Podcast appearances and mentions of Justin Rowlatt

Today, the long-anticipated minerals deal may be about to be signed by the US and Ukraine.Adam speaks to BBC chief presenter Caitriona Perry and BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale about why an agreement is back on the agenda. We also discuss President Trump's cabinet meeting where he blamed former president Biden for “bad numbers” after a report found the US economy has shrunk by 0.3% since January, the first time since 2022. And, has the government been challenged on its climate change policies by former Labour prime minister Tony Blair? Climate editor Justin Rowlatt joins Adam to discuss.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://discord.gg/m3YPUGv9New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1 Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Shiler Mahmoudi and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Mike Regaard The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.

Graihagh Jackson and guests tackle more of your intriguing questions: Why do we use big wind turbines instead of small ones? Can petrol and diesel vehicles be converted to EVs? And can floodwater be captured and stored? In the debate are Justin Rowlatt, BBC climate editor; Akshat Rathi, senior climate reporter for Bloomberg News and host of Bloomberg's Zero podcast; and Caroline Steel, presenter of BBC Crowdscience, If you have a question, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Diane Richardson Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Dave O'Neill and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Today, Sir Keir Starmer is en route to Washington for his first White House meeting with President Donald Trump. James speaks to Chris about what the Prime Minister will be hoping to achieve, what the potential pitfalls are and why it's so significant. Plus, the government's climate watchdog released a new report today looking at what the UK needs to do to reach its net zero target by 2050. James is joined by the chief executive of the Climate Change Committee Emma Pinchbeck and the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://discord.gg/NbuxWnmYNew episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1 Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by James Cook. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Teodora Agarici and Shiler Mahmoudi. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.

Climate Question listeners take over the programme again, putting their queries to Graihagh Jackson and her panel: BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt, Bloomberg News senior climate reporter Akshat Rathi and the presenter of BBC CrowdScience Caroline Steel. One listener asks why the climate appears to have changed so dramatically and fast in the last 50 years. Another wonders whether "space junk" plays a role in global warming. Plus, a question from a five-year old and - in a first for the programme - a listener's climate song!If you have a question, email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com or leave a WhatsApp message at + 44 8000 321 721 Producer: Michaela Graichen Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: James Beard and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

Today we look at the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan.World leaders, diplomats and climate scientists have gathered in Baku for the annual UN climate summit. Adam speaks to BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt and host of The Climate Question Graihagh Jackson to find out what they're hoping to achieve and why so few And, Emma Pinchbeck the incoming chief executive of the Climate Change Committee speaks to Adam about Keir Starmer's plans for the climate and the impact of a Trump presidency on international climate cooperation.You can sign up to Justin's Future Earth newsletter here: bbc.co.uk/futureearthnewsletterYou can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhereNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade with Gemma Roper. The technical producer was Daniel Ehrlich. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.

How could Kamala Harris or Donald Trump shape the global response to the climate crisis? As one of the world's largest producers of fossil fuels and carbon emissions, the US plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change. The environmental policies of the next president could reshape American industry and the economy, while influencing the global fight against climate change. On this episode, Sumi Somaskanda speaks to the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt and Carl Nasman, who covers US climate issues for the BBC. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.Producers: Peter Goffin, Tom Kavanagh and Eleanor SlySound engineer: Hannah MontgomeryAssistant editor: Sergi Forcada FreixasSenior news editor: Sara Wadeson

Kate Adie presents stories from Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Cuba and Somalia.Israel says it has killed the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as it continued its air offensive against Lebanon. It says this week's airstrikes are in response to rocket attacks across the northern border into Israel by Hezbollah. According to the UN, more than 90,000 Lebanese have been displaced over the past week. Hugo Bachega spoke to residents who were forced to flee their homes.Sri Lanka has elected left-wing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who's seen something of a meteoric rise. His election heralds a paradigm shift in the country, which has had a history of right-wing administrations - but his rise is perhaps best understood through the prism of the country's dire economic crisis says Samira Hussain in Colombo.Vlodymyr Zelensky travelled to the US this week as he continues to seek approval for the use of long-range Western missiles, and to set out his 'victory plan' to President Biden. Back in Ukraine, the threat of Russian forces is ever-present, as Abdujalil Abdurasulov found on a recent trip to the eastern front.Cuba has become known among tourists for its low crime rate - though reputation has been tarnished in the eyes of many Cubans, who say they now are genuinely worried about rising crime, especially with the emergence of a cheap new drug on the island, reports Will Grant.Somalia has been torn apart by more than 30 years of overlapping conflicts and now faces a further threat: climate change. But even as a warming world is turbo-charging Somalia's problems, Justin Rowlatt discovered that it's also inspiring entrepreneurs to find solutions that could prove transformative.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill

Today, we look at the return of Banksy after a new mural appeared overnight on a building in North London. And we look at why some potato-sized lumps on the seabed could be so valuable. Crowds have gathered in Finsbury Park to see the latest Banksy, a green spray painted tree mural on an empty building. What is its message? And does the artist still have the appeal they once did? Adam speaks with James Peak, the creator of the BBC Radio 4 series, “The Banksy Story.” Plus, the dispute going on over precious metals found in deepest parts of the ocean. The lumps contain crucial battery minerals including copper and cobalt, but some environmental groups say attempts to collect the materials could damage unique habitats. Adam looks at what's at stake with oceanographer and co-host of the Radio 4's “Rare Earth” series, Dr Helen Czerski, and BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Miranda Slade and Teodora Agarici. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham

Today, we look at why Paula Vennells, ex-boss of the Post Office, is handing back her CBE.After the broadcast of ITV drama - Mr Bates vs The Post Office - pressure has mounted on Ms Vennells to return her honour following the IT scandal, with more than a million people signing a petition for it to be stripped. In a statement Ms Vennells says she has “listened” and is “truly sorry”.James and Chris speak to West Midlands Mayor and former John Lewis boss Andy Street. They also talk devolution, council bankruptcies and Tory election hopes.And 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest year on record, James is joined by climate editor Justin Rowlatt and climate scientist Dr Ella Gilbert. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by James Cook. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Sam McLaren. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The senior news editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Sam Bonham.

Kate Adie presents stories from Poland, CAR, Hong Kong, Armenia and TunisiaThis week the former Polish PM Donald Tusk returned to power marking a clear break from the right-wing, populist government that has been in office for the last eight years. Voters filled cinemas screening the parliamentary proceedings, as the country was gripped by the political drama. Sarah Rainsford was in Warsaw.In the Central African Republic, the Wagner Group is wielding significant political, economic and cultural influence. Yemisi Adegoke visited the capital Bangui and spoke to the President about his reliance on Russian mercenary group, despite allegations of abuse and extra judicial killings.The introduction of the Beijing-imposed national security law in 2020 led to an immediate crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Several people were arrested under the new law, including the billionaire media mogul Jimmy Lai, whose trial is due to start on Monday - and there are many others. Danny Vincent spoke to another activist currently on remand.In Armenia, Julia Paul speaks to journalists who fled the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in September, along with more than 100,000 others after the takeover by Azerbaijan. They tell her about the lives they left behind.And the latest round of climate talks in the UAE, looked to end in disappointment as leaders failed to incorporate any reference to the phasing out of fossil fuels in the conference's initial draft agreement. But in a dramatic turnaround, nations finally announced a ‘transition away' from coal, oil, and gas. Justin Rowlatt was behind the scenes of the talks in Dubai.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. Today, we look at the deal that's been agreed at COP28.Climate editor Justin Rowlatt goes through the detail, and Nigel Topping from the Climate Change Committee tells us what it means.And Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced he will be stepping down in March. Former Wales political editor and host of Walescast, Felicity Evans, explains why. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Today's Newscast was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Flynn with Cordelia Hemming and Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The senior news editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Sam Bonham.

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. Today, we look at vote on the Rwanda Bill. After a charm offensive to his back bench MPs, the Prime Minister managed to shore up enough support for his Rwanda bill. Adam and Chris look at what happened today in the Commons and whether the real test is yet to come?Meanwhile, climate talks run into the night at COP28 as countries try to salvage a deal to prevent it from being seen as a failure. Adam is joined by climate editor Justin Rowlatt, who explains why some nations are unhappy and what could happen next. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Today's Newscast was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Cordelia Hemming and Sam McLaren. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The senior news editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Sam Bonham

The home secretary, James Cleverly has signed a new asylum treaty with the Rwandan government in an attempt to address the concerns of the Supreme Court.Adam is joined by former home office advisor Claire Pearsall and the BBC's West Africa correspondent Mayeni Jones to unpack what's in the treaty and why it matters.And what's happening at COP28? The BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt and former political strategist to the UNFCC Tom Rivett-Carnac explain what has been going on at the climate conference. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Today's Newscast was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Gray with Sam McLaren, Gemma Roper and Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The senior news editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Sam Bonham.

World leaders are arriving in Dubai for COP28 – the most significant annual climate summit. The BBC's climate editor, Justin Rowlatt, takes us behind the scenes of the summit and talks us through the expectations, and the fallout of a BBC investigation pointing out that the UAE planned to use climate talks to make oil deals. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC experts around the world, with Katya Adler. What questions do you have about climate change? And what solutions do you think deserve more attention? #TheGlobalStory We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note on WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. Today's episode of The Global Story was made by Richard Moran and Emilia Jansson. The technical producers were Mike Regaard and Phil Bull. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

The Six Ideas to Change the World series, in partnership with Keystone Positive Change Investment Trust, concludes in November with writer and journalist Jeff Goodell, author of the best-selling book The Heat Will Kill You First. The planet is changing in extreme ways. Spring is arriving a few weeks earlier and autumn a few weeks later. Heatwaves are becoming more intense and more common. Heat is the first order threat that drives other climate change impacts, and it will affect everything from our food supply to disease outbreaks. The basic science behind rising temperatures is not complicated, but the failure to act now is revealing significant fault lines in our governments, our economy and our values. For the final event in this series on the future of the planet, join us for an eye-opening conversation about heat, and how it it will dramatically change the world as we know it. Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Jeff Goodell will be live at 5x15 in conversation with the BBC's Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt. They will be tackling the big questions, while reflecting on an important truth: that extreme heat is a force beyond anything we have reckoned with before. Speakers Jeff Goodell's latest book is The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet, which was an instant New York Times bestseller. He is the author of six previous books, including The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World, which was a New York Times Critics Top Book of 2017. He has covered climate change for more than two decades at Rolling Stone and discussed climate and energy issues on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, ABC, NBC, Fox News and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He is a Senior Fellow at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center and a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow. Justin Rowlatt is the BBC's first ever climate editor. He describes his role as reporting from the front line of climate change - how it's affecting our lives and what we can do about it. He's been nominated for RTS and BAFTA awards over the years and well as news programmes, Justin has reported for Panorama, the One Show, the Today programme as well as many one-off and short documentary series. His first taste of environmental reporting came during his first week on Newsnight when the editor recreated him as "Ethical Man". He was tasked with filming as he and his young family did everything they could to cut their carbon emissions including giving up flying, going vegan, and ditching the car. Six Ideas to Change the World We are at a critical point in the global response to climate change, and the conversation around the central issues remains complex. Amidst numerous debates and conflicting narratives, public discourse runs the risk of information overload, at a time when urgent action is necessary, at both an individual and collective level. This curated series of live online events, in partnership with Keystone Positive Change Investment Trust, offers a clearer path, spotlighting the most compelling, important and hard-hitting work being published today — the six ideas that will shape the future of our planet. Tune in each month to hear stories and ideas we can all learn from. Whether it's advice on changing diets, or solutions to the world's water crisis, these conversations will suggest a blueprint for what we must do in the years ahead. Each event will feature the author of a recent work, in conversation with an expert host about the most important issues and takeaways. Audiences will also have the chance to submit questions. The recordings of previous events in the series are available to view on 5x15's Youtube channel. With thanks for your generous support for 5x15's online series. Learn more about 5x15 events: 5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories

Documents obtained by the BBC show the UAE wanted to discuss new fossil fuel projects with a number of countries at COP28. The BBC's climate editor and the journalist who got the scoop, Justin Rowlatt and Professor of Political Economy at University of Sheffield, Michael Jacobs joined Adam to discuss what this means for this week's climate conference.And a new pay offer has been made to consultants in England. The deputy chair of the BMA consultants committee, Dr Shanu Datta says this doesn't mean there's an end to strikes. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Today's Newscast was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Sam McLaren and Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Phil Bull. The senior news editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Sam Bonham.

Our climate editor Justin Rowlatt and The Climate Question presenter Graihagh Jackson address issues including whether the oil-producing UAE is the right host for the meeting, what one thing we can all do to save the planet, and is a plant-based diet on the agenda?

Short-term politics gets in the way of dealing with an ever-warming planet. The BBC's climate editor, Justin Rowlatt, discusses the problems with how democracies tackle climate change with the BBC's world affairs editor, John Simpson. With no victory in sight, are some leaders in Europe growing weary of supporting Ukraine? The BBC's Europe editor, Katya Adler, outlines the growing tensions inside the EU. What next for Niger now the military is in charge, and what might it mean for the region? West Africa correspondent Mayeni Jones explains what she learnt from those on the ground after gaining rare access to the country. And Armenians have fled Nogorno-Karabakh. Kian Sharifi from BBC Monitoring analyses what's at stake for neighbouring countries. Photo: Fridays for Future climate rally in Italy, Naples - 06 Oct 2023. Credit: Photo by CESARE ABBATE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Benedick Watt

Hottest June on record, and July heat near 'impossible' without climate change. Four records have been broken so far this year relating to the world's climate. To discuss each of them, and understand how they could be linked, Adam is joined by climate editor Justin Rowlatt, as well as climate scientist Ed Hawkins. Tim Leunig, former economic adviser to the then-chancellor Rishi Sunak is also on to go through green solutions on the table and who should pay for them. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://discord.gg/HKHAQAYKfK. Today's Newscast was hosted by Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Flynn with Miranda Slade and Alex Collins. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The news editor was Damon Rose.

Why are temperatures soaring around the world? Amol Rajan comes on Newscast to talk about his new job as host of University Challenge and gives us his thoughts on the BBC presenter scandal after a week of allegations in the media. And the BBC's Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, dials in from Spain to bring us the latest news from Europe's heatwave. Eleni Myrivili, the United Nation's Chief Heat Officer, joins him to discuss how societies must adapt to higher temperatures. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Today's Newscast was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by George Dabby with Miranda Slade, Gemma Roper and Alex Collins. The technical producer was Frank McWeeny. The senior news editor was Damon Rose.

The UK's hottest June on record caused unprecedented deaths of fish in rivers and disturbed insects and plants, environment groups have warned. The BBC's Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, was at Knowle Locks in Solihull looking at some of the effects of this heatwave on fisheries. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to John Ellis, the national fisheries manager at the Canal & River Trust. He explained that when it's warmer fish need more oxygen, but as the temperatures rise water holds less of it. Mishal also spoke to Emily Shuckburgh, the Director of Cambridge Zero, who emphasised the need for action on climate change. Image credit: Getty Images

Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, is on a mission to fight climate change through a radical scheme to reform the international financial sytem. With time running out in the battle to keep the world below the 1.5C warming threshold, the Bridgetown Initiative aims to transform global institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank – freeing up billions, maybe even trillions of dollars, for poorer countries that are struggling to cope with the impacts of a hotter planet. Graihagh is joined by the BBC's Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, who interviewed Prime Minister Mottley at a crucial climate finance summit in Paris. We find out more about her plan, how it works and the progress being made. Producers: Ben Cooper and Miho Tanaka Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Producer: Simon Watts Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell Production Coordinators: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill

If you are planning a trip, but you want to check the climate impact before choosing how to get there, then beware. Google has been seriously underestimating the carbon footprint of plane flights, and overestimating that of some train journeys. And its calculations don't just appear in its search results, but also feed the sites of more and more online booking companies, like Skyscanner and Booking.com. To be fair, carbon footprints are actually very hard to get right, as the BBC's Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, discovers on his own trip to Rotterdam. On the way out, he takes the Eurostar high-speed train, whose carbon emissions depend on the weather over the North Sea that day. On the way back he catches a plane, whose climate impact… also depends on the day's weather conditions over the North Sea. So what is Google doing to fix its methodology and can we trust carbon footprint calculations at all? And do passengers even really care that much about the environmental impact of their journey, or should they be made to pay for it directly? Presenter Justin Rowlatt is joined by: Doug Parr, chief scientist and policy director at Greenpeace UK Dr Feijia Yin, assistant professor for the climate effects of aviation at Delft University of Technology Andrew Murphy, head of sustainability at Eurostar Sola Zheng, aviation researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Producer: Laurence Knight Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill and Debbie Richford Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

World leaders will start meeting in Egypt on Sunday at COP27, the sequel to last year's climate summit in Glasgow, in an effort to tackle climate change. But with the UN warning that the global effort to cut emissions is "woefully inadequate", could this COP be more of a flop? Adam previews the conference with COP26 President Alok Sharma and the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt. Also, writer Dolly Alderton turns into Newscast's agony correspondent to help us navigate worries about the news after a relentless few weeks. Today's Newscast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Alix Pickles, Madeleine Drury and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate.

A British businessman has come up with a bold plan to turn the floating seaweed sargassum into cash, and tackle global warming at the same time. In this episode, Justin Rowlatt meets John Auckland. He is the man behind Seafields, which aims to create a floating farm 'the size of Croatia' far out in the South Atlantic ocean. The plan is to harvest the seaweed, sink it to the seabed and earn cash from carbon credits. Justin also speaks to Professor Victor Smetacek, an expert in marine biology - the project is based on his ideas. And Dr Nem Vaughan, associate professor in climate change at the University of East Anglia talks Justin through some of her questions around how or whether the project will work. Presenter: Justin Rowlatt Producer: David Reid (Image: Sargassum being harvested. Credit: BBC)

Gustavo Petro has been voted in as Colombia's first ever leftist president – the former rebel and long-time senator campaigned to radically overhaul Colombia's economy and bring an end to inequality. Katy Watson reports from Colombia's capital Bogota on the country's decisive break from its past. Despite his presidential victory earlier this year, Emmanuel Macron saw his party lose 100 seats in French parliamentary elections . Meanwhile Marine Le Pen's far-right party saw an elevenfold increase in MPs, and the hard-left alliance, under Jean-Luc Melanchon, saw their own support double. As the battle to forge a consensus begins, Lucy Williamson went to meet some of the new arrivals. Congressional hearings in Washington DC concerning the attack on the US Capitol building last year has made for gripping viewing. The committee panel has already heard a raft of Donald Trump's former allies recount examples of presidential pressure to overturn the 2021 election result. Gabriel Gatehouse says, despite the evidence, the nation remains divided over which narrative to accept. The effort to protect the world's last remaining mountain gorillas in Uganda is reckoned to be a conservation triumph. But this success has come at a terrible price for the Batwa – or pygmy – people who used to share the forest with the gorillas. Justin Rowlatt met with a Batwa man who still yearns for his former home. Domestic cats have been getting an uncharacteristically bad press recently in Iceland. One town proposed a cat curfew earlier this year – sparking fierce opposition from the newly-formed Cat Party in local elections. Egill Bjarnason has been following the ‘Cat Wars'. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond

The melting of polar ice sheets, the collapse of the Amazon rainforest, the seizing up of ocean circulation - these are just some of the calamities we risk bringing about through our unabated carbon emissions. Each of these tipping points on its own could have dire consequences for the wellbeing of all life on Earth, including us humans. Justin Rowlatt discovers how global warming may trigger irreversible changes to our planet.

The prime minister says it's time to draw a line under Partygate. Adam and Chris are joined by former Downing Street chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, to discuss how Boris Johnson continues in office after he survived an attempt by some Tory MPs to oust him. Also, Countdown's Susie Dent ruminates on what the collective noun for 148 rebel MPs might be. And, Justin Rowlatt tells us about how he celebrated his birthday at the Bonn climate conference, which looks to lay the groundwork for COP27 in Egypt later this year. Today's Newscast was made by Tim Walklate, with Cordelia Hemming and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Baleen whales were almost hunted to extinction. Now they face a new threat – global shipping. But despite humans blighting their lives, can they now recover and help revive ocean life? Justin Rowlatt speaks to two researchers who observe these intelligent, sociable giants up close. Matt Savoca at Stanford University explains the scale of the slaughter inflicted by whalers in the twentieth century, while Ryan Reisinger of Southampton University describes how modern ships continue to harm whales. By virtue of their sheer enormity, these animals also underpinned entire ocean ecosystems that have since collapsed, as veteran oceanic researcher Victor Smetacek explains. So with their numbers finally recovering, what can we humans do to help? Justin asks Guy Platten, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping. Presenter: Justin Rowlatt Producer: Laurence Knight Picture: Aerial view of a whale getting up close to a boat in the Sea of Cortez in the Gulf of California; Credit: Mark Carwardine/Future Publishing/Getty Images

As many as 300 vessels are backed up in Shanghai, waiting to load up or discharge compared to this time last year. We get the latest from the BBC's Monica Millar in Singapore and we also hear about the knock on affects from Steve Lamar, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, the UN is seeking $4.4bn in aid for Afghanistan. We hear from Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations, and former deputy secretary general of the UN, discusses what role western sanctions are playing in the extreme hunger faced by many in Afghanistan. Also in the programme, with just a few days to go before the first round of France's presidential election, the BBC's Theo Leggett reports from the east of the country on how concerns about the rising cost of living are impacting the rival campaigns. Plus, with the current high cost of natural gas, there are renewed calls for countries to move away from the fossil fuel as a way of heating our homes. One alternative is the heat pump, and the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt explains how they work. And joining us throughout the programme are Rachel Cartland, a former Hong Kong government official and the author of Paper Tigress and Alison van Diggelen, host of freshdialogues.com, is with us from Silicon Valley. (Picture: A ship in Shanghai. Picture credit: Getty Images.)

Amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, the UN is seeking $4.4bn in aid for Afghanistan. Dawood Azami is the editor of the BBC's Pashto Service, and tells us what life is like for Afghans at the moment. And Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations, and former deputy secretary general of the UN, discusses what role western sanctions are playing in the extreme hunger faced by many in Afghanistan. Also in the programme, with just a few days to go before the first round of France's presidential election, the BBC's Theo Leggett reports from the east of the country on how concerns about the rising cost of living are impacting the rival campaigns. Plus, with the current high cost of natural gas, there are renewed calls for countries to move away from the fossil fuel as a way of heating our homes. One alternative is the heat pump, and the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt explains how they work. And we get wider context from Jan Rosenow, director of the non-profit energy think tank, the Regulatory Assistance Project. Today's edition is presented by Rob Young, and produced by Faarea Masud, Sara Parry and George Thomas.

There's a heatwave in the North Pole (and the South Pole)… Adam chats to the BBC's Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, and Dr Bethan Davies, a glacial geologist, about what it all means. Simon Shuster, from TIME Magazine, tells us what it's like interviewing the Putin-critic, Alexei Navalny, after he was given nine years in a penal colony in Russia. On “Spring Statement Eve” Chris pops on the pod to explain what we should all be looking out for from the Chancellor on Wednesday. And Prof Al Edwards opens up about why Adam (who is still broadcasting from his cupboard at home because he's got Covid) is still getting two thick lines on his lateral flow test! This edition of Newscast was made by Tim Walklate, John Murphy and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Are chemical elements critical for the modern economy in dangerously short supply? It's a question that Justin Rowlatt poses a century and a half after the Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleev published the original periodic table.Justin speaks to two chemists - Andrea Sella of University College London explains the significance of Mendeleev's scheme to the modern world, while David Cole-Hamilton talks us through an updated version of the table he has just published that highlights chemical elements that could run out within the next century unless we learn to make better use of them.However, perhaps we don't need to worry just yet, at least not for two of those red-flagged elements. Thomas Abraham-Jones describes how he happened across the world's biggest reserve of helium in the African savannah, while Rick Short of Indium Corporation explains why the metallic element his company is named after is in abundant supply, so long as you don't mind sifting an awful lot of dirt for it.Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: Manuscript of Mendeleev's first periodic system of elements; Credit: Science & Society Picture Library/SSPL/Getty Images)

Should your head trump your heart when seeking lifelong love? That's the challenge Business Daily's Justin Rowlatt has taken on for this Valentine's Day.The hyper-rationalist businessman Ed Conard thinks he knows the answer, and his strictly mathematical strategy for romance is called "sequential selection, no turning back". He used it to meet his wife of the last 20 years, Jill Davis.But is Ed's approach right for everyone? Justin hears sceptical voices from two very different quarters - romantic novelist Nicola Cornick, and Nobel prize-winning economist Alvin Roth. And what about Jill? What's it like to be on the receiving end of such a calculated courtship?Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: Jill Davis and Ed Conard; Credit: Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Climate Change: Can the world economy continue to grow without burning fossil fuels? Or do we all need to cut back on our consumption in order to save the planet?It is a question that splits the green movement. Justin Rowlatt hosts a fiery debate between two environmentalists on either side of the divide, who have already been tearing chunks out of each other in a very public dispute online. Michael Liebreich, who runs a clean energy and transportation consultancy in London, says the technological solutions to global warming are within our grasp, and that maintaining economic growth is essential to bringing carbon emissions under control. Meanwhile Tim Jackson, professor of sustainable development at Surrey University, says that it is precisely the world's obsession with economic growth that is dooming Planet Earth to disaster.Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: The sun sets behind an oil and gas platform in the Santa Barbara Channel, California; Credit: David McNew/Newsmakers/Getty Images)

Will we all abandon our cars in favour of self-driving taxi apps by the year 2030, or is this pure fantasy?Justin Rowlatt takes on the many sceptical responses he received from readers to an article on the BBC website in which he sought to explain "Why you have (probably) bought your last car". In it, Justin laid out the thesis of tech futurist Tony Seba that the convergence of three new technologies - the electric vehicle, autonomous driving, and the ride-hailing app - together spelled the imminent death of the traditional family-owned petrol car.But can AI really handle the complexities of driving? Is there enough lithium in the world for all those car batteries? And what if this new service becomes dominated by an overpriced monopolist? Just some of the questions that Justin pitches to a field of experts, including psychology professor Gary Marcus, management professor Michael Cusumano, renewable energy consultant Michael Liebreich, and Uber's head of transport policy Andrew Salzberg.Credit: Laurence Knight(Picture: Illustration of electric car; Credit: 3alexd/Getty Images)

Climate change is an existential threat, so are civil disobedience and direct action the only way to save the planet? And is a global carbon tax the best tool to do the job?Justin Rowlatt speaks to protestors from the new and militant environmentalist movement Extinction Rebellion as they occupy the UK's Department of Energy building in protest at their government's alleged failure to tackle global warming. He also speaks to Ben Stewart of the 49-year-old campaign group Greenpeace, who have themselves been targeted by their new rivals for not being radical enough.But what policy change should they be calling for? Professor Bill Nordhaus of Yale University received this year's Nobel Prize for Economics for his work on economic models for how government's might go about taxing carbon dioxide emissions. But why does he think that so few governments are implementing it?Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: Extinction Rebellion activists occupying the UK Department of Energy in London; Credit: Roger Harrabin/BBC)

Whatever the fate of the heavily indebted Tesla Motors, is the electric vehicle revolution now set to sweep the world? And despite his Twitter antics and legal problems, has the company's chief executive earned the right to be brash?Justin Rowlatt speaks to Gene Munster of tech investors Loup Ventures and to the author and tech prophet Tony Seba. Plus what is the future for fossil fuel companies in an electrified world? We ask Shell's vice president for new fuels, Matthew Tipper.Producer: Laurence KnightImage: Elon Musk (Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

A chronic lack of opioid drugs leaves millions of people throughout the developing world to live and die in unrelenting, excruciating pain. It is a particularly bitter irony in India, which historically had the world's biggest legal opium poppy industry.The Lancet journal has dubbed the lack of access even to cheap pain killers such as morphine a "medical, public health, and moral failing". Justin Rowlatt reports from Kerala, where Dr M R Rajagopal is pioneering a revolution in palliative care, including the successful lobbying of the Indian government to liberalise its draconian laws on opioids in 2014.But where will the drugs come from? Megan O'Brien of the American Cancer Society explains a cheap solution they are advocating in Sub-Saharan Africa. And Kunal Saxena, managing director of pharma company Rusan, tells of his hopes for the privatisation and expansion of India's opium business.Producer: Laurence Knight(Picture: Benedict Alexander, a patient at the Pallium India clinic, with his wife Bindu; Credit: BBC)

Exactly a year before Indian independence there were deadly riots in India's second city of Calcutta. They followed mass demonstrations calling for the creation of a Muslim-majority state and persuaded many political leaders that India should be divided on its independence. Thousands of people were killed and thousands more left the city. Justin Rowlatt has been speaking to 2 survivors of the killings.Photo: Calcutta policemen use tear gas during the communal riots in the city. (Credit: Keystone Features/Getty Images)

Kate Adie introduces tales of fear, bravery and love from around the world. Justin Rowlatt is in Bangladesh, asking whether security is as important to the country's leadership as going after its political enemies. In Michoacán state, one of the centres of Mexico's war on drugs, Linda Pressly visits a community which rebelled against intimidation and organised crime to protect its forests as well as its people - and decided to shut out national police and political parties too. As Milton Nkosi has reported on South Africa's student protests this week, he's been moved to reflect on how young people's political goals have changed since the apartheid era. Stephen Evans is staying calm under pressure, just like his South Korean neighbours - whether they're navigating the nightmarish road traffic in Seoul or studiously refusing to be panicked by nuclear threats from Pyongyang. And Juliet Rix has some myths to dispel in Verona, as she sifts history from legend in the courtyard which many tourists believe really was the setting for Romeo and Juliet's great romance.

Kate Adie introduces dispatches from writers and correspondents around the world. This week: a special insight into the extraordinary number of recent deaths in the Philippines as Jonathan Head talks to one of the country's hired killers; Mark Tully discovers how the "war on drugs" - particularly heroin - in Punjab is going; in the United States, Linda Pressly goes on call with an Ohio coroner dealing with the explosion in the number of deaths resulting from overdoses of prescription drugs and heroin supplied on the street; Justin Rowlatt gets early warning of a possible coup in the Maldives and heads for the island paradise; and Caroline Juler discovers how to improve medical care in Romania as doctors and nurses are drawn to jobs in other countries.

India and Pakistan have often confronted each other - but each nation also has to deal with domestic security problems. In Indian-administered Kashmir, Justin Rowlatt hears from restive crowds who have been silenced by neither days of curfew nor a news blackout, and witnesses the police tactics used to try and tamp down their protests. Over the border in Pakistan, Shaimaa Khalil explains why the troubled province of Baluchistan is such a headache for central government - and why the violence which plagues it is now being turned against local lawyers. Lucy Ash hears how drama itself can play a role in reconciling Colombians with their past, as former left-wing rebels, ex-right-wing paramilitiaries, and the victims of their crimes meet on stage. Rayhan Demytrie recently saw a different kind of political theatre unfolding on the streets of Armenia's capital, Yerevan, as veterans of the war with Azerbaijan mounted an armed attack against their own state - and were applauded for it by many Armenians. And far from all the madding crowds, Justin Marozzi joins a scientific mission a thousand feet below the surface of the Sargasso Sea hoping to unlock some of the mysteries of the deep ocean.

These powerful chemicals are essential to obtain the minerals that build our world, the fertilisers that feed the planet, and the fuels that propel our vehicles - as presenter Laurence Knight discovers on a trip to the Ineos Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland. But while most traditional acids are based on the power of hydrogen ions, Prof Andrea Sella of University College London explains that many modern industrial "acids" do not, and come in startlingly unexpected forms such as powders. Many of the most corrosive acids are very tricky to contain, resulting in the occasional nasty accident, as chemical engineer Keith Plumb explains. Also, Justin Rowlatt has a report on acid attacks in southern Asia in which he speaks to campaigner Selina Ahmed of the Acid Survivors Foundation on how Bangladesh has tackled the problem. (Picture: A team working with toxic acids and chemicals secures a chemical cargo train tanks crashed near Sofia, Bulgaria; Credit: Cylonphoto/Thinkstock)

Iron is the chemical element at the heart of steel, and by extension of industrialisation, so what does the collapse in iron ore prices say about the economic progress of China and India? In the last of three programmes looking at this most abundant of metals, Justin Rowlatt asks whether the steel-making party is over, or whether a new one is just about to begin. And if, one day, humanity can stop digging this element up altogether. To find the answers, he speaks to material flow analyst Prof Daniel Beat Muller, sceptical China economist Andy Xie, Andrew Harding of the world's second biggest iron ore miner Rio Tinto, and Ravi Uppal who heads Jindal Steel of India.

Iron and manganese are the two key ingredients that enabled the mass production of steel - one of the most versatile and complex materials known to humanity. Justin Rowlatt chews on salad leaves with Andrea Sella of University College London, who explains how manganese is present in all plants and plays a key part in photosynthesis and ultimately oxygen production.He also travels to Sheffield to visit a modern steelworks - the specialist engineering steel-maker Forgemasters - where Peter Birtles and Mark Tomlinson give a taste of just how hard it is to produce unbreakable parts for nuclear power stations and oil rigs.

Justin Rowlatt explores two moments in history that transformed this most abundant of metal elements into the key material out of which modern life is constructed.In the first of three programmes, Justin travels to St Paul's Cathedral, where professor Andrea Sella of University College London recounts why Christopher Wren was so vexed that the new railings were built out of cast iron. Then onto Ironbridge, where curator John Challen tells how the world's first major iron structure came into being. And, Justin ends at Cyfarthfa in Wales, once home to the world's biggest ironworks, where historian Chris Evans explains why puddling and rolling are far more world-changing than they sound.

Technetium is essential for medical imaging, yet supplies of this short-lived radioactive manmade element are far from guaranteed. Justin Rowlatt heads to University College London Hospital to see a technetium scan in progress, to view the clean rooms where technetium cows are milked, and to speak to nuclear medicine researcher Dr Kerstin Sander about a possible solution to cancer.Professor Andrea Sella explains why this element sparked a 70-year wild goose chase by chemists in the 19th Century. And, we dispatch Matt Wells to Winnipeg in Canada to meet the team hoping to come up with an alternative source of technetium, when the biggest current source - the Chalk River reactor in Ontario - shuts down in 2016.

Fluorine is a ferocious yellow gas that is the key building block for a string of other gases that pose a threat to mankind if released into the atmosphere. From the ozone-depleting CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) to potent greenhouse gases such as sulphur hexafluoride, Justin Rowlatt gets the full rundown from professor Andrea Sella of University College London.Justin travels to the source of fluorine in Britain, a fluorspar mine in Derbyshire, before following the ore to the giant acid works of Mexichem in Runcorn in the UK, where site director Ron Roscher explains the incredible array of uses for this chemical element.And, he also hears from environmental scientist Stefan Reimann about the environmental legacy of CFCs and the threat posed by Chinese and Indian air conditioners.

Nickel is the metal that made the jet age possible, not to mention margarine and bicycle sprockets. In the latest installment in his journey through the periodic table, Justin Rowlatt travels to Rolls Royce to discover the incredible materials science that this chemical element and its super-alloys have driven, as well as the miniscule market for another, far more valuable metal - rhenium. Justin also descends deep into the bowels of University College London with Professor Andrea Sella to encounter the clang of a Monel rod, a magic trick with a Nitinol paper clip, and an almost uncuttable piece of Inconel. (Photo: Airbus jets. Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)