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Bells on Sunday comes from All Saints Church, Harpole in Northamptonshire. Show more

Edward Stourton profiles Sir Patrick Vallance, the former academic who became GSK head of research and development before becoming the government‘s chief scientific adviser. Show more

The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4

In the season of Advent, Mark Tully asks what we can learn from the stories of Christmas as we prepare for an increasingly secular holiday. Show more

Brett Westwood encounters arguably the world's toughest animal, despite it being less than a millimetre long and extremely cute. From 2017 Show more

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The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.

Edward Stourton finds out how Omicron will impact Christmas services. Churches are urged to offer sanctuary to gypsies and travellers. Angels as a symbol of hope in dark times. Show more

Nozandulela (Nozi) Samela makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity mothers2mothers. Show more

The latest weather reports and forecast

The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.

Forgiveness and the Incarnation: A service for the fourth Sunday in Advent with the Chapel Choir of Methodist College, Belfast. Show more

Will Self on our fetishisation of property and why the epic hero of our age is... an estate agent. Show more

The robin is the experimental jazz artist of the bird world. David Rothenberg suggests it sounds like saxophonist Eric Dolphy, who spent a long time listening to birds. Show more

Paddy O'Connell with the latest as Covid concerns mount and Downing St woes continue. Show more

Tom receives an unexpected gift and Harrison saves the day Show more

Dame Prue Leith, writer and former restaurateur, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury item she would want with her if cast away on a desert island. With Lauren Laverne. Show more

Remarkable letters between Sandy (a camel carrying a wise man following a star) and Martha (a donkey carrying a pregnant lady to Bethlehem). A comic perspective on the Nativity. Show more

A welcome visit to Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre sees Marcus Brigstocke and Rory Bremner pitched against Pippa Evans and Andy Hamilton with Jack Dee in the chair. Show more

Big names in the food world join Dan and Sheila with their favourite Xmas dishes, including Claudia Roden, Jeremy Lee and Paula McIntyre. Noble Rot's Dan Keeling selects the wine. Show more

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Radio 4’s look at the week’s big stories from both home and around the world.

Three conversations about urban skip diving and countryside foraging; the joys of playing Santa; and living with financial hardship at Christmas and beyond. Fi Glover presents. Show more

Peter Gibbs and the team are at Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex. Show more

Lynsey Hanley tells the story of 35 year old electrician Steve whose new build one bedroom flat has plummeted in value. Show more

Michael Palin stars in an exclusive adaptation of Terry Jones's comic novel. A tale of interstellar skulduggery, romance and unhinged robots based in Douglas Adams's universe. Show more

Johny Pitts talks to Laura Barnett about her novel Gifts, explores a range of non-fiction titles from this year, and takes delivery of a wintery literary postcard from Moscow. Show more

Geoff Bird follows the final few weeks of his daughter's time at home before heading off to Uni, speaking with friends and family about the impact this rite of passage can have. Show more

Throughout 1996, Albanians sold their houses and their livestock to buy into pyramid schemes that were doomed to fail. How did an entire country fall victim to scammers? Show more

Edward Stourton profiles Sir Patrick Vallance, the former academic who became GSK head of research and development before becoming the government‘s chief scientific adviser. Show more

The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.

The latest weather reports and forecast

The Foreign Secretary will become the lead negotiator on the Northern Ireland Protocol

Nicola Beckford chooses the best of BBC audio this week. Show more

Lynda seeks divine justice while Usha’s not feeling the Christmas vibe. Show more

It's Christmas Eve at Alcoholics Anonymous and Andy is waiting for the others to turn up. Stars Sue Johnston, John Hannah, Eddie Marsan, Rebecca Front, Paul Kaye and Julia Deakin. Show more

Tracy-Ann Oberman continues Eley Williams' series set in a village gripped by chess. Today: the mother of the village's chess prodigy has some startling revelations of her own. Show more

Roger Bolton hears your views on changes to Radio 4's arts programmes and puts them to the commissioning editor, Dan Clarke. Show more

Matthew Bannister on journalist Mary Maher, bass player Robbie Shakespeare, campaigner Anwar Ditta and author Anne Rice. Show more

Two suppliers bill for the same energy use, will the interest rate rise reach savers and gift card considerations. Show more

Nozandulela (Nozi) Samela makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity mothers2mothers. Show more

Science sleuths Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry unwrap some of the biggest ideas presented by AI expert Stuart Russell in this year's BBC Reith Lectures. Show more

Carolyn Quinn discusses the latest on Omicron with Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, Labour frontbencher Baroness Angela Smith and Lib Dem Layla Moran. plus journalist Paul Waugh. Show more

Are some thoughts too evil to think? In his guide to thinking better, Professor Steven Pinker explores the trade-off between taboos and our ability to reason clearly. Show more

In the season of Advent, Mark Tully asks what we can learn from the stories of Christmas as we prepare for an increasingly secular holiday. Show more

The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.

Matthew Syed steps into the reedbeds of a pioneering and controversial Dutch nature reserve to reveal our conceptions, and misconceptions of the wild. Show more

Bells on Sunday comes from All Saints Church, Harpole in Northamptonshire. Show more

The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.

BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.