A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.
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BBC Radio 4 Podcasts
The Limelight podcast - for fiction and drama serials you won't want to miss from Radio 4.
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Topical comedy from the sharpest satirical minds in the business. Listen first on BBC Sounds, every Friday. Is the news driving you up the wall? You’re not alone. Let the comedians take the strain and work out what’s been funny this week. Features BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, The Naked Week and Too Long; Didn’t Read. Listen on BBC Sounds, seven days earlier than anywhere else, and subscribe to make sure that you don’t miss an episode.
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Commanders, soldiers and pilots who served in Afghanistan describe a gruelling assault and an astonishing rescue mission.
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Brighten your week with the latest BBC Radio 4 comedy.
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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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Rory Stewart with a radical take on the concepts that shape our lives.
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Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
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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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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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The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
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Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
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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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In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective
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News-making original journalism documentary series, investigating stories at home and abroad.
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Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.
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Reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news.
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Armando Iannucci investigates which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe. Each week he'll be joined by a guest to 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 language from people on the in ...
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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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Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
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Combative, provocative and engaging live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze
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Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday
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NEW in Politically: Reflections Conversations with leading political figures in which they reflect on their lives in politics.
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Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. 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 Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North Americ ...
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Investigating every aspect of the food we eat
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An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines
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The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
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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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Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them
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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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David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news
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Find reading inspiration with favourite books chosen by our guests.
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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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Series exploring the place and nature of faith in today's world
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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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Stories from around the world and the people at the heart of them.
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The big political stories with lively discussion and expert comment and analysis from politicians and journalists, 10pm every Sunday on BBC Radio 4.
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Greg Foot, host of the BBC Radio 4 series Sliced Bread, now brings you Dough. Each episode explores the future wonder products that might rise to success and redefine our lives. Experts and entrepreneurs discuss the trends shaping what today's everyday technology may look like tomorrow, before a leading futurist offers their predictions on what life might be like within five, 10 and 50 years. Episodes of Dough are released weekly on Thursdays wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in ...
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Short documentaries and adventures in sound presented by Josie Long.
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Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain tackle listeners' conundrums with the power of science!
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Celebrating the music that special guests cherish and would like to bestow to future generations.
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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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NEW in Understand - The Trip The story of psychedelics. It's a unique moment. After decades of taboo and blanket illegality, policymakers and research institutions are taking these substances seriously. As a new dawn of psychedelic treatment beckons, Tim Hayward makes a personal journey into how we got here and where this is all heading. Understand from BBC Radio 4 - unravelling the complexities of the biggest stories and subjects that really matter right now.
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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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New research on how society works
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Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
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Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
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1
The News Quiz: Ep 2. Cards revealed and Reshufffle
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28:59
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28:59Andy Zaltzman is joined by Daliso Chaponda, Susie McCabe, Geoff Norcott and Ash Sarkar to break down the week in news. Expect discussion on the Labour Deputy Leader Election, the return of the Mandelson, strikes on Qatar, Russian drones in Poland and telepathic Google searches. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Simon Alcock, Ca…
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1
Northern Powerhouse Rail plan delayed again
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37:38The government is holding off on announcing plans for high-speed rail across northern England due to concerns over long-term costs, the BBC has learned. The already-delayed announcement of the scheme was expected at next week's Labour Party conference, but that will not now happen. A Labour MP told us the news is "extremely disappointing" and that …
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1
Will & Grace star Eric McCormack on his latest TV role.
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42:32Will & Grace star Eric McCormack tells us about his latest screen role – in the new BBC One thriller series Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue. McCormack plays one of nine people who survive a plane crash in the Mexican jungle, and aren't aware that a murderer might be lurking in their midst. We hear the true story of a bear who was adopted from a Hig…
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1
Doctors treat Huntington's disease for the first time
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30:40Doctors have made a huge breakthrough in tackling the genetic disorder Huntington's disease, with initial results showing a significant slowing in the progress of the condition. Plans to extend the high-speed rail network between Liverpool and Manchester have been delayed and won't now be announced at the Labour Conference. The Mayor of London, Sir…
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1
Americanswers… on 5 Live! Can we trust what Donald Trump says about Ukraine?
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27:25Donald Trump’s appearance at the United Nations was a clear - and at times stark - outline of his global vision, often involving sharp attacks against his opponents. His speech - the longest by any US president in history - took aim at countries who have recently recognised a Palestinian state, including a number of European countries. It was Europ…
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24 SEPT 2025By BBC Radio 4
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Was it easier to deport migrants to France before Brexit?
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28:48Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey says it was easier to deport illegal migrants to Europe when we were in the EU. Is that true? Did the governor of the Bank of England get his numbers wrong on the UK’s ageing population? Why is the price of beef up by 25% in a year? Is it possible to pr…
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24/09/25: New farmland bird stats, Corn Buntings, precision Plum growing.
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13:58Farmland bird populations in England have seen a 'rapid nosedive' says the RSPB. It's worried by new Government figures showing an 11% decrease in farmland bird numbers between 2019 and 2024. Meanwhile, farmers in Scotland have been trialling tweaks to conservation scheme options which could help the Corn Bunting. And, new techniques to make Plum g…
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1
Malala on campaigning for equal access to education
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4:33The activist Malala Yousafzai was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2021. Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize when she was 17, becoming the youngest winner in its history. She spoke to Lauren about why equal access to education for girls matters so much to her and her family. You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.…
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President Trump has suggested Ukraine is in a position to win back all of the territory it has lost since Moscow's invasion. Earlier, he told the UN General Assembly in New York that European countries were "going to hell" because of mass immigration. In a long - and uncompromising - speech that took aim at the institution where it was being delive…
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Peaky Blinders' screenwriter Stephen Knight on his new TV series, House of Guinness. Indhu Rubasingham talks about her vision as the new Artistic Director for the National Theatre and her first production there - Bacchae Art critic Waldemar Januszczak has been to see the Turner Prize Exhibition for us, which this year is in Bradford. We find out wh…
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23/09/2025 President Trump attacks mass migration and climate change
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30:27The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, uses his party conference speech to attack Reform UK saying don't let "Trump's America" become "Farage's Britain."By BBC Radio 4
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Giles Fraser delves into the moral and theological tensions surrounding immigration, asking whether Christian faith leads to exclusion or radical inclusion. British politician and prominent catholic Ann Widdecombe opens with a candid reflection on the limits of national capacity and the need for fair rules, citing scripture to support her belief in…
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1
Heroism: Introducing The Fort from The History Podcast
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3:21Afghanistan, January 2007. It's a piece of military daring that went down in history: Three Royal Marines and a Royal Engineer hold on to the side of Apache attack helicopters, heading into battle to recover a fallen comrade. Those involved in a gripping, almost unbelievable day, tell their story, many speaking for the first time. It begins with Br…
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23 SEPT 2025By BBC Radio 4
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Jilly Cooper on the secret to a successful marriage
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3:12In 2016 the novelist Jilly Cooper was cast away by Kirsty Young. Jilly is perhaps best known as the author of Rivals but her writing career also spans newspaper columns, non-fiction books on class, marriage and animals in war, and novels that sell in their millions. Jilly told Kirsty Young about her theory on what makes a successful marriage. You c…
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23/09/22: Bluetongue warning, apple harvest, farming for food and nature in Norfolk
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13:52Bluetongue affects ruminant animals, like Sheep and Cattle, and it's spread between animals by biting midges. The disease tends to subside as temperatures drop but vets are warning farmers not to become complacent about Bluetongue this autumn. Anna Hill hears from the British Veterinary Association. This week we're focussing on apples, plums and th…
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‘A new foe’: Conscripting women in Denmark
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28:25Denmark is eyeing up the military threat from Russia – and dramatically increasing the numbers in its national service. Now, 18-year-old girls are facing a call up. The BBC has been granted rare access to a military base on the outskirts of Copenhagen to see the newest recruits learn how to operate on the battlefield. Anna Holligan attends a “Defen…
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It's a familiar story from the outside. Around 32,000 people are housed in migrant hotels around the UK and protests outside them have been violent and vocal. Sue Mitchell has spent the summer getting to know a different side of the story - what life is like Inside the migrant hotels - and she's seen and heard some striking things: Families who hav…
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Trump tells pregnant women to avoid paracetamol
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37:42Standing alongside Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. the US president said the drug, commonly sold under the brand name Tylenol in the US, was to blame for a rise in autism diagnoses. Also on the programme: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says he will overhaul the rights of migrants to remain in the UK; and seven decades after the first British T…
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Johnny Carson, David Letterman and Jay Leno made the late night talk wildly popular viewing for American audiences for decades, but those days are fading fast thanks to declining ratings and ad revenue. Now, with two of today's biggest late night shows are in trouble after offending President Trump, we speak to the New York Times chief TV critic, J…
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MAGA’s “righteous fury” at Charlie Kirk’s memorial
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32:50Justin and Anthony unpack the memorial service held yesterday in Glendale, Arizona for the conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead earlier this month. Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, was given a standing ovation for forgiving the man who shot her husband, delivering an emotional and deeply religious speech where she called for peop…
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Multiple charities have cut ties with the Duchess of York, following the emergence an email she sent to the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, in which she called him her "supreme friend". A spokesperson for the duchess said her email to Epstein had been sent because she was trying to counter a threat from him to sue her for defamation - and …
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1
The Fort: Introducing Rory Stewart: The Long History of Heroism
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27:46Rory Stewart explores ideas of what it means to be a hero from the ancient world to the present day. How have these ideas changed? Why do heroes matter? Who are the heroes we need today? With the help of leading historians, psychologists, philosophers and theologians, he examines how heroism is continually questioned and re-invented in every age, a…
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Miles Jupp on JL Carr, author of A Month in the Country
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27:28"I find his novels extraordinarily beautiful .. and they're an excellent length." Miles Jupp picks an author he loves, but knows little about. JL Carr was born in Yorkshire and was a teacher, mapmaker, and an eccentric. Joining the comedian in studio to discuss Carr is a man who knew him well - DJ Taylor - who paints a picture of a man who hated Lo…
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22 SEPT 2025By BBC Radio 4
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Contains Strong Language Festival, Bradford
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42:00At the Contains Strong Language Festival in Bradford, Tom Sutcliffe and guests explore the history and culture of the city, and nation, through its poetry and stories. From battlefields and royal courts, coalmines to curry houses Start the Week looks at the language and rhythms that have captured the country. The historian Catherine Clarke is retel…
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22/09/2025 Apples and pears, Lib Dem conference, planting trees by drone
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11:58It's a good year for British apples, a lack of frost and an abundance of warm weather should mean a bumper crop. Harvest is underway and hopes are high, but there are continuing concerns about the loss of orchards and growers' reluctance to invest in new ones. It's party conference season and we're hearing from all the parties about their plans for…
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Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. This week: 22nd September to 28th September - 22nd September 1692. The last eight victims are hanged in the Salem Witch trials- 22nd September 1968. A ceremony takes place to mark the relocation of the ancient Egyptian Abu Simbel temples- 25th September 1066. King Harol…
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The former footballer and pundit Ian Wright was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2020. Born to Jamaican parents in south-east London, Ian grew up with his mother and stepfather. His biological father had left the family before Ian was two years old. Things at home were difficult, and Ian spent as much time as possible outside playing football. Ian sp…
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Comedian Glenn Moore looks in his almanac at world events and what he was doing at the time. In this episode, a deadly spy operation causes Glenn to suspect his completely innocent Russian flatmate who just happens to have a novelty cigarette lighter in the shape of a gun. And not a novelty gun in the shape of a cigarette lighter. Perhaps best-know…
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Recognising Palestine, The Party Conferences and Patriotism.By BBC Radio 4
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The 'Manosphere' is a group of loosely affiliated mainly young males who have developed a specialised vocabulary to discuss women online in a negative and hostile way. Some of the vocabulary is a response to feminism which some men claim is diminishing their role in society. For other men a failure to attract women has given rise to phrases such as…
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The UK has formally recognised a Palestinian state, marking a major shift in foreign policy. Israel has criticised the move, describing it as a reward to Hamas. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said there will never be a Palestinian state. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, welcomed the decision as a step towards lasting p…
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200 years ago, the modern railway was born. On 27th September 1825, the first ticketed passenger train, powered by steam travelled on a public line in County Durham. Katrina Porteous, a poet with generational connections to the area follows the track of that inaugural journey, accompanied by a rich aural soundscape by Joe Fowler. She also journeys …
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BAFTA Award-winning broadcaster and novelist Graham Norton discusses Frankie, his fifth novel, which centres on the life of an apparently unremarkable Irish woman in her eighties as she recounts her story to a young carer. Graham Norton shares the three key literary influences that helped shape the novel: Elizabeth Bowen’s The Last September (1929)…
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Deborah Griffin is a pioneer of women's rugby. She played in the first known women's game in England in 1978 and helped create the first Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991. Having never picked up a rugby ball until she created a team at university in the late seventies, Griffin quickly became one of the sport’s most instrumental figures. The RFU origi…
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There have been major delays and cancellations at some of Europe's biggest airports - including London Heathrow - after technical problems brought down some automatic check-in systems. In other news, an elderly British couple, who were held by the Taliban for nearly eight months in Afghanistan, have arrived back in the UK. And several major America…
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Mark Kermode is a brilliant Film critic, writer, broadcaster and co-host of podcasts Kermode and Mayo's Take - and Screenshot. In his book, Surround Sound: The Stories of Movie Music, Mark and fellow author Jenny Nelson, discuss the power that music has on screen. With that in mind, what music will he choose as the soundtrack to his life? Inherited…
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Kate Adie introduces stories from across Europe, Nepal, Ghana, and Moldova-Transnistria. As countries across Europe harden their stance on immigration, Fergal Keane retraces the journeys refugees have taken over the years, including stories he has heard from Ireland, Syria, Turkey and Sweden. Nepal’s government was dramatically overthrown in the de…
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20 SEPT 2025By BBC Radio 4
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20/09/25 Farming Today This Week: Rivers in National Parks, Rural Services, Downpour or drought?
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24:49A new report into the health of waterways in National Parks in England and Wales claims that they aren't being properly protected from agricultural and sewage pollution. The research, from the Campaign for National Parks and Rivers Trust, has found that almost sixty percent of rivers and lakes in these areas are failing to meet the legal standard f…
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On September the 10th 2025, right-wing political activist and media personality Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at an event in Utah. In the aftermath, his friend JD Vance, the US Vice President, hosted a special memorial edition of ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’, live from the White House, during which he called for unity, but said that could…
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1
How will Nato respond to latest Russian airspace violation?
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38:21Nato aircraft have intercepted three Russian warplanes after they entered Estonia's airspace without permission. A top politician in Tallin gives us his reaction - and we ask how Nato should respond to this latest escalation. Also on the programme: A special report hearing from people who attended Saturday's rally organised by the far right activis…
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1
British couple released from Afghan prison.
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30:21An elderly British couple detained for eight months by the Taliban are released from prison in Afghanistan. A total of three migrants who arrived on small boats have now been sent back to France. A Scottish government minister resigns following allegations he grabbed and swore at an opposition MSP.By BBC Radio 4
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Robert Redford, Barbara Harvey, Rosa Roisinblit, Stuart Craig
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27:49Matthew Bannister on: Robert Redford, the film star who believed his striking good looks could be a curse as well as a blessing. Barbara Harvey, the mediaeval historian who revealed fascinating details of the lives of the monks of Westminster Abbey. Rosa Roisinblit, one of Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo who finally tracked down the g…
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1
Elmbridge: Friendly Fungi, Sticky Leaves and Stunted Sweet Peas
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42:10Why do indoor cyclamen develop sticky leaves? What’s the secret to growing taller sweet peas? And how can we make our gardens more fungi-friendly? This week, Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners’ Question Time panel return to Claygate in Surrey, ready to tackle listeners’ gardening dilemmas. Joining Kathy are horticultural experts Bob Flowerdew, Juliet…
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Follow the Food: The Rise of Food Tourism
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42:46Sheila Dillon investigates the growing number of food tours and trails in the UK as consumers show more and more interest in the provenance of what is on their plate. She heads to Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire – a town that boasts the title of Rural Capital Of Food - and joins a walking tour that spans pork pie producers, stilton sellers, a samo…
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