A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.
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The Limelight podcast - for fiction and drama serials you won't want to miss from Radio 4.
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Download the best satirical comedy from Radio 4, every Friday. Features The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, The Naked Week and Catherine Bohart: TL;DR.
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Hannah Fry follows the numbers on thrilling journeys of data and discovery. Along the way we meet the remarkable people who dug into the data and unearthed something extraordinary.
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Historical themes, events and key individuals from Akhenaten to Xenophon.
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Brighten your week with the latest BBC Radio 4 comedy.
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New research on how society works
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Best-selling author Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.
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Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain tackle listeners' conundrums with the power of science!
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Tim Harford and the More or Less team try to make sense of the statistics which surround us. From BBC Radio 4
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Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
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Kirsty Young asks fascinating people what advice they would give their younger self. Authors, artists, actors and film-makers are among those revisiting the moments that made them.
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In-depth conversations with some of the world's leading artists and creatives across theatre, visual arts, music, dance, film and more. Hosted by John Wilson.
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From ghostly phantoms to UFOs, Danny Robins investigates real-life stories of paranormal encounters. So, are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? Written and presented by Danny Robins Editor and Sound Designer: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme Music by Lanterns on the Lake Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
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The home of Marianna Spring's social media and disinformation investigations for BBC Radio 4, with new series 'Why Do You Hate Me? USA'
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Scientific principles, theory, and the role of key figures in the advancement of science.
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Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Join us for the latest insights and analysis on what's happening inside Donald Trump's White House. Listen on BBC Sounds. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radi ...
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Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories beyond the news headlines. Presented by Kate Adie.
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Intelligent and challenging quiz games on BBC Radio 4. Featuring Round Britain Quiz, Counterpoint and Brain of Britain with Quizmasters including Paul Gambaccini, Kirsty Lang and Russell Davies.
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Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
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In this new series, Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci investigate which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe. Each week Helen and Armando will crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to decode the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and should I be worried? You'll be treated to a crash course in the dark arts of political la ...
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News-making original journalism documentary series, investigating stories at home and abroad.
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Campaigning journalist, broadcaster and historian Alex Renton shines a light into the dark corners of British society.
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Reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news.
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Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them
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Led by James Naughtie, a group of readers talk to acclaimed authors about their best-known novels
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Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
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Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday
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The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
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Uncover new perspectives on unforgettable stories from our past. The History Podcast is the home of story-driven history series from BBC Radio 4. Each series will take you inside the most pivotal events in history, through the people who were there, to uncover new perspectives on the moments that still define us now.
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In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective
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Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives – looking back at the news and making links between past and present. Broadcast as Free Thinking, Fridays at 9pm on BBC Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.
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Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.
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Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series
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The latest news from the world of personal finance plus advice for those trying to make the most of their money.
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A panel of horticultural experts answer gardening questions from a live audience. Recorded in a different location each week
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Short documentaries and adventures in sound presented by Josie Long.
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Series exploring the place and nature of faith in today's world
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Stories from around the world and the people at the heart of them.
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An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines
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Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
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Investigating every aspect of the food we eat
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Every Friday we bring you a new drama from BBC Radio 4 or Radio 3. Exercise your imagination with some of the best writers and actors on radio. Storytelling at its very best.
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The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past. History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium fo ...
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Presenter James Crawford looks at an author's latest work and delves further into their creative process by learning about the three other texts that have shaped their writing.
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Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode guide us through the expanding universe of the moving image revealing fascinating links and hidden gems from cinema and TV to streaming and beyond.
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Illuminated is BBC Radio 4's home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries that shed light on hidden worlds. Welcome to a place of audio beauty and joy, with emotion and human experience at its heart. The programmes you will find in this feed explore the reality of contemporary Britain and the world, venturing into its weirdest and most wonderful aspects. This is a chance to meet voices that are not normally heard, open secret doors into concealed chambers and, above all, be transpo ...
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1
The News Quiz: Ep5. Tariffs, Tabloids and Typewriters
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28:56On The News Quiz this week, Andy Zaltzman is joined by Ayesha Hazarika, Susie McCabe, Geoff Norcott and Pierre Novellie to discuss Britain's attempts to court the US and the EU, Trump's tariff turmoil, new report cards from Ofsted, and Starmer's uncovered voice coaching. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Jade Gebbie, Alex Kealy…
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In his speech at the Munich Security Conference, US Vice-President JD Vance has accused European governments - including the UK's - of retreating from their values and ignoring voter concerns on free speech and migration. We speak to the deputy leader of Germany's anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) Beatrix von Storch. Also in the …
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From classical thinking to the romcom films in cinema today: Why do we yearn to find our "other half" but struggle with the reality of long term relationships? To discuss Rana Mitter is joined by:Dr Susie Orbach: a psychotherapist and author of Fat is a Feminist Issue as well as many other booksClassicist Prof Armand D'Angour: he has just published…
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1
14/02/2025 Ukraine on the agenda at Munich security conference
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30:56Zelensky attempts to keep US onside as he holds talks with VPBy BBC Radio 4
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1
Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival: Anaerobic Digestion, Apple Maggots and Pyramid Orchids
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42:11Snowdrops - do you mulch, feed, or leave them alone? What's the difference between anaerobic digestion and aerobic digestion? How do I get rid of apple maggots? Peter Gibbs and the GQT team of experts return to Shepton Mallet to solve various gardening conundrums. On the panel this week are house plant guru Anne Swithinbank, pest and disease expert…
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1
Could Donald Trump stretch the power of the presidency?
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39:43In the first weeks of his second term, President Donald Trump has wasted no time in using Executive Orders to suspend all new asylum claims, freeze government hiring and spending, strip back agencies established by Congress, and offer a buyout deal for thousands of federal workers. So far, the courts have been the only substantive roadblocks to Tru…
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1
Our (belated) predictions for the year... The 2025 Time Capsule!
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36:23Americast makes its predictions for 2025 as Donald Trump continues to create headlines with his first 100 days as president. Justin, Sarah, Anthony and Marianna make an audio time capsule of predictions, with plenty of suggestions from Americasters. It’s something we promised to do after the election, but with a packed news schedule, we’re belatedl…
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1
Hayley Atwell, Grandparenting, Post-natal depression
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57:25Hayley Atwell and Tom Hiddleston are currently playing Beatrice and Benedict the sharp-witted sparring friends in Much Ado About Nothing on stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Hayley joins Anita Rani in the Woman’s Hour studio. Is Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy Much Ado the original rom com? And how much fun is it to be on stage with …
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Sheila Dillon revisits the idea of our grannies’ cooking and how it shapes us, hearing from listeners who sent in their own stories. Why does learning to cook from your granny seem to be such a powerful experience? What about those grannies who leapt at the chance technology offered to escape the endless cycle of cooking from scratch? And – for tho…
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14 FEB 25By BBC Radio 4
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Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode celebrate weddings in film and TV, from Muriel's Wedding to Married at First Sight. Mark speaks to Richard Curtis about the inspiration behind the classic British wedding film, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and about Curtis' own recent wedding to long-term partner Emma Freud. And he gets critic Manuela Lazic's rundown …
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Audio analysts Jess and Maya are hired to support a police sting operation to infiltrate a suspected drugs gang. A terrified teenager agrees to carry a wire when he goes to collect a package – Jess and Maya have to try to work out how to trap the drug runner, using sound cues from the route he takes. Exemplar: “an audio recording made by a forensic…
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1
The Arts and Crafts Movement: William Morris and his circle
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57:12Greg Jenner is joined in Victorian England by Dr Isabella Rosner and comedian Cariad Lloyd to learn all about the ethos, practitioners and creations of the Arts and Crafts movement. Most people have heard of William Morris, one of the leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement that came to prominence in England in the last decades of the 19th Century.…
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US President Donald Trump repeated his pledge to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, and said US and Russian officials would meet at the Munich Security Conference beginning on Friday. Speaking to reporters in the White House, Trump said Ukraine would also be included in the negotiations. The parents of female Isr…
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Review: Bridget Jones; Linder Stirling exhibition; Memoir of a Snall animation
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42:21Robbie Collin and Louisa Buck join Tom Sutcliffe to review the fourth Bridget Jones film Mad About the Boy staring Renée Zellweger, the Oscar nominated animation Memoir of a Snail and pioneering artist Linder's Danger Came Smiling retrospective at the Hayward Gallery in London. Presenter: Tom SutcliffeProducer: Claire Bartleet…
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13/02/2025 Questions raised over the Chancellor’s CV and expenses
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30:59Questions raised about Rachel Reeve’s CV and use of expenses while working at a bankBy BBC Radio 4
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Artificial intelligence is the big talking point of the week, with UK PM Sir Keir Starmer announcing a drive to unleash its full potential. It’s already being used in healthcare, but recent studies have exposed both strengths and weaknesses. We’re joined by Dr James Kinross, a surgeon and researcher at Imperial College London, to discuss the positi…
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Michael Rosen's parents both grew up in the East End, and now he talks cockney with Andy Green and Saif Osmani from the Modern Cockney Festival. Including some mythbusting about rhyming slang, a discussion about how cockney has evolved, and of course a mention of Dick van Dyke. The Modern Cockney Festival takes place from March 1st to 31st with a m…
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13 FEB 25By BBC Radio 4
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1
EastEnders 40th anniversary: A Woman's Hour special
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57:06As part of the EastEnders 40th anniversary Woman’s Hour celebrates this iconic soap’s track record of featuring strong female characters and exploring some of the most pressing, contentious and emotional issues for women over the past four decades. Anita Rani presents live from the Fox & Hair salon in Walford. The salon is managed by Diane Parish’s…
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The premiere of David Hare’s play Plenty at the National Theatre in 1978 marked him out as one of the UK’s most skilled and socially conscious playwrights. Plenty transferred to Broadway, Hare adapted it into a film starring Meryl Streep, and in the following years he became known as a writer for whom the political and the personal are deeply entwi…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most consequential battles of recent centuries. On 20th September 1792 at Valmy, 120 miles to the east of Paris, the army of the French Revolution faced Prussians, Austrians and French royalists heading for Paris to free Louis XVI and restore his power and end the Revolution. The professional soldiers in t…
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Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language. This week, Starmer has suggested that Britain adopt a 'Build, Baby, Build' strategy. Sound familiar? We thought so too, so Helen and Armando are looking at why politicians copy their opponents. Is it a sign of strength or weakness, and…
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1
US President Trump says he’ll meet Putin in Saudi Arabia
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37:47US President Donald Trump says he’ll meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, probably in Saudi Arabia, in the “not too distant future”. He was speaking after a 90 minute phonecall with Putin where they agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine “immediately”. We ask what the diplomatic move means for European security. US politicia…
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Future of TV soaps, Joseph O'Connor's new book, stage version of Murakami short stories
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42:00As scheduling changes are made to ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale, and as the 40th anniversary of EastEnders is celebrated with a live special on BBC One, how is the future looking for continuing drama on TV? Former Executive Producer of EastEnders John Yorke and Entertainment Journalist Emma Bullimore discuss the impact of the audience's…
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12/02/2025 Trump says negotiations to end the Ukraine war are to begin immediately
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30:34Trump says talks on the war in Ukraine war are to begin immediately after call with Putin.By BBC Radio 4
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Elon Musk is already in uncharted territory with his role in Donald Trump's administration, but in a surprise appearance inside the Oval Office yesterday, he brought his son along to an impromptu press conference alongside the president. The tech billionaire denied he was launching a hostile takeover of the federal government and said he was simply…
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Parole and victims, Met Police vetting, Women’s Prize for Non-fiction
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57:29Ellie Wilson, a rape survivor, is campaigning for the right for victims to be able to appear at parole hearings, after being denied permission to attend one for her attacker. She tells Nuala McGovern why she wants the law changed in Scotland, and barrister Harriet Johnson explains more about the process. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mar…
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12 FEB 25By BBC Radio 4
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Amy Kurzweil’s dad is a famous inventor, futurist and pioneer in the field of AI. In 2015, she discovers his aspiration to make an AI chatbot of her late grandfather, Fred. Fred was a musician who dramatically escaped the Holocaust, but he died before Amy was born. Matthew Syed delves into Amy’s fascinating journey with her father to build the ‘Fre…
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1 in 5 parents say they're struggling with the cost of sending their children to school according to the National Parent Survey. There're uniform costs, school trips, afterschool clubs and school dinners to consider, but is there a way to keep costs down? Some changes are on the way with government plans to give every parent of a child in a state p…
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1
US secures release of American prisoner held in Russia
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38:18Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East flew to Moscow to collect American prisoner Marc Fogel. Could Fogel’s release signal a thaw in US-Russian relations, and what does it mean for American support for Ukraine? We speak to former US ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul. Also on the programme: we'll be live in Jerusalem as Israeli Prime Min…
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Front Row continues to look at how culture has changed in the first 25 years of this century with an edition focusing on books. Tom Sutcliffe is in the Front Row studio with two writers who've helped to shape the literary landscape over those years – the novelists Zadie Smith and Andrew O'Hagan. They are joined by the presenter of Radio 4's A Good …
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11/02/2025 The Israeli prime minister says the Gaza ceasefire will end if Hamas does not free hostages by Saturday
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30:53Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire will end unless hostages are released on SaturdayBy BBC Radio 4
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Wealth: Laurie Taylor talks to Brooke Harrington, Professor of Economic Sociology at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, about the world of offshore finance, how it works and its impact, globally. As part of her research, she earned her own wealth management certificate and spent nearly eight years interviewing other professionals in the field, as we…
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11 FEB 25By BBC Radio 4
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Maternal mental health, Syria's missing, poet Caitlin O'Ryan
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57:28Laura Kyrke-Smith MP wants more care and support for new mothers struggling with their mental health. Her own friend died by suicide just 10 weeks after giving birth and she recently led a debate in parliament on the subject. She joins Nuala McGovern to talk about the changes she wants to see, along with perinatal psychologist Dr Alain Gregoire fro…
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1
Bird flu update after UK farm worker infected and your questions on urinary problems
27:51
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27:51James Gallagher discusses the risk from H5N1 bird flu in the UK as a poultry worker in the West Midlands is infected and looks to the US where the disease is spreading in cattle. He's joined by virologist Dr Ed Hutchinson from the University of Glasgow to discuss how the virus is evolving, whether we are edging closer to bird flu becoming a pandemi…
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1
We Speak to Lord Mandelson (New UK Ambassador to US)
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10:27
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10:27On his first day in the role, Lord Mandelson talks to Americast about how the UK will handle Donald Trump. In his conversation with Sarah, Britain’s new U.S. Ambassador explains why the UK needs to respect Trump’s “strong and clear mandate for change”. Given President Trump’s fast moving and radical agenda, what kind of approach should the UK be ta…
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Born and raised in south London, Cynthia Erivo made her name with musical theatre in London, starring in shows including The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg and Sister Act. In 2015 she became a Broadway star and won Tony, Emmy and Grammy awards for her role in The Color Purple, the musical adaptation of the Alice Walker novel which had transferred from Lond…
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Hamas says it's postponing the next scheduled release of Israeli hostages, blaming what he said were Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal. Three hostages held in Gaza are due to be freed on Saturday in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Israel's defence minister called the announcement "a complete violation of the ceasefire…
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1
Robert de Niro, Gladiators exhibition, Festen: Mark Anthony Turnage and Lee Hall's new opera
42:21
42:21
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42:21Hollywood legend Robert De Niro explains why he's starring in his first ever TV series Zero Day, where he plays a former US President out to find the culprits behind a deadly cyber-attack on America. He's joined by the show's screenwriter Eric Newman. With the British Council facing financial pressures it is considering the sale of its art collecti…
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1
Americanswers... on 5 Live! Why was Taylor Swift booed at the Super Bowl?
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27:17One day on from a big US Super Bowl weekend, what happened with Taylor Swift, and what was her reaction? We also hear Donald Trump defending Elon Musk in his traditional pre-game interview, telling Americans to expect further cuts to the federal government, particularly in education. Marianna, Anthony and Sarah join Matt Chorley to talk about the p…
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1
10/02/2025 Hamas suspends the release of hostages
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30:55Hamas suspends the release of hostages, accusing Israel of attacking PalestiniansBy BBC Radio 4
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"The Queen Boadicea, standing loftily charioted, Brandishing in her hand a dart and rolling glances lioness-like, Yell'd and shriek'd between her daughters in her fierce volubility": so wrote Alfred, Lord Tennyson in the 19th Century, celebrating the story of an ancient English warrior queen who sparked a brutal and bloody rebellion against Roman r…
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10 FEB 25By BBC Radio 4
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08 FEB 25By BBC Radio 4
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England Netball win, Body positivity movement, Author Emilia Hart
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57:27England have won the Netball Nations Cup for the first time after beating South Africa. It proved sixth time lucky for the Vitality Roses after being defeated in the five previous finals. To celebrate, Nuala McGovern is joined by head coach Jess Thirlby and former England Netball captain, Pamela Cookey. Last month, Eleanor Frances received a settle…
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From the early 1970s feminist activists from across the globe campaigned under a single demand – Wages for Housework. The historian Emily Callaci traces the lives and ideas of its key creators in her new book, Wages for Housework: The Story of a Movement, an Idea, a Promise. The campaign highlighted the need to change the way work, and especially w…
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