Background Briefing

Perhaps it's all too hard: Guantanamo, Republican hatred, Afghanistan, the global financial crisis and unemployment. The health bill may just pass and, if so, would make history. Barack Obama is working in a house of cards, many stacked against him. But he can hold it together, says Professor Mark Danner at the Sydney Ideas Forum. Photo by Dominique Nabakov.

Figures show that the number of babies taken from mothers at birth is rising dramatically, particularly in NSW. Judgments must err on the side of child safety, but there's concerns some babies are taken needlessly. One couple is suing for $18 million. Reporter Hagar Cohen

Not only in Australia, but around the world, the Catholic Church is rocked by news of sex abuse scandals. The vow of celibacy is often blamed, but it is more than that. The Church encourages a kind of adolescence in its priests, a co-dependency, and a terrible and immature loneliness. Reporter, Stephen Crittenden.

Many wonder why they are not just shot out of the water on sight, but in fact the merchant cargo ships, the insurers, and the many State navies are also caught in a mesh of overlapping laws of the sea. And countries like Denmark, the EU and the US are at loggerheads about how to handle it all. Reporter, Stan Correy

Mozzies are waiting as each day travellers arrive carrying the dengue virus. They want a sip of blood, and will spread it all about within days. Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, has also arrived, and it bites so viciously, it's called 'the barbecue stopper'. Our changed garden culture suits them perfectly. Reporter Ian Townsend.

Background Briefing and Hindsight join to explore the historical arguments about the deal of the real swagman, and the dozens of kooky versions, from Harry Belafonte (pretending to be ocker!) to an Indonesian gamelan band. There is a also an interactive website, where you will be able to write your own comments and versions of the story. Reporter Ian Walker.

The decade since the millenium year has seen fast changes, terrible suffering and a communication revolution. China emerges as a superpower, Iraq and Afghanistan are open sores, Google pushes information frontiers and global warming bedevils political leaders. Reporter, from the BBC, Edward Stourton. (pictured)

With a dramatic increase in cycling, comes a plethora of new safety issues on the roads. Doctors, politicians, planners and cyclists agree it will mean changing the way we design, govern and use our roads. Reporter Diane Martin.

Searching for their own identity in a changing world, young Muslims in Australia face a plethora of backyard imams and internet sheikhs. Many are turning to simplistic and conservative interpretations. The emphasis can be on small rituals rather than the complex and subtle spirituality of Islam. It's a phenomenon known in many religions. Reporter: Hagar Cohen.

The law in Australia may not have caught up with modern medicine, and doctors and the authorities are caught between a rock and a hard place. So argues Dr Rodney Syme, who refers to himself as a Christian Humanist. He says the current situation for people who are terminally ill and in great pain is a scandal.

Planning for happy cities, when you're also jamming in millions more people, is politically tricky. Urban planners say they can make better communities with more people, but the NIMBYs don't believe it. Like it or not, high density apartment living is around the corner. Reporter Ian Townsend.

Copyright began 300 years ago, but now laws can't cope with the anarchy of new technologies. There's a battle between the law and the 'mashers', from the White House to the Australian Federal Court. Reporter, Oscar McLaren. Image by Omaz Z, file photo.

Out of the Fitzgerald Inquiry, the National Integrity System was born, and is now used by governments and authorities in most countries around the world. The latest is Kurdistan. Corruption, like death and taxes, is inevitable. Ian Townsend explores ways in which it can be managed and minimised. Cartoon by Nicholson from The Australian newspaper: www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au.

The oldest collection of jokes in the world, Philogelos: The Laughter Lover, is examined for the light it throws on humour today. Professor in classics at Cambridge University, Mary Beard tells a lot of the jokes.

Behind closed doors all the vice-chancellors are arguing about which bits of the Bradley Report they like and will agree to take on. Can we fit in 30% more students, with many of them from disadvantaged backgrounds? What will be the mix of regulation and deregulation of universities? Reporter Stephen Crittenden.

With a dramatic increase in cycling, comes a plethora of new safety issues on the roads. Doctors, politicians, planners and cyclists agree it will mean changing the way we design, govern and use our roads. Reporter Diane Martin.

Hundreds of thousands of puppies are born every year, and many eventually end up in pounds, where most have to be put down. The vicious cycle involves unregulated breeders, pet stores, dog rescuers -- and the buyers who take in a puppy without thinking it through, then dump it. Reporter: Hagar Cohen.

Planning for happy cities, when you're also jamming in millions more people, is politically tricky. Urban planners say they can make better communities with more people, but the NIMBYs don't believe it. Like it or not, high density apartment living is around the corner. Reporter Ian Townsend.

China currently produces about 95% of the world's rare earths, which are metals which are essential to modern living and used all around us every day. In business it's a volatile mix, with complex political alchemy for every government, including Australia. Reporter Stan Correy.

Britain's secret intelligence service, MI6, has both changed history and been changed by it. Unprecedented access was gained by the BBC World Service to people who ran it, worked for it, and worked against it. Reporter Gordon Corera. For copyright reasons there will be no podcast or transcript of this program.

Copyright began 300 years ago, but now laws can't cope with the anarchy of new technologies. There's a battle between the law and the 'mashers', from the White House to the Australian Federal Court. Reporter, Oscar McLaren. Image by Omaz Z, file photo.

He's over 80 and has written or contributed to 95 books. At one time he was the most cited living academic, a Vietnam activist and a thorn in the side of Reagan. Today he is also critical of 'the left' with dire warnings. Noam Chomsky is as astute and interesting as ever. Producer, Kirsten Garrett. Recorded at the Commonwealth Club, San Francisco

With so many new communities in Australia coming from countries where there have been brutal wars, the likelihood of some people having suspicious backgrounds is high. Australia has no laws to deal with allegations concerning anyone who arrived before 2002. This leads to anxiety and unrest. Reporter, Hagar Cohen

Out of the Fitzgerald Inquiry, the National Integrity System was born, and is now used by governments and authorities in most countries around the world. The latest is Kurdistan. Corruption, like death and taxes, is inevitable. Ian Townsend explores ways in which it can be managed and minimised. Cartoon by Nicholson from The Australian newspaper: www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au.

It's a question no one has really been able to answer, though many try. A new fight for the answer is breaking out all over the place because readers are getting what they want on the internet, and copying stuff is really easy. Reporter Stan Correy.