The Happy Pod: The thrill of swimming the Arctic Circle

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2:01If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to the BBC World Service. Welcome to the Happy Pod. We just swam across the Arctic Circle.

2:53Hello, I'm Oliver Conway and in this edition we go swimming across the Arctic Circle under the midnight sun. Just do it. This doesn't have to be a midlife crisis, just do it. And it won't be as cold as you think. The groundbreaking IVF technique that stops babies inheriting certain diseases. When we heard about that first positive pregnancy test it was such an amazing feeling. The scheme where you can hire a grandchild for the day and... The more you learn to look after an animal, the more you're learning about yourself and learning how to look after yourself. It's a lifesaver. The dog given a new lease of life in New Zealand.

3:41Now, if you listened to our happy pod from the 21st of June, Soon you may have heard our editor Karen Martin responding to a listener question about whether she ever gets a day off. She said that she did, but she was keen to highlight the hard work done by the whole team of happy journalists. Well now for our first story, she has been showing us all how it's done, casting aside her editor's hat and diving right in. OK everyone, this just in. We have the BBC World Service here. Please cheer.

4:20I'm in the north of Sweden for this year's Swim Across the Arctic Circle. It's an open water swimming competition that around 600 people from around the world come to take part in. My name is Målen Besterberg-Røngrist and I'm working here at the race office at Swim Arctic Circle. It's very, very beautiful here and to swim under the midnight sun is also a really good experience and like we have this weekend with the fantastic weather it's going to be a super beautiful swim. My name is Marjorie Layton I'm originally from New Zealand but I live in Scotland. Beautiful conditions, warm water and really good organisation and good camaraderie amongst all the people swimming.

5:05When you told people what you were doing what were the sorts of reactions you got? Well they think I'm mad anyway so they just think well there she goes again. There are two swims, a two - and then a three-kilometre race. The longer one starts in Finland, crossing the Arctic Circle into Sweden, going back in time, if you will, because of the different time zones. Five, four, three, two, one.

5:37To start the swim, we were all counted in. Wetsuits are obligatory if the water temperature drops to below 16 degrees Celsius. We were lucky that for us, the water was one degree warmer. So I was in skins, which is a normal swimming suit for you non-swimmers. I spoke to some of my fellow competitors after the first race. It's hard, but it's funny. I am a little bit crazy at doing this. The atmosphere is just amazing. It's my first race. this doesn't have to be a midlife crisis just do it absolutely fantastic i'm so glad i'm going to get the chance to do it again tonight and do the 3k swim i got talked into the 2000 by this lovely lady over here and i'll be back for the 3k swim tonight

6:32it's now several hours later and we've been transported to finland by bus The midnight sun is giving an orangey glow to the sky as we wait nervously to go again. This time it's three kilometres. Will we make it in time? Three, two, one.

6:57And I made it in a time of 47 minutes, so I did manage to arrive before I left. Here's how some others got on.

7:10Oh, it was beautiful. It was really gorgeous. I mean, I immediately got left behind because everyone just ran in the water. And I was like, oh, they're gone. But I just went at my own pace. I had my own private boat entourage. But yeah, no, it was really, really lovely. And I'm just really pleased to have made it. The experience is amazing. I did the 2000 first and then did this one and almost didn't make it, I thought, at one point. But the crowd was great. The energy is awesome. Midnight sun, you can't beat it. It's awesome. Yes, I made it! It makes me happy and you see all the other people and can talk to people.

7:49It's funny. It's a day that I'm looking forward. So I will dream next year too, I think.

7:59An Arctic Circle swimmer, ending that report by Karen Martin. And if you have a hobby that makes you happy, we'd love to hear about it. As ever, the address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. We look at them now, full of life and possibility, and we're overwhelmed with gratitude. The words of one woman after her baby was born using an experimental IVF technique combining the DNA of three people. The method, aimed at preventing mitochondrial disease, combines the egg and sperm from a mother and father with a tiny amount of DNA from a second donor egg. Scientists in the UK confirmed this week that eight babies had been born using the technique.

8:41Louise Hislop from the Newcastle Fertility Centre worked on the project. I asked what it was like to be involved. It's such an amazing feeling. It's quite nerve-wracking. You're hoping that the embryos are going to develop and develop to a stage that they'd be able to implant and result in a pregnancy. And to be able to translate that into the clinical lab, where it's such a relief to see these embryos developing and then to know ultimately that it's resulted in a pregnancy, it's such a good feeling. Yeah, because it's not just a scientific breakthrough, it's also someone's life. Exactly. And these women, when you think about them, And they've specifically been approved for this technique because they're at high risk of passing on severe disease to their offspring.

9:32And without the technique, they wouldn't be able to have genetically related children. And just take us through the journey that you've been on to eventually reach this breakthrough. It's been such a long journey. You go all the way back to get approval to do the research from our regulators, because obviously it involves human embryos, demonstrating that it looks like the technique is safe, that we are generating good quality embryos that could result in a pregnancy. And then obviously at that point, all the work that was done by various individuals to get the law changed so that ultimately this technique could be translated from what was the research lab actually into the clinical laboratory where it could be used to treat patients.

10:22And was there a moment when you thought this is going to work? As an embryologist, whenever you see those good quality embryos, you've always got your fingers crossed. You think it could be this time. And one of the things about being an embryologist, it is a bit of a roller coaster because those good quality embryos, unfortunately, don't guarantee a pregnancy. But when we heard about that first positive pregnancy test, it was such an amazing feeling. So you have the joy of knowing that the embryo is going to become a baby when do you find out if they are going to be disease free as you intended?

10:59We have an indication from the technique but it's not until the baby's born and they have a blood test and the urine samples and it's at that point that we know whether they're going to be free from the disease or not And there are now eight of these babies? That's correct. So seven ladies, one of them had a set of identical twins, so eight babies in total. And that's proved that your concept works? It's still early days. Obviously, we're following up to make sure that they're healthy at birth, that they're developing normally, and we'll be monitoring them on for many years to come. Now, as you say, it's taken a long time to get here.

11:42what will you say to other scientists who try to get their research, try to get it to become successful and it just keeps failing? It's part of being a scientist. You've just got to persevere and you've just not got to be afraid of trying something new, thinking outside the box, because it is possible to get there. And then you know it's worked. We're very cautiously optimistic at this stage, you know, that we've followed up as much as we can with the babies so far. But you know what? There's actually more work to do because at this point it is a risk reduction and we'd love to do some more research to actually, in the future, to be able to say that it's a prevention for these quite debilitating progressive degenerative disease.

12:31But when you get to this stage, you must all be delighted. We're absolutely delighted for these women. Like I said, these women were selected and approved to have the treatment because they were at high risk of passing on severe disease. So for them to have these babies born healthy is just, it's amazing for them. Louise Hislop. We go now to the mountains of rural Bulgaria, where for the past five years elderly people living alone have been able to, well, borrow a grandchild. The student volunteers chop wood, collect hay and keep people company. Will Chalk takes up the story. In a dry, sunny field with Bulgarian mountains stretching away in the distance, 11 teenagers are sweeping hay.

13:24On the slopes below them are small rural villages, white and orange houses clinging to the wooded hillsides. And the people in those villages are why the teenagers are here. These young volunteers have given up two months of their time to help elderly people, living alone in the Madden region. We see the smiles on the elderly people's faces, how happy they are, how thankful they are. Evelina Pacheva is one of the volunteers. One woman even started crying because we helped her move her firewood. It's a really good thing we're doing. So far, they've helped 15 people in three nearby villages, The area's deputy mayor, Mediha Kalilova, says the project makes a big difference to them.

14:09At first it was difficult because it's hard for them to accept the idea of interacting with strangers, so-called grandchildren. But with patience and the love these young people bring and their willingness to help, they quickly won over their hearts. Our goal is very simple and deeply human, to help people. Back in the field, the students are breaking for lunch, having some food and even taking a quick nap in a hammock. It's tiring work, but the project coordinator, Emilia Georgieva, says that's kind of the point. The work happens in two directions. While the young people think they're helping the elderly, they're actually growing and learning new things about rural life, things they never had to do before.

14:53So the project has a two-way benefit. And from the sound of volunteer Emre Yuku, it's working. I chopped wood for the first time here. It's very interesting for me. I really like the fact that we're helping people. This is, for now, a small-scale local project. But after winning a prestigious award, charity bosses are hoping to take it to the national level and that teenagers giving up their time to help some of the most vulnerable in society will soon be seen all across Bulgaria. And that was Will Chalk.

15:31Still to come on the happy news. To reach this level, it's an indescribable feeling and I'm proud of every single one of them. I'm proud of how we managed together and it's going to be the best day of my life. A World Cup final for a sport with magical origins.

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17:19If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau, Putin and the Apartment Bombs. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

18:16grow, they're built to last. Find out more at polandyourplacetogrow.com. The headlines never stop, and it's harder than ever to tell what's real, what matters, and what's just noise. That's where Pod Save America comes in. I'm Tommy Vitor, and every week I'm joined by fellow former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Dan Pfeiffer to break down the biggest stories, unpack what they mean for the future of our democracy, and add just enough humor to stay sane along the way. You'll also hear honest, in-depth conversations with big voices in politics, media, and culture like Rachel Maddow, Gavin Newsom, and Mark Cuban that you won't find anywhere else.

18:50New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday with deep dives every other weekend. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, watch on YouTube, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes.

19:12innings and, of course, animals. As a young dog, George, a staffy Hunterway cross, spent his days chained up in a trucking yard in Wellington, New Zealand, along with his mother Gemma. That is until Alex Henderson persuaded the owner to let him take them for regular walks. Then as the dogs grew older and more expensive to care for, they were given to him full time. Now King George, to give him his proper title, has become a local celebrity, working with children and even helping to win support for a law against keeping dogs chained up for long periods. Alex told Peter Goffin more about his canine friend.

19:49He's just a big lovable teddy bear but he's got big muscles, big mouth, lots of clean healthy teeth but he's just a big lovable ball of love and energy really. Eventually the public just got to know him and from the word go he's been a sociable outward facing character. What type of community work do you do with George? About two years ago, he had a year and a half. He had the first signs of a ligament injury. And so I've been fundraising with him. So he's been out in public a lot in his George Mobile. But before that, I was walking them around and they were cared for by the Change Dog Awareness charity, which is a Facebook charity.

20:27Amazing. Along with other charities, they've helped to get the law changed. But he was involved in that, from the word go, along with his mother. There was that, and I went on sort of calls out to less advantaged dogs, in other words, dogs that were even worse off. And he became friends with a few of the dogs that I walked. And I used to go to a cafe, and the kids would just love coming up and patting him. And it was just really, really nice. So it's just like walking along, and people were drawn to him. And there was that chained dog law that you mentioned. Have you been able to change that? I feel that George has personally changed it himself.

21:02He actually was part of the chain dog awareness protest. So now, I think it's September this year, having dogs on a chain for long periods will be illegal. Hopefully it'll be a thing of the past before too long. Did you mind if I ask you about the veterinary care that George needs now? So he's still waiting to have that, his next operation. It's a bit out of my reach. So I did start a fundraiser. It's called a cruciate ligament surgery. very common with dogs especially bigger dogs but without it he's not able to walk earlier you mentioned the george mobile i was wondering if you could tell us about george's appearance when he when you've taken him out because he wears a bit of a costume doesn't he and and has this george mobile that he rides around yes uh not the embarrassing glitter and plastic crown that i had a few years ago, but he has like a sort of a jacket or a couple of jackets because it gets a bit cold on the wagon there.

22:00And I sometimes put a scarf around him and he loves his glasses. I mean, he just looks a character being carted around a big dog, being carted around by a human on a bicycle. People often, they have the stereotype like pit bull dogs or staffies. They say, oh, they turn or they can get dangerous. But this is really a direct contrast to the stereotype that he looks like this big humorous character that could be in a cartoon. It just instantly draws people to him, especially kids, people learning around about him and they ask questions and he's becoming a well-known character around Mission Bay and Mount Wellington.

22:35I think they're really beginning to adopt him as a local character and hopefully as an ambassador for dogs welfare around the area because there are a lot of change dogs and dogs that need proper looking after. So is your hope that people will see George and realize that dogs like this shouldn't be kept on a chain, should be able to live their lives and can be friendly companions and friends? Totally true. I mean, with my journey, I've actually come a long way myself, and that's due to the dogs I've looked after. And if only people could realize from school age that the more you learn to look after an animal, the more you're learning about yourself.

23:18And this even includes things like boundaries and learning how to look after yourself. It's a lifesaver. I mean, it gives you a new life in the sense that you learn that the simple joys of just walking down the street and then crossing the road and seeing what was on the other side. It's actually always on the go and always learning and discovering. So I think it's just amazing. Alex Henderson talking to Peter Goffin. Now to an invention that's thought to have saved the lives of around 5 ,000 premature babies. It's an incubator designed for use in African hospitals that can run with just a car battery and a bottle of water.

23:54It's also relatively cheap at$400 compared to$40 ,000 for a standard incubator. And while it doesn't have all the same functions, it still meets international standards. The machines, made by engineering students in Spain, have now been sent to 30 countries. Esperanza Escribano has been investigating.

24:17Mbiyiwo Bertil sings a song to her three-month-old twins, Elliot and Eliana.