In July 1940, Hitler issued a directive formally launching Operation Sea Lion, Nazi Germany's plan to invade and conquer Britain. Despite the fall of France, Britain, under its new Prime Minister Winston Churchill, showed no intention of surrendering. In a series of defiant speeches, Churchill rallied the British people, famously vowing that they would fight on the beaches, in the streets, and in the hills. It soon became clear to Hitler that if he wanted to end the war in the West, he would have to force Britain to its knees.

Reptiles are not only deadly and numerous, they are also creatures who have some of the most bizarre behaviours in the world. Inhabiting every single land mass with the exception of Antarctica, reptiles are everywhere. Reptiles are generally classified into four main groups; crocodiles and alligators, lizards, snakes and turtles and tortoises. They are all cold-blooded, which means they rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature. They also have cool, dry skin, which is either scaly or joined together with bony plates. Reptiles are also not very hands-on parents. Though alligators raise their young over a period of two years, they are the exception and not the rule. Generally, reptiles lay their eggs in a simple nest and then abandon their young. Reptiles are also masters of disguise, using camouflage as a mechanism for self-defence often. This week we will explore the weird and wonderful world of reptiles; their habits, behaviours and some of the strange methods they use to keep themselves safe.

In 1975, the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh fell to a rebel movement known as the Khmer Rouge. These Marxist revolutionaries seized control of the country and unleashed a reign of terror rarely seen in modern history. Over the next four years, the regime, led by dictator Pol Pot, was responsible for the deaths of nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population. Entire communities were destroyed, and the nation’s religious and cultural heritage was systematically dismantled.

The horrors of the Cambodian killing fields are difficult to confront, but they cannot be ignored. In a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” So what can we learn from the story of the Cambodian killing fields, and how can we ensure such a tragedy is never repeated?

It's 70 years since one of the most extraordinary achievements occurred. This accomplishment is spoken of, remembered, and often used as the gauge of success. And so, it is no surprise that the name of this one man is carved indelibly into history. In his home country, he's considered a hero and has been voted the most admired person in the nation. He even has a commemorative five-stamp series to honour his status and achievements. He is the best-known New Zealander in the world. But it's not just his achievement as a mountaineer, the conqueror of Mount Everest, the first man, along with Tenzing Norgay to climb to the top of the highest mountain in the world that he is honoured. It's because Edmund Hillary showed us how an ordinary life can become a truly extraordinary one. He has shown us that greatness is possible.

Nancy Bird Walton, Australia's pioneering female aviator, became the youngest woman in the British Empire to gain a commercial pilot's licence at 19. Her passion for flying started at 13 with a joyride in a de Havilland Gipsy Moth, prompting training with Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, purchase of her own plane, and barnstorming tours across New South Wales with Peggy McKillop to offer joyrides and charters that brought aviation and women pilots to rural areas. She is best known as the "Angel of the Outback" for her 1930s humanitarian flights with the Far West Children's Health Scheme, transporting doctors, nurses, supplies, and baby health services to remote outback communities, often navigating by road maps and landing in rough paddocks, to provide life-saving care to isolated families. With remarkable courage, she broke gender barriers in aviation while revolutionising healthcare access in regional Australia.

In the late eighteenth century, the nations of Europe were plunged into the chaos and terror of a series of bloody revolutions. But England was spared. Not many people know the story of John Wesley, the man who saved England. Today we often focus on economic and military power as the ways that we can save nations. But Wesley did it by bringing about spiritual revival. When France and many other countries in Europe were plunged into chaos and terror, England took its place as the leading nation in Europe. And it was all because of this one man – John Wesley. He transformed his nation. But first, he had to be transformed himself. This is the story of John Wesley, and how he saved England.

King Solomon, of the royal House of David, is considered the richest human being the world has ever known. For centuries, the legend of his gold mines, said to be the source of much of his immense wealth, has captured the imagination of people from all nations and stations in life. According to the Bible, Solomon, the wise son of King David, ruled from Jerusalem from 970 to 930 BC, presiding over Israel’s Golden Age and becoming renowned not only for his extraordinary wisdom but also for his unmatched riches.

Centuries later, in February 1851, Edward Hargraves ignited the Australia gold rush when he discovered gold in what is now known as Ophir, New South Wales. Thousands of eager prospectors from across the colonies and around the world flocked to the region, and within a decade, Australia was producing nearly a third of the world’s gold. The gold rush profoundly reshaped Australian society, transformed the nation’s economy, and ensured that, like Solomon’s legendary wealth, gold would leave a lasting mark on history.

Step into one of the most volatile places on earth: the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Despite its name, the DMZ is the most militarised border in the world, a tense strip of land dividing North and South Korea since the 1953 armistice. Technically still at war, the two nations face each other across a boundary where even the smallest incident can ignite global attention.

In Panmunjom’s Joint Security Area, North and South Korean soldiers stand just metres apart. It was here, on 13 November 2017, that the world witnessed a dramatic escape as North Korean soldier Oh Chong-song fled across the border under a barrage of gunfire before collapsing on the southern side and being airlifted to safety. Oh’s desperate dash is just one of thousands. Since the end of the Korean War, countless North Koreans have risked everything for a chance at freedom.

Join Gary Kent at the DMZ as he uncovers the stories behind this high-stakes border, the human cost of division, and the universal longing for freedom shared by people in every place and every time.