Riace: The Italian village abandoned by locals, adopted by migrants

The hilltop medieval village of Riace on Italy's south coast was almost a ghost town 15 years ago. Houses were derelict and the local school was near to closing.

The village was in danger of becoming extinct as residents disappeared to northern Italy, and abroad, for jobs during the economic boom.

Since then Riace has seen a change in its destiny, by openly welcoming a controlled number of migrants, who live and work as part of the community.

http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-37289713

The hidden psychology of failure

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Words of wisdom heralded throughout our upbringing, to be sure. But is there any scientific proof that successive failure is positive and propels innovation forwards?

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20160316-the-hidden-psychology-of-failure

The Online Identity Crisis

Our identity is no longer restricted to a passport or National Insurance number. The average adult in Britain spends one day a week online and a large part of this time will be on Google, Facebook, Twitter, or shopping sites. As a result, whether we are aware of it or not, each of us also has a distinct online identity

This digital persona allows strangers to piece together more about us than we might think. Every minute of every day, online data is being collected, curated and exploited to categorise, sell and even pigeonhole our identity.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07tqvvp

I, Daniel Blake: Ken Loach and the scandal of Britain’s benefits system

The veteran director’s latest movie lays bare the cruel realities for those who fall through the cracks of society. We look at Loach’s work and the politics that drive it, while, below, campaigners, artists and analysts react to the film

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/11/i-daniel-blake-ken-loach-director-film-movie-benefits-system

The Matter of the North

In this 10 part series Melvyn Bragg brings all his passion and knowledge to a subject that has  fascinated him throughout his life - the pivotal role of England's North in the shaping of modern Britain.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07tczl3/episodes/downloads

The many lives of John le Carré, in his own words. An exclusive extract from his new memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel.

David John Moore Cornwell (born 19 October 1931) (pen name John le Carré /lə ˈkɑːrˌeɪ/) is a British author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, he worked for the Security Service and the Secret Intelligence Service, and began writing novels under a pen name. His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), became an international best-seller, and remains one of his best-known works. Following the success of this novel, he left MI6 to become a full-time author.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2016/sep/03/tinker-tailor-writer-spy-the-many-lives-of-john-le-carre-in-his-own-words