Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Monday 25 June: Japan Gone Grey

This year Japan’s baby boomers all reach retirement age, 65. Not a problem in the past when the young were able to take their place. But now young people aren’t having babies due to lack of employment and the elderly are living at least 20 years beyond retirement but most Japanese people live for at least another 20 years. Peter Day reports from Tokyo and Shikoku Island on how the Japanese are managing a problem that will soon be a problem for us all.

Tuesday 26 June: China’s Economy: The Insider’s View (Part 1 of 2)

The world is increasingly looking to China for help with the economy. Europeans are looking for support for their bailout fund; developing countries want further investment to develop their infrastructure; and the United States wants a free-floating currency to end what it says is a generation of unfair competition with US workers.  But what are China's priorities? In this two-part BBC series, China's most prominant business journalist, Rui Chenggang, argues that for China to help the world, China must help itself.

Wednesday 27 June: Philippines Contraception

The Philippines has the highest birthrate in South East Asia.In 1990 there were 60 million Filipinos. Now there are more than 95 million and the government wants to slow this down. It has put forward a reproductive health bill that includes a provision to give out free contraception and family planning advice to couples that want it. But in a country where more than 80% of the population is Catholic the bill is facing fierce opposition from the Church. The BBC's Kate McGeown reports from the Philippines on how the reproductive health bill is dividing Church and state.

Thursday 28 June: Song by Song By London

It's a city that wisecracks, swaggers, sweeps you up and spits you out. In this BBC doucmentary Robert Elms is searching for the musical soul of London, celebrated in over a century of song. Songs about park life, protest, housing or just looking out over a dirty old river - they've become part of the musical bricks and mortar that give the city and Londoners, a sense of place.  Featuring songs by The Clash, David Bowie, Lord Kitchener, Gert and Daisy, Lily Allen, The Kinks and many more