BBC Malak’s father was killed in February, before baby Rahma was born Suddenly, Malak stops speaking, leans forward a fraction and kisses the baby sitting on her lap. Her sister Rahma is fair-haired and has blue eyes. There is a 13-year age difference between them. But to Malak – who lost her father in an…

Jimmy Boyle saw his opportunity. Reaching over the table, he felt the crack as his fist connected with the governor of Barlinnie Prison’s jaw. Within moments, the guards were on top of him. Boyle’s behaviour behind bars, where he was regularly involved in rioting and attacks on prison guards, earned him the tag of Scotland’s…

Roddy Russell Rob (left) and Roddy grew up in Gloucestershire – Rob has been in jail for fifteen years despite his sentence having a two-and-a-half year tariff An RAF veteran says his brother may die in jail, despite his sentence having a tariff of just two-and-a-half years. Roddy Russell has supported his brother Rob since…

These secret recordings by the BBC captured food establishments lying about their hygiene ratings Businesses have been displaying inaccurate food hygiene ratings, with many lying about them when challenged, an undercover BBC investigation has revealed. Secret recording captured businesses from small local restaurants to the supermarket chain Sainsbury’s misleading customers with inaccurate Food Standards Agency…

England has a housing crisis – more than one million families and individuals are on the waiting list for a social home. Experts think 90,000 of these homes need to be built every year for a decade to house everyone – but less than 5,000 were completed in the past year. And there are fears…

When Taylor Swift is making $2bn in ticket sales, and Coldplay can sell out 10 nights at Wembley Stadium, it’s easy to conjure an image of touring musicians swimming in sweet piles of cash, like guitar-wielding Scrooge McDucks. But for many artists, touring is becoming less and less viable. The cost of putting a show…

“Our people respect the Russian and Ukrainian people,” says Savvo Dobrovic. “I simply haven’t noticed any bad relations.” It sounds like a recipe for tension and confrontation: tens of thousands of people from opposing sides in a bitter, protracted war descending on a small Balkan nation with its own very recent memories of conflict. But…

BBC Judy Aleksalza bought her terrace house back in the 1970s for just $1 It was a regeneration idea that started half a century ago in the US, and has spread to other parts of the world. But can selling off empty, derelict properties for a nominal amount help solve urban blight? And who are…