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Episode details

World Service,05 Aug 2026,49 mins

South Korea hit by record breaking heatwave

Outside Source

Available for 29 days

South Korea has recorded its highest temperature since records began more than a century ago, as much of the country remains in the grip of a heatwave. High temperatures have also been recorded in Japan. Meanwhile, a new report warns that the El Niño phenomenon could drive a sharp increase in acute hunger worldwide by next year. We get the latest from our climate reporter. We also hear a conversation with three people in Hungary, Germany and the United States about how drying rivers and lakes are affecting their livelihoods. What can scientists learn from a stray SpaceX rocket hitting the Moon? We speak to space experts. Warning: This story contains descriptions of the practices involved in female genital mutilation: In what activists are calling a milestone, Colombia last week became the first country in Latin America where female genital mutilation (FGM) is now illegal. Our reporter explains. And our newsroom reporters bring us updates on the shooting of a Mexican social media influencer and the situation in Lebanon. Presenter: Luke Jones. (Photo: Visitors walk through a cooling mist system at Gwangmyeong Cave during a record-breaking heatwave in Gwangmyeong, South Korea, August 5, 2026. Credit: Kim Soo-hyeon/Reuters)

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