Joy in China as Beanbag the Capybara returns after months on the run. The giant rodent's adventures had gripped social media. Also: an ingenious idea making cities greener; and the flatpack furniture world champion.
World Book Club - N.K Jemisin
In this episode of World Book Club, Harriet talks with one of the world’s best-loved sci-fi and fantasy authors, the four time Hugo award winner N.K Jemisin. Which of her plethora of books did we choose? Her 10th novel, and love letter to New York, ‘The City We Became’.
The story takes place in a world in which major cities become sentient, living beings. After New York is attacked by an otherworldly enemy, five people, champions representing each of the city’s five boroughs, must band together to save the city, but also humanity itself.
Rich with sharp social commentary, vibrant characters, and breathtaking world-building, it’s a gripping, imaginative tale of identity, belonging, and the power of unity in the face of otherworldly, eldritch chaos.
N.K Jemisin will be answering questions from our World Book Club - including how she created characters that embody each of New York’s five boroughs, what makes a city ‘alive’, and how she confronted, and subverted, Lovecraftian tropes to create the enemy of all humanity, the Woman in White.
Presented by Harriett Gilbert. Produced by Elizabeth Ann Duffy.
Photo Credit - Laura Hanifin
Global News Podcast - Man wrongly deported is back in US to face charges
Kilmar Ábrego García is returned to US to face criminal charges, three months after he was mistakenly deported. Also: Republicans try to contain Trump-Musk row, and study finds dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching.
Newshour - MAGA Republicans respond to Trump-Musk fallout
Donald Trump invested a lot of political capital in Elon Musk. And Elon Musk invested a lot of money in Donald Trump. Will their bust up cost them both?
Also on the programme, who are the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and what is known about them? And we meet Pedro Urruchurtu, one of the Venezuelan opposition figures who spent over a year in Argentina's embassy in Caracas, and who was subsequently rescued by the USA in "Operation Guacamaya."
(Photo: Elon Musk (L) and Donald Trump (R) face each other in March 2025. Credit: Reuters)
CrowdScience - What’s that background hum I hear?
In the dead of night at his home in Machinjiri, Malawi, CrowdScience listener John can hear a small, but persistent, hum. Whenever it’s quiet enough, the hum is there – but what’s causing it? And is John the only one who can hear it?
Reports of consistent, low-pitched noise have been popping up around the world for decades. No one knows this better than Dr Glen MacPherson, who runs the World Hum Map. He tells presenter Caroline Steel his theory for what’s behind these hums.
And Caroline does some investigating of her own. We visit the Isle of Lewis off the coast of Scotland, where residents are reporting a hum. We hear about the impact that persistent noise has on people’s lives, and find out… can Caroline hear the hum too?
We also ask why some people can hear a hum but others can’t. We head to an anechoic chamber – one of the quietest places in the world – to speak to Professor Jordan Cheer, who puts Caroline’s low-frequency hearing to the test.
From industrial activity to internally generated sounds, we sift through the noise to try and find out what could be causing listener John’s hum.
Presenter: Caroline Steel Producer: Sophie Ormiston Series Producer: Ben Motley
Global News Podcast - Trump says Musk has ‘lost his mind’
Donald Trump has said Elon Musk has 'lost his mind' as the explosive row between the two men continues. Also: solving a brutal medieval murder, and what makes chimpanzees yawn.
Focus on Africa - How is Africa affected by the US travel ban?
Is Trump's latest travel ban part of a US disengagement from Africa?
Why are many countries now shifting their views on Western Sahara in favour of Morocco?
And how can digital skills be made more available for disabled people in Africa?
Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Sunita Nahar, Patricia Whitehorne and Tom Kavanagh in London, with Charles Gitonga, Richard Kagoe and Christine Ntayiai in Nairobi. Technical Producer: Francesca Dunne Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Newshour - Trump-Musk fiery public row
Donald Trump has sought to downplay his public spat with Elon Musk, which erupted days after he left the president's administration. In an interview after hours of sparring, Mr Trump said things were 'going very well'. White House aides are reported to have arranged a call between the two men to broker a peace.
Also, we'll talk to the Danish politician who wants the European Union to ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media.
And Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag to go on sale in Paris.
(Photo credit: Reuters)
Unexpected Elements - Gaming-inspired science
This week, get ready for a whole loot box of gaming-related stories!
First up, we find out about a video game that could give people the power to battle misinformation.
We also hear how scientists are putting harbour seals in front of a computer monitor to decipher how they navigate under the water.
And Dr Brett Kagan from Cortical Labs joins us down the line to tell us why he taught a clump of brain cells to play the 1970s arcade game Pong.
Along the way, we discover what happens when artificial intelligence tries to explain idioms, we learn about a tiny frog named after Bilbo Baggins and try to establish whether or not video games benefit your brain.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Leonie Joubert Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Margaret Sessa Hawkins, Imaan Moin and Minnie Harrop
Global News Podcast - Trump-Musk relationship implodes with insults and threats
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are involved in a rapidly escalating row, a week after the billionaire businessman left his job as a US presidential adviser. Also: gaming fans queue to buy the Nintendo Switch 2.