The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Warren Elf. Show more
Farming Today
20/12/23 Rural dentists, swede harvest, mistletoe auction
13 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for 11 months
A report into NHS dentistry says it is especially hard to access treatment in rural and coastal parts of the UK. Show more
Michael Palin presents the common poorwill from an Arizona desert. Show more
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
Susan Hulme reports as Rishi Sunak is grilled by senior MPs and the Scottish Government unveils plans to increase income tax for high earners.
Professor Ben Ansell's final Reith Lecture concludes by asking how can we continue to grow our economies without ruining the planet? Show more
Daily Service
Little lord Jesus – Shepherds Praising
14 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for 11 months
A space for spiritual reflection with a Bible reading, prayer and a range of Christian music led by Bishop David Walker Show more
Woman's Hour
Mary Earps' SPOTY win, Women's Super League founder Kelly Simmons, Pregnancy sickness
57 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
Why is England goalkeeper Mary Earps 2023 Sports Personality of the Year? Show more
South Africa: The Children of Paradise
Without hope, you're dead
28 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
Three decades after the momentous transition from Apartheid to a democratic South Africa, Fergal Keane returns to see what happened to the hopes and promises of a better nation. Show more
Cultural sociologist Rachel Hurdley uncovers what walls tell us about how we live from Iron age round houses to Victorian mansions, medieval halls to terraced workers cottages. Show more
You and Yours
Christmas Coaches, Million Dollar Lover and the Rise of Craft
53 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
The coach companies cashing on rail misery this Christmas. Listeners reflect on a year of coping with high inflation and the boom in markets, why we are going crazy for craft. Show more
The latest weather forecast
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
Rhianna Pratchett explores the dark world of water demons, in her quest to meet mythical creatures and discover what they reveal about us. Show more
Life gets awkward for Alice, and George makes the most of a situation. Show more
Is it possible to fall for a guy you only meet for 20 seconds in every 24 hours? Toll booth worker Tess is about to find out. A festive romcom by Ali Sparkes. Show more
Money Box
Money Box Live: The Rising Cost of Rent
28 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
We take a look at the rental market and the pressures facing both tenants and landlords. Show more
All in the Mind
What Mastermind can tell us about blinking, how music shapes memory and why anger can be a useful emotion
28 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
Claudia Hammond looks at whether emotive music can shape the way we store and recall memories, and how TV quiz show Mastermind is helping scientists study reactions to stress. Show more
Gavin Fischer investigates the most generous trial yet of a basic income - almost £20,000 a year to all 18 year olds leaving the child care system in Wales. How well is it working? Show more
Clarissa Ward, CNN Chief International Correspondent, talks about entering Gaza despite a ban on reporters entering the territory. Show more
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
The latest shipping forecast
Six O'Clock News
20/12/2023 Inflation falls more than expected to 3.9%
30 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
It reached its lowest level for more than two years, raising hopes of interest rate cuts
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders star as respected novelist Florence and movie star Selina, in a sparkling comedy series about two sisters at war, by Veep writer David Quantick. Show more
Susan offers some encouragement, and Jill’s hackles are raised. Show more
Front Row
The Unthanks, Lucinda Coxon, the North East Cultural Partnership
42 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
Ten years since its launch, an assessment of the North East Cultural Partnership. Show more
The debate about whether university students should sing the national anthem and whether we should choose a new one. Show more
Starborn: How the Stars Made Us and Who We Would Be Without Them by Roberto Trotta
A Golden Flower in Space
14 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for 11 months
Cosmologist Roberto Trotta lays out a brief history of stargazing, from Galileo to the James Webb Space Telescope. Read by Khalid Abdalla. Show more
When It Hits the Fan
Harry's victory, Baroness Mone Part 2 and 2023's PR lessons
28 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss Prince Harry’s phone-hacking victory and Baroness Mone’s Laura Kuenssberg interview. And there's a round-up of PR lessons from 2023. Show more
Clarissa Ward, CNN Chief International Correspondent, talks about entering Gaza despite a ban on reporters entering the territory. Show more
Biggest Russian bombardment on Ukraine yet
Teens guilty of Brianna Ghey's murder
45 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective Show more
Hoping to finally make a decision about his marriage, Luke asks his friend Vivian for some brutally honesty advice. Show more
We Forced a Bot to Write This Show
1: Action Movie, Army Advert and Bake Off
14 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for years
We forced AI to digest massive amounts of media and then write its own versions. We pushed the scripts into the mouths of actors, and the result is, absurdly, joyously hilarious. Show more
Nora Meadows' Week of Wellness
3. Dedicated to Father Ian
14 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for years
As ever, Nora helps her clients with her patented (patent pending) therapy techniques, but also finds time to record an ASMR sleep-aid. Show more
Tom Bateman tells the story of the French and British mandates in the Middle East in the 1920s and how they still reverberate today. Show more
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
Starborn: How the Stars Made Us and Who We Would Be Without Them by Roberto Trotta
A Golden Flower in Space
14 minutes on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for 11 months
Cosmologist Roberto Trotta lays out a brief history of stargazing, from Galileo to the James Webb Space Telescope. Read by Khalid Abdalla. Show more
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.