up to Saddam Hussein's sadistic son, Uday. In 2009, thousands of Iraqis gathered at the National Football Stadium to attend the funeral of the player and coach, Emmanuel Baba Dawud, better known as Ammo Baba. His brother, Banwal Baba Dawud, spoke to Ashley Byrne in 2016. The programme is a Made In Manchester Production.(Picture: Ammos Baba's funeral. Credit: Getty Images)
It has been 20 years since the start of the Iraq War.On 13 December 2003 the deposed president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, was captured by US forces.Muwafaq al Rubaie was asked to help to identify the former dictator, face-to-face.In this programme, first broadcast in 2012, he shares his memories of that time with Louise Hidalgo. (Picture: Saddam Hussein shortly after being captured. Credit: Getty Images)
From Persia to India to Greece – they called him The Great – that is Alexander the Great. Also known as Alexander III of Macedon, he was one of the most successful military leaders of all time. Undefeated by the time of his death in 323 BCE, he is still a go-to figure when people want to define an empire builder. But how should we view this often cruel and destructive militarist today in the light of current world events? And, despite his brutality, like his ransacking of the beautiful capital city of Persepolis, is there a more progressive side to Alexander, his desire for cultural assimilation for instance, that explains why he became an inspiration not just to nationalists and imperialists but also to writers, poets, and the gay community?To discuss the relevance of Alexander the Great today, Rana Mitter is joined by James Romm, Professor of Classics at Bard College in New York state whose latest book is Demetrius: Sacker of Cities, the failed but would-be successor to Alexander the Great; Dr Haila Manteghi from the University of Münster in Germany who’s the author of Alexander the Great in the Persian tradition; Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian History at the University of St Andrews in the UK; and Meg Finlayson, a specialist on the evolution of the queer Alexander, from the University of Durham in the UK.Produced by Anne Khazam for the BBC World Service.(Photo: The Alexander mosaic, a Roman floor mosaic from Pompei that dates from circa 100 BCE. Credit: Simone Crespiatico via Getty images)
Fentanyl is deadly. Thousands of Americans die every year from a drug overdose – the majority of them after using a synthetic opioid like fentanyl. Fentanyl was developed as a legal, and effective, pain killer. Now, fuelled by insatiable US demand, it’s illicitly produced in makeshift laboratories in Mexico by organised crime groups. In the first of a two-part series, Assignment travels to the Mexican Pacific port of Manzanillo. This is one of the main entry points for the chemical ingredients required to make fentanyl. It’s a town where Mexico’s powerful cartels have fought for control, and where the mayor lives under armed guard after a failed assassination attempt. Although the primary destination of Mexican-made fentanyl is the US, Mexico too has a rising number of addicts – especially in Tijuana on the Mexico / US border. Presenter / producer: Linda PresslyProducer: Tim ManselProducer in Mexico: Ulises Escamilla[Photo: The Navy is in charge of security at Mexico’s seaports in a bid to stop the chemicals used to make fentanyl coming in from Asia. Credit: Tim Mansel]
Credit Suisse could be in line for support from regulators if it is needed. The comments from the Swiss National Bank come after shares in Credit Suisse plunged 24% to a record low. Banks in Lebanon are facing a crisis with depositors holding some up to get their deposits out. We hear about the fallout from a former finance minister.Argentina's inflation rate has soared past 100% for the first time since the end of hyperinflation in the early 90s. Consumer goods have more than doubled in price since 2022.We hear what this means for people finances.
Swiss financial regulators say they are ready to help the troubled bank. Also: Poland arrests a group of foreigners on suspicion of spying for Russia, and nearly 200,000 are hospitalised in Thailand because of air pollution.
Anyone who has taken a photo of their plate in a restaurant knows how hard it is to make food look good on camera. An industry is dedicated to advertising food products on TV, online and in print. What does it take to make a burger look delicious, desirable and realistic? And, most importantly, is any of the food in adverts real? In this programme, Ruth Alexander meets a food stylist, a food photographer, and a director of food commercials, who share their industry’s tips and tricks. She’s joined by stylist Claire Ferrandi Smythe in Johannesburg, South Africa, photographer Sue Atkinson in London, United Kingdom and food commercials director Steve Giralt in New York, United States, who has made a name for himself with flying food and robots. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: A hand lifting a slice from a pizza with cheese, peppers, mushrooms and meat. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Credit Suisse could be in line for support from regulators if it is needed. The comments from the Swiss National Bank come after shares in Credit Suisse plunged 24% to a record low. Banks in Lebanon are facing a crisis with depositors holding some up to get their deposits out. We hear about the fallout from a former finance minister.Argentina's inflation rate has soared past 100% for the first time since the end of hyperinflation in the early 90s. Consumer goods have more than doubled in price since 2022, and we hear what this means for people finances.
Credit Suisse's shares have tumbled after it disclosed "material weakness" in its accounting controls. The worries have spread across share markets with all major European indexes falling sharply.Also on the programme: a Pakistani court has ordered police to suspend their operation to detain the opposition leader, Imran Khan; and we hear about the giant seaweed island headed towards Florida's coastline.(A screen displays information about Credit Suisse bank on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York on 15 March 2023. Credit: Lane/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
“Diet and exercise” has been the weight-loss mantra for decades – but a drug designed for diabetes patients could now offer hope to people who are obese, at a time when researchers are warning that half of the world’s population are expected to be overweight or obese by 2035. One of the first to have injections of Semaglutide in the UK was Jan who's battled with her weight since childhood. Once the medication took effect she lost 4 stone and said her hunger disappeared. Professor Stephen O’Rahilly from the University of Cambridge explains how the drug mimics our body’s natural appetite signalling – but its effects disappear once you stop the weekly injections. Family doctor Margaret McCartney says it might help some who are obese – but warns that it’s also gained a reputation as a “Hollywood skinny drug", reflecting some of society’s ideas about beauty and celebrity culture. Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Paula McGrath
Up to five million people are affected by floods in Malawi. Things are so bad that even the helpers need help.Also, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, is in Ethiopia. What's on the agenda?And Professor Daniele Darlan - who risked her own safety to defend judicial independence in the Central African Republic.Those stories and more in this podcast with Audrey Brown.
When we think of division in the Middle East, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict normally comes straight to mind. But there’s a new and dangerous tension in Israel – between its own Jewish people. The country now has its most right-wing government for decades, with controversial figures who’ve advocated violence and divisive policies. There’s also a plan to change the judicial system to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a small number of government figures vast control. Its critics say Israel is in danger of becoming a ‘democratic dictatorship’. This political shift is now pitting ordinary Israeli Jews against each other. The ultra-orthodox Haredim and their conservative supporters are at odds with more liberal elements of society. Former Defence Minister Benny Gantz – a powerful figure in the former government – has even raised the spectre of a civil war in Israel, telling the new politicians that they’ll be responsible if a new conflict breaks out. As efforts are made to maintain peace and hold the country together, the BBC’s Middle East Correspondent Yolande Knell meets two rabbis who are odds with one another in the heart of Jerusalem. Surrounded by the religious iconography that should symbolise the links between them, she explores why the two ends of the spectrum now find themselves so far apart. And she tries to persuade them to come together over a meal to find out if there’s any way to bridge the gaping political and theological differences in their thinking. But will they be willing to meet? Presenter: Yolande KnellProducer: Rajeev Gupta Editor: Helen GradyProduction Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
The share price of Credit Suisse took another nosedive in the markets, hitting its all-time low for the second consecutive day by tanking up to 30% as Saudi National Bank, the Swiss bank's largest backer, ruled out the possibility of further financial help.Share indexes across the world including the UK's FTSE-100, the US's Dow Jones and Nasdaq have been all down as Credit Suisse put more pressure on an already-anxious market.Is Credit Suisse at risk of following Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank's footsteps? What impact would that have globally if it happened?In the Middle East, Lebanese banks are on indefinite strike now. Nasser Saidi, the nation’s former finance minister, will paint us a picture of what’s going on there in today's programme.(Picture: BBC)
The commercial capital, Blantyre, is worst-affected, with many having died in landslides. Also: the Pakistani authorities say they have suspended efforts to arrest the opposition leader, Imran Khan, because they're disrupting a prestigious cricket tournament, and celebrations - and controversy - over the re-introduction of wolves to Europe.
Malawi says over 220 people are now known to have died in floods and mudslides resulting from Tropical Storm Freddy.The number may rise as rescue teams reach cut-off areas as the weather improves. We hear about the challenges from a UNICEF official.Also in the programme: How cricket intervened in attempts by police in Pakistan to arrest the opposition politician, Imran Khan; and we hear from Afghan musicians who were forced to flee because after the Taliban took over.(Photo shows people crossing a makeshift bridge where flood water affected the previous crossing in Blantyre, Malawi on 14 March 2023)
It has been 20 years since the start of the Iraq War.In April 2003, the US military unveiled a set of playing cards to help troops identify the most-wanted members of Saddam Hussein's government.The cards were first revealed to the world by General Brigadier Vincent K Brooks at a press conference on 11 April 2003. He has been sharing his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.(Picture: Vincent K Brooks holds up the 'most wanted' playing cards. Credit: Getty Images)
If you don’t like the way online speech is regulated, can you build your own internet where you make the rules? This is the story of Rumble, the new king of alt-tech. Rumble started as a small video streaming platform, hoping to rival YouTube. Recently, it has become the site of choice for Americans frustrated with YouTube moderation. Now, it is seeking to build the infrastructure for an internet ecosystem that is “immune to cancel culture”. In this episode, we trace the company’s journey from Canadian start-up to Floridian Big Tech challenger, and ask what this means for the future of public debate online.Presenter Ellie House speaks to Evelyn Douek, Assistant Professor at Stanford Law School, and Bailey Lipschultz, equities reporter at Bloomberg News.And in Florida, we hear from local residents Carol Lerner and her friend Robin Taub Williams, plus Republican strategist Jamie Miller.Producer/presenter: Ellie HouseAdditional reporting: Annie PhrommayonSound mix: James Beard(Image: Person using phone looking at Rumble app. Credit: Getty Images)
一位听众来信向我们提问：由 “if” 引导的从句应该用什么时态？这要视情况而定：在决定用什么时态时，除了要考虑由 “if” 引导的条件从句中所描述的事件何时发生以外，还要根据事件发生可能性的大小以及是否属实做出判断。听节目中主持人 Phil 和佳莹通过分析例句讲解 “if” 从句的时态。
The recent rise in migrant boat crossings between France and the UK is being fuelled, in part, by more sophisticated methods gangs are using to source the boats. The criminal gangs now control the production of inflatables, making it possible to significantly increase profits. Sue Mitchell teams up with former British soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, to investigate how boats used in migrant Chanel crossings are sourced and the huge profits being made.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is cutting 10,000 jobs. The tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.Protesters take to the streets of Pakistan in support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The country is in negotiations with the IMF over a bailout.Argentina’s annual inflation rate has hit a three-decade high, surging past 100 per cent for the first time since 1991. It is due to receive about $5.3bn from the IMF this month.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is cutting 10,000 jobs. The tech giant laid off 11,000 employees last November.China is to start issuing tourist visas to travellers for the first time in three years. The last cross-border control measure was imposed to guard against Covid-19 and comes after authorities declared victory over the virus. It's a month after a devastating earthquake killed nearly 50,000 people in southern Turkey. Plans to rebuild the economy from the Syrian side of the border are underway. We hear the story of one child worker called Abdullah and how he is dealing with the aftermath of the quake.
Washington said it was operating in international airspace, and accused Moscow of recklessness. Also: The former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says police acted outside the law when they tried to arrest him at his home in Lahore, and why the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is making Tom Cruise's latest mission impossible.
An unmanned American surveillance drone has crashed in the Black Sea, in an incident involving two Russian fighter jets. The US and Russia have given very different accounts of what happened. Also in the programme: almost 200 people have been killed in Malawi as Tropical Storm Freddy continues to bare down on south-east Africa; and President Joe Biden has chosen the community of Monterey Park to announce new measures on stricter background checks for gun ownership - he's using a presidential decree to bring them in.(Photo: A US MQ-9 drone is on display during an air show at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a US MQ-9 drone surveillance drone over the Black Sea, causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle in international waters, the US military said, an incident that highlighted soaring US-Russian tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine. Credit: AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)
Malawi is reeling from the aftermath of Storm Freddy. Authorities say the death toll has risen to more than 190 people. We hear from those affected. Nigeria’s Central Bank has said 200, 500 and 1000 old banknotes will remain legal tender until the end of the year after months of chaos. We hear from Goma Volcano Observatory about a glow observed at the top of Nyamulagira volcano.And despite three decades since the end of apartheid in South Africa, many alleged human rights violations remain unsolved.
Beijing has strongly criticised the significant naval deal. The pact is aimed at countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Also on the programme: a special report on outstanding cases of alleged human rights violations in South Africa under Apartheid; and we hear about a swimming pool heated by a computer. (Photo: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese at Point Loma naval base, San Diego, US, to discuss the Aukus trilateral security pact, 13 March 2023. Credit: Rousseau/PA Wire)
As the US bank crisis has unfolded in recent days, the global market has been rattled, but it looks like investors are now digesting the news about Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, as regional bank share surges.The Nikkei share index dropped by more than 2% but some experts are saying this crisis is nothing like the one in 2008.How big will the fallout be? Will the crisis alter the US Federal Reserve’s thinking on interest rate rises?(Picture: Getty Images)
Beijing has described the move as embarking on a 'path of error and danger.' Russia said the submarine pact would bring years of confrontation to Asia. Also: India's supreme court has dismissed an appeal seeking more compensation for victims of the Bhopal gas leak, and riding motorbikes could become harder for tourists in Bali.
It has been 20 years since the start of the Iraq War.Millions of citizens attempted to flee the country after America and its allies invaded in March 2003.One of those people was Baghdad resident, Yasir Dhannoon. He has been sharing his story with Matt Pintus. (Photo: Refugees fleeing from the fighting zone around Baghdad in 2003. Credit: Getty Images)
办公室的饼干罐里空空如也，是谁偷吃了所有的饼干？主持人菲菲看到同事 Rob 满嘴饼干渣，而且神色慌张、鬼鬼祟祟，便对 Rob 说 “caught red-handed”。 “饼干小偷” 到底是谁？听节目，学习地道英语表达 “caught red-handed” 的意思和用法。
Abdullah lives in northern Syria. He is 14, he lost his mother and brothers to the Syrian civil war. For years now Abdullah has been working to feed the rest of his family, and he's just survived one of the world’s most devastating earthquakes. In this episode of Business Daily Ed Butler hears Abdullah's story. Abdullah works at the Harakat Tarhin oil refinery outside Al Bab in north-west Syria. It's a makeshift oil refinery and they make fuel to feed the cars, trucks and heaters on which the region depends.Oil is usually refined in massive industrial buildings, run by multi-national firms, but where Abdullah works it’s cooked in the back yard. He tells us he knows how dangerous his job is but that he has no choice and must carry on working. Presenter / producer: Ed ButlerImage: Abdullah; Credit: BBC
Since 2020, when the so-called Nth Room scandal revealed how women and children were lured and blackmailed to make explicit videos for distribution through chatrooms, the lucrative online sexual exploitation of women and children has intensified. Sojeong Lee investigates why women in South Korea are so especially vulnerable to online abuse and exploitation and why so little has been achieved by government and police. How have the country’s economic and social characteristics led to this hotbed of digital sex crime?
Their partnership aims to combat a perceived threat from China. Also: Russia and Ukraine extend a grain deal to prevent a global food crisis, and Dick Fosbury, the man who revolutionised the high jump in athletics has died at the age of 76.
Stocks in some US banks have continued to fall, despite President Biden's attempt to reassure Americans their money is safe after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. At one point shares in Western Alliance fell by 80%. Another bank First Republic was down by 75%. Earlier, Mr Biden used a televised address from the White House to say he would do whatever was needed to maintain stability. Stock markets across Europe closed down by more than 2%, with some banks suffering much steeper falls. Credit Suisse closed at a record low after declining by nearly 10%.Also in the programme: Malawi declares a state of emergency as it struggles to deal with tropical storm Freddy - still battering south East Africa; and a nuclear powered submarine plan for Australia - so how will it affect tensions between the West and China?(Photo: United States President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the United States banking system after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) 13 March 2023. Credit: Chris Kleponis/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Clifford Johnson's career to date has spanned some seemingly very different industries - from exploring quantum mechanics around string theory and black holes, to consulting on some of Hollywood's biggest movies; but it makes sense once you understand his ambition of making science accessible to all.A Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Clifford's worked in the United States for decades – but was born in the UK, then spent his formative years on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, before moving back to England to study.Here, he fell in love with quantum mechanics - before moving to the US, where he's broken new ground in finding ways to talk about quantum gravity and black holes.Clifford's other big passion is getting as many people as possible engaged with science, making it more exciting, entertaining and most importantly diverse - and it's this attitude that's led to regular work as a science consultant on various TV shows and films; and even a recent cameo in a major movie.
Malawi’s government has declared a state of emergency, after Cyclone Freddy killed dozens of people and caused huge damage, with rescue efforts hampered by continuing poor weather.Plus, we look at what Angola’s decision to send troops into eastern Congo means for the dynamics of the ongoing conflict in North Kivu province.And we have a special report from Tanzania’s first commercial aquaculture farm, which it’s hoped will enable more people to eat fish.
Lineker 'delighted' to return as BBC reviews social media rules. The BBC Director General, Tim Davie, insists he has not backed down. Also: President Biden says the US banking system will hold up despite last week's collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and the sci-fi movie Everything Everywhere All at Once wins seven Oscars, including best actress for Michelle Yeoh.
Shares in many American and European banks have plunged after the collapse of the California-based Silicon Valley Bank, with the US and UK governments intervening to keep markets stable.We'll look at what can be done to prevent contagion.Also in the prograamme: Flooding in a small town in Queensland, Australia has brought unexpected danger; and what the big wins at the Oscars mean for Asian representation on the big screen.(Photo shows a destroyed Silicon Valley Bank. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)
It has been 20 years since the start of the Iraq War. In March 2003, the United States launched its invasion, dropping bombs on Iraq's capital Baghdad.For Iraqis it marked the beginning of three weeks of helplessness as the US and its allies overwhelmed Saddam Hussein's forces. In this programme, first broadcast in 2012, Robin Lustig speaks to Lubna Naji who was a schoolgirl in Baghdad when the war broke out.(Photo: Bombs fall on Baghdad. Credit: Getty Images)
Last month’s devastating earthquake didn’t just claim thousands of Turkish lives, it ravaged northern Syria as well. International help for that region has struggled to get through. In this episode of Business Daily Ed Butler looks at how the region is battling to pick up the pieces, and whether local business-people are helping or simply profiting from the crisis.Amnat Soueif, a mother of two, tells Ed how she's providing for her children. Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior fellow at the New Lines Institute, tells us about conversations she's having with families in the region about their trauma.Abu Amer runs a vegetable stall in the Idlib area - he tells us how commodity prices have been affected by the earthquake and Bassam Abu Muhammad, a blacksmith, tells us that since the earthquake he's moved into making and selling tents.Presenter / producer: Ed ButlerImage: A displaced Syrian child; Credit: Getty images
There is an impressive list of female creatives on this year's Oscar nominees list – actors, producers, costume designers - but no female directors. In fact, in the Academy’s 94-year-history, only seven women have ever been nominated. Why is that? And what is getting in the way of achieving gender parity in filmmaking? Kim Chakanetsa travels to the heart of Hollywood to find out more. Keri Putnam is a film executive and producer and the founder of Putnam Pictures. She served for 11 years as the CEO of the Sundance Institute which runs the Sundance Film Festival. Prior to that worked as a senior executive at Miramax and HBO. She is also the co-founder of Re-frame, an organisation providing mentorship and training to help women making it into the industry, and served 3 terms on the Women in Film Board of directors. Stephanie Allain is a film Producer and writer and the newly-elected co-President of the Producers Guild of America, the first woman of colour to serve as PGA president. Stephanie was one of the original ReFrame ambassadors and served 3 terms on the WIF Board of Directors including 9 years as Vice President. Stephanie was also the first Black woman to produce the Academy Awards in 2020. She runs her own company, Homegrown Pictures, which focuses on creating content by and about women and people of colour.Producers: Alice Gioia, Jane Thurlow, Hetal Bapodra Sound recording: Devin PinckardProduction assistant: Abbie Bulbulian(Image: (L) Stephanie Allain (R) Keri Putnam. Credit: Devin Pinckard)
Stephen Sackur is in Nice to speak to the former Russian oligarch and billionaire businessman Sergei Pugachev. He was once dubbed Putin’s banker, a close confidant who helped Putin reach the top. But their relationship soured. Pugachev was accused of massive financial crimes; he renounced his Russian citizenship and now lives with armed guards in the south of France. What does his extraordinary story tell us of Putin’s strengths and weaknesses?
The family of Hussein Abu Al-Khair say he was tortured until he made a confession. Also: Nicaragua has suspended relations with the Vatican, and the head of the WHO says it is vital to find the origins of the Covid virus.
The US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, says she's been working all weekend to prevent the consequences of a major bank collapse from spreading. The collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank was the biggest such failure in the US for fifteen years.Also on the programme; is another Iranian American prisoner swap imminent? Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, told state TV that a deal could be done soon, although the US denies it. And it's Oscar night and the film The Banshees of Inisherin has been nominated for nine awards. But even if it goes home empty handed, the film has changed the life of one woman, 83-year-old Delia Barry, who knitted the jumpers worn by the cast and who is now a social media sensation. We hear from her. (Picture: The Silicon Valley Bank Credit: Getty)
We meet experts at the Human Genome Editing Summit in London, seeking to cure genetic disease and ensure that it is safe and available to all.Roland Pease hears from Victoria Gray, the first person to be cured of the debilitating and life-shortening disease sickle cell anaemia by gene editing, and from the scientists making it possible.Also, the prospect of work to attempt gene rescue in fetuses before they are born. But the technology is expensive and complex. The question troubling the participants is to ensure people across the world can benefit from it, not just the rich and privileged.And what are the limitations of gene editing? Can it be made more effective, safer? And what of gene edits that will be inherited by future generations?
Britain's Rishi Sunak and Australia's Anthony Albanese have gone to the Pacific coast to meet President Joe Biden at a summit in San Diego. AUKUS is on the agenda - the new defence pact established 18 months ago to counter what they see as a growing security threat from China in the Indo-Pacific region. Also in the programme: the migrants crossing by sea. Will the Italian government’s latest policies help to save lives? And a look ahead to the Oscars.(Photo: The Virginia-class USS North Dakota submarine is seen during bravo sea trials in this U.S. Photo credit: Navy handout picture 10/03/2023 Reuters)
The huge sea rescue operation comes nearly two weeks after a deadly shipwreck involving migrants off the Italian coast. Also: South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is cleared of wrongdoing by anti-corruption authorities, and renewed calls to tighten Germany’s gun laws after a deadly shooting in Hamburg.
A major political row is raging in the UK following tweets by BBC presenter Gary Lineker. The director general of the BBC apologises after major disruption to its sports coverage.Also on the programme; Cyclone Freddy has made landfall for the fourth time, battering the central coast of Mozambique. And the Italian coastguard says it's rescued a total of twelve hundred people who were in vessels that got into difficulty in the Mediterranean sea.(Picture: BBC Sport presenter Gary Lineker. Credit: PA)
Max Pearson presents a compilation of stories celebrating women who made history including a ground-breaking, African American science fiction writer and the first presidential hopeful in Mexico. Plus the UN's first ever all-female peacekeeping unit, a woman who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland and a child goddess in Nepal.Contributors:Dr Brenda Stevenson - Hillary Rodham Clinton Chair in Women’s History at St John’s College, Oxford University.Nisi Shawl - friend of Octavia Butler.Rosario Piedra - daughter of Rosario Ibarra.Nick Caistor - journalist.Seema Dhundia - member of India’s Central Reserve Police Force.Lesley Pruitt - author of The Women in Blue Helmets.Monica McWilliams - one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement.Chanira Bajrycharya - former child goddess in Nepal.(Photo: March for International Women's Day in Mexico City in 2023. Credit: Getty Images)
A career bureaucrat, Li Qiang, has been sworn in as China's new premier and will be tasked with tackling a series of economic challenges. Also on the programme, Silicon Valley Bank has been shut down by regulators in the biggest banking failure in the United States since the financial crisis; and, clinical trials have shown that a gadget developed by British researchers can help a majority of those living with Tourette's Syndrome to control their symptoms.(Photo: Fourth plenary session of the National People"s Congress (NPC) in Beijing 11/03/2023 Reuters)
Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, sharing the things about your home country that make you happy, NASA's new head of science on how her dad gave her a love of space, and how bees can not only solve puzzles, but teach each other how to do it. Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.
Some of the best male golfers in the world are tackling the iconic Sawgrass course this week in the prestigious Players Championship. One man who knows better than most how to conquer the course is Jeremy Poincenot. The Florida course is regarded as one of the most challenging in the sport and more so for Jeremy, who is blind. Last year the two time Blind World Champion played in the blind version of the Ryder Cup, "The Vision Cup" which was played at Sawgrass including the infamous 17th hole. Did you know that obstacle courses are not just for bachelor and bachelorette parties and the military?! There is in fact a whole world of professional obstacle course racing, and it's even being incorporated into the next Olympics as part of the revamped Modern Pentathlon. So who better to find out a little more about the sport than multiple Obstacle Course Racing World Champion Nicole Mericle. Jasmyne Spencer has played in every season the NWSL, the top flight of professional soccer in the USA, since it started. She now plays for Los Angeles based Angel City FC. The franchise is in just it's second year of existence but the team isn't short of publicity. It's owned by some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Natalie Portman and Eva Longoria, but it's not the glamour that attracted Jasmyne to sign, it's what the club does off the field. Jasmyne is not only a pro footballer, she's an activist, and environmentalist and an entrepreneur, running "Jas It Up" a successful, sustainable clothing brand. Ahead of the new season she's been talking football, fashion and famous film stars.Photo: Jeremy Poincenot being guided ahead of a shot by his caddy, guide and dad (Credit: Jeremy Poincenot)
US regulators have shut down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and taken control of its customer deposits in the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.The moves came as the firm, a key tech lender, was scrambling to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates.Its troubles prompted a rush of customer withdrawals and sparked fears about the state of the banking sector. The most important issue is what will happen with the deposit holders and will they be able to get their money back.Meanwhile, Belgium bans TikTok from government phones following US, EU and Canada. Belgium's prime minister says the main reason is worries about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation. Also, it’s the Oscars this weekend and every award season celebrities are invited to gifting suites where they can select free stuff in return for endorsements. Business Daily asked Hollywood reporter KJ Matthews to find out how it all works.(Picture: Silicon Valley Bank Shut Down By Regulators. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
They broke ties in 2016 and have taken different sides in wars in Yemen and Syria. Also: The US sees its first major bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis,and Donald Trump has been invited to testify to a grand jury over the Stormy Daniels case.
US regulators have shut down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and taken control of its customer deposits in the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.The moves came as the firm, a key tech lender, was scrambling to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates.Its troubles prompted a rush of customer withdrawals and sparked fears about the state of the banking sector. The most important issue is what will happen with the deposit holders and will they be able to get their money back.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are normalising their ties after a seven- year rupture. China - which mediated in the reconciliation process - and the UN have welcomed the move; Washington was more cautious. We hear from Saudi and Iran analysts. Also, what does Israel make of the agreement to restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and it's arch enemy.The United States has seen its first major bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis after a run on the tech-focussed Silicon Valley Bank led regulators to close it down.And a TV interview from inside a prison in Iran. A dual national US citizen pleads with President Biden to secure his release.(Photo: China's director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban meet in Beijing. Credit: China Daily)
Several African nations unite in Malawi in a bid to create a taskforce to curb the spread of deadly Cholera.Also, Mozambique braces itself for a second battering by Cyclone Freddy.And our very own satirical resident presidents have their take on the recent elections in Nigeria.Those stories and more in this podcast with Paul Bakibinga.
Xi Jinping has been anointed for a third term as president of China, cementing his position as the country's unchallenged leader. The appointment for what is a largely ceremonial role was expected -- but underlines the hold Mr Xi has over Chinese politics. We ask what he will do with his power.Also in the programme: an extraordinary phone call from inside a Tehran prison. The US-Iranian national Siamak Namazi speaks to an American TV network. We hear from his brother, appealing for Washington's help; and can a summit between the leaders of France and Britain make the entente more cordiale?(Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping takes his oath during the Third Plenary Session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing China, 10 March 2023. Credit: Mark R Cristino/pool/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Shares in Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a key lender to technology start-ups, plunged after it announced plans to shore up its finances. Ed Butler finds out why other global shares have also suffered.Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations after seven years in a deal brokered by China seeking to reduce tensions in the oil-rich region. And we bring you a UN breakthrough on a long and apparently intractable argument over a stranded oil tanker around the Gulf of Aden.Also It’s the Oscars this weekend and every award season celebrities are invited to gifting suites where they can select free stuff in return for endorsements.
It caps a consolidation of power that has made him China's most dominant leader in generations. Also: rare and deadly Cyclone Freddy is expected to hit Mozambique for a second time, and scientists create the first detailed map of how an insect's brain is wired.
We look at the Belarusian regiment of volunteers serving under Ukrainian command in the war against Russia, and explore Ukraine's complex relationship with Belarus, with BBC Monitoring journalist, and Belarusian, Gennadiy Kot. Me and my nameBBC Mundo's Atahualpa Amerise reflects on what it’s like to be a Spaniard named after the last Inca emperor.Thai punishment haircutsHistorically Thai students have faced humiliating punishment haircuts by teachers for breaking strict rules regarding the length and style of their hair. But last month the authorities revoked the hair regulations. BBC Thai's Tossapol Chaisamritpol visits a school that has adopted more liberal rules, and remembers his own punishment haircuts. Chinese migrants 'walking the line' through South AmericaBenny Lu of BBC Chinese has spoken to some of the growing number of Chinese asylum seekers trying to reach the United States via South America. They call it 'walking the line'. The champion rat catcher of Bangladesh Mohammed Anwar is a champion rat catcher. It started as a hobby to make a bit of pocket money then became a lucrative career. BBC Bengali's Shahnewaj Rocky joined him for a rat catching day out. (Photo: Belarus fighters in Ukraine. Credit: The Kastus Kalinowski Regiment website)
In 2000, when Chanira Bajrycharya was just five years old, she was chosen to be a Kumari - a child goddess in Nepal.For the next 10 years, she remained inside her Kumari house, receiving worshippers and giving blessings. She tells Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty about being a living deity, and how her life changed after losing her status as a goddess aged 15.Chanira now works for a mortgage broker in Kathmandu.(Picture: Chanira Bajrycharya whilst Kumari. Credit: Chanira Bajrycharya)
Shiona McCallum is at Meta's London HQ to chat to WhatsApp boss, Will Cathcart. We explore their response to the UK's Online Safety Bill and ask about the future of payments through the app. Also in this episode the latest with TikTok as the platform tries to reassure governments it is taking data security seriously and could the sky be full of drones? We speak to one company who think they'll be doing more deliveries soon.
Ahead of the Oscars, Business Daily goes behind the scenes of a celebrity gifting suite. Before the ceremony and the parties, celebrities are often invited to hotel suites, usually close to where the awards ceremony will happen. The rooms are filled with skincare products, makeup, jewellery, clothes, shoes, bags, you name it. Celebrities can take the gifts away for free - all companies want in return is a superstar endorsement.In this episode entertainment reporter KJ Matthews finds out how this business actually works with Nathalie Dubois who has been running these suites for almost 20 years.We also hear from Nthenya Mwendwa, a designer from Kenya who's bracelet bag was recently chose by a celebrity at a gifting suite and worn on the red carpet. Hear what that photos and the exposure has done for her small business. Presenter: KJ MatthewsProducer: Carmel O'GradyImage: Sharon Stone at a gifting suite in Cannes: Credit: Nathalie Dubois
Stephen Sackur speaks to Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, a key architect of the Netanyahu government’s controversial legal reforms aimed at radically overhauling the country’s judicial system. Critics say the plans threaten Israel’s democracy. This, alongside the rising violence in the occupied West Bank, raises questions about the strategic direction of Netanyahu’s ultra-nationalist government. Is Israel plunging into chaos?
The European Union will allow members to offer subsidies that match those offered by the US Inflation Reduction Act to prevent an exodus of green energy projects. The White House's $369 billion initiative has been criticised by many countries, which fear it could attract local companies to move across the Atlantic.Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Stefanie Yuen Thio, joint managing partner at TSMP Law in Singapore, and Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence in Texas.(Picture: A worker installs solar panels on the roof of a farmstead barn in Germany. Picture credit: Reuters)
The European Commission has replied to the US Inflation Reduction Act, a $369 billion programme of green subsidies, by loosening rules and allowing member states to offer companies as much government funding as they would get if they relocated to the US. We find out if this will help prevent an exodus of businesses working on green projects. And as the Georgian government takes a step back in its plans to push ahead a controversial legislation on foreign agents, we explore how the economy is doing.
It includes big spending plans, worth more than six trillion dollars, with the focus on social programmes. Also: Italy's prime minister announces tough new penalties for people smugglers, after a cabinet meeting on the coast where dozens of migrants drowned last month, and the UK reveals its entrant for the Eurovision song contest.
After another blackout at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the head of the UN's nuclear observatory has appealed for a protection zone.Rafael Grossi has said that renewed Russian shelling, near Ukraine's biggest nuclear plant, has almost caused disaster. We'll find out from the president of the European Nuclear Society how likely he thinks an incident is at Zaporizhzhia.Also in the programme: The fear of Russian influence that's bringing Georgian protesters out onto the streets in their thousands; and in Israel, protests reach new heights of fury against Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government.(Photo shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on 24 November 2022. Credit: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
Human Genome Editing: The team meet experts at the Human Genome Editing Summit in London, seeking to cure genetic disease and ensure that it's safe and available to all.Roland Pease hears from Victoria Gray, the first person to be cured of the debilitating and life-shortening disease sickle cell anaemia by gene editing, and from the scientists making it possible.Also, the prospect of work to attempt gene rescue in fetuses before they are born.But the technology is expensive and complex – the question troubling the participants is to ensure people across the world can benefit from it, not just the rich and privileged.And what are the limitations of gene editing? Can it be made more effective, safer? And what of gene edits that will be inherited by future generations?
A bill has been tabled in the Ugandan parliament which could see anyone engaging in same-sex relations go to jail for up to ten years.Nigeria has postponed governorship and state assembly elections due to the ongoing dispute over the presidential vote. A solar plant in Kigoma, Tanzania, is providing over 60,000 people with clean electricity.And we find out how camels in Mauritania are helping the country fight jihadism.
Mani Djazmi is joined by Pat Nevin and Heather O’Reilly for the latest episode of World Football. We speak to President of the Norwegian Football Federation, Lise Klaveness, about her ambitions to join UEFA and the importance of having female leaders in football.And new Major League Soccer club St Louis City have started with two wins from two in the Western Conference - their sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel tells us how excited the city of St Louis is about their journey.Photo: Norway Football Federation president Lise Klaveness talks during the 72nd FIFA Congress on March 31, 2022 at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar. (Credit: Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Joe Biden is today unveiling a new federal budget - one that he says would cut deficits by nearly $3tn over the next decade.China's annual consumer inflation slowed to its lowest rate in a year in February. Russia has been making a push to win friends in Africa by offering free giveaways. This week Malawi was pledged 25,000 tonnes of free-fertiliser, a prime commodity for Malawi farmer. And report from central African Republic, a landlocked country in the heart of the continent, where people are struggling to cope with a recent sharp increase in the price of petrol and diesel.
Rafael Grossi's remarks came after more Russian shelling of the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine. Also: Tens of thousands of Israelis have been staging mass protests against proposed judicial reforms, and we look back at the life of Chaim Topol who's died aged 87.
The authorities in Ukraine are working to restore power to parts of the country after Russia damaged energy infrastructure in a massive overnight bombardment - the heaviest in a month. Ukraine's military says Russia fired nearly ninety missiles and drones.Also in the programme: Georgian government plans to revoke controversial legislation on foreign agents, but protesters says demonstrations will continue; and the Israeli actor Chaim Topol has died aged 87 - he was best known for playing the lead role in the Hollywood and Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof.(Photo: Rescuers work at a site of residential buildings destroyed by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia"s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv region, Ukraine on 9 March 2023. Credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Lviv region/Handout via Reuters)
Congolese M23 rebels continue to seize swathes of territory even though there's supposed to be a ceasefire.And today - International Women's day - we hear about Kenya's first girls only running camp.Plus - three brave female photographers - who are working in conflict zones.Those stories and more in this podcast with Hassan Arouni.Disclaimer: Due to a production error, Wednesday's edition of the Africa Today podcast was posted on Thursday, March 09, 2023.
In 2012 Irene helped lead her New Zealand team Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic to victory, beating the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championships. She later went on to play for New Zealand’s national team, the Silver Ferns. Originally from South Africa, she initially faced a hostile media who didn’t accept her as a New Zealand player, but with her success she eventually became a national treasure. She is the most-capped netballer of all time.Irene has been speaking to Alex Collins.(Photo: Irene Van Dyk playing in the All Star Celeb Slam in Novermber 2020 Credit: Getty)
The dos and don'ts of trying to discuss science with someone who doesn't believe in it.
Monica McWilliams played one of the most pivotal roles in the Northern Ireland peace process. She spent two years at the negotiating table which finally resulted in the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998. That made her a joint signatory to an international peace accord – something that very few women in the world manage to be. She speaks to Alys Harte about the representation of women in the historic retelling of Northern Ireland’s peace process and why women are so often written out of the history they make.(Picture: Monica McWilliams. Credit: Getty Images)
Oscar Bilayin Kudor runs a business in Ghana producing cassava flour. He wants to grow his business but traditional banks are reluctant to lend him the money to buy expensive machinery. 1.4 billion people around the world people can't get access to formal banking. Two thirds of them live in low and middle income countries. One of Ghana’s largest banks, Absa Bank thinks it has a solution. It’s giving small businesses grants to help them access formal banking facilities. Having a bank account makes it easier for households to budget and businesses are more likely to thrive. In this episode we also look at how digital banks are helping more people get bank accounts and why access to banking is key to empowering women. Producer/Presenter: Sam Fenwick Image: Oscar Bilayin Kudor; Credit: Oscar Bilayin Kudor
The digital health market is growing rapidly - in 2021 the sector was valued at 195 billion US dollars.Companies offer apps and devices to monitor our vital statistics, our activity, our nutrition, our hormones. And those apps collect a lot of data about us.Presenter Marie Keyworth visits Web Summit, a large tech conference in Lisbon, to find out what is happening to this information.And asks how consumers can get the most out of health apps whilst feeling comfortable about data privacy...Plus Marie explores the aftermath of the Roe v Wade ruling which raised concerns that law enforcement officials could subpoena abortion-related data from data companies and women's health apps, to use in a prosecution.Eirini Rapti, the founder of the menstrual cycle tracking app Inne tells Marie how her company responded to Roe v Wade, and the impact it might have on international growth.Russell Glass, the CEO of Headspace Health which started as a mindfulness app, says they follow robust privacy and security rules, but a lot of the burden is falling on the consumer too because regulation can't always keep up.Presenter and producer: Marie Keyworth(Image: Woman using mobile phone. Credit: Getty Images)
From coronations to cup finals, many of us love a big event, a ceremony with age-old observances. Indeed rituals, whether public spectaculars or more personal ones, such as a particular daily routine, have been part of human experience since time began. But why do rituals persist even though so many of them seem to serve no obvious practical purpose?Rajan Datar looks for clues in our past with the help of Egyptologist Dr. Elizabeth Frood and historian of Venice Prof. Edward Muir. It turns out that non-human animals – for instance elephants - also display ritual-like behaviour and not always for practical reasons. We hear from a leading behavioural ecologist, Dr. Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell.We examine whether rituals really do remain unchanging through time: it might seem to be their essential characteristic but in reality they continuously evolve. And what about the power of contemporary collective ceremonies and the strong emotions that swell inside us from being part of a huge crowd? Anthropologist Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas gives us his insights.(Photo: Shinto priests conduct the Oharae ritual in Tokyo. Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
Ireland’s housing estates continue to ring to the sound of horses with patches of grass used for grazing and garages as stables. Horses used to be an integral part of cities across Europe until the middle of the 20th century. But in Ireland, no matter how hard the authorities have tried to dissuade residents from keeping horses, the tradition survives. Although horses have long been associated with the travelling community, Irish people from all backgrounds have a passion for owning them. For those on lower incomes, that’s often in housing estates and even in city centres. Some horses can be bought for the price of a packet of cigarettes and although there are supposedly strict ownership rules, these are routinely flouted. The authorities are caught between trying to protect animal welfare and respecting a key part of Irish culture. For Assignment, Katie Flannery travels to Limerick and Dublin to hear about urban horses there. Produced by Bob Howard.(Photo by Bob Howard)
President Joe Biden's budget proposal will propose raising taxes on companies and people earning over $400,000 a year. The Democratic leader wants to ensure the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share while cutting wasteful spending on special interest interests, like Big Oil and Big Pharma.The German company Adidas on Wednesday slashes dividends and shakes up its management. We ask what will happen to the billions of dollars’ worth of remaining Yeezy gear left over from its former partnership with Ye (yay) or Kanye West.The Dutch government says it'll restrict the export of certain types of equipment used to make microchips or semiconductors because of security concerns. This comes after pressure from the United States to get the Netherlands to restrict China's access to high- end chip technology.
Demonstrators say the legislation is aimed at stifling the opposition. Also: A US congressional probe into the origins of the Covid pandemic opens, with a former top health official saying he believes the virus probably escaped from a Chinese lab, and the scientist who has created eggs from the cells of male mice.
Facing the trauma of having to abandon your home because of war or climate change, how do you find solace in food that is no longer your own? There are 10 million registered refugees in the world – probably many more - who are living this reality. In this episode, Ruth Alexander speaks to two families – one Afghan, one Ukrainian - who know what it’s like to lose their food; and to Allison Oman Lawi, deputy director of nutrition at the World Food Programme. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Rumella Dasgupta. (Image: a selection of dishes enjoyed by an Afghan family living in the UK. Credit: BBC)
Pakistan continues to face economic uncertainty after talks with the International Monetary Fund fail to come to a resolution. It comes as another car manufacturer in Pakistan stops production because it can't obtain the parts and raw materials it needs. China is likely to continue its economic and defensive co-operation with Moscow, despite pressure from western nations. We examine what this means for the Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Rising rents are fuelling a cost of living crisis in Australia. Demand for affordable accommodation far exceeds the available supply of properties and its causing something called rental stress where households spend more than 30 per cent of their gross income on rent.
Police in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, have used teargas, water cannon and stun grenades against crowds who've again been demonstrating into the night outside parliament. Also on the programme: the White House marks International Woman's Day by holding its annual International Woman Of Courage Awards. We meet two of them. And following the "Oscars So White" campaign, has diversity improved in movies? (Picture: Protester outside Tblisi's parliament. Credit: Reuters)
A month on from the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we assess what kind of impact the disaster may have had on mental health. We hear from Professor Metin Basoglu, an expert in earthquake trauma and director of the Istanbul Centre for Behavioural Sciences. He explains how it is a unique kind of trauma rooted in fear and compounded by the uncontrollable nature of earthquakes and the thousands of aftershocks that come following the initial disaster. Prof Basoglu tells us about the psychological treatment he developed based on his research with 10,000 survivors of the 1999 earthquake in Turkey and how an earthquake simulator can be used to tackle trauma symptoms. We hear from researchers in the US and Kenya about a new discovery that has ended 100 years of searching for an airborne chemical that could hold the key to the way tsetse flies mate – and help to tackle the diseases they spread in humans.Our guest in the studio is family doctor Ann Robinson who has the latest research on global health. Could socialising more often be linked to a longer life? And why might half of the world’s population be obese by 2035? We’ll explore all this and more. Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Gerry HoltImage: Survivors of the earthquake in the city of Jenderes in the countryside of Aleppo, north-western Syria. Credit: NurPhoto / Contributor
As the Black Sea grain deal comes to an end in 10 days, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, is in Ukraine to meet President Zelensky in an effort to safeguard the crucial grain export deal. How much of a difference for East Africa has last year's Ukrainian grain deal made? We will find out from Kenya. Four bankers, three of them Russians, are in court in Switzerland this week, facing charges that they helped to launder millions of dollars’ worth of investments.In Australia, rising rents are fuelling a cost of living crisis and according to charities pushing people towards homelessness.
The United Nations says Afghanistan is the "most repressive country in the world" for women's rights. Also: Demonstrations continue in Georgia over fears a new law could limit free speech, and the world's first 3D printed space rocket prepares to launch.
Georgian opposition and civil society groups call for new protests against government plans to introduce controversial "foreign agent" legislation. We hear from opposition MP Grigol Gegelia. Also on the programme, four bankers go on trial in Switzerland for hiding millions of dollars suspected to belong to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin; and we hear from the scientists who developed a new drug that could treat bone cancer.(Picture: Participants protest against a draft law on "foreign agents", which critics say represents an authoritarian shift and could hurt the country's bid to join the European Union, during a rally outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 8. Credit: REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze)
一位姓边的网友来信询问 “adequate、enough” 和 “sufficient” 的区别。这三个词的意思都和 “足够” 有关，但它们的词性和实际的用法不同。其中，“adequate” 和 “sufficient” 均为形容词，表示 “足够的”；“adequate” 强调 “（质量、水平、标准）刚够好”；“enough” 则可以作限定词、副词和代词使用。听 “你问我答” 节目，学习区分这三个词。
How much better off are the better looking? A growing body of research seems to confirm that life is simply easier and more lucrative for attractive people. Labour economist Daniel Hamermesh has been studying this for years and says yes beautiful people do get paid more, have less difficulty securing bank loans and are typically offered more jobs, opportunities and perks.South African fashion model Marike tells us very candidly how her looks means she often gets things for free - meals, experiences, perks. She also talks about the role social media advertising plays in this. She says you can make millions of dollars through social media if you are pretty.We also hear from author Emily Lauren Dick about how unconscious bias around attractiveness and particularly weight can impact recruitment or promotion opportunities in the workplace. Producer / presenter: Deborah WeitzmannImage: Marike: Credit: Marike
The devastating train crash in Greece which killed 57 people generated a wave of grief and anger. Many Greeks see the disaster as symptomatic of a failing state, characterised by a lack of investment in public infrastructure and a lack of accountability at the heart of government. Other aspects of public policy are also facing harsh scrutiny, from migration to internal security. Stephen Sackur speaks to Greece’s asylum and migration minister Notis Mitarachi. Has his government lost the confidence of the Greek people?
The head of the US central bank has said interest rates may go higher than previously expected to stabilise prices. The recent strong economic data means the Fed needs to adopt a more aggressive policy.The White House is supporting a bipartisan bill in Congress that will give President Biden new powers to ban the Chinese-owned app, TikTok, and other foreign technologies that could pose security threats. The legislation comes after US government officials were banned from installing TikTok on their devices in January. Elon Musk has apologised to a Twitter worker after he initially sacked him on his platform. It followed an exchange about the employees work which went viral. Mr Musk said there had been a misunderstanding.
Israel claims one of the dead killed two Jewish settlers. Also: Five women have sued the American state of Texas, saying they were denied abortions even though their lives were in danger, and we go behind the scenes of David Attenborough’s new wildlife documentary on the British Isles.
The head of the US Federal Reserve Jerome Powell says he may have to raise interest rates after strong economic data. There is growing concern in the US that Tik Tok could share users sensitive information with the authorities in Beijing. Sri Lanka's government expects an IMF deal in place soon to resolve its economic woes.
The British PM, Rishi Sunak has said he is ‘up for the fight’ to bring in new legislation to prevent migrants crossing the Channel on small boats to reach the UK. We will hear from a supporter and a critic of the plan.Also on the programme, TikTok spokesman defends its data policy in the United States; and did a pro-Ukraine group sabotage the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia?(Picture: Rescue workers stand on board a Royal Navy lifeboat, at the Port of Dover in Dover, Britain. Credit: REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo)
A ceasefire has come into force in the Democratic Republic of Congo to put an end to fighting between the army and M23 rebels. Aid workers in eastern DRC say that clashes are continuing. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the appointment the country's first-ever minister of electricity.We meet the creators of a new animation series which tells the story of Ghana's independence movement.And musician, Sodi Cookey, tell us about his new album, 'Love, Live and Protest'.
Millions have taken to the streets across France, bringing planes and public transport networks to a standstill, as a backlash continues over planned pension reforms. The country's government insists raising the minimum pension age is necessary. But economists have cast doubt over whether the protests will have their intended effect.
Former air force chiefs and current fighter pilot reservists in Israel have joined public condemnation of the government's planned legal changes. Also on the programme, Belarus opposition figure, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail; and, naturalist David Attenborough's new TV series explores the species of the British Isles. (Photo: Protest against government's judicial overhaul outside US Consulate in Tel Aviv. Credit: Reuters)
Xi Jinping blames it for trying to 'contain', 'encircle' and 'suppress' his country. Also: Britain sets out legislation designed to stop asylum seekers crossing the English channel on small boats, and the head of Japan's space agency apologises for the failed launch of a new flagship rocket.
BBC journalist Rayhan Demytrie is from Uzbekistan and was recently invited back to her country to explore how after almost 30 years the government is opening up the country and it's economy. In part two of this two part Business Daily special Rayhan hears how young entrepreneurs are pushing to grow their businesses and increase exports. Rayhan also finds out how digital only banking companies are transforming access to financial services for many Uzbek people. In the capital city of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Rayhan explores how the city has developed and changed in recent years and finds out more about the corruption that continues to cause problems for businesses.Presenter / producer: Rayhan DemytrieImage: Tashkent bazaar; Credit: Getty Images
如果一个人 “唠唠叨叨，说个不停”，那么可能会让他人感到厌烦。主持人菲菲迟到了，她说这是因为在路上碰到了同事 Richard，而且用到了短语 “rabbit on”。不过，这个短语和 “rabbit（兔子）” 没有关系。听节目，学习 “rabbit on” 的含义和用法。
Three years after the official declaration of a pandemic, 65 million people - one in 10 who had Covid-19 - still have symptoms. Some are so ill they are yet to return to work. The Economist’s health editor, Natasha Loder, examines the science behind long Covid and hears about the challenges as researchers try to unravel the cause behind a condition associated with around 200 symptoms.
We are looking close at the National People's Congress (NPC), a rubber-stamp parliament, which is due to confirm President Xi Jinping's third term.The 'Two Sessions' as they are known, are the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee. From a business and economics point of view, it's where the big decisions are rubber-stamped.It's where Xi Jinping will be officially elected President, as we've just heard the new Premier - Li Qiang - will also be unveiled, and there's been an increase in military spending by more than 7%. From a World Business Report point of view, though, the crucial announcement that caught our eye was a 5% growth target for the next year. That's China's lowest target for more than three decades.(Picture: Great Hall of the People and Tiananmen Square. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Former Nigerian vice President, Atiku Abubakar leads a 'black uniform' march by his party, PDP, to the headquarters of the electoral commission INEC. The Presidential candidate said the February 25th poll was compromised and his party demands a re-run after saying they'll challenge it in courts.Also, a BBC investigation exposes a major trade in heroin on the Seychelles Islands, but also what could be the biggest heroin epidemic for a nation globally.Plus, FESPACO ends in Burkina Faso with Tunisia winning the grand prize and a film by a Burkinabe director on the scourge of jihadism in the country coming second.Those stories and more in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
The city has been under sustained Russian bombardment for months. Also: Turkish opposition parties agree on a single candidate to challenge President Erdogan in elections due in May, and the couple jailed for 4 years in Spain for stealing wine.
We are looking close at the National People's Congress (NPC), a rubber-stamp parliament, which is due to confirm President Xi Jinping's third term.The 'Two Sessions' as they are known, are the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee. From a business and economics point of view, it's where the big decisions are rubber-stamped.It's where Xi Jinping will be officially elected President, as we've just heard the new Premier - Li Qiang - will also be unveiled, and there's been an increase in military spending by more than 7%. From a World Business Report point of view, though, the crucial announcement that caught our eye was a 5% growth target for the next year. That's China's lowest target for more than three decades.(Picture: The Great Hall of the People,Beijing,China. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
It is a month since the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, with officials putting the number of deaths in Turkey alone at 45,968. We hear from both sides of the border. Also on the programme, fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron have vowed not to attend training, in an unprecedented protest against the government. Plus, latest analysis of a vase found in a Roman grave in Colchester in the mid-1800s reveals gladiator fights were staged in Roman Britain. (Picture: An earthquake survivor in southern Turkey. Credit: BBC / Foster)
A fur-stripped mouse carcase might not sound like the cosiest of homes – but that is where the burying beetle makes its nest, and where Rebecca Kilner has focused much of her research.A professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Cambridge, Rebecca’s work – initially with cuckoos, then more recently with beetles – has shed invaluable light on the relationship between social behaviours and evolution.She tells Jim al-Khalili how the beetles' helpfully swift generational churn and mouse-based parenting has allowed her team to study evolution in action, demonstrating for the first time what was previously just evolutionary theory.
Political leaders in Beijing have downgraded China's growth target to its lowest in decades. Meanwhile, military spending has increased by 7%. So what would a steadily-growing China mean for the global economy?
On the frontline towns of Bakhmut and Kupiansk, Ukranian soldiers brace for Russia's springtime offensive. Also on the programme, one month on from the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, it's estimated that a million and a half people are still sheltering in tents; and, Estonia's prime minister has won in a landslide election, an important moment for the small Baltic country standing up to Russia. (Photo: A Ukrainian serviceman fires an automatic grenade launcher in Bakhmut 03/03/2023 Reuters)
UN says millions of people still homeless and living in fear. Also: Elon Musk mocks BBC report about abuse on Twitter, South Korean plan to resolve wartime labour dispute with Japan and Toblerone loses iconic Swiss mountain logo.
In 1995, Octavia E Butler became the first author to receive a MacArthur “genius” award for science fiction writing. From a young age she dreamed of writing books but faced many challenges including poverty and sexism and racism in the publishing industry. She died aged 58 in 2006. Alex Collins speaks to her friend and fellow author Nisi Shawl.(Photo: Octavia E. Butler. Credit: Getty Images)
Interested or interesting? Which adjective do you use? We discuss -ing and -ed adjectives
BBC journalist Rayhan Demytrie is from Uzbekistan and was recently invited back to her country to explore how after almost 30 years the government is opening up the country and it's economy. In part one of this two part Business Daily special Rayhan hears how tourists are encouraging business growth in the famous Silk Road city of Samarkand. In an interview with the Uzbek deputy finance minister, Odilbek Isakov, Rayhan asks about selling and privatising state owed assets like a Coca-Cola bottling plant and whether doing this is profitable for the country. We also hear how important ties with Russia are in Uzbekistan and how a very cold winter has put pressure on energy supplies and the economic revival of this former Soviet country. Presenter / producer: Rayhan DemytrieImage: Mosque in Samarkand: Credit: Getty Images
Kim Chakanetsa meets two of the most influential stylists in Hollywood. Camille Friend is a hair stylist and she’s been nominated in this year’s Academy awards for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She has worked on 7 other Marvel movies – including Captain America – and on other blockbuster movies like The Little Mermaid, The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained. She also trains younger generations of hair stylists through her academy, Hair Scholars.Zerina Akers is an Emmy award winning fashion stylist and costume designer. She’s best known for her work with Beyonce – she was Queen B’s personal wardrobe curator for 7 years, and you can see her creations on the visual album Black is King. In 2020 Zerina founded Black Owned Everything – a platform supporting black artists and creators.Producers: Alice Gioia, Jane Thurlow, Hetal Bapodra Sound recording: Devin PinckardProduction assistant: Abbie Bulbulian(Image: (L) Zerina Akers (R) Camille Friend. Credit: Devin Pinckard.)
When Greenlander Helene Thiesen was just seven, two Danish men came to take her away.In 1951, Greenland native Helene Thiesen was just seven years old when two Danish men knocked at the family home. That moment would shape the rest of her life. These men, acting at the invitation of the Danish colonial government were rounding up the brightest Inuit children and sending them to live in Denmark to be re-educated as model Danish citizens or ‘little Danes’. Helene suffered terribly from being separated from her mother and siblings and it would take her many decades to discover the horrible truth behind it all: she was part of an experiment. Of the 22 children that were taken, Helene is now one of the few survivors.Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Edgar MaddicottTranslator: Alette Rye ScalesVoice: Julia Holden
The Greek prime minister has asked for forgiveness after the country's worst ever train crash, which has prompted further protests in the capital Athens. In a statement, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said it should not have been possible for two trains heading in different directions to run on the same line without anyone noticing. 57 people died in Tuesday's collision between a passenger train and a freight train near Larissa.Also in the programme: China has announced a sharp rise in military spending; and she was known as the mother of the disability rights movement in the US - Judy Heumann has died aged 75.(Photo: A riot police officer prepares to throw a stun grenade next to flames in Athens as clashes take place during a demonstration, after the collision of two trains near the city of Larissa. March 5, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis)
The long rains of East Africa are forecast to fail again, for the third year running, precipitating a food crisis affecting millions. Science In Action explores the science of the drought, hears about new methods improving forecasts, and what is unusual about the region that makes it so vulnerable.When we think of helium, for many of us balloons and squeaky voices come to mind. But the noble gas is critical for many aspects of modern life – and we’re facing a global shortage. Dr Annie Cheng and her colleagues at the University of Oxford are attempting to solve this by creating a model that has the potential to locate previously untapped reservoirs.CrowdScience listener Eric, in New Zealand, has noticed his wisteria growing towards a neighbouring tree. He thinks that it actually knows where it’s going. But how can a plant have a sense of direction?Plants don’t have the advantage of brains or eyes, but that doesn’t seem to stop them from being clever enough to find out from their environment where to move and how to get there – all while being rooted to the spot.Marnie Chesterton visits the Natural History Museum and Kew Gardens in London, home to the largest collection of living plants in the world, to discover how plants make their manoeuvres, and talks to botanists and plant biologists for the latest findings on the mysterious life of climbing plants.Image by Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesProducer: Roland PeaseAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Nations have reached an historic agreement to protect the world's oceans following ten years of negotiations. The High Seas Treaty places 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, aiming to safeguard and recuperate nature. We hear from Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, and Dr. Robert Blasiak, a researcher at Stockholm University. Also: Has President Emmanuel Macron boosted France's reputation with countries in Africa? We ask political scientist Niagale Bagayoko. After concluding his latest trip in the Democratic Republic of Congo, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya tells us what kind of relationship Kinshasa would like with Paris in the future. Plus, as China’s National People’s Congress gets underway, Dr. Jie Yu shares her thoughts on Beijing’s plans to increase military spending, and why the government has set a fairly modest economic growth target.(Image: A humpback whale)
Iran has agreed to restore surveillance cameras and allow inspections at its sites. Also: The Russian army and Wagner mercenaries put increasing pressure on Ukraine's soldiers to withdraw from the shattered city of Bakhmut, and the latest on what is believed to be the biggest drug bust in Australia's history.
The Russian army and Wagner mercenaries are putting increasing pressure on Ukraine's soldiers to withdraw from the shattered city of Bakhmut.Also in the programme: The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has called for an end to what he called the brazen looting in the conflict-hit east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, during a visit to the capital Kinshasa; and we hear from the son of the world-renowned architect, Rafael Viñoly, who has died aged 78. Born in Uruguay, Viñoly was behind many acclaimed -- and controversial -- designs.(Photo: A general view shows an empty street and buildings damaged by a Russian military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the front line city of Bakhmut, Ukraine on 3 March 2023. Credit: Reuters/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
After months of artillery bombardment, the battle for Bakhmut could be entering its closing stages, with reports of street-fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces. We hear from the deputy mayor of the city, as well as the families of soldiers taken prisoner by Russian forces.Also on the programme: a mystery over the assassination of one of the Philippine president’s political allies and; talks between Iran and the UN’s nuclear watchdog after inspectors found traces of uranium that had been enriched to near weapons-grade. (IMAGE:A Ukrainian soldier rides a military vehicle in Bakhmut. CREDIT: Reuters/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
This month World Book Club visits Paris, France to be guests of the iconic bookshop on the Left Bank of the River Seine, Shakespeare & Co. There Harriett Gilbert and a bookshop audience talk to acclaimed French writer Marie Darrieussecq about her extraordinary novel Pig Tales.Pig Tales is the story of a young woman who works at a shady Parisian massage parlour, becoming a favourite with her lustful clients until, that is, she slowly and alarmingly metamorphoses into a pig. A dark feminist fable of political and sexual corruption, and a grim warning of what can happen in a society without a soul, Pig Tales scandalised its readers when it first came out and became the most popular first novel published in decades.(Picture: Marie Darrieussecq. Photo credit: Charles Freger.)
Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world along with the sounds that bring joy to our listeners. This week, the naughty Finnish huskies who've found a new home, the Caribbean sailor who survived 24 days at sea on ketchup, and the crafty octogenarian who knits for Hollywood. Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.
World Champion triathlete and movie screenwriter, Lesley Paterson, tells us how her athletic career has helped fund dreams of winning an Oscar. Her film “All Quiet on the Western Front” is nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards later in March. She spent 16 years battling to get it made and believes the opening scene of the film is “Oscar worthy”. Paterson also tells us she’s already been working on her speech as she worked as a waitress at the Oscars 17 years ago.South Africa’s Sinalo Jafta explains how issues with alcohol abuse led to her spending time in a rehab facility ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Jafta discusses how alcohol became something she used to block out the noise in her head when she wasn’t getting selected to play, how an intervention by team management led her to seek help and how at the time she thought her career was over. Since returning to the national side, she played in their World Cup final defeat against Australia.Plus, Jenny Nguyen tells us all about the “Sports Bra”, her sports bar in Oregon that only shows women’s sport. Nguyen says supporting women is at the heart of everything the venue does and tells us some customers get emotional on visiting for the first time.Photo: Lesley Paterson celebrates winning the triathlon world title. (Credit: Lesley Paterson)
Last month saw a year since Russia invaded its neighbour Ukraine. The documentary Ukraine: A Year of War brought BBC correspondents together to answer listeners’ questions. In a special edition of Over To You, we hear your feedback whilst the show’s producer tells us how a programme driven by listeners’ questions is put together.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Uta Rautenberg from the University of Warwick in the UK, an expert on homophobia in Nazi camps.Rudolf Brazda recounts his experience of being a gay man in a Nazi concentration camp, symbolised by the pink triangle he was forced to wear on his uniform. Then, we hear first-hand accounts of the Indigenous American protest at Wounded Knee 50 years ago, and the assassination of Serbia's Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic, in 2003. We finish with two lighter stories: the world's most remote museum on the island of South Georgia and the first ever underwater sculpture park in the Caribbean.Contributors:Dr Uta Rautenberg - University of Warwick.Rudolf Brazda - Nazi concentration camp survivor.Russell Means - former National Director of the American Indian Movement.Gordana Matkovic - former Serbian cabinet minister.Jan Cheek - South Georgia Museum trustee.Jason deCaires Taylor - creator of Grenadian underwater sculpture park.(Photo: Marchers carry a pink triangle at a Gay Pride event in London. Credit: Steve Eason/Hulton Archive via Getty Images)
This year marks 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, signed by politicians from Northern Ireland and the British and Irish governments in an attempt to bring peace to Northern Ireland. Over his 26 years at the BBC, Denis Murray reported extensively on the peace process, including this pivotal moment. He explains to Claire Graham how it came about, its legacy and how it's still discussed in today's political battles.
For the first time since Covid restrictions eased, thousands of delegates will gather in Beijing over the weekend for the annual National People's Congress.The meeting will set out some of the key goals for the world's second largest economy, with the biggest government reshuffle in a decade expected.Discussions are also expected to be held around continued trade tensions with the US and challenges for businesses as the country reopens.(Picture: People cross a street near office towers in the Lujiazui financial district, ahead of the National People's Congress (NPC), in Shanghai, China, February 28, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Aly Song TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Alex Murdaugh shot his wife and son on the family estate in South Carolina. Also: Pressure mounts on the former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson over what he said about Covid lockdown parties, and the White House reveals that President Biden has had a cancerous skin lesion successfully removed from his chest.
This year’s “Two Sessions” annual parliamentary gathering in Beijing takes places over the weekend, with one of the largest government reshuffles in a decade expected. We get the latest on what's in store for the weekend ahead and what it means for economies around the world.We hear about the standoff between a group of airlines and the Dutch government over a cut to the number of flights through Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.And how much would you spend on a 300 year-old violin? One up for auction in New York could fetch up to $10 million, and our reporter got to play it.
A court in Belarus has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison. He was convicted of smuggling and financing "actions grossly violating public order", the Viasna human rights group said. Supporters of Mr Bialiatski, 60, say the authoritarian regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is trying to silence him. We hear from the UN's Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus. Also on the programme: scientists identify a new disease in wild birds caused solely by plastic pollution; and we speak to the director of the Oscar-nominated documentary 'Fire of Love'. (File image of Ales Bialiatski. Credit: TATYANA ZENKOVICH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Nigeria's Supreme Court has overturned a ban on old naira banknotes and ruled that the redesign was invalid. The justices said that not enough notice was given to the public before the old notes were withdrawn. Several anti-France activists stage protests in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to show their opposition to a planned visit by French President Emmanuel Macron. And Nigerian filmmaker C J Obasi, talks to us about his film Mami Wata, and making it to Africa's biggest film and television festival, FESPACO.
Nigeria's Supreme Court in a ruling Friday, said a presidential directive to discontinue the use of old naira notes following a redesign was illegal. The court said the old banknotes should continue to be legal tender, alongside new versions, until the end of this year.Not enough of the new notes were released, leading to widespread anger and frustration.Many people were unable to get cash to pay for food and slept outside banks.
Activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ales Bialiatski, is jailed for ten years. We hear from one of his supporters.Also on the programme, dozens of girls from 26 schools in Iran are being treated for poisoning after another wave of apparent toxic gas attacks. And we hear about "vocal fry" a vocal tic used by Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johannson and, it has been discovered, by whales. (Picture: Ales Bialiatski in 2021 Credit: EPA)
Bialiatski's protest group Viasna has documented human rights abuses carried out by the regime of the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. Also: Dozens of police officers are taken hostage in Colombia, and women footballers are unhappy with Fifa's choice of ambassador.
There's fear and anger in Iran over a wave of poisonings that have affected hundreds of schoolgirls across the country. Soroush Pakzad from BBC Persian's social media team describes the challenges of investigating the story, and Aalia Farzan from BBC Dari tells us how the cause of similar incidents in Afghanistan a few years back was never established. BBC Indian Sportswoman of the YearThe sporting achievements of Indian women athletes are being celebrated by the BBC in Delhi this weekend when they announce the winner of their Indian Sportswoman of the Year award for 2022. Journalist Divya Arya has been reporting on the nominees, and tells us about their achievements.Crimea bridge attack: who has been arrested for the explosion? In October last year, sections of Russia's only bridge to Crimea were brought down in a huge blast. Moscow had illegally annexed the region four years earlier. Within days of the explosion, eight people were arrested. BBC Russian's Nina Nazarova has spoken to lawyers and families, and tells us what she discovered.Triumph against the oddsHalima Umar Saleh of BBC Hausa shares the inspiring story of how she escaped the threat of an arranged marriage as a teenager and fulfilled her dream of becoming a journalist, in our series celebrating the BBC's 100 years. (Photo: Mothers demanding classes move online. Credit: IRNA)
Zoran Djindjic, the prime minister of Serbia, was assassinated on 12 March 2003. He was murdered by an associate of former president, Slobodan Milosevic.Gordana Matkovic served in Djindjic's cabinet. Two decades on from the murder, she shares her memories of that time with Matt Pintus.(Photo: Zoran Djindjic poster held up during remembrance gathering. Credit: Getty Images)
We look at why some governments are worried about TikTok. We hear about pregnancy discrimination in tech and an expert tells us about the future of noise.
A few months ago we made an episode of Business Daily about the renovation of Penn Street railway station in New York. So many World Service listeners got in touch with us about their experiences of using the railway network in America we decided to make a programme based on their views.Omar Deen, who lives in Toledo, Ohio tells us he feels disadvantaged by the dominance of car travel in the United States and says he would like to have an alternative to driving or flying to get around. Another listener, Bill Potter in Alabama tells us there are no train tracks where he lives and to make rail an option for him miles and miles of track would have to be laid. Under President Joe Biden, the US government has increased funding for trains, but the network is patchy – there are major cities and entire states with no passenger rail services. Kristen Lewis, co-director of Measure of America at the Social Science Research Council says it is possible for America to have a better rail transport network and that's a goal the country should be working towards. Presenter / producer: Laura Heighton-GinnsImage: Omar Deen; Credit: Omar Deen
It took Salimata Sylla three hours to get to the away fixture she was due to play with her basketball team mates from the Parisian suburb of Aubervilliers. But it was only a few minutes before the match started that she learned she was going to sit the game out on the bench.Despite playing for more than ten years in the French Championship, the federation that controls her sport decided to apply the rule that forbids female basketball players from wearing the hijab. Her coach describes her as the backbone of the team and an ambassador for the sport. She’s been a face of basketball for many big brands on social media. And the hijab she wears is sold by mainstream sportswear manufacturers. Salimata’s ban is the latest in country where the right to wear a hijab has long divided opinion. But in her case, it raises an interesting dilemma for France.While domestic sporting federations enforce their ban on the hijab, their international counterparts have no such ban in place. So what will happen, Salimata wonders, when the Olympics come to Paris next year?Reporter Claire Jones goes to Paris to meet Salimata to find out how she can resolve her wish to express her Muslim faith by wearing a hijab with her desire to play the sport she loves.Presenter: Claire JonesProducer: Helen Lee and Rob Cave Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
As the country awaits funding from the IMF, the Pakistani rupee hit a historic low against the dollar while the Central Bank hiked interest rates to 20%, the highest in Asia.Foreign exchange reserves at the State Bank of Pakistan have dropped to levels not enough to cover a month of imports.The government hope that by bringing in new tariffs and taxes, the latest wave of IMF funding will be released.
As the country awaits funding from the IMF, the Pakistani rupee hit a historic low against the dollar while the Central Bank hiked interest rates to 20%, the highest in Asia.Foreign exchange reserves at the State Bank of Pakistan have dropped to levels not enough to cover a month of imports.The government hope that by bringing in new tariffs and taxes, the latest wave of IMF funding will be released.(Picture: A Pakistani stockbroker monitors the latest share prices development during a trading session at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi, Pakistan, 01 March 2023. Credit: Photo by REHAN KHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Félix Maradiaga, the former opposition leader and presidential candidate imprisoned by Nicaragua’s veteran autocrat Daniel Ortega. Maradiaga was recently released, deported to the US and stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship. Ortega is trying to eliminate all Nicaraguan opposition - could he succeed?
Kyiv denies Moscow's claim that saboteurs fired at civilians in a border village. Also: The head of Britain’s domestic intelligence service apologises for MI5's failure to prevent a terrorist attack in Manchester in 2017, and the celebrated jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter has died aged 89.
As the country waits on funds from the IMF, Pakistan's currency hits a historic low against the dollar and the Central Bank raises interest rates to 20%. We speak to the former Deputy Governor at Pakistan's Central Bank and a former IMF official to get perspectives from both sides.We get reaction from the G20 meeting in India as angry exchanges over Russia's war in Ukraine dominated the talks.And we hear about the new trend of de-influencers, telling us what not to buy.
A G20 meeting in New Delhi ends in acrimony, with disagreements over the Ukraine war making a joint statement impossible. Newshour hears from Jitendra Nath Misra, a former Indian ambassador.Also in the programme: Greece's antiquated rail network; and the secret corridor inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.(Picture: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi. Credit: Olivier Douliery/Pool via REUTERS)
The long rains of East Africa are forecast to fail again, for the third year running, precipitating a food crisis affecting millions. Science In Action explores the science of the drought, hears about new methods improving forecasts, and what is unusual about the region that makes it so vulnerable.When we think of helium, for many of us balloons and squeaky voices come to mind. But the noble gas is critical for many aspects of modern life – and we’re facing a global shortage. Dr Annie Cheng and her colleagues at the University of Oxford are attempting to solve this by creating a model that has the potential to locate previously untapped reservoirs.Image by Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesProducer: Roland PeaseAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Labour Party's Peter Obi, who came third in Nigeria’s presidential election, has vowed to prove in court that his supporters were "robbed" of victory. Madagascans start the process of rebuilding their lives, and homes after bearing the brunt of Cyclone Freddy as it tore through southern African. And two West African states, Ivory Coast and Guinea, are repatriating their citizens from Tunisia following inflammatory remarks by President Kais Saied last week. Dark skinned Africans say they no longer feel safe in the north African country.
Almost 10 years ago, Peter MacJob’s life changed forever. Born and raised a devout Christian like so many of his fellow Nigerians, he fell out of love with the Church and discovered the traditional Yoruba religion of his ancestors. Other Africans appear to be doing the same thing, both on the continent and throughout the diaspora. But as Peter has found, it is not always easy to convert: Ifá, or Isese, involves effigies, divination, and making offerings to a range of deities, up to and including animal sacrifice. Those not initiated into the faith often see it as superstitious and even sinister. Devotees say that outsiders misunderstand, and complain that Ifá is pejoratively depicted as devil worship. It is perhaps little wonder that after Peter adopted Ifá, he chose not to tell his family about it. But now he has decided it is time to come clean, taking a trip back to Nigeria to confront childhood friends and loved ones, in the hope that they will give their blessing. Presenter: Peter MacJobProducer: Michael GallagherStrand producer: Rajeev GuptaProduction co-ordinator: Mica NepomucenoEditor: Helen Grady
Turkish football writer Bora Isyar tells us about the resumption of the Turkish Süper Lig and the reaction of Besiktas fans, who threw toys onto the pitch in protest against the government’s handling of the earthquakes’ aftermath. After the racist abuse of David Alaba for not voting for Karim Benzema in FIFA’s awards, and Pepe’s refusal to vote for Lionel Messi, we ask if players should have a say in awards. And we discuss the return to football of Jurgen Klinsmann.Photo: Teddy bears and toys thrown on the field to be sent to the earthquake zone of the Vodafone Park Stadium prior to the Turkish Super Lig soccer match between Besiktas and Fraport TAV Antalyaspor, in Istanbul, Turkiye on February 26, 2023. (Credit: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In sectors in Africa such as technology, fibre and broadband there needs to be a commitment to boosting the already entrepreneurship spirit of the continent. We hear from Nigerian and South African youths about what they want to see change as unemployment rises in their countries. Pakistan is in a financial crisis as the rupee hit historic lows against the dollar. Inflation is decades high and it's not going to come down any time soon. The Mobile World Congress trade fair started in Barcelona, Spain on Monday. We take a look at all of their latest gadgets and what the future of the industry will look like.
The meeting fails to produce a joint statement, as US and Russia clash over Ukraine. Also: there's growing anger in Greece after the country's worst ever train crash, and Egyptian archaeologists are celebrating the discovery of a hidden tunnel in the Great Pyramid of Giza.
There have been angry exchanges between Russia and the US at the G20 meeting of foreign ministers. The American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the meeting was hampered by Russia’s ‘unprovoked and unjustified’ invasion of Ukraine, while Russia’s Sergei Lavrov accused the West of drenching everything in ‘the sauce of so-called Russian aggression.’ Also on the programme: Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about the Nigerian elections and; Romania makes an AI chatbot its newest government adviser. Picture: Sergei Lavrov holds a news conference on the sidelines of G20 foreign ministers' meeting. Credit: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
In 1988, New Zealand referee Keith Walker facilitated a fight between South Korean boxer Byun Jung II and Bulgarian boxer Aleksandr Khristov. The Bulgarian won the match 4 -1, but when the bell rang, the ring erupted into chaos, with the referee defending himself from the punches that were being thrown his way. Soon afterwards, he decided to quit refereeing. Vicky Carter spoke to Keith Walker.(Photo: South Korean assistant boxing coach Lee Chung-Ha grabs New Zealand referee Keith Walker. Credit: Staff/AFP via Getty Images)
In 1992, the late zoologist Nigel Bonner opened one of the world's most remote museums, the South Georgia Whaling Museum, on South Georgia, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic. Despite its isolated location, 1,400km east of the Falkland Islands, it remains open today and gets around 15,000 visitors a year. Rachel Naylor speaks to Jan Cheek, a friend of the founder and former trustee of the museum.(Photo: South Georgia Museum. Credit: Richard Hall for SGHT)
Ayo is a victim of trafficking and modern slavery, and in this episode of Business Daily Ayo tells us his story of being taken from Nigeria to the UK and forced to work. We also hear from Emily Kenway, Emily is a former policy adviser to the UK’s first anti-slavery commissioner and author of 'The truth about modern slavery', and she explains what modern slavery actually is. Sara Thornton, who was the UK’s independent anti-slavery commissioner until April 2022, explains some of the reasons behind an increase in the number of people being recognised as victims of modern slavery in the UK. We also explore some incoming changes to the UK’s world-leading anti-slavery legislation, changes that Kate Roberts, head of policy at the London-based anti-trafficking charity Focus on Labour Exploitation, tells us she's very concerned about. Producer / presenter: Frey LinsdayImage: Child behind wooden crate; Credit: Getty Images
Drawing on traditional music, pop culture, kitsch, rock and modernist poetry to mention just a few of their sources of inspiration, the short-lived Tropicália movement in late 1960s Brazil was provocative and anti-authoritarian. Perhaps most importantly it represented a uniquely Brazilian aesthetic that could only have emerged from that country’s specific culture and history.The movement’s leading lights were eventually arrested by the military regime that governed Brazil at the time, and exiled to London. But Tropicália paved the way for other performers to demand artistic freedom.With the help of musical examples, Rajan Datar and guests will explore what made Tropicália so disruptive. Joining Rajan will be singer Mônica Vasçoncelos and guitarist Gui Tavares, social scientist Professor Liv Sovik from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, who’s published widely on Tropicália, including a collection of essays entitled Tropicália Rex: Popular music and Brazilian culture; and David Treece, Emeritus professor of Portuguese at King’s College, London, who’s written extensively on Brazilian popular music, including the book Brazilian Jive: From Samba to Bossa and Rap. Produced by Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service(Image: Gilberto Gil in The Unique Concert at The Reunion in France. Credit: IMAZ PRESS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
In the last few years, powerful criminal gangs have terrorised a swathe of north west and central Nigeria. From camps in the forest, gangs of bandits on motorbikes have attacked villages killing and kidnapping men, women and children. So how can Nigeria's new leader restore security? What does it say about the future of security in Africa's most populous nation? Alex Last has been to the north western city of Katsina to meet some of those battling the bandits. Photo: Some of the weapons used by vigilantes in Zamfara state, north west Nigeria, 2019 (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP via Getty Images)Reporter: Alex LastProducer: Abdullahi Kaura AbubakarSound mix: Rod FarquharSeries Editor: Penny MurphyProduction assistant: Helena Warwick-Cross
Sri Lanka workers defy strike ban to protest IMF bailout plan which is hitting their wallets. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing a public backlash over steep tax increases and spending cuts imposed to secure the IMF funding.Drug giant Eli Lilly has announced a $35 cap on the monthly costs patients face for insulin in the US, responding to outcry over the soaring cost of the diabetes medication.(Picture: Man in yellow raincoat walking through tea plantation in Sri Lanka. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The transport minister resigns and three days of mourning are declared after more than 40 people are killed in a rail disaster. Also: Guinea and Ivory Coast are sending planes to evacuate their citizens from Tunisia following inflammatory remarks by the president against sub-Saharan Africans, and the singing legend Joni Mitchell is honoured by the US Library of Congress.
Humans have been accidentally feeding wild birds for millennia; any leftover food scraps to be scooped up by opportunistic, feathered friends. The deliberate feeding of birds, however - placing seeds out on a feeder in the garden, taking crumbs to a nearby park or lake – is a more recent, cultural phenomenon. In some countries, it has deep significance and one of the most popular ways humans interact with wild animals – and it’s big business. In other places, it’s practically unheard of. So, why do humans feed wild birds? In this programme, Ruth Alexander delves into the many aspects of this human-animal interaction and asks the question; who’s benefiting more, the birds or us? Ruth speaks to urban ecologist, Dr Darryl Jones, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and to keen bird feeders Dan DeBaun, in Minnesota, US; Fung Sing Wong in Singapore; Bylgja Valtýsdóttir in Reykjavík, Iceland; and Antony Tiernan, in Surrey, UK. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk (Picture: Blue tit on garden feeder. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
Sri Lanka workers defy strike ban to protest IMF bailout plan which is hitting their wallets. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing a public backlash over steep tax increases and spending cuts imposed to secure the IMF funding.Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been declared Nigeria’s president elect but he inherits a country facing challenges including insecurity, unemployment and rising inflation.We hear from the man helping him shape his response to perhaps his biggest challenge, turning Africa's largest economy around.(Picture: An elephant mahout riding elephants in the forest. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
In this week’s Health Check we’re talking about the protective effects of vaccines – but it’s not quite what you think…We’re delving into the science of how some vaccines could have unexpected effects beyond their intended target. They’re called “non-specific effects” and we’re only just at the beginning of our understanding despite scientists documenting this curious biological phenomenon more than 100 years ago. One of the earliest vaccines to be studied was the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine for Tuberculosis, better known as the BCG. Professor Christine Stabell-Benn gives us a history lesson and brings us up to date with her team’s research at the Bandim Health Project in Guinea-Bissau, Western Africa. Also in the programme we hear about a new device for fixing bones being trialled in Gaza and Sri Lanka – and already in use in Ukraine. We hear from surgeons about what kind of patients they are treating and from UK researchers on hopes it will offer a low-cost, easy-to-make alternative in countries where there are shortages of these fixators.Our studio guest this week is BBC News health and science journalist Philippa Roxby who’ll talk us through the latest after an 11-year-old girl in Cambodia died from the H5N1 strain of bird flu and we’ll discuss new studies on long Covid and how much exercise we should be aiming to do each day.Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Gerry Holt & Emily Knight
Nigeria's ruling party candidate, Bola Tinubu, has been declared president-elect of Africa's most populous nation after a weekend election that saw one of the lowest voter turn outs. The main opposition parties have disputed the result, describing the election as a sham and are planning to mount a legal challenge. French President Emmanuel Macron has begun a four-nation tour of Central Africa, starting with a visit to Gabon. The trip comes after a speech he gave, announcing that France is reshaping its strategy on the continent. And we hear about a play in Cameroon that is a mix of drama, poetry and music, wrapped in humour but it tackles the very serious and sensitive subject of the Anglophone crisis.
The governing All Progressives Congress candidate, Bona Tinubu, is today celebrating victory in the Nigerian presidential election, winning 37 percent of the vote. Opposition parties are calling foul amid allegations of ballot stuffing. We speak to the APC Governor of Kaduna State and a spokesperson for the opposition Labour Party, who are demanding a re-run of the election. Also in the programme: at least 36 people have been killed in Greece’s worst ever train crash; and a new exhibition explores the life, career, and numerous scandals of French musician Serge Gainsbourg (Picture: Bola Tinubu celebrating election win. Credit: REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye)
Bola Tinubu has won a tight race to succeed Muhammadu Buhari as the next president of Nigeria. The 70-year-old veteran politician received 37% of the vote. We hear from local businesses in Nigeria about the challenges they face and what they want to see change. Supermarket owners in Lebanon have started pricing their goods in dollars after the lira hit another record low, trading at more than eighty thousand to the dollar on the parallel market. We also head to China as they have released its Purchasing Manager's Index which is an indicator for the country's manufacturing sector. It's great news for the Chinese economy as it turns out their factory activity has expanded at its fastest pace in more than a decade!
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with more than 70 people taken to hospital. The Greek prime minister has visited the site of the disaster near the city of Larissa. Also: The FBI chief says Covid-19 most likely originated in a Chinese laboratory, Indigenous protests against wind turbines continue in Norway, and the Bolivian man who spent a month lost in the Amazon.
In 2004 Jason deCaires Taylor started building the world's first underwater gallery.He wanted to attract divers away from fragile coral reefs, so he submerged life-sized, human cement models in the Caribbean Sea.Within a few days the art was covered in purple and blue sponges, orange fire coral and green algae... and was even home to a few octopuses.Nineteen years later, Jason tells Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty about his memories of building the park. Archive Credit: Grenada Broadcasting Network.(Photo: ‘Viscissitudes’ - A sculpture installed in Grenada. Credit: Jason deCaires Taylor)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Tikhon Dzyadko, editor-in-chief of Russia’s independent TV news channel Dozhd (or TV Rain). Closed down in Moscow, now they are broadcasting online from Latvia, using YouTube to reach Russians. Is there a Russian audience for this alternative to Putin’s propaganda machine?
一位网友想知道 “deteriorate” 和 “aggravate” 之间是否有区别。这两个词的意思都和 “事情变得更糟糕” 有关，但它们的用法不同。“Deteriorate” 作不及物动词使用，表示 “恶化，变坏”，但无需说明导致 “恶化” 的原因；“aggravate” 只能作及物动词使用，强调 “加剧，使（原本存在的问题变得）更严重”，它还有 “激怒” 的意思。本期节目讲解这对近义词在用法上的区别。
The global bicycle market is set to grow by five per cent every year over the next decade. Demand has been rising, particularly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as people look for an alternative to crowded public transport. Concern for climate change and rising fuel prices have also helped to push people onto bikes.Portugal is the biggest bicycle manufacturer in Europe. According to Eurostat, it produced 2.9 million bicycles in 2021, with exports generating around 594 million euros - almost 610 million US dollars - and sales are up 49% this year. The Secretary General of the industry group Abimota, Gil Nadais, explains how Portugal has benefitted from EU import tariffs.Pedro Araújo, the CEO of Polisport Group tells us how the industry is working together to cope with rising energy prices and to overcome supply chain problems and staff shortages.Portugal's Secretary of State for Urban Transport, Jorge Delgado explains how the government is trying to encourage more people to cycle in Portugal, where there’s been a historical reluctance, by investing more in infrastructure and giving free bikes to school children. Presenter and producer: Lisa Louis(Image: Ironman 70.3 Portugal Cascais; Credit; Getty Images)
Hot on the heels of the US and Canada - the European Parliament announced it was banning its MEPs and their staff from using TikTok on official devices and strongly advised them to delete it from the personal ones. The popular video-sharing app is owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance and has become the focus of mounting security and data protection fears.(Picture: US And EU Ban TikTok From Staff Mobile Devices. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The electoral commission says complaints should be taken to court once all the results are in. Also: The US Supreme Court is considering a challenge to President Biden's plan to forgive billions of dollars' worth of student debt, and the smart suit that is transforming disabled children's lives.
Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the plant for the electric car firm would be in Monterrey, which is about a nine-hour drive from Texas. Tesla is expected to share more in presentation to investors on Wednesday.
The candidate for Nigeria’s governing party, Bola Tinubu, has strengthened his lead in the elections, but three opposition parties have strongly criticised the poll and said it must be abandoned. We speak to a candidate from the opposition Labour Party, Ireti Heeba Kingibe, who joins the call in spite of just winning her own seat. Also in the programme: what is behind the poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls in Iran? And how the landmark trial that convicted Argentina's last military dictator has been turned into a film that’s been nominated for an Oscar.Photo: People browse through a newspaper at a vendor's stand in the Ikeja district of Lagos, Nigeria, as election results trickle in. Credit: Akintunde Akinleye/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Three opposition parties in Nigeria, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have called for Saturday’s presidential election to be cancelled and rerun, over alleged widespread irregularities. But the Independent National Electoral Commission remains steadfast in declaring state results. More fathers are being given time off to spend with their new-born child according to a report, which shows paternity leave has quadrupled in Africa. And in Uganda, we drop in on a 'silent café' in Kampala, where customers are encouraged to place their orders in sign language.
In 2009, Rudolf Brazda, one of the last known survivors of the Pink Triangles, returned to the former site of Buchenwald concentration camp where he’d been imprisoned during World War Two, for being gay in Nazi Germany. In never previously broadcast recordings, taped by Jean-Luc Schwab, who wrote Rudolf’s biography, we hear Rudolf’s reaction to returning as a 95-year-old man. Jean-Luc Schwab who became friends with Rudolf in the last few years of his life, speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma.This programme contains distressing details. (Photo: Rudolf Brazda. Credit: Frederick Florin/ Getty Images)
主持人 Rob 本来说要帮菲菲布置客厅，好迎接她家人的来访，却临时反悔，菲菲不禁说： “Thanks a bunch!” 她为什么要谢谢 Rob？Rob 这才意识到，这是一句带有讽刺意味的反话。听他们的对话，学习这个地道英语表达的含义和用法。
There has been a surge in the number workplaces in the United States voting to join a labour union. Amid this wave of unionisation, companies are pushing back hard. We find out what’s happening in the US and how businesses and politicians are reacting.We hear from a worker at outdoor clothing co-operative REI where staff have voted to unionise, plus Michelle Miller, who runs Co-worker, an organisation that supports employees who want union representation. Michael Strain, an economist at the centre-right policy organisation, the American Enterprise Institute, explains that workers are actually doing quite well at the moment as unemployment is low. And have you heard of union-busting? Rebecca Givan is an Associate Professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University in New Jersey - she explains what is happening.Produced and presented by Rob Young.(Image: Workers on strike from the New York Times. Credit: Getty Images)
The Flying Seagull Project travels the world with a simple goal: to enable and empower children in warzones and refugee camps to play. Theirs is a riproaring, irreverent, iridescent carnival that cuts through even the hoariest of cynics - and changes people's lives. From Glastonbury to a juvenile prison in Poland, and from a refugee camp in Bulgaria to a primary school in South London, reporter Georgia Moodie follows Ash Perrin, the founder of the Flying Seagulls as he gets kids from all walks of life to chuckle, yell and play.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned people to "buckle up" as he signed a bill giving the state control over Disney's sprawling Orlando theme parks.The bill strips power uniquely held by Disney for over 50 years and enables more oversight by Mr DeSantis' Republican-led legislature.The move is seen as retaliation after Disney opposed state laws curtailing gender and sexuality education.(Picture: Walt Disney World Resort Reopening. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
British Prime Minister hails it as a new chapter after years of fraught relations with Brussels. Also: The strange case of the schoolgirls being poisoned in Iran, and Nigeria's main opposition parties allege fraud as votes are still being counted after the presidential election.
The UK and the EU reached a deal after months of talks over contentious post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland. Details are now being pored over by lawmakers on both sides of the English Channel, but the plan is aimed at easing customs red-tape, equalizing some tax rules across the United Kingdom, and giving Northern Ireland’s lawmakers more of a say over the future of the arrangement.
The UK and the EU have finally managed to break the deadlock over trading arrangements for Northern Ireland after Britain's exit from the European Single Market and Customs Union. The British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, have hailed their deal as a 'decisive breakthrough'. We hear from George Parker of the Financial Times on what it means for Northern Ireland and Britain's relations with the EU. Also in the programme, the violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Huwara; and an interview with the deputy mayor of Bakhmut, continuing scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo: Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shake hands at the end of a news conference on a post-Brexit deal in Windsor, Britain. Credit: CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Nigerians wait with baited breath following Saturday's general election, but some in Rivers state protest over inability to cast their ballots. There were technical hitches during the voting, and today, some parties object to INEC, the electoral commission not uploading results online. Meanwhile, in Lagos, a major upset in the making as provisional results have Bola Ahmed Tinubu beaten in the state by outsider, Peter Obi.Those stories and others in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
Tim Lamont is a young scientist making waves. Arriving on the Great Barrier Reef after a mass bleaching event, Tim saw his research plans disappear and was personally devastated by the destruction. But from that event he discovered a novel way to restore coral reefs. Playing the sounds of a healthy coral reef entices fish in to recolonise the wrecked reefs. Tim's emotional journey forced him to realise that environmental scientists can no longer just observe. They need to find new prisms with which to view the world and to intervene to save or protect the natural environment.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, announced they've reached a deal to revise post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland. Mr Sunak says today's agreement marks a "new chapter" in the UK's relationship with the EU. We hear from business owners and economists about what the news means for the future of the economy in Northern Ireland.We get the latest on the story of Bao Fan, the missing Billionaire technology dealmaker in China. His employer now say he's cooperating with Chinese authorities conducting an investigation.And as the World Bank and the Kenyan Ministry of Energy meet to discuss a road map for African governments looking to tap solar electricity, we hear from the BBC Africa Business Editor about how it will be mapped out.
Israel has deployed extra troops to the occupied West Bank, after a Palestinian man was shot dead as Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages overnight, setting fire to houses and cars. The rioting was in response to the killing on Sunday of two Jewish brothers in one of the villages - Hawara. Also in the programme: The British prime minister and the president of the European Commission discuss a new deal on post-Brexit trade involving Northern Ireland. And Belarusian opposition figures say a Russian military plane has been damaged in a sabotage attack inside the country. We'll hear from the leader of the group that says it was behind the explosions.(Photo: A building and cars burnt in an attack by Israeli settlers, following an incident where a Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli settlers, are seen near Hawara in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank, February 27, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Ammar Awad)
His company, China Renaissance Holdings, reported him missing ten days ago. Also: more than 100 people feared dead in Italy migrant shipwreck; and the multiverse drama, Everything Everywhere All at Once, sweeps up the prizes at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, ahead of the Oscars.
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Fifty years ago, indigenous American activists staged a historic protest against the US authorities.A siege began which lasted for two months and resulted in the violent deaths of two tribal members and the injuring of a US marshal.In 2011 Russell Means, the former national director of the ‘American Indian Movement', spoke to the programme. (Photo: Russell Means in 1973. Credit: Getty Images)
How do you launch a successful start-up in a country where there’s been more than a decade of civil war? In this episode of Business Daily Maddy Savage hears how an entrepreneur from Syria was inspired by Scandinavia’s tech scene. Khaled Moustafa founded Syria’s first ride-sharing app, Yalla Go, in 2019. The platform now has hundreds of thousands of users who can book taxis on their smartphones to get around Syria's biggest cities. Khaled shares his story with Maddy and talks about some of the challenges, and benefits, of launching a business during a time of conflict. We also hear from a Yalla Go driver and get a glimpse into Syria’s emerging tech scene. Presenter / producer: Maddy Savage(Image: Khaled Moustafa; Credit: Khaled Moustafa)
Kim Chakanetsa is in Hollywood to meet two award winning women who’ve made it onto this year’s Oscar nominees list. Lesley Paterson co-wrote the screenplay for All Quiet on the Western Front, which is nominated for 9 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Lesley competed for Scotland and GB as a triathlete and is a five-time World Champion. Wendy Tilby is a Canadian director, animator and illustrator. The short movie she co-directed, The Flying Sailor, is nominated as Best Animated Short Film in this year’s Academy Awards.Producers: Alice Gioia, Jane Thurlow, Hetal Bapodra Production assistant: Abbie Bulbulian(Image: (L) Wendy Tilby. (R) Lesley Paterson. Credit: Getty Images.)
Rejected by family and society, trans actor Alina Khan was forced to spend time on the streets of her native Lahore as a child. Through dance, she found an escape and a living, but also encountered prejudice. Facing down loneliness, poverty and danger, she carved her own principled path to big screen fame. Now she’s won praise for her performance as Biba, a fiery and ambitious trans woman, in international award-winning new film Joyland.Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Laura Thomas
Security chiefs from both sides met for talks for the first time in years. Also: A boat carrying migrants has sunk off the coast of southern Italy, killing around 60 people, and Ian Fleming's famous Bond novels are being altered to reflect modern times.
Officials said at least 12 were children, including a baby and young twins. It's feared the casualty figure could rise as it's not clear how many people were on the vessel which sank off the coast of southern Italy.Also on the programme, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority have announced their joint commitment to take immediate steps to end a surge in violence. And controversy on the Indian edition of Masterchef, is it really OK to allow one guest to cook with paneer when everyone else has to cook with fish? (Picture: Rescued migrants in Italy. Credit: Shutterstock)
Cyclone Freddy has made landfall on Madagascar, leaving destruction in its wake. At the time this edition of Science In Action is going to air, Freddy is on course to reach Mozambique and South Africa. Freddy, which has been gaining strength since it originally formed on the 30th of January, is the most powerful southern hemisphere cyclone on record. Professor Francois Engelbrecht provides the science behind the storm system. In the centre of our galaxy, an enormous cloud is heading towards the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole. Dr Anna Ciurlo tells us that this is a unique opportunity to study the influence of the black hole on the cloud’s shape and properties. We’ve heard a lot about balloons floating above Earth recently… but what about sending balloons to Venus? That’s exactly what Dr Siddharth Krishnamoorthy is proposing in order to study Venus’s seismic activity. Recorders on a “floatilla” above the planet’s surface could listen into Venus-quakes and reveal Venus’s mysterious past. And closer to home, scientists have discovered a new layer in the Earth’s core. We journey into the very centre of the Earth with Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić, who tells Roland what the innermost inner core can teach us about our planet’s past. And, If, like this week’s Crowdscience listener Lili, you’re an avid gymgoer, you may well have wondered where your fat disappears to when you exercise?Well, the short answer is that we convert it to energy that powers a whole range of physical processes, from breathing to walking as well as lying down and doing nothing. But the science behind energy expenditure is a little more complicated than that.Presenter Anand Jagatia pops on an exercise bike to have his metabolism measured, and learns that he may be relying on an entirely different source of fuel as he works up a sweat. But is all that hard work worth the effort it involves? Recent research suggests there's a limit to the number of calories us humans can burn, and that doing physical activity isn’t a sure-fire way to keep trim.Even hunter-gatherers who walk 13,000 steps a day have the same metabolic rate as the average American. So if working out isn't the best way to lose weight, how about harnessing our own fat to tackle the complications of obesity? It used to be thought brown fat was exclusive to babies (and bears) but we now know adults have some of it too, and it seems to play a vital role in combatting a range of chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes.Image: NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). Producer: Roland Pease Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
More than 40 migrants, including a baby, have died and dozens more have survived after their overloaded boat sank in rough seas off southern Italy. The vessel reportedly broke apart while trying to land with more than 100 people on board near the coastal town of Crotone in the Calabria region. Also on the programme: Jordan hosts a high-level security meeting between Israeli and Palestinian officials, to try to calm a recent wave of deadly violence. And we go to Nigeria to get the latest on the country's tightest election since the end of military rule in 1999, with first results expected later on Sunday. (Image: Cutro, on the eastern coast of Italy's Calabria region, Italy, February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Giuseppe Pipita)
The Nigerian presidential election is the biggest democratic exercise in Africa. Also: G20 deadlock after China refuses to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, and Australia's PM first to march in gay rights parade.
Nearly ninety million people were eligible to vote. The candidates of Nigeria's two dominant parties, Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, are facing a challenge from Peter Obi, a former state governor who has used social media to capture the support of young people.Also on the programme, our reporter Laura Bicker is on one of the helicopters bringing aid to Turkey's earth quake zone. And the marrying of Western and Eastern classical music, we hear from the legendary jazz musician John McLaughlan whose band, Shakti, returns with a new album.(Picture: Voters queue in Nigeria Credit: Reuters)
Long queues have formed at polling stations in Nigeria as voters pick a new leader in the most unpredictable election since the end of military rule. Also in the programme: Our reporter is on one of the helicopters bringing aid to Turkey's earth quake zone; and we debate who is to blame for the war in Ukraine.(Photo credit: Getty Images)
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Philippe Sands, Professor of the Public Understanding of Law at University College London, who tells us about the history of ethnic tensions in Mauritius. The programme begins with Kaya a Mauritian musician whose death sparked three days of rioting. Then, we hear from John Huckstep who was interned by the Japanese when living in China during World War Two. In the second half of the programme, we tell the story of how Semtex was invented, and the debate about where the German capital should be after reunification. Finally, the man who made the Queen appear to jump out of a helicopter tells us how he did it, with the help of corgis, a clothesline, the Queen's dresser and of course James Bond.Contributors:Veronique Topize - Kaya's widow.Cassam Uteem - Former President of Mauritius. Phillippe Sands - Professor of the Public Understanding of Law at University College London.Jurgen Nimptsch - Former Mayor of Bonn.Wolfgang Schauble - Member of German Bundestag.John Huckstep - Held as a child at an interment camp in China.Stanislav Brebera - Brother of chemist who invented Semtex.Frank Cottrell-Boyce - Writer.(Photo: Mural of Kaya. Credit: BBC)
March 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the departure of the last American combat troops from Vietnam. Vietnamese journalist Nga Pham uncovers the surprising story of the US veterans who served in Vietnam during the 1960s and early '70s, and have since returned as retirees and decided to make the country their home. Can it just be the cheap housing, affordable healthcare and low cost of living? Or is it a way of healing from the psychological trauma of their experiences serving in the US military during the war in Vietnam?
The line-up is complete for the women's football World Cup taking place later this year in Australia and New Zealand. Haiti have joined Portugal and Panama in making the World Cup for the first time. We will be joined by former New Zealand captain Rebecca Smith who will give her thoughts on these teams and how significant it will be for Australia and New Zealand to host the tournament.Over the next couple of weekend the top leagues in Australia and New Zealand are staging their first ever pride round in their A-Leagues. We will be joined by James Lolicato who is one of the people behind the venture. We are also joined by an Olympian, a World Cup winner and a prince!Panama celebrate their victory and qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup during the 2023 FIFA World Cup Play Off Tournament match between Paraguay and Panama at Waikato Stadium on February 23, 2023 in Hamilton, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)Photo:
World Questions is the programme that puts people and their questions right at the heart of the debate. Listeners often ask questions about how programmes are made. This week World Questions series producer is quizzed about a recent edition from Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. What happens behind the scenes? How and why is a particular country chosen? And what determines which audience questions are used?Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to tens of thousands of deaths. And it’s estimated around 8 million Ukrainians left the country to find sanctuary. James Reynolds meets mothers and their daughters who share their experiences of escaping the war and the challenges of making a new life for themselves in the UK. We also hear from three young Ukrainian women, currently living in London. They express the guilt they feel about leaving friends and family behind, while also offering observations on some quirks of British culture.
Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have historically been difficult. Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year war. A bitter border war between the two countries began a few years later. But by 2020, Eritrea sent troops to fight alongside the Ethiopian government against rebel forces in its northern Tigray region. Kalkidan Yibeltal is a BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa. He explains the complex history between the two countries, and looks at the tentative peace now emerging in Tigray.
On 24 February 2022, Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine, hoping to take over the country in a matter of days.More than a year has passed, and the consequences of war are still being felt around the world - particularly regarding fuel.How have businesses in Europe, reliant on Russia's gas and oil, adapted to limited access to energy resources?(Picture: KRAKOW, POLAND - FEBRUARY 24: A person puts a candle near the Russian consulate on the 1st anniversary of the war in Ukraine, in Krakow, Poland on February 24, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Moscow is accused of selling embargoed oil and other products through third parties. Also: a humanitarian crisis is deepening in southern Ethiopia due to a severe drought, and elephants may remember the smell of relatives they haven't seen for years.
Ukraine's year of war has brought about huge challenges for the country and the rest of the world's access to energy.Russia's dominance of Europe in this area meant big headaches for countries trying to wean themselves off Russia's oil and gas.There were fears of power cuts and freezing homes in Germany, Poland and elsewhere. One year on, did those fears become reality?
On the day Ukraine marks a year since the start of the war, we hear about the fierce fighting that is continuing in the east of Ukraine. Also in the programme: we speak to Olha, who lost her mother in Bucha last year; and we speak to Kenya’s UN ambassador to understand the different stances African countries have taken towards the war. (Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responds to a question during a press conference in Kyiv. Credit: EPA).
A day before Nigeria's general election, the electoral commission says 87 million people are eligible to vote, but is everything ready?Also, one year on from Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Is it all doom and gloom for Africa?Plus our Resident Presidents.More on those stories in this podcast with Paul Bakibinga.
Twelve months since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, farmers and food supply experts explain why the global impact of the invasion is still being felt. We speak to Oleg Ustenko, an economic advisor to President Zelensky. Also, a look ahead to Nigeria's national election.
One year after Moscow launched its invasion, ceremonies have been held in Kyiv and towns and cities across Ukraine - while in Russia the occasion is not being conspicuously marked. There's been no comment from President Putin, although the former president, Dmitry Medvedev, suggested his country should push Ukrainian forces all the way back to the Polish border. In Ukraine's capital, President Zelensky pledged to do everything to achieve victory in the year ahead.Newshour's Lyse Doucet is live in the capital Kyiv and we'll be live in Moscow as well.(Photo: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky hands a flag to a serviceman during a ceremony dedicated to the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. February 24, 2023. Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
President Zelensky pledges to do everything to achieve victory in the year ahead. China urges both sides to hold peace talks as soon as possible. Also, health officials in Cambodia test a dozen people for the H5N1 strain of bird flu and, a university in Ireland is asked to return human remains taken without permission more than a hundred years ago.
Faranak Amidi meets the BBC Russian journalists who relocated from Moscow to the Latvian capital after the invasion of Ukraine.The first anniversary: what's in the news?Editor Sergei Zakin tells us what the news focus has been for his team in the week of the first anniversary of the invasion. The move from Moscow to RigaBureau chief Andrei Goryanov explains why the difficult decision was taken to move BBC Russian journalists and their families out of Moscow, and why Riga was chosen as their new home.Leaving RussiaSeva Boiko, Liza Fokht and Sergei Goryashko share their experiences of the past year. They describe the challenge of leaving homes and family members and building a new life in a new city. We find out how the shared difficulties have brought the team closer together. Riga: my home townFor several years, Latvian journalist Oksana Antonenko covered news from the Baltic region for BBC Russian. She tells us what it was like when nearly fifty colleagues arrived from Moscow to set up their new base in her home town.Reporting Russia from outsideThe move from Moscow to Riga has meant a new way of reporting for many of the BBC Russian team. Misha Poplavsky and Nataliya Zotova tell us how the change has impacted them. And they reflect with Oksana on what the future holds for them, personally and professionally.(Photo: Faranak Amidi with BBC Russian's Oksana Antonenko in front of Riga's historic House of the Blackheads. Credit: BBC)
How did an estimated 900 million people come to witness Her Majesty the Queen apparently parachuting from a helicopter with James Bond?Frank Cottrell-Boyce who wrote the scene for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games explains how it came about.Josephine McDermott hears how corgis, a clothes line and the Queen’s dresser all played important parts. (Photo: The moment the Queen and James Bond appeared to jump out of a helicopter above the Olympic Stadium in London. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ece Temelkuran, a prominent exiled Turkish writer and critic of President Erdogan. Erdogan has dominated Turkey for two decades but after the terrible earthquakes, with economic and political problems mounting and an election imminent, could his opponents finally bring him down?
On Tech Tent this week we hear how the Supreme Court is hearing claims that big tech firms such as Google and Twitter should be considered the publishers of the harmful content that appears on their platforms - Dr. Mary Anne Franks, President of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, tells us how it could change the way the internet works everywhere in the world. A year on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine we speak to one of the country's thousands of tech workers about how she has adapted to living and working in a time of war - and the government tells us the tech sector has kept growing, despite the destruction and loss of life. We find out about how some internet users in South Africa have had to become night owls because of the soaring cost of mobile data. And how to ride a virtual reality jetski - just by thinking about it.(PHOTO CREDIT WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 21: (L-R) Jose Hernandez and Beatriz Gonzalez, stepfather and mother of Nohemi Gonzalez, who died in a terrorist attack in Paris in 2015, look on as their attorney Eric Schnapper speaks to the press outside of the U.S. Supreme Court following oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google February 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. Oral arguments took place today in Gonzalez v. Google, a landmark case about whether technology companies should be liable for harmful content their algorithms promote. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images))
The market for real handmade products is reported to have surged in recent years. Initiatives such as Australia's Seasons of New England Expo and Makers Markets in the UK have led to a revival in small artisanal businesses. Online platforms also give skilful craftspeople a vast market to sell to. Business Daily's David Reid hears from sellers in Manchester making things as diverse as balloon animals and mushroom growing kits. We also hear about the benefits of working with your hands. The philosopher and motor mechanic, Matthew Crawford, is the author of 'The Case for Working with your Hands' and 'The World Beyond Your Head' – he tells us why office work and current management practices have removed judgement and decision making from our day-to-day efforts and alienated us from the real results of the work we do. Produced and presented by David Reid. (Image: A potter making a pot using a wheel. Credit: Getty Images)
Today marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, so how is the economy faring and what financial support has the country received?(Picture: BAKHMUT, UKRAINE - JANUARY 14: A woman works in one of the few stores open in the city of Bakhmut as soldiers remain in fierce fighting to defend the city against the Russians on January 14, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
On the eve of the anniversary, the UN vote called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and a halt to the fighting. Also: the former US film mogul Harvey Weinstein begs for mercy as he is sentenced for another rape.
Former boss of collapsed crypto exchange FTX faces four new criminal charges accusing him of conspiring to make illegal political donations and to commit bank fraud.Sam Bankman-Fried has already pleaded not guilty to defrauding customers and investors. FTX filed for bankruptcy last year, leaving many users unable to withdraw their funds.Mr Bankman-Fried now faces a total of 12 criminal charges.
Britain's UN ambassador, Dame Barbara Woodward, tells us why she thinks a vote on Russia's invasion of Ukraine is important.Also in the programme: A German MEP who's been warning for years about TikTok, on the EU Commission's warning about the Chinese social media app; and a Palestinian journalist living in Gaza on the increased violence between Israelis and Palestinians.(Photo: Screens show the recorded vote of member countries as the United Nations General Assemble passes a resolution calling for peace in Ukraine during the 11th Emergency Session of the United Nations at United Nations headquarters in New York on 23 February 2023. Credit: EPA/Justin Lane)
Voters in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, head to the polls this Saturday, 25 February, to elect a new president and parliamentary representatives. In this special edition we hear why the 2023 general election is so important and what issues have been dominating the political campaigns. We also hear from young people who tell us how they hope the next president, Muhammadu Buhari's successor, will make a difference.
Cyclone Freddy has made landfall on Madagascar, leaving destruction in its wake. At the time this edition of Science In Action is going to air, Freddy is on course to reach Mozambique and South Africa. Freddy, which has been gaining strength since it originally formed on the 30th of January, is the most powerful southern hemisphere cyclone on record. Professor Francois Engelbrecht provides the science behind the storm system.In the centre of our galaxy, an enormous cloud is heading towards the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole. Dr Anna Ciurlo tells us that this is a unique opportunity to study the influence of the black hole on the cloud’s shape and properties.We’ve heard a lot about balloons floating above Earth recently… but what about sending balloons to Venus? That’s exactly what Dr Siddharth Krishnamoorthy is proposing in order to study Venus’s seismic activity. Recorders on a “floatilla” above the planet’s surface could listen into Venus-quakes and reveal Venus’s mysterious past. And closer to home, scientists have discovered a new layer in the Earth’s core. We journey into the very centre of the Earth with Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić, who tells Roland what the innermost inner core can teach us about our planet’s past.Image: NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS).Producer: Roland PeaseAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Haiti's Chelsea Supris celebrates reaching the World Cup for the very first time in the country's history. And as football resumes in Turkey following the devastating earthquakes, the Gambian international Lamin Jallow finds himself searching for a new club after his team withdrew from the league.Picture on website: Haiti's Roselord Borgella celebrates during their FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Playoff game against Chile. (Photo by Luis Veniegra/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The South African government has agreed to take on $23bn of debt from the state power company Eskom. We speak to a former executive about how this move will help the country avoid continued blackouts.A new regulating body for Football in England aims to keep the boardroom finances in check, and give the fans more of a say. We speak to one club owner about how it could impact clubs competing in the global sport industry.And what makes milk, milk? The Food and Drug Administration in the US has now issued draft guidance that plant-based alternatives could now be marketed as milk.
Nigeria's political parties urged to stand firm on violence. The appeal comes hours after three separate attacks took place in the south-east of the country. Also: The UN's Middle East envoy is in the Gaza Strip as tensions rise between Israel and the Palestinians, and Europe's first sanctuary of darkness.
Despite facing malnutrition, starvation and disease, Christopher John Huckstep's father set up a school in the Japanese internment camp where his family was sent in 1943.Herbert Huckstep ensured the 350 children of Lunghwa Civilian Assembly Centre were taught a wide range of subjects using brown paper bags to write on. The school was called Lunghwa Academy and it had its own badge, motto and certificates. A syllabus was followed, exams were taken and there were even evening classes for adults. The Japanese set up more than 20 internment camps in China and Hong Kong holding an estimated 14,000 people, but it is not believed that such a sophisticated schooling system was established elsewhere. In spite of the many hardships, educational standards were kept so high that qualifications taken in the camp were later recognised by the Cambridge exam board when the exam scripts were taken to England after the war. Christopher John Huckstep shares his memories with Josephine McDermott.(Photo: Christopher John Huckstep and other children at Lunghwa Civilian Assembly Centre, Shanghai, in 1945. Credit: Oscar Seepol. Image courtesy of Susannah Stapleton and Special Collections, University of Bristol Library)
Ahead of an expected vote in the UN General Assembly about the war in Ukraine - which has its first anniversary on Friday - we go to Russia where it is Defender of the Fatherland Day. It's a celebration of the country's armed forces. How popular is Vladimir Putin inside Russia? We also hear from two Russian men escaping military service.Also on the programme: the BBC Middle East correspondent in Nablus; and David Bowie’s archive at the Victoria and Albert Museum. (Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a concert dedicated to Russian service members involved in the country's military campaign in Ukraine, on the eve of the Defender of the Fatherland Day at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia February 22, 2023. Credit: Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via Reuters)
Nearly everything we consume is transported by ship. The biggest container ships in the world are among the largest moving structures made by man and can carry over 24,000 20-foot container units. The standardisation of these simple metal containers in the 1950s and 60s marked a turning point in world trade, driving down costs and ultimately fuelling globalisation. Now that supply chains have become ever more complex and been put under increasing strain, we take a look at the history of the shipping container.Presenter Rajan Datar is joined by:Marc Levinson is an American historian and economist. He’s the author of The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger. Alan McKinnon is Professor of Logistics at Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg, Germany. He’s the author of Decarbonising Logistics: Distributing Goods in a Low Carbon World.Yash Gupta is a shipping industry expert with over 20 years’ experience in vessel management and logistics. He is based in Mumbai, India.Produced by Jo Impey for BBC World ServiceImage: Aerial view of a container ship passing under a suspension bridge with truck crossing aboveCredit: shaul via Getty Images
In 1950, Argentina hosted the inaugural Basketball World Cup for ten teams from around the world.Argentina beat the USA 64–50 in the final in Buenos Aires on 3 November.Rachel Naylor speaks to Ricardo González, Argentina's captain.(Photo: Ricardo González in 2023. Credit: María Eva González)
In this epsiode of Business Daily Ashish Sharma looks at how the art world has tried to preserve Ukraine´s cultural and artistic heritage from the ongoing war.Hear the story of how valuable Ukrainian paintings were put on trucks and sneaked out of Ukraine as Russia began heavily bombing the country. Thanks to the idea of one art collector they are now on display in a museum in Madrid. Ashish also managed to link up with Kyiv to speak to the Director of the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Yulia Lytvynets and Nadia Tymchuk the CEO of the Museum´s Charitable Foundation about how they are trying to protect important artefacts and preserve Ukrainian culture. Presenter / producer: Ashish Sharma Image: Exhibition of Ukrainian art in Spain; Credit: Getty Images
Shamima Begum loses British citizenship appeal. While the ruling said it was possible she was a victim of trafficking, the judge found the government still had a legal right to take her citizenship away. Also on the programme: the BBC Middle East correspondent Anna Foster at a relief centre in the city of Adana; and mixing olive oil and coffee.(Picture: Shamima Begum during her interview with BBC's Middle East correspondent Quentin Sommerville, at al-Hawl refugee camp in north-eastern Syria. Picture credit: BBC News.)
A year on from the invasion of Ukraine, many Russians now inhabit a parallel world that justifies the conflict. How have they been persuaded to support, or accept, a war against a country they had the closest of personal and historical ties with? Assignment talks to some of the persuaders – a celebrated war correspondent, a top talkshow host, a popular singer and poet, and a volunteer fighter – to understand how Russians’ understanding of the conflict has been forged. What are the memories and fears that have been invoked to convince many that it’s Russia, not Ukraine, that’s fighting for its survival?(Photo of Russian war reporter Alexander Kots)
In a landmark ruling for South Asian workers, the city of Seattle, Washington has become the first American city to outlaw caste-based discrimination.Also on the programme, would you try olive oil in your coffee?(Picture: An Indian passport against a backdrop of the US flag. Credit: Getty Images.)
The countries - known collectively as the Bucharest Nine - denounced Russia as a significant threat to Nato security in the region. Also: Palestinians killed in Israeli raid in Nablus, and do you want an olive oil latte?
How do you make Michelin Star-level food, for hundreds of people, in a kitchen you just built in someone’s garden, and with no access to cooking gas? That’s just a typical scenario facing chefs in the world of high end mass catering. In this episode, we hear from John Downey, the Catering Manager at the Web Summit tech conference, on the pressures of feeding high profile figures, and VIPs who've spent $26,000 on a ticket. We also hear from Matt and Ted Lee, authors of the book Hot Box: Inside catering, the food world's riskiest business. They tell us about the stresses and often extraordinary challenges of providing high end food, at scale, at some of the USA’s most fancy weddings and galas.Presenter: Marie KeyworthProducer: Sarah Treanor(Picture: A chef's hand, putting the final touches to some dishes. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Seattle, in the US state of Washington, has become the first American city to outlaw prejudice based on India's caste system. It's a big moment for South Asian diaspora. Elsewhere, Italy's authorities are considering whether to send Facebook's parent company a $900 billion tax bill. Meta insists it's up to date with all its liabilities.
Cyclone Freddy has wrecked buildings and caused power cuts and flooding as it struck eastern Madagascar. The mayor of one of the worst hit cities says despite the damage, there has been a sigh of relief that the cyclone's impact has not been as severe as anticipated. And as we approach the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, four African students who fled the war, share their experiences of the trauma, uncertainty, optimism and hope, that have shaped their lives over the past year.Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
From human milk banks to babies born during conflict, this week we're all about the health of children and newborns.The most vulnerable premature babies benefit from human milk, but their mothers milk is often not available. We visit a human milk bank to explore how donors are making a difference.Dr Ann Robinson shares some surprising new research looking at a novel way of preventing short-sightedness. And one year on from the start of the war, Smitha Mundasad talks to a Ukrainian mother who was forced to flee her country while 7 months pregnant. In conversation with Sasha Yarova from War Child, Smitha finds out about support available for the thousands of Ukrainian children now making new homes in countries around Europe. Presenter: Smitha MundasadProducer: Gerry Holt & Ilan Goodman
Residents of Hong Kong are to receive a third round of consumption vouchers, aimed at boosting consumer spending. We look at the economic pressures on the special administrative region, and how much difference new measures are likely to make.
The Bucharest Nine are set to discuss security guarantees and regional defence with Mr Biden who is coming under pressure to offer further support. Also: A British woman who joined ISIS at fifteen loses her citizenship appeal, Haiti reaches the Women's World Cup for the first time, and we hear from a storytelling festival in Morocco.
China's top diplomat meets President Putin in Moscow, days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China has stopped short of providing Moscow with unconditional backing for its war in Ukraine, but there are fears Beijing could change that position.Also on the programme: we visit Nigeria where a currency crisis is dominating the run up to Saturday's general election. And we examine the environmental cost of the expansion of FIFA, the governing body for world football.(Picture: Wang Yi of China meets President Putin of Russia. Credit: Reuters)
In 1958, Stanislav Brebera invented Semtex. It was a malleable, odourless and stable plastic explosive which became the choice weapon for those seeking to spread terror.In 2018, Maria Jestafjeva spoke to Mirisov Brebera, the brother of the chemist who created it.(Photo: Semtex. Credit: Getty Images)
It is estimated almost eight million people have left Ukraine in the past 12 months. They have all had to start again - finding housing, schools and a way to earn a living. In this episode we hear from Ukrainians who are staying resilient through huge changes to their lives. They tell us about making sure they can provide for their families, run businesses and help their employees. Konstantin Klyagin is an IT and software entrepreneur from Kyiv. When the war started he was on a flight and unable to land in Ukraine. He now lives in Lisbon, Portugal and tells us about helping his employees relocate with him. Vadim Rogovskiy runs an company developing AI software for use in online shopping. Vadim now lives between New York and Poland. He relocated his whole team to Warsaw, Poland on the day of the invasion.Presenter / producer: Alex Bell (Image: Konstantin Klyagin; Credit: Konstantin Klyagin)
一位网友来信询问 “gaze” 和 “stare” 之间的区别。这两个词都有 “注视” 的意思，但它们所描述的 “注视” 原因却不同。“Gaze” 强调 “因钦佩、仰慕或爱意而凝望”，“stare” 则常表示 “好奇地盯着人看”。本期节目讲解这两个词的用法。
Stephen Sackur speaks to the British-Ukrainian historian and author Olesya Khromeychuk. She's written a book and a play about her brother Volodya, a soldier killed defending Ukraine in the Donbas long before Russia’s all out invasion began last year. Has Putin’s assault on Ukrainian identity strengthened what he set out to destroy?
The leaders of Russia and the US have traded firm words over the war in Ukraine. We look at the economic situation facing millions of Ukrainian refugees around the globe.Elsewhere, a study of dozens of firms have suggested businesses which adopt a four-day working week could enjoy a boost to productivity and employee happiness. But are our guests convinced?(Picture: The traditional working week. Could it be set to change? Credit: Getty Images.)
US President says democracies are stronger and autocracies weaker in defiant speech in Poland. Also: A court in New York finds Mexico's former anti-narcotics chief guilty of pocketing millions in return for allowing safe passage for drugs, and what could be the oldest flushing toilet in the world has been discovered in China.
A year since Russia invaded, millions of Ukrainians are still displaced around the globe. Away from the immediate horror of the conflict, it's presented challenges and opportunities for host countries, refugees, and their businesses. What does this population shift mean for Europe and beyond?
Ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Friday, Biden tells crowds in Warsaw that Ukraine will ‘never be a victory for Russia’. We hear from a former US ambassador to Ukraine. Also on the programme: Analysing president Putin’s state of the union speech; and the drying canals of Venice. (Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks ahead of the one year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, outside the Royal Castle, in Warsaw, Poland, February 21, 2023. Picture credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Nations in Southern Africa are bracing themselves for Cyclone Freddy as meteorologists warn the tropical storm could cause considerable damage. We hear from Madagascar and Mozambique on the steps being taken to keep residents safe.Uganda's Constitutional Court outlaws child marriage. One of the key activists who petitioned the courts says despite being happy with the successful outcome, they will continue to push to ensure the ruling is not ignored.And from Cameroon, a special report on the women's movement leading efforts for peace, piece by piece.
In his state of the nation speech, Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for provoking Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We ask what is the state of the Russian economy after one year of the war?We hear from one of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges on the future of regulation in the industry.And does a shorter working week make us more productive? The world's biggest trial of a four day working week suggests it doesn't harm the performance of companies and leaves employees feeling healthier and happier.
Mr Putin accuses the West of trying to dissolve Russian culture and values in his State of the Nation address. President Biden is expected to challenge Mr Putin's vision of the war in a speech in Poland. Also: Yet more devastation in Turkey from the latest earthquake, and the world's biggest trial of a four-day working week.
Defiant Putin insists Russia is not the aggressor, blames the West for the war in Ukraine and suspends Russia’s participation in the START treaty; also in the programme reactions to Putin’s speech and a senior polish official on Warsaw’s determination to send fighter jets to Ukraine. (Photo: President Putin. Credit: Shutterstock)
Mauritian musician Kaya, who pioneered a new genre called seggae, fusing reggae and sega, died in police custody on 21 February 1999.His death sparked three days of rioting. People believed Kaya had been beaten to death.Veronique Topize, Kaya's widow demanded an independent autopsy and President Cassam Uteem travelled into the heart of the disorder to appeal directly to the rioters to put down their weapons and go home.Veronique Topize and Cassam Uteem shared their memories with Reena Stanton-Sharma.(Photo: Painting of Kaya (left). Credit: BBC)
如果一个人走路的脚步比较缓慢，那同行的人也需要慢下脚步。英语短语 “to slow walk” 的字面意思是 “慢慢走”，但它实际被用来指某人 “故意拖延，行事缓慢”。听节目，学习这个短语的具体用法。
Peter Morici and Karen Percy discuss the latest US funding commitments for Ukraine, announced by the US President on a surprise visit to Kyiv.We're also discussing Meta's familiar-looking 'blue tick' rollout. Just where did they get that idea from?(Picture: Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine. Credit: Getty Images.)
How the US President's surprise visit to Ukraine was kept a secret. Also: another earthquake hits south-eastern Turkey, and the experimental therapy restoring movement in stroke victims.
US President Joe Biden has pledged a further $450 million in assistance to Ukraine. But back at home, questions are being raised over how long such support can continue. Also on the programme, why Hong Kong is becoming a global player in the crypto market.
President Biden says America will back Ukraine in its fight against Russia for "as long as it takes". He was speaking during an unannounced and highly symbolic visit to Kyiv. Admiral John Kirby, the US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, joins us from Washington DC to discuss US support for the war in Ukraine. Also in the programme: Official figures suggest Russia's economy hasn't been hit as badly as predicted by the war in Ukraine. And we hear from the BBC's Anna Foster in Adana on today’s earthquake in Turkey.(Picture: U.S. President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral during an unannounced visit, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. Picture credit: Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERS)
Are we entering a ‘newgenic’ age - where cutting-edge technologies and the power of personal choice could achieve the kind of genetic perfection that 20th century eugenicists were after?In 2018, a Chinese scientist illegally attempted to precision edit the genome of two embryos. It didn’t work as intended. Twin sisters - Lulu and Nana - were later born, but their identity, and the status of their health, is shrouded in secrecy. They were the first designer babies.Other technological developments are also coming together in ways that could change reproduction: IVF can produce multiple viable embryos, and polygenic screening could be used to select between them.Increased understanding and control of our genetics is seen as a threat by some - an inevitable force for division. But instead of allowing genetics to separate and rank people, perhaps there’s a way it can be used - actively - to promote equality. Professor Paige Harden shares her suggestion of an anti-eugenic politics which makes use of genetic informationContributors: Dr Helen O'Neill, lecturer in Reproductive and Molecular Genetics at University College London, Dr Jamie Metzl, author of Hacking Darwin, Professor Kathryn Paige Harden from the University of Texas and author of The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality.
Nearly 100 million Nigerians are preparing to go to the polls for Saturday's presidential election but it is the economic woes and the lack of currency, rather than the presidential hopefuls, that are taking centre stage. Comoros will assume the chairmanship of the African Union for 2023, in what is being hailed as a significant moment for the island nation. And we pay tribute to Ghanaian footballer, Christian Atsu, who died in Turkey, in the devastating earthquake that hit that country and northern Syria.
The US president made a new pledge to ramp up sanctions, on his first visit to the country since the invasion. We hear from Estonia's foreign minister about how sanctions can be used to rebuild Ukraine.With just days to go until the Nigerian election, we speak to a group of young people about why more and more of them are leaving the country to pursue work opportunities elsewhere.And Scottish craft brewer BrewDog likes to claim it's beer is for everyone, and now it'll test that theory as it expands into China.
US President assures Ukrainians American support will continue. Also: heavy flooding and landslides in Brazil lead to carnival cancellations, and we look back on the life of Japanese legend of Manga, Leiji Matsumoto.
US President Joe Biden- on a surprise visit to Kyiv- says Vladimir Putin's 'war of conquest' in Ukraine is failing. Speaking alongside President Zelensky, ahead of this week's anniversary of Russia's invasion, Mr Biden said Mr Putin had been 'plain wrong' to think Russia could outlast Ukraine and its allies.Also today: A BBC investigation uncovers widespread sexual abuse in the East African tea plantations of Kenya - suppliers to the world's biggest brands; and we're in Aleppo, Syria, to hear from earthquake survivors worried about the future.(Photo: US President Joe Biden meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Olena Zelenska during an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday Feb 20, 2023. Credit: Evan Vucci/Pool via Reuters)
Do you like to eat a full English breakfast? Listen to find out how to use this phrase.
In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell and Germany had to decide which city would be the new capital. The contenders were the West German city of Bonn and the East German city of Berlin and the two fought it out in a ferocious political battle that would help define the country.Ilona Toller hears from Bonn citizen Jürgen Nimptsch, who would later become the mayor of the city and Wolfgang Schäuble who fought on the side of Berlin.(Photo: Bundestag 2023. Credit: Getty Images)
It’s nearly a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in this programme Ed Butler examines the real state of the Russian economy. Ami Daniel, chief executive of Windward, a maritime data company, tells Ed about the Russian oil tankers transferring millions of tonnes of crude oil between ships to bypass sanctions. As the war continues, millions of euros worth of Russian assets remain frozen as a result of sanctions. Urmas Reinsalu, the Estonian foreign minister, tells us about an initiative Estonia is leading to actually seize and exploit some of Russian’s frozen billions for the benefit of Ukraine.Presenter / producer: Ed ButlerImage: A market in Kyiv; Credit: Getty Images
Companies around the world are making their employees redundant. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who managed to re-invent themselves after losing their jobs. After being laid off in 2015, communication executive Dawn Kelly used her severance pay to open her own cafe, The Nourish Spot, in Queens, New York. Dawn, who was 58 when she started her entrepreneurial journey, had always wanted to run her own business but never had the funds to start. Hers is a story shared by many black women who, despite being the fastest-growing demographic of small and medium entrepreneurs in the USA, still face discrimination and struggle to access capital.Eleanor Tweddell worked in senior management positions in the corporate world for over twenty years for companies including Virgin Atlantic, Costa Coffee and Vodafone - until she was made redundant, twice. She wrote a book about her experience, Why Losing Your Job Could Be The Best Thing That Ever Happened To You, and started her own company, Another Door. She now coaches individuals and organisations to provide advice and support through redundancy.Produced by Alice Gioia(Image: (L) Eleanor Tweddell, credit Aga Mortlock; (R) Dawn Kelly, courtesy of Dawn Kelly.)
In the ring, Blair finds calm amidst the chaos of his life.Back in the US Blair Cobbs falls again on hard times; homeless in Philadelphia his boxing dream seems out of reach. But a string of lucky breaks may just tip the balance. Blair’s brazen alter-ego who’s kept him alive thus far now has a name – Blair ‘the Flair’ – and some recognition in the ring. But could ‘the Flair’ take him all the way to the top of the boxing world? Presenter: Asya FouksProducer: Louise Morris
Beijing says it won't be dictated to over its relationship with Moscow. Also: Burkina Faso marks the official end of the French military operation there amid speculation it could turn to Moscow for support for its fight against Islamist insurgents, and why it was a big night for the German language film All Quiet On The Western Front at the BAFTAS.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Dr Stefanie Green, a leading advocate for Canada’s liberal assisted dying laws, who has herself overseen more than 300 deaths by euthanasia. Is Canada at ease with its role as a testing ground for complex ethical and medical arguments about assisted dying?
Turkey has ended rescue efforts in all but two provinces, almost two weeks after a massive earthquake killed tens of thousands of people, the country's disaster agency said.Also in the programme, tensions remain high after Moldova's president accused Russia of plotting to use foreign "saboteurs" to overthrow her pro-EU government.And the head of the European Trade Union Confederation speaks exclusively to Newshour about her dramatic expulsion from Tunisia, after she took part in a union demonstration in the city of Sfax.(Picture: Members of a search and rescue team work to recover bodies from rubble on February 19, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey. Picture credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
In the decade since the genome editing capabilities of CRISPR-Cas9 emerged, research into novel medicines has boomed – but alongside progress comes new ethical considerations. Controversy erupted in 2018, when Chinese scientist He Jiankui created the first babies with edited genomes. After leaving prison last year, he’s now back in the lab trying to raise support for new research but refuses to discuss the ethical implications of his work. Dr Joy Zhang recently arranged a bioethics seminar and invited He Jiankui, it was the first time he’d agreed to engage with a global cohort of CRISPR scientists since returning to his research.Going back in time from cutting-edge to ancient technology, some of the oldest stone tools ever used by human ancestors have been unearthed at a fossil site in Kenya. Professor Tom Plummer talks us through the findings and how important the tools were in our evolution.And we immerse ourselves in the mysterious sounds of the Arctic and Antarctic, from singing ice to the man-made noises of oil and gas drilling. These dramatic soundscapes, created for the Polar Soundscapes project, showcase just how busy our oceans are. Dr Geraint Rhys Whittaker, composer and project lead, believes a novel approach may be required to prompt climate action.Yoga benefits our health in many ways, say the yogis, but which claims are backed up by science? Can yoga actually alleviate depression, fix lower-back pain or even reduce cardiovascular disease?Presenter Marnie Chesterton gets into her Lotus (position) and finds out first-hand at a class. Whilst in warrior one, she discusses the potential physical and mental health benefits of this ancient art of stretching, balance and movement with her class teacher. Returning from mat to studio, Marnie puts some of those claims to experts around the globe. She investigates the evidence to find out whether health boosting properties are the key to yoga's enduring popularity.Image Credit: Anthony WallacePresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Harrison LewisAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has alleged that China is considering supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war against Ukraine. What’s the view in Beijing?Also in the programme: A new phase in the stifling of dissent in Nicaragua. We speak to an exiled writer stripped of her citizenship.And the Ukrainians helping their neighbours through hard times.(File photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media prior to meetings at the State Department in Washington, US on February 7, 2023. Olivier Douliery/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)
World leaders are discussing their next steps at the Munich security conference. Also: The UN announces the largest-ever allocation from its Central Emergency Fund to help Africa tackle what it calls "forgotten crises," and why the language used in Roald Dahl's classic children's books is being reviewed.
World leaders are meeting at the Munich Security Conference, as issues including the Ukraine war and US-China relations dominate headlines.Also on the programme: a Chinese balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina is being investigated by US authorities to see what information it may have collected.And a row has erupted over changes to the works of renowned, and controversial, British author Roald Dahl.(Photo: US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the 2023 Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany. Photo credit: Johannes Simon / Getty)
Nearly two weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we hear about the struggle to survive in the city of Antakya, Turkey.Also on the programme: world leaders are meeting at the Munich Security Conference to discuss the Ukraine war, there's a call for increased military support for Kyiv. And in New Zealand, Cyclone Gabrielle has devastated the North Island and cut off hundreds of communities.(Photo: Rescuers carry the body of a victim at the site of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Antakya, Turkey. Credit: Reuters)
Ghanian sports broadcaster Michael Oti Adjei and the BBC’s John Bennett pay tribute to Christian Atsu after he was found dead under the rubble of his home almost two weeks after the Turkey earthquake. The Ghana international – who was playing in Turkey for Hatayspor - had spells with Premier League sides Everton, Chelsea and Newcastle and was also well respected for his charity work in Ghana.Photo: Christian Atsu of Newcastle United arrives before the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Crystal Palace at St. James's Park, Newcastle on Saturday 21st December 2019. (Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Ilaria Favretto, Affiliate Professor at Kingston University in London, who tells us about the history of workers' protests across Europe.The programme begins with a former union leader describing Italy's 'Hot Autumn' of 1969 when protests erupted. Then, we hear the archaeologist Howard Carter's remarkable account of opening the burial chamber of Tutankhamun, the Egyptian Pharaoh, 100 years ago.In the second half of the programme, we hear about the creation of Pokémon, and the coronation of Denmark's first Queen in 600 years. Finally, an American woman tells us how she became a Muay Thai boxing champion.Contributors:Ilaria Favretto - Affiliate Professor at Kingston University in London.Renzo Baricelli - Italian union leader.Howard Carter - British archaeologist.Akihito Tomisawa - Pokémon developer.Kjeld Olesen - Danish politician.Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu - Muay Thai boxer.
It is billed as a “review of the week with the latest news” - we meet the team behind Weekend and put to them your comments and feedback.Plus, where does the BBC World Service stand on issuing programme transcripts? A listener in the Philippines wants to know.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown Production for BBC World Service
The likes of Tiktok, Meta and Google will face some of the strictest rules about how they look after our data anywhere in the world as the Digital Services Act or DSA comes into force across European nations.Firms with over 45 million users in the European will have to pay fines of up to 6 per cent of their massive global revenues should they be found to breach the new rules. Also on the programme, we discuss how Helsinki became a global mobile games capital. Will Bain is joined throughout the programme by Dr Stephanie Hare, a researcher of technology and politics and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper.(Photo: Logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft on a mobile phone with an EU flag in the background. Credit; Getty Images.)
Scores of people were killed by jihadists on motorcycles in the Syrian province of Homs. Also: Qatar's Sheikh Jassim and Ineos bid for Manchester United football club, and how difficult is it to be optimistic?
The annual Munich Security Conference has begun just days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion. At the conference, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hinted Germany will soon be able to deploy its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine.We'll also hear how some of the biggest names in tech will face some of the strictest rules in the world on protecting users privacy.
The President of Ukraine warned his western allies at the Munich Security Conference that while they hesitated over decisions to send heavy weapons to Ukraine, the Kremlin was planning to 'strangle Moldova.'Also on the programme: Taliban militants storm the police headquarters in the Pakistani city of Karachi; and violent protests continue as Nigerians face a cash shortage. (Picture: A Danish Leopard tank in a military exercise in Estonia. Credit: VALDA KALNINA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The state of the Nigerian nation ahead of elections, as tensions over the shortage of new currency continue.Also, the M23 rebel movement rejects a new report accusing it of perpetrating rape in the eastern DRC.And South Africa begins ten days of naval training exercises with Russia and China. Those stories and more in this podcast with Esau Williams
World leaders including the Ukrainian President are gathered in Germany for the Munich Security Conference. It's seen as the leading global gathering on defence matters, at a time when security issues are high on everyone's agenda.Participants at the conference include 40 heads of state and government and nearly 100 ministers.Russia has not been invited this year, nor has Iran - but China is sending one of its top diplomats. Also in the programme – news from the start of London Fashion week as second hand clothing takes to the catwalk. As a sign of the times perhaps as much of the world goes through a cost of living crisis.
Addressing the Munich Security Conference, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said there was no alternative to a Ukrainian victory and freedom could not be compromised. Also on the programme, Russian and Chinese forces are starting military exercises today off the coast of South Africa; And, there is now less sea-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent than at any time since we began using satellites to measure it in the late 1970s.(Photo: Munich Security Conference 2023 16/02/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
The war in Ukraine is top of the agenda as Kyiv presses for more weapons. Also: Britain jails former embassy guard for passing secrets to Moscow, and cheetahs roam India again.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine nearly a year ago, thousands of lives have been lost on both sides, and millions of Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes. For BBC Ukrainian, it's been a year of upheaval, with many journalists from Kyiv moving to new hubs in Lviv and Warsaw, and some living apart from family members. We hear how the team have continued to report the war, from editor Marta Shokalo in Warsaw, Daria Taradai in Lviv and Oleg Karpyak in Kyiv. Ukraine war - perspectives from around the world Over the past year, Russia has been building on its already strong ties to many countries around the world, using trade deals, historic loyalties and propaganda. We get perspectives from China, Latin America and Africa from BBC Chinese editor Howard Zhang, Grigor Atanesian from the BBC's Global Disinformation Unit and Luis Fajardo from BBC Monitoring. (Photo: The Ukrainian national flag flies over Kyiv. Credit: Raul Moreno/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Aged four, Mary was playing in her parents’ front yard, when she was grabbed by “the government people” and taken to a Catholic boarding school to be turned into a Christian. She’s just one of thousands of Native Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes and put into boarding schools from the 1800s right up to the 1970s. According to a US government report, the purpose of these schools was to strip indigenous people of their spiritual beliefs, culture and land. A government investigation also found that physical, emotional and sexual abuse was “rampant”. Indigenous Americans’ spiritual beliefs are now experiencing a renaissance, but is this revival enough to enable Mary and her friends heal from a childhood of trauma in America’s residential schools?Presenter: Leana Hosea Producer: Leana Hosea with Rajeev GuptaProduction co-ordinator: Nancy Bennie Editor: Helen Grady
One employee tells the BBC the tech giant has been attempting to 'scare' staff. The firm says it continues to 'make enhancements to our industry-leading benefits as a part of the overall support we provide to our valued team members.' We'll also hear from the African Tech Summit taking place in Kenya. And we learn how a small team of visual effects artists created the look of the stunning Oscar contender - Everything, Everywhere All at Once - using laptops in their bedrooms.Image credit: Reuters/ Joshua Roberts
On 17 February 1980, the first people climbed Everest in winter.John Beauchamp hears from Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki from Poland who were the men who did it.It was at the height of the Cold War, when Poland was behind the Iron Curtain. The two climbers decided that they had to show the world that their country was still capable of doing extraordinary things.Despite a lack of money and equipment and using whatever they could lay their hands on – including welding goggles – they made it to the top of the world’s tallest mountain.A Free Range and Overcoat Media co-production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Leszek Cichy (left) Krzysztof Wielicki (right). Credit: Krzysztof Wielicki)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Waris Dirie, the Somali born model, writer and activist. She was raised in poverty, and later became the muse of big fashion houses in New York and beyond. She chose campaigning over the catwalk, speaking out against female genital mutilation, which she experienced and is now determined to eliminate. Is this a fight she can win?
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is seeking international support for the people of Turkey who were affected by the massive earthquakes. We also talk about the issues around changing pensions and the retirement age which have sparked weeks of protest in France.Will Bain talks through these issues with Isin Elicin, a freelance journalist based in Istanbul in Turkey and Ralph Silva from the Silva Research Network in Toronto.(Picture: UN Secretary- General Antonio Guterres. Credit: Getty Images.)
President Lukashenko says he’ll allow Russia to use his country for attacks on Ukraine. Also: the UN launches an appeal for Turkey’s earthquake victims, President Biden says objects shot down over North America appear to have nothing to do with China, and a study looks into baby formula milk claims.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Godwin Emefiele, has directed banks to make the old 200 naira notes available from today following President Muhammadu Buhari's extension until April 10.And in Lebanon, furious protests have continued to explode on the streets of the capital Beirut with people setting fire to bank branches which remain closed, and refuse to allow withdrawals.
In a BBC interview to mark a year since Russia's full-scale invasion, President Zelensky says conceding land would mean Russia could "keep coming back", while Western weapons would bring peace closer. Also on the programme: Nigeria’s cash crisis; and toxic contamination in East Palestine, Ohio.(Photo: President Zelensky of Ukraine. Credit: EPA / Shutterstock)
In the decade since the genome editing capabilities of CRISPR-Cas9 emerged, research into novel medicines has boomed – but alongside progress comes new ethical considerations. Controversy erupted in 2018, when Chinese scientist He Jiankui created the first babies with edited genomes. After leaving prison last year, he’s now back in the lab trying to raise support for new research but refuses to discuss the ethical implications of his work. Dr Joy Zhang recently arranged a bioethics seminar and invited He Jiankui, it was the first time he’d agreed to engage with a global cohort of CRISPR scientists since returning to his research.Going back in time from cutting-edge to ancient technology, some of the oldest stone tools ever used by human ancestors have been unearthed at a fossil site in Kenya. Professor Tom Plummer talks us through the findings and how important the tools were in our evolution.And we immerse ourselves in the mysterious sounds of the Arctic and Antarctic, from singing ice to the man-made noises of oil and gas drilling. These dramatic soundscapes, created for the Polar Soundscapes project, showcase just how busy our oceans are. Dr Geraint Rhys Whittaker, composer and project lead, believes a novel approach may be required to prompt climate action.Image Credit: Anthony WallacePresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Harrison LewisAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
In a bid to calm tensions over a lack of cash in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has announced that one of the three naira banknotes being phased out will be reintroduced into circulation. The trial of four military officers and a policeman accused of plotting to overthrow the Gambian president gets underway at the high court in the capital city, Banjul.And the Senegalese legend Baaba Maal introduces us to the hoddu, - a traditional Senegalese stringed instrument – which features in his new single Agreement, on his upcoming album Being.
Papua New Guinea captain Rayleen Bauelua looks ahead to the World Cup qualification play-offs.Picture on website: Papua New Guinea women's soccer team line up before a friendly game against the Philippines. (Photo by Luis Veniegra/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Nigeria's currency swap is causing unrest among its people. Three months ago the government introduced newly designed notes or Naira - and asked people to swap their old notes. The deadline for that was supposed to be last Friday. But not enough new notes have been released, leaving many without cash to pay for vital items.We also look at Argentina's eye-wateringly high inflation rate.
Turkey's foreign minister says Sweden hasn't done enough to stop Kurdish terrorism. Applications to join Nato must be approved by all member countries. Also: The leader of Belarus says his forces will only fight alongside Russia in Ukraine if his country is attacked, and why South Korea is removing women-only parking spaces.
The War in Ukraine has seen little or no diplomacy between Kyiv and Moscow. However, there has been cooperation around prisoner of war exchanges. More than 1,700 Ukrainian men and women have reportedly made it home this way so far. The BBC has been given rare access to one facility where captured Russian soldiers are held in the west of the country. Also in the programme: Customers have smashed and set fire to banks in Lebanon; and an update on a toxic chemical spill in Ohio.(Picture: Hundreds of captured Russian soldiers, conscripts, and mercenaries are held at facilities in Ukraine. Credit: BBC)
Developments in new technology such as DNA sequencing have transformed our understanding of the Neanderthals, one of a group of archaic humans who occupied Europe, the Middle East and Western Asia more than 300,000 years ago.First identified by fossil remains in 1856 in a German quarry, the Neanderthals led an extremely physical existence as hunter-gatherers. They were stronger than us, adaptable as a species to huge variations in climate, with brains as large as ours and sophisticated ways of creating tools.Many of us carry some of the DNA of Neanderthals, thanks to interbreeding with homo sapiens. Although the Neanderthals today are no longer with us, their story has a lot to tell us about ourselves and our future survival on the planet. Rajan Datar is joined by Janet Kelso, a computational biologist and Group Leader of the Minerva Research Group for Bioinformatics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. She specialises in the analysis of DNA sequencing of ancient people such as Neanderthals; Katerina Harvati, the Senckenberg Professor for Paleoanthropology and Director of the Institute for Archaeological Sciences at the University of Tübingen. Her work focuses on the origins of modern humans and Neanderthal evolution; and archaeologist and writer Rebecca Wragg Sykes, Honorary Fellow in the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool. Her award-winning book Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art was published in 2020.Produced by Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service (Image: Neanderthal Female, re-created by artists Andrie and Alfons Kennis. Photo: Joe McNally/Getty Images)
American Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu started Muay Thai fighting in Boulder, Colorado. It was a trip to Thailand that made her realise that if she wanted to progress in the sport, she would have to move there permanently to train and fight. She quickly became one of the best fighters in the martial art, surpassing 200 fights; something no other western fighter has achieved in Thailand. She became WBC Muay Thai minimum weight world champion in 2023.Sylvie has been speaking to Wayne Wright for this Made in Manchester production.(Photo: Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu in training for a fight. Credit: Kevin Von Duuglas-Ittu)
As the rescue and recovery effort from the devastating earthquake continues, young people who survived are making tough decisions about the future. With Turkey already struggling economically even before the disaster, do they leave and start again in a new region, or a new country? Or stay and help rebuild? Victoria Craig travels to Ankara where she meets Berkai, a second year design student from Gaziantep, one of the most badly affected cities. He drove for 12 hours with his family to reach the Turkish capital. He says he's not sure what the future holds, and he is considering moving to another European country. Roger Kelly is the lead regional economist for Turkey at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He explains how youth unemployment is a particular challenge for southern Turkey, and says it's difficult to say whether people who have been displaced will return when areas are rebuilt. And Professor Güneş Aşık from TOBB Economics and Technical University says students affected by the earthquake might not find it that easy - they might have to drop out of university to support their families. Produced and presented by Victoria Craig. Additional production by Anil Ergın. (Image: A rescue centre in Ankara. Credit: Getty Images)
No part of the United Kingdom has felt the impact of Brexit more strongly than Northern Ireland. Home to the country's only land border with the European Union, the province is the focus of passionate debate about Britain's future relationship with Europe. Three years on from Brexit, the temporary agreement, the so called “Protocol,” that was designed to ease the UK's exit from the EU but left Northern Ireland in legal and political limbo is coming to an end. And what might replace it is causing uncertainty and unease there. David Baker travels to Northern Ireland and assesses the impact of Brexit. He meets businesses that have benefited from the agreement and want it to stay and others who say it’s been damaging and feel their identities are threatened. Producer: Jim Frank(Photo by Stephen Barnes via Getty Images)
With nearly $12 billion of new Russia sanctions announced by the EU, we discuss the economic impacts those already announced are having, and how they are causing young tech workers to leave the country. It's hoped the latest sanctions will weaken Moscow’s “war machine” through trade bans and technology export controls.(Picture: Oil refinery plant of petroleum on the background of of the Russian flag. Credit: Anton Petrus)
Food banks have operated for decades in North America and Europe. They are generally operated as non profits, connecting food businesses that have waste with individuals, families and charities that need food. In 2006 there was just one African food bank in Egypt. A second opened in South Africa in 2009. Today there are around twenty five across the continent. In this programme we look at how African countries have adapted food banks to their needs, and hear how they address criticisms that the food bank model itself is flawed when it comes to addressing food poverty. We ask Nairobi based reporter Michael Kaloki to spend a day with Food Banking Kenya, and its founder and CEO John Gathungu. Michael visits their warehouse storage, meets small holder farmers donating surplus food, and speaks to women living in some of Nairobi’s informal settlements that rely on food donations. Ruth Alexander speaks to Elijah Addo, who founded one of Africa’s first food banks in 2015, Food for All Africa in Ghana. Gaby Kafarhire at The Global FoodBanking Network, based in Chicago in the United States, talks about the particular challenges African food banks face. And researcher Gareth Haysom at the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town shares his concerns about the current system. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. Additional reporting by Michael Kaloki in Nairobi. (Image: a food bank worker lifting a crate of vegetables onto a truck. Credit: BBC)
Payton Gendron gets life without parole for killing ten black people in New York state. Also: Unrest breaks out in Nigeria over a shortage of cash caused by the replacement of old banknotes, and the Hollywood star Raquel Welch has died aged 82.
The EU have announced nearly $12 billion of sanctions aimed at weakening Moscow’s ability to maintain its “war machine” through trade bans and technology export controls. We find out what impact sanctions are already having on Russia, and how they are causing young tech workers to leave the country.We hear from a former senior economic advisor in Barack Obama's administration, about President Joe Biden's appointment of Lael Brainard, vice-chair of the US Federal Reserve, as his top economic advisor.And as the first UN aid convoy arrives in Syria, we get reaction from the country as anger grows over the lack of support so far.
Thousands of Syrian war refugees who fled to Turkey are trying to go back to Syria after last week's earthquakes. Also in the programme: the former Governor of South Carolina and US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, is the first Republican to contest Donald Trump’s bid for the presidential nomination; and American actress Rachel Welch has died at the age of 82.(Photo: Children play at Refaat Daho school that houses many refugees, after a deadly earthquake in Latakia, Syria. Credit: Reuters).
Protests have broken out in parts of southern Nigeria and there are reports of two commercial banks being set on fire, as anger mounts over the scarcity of cash. The furore has been caused by the central bank's decision to scrap old banknotes and to replace them with new ones that are not widely available.Hundreds of followers of the main Christian Orthodox Church in Ethiopia have been arrested in recent days following tensions with the authorities, we hear from the head of the church’s legal team.We speak to the young Ghanaian priest who has been elected as the next Anglican Bishop of Gambia.And we hear from the Kenyan senator and advocate of free sanitary pads for girls, who was ejected from parliament for having what seemed to be a period stain on her trousers.
Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced her resignation. She has led the Scottish National Party, which wants independence from Britain, for more than eight years. Ms Sturgeon has been a key figure in Scotland, as a member of the Scottish Parliament since it opened in 1999 and its longest serving First Minister. Also in the programme: The UK's most expensive drug costs more than three million dollars per dose, and is the most expensive drug ever approved by the NHS; and the French high fashion brand Louis Vuitton has named the Grammy-winning producer, rapper, singer and songwriter Pharrell Williams as its new menswear creative director.(Photo: First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon speaks at a news conference at Bute House where she announced she will stand down as first minister, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain February 15, 2023. Jane Barlow/Pool via REUTERS)
The EU president has unveiled plans to hit Russia with fresh sanctions worth nearly 12 billion dollars.This comes ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24th.The EU has also formed a working group to explore whether frozen Russian assets could be used to help rebuild Ukraine.If approved, the latest sanctions will restrict technology exports and affect more Russian banks.We report on riots in Nigeria as unrest mounts over cash shortages. There are reports protesters have attacked banks and destroyed ATM machines.It's the latest in a series of worsening problems caused by the introduction of new naira banknotes two months ago.First Manchester United, now Tottenham Hotspur becomes the latest English Premier League attract potential buyers.An Iranian-American billionaire, Jahm Njafi, who chairs MSP Sports Capital, is reported to be preparing a $3.75 billion takeover bid for Tottenham Spur.Meanwhile, the deadline for initial offers for Manchester United is this coming Friday. The current owners the Glazier family are rumoured to be expecting upwards of six billion dollars.
New pledges for Ukraine include heavy weapons and military training. Also: Nicola Sturgeon announces her resignation as Scotland's First Minister, and one of the world's most expensive drugs saves the life of a toddler.
On 27 February 1996, gamers were first introduced to characters Pikachu, Eevee, and Charmander when the first Pokémon games were released in Japan. Known as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, the games were released simultaneously on the Nintendo Game Boy hand-held console.In a matter of years the franchise would make the leap from an ageing games console to television animation and beyond, making it a worldwide pop culture powerhouse.Kurt Brookes speaks to game developer Akihito Tomisawa about the development, release, and success of the game series.A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Pikachu. Credit: Made in Manchester)
动词 “recognise” 和 “identify” 都可以表示 “认出（某个人、事物或问题）”。其中，“recognise” 还可以用来表示 “承认；认可、表彰” 的意思；“identify” 还可表示 “认出身份” 或 “指出问题”。听节目，学习近义词 “recognise” 和 “identify” 的区别。
Nigerians head to the polls very soon, in what's expected to be a very closely-contested election. In this episode of Business Daily Rob Young explores how the economy could impact the vote. Africa’s largest economy, is struggling with soaring prices, fuel shortages and insecurity. We hear from Maty Ukhuegbe Osaro who runs a restaurant in Lagos called The Fish Lady, she tells us how the pandemic and rising prices have affected her business and about her hopes for the outcome of this election. Economist and financial business boss, Bismarck Rewane, says us the uncertainty around the election has led some large businesses to hold off taking key decisions and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director general of the World Trade Organisation, and former finance minister in Nigeria tells us she's optimistic about Nigeria's economic potential. Presenter / producer: Rob YoungImage :Campaign rally for the Labour Party in Lagos; Credit: Getty Images
Boden is a remote town in northern Sweden surrounded by pine forests, it's at the forefront of an initiative to try and clean up one of the world’s dirtiest industries - steel production. Business Daily presenter Maddy Savage visits the site of a new plant in Boden which aims to cut carbon emissions from the steel making process by 95 percent and bring more jobs and people to a shrinking community.Andy Turner is the head of construction for H2Green Steel, the start-up behind the plant in Boden, he tells us more about the site and the process of making greener steel and Katinka Lundberg, senior policy advisor with climate think tank e3g - third generation environmentalism - tells us how well is Sweden doing in the race to make steel production more sustainable. Producer / presenter: Maddy SavageImage: How the Boden plant is expected to look; Credit: H2Green Steel
Stephen Sackur speaks to Mick Lynch, leader of Britain’s biggest rail union the RMT. His members are striking for inflation proofed pay and job protection. It is a test case in a new era of worker versus employer fights with resonance across the world. But can the workers win?
In the biggest order of new passenger aircraft in history, Air India has ordered 470 new planes. Airbus will provide 250 of them and the other 220 will come from US rival Boeing. It's been hailed by French president Emmanuel Macron as a historic opportunity for further Franco-Indian cooperation. We discuss the deal and what it means for the wider air industry.
A truck convoy used one of two new crossings permitted by the Syrian President Assad to bring in relief. Also: US makes arrests over Haiti leader's assassination, and scientists say they have developed a drug for use in a contraceptive pill for men.
Inflation figures from the US show that inflation is slowing but less than expected, increasing thoughts that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again this year. We speak to a former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration about what we can expect from the year ahead.After the biggest order of new passenger aircraft in history, we find out what the deal between Air India, Airbus and Boeing means for the industry.And who's buying Manchester United? We hear about the runners and riders who are bidding to own ones of the world's biggest football clubs.
Doctors warn of increasing cases of post-traumatic stress experienced by earthquake victims. We hear the story of one Syrian refugee in Turkey who became homeless for the second time. Also in the programme, we hear from one of Iran's top chess player, living in exile after refusing to wear a headscarf; And, the Oscar nominated documentary about orphaned elephants in India. (Photo: Search operations continue in Hatay following powerful earthquake 14/02/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
South Africa has declared a national state of disaster over severe flooding, while heavy rains have also hit Mozambique’s capital Maputo.Due to the shortage of the new Naira banknotes in Nigeria, the Central Bank has announced the making of money bouquets, used by some in celebrations, will attract a fine or imprisonment.And we catch up with Ghanian Highlife music star, Bisa Kdei, about his new album.
The US consumer price index rose at a rate of 6.4% - a slight fall on the previous month.While the drop is welcome news it was smaller than some economists had anticipated.The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the prices of a range of goods and service, and has now fallen for seven consecutive months in the US, from a high of more than 9% last year.We also report on big job losses in Europe which were announced by car makers Ford.The company will be axing nearly 4000 jobs across Europe in the coming two years.Most of the jobs cuts are in the product development division - that is designers, engineers and testers.And on Valentine's Day - why flowers on sale in the Netherlands might not have been grown on home soil....
It comes after the broadcast of a documentary critical of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also: The UN welcomes Syria's decision to allow more earthquake aid, and how TikTok sent sales soaring for one American author.
Newshour's Razia Iqbal spoke to Iranian Chess player, Sara Khadem, who is now living in exile in Spain after refusing to wear a headscarf. She isn't able to return for fear of arrest and imprisonment.Also in the programme: Tax officers have searched BBC offices in India; and speculation the North Korean leader's 10-year-old daughter is being groomed to be a future leader.(Picture: Sara Khadem of Iran sits in front of a chess board during a game in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Credit: Reuters/Mikheyev)
In January 1972, King Frederick IX of Denmark died after a short illness at the age of 72. He was succeeded by his daughter Margrethe who became the first Queen of Denmark in 600 years.Watching her proclamation as Margrethe II of Denmark in the room next to the balcony of the Amalienborg Palace was the country’s former Foreign and Defence Minister Kjeld Oleson.He’s been remembering that day with Ashley Byrne at his home in Copenhagen. A Made in Manchester Production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Margrethe II of Denmark in 1970. Credit: Getty Images)
你是一个容易被情绪左右的人吗？如果你被别人给你的反馈或建议弄得心烦意乱，那很可能是你的情绪在控制着你。本期节目内容通过分享主持人 Rob 的个人经历教你表达 “take something to heart” 的意思和用法。
Frey Lindsay investigates what some African students are required to do to get a place to study in the UK – and what that costs. We examine the cost and relevancy of English language tests and explore the visa pathways that exclude some Africans. Young African academics tell us about their frustrations and the enormous expense involved. Nigerian policy specialist Ebenezar Wikina tells us about his campaign trying increase inclusion for those Africans who speak English and education scholar Samia Chasi explains why academics and institutions in poorer countries deserve more of a place in global education.Presenter / Producer: Frey Lindsay Image: Student, Donatus outside Glasgow University; Credit: BBC
The US have burst a high-altitude balloon programme designed for intelligence gathering, which they say came from China. The two nations are also at loggerheads over new rules the US introduced that prevent the export of chips to China. We take a look at what this all means for the future of trade relations between the countries.
The focus is now increasingly on providing food, shelter and healthcare. Also: Tens of thousands of Israelis have protested outside parliament against controversial plans for judicial reforms, and the Czech star Jakub Jankto has become the first international player in men's football to come out as gay.
The US has burst what it's called a high-altitude intelligence gathering balloon from China, while the deadline over a dispute between the two countries over the trading of microchips has expired. We speak a former member of the Clinton Administration about what this means for trade relations between the nations.We find out why Ghana's in an arm-wrestle with its pensioners over who's going to foot the bill for its debt problems.And what's behind the low birth rates affecting nations all around the world?
Around 90,000 Israelis have protested outside parliament against controversial plans for judicial reforms. Also on the programme, our correspondent in north-western Syria reports from a hospital treating victims - some of them just months old - of last week's earthquakes; and a German opera house suspends its chief choreographer after he attacked a newspaper critic with dog faeces - we speak to that journalist.(Photo: Israelis demonstrate on the day Israel's constitution committee is set to vote on judicial plan, in Jerusalem 13/02/2023 Reuters)
Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki has said that the United States supported the Tigray People's Liberation Front or TPLF in its 2-year war with the Government in Addis. In a long interview, he claimed the US pressed the peace deal to prevent the Tigrayans being defeated.Also, Ghanaian pensioners protest outside the Ministry of Finance offices, saying the Government shouldn't make them destitute.Plus, we hear why countries on the continent are now THE destination for African tourists who prefer the attractions closer to home than elsewhere.Those stories and more in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
A key goal of eugenics in the 20th century was to eliminate genetic defects from a population. Many countries pursued this with state-led programmes of involuntary sterilisation, even murder. We unpick some of the science behind this dark history, and consider the choices and challenges opened up by the science today.In the mid-19th century, an Augustinian friar called Gregor Mendel made a breakthrough. By breeding pea plants and observing how certain traits were passed on, Mendel realised there must be units - little packets - of information determining characteristics. He had effectively discovered the gene.His insights inspired eugenicists from the 1900s onwards. If traits were passed on by specific genes, then their policies should stop people with ‘bad’ genes from having children.Mendel’s ideas are still used in classrooms today - to teach about traits like eye colour. But the eugenicists thought Mendel's simple explanations applied to everything - from so-called ‘feeblemindedness’ to criminality and even pauperism.Today, we recognise certain genetic conditions as being passed on in a Mendelian way. Achondroplasia - which results in short stature - is one example, caused by a single genetic variant. We hear from Professor Tom Shakespeare about the condition, about his own decision to have children despite knowing the condition was heritable - and the reaction of the medical establishment.We also explore how genetics is taught in schools today - and the danger of relying on Mendel’s appealingly simple but misleading account.Contributors: Dr Brian Donovan, senior research scientist at BSCS, Prof Tom Shakespeare, disability researcher at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; and Dr Christine Patch, principal staff scientist in Genomic Counselling in the Society and Ethics Research group, part of Wellcome Connecting Science.
In Syria, more than 3,500 people are so far known to have been killed by last week's earthquake. But in the worst-affected area, opposition-controlled Idlib, little aid has arrived. The UN has sent in aid trucks, but Syria has received a tiny fraction of the help neighbouring Turkey has secured. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville and cameraman Robbie Wright gained access to the region. Also in the programme: Why the French defence minister has criticised the latest 'Black Panther' film; and rapper David Jolicoeur from the pioneering hip hop group 'De La Soul' has died.(Picture: A volunteer among the rubble, in the aftermath of an earthquake in Idlib province, Syria. Credit: White Helmets/Handout via REUTERS)
President Joe Biden ordered another object - the fourth in total this month - to be downed on Sunday. Also: Angry scenes inside the Israeli parliament as the government is accused of turning Israel into a dark dictatorship… and did she slay or was she just ok? The internet responds to Rihanna’s Superbowl performance.
In 1969 and 1970, thousands of workers in Italy went on strike, protesting against low pay and poor working conditions. It became known as the ‘Hot Autumn’.Renzo Baricelli represented tyre workers at the Pirelli rubber factory in Milan, one of the main centres of protest.He tells Vicky Farncombe how he had to step in when angry workers with hammers were threatening to smash up the factory.(Photo: Workers protesting in Milan during the 'Hot Autumn'. Credit: Getty Images)
Business Daily’s Matthew Kenyon visits the Dutch town of Hoogerheide as it hosts the 2023 World Cyclocross Championships. Tens of thousands of fans will flock into the town, and spend their money on hotels, food and drink. But where does that money go? And what about the costs and disruption of putting on a major sporting event in a small place? We hear from the head of the local organising committee, Jan Prop, on how he raises and spends his budget; from cycling’s world governing body, the UCI; and from locals and visitors about the spending and disruption that goes with any big sporting event.Producer / Presenter: Matthew KenyonImage: Cyclocross 2023; Credit: BBC
Kim Chakanetsa talks to a US step-parenting coach and a journalist in India about their experience of being a step-mother. They discuss the challenges of blended families and give advice to women in similar situations.When Naja Hall began dating a divorced man with three young children she was soon dealing with difficult, confusing and stressful scenarios. When she couldn't find the practical advice she needed she set up online forums Blended and Black and VIP Stepmom. She's now a well-regarded step-parenting coach who specialises in high-conflict situations.Aarushi Ahluwalia was 26 when her husband's son came to live with them. In India there's a social stigma around being a step-parent where just 1% of marriages end in divorce and she knows very few other women with her experience. She says that as a step-mother you have all of the responsibility but none of the rights of a parent, despite this she's found it really rewarding to care for and love her step-son.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Aarushi Ahluwalia, courtesy Aarushi Ahluwalia. (R) Naja Hall, courtesy Naja Hall.)
From Beverly Hills to hiding from the law with his dad, Blair’s seen it all.To help him get through the tough times – and there’d be quite a few of those – Blair created a separate persona. This was the fearless alter ego he could rely on to swoop in and save the day. The Peter Pan to his Lost Boy. And Blair was certainly lost now - would he make it back out of Mexico alive?Clips: Clueless/ Amy Heckerling/ Paramount PicturesPresenter: Asya FouksProducer: Louise Morris
Stephen Sackur speaks to Kenneth Roth, who spent three decades leading the campaign group Human Rights Watch. Why is the fight for human rights being lost in so many places?
International community accused of having blood on its hands for abandoning those in north-west Syria. Also: Israel's president has warned that the government's plan to reform the judiciary is pushing the country towards constitutional collapse, and British pop star Harry Styles sweeps the board at the UK music awards - The Brits.
The number of people confirmed to have died in Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 33,000. Officials in Turkey say 113 arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the construction of buildings that collapsed after Monday's earthquake. We speak to an American search and rescue team on the ground in the Turkish city of Adiyaman, and hear from Idlib province in north-west Syria. Also on the programme: Israel's President Isaac Herzog warns in an unscheduled televised address to the nation that the country is on the verge of constitutional and social collapse, as a political crisis intensifies over the government's plans to overhaul the judiciary. And the BBC's Steve Rosenberg looks at how Russia has changed since its invasion of Ukraine last year. (Image: a man stands next to a car in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Hatay, Turkey February 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan)
Turkish police have issued more than 100 arrest warrants as part of an investigation into poor building standards after this week's devastating earthquakes; also, a high-altitude object that's being described only as 'small' and 'cylindrical' has been shot down by the US military over Canada; and how did Harry Styles go from boy band singer to global music star?(Photo: Rescue team works in earthquake-affected area of Hatay, Turkey. Credit: Photo by ERDEM SAHIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The comments were made by the United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths. Also: Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has said a United States military fighter jet, acting on his orders, has shot down a high-altitude airborne object over the northwestern Yukon territory, and we get a rare glimpse inside Iran on the 44th anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
In the early hours of Monday, a powerful earthquake hit Kahramanmaras in Turkey. Nine hours later another struck. When this edition of Science in Action first aired, 19,000 people were reported to have died, but that number was expected to rise. Back in 2016, Professor Asli Garagon and her colleagues accurately predicted that an earthquake of this size was coming. Using GPS, they were monitoring the East Anatolian fault to calculate energy building between the plates. With such accurate insight could Turkey have been better prepared?Ross Stein, seismologist and founder of Temblor, a Californian consultancy that specialises in assessing hazard risk, estimates the plates moved at 5,000 mph. The movement of the plates may have built up pressure in other parts of the country. And finally, Tiziana Rossetto, a civil engineer at University College London, knows better than most that earthquakes do not kill, buildings do. She tells Roland how the combination of earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks appear to have even destroyed buildings that were purposely built to withstand them. Also, Why does the thought of giving a talk to an audience fill so many of us with sheer terror? Marnie Chesterton investigates for listener Nhial, who has seen his fellow students in Morocco become panic stricken at the prospect and wants to know the reason for our anxiety. According to one study, 77 per cent of us share that fear.Marnie finds out about the relationship between stress, our brains and our voices from research associate Dr Maria Dietrich at the University Hospital, Bonn University. She talks to Nhial’s tutor, Professor Taoufik Jaafari, at Hassan II University of Casablanca about the challenges facing his students. And she visits the National Theatre in London to get some expert training from Jeannette Nelson, head of voice, who works with some of the world’s leading actors.Could there be an evolutionary explanation for the purpose of public speaking? Is it something we actually need to be good at? Marnie asks evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar at Oxford University and gets some surprising answers. She meets psychologist Dr Preethi Premkumar at London South Bank University, who has developed virtual reality therapy with colleagues at Nottingham Trent University, and tries out the treatment herself.Image: Aftermath of the deadly earthquake in GaziantepCredit: REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
The UN’s humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has described the earthquake in Turkey as the worst natural disaster he’d ever seen in his decades of humanitarian work. While visiting the Turkish city of Kahramanmasa he told the BBC that the UN would work actively and firmly to open more crossings into north west Syria where so little aid has arrived.Also in the programme: we hear from the WHO Syria representative in Aleppo; and a reporter who's crossed into parts of northern Syria controlled by Turkish-backed militias.(Photo: Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, gestures during a presser in Maras, Turkey, 11 February 11 2023. Credit: Reuters/Emilie Madi)
UN humanitarian chief martin Griffiths visits epicentre of Turkey’s earthquake; also in the programme Iran marks the anniversary of the Islamic revolution after months of anti-government demonstrations; and British MPs enraged by a planned visit of the governor of China’s Xinjiang province.(Photo: Rescuers going through rubble in Kahramanmaras. Credit: Reuters)
For World Radio Day, we celebrate four vibrant community radio stations on four continents. Northern Malawi’s Rumphi FM supports the Tumbuka tribe while giving young women a space to speak out against early marriage and for education. From Budapest, Radio Dikh broadcasts “about the Roma, but not just for the Roma,” presenting Romany culture in its own distinctive voice. In Nunavik, Northern Quebec, Inuit radio beams Inuktitut music and talk to 14 remote villages, helping to keep an ancient language and threatened tradition alive. And in Myanmar, brave journalists risk their lives to resist the military dictatorship with news and views sent out from portable transmitters, sometimes under fire.
It has been 10 years since Pope Benedict XVI announced his shock resignation. It was the first time in almost 600 years that a pope had stepped down.In this programme, we hear stories about the history of the papacy, including how a pope is chosen, the inception of Vatican II and what happens when a pope dies.Contributors:Giovanna Chirri - former Ansa journalistCatherine Pepinster - former editor of Catholic newspaper, The TabletCormac Murphy-O'Connor - CardinalJohn Strynkowski - MonsignorBeniamino Stella - Cardinal Don Davide Tisato - former professional footballer Felice Alborghetti - journalist from the Centro Sportivo Italiano(Photo: Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Credit: Getty Images)
After 85 years, BBC Arabic radio recently ended its broadcasts - we take stock of your feedback with personal recollections of what the radio service meant to you.Plus, we go behind-the-scenes of the BBC’s Pronunciation Department - and hear from newsreader Moira Alderson about how it helps her present a bulletin.Presenter Rajan DatarProducer Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
We have been hearing from people in Turkey and Syria since the earthquake struck the region on Monday. Three survivors tell us about their escape from shaking buildings onto bitterly cold streets, including Canan who was staying in a hotel in Gazientep: “We were in PJs,” she says. “We were barefoot and people were screaming and crying.” It’s an anxious and emotional time for relatives watching from abroad. Germany is home to the largest Turkish diaspora in the world and we bring together Aeyna and Hazal, as well as Khalil, who has close family in Aleppo in Syria.
One of 2023's biggest and most lucrative sporting events takes place at the weekend. It's the 57th Super Bowl, and the first which will allow mass betting in the US market. Away from the field, we take a look at the winners and losers.(Picture: The State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Credit: Getty Images.)
The Pentagon said President Biden gave the order to destroy it, without revealing what it was. Also: More than twenty-three thousand people are now known to have died in the Turkish-Syrian earthquake disaster, and Michelle Yeoh tells us about her Oscar nominated performance in the surreal adventure Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.
Russia - one of the world's largest producers of crude oil - says it's slashing daily output by 500,000 barrels. It comes after trade sanctions in the wake of the war in Ukraine. So is the decision a retaliation or a retreat?
The Syrian government says it will allow aid agencies to deliver humanitarian aid across government lines to earthquake victims in rebel-controlled territory. We speak to the International Red Cross and hear of the continuing search for survivors under the rubble in Turkey as well as an opposition Turkish MP.Also in the programme: The collapse of the government in Moldova and has a campaign to boycott a new Harry Potter video game failed?(Photo shows an armed man standing near a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to be taken to Syria's quake-hit northwest in the Aleppo Governorate, Syria. Credit: Orhan Qereman/Reuters)
Ethiopia has restricted social media and messaging platforms, ahead of banned protests by both the Christian Orthodox Church and a splinter group of clerics. We look at the importance of the church in Ethiopia, and examine recent tensions and the schism in the church.Plus, we get reaction from South Africa, after President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his State of the Nation address, announcing the declaration of a state of disaster over the country’s ongoing energy crisis.And we speak to a representative of the Azande Kingdom in South Sudan, which was restored a year ago, 117 years after the previous king was killed by British troops.
A unique look at the most watched annual sporting event in the world the Super Bowl, this year hosted in Phoenix, Arizona.Whilst the Super Bowl is the ultimate dream, sometimes that dream becomes a nightmare. 8 long years of slugging it out in the NFL had made Joe Hawley tired both physically and mentally. When the Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s season ended in 2018, Hawley not only made the momentous decision to give up the game, he also decided to give away all his earthly belongings! He bought a van and for the next 2 years travelled the country with his appropriately named dog “Freedom”. Joe tells about that journey, and what finally stopped him living on the road. Carter Crosland is a high school football coach from Wickenburg, Arizona, but he’s not just any football coach. Born without arms or legs he was determined nothing was going to stop him being involved with the game he loves. He tells us his inspiring story and how he has overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges to flourish in the world of American Football. This will be the first time in two black quarterbacks will play in the Super Bowl. We’ll look at the impact 35 years on from Doug Williams becoming the first black quarterback at a Super Bowl. We’ll preview the Half Time show and find out how it has become such a big event, and look at why companies are prepared to pay $7m for a thirty second advert during the game and what makes a great Super Bowl advert. Plus we’ll be exploring the indigenous people of Arizona and the important role that sport plays in their community and how it has served as a bridge between the indigenous community and the rest of Arizona and with Arizona on the border of Mexico, immigration is a big issue. We speak to the first Mexican to play in the NBA. Horacio Llamas played for the Phoenix Suns and in the process broke down barriers.Photo: A freeway billboard advertising Super Bowl LXII in Phoenix, Arizona (Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Pakistan is running out of foreign cash. They are in crisis talks with the International Monetary Fund after they failed to unlock $1.1bn in crucial funds aimed at preventing the country from going bankrupt. South Africa is having to impose power cuts every single day which has badly affected homes and businesses. It is now so bad that the countries President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared it a state of disaster. We hear from businesses in Pakistan and South Africa about how they are surviving. We also take a look at China because they are worried about the impact their declining population will have on its financial prospects. A senior health official in Beijing has told local governments to take “bold steps” to encourage people to have more babies.
A volunteer in earthquake-hit Aleppo, Syria, tells us about children living on the streets. Elsewhere in the region, where opposition forces are in control, rescue workers have condemned the United Nations' response to Monday's earthquake. We put that to the UN's top official in Syria. Also today: Archaeologists in Kenya dig up evidence that our primate cousins were smarter than we thought. (Photo: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visits a site of a damaged building in the aftermath of the earthquake in Aleppo, in this handout released by Syrian Presidency on February 10, 2023. Credit: Syrian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)
Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking as more than 22,000 people confirmed dead in Turkey and Syria. Also: Ukraine renews threat to boycott 2024 Olympics if Russians compete, Amsterdam to outlaw cannabis smoking in red-light district and new Harry Potter video game controversy.
We hear from some of the language service journalists reporting on the catastrophic earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday. Fundanur Öztürk from BBC Turkish travelled to Hatay, one of the worst hit cities, while BBC Arabic's Nisrine Hatoum was on holiday in Turkey at the time and quickly switched to reporting the disaster. Meanwhile her colleague Dina Waqqaf is Syrian, and plans to travel to the earthquake zone in northern Syria. Fear, boredom or nostalgia? Why did so many older Brazilians take part in the January riot? The prevailing age group among the more than 1,000 people arrested for storming government buildings in Brasilia a month ago was between 50 and 59 years old. So why was it this age category specifically who felt motivated to act in this way? Paula Adamo Idoeta of BBC Brasil tells us about her investigation. Not quite the world's tallest man 29-year-old Ghanaian Sulemana Abdul Samed was diagnosed with gigantism a few years ago. BBC Pidgin's Favour Nunoo met him to hear about the difficulties of living with this condition, and to help Sulemana find out exactly how tall he now is. Making change in India BBC Marathi reporters Janhavee Moole, Mayuresh Konnur and Amruta Durve have travelled across the state of Maharashtra to tell the stories of people inspired by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi to change lives around them. The resulting projects include a women-only bank in a rural town, and a school for city street children who beg at traffic lights. (Photo: A man walks down the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, close to the epicentre. Credit: ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)
On 11 February 2013, Benedict XVI shocked the world by becoming the first pope in nearly 600 years to quit. All other popes in the modern era had held the position from election until death. He said he was resigning because of old age. Little known journalist Giovanna Chirri got the world exclusive on the story. She shares her memories of that time with Matt Pintus.(Photo: Pope Benedict XVI. Credit: Getty Images)
Three big players in internet search have announced plans to integrate AI but can Google and Baidu rival Microsoft's team up with ChatGPT? We also explore how old pictures and video are being shared online as from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. And why officials in the UK and US have named 7 Russian men as being behind some of the most infamous cyber crime groups of recent years. (Microsoft Bing search is demoed at launch event. Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP)
In the final episode of our getting into business series we hear from the 20 year old behind India's hottest start up. Aadit Palicha was just 18 when he co-founded his quick commerce company Zepto. The firm delivers groceries to it's customers in under 10 minutes and is currently valued at over a billion dollars. Aadit tells the BBC's Nikhil Inamdar where the idea for Zepto came from, how they achieve such fast deliver times and what it's been like building such enormous success so quickly.Presenter / producer: Nikhil InamdarImage; Aadit Palicha: Credit; BBC
When Mubarak Bala posts criticism of Islam on social media, it sparks a landmark legal case and leaves him facing 24 years in jail. Raised in a Muslim family, Mubarak is the son of an Islamic scholar in the religiously conservative Kano state. But in 2014, Mubarak renounces Islam and later becomes President of Nigeria’s Humanist Association, gaining a reputation as an outspoken critic of religion. In 2020, a group of Muslim lawyers call for him to be tried for offences related to blasphemy over social media posts which they say insult the Prophet Muhammad and the religion of Islam. With access to Mubarak’s wife and lawyers, the BBC’s Yemisi Adegoke follows his case through the Nigerian court system, finding out what it tells us about freedom of belief in a country where religious tensions run deep. She talks to other Nigerian atheists as they follow Mubarak’s case and wrestle with the challenges of being open about their beliefs in a deeply religious society.Presenter: Yemisi Adegoke Producers: Valeria Cardi and John Offord Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno Editor: Helen Grady(Photo: Mubarak Bala speaking at Kaduna Book and Arts Festival in 2018, still from the film The Cost of Being an Atheist)
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was hoping to finalise a deal with the International Monetary Fund to prevent an economic meltdown. A team from the IMF have been in Pakistan since the beginning of this month, but details of the discussions are still yet to be published.
The United Nations calls for aid workers to get more resources and warns the full extent of the disaster in Turkey and northern Syria is still unfolding. Also: Zelensky takes fighter jet bid for Ukraine to EU leaders, and the songwriting legend Burt Bacharach dies ages 94.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, has declared a 'state of disaster' over the country’s energy crisis in his state of the nation address.This measure would enable the government to accelerate its response, and announced plans to give tax breaks to businesses and households that generate their own solar power.He warned that the power cuts that have hit Africa’s most industrial nation every day this year were “an existential threat to our economy and our social fabric”.
In the early hours of Monday, a powerful earthquake hit Kahramanmaras in Turkey. Nine hours later another struck. When this edition of Science in Action first aired, 19,000 people were reported to have died, but that number was expected to rise. Back in 2016, Professor Asli Garagon and her colleagues accurately predicted that an earthquake of this size was coming. Using GPS, they were monitoring the East Anatolian fault to calculate energy building between the plates. With such accurate insight could Turkey have been better prepared?Ross Stein, seismologist and founder of Temblor, a Californian consultancy that specialises in assessing hazard risk, estimates the plates moved at 5,000 mph. The movement of the plates may have built up pressure in other parts of the country. And finally, Tiziana Rossetto, a civil engineer at University College London, knows better than most that earthquakes do not kill, buildings do. She tells Roland how the combination of earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks appear to have even destroyed buildings that were purposely built to withstand them. Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Harrison LewisAssistant producer: Sophie Ormiston Image: Aftermath of the deadly earthquake in GaziantepCredit: REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
Eritrea’s president Isaias Afwerki has taken part in a rare press conference during a visit to Kenya, where he fielded questions regarding the participation of his military in the Tigray war. The press event took place after a bilateral meeting with Kenyan president William Ruto, with the two countries announcing a mutual visa-free travel agreement.Plus, the head of the World Trade Organization, Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, tells us that richer nations have a duty to help poorer nations struggling with the current global cost of living crisis.And we meet Ghanaian music producer Quick Action, who has collaborated with some of the continent’s biggest stars, and achieved success despite his dyslexia.
Hatayspor defender Kamil Çörekçi provides an eyewitness account of the earthquake which has killed thousands in Turkey and Syria.Picture on website: An aerial view shows destroyed buildings after a deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)
The director-general of the World Trade Organisation has said she expects the cost of living crisis to continue for another two years. We hear from two countries that are facing economic challenges Pakistan and Somalia. The economic losses from the Turkey-Syria earthquake could reach $4 billion. The government did have a system sort of built in to try and pay for a natural disaster like this but we hear how it hasn't gone to plan. Disney has announced it'll be laying off 7,000 employees, in CEO Bob Iger's first major decision since he was asked back to lead the company late last year. The layoffs follow similar moves by other US tech giants.
WHO warns of second disaster as survivors are homeless in freezing temperatures. Also: Ukraine's President Zelensky makes a fresh appeal to the EU for more weapons and the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, appears at a huge military parade with his young daughter - could she be the country's next ruler?
The World Health Organisation has warned of a second disaster as thousands of people made homeless by Monday's earthquakes are living in the open in freezing temperatures. Also on the programme: Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has received a standing ovation at the European Parliament where he said Kyiv was in a battle to protect Europe's way of life; and Google is trying to reassure users that its artificial intelligence technology is among the best after a mistake wiped one-hundred billion dollars off the company’s value.(Photo: Woman pulled from the rubble after being trapped for 80 hours 09/02/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
In 2007, the first ever Clericus Cup was played, with trainee priests competing from Vatican City's seminaries.It was an effort to present a different image of football, following various Italian scandals.Don Davide Tisato, the Captain of the winning team and a former professional footballer, has been speaking to Laura Jones, along with Felice Alborghetti from the Centro Sportivo Italiano.(Photo: Davide Tisato lifting the Clericus Cup with his team Redemptoris Mater. Credit: Centro Sportivo Italiano Archive)
In April 1986, Pope John Paul II made a historic visit to a Rome synagogue.It was aimed at healing centuries of deep wounds between Jews and Catholics.Giacomo Saban, who welcomed the pontiff to the synagogue, tells his story to Alan Johnston.This programme was first broadcast in 2014.(Photo: Pope John Paul II at the synagogue. Credit: Getty Images)
The amount of accessible funding for start-ups in Africa is growing fast, but lots of it goes to the more developed economies of South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Kenya. We speak to business owners in Nigeria and Uganda and compare their experiences of getting into business. Nnamdi Okoh is the co-founder of Terminal Africa, based in Lagos. He explains the process of getting onto an accelerator programme and how the advice and financial support has allowed him and his brother to turn the business from a side hustle to a full time job. AbdulMalik Fahd investigates why Lagos has become such a hub for new business on the continent and Tom Jackson the co-founder of Disrupt Africa, a hub for start-up news, explains why investment opportunity is growing so quickly and what this means for business. Kaivan Khalid Satter is the founder of Asaak, an asset financing company for motocyles based in Kampala, Uganda. He explains how tough it was to raise funding at the beginning and tells us how he’s now managed to raise more than 30 million dollars in funding. Producer/presenter: Hannah MullaneImage; Nnamdi Okoh: Credit; Nnamdi Okoh
A Russian army stands at the gates of the capital of another country, a country that Russia has previously occupied and one that, according to Russian politicians, has no right to independent existence. Sounds familiar? That capital city was Warsaw and the year was 1920. But what happened in Poland just after the end of the First World War bears strong similarities to what went on near Kyiv in 2022.After World War I, Russian Bolsheviks, and Lenin in particular, wanted to re-occupy Poland, and indeed Ukraine, Belarus and some other countries, so that they could serve as a bridge for exporting communist revolution to Western Europe. The Poles resisted even though at first they were outnumbered and outgunned by the Russians. The result was the Polish-Bolshevik war which wasn't fully resolved until 1921 and which had a big impact on the future shape of inter-war Europe.To guide us through the Polish-Bolshevik war, Rajan Datar is joined by three distinguished historians:Dr. Pawel Duber, a Researcher at Nottingham Trent University whose work focuses on Poland in the first half of the 20th century;Anita Prazmowska, Professor of International History at London School of Economics and the author of many publications on Polish history in the last century and beyond;and Robert Service, Emeritus Professor of Russian history at Oxford University whose books cover Russia from the Mongol conquest to Putin.(Photo: Red Army on the Polish front, c.1920. Credit: Photo 12/Getty Images)
In Germany in 2002 there were some 19,000 small, neighbourhood butchers’ shops. They made and sold, among other things, that “great emblem of Germany’s national diet” – sausages. At last count, in 2021, there were fewer than 11,000 shops left. The German butchers’ trade association says there are “massive problems” finding trained staff and young people who want to learn from the bottom up. In Lörrach, in the south-west of Germany, the Chamber of Handcraft, is now looking overseas in order to preserve local culinary traditions. A group of apprentices from India has just started a three-year training programme at the local college and various shops in the vicinity. The decline of the butchers’ shop – and the threat to the sausage – mirrors a problem in many branches across the whole of Germany; in social care, in bakeries, in the building trade: people at the top of an ageing population are leaving the workforce at a higher rate than those entering at the bottom. “The lack of skilled workers is becoming ever more palpable,” says the chamber of trade. They’ll be going back to India later this year to recruit for other industries.Producer/presenter: Tim Mansel
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Paris after a day of ceremonial diplomacy here in the UK - his first to western Europe since his country was attacked by Russia almost a year ago. In London he met King Charles as well as seeing Ukrainian soldiers being trained on British tanks and spoke to both houses of parliament.(Picture: President Zelensky Makes Surprise Visit To The UK. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Recep Tayyip Erdogan admitted the Turkish government had encountered some problems but said the situation was now "under control". Also: British PM tells Zelensky nothing off the table after jet plea, and is Basil returning to the Fawlty Towers?
Spaghetti, penne, farfalle, gnocchi, lasagna – just a few of the 300-plus shapes of pasta in existence. And there are some very strong opinions about them. This Italian staple is one of the world’s most popular foods and one of the most versatile. In this programme, Ruth Alexander delves into the history, culture and passions of pasta-making to ask a controversial question – what is the best pasta shape? She speaks to restaurateur Elisa Cavigliasso and chef Giulia Martinelli, from The Pasta Factory in Manchester, UK; pasta historian Luca Cesari, in Bologna, Italy; pasta shape inventor and host of the Sporkful podcast, Dan Pashman, in New York; and Andrea Butti, co-owner of Dominioni Pasta, a pasta machine manufacturer near Como, Italy. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Nine small piles of different pasta shapes. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Paris after a day of ceremonial diplomacy here in the UK - his first to western Europe since his country was attacked by Russia almost a year ago. In London he met King Charles as well as seeing Ukrainian soldiers being trained on British tanks and spoke to both houses of parliament.(Picture: President Zelensky Meets Macron And Scholz In Paris. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
In this week’s programme we’re asking if changes in the weather can have an impact on our mental health. We go to Bangladesh in South Asia – a country on the front line of the impacts of climate change – where researchers have been exploring connections between incremental changes in heat and humidity, along with bigger impacts like flooding, and the levels of anxiety and depression in the population. You’ll have to listen to find out the answer – but they say their study has stark implications, not just for Bangladesh, but for many other countries too. Our studio guest today is Dr Belinda Fenty and she’ll be bringing the coffees. Can presenter Smitha Mundasad spot which cup has the caffeine? Dr Fenty talks us through what coffee actually does to the body and ponders other questions like how much is too much and why might you crash after a coffee high.She’ll also take us through how to spot fake medicines and we have an intriguing study on whether being married is good for your health. Do join us. Presenter: Smitha MundasadProducer: Gerry Holt(Picture: Pabna in Bangladesh at dusk. Photo credit: Emon Cena/Getty Images.)
The United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo says it will investigate after three protesters were killed during an altercation involving its troops. MONUSCO says the demonstrators were killed after a convoy they were protecting came under attack in the east of the country, where there have been frequent protests against the UN’s military presence.Plus, we hear from South African relief organisation Gift of the Givers, which is providing aid in the wake of the devastating earthquake which has killed more than 11,000 people in Turkey and Syria.And we report from Uganda, where there’s outrage over a wave of arrests targeting government critics and political activists.
Aid response to North West Syria - which has been most acutely hit by the earthquake - has been facing challenges. People in Syria are dealing with freezing temperatures, hospitals not being able to cope and the fact that ninety per cent of the population are living on the poverty line. We find out what can be done to help those in need, and the we hear the latest on the situation in Turkey. People have been fighting at ATM points in Nigeria as they try desperately to get the new naira notes. That is because the government is introducing new naira notes and discarding the current one's in circulation. US Basketball superstar LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has broken one of the greatest individual milestones in world sport. We hear how he is considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Ukraine's President Zelensky is on his first visit to Britain since the Russian invasion of his country last year. Addressing parliament he said 'London had stood with Kyiv since day one'.Also in the programme: Surviving in Bakhmut; and just why did so many buildings collapse in Turkey? (Picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside 10 Downing Street, London, ahead of a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
With more than 11,000 people now confirmed dead, rescuers continue their efforts. Also: Ukraine's president makes an unexpected visit to Britain, and an update on the investigation into flight MH17.
Cardinal Albino Luciani became Pope John Paul I on 26 August 1978. He died unexpectedly 33 days later.He was discovered in the early morning lying on his bed, a collection of sermons in his hand. He was considered an excellent communicator, and his warm personality earned him the nickname of "the smiling Pope". But his death shook the Catholic Church. Rebecca Kesby spoke to Cardinal Beniamino Stella who knew him well. This programme was first broadcast in 2017.(Photo: Pope John Paul I. Credit: Getty Images)
Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani army chief who masterminded a coup in 1999 and ruled the country for nine years, has died in Dubai aged 79 after a long illness. Stephen Sackur spoke to General Musharraf in 2014, after he had returned from exile to Pakistan in an attempt to revive his political career. What did his rise and fall tell us about the realities of power in Pakistan?Image: Pervez Musharraf, pictured in 2013 (Credit: Mian Khursheed/Reuters)
Starting a business is never easy, but in the last few years there’s been more than usual to deal with. Many would assume it's not been a great time to start trading but we speak to three business owners who did just that. Tina Kayoma is the co-founder of Project of Japan in Kyoto. A business that sells products made by Japanese crafts people across the world. She opened her first shop last year. Maria Jose Hernadez is in Switzerland where she runs a confectionary business called El Caramelo and Lisa Neilson is in Ghana where she runs Tiny Reusers, a business that sells second hand baby items. They come together in this episode to explain what it's been like setting up a business where they live. They also discuss the good and bad moments they've had and give their tips for anyone else looking to start a business. Producer/presenter: Hannah MullaneImage: Tina Kayoma, Maria Jose Hernadez and Lisa Neilson; Credit: BBC
一位网友想知道形容词 “complicated、complex” 和 “sophisticated” 之间的区别。它们都可以形容由多个复杂部分构成的事物，但含义并不同。“Complicated” 表示 “繁复的，麻烦的”，带有负面的意味；“complex” 表示 “构造错综复杂的”；“sophisticated” 既可以形容事物，也可以形容人。听节目中两位主持人的对话，学习辨析这三个词的用法。
In just a few hours, there's one of those setpiece moments in the US political calendar - President Joe Biden will come to Capitol Hill to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress. It's an especially important speech this year, because it's expected he is poised to announce his bid for re-election in 2024 - so he has to make his pitch to the American people and a lot of that is going to focus on an economy that is showing seeing rising interest rates and high inflation.(Picture: President Biden Meets With His Competition Council To Receive Update On American Economy. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The baby girl was rescued from beneath the rubble of a building, destroyed by Monday's earthquake. Also: Russia's African footprint grows with Lavrov's trip to Mali, and Spain's new commuter trains are too big for tunnels.
In just a few hours, there's one of those setpiece moments in the US political calendar - President Joe Biden will come to Capitol Hill to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress. It's an especially important speech this year, because it's expected he is poised to announce his bid for re-election in 2024 - so he has to make his pitch to the American people and a lot of that is going to focus on an economy that is showing seeing rising interest rates and high inflation.
Rescuers continue the search for survivors amid fears that tens of thousands could still be trapped beneath rubble. The WHO warns that the chances of finding people are diminishing by the minute due to sub-zero temperatures. Also on the programme, the farmers hit by South Africa’s ongoing power crisis; and the exhibition of Vermeer’s paintings that's being described as “once-in-a-lifetime.”
We hear from Sherif from Togo, and Andrea from Cameroon, who are caught up in the earthquake tragedy in Turkey. We’ll bring you up to speed with events in the self-declared republic of Somaliland which has seen two days of violent clashes between the military and militia groups. And in Malawi there are questions about the anti-corruption drive after the reinstatement of the head of the anti-graft body, Martha Chizuma, just days after her suspension.
We're in Turkey and Syria, after a huge earthquake kills more than 5,000 people. In southern Turkey, people are struggling to rescue their loved ones. In northern Syria, we hear about a region already suffering from years of war.(Photo: A collapsed building in Kirikhan, Hatay, Turkey, February 7, 2023. Credit: Reuters)
Rescue teams and local residents are continuing the search for survivors following Monday's earthquake in southern Turkey and neighbouring Syria. We find out how distribution centres are filled with volunteers and what is being sent to the regions by road. US President Joe Biden is set to deliver the annual message to the US congress, in the president's annual State of the union address. This will be his first speech since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives. South Africa’s power crisis is getting worse and it is affecting all sectors of the economy. The situation is set to continue for the next two years and have caused protests. We hear from a local ice-cream business in Soweto about how they are struggling and what needs to be done.
Turkey declares a state of emergency as efforts to rescue people continue in the wake of Monday's devastating earthquakes. The UN warns that the flow of aid into north-west Syria has been disrupted because of damage to roads. Also: Russia's foreign minister is in Mali, and the biggest collection of Vermeer paintings is going on show.
In January 1959, Pope John XXIII announced a council of all the world's Catholic bishops and cardinals in Rome. It led to sweeping reforms, including allowing Mass to be said in languages other than Latin and an attempt to build relationships with other denominations and faiths. But not everyone was happy with the changes. Monsignor John Strynkowski was a student priest in Rome at the time and told Rebecca Kesby about the excitement and controversy surrounding the council that became known as Vatican II.This programme was first broadcast in 2019.(Photo: Pope John XXIII. Credit: Getty Images)
英语短语 “know the score” 可以用来表达 “（某人）了解现实情况，并知道这个情况对自己的影响”。主持人菲菲用短语 “know the score” 告诉 Rob 她知道 Rob 心里打的什么算盘。听他们的对话，学习这个短语的用法。
Some businesses in Southeast Asia are growing at remarkable rates by using social media to sell. Live streaming on TikTok and live chatting on apps like Whatsapp, Line and Zalo are all being used to increase sales, we find out how. Nina Dizon-Cabrera is the CEO of makeup brand, Colourette Cosmetics in the Philippines, she explains how her business began on social media and how she can sell thousands of products in just a few hours by livestreaming on TikTok. Joan Aurelia heads to Jakarta in Indonesia. The country has over 100,000 TikTok users, the second biggest market for the app after the United States. She speaks to business owners there about how social media has allowed them to transform their businesses. Simon Torring is the cofounder of Cube Asia, a market analyst. He explains how much this new way of selling in contributing to the economy and predicts where the next big trends will come. Presenter/producer: Hannah MullaneImage: Nina Dixon-Cabrera Credit: Colourette Cosmetics
When speech disorders affect children, it is speech therapists who assist in helping them find their voice, but therapists are rare and it is thought they are largely absent across 75% of the world. Sean Allsop grew up needing speech therapy in the UK. He travels to Turks & Caicos, a place that has no therapists to help its population. He takes the trip with a travelling speech therapist, Mary Weinder who has been asked by the Turks & Caicos Government for help.
It's still too early to gauge the full impact of the two massive earthquakes that shook Turkey in the early hours of Monday morning. What's known so far is that the damage stretched widely beyond the epicentre in the city of Gaziantep - with buildings collapsing and mass casualties across the border in northern Syria. At least 3,800 people are confirmed to have died.(Picture: Severely cracked and lifted concrete footpath. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Rescue teams are racing to save people trapped beneath rubble after thousands of buildings collapsed in both countries. Also: China accused of indoctrinating a million Tibetan children, and the novelist Salman Rushdie gives first interview since 2022 stabbing.
The combined death toll from the initial quake in Turkey and Syria is now believed to be more than 2,700 after at least 1,000 people were reported to have been killed in Syria. People left without internet and electricity. Turkey's lira hit a record low and its stock markets tumbled after an earthquake.
Rescue efforts are continuing into the night in southern Turkey and northern Syria after the region was devastated by two major earthquakes. Also on the programme, Human Rights Watch has warned that fighting in eastern Congo is causing a dangerous escalation of tension between ethnic Tutsis and Hutus; and, the English football champions, Manchester City have been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League over alleged breaches of financial rules.(Photo: Earthquake in Diyarbakir 06/02/2023 Reuters)
In the name of eugenics, the Nazi state sterilised hundreds of thousands against their will, murdered disabled children and embarked on a programme of genocide.We like to believe that Nazi atrocities were a unique aberration, a grotesque historical outlier. But it turns out that leading American eugenicists and lawmakers like Madison Grant and Harry Laughlin inspired many of the Nazi programmes, from the mass sterilisation of those deemed ‘unfit’ to the Nuremberg laws preventing the marriage of Jews and non-Jews. Indeed, before World War Two, many eugenicists across the world regarded the Nazi regime with envious admiration.The Nazis went further, faster than anyone before them. But ultimately, the story of Nazi eugenics is one of international connection and continuity.With contributions from Prof Stefan Kühl from the University of Bielefield, Prof Amy Carney from Penn State Behrend, Dr Jonathan Spiro from Castleton University, Prof Sheila Weiss from Clarkson University and Dr Barbara Warnock from the Wiener Holocaust Library
We speak to two African students living in Turkey after two devastating earthquakes killed hundreds of people there and in Syria. President Erdogan has described it as Turkey's worst disaster since 1939, while many people were also killed in war-torn northern Syria, including in areas held by rebel groups.Plus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has held talks with Mali’s ruling junta on expanding military ties between the two countries, on his third trip to Africa in six months. We get the verdict of the opposition M5-RFP coalition.And content moderator who worked in Facebook parent company Meta's Nairobi office wins the right to sue the social media giant in a Kenyan court. We look at why it’s a landmark case for the continent.
Two earthquakes have caused massive devastation in Turkey and Syria and the death toll is rising. We hear first-hand accounts of how people felt. Also we look at the economic hardship of an earthquake and what will go into rebuilding the economy again. In Nigeria there is chaos at the country’s banks with fights and protests happening. We find out why the new set of banknotes introduced by the country's central bank seems to be unavailable to many customers. The 65th Grammys Awards took place in Los Angeles. British artist Harry won Album of the year. But it was Beyoncé who made history when she collected her 32nd award - making her the winner of the most Grammys, ever. We hear if winning a Grammy means earning more?
A rescue operation is under way across much of southern Turkey and northern Syria following two major earthquakes that have killed more than 2,300 people. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations are still ongoing. We’ll hear from eyewitnesses and a seismologist.Also in the programme: the trial for the largest national security case in Hong Kong begins; and we’ll look at the rise in the use of private jets as a global private aviation conference is held in London today. (Emergency personnel search for victims at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Diyarbakir, southeast of Turkey, 06 February 2023. Photo by REFIK TEKIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Rescuers are racing to save people trapped beneath the rubble and calling for international support. Also: Beijing confirms another high altitude observation balloon was also from China and the hidden history of the 'real' French revolution, being brought into the open.
Two devastating earthquakes rip through south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria. Thousands have died and many more are injured. There have been appeals for international rescue support and aid.
Following the death of Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005. He was elected after four ballots of the papal conclave. The late Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor took part and told Rebecca Kesby the story of how the new leader of the Catholic Church was chosen by 115 cardinals. This programme was first broadcast in 2013. (Photo: Pope Benedict XVI. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Zsuzsanna Szelényi, a former ally, and now prominent opponent, of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Has Orbán found a political formula, illiberal democracy, for which his opponents have no answer?
A mentor can take many different forms but ultimately they’re there to give you advice, put you in touch with contacts they have and support you, whether you’re setting up a new business or looking to make the next step in your career. We head to Sweden to speak to Caxton Njuki, a professional sports and health coach who is a mentor to Jessika Sillanpää. He supported her for a year as she set up her business Jessikastory. They give us an insight into their mentoring relationship and how the process allowed Jessika to work on her business full time. Abhishek Nagaraj, an expert in business mentoring at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkley. He discusses the different forms of mentoring and the economic benefits if you have a really good mentor. Producer/presenter: Hannah Mullane (Image: Caxton Njuki and Jessika Sillanpää Credit: Caxton Njuki)
In the past few years, the internet has been spreading rapidly across Africa. The continent has nearly half of the world’s mobile money accounts, and a thriving start-up ecosystem. But in sub-Saharan Africa, women make up a very small percentage of the tech workforce. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two entrepreneurs who believe that teaching women and girls how to code could be a game changer. Rachel Sibande is a computer scientist and social entrepreneur. She is the founder of mHub, Malawi’s first technology hub. During her career she has developed innovative tech solutions in fields like health, elections monitoring, citizen engagement and agriculture in Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. She also works with the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) at the United Nations Foundation, leading the efforts to facilitate a digital revolution across Africa.Baratang Miya is the founder of Girlhype Coders Academy, which has taught more than 10,000 women and girls how to code. Baratang has been named among the 50 People Who Made the Internet a Better Place in 2016 and has received a TechWomen scholarship to train in the Silicon Valley. She is also a regular technology writer, judge, advisor in tech competitions and hackathons.Produced by Alice Gioia and Hetal Bapodra(Image: (L) Baratang Miya, courtesy Baratang Miya. (R) Rachel Sibande, credit Ulemu Nkhoma.)
A baby left in a car, another in a telephone box. It would take decades to find out why.When he was just a baby, David McBride made headline news in Northern Ireland. He had been discovered in the front seat of a stranger’s car, with no trace of who had left him there or why. David was a foundling, and as he grew up he started to want answers. Then, a chance encounter led him to Helen Ward. She was also a foundling, and she was on a very similar mission. Presenter: Andrea KennedyProducer: Maryam MarufEditor: Munazza Khan
The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei issued them in response to a proposal by the head of the judiciary. Also: Pakistan's former president and military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, has died in exile at the age of seventy-nine, and a prominent British family has paid reparations and apologised to Grenada for their historic links with the slave trade.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is pardoning a large number of prisoners, including some of those arrested during the past months of protests. We'll hear a view from Tehran.Also in the programme: The former Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf has died - we'll assess his relationship with the US after 9/11; and the British writer Hanif Kureishi on finding his voice after a terrible accident on holiday. (Photo: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Credit: Handout via Reuters)
Pull on an extra layer and stay toasty whilst Science in Action braces for a deep freeze. Whilst we know plenty about the ice on the Earth’s poles, Roland is on a chilling journey to see what can be found in deep space. Professor Christoph Salzmann and Professor Andrea Sella at University College London have produced a new phase of ice. Roland heads to the laboratory to see how the usual crystalline ice, found in ice cubes and icebergs, can be broken down and arranged into a new structure. The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the coldest ices to date, deep within a molecular cloud in outer space. Professor Melissa McClure describes how these clouds harbour a variety of different molecules potentially capable of forming the basic building blocks for life. From the edges of the universe to something a little closer to home, Professor Geoff Collins and colleagues have discovered odd tectonic plate activity on icy Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons.We generate a huge amount of noise, whether it’s our rumbling roads, pumping parties, or talkative tourists. And the topic of noise also generates a lot of questions from our listeners. In this episode we explore three of them, with the help of acoustic scientist Kurt Fristrup and neuropsychologist Catherine Loveday.Listener Dominique finds it hard to experience even one minute of a natural soundscape without some intrusion of human-made noise. He wonders how noise pollution is affecting both the natural world and us humans. We discuss just how noisy our modern world is, and visit a National Park in California to hear how they’re encouraging more peace and quiet there.Meanwhile Michelle, having witnessed her husband wince in pain at the sound of squeaking takeaway boxes, asks why certain noises are particularly unpleasant or even painful to some people.And finally, Jennifer has a sonic mystery for us to solve: why does the time of day make such a difference to the distant noises reaching her remote home?
A Pentagon official said the recovery would enable US analysts to examine sensitive Chinese equipment. We asked a former US State Department official how much this will worsen the relations between Washington and Beijing. Also in the programme: Reports from Iranian state TV say Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pardoned a large number of prisoners linked to the women-led protests that swept the country since September; and as Pakistan’s former president General Pervez Musharraf dies, we explore how he’s regarded inside the country.(Photo: Chinese high-altitude balloon spotted over North Carolina, Charlotte, US, on the 1st of February 2023. Credit: EPA).
Beijing denies Washington's claims it was being used to spy on the US. Also: Thousands of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv against the plans by the Netanyahu government to give itself more powers over appointing judges, and the English National Opera prepares to stage a newly translated version of Wagner's The Rhinegold.
On the orders of President Biden the suspected Chinese spy balloon has been shot down by the US military off the coast of South Carolina. The US President gave the order on Wednesday but the Pentagon decided to wait until the balloon was over water so as not to put people on the ground at undue risk. Pope Francis and other Christian leaders on a peace mission to South Sudan have addressed large crowds at the mausoleum of the independence hero, John Garang. And the Afghan-born teenage rapper with a message for the Taliban.(Photo: Footage appears to show China balloon shot down.)
The launch of the first black music station in Europe - the Dread Broadcasting Corporation in London in 1981 - and why Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.Plus the assassination of Burundian President Melchior Ndadaye, the Columbia space shuttle disaster and the bombing of the Palestine Post.Contributors:Michael Williams - former DBC station managerCarmella Jervier - DJDr Caroline Mitchell - Professor of Radio at the University of SunderlandJean-Marie Ngendahayo - former minister in BurundiVáclav Klaus - former prime minister of the Czech RepublicVladimír Mečiar - former prime minister of SlovakiaMordechai Chertoff - former foreign editor of the Palestine PostAdmiral Hal Gehman - Chairman of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board(Photo: Radio Caroline Pirate Radio ship. Credit: Getty Images)
Can Pope Francis help to bring peace to the divided African country? We hear the latest from the capital, Juba, and talk to human rights researcher Nyagoah Tut Pur. Also in the programme: a Chinese reaction to allegations that China has been using a balloon to spy on the United States, and attempts by the Pakistan government to rein in the information website Wikipedia. (Photo: Pope Francis visits South Sudan, Juba. Credit: VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Driving too fast through Israel’s Negev desert in his SUV after a long day in the hospital, Dr Eitan Green accidentally hits a lone Eritrean man on the empty moonlit road, killing him instantly.Panic stricken he drives off instead of calling for help and confessing what he’s done. A decision that will change the course of his life irrevocably because the dead man’s wife, the elegant, enigmatic Sikrit, knows what happened. In atonement for his crime Sikrit insists the doctor start treating Eritrean refugees after his hospital dayshifts at clandestine makeshift hospitals in the desert.A nail-biting and morally devastating drama of guilt, racism, shame and desire which stares unflinchingly at the darkness inside us all, and asks the reader: what would you have done?(Picture: Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. Photo credit: Alon Siga.)
CEO of electric-vehicle maker Tesla Elon Musk, has defeated a shareholder legal case alleging that tweets claiming he had the “funding secured” to take Tesla private cost investors billions of dollars in losses.Despite all the gloom about a pending recession in the US, the US jobs market surged January, adding more than half a million new jobs.And we talk gaming as 33-thousand people from 110 countries link up this weekend to develop video games from start to finish in just 48 hours.Alison Van Diggelen, presenter of Fresh Dialogues who's in Silicon Valley, and Frank Tsai of Shanghai and Control Risks in Shanghai are with us throughout the programme.(Picture: Elon Musk. Credit: Getty Images.)
US Secretary of State accuses Beijing of acting irresponsibly and postpones an upcoming trip to China. Also: The US will provide Ukraine with longer range guided rockets to help Kyiv take back Russian-occupied territory, and remembering the Spanish designer Paco Rabanne who has died aged 88.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his trip to China after a Chinese spy balloon flew across the US. Bejing maintains it's a weather balloon that has gone astray.In Nigreia, fights break out at the atms and in the banking halls as the people struggle to withdraw new naira notes which the banks are unable to provide.And the US jobs market adds more than half a million new job pushing unemployment rate the lowest in half a century.
Pope Francis, together with other Christian leaders, makes a visit to South Sudan in a trip described as a pilgrimage of peace. But can his presence and meeting with leaders really trigger real prospects for stability in a country fractured by civil war and political strife since independence in 2011? A court in Kenya hands down the death penalty for the murder of a prominent lawyer, whose killing sparked national and international outrage. And what has led to divisions within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church? We hear from one of the clergy challenging the Church’s authority.
European Union leaders have been in Kyiv meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky, as he hopes to accelerate his country's bid to join the trading bloc.Meanwhile, the EU is to introduce a ban on petroleum products being imported from Russia. We hear from a former Ukrainian Economy minister and an economist.We get the latest from India as allegations of fraud against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani spill over into political row. And we find out about the latest craze in the UK for a Youtuber promoted energy drink.
EU says Ukraine has made "considerable efforts" towards membership. Also: Pope Francis is visiting South Sudan together with other Christian leaders, and meet Bobi, the world's oldest dog.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says China had "no intention" of violating other countries' airspace after the Pentagon reported a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted flying over sensitive military sites.Also on the programme : the latest from Kyiv where EU ministers are meeting with the Ukrainian government to discuss membership to the bloc and Pope Francis is in South Sudan with the other leaders of the Christian denominations on a peace mission.(Photo : A balloon flies in the sky over Billings, Montana, US. Credit: Chase Doak)
Since the 2021 coup in Myanmar, many Burmese have taken up arms against the military and thousands more have fled. BBC Burmese editor Soe Win Than tells us about life in the country now, and the challenges he and his team face in reporting it.What's in a name? People in Thailand take naming very seriously. BBC Thai's Tossapol Chaisomritpol explains the meanings behind his many names - from birth, through renaming, and onto his nicknames too!Prague's Little HanoiVietnamese people are the third largest ethnic community in the Czech Republic. Khue Luu Binh of BBC Vietnamese explains how they came to be such a significant community, and tells us about 'Little Hanoi', a large commercial hub outside Prague. Iran: How your phone can land you in jail An insight into how the Iranian regime is targeting people’s mobile phones to stifle protests and prevent images leaving the country, with BBC Monitoring’s Khosro Isfahani. Triumph against the oddsSarika Singh of BBC Hindi TV shares the inspiring story of rebuilding her career after a life-threatening illness, in our series celebrating the BBC's 100 years.(Photo: Pro-democracy demonstrators in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: Chaiwat Subprasom/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In 1981, Rita Marley’s brother Leroy Anderson aka Lepke launched the Dread Broadcasting Corporation (DBC), Europe’s first dedicated black music station.Frustrated by the lack of airtime for reggae music in the UK, Lepke setup a mast in his back garden and began to broadcast to a small area of West London every Sunday afternoon. DBC soon expanded to cover all styles of black music and with its unmistakable logo featuring a dread with headphones and a spliff became a trailblazer for the future of black British radio in the UK.Neil Meads speaks to former DBC station manager Michael Williams about the early days of the station, and DJ Carmella Jervier explains how inspiring it was to finally hear black female DJs on the radio.(Photo: Dread Broadcasting Corporation. Credit: BBC)
David Wheeler is a footballer with a difference. The Wycombe Wanderers star is now a veteran of the game having played in all but one of the top 5 tiers on English football. He's also unafraid to use his platform to speak about issues that are close to him, from mental health to the harm gambling advertising in the game can do. He was recently became the first ever Sustainability Champion for the PFA, the announcement coinciding with the official "Green Football Weekend".Do you trust everything you read on the internet?! Of course not, but what about if the internet is getting some really basic facts completely wrong!? "Correct the Internet" is a new campaign to challenge and change the bias the internet has developed against women's sport. Rebecca Sowden, a former New Zealand international footballer, is behind the campaignPresenter: Shabnam Younus-JewelPhoto: David Wheeler of Wycombe Wanderers celebrates scoring the opening goal for Wycombe Wanderers against Sheffield Wednesday (Credit: by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Several workers are launching legal action against Twitter. It follows a round of mass lay-offs at the social media firm last year. We also hear about a BBC investigation which has uncovered Egyptian police using dating apps to hunt LGBTQ people. And how a social video trend is reigniting interest in early 2000s digital cameras.(Photo: A mobile phone showing Elon Musk's face on the screen. Credit: Dado Ruvić/Reuters)
With food and heating prices going up, and wages not rising at the same rate, there is pressure on central bankers across the world to tackle inflation.But is this the right approach? And can it be done without crashing the economy?Ed Butler hears from parents in at a cheerleading class in Castleford in northern England, who are concerned about rising prices. They say it’s the food shopping where they’ve noticed the price rises – with one parent shopping online to stop children asking for more items.Jason Furman, a Harvard professor and President Obama's chief economic advisor. explains how we have reached this position – largely as a result of the pandemic and resulting government responses, and the invasion of Ukraine.Former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm explains how prices are rising for the core essentials - hitting poorer households disproportionately which is an issue for the whole economy.And why do we have a 2% inflation target? Mohamed El-Erian, veteran economist and president of Queen’s College, Cambridge talks about the historical factors around this 'desirable' number.Presenter and producer: Ed Butler (Image: Woman with shopping basket. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the Russian foreign policy strategist and sometime Kremlin adviser Sergey Karaganov. Russia is widely expected to launch a major new offensive in Ukraine very soon, but this war has already exposed Moscow’s vulnerabilities. Is Putin placing bets he cannot win?
Three of the world's biggest and richest tech giants, Apple, Amazon and Google parent Alphabet have released their latest earning figures. It's good news for Amazon as sales rose. However for Apple and Alphabet it was doom and gloom, we head to Silicone Valley to hear what's next for these companies.While oil and gas companies report record profits such as Shell, we head to Nigeria where there are fuel shortages. We hear how fuel costs have increased over the last few months and prices on the black market have doubled. As Beyoncé releases tickets for her latest world tour, we find out just how much money she might stand to make.(Picture: The Amazon logo at an Amazon logistic centre in Miami, Florida, USA, 05 January 2023. Picture Credit: EPA)
Gali Baharav-Miara said the proposals would gravely damage the country's system of checks and balances and give the government unlimited power. Also: The Republican held House Of Representatives votes to oust the high profile Democratic representative Ilhan Omar from the foreign affairs committee, and the discovery of Yiddish songs not heard since World War II.
Three of the world's biggest and richest tech giants, Apple, Amazon and Google parent Alphabet have released their latest earning figures. It's good news for Amazon as sales rose. However for Apple and Alphabet it was doom and gloom, we head to San Francisco to hear what's next for these companies.Just 24 hours after the Fed raised US rates, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank followed suit. We hear from former Vice President of the European Central Bank on whether he thinks the European Central Bank is getting interest rates right. As Beyoncé releases tickets for her latest world tour, we find out just how much money she might stand to make.
Nir Barkat, Israel's minister for economics, joins us to defend his governments proposed judicial reforms as well as the current relationship between Israel and Palestine.Also on the programme; a former Russian army officer says he's witnessed his fellow soldiers torturing Ukrainian prisoners. And why Amazon's drone deliveries just can't get off the ground.(Picture: People in Tel Aviv protest the proposed judicial reforms in Israel. Credit: Reuters / Kern)
Pull on an extra layer and stay toasty whilst Science in Action braces for a deep freeze. Whilst we know plenty about the ice on the Earth’s poles, Roland is on a chilling journey to see what can be found in deep space. Professor Christoph Salzmann and Professor Andrea Sella at University College London have produced a new phase of ice. Roland heads to the laboratory to see how the usual crystalline ice, found in ice cubes and icebergs, can be broken down and arranged into a new structure. The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the coldest ices to date, deep within a molecular cloud in outer space. Professor Melissa McClure describes how these clouds harbour a variety of different molecules potentially capable of forming the basic building blocks for life. From the edges of the universe to something a little closer to home, Professor Geoff Collins and colleagues have discovered odd tectonic plate activity on icy Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. And a theory for the origin of life that may surprise you. Professor Philipp Holliger is trying to uncover whether ice played a role in our creation, acting as a medium capable of concentrating molecules and promoting the chemical reactions required for the generation of RNA, essential for cell protein production. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Harrison Lewis Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
In the latest in the series of attacks on the electoral commission's offices, gunmen in Nigeria's south-eastern Anambra State, destroy nearly 800 ballot boxes and voting booths, three weeks before the country goes to the polls. A senior officer at the Independent Nigerian Electoral Commission (Inec) says they are working with security forces to stop the attacks. Plus, thousands of residents from Nigeria’s Ogale community in the Delta region file a damages claim for pollution against oil giant Shell, in a London court. And South Sudan prepares for the arrival of Pope Francis.
AC Monza captain Matteo Pessina reflects on a successful week, beating Juventus and passing an economics exam. And we speak to Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris as they prepare to become the first MLS team to play in the FIFA Club World Cup.Picture on website: AC Monza's Matteo Pessina celebrates after beating Juventus. (Claudio Benedetto/LiveMedia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
As the Bank of England and the European Central Bank raise interest rates, following the lead of the US Federal Reserve, we get market reaction and the thoughts of a former member of the ECB.We get the latest from Nigeria as the country copes with fuel shortages.And the head of one of Europe’s most important tech companies has told the BBC he's concerned that the world market for microchips could be badly disrupted if further restrictions are put on their exports to China. Our reporter Matthew Kenyon tells us what ASML Chief Executive Peter Wennink has had to say.
The agreement gives the Americans access to four new bases not far from Taiwan, where there are growing fears of a Chinese invasion. Also, a senior former Russian army officer says he witnessed soldiers torturing Ukrainian prisoners, and scientists in the UK say they've found evidence of the bird flu virus infecting some mammals.
US troops will be given access to four new bases not far from Taiwan, where there are growing fears of a Chinese invasion; also, a former Russian officer has told the BBC he witnessed fellow soldiers committing abuses in Ukraine including torture and looting; and did the Vikings come to Britain with their pets?(Photo: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin walks past military guards during arrival honours at the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo military camp in Quezon City, Philippines Credit: Rolex dela Pena/Pool via REUTERS)
In 2000, female riders were able to take part in the cyclo-cross world championship for the first time. There has been a men’s event since 1950, but took another half century for female riders to be allowed to take part. Cyclo-cross involves races on grassland and sand, which includes steep gradients and often sees riders forced to jump off and run with their bikes across muddy sections of the course.Matthew Kenyon has been talking to Dutch rider Daphny van den Brand about the sport, her campaign and that first ever global showpiece in the Dutch town of Sint Michielsgestel.(Photo: Daphny van der Brand. Credit: Getty Images)
The pandemic has made us all rethink how we work. Where once millions of people used to travel into work in tall glass buildings in big cities every day, now our idea of the office has come to include the kitchen table or maybe even a coffee shop. Yet despite the temptation to shift permanently to remote working, many organisations say the events of the past few years have actually underlined the importance of offices as spaces that connect people. So what are offices for? We are delving back into the history of the modern office to learn how past designs could help us in the future. Presenter Rajan Datar is joined by three guest experts:Nigel Oseland is an environmental psychologist and consultant at Workplace Unlimited in the UK. He's the author of Beyond the Workplace Zoo: Humanising the Office.Jennifer Kaufmann-Buhler is Associate Professor of Design History at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She's the author of Open Plan: A Design History of the American Office.And Agustin Chevez is a workplace researcher and architect, and Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre for Design Innovation at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. He's the author of The Pilgrim's Guide to the Workplace.Producer: Jo Impey(Photo: Modern coworking interior with an open-plan office lounge and plants; Credit: ExperienceInteriors/Getty Images)
In July 1993, Melchior Ndadaye became Burundi’s first democratically elected president.He was also the first president to come from the country’s Hutu majority.For decades up to that point, Burundi had been ruled by a small group of individuals drawn from the among the Tutsi minority. President Ndadaye had come to power promising a new vision for Burundi. But within months he was murdered by soldiers. Rob Walker hears from Jean-Marie Ngendahayo who was Minister of Communications in President Ndadaye’s government. (Photo: A relative of Melchior Ndadaye holding a photo of him at his funeral. Credit: Getty Images)
Business Daily’s Matthew Kenyon visits Dutch tech giant ASML – the company which makes the most advanced machines used in the manufacturing of microchips. It’s Europe’s most valuable tech company and business is booming – ASML expanded its headcount by nearly a third in 2022 – but political pressure from the US to restrict exports to China threatens to disrupt the semiconductor landscape. We hear from ASML Chief Executive Peter Wennink, find out more about the process of creating ASML’s remarkable products and consider what the fallout from Washington’s intervention might be.Presenter / producer: Matthew KenyonImage: ASML expo in Shanghai; Credit: Getty Images
Cattle are part of Uruguay’s DNA. There are around 4 cows to every one of their tiny 3.5 million population of people and beef is their main export. But how do they compete against their mighty, better known neighbours; Argentina and Brazil? In this week’s Assignment Jane Chambers travels to the country’s lush, green pastures to find out about how they keep their cash cow flourishing. She hears from cattle farmers and other people in the beef industry about how they’re carving out a niche for themselves and future proofing against the threats of climate change. Produced and presented by: Jane Chambers Country Producer: Lucinda Elliot Studio Mix: Rod Farquhar Production coordinator: Iona Hammond and Gemma Ashman Series Editor: Penny Murphy
The US Federal reserve are taking a measured approach to the US inflation as they raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points. This marks the smallest increase since last March, after a series of aggressive rate hikes last year.The United States and its allies have imposed further sanctions on Myanmar’s military rulers amid deepening conflict two years since the military seized power in a coup. We hear how this is affecting the country.And how do you like your coffee in the morning? We will be finding out just how much caffeine you are consuming in your daily espresso or cappuccino.(Picture: Federal Reserve Building in Washington, DC Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The mother of the man who died after being beaten by police in Memphis gave a tearful address at his funeral. Also: Switzerland holds its annual sirens day, and do you know how much caffeine there is in your daily cup of coffee?
Noma – considered by some to be the ‘world’s best restaurant’ - has announced it will close in 2024. The news has prompted headlines around the world and a renewed discussion about the culture of fine dining, and whether it is sustainable as a business model. In this programme, Ruth Alexander asks ‘what’s the big deal about fine dining?’. Is it an industry that exists only for the very wealthy, or do its innovations and trends affect how we all eat? Ruth is joined by Pete Wells, restaurant critic for The New York Times, who ate at Noma in Copenhagen in 2018. Food historian Dr Rachel Rich at Leeds Beckett University in the UK talks about the history of fine dining, and the celebrity chefs of the 19th century. Chef Sarah Francis knows what it is like to be at the top of your game but want to do something different – in 2018 she and her partner gave back the Michelin star awarded to their restaurant The Checkers in Wales. And BBC World Service listeners and self-confessed ‘foodies’, Casey Griffiths in the UK and Pamela Garelick in Greece, tell Ruth about their best and worst fine dining experiences. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
The US central bank has raised interest rates again as it continues to try to curb inflation in the world's largest economy. The Federal Reserve said it was raising its key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points. This marks the smallest increase since last March, after a series of aggressive rate hikes last year. The interest rate hike will also affect Latin America which has historically been tied especially closely to movements in the US economy. We hear what the head of Latin America Economic Research at Goldman Sachs thinks. And we hear how Gautam Adani's Adani Enterprises has been forced to pull its $2.5billion share sale after a rout in the wider Adani Group's stocks.
This week we’re dedicating the programme to a common medical emergency – one that can be deadly within minutes without the right help to hand. A cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body. We’ll hear from a doctor who battled for five hours to save a man 40,000ft up in the air; a student who’s teaching people not to be afraid to help in an emergency and we’ll hear a survivor’s story of life after cardiac arrest. Globally, there are tens of thousands of cardiac arrests outside of hospital every year. Fewer than one in 10 survive and this number varies depending on where you live, as does the availability of life-saving defibrillators – our studio guest Dr Belinda Fenty tells us more. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the first few minutes after the heart stops beating can be crucial. We have a live demo from a volunteer with UK charity St John Ambulance. Join us for an action-packed programme that might just help you save a life.Image: Dr Vishwaraj Vemala is thanked by the captain of the Air India flight after he saved a fellow passenger’s life Presenter: Smitha MundasadProducer: Gerry Holt
A mortar attack has hit Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, close to where regional leaders were about to begin talks on taking part in the government’s ongoing offensive against the militant group al-Shabab.Plus, Pope Francis calls for peace in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as he addresses an open mass in Kinshasa attended by hundreds of thousands of people.And as video app TikTok continues to take the world by storm, we speak to the company's head of content programming for Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Indian government say growth predictions for the next year are below targets, as it looks to focus on growing its manufacturing base, and aiding the least well off. We hear from business owners and economists about the situation in the country with a year to go until the General Election.The UK has its biggest day of industrial action in over a decade, with more than half a million workers on strike. We find out what's behind the walkouts.And we speak to JP Morgan about their survey of market traders looking at the year ahead.
A series of anti-corruption raids have been carried out in Ukraine targeting prominent figures including a billionaire backer of President Vlodymyr Zelensky.Opposition activists in Myanmar take part in a 'silent strike ' to mark two years since the military junta overthrew the democratically-elected government, a once in a fifty thousand year chance to see 'the green comet', and we look at the alarming world of deep fakes.
The military authorities in Myanmar have extended the state of emergency by six months, on the second anniversary of the coup that deposed the democratically elected government. Many shops are closed and streets emptied to mark the event.Also in the programme: It's been dubbed 'Walkout Wednesday' in Britain as half a million public sector workers take industrial action in the biggest strike for a decade; and do Monet and Turner's paintings reflect air pollution?(Photo: A trishaw rides on an empty road in downtown Yangon, Myanmar on 1 February 2023. Anti-coup groups called for the public to participate in the Silent Strike to protest by staying at home. Credit: EPA)
The US space shuttle Columbia broke up on its way back to Earth on 1 February 2003. It had been in use since 1981. Iain Mackness spoke to Admiral Hal Gehman who was given the job of finding out what went wrong. The admiral’s report led to the ending of the American space shuttle programme in 2011.A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service first broadcast in 2019.(Photo: Space shuttle Columbia. Credit: Getty Images)
有多名听众都来信询问单词 “intelligent、intellectual” 和 “intelligible” 之间的区别。从拼写上看，它们都以 “intel-” 开头。形容词 “intelligent” 和 “intellectual” 可以用来形容人是 “有才智的”，那如何区分它们？形容词 “intelligible” 的意思是 “可以理解的”。听节目，学习这三个词的含义和用法。
On World Hijab Day, Business Daily's Emb Hashmi explores the enormous market in modest fashion and in particular the hijab. We meet four women who wear the hijab in their own way and also make a living out of modelling, making and selling hijabs. Dr Sana Askary, founder of Yumin Hijab tells Emb that when she decided to wear the hijab a few years ago she couldn’t find one she could wear comfortably so she designed her own and now runs a hijab business which she’s hoping to expand this year.Shazrina Azman aka Mizz Nina was an award winning Malaysian singer songwriter but a chance moment on Hajj pilgrimage made her realise she wanted to dress more modestly. Sharzina adapted her already very successful fashion business to more modest clothing designs and left her free hair look behind to wear the hijab.Lalla Mariah al-Idrissi is a model and filmmaker and tells us she’s considered a model with hijab she's considered a model with hijab because the hijab is such a significant part of her appearance and Eniya Rana a modest fashion influencer based in London and married mother of 5 describes how she creates very relatable online content for a growing global female audience.Presenter / producer: Emb Hashmi Image: Dr Sana Askary and friends; Credit: Yumin Hijabs
Stephen Sackur speaks to the boss of Oxfam Great Britain, Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah. He took over after Oxfam was hit by scandal with staff abusing their positions and power in Haiti. He promised to reimagine how international aid should be done and to put a new focus on global economic justice. Is his approach working?
Rahul Tandon is joined by Sushma Ramachandran, business journalist and columnist for The Tribune in Delhi, and Allison Schrager, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor at City Journal in New York, to discuss the day's business news.The Biden administration in the US has expressed anger over record annual profits posted by the US oil giant, ExxonMobil. The company's net profit for last year was just over fifty-five billion dollars, driven by soaring oil and gas prices caused by the war in Ukraine. Also in the US, the Federal Reserve is meeting to make its next decision on interest rates - as the world watches. Meanwhile, the Indian government will present its last full budget on Wednesday before the country holds elections in 2024 - what could it contain?
The US Secretary of state Antony Blinken met the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Also: the Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter over shooting on Rust film set, and the dangers of taking your pet parrot to the local park.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has underlined Washington's support for a two-state solution in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians on a visit to the region today.But first, there's the matter of calming the current surge in violence. We'll get a Palestinian view on what needs to happen.Also in the programme: Pope Francis is in the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to Africa's largest Roman Catholic community: and how an unexpected best actress nomination has reignited the row about racism and the Oscars.(Photo shows Antony Blinken speaking during a press conference in Jerusalem on January 2023. Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/Reuters.)
Pope Francis has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s first papal visit in nearly four decades. He will also travel to South Sudan during the trip.Plus, with less than a month to go before Nigeria's presidential election, we speak to the candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.And a BBC investigation reveals that gangs in Egypt are using dating apps to lure and exploit members of the LGBTQ community.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has given a brighter outlook in its latest report, predicting that inflation will slow and European economies had shown more resilience. The agency says the abandonment by China of its zero-Covid policy has paved the way for a faster-than-expected recovery for most countries. Growth is now expected to be 2.9%.
Human Rights Watch says the mines were scattered in and around the city of Izyum while it was occupied by Russia. Also: Strikes and demonstrations in France to protest against raising the retirement age to 64, and the bed made for British monarchs that was lost for decades.
More than 100 people are now known to have been killed in Monday's suicide bomb attack at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. The mosque was in a police compound, one of the best guarded parts of the city. So why the security breach? Also in the programme: The leader of the Palestinian Authority has met the US Secretary of State - but how much power does he actually have in the West Bank? And - why some North Korean students are trying to get out of trips to a sacred mountain. (Photo: The funeral of a police officer who died in a suicide bomb blast at a Mosque, Peshawar, Pakistan - 31 Jan 2023. Credit: Bilawal Arbab/EPA EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
30 years ago this month, Czechoslovakia split into the separate states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was a rare instance of a state separating without a single life being lost. Thanks to this it became known as the ‘Velvet Divorce’. Rather than putting it to a vote, the country and its assets were divided behind closed doors by the Czech and Slovak leaders, Václav Klaus and Vladimír Mečiar, who became the Prime Ministers of their newly independent states. Ben Henderson speaks to both of them about their memories from the time.(Photo: Václav Klaus and Vladimír Mečiar negotiate the split. Credit: Zehl Igor/ČTK)
Presenter David Reid explores the huge market in military memorabilia. Enthusiasts recreating historical battles has surged in recent years and driven a boom in the market for military uniforms and artefacts. We speak to dealers and buyers and explore the ethics of what some say is a blood soaked trade.David reports from a re-enactment event and speaks to John Ruffhead, the co-ordinator for the Royal Navy Beachhead Commando re-enactors, to find out more about those who take part. Charlotte Huxley-James, a World War Two living historian tells us about the military uniforms she has bought over the years and why authenticity really matters.We also hear from military memorabilia dealer Malcolm Fisher who tells us the market for what he sells is huge and defends the trade in Nazi artefacts. Producer/presenter: David Reid(Photo: US Army Sergeant. Credit: Getty Images)
主持人 Rob 脑子一片空白，忘记了他答应菲菲的事情。菲菲用 “jog your memory” 来提醒 Rob 他们之间的约定。听节目，学习如何在日常交流中使用表达 “jog your memory”。
Orna Merchant learns how, during World War Two, a desperate Soviet Union created three all-female aerial combat units. The most celebrated of these was the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. Using Polikarpov Po-2 wooden biplanes, as the aviators approached their target they would cut their engines and glide in to drop their bombs. The eerie sight and sound of this – added to the discovery of them having all women crews - led German forces to nickname them ‘Nachthexen’ - the Night Witches.
The Chinese province makes the decision to allow couples to have as many children as they want as the country faces a decline in population. We find out the impact this will have on families and the economy.Boeing has produced its last 747 jumbo jet in the United States. The 'Queen of the Skies' first appeared in nineteen-seventy. We look back at the history of the emblematic aircraft.The International Monetary Fund has updated its World Economic Outlook for 2023. We explore the figures and what they tell us about the global economy.Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by two guests in opposite sides of the world: Maggie McGrath, editor of Forbes Women in New York, and James Mayger, China economic editor for Bloomberg in Beijing.(Picture: A medical worker gets a newborn baby's commemorative footprint at a hospital in China. Picture credit: EPA)
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeated the importance of a "two-state solution" to resolve the conflict. Also: Brazil's Bolsonaro seeks six-month US tourist visa, and the last Boeing 747 jumbo jet rolls off the production line.
Weeks of unrest and road blockades have left entire cities isolated from the rest of the country. We hear from local businesses about the economic impact of Peru's political crisis. Also in the programme, we take a look at Pakistan, where economic turmoil has sunk the rupee to record lows as the government increases fuel prices. And as the cost of the living continues to rise, we discuss the latest data about alcohol sales across Europe.
Pakistan's prime minister has travelled to Peshawar where nearly 60 people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque. Officials say the attack was aimed at police officers praying there.The US Secretary of State has warned Israel that its long-term security will be at risk if it abandons efforts to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians.And how the king's bed spent decades in a family home, before its identity was uncovered.(Photo: The mosque is within the tightly-guarded police headquarters area. Credit: Getty Images)
Who should be prevented from having children? And who gets to decide? Across 20th century America, there was a battle to control birth - a battle which rages on to this day.In 1907, the state of Indiana passed the first sterilisation law in the world. Government-run institutions were granted the power to sterilise those deemed degenerate - often against their will.In the same period, women are becoming more educated, empowered and sexually liberated. In the Roaring Twenties, the flappers start dancing the Charleston and women win the right to vote.But contraception is still illegal and utterly taboo. The pioneering campaigner Margaret Sanger, begins her decades long activism to secure women access to birth control - the only way, she argues, women can be truly free.In the final part of the episode, sterilisation survivor and campaigner Elaine Riddick shares her painful but remarkable story.Contributors: Professor Alexandra Minna Stern from the UCLA Institue of Society and Genetics, Professor Wendy Kline from Purdue Univerity, Elaine and Tony Riddick from the Rebecca Project for JusticeFeaturing the voice of Joanna Monro(Photo: Elaine Riddick was sterilised without her consent, when she was 14, in North Carolina. Credit: Tami Chappell/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Communities in northern Ghana give refuge to up to 4,000 people fleeing rebel violence in Burkina Faso, but they now fear that some former armed vigilantes may be amongst the refugees. Somalia's government says it has killed 130 al-Shabab militants, including top commanders, with regional and international assistance. Are the strongholds of the jihadists being whittled away by successful offensives? And the United States’ ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield, has just concluded a trip to Africa and tells us how the US plans to forge stronger diplomatic ties across the continent.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israel and the Palestinians to take steps to calm tension. He has arrived in Israel for meetings with both sides as violence there continues. In the latest incident a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank. On Thursday, ten Palestinians were killed in Jenin by Israeli forces, while seven Israelis died on Friday when a Palestinian gunman opened fire outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem. Mr Blinken, who is on the second leg of his Middle East visit, will meet Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu later today and the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.Also in the programme: an attack on a mosque in the Pakistani city of Peshawar has killed at least 32 people and injured 150 others; and the music of Motown legend Barrett Strong.(Photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from his plane upon arrival at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, 30 January, 2023. Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/Reuters)
The company owned by Asia's richest man Gautam Adani has issued a detailed rebuttal of allegations of wrongdoing by short seller Hindenburg Research.Adani Group, an Indian conglomerate, had more than $50 billion wiped off its stock market value last week.In a document, which runs to more than 400 pages, Adani Group says the report is a "calculated attack on India".It also said that it had complied with all local laws and had made the necessary regulatory disclosures. Hindenburg says its main allegations have still not been addressed.
At least one hundred and fifty were also injured in the explosion in the city of Peshawar. Also: the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel, and the Chinese province of Sichuan tries to boost its population rate.
Mordechai Chertoff was the foreign editor on the Palestine Post (precursor to the Jerusalem Post) when it was bombed on 1 February 1948. He tells Lucy Williamson how, despite the attack, the newspaper still came out the next morning. This programme was first broadcast in 2010. (Photo: Palestine Post bombing. Credit: Getty Images)
Ade Ayeyemi, the CEO Ecobank - Africa’s biggest bank - speaks to Business Daily presenter Peter MacJob about the economic woes facing much of Africa and explores the leadership and policy adjustments needed to turn the continents fortunes around.In a candid and wide ranging interview Mr Ayeyemi says that African governments need to stop introducing subsidies and start collecting more taxes in order to manage their economies better.Presenter / producer: Peter MacJobImage: Ade Ayeyemi; Credit: Getty Images
Stephen Sackur speaks to Robert Malley, US Special Envoy for Iran. He’s an experienced diplomat facing a looming crisis. The attempt to revive a deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions appears to be dead, Tehran is repressing protests at home and arming Putin’s Russia in Ukraine. What can the US and its allies do about it?
There are many reasons someone might choose to get a tattoo – it could be a cultural or a simple fashion statement. Sometimes it’s a creative way to cover up a scar. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women transforming burns, self-harm cuts and surgery scars into body art, helping women reclaim their bodies.Tran Ngoc is based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Known as ‘Ngoc Like’, Tran started covering scars with her art when she was 19, and is the only female Vietnamese tattoo artist to specialise in transformation. She bases her designs on the personality of her clients, and loves to use colour.Madlyne Van Looy is from Berlin, Germany. Madlyne is currently touring Europe in a van, guesting in studios as she travels. Her art consists of black and white nature designs, influenced by her traveling. She speaks to us from Italy.Produced by Lorna Treen(Image: (L) Tran Ngoc, courtesy Tran Ngoc. (R) Madlyne Van Looy, courtesy Madlyne Van Looy.)
Fergal Keane's work as a war correspondent was destroying him, but he couldn't stop.It was his job as a BBC journalist to help the audience make sense of the madness of war, but he knew there was another more troubling reason he was drawn to these violent situations. They gave him something he couldn't get anywhere else in the same way. A massive rush of adrenaline and a huge dose of validation. Fergal knew this compulsive tendency wasn't healthy, but he couldn't stay away from the frontlines. Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducers: May Cameron and Harry GrahamSound Design: Joel CoxEditor: Munazza Khan
The UK formally left the European Union on the 31st of January 2020. We look at what Brexit means for Britain's place in the world today. Has it unleashed the UK's global potential? Or has it been the disaster that many opponents predicted? BBC World Service Presenter Oliver Conway, Political Correspondent Rob Watson, Global Trade Correspondent Dharshini David, and Europe Editor Katya Adler answer questions from Global News Podcast listeners.
Nadhim Zahawi is sacked as Conservative party chairman after an inquiry finds he failed to disclose an investigation into his tax affairs. Also: Israel to speed up gun applications after attacks, and the guitarist Tom Verlaine dies aged 73.
The British prime minister has sacked the chairman of his Conservative Party accusing him of a serious breach of standards regarding his tax affairs. Also on the programme, as the US Secretary of State arrives in Israel tomorrow, feeling among Palestinians and Israelis is hardening; and the people of the tiny principality of Liechtenstein have rejected a proposed ban on casinos, thirteen years after gambling was legalised.(Photo: Nadhim Zahawi tax settlement 25/01/2023 Press Association)
An outbreak of pathogenic bird flu, H5N1, in a Spanish mink farm could be a cause for concern. Some experts fear the virus may now spill over to other mammals without strict surveillance. Marion Koopmans, professor of virology at Erasmus Medical Centre, talks Roland through the potential risks.India’s caste system affects all aspects of society, but how does the hierarchy influence representation of marginalised groups in academia? Science journalist Ankur Paliwal believes that, despite efforts to combat discrimination, not enough is being done, and he has the data to prove it.Imagine a robot... Is it hard, metallic and humanoid? Professor Carmel Majidi from Carnegie Mellon University and his colleagues are thinking outside the robotics box. Their new material, magnetic in nature, can shift between solid and liquid states. It’s even capable of breaking out of robotic jail...From Lawrence of Arabia to Star Wars via tales of intrepid adventurers traversing lonely sandswept landscapes, deserts have always had a powerful pull on the popular imagination.But if a desert is full of sand, where did all that sand come from in the first place? That’s what CrowdScience listener Andy wants to know, so presenter Caroline Steel heads off into the dunes to try and find out.Along the way she’ll be wondering what a desert is anyway and whether it’s always sandy, as well as tracing the flow of material across the huge, ever-shifting sand seas of the Sahara.From deserts fed by sand from mountains thousands of kilometres away, to dunes migrating across the entire continent of Africa, we’ll discover how sand has just the right properties to be carried along by the wind.We’ll also explore how the sand in every desert has a unique fingerprint, and find out how fish bones in the Sahara tell the story of its lush, green past.Image credit: Ole Jensen/Getty
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in the Middle East for a three-day visit, as tensions flare between Israelis and Palestinians. After a stop in Egypt, Blinken will head to Jerusalem and Ramallah where he will hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. We speak to a former US ambassador to Israel. Also on the programme: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sacks the Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi following weeks of revelations about his tax affairs; and Novak Djokovic wins a record-extending 10th Australian Open. (Image: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the American University in Cairo, Egypt, January 29, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Pool)
The Israeli Prime Minister was speaking as he convened his security cabinet. Also: The former NATO general and strong EU supporter, Petr Pavel, has been elected president in the Czech Republic following a bruising campaign, and can AI replace journalists?
Five Memphis police officers fired and charged with second degree murder after bodycam video released in the death of Tyre Nichols. Also on the programme, Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israel's security cabinet that the response to last night's deadly attack on an east Jerusalem synagogue will be strong, swift and precise. And, the former NATO general, Petr Pavel, has been elected president in the Czech Republic. (Photo: Reaction to Video Footage of Tyre Nichols in Memphis 28/01/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
Police in Israel say that a thirteen-year-old Palestinian has carried out a shooting attack outside the Old City in Jerusalem in which two people - a father and son - were seriously wounded. The attack comes a day after a Palestinian gunman killed seven people at a synagogue.Also in the programme: investigation continues into Memphis police killing; and the hidden memories of China's Cultural revolution.(Picture: A man stands next to a cloth stained with blood at a scene where a suspected incident of shooting attack took place, police spokesman said, just outside Jerusalem's Old City January 28, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
How do humans cope with sadness? Is it something to be avoided at all costs or part of the human condition? Should we dwell on our sadness, or flee from it? Author Helen Russell explores humanity's history of gloom, and the cultural differences in our approach to tackling it. Helen goes to Lisbon to explore their relationship with melancholy, communicated through a uniquely mournful genre of music called Fado, and an untranslatable word "saudade". She learns about the service which sends a handsome man to wipe away tears in Japan, and hears about joy, sadness and mourning with a Ghanian poet.
Less than 10 weeks after giving birth, Napheesa Collier was back on court with her Minnesota Lynx team mates in the WNBA. A star of the sport, she's not only an Olympic Gold medallist but is kept busy as one of just a handful of players benefiting from a new deal with the league that pays them to help market the sport during the off season.Paul Felder had a long and successful career as an MMA fighter. So how did he come to terms with putting an end to what he loved? He decided to dedicate himself to a new sport, one with less kicking and punching! Paul has entered a new Pro Am Triathlon competition the "PTO" A new documentary is chronicling his attempt to swim, cycle and run back to the top. Roger Robinson knows a thing or two about running. He represented both England and New Zealand on the international stage, and the older he got, the more records he set, continuing to do so into his eighties! He also happens to be married to the iconic runner Katherine Switzer and is a prolific author. He's been telling me about his latest book "Running Throughout Time The Greatest Running Stories Ever Told" which focuses on some of the finest female runners of all timeAnd finally to someone who could very easily fit into Roger's next book! A long distance runner who has used the sport to help heal personal wounds, but also as a tool to bring awareness to the issues that affect her community. Jordan Marie "Brings Three White Horses" Daniel is a proud Lakota Winyan, an indigenous tribe in South Dakota, USA and has been telling me about the challenges she and her community face, and how running is helping.(Photo: Napheesa Collier of Team United States bites her gold medal during the Women's Basketball medal ceremony at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Focus on Africa is changing from broadcasting live to being pre-recorded. But will this affect the quality of its reporting and how it reacts to breaking news stories? We ask BBC Africa to explain.Plus what drives technology coverage on the WS? And listeners once again query that old chestnut of background music!Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for BBC World Service
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Chiara Sangiorgio, Death Penalty Adviser at Amnesty International, who tells us about the history of the death penalty and its effectiveness. The programme begins with two perspectives on capital punishment: Yoshikuni Noguchi recounts his time as a prison guard on death row in Japan in the 1970s; then we hear archive recordings of Albert Pierrepoint, Britain's most famous hangman. Poland's former-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, describes how close he came to death in the 2010 Smolensk air disaster, in which the country's President was killed. Paul McLoone, the frontman of The Undertones, a punk-rock band, tells the bizarre story of how he became the broadcasting voice of IRA commander Martin McGuinness when the organisation was banned from British airwaves in 1988. Finally, Karlheinz Brandenburg explains how he revolutionised the way we listen to music through his invention of the MP3. Contributors:Chiara Sangiorgio - Death Penalty Adviser at Amnesty InternationalYoshikuni Noguchi - Japanese death row prison guard.Albert Pierrepoint - British executioner.Radosław Sikorski - former-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland.Paul McCloone - band member of The Undertones and the voice of Martin McGuinness.Karlheinz Brandenburg - inventor of the MP3.(Photo: Nooses. Credit: Rebecca Redmond/EyeEm via Getty Images)
Several countries are experiencing a fall in the number of babies being born and this has potentially serious consequences. Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, has warned that his country is on the brink of not being able to function as a society. The problem is an increasingly elderly population and not enough younger people to keep the country ticking over. China is seeing record low birth rates and South Korea has the lowest rate of women having babies in the world. Youtubers Sarah and Kyuho in the South Korean capital Seoul, describe some of the pressures and reactions they experienced when they said they are not planning to have kids.
Cuba and the United States share a long, complex history. From the Spanish-American War of 1898 to Fidel Castro's Cuba, these neighbours have often had an uneasy relationship. Claire Graham speaks with Ana Maria Roura, a BBC World Service journalist and Cuban native, to understand the history between the two nations.
Israeli police killed the suspect as he tried to escape. It comes amid escalating violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Also: The video is released of police officers in the US city of Memphis savagely beating a black motorist, Tyre Nichols - who later died, and as the world marked Holocaust Memorial Day we hear about the growing numbers of people who think the holocaust was a myth.
It was a pretty extraordinary day on India's main stock exchange on Friday. Shares in the business empire of Asia's richest man Gautam Adani plunged some 20 per cent, extending earlier losses at the Adani Group to some $45 billion. The price fall comes after a report by an American firm alleging stock manipulation and accounting fraud, claims the company denies.(Picture: Indian billionaire Gautam Adani is a self-made tycoon. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Israeli police say seven people have been killed in a shooting at a synagogue in east Jerusalem. Israeli police have called it a terror attack. It comes amid an escalation in tensions after nine Palestinians - both militants and civilians - were killed during an Israeli military raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. It was followed by rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, to which Israel responded with airstrikes.Also in the programme: Authorities in Memphis, USA, are preparing to release footage of an unarmed man beaten to death by five police officers earlier this week. And as protests continue in Peru, we'll be speaking to a former president. Why is there such political chaos in the country?(Photo: Israeli emergency service personnel and security forces attended the scene. Credit: Getty Images)
The US military says its special forces have killed senior Islamic State group commander Bilal al-Sudani and 10 associates in a raid in Somalia. The Biden administration has redeployed hundreds of US troops to Somalia, after his predecessor Donald Trump pulled them out. IS is a relatively small group in Somalia, with the al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab far more prominent.Plus, M23 rebels say they've taken over the key strategic town of Kitshanga in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after three days of intense clashes.And there's concern for the fate of animals at a farm popular with tourists in The Gambia, after its owner was detained over allegedly planning a coup.
Businesses and residents share their views on how soaring prices are impacting Dresden, a manufacturing powerhouse in the East of Germany. Join us to find out how the capital of Saxony is coping with the cost of living crisis.
Israeli air raids and Palestinian rocket fire raise tensions. The violence follows a deadly Israeli army raid on the occupied West Bank. Also: Shares slump in one of India's biggest companies after allegations of financial misconduct -- and the mystery of the miraculously growing Vladimir Putin.
Israeli warplanes have carried out attacks targeting Palestinian militants in Gaza after rockets were fired towards southern Israel. It follows the deadliest Israeli incursion in the occupied West Bank in years.On Holocaust Memorial Day- is ignorance about Nazi war crimes on the rise? Also, South Korea's disability rights activists take to the subway.CREDIT: Getty Images. People, holding banners, gather to protest after performing Friday prayer in Gaza City, Gaza after Israeli Forces killed 9 Palestinians in the raid on Jenin Refugee Camp
Ukraine’s anti-corruption campaign is in the spotlight, with the recent dismissal or resignation of several top officials after a string of corruption scandals. Vitaliy Shevchenko of BBC Monitoring explains how the war with Russia has affected Ukraine’s long-running efforts to deal with corruption.Iraq and the Gulf CupA recent sports story from Iraq provided a welcome change from conflict and political turmoil, when the country hosted football’s Arabian Gulf Cup for the first time since 1979 - and won the championship. Tragically, there was a crush of fans outside the stadium in Basra before the final, leaving two people dead and many injured. BBC Arabic's Haider Hadi, who’s based in Baghdad, shares his reflections.VDGs return to Indian-administered KashmirA suspected militant attack in a village in Jammu on New Year's Day propelled Village Defence Groups back into the headlines. The original Village Defence Committees, set up in the 1990s, were disbanded in 2018 following illegal killings and accusations of other human rights abuses, but last August the Indian government announced the reintroduction of armed VDGs. BBC Urdu's Riyaz Masroor spoke to villagers in the latest attack, and the family of a victim from the previous era. Disinformation for sale in NigeriaA BBC investigation has discovered that political parties in Nigeria are secretly paying social media influencers to spread disinformation about their opponents ahead of general elections in February. Fauziyya Tukur of the BBC's disinformation unit in Abuja joins us to explain how this works. A visit to the ‘Little Manhattan’ of Caracas The economic crisis in Venezuela has left much of the population struggling to survive, and more than seven million people have left in search of better lives. But in one neighbourhood of the capital Caracas, there are casinos, restaurants and luxury stores. Norberto Paredes of BBC Mundo tells us about Las Mercedes, nicknamed “Little Manhattan”.(Photo: Ukrainian hryvnia in a yellow envelope. Credit: Victoria Kotlyarchuk/ Getty Images)
Professor Karlheinz Brandenburg from Germany spent more than a decade developing MP3 technology, which was developed to convert audio into digital form.He had been working on it since 1982.It compressed music into a file size that made it easier to transmit, leading to the first MP3 players and fast music sharing.Laura Jones has been speaking to Professor Brandenburg.(Photo: Karlheinz Brandenburg wearing headphones, with his team. Credit: Fraunhofer IIC)
Shiona McCallum explores what can be done about online bots targeting ticket sales. It’s after Ticketmaster apologised to Taylor Swift fans who missed out on attending her Eras tour, they say they were the target of a cyber-attack by bots. We also delve into VR and AR experiences and learn about the company in India using discarded fishing nets to produce plugs and sockets.(IMAGE:Taylor Swift meets fans in Toronto. Wesley Lapointe / Getty)
For the final episode of our cost of living series, the Business Daily team are in Dresden, a manufacturing powerhouse in the east of Germany. Leanna Byrne speaks to small business owners, students considering taking on extra paid work and a big manufacturing boss about how the rising cost of living is affecting them and their livelihoods.Detlef Neuhaus, the chief executive of one of Germany's biggest renewables companies - Solarwatt - tells us how the war in Ukraine has changed the mindset of some people when it comes to the value of renewable energy and how their manufacturing costs have gone up in recent months.Presenter: Leanna ByrneProduction: Izzy Greenfield and Alex Bell Image: Dresden; Credit: Getty Images
Stephen Sackur speaks to Leopoldo Lopez, a key leader of Venezuela’s opposition. Once a political prisoner, now in exile in Spain, his efforts to topple the socialist regime led by Nicolas Maduro have been thwarted. Has Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement been outmanoeuvred?
The hackers have been hacked - a prolific international ransomware operation has been shut down by US, German and Dutch officials. The criminal network, Hive, is said to have targeted over 1,500 victims worldwide in the past 18 months and extorted over $100 million. FBI director Christopher Wray said the operation had recovered over 1,300 decryption keys for victims since July 2022 and had prevented $130 million in ransomware payments.(Picture: Cropped Hand Of Computer Hacker Typing On Keyboard. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The 29-year-old was stopped on 7 January for reckless driving, and died three days later. Also: fear of flare-up after deadly Israeli raid in Jenin, and why do some men wear shorts in cold weather?
The hackers have been hacked - a prolific international ransomware operation has been shut down by US, German and Dutch officials. The criminal network, Hive, is said to have targeted over 1,500 victims worldwide in the past 18 months and extorted over $100 million. FBI director Christopher Wray said the operation had recovered over 1,300 decryption keys for victims since July 2022 and had prevented $130 million in ransomware payments.(Picture: Cropped Hand Of Computer Hacker Typing On Keyboard. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The Palestinian Authority says it's ending security cooperation with Israel following one of the worst days of violence in the West Bank for years. All this comes just a few days before the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in the region for talks.Also, Russia launches a barrage of missiles against Ukraine, a day after NATO countries agreed to send tanks; and on the eve of the Czech presidential election, how one of the candidates was forced to deny rumours that he'd died.(Photo: Palestinians throw stones amid clashes with Israeli troops during a raid in Jenin, West Bank, 26 January 2023. Credit: Alaa Badarneh/ EPA)
An outbreak of pathogenic bird flu, H5N1, in a Spanish mink farm could be a cause for concern. Some experts fear the virus may now spill over to other mammals without strict surveillance. Marion Koopmans, professor of virology at Erasmus Medical Centre, talks Roland through the potential risks. India’s caste system affects all aspects of society, but how does the hierarchy influence representation of marginalised groups in academia? Science journalist Ankur Paliwal believes that, despite efforts to combat discrimination, not enough is being done, and he has the data to prove it. Imagine a robot... Is it hard, metallic and humanoid? Professor Carmel Majidi from Carnegie Mellon University and his colleagues are thinking outside the robotics box. Their new material, magnetic in nature, can shift between solid and liquid states. It’s even capable of breaking out of robotic jail... And how do echidnas – spiny, long-nosed, egg-laying mammals – manage to stay cool during the hot Australian summers? Image credit: Ole Jensen/Getty Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Harrison Lewis Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Chadema opposition leader Tundu Lissu has returned to Tanzania, after spending almost five years in exile. He tells us he has received assurances about his safety from the country’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan.Plus, deaths from HIV and AIDS have fallen by 50% in Malawi since 2010. We look at what steps have been taken there, and what other countries can learn from their approach.As the African Development Bank hosts a food summit in Dakar, we look at how challenging traditional gender roles can help boost food security.
Pays de Cassel player Ayrance Leganase looks back on his team's 7-nil loss to PSG in the Coupe de France. Having once been told he might need to have his left foot amputated, he got to share the pitch with Neymar and Mbappe. We also hear from Darvel's hero Jordan Kirkpatrick following their shock win over Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup.Picture on website: Neymar Jr has a laugh with opponent Nicolas Bruneel during the round of 16 French Cup match between Pays de Cassel and Paris Saint-Germain. (Glenn Gervot/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The US economy did better than expected at the end of last year, despite higher borrowing costs and rising cost of living. The economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9% in the last three months of 2022. IBM has become the latest tech company to announce layoffs. The software and consulting firm has said it will cut 3,900 jobs.One of India's biggest companies, the Adani Group, says it's considering taking legal action against a US investment firm, Hindenburg Research, that's raised concerns about its finances. The US company alleged that the Adani Group had improperly used offshore tax havens and that some of its key listed companies had substantial debt. The Adani Group has denied the allegations.
Russia has launched a wave of missiles at Ukraine, a day after Germany and the US pledged tanks to aid Kyiv's fight against the invasion. The barrage came as Russia said it perceived the tank offer as "direct" Western involvement in the conflict. Also on the programme: we hear from Jenin in the West Bank where several people have been killed by an Israeli military raid; and are Australians falling out of love with their national day?(Image: US M1A2 'Abrams' tank moves to firing positions during U.S. led joint military exercise near Vaziani, Georgia, in May 18, 2016. Credit: Reuters/ Mdzinarishvili)
At least nine Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid, one of them an elderly woman. Israel said its troops went in to arrest Islamic Jihad militants. The Palestinian authorities accused them of a massacre. Also: A sharp rise in Myanmar's opium harvest, and why elephants aren’t just big and beautiful -- but vital for biodiversity too.
In 2006, Italy's most successful team, Juventus, were relegated from the Italian top division due to their involvement in the Calciopoli match fixing scandal.The decision to demote Juventus came just days after Italy had won the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Journalist Paddy Agnew covered the case extensively from his base in Rome. He has been sharing his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.(Photo: Juventus managing director Luciano Moggi pictured in 2006. Credit: Getty Images)
Using archive recordings, Alex Last tells the story of Britain's most famous hangman. During the 1940s and 1950s, Albert Pierrepoint was responsible for the execution of some of Britain's most notorious murderers and was sent to Germany to hang more than 200 Nazi war criminals after World War Two. He said he was always determined to treat prisoners with dignity and respect whatever their crime. This programme was first broadcast in 2015.(Photo: Albert Pierrepoint. Credit: Getty Images)
We all know a coffee shop, a restaurant, a greasy spoon, a pub or a fine dining eatery that has closed in the last few months. But why, after two years of forced closures because of the coronavirus pandemic, are hospitality businesses closing now? Leanna Byrne speaks to hospitality business owners from three different countries to find out how they’re covering their overheads. Alessandro Borghese is a chef who owns restaurants in Milan and in Venice. He says he’s paying more for everything from food to oils and staff. And Mandla Mataure is the managing director for the Chimanimani Hotel in Manicaland in eastern Zimbabwe.Zimbabwe ended 2023 reporting a 244% inflation rate. How does Mandla deal with constant price rises when staff are looking for more money?Oliver Mansaray owns the restaurant, Kink, in Berlin. Oliver opened his first ever hospitality business right before the pandemic struck. Like Mandla, he’s taken on the cost of living challenge by cutting costs elsewhere and trying to be more efficient. Presenter/producer: Leanna Byrne)Image: Oliver Mansaray in Kink, Berlin/ Credit: Oliver Mansaray)
Why did people take to the streets, risking arrest and a barrage of bullets?After protests turned violent and hundreds of people were killed, four Iranians tell the story of why they risked their lives. What has been happening in Iran to drive them out onto the streets to face bullets?‘Agrin’ tells Phoebe Keane she’s tired of being objectified as a woman, and having no faith that the authorities will take sexual assault seriously when the police themselves are accused of raping prisoners.Mahsoud tells how he was shot during a protest but feared going to the hospital in case the authorities put him in jail. When plain clothed police loitered outside his family home, he decided to leave Iran. Still bleeding and with a metal pellet lodged in his ear impairing his hearing, he finally made it across the border to Iraq.‘Nazy’ tells of being arrested by the morality police while walking to work and being shoved in a van as the heels on her shoes were too high. She started to protest every day and now walks through the streets with her hair blowing in the wind, an act of defiance.‘Farah’ remembers a time in Iran when women could dance and sing in public and protests because she wants her daughter to live a life without fear.Presenter: Phoebe KeaneProducers: Ed Butler, Ali Hamedani, Khosro Isfahani and Taraneh StoneSeries editor: Penny Murphy
Donald Trump will be allowed back on to Facebook and Instagram, after Meta announced it would be ending its two-year suspension of his accounts.The then-US president was indefinitely suspended from Facebook and Instagram after the Capitol riot in 2021.Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, said a review found that Mr Trump's accounts no longer represented a serious risk to public safety.(Picture: TOPSHOT - Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on November 15, 2022. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Ukraine hails the announcements of the tanks as a turning point, while Russia says they are a provocation. Also: Lebanon's top prosecutor lays charges against the judge who is investigating the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the Sesame Street co-creator Lloyd Morrisett dies aged 93.
In the summer of 1946 inflation in Hungary reached 41.9 quadrillion per cent. That’s 41.9 followed by 14 zeros – the highest rate of inflation ever recorded anywhere in the world. It meant prices of everyday goods and services doubled, on average, every 15 hours.As the shattered country struggled to get to its feet after World War Two, weighed down by a Soviet occupation and punishing reparations, its government had little choice but to print more and more money, further fuelling the price spiral.The hyperinflation stripped wages of almost all their value and plunged millions of Hungarians into a new fight for survival, but as they lost all faith in banknotes they turned to ever more inventive ways to trade and earn a living. We discuss how life for ordinary Hungarians changed amidst the chaos, what caused and eventually halted the economic disaster, and what the whole episode can tell us about the meaning of money. Bridget Kendall is joined by Béla Tomka, professor of modern social and economic history at the University of Szeged, in Hungary; László Borhi, the Peter A Kadas Chair and associate professor in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies in the Hamilton-Lugar School at Indiana University, USA; and Pierre Siklos, professor of economics at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada.Producer: Simon Tulett(Picture: Hungarian pengo banknotes lying on the ground in Budapest. Credit: Louis Foucherand/AFP via Getty Images)
To feed a child is fundamental to a parent, it’s instinct. But what if your baby can’t swallow?After receiving lots of emails to a programme we made on dysphagia – or swallowing difficulties – we were asked to explore the condition as it affects children.In this edition, Ruth Alexander speaks to parents Kelly Rose, in the UK, and Melanie and Sean Hoffman in Canada, about how they manage their children's conditions and their relationship with food; and to a doctor, Professor Hamdy El-Hakim, who is on a mission to ensure dysphagia is better understood. And we hear from the children themselves. Three-year-old Bodhi and five-year-old Ophelia share their thoughts about food.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Bodhi and his mother Kelly Rose. Credit: Kelly Rose/BBC)Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
Donald Trump will be allowed back onto Facebook and Instagram, after Meta announced it would be ending its two-year suspension of his accounts.The suspension will end "in the coming weeks", the social media giant said.The then-US president was indefinitely suspended from Facebook and Instagram after the Capitol riots in 2021.Republicans have been pressing for Mr Trump to be allowed back on Facebook as he prepares to run for the presidency again next year.(Picture: SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 08: The suspended Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump appears on an iPhone screen on January 08, 2021 in San Anselmo, California. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The United States has joined Germany in announcing it will send tanks to Ukraine. President Biden said 31 M1 Abrams tanks would be delivered, in a significant policy reversal. Also in the programme: battling Covid in rural China; and the film documenting the campaign against America's opioid epidemic(Picture: The US army unveils its new Abrams M1A2 Systems Enhanced Package version three tank in Fort Stewart, Georgia, USA. Mandatory Credit: Photo by STEPHEN B MORTON/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Tanzanian opposition leader, Tundu Lissu is back in the country from self-imposed exile. Tanzanians are happy he's back... but will he be allowed to operate freely?A thousand cholera deaths in Malawi makes it the worst outbreak in its history. Three other countries are struggling to contain the illness as well. We'll hear what efforts are being made.Also: a new report on justice for Africa's children as ever more of them are forced from the playground and into a gruelling labour market.Those stories and more in this podcast with Audrey Brown.
Six months on from the worst flooding in Pakistan’s history, a medic in eastern Balochistan describes what he is seeing daily.Khalid Saleem, who works for the charity Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), says many people are still living in shelters at the side of the road and must walk miles if they need healthcare. There are high levels of malnutrition, malaria and skin conditions such as scabies.We also talk Dr Zainab Samad, from Aga Khan University in Islamabad, who is the author of a major new report on the country’s health. She describes how people in these areas were already worse off even before the floods and says it will take years to recover – but it is everyone’s responsibility to help make society healthier. We hear from Dr Lindsay Dewa and medical student Simi Adewale on their project to explore digital connection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imperial College London worked with young people to make a short film about the impact on young people’s mental health.And our guest is family doctor Ann Robinson, who’ll discuss the latest studies and health news, including strict new alcohol guidance for Canada and how “bed dancing” is helping hospital patients.Image credit: Getty ImagesPresenter: Smitha Mundasad Producer: Gerry Holt
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was on an official tour in Africa as she vows to strengthen ties with the continent. This comes as China continues to increase its influence there. India's richest man has seen more than 10 billion dollars wiped off the value of his companies. That follows a report by the Hindenberg Research group targeting the conglomerate owned by Gautham Adani. The Cairo International Book Fair in Egypt will see attendants be able to buy books in instalments. This is because the price of books continues to increase due to rising inflation. This has lead to some Egyptian authors cutting back on the length of their writing to be more economical.
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has confirmed that his government will provide Ukraine with some of its Leopard- Two battle tanks, and allow other countries to do likewise. Also on the programme, the Indian government attempts to crackdown on screenings of a documentary which examines Prime Minister Modi's time as Chief Minister of Gujarat. And, five months after North Korea declared "victory" over covid, there are reports that a five-day lockdown has been ordered in Pyongyang because of an unnamed "respiratory illness".(Photo: Session of questions addressed to the Federal Government at the German parliament 25/01/2023 European Pressphoto Agency)
German Chancellor confirms his country will send battle tanks to Ukraine. Also: A BBC investigation finds evidence of alarming coronavirus death rates in rural China, and how humans share common sign language with wild chimps and bonobos.
In 2010, a plane carrying the Polish president, Lech Kaczyński, crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk, killing everyone on board. It was one of the most tragic moments in modern Polish history. The country’s minister of foreign affairs, Radoslaw Sikorski was one of the first people to hear about it. He’s been sharing his memories of the disaster with Matt Pintus.(Photo: Smolensk air crash wreckage. Credit: Getty Images)
一位网友想知道动词 “concentrate、assemble、converge” 和 “focus” 的区别。动词 “concentrate” 特指 “（无计划地）聚集”；动词 “assemble” 则指 “（有计划地）集合”；动词 “converge” 表示 “（从一处）汇合（到一处）”；而只有动词 “focus” 不能用来描述人群的 “聚合”。听主持人 Beth 和佳莹讲解这四个词的用法和区别。
Whether renting or buying, housing costs are going up. Presenter Leanna Byrne takes you back home with her to Dublin, Ireland to discuss what all Dubliners love to moan about: the rising cost of renting. According to a report by Daft.ie, which lists places to rent or buy in Ireland, at the end of 2022 rent in Dublin had risen to an average $2,446 per month.And the rising price of renting has seeped into some of Ireland’s other cities, like Cork and Galway, where rents rose by 12% and 16%. Limerick and Waterford’s rental prices both soared by more than 17%. We hear from Rebecca, a 32-year-old working in the tech sector in Dublin, who has been renting for 10 years. She says that renting in Dublin is getting harder. Alex is 31 and works in banking. He got a job in Dublin in January 2022 and was worried about moving there because he heard about the housing horror stories. And finally, Norman Shapiro, senior mortgage broker with First Israel Mortgages, gives us the view from Israel, where house prices have hit a record 20% year-on-year increase.Presenter/producer: Leanna Byrne(Image: Houses/ Getty Images)
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and eight US states have filed a case against Google alleging it has too much power over the online ad market.Online advertising accounts for the lion's share of Google's multibillion dollar revenue.Google is the market leader, but its slice of total US digital ad income has fallen from 36.7% in 2016 to 28.8% in 2022, according to market research firm Insider Intelligence.(Picture: In this photo illustration a Google logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The US Department of Justice and eight US states have filed a case against Google alleging it has too much power over the online ad market.Online advertising accounts for the lion's share of Google's multibillion dollar revenue.Google is the market leader, but its slice of total US digital ad income has fallen from 36.7% in 2016 to 28.8% in 2022, according to market research firm Insider Intelligence.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has faced weeks of pressure from Kyiv and its allies. Also: Classified documents have been found at the home of the former US vice-president Mike Pence in the latest discovery of secret papers, and we hear who's been nominated for this year's Oscars.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba. The war with Russia has hit a winter stalemate, but what will spring bring? From battle tanks to air defences, Ukraine wants more help from its allies. Is Western wavering undermining Kyiv’s strategic options?
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, and allow other countries to do the same, reports in Germany say. We look at what impact this could have on the war in Ukraine. Also on the programme: at least 124 have people died in freezing temperatures in Afghanistan in the past fortnight, according to Taliban officials; and seismologists in China say that the spinning core at the centre of the Earth may have started to rotate in the opposite direction. (Image: Ukrainians hold placards and wave Ukrainian flags during a rally supporting the deployment of Leopard tanks and other military equipment to Ukraine, outside the European Council building during a EU Foreign Ministers Council in Brussels, Belgium, 23 January 2023. OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
President Zelensky has removed five regional governors and four deputy ministers in a reshuffle. Also, the Afghan authorities say more than 120 people have died because of freezing temperatures, and instead of flowers, why one bride in the Philippines chose to have a bouquet of onions!
The 'sur' or 'South' proposed by Brazil and Argentina wouldn't replace local currencies, but instead would run in parallel with them in its early stages. We find out what economists think about the project. Ford plans to cut 3,200 jobs across Europe, according to Germany’s largest union, IG Metall. As carmakers shift their focus towards electric vehicles, we ask why this transformation might translate into job losses. The US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called on China to agree to a rapid restructuring of loans to Zambia, calling Beijing a barrier to ending the debt crisis in the country. We get the latest from Lusaka.
The Afghan authorities say more than a-hundred-and-twenty people have died because of freezing temperatures during the coldest winter in a decade. Also on the programme, several Ukrainian officials have been removed as President Zelensky carries out a government reshuffle linked to an anti- corruption campaign. And, the nominations for the Academy Awards or Oscars have been announced in Hollywood. (Photo: 23/01/2023 European Pressphoto Agency.)
Yoshikuni Noguchi spent time as a guard in one of the prisons in Japan that would carry out the death penalty, and witnessed the hanging of a condemned prisoner in 1971, before going on to become a lawyer. He describes in detail what he saw. Yoshikuni began speaking out to cast light on the reality of what death row inmates go through, as Japan continues to resist the calls to ban the practice, which is no longer in use in most countries. He tells his story to Dan Hardoon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Yoshikunu Noguchi. Credit: Alamy)
Children aren’t cheap. The cost of living crisis is pushing parents to the edge of their finances, worrying about paying for essentials like food, clothing and, for many, childcare. We’ll take a look at Chile, which according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is one of the lowest ranking when it comes to public spending on early childhood education.Natalia Aránguiz lives in Chile and has two children- she speaks to Leanna Byrne about her rising costs.Ann Hedgepeth, chief of policy and advocacy at non-profit organisation Child Care Aware of America, says the national average price of childcare was around $10,600 per year. She says one of the main factors is getting the right staff.Seven thousand miles away in Kampala in Uganda, one childcare business owner is facing the same issues. Manuela Mulondo is chief executive and founder of Cradle, a childcare, lactation and education centre. She says people never think about childcare companies when they are talking about price rises, but says it’s very expensive to look after children.Presenter/producer: Leanna Byrne(Image: Child and parent. Credit: PA)
In 2002 photojournalist Caroline Irby and former BBC reporter Tom McKinley arrived in Sierra Leone to cover the fallout from the country’s brutal conflict. They travelled with children caught up in the fighting; as they were reunited with their families. Now, just over two decades on, Caroline returns to West Africa to track them down.
Microsoft has announced a multi-year, multibillion dollar investment in artificial intelligence (AI) as it extends its partnership with OpenAI.OpenAI is the creator of popular image generation tool Dall-E and the chatbot ChatGPT.The Windows and Xbox maker plans up to 10,000 redundancies, but said it would still hire in key strategic areas.(Picture: OpenAI logo displayed on a laptop screen and Microsoft logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 23, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The four men - who belong to the Oath Keepers group - were charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol two years ago. Also: Ukraine's foreign minister appeals to countries with Leopard tanks to make a formal request to Germany to allow them to hand the tanks over, and a four-year-old English boy with an unusual IQ.
Microsoft has announced a multi-year, multibillion dollar investment in artificial intelligence (AI) as it extends its partnership with OpenAI.OpenAI is the creator of popular image generation tool Dall-E and the chatbot ChatGPT.In 2019 Microsoft invested one billion dollars in the company, founded by Elon Musk and tech investor Sam Altman.The Windows and Xbox maker plans up to 10,000 redundancies, but said it would still hire in key strategic areas.
A former minister in Mexico's government has gone on trial in the United States. Genaro Garcia Luna is accused of accepting huge bribes from a drug cartel. He has pleaded not guilty. We hear from the former head of Mexico's intelligence servces Gustavo Mohar.Also in the programme: opposition South African MP on the Ukraine war; and cleaning up 'mermaid's tears'.(Picture: Mexico's former Public Security Minister Genaro Garcia Luna listens during opening arguments in his trial on charges that he accepted millions of dollars to protect the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. Credit: REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
"You will not replace us" was the battle cry of white supremacists at a rally in Charlottesville in 2017. They were expressing an old fear - the idea that immigrants and people of colour will out-breed and replace the dominant white 'race'. Exactly the same idea suffused American culture in the first decades of the 1900s, as millions of immigrants arrived at Ellis island from southern and eastern Europe.The 'old-stock' Americans - the white elite who ruled industry and government - latched on to replacement theory and the eugenic idea of 'race suicide'. It's all there in The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel set in 1922 - which takes us into the world of the super-rich - their parties and their politics.Amidst this febrile period of cultural and economic transformation, the Eugenics Record Office is established. Led by Charles Davenport and Harry Laughlin, it becomes a headquarters for the scientific and political advancement of eugenics.By 1924, the eugenically informed anti-immigrant movement has triumphed - America shut its doors with the Johnson-Reed Act, and the flow of immigrants is almost completely stoppped.Contributors: Dr Thomas Leonard, Professor Sarah Churchwell, Professor Joe CainFeaturing the voices of David Hounslow, Joanna Monro and Hughie O'DonnellMusic and Sound Design by Jon NichollsPresented by Adam RutherfordProduced by IIan GoodmanClips: BBC News, coverage of Charlottesville protests, 2017 / CNN, coverage of buffalo shooter, 2022 / MSNBC, coverage of buffalo shooter, 2022 / Edison, Orange, N.J, 1916, Don't bite the hand that's feeding you, Jimmie Morgan, Walter Van Brunt, Thomas Hoier / BBC Radio 4 Great Gatsby: Author, F Scott Fitzgerald Director: Gaynor Macfarlane, Dramatised by Robert Forrest.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has visited South Africa, holding talks with his counterpart Naledi Pandor. Pretoria has resisted pressure from western governments to criticise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Plus, there has been outrage in eSwatini over the killing of the prominent human rights lawyer and political activist Thulani Maseko. We get an update from a journalist who is following events.And the arrest of renowned journalist Ihsane el-Kadi caused a storm in Algeria last month. We speak to his daughter Tin Hinane about the case against him and press freedom in the country.
Russia’s Lavrov in South Africa for talks with his counterpart. Also in the programme, a tale of two chairmen in trouble in the UK, and a woman surfer on competing in the Eddie, the prestigious Hawaiian big wave surfing contest.(Photo: Russian and South African foreign ministers held bi-lateral talks in Pretoria today. Credit; Reuters)
The finance minister of Japan, Shunichi Suzuki, warns that the country faces dire finances as debt and inflation continue to rise while the population keeps declining. The government can still borrow cheaply as the central bank keeps interest rates at ultra-low levels. But what do the financial markets and global investors make of Japan’s current economic state? The US hedge fund Citadel made $16bn in profits last year, the largest annual profit by a hedge fund in history. We find out how they did it.And the presidents of Brazil and Argentina have announced that they want to work towards the creation of a South American single currency. We explore how likely this is to happen.
Germany's permission is required, because it built and sold the vehicles originally. But the Polish government has suggested it might ignore this and send the tanks anyway. Also, we head to one of the eastern Ukrainian towns retaken from Russian forces, and Japan's prime minister warns the declining birth rate is putting the future of the country at risk.
Frontman of punk-rock band The Undertones, Paul McCloone, recalls the “weird, slightly funny, slightly sad, slightly surreal” time he was the voice of IRA commander-turned-politician, Martin McGuinness. It was during the so called ‘broadcasting ban’ in the UK which came into force in 1988. It saw organisations believed to support terrorism forbidden from directly broadcasting on radio or television.Paul tells Alys Harte how the legislation led to extra work for him. (Photo: Paul Mcloone during a performance. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ruben Vardanyan, state minister of the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, run by ethnic Armenians but surrounded by Azerbaijan and the subject of years of conflict. The Armenians have traditionally been backed by Russia, but is Putin a reliable ally?
In this first episode of our second series on the cost of living, Business Daily's Leanna Byrne looks into the areas of our lives that are costing us the most. Today we focus on our public transport systems. Figures from Statista, a market and consumer data platform, puts Auckland, New Zeland as the third most expensive city for public transport, we hear from Jon Reeves who is National Co-Ordinator and Co-Founder of the Public Transport Users Association there.When the cost of living rises, it rises for everyone. So those working in the transport sector want pay rises to reflect that. Anna Jane Hunter, partner at Winder Phillips Associates, tells Business Daily that there’s a lot of systemic issues in the UK’s transport sector that have only just bubbled to the surface again after two years of us staying at home and not using public transport.We speak to Gregor Kolbe, who works on transport and consumer politics for the Federation of German Consumer Organisations. Over the summer, Germany encouraged people to use public transport by actually reducing the cost of transport. But prices are back to normal levels now. Presenter/producer: Leanna ByrneImage: Passengers at Kings Cross Station in London/ Credit: EPA
The loss of a sibling can be devastating. It means the severing of a shared history and common memories. But the grief can be overshadowed by that of children, parents and partners. Kim Chakanetsa talks to an Irish writer and an academic from Botswana about how the death of a brother and a sister changed their lives.Dr Senzokuhle Doreen Setume is a professor at the University of Botswana. She researches the impact of ignoring traditional rites in grief counselling. Her twin sister died when they were 37. As well as losing the person she’d shared her whole life with Senzokuhle lost her identity as a twin. She says the cultural pressure to not show grief affected her deeply. Carmel McMahon was living in New York when her 20 year old brother died in a car crash. Her grief triggered a long period of alcoholism and she turned to writing to help her recovery. Her book, In Ordinary Time, mines the ways trauma reverberates through time and through individual lives. She draws connections from tragically lost siblings to the broader social scars of Ireland’s long history. Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Carmel McMahon, credit Lauren Carroll. (R) Senzokuhle Setume, courtesy Senzokuhle Setume.)
It's reported police found the body in a van as they were continuing their search for the wanted man. Also: Netanyahu sacks Israeli interior minister after court ruling, and milk may have fuelled a growth spurt in ancient Europeans.
From convent to marriage to factory floor, Thivya Rakini will stand up for herself … and you.As a child in a village in Tamil Nadu, Thivya stopped eating so her parents would send her to the school of her choice. Her resistance has hardly stopped since. Leaving behind a convent then a marriage, Thivya struck out alone, defying expectations as a woman in the workplace and as a single parent.She’s now the leader of a union advocating for seamstresses making fast fashion for international chain stores and has negotiated an historic deal. No wonder they call her the “fighter cock.” Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: June Christie
Climate researcher, Rose Abramoff took to the stage at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meetings, not as a guest speaker but in protest. Whilst her demonstration only lasted 15 seconds, she found her employment terminated from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and research stripped from the AGU programme. She was attempting to persuade other climate scientists to ‘get out of the lab and into the street’. Whilst Rose’s protest hit the headlines in the media, potentially less attention was paid to the session that was taking place at the conference, hosted by Mika Tosca, climate scientist-turn-artist, Associate Professor of Liberal Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ronald brings the two together to discuss the event and how climate scientists should approach activism.Although there is no one solution to the climate crisis, Roland loves a brainstorm on Science in Action. Climate activist Stuart Capstick, a Cardiff University psychologist specialising in public attitudes to environmental issues and environmental scientist Robert Young from Western Carolina University take the conversation one step further. Questioning how public perceptions of scientists change when they take evasive action and protest.And finally, we usually hear of seismology reports coming from dense, urban areas prone to earthquakes, delicately perched atop of tectonic plates. But this week, Roland speaks to Professor of Geophysics Zhongwen Zhan from the California Institute of Technology, who’s collecting data from a very unusual place...When CrowdScience listener Eric spotted a few gnats flying around on a milder day in mid-winter it really surprised him - Eric had assumed they just died out with the colder weather. It got him wondering where the insects had come from, how they had survived the previous cold snap and what the implications of climate change might be for insect over-wintering behaviour? So he asked CrowdScience to do some bug investigation.CrowdScience presenter Marnie Chesterton takes up the challenge and heads out into the British countryside – currently teeming with buzzes and eight legged tiny beasties - to learn about the quite amazing array of tactics these small creatures use to survive the arduous days of cold.She hears how some insects change their chemical structure to enhance their frost resistance whist others hanker down in warmer microclimates or rely on their community and food stocks to keep them warm.But cold isn’t the only climatic change insects have to endure, in the tropics the seasons tend to fluctuate more around wet and dry so what happens then? Marnie talks with a Kenyan aquatic insect expert who describes how mosquitoes utilise the rains and shares his worry climate change could have a big impact on insect populations.
Police in the United States say a gunman is on the run after a mass shooting near Los Angeles. At least ten people were killed at a dance club in Monterey Park. Ten others were wounded - some critically.Also in the programme: Chinese officials say there were another 13,000 Covid- related hospital deaths last week; and a study suggests that milk drinking caused a European growth spurt thousands of years ago.(Photo: 10 killed in shooting near LA after Lunar New Year event. Picture: Getty)
Protestors say plans to limit the powers of the Israeli judiciary are a direct attack on democracy. Also: Brazil's army chief sacked after Congress riots, and why are baguettes such an important part of French life?
Thousands of Israeli protesters have rallied against plans by the new right-wing coalition government to overhaul the judiciary.The reforms would make it easier for parliament to overturn Supreme Court rulings, among other things, but protesters described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed changes as an attack on democratic rule.Also in the programme: Brazil's president sacks the army chief just weeks after a violent uprising by rioters calling for a coup; and we look at Niger's success in halving the number of women who die from bleeding at childbirth.(Photo shows an aerial view of protesters rallying against plans by the new right-wing coalition government to overhaul the judiciary. Credit: Corinna Kern/Reuters)
As the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union swept over vast areas of Ukraine and Belorussia from the summer of 1941, over three million Jews were deliberately targeted for annihilation. Shot, hung, butchered, a million and a half Jewish souls were buried in vast pits in Babi Yar, Rumbula, Mariupol, Minsk, Kyiv and Riga. Many accounts began to flood into the Soviet Union where journalist and writer Ilya Ehrenburg began gathering testimonies of the mass murder. This became The Black Book, a chronicle of the Nazi extermination of Soviet Jews. Historian Catherine Merridale travels to Riga, Latvia and Yad Vashem, where the Black Book was smuggled, to uncover this complex story of loss, silence and rediscovery.
Max Pearson presents a compilation of this week's Witness History programmes from the BBC World Service.These include memories of the horsemeat scandal of 2013 from the man who uncovered what was happening. We'll hear analysis of other historical food scandals from expert Professor Saskia van Ruth.Plus the last passenger off the plane, which landed on the Hudson river in 2009, shares his story.Also on the programme: secret schools for Kosovar Albanians, nuclear testing in Algeria and teenagers with narcolepsy in Sweden. Contributors:Professor Alan ReillyProfessor Saskia van Ruth Christopher TyviAbdelkrim TouhamiLinda GusiaProfessor Drita HalimiDave Sanderson
Ukraine's defence minister has had a "frank discussion" with his German counterpart about German Leopard 2 tanks, which Kyiv is urgently requesting to confront the Russian military. Germany has not yet decided whether to send the tanks to Ukraine, or allow other countries to donate theirs, despite pressure on Berlin to act. Also on the programme: on the 50th anniversary of the Roe v Wade US Supreme court ruling, overturned 7 months ago, we hear from both sides of the bitter divide; and we go to New Zealand where Chris Hipkins is set to become the country's next prime minister.(Photo: A Leopard 2 tank fires during army training at a military base of the German army Bundeswehr in Bergen, Germany, October 17, 2022. Credit: Reuters/Fabian Bimmer)
During World War Two, approximately 1.6 million Soviet, Polish and Romanian Jews survived by escaping to Soviet Central Asia and Siberia, avoiding imminent death in ghettos, firing squads and killing centres. Many of them wrote music about these horrors as the Holocaust unfolded. Singer Alice Zawadzski, whose own family found themselves on a similar journey to Central Asia, and historian Anna Shternshis of the University of Toronto, who led the project to bring these songs back to life, travel to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to retrace the journeys of those Jewish refugees who became music composers.
Warning! If you are not good with heights, look away now. Canada's Lysanne Richard is one of the best high divers in the world. The former World Champion excels at throwing herself from extraordinary heights, and as she plummets from the tops of cliffs she can reach speeds in excess of 75 kilometres per hour... So how does she overcome fear and exactly how high is high diving? PHOTO: Lysanne Richard of Canada dives from a rock cliff prior to the third stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series on May 29, 2019 at Polignano a Mare, Italy. (CREDIT: Dean Treml/Red Bull via Getty Images)
Prince Harry has had a very public falling out with the British royal family. And he has chosen to air his grievances in a best-selling book.But should his personal opinions have been given such prominence on the BBC World Service? We question a senior news editor.Plus, was the weekly online news quiz too UK-centric? One reader thinks so. Its compiler comes to its defence!Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
Since the Taliban returned to power some 18 months ago, women in Afghanistan have been removed from nearly all areas of public life. They are barred from secondary schools, universities and most workplaces and cannot even socialise in public parks. As Afghanistan faces a growing humanitarian crisis, we bring together three students in the country to share their experiences of life under Taliban rule. We catch up with three young women who used to compete in Afghanistan. Footballer, Najma, tells us that in the country many girls wish they had been born boys. We speak to two politicians who had fled the country when the Taliban returned to power.
Fifty years ago, Jane Roe become the centre of a ruling that would fuel US politics for the following decades. The Roe v Wade case gave women the constitutional right to abortion, until 2022 when it was overturned by the US Supreme Court. Claire Graham speaks with Katty Kay about the 1973 legal case, the legacy of that ruling and how abortion became such a central issue in contemporary American politics.
It's the biggest single one-time movement of people on Earth, as Chinese citizens travel across the country to celebrate the Lunar New Year with friends and family. As the FTX trial continues we find out what it means for those who have lost their money and if there's any chance they could get it back.Roger Hearing discusses this and more business news with Stephanie Hare, researcher of technology and politics in London and Peter Lewis, Director of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology in Sydney.(Picture: People walk along the Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, China, 20 January 2023 Credit: Photo by MARK R CRISTINO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Ukrainian president spoke after a meeting of allied nations failed to agree to give Kyiv modern tanks. Also: the quest for life on Jupiter's icy moons, and why walking upright isn't that hard for baboons.
The Chinese government estimates that more than 2 billion trips will take place within China before mid-February, in the biggest single one-time movement of people on Earth, as the nation welcomes in the Year of the Rabbit. After years of Covid restrictions, we find out how different this year will be and how it's looking for businesses.One of the biggest cryptocurrency lenders, Genesis Global Capital, is the latest casualty of the sector's downturn as it files for bankruptcy protection. We hear what it means for those who have lost money in the crisis.And we learn how investors in the US are putting money into 'catastrophe bonds' to bet against storms hitting the country.
Allies of Ukraine fail to agree on the deployment of new battle tanks in it war against Russia. Also in the programme a senior UN official believes the Afghan Taleban could ease their restrictions on women; and a resident of Axum in Tigray gives us an eyewitness account of the Eritrean troops pulling out from the city.(Photo: US, German and Ukrainian defence ministers attending the Ramstein meeting. Credit: EPA)
The Somali ministry of information says Al Shabab fighters stormed a military base this morning, killing a base commander among others. Al Shabab claims it killed many more. We'll hear what happened.Also, a hearing to determine if a class action against the mining giant Anglo-American for allegedly poisoning thousands of Zambians at a lead mine can go ahead.Plus, encouraging youngsters to read in Sierra Leone.And our resident presidents on Ethiopia's peace process.Those stories in this podcast presented by Audrey Brown.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, says it's slashing 12,000 jobs. The company blames what it calls a changing "economic reality" after two years of "dramatic growth". On Thursday, Microsoft said it would reduce staff numbers by 10,000. We will find out what's happening in the tech industry and why it is becoming so brutal for professionals.(Picture: Bike Rack at Google Headquarters, Mountainview, Ca. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Kyiv's allies are meeting at a US airbase to hash out further military support. Also: A court in Romania extends police detention for the influencer, Andrew Tate, and his brother, and a giant toad weighing more than two and a half kilos has been found in a north Australian rainforest.
President Zelensky has called on countries to provide Ukraine with tanks as a matter of urgency, at a meeting of more than fifty allies at a US airbase in Germany. We'll hear from a senior advisor to the Polish president about sending German-made Leopard tanks to Kyiv. Also on the programme, we hear from the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, about women's rights in Afghanistan; and how a rare new colony of emperor penguins has been spotted in Antarctica.(Photo: Leopard tanks manufactured by Germany; Credit: REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa/File Photo)
It's becoming more and more dangerous to speak Belarusian in Belarus, with reports of people being sacked and even arrested for trying to conduct their work in Belarusian. The linguistic clampdown escalated after the 2020 pro-democracy protests against long-term leader Alexander Lukashenko, as BBC Russian journalist, and Belarusian, Tatsiana Yanutsevich reports. Sri Lanka's education crisis In Sri Lanka many parents are having to decide which children to send to school. It’s a consequence of the political and economic crisis and the dramatic rise in the cost of basics like food and transport. Delhi-based BBC Sinhala editor Ishara Danasekara returned to her home country to make this report.Impeachment, protests and deaths: what is happening in Peru?The impeachment and arrest of Peru's former president Pedro Castillo brought thousands onto the streets, demanding new elections and the removal of his successor, Dina Boluarte. Violent clashes with the security forces have left dozens dead and scores injured. BBC Mundo’s Guillermo Olmo explains the background, and why Peru is so deeply divided.South Korea and Ghana – the chocolate connection For chocolate lovers in South Korea, the most familiar brand is probably Ghana. “Ghana” is written prominently on the wrapper but how much do South Koreans know about the country it’s named after? We brought together Bugyeong Jung from BBC Korean and BBC Africa’s Thomas Naadi, who’s Ghanaian to find out.(Photo: 'Belarus is not Russia' placard and woman wrapped in old Belarus flag, at Kyiv rally in solidarity with Belarusian anti-government protest, September 2022. Credit: STR/ NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In 2009, hundreds of teenagers’ lives were changed forever, when a vaccine designed to protect them against swine flu appeared to trigger a sleep disorder. It affected people in various countries including Sweden.Maddy Savage speaks to Christopher Tyvi from Stockholm, who is one of those who experienced problems. A Bespoken Media production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Swine flu vaccine. Credit: Getty Images)
More people now buy physical music on vinyl than any other format. You might think of it as old fashioned, especially with the dominance of streaming services, but in the last 12 months, artists like Beyonce, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift have all had major releases on vinyl records.So how is the vinyl pressing industry coping with the increased demand?David Harper visits one of the biggest vinyl record pressing plants in the world, GZ Media, which is based in the Czech Republic. Company CEO Michal Štěrba tells David that the business model is very different to when he started. He says demand started to grow in around 2003 when some other factories closed, but it hasn't stopped growing.David speaks to a Japanese record store about why younger people seem to be buying so much vinyl. And we hear from Kenyan film maker and musician Maia Lekow’. She records on vinyl but can't find anywhere in Kenya to press the vinyl itself - she's ended up doing it in Australia. Some smaller independent labels tell us they're struggling to get records pressed. Andy Black owns the Popty Ping Recording company in Wales and says there's now a delay and they need to plan a lot more in advance, which can be hard when bands want to release new music. Presenter: David HarperProducers: David Harper and Victoria Hastings(Image: Woman playing a record. Credit: Getty Images)
Brazilian President Lula must figure out whether another assault on government institutions is likely, and hold those responsible to account. All of that while he faces a mountain of economic, social and political challenges. How close is Brazil to being ungovernable? Stephen Sackur interviews Celso Amorim, formerly Brazil's foreign minister, now President Lula’s foreign policy advisor.
The US Treasury says it's taking "extraordinary measures" after the federal government reached its borrowing limit of $31.4 trillion to pay its debts.Also in the programme, Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin is to be charged with involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a film set in 2021.And as Shakira and Miley Cyrus release songs to get back at their exes, we find out why we love revenge tracks so much.
The actor is being charged with involuntary manslaughter over a cinematographer's death on a film set. Also: scientists say light pollution has reduced the number of stars we can see, and bringing back to life General de Gaulle's BBC war time broadcast.
As the United States hits its debt limit, the Treasury Department begins emergency measures to prevent a default. We find out what this means for President Biden and the US economy.Thousands of Peruvians gather in the capital, Lima, for an anti-government rally following weeks of unrest that have left 44 people dead. We get the latest from the country as demonstrators demand for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and immediate elections. And as actor Alec Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter following the accidental fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a film set in 2021, we speak to a movie armourer trainer about safety on set.
Ukraine’s Western allies are divided ahead of talks on Friday over tank supplies to Kyiv; also in the programme Public Enemy’s frontman, the rapper Chuck D on Hip-Hop’s roots and a young Haitian man on the challenges of living Port au Prince. (Photo: Western defence ministers attend a press conference after the Ukraine military aid meeting in Tapa military camp, Estonia. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Climate researcher, Rose Abramoff took to the stage at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meetings, not as a guest speaker but in protest. Whilst her demonstration only lasted 15 seconds, she found her employment terminated from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and research stripped from the AGU programme. She was attempting to persuade other climate scientists to ‘get out of the lab and into the street’. Whilst Rose’s protest hit the headlines in the media, potentially less attention was paid to the session that was taking place at the conference, hosted by Mika Tosca, climate scientist-turn-artist, Associate Professor of Liberal Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ronald brings the two together to discuss the event and how climate scientists should approach activism. Although there is no one solution to the climate crisis, Roland loves a brainstorm on Science in Action. Climate activist Stuart Capstick, a Cardiff University psychologist specialising in public attitudes to environmental issues and environmental scientist Robert Young from Western Carolina University take the conversation one step further. Questioning how public perceptions of scientists change when they take evasive action and protest.And finally, we usually hear of seismology reports coming from dense, urban areas prone to earthquakes, delicately perched atop of tectonic plates. But this week, Roland speaks to Professor of Geophysics Zhongwen Zhan from the California Institute of Technology, who’s collecting data from a very unusual place... Presenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Harrison Lewis
In Senegal: the mayor of Ziguinchor is on trial for rape. Ousmane Sonkor says the charges were brought to stop him running for president next year.Also, Nigerian presidential contender Rabiu Kwakwanso explains why voters should choose him in elections next month.And Sierra Leone introduces a new law mandating quotas to allow women into public office and private positions.Those stories and more in this podcast presented by Audrey Brown
Former Cameroon player Patrick Suffo and agent Paulo Teixeira discuss the issue of age fraud in football. Plus, Pat Nevin gives his views on the latest decisions made by football's law makers IFAB. Presented by Mani Djazmi.Picture on website: A supporter of Cameroon holds the national flag. (Photo by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)
France is experiencing large-scale disruption, as unions mount a day of strikes and protest marches across the country against President Macron's plans to overhaul the pension system. We hear the arguments for and against the plans.Also on the programme, New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announces her resignation, saying she has run out of gas; and piecing together a complex 3D puzzle, we hear about the rebuilding of a six hundred year-old ship. (Photo: French union leaders at a demonstration against French government's pension reform plan in Paris; Credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
Thousands of French workers have walked out over the government's proposal to change the pension system. The strikes have crippled much of the rail network, and caused the cancellation of some flights. They've also hit schools and oil refineries. One of the major stand-off points is raising the age of retirement from 62 to 64.Meanwhile, the US, once again, is poised to run up against its debt limit today. That means the government is not allowed to borrow any more money - unless Congress agrees to suspend or change the cap. The cap currently stands at almost $31.4tn.And big figures come from British club football today. Manchester City has once again emerged as the highest-revenue-generating football club in the world. The club had revenues of around 790 million dollars last year - that's according to global accounting firm Deloitte, which composes an annual football rich-list each year.(Picture: Low Section Of Men Standing On Bicycle Rack In City. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
President Macron's plans raise retirement age from 62 to 64. Also: New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, steps down -- she says because of burnout, and researchers say investing more in carbon capture and storage technologies is vital to limit global warming.
21 year old Tiger Woods won the US Masters in 1997 by dominating the tough golf course in Augusta. Despite turning professional only a few months before, he destroyed the competition, winning the tournament by 12 strokes. He was the first black man to win the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club, which had only allowed their first black member in 1990. This incredible win was the start of him becoming golf's most transcendent superstar. (Photo: Tiger Woods receives the Masters green jacket from 1996 Masters champion Nick Faldo after Woods won the 1997 Masters tournament 13 April 1997 at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Credit: Getty Images)
Between 1960 and 1966, France carried out 17 nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara. High levels of radioactivity, and a failure to safely dispose of nuclear waste, have left a dangerous legacy. Dan Hardoon speaks to Abdelkrim Touhami, who was just a teenager when the French authorities announced a nuclear test near his home. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Dummies at the nuclear testing site in the Algerian Sahara. Credit: Getty Images)
Over a million people in Spain are thought to have long Covid. In this episode of Business Daily Ashish Sharma finds out how the condition is affecting working lives and the wider economy. He also examines the long Covid research projects being undertaken in Spain and how they're funded.Long Covid patients Blanca Helga and Maria Angeles discuss their symptoms and the work they're lost since having the condition. Beatriz Fernandez, who herself has long Covid, tells Ashish about a long Covid platform and support group she runs and what she's learnt from it. Maria Jesus Arranz, a geneticist who runs the long Covid research programme at the University Hospital Mutua Terrassa tells us about her work and Carlos Esquivias, the head of Life & Pensions at the Spanish Association of Insurers, UNESPA, tells us how long Covid and Covid in general continues to impact the Spanish economy. Producer / presenter: Ashish SharmaImage: Blanca Helga; Credit: Blanca Helga
Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring has probably done more than any other to raise concerns about the damage that uncontrolled use of chemicals can cause to the natural world. Carson imagined a ‘silent spring’ in a world where birds no longer sang, killed off by indiscriminate spraying of pesticides. Her plea for caution when using insecticides led to major changes in government regulation of agrochemicals both in the United States and elsewhere.So who was Rachel Carson? How did this scientist with a passionate interest in marine biology turn first into a best-selling author and then into an environmental campaigner? And - six decades on - have the warnings of Silent Spring been heeded?Bridget Kendall is joined by Dr. Sabine Clarke, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at University of York with a particular interest in the history of synthetic insecticides; Michelle Ferrari, an award-winning film maker who directed a documentary about Rachel Carson's life for the American public broadcaster PBS; and Professor David Kinkela, an environmental historian and chair of the Department of History at Fredonia, State University of New York whose books include 'DDT and the American Century'. The reader is Ina Marie Smith.(Photo: Airplane dusting a field with DDT. Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)
In 2018 the town of Paradise in hills of northern California was wiped out by one of the worst wildfires in California's history. The disaster made headlines around the world - regarded as a symbol of the dangers posed by climate change. So what does the future hold for communities like Paradise in a region increasingly threatened by wildfire? Four years on, Alex Last traveled to Paradise to meet the survivors who are rebuilding their town.Photo: A home burns as the Camp fire tears through Paradise, California on November 8, 2018. (Josh Edelson /AFP via Getty Images)Reporter and producer: Alex Last Sound mix: Rod Farquar Series Editor: Penny Murphy Production coordinator: Iona Hammond
One of the world's biggest tech companies Microsoft joined a list of others who have announced plans to shed part of its total work force. It is also a tricky time for workers over 45 who no longer find it easy to get jobs.In France, a widespread disruption is expected today as nationwide strikes take place in response to the government’s planned major reform to France’s pension system.(Microsoft boss says layoffs were a response to macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities. Picture Credit: Getty Images.)
Who wrote the cook books on your kitchen shelves? For many celebrity chefs, a cook book, or several, is an obvious way to extend their brand. But if they don’t have the time or the skills to write one, they may hire a ghost writer or co-author to work with them. It’s not just writing, the work can involve project management, recipe testing, meeting deadlines and handling some big egos. Sometimes writers are credited on the cover of the book, sometimes in the introduction, sometimes not at all. In this programme Ruth Alexander meets two people who have worked as ghost writers on cookbooks. JJ Goode lives in New York in the United States; he’s credited on the cover of many celeb chef cookbooks, and recently won a prestigious James Beard award for the book he wrote with Gregory Gourdet, ‘Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health’. Signe Johansen is a Norwegian American trained chef and food writer living in London; she worked as a ghost writer on cookbooks early in her career before publishing her own, such as ‘Solo: The Joy of Cooking for One’. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: ghostly-looking open book. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
Tech giant Microsoft sent shockwaves down the spines of many with the announcement to cut 5% of its global workforce. This action will cost the business $1.2bn (£972bn) in severance and reorganisation costs. Could this be a reality check for the tech sector after the pandemic boom?
Haiti: a first-hand account of a young man killed in his prime by gang violence told by Dave Fils-Aime, who left Haiti for the US when he was young but returned.Also in the programme: Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that a key coalition partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot serve as a minister because of a recent criminal conviction; and why sauna diplomacy allows the Finns to punch above their weight.(Photo: Political activist James Legrand addresses the crowd during a protest against the high cost of living and for an end to gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti 18 November 2022. Credit: Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol)
In this week’s episode we hear from two women who talk about what life is like with endometriosis, an incredibly common but debilitating condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places in the body. Katherine from Ghana and Dee from Wales describe their long journeys to diagnosis and how the “invisible illness” affects every aspect of their lives, from mental health to work and relationships.We also hear from a researcher in the US who is studying the condition in minute detail in the hope that arming the scientific community with deeper knowledge will help lead to new treatments.Presenter Smitha Mundasad joins a singing group in London which aims to tackle post-natal depression among new mums. She hears how the project, which is rooted in research, is challenging them artistically and helping to reduce symptoms.Also joining us is Matt Fox, Professor of Epidemiology and Global Health at Boston University, who’ll discuss what progress is being made in the fight to eradicate rabies by 2030 and talk us through a study on the best music to fall asleep to… Zzz…Presenter: Smitha MundasadProducer: Gerry Holt
A BBC investigation has discovered that political parties in Nigeria are secretly paying social media influencers to spread disinformation about their opponents ahead of February’s general elections. The vice president of Equatorial Guinea orders the arrest of his brother over allegations he sold a plane owned by the state airline. And state officials, foreign diplomats, and scores of schoolchildren gather at Sierra Leone’s Civil War memorial to commemorate this day in 2002, when the war was official declared over.
The three main figures in Ukraine's interior ministry have been killed when their helicopter crashed into a nursery in an eastern suburb of the capital Kyiv.Ukraine's interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, died in the incident, along with his first deputy minister and state secretary. We'll speak to a member of Ukraine's parliament who knew and worked with the minister.Also in the programme: How the senior UN delegation in Afghanistan is trying to get the Taliban to reverse its ban on women working for humanitarian organisations; why Pacific Islanders are worried about Japan's plan to dump wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the ocean; and the unique way that Finland punches above it's weight on the world stage.(Photo shows Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky during an interview in Kyiv in June 2022. Credit: Sergei Supinsky/AFP)
Microsoft finalised their layoffs for this year cutting over 10,000 roles across its divisions. The tech giant says it has been forced to take these measures in the face of a slowing global economy. Big numbers out today - in the Eurozone – indicate that price rises are cooling. The European Central Bank says consumer inflation in the 20-nation eurozone was 9.2% last month compared to a year ago.Meanwhile, Japan is facing relatively high inflation, a falling yen and pressure on wages. In such a scenario - usually central banks try to hike interest rates but not the Bank of Japan. After two days of meetings - it decided to maintain its ultra-easy monetary policy.On day three of the World Economic Forum in Davos, business leaders are being urged to do more to ensure that talented disabled workers can make it to the top. Caroline Casey is a disability activist and founder of The Valuable 500 - a group of top companies who have signed up to do more to promote the inclusion of disabled workers in their business.(Picture: Cloud network desk. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Ukraine's interior minister is among the dead. The crash happened near a kindergarten in an eastern suburb of Kyiv. Also: The Philippines Nobel prize winner, Maria Ressa, is acquitted in a move hailed as a victory for press freedom, why seals have been attacking humans in South Africa, and international diplomacy in a sauna.
In 1990s Kosovo, a generation of Albanians received their education crammed into thousands of private homes. When Slobodan Milosevic’s Serb nationalist regime forcibly evicted them from schools and universities, Kosovan Albanians responded with improvised house schools in their apartments, attics and cellars. The spontaneous reaction to their ethnic exclusion quickly evolved into a nationwide education system that would endure for the best part of a decade. Linda Gusia, a pupil in the house schools, and university professor Drita Halimi speak to Jack Butcher. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service.(Photo: A Kosovan house school. Credit: Shyqeri Obërtinca.)
Billions of disposable nappies, or diapers, are produced every year and sales are booming. Most go to landfill, some pollute rivers and oceans and a baby can get through 4,000-6,000 nappies by the time they are potty trained.In this episode, new Dad and Business Daily presenter Rick Kelsey looks into whether the available alternatives to disposable nappies are as cheap or convenient for parents. We hear from with nappy innovators Jason and Kim Graham-Nye in Indonesia, who’ve been in the market for 20 years, about how the alternative industry has changed.The City of Brussels in Belgium is planning to introduce washable, and therefore reusable, nappies in all 40 of it's municipal daycare centres by 2026. Arnaud Pinxteren who’s leading the scheme tells us how it works. Meanwhile Larissa Copello, who works on the nappy issue for the campaign group Zero Waste Europe, tells us how schemes like the one in Brussels could be scaled up.Presenter / producer: Rick KelseyImage: Nappy change; Credit: Getty images
On today's programme, China sees a historic fall in birth rate with consequences for its economy and the world.The Bank of Japan will decide on its latest course of monetary policy, we discuss what it might mean.Rahul Tandon is joined throughout the programme by Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan and Isin Elicin, a freelance journalist based in Istanbul in Turkey. (Picture: A nurse takes care of a newborn baby in a maternity hospital in Fuyang in central China's Anhui province. Credit; Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur is in Geneva to speak to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the World Trade Organization. Her job is to maximise free and fair trade across the world. How is that possible in this age of big power tension and increased suspicion of globalisation?
Former Italian politician Pier Panzeri promises to tell investigators who else was involved. Also: aid agencies partially resume work in Afghanistan, the funeral of an LGBTQ activist in Kenya, and a BBC documentary brings fresh insight into the 2002 Gujarat riots.
China's National Bureau of Statistics says the country's population has fallen for the first time in 60 years as it enters what officials describe as an era of negative population growth.
A former commander in the Russian paramilitary group, Wagner, has claimed asylum in Norway. Andrey Medvedev was detained for illegally entering the country on Friday. A lawyer said Mr Medvedev fled after witnessing war crimes in Ukraine. His escape is believed to be the first known instance of one of the group's soldiers defecting to the West. Thousands of the organisations troops are being used in Ukraine; many have been recruited from Russian prisons. Also on the programme: how police arrested a mafia boss; and how laser beams can deflect lightning.(Photo: Andrei Medvedev, a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, is seen in Oslo, Norway, in an image taken from video released January 15, 2023. CREDIT: Gulagu.Net/Handout via REUTERS)
After a senior Somali military commander and several other soldiers are killed in an al-Shabab attack on a base north of Mogadishu, we get a response from the government.Plus, the Sierra Leonean activist Alimatu Dimonekene, who has received an MBE from the UK’s King Charles for her campaign to eradicate female genital mutilation.And we’re in Tanzania for a special panel discussion on climate change, at the launch of the 2023 BBC News Komla Dumor Award.
The Chinese economy expanded by 3% in 2022 - missing the official target of "around 5.5%" and a sharp drop from the 8.4% growth of 2021. If you leave aside 2020 - when the economy was hit by the worst effects of Covid - this was the lowest growth figure in nearly half a century.(Picture: Financial stock exchange market display screen board on the street. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
One of Belarus's main opposition leaders, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, has denounced as a "farce" a trial against her and four other exiled allies that's taking place in her homeland.The five are being tried in absentia, accused of conspiracy to seize power and forming an extremist organisation.We have an interview with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Also in the programme: Two decades from one of India's worst incidents of communal violence; we hear how one family still don't have justice; and China's population has fallen for the first time since 1961.(Photo shows Sventlana Tikhanovskaya speaking at the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, 17 January 2023. Credit: Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA)
China's population falls for the first time in 60 years. Also Belarussian opposition leader on trial and counting walruses.
"You didn't eat all the chocolate, did you?" Learn how to use 'did you' - a question tag.
In 2013, horse meat was discovered in Irish beef burgers. The scandal snowballed and within six weeks horse meat was found in beef products in more than a dozen European countries. The story revealed how complex and unregulated Europe’s meat industry was, making it a target for fraudsters. Ben Henderson speaks to Alan Reilly, former Chief Executive of the Irish Food Safety Authority, who uncovered the scandal.(Photo: Meat inspection in a French supermarket. Credit: Sebastien Bozon via Getty Images)
主持人菲菲想给大家分享一个好消息，但 Rob 抢先一步，先宣布了他的好消息。Rob 抢了菲菲的风头，所以菲菲用了表达 “steal someone's thunder” 来描述 Rob 的行为。听他们的对话，学习如何使用这个地道表达。
We discuss chips and tariffs as well, and ask whether China will overtake the US economically in the next 50 years.Rahul Tandon talks to Stephen Roach, former Chief Economist at Morgan Stanley, Dr Henry Huiyao Wang is Founder and President of the Centre for China and Globalisation in Beijing and Lulu Chen, Bloomberg's Asia Investing Team Leader in Hong Kong. (Picture: Flags of China and the USA. Isolated on a white background. Credit; Getty Images)
Celebrations have continued across Sicily at the news of the capture of Matteo Messina Denaro. Also: Could Nasa technology help reduce the risks of older people falling over? And the Australian woman who's just run the entire length of her country - a marathon every day for a hundred and fifty days.
Italy's most-wanted Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro has been arrested in Sicily, ending a 30-year search. The Mafia boss who was tried and sentenced to life in jail in absentia in 2002 over numerous murders also oversaw racketeering, illegal waste dumping, money-laundering and drug-trafficking for the powerful Cosa Nostra organised crime syndicate.
We follow the story of eugenics from its origins in the middle-class salons of Victorian Britain, through the Fitter Family competitions and sterilisation laws of Gilded Age USA, to the full genocidal horrors of Nazi Germany.Eugenics is born in Victorian Britain, christened by the eccentric gentleman-scientist Sir Francis Galton. It’s a movement to breed better humans, fusing new biological ideas with the politics of empire, and the inflexible snobbery of the middle-classes.The movement swiftly gains momentum - taken up by scientists, social reformers, and even novelists as a moral and political quest to address urgent social problems. By encouraging the right people to have babies, eugenicists believed we could breed ourselves to a brighter future; a future free from disease, disability, crime, even poverty. What, its proponents wondered, could be more noble?The story culminates in the First International Eugenics Congress of 1912, where a delegation of eminent public figures from around the world gather in South Kensington to advocate and develop the science – and ideology – of better breeding. Among them Winston Churchill, Arthur Balfour, the Dean of St Pauls, Charles Darwin's son, American professors and the ambassadors from Norway, Greece, and France: a global crusade in motion.But amidst the sweeping utopian rhetoric, the darker implications of eugenic ideas emerge: what of those deemed 'unfit'? What should happen to them?Contributors: Professor Joe Cain, Daniel Maier, Professor Philippa Levine, Professor Angelique RichardsonFeaturing the voices of David Hounslow, Joanna Monro and Hughie O'Donnell
Former Nigerian president and African Union envoy, Olusegun Obasanjo, has been quoted as saying that as many as 600,000 people may have been killed in Ethiopia's brutal two-year long civil war in the Tigray region. The Chief Commissioner of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission tells us establishing a precise figure is difficult. UN officials describe a deadly bomb attack on a Pentecostal church in a town in eastern D R Congo as "cowardly and despicable". And musician Seun Kuti tells us about being inspired by, and extending the legacy of his father, Fela.
Italy's most wanted Mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro, has been arrested in Sicily after thirty years on the run. Over a hundred members of the security forces took part in his arrest at a private clinic in the city of Palermo. Messina Denaro has been sentenced in absentia to life in prison for his role in the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992. Also in the programme: German Defence Minister resigns; and Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida passes away. (Photo: A screengrab taken from a video shows Matteo Messina Denaro the country's most wanted mafia boss being escorted out of a Carabinieri police station after he was arrested in Palermo, Italy. CREDIT: Carabinieri/Handout via REUTERS.)
This week sees China release its growth figures - and there'll be an important meeting between the US treasury secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. Over the last few years there's been an increase in rhetoric from the two, but in the current global economic situation, US and China need cooperation instead of confrontation.(Picture: Flag of USA and China on a processor, CPU or GPU microchip on a motherboard. US companies have become the latest collateral damage in US - China tech war. US limits, restricts AI chips sales to China. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Matteo Messina Denaro is captured after 30 years on the run. More than 100 members of the armed forces were involved in his arrest. Also: a British Police officer admits to multiple rapes and sexual assaults over the course of almost two decades, and conservation organisations are seeking volunteers to become 'walrus detectives'.
On 15 January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River in New York, after geese struck both its engines shortly after take off.All 155 people on board survived.Rachel Naylor speaks to Dave Sanderson, the last passenger to be rescued.(Photo: Passengers and crew aboard US Airways Flight 1549 await rescue. Credit: AP)
Zeinab Badawi is in Sri Lanka to talk to one of the country’s most influential artists and archaeologists Jagath Weerasinghe. What does his art tell us about Sri Lanka’s bloody and difficult past and its prospects for a more peaceful future?
At 12.4%, India has the highest percentage of female pilots in the world. In this episode of Business Daily Olivia Wilson speaks to female pilots and industry experts to find out why India is leading the way and why other countries are so far behind. We hear about the achievements of Indian commercial airline pilots, Captain Hana Mohsin Khan and Captain Zoya Agarwal, who became the youngest female pilot to fly a Boeing 777 in 2013 and landed a record-breaking flight over the North Pole on the world's longest air route in 2021. Michele Halleran, a trained pilot and professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the US explains the financial and cultural barriers that are in play. Kara Hatzai, the Vice President at the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, who provide financial support for women training as pilots, tells us how a scholarship kickstarted her career in the male dominated industry. Presenter / producer: Olivia WilsonImage: Zoya Agarwal; Credit: Zoya Agarwal
The new president of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development, Alvaro Lario tells us why the pandemic, war in Ukraine and climate change have created a perfect storm for global food security and what can be done about that. In this episode the BBC’s Frey Lindsay hears from people around the world who are dealing with the food crisis. Alvaro Lario explains how food shortages often begin with smallholder farmers. The failure of their crops and livestock means farmers are often left struggling to feed themselves and this then affects entire communities. Lario also discusses his vision for how private finance and multilateral institutions can team up and to avert the worst in the coming 12 months.Producer / presenter: Frey LindsayImage: Farming fields; Credit: Getty Images
Headache, nausea and sensitivity to light are all common symptoms of migraine. According to the BBC, one in five women suffer from migraines. Studies also show that between two to three times as many women endure them as men – a ratio that fluctuates depending on stage of life. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women whose lives have been shaped by migraines.Sarah Shaw from New Jersey, USA, has lived with chronic migraine for 10 years. After years of searching, Sarah finally had a breakthrough with treatment last year – when she found a Black neurologist. Sarah journey with migraine led her to a job in patient advocacy for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) patients, with the non-profit patient advocacy organization, the Global Healthy Living Foundation.Lise R Øie is a Norwegian neurologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the Norwegian Headache Research Centre (NorHEAD). Lise conducts clinical research on migraine treatment, and is currently looking into a blood pressure preventative treatment for migraines.(Image: (L) Sarah Shaw, courtesy Sarah Shaw. (R) Lise R Øie, courtesy Lise R Øie.)
Debra Lampshire started hearing voices aged five. Comforting at first, they soon took control.The voices became so visceral and intense that Debra had to spend 18 years in a psychiatric hospital. Then, a chance friendship with a car mechanic gave her the tools to restore her life, but she’d have to learn to coexist with the voices that once tormented her.If you need support relating to any of the issues we've covered in this interview, you can find more information on the BBC Action line website or at Befrienders.orgPresenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Louise Morris
The Yeti Airlines flight came down near the town of Pokhara on Sunday morning. Also: a bomb attack on worshippers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes ahead with controversial reforms, and Jordan’s plans to increase tourism.
In the Ukrainian city of Dnipro hopes are dwindling of finding survivors following a Russian missile strike on a block of flats. Thirty people have been killed, and another thirty are still unaccounted for. We speak to a nearby resident about the events.Also on the programme: Israel's President says the country is hurtling towards a constitutional crisis; and why are atmospheric rivers dumping rain on California? (Photo: Emergency personnel work at the site where an apartment block was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
Flood warnings in parts of California have seen some of the state’s best known celebrities flee their homes. The current weather conditions are in part the result of ‘Atmospheric rivers’ – literally fast flowing rivers of water vapor in the atmosphere. Marty Ralph from the Scripps Institute has been studying this phenomenon for years, he explains what atmospheric rivers are, and tells us how a greater understanding of the phenomenon is now informing weather forecasting and evacuation plans.Over the past year several million people have fled Ukraine, amongst them many scientists. Nataliya Shulga from the Ukraine Science Club is working on a wide ranging initiative to attract them back. She tells us of plans not just to reconstruct Ukrainian science facilities after the war, but to offer a philosophical change which breaks with the Soviet past - a more global, collaborative environment for scientists returning to the Ukraine.Last December the Afghan Taliban banned women from attending university, its just one of the many moves denying education to women since the Taliban returned to power. Particle physicist Kate Shaw had been working with Afghan physicists in the years before the Taliban’s comeback, she is now developing an initiative with scientists and institutions around the world to offer places to Afghan women keen to study physics. She says institutions and individuals who may be able to help should contact Physics without Frontiers at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics.And Gibbons sing with synchronicity, a new study led by Teresa Raimondi, from the University of Turin shows the ability of couples to chorus together to be rather human like.When CrowdScience listener Eric spotted a few gnats flying around on a milder day in mid-winter it really surprised him - Eric had assumed they just died out with the colder weather. It got him wondering where the insects had come from, how they had survived the previous cold snap and what the implications of climate change might be for insect over-wintering behaviour? So he asked CrowdScience to do some bug investigation.CrowdScience presenter Marnie Chesterton takes up the challenge and heads out into the British countryside – currently teeming with buzzes and eight legged tiny beasties - to learn about the quite amazing array of tactics these small creatures use to survive the arduous days of cold.She hears how some insects change their chemical structure to enhance their frost resistance whist others hanker down in warmer microclimates or rely on their community and food stocks to keep them warm.But cold isn’t the only climatic change insects have to endure, in the tropics the seasons tend to fluctuate more around wet and dry so what happens then? Marnie talks with a Kenyan aquatic insect expert who describes how mosquitoes utilise the rains and shares his worry climate change could have a big impact on insect populations.Image Credit: Josh EdelsonPresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Julian Siddle
Dozens of people have been killed after a plane with 72 passengers crashed near an airport in the Nepali tourist town of Pokhara. At least 68 people are confirmed to have died, officials said.Also in the programme: The number of civilians killed in Saturday's Russian air strike on an apartment block in the central Ukrainiain city of Dnipro continues to rise; and Shakira has released a new break-up song 'Out of Your League' targeting the singer's ex, the Spanish footballer Gerard Pique and his relationship with a much younger woman.(Photo: The wreckage at the crash site of a Yeti Airlines ATR72 aircraft in Pokhara, central Nepal, 15 January 2023. Credit: BIJAYA NEUPANE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Several Ukrainian cities were struck including Dnipro, where an apartment block was hit. Also: more classified material found at Biden's home, and Ray Cordeiro -- the world's longest working disc jockey -- dies aged 98.
The UK is offering what is thought to be about a dozen Challenger Two tanks to Ukraine. This will be the first time western tanks have been sent, potentially paving the way for other countries to follow suit. Also on the programme: the former head of security in Brasilia, Anderson Torres, has been arrested on his return from the United States and charged with collusion in the storming of Congress; and we look at the results of the first round of the Czech elections.(Photo: A Challenger 2 tank being used during a military parade in the UK Credit: Getty images)
A British Iranian national, Alireza Akbari, who once served as deputy defence minister has been executed in Iran on charges of spying for Britain. Britain's prime minister Rishi Sunak has described his execution as a callous and cowardly act by a barbaric regime.Also in the programme: The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, says she has no intention of resigning despite weeks of anti-government protests which have brought large parts of the country to a standstill; and the man acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the world's most durable DJ", ‘Uncle Ray’ Cordeiro has died aged ninety eight.Photo: Alireza Akbari, Iran's former deputy defence minister, speaks during an interview with Khabaronline in Tehran, Iran, in this undated picture obtained on January 12, 2023. Khabaronline/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Max Pearson presents a compilation of this week's Witness History programmes from the BBC World Service.You'll hear the story of how a marine biologist made a shocking discovery finding small bits of plastics floating thousands of miles of the east coast of America. Then, marine biologist Christine Figgener talks about the history of oceans.Also, the world's first transatlantic concert, a dispute over sea cucumbers in the Galapagos Islands, the world's first tidal power station and the first woman to win a Olympic windsurfing gold medal.(Photo: Plastic in ocean. Credit: Getty Images)Contributors:Edward Carpenter - Marine biologist John Liffen - Curator emeritus at the Science Museum in London Marcos Escaraby - Fisherman in the Galapagos IslandsAlan Tye - ConservationistMarc Bonnel - Brittany historianBabara Kendall - Windsurfing champion
What does it mean to be a citizen? Is it about belonging, or about convenience? Katy Long examines two trends which offer stark alternatives: countries which remove citizenship (or want to), and those which sell it. Sharing stories from Belarus, the Dominican Republic, Malta and Kuwait reveals how very differently different countries think about these questions, about identity, and about the powerful forces shaping our world and our lives, forces over which few of us have any power.
Sweden's Lucy Wildheart tells us about the difficult choice she had to make as to which of her to loves, boxing and ballet, she should pursue professionally. Lucy tells us about her journey from giving up school aged 14 to finding ballet which she credits with changing her life having suffered from eating disorders and issues around body image. She also explains how she transitioned from the dance hall to the boxing ring and how her dance background helps give her an advantage over opponents.Photo: Lucy in action in the ring. Credit: Phillip Sharkey/Richard Maynard/Strike Sports Management
An ambitious 12-part radio drama version of the 1970s novel The Dark Is Rising was broadcast across Christmas and New Year, with each episode corresponding to the ‘real time’ of the novel’s unfolding. We speak to the series’ producer and commissioner to reveal how the spooky drama was made and the challenges they faced for the adaptation. What did listeners think of the radio drama?Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for BBC World Service
When it came to tackling Covid, China has been among the strictest on the planet. There have been almost three years of travel restrictions, testing and lockdowns. Host James Reynolds also chats with Yanni, Lex and David, who discuss what it has been like to live under China’s ‘zero Covid’ policy and how they have all recently had the disease, following a nationwide surge in cases. We also get a perspective on what’s been happening in China from two foreigners living in the county: Jonathan, a Canadian, and Lee, a South African, who tells us that she has felt unable to leave Beijing for the past three years.
US institutions appear to perform - but is it enough to get them through a recession? We hear about a 'new direction' for Saudi Arabia's ruling regime, in the form of entertainment investment. Also, detectorists are causing headaches for the Dutch police in a new hunt for buried Nazi gold.(Picture: US dollars at a bank. Credit: Getty Images.)
The Trump Organization was found guilty of fraud and falsifying business records. Also: Russia claims victory in battle for Soledar, and why does chocolate feel so good to eat?
US banks unveil their earnings and reveal some nervousness about what the future holdsWhat must it be like to live through a year which has seen inflation rise by nearly 95% - we hear from Argentina, which has just experienced its highest rates in three decades.As Tesla make big cuts of up to 20% to the price of their electric cars – are we heading towards a price war in the EV market…And why a search for Nazi gold is causing havoc in the Netherlands….
For the first time, the Russian military admits to the Wagner Group's contribution to operations in Ukraine.Also in the programme: The United States and Japan celebrate a strengthening of their alliance; and Kurdish protestors in Stockholm threaten to derail relations between Sweden and Turkey.(Photo: Smoke rises from strikes on the frontline city of Soledar, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, as seen from Bakhmut, Ukraine, January 5, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
After more than two years of cracking down on China's technology giants, Beijing is now taking a different tack by buying shares in the companies and demanding a seat on the board. We look at what that means for the firms involved and online users in China.Apple CEO Tim Cook has had his pay almost cut in half to $49 million, after requesting it be cut. We find out if it's a trend other big bosses will follow.And we hear how France's bakers are coping with soaring production costs from higher energy and ingredient prices.
Oleksii Reznikov says he's confident the west will supply the heavy weapons needed to defeat Russia. Also: Kazakhstan has stripped the former president Nursultan Nazarbayev of his honorary status as head of the nation, and the man accused of killing Japan's former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has been charged with murder.
Ukrainian officials accused Russia of "information noise" in the fight for the salt mine town of Soledar. The defence minister, Oleksii Resnikov, said the country was now a de facto member of Nato and dismissed the idea that Ukrainians should fear Russian escalation.Also on the programme: covid spreads across China; and a special report on the people leading the biggest anti-mafia trial in Italy for decades. (Image: A satellite view shows a destroyed school and buildings in south Soledar, Ukraine, in January 2023. Credit: Maxar Technologies/Reuters)
Why are students in Kenya burning their boarding schools? That was the question that inspired BBC Africa reporter Ashley Lime in the Nairobi bureau to investigate these sometimes deadly arson attacks which escalated after the covid pandemic. She spoke to students, relatives of teenagers who died in the fires and experts to better understand this decades old problem. Russian 'Old New Year'After the 1917 Bolshevik revolution in Russia, the calendar and date of the official New Year changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian. But some people still choose to celebrate the 'Old New Year' which falls on the 14th January. Julia James of BBC Russian tells us how those Russians celebrate.Brazil: flags and nationalism The design of the Brazilian flag is supposed to represent the unity of the country, but in recent years the flag has become more associated with supporters of the previous president, Jair Bolsonaro. BBC Brasil's Ricardo Senra explains the polarisation of Brazil's flag. Where are pandemic Bali farmers now? Tourism is Bali's main industry so when covid struck many people lost their jobs and returned to their home villages. In Tembok in northern Bali a local scheme sponsored many to go into farming, so what's happened to those 'covid farmers' now tourism's resumed? BBC Indonesian's Valdya Baraputri found out. Afghan women fight for educationSince the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021 women's education has been dramatically curtailed. Secondary schools closed to women in March, and in December that ban was extended to university. Aalia Farzan is a journalist for BBC Dari who's been hearing about their experiences of protesting and imprisonment.(Photo: People attend the requiem mass for nine young girls who died in the Moi Girls School dormitory fire, in Nairobi on September 14, 2017. Credit: Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images)
The boss of Moderna, Stephane Bancel, tells us about how MRNA technology could transform the treatment of cancer. But will the personalised treatment plans it could create only be available in richer nations? Our global health correspondent, Naomi Grimley, provides analysis. Also this week we hear more from the exhibitors at the CES tech show. Analyst Paolo Pescatore tells us what he thinks the event says about the state of global tech. And the founder of Cameo, which took off in the pandemic, on how businesses that thrived in lockdown can survive in the very different world we find ourselves in in 2023.
Small businesses create nearly two-thirds of new jobs in the workforce and account for 44% of US economic activity. So what's the secret to their success? What challenges do they face and which are the best cities and regions for them to thrive? Samira Hussein visits the city of Nashville in Tennessee, which is a hotbed of new businesses and start ups - there are reportedly four out of every 1000 Nashville residents are CEOs.Samira meets James Davenport and Mike Hinds, co-founders of the Nashville Barrel company who launched their whiskey company in the city in February 2020. She goes to a business ‘mixer’ where CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Jane Allen, gives an overview of Nashville’s appeal. Tennessee has very low taxes which can encourage new business to the area - Bradley Jackson, president and CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry tells Samira how the approach works alongside other incentives.But what does this mean for the people living there? The state has one of the highest sales taxes in the country. That means everything you buy at the store costs more. Samira speaks to Dick Williams, board member of Tennesseans for Fair Taxation, who says this kind of tax scheme ends up hurting the most vulnerable people.Presented and produced by Samira Hussein Additional production: Rob Cave (Image: The lights on Broadway in Nashville. Credit: Getty Images)
What makes a great photograph? In 2019, Stephen Sackur spoke to one of the pioneers of photojournalism, Marilyn Stafford. She was born in the United States but moved to Paris in the 1950s, where she became the protégé of the French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. Like him, Stafford loved to capture intimate portraits of ordinary people. She photographed everything from refugees fleeing war to models on the fashion catwalks. Later in life, her work was discovered and admired by a new generation.This is another chance to listen to the interview with Marilyn Stafford after her recent death aged 97. The interview was updated on 13th January 2023.
New figures show that inflation in the US – the world’s largest economy – is on the way down. The latest figures showed a slight fall to 6.5%, down from 7.5% the previous month. But will it be enough to stave off further interest rate hikes? Also on the programme, how to love where you work: new figures show an interesting shift in employee satisfaction at some of the world's best-known firms.(Picture: A customer in a supermarket in New York City. Credit: Getty Images.)
It follows the discovery of classified material in the US president's home and an office. Also: The Brazilian president says the protesters who ransacked government buildings on Sunday had inside help from members of the security forces, and the hunt for a cat that's been missing in an airport in Bolivia for a month.
The head of one of the world's biggest oil companies has been named to lead the COP28 global climate talks in Dubai, later this year.Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is currently the chief executive officer of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and he is also the minister for industry and advanced technology for the COP28 hosts, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).We'll talk to those who support the UAE's decision, as well as climate change activists who are angered by it.Also in the programme: We'll hear about the harassment by the Iranian state faced by BBC Persian journalists; and how one Italian judge has saved dozens of children from being raised for a life in organized crime.(Photo shows United Arab Emirates' Industry Minister Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaking at a conference. Credit: Amr Alfiky/Reuters)
New figures show that inflation in the US – the world’s largest economy - is on the way down. The latest figures showed a slight fall to 6.5%, down from 7.5% the previous month. Rising prices have been the bugbear of the post-Covid global economy, with central banks moving to raise interest rates to try to deal with it, resulting in a struggle for those whose incomes are no longer enough to cover their food or energy costs.
Flood warnings in parts of California have seen some of the state’s best known celebrities flee their homes. The current weather conditions are in part the result of ‘Atmospheric rivers’ – literally fast flowing rivers of water vapor in the atmosphere. Marty Ralph from the Scripps Institute has been studying this phenomenon for years, he explains what atmospheric rivers are, and tells us how a greater understanding of the phenomenon is now informing weather forecasting and evacuation plans.Over the past year several million people have fled Ukraine, amongst them many scientists. Nataliya Shulga from the Ukraine Science Club is working on a wide ranging initiative to attract them back. She tells us of plans not just to reconstruct Ukrainian science facilities after the war, but to offer a philosophical change which breaks with the Soviet past - a more global, collaborative environment for scientists returning to the Ukraine. Last December the Afghan Taliban banned women from attending university, its just one of the many moves denying education to women since the Taliban returned to power. Particle physicist Kate Shaw had been working with Afghan physicists in the years before the Taliban’s comeback, she is now developing an initiative with scientists and institutions around the world to offer places to Afghan women keen to study physics. She says institutions and individuals who may be able to help should contact Physics without Frontiers at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics. And Gibbons sing with synchronicity, a new study led by Teresa Raimondi, from the University of Turin shows the ability of couples to chorus together to be rather human like.Image Credit: Josh EdelsonPresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Julian Siddle
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has urged thousands of people gathered in the capital city’s main stadium to fight al-Shabab. The rally has been called the Mogadishu People's Uprising and was aimed at demonstrating support for the civilians fighting against the militant group. A Nigerian court has quashed the regulation which banned unmarried police officers from getting pregnant. We hear from a representative of the female officer who brought the case. And the Egyptian pound reaches its lowest against the US dollar. How are people coping as prices start to rise?
We pay tribute to the former Italy, Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea player Gianluca Vialli who sadly died last week. Plus, we meet Palestinian refugee Heba Saadia who's been selected as one of the Assistant Referees at this year's Women's World Cup. She grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus but since the Syrian civil war started, has moved around the world with her family. No Palestinian has ever reached this level in football before.Picture on website: Gianluca Vialli greets supporters after Italy won Euro 2020 at Wembley Stadium. (Photo by LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
US inflation was 6.5% over the 12 months to the end of December, down from a month previous, easing cost-of-living pressures. Falls to energy prices, in particular petrol, contributed to the smallest increase in more than a year. We speak to consumers and economist about how it's being felt on the ground. We find out about the boardroom battle taking over Disney, as activist investor Nelson Peltz tries to force his way onto the company's board. And a report estimates that global natural disasters cost $270 billion in 2022. One of the report's authors tells us what we can expect in the future.
Climate change campaigners express outrage at Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber's appointment. Also: a French huntsman who killed a man he mistook for a wild boar avoids prison, and we look back at the life of the influential British guitarist Jeff Beck.
Environmental campaigners have criticised the UAE's decision to appoint the CEO of one of the world's biggest oil companies as president of this year's UN climate summit in Dubai. They say that Sultan Al Jaber must resign from the firm to avoid a conflict of interest. Also in the programme: The IMF is warning of a looming debt crisis that could see many low-income countries at risk of default, and tens of millions facing extreme hunger; and the Italian judge helping children escape organised crime families.(Photo: Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Credit: Getty Images)
Top New Zealand windsurfer Barbara Kendall was run over by a power boat at Christmas 1991 and told she should not sail again. She refused to believe the doctors and became the first woman to win a gold medal in windsurfing at the Olympics.Barbara has been speaking to Laura Jones.(Photo: Barbara with her gold medal on the podium at the Barcelona Olympics. Credit: Barbara Kendall)
China has this week reopened its borders for the first time in nearly three years. There have been scenes of joy and relief for many Chinese citizens after years of isolation. Ed Butler asks whether this is a turning point, as some are describing. What are the longer term economic threats for the so-called engine of global growth? And how does that impact the rest of the world?Ed speaks to two young Chinese professionals - one in Beijing and one in Shanghai, who are feeling a mixture of relief and concern about the current situation.George Magnus is a research associate at Oxford University’s China Centre - he tells Ed that the current Covid infection wave could spread right across the country, to smaller cities and rural areas.It's difficult to get the true economic picture of what's happening in China, but Shehzad Qazi, managing director of the China Beige Book, the biggest private data collection network on China, says growth turned negative last year, with demand crashing and factories forced to close down.Presenter/producer: Ed Butler(Photo: A woman at an airport in China after restrictions were lifted. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Southern Italy is home to some of Europe's most powerful criminal organisations; the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra in Naples and the Ndrangheta based in Calabria. For many, crime is a family business. So a judge in Sicily has come up with a radical plan to prevent young people becoming the next generation of mobsters. He’s been taking children away from Mafia families. This controversial policy is now being considered by other countries around the world. Daniel Gordon travels to Sicily to meet those involved in the programme and find out whether it actually works. Photo: A 17 year-old girl, Letizia, supported by her uncle, addresses an anti-mafia meeting in the Sicilian town of Messina. Her mother is missing and is believed to have been killed by local gangsters. (Rocco Papandrea, Gazzetta del Sud.) Reporter: Daniel Gordon Producer: Alex Last Series Editor: Penny Murphy Sound engineer: Graham Puddifoot Production coordinator: Iona Hammond
Last week Japan's prime minister called on firms to put up wages to help people struggling with rising prices. It comes as salaries in the country remain flat even as inflation is going up at its fastest rate in decades. In response, the Japanese clothes retailer, Uniqlo, has announced it will give its employees a huge pay rise.Meanwhile, a lawyer for the failed cryptocurrency firm, FTX, says his team has salvaged more than five billion dollars in assets following the company’s spectacular collapse in November. Andrew Dietderich told a US bankruptcy court (in Delaware) that efforts to sell other assets with a book value of more than four billion dollars were in hand -- but warned the final hit to nine million investors remained unclear.(Picture: Businessmen meeting and working in a big city. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Ukraine disputes new claim by Russian mercenary group, Wagner, that the town has been captured. Also: Police are on high alert in Brazil as protests are held by supporters of the former president, Jair Bolsonaro, and the seal that's eating its way through all the fish in an English lake.
Why do we divide our lives into 7-day chunks? Unlike the day, month or year, there’s no natural reason for this cycle, but nevertheless the week is now deeply ingrained in us and has proven very resistant to change. We explore the pagan, religious and early scientific roots of this man-made rhythm, the ideological battles fought over it, and the reason why the number seven came out on top. Our expert guests explain where the names of our days come from, why the weekend was born, and how the week has come to dominate our economic and social lives. There have, however, been several radical attempts to rip up the 7-day week – we hear about these alternatives and why they ultimately failed.Rajan Datar is joined by Eviatar Zerubavel, distinguished professor of sociology emeritus at Rutgers University, New Jersey, and author of ‘The Seven-Day Circle: The History and Meaning of the Week’; Ilaria Bultrighini, honorary research fellow in ancient history at University College London; and David Henkin, professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of ‘The Week: A History of the Unnatural Rhythms That Made Us Who We Are’. Producer: Simon Tulett(Picture: A signpost with the seven days of the week on the directional arrows against a bright blue cloudy sky. Credit: Getty Images)
Opera is viewed as something of an endurance sport in the musical world. Hours spent on stage, in costume, doing a very physical job far away from home comforts can take its toll on the body if it’s not adequately fuelled. As Ruth Alexander discovers in this programme, diet is of paramount importance to a professional singer. Sopranos Rachel Nicholls and Lucy Schaufer, and Fred Plotkin - opera and food writer and friend of Luciano Pavarotti – share the secrets of the relationship between singing and sustenance, and what foods can help achieve a star performance. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Pavarotti eating from a spoon. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
In this week’s episode of Health Check, we meet the Poulin family who live in Thailand. They tell us about their long quest to have their little girl Rylae-Ann diagnosed with an incredibly rare disease. And that’s just the beginning of the story.Rylae-Ann was fortunate enough to have gene therapy on a clinical trial in Taiwan – and it has transformed her life – but it’s not a treatment that’s available to everyone. Joining presenter Smitha Mundasad in the studio is family doctor Graham Easton, who’ll discuss why that’s the case – and what the risks are around this experimental treatment and the ethics of diagnosing rare conditions.We’ll also hear from a scientist in Vancouver on her fascinating research which has discovered a compound in a sea sponge that blocks Covid-19 in human cells in the lab.And we’ll have the latest on the virus in China, as concerns grow about its spread ahead of the Lunar New Year, and a rather unusual study about a very small trial in London involving scars being treated using transplanted hair.Presenter: Smitha MundasadProducer: Gerry Holt and Tess Davidson
Uganda has declared an end to an Ebola outbreak that killed more than 50 people. The announcement follows a 42-day period without any new confirmed cases. The wife of French journalist Olivier Dubois, abducted by al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists in Mali nearly two years ago, speaks about his ordeal and her efforts to try and secure his release. And we meet Cameroonian Professor Abdon Atangana who has been voted the world’s 2nd-best mathematician, by Stanford University.
Domestic flights across the US were grounded for several hours after the system that alerts pilots to potential hazards went down. We hear from those trying to travel, and find out what the repercussions will be.The Egyptian pound has plunged more than 13% against the US dollar, as the nation struggles with its worst foreign-currency squeeze in years. We find out what's behind it and how it's affecting business.And we find out what to expect from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's tour of the G7 countries.
Russia's defence ministry and the mercenary Wagner Group give competing versions of events. Also: Uganda says the Ebola epidemic that killed 56 people is over, and the workers in Japan getting a huge pay rise.
In September 1956, a telephone cable called TAT-1 was laid under the Atlantic Ocean, making high-quality transatlantic phone calls possible for the first time. Eight months later in May 1957, 1,000 people squeezed into St Pancras Town Hall in London for the world’s first transatlantic concert. The person performing, Paul Robeson, was a globally renowned singer, but he’d been banned from travelling outside the USA. So, he made use of the new transatlantic telephone line to perform to his fans in the UK. Ben Henderson speaks to John Liffen, who curated an exhibition on TAT-1 and the concert at the Science Museum in London.(Photo: Engineers build repeaters used in TAT-1. Credit: Russell Knight/BIPs via Getty Images)
听众 Jack 想知道动词 “avoid、avert、prevent” 和 “refrain” 之间的区别。其中，哪个词可以用来表示 “躲避某人”？哪个词可以表示 “阻止他人做某事”？哪个词有 “阻止自己做某事” 的意思？在本期节目中，主持人 Beth 和佳莹辨析这四个词的含义和用法。
Wood sales for heating have been growing across Europe, but as demand increases, people are facing rising prices and even reports of firewood theft. Business Daily presenter Rick Kelsey looks at how people are returning to wood burners to heat their homes, so they don't need to use as much gas this winter. We speak with Nic Snell, managing director of Certainly Wood, which bills itself as the biggest firewood supplier in the U.K. selling about 20,000 tons of wood a year, about sales and the type of people now burning the fuel. Erika Malkin, from the Stove Industry Alliance, tells us sales are now unprecedented and while prices have increased they have not risen anywhere near as much as other fuels. She estimates that heating the average home with wood is 13% cheaper than using gas. According to the Associated Press, demand for small firewood from state forests in Poland increased by 46 percent through to the end of August from a year earlier. To prevent theft in Germany, some forestry departments are experimenting with hiding GPS devices in logs. Nicole Fiegler, a spokesperson from the forestry department from North Rhine-Westphalia tells us how it works.A recent study by the Health Effects Institute, warned that the human cost of air pollution in Africa is among the highest on the planet. In sub-Saharan Africa, the death rate from air pollution is 155 deaths per 100,000 people, nearly double the global average of 85. Household air pollution - linked to use of solid fuels for cooking - is the largest risk factor for deaths there. Dr. KP Asante is a senior researcher on the Ghana Health Service, who’s data fed into the report, talks through solutions to use the fuel more efficiently.Producer / presenter: Rick KelseyImage: Fire; Credit: Getty Images
The global economy is "perilously close to falling into recession", according to the latest forecast from the World Bank, as the impacts of the Ukraine war and Covid pandemic continue to be felt across the world.In fact, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are already struggling to keep their heads above water. Leaders in politics and economics share their thoughts with us on the economic challenges facing those countries.Meanwhile Publisher Transworld has said Prince Harry’s memoir Spare has sold 400,000 copies in the UK across hardback, e-book and audio formats on its first day of publication. It means the very well-played promotional campaign around the book did work.(Picture: The World Bank logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The revelations follow new detailed analysis of satellite imagery by the Washington Post into the low official death rate. Also: Up to 100 Ukrainian soldiers will arrive in the US as early as next week to start training for the Patriot missile system, and the singing bus driver who has become an internet sensation.
Stephen Sackur speaks to the former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev, who quit his post and launched a scathing attack on the Putin regime after the invasion of Ukraine. Why haven’t more Moscow insiders followed his lead?
The global economy is "perilously close to falling into recession", according to the latest forecast from the World Bank, as the impacts of the Ukraine war and Covid pandemic continue to be felt across the world.In fact, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are already struggling to keep their heads above water. Leaders in politics and economics share their thoughts with us on the economic challenges facing those countries.Meanwhile in the US, more job cuts in the tech sector - the crypto exchange Coinbase is laying off 20 percent of its global workforce.(Picture: The World Bank logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Russian forces close in on Soledar, an American volunteer shares his story; Also in the programme we hear from the son of the imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai; and we speak to the Republican congressman, Bob Good, who refused to endorse Kevin McCarthy as the speaker for the House of Representative.(Photo: Family carries belongings from house destroyed by shelling in eastern Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
Nigeria’s electoral commission has warned that next month’s presidential election may be undermined by insecurity in the country. Malawi launches the first dictionary of Malawian Sign Language, we’ve been speaking to activists involved in the project. Plus, the lives of South African Muslims captured in an exhibition at the African Biennale of Photography in Bamako.
As fighting rages in the Ukrainian mining town of Soledar, we hear an incredible tale of survival under bombardment in Kyiv.Also in the programme: the role of Brazil's military, and Iran jails daughter of former president.(Photo: Olha, 60, resident of Soledar waits in a temporary sleeping accommodation before being transported to an evacuation train where she will get out in Dnipro, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kramatorsk. Credit: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)
Beijing suspends visas for some of its neighbours amid surging coronavirus infections. Also: heavy casualties in Ukraine as both sides resort to fierce trench warfare in the east, and it's finally here! Prince Harry's autobiography goes on sale.
Catherine and Neil talk about unusual food and give you rules to help you choose tenses.
There is growing scientific evidence that many animals are not only conscious, but possess a more profound sense of self. They can learn by experience and make decisions that depend on a sense of the future - in other words, they are “sentient” beings with the capacity to feel pain, pleasure and emotions. Sue Armstrong reports on the latest scientific research into the minds and consciousness of animals of all sorts, from chimpanzees to birds, bees and cuttlefish.
In 1953, a winter storm combined with high tides breached sea defences in the Netherlands, more than 1,800 people drowned.Ria Geluk, remembers the once-in-a-lifetime flood.In this programme first broadcast in 2011, Ria tells Trish Flanaghan what happened when water overwhelmed the farm she lived on.(Photo: A man walking a flooded street. Credit: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. )
Jack Ma is China's best-known entrepreneur, an English teacher who became a billionaire, after he founded the e-commerce giant Alibaba. However in June 2021, Chinese regulators halted the dual stock market debut of his digital payments company Ant Group - an affiliate of Alibaba - in Hong Kong and Shanghai, citing "major issues" over regulating the company. Mr Ma has been laying low ever since.In January 2023, it was announced that Mr Ma would give up control of the Chinese fintech giant.So who is Jack Ma? And what does the future hold now? In November 2022, Business Daily’s Rahul Tandon spoke to Brian Wong, a former Alibaba executive and special assistant to Jack Ma at Alibaba who has recently written a book about his time with the company.He talks about his relationship with Mr Ma, what he was like to work for, and what he thinks the future could hold. Producer and presenter: Rahul Tandon(Image: Jack Ma. Image credit: Getty Images)
Protest camps outside military barracks across the country are also being dismantled. Also: Western countries register strong protests with Iran for executing young people after anti-government protests, and why people in Ghana are angry with the American rapper Meek Mill.
Pakistan is hosting the event in Geneva on Monday with the United Nations as it seeks international assistance to cover around half of a total $16.3bn recovery bill. It has been a busy day for the economy as Pakistan has also asked the International Monetary Fund to temporarily ease its loan conditions to enable the country to recover from the costs of last year's floods. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, are having talks in Mexico City. One of the areas they will focus on is migration. And it’s been almost 4 months since Russian president Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilisation. According to Putin, 318,000 troops were mobilised including volunteers. That has had an impact on the wider economy and local business owners. (Picture: High angle portrait of cute girl standing on road,Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Officials say at least fifteen hundred Bolsonaro supporters have been arrested. We hear about the role of social media in the attack. Also on the programme, Pakistan says it's received pledges of more than nine billion dollars at an international conference seeking support for its recovery from last year's devastating floods. And the story of how American hip hop artist, Meek Mill, caused controversy in Ghana.(Picture: Brazil's Congress building in the aftermath of Sunday's attack. Credit: BBC)
Hiding in the shadows across the American continents lives a big cat with many names. From puma to mountain lion to panther to cougar, this animal is carnivorous, cunning and uses stealth to silently ambush its prey. Its elusiveness and brutal attacking style has earnt it the reputation of a cold-hearted killer. But behind this façade, hidden camera footage has revealed the cougar is all about caring for their family. And its silent whispering amongst the trees could actually be saving human lives. Adam Hart and guests uncover the mysteries of the ‘ghost of the forest’ and break its merciless stereotype. Dr Laura Prugh, associate Professor of Quantitative Wildlife Sciences at the University of Washington, and Dr Mark Elbroch, ecologist and director of the Panthera programme in Washington USA.
In Nigeria, 30 train passengers have been abducted in Edo state, with police hunting for the perpetrators. Insecurity is a huge problem in many parts of the country, and a key concern for voters ahead of next month's general elections.Plus, after a peace deal ended the civil war and as essential services begin to be restored, young Tigrayans say they're being blocked from flying to Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.And we have a special report from Namibia, where the government decriminalised baby abandonment three years ago, and now wants to relaunch the campaign.
On the day China reopens its borders after 3 years, we hear from those inside the country about what they hope the new freedoms will bring. We also find out what it means for countries looking to welcome Chinese tourists, as Covid cases surge in the country.We get the latest from the UN Conference in Geneva discussing raising funds for Pakistan to rebuild following the massive floods there.And with India's drone industry booming, we learn how the government there wants to transform the country into a global drone hub by 2030.
Thousands of demonstrators ransacked government buildings in the capital on Sunday. Also: Pakistan asks the international community for billions of dollars of support after last year’s devastating floods, and former employees of a Belarusian news website which covered mass protests against the President have gone on trial.
In Brazil, President Lula pledges to take action against supporters of the previous President, Jair Bolsanaro, who smashed their way into the Senate chamber, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court. Also in the programme: Pakistan asks the UN for more than $16bn to help rebuild the country after devastating floods last year and Nick Marsh reports from South Korea where stringent Covid restrictions are being placed on travellers from China. (Picture Credit: EPA Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brasilia, Brazil)
In 1971, marine biologist Edward Carpenter made a shocking discovery finding small bits of plastics floating thousands of miles of the east coast of America in the Atlantic Ocean. More than 50 years later he tells the story of how he had to fight hard to get the scientific world to take notice of his discovery. He also tells Alex Collins about when plastics in oceans went viral.(Photo: Turtle. Credit: Getty Images)
War and extreme poverty drive millions of people from their homes every year. Some of them try to reach the rich Western world, where such inward migration routinely prompts fear and draconian counter-measures. Stephen Sackur interviews Waheed Arian, who fled war in Afghanistan as a child, made it to the UK and is now a doctor running his own medical charity. Do perceptions change when the story of migration is personalised?
Victoriya Holland investigates how businesses in Russia are surviving, as tens of thousands of men of working age are called up by the government to fight in the illegal war against Ukraine.On the 21st September 2022, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, announced a partial mobilisation of 300 thousand reservists to fight in Ukraine. After this announcement thousands of young men fled abroad. We hear from business owners that have stayed in Russia and now face real difficulties in terms of staffing, and from those who have chosen to relocate their operations entirely. Presenter / producer: Victoriya HollandImage: Conscripted citizens in Russia; Credit: Getty Images
Divorces are often messy. In countries like Turkey and Egypt, they can also put women at risk of losing everything: their financial independence, the right to see their children, and their social status.İpek Bozkurt is a lawyer based in Istanbul. She focuses on cases of violence against women and works with a grassroot organisation called We Will Stop Femicide. Her story was featured in the documentary “Dying to Divorce”, which was the UK’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2022 Academy Awards. Nada Nashat is a human rights activist based in Cairo. She is the Advocacy Coordinator at the Center for Egyptian Women's Legal Assistance (CEWLA), an organisation supporting women who want to divorce their husbands. She’s also campaigning to make divorce legislation fairer. Produced by Lorna Treen(Image: (L) Nada Nashat, courtesy Nada Nashat. (R) İpek Bozkurt, courtesy İpek Bozkurt.)
Thousands of demonstrators broke into Brazil's Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace. Also: Kyiv denies Russia claim it killed hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers in an attack, and are you ready to pre-order your first flying car?
Pilot Firoz Khimji witnessed his country's wars from above. Then conflict came for him.For most of his life, Uganda had been unstable, but he'd been able to train as a commercial pilot despite the violence. When qualified, Firoz took a job with Ugandan Airways. This was the 1980s, and he had to routinely fly between territories controlled by different armed groups. War was ever-present, but Firoz would always emerge unscathed, until a routine flight went badly wrong. Presenter: Asya FouksProducer: Harry GrahamEditor: Munazza Khan
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or ‘Pele’ as he became known, is thought by most to have been the greatest footballer to grace this planet. He died on 29th December, aged 82.James Reynolds has been in Santos, Pele’s adopted hometown. He was among the crowds on the streets at the funeral procession, as they celebrated this sporting legend’s life.
Thousands of supporters of Brazil's recently defeated president, Jair Bolsonaro, have invaded the National Congress, Supreme Court and Presidential palace. Also in the programme: Rev Frank Chikane remembers the former South African apartheid minister, Adriaan Vlok, who tried to kill him but later repented; and tens of thousands of Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia celebrate Christmas in the historic town of Lalibela, the first time they've been able to do so in three years, because of the country's civil war.(Photo: A man waves Brazil's flag as supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, outside Brazil's National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, 8 January 2023. Credit: Reuters/Adriano Machado)
We’re taking a look back at the January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, which literally sent shockwaves around the world. One year on, and we’re still uncovering what made the volcano so powerful, as well as unpacking its long lasting impacts.Roland is joined by Professor Shane Cronin from the University of Auckland and Dr Marta Ribó from the Auckland University of Technology to share their findings from their latest trip to survey the volcano.The impacts of the eruption weren’t just felt on Earth – they also reached all the way to space. Physicist Claire Gasque from the University of California, Berkeley, has been analysing how the eruption affected space weather.Amongst all the material ejected by Hunga Tonga was a huge amount of water. The massive water vapour cloud is still present in our atmosphere, as Professor Simon Carn from the Michigan Technological University tells us.The volcano also triggered tsunamis worldwide. Disaster sociologist Dr Sara McBride from the US Geological Survey has been using video footage of the event to analyse how people responded and how we can better prepare for future eruptions.How do we stay up when we ride a bicycle? Lots of us can do it without even thinking about it, but probably very few of us can say exactly HOW we do it. Well, CrowdScience listener Arif and his children Maryam and Mohammed from India want to understand what’s going on in our heads when go for a cycle, and how we learn to do it in the first place.Presenter Marnie Chesterton is on the case, tracking down a neuroscientist studying how our brains and bodies work together to keep us balanced whether we’re walking or trying to ride a bicycle. She learns about the quirks of bicycle engineering from researchers in the Netherlands who are part of a lab entirely devoted to answering this question. In the process falling off of some unusual bicycles and uncovering the surprising truth that physics might not yet have a proper answer. And we peer deeper into our brains to find out why some memories last longer than others, whether some people can learn quicker than others and the best way to learn a new skill.Image Credit: Tonga Geological Services
International travellers have been arriving in China by land and by air after the country lifted its self-imposed isolation after more than 1000 days, when the Covid-19 pandemic was first detected. We ask are the restrictions being lifted too quickly?Also in the programme: Russia's self-declared ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Orthodox Christmas comes to end but we'll hear from a place where the attacks never stopped; and life as a drag queen in conservative South KoreaPhoto: A man greets a woman who landed with international flight on the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China Credit: Alex Plavevski/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Two men were executed in Iran for allegedly killing a security official during ongoing protests. Also: China suspends Weibo accounts of Covid policy critics, and how good was Roman concrete?
We report from the frontline city of Bakhrut; and a glimpse of Christmas for Ukrainian refugees in the UK. Also in the programme: the shooting of a primary school teacher by a six-year-old boy who took a loaded handgun to school; and the spy known as the 'Queen of Cuba' is released from prison in the US. (Photo: Believers attend an Orthodox Christmas service at the compound of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery in Ukraine. Credit: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
A Passage North explores the impact of the vicious Sri Lankan civil war between Tamil and Sinhalese which tore Sri Lanka apart for two and a half decades before a fragile ceasefire was finally reached in 2009. When Krishan learns that his grandmother’s former carer Rani has died he makes the long journey north to attend the funeral across a country still traumatised and scarred by its recent past.Written with precision and grace, A Passage North is a poignant memorial for the missing and the dead, and an unsettling meditation on what it means to have observed the war from afar rather than to have been personally caught up in its horrors.(Picture: Anuk Arudpragasam. Photo credit: Ruvin De Silva.)
Orlando Magic’s Mo Bamba is one of the most recognisable names in basketball, and not just because rapper Sheck Wes named his viral song after him. He was born in New York City to parents who emigrated to the United States from Ivory Coast, and grandparents from Mali. He joins Sportshour's Caroline Barker to discuss the importance of keeping in touch with your roots and developing basketball in the place he says feels like "home".It's FA Cup third round weekend and Wrexham are the third-lowest ranked side left in the competition. It's been a whirlwind couple of seasons for The Red Dragons which has seen them taken over by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Despite their newfound global fame, Wrexham have been a force to be reckoned with in the FA Cup for a long time. In 1992, they caused one of the greatest shocks in its history as they beat reigning league champions Arsenal. We hear from Mickey Thomas, who scored in that game 31 years ago.After the death of fellow runner Agnes Tirop, Kenya's half marathon world champion Mary Ngugi decided that enough was enough. She's taken it upon herself to try to create a safer environment for women and girls across the country. She tells us about setting up what is believed to be Kenya's first ever women's-only training camp.When 13-year-old Makar Marynoshenko left his home and his father in Ukraine because of the war with Russia, he also had to leave his football team Dynamo Kyiv, where he had ambitions of turning professional. After finding a new home in Omagh, Northern Ireland, he's keeping his dream alive. Plus, we pay tribute to American motorsport legend Ken Block and footballing icon Gianluca Vialli, who both passed away earlier this week.(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Max Pearson presents a compilation of this week's Witness History programmes from the BBC World Service.You'll hear the story of how a protest led by the punk band Pussy Riot in one of Moscow's main cathedrals led to a trial which made the news inside Russia and around the world.Then, historian Robert Service talks about other examples of rebellion, from the time of the Russian empire through to modern day. Also, the man Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet wanted dead, the most bizarre football match of all time and the African man who travelled across the world to live in the Arctic.(Photo: Pussy Riot. Credit: Getty Images)Contributors:Diana Burkot - member of Pussy RiotRobert Service - Professor of Russian History at the University of OxfordCarmen Castillo - wife of Miguel Enriquez who led resistance against Augusto PichochetPaul Lambert - former Scotland footballerAlan Matarasso - American plastic surgeonTété-Michel Kpomassie - Arctic explorer
With China easing its restrictions but facing surging Covid cases, we find out what the economy’s reopening mean for the country in 2023. We also hear how it will impact tourism in the region, with other countries looking forward to welcoming Chinese tourists.Elsewhere, one of the biggest technology shows in the world is underway in Las Vegas. Learn about what this year's biggest trends are.(Picture: A couple wearing face masks walk along a shopping district in Beijing, China, 06 January 2023. Credit: Photo by MARK R CRISTINO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Despite losing 13 rounds of voting, the Republican Kevin McCarthy says he will prevail when lawmakers reconvene. Also: Russian forces are accused of opening fire in Ukraine despite Vladimir Putin's proposed truce for Orthodox Christmas, and an old Nazi map sparks a treasure hunt in the Netherlands.
We get the latest from China as the world's second largest economy is rocked by rising Covid cases after the country's strict rules were eased. Business owners and economists tell us about the situation and what the year ahead looks like.We find out how the situation in China is affecting other nations in the region. and how the re-opening will boost tourism.And we get the latest from Las Vegas as one of the world's largest technology shows continues.(Picture: People walk past an alley amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China January 6, 2023 Credit: REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)
A unilateral ceasefire called by Russia has broken down within hours of coming into effect. Both the Ukrainian Defence Ministry and separatist forces say there's been shelling close to the frontline Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. President Putin ordered the thirty-six hour pause in fighting, to coincide with the Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated in both countries. Ukraine had already rejected the truce - arguing that it could be used by Russia to reinforce its troops. NewsHour speaks to a Russian officer that defected from the army. Also in the programme: Mexico arrests drug kingpin’s son; and Kevin McCarthy gains ground as US House Speaker stalemate continues. (Photo: Vlad from the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade drives an APC on the front line at Orthodox Christmas, during a ceasefire announced by Russia over the Orthodox Christmas period. CREDIT: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Government forces from the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland have withdrawn from a disputed town near the Somalia border, after several days of deadly violence. Police in Kenya say they are still trying to establish a motive for the killing of the young fashion designer and LGBT activist, Edwin Chiloba. We hear from an associate who knew him well. And why is the number of out-of-work doctors on the rise in Cameroon?
The cost of living crisis and in particular the high price of food - is a problem which many people are currently facing. On average, food cost 14% more last year than it did in 2021. Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to a surge in the price of many commodities, exacerbating increases during pandemic lockdowns.China this Sunday is opening its borders which gives many opportunities not only for the tourism industry but also renewed possibility for Chinese students to study abroad. And for people from the rest of the world to study in China.For people living and working in remote locations, the lack of phone and internet connectivity is a constant pain. Well, now companies have a plan to get rid of these so-called notspots entirely. A new generation of smartphones is expected to be able to use satellites to get a signal anywhere on Earth, allowing people to send text messages. A partnership between the satellite phone firm Iridium and the chip giant Qualcomm is due to bring satellite connectivity to new Android smartphones later in the year.(Picture: Man holding shopping basket with bread and milk groceries in supermarket. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Attacks continue from both sides in eastern Ukraine near the front line city of Bakhmut. Also: the impact of rising temperatures on the world's shrinking glaciers, and the former Italian football star Vialli dies aged 58.
For decades, Ukraine's super-rich oligarchs wielded enormous economic and political power. But in 2021, a new law was introduced to curb their influence, and the war with Russia has cost them billions in lost assets and revenue. Vitaly Shevchenko of BBC Monitoring tells us about the dramatic change in their fortunes.The endangered pink iguanas of the Galapagos Scientists have for the first time discovered a number of baby pink iguanas in the Galapagos Islands. The species is critically endangered with only a few hundred left, and previously only adult pink iguanas had been found. BBC Mundo’s Alejandra Martins tells us more about this discovery. Nigeria's drive to go cashless The Central Bank of Nigeria is implementing a controversial “cashless” policy next week, setting limits on the amount of cash Nigerians can withdraw from banks and ATMs. BBC Africa business reporter Nkechi Ogbonna tells us about the reasons behind the move, and how people are reacting.The new first lady of Brazil Rosângela da Silva, nicknamed Janja, became Brazil’s first lady last Sunday when her husband Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was inaugurated as president. They married last May, just a few months before Lula’s election victory. BBC Brasil’s Leticia Mori has been finding out more about Janja, and the couple's unusual courtship.Indian fables and fairy tales Our colleagues at BBC Indian languages have been sharing their favourite fairy tales and fables, with Siddhanath Ganu of BBC Marathi, Sarika Singh of BBC Hindi, Venkat Prasad G of BBC Telugu, Saranya Nagarajan of BBC Tamil, Brijal Shah of BBC Gujarati and Khushboo Sandhu of BBC Punjabi. (Photo: Shakhtar Donetsk FC owner Rinat Akhmetov carried by the players. Credit: AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)
Prince Harry killed 25 Taliban fighters according to his memoir. Also in the programme Ukraine accuses Russia of breaking its own truce. Spain is introducing laws to force tobacco companies to clean up cigarette filters and we hear how rainforest in the Philippines has been destroyed.(Photo: Prince Harry walking in a mine field in Angola in 2019. Credit: PA)
In the second part of our interview with Roy Hodgson, he reflects on troubled times at Liverpool and England. He also talks about retirement, the role of luck in football. and the joy of ending his career by going full circle and returning to Crystal Palace.This has been re-uploaded after the original programme was replaced by a tribute to Pele.
In February 2012, Diana Burkot and other members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot protested inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour against the church and its support for Russian president Vladimir Putin. Some members were arrested and put on a trial which made the news inside Russia and around the world. Diana kept her participation in the protest secret and avoided going to prison. She shares her memories with Alex Collins.(Photo: Diana Burkot on stage. Credit: Getty Images)
Tech Tent is in Las Vegas, in the US, for CES, one of the world' s biggest and most important tech shows. We discuss the future of VR, and the ethics of AI - and meet the exhibitors hoping they've invented the next big thing. And Silicon Valley reporter James Clayton joins Zoe to take the temperature of the industry after a bumpy year in 2022.(PHOTO: Attendees at CES Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP, via Getty Images)
As part of our mini-series on women, sport and business we meet Cynt Marshall. She's the chief executive officer of the Dallas Mavericks and the first black female CEO in the history of the National Basketball Association, a professional basketball league in the United States.Cynt tells us about her background, where she found the drive to forge an enormously successful career and how she’s changed a toxic workplace culture when she arrived at the Mavericks.Presenter: Rahul TandonProduction: Helen Thomas and Carmel O’Grady(Image: Cynt Marshall; Credit: Getty Images)
After 11 rounds of voting, there is still no result in sight to appoint a new leader for the US House of Representatives. Republicans took over the lower chamber of Congress in November's midterm elections, but an internal row is withholding the election of their candidate, Kevin McCarthy, as House Speaker. The impasse has caused a paralysis of US government not seen since the pre-Civil War era. We get the latest from Washington.(Picture: Staff members from the clerk's office of the U.S. House of Representatives count votes on tally sheets. Picture credit: Reuters)
Gunfire and burning of cars follow the arrest of Ovidio Guzman-Lopez, the son of the notorious drug trafficker. Also: Ukraine rejects Putin's proposed Orthodox Christmas truce, and more football players on Cameroon's Under-17 team fail age testing.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan’s former information minister and a senior figure in Imran Khan’s opposition PTI party. Pakistan is dealing with rampant inflation, an energy crisis and soaring national debt. Having lost the premiership, Khan is trying to bring down the current coalition government. Could political chaos tip the country into full-scale economic meltdown?
Voting continues in the US over who will be the new Speaker in the House of Representatives. Kevin McCarthy, the leading contender, has so far failed to convince 20 of his fellow Republicans to back him. What impact can a standoff in Congress have in the economy? WhatsApp says it will allow people to use the app through a proxy server if access is blocked. We find out what that means for users in countries facing internet disruption due to censorship. And we get the latest from Bolivia where widespread protests over the political crisis in the country are causing huge levels of economic disruption.
Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Orthodox Christmas, a move rejected by Kyiv which said there could be no truce until Russia withdraws its troops from occupied land. Newshour gets reaction from Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko.Also in the programme: China's suspect Covid data; and Prince Harry's book.(Picture: Situation on a front line near Bakhmut in Donetsk area, Ukraine - 04 Jan 2023. Credit: GEORGE IVANCHENKO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
We’re taking a look back at the January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, which literally sent shockwaves around the world. One year on, and we’re still uncovering what made the volcano so powerful, as well as unpacking its long lasting impacts.Roland is joined by Professor Shane Cronin from the University of Auckland and Dr Marta Ribó from the Auckland University of Technology to share their findings from their latest trip to survey the volcano.The impacts of the eruption weren’t just felt on Earth – they also reached all the way to space. Physicist Claire Gasque from the University of California, Berkeley, has been analysing how the eruption affected space weather.Amongst all the material ejected by Hunga Tonga was a huge amount of water. The massive water vapour cloud is still present in our atmosphere, as Professor Simon Carn from the Michigan Technological University tells us.The volcano also triggered tsunamis worldwide. Disaster sociologist Dr Sara McBride from the US Geological Survey has been using video footage of the event to analyse how people responded and how we can better prepare for future eruptions.Image Credit: Tonga Geological ServicesPresenter: Roland PeaseProducer: Sophie Ormiston
Kenya's president William Ruto discloses that he fired the former head of criminal investigations because of a rise in the number of killings by the police.Plus, a special report on the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies from South Africa.And we meet a young Kenyan man living with autism, one of many hidden disabilities.
Brazilian journalist Ricardo Setyon reflects on Pele's funeral. The former USA international Heather O'Reilly gives her view on a shocking story involving the coach of the USA men's team. And we speak to the former Kenyan international Martin Imbalambala who went blind overnight.Picture on website: Pelé jerseys on display at Vila Belmiro Stadium. (Leandro Bernardes/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Amazon plans to cut more than 18,000 jobs, the largest number in the firm's history, as it battles to save costs. Analysts predict more painful spending cuts, saying the company hired too many staff during the past few years.In general, it's a challenging time for businesses in the US. We look at how local owners operate their businesses.And exactly one month ago, the US, European Union and allies announced a price cap on Russian oil imports. We look at how it’s affected the Russian economy and the gas and oil industry. (Picture: Delivery boy holding a box in front of a van. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Pope Francis has led the funeral service for his predecessor, the former Pope Benedict, in front of thousands of mourners in The Vatican. Also on the programme, after six failed attempts to elect a speaker the paralysis in the new US House of Representatives enters its third day. And, how scientists have deciphered the meaning behind Stone Age cave paintings. (Photo: Funeral of former Pope Benedict at the Vatican. Credit: Reuters)
Thousands of mourners attended the service in St Peter's Square. Also: one of the winners of last year's Nobel Peace Prize goes on trial in Belarus over his involvement in protests, and reports that Prince Harry will claim that he suffered a violent attack at the hands of his brother, Prince William.
In 1998, a Kenyan farmer called Philip Boit became one of the first Africans to compete in the Winter Olympics. In the 10-kilometre cross-country skiing final he faced the legendary Norwegian, Bjorn Daehlie. It was a race that would unite the two athletes and inspire future Winter Olympians across Africa. Maddy Savage spoke to both skiers in 2014.(Photo: Bjoern Daehlie of Norway congratulates Philip Boit of Kenya after Boit finished the mens 10k cross country race at Snow Harp during the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Credit: Getty Images)
Gambling has a long and complex relationship with sport. But betting is no longer a man's game. As women's sport grows, many companies are putting big money on its success.In the next programme in our series looking at women, sport and business, we find out how one football side came back from the brink via a deal with Sweden's main gambling operator, Svenska Spel. And we hear how England's victory in the Women's Euros could be a big win for the British betting sector.But as other sports look to sponsorship deals, some are calling for tighter controls on how - and to whom - bookmakers can advertise.Presenter/Producer: Alex Bell(Image: Kristianstads DFF face their rivals Djurgardens IF DFF in Stockholm, Sweden. Credit: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images.)
The first few days of the year have brought record breaking warm winter weather across Europe, affecting at least eight countries stretching from Spain to Denmark. The unusual heat has caused many ski slopes across the continent to close due a lack of snow. We explore the impact climate change is having on the world of business.
Forugh Farrokhzad burst into the public consciousness with a series of poems that sent shock waves through Persian society in the mid-1950s. Her early poetry focused on the female experience and female desire, overturning – in the words of one biographer – 1,000 years of Persian literature.Her critics sought to dismiss her skills as a writer by seeing her poetry purely as a confessional outburst of a divorced woman. That attitude has tended to overshadow her achievements, although her private life is so compelling it’s perhaps inevitable. Since her early death in a car accident, Forugh’s life and poetry have been inspirational for many Iranians, who see in her an artist who was prepared to defy authority and convention to speak out.Bridget Kendall is joined by Sholeh Wolpé, a Writer-in-Residence at the University of California, Irvine. She’s a poet, playwright, librettist and translator of Forugh’s work; author Jasmin Darznik, associate professor and chair of the creative writing progamme at California College of the Arts. Her novel, Song of a Captive Bird, is a re-imagining of Forugh’s life inspired by her poetry, interviews and correspondence; and Levi Thompson, Assistant Professor of Persian and Arabic Literature in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He’s the author of Reorienting Modernism in Arabic and Persian Poetry. Produced by Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service
A Ukrainian commander leading the city's defence said Russian forces were battling with singular determination even -- as he put it -- the ground was littered with their comrades' bodies. Also: the US House of Representatives has once again failed to elect a Speaker to replace Nancy Pelosi, and, could Pope Francis call it a day as head of the Roman Catholic Church?
Working as a chef can be creative and rewarding when people love your food, but it can also be demanding, requiring long and antisocial hours. In this programme we hear about the highs and lows of working in some of the world’s best kitchens, and why it ultimately isn’t right for everyone. Ruth Alexander speaks to three chefs who chose to leave the profession. Former head chef Philip Barantini in the UK is now a TV and film director, his film Boiling Point, released in 2021 is about a chef struggling to run a successful restaurant. Genevieve Yam left behind Michelin starred restaurants in New York to become a food writer, she’s currently culinary editor at the website Serious Eats. Riley Redfern was a pastry chef in Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco and New York, having lost her job in the pandemic, today she has a new career as a software developer. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this programme, such as alcohol and drug dependance, you can access support via the BBC Action Line page - https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/ Excerpts from Boiling Point used courtesy of Vertigo Releasing. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: chef cooking with open flame in frying pan in a professional kitchen. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)
For the first time retail pharmacies in the US will be allowed to sell abortion pills, after approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. Customers will need a prescription but they can now pick up the pill in-store or by mail order. We hear from how important this change is.E-sports is a rapidly growing industry in India and could soon get government funding. We speak to one of the country's leading players.And would you eat a meal prepared by a robot? We learn about how Robo-chefs are making their way into restaurants around the world.
Claudia Hammond explores the psychology of regret with an audience at the Cheltenham Science Festival. What role do rueful thoughts on "what might have been" play in our lives? Is regret a wasted emotion or does it have some hidden benefits?Joining Claudia on stage : Teresa McCormack - Professor of Cognitive Development at the School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast who researches how regret in childhood can shape our decisions; novelist and essayist Sophie White - whose latest novel The Snag List examines the opportunity to go back in life and follow the road not taken; Fuschia Sirois - Professor of social and health psychology at Durham University whose research examines the impact of those "what if" thoughts on our health and wellbeing.Producer Adrian Washbourne
A report on the circumstances surrounding the December arrest of the head of Malawi’s anti-corruption bureau Martha Chizuma has been released. We dissect its findings, and hear about the reaction in the country.Plus, two militant attacks in Mali this week have killed at least seven people, and appear to show that armed groups in the country are capable of hitting targets close to the capital Bamako.And we take a look at the film telling the story of the African soldiers who served in World War One.
The United Nations secretary general has expressed concern over the controversial visit by Israel's far-right security minister to a holy site for both Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem. We hear from the minister's spokesman and reaction from a Palestinian lawyer. Also on the programme: at least eight European countries have registered record high temperatures for January in the first few days of the year; and in Cuba, the government has given the green light to competitive boxing for women. (Photo: Security and visitors at the Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount; Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
In the first few days of January, weather records were broken across Europe. The unseasonably warm temperature has affected eight countries stretching from Spain to Denmark. In Splugen in Switzerland the slopes are closed due to a lack of snow. Meanwhile, a number of malls and markets in Pakistan have said they are not going to follow the rules in response of yesterday government order to close all malls and markets by 8:30 p.m. as part of its new energy conservation plan and to save money. We will also have a deep look at the economy of India, which this year is expected to overtake China to become the world's most populous nation. (Picture: The Ski resort Ischgl Silvretta Arena. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
There are fears current wave of coronavirus infections may soon reach the countryside. Also: Cuba selects its first national female boxing team, and Denmark goes a year without a bank robbery.
Stephen Sackur speaks to the Russian opposition activist Evgenia Kara-Murza, whose husband Vladimir, a prominent opponent of Vladimir Putin, is in prison in Russia having survived two apparent poisonings in recent years. Has Putin’s repression effectively neutralised meaningful opposition?
On the day bitcoin turns 14, Sam Bankman-Fried, the former boss of crypto exchange FTX, pleads not guilty to federal criminal charges filed against him.US regulators have also warned that banks risk exposing themselves to fraud, legal woes and heightened volatility if they engage in crypto-related activities, in their first joint statement on digital assets.Devina Gupta discusses where we are with bitcoin and other crypto currencies with Molly Jane Zuckerman, who heads content at CoinMarketCap in New York.Simon Littlewood of ACG Global in Singapore and Luisa Kroll, executive editor at Forbes who's in New York, also join the programme.
It's the first time since 1923 that a nominee hasn't succeeded on an initial ballot. Also: the disgraced founder of the FTX cryptocurrency company pleads not guilty to fraud charges, and, Brazil pays an emotional farewell to the football legend, Pele.
Former FTX boss Sam Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to fraud and other crimes.Devina Gupta speaks to BBC North America business correspondent, Michelle Fleury, who is in New York reporting on the case.What affect will the China travel restrictions have on the economies of the countries that are implementing them?And the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu could become the first country to disappear due to climate change. Now the government says it will rebuild the islands in the metaverse – the digital world created by Facebook owner, Mark Zuckerberg – to preserve their culture and heritage.(Picture: Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at the court in New York on 3 January. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Palestinians and several Muslim countries have condemned the visit by Israel's new far-right security minister to the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem. A Palestinian official said they'd hold the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for the early morning visit by Itamar Ben-Gvir to a site sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Also in the programme: the struggle to elect a new Speaker for the US House of Representatives; and Cristiano Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabian team. (Photo: A visitor looks up at the Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. CREDIT: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
Officials in Burkina Faso have launched an investigation after the bodies of 28 people were discovered in the north-western town of Nouna. The victims had been shot dead.And it is the third in our series of notable Africans as guest editors of the podcast. Today is the turn of law professor and South Africa's first female Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela. Her chosen topics include the contribution of African scientists to the detection of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and the future of democracy in Africa.
Oritsé Williams became a young carer aged 12, when his mother contracted multiple sclerosis and he had to take responsibility for looking after her and two younger siblings. During his teenage years, he had a dream: to become a singer and make plenty of money so that he could fund research to find a cure for his mum. At least part of that dream came true when Oritsé and his band, JLS, were runners-up in a national talent contest.But Oritsé never forgot his early years as a young, unpaid carer. He meets the next generation of kids who care – in the UK, Uganda and El Salvador. He learns about the challenges these children and teenagers face, but also hears stories of resilience and hope. Among the children are 13-year-old Amber, who looks after two sick and disabled parents; 15-year-old Jordan, whose care role ties him to the house almost completely; and 13-year-old Gloria from Uganda, who looks after four younger siblings all on her own.
China is not happy that some countries are placing restrictions on some travellers because of the sharp increase of Covid cases in the country. China's foreign ministry said the country is firmly opposed to "attempts to manipulate the epidemic prevention and control measures for political purposes".Pakistan is facing problems with energy. To make savings and help businesses, the government has ordered all malls and markets to close by 8:30pm among other measures in a new energy conservation plan.Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, is hoping its new government can bring economic growth, as its citizens face poverty, hunger and an energy crisis. Local businesses are struggling to survive amid the uncertainty.(Picture: Dragon Sculpture on White Background. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Thousands of mourners line the streets of his hometown, Santos, to watch the funeral procession. President Lula was among those who've paid their respects. Also; there's been condemnation from across the Arab world of a visit to the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem by a far-right Israeli government minister, and a snow crisis for skiers in the Swiss Alps.
There's been condemnation of a visit to a compound in Jerusalem, by a far-right Israeli government minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir; the site is holy to both Jews and Muslims. We look into the historical roots of the current tensions.Also on the programme, as China condemns the imposition of travel restrictions on its nationals, because of the rapid spread of covid, we speak to a senior official at the WHO; and the future of elephant tourism in Thailand - can it be made more ethical?(Photo: Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City ; Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
In a year packed with big news stories, who are the interviewees whose stories have stayed with our language service colleagues?BBC Ukrainian's Zhanna Bezpiatchuk tells the story of the teenager forced to flee his home in Borodianka, who now dreams of becoming a journalist. BBC Pashto's Shazia Haya shares the story of a mother of daughters now denied their secondary school education. Parham Ghobadi from BBC Persian led the coverage of the death in mysterious circumstances of 16-year-old Nika Shakarami during the Iranian protests. Olga Ivshina takes us on a trawl of the BBC Russian inbox where she discovered a plea for help, which she immediatley responded to. BBC Africa's Bella Sheegow explains why reporting on the assassination of female Somali politician Amina Mohamed Abdi had such an impact on her.BBC Indian languages' Nitin Srivastava tells us about a tea picker in Assam whose livelihood is dwindling because of climate change.And BBC Brasil's Nathalia Passarinho remembers her interviews at COP27 in Egypt, where Brazil announced a huge shift in environmental policy.(Photo: Damage of Russian bombing of Borodiansk. Credit: Nicola Marfisi/AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Last week Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu was sentenced to two years seven months in jail and banned from taking part in politics. It’s not clear if his sentence will be ratified by two higher courts, but his crime was to call Turkey’s election officials ‘fools’ after the rerun 2019 mayoral elections, though many believe it has more to do with next year's presidential elections. BBC Monitoring journalist Dilay Yalcin in Istanbul unpicks the story. Meeting Thailand's leading transgender business mogul Thai transgender businesswoman and transgender advocate Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip has made history as the first trans woman owner of the Miss Universe Organisation. BBC Thai’s Tossapol Chaisamritpol has interviewed her about her ambitions for the pageant, and her own life experiences. Reporting and runningBBC Arabic reporter Murad Shishani is often on the road, covering stories from conflict in Gaza to presidential campaigns in Iowa. But wherever he is, he keeps his spirits and energy levels up by running. Murad shares some of those runs with us.Brazil and K-culture If you’re a fan of K-pop or K-dramas you’re not alone. Award-winning films like Parasite, bands like BTS, and Korean dramas like Squid Game are global successes, part of what’s been called Hallyu, or Korean Wave. It's a big wave in Brazil, and BBC Brasil’s Shin Suzuki decided to take a closer look at the appeal of K-culture. We paired him with BBC Korean’s Julie Yoonnyung Lee to fill in the South Korean side of the equation. BBC 100: Triumph against the odds Yetunde Olugbenga of BBC Yoruba starts a new series of stories shared by journalists from our language services who’ve faced big challenges in their lives and careers. They have told their stories in schools in order to encourage and inspire the next generation, as a way of marking the BBC centenary. Yetunde tells us how she overcame sexual harassment from a college lecturer.(Photo: People gather at Saraçhane in support of Ekrem İmamoğlu who has been sentenced to prison. Credit :Hakan Akgun /dia image via Getty Images)
Tété-Michel Kpomassie, grew up in West Africa but he was obsessed with the Arctic. When he was 16- years-old he ran away from his village in Togo determined to reach Greenland.It took him eight years but in 1965, he finally arrived. He then went north to fulfil his dream of living among the indigenous people.Years later, he wrote an award-winning account of his odyssey, An African in Greenland, which has been translated into eight languages. In this programme, first broadcast in 2019, he tells Alex Last about his journey.(Photo: Tété-Michel Kpomassie in Greenland in 1988. Credit: BBC)
有时，尽管我们手头没有参考资料或数据，但我们可以凭借既有知识快速地对问题作答，就好像从脑袋外面直接产生的答案。主持人 Rob 和菲菲在谈起以往节目中一共教过多少英语短语时，就用到了一个可以描述这种情况的表达 “off the top of my head”。听他们的对话，学习如何使用这个地道英语表达。
In the second programme of our series on women, sport and business, we’re looking at the media. With women’s sport accounting for only around 5% of total sports coverage globally, we find out how some clubs and organisations are moving away from traditional media, and looking at digital and streaming to reach fans instead. Reporter Sam Fenwick visits Burnley FC Women in the north of England. In 2021 they signed a ground breaking deal with TikTok to show every home game. And we hear from TikTok themselves – Rich Waterworth, General Manager for the UK and Europe explains what’s in it for them. Sue Anstiss is the author of Game On: The unstoppable rise of women’s sport. She tells us fans of all sports are consuming content differently now, and if women’s sport gets it right, there could be a big opportunity in the digital market. And Haley Rosen, founder and CEO of digital media company Just Women’s Sports explains her frustration at trying to set up a business in a growing marketplace which is lacking in investment and infrastructure. Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Helen Thomas (Image: Burnley FC Women in December 2021. Credit: George Wood/Getty Images)
It's the highest number of deaths acknowledged by Moscow for a single incident since the war began. Also: people turn out in large numbers to pay their last respects to former Pope Benedict in the Vatican and the footballer Pele in Brazil; and Prince Harry says he wants his father King Charles and his brother Prince William back.
The IMF kicks off 2023 with a bleak economic outlook.Kristalina Georgieva said 2023 will be "tougher" than last year as the US, EU and China see their economies slow.A court in Russia has ordered the freezing of nearly half a million dollars worth of assets belonging to the German gas company, Linde.And Dubai has kicked off the new year by scrapping a 30 per cent tax on alcohol sales.
In a rare declaration of battlefield casualties, Russia's ministry of defence has said sixty- three of its soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian attack using Himars rockets. It's the biggest death toll acknowledged by Moscow for a single incident in Ukraine.Also in the programme: Brazil prepares to say goodbye to Pele; and elections, recessions, conflicts and trends - what's coming up in 2023?(Photo: Footage, apparently from the scene of the attack, was posted by the Ukrainian military. Source: RELEGRAM: HOREVICA / ZSU STRATCOM)
Why do wasps exist? While many see them as unfriendly bees who sting out of spite, their aggression could be interpreted as a fierce form of family protection. They are hugely understudied and even more underappreciated, with hundreds of thousands of different species carrying out jobs in our ecosystems. Some live together in nests whereas others hunt solo, paralysing prey with antibiotic-laden venom. In abundance, they can destroy environments - outcompeting most creatures and taking resource for themselves - but could we harness their predatory powers to take on pest control? Adam Hart and guests are a-buzz about this much-maligned insect and explore why we should be giving them more credit.Professor Seirian Sumner, behavioural ecologist at University College London, and Dr Jenny Jandt, ecologist at University of Otago, New Zealand.
Police in Uganda have arrested the promoter and organiser behind a New Year's eve concert that ended in a crush killing 10 people, mostly children. Following the death of Pope Benedict XVI, we take a look at his doctrinal impact on African Catholicism. And will we ever move towards visa-free travel for Africans within Africa? We'll hear the experiences of one travel blogger, and also why some countries are reluctant to ease restrictions.
A third of the global economy will be in recession this year, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned.Kristalina Georgieva said 2023 will be "tougher" than last year as the US, EU and China see their economies slow.We ask a former IMF chief economist about his outlook for the year.We also hear how the economies of Nigeria, Russia and Colombia might perform in 2023. (Picture: Crowds of people on Times Square, New York City, USA. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has warned that 2023 will be a tough year for much of the global economy, with a third of countries going into recession. Also in the programme: Russia says 63 of its soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on a temporary barracks in Donbas; and a British epidemiologist on why we should try to eat 30 different plants each week.(Photo: International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva attends a news conference in Berlin, Germany on 29 November 2022. Credit: Reuters/Michele Tantussi/File Photo)
Dozens, possibly hundreds, of Russian conscripts are believed to have died in the rocket attack in occupied Donbas. Also: The Indian Supreme Court upholds a government decision to withdraw most high denomination banknotes, and a public wake at Santos FC in Brazil for the legendary player, Pelé.
In 1996, Scotland took to the field for a football World Cup qualifying tie in the Estonian capital city of Tallinn. The only problem was that there was no opposition on the other side. Paul Lambert was one of the Scottish players who had to take part in the so-called match.He has been sharing his memories of that time with Matt Pintus. (Photo: Scotland kick off the match. Credit: Getty Images)
This year sees one of the biggest global events in women’s sport – the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. It follows a very successful 2022 for the sector with record crowds watching England win the Women’s European Championship on home soil, Australia claiming the Women’s Rugby League World Cup and in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa beat hosts Morrocco to take the title.In Business Daily’s series on women, sport and business, we speak to Haley Rosen, a former pro soccer player who now runs the digital sports media company Just Women’s Sports. When Haley stopped playing, she realised she couldn't access even basic information about women's sports, including fixtures, scores and all the other statistics available to those following male sports. Haley tells Sam Fenwick how she set up her digital media platform and secured more than $3.5 million in investment. They also discuss what needs to change to make sure female sporting stars are treated on a par with their male counterparts.Presenter: Sam FenwickProducer: Helen Thomas(Image: Haley Rosen; Credit: Getty Images)
Women’s football is being played in front of record crowds – interest and attendance has soared and the game is flourishing but getting here hasn’t been easy and there are still some significant hurdles to overcome. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two players at the very top of their game who have been instrumental in helping bring about change. Sara Gama is captain of the Italy women’s football team and Serie A club Juventus. Growing up she was unaware women even played football and was the only girl her team. She’s been pivotal in gaining greater recognition and equality for the women’s game in Italy which finally became professional in July 2022.Women’s football has changed a lot since Rafaelle Souza used to play barefoot with the boys in the small town in Brazil where she grew up. Rafa went to the United States on a football scholarship and studied civil engineering, she then became the first foreigner to play for a club in China. She’s now at Arsenal. Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Sara Gama, credit Getty Images. (R) Rafaelle Souza, credit Getty Images.)
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil risked everything when he faced his parents and societyHe was next in line to a centuries-old royal dynasty in the Indian state of Gujarat - and grew up in the 1970s in a gilded cage. His family's desire to keep his blue blood away from what they called ‘commoners’ meant that, growing up, he missed out on formative experiences like making friends. After a failed marriage to a princess, Manvendra finally shed his royal cocoon and was determined to break out and explore the world, and his sexuality. With the help of his new friend Ashok, a gay rights activist, the prince began a process of self-acceptance that would be put to the ultimate test.Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Edgar MaddicottEditor: Munazza Khan
Luis Inacio Lula da Silva told crowds in Brasilia that he aimed to rebuild the country. Also, Ukraine destroys dozens of attack drones launched by Russia, and North Korea marks the New Year with a promise to mass produce tactical nuclear weapons.
The Socialist leader promises to transform Brazil, rebuild democracy, and he made an impassioned attack on his right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, saying he had left Brazil in ruins.Also on the programme we hear from the Ethiopian journalist forced out of the country because of her reporting of the war in Tigray. And we take a look at the origins of one of the world's most famous hymns, Amazing Grace.(Image: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with his wife Rosangela "Janja" da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and his wife Maria Lucia Ribeiro Alckmin, after his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil. Credit: Reuters / Moraes)
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has produced amazing images in its first 5 months, but amazing science as well. Roland hears from one of the leading astronomers on the JWST programme, Dr Heidi Hammel, as well as other experts on what they are already learning about the first galaxies in the Universe, the birth places of stars, the strange behaviour of some other stars, and the first view of Neptune's rings in over 30 years.Over the past 12 months, CrowdScience has travelled the world, from arctic glacierscapes to equatorial deserts, to answer listeners’ science queries. Sometimes, the team come across tales that don’t quite fit with the quest in hand, but still draw a laugh, or a gasp. In this show, Marnie Chesterton revisits those stories, with members of the CrowdScience crew.Alex the Parrot was a smart bird, with an impressive vocabulary and the ability to count and do basic maths. He was also intimidating and mean to a younger parrot, Griffin, who didn’t have the same grasp of the English language. Scientist Irene Pepperberg shares the consequence of this work-place bullying. Take a tour of the disaster room at ICPAC, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) based in Nairobi, Kenya. It’s a new building where scientists keep watch for weird new weather and passes that information to 11 East African countries. Viola Otieno is an Earth Observation (EO) Expert and she explained how they track everything from cyclones to clouds of desert locust.Malcolm MacCallum is curator of the Anatomical Museum at Edinburgh University in Scotland, which holds a collection of death masks and skull casts used by the Edinburgh Phrenological Society. Phrenology was a pseudoscience, popular in the 1820s, where individuals attempted to elucidate peoples’ proclivities and personalities by the shape of their heads. We see what the phrenologists had to say about Sir Isaac Newton and the “worst pirate” John Tardy.While recording on Greenland’s icesheet, the CrowdScience team were told by Professor Jason Box about “party ice.” 40,000 year old glacial ice is a superior garnish for your cocktail than normal freezer ice, apparently. This starts a quest for the perfect Arctic cocktail.(Image: Young stars form from clouds of interstellar gas and dust in the stellar "nursery" of the Carina Nebula. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI)
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be sworn in again as Brazil's President after a gap of more than ten years. We speak to his former foreign minister.Also on the programme, we hear about the Ukrainian dancers who are using a classic ballet to comment on the war with Russia; and and it's 250 years since the first performance of Amazing Grace - written by a former slave trader.(Photo: Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; Credit: REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo)
The Emeritus Pope Benedict died on New Year's Eve at the age of ninety-five. Also: Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said the world won't forgive Russia for the terror of missile strikes on his country, and a British man has completed his 365th marathon of 2022.
Francis said Benedict was a kind and noble man who was a gift to the Church and the world. The faithful have been visiting St Peter's Square in Vatican City to pay their respects. The former pope led the Roman Catholic Church for nearly eight years until 2013 when he stood down due to ill health, the first pope to do so for 600 years.Also on the programme, Christiane Amanpour of CNN pays tribute to Barbara Walters, the trailblazing US news anchor who paved the way for generations of women journalists, who has died at the age of 93. And another chance to hear some of Newshour's best interviews of the past year. (Image: A picture of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at Saint Peter's Square, Rome. Credit: EPA)
Stories about the history of food, including the creation of ciabatta bread by a rally driver in Italy in 1982 and the Maltese bakers' strike in 1977.Also, the invention of instant noodles in Japan, the start of the Slow Food Movement in Rome and the creation of Chicken Manchurian in India.(Photo: Different shaped artisan bread loaves. Credit: Getty Images)Contributors:Marco Vianello - baker and friend of the creator of ciabatta, Arnaldo CavallariNoel Buttigieg - food historianDr Sue Bailey - food historian, writer and lecturerCarlo Petrini - founder of the Slow Food MovementMomofuku Ando - colleague of the inventor of instant noodles, Yukitaka TsutsuiEdward Wang - son of Nelson Wang, the chef behind Chicken Manchurian
Patti Paniccia was a surfer back in the 1970s, determined to create a path to professional surfing for women, as well as men. Together with surf promoter, Fred Hemmings and surfer Randy Rarick, she founded IPS (International Professional Surfing), to create the very first men’s and women’s world tour in 1976. The women’s surf team – Sally Prange, Jericho Poppler, Rell Sunn, Becky Benson, Claudia Kravitz and Patti herself – were met with a barrage of ridicule and blatant sexism, but also had the time of their lives - from surfing the shark infested waters in South Africa, to drawing crowds of 20,000 Brazilians to the beaches in Rio de Janeiro. Together they opened the door for women's competitive professional surfing.
A look back at some of our favourite stories from 2022Photo: A view of SoFi Stadium as workers prepare for Super Bowl LVI on February 01, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Three people caring for loved ones with Alzheimers share their experiences and challenges.
If promoting harmful conspiracy theories can be a lucrative way to make money, then is the best way for victims to fight back by hitting those responsible in the wallet? Alex Jones made a fortune from his Infowars website, before he was ordered to pay nearly £1.5 billion in defamation damages for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoaxParents of some of the 22 people murdered during the massacre, brought the legal action after suffering years of abuse and threats as a result of Jones accusing them of being “crisis actors”.Now people targeted by conspiracy theories which deny the reality of other horrific events are contemplating similar moves against those who false allegations have blighted their lives.This episode contains audio from the websites of Infowars and Richard D Hall. Presenter: Marianna SpringProducers: Sam Judah & Ant AdeaneEditor: Ed Main
As Coronavirus continues to sweep across China, a growing number of countries are imposing new travel restrictions on the world's second biggest economy. Britain and France have become the latest countries to bring in screening for travellers from China. Travellers arriving into both countries from China will require negative Covid tests. China is experiencing a huge wave of coronavirus cases, weeks after relaxing its zero-Covid policy.(Picture: Young Woman With Smartphone. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
While the former US president Donald Trump did pay $1m in taxes in 2018, he didn't pay anything in his last year in the White House. Also: England to require negative Covid test for arrivals from China, and Abba's Chiquitita song raises millions of dollars for UNICEF.
It's been a tumultuous year for crypto: the collapse of FXT and a string of other firms has helped drain the market of 2 trillion dollars. So, what might 2023 look like for the crypto world? This special episode of World Business Report looks at regulation and whether it will deter further investment.(Picture: Domino piece with bitcoin symbol concept Picture Credit: Getty Images)
A US Congressional committee has released six years of tax returns belonging to Donald Trump. The former president battled for years to keep the documents secret. They show that in one year, Mr Trump paid just 750 dollars in federal income taxes, in another he paid nothing. The documents also contradict his claim that he was prohibited from releasing the returns because he was under audit by the government revenue service. Also in the programme: As Covid surges in China, how protected are other countries? And how royalties from Abba are helping the Chiquititas of Guatemala.(Photo: Fox News reports on former President Trump's tax returns being made public as seen on screen of the News Corp building in New York, 30 December 2022. Credit: Sarah Yenesel/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Momodou Sabally, one of the most vociferous critics of the government of President Adama Barrow in the Gambia, has been released after 10 days in detention. He speaks to Africa Today. Members of the Lolldaiga community in Kenya serve papers against the British Army, claiming destruction of lives and property. Plus former Ugandan footballer Daniel Bitalo pays tribute to Pelé.
As we approach the end of 2022, we take a look at what has been a bumpy year for the stock markets. With the three major US indices set for their biggest yearly losses since the 2008 financial crisis, we explore what 2023 can bring for financial investors.The war in Ukraine had a strong impact in many industries, and commodities weren't an exception. We review what the conflict meant for key metals like investors' favourite safe haven—gold.And on the day after his death we remember the legacy of one of football's biggest legends: Pele.
Spain and Israel have become the latest countries to announce mandatory covid testing for travellers from China, as fears in China grow that the rapid rise in cases may overwhelm healthcare facilities.Yet Chinese government figures on Friday recorded only five thousand new infections across the whole of the country.Also in the programme: A new verdict in Myanmar means that the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is likely to spend the rest of her life in jail; and we hear abiut the story behind ABBA's hit song "Chiquitita" and how it's helped children for more than 40 years.(Photo shows people walking with their luggage at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport amid a wave of the COVID-19 infections. Credit: Tingshu Wang/Reuters)
Only 5,000 new infections recorded on Friday, while hospitals report many more emergencies. Also: the controversial online influencer Andrew Tate is arrested in Romania on rape and human trafficking charges, and the mystery of why the UK awarded Abba 'nul points' is finally solved.
Friends and former team-mates pay their respects to Pele. The former Brazil and Santos player Rildo tells us how Pele halted the Nigerian civil war, and the former New York Cosmos defender Werner Roth shares a story involving Pele, a baby shark and a bathtub. We also hear from Brazilian journalist Ricardo Setyon.Picture on website: Pele in action during World Cup 1970 in a game against Czechoslovakia. (Photo by Monte Fresco/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
In 1986, thousands of people gathered in the middle of Rome to protest against the opening of Italy’s first McDonalds fast food restaurant. One of the opponents to the opening of McDonalds was journalist Carlo Petrini. Soon after, he founded a new organisation called the Slow Food Movement. Its main aim was to protect traditional foods and cooking. He has been sharing his story with Matt Pintus.(Photo: Carlo Petrini. Credit: Slow Food International)
Zoe Kleinman and Joe Tidy invite the BBC's tech experts in Africa, Asia, America and Europe to make their predictions for how tech will shape 2023. From gaming to chip wars, and VR to AI they tell you what to look out for in the year ahead, wherever in the world you are.
In 2012, at the age of 72, he travelled the world working on his brand with Misha Sher from Mediacom, one of the world's biggest marketing agencies.(Picture: Athlete cheering Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Pele is regarded by many as football's greatest player. Also: the British fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood, dies aged 81, and did you see all the planets of the solar system in the night sky?
Figures from the global crypto research and training platform Crypto Head suggest that around just 5 per cent of entrepreneurs in the field are women, and they're lagging behind when it comes to investing in crypto too. According to a survey by broadcaster CNBC and Momentive, twice as many men as women are likely to invest in cryptocurrency. So why does this 21st century financial instrument have such a 20th century problem?(Picture: Young woman touching screen on futuristic digital display. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Pelé, one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died in Brazil at the age of 82, prompting tributes from around the world.Also in the programme: the most hardline government in Israel's history has been sworn in. The coalition, led by Benjamin Netanyahu for a record sixth time as prime minister, includes ultra Orthodox Jewish and nationalist parties; and the British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood - a key figure in the rebellious punk movement of the 1970s - has died in London.(Photo: Pelé, the Brazilian football legend, seen here during a visit to London in his new job as the Brazil Minister for Sport in 1995. Credit: BBC)
At least three people have been killed in an explosion in Nigeria’s Kogi State, a few hours before President Buhari was due to visit nearby. Plus, Kenya's government bans the export of baobab trees to Georgia following a public outcry, amid environmental concerns.And we take you to Statues Also Dream, the unique live play connecting performers thousands of miles apart.
A number of countries mull bringing back mandatory Covid testing for visitors coming from China as a wave of coronavirus infections spreads across the world's second economy. We hear the latest from our correspondent in Hong Kong.Also in the programme, we go back to one of the big stories of 2022: the impact of the war in Ukraine on the global supply of grain. We explore what has changed for the industry as well as the expectations for 2023. And we also look at Japan's latest attempt to persuade more young people to move out of the city and into the countryside.
The attack came hours after Moscow rejected Ukraine's suggestion that peace talks could begin in 2023. Also: hundreds protest outside the Israeli parliament as a new government takes office, and should a safety test be required before using the Internet?
Cities across Ukraine have been targeted by a wave of Russian missile strikes, in one of the largest bombardments since the war began.At least three people - including a 14-year-old girl - were taken to hospital after explosions hit the capital Kyiv and blasts were also heard in the cities of Kharkiv, Odesa, and Lviv.We hear from the head of Ukrainian military intelligence about.his thoughts on the current situation.Also in the programme: As Israel's most right-wing government is sworn in - we discuss what impact it will have at home and abroad; and with American states tightening their abortion rules - we hear from a school in Texas for teenage mothers.(Photo shows a house destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine on 29 December 2022. Credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Reuters)
In the second part of our interview with Roy Hodgson, he reflects on troubled times at Liverpool and England. He also talks about the retirement, the role of luck in football, and the joy of his ending his career by going full circle and returning to Crystal Palace.Picture on website: Roy Hodgson at Goodison Park (Photo by CLIVE BRUNSKILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the UN, one third of the food we grow is thrown away. How can we stop this?
Sana Safi returns to the story of two Afghan women judges who have had to go into hiding after the Taliban takeover - and are now preparing to be evacuated for a second time. Through encrypted networks and messages, Sana gets unprecedented access to the secretive operatives trying to get the women and their families out of the country. It is a race against time as they now journey to the point of no return.
The first Maccabiah Games, a multi-sport event for Jewish athletes, were held in 1932.They now take place every four years in Israel.Rachel Naylor speaks to Carina Benninga, who won a gold medal in 1989, as captain of the Dutch hockey team.(Photo: Carina Benninga, top row, second from left, and the Dutch hockey team at the Maccabiah Games in 1989. Credit: Carina Benninga)
In August 1958, the Japanese entrepreneur, Momofuku Ando, came up with the idea of a brand new food product that would change the eating habits of people across the world. In 2018, Ashley Byrne spoke to Yukitaka Tsutsui, an executive for the company founded by Ando, about the birth of the Instant Noodle.A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Momofuko Ando holding noodles. Credit: Getty Images)
一位网友来信询问 “light up” 和 “brighten up” 这两个动词短语有何区别。它们都有 “点亮” 的意思，也都可以用来形容人的情绪 “转好”。本期节目通过对比例句分析这两个短语的区别和用法。
Today’s counter-culture and alternative movements question mainstream norms, such as putting too much value on material possessions. The Cynics, practical philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome, also rejected conventional desires to seek wealth, power and fame. They were not your usual kind of philosophers: rather than lecturing or writing about their ideas, they acted out their beliefs by denying themselves worldly possessions and tried to live as simply as possible. Their leader, Diogenes of Sinope, allegedly slept in a ceramic jar on the streets of Athens and ate raw meat like a dog, flouting convention to draw attention to his ideas.So who were the Cynics? How influential was their movement? What made it last some 900 years? And why does the term 'cynicism' have a different meaning today?Bridget Kendall is joined by three eminent scholars of Greek philosophy:Dr. William Desmond, Senior Lecturer in Ancient Classics at Maynooth University in Ireland and author of several books on the Cynics;Dr. Elena Cagnoli Fiecconi, Lecturer in Ancient Philosophy at University College London; and Mark Usher, Professor of Classical Languages and Literature at the University of Vermont and author of new Cynic translations into English.(Image: The meeting of Alexander and Diogenes, detail from a tapestry, Scotland. Credit: DEA/S. Vannini/Getty Images)
As in many countries, obesity in Brazil is a major issue with one in four Brazilians now classified as obese and more than half the population overweight. But rather than focusing just on trying to lower this rate by promoting exercise and healthier ways of eating, campaigners and some city councils are successfully implementing changes, which accept that high rates of obesity are probably here to stay and society should adapt to this. These changes include schools buying bigger chairs and desks, hospitals buying bigger beds and MRI machines and theatres offering wider seats. Brazilian lawyers are starting to make legal challenges, particularly against discrimination in the workplace. Women are holding plus sized beauty contests to celebrate their larger bodies. Schools are hosting discussion clubs where they talk about how body shapes are perceived by their peers and wider society. Even so, campaigners say there is a long way to go for bigger bodies to be culturally accepted in Brazil and overcoming what is known as “gordofobia” – belittling or discriminating against people who are larger than average. Camilla Mota travels to the south-eastern coastal city of Vitoria to meet a plus size influencer and a lawyer campaigning to stop discrimination and trying to make the city more tolerant. She then flies 1500km north to another port city, Recife, where some changes have now taken place. Is this transformation away from the stereo-typical “body beautiful” only skin deep or the shape of things to come across the western world? Presenter: Camilla Mota Producer: Bob Howard
Several other countries have imposed restrictions on travellers from China, as Covid cases surge. Also: a rights group says 100 protestors in Iran are facing the death penalty, and densely-populated Dhaka gets its first metro line.
Why hold on to an old clay pot, a worn-out metal spoon, or a plain glass bowl? Earlier this year, we made a programme celebrating old and cherished cookware and received a huge response from World Service listeners. So, in this edition, Ruth Alexander hears your stories of the poignance that can be found in the most unassuming kitchen utensil, and explores a few other tales we’ve uncovered of cooking with love. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Elisabeth MahyResearcher: Siobhan O'Connell
The US is the latest country to enhance testing requirements for arrivals, after Beijing announced plans to reopen international travel in and out of China. We explore whether the 'great reopening' will affect global travel markets for better or worse. Also on the programme, after a tough year for Elon Musk, one analyst tells us why it's far from the end of the road for Tesla.
A special report from Kherson in Southern Ukraine as Russian forces step up mortar and artillery attacks on the recently liberated city. Newshour speaks to a Ukrainian government advisor.Also in the programme: Italy imposes restrictions on Chinese travellers; and unrest in Kosovo.(Picture: A Ukrainian service member attends a military exercise session near the border with Belarus, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zhytomyr region, Ukraine December 27, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi)
Many people say that knitting or crochet helped ease their anxiety during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Claire Anketell set up free Yarn for Mental Health courses in Northern Ireland last year and Gemma McAdam says crochet helped to reduce her stress levels and she's now making blankets. Esther Rutter's book This Golden Fleece: A Journey through Britain's Knitted History aims to unpick what textiles mean to us - including how they became part of the treatment for mental health problems. Learning a skill by following a pattern, connecting with other people and being distracted from everyday worries tick some of the boxes which we associate with wellbeing. But it's hard to pin down exactly which elements can boost our mood. Dr Sarah McKay author of The Woman's Brain Book: the Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and Happiness assesses whether we need hard evidence to carry on casting on. The charity Fine Cell Work has been teaching prisoners embroidery, needlepoint and quilting for 25 years. CEO Victoria Gillies says the idea is to rehabilitate prisoners and ex-prisoners as they sew high-quality elaborate cushions and footstools. We hear about the difference it's made to stitchers like Ben. Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Paula McGrath
Ethiopian Airlines has resumed commercial flights to the capital of the war-hit Tigray region, Mekelle, for the first time in nearly two years. We hear from excited passengers in Addis Ababa, just before they boarded the flight. And five-times Grammy award winner Angelique Kidjo is our guest editor. The singer-songwriter from Benin, talks to us about her music, the causes that concern her and the people she champions.
After three years of closed borders, China will effectively re-open on January 8th to those with work and study visas, and those seeking to visit their family and have holidays abroad. Thousands of travellers from China are likely to boost the multi-billion dollar travel business soon. Multi-billionaire Elon Musk has sold another 22 million shares, worth $3.58bn (£2.9bn), in the electric car maker Tesla. Investors have been concerned that demand for the company's electric cars may slow, as the economy weakens, higher borrowing costs discourage buyers and other companies boost their electric vehicle offerings.Throughout this week on World Business Report on the BBC World Service, we're looking at all things crypto. It's a hugely complex area, with supporters of cryptocurrencies claiming that it banks the unbanked, and democratises financial services - while critics say cryptocurrencies have no intrinsic value, are hugely volatile - and actually not that useful for every day purchases.(Picture: Young handsome Asian man making order from the digital menu on smartphone in restaurant. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Recently-liberated Kherson shelled by Russian forces; also in the programme the Iranian families seeking justice for jailed protesters; we ask is the Philippines heading towards a food crisis? A new blood test could detect Alzheimer’s early; and the final chapter of a London bookshop.(Cars burn on a street in Kherson after a Russian military strike, December 24, 2022. Credit: Reuters)
Civilians flee from the southern city of Kherson as Russian attacks intensify. Also: the Pope asks for prayers for Pope Emeritus Benedict who is very ill, and a former prisoner tells the tennis star Andy Murray she watched him win Wimbledon, in her Iranian prison cell.
In February 1977 the bakers of Malta went on an unprecedented strike.It sent shock waves through the Maltese people who couldn’t imagine life without their favourite food… bread.Before long the military was guarding bakeries, the panicked population had created a bread black market and local prisoners were enlisted to bake for the public.Forty-five years later Maltese cultural historian Noel Buttigieg shares his memories of the time, with Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty.(Photo: A queue outside of a bakery during the 1977 strike. Credit: Noel Buttigieg)
It's been another year of ups and downs for cryptocurrencies. In the second episode of our week-long series, we ask whether it's time to control how - and by who - they are used. This edition features an interview with Urban Anghern, the CEO of Switzerland's financial regulator.Elsewhere on the programme, we explore China's decision to reopen its borders in early 2023; and hear from a US-based ice-breaking business about the recent extreme weather.(Picture: A Bitcoin ATM next to a row of traditional bank ATMs in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Getty Images.)
It comes after Beijing announced it would scrap covid travel restrictions next month. Also: The head of a right-wing plot to kidnap the governor of the US state of Michigan in 2020 has been sentenced to sixteen years in jail, and why police in Ghana are trying to crack down on what they see as harmful New Year prophecies.
China has announced it will drop international travel restrictions after almost three years, prompting a surge in Chinese citizens booking overseas trips. That's despite reports of hospitals 'overflowing' with Covid cases. We'll have the latest on Russia's decision to ban oil sales to countries which adopted a price cap. It's also Crypto Week here at World Business Report; and following the demise of FTX earlier this year, we're looking at the thorny issue of regulation.
In Cameroon the Ambazonian separatist leader known as 'One Blood', has been killed near the Northwest Regional capital Bamenda.Also, we've a special focus on South Sudan with former child soldier turned musician and activist, Emmanuel Jal, as our guest editor.And conflict rages in South Sudan's Upper Nile and Jonglei states, causing fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis.Those stories and more in this podcast presented by Bola Mosuro.
People in China are rushing to book overseas travel after Beijing said it would reopen its borders next month. It follows an announcement on Monday that ended almost three years of strict quarantine rules for arrivals. The easing of travel rules in China comes as the country battles a new wave of infections, with reports of hospitals being overwhelmed. Also on the programme: over 60 people are now known to have died in the United States after a monster winter storm battered North America. And we look at the rise in popularity of non-alcoholic drinks in the United Kingdom. (Image: taken in Shanghai, 27 Dec 2022. ALEX PLAVEVSKI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock )
Mondo Duplantis, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Noah Lyles are among Ed Harry’s guests as Sportworld reflects on the year in Track and Field and looks ahead to 2023. Also joining Ed are the former global 800 metres medallist, Jenny Meadows, along with Ade Adedoyin and Katie Smith. Plus, we’ll hear from two of the sport’s rising stars, Erriyon Knighton and Adriana Vilagos.Photo: Armand Duplantis of Team Sweden reacts after setting a world record and winning gold in the Men's Pole Vault Final on day ten of the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
President Tsai announced the plans amid growing tensions with China. Also: Iran's currency plunges to new lows, and the Australian woman running marathons for 150 consecutive days.
After three years of closed borders, China will effectively re-open on 8 January to those with work and study visas, and those seeking to visit family. The country has largely abandoned its zero-Covid policy - partly due to protests from fed-up citizens and partly because of the impact on the economy.In the US many people are still in danger as the deadly snow storm dubbed as the blizzard of the century is battering parts of North America and Canada. At least 28 people have died in western New York state. Local authorities are warning people to stay home.The war in Ukraine is affecting many people across the world. Even as the Russian offense continues - we take a look at the impact on Ukraine’s rich businessmen, the so-called oligarchs, who wielded enormous influence and power in the country. They have lost billions - and with them much of their clout.(Picture: China, Shanghai, people queing up at hypermarket. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
China distributes Pfizer medicine as it tackles rising COVID-19 cases; also in the programme Taiwan extends military service for men, and removing anti-personnel mines from the Lebanese-Israeli borders. (Photo: A medic gives an elderly patient an IV drip in a Beijing hospital. Credit: Reuters)
Chef Nelson Wang created his signature dish Chicken Manchurian in 1975. It was the birth of modern Indo-Chinese cuisine which went on to become hugely popular around the world. He went on to open China Garden, a Chinese restaurant in Mumbai that would draw in Bollywood's glitterati. Nelson's son Edward Wang, who is also a chef, speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma.(Photo: Chicken Manchurian. Credit: Paul Yeung/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
Cryptocurrency has had a difficult year - with the collapse of FTX which was once valued at more than $30bn, unsettling the wider industry, sparking bankruptcy filings at other firms and further declines in crypto values. Rahul Tandon is joined by Peter Morici in the United States and Mehmal Sarfraz in Pakistan to look at the year Crypto has had - in the first of our week-long series on crypto, running across World Business Report and Business Matters.Elsewhere we look at the snowstorms hitting the US, and discuss China and Covid in 2022.PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
At least twenty-five people are now known to have died in and around Buffalo -- the city worst hit by the winter storm that swept across the northeast US. Also: rebels in Tigray hail a visit by an Ethiopian government delegation as a milestone on the road to peace; and -- how the footballing superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, known for his quick feet, became embroiled in a scandal about chicken feet.
A hundred days after they began, the longest running anti-government protests in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution have shaken the regime, but at a heavy cost to the people. More than 500 protesters, including 69 children, have been killed, according to the Human Rights Activists' News Agency (HRANA). We have a report from BBC Persian’s Parham Ghobadi. Also on the programme: China announces it is dropping its requirement for travellers arriving in the country to go into quarantine. And we get the latest from Buffalo, the city worst hit by the winter storm that swept across the northeast United States. (Image credit: Getty)
As a great African predator and a hot-spot on safari, it is hard to believe that only last century, the African wild dog was considered vermin. It's beautiful coat of painted strokes makes it undeniably distinctive. Yet out in the field, this animal is hard to find. Yes, it camouflages easily against the landscape, but years of persecution, bounties and unintentional trappings means it's now one of the most endangered mammals on the planet. Revelations about its reliance on the pack for protection, predation and parenting means every dog matters in its bid for survival. So how can we further stop numbers dwindling? Adam Hart and guests investigate the tools and tales of the magnificent painted wolf.Dr Dani Rabaiotti, zoologist at the Zoological Society of London, and David Kuvawoga and Jealous Mpofu, conservationists at Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe.
After two years of being cut off and lives devastated by the civil war in Tigray, an Ethiopian Government delegation arrives in Mekelle, the capital of the region.Also, tragedy has rocked Boksburg community in South Africa after a tanker explosion.Plus, thousands displaced and living in Kayaruchinya camp in the east of the DRC return home to Kibumba after the M23 rebel withdrawal.And the Ganda Boys bring the warmth of Uganda as they share their folk music with the world.Those stories and more in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
Dozens killed by the Arctic freeze in the North America; also in the programme the International Rescue Committee suspends its Afghan operations because of the Taleban ban on women working for NGOs; and Israeli philosopher Omri Boehm on the one state solution.(Photo: Vehicles left stranded by storm in Buffalo, New York State. Credit: Reuters)
The South Korean military scrambled fighter jets to shoot down the drones but failed to hit any. Also: 100 days of political unrest in Iran, and Ukrainian medics have a crash course in treating war injuries by a top British surgeon.
Mo Ibrahim talks to Rahul Tandon about the challenges he faced setting up Celtel mobile phone company in Africa. He explains how he used scratchcards to provide people with a pay as you go service, why he sold the business and the development of the mobile phone industry. Mo Ibrahim also talks about setting up his own Foundation to support governance and leadership in Africa and why he thinks the continent needs to develop its own natural resources.
In 1982, rally driver Arnaldo Cavallari created ciabatta bread in Adria, in northern Italy.His family owned a flour mill and he wanted to invent a loaf to rival the French baguette.Rachel Naylor speaks to his close friend and fellow baker, Marco Vianello.(Photo: Ciabatta. Credit: Getty Images)
Kim Chakanetsa talks to a multi-award winning wine expert from France and a young sommelier from Kenya who was part of the first all-female team to take part in the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships 2022. Pascaline Lepeltier was studying for a PhD in Philosophy when she switched to work in a restaurant and pursue her interest in wine. She went on to become the only woman to have been named “Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - Sommellerie”, and also in 2018, Best French Sommelier. She has a passion for championing organic, natural and biodynamic wines and is beverage director at the New York restaurant Chambers.Melissa Mwende is a Kenyan born and raised sommelier and wine educator. After working as a wine ambassador for a brand in South Africa she opened a small wine shop outside Nairobi and works as a wine consultant. She wants people to learn about fantastic wines produced across the African continent.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Pascaline Lepeltier, credit Cedric Angeles. (R) Melissa Mwende, courtesy Melissa Mwende.)
Journalist Ben Raines went in search of a sunken ship with a dark history.A phone call out of the blue had set him on his hunt for the Clotilda, an American vessel that had illegally transported enslaved West African people to the US. On arrival it had been burnt, and hidden deep in the Alabama swamp. The story of the ship and its passengers had been kept alive by generations of people descended from those who had been enslaved. But these inherited histories were shrouded in secrecy, fear, and silence - seldom spoken of outside that community. So, when Ben dived into the swamp to find the Clotilda, it was more than a shipwreck that bubbled to the surface. Emily Webb speaks to Ben Raines and descendant Garry Lumbers about their intertwining stories.Presenter: Emily WebbProducer: Emily Webb and Olivia Lynch-KellyEditor: Munazza Khan
Humanitarian agencies have been holding crisis talks on the Taliban rule that NGOs in Afghanistan can no longer employ female staff. Also in the programme, China announces they'll no longer publish daily case numbers; and the Newshour Christmas Quiz: Tim Franks along with several razor-minded, quick-tongued colleagues will be submitting themselves to the annual brain exercise. (Photo: Afghan women chant slogans in protest against the closure of universities to women by the Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan. CREDIT: REUTERS/Stringer)
UN agencies and other non-governmental organisations have been told they can no longer employ female staff. Already, some NGOs like the Norwegian Council Refugee have decided to shut down all their operations. Its secretary-general, Jan Egeland, tells us why. Also in the programme, China announces they'll no longer publish daily case numbers; and the Newshour Christmas Quiz: Tim Franks along with several razor-minded, quick-tongued colleagues will be submitting themselves to the annual brain exercise.(PHOTO: A student stands at her home in Kabul. Credit: Getty)
Tim Franks, Razia Iqbal, James Menendez and Rebecca Kesby join James Coomarasamy for this extended edition of the Newshour end-of-year quiz.
As the year draws to a close, we revisit some of the most inspiring, uplifting news stories of 2022, including a US man who saved a family from a burning house; a 12-year-old woodworker who raised thousands of dollars for Ukraine; how a long-lost photo album was returned to its family; and more.
The UN criticises a ruling by the Taliban to bar Afghan women from working for aid agencies. Also: Volodymyr Zelensky says deadly Russian shelling of Kherson shows the evil Ukraine is fighting against. And a huge winter storm moves across North America.
The Taliban's war on women continues as they ban women from working for local and international aid agencies in Afghanistan.The Islamist rulers said female NGO employees had not followed their interpretation of Sharia law by failing to wear the hijab. We'll speak to someone who runs an affected organisation about the impact of the decision.Also in the programme: As the US and Canada remain in the grip of a once-in-a-generation deep freeze, we'll hear about conditions on an Indian reservation in South Dakota; and we'll be going Downtown with Petula Clarke, aged 90 and still on stage.Photo shows Afghan women walking along a road in Ghazni Province. Credit: Wakil Kohsar/AFP)
Infectious diseases which cause epidemics and pandemics are on the rise.Claudia Hammond is joined by an eminent panel of disease detectives, who spell out why the risks are increasing and most importantly, what we can do to predict, prepare and protect ourselves against potentially devastating new outbreaks.Will the next infectious disease to wreak havoc across the globe again jump from animals, a zoonotic jump across species? Think SARS, HIV, MERS, Zika, Nipah Virus, Lassa Fever, Ebola, Avian Flu, Swine Flu, Mpox and of course the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The panel is unanimous in their plea for recognition that human health is inextricably linked to both animal health and the health of the environment. Without an understanding that we are part of an ecosystem and that climate change and the loss of biodiversity have a direct impact on epidemic and pandemic risk, we’ll struggle to keep ourselves safe they say.Claudia is joined by vet-turned-virologist Marion Koopmans, Professor of Viroscience at Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands and head of the Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Centre; by Tulio de Oliveira, Professor of Bioinformatics, director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) and the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) in South Africa and Malik Peiris, Professor of Virology at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health. Produced by: Fiona Hill and Elisabeth TuohyStudio Engineer: Duncan HannantImage: Chickens in ThailandCredit: Wut'hi Chay Si Tang Kha/EyeEm/Getty Images
Five million American homes and businesses are without power. We speak to a meteorologist. Also in the program, in France, there have been angry scenes on the streets of Paris where Kurdish demonstrators haves again been protesting at the lack of security which they say led to the deaths of three of their community on Friday. (Photo: A man carrying a child moves in the blizzard. Credit: Getty)
Max Pearson presents a compilation of this week's Witness History programmes from the BBC World Service.Sir Trevor McDonald reflects on the BBC's first black producer, Una Marson, and her legacy in the development of the BBC Caribbean Service.Also, how the BBC managed to broadcast through the Iron Curtain, Colombia's false positives scandal and the incredible rescue of 33 miners trapped in Chile.(Photo: Sir Trevor McDonald. Credit: BBC)Contributors:Sir Trevor McDonald, Una Marson, Debbie Ransome and Neil Nunes - BBC presentersBridget Kendall - the BBC’s former Moscow correspondent Peter Udell - the BBC's former controller of European ServicesJacqueline Castillo - whose brother was a victim of the 'false positives' scandalDr Aslan Doukaev - university teacher when the first Chechen war startedMario Sepulveda - Chilean mine disaster survivor
Ukrainians at home and abroad reflect on the turmoil of the past year as they prepare to mark Christmas.
What can one-point-seven-trillion-dollars get you? It can get you a functioning US government, for a start. Congress has just given final approval to the huge spending bill, just hours before the government would have had to shut down for lack of funds. The bill incorporates the Biden administration's plans to boost domestic spending. It also supports Ukraine's defence effort and reforms US election law. Republicans have condemned the package as a monstrosity, complaining that it contains wasteful spending commitments without addressing their priorities, such as boosting security on the border with Mexico.The oil company Shell has agreed to pay nearly 16 million dollars in compensation to communities in Nigeria that were affected by multiple oil spills from pipelines in the Niger Delta. The money will benefit the Nigerian communities of Oruma, Goi and Ikot Ada Udo, that were impacted by four oil spills between 2004 and 2007.As we reported here yesterday, a "bomb cyclone" - a massive winter storm system is currently expanding across the United States, threatening to upend the travel plans of millions of Americans. Together with snow blizzards and freezing temperatures, local authorities are trying to deal with electricity cuts and protect everyone's Christmas.(Picture: United States Capitol West Facade with Fountain and Flowers. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
A gunman was arrested after he targeted a Kurdish cultural centre in central Paris. Also: major winter storm in US knocks out power to 1.5m people, and how does the glass frog make itself transparent?
The R’n’B singer Akon has had an incredibly successful music career, with a number of smash hits and legions of fans.Recently the singer launched two ambitious projects that are inextricably linked.The first is a cryptocurrency called Akoin that Akon says will provide financial independence for Africans, although some people are dissatisfied after investing in the dream and having nothing to show for it.The other project is a reported $6billion futuristically designed metropolis on the coast of Senegal called Akon City.Together Akoin and Akon City are supposed to represent the future of African life but after several delays will these plans ever take off?Presenter: Jonathan GriffinProducers: Borso Tall, Ned Davies Editor: Flora Carmichael
What can one-point-seven-trillion-dollars get you? It can get you a functioning US government, for a start. Congress has just given final approval to the huge spending bill, just hours before the government would have had to shut down for lack of funds. The bill incorporates the Biden administration's plans to boost domestic spending. It also supports Ukraine's defence effort and reforms US election law. Republicans have condemned the package as a monstrosity, complaining that it contains wasteful spending commitments without addressing their priorities, such as boosting security on the border with Mexico.The oil company Shell has agreed to pay nearly 16 million dollars in compensation to communities in Nigeria that were affected by multiple oil spills from pipelines in the Niger Delta. The money will benefit the Nigerian communities of Oruma, Goi and Ikot Ada Udo, that were impacted by four oil spills between 2004 and 2007.Belarusian-made laptops went on sale in Minsk on Thursday two days after the company that makes them, Gorizont, started production. Belarus is making its own laptops on the orders of President Alexander Lukashenko, who's insisting on import-substitution. Gorizont and the city authorities have big plans, including selling laptops in Russia and its allies. The maker says it's a modern computer comparable to big-name brands in quality. Its hardware is based on an 11th-generation Intel Core processor.(Picture: United States Capitol West Facade with Fountain and Flowers. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Three killed in gun attack at Kurdish centre in Paris; also in the programme the arctic cold sweeping North America; and oil giant Shell agrees to pay 15 million dollars in compensation to Nigerian farmers.(Photo: Policeman on motorbike facing Kurdish protesters in Paris. Credit: Shutterstock)
The multinational oil giant Shell will pay Nigerian farmers whose land was destroyed by pipeline leaks more than $16m in compensation. We speak to the Dutch division of the NGO Friends of the Earth, which helped to bring the case in the Netherlands. Shell maintains that the payout is not an admission of liability. Plus, following allegations of an attempted coup in The Gambia this week, we speak to Alagie Saidy-Barrow, who previously took part in an effort to overthrow the country’s former president Yahya Jammeh.And Akon tells us the Covid-19 pandemic is to blame for delays to his plans to build a futuristic city in Senegal, and says the project will still go ahead.
In this in-depth special programme, we look at the continuing impact to the world's food supply of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Despite the fact a grain deal was brokered by Turkey six months ago, 13 million people are still facing severe hunger according to Unicef. We speak to Unicef's Deputy Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Rania Dagash about this. Ukraine's Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yurii Vaskov explains how it's far from simple getting grain ships to leave the war-torn country, which is one of the world's largest producers. Bilal Muftuoglu, agricultural specialist at Argus, gives us a full analysis of global grain prices across this year - and provides a forecast for 2023.
At least a million are without power as high winds cause blackouts. Also: a devastating fire hits a coastal city in Chile, and we hear from the women running the world's most remote post office.
The report by the US Congressional committee investigating the deadly assault on the Capitol last year has been published in full. It accuses the former president, Donald Trump, of a conspiracy to overturn the result of the 2020 elections and recommends barring him from public office.French police have arrested a man in his sixties after a shooting in central Paris left three people dead.And we hear from the frontline in eastern Ukraine from a young soldier. (Photo credit: EPA)
在新年到来之际，BBC英语教学的主持人菲菲下决心要开始健康饮食。她告诉 Neil 这是 “a change for the better”。听他们的对话，学习如何用 “a change for the better” 来形容人和事物 “变好，改进”。
Business Daily reviews one of the most important 12 months for the world of money and work on record. Big economic news has dominated in 2022. We saw war break out in Europe, record high energy, fuel and food prices, increasing interest rates and in parts of the world total financial meltdown.We look at how Business Daily reported 2022 and spoke to the people at the very sharp end of how the economy has changed lives over the past 12 months.We hear from businesses right across the world in sectors struggling with prices rises and increasing costs, from the people trying to escape or rebuild broken economies and from those who are harnessing new technology and an ever changing work environment to make money or push for change. We also saw many sectors bounce back post-Covid, the return of travel and tourism to many countries, sporting events were once again played to full capacity crowds and festivals, concerts and cinema bounced back as audiences came back and spent their cash.We also look to the year ahead and what might be in store in 2023.
On 5 August 2010, 33 miners were trapped underground after a rockfall in the San José copper and gold mine in Chile.They were rescued 69 days later.Rachel Naylor speaks to one of the miners, Mario Sepúlveda, who was nicknamed Super Mario by the media.(Photo: Mario Sepúlveda, in the centre, celebrates being rescued from the mine on 13 October 2010. Credit: Rodrigo Arangua / AFP via Getty Images)
Up to 55 miles per hour winter winds and very cold weather is set to affect millions across the US this week, just as they try to meet up with their families over Christmas. Freezing temperatures and strong storms threaten to wreak havoc on holiday travel plans. We can only hope that Santa will make it!A private Russian military company The Wagner Group has now been accused by the US government of buying rockets and missiles from North Korea for use in Ukraine – charges it denies. So what is this company? Is it a commercial entity or just an arm of the Russian state?Plus the disgraced founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, has appeared in a court in New York where he faces multi-billion dollar fraud charges.(Picture: Snow fall. Picture Credit: Getty Images)
Israel to have its most right-wing government; also in the programme why did the Taleban ban girls from universities; and nepotism in Hollywood.(Photo: Israeli Prime-minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit: Reuters)
Mosquito pesticide failing - prevention of dengue fever and other diseases at risk.Dangerous bird flu evolving fast - researchers are learning why bird flu is persisting and spreading fast round the world, and assess the threat to humans.Drilling for ancient ice in the Antarctic - Roland talks to one of the team drilling kilometres into an ancient, frozen record of past climate,Martian rock store opens - NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is stashing rock samples future missions could bring back to Earth.Image credit: Shinji KasaiProducer: Roland PeaseAssistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
More details about the people involved in the foiled coup in The Gambia raises more questions about what exactly happened on Tuesday night.Also, Egypt and Tanzania inaugurate the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam - the largest in East Africa.And a debate in South Sudan over the quality of English spoken by graduates. Some blame the failings of the education system.Those stories and more in this podcast with Audrey Brown.
Officials from Egypt and Tanzania are inaugurating the new Julius Nyerere Hydropower dam. The dam has a capacity of 2,115 MW and is set to become the largest in East Africa, and Africa’s fourth largest. It was built at a cost of US$3 Billion. The inauguration will see the first filling of the dam along the Rufiji River.Elsewhere Germany - Europe’s largest economy - is burning more coal than it has done for a while. It now generates more than a third of its electricity from coal-fired power plants.Plus El Gordo gets underway in Spain. It's the world's biggest lottery - with the equivalent of almost 2 and a half billion dollars up for grabs.PHOTO CREDIT: Ascent Xmedia. 515966943
The former Inter Milan, Liverpool and England coach Roy Hodgson remembers his early career.In the first of two special programmes he recalls playing in South Africa during the apartheid era, revolutionising the game in Sweden, finding success with the Swiss national team, and getting a dream move to Italy's Serie A.Picture on website: Roy Hodgson applakuds the fans after a match between Crystal Palace and Watford. (Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Security forces arrest several women marching in Kabul. Also: Asia's 'El Chapo' drug baron is extradited to Australia; and Bob Dylan reveals his favourite binge-watching shows.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is en route back to Ukraine after visiting the United States for his first overseas trip since his country was invaded by Russia in February. In Washington he held talks with President Joe Biden and told US lawmakers that Ukraine was "alive and kicking" and would never surrender. Biden announced more support for Ukraine, including a Patriot missile defence system. We look at what difference this could make to the war. Also on the programme: a new government seen as the most right-wing in Israel's history has been agreed, sealing Benjamin Netanyahu's return to power. And we look at the uncertain future of flamenco in Spain. (Image: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers an address to a joint meeting of the United States Congress in the House of Representatives chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA, 21 December 2022. Photo by ERIC LEE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
To many, the passionate music and dance known as flamenco is an important marker of Spanish identity, and perhaps even synonymous with it. So much so, that Unesco has recognised the art form as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Yet its place within the country of its birth is both more complicated – and more precarious - than this might suggest.During the Covid lockdowns, a third of all flamenco venues closed down, and with many yet to reopen, training opportunities for new artists remain in short supply. The pandemic has also exacerbated the struggle of many singers and dancers to make ends meet. Meanwhile, to the outrage of purists, other practitioners see a future in fusing traditional flamenco with new, more commercially viable genres, such as pop and hip-hop. Still others see flamenco as a stereotype, and unhelpful to their country’s modern image.The BBC’s Madrid correspondent Guy Hedgecoe takes us on a colourful journey, reflecting on flamenco’s intriguing origins among the downtrodden folk culture of southern Spain, its difficult present, and its possibly uncertain future.Presenter: Guy HedgecoeProducer: Mike Gallagher
In 2004 the Mongol Rally was created; a global road trip where drivers race over 16,000 km from England to Mongolia. There’s no set route and you have to use a car with a tiny engine.A year later it was introduced to the wider world for the first time and Richard Birch from England took on the challenge with his friends, all in an old Fiat Panda. Richard tells Vicky Carter about his memories of the journey across Europe, Russia and Asia. (Photo: Two cars competing in the Mongol Rally in 2004 in Mongolia. Credit: The Adventurists)
In December 1994, Russian forces began the siege of Chechnya’s capital Grozny. Dr Aslan Doukaev was a university teacher when the first Chechen war started. In this programme first broadcast in 2010 he tells Ed Butler about surviving months of conflict.(Photo: Russian soldier during the siege of Grozny. Credit: Getty Images)
The technology news team review the year in the form of a quiz. Paul Carter and Liv McMahon take on Nick Kwek and Alasdair Keane to see who remembers most about the best - and worst - tech news moments of 2022. And all four face the ultimate test: can they tell which is the genuine Christmas story, loved for decades - and which has been conjured up in an instant by AI?
The Biden administration has announced $1.85bn in new lethal aid for Ukraine, including the Patriot air defence system.Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky calls the Patriot missile defence system a "very important step to create secure airspace over Ukraine".He says it will "significantly" strengthen the country's defence.
On a visit to Washington, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, thanked the American people for their unwavering support, as the war in Ukraine continues. Also: Israel's most right-wing government agreed under Benjamin Netanyahu, and do you play pickleball?
Calories are fundamental to the way many of us view food and our own bodies - you’ll find them on supermarket shelves, restaurant menus, and in cookbooks. But they didn’t start out that way. Originally coined during the study of steam engines and industrial energy, the term ‘calorie’ was transformed into a measurement of food as ‘fuel’ for humans, influencing industrial, public health and even foreign policies for more than 100 years. It’s also spawned a multi-billion dollar diet industry – we learn about the author whose battle with her weight introduced the world to calorie counting. But should we be paying the calorie so much attention? There are growing concerns that it’s a misleading, perhaps even dangerous guide to how our bodies digest food and burn energy. Bridgett Kendall is joined by Dr Giles Yeo, professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge and author of ‘Why Calories Don’t Count: How we got the science of weight loss wrong’; Adrienne Rose Bitar, a specialist in the history and culture of American food and health at Cornell University, New York, and author of ‘Diet and the Disease of Civilization’; and Nick Cullather, professor of history and international studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. (Picture: A smartphone showing a calorie counting app and surrounded by fresh vegetables, donuts and other snacks on a table. Credit: Getty Images)
Ukrainian cookbook writer Olia Hercules reflects on why it's important to mark this festive season, and the traditional dishes she’ll be serving at the Christmas table in London this year. Ruth Alexander speaks to Olia and her Russian born friend and fellow food writer, Alissa Timoshkina, to discuss how these food traditions have developed and how relatives and friends will be marking Christmas in the war-torn country, ten months on from Russia’s invasion. Ruth also sits down with a Ukrainian family of refugees and their British hosts in Blackburn in the North of England to find out what will be on their Christmas table this year, and what it’s like to be separated from loved ones at this time. For Mariya Dmytrenko and her children, Krystina and Artem, and their hosts Brian and Julie Lamb, food has provided opportunities to bond and learn about each other’s cultures as they share a home. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk Presented by Ruth Alexander Produced by Beatrice Pickup (Image: Mariya Dmytrenko and her children Krystina and Artem in Brian and Julie Lamb’s kitchen in Blackburn England. Credit: BBC)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting US President Joe Biden at the White House. Mr Zelensky says he's in the US to "thank the American people, the president and the congress for their much-needed support".Also in the programme: Hundreds of young women in Afghanistan have been stopped from entering university campuses, a day after the Taliban suspended higher education for female students. We'll hear from two of them. We also go to northern Sweden where reindeer herders are opposing plans to invest in green technology.(Photo: In their first moments together, Mr Biden tells Mr Zelensky that the United States backs "just peace" for Ukraine, telling the Ukrainian leader that his country continues to "impress the world". Credit: Getty Images)
It’s been another busy year on the BBC’s Health Check, where we’ve brought you the health and science stories that matter to you from around the globe, week in, week out.In this episode, Claudia Hammond is joined by Dr Ann Robinson to pick out some of the biggest breakthroughs of the year, from major advancements in gene therapy for two debilitating blood conditions, to a huge leap forward on treatment for dementia, and what looks like the conclusion of a long-running medical mystery. Claudia also hears about new findings on the best way to remember the important things in life – is it writing a list? Tech aides? Or a bit of both? And findings from a new German study on how psychology could be used to help close the gender pay gap.And we’ll look at the current rise in infections in Europe associated with the streptococcus bacteria – why is this happening now and how can you spot the signs of more serious infection?Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Gerry Holt
The government in the Gambia says a military coup has been foiled and four soldiers have been arrested. Initially the authorities dismissed reports of the unrest as a military drill. We hear from our correspondent in the capital, Banjul. Uganda’s President Museveni has declared the Ebola outbreak is over - but what is the basis on which the president made the announcement? And in a landmark ruling, Kenya’s high court has said that the forced sterilisation of women living with HIV is a violation of their human rights. We hear from the woman who was at the centre of the case.
President Zelensky will meet President Biden in Washington later on his first trip abroad since Russia invaded. The US has confirmed it will supply Ukraine with a Patriot missile system, significantly increasing the country's air defence capability.Hundreds of young women in Afghanistan have been stopped from entering university campuses, a day after the Taliban suspended higher education for female students. We hear from a student and UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. And why the army can't pretend to fill the gaps in Britain's healthcare system caused by striking ambulance workers today.
He's expected to meet President Biden and address Congress. Also, in Afghanistan Taliban guards prevent hundreds of women from entering university campuses and, scientists find the first known example of a mammal being eaten by a dinosaur.
In 2008, it was revealed that Colombia’s army had been executing civilians and pretending they were rebels killed in the country’s ongoing civil war. At least 4,600 innocent people were murdered in this way. They became known as the ‘false positives’. Ben Henderson speaks to Jacqueline Castillo, whose brother was one of the victims, and Carlos Mora, who was ordered to execute civilians when he was a soldier.(Photo: Families of 'false positives' victims. Credit: Juancho Torres/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
一位网友想学习单词 “surge” 的用法。“Surge” 既可以作名词，也可以作动词使用，常用于正式的文章和报告中，意思是 “急剧增长”。它还可以描述 “波浪或情绪涌动”。听节目，学习这个词的用法。
US House committee votes to release Donald Trump’s tax information to the publicJapan’s central bank catches markets off guard by making a move to tackle inflation.And what impact will the Taliban government’s decision to close universities for women have on the economy ?Devina Gupta discusses these and other business news stories with the Editor of National and Strategic Affairs at The Print website in India Jyoti Malhotra, and Walter Todd, the President and chief investment officer of US based Greenwood Capital.
The move by the Taliban further restricts women's access to education, after they were excluded from secondary schools. Also: China's new Covid death count fuels scepticism, and the art of dunking biscuits.
The United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau acts after widespread mismanagement of car loans, mortgages and bank accounts. Japan set to control inflation by announcing an unexpected change to its controversial yield curve control policy. And hundreds of nurses stage a second day of strike action over pay in England and Wales.
The BBC has gained rare access to Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where malnutrition is widespread following the civil war. Nigeria receives 22 precious Benin Bronzes returned by Germany after they were looted in the colonial period. Plus the tech company offering paid menstrual leave to employees.
Japan's makes policy change to control inflation. NHS nurses take strike action over pay.
A 97 year old German woman has been given a two-year suspended sentence for complicity in the murder of more than ten thousand people during the Second World War.Irmgard Furchner, 97, was taken on as a teenaged typist for the commander of a Nazi concentration camp between 1943 and 1945. With the generation who lived through the war increasingly passing on, could this be one of the last trials we see from this period of history?Also in the programme: President Putin says Russia's borders need to be strengthened, as do social controls inside the country; and huge crowds mass in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires, for a victory parade by the country's World Cup winning footballers.(Photo shows Irmgard Furchner, a former secretary for an SS commander of a Stutthof concentration camp, in a courtroom in Itzehoe, northern Germany, on October 19, 2021. Credit: AFP)
The 97-year-old German worked for a concentration camp commandant as a teenager. Also: Rescuers continue searching for two dozen sailors from a Thai warship that sank on Sunday, and Argentina’s football team comes home to a hero's welcome following their World Cup win.
新年要到了，主持人 Neil 送给菲菲一个茶壶作礼物。菲菲很喜欢这个礼物，她告诉 Neil 这个礼物是 “the gift that keeps on giving”。难道她是想让 Neil 接着给她送礼物吗？听他们之间的对话，学习如何使用表达 “the gift that keeps on giving”。
Meet the man who makes presidents wait. J Edgar Hoover built and then ran the FBI for almost five decades. He turned it from a bureaucratic backwater into a premier crime fighting and counterintelligence force. In the process, he arguably became America’s most powerful man. He has been dead for 50 years and still his shadow looms over the US. His job was to enforce the law but he would not always be bound by it.
According to research from the University of Surrey in the UK, the country which wins the competition tends to enjoy an increase in exports.(Picture: LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 18: Lionel Messi of Argentina and team celebrate after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
The Democrat-led committee voted unanimously for the justice department to prosecute Mr Trump. Also: EU countries have agreed a cap on the price of natural gas in response to soaring energy bills caused by Russia's war against Ukraine, and how a few seconds of turbulence injured more than thirty plane passengers on a flight to Hawaii.
The Federal Trade Commission has accused Epic Games, the maker of video game Fortnite, of illegally collecting data on children without parental consent, as required by the US law.Epic Games will pay more than $500 million as part of the settlement to the FTC, which is the biggest pay out in its history.The games company said, “We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players,” We share the underlying principles of fairness, transparency and privacy that the FTC enforces, and the practices referenced in the FTC’s complaints are not how Fortnite operates.”
A US House of Representatives committee has voted unanimously to recommend that criminal charges should be brought against the former president Donald Trump over the assault on Capitol Hill almost two years ago. The Democratic-led panel wants the Justice Department to prosecute Mr Trump on charges including inciting an insurrection, obstruction of official proceedings, and conspiring to defraud the US government. The recommendation is non-binding and the Justice Department itself will decide whether to pursue any prosecutions.Also in the programme: The Dutch Premier issues a landmark apology for his country's role in slavery; and a new deal to protect the world's ecosystems. How historic is it?(Photo: The US House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Attack on the Capitol announces criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump being sent to the Justice Department. Credit: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
South Africa's President Ramaphosa breathes a sigh of relief after being re-elected leader of the ruling African National Congress, following a serious challenge by his former Health Minister.Also, the High Court in London rules the UK Government's asylum plan to send migrants to Rwanda is legal.And we hear from Senegal's rising music star Samba Peuzzi.Those stories and more in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
With nicknames like ‘prehistoric monster’ and ‘living dinosaur’, the Komodo dragon has been well and truly judged by its cover. Its gigantic size, razor sharp teeth and deadly attacking power has earned it a vicious reputation. But beneath the scales of this solitary beast are fascinating tales of rapid healing, decoy nests, and virgin births. And as climate change threatens its native Indonesia, can this hostile reptile adapt to living in closer quarters? Adam Hart and guests dig into how a lonely life may be putting the Komodo dragon at risk...Deni Purwandana, program co-ordinator for the Komodo Survival Program in Komodo National Park, and Dr Chris Michaels, team leader of Reptiles and Amphibians at London Zoo.
For 90 years the BBC World Service has been broadcasting in dozens of languages to audiences so huge they are counted in the tens of millions all over the globe. World Service began transmitting on 19 December 1932. It was called the BBC Empire Service, speaking in slow English via crackly short-wave radio to a now-vanished Empire which then ruled a fifth of the globe. The Second World War saw radio services expand massively, broadcasting in more than 40 languages to listeners hungry for truth and facts they could trust. In every crisis and conflict since, individual voices out of the air have offered news, but also drama, music, education and sometimes hope to their audiences.In a special 90th anniversary programme, the broadcaster Nick Rankin, who worked for more than 20 years at the BBC, digs into a treasure trove of sound archive and talks to journalists who made and still make the BBC World Service such a remarkable network.
Countries have agreed a landmark deal that aims to protect a third of the planet's lands and seas by 2030. The deal - clinched after marathon talks at a UN biodiversity summit in Canada - comes as ecosystems face increasing pressure from human activity. It aims to try to halt the extinction of species, ensure resources are used sustainably, and better protect indigenous people's rights. Campaign groups have hailed the deal as historic but some African countries objected to the text and how it was adopted.Also in the programme, in the wake of an electrifying football World Cup final, will there be a lasting legacy for Qatar and countries in the region?And we report on the difficulty of putting names to many of the victims of the war in Ukraine.(Photo credit: Getty Images)
The plan aims to protect a third of the planet by 2030. It came after marathon talks at a UN biodiversity summit in Canada. Also: Elon Musk should quit as boss of Twitter according to users of an online poll he organised himself, and the BBC World Service turns 90.
To mark the 90th anniversary of the BBC World Service, we trace the development of the Caribbean Service.Its beginnings go back to the early 1940s when the BBC’s first black producer, Una Marson was employed. She created Caribbean Voices, which gave future Nobel laureates such as Derek Walcott their first international platform.In 1969, one of the UK’s best known newsreaders, Sir Trevor McDonald, left Trinidad to join the BBC Caribbean Service as a producer.He reflects on its legacy. Produced and presented by Josephine McDermott.Archive recording of West Indies Calling from 1943, is used courtesy of the Imperial War Museum. Una Marson's poem Black Burden is used courtesy of Peepal Tree Press and the BBC Caribbean Service archive material was provided by the Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies.(Photo: Sir Trevor McDonald and Una Marson. Credit: BBC)
Stephen Sackur is in in Oakland, California, to speak to Ericka Huggins, an original member of the 1960s Black Panther Party. She experienced violence,imprisonment and vilification in the controversial campaign for black power. Do the Panthers have lessons for the Black Lives Matter movement?
As the BBC World Service celebrates its 90th anniversary, we look back on nine decades of sports broadcasting. From the launch of Saturday Special in 1959 through to the present day, this is the history of BBC World Service sport featuring iconic sporting moments, familiar theme tunes and memories of presenters past and present.Mike Costello, Russell Fuller, Caroline Barker, Lee James and Nishat Ladha join Delyth Lloyd to take a trip down memory lane.Photo: Sportsworld presenter Lee James at the 2018 Fifa World Cup. (Credit: BBC)
What role did women play in the social and cultural life of Ancient Egypt? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women uncovering secrets from this incredible civilisation. Dr Monica Hanna is an Egyptologist and a leading heritage expert. She’s the acting dean of the College of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage at the Arab Academy in Aswan. Monica’s been awarded for her fight against looting. Dr Solange Ashby is an Egyptologist at UCLA whose work focuses on Nubia, a region in Northeast Africa split between present-day Egypt and Sudan. Solange’s current research explores the role of women in ancient Nubia and she’s writing a monograph about the royal women of Kush.Produced by Alice Gioia and Lorna Treen.(Image: (L) Dr Monica Hanna, credit Justin Merriman. (R) Dr Solange Ashby, credit courtesy of Dr Solange Ashby).
Argentine journalist Francisco Canepa, and delirious Argentina fans, reflect on an incredible World Cup final.We also hear from Ambet Yuson, General-Secretary of Building and Woodworkers International, who since 2016 has been working with FIFA and the Supreme Committee. He makes a heartfelt plea to football fans and players not to forget the migrant workers.Plus, fans from various countries reflect on their experiences in Qatar.
The team beat France on penalties in a sensational match which saw Lionel Messi crowned player of the tournament. Also: delegates at a UN biodiversity conference in Montreal draw up a plan to protect ecosystems on thirty percent of the planet, and we hear about a new BBC World Service drama called The Dark Is Rising.
Nakuset blocked out painful memories of being removed from her indigenous Canadian familyNakuset only goes by one name and it means "The Sun" in her indigenous Canadian culture. Born into an abusive household, her early days were difficult and it wasn't long before she and her sister Sonya were taken into care by social services. This was the 1970s, and there was a widespread policy of taking indigenous children and putting them up for adoption with white families, removing them from their culture in the process. Nakuset was adopted, her sister wasn't. It was a painful process for Nakuset, but her eventual reunion with Sonya as an adult helped her get in touch with her heritage. The two sisters became close, but sadly their respective childhood experiences had left them scarred, and the reunion didn't have a fairy-tale ending.Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Harry GrahamEditor Munazza KhanIf you've been affected by any of the issues relating to mental health in this programme, help is available at Befrienders.org or at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Argentina win the football World Cup in Qatar. Also in the programme: delegates at the UN biodiversity conference COP 15 discuss a draft framework agreement; and the German girls’ choir that is changing a thousand-year-old tradition.(Photo: Lionel Messi holding the trophy surrounded by teammates and Argentine football supporters after winning the 2022 World Cup. Credit: Shutterstock)
Fusion milestone - the science behind the headlines.Laser fusion expert Kate Lancaster walks us through the technology that produced energy gain at the US's National Ignition Facility NIFWhirlwinds on MarsWhat the sounds of a dust devil passing over NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover tells us about the Martian atmosphere75 years of the transistor electronics revolution - where next for Moore's Law?December 16th 1947 was the day the first ever transistor device passed an electrical current. Trillions are made every day these days, powering our interconnected world. Roland recalls meeting some of the pioneers for the 50th anniversary, including Gordon Moore, and hears from Berkeley Dean of engineering Tsu-Jae King Liu how the revolution will continue for another 25 years.CrowdScience listener David was sanding down a door frame when he began wondering: Why it was that a rough thing like sandpaper is used to make another thing smoother? And furthermore, why does the process produce so much heat?We try to reduce friction in some cases by using lubricants, whilst at other times like braking at a traffic junction we depend upon friction entirely. Anand Jagatia heads to Edinburgh in Scotland, UK, to meet some true masters of this mysterious force: Curling players. What exactly is friction, and does thinking about it tell us something deeper about the universe?
The defending champions, France, are poised to play against Argentina, with all eyes on their respective star players Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. We'll hear from both countries and ask what to expect. Also in the programme: will an EU agreement on carbon trading help to curb climate change?; and why film-maker Steven Spielberg's memories of one of his works, Jaws, are tinged with regret.(Photo: Argentina fan displays a Lionel Messi shirt inside the stadium in Qatar. Credit: REUTERS/Hannah Mckay)
They come as just nine-percent of electorate voted in parliamentary elections. Also: the well known Iranian film actress Taraneh Alidoosti -- who has publicly supported anti-government protests rocking the country -- has been arrested, and a rare glimpse into what's really going on inside Myanmar.
Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, has ruled out resigning, saying it would solve nothing in the political crisis sparked by the impeachment of her predecessor, Pedro Castillo. She renews her call for Congress to approve early elections, to curb the street protests that have claimed more than twenty lives. We hear the latest. Also in the programme: We go to Tunisia, where people have been voting in parliamentary elections and we hear why voting turnout was low, and an Iranian actress who starred in an Oscar winning movie has become the latest famous person to be arrested as anti-government protests continue.(Photo: Peru's President Dina Boluarte speaks during a ceremony in Lima, Peru, December 9, 2022. Credit: Reuters)
The forced removal of families who weren't white from District Six, in Cape Town, by the South African apartheid regime and the man who jumped from space back to earth.Also, stories about a Soviet fashionista, the Nazi occupation of Jersey and the Mongolia Revolution. (Photo: District Six, circa 1969, in Cape Town. Credit: Getty Images)Contributors:Zahra Nordien - who was forced out of District Six in Cape Town in 1977Chrischené Julius - the manager of Collections, Research and Documentation at the District Six MuseumJenny Lecoat - the great-niece of Louisa Gould, who hid a Russian man from Nazis in JerseyGanbold Davaadorj - a pro-democracy protestor in MongoliaSlava Zaitsev - Russian fashion designerFelix Baumgartner - daredevil
Tunisians are voting in a parliamentary election that has been boycotted by opposition parties. President Kais Saied dissolved the previous parliament last year when he assumed sweeping powers. We speak to the BBC's Bassam Bounenni in Tunis and Dr Lina Khatib of the Chatham House think-tank. Also on the programme: China's biggest city Shanghai orders most schools to hold classes online as Covid cases soar. And we catch the mood in Buenos Aires as Argentina prepares for its World Cup final clash against France on Sunday. (Image: A Tunisian woman prepares to cast her vote during the first round of the Tunisian parliamentary elections, in a polling station in Tunis, Tunisia, 17 December 2022. EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
We preview the World Cup final between Argentina and France in the company of two football journalists. Argentina's Seba Ongarelli and Sara Menai for France. Plus we hear about some of the more than 130 players taking part in the World Cup but whom represent countries they were not born in. Dr Gijs van Campenhout from the University of Utrecht has been writing about the subject of migrant footballers for many years... So is this a new phenomenon?Photo: Pyrotechnics explode around a giant FIFA World Cup trophy prior to the semi final match between France and Morocco. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
This weekend sees the WS celebrates a significant birthday - it’s become a nonagenarian! For 90 years it has been broadcasting in dozens of languages to audiences counted in the tens of millions all over the globe. We hear your memories of your listening experience and what the service means to you.Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard ShannonA Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
The lack of science around 'med beds' - miracle devices with magical healing properties - has not stopped people from shelling out thousands of dollars to buy them. Why have med beds taken off online and who’s selling them?Presenter: Mike WendlingProducer: Elizabeth HotsonEditor: Flora Carmichael
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance has revealed that the auditor Mazars has stopped working with it as outflows from platform swelled to $6 billion following the collapse of FTX earlier in the week.The website offering digital trading cards showing Donald Trump in guises such as a superhero, astronaut and Nascar driver says the items have already sold out. The announcement drew criticism and mockery, including from Republicans.And as the month-long FIFA World Cup tournament draws to a close, we evaluate how the competition not only proved to be a tourism boom for host Qatar but also for neighbour – the UAE and in particular – Dubai.(Its a difficult time for Cryptocurrency. Credit:Getty)
Two ministers in the government have resigned citing deadly protests that have followed the ousting and arrest of President Pedro Castillo.. Also: chaos as the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa is heckled at a conference of the governing ANC where he's hoping to be re-elected as leader, and from James Bond to Benoit Blanc -- Daniel Craig tells us about his role as a gay detective in the film Glass Onion.
World’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance has revealed that the auditor Mazars has stopped working with it following $6bn withdrawals this week.Earlier in the week, Binance experienced over $1bn worth of redemptions as fears mounted over the future of the crypto market.As the month-long FIFA World Cup tournament draws to a close, we evaluate how the competition not only proved to be a tourism boom for host Qatar but also for neighbour – the UAE and in particular – Dubai.
Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv has been left without power after the latest wave of Russian strikes targeted energy stations across the country. We speak to Anastasia, a resident of Kharkiv who says she heard several explosions as the strikes began on Friday morning. Also in the programme: President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has been heckled as he addressed his own ANC party conference; and we have a sneak preview of a documentary on one of the most powerful politicians in the United States, Nancy Pelosi, made by her own daughter. (Photo: A view of a street where lights have been switched off as blackouts continue in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Credit: SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA).
South Africa’s ruling ANC party begins its annual conference. President Ramaphosa is facing challenges on several fronts amid poor economic numbers and the fallout from a corruption enquiry, with some hecklers disrupting his speech.Plus, Tunisia gets ready to hold parliamentary elections for the first time since President Kais Saied pushed through constitutional changes which grant his office sweeping powers. And we meet the first African athlete to earn a top six position in a winter sport world championship event.
Ukraine says its infrastructure has been hit again, and Kharkiv, the country's second biggest city is without power. Also: Twitter closes the accounts of several journalists, many of whom had been critical of Elon Musk's takeover of the social media site. And how being too polite can be bad for your health.
Roger Hearing has the latest as more than 200 Chinese companies open their books to US regulators, to avoid being kicked off the US stock market. The Head of Gas, Coal and Power markets at the International Energy Agency joins World Business Report to explain why global coal consumption is set to rise to an all-time high in 2022, and former US President Donald Trump launches a series of NFTs in the style of digital trading cards.
Russia has launched a new wave of missile strikes against civilian targets across Ukraine. From the city of Kharkiv, a young mother tells Newshour about the "endless torture" of war and about life with no power or water. Also in the programme: As cocaine production grows worldwide, we have a report from Europe's smuggling gateway; and why Elon Musk has banned some US journalists from Twitter. (Photo: People shelter in a subway station during an air raid alert in Kyiv Ukraine, 16 December 2022. A wave of Russian missile attacks on 16 December targeted the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other parts of the country. Russian troops on 24 February entered Ukrainian territory, starting a conflict that has provoked destruction and a humanitarian crisis. Credit: Oleg Petrasyuk /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Yevgeny Prigozhin is the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, a role that he denied until September. Andrei Zakharov of BBC Russian has been investigating the story of Mr Prigozhin for many years, and he shares his insights. Qatar cultural exchange As the Arab world's first football World Cup concludes, the BBC's Lina Shaikhouni shares her impressions of the cultural exchanges the event has witnessed, from traditional local dress made up in team colours, to stadiums designed to echo desert tents. New York's migrant crisis New York City has extended the state of emergency declared in October to address an "unprecedented humanitarian crisis" over an influx of migrants. Most of the migrants are Venezuelans who spent months making the difficult journey to reach the United States. BBC Mundo’s Analia Llorente went to New York to find out why the migrants have come to the city.The freed Burmese prisoner and his cats Burmese pro-democracy activist Mya Aye was among thousands of prisoners released a few weeks ago by the military. His return home was welcomed not only by friends and family, but by his 34 cats. BBC Burmese editor Soe Win Than tells us his story.The endangered saffron fields of Kashmir The purple fields of saffron that used to blanket the landscape in Indian-administered Kashmir in the harvest season are under threat. The crop has been affected by climate change and modern farming methods. Riyaz Masroor went to the fields to report for BBC Urdu.(Photo: Yevgeny Prigozhin attends a meeting with foreign investors at Konstantin Palace. Credit: Mikhail Svetlov/ Getty Images)
In October 2012, skydiver and former Austrian paratrooper Felix Baumgartner was watched live by millions as he ascended into the stratosphere in a helium balloon. He then jumped an estimated 38km from space back to earth. In doing so, he broke the speed of sound and the highest skydive record that had lasted more than 50 years. Felix tells Dan Hardoon about his big leap.A Whistledown production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Felix Baumgartner jumping from space. Credit: Getty Images)
Sam Bankman-Fried is arrested and charged days after telling our reporter Joe Tidy he was confident he would avoid prosecution. We discuss the question Joe asked Sam - has he killed crypto? Also this week: the dismayed reaction of the global charities that sat on Twitter's now disbanded Trust and Safety Council. As China goes to the World Trade Organisation over the USA's restrictions on its semi-conductor industry, we ask is there any end in sight to the so-called chip wars. And the actor Andonis Anthony on what's it like bringing a video game character to life.
It’s the last episode in our five-part Business Daily series all about high value, high transaction jobs you might read about, see on the TV or glamorised in films. In episode five Leanna Byrne interviews some of the oldest and most well-known auction houses in the world.Bruno Vinciguerra, chief executive of Bonhams, tells us how auctioneers determine what’s worth auctioning off and what’s not.Jenny Lok, head of business development and operations at Poly Auction Hong Kong, tells us what the day in the life of an auctioneer is really like.And Kelly Crow, staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal, gives an insight into who’s buying all of this really expensive stuff?Presenter / Producer: Leanna ByrneImage: Jenny Lok; Credit: Poly Auction Hong Kong
Nurses in the UK have gone on strike demanding higher pay amid a cost of living crisis. The UK is currently in the midst of a wave of industrial action involving tens of thousands of people from a whole range of sectors.Also in the programme: There's been a steep rise in deforestation in Brazil's tropical savannah region; and find out why South Korea has a poor record on gender equality.(Picture: Nurses on the picket line outside a London hospital. Credit: Lucy North/PA Wire)
In the UK, some Nurses in the Government-funded National Health Service are the latest group to take action over pay. The Royal College of Nursing wants a 19 percent pay rise and says below inflation increases are compromising care by making it hard to attract and retain nurses. But the government says that's not affordable. It's the latest in a series of strikes and we look at how the public and private sectors across the world are tackling the issue of fair pay.Elsewhere we hear from Qatar, and ask what the World Cup has meant for the country's future.Plus Avatar - which opens this weekend in cinemas around the globe. Just how important is it for the future of cinema?Devina Gupta is joined by James Mayger in Beijing and Gaby Castro in Uruguay.Photo credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
President Joe Biden issued an executive order authorising the latest disclosure. Also: exploding gift injures Polish police chief; and is there a relationship between exercise and the microbes in our gut?
British nurses are striking, and the health service is in trouble. Stephen Sackur speaks to Wes Streeting, a rising star of the UK's Labour party and their shadow health secretary. Does Labour have a credible plan to fix public services and save the UK from a winter of economic discontent?
The Bank of England has increased interest rates again -- for the ninth time in a row -- as part of efforts to counter inflation. The basic rate is going up by half of one per cent -- to three and a half per cent. Meanwhile the European Central Bank has also increased its main interest rate by 0.5% to 2.5% - following Wednesday's rise by the US Federal Reserve.It all leads to stock market falls over the world - we explain why.Plus we're in the US where Washington DC could soon become the largest city in the country to introduce free bus travel.
On the third month of demonstrations in Iran, 400 people are estimated to have died. Many more have been wounded. Newshour gets through to a doctor from inside Iran who describes the severity of the injuries of his patients. Also in the programme: thousands of people gather in Istanbul protesting at the conviction of one of President Recep Tayipp Erdogan’s most prominent political rival months before the presidential elections, and we explore why South Korea has the worse gender pay gap than any other wealthy nation country. (Photo: A protester with red paint on her face, resembling blood splatters and bloody handprints during a rally in solidarity with Iranian protests, in Berlin, Germany. Credit: CLEMENS BILAN/EPA).
A new US-Africa trade pact. How will it differ from previous ones?Also, who threw a grenade into a camp housing thousands of refugees in Malawi?And Gabon aims to replace the Great Lakes Region as the prime gorilla viewing destination. Can it succeed?Those stories and more in this podcast presented by Audrey Brown.
Fusion milestone - the science behind the headlines. Laser fusion expert Kate Lancaster walks us through the technology that produced energy gain at the US's National Ignition Facility NIFWhirlwinds on MarsWhat the sounds of a dust devil passing over NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover tells us about the Martian atmosphere75 years of the transistor electronics revolution - where next for Moore's Law?December 16th 1947 was the day the first ever transistor device passed an electrical current. Trillions are made every day these days, powering our interconnected world. Roland recalls meeting some of the pioneers for the 50th anniversary, including Gordon Moore, and hears from Berkeley Dean of engineering Tsu-Jae King Liu how the revolution will continue for another 25 years.
Will Lionel Messi finally lift the World Cup trophy? We look ahead to France v Argentina and hear from Messi's former team-mate Pablo Zabaleta. Mani Djazmi and Pat Nevin are joined by L'Equipe journalist Loïc Tanzi and Argentinean broadcaster Francisco Cánepa ahead of the final. And, as a bonus for podcast listeners, World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas explains what it was like to get his hands on the most famous trophy in football.Picture on website: Pyrotechnics explode around a giant FIFA World Cup trophy prior to the semi final match between France and Morocco. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Former Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon speaks to Roger Hearing after Uefa and Fifa receive significant backing in their battle to block the creation of a European Super League. The European Court of Justice's Advocate General said the rules of football's European and world governing bodies were "compatible with EU competition law". A final ruling will be made by a 15-member Grand Chamber next spring.Tens of thousands of nurses in the state-run National Health Service are staging a strike in Northern Ireland, Wales and England in a dispute about pay. We find out why and whether there's a wider difference between public and private sector pay deals.Plus airports close in Peru as a result of the protests there.
UN human rights chief says Russian troops executed people who presented no threat. Also: Afghan Taliban carry out more public floggings of people accused of robbery and adultery, and Prince Harry says his brother William screamed and shouted at him, at a meeting about his and Meghan's role in the British royal family.
Paks, a small Hungarian town on the bank of the River Danube has prospered from its nuclear power station, built by the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s. Hungary has prospered too. Paks provides some 40 per cent of the country’s power requirements. But the four reactors are now approaching the end of their lives and are slated for retirement in 2032; so, in 2014 agreement was reached with Russia to build two more, with the help of a Russian loan worth several billion Euros, Russian engineers, and a small army of Ukrainian welders. But the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army in February 2022 has thrown these plans into disarray. Construction has begun, in the sense that bulldozers have been clearing the ground. But the project is already delayed, and there are those who believe that the new reactors will never be built. As Nick Thorpe discovers, people who thought they had a job for life in Paks are worried about their future and the future of a town whose lively shops and restaurants owe everything to the nuclear industry. Now the centre-piece of prime minister Viktor Orban’s energy empire, Paks may soon become the country’s rustbelt.
Malaysian Nicol David talks to Uma Doraiswamy about the moment she became world number 1 in squash and how she stayed there for 9 years in a row. When she first started playing, her racquet was bigger than she was. Through her hard work and perseverance, she dominated the game winning titles and trophies throughout her career.(Photo: Nicol David of Malaysia during the Women's Squash Singles Final at the Asian Games in August 2018. Credit: Getty Images)
Slava Zaitsev was the first designer to create high fashion collections in the Soviet Union.He tells Dina Newman about the challenges he faced working under communism. This programme was first broadcast in 2018.(Photo: A sketch of a dress designed by Slava Zaitsev. Credit: Slava Zaitsev)
This is episode four of our Business Daily series all about high value, high transaction jobs you might read about, see on the TV or glamorised in films. And in this episode Leanna Byrne looks at the reality for those people who's job is to sell or rent some of the most expensive homes in the world. If you’re a fan of Selling Sunset or Million Dollar Listing, with the estate agents as slick as the homes they're selling, then you’re going to love this episode because it lifts the lid on what it’s really like to do these jobs.Leanna speaks to Hong Kong estate agent Letizia G Casalino, director of Real Estate of OKAY.com about the market there, and why realtors in Hong Kong are expected to do a lot more that just sell. Vivian Chong is a real estate agent in Singapore and tells us about some very exclusive properties and Anna Klenkar, is a real estate agent with Compass, and she's been making TikToks all about the realities of the New York property market.Presenter/producer: Leanna ByrneImage: Contract signing; Credit: Getty
Belarusian lands have seen dramatic upheavals throughout the twentieth century and today, like its neighbour Ukraine to the south, Belarus finds itself on the cusp, in between the countries of the European Union on one side and Putin’s Russia on the other. While Belarus often features in the news, its history is less well known. So how far back does the story of Belarus go? How was its sense of national identity forged? And how did it survive the traumas and repressions that it has been subjected to by various invaders and imperial powers?Three historians of Eastern Europe join Bridget Kendall to answer these questions:Dr. Nelly Bekus, Lecturer at the University of Exeter who studies post-Soviet nations;Dr. Natalya Chernyshova, Senior Lecturer in modern history at Winchester University who researches the 20th century in Belarus and beyond;and Dr. Andrej Kotljarchuk, Senior Lecturer at Uppsala University in Sweden who focuses on the Second World War in Eastern Europe.(Photo: Mir Castle in Belarus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Credit: tbralnina/Getty Images)
It's a December to remember for many as workers in South Africa, Australia and South Korea down tools to demand for better welfare.US central bank, the Federal Reserve, has increased interest rates by half a percentage point to try and cope with price inflation caused, in part, by higher wages. Sam Fenwick is joined throughout the programme by Hayley Woodin, Executive Editor of Business in Vancouver a weekly magazine and Jasper Kim, Law Professor at Ewha University in Seoul, Korea and expert in international business law.(Picture: A view of an empty station during the strike in London, United Kingdom. Credit; Getty Images.)
Peru is in the midst of a fresh political crisis after the president was impeached and arrested. Also: Istanbul mayor jailed for insulting public officials, and France edge past Morocco to set up a World Cup final against Argentina.
Can you imagine what you would miss if you lost the ability to eat? Swallowing is something most of us take for granted, but around 8% of the general population are believed to experience some difficulty swallowing – known as dysphagia. In this programme, Ruth Alexander talks to one of the estimated hundreds of millions of people who have struggled with swallowing food and drink, and to those who are trying to make the condition better understood. She speaks to California-based Sonia Blue, who lost the ability to swallow after having surgery; chef Niamh Condon, in Cork, Ireland; and Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, head of speech pathology at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. Always seek advice from a qualified health care professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Pureed apple on a spoon. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
More workers are expected to take industrial action, as demands grow for better working conditions and pay increases to keep up with rising prices. But the winter of discontent isn't just being felt in the UK. Workers in the US are jeopardizing profits of some big businesses there. Dock workers at the Port of LA are not strike but are in dispute about wages. A situation that's caused it to lose its crown as the busiest port in the northern hemisphere. We look at the impact its having on business. And while Morocco might not have been winners on the football pitch tonight their economy has been boosted by their run in the World Cup.
Peru declares a state of emergency to contain demonstrations demanding dissolution of Congress. Also in the programme, the EU corruption scandal: we speak to one of the European parliament’s vice presidents … and we hear about the newly discovered snake clitorises.(Photo: Peruvian police officers walk beside protesters demanding the dissolution of the Congress. Credit: Reuters)
Three people have appeared in court in Brussels charged with corruption offences relating to their work at the European Parliament. In Britain, hundreds of thousands of key workers are on strike. It's mostly over pay, which has failed to keep pace with the heightened rate of inflation.
Alleged offences relate to work at the European Parliament. Also: Moroccan football fans looking forward to their team's World Cup semi-final clash with France face cancelled flights and missing tickets, and the death of the woman known as Hawaii's last princess.
Facebook's algorithm helped fuel the viral spread of hate and violence during Ethiopia's civil war, a legal case alleges. Abrham Meareg, the son of an Ethiopian academic shot dead after being attacked in Facebook posts, is among those bringing the case against Meta. We speak to his lawyer. Also on the programme: more than 120 people have been killed following the worst floods in years in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa. And we look ahead to Morocco's historic World Cup semi-final against France. (File image: a destroyed tank in Kasagita town, Afar region, Ethiopia, February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri)
听众 Harris 来信询问形容词 “interminable、unstoppable” 和 “ceaseless” 的区别。这三个词都可以形容一件事情是 “持续发生的”，但含义和用法略有不同。“Interminable” 强调事物是 “因冗长而乏味的”。“Unstoppable” 形容事物是 “无法阻止的” 或人 “无法战胜的、势不可挡的”。“Ceaseless” 最正式，形容事情是 “无休无止的”。本期节目辨析这三个形容词的用法。
When Zahra Nordien was forced out of District Six in Cape Town in 1977, she vowed to one day return. She was one of the 60,000 people who were forcibly removed from the neighbourhood because of the racist South African apartheid government. What seemed like a pipe dream became a reality when Zahra set up the District Six Working Committee campaigning to get former residents into newly rebuilt homes.In 2013 her elderly mother moved back into District Six with Zahra, more than three decades after they were expelled.Zahra tells Reena Stanton-Sharma about her ongoing fight for restitution.(Photo: Cape Town, South Africa in the 1970s. Credit: Gallo Images / Juhan Kuus)
We all love a good financial film, we might not all fully understand what’s going on the whole time, but they’re always really intense with a make or break ending, but is working as a markets trader really like that? This is the latest episode from our Business Daily’s series on high value, high transaction jobs you might read about, see on the TV or glamorised in films. In episode three Leanna Byrne looks at how some of the most famous financial films depict working as a commodities trader and compares that with what a real life commodities trader, Warren Goldstein, tells us about working in the industry. If, even as your read this, you’re thinking hang on what’s a commodity trader? Don’t worry, Katie Magarrigal, show host for Options Trading Concepts Live on the TastyTrade network, is our jargon buster for this episode. Presenter/producer: Leanna ByrneImage: Traders on the floor; Credit: Getty
Stephen Sackur is in Oslo to talk to two of the three joint winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Oleksandra Matviichuk is the head of the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine. Yan Rachinsky is chairman of the human rights group Memorial in Russia. The third winner, pro-democracy activist Ales Bialiatski, is a political prisoner in Belarus. What can civil society activism achieve in the face of authoritarian aggression?Image: Yan Rachinsky (L) and Oleksandra Matviichuk (R) (Credit: NTB/Haakon Mosvold Larsen via Reuters)
Physicists have pursued the technology for decades as it promises a potential source of near-limitless clean energy. They say there is still some way to go before fusion powers homes.As China eases covid restrictions we discuss plans by U-S vaccine maker Moderna to enter the Chinese market.We find out if any of the investors in the crypto exchange FTX will get their money back.And what sort of money will Morocco make after its sucess in the World Cup.Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the programme with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Frank Tsai Editor of the Shanghai Review in China and Shannon Najmabadi a reporter at the Colorado Sun in the United States.
Physicists have pursued the technology for decades as it promises a potential source of near-limitless clean energy. They say there is still some way to go before fusion powers homes.As China eases covid restrictions we discuss plans by U-S vaccine maker Moderna to enter the Chinese market.We find out if any of the investors in the crypto exchange FTX will get their money back.And what sort of money will Morocco make after its sucess in the World Cup.Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the programme with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Frank Tsai Editor of the Shanghai Review in China and Shannon Najmabadi a reporter at the Colorado Sun in the United States.(Picture: The interior of the target chamber at LLNL, where nuclear fusion takes place. Credit: Philip Saltonstall)
The nuclear fusion technology is a potential source of near-limitless clean power. Also: US authorities have charged the former boss of the crypto firm FTX with "one of the biggest" financial frauds in US history, and the Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti dies aged 85.
Investors in failed Crypto trading platform FTX face a long wait to see if will get any of their money back. Protests continue in Peru almost a week after former President Pedro Castillo was imprisoned after his attempt to dissolve the Congress, we take a look at the economic impact of prolonged protests. Is Morocco's success at the World Cup likely to lead to boom in business into the country?
US-based lab successfully extracts energy from nuclear fusion; also in the programme a French court found eight people guilty of the Nice terror attack of 2016; and we hear from a Ukrainian man who was imprisoned and tortured by Russian forces in Kherson.(Photo: Technicians access the target chamber interior for inspection and maintenance at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in California. Credit: Reuters)
A majority of MPs in South Africa have voted against starting impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa. The world's only nonuplets - nine babies born at the same time - have safely returned home to Mali after spending the first 19 months of their lives in Morocco.Plus the African innovators showcasing their solutions to global problems in the UAE.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of failed trading platform FTX, is facing fraud charges and investigation by US authorities. As the IMF announces a $3 billion bailout package for Ghana, we hear what it will mean for the country's faltering economy. Also, a look at the challenges facing Christmas market traders in the UK.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has charged the founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, with defrauding customers of billions of dollars. This follows the arrest of Sam Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas. Also in the programme: South Africa's Ramaphosa awaits vote on future; gene editing hens.(Picture: FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried poses for a picture, in an unspecified location, in this undated handout picture, obtained by Reuters on July 5, 2022.)
Parliament leader Roberta Metsola has spoken of "difficult days for European democracy". Also: India says its stopped Chinese soldiers seizing territory during a clash in a disputed border area and the youths in New Zealand being given a lifetime ban on smoking....
Former US goalkeeper Brad Friedel, former Congo defender Chris Samba and football reporter Maz Farookhi join Delyth Lloyd as they discuss who will make the team of the tournament for the 2022 World Cup. There are some rules: the formation is 4-3-3 as it’s been the most used during the competition, the panellists could only select 3 players from one nation and Delyth will have the final say on who will be going into the BBC World Service World Cup XI.
Shopkeeper Louisa Gould risked her life to hide a Russian prisoner who had escaped from the Nazis during the German occupation of Jersey in World War Two. She was later betrayed and died in Ravensbrück, a concentration camp, in 1945. Vicky Carter speaks to her great-niece Jenny Lecoat.(Photo: Louisa Gould. Credit: Courtesy of the Channel Islands Occupation Society (Jersey) Collection held at Jersey Archive)
英语新表达 “quiet quitting” 用 “安静退出” 来描述 “人们选择在规定的工作时间内完成必须的工作，拒绝额外的工作，拒绝加班”。在本期节目中，主持人菲菲和 Neil 教你如何使用这个新表达。
Crypto is a tricky business. Chances are, you know someone or know of someone who's made a bit of money with crypto, and that you’re not too far removed from someone who’s lost money too. This is episode two in the latest series from Business Daily, all about high value, high transaction jobs you might read about, see on the TV or glamorised in films. In this episode, Leanna Byrne asks author, speaker and content creator Layah Heilpern what it's really like investing in Bitcoin. Abhishek Sachdev, chief executive of Vedanta Hedging, a traditional trader tells us why he's ring-fenced some of his personal investment fund for crypto trading and Matt Brighton, a property investor, tells us he learned some hard lessons trading crypto. We also find out that trading isn’t the only way to get involved in the crypto market. Solicitor Charlotte Hill, works at the international law firm Pennington Manches Cooper has been taking on a ballooning caseload coming out of the crypto space. Presenter/producer: Leanna ByrneImage: Bitcoin logo; Credit: Getty
The arrest comes after the US filed criminal charges against former CEO of disgraced crypto firm. We hear the latest about the collapse of the $32bn company.As temperatures fall in the US and Europe, we take a look at the growing demand of natural gas and the impact it's having on prices.Also in the programme, we explore the ecosystems of innovation that brought us transistors, the devices that changed everything.And the tech war between China and the US over advanced semiconductors is rapidly heating up with new players joining the row. Join us to find out who they are.Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the programme with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland, and Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist in New Delhi. (Picture: The logo of FTX is seen at the entrance of the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, US. Picture credit: Reuters)
A number of people have been arrested over accusations Qatar bribed European Union officials to try to win influence. Also: Lockerbie bombing suspect appears in US court, and the Banshees of Inisherin leads Golden Globe nominations.
As temperatures fall below zero in several European countries, gas reserves across the continent are put to the test. We discuss the repercussions cold weather is having in prices in Europe, the UK and the US.Also in the programme, we look at how the tech war between China and the US over advanced semiconductors is rapidly heating up.
Long: Iran executes second prodemocracy demonstrator as Germany slams the execution; also in the programme top EU officials accused of receiving briberies to push the agendas of a Gulf state; Russians growing disillusion with the Ukraine war and are we close to harnessing the power of stars?(Photo: Executed Iranian protester, Majidreza Rahnavard. Credit: IHRIGHTS)
Alpacas may have been domesticated for thousands of years but their native lands are the steep hostile mountains of South America where they continue to thrive far from the modern luxuries of animal husbandry. Prof Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French delve deep inside this hardy herbivore to unravel the anatomy and physiology that’s secured the success of this extraordinary member of the camelid family of camels, llamas and vicugna.
President William Ruto of Kenya has launched his Hustler Fund to alleviate poverty, which he says over a million Kenyans have signed up for. Also, Zimbabweans are trying to get to grips with the worst power shortages in years, but the Government is blaming former President Mugabe.Plus, Moroccans are still basking in the glory of making it through to the semi-finals of the World Cup. So what is the secret of their success? We hear from Casablanca.And we speak to Zambian artist Sampa the Great, whose name is a true reflection of her achievements so far. She shares her story, musical style, and love of African futurism and sci-fi.Those stories in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
Journalist Makiko Segawa who had a terrifying experience when she was sent to a psychiatric hospital when she was a young woman meets other people who have been caught up in the country's controversial mental health system. She hears harrowing stories before challenging the authorities about what's being done to change methods and Japanese attitudes towards mental health.
Mani Djazmi is joined by Argentine journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo and Moroccan Amine El Amri to preview the World Cup semi-finals: Argentina v Croatia and Morocco v France.We hear from Moroccan fans in Doha after they knocked out Portugal and discuss whether the post-colonial relationship will give the players extra incentive against the French.We head inside the Croatia camp to get the lowdown on the brilliant midfield trio of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic.And we hear from former Croatia player and coach Igor Stimac, who says Croatia’s spirit and character was forged during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
A Greek MEP has been arrested as part of a growing investigation into bribery within the European Parliament, which has also resulted in more than $600,000 being seized. Also on the programme, lengthy power cuts are bringing parts of Zimbabwe to a standstill. But elsewhere: have US scientists unlocked the secret to cleaner, greener nuclear energy?
Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged 'in public' early on Monday in the city of Mashhad. Also, Ukraine imposes sanctions on seven senior clerics belonging to a branch of the Orthodox Church, and China withdraws a phone app that tracked people's movements during the pandemic.
Family members of Russian soldiers detained for saying they would no longer take part in the invasion of Ukraine have told the BBC of the abuse their loved ones have been subjected to. We speak to an organisation helping deserters escape the Kremlin’s reach. Also in the program: the Iranian regime carries out a second public execution linked to the ongoing anti-government protests; and has a US lab made a key breakthrough in nuclear fusion?(Photo: Mobilised Russian troops have been locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. Credit: The Insider)
Have we got your attention? Listen and learn how to use suffixes -tian, -sion and -tion.
In 1990, a peaceful revolution brought democracy to Mongolia after almost 70 years of Soviet backed rule. University lecturer Ganbold Davaadorj was one of the lead figures in bringing together the Mongolian people. He went on to be the first deputy prime minister of Mongolia.He shares his story with Matt Pintus.(Photo: Protestors occupy Sükhbaatar Square in 1990. Credit: Getty Images)
Ever thought about quitting your job and playing poker for a living? Well, today we find out what it’s really like making your living on the tables. This is the latest series from Business Daily, all about high value, high transaction jobs you might read about, see on the TV or glamorised in films. In episode one, Leanna Byrne interviews professional poker player Dara O’Kearney. Dara explains what a day in the life of a professional poker player is really like and warns, if you’re playing poker professionally, every player goes through what’s known as upswings and downswings.We also switch sides and find out what it’s like working as a croupier in a casino. Stefano Melani works for Centro Formazione Croupier, which trains croupiers for casinos across Italy, somewhere with one of the worlds largest gambling sectors. He lets us in on the glamorous and not-so-glamorous side of the casinos. David Schwartz, an academic and gambling historian based in Las Vegas, Nevada, gives us the macro perspective on the gambling industry, detailing the rise of gambling towns across the world. Presenter/producer: Leanna ByrneImage: Poker table; Credit: Getty
Today we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of BBC 100 Women - an initiative that highlights the work of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world. Australian activist Chanel Contos started a movement dubbed 'Teach Us Consent’. Thanks to her campaign, consent education will be mandatory in all Australian schools from kindergarten until year 10. It all started in 2021, when Chanel posted a story on Instagram, asking her followers if they or someone they knew had been sexually assaulted at school. Within 24 hours more than 200 people had replied “yes”. Now she is educating people about non-consensual condom removal, or stealthing, as well as campaigning to criminalise the act.Ghanaian writer Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah is the author of The Sex Lives of African Women, which has been described as “an astonishing report on the quest for sexual liberation”. She is the co-founder of Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women, a website, podcast and festival that publishes and creates content that tells stories of African women’s experiences around sex, sexualities, and pleasure.Produced by Alice Gioia (Image: (L) Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, credit Charles Lawson. (R) Chanel Contos, credit Side-Note.)
Javier Zamora travelled alone from El Salvador to the US when he was just nine years old.He had been living with relatives after his parents migrated to the US, but longed to be in his mother’s arms. His parents hired a ‘coyote’, or people smuggler, to bring him across the borders, but the trip went wrong. Javier was abandoned by the coyote, and found himself reliant on strangers for survival as he journeyed for two months by bus, boat, and on foot, nearly dying in the Sonoran Desert. Javier is now a poet in the US, whose work explores the trauma of that experience, and what it means to be an undocumented migrant.Presenter: Jo FidgenProducer: Rebecca Vincent
They are believed to be Ethiopian migrants trying to reach South Africa. Also: four people have been charged in connection with an investigation into alleged corruption at the European Parliament, and the teenage girl in England given a new lease of life after recovering from an incurable cancer using a revolutionary new type of treatment.
The US has confirmed it has taken custody of the Libyan man suspected of making the bomb that destroyed an American plane over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988. It gave no information on how Abu Agila Masud entered US custody. 270 people died when the Pan Am flight from London to New York was blown up. Also in the programme: NASA's uncrewed Orion capsule has successfully splashed down in the Pacific, opening the way for the return of astronauts to the moon; and the British teenager with leukaemia who seems to have been cured, using a revolutionary new type of cell therapy.(Photo: Rescue personnel carry a body away from the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103, in a farmer's field east of Lockerbie, Scotland in this December 1988 file photo. Credit: Reuters/Greg Bos/Files)
Two-million-year-old molecular fossils reveal flourishing woodlands and widespread animals in Greenland's pre-Ice-Age past, and give hints to the Arctic’s future under global warming. We hear from a molecular palaeontologist and a climate modeller.DNA also reveals the enduring genetic influence of our extinct Denisovan cousins on disease immunity in modern Island Southeast Asians.And the art and science of 3D-printing violinsIf your home is drafty, filling in holes and cracks can help tackle rising energy bills, and lower your carbon footprint. But is there a limit to how airtight we should make our homes? That’s what CrowdScience listeners Jeff and Angie wondered when weatherproofing their doors and sealing up cracks for the winter. Once every last gap is blocked, will enough air get in for them to breathe properly? How would they know if they’ve gone too far?With Covid-19 making us more aware than ever of the importance of good ventilation, CrowdScience investigates how to make your home cosy and energy-efficient without sacrificing fresh air in the process. And we find out how, in hotter climates, you can carefully tap into your drafts, to reduce energy-intensive air conditioning.With contributions from Kimble Smith, Professor Nicola Carslaw, Dr Iain Walker, Marion Baeli and Dr Yashkumar Shukla.(Image credit: Beth Zaiken/bethzaiken.com)
Southern Ukraine has been hit by strikes from both sides in the war, with Russia launching drones at targets in Odesa and Kyiv fighting back in Melitopol. Since October, Moscow has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Also in the programme: a revolutionary therapy clears girl's incurable cancer; and South Korean citizens are about to become officially slightly younger, as the country standardises its method of calculating age. (Photo: A vendor waits for customers in a small store, lit with candles during a power outage, after attacks in Odesa).
The team becomes the first African or Arab nation to reach the semi-final after beating Portugal one-nil in Qatar. Also: Bangladeshis hold a massive protest calling on the prime minister Sheikh Hasina's administration to resign, and we hear about the making of the Avatar sequel The Way of Water.
Morocco have become the first African or Arab nation ever to reach the semi-finals of a football World Cup. In a tournament full of surprises, they've written their own bit of history by beating Portugal one-nil. We go to Casablanca. Also in the programme: as the Nobel peace prizes are awarded in Norway, we hear from a colleague of the Belarusian winner; and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's invisible ink protest. (Photo: Supporters of Morocco celebrate their team winning the World Cup 2022 quarter final match between Morocco and Portugal, in Milan, Italy, 10 December 2022. Credit: Matteo Corner /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters in Bangladesh have gathered in the capital Dhaka for a rally demanding that the government step down. Security in the city had been tight, and many people are staying off the streets, fearing violence.Also in the programme: we hear a vivid description of the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine which many say is reminiscent of battlefields in the First World War; and Morocco could make history by being the first African and Arab team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.(Credit: A supporter of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) holds a national flag as he shouts slogans during a mass rally at the Glopbagh field in Dhaka. Credit: MONIRUL ALAM/EPA-EFE).
A long-held human ambition may soon become reality - human settlements on another planet, or in a floating space station. People could fulfil their hopes and dreams among the stars. David Baker has been discovering what those settlements in space will be like, who will be there and how they will be organised. He has been hearing from the people shaping human life out in the universe, about their extraordinary plans and ambitions.
Max Pearson presents a compilation of this week's Witness History programmes from the BBC World Service.We go to Quebec in 1995 when voters went to the polls to decide whether the province should declare independence from Canada.Tim Marshall, the author of The Power of Geography and presenter of the World Service podcast, The Compass, explores other referendums which have taken place in recent history.Plus the creation of children's TV series Teletubbies in 1994. It became a global hit.(Photo: Voters gather in the streets of Barcelona. Credit: Marco Panzetti/NurPhoto Getty Images)Contributors: Jean-François Lisée and Stephane Dion - on the Quebec referendumPaul Kelly - Australian political correspondent Praveen Jain - Indian photojournalistPatricia da Silva - Jean Charles de Menezes' cousin Anne Wood- creator of Teletubbies
SafeMoon promised its investors a trip to the moon but instead cost some their life savings. We speak to the YouTuber Coffeezilla who investigated the problematic token, the people who lost out and we assess the safety and future of crypto coins.Presenter: Joe TidyProducers: Jerry Sullivan and Beth GodwinEditor: Flora Carmichael
Tech giant Apple has lifted a gagging policy on staff, meaning employees worldwide can speak out freely about their working conditions. It's the latest move by a major firm in response to lobbying from labour groups. Those who pushed for the move believe it will have major repercussions for other workers.Also on Business Matters, one giant leap for a certain kind: we take a look at a Japanese investor's luxury mission to the moon, and what it means for space tourism.(Picture: Staff inside an Apple store. Credit: Getty Images.)
The US national security council spokesman says the relationship is strengthening and could harm Ukraine and the international community. Also: one of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winners says President Putin must be held accountable for Russia's actions in Ukraine, and the sheepdog that's become an internet sensation for taking on a pack of coyotes.
When former US President Donald Trump announced tough new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, he called it a matter of 'national security'. Four years later, the World Trade Organisation has ruled that decision was in breach of its rules. The US says it has no intention of removing the tariffs. We look at why it matters for global markets. Elsewhere in the US, tech giant Apple has given its worldwide staff base new legal protections in the workplace. Find out why it's a 'big deal' for tech workers everywhere. Also on the programme, it's a tipple of choice across almost every continent. Now India's wine industry is eager to cash in.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin says further prisoner swaps between the United States and Russia are possible. Newshour hears from David Whelan, brother of Paul Whelan who is serving time in a Russian jail for espionage.Also in the programme: Brazil dumped out of the World Cup by Croatia; and the new red list for endangered marine mammals.(Photo: Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan stands inside a defendants' cage during his verdict hearing in Moscow, Russia June 15, 2020. Credit: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)
A leading Russian opposition politician has been convicted by a Moscow court of spreading 'false information' about the Russian army. Ilya Yashin, who had spoken publicly about alleged Russian war crimes in Bucha, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. Also on the programme: concerns rise about whether China's health system will be able to cope with a huge wave of Covid-19 infections, as restrictions are eased. And ahead of France's quarter-final match against England in the football World Cup on Saturday, what made French striker Kylian Mbappé into the sporting superstar he is today? (Image: Ilya Yashin gestures in a defendants' glass cage prior to a verdict hearing at the Meshchansky district court in Moscow, Russia, December 9, 2022. Yuri Kochetkov/Pool via REUTERS)
The African Development Bank, AfDB, has raised $8.9 billion from its contributing nations and development partners. The funds according to the bank will be channelled to its development fund to help spur economic development through grants and soft loans to low income countries on the continent.The UK government has announced what it describes as one of the biggest overhauls of financial regulation for more than three decades. It says the package of more than 30 reforms will "cut red tape" and "turbocharge growth".As the world cup reaches the Quarter-finals stage, fans face up to 1000 percent jump in the cost of tickets.
The new human rights commissioner Volker Türk was speaking at a press conference to mark human rights day. Also: A Russian politician has been convicted of spreading false information about the war in Ukraine and the Japanese billionaire taking celebrities with him to the moon...
It’s 1994 and the BBC is looking for a brand-new children’s TV series. TV producer Anne Wood decides she’s going to make a show aimed at an audience that’s never had programmes made for it before – two and three-year-olds. She tells Melanie Stewart-Smith the fascinating story of how spacemen and technology inspired the creation of one of the most popular kids TV shows of all time, Teletubbies. (Photo: Teletubbies. Credit: Ragdoll Productions for the BBC/Wildbrain)
How do you feel about talking to a computer? New AI chatbot, ChatGPT, passed one million users in just a week but what are its potential uses and limitations. We also hear from tennis icon, Billie Jean King on why she thinks tech will change the way tennis is played. Plus, with Apple extending its self-service repair to a number of European Countries, how do you feel about repairing your iPhone at home? We hear from someone who gave it a go.(Photo credit: Ghetty Images/Blue Planet Studio)
Alice is beginning to wonder who she is, when a caterpillar gives her a piece of advice.
Another chance to hear Stephen Sackur’s 2014 interview with Allen Ault. As the former Commissioner of Corrections in the US state of Georgia, Ault was responsible for state-sanctioned executions. He organised the killing of criminals until he could stand it no more. What made him leave his post and take up the campaign to end the death penalty?
The World Cup is a catwalk of footballing talent. Lesser known players are thrust into the spot light and launched onto the global soccer scene often with an enormous increase in wages. But how much do those young, impressionable players know about personal finance? We've all seen the stories of high profile players blowing their fortunes and ending up bankrupt, and players in the English Premier League can expect wages of around $10million a year. In this episode we hear from two former footballers who now help others manage their money. Swedish footballer, Philip Haglund tells Sam Fenwick how difficult it is not to spend on expensive items when the first pay cheque comes in, and former Manchester United and France International, Louis Saha, explains why players can be overwhelmed by how much they earn and what he’s doing to try and help current and former athletes manage their finances better.Presenter / producer: Sam FenwickImage: Cody Gakpo of Netherlands vies with Tyler Adams of USA; Credit: Getty
Microsoft may be left unable to complete a $69bn takeover of fellow gaming giant Activision Blizzard, the company behind Call of Duty. The US Federal Trade Commission has started legal action to pause the buyout, amid claims it could stifle competition in the market. Microsoft has vowed to fight the case.Also on Business Matters, Nigeria has lowered the amount of cash residents can withdraw from banks. It's part of an effort to move transactions online - but will it pay off?We're also analysing China's latest inflation figures, and, in the run-up to Christmas, how children's toy makers are preparing for a busy season.(Picture: A billboard for the latest edition of Call of Duty, one of the world's bestselling games.Credit: Getty Images.)
The legislation will enshrine marriage equality in federal law, protecting the rights of same-sex and interracial couples. Also: the chief executive of the Qatar World Cup is criticised for comments about the death of a migrant worker, and Celine Dion is diagnosed with a rare neurological disease.
China's President Xi has reportedly heralded a 'new era' in trade relations on a diplomatic trip to the Middle East. He's brokering fresh ties with Saudi Arabia before heading to Iran. As the world watches on, what will these deals mean for the global economy? Also in the news, a political earthquake in Peru as the country's leader is ousted amid crippling inflation - we hear from a former finance minister. The former CEO of collapsed payments firm Wirecard has appeared before a judge in Germany, in a case that's set to last two years. Finally, as part of the BBC's 100 Women series, we hear the intriguing story of the Kenyan athletes fighting to make basketball a more inclusive business.
Russia has freed the American basketball star, Brittney Griner -- in a prisoner swap for a notorious arms dealer nicknamed the Merchant of Death. Newshour heard from Lee Wolosky who used to lead the US National Security Council's unit responsible for tracking down Bout.Also in the programme: Iran executes a protestor; and French football star Kylian Mbappé.(Picture: A composite image shows US basketball player Brittney Griner (L) escorted to a courtroom for a hearing, in Khimki City Court, Russia, 07 July 2022; and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout (R) in handcuffs escorted by Thai special forces to board the airplane for extradition to the USA at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, 16 November 2010. Photo by YURI KOCHETKOV/STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Two-million-year-old molecular fossils reveal flourishing woodlands and widespread animals in Greenland's pre-Ice-Age past, and give hints to the Arctic’s future under global warming. We hear from a molecular palaeontologist and a climate modeller.DNA also reveals the enduring genetic influence of our extinct Denisovan cousins on disease immunity in modern Island Southeast Asians.And the art and science of 3D-printing violinsProducer: Roland PeaseAssistant producer: Sophie OrmistonImage credit: Beth Zaiken/bethzaiken.com
We look ahead to the quarter finals of Qatar 2022 focusing on Argentina and Morocco. We also go behind the scenes at the Netherlands training camp and get an insight into Dutch winger Cody Gakpo from his former coach Luc Nilis.(Picture on website: Morocco supporters celebrate in the streets in Doha. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
Peru has sworn in its female leader after Pedro Castillo's dramatic impeachment. This comes just after the Central bank raised its key rate to a 21-year high of 7.5 percent. We discuss the future of the economy amid the political turmoil.The final 747 aircraft has been rolled out of Boeing's factory in the U.S. Does this signal a possible disappearance of the Jumbo Jet from the skies?And Western officials are in talks with Turkish counterparts to resolve oil tanker queues off Turkey.
Russia swaps basketball star for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Also in the programme Iranian authorities carry out their first execution of a protester since mass anti-government demonstrations began three months ago; and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - Harry and Meghan - give their account of relations with the Royal Family and the media in a new series starting today.(Photo: Brittney Griner poses for a photograph with her gold medal in Women's Basketball at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Credit: Reuters)
President Biden welcomes a prisoner swap with Russia involving US basketball star, Brittney Griner, and the arms dealer, Viktor Bout. Also: Iran executes its first demonstrator since the start of protests, and M23 rebels in DR Congo deny they're supported by Rwanda.
In California, cannabis is legal for recreational use and it’s created a multi-billion dollar industry. But who’s been reaping the rewards? For decades people from Black and Latino communities have been disproportionately arrested and imprisoned on cannabis drugs charges – and yet few appeared to benefit from the legal cannabis boom. So to make amends, California has been pioneering a policy to give those targeted in the war on drugs, a chance to share in the new cannabis industry. But is it working? Sharon Hemans has been to the city of Oakland to find out. Photo: Local entrepreneur Julian Nelson at this cannabis delivery store in Oakland. Presenter: Sharon Hemans Producer: Alex Last Sound mix by Neil Churchill Series editor: Penny Murphy Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond
In November 1975, the Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, was controversially sacked by an unelected official in the country's biggest constitutional crisis. Many Australians were outraged and rumours spread that Buckingham Palace was involved. It became known simply as 'The Dismissal'. Paul Kelly was a political correspondent in the Australian parliament that day. He shares his memories with Ben Henderson.(Photo: Gough Whitlam in 1975. Credit: George Lipman/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)
Christmas and the holiday season is a crucial time for toy retailers, and hopes will be high for sales to return to pre-pandemic levels. But with the rising cost of living, we find out if families will be cutting back on toy spending this year - and look at the toys topping the popularity charts. We'll also find out how much does TV and film influence the types of toys in demand.Frederique Tutt from market research company NPD group explains the trends in toy sales, and how the type of toys that people are buying is changing.Elizabeth Hotson visits the DreamToys event in London, organised by the toy retailers association. She speaks to Paul Reader, the chair of the DreamToys selection committee about what’s making the top 10 toys list this year.Hedley Barnes, senior vice president for International from Spin Master, the company behind both the Paw Patrol TV series and toys, explains the valuable link between the show and the merchandise.Also on the list are Rainbow High Dolls – Sarah Taylor is managing director, UK and Ireland, for MGA entertainment, the company behind the dolls. She tells Elizabeth why diversity, which they champion, appeals to families.And Alan Simpson, chair of the toy retailers association, says he expects a lot of the ‘old favourites’ like Lego, Barbie, Monopoly and Play Dough to still be really popular.Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson (Image: A toy in a Christmas box. Credit: Getty)
Devina Gupta is joined by business development consultant, Jessica Khine, and technology journalist, Takara Small, to discuss China lifting its most severe Covid policies - including forcing people into quarantine camps - just a week after landmark protests against the strict controls.(Picture: TIN SHUI WAI, HONG KONG, CHINA - 2020/02/04: A volunteer measures a passenger's body temperature. In light of a coronavirus outbreak in China, Hong Kong district councillors and residents formed makeshift quarantine stations, screening passengers arriving from China.Picture Credit: Getty Images).
Ex-president Pedro Castillo was impeached after he tried to dissolve Congress. Also: the Taliban carry out the first public execution since their return to power in Afghanistan, and ancient DNA reveals what the Arctic looked like two million years ago.
Activist Margaret Sanger is responsible for one of the most significant medical and social changes of the 20th century – giving women the means to control the size of their families. The former nurse, who’d witnessed the aftermath of backstreet abortions and her own mother’s premature death after 18 pregnancies, founded the birth control movement in the United States and helped to spread it internationally. She was also instrumental in developing the pill, now one of the world’s most popular contraceptives. Her campaign was enormously controversial – she faced fierce opposition from the Catholic Church and was arrested several times for breaking strict anti-contraception laws. And her legacy is contested today – her association with the then powerful eugenics movement has thrown doubt on her motives and drawn allegations of racism by some. Even Planned Parenthood, the organisation she helped create, has distanced itself from her. Bridget Kendall discusses her inspiration and battle against the powerful status quo with Ellen Chesler, a biographer of Margaret Sanger from New York; Elaine Tyler May, professor of American studies and history at the University of Minnesota and author of ‘America and the Pill: A History of Promise, Peril and Liberation’; Sanjam Ahluwalia, professor of history and women’s and gender studies at Northern Arizona University and author of ‘Reproductive Restraints: Birth Control in India, 1877-1947'; and Dr Caroline Rusterholz, a historian of populations, medicine and sexuality at the University of Cambridge.Producer: Simon Tulett(Picture: Margaret Sanger circa 1915. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
2022 has seen record food prices. Many African countries have been badly hit because they import their staples – wheat, rice and oil. A lack of infrastructure and capacity in some countries means that food grown in Africa is often not processed into packaged food products, instead those items are imported from outside of the continent. In this programme we speak to two women who run food businesses in Zambia and Ghana, to talk about the impact of rising food costs, and whether this year’s food crisis could be the impetus for Africa to be more self-sufficient. Ruth Alexander is joined by Monica Musonda, founder and CEO of Java Foods, which manufactures fortified noodles and cereal products in Zambia and Yvette Ansah who owns two restaurants, Café Kwae and Kwae Terrace in Accra, Ghana, BBC West Africa business reporter Nkechi Ogbonna joins from Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy by gross domestic product to talk about the impact of rising food costs there. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: aerial view of a large ship transporting rice, unloading cargo onto smaller ships. Credit: Getty/BBC)
Europe has cut gas demand by a quarter in November despite falling temperatures, according to the latest data from commodity analytics company ICIS.
Twenty-five people have been arrested in raids across Germany on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. The plotters include members of the so-called "Reichsburger" movement, which rejects the legitimacy of the modern German state, and conspiracy theorists who subscribe to the QAnon ideology. Also on the programme: Members of Congress in Peru have impeached President Pedro Castillo just hours after he said he was dissolving the legislative body. In a fast-moving fight over who controls the country, Congress ignored an announcement by Mr Castillo, who had said he was replacing Congress with an "exceptional emergency government". (Picture: Police in Berlin secure the area after a raid. Credit: Reuters)
Claudia meets Professor Elizabeth Stokoe author of 'Crisis Talk' whose research shows when preventing a suicide, that words really do matter and can save lives during a crisis. Through analysing real time recordings of actual conversations between people in crisis and police negotiators, new findings highlight what can work and what doesn't. (Picture: Vector illustration of two profiles of women with speech bubbles inside their heads. Photo credit: JakeOlimb/Getty Images.)Presenter: Claudia HammondProducer: Erika Wright
China has put an end to forced centralised quarantine, mass testing and lockdowns a week after nationwide protests against strict pandemic controls. China could now face a wave of infections -- and health officials have admitted that the country is not fully prepared.Also on the programme, China’s President Xi Jinping arrives in Saudi Arabia for his first visit to the Kingdom in six years.And World Bank raises concerns as Kenyan government seeks fresh concessional loan of $750 million.
It follows rare anti-government protests last week across the country. Also: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Saudi Arabia to strengthen China-Arab relations, and 25 people are arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government.
In a special edition from San Francisco, Stephen Sackur speaks to billionaire tech investor David Friedberg. He’s convinced science and technology can fix the world’s biggest challenges – climate, sustainable food, and energy production. But will we use our knowledge wisely?
Morocco fans celebrate after their team made history by beating Spain. And we visit a specially created fan fest for migrant workers in a cricket ground on the edge of Doha.
On the 22 July 2005, unarmed Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by anti-terrorism police in London.He was shot because he was mistaken for terrorist Hussain Osman who had been involved in a failed suicide attack just 24 hours previously. The killing made headlines all over the world, and Jean Charles’ family demanded justice. Matt Pintus has been speaking to Jean Charles’ cousin and best friend, Patricia da Silva.(Photo: Patricia da Silva in front of mural of Jean Charles de Menezes. Credit: Getty Images)
Big tech is facing a big moment. With plummeting stock prices, and mass lay-offs, the likes of Google, Twitter and Meta are all - for different reasons - facing some tough questions over how they're being run. Some see this as primarily a result of post-pandemic blues, the rise in interest rates, and a general cost-of-living crisis affecting the business environment. However, Twitter and Meta especially have seen wholesale desertions by a number of major advertisers, worried about the regulation of hate speech, and therefore by association the safety of brands' reputations.Does this mark a deeper crisis for the ad-based business model of the major social media platforms? And what can they do about it? Presenter / Producer: Ed ButlerImage: Phones; Credit: Getty
Roger Hearing is joined by Lori Ann Larocco, Senior Editor of Guests at CNBC Business News, and Mohamed El Aassar, Commentary Editor at Fortune, to discuss the Trump Organisation being found guilty of defrauding tax authorities in the United States.Also on the programme: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is coming under fire on both sides of the Atlantic, the number of users learning Ukrainian on Duolingo soars following Russia's invasion of the country, and the number of films produced by Nigeria’s film industry overtakes Hollywood itself.(Image: Trump Tower, New York. Credit: Getty Images)
The business is synonymous with the former US president Donald Trump but neither he or his family were on trial. Also: Argentina's Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is found guilty of corruption, and the loneliness of a book signing event.
Roger Hearing is joined from New York by the Financial Times' legal correspondent, Joe Miller, after the Trump Organisation is found guilty of defrauding tax authorities in the United States.Also on the programme: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is coming under fire on both sides of the Atlantic, a new law has been brought in by the European Union to tackle deforestation, and the number of films produced by Nigeria’s film industry overtakes Hollywood itself.
Indonesia’s parliament passes a sweeping overhaul of the criminal code, which includes outlawing sex outside marriage. We speak with a human rights advocate, and also with a spokesperson for the Indonesian government. Also in the programme: News organization Al-Jazeera brings a case at the ICC against the Israeli government over the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh; and we speak with a former United States special envoy to Haiti, where armed gangs now control large parts of the capital.(Photo: Protest in Jakarta over new criminal code. Credit: REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan)
In an exclusive interview from California, Stephen Sackur speaks to Daniel Ellsberg, the Pentagon Papers whistleblower who exposed US government lies about Vietnam. He helped hasten President Nixon’s downfall and he’s warned Americans about the dangers of unchecked military power ever since. But are they listening?
There has been a build-up of oil tankers being held up off the cost of Turkey. This comes just a day after EU sanctions affecting the transport of Russian oil took effect. Turkey demands insurers promise that any vessels navigating its straits were fully covered.Also on the programme, Foxconn's revenue slumps by 11 percent, following unrest at the world's largest iPhone factory and China's tough Covid restrictions.
New law also introduces tougher punishment for blasphemy. Also: China bids farewell to its former leader Jiang Zemin, and the actress Kirsty Alley has died at the age of 71.
Hindu extremists demolished a 16th century mosque in the Indian city of Ayodhya in December 1992 prompting months of communal violence across India. Photojournalist Praveen Jain witnessed rehearsals for the demolition the day before the activists stormed the mosque. He spoke to Iknoor Kaur in 2019.(Photo: Hindu extremists rehearsing the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Credit: Praveen Jain)
It's been a rollercoaster day for oil prices, with big drops in the benchmark rates after an earlier rise. And part of the reason seems to be the new $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil which took effect on Monday, supported by the EU, the G7 and Australia.Ukraine's energy company warns of even more power-cuts after Russia sent a new volley of missiles, hitting the country's already damaged electricity and water systems - so how possible is it do to business at all there?Black founders of US startups find it far harder to get financial backing according to research co-authored by Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, which claimed such businesses raise just one-third as much venture capital over the first five years as other comparable businesses formed at the same time.And could you be damaging your financial strength by keeping your finances separate from your partner?Roger Hearing is joined from Hong Kong by Rachel Cartland, director of Cartland Consulting and a former assistant director of Social Welfare in the Hong Kong government, and Colin Peacock, producer and presenter of Mediawatch on Radio New Zealand, live from Wellington.(Image: Oil tanker stock photo, credit: Getty Images)
A number of people were killed at the Russian airfields, which Moscow blames on Ukrainian drones. Also: ANC backs South African president over corruption report, and the pioneering tennis coach Nick Bollettieri dies aged 91.
Ukraine's energy company warns of even more power-cuts after Russia sent a new volley of missiles, hitting the country's already damaged electicity and water systems - so how possible is it do to business at all there? We're joined by Alex Dayrabekov who runs a tech company in Bucha - 40 minutes from Kyiv.It's been a rollercoaster day for oil prices, with big drops in the benchmark rates after an earlier rise. And part of the reason seems to be the new $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil which took effect on Monday, supported by the EU, the G7 and Australia. Dr Adnan Vatansever, reader at King's College London's Russia Institute, explains all.April Joyner, from Business Insider, joins World Business Report from New York to talk about the latest with crypto, as Standard Chartered Bank says it could plunge by 70% in 2023 - taking the value to $5,000.Christie Pitts, investor at Backstage Capital in Oakland, California, talks about research co-authored by Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook which says black founders of US startups raise just one-third as much venture capital over the first five years as other comparable businesses.
Human rights groups in Haiti have told the BBC that gangs now control more than half the capital, Port au Prince, and nearby areas. The turmoil has worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last year. Newshour has an on-the-ground report.Also on the programme: Belgium's biggest ever trial begins, and what you need to know about Strep A bacterial infections.Photo: A woman carries a baby as people are displaced by gang war violence, Haiti November 19, 2022 Credit: Ralph Tedy Erol/ Reuters
Prof Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French get under the skin of the harbour porpoise to unravel this enigmatic and shy aquatic mammal’s extraordinary survival skills - from it’s ability to dive for long periods to accurately echolocating its fast moving prey. They join Rob Deaville, project leader for the Cetacean’s Stranding Investigations Programme at ZSL (Zoological Society of London) to open up and examine what makes this animal unique in terms of its anatomy, behaviour and evolutionary history.
Oil prices are up today as the Group of Seven's $60 cap takes effect. Meanwhile, oil producers' group Opec+ said at the weekend it would stick to its policy of reducing output.Also weighing on oil prices is China's signal of a broader relaxation of Covid restrictions. This follows a small protest in the country on Sunday by students. They are calling for a more transparent process in the formulation of pandemic rules.
In Haiti’s capital, brutal gangs have taken control of much of the city, our correspondent is there.Also in the programme: Sudan's military and civilian leaders sign a deal aimed at ending a political crisis; and the remains of the last Tasmanian Tiger have been found in a cupboard. (Photo: People displaced by gang violence in Cite Soleil walk on the streets, 19 November, 2022. Credit: Erol/Reuters)
Ten men are accused of involvement in the bombings, which killed 32 people. Also: human rights groups in Haiti tell the BBC that gangs control at least 60 percent of the capital city, and the missing remains of the last Tasmanian tiger are discovered.
In October 1995, the people of Quebec went to the polls to decide whether the province should declare independence from Canada. Kevin Caners hears the first-hand testimony of Jean-François Lisée and Stephane Dion, who represented opposite sides of a debate which nearly split the country in two. A Whistledown Production for BBC World Service.(Photo: Voters at the 1995 Quebec referendum. Credit: Getty Images)
Online gambling’s success has pushed global valuations of the industry to around half a trillion dollars for 2022 - but the accessibility of its digital platforms is forcing regulators around the world into a rethink. In this programme, Laura Heighton-Ginns visits Fanduel - the market leader in New York - and gets a tour of its vast Meadowlands Sportsbook complex, where punters blend betting with socialising.Laura also hears from Indian Poker champion Nikita Luther on the distinctions between playing games of skill for money and those of chance and Chrissy Boyce, who became bankrupt and homeless through using digital slot machines, tells Laura about the links between online gambling and addiction.Presenter / producer: Laura Heighton-GinnsImage: Fanduel Meadowlands; Credit: BBC
There have been a number of deaths during rare demonstrations in the southern Syrian city of Sweida. Also: the Tigrayan force chief in northern Ethiopia says many of his fighters have pulled back from the battle front, and a happy 190th birthday to Jonathan the giant tortoise.
Hanan and Riad’s story of making the Intifada tape. There was disco, protest and poetry, but the consequences would be dangerous. Through an underground network of music lovers, Riad’s songs would survive and eventually end up with Mo’min.Presenter: Mobeen AzharProducer: Maryam MarufEditor: Munazza KhanSound design: Joel CoxMix: Giles AspenWith thanks to Diana Alghoul for translation support
We hear from Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima and former Swiss player Johan Djourou, plus some happy French fans after their team booked a place in the quarter-finals.
Iran's Attorney General says the religious police tasked with enforcing the Islamic dress code have been disbanded. Mohammad Jafar Montazeri's comments follow months of protests triggered by the death of a young woman in their custody. Newshour gets reaction from women in Iran.Also on the programme: China looks set to ease its zero Covid policy, and the tortoise celebrating its190th birthday.Photo: A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting in a street in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Taherkenareh /EPA
Hong Kong health expert Professor Malik Peiris relates the lessons from the devastation there earlier this year. UK virologist Dr Tom Peacock reveals the unusual origins and evolution of omicron, and explains the risks of dangerous new variants. New studies from China are revealing further SARS-like viruses in the wild; Professor Eddie Holmes says they underline the risk of further pandemics. What are the clouds like where you are? When you look upwards can you see great tufts of cotton wool, or do they stretch off into the distance, flat like sheets. Are they dark greys and purples, bringing the promise of rain or maybe there aren’t any at all. For listener John from Lincolnshire in the UK clouds looking up at the clouds is a favourite pastime and he wants to know why they look the way they do and why they are so different from one day to the next.Join Presenter Marnie Chesterton as we turn our gaze skyward to discover what gives clouds their shape. Join us for a cloud spotting mission with Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the cloud appreciation society as he helps us de-code the shapes across the sky to reveal what they can tell us about our atmosphere. Dr Claire Vincent at the University of Melbourne introduces us to one of the superstars of the cloud world, Hector the Convector to explain where thunderstorms come from. And we learn how people like you can help NASA to understand the clouds better with Marilé Colón Robles project scientist at the GLOBE programme.(Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Iran's morality police, which is tasked with enforcing the country's Islamic dress code, is being disbanded, the country's attorney general says. Mohammad Jafar Montazeri's comments, yet to be confirmed by other agencies, were made at an event on Sunday. Iran has seen months of protests over the death of a young woman in custody. Mahsa Amini had been detained by the morality police for allegedly breaking strict rules on head coverings. We hear the latest from BBC Persian's Siavash Ardalan and Dr Sanam Vakil of Chatham House, a foreign-policy think tank. Also on the programme: thousands of troops surround the city of Soyapango in El Salvador as part of a massive crackdown on gangs; and Jonathan the tortoise, the world's oldest recorded land animal, celebrates his 190th birthday. (File image: A portrait of Mahsa Amini stands between Iranian national flags during a 'Solidarity with the civil uprising in Iran' rally at Bebel Platz square in Berlin, Germany, 01 October 2022. CLEMENS BILAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The Ukrainian President added that it would not stop Russia's war in his country. Also: A spokesman for the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he won't resign despite a scandal over money stolen from his farm, and the discovery on a bookshelf in the US of one of Stephen Sondheim's earliest musicals.
The Greek daily newspaper, Ta Nea, says talks have been taking place between the British Museum and the Greek prime minister since November last year.Also on the programme: an alternative to plastic; and the story of how a fossil, which lay unnoticed in a drawer for over half a century, has advanced our understanding of the origins of reptiles. (Picture: One of the Parthenon Statues, also known as the Elgin Marbles. Credit: Reuters)
Max Pearson presents a compilation of this week's Witness History programmes from the BBC World Service.We hear from a man who was aged six when he was among the Japanese families expelled from his island home, as it was taken over by the Soviet Union after the Second World War. Our guest is Professor Haruko Satoh from Osaka University who analyses recent Japan-Russian relations and the impact of the invasion of Ukraine.Twenty years after the Mombasa hotel bombing, a survivor recounts her experience. Also, the virologist who smuggled live HIV into Bulgaria in her handbag so she could start testing people.Plus the flour protests at the 1970 Miss World contest and the history of a keep fit phenomenon.Contributors:Yuzo Matsumoto - taken from his home on Etorofu in 1947Professor Haruko Satoh - Osaka UniversitySally Alexander - protester at Miss World 1970Kelly Hartog - survivor of the Mombasa hotel bombingProfessor Radka Argirova - virologist from BulgariaAnnie Thorisdottir - CrossFit world champion
Delegates from a 160 countries meeting in Uruguay have ended their first round of talks aimed at creating a new UN treaty on plastic pollution. EU members and Switzerland argue efforts to tackle pollution should include mandatory cuts to global plastic production. But the United States and Saudi Arabia, home to the top petrochemical and plastics companies, say the targets should be voluntary and country-led. We will hear from Greenpeace and from one of the recipients of the Earthshot prize who won a million pounds for making a natural bio-degradable plastic made out of seaweed.Also in the programme: There's been a limited easing of Covid restrictions in two of China's biggest cities; and the knockout stages of the World Cup in Qatar begin.(PICTURE: A plastic bottle lies on the sand at Maccarese beach, west of Rome. CREDIT: Reuters/Max Rossi/File Photo)
World Book Club travels to The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in England, as guests of The Off the Shelf Festival and talks to local prize-winning Sheffield writer Sunjeev Sahota about his compelling novel, The Year of the Runaways.Voyaging from India to England, from childhood to the present day, Sunjeev Sahota's heart-rending novel follows a group of young men each in flight from India and desperately searching for a new and fulfilling life in the northern British town of Sheffield. Tarlochan is silent about his past in Bihar, and Avtar has a secret that binds him to protect the traumatized Randeep. Randeep has a visa wife living separately in a flat nearby, who constantly dreads a surprise call from the immigration authorities.An unforgettable story of dignity in the face of adversity and of the enduring power of the human spirit.(Picture: Sunjeev Sahota. Photo credit: Simon Revill.)
We’re in the small Spanish town of Coria del Río where 700 residents have the surname "Japón", which translates to "Japan". So where better to watch the crucial Group E match between Japan and Spain!?Photo: Fans gather at a bar in Coria del Río to watch the World Cup Group E match between Japan and Spain Credit: Stefano Montali
Apart from football, the men’s World Cup in Qatar has also led to analysis and discussion around the country’s human rights, including its treatment towards LGBT people. Qatar is far from the only country where someone’s sexuality is considered an issue, so we decided to bring together members of the LGBT community from various countries - including Turkey, Russia, Jordan and the UK - to hear their experiences.
The past few years gave way to a boom in the number of people joining direct selling schemes in India who were lured in by the false promise of riches. These tactics – imported from the West – have been quietly growing without much scrutiny. Ria – not her real name – fell prey to one of the largest schemes operating in the country. In an exclusive interview for BBC Trending, she reveals how she was trained to “attract people” into the business. There is a small group of crusaders who are fighting back, trying to save people from buying into schemes that leave more people further out of pocket than they were to begin with. So who are they and how are they doing it? The BBC’s health and disinformation reporter, Rachel Schraer investigates this phenomenon, speaking to experts, the authorities and even two YouTubers who are spreading awareness in the small South Indian village. Presenter: Rachel SchraerProducer: Reha KansaraEditor: Flora Carmichael
Europe is cracking down on Russian oil and Poland is now backing a policy that should radically reduce the income Moscow gets from its oil. So how is it going to work?The US jobs market stays strong - but what about all the Americans still staying at home because of long Covid?Also on the programme, the right wing talk show host Alex Jones files for bankrutpcy as he faces paying more than a billion dollars in damages.Plus - 30 years after the first text message - how a few short words have changed all our livesRoger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by Peter Ryan, ABC Australia senior business correspondent - who's in Sydney, and Betsey Stevenson, former Member of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers & Chief Economist at the US Labour department, now professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan. She joins from Ann Arbor. (Picture: Drilling rig and support vessel on offshore area; Credit: Getty Images)
The aim is to starve Moscow of funds for its war against Ukraine. Also: The World Health Organisation says it's struggling to reach people in need of help in the Ethiopian region of Tigray, weeks after a ceasefire was agreed, and why a Barbadian task force is asking a British MP for slavery reparations.
: All is now set for the EU to formally approving the cap on Russian oil at $60 after Poland gave a go ahead today. We discuss the implications.Also on the programme, a look at how long covid is forcing many Americans to drop out of the workforce.And conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, has filed for bankruptcy protection after being fined almost one and a half billion dollars for defamatory comments he made about the Sandy Hook mass shooting, we discuss what this could mean.
Ghana fans find comfort in defeat as Uruguay, and their arch-nemesis Luis Suarez, also go home. Meanwhile Australian fans look ahead to the Argentina match, and we hear from former Socceroo Luke Wilkshire who was in the Australia team that reached the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup.
The chief economic adviser to Ukraine's president has warned BP that hundreds of millions of dollars earned from an investment in Russian energy company, Rosneft, amounts to 'blood money'.Oleg Ustenko has written to BP's chief executive, Bernard Looney, calling on it to use the money to establish a fund for Ukrainian victims of the war.BP insists it has not received any dividends from Rosneft and has written down the value of the assets to zero.
European Union countries are nearing a deal to cap the price of Russian crude oil at $60 per barrel,But how much will the move, which builds upon a G7 initiative to further weaken the Kremlin's ability to wage war on Ukraine, hurt Moscow?Also in the programme: Two weeks into a Turkish offensive in north-eastern Syria, we hear from a relief worker who's witnessed the damage; South Africa's governing party meets to discuss whether the president should resign; and we consider whether Brazil's football team is uniting or dividing the nation?(Photo shows the Gazpromneft MNPZ Moscow Petroleum Refinery JSC in Moscow, Russia. Credit: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA)
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was speaking after visiting recently liberated towns in Ukraine. Also: Kanye West is suspended from Twitter again, News from Elsewhere and the transatlantic centenarian penpals.
In 1970, feminists stormed the stage at the Miss World pageant in London. They were protesting against the objectification of women. Sally Alexander was one of the young protesters who was arrested for her part in the demonstration. She spoke to Andrew Whitehead in 2014.(Photo: Protestors outside the 1970 Miss World pageant. Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur is in the US to speak to San Francisco’s mayor London Breed, a rising star of the Democratic Party. Her city is one of contrasts - vast tech wealth alongside rampant crime, drug use and homelessness. It symbolises America’s urban dysfunction. Can the mayor fix it?
This week journalist and author James Griffiths explains how the Great Firewall of China works - and why it failed to stop the recent wave of protests there. Reporter Alasdair Keane meets the robots that could provide a helping hand to the most vulnerable. And game developer Colin Macdonald reflects on the unlikely origins of Grand Theft Auto, as the game franchise turns 25.(Photo: protestors on the streets of China. Credit: Getty images)
More than ever girls are bombarded by images that have been curated, filtered and touched up. How can we help girls decode those images and understand that ideals of beauty are constructed by society and change across time and place?Shelina Janmohamed is an author and advertising executive. Her latest book is designed to help girls aged eight and above build confidence in how they look and show them why what appears to be beautiful isn't as straight forward as it seems.Shelina tells presenter Rabiya Limbada why her career in advertising led her to write this book and why helping girls become more savvy consumers is good for business. Rabiya also speaks to six girls - Hanaa, Haleemah, Helen, Hana, Sophia and Amatullah - about what they think beautiful is, their experience of filtered images and how confident they feel about how they look.Presenter: Rabiya LimbadaProducer: Carmel O'Grady(Image: Young girl at beauty counter / Credit: Getty Images)
Alvaro Enciso is an artist. He arrived in the US from Colombia in the 1960s and now lives in Tucson, Arizona on the edge of the unforgiving Sonoran Desert. If you are a migrant, this is one of the deadliest places to journey across the border from Mexico into the United States. Many of those who begin that lengthy walk will not make it – thousands have died in the attempt. Alvaro Enciso feels a very human connection to those lives lost. So every Tuesday, he does something extraordinary. Together with a group of volunteers, Alvaro motors off-road through the dust and the cacti, and plants painted, wooden crosses in the precise locations where Undocumented Border Crossers have taken their last breaths. For Heart and Soul, Linda Pressly travels into the Sonoran Desert with Alvaro Enciso and his team. Producer & presenter: Linda PresslyProducer in Arizona: Tim Mansel (Photo: Alvaro Enciso with one of his crosses. Credit: Tim Mansel)
South Africa's president sees his future in the balance and the country's economy weakens further.On World Aids Day we discuss how African leaders have cut back on health spending.And ever heard of Tunisia's spicy Harissa paste? It's the latest addition to UNESCO's heritage status, we’ll discuss how significant that status is. Roger Hearing discusses this and more with Walter Todd, President and Chief Investment Officer of Greenwood Capital in South Carolina, and Jyoti Malhotra, Senior Consulting Editor with ThePrint who's in New Delhi. (Picture: President Cyril Ramaphosa; Credit: Getty Images.)
But only if the Russian President showed a desire to end the war in Ukraine. Also: Further violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has pushed a ceasefire close to collapse, and Harissa is given cultural heritage status by the UN.
The South African rand has started feeling the heat as President Cyril Ramaphosa faces scrutiny over a farmgate corruption scandal. We discuss Brazil's third quarter GDP as growth slows more than expected as high interest rates bite.And we find out why K-Beauty - an umbrella term for skincare products derived from South Korea is such a big hit.(Picture: President Cyril Ramaphosa. Credit: Getty Images.)
President Biden has said his recent law providing huge investment in American chipmaking and green firms doesn't come at the expense of Europe. Mr Biden was speaking at the White House after meeting his French counterpart, who's voiced concerns about the effect of the subsidies on European jobs and companies. The dispute has threatened to overshadow Emmanuel Macron's state visit. Also in the programme: history is made at the FIFA men’s World Cup with the first female referee; and letter bomb attacks in Spain with speculation they are linked to the war in Ukraine. (PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron greets U.S. President Joe Biden. CREDIT: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Argentina's Pablo Zabaleta reflects on his team's performances so far and looks ahead to their round of 16 match against Australia. We also explore the troubles between Serbia and Switzerland ahead of their crucial group match.Picture on website: Argentina fans react during the FIFA World Cup match against Poland (David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Hong Kong health expert Professor Malik Peiris relates the lessons from the devastation there earlier this year.UK virologist Dr Tom Peacock reveals the unusual origins and evolution of omicron, and explains the risks of dangerous new variants.New studies from China are revealing further SARS-like viruses in the wild; Professor Eddie Holmes says they underline the risk of further pandemics.(Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
The presidency of South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa seems under threat, after a damning report from a panel of legal experts into accusations that he covered up the theft of $4m (£3.3m) in cash from his farm in 2020.A Liberian senator wants an investigation into the amount of time President George Weah has currently spent outside the country.And Nigeria has approved a policy for primary school lessons to be taught in local languages, rather than English.
Figures released today show that the jobless rate in the eurozone dropped to 6.5% in October - that's the lowest rate since the data started being collected in 1998. In Germany, which has the largest economy in the eurozone, the unemployment rate is now just 3%. In France, the second largest, it's 7.1%.
China has signalled a shift in its Covid stance as it moves to ease some virus restrictions despite high daily case numbers.It comes as one of China's most senior pandemic officials, vice-premier Sun Chunlan, said the virus' ability to cause disease was weakening.We hear from a reporter in Beijing and speak to a virologist. Also in the programme: The trial of the Hong Kong tycoon and pro-democracy activist - Jimmy Lai - is postponed; and the Russian reservist who never made it to the battlefield in UkrainePhoto: People wearing face masks ride an escalator at Raffles city shopping mall in Beijing, as many shopping malls re-open. Credit: WU HAO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
It comes after mass protests against its zero-Covid policy. Also: In Afghanistan the Taliban orders Voice of America to stop broadcasting, Spain steps up security after a spate of letter bombs, and New York ties with Singapore to be the most expensive on Earth.
In 1974, Zaire became just the third African nation to take part in football’s World Cup. Having been crowned African champions earlier that same year, the team known as the Leopards had big hopes for a successful tournament in West Germany. However, their campaign is predominantly remembered for a 9-0 defeat and a moment viewed by many as something comedic. Mwepu Ilunga’s decision to run out of a defensive wall and smash the ball downfield as opponent’s Brazil prepared to take a free-kick has become part of World Cup folklore, but the true reasons behind the defender’s apparent rush of blood to the head are likely to be less amusing. Ian Williams speaks to Mohamed Kalambay, part of Zaire’s 1974 squad, to try to discover the truth of it all.(Photo: The Zaire team line up to face Brazil in their final group game of the 1974 World Cup in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany. Credit: Getty Images)
In 1985, at the height of the Cold War, Bulgaria was a strictly controlled communist dictatorship. It was also facing a wave of infection and death caused by a mysterious new virus. The authorities refused to recognise the threat of HIV and AIDS, so one of Bulgaria’s virologists took the initiative.In this programme for World Aids Day, Professor Radka Argirova tells Janet Barrie how she smuggled the live HIV virus back from Germany to start testing in Bulgaria for the first time.(Photo: Professor Radka Argirova in her laboratory. Credit: BBC)
In today’s episode of our Beauty Costs series, we’re looking at a part of the beauty world that’s worth over ten billion dollars.K-beauty is one of South Korea’s biggest exports, and in the last couple of years it’s overtaken the United States in becoming the world’s second biggest exporter of beauty products.So we head to Seoul, where reporter Nina Pasquini finds out why consumers there think it’s infiltrated the mainstream market.We speak to the founder of one of the biggest K-beauty disruptor brands, Alicia Yoon from Peach & Lily. Sharon Ahn, beauty analyst from global consumer trend forecaster WGSN, tells us why K-beauty is set to become worth twenty billion dollars in the next few years.South Korea has cultivated an era of cultural dominance, in music, acting and now in beauty. A lot of which has been accessible online, mainly through social media. Youtuber SSIN has over one a and a half million subscribers to her channel, she tells us what K-beauty means to her and her thoughts on its success.Producer and presenter: Izzy Greenfield(Image: Beige Chuu South Korean beauty influencer / Credit: Getty Images)
In the late 19th Century, when the motion picture camera was invented and cinema was born, a young French woman called Alice Guy ended up becoming the first ever woman film-maker; rising from being a lowly young secretary to a prolific and pioneering director, producer and entrepreneur. Yet at her death in 1968, she was barely known, most of her thousand or so films had been lost and her crucial role in the history of the film industry was forgotten. In the past few decades, Alice Guy’s reputation has been gradually revived, and today she is recognised as a creative visionary and inspiration to many women film directors.Joining Rajan Datar to track the career of Alice Guy, or Alice Guy Blaché as she was also known by her married name, is the film scholar, Dr Anthony Slide, the editor of The Memoirs of Alice Guy Blaché; Dr Alison McMahan, the author of Alice Guy Blaché: Lost Visionary of the Cinema, and the novelised biography WonderShadows; and Caroline Rainette who performed, wrote, and directed, Alice Guy: Mademoiselle Cinema. With the contribution of Pamela Green, the director and producer of Be Natural: the untold story of Alice Guy Blaché.The reader is Félicité du Jeu. Producer: Anne Khazam(Photo: Alice Guy at her Solax film studios in Fort Lee New Jersey USA, in 1914. Credit: By kind permission of Dr Anthony Slide)
Sasha Koltun volunteered to fight in Putin's war against Ukraine, though his mother Yelena begged him not to go. Four days later, he was dead, one of several dozen new recruits from across Russia who never even reached the battlefield. What happened to him - and will his mother, battling official indifference and obstruction, ever discover the truth? With the Kremlin currently restricting access to Russia for Western reporters, Tim Whewell picks up the phone to talk to her and other people in and around the city of Bratsk, in central Siberia, about how the war has affected them. Many are afraid to talk. But others describe their anxiety as they wave goodbye to their menfolk, their confused feelings about the war - a mixture of patriotism and doubt - and the chaotic organisation of the call up. Some recruits have had to buy their own uniform and equipment. Others have suffered as discipline breaks down at some training camps. Tim talks to a former policewoman determined to encourage support for the war, who makes stretchers for wounded Russian soldiers - and to a young woman who believes it was her boyfriend's duty to be a soldier. But Yelena Koltun - who lost her son Sasha - cannot understand what her country is fighting for.
Presented and produced by Tim Whewell
Twitter owner Elon Musk says he and Apple CEO Tim Cook have resolved the misunderstanding over removing the social networking platform from the app store.
We discuss the business of music as Christine McVie, who played with Fleetwood Mac and wrote some of their most famous songs, dies aged 79.
And The French baguette makes history.
We are joined on the programme by Tom Giles from the US, Rebecca Choong Wilkins in Hong Kong and Ushen Ele-Chin who is joins us from Turkey. (Picture: Elon Musk. Credit: Getty Images.)
Eggs – a nutritious and affordable source of protein.
Or they were. The cost of a box of eggs has been rocketing around the world. And in some places, where it’s long been common to start the day on an egg – supplies are under pressure.
In this programme, Ruth Alexander explores the challenges egg producers are facing - including what can be done about the seemingly ever-present threat of avian influenza.
She speaks to Amanda Mdodana, a poultry farmer in Mpumalanga, South Africa; Phillip Crawley, a poultry farmer in Leicestershire, UK; Mark Jacob, poultry and egg economist in Arkansas, US; and Professor Munir Iqbal, head of the Avian Influenza Virus group at the Pirbright Institute, UK.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: A chicken standing next to an egg. Credit: Getty/BBC)
Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
Report finds the South African President may have breached anti-corruption law. Also: The Islamic State group has announced the death of its leader, Abu al-Hassan al-Quraishi, and Christine McVie -- who was behind some of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits -- has died.
The chair of the US central bank Jerome Powell has indicated that the Federal Reserve could slow down on interest rate hikes going forward while cautioning that there's still a long way to go in its fight against inflation.
Also on the programme, Remote banking forces HSBC to shut 114 branches in the UK from April.
And as India assumes presidency of the G20, how could the next 12 months shape the group's agenda -- and what does it really mean for India?
The head of the European Commission has proposed setting up a special tribunal to try crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen said 'Russia must pay for its horrific crimes'.
Also in the programme: US rail strike; and the baguette gets UNESCO heritage status.
(Picture: First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska during the opening of a Russian war crimes exhibition at Portcullis House, London. Picture date: Tuesday November 29, 2022. Credit: James Manning/PA Wire)
After years of setbacks, the announcement of the first drug to slow the brain's decline in Alzheimer's is being hailed as "momentous". What makes this breakthrough different?
To study the effect of the environment on our health, scientists sometimes have to look to the past. We hear from the author of a study which has uncovered how the worst recession in US history may leave an indelible mark on how well people age.
Claudia Hammond’s guest this week James Gallagher, the BBC's health and science correspondent, looks at a new single-dose treatment for sleeping sickness and claims it could help to eradicate transmission of the disease by 2030 and why monkeypox is being renamed.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Gerry Holt
(Picture: Human brain scan in a neurology clinic. Photo credit: Andrew Brookes/Getty Images.)
From Mozambique: The son of former president Armando Guebuza is on trial for embezzlement, money laundering and blackmail in the country's biggest financial scandal.
We'll hear how an army base housing the Wagner Group's fighters in the Central African Republic was bombed.
In South Sudan: A spike in premature births - and attempts to keep the infants alive.
Those stories and more in this podcast with Audrey Brown.
Wage growth has fallen by 1 percent for the first time since the start of the 21st century.
The International Labour Organization has found that wages around the world are falling significantly as a result of inflation, with low and middle-income households hit the hardest.
It’s calling for countries to increase the minimum wage across the board, and for there to be more help such as vouchers for those households who are really struggling.
A trial of a dementia drug has shown - for the first time - that the progression of early stage Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed down. Also on the programme, women's rights in Afghanistan continue to erode. And, China's former leader Jiang Zemin has died. He was in power during an extraordinary period of growth from the late 1980s.
(Photo: BBC)
Lecanemab slows damage to the brain in the early stages of the disease. Also: Jiang Zemin, who led China after the Tiananmen Square massacre, has died aged 96, and how bats can outsing humans.
In 1947, thousands of Japanese families were expelled from their island homes by Soviet troops. They were taken from the Northern Territories, also known as the Southern Kurils, after the Soviet Union took control of the islands.
Japan and Russia have failed to sign a peace agreement after World War Two because of the dispute.
Yuzo Matsumoto, who's now 81, has been speaking to Laura Jones.
(Photo: Yuzo Matsumoto with photos of his parents, standing in front of a map of Etorofu. Credit: BBC)
一位网友想知道 “contribute、contribution” 和 “contributor” 的用法区别。这三个词词根的意思都与 “贡献” 有关。动词 “contribute” 表示 “作出贡献”，名词 “contribution” 指 “作出的贡献”，名词 “contributor” 则指 “作贡献的人”。听节目详细讲解它们的用法。
The beauty industry was once a world dominated by a handful of names, but quickly and quietly, hundreds of smaller brands have managed to make a name for themselves in an incredibly competitive sector.
We speak to beauty business founders who have built their brands from scratch, and now sell to millions of people across the world; Chaymae Samir is the founder of MadeBySunday.com and Bianca Ingrosso is the founder of CAIA cosmetics.
In a recent report on the cosmetics industry, Deloitte found that “small is the new big” and that “global brands are losing share as small brands and disruptors are gaining”. So why have we fallen out of love with the beauty behemoths, and what do smaller brands have that the bigger ones don’t?
Producer and presenter: Izzy Greenfield (Image: Make-up products / Credit: Getty Images)
Stephen Sackur speaks to the palliative care doctor and author Rachel Clarke. Her medical skills are matched by a talent for writing which has seen her write thought-provoking, moving accounts of what it's like to be junior doctor, and what it felt like to confront the covid pandemic. But perhaps Rachel Clarke’s most powerful book focuses on a subject that many doctors, and we the public, find it difficult to discuss: death. In ‘Dear Life’ she weaves together the personal story of a daughter facing the terminal cancer illness of her beloved father with that of a doctor who made a deliberate choice to focus her care on the dying. In the process of dying, which will of course be the fate of every one of us, Rachel Clarke finds life lessons which we would all do well to learn. She asks us to consider a tough question: can dying be life affirming?
Devina Gupta is joined by Stephanie Hare in the UK, representing the US, and Tala Ramadan in Lebanon, to discuss the main economic stories of the day. Nato members pledge to support Ukraine by rebuilding its energy infrastructure. Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said energy security had become crucial, as Ukrainians struggle to survive freezing temperatures and regular power cuts.
Elsewhere China continues to struggle with Coronavirus. The government now wants to increase vaccinations for older people. Only 56% of the over 60s in China - and just a fifth of over 80s - have had three doses of vaccine.
(Photo: Pedestrians walk along a street in Ukraine, with no street lights. Credit: Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA-EFE/Rex/Shutterstock)
Millions of Ukrainians remain without power in freezing temperatures after Russian strikes. Also: jailed Belarus protest leader Maria Kolesnikova is "in intensive care", and China sends astronauts to live on its space station.
Devina Gupta presents. NATO says it will help Ukraine repair damage to its energy network caused by Russian missile strikes. Meanwhile Germany sees an unexpected slowing in inflation for November - a result of slight easing to previously sky-high energy prices.
A leading opposition figure in Belarus has been taken from prison and placed in intensive care. Maria Kolesnikova's sister tells Newshour she is in a serious but stable condition after having an emergency operation but they've been given no details.
Also in the programme: Estonia's foreign minister on NATO help for Ukraine; and Iran v USA in the World Cup.
Picture: Belarusian opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova makes a heart shape with her hands as she arrives for questioning at the Investigative Committee in Minsk, Belarus August 27, 2020. Credit: REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko)
Lawyers in Chad have gone on strike, as protesters arrested at a demonstration where at least 50 people were killed last month are due in court.
Plus, Malawi rolls out Africa’s first malaria vaccine for children under the age of five.
And author Derek Owusu talks to us about his new novel Losing the Plot.
People in China are taking to the streets to protest about the ongoing strict lockdowns in the country. The government is trying to contain a surge in covid infections. Today the government has said it wants to increase vaccinations for the elderly. Only 56% of the over 60s in China - and just a fifth of over 80s - have had three doses of vaccine.
Nato has promised to give more weapons to Ukraine and help fix energy infrastructure damage.
Also on the programme: China uses surveillance tactics to find protesters; and the United States and Iran are slated to face off in the Qatar World Cup.
(Image: Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend arrivals and doorsteps of the Nato foreign ministers meeting in Bucharest, Romania, 29 November 2022. Credit: Nenov/Reuters)
Foreign ministers discuss how best to support Ukraine, as a fresh wave of attacks cut off water and power supplies. Also: China responds to lockdown protests, and a Balenciaga advertising campaign sparks major backlash.
In 2000, an American personal trainer invented CrossFit.
They now have gyms around the world and hold an annual international competition.
Rachel Naylor speaks to two-time world champion Annie Thorisdottir, from Iceland.
(Photo: Annie Thorisdottir. Credit: CrossFit LLC)
Iranian fans and USA journalist Sam Stejskal look ahead to the crucial and politically charged group match between their teams. And we hear from the delighted fans of Ghana and Brazil following victories on Monday.
主持人菲菲说她今天已经做了足够多的工作，所以她打算 “call it a day”。同事 Rob 说一天有24个小时，菲菲才工作了八小时，所以还不能 “call it a day（收工）”。听他们的对话，学习如何正确使用地道英语表达 “call it a day”。
Products that claim to lighten skin are often physically harmful, often containing toxic chemicals and dangerous ingredients. We look at why skin lightening products still exist, speak to people affected by their messaging, and find out why stopping sales is not as simple as it might seem.
We hear from Professor Mire, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Carleton in Ottawa, Canada. She suggests that terms like "glow" and "brightening," which are increasingly used by cosmetics firms as substitutes, are as steeped in colonial and racial narratives as the words they are replacing. She believes the branding of these products continues to exploit historic and racialised associations between skin tone and status.
Chandana from Mumbai tells us what it was like to live in a society where she was pressured to have lighter skin, and Professor Adbi from the Singapore Business Schools explains why he believes that companies are promoting beauty ideals linked to lighter skin, and fuelling demand that could indirectly put people’s health at risk.
Producer and presenter: Izzy Greenfield (Image: Skin lightening products. Credit: Getty Images)
The past few years have been the most politically turbulent for the State of Oklahoma and its Native American, or Indian, population in over a century. A Supreme Court ruling, McGirt v Oklahoma, in July 2020, reaffirmed treaties that have been in place since the early 19th Century. These treaties decreed much of eastern Oklahoma as reservation land, still belonging to the Native American communities who were forcibly moved there in the 19th Century. However an inevitable legal backlash followed the McGirt decision.
The number of new coronavirus infections keep making records in China, as protesters take to the streets of major cities to call for the ease of Covid restrictions. We hear about the impact demonstrations are having on businesses and international markets.
We also explore what the future holds for Disney after its returning CEO, Bob Iger, outlines his vision for a company that's struggling to make streaming a profitable business.
Also in the programme, we take a look at the reasons that took crypto lender BlockFi to file for bankruptcy shortly after FTX’s collapse.
Devina Gupta discusses these and more business news with Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland, and Alaezi Akpuru, the owner and creative director of Nigerian contemporary womenswear brand Virgioli Fashion.
(Picture: A mourner holds flowers during a vigil for the victims of China's Covid Zero policy and the victims of the Urumqi fire in Hong Kong. Picture credit: Reuters)
A number of civilians died after al-Shabab militants stormed a hotel near the presidential palace in Mogadishu. Also: demonstrations in China over Covid restrictions appear to have died down, and Nigeria praises UK museum for returning Benin Bronzes.
The firm had previously admitted to have "significant exposure" to FTX, which collapsed in mid-November after a rush of customer withdrawals ran out its reserves. We look into the repercussions that this might have in the crypto industry.
Also in the programme, Disney’s returning CEO, Bob Iger, has outlined his vision for a company that had lost momentum in the last few months. We discuss the challenges the executive faces, which includes reversing recent losses registered by the company in their streaming and film-producing businesses.
And we look into why Ghana has announced the steepest interest rate hike of the last 19 years.
A heavy police presence in major Chinese cities -- including Beijing and Shanghai -- appears to have stopped new demonstrations against Covid restrictions.
Also in the programme: European 'super cartel' broken up; and water shortages in the Zambezi river.
(Picture: A man is taken away by police after pushing over a protester during a demonstration over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in mainland China, during a commemoration of the victims of a fire in Urumqi, in Hong Kong, China November 28, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)
One of the world’s large owls by length, the Great Grey Owl is an enigmatic predator of coniferous forests close to the Arctic tundra. It's most often seen hunting around dawn and dusk, when it perches silently at the edges of clearings. But as Prof Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French delve deep inside to understand its true secret to survival, they find the deep feathery coat belies a deceptively small head and body that‘s evolved unbelievably powerful abilities to silently detect and ambush unsuspecting prey.
In Somalia, another deadly al-Shabab attack, this time on a hotel in the capital Mogadishu. We speak to environment minister Adam Aw Hirsi, who was one of those caught up in the violence.
Plus, we get the latest from Sao Tome and Principe, where an attempted coup has left several people dead.
And in Cameroon at least a dozen people have been killed by a landslide which struck a funeral.
Authorities in China are seeking to end protests against Covid restrictions that spread to some of its biggest cities over the weekend.
Many cities across the country are locked down as the government tries to control record Covid-19 cases.
We'll find out what effect this new instability is having on financial markets and businesses in China.
Long: Rare protests in 10 Chinese cities, dissenters demand an end to zero-Covid policy; Also in the programme a Somali junior minister escapes an al-Shabab attack in Mogadishu; and the brothers behind the Turkish Bayraktar drones.
(Photo: Chinese protesters in Hong Kong holding blank white papers. Credit: Shutterstock)
Police say it controlled around a third of Europe's cocaine trade. Also: China seeks to end widespread protests against coronavirus restrictions, and why Bob Dylan is having to apologise to his fans.
In 2002, journalist Kelly Hartog was on a press trip in Mombasa, in Kenya, when suicide bombers drove a car packed with explosives into the hotel where she was staying.
The attack killed 18 people and injured 80.
Almost at the same time, terrorists tried to bring down an Israeli charter jet using surface-to-air missiles – but narrowly missed.
Kelly tells Vicky Farncombe about her ordeal.
Perhaps you have heard of Marcia Kilgore, or maybe not, but if you’re a woman, a beauty junkie, or just love shoes, you are likely to have heard of one of the five multi-million dollar companies that she has launched over the last two decades.
Marcia is the brains behind the beauty brand BlissSpa, the spa brand Soap&Glory, shoe phenomenon FitFlop, bath and body range Soaper Duper and most recently, Beauty Pie - an affordable luxury make-up and skincare range.
She tells us why she became a serial entrepreneur, and how her career started in a one bedroom-apartment in New York City.
Producer and presenter: Izzy Greenfield
(Image: Skin lightening products. Credit: Getty Images)
While synonymous with status and romance, diamonds have also been linked to controversy, colonialism and conflict. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women whose lives have been shaped and transformed by the diamond industry in Botswana and Namibia.
Anna Marie Johnson was paralysed at the age of eight. Reliant on a wheelchair, she missed out on completing her education. She's found a new lease of life and renewed ambition as part of a diverse workforce at Andre Messika in Windhoek, Namibia.
Naseem Lahri is the first woman, and the first female citizen of Botswana, to run a diamond mine in the country. She says she's a product of diamond mining through the funding the industry puts into education in her country and that she's delighted to be part of the process giving back to the local community.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Anna Marie Johnson, credit Natural Diamond Council. (R) Naseem Lahri, credit Lucara Diamond.)
Mo’min Swaitat unearthed a vast trove of forgotten Palestinian music. Not only did it hold long-lost recordings of his own Bedouin family, but also a mysterious yellow cassette of protest songs set to an electro-disco beat. Mo’min became captivated by the yellow tape. It would open up a world of underground music from one of the most turbulent times in Palestinian history, the First Intifada. But could he track down who’d made it?
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Maryam Maruf Editor: Munazza Khan Sound design: Joel Cox Mix: Giles Aspen With thanks to Diana Alghoul for translation support
Zeinab Badawi speaks to American artist and writer Barbara Chase-Riboud at the Serpentine Galleries in London. Over a career spanning seven decades, Chase-Riboud has explored public memory and commemorative forms, as well as shone a light on historical perspectives that have been overlooked or neglected. Her work raises fascinating questions about how society deals with public monuments of controversial figures from the past.
In defiant scenes not usually seen in China, demonstrators have called for President Xi Jinping to stand down. Also: Italy declares a state of emergency on the island of Ischia following a deadly landslide, and a Frenchman who was sacked for refusing to join work parties wins the legal right to be boring.
Ivory Coast and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba tells us his blueprint for African football. We head to the Ghana team hotel to hear from technical advisor Chris Hughton. Morocco and Costa Rica fans party in Doha, while Germany live to fight another day. And meet the Argentina fans who cycled from Cape Town to Doha in the hope of seeing Lionel Messi lift the World Cup.
People have been protesting against strict Covid policies in Beijing and Shanghai. The population has faced nearly three years of mass testing, quarantines and snap lockdowns. We’ll hear from a journalist in Shanghai.
Also on the programme: A state of emergency called in Italy after a deadly landslide; and the British exhibition permanently closed because of its racism, sexism and ableism
Photo: A man shouts during a protest in Beijing, China. Credit: MARK CRISTINO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
A distant planet's atmosphere - NASA's JWST space telescope has unpicked the chemical contents and state of the atmosphere of planet WASP-39b 700 light years away. Astronomer Hannah Wakeford explains.
Earth's atmospheric haze and global warming - meteorologist Laura Wilcox warns that atmospheric haze over China and South Asia is masking some of the effects of global warming.
Pregnancy brain fog explained - loss of memory and other mental changes during pregnancy have been traced to structural changes in the brain, possibly due to hormone effects, neuroscientist Elseline Hoekszema speculates.
Improving lab coats - every scientist has a lab coat, but how many have one actually fits? Founder of Genius Lab Gear Derek Miller explains the problem and how he's trying to fix it.
As someone who dislikes crowds, listener Graham is curious about them. Crowds gather in all sorts of places, from train stations and football matches, to religious events and protest marches. Many of these events are celebratory, but occasionally – such as in Seoul this year – they can become horrific. Is there a science behind how crowds form, move and behave?
To find out, CrowdScience presenter Anand Jagatia speaks to some actual crowd scientists. He learns about the psychology of social identity, which influences everything from how close we stand to others to how we react in emergencies. He hears about the algorithm behind the biggest marathons in the world, and how they ensure 50,000 runners move smoothly through a city on race day. And he explores how research into the spread of rioting can help to stop crowds from becoming a mob or a crush, helping us to navigate crowded spaces as safely as possible.
Image credit: Melissa Weiss/Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Protests against China's strict anti-Covid policies have continued for a second day in a number of cities across the country. Demonstrators gathered in Shanghai, Beijing and Wuhan. Many held up blank pieces of paper to express their dissatisfaction and to highlight the censorship they face in China.
We speak live to Ukraine's Prosecutor General about what's been found in the city of Kherson after the Russian retreat.
Plus: is gene-sequencing centuries-old varieties of wheat the key to future-proofing our food supplies?
(Photo: Students take part in a protest against Covid-19 curbs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, seen in this still image taken from a video released November 27, 2022 and obtained by Reuters)
The former prime minister greeted hundreds of thousands of supporters in Rawalpindi, weeks after he was shot at a similar event. Also: the US has banned the sale of Chinese technology amid security fears, and 100 years after Tutankhamun's tomb was uncovered, we examine the role that Egyptian archaeologists played in the discovery.
Pakistan’s ousted prime minister, Imran Khan, has addressed a huge rally of his supporters in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi. It was his first public appearance since being shot and injured at a rally three weeks ago. Our correspondent Samira Hussein was there.
Also in the programme: as Ukraine marks 90 years since the great famine, known as the Holodomor, we ask whether it was deliberate policy by the Soviet leadership; and we pay tribute to the singer Irene Cara, most famous for the film, "Fame", who has died at the age of 63.
Photo: Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, waves to his supporters from behind a bullet-proof glass window in his first public appearance since him being wounded in a gun attack earlier this month. Credit: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
Jurgen Klinsmann talks to Mani Djazmi ahead of Germany's must-win World Cup game against Spain.
The former striker and World Cup winner says a second successive group stage exit would be a "disaster" and "almost unforgivable".
There have been angry protests against Covid restrictions in the Chinese city of Urumqi, after a deadly fire in a residential block during lockdown. How long can China keep up its so-called "zero Covid policy"?
Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, is expected to address a rally for the first time since he was shot at a similar event earlier this month.
Also - the Egyptians who've never received credit for rediscovering the tomb of Tutankhamun.
(Photo: Protests against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak measures in Urumqi city, Xinjiang. Credit: Reuters)
Why would anyone want to pay more tax? Film-maker, activist and multi-millionaire Disney heiress Abigail Disney presents a very personal introduction to the millionaires campaigning against their own wealth. From Morehead, Kentucky to Davos, Switzerland, Washington DC to Orlando, Florida, Abigail tells the story of contemporary wealth inequality, focusing particularly on the United States. What harm is wealth inequality doing to society and democracy and what can be done about it?
Nicole Kozlova plays for the Ukrainian Women's national team - earlier this year, whilst the team were still celebrating winning the Turkish Cup, back in her native country, everything had changed and the world had been turned upside down. Suddenly, there was war in Ukraine. Kozlova plays her domestic football in Denmark, whose men's national team have spoken out about some of the issues around the World Cup being hosted in Qatar. Nicole tells whether there is an appetite in Denmark for the World Cup and her hopes for the future.
Ever since Leeds Rhino's Rugby League player Rob Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019, former England and Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield has dedicated his time and energy in raising money for MND charities. He’s just completed his toughest challenge yet... seven ultra marathons in just seven days. That's 482km from Edinburgh to Manchester, via, Newcastle, York, Leeds and Bradford. Kevin was also running for former Scotland rugby player Doddie Weir and former Bradford City captain Stephen Darby, who also live with the disease, which affects the brain and nerves. Kevin reflects on what was a physically and mentally exhausting week.
Sporting Witness goes back to the 1982 World Cup for Kuwait's one and only World Cup appearance but it was their camel mascot that became their star player.
We are live in Sydney for the Women’s Big Bash final between Sydney Sixers v Adelaide Strikers, we are in Qatar to reflect on an eventful opening week of the World Cup plus we head to a fans park in Tunis as Tunisia face Australia at the World Cup in Qatar.
(Photo: One Love armband pictured ahead of the game between Belgium and Canada. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
As the Fifa World Cup in Qatar makes global headlines, the weekly documentary recently set out to discover what women in Doha have to say about their lives in this strict patriarchal society. We speak with the show’s producer and hear your comments.
Plus, a listener wants to know why the BBC ran an advert for an oil company ahead of a report in the Global News Podcast on COP27.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
Malaysia's Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, recounts being put on trial for sodomy and corruption. Our guest is the BBC's South East Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head, who tells us about Malaysian political history.
Iran's first women's minister describes the challenges she had to overcome. We hear how the seat belt and cat's eyes were invented. And a Swedish man remembers the chaos when his country switched to driving on the right-hand-side of the road.
Contributors: Anwar Ibrahim - Malaysian Prime Minister. Mahnaz Afkhami - Iran's first Minister of Women's Affairs. Gunnar Ornmark - step-son of the inventor of the modern seat belt. Glenda Shaw - great-niece of the inventor of cat's eyes. Bjorn Sylvern - on Sweden switching to driving on the right-hand-side.
In 2020 the Chinmark Group appeared to be a thriving Nigerian business empire, endorsed by a string of popular influencers online. It sold investment deals to its followers, promising them astonishing returns. Today the empire is in tatters, but what went wrong? We hear from a social media star who hyped the company up, a former employee who sold the scheme to the public, and a student who staked his life savings on its success - losing everything in the process. And we’ll find out why firms following a similar pattern are proving so popular in Nigeria.
Reporters: Chiagozie Chiagozie Nwonwu and Fauziyya Tukur Producer: Sam Judah Editor: Flora Carmichael
We explore if the busiest shopping day of the year in the US has met retailers and consumers’ expectations, with discounts starting earlier this year and stores trying to clear inventory.
We also take a look at the impact chip shortage is having on the car making industry after Jaguar Land Rover announces difficulties to stock up will force them to reduce output.
And are you an early riser by choice or necessity? We ask TikTok users about the latest trend of publishing videos about their early morning routines. But we also hear from those who have been waking up with the sun before it was trendy because they had no other alternative.
Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news with guests in opposite sides of the world: Madhavan Narayanan, freelance journalist and former senior editor at Hindustan Times in Delhi, and Shannon Najmabadi, a reporter from the The Colorado Sun newspaper in Denver.
(Picture: Shoppers take part in Black Friday shopping at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Picture credit: EPA)
Human rights officials raise concerns as evidence emerges of possible summary executions by both sides. Also: Iranian activists say the security forces have opened fire on protesters in the eastern province of Sistan-Balochistan, and a musical based on the life of Nelson Mandela is set to open in London.
Jaguar Land Rover has announced it will reduce output temporarily as the firm struggles to stock up on microchips. We explore why the shortage is lasting so long and its impact on the car making industry.
We also discuss the latest from Black Friday, with Amazon workers striking and protesting in several countries on the biggest shopping day of the year. And we take a look at what stores in the US are doing to clear inventories in a slowing economy.
Also in the programme, have US financiers fallen out of love with English football? And early rising is one of the latest trends on TikTok for those on the search of success. But what for some is a choice, for others is a necessity.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets soldiers’ mothers and urges them to ignore what they see online; Also in the programme Kurdish militants in northern Syria threaten to release thousands of IS fighters if Turkey continues its attacks; And a rare signed manuscript by Charles Darwin goes up for auction.
(Photo: President Putin with mothers of Russian soldiers. Credit: Reuters)
We hear from Iranian fans as they beat Wales to keep their hopes of World Cup progress alive. Ahmed Hashim, editor of Qatar Football Live, reflects on the host nation’s early exit from the World Cup. Find out why Qatar has become a second home to thousands of Tunisians, plus an interview with former Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
Malawi’s Vice President is arrested on corruption charges after an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. He denies the allegations.
Nigeria’s Ake Arts and Book Festival celebrates its 10th edition. We speak to founder Lola Shoneyin.
Plus, Uganda closes schools two weeks early to help efforts to slow the spread of Ebola.
It's the biggest retail day of the year in many parts of the world. But in the midst of an economic storm, is Black Friday the bellwether of a gloomier holiday season? For the African e-commerce platform Jumia, Black Friday comes at a particularly turbulent time. The firm's co-founders stepped down after it posted major losses earlier in the year. Jumia's new boss tells us about the latest restructuring effort. Another company seeking to transform its fortunes is the web platform Yandex, often touted as Russia's answer to Google. We hear why part of that means cutting ties with the country altogether.
Ukraine's energy infrastructure has come under attack from Russia once again this week, leaving millions without power. As temperatures drop below freezing around the country, there are fears Moscow - struggling to win the war it started - is "weaponising winter". And nowhere is it clearer what that might look like than at the towns along the front line in the east. We have a report from the BBC's Abdujalil Abdurasulov in Avdiivka and speak to Doctors Without Borders about the challenges facing Ukraine's medics this coming winter. Also on the programme: scientists say they have made a breakthrough designing a vaccine against all 20 known types of flu; and the latest from the men's football World Cup in Qatar. (File picture: a police officer distributes water to local residents, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Krasnohorivka, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva)
First lady Zelenska says Ukraine will endure cold and blackouts caused by Russian bombs. Also: scientists say they have made a breakthrough designing a vaccine against all 20 known types of flu, and is it time to end gender specific categories in film and TV awards?
On March 6th, huge anti-war demonstrations across Russia led to the arrest of more than 5,000 protesters. Among them were at least 11 women who were taken to Moscow's Brateyevo Police Station, where they were questioned and subjected to verbal and physical abuse, which in some cases amounted to torture. The man overseeing this was an unnamed police officer they nicknamed 'the man in black'. Using a leaked database from a Russian food delivery company, archived social media accounts and old dating profiles, BBC Eye Investigations journalist Vickey Arakelyan tells the story of how they exposed the identity of their torturer.
2022 FIFA World Cup: the view from Qatar The World Cup is underway with plenty of drama on pitch, as well as controversies off. While the developed world has focussed on alleged human rights abuses - as well as the lack of beer – many other nations say this focus is rooted in prejudice, stereotyping and western hypocrisy. But the tournament is also a time of great excitement as the Arab world hosts the World Cup for the first time. BBC Arabic’s Murad Shishani visited the small Gulf nation to capture the view from Qatar.
Saving Uganda's symbolic crane The crested or grey-crowned crane is a national symbol of Uganda. But numbers are falling, with only around 20,000 left in the world. The BBC's Patience Atuhaire met communities in the south west of the country who are working to save the birds.
(Photo: Screen grab of chat group showing photo of Ivan Ryabov and saying 'found!' Credit: BBC)
In 1934, the late Percy Shaw almost crashed while driving home from the pub on a foggy night in West Yorkshire, in England.
He was saved when his headlights were reflected in the eyes of a cat and it gave him a brilliant idea.
He invented reflective studs for the road and called them cat’s eyes.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Percy's great-niece, Glenda Shaw.
(Photo: Percy Shaw holding one of his cat's eyes, outside his factory in Halifax, England, in 1958. Credit: Getty Images)
On Tech Tent this week, Smart Speakers have become part of the furniture of many people's homes, but they don't seem to have proved as lucrative as the companies who created them had hoped. We'll explore what next for them. We also hear from three people who say using Twitter changed their lives. Plus has China really resolved the issue of video game addiction among young people and did you know dogs can be trained to find faults in underground electricity cables?
Producers: Alasdair Keane & Ashleigh Swan
Photo: Getty (Capuski)
One of the most costly conflicts of the 21st century may be over. Representatives of the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan rebels signed a peace agreement earlier this month. After two years of war, and perhaps half a million civilian deaths, Tigrayan forces are to give up their weapons; the Ethiopian army will take control of Tigray; and aid should begin to reach millions of desperate people. Stephen Sackur speaks to Getachew Reda, who signed the deal on behalf of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Was this in effect the TPLF’s surrender?
UK-based rapper Krept grew up in a culture of gang violence, but has carved out a career for himself as a successful musician and entrepreneur. As one half of rap duo Krept & Konan, his songs, like Waste My Time, G-Love and Freak of the Week, have been streamed millions of times.
Recently Krept – real name Casyo Johnson - has opened a restaurant in south London where he grew up, and the new father has even developed a skincare range for babies.
He tells Dougal Shaw how he juggles the worlds of music and business.
Producer and presenter: Dougal Shaw
(Image: Krept. Credit: BBC)
Native American Anishinaabe people have been living around the Great Lakes since time immemorial, following spiritual beliefs centred around the water. But they say their way of life is being threatened by an oil pipeline sitting on the bed of the Straits of Mackinac, a volatile waterway connecting two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The Line 5 pipeline has been there for 69 years, but only came to public attention after a major oil spill in Michigan led to its discovery. The company that owns the pipeline insist it is safe. But its location is central to the Anishinaabe people’s creation story, positioned as it is in the heart of North America, or Turtle Island as the Anishinaabe call it. They believe they have a sacred oath with The Creator to protect the Great Lakes, which contain a fifth of the world’s fresh surface water. The BBC’s Leana Hosea meets some of the tribes affected in their Michigan reservations and follows their fight to protect their faith and traditions in modern America.
Daily number of Covid cases soar and reach a record high since the beginning of the pandemic despite stringent measures designed to eliminate the virus. We hear about the latest outbreak in Beijing, and the impact it's having on the population.
Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in the US, but what about the rest of the world? We explore how global the event is and consumers' expectations given the current cost of living crisis. We also talk to JCPenney's Chief Marketing Officer about the relevance Black Friday has for American retailers.
Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the programme with guests on opposite sides of the world: Fermin Koop, a freelance journalist in Argentina, and Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Bloomberg's senior Asia correspondent in Hong Kong.
(Picture: A man gets a swab test at a testing booth as the outbreak of coronavirus disease continues in Beijing, China. Picture credit: Reuters)
Western diplomats say the mission will send a powerful signal of support to Iranian women. Also: Half of Ukraine's electricity needs are now being met, following repairs to infrastructure damaged by Russian missiles, and we meet the world's longest survivor of heart transplant surgery.
Daily Covid cases in China soar to record high since the pandemic began, despite the government's intense strategy of lockdowns and mass testing to prevent infections. We hear from residents about the current situation in the capital, Beijing, where there's been a renewed surge in cases.
Also in the programme, we take a look at the latest developments in the European Union, where members are struggling to agree on a price cap to gas imports.
Zimbabwe has vowed to double government spending in 2023, as the government says the country is now emerging from a recession. We explore how authorities are dealing with high levels of inflation and debt.
JCPenney's Chief Marketing Officer explains why Black Friday is important to retailers the US amid the current cost of living crisis.
Leaders from the Great Lakes region agree a ceasefire between the government of the DRC and M23.
Also, Getachew Reda from the TPLF on the agreement they signed to end the war with Ethiopia.
Plus, will this year’s budget kick-start Ghana’s stuttering economy?
Myanmar has seen thousands arrested and sent to jail for opposing the military authorities. Last week, the generals announced they were granting pardons to about six thousand prisoners to mark Myanmar's national day. One man released after two years is Australian professor Sean Turnell, a former adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi – who was arrested in mid interview with the BBC . He tells us about his ordeal.
Also in the programme: the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine speaks to us Russian attacks on the country’s infrastructure; and we hear about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
(Photo: Sean Turnell. CREDIT: Sean Turnell)
A distant planet's atmosphere - NASA's JWST space telescope has unpicked the chemical contents and state of the atmosphere of planet WASP-39b 700 light years away. Astronomer Hannah Wakeford explains.
Earth's atmospheric haze and global warming - meteorologist Laura Wilcox warns that atmospheric haze over China and South Asia is masking some of the effects of global warming.
Pregnancy brain fog explained - loss of memory and other mental changes during pregnancy have been traced to structural changes in the brain, possibly due to hormone effects, neuroscientist Elseline Hoekszema speculates.
Improving lab coats - every scientist has a lab coat, but how many have one actually fits? Founder of Genius Lab Gear Derek Miller explains the problem and how he's trying to fix it.
Image credit: Melissa Weiss/Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Producer: Roland Pease Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Mani Djazmi and Pat Nevin are joined by former Cameroon international Sébastien Bassong. There are reflections on Japan's shock win over Germany. And ahead of their match against England, we hear from USA midfielder Yunus Musah.
(Picture on website: Supporters of Cameroon during their World Cup match against Switzerland (Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
There's looming uncertainty across major Chinese cities as coronavirus continues to spread. Deserted streets and tower blocks under quarantine are familiar sights again in Beijing. But are citizens more worried about lockdowns and livelihoods than the virus itself? Elsewhere, as Americans (and other consumers) prepare for Black Friday, retailers are hoping for heavy spending in spite of household price pressures. The UN has agreed to take a lead on global tax rules, after member states criticised the OECD's six-decade track record. Also, World Business Report blasts off to find out why the race for space is heating up once again.
The BBC finds some desperate Afghans are giving their hungry children medicines to sedate them; others have sold their daughters and organs to survive. In the second winter since the Taliban took over, millions are a step away from famine. We hear a special report from the BBC's Yogita Limaye in Herat, and speak to the World Food Programme about the challenges facing aid organisations in the country.
Also on the programme: China records its highest number of daily Covid cases since the pandemic began, despite stringent measures designed to eliminate the virus. And the story of an ancient gold coin which, according to new research, proves that a third century Roman emperor written out of history as a fictional character really did exist.
(Photo: An area outside of Herat, Afghanistan. Credit: BBC)
In the second winter since the Taliban takeover, UN says millions are at risk of famine. Also: China reports highest number of daily coronavirus infections, despite continuing restrictions; and more than 140 people arrested in international police operation targeting scammers.
With the the Middle East's first football World Cup underway this week, we look back to when Kuwait made its first and only appearance at the World Cup in 1982. The amateur side put in respectable performances against France and England. But, press attention focused on the Kuwaitis’ team mascot, a camel called Haydoo, who became such a fan favourite that he even inspired a hit song. Sumaya Bakhsh talked to Kuwait's captain at the tournament, Saad al-Houti, about how Haydoo came to represent national pride for a team that had been dismissed by the foreign media as a bunch of camel-herders. This programme was first broadcast in 2021.
(Photo: Kuwait players celebrate during the 1982 World Cup. Credit: Getty Images)
On 20 September 1998, the former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was arrested and charged on suspicion of committing fraud and sodomy.
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia but charges are rare and the case was internationally condemned as being political motivated. Anwar believed that he was being framed by his former boss, the Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Almost 25 years on, Anwar shares his memories of the time with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Anwar Ibrahim in 1998. Credit: Getty Images)
We look at growing opposition to mining in Latin America. The region is a leading producer of copper, silver, iron and lithium. But the environmental and social impact of mining have sparked protests in many countries and several governments have taken action.
Costa Rica outlawed open pit mining in 2002 and in 2017 El Salvador became the first country in the world to ban all metal mining. Earlier this year, Honduras banned open pit mining and there are also calls for a mining moratorium in Panama and I start my report by visiting that country’s largest ever mine, which began operations three years ago.
In this episode Grace Livingstone visits Cobre Panama, an enormous copper mine built in tropical forest on the Caribbean coast of Panama. We also hear from the people who farm the land close to Panama's mines and get the views of local politicians and experts on whether this kind of mining should continue.
Presenter / producer: Grace Livingstone Image: Cobre Panama mine; Credit: BBC
Unearthed from the ruins of ancient cities in modern-day Iraq, the reconstruction of the epic from fragments of clay tablets has been a labour of love for scholars of ancient Mesopotamia. This painstaking work has brought to life a sophisticated story of adventure, heroism and friendship, as well as a reflection on the human condition.
Today experts are uncovering additional fragments of cuneiform script, and using artificial intelligence to decipher the text and fill in the gaps of this and other stories. Professor Anmar Fadhil from the University of Baghdad tells the programme about the latest discoveries.
Bridget Kendall is joined by Andrew George, Emeritus Professor of Babylonian at SOAS at the University of London and author of an acclaimed English translation of the epic; Professor Enrique Jiménez is chair of Ancient Near Eastern Literature at Ludwig-Maximiliens University in Munich, Germany. He has published widely on Babylonian literature of the first millennium BC; and Dr Louise Pryke is Honorary Associate in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Sydney in Australia. She’s the author of Gilgamesh, a guide to the epic which was published in 2019.
Producer: Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service
(Photo: The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet. Credit: Wisam Zeyad Mohammed/Anadolu Agency/Getty Image)
China’s President Xi Jinping says that Taiwan‘s reunification with the mainland “must and will be fulfilled.” The view from democratic Taiwan is somewhat different. It’s a threat the islanders have been hearing ever since the 1949 Chinese Civil War, when the Government of the Republic of China was forced to relocate to Taiwan allowing the Chinese Communist Party to establish a new Chinese state: the People’s Republic of China. But some sense that the increased rhetoric from China in recent months poses a real and present danger. Taiwanese billionaire Robert Tsao has pledged millions of pounds to train three million ‘civilian warriors’ in three years to defend the island should it be required. But will it come to that? John Murphy is in Taiwan to talk to people there about what they think about the threat from China and whether they’d be prepared to fight to protect what they have. Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Ben Carter Local producer and translator: Joanne Kuo Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond Sound Engineer: James Beard Series Editor: Penny Murphy
Beijing's Covid Zero strategy leads to weeks of unrest in the Zhengzhou facilities of Apple's main supplier, Foxconn. We take a look at the impact this will have on the production of the latest iPhone. We also hear from a Beijing resident about growing discontent with lockdowns and mass testing.
Also in the programme, former Ukrainian finance minister Natalie Jaresko tells us about the damages to the country's energy grid caused by the latest wave of Russian strikes.
And we explore whether a quick nap break in the office could make us all more productive.
Sam Fenwick discusses these and more business news throughout the show with guests on opposite sides of the world: freelance journalist Karen Percy, in Australia, and Hayley Woodin, Executive Editor of BIV News, in Canada.
(Picture: People look at iPhone 14 models at an Apple store at a mall in Beijing, China, 03 November 2022. Picture credit: EPA)
The Ukrainian leader tells the UN Russia offers nothing to the world apart from terror. Also: African leaders declare a cessation of hostilities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and the discovery of the world's oldest bread.
Russian shelling knocks out electricity supplies to large parts of Ukraine, leaving the country with practically no undamaged thermal and hydroelectric power plants. We talk to Natalie Jaresko, a former Ukrainian finance minister.
The International Monetary Fund has urged China to boost its Covid-19 vaccination rates in hopes the authorities might soon rework their Covid Zero strategy. This comes as Beijing is struggling to maintain its policy of using mass testing and lockdowns to eliminate the virus. We hear from a local resident in the capital about growing discontent surrounding these restrictions.
We also look at the reported clashes between police and workers at the largest iPhone factory in the world, in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou. Covid Zero policies have led to weeks of unrest in these facilities.
Credit Suisse has warned it will lose around $1.6 billion in the fourth quarter after customers pulled their investments and deposits over concerns about the bank’s financial health. We discuss what’s happening at the bank.
A series of strikes has knocked out electricity supplies to large parts of Ukraine, including Lviv, Odessa and Kyiv. Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy network for weeks, damaging almost half of it.
Also on the programme: the Foreign Minister of the neighbouring country of Moldova says large parts of the country have also been left without electricity due to the strikes; and the British man who has been chosen to become the first disabled person to train as an astronaut.
(Image: Rescuers work at the site of a maternity ward of a hospital destroyed by a Russian missile attack in Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine on 23 November 2022. Credit: Reuters)
Nigerians have to swap their current high-value banknotes for new ones by the end of January. Why the change?
Also, we take a rare look at the workings of an elite Somali military unit fighting Al Shabab.
Plus, from Harare - President Mnangagwa makes this year's state of the nation address in Zimbabwe's new parliamentary building.
More on those stories in this podcast with Audrey Brown
Ask 40,000 surgeons from around the world what they would pick to scientifically investigate and what do they choose? They voted for a new trial to establish whether changing to new surgical gloves and clean instruments just before abdominal wounds are closed up during surgery, would reduce infection. Thirteen thousand operations in seven countries later (in Benin, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa) the answer to the most common complication of surgery is in, and the results are published in the journal, the Lancet. Co-author Aneel Bhangu, senior lecturer in surgery at the University of Birmingham, tells Claudia how the findings of this apparently simple step, will change surgical guidelines around the world.
We all have a space around us that we claim as our own. If anybody comes too close, we feel uncomfortable or even threatened. But what has social distancing and the pandemic done to our personal space? Science writer David Robson reports from one of the biggest brain sciences conferences in the world, Neuroscience 2022 in San Diego on new research, using virtual reality, that revealed, surprisingly, that our personal space had shrunk. But, crucially, while our personal force field has reduced, it’s also hardened. And according to the study, David says, we’re now much less tolerant if this new, reduced 'peripersonal distance' is breached.
And BBC global health correspondent, Naomi Grimley, joins Claudia in the Health Check studio and reports on the challenge to China’s Zero-Covid strategy as coronavirus cases rise; Africa’s first conference on the disabling condition club foot and a new study on acupuncture for pregnant women with lower back pain.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Fiona Hill
(Picture: Operating theatre staff wearing scrubs, one helping the other put on gloves. Photo credit: Jochen Sand/Getty Images.)
Almost exactly nine months since Russia invaded Ukraine, a newborn baby has been killed in a strike on a maternity hospital in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and large parts of Ukraine are facing energy shortages as Russian missiles rain down on the country.
As explosions are heard in the capital Kyiv after an air raid alert was issued for the whole country, we hear what the UN is doing about the impact of the conflict and we also speak to Ukraine's deputy health minister.
Also in the programme: There have been two bomb explosions at bus stops in Jerusalem as tensions continue to flare up between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants; and a special report from Somalia where an elite force is trying to take on al-Shabab militants.
(Photo shows rescuers working at the site of a maternity ward of a hospital destroyed by a Russian missile attack in Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters)
One of the world's biggest football brands could soon have a new owner. The Glazer family, who have drawn controversy and fan protests for decades, have announced they may sell Manchester United. The news came just hours after an announcement Cristiano Ronaldo was to leave the club. In a special edition of World Business Report, broadcast live from near the club's Old Trafford ground, we hear from United's global fan base and experts in the field of football finance.
Key infrastructure hit, hours after a 2-day old baby was killed in a Zaporizhzhya hospital where his mother survived. We hear about the extent of the damage. Also: In Jerusalem, a teenage boy dies after bus stop bombings - the first such attacks for several years, and we look back at the life of the Dr Feelgood guitarist, Wilko Johnson, who's died aged 75.
In September 1967, all Swedish traffic had to change the habit of decades and swap to driving on the right-hand side of the road. It brought them into line with most of the rest of Europe except for Britain and Ireland but caused a day of chaos. In 2016, Ashley Byrne spoke to Bjorn Sylven who remembered that day.
(Photo: First day of driving on the right-hand side in Stockholm. Credit: Keystone-France/Gemma-Keystone via Getty Images)
一位姓朱的听众来信问动词 “disinfect、sterilise” 和 “sanitise” 的区别。它们都有 “消毒、杀菌” 的意思，但用法不同。其中，动词 “disinfect” 和 “sterilise” 都可以用来表示 “为开放性伤口消毒”，但前者强调 “杀死细菌或减少有害微生物的数量”，后者强调 “彻底杀菌”。动词 “sanitise” 表示 “对…进行卫生处理”。本期节目辨析这三个词的用法。
Deborah Weitzmann explores whether a quick nap break at work could make us all more productive.
We head to Beijing where an employee tells us about her lunchtime ritual of napping beside her colleagues, and we’ll discover how the pandemic may have helped squash the stigma of sleeping in Western workplaces.
Kate Mulligan, the boss of RestSpace, a company that designs innovative spaces to help people nod off at work, shows us their sleep pods. Also, Dr Guy Meadows, co-founder and clinical director at Sleep School, tells us practice makes perfect when it comes to napping.
Presenter / producer: Deborah Weitzmann Image: RestSpace sleep pod; Credit: Kate Mulligan
The US Supreme Court has approved their release to a Congressional committee, marking a legal defeat for the former Republican President. Also, a national holiday is declared in Saudi Arabia to celebrate a shock win against Argentina in the World Cup, and the Ugandan man appealing for help with the upkeep of his 10 wives and 102 children.
Stephen Sackur interviews former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who leaked a trove of military secrets and spent seven years behind bars. Did her actions undermine American security?
A US bankruptcy court says troubled crypto firm FTX collapsed after being "run as a personal fiefdom of Sam Bankman-Fried". A lawyer leading the bankruptcy proceedings describes the situation as "one of most abrupt and difficult collapses in the history of corporate America".
In Nigeria, all is set for President Muhammadu Buhari to unveil redesigned naira notes.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development releases latest forecast, says world growth is set to slide from 3.1 percent this year to 2.2 percent next year.
And Manchester United confirms Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave the club by mutual agreement.
Rescuers in Indonesia are working through a second night to try to find survivors trapped after an earthquake in West Java. Officials put the death toll at 268, many of them children, with 151 still missing and more than 1,000 injured.
Also today: one of the great World Cup shocks- Saudi fans ecstatic as they beat one of the tournament giants, Argentina; and how Albania is trying to curb mass migration from its borders.
(Photo: A damaged house is pictured after an earthquake in Cianjur, West Java province, Indonesia, November 22, 2022. Credit: Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
Saudi Arabia fans dance in Doha after beating Argentina, and Cesc Fabregas discusses Spain’s chances. We also hear from Ghana's Tariq Lamptey, and former Canada goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe tells us more about Canada's coach John Herdman.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is in London for what has been described as an 'historic state visit'. He is the first foreign guest of King Charles III since he assumed the throne in October.
Staff at Twitter's only office in Africa say the company is now willing to negotiate redundancy terms, two weeks after they were fired with nothing. The layoffs were part of the global staff cull imposed by Twitter's new boss, Elon Musk.
And in Ghana, we hear from a group of young 'influencers' who use different social media platforms to alleviate financial difficulties.
As the World Cup kicks off Delyth Lloyd is joined by the BBC’s Sports News Correspondent Alex Capstick to examine a range of issues that have overshadowed Qatar 2022, starting with the initial awarding of the tournament, which the former Fifa President Sepp Blatter has since told the BBC was a “mistake”.
Yasmine Ahmed from Human Rights Watch joins us to talk about the conditions for migrant workers in the country and says while they have improved, more must be done to compensate workers, and the families of those that have been injured or died in the country.
Dr Nasser Mohamed, a gay Qatari now living in the USA, opens up about his experience growing up as a gay man in Qatar, and explained what he hopes to achieve by founding the “Proud Maroons”, a LGBTQI+ fans group for the country’s national team.
We also examine the claims around the environmental impact of the tournament, which Fifa insists will be the first carbon-neutral World Cup, and hear from leading environmentalists who’ve told the BBC that claim is "dangerous and misleading".
And we assess what impact hosting the tournament has had on the country, and what legacy Qatar’s Supreme Committee and Fifa hope it will leave behind.
Image: Fans of gather at the Corniche Waterfront ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Doha, Qatar. Credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Disaster agency says number killed in West Java reaches two-hundred and sixty-eight. Also: Ukraine's security services conduct searches at the country's most famous monastery to check if it's being used for subversive activities to help Russia, and Saudi Arabia have beaten one of the favourites, Argentina in the football World Cup - the first big shock of the competition.
Many of those killed and injured in a major earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java were children, rescuers say, as the death toll reaches 268.
The 5.6 magnitude quake struck a mountainous region on Monday, causing landslides that buried entire villages near the West Java town of Cianjur. More than 1,000 people were wounded, officials say.
Also in the programme: why six employees of Hong Kong's now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily, have pleaded guilty to colluding with foreign forces; and there's shock in Buenos Aires as former world champions Argentina were beaten by Saudi Arabia at the football World Cup in Qatar.
(Photo shows a man looking on at a collapsed building in Cianjur. Credit: BBC)
The latest forecast by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) has suggested mixed fortunes for global markets in 2023. But, they warn, it will be felt alongside an overall stall in growth due to international pressures from inflation and world events. Among the wealthy nations set to fare the worst is Italy. The country's new government has unveiled a new budget with energy support at its core. We find out what it will mean for citizens. We have more from Beijing as Covid cases rise to a near-high since the beginning of the pandemic. Also, the new race for space: meet the agencies vying to generate energy beyond Earth's frontier.
Iran’s first ever minister for women’s affairs was appointed in 1975.
Mahnaz Afkhami was the first person in the Muslim world to hold that position. While she was in that role, the government granted women equal divorce rights, raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 and supported women’s employment with maternity leave and childcare.
In 2018, Farhana Haider spoke to her about being the only woman in the pre-revolutionary Iranian cabinet.
(Photo: Mahnaz Afkhami at the UN in 1975. Credit: Mahnaz Afkhami)
Floriade is one of the world's biggest gardening and horticulture expos - and it has cost taxpayers in the Dutch city of Almere nine times as much as originally budgeted.
So why did organisers go ahead with the project and was it still worth it – despite hugely disappointing visitor numbers?
Matthew Kenyon talks to advocates and critics of an event which may be the last of its kind in the Netherlands.
Presented and produced by Matthew Kenyon.
(Image: Floriade. Image credit: BBC)
主持人 Rob 支持的足球队在周末将迎来一场比赛。他说自己的球队在本赛季中连连取胜，所以这场比赛势在必得。主持人佳莹用表达 “win hands down” 对这场比赛的结果做出了预测。这个表达和 “hands（手）” 有关系吗？听他们的对话，学习这个实用的地道英语表达。
In the past couple of years, Fifa eased its rules on allowing players with mixed heritage the opportunity to represent a country, even if you have previously played on the international stage for a different one. But what goes into the tough decision of deciding who to represent? And how persuasive can some countries be? We explore the increasingly common issue of players having to decide who they really represent and why.
It's been a day of ups and downs at the global oil market after Saudi Arabia denied discussing a hike in oil supply with OPEC+
Candles to the rescue in South Africa as troubled energy utilty company Eskom runs out of cash to buy diesel.
Also on the programme, a conversation on Wales' bid to use the World Cup platform to promote business and tourism after 64 years of missing in action.
(Picture: Oil pump on a sunset background. Credit: Getty Images.)
The Iranian national team stayed silent in the World Cup stadium in Doha as their anthem was played. Also: WHO says millions of Ukrainian lives are under threat as winter sets in, and Nasa's Artemis spacecraft arrives at an orbit around the Moon.
Global oil prices staged a comeback from 10 month lows today caused by conflicting reports that oil cartel OPEC+ is considering a 500,000bpd output hike. The Saudis denied the reports.
South Africa's troubled energy utilty company Eskom, says it has run out of cash to buy diesel. The country has been grappling with months of severe power cuts which are hurting businesses and the economy.
Is the boomerang CEO good for business? Bob Iger's shock return to Disney less than a year after he retired sparks a conversation.
The Iranian football team refuses to sing the national anthem at the World Cup in Qatar to show solidarity with protesters back home - but for some fans it's still not enough of a display of defiance.
Meanwhile in the Kurdish region of Iran - we're told Revolutionary Guards are using weapons of war against protesters.
Also today, what - if anything - can be done to regulate crypto currencies and protect mainstream financial systems?
(Photo: Iran's Ali Karimi, Milad Mohammadi and Majid Hosseini line up during the national anthems before the match. Credit: Reuters/Marko Djurica)
Zoologist Ben Garrod and veterinary surgeon Jess French armed with their dissection tools, return with a new series taking on natural history from the inside out as they delve deep into some amazing internal anatomy to unravel the secrets to survival of some of nature’s iconic animals.
It’s a rare opportunity to examine some amazing and very different wild animals – on land, in the air and deep in the oceans - unravelling their intricate internal complexity. Whilst we can gain a lot by observing their behaviour from the outside, to truly understand these animals, we need to look at what’s on the inside, too. What makes the ultimate predator? What are the keys to successful survival in an ever-changing environment?
Evolutionary biologist Professor Ben Garrod from the University of East Anglia, together with friend and expert veterinary surgeon Dr Jess French open up and investigate what makes each of these animals unique, in terms of their extraordinary anatomy, behaviour and their evolutionary history. Along the way they reveal some unique adaptations which give each species a leg (or claw) up in surviving in the big wild world.
The series begins with one of the rarities of the cat family – the cheetah, which at just under 2 metres long, is the world’s fastest land animal capable of reaching speeds of up to 70mph in 3 seconds. As Ben and Jess reveal, the body’s rear muscles, large heart and nostrils enable it to achieve record breaking accelerations. But over long distances, it risks total exhaustion and predation from larger carnivores and the risk of losing its valuable prey. We hear during the course of this intricate dissection, how it treads a fine line between speed and stamina in the quest for survival.
Preliminary results in the Equatorial Guinea elections point to a landslide victory for President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who is already one of the world’s longest serving leaders. He is set to extend his 43-year rule. The leader of an opposition party claims there have been widespread voting irregularities.
Five years after Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe was forced to resign from office amid an economic and political crisis, we hear from ordinary citizens in the capital city, Harare, on whether their prospects are now better or worse.
And we visit an orthopaedic clinic in Senegal that is working with children and pioneering a new way to correct the severely disabling deformity known as clubfoot, without the need for surgical intervention.
Several European teams at the World Cup in Qatar have scrapped plans to wear armbands in support of gay rights, over fears their players will be penalised.
In a striking act of solidarity with protesters in Iran, the men’s national football team decided not to sing the national anthem in its opening World Cup game against England.
Also in the programme: An earthquake has struck the main Indonesian island of Java, leaving at least 56 people dead and hundreds injured, local officials say; and after China announced its first Covid-related death in six months, how will its government respond?
(Photo shows a One Love arm band. Credit: Laurent Gillieron/EPA)
Officials in Beijing have described a 'grim and complicated' situation as coronavirus cases rise across China - putting pressure on the country's 'zero Covid' policy. It's again raised questions over how long the stance can last, and how damaging it will be to the world's second largest economy. Disney has welcomed back its former chief executive, Bob Iger, after a turbulent period for the media giant. But can he transform its fortunes this time around? We look at the reality of fan life as the World Cup begins in Qatar, and the latest revelations in the collapse of crypto exchange FTX.
The 5.6 magnitude quake struck Cianjur town in West Java and was felt a hundred kilometres away in the capital, Jakarta. Also: several European teams at the World Cup in Qatar scrap plans to wear armbands in support of gay rights; and China confirms three people have died in Beijing with Covid - the first fatalities officially connected to the disease in six months.
In 1958, the late Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point safety belt for cars.
It's estimated to have saved more than one million lives around the world.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Nils' stepson, Gunnar Ornmark.
(Photo: Nils Bohlin, in 1959, modelling his invention. Credit: Volvo Cars Group)
International footballer Mathieu Flamini started a biotech company when he was still a professional player. Speaking to Sam Fenwick, Flamini reveals what he learnt from top football managers and how that knowledge has helped him perform in the boardroom.
The former Arsenal, AC Milan and Olympique de Marseille player tells us he grew up by the sea and constantly seeing plastic washed up on the shore made him aware of sustainability and climate change. He says as a youngster he had two ambitions in life, to play professional football and become an environmentalist.
In 2008, while still playing top flight football, Flamini co-founded, GFBiochemicals. It produces a chemical called levulinic acid which can be used to replace oil in a range of household products. The industry is worth billions of dollars.
Producer / presenter: Sam Fenwick Image: Mathieu Flamini playing for Arsenal in 2016; Credit: Getty
An increasing number of women have become addicted to gambling in recent years, and experts fear the current cost of living crisis could put even more women at risk.
Sandra Adell is a professor of literature in the Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of a memoir, Confessions of a Slot Machine Queen, and she is currently working on a book about the impact of gambling on underprivileged communities in the US called And Then The Casinos Came: Narratives of Gambling and Loss.
For Lisa Walker, gambling has always been a recreational activity. She started at the age of seven, playing cards for pennies with her dad, and she continued throughout her twenties. But winning £127,000 at a game of poker led her to develop a severe addiction that left her broke and homeless. She is now a community outreach worker with the UK charity Betknowmore and she leads New Beginnings, a project supporting women who struggle with gambling.
Producer: Alice Gioia
(Image: (L) Sandra Adell, courtesy Sandra Adell. (R) Lisa Walker, courtesy Lisa Walker)
The football tournament began in Qatar with a lavish opening ceremony at Al-Bayt stadium near Doha. Also: leading Argentinian campaigner Hebe de Bonafini dies aged 93, and the British artist David Hockney joins immersive art trend with new London show.
The war in Ukraine has triggered fears that Vladimir Putin may set his sights on other former Soviet republics. Zeinab Badawi speaks to Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia, whose country shares a long border with Russia. How worried is she?
The COP27 climate conference concludes with several world leaders expressing concern that the final deal reached lacks ambition.
Also in the programme: Ecuador victorious in World Cup opening match; and making wine the ancient way in Portugal.
(Picture: UN Executive Secretary of Framework Convention on Climate Change Simon Stiell speaks at the closing plenary at the COP27 climate summit in Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 20, 2022. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)
John Bennett goes behind the scenes of the World Cup, as Qatar 2022 kicks off. We hear from Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, USA midfielder Kellyn Acosta and lots of very happy Ecuadorian fans. We also speak to Iran football supporters in Qatar about the anti-government protests back home.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, scientists studying the virus have become targets of online harassment, and more recently, death threats. Roland speaks to Dr Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan, about her experiences.
Spyros Lytras, PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow, talks Roland through the evolutionary history of the virus that causes Covid-19 and how there isn’t just one ancestor, but several.
Anti-Asian sentiment has seen a big increase since the pandemic. Dr Qian He, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University, looked into how US-China relations have influenced how Americans view Chinese today.
And we hear from scientists on board the RRS Discovery, which is currently located near St Helena and Ascension Island, surveying the health of the surrounding ocean. On board documentary filmmaker Lawrence Eagling talks to Shona Murray, pelagic ecologist from the University of Western Australia, and Gareth Flint, mechanical engineer at British Antarctic Survey, about their work and findings.
Why don’t we fall out of bed when we’re asleep? That’s the question that’s been keeping CrowdScience listener Isaac in Ghana awake, and presenter Alex Lathbridge is determined to settle down with some experts and find an answer.
Once our sleep experts are bedded in, we’ll also be wondering why some people laugh in their sleep, why others snore and how some people can remember their dreams.
And Alex takes a trip to the zoo to meet some animals that have very different sleep patterns to humans. It’s his dream assignment.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The UN climate summit has ended with a landmark deal for poorer countries, but disappointment over a lack of overall ambition in the final text. Negotiators in Egypt agreed to set up a fund to help the most vulnerable parts of the world deal with disasters caused by climate change.
Also in the programme: World leaders and celebrities have been arriving in Qatar for the football World Cup, which begins later today; and NASA tells us that humans could be living on the moon within a decade.
(Photo: Delegates applaud as COP27 President Sameh Shoukry delivers a statement during the closing plenary at the COP27 climate summit in Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 20, 2022. Credit: Reuters)
After 12 years of questions and criticisms, the 2022 Fifa World Cup finally gets underway in Qatar. Also: UN climate talks continue into the night to reach a deal, and who invented the electric toaster?
Ukraine's energy system is crippled after Russian attacks on the infrastructure. People are being urged to leave the country if possible, and if not, to strictly limit their energy consumption. Also on the programme, no deal is better than a bad deal says the EU negotiator at COP who is threatening to walk away from the table. And on the eve of football's World Cup, a rather unusual speech from the head of FIFA. (FILE PHOTO: Lviv city centre without electricity after critical civil infrastructure was hit by Russian missile attacks, Ukraine November 15, 2022. REUTERS/Vladyslav Musiienko/File Photo)
The United States says it's working on proposals at the UN climate summit to help poorer nations meet the cost of global warming, but nothing has been officially signed yet.
Also in the programme: FIFA president's hour-long monologue; and the great toaster inventor hoax.
(Picture: An activist holds a sign at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 19 November 2022. Credit: SEDAT SUNA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The health wagon serves remote communities in the Appalachian mountains of south-west Virginia. It's the oldest mobile clinic in the USA, founded in 1980 by a catholic nun in the back of a VW Beetle. Today it is a thriving and innovative non-profit, with five mobile units and three stationary clinics. Nurse practitioners Dr Teresa Tyson and Dr Paula Hill Collins are at the helm. We join them and their team, providing no-cost medical, dental and vision care to one of the most vulnerable, medically underserved areas of the United States.
On this week’s Sportshour with Katie Smith, we take you live to downtown Doha as we get the latest on the ground ahead of the start of the Fifa World Cup in Qatar from Sportsworld’s Delyth Lloyd.
Fans have travelled from all around the world for the marquee event of the football calendar and we speak to a couple of Welsh fans who have taken a very unusual route. Former Cardiff City footballer Scott Young and Nick Smith attempted to travel the 5,000 mile distance to the tournament solely by electric car, which they named Morris, in time for Wales’ first match against the USA. After covering 18 countries, they fell at the final hurdle of Saudi Arabia, who refused to let them through in a right-hand drive car, forcing them to fly the final leg from Jordan to Qatar.
Former Australia captain turned broadcaster and human rights advocate Craig Foster stops by to tell us why he’s decided to donate all of his broadcast fees for the World Cup to the families of deceased migrant workers in Qatar, as well as LGBT & women’s rights charities. He says every footballer involved in the World Cup should make a stand of some sort and insists that sport is capable of impacting change, some of which we have already seen.
We preview both the women’s and men’s Rugby League World Cup finals with Australian commentator Andrew Voss, who has been enjoying a culinary tour of the United Kingdom in between matches. Next up is a chat about the finals over a BBC canteen breakfast.
When Switzerland’s Jan Scherrer won a bronze medal in snowboarding at the Beijing Winter Olympics, his jubilation quickly included a realisation that he would have to honour a deal with his wife, Sasha. They agreed that if he were to medal, he would have to get a tattoo of Sasha’s choosing. You won’t believe what she came up with….
Sporting Witness takes you back to 1994, when Motown legend Diana Ross missed a penalty in front of 67,000 fans at the USA World Cup opening ceremony. Alan Rothenberg, the man in charge of organising the tournament, speaks to Matt Pintus.
Plus we head to the York Barbican ahead of the semi-finals of snooker's UK Championship.
(Photo: World Cup football. Credit: Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History and Sporting Witness episodes, which focus on the Arabian Peninsula to mark the start of the football World Cup in Qatar.
Our guest is Dr Wafa Alsayed, Lecturer in Political Science and History at the Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait.
We hear about how the states across the peninsula won independence, and speak to the architect of the region's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
There's also the invention of the robot camel jockey, and a pioneering female Qatari author.
On the World Cup theme, we end with the story of American popstar Diana Ross missing a penalty during the opening ceremony of the 1994 tournament.
Contributors: Mohammed Al-Fahim on the formation of the UAE Adrian Smith, architect of the Burj Khalifa Kaltham Jaber, Qatari author Esan Maruff who developed robot camel jockeys Alan Rothenberg who organised the 1994 World Cup
(Photo: Dubai skyline. Credit: Getty Images)
In a special edition, we look into the art of the news interview. Listeners ask if there is perhaps a different way of doing things? Is there too much pre-empting of what an interviewee is about to say? We are joined by one of the BBC’s senior news editors who reveals the secrets of what makes a good question.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown Production for the BBC World Service
A brazen British prankster tells all.
For more than a decade, he tricked the world into believing a Scottish scientist called “Alan MacMasters” invented the electric toaster in 1893.
At the heart of his web of fantasy was a Wikipedia article that fooled dozens of journalists, public officials, and even primary school teachers.
But how did this hoaxer get away with it for so long? And how did an eagle-eyed 15-year-old eventually manage to expose his deception?
Presenter: Marco Silva Editor: Flora Carmichael Sound engineer: Graham Puddifoot
Has the latest global attempt to take control of climate change been a success? A panel of experts from the worlds of business, politics and the environment give their assessment on Business Matters.
We explore the delicate art of climate financing and sustainable investing; take a virtual walk around the COP27 summit in Egypt; and why 'carbon cages' are holding policymakers back from meaningful progress.
(Picture: A panel on the closing day of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Credit: Getty Images.)
A former war crimes prosecutor, Jack Smith, was named special counsel by US Attorney General, Merrrick Garland. Also: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes jailed for fraud, and where has the leap second gone?
The latest global gathering aimed at tackling climate change has concluded in Egypt - but was it more than just hot air? We assess the financial arguments brought to the table at COP27. Also on the programme, reaction to the sentencing of convicted Silicon Valley fraudster Elizabeth Holmes; and what an alcohol ban at the Qatar World Cup means for football and beer's relationship.
A promise from the developed world to foot more of the climate bill has raised fresh hopes of a breakthrough at the UN climate summit, COP27. The question of a fund established by rich nations to help developing countries at severe risk of global disaster has dominated the summit.
Also in the programme: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is to be sentenced after she was found guilty of defrauding investors; and two days before the Qatar World Cup kicks off, FIFA announces a ban on alcohol in the country’s stadiums.
(Credit: Nakeeyat Sam Dramani, a young poet from Ghana, holds a placard after giving a speech about global warming during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). Credit: Reuters).
The Congolese army is claiming to have made advances against the M23 rebel group after a renewed offensive in recent weeks. We have the latest.
The first aid deliveries in months arrived in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. We’ve heard from the World Food Programme.
Plus, a moving tribute to Kenya’s Priscilla Sitienei, the grandmother who went to school at the age of 90, who has passed away.
United States condemns launch, while South Korea orders stronger deterrence measures. Also: No alcohol to be sold at World Cup stadiums; and protestors in Iran set fire to ancestral home of Islamic Republic founder, Ayatollah Khomeini.
Alcohol will not be sold to fans at the World Cup's eight stadiums in Qatar after Fifa changed its policy two days before the start of the tournament. But what does it mean for its main sponsor, the American beer giant Budweiser?
The UN climate summit in Egypt has been extended by an extra day as talks remain gridlocked over compensation for poorer countries being ravaged by the changing climate. The Egyptian president of the summit Sameh Shoukry said he was concerned at the number of outstanding issues to be resolved.
We will get the latest from Sharm el-Sheikh and speak to the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Also in the programme: Staff at Twitter been locked out of their offices until Monday after the new owner Elon Musk gave them an ultimatum; and we speak to a relative of Alaa Abdel Fattah, the British Egyptian writer and pro-democracy campaigner, who's one of Egypt's highest profile prisoners.
(PICTURE: COP27 President and Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks at the climate talks in Sharm El-Sheikh. CREDIT: SEDAT SUNA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit this week to Kherson, soon after the Russian withdrawal, prompted lively commentary on Ukrainian social media, and some comparisons with the Russian president. BBC Monitoring's Margaryta Maliukova tells us more.
Hell on earth: the Korean Japanese people persuaded to move to North Korea In 1960, Eika Kawasaki left her family in Japan and moved to North Korea. She was one of 90,000 plus Korean Japanese who went to North Korea on a project called ‘paradise on earth’. What they found was the opposite, but they were trapped. Eiko escaped after 4 decades, and BBC Korean’s Jungmin Choi met her on a visit to South Korea to meet other survivors.
World Cup 2022: first female referees For the first time ever three female referees will officiate matches at the World Cup. One of them is Rwanda's Salima Mukansanga, as BBC Kinyarwanda's Prudent Nsengiyumva explains.
Somaliland oil discovery A group of villagers in the self-declared republic of Somaliland were recently drilling a borehole to improve their water supplies – when they struck oil. Bidhaan Dahir of BBC Somali tells us there's been a lot of excitement about the discovery.
The Ukrainians who can’t get their children home from Russia A group of Ukrainian children are stuck in Russia after parents living under Russian occupation accepted an offer to send them to a summer camp on the Black Sea. Before the end of their holiday, their home towns were retaken by Ukrainian forces. BBC Russian’s Nina Nazarova tells us how some parents are still unable to get their children home.
(Photo: Ukrainian President Zelensky visits Kherson. Credit: Narciso Contreras/Anadolu Agency Getty Images)
In 1978, Kaltham Jaber published her first book – a collection of short stories. She is an assistant professor and acclaimed writer from Qatar. Her success as an author came just two decades after girls were first allowed to go to school in the oil-rich state.
Kaltham became a really important figurehead for women in the country as she campaigned for gender equality.
She shares her story with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Recent picture of Kaltham Jaber. Credit: Kaltham Jaber)
The collapse of the FTX currency exchange, and the downfall of its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried has been astonishing. Where does the industry go now? The biggest ever satellite has successfully deployed: what will it mean for global communications? Plus, why Chinese army veterans are being drafted into the world's biggest iPhone factory. And why has a video of a meteor got a woman thrown off Twitter?
On the eve of the 2022 World Cup Final Sam Fenwick speaks to former professional footballer, Patrice Evra. He made more than 80 appearances for the French national side including captaining his team in the 2010 World Cup which took place in South Africa.
Evra became a multimillionaire playing for teams like Monaco, Manchester United, Juventus and Marseille. He grew up in a poor part of Paris and talks about how this helped motivate him to succeed.
He reflects on player salaries and tells us about what’s he’s doing to make a living since retiring from football in the summer of 2019.
Presenter / producer: Sam Fenwick Image: Patrice Evra playing for Manchester United in 2014; Credit: Getty
Artist Annie Nicholson's life and work have been shaped by loss after her family were killed in a helicopter crash in New York City in 2011. The grief was overwhelming, but slowly she found a way to live her creative practise.
During the pandemic, as people around the world were coming to terms with their own losses, Annie bought an old ice cream van and set off - serving up mint choc chip and vanilla scoops- and inviting people to talk about big uncomfortable emotions.
Now she is taking the project to New York, to start new conversations over ice cream, and where she will mark the anniversary of her family's death, in this documentary about grief, but above all, survival.
(Photo: Annie Nicholson standing in front of her repurposed ice cream van. Credit: Tara Darby)
Elon Musk gave Twitter’s employees a brutal ultimatum: They need to click the link whether to stay at the company or quit. Many of them are going to resign and already took advice from lawyers. We are discussing the potential consensuses for the company with Dr Priscilla Twumasi Baffour, senior lecturer, Department of Economics at the University of Ghana and Peter Jankovskis, vice president research and analysis, Arbor Financial Services.
Also, we are going to find out why Ticketmaster have now cancelled Friday's general sale of tickets for Taylor Swift's US leg of her Eras Tour. And we are hearing an electrician Bikek from Nepal, who is telling us about the conditions many migrant workers faced when they were imported into Qatar to help build the infrastructure for the World Cup.
(Picture: Hand holding speech bubble. Blue birds megaphone. Content marketing concept. Credit: Getty Images)
A Dutch trial finds a missile supplied by Russia killed 298 people over Ukraine in 2014. Also: Spain's new sex abuse law sparks a row over jail terms, and the Hollywood star, Charlize Theron is condemned for saying her native Afrikaans is a dying language.
Next month, the ruling ANC in South Africa holds its five-yearly national conference. President Cyril Ramaphosa is seeking re-election as leader of the party, which would him in position to contest nationwide elections in 2024. But South Africa is currently in the midst of a severe economic meltdown, with mass unemployment and crippling power cuts, and many are warning its political culture could bring the state to the point of collapse. Zeinab Badawi speaks to South African justice minister Ronald Lamola, seen as one of the rising stars of the ANC’s younger generation. How does he account for the government’s failure to address the myriad challenges it faces?
The first two weeks as Twitter's owner Elon Musk has been brutal with staff, firing some of them after criticizing tweets. Since the billionaire's $44 billion takeover in October, the company was shaken by scandals. The combative email is the latest sign of escalating tensions inside Twitter, despite the Tesla CEO saying he will ‘reduce’ time at Twitter and eventually hand over the reins.
Kali Hays, senior tech reporter from Business Insider in Los Angeles here to explain the consequences which can happen after the mass employees resigns.
Also, in the programme Cary Leahey, economist at the University of Columbia, who's discussing with us an Autumn statement.
And Layah Helpern, cryptocurrency expert from the US, explains what's going on crypto market.
(Picture: Hand holding speech bubble. Blue birds megaphone. Content marketing concept. Credit: Getty Images)
In another mass missile attack on Ukraine, Russia has again targeted civilian energy and water infrastructure.
Experts say the impacts of hitting such critical supplies could get very serious in the cold of winter.
Also in the programme: There's a momentous shift in US politics as Nancy Pelosi, who has led Democrats in the US House of Representatives for almost two decades, has announced she is standing down from the role; and after two boys were shot dead by security forces during anti-government protests in south-western Iran on Wednesday, what does this mean for the protests in Iran?
(Photo shows firefighters working to put out a fire at energy infrastructure facility, damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv region. Credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Reuters)
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, scientists studying the virus have become targets of online harassment, and more recently, death threats. Roland speaks to Dr Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan, about her experiences.
Spyros Lytras, PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow, talks Roland through the evolutionary history of the virus that causes Covid-19 and how there isn’t just one ancestor, but several.
Anti-Asian sentiment has seen a big increase since the pandemic. Dr Qian He, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University, looked into how US-China relations have influenced how Americans view Chinese today.
And we hear from scientists on board the RRS Discovery, which is currently located near St Helena and Ascension Island, surveying the health of the surrounding ocean. On board, documentary film-maker Lawrence Eagling, talks to Shona Murray, pelagic ecologist from the University of Western Australia, and Gareth Flint, mechanical engineer at British Antarctic Survey, about their work and findings.
(Photo: A scientist stands behind testing kits and checks his phone. Credit: Getty Images)
Producer: Roland Pease Assistant producer: Sophie Ormiston
Presenter Mani Djazmi is in Qatar as the build-up to the World Cup intensifies. He's joined by World Cup winner Heather O'Reilly, former Scotland player Pat Nevin and Qatar based journalist Ahmed Hashmi. We also hear from Ecuador winger Jeremy Sarmiento who'll be hoping to feature in the tournament's opening game. And USA international Tim Weah tells us what playing in the World Cup means for him and his family, including his famous father...George Weah.
Picture on website: People gather at the Corniche Waterfront Promenade in Doha, Qatar, to take photographs ahead of the FIFA World Cup (Credit: Martin Divíšek/EFA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
As international troops quit as violence surges and Russian influence permeates the country, we ask: Is the west burning its bridges with Bamako?
Focus on Africa’s Audrey Brown is joined by a panel of guests, Dr Virginie Baudais who is based in the Malian capital Bamako and is the Stockholm International Peace Institute’s director of the Sahel programme; Dr Jean-Herve Jezequel, the International Crisis Group’s Project Director for the Sahel who is in Senegal; and Dr Niagale Bagayoko, who heads up the Africa Security Network, which is an independent think tank based in Paris. They helped to unpack what this disengagement with the West means for Mali and the wider region.
Russia has launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's gas and electricity networks. We hear from the governing party.
Also today, a Dutch court is delivering its verdict in the murder trial of four men accused of shooting down a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine in 2014.
And how a small piece of space rock that fell onto an English garden is helping scientists unlock some of the secrets of life on earth.
(Photo: Police officers carry fragments of the body found under debris of a residential house destroyed by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, November 17, 2022. Credit: Reuters/Stringer)
Leaders say a UN-brokered agreement to allow shipments out of Ukrainian ports will prevent food shortages worsening. Ukraine's agriculture sector has welcomed the news. In the UK, ministers have sought to calm recent financial turmoil with more tax and spending announcements. But will the markets buy their optimism? Also, a treat for fans of Spanish football - in the Middle East. We hear why Dubai is playing host to a brand new theme park centred around Real Madrid.
More people are experiencing power cuts, as first snow falls on Kyiv. Also: Iran's rulers crack down on protests in one of the worst nights of violence yet; and months after being scrapped - one of Australia's most successful TV exports gets a reboot.
In 1994, the USA hosted the FIFA World Cup for the first time. The choice of host nation was a controversial one because, at that time, the US didn't have an active professional football league. Alan Rothenberg was the man in charge of organising the competition. He decided to book Motown legend, Diana Ross, to headline the opening ceremony in Chicago. Her penalty miss in front of 67,000 fans became an iconic moment in World Cup history. Alan has been sharing his memories of the tournament with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Diana Ross performs at the World Cup opening ceremony. Credit: Getty Images)
It was rare for women in what is now the United Arab Emirates to go to school in the 1960s.
At the time, the future country was a collection of emirates under British protection. The Sheikdoms were traditional societies.
This is the story of a young woman who was among the first to graduate from high school. She went on to become the first teacher there. Nama bint Majid Al Qasimi tells Farhana Haider about her trailblazing experience.
(Photo: Nama bint Majid Al Qasimi with her students at Fatima Al Zahra School, Sharjah, 1970. Credit: Shaikha Nama bint Majid bin Saqr Al Qasimi)
Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz decided to start a recycling project in New Orleans after realising the city sent all its glass to landfill. Now they’re diverting hundreds of tonnes from landfill and using the material to help shore up Louisiana’s eroding coastline. Franziska tells us how they’re expanding the project and we hear from one of their first business customers. We also find out why gaps in the recycling system mean the city’s waste glass can’t easily be turned back into new bottles.
Producer/presenter: James Graham Image: Franziska Trautman and Max Steitz at their base in New Orleans. (Credit: Glass Half Full)
A growing list of American employers are reducing their headcount ahead of an anticipated recession. Layoffs have not peaked yet as hiring, inflation and major changes in many companies are impacting tech business.
Zyma Islam, a journalist at the Daily Star newspaper, Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at the digital financial services firm Circle and Silicon Valley veteran – Michael Malone talks us through this complex problem.
We also discuss the importance of preserving Amazon forests. And we'll find out why Mariah Carey is being criticised for attempting to monetise Christmas.
(Picture: Students Working On Computer Assignment During Seminar Group. Credits: Getty Images)
The President elect gets a standing ovation as he promises to fight Amazon deforestation. Also: the US ambassador to the UN accuses President Putin of wanting to freeze Ukraine into submission, and Mariah Carey loses her bid to become the only Queen of Christmas in a trademark court case.
As the spotlight falls on Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, we tell the story of how the world's biggest sporting spectacle began, in Uruguay in 1930.
How did a small South American nation of just 2 million people, thousands of miles from football's centre of power in Europe, come to launch this major global competition? We discuss the fractious international relations, the political cunning, and the sporting excellence behind the successful bid.
We learn how football helped shape a nation riven by civil war for much of its short existence, and hear about the tournament itself - the unfinished stadium, the dodgy refereeing decisions and, for some of the teams, the sheer ordeal of just getting there.
Rajan Datar is joined by Andreas Campomar, a writer and publisher from London and author of ‘Golazo! A History of Latin American Football'; Dr Philippe Vonnard, a historian specialising in the internationalisation of sport at the University of Fribourg and the University of Lausanne, both in Switzerland; and Brenda Elsey, a professor of Latin American sports and cultural history at Hofstra University, New York.
(Picture: Stamp issued by the Hungarian Post to commemorate the 1930 World Cup final between Uruguay and Argentina. Credit: Fototeca Gilardi/Getty Images/BBC)
Food behind bars is not intended to be a Michelin-starred affair. But prison food reformers claim some of it is so bad that it could be hampering the rehabilitation of inmates. Nutritious and tasty meals, they argue, can improve the physical and mental health of those serving prison sentences and therefore cut reoffending rates. And food skills; like cookery, baking and farming, could help in the rehabilitation process too.
In this programme, Ruth Alexander speaks to three people with detailed knowledge of food in prison environments to explore the good, the bad and the ugly of eating in incarceration, and the power of food.
Ruth speaks to Alex Busansky, head of research centre Impact Justice; Lucy Vincent, founder of the charity Food Behind Bars; and ex-offender, now consultant on prison reform, Sophie Barton-Hawkins.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: Prisoner harvests a cabbage grown on prison land. Credit: Getty/BBC)
Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
There are variety reasons behind the big tech companies' job cuts. Experts from California say how hiring, inflation and major changes in many companies are impacting tech business. Michael Bernick, former Director of California's labor department, the Employment Development Department (EDD) discusses the current situation in the US job market.
Also, we will have a look at the crypto market where investors are trying to keep their heads above the water. And we'll find out why Mariah Carey being criticised for attempting to monetise Christmas.
(Picture: Students Working On Computer Assignment During Seminar Group. Credits: Getty Images)
Ukraine allies pledge air defence support as NATO slammed Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities; Also in the programme how Costa Rica reversed its deforestation; and Maria Carey fails to become the “Queen of Christmas”.
(Photo: Aftermath of Russian shelling near Lviv, in western Ukraine. Credit: Shutterstock)
Ayoka from Atlanta, Georgia in the U.S. is desperate to have a baby and her family is helping to pay for her IVF treatment. But Ayoka knows that she carries a serious genetic condition, Fragile X, which she doesn’t want to pass on to her children. She tells Claudia Hammond what it means to know that she would be prevented from having an abortion, even if pre-natal testing revealed her unborn baby had the inherited condition. That's because the state of Georgia, up until yesterday when the ban was successfully challenged in court, has restricted termination after six weeks of pregnancy. This restriction is too early for genetic testing to have taken place. So what will she do if the ban is reinstated?
Lebanon has experienced profound economic, financial and civil shocks in recent years as well as absorbing almost a million and a half refugees, a third of its total population. The strains on its infrastructure are acute and for the first time in almost thirty years, there have been outbreaks of cholera, claiming lives of young and old alike, just as there is a global shortage of cholera vaccines. Lebanon’s Minister of Public Health, Dr Firass Abiad, tells Claudia about the steps that are being taken to treat, vaccinate and restore vital infrastructure to stop the disease spreading.
And the BBC’s Science and Health Correspondent, James Gallagher, brings the latest medical findings, including how armadillos showed that the leprosy bacterium can regenerate organs, how children’s different births cause different microbiomes and different reactions to vaccinations and which smells give you a better night’s sleep.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Fiona Hill
(Picture: A pregnant woman lying down. Photo credit: Brooke Fasani Auchincloss/Getty Images.)
Two weeks after a peace deal was signed, the Red Cross says humanitarian aid is finally reaching Ethiopia’s Tigray region, but a doctor in the regional capital, Mekelle, says essential medicines are still lacking.
More Kenyan soldiers have been deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, as part of a regional force to fight rebel forces in the east.
And Uganda's national symbol, the crested crane, is facing extinction. We hear from local people who are fighting as ‘custodians’ to save the birds.
What is the future for big tech? With reports that Amazon is cutting jobs, following Twitter and Meta, we ask is the industry slowing down. Also, third time lucky for NASA as it finally get its Artemis One rocket off the launchpad, we find out what the launch means for the future of the lunar economy. We speak to Vanessa Friedman, Fashion director at The New York Times, about Estée Lauder multi-billion purchase of Tom Ford. We hear from Uganda, as Africa tries to boost demand for coffee across the continent.
NATO and Poland say missile strike was 'likely' caused by Ukraine's air defence. Also: two years after losing the US presidential election, Donald Trump confirms plans to run for the White House in 2024; and Bruce Springsteen fans can rest easy - the Boss himself has settled a dispute about the opening of one of his best loved songs.
The head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has said preliminary analysis of Tuesday's missile strike in eastern Poland indicates it was probably caused by Ukraine's air defences. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, he said it was not Ukraine's fault, as it was trying to protect itself from Russian bombardment. He added that Moscow bore ultimate responsibility for the strike, due to what he called its illegal war in Ukraine.
Also in the programme: hearing loss in young people; and NASA launches Artemis One.
(Photo: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg leaves after holding a news conference at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels. CREDIT: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
In 2003, a Qatari engineer came up with the idea for a robot jockey, to replace child jockeys in camel racing.
Two years later, the robot was approved for use. The tiny gadgets, which wear caps and hold whips, are now used all over the Middle East.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Esan Maruff, who helped develop them.
(Photo: Robot jockeys riding camels. Credit: Getty Images)
In this episode of Business Daily we get on board The Ocean Viking, a migrant rescue boat operated by the non-governmental organisations SOS Méditerranée and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
The boat has recently been at the centre of a diplomatic row having been denied permission to dock by the Italian authorities and instead having to travel to France so those onboard could disembark. The BBC's Frey Lindsay spoke to some of the migrants and crew on the boat over the last few weeks.
We’ll also hear from the former mayor of Lampedusa, Giusi Nicolini, on why she thinks European states should cooperate much more to deal with this kind of migration. Sophie Beau and Xavier Lauth of SOS Méditerranée also explain why politics, diplomatic rows, higher prices and compassion fatigue are all increasing the financial pressures on their operations.
Producer / presenter: Frey Lindsay Image: Crew on the Ocean Viking; Credit: Getty
Global leaders often come together to work for what they hope is the greater good, such as tackling climate change, conflict and the economic crisis. But does the world need a new body to put leaders on trial? Zeinab Badawi speaks to the American judge and academic Mark Wolf, who is trying to establish an international anti-corruption court to bring to justice leaders who abuse their power for private gain. Is this an idea whose time has come, or do we already have sufficient levers to bring the kleptocrats to court?
“Seat、dress、convince” 等类似的动词常涉及到 “自己做某事” 或 “对他人做某事”。其中，“seat（使坐下）” 和 “convince（说服，使相信）” 是及物动词，“dress” 既是及物动词也是不及物动词。本期节目讲解这三个词的用法。
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has urged people to remain calm after a Russian-made missile killed two people near the Ukrainian border.
Warsaw raises military readiness after explosion near Ukraine border; the US and other international powers say they're investigating. Also: Ukraine says a wave of Russian missile strikes on Tuesday was the biggest against the country's energy system since the invasion in February, and why are sexually transmitted diseases rising among Britain's elderly?
Missiles have landed in Poland near its border with Ukraine, killing two people, reports say.
The reports came after Russia launched a wave of attacks across Ukraine, but it is not yet clear what has happened.
Russia dismissed claims it was responsible, calling them "a deliberate provocation in order to escalate the situation".
The US and other international powers said they were investigating but are yet to apportion blame.
(Picture: Close-Up Of Flag Against Built Structure. Credit: Getty Images)
We hear from inside a camp housing people who've fled violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as government troops continue to battle the M23 rebel group.
Plus, rising food prices are causing concern in many countries, and Nigeria is no exception, with inflation reaching 20% in September. We have a special report from Abuja.
And we meet Rwandan referee Salima Mukansanga, who is poised to make history at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
As Moscow assaults Ukraine's power and infrastructure with fresh missiles, we speak to a former Ukrainian economic minster in Kyiv sheltering from the blasts.
We get the view of the people of Lagos on how the city copes with overpopulation, as the United Nations says a baby born somewhere in the world today will become the eight billionth inhabitant of our planet.
We hear from Paris as the French capital overtakes London as Europe's largest financial hub.
The world today welcomed the eight billionth inhabitant. The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, said this was an occasion to celebrate.
Also in the programme: Plight of workers in Qatar; and Meloni libel trial in Italy.
(Picture: A newborn named Elias is held after his birth by caesarean to parents Alia and Karim at Charite hospital. credit: Reuters/Lisi Niesner)
A UN report details horrific behaviour by both sides. It includes allegations of the torture and summary execution of Russians held by Ukraine -- and beatings, mock executions and the threat of sexual violence suffered by Ukrainian POWs. Also in this edition: the world's population tops eight billion; fresh allegations of migrant World Cup workers killed and injured in Qatar; and how -- just like humans -- chimpanzees like to show and tell.
The tallest building in the world opened in 2010. There was a glitzy firework display to celebrate the occasion.
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is nearly three times the height of the Eiffel Tower.
The statement building cemented the reputation of the city as a place for luxury tourism and high-end real estate.
Alex Collins speaks to chief architect Adrian Smith about his creative vision and the challenges he faced on such a huge project.
(Photo: Burj Khalifa. Credit: Getty Images)
男足世界杯即将开始。大家的兴奋程度达到了 “fever pitch”！这个表达用来描述情绪激动的状态。因为表达里有 “pitch” 这个词，所以 “fever pitch” 通常被和足球联系在一起。听主持人佳莹和 Neil 介绍这个表达的含义和用法。
Confederation of African Football, CAF, with the backing of FIFA, has launched a new Super League aimed at injecting much-needed funds to clubs on the continent. CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe promised that the tournament, due to start in 2023, would financially transform African football with $100 million on offer in prize money alone. But, as Ivana Davidovic finds out, there are more questions than answers for many involved in the game on the continent.
The owner of Cape Town City, John Comitis, says that they are in the dark about how the new competition would work in practice and that South African Premier Soccer League, where they were the runners-up last season, would be badly affected by the new Super League.
Nigerian football journalist and the former member of the dissolved FIFA Task Force Against Racism, Osasu Obayiuwana is worried that there are no clear plans where the money would come from for the Super League nor how teams could travel regularly across the vast continent. He also warns that a big problem would be the lack of interest in pan-African club tournaments from broadcasters and sponsors, as it is difficult for many Africans to regularly follow on TV what is happening in football leagues across the continent.
However, the legendary South African striker, UEFA Champions League winner and the current Manchester United first team coach Benni McCarthy believes that the Super League would boost standards across Africa, helping young players compete with the best from around the world.
Produced and presented by Ivana Davidovic
(Image: Mohamed el-Shenawy holds the winner's trophy after the CAF Super Cup Final between El Ahly and Raja Casablanca at Al Rayyan Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on December 22, 2021. Photo credit: Mohammed Dabbous/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
It is 2010 and Colombian Colonel Jose Espejo has a problem. Not only is the Farc increasing its kidnapping activity, targeting police and military hostages, but many of the soldiers already in captivity - some kept in barbed-wire cages and held isolation in for over a decade - are losing hope of ever being rescued. Colonel Espejo knew that in order for future missions to succeed, he’d need to warn the captives that help was coming so they could be ready to make a break for it when the army arrived. But how do you get a message across to military hostages without tipping off their captors and placing them in even greater danger? The unexpected solution - hide the message in a pop song with an interlude in morse code that the military hostages could decipher.
World leaders including Joe Biden, Xi Jinping and Rishi Sunak will be attending the G20 summit, an annual meeting which includes 19 advanced and emerging economies was created after the Asian financial crisis in 1999.
Two guests join us from opposite sides of the world: Sushma Ramachandran, an independent business journalist and columnist for The Tribune newspaper in India, and Peter Morici, economist at the University of Maryland in the US.
The BBC Chief Asia correspondent Karishma Vaswani updates on the latest from the G20 summit in Bali.
(Picture: G20 Summit In Bali, Indonesia Credits: Getty Images)
During lengthy talks the two men also stressed their opposition to the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Also: The world's population jumps to 8 billion, doubling since 1974, and Joyland - the Oscar-nominated film causing controversy in Pakistan.
World leaders including Joe Biden, Xi Jinping and Rishi Sunak will be attending the G20 summit, an annual meeting which includes 19 advanced and emerging economies was created after the Asian financial crisis in 1999.
Frank Lavin, an Under Secretary of Commerce in the US and an expert of US China trade relations explains how the US president Joe Biden rhetoric can affect relationships with China.
Molly Jane Zuckerman, head of content at CoinMarketCap, an information website owned by Binance and gets her salary in bitcoins.
Peter Jankovskis, Vice President Research & Analysis, Arbor Financial Services shares his views about the cryptocurrency world.
Stephanie Hare, technology researcher and journalist updates us on the largest privacy settlement in the US history. Google will be paying 40 US states $391 million to resolve the investigation of the location tracking practices in 2018.
Joe Oliver, Former Canadian finance minister explains how Canada is able to provide Ukraine with economic aid during the cost of living crisis.
Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden meet for the first time since Mr Biden became president. Has it thawed previously frosty relations? Also in the programme Ukrainian President Zelensky gets a hero's welcome in Kherson, we have a report from the recently reclaimed city and Amazon's Jeff Bezos - promises to give away his billions - but - what took him so long?
(Photo: Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping shake hands as they held talks ahead of the G20 meeting in Bali. Credit: Reuters)
What do you get if you smash two hydrogen nuclei together? Helium and lots of energy – it's nuclear fusion!
Nuclear fusion is the power source of the sun and the stars. Physicists and engineers here on earth are trying to build reactors than can harness fusion power to provide limitless clean energy. But it’s tricky.
Rutherford and Fry are joined by Dr Melanie Windridge, plasma physicist and CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, who explains why the fourth state of matter – plasma – helps get fusion going, and why a Russian doughnut was a key breakthrough on the path to fusion power.
Dr Sharon Ann Holgate, author of Nuclear Fusion: The Race to Build a Mini Sun on Earth, helps our sleuths distinguish the more familiar nuclear fission (famous for powerful bombs) from the cleaner and much less radioactive nuclear fusion.
And plasma physicist Dr Arthur Turrell, describes the astonishing amount of investment and innovation going on to try and get fusion power working at a commercial scale.
We hear from the opposition in Somaliland, where there have been protests after President Muse Bihi Abdi failed to leave office on Sunday. He was elected in November 2017, and lawmakers voted last month to extend his term by two years, after the failure to hold elections in the self-declared republic.
Plus, the latest on the peace deal signed in South Africa to end the two-year war in Ethiopia. There are fresh concerns over its viability, with some officials from Tigray disowning the agreement.
And we’re in Upper Nile State in South Sudan for the latest on the devastating flooding there. Swathes of farmland are under water, and almost a million people have been displaced.
As Joe Biden holds his first face-to-face meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he became president, we speak to George Magnus, Associate at the China Centre at Oxford University, about how the countries economies are faring.
We hear from the BBC’s business correspondent Archana Shukla in Colombo after Sri Lanka’s new Government set out it’s budget plans for the country. Former Finance Minister for the country Eran Wickramaratne gave us his reaction.
Molly Jane Zuckerman, content czar at CoinMarketCap, tells about calls for more regulation in the Cryptocurrency market, in the wake of the collapse of the crypto currency exchange FTX.
With Mozambique exporting it’s first liquefied natural gas we speak to Claudio Descalzi, the Chief Executive of Eni the company mining the gas.
The three-hour meeting took place in Bali ahead of the annual G20 summit. Also, Britain and France sign a deal to stop migrants making dangerous Channel crossing, and Jeff Bezos plans to give away his fortune.
Ukraine is 'moving forward' and ready for peace, Zelensky has told his soldiers. Kherson was originally captured in March, weeks after the invasion began. The region was then one of four to be illegally annexed after self-styled referendums in September. We have a special report from the city.
Also on the programme: the upsum of the Xi Jinping and Joe Biden face-to-face talks; and how a war-time broadcast shaped the history of BBC news.
(Image: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Kherson, Ukraine on 14 November 2022. Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters)
A new country, the United Arab Emirates, was formed in 1971. It’s a federation of seven states that has grown from a quiet backwater to one of the Middle East’s most important economic centres.
Laura Jones speaks to businessman Mohammed Al-Fahim about his country’s dramatic transformation.
(Photo: Mohammed Al-Fahim as a child. Credit: Mohammed Al-Fahim)
Theo Leggett meets Nico Rosberg, who found fame and fortune in the fossil-fuelled world of F1, but is now reinventing himself as a champion of green technology. As a driver he reached the pinnacle of world motorsport, taking the F1 title in the final race of 2016, and then retired just days afterwards.
Nico tells Theo just what it takes to become a world champion in the white heat of motorsport and how those skills are now being used on a new mission, to protect the planet.
Presenter/producer: Theo Leggett
(Photo: Nico Rosberg of Germany and Mercedes GP celebrates after securing the F1 World Drivers Championship during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix. Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images)
What role are women playing in providing solar power and ensuring that vulnerable communities have access to cheaper and cleaner energy? Kim Chakanetsa talks to an electrical engineer working in the US and Nicaragua, and a Nigerian entrepreneur.
Anna Bautista is vice president of construction at GRID Alternatives, a large non-profit solar company that works with low-income communities across America and in Nicaragua. Her career as an electrical engineer started in the private sector where she worked as a site supervisor, trainer, and design and installation technician on residential and commercial PV (photovoltaic) projects.
Olasimbo Sojinrin is the chief operating officer of Solar Sisters, an enterprise selling solar powered lamps and electrical appliances to women living in off-grid communities across Africa. Growing up in Nigeria, her life was dictated by power outages, so she decided to empower other women by finding sustainable and affordable solutions to the energy problem.
Producer: Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Anna Bautista, courtesy Anna Bautista. (R) Olasimbo Sojinrin, courtesy Olasimbo Sojinrin)
The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the blast in Istiklal street as a "vile attack". Also: Ukraine says over four hundred Russian "war crimes" reported in Kherson, and thousands of budding writers in the US take part in the National Novel Writing Month
How the friendship of a stranger helped Betsy Sailor when she needed it most. Betsy was living alone at university in the late 1970s when a man broke into her apartment and raped her at knifepoint. He was later caught, and it turned out he was a student, and a player on the successful Penn State football team. Taking him to court was a daunting task but then a fellow football player, Irv Pankey, stepped up and told Betsy he was on her side and would look after her. Their remarkable friendship changed the course of Betsy’s life.
Film clip: Betsy and Irv/ Nicole Noren/ ESPN Films
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Rebecca Vincent
At least six people have been killed and 81 wounded in an explosion in a busy area of central Istanbul, Turkish authorities have said.
Vice-President Fuat Oktay said the blast was thought to be a terrorist attack carried out by a woman, while Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the perpetrators would be punished. We'll hear from the aftermath in Istanbul.
Also in the programme: Celebrations for Russia's retreat in Kherson have been continuing today but the withdrawal of Russian troops has exposed some of the horrors of occupation; and Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to return as Israel's premier as the veteran politician has been given the task of forming the next Israeli government.
(Photos shows ambulances at the scene in central Istanbul. Credit: Reuters)
Researchers have identified which neurons, when electrically stimulated, can restore the ability to walk in paralysed patients. Professor Jocelyne Bloch, Associate Professor at the Université de Lausanne, tells Roland how the technology works.
Astronomers have discovered the closest black hole to Earth. Researchers led by Kareem El-Badry, astrophysicist at Harvard University, identified the celestial body when they spotted a Sun-like star orbiting a dark, dense object.
The origins of eels have been mystifying scientists for centuries. Though the Sargasso Sea has been their presumed breeding place for 100 years, there has been no direct evidence of their migration – until now. Ros Wright, Senior Fisheries Technical Specialist at the Environment Agency, shares how researchers finally pinned down these slippery creatures.
This week, a new report from the UN Environment Programme reveals that carbon dioxide emissions from building operations have reached an all-time high. Insaf Ben Othmane, architect and co-author of the report, talks through the risks and opportunities this poses for Africa and why there is still hope for the future.
After learning how long it will take the Earth's ice sheets to melt in the previous episode, we continue our journey in Greenland. As world leaders gather in Egypt for the annual UN climate conference, listener Johan isn't too optimistic about governments' ability to curb greenhouse gas emissions and get a handle on climate change. So from his coastal perch in Denmark, he's asked where we should live when the poles have melted away and coastlines creep inland.
Along with the help of BBC correspondents around the world, Marnie Chesterton scours the globe for the best option for listener Johan's new home. From high-up, cold desert regions to manmade islands, Marnie's on a mission to find a climate-proof destination. But as we hear from climate scientists, we might not be the only ones on the move, and waters aren't going to rise evenly around the world. Can Marnie find a place to go, away from the expanding seas?
(Image: Patient with complete spinal cord injury (left) and incomplete spinal cord injury (right) walking in Lausanne. Credit: Jimmy Ravier/NeuroRestore)
The Democrats have retained control of the US Senate in the mid-term elections, sparking recriminations in the Republican party. The Republican senator, Josh Hawley, said it was time to bury the old party and build something new. The former president, Donald Trump, has continued to complain of election irregularities without providing evidence. The Democrats' victory was sealed when their candidate narrowly won the Senate race in Nevada.
Also in the programme: Officials in the Ukrainian city of Kherson, which has been abandoned by Russian forces, say supplies of bread and medicine have run out -- our reporter is there; and we hear from the director of the award winning film, Triangle of Sadness, which takes a critical look at life amongst the super rich clientele of a superyacht.
(Photo: Catherine Cortez Masto received a congratulatory call from President Biden after the result. Credit: Getty Images)
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had left the city of Kherson with no heat, electricity, water supply or communications. Also: Ethiopia and Tigrayan rebels agree to facilitate aid deliveries into conflict zone, and an Iranian man who lived in a French airport for eighteen years has died.
Climate activists say fossil fuel lobbyists are threatening to derail genuine solutions to climate damage at the summit in Egypt.
Meanwhile, there are massive fuel shortages in Malawi.
And we meet the South Africa woman behind the "Future GhettoPunk" Music, Moonchild Sanelly.
These stories and more in this podcast with Audrey Brown.
Researchers have identified which neurons, when electrically stimulated, can restore the ability to walk in paralysed patients. Professor Jocelyne Bloch, Associate Professor at the Université de Lausanne, tells Roland how the technology works.
Astronomers have discovered the closest black hole to Earth. Researchers led by Kareem El-Badry, astrophysicist at Harvard University, identified the celestial body when they spotted a Sun-like star orbiting a dark, dense object.
The origins of eels have been mystifying scientists for centuries. Though the Sargasso Sea has been their presumed breeding place for 100 years, there has been no direct evidence of their migration – until now. Ros Wright, Senior Fisheries Technical Specialist at the Environment Agency, shares how researchers finally pinned down these slippery creatures.
This week, a new report from the UN Environment Programme reveals that carbon dioxide emissions from building operations have reached an all-time high. Insaf Ben Othmane, architect and co-author of the report, talks through the risks and opportunities this poses for Africa and why there is still hope for the future.
Contributors Jocelyne Bloch, Associate Professor and Neurosurgeon, Université de Lausanne Kareem El-Badry, Astrophysicist, Harvard University Insaf Ben Othmane, Architect, Oecumene Spaces for Dignity Ros Wright, Senior Fisheries Technical Specialist, Environment Agency
(Image: Patient with complete spinal cord injury (left) and incomplete spinal cord injury (right) walking in Lausanne. Credit: Jimmy Ravier/NeuroRestore)
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Roland Pease Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Australia's Joel King relives the moment he found out he'd been picked for the World Cup. And we hear from James Chamanga, the 42 year old striker from Zambia who's still banging in the goals.
Picture on website: Joel King of the Socceroos in action against Japan. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Central banks have, for a number of years, warned people about putting their money into cryptocurrencies because the value of digital coins is extremely volatile.
Now Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has pulled out of a deal to acquire its rival FTX – with millions of dollars at stake.
We hear from Hungary where the government is freezing prices for eggs, chicken, pork and cooking oil, in an effort to tackle inflation.
Plus we hear about China’s Singles’ Day – one of the biggest shopping days in the world.
(Pic: Rusty Bitcoin Sign is Demolishing and Collapsing. Credit: Getty Images)
Ukraine says Russia had to flee after its forces destroyed Russian supply lines. Also: the Taliban in Afghanistan have banned women from all parks in the capital, Kabul, and how the world's largest lottery win made one lucky shop worker a millionaire.
The Russian army is pulling out of Kherson, a strategic city that would mean a major win if recaptured by Ukraine. Also in the programme, the ICC chief prosecutor visits Libya to investigate possible war crimes. And, the climate conference, COP 27, has seen a record number of fossil fuel lobbyist in a blow to climate hopes.
(Photo: Ukrainian servicemen fire a 2S7 Pion self-propelled gun at a position on a frontline in Kherson region. Credit: Reuters)
In 1980, the newly independent nation of Zimbabwe was invited to enter a women's hockey team at the Olympic Games in Moscow. Despite their unfamiliarity with the pitches - and each other - the players won an unexpected gold medal and were nicknamed the Golden Girls. In 2016, Claire Bowes talked to Liz Chase, one of the victorious Zimbabweans.
(Photo: Zimbabwe's women's hockey team display their gold medals. Credit: Patricia McKillop via Alamy)
In 1981, the South African rugby tour of New Zealand was disrupted by Māori anti-racism campaigners who invaded pitches.
They wanted to highlight the injustice of apartheid in South Africa and the discrimination Maoris were suffering in New Zealand.
Ripeka Evans organised and took part in the protests. She tells Alex Collins about the direct action she took to sabotage high-profile matches.
(Photo: Protesters form a circle in the middle of the pitch at Rugby Park, Hamilton Credit: John Selkirk)
Many communities in Pakistan were completely destroyed when vast areas of the country were hit by catastrophic flooding this summer. 33 million people were affected and in this episode of Business Daily we hear from three of them. Bilawal, Sassi and Abdul Majeed all lost everything in the floods and are now trying to rebuild their lives. We also hear from the charities and business leaders attempting to help rebuild communities, including Jemima Goldsmith, former wife of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and current UK ambassador for UNICEF.
Presenter / producer: Emb Hashmi
Image: Flood-hit families in Sindh province, Pakistan October 2022; Credit: Getty
The moth is an insect that’s almost 200 million years old. Throughout human history, its attraction to light, its amazing ability to camouflage, and its nocturnal activity have given rise to myths, spiritual beliefs and been the inspiration for art and literature – especially the genres of horror and the supernatural.
In the natural world, moths also play a hugely important role in promoting global diversity as prolific pollinators. Yet, this ancient insect is often regarded as little more than the poor relation of the butterfly, an annoying creature that feeds on our favourite clothes and eats crops. Today, the moth is under threat from light pollution and climate change. So is it time we re-evaluate our views on moths?
Rajan Datar is joined by Professor Matthew Gandy, from the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge in the UK; Dr Alma Solis, research scientist on moths for the US department of Agriculture, and curator at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC; Dr Franziska Kohlt, a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of York who has studied the history of insects in literature and science; and the Estonian artist Liina Lember, creator of a moths art installation. With the contribution of Shirley Camia, whose poetry collection is called “The Significance of Moths”.
Producer: Anne Khazam
(Photo: The Death's-head Hawkmoth, with its characteristic skull-shaped pattern on the thorax. Credit: Choia/Getty Images)
One of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance, has pulled out of a deal to acquire its struggling rival FTX, leaving the latter's future in doubt. The near-collapse of FTX which was valued at thirty-two billion dollars at the start of the year has shaken the crypto market, with Bitcoin and other currencies suffering steep falls.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Tracy Wang, the deputy managing editor at Coindesk in New York, and entrepreneur Candy Valentino, the author of Wealth Habits: Six Ordinary Steps to Achieve Extraordinary Financial Freedom.
It is investment day at the climate change conference COP 27 in Egypt. We hear from the Makhtar Sop Diop, the managing director of the International Finance Corporation, which is the private arm of the World Bank, about how Africa can pay for climate change.
AND Yongwook Ryu, Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, talks to us about the ASEAN summit in Cambodia. The summit brings together the major economies from South East Asia. It is expected to focus on the global economy, amid rising inflation and the cost of living crisis.
One of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance, has pulled out of a deal to acquire its struggling rival FTX, leaving the latter's future in doubt. The near-collapse of FTX which was valued at $32 billion at the start of the year has shaken the crypto market, with Bitcoin and other currencies suffering steep falls.
Rahul Tandon is joined by Tracy Wang, the deputy managing editor at Coindesk in New York, and entrepreneur Candy Valentino, the author of Wealth Habits: Six Ordinary Steps to Achieve Extraordinary Financial Freedom.
It is investment day at the climate change conference COP27 in Egypt. We hear from the Makhtar Sop Diop, the managing director of the International Finance Corporation, which is the private arm of the World Bank, about how Africa can pay for climate change.
Yongwook Ryu, assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, talks to us about the ASEAN summit in Cambodia. The summit brings together the major economies from South East Asia. It is expected to focus on the global economy, amid rising inflation and the cost of living crisis.
( Photo: Bitcoin representation at La Maison du Bitcoin in Paris Credit: Reuters)
Kherson is the only provincial capital Russia has managed to capture since the start of its invasion. Also: President Joe Biden has described Tuesday's mid-term elections as a good day for democracy, and the Brazilian singer, Gal Costa -- the voice of the Tropicalia movement -- has died at the age of 77.
In this programme we explore the realities of island diets. Ruth Alexander hears how diets are changing, and what this means for population health.
Indigenous diets were limited to what grew in the native soil or could be raised or caught in the limited space available. Today imported, often processed foods are becoming increasingly popular.
We start in the Faroe Islands, in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the United Kingdom. Traditionally the Faroese diet is protein heavy, fermented wind dried lamb is a staple and the poor soil makes growing a wide range of vegetables challenging. Reporter Tim Ecott travelled to the Faroe Islands for this programme to report on how diets there have changed.
We then look South to the Pacific Islands, starting with the coral atoll nation of Kiribati. The coral ground makes it difficult to grow food to supplement the diet of seafood. Ruth speaks to dietitian and public health nutritionist Dr Libby Swanepoel from the Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research based at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Libby makes the case for seaweed cultivation to supplement diets and incomes.
In contrast the nation of Fiji in the Pacific Ocean has volcanic soils, and an array of fruit and vegetables can be grown. Despite this communities have increasingly turned to imported processed foods, contributing to a health crisis. Sashi Kiran, founder of FRIEND Fiji - the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development – talks about how this can be addressed.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
(Image: part of the Kiribati island nation, palm tree covered island surrounded by blue sea. Credit: Getty/BBC)
The founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg has said sorry after the tech giant laid off more than 11,000 staff 13% of its global workforce. Senior Tech Reporter Kali Hays from Business Insider in Los Angeles gives us her assessment of the move and what it means for the sector. Its investment day at the Climate change conference in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. There are worries that Africa will not get the money it needs to move to cleaner energy supplies. We hear from Makhtar Sop Diop the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation, which is part of the World Bank. Voters in California have rejected a proposal from several big betting companies to allow online gambling in the state. The companies had pushed for a referendum on the issue but faced a backlash from over 50 Native American tribes, who rely on traditional casinos for their income. The tribes won the referendum. Chad Baynon is a gaming industry analyst at Macquarie Group in New York and gives us his verdict on the decision. (Photo: A view of Facebook parent company Meta"s headquarters in Dublin. Credit: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
Russia's military has been ordered to pull out of the Ukrainian city of Kherson, the only regional capital it captured after invading in February. The commander of Russia's troops in Ukraine said it was no longer possible to keep supplying the city.
The withdrawal means Russian forces will pull out entirely from the western bank of the River Dnipro. We ask if the Russian withdrawal from Kherson is a genuine turning-point in the war.
Also in the programme: The US mid-term elections fail to deliver the hammer-blow to Joe Biden's Democrats that some had predicted; and Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced that it will cut over a tenth of its workforce.
(Photo shows Russian conscripts with their bags of luggage. Credit: European Pressphoto Agency)
President Emmanuel Macron of France ends his country's anti-jihadist military operations in the Sahel... But why will some troops remain?
Also, Nigeria's anti-drugs agency warns that smugglers are using new strategies to get narcotics into the country.
And poetry from the Gambia.
Those stories and more in this podcast with Audrey Brown.
South Africa's anti-retroviral programme to treat HIV infection is the largest in the world with 5.5 million people in treatment. It’s transformed this disease from an automatic death sentence, to something that can be managed as a chronic illness and the government is determined to expand the programme and get more people with HIV in treatment. It’s an ambitious plan and Claudia Hammond hears how psychological tools called "nudges", drawn from behavioural economics, are being used and tested as low-cost interventions to persuade more people into treatment. Dr Sophie Pascoe, Co-Director of South Africa’s first HIV nudge unit, Indlela, describes how the new techniques are being used.
And the plight of the Covid-19 shielders. Shannon is so vulnerable to catching the virus that she has lived apart from her husband and teenage daughter for almost two years. What’s it like having your life on hold and not being able to hug or kiss your loved ones? And Matt Fox, Professor of Global Health Epidemiology and Boston University joins Claudia to discuss the increase in cholera outbreaks and the shortage of vaccines and the new UK trial to manufacture blood in a laboratory.
Image: Beaded HIV/AIDS ribbon brooch among beaded South African flag keyrings, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Credit: Neil Overy/Getty Images)
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Fiona Hill
The parent of Facebook and WhatsApp, Meta, has announced 11,000 staff will lose their jobs in a major payroll cut. It's the latest big company to announce layoffs amid a global tech sector crunch. America's two main parties have fought a close battle in the US midterms - so how different is their vision for the country's economy? A leading German economist shares his concerns around a recession in the coming months. We're also joined by the secretary-general to the Commonwealth of Nations, Baroness Scotland, as COP27 continues in Egypt.
Republicans and Democrats are in a tight race as counting continues. Also: Russia is to introduce military education in schools, there's pushback in Kenya following the lifting of a ban on genetically modified crops, and in Israel an artefact is discovered which illustrates the age-old problem of how to comb out head lice.
Results in the midterm elections currently indicate the Republicans failed to get the red wave, but they will control the House, blocking President Biden’s agenda. The Senate, the upper chamber is still too close to call. Jon Fetterman defied expectations by flipping the Senate seat to the Democrats in Pennsylvania. The other big story of the night is that the Republican Governor of Florida, Ron deSantis won convincingly, making him a potential challenger to Donald Trump in 2024. Newshour's Razia Iqbal is on the ground in Washington DC.
Also on the programme: The social media giant Meta is making thirteen percent of its workforce redundant in one of the biggest ever layoffs in the tech industry with more than eleven thousand people to lose their jobs; and France declares a formal end to its eight-year military campaign against jihadists in West Africa, we hear from an opposition leader in Mali for his take on the withdrawal.
(Photo: Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks with his wife Casey DeSantis at his side during his 2022 U.S. midterm elections night party in Tampa, Florida. Credit: REUTERS/Marco Bello)
It has been 20 years since one of the most controversial politicians in Europe was assassinated just days before a general election. On 6 May 2002, Pim Fortuyn was shot dead by an animal rights activist because of his anti-Islamic views.
It was the first time a Dutch politician had been murdered since the 17th century. TV journalist Dave Abspoel was one of the first people on the scene. He has been sharing his memories with Matt Pintus.
(Pim Fortuyn pictured in 2002. Credit: Getty Images)
有多名听众想知道单词 “say、comment、remark、word” 之间的区别。它们的意思都和 “说话，言语” 有关，但用法不同。其中，用动词 “say” 表示 “说话或嘴巴发出声音”，用 “comment” 表示 “评论”，用 “remark” 特指 “口头表达意见或想法”，用名词 “word” 表示 “简短的谈话”，动词 “word” 表示 “措辞”。本期节目辨析这四个词的用法。
US Republicans hope to regain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate from the Democrats. Also: A top American diplomat has said that only Ukraine will decide if and when to open negotiations with Russia, and the controversy surrounding the return of the Crown on Netflix.
The UK economy is in a hole. Inflation is high, interest rates are rising, public debt is soaring and according to the Bank of England Brits face two years of recession. Stephen Sackur speaks to economist and sometime adviser to governing Conservative politicians Gerard Lyons. Can Britain’s economy bounce back – or is any optimism misplaced?
Cop 27 is under way in Egypt and we examine what this means for the world's fastest growing continent Africa. We speak to Lily Odarno, the Director of Energy and Climate Innovation for Africa at the Clean Air Task Force and ask her how the continent will increase its energy supplies over the next few decades.
We are in Las Vegas to hear about a post-pandemic bounce in tourism. In June, 4.8 million people visited the bright lights, casinos and big shows. Fletch Burnett the Vice President of Marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority tells us why Vegas is booming.
The US based owners of Liverpool Football Club football have said they would consider new shareholders, after reports emerged that the club is being put up for sale. The Fenway Sports group also own the US Baseball side the Boston Red Sox. US finance expert Kieran Maguire from the University of Liverpool explains what it means for this massive English football club which has a huge following around the globe.
Voters across the United States are voting in mid-term elections that will have major implications for President Biden's agenda.
Opinion polls suggest the Republicans have a good chance of capturing at the House of Representatives, and could make inroads in the Senate.
Also in the programme: Human rights are also on the agenda at the COP 27 climate summit in Egypt, as the hunger strike of one imprisoned pro-democracy campaigner draws global attention; and there's a medical scandal in The Gambia, as some say cough mixture was to blame for the deaths of children.
(Photo shows voters using booths at a polling station in New York, USA on 8 November 2022. Credit: Sarah Yenesel/EPA)
Uganda’s Education minister Janet Kataha Museveni has announced that all schools are to close early by two weeks to curb the spread of Ebola. Twenty-three cases of the virus among children have been confirmed, and eight pupils have died.
At the COP27 environmental summit in Egypt, Namibia's President Hage Geingob shows his frustration with wealthy nations, accusing them of not being honest when talking about tackling climate change.
And we have reaction from Lagos, after a US court jails notorious Nigerian Instagram influencer Hushpuppi for more than 11 years for his role in an international fraud syndicate.
Urgent questions are being asked about one of Egypt's most high-profile prisoners, the civil rights activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who has just escalated his months-long hunger strike, so that he is, according to his family, no longer even drinking water. We hear from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani, and a response from the Egyptian government.
Also on the programme: The US midterm elections get underway with the spotlight once again on Georgia; and as climate campaigners in Britain block major roads, Newshour asks, does this sort of protest encourage change, or just anger the public?
(Photo: Sister of jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah campaigns for his release at COP27 conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Credit: Sedat Suna/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
His comments came as a former FIFA head said holding the World Cup in Qatar was a mistake. Also: voting is taking place in the United States for mid-term elections, can COP deliver for Africa and the underwater Italian treasure trove.
1972 was a time of feminist action in the US. People were talking more openly about rape and sharing their experiences. It led to rape crisis centres being set up, which offered support for women.
Activist Sue Lenaerts taught women self-defence and worked on the helpline at the first centre in the capital, Washington DC. She’s been speaking to Laura Jones.
(Photo: Sue Lenaerts in the early 1970s. Credit: Sue Lenaerts)
想象一个人无事可做、百无聊赖，坐等事情发生时捂弄大拇指的样子。英语表达 “twiddle your thumbs” 正可用来形容此景。主持人菲菲和 Rob 在这期节目中讲解这个表达的用法。
From search engines to chatbots to driverless taxis – artificial intelligence is increasingly a part of our daily lives. But is it always ethical?
In this episode, Katie Barnfield explores some of the moral questions raised by new developments in smart technology.
Leading researcher Dr Kate Crawford tells us about the powerful AI art software that reinforces gender stereotypes.
We’ll hear from Bloomberg technology columnist Parmy Olson about the eyebrow raising conversation she had with Meta’s new chatbot.
As driverless 'robotaxis' become more popular in China and the US, we’ll look at the difficult moral choices involved in their design.
And how would you feel about AI that can read your emotions? We’ll hear why some companies have decided it’s a step too far.
Presenter/ producer: Katie Barnfield
(Image: Robot using AI. Credit: Getty)
For centuries we've made sacrifices, sent prayers to gods and summoned witches, in an attempt to bend the weather to our will. Science suggests now we might actually be able to do it. Weather modifiers are employed to make it rain, suppress hail and enhance snow packs. It is big business, from the UAE to Chile, Thailand to China, interest and investment is global. Kim Chakanetsa asks what the weather changers are actually doing, if it really works and if so, is it problem free?
The midterms decide who controls Congress as well as state legislatures and governor's offices. Rahul Tandon is joined by Dianne Brady, assistant managing editor of Forbes from New York and Tony Nash, the founder of Complete Intelligence in Texas.
Billions of US dollars are being spent on the election campaign adverts that voters will be seeing and hearing in the run-up to the elections - but is it worth the investment?
And has the economic situation in the US overshadowed the overturning of Roe v Wade?
(Picture: American flag in Midtown Manhattan Credit: Getty Images)
Richer nations urged to give financial support to developing countries hit hard by climate change at the COP 27 summit. Also: on the day of the midterms a close ally of President Putin of Russia says we do interfere in US elections, and a first as Wakanda Forever premieres in Lagos.
The midterm elections decide the makeup of the US Congress, which has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Voting is held every two years and when they fall in the middle of the president's four-year term of office. We hear from Kenneth Mayor, Professor Department of political science at the University of Wisconsin and Anna Wong, US Chief Economist at Bloomberg Economics, Former member of the Federal Reserve Board, White House Council of Economics Advisers, and U.S. Treasury.
Belarus has banned the imports of Skoda, Liqui Moly and Beiersdorf products. Belarusian economist Jaroslav Romanchuk explains the economic impact.
India's Supreme Court has upheld a controversial law that allows 10% of college places and government jobs to be reserved for poor people. Indian lawyer Nikita Sonavane tells us more.
(Picture: American flag in Midtown Manhattan Credit: Getty Images)
Sneezes, wheezes, runny noses and red eyes - this episode is all about allergies.
An allergic reaction is when your immune system reacts to something harmless – like peanuts or pollen – as if it was a parasitic invader. It’s a case of biological mistaken identity.
Professor Judith Holloway from the University of Southampton guides our sleuths through the complex immune pathways that make allergies happen and tells the scary story of when she went into anaphylactic shock from a rogue chocolate bar.
Professor Adam Fox, a paediatric allergist at Evelina Children’s Hospital, helps the Drs distinguish intolerances or sensitivities – substantial swelling from a bee sting, for example - from genuine allergies. Hannah’s orange juice ‘allergy’ is exposed as a probable fraud!
Hannah and Adam explore why allergies are on the increase, and Professor Rick Maizels from the University of Glasgow shares his surprising research using parasitic worms to develop anti-allergy drugs!
Contributors: Professor Judith Holloway, Professor Adam Fox, Professor Rick Maizels
The global environmental conference COP27 has opened in Egypt and discussions on setting up mechanisms to compensate for loss and damage in the countries that are affected the most by the consequences of climate change, will be high on the agenda.
The Ethiopian army chief and the commander of the rebel Tigray's People Liberation Front have met face to face in the Kenyan capital Nairobi for talks on how to implement the truce that was agreed in South Africa.
And two Nigerian TikTok stars have been fined, whipped and will be made to clean the court’s premises for a month, after they were found guilty of defaming the Kano state governor in a comedy video.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warns heads of state gathered at the COP27 climate change summit in Egypt that the world is running out of time to win the fight against climate change. Newshour hears from Jamaica's tourism minister on the impact of global warming and the solutions that may be used to tackle the problem.
Also on the programme: A BBC investigation reveals a mass burial site near the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol as residents re-live months of Russian bombardment; and the promise of laboratory-grown blood, and how it could transform transfusions.
(Photo: Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres attends a news conference as COP27 climate summit gets underway in Egypt. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)
China's import and export markets both shrunk unexpectedly in October. It's the first drop since the early days of the Covid pandemic. China has maintained a strict 'zero Covid' policy since then - with lockdowns bringing factory production in cities to a virtual standstill. So how much is that policy to blame for the slowdown? World leaders and delegates are gathering in the Egyptian city of Sharm-el-Sheikh for the COP27 climate change summit. We hear how the emphasis is being put on responsible business. Also on World Business Report, we hear how Sri Lanka is banking on a tourist revival to aid its economic recovery.
Satellite images show the site near the Russian-occupied port city of Mariupol. Also: blood grown in a laboratory has been given to humans for the first time, a cleaner who tidies homes for free, and ahead of the newest instalment of the Netflix drama, The Crown, how much truth is needed in a dramatisation?
In the early 1970s, New Zealand’s government cracked down on Polynesian migrants who had overstayed their work permits.
They carried out what became known as the Dawn Raids, when police raided Polynesian households in the early hours of the morning looking for overstayers.
The Polynesian community felt targeted and formed a resistance group, the Polynesian Panthers, in June 1971. Ben Henderson spoke to founding member, Melani Anae.
(Music credit: Thou We Are - Unity Pacific)
(Photo: Protestors. Credit: Getty Images)
Middlemen are intermediaries who facilitate business interactions for a commission, but in Africa their role is more complex. Africa's middlemen divide opinion on whether they are predatory rent-seekers or invisible but ever present cultural brokers who are actually crucial to the economy.
We hear from local businessman Bola Omololu - based in Abeokuta, southwest Nigeria, and Tony Alabi an architect also based in Nigeria, in the commercial capital of Lagos. They share their experiences of interacting with middlemen.
Cocoa farmer Dimeji Green holds middlemen directly responsible for the dire conditions of farmers in the multi-billion pounds industry whilst Josephine Favre of the African association of vertical farming thinks middlemen are actually necessary for the economy to thrive.
Presenter / producer: Peter MacJob
Image: Bolarinwa Omololu; Credit: Bolarinwa Omololu
Stephen Sackur is in Helsinki for an exclusive interview with Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö. After decades of pragmatic coexistence with Moscow, Finland has made a big strategic decision: to join Nato, back Ukraine with weapons and reinforce their border with Russia. Are Finns ready for potential tension with their giant neighbour to the east?
Ghana and Uruguay created one of the most dramatic and controversial moments in World Cup history in 2010, when “the Black Stars” were the width of a crossbar away from becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals.
Uruguay's Luis Suárez was sent off in the last minute of extra time for handling the ball on the line and then celebrated wildly when Ghana's Asamoah Gyan's penalty hit the bar. Ghana went on to lose a penalty shoot-out, a continent was heartbroken and Suarez became public enemy number 1 in Africa.
12 years on, and the two teams will meet again at the World Cup in Qatar and Sportsworld's John Bennett delves into why revenge is so important for Ghana's football fans. He speaks to Gyan, gets the view from Uruguay and speaks to journalists and fans who lived and breathed that epic first match.
Photo: Luis Suárez of Uruguay handles the ball on the goal line, for which he is sent off, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa during a quarter-final match between Uruguay and Ghana at the Soccer City stadium on July 2, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Credit: Getty Images)
Ahead of COP 27, climate finance remains a major challenge; Also in the programme air pollution in Delhi forces schools to close - and some people are leaving the city in search of cleaner air; and what effect will evangelical voters have on the outcome of midterm elections in the US?
(Photo: Egypt makes final preparations ahead of Cop27. Credit: Shutterstock)
本周節目內容：南韓首爾萬聖節人踩人慘劇 | 印度吊橋崩塌傷亡嚴重 | 中國鄭州蘋果代工商工人出逃 | 英國生活點滴：結束篇 - 回首向來蕭瑟處 | 專題：幾位主持人回顧《時事一周》 | 記者來鴻：塔吉克斯坦養蜂的重要 | 華人談天下：中國專家赴台治療大熊貓
This month as World Book Club continues its year-long season celebrating the Exuberance of Youth it also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the programme.
To mark this happy occasion World Book Club are guests of the London Literature Festival at the South Bank Centre on the River Thames and Harriett Gilbert talks to Bangladeshi-born British novelist Tahmima Anam about her enthralling novel, A Golden Age.
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, A Golden Age is a story of passion and revolution, of hope, faith and unexpected heroism in the middle of chaos. Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence we follow Rehana, a mother struggling to protect her children as the civil war intensifies. Wanting only to keep them safe she finds herself facing a heartbreaking dilemma in a war that will eventually see the birth of Bangladesh.
(Picture: Tahmima Anam. Photo credit: Abeer Y Hoque.)
At the age of 13, just as his love for skateboarding was flourishing, Dan Mancina was diagnosed with a condition that would eventually leave him blind. Over twenty years later, he supports his family by skateboarding as a full-time job, with the long-term goal of getting it into the Paralympics. He joins Sportshour’s Caroline Barker to tell her about the highs and lows of the last decade.
Having never climbed a mountain in her life, Nadhira Alharthy was suddenly inspired to ascend Mount Everest. She succeeded and became the first woman from Oman to complete the feat. Nadhira shares her experience and talks about her role in changing attitudes towards women doing endurance sports in Oman.
We’re also joined by Manchester City and Australia forward Mary Fowler, who at the age of 19 is preparing for her first World Cup next year. She says she’s settled in well to Manchester despite the notoriously poor weather and is attempting clay sculpture in her free time.
Sporting Witness takes a trip to meet Championship Manager cult hero Tonton Zola Moukoko. The Swedish-Congolese footballer found fame as one of the best players ever in the computer game series, but he failed to make a mark in English football and in his personal life there were moments of immense tragedy.
Plus, we check in at the women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, and the wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in England.
Image: The Familie / Dan Mancina
A collection of Witness History episodes, looking at how young men in Africa have been exploited through football and and sex-selective abortion in India. Presented by Max Pearson.
For millions of gamers all over the world Tonton Zola Moukoko is a cult hero. The Swedish-Congolese footballer found fame as a brilliant player in the computer game series Championship Manager. But in the real world, things were very different. African football expert and journalist Oluwashina Okeleji reports on the historic treatment of young African footballers as they try to break into European professional leagues.
And we hear from feminist activist Manisha Gupte in India, who has campaigned against sex-selective abortion, eventually raising enough awareness to bring about a national law in 1994 - the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act.
(Photo: Tonton in front of screenshot of Championship Manager. Credit: Tonton Zola Moukoko)
The Assignment recently investigated how doctors - many from Nigeria - are being lured to move to the UK, contrary to UN guidelines. We hear listeners’ comments and also from reporter Paul Kenyon about how he made this disturbing edition on what is being called “the brain drain”.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown Production for the BBC World Service
Americans are preparing to vote in their midterm elections. The rising cost of living, abortion, immigration, crime and gun rights are all issues that may affect decisions at the ballot box. We bring together two women from Massachusetts: Christine, a self-employed dog walker and Sheena, a single mother of four children aged three, five, seven and 13, who are struggling to afford essentials. In several states, the right to abortion will be on the ballot. We hear from two centres running clinics for women. We also get advice on how to ‘disagree well’ from couples where the partners have different political opinions.
There are suggestions that Russia might be about to give up part of the city as it prepares defensive lines for the winter. Around seventy thousand people have now left the city and its surrounding areas. Also on the programme: Imran Khan speaks out about the gun attack on him yesterday; and we hear a first-hand account of the impact that gangs and poverty are having in Haiti. (Image: Ukrainian soldiers move along a street in the northern Kherson region on 4 November 2022. Credit: Hannibal Hanschke/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Grim day for Twitter’s employees. Many staff revealed that their jobs have been axed in posts on the platform, painting a picture of cuts that spanned the globe and hit departments that ranged from marketing to engineering.
They included communications, content curation, and product development employees. Kurt Wagner, social media correspondent at Bloomberg told us how the job cuts will affect the company.
Also in the programme, we speak to environment correspondent Matt Mcgrath about the upcoming COP27 summit in Egypt which kicks off this weekend.
We talked to Mitali Nikore, an economist from Delhi about the cost of air pollution in India.
With our guests Mehmal Sarfraz, Co-founder of The Current PK, Journalist for Geo TV's Report Card and Diane Brady, Assistant Managing Editor at Forbes we discussed devastating floods in Pakistan and financial consequences for Kanye West after his public antisemitism speech.
(Picture: Tweet button on keyboard Credit: Getty Images)
In his first comments since the recent attack, Pakistan's former PM says two gunmen tried to kill him. Also: mass sackings begin at Twitter, and are we prepared if aliens contact us from a distant planet?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday that the US economy added 261,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in October, while the unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.7%. Jobs growth in the US is continuing, but why is it a worrying sign for the US economy? Michelle Fleury, our New York Business Correspondent explains how unemployment rates are affecting inflation.
Meanwhile, Chris Low, a Wall Street markets analyst at FHN Financial discusses todays fall in value of the dollar.
Also in the programme, we speak to environment correspondent Matt McGrath about the upcoming COP27 summit in Egypt which kicks off this weekend.
And we talked to Mitali Nikore, an economist from Delhi about the cost of air pollution in India.
(Picture: A mature woman driving a truck. Credit: Getty Images)
In the midst of an escalating blame game between the DRC and Rwanda over insecurity, President Felix Tshisekedi has called on young people to join the army to support their fight. We’ve spoken to both governments.
We’ve got analysis of the situation in Tigray following this week’s peace deal, with reports of continued fighting.
Plus, the origins of the claw hair clip.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Kremlin of resorting to "energy terrorism" as Russian troops make few gains on the battlefield. He said 4.5 million people were without power following Russian attacks on its energy network.
The statement comes as Russia has carried out large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian power facilities in recent weeks.
Also in the programme: As the German Chancellor visits Beijing, how should you talk to China? Ahead of the UN summit in Egypt, we'll take a look at a frigid atmosphere for climate activism in Egypt.
(Photo: Apartment blocks without electricity due to scheduled power cuts that were introduced in Kyiv, following the destruction of Ukrainian power stations by Russian strikes. Credit: Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA)
Ukraine’s President said 4.5 million people were left without power following Russian attacks; as the two sides prepare for a battle over the southern city of Kherson. Also: The German Chancellor breaks from the rest of the West to hold talks with China's leader Xi Jinping, and the rare goose that Hawaii is turning the lights out to protect.
The BBC’s Addis Ababa correspondent Kalkidan Yibeltal tells us about the agreement just reached between the Ethiopian government and officials from the Tigray region, to stop fighting and to allow unhindered humanitarian access. He also reflects on the challenges of reporting the civil war over the last two years.
The centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb It's 100 years since the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, almost intact and full of treasures, nearly 3-and-a-half thousand years after his death. Angy Ghannam of BBC Monitoring in Cairo tells us how the centenary is being marked in Egypt, and what ordinary Egyptians think of their most famous pharaoh.
Vietnam's forgotten veterans Thousands of disabled Vietnamese veterans who fought for the South in the war are living in poor conditions without government support. A Catholic priest who is part of a programme which assists them was recently prevented from leaving the country. MyHang Tran of BBC Vietnamese reports on his problems with the authorities, and the plight of the veterans.
The impact of the Iran protests on regional neighbours Since the start of protests in Iran, ethnic tensions have been exacerbated both inside the country and with its neighbours. Kurdish and Azerbaijani populations inside Iran are affected, as are relations with Iraqi Kurdistan and Azerbaijan. BBC Azerbaijani editor Könül Khalilova and Jiyar Gol from BBC Persian discuss recent developments.
The aftermath of the Indian bridge collapse Roxy Gagdekar of BBC Gujarati has been reporting from Morbi, where the recent collapse of a pedestrian bridge left at least 135 dead. He shares impressions from two of his reports - one from the site of the bridge collapse, the other from a hospital which was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
(Photo: Redwan Hussein (L), Representative of the Ethiopian government, and Getachew Reda (R), Representative of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), shake hands on a peace agreement between the two parties in Pretoria on November 2, 2022. Credit: Phill Magakoe /AFP/Getty Images)
Alice follows the White Rabbit down a rabbit hole, and a Wonderland of adventure begins.
In 1975, President Juvénal Habyarimana introduced Umuganda in Rwanda, where citizens had to help with community projects like planting trees and building schools, every Saturday morning.
Rachel Naylor speaks to former minister Jean Marie Ndagijimana, who loved taking part.
(Photo: Residents of the village of Mbyo, in Rwanda's Eastern Province, taking part in Umuganda in 2014. Credit: Getty Images)
The former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, is in a stable condition in hospital in Lahore, after being shot in the lower leg at an anti-government rally. His party and the country's president have called it an assassination attempt. One person died in the attack and several were wounded. Police have arrested the alleged gunman. In a video circulating online, he's heard to confess that he tried to kill Mr Khan. The former prime minister -- who was removed from power in April -- has been leading a week-long protest march on Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, to demand snap elections.
We hear from his spokesman.
Also today: Newshour's Razia Iqbal is in Atlanta, Georgia, exploring the prospects for US mid-term elections which could swing the balance of power against President Biden.
(Photo: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is helped after he was shot in the shin in Wazirabad, Pakistan November 3, 2022. Credit: Urdu Media via Reuters)
Tech Tent analyses Elon Musk's first few days in charge of Twitter. Cyber reporter Joe Tidy meets the people pouring millions of dollars into the Metaverse, before it even exists. Is it finally time to say farewell to the fax? And the social media mix up involving Premier League Star Erling Haaland and a Swedish tourist board.
About 1.5 million fans, a little more than half the population of Qatar, are expected to arrive in the tiny Gulf state for the 2022 World Cup.
Two weeks before the start of tournament Sam Fenwick, speaks to fans about how much they are willing to spend to support their team and hopefully watch them lift the iconic trophy.
There are concerns that fans have be priced out of attending this year’s tournament. The Ghanaian government is subsidising some ticket prices. It will be the first time many Welsh fans have had the opportunity to see their team in a World Cup, they last qualified in 1958. Around 3,000 are expected to travel for the group stages of the competition. Many have spent thousands of dollars on flights, accommodation and tickets. Argentina fans are also spending big to see Lionel Messi line up for his country in a World Cup, possibly for the very last time.
Presenter / producer: Sam Fenwick Image: Welsh football fans; Credit: BBC
By the time Richard Turner was in his mid-30s, he’d given away nearly all of his money to a church. Everything he held dear had been stripped bare by a religious community in the UK which claimed to have his best interests at heart. It took him years to piece together how this could have happened. It was only in recovery that he was diagnosed with autism, which he believes made him more susceptible to coercive control by a group he now regards as a cult.
For Heart and Soul, Richard takes us on his journey of self-discovery, sharing his faith experiences with other ‘cult survivors’, including one US man with Asperger’s Syndrome who has spent most of his adult life ‘cult-hopping’. How common are these extraordinary stories across the world? With very little academic research available, Richard is part of a growing movement working to understand the link between neurodivergence and cults.
(Image: Group Of People Against Blurred Background. Credit: Getty Images / Emmanuel Lavigne / EyeEm)
Tech groups started to cut jobs and pause hiring to cope with rising costs and interest rates. Walter Todd, president and chief investment officer Greenwood Capital from the US, explained why it is happening.
Also in the programme, Jessica Khine, Business Development Consultant from Malaysia travelled explained how the Japanese tourism industry is working in its first month open to tourists since before the pandemic.
Katie Silver, our Business Correspondent in Singapore, told us how German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was welcomed in Beijing.
We also discussed how streaming services releasing movies cope with different license rules in Europe in comparison with the US.
(Picture: Senior couple sitting at the kitchen table looking at digital tablet and recalculating their expenses. Credit: Getty Images)
Pakistan's former prime minister remains in hospital after the shooting in Wazirabad. Also: Glencore ordered to pay millions over Africa oil bribes, and almost half of UK workers have been mocked for their accents.
Stephen Sackur speaks to General Ben Hodges, former commander of the US army in Europe. He claims a Ukrainian victory in the war with Russia is inevitable, maybe within months. But given Putin’s pledge to use all means necessary to prevail, how does victory happen?
While the US is bracing for midterm elections next week, local businesses in different sectors are ready to fight inflation. We hear from Mariyah Saifuddin, the founder of Innovative Solution Partners, a data analytics company based in Detroit Michigan and Candy Valentino, a serial entrepreneur and real estate investor, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. They tell us what challenges business owners have to overcome.
Also in the programme, we are talked to Vicky Pryce, an international economist. She explains how inflation is affecting UK economy.
We move around the globe to Turkey's inflation, which hit a 24-year high of 85.5% after rate cuts. Murat Sagman, an economist from Istanbul talks about the reality behind these numbers for millions of families in his country.
(Picture: Senior couple sitting at the kitchen table looking at digital tablet and recalculating their expenses. Credit: Getty Images)
The Congo Basin is home to the world’s largest peatland. Simon Lewis, Professor of Global Change Science at UCL and the University of Leeds, tells Roland how this peatland acts as a huge carbon sink and how climate change could result in these carbon stores being released. He is joined by Dr Ifo Averti, Associate Professor in Forest Ecology at Universite Marien Ngouabi in the Congo who helps us understand what this landscape is like.
We explore how peatlands all around the world are showing early alarm bells of change. From the boreal Arctic forests to the Amazon, prof Simon Lewis helps us understand how they could action huge change in the climate.
Hurricane Ian, which recently caused devastating damage to Cuba and the United States, may signify a growing trend of increasingly powerful storms. Karthik Balaguru, climate and data scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, explains how climate change is causing hurricanes to rapidly intensify, making them faster and wetter.
On Sunday 6 November, COP27 will begin in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Dr Debbie Rosen, Science and Policy Manager at CONSTRAIN, breaks down some of the jargon we might hear throughout the conference.
Presenter: Roland Pease Assistant Producer: Sophie Ormiston Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Ghana's Cedi extended the world's biggest loss against the dollar this year, dropping as much as 9.6% - its biggest decline in 22 years.
A UK subsidiary of mining giant Glencore has been ordered to pay more than £275m for bribing officials in African countries to get access to oil.
The company paid $26m (£23m) through agents and employees to officials of crude oil firms in Nigeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast between 2011 and 2016.
On the eve of the second anniversary of the outbreak of Ethiopia’s civil war, we take a close look at the genesis of the conflict between the central federal government and Tigrayan rebels, and assess the prospects for lasting peace after both sides agree a deal to end the fighting.
Cesc Fàbregas joins us from Como to discuss the joy of playing in Italy's Serie B. He reflects on last season at Monaco, which he describes as the worst year of his life, and explains the project at Como 1907 having also become a part-owner of the club.
Picture on website: Cesc Fabregas of Como holds his head in his hands during the Serie B match against Brescia. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden has criticised his predecessor, Donald Trump, and his supporters for undermining democracy as Americans prepare to vote in mid-term elections. We hear from our Newshour team in Atlanta, Georgia.
Also in the programme: a peace deal for Ethiopia – there’s uncertainty about what’s been signed and whether it will hold; and a UN report says climate change will put an end to one third of the glaciers located in World Heritage sites by 2050.
Photo: US President Joe Biden speaks about threats to democracy at a Democratic National Committee event in Washington. Credit: Reuters/ Leah Millis
Senior aide said it was "an attempt to kill him". Also; UN warning over glacier threat and the World Cup accused of greenwashing.
For millions of gamers all over the world Tonton Zola Moukoko is a cult hero. The Swedish-Congolese footballer found fame as a brilliant player in the computer game series Championship Manager. But in the real world, things were very different. He never managed to break into Derby County’s first team and in his personal life there were moments of immense tragedy. He has been sharing his story with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Tonton in front of screenshot of Championship Manager. Credit: Tonton Zola Moukoko)
Dame Carmen Callil, who died in October this year, founded feminist publisher Virago Press in 1972 to promote women’s writing.
In this programme first broadcast in 2019, she tells Claire Bowes how she hoped to put women centre stage at a time when she and many others felt side-lined and ignored at work and at home.
Music: Jam Today by Jam Today courtesy of the Women’s Liberation Music Archive.
(Photo: Dame Carmen Callil 1983. Credit: Peter Morris/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)
How easy is it for a woman to start and run a business in Qatar?
In the past few years, there have been changes to the constitution and laws which have made it easier for women to work and run businesses.
We ask whether that’s filtered down to 'street level' or whether cultural constraints still restrict women.
We visit a project in Doha where Qatari women have set up a business in a cultural centre, and Sheikha Mayes bint Hamad bin Mohamed bin Jabr al-Thani explains the important role women can play in Qatar's economy.
Rothna Begum, senior women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch explains how things have changed for women in Qatar - and what barriers and challenges still remain.
Presenter and producer: Sam Fenwick
(Image: Women walking through Doha. Credit: Getty)
Until Roe vs Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in June, sweeping away Americans’ constitutional right to abortion, no one gave much thought to Safe Haven laws. These allow a mother to give up her new-born baby for adoption, at a designated site, anonymously and without risk of prosecution. Safe Haven legislation first appeared in the US in 1999 in Texas, in response to a rise in the number of abandoned babies. Now it exists in every state. These laws were never intended as an alternative to abortion. But as the options for unhappily pregnant women diminish, some are anticipating an increase in the number of babies left by desperate mothers in hospitals and specially designed Baby Boxes at local fire stations. Ahead of the US midterm elections, and with the abortion debate still polarising the nation, Assignment reports from Arizona on America’s ‘dropbox babies’.
Reporter: Linda Pressly Producer: Tim Mansel
The US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday announced a 0.75% jump in interest rates, suggesting future increases could be smaller.
Emergency warnings have been triggered in Japan as North Korea launches a ballistic missile. It marks a further increase in tensions on the peninsula.
Also on Business Matters, we look at one of Mexico’s most popular cultural traditions, the Day of the Dead.
(Picture: U.S. Federal Reserve Bank Board Chairman Jerome Powell delivers opening remarks during a news conference following a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FMOC) at the bank headquarters on November 02, 2022 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images).
Both sides agreed to stop their conflict in Ethiopia which has led to a humanitarian crisis. Also: Parkland school gunman sentenced to life in US prison, and the oldest voter in India.
More than 3,000 years ago a group of powerful and intricately connected Mediterranean kingdoms collapsed over the course of just a few decades.
The palaces of Mycenaean Greece were destroyed, entire cities in Hittite Turkey were abandoned, and whole empires disintegrated. Some civilisations disappeared completely. But what caused the so-called Bronze Age collapse - climate change, trade breakdown, internal rebellion, or a mysterious group of invaders known as the ‘Sea Peoples'?
Some historians have called the aftermath a 'dark age', but was it really as gloomy as that, and might this period of wealth, pressure, and decline offer us any lessons today?
Rajan Datar is joined by İlgi Gerçek, assistant professor of ancient Near Eastern languages and history at Bilkent University, in Ankara; Eric Cline, professor of classics, history, and anthropology at The George Washington University, in Washington DC, and author of ‘1177BC: The Year Civilisation Collapsed’; and Marc van de Mieroop, professor of history at Columbia University, in New York.
(Photo: The ancient site of Patara in Turkey's Antalya province. Patara (Patar in Hittite language), was once the capital of the Lycian Union. Credit: Mustafa Ciftci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
All-you-can-eat restaurants are popular, as are high-end buffets at big weddings and posh hotels.
But what’s the trick to making money out of them, and what happens to the leftovers?
Ruth Alexander finds out the tricks of the trade with John Wood of catering software company Kitchen Cut, Sandeep Sreedharan of Goa, and Michael Brown of Cosmo, in Manchester, UK.
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: Hands of someone serving out chicken at a buffet. Credit: Getty/BBC)
Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
The US Federal Reserve on Wedndesday aproved a further hike in interest rates of 0.75%. It’s in a bid to tame inflation which has skyrocketed to its highest in four decades.
As the world arrives in Cairo for COP27 which begins on Sunday, Egypt is battling a crisis in its economy as well as its environment. The country is dealing with the after effects of the pandemic as well as the Russian-Ukraine war.
Also, Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead – but could it spell a tourism revival for Central America?
After two years of civil war - and eight days of AU-mediated talks in South Africa - the Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan authorities have signed a cessation of hostilities agreement. But what's in the deal, and will this be the end of the war, which also - notoriously - includes Eritrea?
Also in the programme: the world’s largest tropical peatlands in the Congo Basin may be approaching a tipping point where they flip from being a major carbon store to a major carbon emitter; and how could the new far right element in Benjamin Netanyahu's expected next coalition affect Israel's policies at home - and the country's standing abroad?
(Photo: Ethiopian government representative Redwan Hussien and Tigraany delegate Getachew Reda pass documents during the signing of the AU-led negotiations to resolve the conflict in northern Ethiopia, in Pretoria , South Africa, November 2, 2022 / Credit: REUTERS / Siphiwe Sibeko)
Claudia Hammond discovers that some livers have the potential for extraordinary longevity and after a long life in a transplant donor, can survive for many more years in a transplant recipient. Livers over one hundred years old, called centurian livers by researchers, have been identified and many are still going strong. The new study has important implications for the future of liver transplants because donated organs from some older-age people were also found to last longer than those from young-age donors, a finding that Dr Christine Hwang, from the University of Texas in the USA and study co-author, tells Claudia upturns conventional thinking about the healthiest livers to transplant.
The accuracy of forehead thermometers as well as pulse oximeters on darker skin is an issue that's received widespread attention, but what about the medical need to accurately measure skin pigmentation for psoriasis, eczema, skin cancers and other health conditions? Dr Ophelia Dadzie from the British Association of Dermatologists and the Hillingdon Hospital in London has been developing a scientific way to measure skin colour. Her method uses eumelanin, a skin pigment, and she's created a new scale to objectively assess peoples’ skin colour.
And BBC correspondent, Dr Smitha Mundasad, joins Claudia and reports on the growing Ebola outbreak in Uganda, the risks of herbal supplements on our livers and brings the latest evidence on the health benefits of the weighted blanket.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Fiona Hill
(Picture: A doctor Transporting a Human Organ for Transplant. Photo credit: Photographereddie/Getty Images.)
A deal to end the fighting between the warring Tigray forces and the federal government in Ethiopia has been reached after more than ten days of negotiations in South Africa.
A mosquito native to South Asia and resistant to insecticides in Africa, spreads fast across the continent worrying health experts.
And did you know that 2 November is International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists? When working in Somalia it is an everyday threat. Our colleague shares her personal experience.
European shares and US stocks are drifting ahead of the Federal Reserve interest rate decision. The US central bank is expected to hike its benchmark rate by another three-quarters of a percent, pushing it up to 4%. We talked to Daleep Singh, chief global economist at PGIM Fixed Income, about market expectations.
We also looked at the weakness of Nigeria’s currency, the naira. It’s been blamed on the central bank’s plan to redesign its bank notes, but is there more to it than that?
And we spoke to Matt Navarra, a social media consultant. He talked about Elon Musk’s plans to make money from Twitter’s famous blue ticks.
(Picture: Statue of George Washington Credit: Getty Images)
Netanyahu set for comeback with far right's help, we ask how do Arab Israelis feel about that? Also in the programme, tension in the Korean peninsula after the North launched missiles into the South’s territorial waters; and we weigh the repercussions of the war on Russia and its future.
(Photo: Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu addresses his supporters in Jerusalem, November 2, 2022. Credit: Reuters)
The former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the brink of returning to power, after partial results show he is on course to win a majority in parliament with the help of the far right. Also: a sharp escalation in military tension between North and South Korea, as both sides fire missiles into the sea; and how five lions escaped from a zoo in Australia.
Over the last 50 years an estimated 46 million girls have been aborted in India.
The cultural preference for boys and the development of pre-natal sex determination tests like ultrasound in the 1980s, meant an increase in the number of girls being aborted.
Activist Manisha Gupte describes how she campaigned, as part of the feminist movement, against sex-selective abortion - including the use of sit-ins and rallies - eventually raising enough awareness to bring about a national law in 1994 - the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act.
The legislation has had limited effect in a complex society with entrenched male preference and poverty.
Manisha has been speaking to Josephine McDermott.
(Photo: Campaigners rally against fetal sex selection in Mumbai in the 1980s. Credit: Dr Vibhuti Patel)
听众 Max 想知道如何区分不同的情态动词后加上 “have done” 的用法。这些结构听上去很像，且含义往往相关，所以易被混淆。英语中并没有 “can have done” 这样的说法，却可以在特定语境中使用 “can't have done”。本期节目辨析五个包含 “have done” 的结构的含义和用法。
Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have had a huge impact on the small towns and villages in Senegal and Egypt where they grew up.
We find out how local people have benefited from the money donated and hear about how this type of 'direct giving' is part of a wider trend making a big difference in the aid community.
Presenter: Isaac Fanin Producer: Hannah Bewley
(Image
Brazil's defeated leader, Jair Bolsonaro, has made his first statement since his defeat at Sunday's elections. He made no mention of losing the election – but his ministry says transition talks have begun.
We dig deeper into new research showing that 5% of plastic waste generated in the US last year was recycled – with the other 95% ending up as litter or in landfill.
Also, find out why a member of America’s Federal Communications Commission is calling for TikTok to be banned.(Picture: President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro looks on after a press conference two days after being defeated by Lula da Silva in the presidential runoff at Alvorada Palace on November 1, 2022 in Brasilia, Brazil. Credit: Getty Images).
The Brazilian President breaks days of silence following Sunday's poll defeat. Also: Benjamin Netanyahu could be about to make another comeback following Israeli elections, and, why the Italian government isn't raving about raves.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Rafael Grossi, director general of the world’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He’s been to Ukraine and has visited Putin in his continuing efforts to avert disaster at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant. Is the Ukraine war a lesson that nuclear power is never risk-free?
Brazil's far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has finally broken his silence after a defeat at the polls on Sunday. But he did not contest the result either, as some had feared he would.
Chinese stocks listed in the US surged on Tuesday, fuelled by speculation that Beijing is preparing to phase out ‘Zero-Covid’ policy. But is it really likely?
Also, we look at the impact on US workers as a new salary transparency law takes effect in New York; and the boss of a recycling firm casts doubt on some new figures published by Greenpeace.
Tensions rise further between the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Rwanda over M23 attacks. Both nations trade more accusations about supporting rebel groups and a diplomatic offensive deepens.
Also, the parents of the Gambian babies and toddlers who say their children died from contaminated cough syrup are outraged by the latest findings.
And a special BBC investigation asks if Moroccan border guards were responsible for the deaths of African migrants in June.
More on those stories in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
Oil giant BP made $8.2 billion between July and September, more than double its profit for the same period last year. Surging oil and gas prices have led to big gains for energy firms but are also fuelling a rise in the cost of living. BP expects to pay $800m in UK windfall taxes this year while rival Shell recently said it will pay none. Cornelia Meyer, an economist, independent analyst and the CEO of business consultancy MRL, joined us from Saudi Arabia to talk us through the disadvantages of windfall taxes. Meanwhile, another important oil producer: Russia. The war in Ukraine has had a huge impact on its ability to sell oil on the global market. December 5 is a date for your diaries - that is when some Western countries want to put a price cap on Russian oil. Mikhail Krutihin, a Russian oil and gas analyst, explained why BP hasn't sold its shares in Rosneft yet. Also in the programme, we will talk about the Hang Sen index in Hong Kong, one of the world's largest stock exchanges. It rose by more than 5 percent on Tuesday. Rebecca Choong Wilkins from Bloomberg explained what happened today on the market.
Overcrowding in British asylum centre leads to violence and disease, as interior minister, Suella Braveman, defends her policies. Also in the programme, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Gujarat, where more than 140 people died after a footbridge collapsed. And, a famous football, with which Diego Maradona scored an infamous goal in 1986, goes up for auction.
(Photo: Migrant in the UK. Credit: Press Association)
Police chief says not enough was done to prevent it. Also: The Greek coast guard is coordinating a search- and- rescue operation in the Aegean sea for dozens of missing migrants, and Brazilian police have been taking action to end blockades by lorry drivers who support the outgoing president, Jair Bolsonaro.
In the 1970s, Albania’s Stalinist leader, Enver Hoxha, launched a new series of purges against government ministers and officials, following numerous purges in previous decades.
Those accused of being ‘enemies’ of the ruling Party of Labour were executed or received lengthy prison sentences. Their families were punished too. Many were sent into internal exile and forced to work in the fields.
Rob Walker speaks to Kozara Kati whose father was imprisoned in 1975. She spent 15 years in a camp with her mother, brother and sister.
Rob also hears from Fred Abrahams, long term researcher and writer on Albania, who is the author of ‘Modern Albania: From Dictatorship to Democracy in Europe’.
(Photo: Enver Hoxha embraces Chinese Leader Yao Wen-Yuan 1967. Credit: Keystone-France, Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
主持人 Rob 在工作和生活中做事没有条理、手忙脚乱，急得他愁眉苦脸。菲菲告诉 Rob 说：“get your act together”。菲菲这是让 Rob 和她一起表演吗？听他们的对话，学习如何使用这个地道英语表达。
Will a boost in visitors for the Qatar World Cup lead to more visitors in the long run?
Qatar has spent over $220bn on preparations for the football World Cup, and there are hopes the tournament will draw visitors for years to come.
We take a tour of Doha, looking at the dow boats and some of the common tourist sites that fans will experience, and hear from Berthold Trenkel, COO of Visit Qatar.
We also hear from economists who think the strategy of hosting a “mega-event” such as this can be a gamble.
Plus Oman Air, which is going to be putting on dozens of extra flights so that fans can commute in for matches, tell us how that matches up with a ‘climate friendly’ World Cup.
Producer/presenter: Hannah Bewley
(Image: Dow boats in Doha. Credit: Getty)
At least one hundred-and-twenty people are confirmed dead in Somalia following Saturday's attacks blamed on Al-Shabab militants.
Also, Nigeria's Government condemns the recent terror alerts from western embassies as 'irresponsible' and 'unnecessary', but where did such warnings emanate?
And how Guinea BIssau artist, Yasmine has become a popular Kizomba artist.
Those stories and more in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
Society drives people, particularly women, in every way to look beautiful. We see it on television, in the movies, and in magazines. The social pressure associated with physical appearance is typically much greater for girls and women than boys and men in almost every society. We tap into different areas of culture and society across the globe to get a diverse range of experience and opinion, and look at what drives this prejudice, and why.
Oil and gas companies in the US may be penalised with windfall taxes if they do not use their record profits to lower costs for consumers, according to President Joe Biden.
Fears continue to grow about global food shortages as Russia is to pull out of a UN-brokered deal to allow grain shipments out of the Black Sea.
We examine environmental policies under outgoing Brazilian President Bolsonaro – and whether his successor will bring about change in the Amazon.
Elon Musk cements his control over Twitter as he dissolves the company's board of directors. But how will the platform look under his rule?
Also, we take a deeper look at the rights of guest workers in Qatar ahead of the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. (Picture: WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 31: U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on oil company profits in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Credit: Getty Images.)
Growing unease that he may contest the outcome as Argentina's leader arrives in Brazil to congratulate Lula. Also: Ukrainian engineers scramble to restore electricity to large areas of the country after a wave of Russian missile strikes, and, a saucy new theory about how our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals, died out forty thousand years ago.
US President Joe Biden has called on oil and gas companies to either use their record profits to lower costs for Americans at the pump, or pay a higher tax rate. President Biden also wants them to boost US production or face additional restrictions.
Also on the programme, The International Labour Organization, which is affiliated to the United Nations, has said there's now a decline in the global demand for workers, reversing recent rises in employment numbers in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We get to know how the business community in Brazil is reacting to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's victory at the polls.
There have been major fears about global food shortages this week following the news that Russia was pulling out of a UN-brokered deal to allow grain shipments out of the Black Sea. The programme director for Africa at the International Crisis Group, Murithi Mutiga, echoes the anxieties of many.
Also, more reactions to president Nana Akufo Addo's speech as Ghana grapples with runaway inflation as prices of basic commodities hit the roof.
Hungry for pi? Chow down on this!
Pi is the ratio between a circle’s diameter and its circumference. Sounds dull – but pi turns out to have astonishing properties and crop up in places you would never expect. For a start, it goes on forever and never repeats, meaning it probably contains your name, date of birth, and the complete works of Shakespeare written in its digits.
Maths comedian Matt Parker stuns Adam with his ‘pie-endulum’ experiment, in which a chicken and mushroom pie is dangled 2.45m to form a pendulum which takes exactly 3.14 seconds per swing.
Mathematician Dr Vicky Neale explains how we can be sure that the number pi continues forever and never repeats - despite the fact we can never write down all its digits to check! She also makes the case that aliens would probably measure angles using pi because it’s a fundamental constant of the universe.
NASA mission director Dr Marc Rayman drops in to explain how pi is used to navigate spacecraft around the solar system. And philosopher of physics Dr Eleanor Knox serves up some philoso-pi, revealing why some thinkers have found pi’s ubiquity so deeply mysterious.
Hannah grins with delight for most of show. It’s all maths!
Contributors: Matt Parker, Dr Vicky Neale, Dr Marc Rayman, Dr Eleanor Knox
Brazil has taken a turn to the left as former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the presidential election. We hear from Bloomberg economist Adriana Dupita in São Paulo and Brazilian farmer Karl Milla.
Some African countries rely on Ukraine and Russia not only for most of their grain supplies, but also for fertilizers. The Program Director for Africa at the International Crisis Group in Nairobi, Murithi Mutiga joins us.
Apple's main iphone assembler Foxconn is preparing to shift some of its production, after a Covid outbreak forced staff to lockdown at the workplace. Howard Zhang is the editor of the BBC's Chinese Service.
(Picture: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, OCTOBER 31 : Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gives a press conference after the election results at the Avenida Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on October 31 , 2022. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
President-elect Lula da Silva has called for unity, as world leaders congratulate him on his narrow victory. Also: Hundreds of people in Iran are charged with rioting in an attempt by the authorities to stop protestors, and how can indigenous people's understanding of the natural world help scientists tackle climate change?
Veteran leftist and former president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva – better known as Lula - wins the Brazilian election, we ask what can he now do with that victory? Also in the programme, Ukraine is hit by a new wave of missiles; and ahead of next week’s US mid-term elections we hear from Georgia.
(Photo: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Credit:Reuters)
Listen to Peter and Catherine talking about acronyms like NASA and FIFA in this podcast.
In 1985, Carol Taylor wrote a survival guide for young black men in the Unites Stated who were stopped by the police.
Her son, Laurence Legall, tells Ashley Byrne the story of the small and important book created by his mum to help young black men stay safe on the streets of New York.
It all began when Laurence went shopping and was robbed but the police didn’t take his complaint seriously.
This is a Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: Carol Taylor. Credit: Laurence Legall)
Workers from countries such as Nepal have done the bulk of the work to build the stadiums and infrastructure for the Qatar World Cup. But there are difficult questions still to be answered about the treatment of these people, and how compensation for those workers who have been badly treated, or even died in Qatar, is being paid.
In this episode, Ed Butler speaks to a man from Nepal who worked on a bus depot project in Doha and an investigative journalist in Nepal who says he is speaking to workers who are being sent home from Qatar because the World Cup is happening.
Human Rights Watch explain the issues with compensation payments that they are still hearing about, and James Dorsey, a specialist on the politics of Middle East football, gives his view on the gamble the Qataris are undertaking to host the event, in a hope that they gain ‘soft power’.
Producer/Presenter: Ed Butler
(Image: A Qatari stadium with workers climbing up. Credit: European Pressphoto Agency)
After lockdowns, gig cancelations and a long and painful period for those in the industry, this year has seen the return of a full festival season around the world and millions of people have been making the most of it partying and dancing in vast crowds to live music and DJ-sets.
Beatriz de la Pava is joined by two female DJ/producers from Denmark and Colombia to talk about creating a sound and vibe that brings thousands of people to dance as one.
Rosa Pistola is hard to miss. Hailing from Colombia yet dubbed the Madonna of Mexico City, she mixes high energy reggaeton and sensual ballads to encapsulate the soundscape of her adopted city. Her mission is to celebrate the sounds of the Latin underground with the entire world, including Fabric in London on the 9th of December.
Manda Moor is a Danish-Filipino DJ and producer based in Paris. Her productions and DJ sets are somewhere between techno and house and she’s spent much of her summer performing on the party-island of Ibiza.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
Sue-Ellen Doherty was trained by her parents to spy for Australia during the Cold War.
For Sue-Ellen Kusher, nee Doherty, growing up in the suburbs of Brisbane was far from normal. Both her parents worked for the Australian Secret Intelligence Organisation, ASIO, and in the early days of their marriage, they brought up their three children to be part of the family business. It was the 1950s, and Russian and Chinese communists were regarded as enemies.
Sue-Ellen spoke to us in 2021.
Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Munazza Khan
In an exclusive interview, Stephen Sackur is in Skopje to speak to North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski. His nation emerged out of the former Yugoslavia and is now in the queue for EU membership. But progress is slow. Could Brussels’s reluctance to embrace the Balkan candidate nations see this region sink back into dangerous instability?
The narrow victory completes a staggering rehabilitation for the former president who was jailed for corruption. Also: A suspension bridge crowded with pedestrians has collapsed in the Indian state of Gujarat, killing at least 80 people, and to mark Halloween, we hear about the woman who collects recipes from tombstones.
Incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and former leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, are facing off in a presidential election runoff in Brazil. Counting is under way – we will get the latest.
Also in the programme: Dozens killed following a bridge collapse in India and more on a fatal Halloween crowd crush in South Korea.
(Picture: Presidential candidates, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro. Credit: REUTERS/Mariana Greif)
The latest observations from Nasa’s InSight Mars Lander and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have revealed new information on Mars’ interior structure. Dr Anna Horleston, Senior Research Associate in Planetary Seismology at the University of Bristol, talks us through the mars-quakes that provided this data.
On the 30th of October, Brazilians will head to the polls to elect their next president. Jeff Tollefson, Senior Reporter at Nature, tells Roland what approach the two candidates – Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – might take towards science and the potential local and global impacts this could have.
Humans aren’t the only animals to pick their noses… it turns out primates engage in this habit too. Anne-Claire Fabre, Curator of Mammals at the Duke Lemur Center, tells reporter Vic Gill about the long-fingered aye-ayes having a dig around their noses, and how more research is needed to unpick the reasons behind this behaviour.
And producer Robbie Wojciechowski heads to the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton to capture the launch of the RRS Discovery mission to Ascension Island and St Helena. Science In Action will be following the mission over the next 6 weeks as it uncovers new specimens from the deep ocean, as well as surveying the overall health and wellbeing of the ocean around the British Overseas Territory.
Record-breaking heatwaves swept across the Earth’s northern hemisphere this summer, with continental Europe, China, the UK and parts of the US all experiencing exceptional temperatures. Listener Geoff in Australia wants to know: Is climate change really responsible or could it just be weather?
Marnie Chesterton goes to Kenya, where certain areas of Amboseli have experienced intense drought over the past 5 years. There she meets members of the Masai community who have been farmers for generations. They describe how seasonal rains have successively failed to appear when expected, and explain how this has affected their lives. Marnie asks local people, meteorologists and climate scientists for their take on the year’s hottest debate.
(Image: Impression of a rover on the surface of Mars. Credit: Getty Images)
Distraught relatives in the South Korean capital Seoul have been visiting hospitals and a missing persons centre in search of people who may have been injured or killed in a crush on Saturday. At least 153 people died in the disaster in an alleyway in the Itaewon district. We speak to someone who was there.
Also in the programme: we hear from one of the first medics on the scene of Saturday's car bomb attacks in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which killed more than 100 people; and why British cathedrals are being bathed in sound and light.
(Photo: The alleyway where the crush took place. Credit: BBC)
Nearly 150 people died in the crush in a busy South Korean bar district which was full of revellers. Also: Russia says it's suspending global grain exports from Ukraine following a drone attack on Russian ships in occupied Crimea, and the footballers wives trial that just keeps on giving: Wagatha Christie the play!
Many revellers killed and injured in a crush as crowds gather in central Seoul. We hear from a BBC reporter who was at the scene.
Also in the programme: Russia announces indefinite suspension of a UN-brokered deal allowing grain to be exported from war-torn Ukraine; and a new book about Ukraine's cultural heritage.
(Photo: People move bodies to be transported from hospital after a stampede during a Halloween festival in Seoul, South Korea. Credit: REUTERS/Kim Hong-ji)
Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro faces former leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In this special edition of the Global News Podcast, Nick Miles is in Rio de Janeiro hearing how people living in the country's largest favela are split between the candidates. We also hear about the accusations and misinformation on the campaign trail.
Pakistan says one of its nationals - the oldest prisoner at the Guantanamo detention centre - has been released.
The foreign ministry said the 74-year-old Saifullah Paracha had been reunited with his family. He was seized from Bangkok airport in 2003 on suspicion of links with Al Qaeda, but he was never charged.
Also in the programme: As Brazil's presidential candidates trade insults in a bad-tempered televised debate ahead of Sunday's election, we'll hear how people in one of Rio's shantytowns feel about their choice; and US President Biden has condemned an attack on the husband of the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
(Photo shows a handout image of Saifullah Piracha. Credit: Clive Stafford-Smith)
本周節目內容：英國新首相迅速當選就任 | 習近平打破成規再度連任 | 中共二十大之後會怎樣對台灣 | 英國生活點滴：女華僑被謀財害命案電視宣判 | 專題：歐洲海面大批天然氣船等待入港 | 專題：印度「商品及服務稅」稅率現爭議 | 記者來鴻：羅馬暴君的痕跡幾乎被消滅 | 華人談天下：美國流動墮胎車應運而生
Amsterdam's red light district hides a secret world of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. People who know what really goes on share their stories.
As a professional goalkeeper for Al-Karamah, one of Syria's biggest clubs, Fahd Saleh had won numerous trophies but then war came to Syria and his house, his life, all he'd known until that point, was destroyed. Fahd decided to move to England to rebuild his life and cling on to his footballing dream, he even went to a job centre and told them how he wanted to work for a football club. Hear his story of how he became Mansfield Town’s Goalkeeping Coach and working with Nigel Clough.
Barbara Hernandez is known as the Ice Mermaid. The swimmer from Chile is currently attempting to swim the seven seas... That's 127 miles through - the North Channel, the Cook Strait, the Moloka’i Channel, the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, the Tsugaru Strait and the Strait of Gibraltar. Barbara is number one in the world at ice swimming - the first Latin American swimmer to take the crown. She tells us, she is hoping to inspire more women from South America to take up sport and to follow their dreams.
Since former Premier League footballer Steven Reid decided to announce that he will be pursuing a career in counselling, he’s had current Premier League players and coaches reach out to him for support. Reid also revealed, he has had people opening up in tears on zoom calls and how footballers are in fear of speaking up about how they are truly feeling. He also explained to Caroline that despite playing in the top flight for Blackburn Rovers, there wasn’t much enjoyment in the game but he is now hoping to help others through his own experience.
Photo - Fahd Saleh
British politics has been making headlines globally with the country’s third prime minister in only three months. We hear your thoughts on the coverage, including an episode of The Real Story: What’s behind the turmoil in British politics?. W are joined by the BBC World Service’s political correspondent Rob Watson.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown Production for the BBC World Service
Rishi Sunak begins his leadership in a time of crisis. He inherits an economy with inflation at more than 10 percent - its highest rate in 40 years - and rising food prices. During his first address as prime minister, Rishi Sunak warned there was no doubt the UK faced “a profound economic challenge.” James Reynolds speaks to several people struggling to survive. They share their tips for stretching every penny - from batch cooking to freezing bread and defrosting two slices at a time for sandwiches. We also hear from several single mothers who, despite having jobs, are all finding it increasingly difficult to afford everyday necessities.
A collection of Witness History episodes, this week focusing on global events where women have taken a stand for equality from Sudan to Iran and Australia.
In Iran in 1979, Islamic rules about how women dressed were just one of the issues women objected to during the Iranian revolution.
The BBC's Rana Rahimpour discusses the protests currently taking place in Iran triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini with echoes of what happened in 1979.
We also head to Sudan in 1991 when a law was introduced to control how women acted and dressed in public resulting in arrests, beatings and deaths.
And we hear from a survivor of the 2002 Moscow siege when heavily armed Chechen rebels took an entire theatre full of people hostage, with some disturbing scenes.
(Photo: Women during the Iranian revolution in 1979. Credit: Alain Dejean/Sygma via Getty Images)
The world’s richest man Elon Musk, has started making changes as takes control of social media platform, Twitter. Senior figures at Twitter announced their exits, while Mr Musk announced a new council to moderate posts.
Brazilians head to the polls to elect a new president on Sunday. Some residents of Latin America's largest economy say soaring prices have forced them to change thier spending habits.
Also on the programme, the latest as America counts down to midterm elections.
And in Turkey, businesses struggle to stay afloat as the battle crazy high price inflation. (Picture: Elon Musk at the 2022 Met Gala. Credit: Getty Images.)
The leading US Democrat's husband was attacked by an intruder in their Californian home. Also: Elon Musk clears out Twitter bosses in $44bn deal; the Rock and Roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis dies aged 87.
Jobs growth in the US has slowed down for the second month in a row. US employers added 263,000 new jobs in September, the fewest since April 2021, while unemployment fell to 3.5%. But what's it like if you're trying to recruit a worker or find a job? We hear from Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer for The Granite Group in Concord, New Hampshire. Yulia Yan is among those looking for work, she tells us about the challenges she's facing.
The United States has announced new export controls on computer chips to China to prevent Beijing from using the technology for its military. American firms will be banned from selling certain chips used for supercomputing and artificial intelligence to Chinese companies. Bill Reinsch from Center for Strategic and International Studies explains the likely effect of the ban.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Marketplace reporter Andy Uhler in Austin, Texas and ABC senior business correspondent Peter Ryan in Brisbane, Australia.
(Image:Two multi-ethnic workers in their 30s talking in a metal fabrication plant wearing hardhats and protective eyewear. Credit: Getty Images)
The Ukrainian President made the comments in an interview with the BBC and called for pre-emptive sanctions against Russia. Also; the New York mayor declares an emergency, after thousands of asylum seekers were bussed in from Republican states, and, celebrating 60 years of the world's most famous spy on the big screen - Bond - James Bond!
The US has introduced new rules which will limit the export of electronic chips and other technological components to China. The aim is to limit the country's access to components which can be used in supercomputers, artificial intelligence and advanced weapons. William Reinsch from the Center for Strategic and International Security explains why the move is being made now and what the ultimate aim is. Jobs growth in the US has slowed for a second month, in a sign that the labour market in the world's largest economy may be starting to cool. We hear from a job seeker, who has had 25 interviews in the last three months, but isn't giving up. A Glasgow nightclub is taking an unusual approach to climate change, with the heat from revellers' bodies being converted into renewable energy. Our reporter Shiona McCallum describes how it works in practice.
This year's prize is shared by jailed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, the banned Russian group Memorial, and the Ukrainian Centre for Civil Liberties. We speak to Mr Bialiatski's wife.
Also in the programme: a BBC interview with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky; and a devastating fire among the famous moai statues of Easter Island.
(Photo: Nobel Peace Prize 2022 announcement, Oslo, Norway. Credit: HEIKO JUNGE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Parliamentary elections have taken place in Lesotho. More than 50 parties are vying for power in the landlocked kingdom inside South Africa.
We hear from the US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, Beth Van Schaack, who has been visiting Liberia. Could the country be closer to setting up a special court to prosecute alleged war criminals?
And we meet a young man from Sierra Leone who arrived in South Africa with next to nothing and has now helped to create the first humanoid robot on the continent.
As European Union leaders meet in Prague to discuss concerns over energy supplies and capping prices, we hear from Kathryn Porter energy consultant at Watt-Logic consultancy, who tells us the challenges faced in getting a consensus on the issues.
Daniel Zhao, Lead Economist & Senior Manager on Glassdoor's Economic Research team, gives us his reaction to the US unemployment rate rising for the first time in just over 2 years.
We hear from the former Finance Minister of Lebanon, Dr Nasser Saidi, on the continuing banking crisis in the country where bank branches are to close indefinitely.
Bloomberg reporter in Buenos Aires, Patrick Gillespie, speaks to us about how Argentina's allow tech companies to hold thirty percent of their dollars when they increase exports.
Price increases have been banned in Belarus as the government there tries to tackle inflation, warning businesses against shutting down. We ask Jaroslav Romanchuk, president of the Scientific Research Mises Centre, in Belarus about the state of the economy in his country.
The BBC's Elizabeth Hotson interviews, Didier Toubia, CEO of Israeli company Aleph Farms who are aiming to grow steaks in space.
The award goes to a Belarusian human rights advocate and two organisations in Russia and Ukraine. Also: banks in Lebanon will close their doors indefinitely after repeated armed attacks, and Ukrainians are braced for more possible attacks as Vladimir Putin turns 70 on Friday.
BBC Russian journalist Olga Ivshina shares the findings of her investigation into the reality of life for soldiers serving in Russia's armies, from crowd-sourcing to buy their own equipment, to why it’s so hard to leave.
Iran protest: 'For...’ The lyrics to 'Baraye', which translates as ‘for’ or ‘because’, by Shervin Hajipour were taken from ordinary Iranians posting on social media to explain why they are protesting, each line beginning "for...". BBC Persian's Saba Zavarei explains how the protest song has evolved.
Venezuelan migrants in Martha's Vineyard The Republican governor of Florida staged a political stunt to confront politicians far away from the southern border with the reality of uncontrolled migration. They flew 48 undocumented Latin Americans from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, close to Boston, where many liberal and democrat politicians have summer houses. Luis Fajardo has been following the story for BBC Monitoring in Miami.
Afghan women chasing their Olympic dreams in Italy BBC Uzbek's Firuz Rahimi, and producer Ivana Scatola, joined five women from Afghanistan’s cycling team who fled the country and are now training in Italy, pursuing their dream to represent their home country in the Olympics.
Pakistan floods and the karahi commute Pakistan's catastrophic floods in the past month, have been challenging to report for BBC Urdu. When Rubab Batool saw an intriguing video of locals using karahis - essentially huge cooking vessels - as transport on the floodwaters, she has to use her own creativity to work out how to film it.
Presenter: Feranak Amidi Producer: Caroline Ferguson
In an atmosphere of violence and shock in Thailand, mourning begins for 36 people killed on Thursday by a former policeman.
We'll hear from our correspondent in the town ravaged by yesterday's mass killing about how people are absorbing what has happened.
Also in the programme: An interview with a leading member of the Russian Nobel Prize-winning organisation, Memorial, and Japan's digital minister tells us how he plans to tackle the fact that his country - once at the forefront of technology - is still using floppy discs and faxes.
(Photo shows mourners standing at the coffin of a victim at Sri Uthai temple in Na Klang district. Credit: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
On 30 January 1959, the late Trinidadian activist Claudia Jones held a Caribbean party in St Pancras Town Hall in London, planting the seeds for the famous carnival.
She wanted to bring Caribbeans across the capital together for dancing, singing and steel bands.
Rachel Naylor hears from her best friend, Corinne Skinner-Carter.
(Photo: A woman having a good time at Claudia Jones' Caribbean carnival, at St Pancras Town Hall in London, 1959. Credit: Daily Mirror via Getty Images)
Elon Musk wanted Twitter, then he didn't - and now he does again. Why has he changed his mind and what does it mean for Twitter? Our Silicon Valley reporter James Clayton guides us through the latest twists and turns in tech's most dysfunctional courtship. Also this week can anyone challenge Google's search engine supremacy?
Zeinab Badawi speaks to the award winning American journalist Maggie Haberman. She has published a book that chronicles the rise and fall of Donald Trump, and her revelations are creating sensational headlines in the US. What is the responsibility of a good journalist?
Is space the final frontier for meat grown from animal stem cells?
Elizabeth Hotson asks whether growing steaks under micro gravity conditions could help in the quest for food security and whether, back on earth, consumers could be persuaded to stomach meat reared in labs.
We hear from Didier Toubia, the CEO of Aleph Farms who defends his space meat mission from accusations of gimmickry.
Seren Kel, the science and technology manager for the Europe region of the Good Food Institute, gives her view on the environmental impact of cell-gown meat and Dr Jason Michael Thomas, senior lecturer in psychology at Aston University explains how reluctant consumers might be persuaded to try new and strange-sounding foods.
Presenter: Elizabeth Hotson Producer: Elizabeth Hotson
(Photo description: The Solar system. Credit: Getty Images)
The IMF says the risk of a global recession has increased as it lowers its growth forecast for the coming year. Its managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said the gloomy outlook was fuelled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the continuing impact of the Covid pandemic.
Hong Kong has relaxed several of its coronavirus restrictions in recent weeks. Now it's giving away 500,000 airline tickets worth $250 million in a bid to boost visitor numbers. Will it succeed?
The Rooney Rule was adopted by NFL teams in the US in 2003, with the aim of creating equal opportunities for Black coaches. But there's criticism that it hasn't achieved what it set out to do. Gus Garcia Roberts from the Washington Post has been investigating and shares his findings with us.
Sam Fenwick is joined by Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence in Houston, Texas and Zyma Islam from the Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh to discuss these stories and the other big money and work issues of the day.
(Image:Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press conference as she meets with economic and financial organizations in Berlin at the German chancellery on August 26, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Credit: Getty Images)
At least thirty-eight people died, most of them young children - the government says the whole nation is in grief. Also; Joe Biden pardons all Americans convicted of marijuana possession under federal laws, and, what does Scotland have to do with Pterodactyls?
The IMF says the risk of a global recession is rising. Its managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said the outlook was getting darker because of Russia's attack on Ukraine and the shocks caused by the Covid pandemic. She said the IMF would lower its growth forecast as a result. We speak to Ali Metwally, an economist with InfoSpectrum, which works with shipping, commodities and energy organisations around the world. Farmers are under pressure because of the rising cost of fertiliser. Prices have gone up since Russia invaded Ukraine, but in Peru farmers have come up with a solution - using bird droppings, or guano. Eshima Secche's family run a farm in Peru and explains why it could be a good alternative. With the latest US jobs report imminent, economist Cary Leahy from Columbia University in New York tells us what to expect from Friday's figures.
A former policeman kills 38 after walking into a nursery in northern Thailand armed with a gun and a knife, when many of the children were having an afternoon nap. The assailant also killed his wife and son before turning the gun on himself.
Also in the programme: a report by the United Nations says that - in just twelve months - the Afghan economy has shrunk by about a quarter, wiping out ten years of economic growth. It says that 19 out of every 20 Afghans now live below the poverty line -- with many families simply unable to feed their children properly; and the 82-year old French writer Annie Ernaux, wins the Nobel Prize for Literature. Her uncompromising - and highly personal - novels exploring time and memory, are considered contemporary classics in France.
(Photo: Ruamkatanyu Foundation's rescue workers carrying a coffin containing a mass shooting victim at a childcare center in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeastern Thailand, 6 October 2022. Credit: EPA/Ruamkatanyu Foundation handout photo)
The World Health Organisation issues a global alert warning that four cough syrups manufactured in India could be linked to the deaths of dozens of children in The Gambia. We hear from the director of Health Services.
Also, why does the insurgency in Northern Mozambique continue five years on?
Plus, the prestigious Makrere University is 100 years old.
More on those and other stories in this podcast with Paul Bakibinga.
For the scientific community, the Nobel Prize announcements are an important part of the yearly science calendar. The award is one of the most widely celebrated and gives us a moment to reflect on some of the leading scientific work taking place around the world.
This year’s winners include Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger for their work on quantum entanglement. Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless for their work on click chemistry. And Svante Pääbo for his work on sequencing Neanderthal DNA.
To understand the science behind the award winners better, we’ve invited a variety of speakers to help us understand their work better. Award winner, Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Professor of Chemistry at Stanford, explains the basics behind click chemistry, a practice that has helped us to study molecules and their interactions in living things without interfering with natural biological processes.
Mateja Hajdinjak, Postdoctoral Training Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, celebrated alongside her former PhD. tutor, Svante Paabo in Germany this week. We talk to her about his significance in the development of DNA sequencing in ancient humans.
And Professor Shohini Ghose of the Institute of Quantum Computing at Waterloo University in Canada joins us to explain the complicated world of quantum entanglement.
Also this week, we meet Jessica Thompson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Yale University, who’s been considering how new parents manage the tricky job of childcare while out on fieldwork. She’s behind a new survey encouraging fellow scientists to consider how to approach the challenge of parental duties differently in the future.
(Image: A monument to Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Harry Lewis Assistant Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski
Former Indonesia international Raphael Maitimo and eye witness Aditya Wahyu Pratama reflect on the stadium disaster in Malang which killed over 125 people. And we hear from Algerian international Adlene Guedioura about the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup.
Picture of website: Football supporters hold a candlelight vigil for victims of a stampede at Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang (Photo by JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP via Getty Images).
A new report shows that the economy of Afghanistan has shrunk by more than a quarter in the last year, since the Taliban took over. We speak to the former mining minister of the country, Nargis Nehan about the situation there at the moment.
Fanny Yeung, the executive director of Hong Kong's Travel Industry Council speaks to us about the country giving away 500,000 airline tickets to help boost its Covid-hit tourism industry.
As European leaders meet in Prague to discuss how to lower gas prices across the continent, we hear from Kostas Skrekas Greece's Energy Minister about how the country is trying to move away from Russian supplies of oil and gas.
Devina Gupta brings us news of the deaths of 66 children the Gambia from acute kidney injuries, which the World Health Organisation has linked to contaminated cough and cold syrups made by an Indian drug manufacturer.
The BBC's Culture Editor Katie Razzall meets one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment group, Donna Langley.
Police say more than 30 people were killed in the attack in the north-east of the country. Also: record-breaking rains hit Australia's largest city, new research finds that air pollution particles can reach babies in the womb, and the Nobel Prize for literature is announced.
An ex-policeman has killed at least 38 people, most of them children, in a gun and knife attack at a nursery daycare centre in north-east Thailand.
Police say he then killed himself and his family after a manhunt following the attack in Nong Bua Lamphu province. What does this incident tell us about gun laws and the security situation in Thailand?
Also in the programme: A new report from the UN assesses the economic damage done to Afghanistan since the Taliban took over; and the discovery of a flightless forerunner to the pterodactyl.
(Photo shows a general view of the daycare centre in north-east Thailand where the shooting took place: Credit: Reuters)
Leicester is one of the most diverse cities in England – often presented as a shining example multi-cultural Britain. But tensions between some factions have been brewing in the city for months and boiled over recently when there were violent clashes which led to dozens of arrests. Assignment investigates why sections of the Muslim and Hindu communities that once lived together in harmony are now at odds.
Reporter: Datshiane Navanayagam Producer: Hayley Mortimer
At the 1999 Comrades ultramarathon, South Africa’s most gruelling road race, runner Nick Bester and his teammates notice something suspicious, as they run the 90km race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
Nick speaks to Craig Boardman about his experience in the race including winning it in 1991. However, it was a bizarre twist in 1999s race that stands out for him.
(Photo: Starting line at the 1999 Comrades ultramarathon in Pietermaritzburg. Credit: The Comrades Marathon Association)
In 1972, a low-budget Jamaican film and its legendary soundtrack helped popularise reggae music in the world. Ben Henderson spoke to one of the most famous reggae artists ever, Jimmy Cliff, who played the film's protagonist and wrote a number of the songs. Jimmy explained why the film was so popular and how it reflected his own life.
'The Harder They Come' was produced by International Films Inc.
(Photo: Jimmy Cliff in 'The Harder They Come'. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images)
When women's tennis world number one Ash Barty suddenly announced in March 2022 that she was retiring from tennis, it was huge shock.
Barty, a three time grand slam champion, was only 25.
At the time she said she was leaving professional tennis to pursue other life goals.
Quitting is often seen as a negative thing to do, but in this episode we explore the positive side.
PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears survey of more than 52,000 people in 44 countries showed that one in five workers planned to quit their jobs in 2022.
Marie Keyworth speaks to Moya Dodd, former vice-captain of Australia’s women’s football team - The Matildas. She now works as a lawyer in Sydney and says Barty's decision to 'quit at the top' could be a lesson to us all.
Career coach Sarah Weiler has quit several roles herself, and has now made it her job to help others – how do you know when it’s time to move on?
And Dina Denham Smith is an executive coach based in the San Francisco Bay area. She helps what she calls ‘high performing, high achieving’ people make decisions. She tells Marie how you can improve your situation if quitting isn’t an option.
Presented and produced by Marie Keyworth.
(Image: Ash Barty. Credit: Getty)
They are the bane of every celebrity’s life: that pack of press photographers who stake out the homes, hotels and other haunts of the rich and famous in the hope of bagging a revealing and lucrative image to sell to newspapers and magazines around the world. Known as paparazzi, these photo journalists stop at nothing to catch their prey – climbing trees, hiding in cars and chasing after their quarry on motor scooters at high speed.
But where does the term ‘paparazzi’ come from? When did these celebrity snappers first appear? And why were the most famous of them almost all Italian to start with? To seek out the origins of the paparazzi, the Forum takes you back to the glitzy world of film stars in 1950s Rome.
Bridget Kendall is joined by Antonella Pelizzari, professor of the history of photography at Hunter College in New York and author of many books on Italian photography; the film critic Shawn Levy whose books include Dolce Vita Confidential about film and photography in 1950s Rome; and cultural historian and photographer Giuliana Minghelli whose books, including Stillness in Motion, look at the interaction between Italian film, photography and the wider arts world. With a contribution from cultural historian Luca Cottini from Villanova University. The readers are Giovanni Noto and David McGuire.
(Photo: Paparazzi in Rome, 1963. Credit: Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Members of OPEC+ have agreed to cut down production by two million barrels a day. A move the Opec Secretary General, Haitham Al Ghais, says is geared towards stabilising the oil market. But how much of stability can it provide? The founder and CEO of consultancy firm Crystol Energy, Carole Nakhle, tells us what she thinks.
People in Lebanon are struggling to withdraw money from their local banks due to strict withdrawal limits. An economist and Director of Kulluna Irada, a pressure group that works towards political reform in Lebenon Diana Menhem, talks us through the situation.
Vulnerable young citizens in Mexico are falling prey to a new trend of mobile apps offering rapid and easy loans. Daniel Alonso Viña, a business reporter for the newspaper El Pais in Mexico City explains.
The BBC'S David Reid finds out why a campaign is on to lure the humble backpacker back into Australia.
Should you eat meals at a set time every day? Dr Emily Manoogian is one of the authors of a study about the impact of this on the health and wellbeing of shift workers in particular. She tells us what she found.
Colin Peacock, from Radio New Zealand in Wellington joins us throughout the programme.
(Picture: The logo of the OPEC at the OPEC headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Credit: Getty Images.)
The US President said it was short-sighted and showed the oil cartel was aligned with Russia. Also; President Putin signs a decree taking ownership of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, and, the WHO issues an alert for medicines potentially linked to the death of dozens of children in the Gambia.
We may be living in a disposable age, but many of us probably own at least one hand-me-down pot, pan or kitchen utensil. They can be heavy and cumbersome to use but promise quality and reliability - a steadfast companion in the kitchen. They hold sentimental value too: memories of home, of loved ones who have passed, and ancestral traditions.
In this programme, Ruth Alexander explores the history of some of these pieces, the sentimental and practical value to their owners, and the stories contained within.
She speaks to three amateur cooks: Steven Hopper from Mississippi in the US, Alice Smith from South Wales in the UK, and Amrita Amesur in Hyderabad, India.
We would love to hear about your precious pots and pans - please email your stories and pictures to thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk
(Picture: An old saucepan. Credit: Getty/BBC)
Producer: Elisabeth Mahy
OPEC+, the alliance of oil-exporting countries has agreed its deepest cuts to oil production for more than two years, despite pressure from the US to increase production. Opec Secretary General, Haitham Al Ghais says the move is not a political act. But what are the implications? The founder and CEO of consultancy firm Crystol Energy, Carole Nakhle tells us.
We hear from one of the non-Opec oil-producing nations, in Africa. Amma Boateng, is the Managing Director of Destra Energy in Ghana, a business supporting oil companies with projects there.
Head of US Equity at Exchange Capital Resources in Chicago, Susan Schmidt explains how all of this affected the markets today.
We talk about tensions in Lebanon rising, as people struggle to withdraw money from their local banks. Diana Menhem is Managing Director of Kulluna Irada, a pressure group that works towards political reform in Lebanon.
In Mexico, vulnerable younger citizens are falling prey to a new trend - mobile apps offering rapid and easy loans. But just how easy are these loans? The BBC's Stefania Gozzer hears from one of these borrowers.
Tech giant, Google has just announced a plan to set up anew cloud region in South Africa - the very first on the African continent. Our West Africa business reporter Nkechi Ogbonna describes how big an investment this is.
Aid agencies have warned that hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia face starvation unless aid deliveries are urgently stepped up. The worst drought in decades has driven many people from their homes. Petroc Wilton of the UN's World Food Programme in Somalia tells Newshour there's no time to waste.
Also in the programme: anti-government protests in Iran; and the chess cheat investigation.
(Picture: Internally displaced Somali woman Habiba Bile and her children stand near the carcasses of their dead livestock following severe droughts near Dollow, Gedo Region, Somalia May 2022. Credit: Reuters/Feisal Omar//File Photo)
There’s encouraging news about a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease following years of disappointing drug trials. The drug lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody which is designed to remove clumps of amyloid proteins which damage the brain. Professor Bart de Strooper who’s director of the UK Dementia Research Institute explains how patients who had regular infusions of the drug had their rate of cognitive decline reduced by 27% when compared to those given a placebo.
Sewage testing has been used around the world during the Covid pandemic – and at the moment children in London are being vaccinated against polio after the virus was found in waste water. The BBC’s Health and Science Correspondent James Gallagher takes us on a tour of a sewer in southern England.
Claudia Hammond’s guest this week Professor Graham Easton from Queen Mary University of London looks at whether folic acid could reduce suicide and self harm – and whether it’s ok to take anti-depressants during pregnancy.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath
(Picture: Pharmaceutical research into brain disorders. Photo credit: Westend61/Getty Images.)
The Ethiopian government has accepted to enter peace talks with Tigray brokered by the African Union;
Also in the pod: the Liberian administration is in trouble deep following a protracted shortage of rice in the country; Our correspondent travels to central Somalia to report on the famine that's hit hundreds of thousands of people there; the South African parliament discusses new restrictions on smoking and vaping in the country; We take a look at what's at stake in Burkina Faso following a second coup there this year.
Some of the world's largest oil producers have voted to reduce supply by 2 million barrels day, around 2% of global oil demand. We speak to the BBC's Middle East Correspondent Sameer Hashmi about the biggest cut to supplies since 2020.
We get the latest on Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter from former Vice President of the company Bruce Daisley. It follows the billionaire signalling that he will finally go ahead with his takeover of the social media firm.
We hear from Lebanon where banks were closed indefinitely following hold ups by desperate people demanding their own savings. Former Lebanese diplomat Georges Siam speaks to us about his experience occupying a bank to try to remove his money.
Stefania Gozzer brings us the story of borrowers in Mexico being defrauded after taking out loans on illegal mobile apps.
Marking 60 years of James Bond, we speak to Adrian Hume-Sayer from Christie's, the famous British auction house, where memorabilia from the franchise is being sold for charity.
Joko Widodo orders an audit of all the country's football stadiums. Also: Somalia is in the grip of the worst drought in 40 years; and is Russia's illegal annexation of eastern Ukraine creating a new Iron Curtain?
On 5 October 2000, protests in the Yugoslav capital Belgrade spiralled into an attack on the parliament building. Hours later President Slobodan Milosevic stood down.
Mark Lowen spoke to Srdja Popovic - one of the leaders of the student-led opposition movement - in 2010.
(Photo: Demonstrators and the police at the Belgrade parliament. Credit: Getty Images)
听众晓勇想知道名词 “audience、viewer” 和 “spectator” 之间的区别。虽然它们都指 “观众”，但用法不同，所以易被混淆。在这三个词中，哪个词专指 “现场观看体育赛事的人”？听节目，找答案。
Now that borders have opened up post pandemic, backpackers have been slow to return to Australia.
Despite a number of initiatives, the number of travellers is low. And that’s having an impact on businesses who need staff.
David Reid explores the Australian working holiday visa scheme, which was set up fifty years ago to encourage young people to travel and work. It's not been without problems, and recently there have been allegations of exploitation and even abuse.
So is the visa scheme the right solution for the Australian labour crunch? Or should government step in and rethink the whole set up?
David speaks to Lee Thurston who runs Miss Moneypenny’s restaurant in Noosa, on the east coast of Queensland. Lee is from the UK but has settled in Australia. Lee said when they came to open up after the pandemic, all the backpackers had gone home. So he’s had to train up local teenagers instead.
Hamish Hill runs Nomad’s hostel in Noosa. He tells David it’s noticeable how many vacancies there are and the impact that’s happening. He’d like fewer regulations on backpackers.
Professor Stephen Howes, director of the development policy centre at the Australian National University, explains how the visa scheme works, and how it’s changed from its original intention.
And David visits a small farm run by Joe Lyons, who has 50 hectares growing avocados and macadamias in Bundaburg near Queensland. He and other farmers are rethinking their reliance on backpackers. They’re currently staffed by 100% Australian labour.
Presenter/producer: David Reid
(Photo: Fruit picking. Credit: Getty Images)
Zeinab Badawi speaks to Russian rock musician Boris Grebenshchikov, who last played in Russia the day before Putin invaded Ukraine. Now living in exile in London, BG (as he is known to his fans) risks prosecution if he returns to Russia for his anti-war comments. The role cultural icons have to play in the politics of protest is a well-trodden one. But do their voices have any impact inside Russia?
Stella Bangura, a TV presenter based in Freetown Sierra Leone and Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at Circle in Washington are with us throughout the programme.
Billionaire Elon Musk has reinstated his plans to takeover Twitter. Molly Roberts, from the Washington Post reports.
The US labour market shows signs of cooling with the lowest job openings in nearly two and a half years. Institutional partner at Themis, Joe Saluzzi, gives analysis.
Alex Agius Saliba who is a member of the European Parliament explains why the introduction of just one cable for all electronic gadgets is a good idea.
And are driverless cars the future of transport? The BBC’s Silicon Valley correspondent has been investigating.(Picture: Elon Musk in Germany. Credit: Getty Images.)
President Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had made "fast powerful movements" in the south. Also: clashes between police and protestors in the Iranian city of Zahedan have in recent days claimed scores of lives, and the country music singer Loretta Lynn has died aged ninety.
Billionaire Elon Musk has made a surprise u-turn, confirming his plans to move forward with purchase of Twitter. Molly Roberts, from the Washington Post tells us what she thinks about this announcement. We also find out how the markets reacted to the news.
A new investigation led by journalists at the Associated Press this week uncovers Russia's alleged smuggling of Ukrainian grain to subsidise its war. We speak with Michael Biersecker, a global investigation reporter with the Associated Press.
The European Parliament has voted for a new advancement to technology, introducing a single charging point for all new mobile phones and other devices. The chief negotiator on the issue, Alex Agius Saliba tells us why.
The BBC'S Devina Gupta talks to us about the massive earnings of a historical drama based on a 10th century Indian king of Cholas – called PS 1 in just four days.
In today's podcast:
Ugandans' tongues are wagging after a day which saw the President's son first demoted and then promoted to full General after a series of bizarre tweets that threatened to cause a diplomatic rift with neighboring Kenya.
Also, a $100 million dollar cocaine haul has been seized in Liberia by the Drugs Enforcement Agency, and a number of arrests made after a tip-off from the Americans, and it seems to point to a global syndicate.
Plus, thirteen women who'd been abducted from between three weeks to six months are rescued from their captors in Zambia.
Those stories and more in this podcast with Bola Mosuro.
The BBC has seen evidence of the speed at which Russian forces fled the Ukrainian city of Lyman, with soldiers bodies lying in the street and an entire convoy of burned out vehicles.
Also in the programme: Elon Musk once again offers to buy Twitter; and Antarctica's new postmistress.
(Photo: A paper box with the symbol Z, used as a symbol of Russian forces, lays on the ground in the recently recaptured city of Lyman, Ukraine, 04 October 2022. Credit: Yevgen Honcharenko/EPA-EFE/Rex/Shutterstock)
EU Leaders have told the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz his $200 billion dollars energy support plan for businesses and households threatens European unity. We hear from Lundquist Neubauer from energy price comparison website, Verivox, who tells us how it's affecting customers, and Chief Economist at Germany's Berenberg Bank Holger Schmieding tells us how it's playing out politically.
We get the latest from Pakistan, which is facing a health emergency as hundreds of thousands of people live in unsanitary conditions with no clean drinking water after floods devastated the country. Ayesha Salma, Group Head of the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund tells us what the situation is like there on the ground.
How would you like to work on a remote island in the Antarctic? We speak to Lucy Bruzzone, who is doing just that with 3 others, when they travel south for 5 months to sort mail and count penguins in temperatures as low as -30C.
In 2002, an investigative journalist called Tim Lopes was brutally killed by a drug gang in Rio de Janeiro. The murder sent shockwaves throughout Brazil.
His son, Bruno Quintella, spoke to Mike Lanchin in 2014.
This programme contains descriptions of violence and some listeners may find parts of it distressing.
(Photo: Tim Lopes and his son, Bruno, courtesy of the family)
菲菲烤了一个蛋糕，爱吃蛋糕的 Rob 听说后很高兴。但当 Rob 听到蛋糕的食材是白菜和甜菜根的时候，他表示不想吃了。菲菲却对 Rob 说 “eat your words”。这到底是什么意思？听他们的对话。
Samburu county, in northern Kenya, is one of many places where it is normal for girls as young as 11 to be married, often to men more than three times their age. These marriages are additionally traumatic because the child brides are forced to undergo female genital mutilation the day before the wedding. For this documentary Lisa-Marie Misztak meets Josephine Kulea, a remarkable Samburu woman on a quest to stop these practices deeply embedded in her culture. Lisa-Marie also meets the girls Josephine has taken under her wing, who are now rediscovering childhood and getting an education.
We profile Liz Truss as she prepares to become the UK's new Prime Minister. She has pledged to provide support to households and companies on the issue of rising energy bills, but how has the business community reacted? We hear from Matt Snell, CEO of Gusto restaurants.
Instagram is fined $400 million by Irish regulators for violating children's privacy. We get reaction and analysis from Adrian Weckler, tech editor at the Irish and Sunday Independent.
Rahul Tandon is joined by freelance writer and former Hindustan Times editor Madhavan Narayanan in Delhi. And technology researcher and broadcaster Dr Stephanie Hare in London.
(Image: New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Liz Truss arrives at Conservative Party Headquarters on September 5, 2022 in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
A special master will carry out a review of the documents seized by FBI agents from Donald Trump's Florida home last month. Also, Canadian police say one of the suspects in the mass stabbings in Saskatchewan has been found dead. And, why Venice has had enough of mass tourism.
Liz Truss is to become the UK's new Prime Minister, after winning a vote of Conservative party members. She beat rival Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor under Boris Johnson and has promised to take immediate action on energy bills for households and businesses. We get reaction from UK businesses to her appointment. With global energy prices rising, the OPEC plus group of oil-producing nations has been meeting to discuss the issue. We get analysis from Jorge Leon of consultancy firm Rystad Energy. Ireland's Data Protection Commission has fined the social media company, Instagram, more than $400 million over the way it has handled children's personal data. Adrian Weckler, tech editor at the Irish and Sunday Independent, gives us the background and explains the implications of the penalty.
Liz Truss will be the new UK prime minister after defeating Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership contest. It was a closer contest than some analysts predicted, with Truss taking 57% of valid votes cast among Conservative Party members. We hear reaction from a Conservative Party MP and the UK's former ambassador to the United States. Also on the programme: we speak to a friend of Ivan Safronov, the Russian reporter who has been handed a 22-year jail term after being convicted of treason charges by a Moscow court; and China becomes the first country to approve an inhaled Covid vaccine. (Image: Liz Truss outside the Conservative Party headquarters, London, September 5, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble)
In the third and final part of our series How Covid Changed Science, Devi Sridhar Professor of Global Health at Edinburgh University looks at the legacy and lessons of the pandemic for scientific research. Tackling the virus became a global issue, but many have pointed out the inequality of both resources and effort in the response. Going forward do we need to be directing research more towards improving health and disease surveillance in less wealthy parts of the world, would investing there help prevent future pandemics?
William Ruto has been declared the next President of Kenya after the Supreme court rejected all challenges by Raila Odinga who said the results of the August elections were fraudulent.
Also, Zambia's finance minister outlines the new fiscal package for the nation after a loan of $1.3billion is promised by the IMF.
Plus, the South African pharmaceutical giant Aspen which had been forced to cease production of the COVID vaccine has announced it will produce four life-saving vaccines crucial for children on the continent.
Those stories and more in this podcast.
The UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, will officially become the Prime Minister on Tuesday when she meets the Queen. The former Conservative cabinet minister, David Gauke, shares his view.
Russia has announced it will not reopen its main gas pipeline to Europe. Energy analyst from the free market think tank, the Institute for Economic Affairs, Andy Mayer, gives his analysis of the situation.
A visitors tax will be introduced in Venice, in a bid to reduce the number of tourists during the city’s busy periods. The BBC’s Vivienne Nunis has been speaking to Venice's deputy mayor for tourism, welfare and economic development, Simone Venturini.
(Picture: TOPSHOT - New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Liz Truss smiles and waves as she arrives at Conservative Party Headquarters in central London having been announced the winner of the Conservative Party leadership contest at an event in central London on September 5, 2022. Picture Credit: Getty Images).
She won the contest to be leader of the governing Conservative Party. She'll be appointed Prime Minister by Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday. Also: the Supreme Court in Kenya confirms William Ruto's victory in the presidential election, and we follow the water police in Los Angeles.
Ms Truss will replace Boris Johnson on Tuesday once appointed by Queen Elizabeth. She won fifty- seven percent of the vote in a poll of party members. Ms Truss faces major economic challenges, with a predicted recession looming, but she's promised to cut taxes, grow the economy and tackle the energy crisis. She'll also have to try to unite her party, which is lagging in opinion polls.
Also on the programme: we hear from the UN's senior humanitarian official, Martin Griffiths in Somalia, where a prolonged drought has sent the country to the brink of famine. And there's been another big jump in European energy prices, following Russia's decision to shut down Nordstream One, the main gas pipeline to Western Europe, until further notice.
(Picture: Liz Truss accepts the leadership of the Conservative Party. Credit: EPA / Hall)
In March 1985, Brazil experienced the most traumatic moment in its transition to democracy when the first civilian president-elect in more than 20 years was rushed to hospital on the eve of his inauguration.
Tancredo Neves, who had led political opposition to military rule in Brazil, eventually died 38 days later. He is now regarded as a hero in Brazil.
In 2018, Simon Watts spoke to Tancredo Neves' press secretary, Antonio Britto.
(Photo: Tancredo Neves, centre, on a visit to Spain. Credit: Getty Images)
Italy’s famous floating city has a problem - too many tourists are visiting Venice during the high season. The city authorities recently announced a plan to charge day-visitors a €10 tax during the busiest periods. But many are sceptical about the plan, saying it doesn’t go far enough to address over-tourism.
The BBC’s Vivienne Nunis joins the crowds in St Mark’s Square to assess what can be done when a holiday destination becomes a victim of its own success. And she explores how other popular destinations such as Hawaii and the Isle of Skye in Scotland are addressing the problem.
Producer: Vera Mantengoli
(Image: A gondola in Venice. Credit: BBC)
It’s the third annual International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on Wednesday 7 September. It’s aimed at raising public awareness at all levels of the urgent need to improve air quality. Air pollution is the largest contributor to the burden of disease from the environment, and is one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally – killing seven million people a year according to the World Health Organisation. Kim Chakanetsa talks to women from the UK and India who are calling on governments and industry to reduce air pollution.
Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's daughter Ella died, aged nine, after a violent asthma attack in 2013. Since then Rosamund has become one of the most prominent advocates for clean air worldwide. She challenged a coroner's inquest into her daughter's death and succeeded in getting the death certificate changed to show Ella had died as a result of air pollution. Rosamund is now a WHO BreatheLife ambassador and the founder, director, and trustee of the Ella Roberta Foundation.
Bhavreen Kandhari lives in New Delhi - the most polluted capital city in the world. She has 18 year old twin daughters and is part of Warrior Moms – a group of women from across India connecting with other clean air campaigns globally to bring attention to the issue of air pollution.
Produced by Jane Thurlow
(Image: (L) Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, courtesy of Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah. (R) Bhavreen Kandhari, courtesy Bhavreen Kandhari.)
If approved, it will replace the current text imposed by the military dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1980. Also, the military leaders of Mali and Burkina Faso join forces to drive jihadists from their countries, and, why rocketing energy bills have threatened the lighting of the iconic Blackpool illuminations.
Growing up as the son of a sex worker and a Black US soldier in South Korea in the 70s, Milton Washington was seen as an outcast, and "not Korean." He couldn't even get a birth certificate. Still, he was loved and protected by his mum, the two of them against the world. She told him his dad was in America, a land of flying cars and ice cream mountains — and that was where Milton wanted to be, too.
Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Laura Thomas
In a special edition of HARDtalk from the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy, Stephen Sackur speaks to long-time Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham. He is perhaps the most forceful and voluble defender of former President Donald Trump in Washington DC. The expectation is that Trump will run again for president and try to regain the White House in 2024. But with legal troubles piling up, Republicans must decide: Can they afford to remain the party of Trump?
European governments are starting to introduce relief packages in an effort to soften the blow of rising energy prices and the cost of living crisis. Germany, Sweden and Finland have sought to bolster their financial defences because of the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Also in the programme: We hear from a former Pakistani minister over promises to compensate countries hit by the consequences of global heating; and long queues have formed outside polling centres in Chile, where more than 15 million people are casting their votes in a referendum on a new constitution.
(PICTURE: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced a new package of relief measures to counter rising energy prices. CREDIT: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Hot on the tail of China’s heatwave comes the other side of the extreme coin – tragic flooding. Also, a coming global shortage of sulfur, while scientists produce useful oxygen on Mars in the MOXIE experiment.
Prof Chunzai Wang is the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography in Guangzhou, China. He tells Roland about the surprising nature of the extreme temperatures and droughts much of China has been experiencing, and how they are connected to so many of the record-breaking weather events around the northern hemisphere this summer, including the tragic flooding in Pakistan.
Some people of course saw this coming. Richard Betts of the UK Met Office talks of a paper by one of his predecessors published 50 years ago exactly that pretty much predicted the greenhouse gas-induced climate change more or less exactly.
Clearly, the world needs to cut carbon emissions, and oil and coal would be sensible places to start. But as Prof Mark Maslin points out, this will come with its own consequences in terms of pressure on the industrial supply of sulfur and sulfuric acid, essential to so many other devices and processes. Can a shortage be averted?
And scientists working on Nasa’s Mars Perseverance team report more results this week. Alongside all the sensitive instrumentation aboard, an experiment known as MOXIE was somehow squeezed in to demonstrate the principle of electrolyzing Martian carbon dioxide to produce usable oxygen gas. As Michael Hecht explains, the tech is scalable and would be more or less essential to any viable human trip to Mars in the future.
(Image: The Jialing River bed at the confluence with the Yangtze River is exposed due to drought in August 2022 in Chongqing, China. The water level of the Jialing River, one of the tributaries of the Yangtze River, has dropped due to high temperature and drought. Credit: Zhong Guilin/VCG via Getty Images)
Presenter: Roland Pease Assistant Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Producer: Alex Mansfield
European leaders are being increasingly explicit: Russia - they say - is waging a two-pronged war in Europe. On the ground in Ukraine - and along underwater pipelines, where Moscow is switching off the flow of gas and raising the price of energy in European homes. We hear how governments are adopting a range of packages to help their citizens.
Also in the programme: We go to Chile where voting is getting underway in a referendum on a new constitution, and we hear from the US state of Mississippi, where some residents can't get access to clean water because its contaminated.
(Photo: The Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Lubmin, Germany. Credit: Reuters)
The lift-off was postponed after a fuel leak was detected. Also; Pakistan says it's facing the worst climate change-induced disaster of any country in recent years as the impact of floods continues to be felt, and the grueling race to sail around the world with no technology is set to get under way.
Russians have gathered in Moscow to bid farewell to Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, who died on Tuesday at the age of 91. We’ll hear from our Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg, who was there.
Also in the programme: what was behind the second failed attempt to launch the Artemis One rocket; and we hear from the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court and his latest bid to push for justice in Sudan.
Photo: The funeral of the late former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow Credit: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE/REX
The former President of the Soviet Union's reforms in 1987, known as Perestroika, and the release of the dissident poet Irina Ratushinskaya in 1986.
Plus a survivor of the Marikana Massacre in South Africa, the Native American nicknamed 'the Last Indian' and Princess Diana's dance with John Travolta at the White House.
(Photo: Mikhail Gorbachev (centre right) meets with the Warsaw Pact Foreign Ministers' Committee in Moscow in 1987. Credit: AFP / Getty Images)
Mourners in Moscow queue to pay their respects to the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, whose funeral is taking place today.
We'll hear from Moscow and the former Soviet republic of Lithuania about the impact of the protagonist of perestroika.
Also in the programme: the women trying to protect their children from the floods that have swept across Pakistan; and could some planets in our solar system have rivers of diamonds flowing beneath their surface?
(Photo shows honour guards standing by the coffin of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. Credit: Alexander Nemenov/Reuters)
本周節目內容：聯合國報告指中國在新疆侵犯人權 | 巴基斯坦三分一土地浸泡水中 | 前蘇聯總統戈爾巴喬夫病逝 | 專訪：移民英國後應「圍爐」抑「融入」 | 專題：戈爾巴喬夫這個「人」 | 英國生活點滴：英國各行業輪流罷工 | 記者來鴻：波蘭合法墮胎的困難 | 華人談天下：澳洲經濟逐漸恢復下買車難
Next in the series exploring The Exuberance of Youth World Book Club talks to the award-winning American author Ben Lerner about his beguiling debut novel Leaving the Atocha Station.
Brilliant, unreliable, young American poet Adam Gordon is on a fellowship in Madrid, where he is struggling to establish his identity and dazzle his contemporaries.
Instead of studying, his research becomes a meditation on authenticity - are his relationships with the people he meets in Spain, especially the two clever and beautiful women he falls for, as fraudulent as he fears his poems are? In the aftermath of the 2004 Madrid train bombings has he participated in history or merely watch it pass him by?
Winner of the Believer Book Award and a Guardian Book of the Year from 2012 which marked the launch a major new literary talent.
(Picture: Ben Lerner. Photo credit: Catherine Barnett.)
As acting president of the Ukrainian Athletics Federation Yevhen Pronin main task is to be a focal point, to ensure Ukrainian athletes have what they need to perform to their best ability on the world stage. In the past few months Yevhen has juggled his duty to Ukrainian athletics, including leading the team at the World Championships in Eugenie and in Munch last month at the European Championship and the war. Today he is on the front line of the war with Russia. Today he is operating deadly drones. Today is a totally different day in the life of Yevhen Pronin. He's has been telling Caroline Barker just how different his life is now and his hopes for the future.
The World Para Athletics championships, should be taking place in Kobe, Japan. The city was due to host both the International Paralympic Committee (the IPC) championships and the IAAF World Championships. The IAAF reorganised their competition, taking place in Eugenie in July, but the IPC were unable to do so meaning para athletes were left without any tournament. Triple gold winning Paralympic sprinter Nick Mayhugh tells us about not competing, on why it's so important to have big characters in the sport, even if that means some people don't like you. Plus the importance of educating people about para-sport and challenging stereotypes about cerebral palsy
Hockenheim is the venue this weekend for the first race of the GT World Challenge since it's return from a summer break. It's only been a month, but for the women of Iron Dames it must seem like a life time ago. Denmark's Michelle Gatting was part of the team that recently became the first all-female team to win their class at the historic 24 hours of Spa. She been telling me about entering the history book, the challenges she's faced throughout her career and what this victory could mean for women in motor sport
(Photo: Yevhen Pronin in uniform Credit: @pronin_law_you/Instagram)
What is the real cost of getting to net zero? The Compass has just finished a four-part series which examined the received wisdom of the move to green energy - revealing some inconvenient truths. A listener points out that by highlighting the problems, there is a danger of setting back the shift away from fossil fuels. We put this to the show’s producer.
Plus, a listener asks if it is perhaps time to rethink a long-held approach to the news interview.
Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service
It has been called "a monsoon on steroids" by one United Nations chief after record-breaking rainfall and floods destroyed over a million homes in Pakistan leaving many homeless. Buildings, crops and vital infrastructure have been damaged, destroyed or submerged in water affecting about 33 million Pakistanis. Nauroz Jamali helped start a group to support those in the flooded villages. Abraham Buriro is also a volunteer and host James Reynolds hears what the situation is like for them and where they need the most help.
As Boris Johnson prepares to stand down as UK Prime Minister, the BBC’s Ritula Shah asks what his premiership has meant for Britain’s standing in the world. In just three years in office he was a key player in world events – Brexit, the COP 26 climate summit, the war in Ukraine. He championed an idea of ‘Global Britain’ – what did that mean and how will his colourful and controversial leadership be judged in countries around the world?
MrBeast is YouTube royalty: with more than 100 million subscribers, he has legions of fans around the world, in awe of his elaborate stunts. He is one of the highest-paid stars on the platform - and yet, the American YouTuber says he wants to use his platform to “make the world a better place”. He has thrown his weight behind two viral environmental campaigns: #TeamTrees and #TeamSeas. Together, they have raised more than 55 million dollars to plant trees and remove plastic from the ocean. MrBeast’s supporters say he has energised a “new generation” of climate activists, but some experts have doubts: they have questioned how much of a difference these campaigns will actually make. Do they have a point?
Presenter & producer: Marco Silva Editor: Ed Main Picture Credit: Getty Images
The Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom has indefinitely closed its Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Europe. It says an oil leak on a turbine is to blame, claiming sanctions are holding up regular maintenance work. But the EU says this is just a pretext. Our Brussels Correspondent Jessica Parker gives us the latest.
A further 315,000 jobs were added in the US during August, far fewer than in July. But what does the slower rate of growth mean for the US economy? Randy Kroszner, Professor of Economics at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business explains.
Will Bain is joined by Marketplace reporter Andy Uhler in Austin, Texas and womenswear brand owner Alaezi Akpuru in Lagos, Nigeria.
(Image: a traffic sign and a logo of Russia's energy giant Gazprom at a petrol station in Moscow. Credit: Getty Images)
The head of the IAEA has said the physical integrity of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine has been violated several times as a result of military activity. Also: Russia to keep key gas pipeline to European Union closed, and what have been the most popular soundtracks streamed this summer?
The EU has accused Russia of "fallacious pretences" and "cynicism", after the energy giant Gazprom indefinitely suspended gas supplies to Europe. The company is blaming an oil leak for its decision not to reopen the Nordstream 1 pipeline on Saturday as planned. The BBC's Europe Correspondent Jessica Parker gives us the latest. The pace of jobs growth in the US has slowed, with 315,000 added in August. Randall Kroszner, the Norman R. Bobins Professor of Economics at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business explains what it means for the US economy. American country music icon Dolly Parton branches out into a range of canine clothing called...Doggy Parton. We hear from Michelle Elliott, President and Co-Founder of Sport Pet Designs, which is collaborating with the singer.
Members of the G7 have agreed to impose a price cap on Russian oil in a bid to hit Moscow's ability to finance the war in Ukraine. Also in the programme, Argentina's vice-president has narrowly avoided assassination after a gunman's weapon jammed as he aimed at her. And Nasa will have another go at launching its new moon rocket after the aborted attempt at the start of this week.
(Photo: A Russian oil refinery; Credit: Reuters)
Ethiopian ambassador Zenebe Kebede says federal forces acted in defence after TPLF attacked their positions in the recent flare-up of clashes in Tigray. But Tigray isn't the only hot spot experiencing violence in Ethiopia. We report on other attacks carried out in Oromia and listen to chilling accounts from local residents
Also in the pod: We speak to an opposition leader in Chad who is trapped in his party headquarters after security forces arrested his supporters; A report on the death of twenty-one teenagers who died in a South African tavern concerns the victims' families. And we ask Malawi's Health secretary what is behind a recent spike in cholera cases in the country.
US employers added 315,000 jobs in August in the latest figures, despite a jump in unemployment. We ask KPMG's chief economist Diane Swonk what this could mean for the country's economy.
Australia says it's raising its cap on permanent migration for the first time in a decade to try to attract more workers. So where have all the workers gone? The BBC's Phil Mercer offers some answers.
Germany's national airline, Lufthansa, has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights after its pilots went on strike over what they call an inadequate pay offer. Travel journalist Jill Starley-Grainger explains the impacts and arguments of the strike.
China's reopening it's border to foreign students for the first time in more than two years. Richard Coward, who runs a business helping international students apply to Chinese Universities, explains the value of it.
Forty-five percent of Pakistan's farmland has been swept away. Also: Argentina's vice-president survives assassination attempt, UN inspectors allowed to remain at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and Rwanda holds a gorilla-naming ceremony.
Argentina's vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt after a gunman’s weapon failed to fire. In light of the incident, Friday has been declared a national holiday.
Also on the programme: floods in Pakistan have devastated crops, so how will the country make up for lost harvests? And the power of crustaceans: how shells might be able to save batteries.
(Photo: Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner greets supporters gathered outside the National Congress. Credit: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters)
BBC Urdu’s team of reporters has travelled across Pakistan to report on the impact of the recent floods, which have killed more than 1,200 people and displaced many more. Umer Draz Nangiana went to Rajanpur in southern Punjab to meet the farmers who’ve lost their homes and crops.
Egypt gets serious about dominoes In Egypt dominoes is mostly an old-fashioned game played by men in local cafes. But now the Minister of Youth and Sports wants to give it a new image and get Egyptians competing at international level. BBC Arabic’s Aya Hashim, herself a player, attended the country's first national dominoes championship.
"Small eating" in South Korea “Mukbang” videos became famous in South Korea with viewers watching hosts eat enormous quantities of food online. But now it's being challenged by “small eating," showing people apparently full after eating only a small bite. So what's behind the change, and is it any healthier? BBC Korean's Yuna Ku finds out.
Watermelons in Ukraine Why have watermelons become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance? BBC Monitoring journalist Margaryta Maliukova remembers watermelons from Kherson, and unpicks the watermelon-based social media memes.
Colombia's new anti-drugs proposals The newly elected left-wing president of Colombia has proposed an overhaul of the country’s anti-drugs policy, ending the US-supported ‘war on drugs’. Gustavo Petro wants to stop the eradication of coca crops and the extradition to the US of traffickers, as Luis Fajardo of BBC Monitoring explains.
American Uzbeks and the American Dream Ibrat Safo of BBC Uzbek has travelled across the United States to make a documentary series about Uzbeks who've made new lives in America. He tells us about the stories and dreams he discovered, from pursuing business success, to finding religious freedom, to becoming the person you want to be.
(Photo: Floods in South Punjab Pakistan. Credit: BBC)
Mikhail Gorbachev - the last leader of the Soviet Union - has died aged 91. On the eve of an important summit on nuclear disarmament between the Soviet Union and America in October 1986, Gorbachev ordered the release of a dissident poet called Irina Ratushinskaya.
In 2012, Louise Hidalgo spoke to Irina about her imprisonment, her poetry, and the day she was set free.
(Photo: Irina and her husband Igor, arriving in London in December 1986. Credit: Topfoto)
On Tech Tent this week, we hear about India's ambitions to build the world's fastest 5G network - and why WhatsApp is launching a grocery shopping service there. British regulators take a dim view of Microsoft's plan to buy Activision Blizzard. We ask young people what the appeal of BeReal is. And we meet the talking, humanoid robot helping children open up about how they really feel.
Do people who use social media need to be more resilient? Thats the question Sam Fenwick asks former Twitter executive, Bruce Daisley. For eight years he ran Twitter's business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He then became a writer and consultant on better working practices. In his latest book, Fortitude: Unlocking the Secrets of Inner Strength, he examines what makes people resilient. i Bruce Daisley was staying with relatives in Beirut the day of the chemical explosion in 2020. In the aftermath he heard much talk of the ‘resilience’ of the Lebanese people. But when he heard someone say, ‘We don’t want to be resilient. We just want to live!’, it got him thinking about what resilience really is and how individuals can achieve it.
Presenter: Sam Fenwick
(Photo: Bruce Daisley with kind permission)
Stephen Sackur speaks to Tova Friedman, one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz. Never has it felt more important to remember the lessons of one of history’s greatest crimes, the Nazi genocide of the Jews. Europe is again witnessing a war of aggression, anti-Semitism is on the rise in many countries, and surveys of young people reveal alarming ignorance of the Holocaust. Now in her eighties, Tova Friedman has written a memoir and taken to social media to tell her story. Is the world listening?
As the dollar reaches historic highs against currencies in both emerging and developed markets, the chances of battling inflation rates shrink outside the United States. The Euro, the British pound, and the Japanese yen have depreciated at unprecedented this year. Steve Hanke, a professor of Applied Economics at the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, explains the global fallout of a soaring dollar.
The Premier League's summer transfer window has broken the record for the highest amount ever. We hear more from Tim Bridge, lead partner of Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.
Protecting the Pope and the Holy See has been the Swiss Guard’s job for more than five centuries. Now, the institution is recruiting to grow from 110 to 135 members. While the minimum requirements can be very strict —they include being Swiss, male and Catholic— the position can be a great career move, says Andreas Widmer, a former Swiss guard turned a successful professor and businessman.
A Japanese government minister wants to ban outdated technology, starting with the floppy disk. But devices unknown for the youngest still have some enthusiasts, as Kari Paul, a technology reporter for The Guardian US, tells us.
Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by guests in opposite sides of the world: Paddy Hirsch, contributing editor for NPR in Los Angeles, and Kanwal Malik, a serial entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Karachi, Pakistan.
(Picture: US dollar stock picture. Picture credit: Getty.)
Both sides have warned of the risks of an accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which is Europe's largest. Also: Brazil records its worst forest fires in the Amazon for more than a decade, and Twitter is working on a feature that lets users edit tweets.
The US dollar, a long-time safe haven for investors, is reaching historic highs against emerging markets’ currencies but also against big players like the Euro and the British pound. What impact is this having around the globe? We ask Steve Hanke, a professor of Applied Economics at the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore.
Last year, the Premier League's summer transfer window stood at more than $1.7bn. Will this record be beaten this year? We hear more from Tim Bridge, lead partner of Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.
The Swiss Guard, the elite force in charge of protecting the Pope and the Vatican, is recruiting to expand from 110 to 135 members. Only young Swiss Catholic men can apply, but is it a good career move? Andreas Widmer thinks so. He is a former Swiss guard and now the director of the Arthur & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business. He tells us why.
Taro Kono, a government minister in Japan, is pushing for a purge of outdated technology. One of the first to go is the floppy disk. But there are people who think otherwise and want to keep using devices that the younger generations had never seen in their life. We discuss with Kari Paul, a technology reporter for The Guardian US, what the appeal of vintage technology is.