Sunday Folgen

The new Mayor of Rio, Marcelo Crivella has substantially cut funding to this year's Carnival which started on Friday. The BBC's South America Correspondent Katy Watson profiles the Mayor who is one of the most prominent voices on the religious right in Brazilian politics and a man tipped to be President of his country one day. The Church Investors Group, which represents Church organisations with combined investments of £17 billion, has warned some of Britain's biggest companies it intends to take a hard line over failings on executive pay, gender diversity and climate change in the forthcoming annual meeting season - Canon Edward Carter, the groups Chair, tell Edward what difference he thinks they can make.The Foundation for Jewish Heritage has launched a project to map and preserve the historic synagogues of Europe. Historian Simon Schama and Journalist Natasha Kaplinsky OBE tell us about their connection with the projectA 1,300-year-old gold cross (the Trumpington Cross), found buried with the body of an aristocratic Anglo-Saxon teenager, has gone on display in Cambridge. Dr Sam Lucy an archaeologist at Cambridge University explains its significance.A new app has been released which is designed to help couples stay together. We get a couple to try it out and hear from its developers Christine and Mark Daniel. New research from Dr Miguel Farias of Coventry University says there is no evidence meditation and mindfulness make you a better person. Reporter Bob Walker has been looking into the Hindu history of the practice and whether it can have a positive impact on wellbeing. Producers: Rajeev Gupta and Helen Lee Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales says that we are losing the battle against human trafficking.BBC's Religious Affairs Editor Martin Bashir talks to Franklin Graham, the son of the evangelist Billy Graham.A review of sharia councils, launched by Theresa May in 2016 when she was home secretary, was published this week. It calls for sharia councils to be regulated with a code of conduct and recommends Muslim couples should be legally required to civilly register their marriage before or at the same time as their Islamic ceremony. Edward talks to the review's chair Prof Mona Siddiqui.What did Jesus look like? Everyone can conjure an image of Jesus and often he is seen as a handsome, white man with flowing locks and pristine linen robes. But is our popular image of Jesus overly westernized and untrue to historical reality? Christian Origins scholar Joan E. Taylor tells Edward what he really looked like.The Bishop of Manchester is calling for concerted action to tackle child poverty after it was revealed that more than half of children in some parts of the country are living in poverty. Manchester is highlighted as one of the worst areas. Kevin Bocquet has been looking at the reasons children are living in poverty in a growing and affluent city. Edward discusses child poverty with Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and the Bishop of Manchester, David Walker.According to new research you are more likely to support immigration if you are a Christian and go to Church. Those who say they are Christian, but don't go to Church are the least supportive of immigration in any faith group. Producers: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham and Carmel Lonergan Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.

As Turkey expands its bombardment of Kurdish controlled areas in Syria, there are reports that young men from the UK are travelling to join Kurdish forces. The Kurds have been largely supported and armed by NATO, of which Turkey are a member. As the situation becomes ever more complex historian Peter Frankopan talks to William about what's going on. Canon David Wyatt, the second longest serving incumbent in the C of E, celebrated 50 years as Vicar of St Paul's Paddington, Salford this week. Kevin Bouquet went along to meet him. January 27, 1945 is the day the Auschwitz concentration camp in modern-day Poland was liberated by the Soviets. Noemie Lopian talks about her father's memoir, 'The Long Night', which details his experiences in several concentration camps. Originally written in German, Noemie tells William why she has only recently summoned the emotional resilience to translate the book. The Church of England has announced £24.4 million in funding for projects "aimed at opening new churches in deprived urban estates" Bishop Philip North explains how the Diocese of Blackburn intends to use its share of the money especially following the BBC's Panorama programme highlighting issues of ethnic and religious segregation in Blackburn.This week the first Turban wearing Sikh MP Tan Singh Dhesi said he has been surprised by the amount of racist abuse he has received since becoming an MP last year. Are we becoming more intolerant as a society? Dr Mark Ledwidge and Journalist Mona Chalabi debate the question.Good Morning is the new trend on texts in India. These greetings are so popular they are blocking the internet. Rahul Tandon explains what's behind this new phenomenon.Producer: Rajeev Gupta Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.