194ba8ba26180096aa178a92efcb1750

Documentaries

Military

Documentaries

The Marine Who Used a Genius Trick to Fool Everyone

Bullets rip through palm fronds in the sweltering Guadalcanal jungle. A squad of Marines huddles desperately behind a fallen tree, pinned down by a Japanese machine gun nest. Two miles back, their commander receives their distress call. The Japanese knew exactly where to find his men. Another American code broken. The commander glances at the two nervous new arrivals assigned to his communications team. Young, barely out of training, they stand awkwardly apart from the other Marines. Yet he’s been told they have something special. Something different. Something … unbreakable.

Frank.

Human Interest

Documentaries

The Village Where the Roof Is the Road

We travel to Northern Iran, in the lush, mountainous region of Masuleh – a striking contrast to the arid deserts that define much of the country. Nestled within the green slopes of the Alborz Mountains, this centuries-old village is renowned for its unique architecture and rich cultural heritage. Here, homes are built into the steep terrain in such a way that the roof of one house serves as the courtyard or walkway for the one above it, creating a cascading network of pedestrian paths that link the entire village together.

Frank.

Explainer

Documentaries

How Does an Escalator Work?

Using ultra-realistic CGI animation, this fascinating show breaks down everyday objects into their component parts to reveal their secret workings. This episode looks at an escalator, a leaf blower, a tape measure, a security safe, a tennis ball launcher and a music box.

Frank.

History

Documentaries

The History of the British Empire

If you were to look at Britain on a map today, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s borders only encompass those of the British Isles. But if you look at the world as a whole, you will find that there are actually 14 overseas territories where the British government still holds power. From Gibraltar at the entrance of the Mediterranean, to the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, these are the last remaining possessions of Britain’s once mighty empire. 

Frank.

TOP STORIES

Caribbean

World

Hurricane Melissa thrashes Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa is churning north-east toward Cuba’s second-largest city as a powerful Category 4 storm, hours after making landfall in nearby Jamaica as the strongest-ever storm to hit the Caribbean island nation. Melissa struck land near Jamaica’s southwestern town of New Hope, packing maximum sustained winds of 185mph (295km/h), the US National Hurricane Centre said in an advisory, well above the minimum strength of a Category 5 storm, the most powerful level on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

AP/Reuters

Search

frank

Police vow answers for Gus’ family

Police promise to continue investigations into the disappearance of a preschooler from an outback property despite scaling back the search. August, known as Gus, went missing from his family’s sheep station in the remote South Australian mid-north on Saturday afternoon. The only trace found of the four-year-old was a tiny footprint in the dirt about 500 metres from the family homestead amid an extensive week-long ground and air search.

AAP Newswire

Middle East

frank

Trump: This will lead to ‘lasting peace’

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas has signed an agreement to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza that has upended the Middle East. Israelis and Palestinians alike rejoiced after the deal was announced, the biggest step yet to end two years of war in which over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, and return the last hostages seized by Hamas in the deadly attacks that started it.

Reuters

Gaza

frank

All surviving hostages returned home

Hamas has released the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages under a ceasefire deal, a major step towards ending two years of shattering war in Gaza as US President Donald Trump, who helped broker the truce, proclaimed “a new beginning”. The Israeli military said it had received all hostages confirmed to be alive after their transfer from Gaza by the Red Cross, prompting cheering, hugging and weeping among thousands waiting at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv.

Reuters

Israel

frank

Trump: ‘Dawn of a new Middle East’

US President Donald Trump has declared a “historic dawn of a new Middle East” in a speech to lawmakers in the Israeli parliament, just hours before he met with world leaders in Egypt. Trump received several standing ovations from Israeli lawmakers before and during his speech after meeting with the families of hostages. Trump thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his remarks, adding that his “exceptional courage and patriotism did so much to make this to make this momentous day possible”.

AP/Reuters

Attack

UK

Synagogue attack declared terrorism

Two men were killed when a man drove a car into pedestrians and stabbed a security guard in an attack at a synagogue where worshippers were marking Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, British police said. Greater Manchester Police said the man who carried out the attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall district of the city in northern England was believed to be Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent. The suspect, who was wearing what appeared to be a vest with an explosive device, was shot dead at the scene by armed officers.

Reuters

Honour

frank

Kirk awarded Presidential Medal

President Donald Trump has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to slain activist Charlie Kirk, a prominent voice in the conservative movement before his assassination last month. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot on September 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University, a killing that shocked the nation and reignited debates over political violence.

AP/Reuters

Aviation

Documentaries

Inside the Cockpit of the Bf 109

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was Germany’s most iconic fighter of World War II – sleek, fast and deadly. But behind its fearsome reputation was a horrifying truth: flying it was almost a guaranteed brush with death.

Frank.

Nature

Documentaries

Europe’s Great Wilderness: Europe’s Green Heart

Europe was once covered by forest, from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Wiped out in a mini ice age, they, and the wildlife that inhabit them are making a spectacular recovery. Today, Europe’s forests cover around 1000 million hectares (about 30 times the size of Poland). From Mediterranean cork forests; Central Europe’s great oak and beech woodlands to the evergreen taiga just below the Arctic Circle, these wild woodlands form some of the most secret, complex and beautiful habitats on the planet.

Frank.

Aviation

Documentaries

Better Than Air Force One? Inside Trump’s Private Jet

Built to hold 228 passengers, the Boeing 757 is three times the size of a typical private jet – 47 meters long, with a wingspan of 39 meters and the tail standing nearly 14 meters high. This makes it one of the biggest corporate jets in the entire world. The plane comes with two bedrooms and a shower, as well as a ‘screening room’ equipped with a 57 inch TV – like having your own personal home cinema.

Frank.

Aviation

Documentaries

Red Arrows: Kings of the Sky

Two pilots attempt their hair-raising head-to-head manoeuvres for the first time as the team begins their intense winter training ahead of the RAF’s Centenary celebrations.

Frank.

Adventure

Documentaries

World’s Most Dangerous Roads: The Abano Pass

In the far north-east of Georgia, on the border with Russia, the Abano Pass leads to lofty heights. At almost 3000 metres it is the highest passable road in the Great Caucasus. It winds its way up dizzyingly steep slopes. On wild paths, it leads through a fascinating landscape. It is a voyage of discovery into a mighty mountain world.

Frank.

Rescue

Documentaries

Pushing the Chopper to the Limits

The Coast Guard Alaska team at Air station Kodiak run into many disasters. A rescue swimmer struggles to reach a stranded sailor in time before the helicopter runs out of fuel. The new trainees are pushed to their limits and a local pilot crashes on the coast and the crew must chopper in and pull out the pilot.

Frank.

Mining

Documentaries

How One Company Controls the Entire Diamond Industry

The astonishing story of how De Beers, one of history’s most successful monopolies, manipulated the global diamond market. From their iconic slogan “A Diamond is Forever” to their ruthless control over diamond supply and pricing, discover how De Beers reshaped our ideas about love, luxury, and value.

Frank.

Nature

Documentaries

What’s Hidden Under the Trees of the Amazon Rainforest?

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most fascinating and most mysterious places on Earth. It sprawls seemingly endlessly across a vast area of South America, roughly 6 million square kilometres all in – an area of land that’s about equivalent to ¾ of the continental United States. The majority of the rainforest, about 60 per cent of it, is contained within the borders of Brazil but significant parts of it also extend into Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana.

Frank.