The weather report that delayed D-Day and panda-mania in Taiwan

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Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. First, we hear how a young Irishwoman called Maureen Flavin Sweeney drew up a weather report that delayed the date of D-Day. Then, 99-year-old former field medic, Charles Norman Shay, shares his remarkable account of landing on the Normandy beach in France codenamed Omaha on D-Day. Next, we also talk to Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi who hurled his shoes at the President of the United States. Plus, we hear about China gifting Taiwan two giant pandas, in a practice known as ‘panda diplomacy’. Finally, it’s the 40th anniversary of the popular computer game Tetris being invented. Contributors: Edward Sweeney – Maureen Flavin Sweeney’s son. Charles Norman Shay – former field medic in the United States Army. Muntadhar al-Zaidi – Iraqi journalist. Eve Chen – curator of the Giant Panda House at Taipei Zoo. Alexey Pajitnov – Russian engineer. Henk Rogers – American businessman. (Photo: U.S Troops rushing to the Normandy beaches. Credit: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)