AI on the Farm

A BBC investigation casts new light on the espionage row that rocked Westminster.He was accused of spying for China. Then he was acquitted, but some still question his conduct. In his first interview since counter terrorism officers arrested him in a dawn raid, Chris Cash speaks to BBC Political Investigations Correspondent Joe Pike. Cash, a former political researcher, has given the BBC more than 6000 messages between him and the man he was accused of sharing sensitive information with. Their exchanges range from jokes, memes, and podcast recommendations…to descriptions of an alleged meeting with a high-level Chinese official. They have never been made public before. He says they prove his innocence. What do they tell us about his conduct and about the UK’s relationship with China?This episode of ‘Currently’ takes you inside the China spy case. Presenter: Joe Pike Producers: Ellie House, Phil Kemp and Rebecca Fane-Harvey Production coordinator: Lewis Yates Sound mix: Andy Fell Editor: Clare Fordham

American corporate power is heading south, with Texas now home to the headquarters of more major companies than any other state, beating out both California and New York - what could this mean for the politics of a vast and restless nation?Americans are a restless bunch - they are always on the move and the population of the country has gradually shifted west and south over recent decades as people look for new jobs and new opportunities. Now big businesses are mirroring this long migration trend, drawn by low taxes, light-touch regulation and government-funded incentives that make doing business in the conservative states of the Sun Belt seem as attractive as the weather. At the same time, a number of governors and mayors in Democratic Party-dominated coastal states have been elected on pledges to increase taxes on the rich, in order to fund social services for those less well-off. These competing economic visions are squaring off in a country that's become increasingly politically polarised - and in terms of money and population, it seems that the red Republican states are beating out the blue Democratic enclaves. But as people move from the blue states to the red states, are they bringing their liberal ideals with them, turning once-solidly Republican areas into "purple" electoral battlegrounds? Presenter and producer: Mike Wendling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

Fifteen-year-olds Jasmine and Javaris are in their final year of school in Newcastle upon Tyne. They’re among the thousands of teenagers around the country who are often being told by adults that the outside world is tough, with close to one million people aged 16-24 not in education, employment or training (NEETs) and questions asked about their resilience and readiness for work.Jasmine and Javaris take us inside their world as they consider their plans for further education and beyond. We get a snapshot of teenagers’ lives, as we listen into their work experience, ask their managers what companies really think about the next generation joining the workforce. They question their deputy head about whether they’re being taught the right things and getting the experience they need to learn and earn in the future. And, young people who are already working tell us how well prepared they were for leaving school and what they wish they’d known before starting employment. Produced in collaboration with the BBC Radio 5 Live Teen Summit. Producer: Laura Jones Technical producer: Richard Hannaford Junior production manager: Tom Dunster Editor: Tom Bigwood

As Childline marks its 40th anniversary after the death of its founder, Dame Esther Rantzen, Currently explores how it transformed support for vulnerable children in the UK.Through interviews with staff, volunteers, experts and former users, it traces Childline’s origins in 1986 - a time when victims of abuse often went unheard. The programme shows how the service evolved from a telephone helpline into a predominantly digital counselling service. Josephine McDermott highlights changing concerns among young people. These range from physical and sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy to mental health struggles, bullying and online harms. She also examines the organisation’s achievements, the work of its volunteers, and recent safeguarding failures that have prompted reforms.Details of organisations offering information and support with child sexual abuse and some of the other issues mentioned in this programme are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.Producer and Presenter: Josephine McDermott Researchers: Bethan Ashmead Latham and Evie Yabsley Technical producer: Nicky Edwards Production coordinator: Ellie Dover Editor: Tom Bigwood

Artificial intelligence is beginning to transform many aspects of our lives - but what's its potential for farmers? Producers are facing more challenges than ever, from drought and heat waves to labour shortages and the spiralling price of fuel and fertiliser. Charlotte Smith explores how new technology could help their businesses become more productive and profitable. Could artificial intelligence mean a fourth agricultural revolution, and what will it mean to be a farmer in future?Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

What if you could map the outcome of an election before a single vote was cast? This is the story of the drawing - and redrawing - of electoral battle lines in an unprecedented gerrymandering war that some observers say is undermining democracy in the United States. BBC North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher explores how a once-a-decade act of political admin has turned into a rolling process of extreme political partisanship, as the Democrats and Republicans compete to redraw voting districts in their favour, trying to lock in guaranteed majorities, and upending electoral norms. Anthony looks at the roots of this political chess game, how it has escalated in the past year, and what it means for the future of democracy in the ‘land of the free’. Will the new maps actually secure a Republican victory in November - and how could endless redistricting shape elections in 2028, 2030, and beyond? Presenter: Anthony Zurcher Producer: Ellie House Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: James Beard

James Crabtree has spent nearly 15 years tracking politics in Asia as an author, journalist and analyst. In that time, one small island - separated from mainland China by a hundred miles of water - has remained the most dangerous point of contention in the world’s most important relationship. Now, he argues, something has shifted. Two developments over the past couple of years have made an already precarious situation even more volatile - the return of President Trump and the boom in AI. Taiwan holds a monopoly on the production of the world’s most advanced semi-conductors. This creates an imperative for the West to defend it, a position referred to by analysts as “Silicon Shield”. Recently though, Trump has referred to the island as a “negotiating chip”, and a $14bn arms package has been put on hold ahead of meeting with Xi Jinping in September. James hears from experts in Taipei, Beijing and Washington. From Pentagon insiders to tech entrepreneurs, spanning continents and party lines, he asks whether the world is moving towards conflict over this small island territory. Moving beyond the headlines, he tackles what Taiwan is actually thinking at this crucial moment and how we can begin to make sense of Beijing’s thinking when it comes to a purported amphibious invasion.Crucially, he looks at how the ripples are likely to impact us all. Does Taiwan’s technology offer protection or a target? Who is likely to decide its fate? And what can this decision tell us about power on the global stage? Presenter: James Crabtree Producer: Jacob Dabb Sound Design: Rowan BishopA 2 Degrees West production for BBC Radio 4

More than a thousand youth clubs have closed their doors since 2010. Local government spending on youth services was slashed by around three-quarters during the age of austerity leaving a generation of young people without places to play. The former youth worker turned journalist Neil Maggs considers the impact of these cuts and examines new government plans to spend £500m to revitalise the youth sector.Neil hears from young people at the youth club where he started his career in Barton Hill in Bristol. Emma Warren who has written a social history of youth clubs in Britain in her book "Up The Youth Club" talks about their role as engines of creativity. Youth clubs gave rise to Two Tone music in Coventry as well as Banksy and the graffiti scene in Bristol She reveals that the origins of youth clubs began with the charitable activities of private schools and discusses how a Conservative government in the 1960s gave youth clubs a major boost after the intervention of the aristocrat and social reformer Lady Albermarle. Dr Tania de St Croix from King's College London and Dr Carmen Villa from the Institute for Fiscal Studies give context on the effects of closing youth clubs.In Manchester, Neil looks at the hub-and-spoke model the government is piloting as the future of youth clubs. Smaller clubs form spokes that feed into integrated youth hubs where broader services are offered. He tours a new youth club in the Crumpsall area as well as a revitalised hub in Moss Side and asks whether youth clubs are back for good.Produced by Robin Markwell for BBC Audio in Bristol

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. Almost a year after he was last seen in public, and with 'strong man' politics on the increase, 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. Presenter: Celia Hatton Producer: Adele Armstrong Production coordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Penny Murphy.

In June 2026, racist violence erupted across Northern Ireland. Masked groups circulated lists of homes where people of colour were believed to be living, forcing more than a hundred people to flee.As houses burned around her, Maria barricaded herself inside with her two teenage daughters, filling buckets, mugs and the bath with water in case their home was attacked.Then across Belfast, other networks formed. When community workers, like Clare and Ciara, recognised the addresses of food bank users on the target lists, they got into their cars and began moving families to safety. It was organised via an improvised WhatsApp group, which brought together drivers, spare rooms, food and emergency support.For Ciara, the rescue carried a painful echo - she found herself driving along the same street where her own family had been burned out during the Troubles decades earlier.Tara Mills tells the story of the ordinary people who mobilised against the violence using WhatsApp groups and hears from the communities still living with its consequences.A Walk On Air Films production for BBC Radio 4