Babita Sharma, Kasia Madera, Rico Hizon and Sharanjit Leyl anchor this 90-minute weekday broadcast that links London and Singapore studios. The programme launched 13 June 2011 as a dual-continent presentation, with Asian morning viewers getting live business intelligence while Europeans receive overnight updates and Americans catch the previous day's developments.
The schedule shifted repeatedly: 23:00–02:00 GMT during 2012–2024, then reverting to 02:00–05:00 GMT late 2024. UK viewers see it on BBC News channel and occasional BBC One simulcasts; international audiences watch via BBC World News and American PBS stations. Commercial breaks interrupt overseas feeds while UK and PBS viewers get "This Week in History" segments during gaps.
Production halted 27 March 2020–20 July 2021 when COVID-19 restrictions forced replacement by half-hour World News bulletins. Presenters occasionally broadcast from disaster zones: Rico Hizon reported from typhoon-devastated Tacloban in November 2013, while Babita Sharma relocated to Singapore during February–April 2018 while writing her book. Washington studios activate for major North American stories, replacing the traditional London link when Muhammad Ali died and during Hillary Clinton's Democratic nomination.
Production Details
BBC World News / 14 Seasons / 24 Episodes / 2011 - Present
Main Cast
Steve Lai as Self - Presenter
Mariko Oi as Self - Presenter
Rico Hizon as Self - Presenter
Sharanjit Leyl as Self - Presenter
Babita Sharma as Self - Presenter
Kasia Madera as Self - Presenter
Karishma Vaswani as Self - Presenter
