The Documentary Podcast

Sean Allsop has had insomnia for much of his adult life and now sees it as a problem he wants to understand. He explores what countries are doing to tackle poor sleep and he examines the financial strain sleepless nights place on a nation. At home in the UK, he visits the first helpline dedicated to poor sleepers, joining a call as staff help people find answers and navigate the often confusing world of sleep advice. He also spends a night at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam, wired up with EEG electrodes as we discover what happens inside the sleeping brain and see first hand how scientists study sleep and investigate why some of us struggle to get it.

We travel to the Italian island of Sicily to see how Palermo residents are fighting back against the influence of the mafia. Presenter Myra Anubi meets people from the charity Addiopizzo, which encourages residents to stop paying protection money known as "pizzo." Meanwhile we visit a neighbourhood regeneration scheme which encourages young people to get involved and resist the temptation of joining the mafia.

Hungary under Viktor Orban was a model for the populist right the world over. But in April 2026 he and the party he led, Fidesz, was decisively defeated in an election that brought an end to his 16 years in power. In the six months since the election some of what Viktor Orban had institutionalised has been rolled back. The state-funded media is no longer under government control. Hungary has a new president, a former judge who had been peremptorily swept from office under the previous government. Hungary has recovered billions of Euros from the European Union withheld because of what it saw as democratic backsliding under Orban. There is a new policy towards Russia, in which the 2022 invasion of Ukraine is explicitly condemned. In early September Hungary expelled 10 Russian diplomats accusing them of activities incompatible with their status, a move unthinkable under Viktor Orban.

Birth rates are falling across much of the world, raising questions about the future of ageing populations and economies. We look at why people are having fewer children, from the financial pressures facing couples in the US to changing social attitudes. We also examine government efforts to reverse the trend, including Finland's generous family support system and Hungary's costly incentives for larger families.

A brand new season of the BBC’s space podcast explores the story of the revolutionary Hubble Space Telescope and the tiny flaw that almost destroyed the dream. This is the first episode in the season, to listen to more just search 13 Minutes wherever you get your BBC podcasts. In this episode, our view of the universe could be transformed by one of the most ambitious scientific instruments ever built but a terrible disaster strikes Nasa. After decades of meticulous planning, will the Hubble Space Telescope make it into space? Nasa believes the telescope is capable of doing the impossible: peering deeper into the universe than ever before and unlocking some of its greatest secrets. But Hubble is delicate and extraordinarily complex and it will be Astronaut Kathy Sullivan’s responsibility to help get it into space, no matter what. Archive: Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. 13…

Two rivers helped build civilisation. Now they are at the centre of a geopolitical struggle that casts a shadow over the future of the Middle East. For centuries, the Tigris and Euphrates carried goods, armies and ideas, shaping some of history's greatest empires. But today, a toxic mix of climate change, outdated irrigation methods and conflicting national interests is pushing these rivers to the brink. As Turkey’s vast dam projects reduce downstream flows, Iraq is being forced into negotiations that go far beyond water, touching on security cooperation, trade routes and energy. The Global Jigsaw tells the story of how water became a geopolitical bargaining chip. Find out more about BBC Monitoring on our website: monitoring.bbc.co.uk/ Contributors: Dilay Yalcin, Mohammed al-Jumaily Producer: Dilay Yalcin, Barry Sadid Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg Music: Pete Cunningham

The President of Cornell University says it "must do better" after a woman alleged she was drugged and raped by a group of men at a fraternity – or frat – house. Fraternities are all-male social organisations where the students live, study and socialise, and many are known for their parties. But they are also controversial and have been criticised for elitism and dangerous initiation rituals, referred to as hazing. “There’s a lot of forced drinking to get guys into a state of severe inebriation and if you weren’t participating you would be punished,” Mikey, a former President of a frat house tells us. “I did some things that I’m certainly not proud of.” Our guests share their experiences of secrecy, alcohol and discuss attitudes to women. They also describe working with young men today to help them understand consent.

From historic buildings linked to emancipation to tiny village chapels, Jamaica is home to the world’s highest density of churches. The Caribbean Island faced a profound spiritual crisis after Hurricane Melissa devastated many of the 1600 sacred spaces where people gathered to worship. Journalist and presenter Nick Davis, who has returned to his family's roots and now lives on the island, takes us on an emotional journey back to Black River and Lacovia, in the heart of the hardest-hit areas. Nearly six months on from one of the worst storms in living memory, Nick joins volunteers as they continue to dig through the rubble and salvage what they can. Their places of worship may be razed to the ground, but those who once gathered here demonstrate how faith brings fresh hope and a resilience that reaches far beyond the bricks and mortar.

Electoral battle lines are being drawn and redrawn in the United States right now, as Republicans and Democrats up the ante in an electoral redistricting war that many fear is undermining democracy. BBC North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher looks at how a once-a-decade act of political admin has turned into a rolling process of political partisanship, as parties compete to redraw voting districts, as they try to lock in near-guaranteed majorities. We look at the recent US Supreme Court ruling which has fuelled this growing political battleground and explore accusations of racist bias behind the decision making. While many observers are focused on the impact this could have on the imminent midterm elections, we look beyond November to see how it could shape all future elections as political parties work to manipulate the system in order to leave nothing to chance.

For International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (13 October), we are finding out how technology can help prevent disasters, save lives and help rescuers. In Argentina, we meet Franco Rodríguez Viau whose family friends lost their home in a fire, inspiring him to find a way of tracking wildfires. He was just a teenager when he began developing an app that combines Nasa satellite imagery with other data sources to identify and intercept fires before they become unmanageable. Meanwhile in Colombia, podcasters and sound engineers tell us about using their specialist recording equipment and live analysis of sound to detect breathing and tapping beneath earthquake rubble, helping rescuers locate survivors.

British Psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead, who has spent a lifetime working with violence perpetrators, visits Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang rehabilitation in the world. It offers, training, education, therapy and other services, was set up by a Jesuit Priest, Father Gregory Boyle. It was his response to the so-called “decade of death,” in the late 1980s, as his neighbourhood was terrorised by gang violence. Today, 40 years on, it has been called one of the most successful gang rehabilitation organisations in the world. Talking to Father Boyle and several former gang members, Dr Adshead explores the Home Boy model of rehabilitation and asks if something similar could work in other parts of the world.

With the cost of Government debt hitting its highest for many decades across the world, we explore how the world became so dependent on bonds, those IOUs from governments and firms that helped build the modern economy. Bonds are often dismissed as a dull corner of finance, but behind the scenes they have played a central role in major economic dramas around the world. We hear about their history, how they have shaped companies and countries, and why some fear the bond market could trigger the next global meltdown.

With perpetrators in exile, closure is out of reach. As Syria’s new authorities seek to hold figures of the former regime accountable, questions remain over the fate of Bashar al-Assad. The former president and members of his inner circle were granted asylum in Russia after a rebel offensive drove him from power in 2024. The transition ushered in a new chapter for Syria, raising hopes for justice, after decades of repression. The Global Jigsaw assesses the obstacles standing in the way of accountability, justice and closure. Can victims of Assad’s brutal reign find redress when some of the regime’s most notorious figures remain beyond the reach of Syrian courts? Find out more about BBC Monitoring on our website: https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/ Contributors: Tess Mallinder Heron, Clare Denning, Feras Kilani, Amalia Zatari Producer: Clare Denning, Tess Mallinder Heron, Kriszta Satori Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg Music: Pete Cunningham

We bring people together from around the world who are struggling to find somewhere affordable to live. We hear from Spain where the eviction of an 87-year-old woman has led to widespread protests, highlighting the country’s housing crisis. Young people in Ireland, Nigeria and India share their experiences of the difficulties they face finding a home, and 26-year-old Adam in the UK tells us about moving back in with his parents. “It leaves you quite dreamless, you haven’t really got anything you’re working towards,” he explains.

The French town of Lourdes is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics – this year even welcoming the Pope. This shrine in the Pyrenees Mountains is the site of miracles and Christian fervour, where the young shepherdess Bernadette Soubirous saw 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary and where many people believe they have been miraculously healed. The Feast of the Assumption is the most important date in the Lourdes calendar, when tens of thousands travel from all over the world, to drink and wash in the shrine’s water, and sing and pray in huge candle-lit processions behind the white statue of the Virgin Mary. John Laurenson has joined them to hear stories of the faithful, and to meet a woman whose job description is unique in the world. Dr Giana Monami investigates miracles. Her ‘Bureau de Constatation’ brings the cold analysis of science to claims of instant, otherwise-inexplicable, permanent healings. There have been 72 so far. Dr Monami talks about her investigations and the other miracles that happen here.…

Ten years on from the Ebola outbreak which tore through West Africa, journalist Tulip Mazumdar reconnects with survivors, healthcare workers and volunteers she met when reporting extensively from the frontline. The 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak killed over 11,000. The epidemic exposed how unprepared the world was for fast-moving outbreaks - and how quickly they could spiral out of control. Ordinary people took action and managed to contain the virus. In 2026, Ebola is back in the headlines as the Bundibugyo strain spreads in the DRC. What have we learnt about science communication, pandemic preparedness and grief in the last decade, that can help us today?

How something as simple as a walk can improve our wellbeing, sharpen our thinking and bring communities closer together. We try out an innovative walking map of the UK on a journey through London, then head to the United States and Hungary, where doctors are leading walks to build stronger relationships with their patients.

As Nepal deals with the aftermath of devastating floods, there have been renewed warnings about the impact of climate change on the Himalayas. As temperatures have risen, glaciers across the region have shrunk and the landscape has become more unstable. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent reports from one remote Nepalese mountain community that faces an existential threat from a melting glacier. The ancient village of Halji, near the Tibetan border, is home to a thousand year-old Buddhist monastery, one of the oldest in Nepal. But high above the village, meltwater has created glacial lakes . In 2011, parts of the village were destroyed when a glacial lake burst and sent a torrent of water and rocks down the valley. Other communities in the area have abandoned their homes, yet here villagers remain. So why are they determined to stay?

We head west along America's famed Route 66. As the road celebrates its 100th birthday, Victoria Craig finds out whether the pull of neon-drenched nostalgia is still attracting visitors and whether new investment can secure the future of the towns that depend on it.

India is undertaking the biggest population count the world has ever attempted - a digital census designed to capture the lives, identities and realities of more than 1.4 billion people. With three million field staff, self‑enumeration in 16 languages, and real‑time monitoring across cities, forests, floodplains and megacities, the operation is both a national ritual and a vast technological experiment. The census reaches far beyond population totals. It records religion, language, housing, migration, education, work, and for the first time in nearly a century, caste.

Warning: contains description of domestic violence In the last few months, nine women – including a young mother out jogging – have been murdered near Johannesburg. South Africa has one of the highest levels of violent crime against women in the world and the deaths have sparked an outcry across the country that more needs to be done. In our conversations we bring together survivors of domestic abuse and female runners. We also bring together founders of organisations helping to protect women and change attitudes.

Over the last 10 years, Dr Jane Orton has visited the remote Spiti Valley in the Himalayas to speak to the local Bhoti people about their lore and spiritual beliefs. In the many villages across the valley, stories about the deities are consistent from place to place but also transfigured. She hears about deities like Lhas, powerful beings that have been incorporated into Buddhism. Lhas serve many purposes from protection and curing illnesses to ensuring water security by bringing snow. Jane hears about Biyuls – hidden lands – where people are like those of Spiti valley, except they have no salt and only certain people can see and hear them. And she chases stories of the figure of Balu Thukangbu, a wish granting entity. Spiti Valley is rapidly changing, but its hidden deities remain a part of the spiritual life of the region.

A national debate over sexualised violence online has erupted in Germany, and been seized on by Germany's feminist movement. As AI-generated deepfakes and other forms of online abuse against women become increasingly widespread, young activists are demanding stronger legal protections and putting violence against women at the centre of the political agenda. Reporter Jeanny Wasielewski meets the campaigners leading this movement, alongside survivors, politicians and legal experts, to explore whether Germany can close the gap between rapidly evolving technology and outdated legislation. (Photo: Feminist Fight Club hold up a placard which reads 'sexualisierte und digitale gewalt stoppen' Credit: Lukas Stratmann)

Wular and Dal lakes are among Kashmir's most famous natural treasures, but decades of pollution, encroachment and neglect have taken their toll. Chhavi Sachdev follows conservationists, farmers and local communities as they attempt an ambitious restoration effort. Along the way, she discovers migratory birds returning, lotus flowers reappearing, and a circular economy transforming ecological waste into a valuable resource.

When President Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland opened its doors and their hearts to Ukrainian refugees. Millions of Ukrainians passed through Poland, getting all kinds of help from local people and from the Polish government. Many stayed. But there has been a dramatic change in feelings towards Ukrainians, particularly in recent months. From over 80% of Poles feeling positive about Ukrainians four years ago, that figure has fallen to 40%, according to opinion polls, while around half of Polish people express anti-Ukrainian sentiment. Cases of Ukrainians receiving verbal and physical abuse, both online and in real life have risen significantly. Polish military support for Kiev remains vital. So why has this downturn happened and what could the consequences be? John Murphy travels to Warsaw and to south-east Poland, close to the Ukrainian border, to speak to Poles and Ukrainians about how and why things are getting worse.

American journalist Austin Tice, vanished in Syria, but the US president says he’s alive. For more than a decade Austin's mother Debra has been leading the search for her son. As Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat travel to Syria to help Austin’s mother’s search, a source gives Josh information that might unlock where he is.

With Presidents Xi and Trump expected to meet in the United States this week, Will Bain looks back on the history of trade between the two great nations. It's always been fraught with controversy but there's also been a need or desire to get along. President Nixon was the first to visit China in 1972 and spoke with passion about the possibilities for the future between them. Trade then grew quickly but it became very one sided as China developed as an industrial nation. There have been several attempts to curb its dominance but cheaper production also meant cheaper goods for consumers. Chad Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute joins Will to assess how they have attempted to strike the right balance.

Xi Jinping is known to be a ruthless leader. In the last five years alone, China’s richest man, Jack Ma, China’s defence minister and the country’s foreign minister have all abruptly disappeared - some never to be seen in public again. Millions of Communist officials have been purged since Xi came to power. But one man was thought to be untouchable: the head of China’s military forces, Zhang Youxia. A childhood friend of Xi’s, Zhang was allowed to stay in his post, even as other military officials were disappearing. That is, until he, too, was suddenly gone. Celia Hatton investigates why Zhang was purged and looks inside and outside China for answers. She discovers there's a kind of pattern that dictators and autocratic rulers use to hold on to power. And this, she argues, can be a useful tool in predicting global military aggression.

For many of us, our phones are the first thing we look at in the morning and the last thing we put down at night. But with growing pressure over screen time and concerns about the impact of social media, tech companies like Meta have agreed to restrictions. In our conversations, we bring together three people who have received treatment for tech addiction. We also hear from those have decided not to use smartphones at all. “To me what’s weird is when a couple go on a date, instead of looking at each other and talking to each other, they’re staring at their own phones and texting people and doing whatever,” Loren in Los Angeles tells us.

Dalia Mogahed is one of the most prominent Muslim voices in American public life. For three decades, she has researched and defended the experiences of Muslim communities in the United States, advising leaders and challenging misconceptions about Islam, identity and belonging. But after a lifetime speaking for others, Dalia Mogahed is now exploring her own questions of faith and legacy. A cancer diagnosis on the eve of her 50th birthday prompted a period of deep reflection, bringing into focus years of personal loss, including the deaths of her father, her best friend and her mother, alongside the end of her marriage. Through these experiences, Dalia has been reflecting on how we find meaning, sustain faith and understand what truly matters. She reflects on the journey that has taken her from researcher and public intellectual to a more personal exploration of spirituality, vulnerability and purpose. She shares how faith can be tested, reshaped and deepened through moments of uncertainty.

Katy Watson highlights Australia’s complex, turbulent and evolving relationship with their number one trading partner - China. Having signed a free trade agreement eleven years ago, in recent years there has been a marked shift in relations, with Canberra balancing its security dependence on Washington with its economic reliance on Beijing. From businesses, diplomats and military personnel, Katy Watson asks if China is Australia’s enemy or friend? Or as some critics suggest, are they a ‘frenemy’?

We look at three solutions connected to the “three Rs” – reduce, reuse and recycle. The city of Brussels in Belgium is in the process of moving all 40 municipal nurseries over to reusable nappies – and have managed to do it without their staff kicking up a stink! Also energy companies around the world have found ways to encourage customers to reduce their consumption by making it fun, and lastly we meet Makafui Awuku in Ghana - a man on a mission to turn used plastic into school desks.

Political analysts and human rights organisations say Turkey's courts are increasingly being used to silence political dissent and to shape a more socially conservative society. The most prominent defendant is Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, and the opposition figure opinion polls suggest is most likely to beat President Erdoğan at the ballot box. İmamoğlu has been held in Silivri prison since March 2025 and now stands trial alongside more than 400 co-defendants in a sprawling corruption case. Other elected mayors have been removed from office and replaced by government appointees. Emily Wither speaks to a former judge punished for criticising the changes to Turkey's judiciary, mayors held for months without conviction, court reporters accused of spreading "disinformation," and performers prosecuted for what they said on stage.

Economic unease is growing among Russian workers as fuel shortages and Ukrainian drone strikes disrupt key sectors of the economy. Ed Butler examines the pressures facing businesses, workers and consumers, from damaged refineries to attacks on Wildberries warehouses. As concerns grow over prices, jobs and supply chains, what do these disruptions reveal about the resilience of Russia's wartime economy? Presenter: Ed Butler

In May, the Chief Justice of India unwittingly gave a name to a generational protest. He called unemployed young people “cockroaches” and the mass youth movement that had begun in the wake of the sudden cancellation of a national exam took on the title - the Cockroach Janta party. But India has not been the only country that has seen Gen Z - people aged between 14 and 29 - engaging in mass protests this year. It has been happening all over the place, from Serbia to Kenya. Different grievances, different circumstances, but the same generation. So what are the youth revolting about, and are they winning? Our panel of guests include Dr Nayana Prakash, research affiliate at the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge; Erica Frantz, associate professor in political science at Michigan State University and Matthew Cebul, lead research fellow at the Nonviolent Action Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Evidence suggests that millions around the world are ditching the most popular dating apps to pursue alternative options. Users complain that swiping is not leading to dates or meaningful relationships, just admin and fatigue. In our conversations, organisers of in-person dating events share their experiences. Amber tells us. “You could like someone’s photo, you could like speaking to them on the phone but when you meet them in person there’s something different that can’t be assessed online – that’s a big part of why people are coming back to in-person events.” We also bring together developers of specialist dating apps, including an advocate of “slow dating.”

On 11 September 2001, suicide attackers hijacked two passenger planes flying over the eastern United States and crashed them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing both buildings to collapse. The attack killed 2,753 people. As smoke billowed from the burning towers, firefighters, police officers and paramedics from across New York City raced to the scene, climbing stairwells packed with fleeing civilians in an effort to reach those trapped. When the towers fell, hundreds of first responders were still inside, and in the years since, even more have died from illnesses linked to their time working in the toxic dust of Ground Zero. Twenty-five years on, Kirsty Wark travels to New York to bring together the first responders and survivors who lived through that morning. New York Fire Department Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer was the first commander on the scene, and later became planning chief for the rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero. Office worker Richard Eichen, who escaped…

On 11 September, 2001, Paul Carris was working on the 71st floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. When the building was struck, he joined the evacuation and came across a colleague, Judith Toppin, who was struggling to descend the stairs. Paul stayed with her, supporting her through the long journey down as thousands fled and firefighters climbed towards the danger. They emerged only minutes before the tower collapsed. Paul believed he had saved Judith, but in the years that followed he came to understand that she had also saved him. Colm Flynn meets deacon Paul Carris to hear how the events of 9/11 transformed his life and faith. Paul recalls the extraordinary calm inside the stairwell, Judith praying Psalm 23, and the silence he later recognised as the presence of God. Twenty-five years after the attacks, he reflects on the terror of that day, and how a split-second decision to help a stranger changed his life forever.

There are over 730 sinkholes in central Turkey, and their numbers are surging, threatening farmers’ livelihoods and the country’s food supply chain. These sinkholes occur suddenly when the soil collapses, forming a gaping hole in the earth. The sinkholes are a symptom of the ongoing drought and unsustainable water extraction in Konya province, Turkey's agricultural heartland. The production of water-thirsty crops such as sugar beet is prioritised in this region, which is used to make Turkey’s sugar. To irrigate these crops, farmers have had to rely on licensed and unlicensed wells tapping into the groundwater. Years of drought has meant that underground reserves cannot be renewed, making current farming practices unsustainable. The increased formation of sinkholes is not a surprise for experts who have been warning for years that extracting groundwater could tip the balance of nature. These sinkholes have luckily not caused any deaths but they are revealing that time is running out to save water and…

Myra Anubi looks at two solutions that harness the power of pictures to help disabled people. Books Beyond Words is a UK charity that publishes books with no words, just big pictures on every page. They are made for people with learning disabilities, who come together to read them in book clubs. Myra also hears about TapSOS, the only smartphone app to be approved by the UK’s emergency services, which is aimed at people who struggle to speak on the phone. We hear from one user who believes it saved his life.

Russian is the first language of millions of Ukrainians, including many of the country’s frontline troops. But it is also the language of their enemy. Its public use is increasingly restricted by law, with ever more measures to enforce communication in Ukrainian. Ukrainians are allowed to speak Russian in private conversations. But they can be fined for playing a Russian language song in the street, if the singer or composer is a Russian citizen. The state says Russian must be policed because Russia uses the language as a weapon to spread its influence. But in primarily Russian-speaking places such as Odesa, Ukraine’s third-largest city, many are unhappy about the language laws. Tim Whewell reports on the arguments dividing a city under constant Russian bombardment, as one side calls the Russian language a colonial hangover, while the other says cultural diversity is what Ukraine should be fighting for.

There is a general fear that artificial intelligence could make huge swathes of workers redundant, but are those fears unjustified? Rob Young asks what history can tell us about big technological leaps and how they changed the world of work at the time. How much of the rate of change comes down to customer preference - would you rather deal with a bot or a person?

We visit two projects exploring practical responses to homelessness and housing insecurity. Presenter Myra Anubi travels to Edinburgh to see the work of Social Bite, a charity creating small communities of prefabricated homes on unused land, offering people a stable place to live and rebuild their lives. Meanwhile, in Nantes, western France, we meet the team behind Bureaux du Cœur, which partners with businesses to open up unused office space as safe overnight accommodation for people in need.

The rescuers who dodge drones and bombs to evacuate from frontline areas in Ukraine, known as the “kill zone”. More than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, thousands of civilians still live dangerously close to active combat zones. Getting them to safety requires powers of persuasion, knowledge of warfare, and nerves of steel. The Global Jigsaw explores how volunteer evacuation efforts of civilians in eastern Ukraine have evolved throughout the war, and how rescuers continue to adapt to an increasingly hostile and unpredictable battlefield. Find out more about BBC Monitoring on our website: https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk Contributors: Vitaly Shevchenko Producer: Kriszta Satori, Tim Bowler Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg Music: Pete Cunningham

Survivors of the floods in Nepal share their experiences of escape from the torrent of water that swept through valleys in the Himalayas, killing at least 1.300 people. “For me that river valley was where I built my dreams,” Gaurav, who owned a café tells us. “Within a few minutes we lost everything, everything was swept away.” Gaurav is joined in conversation by his friend Sakil, who lost his family home in the floods. Extraordinary pictures of the first people to be rescued after nine days have been shared with the world. They were trapped in a hydro-electric power station tunnel with many others. But thousands, including foreign nationals from India, the UK, Australia and the US, are still missing. We bring together two families, hoping their loved ones will be found.

Fred Hammond is one of the biggest names in Gospel music, with 15 Grammy awards, and a career that spans over 40 years, from playing bass in The Winans to more recently his Tiny Desk Concert. His songs are loved by Christians around the world, and gospel fan and radio presenter Swarzy Shire wants to learn more about the man behind the music and how his faith has kept inspiring that music. Fred has faced ups and downs publicly from his divorce and the impact that has had on his family, to his physical suffering with multiple knee operations and a fall from stage just two years ago. He shares with Swarzy how his faith and music have helped him overcome the painful periods in his life.

Forty years ago, an iceberg broke away from the Antarctic ice shelf. But this was no ordinary iceberg. A colossal chunk of ice which covered an area twice the size of London, it was as deep as the Empire State building is high and it weighed a trillion tonnes. For nearly four decades A23a was the world’s largest iceberg. Glaciologist Dr. Catherine Walker tells the story of A23a from its origins, its ice being laid down deep in the Antarctic over millennia, through to its final chapter - shrinking, melting and feeding the ocean from which it came. Catherine talks to glaciologists who study the vast cracks which propagate across the Antarctic ice shelf and to scientists who have seen A23a up close and followed its journey and its impact as it released a trillion tonnes of fresh water and nutrients into the marine environment.

Presenter Becky Green lost one of her twins to sepsis in 2018. It is a condition that, according to the World Health Organization, is implicated in one in five deaths worldwide - more than bowel, prostate and lung cancer combined. Sepsis can begin as a simple infection and escalate within hours, overwhelming the body and causing organ failure. It is a race against time that too often goes unrecognised until it is too late. But around the world, that is starting to change. Becky speaks to Dr Kissoon of the Global Sepsis Alliance about how our understanding of sepsis has changed. In Malawi and Uganda, she meets the team behind the APT Sepsis programme. By educating healthcare workers on hand hygiene, infection prevention and early detection they have cut maternal deaths and severe infections from sepsis by 32%. In Madrid, Dr Rosa Mendez explains how a hospital-wide "sepsis code" - mirroring fast-track protocols for heart attacks and strokes - has brought sepsis mortality down from 24% to 17%. This episode of…

AI cameras, drones, licence plate readers, sound detection, Flock - the United States is monitored through a growing, high-tech, and increasingly interconnected surveillance network. In some cities, like Houston, Texas, the true extent of this system is a secret. Law enforcement says this is all for public safety - to prevent crime and assist investigations. Critics think it is an invasion of privacy, open to misuse, and a sneaky tool aiding ICE in President Trump’s deportation drive. One company is bearing the brunt of the backlash: Flock Safety. Its network of AI-powered licence plate readers spans over 6000 communities, generating 20 billion vehicle scans a month. Vigilantes have been cutting down Flock devices. Social media is full of tips on how to obstruct or disable the cameras. Ellie House is in Houston, Texas, to investigate the surveillance network authorities do not want you to know about. She sees how Flock has been used by police to fight crime, gets inside the anti-surveillance techlash, and…

The Made in Turkey label found in so much of our clothing could disappear as the industry faces competition from countries like Egypt. Turkey is battling huge inflation and hundreds of clothing factories are going bankrupt leaving tens of thousands out of work. Emily Wither reports from Istanbul.