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The latest news from BBC Radio 4.

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day, with the Rt Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells, bishop of Dorking. Show more

Beatrice Fenton visits a family business which provides camels for Christmas celebrations. Rebecca and Joseph Fossett keep eight camels on their farm in Warwickshire. Show more

Alison Steadman provides a seasonal offering from Tweet of the Day for the Christmas period. Show more

News and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.

The Wire's Clarke Peters uncovers the stories of black musicians in Europe, from the birth of recorded sound to the height of the jazz age. Show more

Mark Steel has two addictions: stand-up comedy (his job) and sport. He is certain that the two have much in common, as does his guest, former England footballer Graeme Le Saux. Show more

David encounters a reluctant sloth – recalling his 1950s trip to Java in search of wildlife for the BBC's Zoo Quest. Show more

Jane Garvey reflects on the women who have spoken out in 2017 and the issues they have brought to the fore. Show more

John Wilson praises Dame Cicely Leyland's Hitchcock years in Rebecca and Jeremy Front's docudrama celebrating one of our most enduring actresses as her 100th birthday approaches. Show more

Renowned science presenter James Burke returns to discuss the biggest change to humanity in 10,000 years. The years of scarcity of just about everything are about to run out. Show more

Sir Thomas Allen joins Frances Fyfield to explore the handwritten piano score of Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah, the Oratorio commissioned for, and first performed in Birmingham. Show more

this day in 1917, the first ladies' international football match was played in Belfast, and in Tynemouth, Lester Reed is finding it hard to celebrate. Show more

Has Black Friday dampened the excitement of the Boxing Day sales? We analyse how consumers have changed how they shop and how retailers are coping with our hunger for discounts. Show more

The latest weather forecast.

Analysis of news and current affairs.

Lemn Sissay's new pen pal is a schoolboy from Northern Ireland. They compare notes on Halloween, Harry Potter and learning to act as each takes to the stage at the same time. Show more

Joe wants company on Christmas Day, and Tony and Johnny are left in charge. Show more

4 Extra Debut. Despite being a national treasure later in life, Sir John still worries about his career and personal life. Stars Ben Whitrow. Show more

Jay Rayner and his culinary panel delve into Christmas cooking traditions. Show more

Helen Castor and Tom Holland return with a new series of Radio 4's popular history programme. This week, they explore forgotten and unexplained festive leftovers from our past. Show more

Documentary. Fiona Lindsay explores how the crucial half hour before the curtain goes up plays out for performers of different kinds. Show more

4 Extra Debut. Former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal chooses former lawyer, Mahatma Gandhi. With Matthew Parris. From 2017. Show more

The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.

A Blood Brothers-inspired separated-at-birth story featuring two unlikely musical MP heroes. Show more

Mark Steel visits Portishead (not Bristol!) in Somerset, performing a bespoke stand-up show for the residents. From 2017. Show more

Will has some bad luck, and Tony makes preparations. Show more

Gary Oldman on his barnstorming performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, hailed as the performance of a lifetime. Plus Gary looks back at his 30-year career in film. Show more

John Wilson praises Dame Cicely Leyland's Hitchcock years in Rebecca and Jeremy Front's docudrama celebrating one of our most enduring actresses as her 100th birthday approaches. Show more

Documentary. Douglas Alexander asks what is stopping us from getting to know and understand those who are different from us. Show more

Peter White hosts a special Boxing Day edition of In Touch called 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Quiz' with Kevin Mulhern, Denise Leigh, Sue Arnold and Dave Kent. Show more

Lucy Cooke, zoologist and founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society, unleashes her inner sloth to discover why being lazy could actually be the ultimate evolutionary strategy. Show more

The Wire's Clarke Peters uncovers the stories of black musicians in Europe, from the birth of recorded sound to the height of the jazz age. Show more

Protests after former president of Peru Alberto Fujimori is pardoned for corruption and human rights abuses. Show more

Written by Matt Haig and read by Tom Hollander. Over 200 years after the death of Rose, Tom seeks help for his condition from London clinician Dr Hutchinson. Show more

Fat Charlie finds his life thrown into chaos by the arrival of his long-lost brother Spider, who plans to mourn their father's passing with wine, women and song. Show more

The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.

4 Extra Debut. Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod explores some mysterious bones: an 18th century skeleton and Irish Giants. From 2017. Show more

David encounters a reluctant sloth – recalling his 1950s trip to Java in search of wildlife for the BBC's Zoo Quest. Show more

The latest shipping forecast.

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.