Tom Glasser

Thirty years after Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, former South Side Compton Crips leader Duane Keith Davis was found guilty of his murder. The conviction relied largely on Davis’s own accounts in books, podcasts and interviews, as there was little physical evidence, and Davis is not believed to have been the shooter. Journalist Jessica Hill discusses the trial’s conclusion, while William Shaw recalls Shakur as a highly talented and culturally engaged artist and places his death within the context of gang violence, drug trafficking and the historic mistreatment of communities in Los Angeles.

Thirty years after Tupac Shakur was killed in a 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Duane Keith Davis was found guilty of his murder. The case relied heavily on Davis’s own statements in books, podcasts and interviews rather than substantial physical evidence, and he is not believed to have been the gunman. Journalist William Shaw reflects on Shakur’s exceptional career, growing legacy and death amid the drug trade, violence and historical mistreatment affecting Los Angeles communities.

Charlotte Higgins describes how visiting Ukrainian artists, novelists and poets during the war inspired her to learn Ukrainian. Lessons with Olha Makar revealed how wartime vocabulary, displacement and longing for home shaped everyday language, while deepening Higgins’s understanding of Ukrainian people and culture. Her experiences form the basis of her book, Ukrainian Lessons: Art in a Time of War.

England and Wales’ prisons hold almost 86,500 people, around 5,000 above the Ministry of Justice’s accepted safe capacity. The overcrowding crisis has persisted across successive governments, leaving Keir Starmer’s administration reliant on early-release measures, including legislation allowing about 5,000 additional prisoners to be released from September after serving as little as one-third of their sentences. Andy Burnham has postponed the scheme until October and says he will block certain offenders from eligibility. Former prison governor Judith Feline explains the causes and reality of overcrowding, while Peter Walker examines the political pressure the policy places on Burnham.

Journalist Javier Jennings Mozo reports from Ceuta on how more than 70,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco at roughly the same time, including accounts of the journey, its dangers and treatment on arrival. At least 70 people died, and although nearly all of those who arrived had returned a week later, the incident continued to fuel intense political disputes across the European Union. Nosheen Iqbal discusses the wider consequences with Brussels correspondent Jennifer Rankin.

A year after an asylum seeker at Epping’s Bell hotel was arrested for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, Tim Burrows revisits the Essex town to examine the violent protests that followed. The demonstrations, involving local residents and far-right activists from across the UK, were met by counter-protests from residents opposing racism, while Elon Musk also entered the debate. The podcast explores how the unrest affected the community, what happened to the hotel and its asylum-seeking residents, and how Epping has recovered after a summer of conflict.

China has rapidly embraced artificial intelligence across healthcare, manufacturing, food delivery and other areas, with applications including AI doctors, factory robots and drones delivering food on the Great Wall. The state is also adopting AI to expand surveillance capabilities. Amy Hawkins discusses with Annie Kelly the benefits, risks and wider implications of China’s technology-led transformation, including whether it foreshadows developments elsewhere.

A Guardian audio investigation examines claims that the deaths and disappearances of 11 US scientists involved in highly classified research are connected to a plot to silence them. Phil Tinline explains to Nosheen Iqbal that the alleged pattern grew from unrelated tragedies into a mainstream conspiracy and prompted a federal investigation, while tracing its origins to a bizarre 1977 British broadcast of Science Report.

Political correspondent Ben Quinn examines Nigel Farage’s decision to resign as MP for Clacton and trigger a byelection after months of scrutiny over his finances. With major political rivals declining to contest the seat, Farage faces a campaign centered largely on novelty candidate Count Binface, raising questions about whether the move will strengthen or damage Farage and whether the financial allegations will recede from public attention.

Jenny Kleeman investigates Cathy Tie, a self-described “Biotech Barbie” and entrepreneur seeking to transform human reproduction by using CRISPR to edit embryos. Tie’s vision is to reduce the role of chance in reproduction by allowing parents to influence their children’s biological traits, but the investigation questions both the substance of her mission and the polished technology-startup image surrounding it.

Jenny Kleeman investigates entrepreneur Cathy Tie, who describes herself as “Biotech Barbie” and hopes to transform human reproduction by using CRISPR to edit human embryos. The episode examines Tie’s ambition to give parents greater control over inherited traits while questioning the reality behind the startup-focused image and the ethical implications of removing reproduction’s biological randomness.