Podcast appearances and mentions of linda pressly

Early on a Sunday morning in February in the Spanish seaside town of Benalmadena, Catalina, a 48-year-old mother of four, was killed at home – the building was set on fire. Her ex-partner was arrested and remains in custody. In January, Lina – as she was known to her family and friends – had reported her ex-partner to the police for ill-treatment and threatening behaviour. And by doing so, she became one of around 100,000 cases of gender-based violence active in Spain's VioGen system.VioGen is an algorithm used by the police – it's a risk assessment tool. Based on a woman's answers to a series of questions, it calculates the likelihood she will be attacked again so police resources can be allocated to protect those most in danger. The level of risk could be negligible, low, medium, high or extreme. Lina was recorded as being at ‘medium' risk of a further attack by the man who was her ex-partner. Three weeks later, she was dead. VioGen's critics are concerned about the number of women registered on the system who are then murdered by men who are former or current partners. Its champions claim that without VioGen there would be far more violence against women.With AI in the ascendency, and governments increasingly turning to algorithms to make decisions affecting society, for Crossing Continents, Linda Pressly and Esperanza Escribano investigate the story of VioGen and domestic violence in Spain.

Early on a Sunday morning in February in the Spanish seaside town of Benalmadena, Catalina, a 48-year-old mother of four, was killed at home – the building was set on fire. Her ex-partner was arrested and remains in custody. In January, Lina – as she was known to her family and friends – had reported her ex-partner to the police for ill-treatment and threatening behaviour. And by doing so, she became one of around 100,000 cases of gender-based violence active in Spain's VioGen system. VioGen is an algorithm used by the police – it's a risk assessment tool. Based on a woman's answers to a series of questions, it calculates the likelihood she will be attacked again so police resources can be allocated to protect those most in danger. The level of risk could be negligible, low, medium, high or extreme. Lina was recorded as being at ‘medium' risk of a further attack by the man who was her ex-partner. Three weeks later, she was dead. VioGen's critics are concerned about the number of women registered on the system who are then murdered by men who are former or current partners. Its champions claim that without VioGen there would be far more violence against women. With AI in the ascendency, and governments increasingly turning to algorithms to make decisions affecting society, for Crossing Continents, Linda Pressly and Esperanza Escribano investigate the story of VioGen and domestic violence in Spain.Presented and produced by Linda Pressly and Esperanza Escribano Studio mix by Nigel Appleton Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Series editor: Penny Murphy

In Saxony, our correspondent hears why young voters are increasingly supporting the AfD. The party is polling consistently in second place ahead of a snap election next SundayLONG: Kate Adie presents stories from Germany, the US, Afghanistan, Spain and Morocco.Germany goes to the polls on 23rd February, with the conservative CDU party showing a strong lead. But the far right AfD is consistently polling in second place. The biggest rise in support for the party has been among young voters, and Jessica Parker has spoken to some of them in Saxony to hear why.Mahjooba Nowrouzi returns to Afghanistan, for the first time in nearly 30 years, having fled the oppressive Taliban regime as a young student. She describes how despite initial first impressions, not much had changed with the Taliban back in control once more.This week, Jordan's King Abdullah visited Washington, where he made clear to President Trump that he and other regional leaders were unanimous in rejecting plans to take over Gaza and transfer Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt. Tom Bateman followed the encounter between King Abdullah and the President.In Southern Spain, the olive yield has risen substantially after several years of punishing drought. But apart from the challenges of climate change and on-going desertification in Spain, farmers have another worry – crime. Last year in Andalucía over 500 tonnes of olives were stolen. It's a headache for local law enforcement, as Linda Pressly found out on a visit to the olive groves there.Morocco has long been the film location of choice for many a Hollywood director, with its array of studios and versatile backdrops. But now, as John Kampfner discovered on a recent visit, a combination of tight budgets and technology, suggest that the good times might be running out in the ‘Hollywood of Africa.'Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Bridget Harney Production coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie Hill

Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil. But successive, brutal droughts have led to plummeting production, whilst prices have reached record highs. For 2024 / 2025, the weather's been better - Spain's predicted to increase the quantity of olives harvested. Even so, this remains a stressed industry. Climate change hasn't gone away - as we saw so devastatingly last year in Valencia. And in some areas of Spain, the scarcity of water has persisted, with predictions of a near 90% drop in olive production. Critics say super-intensive farming - the rise of the olive ‘mega-farm' – may also further threaten depleted water resources. Meanwhile, the soaring price of the olives that produce ‘liquid gold' means rural law enforcement is taken up with cases of theft by criminal gangs targeting this precious commodity.For Assignment, Linda Pressly and Esperanza Escribano report from the olive groves of Spain at harvest time.

Singapore has some of the harshest drug laws in the world. The penalties for trafficking illegal narcotics include decades in prison and even a death sentence. Citizens of Singapore face consequences even if they take drugs while abroad. The government argues its zero-tolerance policy towards drugs – including cannabis - is an effective deterrent.Katya Adler speaks to journalist and documentary maker Linda Pressly about whether Singapore's harsh drugs laws really deter drug crimes.You can listen to Linda's full documentary 'Assignment: Singapore – drugs, rehab, execution' by searching for The Documentary wherever you get your podcasts.Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts and Peter GoffinSound engineers: Mike Regaard and Phil BullAssistant editor: Sergi Forcada FreixasSenior news editor: Sara Wadeson

Singapore's drug laws are severe. The penalties for trafficking illegal narcotics range from a prison term to execution. And if you're caught using any illicit narcotic, including cannabis, you may find yourself in compulsory rehab. In this double edition of Assignment for The Documentary, Linda Pressly's given access to the state's austere Drug Rehabilitation Centre. She also explores how the law on trafficking is applied, meets the sister of a man who was hung after a heroin conviction, and learns that it's also illegal for a Singaporean to consume drugs overseas.

Kate Adie introduces stories from Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Singapore, Oman and Vietnam.The Amazon rain forest in Brazil has suffered its worst fires in two decades, with most started illegally by humans looking to exploit the land for its resources. The world relies on the Amazon to absorb a lot of its carbon, but these fires mean it is now emitting record amounts itself. Ione Wells has been in Brazil's west.The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the world's most biodiverse countries, though decades of war and deforestation have led to the degradation of the environment. But a group of scientists is trying to revitalise a forgotten reserve in Haut-Katanga province. Hugh Kinsella Cunningham travelled with them to the Upemba National Park.Singapore has a zero-tolerance policy on illegal drugs, and is one of only a few countries that continues to execute people convicted of drug trafficking. For those caught using illicit narcotics, the punishments can also be severe. Linda Pressly met recovering addicts undergoing compulsory treatment in a state-run rehab centre.Oman is growing in popularity as a tourist destination, though the oil-rich sultanate is focusing on its ancient heritage, rather than the hi-tech desert cities of its neighbours. This travel boom is also providing opportunities for women entrepreneurs hoping to break cultural barriers, as Sophia Smith Galer discovered in the Salalah region.And we travel to Vietnam where William Lee Adams embarked on a personal mission while filming a travel documentary - to lay his elder brother's ashes to rest at his family's temple in Ho Chi Minh City.Series producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie presents stories from Russia, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Vanuatu and Germany.The trial of US journalist, Evan Gershkovich in the city of Yekaterinburg will be conducted behind closed doors. He is just one of many journalists who went to Russia to report on the country, as Vladimir Putin's clampdown on media freedoms intensified. Steve Rosenberg was in Yekaterinburg and reflects on Russia's handling of the case.Last year, just over 9000 deaths - around 5% of the total number - occurred as a result of euthanasia in the Netherlands, where it's legal. It's very rare, but every year, there are more Dutch couples choosing to end their lives at the same time. Linda Pressly met someone whose parents made the decision to die together.In Taiwan, civil liberties are strongly supported, and it is now one of the world's most progressive countries regarding gay rights. On a recent visit to the capital Taipei, Lucy Ash meets some who fear that should China invade in the future, hard-won rights could be taken away.In the South Pacific, Vanuatu is grappling with what happens when a significant proportion of its workforce is lured away by higher paid jobs in hospitality, agriculture and elderly care to the likes of New Zealand and Australia. In Port Vila, Rebecca Root speaks to locals about what that means for a country struggling to build up its own economy.And finally, the UEFA Euro 2024 football championship is taking place at a time when Europe is seeing many political rifts. On a tour of some of the host cities in Germany, James Helm reflects on how football tournaments still have the power to unite rather than divide.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Vadon and Tom Bigwood Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison

Els and Jan have fewer than three days left on Earth. Childhood sweethearts who met in kindergarten more than six decades ago, they know precisely when they will die. And how. On an early summer's Monday morning they will travel to a nearby hospice. Some of their family and friends will accompany them. And then precisely at 10.30am - holding hands, they hope - two doctors will administer lethal medication to each of them.In the Netherlands, euthanasia and assisted suicide are legal if someone is suffering unbearably with no prospect of getting better. The suffering can be physical or psychological. Els was diagnosed with dementia. Jan lived with pain 24/7.Last year, 33 Dutch couples chose to die like Els and Jan. And in February, one of the Netherlands' former Prime Ministers ended his life by euthanasia together with his wife. For Assignment, Linda Pressly meets Els and Jan as they prepare for the end. And she explores the complex issue of allowing euthanasia in cases of dementia. A warning: some listeners might find the content of this documentary upsetting.

Kate Adie introduces stories from Myanmar, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Mexico.In Myanmar, tens of thousands of people have been killed since the military seized power in a coup in 2021, halting the country's tentative transition to democracy - a further 2.5m people have been displaced. Quentin Sommerville has spent a month in the east of the country, living alongside resistance groups fighting the junta the jungles of Karenni state on the border with Thailand, and Shan state, which borders China.In a visit to Kyiv this week, Germany's foreign minister urged Western governments to supply more air defence weapons to protect Ukrainians from what she described as 'the rain of Russian missiles.' Jonathan Beale met with a Ukrainian military unit known as The Peaky Blinders, which is defending territory near Kharkiv with armed drones.The world's largest inland body of water, the Caspian Sea, is shrinking at an unprecedented rate. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent travelled to Mangystau, in western Kazakhstan, to find out why this is happening, and how it's affecting the people and the wildlife along its coastal communities.In the city of Tijuana. right on the Mexico-US border, 3,000 men are incarcerated in La Mesa Prison, living six to a cell, and sharing a tiny bathroom. It's a claustrophobic and monotonous regime, so any distraction is welcome - and that might come in the form of a visit from a group of mostly elderly nuns. Linda Pressly joined them on a mission to provide spiritual support – and some small comfort.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Sophie Hill

Thousands of people every day are on the move across Mexico towards the border with the US. But for migrants, this is one of the most perilous journeys in the world: land routes are dominated by powerful drug cartels and organised crime groups.In this episode of Crossing Continents, Linda Pressly hears terrifying stories of kidnap and extortion from those who have risked everything to enter the United States. The US/Mexico border has become the most important battleground for Americans in this year's presidential election, but it seems no one can stop the men with guns who operate with impunity south of the border in Mexico. Producer/presenter: Linda Pressly Producer: Tim Mansel Producer in Mexico: Ulises Escamilla Sound: Neil Churchill Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Penny Murphy

Thousands of people every day are on the move across Mexico towards the border with the US. But for migrants, this is one of the most perilous journeys in the world: land routes are dominated by powerful drug cartels and organised crime groups.In this episode of Border Stories, Linda Pressly hears terrifying stories of kidnap and extortion from those who have risked everything to enter the United States. The US/Mexico border has become the most important battleground for Americans in this year's presidential election, but it seems no one can stop the men with guns who operate with impunity south of the border in Mexico.

In 2018 the US government under President Trump introduced a policy of “Zero Tolerance” at its border with Mexico. Anyone attempting to enter the US without documentation would be prosecuted, even if it was a first offence. If they were travelling with children, their children would be taken from them. The policy was cancelled within weeks but not before thousands of families had been separated. Six years on, several hundred are still to be reunited. Migration is perhaps the most important battleground in this year's presidential election. Both President Biden and his challenger, Donald Trump, have made recent visits to the border. And Zero Tolerance still resonates.Linda Pressly hears about the pain of separation as experienced by a man from Guatemala; speaks to the people still trying to put families back together; and asks if a new administration might turn again to Zero Tolerance in an attempt to deter would-be migrants to the United States.

Kate Adie presents stories from Israel, Guatemala, The Philippines, Greece and the Faroe IslandsUS Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is in the Middle East for another round of crisis diplomacy. After the assassination of a senior Hamas leader this week, there are now concerns the conflict will widen. Tom Bateman has just left his post in the Middle East and is now covering US foreign policy from Washington - which as he reflects - might have to draw on some lessons from history.Ahead of his inauguration next weekend, Bernardo Arevalo, Guatemala's President-elect, has had to contend with a series of attempts to prevent him from taking power. His victory in elections last year confounded all expectations, and was widely seen as a repudiation of Guatemala's political elite, which has been dogged by corruption allegations for many years. But, the country's democratic future is still hanging in the balance, says Rory Sullivan.Linda Pressly meets with a Catholic priest and a forensic pathologist in the Philippines, who are exhuming the remains of victims of Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. In the process they discover evidence that points to a very different version of events to the official line.Heidi Fuller-Love visits the Greek island, Antikythera, whose remote and idyllic setting is its greatest allure for visitors, but it also poses its biggest challenge for the small number of residents there. Now the Greek government is paying people 500 euros to live there.And finally - Tim Ecott reports from the Faroe Islands of the North Atlantic where residents are trying to conserve their land and traditions in the face of an influx of tourists.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Vadon Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

In 2016, the Philippines' newly elected president, Rodrigo Duterte declared there was one, common enemy: the drugs trade. What followed was a bloodbath. Addicts, alleged traffickers, and many who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, were gunned down in the streets by the security services. The government put the number of people killed in the ‘war on drugs' at 6,252, a figure that does not include the thousands killed by unknown assailants. Now some of those victims are speaking from beyond the grave. A Catholic priest, Father Flaviano 'Flavie' Villanueva, offers families help to exhume and cremate the bodies. But before cremation, the remains are examined by one of only two forensic pathologists in the Philippines, Dr Raquel Fortun. Her findings often contradict police narratives. Linda Pressly reports on the efforts to uncover the truth.

In 2016, the Philippines' newly elected president, Rodrigo Duterte declared there was one, common enemy: the drugs trade. What followed was a bloodbath. Addicts, alleged traffickers – and so many who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time – were gunned down in the streets by the security services. Often, the police claimed there had been a shoot-out and they had shot back in self-defence. The government put the number of people killed in the ‘war on drugs' at 6,252 – that figure doesn't include the thousands killed by unknown assailants. Now some of those victims are speaking from beyond the grave. Many were poor, and their families couldn't afford a permanent resting place in a cemetery. Instead, they rented a burial spot. And, as those short leases have come up for eviction, a Catholic priest, Father Flavie Villanueva, offers families help to exhume and cremate the bodies. But before cremation, the remains are examined by one of only two forensic pathologists in the Philippines, Dr Raquel Fortun. Dr Fortun has assessed the skeletal remains of dozens of victims of the ‘war on drugs'. Her findings often contradict police narratives. For Crossing Continents, Linda Pressly reports on these efforts to uncover the truth of what happened under President Duterte. But she also hears how, under a new president since 2022 - Ferdinand Marcos Jr - the killings on the streets have continued. Producer: Tim Mansel Presenter: Linda Pressly Studio mix by James Beard Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Penny Murphy

The Church of England prohibits same-sex relations. Even so, the debate on this position – in the UK and the worldwide Anglican Communion - continues. Should the Church allow and conduct LGBT blessings, and even marriages? And can the Church ever sanction sexual relations between two people who are not husband and wife, man and woman? These are the questions Anglicans tussle with. Most recently, bishops in England made a proposal that same-sex couples should be welcomed in church for a blessing. Opposition from conservative, Anglican groups has been noisy, including from some same-sex attracted Christians. Ahead of the General Synod, the Church of England's regular gathering of bishops, and elected clergy and laity, Heart and Soul explores the most divisive and explosive issue facing Anglicans. Linda Pressly meets Christians who both accept, and struggle with, the Church's teachings on sexuality. Producer/presenter: Linda Pressly Editor: Helen Grady Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno (Photo: Esther and Victoria were married in September, 2019 in Old Saint Paul's Church in Edinburgh. The Scottish Episcopal Church is a member of the world-wide Anglican Communion, but it has allowed same-sex marriage since 2017. Credit: Marta Kacala)

William Crawley has the latest on events in Israel-Gaza. He'll also be discussing use of scripture in war rhetoric with two experts after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced the Bible earlier this week. Also on the programme, a Sikh man who felt discriminated against when he was barred from doing jury service because of his religious sword. Are bells the soothing sound of Sunday morning or a nuisance for neighbours? New bells are going up at a parish in Devon and it's caused a bit of a ding dong. Hear from the Canon of St James's Church in Tiverton as well as critics. The Church of England General Synod meets later this month and one of the issues to be discussed includes same-sex relationships. In February, the Synod voted in favour of allowing blessings in church for LGBT couples, whilst maintaining that there was no change in the church's doctrine of marriage: church weddings would still only be for heterosexual couples. For supporters of same-sex marriage, it didn't go far enough. The BBC's Linda Pressly met some of those who feel strongly on both sides of this debate. Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Rosie Dawson Editor: Tim Pemberton

In 2020 Belize was broke. Again. This small, climate-vulnerable, Central American nation is home to the western hemisphere's longest barrier reef. And it was about to default on a debt of over half a billion dollars. Enter an American NGO... The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is the world's largest conservation charity. TNC made an offer to the government of Belize: it would help restructure the debt, if Belize would channel the savings made into its precious coastal resources. In 2021, the deal became reality – creditors were paid off, and investors found for the new, so-called ‘blue bond.' Belize's debt shrank by 12% overnight. A win-win, right? But as Linda Pressly finds on a trip to Belize for Assignment, the ‘blue bond' hasn't been universally welcomed. There are concerns about an international NGO having influence in a poor nation, and arguments about which Belizean marine organisations have benefitted from the new investment. And there is one unresolved question: what does the ‘blue bond' agreement mean for the potential future exploration of offshore oil in Belizean waters? Presenter/producer: Linda Pressly Sound engineer: Neil Churchill Editor: Penny Murphy (Photo: Replanting corals to restore Belize's barrier reef is critical work in an era of climate emergency. Credit: Fragments of Hope)

In 2020 Belize was broke. Again. This small, climate-vulnerable, Central American nation is home to the western hemisphere's longest barrier reef. And it was about to default on a debt of over half a billion dollars. Enter an American NGO... The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is the world's largest conservation charity. TNC made an offer to the government of Belize: it would help restructure the debt, if Belize would channel the savings made into its precious coastal resources. In 2021, the deal became reality – creditors were paid off, and investors found for the new, so-called ‘blue bond.' Belize's debt shrank by 12% overnight. A win-win, right? But as Linda Pressly finds on a trip to Belize, the ‘blue bond' hasn't been universally welcomed. There are concerns about an international NGO having influence in a poor nation, and arguments about which Belizean marine organisations have benefitted from the new investment. And there is one unresolved question: what does the ‘blue bond' agreement mean for the potential future exploration of offshore oil in Belizean waters? Presented and produced by Linda Pressly Sound engineer: Neil Churchill Series Editor: Penny Murphy

Kate Adie introduces correspondents' and writers' stories from the Chad/Sudan border, Hawaii's Maui island, Belize, Portugal and Azerbaijan More than a million people have fled violence in Sudan for relative safety over the border in Chad - but conditions there are harsh, and medical help running desperately short. Mercy Juma spent a week near the refugee camp in Adre hearing stories of what had driven so many from their homes in Darfur. Maui island is still reeling in shock and grief after the wildfires, fanned up by strong winds, which have ripped across it and burned the town of Lahaina to the ground. John Sudworth reflects on the anger and concern - as well as the resilience - he's heard expressed by Hawaiians over their state's emergency response. How can one of the Western Hemisphere's smallest countries, Belize, take care of one of its longest barrier reefs? In a heavily indebted nation of under half a million people that's also highly vulnerable to climate change, NGOs must often step in where the state can't enforce conservation measures. Linda Pressly took took a boat to a speck in the Caribbean called Laughing Bird Caye, to hear of the threats from fishing boats, tourists - and even drug smugglers - in these waters. Portugal's government has drawn up a plan promising the nation "More Housing" - trying to address a runaway property boom and a sense that a decent home is now out of reach for far too many people. But as Alison Roberts explains, rebalancing both rental and buyers' markets will not be easy. And in the cities of Baku and Shusha, Simon Broughton pays close attention to sounds from Azerbaijan's own classical music tradition: the genre called mugha, which mixes delicate instrumentation with poetic vocals, lively improvisation and deep human feeling. Producer: Polly Hope Editor: Bridget Harney Production Co-Ordinator: Gemma Ashman

Kate Adie presents stories from DR Congo, Mexico, Hungary, Argentina, and South Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing multiple conflicts over territory, ethnic tensions and minerals. In the last month, fighting between the M23 rebel group and the government is believed to have displaced around 300,000 people. But the presence of other armed groups is making the situation even more perilous. One group, the Allied Democratic Forces, has reportedly killed more than 60 people in recent weeks, and kidnapped many others. Hugh Kinsella-Cunningham spoke to one woman who had recently escaped captivity in Beni territory. The Mexican port of Manzinillo has become a battleground for cartels, as it's where many of the raw materials for drugs such as Fentanyl are imported from Asia. Linda Pressly meets the town's mayor who is trying to turn the tide of crime - and hears of the personal sacrifices she has to make to keep safe. Hungary has faced criticism for its progress on women's rights, but in specific areas of women's healthcare it is leading the way. Rosie Blunt was in Hungary to access care for her endometriosis and found the support on offer was second-to-none. Off the beaten track in north-West Argentina, John Kampfner explores the high peaks and brightly-coloured lagoons that are home to vast numbers of flamingos. He also makes a curious discovery in a local museum, with deep cultural ties to the mountains. Which is the harder language to learn - Welsh, or Xhosa? BBC Wales sports reporter Gareth Rhys Owen recently took a trip to South Africa, where he met rugby legend Makaya Jack – and also met his match when it came to deciding whose mother tongue was hardest to master. Series Producer: Serena Tarling Researcher: Beth Ashmead Production Coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie presents stories from Brazil, Russia, the US, South Korea and Italy Brazilians this week mourned the loss of one of their greatest footballers, Pele, with hundreds of thousands going to view his open casket in Santos. Meanwhile, the politics continue to divide the nation as Lula Da Silva returned to power. Katy Watson was in Brasilia for his inauguration and reflects on the challenges ahead. Vladimir Putin used his New Year address this year to rally the nation once more for war, as festive ice sculptures even depicted military figures. The announcement of a ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas appeared incongruous with Putin's rhetoric and was dismissed by Ukrainians as a plot to stay their advances. Steve Rosenberg was in Moscow as Russians were once more put on a war footing. Linda Pressly has a dispatch from Tucson in Arizona where she met a group of committed Christians helping migrants who've crossed from Mexico into the harsh landscape of the Sonoran desert, and lost their way. This comes as President Joe Biden prepares to visit the border next week. John Murphy visits the rooftop apartments of South Korea's capital Seoul to hear why they hold such appeal for young Koreans - and how economic circumstances, and social expectations are causing some to leave the city altogether. Rome was also in mourning for another iconic figure - of the Catholic church. 50 000 mourners reportedly attended the funeral of Pope Benedict in St Peter's Square and tens of thousands more paid homage to him as he lay in state. David Willey has covered the Vatican for half a decade, and says there is a bigger sea change underway.

Alvaro Enciso is an artist. He arrived in the US from Colombia in the 1960s and now lives in Tucson, Arizona on the edge of the unforgiving Sonoran Desert. If you are a migrant, this is one of the deadliest places to journey across the border from Mexico into the United States. Many of those who begin that lengthy walk will not make it – thousands have died in the attempt. Alvaro Enciso feels a very human connection to those lives lost. So every Tuesday, he does something extraordinary. Together with a group of volunteers, Alvaro motors off-road through the dust and the cacti, and plants painted, wooden crosses in the precise locations where Undocumented Border Crossers have taken their last breaths. For Heart and Soul, Linda Pressly travels into the Sonoran Desert with Alvaro Enciso and his team. Producer & presenter: Linda Pressly Producer in Arizona: Tim Mansel (Photo: Alvaro Enciso with one of his crosses. Credit: Tim Mansel)

Albania's Prime Minister this week has accused the UK of scapegoating his country's citizens to excuse its ‘failed policies' on migration. This comes amid a deepening crisis over the UK's handling of asylum seekers. Sara Monetta spoke to people in the suburbs of Tirana about why many of Albania's young people are choosing to leave. Last weekend, young people gathered in the district of Itaewon, in the South Korean capital Seoul, to celebrate Halloween in far greater numbers than usual. The subsequent crush killed more than 150 people. Laila Shahrokhshahi experienced first-hand the force of the crowds before tragedy struck. Voters in Israel chose to return Benjamin Netanyahu to power in this week's election. The big story of his dramatic comeback has been about the rise of Israel's far-right, which he helped cultivate as a parliamentary alliance to boost the numbers for his right-wing bloc in the Knesset. Tom Bateman looks at the emergence of a new kingmaker, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ahead of the midterm elections, the abortion debate still polarises the US, following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs Wade. During those proceedings, there was also talk of Safe Haven laws, which exist in every state, and allow mothers to leave their new-borns at a designated safe site if they feel they are unable to take care of them. In Arizona, Linda Pressly met a family with direct experience of this. Ukraine's President has accused the Kremlin of 'energy terrorism', saying millions of people have been left without power because of Russian attacks on the country's power grid. Hugo Bachega has been living in the city for the past few months, and describes how Kyiv's citizens have once again adapted to rapidly changing circumstances. Presenter: Kate Adie Producers: Serena Tarling and Ellie House Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond

Since the Taliban took power last year, more than half a million Afghans have lost their jobs, and the country now faces a severe economic crisis. There was a glimmer of hope for secondary school girls this week though as they prepared to go back to school - but it was short-lived, says Secunder Kermani. Allan Little reflects on the parallels between this war and a previous conflict, in the former Yugoslavia, where cities also came under siege as Serbian nationalists sought to take back control of the state of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Bosnians, like the Ukrainians, while out-powered, put up a courageous resistance, and, in that conflict, Nato ultimately decided to intervene. International observers are increasingly worried that a cash-strapped Palestinian Authority could face financial collapse. Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund described the fiscal outlook as “dire." Meanwhile vital healthcare services are being dramatically affected. Yolande Knell visited a hospital in East Jerusalem. Texas has the most restrictive abortion law in the United States. But for some Texans the law doesn't go far enough – they want a complete ban. The campaign to outlaw abortion altogether is being played out in towns across this huge state led by evangelical Christians. Linda Pressly visits west Texas to meet some of the activists. Oaxaca city in Mexico has become a much-desired location for destination weddings for both Europeans and North Americans. But the community there is divided over whether this is a helpful source of income for the locals, or an exercise in exploitation which ends up eroding the indigenous culture and customs finds Louis Harnett O'Meara. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

The drug-related violence in Mexico is sometimes described as being “like a war.” Certainly the death toll justifies calling it that, with three hundred thousand people killed in the past fifteen years, many of them innocent civilians. About a hundred thousand have simply disappeared, presumed dead, and with their families left to search for them. Will Grant travelled to the northern state of Sonora, and joined locals digging in the ground, both hopeful - and fearful - of what they might find. The long-running civil war in Syria has forced half the country to leave their homes: around six and a half million are internally displaced within Syria, and another six and a half million have fled abroad. Most of those who reached Europe have gone to Germany, many traumatised, having survived bombings, or lost family members in the fighting – some have been tortured. You might expect these people would form tight-knit communities, as victims of similar harsh experiences looking out for each other. However, when Michael Ertl spoke to Syrian refugees in Berlin he found a community divided by mistrust. The streets in Kazakhstan's cities are quiet now, and the Russian soldiers have gone home; the country is returning to some semblance of normality, after anti-government protests which left at least two hundred people dead. However, the country's Defence Minister has been sacked for failing to quell the protests when they started, and the head of Kazakhstan's intelligence agency, the KNB, has been arrested for treason. Meanwhile, Abdujalil Abdurasulov says, thousands of protestors remain in detention, with allegations they have been tortured. Here' a puzzle: what cost nearly a billion pounds, has not been finished, and will not do what it was designed for any time soon? The answer is: a new road in Montenegro. It was supposed to link the country's main port to Montenegro's neighbour, Serbia, encouraging valuable cargo to the country. However, the project is already two year's late, and so far, this road to the sea does not actually reach the sea, but stops way short. Chinese money is involved, along with Montenegrin politicians past and present, and some allege corruption behind what Linda Pressly says is fast becoming another Balkan scandal. If it is true that cats have nine lives, then Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu must be running them a close second. A former BBC journalist, Mohamed has been caught up in no fewer than five suicide attacks, all in his home country, Somalia. Number five came last Sunday; he survived, but another suicide attack that same day killed at least eight people – just another weekend in a country torn apart by violence for the past three decades. So what makes someone like Mohamed continue to do work which places them directly in harm's way? Mary Harper has known him for many years, and even she struggles to understand how he keeps going.

What is it like to spend years saving up your money, and then watch as its value rapidly declines? Or to have a pension which no longer pays for even your basic needs? Inflation in Turkey is soaring, with some estimates putting the annual rate at fifty percent. The Covid pandemic has meant that prices are rising around the world, but Turkey's particularly high figure has led some to blame the unorthodox economic policies of the country's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ayla Jean Yackley visited an Istanbul market to hear more. When our correspondent in Colombia contracted Covid, he assumed he would get the medical treatment he needed; after all, he did have health insurance. However, that was not how it turned out, and in the process, Matthew Charles got a first-hand picture of how things work in the Colombian healthcare system: who gets the help they need, and why it is they who get it. Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, has a problem with street prostitution, in the sense that prostitutes and clients sometimes have sex actually in the street, or else they end up going back to the client's homes, where the women may not be safe. As a way of tackling this, the city's sex workers are now being offered a new place to see their clients: in the back of a van. Linda Pressly was invited to see how this works. Conspiracy theorists are hard to argue with, as any fact offered to challenge their world view can be dismissed as a lie of the mainstream media. So when Stephanie Hegarty travelled to the US to meet adherents of the “QAnon” theory, she did not expect to change their minds. These are people who believe there is an international, underground sex ring, linked to senior world leaders with a secret fondness for worshipping the devil. However, she was surprised at the details of QAnon beliefs, and the tenacity with which supporters cling to them. We are all probably aware of the lasting effect that children's books can have. Stories discovered in our early years may stay with us for the rest of our lives, so too the pictures and plots. Our Paris Correspondent, Hugh Schofield has long held a candle for Caroline, the bold little girl who featured in a long-running series of French children's books dating back to the 1950s. So it was a great surprise when he had the chance to actually meet her.

In January, Aurelia Brouwers – a 29 year old Dutch woman, with a history of severe mental illness – lay down on her bed to die. She had been declared eligible for euthanasia a month earlier - Dutch law permits the ending of a life where there is, ‘unbearable suffering' without hope of relief. Aurelia's death provoked an outpouring on social media, and widespread discussion within the Netherlands… What if a death wish is part of someone's illness? And does someone with serious mental health challenges have the capacity to make a decision about their own demise? These are questions now being debated in the Netherlands as a result of Aurelia's death. Crossing Continents features recordings of Aurelia made in the two weeks before she died, hears from some of the friends closest to her, and explores the complex terrain of euthanasia for people with psychiatric problems in Holland. Reported and produced by Linda Pressly. (Image: Aurelia Brouwers. Credit: RTL Nieuws, Sander Paulus)

Odebrecht was one of Brazil's premier companies – the largest construction firm in Latin America. But some of its success in securing multi-million dollar contracts across the region was built on a policy of colossal bribery. The testimony of Odebrecht executives in plea-bargain agreements with prosecutors continues to have fall-out, especially with former President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva now in jail on charges related to Brazil's wider corruption scandal. Across the region, heads have rolled in the wake of the revelations. Peru's president was recently forced to resign and Ecuador's vice-president is in prison. Linda Pressly visits Panama, where Odebrecht remains in the headlines, and where there are demands to terminate the company's on-going contracts.

In November 2017, Norwegian police published a report about sexual abuse in a remote municipality north of the Arctic Circle. It made for shocking reading. Tysfjord has a population of just 2,000 people. But after investigating for more than a year, the police identified 151 cases of sexual abuse. The earliest dated from the 1950s, the most recent from 2017. Around two-thirds of the victims and alleged abusers were of indigenous, Sami origin. For Assignment, Linda Pressly travelled to Tysfjord to find out what went wrong, and how this tiny community is recovering in the wake of such devastating revelations. (Photo: Inga Karlsen outside the Lule Sami Cultural Centre in Drag, Tysfjord)

Linda Pressly and Albana Kasapi investigate the 'Green Gold' rush in the Balkan nation

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.

The conventional treatment for chronic alcoholics is abstinence. Not in Ottawa. At the Oaks, a residence for those who were once homeless, occupants are given a measure of white wine at hourly intervals throughout the day. The ‘Managed Alcohol Program' has improved the health of its participants, reduced their alcohol intake, and in some cases enabled them to stop drinking altogether. It's also saved the city of Ottawa millions of dollars in public services – one man was hospitalised 191 times in the six months before joining the programme. Hours and hours of police time have been clawed back too – this is a population used to stealing to feed addiction, but the hourly ‘pour' enables them to refrain from criminal activity. The Ottawa programme has been introduced in other Canadian cities, and it's now attracting international attention. Linda Pressly spends time at the Oaks to find out how it works.

Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories from around the world: This week: After the killing of 20 hostages at an upmarket café in Bangladesh Sanjoy Majumder hears how it is the backgrounds of the killers that is worrying people in Dhaka. Linda Pressly meets the people attending an unusual rehab centre for alcoholics in Canada. Martin Patience tries in vain to get an accident report for a prang in his car in Nigeria. Shile Khumalo looks at how the Oscar Pistorius murder trial is being seen as an example of lingering white privilege in the South African Justice system. And Tony Vale is on the hunt of avocado rustlers in New Zealand.

In March the award-winning Honduran environmentalist, Berta Caceres, was gunned down at home. Of indigenous Lenca origin, for years she was a prominent critic of the government, and campaigned against the Agua Zarca hydro-electric project in the western highlands. Honduras is the most unequal nation in the Americas, but it is rich in minerals with an enormous capacity for the development of hydro-electric power. Since a coup in 2009 removed the left-leaning President, a business-driven government has granted dozens of concessions for the exploitation of precious national resources. But the race for development is creating bitter – and murderous – disharmony: Honduras has become the most deadly nation on earth to be a land or environmental activist. For Assignment, Linda Pressly, explores how the murder of Berta Caceres is emblematic of profound divisions in Honduras. (Image: A graffiti image of Berta Caceres on a wall in Honduras)

In communities around the globe, non-binary people are rejecting the categories of ‘male' and ‘female', and attempting to redefine gender identity. Linda Pressly hears stories from activists who are part of this contemporary movement, and from those trying to live free from the constraints of the expectations of gender.

An unholy spat is stirring the Sangha, Thailand's top Buddhist authority – who will become the next Supreme Patriarch, Thailand's most senior monk? Meanwhile, allegations of ‘cheque-book Buddhism', cronyism and corruption abound – including allegations about tax-evasion on an imported vintage Mercedes car. In Thailand, where the majority of the population profess Buddhism, seeking ordination isn't unusual. But salacious stories about monks who commit serious crimes – everything from sex offences to wildlife trafficking – continue to shock. Watching quietly from the side-lines is the Venerable Dhammananda – female, and a Buddhist monk since 2003. Although the Sangha bars women from ordination, there are now around 100 bhikkhunis, as female monastics are known, in Thailand. And their growing acceptance by some Buddhist believers might partly be explained by a widespread disillusionment with the behaviour of some male monks. Linda Pressly explores the rifts and sexual politics challenging Thai Buddhism and its devotees.

Brazil is in trouble. Confronted with a massive downturn in the economy, its currency the Real has crashed, while its political class sinks in a quagmire of corruption allegations linked to the state oil company, Petrobras. But sleaze isn't only the preserve of Brazil's privileged, moneyed elite. In the northern state of Maranhao, a 25 year old former mayor is accused of skimming the budget of the municipality of Bom Jardim. Lidiane Leite – with a prolific presence on social-media - gained notoriety after it was revealed she ran council business remotely using WhatsApp. Prosecutors are investigating ten people and a potential fraud of $4 million. Meanwhile in Maranhao's state capital, Sao Luis, a Governor with just a year in post, is attempting to bring a new broom to one of Brazil's poorest regions – Flavio Dino claims to have cut expenses by thousands of Reals just by removing luxury items like seafood and champagne from state banquet menus. Linda Pressly reports from one of Brazil's least known regions. Produced and presented by Linda Pressly

The European Union's announced plans to support, but not replace, efforts being made by Italy to save lives at sea. Emma Jane Kirby's been to the port town of Syracusa to see the difficulties the Italians have been facing. Will Ross has been meeting children in Nigeria who've been separated from their parents by the war against the militants of Boko Haram. What's it like when a family discovers that a loved one's gone to fight with extremists in the Middle East? Linda Pressly's been finding out in Kosovo. Jamie Coomarasamy's been to the west of Ukraine, hundreds of miles from the fighting in the east of the country, to find out what they think there of the struggle between government forces and the pro-Russia rebels. And the hair industry is big business in China and most of the customers, as Sam Piranty has been finding out, are Africans. But is that human hair they're buying or something else?

Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories from around the world. This week, with American and British combat troops soon to leave, the author and historian William Dalrymple gives his assessment of where the latest military intervention into Afghanistan fits into the country's troubled history. Quentin Sommerville attends the court hearing of some Al-Jazeera journalists in Egypt and finds the prosecution less than convincing. Linda Pressly is in Uruguay to see if legalising marijuana will help tackle the problem of hard drugs. In India, Ed Butler spends time with sleuths of a special kind - the wedding detectives. And Stephen Smith re-visits Italy's Renaissance with its ruffs, doublets and, of course, cod-pieces.

Correspondents' stories: Jeremy Bowen on the effect in Egypt of the upcoming trials of senior figures from the Muslim Brotherhood; you could write the history of the South Pacific as a succession of arrivals of powerful, foreign vessels in palm-fringed lagoons, according to John Pickford in Tonga; the Sudanese capital Khartoum 'changed forever' after the recent riots in the capital - that's what James Copnall's been hearing in Khartoum; Linda Pressly's been to the Spanish city of Melilla, on the north coast of Morocco, to meet the so-called 'mule women' and find out why they're prepared to shoulder such heavy loads and Russians have never been famous for their smiles, but Jamie Coomarasamy's wondering if times have changed and they're now no longer trying to keep a straight face! The programme is produced by Tony Grant.

Melilla is one of Europe's most southerly land borders with Africa, a town under intense pressure from migration, Linda Pressly investigates.

Kate Adie introduces reports from correspondents around the world. Following the death sentences handed down to four men in India for the rape and killing of a young woman, Rupa Jha reflects on her own personal experience of some disturbing events from her childhood. Linda Pressly is with the gold miners of Kalimantan in Indonesia and sees the high price they have to pay as they try to earn a living. Mary Harper is in Somaliland, where books have a more powerful draw than guns. Lindsay Johns reflects on the culture of the Caribbean island of Martinique and what it means to be French by accident. And Emma Jane Kirby is with the former Casanovas of Italy who are still hoping for a return to better days.

Quentin Sommerville talks to protestors on Cairo's streets; Andrew Harding returns to Burma and this time he doesn't need a disguise! Linda Pressly visits a unique community of sex offenders in Florida, Leo Johnson is blasting for gold in Ecuador and David Chazan learns how to be a cyber-hacker in Lille.

Reporters' despatches from around the world. Afghanistan: as pressure grows on the British prime minister to bring the troops back home early, defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt considers the legacy they'll leave behind. Russia: the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk is the country's prisons capital. Alex Preston has been to meet a former convict trying to help others, recently released, to find a toehold back in Russian society. El Salvador: the murder rate in this Latin American nation has gone down significantly thanks to a truce between two notorious gangs. Linda Pressly has been talking to some of their leaders in a high security jail. France: the infamous Sangatte asylum centre may have closed but Emma Jane Kirby has been finding out that migrants continue to flow into the port city of Calais. Germany: Steve Evans gets offered relatively frugal fare at a dinner party in Berlin. But he isn't surprised.

Greece remains a land where millions go each year to enjoy their holidays. But Mark Lowen's discovered that it's now also a place where increasing numbers of people are finding it hard to cope with the austerity demanded of them. The Russian republic of Chechnya is enjoying the most peaceful time it's seen in years but Oliver Bulloughsays its people seem far from content. Linda Pressly's been to Israel to talk to some of the Haredi, the inclreasingly influential ultra-orthodox, who seem set to play a critical role in the country's future. Emma Jane Kirby is in St Tropez as the new French leader prepares to address his people on TV. She wonders if there might be lessons he can learn from the glitzy Cote d'Azure. Justin Rowlatt, in China, knows Tiananmen, Taiwan and Tibet are subjects the authorities might prefer him to avoid. But now he's learned there's a fourth T - toilets. The Chinese, he's been finding out, do not like people poking fun at their loos.

Linda Pressly follows the migrants heading north through Guatemala into Mexico – despite the dangers of kidnap by the notorious Zetas gang.

Mexico's drug wars are notoriously violent and the killings have spread to neighbouring Guatemala. Linda Pressly has been to the scene of a gruesome massacre in northern Guatemala. The "indignados" in Spain began their protests in May, angry at the banks and at the way the government has responded to the economic crisis with spending cutbacks, privatisations and redundancies. Sarah Rainsford recently joined some of the young indignants on the road. Colombia's "Red Zone" is traditionally a no-go area for medics and journalists. But Imogen Foulkes has travelled upriver in this area - long fought over by drug cartels, FARC rebels and the Colombian military. Government cutbacks across Europe, particularly spending cuts for social programmes, are sometimes hitting the most vulnerable hardest. Emma Jane Kirby has been spending time with those who have fallen onto hard times in Paris. Why is it that Poles love to dress up as knights at the weekend? Adam Easton has been finding out.