BBC

The first crew arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) 25 years ago. Since then, almost 300 people from some 20 nations have visited the orbiting laboratory. If you were born after November 2000, for your entire life, there has always been someone living in space. Astronauts Tim Peake and Nicole Stott share their experiences of living on the ISS. Nasa’s latest venture, Artemis II, is due for launch in the next few months. The ten-day mission will carry four astronauts further than any human has gone before, in a loop far beyond the Moon. It’s the latest stage of the US-led plan to eventually land humans on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. We bring together astronaut Mike Massimino, who has flown to space twice and starred (as an astronaut) in The Big Bang Theory. We also hear from former Nasa researcher and AI expert, Kiri Wagstaff, and Les Johnson, former senior engineer at Nasa and now the CEO of Infinite Frontiers Consulting.

This edition of The Documentary is from BBC OS Conversations, where we bring people together to share their experiences of major events and news stories.

New research suggests there are 6 million children across the UK living in fuel poverty, according to the charity National Energy Action. It defines fuel poverty as when a household has to spend at least 10% of its income to keep their home warm. It says the impact on children of living in a home which parents and carers struggle to keep warm can be significant. We'll hear more about what it would like to see change and discuss how the government and suppliers already help those struggling with bills.

Of all the Budget measures perhaps the most misunderstood is the plan to restrict what is called salary sacrifice - giving up some of your pay so your employer can use that money to boost your pension. It won't actually happen until April 2029 but many Money Box listeners have been getting touch with questions. We'll take a look at those.

How to keep Christmas costs low, as a debt charity finds thousands of people used its website for help on Christmas Day.

And how tax relief for people who are asked to work from home is changing.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner

Researcher: Eimear Devlin

Editor: Jess Quayle

Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast on Radio 4 at 12pm Saturday 6th December 2025)

The Chinese car company BYD has overtaken Elon Musk's Tesla as the world's biggest seller of electric vehicles. We unpack how it happened.

How viable is it to be a content creator? We look at how TikTok became a political flashpoint between the US and China.

And good news for pasta lovers? The US has slashed proposed tariffs on imports from Italy.

(Photo: A worker cleans up a BYD Dolphin. Credit: MAST IRHAM/EPA/Shutterstock (15865396e))

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned President Trump against interference after he said the US would come to the rescue if protesters were killed. We speak to an Iranian academic supportive of the government and hear from a protestor who wants a return of the country's monarchy that was deposed in 1979.

Also on the programme: we hear from the South Atlantic from a team trying to preserve the legacy of the explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton; and to mark the 50th anniversary of the children's show Rentaghost we speak two members of the cast, Lynda La Plante and Christopher Biggins.

Investigators have questioned two French managers from the bar and are looking into the insulation foam used on the ceiling.

Iran has warned President Trump against interference, after he said the US would come to the rescue if protesters were killed. We hear from a protester. And President Zelensky of Ukraine has appointed the country's military intelligence chief as the new head of his presidential office. But what do we know about Kyrylo Budanov?

(Picture: Tributes left in the town of Crans Montana in Switzerland. Credit: Bott / EPA)

Writer: Tim Stimpson

Director: Jessica Bunch

Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge.... Charles Collingwood 

Lilian Bellamy.... Sunny Ormonde

Alice Carter.... Hollie Chapman

Chris Carter.... Wilf Scolding

Neil Carter.... Brian Hewlett

Susan Carter.... Charlotte Martin

Rex Fairbrother.... Nick Barber

Amber Gordon.... Olivia Bernstone

Ed Grundy.... Barry Farrimond

Eddie Grundy.... Trevor Harrison

Emma Grundy.... Emerald O'Hanrahan

Will Grundy.... Philip Molloy

Brad Horrobin.... Taylor Uttley

Tracy Horrobin.... Susie Riddell

Jazzer McCreary.... Ryan Kelly

Fallon Rogers.... Joanna Van Kampen

Top political comedian Matt Forde reconvenes his Focus Group for a Boxing Day special with a Dickensian twist.

Recorded in front of a live audience, Matt is joined by journalists, comedians and politicians – including former Cabinet Minister Michael Gove – to review the political state we're in through the lens of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Expect sharp analysis, unexpected confessions, and the year's biggest stories getting visited by the Ghosts of Politics Past, Present and Yet to Come.

Appearing as a festive treat in BBC Radio 4's Friday Night Comedy feed, it's a topical comedy that's both genuinely funny and surprisingly insightful – perfect for digesting with the leftover turkey.

Written and performed by Matt Forde

Additional writing from Karl Minns, Laura Claxton and Richard Garvin

Producer: Richard Garvin

Executive Producers Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner

Co-Producers: Daisy Knight and Jules Lom

Broadcast Assistant: Sahar Rajabali

Sound Design and Editing: David Thomas

An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4

In Iran, at least seven people have been killed in anti-government protests that were triggered by a sharp fall in the value of the currency, a rising cost of living and an economy that's labouring under Western sanctions.

The price of cigarettes looks set to rise in India. What will it mean for tobacco farmers?

Also, factory activity in the Euro Zone area contracted further last month.

Presenter: Gideon Long

Producer: Ahmed Adan and Amber Mehmood

Editor: Justin Bones

The US President warns his forces will come to the rescue of peaceful Iranian anti-government demonstrators if they are targeted by Tehran. A senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has responded by saying Donald Trump should know that US interference would lead to chaos across the region. Also: two French managers of the bar in the Swiss ski resort that suffered a deadly fire on New Year's Eve have been interviewed; new mayor Zohran Mamdani is formally sworn in in New York; the difficulty of not having a birth certificate in South Africa; Donald Trump gives an update about his health after concerns were raised; and what to look out for in space travel in 2026.

The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.

Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Photo by ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock

How many hours a day do you spend on your smartphone?

Smartphones have become essential to daily life - but concerns about overuse are growing. Research has linked smartphone addiction to depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

Focus on Africa host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to 27-year-old Dion Rapakgadi from Johannesburg about his past struggles with phone addiction, and to Kenyan musician Nviiri the Storyteller, who recently swapped his smartphone for a basic “dumb phone.”

We also hear from Dr Ethel Obeng-Treve, a Clinical Psychologist from Ghana, who shares insights on how to have a healthier relationship with your smartphone.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Weldye

Senior Producer: Priya Sippy

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla