BBC Radio Podcasts

In the last of the current series, Andy Zaltzman and the panel take on the week's headlines.Ayesha Hazarika, Matt Winning, Geoff Norcott and Elis James join Andy in 'convivial, fraternal spirit' to look take a close look at COP26, and whether Brian Cox is right about earth's extinction leaving the galaxy bereft of meaning. They also discuss Southen…

Michael Sandel is a political philosopher and professor of government theory at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has also presented the BBC Radio 4 series The Public Philosopher and The Global Philosopher, in which he examines the thinking behind a current controversy.His books have tackled the idea of meritocracy and the moral li…

Luke Hart on how his father murdered his mum and sister after years of coercive controlBy BBC Radio Ulster

Harry Lewis and the panel tackle the science questions you've been sending in, including whether William Shatner is strictly now an astronaut?By BBC Radio 5 live

Jennie Gow, Jack Nicholls and Jolyon Palmer review a dramatic qualifying session in Austin, and build-up to the 2021 US Grand Prix. Hear from championship rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, as well as Sergio Perez who qualified in the top three.By BBC Radio 5 live

Ben Haines, former England international Anita Asante and the Daily Telegraph's Jim White look back on Watford's thrilling 5-2 win at Everton, as Josh King scored a hat-trick against his old club to give Claudio Ranieri his first win as Watford boss.There's also analysis of where Norwich are going wrong after their 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Pre…

We heard from delighted Chelsea supporters following their emphatic win at home to Norwich. Everton fans were in dismay after a big loss to Watford. Norwich fans remained hopeful, Arsenal fans grew with confidence, and Charlton fans reacted to the sacking of their manager. There was a look ahead to Manchester United vs Liverpool in Gone in 60 Sutto…

City region leaders in England say more will be needed than the initial £6.9 billionBy BBC Radio 4

The former presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton has a new book out, “State of Terror”, a political thriller written with the award winning author Louise Penny. The two women were already friends before deciding to pen the novel which features a President who “smells of meat” and appears to resemble Donald Trump and a British Prime Minister…

Child slavery, motherhood, female independence and freedom through education are amongst the topics explored in over 20 books by the author Buchi Emecheta. Born in 1944 in an Ibusa village, she lost her father aged eight, travelled to London and made a career as a writer whilst bringing up five children on her own, working by day and studying at ni…

The government has launched its new green investment bond for savers. The money raised will go to the Treasury and it says help pay for existing green priorities such as making transport cleaner and supporting energy efficiency. Individuals can put up to £100,000 into the National Savings & Investments green bond. It will pay 0.65% a year for three…

The French political scene has a new kid on the block, or one might say, a new veteran. Eric Zemmour is his name, not one familiar in the UK, but Zemmour has long been well known in his own country as a right-wing television presenter. His controversial pronouncements on race, religion and immigration have in the past got him into legal trouble, bu…

In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.By BBC Radio 4

Arsenal’s win against Aston Villa takes them into the top half of the Premier League, so what’s working for Mikel Arteta? He says abuse is putting managers off the job – Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp chip in with their advice after Steve Bruce opened up on the strain it put on him at Newcastle. The pick of the weekend for Darren Fletcher? Manchest…

Giovanna Fletcher and Vernon Kay chat with Victoria Derbyshire about life on I'm a Celeb last year, breaking the rules on reality TV, and plans for the new series. We hear from Scotland’s health minister, Humza Yousaf, about his plans for dealing with Covid this winter. And, how did cinematographer Halyna Hutchins end up being shot with a prop gun …

A man has been arrested in connection with the Manchester Arena attackBy BBC Radio 4

Simon and Mark’s guest is Denis Villeneuve, who talks about his film Dune, based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction novel and starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya. Plus we have reviews of The Boss Baby 2: Family Business, in which the grown Templeton brothers have become and drifted away from each other; The Harder They Fal…

Something's happened to the computers and everyone's work has disappeared!By BBC Radio

Aaron Paul is joined by Nottingham Forest striker Lyle Taylor and Wycombe Wanderers' left back Joe Jacobson to look at the big stories from the EFL.AFC Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie tells the podcast about his side's strong start to the campaign.Following Nigel Adkins' departure from Charlton, BBC Radio London's Nick Godwin joins the podcast…

The former presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton has a new book out, “State of Terror”, a political thriller written with the award winning author Louise Penny. The two women were already friends before deciding to pen the novel which features a President who “smells of meat” and appears to resemble Donald Trump and a British Prime Minister…

Chris Pearson and Ella Watts recommend audio fiction podcasts, which are re-making, adapting, or spinning off from other stories.Dirk Maggs joins us to discuss Audible's The Sandman: Act 2, as well as his venerable career in adapting other works for audio.Plus Realm Productions on Orphan Black: The Next Chapter. Senior producer Marco Palmieri and h…

Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Elis James and historian Dr Katherine Hurlock to explore the life and political career of medieval Welsh rebel Owain Glyndŵr, the last Welsh-born Prince of Wales, who led an uprising against English rule. It’s an extraordinary tale of war, vengeance, poetry, annoying next-door neighbours, top-notch gardens and prob…

Two plays recorded live at HighTide Festival in Aldeburgh, set on the edge of the world, weaving myth and archaeology, telling stories of humanity and sacrifice. Created in tandem and with a playful rapport, the plays were presented with live foley.Silver DarlingsRita ..... Cassie LaytonReggie ..... Simon LuddersSam ..... Joel MacCormackVal ..... A…

Documentary adventures that encourage you to take a closer listen.Eleven years after the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the United Kingdom, a sequence of events unfolded that would rock the British political establishment and test those campaigning for gay rights in the United Kingdom. It resulted in a dead dog, a political career in…

James delves deeper into the online music community with founder of The Needle Drop and gets him to explain why his WORST album of the decade came from 2016.By BBC Radio

James and Sadia discuss the 2016 album One Tusk by Moth Equals. But, will Sadia be impressed by the plethora of different influences and Bollywood samples?By BBC Radio

Steve Crossman is joined by Guillem Balague, Julien Laurens and Kristof Terreur to look at the biggest stories across European football this week. After Manchester United’s dramatic comeback against Atalanta in the Champions League, the team tell us how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is viewed as a football manager across Europe. We find out more about who P…

Jennie Gow, Jack Nicholls, Jolyon Palmer and Andrew Benson build-up to the 2021 US Grand Prix. With the championship battle finely balanced they hear from both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen ahead of a crucial weekend.By BBC Radio 5 live

In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4

Gardening and George Orwell might not be the first pairing that comes to mind but he uses gardening metaphors in his writing and made many notes about the growth of vegetables and flowers he had planted. Rebecca Solnit discusses how this focus helps us understand his work and that of other writers interested in flowers. Shahidha Bari is also joined…

For years China has been perhaps the most important economic engine driving growth around the world. Earlier this year it bounced back from the Covid shutdowns with double-digit growth. Global demand for Chinese-made products has been booming. But this week growth figures have dropped dramatically. The country has been experiencing an energy and pr…

Covid cases top 50,000 in the UKThe number of new coronavirus cases recorded in the UK reached 52,009 today, going over 50,000 for the first time since July. Former health secretary and chair of the Health and Social Committee Jeremy Hunt tells Laura, Chris and Fergus that we can expect a difficult winter unless the Government encouarges more peopl…

Sir David Amess murder suspect in courtCovid cases hit 50,000By BBC Radio 4

As many as 43,000 PCR tests for people living in and around the South West of England could have been wrongly returned as negative recently, thanks to a seemingly unknown error, or errors, at a laboratory near Wolverhampton. For an extraordinarily long time the mistakes went undetected, and every day many hundreds of people who really had Covid, we…

Alistair Bruce-Ball, Chris Sutton and Statman Dave discuss all the latest from the fantasy footballing world including offering alternatives to Lukaku.Former Brighton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth striker Glenn Murray joins the pod for an update on his team as well as a game of Sutton Death against an undefeated Statman Dave.Plus, find out about …

“I don’t really understand why water has so many properties on different scales ranging from very large and cosmic to very small quantum and quarky - Could you help by zooming in and out on water to explain what is known about it? Asks Neil Morton in Stirling. “Why does boiling water sound different to cold water?’ asks Barbara Dyson in Brittany in…

We talk about tipping: the act of giving extra money to someone that has served you well.By BBC Radio

Over the summer it's been tempting to think that the pandemic is almost over. But last night, Health Secretary Savid Javid insisted that "life is not back to normal". 49,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday - levels we haven't seen since the end of last year - and he warned that they could hit 100,000 a day over winter. But despite all…

When a young man claiming to be an heir to the Rockefeller estate turns up in a silver Ferrari in The Hamptons in the US, the rich and the famous invite him into their lives. Many are dazzled by his expensive lifestyle so when he offers extraordinary returns on investments, the money pours in. But Christophe is not a Rockefeller and he has no inten…

Libya has been marking an anniversary of sorts this week: ten years since the dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was killed, having been toppled from power as part of the Arab Spring. Since then, elections have been held, and a much-delayed election for a new President is due at the end of this year. But few have much faith in this process. Whole swa…

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the author and philosopher Iris Murdoch (1919 - 1999). In her lifetime she was most celebrated for her novels such as The Bell and The Black Prince, but these are now sharing the spotlight with her philosophy. Responding to the horrors of the Second World War, she argued that morality was not subjective or a matter o…

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the author and philosopher Iris Murdoch (1919 - 1999). In her lifetime she was most celebrated for her novels such as The Bell and The Black Prince, but these are now sharing the spotlight with her philosophy. Responding to the horrors of the Second World War, she argued that morality was not subjective or a matter o…

Emissions, reputation and shame: what does the history of climate conferences tell us about what to expect at COP26? Professor Paul Harris and Professor John Vogler look at whether there are different ways of approaching some of the key questions to ensure greater success in meeting targets. Why do emissions created in China for businesses based in…

Mark Chapman is joined by BBC senior football reporter Ian Dennis, former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden and Italian football journalist Mina Rzouki to reflect on Manchester United's remarkable Champions League comeback. From 2-0 down, to 3-2 winners over Atalanta, just what did Ole Gunnar Solskjaer say at half time? You …

In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4

Government tells everyone to get their Covid jabs…The Health Secretary says coronavirus is still a threat, but he’s lined up a new antiviral drug that could help speed up recovery time. Fergus talks us through what’s going on…What went wrong in Afghanistan? Former Ambassador to the US and national security advisor, Sir Kim Darroch, explains what ha…

Many financial products are labelled as green, sustainable or ethical but how can you be sure that your mortgage, investment or pension really does have a positive environmental impact? What are the options and where can you find the information you need? Why not join the conversation with Felicity Hannah and guests on Wednesday's Money Box Live. e…

Do we value the right ideas? Two concepts come in for close scrutiny in this edition of Free Thinking: Rationality and Tradition. So, what are they, how has our understanding of them changed over time and why do we seem to place such little emphasis on each in our contemporary world? Presenter Anne McElvoy will listening to the arguments as Steven …